As one who uses words on a fairly regular basis, there are a few words I absolutely hate. The word “whatnot” is at the top of that list, but there is one word that is slowly climbing that list; “bromance.” It is used to describe a close relationship between two men, or “bros” The word seems to be everywhere in the entertainment world and now there is even a movie based on it. While the word is never spoken in the movie, I can only hope that “I Love You, Man” marks the end of the word. Though I doubt it.
Real estate agent, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) has always been a girlfriend guy and this has caused his guy friends to fall by the wayside. Now he has found Zooey, (Rashinda Jones) and plans on marring her. There is one small problem; he does not have a best man. With the wedding a few months away he sets out to find his best man. He is set up on a series of “man-dates” and is still without a best man. When showing Lou Ferrigno’s house, he meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) and the two start up a friendship that could end up being the one Peter is looking for.
If there is one Hollywood trend I do not mind, it is the R-rated comedies that have become popular over the past few years. It really all started with 2004’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” It was a hit and it made studios more willing to green light a raunchy comedy. Not surprisingly both Segel and Rudd have been apart of some of the bigger comedies of the past few years, and this movie looks to continue their success.
Paul Rudd is quickly becoming the funniest person on the planet. He has an almost deadpan way of delivering lines. He is not
someone who has to be overly physical to be funny. If you look at recent interviews he did on “The Daily Show,” you will see he has an ability to improvise some of the most random things.
In “I Love You, Man” he plays a guy just trying to make a friend. He has lived a life where he has never had time for guy friends. Sydney resents the life he never had and he finds himself willing to do anything to get time to spend with Sydney; even at the expense of his relationship with Zooey.
Segel has found a lot of success recently. He wrote and starred in last year’s hit, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and has a starring role on the hit sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother.” He is even writing the new Muppets movie. Sydney reminds me a lot of Segel’s character in “Freak and Geeks.” Both are slackers who enjoy free time more than working. Sydney goes to open houses to pick up divorcées and never seems to work even though he says he is in investments. Segal plays Sydney as the type of guy we all need in our lives. Someone who is always calm and just goes with the flow.
One of the strengths of this movie are the supporting roles of Denise and Barry played by Jamie Pressly and Jon Favreau. They are a married couple who never get along and seem to be together just for the fight and the make-up sex. Pressly and Faverau play off one another really well and add some humor in scene that is not designed to be funny. 
If anyone is going to be the potential breakout star, it is Rashida Jones. She is probably best known for the role of Karen on “The Office.” She proved in her stint on the show that she can play comedy very well. She gets a few funny lines, but her part is mostly relegated to being the “straight man” of the movie. She is involved in the more dramatic and emotional scenes. Peter’s relationship with Syndey puts a strain on his relationship with Zooey. She is supportive of his decision to find a best friend, but when it starts to interfere with her engagement, she becomes concerned.
Let’s talk about the concept of “man-date” for a second. Why is there even a term for this? There is not “woman-date” for when women get together and do something. Why should men get singled out? What is it about men going to a movie, or grabbing a bite to eat that makes people want to label it? I saw this movie under “man-date” circumstances. I see a lot of movies or gone to a restaurant with my guy friends and have never felt it was an odd thing to be doing. It is just something we do.
As with most of the R-rated comedies, this one has a bit of heart behind all the cursing and risqué talk. It boils down to balancing relationships with your significant other and your friends. Peter learns the hard way that you need to make time for both or risk losing it all.
Is this on par with movies like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall?” It is as good as any of the R-rated movies that have been released in the past few years. It does not raise the bar, but it succeeds at what it needs to do: entertain. It is actually the perfect movie for a “man-date.”
8 out of 10
Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references.
105 min
The lineup for Springfest 2009 was announced on Monday, and it looks to be one of the more interesting lineups in the history of the event. On Friday, May 1, heavy metal legends Black Sabbath will open for county music star Taylor Swift at the start of their “Never Saw It Coming Tour.”
“It may seem like an odd pairing, but we have more in common than people realize,” Swift said. “We both have been through tough times in our lives. I’ve had my heart broken by a Jonas Brother, and Ozzy has been super addicted to drugs. We can both relate to pain.”
When reached for comment, Ozzy mumbled something unintelligible and yelled his wife’s name.
