Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anyone who loves to cheer for the underdog. Brad Pitt portrays Billy Beane, the Oakland A’s General Manager. After losing 3 key players to richer clubs, Beane has to find more players to fill the roster.

Billy Beane struggles with his search at first, due to the low budget the A’s had to offer, but after meeting Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) , Beane has an epiphany: bring in low cost players that are underrated – that can get on base, rather than do it all. Hiring on Brand, Beane starts to redesign the A’s and reinvent the conventional standards of players.

Beane and Brand rebel against the advice of Beane’s traditionalist colleagues and invoke anger and resentment, most of all, from Head Coach, Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who controls which players play in each game, and refuses to follow the lineup the way Beane and Brand designed it.

Beane, who can only buy and trade players, figures out of way to stay within his jurisdiction as general manager and outsmart Howe by trading off the players who Howe prefers and who stand in the way of the team’s hidden potential.

This act forces Howe to play the team the way Beane and Brand intended. This leads to an incredible season for the A’s taking them from last place in their division to the number 1 slot. Earning this underrated lineup more wins than anyone would have guessed and a showdown against the Minnesota Twins in the 2002 American League Division Series (ALDS).

Contributing Writer: John Hitchcock

This is the week Marvel Comics fans have been waiting for since Samuel L. Jackson popped up after the credits of Iron Man peddling the Avengers Initiative.

As a preface, this movie is not judged strictly on acting and directing skills, from my point of view, this cannot be considering the icon that Captain America is for both patriotism and nostalgia of the original graphic novels.

Fortunately, it will be easy for most viewers to overlook these technical aspects when the audience considers how much the writers favored the peripheral characters. The best parts of dialogue are monopolized by Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci, who play Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine, the two characters responsible for choosing which soldier to turn into Captain America.

The plot goes at a brisk pace, but it’s not like they tried to squeeze too much into a short movie. The story of Captain America’s origin transitions quickly and seamlessly into his first handful of battles. The producers of this film did well to avoid predictability and an overly tidy ending and they succeeded more than they failed. Nobody will say “I saw that coming an hour before it happened” and the strategically placed laughs and one-liners are ample enough to keep even the most austere comic-shunners involved.

Chris Evans’ portrayal of the star-spangled superhero is good enough to please fans and comic newbies alike, as he runs over his overly cheesy lines with almost as much ease as the decent parts of his script.

Hugo Weaving portrays the Red Skull as only he can, in spite of a sub par script but his German accent draws attention to itself and away from what he actually says.

Hayley Atwell is refreshing and convincing as Peggy Carter, who is the love interest of Captain America who has a tough military exterior.

Highlights:

-The shield fight outside the Nazi weapons factory.

-Neal McDonough and Cap’s team of backup soldiers.

Lowlights:

-Hugo Weaving is capable of being much more sinister and believable than this. (See: The Matrix, you’ll see what I mean)

-No extra footage or bonus scene at the end of the credits.

By Harshith Malli, Contributing Writer

Over the last year or so 3D has really taken off with movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. So much so that 3D is moving into the home with an array of new TV’s,blue ray movies and even video games to back that push. However, with this greater industry push, is it really necessary for every single movie to be in 3D?

No its not necessary. From my experience with Tron Legacy, the implementation of 3D visual was minimal at best. Even though most of the movie was shot in 3D, it was was most of the post production visuals that stuck out. The explosion of the light bikes across the grid shattering into a million pieces across the theater accompanied the the dark cyber punk scenery very well. However, was it necessary for the film to have bits of 3D razzle dazzle here and there? No it wasn’t. Watching the film in 3D, I realize this movie could stand on its own in 2D display. Although the dialogue was merely insipid, with a few flares of Jeff Bridges calling out to his “Dude” persona, the art direction and action of this film is what really drove this film.

Drawing heavily from cyber punk influenced forerunners such as Akira, Ghost in A Shell and Blade Runner, the movie paints an illustrious picture of the virtual world known as the “Grid”, a dark world mixed with an array of colored led’s and outlined neon blue high rise towers. The depth of how well designed the set is, easily trumps what eye popping 3D technology can provide.

So whats the point of introducing 3D into an already 2D film? Money. Buying a ticket for a 3D films is double the price of its 2D counterpart. The film industry has found an effective way to establish new incentive for the movie goer, by showing that its going to be more exciting on a bigger screen. Even though the increase is needed to pay for the new projectors, you won’t see the price go down once there paid for.

