This is the archive for April 2007
By Diamond Floyd, Courier Staff Writer
Reign Over Me is the awesome drama starring Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Liv Tyler. The movie had met and even exceeded many of my expectations. Adam Sandler was a rounded and skillfully developed character. It was refreshing to see Sandler play an actual character in a movie, and not just an angry, babbling bafoon. Don Cheadle delivers a sensational performance yet again, brilliantly following his amazing performances from
Crash and
Hotel Rwanda.
Sandler and Cheadle play Charlie Fineman and Alan Johnson, two former college roommates that pick up their friendship by chance years after parting ways. Both formerly in dental study, Johnson continues on to becoming a successful dentist, a loving husband and a caring father.
Posted by courier at 07:48 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Mayflower Seafood Restaurant is a short
walk from campus, near Marina Foods.
(between Decoto Rd & Meyers Dr)
Union City, CA 94587
(510) 489-8386
Being a senior during the week of STAR testing might be good, but being a senior with late arrival during the week of STAR testing, is even better! Taking full advantage of having late arrival on Tuesday (when second period started at 1:04 p.m.), I went with fellow Courier staff writer, Jacqueline Truong, and two other senior friends, to the Union City Mayflower (located near the Marina supermarket).
Posted by courier at 07:28 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
The Sixth Grade Band
Last Thursday, Guy Emanuele Pavilion hosted the Alvarado Middle School Extravaganza. Truthfully, the theme of the night was “Talent You Cannot Bottle!” The night was full of talent from various extra-curricular organizations, groups, and clubs. There was band, choir, guard, and even cultural dance groups.
Posted by courier at 10:18 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Hyperion (September 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786809604
ISBN-13: 978-0786809608
From Hyperion Books for Children:
When high school sophomore Lucy Norton’s father remarries, her life is turned upside down. She and her father move from their West Coast home to a suburb on Long Island. With a small bedroom in the unfinished basement, a wicked stepmother and bratty stepsisters, countless chores, a blank social calendar, and a huge crush on the dashing prince of the varsity basketball team, Lucy’s life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. So with all the characters in place, will Lucy get the prince and live happily ever after?
Posted by courier at 11:05 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, April 14, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
TRADE
1. The Road. Cormac McCarthy. Vintage, $14.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 3
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Kim Edwards. Penguin, $14
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 42
3. The Measure of a Man. Sidney Poitier. Harper San Francisco, $14.95
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 12
4. Blink. Malcolm Gladwell. L,B/Back Bay, $15.99
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 2
5. The Glass Castle. Jeannette Walls. Scribner, $14
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 41
6. Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert. Penguin, $15
Last Week: 5; Weeks on List: 11
7. Suite Francaise. Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage, $14.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
8. The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion. Vintage, $13.95
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 9
9. The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho. Harper San Francisco, $13.95
Last Week: 9; Weeks on List: 38
10. Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. Martha Stewart. Clarkson Potter, $24.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 3
Posted by courier at 08:39 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Book Editor
Nothing: Something to Believe In by Nica Lalli
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books (March 14, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 159102529X
ISBN-13: 978-1591025290
“A recent study by University of Minnesota sociology professors on the tolerance of ‘others’ in America showed that the group most hated and feared, the group seen as the greatest threat to our country, is atheists. The study also said that nonbelievers are the one group that Americans would least like to have marry into their family.”
Nothing is the autobiography of a nonbeliever that reveals her experiences in life and how her lack of religion influenced her experiences. This book really stood out to me because there are so many books out these days about all of the different religions, but it is very difficult to find one about a complete lack of one. As an atheist, it is sometimes frustrating for me to read really good books but become unable to really relate to them because of the deeply religious roots. It was nice to read a book for once about someone who faces some of the same things as I do, and I could easily relate to many of her emotions. It is an excellent read, for believers and nonbelievers alike.
Posted by courier at 08:05 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
FINAL FANTASY FABLES: CHOCOBO TALES
For: Nintendo DS
From: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: Everyone (comic mischief, fantasy violence)
There are two types of gamers, and their division is assured during the "Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales" title sequence — an adorable, hand-drawn animated sequence that either will charm the your pants off or send your lunch right back out your mouth. "Tales" never hedges its artistic bets, and the cuteness persists throughout, so plan accordingly depending on what side of that fence you sit.
