|
|
| Dec. 2, 2004 | ||||||||||
|
|
At the Movies: 'Alexander'
“Yikes” was my first response upon leaving the movie theater after seeing “Alexander.” Oliver Stone’s sprawling new film was not the best movie I saw over the break, but Lord help me if it wasn’t the most fascinating. Weighing in slightly under three hours long, this newest addition to the “sword and sandals” genre is a lumbering behemoth. Accents fly in all directions, battle scenes produce motion sickness and actors deliver most of their lines at decibel levels traditionally reserved for fire engines. “Alexander” is a monumentally silly film. Perversely, though, it is entertaining in an impossible kind of way. I sat in a trance, watching this overcooked, spirited film drone on for three hours. “Alexander” is the kind of movie you will watch with your mouth hanging open, whether you like it or not. Alexander the Great, the young Macedonian king who nearly conquered the entire known world around 330 B.C.E., is the subject of this film. However, if you are dying to learn of Alexander’s grand motivations, you may have to look elsewhere. The film offers a few possibilities but never really settles on a concrete explanation. What it does offer are dynamic interrelationships between Alexander (Colin Farrell) and his mother Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his father Philip (Val Kilmer), his longtime “companion” Hephaistion (Jared Leto), his wife Roxane (Rosario Dawson) and his many generals. That’s a lot of people to juggle. It seems inevitable, then, that the film begins to resemble a soap opera after a while. Teary-eyed confrontations, heated exchanges and familial conflicts are all a matter of course. Alexander was a conqueror, but only two battle scenes are shown: his decisive victory against the Persians at Gaugamela and his not-so-successful battle in India at the tail-end of Alexander’s military career. Both battles can be exciting and intense, but the epileptic camera movements often obscure the view. Farrell cuts a powerful figure as Alexander when his melodramatic dialogue doesn’t subvert his strength as an authority figure. Val Kilmer does fine work as the raw and aggressive King Philip. Angelina Jolie plays the bewitching Olympias to the hilt even as her constant snake fondling becomes campy. Jared Leto and Rosario Dawson are both good as Alexander’s objects of love. It is in this presentation of Alexander’s sexuality that the film wavers. Unless you have never had a history class in your life, you know that Alexander was probably bisexual. That he took a wife may or may not have had anything to do with love. Hephaistion was Alexander’s best friend and probable lover. However, Oliver Stone seems to have drawn back in trepidation. Alexander’s consummation with Roxane is treated as an erotic battle of wills yet his relationship with Hephaistion is hilariously chaste, filled with solemn hugs and angst-ridden glances. A mainstream film in America that dares to suggest or even celebrate any kind of passion between two men is considered a no-no. Stone was clearly caught between a rock and a hard place. Everything in “Alexander” is big. Costumes and sets are gorgeous. Actors and action scenes are energetic. Admirable, sure, but it’s all sound and fury. The film nearly collapses under its own self-important weight.
House of 828 rocks Boone scene For several years, Boone has been known to host a variety of music at local venues and on campus as well. Recently however, three roommates noticed a void in the scene and decided to do something about it. Out of their love of hardcore metal music, junior Joseph D. Combs, graduate student Chris C. Estes and Patrick Squaires took matters into their own hands and home. The three housemates, along with help from their friends, formed The House of 828. The House of 828, the actual residence of Combs, Estes and Squaires, began hosting hardcore bands in mid-September and have had three shows so far. The housemates came up with the name to try and inject a little bit of Boone pride into the hardcore scene. 828 has also traditionally been somewhat of a designator for the group of friends who have been instrumental in their recent successes. Although there had been talk among the housemates, no firm plans had been made for such a venture until a friend approached them about putting on a show in September. “We do mostly hardcore metal just because there’s not a venue around here that will host the bands,” Combs said. “Usually we just pick local bands that we really like.” The three housemates all share the various responsibilities of putting on shows, including promotion and booking. Through their contacts around the High Country and other areas of North Carolina, the residents of The House of 828 have been experiencing increased attendance with each show. Their massive Halloween costume party has been the biggest success so far. The House of 828, which holds around 200 people, offsets expenses by accepting donations at their shows but is also implementing a small cover charge to pay for the band’s transportation and expenses. Any profits after expenses also go to the bands. While pounding the pavement and adding to the sea of flyers for shows around Boone, The House of 828 has also been promoting their shows on Web sites such as www.partyapp.com and www.myspace.com. Word of mouth also plays a big part in spreading the word about future shows. With their increased popularity, the 828 housemates are receiving requests from bands as far away as Charlotte and Greensboro to come and play. So far, they have hosted bands such as Glass Casket and Crimson Spectre. In addition to the response from local and regional bands, a representative from the Red Bull energy drink company has also approached the housemates in regards to the possibility of sponsoring future events. Unlike a local club or bar, The House of 828 hopes to offer hardcore metal fans a different experience by providing a more personal and intimate setting in which to enjoy a show. “We’re less restrictive about behavior like moshing,” Combs said. “Anything goes as long as it’s not fighting.” Although The House of 828 has only hosted three shows in its first few months, the housemates hope to continue putting on more shows with greater consistency through the spring and are staying open to the possibility of expansion. “We’d like to keep this going as long as we can just to keep the hardcore scene alive here in Boone,” Combs said. For more information about upcoming shows, The House of 828 can be reached at houseof828@hotmail.com, or on America Online Instant Messenger at thehouseof828.
Jazz quintet heats up student union Jazz is definitely alive in Crossroads. Every Monday night, live jazz is played at 8:30 p.m. in Crossroads Coffeehouse of Plemmons Student Union. The Brown/Bailey Quintet has been playing in Crossroads for three years and they love what they do. “For some of us, this is what we do. I plan to do this for a living, so it’s a way to play what we practice and have fun doing it,” senior music performance major Patrick E. Brown said. “Starting out, we played every other week [at Crossroads], and actually last year is when it changed to every week. We kind of caught on, we were getting a big crowd and it changed to every week.” “We’ve been promoting it for three years and we get bigger and bigger every night,” Brown said. “If you get there around 9 p.m., you’re going to have a hard time finding a seat, which is awesome.” Brown said people are starting to understand and appreciate jazz more. “People are starting to see that jazz isn’t just playing in the back of some restaurant. People are starting to understand it,” Brown said. “I know even during breaks, people will come up and talk to me, student-wise, people that didn’t understand it, don’t understand it, it’s just like any other music, a little different.” Other band members include drummer Ben Bjorlie, bassist Jeremy Downing, main guitarist Andy Page and trombonist Scott Bailey. Bailey, Brown and Downing have been playing for three years. Bjorlie joined last year and Page joined this year. Other occasional guests to the band are Doug D. Peach and Kevin B. Dailey who both play guitar. “I feel it’s [our music] different from the other groups that are around, the atmosphere [in Crossroads] is a little more intimate,” senior music industries major Downing said. Downing said their playing can be spontaneous which allows them to take the music into different directions. Brown said they play the compositions of great jazz legends and some of their own compositions, which have a lot of funk, Latin and swing elements in them. “I think we bring a different energy, being students. It’s not like we’re just playing this gig to make money, we do it because it’s fun,” Brown said. “I enjoy playing the original tunes of the members of the quintet. We try to recreate the sound of jazz in its classic era, in terms of tone and the feel of the music.” Hayes School of Music instructor Page said. The band wants the audience to have a good time listening to their music. “I just want them to have a good time. A lot of people aren’t exposed to jazz and this is a great opportunity for people to get out there and support live music,” senior music education major Bailey said. The group is now in the process of recording a CD that should be released in the spring.
|
© 2004 ASU Student Publications
