Monday, December 23, 2024

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Features

FEATURES

Drag king performance raises funds for MSU student

The lights dimmed down as the last lyrics played in the Boyz II Men song "End of the Road," but the applause for Drag King Rebellion kept going. Five members of Drag King Rebellion, or DKR, a group that calls itself a gender performance troupe, bowed as they finished their "Greatest Hits" show Friday night at Club 505, 505 E.

FEATURES

First on-campus production of 'The Life' explores prostitution

When Sharriese Hamilton accepted the role of Queen in the production of "The Life," which opens Thursday night at Fairchild Theatre in the Auditorium, she said she didn't realize how depressing her role as a prostitute would be. The theater senior said she plays a woman who turned to a life of prostitution to raise enough money to support her boyfriend and her dreams for a normal future. "It's her struggle to get out of this life," Hamilton said. To prepare for her role as a prostitute, Hamilton said the cast watched an HBO documentary called "Hookers at the Point." That wasn't the only research done before rehearsal.

FEATURES

The vault: 'Class Act' captures the '90s better than most

After "House Party," but before they faded into oblivion, pop-rap duo Kid 'N Play teamed up for "Class Act," a slapstick teen comedy that is pure '90s. The 1992 film encompasses more aspects of the decade than any VH1 special could — most of the characters wear Cross Colours, the language is "dope" and everything's asymmetric, including main character Duncan Pinderhughes' hairstyle. The movie tells a tale of mistaken identities.

FEATURES

Originality becoming rare in Hollywood what happened to real talent?

The entertainment industry is so tied up in trends that it neglects creative and unique talent. Hollywood is currently infected with the "based on a true story" disease ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The Greatest Game Ever Played," "North Country," "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," "Jarhead," the list goes on). The current plaguing fad wouldn't be so itchy and irritating either, if these movies actually did stick to real-life events. The problem is that movies use the "based on a true story" slogan to legitimize their product. "Emily Rose" only slightly skims the surface of actual events — even though it insists on putting "based on a true story" on the screen.

FEATURES

Turkey tips

If you're not going home for Thanksgiving and want to prepare your own version of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but don't have time to spend hours in the kitchen, try these easy ways to create a Thanksgiving feast almost like Mom's for you and your friends. • Buy a ready-made turkey from the nearest grocery store.

FEATURES

Five favorites

The State News presents five things going on in the world of pop culture that might make your life a little bit better. 1.

FEATURES

Umphrey's McGee returns to Michigan for concert

By Pietro Truba Special to The State News Genre-blending, face-melting rock music comes home today as the Chicago-based rock sextet Umphrey's McGee returns to The Intersection in Grand Rapids. Bass player Ryan Stasik says it is nice to come back to Michigan and play in front of his family and old high school friends.

FEATURES

Weekend movie reviews: 'Rich' tanks, 'Derailed' thrills, 'Zathura' inspires

"Get Rich or Die Tryin'" 50 Cent strives to be the next Tupac Shakur, but is two quarters short of the same free-style wisdom. "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" is entertaining, inasmuch as it embraces violence, nudity, and foul language, but is in no way original. The stimulant for the film is stolen bluntly from Eminem's "8 Mile." 50 Cent plays the role of Marcus, which is not quite autobiographical, but for all intents and purposes is — just as Eminem's role as Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr., which is not quite autobiographical, but is. However, 50 Cent's acting performance is believable just for the reason that he's virtually playing himself.

FEATURES

Stairway to humor

He's becoming a larger part of the movies than overpriced popcorn. And he's turning into a bigger component of television than the remote control. But blockbuster triumphs have not changed the personality of Steve Carell. "I'm pretty much the same kind of boring guy," Carell said.

FEATURES

Activities keep MSU bubbling, never dull

I can't believe I've ever said "I'm bored" in my three years here in East Lansing. I didn't realize how many things — art shows, concerts, lectures — go on daily within a very small radius around campus. A friend turned me on to the MSU events calendar, and as an entertainment reporter, I'm constantly checking bulletin boards, the City of East Lansing Web site, the University Activities Board Web site, the Breslin Center Web site and anywhere else I can to see what's going down in the entertainment sphere in East Lansing. I can't fathom how many events I've missed in the past two years because I didn't bother searching for them.

FEATURES

'King of the Corner' director to visit E.L. for special film showing

Promoting a film can be tough work. Just ask actor/director Peter Riegert, who is busy plugging the DVD for his 2004 feature film directorial debut "King of the Corner," a deadpan comedy about a middle-aged man named Leo (played by Riegert) and the day-to-day chaos that surrounds his life. On Saturday, he left his home in New York City to promote the film in Tucson, Ariz.