A recap of this year’s biggest television finales...

pages 4-5
inside
Stanford Film Festival kicks off with some quirky shorts...pages 6-7
Chris Wedge talks about animation and “Ice Age”...page 8 FRIDAY
Bay to Breakers is quirky as ever, Decemberists kick off their tour...page 9
“Night at the Museum” a huge let-down...page 10
Intermission reviews a thought-provoking French film...page 12
5.22.09

intermission
stanford’s weekly guide to campus culture
VO LU M E 235 . ISSUE 15
a publication of the stanford daily

jason chuang

Photos courtesy google images

ALSO INSIDE

T.V. WRAPS UP ANOTHER S TA N F O R D F I L M F E S T I VA L

SEASON OF DRAMAS AND K I C K S O F F W I T H E V E RY -
COMEDIES THING FROM QUIRKY
S H O RT S A N D D R A M A S T O
D O C U M E N TA R I E S

...pages 4-5 ...pages 6-7

google images stanford film festival
PAGE 2
LAST SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS, STANFORD STUDENTS PUT ON TWO DANCE PERFORM-
ANCES: ONE BY THE DANCE GROUP BENT SPOON AND THE OTHER THE ANNUAL
SOUTH ASIAN DANCE SHOW MELA. INTERMISSION CAPTURED THESE
BEAUTIFUL SHOWS IN A PHOTO COLLAGE:

photos b
y jason c
huang

FRIDAY

5.22.09 MANAGING EDITOR

Joanna Xu
LAYOUT EDITOR
BONE TO PICK? Jin Yu
COPY EDITOR
Jane LePham
DESK EDITORS
Annika Heinle
well then, email us!
intermission@daily.stanford.edu Kyle Evaldez
PHOTO EDITOR
intermission Amanda Zhang
2
6

tony kramer
ast Sunday, the Stanford Dance Division presented
L “Cantor ‘Rewired,’” an imaginative fusion dance piece
that melded the classical Southeast Asian style of
Bharatanatyam with post-modern dance. Despite tempera-
tures that soared well above 90 degrees, a substantial crowd
gathered to follow nine undergraduate dancers perform in,
around and through Cantor.
The choreography of “Rewired” came from New York-
based choreographer and Stanford alumna Parijat Desai, who
spent winter 2009 on campus with an Institute for Diversity
and the Arts residency. During her residency, Desai also co-
choreographed an installment in the Department of Drama’s
“The Waste Land” series. Rehearsal director and Dance
Division lecturer Diane Frank arranged Desai’s choreography
— originally intended for a trio of dancers — for the Cantor
grounds. The piece was cast in triplet, with three groups of
three dancers performing a unique subset of the choreography
and interacting with each other in a way that Frank described
as “like mathematics” or “a kaleidoscope.” Vibrant jewel-toned
costumes in three colors further differentiated the flights of
dancers, and the interplay of colors added a satisfying visual
dimension to the piece.
The staging of the performance meandered from the front
steps of Cantor, through galleries, and to multiple lawns and
courtyards on the museum’s grounds, with mixed results.
Dancers received extensive training in the Bharatanatyam
style, which demands extremely specific hand gestures and
percussive footwork, during the rehearsal process, and on the
Cantor lawns, long vistas and the rich green grass amplified
the effect of the subtle choreography, giving even the dancers’
slightest movements an epic quality. Inside the building, how-
ever, bottlenecked crowds craning for a view of dancers and
multiple reprimands from museum security broke the sense of
mystery and wonder, which was so present in the outdoor seg-
ments. Furthermore, placing dancers next to visual art does
not necessarily draw a parallel between the two, and the bare-
NEAR-FLAWLESS DANCING
HEATS UP CANTOR, BUT
NOT AS MUCH AS THE
WEATHER
foot, fluid dancers of “Rewired,” who seemed perfectly in place tion from an immensely talented group of dancers made
among manicured lawns, seemed incongruous within both the
“Pop to Present” and Rodin galleries inside the museum.
The stamina of the dancers and their ability to maintain
“Rewired” a meaningful addition to the Stanford dance calen-
dar.
concentration while dancing barefoot and sometimes lying — monica MIKLAS
down on sizzling concrete was frankly astonishing. Different contact monica: mmiklas@stanford.edu
“permutations” of choreography featured subsets of dancers
performing in pairs or across color groups and in coordination
with the space around them. While it may be the heat talking,
several sections of the performance bordered on the repetitive
as the dancers cycled through choreography.
When viewing practitioners of tai chi or yoga, I often feel
that while there is clear admiration for the body control and
mindfulness of the practitioners, their movement is not for
entertainment. In the same way, the deliberate, methodical
structure of the “Rewired” choreography made the piece seem
almost like an exercise rather than a dance. In contrast to tra-
ditional Bharatanatyam, in which dancers’ movements convey
a mythic narrative, Desai intended to draw only technique and
“kinetic information” from the dance form, and use these to
“rewire” the movement of a dancer’s body.
From artistic and pedagogic perspectives, such a focus on
new kinetics fits into a grander study of the body’s capacity for
movement and, according to Frank, the search for “what is
innovative within ancient forms” like Bharatanatyam.
However, as an audience member with an appreciation for
dance but little formal training, I found myself struggling to
make an emotional connection to a performance that felt
extremely rational and academic.
On the other hand, “Rewired” should not be judged for
failing to be something which it never intended to be. As a site-
specific work of fusion, “Rewired” intended to focus on struc-
ture, both within the dancers’ movements and in the sur-
rounding architecture, and it succeeded at pulling elements of
Bharatanatyam’s punctuated style into a very modern staging.
While not exactly a piece for the masses, nearly flawless execu- stefanie okuda
photos by jason chuang
friday may 22 2009 3
 T.V. FINALES
A LOOK BACK AT THE
SEASON ’S END

FRINGE
Many-Worlds Interpretation (MWI), paranormal science, bioterrorism, FBI action, a kick-ass
female lead, a new-age science manifesto with creepily religious undertones and conspiracy the-
ories — throw all that together and you’ve got Fringe, denominated by creator J.J. Abrams as the
easier-to-follow counterpart to critically-acclaimed Lost. This first season of Fringe introduces
Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), an FBI agent, and her sidekicks Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and
his father/brilliant scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) as they investigate a series of paranor-
mal/fringe experiments taking place all around the world, collectively called “The Pattern.”
While the show was a bit slow at the beginning, it really picks up later in the season. The
first season sets up the complex world and theories that is the Fringe universe. But if the first
season was the set-up, then the second will really dive into development and getting to know
the enemy for the Fringe team. The season finale ended on a cliffhanger, with Olivia traveling
for the first time to a parallel universe to meet William Bell (Leonard Nimoy — that’s right,
Spock!). In that parallel universe, Dunham and Bell meet in the twin towers, which were not
destroyed by the 9/11 attacks. A glimpse at the newspaper suggests that the White House was
destroyed instead. And if you pay careful attention, there is no Statue of Liberty. There are infi-
nite possibilities for this alternative universe (universes?).
Abrams has confirmed that season two will be faster and more thrilling than the first. While
the theories of MWI may be nothing new, I’m sure Abrams and Co. will find a new way to
explore this concept and the unravel the mystery behind the characters in an interesting way. I,
for one, am eager to keep watching.
— joanna XU
contact joanna: joannaxu@stanford.edu

