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About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2007)
Movie sequels fail to please audiences this year A dam H olmes Staff Reporter In the complex and dysfunctional world that is Hollywood, movies are rolled out every single day, as if the whole industry was a factory distributing cheap toys. And with almost every seemingly successful film that is available at a theater near you, the creators decide that a second attempt at the original will increase profits even more. Hence, the sequel is created, an attempt to give us the original and then some. During the course of 2007, producers decided to dump a whole collection of sequels on movie patrons. Six blockbuster sequels have been released so far. With so many sequels, who can keep track of anything? Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End- Release date: December 4, 2007 have actually become... respectable! In addition, the term "pirate" seems to mean nothing anymore, what with a set of pirate laws that all of them must follow. It was bad enough with "parley." Spider-Man 3- Release date: Oct. 30 The third addition in the famed Spider-Man series, Peter Parker returns with a whole new set of troubles. A new criminal named Flint Marko has gained sand powers and decides to call himself "Sandman." He goes on a massive crime spree in order to obtain money for his sickly child. Coincidentally, Peter has discovered from the police that Marko is the man who actually killed his uncle. Peter becomes angry and decides to go after Sandman. only earn him the right of becoming the third Roxbury brother, complete with matching wardrobe. The Bourne Ultimatum- Still showing in theaters Matt Damon makes a comeback as the amnesic, rouge assassin, Jason Bourne. Having lost his memory in the first movie, and the love of his life in the second, Bourne only has one goal this time: to discover who he really is. The secret hidden behind mysterious twists and turns through the U.S. government is all that is keeping Jason from giving up. His identity will not come easy however. Bourne will have to travel all over K elsey S chrader Entertainment Editor From Maroon 5 to Korn, this fall concert season is chalked full of shows that no one can afford to miss. ITi the death like w orld p.m ., expensive ii you can still tifo««- $ & **» ** RiBBÇfiX ,vr w o ü i W M ay 25 The movie's special effects are top notch. But as is the case with Spider- Man 3, there are to many story lines, including a rum shortage. However, all of the characters seem to have dropped their roles of the :emporary pirate and Maroon 5, Friday, Nov. 2,8 find tickets, Rose Quarter At the same time, a black goo creature, called the Symbiote, has arrived from outer space and conveniently manages to find Peter. The Symbiote attaches itself to Peter, causing him to morph into a black-suited Spidey. But with an all new look comes an all new personality. Peter becomes arrogant, rude and evil. Other problems include Peter's best friend Harry Osborn becoming New Goblin in order to kill him. A new photographer named Eddie Brock is trying to ruin Peter's reputation, and later becomes the bloodthirsty Venom. And to top it off, Peter's girlfriend, Mary Jane, is having trouble holding down a job. This movie proves that quality is better than quantity. With three separate villains and multiple story lines, it's hard to concentrate on what is going on at the moment, considering you've forgotten how the movie got there in the first place. Peter Parker just manages to embarrass the audience with his killer dance moves and his bad boy attitude. His attitude just proves why he was a good guy in the first place, and his dance moves Bourne doesn't give up that easily. This movie is by far the best sequel that has hit theaters this year. The movie manages to combine interesting dialogues and heart racing action scenes into one spectacular flick. The movie even includes another intense car race that will satisfy your thrill taste buds even after you leave. Overall, Hollywood just seems to be repeating themselves these days. They seem to forget that the second is not always as good as the first. And with the exception of the Bourne Ultimatum, all these seem to fail. Portland attracts hot shows this season Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann return as the infamous pirate trio in the third film to the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Jack Sparrow died and is now avy Jones' locker. Davy Jones, also the captain of the