Posted by courier at 08:16 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Review by Fermin Sierra, Courier Staff Writer
The views of this ever-so-humble reviewer happen to differ from those of his counterpart.
Unlike other reviewers, such as one Nate Lealao, whose opinion is below, I do not spend nearly one and a half hours quivering in fear and jumping at every turn, only to completely lambast the movie for its lack of originality and suspense. I apologize Nate, I happen to enjoy the movie-going experience and what it allows me to do: forget about everything else.
Read Nate Lealao's take on the movie, and the rest of Fermin Sierra's review, by clicking "Read More."
Posted by courier at 01:38 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: The Courier received free tickets to a premiere of Perfect Stranger from radio station Wild 94.9, in exchange for a promotional consideration.
By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
Is the perfect stranger not so much of a stranger? Rowena (Halle Berry) is a journalist from New York who quits her job after having her latest story cut from the paper. Deciding to go home afterwards, she stumbles across her best friend, Grace (Nicki Aycox), who tells her about her relationship with businessman Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis). One week later, Grace is killed and Rowena is determined to go undercover to exploit Hill with the help of her associate, Miles (Giovanni Ribisi).
That is only the beginning of the storyline that the viewer is supposed to know. As the movie goes on, more secrets are revealed. Throughout
Perfect Stranger, a flashback with Rowena is shown, leading the audience to confusion up until the end that explains everything.
Posted by courier at 12:07 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Iona Childers, Courier Foods Editor
Ming's (Chinese Cuisine and Bar)
1700 Embarcadero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
*Phone: (650) 856-7700
www.mings.com
Imagine the mindset of a five-person family that forgot to eat a hearty breakfast before the hour-and-a-half long Easter Sunday church service. While my family didn't exactly dissolve into the characters from William Golding's novel, *Lord of the Flies;* there was quite a lot of impatient grumbling on the drive to Ming's for lunch.
By the time we arrived at Ming's (around 11:15 a.m.), the place was already in full swing. We had to wait for a couple of other groups to be seated before we finally sat down for dim sum.
Posted by courier at 07:27 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
Photos by Carmen Shiu
Paula on stageOver the spring break, last Thursday, two of my favorite artists came into town. The beautifully talented singing 17-year-old Paula DeAnda and the skillfully talented Chinese-American rapper Jin performed at the Glaskat in San Francisco for the MYX Launch Party. MYX is a new music lifestyle channel on DirecTV gearing towards Asian Americans. Other performers also include Apl.De.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Bento, Not Your Average Superheroes, Native Guns, Roscoe Umali, and Rae.
Posted by courier at 10:23 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
Jon McLaughlin is a new artist from Indiana that plays the piano. After releasing two albums from independent record labels, Laughlin signed a record deal with Island Records. On May 1, he will be releasing is debut album, “Indiana.” Laughlin’s style is under the pop/rock category. A few of his songs are a reminiscent of singers like Ryan Cabrera, Nick Lachey, and Vanessa Carlton without the upbeat songs. Regardless, Laughlin is only 24 years old and is full of talent.
Laughlin’s debut single is entitled “Industry.” This is the first track of the album as well, introducing himself to the world as his first verse in the chorus is “This is me.” He sings about his feelings as a musician, like how singing affects him and what goes through his mind as he performs.
Drop by The Courier's office, Room 509, for a free Jon McLauglin poster, while very limited supplies last.
Posted by courier at 10:14 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Apple Computer Inc. (MCT)
Top 10 albums on iTunes Music Store for April 17:
1. "Shock Value," Timbaland
2. "The Story," Brandi Carlile
3. "Back to Black," Amy Winehouse
4. "Life In Cartoon Motion," Mika
5. "Cassadaga," Bright Eyes
6. "Daughtry," Daughtry
7. "Minutes To Midnight," Linkin Park
8. "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank," Modest Mouse
9. "American Doll Posse," Tori Amos
10. "Vena Sera," Chevelle
___
For more information, please visit the iTunes Web site at www.apple.com/itunes/.
