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May 6, 2013

  • Top 5 of F-M’s 2012-2013 Theatre Season

    Top 5 of F-M’s 2012-2013 Theatre Season

    1 FMCT’s “Rumors” Nothing this season was better than “Rumors,” that is for sure. Neil Simon’s beloved farce came to life at The Stage in February, and it sure left a mark. To put it simply, this production was hilarious. There was nothing not to like about this show; its characters, story, script and runtime were all ideal.

  • Battle of the Venues

    The Venue v. The Aquarium

    he Fargo-Moorhead area isn’t exactly a huge stopping point for most major, must-see bands. Sure, the area gets the occasional big show at the Fargodome now and again, but the majority of quality tunes need to be searched for, rather than brought to our attention.

  • The Creative Comic Book Revival

    Comic books haven’t exactly been in the best shape over the past decade or so. In spite of the fact that America has more or less decided that movies based on comic books are the thing to write home about (Marvel’s “The Avengers” is one of the highest-grossing films of all time, not to mention the myriad of successful, related properties), very little of that money has bled back into the pages those characters sprang from.

  • The Biggest Games, Movies, Music and Comics to Watch for This Summer

    The Biggest Games, Movies, Music and Comics to Watch for This Summer

    f you’ve been watching closely, you should already know that this summer is going to be a big time for entertainment. Everything from video games, to movies, to music is going to see a major influx, and we’ve got a list of the things you should be paying attention to.

  • FMCT’s Silver Follies Take on Carol Burnett

    eaching its tenth-show milestone this year, the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre’s Silver Follies have a special show in store for its audiences this coming weekend. The all-senior theatre company will be taking a walk down memory lane Thursday through Sunday when they put on their revue of the songs and skits of Carol Burnett.

May 2, 2013

  • Zach Braff Uses Kickstarter to Fund Follow-up to Garden State

    Well it worked so well for Rob Thomas and Veronica Mars, so why not try again and see what happens? If your lucky, lightning just might strike twice. Zach Braff sure hopes so. It was announced this week that Zach Braff (Scrubs) has created a Kickstarter campaign to fund his follow up to the 2004 sleeper- hit Garden State.

  • Eleventh Season Lineup Announced at Theatre B

    Eleventh Season Lineup Announced at Theatre B

  • Four-part Serial Comes Together as One in “Waiting Gun”

    Something old has become something new with Wayne D. Overholser’s “The Waiting Gun.” This four-part serial, which originally ran in the October – November 1957 issues of Ranch Romances, has been strung together as an all-in-one story in 179 pages. Set in the rugged mesa country of Nevada, “The Waiting Gun” follows Bill Varney, a young cowhand on his father’s ranch.

  • The Preponderance of 90s Kids

    There’s a long-running joke on the Internet that kids who grew up in the 80s had a better childhood than those who grew up in the ‘90s. That’s thanks to shows cartoons like Transformers and He-Man, as well as the short-lived fad of action-comedy like Ghostbusters, The Goonies and Monster Squad, which pervaded the era.

  • EVE Online Gets a TV Series

    EVE Online Gets a TV Series

    EVE Online is often called “Spreadsheets in Space” by a large portion of the game playing community. That’s because the massively multiplayer spaceship simulator features an entirely player-driven economy simulation, which results in more than a few actual spreadsheets being used by major players.

April 29, 2013

  • Misery-laden ‘Mother Courage’ longer than most movies

    As the last of the F-M area’s college theatres to close this season, MSUM Theatre chose a tale of troubles against a backdrop of war: “Mother Courage and Her Children.” Written by Bertolt Brecht in the late 1930s as a response to German nationalism, this play explored and exploited contradictions and conflicts in everyday life.

  • ‘Bye Bye 17’ by Har Mar Superstar An upbeat throwback

    New York vocalist ‘Har Mar Superstar’ seeks to incorporate elements of both old and new fads to supplement his folksy groove. With a vast array of acoustic instrumentals and digital recording techniques, his second album ‘Bye Bye 17’ is full of juicy hooks and a near-inescapable groove.