With the exclusion of Avatar, the problem found within the onslaught of 3D movies coming out is that the technology doesn’t do anything to enhance the way the story is told. Its a gimmick meant to entertain bored children. However, because of this onslaught, I fear that such a heavy reliance on this technology will detract from the the creativity in story telling, in the cause for earning that top dollar. Thus, leading to poorer quality films being shoved into the consumers face.

Bottom line. Tron is awesome. The movies stereoscopic soundtrack and flashing CGI scenery was enough to captivate my interest. However, forking out twenty bucks for some little 3D sprinkles here and there, leave me asking for more entertainment from the movie industry. Perhaps force feed back chairs would be in order!

First it was death of the payphone by the convenient need to stay in touch and high sales of the cell phone.  Drive-ins have long surrendered to big theaters like IMAX. Ask a fifth grader about a drive-in, for example, and surely a hand full would have little recollection.

Now video store rentals have been scouted as the newest target of the epidemic of “out with the old and in with the new.” With Netflix dominating, Hollywood Video stores are dwindling and Blockbuster is following suit.

Power kings to the video rental world, Hollywood Video, second to Blockbuster, ruled the block on corners in many communities.

According to Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), Hollywood Video was established in 1988 and filed bankruptcy February 2010 with the announcement that stores would close three months later. Outliving many locations, Hollywood Video came to a close by October 2009.

Natalie O., a Hayward Yelper, wrote a review with an annoyed question: “Think you could have told us the day we rented the video?  Natalie O. indicated that she rented a movie and tried to return it two days later but found a note on the door telling her to return movies at another location.

The Hollywood Video official Web site says, “Thank you for visiting hollywoodvideo.com. The company is in the process of exploring new ways of delivering entertainment to you and we anticipate that this website will be under new ownership shortly.”

While this message may leave some hope for Hollywood members, a huge population has been won over by the new sheriff in town, Netflix. Netflix, an online movie rental company, at the click of a button offers an $8.99 monthly charge for a membership that allows for one rental at a time.

The largest incentive of membership is instant access to a host of movies and TV series, including classics, through a subscriber’s TV, PC, Mac, PS3, or Nintendo Wii.

With the large video and entertainment corner stores gone, some prehistoric “mom and pop” rental stores have managed to keep their doors open with pride. While one A Street video store tells callers “We are no more video,” another, Hayward Video also located on A Street, happily greets customers.

Hayward Video was established about four years ago, roughly the same time when the big dogs’ rental woes became public. While Hayward Video isn’t the high technology of Netflix, they have a variety of movies, sell the classic VHS and offer an everyday special, rent one get one.

Batt, rental representative, didn’t want to comment on Netflix. More focused on their customer base and keeping them happy, he did say, “Everything new they like,”  and the store “at Christmas time rents a lot because people want to pick movies and stay home.”

While the “mom and pop” rental stores haven’t all become extinct many are in fear of the online video slinging capability of Netflix. “Everything Must Go” signs, empty shelves and abandoned buildings are all that remains of what use to be Hollywood Video and even some Blockbusters. It’s clear that Netflix kills the video store.

Downtown Hayward is up to for a facelift.

Hayward redevelopment project begins to take shape

The Heart of the Bay receives a commercial and aesthetic upgrade

Hayward’s Downtown area, long a relic of another era when the automobile was king and Hayward was the happening spot in the East Bay, is receiving a 21st century style makeover that should benefit local businesses as well as welcome back shoppers that have long since deserted the area.

With the recent openings of a new downtown movie theater, Buffalo Bill’s and Bijou restaurants, and the renovations of the Hayward BART station and transit-friendly new apartment buildings the city of Hayward has taken aggressive steps to improve the look and feel of the downtown area.

Now the city has started proceedings for an almost two year period of renovation and restoration that will propel the city into the future.

The Hayward Redevelopment Agency has designated two blocks of Foothill Boulevard for storefront modernization, replacing the colorless, unappealing 1950s era design for more welcoming, aesthetically pleasing designs.

According to a report published by the Redevelopment Agency in March this year, approximately 54,000 vehicles pass by retail stores located on Foothill every day.
It’s hoped that the restoration project, aided by new businesses like Montero’s Market and the Sugar Shack Yogurt & Deli and supplemented by longtime existing tenants Arthur Murray Dance Studio and Felix Formalwear, will help restore the vitality of Foothill Boulevard and its importance as a “retail gateway.”

The City has selected SZFM Design Studio, with 25 years experience in restoration projects in San Leandro, Emeryville and Corte Madera among other Bay Area cities, to oversee the Foothill project, which will include new sidewalks, landscaping and pedestrian lighting, as well as a new traffic signal bridge at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and A Street.

Pending meetings between city staff, business owners and members of the SZFM studio, work on the project is expected to begin sometime in 2011.

