Posted inCulture

Martini Man: 007 adapts nicely in Quantum

A bitter, badder Bond. Ever since GoldenEye 64 was released on the Nintendo 64 there have been
many 007 games that try to emulate the classic. The latest is Quantum
of Solace, a first-person shooter based on the new James Bond movie.
The story follows super spy James Bond (Daniel Craig) and touches on
the events that take place from the previous Bond movie, Casino Royale,
and up through Quantum of Solace.
Quantum is a first-person shooter
that lets you switch to a third-person view. The game play doesn't pull
any punches. And from the first level forward, this game is in
overdrive with bullets flying all around you. The first part of the
game feels like it would fit on one of the final levels, so there is no
slowing down. At such a fast pace the levels seem to pass quickly.

Posted inCulture

Our Picks for the Week of 11/19-11/27

The Sofa Kings
friday 21
You've likely seen MC Mystic behind
the turntables as well as the microphone, but most don't know the dude
can also play the drums like nobody's business. He'll show off his
beatkeeping prowess with this new band, the Sofa Kings, the
female-fronted outfit that's debuting at the newly reopened Pyro Lounge
at the Old Mill Martini Bar. That's a pretty clever name for a venue
that was closed due to a fire not too long ago. 9pm. Pyro Lounge at The
Old Mill Martini Bar, 360 SW Powerhouse Dr.
Will Durst
friday 21
If
you didn't laugh enough during the past election, check out Durst's
bipartisan take on political hilarity. Check out the Culture section
for more info. 21 and over. 8pm. $25/advance, $28/door. Tower Theatre,
835 NW Wall St., 317-0700.
 

Posted inCulture

Evolution of an Icon: Craig Brings Depth (and eye candy) to Bond

Even Bond is feeling the recession.Daniel Craig has that mysterious quality, that je ne sais quoi, that truly defines the James Bond character. This is

Even Bond is feeling the recession.Daniel Craig has that mysterious quality, that je ne sais quoi, that truly defines the James Bond character. This is a man who draws women effortlessly, kills efficiently and looks incredible in a tux.

James Bond has long been a cultural icon for masculinity at its best. Operating outside of the bounds of society, he is free from its restrictions, a man who protects the women, saves his country or often the world and does so with unparalleled style. Daniel Craig as James Bond, more than any other actor who has tackled the iconic role, brings a seriousness and enigmatic depth to Bond that makes the character even more fascinating.

Posted inCulture

Life Goes On: Keeping it positive with Mike Leigh

Hot for teacher?The title Happy Go Lucky is kind of misleading. It implies a cutesy-fresh-feeling, sunshine approach to life, but it’s far from cute-it’s about

Hot for teacher?The title Happy Go Lucky is kind of misleading. It implies a cutesy-fresh-feeling, sunshine approach to life, but it's far from cute-it's about real problems for real people and the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Central character Poppy (Sally Hawkins) maintains a positive outlook throughout the movie. Her bike is stolen near the beginning and her only lament is that she didn't get to say goodbye. Poppy's a 30ish, single, North London primary school teacher whose passion is going to pubs and bouncing on a trampoline. Poppy's a wiseacre, unable to stop joking and always putting a spin of hope and optimistic sarcasm on everything. It's a struggle for her to take things seriously, though her caring demeanor is never nauseatingly sweet. She drinks, hangs out, is accosted by life and shrugs it off as "things just happen, move on and have fun with life." She's almost nervously out of sync with the rest of the world. After the bike incident she decides to learn to drive. We then follow Poppy and the various people she encounters, focusing more on life lessons than getting all hung up in plot.

Posted inCulture

Stars, Stripes and Laughs: Political comic Will Durst on how to make fun of Obama

Will Durst takes a seat on his newspapers for the week.The exhausting election of 2008 has ended and political comedian Will
Durst is in Hawaii. It's not that Durst, one of the nation's premier
political satirists and a self-described "raging moderate" found his
brain overloaded by broken record of stump speeches and hotheaded
pundits, forcing him a few thousand miles into the Pacific to seek
refuge, but rather he was in the islands to celebrate his 27th wedding
anniversary. But still, the break has given him a chance to reflect on
a campaign that was hardly light on the comedy.