  • ‘Dust 514: Uprising’ Preview

    EVE Online, along with its developer Crow Control Productions, are becoming forces to be reckoned with in the video game industry. Not only has EVE Online, perhaps the number one massively multiplayer competitor to World of Warcraft in terms of mindshare, reached its tenth year of active development and operation, but unlike Blizzard’s 800-pound gorilla, the game has actually increased in terms of both player count and word of mouth.

April 25, 2013

  • Amazon Show Pilots Available Online for Free

      With summer approaching and television shows ending, stations are all figuring out what pilots to choose for next fall. Every year there are always a lot of pilots that get announced and sound amazing, only to not get picked up. The networks discard these unpicked pilots without even being seen by the general public.

  • The Stage at Island Park Announces 2013-2014 Season

    The Stage at Island Park Announces 2013-2014 Season

    There is good news and bad news about The Stage at Island Park. The bad news is that the popular theatre venue is winding down on its 2012-2013 season. The good news is that next season’s performances have been announced and that popular area theatre groups are returning once more to The Stage.

  • Dramatic ‘Couriers Union’ Dragged Out; Lights, Cavo Saved Show

    It was an interesting choice by the Newfangled Theatre Company to put on “The Transdimensional Couriers Union” as the finale to NDSU’s theatre season. A title like that can spark enough interest to go and see what the heck the show is all about. While “Couriers Union” had an intriguing title going for it, its plot and characters seemed a little too twisted.

  • Graphic Novel Review: ‘Saga Vol. 1’

    Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have a lot to live up to as creators. As the writer of Y: The Last Man, Vaughan is often cited as one of, if not the best writers in the industry. Staples, on the other hand, may not have the same sort of opus to refer back to, but is still regarded as one of the best artists working today -- in any medium.

April 22, 2013

  • Theatre B Saves Best for Last With ‘God of Carnage’

    Theatre B Saves Best for Last With ‘God of Carnage’

    Just like Concordia College, The Stage at Island Park, and NDSU, Theatre B’s theatre season is winding down and wrapping up. Its fourth and final production of the season is in full swing, and has proven to be a terrific capper to the little theatre’s tenth season.

  • Everyday Life Choices Analyzed in MSUM Theatre finale

    After what its audiences saw two months ago, it comes as a big surprise that MSUM Theatre chose the analytical “Mother Courage and Her Children” as its spring finale to follow February’s raunchy “Avenue Q.” To director Patrick Carriere, it is no surprise at all.

  • BEHIND THE PAPER:

    BEHIND THE PAPER:

    JEFF BAUER, Design Editor

    Each upcoming issue Mataya Armstrong will sit down with one of the 2012-2013 graduating senior staff for a Q&A of their time working at The Spectrum. How long have you worked here? One year, but I have written for The Spectrum previous to this position.

April 18, 2013

  • AMC Developing ‘Breaking Bad’ Spinoff

    This summer, after five seasons, 62 episodes, and seven Emmy Awards, AMC’s hit show “Breaking Bad” will come to a close. The gripping drama may be over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean fans of the show have to say goodbye right away. AMC is currently developing a spinoff centered on corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman played on “Breaking Bad” by Bob Odenkirk (Mr.

  • Graphic Novel Review: ‘MIND MGMT Vol. 1: The Manager’

    Matt Kindt’s “MIND MGMT” joins books like Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple’s “Saga” as part of the comic industry’s push back against traditional monthly series. Together, these properties and other books like them represent a growing shift in the industry away from the “safe,” publisher-owned superhero titles.

  • Student-produced Time Travel Tale Ends NDSU’s Theatre Season

    All good things must come to an end, and NDSU’s theatre season is no exception. Rounding off the herd’s 2012-2013 theatre season is “The Transdimensional Couriers Union,” a play of intricate proportions. “It’s a pretty complex show,” said director Jordan Christie.

  • Plains Art Museum Plays Dress-Up at This Year’s Spring Gala

    Plains Art Museum Plays Dress-Up at This Year’s Spring Gala

    In case you’re just too impatient to wait for Halloween, the Plains Art Museum has decided to give you an opportunity to play dress-up this spring. The museum will be holding its 17th annual spring gala at 7 p.m. on May 4. The theme of this year’s event will be “15 Minutes of Fame,” in reference to the organization’s Warhol exhibit, “Andy Warhol: Creating Myth and Icon.

