Episode II Sneak Preview ... There will be a special screening of "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones," tonight at the Natural Science Auditorium. 8 p.m. Free. michigandaiiy.com ~ET~s MONDAY APRIL 1, 2002 5A Foster sizzles in mundane 'Room' ABC's 'Bachelor' a shameless waste of Monday TV time By Todd Weiser Daily Arts Writer David Fincher is not a household name. Yet. But, when you mention the names of his films, Fincher quickly becomes associated with a daring, inventive style mixed with dangerous, gloomy material that most mainstream directors would never have the courage to create. His third A installment of the "Alien" series is the most underrated; the grisly, dark detective PANIC st ory "Seven" is ~a At Sho' modern masterpiece; Qua "The Game" keeps the audience guessing up Col until the very end; and "Fight Club," despite a variety of errors, has somehow reached a whole generation of people sick of their technological society. In a short time, Fincher has given him- self a mini-legacy and it is possible that one day his name might be as big and well respected as Ridley Scott or Jonathan Demme. "Panic Room" does not do much to tarnish his reputation, but it does nothing to boost it. Meg Altman (Jodie Foster), recently divorced (but not from Robert Altman) and very well off, has found a new home for her and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stew- art). Sarah is a diabetic girl with tomboyish tendencies. In the open- ing minutes, a slow and informa- tive real estate tour is given of their new Brownstone in Manhattan. While the home's sale hinges on this tour, so does the film's, as the viewer now knows the layout for all the upcoming action. The four lit un floors, the elevator and the panic room are now common knowledge for the superior feeling audience. But wait, what exactly was that last part? Yes, a panic room, in case of break-in, with security monitors of the entire home, its own ventilation system, supplies to last any length of time endured, and most impor- tantly, steel walls so no can possibly get in. Fighting impossibil- ity are the man with the plan, Junior (Jared ROOM Leto, "Requiem for a case and Dream"), security y 16 expert Burnham (For- rest Whitaker, "Ghost nbia Dog") and a ski- masked, gun-carrying Raoul (country singer Dwight Yoakam, "Sling Blade"). The Alt- mans apparently moved in a little earlier than they were supposed to and Burnham immediately wants to forget the plan, he wants whatever is inside that room but nothing to do with any necessary violence. Junior may have thought of the plan, but that's probably the only clever thought to ever come out of his head, and Raoul remains "dan- gerously mysterious," while not wanting to leave. So, the bad guys cannot get along but the good guys are stuck inside the room. From here on out, it becomes a battle of the wits. The first act plays out slowly with Fincher's visual mastery pro- viding all the excitement. Combin- ing a freewheeling camera with computer special effects, the cam- era supplies angles and movements that the human eye could never achieve itself. The camera darts By Ryan Blay Daily TV/New Media Editor Watching "Nell" on their new-fangled panic room TVs. inside keyholes and flies down floors, nearly hitting nearby objects. It is elegant cinematogra- phy that mostly departs when the game of cat and mouse begins. One of the reasons Fincher's films have provided such excite- ment is their quality to throw plot twists at the viewer every five min- utes while never tidying things up at the end in a "perfect world" sce- nario. A fault of "Panic Room" is David Koepp's script keeps the audience continuously guessing but makes it all too easy for that guess to be right. "Panic Room" thinks it is being unpredictable while wal- lowing in predictability. Even in the end, the film can be admired for its restraint. In not creating multiple endings, the way thrillers so often do these days, Fincher's attempt to continually shock and surprise plays out in mostly disap- pointing and banal ways. "Panic Room" is not devoid of mesmerizing sequences and per- formances, they just seem to be overshadowed by clumsy dialogue and conventional sequencing. Jodie Foster is terrific as the strong and intelligent Meg. In a role originally intended for Nicole Kidman, Foster proves that she should have been the first choice and not just some backup. Forrest Whitaker once again plays the sensitive, concerned antagonist and he once again plays it well. With those twitching eyes and husky build Whitaker seems perfect for a the role of an insane villain, but luckily for the viewer he just doesn't have it in him to shed off his kindness and turn to cliche. Fincher lovers need not panic over "Panic Room," it could be a sign of temporary restraint on behalf of the director or maybe he just felt that Hitchcock imitation bug every filmmaker feels at one point or another. Either way, he did make certain that all viewers run out and install a panic room in their own homes. If installation is not for comfort and safety, it may be in the hope that either Jodie Foster or Jared Leto will stop by for some conversation. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures The good news about ABC's "The Bachelor" is that it's not "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire." The bad news is that the differ- ences between the shows are so subtle; it's hard to tell them apart. In FOX's now infa- mous "Multi-Million- THE B. aire," one "lucky" Mondays woman got to marry theA titular man after a series A of questions and contests that alternated between humiliating and dull. "The Bachelor" follows a similar pattern, but it does allow the women to reject the bachelor if they don't hit it off. This is, unfortunately, the only bone the producers throw to the women, who are otherwise left to be narrowed down seemingly by chance. The randomly choosen women from across the country gathered to meet the bachelor. His name is Alex. He's a 31- year-old management consultant. He was student body president, homecom- ing king and valedictorian in high school. He graduated from Harvard, got his MBA from Stanford. He's six feet tall and handsome. He likes the out- doors, and, most importantly, cites "The Simpsons" as his favorite TV show. He seems like a nice guy, and occasionally reveals a soft side on the show. He wor- ries that he might make the wrong choice and eliminate a girl before he's gotten a chance to really know her. Yet Alex sounds creepy when it comes time to choose. He describes his search for "the perfect package" of beauty, brains, and wit. It's hard to fault him (or his suc- cessful parents) for wanting a nice girl, but the business lingo he uses when describing his hunt and the countless previews of him making out with just about every girl he dates really makes one wonder how noble this guy really is. Granted, he may not have the violent streak or criminal record of Rick Rock- well, but is he really that much better a person? What makes him think he won't AC ,s a ,B end up with another Darva Conger? In last week's premiere episode, we had the unfortunate job of meeting awful host Chris Harrison ("Bounce," "Showtime"); a man who makes the viewers long for Jeff Probst or even Paul Reubens. A former sportscaster and news- caster, Harrison tries to position himself as a confidante to Alex. HELOR Except that most of it 9 p.m. Alex's exploits will be shown on TV, so there's C not much to keep secret. The 25 women were whittled down to 15 by means of the all important first impressions. The 15 received a rose in one of the typi- cal lame ideas the show has ("Girl X, will you accept my rose?"). The 10 rejected girls looked pissed, which was the only entertaining part of the episode, unless you include the girls explaining why they are the perfect gal and every other lady is a man- eating hooch. None of the girls seemed to stand out physically or personality-wise. They ranged from about 20-30 years of age, and careers included teacher, graduate student, lawyer, and power tool distributor (going for diversity, evidently). By tonight, the 15 girls will be eight. In the sixth and final episode, Alex will make his choice, and the girl will have the choice of humiliat- ing him in front of a national TV audience (oh please God, let this happen) or accepting his proposal. If there's a reason to keep watch- ing, it's unclear. It may be less revolt- ing and offensive than "Temptation Island" or "Multi-Millionaire," but this hardly makes it watchable. The bland women you can only feel sorry for, as they obviously have very little self-esteem. Even in their cattier moments, they fail to register any excitement. As the girls move into a little "bachelorette pad," they are sure to realize just what kind of lousy deal they've entered into. Hopefully, ABC will too. RaliSport focuses on arcade style racing By Jeff Dickerson Daily Arts Editor Finally XBox owners have a racing; show off to their friends. For months,1 game to the only redeeming racing game on the XBox was "Project Gotham Rac- ing," but gainers quickly grew tired of the stale formula and average graphics. Since the launch of the XBox and the release of the first- RALL person-shooter-masterpiece "Halo," CHAL there has been a severe lack of qual- ity games for the new system. After For a four-month drought, Microsoft Mic has released the second must-own game for the XBox. "RalliSport Challenge" is the first great racing game for the Xbox. It does not capture the realis- tic simulation of PS2's "Gran Turismo 3," but it doesn't try to. Rather than focusing on simula- tion, Microsoft has gone with an arcade style IS L x .ro racer, suitable for even the most casual gamer. From the moment the game starts, the beautiful graphics of "RalliSport Challenge" stand out. Cars are recreated in visual perfection to the smallest detail, complete with sponsor decals.' The selection of vehicles is minimal compared to other racing games, but with 25 different models to choose from it still