___
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Posted by courier at 08:25 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: The Courier received free tickets to a preview showing of this film from radio station Wild 94.9, in exchange for a promotional consideration.
Reviewed by Susan Muramoto, Courier Staff Writer
Disturbia is a suspenseful thriller detailing the story of Kale, played by Shia LaBeouf, and his observances from his bedroom window. Kale is a misled highschooler, driven to rebellion after his father's death. After punching a teacher, he is put on house arrest for 3 months with an ankle bracelet monitoring his every move. He is unable to leave the premises of his house without the police being alerted and sent to arrest him.
Drained from weeks of eating unhealthy food and playing video games, Kale decides to spend his time more productively. With his binoculars, he is able to follow the lives of all of his close‑range neighbors. A pretty new girl named Jessica (played by Sarah Roemer) moves in next door to him and they befriend one another.
Posted by courier at 02:11 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Book Editor
The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Touchstone (February 3, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743246071
ISBN-13: 978-0743246071
“’What matters is that a man or woman can believe what they wish and worship how they wish, to a God whom they name as they wish. What matters is that we make a strong country here which can be a force for good in the world, where men and women can question and learn freely. This country’s destiny is to be a place where men and women can know that they are free.’”
These are the words of the scholar John Dee, describing what he hopes his country, England, can become under the rule of Elizabeth I. It perfectly sums up the themes of the novel: freedom of religion and the fight for a better England. The book is beautifully written and historically accurate. The characters are believable even if some of the events are not. It offers an interesting perspective on “Bloody Mary” (Queen Mary) and the “Virgin Queen” (Queen Elizabeth I), sisters and rivals for the throne. The main character, Hannah, is the kind of strong heroine that you immediately wish to get to know, and the problems she faces are realistic, although hard to relate to for those living in modern America.
Posted by courier at 11:02 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, at the James Logan Media Center
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (May 15, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312367465
ISBN-13: 978-0312367466
From the publisher:
Elsewhere is where 15-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different from it. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?
Posted by courier at 08:41 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, April 7, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. I Heard That Song Before. Mary Higgins Clark. Simon & Schuster, $25.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. Nineteen Minutes. Jodi Picoult. Atria, $26.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 5
3. Obsession. Jonathan Kellerman. Ballantine, $26.95
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 2
4. White Night. Jim Butcher. Roc, $23.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
5. Kingdom Come. Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins. Tyndale, $25.99
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
6. Whitethorn Woods. Maeve Binchy. Knopf, $25.95
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 5
7. The Alibi Man. Tami Hoag. Bantam, $26
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 2
8. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Mohsin Hamid. Harcourt, $22
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
9. Step on a Crack. James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge. Little, Brown, $27.99
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 9
10. Absolute Fear. Lisa Jackson. Kensington, $19.95
Last Week: 8; Weeks on List: 2
Posted by courier at 07:40 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Hassina Obaidy, Courier Staff Writer
On Sunday, many families enjoyed fun and music while the Oakland Zoo celebrated Earth Day from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dozens of Bay Area environmental organizations were there to promote awareness of their causes.
For instance, the Animal Rescue Foundation took advantage of the crowd to advertise dogs and cats in need of homes through their sponsorship of Virtual Pet Adoptions .
Posted by courier at 07:22 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Craig Crossman
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Apple wants you to see its Macintosh as the control center of all your media or to use the phrase of its CEO, the "Digital Hub" of everything you see and hear. Put all your music, videos and pictures you've taken on your computer for easy viewing. Take all of the DVD movies in your library, and play those TV shows you've downloaded and watch them all on the computer's screen. Display and play all of it on the computer. That's Apple's vision. But just a moment please.
Posted by courier at 10:36 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
SUPER PAPER MARIO
For: Nintendo Wii
From: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo
ESRB Rating: Everyone (comic mischief, mild cartoon violence)
If you liked "Paper Mario's" brilliantly original art direction and laugh-a-minute storytelling more than you enjoyed actually playing it, good news: "Super Paper Mario" brings back the former with more panache than ever while more or less scrapping the latter.
