| Ghost of Halloween Past By Justin Roche staff reviewer Halloween is upon us again, bringing with it clever and cute costumes and a unified objective among all children nationwide - get candy. This ploy to obtain tooth-decaying agents was an acceptable and expected aspect of most of our childhoods, often one of the fondest. However, what does one do now that the days of youth are behind and the unknown land of adulthood looms straight ahead? We can't very well stand on the doorstep of maturity, ring the bell and say, "Trick-or-Treat." Or can we? Has the time passed for college-aged men and women to don a costume of sorts and gallivant around neighborhoods, all in an effort to procure some peanut butter cups or acquire an Almond Joy? Or is there more to this ritual of disguising oneself and retreating into the night, armed only with an empty bag and the anticipation of the unknown? We all have a favorite costume that we're particularly proud of (for some unknown reason). We grin with pride as we announce, "I was Superman for my first Halloween!," knowing full well we would be overcome with embarrassment were anyone to actually see the proof contained within Mom's photo albums. And yet we relay this information without much persuasion and with much affection. Why is that?
What is it about this holiday that brings joy to our face by a mere mention of our past participation? Is it simply the candy or is there something deeper? And if so, why have we all but ceased from taking part and prolonging that joyful feeling? The answers, like all the good candy in your sack, have to be dug for in order to be found and enjoyed. The beauty of Halloween lies in the fact that there are no boundaries in which you can be contained. The possibilities are endless. You can be whatever you want to be. This permission to explore our dreams and desires is what makes this holiday so endearing to us. We are allowed to leave ourselves at home and venture into the neighborhood as a legitimate cowboy, bona fide princess or genuine superhero with all the rights and responsibilities that accompany our attire. College presents the same scenarios as Halloween, only instead of ghosts and fairies, we are costumed as graphic art students or finance majors. The unlimited potential for what we can be still exists, it's just that the stakes are higher and reality is more impacting in the collegiate version. Dressing up as your favorite cartoon character is one thing, deciding on your future occupation is another. Perhaps it is the innocence of this entire situation that captures our hearts. Don't we long for that freedom to stretch ourselves and try to become whatever we desire? Has college stifled that cry for self-exploration with the fear of harming our GPA or falling behind our scholastic track? We so badly want to be something special, unique, but the pressure to do so in reality has caused us to fondly remember the days when we could do that freely on the final day of October. We are dreamers, hoping for amazing futures and points to our existence. With our futures unknown, we truly can become anything that we aspire to. This Halloween, carry on that rich tradition of tension-free exploration. Try on a costume you've always wanted to be identified with. Become that person you've always wanted to be, if only for one night. Don't let the innocent and powerful dream of an unlimited future die simply because you have increased in age. So retreat a little this weekend and indulge yourself in the festivities. See life again through those glazed-over eyes. Remember what hope is like and be whoever you want to be. After all, there's free candy to be had. 'Come On Social' is a cornucopia of electric sound and acoustics By Aimée Courtice staff reviewer Known for their acoustic guitar-strumming and sing-out-loud-in-the-car-with-the-windows-rolled-down lyrics, the Indigo Girls have done it again. But this time, with a twist. Those who would be quick to label Amy Ray and Emily Saliers as folk singers won't be able to overlook their more electric sound on this album. "Come on Social," the duo's seventh studio album, is more of a cornucopia of sounds than any of their previous sets. The electric sound is evident from the album's first track, "Go," which encourages young people to stand up for their beliefs, and comes on even stronger in the track, "Trouble." Emily gets pretty aggressive here, but the tune still retains a melodic feel. She sings about society's hypocrisy, materialism and intolerance. The album's tracks alternate between this powerful electric sound and the acoustic strumming that has defined this duo. On the second track, "Soon be to Nothing," the softer and introspective side comes back with lines such as, "I have passed these pines 'bout a/ million times effortlessly/ Now I grip the wheel fear is what I feel/ At the slow unraveling of me."
