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October 10, 2011 wingspan.lccc.wy.edu a&e Wingspan 31 Spooky concert to aid homeless By Jennifer Stogsdill A&E Writer and Photographer For the seventh year in a row, Laramie County Community College’s coordinator of instrumental music is preparing his popular Halloween-themed concert, “Bump in the Night VII.” The concert will be performed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Cheyenne Civic Center. Complete with a pumpkin-carving contest, treats and spooky music, this event is free. The audience can even wear a scary costume if they like to get into the Halloween spirit, Gary Hall, coordinator of instrumental music, said. “We try to play fun music, like themes from spooky movies, so it’s entertaining to the audience,” Hall said. The LCCC band will perform the concert, with numerous solo and ensemble features within the program. A pumpkin-carving contest will be open for anybody who wants to participate, Hall said. Participants can enter into three categories: kids, adults or LCCC students. Prizes will be awarded for the winners. “In the past we have given gift cards, like Barnes and Noble, to the winners as well as cash prizes of $25-$50, depending on the category,” Hall said. Even though the event is free, donations for the COMEA Shelter are accepted. The donations are given to the shelter to use the money however it needs. “Last year, they used the money for the Thanksgiving meal they put on for the homeless,” Hall said. “We don’t want to put stipulations on what the shelter does with the money.” I’M CELINA. I HAVE PRIMARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY, SO MY LIFE DEPENDS ON YOUR PLASMA DONATION. DISCOVER CELINA’S STORY I’M THE REASON TO DONATE YOUR PLASMA. $220 2009 BLUEGRASS CIRCLE CHEYENNE, WY 82009 307.634.5390 SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT BIOLIFEPLASMA.COM NEW DONORS OR PREVIOUS DONORS WHO HAVEN’T DONATED IN TWO MONTHS OR MORE, PRESENT THIS COUPON AND $100RECEIVE $100 IN JUST TWO DONATIONS. Must present this coupon prior to the initial donation to receive $40 on your first and $60 on your second successful donation. Initial donation must be completed by 10.31.11 and subsequent donations within 30 days. May not be combined with any other offer. Only at participating locations. Expires 11.30.11 Wingspan
32 Wingspan a&e October 10, 2011 wingspan.lccc.wy.edu Straw Dogs (2011) Review ‘Straw Dogs’: More bark than bite By Matt Rooney A&E Editor Hey, boys and girls. It’s time to gather around because, that’s right. You guessed it. It’s time for another Hollywood remake of a classic film! Hooray! Break out the flash lights and warm soda because this here’s a goodin’. Don’t worry. I’m not poking fun because “Straw Dogs” takes place in Mississippi. I’m poking fun because, based off what I’ve seen in this movie and others, that’s how people there talk. Yes, as just said, this movie takes place in swampy, hot and gross Mississippi (whereas the original “Straw Dogs” took place in England) and stars James Marsden (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) as Dave, the specky-eyed, curly headed intellectual. It also stars Kate Bosworth (“Superman Returns”) as Amy, his perky, blondehaired, blue-eyed wife. The story begins with the two of them driving to Amy’s old family house in the middle of a swampy forest. They stop for a quick bite to eat at a place where you would either get stabbed, punched or both. There we meet Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Charlie, played by Alex Skarsgard, and his gang of hillbilly pals. He seems nice enough toward Dave but, as we learn, possesses quite a disliking for him. We also meet a man named Coach, played by James Woods, who turns out to play a kind of foreshadowing character. Coach could represent a man who Charlie and his boys may turn out to be: He’s a mean old drunk, who has a big problem with people steppin’ on his turf, so to speak. All these actors do a fine job of portraying their roles, particularly Skarsgard and Woods, playing villains who express themselves on two very different levels. Marsden also does a fine job as the specky dweeb who is not really a coward, just a man who doesn’t like confrontations. That being said, the movie has one major flaw that I cannot quite shake; the director, Rod Lurie, clearly has his heart in the right place, but in trying not to be like the original, doesn’t know what to do with the material. Oh, the theme of the original is very much intact. This is not a movie about a man’s breaking point, as the ads would have you believe, but is a story about men and their territorial nature and about getting the things they feel they deserve. This is played well through Woods, whose character is constantly hounding a man with what I assume is autism, played by the miscast, buff, chiseled Dominic Purcell, for talking to his daughter. He feels he has earned a lot in life and doesn’t want some “retard” (his words, not mine) hitting on his daughter. Charlie is the same way. He feels as a star football player, he should be able to get the girl he deserves (Amy). But instead, she marries Cyclops from “X-Men.” This creates an anger in both of them and fuels their action. This should have led to a nice cat and mouse thriller, where Charlie’s actions toward Dave progressively grow more serious, but instead, the whole story stays rather still, with very small instances (except one involving a cat) occurring. This all remains the same until the hillbilly clan decides to take Dave hunting. During this distraction, Charlie utilizes it as a chance to get what’s his. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Publicity Burning stares: Alex Skarsgard, right, and his hillbilly pals, left, stare down James Marsden and Kate Bosworth offscreen. Yes, there is a sexual assault of Amy, and after she still rejects him, he, feeling lost for words and rationality, allows hick No. 1 to also assault her. It’s rough stuff, and you would think this would push Dave over the edge. Instead, she does not say a word and goes on with her life. My major issue with this is in telling him, it would have fueled the entire end and pushed Dave to his breaking point. It would have put both men in the same place, feeling they had what was theirs taken from them and would have put them at their breaking points. Thene, both themes could have come together to make the climax. Instead, what we get is a final showdown with Woods hunting down Purcell’s mentally challenged character for “hangin ‘round his daughter.” Charlie uses this as an excuse to head to Dave and Amy’s, and all Hell breaks loose. Dave, defending his home, decides to brutally murder all the men. This would have been fine, but Dave is not in the head space he should be in order to justify what is essentially MacGyver murder. (That’s when the character essentially uses anything he can find to do the job.) These are acts of revenge, not defending the home. Had the story taken a different road, Dave’s actions would have made sense. But, no, Cyclops goes nuts, and the dude from “True Blood” gets a bear trap to the head. In short, this movie could have been a tight, well-constructed thriller with a character-driven climax but, instead, was just a misguided attempt to modernize a classic. The actors do their job, but I cannot help but feel if Woods and Purcell were not involved, the movie could have been simpler, which would have allowed the director to do more with just three leads instead of five. But like the character Dave, he doesn’t tell it as it should be but as he feels we should hear it. 2 and a half stars (rental or girls’ night film)
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