Big Stars Big Projects: Inception and the Adjustment Bureau

2010 will have a wide variety of genre blockbusters but there are two of note that this author finds quite intriguing. The first is Christopher Nolan's Inception which stars a wide cast of stars including Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabee, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, and Marion Coltillard about a theif who specializes in a very science-fiction-esque way of committing a heist and plans to leave the business for good but the last job is not what he expected. I am excited for Inception because it is Nolan's return to filmmaking since the Dark Knight and Nolan's films always give me a mental thrill and exercise and I'm always excited to see what he does next. Another movie similair to Inception is the film coming out in September titled The Adjustment Bureau starting Matt Damon and Emily Blunt about a senatorial candidate who falls in love for a ballerina, only to find out its not meant to be, according to a mysterious Bureau's plan so the man must fight and outsmart the Bureau in order to succeed. The film is based off a story by Phillip K. Dick called ""the Adjustment Team" and judging by the trailer, it looks very good. George Nolfi, writer of "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Ocean's Twelve", two other Damon projects, is directing and seems to have a good handle on things so this project looks very cool, especially with Matt Damon and the lovely Emily Blunt in the leads.

What is Super 8?

If you've seen Iron Man 2 this past weekend, you've most likely seen the strange new trailer for J.J. Abrams' next directorial effort, Super 8. The trailer involves a train carrying materials from Area 51 to Ohio in 1979, only to be caught in a deadly crash with a pickup truck. After the huge explosion, the train is seen in ruins on the side of the road but a pounding noise is heard before one of the cars from the train is seen slowly being pounded open by one of the cargo inside. The trailer ends as the door bursts open and the thing escapes. Meant as a homage to Steven Spielberg's earlier alien films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., J.J. Abrams' Super 8 starts shooting this fall and will be released in the summer of 2011.

Overlooked film of 2009: Moon

Astronaut Sam Bell has been living on the moon for the past 3 years, taking care of mchines that extract helium 3 from the moon's soil as much needed energy back on Earth, for the company Lunar Industries. Its been a lonely couple of years for Sam as his only companion has been the robot Gerty. Luckily, however, Sam has only two weeks to go before he heads back home. However, the loneliness maybe starting to get to him as he is hallicunating. One of these hallicunations puts Sam into an accident that knocks him unconscious. Sam later wakes up in the infirmy, being looked after by Gerty. Something doesn't feel right though so Sam sneaks back to the accident site to investigate. There, he makes a shocking discovery. If there has been a 2009 film that has been grossly underseen, it is Moon. Moon is a wonderful exercise in science-fiction that sparked multiple emotions out of me as I watched it. The film is expertly and wonderfully directed and written by first time director Duncan Jones (son of singer David Bowie)who creates his own fantasticlly original story and at the same time homages back to the great British science-fiction films of the 60s. Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell pulls off a great feat in his acting for this film that has helped me gain new respect for him, and Kevin Spacey was a nice treat as the voice of the robot Gerty. The set of the film was surprisingly simple yet effective as it made me feel very cramped and alone as I watched this picture and Rockwell does such a nice job that by the end, my heart was beating and I strongly identified with Rockwell's character, wanting him to succeed. This film is a real delight and I can't wait to see what Duncan Jones has next in store. Overall, 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5 for Moon.

Movie Review: DisneyNature's Oceans

DisneyNature's Oceans is a spellbounding documentary about the world's oceans that explores the different kinds of wildlife ranging from whales to seals to the tiny coral reef inhabitants. The film is expertly shot with eye opening moments where you wonder, "How did they film that?" Nicely narrated in the U.S. by Pierce Brosnan, the film talks about the differnt kinds of marine biology in a fun and informative way, even giving fascinating facts on creatures that I had never heard of before. The film also delves into the dark side of the oceans as humans have damaged the oceans and its wildlife pretty badly (enough for the filmmakers to get a shot of an otter swimming next to a submerged shopping cart) but that we're also slowly learning to take better care of the oceans as well. This was a fun and informative movie that was well made and definetely a fun film for everyone to watch, especially on Earth Day. Overall, 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Movie Review: Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Alice Kingsley isn't having the best of days. She's been having the same dream over and over again, her father has recently died, and her mother and sister have taken her to a formal party where she finds that her sister is being cheated on and she is given a marriage proposal by the pompous son of a lord her father used to work with. Confused and not knowing how to reply, Alice says she needs some time to think as a distraction for when she sees a white rabbit in a waistcoast and gives chase after it. During the chase, Alice falls through a rabiit world and lands in a strange world with strange beings who claim to know her. Alice is soon off on a strange and wild adventure involving these beings which she soon realizes is connected to her strange reaccuring dream, and her past. Its been a while since I had seen a film by Tim Burton so this film was refreshing. Tim Burton helped create a very bizarre yet wonderful Wonderland and breathed life into Lewis Carroll's famous characters. The only character that seems to falter however, is Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter because he goes all over the place confusingly, one minute acting cheerful and weirdly funny and the next being darkly sinnical the next. Depp is also upstaged by Mia Wasikowska as Alice, who is quietly odd yet reliably likeable enough that the audience likes her. As for the story, the beginning seems to bounce around confusingly as much as the Mad Hatter but soon focuses down into a clear and really fun storyline that ends on a nice note. It was nice seeing Tim Burton in good form again. Overall, 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 for Alice in Wonderland