“I chose Ozzy for my opening act because he was my musical inspiration. The only reason I chose country over heavy metal was because I couldn’t bite the head off a bat. Plus, country music is so much easier to write,” Swift said.
There will be a preshow of classical music-inspired interpretative dance and Manny the yodeling howler monkey. They are even inviting attendees to come on stage and be a part of the interpretative dance session.
“Just be aware of Manny,” said Brian Fellows, a zoologist at the Buffalo Zoo. “He is easily spooked and tends to attack the face of anyone making sudden movements.”
“We wanted to do something that spans all tastes,” Sharon Osbourne said when she picked up the phone that Ozzy had apparently dropped after trying to eat it and realizing it wasn’t food. “We wanted to bring the country music crowd and the heavy metal crowd together. These are groups of people who were destined to be together.”
Both artists have stated that if they can get their fans to mingle, they believe anything is possible.
“We might even be able to put a man on the moon one day,” Swift said.
Sabbath and Swift have even planned a few duets to wow the crowd. Swift will sing “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train” with Ozzy and the band and Ozzy will sing with Swift on her hits, “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Love Story.”
“We have a lot of cool stuff planned. I don’t want to give it all away, but there are going to be some very unexpected things.
Ritual animal sacrifice is not out of the question,” Swift said. She even hinted that there might be a burning of an effigy of her ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas.
“I feel my fans will be very open to this new collaboration,” Swift said. “I think I appeal to a mass audience. You don’t just have to be a teenager to like my stuff. I am sure I have many fans who are in biker gangs, dress all in black and carve anarchy symbols into their foreheads.”
Ozzy sees things differently, or at least that is what Sharron said. “Ozzy knows that the tweens who are Swift fans are going to be a little surprised to hear Sabbath’s heavy guitar sound, but they will learn to love it.”
The choice to kick off their tour here at Buffalo State College is not one many saw coming. “That’s why we chose this place,” Sharon said, “It epitomizes the idea of the tour. Who knew that a school could have so many students and so few places to park? I didn’t see that coming.”
For the first time ever, students will be able to use their meal cards to pay for the event. “We felt it was time to stop having the students spend money on crappy food. Do you even know how much money we get in unspent meal plans? Last year alone we got enough to pay for all the construction we’re about to do,” said Kris A. Kaufman, the director of residence life.
This idea has been met with gratitude from much of the student population.
“I was just going to start buying lunch for hobos and other random strangers,” said Craven Morehed, a senior in the psychology department. “Now I can take them to the show after a nice dinner in the union.”
“I don’t even like Taylor Swift or Black Sabbath, but I’ll buy as many tickets as I can just so I do not have to give the school any more money. I might just scalp the tickets and make a profit on this,” said Phil McCrackin, a junior biology major.
Though the paring has come as a shock to many of the students on the campus, they remain optimistic as to the potential these two performers have.
“I can’t wait to see what these two have planned. Never in my life did I think that my two favorite acts would perform together,” said Ben Dover, a senior biology major. “I have always been ashamed to admit my love of country and heavy metal, but now I can blast both Sabbath and Swift as I drive to campus everyday.”
No one could have ever predicted this pairing, but it is happening, and it is happening here on this very campus.
Ilene Dover just shook her head when she heard the news and said, “This has got to mean the end of the world.”
Tickets are $20, but with the meal card, the tax will be taken off. Tickets can be picked up at the box offices in the union or Rockwell Hall. If using your meal card, you are asked to go to any one of the food service places in the union and get them there.
Starting in the fall, Buffalo State College will introduce MUS 320 Advanced Rhyming Techniques taught by Dr. Joaquin Phoenix.
"We are thrilled to have Dr. Phoenix come and teach at our college." Buffalo State President Muriel Howard said in Tuesday's press conference. "It is not often that we are lucky enough to get a professor with so much experience and acclaim to come teach our students."
“It is an honor to be here in Buffalo, the heart of the national rap scene. I hope to pass all I know on to the students here,” Phoenix said.
MUS 320 will be an intensive study of what words rhyme and how to use them. “The main focus of the class will be to teach the skills to rap and be as un-whitey as possible,” Phoenix. “It will be a very hands on class. Each class will feature rap battles and all tests will be given in rhyme.”
