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TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 22, 2000
michigandaily.corn/arts
*Sci-fi'Pitch' packs
spacey surprises
New 'Taxi' more
'Crazy' than
Travis Bickle
By David Victor
Daily Arts Writer
Remember a sci-fi movie from
earlier in the year called
"Supernova?" Consider yourself for-
tunate if you don't. It was a bad, bad
movie. Strom Thurmond's bowel
movements had more consistency
than that film. It left me with a sick-
ening disgust for the sci-fi genre and
I was eager to trample all over a sim-
ilar contender, "Pitch Black"
Don't get me wrong, this movie
won't win any Oscars or anything,
Pitch
Black
Grade: B-
At Showcase
and State
s,
but it's one of
those guilty sci-
fi pleasures that
has it all -
creepy alien
moments, a
unique hero,
some nifty sci-fi
gimmicks and a
couple good one-
liners. I jumped
in my seat and
even laughed out
loud. Hey, even
a stuffy film crit-
ic allows himself
starts plummeting towards a nearby
planet.
The able captain lands the craft,
but many of the forty passengers die.
Furthermore, in the crash, the dan-
gerous convict escapes. The remain-
ing survivors find themselves on a
desolate desert planet faced with
several questions: Where can we find
water? Where did the convict escape
to? Why did that nice man get sucked
into a hole and chewed up? What'll
happen when the sun goes down?
This film uses several cinemato-
graphic techniques to achieve a
unique setting for its action. In a
desert planet with twin suns that
each burn a different color, the land-
scape is always changing. From
burning red to oddly cool blue, the
lighting jars your senses, reinforces
the feeling one is on an alien world,
and brings originality to the usual
desert setting. Also, throughout the
film; several distorted cuts and cam-
era effects lend an almost artsy,
impressionist look to the action. If
nothing else, "Pitch Black" gets
points for filmic novelty.
Admittedly, the acting and writing
is nothing to write home about, with
lots of unknown talent starring in
this film. However, the convict,
played by a small-time actor, is a
walking talking, epitome of a bad-
ass. I mean, even the actor's name,
Vin Diesel, is pretty hardcore. His
character transcends that of the typi-
cal hard-time prisoner stereotype,
and ultimately makes for a great per-
formance in the lead. I'd like to see
more of this guy. However, the rest
of the characters are pretty flat, and
it boils down to whether you feel
A good video game is always a little
different, and "Crazy Taxi" is like no
other video game you've ever played. A
great video game will give you repetitive
stress injuries and you should probably
keep an eye on your right index finger
since it controls the accelerator.
You play as one of four San Francisco
cabbies, trying to get as many fares and
thus as much cash as possible in the time
allotted.
That is not as easy as it sounds. To get
extra time you need to get your fares to
their destinations ASAP In order to do
that, you need to drive through the tables
of an outdoor cafe, crash into telephone
booths, drive off the second story of a
parking garage at full tilt and any of
dozens of other maneuvers that would
get you a revoked license and a few
meals in county lock up.
And that's the great thing about the
game. You are required to break all the
Courtesy of USA Films
Vin Diesel pumps into macho action in the chilling space thrill "Pitch Black."
to be entertained now and then.
Maybe I was just having a good day,
but I genuinely liked "Pitch Black."
The film opens with the typical
"ship flying through the depths of
0 space" routine, and an ominous
voice tells us of the crew on board
this ship who are in "cryo-sleep"
The voice is that of an escaped con-
vict, bound and gagged in a special
chamber on board. Through sheer
chance, something inexplicable hap-
pens, the ship is damaged, and it
happy or sad when they're snatched
off into the darkness.
The technology and aliens in
"Pitch Black" further bolster this sci-
fi film. In the wake of the crash,
there is little salvageable material,
and there is a kind of "Mad Max"
wasteland look to everything. When
the aliens finally emerge from hid-
ing, we see precious little of them for
quite a while; this shrouding in dark-
ness really enhances the creepy-fac-
tor. You also see through the alien's
point of view occasionally, and it is
at the same time both interesting and
ominous.