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review 7: District 9

In 1982, a spaceship looms over Johannesburg, South Africa and the world has its first contact with aliens. The aliens are discovered to be bug-like creatures that are in huge numbers and sickly and in poor conditions with their ship broken. The humans offer refuge to the aliens but conditions become hostile as the aliens need to steal food to survive and are derogitively nicknamed "Prawns". The aliens are confined into a government camp within Johannesburg named District 9, which soon becomes a slum. 26 years later, a private military company named Multinational United (MNU) is hired by the Johannesburg government to relocate the 1.8 million aliens to a new camp called District 10. Wikus van de Merwe, a young but pompous member of the MNU team leads the extraction team by giving out eviction notices to the aliens. Meanwhile, one of the aliens dubbed "Christopher Johnson", with the help of his son and a friend, searches for technology from the alien ship to distill a liquid into a container that will power the ship to go back home. Wikus accidently finds the container however and while fiddling with it,accidently sprays himself in the face with the liquid. This little mistake has big consequences for Wikus as it changes his view of the MNU, the aliens, and his life forever. I did not have the luck of seeing this movie in the theater due to my lack of knowledge of it, which was a big mistake. This movie was fantastic! The writer and director Neill Blomkamp gives the film a weightened realism of sharing his expieriences growing up in Johannesburg when he was a kid, while mixing in the bizarre and fantastic elements of Science-Fiction to create a wonderfully original story and world. The aliens, while grotesque at first, are expertly created and characterized so that throughout the story, you develop sympathy for them. The characterization of the aliens through very well done special effects and actors in motion capture suits was well done and really added to the stories and character. The main character of Wikus and his story arc were extremely effective and emotionally tugging, in part thanks to Blomkamp's strong writing and the actor Sharlto Copley's wonderful characterization. This is pure fun science-fiction expertly done. I can't wait to see these characters again and I can't wait to see what Blomkamp and Copley cook up together in the future. Overall, 4 stars of 5 for District 9. (Note: I was unable to see Precious, An Education, or A Serious Man in time for this blog. Sorry for the inconvience).

Running Hawks Prepare for Big Ten Championship

Betsy Flood, Tiffany Medenwaldt, Jeff Thode and Jeffery Herron are just a handful of the Iowa Hawkeye track standouts at the Musco Twiilight meet May 22nd. Their tremendous accomplishments should give them an extra edge at the Track and Field Big Ten Championships, approaching this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana.
After winning the 3,000-meter at the Musco Twilight XI meet, sophomore Betsy Flood was named Big Ten Women’s Track co-Athlete of the week for May 5. Her mark of 9:22:63 is a college-best and ranks third all-time at Iowa.
Though freshman Jeff Thode was not name an athlete of the week, his performance at the Musco Twilight XI meet made history, setting a new facility and meet record in the 1,500 meters. His efforts will make a dent in the Iowa record book with a time of 3:44:51.
SophomoreTiffany Medenwaldt also made a dent in the record book with her winning toss of 161-3 (49.16m) at Musco. Her toss broke a nearly 20-year record set by Denise Taylor in 1992. She also placed second in the hammer throw. Medenwaldt’s toss of 171-11 (52.40) puts her second all-time at Iowa.
Another sophomore, Jeffery Herron, made a best collegiate mark. Herron successfully shifted from the high jump to the long jump with his best collegiate mark of 24-9 (7.54 m). This performance places Herron at the top of the Big Ten rankings and 41st nationally. Also, his mark ranks ninth all-time at Iowa.
Now that is ammunition for the Big Ten Championship. The University of Iowa track teams head to Bloomington for three days of competition, starting Friday, May 14.
Ammunition is something that the track Hawks need. Last season at the Big Ten Championships, something odd happened to the University of Iowa track and field coach, Larry Wieczorek. No, he didn’t have a heart attack or leave the program, but for the second time in 13 seasons, none of his Hawkeyes placed on the top of the award’s podium. Of course, Larry Wieczorek is anticipating his team to do better this year.
When the University of Iowa track teams compete at Robert C. Haugh Complex in Bloomington, they are determined to fulfill what they didn’t last season. Wieczorek told Hawkeye Sports, “You’re trying to have an outstanding team, but you’re also trying to have outstanding individuals and ultimately winning a Big Ten title is the top of the heap.” In addition to Flood, Thode, Medenwaldt and Herron, Wiezorek adds Ray Varner to the contender mix. “We have some contenders in there for sure; probably our lead guy is Ray Varner in the 400 hurdles.” In the Big Ten, Jeffery Herron is ranked first in the long jump, while Zeke Sayon is ranked first in the 100, and Matt Byers is ranked No. 1 in the javelin as a freshman.
So, the stats are on the Hawks’ side. A repeat of last Big Tens does not look likely; however, anything has proved to happen at the championship event. Last season the Hawkeye men finished seventh during outdoors with 69 points, while the women finished 10th with 31. Both the men and women progressed at the most recent indoor championships in February. The men placed 5th and the women were 9th. Wieczorek believes his team will improve even more at this championship and be a contender for the championship. On paper the Hawks look like serious competition, but Wieczorek explains the difficulty his Big Ten opponents. “The Big Ten is a tough conference. I explain this to people: we got 5th indoors, and that’s like the football team getting a bowl berth or the basketball team getting an NCAA tournament bid. Track and field is pretty strong in the Big Ten. We'd like to be in the top 5. If we're out of the top 5, I'd feel probably we underachieved. On the other end of it, we'd like to be in the top 3. If you get in the top 3, then you're moving toward being a real contender. Part of that process is to become a 100-point team; we scored 57 indoors -- right on our paper points. We're in that 100-range on paper, so one of our stated goals is to become a 100-point team. If we got 100 points this weekend, I'd consider that a successful Big Ten championships for us."
Improvement is the goal. With focus, fire, and a little luck the Hawks should be on their way. The Big Ten Network will air a tape-delay broadcast of the championships on Saturday, May 22 at 3 p. m. Central time.

