FEATURES
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
FEATURES
MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2010
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Iowans: The few, the proud, the crazy?
ARTS. LIVING. MOVIES. MUSIC. WEEKEND.
MOVIE: The Crazies| VERDICT:
Chilling movie filmed, takes place in Hawkeye State by MATTHEW H. SMITH
Staff Writer matthew.h.smith@drake.edu
photo courtesy of http://images.allphoto.com
TIMOTHY OLYPHANT plays a sheriff trying to protect his wife from the crazed inhabitants of a small Iowan town in “The Crazies.”
The people of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, are going crazy. Go figure. It’s hard not to like the movie “The Crazies,” and not just because it is set in Iowa. The film itself is pretty good, with plenty of thrills and chills to keep you on the edge of your seat— even if you’ve figured out what’s going to happen next. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) live the American dream in the idyllic Midwestern town of Ogden Marsh. They have the perfect house, they have the perfect jobs and they’re expecting a baby. But all of this is about to change. One by one, the inhabitants of Dutton’s quaint little town begin to turn against each other. They’ve all gone crazy—killing friends and family members for no apparent reason. As the military comes into the town for “quarantine,” things only get worse. The town eventually turns into an obstacle course of “crazies” who wield an assortment of weapons from shotguns to pitchforks. David, Judy and a small handful of survivors try to escape the chaos before they, too, go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. All of this then results in a gripping and gleeful roller coaster ride through hell. What’s so terrifying about “The Crazies” is that in a small town, there’s nowhere to hide and your neighbors suddenly become your enemies. You’re not simply running from an unidentifiable person. These are people you know—the principal, the high school star pitcher, the town drunk. This element makes the film scarier and more relatable.
It’s difficult to define exactly which subgenre of horror “The Crazies” is meant for. On one hand, it’s like a zombie movie; on the other, an outbreak movie. In short, if you took Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” and crossed it with George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”—both classics in their own right— you’d probably come up with “The Crazies.” This type of juxtaposition should be expected, though. After all, “The Crazies” is a remake of Romero’s 1973 film by the same name. While there’s not all too much that’s original in this new version of “The Crazies,” it’s still great fun and good for a few mindless thrills. Everything about this remake works. The pacing is flawless. The acting is good. And did I mention it takes place in Iowa? That’s right. Crazy people in Iowa. Go figure. n
SHOWTIMES Carmike Cobblestone 9 8501 Hickman Rd. 4:30, 7:20, 10 p.m. Carmike Wynnsong 16 5233 NW 84th St.
12, 2:25, 4:50, 7:25, 10 p.m. Century Des Moines Jordan Creek 20 101 Jordan Creek Pkwy., West Des Moines
11:40 a.m., 12:55, 2:20, 3:40, 5:05, 6:25, 7:50, 9:10,, 10:35 p.m.
PostSecret Drake Edition by KENSIE SMITH
Features Editor tdfeatures@drake.edu
Everyone has one—that little thought that flashes through the mind, that discreet action or quirk you do when the scene is completely private. It’s the little secrets that are too taboo to tell, too painful to share or too strange to blog about to even the closest of friends. This concept of divulging otherwise undisclosed tidbits that help to define some small part of the individual is the basis for PostSecret. For the Relays edition of The Times-Delphic, there is going to be a PostSecret project similar to the community mail art project, which was started by Frank Warren in 2005. The mission is to share the unspeakable. For the ongoing, original project, people are invited to send in anonymous, crafted postcards communicating a secret. The only rule is that the secret has never been shared with anyone else. The Drake students are all invited to send in a postcard with a simple secret to the newspaper office at “Times-Delphic, Meredith Hall, 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA. 50311.” Or, slip it under the 124 Meredith door when no one is looking or e-mail a JPEG-formatted illustration to tdfeatures@drake.edu. Make it original, make it personal and make it anonymous. Your own secret may be published in full color in the highly publicized edition that reaches out to all of campus, the community and alumni. All secrets are due by March 22. The social phenomenon has grown to include five books, a Facebook page, Twitter and a blog. Books cost about $20 and the weekly updated site is heavily trafficked. Every Sunday a fresh set of secrets are posted and the site allows for comments. The books, with the newest titled, “Confessions on Life, Death, & God,” are also used for random acts of secret-sharing. Instead of sending in their secrets, some people slip postcards in between the pages of PostSecret books lining bookstore shelves. With no limitations, content varies from depressing, suicidal, exuberant and sexual. Secrets can be silly, such as: “There is a skittle on the bathroom floor at my job. Every time I go pee, I am tempted to eat it,” or
sad: “Now that I’m married, I’m lonelier than ever.” They can be dangerous: “I already decided how I’m going to kill myself if he doesn’t come home from Iraq, and he doesn’t even go over for two more months,” or inspiring: “Tomorrow I’m spending the money I saved on drugs and buying a long board.” PostSecret readers can find others with a similar tendency. Readers have cited being saved from suicide, stopping drug addictions and avoiding dangerous acts from reading others’ secrets. PostSecret makes the expanding, globalized world seem more connected with a message of “you are not alone.” n
>>Shhh... share your secrets Rule 1. Stay anonymous Rule 2. Must be a secret you’re never told Rule 3. Mail to The Times-Delphic, Meredith Hall, 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311 OR slip a sealed envelope under the 124 Meredith room door OR email a .jpg postcard image to tdfeatures@drake.edu
>>What’s going on?
campus calendar TODAY EXHIBITION
Professional and nonprofessional 102nd annual art showcase WHERE Hoyt Sherman Place 1501 Woodland Ave.
TUESDAY VOLUNTEER FAIR
Features local agencies the help immigrants with housing, part of ”Where You Belong” series
WEDNESDAY COMEDY
Plan B Improv, Des Moines’ newest Improv troupe
WHERE Sheslow Auditorium
WHERE Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St.
WHEN 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
WHEN 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
DANCE
WRITERS & CRITICS
Free, latin, salsa night for fanatics and beginners, with Salsa Des Moines WHERE WHERE Des Moines Social Club Olmsted Pomerantz 1408 Locust St. Stage WHEN WHEN 8 -p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m.
“When the Victorians Pictured Late Life: Age in 19th Century British Arts and Literature” WHERE Cowles Library WHERE Reading Room Sheslow Auditorium WHEN: WHEN 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
RECITAL
Guest voice John Muriello, baritone with David Gompper, on piano, featuring poetry WHERE Sheslow Auditorium WHEN: WHEN 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
The Times-Delphic Editor The Times-Delphic Business Manager Drake Magazine Editor Drake Broadcasting System President Periphery Editor Duin Editor