THE OFFICE
The fifth season of NBC’s “The Office” wrapped up
last Thursday with a lot of warm, fuzzy feelings and
surprisingly few cliffhangers. It felt more like watch-
ing an old episode of “Friends” without the laugh
track. That being said, one can’t help but love it.
“Company Picnic” starts with another stellar prank
from Jim, though this time the joke is on Michael,
and everyone (even Dwight!) is in on it. The episode
then departs from the usual stuffy office setting as the
characters attend Dunder Mifflin’s annual company
picnic.
Michael makes a blunder at the picnic by reveal-
ing that the Buffalo branch was closing. Yet, in his
reunion with Holly, he is surprisingly sweet and
chooses not to make a move on her. Scranton branch
unites against corporate (in their ominous matching
black t-shirts) in an epic volleyball game. Pam,
4 intermission
6
injured at the game, is rushed to the hospital with Jim
where the big news of the episode is revealed as soon
as the nurse asks, “Any chance you’re pregnant?” The
camera lurks outside the hospital room, and although
we can’t hear the conversation, viewers can see
through the blinds as the doctor informs them of
Pam’s pregnancy, leading to another adorable Pam
and Jim moment.
“Company Picnic” could easily have been the
end of the entire “Office” series. Everyone’s favorite
couple is blissful, Michael seems to finally be safe in
his job, and even Dwight is getting along with the
group. The show’s writers are going to have a tricky
time creating tension next season.
— meghan BERMAN
contact intermission:
meghanb@stanford.edu
24
And after another 24 hours, Jack as a character. Hopefully, he will be
Bauer can finally go to sleep (and go back to fighting form next season
to the bathroom. Seriously, is that after a last-minute stem cell treatment
what he does during commercial from his daughter, Kim (whose story
breaks?) Season seven of “24” has cer- line was nowhere near as ridiculous as
tainly had its ups and downs, but as it ones in previous seasons. Random
reaches its conclusion, this will stand cougar, I’m looking at you). Tony
as one of the best seasons of the show. Almeida, thankfully, receives some
While it did not have the incredible closure towards the end when he
originality and vitality of the first sea- reveals his true motivations: revenge
son or the tension of the fifth season, for his fallen wife. This serves as a nice
it was solid from start to finish, delv- bit of resolution to explain, at least to
ing into Jack’s humanity more than a partial degree, why the character
any other season. seemed to flip sides every other
By taking away CTU, Jack is episode. All in all, this season had all
forced to confront the actions of his of the traditional tension, anxiety,
past. This is symbolized, in particular, and racing against the clock that
by his relationship with FBI agent makes “24” such a compelling televi-
Renee Walker. While she initially sion drama.
serves as his foil, chastising him for — p a t r i c k K E L LY
his torturous ways, she is slowly contact patrick:
pulled into his dark and twisted
pskelly@stanford.edu
world where the ends justify the
means. This comes to a climax in the
final scene of the season, where she
gives up her career to obtain vital
information coercively from a crimi-
nal who would otherwise walk free. It
is a testament to Renee’s arc over the
season how unsettling this scene was
to watch.
It’s unfortunate that Jack’s story
line at the close of the season was not
as exciting as Renee’s. He does have
some pulse-pumping moments of his
own, though. The scene when he
escapes from the operating table
using only a small knife is particular-
ly exhilarating. As a whole, putting
Jack on his death bed from his expo-
sure to the weaponized bio-agent
took away one of the show’s main
assets — the raw power of Jack Bauer
 GOSSIP GIRL
For almost two years now, The CW’s hit show “Gossip Girl” has been a guilty pleasure of mine.
This fairly lengthy relationship started with a bang: “Gossip Girl” gave me cheap thrills that I
hadn’t experienced for years — ever since the troubled teen Ryan Atwood moved into Orange
County. “Gossip Girl” gave me a spark, a light, when I was beginning to give up on the teen
drama. “Gossip Girl” was good to me, and I was good to “Gossip Girl.” Just several weeks into
the first season, I found myself backing the show up as friends called it names. I protected it,
watched it grow . . . and “Gossip Girl” gave back to me.
Season One quickly went by and the wait for Season Two was almost unbearable. Then
finally, one fateful Monday, it came back to me. The characters were all back together after a
summer separated. The back and forth, on-and-off love between Blair and Chuck was almost
immediately revisited (and unfortunately, visited again and again all season long). Nate
Archibald, struggling for money, is accepting cash for sex from a much older, married woman.
Little J finds Blair at her weakest in the bathroom, she appeals for the crown. Blair tells her woe-
Dan and Serena are together, then they aren’t, and then they are again. Season Two certainly
fully, “You can’t make people love you, but you can make them fear you.” This line is delivered
looked promising.
with such ridiculous intensity that it’s hard not to laugh at how completely lame this show is.
Sadly, I was completely wrong about the future of “Gossip Girl.” All season, the show con-
By the end of the season finale, the only elements that I felt at peace with were the engagement
tinued to spiral into a complete mess, with terrible writing, nonsensical plotlines, flat acting
of Lily and Rufus, and the coupling of Blair and Chuck (finally!), but I doubt that will last for
and—gasp—bad hair. As the show got more and more ludicrous, my disdain for wasting an
long.
hour of my life grew. Finally, the season finale approached, and I made a pact — if this episode
For those of you who disagree with me and think this season was television genius, fret not.
was as crappy as the rest of the season, I would not be back for Season Three.
The writers worked it out so that most of your favorite characters are at NYU for college, so
Unfortunately, it was just as terrible as the rest. It’s graduation time on the Upper East Side,
more mishaps can take place, only now it’s collegiate style. As for me, I won’t be watching.
and for some reason, Serena goes completely dramatic and decides to uncover the identity of
“Gossip Girl” is like crack — if you aren’t already hooked, don’t try it. And if you are, it’s prob-
Gossip Girl. This leads to a murder mystery element, where everybody is suspicious of each
ably best for your health to wean off slowly.
other. As tensions mount, friendships look as though they are destroyed. For the millionth time,
XOXO, Intermission.
Chuck rejects Blair’s love, and her heart is broken. Jenny Humphrey decides to throw her hat
into the ring for the new Queen Bee (who really takes high school that seriously?) and is told to — annika HEINLE

come up with the juiciest piece of gossip to be crowned. As painfully skinny and horribly styled contact annika: anheinle@stanford.edu

