stanford’s weekly guide to campus culture

VO LU M E 238 . ISSUE 13
a publication of the stanford daily FRIDAY

01.28.11

DEAD
SPACE
2

Review, page 2
inside TELEVISION
page 7
Satire stutters and fails in TV’s
MUSIC
page 5
Get your indie fix with The Decemberists
cover
winter premieres and Amos Lee Anastasia Yee/The Stanford Daily
Intermission reviews Grab an exotic bite at
“No Strings Attached” and “True Grit” Anatolian Kitchen

MOVIES
page 4 FOOD
page 6

ENTER ‘DEAD SPACE 2’ technology

T
he airlock bursts open. As dreams ever since. The sequel
all matter, sound and doesn’t do anything revolutionary,
humanity is dragged from but it doesn’t need to: By changing
the observation platform and into up the setting, fleshing out the cast
the gaping blackness, you feel your and packing in plenty of jaw-drop-
artificial oxygen supply kick in and ping moments, “Dead Space 2”
your armored boots begin to lift raises the bar for horror games and
from the floor. There’s a certain sets 2011 off with a bang.
poetry to your struggle — as you It’s been a few years since our
tumble toward the vacuum, claw- first adventure with space engineer
ing out for anything to hold onto, Isaac Clarke, and the iconic man in
the silent and ubiquitous expulsion armor isn’t doing much better
seems somehow right. Gazing the since his traumatizing experience
other way now, at the golden sur- aboard the USG Ishimura (an
face of Saturn and the speckling of adventure that isn’t required to
stars behind it, everything slows enjoy “Dead Space 2” but that I’d
down as you imagine just letting recommend anyway). He’s racked
go — just letting your torment, with guilt over encouraging his
your visions and your burden all girlfriend Nicole to work on a
end. deep-space mining vessel that
A corpse floats past recovered a mysterious, Courtesy Visceral Games
you, this one still human. monolithic object. This than the plot. Eventually, though, sound design is really king here: could take a sudden turn as an
Overtaken again with a “Marker” controls people’s the game focuses more on Isaac’s Deep, hollow clangs resonate as enormous, tentacled mutant
sense of duty, you thoughts and internal struggles and visions, shadowy figures slither into service pierces through the floor, grabs
E OF
raise your AL unleashes a which become downright com- pipes; frantic screams and power- you around the leg and drags you

9
A SC

1 T

plasma cutter scourge of pelling. ful gun blasts are muffled and cut out into the vacuum of space. You
O 1

and take aim infectious Like any horror game, “Dead short in the vacuum of space; an might feel bogged down once in a
N