Role-playing elements — hit points, experience, magic — still run wild, but "SPM" has much more in common with Mario games of old than its predecessors. Imagine playing "Super Mario World" with a chatty storyline and Colorform graphics, and you have some idea, old-fashioned control scheme and all, how "SPM" works.
Posted by courier at 10:27 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Story and Photos By Jessica Rosales, Courier Staff Writer
The DJ’s set up. For a finale to the Spirit Week Skits, the Seniors intrigued many with a show that was as well performed as it was thought out.
“As soon as they started I thought, ‘Well, they won first place,’” said a viewer in the crowd. The majority of those who watched it could not agree more.
On the strength of their preformance, seniors indeed won the Spirit Week competition, with sophomores coming in second, and juniors third followed by the freshmen.
Posted by courier at 07:27 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Rebecca Soltau, Courier Staff Writer
The Englander Sports Pub
101 Parrott St
San Leandro, CA 94577
(510) 357-3571
I was involved in an annual NCAA Basketball Pool for the Championship game and a few friends and I decided to make a night of it. The leader of the pool found a little restaurant in San Leandro that had at least three big screen TVs specifically for sports. So we piled into our cars and drove over, expecting a night of cheap beer and crappy food.
We were very wrong, and I couldn‘t have enjoyed being wrong more!
Visit The Englander Sports Pub's website.
Posted by courier at 07:02 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
Hilary Duff released her fifth album last week entitled
Dignity. Since her fame from the hit Disney Original Series,
Lizzie McGuire, Duff has become a successful artist and actress. Whether or not she deserves the success is a whole different story. This time, Duff stayed away from the typical bubblegum pop she is known to sing. She instead decided to go into more of the electronic-sounding and dance-pop, according to Duff. Although it is good to see a change, this style seems to be overdone on this album. The only positive part of
Dignity is her maturing lyrics.
Posted by courier at 05:42 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or soon to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (May 15, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312367465
ISBN-13: 978-0312367466
From Squarefishbooks.com:
Elsewhere is where 15-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different from it. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?
Posted by courier at 06:18 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Book Editor
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: HarperTrophy; Reissue edition (May 1, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0064404773
ISBN-13: 978-0064404778
“I have no idea how long the silence lasted. I was staring at the rose, silent and serene on the mantelpiece, and I heard my own voice say, ‘When the month is up, Father, I will return with you.’”
It is with these words that Beauty bravely volunteers herself to go live with the Beast in place of her father in the familiar story of Beauty and the Beast. This is no Disney version, with singing teapots and dancing silverware. It is as realistic as a novel about an enchantment can be, from the hardships Beauty’s family must face to the fear that remains her constant companion during the first months with the Beast. It provides an interesting perspective of Beauty’s life before she is forced to go live with the Beast, making it one of the best versions I have ever read.
Posted by courier at 05:42 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Iona Childers, Courier Restaurant Editor
The Cheesecake Factory
925 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123
(408) 225-6948
Fellow Courier Staff Writer, Jacqueline Truong, stared at me in utter disbelief when I told her I had never eaten at The Cheesecake Factory. Her shock was justified when I later found out that The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant, and I had just admitted to never having eaten at one of the many Cheesecake Factories. Four restaurants happen to be within a twenty-five mile radius of Union City, twenty-eight total restaurants in California alone, and there is at least one Cheesecake Factory in thirty-two out of the fifty US states. Wow.
Posted by courier at 07:39 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
Being a fan of sushi and seafood, there is no doubt that I loved Todai, one that used to be one of the best seafood buffets that I have ever been to.
After shopping in Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton recently, my family and I decided to eat there. It was a place where you cannot eat too frequently or else the food just will not taste as good, similarly to the economic concept of the law of diminishing marginal utility. Wow, I cannot believe I just used a term I learned in economics class. Anyway.
Posted by courier at 05:49 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Dana Llarena and Jessica Rosales, Courier Staff Writers
The Freshmen’s lone sign.For the third in the series of Spirit Week skits, the Freshmen delivered a skit deemed confusing by many audience members.