GREY’S ANATOMY DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

“Grey’s Anatomy” has had a shaky run in the past cou-
ple of years. Thankfully, season five brought the show
back to its roots: good, old-fashioned melodrama. This
season focused strongly on the individual lives of the
characters, paying more attention to the emotions
rather than the surgeries.
The show’s ability to punch you in the emotional
gut could not be more pronounced than in the season’s
latter episodes leading up to this two-hour finale. With
Meredith and Derek’s pending wedding as well as
Izzie’s constant struggle with cancer, viewers were on
edge going into the finale. The first hour of the finale,
“Here’s to Future Days,” focused on Izzie’s decision to
undergo a hazardous brain surgery at the risk of mem-
ory loss. The rest of the characters had their own sur-
geries and problems to deal with — most notably
Cristina and Owen’s up-and-down relationship.
Highlights included Izzie asking George for surgical
advice and Alex trying to convince Izzie to tear up the
DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) form that she had just
signed. The first hour ended with Izzie choosing the
surgery and George deciding to join the army — by far
the episode’s biggest surprise.
The second half, “Now or Never,” took all the ten-
sion and emotion from the first half, and doubled it.
After Izzie’s surgery, we discovered that she lost her
short-term memory, forcing Alex help her recover it.
Meanwhile, the other characters were kept occupied
with a John Doe trauma case and efforts to convince
George to not join the army. The show’s most memo-
rable and emotional moments flooded the final 10
minutes of the episode, barely giving viewers time to
react: John Doe was in fact George, and both Izzie and
George fell upon death’s doorstep, leaving viewers
guessing as to which characters will survive until next
season.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” season finale succeeded on
multiple levels. Besides making viewers shed tears (or
flat-out cry), the show also succeeded in marking sig-
nificant developments for several characters. Meredith photos courtesy google images
and Derek are entering married life, Bailey is leaving
her husband, Cristina and Owen are back together and The “Desperate Housewives” two-hour season finale ranked among one of
Izzie and George are . . . dead? Needless to say, the the most nerve-wracking episodes of the show’s five seasons. The suspense
show’s writers have a lot of material to work with next was driven by the storyline of psychotic Dave, whose delusional visions
season. brought Edie back for a cameo. Dave has been bad news since the season
— k y l e E VA L D E Z premiere, but as he plotted to kill the adorable and young MJ, he became a
contact kyle: kedemon@stanford.edu thing of nightmares.
While Gaby’s shallow life lessons to her children kept things lighter,
the fear of MJ’s fate drags on through the two hours. The Bree-Orson saga
will continue into the next season as Orson has blackmailed Bree into stay-
ing married. The closest thing to a cliffhanger is Lynette’s announcement
that she is carrying twins.
Compared to the time leap of last year’s finale, this season ended with
some resolution. Will Gaby be able to handle her teenager? Will Tom get to
pursue his college dreams while having to provide for even more children?
Will Katherine be out for revenge against Susan for stealing her fiancé?
These questions will keep viewers wondering until fall, but ultimately, they
are questions that can wait. At least the episode ended with a happy wed-
ding, as the writers proved once again that anything that happens on
Wisteria Lane can be undone.

— chloe BADE
contact chloe: cbade@stanford.edu
| CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 |