  • ‘Gypsy’ Can be Long, Loud, but Definitely Entertains

    Give a gold star to the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre – their production of “Gypsy,” a real gem of a musical, is as laudable as it is classic. Critically acclaimed and even boasted to be America’s greatest musical, “Gypsy” touts the triple threat of acting, singing and dancing, all of which FMCT was able to carry out near-effortlessly.

April 15, 2013

  • American Spiritual Ensemble Comes to NDSU

    American Spiritual Ensemble Comes to NDSU

      The website for the American Spiritual Ensemble provides a fairly clinical description for something meant to represent a group of artists out to preserve an overlooked genre. "The American Spiritual Ensemble is a critically-acclaimed professional group composed of some of the finest singers in the classical music world.

  • “Brightest Darkest Day by Pyyramids

    “Brightest Darkest Day by Pyyramids

      Released April 9, 2013 | Image Credit | OKGO Records The union of many different talents, Pyyramids is an amalgam of styles, musical philosophies and creative directions. Headed up by “OK Go” bassist and singer Tim Nordwind and “He Say/She Say” vocalist Drea Smith, the group’s dark take on pop is certainly interesting, but lacks cohesion and a sense of unique style.

  • Four Philosophies Ring True in Dolly Parton’s ‘Dream More’

    Sometimes inspiration can come in the most unlikely forms. Just ask Dolly Parton about that; her uplifting life lessons are all laid bare in “Dream More,” the country queen’s book of wisdom that was born out of a commencement speech. That very speech was given by Parton at the University of Tennessee’s graduation ceremony in 2009.

April 11, 2013

  • Seth Meyers Reported Front-runner for Late Night Show

    Last week it was officially announced that Jimmy Fallon would replace longtime Tonight Show host Jay Leno starting after the Winter Olympics next February. The next question on everyone’s minds, is who will replace Fallon? It looks like another Saturday Night Live veteran has the inside track as of now.

  • ‘All This Talk of Love’ Gives Relatable Experiences in Full Circle Story

    Sometimes the best book to read is one we can all relate to. Christopher Castellani’s “All This Talk of Love” is a prime example. Painting a portrait of an Italian-American family from 1999 to 2003, this 340-page beauty bears the ups and downs of family life and more.

  • Next Xbox News and a Possible Announcement Date

    We’ve officially known about the PlayStation 4’s existence for a while now. However, so far it’s seemed like Microsoft has been sitting on its hands, waiting, perhaps, for this year’s E3 to make the big announcement regarding the next Xbox. Now, however, rumors are circulating that we’ll see the successor to the Xbox 360 on May 21, according to technology writer Paul Thurrott in an interview on What The Tech.

April 8, 2013

  • America’s Greatest Musical Springs up at Island Park

    America’s Greatest Musical Springs up at Island Park

      For the next two weekends, “Gypsy” will run at The Stage at Island Park at 333 4th Street South. Now this is something to get excited about. Opening this Friday at The Stage at Island Park is what has been called the greatest American musical. The show is “Gypsy,” the long-loved musical based on the memoirs of one of its characters.

  • ‘Defiance’ Blends TV Storytelling with Video Game Action

      Defiance, the upcoming science fiction show, tells the story of a post-apocalyptic Earth, teeming with alien life and the people of a small boomtown who have to deal with their new situation. It's a lot like Star Trek meets Deadwood, with the show wearing its Firefly influences on its sleeve.

April 4, 2013

  • Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ Pipes Through NDSU

    Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ Pipes Through NDSU

    The NDSU Opera organization will be bringing two performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” to the airwaves around the campus this month. Contrary to the popular belief spread by certain examples of historical fiction like Miloš Forman’s “Amadeus,” Mozart did not actually die in obscurity in the late 1700s.

  • ‘The Bells of St. John’ Rings in the Next Era of ‘Doctor Who’

    The long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who, much like its protagonist, is going through turbulent times. First the show saw an explosion of international popularity, as the revised series became not only a smash hit in the U.K., but a veritable cultural giant in the United States as well.

