Taken

Now playing at the Regal Davis Stadium 5 on G Street

Taken has all the key aspects of a typical action movie. It starts with the basics: trustworthy main character, dire situation and linear storyline.

Then come the fun but still familiar parts. The movie is peppered with realistic, claustrophobic fight sequences reminiscent of the Bourne series. The protagonist has implausible but forgettable means of gathering information. The villains of the movie are identified by their nationality – but instead of “the Russians” or “the Germans,” Taken‘s resident baddies are “the Albanians.”

Finally, there’s the twist. Its existence is necessary to distinguish Taken from every other action movie out there, especially because most of the film’s aspects, though well done and entertaining, aren’t terribly original. This twist is one that could make or break the film.

The impetus for the action is familial love. Liam Neeson plays our righteous protagonist Bryan Mills, a retired government agent who now exists solely to rebuild the fractured relationship he has with his daughter.

The film dwells on this foundation for a good portion of the first half. This awkward, stagnant lingering is designed to indicate the pivotal role that the relationship is destined to play, but the filmmakers‘ tragic overemphasis of it risks seeming condescending to the audience.

When Mills‘ teenage daughter is kidnapped upon arriving in France for an unsupervised summer vacation, he snaps into action to find her. The kidnapping itself, however, isn’t the scary part; Mills‘ sources reveal a fate in store for her much more terrifying and harrowing than a quick death.

People will have to decide for themselves if this is a positive or negative aspect of the movie. On one hand, the tortuous future looming for her is enough for the case of fatherly love to justify any of Mills‘ morally questionable actions. It also brings something new to the table, choosing to go where action films tend to avoid in favor of lighter, obviously fictional fare.

On the other hand, the sight of the gritty European underbelly of crime and abuse toes the line between entertainment and “Dateline“ exposé. The brutality may be distracting at best, but could be completely off-putting at worst.

LAURA KROEGER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org. 

The Movement II

Friday, 7 p.m., free

Technocultural Studies Building (formerly the Art Annex)

On-campus hip-hop means more than an intro to hip-hop dance class or a lunchtime picnic with The Federation on the Quad.

SickSpits, the Davis spoken word group, will present The Movement II, a hip-hop themed collective performance including dance, spoken word and turn-tabling. The event will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Technocultural Studies building in the Art Annex. The event is free.

Tomorrow’s event, which started two years ago, is the first to be held on campus. Like the previous event, it focuses on celebrating art and hip-hop through performance.

In addition to SickSpits performers, The Movement II will host Sacramento rapper Random Abiladeze, the Cal Slam Team and the UC Davis Breakdance Club. Also performing is beatboxing champion Butterscotch, a Davis native who appeared on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent“ in 2007.

“We just want to showcase the different aspects of hip-hop, breakdancing, DJing and graffiti,” said SickSpits member Ruby Ibarra, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major. “We felt that it’s very rare that there are hip-hop shows on campus.“

The hip-hop theme is a prominent link between the performances, and it is an integral part of spoken word itself. Moreover, the “underground” nature of socially conscious hip-hop, a genre from which slam poetry competitions and spoken word draw many influences, emphasizes an interest in social issues and concerns.

“Spoken word is an integral part of ‘hip-hop‘ culture as I define it, though spoken word certainly has roots in other artistic and literary movements as well,” said Elyssa White, a senior international relations and technocultural studies major, in an e-mail. “Spoken word is a useful addition to the hip-hop movement because it is one of the few components which has not undergone heavy commercialization, and thus continues to innovate freely in its capacity for expression.“

Ibarra voices world interests and concerns through rapping, many of which are derived from her education at UC Davis.

“I’ve always felt like Filipino Americans and Asian Americans in general have been underrepresented in the arts, more specifically in rap music and poetry,” Ibarra said. “After taking Asian American studies courses here at UC Davis, it’s really opened my eyes to the issues in the Asian American community, and with my poetry I hope to use that to spark discussion about those issues.“

White said that spoken word is a forum in which social issues and concerns are brought to light.