friday may 22 2009 5

 STANFORD FILM FESTIVAL
his past week, the south of France played host to some
T of the most glamorous celebrities in the business at the
annual Cannes Film Festival. For those of you dreamily
waiting for the day when you will walk down the red carpet
with all the stars, fret no longer, for we have the (semi) next
best thing here at Stanford, in our very own Cubberley
Auditorium. Think we’re joking? There actually will be a red
carpet, a Grand Jury and a prize equivalent to the “Palme
d’Or” (Cannes’ Best Picture).
This Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 21 to 23), the
Stanford Film Society will present “Show And Tell: The 2009
Stanford Student Film Festival.” This festival will consist of two
nights (Thursday and Friday) of student films covering a wide
range of genres including dramas, comedies, art house, docu-
mentaries, music videos and interstitials. On Saturday night,
prizes will be awarded. And we’re not just talking about a gift
certificate to Fraiche — think something much bigger. Of the
60 films submitted, winners will receive such prizes as iPods,
camcorders and digital cameras. However, those aren’t even
the big winners. The filmmakers that win the Grand Jury prize
will be sent on a trip to Los Angeles, where they will get to
meet with the Executive Vice President of Warner Brothers
Pictures, Bill Guttentag (also a Stanford graduate).
Intermission was privileged enough to get an advanced
screening of some of the movies. We were pleasantly surprised
with the high caliber of many of the films. Forty-four films
were accepted into the festival, and, from the handful that we
LIES
JESSE KROMPIER
HAIGHT STREET KIDS
SHIRA SHANE
6 intermission
6
saw, most seem very entertaining. There will be approximately
100 minutes of film shown each night. Look forward to funny
movies about mismatched tour guides, or dramas that mod-
ernize the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Encounter two
lonely people unknowingly sharing a cup of tea in a lovely art
house piece. Or, enjoy a music video all about regulating genes.
Not to hype it up too much (I don’t want you to be disappoint-
ed) but look out for The Fan, a very creative film shown from
the perspective of an oppressed individual. The amount of
material at the festival is varied and fun to watch.
It came as a bit of shock seeing how much talent and film-
making prowess was shown in this small sample of films.
Unlike schools such as USC or UCLA, Stanford isn’t exactly
known for its cinematic potential. This lack in film expertise is
exactly the reason the film festival this year has been vamped
into a glamorous weekend celebration. According to co-chairs
of the festival Ellie Wen ‘09 and Jesse Krompier ‘10, the prob-
lem of feeble arts at Stanford has motivated the Stanford Film
Society to make this event better than ever. Filmmaking should
have a bigger, better presence on campus. Krompier could not
emphasize enough how he wanted this event to bring more
students into the Stanford Film Society and the film commu-
nity on campus in general. As Krompier put it, “We are trying
to build an atmosphere of excitement on this campus, and we
certainly need to tighten the community.”
So if you are looking for something to do this weekend, or
even if you’ve already made plans, cancel everything and head
over to the film festival. Come to the event and meet other stu-
dents interested in making and watching movies. And at the
LE REGAZZE
BEN CORTES
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
ABTEEN BAGHERI-FARD
same time, get a glimpse of the movie making potential here
on campus. It truly seems like it will be a great, well-organized
event, close in quality to that of Cannes. You may even run into
Leonardo DiCaprio. But don’t count on it.
— annika HEINLE and cameron SOKOLIK
contact annika: anheinle@stanford.edu
contact cameron: iamcam@stanford.edu
RE-ENACT
(ART HOUSE)
WILL ROGERS
The only way I can describe this film is trippy. The filmmaker
uses a very original method to capture a phenomenon that is
simply cool to watch. The filmmaker asks random people to
reenact what they are currently discussing while he records the
audio. Then the same people switch roles and while they reen-
act it, he plays the audio that he just recorded. I know, really
confusing. You have to see it for yourself.
BEHOLDER LOTUS
ROXANNE TETI NILIMA ABRAMS
THE FAN
(COMEDY)
JESSE KROMPIER
ORPHEUS
(DRAMA)
FACEBOOK
(INTERSTITIAL)
ROBBER BARONS
ABTEEN BAGHERI-FARD
AND JAY KILACHAND
Do you have any clingy friends? Friends that invite you to
lunch? Friends that make a Facebook event to invite you to
lunch? If yes, it’ll make you chuckle.
This extremely creative comedy documents the oppressive life
From a technical point of view, this film was probably the best
one we saw. The setting and lighting was very instrumental in
of a ceiling fan. Forced to eternally spin without any acknowl-
establishing the proper mood. Specifically, the ringing could
— cameron SOKOLIK
edgment from the people below, the fan claims that its life is contact cameron: iamcam@stanford.edu
drive a person mad. This drama is a modern take on the trag-
tragic. With this original perspective, the audience gets a
ic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. A man loves his neighbor,
glimpse of what it’s like to be controlled by someone else.
but she is involved with another man. Consequently, the man
Maybe we should be nicer to our things, one day they might
must decide how to appropriately act and whether love is truly
retaliate . . .
worth it.
MEET THE ART
(DOCUMENTARY)
BERNADETTE CAY
This documentary recounts the history of the mov-
ing picture. At first, this topic may sound dull, but
it is actually extremely interesting, especially
because the birth of the moving picture occurred
right here at Stanford. Apparently it all started
when Leland Stanford himself beseeched Eadweard
Muybridge, a photographer, to investigate whether
the legs of his prize-winning horse ever left the
ground all at the same time. The rest is history.
L’ESCARGOT Who (aside from art history majors) knew? DEAD LOVE
JESSE KROMPIER ABTEEN BGHERI-FARD
AND JAY KILACHAND
photos courtesy stanford film festival
TOURGUIDE STALLING
IAN MACARTNEY WYATT ROY
7
friday may 22 2009
An animated discussion RESTAURANT REViEW

Perfectly Engineered
Chris
with
Cooking
Wedge F
rance is widely considered to be the home of the world’s best
food, while California is frequently regarded as a center of
cutting-edge innovation — both politically and technologi-
cally. So what could be better than combining the first-rate culi-
nary influence of France with a fresh kick that could only exist in
California? The answer is not a great many thing, and this little fact
can be confirmed through a visit to Sent Sovi Restaurant in
Saratoga.
Located about 30 minutes from Stanford on Big Basin Way in
Saratoga, Sent Sovi occupies a small unassuming storefront with a
distinctly old-fashioned-looking wooden sign hanging outside.
The dining room is small and intimate — though not claustro-
phobic — and is generally elegant, though with some rustic relief
thanks to plentiful copper accents on the walls. But the real
excitement begins when the menus arrive.
alex yu A dinner at Sent Sovi can be taken as a prix fixe or a la carte. The
seven-course tasting menu is $75 with the option of adding on wine
ave you ever seen the movie “Ice Age?” What about “Horton Hears

