8
The Wichitan September 9, 2009
Entertainment
‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ takes a hike Jaleesa Bealom For the Wichitan
If you are bored on a Friday night and can’t decide what to see in the theaters, you might want to avoid seeing “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” This Audrey Niffenegger national bestseller novel adaptation is a romantic drama about a librarian in Chicago named Henry DeTamble, (Eric Bana) who suffers from a rare genetic disorder. He travels through time and he coincidentally meets his wife, Claire Abshire, (Rachel McAdams). From there, a confusing love story unfolds right before your eyes. The film starts similar to a “Final Destination” sequel and later expands into a cliché Lifetime movie. McAdams’ is no stranger to romantic drama films, look at her work in “The Notebook,” for
example. It was exceptionally disappointing to see her as an annoying character that spends her entire life waiting on Bana, who pops in and out of the present from his time traveling fiascos. Eventually, McAdams’ character becomes slightly touching and sympathetic to viewers. However, Bana’s character carries the movie in all sorts of directions that leads to a difficult understanding of if the past is the future and the future is the past, then where the hell is he now? It’s almost as if we’re all in a game of Where’s Waldo instead of understanding what era in life Bana has reached. The flick does have the rare comic relief moments that curb the headache of attempting to figure out when the film is in the climax. There is no denying Bana
makes this film pleasant to watch and captivates the audience in such an engaging way that it was slightly refreshing to see a comedian play such a different role. The film does play pretty close to the book, which is a little confusing as well. The plot is consistent through the movie, just little details and scenes are deleted from the film, which naturally happens or the film turns into a “Pride and Prejudice” epic. If you’re into the cliché, love story genre, then this film is definitely for you. “The Time Traveler’s Wife” comes fully equipped with cheesy acting, dramatic scenes and a failing plot that leaves more questions than answers for the film. The film has a good cast, but neglected to utilize the actors to showcase their talents.
New Backstreet album due in October Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor
Photo Courtesy Eric Bana plays a librarian who involuntarily time travels and meets his future wife, Rachel McAdams when she is six years old.
25
Photo Courtesy Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” This novel adaptation portrays the struggle of a wife whose husband time travels in and out of her life.
They’re back! You read right, the Backstreet Boys are all grown up and expected to release their seventh worldwide album, “This Is Us,” Oct. 6. Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean have come a long way since their start in 1992. (For those of you who remember, Kevin Richardson was the fifth member of the Backstreet Boys, but left the group in 2006.) The Backstreet Boys began their musical journey together in 1992, but didn’t release their first album, “Backstreet Boys,” until 1997 and then released “Backstreet’s Back,” shortly after. At the time they were a part of the teen pop phenomenon and competed against other young pop stars including Britney Spears, *NSYNC and Christina Aguilera. But in 1999 when they released their third album, “Millennium,” which sold 1,134,000
copies in its first week, they became superstars. The album produced many hits including “I Want it That Way,” “Larger Than Life,” and “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.” In 2000 their fourth album, “Black and Blue,” came to stores and after a five year hiatus, they released their “Never Gone” album. After Richardson’s departure, the Backstreet Boys released their sixth album, “Unbreakable,” in 2007, which included various music styles, combining their earlier mid-90’s dance-pop sounds with their newer guitar driven pop/rock sound. In their new single, “Straight Through My Heart,” the Backstreet Boys combine a mix of R&B and pop. It is catchy tune, but it might not be enough to battle with the current Top 40 hits, for times have changed since *NSYNC’s “I Want You Back,” and Britney’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time.”
Percentage of increase in campus tours and visits hosted by MSU Admissions compared to 2007.
Photo by Richard Carter (Above) MSU student Mike Daly, senior, rocks out on his bass guitar with his fellow band mates in their band, Dr. Feelgood and the Let’s Get It Ons. Their band played at the Children’s Aid Society benefit, held last Saturday night at the Neon Spur.
Photo by Richard Carter (Right) MSU student Samantha Tomei, senior chemistry and mechanical engineering major, plays along with the band, White Jet Heroes. Their band was amongst many to play at the Neon Spur last Saturday night.
Photo Courtesy The Backstreet Boys are expected to release their upcoming album, “This Is Us,” on Oct. 6.
The band was able to work with producers such as T-Pain, RedOne, who works with Lady Gaga, and Jim Jonsin, who did Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop,” on their new album. They also went back to Max Martin, who was one of the original creators of “Millennium.” Their new style is definitely dance-oriented, but is not as “pop rock” as their last albums
have been. The band has also caught on to the latest vampire theme in their recently released music video for the song “Straight Through the Heart.” Though the band has been around since the early 90s, the question still remains if they will be able to appeal to this generation’s teens.