The wolf pack strikes back They forgot what they did last night...again! By Raymond Din here’s nothing I love more than a good comedy. You know the ones that leave you crying and your sides aching. For that reason, as many of you can understand, films such as The Hangover: Part I/ initially catch my eye. Of course, we all make mistakes now and again. It wasn’t long before the film became an endurance test. My expectations now in vain; I decided to see if it would possibly pick up. Instead of being greeted by the sidesplitting humour of its predecessor, Part II \eft me aching for comedic relief: While at first there was a glimmer of hope from the troublesome quartet, the film quickly lost its momentum. Emphasis was placed mostly on the discovery of the past night’s events. It took far too long for the main point to get across. The majority of the film is spent having the audience tolerate the child-like antics of breakout character Alan (Zack Galifinakis). Alan is so focused on keeping his place amongst his friends that he is no longer likeable, trading in his past self for a dry and dark performance. Fans of the previous film may be disappointed by the lack of creativity in this sequel. We have the basic premise; the men © wake up after a night of partying and try to retrace their steps. The problem with this film is that it follows pretty much the same basic formula as the first one. Of course, that’s what most people figured from the trailer. The drawback here is that fans will notice there are way too many similarities between the two films, to the point where it almost looks cut and pasted with a changed setting. Overall, The Hangover: Part II appears to be more of a rental in comparison to its unforgettable predecessor. Fans who intend to watch it should be prepared that it’s not nearly as * funny or quotable as the first film. There is more focus on plot development than humour. On top of that, Alan seems to be — more of an annoyance here, and lacks that charm he once had. I suggest waiting until it hits DVD. 2.5/5 There’s a party a my city And everyone’s invited! By Angela Espinoza et’s be honest, Vancouver could . do with a little more culture. There are a lot of great things going on in this city that don’t get nearly as much attention as they deserve. That (hypothetical) hip new sushi bar with the beanbag chairs and mirror staircase? With the great service and chiptune background music, something that radical deserves an award. Well, as of August 27-28, that kooky sushi bar is going to be in for a surprise. - The first ever Urban Culture Conference (UCC) and Awards ceremony is honouring the best Vancouver has to offer. Every local band, extreme athlete, tattoo parlour, nightclub, etc. that’s earned a nomination has the chance to finally shine in the spotlight. On top of that, many of those nominated will get to show off their stuff at the conference. Although much needs to be announced in the upcoming months, sports competitions, exhibitions, and performances by, amongst others, Georgia Murray, Fighting for Ithaca, and DJ Ned Kelly are expected to take place. The real advantage the UCC gives to Vancouver, though, is that it aims to inform us on how we can be successful in these fields. Seminars taking place include understanding the intricacies of professions in social media and the music industry. The 2010 Winter Olympics provided a boost for Vancouver pride. However, keeping up the dedication and all-out | love we have for our city has dangerously dwindled. Sometimes I think we all forget that Vancouver is a major city in the world. How an event like the UCC never came about to this extent astounds me. The talent this city has to offer is virtually unlimited; therefore opportunities for them should be widely available. Not everyone needs to be a star, but they deserve a little recognition. UCC is some time away, but this event is bound to stir up plenty of attention. Ticket packages for one or both days are available through its website (http://urbancultureconference.com), as well as event schedules that will be updated over time. Most importantly though is the voters section; your vote will determine what defines Vancouver as an individual city. The winners of each category will be announced at the conference in August. _ Do yourselves a favour and get your ticket(s) early! . Wasted once more “ Biwt. roughly outside Granville Seventeen years of Music Waste lines the streets of Vancouver Angela Espinoza Arts Reviewer were combined, condensed, and encased by mountains, you’d have Downtown Vancouver. Understandably, the disposition of its residents has come, to more or less reflect that. Yet somehow, an air of humility hangs over the city; warding off the smog (and smug) of the aforementioned. It’s this air that keeps our artists quirky, captivating, and above all else, persistent. . In keeping with this mentality, Music Waste began in June of “94 as a protest against more mainstream performances, due to their hostility towards rising locals. Since then, Music Waste has grown to accommodate comedy and art shows in what is now a five-day festival. Several venues, including (as of this year) The Cobalt, Electric Owl, and Lana Lous, host each night with a line-up of acts following a particular genre or style. The goal of Music Waste is to make our artistic scene universally accessible, with no show costing more than $5.00 and each venue within walking distance of each other. My first experience with this event took place on night two. Down at Pat’s |: Times Square and Hollywood Blvd. Pub on East Hastings, a slew of ambient and electronic acts took to the stage. What was sure to be a night of debauchery and hazy memories inadvertently became a relatively tame and wholesome shindig. The show opened with an ‘emotronic’ salute to nostalgia called Dbl Dragon. This Vancouver synth-heavy quintet, fronted by vocalist Tristan Orchard, flaunted their stuff as Orchard contorted around to the intense hum of his backing band. Soon to follow was another Vancouver-based soloist by the name of Bartel. Bartel provided a more subdued, trance educing performance, seemingly playing one momentous song for the entirety of his set. The final act 1 managed to catch that night was another soloist by the name of Teen Daze. This particular Abbotsford-based musician brought the audience to life, combining his soulful droning vocals with ambient mixes via his MacBook. The headliner, by the name of MT-40, I unfortunately had to miss. Each of the groups has EPs either recently or soon- to-be released and are definitely worth a listen. So is the purpose of Music Waste, reminding us of the Lower Mainland’s many vibrant and talented artists. Music Waste ran this year from June 1-5 and you can still check out the performers via Music Waste’s online schedule.