Special-effects wise, this film has got
it made in the sun, pun intended. From
an exhilarating ship crash sequence to
the wonderfully rendered creatures of the
darkness, the computer-generated effects
wow at every turn. At the mid-point of
the film, when light turns to darkness (I
won't spoil any more of it) the overall
design and execution of the sequence
caught my breath. Tingles down the
spine and everything. Maybe I'm just too
appreciative ofCGI, but it was one of the
highlights of the film.
The plot is executed decently in a
field of films where it's basically,
"Who will die next?" I thought I
could predict things as they unfold-
ed, but I was surprised at almost
every turn. There are a couple plot
contrivances concerning the overall
timing of everything, but they are
easily brushed aside in the name of
entertainment.
There's the old adage, "Don't
judge a book by its cover." I learned
that lesson after watching "Pitch
Black." I can't guarantee you'll like
it, but if you're a fan of sci-fi or just
looking to be entertained, "Pitch
Black" may be the film for you.
Crazy Taxi
Grade: A
Sega
Dreamcast
Reviewed by
Daily Arts Writer .
Ted Watts
beautifully rendered
rules of the road to
do well. And it is a
convincing little
universe. The San
Francisco in it is
huge for a video
game, with no
pauses for loading
more areas as you
progress through
the inclined
streets. Crowds of
people scream as
Fun games beat those winter doldrums
By Eduardo Baraf
Daily Arts Writer
As Michigan's February winter clamps down,
people remain quieter, want to face the outside
less and sit around enervated and frustrated.
However, there is a solution, something that has
the potential to make a dull evening into a down
right rowdy one. Look no further than a collection
/40f video game classics. Rather than staying home
alone and gazing at television or computer
screens, one with the right games can make a fun
evening out of them. There are some necessary
standards though and all the games on this list
must comply with these three guidelines:
The game must allow at least 4 players to play
at once.
The players must be in the same room (so
this restricts online playing).
And one must not need to buy any extra
peripherals such as Multitaps to play with the
tnaximum amount of player (ruling out most
games for the Playstation and earlier machines).
Thus, without further adieu, here is a list of top
five party games:
Super Mario Kart (N64)
This is the ultimate party game. Not only does it
offer a four player racing mode, but it also has an
all out battle mode. The reason this game is at the
op of the list isn't because it is so incredibly
ddictive or because of its at-times wacky
jameplay but because it is one of the simplest
games to learn how to play and it is a game that
both guys and gals enjoy. It is also one of the few
multiplayer games where not even the most expe-
rienced gamer is guaranteed the win because it
gives the advantage to the losing players (by giv-
ing them more consistently good items).
Golden Eye 007 (N64)
Many would argue this to be the best party game
out there, but unlike Mario Kart, people who play
enough can consistently blow away newbies and
this is its real down fall. The learning curve is very
steep and at times it is difficult to keep unsuccess-
ful gainers interested. However, with its numerous
weapons, selectable characters, themed Gameplay,
well-designed levels and customizable options, it
is definitely comes in a close second.
Blitz 2000 (Dreamcast/N64)
Out of the numerous football games currently
on the market, few can keep up their intensity like
Blitz does. Blitz is constructed around the no-
holds-barred, action-first, rules-second Gameplay
made famous by NBA Jam. Rarely does a game
end with a clear winner, often coming down to the
last play where a diving catch into the end zone is
the deciding factor. Be careful though, not to
develop the "just one more game" syndrome.
WCW/ NWO Revenge (N64 or
Wrestlemania 2000 (N6 4)
Before WCW/NWO Revenge wrestling games
had a very limited audience. But after just one sit-
ting, few gamers could resist its over the top
Gameplay, highly detailed characters and scripted
events. Revenge also includes a four-player
Gameplay and a slew of easy to execute yet still
unique moves for each wrestler. I include
Wrestlemania 2000 at the number 4 spot as well
because it is simply an update to Revenge.
