11 ENT
FILM: Event promises full
lineup of excellent cinema From page 12 melodrama rears its saccharine head once or twice, but it does nothing to lessen the impact of this incredible movie. And more films sit on the Austin horizon. “The Road” and “Up in the Air” round out the marquee series but many smaller-budget films will be playing around town. “Tenure” and “Love and Tambourines”
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LIFE&ARTS
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Halloween specials return to TV Seth Rogen discusses his “You can improvise a lot as a voice actor because the charnewest voiceover project acters mouths are quite easy to Rogen told The and success in animation manipulate,” Daily Texan.
have piqued my interest. For those of you without badges or tickets that just want to check out some good cinema, I highly recommend getting into line and giving it a shot. The Paramount Theatre, where the marquee screenings play, seats 1,200 and has yet to fill up this year, and most smaller screenings are easy enough to get into at a moment’s notice.
PUMP: Jack-o’-lantern
carving brings to life tradition from youth From page 12 from the hole at the top of the orange gourd, while “Rugrats” and “Doug” holiday specials aired on the TV. I would draw black lines all over the cold, orange skin. My dad would use a knife to break into the pumpkin with ease, following every line I had drawn. I was always a fan of the classic design: triangle eyes and a one-or-two toothed smile. My dad frequently branched into the avant-garde, carving out sports team logos to be backlit by a lone candle. We would save the seeds, and on Halloween night, after hours of filling my bag with candy, I would come home exhausted to the scent of roasting seeds. But that year, with the wind blowing the leaves outside my window, I knew it was not going to happen. Somehow we had forgotten the one most important tradition. I felt my youth fading. My childhood was one more step behind me. This year, after a week away from pumpkins, I was ready to return to the beat and get that piece of my childhood back. Determined, I headed to HEB’s pumpkin patch. I competed with small children who presented pumpkins to their parents with pride. I was set to find one right for carving — one with a smooth, clean sur-
face, round in shape. With the right pumpkin purchased, three knives of varying shape and size chosen and my table covered with newspaper, I was ready to begin the tradition again. I drove the biggest of the three knives right in, carving a hole at the top through which I reached in to feel the old, familiar mush. I removed the seeds and set them aside for roasting later. Wi t h a f a c e a w k w a rd ly drawn over the grooves of the gourd and the insides all ripped out, the pumpkin was ready. I soon understood why my dad did all the carving. He always made it look like carving butter, but it’s really next to impossible to make anything other than triangles. I have a newfound respect for his Yankees jack-o’-lantern that I once thought to be so ridiculous. Eventually, the face was carved and the candle was lit and carefully lowered in. A soft glow emitted as I flicked off the light switch. Then, after I set the top back in place, the jack-o’-lantern came to life, wildly flickering orange like I had always remembered. It was finally ready to be set outside where it could greet the world with its crooked, triangle eyes and its jagged, twotoothed smile.
Seth Rogen provides the voice for B.O.B, a blob-like movie character, in a spooky spin-off special of Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space. Rogen has offered his voice in other animated productions.
By John Ross Harden Daily Texan Staff For years, Halloween television has consisted of the traditional scary movies and season specials, such as “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror.” But, this year’s lineup will include a shift from the standard Halloween-time fare. Tonight at 8 p.m., NBC will air the DreamWorks animated special “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space”. This special, based on the chart-topping movie, has retained the original films’ all-star cast of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett and Rainn Wilson. In the special, as in the movie, audiences are introduced to a gelatinous blue blob, fittingly named B.O.B. (Bicarbonate Ostylezene Benzoate). The oneeyed monster is a spontaneous character who is able to provide the audience with endless laughter and amusement — much like the man who provides B.O.B.’s voice, Seth Rogen.
Rogen is no rookie to lending his voice to film projects, voicing a character in “Shrek the Third” and starring in the $630 million grossing project, “Kung Fu Panda.” He attributes his success as a 3-D character to this experience and his childhood as an avid cartoon-watcher. “I mean, I really enjoy [voice acting] ... ” Rogen said. “I’ve always been a fan of animation.” Rogen, 27, not only praised tonight’s special but also addressed the issue of his Halloween costume. “I have a girlfriend now, and we have entered the unfortunate world of paired costuming,” Rogen said, stating that couple costumes are not for him. “I always end up being the lamer half ... it’s like she’s always the dog, and I’m a fire hydrant.” With costumes and candy awaiting, the “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” TV special should prepare it’s viewers for a spooky-good weekend.