  • Wild ‘Whiplash River’ Hard to Keep up With, but Story Prevails

    Fast-paced, quick-witted, sharp-tongued: three words to describe screenwriter Lou Berney’s action-crime novel “Whiplash River,” a literary adventure of international and dastardly proportions. At the center of this story is Charles “Shake” Bouchon, resort owner and former getaway driver for the Armenian mob in L.

  • My Chemical Romance Calls it Quits

    After twelve years, four albums and multiple successful singles, My Chemical Romance has officially called it quits. The band officially announced its breakup last Friday. They took to their website to talk about the move. The post stated, “Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing.

  • Highly Anticipated Ending to Infernal Devices Trilogy, Clockwork Princess, Comes Out at Last

    After a year’s wait, best-selling author Cassandra Clare’s final addition to the Infernal Devices trilogy has finally arrived! The last book in the trilogy-prequel to Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, “Clockwork Princess” ties up the story about Tessa, Jem and Will excruciatingly well before leading into the next series.

March 28, 2013

  • Northern Eclecta Taking Your Submissions

      University, middle and high school students, as well as alumni from in and around the Fargo-Moorhead area, are being asked to submit their creative literary work for this year’s Northern Eclecta. Northern Eclecta is a regular literary journal composed of the works produced by NDSU graduates, undergraduates and alumni as well as grade 7-12 students from the surrounding area.

  • Hyde’s ‘Beauty Experiment’ Finds Inner Beauty Without Femininity

    Hyde’s ‘Beauty Experiment’ Finds Inner Beauty Without Femininity

    Going an entire year without makeup, jewelry or new clothes would likely be a challenge for most women. Try doing that while raising an infant and living in a foreign country, and things may seem even harder. What some may see as nearly impossible was done by writer Phoebe Baker Hyde, who underwent the abovementioned experiment while living in Hong Kong in 2007.

  • Shining Performance, Dark Story in Olfert’s ‘Medea’

    Give a gold star and a pat on the back to senior Stephanie Olfert. As part of her senior capstone project, she brought a classic piece of Greek theatre to life on the stage at Askanase Auditorium on March 22. Euripides’ “Medea,” a tale of love, hate and every powerful emotion in between, was an interesting piece of theatre for Olfert to bring to the stage, and one that left an intriguing impression.

  • Jimmy Fallon to Potentially Take Over Tonight Show

      Here we go again. If rumors are to be believed, it looks like we are in for another Late Night shake up. Time will tell if it will finally stick, or if Leno will get a third strike. There has been a lot of talk that Jimmy Fallon host of the Late Night show will officially take over for Jay Leno as host of the Tonight Show within the next year.

March 25, 2013

  • More Than Murder Troubles Tribal Cops in Badlands Crime Novel

    Finding one murder victim is bad enough for some people, but stumbling upon two more corpses beneath the first is even worse. Such is the case presented to FBI Agent Manny Tanno in C. M. Wendleboe’s “Death Where the Bad Rocks Live.” Manny is tasked with tracing and solving the story behind the bones of a murdered college student found in a car located in a former bombing range region of the South Dakota badlands.

  • Electronic Arts CEO Resigns

    Electronic Arts’ long-time CEO John Riccitiello has tendered his resignation, according to a public statement made by EA board chairman Larry Probst. “The Board will immediately initiate a search and both internal and external candidates will be considered for the CEO position,” Probst said.

March 21, 2013

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February 28, 2013

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January 28, 2013

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January 14, 2012

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December 6, 2012

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November 19, 2012

  • ‘Into the Woods’ Review

    ‘Into the Woods’ Review

    Happiness, Heartbreak, Humor Come Out of ‘Into the Woods’

    Concordia College Theatre put the breath of life into the fairy tale characters everyone knows and loves in its recent production of “Into the Woods.” Literally a storybook through song, this charming musical had something new around every turn. The cast shined throughout the three-hour performance, enthralling and entertaining the whole way.

  • New Game from Sony Bend Leaked

    It seems that Sony Bend, the studio behind the Playstation Vita launch title Uncharted: Golden Abyss, is working on their next game for Sony’s latest handheld. The news comes to us thanks to a job listing for the developer listed on Gamasutra. The listing reads as follows.

