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The Battalion
LEARN WHAT TO DO
BEFORE YOU GET A
JOB AND WHAT TO
DO AFTER YOU
ARRIVE...
Listen to communications professionals
speak on career-related topics
April 2, 2004
12-6pm Rudder
Register at tables:
Wehner, Rudder Fountain,
Academic Plaza 3/29 - 4/1
More Info?
iabc_ags@yahoo.com
dsa-stuorg.tamu.edu/iabc
International Association
of Business Communicators
Texas A&M
WHERE THERE'S HURT
THERE'S HOPE
POST ABORTION PEER COUNSELING
♦ Peer Grief Counseling
♦ Help for Symptoms of Abortion Trauma
♦ 10-week Recovery Program
♦ Emotional & Spiritual Support
Free & Confidential
Jlofie P*e<j4UiHC4p Ge+ttenA
Call and ask for the PACE (Post Abortion
Counseling & Education) Director.
695-9193
205 Brentwood • College Station
www.hopepregnancy.org
WE MAKE TRADITIONS HAPPEN
Maroon Out
Junior E-Walk
Elephant Walk
Ring Dance
Boot Dance
Real World Conference
Conversations
Fish Council
Silver Taps Rememberance
Class Gift
Applications and information now available
classcouncils.tamu.edu
jiI .4^i
live at
Reed Arena
7 pm
Thursday, April 1
ON SALE NOW!
Tickets available at
Reed Arena Box Office,
MSC Box Office,
all Ticketmaster locations,
including Foleys, 979.268.0414,
or ticketmaster.com
Show contains adult language.
presented by
m
assisted by
MSC ^
/lOVVfly
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
AGGIELIfi
THE BATTALlJ
Courtesy of • UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Courtesy of • SONY PICTlt
“Dawn of the Dead”
Universal Pictures
“Secret Window”
Sony Pictures
Does the recent remake of “Dawn of the Dead” live up to
George A. Romero’s original 1978 zombie opus? Nope. Is there
any reason one should bother paying today’s outrageous ticket
prices to watch the sleeker, sexier version in theaters? Yes.
The opening credit scene for “Dawn of the Dead” is quite possi
bly one of the most entertaining and watchable five minutes of film
reieased this year. Gritty documentary-style renderings of mass
zombie attacks and government and society’s reactions are interlaid
with the Johnny Cash song “The Man Comes Around.” As the cred
its roll and moviegoers settle into their seats, they may say to them
selves, “This would make a great music video.” Of course, the same
could be said about the rest of the movie as well. Director Zach
Snyder must have attended the MTV School of Filmmaking, as he
loves the quick cuts and moody lighting that have become a staple
for music videos. Snyder’s big budget rendition of the Romero clas
sic is interesting to watch and, surprisingly, isn’t too bad of a film.
As with most zombie movies, the plot of “Dawn of the Dead”
has no purpose. The vast majority of audiences don’t come to this
particular flavor of film to see an hour or more of exposition - they
want to see brain-eating, limb-missing zombies and the people
they love to eat. Screenwriter James Gunn realizes this and wisely
skips the exposition, and within the first five minutes unleashes the
swarm of dead. The film makes no fuss about explaining the zom
bies’ presence and instead chooses to celebrate it with enough fake
gore and extras to fill a football stadium. Taking a cue from last
summer’s “28 Days Later,” these zombies are fast, furious and
foaming at the mouth with blood; they also entertain by growling
all manner of unearthly noises while attempting to separate their
former neighbors and loved ones from their flesh.
No zombie movie can be successful without an unlucky brigade
of survivors lined up and ready to be picked off one by one.
“Dawn of the Dead" features a collection of talented character
actors including Sarah Policy, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, and
Matt Frewer. The humans have come together at a state-of-the-art
shopping mall and, together, they hope to survive against the
legion of the damned that shuffles around outside.
Although a lot of the movie is brainless popcorn fun, a large part
of it deals with human choices that must be made in a time where
the dead walk the earth. The human survivors must decide who to let
into their sanctuary and how to police themselves. Phifer’s character
must decide what to do when his pregnant wife is bitten. Does he
kill her before she becomes a zombie or does he try his best to hide
her affliction from the others in hope that the baby is bom before
she unleashes into a zombie? In a movie about the dead, humanity -
both the good and the bad - has rarely been so present in a film.
From the initial revelation of infestation to the survivor’s last-
ditch attempt to escape, the film contains a fair share of “grade A”
zombie fun. Humor is also present as the humans make due with
the excess of time on their hands. During a montage of interactions
in the mall, a Richard Cheese lounge cover of Disturbed’s “Down
With the Sickness” plays. The humans kill time by killing zombies
who look like celebrities while lounging about on the mall roof.