SANDWICH: Shop offers inconsistent food, jarring atmosphere From page 12 cumbers, mayonnaise, pâté and the occasional flaming heat of a chili pepper. These basics are then further enriched by a choice of grilled pork, cured hams, chicken, meatballs or tofu to create the perfect, cheap gourmet food to go. Unfortunately, not everyone can consistently deliver the gourmet’s ideal. Bite Mi falls into this category, managing only to serve up quick, passable sandwiches. The first sensation one expe-
riences upon entering the door is not the pleasant aroma of fresh French bread, but the overwhelming and pounding bass of hip-hop beating against the eardrums. There is nothing wrong with this music, but its presence in a benign-looking sandwich shop seems disjunctive. Then, the eyes are met by the glint of sparkling jewelry from a small, glass display stand. While this may also strike some as odd, the bigger question is how much jewelry shopping do customers
plan on doing in a small Vietnamese sandwich to-go shop? As for service, Bite Mi still has a lot to learn; their bánh mì is mostly inconsistent. When they get the order correct, some sandwiches provide barely any meat while others are packed. This can be especially disappointing after ordering a spicy, savory meatball bánh mì only to discover there are only two meatballs in the sandwich. Unfortunately, the food is also unexceptional. The sometimestough baguette and mayonnaise-
smothered ingredients obscure the beauty of the other flavors and textures. Foodies who simply must take a bite into Bite Mi should definitely add some Sriracha hot sauce; it marries many of the flavors of the sandwich and adds a lip-tingling piquancy. Bite Mi’s sandwiches are not horrible; they’re simply unremarkable. Casual eaters should definitely check out the restaurant if they’re in the area and looking for a fast lunch on the go that’s an alternative to the typical Drag staples.
PILL: IUDs may provide solution
for those with sensitivity issues
a few other options you can look into. There are some non-hormonself-help Web site eMedtv.com. Similar complications are al barrier contraceptives availsometimes associated with able, including diaphragms many forms of hormonal con- and spermicidal sponges, but traceptives since all feature if your vagina is sensitive to synthetic hormones that may yeast infections, then I think interfere with one’s natural either of these barrier methods physiology. Yasmin and Ocel- would prove uncomfortable in la, however, are the only birth the long run. One method to check out control pills on the market that feature progestin drospirenone, with your doctor is the intrauterine device, a synthetic proalso called ingesterone that trauterine conhas been associtraceptive. ated with bodyYou should make These small, tsalt regulation sure to ... discuss shaped devicinterference. health benefits... es are inserted Most doctors directly into are more conwith a health-care the uterus by cerned with the professional. a health-care serious side efp ro f e s s i o n a l fects of salt imand then left in balances, including hyperkalemia, stroke, blood for up to 10 years. IUDs are the most popular clots and other serious heart problems, but the minor dis- form of birth control worldcomforts (minor to your over- wide and are more effective all health and wellness, not to at preventing pregnancy than your daily activities) that you getting your tubes tied, accordcited could easily be traced to a ing to Contraceptive Technology, the most comprehensive salt-and-water imbalance. I am by no means a medi- source for contraceptive inforcal practitioner, and before you mation and trusted resource make any decisions about your for the FDA. However, because of the fact method of birth control, you should make sure to research it that IUDs come with a small yourself and discuss the health string attached to the bottom benefits and concerns fully that comes out from the uterwith a health-care professional, us through the cervix and rests but with all of the information around the opening of the ceryou shared, it seems to me that vix, the risks associated with your desire to opt for a non- sexually transmitted infections can be greater for women who hormonal method is justified. It is also important that you use them. This is a lot of information realize that weight gain is rarely associated with Ocella or and there may be more factors Yasmin, according to the FDA in your specific case that may clinical trails. That problem make a different birth control option more attractive. The may be unrelated. With regard to the yeast in- only way to find the best opfections, menstrual changes tion for you is by talking with and digestive issues, there are a professional.
From page 12
Find your crew (they can be anybody). Download, print, and fill out a registration form with you team name and information. Drop that, and the $40 (per team) registration fee off in room 3.200 at the Hearst Student Media building on the UT campus. Provide your own equipment, such as a camera and a microphone.
WIN!
$250 to Texas Media Systems • Texas State History Museum IMAX Fun Packs $200 to BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse