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Show Candyman: A stale confectionery The plot is supposed to be deep and complex, but suffers from gapof ing holes in the normal course comlogic, and an actual lack of the on plexity. The startling tap shoulder devise is used far too often. The heroine is so ineffective that she could have sat the movie out until the last 15 minutes, and the viewers couldnt possibly care about those who die by the Candy-man- s hook. Of course, goodness prevails in the end, but only after almost everyone has been brutally murdered. (No originality even there, Candyman kills everyone the same way.) Dont worry, though; the filmmakers have left the close of this tale open-ende- d enough to allow for countless sequels. True, ones expectations are naturally lowered when attending a horror film. Generally it will involve something supernatural, something violent and gory, and may feature r. performances of less than That doesnt mean a horror film must meet a lower set of standards. The Shining is a violent, gory and supernatural film that met very of rotten horror stories by Shawn Kuennen Forum Movie Critic Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh Rated R One Gtar Nightmare on Elm Street made original and frightening use ever. of dreams that could scare almost anyone that , has them. The first Halloween and last years The Crow are other standouts. Unfortunately, standouts in the horror genre are rare. For the most Fripart, this genre is littered with day the 13th, its many sequels, and imitations of those. Apparently, those are what the public wants, and until the public raises its expectations and quits supporting pointless trash like Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, that is what it will get. CMEESE Oscar-calibe- Perhaps the level of film quality is in direct proportion to the amount of promotion it receives from the distributor. The Westminster Forum office received no press packages for such films as Quiz Show, "Pulp Fiction, or Forrest Gump, the front runners in this years Oscar race. However, for Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, we received countless post cards, a press package, the screenplay, and a board game! (The board game is available to the first person to explain adequately why he or she wants it.) Candyman is so bad I was wishing the promotions would have simply continued. I would much rather watch two hours of previews for upcoming attractions than the sickening and pointless waste of time that Candyman proved to be. Worse yet, this Candyman is a sequel. If anyone bothered to remember the original, they may We high filmmaking standards, and remains for me the scariest movie (Rear to front) Candyman (Tony Todd) haunts every aspect of Annie Tarrants (Kelly Rowan) life in Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, directed by Bill , Condon. remember that the Candyman is a legendary figure that can be called into existence by saying his name into a mirror five times. When he arrives (and this is the dumbest part), he kills whoever called him, and then goes on to kill some more. Why call him? are spirits in an immaterial world by Eric Jacobsen Forum Staff Writer In the introduction to Being Dig- ital (Knopf, $23), Professor Nicholas Negroponte says that computing is not about computers any more. It is about living. This is the theme of Being Digital; that human culture is undergoing profound changes that began twenty years ago and will continue well into the next century. To put this comment into perspective, consider that paper was once as valuable as silks, perfumes and spices in the days of Marco Polo, but later became as ordinary to everyday life as water and air. The same thing is happening (albeit much more quickly) with computers. What was once an expensive tool has been cheapened, and adapted to fit into everyday life. With this integration of a new tool comes a change in society. Paper changed truth from being something verbal and remembered to something concrete and absolute; fine-tune- d, computers are making a similar change, turning truth into something living and dynamic. The results and possible consequences of this are documented in this book. One of the most important parts about being digital, Negroponte explains, is that when information becomes digital it becomes smart. He is quick to point out how many developers miss the point, as in the case of HDTV, a analog standard. It looks better than conventional television, and is and thats it. A digital version of television, on the other hand, is smart; the viewer can instruct the television to edit out all the commercials on a videotape, as well as any mention of O.J. Simpson and any frames that have anything to do with Oprah. Its more than just usefulness of common household objects like VCRs, though. Literacy changes, people communicate with each other differently, and children learn faster and smarter. high-resolutio- n, The era of being digital will also bring changes in society and government. As an example, consider the issue of intellectual property rights. Most people, Negroponte writes, including those at National Geographic, would agree that a child who uses her picture archive for homework should have access to those bits for free or almost free. By contrast, if I were to use it for a paper or a business plan, I should pay a fair price and maybe even a tad extra to subsidize the There are suddenly welfare bits, minority bits, and handicapped bits. Congress will have to be very creative in working out a framework for an equitable system.: Negropontes book does fall a little short in focus; at least half of Being Digital is made up of various columns he wrote for Wired magazine, and the book is consequently a bit loose. Nevertheless, it is essential reading to anyone who intend to be alive during the 21st century and thats only six years away! ld are dmart money. Ii you need money for college expenses, our loans are easy to get with Competitive Rates flexible terms and 1 K75 there's no collateral needed. feature: 1 hey also 15.95 APR installment loan APR credit ,lne) Easy telephone applications No equity needed For more information call (801) 565-505- 0 Dept. 800. 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