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(04/26/06 12:00pm)
Writing the Science and Health column has been an opportunity for me to break down some of the preconceived notions that the science behind health is too complicated and not worth your time as a reader.
But for me, this column has personal ramifications. For many years, I was dealing with a chronic disease, and it still has no cure. It certainly impacted me academically at the College, but the physical and social impact was far worse.
I am very fortunate that, despite the problems I've had in the past, I am relatively healthy nowadays and I am still graduating right on schedule. However, there are many other people, including some who may be close to you, that aren't as fortunate.
At this age, our bodies are supposed to be at their prime. All the health problems synonymous with adulthood are years ahead, and so we use this time to live life to its fullest. People who have gone through illnesses are required to look at life in a different light, and many times, life's simplest pleasures require an extra bit of caution.
Students with diseases or severe illnesses often lack an understanding from other students about what they are experiencing. Sure, someone could continue to act like they're perfectly normal and not let anyone know about what they're going through. But what happens when there's an emergency trip to the hospital, or if that person is consistently turning down social invitations for no apparent reason?
Likewise, letting others know every gory detail about what they're experiencing is not necessarily the way to go. It will probably evoke sympathy, but soon enough, people won't see the person's positive qualities, only the problems. Everybody will just feel sorry for the person all the time.
I have always been upfront with my friends about my health issues. I don't meet someone for the first time and say, "Hi, my name's Ben and I have some pretty rough health problems." But it's something people need to know because if I have to suddenly miss an important test or social event, I don't want anyone to think it was something I had against them personally. This may sound a bit weird, but believe me, if you start turning down enough social opportunities, people do start to wonder about you, and if they aren't aware of health conditions, they will think it's a personal issue.
At the same time, I have never expected people to go out of their way to feel sorry for me. I would rather have someone laugh at one of my jokes or enjoy working with me on a project than sympathize with me about something I have no control over.
If you have health issues, it doesn't mean you should ignore them, but at the same time, don't let them get you down. Keep a positive attitude, and find out who your true friends are, because they don't care what problems you might have. Know your limits. You don't want to embarrass yourself for the sake of popularity.
If you know someone with health issues, don't go out of your way to ask how they are doing. Get to know the person and if he or she is feeling depressed, try and bring out the positive things in his or her life. Sometimes, people with health issues forget all the good things going on in their lives outside their health. Treating a person like a human being is a crucial step to recovery, because more than anything, people with health issues have a difficult time believing they are normal.
Hopefully, by reading this, those who know what I'm talking about will realize they are not alone. Understanding our health and our bodies is the first step to fighting a disease, but understanding the mind of someone going through a health problem is an even bigger step. It's one, I hope, that we are all willing to take.
(04/26/06 12:00pm)
As far as the A&E section of The Signal goes, the 2005-2006 academic year will be known as The Year of the Geek. I hope that I have informed as well as entertained, and I hope I have made everyone on campus feel a little more comfortable about their geekiness.
My last column is a personal one because it deals with the one geek hobby people on campus associate me with the most. I, Ben Leach, a skinny, white, middle-class kid, am working on amassing the world's largest and most complete Mr. T collection.
Mr. T, to me, is the physical embodiment of the 1980s. He was a hero, whether he was the tough guy/mechanic B.A. Baracus on "The A-Team," leading a team of crime-solving teenage gymnasts in his self-titled cartoon or being Rocky's most formidable opponent (even more so than Ivan Drago). He was the man.
Collecting Mr. T memorabilia may seem like a challenge since it's so specific, but thankfully, Mr. T was a merchandising mogul. He put his face on everything. I have no doubt that Mr. T signed every contract that was put in front of him in the '80s when it came to merchandising.
Toys seem to be the most common items. "The A-Team" was enormously popular with kids, and so all kinds of Mr. T items were produced in relation to the show. The Mr. T doll was actually the first doll to outsell Cabbage Patch Kids after their wildly successful debut. I also have about 10 different versions of the infamous "A-Team" van.
Mr. T is also found in many classic '80s toys. I have Colorforms, Lite Brite patterns and Shrinky Dinks that all bear Mr. T's likeness.
"Yeah, well, I'll bet he doesn't have the Mr. T cereal box like the one from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure!" you may say. A Mr. T cereal box is rare (sealed ones with the cereal still intact sell for well over a hundred bucks), but not only do I have one, I also have a folder sent to supermarkets on how to set up and promote Mr. T cereal. I even have the stickers that came with Mr. T cereal.
I also have a few one-of-a-kind items. I have a contract from the "Late Show with David Letterman" from one of Mr. T's appearances. This has all kinds of personal information. I actually know Mr. T's social security number (and no, I'm not telling you what it is). I also own a photo of Mr. T that was used in the barbershop scene in "Undercover Brother." Look closely and you can see it.
eBay has been a wonderful resource for Mr. T collecting because not only can you find one-of-a-kind items like the ones I just mentioned, but there are hundreds of Mr. T items from around the world that were never available in America! They may cost an arm and a leg to ship, but they're worth every converted penny.
What makes collecting Mr. T stuff even more exciting is that new Mr. T merchandise is produced today. The Mr. T bobblehead and the Mr. T In Your Pocket are two of the items you may have seen at your local Spencer's or Hot Topic.
Mr. T is a hero. He's my hero, and I hope someday, I get the chance to meet him to tell him how much money I've spent to acquire every last object that bears his likeness.
(04/19/06 12:00pm)
There is only one week until "This Week in Geek" is taken out into a field and put down for good. In that spirit, this column is dedicated to things of a geeky nature that were taken away from this world a bit too prematurely.
TV - "Heat Vision and Jack" (1999)
You've never seen this. I've never seen this. But I want to see it. This pilot for FOX was never aired.
A former astronaut named Jack Austin got too close to the sun on an adventure. As a result, he becomes the smartest man alive when exposed to sunlight and becomes dumb as a post when in the dark.
He rides around on a talking motorcycle named Heat Vision, which is actually a combination of his former roommate and his motorcycle.
Yeah, this is a weird plot, but let me rattle off some names. Jack was played by Jack Black. Owen Wilson provided the voice of Heat Vision. Ron Silver played himself, a part-time actor and ex-astronaut whose mission was to take out Jack. And the whole thing was directed by Ben Stiller.
To get your hands on this, you need to get a bootleg copy (I found a couple with Buy-It-Now prices under $10 on eBay). Although the pilot was never aired, it would surely get picked up if it was aired today - and none of those big names would come back for it.
