Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3?

SCHEYERFACED!

By the way, I hate *dook.

"What is Jackass?"

In the spirit of the UNC-dook rivalry, I submit this completely non-biased* nugget of hilarity.

*By non-biased, I mean this college student attends Dartmouth and still has this opinion of Coach K.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

My Favorite Films of the Decade

in alphabetical order...


ALMOST FAMOUS - a highly enjoyable, smile-inducing semi-autobiographical story about Cameron Crowe's teenage exploration of the world of rock 'n roll; Kate Hudson's career, unfortunately, peaked here


BEFORE SUNSET - the most unlikely triumph of the decade; a real-time rekindling of an unfulfilled romantic encounter


CITY OF GOD - a bleak look at the lives of gangsters (and citizens) in Rio's slums; ultra-violent and ultra-stylish


COLLATERAL - Mann's first true foray into filmmaking using HD cameras; moody and atmospheric night spent with a hapless LA cabbie (Foxx) and an ultra-cool, ultra-smooth contract killer (Cruise); great chemistry


THE DARK KNIGHT - the ultimate superhero movie that strips all boundaries of that genre of film; it's HEAT for Gotham City


ESPIONAGE/SPY THRILLERS (The Bourne Trilogy & CASINO ROYALE) - three cheers for the rebirth of the thinking-person's action film; Damon and Craig are great in their respective roles


ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Gondry takes a wonderfully bizarre script by Charlie Kaufmann and turns it into a trippy adventure into our memories of love


KILL BILL (Volumes 1 & 2) - Tarantino returns with his first outing of the decade with a fun and hilarious concoction of spaghetti westerns, martial art flicks, and revenge stories


THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy - no one thought it could be done; grand and glorious fantasy filmmaking; the genious move of filming all three films at the same time for rapid release


RATATOUILLE - Pixar could've had a number of entries on this list, but I had a constant smile on my face during this charming animated film

Best in Film - 2009

1. UP - The only film on my list to bring a tear (or two) to my eyes. From the moving opening montage to the hilarious adventures of a disgruntled old man, a wilderness scout, a talking - SQUIRREL! - dog, and Kevin the bird, I had a smile on my face. Pixar does it again!


2. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - If there were any tears shed during this movie, they would have been a direct result of laughing too hard. Tarantino is, once again, razor sharp with his dialogue. Sure, he rewrites history a little. But, out of all the possibilities for revenge fantasies, who wouldn't choose the Third Reich?


3. PUBLIC ENEMIES - Mann was a little more faithful to his source than Tarantino. From his beautiful use of HD (the clouds in the opening prison break sequence POP off the screen) to the excellent performance by Johnny Depp as Dillinger, I wasn't disappointed with another successful Michael Mann crime saga.


4. DISTRICT 9 - I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but this is the first of THREE sci-fi films on my list! However, this film defies you to label it simply as a sci-fi. The documentary style of the film brings a realness to the action.


5. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER - An extraordinarily atypical romantic comedy. A story about love rather than a love story. It doesn't hurt that I love Zooey!

6. THE HURT LOCKER - Wow, what an unbelievably intense movie-going experience! Unbelievably, this film about soldiers in Iraq was executed without any political pretense at all. Jeremy Renner was absolutely awesome.


7. AVATAR - This is the second sci-fi film on my list. While it is a little light on story, it is more than made up for in imagery. I forgot at times that what I was watching was not real, but CGI. The painstaking detail that went into the creation of Pandora was worth the 12-year break that James Cameron took between TITANIC and now.


8. STAR TREK - That's it! If this is the future of the Star Trek brand, then sign me up! I'm a Trekkie for life! From the directing (JJ Abrams) to the acting, there is nothing to complain about from this summer blockbuster.


9. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - Make no mistake, this was not a kid's movie. This was a movie about childhood for all audiences.


10. CHE - By no means am I a Che supporter, but I love Soderbergh. If he makes a film, I'm going to see it. This was a beautiful film about an important historical figure. Grand filmmaking!

Still to see...
UP IN THE AIR, THE INFORMANT!, INVICTUS

Happy Holidays!

A cappella music is huge on college campuses across the United States. Straight No Chaser (from Indiana University) provides this entertaining version of The 12 Days of Christmas.



For more entertainment (without instruments) check out the Tufts Beezelbubs, UVa Hullabahoos, and the UNC Clef Hangers.

Hansbrough the Great

Here is a wonderful cover story from Inside Carolina's commemorative Hansbrough issue.