H A Who?” Last Wednesday, the mastermind behind these adorable

animated films visited Stanford.
Chris Wedge is an Oscar-winning director and producer of animated
pairings. If ordering a la carte, starters are in the low teens while
mains are in the thirties. But unless money is not an object, the way
to go is with the weekly special prix fixe: three courses with two paired
wines for $45. The special does not offer any choice, but does change
films, as well as the co-founder of Blue Sky Studios, a company that focus-
every week.
es on realistic, computer-generated character animation. Wedge graduated
This week, the starter was a generous-sized piece of arctic char (a
from the film department of SUNY-Purchase and received his master’s
salmon-like fish) cooked to 117.5 degrees Fahrenheit — just hot
degree at Ohio State in computer graphics. He wrote and directed “Bunny,”
enough to clear everything from a food safety standpoint and make
which won an Oscar for the best animated short film.
the skin perfectly palatable, while still leaving the full flavor that
Wedge’s talk on Wednesday night focused on the process of creating
makes the fish worth eating. With nothing seasoning the fish besides
animations step by step. He played various clips of the easily recognizable,
a little olive oil and salt, the result was simplistic perfection. While
adorable squirrel Scrat from “Ice Age.” Wedge was very down-to-earth,
substantially busier, the “Hangtown Fry” on the a la carte appetizer
explaining the collaborative effort of creating animation. He emphasized
menu was nothing short of spectacular. First, it includes an 18-hour
the amount of detailed work that goes into Blue Sky productions. Lighting,
cooked bacon confit that provided the crispy, smoky flavor of bacon
sound and character design are all micromanaged. The movies start as
with the decadent richness of pork belly. Also on the plate were two
primitive black and white cartoons, which then go through a long creative
flash-fried Bluepoint Oysters, generously breaded and crispy on the
development. Instead of writing a script, artists paint colorful storyboards
outside, while still packing an almost-raw oyster taste inside. If that
called color keys.
wasn’t enough, the icing on the cake was a sunny-side-up quail egg
“Everyone takes their job making cartoons very seriously,” joked
topped with sturgeon caviar. photos courtesy google images
Wedge.
The main course on the weekly special was a slow-cooked braised
Someone has to design and create every single branch, vine and leaf
short rib. Similar to the char, cooking at a low temperature for a long
you see in the movies. Wedge and his team created their own animation
time allowed for an even, natural flavor while still being sufficiently
software, developing an algorithm that tracks light rays in a scene and relays
cooked. The first bite was almost jaw-dropping and while the ‘98
the information back to the camera pixel by pixel. This illuminates their
Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent, the richness of the short ribs might
movies, diffusing light so that the setting looks livelier and more complex.
have better been complemented by something more like a petite syrah.
Wedge described his philosophy as an attempt at nonverbally conveying
Initially, the dessert listed simply as “compressed fruit” seemed
emotions and stories.
uninspiring. But it became apparent that this wasn’t any ordinary fruit
“Trying to put a storybook on film is a romantic notion for me,” he
salad when the chef had to come to the table to explain what was actu-
said. “In animation, you get to invent a world and immerse the viewer in it.”
ally going on. A brilliant complement had been chosen for each fruit:
Wedge played clips from his movie, “Robots,” and explained how he
orange brandy for the apple, vanilla for the cantaloupe, and simple
took his team to a junkyard in Connecticut to find inspiration. This July,
syrup for the watermelon. Each fruit then was infused with its comple-
“Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
ment and put into a vacuum chamber causing the pores in the fruit to
will be released. The movie
fill with the added liquid. Chef Slone, who started out as an engineer
continues the story of Scrat
at UCLA, went onto describe the intricacies of the vacuum chamber
the squirrel, Manny the
and all of the magic one can accomplish with it. He explained, for
mammoth and Diego the
example, the ability to achieve a low-temperature boil, “because obvi-
tiger. Scrat incessantly
ously PV=nRT,” citing the ideal gas law as it applies in his kitchen.
searches for his acorn and,
After compression, the fruit was served in a sweet-but-tangy soup of
along the way, finds romance
Indonesian peppers that, in one word, was genius.
with a lady squirrel. Wedge’s dis-
Dining at Sent Sovi is far from cheap — but the $45 special din-
cussion was fairly interesting and
ner is an absolute steal. The food is top-notch, the staff is knowl-
made one appreciate the amount of
edgeable and professional and the atmosphere is classy but not
hard work that goes into making ani-
stuffy. Combining all of these aspects makes for a nearly per-
mated movies.
fect experience. If you have trouble picturing it, just imagine
— meghan BERMAN
the typical chaos and misery of a meal at the Axe and Palm and
contact meghan: then imagine the complete and total opposite. It’s worth every penny.
meghanb@stanford.edu — theo POLAN
google images
contact theo: tpolan@stanford.edu
8 intermission
6
 BAY
ince early in the year, rumors about Bay to Breakers get-
S ting ruined by new city regulations have circulated
through chain emails. Concerned groups debated if it
would be the same without the floats that tote kegs and ice
luges. While many were relieved about the proposed ban on
nudity, everyone was far more excited when the whole thing
got tossed. Officials still threatened to persecute visibly intoxi-
cated participants, setting a warning that probably was war-
ranted anyway.
This Sunday began like every other year . . . a 5:30 a.m.
wakeup call that requires extreme willpower to resist ignoring.
While many groups plan a theme, Stanford students tend to
represent the “rally gear” that is inevitably just something
thrown together. The 6 a.m. CalTrain was flooded with stu-
dents who have left their yawns and grogginess back on cam-
THE START OF A HAZARDOUS LOVE
pon arriving at 18th and Telegraph in Oakland
U hours before the Decemberists concert, I was
shocked to see that there were a lot of people lined
up outside, waiting for the doors to open. I shuffled to my
place in the back of the line, checking out the crowd that
had showed up hours earlier than I did. There were parents
accompanying their excited middle school kids, Cal stu-
dents, middle-aged women — overall a wide variety of peo-
ple.
After standing in line for an hour, I realized that this is
an enormous venue, much bigger than the intimate stages
The Decemberists are used to playing. The concert was also
sold out, which meant that there was going to be a huge
crowd. I paled at the thought of not being against the stage
at lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy’s feet, but when the
doors opened I was aggressive, winding up exactly where I
wanted to be.
Then there was even more waiting for the opening act
to come on stage. The theatre was buzzing with excitement,
as Oakland was just the second stop of the Short Fazed
Hovel tour. After an hour, the opener, a group called Other
Lives, came on stage greeted with enthusiastic and encour-
aging applause. The group performed an amazing set, high-
lighted by a beautiful cello and haunting piano. Their music
sounded like a hodgepodge of genres, leading them to be clas-
sified as “post-folk.” They were very well-received by the audi- grand stage. The backdrop was set up to look like the album
ence, but the most applause that they were given came once cover of their recent release, “Hazards of Love” (reviewed in
lead singer Jesse Tabish said, “I’d like to say thanks to the Intermission last April). Without any words to the audience,
Decemberists for letting us come with them. They’re amazing, the band began performing their whole rock opera continu-
aren’t they?”
TO BREAKERS 2009
pus. The hour-long train
ride was the biggest party
public transportation has
ever seen. Once the hoards
unloaded the train by the
AT&T Ballpark, everyone
followed the masses to the
starting line. With beers in
hand, cheering bystanders
threw tortillas at the seri-
ous runners, reminding the
racers that most of the
60,000 people would be
cruising behind them.
Once the floats were
unleashed, the real “race”
began.
The classic costumes, like
the group of salmon,
walked the 7.2 miles
upstream, inviting partici-
pants to join them and spawn. This year, Somali pirates and
swine flu existed in multiple forms, reminding San Francisco
of the overlap of CNN headlines and pop culture. A group
dressed as the Great Wall of China strictly guarded mile four,
linking arms in a Red Rover fashion, challenging participants
to break through. Overall, the costumes served as a conversa-
tion starter, as all the participants acted like old friends.
The steep hill of Hayes Street did not slow down the fun,
as bands and boomboxes filled the street, leading to block-
wide belting of everything from Eddie Money’s “Take Me
Home Tonight” to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “My September.”
Confetti fell from the sky, acting as a marker for the true pur-
pose of the event: to celebrate San Francisco. Many did not
make it all the way to the end, as people started resting along
google images
With that sentiment, Other Lives finished up their incred-
ible set and left the stage, leaving The Decemberists to take the
ously, not speaking or taking a break between songs. For those
the grass in Golden Gate Park. This was especially true, as the
90-degree heat continued to climb. By mile five, the drink of
choice became water, as volunteers handed out the entire 1.5
liter bottles instead of Dixie cups. The biggest trick about mak-
ing it to the breakers on the West side of the city was the trek
back to the CalTrain station by the bay. The ride home was
filled with photographers reviewing their finds and naps all
around.
Despite early panics about the changes of Bay to Breakers,
it was more fun than ever without the drama. Only two people
were cited for public urination, which, in a city like San
Francisco, is certainly a success.
— chloe BADE
contact inter mission: cbade@stanford.edu
photos courtesy google images
unfamiliar with “Hazards of Love,” it tells a complex story of
two star-crossed lovers that are unable to be together because
of an evil queen.
The band sounded incredible, with Colin Meloy’s strange-
ly endearing voice pealing out through the back of the the-
atre, all the way up to the top of the balcony. Becky Stark, of
Lavender Diamond, performed the vocals of Margaret, the
woman in love. While Stark’s voice was nothing if not ethere-
al and beautiful, the guest star that stole the show was Shara
Worden of My Brightest Diamond, who sang the part of the
queen. Her low range powerhouse vocals, combined with
infectious stage presence, had the audience cheering louder
for her than the band itself.
After completing the entire album, the group took a short
break and came back onstage for another set of some of their
other hits. Playing songs like “Grace Cathedral Hill,” “The
Crane Wife 3” and “O Valencia!” The Decemberists captivat-
ed the audience for the entire second set. The group then
returned for an encore of hodgepodge tunes that the band
seemed to play just because they enjoyed playing them. As the
audience spilled out of the theatre, the refrain that Colin had
asked to stick kept playing in our heads, sweetly sung by his
strange voice — “Hear all the bombs fade away . . .”
— annika HEINLE
contact annika: anheinle@stanford.edu
friday may 22 2009 9
MOViE REViEW