The set up was plain: the only way one could tell where the scene was taking place was because of a single sign. They even had technical difficulties, especially with their simple backdrops. There were many cast members in the Class of 2010’s skit compared to the Juniors, but fewer than the Sophomores. With all those members we would have thought they could have come up with a more original storyline. It was difficult to catch the lines that were said to introduce the plot, which is what led to confusion and the reason why we could not hear the names of the characters.
Posted by courier at 05:44 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: The Courier received two free tickets to a special premiere of this film from radio station Wild 94.9 in return for a promotional consideration.
Grindhouse Sends-Up B-Movies with Horribly Hilarious Results
Review by Fermin Sierra, Courier Staff Writer
Seemingly dropped on American Cinema’s doorstep out of nowhere, the action movie event of the year,
Grindhouse, has finally arrived. Paying homage to the shoddy filmmaking of 1970’s exploitation movies, directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have crafted a double feature (complete with fake trailers crafted by other contemporary filmmakers) that rivals their predecessors in both gore and poor editing.
Posted by courier at 05:42 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Joe Neumaier
New York Daily News (MCT)
Richard Gere as "Clifford Irving,"
and Julie Delpy as "Nina Van
Pallandt," in "The Hoax."
(Handout/MCT) NEW YORK — In his new film "The Hoax," Richard Gere does a lot of fast-talking. As Clifford Irving, one of the most notorious scam artists the last century ever produced, Gere — wearing a bit of putty on his nose — shmoozes, cajoles, insinuates and babbles. As fast as the actor's feet moved in "Chicago," his mouth moves in this movie. And when Gere-as-Irving isn't talking, you can still see him thinking about what lie he'll concoct next.
Who is this guy, and what has he done with the real Richard Gere?
Not so fast.
Posted by courier at 03:11 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Entertainment Editor
What
is the curse of well-known producers? Have you ever realized how Pharrell Williams is able to provide killer beats to other artists and the songs end up charting well? Yet when he released his own album, it does not receive nearly as much success, even if it does feature a big time artist like Kanye West ( Number One ). What will be the fate of Timbaland s latest release,
Shock Value? Only time will tell.
Posted by courier at 08:40 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, March 24, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
TRADE
1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Kim Edwards. Penguin, $14
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 39
2. The Glass Castle. Jeannette Walls. Scribner, $14
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 38
3. Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert. Penguin, $15
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 8
4. The Measure of a Man. Sidney Poitier. Harper San Francisco, $14.95
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 9
5. The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho. Harper San Francisco, $13.95
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 35
6. The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion. Vintage, $13.95
Last Week: 8; Weeks on List: 6
7. Labyrinth. Kate Mosse. Berkley, $15
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 6
8. The Namesake. Jhumpa Lahiri. Houghton/Mariner, $14
Last Week: 9; Weeks on List: 14
9. Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. Martha Stewart. Clarkson Potter, $24.95
Last Week: 5; Weeks on List: 2
10. The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead, $14
Last Week: 10; Weeks on List: 128
Posted by courier at 01:46 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: The Courier received two free tickets to this film from the radio station Wild 94.9 in return for a promotional consideration.
Review by Pamela Gutierrez, Courier Staff Writer
Are We Done Yet?, the sequel to 2005’s
Are We There Yet? proves that Columbia Pictures should have quit while they were ahead.
Nick Parson’s (Ice Cube) life has changed a bit since we first saw him. He married Suzanne ( Nia Long) and has gone from mom’s hot-headed boyfriend to hot-headed step dad.
Read the rest of this review, plus Priya Jagannathan's review of Are We Done Yet?, by clicking "Read More."
Posted by courier at 11:41 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
Overturned Chariot: The Autobiography of Phan Boi Chau by Phan Boi Chau, Nicholas Wickenden (Translator)
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (December 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 082481875X
ISBN-13: 978-0824818753
From the University of Hawaii Press:
Phan (1867-1940) was the most prominent leader of the Vietnamese independence movement during the first quarter of the twentieth century and a living link between the older generation who initiated the struggle against French rule in Vietnam and the younger generation who carried that struggle to its conclusion. From the earliest days of the nation-wide Loyalist movement of 1885-1895 to the 1930s, Vietnamese resistance to foreign domination did not lose its cohesion and vigor thanks mainly to Phan and his associates. For this reason, during the more than twenty years following 1954, when Vietnam was divided between North and South, Phan's memory was honored and numerous studies of his life and writings were published in both parts of the country." "Looking back, Phan believed his career had been a failure, but one from which his compatriots could learn. For today's reader, Phan's memoir vividly conveys the vision of Vietnam and its position in the world held by one of the first and most influential leaders of Vietnamese anti-colonialism.