The collaboration between Phoenix and Buffalo State began earlier this year when Phoenix retired from acting to peruse his music career. “I wanted to be more than just an artist, I wanted to show that I was more than just a world-class rapper. After that I got my teaching degree from a guy selling them out of his car and became a teacher. All I had to do was to find a place to teach.”
Phoenix came to Buff State because of the “rap scene.” He sees Buffalo as the hub of the rap music world. “So many great acts have come out of this city.” When asked for specifics Phoenix said, “If I have to tell you, you don’t need to know.”
Student reaction has been mixed. “I am super excited to take the class,” said Kip Stenson, a senior business major, “I was going to graduate in May, but since I heard about this class, I dropped a few classes so I could come back in the fall.”
“It’s all a stunt for his career,” said Jack Shepard, a junior communication major. “He just wants publicity for whatever his next crappy movie is making.”
“If being able to sing like Johnny Cash is all you need to be considered a teacher, than I must be doing it wrong,” said Alice Thompson a junior elementary education major.
The decision to allow the former actor to teach is not without controversy. Some of music department faculty have voiced outrage. “There is no reason why that man should be a teacher here,” said one professor who wanted to remain anonymous.
“Just because the man has a few Oscar nominations does not mean he can be a teacher. It is just a ploy by the administration to get more money from the alumni.”
“We chose Dr. Phoenix because he brings a new and interesting perspective to the school. Why anyone would think that we make these choices with more than the good of the students in mind is just wrong,” Howard said.
The music department has started petitions online to stop Phoenix from teaching in the fall. They have made a group on Facebook and even started a Twitter account to tell the student population why this is a bad idea.
“We are hoping that the students will read what we post and understand that this is a waste of a class and that it is a decision motivated purely by money. The students are being taken advantage of and it has to stop,” the unnamed professor said.
Whatever the reason maybe for Phoenix’s appointment as professor, students are taking notice of the bold choice. “I came here because the teaching program is one of the best in the state, but now I am changing my major to music. I think Dr.
Phoenix has the potential to be an amazing professor,” said Suzie Lizenburg an undecided freshmen.
The variety of hero in the comic book/graphic novel medium is staggering. If you look hard enough you can probably find a hero just like you. There are joke-filled and light-hearted heroes like Superman, Spiderman and The X-Men, and there are the darker ones like Batman, Spawn and Blade. Then here are those seen in “Watchmen.” They make the brooding Bruce Wayne look like Bozo the Clown. 
Set in an alternate 1985 where Nixon has been elected to his fifth term as president and where America won the Vietnam War, “Watchmen” is not exactly the feel good movie of the year.
When the retired hero known as The Comedian, Edward Blake, (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered, it sets off a chain of events 
that lead down a dark path. Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) begins an investigation and warns his fellow heroes that someone may be “picking off costumed heroes.” He looks to fellow heroes Dan “Night Owl” Dreiberg (Patrick Wilson,) Laurie “Silk Spectre” Jupiter (Malin Akerman,) Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and Adrian “Ozymandais” Veidt (Matthew Goode) for help. When they dismiss his theory as paranoia, Rorschach continues his investigation alone until he begins to uncover something worse than just a killer.
There is so much I could talk about. Honestly I could fill this entire section with my opinion on the movie. Hell, I could even manage the entire paper if I nitpicked enough. Luckily for you, they won’t allow me to ramble that long.
“Watchmen” was, and may still be, considered un-filmable. The plot is not easy to follow, they play with time, each character has a rich and detailed background and it is not an upbeat story. For the most part the characters are either horrible people or damn near impossible to relate to. It is about as anti-Hollywood blockbuster as you can get. To top it all off there are legions of fanboys who are going to destroy a director if it is not done properly.
Just how do you film the un-filmable? How do you please the devoted fanoys? Simple, you get one to direct it. Zach Snyder (“300”) was just the man for the job. As a fan, he knew what the fans wanted. He was able to balance the need to make it marketable with the need to make it fan approved.
There are going to be moments that fanboys are going to hate, namely the end. The end is essentially the same, but a big part of the book ending is missing. The movie ending works better on a few levels. It appeals to the mass audience and it is easier to follow than the original. I am about to say something here that may incur the wrath of fanboys everywhere: I like the movie ending better. It the grand scheme of things, it worked better in getting the message across. 
