Inside Beat 2012-02-23

INSIDEBEATTHE WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE OF THE DAILY TARGUM

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YUKSEK • RAZER • THE WOMAN IN BLACK • MITCH EPSTIEIN • GRIMES • CURRITO • IMPACT

Oscar nominees vs.

Oscar ought-to-be’s

The Academy Awards

The Academy Awards

February 23, 2012Page 2 • Inside Beat

ART

Mike BitherTammy Chiou, Jessica EspinosaElena Georgopoulos, Josh Kelly,Ryan Lizotte, Emily Maas, Re-becca Makulowich,Lisa-Anna

Migliore, Shani Pleasants, KevinRay Javier Salvador

FREDDIE MORGAN............................................................................TV EDITOR

EMILY GABRIELE.......................................................................MUSIC EDITOR

HEATHER TEDESCO................................................................THEATER EDITOR

ZOË SZATHMARY....................................................................FASHION EDITOR

SASKIA KUSNECOV..................................................................ART EDITOR

JILLIAN PASON..........................................................................COPY EDITOR

NOAH WHITTENBURG.................................................................PHOTO EDITOR

ALEX NATANZON............................................................................FILM EDITOR

JASON PEARL.............................................................................ONLINE EDITOR

RYAN SURUJNATH...........................................................VIDEO GAMES EDITOR

E D I T O R I A L B O A R D

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INSIDEBEATTHIS WEEK’S

CONTRIBUTORS TO

INSIDE BEAT :

ZOË SZATHMARY....................................................EDITOR

RYAN SURUJNATH.....................................................ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ASHLEY PARK...................................................ASSISTANT EDITOR

Cover Photo Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

BY ELENA GEORGOPOULOSSTAFF WRITER

When hearing the term “graf-fiti,” most people think of bubbleletters and thin scrawls spellingout names and obscenities. How-ever, in recent years graffiti hasnot only become accepted as legit-imate artwork meant for large pub-lic display, but also used todemonstrate political activism. Thelatest example comes from SãoPaulo, Brazil where class warfarehas resulted in people expressing

ART OF THE PEOPLE

COURTESY OF MAURICIO LIMA

themselves in paint, not words. While political or social mes-

sages in the works are not usuallyexplicit, their frequent use as oflate is a response to the current en-vironment where there is a cleardivide between the haves andhave-nots. These graffiti artists re-spond to the destruction that gen-trification has brought on Brazil’surban areas by decorating thecity’s tallest and wealthiest build-ings with words and images, thusdrawing attention to the increasingdisparity in the government’s pro-

grams. Even if Brazil’s governmentchooses to ignore these publicpleas, other groups, such as theBerlin Biennale for ContemporaryArt have taken notice, asking oneof the acting gangs to attend itsseventh incarnation.

No matter how big or small itis, it is art and no amount of op-pression or contempt can erasethat. These graffitists should becalled artists, for they are un-abashedly being part of thehuman experience of reactingand creating.

February 23, 2012 Inside Beat • Page 3

ART & THEATER

BY SHANI PLEASANTSSTAFF WRITER

Photographer Mitch Epstein hastaken a turn away from modern, dig-itally-edited pop-culture-machinephotography and has reverted to theghostly romanticism of black andwhite pictures. His pictures of natureare dramatically appealing to theeye, as they are a cooling relief froma world of color. Additionally, the

BY REBECCA MAKULOWICHSTAFF WRITER

Has Shakespeare been over-done? On Feb. 3, The RutgersTheater Company debuted Shake-speare’s comedy Much Ado AboutNothing at the Philip J. Levin The-ater. Directed by Chris O’Connor(A Midsummer Night’s Dream),The Rutgers Theater Companyput on a traditional Shakespearianplay with an ambitious (but atpoints inappropriate) moderntwist. Much Ado is a quirky com-edy with parallel plot lines thattells the story of two vastly differ-ent couples who find love and suf-fer the effects of a betrayal. Thecast members, in many ways com-plement one another, but also re-

BY ASHLEY PARKASSISTANT EDITOR

When is the time to abandontradition in favor of change? Thisis certainly a question of concernin Fiddler on the Roof. Now on tour,Matchmaker Touring, LLC pre-sented the musical at the StateTheater last Friday and Saturdayto packed audiences.

Set in twentieth century TsaristRussia in the small village of Anat-evka, the plot circles around Tevye(John Preece), a Jewish father in asituation similar to Mr. Bennett’sin Pride and Prejudice – stuck withthe responsibility of marrying offhis five daughters to “good men”despite his poverty and low socialstanding. One by one, his oldest

Much Ado About NothingThe Rutgers Theater Company| C+

MMiittcchh EEppsstteeiinn:: TTrreeee PPhhoottooggrraapphhyy

FIDDLER ON THE ROOFMatchmaker Touring, LLC| B+

COURTESY OF MITCH EPSTEIN

COURTESY OF CAROL ROSEGG

COURTESY OF LARRY LEVANTI

gray scale brings out the depth ofthe trees in contrast with the palesky behind them. By capturing thetree as the center of the composition,Epstein dramatically adds an appealto the entire piece. It is as if he invitesviewers into the photograph; thecentered composition really con-tributes to the experience the viewerhas when engaging with his work.His trees have a universal sentimen-tality. The eye smoothly travels up

the coarse tree trunks, gets lost inthe entanglement of contortedbranches and explodes over massesof leaves. His photography bringsviewers back to nature; the stillnessand fragility seem to hold a messageof power and boldness that haveseemingly been forgotten. PerhapsEpstein just wanted us to take timeto mark the way these trees climb to-ward the sky and demand to be noticed.

three daughters defy his wishesand long-standing Jewish mar-riage traditions. They force Tevyeto choose between his love forthem and his beliefs. Meanwhile,the Russian government threatensthe constancy of Anatevka.

Such serious subject matter iswell balanced by a large helpingof comedic relief, especially fromthe interactions between hen-pecked Tevye and his naggingwife, Golde (Gerri Weagraff).Throughout the play, pious Tevyemisquotes “the good book” andshrill Golde, tired of his silly say-ings snaps, “The good book canwait, it's time for Sabbath.” Addi-tional lighthearted songs like“Matchmaker” and “If I Were aRich Man,” the precedent for

Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl,” arefull of laughter.