Film - "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" (2000)
Some people love Terry Gilliam's films, others hate them. For every person I meet who absolutely loves "Time Bandits," there's another who can't sit through five minutes of it.
Still, the man who is responsible for all of the Monty Python animation (and is the sole American in the troupe) is remarkably talented and imaginative, and he was the perfect guy to be in charge of a movie about Don Quixote, starring everybody's favorite pirate and high school detective, Johnny Depp.
The film had to have been cursed. With torrential rainstorms, the injury of one of the other stars and military jets constantly flying above the set, there was no way it could get off the ground.
If you don't believe me, the evidence is the documentary "Lost in La Mancha." That's right, we didn't get the actual movie, but we got a documentary about the movie's problems.
Toys - Indiana Jones action figures
I absolutely love the "Indiana Jones" trilogy, all three of which remain among the best action films ever made.
Rumor has it that we're getting the long-awaited fourth film next year, but I'm positive that's not happening.
If it actually goes into production next year, that will be a huge step.
The movies were box office smashes, and the cast of characters and breadth of action sequences naturally lent the characters to toys. But "Indiana Jones" toys never took off.
A very small series of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" action figures were made. They were on the same scale as "Star Wars" and G.I. Joe figures, which allowed for some really cool playsets recreating key scenes from the movie.
For some reason, they did not sell. There was a "Temple of Doom" series too, but there were only three figures (a Short Round figure was planned but never produced, which sucks because Jonathan Ke Quan ruled in 1984-1985).
The small amount of merchandise brings big money on the secondary market, but I guess Indiana Jones is just too mature for kids.
I guess this week's column proves that even if every geek factor is perfectly aligned, it does not necessarily translate into success.
(04/19/06 12:00pm)
Last week, Bausch and Lomb asked retailers to remove ReNu, a contact lens cleaning solution, from their shelves. In doing this, the company takes one of the most popular contact lens cleaning solutions off the market and forces users to switch to other brands. While this is certainly not a life-and-death situation, it was prompted by a serious study, and if you are or know a contact wearer, it's important to understand why such a popular product would be so readily removed from the market.
ReNu was connected with the eye disease fungal keratitis. In the worst case scenario, this fungus can cause permanent blindness, but even if a case doesn't become that severe, it can still require costly treatments, including major surgery on the cornea. There have been recent outbreaks of this disease in Asia and Europe, and with this announcement, many are wondering if the same outbreak has now reached the United States.
According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), there have been 109 reports of suspected fungal keratitis infections in 17 states, and there is an investigation to see if certain contact lenses or products are linked to these reports. ReNu has not been found to be the definite cause of the disease, but Bausch and Lomb isn't taking any chances.
Of the 109 initial reports, complete data is available on 30 of those patients, and 26 of them were using ReNu to clean their contact lenses. There are an estimated 30 million soft contact lens users in the United States, and if such a large percentage of them use ReNu, there is potential for widespread infection.
If someone is suspected of having this disease, corneal scrapings are required to get a proper diagnosis. Sometimes, these scrapings must be very deep to get a decent sample. Despite the seriousness of this infection, the technology is limited.
Perhaps this report serves as a good reminder for contact lens users to properly take care of themselves when replacing their lenses. The following tips come directly from the FDA:
- Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry (lint-free method) before handling contact lenses.
- Wear and replace lenses according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor.
- Follow the specific lens cleaning and storage guidelines from the doctor and the solution manufacturer.
- Keep the contact lens case clean and replace every three to six months.
- Remove the lenses and consult your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms such as redness, pain, tearing, increased light sensitivity, blurry vision, discharge or swelling.
This is a very early report, so we don't know if the 109 early reports are full-blown cases of this form of keratitis. Simple antibiotic treatment may be able to treat the problem if discovered early enough, but if this keratitis does not respond to current conventional antibiotic treatments, major surgery may be the next step.
If you were using ReNu, do not finish your remaining supply. Immediately find another cleanser for your contact lenses. If you were using ReNu for any length of time, visit bauchandlomb.com for updates on the recall.
Information from - fda.gov, vet.purdue.edu/horses/fungalinfectionoftheeye.htm, bauchandlomb.com
(04/12/06 12:00pm)
One of my favorite columns from last semester was my investigation of the weird and wacky crap you can find on eBay. Well, I'm at it again, so let's try This Week on eBay: Part 2!
Item #9507240223 -
Two-Headed Calf Mount
I'm sure we've all looked around our homes and said, "You know what I need? I need a stuffed two-headed calf in my living room!" Don't let Ripley's Believe It or Not! create a monopoly on deformed animals. I mean, come on, $3,000 is chump change! How many of your friends own two-headed calves? I mean, look at all the attention that kitten with only one eye has received this week!
Item #7404512881 -
Fine Art Celebrity Mug Shots
Whoever created this isn't that great an artist, but he definitely has a great idea. Take the Brady Bunch tic-tac-toe board design and fill it with celebrity mug shots. Of course, Michael Jackson and Nick Nolte are on here, but there are some other great ones, like Macaulay Culkin, Martha Stewart and my favorite, James Brown. And I love how this is billed as "fine art." I mean, would anyone in their right mind hang this next to a Picasso or Cezanne and say to themselves, "Oh, well, these are both equally great in different ways."
Item #8274498065 -
Extremely Rare X-Man Gamex Atari 2600 Boxed NTSC
If you think Atari made a game about one of Marvel's X-Men very early on, you couldn't be more wrong. X-Man isn't some mutant with super powers. He's simply a guy who wants to get laid. In the game, X-Man has to run through a maze, dodging things like scissors, teeth and crabs (the crustaceans, though they probably represent something else), all so he can "produce mutually satisfactory results" with a naked girl at the end of the maze. Naughty Atari games are a precious commodity, and the Buy-It-Now price on this bad boy is just under $400.
Item #6620366697 -
Scott Baio 9" Novelty Clock Decorative
The last movie that Scott Baio did was "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2." Moving on, someone thought it would be absolutely brilliant to take a shot of a shirtless Baio from when he was still a teen, and then, to make certain that the person was getting his or her point across, use that same image three times on the same nine-inch clock. I said nine-inch clock, you sicko!
(04/12/06 12:00pm)
Have you been suffering from severe headaches for years? Maybe you've attributed them to stress over classes or relationships. Maybe you've blamed them on partying habits. However, a new study shows that cases of migraines in teenagers are on the rise, and maybe those frequent headaches should be taken more seriously.
