Movie - Rent

The Good: The story line is great, but the music is the best part. I guarantee that the majority of the people in that theater came out singing their favorite song. Some of the males may not have want to admit it, but they actually liked the movie, and you may have been able to catch them humming a long. “525,600 Minutes” is a catchy tune and the lyrics really capture the theme of the movie.

The Bad: The bad part about the movie was that it made a generalization about all homosexual couples. Most of the homosexuals had AIDS. And most of the characters were dying of AIDS. This isn’t necessarily true though because most homosexuals do not have AIDS and you can not get the disease simply by being homosexual. However, even though there is a big emphasis on AIDS, the movie does not poke fun at people with AIDS or at homosexuals.

The Verdict: The movie lets you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. At the beginning of the movie, when Roger discovers he has AIDS, he is upset with his family, friends, and just the world in general. After he meets Mimi, loves her, and joins a support group, his attitude starts to change. Don’t go to the movie with anyone you wouldn’t mind crying around because there are some definite tear-jerker moments. Don’t forget kleenex.

Thing - The stuffing battle

The Good: Whilst alone in the kitchen one might start to think, “Jeez, some stuffing would be delicious right now. What type is the best?” Well, fear not my hungry friends. Pork Stuffing is the best stuffing by a landslide. Moist, soft, and chewy, the pork stuffing tantalizes the palette. While most stuffing tastes overpoweringly of one specific flavor, pork stuffing doesn’t. In second is the ever-popular Chicken Stuffing. Though it tastes a little bit too much of chicken, it is still spiced with other flavors as well. A tough contender for second is Wild Rice Stuffing. Although it doesn’t have the same stuffing texture as the other two, tending to be a bit on the crunchy side, it is still yummy.

The Bad: Oyster Stuffing isn’t very good. It was a bit too slimy and the serving tried was green. Though the side dish had potential to be delicious, it didn’t meet up to expectations. In last place was the regular Turkey Stuffing. The stuffing had no taste; it was like eating cardboard. Also, the texture left much to be desired: it wasn’t moist, nor was it crunchy, but it was sort of in the middle of the road.

The Verdict: While most stuffings flavored to taste like a certain animal are good, don’t try oyster and only eat turkey if you like bland food. Pork Stuffing reigns supreme!

Game - NCAA Football 2006

The Good: The game has excellent features such as the “Race for the Heisman,” where you can be yourself and get recruited as a big-time college prospect, play your four years as a college player, and make the leap to the professionals. Solid commentators Brad Nessler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit, all known by the college football community as excellent announcers, are back again this year with new sayings and comments about your intense NCAA 06 action. They also added in-season recruiting. In the middle of your season you can invite the top recruits for a visit and look to sway that prospect to commit to your school.

The Bad: The game play barely changed at all from NCAA 05 and the features during the games have stayed mostly the same. Some of the buttons also changed which could give an experienced NCAA football gamer some fits.

The Verdict: NCAA Football 2006 definitely has the video game market cornered; it is far and away the best college football game on the market and in our opinion one of the best sports games period. If you find this game under your tree this Christmas season, consider yourself lucky.The only reason we didn’t give it all five stars is because there is room for improvement in the game play. Bring on NCAA 07.

Concert - Fall Out Boy

The Good: Fall Out Boy stole the show and an opening act, Motion City Soundtrack, also gave a great performance. The bands played at the Val Air Ballroom, which was a great location for this style of music and the crowd of 2,700 fans. The crowd was really responsive during Fall Out Boy and a mosh pit even developed. They played their hits, and bassist Pete Wentz drove the crowd wild with his stage dive, tricks, and occasional rants. During the last song, a door was opened up next to the stage and members of the other bands started throwing snowballs in at the crowd to end the four-and-a-half hour concert.

The Bad: The blizzard made getting there difficult, waiting in line for hours bad, and getting back to Fort Dodge impossible. The concert was lengthy because of the amount of time it took for each band to set up, and having the concert on a weeknight wasn’t the best idea. The other three bands that were there (The Starting Line, Boys Night Out, and Panic! At the Disco) weren’t very good and didn’t get much crowd response. The stage was low, which made it hard for some to see.

The Verdict: The concert was well worth the difficulties of the weather. The concert was a blast, and general admission allowed us to get close.