The play plot, based on thebook written by Joseph Stein, israther fast-paced and rushesthrough the love stories of Tevye’sthree oldest daughters: Tzeitel(Brooke Hills), Hodel (SarahSesler) and Chava (ChelseyLeBel). Unlike Pride and Preju-dice, in which the romance be-tween Elizabeth and Darcy is thedriving force of the plot, the ardorsof the daughters of Tevye aregiven equal attention, denyingtheir potential to become morerounded and moving. For exam-ple, in one scene, Tevye rejects thelove between Motel (AndrewBoza), the poor tailor, and Tzeital,and in the next, he gives them his

approval to be married. There islittle time to explore the pain of de-nied love for each of the couples.Therefore, it is relatively easy tosit through the play dry-eyed.

If not the lovers, the dryingforce is Tevye himself. In hiswhimsical soliloquies, the audi-ence watches him seesaw in aninternal battle between traditionand change. However, people-pleasing Tevye is too quick to ac-quiesce to the side of change insome of these struggles, makinghim seem more silly and capri-cious than pensive.

Despite the storyline’s faults,the actors, with their singing,clapping, stomping and dancing,injected it with life and culturalflair. Between the crashing cym-

bals, whining of violins, Golde’sshrill soprano and Tevye’s opera-like projection, Fiddler is defi-nitely a loud and in-your-face kindof play. The variety of musicalnumbers ranges from the solemn“Sunrise, Sunset” to the sweet“Do You Love Me?” to the joyfulsong, “To Life.”

Fiddler on the Roof is a playabout transition and change andits effects on identity. With suchpowerful external forces, like pol-itics and love, Tevye must reeval-uate his hardened beliefs in orderto be a good father. The playseems to leave its audience withthe question, “What happens toour identity when our beliefs nolonger concord with the happen-ings in our lives?”

vealed their difficulty with diction,making the play difficult to under-stand from purely listening. Theoccasional awkward mix of moder-nity and traditional Shakespearecreated a fairly confusing setting.The play, set shortly after the endof World War I, is full of late 1920sjazz-esque music and dancing in-appropriate to the time period setby the stage and costumes.

The production showed the am-bition on the parts of the director andcast, but in some ways falls short. Al-though not perfect, Much Ado AboutNothing can make you laugh chuck-ling from start to finish. Full of slap-stick humor and a tremendousamount of physical comedy, MuchAdo succeeded in properly enter-taining the audience. RTC performed

the play as Shakespeare wrote it.What the cast lacks in articulationwas made up for in stage direction.The body language and physicalcomedy of the actors distracted theaudience from the actors’ poor dictionand contributed in making the playeasy to follow. The level of acting farsurpassed that of an unprofessionallytrained theater company.

With a tremendously detailed setand an impressive costume collec-tion, it’seasy to be drawn into MuchAdo About Nothing. Overlooking thefew complications, this productionwas very much worth seeing; itmakes for a relaxing night out awayfrom the books with some laughsthrown in. Much Ado is littered withtalent and proves to be an entertain-ing production.

CURRITO


FOOD & FASHION

BY LISA-ANNA MIGLIORESTAFF WRITER

Currito, the newest hot spot inthe Rutgers Student Center’s foodcourt, is dishing out healthy Mex-ican-inspired cuisine. Accordingto owner Sanjay Reddy, studentscan work with the chefs to createtheir own unique meal out of pro-duce and meat raised in the Cen-tral New Jersey area. “There is alot of work we put into the ingre-dients,” Reddy said. Known fortheir “burritos without borders,”Currito also serves quesadillas,salads and chips with their freshlymade salsa or guacamole. Onecan either bite into seven signa-

126 College Avenue| B+

BY ZOË SZATHMARYINSIDE BEAT EDITOR

The month, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) ishonoring the largest fashion trade organization, the Councilof Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), with a special ex-hibit. Titled Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA, the show features100 pieces made by top designers from the last 50 years —these include Halston, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. In recentyears, the CFDA has been essential in raising awareness ofup-and-coming designers — its annual partnership withVOGUE Magazine provides financial support for new talent.However, it must be noted that the CFDA has also played acritical role in stressing the importance of “brand names” toAmerican consumers. Regardless of financial motivations, thepieces offered at FIT’s new exhibit are exquisite.

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA runs until April 17. Ad-mission is free to the public.

Impact Collision

Impact Collision

COURTESY OF STYLE.COM

COURTESY OF RACHAEL HARRIS

ture burritos or come up withtheir own creative concoction.

One of their most populardishes is the Summer Burrito,which is composed of a flour tor-tilla, cilantro lime rice, mangosalsa, black beans, Colby jackcheese, sour cream, salsa or gua-camole as an additive. The tor-tillas are a bit tough at first, butsoften with each bite. The sourcream makes the dish creamy,the moist chicken adds somespice and the mango salsa adds apleasantly sweet touch. Themango salsa, composed of nicebite-size pieces of chewy mango,balances nicely on the palate, es-pecially against the zesty

chicken. According to Reddy, thechicken is marinated overnightin pepper and other secret ingre-dients to give it a kicking flavor.A large burrito can easily be splitbetween two people looking for alight lunch.

The Currito House Salad isgratifying both to the eyes andtaste buds. The hefty salad,which can also be split by two, iscomposed of lettuce, chicken,feta cheese, pico de gallo, cornsalsa, scallions and Currito’s sig-nature creamy lime dressing.For the dressing, salt, lime juice,cilantro, jalapenos, chipotlepuree, ranch dressing, honey,red onions and sour cream are

all blended to create its smoothyet potent taste. The presenta-tion pops with beautiful reds,greens, yellows, purples andwhites, which makes the disheven more tempting.

In reference to their burritos,the ingredients could be bettermixed. Because the ingredientsare layered on top of a founda-tion of rice, one bite can be filledwith salsa while another mayonly get only chicken and rice.Subsequently, on one side thereis a heavy layer of rice while theother is composed of all thechicken, beans and salsa. Nib-blers should beware, but thosewho take big bites should have

no problem. Their spiciness oftheir medium and hot salsa isalso lacking and could pack amore powerful punch.