“Good spoken word poets – poets that move people with their words – write from what they know,” White said. “Especially because spoken word attracts a diverse selection of poets, [their] experiences represent the variety of complex American adventures, many of which open the door to creative social criticism.“

Like poetry, the written aspect of spoken word is often rooted in the foundation of the poet’s own expressions, concerns and thoughts. However, the performance aspect adds the element of delivery – an ingredient that many believe truly drives the connection between the speaker and the audience.

“I guess [spoken word] allows the performer to interact with the audience in a way [so] that no matter what they bring to the stage, they’re bringing energy and they’re bringing passion,” said Alex Gonzalez, a junior technocultural studies major. “That energy and passion serve as their greatest tools for talking about social issues or social justice.“

While the event is free, donations to the UC Davis Slam Poetry Team, a group separate from SickSpits, are encouraged.

“It’s going to be a really fun event, and the lineup that we have is incredible,” Ibarra said. “I’m sure everyone will find something they like about it. They’ll be left feeling inspired and empowered.“

The Movement II will be held Friday at 7 p.m. in the TCS Building. For more information, visit the SickSpits Facebook group.

JUSTIN T. HO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org. 

Rating:

For myself and undoubtedly many others, the release of Sholi’s first full-length album represents something more than just new music. The band, which originally formed in Davis, has been something of an icon in the local music scene for years now. This album is, in some way, the end of that era.

As a senior about to graduate, it’s hard for me to believe that Sholi was one of the first bands I ever saw play in Davis. When their music blasted through the Delta of Venus, I was mesmerized – the frantic drumming, the haunting, catchy melodies and the sheer ambition of their songs that night stuck with me.

Since then I’ve seen Sholi play no less than six times in Davis. And I’m not the only one. Others saw what I saw: A band with the musical talent, ambition, modesty, and most importantly, the songs to be more than just a local success. We watched Sholi gain popularity and exposure, watched the band members change and new songs evolve, watched as the band moved from playing house shows to playing on Picnic Day to gigging in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

On Feb. 17, we’ll watch as Sholi’s first album is released and the reviews start pouring in. From that point on, Sholi will have officially graduated to the next level beyond Davis. Thankfully, the album is one hell of a parting gift.

“Any Other God,” perhaps the album’s catchiest track, is the song that hooked me on Sholi in the first place three years ago. It includes all the elements that make the band unique: The skittering, punchy drums, the bouncy bass lines and the distinctively soft quality of lead singer Payam Bavafa’s vocals. The album’s eight tracks are surprisingly long – only one song clocks in at less than four minutes – and incorporate twists and melodic turns with a deftness reminiscent of Radiohead’s more expansive works.

There’s no question that Sholi’s music is ambitious. In one of the album’s most memorable transitions, “Out of Orbit” breaks from its spacious, tumbling rock to explore the sound of Bavafa singing over a simple keyboard riff and a layered vocal harmony. Those 30 seconds are what set Sholi apart in today’s crowded American music scene. Fortunately, it’s also what will keep Sholi a part of Davis for a long time to come.

Give these tracks a listen: “Tourniquet,” “Dance For Hours”

For fans of: Radiohead

Zack Frederick

Upon walking into the room you first notice two large, very different landscape images on the walls to the right and left. Though one is of a vineyard and the other of a dusky Hawaiian horizon, the lines and shadowing are soft and exhibit a unique textured feeling.

Sacramento-based pastel artist Kristine Bybee, who graduated from UC Davis in 1974, captures the simplistic beauty of not only Northern California and Hawaii but also Italy and Death Valley in her exhibit “Blending Time and Place,” which is currently on display at the Pence Gallery at 212 D Street.