A DISAPPOINTING “NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM”

owadays, it seems that the motion picture industry is Battle of the Smithsonian,” the follow-up to 2006’s “Night at the exhibits he befriended in the first film, like the cowboy

N littered with hackneyed, uncreative adaptations and

useless sequels constantly reminding us that the cor-
porate film world is a busi-
ness valuing dollars above
all else. Unfortunately,
“Night at the Museum:
a l st a ts
th e v it
the Museum,” does nothing to alter this notion. Directed by
Shawn Levy (of “The Pink Panther” and “Cheaper by the
Dozen,” both remakes that led to irrelevant sequels), “Battle of
the Smithsonian” struggles to overcome a profusion of prob-
lems — namely tedious, unimaginative writing and the
omnipresence of contrived gags that are misses
far more often than they are hits.
In the first film, Ben Stiller, true to form,
plays an average guy, Larry Daley, who takes a
job as a security guard at the Museum of
Natural History in New York — only to dis-
cover that the museum’s exhibits spring to
. ON
A SCALE
O
life each night. This phenomenon is
F
Jedediah Smith (Owen Wilson), Roman general Octavius
(Steve Coogan) and Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), are set
to be put in storage at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. —
where they will no longer be able to enjoy the benefits of the
magic tablet. To prevent this, one of the exhibits, a monkey,
steals the tablet and brings it to the Smithsonian, thus bring-
ing all of its inhabitants to life and setting the plot of the film.
As Larry tries to help his friends retain their threatened vitali-
ty, he must contend with the Egyptian King Kahmunrah
(Hank Azaria), who wants the tablet for himself in order to
take over the world, all the while coming to terms with himself.
Oh, and he also has to negotiate the romantic overtures of a
vivacious, self-assured Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), whom

1
3
TO
he explained by the presence of an ancient, Levy pits against Stiller to accentuate his character’s uncertain-
N ig h t a t t

10...
golden Egyptian tablet in the museum that ty and tentativeness. If this all seems formulaic — that’s
Museum animates its inhabitants. In “Battle”, Stiller because it is.
PG sy reprises his role as Daley, who now has While the setting in the sequel has changed, the stale plot,
/F an ta
A d ve n tu re an
er s th at become an extremely successful inventor of flat humor, and uninventive dialogue have not. Levy seems
gu ar d di sc ov
A m us eu m us es di sp la ys to products such as the “glow-in-the-dark intent upon revisiting stereotypical gimmicks throughout the
e ca
an ci en t cu rs
co m e to li fe .. . flashlight,” the “super-big dog bone” and film. For instance, as if the conniving, slightly annoying, but
the “un-losable key ring.” redeemably endearing monkey routine had not been exhaust-
Yet feeling unfulfilled with his life (a theme painfully ed over ten years ago in “Dunston Checks In,” Levy bombards
traced throughout the film), Larry soon finds himself back at us with it. This includes borrowing a scene from the first
the Museum of Natural History where he learns that many of “Night at the Museum”, where Stiller and the monkey engage
| CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 |

twentieth century fox

| CONTINUED FROM “TV FINALES” PAGE 5 |

SMALLVILLE
Season finales are supposed to be EPIC. Always.
No excuses. Also, in the case of Smallville,
titling a season eight finale “Doomsday” creates
a level of expectation. Unfortunately, this
episode lacked that overall “wow” factor and
failed on more levels than it succeeded.
Let’s start with the good. I was personally
pleased and surprised when the show’s writers
decided to kill Jimmy off, thereby breaking a
major adaptation rule. Good for them — just
don’t kill Lois Lane. Besides that, Clark learned
an important lesson at the end of the episode
that will finally help to put him on the path of
being the hero that he’s meant to be. Having
Davis Bloom, the human, kill Jimmy helped to
show the darkness in humanity — something
that Clark needed to realize.
Now let’s talk about the bad, which I’ll
have to make brief despite its many occur-
rences. The “fight”
between Doomsday
and Clark was an
epic disappointment,
especially the con-
clusion. Although
having Lois travel to
the future was an
interesting concept, I
would have much
rather seen more
development in her
relationship with
10 intermission
Clark. Finally, although Clark realizing that
humanity isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be is
important — I would have liked to have seen
more of an “ending” rather than just having
Clark leave. Pretty much every Smallville sea-
son finale consists of Clark leaving in a huff of
angst. After eight seasons, I think we are all get-
ting sick of it.
Looking into season nine, I think that
Smallville has had a great and healthy run —
but it’s time to end it already. The characters are
running out of places to go, and Clark has
already faced some of his biggest enemies. My
fingers are crossed that Clark will finally open
his heart up to Lois and learn how to freakin’ fly
already.
— k y l e E VA L D E Z
contact kyle: kedemon@stanford.edu
photos courtesy google images
30 ROCK
The season finale of 30 Rock, “Kidney Now!” featured a star-studded cast of guest actors,
including Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Clay Aiken. The plot is simple: in
an effort to find a kidney for his biological father Milton Green (Alan Alda), Jack (Alec
Baldwin) calls in all of the favors he’s owed to put together a musical fundraiser. While the
stars certainly provide a few good laughs, (example: Mary J. Blige says, “We all believe in
this cause so much we’re doing this for free. Except Sheryl.” Sheryl Crow’s response is,
“That’s right, I’m the only one getting paid.”), 30 Rock is not a show that needs celebrity
help.
Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan keep the laughs rolling plenty well on their own.
Throughout the course of the episode, Liz (Fey), following Jack’s advice, decides to “get
hers,” and goes on a media blitz as a relationship expert based on a skit called “Deal
Breaker.” Unfortunately, as Jack puts it, “Suburban 7th graders have more experience than
[she] does.”
Meanwhile, in the episode’s least funny thread, Tracy
fights his fears and returns to his high school to give a
speech at graduation. Still, even this produces some
great one-liners (Tracy: “Just be yourself, and I
guarantee every single one of you will be
President of the United States.”)
The show vaguely hints at what might
happen next season, but it’s hard to distin-
guish between a real hint and a throwaway
joke. When Tracy gets an honorary high
school diploma, he tells Grizz,
Dotcom, and Ken that they’re all going
to college. Meanwhile, Jack tells Liz
that TGS has two years left, max. I
doubt that the show is really going to
drastically change along either of those
lines, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t
love to see it. All in all, this finale was a
great way to top off one more great sea-
son, so I’m committed to watching
anything they put into season four.
— alex WILLEN
contact alex:
awillen@stanford.edu