  • Gaming on the Go at NDSU

    College students are in a unique position. Many media outlets like to say that the dedicated gaming handhelds are “dead” because they have been replaced by zero calorie gaming on smartphones and tablets. That’s because most of those reporters exist in constantly busy, always on-the-move where if they’re not plugged in at HQ, they’re on the way to their next story.

November 15, 2012

  • LOL Herd

    LOL Herd

    Servant of Two Masters opens to full-house

    Theater NDSU unveiled the play ‘Servant of Two Masters’ at Walsh Studio Theater last week. This is the second and final week of the showing and the tickets are almost sold out. The famous play by Carlos Goldoni, adapted and translated by Jeffery Hatcher and Paolo Emilio Landi, was presented to packed audiences and was received with thundering applause.

  • High Profile Games Shipping with the Wrong Discs

    Both Call of Duty and Lego Lord of the Rings have been affected.

      In what may be just about the weirdest story in the video game community this week, high profile releases are being sent out with the wrong discs in their boxes. The games that have thus far been spotted with incorrect discs are Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Lego Lord of the Rings.

  • AMC’s Killing finds new life

    Fans of AMC’s murder mystery The Killing are in luck, as the show looks to be brought back from the dead for a third season. The previously cancelled show followed the police investigation of the murder of a high school girl in Seattle while tying together three interlocking stories as investigators chased a variety of leads.

November 8, 2012

  • NoiseTrade Offers Free Music

    Everyone listens to music. Whether through the radio, iTunes, music sites such as Pandora or Spotify or some other way, music plays a prominent role in people’s lives. The only thing better than music is free music. This is where NoiseTrade comes in.

  • Take a Weekend Walk Down ‘Angel Street’

    Take a Weekend Walk Down ‘Angel Street’

    There is no reason to complain about nothing to do in Fargo this weekend. The Tin Roof Theatre Company has made sure of that. Inaugurating its eighth season at The Stage at Island Park, Tin Roof will stun its spectators with the austere “Angel Street,” a psychological thriller in three acts.

  • Bassnectar Review

    Bassnectar Review

    Sound and Noise

    Electronic music is something that has definitely hit the mainstream in a big, bad way during this past year. It’s hard to find a trailer for a movie, video game or some general piece of software that isn’t accompanied by a dubstep track these days. Even regular pop songs and celebrities seem to be mixing their tracks with drops and glitches to jump on the bandwagon in their own, small way.

  • New ‘Skyrim’ Expansion Rides Out on a New Trailer

    Dragonborn Features Dragon Riding

    We all knew that it would only be a matter of time before Bethesda announced yet another piece of new Skyrim content for the Dragonborn of the world to sink their fangs into. Speaking of “Dragonborn,” that’s the new title of the newly announced second expansion for the fifth Elder Scrolls game.

  • Justice League Dark Annual #1 Review

    Jeff Lemire continues to prove that he is one of the best writers on DC’s payroll month after month. While his work on Animal Man has turned the relatively B-list character’s book into the best series on the publisher’s docket, he’s also quietly kept up work on another DC title for the past few months.

November 5, 2012

  • The Walt Disney Company Buys Star Wars, Indiana Jones

    The Walt Disney Company Buys Star Wars, Indiana Jones

    Disney Now Owns Lucasfilm Ltd. and All of its Properties

    The Walt Disney Company announced last week in a studio press release that it has acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. -- George Lucas’ film studio -- for $4.05 billion and that “Star Wars: Episode VII” is already slated for a 2015 release. Only a few days ago, that sentence would have looked like a fragment of some obvious hoax.

  • ‘Humpty Dumpty is Missing’ Review

    ‘Office’ Cast Members Find New Shows

    With “The Office” turning out its lights this May after nine seasons, NBC’s Thursday night comedy block will never be the same again. However, just because “The Office” is no more, it doesn’t mean some familiar faces won’t pop up on new shows next fall.

  • ‘Humpty Dumpty is Missing’ Review

    ‘Humpty Dumpty is Missing’ Review

    Disappointing Ending Unfair to Exciting Show

    Nobody likes a shrieking 10-year-old girl. But everyone likes fine acting. This is what the opening night attendees of the FMCT’s Children’s Studio Theatre’s production of “Humpty Dumpty is Missing” took away with them after the Oct. 31 performance. Yes, excellent theatrics and young girls whose screams were as piercing as they were unnecessary; the two main mementos the average theatergoer left with from this Halloween night performance.