Nonetheless, Currito reliablyserves exactly what they promise:tasty, Mexican-inspired disheswith an extra healthy zing. If oneis not craving Mexican food,there are other ethnic options tochoose from: Thai-style Bangkok,Teriyaki, Cajun, Buffalo andMediterranean. They also offerbrown rice as an even healthierreplacement for their cilantrolime rice and tofu. Currito will besure to satisfy the urges of thosehoping for something other thanan average burrito.


VIDEO GAMES

BY ASHLEY PARKASSISTANT EDITOR

On one hand, MONOPOLY Ho-tels is a game amped up on freshnew features for Monopoly moguls;on the other hand, it is one of thosediabolically “free” apps rife with in-game purchases designed to keepplayers busy for hours. The con-cept of the game is simple: Mmakemoney by building hotels with fa-miliar names, like Mediterraneanand St. James. In addition to build-ing rooms and attractions, playerscan collect tips from guests, tap on

BY KEVIN RAY JAVIER SALVADORSTAFF WRITER

Originally conceived in 2008,BlazBlue has become Arc SystemWork’s new franchise, practicallytaking place of the company’s fa-mous Guilty Gear series. Sincethen, BlazBlue has become amore mainstream fighter on parwith those of Capcom’s. UnlikeCapcom’s fighting games, ArcSystem Works does not simplyrerelease the same fighters overand over, as was the case with Ul-timate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Infact, BlazBlue: Continuum Shiftwas able to extend the life of thegame by adding new DLC char-acters that were not already onthe game’s disc. However, is thelatest game in the franchise,BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Ex-tend, simply another rerelease?

Unlike the original BlazBlue:Continuum Shift, this game alreadycomes with all of the latest DLC

BY RYAN SURUJNATHASSOCIATE EDITOR

With the PlayStation Vita’s U.S.launch well under way, the Inter-net is saturated with articles at-tempting to predict the future ofhandheld gaming. Unfortunately,the numbers don’t look promisingfor Sony’s fancy new device; salesin Japan have all but stagnated,and the figures appear to getworse with each passing week.Things look better at the Nintendocamp; despite the fact that thecompany is hemorrhaging money,first year 3DS sales are now pro-jected to surpass those achievedby the original DS. Despite the un-

Arc System Works| B-

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

TTeecchh SSppoottlliigghhtt:: TThhee RRaazzeerr SSwwiittcchhbbllaaddee

EA Games| B+

MONOPOLY

HOTELS

COURTESY OF SONY

COURTESY OF RAZER

characters, specifically Valkenhain,Makoto and Platinum, while intro-ducing a new character: ReliusClover, the father of Carl Clover.Even though Relius Clover is theonly new character and appears tobe a clone of Carl Clover, he is, inactuality, considerably different.Unlike Carl Clover, his assist char-acter appears and disappears oncommand, whereas Carl Clover’sassist character was always presentand required specific commandsmerely to move. As an added sur-prise, Relius Clover’s Astral Heat at-tack varies from each character andin some cases, he has special dia-logues with the likes of Hazama andhis own son. Aside from the newcharacter, the game not only incor-porates a new storyline but also al-lows players to play the storylinesof the past two games without theannoyance of having to purposelylose matches for a full completion

On the downside, the fact re-mains that, unlike Ultimate Mar-

vel vs. Capcom 3, Relius Clover isthe only new character introducedwhereas Capcom’s fighter tookthe time to create 12 new charac-ters for the re-release. Eventhough this game has more singleplayer content, the multiplayer as-pect of the game is barely af-fected, seeing as diehard fanswould have probably shelled outthe cash for the DLC charactersmonths before this game was re-leased. That is not to say thatthere is anything wrong with themultiplayer aspect, but it merelyseems to be the case of “if it ain’tbroke, don’t fix it.”

If you are new to the series orif you missed any of the previousBlazBlue games, this is definitelythe game to get and remains asolid game. However, those whoalready have the previous gamesand don’t feel like spendingmoney for one more characterand storyline, have no reason tobuy this game.

certainty surrounding handheldgaming, there is a third portablesystem that is currently under de-velopment: the Razer Switchblade.

The Switchblade first debuted atlast year’s Consumer ElectronicsShow, where it wowed audiencesand took home the Best of CES Peo-ple’s Voice award. The Switchbladeis a sleek piece of hardware, meas-uring at 175x115x25 millimeterswhen folded shut; it is only slightlylarger than a standard Nintendo DS.When opened, the Switchbladesports a 7” LCD touch screen andan OLED keyboard.

Razer hopes that its experimen-tal portable gaming solution willhelp make PC gaming more acces-

sible and mobile. Indeed, upon firstglance, the Switchblade could bemistaken for a netbook. It, how-ever, is much more powerful andsports a number of interesting fea-tures. First and foremost, Razer isintent on having the Switchbladerun on a full version of Windows 7.While the hardware specificationsare tentative, Razer has stated thattheir system will include Wi-Fi and3G capabilities, an internetbrowser, a built-in webcam, a 128gigabyte solid state hard drive andUSB and HDMI slots. The Switch-blade will apparently be poweredby a customized Intel Atom proces-sor that promises gaming-level per-formance. There is currently no

information of what type of GPUthe Switchblade will use. TheSwitchblade’s trademarked featureis its unique keyboard. Each keyhas a small OLED screen under-neath it, and the keyboard will dy-namically adapt to the player’scurrent game. For example, if aplayer were to be playing World ofWarcraft, he or she could changethe keyboard from a standard QW-ERTY format to a format that emu-lates the in-game HUD.

With the Switchblade, Razerpromises a remedy two of theproblems that have plagued PCgaming: portability and pricepoint. Almost all current net-books are horrendously under-

powered and are incapable ofplaying relatively new games.Alienware has perhaps come theclosest to creating a small, gam-ing-caliber laptop with its M11x.Unfortunately, the M11x is stillheavier than other computers ofcomparable size and comes at arather hefty price. While the com-pany is yet to release an officialfigure, Razer has hinted that theSwitchblade will be priced tocompete with netbooks.