A study evaluated 18,714 adolescents ranging in ages from 12 to 19. Of those adolescents, five percent of boys and 7.7 percent of girls reported "frequent migraines." The problem is not so much the number of migraine sufferers but how those patients are being treated. About 60 percent of those affected with migraines were using over-the-counter medications like Tylenol to treat the severe headaches, but only about 17 percent used prescription drugs to treat migraines.
The first step in determining if you are suffering from frequent headaches or much more severe migraines is to know what a migraine is. The two most common types are classic migraines and common migraines.
Classic migraines begin with what is known as an aura, or a warning sign. The key sign that you are experiencing an aura is in your vision. If you start to lose your peripheral vision or begin to see flashing lights and colors, these can be signs of an aura. Muscle weakness and burning sensations can also accompany auras. These can last from 15 to 30 minutes prior to a migraine.
Common migraines don't have auras and are thus slowly developing migraines with no warning signs. These tend to last longer and cause more pain than classic migraines.
The big problem with migraines is that they tend to interfere with every day activities. If you feel like you are constantly skipping classes because of severe headaches that are interrupting your otherwise normal life, you may want to see if migraines are to blame. Intense throbbing on the side of your head, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light, and lightheadedness can all be symptoms of a migraine.
There are many treatments for migraines available, but the study showed that even though 31 percent of the adolescents qualified for preventative migraine care, only 10.6 percent of them were actually currently under preventative care.
Another scary revelation of the study showed that these adolescents were experiencing a greater frequency of migraines. For example, within a year, a teenager might go from experiencing two migraine attacks a month to 15 or more in a month. And since migraines can last from four to 72 hours, this means that migraines are definitely a major interruption in these teens' lives.
Because migraines seem to be increasingly problematic for the population, the number of available treatments has also increased. Over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol are recommended for those who suffer from infrequent migraine attacks. However, on the prescription level, Imitrex is by far the most widely used medication, and it's becoming even easier to use.
When Imitrex was first brought on the market in the early 1990s, it was only available in syringe form.
While at least it was a prescription-strength treatment for migraines, it proved to be very inconvenient for students and working-class patients who might be dealing with a migraine attack at a moment's notice.
For a few years, Imitrex has also been available through pill form, and basically, if a prescription is available in a pill, that is what people prefer. In fact, though the syringes are still available, they are very rarely prescribed. However, just recently, the newest form of Imitrex was released. The drug is now available as a nasal spray. This is definitely a preferred method of treatment for younger adolescents who suffer from migraines, and it's also very convenient for people who need to treat a migraine at a moment's notice.
Remember, just because you suffer from headaches doesn't mean you have migraines, but if those headaches are becoming more severe and interrupting daily activities, you may want to get checked out.
Information from - webmd.com, familydoctor.org
(04/05/06 12:00pm)
After spending a couple of weeks getting my nose rather brown by writing about Kevin Smith, it's time to move beyond him and my "hung like a wookiee" comment and back into the realm of geeks.
I absolutely need to address something that has everybody stirred up: Spiderman's black costume.
Anybody who is a fan of Spiderman knows that Venom is his main foil, his antagonist. He basically has the same powers as Spiderman but uses them for evil instead of good.
Everybody figured Venom would be a villain at some point along the way, but "Spiderman" director Sam Raimi has said time and time again that he didn't like Venom and didn't want to use him in a Spiderman movie.
Why is the black costume such a big deal? In the 1980s, Marvel Comics did a story arc known as "Secret Wars," which brought every big Marvel superhero together in a battle of epic proportions.
While the comics weren't actually that good, the one significant thing that came out of the story was Spidey's black costume (or alien symbiote costume, if you want to get technical). Alien goo gets on Spidey and it actually enhanced his superpowers for a time.
One day, the black costume, which was a living entity, decided it didn't want to behave anymore and rejected Peter Parker. Instead, it found new life in rival photographer Eddie Brock, who embraced his evil side and became Venom.
Surprisingly, Venom has only been around since 1989.
Spidey's black costume was one of the only times in comic book history when a major superhero changed his costume and fans actually embraced it.
The look is extremely sleek and stealthy, which is a great reflection of the character of Spiderman.
Fans started speculating that Venom might be the villain when the next two villains were cast.
Thomas Hayden Church ("Sideways") and Topher Grace ("That '70s Show") were the villains. We've known for a while that Church is playing Sandman, but everyone wondered what Grace was doing there.
There were some rumors that he was playing a villain called Elektro, but there was nothing to confirm that.
Many speculated that what Raimi wanted to do was make Grace into the anti-Peter Parker, a kind of what-if character to show what would have happened to Spiderman if he made some different choices.
Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary Jane Watson, Spidey's love interest, in the first two movies, "accidentally" mentioned that the villains for "Spiderman 3" were going to be Sandman and Venom early on.
However, fans kind of wrote her off as a ditz who didn't know anything about the comics, so they didn't take it seriously.
Plus, "Spiderman 3" wasn't even in production when she said that.
Now we still don't know if Grace is indeed playing Venom, but we do know for certain that Spiderman has a black costume in "Spiderman 3."
The first poster has come out, and while the suit looks exactly the same as far as texture goes, it is definitely black, and Sony has confirmed this.
Since then, fans have used computer programs to make the suit look more like the comics or to put Tobey Maguire in it, but these are fakes.
I hope everyone is up to date on this so when "Spiderman 3" comes out next year, you can all say, "Ben Leach was right!"
(04/05/06 12:00pm)
Last week was National Sleep Awareness Week, but you were probably too busy pulling all-nighters to think about it.
Getting a good night's sleep is extremely important, and while you can make all the excuses you want, each day your body needs a certain amount of sleep (usually seven or eight hours) to function properly.
The mind and body don't completely shut down during sleep. In fact, the brain exhibits so much activity during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, it earns the nickname "paradoxical sleep." Metabolic rate and cerebral blood flow decrease to about 75 percent of their full capacity during sleep, which is how the body uses sleep to literally recharge for the next day.
Cognitive abilities can be impaired by missing even just a single night's sleep.
REM sleep is associated with learning, and if a person is asked to take a test after taking a short nap, he or she is likely to perform better that someone who has been up studying for hours on end.
Most college students aren't getting a full seven or eight hours of sleep every night.
You may say that you do not need that much sleep, and indeed, there are people who can function normally with five or six hours of sleep per night.
However, sleep occurs in stages, and the body needs sufficient time to go through each of those stages. This is why we can appear groggy and disoriented when woken up in the middle of the night.
However, it is estimated that 70 million Americans are living with some kind of sleeping disorder.
_ Insomnia: If you function fine with five hours of sleep a night, there's nothing wrong with you; you're just a short sleeper.