6
 9 ROXY’S ON A BOAT!

.27.0
ampus heated up this past week! Besides the scorching across the dance floor as
LINE U P
C weather, last weekend played host to Stanford’s annual par- he was “observing” us,

9-5
ties “Exotic Erotic” and “Cowabunga.” Needless to say, there making sure that we
were plenty of reasons and chances to scratch that itch. But of are all safe as the waves

5.22.0
course, the question on all of your minds is: How did Roxy spend rocked the ship. Our
her weekend? Roxy is pretty much over the traditional party scene, eyes locked, and the
and instead spent her Friday night ON A BOAT. next thing Roxy knew,
F A common spring quarter staple among dorms is boat dance, that cute first mate was
which essentially ends up being a booze cruise in San Francisco Bay. torpedoing her porthole
5pm: Relay For Life Roxy loves boat dances because not only are they a great change of in one of the bathrooms.
Wilbur Field pace to a stuffy frat house, but she gets to enjoy one of her favorite After Roxy was all warmed up,
come support the fight against cancer kinds of men — seamen. There’s nothing like rocking an already she decided to go for a hat trick — setting
rocking boat, enjoying all the seamen from all the semen. Hmm, her periscope on the ship’s captain. Of
8pm: Stanford Student Film Festival Roxy thinks she might have gotten that spelling mixed up. course Roxy believes in aquatic safety and would never want to dis-
Cubberly Aud.
But of course, getting your sail off on a boat is not as easy as it tract the captain from piloting the boat — a captain’s duty does
check out the filmmakers Stanford has to offer
sounds, and there are definitely right and wrong ways to go about come first after all. Roxy’s favorite nautical rule is that the captain
doing things, especially during a boat dance. First off, Roxy quickly always goes down with the ship. Since the ship wasn’t going down,
ignored all the other Stanford guys that were hitting on her. Roxy she decided to instead. Roxy could tell the captain was enjoying his
Sa can tap that any time of the week — tonight was all about the crew time because he had to crash the boat into a couple of waves to hide
members . . . and their members. The first man-candy that Roxy the rocking on the bridge.
8pm: Stanford Student Film Festival targeted on the boat was the bartender. Roxy has her priorities Then Roxy’s mission was complete. Once the ship docked on
Cubberly Aud.
down, and knows that all it takes is a good quickie behind the bar to dry land again, she quickly cleaned up all the ocean spray and joined
prizes awarded for films shown on Thursday
get free drinks for the rest of the night. The beautiful thing about the rest of her land-lovers. Good thing Roxy didn’t tell any of her
and Friday
bars is that the bartender can still make his drinks while I’m having boat dance conquests that she’s a pirate, or else they might have
7pm: Fleet Street Spring Show mine down below. made her walk their planks . . . or climb the mast . . . or heaven for-
Dink With the bartender’s notch added to my legendary belt, Roxy’s bid, scrub the poop deck — which Roxy is not a huge fan of at all.
check out never-before-heard songs! next target was the first mate. Roxy spotted her cabin boy from
XOXO,
Roxy SASS
S
7pm: Spiritually Uplifting Open Mic
| CONTINUED FROM “MUSEUM” PAGE 10 |
CoHo
a mixture of poetry, different kinds of music
and jamming in slapping each other in a back-and-forth that, unless you
are eight years old, becomes more frustratingly uncom-
fortable by the second.
M It is not as if “Battle at the Smithsonian” does not
boast a gifted cast. Aside from those already mentioned,
8pm: Jazz Jams Robin Williams (Teddy Roosevelt), Christopher Guest
CoHo (Ivan the Terrible), Ricky Gervais and Bill Hader (General
just chill out and relax George Custer) lend their considerable talents to the film.
Hader and Guest, in particular, transcend what is, for the
most part, overworked dialogue to provide amusing cari-
catures of their respective historical figures. However, the
T film’s writing really does not do justice to this ensemble of
actors, many of whom must work awkwardly with lines
7pm: Tango Night aimed at a younger audience.
CoHo Furthermore, Levy and company fall short in crafting
learn it for the ladies
the magical world they aim to create. Much of this can be
attributed to a brutally formulaic narrative that Levy tries
4:30pm: An Evening with Kal Penn
Kresge to inflate with a series of amateur themes that would make
it’s Kumar! talking about politics! a sixth-grade book report seem erudite by comparison.
And while the film operates under a far-fetched, fantasti-
cal premise that allows one to look past certain plot incon-
sistencies (of which there are many), some are simply too
W
egregious to ignore — such as when Earhart flies Larry
from the Smithsonian to New York, undetected, in her
8pm: Stanford Latin Jazz Ensemble
CoHo famous Lockheed Vega 5b plane, which evidently is still
caliente! equipped with fuel after all these years.
Ultimately, “Battle of the Smithsonian” is a children’s
movie and I would not recommend the film for anyone
else. While Stiller can be counted on to deliver a couple of
Th
good laughs, “Battle” is just another rudimentary, manu-
factured product off the assembly line that skirts logic and
8pm: Justin Saragueta intelligence all in the name of contrived comedy.
CoHo
another fabulous CoHo concert
— derek KNOWLES
8pm: Robber Barons Spring Show contact derek: dknowles@stanford.edu
Campbell Recital Hall
let them tickle your funnybone
friday may 22 2009 11
MOViE REViEW
SHALL WE KISS?
Shall We Kiss?” opens with an invigorating lack of pream- charming viewing.