Hopefully, the Switchblade willsee the light of day. As of now, it isonly a concept model, but with allthe features it promises to bring tothe table, gamers should definitelybe on the lookout.

money raining from the sky, keeptrack of the sneaky thief JailbirdJake and power their hotels withthe Electric Company. It’s so in-credibly engaging that playersmight as well open a real hotel. Thecompulsion to collect tips everythree minutes might be too strongfor some. If EA readjusted thegame to work on more time-man-agement-friendly schedule, itwould be perfect. Easily addictedgamers should avoid MONOPOLYHotels at all costs and stick to morenon-committal apps like TempleRun and Words with Friends.

The 84th AcadOn Sunday, Feb. 26, the red carpet will roll out again to grace the feet of filmmakers and celebrities. The

ceremony in the film industry: The 84th Academy Awards. In honor of such a momentous occasioBY ALEX NATANZO

NODSMICHELLE WILLIAMS (BEST ACTRESS): MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Being the “sexiest woman in the world” is no easy feat — and Michelle Williams, as ’50s bombshell Marilyn Monroe working on the filmingof The Prince and the Showgirl, reveals the insecurities and instabilities behind the famous curves and satin evening gowns. Williams nails Mon-

roe’s girlish giggle and preening, as well as the desperation inherent in all of her actions. Williams dominates each scene she is in andserves as an object of every male character’s fantasy; of course, as she explains to production assistant Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne),

she’s simply playing “Marilyn Monroe.” The fact that Williams is able to show multiple layers of a woman’s identity, including the knowledgeof self-construction, is an amazing feat. She is 2011’s Best Actress.

–Zoe Szathmary, Inside Beat Editor

MONEYBALLIn some of his best work to date, Brad Pitt plays Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane, who is tasked with building a competitive

baseball team in a sport that is dominated by big money goliaths like the New York Yankees. The film is powerfully acted, with Pitt managingto put a lighthearted spin on the somewhat dry subject material. The writing is exemplary; the screenwriters manage to construct compellingdialogue while avoiding the complex and alienating lingo of sabermetrics. As such, Moneyball is accessible to non-baseball fans and couldbe considered one of the finest sports movies ever made.

–Ryan Surujnath, Associate Editor

GARY OLDMAN (BEST ACTOR): TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPYHe was once a punk-rocker, an intergalactic smuggler, a drug addicted crooked cop, a disfigured serial killer and even Count Dracula, but

Gary Oldman has most recently adopted the role of British MI6 agent George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson’s masterful film adaptation of Johnle Carre’s classic spy novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Gary Oldman is one of the most multi-dimensional character actors of this generation.

Like a chameleon, he adapts to each new persona he portrays, completely absorbing all the mannerisms and personality traits of the char-acter. In Tinker, Oldman plays a middle-aged Smiley, who is called out of retirement to investigate a potential mole in British Intelligence.

Oldman is able to showcase Smiley’s meticulous planning, his self-assuredness, his composed strategic method and even his vulnerabilities.Gary Oldman is more than deserving of the Oscar nomination. It’s a shame he wasn’t acknowledged earlier.

–Alex Natanzon, Film Editor

MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS (BEST DIRECTOR): THE ARTISTFew could make a black-and-white silent film as endearing to modern audiences with the skill that Hazanavicius does. With a natural affinity

for the style of silent era cinema as well as a fantastic eye for detail, Hazanavicius makes The Artist a visual pleasure. One particular highlight ofthe film involves a nightmare sequence in which the main character, George Valentin (a silent film star), dreams that he is unable to speak. Upuntil this point in the movie, the only sounds are those of the score, but as the protagonist slowly becomes aware of his loss of speech theFoley in the scene can be heard for the first time. This surprises Valentin as well as the audience, making it one of the most memorable scenesin a film filled with them.

–Jason Pearl, Online Editor

MIDNIGHT IN PARISCity dweller Woody Allen makes it to Paris in his gem, Midnight in Paris,one of this year’s Best Picture nominees. The film follows a Hollywood writer on vacation with his fiancé, where they begin to struggle with differing life views. Inez (Rachel McAdams) is content with

a diamond ring and a guided tour, while Gil (Owen Wilson) is a romantic, infatuated with the life he never had — that of Lost Generationwriters in 1920s Paris. This all changes when the life he desires comes to pick him up in a carriage for a midnight stroll in time. The film’s

emphasis on nostalgia and appreciation for art is clearly executed in its masterful scenic design and hilarious character adaptation. If not aGlobe-winner, this is a film that will surely remain in the hearts of its viewers for years to come.

–Saskia Kusnecov, Art Editor

HUGOWhen it was announced that Martin Scorsese was directing a PG-rated film based on a children’s novel, more than a few people imagined a

Boardwalk Empire-esque scenario with tame language and juice smuggling. However, his film adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret isnot just the best kid’s movie this year but possibly the best film overall. With stunning visuals and wonderful performances by both the childactors and Ben Kingsley, it is also a treat for movie lovers with its proper tribute to film pioneer George Méliès, showing that dreams neverhave to be just that.

–Elena Georgopoulos, Staff Writer

GEORGE CLOONEY (BEST ACTOR): THE DESCENDANTSThe Descendants is about the life of Matt King, a man who does his best to put his family back together after his wife suffers severe headtrauma. George Clooney is clearly not in his usual framework of character in this film, and he does well to break new ground in his acting.Here, he is superbly genuine, both realistic and touching. Though he is usually not portrayed as a family man, his chemistry with his two

daughters in the film comes off with no effort. He deserves to win Best Actor for his role in this gem of a film.–Jessica Espinosa, Staff Writer

The 84th Acad

demy Awardse stars will all be in attendance at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., for the most prestigious award on, members of Inside Beat’s staff share some opinions on their favorite nods and snubs of 2011. ON, FILM EDITOR

SNUBSA DANGEROUS METHOD

David Cronenberg abandons the body horror genre and explores the twisted workings of the mind in the costume drama A Dangerous Method.Michael Fassbender excels as Carl Jung, the Swiss physician intent on using "the talking cure" — psychiatry — on Sabina Spielrein, a troubled

Russian Jew (Keira Knightley). Fassbender captures a wide range of emotions, including lust, curiosity, repulsion and guilt concerning histumultuous intellectual and sexual affair with Spielrein. Knightley, unfortunately, mopes around using awkward mannerisms and a Drac-

ula accent when Jung refuses to keep spanking her. An avuncular Viggo Mortensen sits in the shadows, happily puffing away on cigars asSigmund Freud. Overall, the film should get more recognition for its captivating protagonist and crisp art direction showcasing 1890s Vienna.

