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Disturbed in the 'burbs

Newswire Official Rating: 

Stephanie Metz
Diversions Editor

Have you ever taken a peek at one of your neighbors? You were casually walking by the window and just happened to notice Bob next door wearing a giant chicken suit. Oh, the horrible flashbacks. Anyway, if you have ever taken even a little innocent peek through your window, you can relate to “Disturbia.”

Set in a seemingly harmless suburb, “Disturbia” is an intelligent remake of the Hitchcock classic “Rear Window” that takes the concept to the next level.

Kale (Shia LaBeouf), a slightly troubled high school student, is sentenced to three months house arrest for hitting his Spanish teacher. In case you’ve never been under house arrest, the guilty party has to wear an ankle bracelet that alerts the police if he travels more than a hundred yards outside his house. While a hundred yards may sound pretty cushy, Kale can barely reach his own mailbox.

When Mom pulls the plug on his TV, iTunes account and XBox, there’s not much else to do but watch the neighbors.

Who knew there was so much going on in suburbia? For a great thriller, “Disturbia” maximizes its laughs with some of the neighbor’s antics. Illicit affairs, not so neighborly pranks and Kale’s new next door neighbor Ashley (Sarah Roemer), who is of course the film’s love interest, all make their appearance through Kale’s binoculars. Ashley gets in on the neighbor watching, along with Kale’s best friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo).

The trouble starts when Kale realizes that one his neighbors fits the description of a local serial killer. Kale, along with the viewer, continues to watch and becomes more and more certain that his neighbor really is the serial killer. However, things look one way to Kale and another way to the police.
The suspected serial killer, Kale’s creepy neighbor Mr. Turner, played to eerie perfection by David Morse, is not about to let Kale snoop in peace. Don’t worry, I won’t give away the ending, you have to go see the movie yourself.

If you like a movie that thrills and chills, this one’s for you. Many people in the theater, including myself, were screaming. My viewing buddy was ferociously gripping my arm and the tension was palpable.

I wasn’t expecting too much from this movie. I mean, it’s just another horror film, right? I was pleasantly surprised by the acting—Shia LeBouf has only improved since his debut in “Holes.” Aaron Yoo also stands out as LeBouf’s sidekick, a role that is often forgettable. While Sarah Roemer is tolerable, she’s nothing special. Any number of talented actresses could have filled the role much better.

My only other criticism is that the movie ends too quickly for my taste. The audience barely has time to come down from the high adrenaline rush ending before the credits role. I wish the movie had played with the fallout of all the action a bit more.

Overall, “Disturbia” is great. It doesn’t resort to using too much gore to scare the audience, but it is still plenty scary. It goes for the psychological scare, which is far creepier in my book. It’s one of those movies that messes with your head instead of throwing buckets of blood at you. Although I got to see the movie for free, I wouldn’t have regretted buying a ticket. My only problem now is that I need to invest in some thicker curtains for my room—which begs the question, who’s watching you?

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A ‘Hoax’ of real quality

Newswire Official Rating: 

Emily Hoferer
Diversions Editor

A tangled web of lies, a personal life with a risque and secret past, boat loads of money and messing with an eccentric billionaire. This sounds like the stuff of a great book, which is exactly the idea in“The Hoax.”

In the movie, Richard Gere plays Clifford Irving, a writer struggling to hold onto his career and his personal life. Desperate to write a famous bestseller, Irving stumbles upon inspiration in Newsweek to write about the living legend, Howard Hughes. The only catch is that he, like most people, has never met Howard Hughes. He presses on with his new genius idea, keeping the secret from his publisher, McGraw-Hill, and the American people.

Irving gets his friend Dick Susskind and his Swedish wife Edith in on his master scheme and as he gets further along in the process of publishing his novel, he gets more and more tangled in Hughes’ complex universe. Hughes even begins to send him information about Nixon, and Irving quickly realizes that he has become a pawn in Hughes’ game of life. As Irving’s mountain of lies crumbles, he begins to take on the hallucinogenic traits of Hughes.

Richard Gere and Alfred Molina, who played Irving’s accomplice Dick Susskind in the movie, were great together on screen. Marcia Gay Harden played Edith, and her subtle performance was impeccable. What impressed me most was how Irving got away with so much. The elaborate plans to get information from the government and other people who worked closely with Hughes were acted in hilarious fashion. One scene even included Molina’s character photo-copying a 200 plus page book.

The tone progressed smoothly throughout the movie. As Irving’s character retreats to his old ways of adultery, the tone is serious and heavy; while scenes with grand scheming, stealing and intenselying are lighter and have a much more cheerful tone. Whenever Hughes is involved, the sheer intricacy of his life plays into the feel of the film.

The movie was also a great homage to the social and political climate of the late 70s. In fact, the book written by Irving, although it was never published, is believed to have been the reason for President Nixon’s increased paranoia about Hughes, which contributed to the Watergate Scandal.

“The Hoax” is a great movie for any history buff, as well as anyone who can remember even a little bit about the 70s. And even for the normal movie go-er, the plot has many twists and turns, so it is enjoyable as well as interesting. It is definitely worth the money to see.Would I lie to you?

 Briefs

Stephanie Metz 
Diversions Editor

Dinner and a Murder

Come out and join the Navigators on Friday, April 13 for a murder mystery dinner in the Husman Hall basement. The theme is the Chicago Caper. Italian food will be served. Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door. All proceeds will benefit Relay for Life. Contact Debbie Westman at westmand@xavier.edu for more information.

Taste of Asia

Join SAC on Sunday, April 15 to taste the Asian influence on American culture. The event will take place from 8-10 p.m. in the GSC Atrium. Learn how to make sushi, drink bubble tea, make origami, watch break dances and even enter a dance competition. To enter the competition sign up in the SAC office. The event is free.

First African Gala

Enjoy African food, dancers, drummers and storytellers at the first African Students Association’s African Gala. The Gala will take place on Friday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Cintas Center and will continue in the Schmidt Fieldhouse for the after party. Tickets for the dinner and after party are $10; tickets for just the after party are $5. Look for promotions for ticket sales this week.

Delta Week

Join the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority this week as they celebrate their 15th anniversary on campus.
Find out how your lifestyle impacts the planet and learn ways to protect it at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11 in Logan,100.
Grab some cake and punch from 11:30-1:30p.m. on Thursday, April 12 in the GSC to celebrate Rho Xi Chapter’s 15th anniversary. Come out at 5 p.m. On Friday, April 13 on the greenspace for a BBQ. Partake in some delicious food, fellowship and fun!