cursed ship, The Flying Dutchman, is now under the control of bureaucrat Lord Cutler Beckett, who seeks to take over all the seas and exterminate all pirates. Meanwhile, Will and Elizabeth have formed an alliance with recently revived Captain Barbosa, and have embarked on a mission to rescue Jack. In order to do this, they must track down the Nine Pirate Lords of the Sea, including the ruthless Sao Feng, to help unite against Beckett and Jones in one pirate battle to decide the fate of pirates for eternity. the globe, from Moscow to London. In addition, corrupt government officials have sent lethal assassins after him, determined to silence him before he can learn anything. However, Jason I have yet to meet someone that doesn’t enjoy Maroon 5. They are pretty much the epitome of the perfect band: great pop music, sing-a-long lyrics, and an incredibly good- looking lead singer for the la dies. Tickets will be expensive now, since they're pretty much already sold out, but if you're some kind of Maroon 5 junkie (like me!) then Ebay is your friend. Repeat after me: it is worth it, it is worth it... Say Anything/Hel- logoodbye, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m., $20, Crystal Ballroom If you are into the whole Power Pop / Alternative scene that is popular these days, this is definitely some kind of music miracle. Both Say Anything and Heliogoodbye started around 2001, but really became popular a few years ago when the big Alternative Rock boom erupted. The tick ets are relatively cheap, as con cert tickets go, and the bands reportedly preform incredibly. A great performance + catchy music + the Crystal Ballroom = an event that could be the highlight of the fall season. Boys Like Girls, Saturday, O ct 27, 7:30 p.m., $15, Rose- land Theater If you have been living under a rock all summer, you might not know that Boys Like Girls is the new band that everyone is listening to. Their hit song this summer, "The Great Escape," has taken over the radio waves, iPods, and the whole music world in general. Anyway, they're a great band out of Boston, Mas. that might be single-handedly bringing back "pop" as a respected genre of music. If you liked the whole Panic! At The Disco trend, this is kind of a more kid-friendly version of that. Plus, again, cheap tickets! Score!!! Jim Gaffigan, Friday, Nov. 2,7 p.m. $36, Ar- 1 e n e Schnitzer Concert Hall Jim Gaffigan might just be my favorite comic of all time, and if you have not heard his Hot Pocket routine, than you have not lived (it is definitely on youtube.com). So when I discovered he is com ing to Portland in November, I jumped in my car and pur chased tickets immediately. For all of you that have no clue what I'm talking about, Gaffigan is a very pale, very balding comedian that's appeared on Comedy Central and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and you’ve seen him in the TBS show, "My Boys." His act is totally worth the ticket fee (plus all the extra fees Ticketm aster seem s to pump into the total cost) and I can promise you will be in stitches the whole time. Hope to see you there! Korn, Sunday, O ct 28, 8 p.m., $37-$45, Rose Quarter I wont lie, I don't listen to Korn on a daily basis, but I do know that Korn is one of the longest-lasting metal bands and that they’re coming to the Rose Quarter; which is kind of a big deal. This band out of Bakersfield, Calf, is credited with creating and popularizing the nu metal genre. Anyw ay, for all you metal junkies, or anyone else that enjoys the headbang- fest, this is definitely your show. Dashboard Con fessional, Satur day, Oct. 20, 8 p. m. , about $70-$90, Crys tal Ballroom Who came up with the stereotype that Dash board Confessional is for people that hate their life and are sad all the time? Whoever they are, they are seriously mistaken. I happen to love DC, and I'm a very happy person. You can blame this on the fact that I'm a chick and chicks love stuff like D ashboard C onfessional, or you could blame it on the amazing poetic lyrics and soothing, simple guitar. The latter is more accurate, although I will admit that the majority of this audi ence will be of the female gender. However, don't let that keep you from going, it doesn't matter who you are or where you are from; Dashboard Confessional is a great band with frickiri sweet music. So there you have it, Portland's fall line-up of h ead lin in g co n certs and shows. However, there are definitely other bands com ing, like Chris Cornel (the lead singer from A u d io slave), She Wiants Revenge, Tech N9ne, and Interpol.