For Indigo fans that are longing for more of the same type of sound found in toe-tapping classics such as "Closer to Fine" and "Joking," "Gone Again" rings in familiar folk-song fashion. Amy is on vocals and the mandolin, while Emily backs her up on vocals and the banjo. Listen closely for Sheryl Crow also on backup vocals. On other tracks, there are guest appearances by Joan Osborne and MeShell Ndegéocello. This album is distinct from previous albums, but it doesn't stray too far away from their familiar sound. "Gone Again," "Peace Tonight" and "We Are Together" bring that peaceful, easy feeling found in the duo's oldies. The skillful electric guitar work is surprising at first, but it works to show another facet of music. The nice thing about a group with staying power like the Indigo Girls is that listeners can see how they have changed. Amy and Emily haven't left anything behind. Their sound is just as moving and soothing as it was before, but their electric additions have made it sound more emotionally powerful. The Indigo Girls haven't got off track, they're just movin' "closer to fine." Vonnegut's 'Hocus Pocus' instructs readers to lighten up By Jill Craig staff reviewer With a vast array of new fiction on the shelves today, we tend to overlook the treasures that lie in the main stacks of our very own library. Dusty coves and yellowed pages that give off that "old book smell" cause most young fiction readers to abandon these selections for sleek new novels with glossy cover art. While you will find a few pictures in Kurt Vonnegut's "Hocus Pocus," these simple sketches are far from sleek or glossy. "Hocus Pocus" was recommended to me by a friend, and I picked it up with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, below the shelf of Kurt Vonnegut's novels in the library is another shelf with books that discuss the presence of schizophrenia in Vonnegut's novels. The introduction to the book reveals that the entire novel was written on scraps of paper, and sure enough, that structure is preserved by lines marking the different "scraps." But this book is not about schizophrenia or the scribbling of a madman. It follows the life of a typical man as he journeys through not-so-typical times. According to the protagonist, America in 2001 is "a thoroughly looted bankrupt nation whose assets had been sold off to foreigners, a nation swamped by unchecked plagues and superstition and illiteracy and hypnotic TV." Vonnegut takes his protagonist, Eugene Debs Hartke, from West Point to Vietnam, from a job as a physics teacher at a college for dyslexics to a job at a prison run for profit by the Japanese. Now, before you wonder if you slept through the history lecture that discussed corporate Japan running American prisons, understand that this novel is set in an enthralling combination of real history and a fictional future that will keep you on your toes. "Hocus Pocus" is definitely supposed to make you think - there's even a math problem at the end. Don't jump to conclusions, it's a good math problem. In the course of a little soul-searching, Hartke calculates that he has killed exactly the same number of people as he has had sex with, and, of course, gives you the formula to calculate this magic number. Although this fact makes him seem like a murderer and a pimp, Hartke is actually one of Vonnegut's more realistic characters. Casual readers and literature enthusiasts alike should be able to relate to Hartke who is dismissed from his job for being honest with his students and unable to please a demanding father. He seems to be an average guy. However, through the madness that surrounds him, he is still able to view the future with a little bit of humor - Vonnegut's subtle hint to all that we should just lighten up. With a few laughs along the way, "Hocus Pocus" promises to open your mind and pose a little challenge. Don't let your life become like Hartke's definition of an ocean liner: "Life was like an ocean liner to a lot of people . And their TV sets were portholes through which they could look while doing nothing, to see all the world was doing with no help from them. Look at it go!" Even with new technology, nature still the answer By Guy Bickers staff reviewer Technology is rampaging across the land. Bits and bytes and chips and boards are dominating our lives, and we don't even realize it. New ideas and new devices arrive daily. My question: Is technology moving too fast? My freshman year, high tech was having an Intel 486-100 or the illustrious Pentium 90. Cell phones were not terribly common. Nobody on campus had a PalmPilot. And the brand-spankin'-new TCU network was actually the fastest thing any of us had seen. Now you need a Pentium 650 to get Windows to work right. PalmPilots are common. The network has slowed to a crawl. And it seems even God has a cell phone. But is this a good thing? It seems that Americans are always looking for smaller, faster, cheaper and shinier objects to buy. (I know this because I am one of those people.) Remember records? Of course not, they were replaced by those little, shiny things called CDs. Remember when Apple made computers that were gray? Possibly. Adjust for inflation and everything's cheaper than it was just a few years ago. But do we really need all these new devices? Some argue that indeed we do. Technology is taking over our lives and we need to make it as friendly as possible. Imagine driving that new car your parents bought you without power steering. Heavens, it would actually take effort. Try living a week without getting, and sending, those hundreds of jokes in your e-mail. Life would be less entertaining. TV entertains us without us even having to stand up. CDs let us listen to crystal-clear sound and take up almost no space. Duct tape lets us fix our exhaust pipes without fear from the Man. And MP3s make music free for all who can afford the thousands