The Collegian: 6
Variety
September 5, 2022
Weird Al goes out with a bang The biopic craze has come for the King of Polka himself.
Victoria Grossman Student Writer If you’ve lived on this Earth for any period of time, you’ve definitely heard of Weird Al Yankovic. Known far and wide for his song parodies, the singer is getting his very own biopic. Weird Al has been in the game for nearly 40 years, and although his songs are comedy-based, he has earned some serious accolades, including five Grammy Awards. In any case, any movie about Weird Al is likely to be just that: weird. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, who is best known for his role as the title character in the “Harry Potter” movie franchise, but has also had roles in lesser films such as “Swiss Army Man,” “The Lost City,” and “Imperium.” Other cast members include Evan Rachel Wood and Rainn Wilson. The
movie itself does not appear, at least from the trailer, to follow the true definition of a “biopic,” but instead will be, to no surprise, a parody of that genre. The teaser features dramatic and satirical moments woven between slapstick comedy bits, creating the exact opposite kind of film we saw in Baz Lurhmann’s “Elvis” earlier this summer. There’s a lot to know about Weird Al, but what might surprise you most is that his most popular film, “UHF,” was filmed right here in Tulsa. Executive producer Gray Fredrickson, having previously worked on “The Outsiders,” opted to return to the area due to low production cost and ideal filming locations. A number of buildings downtown were used in the production, such as the OETA recording studio, Joey’s House of the Blues on East 61st Street, and First Christian Church on Boulder Avenue. The actual plot of “UHF” appears to be quite… elusive. Yankovic plays George Newman, a dreamer type who comes to find himself in charge of a television station. As a result of his leadership, the station, predict-
ably, falls on hard times and turns to a telethon to sell off its shares. Critics complained of a lack of characterization in the film, but Yankovic and other writers argued that because the film was supposed to mainly focus on parody sequences dreamed up by the main character, more plot development was unnecessary. The movie was mildly successful, making $6.1 million at the box office after having a budget of $5 million. As it turns out, Tulsa can count Weird Al among those who have found success on its streets. Since “UHF,” Yankovic has continued touring with both his parodies and other, more polka-based songs. Having made appearances on several popular sitcoms, Weird Al has continued to stay a comedic presence in popular culture. This new movie will surely not be the last exploit of his career, but if it turns out to be, it seems like he’d be going out with a bang. The film, entitled “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is making its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival November 4, and will then be available to stream on The Roku Channel.
“UHF” was releaed in 1989.
courtesy wikicommons
Actual best study spots on campus
If you’re looking for a study spot on campus, check out this all-inclusive list. In this weekly column, our Managing Editor Maddie Walters talks to musicians about their craft. Maddie Walters Managing Editor Music and Mayhem with Maddie kicks off its inaugural interview with New Jersey’s Modern Chemistry. Closing in on a decade as a band, Joe Zorzi and Brendan Hourican make up this alternative indie band that has toured with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack and Frank Iero. The duo recently celebrated a milestone as their breakout single from 2013, “Never Scared,” passed over one million streams on Spotify.
about music production and express their creativity in a new way. In August, Modern Chemistry released their newest single “In a Way,” which Zorzi describes as the most vulnerable song he’s ever written. “It’s about that kind of hopeless feeling where you wish you could help or could have helped someone,” he says. Though he wishes nobody would have to go through something like this, he hopes those that do find solace in its message. The band premiered their short film, “My Battery is Low and It’s Getting Dark,” on August 21 at a theater in Asbury Park, NJ. Doubling as a music video for two singles, the short film has the trippy vibes of a newage “2001: A Space Odyssey,” as Modern Chemistry seemingly appears to be the first band to play in space, or at least to fake a moon-landing.
