The British Empire may not have had the cleanest record when one considers its history of racial oppression and mistreatment of its colonial subjects, but films like Gurinder Chadha's Bend it Like Beckham suggest that there might just be a bright, new, heterogeneous future in store for the original Isle of WASP that comes with its own set of cultural obstacles.
One day, four young boys walk through the forest and see three older boys bullying a small kid from "the retard academy." The four boys decide to help this unfortunate lad, warmly referred to as "Dudditz" (due to his own mispronunciation of Douglas). Little did they know that Dudditz was more special than the euphemism suggests.
Somebody needs to get Vic Chesnutt some Prozac. An accident while driving drunk as a teenager left him a paraplegic, and the pain and agony of his life infects every track on Silver Lake. The music and lyrics are downbeat, and if his voice were not so annoying, the CD could easily put anyone to sleep.
Mike Skinner, the British rapper better known as The Streets, moves across the stage, violently shaking a bottle of beer over his head, and spraying its contents all over himself and those near the front of the stage, without missing a lyric.
In 1996, High/Low spawned the New York trio's lone hit, "Popular." Quite removed from their comparably glitzy mainstream debut, Nada Surf's minimalist indie-rock sensibilities set the tone for their third album Let Go. Switching record labels, the band relinquished the pretense of snaring mainstream acceptability, instead crafting thoughtful, personal delves into melancholic bliss.
The sweet hum of the bass fused with the twinkling guitars nearly lulls the listener into a serene sublime state.
David Gordon Green chose to follow up his critically-lauded George Washington with a simple, romantic film, All the Real Girls. He showed the film to Penn students at The Bridge on March 19, but made some time to talk to Street beforehand with co-writer and star Paul Schneider.
PS: Do you want a lager this early in the day?
No thanks.
The war against terrorism is tricky business. There's the color-coded Homeland Security warning system, and then there's the invasion of Iraq--just a few of the many steps taken by the government to eliminate the always-enigmatic terrorist.
Steve Martin hosts the 75th Academy Awards ceremony on March 23rd at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood (8:30 p.m., ABC). Street offers predictions on the winners, and hopes that Martin will, uh, bring down the house.
Best Picture
Chicago
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist
Marty will win in another category, The Hours isn't popular enough, The Lord of the Rings will win next year, and The Pianist is the annual "World War II film that won't win" nomination.