–Zoe Szathmary, Inside Beat Editor

SENNA (BEST DOCUMENTARY)For many, Ayrton Senna was more than a mere Formula One driver; his on-the-track success and off-the-track philanthropic work made him

one of the sport’s most admired figures. Asif Kapadia’s masterful documentary tells a raw and emotional story that accurately portrays theintensity of Senna’s character. Though it has received numerous accolades at the 2012 BAFTAs, including a nomination for OutstandingBritish Film, the Academy chose not to nominate Senna for Best Documentary, perhaps reflecting American disinterest toward FormulaOne and robbing this story of the recognition it deserves.

–Ryan Surujnath, Associate Editor

DRIVENicolas Winding Refn’s highly stylized thrill ride Drive steers away from the typical Hollywood blockbuster in the best possible way. Ryan

Gosling unearths another layer of his acting talent as the silent protagonist simply referred to as the Driver, who is reminiscent of Clint East-wood’s, Man with No Name. The Driver takes on various odd jobs involving dangerous driving missions until his routine lifestyle is interrupted

when he takes a liking to his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan). The film is a breath of fresh air, as the unneeded, generic dialoguetypical of blockbuster films is avoided and replaced by exquisite visuals. The story is simple yet embraces and excels in its simplicity. The

cinematography in this film is unique, comprised of intense graphic visuals and sharply effective angles, as in a memorable scene in whichGosling and Mulligan’s characters share a passionate kiss in an elevator.

–Alex Natanzon, Film Editor

50/50This semi-autobiographical comedy penned by newcomer Will Reiser features the perfect combination of levity and sentimentality. 50/50

stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a radio journalist diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. Throughout his ordeal, his best friend, played bySeth Rogen, provides some of the most hilariously obscene lines heard in a movie theater this past year. The break-up scene between Levittand an unscrupulous girlfriend is one of the best in recent memory, mainly because it consists of Rogen unleashing a tirade of comical in-sults at the offending woman while a mostly dumbfounded Levitt watches on. Unfortunately the Academy’s failure to recognize 50/50’ssharp and witty screenplay, or any other component of the film for that matter, is one of the most egregious snubs of this year’s nominations.

–Jason Pearl, Online Editor

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT (BEST ACTOR): 50/50 In 1999, Joseph Gordon-Levitt entered our hearts with his performance as the endearingly awkward teenager in 10 Things I Hate About You.

In 2005, he challenged our wits as the teenage detective in the bizarre mystery Brick. He grew up in 2009 to break hearts all across the coun-try as sappy and romantic cardmaker Tom, in 500 Days of Summer. By 2011, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s sad-puppy presence inherently broughtus all to tears in the dark comedy, 50/50. It’s good to have actors who can make you swoon, scream and swear, but it’s very rare to have a

male actor that can make you cry — every time. While not a nominee, Levitt is a gem that will haunt our teenage hearts forever.

–Saskia Kusnecov, Art Editor

X-MEN: FIRST CLASSX-Men: First Class follows the lives of mutants and the struggles they face trying to fit in with human society. This is a prequel to the other

films in the series and does an amazing job at giving new insight to the already extensive mythology of the X-Men movies. First Class takesplace during the Cuban Missile Crisis and focuses on the very important relationship between Erik and Charles before they became Mag-neto and Professor X, respectively. The star-studded cast does not disappoint in this exciting, informative prequel.

–Jessica Espinosa, Staff Writer

ARTHUR CHRISTMASChristmas movies come and go and usually audiences don’t bat an eye, yet Aardman Animations’ latest endeavor sticks with its viewers long

after the Christmas decorations have come down. Arthur Christmas follows one of Santa’s sons as he tries to deliver a toy that was forgotten atthe North Pole before Christmas morning arrives. It’s an astounding movie in nearly every way: It has personal voice acting, beautiful ani-mation, themes that are heartwarming but not vomit-inducing and a satirical hilarity that portrays Christmas as so commercial that even

Santa struggles to make it through the holidays.

–Spence Blazak, Staff Writer

demy Awards

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For more nods and snubs, check out our website: www.dailytargum.com/inside_beat!

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE


FILM

BY JASON PEARLONLINE EDITOR

The reason that a sequel to thecritically panned Ghost Rider wasmade is simple: so that Sony couldprevent the character’s licensingrights from reverting back to Mar-vel. This slipshod film should becondemned for that reason alone,but even with corporate skulldug-gery set aside, Spirit of Vengeanceis a cinematic failure in nearlyevery conceivable way.

The story picks up roughly eightyears after the original Ghost Rider

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor | D+

BY JESSICA ESPINOSASTAFF WRITER

The Vow, starring RachelMcAdams (The Notebook) andChanning Tatum (Dear John) ascouple Paige and Leo, is roughlybased on the true story of a new-lywed couple who went through atragic car accident, after which thewife woke up and couldn’t remem-ber the last 18 months of her life.This film handles the subject mat-ter well and the actors performwonderfully, though the directormisses many opportunities tomake this movie so much more.

The Vow begins with the afore-mentioned accident, which couldhave been more emotionally trou-bling for the audience had it beenshown after a few minutes of get-ting to know the couple and theirrelationship more intimately. Show-ing the accident, which drives thestory so early on, takes away fromits intended effect. The directorchooses to show glimpses of howLeo (Tatum) and Paige’s(McAdams) relationship used tobe, but these moments fail to fullycapture all the intricacies of their in-timate and rich relationship. Flesh-ing out their love story before theaccident would truly strengthenthe loss of their relationship in thefollowing scenes of the film andwould also balance the effect theaccident had on their lives.

