ART S

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 9

By Justin Weiner

Daily Arts Writer
How does one follow up the most ambitious
trilogy in film history? Barrie Osborne, producer
of "The Lord of the Rings" saga, will probably
bust out his calculator and take a few weeks to
count his money. "The Return
of the King," the trilogy's
final film, has grossed $329
million to date, bringing the.
trilogy's total revenue to
around $1 billion.
With the awards season
rapidly approaching, "ROTK"
is poised for non-monetary
success as well. Osborne,
however, said he is not overly
concerned with collecting Osborne
statues. "Winning is some-
what a fluke. It's somewhat dependent upon what
other films you're up against, and it also depends
on what is happening in the world that might
make your film resonant more than another film."
While noting that peer recognition is an honor,
Osborne gives other reasons for taking pride in
his work: "I think that making a film that people
identify with and relate
to is really what we want
to achieve." Of course,
he had plenty of assis- LI .
tance accomplishing
these goals. PRODUCER
Osborne acknowl-
edges "Rings" director,
Peter Jackson's help in reaching this aim. "In the
midst of what is an epic production there are
quiet, dramatic (and) compelling dramatic
moments, and that's a real tribute to Peter, who
created these three-dimensional characters."
Given the success of LOTR, it's hard to imag-
ine what Osborne could do to top it. One rumored
possibility is a film adaptation of the trilogy's
prequel, "The Hobbit." Osborne, however, does
not see that as an immediate possibility: "For me
right now, I want to gain some perspective, take a
break from Middle Earth ... regain some insight

THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT
FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER

S

"Saved by the Bell" reruns - I'm still convinced that at 11, I
would have been a much more compatible match for Zack Morris
than Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, Lisa Turtle, Stacy Carosi, Tori
Scott - the desirable motorcycle chick - or any of the catches he
kicked it with during "Saved by the Bell: The College Years."

Courtesy of New Line

Ozzie, you are the light of my life.

D OF THE 'R
OSBORNE FINDS LIFE AFTER TI
and then perhaps tackle it."
Fans need not worry about losing Osborne's tal-
ents. He plans on returning to the fantasy genre,
though he has not yet said what his next adventure
film will be. "I have been approached with some
projects that might be appealing to me. I've got to
do a little more homework on them."
In the meantime, "Rings" followers will have
to wait for the DVD version of ROTK. Osborne
raves about his DVD production team and plans
to appear in several interviews. He has also
indicated that numerous compelling, deleted

scenes would be included
in the DVD.
Regarding future proj-
~4G S ects, Osborne does not
NGS t
expect any films of the
HE TRILOGY same magnitude as "Lord
of the Rings." "I don't
think anyone will ever
make a trilogy like it again. I think it's a unique
moment in cinema history."
So what blockbuster has Osborne lined up to
set new box office records? Surprisingly,
Osborne is set to produce a small production
called "Jindabyne" and a film loosely based on
the tooth fairy called "Magic Fingers."
How can he move from producing one of the
most epic films in history to comparatively small
projects? "I think you look for a story that
attracts you," Osborne said. "It may be a very
small one."

Realultimatepower.net - Describing that ninjas (the species)
can be both fierce AND elegant, Realultimatepower.net tells you all
you need to know about appreciating, or becoming, a REAL ninja.
Let no attention be paid to the fact that this ninja website may be
old news - the nunchuck-bearing, face-mask-wearing warriors
will forever be totally sweet and awesome.
The Iowa Caucuses - I wish that all things in life could be
achieved or decided by lurking around a room and planting
myself in a corner.
Jack White in "Cold Mountain"
White's hair isn't silky black, his skin S
isn't milky white, his cheeks aren't rosy
- red and viewers won't recognize that he
might have a tendency to wear leather
wrist cuffs or eye make-up. Instead, he
plays a jolly post-Civil War mountain-
man-of-the-house with unruly curls and
sideburns as his ukulele strums create
harmonious living on Nicole Kidman's
southern farm.
- I Beyonco - She continuously proves
you can be independent and a survivor
of dangerous love - all while shak-
ing your booty and being the hottest. Courtesy of Sony

