Silent Hill: Video Game to Cinematic Gold

After attending the movie “Silent Hill,” I have concluded that I must be the only person in the world who has played “Silent Hill.” With the weeks leading up to the day that I would see this movie; I got a chance to peruse around the internet and read reviews that several “respected” movie critics had written. I started by reading what Roger Ebert (of Siskel and Ebert) thought of the film. He made a very good point that the film was cinematic goodness, save for bad dialogue. He also went on to state that unless one has played this game, average movie goers will not have any idea what the hell is going on. Other sites had stated the same thing, but as I came across sites like IGN, the movie was absolutely ripped upon. IGN said that the movie is boring, long and confusing, plus the dialogue was terrible. Now this strikes me as strange because should not IGN have some type of understanding of Silent Hill? Silent Hill has never been known for its eloquent dialogue, so with that the director did not have a whole lot to work with.

The director did a marvelous job with the film. He hit everything spot on, from the actual music from the game, to clever camera angles that brought back great memories. At the beginning when Rose enters the town she follows her daughter into an under-ground passage way. From there the darkness approaches and the familiar sound of the warning sirens blare through the theatre. This brought chills up my spine, I loved it and the siren was a great touch. All goes black for a moment, and then rose illuminates the darkness with the faint glow from her lighter. She follows the corridors and suddenly I’m reminded of the alley way at the beginning of Silent Hill 1. The director does some great work with the camera by taking it overhead with exact shot placement from the game. Rose gets to a dead end and discovers a figure strapped to a fence by barbed wire, just like in the game. Creatures suddenly come from all over and attack Rose. They over-take her then suddenly disintegrate into ash, and Rose wakes up in a diner and the darkness is gone.

That was my favorite scene from the movie simply because the director hit everything spot on. He did a great job with the camera work, the sound and the overall feeling of fear and claustrophobia. You could hear the same eerie sounds from the game, that background music which sounds like metal being banged frantically. He sets a great mood with this scene and sets the pace for the rest of the movie. The Actress who played Rose’s daughter was also brilliant. She portrayed an innocent, yet troubled child perfectly. She could go from playing innocent to playing the dark form of herself without any trouble at all. This girl has amazing range and she has a bright future ahead of her.

Silent Hill is an underrated movie simply for the fact that it is not very scary at all. This is forgivable simply because it’s nothing I have not seen from the game itself. The director was trying to show what the game would be like in cinematic form. The story is great and well thought of. The ending is also worth the price of admission simply because it is a constant and satisfying blood bath. I didn’t think this movie was boring at all. It kept a good and constant pace and was never bogged down by pointless dialogue. This movie is definitely not for someone who takes movies painfully seriously. This film is for those who have beat Silent Hill, (The first and second ones, the third and fourth are pretty irrelevant) or those who have very open minds and appreciate movies for as they are. This movie is as faithful as possible to the first Silent Hill. Perhaps that is what the movie’s downfall was. The story is too complex for today’s movie goers and too canon for today’s gamers. The director was simply taking everything that Silent Hill was and making it into a fantastic, visual feast. People who saw this movie can not say that they weren’t impressed when the movie made the transition from normalcy and into the darkness. Perhaps a better alternative would have been to use the story line from Silent Hill 2. It would basically be all the Silent Hill goodness, without confusing the audience with the involvement of the occult. Who can say for certain what would have made this movie “great.” Perhaps people need to stop judging every movie like it is up for an Academy Award, and just start enjoying the show.

Alcohol

After a long, strenuous summer of work, students have returned to the campus of DSU. Some of the students that walk these hallowed halls only have one thing on their mind. What it is may not be surprising, but let me just say that they have dreams of reenacting scenes from the Delta House in John Landis’ classic film Animal House. Or for those who have not seen that movie, you may be looking forward to a few rounds of beer pong, “century club” or “Edward forty hands.” While many professors would prefer that those thoughts should be extradited to another place further back in the mind, the fact is that some of the students just want to let loose and party.

The classic college party involves students getting together at a house and drinking alcoholic beverages until they have no idea what planet they are on. In the upcoming year there will be keggers galore and minors aplenty; so I have made it my personal duty to explain my thoughts on the consumption of alcohol.

Right now the legal age to purchase and drink alcohol is 21. However, I’m not going to be naïve to the fact that there will be many under that age that will be partaking in such activities. I only hope to create a survival guide and ground rules to incoming freshmen, and lay some common knowledge and ground rules that could potentially save someone’s life or dignity. There are several repercussions and consequences for underage drinking. If you are caught by the fine officers of the Madison Police Department, you can expect to receive a minor or a DUI, jail time and or a massive fine. One can alleviate stress of being caught in a situation like this by doing one of two things; don’t drink or drink smart.

