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Features

FEATURES

'Wedding' disgusts, disappoints

Kelly Thesier
August 6, 2003

The "American Pie" gross-out film series has only gotten, well, grosser. The third installment to the "American Pie" series, "American Wedding," has taken the tacky jokes and wacky stunts to a new low. While "American Pie" set a standard for scenes that make your stomach lurch - the infamous pie scene - the newest addition to the "Pie" family returns to those gut-churning moments in excess. From Stifler messing around with grandma to Jim's most recent mess-up moment with a dog, "American Wedding" crosses the boundaries of good humor. The first two films of the series gave the audience enough of a reprieve to enjoy a good laugh, while this movie just plain grosses the audience out. While gross-out comedies can be at times entertaining, the movie pushes the limits beyond what is tolerable.

FEATURES

JazzFest swings into Old Town

Lindsey Anderson
August 4, 2003

Lansing - Sunny skies, smooth jazz and the aroma of barbecued pork filled the air Saturday while Webberville resident Jim Smith thoughtfully munched from a bag of peanuts as the 2003 Lansing JazzFest was swinging into full effect all around him. Old Town played host to the ninth annual JazzFest during the weekend, featuring performances by the nationally renowned Rumba Club, African-inspired Biakuye and other groups such as Sunny Wilkinson and Raw Silk featuring Beverly Robinson. The event brought an estimated 12,000 to Lansing's Old Town, organizers said. Smith said the event brought a positive influence to the district. "It's in a good, safe area that's not congested," Smith said.

FEATURES

Mya offers diverse beats, attitude on 'Moodring'

Mya's image is ever-changing. She's a sex kitten, a wholesome crooner, a hoochie, a lover, a fighter, a trash-talker and a sentimentalist all on one CD. Her new album, "Moodring," is quite appropriately titled, in that she changes up her tone, her message and her image from song to song.

FEATURES

'Bad Boys II' filled with laughs

Kelly Thesier
July 21, 2003

The bad boys are back and better than ever. Eight years after Will Smith and Martin Lawrence introduced the pair of Miami cops, they have teamed up again in "Bad Boys II," redefining the buddy cop genre by successfully adding a dose of humor compared to Hollywood's latest attempts. With more breathtaking stunts and Smith's and Lawrence's uncanny abilities to create laughs at the most intense moments, "Bad Boys II" survives a far-fetched plotline to give moviegoers a satisfying jolt of entertainment. Reprising their roles of Miami investigators, Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) become entangled in a drug smuggling ring behind the flow of ecstasy into Miami. The drug case becomes complicated when Marcus discovers his sister Syd (Gabrielle Union), a poorly cast DEA agent, is involved in a plot to expose the heads behind the drug case.

FEATURES

Lansing offers mix of tourist attractions

Megan Homanick
July 17, 2003

Have the day off work? Bored with the movie theater or spending nights at the same bowling alley? Tired of classes? Take a step outside East Lansing and see just what lies within the city limits of our neighbor to the west - Lansing.

FEATURES

E.L.'s summer film series heads outdoors

Summertime offers a great range of outdoor activities, but not everyone would consider watching a movie in the same category of star gazing, badminton or a concert.The East Lansing Community Events Program is seeking to change that mentality.

FEATURES

Allman Brothers keep up their act

"The Allman Brothers rock," said East Lansing resident Nate Foster as he waited eagerly to see the band Tuesday night at Common Ground. And despite some rain before the show, Foster remained excited to see the band.

FEATURES

Cover artists should not waste breath on criticism

While covering music - both local and national - you meet all kinds of personalities. There are the notoriously cocky musicians who think they are changing the face of music while simultaneously walking on the people who support them.

FEATURES

Witherspoon keeps this dumb 'Blonde' alive

Lindsay Weiskittel
July 7, 2003

While Reese Witherspoon shines as the smart yet ditzy Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: Red White & Blonde," her pursuit of Washington, D.C., does not quite measure up to Elle's fun-filled journey at Harvard Law in the first flick. The sequel tells the story of Elle Woods traveling to Washington to oppose future testing on animals after she finds the mother of her precious Chihuahua Bruiser is being used as a cosmetic test subject.

FEATURES

AM Radio blares on

Derivative and uninspired though at times oddly appealing, AM Radio's "Radioactive" wears its influences on its sleeve.

FEATURES

Action, Schwarzenegger makes 'T3' sparkle

Lindsay Weiskittel
July 2, 2003

Arnold Schwarzenegger has still got it. After 12 years, Schwarzenegger dominates his role once again as the Terminator and is undoubtedly successful. Without James Cameron on board to direct and Edward Furlong and Linda Hamilton to save the day, "T3" shines as a suitable legacy to their work. The T-101 (Schwarzenegger) has been sent back to the present once again to prevent the death of future resistance leader John Connor (Nick Stahl) from Skynet's faster, stronger and smarter terminator, the T-X (Kristanna Loken). The T-101's mission also is to protect innocent veterinarian Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), whose life also is intertwined - though less importantly than Connor's - in the path the future takes after Judgment Day. Together, John and Kate realize Judgment Day is coming sooner than they expected - within three hours.