University of Iowa Men’s Golf Team 2nd at Big Ten Championship

May 10, 2010
The University of Iowa Men’s Golf team has had an on and off season but managed to somehow pull it all together when it really mattered. The Hawkeyes place second out of eleven teams at the Big Ten Championships which is the program’s best finish since 1992 when they won the championship. The team scored a final round of 282 (-2) and lost to the University of Illinois with a score of 1157 (+21). Illinois was 16 strokes ahead of Iowa before the final round began and Iowa fought back finishing just three strokes behind.
Sophomore Barrett Kelpin was a huge asset to the success of the Hawkeyes as he posted a final round of one-over par 72. Kelpin placed third in the tournament with a total score of even par 284. His finish is the best finish for the Hawkeyes since 2001 and he was presented with the honor to represent the all-tournament team. Only five student-athletes were selected with this honor.
Other Iowa Hawkeyes to mention are Brad George, Chris Brant, and Vance India. George finished 13th in the competition, Brant tied for 16th, and India tied for 24th. George had a total of 293 (+9), Brant had an ending score of 294 (+10), and India 296 (+12).
The Hawkeyes did such an outstanding job that they made it to the NCAA Regional competition which is held at six different sites. Their assigned regional spot is at Notre Dame, Indiana at the Warren Gold Course. This is the second year in a row that the Hawkeyes have made it to the Regional competition, which is a great accomplishment for this program. Iowa was seeded 6th out of 13 teams competing at the Notre Dame Regional. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes have endured a lot this season and I am sure they are going to be fully prepared give their best at Notre Dame.

University of Iowa Men’s Tennis Big Ten Championships-

April 30, 2010
The University of Iowa Men’s Tennis team is not ranked nearly as high as the women’s team. However, the men’s program is ranked 61st in the nation and recently fell to the University of Illinois at the Big Ten Championships in the quarterfinals. The fighting Illini are ranked number 14th in the nation for men’s tennis and were a bit too much for the Hawkeyes who put up a good battle.
In the first round of the Big Ten Championships the University of Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Purdue Boilermakers at the Indiana University Tennis Center. Even though the Hawks were not capable of maintaining the doubles point, senior Reinoud Haal got the game on the way in the singles play. Haal defeated Eric Ramos (Purdue) while sophomore Will Vasos competed at the No. 2 spot for the first time in his career as a Hawkeye. Will won his single, which gave Iowa a 2-1 advantage. Junior Austen Kauss had a win as well, which led Iowa to a score of 3-1. The Hawkeyes put up a good fight after six straight matches in the series.
However, the Iowa Hawkeyes were not so lucky in the quarterfinals. The Hawks were not able to get the doubles point, Illinois claimed victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Mark Czerwinski and Abe Souza defeated Marc Bruche and Nikita Zotov (No. 1 spot). Johnny Hamui and Dennis Nevolo defeated Tommy McGeorge and Will Vasos (No. 2 spot). This was a disappointing afternoon for the Hawkeyes but there is no doubt that they did not give it their all. Illinois was the No. 2 seed at the Big Ten Championships and gave Iowa a run for their money.
This concludes the end of the season for the University of Iowa Men’s Tennis team and, though it ended a little roughly, it was actually a slow improvement from previous years.

University of Iowa Women’s Tennis Team- Big Ten Championships

April 30, 2010
Iowa Women’s Tennis has had a great season thus far. They are currently ranked 26th in the nation and have a couple of outstanding players. The University of Iowa women's tennis team defeated Indiana in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Championships. The score ended up being 4-1, Iowa, and 17-5 overall. The Big Ten Championships were held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex Friday, in Iowa City. They are advancing to face one of the top teams in the nation, Michigan, in the semifinal round on Saturday.
During the match on Friday against Indiana, the two tennis players that got things started were Junior Jessica Young and Senior Kelcie Klockenga who defeated Indiana’s Charlotte Martin and Katya Zapadalova. The pair had their 22nd doubles victory. The next doubles up were there teammates Sonja Molnar and Merel Beelen. This duo is ranked 15th in the nation and struggled their way to a triumph over the Hoosier’s Lindsey Stuckey and Evgeniya Verteshaeva, with a score of 8-5. This gave Iowa a 1-0 match advantage.
Jessica Young had a straight-set victory over Lindsey Stuckey, 6-3, 6-3. Indiana’s Leslie Hureau then defeated Iowa’s Lynne Poggensee-Wei in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5 allowing the Hoosier’s to cut Iowa’s lead in half. However, Merel Beelen- a fifth year senior, pushed Iowa’s lead to 3-1 by winning the opening set 6-2, then the second frame 6-0, and then the third set 6-2. She did an outstanding job pulling Iowa ahead even further than before.
The Hawkeyes finished off the Hoosier’s in the tournament victory when junior Alexis Dorr fought through a straight-set win over Indiana’s Myriam Sopel. Alexis had a 6-1 victory in the opening frame, a 7-6 victory in the second set to finish off the match and give Iowa a 4-1 quarterfinal victory!
With Alexis’s big win the Hawks were able to seal the deal and win against the University of Indiana Hoosiers. Iowa has been triumphant in seven of its last 10 matches against Big Ten opponents. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s tennis team are going to return to action to face Michigan, who is titled 4th nationally, in the semifinals Saturday May 1.

Five University of Iowa Football Hawkstars to NFL-

As most people know, the University of Iowa Football team had an incredible previous season. Only losing 1 game in season (University of Northwestern) and 1 game in post-season (which was lost in overtime to Ohio State), the hawks put up a great fight year round which really showed in the end of the year draft.
The Hawkeyes once again set a new record, only this time it was in the number of players drafted into the NFL. The latest draftee was offensive tackle Kyle Calloway. Though he is not one of the most known players on the team, Calloway was a three year started for the Hawkeyes and earned second-team all-Big Ten honors in 2008 and in 2009- which were know as great seasons for the University of Iowa football team. Kyle Calloway was selected by the Buffalo Bills in New York.
The first from the University of Iowa football team to be picked in the 2010 NFL draft was offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga. Bryan was the 23rd pick in the first round of the draft by the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Bulaga is the 34th Hawkeye to be drafted under the coaching of head coach Kirk Ferentz and is the fourth 1st round selection. Bulaga broke records with his new opportunity and has given Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes an even better name than before. He is known for more than just his football accomplishments, he is also known for his hard work and dedication to the sport.
In the second round of the NFL draft Pat Angerer was taken by the Indianapolis Colts. The University of Iowa linebacker completed an outstanding career as a Hawkeye and in his last season had 145 tackles - the 5th best single-season total in Hawkeye history. That total included 5 tackles for loss and a sack. Angerer led the Big Ten in tackles per for league games with an average of 12.8 stops. Pat was a brilliant player that will be greatly missed among the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
In round 3 of the 2010 NFL football draft, two great Hawkeyes were chosen to join the NFL. Amari Spievey and Tony Moeaki were both drafted, Spievey to the Detroit Lions and Moeaki to the Kansas City Chiefs. Amari is known as a ‘shutdown corner’ and has been an incredible asset to the Hawkeyes. Moeaki is a tight end who also had impressive performances for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The 4th round of the draft outside linebacker, A.J. Edds, was selected to play for the Miami Dolphins in Miami, Florida. This Hawkstar is originally from Greenwood, Indiana and as a senior he ranked among Big Ten conference leaders in interceptions with the final steal of his career helping Iowa finish up the fourth period in the triumph over Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl.
These outstanding Hawkeyes are making history with their outstanding accomplishments and hopeful futures ahead of them in the NFL.