Posted by courier at 08:14 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Book Editor
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (April 30, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142001430
ISBN-13: 978-0142001431
“’But how would we repay the kindness of those who received us, if we carried the seeds of the Plague to them? What burden would we bear if, because of us, hundreds die who might have lived? No! Let us accept this Cross. Let us carry it in God’s Holy Name!’ The rector’s voice had been gaining in power till it rang like a bell. But now he dropped back into a tone of intimacy, like a lover addressing his beloved. ‘Dear friends, here we are, and here we must stay. Let the boundaries of this village become our whole world. Let none enter and none leave while this Plague lasts.’”
Year of Wonders is the story of the sacrifice of a small mountain town in England where the deadly Plague hits. In order to save the lives of others, the town decides to keep everyone in and all others out in order to prevent the spreading of the Plague, knowing full well that such close proximity to each other could very well mean their deaths. It is a depressing story, but also an inspiring one.
Posted by courier at 07:03 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Priya Jagannathan and Bobbi Maas, Courier Staff Writers
Photos by Carmen Shiu
The Junior Skit had a King Arthur theme.
Here, Nifae Lealao as King Arthur confers
with Merlin-Merl, played by Austin Ashford.
Overall, Tuesday's junior skit, performed during the lunch periods in the Pavilion, was…interesting. Even though some scenes were confusing, the acting was okay and the dancing was good, though sort of random, but it was a skit good for a laugh.
The entire skit was a mockery to the Arthurian legend. The skit’s focus is on King Arthur’s ( Nifae Lealao) journey as he tries to find a queen for his kingdom. With aid from Lancelot and Merlin-Merl, a poor substitute for Merlin who could easily have had Snoop Dog beaten in a battle of ghettoness, Arthur is able to attain Guinevere’s affections.
Posted by courier at 01:46 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Ray Dequina, Courier Opinion Editor
In terms of territorial dominion, the Spartans didn't get much done in the way of conquering. For their fabled tenacity and fearlessness in the face of insurmountable odds, Spartans never really could extend their rule past the city‑state and a small blotch of outlying land. Even so, with the recent deluge of Spartan themed entertainment, you would've thought that the warriors of the Classical Age had come back with a vengeance. Movies, books, comic books, and video games—in short, Sparta's big nowadays, and it only took about 2500 years. Oh well, better late than never.
Posted by courier at 05:48 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 07
For: Nintendo Wii
From: EA Sports
ESRB Rating: Everyone
The first eight swings I took in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07" had no place in a backyard, much less the PGA. Each veered wide left or right, landing either out of bounds or in the water. Swinging the Wiimote like a virtual golf club was fun, but not exactly productive.
The problem? I was playing "Woods" like a video game. For the ninth swing, I employed every trick I'd ever learned on a golf course — knees bent, shoulders and feet square, eyes on the "ball" instead of the game, swinging in two motions instead of one. I swung the Wiimote, looked at the screen, and to my great amazement, the ball was en route to the fairway. It missed by inches and landed in the rough, but it was some serious progress — and one of the coolest "ah ha!" moments I've experienced in six years of reviewing video games.
Posted by courier at 04:38 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Benjamin J. Romano
The Seattle Times (MCT)
SEATTLE — Microsoft will sell a high-end version of its Xbox 360 entertainment console beginning this spring in a bid to woo videophiles and gaming enthusiasts away from Sony's PlayStation3.
The company released details this week of a $480 "Elite" model with a black finish, 120 gigabytes of storage and a new output for high-definition video and audio. It is set to go on sale April 29 in the United States and Canada and will be a permanent part of the Xbox 360 line.
Posted by courier at 04:33 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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