Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2004)
“I 5. Thursday, April 29, 2004 Stitch ENTERTAINMENT ^Aggieland Depotl^ Diploma Framing www.aggieland-depot.com ■^1 Culpepper Plaza • 695-1422 IjT THE BATTALION If You Have Something To Sell, Remember: Classifieds Can Do It Call 845-0569 The Battalion Oitda cm cm a a/'| lipmi; ant " “The Big Empty” Lion’s Gate Pictures Starring Sean Bean, Jon Favreau I “The Big Empty” is a hard movie to classify. What starts off as a quirky character-driven film with great potential turns - in a heart beat - into an enigmatic open-ended alien flick with philosophical overtones. The speck-on-the-radar independent film boasts an impressive collection of actors and stellar visuals that create an almost enjoyable film. The starkness of the desert is perfectly show cased by cinematographer Chris Manley. I The always funny Jon Favreau stars as John Person, a struggling actor who is slowly sinking under a mountain of debts. Instead of E m rrying about his financial situation, he spends his nights ponder- which photograph would best sell him to potential directors. Person’s financial problems are offered a reprieve when a mysteri- bjis neighbor (Bud Cort) offers Person enough money to erase his bts if he will simply take a blue briefcase into the middle of the sert to the small town of Baker, Calif. Cort plays the bizarre ighbor Neely with such oddness that viewers will be simultane ously repulsed and attracted to the squat little man. Neely and an named group seem to know quite a lot about Person as Neely so refully explains. Conversations such as this drive the first half of ie movie as Person takes Neely up on his offer and makes his way to Baker to transfer the mysterious suitcase to an even more myste- ripus man named Cowboy. I While Person waits for Cowboy, he is introduced to the denizens of the small town in which he is now trapped. Daryl Hannah plays the town bartender, Stella, who must watch over her rowdy daugh- tejr, Ruthie. Ruthie (Rachael Leigh Cook) is more interested in liv ing life to the fullest, partaking in binge drinking and sleeping around. It’s Ruthie’s promiscuity that drives Randy (Adam Beach) lild. Randy hopes to marry Ruthie, and her constant flirting with Person drives him crazy. The real standout of the film is Jon Cries’ portrayal of hotel manager Elron. Completely bonkers, Elron’s sub dued antics and dialogue will leave audiences anticipating his next wpearance. Elron tells Person that a pornographic movie was limed in his hotel room. I After Neely is found dead, an eccentric member of the cast is introduced with Kelsey Crammer’s performance as FBI agent Banks. Banks is a slightly crazed Investigator who stops at nothing to prove Person is tied to Neely’s disappearance. With Sean ian’s Irish Cowboy, who is the mysterious leader behind a cult of lack suit wearing wannabe alien abducts, the main cast of Gentries is complete. The character interactions in the first half of the movie showcase -time director/writer Steve Anderson’s knack for creating quirky d interesting characters that dominate the screen and intrigue the idience. Every line of dialogue contains quietly subdued hilarity. With one scene, the movie’s tune changes dramatically into a ix between a bad “Repo Man”/“X-Files” clone and “The Big ,ebowski.” Mixing bowling with an alien conspiracy, the movie’s nal plot borders on pretentious. Offering few answers and lacking itiative for audiences to create their own images, the film’s final [cene seems like a bad art house film created for the Sci-Fi ’liannel. With such a wonky mishmash of genres, it’s easy for any potential viewers to be turned off. Clever dialogue and great [cting will keep audiences watching, but the ‘vague for vagueness ke’ ending will leave audiences with an empty feeling as big as ie desert the movie is set in. The DVD comes with deleted scenes, including a plotline - fea ring the excellent character actor Danny Trejo, a director’s com- atvlaxy, a wuvklug, of fe&futette and a combination music ideo/picture gallery. Irst- “Versus” Starring Tak Sakaguchi, Chieko Misaka, Hideo Sakaki Mystery Science Theater fans rejoice. Even though the show has long been canceled, fans can still follow in the footsteps of Mike, Joel, Servo and Crow by grabbing a few friends and having a late- night showing of “Versus.” For those who don’t understand that, then understand this: “Versus” is a very, very bad movie. The only thing it is good for is being ripped to shreds and laughed at. In the heart of the “Resurrection Forest,” where the dead suffer from eternal insomnia, two prisoners make an escape from prison and are on their way to meet up with some gang members. The prisoners meet up with the would-be saviors only to find out that they have kidnapped a girl, and they are supposed to wait for the “Boss” to show up. Tensions escalate and before the audience knows it, a fight breaks out and one of the gang members is killed. The meaning of the resurrection forest becomes very clear when the dead gang member suddenly comes