By ryan
Planet of the Apes While the title remains the same, the remake of the 1968 sci-fi classic, Planet of the Apes, should be quite different from the original flm. The setting is a time and place where humans are ruled by apes and have to struggle to survive. Tim Burton directs this new interpretation of Planet of the Apes with respect for the original material. He chose to alter much of the original screenplay, and the new version includes an allegedly shocking ending, competing with the former version’s shot of the Statue of Liberty as a finale. Burton’s concept for the film is to extract the essence of the plot and characters and reconfigure them with better special effects and a different storyline. Burton has a team of Academy Award winners in the make-up, costume, and music department and the cast boasts many A-list actors. George Clooney, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, and Mark Wahlberg all have principal roles while Charlton Heston, a human in the first adaptation, has a cameo as an ape. Tim Burton is one of the best at creating visually astounding and mentally challenging science fiction films. His formula for a good film has worked in the past, and this one should be no exception. –Diana Lind The Score With an all-star cast including perennial action favorite Robert DeNiro, up-and-coming young star Edward Norton, and the incomparable Marlon Brando, The Score promises to be a great thriller. In this Frank Oz-directed film, set for release on July 13, DeNiro plays a thief on the verge of retirement when Norton blackmails him into pulling one more heist. Although parts of the story — including Angela Bassett as DeNiro’s love interest who doesn’t want him pulling any more capers — seem reminiscent of DeNiro’s role in Michael Mann’s Heat, The Score should have its own edgy appeal. A large part of that appeal should come from Brando, Norton, and DeNiro, who rewrote parts of the script in addition to adding their own spontaneous ad libs. The only concern is how Oz will fare in directing his first crime flick. His previous endeavors include the comedies Bowfinger and In & Out, as well as providing the voices for Miss Piggy and Yoda. But the film isn’t going to be totally devoid of laughs. Brando, as DeNiro’s fence, is rumored to provide a bit of comic relief (both in the film and on the set, since he reportedly went naked from the waist down during filming). — Ed Howard Moulin Rouge Ewan MacGregor writes on his turn-of-the-century typewriter, “This is a story about love at the Moulin Rouge,” but that may be the understatement of the Victorian era. Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated new movie Moulin Rouge features amazing costuming, a love affair teetering on the edge of tragedy and insanity, and a few gallons of Parisian perfume and French champagne. The story begins with Christian (Ewan McGregor), a young poet who moves to Monmarte, the hill inhabited by many of Paris’ greatest artists. Soon Christian is writing a piece on the Moulin Rouge and his heart falls victim to the club’s premiere star and courtesan, Satine, played by the talented Nicole Kidman. The rest of the film is a story of sex, drugs, bright lights, musical spectacle, and murder. Surprisingly, the Moulin Rouge soundtrack is likely to garner more attention than the leggy Kidman. All of the songs performed on the nightclub stage are modern-era pop tunes like the Police’s “Roxanne.” But this is just one of the many interesting juxtapositions that promises to thrill and astound audiences nationwide. Moulin Rouge has the surreal look of a Tim Burton production and camera work that looks like a roller coaster ride through hell. — Laura Thomas Squelch Combining the open road and a handful of Generation-Y actors can lead to a variety of end products. A comedy perhaps. Maybe a coming-of-age saga. Or even a thriller. June’s release of Squelch falls into the latter category, as the story of three young adults traveling cross-country. Paul Walker (Varsity Blues) plays a college sophomore who road trips to pick up his prankster brother (Steve Zahn of Saving Silverman) and the girl of his dreams (Here On Earth’s Leelee Sobieski). But their involvement with a psychotic truck driver marks the end of the love trek and the beginning of a nightmare. So far, these actors haven’t strayed far from the typical teen fare. But if this film ends up anything like director John Dahl’s critical favorite The Last Seduction, it will deviate from the formula and provide an insightful and clever look into the lives of three friends and the man who wants them dead. — Dave Kaplan Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is certainly balancing on a precarious ledge. It has the potential of being another U-571 or The Patriot; namely a war movie that borders on rewriting history for the sake of entertainment. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay promise that historical accuracy is the highest priority on their list. However, this is a Hollywood movie. The actual plot revolves around two friends (played by Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) from Tennessee who join the army and end up falling in love with the same nurse. The battle of Pearl Harbor and later Jimmy Dolittle’s raid on Tokyo only serve as a backdrop for the fictional story. Obviously, something dramatic like a love triangle needs to be thrown in since documentaries aren’t marketable. Also of note is the fact that not a single Hawaiian or local-looking person was shown in the trailer. Nor were any Asians seen besides The Dastardly Japanese. Bay wouldn’t want to confuse the film-going public, after all. And as long as the special effects are real pretty and the movie’s entertaining, who cares, right? Watching the trailer, one gets the feeling that if you’re going to this movie looking for a history lesson, you’ll need to look elsewhere. — Matt Chock American Pie 2 In the long-awaited sequel to 1999’s hit college comedy, much of the young cast from the teen pastry-love flick will be returning. So far, the movie’s producers have kept things under a tight lid, and the film’s stars have apparently been sworn to secrecy about the plot. But the morsels that have leaked so far are promising. Apparently, much of the movie will focus around Jim’s (Jason Biggs) preparations for a visit from the object of his lust, Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). Also returning for American Pie II will be Alyson Hannigan, reprising her role as the “musically-inclined” Michelle, and Mena Suvari as the sweet choir girl Heather. And though Jason Biggs claims that he will not be repeating his steamy scene with a pie from the first movie, he says not to rule out the possiblity of Jim turning his passionate eye to other sections of the bakery counter. — Ed HowardArchived article by Sun Staff
By ryan
While most of us were burning our oiled skin on some exotic beach over Spring Break, freshmen Katie Varde was doing her own sort of burning down in Florida. After scorching pitchers from around the country at the Rebel Games in Kissimmee for an entire week, Varde was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Tuesday. During the eleven game streak, Varde hit .448, with 13 hits (five of which were four-baggers), garnered 12 RBIs, and scored 10 runs. She hit two homers in one game against Stony Brook and at one point during the tournament hit a home run on three consecutive days. The power, in most cases, came fast and furious for the Wilmette, Ill. native, as well, with four of her five long balls coming in her first at-bat of the game. Varde also played a key role in leading the women’s team to a very successful 7-4 record at the Games. Particularly important to the team’s success were Varde’s first inning contributions, an inning which saw her hit an astounding .857, including the four home runs, as well as a double, a single, and a walk. When asked about how it felt hearing she had won the team’s first individual honor of the season Varde commented, “I really wasn’t expecting it. I don’t think about those things much, I just go out and play. In fact, I didn’t even find out until my parents called me all excited last night. They must’ve seen it online.” Interestingly, Varde actually came to Cornell after being recruited for the basketball team here and then walked on the softball team in the fall. After splitting time in the fall between her two favorite sports, two old knee surgeries finally forced her to make a decision. “I had to decide, and it came down to the difference in the physical demands of the two sports. Softball is just so much different, it’s less banging and so it was the better choice,” said Varde. When she made her decision, Varde wasn’t even sure whether she’d be playing come the Ivy League season. “I was a walk-on, so I wasn’t guaranteed anything. Coach [Blood] told me that it would come down to how I hit in the Spring,” added Varde. If it does come down to her bat, Varde should feel pretty good about her chances of being on the field come Saturday’s first Ivy league game against Columbia. In her first season on the Hill, Varde is currently leading the team in batting average (.396), home runs (7), and RBIs (18). She is only one home run short of tying the Cornell record for most home runs in a season. Archived article by Scott Jones