Son of the Shameless Plug

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It's that time again! This season's high school musical is High School Musical, based on the insanely popular TV movie of the same name. Even if you're not a fan of the Disney Channel cash-cow, I would highly recommend you give our show a chance. The tunes are embarrassingly catchy, and the fine actors in the all-star cast, headlined by Dylan Hinrichs, Ellie Miller, Timothy Gaumer and Hilary Osborn, are well worth watching.

Seriously, the actors in this show are so awesome that I want to list them all: from the diabolical Lindsey Sturch and the reluctant Jeff Spitzer, to the intellectual Madison Henry and the gruff Drew Elston. Then there's Emily Ansusinha as the adorably-dorky Kelsi Nielson, who is adored by Jack Scott, the Velvet Fog of East High, played by...me! Will they get together in the end? Find out by ordering your tickets immediately, before they're sold out!

Tickets are available now at the Centennial Auditorium and online at http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=22597&schedule=list.

For further information, visit http://www.centennialauditorium.org/SHS/Shows/Shows_07/High_School_Musical/HSM.html

And now, a lone 2007 movie review:

THE KINGDOM

I'm your typical self-absorbed teenager, so what's going on in other countries doesn't really interest me. Neither do movies like The Kingdom, which focuses in on FBI agents in the Middle East. Thankfully, this film is less like Syrania 2 and more like CSI: Saudi Arabia. After a large group of Americans are killed in terrorist bombings, Special Agents Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman(!) come in to investigate. The story never really grabbed me, but there are all these awesome little moments that held my attention. Like when the quartet are stationed in what appears to be a high school gymnasium. Or when the S.A. government drives around at 150 mph, since it's then easier to see if you're being followed. Or when a discussion turns to that old TV show about "the Green Beast". And then the climax is a huge action piece filled to the brim with machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades. It's not Oscar-worthy, but I'll be damned if it isn't entertaining. On the negative side, I think Chris Cooper was ridiculously underutilized. The only thing I can remember him doing is yelling at some workers to get water out of a hole. Also, we didn't get a scene where Bateman (Arrested Development) and co-star Jeremy Piven (Entourage) get to cut loose. All's I'm saying is, it would've been nice if the pair had gone to a karaoke bar or something and brought in the funny. Other than that, The Kingdom's okay in my book.

GRADE: 7/10.

Next: The straw that broke the camel's back.