on the con- O
trols of an emer-
gency air seal. The shot
connects, and you crash to
the floor. Air comes sweep-
ing back into the room, and you
can hear your own heartbeat, muf- monsters.
fled and whimpering beneath a
steel shell. Still alive.
Such is the world of “Dead
Space 2,” the monstrous follow-up
to Visceral Games’ sci-fi thriller
that came out of nowhere back in
2008 and has haunted players’
2 blood freely oozing out.
intermission
0
“necromorphs”
that re-animate
corpses. It’s also giving Isaac
vivid hallucinations and a
wicked headache, and he’s out
for answers. Oh, and to shoot
At first, the story of “Dead
Space 2” didn’t keep me on tenter-
hooks — you’re out to destroy the
Marker, bad people want to stop
you and there are nasty aliens. It
was enough to keep me going, but
I was invested in the action more
Space 2” has its share of cheap
thrills. Enemies burst out of vents
and pipes, floors give way and bad
guys sneak up and get you from
behind. But while it does jump-
scares as well as anyone, the game’s
real draw is the ambience. As you
explore Saturn’s derelict space sta-
tion, “The Sprawl,” you’ll be
awestruck by how flickering service
lights and long shadows can keep
you on edge, wondering just what
happened before you passed
through. Objects dance and twirl
in a zero-G ballet, and you might
see a hand or leg float by with
And like the original, the
unseen presence whispers “Isaac . .
. “ behind dissonant harmonies.
The sense of isolation and hope-
lessness is palpable if not oppres-
sive, and the game is great for it.
In a break from the deliberate,
explorative pace of the original
game, “Dead Space 2” has one boot
planted in the slow-burn realm of
intellectual horror and another in
the in-your-face world of action
movies. Like our dear friend Isaac,
that might sound a little schizo-
phrenic at first. But for the most
part, this works to the game’s
advantage: It’s hard to lose interest
when you’re not sure if a quiet,
solemn trek through a corridor
while by repetitive (though merci-
fully short) puzzles and the occa-
sional trek through a not-so-scary
air vent, but on the whole, the
game does a great job of taking the
action up a notch without losing
its identity as an atmospheric hor-
ror show.
Like the pace of his adventure,
Isaac’s abilities have been ramped
up a bit. He moves a bit faster and
hits a bit harder, and I felt a little
more empowered when I was run-
ning low on ammo. His stasis and
kinesis abilities are more useful as
well, letting you freeze enemies in
| continued on page 3 |
 literature
S
cience fiction heavyweight Jon
Courtenay Grimwood intro-
duces a new series with “The
Fallen Blade,” the first installment
of an urban fantasy set in 15th-cen-
tury Venice. It has werewolves, and
it has vampires, but if it sounds like
“Twilight” in a time machine, think
again. “The Fallen Blade” is burst-
ing with political intrigue, epic
naval battles, arranged marriages
and assassins — and it doesn’t pull
its punches. That last, if nothing
else, is the mark of an author with
worlds of experience at his disposal.
The cast consists of the charac-
ters one might expect — Lady
Giuletta di Millioni, the runaway
princess, and Atilo Il Mauros, the
head of the Assassini, come to mind
— but also characters who are
intrinsically intriguing, such as the
Mongolian-born mother of the
half-wit Duke of Venice, the
Duchess Alexa and the not-quite-
human, semi-feral Tycho, who is
discovered by a customs officer in a
secret compartment of a Mamluk
ship. The development of the char-
acters is uneven (Giuletta, for one,
seems incurably bratty, to the exclu-
sion of other character traits), but
even the less appealing characters
demand the reader’s attention, as
their stories are intricately woven
together in a high-stakes Byzantine
plot where one misstep might result
Supernatural thrills in old Venice
in murder or war.
The story opens with a con-
spiracy: Duke Alonzo, Venice’s
regent, hatches a plan to marry
Giuletta to the king of Cyprus —
with a di Millioni child already in
her womb. She is to discreetly dis-
pose of her husband and rule
Cyprus in the name of her infant
son, taking direction from Venice. If
all goes according to plan, Venice
will gain control of valuable trade
routes in the Mediterranean and
beyond — but Giuletta refuses to
cooperate. She runs away from
home and into the arms of Prince
Leopold, the German ambassador,
who has suspicious connections to
the krieghund (werewolves) that
have been terrorizing the city.
Their story dovetails seamlessly
with that of Tycho and Atilo; Atilo’s
famed and feared Assassini, in the
beginning of the novel, is left in tat-
ters after an encounter with the
krieghund, during which he sacri-
fices the lives of the majority of his
men to save the errant princess.
Atilo needs an heir to his leadership
of the Assassini, as all of the suit-
able candidates perished that fateful
night, and Tycho, with his preter-
natural strength and speed, seems
the perfect choice — Tycho, who
has already encountered both
Giuletta (in a church) and Atilo’s
betrothed, the heiress Desdaio (in a
prison cell), and has left an indeli-
ble impression on both.
The sheer number of stories
happening at once, and the way
Grimwood effortlessly juggles
them, is eminently impressive.
Never once does the reader doubt
that he will resolve the disparate
threads by the end of the book,
though he could have stood to
tighten the narrative by cutting
some of the less-important view-
point characters. Grimwood also
uses his setting to great effect; it
sometimes seems as though Venice
itself is a character of its own. The
city’s presence in every element of
the story can, at times, seem over-
powering, especially in the
instances where setting and circum-
stance supersede characterization.
Fortunately, as with many
Byzantine novels, “The Fallen
Blade” is a plot-driven book.
Grimwood’s latest work is a
refreshing take on vampires and
werewolves, where the supernatural
takes a backseat to the story itself.
“The Fallen Blade” is proof that
such well-worn tropes are still
viable — it merely requires a whole
lot of talent.
—sarah GUAN
contact sarah: sguan@stan-
Courtesy Orbit Books
ford.edu

