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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Remeber what ‘C’ is for?

By Gary Schaefer | April 10, 2002

"Sesame Street" made it OK to love the green fuzz that resided in garbage cans. The famous children's program made it fun to gobble down cookies by the dozen. It brought America joy in the form of an eight-foot tall, blindingly yellow bird that had more...

New Releases

April 10, 2002

"A. I. Artificial Intelligence" (2001) - For some fans, this was the ultimate collaboration (Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg). For others, the ultimate bore. Make your decision with two discs worth of material. Special features include Spielberg talking about developing the image of "A.I."; a featurette on Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic special effects; a featurette on the sound effects and orchestral score; and Spielberg (notoriously absent from most DVDs) discussing the responsibility of artificial intelligence and storyboard sequences.

"Evil Dead Special Edition" (1982) - Insert catch-phrase here. One of the highlights of the horror/comedy genre gets the type of treatment reserved for vanguard movies, or at least ones with such a devoted fan base. For the most special features, check out the "Book of the Dead" version of the special edition, identified by deluxe packaging resembling the Neronomicon Exmortis. Features on that version include audio commentary by writer/director Sam Raimi with producer Robert Tapert, audio commentary by star Bruce Campbell, a fanalysis documentary, a "Discovering ‘Evil Dead'" featurette, a theatrical trailer and a poster.

Full-framers - Are you one of those folks who just can't stand those pesky "black bars" on your television? Then rejoice, because a handful of titles released this week are just for you. In a digital knife to the heart of all cinephiles, a variety of catalog releases are featured in full-frame instead of anamorphic widescreen. These include: "The Abyss," "Anna and the King," "Big Momma's House," "Cast Away," "Edward Scissorhands," "Entrapment," "Independence Day," "Lake Placid," "Men of Honor" and "Predator."

"The Last Castle" (2001) - The Robert Redford/James Gandolfini prison drama arrives on DVD with director commentary and deleted scenes with commentary.

Trio soothes house crowd

By Nichole Hetrick | April 4, 2002

The Michael Jay Washington Trio strives to quench artistic thirsts with its unique brand of liquid jazz. Strategically billed for Monday nights under the appropriate genre of "sooth jazz," this all-string trio eases away stress from the Monday Shock Syndrome...

Thirteen Ghosts

By Hank Brockett | April 4, 2002

Next time you say to yourself, "Man, I can't fathom how this movie was made," step back and ponder this: Even the most despicable, tacky, foul, groan-inducing, cliche and boring of movies allows us to have a bit of fun. These aren't the "so bad it's good"...

Death to smoochy

By Marcus Leshock | April 4, 2002

Many filmmakers these days seem to be forgetting that a film is as good as its script. "Death to Smoochy" (Warner Bros., R) is the perfect example of this paradox. If this film tells us anything, it's that no matter how many talented actors are involved...

Down

By Jeff Goluszka | April 4, 2002

Fans hungry for the second effort of underground metal hybrid Down should head to any music store and pick up the band's latest album, "II." For those unfamiliar, Down is Black Sabbath-meets-Pantera. The group features five guys from four different bands....

Great Plains Gypsies

By John Tillotson | April 4, 2002

With all the redundancy of pop music, it can be hard to find something fresh. On the Great Plains Gypsies' latest release, "Ride the Blinds," the music is not only fresh, but also inventive. The album is a collection of 12 stripped-down tracks that range...

Broadway seduces film audience

By Gary Schaefer | April 4, 2002

This is Benjamin, and he's a little worried about his future. A young man set to graduate is trying to find his way in a chaotic and obtuse world. For answers, he sleeps with family friend Mrs. Robinson and her daughter Elaine. Now that sounds like a...

Soul Asylum needs a shove

By Nichole Hetrick | April 4, 2002

Soul Asylum showed Otto's Niteclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, its usual song and dance Saturday night. Audience members eagerly cheered the band onto stage at 11:15 p.m., but the excitement subsided as the band launched into its first song. Most people...

Snoop Dogg

By Jeff Goluszka | April 4, 2002

A concert is actually sold out in DeKalb. Multi-platinum rapper Snoop Dogg will perform Wednesday night at Otto's Niteclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway. Not only will Snoop, also known as Calvin Brodus, be the most popular rapper to strut a stage in DeKalb,...

Paving the way, Slick style

By Gary Schaefer | April 4, 2002

In honor of the appearance of Snoop Dogg at Otto's Niteclub on April 10, the M.O.O.S.E. wanted to highlight one of the Dogg's mentors and boyhood idols, Slick Rick. "Lodi Dodi," off of the platinum-selling "Doggystyle" album, was a cover of Slick Rick's....

Panic Room

By Kelly Mcclure | April 4, 2002

Jodie Foster is my hero. Playing the character Meg Altman in the current box-office giant, "Panic Room"(Columbia, R), this reclusive actress stops everyone who's ever sneered at the phrase "single mother" dead in their tracks with her powerful performance....