“The band describes it best with ‘it felt like we were all suffering alone, but also together.’” The band has kept themselves busy this year, releasing an EP in January titled “tomorrow, we wake up from the longest collective dream of our lives.” A product of the lockdown, this EP perfectly delineates the pandemic headspace, but is so much more than just a pandemic album. “At first, we just wanted to put together a few songs and see what we could do with the restrictions of writing and producing at home. It ended up becoming such an important project to us,” says Zorzi. “ These songs are some of my favorites that we’ve ever released and I think it really shows how versatile we’d like to be.” The long title, perhaps a callback to the extended titles of the emo genre, comes from a questioning of reality itself during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The band describes it best with “it felt like we were all suffering alone, but also together.” Before their newest EP, the duo released three volumes of cover songs, most notably a haunting cover of Nirvana’s “HeartShaped Box.” The pair credits this series of covers with allowing them to learn more
Hourican came up with the initial idea for the film before the duo brought it to their friend Benjamin Lieber, who the band credits as knowing how to bring grandiose ideas like this one to life. Lieber, along with Kris Khunachak (director of photography) delivered on the band’s hopes. “This really feels like us,” Zorzi says, “ I think people are going to really be impressed with how much we were able to do with just the four of us.” “My Battery is Low and It’s Getting Dark” also serves as the title for the band’s upcoming album, releasing September 23. Diverging from their previous styles in “Never Scared” and even their last fulllength, “Everything in Gold,” their newest album promises a “full band feeling.” “Music is a journey,” says Zorzi, “I think people are going to really like it. No matter what changes musically, I think anything me and Brendan do are [sic] always going to sound like the same band.” “My Battery is Low and It’s Getting Dark” releases this month and can be found on all major platforms, including Bandcamp. Their short film can be viewed on their YouTube channel.
Erika Brock News Editor Studying is a personal thing, and everyone has to figure out what works best for them when it comes down to it. Some people really don’t want to be bothered or to see another person at all while they’re working; others really want a space where they can sit with their friends and encourage each other to stay focused. After two years of studying here at The University of Tulsa, I’ve tested out my fair share of study spots here on campus, and each has its pros and cons. My list is subjective, do what works for you, but this is what I’ve found to be a good system
“After two years of studying here at The University of Tulsa, I’ve tested out my fair share of study spots here on campus, and each has its pros and cons”
for myself. If you like to study in places where people won’t bother you, then try these places. The stacks of the library - The bottom floor tends to be fairly quiet and people don’t frequent it as much during the semester. Around midterms and finals, it’s busier, but the students there are in the headspace to work. An empty lecture room - This can get you in the mindset of class, and people really don’t go in these rooms unless they’re about to have class, in which case you’ll have to move. But otherwise, they are very empty. The Mabee Legal Information Center (law library) - Everyone is here to work, and if you’re not, the peer pressure of everyone else working will certainly motivate you.
There are many places students can choose to study at TU.
Modern Chemistry’s album comes out on September 23.
courtesy @modernchemistry on Instagram
If you like to have people around for white noise, here are some ideas. The basement of Keplinger - There is some foot traffic as people go to class or meet with professors, but students are typically respectful and aren’t too distracting. The other people sitting around you studying can also act as a motivator to continue working. Upstairs in Stephenson, Rayzor or Helmrich Hall - They’re decently quiet places, but people will often work on projects together, so there can be light conversation happening around you. It isn’t a noise-free zone, but the students there aren’t bothersome. Then, there are some places that definitely aren’t ideal, but you can give them a try. Your lecture right before the exam - I feel like this is self explanatory. Allen Chapman Student Union (ACSU)
during lunch - It can be okay if you’re upstairs and can really ignore noise, but be prepared not to get a lot done. Your dorm room - This may be a little controversial, but studying where you’re supposed to relax is incredibly difficult. I always find myself saying, “Oh, I’ll just take a five minute break,” and then five becomes 45 and I wonder why I didn’t finish everything I wanted to. All in all, where you study is really about what works best for you, and these are just some suggestions. It doesn’t really matter where you study, just that some environments are better than others. It’s best to get into good study habits early, otherwise it can be hard to recover in a class you choose to slack off in the first couple of weeks. Good luck to everyone and hopefully this is a great semester!
courtesy utulsa.edu