provides a good selec- tion for each type of terrain. The SPORT most impressive visual aspect of the ENGE game are the interactive tracks, 41 in all. The tracks include everything Box one might expect on a rally course, soft from mud, snow, dirt and grass. The attention to detail is astounding, sur- passing even the visual splendor of "Gran Turismo 3." "RalliSport ,Challenge" is divided into three modes of play: career mode, quick race and time attack. The bulk of the game is condensed into the career mode, where you play a series of 19 events with varying degrees of difficulty. Thank- fully the game has enough variety between the environments and events to keep gamers busy for hours without becoming stale. Different modes of racing include rally, hill climb, ice racing and rally cross. Controlling the rally cars of "RalliSport Chal- lenge" is a quick learn, with easy turning better suited for the arcade style gameplay. The sensa- tion of speed adds to the fun of the game, even though it sways from the realm of realism. Tech- no music accompanies the glorious visuals, and gamers may find themselves utilizing the mute feature of their TV after a few races. Microsoft wisely opted to try a different style of racing game than "Gran Turismo 3," and the results are splendid. For those hell bent on simu- lation, "RalliSport Challenge" may not be the ideal racing game, but for those just looking for a well balanced racer to show off the hardware of their Xbox, "RalliSport Challenge" is the best game available. Courtesy of Which one of these lovely prostitutes will be the winner of her own tool? Denis uaid makes 'Rookie' worthw e despite predictability Health care You've worked hard to gain the training and experience to reach your career goals, and now the future is yours. Make the right career decision and join the Memorial Health System of South Bend, Indiana team. By Jenny Jetes Daily Arts Writer Coach Morr come true. J Joaquin, or. There are so many films that fail to achieve the utopian ive teamma story of "follow your dreams and everything will just turn promise. Hu out wonderful, and everyone will be happy and satisfied." They are often so exaggerated M and cheesy that you can no longer see any real significance to the real world. Disney's "The R s D Rookie," starring Dennis Quaid, could have T ERO I easily been this type of film. ROOKIE But, it is generally entertaining and uplift- At Showcase and ing, and although it is not over-the-top incredi- Quality 16 ble, it does succeed at leaving you with an overall pleasant feeling. (note: If you love Buena Vista baseball, you'll probably also love this film) Taking place in Quaid's native state of Texas, "The Rook- baseball in T ie" is about Jimmy Morris (Trevor Morgan), a young boy and a nice with a passion for baseball: As he gets older, he develops an important stu extraordinary ability to pitch incredible fastballs, but due to simply super a lack of his father's support and having to move around a these drawbas lot due to his father's job, he never gets his big break - or even realizes his talent. After skipping years ahead to the middle-aged Jimmy Morris (Quaid), we find he is a high school science teacher who coaches the school's unenthusiastic and half-serious baseball team. Due to a past injury, Morris had learned he could no longer pursue baseball as a career, so coaching seemed to be the next best choice. But when he makes a deal with the team that if they win every game of the season, he will actually try out for some- thing big, like the major leagues, he finds he also has some- thing to live for, despite his age or lack of confidence. "The Rookie" is a story of team success and personal ful- is the most and really want to see his dream ay Hernandez ("Crazy/Beautiful"), who plays "Wack," stands out as one of the most support- tes who won't let'Coach step down from his nter Morris (Angus T. Jones), Jimmy's 5-year- old son who is always with his daddy and the team, is adorable, and he reveals that Morris is a great father who cares a lot about his fam- ily. "The Rookie," except for a few flaws, is a pretty satisfying film. The downfall is that there are few surprises, and it is somewhat predictable. Also, the scene that transitions Jimmy from a young boy to an adult is not as smooth as it could be - it seems too abrupt. In addition, there is mythical legend about Texas that allows for an introduction to the story sweet conclusion, but it does nothing for the uff that occurs in between. Because of this, it is rfluous and somewhat distracting. But despite acks Quaid makes the movie worthwhile. t~ New pfurse practitioner graduates T'fe Tuturc We currently seek a CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST ONCOLOGY Full Time This key position will challenge your skills and abilities while rewarding you with the special benefits that can only come from ahealthcare leader. Consider whether Memorial is right for you: - Winner of the Foster G. 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