Softball defeats Western Illinois

On April 18, the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Western Illinois 8-0. They played at Pearl Field and defeated the Leathernecks in six innings. Senior, Amanda Zust, stood out this game as she used her exceptional defense to not let Western Illinois score. The Hawks started out great right from the beginning, they had 5 runs in just the first inning. Senior, Taylor Leichsenring, started them off when she hit an infield single. She was followed by a RBI (run batted in) double by Senior Katie Brown. After that, junior Jenny Schuelke took her base and was followed by a single by Chelsey Carmody leaving all the bases loaded for sophomore Katie Keim. Katie hit a single into the right field and allowed her two teammates to make it to home. Freshman Johnnie Dowling finished up the inning when she hit a two-RBI single up the middle creating the score to be 5-0.
The Hawks scored all their points for the game when Western Illinois had two mistakes in the third inning, allowing Iowa to add another point to their score. Iowa finished up the game early in the 6th inning when Johnnie Dowling hit a big shot to the left field and stayed fair as it left the park.
While the players all had a great game filled with many accomplishments, freshman Johnnie Dowling had a career-high four RBI.
This game helped to improve the Hawks overall record to 23-14.

Iowa finishes off great spring practices, only to start a great season.

On April 17, the Iowa Hawkeyes finished up their final spring practice that was viewed by almost 25,000 fans. The practice was showed so fans could see what to expect this season and to also see their favorite players back in action. The spring practices were helpful for the players to improve and fill in spots on the field, figuring out who exactly is playing what position. Although it is a given who is playing the major positions, the coaches and players still have final decisions to make about the other positions.
The fans got to see a lot of what has been going on practices, however, it was just a practice that they got to see. A lot of fans were under the impression that they were going to see some sort of scrimmage, or game, but as the time went on they soon realized that they were just watching a boring old practice. For some, this was great and they got a lot out of watching it. However, for those less into football, watching a practice was not what they came for. They like the excitement of games and the anticipation of who is going to win, so watching this practice was a bit of a letdown.
According to Hawkeyesports.com, the players are very enthusiastic about the season and are excited about the improvements they will be making to better themselves for next season. The players are focused on being in shape for the season and bettering themselves for the hard months to come. Their next step is to improve through their summer program into the fall when season starts.
Personally, I cannot wait until football season begins. There is nothing quite like Hawkeye fans and how they crowd the streets of Iowa City on game day. If I did not already know it was game day, I would for sure know by 7:00 AM when I hear the loud sounds of dedicated tailgaters outside my apartment. Iowa City is the place to be on Saturday afternoons during football season; this spring practice was just a small preview of what is to come when fall hits.

University of Iowa Women’s Gymnastics at Columbia Regional

April 10, 2010
The University of Iowa’s Women’s Gymnastics Team traveled to Columbia, Missouri on April 10 to compete in the NCAA Regional Championship. Iowa competed against some of the best teams in the country including University of Georgia, University of Missouri, Oregon State University, University of Minnesota, and the University of North Carolina.
Iowa started on the Beam where they were a little more unsteady than usual, but still pulled it out without having to count any falls. Junior Rebecca Simbhudas lead the Hawks with a score of 9.725.
They moved to floor where the Hawks had their highs and lows. Sophomore Jessa Hansen had one of the best performances of her career and the lead the GymHawks with a score of a 9.85. Junior Houry Gebeshian followed close behind with a score of 9.825 and then Simbhudas with a score of 9.8. With these three leading scores the Gymhawks kept in the race and continued on to their third event.
The third event was vault where the Hawks scored their best score of the season, 48.925. Freshman Emma Stevenson stepped up to replace Junior Arielle Sucich, who was injured in the previous competition (Big10s), scoring a 9.525. Simbhudas scored the highest score of a 9.875 and then sophomore Annie Szatkowski came behind her with a score of 9.8.
The final event of the night was the uneven bars. Simbhudas led the hawks again with a score of 9.85 and Gebeshian came in close with a score of 9.8. Freshman, Kaitlynn Urano stepped up to replace Sucich in the lineup and scored a solid 9.725.
The University of Iowa Hawkeyes held their own at such a tough competition, finishing up in 5th out of 6 teams. Last year, the Hawks hosted NCAA Regionals and placed last. They improved tremendously this season, not just at Regionals, but in rankings and at other competitions throughout the season.
A lot of history was made at this Regional, including the University of Georgia not moving on to the NCAA competition. The Georgia Gymdogs have WON the National Championship for 5 consecutive years and have won 10 times in all, however, this year they did not even make it to the competition. Instead, the University of Missouri and Oregon State University moved on to make it to the NCAA Championships (the top two teams move on to the NCAA’s).
For the first time in years, the Gymhawks had a gymnast qualify for the NCAA Competition. Rebecca Simbhudas will represent the University of Iowa Hawkeyes at the University of Florida competing in the all around. It is an honor for Simbhudas to make it to such a prestigious competition. The University of Iowa Women’s Gymnastics team ended a great season and is already preparing for an even better next season.