Obviously if one were to go out to buy one of
these games today they should pick Wrestlemania
but people still playing Revenge (and there are
many) aren't missing too much.
Mario Party & Mario Party 2 (N64)
Mario Party is one of the few (possibly the only)
games that have been created specifically for par-
ties. It is actually a bad purchase for someone who
doesn't have friends over often but for those who
do "MP" offers quite a complete gaming package.
In the game you move your Nintendo characters
around numerous boards and compete in vs. and
team vs. mini games. It truly is unique and other
than its soon to be released sequel, which will
expand on many features, there is nothing like it.
It is also set up in such a fashion where it is very
profitable to back stab your fellow players so it is
worth, prior to playing, pointing out that it's just a
game.
Before concluding this list there is one game
that must be mentioned. It did not fit the criteria
and is only available on a Super NES, but "Super
Bomber Man 2" is regarded by most of the gaming
public as the best multiplayer game of all time.
There have been multiple updates on new systems
but none of them come close to this game. So for
those of you who have access to a SNES and a
Multitap check the bargain bins at your local
superstore and pick it up. You will not regret it.
For those of you who have read through this
article but still feel left out because you do not
have access to these gaming consoles or know of
anvone to play with, Wolverine Soft, a gaming
organization on campus, runs periodic tourna-
ments in the Union at which you can get your mul-
tiplayer fix. For more information, check out
www. umich. edu/~wsoft.
they dive out of your way as you barrel
towards them at alarming speed (you
can't seem to actually run anyone down,
however), hordes of different cars and
trucks zoom through the streets (and
head on into your cab too often) and lots
of other interactive items like streetcars
and subway trains work against you. It is
a very convincing reality, and that
increases the rush from playing it.
The key to getting a better license in
the game is to earn big tips from your
fares. You earn big tips by performing a
lot of tricks in succession without slam-
ming into anything so hard your fare
yells something like "Hey that hurt" or
"Watch where you're going."The easiest
trick to perform is the "Crazy Through,"
which involve cutting in close to other
vehicles but not hitting them. These can
really stack up when you zoom through
oncoming traffic, if you can keep your
vehicle under control. Another trick is
the "Crazy Jump," which you can get
from going over an open draw bridge,
off a building or over a severe curb. If
you can combine these flourishes well
enough, then you can get a license good
enough that the game announcer won't
insult you.
The most addictive mode of play is
Arcade mode. You start with about 50
seconds of play, which increases when
you pick up a fare and again if you drop
them off quickly enough. But you are
still limited to only a few minutes of
play, no matter how good you are. But
since you can increase the time you have
by doing well, and are then able tordo
better, the game demands immediate and
numerous replays. It's like a switch that
lab rats can press that stimulates the
pleasure centers of their brains. So make
sure to eat and stay hydrated while play-
ing.
There are other options in the
game; you can choose different
amounts of set time to play and you
have two different maps, and so two
different San Franciscos to choose
from. There are also some practice
games, where you need to use your
crazy cab to pop a lot of huge bal-
loons, make a lot of hairpin turns
and meet a bevy of similar goals.
These are all fun games, but they are
not the addictive source. Arcade
mode is what this game was
designed for in its initial placement
in (where else?) arcades, and it is
still the heart, soul and money shot
of the console experience.
So, you've got a few days off soon.
Get "Crazy Taxi" and spend them
doing something more worthwhile
than throwing beads at some drunk-
en Louisiana hoiden.
JOIN AN ECOMMERCE COMPANY WRfH AN EDGE!
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STOP BY THE DAILY ARTS OFFICE AND PICK UP FREE POSTERS OF THE
NEW LINE CINEMA FILM 'BOILER ROOM,' STARRING RIBISI AND BEN
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I
The 2000 John D. Evans Distinguished Lecture Series,
The Digital Highway and the First Amendment
presents:
The Constitution,
Public Policy, and
LIVE AND LEARN
T~I