CONTINUED FROM “DEAD SPACE,” PAGE 2

place or create local zero-G fields around
objects and hurl them across the environ-
ment. You can even rip the scythe-like limbs
straight off enemies, then fire them back
and impale them on the wall. Badass, to say
the least.
But the meat of combat is still centered
on dismembering foes with big, fancy guns.
“Dead Space 2” thankfully ups the ante in
the weapons department, but that comes
with its share of minor problems. Most
weapons from the original game are back
with welcome improvements — the plasma
cutter can set enemies on fire if you upgrade
it, and the pulse rifle can fire grenades.
There are a few new toys like an electrified
spear gun and proximity mines that mix up
the combat, but most players will find a few
favorites early on and save their resources
for ammo and upgrades. And, despite the
expanded arsenal, the game suffers from a
few balancing issues. If I had chosen to, I
could have hacked my way through most of
the game using only the chainsaw-like “rip-
per,” which tears most enemies to pieces as
they charge towards you.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the
game’s multiplayer component, but frankly,
it’s barely worth bringing up. The matches
are repetitive, the maps aren’t very interest-
ing and it feels odd to take control of a ure always exceeds the pain. If you can
spindly alien, if you’re on team necromorph. stomach it, “Dead Space 2” is simply not to
It’s common for big publishers like be missed.
Electronic Arts to shoehorn multiplayer into
games these days, but it really doesn’t fit in —nate ADAMS
the “Dead Space” mythos. contact nate:
“Dead Space 2” isn’t always an easy
nbadams@stanford.edu
game to play. At times it overloads the sens-
es, and at others it’s exhausting on an emo-
“Dead Space 2” is available for Xbox 360, PS3
tional level. But that’s exactly what makes it
and PC.
great — you never know what’s coming,
and, like a masochistic addiction, the pleas-
3
friday january 28 2011
 movies the vital stats
No Strings
Attached
R
Romance
“No Strings Attached,” Natalie Portman’s
follow-up to critical success “Black Swan,” is A
SCALE
Hollywood’s most recent effort to make the

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romantic comedy original and interesting
again. Although the film, the latest from 10

director Ivan Reitman, stumbles with some

clichés and a few cases of terrible dialogue, its
clever one-liners and unique, hilarious sup-
porting cast make it a strong effort and cer-
tainly a welcome break from the January
movie doldrums.
The film revolves around Emma
Kurtzman (Natalie Portman), a relationship-
phobic doctor, and Adam Franklin (Ashton
Kutcher), a carefree production assistant who
dreams of becoming a screenwriter. After
brief flashbacks to their run-ins at summer
camp and college frat parties, the movie
jumps to their mid-20s, when they meet
again and attempt to form a casual, commit-
ment-free relationship. Despite the movie’s
title, it is clear from the beginning of the film
that there is more to the pair’s relationship
than sex, and that the “no strings attached”
relationship could never actually last with
them. Instead, the movie charts how their
connection eventually turns into a real rela-
tionship, albeit with several bumps along the
way.
As far as romantic comedies go, “No
Strings Attached” is a breath of fresh air after
a year of clichéd duds like “Killers” and
“Valentine’s Day.” True, the movie does con-
tain the classic, tired “run to tell that special
someone you love them before it’s too late!”
scene, and, despite its title, is a movie about
an actual romantic relationship, not a strictly
sexual one. Its set-up certainly does not break
Courtesy Paramount
any boundaries. Still, the movie breaks free of
typical romantic comedy barriers with a
script that’s actually funny, open discussion of
topics that used to be taboo territory in
movies (Adam making Emma a “period
playlist” that contains songs like “Bleeding
Love” by Leona Lewis and “Sunday Bloody
Sunday” by U2 comes to mind) and strong
acting, mainly by the supporting cast.
Although star Natalie Portman’s role as a
romantic lead is startlingly different from her
recent dramatic turn in thriller “Black Swan,”
she proves she can hold her own in a roman-
tic comedy as well. She lends wit and human-
ity to a character that in other similar films
would be played straight as a career-focused,
ice-cold stereotype. Ashton Kutcher follows
her lead well as a hapless, down-on-his-luck
romantic. Although the role is certainly not a
stretch for Kutcher, his acting is still funny,
charming and a perfect fit for the film.
The supporting cast steals the show with
the movie’s funniest lines and most awkward
moments. Kevin Kline shines as Adam’s
father Alvin Franklin, a wealthy, spoiled actor
who struggles to fit in with the younger gen-
eration. Lake Bell is hilarious as Lucy, a glori-
ously awkward co-worker of Adam’s who
finds increasingly strange ways to communi-
| continued on page 7 |