  • Grindfest Returns with ‘Retromathon’

    Grindfest Returns with ‘Retromathon’

    That series of horrifyingly horrible grindhouse raunchiness that is Grindfest returns with “Grindfest 3: Retromathon.” If you aren’t familiar with the show, “Grindfest” is a one night only event held in Fargo showcasing the very best in the very worst grindhouse (usually terrible films that utilize an abundance of boundary-pushing content) cinema trailers and features from throughout film history.

  • Grindfest Returns with ‘Retromathon’

    Grindfest Returns with ‘Retromathon’

    That series of horrifyingly horrible grindhouse raunchiness that is Grindfest returns with “Grindfest 3: Retromathon.” If you aren’t familiar with the show, “Grindfest” is a one night only event held in Fargo showcasing the very best in the very worst grindhouse (usually terrible films that utilize an abundance of boundary-pushing content) cinema trailers and features from throughout film history.

  • You Should be Excited for Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut on PS3

    Normally, I wouldn’t take the time to talk about the announcement of a re-release of a game from several years ago. However, “Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut” for the PS3 deserves special attention. Originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010, “Deadly Premonition” was a wildly divisive and, for lack of a better term, just plain crazy game.

November 1, 2012

  • Bonnie Haney Dance Show Gets an ‘A’ for Effort

    Bonnie Haney Dance Show Gets an ‘A’ for Effort

    It would simply not be fair to judge the Bonnie Haney Dance Company’s Halloween Dance Show like all the other dance performances out there. With such a wide age range among the performers, and the fact that this was mostly a children’s dance show, it is hard to know how to feel.

  • ‘Barber of Seville’ Hits All the High Notes for F-M Opera

    ‘Barber of Seville’ Hits All the High Notes for F-M Opera

    Attending the opera for the first time is like trying a new food; give it a taste and then decide afterwards if you like it. Any first-time operagoers who went to the Fargo-Moorhead Opera’s production of “The Barber of Seville” got a helping for each one of their senses during the Oct.

  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

    Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and most recently, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. All five influential acts helped shape Rock and Roll throughout the years. All five artists are also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Located in Cleveland Ohio, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame currently has 186 members.

  • New Movie Releases Underperform

    Only ‘Argo’ Managed to Break $10 Million This Weekend

    This weekend gave us yet another sign that movies are beginning to struggle more and more. This weeks new releases, in particular, had abysmal first outings. Ben Affleck’s “Argo” was the biggest success. Not only was it the only movie that managed to crack the $10 million mark, but it actually moved up to the number one spot in America with $12.

October 29, 2012

  • ‘The Servant of Two Masters’ Comes to NDSU

    The NDSU Theatre group is bringing the classic Italian comedy “The Servant of Two Masters” to the campus early next month. Originally written by Carlo Goldoni in 1743, the nearly three-hundred-year-old story was translated and localized for English speaking audiences by Jeffrey Hatcher and Paolo Emilio Landi.

  • Lisa Lampanelli Strikes Fargo Theatre

    The famous insult comic invades Fargo this January

    Lisa Lampanelli is coming to Fargo, and those that are unprepared to be lambasted had better out of the way. She is perhaps most famous for her roles on Comedy Central’s celebrity roasts of such personalities as William Shatner, Donald Trump and Pamela Anderson.

  • Two More iPads Slated for 2012

    By now you’ve probably already heard that Apple has announced two new iPad branded tablets. In fact, you’ve definitely already heard this by now, because these are Apple products, and no doubt that one die hard Apple fan in your circle of friends has already told you all about how they are going to totally revolutionize.

  • Zynga

    The company that brought you your favorite ways of wasting time during lectures is in some serious financial trouble. Zynga, a company best known for its Faceboook based “video games” like Farmville and its myriad copies of other developers’ games, has been having quite a rough year.

October 25, 2012

  • Quick Reads for Busy Students

    ‘A Confusion of Princes’ proves to be a page-turner

    If there is anything to know about being a college student, it is that free time is precious. Needless to say, any books I read for fun are read-in-a-day page-turners, which are not always as easy to find as one would like. If you have a lot of time on your hands, then the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” is all well and good—however, if you are in a hurry, scanning covers is a good way to find that book.

