Sunday, December 22, 2024

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Features

FEATURES

Decibully album 'inventive'

Don't let Decibully's name fool you. The band's music isn't nearly as mean as its moniker implies. Sure, this Milwaukee folk-rock septet has the "decibel" pun right: There are plenty of crank-it-up moments on "Sing Out America!" The "bully" part, however, is somewhat deceiving.

FEATURES

'Upside of Anger' reflects real life

Director Mike Binder is a homebred, bona fide Michigan guy. The fact that he was raised in the mitten state and graduated from Birmingham Seaholm High School in 1976 is wholly important because his new film "The Upside of Anger" takes place in the same area. If you live in Los Angeles or New York, certainly, the idea of a film that takes place in your area would probably induce no more than a yawn.

FEATURES

Revamped VW Jetta grows up, 'looks hot'

What does the new Jetta have in common with the new Spartan Stadium? They both have a great history and show it with improvement on what they do best. Like our stadium, the time had come for the Jetta to update and modernize.

FEATURES

Students rent, sew costumes for play

A Saturday afternoon rehearsal of "On the Run" had theater senior Anna Lorena surrounded in piles of silky dresses, mounds of gloves and heaps of dress shirts. Lorena smiled happily to herself as she mixed and matched various ensembles while waiting for actors to finish rehearsing. Almost the entire burden of costuming this 18-person show falls upon Lorena's shoulders, but the job doesn't darken her spirits. Instead, Lorena laughed and mocked the actors as they tried on various garments styled to match the early 19th-century haute couture, some of which fit uncomfortably. Derek Dubuque, a psychology junior who plays the smartly attired and altogether pompous Reginald Archard, walked into the basement room of the Auditorium with pants that looked painfully tight. "I feel absurd, and I love it," he said, twirling to show off the elegant jacket coattails. The atmosphere was light and fun, as Dubuque jested with Lorena about wanting a top hat "like Onkar's." But costuming the entire cast in period outfits is expensive for a student-produced play. The MSU Department of Theatre's Costume Shop is off limits for a show that is not a main- season production, said Costume Shop supervisor Karen Kangas-Preston. This is because of time, money and personnel constraints, she said.

FEATURES

Landing a summer job

Résumés. They're simple pieces of paper that can make or break someone's chances for a job, and this week Heather Maynard is planning on sending out a bunch of them to prospective employers in hopes of landing a gig.

FEATURES

Knot a tie

The Rat Pack. Just the name itself exudes cool. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford were in their heyday more than 40 years ago, but their class and demeanor is rare these days.

FEATURES

Gorgeous 'Sin City' paints graphic novels on silver screen

"Sin City" is one of the most visually appealing films of all time. Such a statement seems pretty hefty, but when you adapt a graphic novel - a hard feat if you do it well - you'd better be sure you incorporate all of its dark novelty, slick narratives and illustrative character descriptions with the same passion initially envisioned. Co-director Frank Miller, who has written and drawn for DC and Marvel comics, transforms his "Sin City" graphic novel series into a gorgeous noir piece with this release. Noir films, with their shadowy, rainy quality, have become rarities - you can still spot their features in David Lynch films and the occasional Hollywood release - but mostly, noir has been shelved in between "Chinatown" and "The Maltese Falcon," emerging only in Flonase nasal spray commercials. "Sin City," however, takes noir and the graphic novel to a whole new level, with its creative camera shots, painted film, and accurate dialogue.

FEATURES

'Errors' breaks Shakespearean reputation

Although William Shakespeare did not produce a play considered a "beach book," the BoarsHead Theatre's production of "Comedy of Errors" is like a day at the seaside - relaxing and amusing. Director Geoffrey Sherman is right - it's easier to understand a Shakespearean play by allowing the outdated English words to simply sweep over you like a wave than it is to dissect every sentence. The atmosphere created by BoarsHead Theatre, 425 S.

FEATURES

Student splices time for class, blogs

It's time to get a few things off my chest. As a college student, there's nothing more relaxing than cozying up on the couch and checking out what's on the tube, or sitting in front of my computer surfing the Net for hours on end. It sounds lazy, but come on - we all do it.

FEATURES

'Gus & Angie' profiles family relationships

"Gus & Angie: A Tale of Life, Death and Doo-Doo," a play written by local author Dick Hill, premieres this weekend at Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Drive in Lansing. The play is about the relationship of a free-thinking father, Gus, and his straitlaced daughter, Angie.

FEATURES

State News staffer encounters tear gas, unruly crowd, women in high heels

It's Monday and, for most of us, that means returning to the humdrum of daily existence. For me, it means returning to life after one of the most surreal weekends ever. As a writer for The State News, I had the opportunity to cover post-game celebrations in East Lansing after Saturday's basketball matchup between the MSU men's team and the University of North Carolina.

FEATURES

WEB ONLY: Josh Rouse concert canceled

Fans of performer Josh Rouse will not be able to see him in concert at MSU this weekend as previously planned. Because of low ticket sales due to the upcoming basketball games, the singer/songwriter's show with Amy Correia on Saturday has been canceled.

FEATURES

Comedy concentrates on identities

Envision a stage littered with sand and actors dressed in tie-dyed T-shirts - it's a far call from the more obvious picture which comes to mind when thinking about a Shakespearean play. But that's exactly what audiences will get when they go to see the BoarsHead Theatre rendition of William Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors." Co-director Geoffrey Sherman said he and his partner Diana Van Fossen chose to set the play in modern Greece because the contemporary setting makes it easier for the audience to understand. "You look for a modern parallel of the story that's being told," Sherman said.

FEATURES

Films explore extreme sport

Winter is fading in East Lansing but that doesn't mean northern sports and culture are. On Friday, the MSU Outing Club will host the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour on campus with screenings of short action, animated and documentary films, all of which were shown at the official festival in Banff, Alberta, Canada in 2004.