But if pain or discomfort cause a lack of sleep, then insomnia might be to blame. Taking a prescription like Ambien may not be the best solution.
In drug dependency insomnia, the body develops a tolerance to the drug, requiring more of the drug to be effective and experiencing withdrawal symptoms if the drug is taken away.
Sleep apnea is another form of insomnia where a person stops breathing upon falling asleep. Almost everyone experiences sleep apnea on a small scale, but it usually doesn't affect sleep.
This is especially true with people who snore. Usually, sleep apnea is caused by an obstruction of the airway, and this can be corrected by surgery or special devices.
Narcolepsy: If you find yourself falling asleep in classes or in the middle of the day, you might be suffering from sleep attacks that are characteristic of narcolepsy.
These attacks usually occur under monotonous, boring conditions, so while falling asleep in a boring three-hour lecture might seem normal, it can be a symptom of something that needs to be checked out.
A cataplexy is a more serious symptom of narcolepsy. During REM sleep, the body will experience muscular paralysis.
A cataplexy causes a person to wilt and fall like a bag of sand.
The person will be fully conscious during this time, but they can experience muscular paralysis anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.
If you are worried that you have a sleep disorder, it is better to realize it now, before you head into the working world, so it can be corrected.
Before you resort to any drastic measures though, try getting a full night's rest every night, not just on the weekends or on Wednesdays when you don't have class.
You can also maximize your performance in class if you squeeze in short naps of about 30 minutes every day.
Sleep is not something that should endanger your ability to perform well on a test.
Sleep is actually your best friend in that regard.
(03/29/06 12:00pm)
Prescription drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Ritalin, Strattera, Adderall and Concerta, have been coming under fire lately.
Back in February, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Board recommended that a black box warning, the strongest warning for any prescription drug, was necessary to alert patients of the potential risk for heart problems.
The basis of the warning comes from an epidemiological study by the FDA. Approximately 676,000 patients who had taken ADHD drugs at some point were part of this study. The results showed a higher-than-expected number of cases of strokes and heart attacks, especially in adults still on the medications.
The key word in all of this is epidemiological. An epidemiological study monitors a large population rather than a small, controlled group. While all of those 676,000 patients were on an ADHD drug at some point in their lives, the study does not account for other factors that could have put the patients at risk for heart problems. It also does not consider whether any of those patients were necessarily taking an ADHD drug when their heart attacks or strokes occurred.
This is probably the basis for a federal health advisory board's decision last week that Ritalin and other ADHD drugs should not carry a black box warning. While they did say that clearer labels were needed, the black box warning could do more harm than good.
The last time a black box warning got so much attention in the news was when Vioxx and Bextra, drugs used to treat arthritis, were taken off the market in the fall of 2004.
Celebrex - which, like the others, is used to treat arthritis and other kinds of pain and inflammation - is in the same class of drugs as Vioxx and Bextra, so many questioned why Celebrex remained on the market. Many were calling for a black box warning on Celebrex to warn about the increased risk of heart problems.
While Celebrex never received a black box warning, the damage had been done. Celebrex is still on the market, but it is not being dispensed nearly as much as it was prior to its black box controversy.
This is not because doctors are trying to keep their patients away from Celebrex. However, many patients hear these scary news stories and automatically assume that they should stay off a drug, even though they may not personally be at risk for the problems that get in the news. This is exactly why the federal health advisory board did not want a black box warning placed on ADHD drugs. It may prevent the people who really need them from being willing to take them.
There are risks of negative side effects, just like there are with almost any prescription-strength drug, and if a person has other factors that put them at risk for heart problems, then there is an immediate concern for whether to stay on an ADHD drug.
The important thing to keep in mind with any study that touts major risks to your health is whether it is epidemiological or clinical. In the case of Vioxx, the study was clinical, so there was an appropriate basis of concern.
For ADHD drugs, the epidemiological study does not account for several other factors involved. This is something that should be kept in mind for any prescription drug, not just the controversial ones.
Information from - Houston Chronicle, WedMD
(03/29/06 12:00pm)
Kevin Smith is not a typical Hollywood director, and he made that abundantly clear when he visited the College last Thursday in Packer Hall.
While most celebrities don't like to delve into their personal lives, Smith had no problem talking about his experiences.
From the tame (his recent appearance on Canadian teen show "Degrassi: The Next Generation") to the outrageous (nearly 45 minutes about his experience with an anal fissure), nothing was off-limits.
The format of Smith's presentation surprised many in the audience.
Though billed as a lecture, the event consisted of Smith simply taking questions from the audience about movies, comics, friends and growing up in Jersey for three-and-a-half hours.
But the unconventional format allowed Smith the opportunity to give a lot of insight into his life and making movies.
And even though he's 35 years old, relating to a college-aged audience was not difficult. In fact, Smith just joined myspace.com.
"It's the worst fucking addiction," Smith said. "If you're really cool, top eight, bitch!"
Smith's love of comics came out early, when he revealed that his favorite superhero was Batman.
"I would love to just put the bat suit on and have fucking pecs and not man tits."
Smith also revealed that he named his daughter Harley Quinn after the Joker's sidekick, though he swore that his wife was behind that idea.
Smith told the eager crowd that "Clerks 2," the sequel to Smith's 1994 debut "Clerks," is set to be released Aug. 18. "The same day as 'Snakes on a Plane'!" Smith said.
The production of "Clerks 2," which stars Rosario Dawson and Jason Mewes, sounded like a lot of fun thanks to Mewes, one of Smith's partners in crime, aka Jay of Jay and Silent Bob.
"Once you get to know (Jason) for five minutes, he'll take his cock out for you," Smith said. "I've seen his dick more than I've seen my own."
And while Smith detailed Mewes's struggle with a drug problem for many years, he told the crowd that Mewes has been clean and sober for almost three years.
Smith also confirmed a direct-to-DVD "Clerks" cartoon movie, in which Dante and Randal decide to make a movie about working in a convenience store, appropriately titled "Clerks Sell Out."
Smith attributed much of his success to the fact that so many different people can identify with his work.
"My audience is made up of a wacky, diverse group of people," Smith said. "It's all over the fucking map. We get good reviews in The New York Times and we get good reviews in High Times."
Smith said much of his success also comes from the fact that he is simply a big fan of movies.
Smith assured the audience that the forthcoming "Superman Returns" will be good, since it is in the hands of respected comic-book film director Bryan Singer.
Singer directed what Smith proclaimed to be the best comic book movie ever, "X2."