Pastel work is normally done on a paper surface, but Bybee chose to work with linen for the pieces “Ironstone Vineyard” and “Hawaii” – a decision that frees the work and allows the viewer to experience it without a glass barrier.

“Getting large paper is hard and I wanted to experience working on big spaces,” Bybee said.

Bybee commented that she wanted to provide a feeling of intimacy, taking away the usual “windowed out” feeling of backlit, framed pictures.

“You can almost get up and touch it,” she said.

Due to the rough surface of linen, Bybee noted that she had to go over the piece and use extra pigment, giving the linen a rough, flakey appearance that indeed brings forth an urge to feel the different textures for yourself.

Bybee worked on the project for part of 2007 and most of 2008, and her landscapes feature scenes that are often overlooked – far from classic monuments and historical views. She captures the smallest details like the vivid rust colored dirt in “Tuscan Vineyard,” or the uneven brickwork in an Italian alley in the simplest ways; the subtlety of a single color or an architectural tool makes you pause and give the painting a second look.

When considering her landscape choices, Bybee said, “I do look for situations that will be impactful to the viewer that have an energy or message beyond the everyday … not tourist art, but more of an emotional experience that I want to carry through.“

As an alumna who experienced “the heyday of the art department,” Bybee truly takes pleasure in creating her art, highlighting the use of pastels as truly impressive art form, accomplishing what a paint brush or pen never could.

“Blending Time and Place” is on display now through Feb. 28 at the Pence Gallery. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit pencegallery.org.

Text by Elena BuckleyPhoto by Sanjana Chand

Event box:

Pamela Maus Contest in Creative Writing

Today, 7 p.m.

126 Voorhies

The annual Pamela Maus Contest in Creative Writing will announce the winners of both the poetry and fiction competitions tonight at 7 p.m. in 126 Voorhies. The contest will be doling out $1500 in total prize money to the finalists.

This year’s five finalists – selected from a total of 28 entries – are UC Davis students Collin Brennan, Chino Mayrina, Ben Moroski, Sara Netto and Long Nguyen.

Shirley Maus and her husband Ronald created the contest in 1984 in memory of their daughter, Pamela, who was an English major at UCD with an interest in writing, Paula Goldston of the English department said in an e-mail.

Netto, a senior English and philosophy double major and finalist for her fiction piece “The View From On Top,” said she chose to enter the contest because she thought it might help her prospects for graduate school in creative writing.

“I just applied to four different [Masters of Fine Arts] programs in creative writing in the Bay Area,” she said. “Hopefully, I can make a career out of writing, and if not that, then editing, publishing or something in a related field.“

“The View From On Top“ is the story of two brothers who, while working for their father on the family farm, attempt to rescue a bull trapped in the mud. When they fail, they take a trip to the Sierra Nevada to get more equipment and tensions flare, Netto said.

“I grew up in the Central Valley and so for the story I took sketches of characters and situations from where I grew up,” she said.

Poetry finalist and junior English and Spanish double major Chino Mayrina said his poem “Eight-Legged Fear” is inspired by his own experience with spiders.

“I’m really afraid of spiders,” he said in an e-mail. “I would probably be diagnosed with arachnophobia if I went to go see a shrink.“

When a friend suggested that he write about his phobia, Mayrina went ahead and took up the project.

“Though I used my fear of spiders as the main frame for the poem, [it] is also about various incidents in my life during which I had to deal with some form of fear,” Mayrina said.

The contest represents an opportunity to check his progress as a writer and to have his work read by respected writers in the UC Davis creative writing program, he said.

“Even if I don’t end up in first place, I’m still glad I even made it as a finalist,” he said. “A little bit of validation is nice once in a while, especially since I’m insecure about my abilities.“

Pam Houston, an English professor, judged the competition.

“A good story establishes its authority right off the bat, sets a tone using language or voice [and] creates an environment that invites the reader to enter,” she said in an e-mail.

Houston said contests like this one encourage young writers to produce complete stories and poems.