However, the challenge facing those same retailers will be the lack of parking as a result of the most noticeable, impacting portion of the Hayward redevelopment project, Route 238 Corridor improvements.

The city has decided to turn the downtown portion of its three main roads, Foothill Boulevard, A Street and Mission Boulevard, into a one-way traffic system. Foothill Boulevard will become a one-way road northbound, A Street westbound, and Mission Boulevard southbound, completing a downtown traffic loop.

Pedestrians and bicyclists alike will also reap the benefits of expanded sidewalks and landscaping, new bike lanes, and improvements to signage and road intersections. This includes the realignment of the Mission and Carlos Bee boulevards’ intersection that will improve the sidewalks and crosswalks, widen the road on both sides and create an extra southbound turn lane onto Carlos Bee.

According to Kevin Briggs, Route 238 Corridor manager, people will notice the first changes almost straight away, as crews from PG&E, AT&T and Comcast work together to place signal cables and utilities underground from Route 238 all the way to A Street, eventually grounding the utility lines through downtown and all the way south along Mission Boulevard to Industrial Boulevard.

Briggs also stated that the city had conducted an extended community outreach before beginning work on this project to ensure that local area businesses were prepared for the construction and to minimize any disruptions.

The corridor improvement project was awarded to Top Grade Construction on July 16, 2010. However, at the time of writing the city was still awaiting the final schedule from the contractor.

Finally a notice was issued effective Aug. 16 to begin the work.

The Route 238 Corridor Improvement Project is due to be completed sometime in late 2012. The Interstate 880/Highway 92-Jackson Street Interchange is also expected to be finished the same year, which should help alleviate the terrible traffic congestion plaguing Hayward’s freeways during commute hours.

For more information about the projects, visit the City of Hayward Web site at www.ci.hayward.ca.us or call 510-583-3900. The city is also planning on creating Facebook and Twitter pages with updates on construction, delays and other information in the very near future.

Esther Patterson/ Contributing Writer

The Other Guys Movie Poster

If you’re looking for a summer comedy to see in the theaters this weekend, do yourself the favor of skipping over “Dinner for Schmucks” and head in to see “The Other Guys”, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.  I’m not attempting to write an entire review comparing the two films in a spoiler-filled, superiority contest.

Just know that “Other Guys” is a film that is absolutely committed to its sense of absurd humor, and Will Ferrell is its biggest proponent.  He is like the Star Trek geek for new millennium comedies, parading around in ill-fitting suits, huge prescription glasses, and making his obscene amount of knowledge about tuna fish and scaffolding permits well known to his peers.  But even as he polices streets of New York as Detective Allen Gamble with his partner, Terry Hoitz (Walhberg), scouting for clues about a kidnapping, a possible Ponzi scheme, and his oft-missing Prius, Gamble / Ferrell’s biggest concern is scoring a laugh, no matter how much pain and embarrassment it may cause him.  That is dedication taken to obsessive heights.  Star Trek-like “geekdom”.

There’s no question that Will Ferrell is the star of the film, but there are other guys and a gal who may surprise you with their comedic talents as well.  Because he so scarcely seen these days, Michael Keaton’s slapstick role as Police Captain Mauch is a treasure, and he has one of the best running gags throughout his motivational speeches.

Mark Wahlberg plays an anxious “meathead” cop, who endlessly taunts Ferrell about his lack of motivation and drive when, in fact, he lacks the skills of observation and critical thinking that Ferrell excels at.  And don’t miss out on Eva Mendes as Ferrell’s wife.  She’s more than a pretty face in this role.  Mendes is also a great pair of tits, a wicked tongue, and a perfect foil for exposing Gamble and Hoitz’s awkwardness around women.

One last recommendation is for you to stay seated until the credits are over, as there is more footage to be seen after the formal film is finished.  I will also mention that “The Other Guys” like “Dinner for Schmucks” satirizes and shows contempt for the bourgeoisie, the corporate world, and the people responsible for millions of lost jobs and billions of lost dollars, if not trillions, in our latest recession.

I’m not quite sure what conclusions we can draw from these reoccurring themes when “The Other Guys” is packed with huge explosions and car chases, plus the millions upon millions that were spent in the process of making this film.  Perhaps it’s that a silly buddy-cop film can contain obscenely funny jokes and a keen eye for the causes of social inequalities?

Ferrell accomplishes this monstrous task without an ounce of overburdened pretentiousness weighing him down.   Your move, every other comedian, and buddy-cop movie ever made.

Enjoy free live music performances in downtown Hayward through out the summer at the Plaza.

Summer events flyer