Of course, Smith said that the whole movie might as well be called Brokeback Mutant, since he considered the movie to be an allegory for homosexuals.
"Never mind snikt, snikt," Smith said. "It's all about dick, dick."
The evening kept the crowd engaged, as there was never any shortage of questions, and no two questions were the same.
One would be hard-pressed to find another celebrity who would willingly field a question about what the world would be like if guys had little nipples on their testicles.
While not everyone was able to stick around for the full three-and-a-half hours, anyone in attendance, from the hardcore View Askewniverse geeks to the casual "Clerks was kind of funny" fans, surely got a laugh out of Smith's seemingly endless cache of stories.
And for the many Smith fans who were charmed by the lecture, Aug. 18 can't get here soon enough.
(03/22/06 12:00pm)
In my very first This Week in Geek column, I wrote, "You're the reason why Kevin Smith is a god among men." Little did I know that Silent Bob himself would be visiting our campus a mere six months later.
Am I the biggest View Askewniverse fan out there?
Probably not, but I am a huge fan of Smith's work, and since I am also a fan of lists, here are five reasons why Smith is incredibly awesome.
Lots of "Star Wars" references
Whether it's independent contractors on the second Death Star, Lando Calrissian as the token black character of the Star Wars universe, or bong sabers, Smith's films are littered with "Star Wars" references.
Smith's view of the "Star Wars" trilogy is very down to earth, but as a self-proclaimed geek, I can attest to getting into many such discussions with my fellow geeks.
Lots of comic book references
Yes, there's obviously Bluntman and Chronic, Jay and Silent Bob's superhero alter egos.
But there's also an appearance by Stan Lee, the man who is basically responsible for all comics we have today, in "Mallrats."
The convention scenes in "Chasing Amy" also hit a little too close to home.
And if that isn't enough, Kevin Smith opened his own comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, in Red Bank.
Jersey Boy
"Jersey Girl" was filmed in Paulsboro, which is about a fifteen-minute drive from where I live in South Jersey.
There are plenty of references to towns scattered in Central and North Jersey. Brodie wears a Henry Hudson Regional T-shirt in "Mallrats."
Jersey has remained very close to Smith's heart, and that isn't going to resonate anywhere quite as much as at the College.
Independent Filmmaker
"Clerks" was shot for $26,800. It took in over $3 million at the box office during its run, which, by all accounts is a huge success (not to mention all the critical praise it received).
The film was shot at the convenience store that Smith actually worked at during the time of shooting. Smith's success is an inspiration for many other aspiring filmmakers.
Fanboy
The kind of fandom that comes along with things like "Star Wars" and comic books has crossed over, and thus there are many rabid Smith fans who are more than ready to quote his movies at length and fill you in on all sorts of production trivia.
But Smith is a fan himself, and he is great at including his fans in everything that he does.
You can visit viewaskew.com and be treated to a wealth of resources.
"My Boring Ass Life," Smith's online diary, is a great way to get many behind-the-scenes stories (was Smith really planning to make a sequel to "Fletch?").
There's the "Clerks II" production diary to get you excited about his next film. There's "The Movie Poop Shoot" which is a great resource for all things geeky.
In other words, Smith knows much of his audience and he respects it.
While there are many other reasons to like Smith, I can only fit so many into one column.
But getting to see Smith in person is, quite frankly, a dream come true for me.
(03/22/06 12:00pm)
Several news stories recently warned that turning up your iPod all the way to 120 decibels can cause hearing loss. Should you be concerned, or is this another one of those doomsayer stories to attract readers and get ratings?
To give you an idea of how loud 120 decibels are, consider the following: A dishwasher produces about 60 decibels of sound. A vacuum cleaner is about 70 decibels. A chainsaw is about 100 decibels. Several things are at 120 decibels, including jet plane take-off, band practice and a motorcycle at its loudest. In other words, 120 decibels are pretty loud.
The problem concerning iPods is not with the device itself, but rather the ear buds that are used as headphones. The design allows for sound to travel directly to the inner ear, which can damage the very sensitive hair cells and hearing nerve if the noise is continuously loud.
The symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss occur gradually over time. Hearing tests can usually detect such problems, but college students are long past the days of the annual hearing tests performed by school nurses. If sounds become muffled and it is difficult to understand speech, it's a good bet that some hearing loss has occurred.
If you suspect hearing loss, you should visit an otolaryngologist, a person who specializes in disorders of the ears and other peripheral organs, and an audiologist, a person who specializes in hearing.
The latest research from the National Institute of Health suggests that the hair cells in the ear can restructure themselves over a 48-hour period of time, meaning that even after exposure to loud noises, the ear can essentially repair itself. However, if the loud noises persist over an extended period of time, they can limit or permanently disable the hair cells' ability to repair themselves.
Although no concrete proof of hearing loss exists, there is a potential danger. France has already limited the volume of its iPods to 100 decibels. And Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass) has called for a study reviewing the scientific information on portable music players and their potential to cause hearing loss.
The National Institute of Health recommends earplugs to prevent hearing loss. This is good for activities like band practices, music concerts and outdoor labor. However, the ear buds of an iPod are delivering the noise directly to the most sensitive part of the ear with no blockage.
That said, there are ways to reduce the risk of hearing loss while improving your iPod listening experience, without having to turn the volume on full blast.
Have you ever heard of sound-isolating earphones? They are made by several different companies and are not difficult to find. They simply reduce the ambient noise around you so that you don't have to turn up the volume as high to drown out the noises that aren't from your music.
There are also noise-cancelling headphones, such as the ones made by Bose. These headphones cover the entire ear, and when an ambient noise hits them, a counter frequency cancels that incoming noise. In other words, you hear nothing but music.
While the iPod hasn't been on the market long enough to cause any major cases of hearing loss, all medical research suggests that turning the iPod up to full volume will eventually cause noise-induced hearing loss. It is up to you to avoid impaired hearing later in life by either investing in advanced hearing devices or simply turning the volume down a notch.
Information from - USA Today and National Institute of Health
(03/08/06 12:00pm)
No two performances of Stephen Shwartz's 1971 musical "Godspell" are ever alike. The success of the show hinges on the creativity and improvisational skills of its cast.
This past weekend, the College's Opera Theatre brought its interpretation to four performances at Kendall Hall, and while many audience members may have seen "Godspell" before, this version was certainly a must-see.
"I really enjoyed how they modernized it," Lili Daniel, sophomore communication studies major, said. "I think it was really well cast."
The musical combined the Gospel of Matthew with modern music styles and a highly energetic ensemble cast.