“Contests are a good idea in any economic climate because they give writers incentive to finish and polish a piece that they might have turned into workshop, and then put down for a month or a year,” she said. “Writing is all about tricking yourself into sitting down to write, and a contest deadline is as good a trick as any.“

ZACK FREDERICK can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

As much as I’d like any readers out there to believe in the warm benevolence of my smiling picture or the cheeky, scintillatingly witty words of my ever cleverer columns, I’ve always been kind of a bad liar, so I will go right out and admit it: I am a shy person.

I mean, sure, I’m relatively friendly and stuff, but I’ve had more people comment on my shyness than I think necessary. Just a couple pieces of evidence to attest to my reserved nature: I hate eye contact, I prefer my small but hella tight social circle (oh hey friends!) over big groups and I’m more likely to pull an ostrich move and stick my head in the sand before I say hi to that person I only kind of know, but since we’ve only met once and they’re not looking right at me, it might be weird, so I won’t, you know?

And when you’re an introvert like I am, it’s easy to fall into a number of unflattering descriptions – anti-social or socially awkward, snobby and self-absorbed are just a couple of the negative characteristics that come to mind when it comes to us reserved types. (Whether or not any of these apply to me shall remain a mystery to those of you who don’t know me.)

Even so, I realize that misguided pigeonholing comes with any disposition, reserved personality or not. Then it dawned on me – if Garth Brooks had the fictional character Chris Gaines, Eminem had Slim Shady and Beyoncé has the aptly named onstage persona Sasha Fierce, then why shouldn’t I be entitled to a couple of my own alter egos?

Being somewhat small but definitely physically unimposing, I’ve never been able to get my way through brute force or sheer intimidation alone. Bruce Banner turned into the Incredible Hulk whenever he got angry, what if I were to turn into a big, bulky green she-man whenever I got ticked off? Instead of cursing under my breath and privately calling people “chode“ when they got in my way at the Coho, my menacing size would be warning enough.

And although I’ve always prided myself on having a heart of gold, there are times when I wish I could be the commanding, demanding, bitchy boss lady – namely, the cold-hearted editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Then again, I can hardly begin to imagine what the workplace would be like if I were the ruthless, power-hungry Ice Queen of The California Aggie editorial board.

Furthermore, even though I do certain things like set the volume only at odd numbers, put in my left contact before my right and flip the light switch on and off with my left hand five times before I go to bed, I still like to consider myself a reasonably laid-back and mentally well-balanced person.

This leads me to my next alter ego: The neurotic artist/genius. Any anti-social tendency I had could then be attributed simply to the intensely devoted creative process of my work, and no one could be offended by said tendencies, because only douchebags complain about good art. I could then use this obsessive nature as an excuse to do annoying things like listen to the same song for days on end and insist that the reason I haven’t cleaned my room for weeks is because I find the mess truly inspirational.

Still, even having the coolest of alter egos has its downsides: Clark Kent could never admit to being Superman, clumsy Serena could never live up to Sailor Moon and even Miley Stewart opted for a normal life versus the glamour of Hannah Montana – and I like to think that I’ve modeled myself after my number one hero.

RACHEL FILIPINAS has a new alter ego, one that gives her bad eyesight and makes her download songs by Taylor Swift. Keep her in check at rmfilipinas@ucdavis.edu.

The Bird and The Bee

Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

Blue Note

Rating:

If the recently split garage rockers of Be Your Our Pet were ever to be collectively slipped a roofie and forced to reunite and record together, the music they would produce would not be far from that of The Bird and The Bee.

The Los Angles-based alt-pop duo, consisting of Inara George and Greg Kurstin, blend light and funky beats with lively melodies, coupled with George’s mellow voice and captivating lyrics.