Parties such as the one depicted in Animal House are not real smart to attend if you are a minor. While they are fun, there is a very high end chance that party will get busted. It is common knowledge but there are always a few people who want to be really daring. It is also not advisable to partake in “booze cruising” because there is the possibility that your night of fun could ruin your entire week. Burn cruising is a completely different story, but I will save that for another article.

Alcohol is both a blessing and a curse because it brings people together, but it also ruins lives. There is nothing like having a couple beers or a glass of your favorite spirits makes for a pleasant night and no regrets in the morning. Drinking in moderation is always the best way to go but people have to be mature enough to know their limits. College is the best four years of anyone’s life but those years should not be wasted. I just have a last message for all freshmen on this topic; your main reason for attending college is to learn and gain experience for the real world. At the same time you should not take life too seriously, because you’ll never get out alive.

Lupe Fiasco: Chi-town's Latest Phenom

There seems to be an overbearing need for cars, money, drugs and sex in the world of hip-hop these days and one would have a hard time finding some sensible or artistic meaning within the songs. Synthesizers and cookie-cutter lyrics give the title of MC a bad name. Chicago has come up recently as a force in the hip-hop world with acts like Kanye West and Twista fusing instrumentals with hip-hop lyrics. If I had to describe Lupe Fiasco’s Debut effort what comes to mind is a humble version of Kanye West. Lupe takes an approach that is very unique to hip-hop by using slower beats and intricate lyrics that show his true intentions for making music. His style isn’t exactly what you’ll here in the clubs these days but he creates an album that you can truly sit down and listen to.

Earlier this summer I was randomly watching MTV and a video came on with a rapper that I had never heard of. He had a ridiculous name that I had never heard of but his music was pure. The song was called “Kick-Push” and it was basically about the life of a boy who had taken up the hobby of skate boarding. The first thing I noticed was the use of strings and brass. Today hip-hop has been over-taken by synths and drum machines that it is refreshing to hear a true artist these days.

Lupe’s next single is “Daydreamin’” which takes a mix of soul and jazz with a sample of I Monster’s “Daydream in Blue” and features soul singer Jill Scott. The first verse of the song deals with a projects building becoming a robot and describing the activity of the people around the building. He describes happenings in the ghetto taking place around the project building/robot. It’s a visceral scene to imagine and not quite what you would expect from a rapper but Lupe shows that he is a true lyricist in this song.

Lupe has a very unique play on the life that is typical of rappers growing up in the ghettos with gangs and drugs and drive bys. In the CD booklet he depicts two scenes with children receiving guns in schools and gangs using books in the place of guns. It’s a unique and darkly humorous view of that life and it shows that his mind works in a new way that people would never expect from an MC these days.

This is an album that can be listened to by everyone because it is not a typical rap album. Lupe shies away from the lifestyle portrayed by rappers today and conveys a message of what really matters. He shows a wide range of subject matter and has a distinct flavor that you can’t find anywhere else these days.

Fall Camp Trojan Style

Every year around the middle of August, millions of football players around the country prepare for their upcoming season. The Trojans of DSU are one such team that hopes to improve upon last season. This time is known as fall camp. This two week period of two-a-day practices and team meetings is used to fine tune the team, prepare the incoming freshmen and create team unity.

The first day is the day that all the players arrive on campus and move into the dorms. Most freshmen come early because of their eagerness to get things started, while upperclassmen that are familiar with the procedure come later in the day. All the players meet and get to know each other and get comfortable with their surroundings. There is a wide variety of people who joined the football team, from high school stand outs to people who want to give college football a shot; even a marine, thrown in for good measure. This diversity really brings the team together because everyone learns to work together no matter what type of background another player has.

The team is really a tight-nit family and they work to make each other better by any means necessary. They can accept anyone into their circle as long as that person is willing to contribute something to the team. They work together very well and everyone is approachable. They are a band of brothers who go into battle knowing that each person will give everything they have got to achieve victory.

On the second day the players wake up to check out equipment at the field house. The players receive their spirit packs, equipment and lockers. After check-out, the players head to the practice field to do a 300-yard shuttle run. The shuttle run involves the players sprinting 50 yards back and forth until they have reached 300 yards in under a minute. Then the players gather in to the basement of Zimmerman Hall to test out on weight lifting. Following the testing the players head to the marketplace for lunch and a few words from Head Coach Nate Holtz. He explains a few things about the school and how excited he is about this season. The players meet the people involved with dining services and receive instructions on how the meals work during camp and during the school year. After lunch, the players convene in the science center for meetings with the coaches, president Knowlton and Dakota State’s Athletic Director. The players then introduce themselves to each other by standing up saying their name, where they are from and what position they play. Once each player has done this, they are informed that each player must be able to know everyone’s name in about three days. The consequence for not knowing someone’s name is extra conditioning after practice. Unit meetings and position meetings follow, along with a team dinner. The day closes out with an organizational walk-thru that explains to the players how practices work. The players then go back to the dorms to get some sleep for the start of practice.

