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Show Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 Page 7 A&EDI'VerSiO Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com R Spend a night in someone else's shoes By CHELSEY GENSEL as yourself, come as a man or a woman or as a mixture. It's like putting everyone in a blender, and when we all come out, everyone is the same." He said at last year's event there were not just gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender attendees but also straight people, including active members Club New York in downtown Logan will play host to the Gender Blender this Saturday, Nov. of the LDS community. "It's just sheer fun," Cooper said. "We have great music, great costumes. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. The Gender Blender is a The most important part is it's an open and welcome place to have fun. Be party sponsored by, and a benefit for the Love Is For prepared to sweat and be prepared to laugh." Everyone (LIFE), a USU and Cache Valley Gay-Straight The night will feature a performance by Beta Chicks, a local band, at Alliance. 8:30 p.m., as well as an amateur drag contest at about "The Gender Blender is 10 p.m. The Utah Statesman's own Miss Jones, advice one of my favorite events because "It's not just about one columnist, will be attending as an honored judge for the people get to have fun and play expression ... Come drag show, Smith said. around with gender expression," Kate Black, activities chair for LIFE, said there said Maure Smith, director of as yourself, come as will be prizes, including a Persian Peacock gift card, for USU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual a man or a woman or the winners of the drag show. Tim Roghaar will be the and Transgender Ally Services for the event. He has been the master of ceremo(GLBTA). "I think any chance as a mixture. It's like emcee nies at Queer Prom in Salt Lake City. to do that is a good one." Smith specified that her office does not sponputting everyone in a The Gender Blender, which sor the event, since there will be alcohol available at a has been held annually for at blender, and when we cash bar, but it is important to her personally. least the last 10 years, accord"One of the reasons this matters so much to us all come out, everying to Smith, has typically in my office is that when we expect certain behaviors emphasized men dressing as one is the same." — E. from each gender, we don't leave room for men who are women and women dressing sensitive, for example. That's where homophobia comes Cooper as men to cross typical gender from," she said. lines. This year, however, the She gave the example of two male friends who focus is on gender fluidity, which attend a movie and sit with a "buffer chair" between them so they do not Smith says includes both of those incarnations as well as dressing androgynous, or as a combination of genders. appear to be gay. "That's just stupid," Smith said. "Cultural expectations make it diffi"It's a safe place for people to experiment with any cult for everyone to connect in meaningful ways, in not necessarily sexual aspect of gender identity," Smith said. ways." E. Cooper, who has been president of the LIFE Club for The dance will end at midnight and costs $10 per person or $18 per about two years, said part of that fluidity is present in the couple. name of the event. - pulcre.puella@gmail.com "It's not just about one expression," Cooper said. "Come staff writer Hundreds turn up at MW2 midnight showing When I arrived at the Cache Harrison Valley Mall around 9 p.m. for Chelak the release party for "Modern Warfare 2," the atmosphere was already teeming with excitement. Hundreds of garners showed up to wait the last few hours before the game, quite possibly the most anticipated ever, was released at midnight. To kill time, many people in "Modern Warfare 2" attendance (me included) participated in an intense, singleelimination tournament of the first "Modern Warfare." All of the fan-boys there, even the spectators, sure knew their game - an inexperienced player like me never stood a chance. At midnight, everybody dropped what they were doing and immediately lined up to eagerly await their copy of the game. The first in line was a young man in full U.S. Army attire. Mitch Metcaff explained why he had been at the mall since 6 p.m. earlier that day just to be first in line: "'Modern Warfare' was the best game ever for me. It was the first realistic war game that used modern technology." Talking with various other garners further demonstrated a confidence that "Modern Warfare 2" could only improve any problems the first game had, making it, to them, the perfect game. "Modern Warfare 2" is the sequel to "Call of Duty 4: • •a• •• Let's go Gaming Modern Warfare," which some consider the best first-person shooter to date. Born from the "Call of Duty" franchise, "Modern Warfare" takes the fight out of World War II and drops players in a near-future international conflict where they take