Most songs on Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future have general underlying themes of admiration from afar and unrequited love. In the track “Birthday,” George sings, “Hold on, hold on, keep holding on to me/I will love you from the bottom/no one holds you better than me,” entwining dainty lyrics with catchy melodies and making for an endearing love song that will easily have you singing along.

In “You’re A Cad,” George sings of a romance gone wrong in which she is aware that her lover does not return her affection. “You’re a rascal and a rove/A villain and a crook/Still I tug at your line/I’m a fish on your hook.” The upbeat rhythms and the cheerful tone mask the true meaning of the lyrics – a common occurrence in many other songs from the duo.

Through the duration of the album, The Bird and The Bee take us on an auditory adventure through love, innocent adoration and a bit of pure frustration.

A creative and loveable alternative pop record is hard to come by these days (sorry Fall Out Boy, but your shizz sounds all the same! What were you thinking with recycling old lyrics on your newest single “What A Catch, Donnie?”), but George and Kurstin successfully pull through. Each track on Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future is definitely worth a listen.

Give these tracks a listen: “My Love” “Polite Dance Song” “Birthday“ For fans of: Metric, Goldfrapp

– Simone Wahng

Lyrics: “You’re A Cad“

So now you want the whole world to notice that you’ve come around,

Now you expect,

We’ll see how you’re really so much better now,

But I know the truth, I won’t waste my youth

On a cad and a bounder, a dog and a cheap

All the lives that you’ve had, all the hearts you eat

You’re a rascal and a rove, a villain and a crook

Still I tug at your line, I’m a fish on your hook

I should be better, but I’m worse …

What’s the point pretending that you could be a better man

Just give in, since you always end up right back where you began

Still I know the truth, but I have a sweet tooth for a …

Cad and a bounder, a dog and a cheap

All the lives that you’ve had, all the hearts you eat

You’re a rascal and a rove, a villain and a crook

Still I tug at your line, I’m a fish on your hook

You’re rash and you’re hasty

You’re reckless with my heart, still I wait by the phone

I will never get smart

I should be better, but I’m worse …

[Still I know the truth, but I have a sweet tooth]

For a cad and a bounder, a dog and a cheap

All the lives that you’ve had, all the hearts you eat

You’re a rascal and a rove, a villain and a crook

Still I tug at your line, I’m a fish on your hook

You’re rash and you’re hasty

You’re reckless with my heart, still I wait by the phone

I will never get smart

I should be better, but I’m worse …

This week in Davis –

StereoEarth, Neurotunnel, Crazy Ballhead

Women’s Research and Resource Center Benefit Dance Party

Birdstrike Theater

Mayyors, Death Sentence: PANDA!, Warm Streams

Friday, 8 p.m., $5

Funcastle in Sacramento

Aaron Ross, Sundance Kids, Ayla Nereo

Tuesday, 9 p.m., $5

Primary Concepts at 219 E St.

MUSIC

Death Pilot, Cursed Lullaby, Awaiting the Apocalypse, Infectum, Mind Furnace

Today, 8 p.m., $10 in advance

The Boardwalk in Orangevale

With vocals a bit too sonorous and compositions significantly more harmonious than the full aural assaults I typically associate with strict metal, Los Angeles group Death Pilot has taught me a thing or two about melodic metal.

Women’s Research and Resource Center Benefit Dance Party

Friday, 8 p.m., $2

Delta of Venus

I have a specific sequence of moves that I like to bust out every so often on the dance floor, starting with the Cabbage Patch and ending with the Robot. Hopefully the music at this dance shindig, which features sets from DJ’s Vee, Scenery and Michelle, will be suitable for such movements.

The Box Elders, Photobooth, Thee Makeout Party!, Beware of the Knight

Friday, 8 p.m., $5

300 Room in West Sacramento

An obsolete pronoun, the arrogant name, the obnoxious punctuation – the slightly bratty sensibility of Anaheim band Thee Makeout Party! should come as no surprise. Even so, any off-putting first impressions can be forgiven with the band’s jangly and upbeat tunes, a composite of ‘60s pop a la Pet Sounds and ‘80s powerpoppers Redd Kross.