Iowa Baseball Finally Wins a Game-

April 4, 2010
Baseball is known as America’s pass time, a leisurely game common to just about every father and son. Baseball is the sport that has changed America’s history by bringing them together in a hurting time. During the past few years Iowa Baseball has suffered from some less than perfect seasons when they received a new head coach, Jack Dahm.
This weekend Iowa finally wins finishes a long winning streak after their win against Michigan State. They played Michigan State on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, beginning strong but ending poorly. They won the first game played on April 2 with a score of Iowa 5 and Michigan State 3, and then lost the next two games 16-2 and 26-11. The Hawks have won the past 5 out of 6 games and were excited moving into this weekend. Perhaps the Hawks got a little too confident and gave it up a little at the end.
In the fight of the last game, Jack Dahm states, “My biggest thing is that we played three outstanding innings, unfortunately, baseball games are nine”. The Hawkeyes were going strong at the beginning of the game, taking a 1-0 lead early on. The Spartans tied this in the second inning, only scoring 1 run. Iowa tried to take the lead back in the third inning, 2-1, but Michigan State tied it up again in the bottom of the third. However, this tip-toeing of scores all ended in the fourth frame, having six runs. Michigan State then added 12 runs in the fifth, four in the seventh, and then two runs in the eight.
The Hawkeyes put up a good fight, but in the end they did not accomplish what I am sure they intended to. However, this is another step closer for the Hawkeyes to earn a valuable spot in the Big10.

Basketball Hires A New Coach

March 29, 2010
It’s not news to most people, but the basketball team has had a far less than perfect season. With winning only 11 out of the total of 33 games they played this season, the team knew they had to make some changes. The coach, Todd Lickliter, was fired from his position due to not being able to hold up to certain expectations. Lickliter made it clear that he was fired and it was not from his recently found illness. Gary Barta, the University of Iowa Athletic Director, said the decision was because of the recent competitive record. There has not been any improvement in the past three years with the men’s basketball program. Gary made sure to inform everyone that Lickliter has high values and is a great person… He also says the Lickliter is a great basketball coach. However, in the past three years the attendance and ticket sales for men’s basketball has gone down tremendously. There has not been a positive outcome upon hiring Todd Lickliter. Thus, he has recently been replaced with the new coach Fran McCaffery. Fran McCaffery used to coach at Siena and has quite the record behind him. McCaffery won the last three championships in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and has guided Siena to the NCAA tournament.
Many believe that he is a great choice for the University of Iowa men’s basketball program. His teams have been known to be well prepared and developed. McCaffery has recruited top athletes for his previous teams and it known to be a great recruiter. He also has coached for over 14 years and was the youngest Division I coach in 1985 when he coached for Lehigh. He has also coached in Carver Hawkeye Arena, which gives him preexisting knowledge of what to expect with his new coaching job.
Though this new coach, Fran McCaffery, seems like a perfect fit for the job, it makes me wonder what the team is thinking… Did they get to meet their new coach before he was hired? Did they get any say in the decision making? Do they have previous knowledge on this coach from friends or past teammates? I just wonder how the team is reacting to all this. I hope they like their new coach and he actually makes the changes he promises to make. The future looks promising for men’s Hawkeye Basketball, I only hope this coach turns out better than the last one did.

Gymhawks Upset at Big10 Championships-

March 27, 2010
So the University of Iowa gymnastics team got last at the Big10 Championships last year, 2009. However, this past weekend was one of the biggest upset in the competition. The Gymhawks received third place out of all the gymnastics teams of the Big10. They were not even looked at as competition to their opposing teams but proved them all wrong as the competition went on. Though they were the underdogs going into the meet, they soon met the glances of many scared teams. They made two of the best teams in the nation, University of Michigan and Penn State, sweat as they hit each event.
The girls started on the uneven bars where every single person nailed their bar routine, including 4 stuck landings. After this event the coaches could see that the girls were in the game tonight. They moved to the balance beam where they shocked the crown with their confidence. Junior, Houry Gebeshian hit the best routine of her career and got an outstanding score of 9.95. All the athletes hit their routines including every stuck dismount.
They then moved to the floor exercise where it was less than perfect, but still enough to keep the momentum going. Sophomore Jess Hansen, usually a big score for the Hawkeyes, got a bloody nose right before her floor routine. The entire meet was held up in order to stop the bleeding! Her nose continued to bleed so she had to do her floor routine with two cotton rods stuck up her nose… now that was a sight to see. The sophomore performed to the best of her abilities with only being able to breathe through one side of her nose. Though she had a few mishaps, she did a wonderful job working with the bad luck thrown at her. The funniest part of the entire routine was after the very last flip of her floor routine, the used cotton rods were sent flying out of her nostril and left her laughing in the last part of her dance. This was like anything that anyone has seen before and it sure made the meet even better to watch.
On the vault the Hawkeyes did not manage to do what they are capable of, but still ended strong. Junior Arielle Sucich was the start to the group but went down during the competition. Though nothing is certain, she may have suffered a high ankle injury. The rest of the group finished well considering the distraction of one of their teammates hurt.
The Hawkeyes beat Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan State, and the University of Illinois. All of these teams, with the exception of Ohio State, were ranked higher than them. They were the upset of the night and got their season high score of a 195.575. The Hawkeyes will have their regional competition in two weeks where they hope to perform even better.