  • Team Meat’s Next Game is Mew-Genics

    Team Meat’s Next Game is Mew-Genics

    Team Meat, the creators of “Super Meat Boy” have revealed details about their next game, as well as its title, “Mew-Genics.” Previously, the duo had been working on a brand new version of “Super Meat Boy” title for iOS and PC. However, it seems that they’ve been so pleased with the progress that they’ve made on “Mew-Genics” that they’ve decided to push the game forward.

  • NBC Cancels Next Caller Before it Even Airs

    It looks like NBC is at it again. Just after the network decided not to pick up their “Munsters” reboot “Mockingbird Lane,” instead opting to air the pilot as a stand-alone Halloween special, another potential mid-season show has gotten the boot. NBC announced that their half-hour comedy “Next Caller” has been canceled before it will even get a chance to air on the network.

  • RCA Releases 20 Years of Martina McBride

    If anyone missed out on country singer Martina McBride’s music throughout the past 20 years, they will have the ultimate opportunity to hear her for themselves now. On Oct. 22, RCA Nashville, McBride’s label for over 18 years, released The Essential Martina McBride, a compilation of 40 of McBride’s songs from the past two decades.

  • ‘Woman in Black’ Produces the Perfect Nightmare

    ‘Woman in Black’ Produces the Perfect Nightmare

    If the fine people behind the production of “The Woman in Black” at The Stage at Island Park were hoping to give their opening night audience a lasting memory of the night’s performance, they can consider themselves successful. The only question is what each audience member will remember the best.

October 22, 2012

  • Beyonce Announced as Performer for 47th Super Bowl

    Over time, the Super Bowl has become more than just the biggest football game of the year; it has become a can’t miss event. Whether turning in for the game, wanting to watch all of those brand new commercials, or waiting for the musical act at half time, it really has something for everyone.

  • Warner Bros. Wins Legal Victory over Superman Rights

    Warner Bros. Wins Legal Victory over Superman Rights

    Warner Bros., the multimedia company that owns DC Comics, has won a decisive legal battle against the family of Joe Shuster, one of the co-creators of Superman. An article in Variety discussed the case this week. Specifically, it featured comments from a federal judge citing an agreement made by the Shuster family in 1992 that prevents them now from “exercising a portion of copyright law that allows authors to recapture their works.

  • LightBox Interactive Faces Lay-Offs, Restructures

    ‘Starhawk’ drops 24 employees after ending its deal with Sony

    LightBox Interactive, developer of the Playstation 3 exclusive Starhawk, laid off 24 employees yesterday after ending their partnership with Sony. The studio will now be exiting console development and move on to developing titles for the iOS. LightBox Interactive President Dylan Jobe explained the downsize in a public statement.

  • Next ‘Ghostbusters’ to Start Filming in 2013

    Next ‘Ghostbusters’ to Start Filming in 2013

    It’s finally happening, and without Bill Murray

    A new Ghostbusters film may finally, finally, finally be entering into production in 2013 according to an article in Deadline. “Ghostbusters 3” is probably one of the most famous instances of “development hell” in film history. Scripts for a third film in the popular franchise have been floating around, being pitched, rewritten and dropped for literally decades.

October 18, 2012

  • FX delays ‘Louie’ until 2014

    Fans of FX’s critically acclaimed show “Louie” got some bad news last week, when it was announced that the shows fourth season will be delayed. Instead of airing next summer like the first three seasons, season four will be pushed back to spring of 2014.

  • ‘Gaytino’ Review

    ‘Gaytino’ Review

    One-man show brings two identities together

    Most people are not comfortable with presenting their entire life journey through story, song, and dance onstage in front of dozens of other people. This was not the case for Dan Guerrero, who brought his one-man show Gaytino to NDSU’s Festival Hall on Oct.

  • Call of Duty Elite Goes (Kind of) Free

    Call of Duty Elite is Activision’s subscription-based community platform for the entire “Call of Duty” franchise. For $50 a year, paying users got access to features like clans and video uploads. Certain features were also available to registered users free of charge -- features like heat maps, stats and leaderboards -- but not everything.