What drives this movie andseparates it from typical romanticmotion pictures are the charac-

The Vow Michael Sucsy | B-

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film, with Johnny Blaze, aka GhostRider (Nicolas Cage, National Treas-ure), sulking around in Eastern Eu-rope. When approached with anoffer to have his curse lifted by amysterious monk (Idris Elba, Thor),Blaze begrudgingly accepts. Hismission is to safeguard the Devil’sheir and to prevent that scion of Hellfrom falling into his father’s clutches.Along the way, Ghost Rider mustcontend with an assortment of whatmust have been budget-priced mer-cenaries, one of whom is turned intothe demonic Blackout (Johnny Whit-worth, CSI: Miami).

Directorial duo Mark Nevel-dine and Brian Taylor alreadyhave more than a few skeletons intheir closet (Crank, Gamer, JonahHex), and their style in this filmcan only be described as epileptic.The choppiness of the movie’scuts is only exceeded by the shak-iness of its cameras. Further sub-tracting from Spirit of Vengeance’squality is the surprisingly inferiorscreenplay from Dark Knightscribe David S. Goyer. The scriptis predictable, clichéd, uninterest-ing, inaccurately adapted and filledwith generic dialogue. Worst of all,

there are three points in Spirit ofVengeance in which the film cutsaway to a poorly animated se-quence simply for the purpose ofheavy-handed exposition.

Nicolas Cage returns to therole in which he was inexplicablycast with his usual outrageous per-sona. Regardless of the fact thatCage looks and acts nothing likethe Johnny Blaze of the comics,the way he plays Ghost Rider isworse. As the titular Spirit ofVengeance, Cage acts like the un-holy spawn of the Hulk and a drug-addled sparrow; his entire

performance as the Rider is madeup of grunts, twitches and shouts.For the most part the other actorsgive half-hearted efforts as well,with the exception of Johnny Whit-worth, who clearly knows he’s in aterrible movie and gives an espe-cially over-the-top portrayal of thevillain Blackout. Despite severalmoments of unintentional hilaritythroughout, Ghost Rider: Spirit ofVengeance is a complete travestythat should be avoided by all butthe most diehard B-movie fans.For anyone else, they’d be wishingthat their skulls were on fire.

ters. The screenplay is very well-written and has a realistic tone toit. There are many momentswhere the viewer will feel frus-trated because of the way Leo suf-fers, trying so hard to get his wifeto love him again. Though he trieshis best to be patient and help herremember the life they built to-gether, he is constantly faced withobstacles. Paige is an almost un-likeable character because of theway she treats her husband, whoin her eyes is a complete stranger.Director Michael Sucsy does afine job of defining the strugglesbetween the characters and show-ing how people can interact whenput into impossible situations. Thetwo characters go through highsand lows, but what could makethis story better would be for thedirector to show more, instead ofhaving Leo’s character constantlyrecount how things “used to be.”

Tatum plays his characterwell, coming off as both very lov-ing and assertive. McAdams hasbeen in many romantic comedies,and she never seems to fail or dis-appoint. Her line delivery and fa-cial expressions are very gracefuland enjoyable to watch. The Vowis about a couple who have to de-cide whether their love can sur-vive a second chance — a storyof perserverance. The basis ofthe underlying story is whatmakes this film feel more relat-able and gives it a new sense ofrealism not seen in most moviesof its kind.


FILM

BY LISA-ANNA MIGLIORESTAFF WRITER

James Watkins’ latest horrorfilm, The Woman in Black, suc-cessfully proves that a chillingadrenaline rush can be invoked inaudience members without rely-ing on gore or exhaustiveamounts of CGI. Watkins’ ghoststory focuses around youngArthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal-lows: Part 2), a widowed lawyerwho journeys to a remote villagewith a haunting secret. Echoingthe plight of Dracula’s protago-nist, Jonathan Harker, the pooroutsider Kipps cannot fathom why

James Watkins | B+

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BY JESSICA ESPINOSASTAFF WRITER

The idea of two men fightingover the affections of an unbe-knownst woman has been portrayednumerous times, but This MeansWar manages to make it uniquelyentertaining and humorous.

Tuck (Tom Hardy, Inception)and FDR (Chris Pine, Star Trek)are not only partners in the CIAbut also best friends, which upsthe ante in a deal they make tofight for the attention of LaurenScott (Reese Witherspoon, LegallyBlonde). What begins as a “gentle-men’s agreement” to stay out ofeach other’s way leads to hilaritywhen the two can’t help them-selves and end up using the CIA’shigh-tech resources to ruin eachother’s romantic plans.

Chelsea Handler (ChelseaLately) stars as Lauren’s confi-dante and best friend. Handler is awell-known comedian, and asmany comedians starring in filmsbefore her, this movie role doesdoes not do her comedic abilitiesjustice. For the most part, hercharacter does well but there arecertain lines and scenes that arecringe-worthy at best. This couldhave been avoided by eitherchoosing more natural-soundinglines or through better directionfrom McG. Her line delivery feelsvery forced at times and takesaway from the comedy.

McG | B

This Means War



everyone is so anxious to keephim away from the abandoned es-tate Eel Marsh. However, he isdriven to finish handling the as-sets of its recently deceasedowner, Alice Drablow, by thoughtsof his 4-year-old son waiting forhim back in London. However, hesoon comes face to face with avengeful figure dressed in blackwhose secret past may lend an-swers to the increasing deaths ofchildren in the town.

As Danielle Radcliffe’s firstmajor acting role following theconclusion of the Harry Potter se-ries, The Woman in Black seversthe umbilical cord connecting au-dience members’ association with

Radcliffe and the young boy withthe lightning bolt scar. Radcliffecompellingly entails the inner de-termination of Kipps, a father try-ing to stabilize his life followingthe death of his beloved wife,from start to finish of the film.The complexity and beauty of thefilm showcases the maturity of hisacting style. Granted, at first it’sawkward to fathom Radcliffe asanything other than the wizardwe’ve all come to know and love,but his quality performance grad-ually increases spectator ac-knowledgement and enjoyment ofthe actor in this new setting.