Mayyors, Death Sentence: PANDA!, Warm Streams

Friday, 8 p.m., $5

Funcastle in Sacramento

Karen O of garage rock revivalists Yeah Yeah Yeahs looks comparatively tamer next to Kim West, the commanding-but-cutesy front woman of Death Sentence: PANDA! The San Francisco-based band takes an even artsier, grimier and punkier approach to noise rock that should appeal to fans of acts like AIDS Wolf.

Crazy Ballhead, Stereo Earth, Neurotunnel

Saturday, 10 p.m., $3 to $5, $21

The G Street Pub

This doesn’t apply to rapper Crazy Ballhead or Davis-ites Neurotunnel, but Sactown trio Stereo Earth makes the kind of music my dad would think is cool – think reggae-flavored rock with a tinge of ‘70s funk and some slightly embarrassing rapping.

Arden Park Roots, Livin’s Easy, Solid Fellas

Friday, 10 p.m., $10, 21

Harlow’s in Sacramento

What happens when four bros from Sacramento (hailing from the Arden Park neighborhood) get together to make music? Enjoyable dude rock – more specifically, a reggae-dub rock band in the style of Sublime and Pepper.

The Amazements, Mucky the Ducky

Saturday, 8 p.m., donations accepted

Fort Douglass

There’s a positively nostalgic take to the raw garage rock of Los Angeles trio The Amazements, who started playing together as preteens back in 2001.

Mucky, Adam Sampler, Woman Year, David Novick

Sunday, 7 p.m., donations accepted

Villanova House

It’s a sampler platter of local talents: There’s a solo set from Mucky the Ducky, some electronic tinkering from Adam Sampler of Afternoon Brother and Sholi as well as one-half of lo-fi lovin‘ psychedelic duo San Francisco Water Cooler.

Aaron Ross, Sundance Kids, Ayla Nereo

Tuesday, 9 p.m., $5

Primary Concepts at 219 E Street

Now normally I wouldn’t put my love life out in the open, but it must be known that I’ve recently developed a musical lady crush on Ayla Nereo. Probably best known as one-half of Bay Area sibling duo Beatbeat Whisper, her solo work takes the same simple, pared down approach to sweet quiet folk. Nereo’s latest album, Floating Felt, was released yesterday on Oakland-based record label Populus Tremolo.

AT THE MOVIES

The International

Monday only, 8:30 p.m., free

Campus Cinema is up on the whole free screening biz-nass, and that’s something I certainly can’t complain about. Another plus? This film’s star: Clive Owen.

ART / GALLERY

Blending Time & Place

On display now at the Pence Gallery (212 D St.)

UC Davis alumna Kristine Bybee recreates the world around her with pastels as her medium of choice. For more information on the exhibit, check out page __.

Foliage

On display now at The Basement Gallery (basement of the Art Building)

This exhibit of plant-related art explores the relationship between nature and human culture. An opening reception will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in the gallery.

COMEDY / MONDAVI

Fables, Fairy Tales and the Arts

Today, 5 p.m., free

Studio Theatre

Theatre and dance professor Della Davidson, English professor Lucy Corin and comparative literature professor Brenda Schildgen discuss the impact of fairy tales and fables in the arts as well as their own work.

Birdstrike Theater

Friday, 7 p.m., free

126 Wellman

Facebook is the nucleus of many a college student’s social network, and everyone’s favorite on-campus funnymakers are looking to lampoon the site in their first mini-improv show of the quarter.

Cinderella

Friday, 8 p.m., $45 general admission, $22.50 with a student ID

Jackson Hall

The classic fairy tale is brought to life on stage, featuring the Voronezh State Theatre of Opera and Ballet and musical accompaniment by the Sacramento Philharmonic.

RACHEL FILIPINAS can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.