control of an elite soldier in a special task force that performs several missions, using the most advanced weaponry available, to stop terrorist and insurgency groups. But what makes "Modern Warfare 2" such a promising title is its tight, balance online multiplayer. While you can customize your weapons, upgrades and special abilities, the outcome of the game still relies heavily on a player's skill. High intense battles require excellent reflexes - players constantly jump around corners and appear in windows. After a solid half hour of game time, you feel jittery and paranoid - looking around everything, spinning your chair to check your back every few seconds, all while retaining that rush of excitement that you experience when you are giving punishment more than receiving. I had a quick word with Mitch after he got his prestige edition of the game (complete with collector's edition and working night-vision goggles) at exactly midnight. "I feel pretty great," he said. "I can't wait to start playing." He rushed out the door and would go on what he called a 72-hour nonstop gaming spree. Mitch was not alone in this endeavor. Millions of players were completely absorbed by the game for the rest of the week. Entire sections of the Internet were deserted Tuesday as the gaming community participated in what is considered to be the most important part of any hardcore gamer's life. "Modern Warfare 2" sold 4.7 million copies, approximately $310 million, in the U.S. and the U.K. within the first 24 hours it was available. On Wednesday, hundreds of gameplay videos appeared all over the Internet - ranging from professional players getting 30plus kill streaks, to fun tricks people were finding about the game. Just watching "Modern Warfare 2" is enough to get your heart racing no matter the caliber of the player. If you like first-person shooters, "Modern Warfare 2" is a musthave. But that's just my opinion. I want to know what you think about the game. Happy gaming - and, please, don't go 72 hours without sleep. Send questions, comments and opinions about "Modern Warfare 2" to H.Chelak@aggiemail.usu.edu 'The Box;' entertaining, not excellent From its first frame, "The Box" is different than expected. In a fashion definitive of director Richard Kelley, the trend continues throughout di the film. At this point in the review, I usually give a brief synopsis of the film's major plot arc, Grade C+ but beyond an explanation of "The Box" the titular set piece and the accompanying moral dilemma, it is almost impossible to explain what the film is about. I'm still unsure whether this is a mark of the movie's brilliance or its complete ineptitude. Anyway, here it is. A struggling family is visited by a disfigured stranger who presents them with a box and a proposition. Atop the box is a red button, which if pushed, will cause two things to happen: 1. Someone, who the family does not know, will die. 2. The family will receive $1 million, tax-free, in cash. The question is posed: Are the participants in this challenge willing to sacrifice their desires for the sake of human life? As might be expected, this question is quickly answered, and the audience spends the next hour and a half grappling with yet another quandary. Is Richard Kelly a genius, a hack or simply an avid user of recreational medication? Reanimated corpses, mind control and government conspiracy are among the list of laughably disparate plot elements that are thrown at the audience along the way. There are Kelly trademarks throughout - including portals, mysterious water constructs and even the explicit reuse of a diagram that first appeared in Kelly's first film, "Donnie Darko." These recurring elements speak of the intriguing Benjamin Roden Reel Reviews possibility of some sort suffused with place mat DIA Z CAM ER ON of overarching mythos, blockbusters and remakes, but whether out of arroit's refreshing and surprisgance or lack of skill, Kelly ing to see a film like "The neglects to let us in on the Box" come lumbering down the pipeline. "The joke. The overall production Box" is unique, entertainof the film is competent ing and unashamedly but not excellent. The strange. It possesses some stimulating and truly chillphotography isn't particularly inspiring but effective ing moments but is unable in most instances. Frank to satisfactorily reconcile Langella's performance its various parts. Despite as the Faustian adminisflaws, it seems further evitrator of the mysterious dence of the heretofore THE BOX experiment is excellent, unmet potential of writ■ ■ and Cameron Diaz and er and director Richard ■ ••+,.••• Kelly. the obnoxious guy who ,.•,.•.• played Cyclops in "X-Men" If his failures, as "The are lively enough as the leads. The music Box" certainly deserves to be called, are is also worth mentioning; it contributes to this intriguing, Kelly's successes might the film's ever-present feeling of tension someday make a place for him among the and dread. great ones. 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