Posted inCulture

Dead Space: Electronic Arts makes a strong showing in its first jump

Like you never fantasized about eye-lasering an alien. As a kid, the movie Alien gave me the creeps, the slowly building
tension and tight scenes made the sci-fi/horror movie a classic. Game
developer Electronic Arts has been able to recapture that sick death at
every corner feeling with Dead Space. This action horror game has much
in common with the way that the Resident Evil games play. With a third
person or over-the-shoulder perspective, this game is a nice change of
pace from the million-plus first-person shooters. With this being EA's
first foray into the survivor/horror genre, it doesn't repeat what
Capcom has done with recent Resident Evil games wherein the lead
character is a badass. Instead, this game takes a normal person and
puts them in a really bad situation.

Posted inCulture

Testing the Laugh Formula: Even children using profanity can’t save Role Models

And that, boys, is why you wouldn’t last five minutes in Sturgis. In the recently ended political season, there was a comment much
dissected and analyzed having to do with lipstick on a pig. I am trying
hard to forget the context, but watching Role Models this unfortunate
image came roaring back at me.

I suspect Judd Apatow is responsible
in large part for the new comedy genre, which created the following
formula: relentless amounts of crudeness, the raunchier the better,
followed by an awakened heart, followed by a gauzy enlightenment. And
in capable hands, it works. You get potty humor and leave the theater
feeling good about the world. We're going to make it, man.

Posted inCulture

Weekend At Bernie’s: Soul Men swan song has its moments

A temporary resurrection. Soul Men is Bernie Mac’s last movie; that alone lends his portrayal of an over-the-hill backup soul singer an eerie undertone. Coupled

A temporary resurrection. Soul Men is Bernie Mac's last movie; that alone lends his portrayal of an over-the-hill backup soul singer an eerie undertone. Coupled with the passing of Isaac Hayes (playing himself), this comedy could prove a real tearjerker for some and there is a fitting tribute done via clips of interviews and outtakes during the ending credits. But the meat of the movie, which was directed by Malcolm D Lee, (Undercover Brother) is an old and simple story. Two old friends are reunited for one last hurrah, with some road trip hijinks mixed in.

Posted inCulture

Our Picks for the week of 11/12-11/19

Drift
thursday 13
Summer-run steelhead are spread throughout
the lower river and most local rivers and lakes are still producing
good trout, but it's time to put the fly rod down - at least for a few
hours as the latest fish porn feature rolls into town in the form of
Drift, an hour-long fly fishing documentary that includes footage from
right here in Central Oregon. The segment, which highlights the
increasingly popular sub-sport of spey fishing, was filmed last year on
the Deschutes River with legendary guides and spey gurus John and Amy
Hazel. The film was produced in conjunction with The Drake, a
Colorado-based fly fishing magazine, and the local showing benefits the
Upper Deschutes Wastershed Council and Oregon Trout. Doors 5:30, Film
6pm. $10 McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 NW Bond St.. Advanced
tickets at ortrout.org.
Music For The Fallen
friday 14
Veteran's
Day just passed and the local music scene is paying tribute to the
families of Central Oregon's fallen soldiers with this crossover show
featuring music ranging from metal to hip-hop. The lineup includes:
Relative, No Cash Value, Snap Point, Pov City, Trevor G and The
Collektive Cartel. 8pm. $10, $1 off with non-perishable food donation.
Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave.

Posted inCulture

The Didjeridude: Tyler Spencer puts a new spin on an Aboriginal Australian instrument

Tyler Spencer and a prized didjTyler Spencer was only 15 when he stumbled across a metal tube in his
parents' basement and happened to blow into it, creating a unique
resonating sound. While the tube was actually a piece of exercise
equipment, Spencer's father told him about an Australian Aboriginal
instrument called the didjeridu. Spencer began scouring reference books
and other materials, eventually creating his own out of a pine log for
a school project. Fast forward 15 years and Spencer now makes and plays
this ancient instrument for a living, having even gone to Australia's
Northern Territory and studied under the highly respected Aboriginal
elder Djalu Gurruwiwi. Based out of his home on Bend's east side with a
recording studio just off of the workshop where he creates his
instruments, Spencer is bringing ancient Australian traditions to
Central Oregon and he's doing it with style.

"I make very high-quality didjs for people very serious about playing …
it's kind of my duty to pass on my experience and what I've learned,"
he says.

Verify your email

We'll send a verification code to .

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article