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OTHER A & E STORIES - Predictable "10 Days" would fit in Romantic Comedy 101 curriculum - Brian thinks you should... - Music department showcases Opera Workshop Performances; opening eyes to operatic genre - Ain't no anger-filled, white-boy rap; this is England's own, The Streets As Brian found out, even a stereotypical chick-flick can be amusing Brian Kerin A & E Editor The idea seemed innocent enough: instead of the mainstay alternative music and independent movie reviews I normally undertake, I was to review the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days," along with Ebbtide Editor-in-Chief Daytona Danielsen, all for the benefit of a good Valentine's Day issue. I initially thought this was a good idea - because I figured I would hate the film and that Daytona would like it, making for a really good pro/con, joint review. I mean, come on, I feel comfortable at a rock concert or drunk at a little dive bar on the "Ave" on a Saturday night, not sitting through some sappy "Sleepless in Seattle" remake. 10 ALBUMS TO GET DOWN WITH HIM OR HER 1. Marvin Gaye "Lets get it on" - The name of the album says it all. Marvin Gaye was a beautiful man that had a huge amount of love in his heart. This record not only serves as a testament to his love, but, also serves as a great soundtrack for "the bedroom Olympics." 2. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Blood sugar sex magic" - The funk not only makes the body unable to sit still, but also makes it move in perfect synchronicity with the music. You figure out why this album is on the list. 3. Faith No More "Songs to make love to" - The title of this album in no way reflects the music on this EP. With the exception of the Lionel Ritchie cover "Easy," which is great, the other songs will actually kill the mood. Albeit, one look at the humping rhinoceros's on the cover will bring it right-on back. 4. Billie Holliday "The quintessential collection" - The gals love Billie Holliday and everybody knows what that means. The music promotes a kind of mood that can easily lead to a much more affectionate kind of mood, huh. 5. Portishead "Dummy" - The perfect background music for life's only horizontal activity other than sleeping. Everyone has heard at least one song off this album, so it will feel familiar and comfortable like, oh, a comfy bed. 6. Barry White "All time greatest hits" - Not only does Mr. White exhibit one of the sexiest voices in music today, but, also if his music is turned up loud enough the bass and vibration in his voice can function better than any women's sexual aid. 7. Michael Jackson "Thriller" - People seldom remember that at one point "Jacko" was the most famous celebrity on the planet. The reason for this is that his music was creative, groundbreaking, and so sexually charged that women from around the world worshiped the ground Jackson walked on. 8. Ben Harper "Fight for your mind" - This is one of the best albums ever made. The emotional content Harper puts in his albums make them the perfect music for you and your significant other to enjoy no matter what your doing. 9. Toots and the Maytals "The best of" - Ska bands like the Specials and the English Beat worship the ground that "Toots" paved before them. Not only is their music full of wonderfully catchy rhythms, but it's great for some good lovin as well. 10. Tribe Called Quest "The love movement" - No real list of this kind can be complete without a great hip-hop album. Although this is Tribe's last and worst album, the concept of it is love and lovemaking, so its only fitting that it is the last album to make the list. What I didn't expect to happen was that I would laugh throughout the entire film and let myself be won over by charismatic actors, the script's witty brand of humor, and a body part dubbed "Princess Sophia" or "Krull the Conqueror," depending on who you ask. By the end of the film I couldn't help thinking I was curled up on the couch in my pajamas, a bowl of cookie dough ice cream on my lap, and a box o' Kleanex by my side just in case. I know I went too far there: it wasn't that good, but nonetheless it was surprising just how funny parts of this film were. "Ten Days" tells the story of two people who get caught in each other's career-advancing lies. The very beautiful Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous") plays Andie Anderson, a journalist working at a Cosmo-esque magazine called Composure. She writes a how-to column where her newest assignment is to get a guy to fall for her, then sabotage the relationship and force him to dump her, all in 10 days. Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) is an ad exec on the other side of town who wants a diamond ad campaign so desperately that he takes a bet that he can make a girl fall in love with him in 10 days. And, when the two meet at a mutual work party they become one's assignment and the other's wager. In the beginning, Andie seems to be everything any guy is looking for, but when it appears that Ben is hooked, she decides it's time to start getting material for her article. Photo courtesy of www.howtoloseaguymovie.com Ben enjoys teaching Andie to ride, while she appreciates the bike's vibrations. She starts by just being demanding, having him run to get her a drink during the last minutes of a Knick's playoff game or calling him nonstop, leaving messages only minutes apart. It seems tame, but it only gets worse. Right before the two get intimate, she decides she is going to name Ben's "member," ruining Ben's mood and leaving him to think his bet might be harder to win than he thought. Andie decides she needs to go even further: she shows up at his work with "their" small, hairless dog for him to care for; she fills his apartment with "floofy" girl things. She even makes a future photo album of their family, digitally combining pictures and coming up with their composite children. This would have been more than enough for me to get rid of Andie, but Ben still wants the ad campaign so he is forced to take whatever she can dish out. This film kept me interested right up until the end. The laughs kept coming, and the humor was fresh. As well, Kate Hudson has proved she's more than just Goldie Hawn's daughter; she's a wonderful actress with real talent. It's also nice to see a leading lady that has a very non-Hollywood body type. This is nice in a business packed with overly "busty" women, all with the same body proportions. Matthew McConaughey was good also. I just wish he could lose that annoying Southern drawl at least for one role. My only complaint (other than the accent) was that the film ended really stereotypically for a film of this genre. Just once, can't the happy ending not occur [censored for those readers who haven't figured out the formula - still] as the credits roll. I know I've seen that before; come on. SECRET MESSAGE: Pam - Thought for thought, hand in hand, day to day we are entwined. I love you! Jim © 2003 Shoreline Community College™