July 29, 2004

FILM
If you have even a nodding acquaintance with science fiction then you probably know the three laws of robotics. But just in case you don’t, these are: 1. a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2. a robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law; and 3. a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or fecond law. The celebrated science-fiction author Isaac Asimov came up with these three laws and used them to brilliant effect in a series of short stories and novels in which mysteries and murders and logical quandaries were solved and resolved using brains not brawn. The conundrums presented were not only of the room-locked-from-the-inside-so-how-did-the-murderer-escape variety but also raised issues of humanity and ethics and future-shock. But the new Will Smith sci-fi action-adventure I, Robot “inspired” by Dr Asimov’s tales, has little do to with the source material other than borrowing the title from a collection of the short stories and the mentioning of the three laws. All the subtleties are gone and instead we are left with a ho-hum rehash of ideas and special effects borrowed from movies such as The Terminator or The Matrix or Blade Runner. It’s not that the effects are bad (and Sonny, the robot — Alan Tudyk provides his voice and character/physical reference — is pretty good) but we are now starting to reach a point that one movie’s special effects are starting to blur into another’s and there’s not that much that is going to make your eyes pop out (as the first Matrix did) and often action sequences become mind-numbing rather than exciting. As for characterization, Will Smith’s brooding cop ever-ready with a quip is as clichéd as they come and so are most of the cautionary words of advice tagged on at the movie’s end. The movie isn’t horrible and can be seen but it’s disappointing that director

Alex Proyas shows none of the originality that he had in his sci-fi noir Dark City and if you are a fan of the original Asimov tales then you are likely to be underwhelmed as well. Also starring Bridget Moynahan. — Khusro Mumtaz

 

OR
Day After Tomorrow is a throwback to those disaster movies like Airport, The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure that were all the rage about 30 years ago. This means that we follow a few characters around to see if they will survive the disaster that’s hit them but the characterization tends to play second-fiddle to the machinations of the plot and the special effects. What’s new in The Day After Tomorrow is that the special effects are absolutely stupendous. Director Roland Emmermich (Independence Day, Godzilla) really knows how to blow up stuff, and it’s also amusing to see the not-so-subtle barbs thrown at the Bush-Cheney government (the bad-guy vice-president in the movie looks exactly like Cheney) and the not-so-subtle commentary on the state of global politics. Day After warns us about the havoc that can be wreaked on the world if global warming continues, possibly resulting in the onset of another ice-age and Dennis Quaid as paleoclimatologist Professor Jack Hall is our point of reference character who, after warning the US government of the impending disaster, sets off to his find his son (Jake Gyllenhaal) stranded in a frozen New York. So as the world faces violent hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, massive floods, etc. and billions die we worry about the fate of the characters that we are introduced to. So it’s all kind of silly in a way (especially the not really believable hopeful ending) but the special effects and just-about-workable script makes it good pop-corn entertainment.

 

CLASSIC MOVIE
Frederico Fellini’s La Strada (1954) is considered one of the most important movies of late Italian Neo-Realist cinema and won the first official Oscar in 1956 for Best Foreign Language Film. The movie remains an immensely powerful work in which Fellini, starting to break away from the bounds of Neo-Realism, tells a deceptively simple but heavily symbolic tale, of one brutish man’s (Anthony Quinn) ultimate redemption (though the ending can be interpreted in many different ways) through the effect on his life of the slightly addled Gelsomina (played by Giuletta Masina, Fellini’s wife). Told in episodic fashion as the circus strongman and the clownish Gelsomina (one of the truly unforgettable characters in the history of cinema) travel the Italian roads (La Strada means “the road” in Italian), going from town to town peddling their wares, the movie becomes a sad and poignant tale rising to a crescendo of tragedy accompanied by Nino Rota’s magnificent score. Available in Pakistan on DVD.—- K.M.

 

ALBUM
After two successful CDs, System of A Down (SOAD) is back with a bang. Their newest CD toxicity is selling in the markets like hot cakes. This one opens with the title track prison in which it seems the musicians are trying to vent their frustration by singing as loud as they can and beating drums as hard as they can. However, the songs become better as one proceeds. SOAD churn out good music, their biggest asset being the ambiguity of their lyrics. This ploy was first employed by Nirvana. Their lyrics border on being either too deep or too senseless but have a charm of their own. One such song is Chopsuey, which starts with the vocalist huskily singing Wake up, grab a brush and put a little makeup. The vocalist who’s popularly referred to as Mr. Vocalist has improved his vocals by making them huskier and more in tune. The drumming is as usual a treat to listen to. Its fast and upbeat style keeps the listener mesmerized. There are a few meaningful songs in the CD such as psycho and aerial. The former deals with the problems of drug addicts with the lyrics being So u really want the world to stop, stop in and watch your body fully drop from the time you were a Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy. Aerial talks about the quest for living and the music and the vocals are splendid. The other tracks such as jet pilot, bounce and deer song are also very catchy tunes and worth listening to. The title track Toxicity complains about the disordered life of the city and how materialistic our world has become and not paying attention to the beauty of nature and our world. The CD, thus comprises of a few oh so great songs and a few not so great songs but it’s a must have for all the hard rock music lovers out there. As SOAD says about themselves “Our heritage, our politics are really important, but our musical vibe together is the thing. Our live performances speak for themselves.” I don’t know about the live performances but their music certainly does speak for themselves and it says good stuff. — Sana Abid

 

SINGLE
When 19-year-old Spanish Harlem R&B songstress Lumidee (pronounced Lou-Me-Dee) released her debut disc last summer entitled Almost Famous, her name and music created an instant wave in the industry. Carrying her unforgettable breathrough hit Never Leave You, this track quickly became known as the “Uh-Ooh” song after its infectious bridge. A true dance club hit, the mix is a catchy blend of Dawali rhythm (more Caribbean than Indian influenced beats in this case) with a dash of R&B and modern reggae. Written by the Diva-in-waiting herself, this awesome track generated great interest surrounding the young artist. Unfortunately, the rest of Almost Famous didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Still, the songbird wasn’t forgotten because the airplay and buzz surrounding Never Leave showed no sign in waning all these months. Now, with the release of the remix Never Leave You (Uh Oh, Uh Oh) remix with Busta Rhymes and Fabolous the song is taking on a whole new buzz. With these mix-masters putting in their own brand of vibe, there seems to be nothing stopping this addictive track.

The original bridge simply has the Spanish Harlem senorita chanting Uh oh, Uh oh, Uh oh, Uh oh mantra-like, and the chorus is as simple and sweet, If you want me to stay I’ll never leave, If you want me to stay, We’ll always be, If you want me to stay, Love endlessly. The remix version edges the groove up, and enhances the track’s vibe, becoming a great favourite especially among teenage fans. However, listeners of all ages will be singing Uh Oh after hearing this track. — T. U. Dawood

 

WEBSITE
www.eyewitnesstohistory.com is a chronicle of historical events — from the primeval world to the contemporary. Introduced by Ibis Communications Inc., a digital publisher of educational programming, the uniqueness of the site lies in history being presented through the eyes of those who lived it. It contains records of articles and photographs endorsing important historical events and is supplemented with an exclusive section of recorded ‘voices from history’. A factual narration with a personal touch to it, the site highlights excerpts direct from the primary source; the people themselves. Highly recommended.— Humna Ishtiaq

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