Mattie Ross, played cials to amoral tooth-deficient unique. The gang stumbles into
the vital stats
by Hailee Steinfeld, criminals. some roadblocks, such as crazy
True Grit provides the driv- She drags into her band of cabin men, gunshot wounds and at
ing force for the justice seekers U.S. Marshal one point, what appears to be a
PG-13
Drama story. Her single “Rooster” Cogburn, played by Jeff bear riding a horse, but other than
goal in the film is Bridges, and Texas Ranger that, their journey is just a stream
SCALE
A to avenge the death LaBoeuf, played by Matt Damon. of wintry images and expansive
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of her father, and Cogburn certainly has a presence, landscapes. The primary focus of
she’s the catalyst for and although muffled and at times this film seems to be Cogburn’s
the pursuit of his incomprehensible, he injects witty repartees and Ross’s moral
10

murderer, Tom humor into each scene through temerity, and maybe LaBoeuf ’s

T
he Coen brothers’ most Chaney. From her bitter remarks and an honest ridiculous facial hair. The film
recent film, a Western set in very first appearance, we can tell recognition that he really is too old does not actually give a sense for
the late 1800s and adapted she’d be a perfect lawyer — she’s a for this kind of stuff. LaBoeuf, Western life, but merely has images
from Charles Portis’ novel “True fast talker, with every single word whose enormous mustache match- or phrases of that time plastered
Grit,” ventures into the territory of serving a purpose. She’s also an es his inflated ego, is a sensitive onto a work of wry and playful
the light-hearted, whimsical officious rascal, a quality that at creature, and he argues with (or narration, easily recognizable as
adventure story, complete with a one point earns her a spanking. whines at) Cogburn to assert his the familiar and adored Coen
14-year-old female protagonist and Nonetheless, she commands status. Still, the three traverse brothers’ aesthetic.
a humorous, crotchety drunkard. respect from the men in the film, together through the Indian
The resolute young girl, who range from quasi-noble offi- Territory to find Chaney, and —armine PILIKIAN
develop an odd and almost heart- contact armine:
warming bond.
ar minep@stanford.edu
4 The journey itself does not
intermission really prove all too suspenseful or
 music the vital stats
The King is
Dead
THE
DECEMBERISTS
Indie
LE OF
CA
7 4
S
ON A
Courtesy Rough Trade Records
T A
here will be no more quirky indie
rock operas from The Decemberists
— at least that’s the message implied
on “The King Is Dead,” the sixth and latest
studio release from the band. If you were
looking for another dramatic, genre-bending
concept album like “The Hazards of Love,”
look elsewhere. The theatrical quasi mash-
ups have fallen away to reveal a much more
sparse, country-leaning instrumentation
courtesy of the enlisted help of R.E.M. greats
Peter Buck (guitarist) and Tucker Martine
(producer).
“The King Is Dead” is the Portland-
based band redefining its whole musical
identity: gone are the quirky storylines and
obscure lyrics, replaced by twangy slide gui-
tar and wailing harmonicas. A combination
of rootsy Americana and unsophisticated
folk, the music still bears enough of a pecu-
liar hint through Colin Meloy’s unmistak-
able tone to deserve its own sub-genre of
indie music: “quaint pop.” Mostly acoustic,
the album proves there is no need for fancy
concept albums if your name is The
Decemberists.
The R.E.M. influence Meloy has refer-
enced as inspiration for the album makes
itself patent in the first couple of songs on
the album, which feature R.E.M guitarist
Buck. “Don’t Carry It All” is as upbeat as the
album gets, guitar-based and lumbering,
with soulful harmonica verses competing
with Meloy’s strong vocals for the spotlight.
Second in line, “Calamity Song” proves the
most difficult track to listen to, not because
of a lack in musicianship or songwriting, but
because of the striking similarity the open-
ing guitar riff has with that of an R.E.M.
classic, “Talk About the Passion.”
Indistinguishable in rhythm and pluck-
ing style, the guitar riffs and subsequent
verses in both songs sound so eerily similar
that it’s impossible to listen to “Calamity”
without running “Passion” through your
head on top of it. Although it’s an enjoyable
track, swift and reminiscent of early R.E.M.
1
TO
10
releases, it does not sound particular to The
Decemberists. In a closing line, Meloy even
slurs his vocals in typical Michael Stipe fash-
ion. The track is one example of several on
the album which show that, in trying to
reinvent themselves by emulating the greats,
the band has nearly lost its own identity.
Two of the gems on the album are “Rise
To Me,” an acoustic, emotional Americana
rendition, and “Rox In the Box.” The former
is a beautiful ballad which would sound just
in tune with any other song on a country
radio station — the slide guitar and har-
monicas make more than a transitory