back to life in a zombie like fashion and tries to go on a killing spree, but is abruptly stopped by loads of bullets. Confused and scared, one of the prisoners grabs the girl and runs off into the forest in hopes of avoiding more zombies and trigger- happy gang members. Things quickly get worse as an unending sup ply of zombies appear along with the Boss. Through several tortur ous flashbacks viewers find out that the Boss and the prisoners are ancient enemies who come back every hundred years to fight each other. The Boss summons a few helpers who don’t help much, but seem to be there only so the prisoners can beat on them for a few minutes. Finally the prisoners meet up with the Boss, and in a bat tle that goes on way too long, kills him. All of the bad acting, bad story, bad effects and bad characters combine to make this movie a perfect candidate for Mystery Science Theater lovers. The plot is so convoluted and difficult to understand that viewers may still have no idea what happened in some cases. The acting is so exaggerated that viewers will find themselves laughing at it. On top of that, none of the characters have names. All you have is the Boss, the prisoners, the girl, etc. This is as cheap as filmmaking can get. Extras on the DVD might have helped to improve the disc somewhat, but all viewers get are four trailers that look like equally viable candidates for making this DVD a DUD. How anyone could have produced such a remarkably terrible movie is simply beyond reason. It has no redeeming value what soever. It is nothing but fodder for people who like to sit and make fun of movies. If audiences are going to watch this film, grab a bunch of brutal-minded friends and start viewing around mid night; they’ll be sure to have a great time. If not, they will turn it off after 10 minutes. - Paul Cozby If you see it on the video shelf- wall away as fast as you can Only watch it to please your date Good for Saturday afternoon TV JRjl %§Pick up a copy when you have a WwW ' chance You should have bought this yesterday NOW OPEN Mon - Sat. 8 p.m.- 2 a.m. Next to Outback on Texas Ave. 20 and up for guys 19 and up for girls NO COVER MONDAY - *1.50 Domestic Longnecks TUESDAY - *1.50 Well Drinks WEDNESDAY - *1.00 Shots THURSDAY - *2.00 Bud and Bud Light Longnecks FRIDAY - *2.00 Domestic Longnecks SATURDAY - *2.00 Coors & Miller Light Longnecks SPECIALS RIM ALL NIGHT STA Travel's Be/t oP /ummer T. ; , ^ JJka / fe:; i atfii > This ain't your parents' summer vacation. »Gurope The bobal trip: 7 counfcries....11 days • RfT air to London Prom Los Angeles or Prom New York. <fc1 QGIE; • Conbikl’s European 'P I, O O O Magic: an 11-day tour through Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France. TRAUEL DATES from LA from NY Apr 01 - Jun 15 $1,465 $1,355 Jun 16 - Aug 31 $1,725 $1,566 »Ru/braUo ^ Oz Explorer: Sydney to Cairns 3 your uuoy Air to Sydney ^ ° Prom Los Angeles or New York, return Prom Prom Cairns. OZ Experience Cobber (fil Bus Pass: a Plexible ’ hop-on/hop-oPP pass Prom Sydney to Cairns Par travel up to 12 months. TRAUEL DATES from LA from NY Apr 01-Jun 19 $1,259 $1,509 Jun 20 - Jul 20 $1,378 $1,628 »Rdvenbure Special Student Airfare: Apr - Jun Jun - Oct London $446 $745 Paris $604 $905 AmsCerdam $703 $957 Cheap Sleeps: London - St. Christopher's Village...$28/night Paris - Aloha Hostel $34/nlght Rail: Eurail Flexipass (10 days in 2 months) $488 I Eurailpass (15 days) $414 j (ond Doiv Zealand) Special Student Airfare: Apr - Jun Jun - Oct Auckland $1344 $1174 Sydney $1425 $1312 Melbourne $1425 $1312 Cheap Sleeps: Auckland - Central Backpackers...$16/nlght Sydney - Wake Up! Hostel $23/night Melbourne - Bakpak Hotel $25/night Cairns - Gllligan's Hotel & Resort $20/nightt Best oP Peru 9 days oP Inca & R/T air to Lima fTlachu Pichu Prom Los Angeles or New York. Prom Tucan Travel's <t1 CQC Peruvian Trails: a 9-day exploration oP the Incan Empire and the Pamous Inca Trail. TRAUEL DATES from LA from NY Apr 01-Jun 30 $1,660 $1,595 Jul 01-Aug 15 $1,725 $1,680 Special Student Airfare: Apr - Jun Jun - Oct San Jose $397 $397 Bangkok $916 $1066 Cape Town $1377 $1560 Cheap Sleeps: San Jose - Pangea Hoscel $14/nighd Bangkok - Viengcai HoCel $16/nighc Cape Town - Ashanti Lodge $14/night Santiago - La Casa Roja $8/nighd lirtHMttflMl.f./i'fAw Identity Card ST uh f: w T The airfare listed on the right side of this advertisement are for departure from Austin. The packages on the left of this advertisement are accessible from your local metro area but the rates will be more or less than these advertised prices. Check with your local STA store for rates departing from your local metro area. All fares are Subject to change and availability. Taxes and other applicable fees are not included. Restrictions and blackouts apply- Fares are valid for students and youth under 26. ISIC/IYTC card may be required. Check out oun "Best oP Summer" and "Let's Go" brochures 4341 University Way NE (206) 633.5000 424 Broadway Ave. East (206) 329.4567 STA TRAVEL | www.statravel.com ^ ontme » on tug phopg » on enmpu/ » on tug /trggt