Throughout the performance, the cast was constantly moving, singing and dancing in a way that could even exhaust the audience. There were many times the cast came off-stage to sing in the aisles.
As much fun as the show was for the audience, it was even more fun for the cast.
"Most of the time, we were just really laughing onstage," Lisa Lombardelli, junior music education major and one of the soloists for 'Learn Your Lessons Well,' said.
While the show had its fair share of pop culture references, the cast didn't rely too heavily on such things. Rather, the obvious camaraderie of the cast was what made the show a success. There are very few shows where the entire cast can be a part of such an important ensemble, and not one performer held the group back.
As with any proper treatment of a musical, intense and exhaustive rehearsals were crucial to making the show turn out right. However, to the cast, the time together was well spent.
"The story of 'Godspell' is about community," Claire O'Brien, cast member and senior communication studies major, said. "Community is what the show became for all of us."
Many of the people in the audience on opening night were familiar with the show but were nevertheless enthralled.
The fact that the show differs with each cast's interpretation was a big draw.
"It's one of the best versions (of 'Godspell') I've seen," Mackenzie Esch, sophomore biology major, said.
Dave O'Brien, senior business marketing major, just saw another group perform "Godspell" but still wanted to see the Opera Theatre show.
"We liked it so much that we decided to come see it again," he said.
"I really like the music, and all versions of 'Godspell' are different," O'Brien added.
"Every time you see the show, it's different," Lindsay Coleman, sophomore English major, said. "There's plenty of room for improvisation."
(03/01/06 12:00pm)
Everyone knows that winter time is synonymous with flu and cold season. But this year, there is another illness to be wary of: the stomach virus.
While the viruses that have hit schools close to the College have yet to be officially determined, the symptoms described sound suspiciously like outbreaks of gastroenteritis, an infection of both the stomach and the intestines that causes vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and fatigue.
In Gloucester County, 1,400 have come down with the virus and many have needed to be hospitalized.
The virus may last anywhere from 12 to 60 hours, which may not seem like a lot, but that's not factoring in the time between when the virus has finished its business and you are fully recovered.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect is that because symptoms don't appear for 12 to 24 hours after infection, you could show no symptoms of having the virus and yet still spread it to all your friends.
Why is this stomach virus more prone to strike at schools than anywhere else?
Despite a few weeks of unseasonably warm weather, we're still dealing with winter, which means people are going to be in closer proximity to one another indoors.
In fact, you are probably spending more time in your dorm room now than you would if it was March or April. That closer contact with people allows the virus to spread more rapidly.
There is also a lot to say about cleanliness. Many students are guilty of not keeping their rooms (especially their bathrooms) as clean and tidy as they should be. The best piece of advice is to clean your bathroom as thoroughly as possible.
Washing your hands after every class and every time you are in a group setting is also going to stave off infection.
If you get the virus, there are several things that you can do to speed up the recovery process:
- Do not force yourself to eat or drink anything until the vomiting and nausea have stopped. You can rinse your mouth after vomiting, but don't swallow any water during this period.
- After the vomiting and nausea have subsided, drink clear liquids. Start slowly at first, but if you can keep it down, you can increase your intake. Clear liquids include water, ginger ale, sports drinks, decaffeinated soda and Kool-Aid.
- While the diarrhea is persisting, foods like bananas, toast, rice or applesauce are the best ways to get nourishment without upsetting your stomach.
- Avoid fatty or seasoned foods, dairy products, high fiber foods, caffeine and alcohol during this time. This may not be easy to do if you live on campus, but abstaining from these types of foods can cut your recovery time in half.
While something like gastroenteritis is not a pleasant thing to deal with, it is something that is easy to prevent and easy to treat should you get it.
(03/01/06 12:00pm)
It's still winter for a few more weeks, and if you're trapped in your dorm on a weekend, there's no better way to spend your time with friends (besides getting drunk off your asses) than gathering to play one of your favorite board games.
This week, I'll be reviewing some hidden treasures that are definitely worth trying out!
Clue: Master Detective (1988)
Who hasn't played Clue? There's a reason it has endured all these years: it's a really good game.
For one brief moment, Parker Brothers decided to make it even better. It flopped at the time, but it has now become one of the most desirable vintage board games in existence.
There are four more suspects that you can fight over when deciding who to play: Sergeant Gray, Miss Peach, Madame Rose and Monsieur Brunette.
You can actually go outside of the mansion, and then there are the snoop spaces, which allow you to look at a player's card when you land on it with no guessing required.
The game is long out of print, but you might be able to find it at a reasonable price at a thrift store or a flea market.
Whatever you do, make sure it's NOT the Clue VCR game, which is absolutely horrendous.
90210 Entangle! (1991)
We're now getting to a point where 90210 references are getting, well, a little dated.
But I'm a huge nostalgia buff, and when I learned there was a 90210 board game based on Twister, well, it just couldn't get any better.
The game is a little complicated. The mat looks nothing like the classic Twister mat. It's a huge picture of the original cast of 90210, Luke Perry and all.
The spinner has two arrows and two circles. The inner circle has body parts and the outer circle has the names of 90210 cast members.
You put the body part where the small arrow lands on the cast member where the big arrow lands.
Again, this has become a little tough to find, but if you find it on eBay, you won't be paying much.
Please tell me that someone is going to go out and get this!
Settlers of Catan (present)
A friend introduced me to this a few years back. This is a thinking person's board game.
You basically set out to conquer a fictional island (Catan) and use the island's natural resources to establish trade routes and centers of production.
This may not be the most exciting concept for a game, but rest assured, it is extremely addictive with tons of replay value. It's been one of the hottest-selling board games for the last 10 years.
The best part is that you can actually expand the game with Seafarers of Catan and Cities and Knights of Catan.
Pretty soon, you really feel as though you are in control of a civilization on a much deeper level than the one experienced in Monopoly.
And don't worry if you're not a big gamer. When I played this game for the first time, it felt like I had been playing it for years.
So the next time you're bored on a Saturday night, try something a little different than your usual board game fare, courtesy of This Week in Geek!
(02/22/06 12:00pm)
Last week, the American International Toy Fair was held in New York City. At this convention, all of the new toys for 2006 were revealed. It is only open to people in the industry and the press, and I fell into the latter category. There are some companies, though, that produce things that would hardly be considered toys. In fact, I'll wager that many of my fellow geeks will be purchasing these items. Get ready for This Week in Geek's review of Toy Fair 2006!
