Movies
  

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban”

The childish whining and grade-school immaturity of the first
two films have given way to teenage angst in the third installment
from the world of wizards and magic, “Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban.”

The next adventure in the Potter series picks up in
Harry’s third year at Hogwarts. This time Harry Potter
(Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger
(Emma Watson) are fighting time to protect Harry from another evil
wizard. Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), convicted murderer, has escaped
from the wizards prison of Azkaban. After hearing that Sirius is
after Harry, the story takes off in the same manner as the previous
films where he is locked up in his aunt and uncle’s suburban
home. Word comes of impending danger, so he is rescued by Hogwarts
affiliates.

“Azkaban” does bring a relatively darker and more
serious aura than the previous films. In addition to Harry and his
two friends continuing the tradition of the first two films by
fighting with the school bullies and escaping the clutches of his
mean aunt and uncle, this film finds Harry beginning to fight the
inner demons involved in being an adolescent wizard on top of the
external demons that are synonymous with the world of magic.
Director Alfonso Cuarón (“Y Tu Mamá
También”) has added his touch to
“Azkaban,” giving it a darker feel than Chris Columbus
did in the previous two films.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is
scheduled for release nationwide Friday.

Who should see it: All of those Harry Potter fans who have
already read all of the books, seen the movies and can’t wait
for the next one to hit the big screen.

—Daniel Lapham/The Daily

 

DVDS & MUSIC
  

“Monster”

What more could a person want in a movie than love, action,
murder, lust and a serial killer? Tuesday’s DVD release of
“Monster” adds a new dimension to the classic serial
killer, mass murderer, sex offender films like
“Dahmer,” “Silence of the Lambs” and
“Red Dragon.” First-time writer-director Patty Jenkins
brings to life the true story of the first documented female serial
killer in American history.

Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) is a prostitute who, after
suffering a childhood full of abuse, stumbles into a Florida bar in
1989 downtrodden with desperation. She makes an unlikely friendship
with runaway Selby Wall (Christina Ricci) and the two of them soon
fall in love. In a struggle to survive in a hotel when neither
Wuornos nor Wall can get a job, Wuornos goes back to prostitution.
After a confrontation with a john, Wuornos kills him. After this,
she loses it a bit and begins killing all of her johns. After six
people turn up dead, Wuornos is arrested. She later confesses and
was sentenced to death.

Who should see it: Those interested in a tragic tail of murder,
deceit, internal pain and love, but also who have a love for
socially realistic films that are written, directed and acted out
in a way that is worthy of the art form.

—Daniel Lapham/The Daily

 

“Eurotrip”

For anyone who loves movies with a whole lot of sex, cursing,
and some all important nudity, Eurotrip should be considered an
Oscar-winning classic. For everyone else, this is the same formula
that has been seen before in Scary Movie, Not Another Teen Movie,
and Super Troopers.

The concept is simple. At best, the script is outrageously
unrealistic, and the movie is unbearable to watch at times, of
course, if you like the things that we mentioned before.

This movie starts when Scott (Scott Mechlowicz) is dumped by his
girlfriend, who hooks up with Matt Damon of all people. Yes, that
Matt Damon. No surprise there, but he, of course, is a slacker in
high school. So, Scott schemes to get a passing grade in his German
class when he hooks up online with a German student. When he finds
out that the German person is a hot blonde, he recruits his buddies
to take a trip to meet her. The most annoying part of the movie is
the tune “Scotty Doesn’t Know” playing again and
again in the background, referring to him getting dumped. Sad
excuse for a movie, and waste of good looking talent.

Who should see it: People who want to throw away an hour and a
half of their lives.

—Scooby Axson/The Daily

 

Bad Religion, “The Empire Strikes First”

Bad Religion’s new album, “The Empire Strikes
First,” is scheduled for release June 8. The album features
14 tracks with Jay Bentley playing Bass, Greg Graffin singing lead
vocals, Brian Baker, Greg Hetson and Brett Gurewitz playing guitar,
Brooks Wackerman playing drums and Bentley, Gurewitz and Graffin
singing backup vocals.

The album is the band’s 16th release and maintains the
band’s tradition of tackling serious issues like politics,
philosophies, war, religion and what it means to be human.

The new album is expected to be as good as previous Bad Religion
albums, and Bad Religion is expanding their horizons and improving
their styles.

The album can be preordered at Badreligion.com, which also
features links to purchase individual songs.

Who should hear it: Anyone who appreciates rock-n-roll, punk
rock, and deep thought.

—Cole Bridges/The Daily

 

GAME & BOOK
  

“The Chronicles of Riddick”

Many video games allow the player to be a hero and save the
world, but there are some that let the player be the villain.

In “The Chronicles of Riddick,” which came out on
Xbox Tuesday, the player is the villain and an intergalactic
convict, at that.

His name is Richard B. Riddick and he starts this first-person
shooter game captured and locked in a maximum security prison. The
goal is to escape the grasping confines of the galaxy’s
toughest prison using the anti-hero’s skills in stealth and
battle. He also has a special power called eyeshine, which allows
him to see clearly in pitch-darkness.

There’s no multiplayer mode, and that could be a downer to
the game, especially since so many Xbox games are now starting to
offer this.

The game is also based on the movie that comes out June 11. It
serves more so as a prequel to the movie, but the movielike
presentation of the story within the game is self-contained with or
without the movie.

Who should play: Any gamer who likes to play as the
anti-hero.

—Jennifer Rickard/The Daily

 

Lisa Scottoline, “Killer Smile”

Another witty thriller novel full of law and laughter by New
York Times best-seller Lisa Scottoline hit the shelves Tuesday.

The novel, “Killer Smile,” is Scottoline’s
eleventh novel, and it’s a part of her series about an
all-female law firm in Philadelphia.

The main character, Mary DiNunzio, is a young widow who grew up
in an Italian neighborhood. She is caught up in a case of gaining
reparations on behalf of a dead Italian immigrant’s estate.
The story twists into a thrilling, yet witty, mystery of a
homicide, and Mary herself becomes enthralled and entangled into
the mystery and danger. With her own life in peril, the novel folds
into a story of adventure with many humorous twists along the
way.

This book is much like her previous ones, and it is based off of
Scottoline’s own discoveries about her family history. It
should also prove to be an easy read like her other novels.

Who should read this: Fans of law and mystery stories.

—Jennifer Rickard/The Daily
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