The suspense that drives thisfilm builds out of three things

modern horror films are increas-ingly starting to lack: visualanonymity, manipulation ofsound and an anti-cliché ending.From murky swamps, shadowyhallways and foggy envelopingclouds, this film exercises itsright to put both the main char-acter and audience in the dark,unaware of what lies beyondwhat is visible, in many artisticways. From screams to crowcaws, Watkins’ understands whento perfectly cut a sound and in-troduce an unwelcome one inorder to invoke a most thrillingsensation in spectators. The jar-ring ending of this film alsoheightens its tension and leaves

viewers shaking even after thecredits start rolling.

Though this film could havebeen a lot scarier, it serves as a de-lightful thrill into the hauntedworld of the woman in black. Thefilm, which is only 90 minutes long,should have added at least onemore frightening scene amongmoments in the narration of equi-librium. Nonetheless, The Womanin Black serves as an impressiveghost story that relies on realworld elements to create a feelingof raw terror. Creaky floor boards,dancing shadows and dolls fromhell all replace the trepidation thatmodern motion pictures generatein post-production editing.

The screenwriting pair ofTimothy Dowling and SimonKinberg do did an excellent jobof creating truly realistic char-acters. Tuck and FDR in partic-ular have backstories, whichmakes them seem more humanand multidimensional. Thoughthis movie is a romantic comedyand should not be taken too se-riously, the characters grow andchange throughout the story.Having such a well-writtenscreenplay contributes to theentire production and makes themovie feel like a real journey forthe characters from beginningto end.

Hilarity ensues as the filmcontinues; on, much of that hasto do with how various dates gobetween the three members ofthe love triangle. Though this ro-mantic comedy has a predictableorder of events typical of otherfilms in the genre, the jokes andline delivery make it so amusingthat the audience will ignore thispredictability. Pine’s and Hardy’scharacters truly seem like bestfriends while they portray a re-lationship akin to a sibling ri-valry. Lauren is more of a tool inthe screenplay to develop Tuckand FDR.

This Means War is by no meansa film that will be remembered afew months from now. That doesnot change the fact that is enjoy-ably funny.


MUSIC

BY MIKE BITHERSTAFF WRITER

The hype surrounding Londondubstep producer Burial is, to putit lightly, substantial. The Sundaynight online release of Kindrednearly caused the Hyperdublabel’s website to crash from theincrease in traffic. The question athand: Why has the decidedly un-derground Burial, aka Will Bevan,struck such a chord with so manypeople? While there is no defini-tive rhyme or reason, there is nodoubt that the producer is at theforefront, both critically and com-mercially, of the UK garage scene.He uses his unparalleled samplingabilities and razor-sharp, synco-pated rhythms to craft his ownbrand of ghost-step that continuesto expand sonically and themati-cally on the stellar Kindred.

The eponymous opening trackof the three-song EP is also themost recognizably Burial. The trackfeatures his signature sword-clash-ing percussion, heavy swinging syn-copation and ghostly, pitch-shifted

BY TAMMIE CHIOUSTAFF WRITER

Though the Blondes are notshy as other artists who prefercomplete anonymity, the twoOberlin graduates don’t seemto make a big fuss about theirappearance as opposed to theircompositions. The self-titledalbum on paper is quite short,having only eight songs. How-ever, each song goes on for atleast six-and-a-half minutes.This brings about an immersiveeffect, giving listeners time toexperience the song without re-gard to any need for chorusesor bridges.

The songs pairs off into fourcouples with dichotomousnames: “Lover” followed by“Hater” and “Business” preced-ing “Pleasure.” It’s interesting tohear the same overall melody un-derneath the different styles. Byflipping back and forth betweenthe couplings, listeners can pickup the contrasting images.

“Wine” is album’s singleand decidedly the most en-trancing and hypnotic of thesongs — it is a twirling, slosh-

BY EMILY MAASSTAFF WRITER

Band of Skulls has gracefullysidestepped the sophomoreslump with its second studioalbum, Sweet Sour. The trio fromSouthampton, United Kingdom,featuring Russel Marsden, EmmaRichardson and Matt Haywardreleased its first album, BabyDarling Doll Face Honey, in 2009.The band’s music received vari-ous amounts of media usage,from Ford Mustang commercialsto episodes of Skins, and even aplace on the soundtrack for The

BBuurr iiaa ll

Band of SkullsSweet Sour | B+

Kindred EP | A-

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ing, blurry haze of flickeringsynthesizers and stuttering vo-cals. “Water” comes right afterto douse the listener in stark,clear, soothing clarity.

“Lover” chirps on a higherfrequency than most of the othersongs on the album. In the back-ground, there are whoops andshouts of frenzied ecstasy. Onthe opposite side of the spec-trum, “Hater” is moodier set,with strict, unforgiving drumlines. The exploratory, joyfulside to “Lover” is replaced with amore calculating, controlled feel.“Business/Pleasure” plays alongthe same lines, lining up sharpglass bullets playing alongsidethe warm, liquid jam.

However, the final couplet of“Gold/Amber” seems to teardown the intricate display therest of the album has con-structed. “Gold” drags on for al-most a full ten minutes in adisarray of furtive, almostclammy and unsettling bleepswhile “Amber” often fizzles outin a buzzing. Overall, the albumis a strong start for the duo, es-pecially for a special B-side with11 remixes by fellow mixers.

Twilight Saga: New Moon. Itseems that this band would reachgreat heights.

Sweet Sour certainly does notfall short of expectations. Band ofSkulls stays true to the gritty rock’n’ roll sound that makes it impos-sible not to tap along with, espe-cially on the tracks “Sweet Sour”and “The Devil Takes Care of HisOwn.” However, toward the endof the album, the band seems togravitate over to softer songssuch as “Hometowns” and “Closeto Nowhere.” The group’s lastalbum only featured one songcomparable to the acoustically,

slower-paced style of “Honest.”The addition of more contempla-tive songs make the album morecohesive as a whole, while alsoshowing fans that Band of Skullsisn’t afraid to branch out and be alittle sweet at times.

