WATCHMEN

So over the weekend I saw Watchmen. Twice actually. The first time with a couple of friends, including one who works at the theatre and got me and another friend in since we weren't seventeen yet. I haven't read the book, but what I saw Saturday really impressed me. Everything about it was great and there weren't many parts that I disliked.... Actually I can't think of one part. The visuals, the acting, the story, everything. And from what I've heard, the movie followed the comic frame for frame which is really cool and you almost never see.

The movie starts out showing the death of a man named Eddie Blake, later revealed as "The Comedian". He was a member of the Watchmen, a group of costumed crimefighters bent on making the world a better place... At least at one time. They were officialy put out of the job after a law was passed banning their use. That didn't stop all of them though. Rorschach is a crazy, dillusional vigilante bent on fighting crime on his own terms. Then Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian were working for the government to continue fighting for the military.

After The Comedians death, Rorschach begins to investigate in his paranoid, crazy way, and he eventually uncovers a terrible plot to end war. Wait, a terrible plot to end war? How could it be so bad? Well it is. But I don't really feel like telling you so I'll just let you watch it.

The one thing that surprised me most after watching it was how messed up and disturbing it is. I was expecting something along the lines of 300, but ended up getting something along the lines of Seven. It was gruesome, twisted, and pretty sad at parts. But that just added to the movie and showed the true nature of some people, the side that we never want to see.

The guy that played Rorschach was amazing. He had a Heath Ledger like performance (although still not nearly as good) and portrayed the role perfectly. He was the only real stand out actor in the movie, but the other actors didn't bother me. He was just so much better, because his role was so messed up and now I'm rambling so I'll wrap this up. Watchmen is a good movie for people with good stomachs and who aren't easily offended and I recommend it.

P.S. It will be a very awkward movie to watch with your parents. cough cough silk spectre

Jake Kelly?

So my dad and I went to the Iowa-Penn St. basketball game early saturday afternoon. Neither of us were expecting much because of our history this year. As we crowded into our not so great corner seats, we excitedly waited for the tip off. Penn St. got the tip off and the game got underway. Unexpectedly, Iowa played pretty well and was ahead for most of the half until Penn St. tied it up at 24 before the half was over.

We were really excited for the next half after the game we had been seeing so far. Cyrus Tate and Jaryd Cole or however you spell it were having great games- Tate offensively and Cole defensively. Kelly was also doing good with something like eleven points in the first half. We got the ball again and after two possessions no points had been scored. As Kelly dribbled it back up court slowly, he yelled something over to one of the Iowa coach's and they called a timeout. He then ran off court into the locker rooms, and returned within a minuted.

" Pee break I guess." my dad said laughing.

I laughed along and didn't think much of it. The second half continued on almost exactly like the first half. Hawkeye's did very good for most of the half and were leading by eigth with like three minutes left. That's when they made a series of very costly mistakes and before we knew it, they were down by two with thirty seconds left. I don't remember who scored but someone did to tie it up and send it into overtime 54-54.

Penn St started off with the ball in overtime, but it was dead even between the teams and they tied again at 61 sending it into double overtime. In this overtime they were still all tied up until Jake Kelly hit a three with 55 seconds left to pull ahead three. After that, Penn St. had to begin fouling and we hit the free throws and won the game 75-67.

Jake Kelly finished with 22 points, and 11 assists. That's like the fourth game in a row with over twenty points, and what's even more impressive is what I found out after the game. I read the next day that Kelly was actually sick that game and had a fever of 101 degrees. That one timeout early in the second half, he had told the coach he was going to puke so they called a timeout for him to do so. That's pretty good to score 22 points when you're that sick.