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Ultra-violent comic book film the best entry in the genre MUSIC / Beck - Guero
Beck dabbles. He's done hip-hop, rock, country, bizarre tropicalia, blues, songs that make you happy, songs that make you depressed and since the world-ending-disaster film.
(Rodriguez used the short as a recruitment everything in between. But with Guero, Beck has certainly upped the tool for all the major stars in the film).
Zoloft dose and has churned out a relentlessly mild album. There are several hits on the CD, but none of them has half the energy, the authen- ticity of Odelay, or any of his other early albums. Ever since Midnight Vultures, Beck seems to be trying to find himself; Guero is not quite there.
movies like Constantine, Batman Begins, and graph. And the people, creatures, that dwell within it spot the screen with cruelty, charm, taining and often filled with timely social MUSIC / The Decemberists - Picaresque
criticism, have never been taken as serious- outlandishly simple and surreal garb, burst The Decemberists have been known for putting out wonderfully bright and energetic pop songs, but they sometimes border on the tedious as the dynamism falters. Unfortunately, Picaresque has born the comic book inspired films if it weren’t for brunt of this error more than their other, excellent albums. Picaresque has Frank Miller’s 1980s resurrection of the art- a fair share of enjoyable singles, but they are darker, more reflective, and less energetic than vintage Decemberists. Not to say this mood is unwanted, but the Decemberists have a hard time keeping it alive. arguably the best either hero has ever seen.
MUSIC / Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
and soon various companies were pining to It's not that the Hot Hot Heat are bad, in fact they have moments of genuineness, but their recent album, Elevator, is indicative of the would be as sucessful as his comic books.
struggles indie-bands face when they make it big. They forget that they Miller decided to go with the Robocop don’t have to cater their music to a generic fan base, and that fans are attracted to that uncut, raw quality. And if they can get back that ener- Verhoven’s low-budget film and saw many gy which so lacks on this album, their music will be blasting from every of the aspects that he loved in comic books’ non-descript, black suburban from Highland Park to Orange County.
darker characters in Verhoven’s creation.
The script he wrote for Robocop 2 is the stuff of legend. The first draft was brilliant, sent out to reviewers to garner early press MUSIC / Fischerspooner - Odyssey
for the film. But when producers read it, Fischerspooner have had a lot of expectations riding on them fol- they didn’t understand much of it’s dark lowing their previous successes. The good news is that they transcend humor and surreal social commentary.
those expectations by subtly taking their music in a wholly different direction. Much more vocal heavy and darker, Odyssey manages to version of the plot, stripped of any social deliver several hits, but when they get dull, they get very dull. The lat- ter half of the album is filled with slow moving, heavy and moody exploitative violence in lieu of characters songs. The continuity of the atmosphere they create manages success occasionally, but on the whole this album will be about the singles.
Miller was filled with rage, but his con- most real of illustrations. Rodriguez made tract dictated that he write another script for sure to transfer Miller’s pages to film as the series. The studio enforced even more accurately as possible, straying from the MOVIE / Honey
guidelines on Miller, including a PG-13 rat- novel infrequently and only to maintain the ing for the film. After countless re-writes by viewer’s attention on the important charac- Americans are blind to good cinema. That a film with the cultural ters and plot twists unraveling onscreen.
importance and sensitivity of Honey is ridiculed and fails at the box writers, the film went on to be one of the Miller’s books are filled with incessant office is a national tragedy. The smooth and sensuous body of veritable and gratuitous nudity, and although sexual- goddess Jessica Alba is the star here. The film is about more than over- The Sin City graphic novel series is ity and sexual imagery remains a rudimen- rated things like characters, plot, or social criticism: it’s about movement, Miller’s response to Hollywood’s pollution tary piece of the film, not only would the dance and raw sexuality. Honey subtly shows the importance of hip-hop of his work. The often ugly, rejected anti- hyper-graphic nature of the sex in the nov- in modern american culture, and it has been aspringboard for Jessica heros reflect different aspects of his person- els earn the film an NC-17 rating, but, in fact, Alba to such promising films as Fantastic Four. Buy the DVD today! ality, and the imposing, corrupt, and ugly it most likely would have detracted from the city is a jab at the Hollywood system.
lurid eroticism that the released version elo- MOVIE / Old Boy
It is a violent film, but at the most cru- Old Boy often feels like a demented child of directors David Lynch cial of moments, the horrific, sadistic behav- FRANCHISE
and Quentin Tarrantino, yet the film remains refreshingly original ior of the seemingly cruelest of characters, throughout. It’s a revenge film, and it makes The Bride’s motive look Frank Miller’s Sin City began as an almost trivial. Our anti-hero is locked in a room for 15 years. TV, his diary, and beating at the walls are his only pastimes. From the news he discovers that he has been framed for his wife’s murder. He is finally dancing in chaps, wielding a pistol, rav- released, and the film’s sadomassochism blooms to near excess. Still, it’s aging Bruce Willis, the man who saves her a brilliant film, more than worthy of its Grand Jury Prize from Cannes.
evokes equally grainy, abrasive, yet beauti- DANCE / TITAS 2005 Command Performance
For over two decades, TITAS has been one of the most important arts organizations in the Metroplex. The annual Command Performance ballet gala has brought near capacity audiences at the Musical Hall at tive, cool, Closer performance for hard para- Fair Park to their feet in long standing ovations for the past decade. This year was no exception: thanks, mainly, to the almost unbelievable talent better than his Spy Kids trilogy. of New York City Ballet Principle Joaquin De Luz. Still, there were a few dances which should have been skipped, and the second half went on for far too long. Still, it was an electric evening of dance.
action film, was determined. He shot a ten Toro’s severed head. This film is rock n’ roll.
minute short film, with expenses all out of THEATRE / Buried Child
Kitchen Dog Theater is renowned locally for its eclectic mix of cut- ting edge theater with radical new stagings of established classics. Buried Child is belongs to the latter group, and, thanks to its cast, proves to be one of the best productions Kitchen Dog has staged recently. The leads are all perfect, and with only one exception the supporting actors shine equally as strongly. There were more problems with the supporting The recent slew of superhero movies, while entertaining, have all taken a little too much casts in great recent Broadway plays like the revival of The Crucible than from the summer blockbuster genre and not quite enough from their often tragic source there are here. It makes up for the few problems in the show’s design.
material. Other than Sin City, these three films do the genre the most justice. THEATRE / The Magician’s Nephew
C. S. Lewis’ acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia is finally set hit the movie screen this winter, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. But chapters of the series have entertained on stages throughout America for years.
Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of this prequal to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is perhaps the best family entertainment this year in local theaters. The second act’s production design is more than a little lacking, but the first act is mystifying, enchanting, and magical.
REVIEWS BY MONTGOMERY SUTTON AND PHILIP WORAM

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