Sweet Sour is a terrific split ofsongs that can really only be de-scribed by the album’s name.Marsden has summed thisthought up well by claiming thatthe band is the “Swiss army knifeof bands.” Band of Skulls is defi-nitely a band to watch out for. Itsmembers know what they’re goodat, and so far they’ve stuck to it.

vocal samples. What sets the EPapart from prior releases is its am-bition; at more than 11 minutes inlength, the track rumbles its waythrough layers upon layers of sonicsubtleties and dark ambiance. Theswirling vocal samples emanatewith a haunting facelessness that issurprisingly emotive.

The next song, “Loner,” delvesmore into house music territorypreviously explored on “Raver”from Burial’s acclaimed, 2007 full-length, Untrue. Initially, it may ap-pear as a capitalization on themusic world’s ever-growing obses-sion with the increasingly repeti-tive genres of house and techno,but in the end it twists and turnsinto something definitively Burial.It features arguably his catchiestsynth progression, filtered to thepoint where it sounds as if it wererecorded in solitary confinement— in turn emphasizing a distinct,wrenching sadness reflected in thesong’s title.

The EP concludes with “AshtrayWasp,” which combines the ambi-tion of “Kindred” and the house of

“Loner” to create a multi-part suiteof isolated sorrow. Underneath thecloudy yet cinematic tumult, listen-ers can barely discern the ghostlyvocal samples alternating between“I want you” and “I wish I couldhurt you” before the track decaysaround the nine-minute mark into asudden calm; a strikingly peacefulpiano-driven coda that is arguablythe most soothing moment in Bur-ial’s repertoire.

Despite its isolation, the KindredEP is always grounded in reality, aconstant feature of Burial’s musicthat may explain its appeal. Fromthe background sounds of publictransport to the slight patter of rain-fall, the atmospheric subtleties ofKindred give the listener somethingto recognize and relate to. Themusic of Burial is steeped in other-worldly emotion. His sound is verystriking considering the songs arealmost wordless, but no matter howhauntingly detached they mayseem at times, Burial maintains aconstant, abstract connection to re-ality that is truly appealing andemotionally affective.


MUSIC

BY JOSH KELLYSTAFF WRITER

Many parallels can be drawnbetween music and fashion.Trends fall in and out of style, andsome come back around full-cir-cle. On Grimes’ new album, Vi-sions, released Feb. 21 through4AD records, Claire Boucher hasreally done a fantastic job estab-lishing herself as an artist to keepa watch on.

The Montreal-based artist dipsinto the stylistic cues of the 1980s,just as other successful artists in thescene — M83, Gorillaz, LittleDragon, Twin Shadow and Gotye —have done. Visions is a dark, moodylisten, combining strong, danceablegrooves and vocals that may evendraw comparisons to earlyMadonna — tinged with a sense ofdream pop emergent artists.

BY TAMMIE CHIOUSTAFF WRITER

The evolution of Yuksek, themoniker for artist Pierre-Alexan-dre Busson, is interesting. Playingup his explosive, gritty and callouselectrotech persona in his latestrelease, Living on the Edge ofTime, Yuksek has since driftedaway from a harsh sound andopted for a more natural, encom-passing one. His new album intro-duces a kind of vulnerabilitypreviously unseen in his works. Itadds prickles of staccato key-boards and flashes of strings allover a fog of muted synths.

“On A Train” displays his softerside the clearest. It starts off withBusson’s insistent, “I don’t want tobe here/I don’t want to be seen/Iwould run and live on a train.” Thestark vocals are repeated over andover throughout the song, placedfirmly on a roller coaster of a lone,

Yuksek

GRIMES

BY RYAN LIZOTTESTAFF WRITER

University student and elec-tronica artist Alex Weiner releasedAlbum of the Year this past NewYear’s Eve, under the monikerAlexcweiner. While most currentelectronica artists, such as Skrillexand deadmau5, cash in on low bassand noisy synths, Alexcweinerdoes the opposite. Upon listeningto the intro track “Mesh,” it is clearthat Weiner does not rely on over-bearing synthesizers or loud boom-ing bass. The intro track insteadstarts melodically, making use of 8-bit synthesizers that evoke memo-ries of old Nintendo games.

While “Mesh” continues in aspacey, ambient manner, songs like“The Night” and “The Search” con-centrate more on the beats, givingthem a sound more techno-ori-ented than ambient. “The Job” mar-ries both of those aspects and fitswell as a centerpiece of the album.The song progresses exceptionallywell from a calm, raw hip-hop beat,to an epic climax, featuring layeredsynths and a thick backgroundbass. “The Book” ends Album of theYear on a great note, and stands outas the most techno-accessible song.

Album of the Year stands as animpressive electronica release,showcasing many diverse modesof songwriting and beat making.

A L E X C W E I N E R : A L B U M O F T H E Y E A R

Visions | B+

Living on the Edge of Time | B

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looping sample. Despite the wan-derlust, a bright trumpet and abackdrop of back-up singers rushin toward the end to accompanyhim for an almost cinematic effect.

“Always on the Run” plays onthis as well. The transient, devil-may-care theme embodied by coypiano runs and brash curseswedge their way into the jauntyverses. Meanwhile, for those justa little nostalgic for Yuksek’s debutchaotic blitz, “Fireworks” rampsup: It’s a dance-floor classic, withwhistling, swooping synths. How-ever, when the song winds down,the frenzied wall of sound escapesinto the stratosphere, leaving asomber tone in its wake.

Living on the Edge of Timeproves to be strangely comfortingfor an album marked by solitude,independence and loneliness. Thealbum is an embodiment of Bus-son turning sadness into some-thing beautiful.

This album is one that is bestenjoyed at night. Synth sequences,processed drums and spacey fe-male vocals all come together tocreate enjoyable and groovymusic. Visions paints a picture ofan underground, new-wave danceclub in the mid ’80s full of crazyhair, vibrant jackets and acces-sories complete with bright, neoncolors.

“Genesis,” “Oblivion” and“Vowels = Space and Time” areeasily the album’s standout tracks.Grimes' new album does not dis-appoint. This record is colorful, re-freshing and most importantly, it’sfun. Turn the subwoofer all theway up, wait until the sun goesdown, let the grinding psychedelicdance-pop make its way out andhave a good time with Visions.This album is definitely a recom-mended listen.

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Inside Beat 2012-02-23