appearance. The second, a whirlwind tour-
de-force with the fiddle as the central figure,
features a quick dance step with the fiddle
leading the rhythm. It ages the sound of the
track, making it sound quaint — a quality
suggestive of the band’s earlier releases.
While the album alternates between
slow acoustic folk or country numbers and
more upbeat Americana renditions, the
most interesting mix of genres shows up in
the last track on the album, “Dear Avery.”
What starts as a down-tempo, alt-country
rendition morphs into the riskiest track on
the album through its slide guitar solo. In an
offbeat take typical of The Decemberists, the
guitar solo is played with unconventional
chords and is stretched to sound more like
swirling pedal effects, all the while layering
with soft choruses and gentle drums.
As the final finger picking dies away, I
can’t help but wonder why, if The
Decemberists have worked so hard toward
building a reputation for themselves as con-
cept musicians, they decided to release a no-
concept folksy alt-country album in 2011.
Only time, and the next release, will tell if
the new inclination will hold.
—maria DEL CARMEN BARRIOS
contact maria:
mariacbg@stanford.edu
the vital stats
Mission Bell
AMOS LEE
Folk
LE OF
CA
S
ON A
mos Lee is one of those artists that
seems like he has been around for-
ever; he is 33, after all, which is
equivalent to about 70 in the music indus-
try. Oddly enough, in all this time, it seems
like his music has worsened. With his
fourth studio album, “Mission Bell,” Lee
aims to create the perfect relaxation music,
only to wind up with a painfully dry and
completely lackluster record.
The sad part is, “Mission Bell” had the
potential to be so, so good. A singer-song-
writer straight from Philadelphia, Amos
Lee made a name for himself after college
with his soothing sounds and daydream
lyrics. He is known for his fantastic vocals
that adjust perfectly to the mood of each
song, from mellow to pleading.
Furthermore, his actual musical composi-
tion is much more complex than that of
many more popular singer-songwriters.
Lee is undoubtedly an artist who syn-
thesizes his unique sound from a diverse
range of musical genres. Several inspira-
tions are evident; for instance, Lee has cited
John Prine as a musical model, evident in
“Cup of Sorrow,” the moody, country 10th
track on the album, and Stevie Wonder’s
influence shows up most in “Jesus,” a soul-
ful piece with vocal exercise typical of the
R&B icon.
So, then, this album should be excep-
tional. But it isn’t. “Mission Bell” is a take-
a-glance-and-look-away album, an unin-
spired, unmemorable musical work. It is
typical of every singer-songwriter in the
business.
Why? Part of the issue is that there
isn’t a whole lot of variation in musical
style. Yes, Lee has a unique sound, but that
sound stays static throughout the entire
album. Every song is a guitar-driven ballad
with a desperate plea to a woman and a
generally depressing message. The tracks —
friday january 28 2011
1
TO
10
Courtesy Blue Note
particularly those near the end of the
album, such as “Cup of Sorrow” and
“Behind Me Now” — bleed together until
they morph into a mass of chords. No one
song truly has a distinct edge.
The main problem, though, is the
lyrics. Lee is fond of using minimal phrases
to express a simple idea. This would be
fine, if at least one of the lines was unex-
pected or memorable. Instead, he uses uno-
riginal metaphors; the fourth song,
“Flower,” is one of the happier pieces of
“Mission Bell,” but the lyrics (“My heart is a
flower/ That blooms every hour/ I believe in
the power of love”) have been done before.
Similarly, “Stay With Me” is the same ballad
fawning over a girl that floods the genre.
The worst song on the album is its
penultimate one, “Clear Blue Eyes.” A col-
laboration with Lucinda Williams that
sounds like it should probably be a love
song, the track is yet another lamentation
of everything that goes wrong in the world.
Besides being yet another dreary song,
“Clear Blue Eyes” features too much exces-
sive crooning and not nearly enough sub-
stance to its name.
Lee obviously wrote this album to be
honest, not profound, and his message is
certainly appropriate for a 30-something
man experiencing heartbreak and the reali-
ties of life. However, what “Mission Bell”
brings in honesty it lacks in appeal. There is
better mellow music out there, and it won’t
make everyone fall asleep, either.
—andrea HINTON
contact andrea: anhinton@stan-
ford.edu
5
 Celeste Noche/The Stanford Daily
Try the lamb shish kebab (tender cubes of marinated lamb, served
with rice and the house salad), above, at the Anatolian Kitchen, a
modern Mediterranean eatery off California Avenue. Employee
Abe Saab, right, rolls out fresh pita bread. Although Anatolian
Kitchen makes the bread fresh twice a day, owner Dino Tekdemir
said, “Some cutomers confuse the dough’s yellow-green colors
with mold. This discoloration, however, is the natural color of the
traditional Turkish recipe after baking.”

