Creeping you out

At first glance, George Ratliff’s film Joshua seems like nothing more than a remake of the 1976 cult favorite The Omen.

Letters

While the Democrats and the Republicans posture over supporting the war, changing the mission, reducing troop numbers, setting timetables and generally puffing smoke at us, the people, The Oregonian reports the Pentagon “may” recommend a troop increase.

PSU hires firm to pick new vice provost

After two years without a permanent replacement for the vice provost of student affairs, Portland State is in its third round and third year of searches to fill the position, this time enlisting the services of an outside firm.

SALP to introduce new advisory board fall term

In a move that many hope will provide increased accessibility to Portland State student groups, PSU Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP) will adopt a new advisory board for gathering student opinion this fall.

Hayward signs four-year contract

After impressing coaches at mini-camp workouts, speedy linebacker Adam Hayward signed a four-year contract for an undisclosed amount with the Buccaneers last week. Tampa Bay selected the former Portland State star in the sixth round of the NFL draft in April.

Press Play

A Fine Frenzy is basically the piano pop project of Los Angeles resident Alison Sudol. While the songs are not exactly groundbreaking in arrangement or execution, they are pleasant and well produced. This is a major label album after all.

Starting at a loss

Sherri Murrell was officially welcomed as the new Portland State women’s basketball coach on July 9, replacing recently departed Charity Elliott. The coaching turnover resulted in the loss of four players from last season’s team, including freshmen Janie Bos and Stephisha Walton, sophomore Jenni Ritter and junior Kerstin Brosterhous.

Head full of air

Set in 1962 Baltimore and based on a Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters’ 1988 cult classic of the same name, Hairspray is about a big girl with a big heart named Tracy (played by Nikki Blonsky).

Director of SALP leaving in July

Tonantzin Oceguera, director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP) at Portland State, will be leaving PSU to take a job as Assistant Dean of Students at University of California, Riverside on July 31.

Transform into something good, please

I wanted to love Transformers the movie, but director Michael Bay wouldn’t let me. Just when I would start to get into the action, just when I was about to laugh at a line of dialogue, just when I was opening my mouth to say, “hey, this movie ain’t so bad,” Bay would come along and make a mess of things, ultimately creating a two-and-a-half hour mish-mash of product placement, pop culture references and lame jokes.

Press Play

Kansas City’s American Catastrophe has hit on something quite nice with their debut album Excerpts From the Broken Bone Choir. Over the course of 33 minutes, six tracks of slow-burning, dark western epics filter out from the cave of depressed Americana.