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Culture

April 2, 2003

Kerry Evans Culture Editor

She’s sweet, sassy, silly and 16. Amanda Bynes is taking the under 16 viewers by storm. Her popular show A// That gained her a nomination for the 1997 Cable Ace award and kept her on the show for four seasons. When Bynes was twelve she became the youngest performer to host her own variety sketch show, The Amanda Show. This show has earned Bynes the Favorite Television Actress honour three years in a row nominated from

the Nickelodeon’s “Kids’ Choice Awards.”

You may also know Bynes from movies such as Big Fat Liar co- starring with Frankie Muniz, and coming out on Friday, April 4th, What a Girl Wants. She will be spending the summer film- ing American Girl co-starring with Kelly Preston. Bynes recently began to co-star on the show What I like About You. You can find

it on the family network, Fridays at 8:00p.m.

http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca

—fimanda Bynes

down in front of one of her shows.

heard it here first.

Bynes is known for her unique style of daring physical come-

Joycelyn Enns OP Contributor

Apathy is a key word to note for those in attendance at shows in Vancouver these days. Many people who come to watch bands are there for just that reason- to say that they saw group “X” perform at club “Y” the other night. They stand around with their arms folded and stare blankly at the group or people screaming onstage , and playing their instruments in an effort to elicit ANY response from the audience. So poor Ikara Colt. Here were four people who got onstage and wanted to have a reason to play an awesome show. The audience just didn’t care. Lead Vocalist Paul Resende yelled at the igno- rant crowd—*“We love you Vancouver really, but get up and dance, you f**kers.”

Despite the energetic and enjoyable set, Ikara Colt reminded me of an artsy British version of the Strokes, with Resende reminding me of Craig Nicholls of The

Movie Review

ue

Audiences are suckers for plot twists. So it would seem from the cheers of some audience members after endur- ing John McTeirnan’s latest suspense thriller, Basic. The concept is that several different stories of conspiracy are told, each version much different than the rest. Our pro- tagonists, along with the audience, must take huge logi- cal leaps to uncover the truth.

Dramatic plot twists are nothing new. An unforeseen plot development, or unexpected turn of events can ele- vate a movie's suspense and intrigue. It can alter your perceptions of characters so much that you reconsider previous information. Effective twists made memorable The Sixth Sense, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Maltese Falcon. But does one good twist deserve another?

“I wanted to write [a mystery] that had many twists

© page 14

- Justin Ray

Vines—trying to take out any person or piece of equip- ment that got in his way. The determined band contin- ued to give it their all for the 45 minute set before quit- ting. They left on an angry note, letting the audience know that that they were not impressed.

Next to attempt to take on Vancouver's disinterest was The D4 from New Zealand. The D4 put on one hell of a show. They blew the audience away on the basis of rock and roll showmanship alone. The two guitar play- ers made me think of how bass players and drummers generally tend to go unnoticed in bands. These two guys proceeded to jump all over the stage, into the crowd (where the lead vocalist, Dion got punched in the face), and managed to get half the audience moving. The band ended their impressive set by first blowing an amp, and then covering the stage in beer. It’s a miracle no one got

OP Critic

and had the audience guessing up until the last minute,” says screenwriter and producer James Vanderbilt. Basic is full of twists, no question about it. However, the twists are more deceitful and arbitrary than they are elevating to the story’s plot.

New information presented repeatedly contradicts what has been shown and told. Instead of building on what has already happened, allowing for informed spec- ulation, the movie pulls the rug from under the audi- ence’s feet again and again. Thus, there is no reason to guess the ending, no reason to watch. Someone could fast forward through the middle hour of the movie to the bogus ending and not miss a fact.

The main problem with Basics plot twists is that they often come in the form of flashbacks, but we never know

dy. She is adored by kids from 4—6. She is just fun and silly. It isn't about fashion, dating or popularity. Bynes is all about mak- ing the kids laugh. On The Amanda Show, she regularly pits the adults against the kids and makes the adults look silly. Kids love this about her. Parents can be worry-free when sitting their kids

At 16, Bynes has made a name for herself in the industry. She is known to be professional and a pleasure to work with. Why do I like Ms. Amanda Bynes so much? Probably because The Amanda Show is one of the only shows that I can watch with my six-year-old and both of us actually enjoy. Bynes is an entertain- er and | imagine that in the next two to three years to come, Amanda Bynes will be a household name. Just remember, you

the other press

Photos by Cameron Clendening

electrocuted.

Finally, after three hours of opening acts, Sahara Hotnights took the stage for a very brief half hour. They got the audience dancing for their lead —off single “Alright, Alright.” But after The D4’s explosive set, Sahara Hotnights didn’t have the same effect they may have otherwise had. This didn’t seem to faze those who had come out to hear the band after no doubt seeing the video on MuchMusic’s The Wedge. They still enjoyed the set regardless of the lack of energy being projected by the girls in Sahara Hotnights. It wasn’t that they weren't tal- ented musicians, or that the songs weren't well written and danceable, they just didn’t play a show that was wor- thy of too much attention. Although perhaps it wasn’t the fault of the band, but an audience who couldn't have cared less about the music.

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from whose point of view they are shown. They are cin- ematically dishonest, not just lies meant to cover up the truth, because they are comprised of details known or believed exclusively by different people while appearing to be told from a single person.

Basic’ “plot twists” are cheap and manipulative. As for the acting, Giovanni Ribisi is outstanding though under- used, and John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson play up their usual routines. Timothy Daly delivers his dialogue as if he were reciting a grocery list.

Fortunately, Connie Nielsen does an excellent job as the central character that stumbles into the truth at the very end. Unfortunately, by then nobody really cares except for a few poor suckers.