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review 6: Up

Carl Frederickson looks to be your sterotypical grumpy old man: he walks on a cane, yells at people to get off his lawn, and seemingly talks to his house. In reality, Carl is just a retired balloon salesman going through a rough time. His wife Ellie, who Carl has known since they were children, died before they could fulfill their dreams of traveling to Paradise Falls in South America, and Carl's old neighborhood is being torn down to make room for a mall and other buildings in a big city. When Carl accidently injures a construction worker, he is forced by a judge to be sent to a retirement home. With no other choice, Carl decides to fulfill his and Ellie's dream of going to Paradise Falls. The next morning, Carl escapes his escort to the retirement home by releasing numerous balloons, pulling his house off the ground and into the air, making it an airship. Carl soon realizes that a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell has stowed away on board, hoping to earn his last merit badge of assisting the elderly, by helping Carl. While trying to take Russell back to the city, Carl's house is caught in a storm and Carl wakes up to find that Russell has captained the ship to South America, and Paradise Falls is in sight! On their way, Carl and Russell slowly bond and have several adventures involving a rare colorful bird that runs like the Road Runner and who Russell names Kevin, a helpful, but clumsy, talking dog named Dug, and Carl and Ellie's childhood hero, the explorer Charles Munz. I'm embaressed to say that with Up, I had to watch it twice in order to fully absorb it as the first time wasn't under very good conditions however. After the second time however, I absolutely loved it! Up is a wonderful expierience that stirs the imagination and engages the spirit. The film is wonderfully and beautifully animated with many different colors, locations, and characters. The film is expertly directed by Pete Docter and smartly co-written by Docter and his friend Bob Peterson. Its a delight. Everything meshes well together and is expertly built and the audience can see that all the hard work paid off: the animation, the strong and original story, and the likeable characters. In terms of strong story, character, and animation, Pixar is the best Hollywood studio doing that today and I hope they remain that way long into the future. The casting is also creatively smart as Hollywood legened voices Carl, talky newcomer Jordan Nagai as Russell, the crafty and expierienced Christopher Plummer as Charles Munz, and the goofy Bob Peterson as Dug. While not my absolute favorite Pixar film, Up is right up there and I can't wait to watch it again! Overall 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review 5: Up in the Air

Ryan Bingham has a unique job: he flies around the country, firing employees because their bosses are too afraid to do so. He also gives an occasional lecture as a motivational speaker, promoting "What's in Your Backpack?" which advises employees to empty their life of people and things and enjoy that freedom. This pretty much describes Ryan's life as his one and only goal is to obtain ten million frequent flyer miles with American Airlines, which will earn him executive status in their Frequent Flyers Club, and his name on the side of an aircraft. Ryan has this goal because he spends most of his time in the air. Two new elements then enter his life that will unknowingly change him: the first is another frequent flyer named Alex, who begins a casual relationship with him. The other is that he is called back to his company in Ohama, Nebraska, to find out that a new coworker named Natalie has suggested firing people over the Internet instead of in person, to save costs. Ryan is heavily against this so his boss assigns him to take Natalie with him on his next few travels to show her how its "really done". During these travels, Ryan and Natalie become better acquainted and they eventually meet up with Alex, but then things start going out of control and Ryan faces life chaning decisions. The thing I love most about this movie is how it takes the audience into the world of a job that not many people have expierienced before. Not to mention that it was fun and funny to follow these characters along their journys and see how they grow like George Clooney as Ryan who starts seeming pretty cynnical but his sharp wit and expertise pull the audience in enough for us to like him and want to follow him. Vera Farminga plays Alex with an air that's mysterious and that there's more to her than she seems. Plus Anna Kendrick as the straight laced Natalie who slowly learns to unravel, is really fun and heart-warming, if not adorable, to watch as Natalie shows her human side which a lot of people can relate to. The story was well written and just felt snug and well told. While the factor about employees being fired hits a little too close to home these days, the movie is still fun to watch and well made and it just feels like an old fashioned Academy Award nominated film which is a good thing. Overall, I give this film 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review 4: Inglorious Basterds

"Once Upon A Time in Nazi-Occupied France..." so begins Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds, a loud, wild, and violent guns a blazin' World War II picture. However, the start of the picture starts out very subtly with dialogue, like many other of Tarantino's films, as the slimy Colonol Hans Landa of the Nazi party and nicknamed "The Jew Hunter" for his ability to hunt down Jewish escapees, convinces a French farmer to reveal the location of a Jewish family he is hiding under the floorboards. Landa then calls in his troops who shoot up the floor and kill all of the family, except the teenage daughter, Shosanna who escapes. Years later, Shoshanna is living under an assumed identity and has inherited a movie theater. This causes a German soldier, who is considered a her by the Nazis, to become smitten by her. Shosanna obviously does not share his love in return but decides to use the soldier when he convinces Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi media head of Germany, to show the propaganda film about the soldier's heroics in Shosanna's theater. Shosanna then jumps at the chance for revenge even further as Hitler and all the heads of the Nazi party will be attendence. Shosanna plots for revenge by blowing up the theater. Meanwhile, the hillbilly-like Liuetenant Aldo Raine recruits eight Jewish soldiers to parachute with him into France and spread fear to the Nazis by killing groups of their soldiers and scalping them. The Nazis in response, unofficially nickname the group, "The Basterds". The Allies soon hear about Hitler attending the screening at Shosanna's theater and give "The Basterds" the chance to end the war. I thought it was quite intriguing of the direction Tarantino went with this film and it was also interesting to see him make this genre of movie. I especially loved the strong dialogue because it gave many the characters smarts and a bit of charm, despite their morbid doings. My favorite characterizations were Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt who gave the character so much wit and humor and gung-ho attitude that it would be fun to follow his character in another movie, and Christoph Waltz as the slimy Hans Landa who you really earn an amount of disgust and hate that you like towards him. While it was fun at that level, at the same time, I felt a growing emptiness in my stomach. By the end of the film, I felt uncomfortable and sad. I think this may because I've seen great World War II films before like Sacing Private Ryan, which honored World War II veterans wel, but parts of Inglorious Basterds felt like they disrespected the veterans a little bit, but that could just be me. That along with the fact that a likable character who the audience spends a certain amount of time with, although not much, is killed off, just lowered the rating for me. Overall, I give this film 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review: The Blind Side