food Anatolian Kitchen does modern Mediterranean

T
he geographical migration of falafel is falafel, though, is a bit pale, and they are eggplant beautifully. The mousaka is cer-
remarkable. The fried balls of only saved by the accompanying sauces and tainly a highlight of the menu, as is
mashed chickpeas, believed to have Anatolian Kitchen hummus. Likewise, the stuffed eggplant flags “Alexander’s Favorite (Iskender).” This dish
VERDICT:

originated in Egypt, have become an integral
part of cuisine ranging from Moroccan to
Saudi Arabian. The best viands find a way to
spread, and clearly Middle Eastern-
Mediterranean cuisine has taken root in
Palo Alto — from casual spots like
Mediterranean Wraps on California Avenue
to nicer ones like Lavanda on University,
they seem to be littered everywhere. More
recently it has replaced the once-popular
Oaxacan Kitchen and sprung up in the form
of Anatolian Kitchen. However, while the
restaurant does in general produce good
food, it’s not clear that Palo Alto needed
another Mediterranean spot.
Anatolian Kitchen provides an inviting
atmosphere that is not quite as formal as the
dim lighting might suggest. The restaurant is
probably best suited for a low-key but nicer
dinner with some friends or an informal
dinner date.
The Mediterranean cuisine compli-
6 savory notes in the ground lamb, beef and
intermission
2323 Birch St
“Middle of Palo Alto
the Road” 650.853.9700
ments the inviting atmosphere with a
respectable offering of vegetarian options
that would allow most herbivores to be fairly
happy. The baba ganoush in particular is
excellent; the roasted flavor of the eggplant
comes through just the right amount in a
spread that is a wonderful balance of
creaminess and taste. The cacik is also fla-
vorful and has a nice crunch provided by the
chopped cucumbers and a great kick provid-
ed by the garlic.
The quality of the vegetarian options
dampens slightly at the “Falafel Plate” appe-
tizer. The falafel themselves are cooked very
well, with an appetizing outside that serves
as the perfectly hardened shell to a moist
interior of chickpeas. The spicing of the
a bit in overall quality. The eggplant is ten-
der but the dish ends up coming off a bit
mushy; a less than stellar mouth feel ham-
pers what could otherwise be a respectable
dish in terms of flavor.
While not a total miss, the dolma is per-
haps the nadir of the vegetarian dishes in
that it is completely forgettable. And though
the “Mediterranean Salad” could also use
stronger flavoring, it is at least a lighter
option than the dolma for those looking for
a brief escape from the heavier meat selec-
tion.
Not all of Anatolian Kitchen’s meat
dishes are heavy. The “Chicken Shish
Kebab,” for example, actually provides a fla-
vorful yet lean skewer of chicken alongside a
bed of underwhelming sautéed vegetables
and rice. It is, however, within the red meat
dishes that Anatolian Kitchen is able to
shine. With the mousaka, the onion-and-
tomato sauce provides a fantastic sweetness
that, when paired with the earthy flavors of
the zucchini and potato, brings out the
is particularly rich but shows that Anatolian
Kitchen can really deliver delicious lamb.
The bread cubes act to soak up the flavor of
the surrounding sauces and, despite bad
experiences with soggy croutons elsewhere,
really enhance the texture of the dish.
Anatolian Kitchen’s niche between for-
mal and casual Mediterranean is not exactly
a sweet spot. The food is generally good, but
the restaurant is too informal to exhibit real
culinary expertise, yet too formal to become
one of the usuals. As Mediterranean and
Middle Eastern cuisines continue their trav-
els, Anatolian Kitchen is stuck somewhere in
the “middle of the road.”
—joshua GLUCOFT
contact joshua:
glucoft@stanford.edu