"Family Guy": Peanut Butter Jelly Time Brian
"Family Guy" is an extremely hot property right now, and you've probably seen the action figures in places like Hot Topic and Spencer Gifts. They're produced by a toy company called Mezco, and the fourth series is currently in stores. I saw hand-painted prototypes of the fifth and sixth series, and there were some really interesting selections, like Peter dressed as Gary the No Trash Cougar and "Greased Up Guy" (who comes with a cage). But if there is any figure that is going to cause excitement, it is Peanut Butter Jelly Time Brian from the sixth series.
Probably the most quoted bit from the show since it returned with new episodes, the figure is pretty simple: Brian dressed as a banana with maracas. However, the expression captured on Brian's face really helps to recreate the moment in plastic, something Mezco is known for doing. The sixth series should be out some time this summer, with a price tag around $10.
"Lord of the Rings": 12" Legolas
While the movies were out, "Lord of the Rings" toys could be found just about anywhere, making both children and adult collectors extremely happy.
However, children are extremely fickle when it comes to toys, and so we haven't seen any new stuff for "Lord of the Rings" in quite a while.
Sideshow has been putting out high-end "Lord of the Rings" collectibles since 2001. The company is renowned for its attention to detail and use of quality materials. This year, it has started producing 12" action figures.
They are very articulated, allowing you to put them in different poses, and they have cloth outfits that capture just about every detail imaginable. The figures retail for about $50.
Legolas is a character that guys like because he's cool, and girls like because Orlando Bloom is supposedly hot or something like that, so I figured this is the one worth mentioning. He's available right now on sideshowtoy.com.
"Star Wars": Mara Jade
mini-bust
I am a hardcore "Star Wars" fan, and I knew that this would get just about every other hardcore "Star Wars" fan excited.
There is one character from the expanded universe (to non-fans: things that aren't in the movies) that is by far the most popular, and it's Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand and Luke Skywalker's wife.
Gentle Giant has been making mini-busts of "Star Wars" characters since 2002, and they are just about the hottest thing for collectors (some that sold for about $40 a couple years ago now sell for more than $300). The scanning technology used perfectly captures an actor's likeness.
This has allowed them to make many of the classic "Star Wars" characters into miniature busts. However, this is the first time that Gentle Giant has produced a character that wasn't in the movies. I was told that this is going to be an exclusive, meaning that it won't be available at stores like Suncoast that normally carry them.
I guarantee you at least one person reading this article will have at least one of these things in his or her dorm room by the end of the year!
(02/22/06 12:00pm)
It's the time of year when the common cold rears its ugly head once again. Treating colds is a big business, but it's money you'll never have to spend and time you won't have to lose if you know how to prevent it and treat it properly.
However, do all of these methods work? Here is a guide to popular ways of supposedly preventing and treating the common cold.
Vitamin C
Michelle Fabrizi, sophomore music education major, dealt with a cold earlier this year. Her solution was pretty much what mothers have been telling children for years.
"I drank a lot of orange juice that week," Fabrizi said.
According to webmd.com, a study reported that vitamin C only minimally reduced the duration of a cold, and it was only most effective in people involved in rigorous physical activity, like skiers or soldiers.
Researchers are trying to determine if copious amounts of vitamin C taken at the first signs of a cold can reduce the symptoms or even prevent a cold altogether. Some Web sites claim this works at extremely high doses (8,000 mg every 20 minutes).
The best solution at this time of year is to drink orange juice or take vitamin C on a regular basis and not wait until a cold hits. Trying to get vitamin C into your system after a cold hits isn't going to help much at all.
Zinc Lozenges/Airborne
In the late 1990s, zinc lozenges like Cold-Eaze were marketed as a near-cure for the common cold.
In recent years, Airborne, a vitamin supplement, has been touted by personalities like Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey as 100 percent effective at preventing colds.
If these were cures for the common cold, there wouldn't be a person on the planet who wouldn't be buying them. People may live by either of these cold prevention sources, but they are hardly cures.
Zinc lozenges work on the principle that zinc deficiencies cause common colds, and taking an oral zinc lozenge will give the body the zinc it needs to properly prevent the spread of the cold virus. However, the cold virus resides in the nostrils, while the zinc lozenges are taken orally with a limited ability to even reach the nose.
Airborne was flying off the shelves last year. This year, either the manufacturer is doing a better job of meeting demand or people just don't care, because Airborne is not difficult to find.
Airborne is a combination of vitamins and herbs that is taken like seltzer water. There is no scientific proof and no research study backing all of the wonderful things that Airborne touts.
If you do take a zinc lozenge or Airborne, do not take it as a cure for the cold, and don't take it after a cold has hit.
Sudafed
Sometimes, a cold hits and it's too late to worry about prevention. Sudafed is usually the next step.
"I might take Sudafed, but only if it gets really bad," Serena Miller, junior nursing major, said.
Sudafed does not cure or prevent a cold, but it tends to do a decent job at relieving most cold symptoms. However, the problem with Sudafed in the past has been its active ingredient, pseudoephedrine, or ephedrine for short.
It has been linked to strokes and heart attacks, and while college students don't tend to think about these risks, they are serious and need to be made apparent. However, there is good news in regard to Sudafed. Last year, Sudafed PE came out. Instead of pseudoephedrine, it contains a different decongestant called phenylephrine.
If you are using Sudafed to treat colds, definitely try to get a hold of Sudafed PE to avoid the potentially hazardous side effects of regular Sudafed.
The old standards
There's a lot to be said about the good old-fashioned ways of treating a cold.
"(Colds) are just an annoyance," Jennifer Fish, senior psychology major, said. "I just rest and not work as much."
Colds always seem to come at academically inconvenient times for students, but drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest are great ways of treating a cold. One day of resting may save you two or three days of serious cold symptoms. If you don't have the time to rest, make the time.
Be sure to wash your hands a lot as well, since cold viruses are easily spread through skin contact.
(02/15/06 12:00pm)
Changes to the College's prescription plan will increase the annual premium for every student by about $50 - and the reason is of contention among students.
In December, the New Jersey State Assembly passed the Contraceptive Equity Bill, which requires insurance plans to cover birth control just as they would any other prescription drug. As a result, a college prescription plan now must cover birth control prescriptions.
Not all forms of birth control will be covered, so it is important to investigate what the College will and won't pay for before getting a prescription.
The coverage and increase in the annual premium are expected to occur in the Fall 2006 semester. It will save women who use birth control on a monthly basis hundreds of dollars a year.
Men and women on campus have mixed reactions.