of dollars needed for the equipment. On the other hand, has technology really helped that much? All that TV and those microwave dinners have made us is the most overweight people in the world. Car stereos can talk to us, distracting us so that we veer into oncoming traffic. Cyber-porn has turned half a generation of males into slobbering Web addicts who can't imagine a day without a glimpse of Pamela Anderson's breasts (both old and new and old again). We don't exercise any more. Why should we when "Armageddon" is on 30 channels right now? If Pikachu wanted to take over the world, he would have zero opposition. We're all stuck watching Jerry! Where do I stand? Somewhere in the middle. Those who know me know I love gizmos. I have a Nokia cell phone that plays games. I live for games, DVDs and the Internet. I have surround-sound for my PC. My car has a 12-disc changer. However, even I have my limits. Every once in awhile I head out of town and take a hike. Literally. I get outdoors and breathe a bit of fresh air. The computer monitor's warm glow is replaced by the sun. I park my car, and I go walk somewhere, just for the heck of it. My cell phone is left at home so no one can reach me. It's really quite nice, I suggest you all try it sometime. When all is said and done, I love technology. I like where our culture is headed. But I still like listening to vinyl every so often. I enjoy driving cars without power steering (as long as it's an automatic). My camera makes me do all the work. And I don't think I need a new Gateway computer every year. Well, that's my little rant for the week. If you'll excuse me I'm off to ride my Schwinn mountain bike with dual air/oil shocks and rear suspension. Technology, who needs it?! Halloween Weekend: Tricks and treats Theater
Casa Mañana presents its first live stage performance of "The Rocky Horror Show" Thursday through Sunday. "The Rocky Horror Show" premiered in London as a six-week workshop project in 1973 but was so popular that it ran for a total of 2,960 performances before closing in 1980. The film version, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," starring Tim Curry as a transvestite scientist Frank N. Furter, was released in 1975. The film became a cult classic, attracting a worldwide following of fans, clubs and audience participation. For "virgins," people who have never seen the movie or the stage show, Web sites devoted to the movie provide handbooks to instruct audience members how to dress, what props to bring to the show, the lines they should prepare to talk back to the actors and the steps to "The Time Warp" dance. Complete guidelines may be found at (www.rockyhorror.com). Performances run Halloween week at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and also at midnight Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $22 and may be purchased through Ticketmaster, (972) 647-5700 or by visiting the Casa Mañana box office at 3101 West Lancaster. Houses - "What Lurks in the Dark?" Do you dare descend into the dungeon? The Arlington Museum of Art presents "Dungeon of Doom," an artist-designed haunted house located in the basement of the museum. Join host "Igor" in a frightening adventure into his dungeon, where you will experience the darkness of the supernatural. Dark, musty caves teeming with creepy crawlers are the home of live mummies, vampires and zombies. The ghosts of the restless dead slip in and out of bat- and roach-infested walls. When the moon shines, tortured spirits rise . All proceeds from the "Dungeon" support the museum's exhibition schedule and educational programs. The haunted house is open from 7 p.m. until "the last scream" Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $9 or $8 with a donation of canned foods for Arlington Night Shelter. The Arlington Museum of Art is located at 201 W. Main Street, Arlington. For more information, call 275-4600. World's Largest Halloween Theme Park Screams®, the world's largest Halloween theme park, offers Halloween fun-seekers a variety of activities including live alternative bands and stage shows, horror films, a live snake pit, caricaturists, wax hands, games of skill, food and beverages, karaoke and much more. Screams® also features eight signature attractions. Attractions include: Castle of Terror - an all-new haunted house. Skull Manor - this haunted house features surprises and the unexpected. Haunted Hayride - take a trip through the woods, where you will encounter creatures of the dark and a runaway train. Monster Maze - find your way out of this labyrinth before the ghouls find you. 3-D Black Hole - take a dizzying trip through darkness in this rotating 3-D experience. Ghostly Graveyard - what's underneath your feet will shock you. Hollywood Museum of Horrors - enjoy authentic memorabilia from popular Hollywood horror movies. Spooky Hollow - this children's area features a mini-haunted house, face-painting, a pumpkin patch and Halloween storytelling. Screams® is open from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15.99 per person, and parking is free. Tickets are available at Kroger stores and at the gate. Screams® is located near Waxahachie, off I-35, exit 399 A. For more information, call (972) 938-3247 or check the Web site at (www.screamspark.com). Museum Exhibition "El Dia De Los Muertos" One of Mexico's most important holidays, El Dia De Los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), comes to life at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in an afternoon of festivities from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Death is not feared in Mexico but accepted as an integral part of the cycle of life. Families decorate the graves of loved ones and create ofrendas (alters) in their homes to honor the dead, whom they believe return in spirit every Nov. 1 and 2. To attract and satisfy the visiting souls, families set out