“Dawn of the Dead” contains few - if any - original ideas. It is
a fun re-tooling of ideas in a package custom-made for today’s
generation. While the craftman-like touch of Romero’s original
may be missing, in its place is enough mindless carnage to make
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ” look like a children’s
Christmas posada. It may not be known if the new “Dawn of the
Dead” movie will be remembered as fondly in the future, but it
will offer plenty of mindless distraction while you wait.
“The only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most impote
part of the story. And this one is very good. This one is perfect.’ ^
audiences who have been witness to any of the trailers for "Secret
Window," the previously stated quote may sound familiar. Usedii!
almost every commercial, the quote, spoken by Johnny Depp’sctu
acter, Mort Rainy, beckons viewers to an original movie with akillr
ending. Audiences who decide to take the commercials uponilie
offer will instead find their promise only half-delivered.
In "Secret Window.” Depp plays a crime novelist who isgoins
through a rough patch in his life. In a beautifully shot opening scat
nature’s fury beats down upon a car parked in a hotel lot. DeppsiK
in the car, contemplating his options. He exits the car. breaks his wa;
into a hotel room and discovers his wife has been cheating on him
Impressive editing and a strong performance by Depp perfectly cot
vey the mixture of frustration, shock and anger. From such an excel
lent opening scene, greatness can’t be far behind, right? Wrong.
From there, audiences are taken into the future, where iheyare
re-introduced to a broken Rainy (Depp) who is living alone in a
cabin in the woods battling with a bout of writer’s block. Depp
performance as an eccentric writer is both familiar and encourag
ing. From his mop of hair to his proclivity for naps and self-con
versations. Depp fills his role with nuance and history.
Even though the audience is introduced to Rainy well into his
life, there is a human connection and weight that Depp carries it
the role that most actors would have been unable to exploit to thee
full advantage.
As Rainy continues his lethargic descent into self-pity, amysK
rious man, John Shooter (John Turturro), steps into his life witha
foreboding message. Shooter accuses Rainy of stealing a story he
wrote. Dismissing his claim off-hand. Rainy later discovers there
is an uncanny resemblance between the two writers’stories.
However, Rainy wrote his version in 1994. while Shooter’s ve
Aft
Texas
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sion was written in 1997. Shooter demands Rainy prove hts clait
or bad things will happen. Demonstrating his threat’s validity
Shooter shows Rainy just what a screwdriver can dorwhenta
into a house pet’s head. From there, the movie turns intoacat-ani
mouse chase on Prozac, moving slowly from one encounter to
another as Rainy’s deadline for proof draws near.
Director David Koepp’s screenplay of the Stephen Kingno\
“Secret Window, Secret Garden” often delves into the insipid,i
ing a deathly dull pace with several entirely unoriginal ideas.
Subplots (Rainy’s previous encounter with a psycho fan)are
skipped around and unresolved, while others (Rainy’s ongoing
divorce trial, his interaction with the local townspeople) takecentii
stage at inappropriate times, distracting from the main story and
slowing the movie’s pace even more. For a man who has been
threatened and had pets killed. Rainy saunters lazily aroundtakinf
plenty of naps without a care in the world.
All in all, "Secret Window” is not a bad movie. If ithadcome
out when King’s original story was published, it may have been
considered a great movie. However, in today’s Hollywood where
the independent film market has perfected slow-paced movieswil
surprise endings that are far more original than “Secret Windows
lazy closing, the movie suffers from comparison. Overly slowaml
unoriginal. “Secret Window” is saved from mediocrity by Depps
great performance. This is not a testament to the film however.
Depp could star in “Watching A Laundry Spin Cycle: The Movie’’
and still manage to entertain audiences. For Depp's performance
alone audiences should watch “Secret Window” on video whenii
makes its way into the favorites section.
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Animal Planet
A camel with no hump? A leopard with no spots? An elephant with no trunk?
This is definitely not an everyday trip to the zoo! It’s a fun-filled new musical
starring six of your favorite animals. Filled with vivid costumes and plenty of
sing along tunes, JUST SO STORIES, based on Rudyard Kipling's
masterpiece, will have you laughing, singing and dancing in the aisles!
JUST SO STORIES
TheatreWorks USA
Saturday, April 3
2 PM & 4 PM
Rudder Theatre
TICKETS
845-1234
www.MSCOPAS.org
MSC
OPAS Jr Generously Supported by:
The OPAS Guild
FOR THE YOUNG AT ARTl
Three Dectules of Performing Arts
fujlittn I etilurlai ’
Supporting the arts since 1973.
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^Jcui tea tic Uam i (y SJnn! All tlc/CGtS only $7.5