October 14, 2004

FILM
Mr. 3000 follows story and character arcs that should be fairly familiar to people who have seen a few sports-genre movies. But that being said the movie does have an affable charm – thanks mainly to its leads Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett – that makes it easy to watch after a long day at the office.

Bernie Mac plays Stan Ross, a retired baseball player who expects to be voted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame based on the fact that he has 3000 hits to his name. Though he was a superb player in his time he was rude to the press and the fans and wasn’t exactly a team man (think Geoff Boycott) but based on his record he thinks he deserves to be a Hall of Famer. Then it’s discovered that due to a miscalculation he is actually 3 hits short of the magical number, 3000. So 9 years after he retired, Stan is back playing professional baseball to get those elusive 3 hits.

Will Stan accomplish what he’s set out to do? Will he rediscover the love of the game and the value of teamwork? Will he inspire his new team-mates to greater heights and discover a new depth to himself? Will he win back the girl he lost so many years ago? The answers to these questions are no great mysteries but you’ll have a pleasant time watching the movie anyway.— Khusro Mumtaz

OR
I had given the first Resident Evil movie, a zombie action thriller based on the popular video game, a pretty scathing review. It was a fairly dull and predictable affair with less than spectacular special effects. So I wasn’t particularly looking forward to the sequel and the first half of the movie seemed to confirm my worst fears.

Picking up almost exactly where the first movie ended, Resident Evil: Apocalypse just seemed to me to be more of the same with the so-called “shocks” coming at obvious moments and intervals. But somewhere around the middle, RE:A improved into territory that can be described as good schlocky fun. Once Alice (Milla Jovovich) and Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), our long-legged heroines with the big, big guns (not –so-subtle symbolism anyone?) take care of the zombies and start taking on the bad guys of the big, bad Umbrella Corporation the movie becomes much more palatable and the action better - though the action scenes in general could have done with some better editing.

To sum up then, if you are a video-game aficionado or liked the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movies then you might find RE:A passable.— K.M.

CLASSIC FILM
The Omen (1976) may not be as fondly remembered by critics as Rosemary’s Baby (1968) or The Exorcist (1973) but it remains a classic of the horror genre that should still get your spine tingling if you watch it now. Richard Donner’s taut direction and Jerry Goldsmith’s eerie music (for which Goldsmith won an Oscar) created a sustained atmosphere of suspense and dread that kept the viewer on edge.

Is Damien, the sweet but blank-faced child of the American Ambassador to Britain (Gregory Peck) and his wife (Lee Remick), the child of Satan? And is he a herald of the Apocalypse? How is such a thing possible? And if it isn’t then why are so many people around the child dying so mysteriously and so spectacularly?

The Omen was so successful that it spawned three sequels – though only the original is really worth watching – and countless imitators becoming a cliché of sorts, a victim of its own success in some ways. But all that should not detract from the power of the original which definitely remains superior to such modern pretenders as Lost Souls and End Of Days. Available in Pakistan on DVD.— K.M.

TV
Children and health shows are rarely seen on TV channels which focus more on the commercial side of the programmes. A health show that focuses on raising awareness amongst the public on the prevention of diseases is aired on PTV1 discussing hygiene and a little care to the surroundings and how to combat the problem once it appears. Merk Aur Sehat Saath Saath is aired on Monday.—A.S.

SINGLE
When Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliot last teamed up, it was on the smash all-star hit Lady Marmalade from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, also featuring Maya, Pink and Lil’ Kim. Now, the two divas are back with another remake, this time it’s just the two of them and the track is Rose Royce’s 1977’s one-hit wonder Car Wash. Perhaps not the best choice of cover, this track was a big hit way back when, but sounds a bit campy now.

Although Xtina and Elliot fans will laud the synergy and Aguilera’s incredible vocal chords, the single is no marmalade or sweet confection. Instead, it’s pure cheese with such purple vocals as You might not ever get rich, ha/Let me tell you it’s better than digging a ditch/There ain’t no telling who you might meet/A movie star or maybe a common thief. Royce managed to pull the campiness off, but Xtina and Elliot struggle with the task. Overly buffed and waxed, Car Wash may appeal to some fans, but others will definitely be wise to wait for new solo efforts to come out.—T. U. Dawood

ALBUM
The two main reasons Pakistanis may be familiar with Icelandic singer Bjork are her contributions to Madonna’s Ray of Light album and her recent performance at this year’s Olympics in Athens that was shown live around the world. Bjork has always had a history of being at the forefront of alternative music and musical progress. Her unique musical stylings, technological twists and innovative harmonies have garnered her a large cult following and inspired many other artists, such as Madonna, in their own musical experimentations.

With the release of Medulla, her fifth and latest studio album, her music has only gotten more ambitious and challenging, with the music built entirely from layers of vocal tracks with no instruments appearing on the disc. Her processed vocals are boldly “layered” on top of her signature harmonies and dissonances. One traditional Bjork style number Desired Constellation is a decadent combination of trance and rave and will be a club staple. Pure acapella rules the day with Show Me Forgiveness while the true musical triumphs on the CD are the radical Vokuro and Oll Birtan.Love her or hate her, one thing’s for sure, this Nordic beautiful makes distinct, unforgettable music.—T. U.D

WEBSITE
Study of ancient civilizations is not only a part of education but also a topic of interest to many people. www.egyptologyonline.com welcomes individuals who have an interest in the fascinating subject of ancient Egypt. The site contains plenty of informative materia.. The homepage carries an introduction to the land of ancient Egypt, its symbols, crowns and patrons. The ‘Life in Egypt’ section contains a general overview of daily life in ancient Egypt, including trades and occupations, leisure activities, hunting, fishing, medicine and dress.

The site contains an overview of the standard accepted chronology of ancient Egypt, with specific detailed pages on the different kingdoms and periods in Egypt’s history. You can read the history of Egyptology, how it all began with Napoleon’s military expedition, and developed into the discipline that we know today.

In ‘History’ there is also information on well known and popular pharaohs of ancient Egypt. You can see the list of some of the main monuments, complete with maps and information on the sites and areas and a comprehensive list and photographs of the main pyramid complexes and their royal builders. So explore the astonishing civilization.—S.M.Aamir

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