While the fanboys are busy writing the hate mail, I will add that there are some things the movie did better than the book. One was the movie made Dr. Manhattan human. A lab accident caused Dr. Jon Osterman to become dismantled at the atomic level. He manages to reassemble himself and Dr. Manhattan is born. He can see his future and change things at an atomic level and make them completely different. As a result, he understands how everything works, except humans. He becomes less and less human with everyday that passes. In the book, he seems distant and disconnected. Reading it, one could think he would have this deep booming voice (and he does when he makes himself bigger), but the choice to make it a normal voice makes him human. 
While I am on the topic of Dr. Manhattan, lets talk blue genitalia. Dr. Manhattan is naked throughout the entire movie. This is one of those things that the movie could have changed from the book. It is not crucial to include this in the movie, because it is only caused the audience to laugh and detach from the movie.
It also eliminated some of the more unnecessary storylines. There are a bunch of extra characters that add to the depth of the
world of “Watchmen” but are not important to the overall plot. Two such characters are the newspaper vendor and the guy who hangs out at the newsstand and reads a comic book. While these two are interesting characters, they are not vital. They make cameo appearances, but unless you have read the book, you would not notice them.
From an acting standpoint, there are a few highlights, particularly Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The Comedian could have been played as a complete psycho. The Comedian is the worst humanity has to offer. He kills without remorse and sees life as one big joke. 
Morgan’s performance makes you feel for The Comedian. He has a human side; he just chooses to ignore it. He understands the dark side of human nature, the brutal and unforgiving side, and he becomes a parody of it. He relishes in the punishment-free violence he gets to inflict. In a flashback, he and Night Owl are breaking up a riot. Disturbed by what he sees, Night Owl asks, “What happened to the American dream?” The Comedian merely smiles and replies, “We’re it.”
Will fanboys like this movie? I think so. The two fanboys I went with seemed to enjoy it, even if they did not agree with all the changes. How will the uninitiated feel? I would be surprised if they did not at least enjoy it. The movie may be dark and, at times, depressing, but it is very well done.
9 out of 10
Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language
162 min
Fanatics will follow the object of their worship where ever they go and support whatever they do. I am a Joss Whedon fanatic. It started with “Firefly.” I love that show with an insane passion. I watched his web show, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” During my six months of, lets just call it unwanted free time, I watched his other two series. “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and the spin-off “Angel.” I became a full-fledged Whedon fanatic. I love his writing style, his characters, his stories and his willingness to push the envelope. He did an episode of “Buffy” where most of it is silence, he did a musical episode, “Dr. Horrible” showed how web content could be successful when done properly, he has continued “Buffy” in comic books, he made a movie based on his canceled television show “Firefly.” Now there is “Dollhouse” and legions of Whedonites are following their leader once again. 
Echo (Eliza Dushku) is an active. She can be imprinted with personalities and skills to suite whoever is willing to pay. She lives in the Dollhouse where she and others like her spend time when they are not being, for lack of a better word, rented. They can be anyone the client wants. When the time comes, the active goes back to the dollhouse and has their memory wiped.
That is the short version. Over the past three episodes a larger story is arising. Alpha, most likely the first active, escaped (before the show takes place) and killed many who work in the dollhouse and many of the actives, but not Echo. He seems to be dropping hints to what and where the dollhouse is to FBI agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett), who is looking for the dollhouse. There is also an interesting thing happening with Echo, she is remembering things she should not: her past.
My main worry, besides the show getting canceled for low ratings, is Dushku. She was great on Buffy as Faith, the tough, Slayer gone bad. She does not have the range as an actress that I feel is needed to pull off this character. She can be anyone and I’m not sure that can be delivered on. If the show boils down to the same three personalities, the show will get old and get the axe before too long.
I still remain hopeful. I look forward to where Joss takes things. He has done amazing things in the past and this could be great. The Friday night timeslot is going to be tough and the ratings are already slipping. In the world of DVR, Hulu and iTunes, it is doing pretty well. It always comes in at number one on Hulu and iTunes, so I have some hope that it will make it past one season.
Joss has an amazing ability to tell riveting stories and great characters. I proudly call myself a member of the Wheadonverse. I have stuck with him through a lot and and I am there again doing what I can to see him succeed. I will watch it until the end, whatever that may be.
Friday 9/8c on Fox