food, drink, flowers, toys and incense. The museum celebration will feature performances by Fort Worth's Ballet Folklorico Azteca and Northside High School's "Espuelas de Plata" mariachi band. Students from local schools will show visitors how to make arts and crafts associated with the festival. Refreshments will include Mexican sodas and pan de muertos (bread of the Dead). The museum is located at 1309 Montgomery Street at Camp Bowie Blvd. Admission is free. Movie Overnight in a Haunted House For a million dollars, would you spend the night in a haunted building? To get the money, all you have to do is stay alive. "House on Haunted Hill" opens today at theaters in the area, so if you don't like haunted houses, grab your friends and go see a movie on Halloween night. "House on Haunted Hill," a modern remake of a 1958 classic horror movie, is set in the abandoned Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane. Before it was closed, the building was the site of horrific experiments in human torture. Decades later, there are no living witnesses and all of Dr. Vannacutt's demonic secrets are gone. Nothing remains except the building in which the horrors occurred. But that building remembers the horrors that took place within its walls. "House on Haunted Hill" also stars Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher and Chris Kattan. Going Out: The Story Of Us By Lindsay Williams staff reviewer Coming from a somewhat broken home, I never really saw divorce through the eyes of both parties. I either blamed the mom or the dad, not both. But in "The Story of Us," the audience catches a glimpse of the husband and wife and their relationship. I loved this movie more than any other film I've seen all year. Ben and Katie Jordan basically narrate the story of their 15-year marriage through a montage of memories. We see a marriage full of diapers, camps, vacations and lots of fights. The most difficult part of watching this movie was trying to decide who was right and who was wrong. One partner is neurotic and obsessive while the other is goofy and a kid at heart; you can probably guess who is who. Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis co-star in this heart-wrenching and tear-jerking family film. Granted there is strong language and many sexual innuendos, it is suitable for young adults, but not young kids. The plot: boy and girl meet at work, they grow on each other, boy and girl fall in love despite different tastes. They marry, have two children and then after 15 years they ask themselves why they got married in the first place. An easy question has an easy answer, right?
I don't remember the last time I saw Bruce Willis playing a family man and not a crazy guy in a tank top blowing up buildings or hitting people with cars or flying to an asteroid. Without a doubt, he fits the role perfectly. He shows a lovable and playful quality with his kids, romance and caring with his wife and charisma and humor all by himself. I think the only other role I liked him in was the '80s TV show "Moonlighting." Willis may have found his place as the family man. Michelle Pfeiffer is, as always, beautiful and alluring as an obsessive wife. I loved her role in "One Fine Day" because of the chemistry with her son. She displays the same affection with her children in this movie. The way the kids and her husband look at her makes you want her as your own mom. But at the same time, her character drove me crazy. Pfeiffer seems to always stumble with her sentences, never knowing the right thing to say, but still manages to pull it off. Director and star Rob Reiner has created a wonderful cast and a wonderful plot once again. Being a huge fan of "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," I caught many similarities. There is a scene at a restaurant, a conversation about butts, and the usual gossip shared between the guys and the girls. Reiner and Rita Wilson play a couple who have known the Jordans for years. And Paul Reiser stars as Ben's agent and somewhat of a friend. He spews out bits of advice that are crude instead of helpful. But it's hard to say who provides the comic relief because I think the whole cast does. But, when the laughing stops, the tears begin. This film will bring back memories (for some of you) of divorce during childhood and other unwanted memories. I never thought I would say that Bruce Willis has the ability to make me cry. The movie is so interesting and almost emotionally hard to watch. Pfeiffer and Willis remind us of what it's like to really have a good and strong family. And the chemistry is great, the jokes will make you laugh so hard that you'll probably miss some of the movie. So, this movie is wonderful, and go see it right now. Take your boyfriend/girlfriend or parents or siblings. Your student ID and $4.50 will be well spent. |
Go ahead, ask someone about his or her most cherished Halloween
costume. The majority of the time, you'll receive a wide smile just below
a pair of eyes that glaze over at the sight of a flood of memories rushing
before them.
"Faye Tucker" is another track
that highlights the duo's ability to provide compelling social commentary
through its music. The song is based on Karla Faye Tucker, the first women
to be executed by the state of Texas since the Civil War. Its lyrics are
slightly eerie and melancholy, with lines such as, "What did you learn
Faye Tucker/ What will you take from this world/ Well mercy could prove
us/ But nothing could move us/ To rise above being cruel." The mood
of the song is also heightened by the exotic backup from Natacha Atlas,
a premiere Arabic singer.
"Do the Time Warp Again"
Wrong. After the kids escape to summer camp, the happy household
falls apart and the couple tries to make things work. And the solution
of the whole problem was, of course, right under their noses.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |