Movies
    

“Fahrenheit 9/11”

The summer is heating up and Michael Moore’s new
“documentary,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” is at the
forefront of the heat. Scheduled to be released Friday, Moore, who
previously made “Bowling for Columbine” and
“Roger & Me,” takes a stab at the Bush
administration from the Sept. 11 tragedies to the war in Iraq.
Moore digs into the relationships between the Bush administration
and the Bin Laden family.

Moore has stirred up interest in the current political climate
of the United States. His film has been described as an indictment
of President George W. Bush and his administration, citing
misconduct in their handling of the war on terrorism. Moore said
his film is directed at poor, minority and young Americans who have
increasingly given up their right to vote.

“Fahrenheit 9/11” was the second documentary film in
48 years to be included in the Cannes Film Festival’s main
competition. The film won top prize at the festival this year and
received a 20-minute standing ovation.

On the heels of “Fahrenheit,” right-wing
conservatives have openly and harshly objected to the film’s
release saying that it is partisan and full of nothing but
propaganda. Conservative groups have attempted to ban the film from
being shown in theaters, but to date they have not been
successful.

As in Moore’s previous film, “Bowling for
Columbine,” he has many valid points that would do well for
American voters to note, but Moore obviously has an agenda and much
of his information takes the form of subjective propaganda rather
than objective journalism.

Who should see it: Anyone and everyone who has an objective mind
and wants to explore alternatives of how someone else views and
interprets the current state of America in the world.

—Daniel Lapham/The Daily

 

“The Notebook”

If the movie adaptation of “The Notebook” is
anything like the novel, audiences will feel completely involved in
the story and will leave theaters completely immersed in tears.

“The Notebook” is a romantic flick with a cast
including up and coming actors Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams and
Academy Award Nominees James Garner and Gena Rowlands.

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, the plot follows the
story of two teens, Allie Nelson (McAdams) and Noah Calhoun
(Gosling), who fall in love and are split apart by disapproving
parents and then by World War II. Years later, when they see each
other again, Allie is forced to choose between her first love and
her current fiancé. Most of the movie is a flashback, as an
elderly Noah (Garner) reads the love story from an old notebook to
the elderly Allie (Rowlands) in a nursing home.

Other great books-turned-movies based on Sparks novels include
“A Walk to Remember” and “Message in a
Bottle.”

“The Notebook” hits theaters Friday.

Who should see it: Couples who aren’t embarrassed to cry
in front of each other, and those who have an adequate amount of
Kleenex. Also, those who enjoyed the book or didn’t have time
to read it but don’t want to miss another great love story
from Sparks.

—Brianne Webb/The Daily

 

Book & Game
    

“The Bourne Legacy”, Eric Van Lustbader

Author Eric Van Lustbader continues the legacy of Robert
Ludlum’s famous character, Jason Bourne, with Tuesday’s
release of his new book, “The Bourne Legacy.”

The book is a continuation of the series about the highly
skilled assassin Jason Bourne, who many movie-viewers know as Matt
Damon from “The Bourne Identity.” Bourne is actually a
fake identity that CIA agent David Webb assumes, and this new story
begins with Webb living a life away from this altered identity.

He is working as a professor of Eastern Studies at Georgetown,
and in the midst of this, the story takes on an action-packed pace
and Webb finds himself as the target of an assassin and once again
thrust into the world of his Bourne identity.

For fans of the movie and the other books, this book should live
up to the legacy that Ludlum has created with this intriguing and
innovative character.

Who should read it: Readers that liked the previous books, fans
of the movie or just anyone who wants a good fast-paced read.

—Jennifer Rickard/The Daily

 

“Driver 3”

Hop into your ride and head to the nearest video game dispenser
because “Driver 3” has hit the streets for Xbox and
Playstation 2.

The game is much like the first two “Driver” games,
but it has more special features that make it different and help it
better compete with games like “Grand Theft Auto.”

The gamer plays as an undercover cop who is sent on missions
that include hijacking cars, trucks and even boats while racing
around the cities of Miami, Nice, France and Istanbul, Turkey.

It’s different from the first two “Driver”
games because the player will also have the ability to get out of
the vehicles and fight the international criminals using various
weapons.

It looks like it will live up to a high potential and give
almost any gamer a nice ride.

Who should play it: Fans of high-speed race games and the
original “Driver” games.

—Jennifer Rickard/The Daily

 

CDs & DVDs
    

“Van Lear Rose”, Loretta Lynn

Sometimes things people might never think of as going together
end up complementing each other perfectly, like french fries and
hot fudge or popcorn and peanut butter M&M’s. Loretta
Lynn and Jack White are one such unlikely duo.

Twenty-eight-year-old White Stripes front man, Jack White,
produced the legendary Lynn’s latest album, and the results
are surprisingly good. White and Lynn even team up for the
drunken-love song “Portland Oregon.” The chemistry
between Lynn’s Kentucky drawl and White’s whiney,
indie-rock vocals is great, with charming lyrics like,
“Portland, Oregon and sloe gin fizz, if that ain’t
love, then tell me what is.”

What’s great about this is the authenticity of the songs,
which were mostly written by Lynn. The autobiographical nature of
most of the lyrics gives the album an intimate feel, as if one were
sitting in Lynn’s kitchen and conversing over a cup of
coffee.

The spoken-word “Little Red Shoes” recalls a
colorful episode from Lynn’s youth over a hypnotic guitar
riff. During songs like “Story of My Life,” and
“Van Lear Rose,” the nearly 70-year-old Lynn sings
about family, motherhood and growing up in a small mining town.

White manages not to overpower Lynn’s distinctive voice,
and his twangy rock guitar adds depth to these simple country
songs.

Who should hear it: This album isn’t for your average
country fan; it’s for people who like a little hot fudge with
their french fries.

—Brianna Bailey/The Daily

 

“Secret Window”

The devilishly suave Johnny Depp’s latest film,
“Secret Window,” was released on DVD Tuesday. Depp
plays the role of famed mystery writer Mort Rainey who, following a
bitter separation from his wife (Maria Bello), retreats to his
secluded lake home to try to get over his writer’s block so
he can finish his latest novel. While at his lake house, Rainey is
unexpectedly confronted by a dangerous stranger named John Shooter
(John Turturro). Shooter claims that Rainey plagiarized his short
story. Throughout the movie, Shooter continues to become crazier
and more violent.

The screenplay, by David Koepp, who also directed the film, was
inspired by a novella from Stephen King. The street credit on this
film gives massive props to Depp. Internet Movie Database and Yahoo
reviews credit the interest of this film to Depp’s superior
acting talents.

Special features on the DVD include:

An audio commentary by writer/director David Koepp, four deleted
scenes with optional director's commentary, and three
behind-the-scenes featurettes including:

-From Book to Film

-A Look Through it

-Secrets Revealed

Also included are animated storyboards and previews.

Who should see it: Johnny Depp and Stephen King fans who enjoy
watching an impeccable actor make a mediocre film one worth
watching. This film is rated PG-13.

—Daniel Lapham/The Daily
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