“ ble. A woman asks a man on a street corner where she can Perhaps its most “French” quality is its
find a taxi, but he knows of none nearby. When the two unhurried pace, which provides a richness to
seem ready to part, he thinks better of walking away, and from much of the material, but which does strain the
the time he walks back to her, the two stay together far later viewer’s patience. It’s a 96-minute movie that feels
into the night. They find themselves in a car, and the man, at least an hour longer. This happens as a result of
Gabriel (Michaël Cohen), asks the woman, Judith
(Virginie Ledoyen), for a goodbye kiss. Gabriel is careful
and desiring, and Judith is interested and hesitant, but the
pull and tension of their conversation lies entirely outside
of their words. Their tone and their diction sound more
like two scientists discussing a theorem than two attrac-
tive people expressing their attraction. It’s the first, and
the most fascinating, of conversations in the film where understanding of it.
characters search for a way to control their feelings in the In a film so reliant upon scenes between two
sturdiness of calm words. people, individual performances don’t call attention to
The energy of these first scenes flags somewhat over themselves, and rarely do the actors have to carry a great
the film’s full running time, but the intrigue of how weight by themselves. You get the sense that they could,
events will resolve themselves lasts until the final frames. however, as the ensemble work is uniformly excellent.
Neither Judith nor Gabriel is single, but she explains to Ledoyen finds herself handling the most complex material
him her reservations not by appeals to loyalty, but to as Judith, a narrator in many senses; but she rises excellent-
photos courtesy paramount pictures ly to the occasion and is particularly stellar in handling the
precedent; she has a story weighing on her mind. She
then begins narrating the experiences of Émilie (Julie film’s bittersweet ending.
Gayet) and Nicolas (Emmanuel Mouret), two friends who the film’s structure, which writer-director Mouret (also acting All in all, “Shall We Kiss?” is a sometimes-trying but alto-
wind up finding a kiss a far more complex thing than either of adeptly as Nicolas) stages as essentially a never-ending series of gether rewarding experience. It offers fine conversation and
them had expected. The film unfolds and increasingly inter- conversations between two people. Even his camera-work feels charms you over and over with its small discoveries. In its
weaves the two pairings over the rest of its running time. uncomfortable unless he has two characters in frame at the characters’ attempts to find wisdom (and escape) in story-
It’s a very French concept for a very French movie. “Shall same time. In the rare instances of close-ups, or the still- telling and formality, you can see much of what the film itself
We Kiss?” came out in Europe in 2007, as “Un baiser s’il vous scarcer scenes with only one character, he makes sure to pair offers: not solace, exactly, but a comfort. More films would do
plait,” but has only made it across the Atlantic recently. That on and double with another of the same variety. The film is as well to have such modest aim — and to so patiently attain it.
its own will be enough to turn many away; those who can’t insecure in lingering on one person as some of its characters
stomach the combination of wit and red wine — a perfectly are with their partners; yet with each successive tour-de-force — eric MESSINGER
forgivable stance — should avoid this movie if at all possible. of restrained dialogue, the film comes closer to saying, and contact eric: messinger@stanford.edu
For those with the taste for it, though, “Shall We Kiss?” offers a finding, something profound about love and lovers’ fleeting

MOViE REViEW
“DANCE FLICK:” A FAILED PARODY
ll you really need to know about Dance Flick is that it is Herein lies the greatest problem with Dance Flick, apart different take on the film, laughing uproariously throughout

A a Wayans brothers movie. If you have seen any of the

latest installments in their ongoing series of spoofs,
such as Little Man, White Chicks or Scary Movie, then you
know what I’m talking about. From the cheap attempts at
humor all the way to the entire cast and “creative team,” Dance
Flick is littered with the proverbial, lowbrow type of comedy
that has come to define the Wayans.
Operating on an absurd premise designed to parody any
number of recent films, ranging from as far back as You Got
Served to Edward Scissorhands, Dance Flick, like all of the
from the ostentatious humor. While the Wayans satirize the the film’s 83-minute run time and erupting into applause dur-
admittedly contrived aspects of such by-the-book pictures, in ing the closing credits. The Wayans seem to depend upon a
ironic fashion, they have similarly regressed to the same for- demographic of viewers that don’t mind watching a series of
mulaic level of the films they parody, wherein their endless gags tied together by any means. There might be some-
spoofs have become its own genre deserving of thing redeemable about this concept if any of these gimmicks
parody. At one point during an altogether were at all creative or did not rely on jokes involving uncom-
uncreative and unoriginal musical num- fortably stupid slapstick, but this is not true of Dance Flick.
ber performed by Jack (Brennan Clearly some people can endure, and even enjoy, a film that
Hillard) where he sings about finds box office success with a relentless stream of comedy
being gay, the Wayans N
A
A SC LE OF involving farts, testicles and disfigured vaginas. For everyone
ts. O 1

Wayans’ movies, is characterized by a painful — but not unex- inevitably — even though s t a else, Dance Flick is not for you.
TO

ita l
he v
2
10...

pected — brand of comedy that is presented with all the sub- everyone knows it’s coming t F l i ck
tlety of a Looney Tunes episode. For instance, in the first 10 — throw in a blatant D a
nce
— derek KNOWLES
minutes of the film, a woman is crushed to death after being Brokeback Mountain allusion, c o n t a c t d e r e k : d k n o wles@stanford.edu
13
hit consecutively by three different cars, a pregnant street thus proving that they are not P G -m e d y s U n
nd
cles a to
Co homa team up
dancer graphically gives birth during a performance, a charac- above reusing jokes that cer T e
t r e e t dan egan Whit ce battle.
S
ter named Ms. Cameltoé (Amy Sedaris) is introduced, and arguably were never funny and, b e a u t i f u l Mn a g r e a t d a n
te i
Megan (Shoshana Bush), a naïve white girl with aspirations of worse yet, grew old about three c o m p e
participating in dance battles, applies blackface before going to years ago. Furthermore, with the
a club. whole movie consisting of transparent set-
Officially directed by Damien Wayans in his directorial ups to agonizingly clichéd punchlines, the
debut, Dance Flick tells the story of Megan and Thomas Uncles Wayans seem to live by the creed that if
(Damon Wayans Jr.), a street dancer with an ambiguous sexu- something isn’t funny the first time, then
al orientation, who team up to win a dance contest. Ultimately, perhaps repeating the same gimmick
the plot — or rather, the compilation of scenes — is unimpor- throughout the film will elicit a different
tant. The film, written by almost the entire Wayans family response. In this case, it never does.
(Keenen, Shawn, Marlon, Craig and Damien), parodies more Perhaps the most alarming aspect of my
sincere competitive dance-themed movies like Step Up and Dance Flick experience was that the audience
Save the Last Dance. in the screening appeared to have a much

12 intermission
google images
6