The next day the players wake up around 6:30 and head to breakfast at 7:00. Today is the first day of two-a-days. Players meet in the respective position meetings and get to know the playbook. After an hour, the players head out to the practice fields for a pre-practice stretch. Coach Holtz blows the whistle to gather the team in to tell them what is expected for the day. The team then splits up between offense and defense and head out for drills. The defense begins the practice with turnover circuit where players hone their skills in taking the ball away from the offense. There are four stations set up with two involving stripping the ball away from the ball carrier, and two that work on intercepting a pass. After turnover circuit, the players split up into individual position drills.

The Defense works on leverage drills and getting around the offensive line. They also work on plays that they have learned in their team meetings. It’s important for them to know what they are doing with all the defensive packages, stunts, and coverages. Offense works on running technique, footwork and their respective plays as well. After about 6 or 7 drills, the team gathers in the middle of the field for Team competition. Even without pads, the intensity is very high between the offense and defense. Everything about these practices is high intensity and every player is trying to get on top of their games. Players fly around at a hundred miles per hour and try to deliver as much punishment as they can. Once the pads go on, everything is intensified even more. The hits become harder and the intensity is doubled. Conditioning plays an important role in camp because it takes everyone to that next level of work. Conditioning ranges from straight on 110 yard sprints, to a 12 minute run where players jog around a box while coach Rave tells them to do different types of exercises. Players push out whatever strength they can muster. This is the part where the mind tries to tell the body that it can’t give any more but the players with the most heart can ignore what the brain tells them and they push on.

Once the pads go on, the players become even more excited about football and their power and strength seems to become augmented two-fold. They adopt a bar fighter’s mentality that it is a battle between them and their opponents and that there is no way that they will back down. The players fly around the field and deliver punishing blows on a regular basis. Every hit has that familiar pop of the pads and some impacts are too violent for description. Emotions run high around this time as the offense and defense square off twice a day. Each side challenges the other to step up and prove that they have what it takes to dominate. Whether it is a sack for the defense or a long gain for the offense, each side shows that they have what it takes to compete.

Football really proves what type of person one can amount to and how well they respond to high intensity situations. It is a sport that emphasizes the team concept and that the whole is better than the sum of its parts. DSU is hoping for great success this season and by the way things are looking, that success looks to be within reach.

Dakota State Intramurals

It is a bitterly cold September afternoon and two teams square off to decide who will leave the field as the victor. Both teams have been working hard paying their dues with their sweat and energy. The offense is vying for position crossing mid-field and pinning the defense back. They have been meticulously countering apart any strategy that the defense throws at them. The offense moves down field with grace and precise control staying with a conservative attack and stinging the defense at just the right moment when they appear to be lulled to sleep. The offense scores their last touchdown and wins the championship game for flag football. Jubilation ensues and after a moment of celebration the students return to their dorms, hit the showers and enjoy a hearty team meal.

The situation depicted here is what can potentially be experienced if students at Dakota State sign on for intramural athletics. The mission for DSU intramurals is to allow students to receive the benefits of an active lifestyle. Students who play intramurals will improve physically, socially, and will develop important leadership qualities.

Playing sports at Dakota State or any university requires that one devotes a considerable amount of time to the achievement of the team’s goals. College athletics are not for everyone because the practices are rigorous, and top performance is expected from all the athletes. For everyone else there is intramural athletics. This is a level of athletic competition that anyone can play.

The spectrum of athletes that play intramural range from the studs who were awesome in high school athletics to the average Joe who just wants to get out an have some fun. Intramurals don’t require time consuming practices so it is ideal for anyone with a tight schedule but can spare an hour to physical activity. Intramurals offer a rewarding experience to anyone.

The sports that Dakota State offers are: softball, volleyball, and ultimate Frisbee, basketball and flag football. The program is very organized with rules, a tournament-like setup and a championship at the end of the season. Intramurals are offered during both the spring and fall semesters. They are a great way for someone to be able to be physically active and relieve stress.

For those who are interested they should speak to Nicholas Lemke or Micheal Perrion. For those who have put together a team, there is an online registration form that can be filled out at http://www.clubs.dsu.edu/intramural/onlineRegistration.htm. This is a very worth while program and it is encouraged that all students participate. Intramurals provide the ground work for a healthy lifestyle and lasting friendships