__j

Molina hits
and nisses-
with latest
By Andrew M. Gaerig
Daily Arts Writer
Music REVIEW
Billed as a companion piece to
Songs: Ohia's 2003 breakthrough Mag-
nolia Electric Co., Pyramid Electric Co.
finds Jason Molina - proprietor of the

Capcom releases another 'Mega Man' rehash

By Brian Stephens
Daily Arts Writer
VI DEOGAM E REVI EW *
Calling Capcom's latest release
"Mega Man X7" is a bit misleading
as the main character isn't Mega Man

Songs tag - back
on his own again,
recording an
album of slow-
leak hymns in his
bedroom. A
marked departure
from Magnolia's

Jason Molina
Pyramid
Electric
Co.
Secretly Canadian

Foregoing past "She done me wrong"
themes, Pyramid is empathetic and even
apologetic. For all of the misogyny that
the title "Honey, Watch Your Ass,"
implies, the song is just that - a warn-
ing. Elsewhere, the electric prickle of
the title track and the touching "Divi-
sion Street Girl" are as affecting as any-
thing in Molina's catalog.
Critics will find this album heavy-
handed, but they're only partly right -
the mood is grim, to be sure, but there
are subtle humors buried in Molina's
restlessness. Magnolia was a huge step
in Molina's development, and while
Pyramid isn't of the same magnitude,
it's a fine primer for those whose first
Songs experience was Magnolia. A lat-
eral step, to be sure, but one that was
well worth taking.

at all but rather a
new robot by the
name of Axl. The
game starts with
a beautiful anime
cut scene detail-
ing why Axl is a

Mega Man
X7
PS2
Capcom

proclaiming, "If you want what you
seek, defeat all eight of my minions
and fight through my castle and try to
destroy me."
After so many years fighting, Mega
Man has turned battle-weary and is
tired of violence. He sends Zero and
Axl to fight eventually joining them
halfway through the game. Axl, a
small robot, has the ability to trans-
form or take on the characteristics of
reploids, androids fighting for good.
This can only be done by killing the
creature with a charged shot of a spe-
cial weapon; it sounds simple, but it's a
time-consuming process that, when
implemented, only lasts for a few sec-
onds. Zero uses a saber and has a won-
derful "double jump" as his special
ability. Mega Man is essentially an Axl

fugitive and how he joins forces with
Mega Man and his side-kick Zero.
Unfortunately, the writers gave "X7"
a plot so trite that it basically boils
down to the antagonist of the story

clone without the ability to transform;
however, he is able to make use of cap-
sules left by his creator Dr. Light to
augment his abilities.
Capcom decided to shift from a pri-
marily two-dimensional format to a
more three-dimensional world for
"X7." Because of the fast-paced, side-
scrolling gameplay inherent to the
"Mega Man" series, adjusting the cam-
era angles for 3-D often becomes both-
ersome. The transition to either

soupy bombast, Pyramid is reminiscent
of earlier Songs material: The sparse
instrumentation serves as a backdrop
for Molina's even, arresting tenor and
his urban poetry.
For the first time in his career, Moli-
na sounds at ease with the opposite sex.

perspective was smooth but often awk-
ward and unexpected.
Unfortunately, it appears that the
designers did not put much thought or
effort into "Mega Man X7." Taking
into account that Capcom is pumping
out new games in the acclaimed series
every year, perhaps it is too difficult to
take designing any single one seriously.
While "X7" will satisfy die-hard Mega
Man fans, it'll only serve to frustrate
those not familiar with the blue bomber.

WAN NA WRITE FOR ARTS? COME TO THE
MASS MEETING TOMORROW AND JAN. 26,
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WHAT WAS THE WORST MOVIE OF 2003?
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