Michael Oher is a down on his luck teenager who has spent years in different foster homes and has had a lack of formal education, due to the fact that his mother was a crack addict and his father was in jail. Thanks to the help of a friend, Michael applies and enrolls in a private Christian school. Due to his lack of a education however, Michael begins his first year by struggling to succeed in his school work. He also has no place to stay as his mother has moved. Michael soon befriends Leigh Anne Tuohy, a fiery Tennessee designer, and her family, who offer him a place to stay and eventually adopt him. The Tuohys help Michael's life improve greatly as his grades improve, he joins the school's football team, he is accepted into college, and eventually, becomes an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. I've seen plenty of inspiritational sports movies growing up, so when I went to see the Blind Side, I was expecting pretty much the same thing. I was surprised to find that The Blind Side went into a slightly different direction. Michael Oher is an underdog, but he is a realistic underdog that has gone through some very tough times it seems. The part of his life portrayed in the film is handled with an effective portrayal. Quinton Aaron, who plays Oher himself, portrays Oher as shy, quiet, and friendly so that the audience can really start to like him. Sandra Bullock plays Oher's guardian Leigh Anne Tuohy almost effotlessly with sense of fierce stubborness and kindness that made her Oscar win well deserved. Bullock also has nice chemistry with Tim Graw who plays Leigh Anne's husband Sean and Jae Head and Lily Collins, who play the Tuohy children SJ and Collins, respectably. Overall, I think The Blind Side is a nice warm and fuzzy touch to it and its in a safe and comfortably funny bubble. The only complaint I have is that, while Michael wondering if the Tuohys were forcing him to go to a certain college was an interesting diversion compared to the formula of other sports movies, it seemed unnecessary and lazy in the writing for the character to go back with the crooks in his old life, only to realize its a mistake. Despite that, its a warm and fuzzy movie that puts you in a good mood. 3 of 5 stars.

Academy Award Nominated Movie Review 2: The Hurt Locker

As the 2009 winner of the Best Picture Oscar, the Hurt Locker was also special because its director, Kathryn Bigalow, because the first female director in history to win the Best Director Aaward. It was well deserved as The Hurt Locker is a well-made war movie set during the post-invasion of Iraq in 2004. The story follows William James, a Sergeant in A U.S. Army's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Unit and his ubsequent adventures with his team in this unit as they diffuse bombs set around the area of their base. The setup of the story is quite intriquing as I do not know much about the U.S. army's involvement in the War of Iraq so this gave me a clearer picture. Still, the film didn't quite work for me. There are some suspenseful moments in the film such as when James has to diffuse several bombs at once, but the story of the Hurt Locker, feels more like several events tied together. The movie is meant to be character and dialogue-based but I did not realize that when I first watched the movie as I did not know what to expect and was trying to focus more on the story. I also made the mistake of looing up the plot summary on Wikipedia before I watched the movie, so while there was some tense moments, I accidently already knew what was going to happen, and a level of suspense is important in a movie like this. The movie seemed to be moving too fast for me to focus on the characters and when I could, I didn't know what to make of them, The best thing to do in order to watch the Hurt Locker is to know nothing about it except that the audience should be watching the characters and the dialogue instead of paying attention to the story. Overall, the film is well directed by Bigelow as the film really portrays the darkness and muckiness of a war zone and the actors do an effective job, but the film didn't have as much weight for me as some other war films like Saving Private Ryan. Overall, I give the Hurt Locker 3 stars out of 5. ***

Academy Award Nominated Movie Reviews (Yes I know they're late): James Cameron's Avatar

James Cameron's Avatar is, in a word, an expierience, visually. Its plot could be stronger but it holds up pretty well. The story is about a paraplegic former marine named Jake Sulley who, after being worn down by life on 2154 Earth, accepts an offer to replace his murdered brother's position on the human colony of the moon Pandora. Since the atmosphere on Pandora is unbreathable for humans, the job includes using the brother's Avatar, a genetically engineered body that has the DNA mixture of a human and the ten foot tall natives of Pandora, the Na'vi. Jake's superiors Parker Selfridge of the RDA corporation and Colonel Quartrich plan to use Jake to gain the nearest Na'vi tribe's trust and persuade them to leave their home so the corporation can dig up an important resource, unobtanium, needed back on Earth. When Jake meets the feistry tribe princess, Neytiri, and falls in love with her and the Na'vi's way of life however, things get very very complicated. I first heard about Avatar several months ago and it sounded pretty interesting because I'm a sci-fi, action-adventure and fantasy kind of guy and I started watching James Cameron's movies. I thought they were pretty cool so that strengthed my reason to see this. The trailers and photos added on top of that. Finally, it opened and I got to see it. The opening visuals definetely grabbed my attention and kept me interested. While the movie started off slow, it slowly and effectively grew on me. It had wonderful characters, effectively and strongly acted by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as Jake Sulley and Neytiri respectably, who I'll definetely watching for in the future, and of course Sigourney Weaver who's like the current female queen of Sci-Fi. Joel David Moore, who I had last seen in Dodgeball, was pretty cool too. Stephen Lang made a terrific villian as Quaritch and Michelle Rodriguez and the rest of the cast added strong flavor and meat and bones. The story, while most people would not say its original and by describing it as Pochahantas meets Dances with Wolves in outer space, works because James Cameron knows how to take a familair story and make it his own. Not to mention the amount of detail he put in the flora and fauna of the planet moon Pandora and even the human's technologies with ships and robots that made me, a wannabe filmmaker, completely overwhelmed as I don't think I could ever make a science-fiction movie that complex. If you saw my science grades, you'd know why. Still though, this movie moved me and completely fit my requirement for an instant favorite: a great cast with a strong story and depth filled characters with a mian lead hero that grows as he goes along on his adventure, a beautiful and tough, yet sensitive and gentle female romantic love interest, and effective supporting characters that help on the adventure. Avatar's definetely a winner and I can't wait to get it on DVD and I hear Cameron will make two sequels if this movie is successful. Overall, I give this film 4 out of 5 stars.

Kristen Stewart

I understand the crazy publicity this produces for Proenza Schouler but I wouldn't let Kristen Stewart touch my clothing with a ten foot pole.  Stewart doesn't give a shit about her fans, her behavior, or her clothing.  She doesn't deserve to wear this amazing piece.  Look at how she rolled up the sleeves!  Ahhh, this isn't your boyfriend's button down, stop it!!   Her posture and miserable smile scream whatever and Proenza Schouler's S/S 10 collection is anything but whatever.  If you hate being famous so much, stop making blockbuster movies.  Get this girl off of the Red Carpet!