"I definitely don't think that I should be paying for something that's not affecting me personally," Dom Serra, senior criminology and justice studies major, said.
Though Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX) had students petition for the coverage during the College's "Declare Your Right to Choose Day," the fight for the bill surprised some.
"They should have asked the college campus first," Matthew Santos, junior elementary education/psychology major, said. "It's important to survey the campus to see if everyone agrees on it first."
While men may complain about having to spend money on something that they don't use, sexually active men on campus benefit from the coverage.
"Although I can see guys being upset about this, I honestly think they should just suck it up," Inessa Shor, senior psychology major, said. "Women aren't having sex with themselves and impregnating themselves. It takes two to tango."
"I think this is a great thing," she added. "Many women who are not on birth control in college definitely need to be for various reasons, and this may allow them to get it without the hassle of having to go through their parents."
However, not all women share the same feeling.
"For the mere fact that birth control is not a procedure necessary for the betterment of one's everyday health, I believe that colleges should not (cover) birth control," Naomi Rutz, sophomore music major, said. "I'd rather see them invest the time and energy in flu shots or something that everybody can benefit from."
There are several ways of looking at the potential costs. On the one hand, they're cheaper than the costs of raising a child while in college. But then again, condoms, which also prevent contraception, are available at Health Services for free.
The ramifications of the state's decision are huge and affect everyone on campus. If you are a woman who is not on the College prescription plan, now may be the perfect time to investigate.
(02/08/06 12:00pm)
Oscar nominations came out last week, and while I am so freaking miffed that "Revenge of the Sith" didn't pick up a nomination for Best Visual Effects, I am also just as incredibly ticked off at the Academy Awards in general.
Rarely do they recognize films that are just so incredible that they change the lives of the people who watch them forever.
I am going to review one of those movies, and sadly, it was never nominated for an Academy Award - or any award for that matter. It's "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky," and it is, without a doubt, the most violent gore-fest of a movie ever made.
How do people even know about this film? It was back in 1999, when Craig Kilborn hosted "The Daily Show." Before he asked his Five Questions of every guest, he showed a clip of a guy crushing another guy's head with his bare hands.
That's Taizan from "Story of Ricky," and believe it or not, that scene is somewhat tame compared to the rest of the film.
There is a plot, but it doesn't really matter.
All you need to know is that Ricky is in prison for a crime he didn't commit (like The A-Team!) and he fights his way through bad guy after bad guy, eventually winning and freeing all the good prisoners. (Good prisoners? Isn't that an oxymoron?)
How does he fight? Well, let's see. He punches right through a large prisoner, appropriately nicknamed Elephant.
He smacks one guy's eye out of his socket, after which the guy rips out his own intestines and uses them to strangle Ricky.
A prisoner who befriends Ricky has half his tongue cut off, only to later have half his face ripped off.
Remember that guy who crushes the other guy's head? Ricky punches through the guy's jaw and shoves his fist through the guy's mouth.
And it's not like the bad guys aren't tough, either. The Assistant Warden, who keeps mints in his artificial eye, carries an elephant gun that causes people to explode.
Unfortunately, the real Warden gets mad and uses it to kill Assistant Warden. The Gang of Four, of which Taizan, aka Head-Crusher Guy, is a member, is especially nasty, performing all sorts of unnatural acts of torture on the rest of the prisoners.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Sure, this movie is absurdly violent, but it seems like someone needs to transform into a monster or something."
Well, you can relax, because the final fight is between Ricky and Warden. Now, when Warden first appears, he's a skinny bald guy.
But somehow, he possesses magical powers that allow him to transform into the cheapest looking movie monster ever. And Ricky makes short work of him by putting him in a meat grinder. And he saves Warden's monster head as a trophy.
"Capote" might have Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his career-defining role. "Good Night, and Good Luck" might be an incredible look at the early days of broadcast journalism. "Crash" might be a powerful film about racial tensions in America.
But none of them have a guy pulling out his own intestines and using them to unsuccessfully strangle the movie's hero. "Story of Ricky" fills that intestine-strangling void that is missing from today's movies.
My God, I just wasted a whole column talking about "Story of Ricky."
(02/01/06 12:00pm)
I'm worried. I'm really worried. As I write this, we are only four months away from "X3."
I should be ecstatic. I loved the X-Men comics when I was a kid. There's something about these mutants, ostracized by society because of their unique gifts that normal people fear or don't understand, that resonates with just about everybody. Plus, Wolverine is just about the coolest comic book character ever.
I loved the first X-Men movie. Of all the superhero movies that have been released in the last few years, this one seems to make the most sense. The bad guys aren't crazy freaks - they just feel that they are superior to humanity. "X2" wasn't quite as philosophical, but it kicked freakin' ass in so many ways that many people thought it was an even better film.
Now, there are many reasons for people to be excited about "X3." Fan favorite characters like Beast, Juggernaut, Angel and Psylocke are appearing for the first time in the movies. The Phoenix storyline, which is how "X2" ended, is going to play a major part in this film. And even though Nightcrawler won't be back, the rest of the cast will be in all of their glory.
Unfortunately, these movies are still movies, and without proper direction, they are going to fail. Bryan Singer directed the first two X-Men movies and was all set to do a third -- then "Superman" came along.
Singer has always expressed a desire to do a Superman film and, for him, doing such a good job on the X-Men films allowed him to do just that. But even before X-Men, Singer directed "The Usual Suspects," a terrific film that many consider a must-see.
Now, there are plenty of good directors out there who could have done an incredible job on "X3." So it drives fanboys like me crazy that the X-Men movie franchise is in the hands of Brett Ratner.
If you don't know the name, you know his films. He's probably best known for "Rush Hour" and "Rush Hour 2." Those are good popcorn films for people with below average IQs who don't mind convoluted plots so long as there are lots of ninjas and explosions. He's also directed not one, but TWO Mariah Carey videos!
Unfortunately, though his movies aren't worthy of any critical praise, they have made a lot of money, and that's all that Twentieth Century Fox seems to care about.
There is hope that it will take a lot to ruin an already-successful franchise, but word has it that a script has circulated around. It is supposedly the one that Ratner is using, and it is not good. Basically, it throws everything established in the first two films out the window, which is not a good thing.
Will "X3" kill the X-Men franchise? I seriously doubt it. There are so many fans of X-Men, and so many new fans since the movies came out, that as long as their favorite characters are there and someone like Freddie Prinze Jr. as the dull mutant "Tool-O" is not, the film will likely make a lot of money.
I will see it, but until I do, I will be constantly worried, and I shouldn't be feeling this way at all after the first two films.