Meh-Ta: When TV is a little too real
T
here are many great American
remakes of British TV:
“American Idol,”“The Office,”
“What Not to Wear,”“The Weakest
Link.” There are also many great TV
shows about life in Hollywood:
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,”
“Entourage,”“Curb Your
Enthusiasm” (sort of). The 2011
winter television premieres, however,
have not been good to either genre,
between MTV’s salacious and sloppy
“Skins” and Showtime’s casual
attempt at comedy with “Episodes.”
The two, in their striking divergences
and surprising similarities, present a
great question about American audi-
ences and their sensibilities when it
comes to humor, sex, celebrity and
action in their television shows.
“Episodes” is not itself a remake
but is a show about the remake
process. In the pilot, we meet mar-
ried television writers Beverly and
Sean Lincoln and watch them,
metaphorically in the opening cred-
its and literally in the body of the
episode, relocate to L.A. when a
Hollywood network executive
options their award-winning British
comedy series, “Lyman’s Boys,” for
remake. This dry description of the
premise is indicative of the plot con-
tent of the episode and the protago-
nists themselves, both of which are
boring and plain. Much as I was
enticed by the idea of satirizing
Hollywood from the writer’s point of
view, the show exhibits dry, anemic
satire instead of biting humor. David
Crane, the co-creator of “Friends,” is
co-creator once again, but he loses
what was good about “Friends” and
seems to gain a complex about the
success that came from that good-
ness.
In other words, the show osten-
sibly wants to make fun of
Hollywood opulence, arbitrariness
and anti-intellectualism but, in doing
so, allows those destructive entities to
pervade the make-up of the show
itself. The result is a sluggishly paced
25 minutes that rely on the same
punch-line pattern and audience
expectation. With the latter, the dia-
logue can be successful when self-
aware: in the second episode, Matt
LeBlanc confronts the Lincolns
about the similarity of their show to
the play, “The History Boys,” whose
lead actor, Richard Griffiths, is also
the lead actor of “Lyman’s Boys.”
When the show pursues the details of
“Episodes,” Courtesy Showtime
meta-humor to that degree, it finds
success; otherwise, the jokes feel
recycled.
I admit that I myself am not
partial to British comedies such as
“Coupling,” but I’m all the more sur-
prised that the creator of the most
popular and most determinedly
American comedy series of all time
can’t bridge the gap between
American and British humor. That
may be the show’s biggest problem:
its decision to separate the British
and the American a la the
Revolutionary War (this time pitting
the Hollywood beautiful against the
overly cerebral British), when we
want to see a more nuanced story
about the interaction of the two cul-
tures.
This, too, seems to be the prob-
lem of MTV’s highly anticipated
reboot of “Skins.” A devotee of the
British version since last fall, I love
the original series because I can
appreciate the thematic issues it rais-
es but still recognize that this would
never happen in my own life. The
nightclubs, the drugs, the religious
and ethnic clashes, the class strife: all
of these are germane to the human
condition, but not to the everyday
existence of the majority of
American teens watching MTV.
The adaptation of the immense-
ly powerful and artistically stunning
British original functions on the
notion that American viewers
demand both what is familiar and
what is outrageous. In watering
down the overall tone of the show
but still milking, in terms of market-
ing at least, the scandal of nudity and
withdrawn investors, the content of
the episodes is rendered frivolous.
For “Skins,” the show’s roots in a
profound commentary on British
culture that transcends the target age
group paint the newest iteration as
exploitative.
American television, when it
comes to shows that deviate from the
safe, universally palatable sitcoms,
falls into two categories: programs,
most often on cable, that use a frame
of a time period (“Boardwalk
Empire”), a profession (“Breaking
Bad”) or a narrative device
(“Damages”) to distinguish them-
selves from reality, and in so doing,
make their messages universal; and
programs, most often on network
TV, that use punctuated episodes of
scandal, drama or intrigue to attract
viewers but keep them at a distance
from the material itself.
The accidental nature of the
Lincolns’ success on “Episodes” rep-
resents the way good television is