MAD ABOUT CRAMER

I know CNBC isn't the go to channel for television viewers looking for entertainment, but there is some there (if you know anything about the stock market). Jim Cramer, CNBC's most energetic stock market pundit, brings a new look to the often dreary description of the stock market.

His show, Mad Money, airs Monday-Friday at 5pm and 10pm CST. His goal is to tell viewers advise on investing in the market, but in plain English, not the normal Wall St. jargon that baffles the casual investor. Cramer goes to any length to make the stocks he is reviewing memorable, even wearing women's shoes, eating toothpaste, and covering himself in multiple food products.

Another tool in his arsenal is a huge sound effect machine that sits in front of him as he does the show, helping to demonstrate the points he is trying to make (these can be heard at the CNBC Mad Money Soundboard).

Viewers of Mad Money can feel Cramer's passion for what he is doing. He became a hedge fund manager and became a multi-millionaire from it, but now wants to be able to help regular people make money in the market as well. He has become famous from his "Market Meltdown" tirade at CNBC that has millions of views on YouTube. Cramer has many fans, but it seems he also has just as many haters, by the comments you hear about him.

Jim Cramer is great for investors and Wall St. He is what this industry needs to make things interesting. Not only is he a pundit, he is also a best selling author of five investing books. Cramer may act like a wild man on the set of his show, but his stock market advise is truly down to earth.

SNL SCENE STEALER

I actually haven't seen anything funny on Saturday Night Live since Horatio Sanz left. The last quality material the show produced seemed to be when Tina Fey was still writing. But, in the current season, I have seen a glimmer of hope for this quickly declining show- Nasim Pedrad (who was hired when two female cast members were fired).
She was born in Iran and is only the fifth SNL cast member born outside of the U.S. After moving to the U.S., she graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
Since joining the cast, Pedrad seems to be stealing each skit she participates in. Her impressions have covered a vast array of characters- from Kim Kardashian to the Iranian President's wife on Weekend Update. This portrayal was viewed as somewhat controversial, since Pedrad is actually from Iran and blatantly mocked Ahmadinejad. Her fluent Persian was a handy tool for leaning over to speak to her husband (played by Fred Armisen) as he sat there staring blankly into the crowd.
Predrad's good looks and ability to become any celebrity on screen are making her a person to watch on a show that not many people are viewing anymore. Will she be able to save the show? Of course not, but she will make at least a couple of scenes memorable. That could actually make the show tolerable to watch again.

SURVIVING WHAT?

If anyone still watches the reality show Survivor, now in it's 20th season, I need to know some things from you. In this season, Heroes vs. Villains, rehashed former players of the show are back competing again. They are in Samoa, I believe the only location that the show has been where there are no poisonous snakes.

This brings me to the question- when the players in in these other locations (Africa, the Amazon, the Australian Outback), why do they never encounter any of the dangerous animals that reside there? Most of the locations the show has taped in are crawling with poisonous snakes & spiders, as well as crocodiles, yet viewers never see them, not even when the contestants are out prowling through the rain forest for food. It seems to me that there may be some help by a never seen crew that keeps danger away from these "survivors."

Another question about the topic of food- in most of these locales, there is fruit growing everywhere. The hardest thing a person may have to do to be able to eat it is let some of it ripen, yet the castaways are constantly bitches about how hungry they are. There also seems to be plenty of non-endangered species roaming around the wilds that would make good meals and water always surrounds the contestants, so fish is probably plentiful. Anyone that even has a bit of survival instinct would be flourishing food wise in these places.

If your going out into the wilderness to try to win $1 million, the least you could do is have to deal with what is actually there. I think the producers need to have contestants sign a waiver that says if anything happens to them, the show isn't responsible & let them fend for themselves, like they were actually stranded in these environments. After all, the show is called Survivor.

CHOPPED!

Yet another dysfunctional family has left the television air waves. The Teutuls, Paul Sr., sons Paulie and Mikey are no more on the TLC channel. After six seasons, the show American Chopper, has been cancelled.

This was in major part because of the firings of Paulie and Mikey from the Orange County Choppers (OCC) motorcycle shop where the show was filmed. The boss, Paul Sr., was constantly bickering and feuding with his son (and head fabricator/designer) Paulie, and finally had enough of it. Mikey on the other hand, may have been fired because the only thing he really ever accomplished while at the shop, was making people laugh.

The series was built around the perpetual strife between Paulie and his dad. Some of the time these blow ups were so bad, that Paulie would leave the shop and not return for days. Mikey was always trying to patch things up between the two, but his efforts were in vain. After both sons left OCC, the show tried to follow each of them in their lives away from designing motorcycles, but this really drew away from the shows dynamic. The viewers wanted to see what was going on inside the business and Paul Sr.'s tyrant ways of running it.

I am going to especially miss seeing all-around bad-ass Paul Sr. dishing out the abuse to his employees. He became one of my favorite television personalities during the show. Another big blow will be that the best mustache on television, Paul Sr.'s, will no longer get to be viewed. Maybe not having to be taped while together will lead to the Teutul family being able to patch up their differences.

WHERE ANARCHY RULES

The FX Network has signed on for a third season of their basically unedited show Sons of Anarchy. A show about a dysfunctional California motorcycle club (aka gang). With last seasons finale pulling in 4.35 million viewers, the show looks like it may be gaining some momentum.

The show stars: Ron Perlman, as the leader of the club, Clay/Charlie Hunnam, as Jax, the second in command & step son to Clay/Katey Sagal as Gemma, wife to Clay & mother to Jax. But SOA has one of the most interesting casts of misfit characters supporting these better known actors as well as some great guest roles, like rocker Henry Rollins as a Neo-Nazi bad guy.

The biker drama not only is filled with non-stop action, but has been granted major leniency by FX in editing for a 9 pm (CT) cable show. The cursing flows as if viewers were sitting in on real motorcycle gang conversation. There is also plenty of flesh to be viewed as well.

Sons of Anarchy is an excitement-filled hour where viewers can get to know multiple captivating characters , journey to a strip club with the club members, and even catch a glimpse of nudity. So tune in when the new season starts if you feel the need to see Katey Sagal's bare ass in living color.