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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Clarkson’s new album fails to grab fans’ attention

By BRIDGET ORKFRITZ | February 10, 2009

Kelly Clarkson, original winner of "American Idol," is bracing for the release of her fourth album, "All I Ever Wanted," set to hit stores March 10. The first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You," has been streaming the airwaves even breaking a record...

A great soundtrack for a lonely night in

By LINDSEY KASTNING | February 10, 2009

Every year, there are always those people who choose to go all out for Valentine's Day. Without hesitation, they pay for the expensive meal and the "I love you" roses. But, there are always those who opt to veg out in front of the television and down...

Wii provides players with best in game control, lacks in graphics quality

By DAN STONE | February 10, 2009

Now we know for sure that Nintendo's Wii got something right the PS3 and X-Box 360 didn't: innovative play control. The "Resident Evil 5" demo dropped in late January on 360 and in early February on PS3 to the delight of many gamers. The new graphics...

‘Coraline’ brings more to the screen than 3-D animation

By DAVID MATZ | February 9, 2009

'Coraline 3-D' Rating: 8/10 Step into the magical and peculiar world of "Coraline," where the world literally pops off the screen and fills the air with odd characters and a dark, suspenseful storyline. This weekend was busy for young actress Dakota Fanning....

Tool track not so pleasing to toe-tappers or beat-keepers

By DAN STONE | February 9, 2009

Tool's track "Lateralus" off the album of the same name is a toe-tapper's nightmare. It's bad enough that Tool constantly switches between 3/4 time and 5/8 time just between the verses and instrumental sections, but the chorus destroys the ambition of...

‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ provides insight into dating realm

By JEN HANCE | February 9, 2009

Nine of Hollywood's biggest stars have come together to create the ensemble cast of "He's Just Not That Into You," the screen adaptation of Greg Behrendt's popular book that bluntly explains the psychology of dating to girls. The movie acts as a wake-up...

Product placement no longer ‘selling out’

By DEREK WALKER | February 9, 2009

For decades, corporate sponsorship has been seen as a plague in pop culture, discrediting or even ruining the best television shows and movies, regardless of time period. But it's time we sit back, relax and give it a chance. Whether it was 1949's "It's...

‘Battlestar Galactica’ series nears its end

By DAVID MATZ | February 6, 2009

There are only seven episodes left until the series finale of the intense SciFi drama series "Battlestar Galactica." With such a short time, you would expect the writers to be wrapping up all loose ends left over from previous episodes. Well, the writers...

‘Age of Booty’ an entertaining but simple game

By DAN STONE | February 6, 2009

"Age Of Booty" Capcom's "Age of Booty" feels like the perfect video game port of a board game. At the simplest level, the pirate-themed game involves players sailing ships trying to control as many towns as possible. The few extra bells and whistles are...

Track of the Day: Welcome to the ‘Real World’ Blago

By MICHAEL VAN DER HARST | February 6, 2009

Matchbox Twenty - "Real World" To conclude our "Bye Bye Blago" week, the song "Real World" by Matchbox Twenty sends a message to former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "I wish the real world would just stop hassling me," is a line from the song that I'm sure...

Another scandalous performance at the Super Bowl

By NYSSA BULKES | February 6, 2009

So, how about that Bruce Springsteen? Now that we've had a few days to think about it, it's time to file his stage discrepancies into the annals of Super Bowl "aww, shucks" history. For those of you who replenished your booze during the halftime show,...

‘Noble Beast’ a fun, witty, folk-pop record for all

By ANDY FOX | February 5, 2009

Andrew Bird - 'Noble Beast' Rating: 8.5/10 It's hard not to love Andrew Bird. His brand of smarty pants folk-pop manages the difficult feat of being both distinctly original and warmly familiar and inviting. On top of this, he's had the audacity to bring...