made, in my opinion. Immersion in
the art yields a story with a brain and
heart that can sustain the life form of
a TV show for many seasons. When
the premise or plot of a show is con-
stantly reacting to what audiences
want, it fails to anticipate what they
need.
— l i z S TA R K
contact liz:
estark12@stanford.edu
CONTINUED FROM “STRINGS,” PAGE 4
cate her love for him. Mindy
Kaling (best known as Kelly from
TV’s “The Office”) is hilarious as
Shira, one of Emma’s fellow doc-
tor friends and roommates.
The movie’s script is, for the
most part, fantastic, featuring bit-
ing one-liners and some priceless
moments. Adam’s work at a TV
studio (which is filming, inciden-
tally, a “High School Musical”-
type series, providing hilarity in
itself) and his interactions with
his fellow coworkers provide
some of the funniest scenes in the
film, only bested by Adam’s father
Alvin, who begins dating Adam’s
ex-girlfriend, Vanessa (Ophelia
Lovibond). The ensuing interac-
tions between the old actor and
his young girlfriend are comedic
gold, culminating with Alvin
going to the hospital after getting
friday january 28 2011
television
REMOTE
WHAT TO WATCH
NEXT WEEK
Friday at 8 p.m.: Spend your
Friday night with the CW hot-
ties of old for back-to-back
premieres of “Smallville” and
“Supernatural” (The CW).
Sunday at 9 p.m.: Enjoy the
rhombus of “Big Love” while
you still can — this is its last
season (HBO).
Sunday at 10 p.m.: If you
haven’t started watching
“Kourtney and Kim Take New
York,” you should (E!).
Thursday at 8 p.m.: “The
Vampire Diaries” came back
this week, but the follow-up
episode will be just as impor-
tant (The CW).
high on cough syrup.
However, the movie suffers
from a few terrible, sappy lines,
mostly on the part of Adam.
Fortunately, the funnier lines in
the rest of the movie are more
than enough to make up for the
few bad ones.
“No Strings Attached,”
though not perfect, is a refreshing
break from typical romantic
comedies and the bleak January
movie season. Although it is cer-
tainly not the groundbreaking
examination of modern relation-
ships it might have hoped to be,
its hilarious script and supporting
cast make it well worth a watch.
— h a l l e E D WA R D S
contact halle:
halle@stanford.edu
7
Roxy Sass’ advice
favorite holiday:
Groundhog Day
R
oxy’s always been a fan of
the underdog. Not only do
they usually work harder to
prove themselves, but Roxy’s a utili-
tarian and feels that her attention is
worth more when given to those
who don’t get much from others.
That means that in the midst of
the recently passed holiday season
and the three-day weekends of win-
ter quarter, Roxy would like to focus
on a holiday that is oft overlooked,
and undeservingly so: Groundhog
Day.
A time when a debatably cute
animal emerges from the ground
and exhibits remarkable prescience
about the weather: What could be
better? It’s an air of mystery, of sus-
pense, of the delicate balance
between winter and spring. Roxy
wants you to Punx her tawny Phil.
Puns aside, Groundhog Day’s
prediction has practical applications
to everyday life at Stanford. While
the weather has been decidedly un-
January-like in past weeks (The hot
prowler’s effects linger much longer
than they should, it seems.),
February is fickle and could take a
turn either for the better or the
worse — but the little rodent
underground can point the way.
For indecisive students: If the
groundhog sees his shadow next
Wednesday, that means winter
weather for the rest of the quarter,
which means using cold weather as
an excuse to get closer. Yes, Roxy
knows there’s heating in dorm
rooms, but let’s all be sustainable
and use body heat instead — and
then Roxy would like you to do a
little burrowing.
If, however, Phil sees cloudy
8 COVER
intermission
skies, then winter’s at an end, and
spring quarter will last five glorious
months. If Wilbur Field last week-
end was any indication, Roxy knows
how she’ll be spending her time:
minimally clothed, and in the com-
pany of minimally clothed pretty
people. Hopefully on grass.
The decisive nature of
Groundhog Day can also dictate the
future of relationships. Spring quar-
ter is approaching, and, especially if
you’re about to graduate, Roxy
knows this is not the time to tiptoe
around relationship decisions.
Rather, forge ahead, since time is
limited. Unsure if your winter fling
is still worth sticking around with
(or rolling around with)? Place a bet
on Phil’s choice and proceed
accordingly. Keep what you have if
he sees his shadow; if not, seduce
the future.
—roxy SASS
FRIDAY
01.28.11
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