  • ‘I Go Hard’ After Party Sparks F-M Electro, House Scene

    ‘I Go Hard’ After Party Sparks F-M Electro, House Scene

    For some of us who anticipated to witness “Life In Color The 2012 E.N.D (Electronic Never Dies) Tour” (formerly called Dayglow), it might have been upsetting to find out that the “world’s largest paint party” was canceled.  The event, which was originally scheduled for last Thursday, Oct.

October 15, 2012

  • Moritz Götze Encounters Rourke Art Museum

    On Oct. 20, The Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead will be displaying an exhibit showing off the work of German pop artist Moritz Götze. Götze’s work has been on display in museums and art galleries all across Germany and much of Europe, but the Deutsche Kunst (German Art) exhibit marks his first foray into North American audiences.

  • Sony Sues ‘Kevin Butler’ Over Bridgestone Commercial

    Sony is not very happy with Wildcat Creek Inc. and its owner, Jerry Lambert. They are so unhappy, in fact, that they’ve decided to enter into a lawsuit with the both of them. Who are they, you’re probably asking? Well, Lambert is none other than the actor that played Kevin Butler, the star character from Sony’s wildly popular “VP of Everything” ad campaign.

October 11, 2012

  • ‘44 Plays’ a Humorous History Lesson Through Theatre

    Slug: Theatre Review DOP: 10/5/2012 HED: “44 Plays” a Humorous History Lesson Through Theatre Byline: Jack Dura Bytitle: Contributing Writer Anyone who needed a little brushing up on their knowledge of U.S. presidents would have had no shortage of the stuff at Concordia College Theatre’s recent production of “44 Plays for 44 Presidents.

  • ‘Marvel NOW!’ Comic Re-launch Incoming

    Last year, DC Comics rebooted their entire line of books in the event known as “The New 52.” While the quality of the new series has been a mixed bag, the immediate sales boost for the company was not. Now, Marvel is trying its hand at the comic book re-launch game with “Marvel NOW!” While DC decided to overhaul its entire continuity from scratch (to various degrees of impact) Marvel has chosen to retain their previous continuity.

  • New Fargo Story Slam Draws a Crowd

    New Fargo Story Slam Draws a Crowd

    Despite the theme of fear, the first annual “The Tell” drew a lot of laughs at Studio 222 on Tuesday, Oct. 2. The event began at 7 p.m. and allowed anyone to put their name in a hat for the chance to go on stage and tell their story. The Tell does have rules, however.

  • ‘Call of Duty’ Map Pulled Over Religious Reference

    ‘Call of Duty’ Map Pulled Over Religious Reference

    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s “Favela” multiplayer map has been removed from the game over references to Islam. The reference in question comes in the form of a painting. The painting in the map features a quote from holy scripture on the frame. The text reportedly reads, “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.

October 8, 2012

  • Faith Hill Revives Career with Patriotic New Single

    She’s back. That’s right, Faith Hill, the singer who gave us “Breathe” and “This Kiss,” has waltzed back onto the country charts after nearly five years of dormancy. With her first album of new material in more than seven years due out in the spring of next year, Hill has rejoined the ranks of the women of country music.

  • Center for Creativity Opens to F-M Public

    Center for Creativity Opens to F-M Public

    Sept. 30 Fargo: It was a wonderful sunny Sunday morning and just about the perfect weather. The huge crowd of merry little kids accompanied by excited parents was a beautiful sight to see near downtown Fargo. The Plains Art Museum in collaboration with Fargo Public Schools has set up a 25,500 square foot extension for the Center for Creativity.

  • ‘FIFA 13’ Breaks Sales Records

    The fastest selling sports game ever is also the biggest game of 2012

    “FIFA 13” is officially the fastest selling sports game of all time. Just five days after the game’s worldwide launch on Sept. 25, Electronic Arts sent out a press release announced that the latest in their line of football simulators had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide.

  • Seth MacFarlane to Host Academy Awards

    When it comes time to pick a host for the Academy Awards, being an established actor seems to be part of the criteria. Hosts include names such as Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and now Seth MacFarlane? He may not be the most conventional pick, but it was recently announced that Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

  • S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series in the Works

    S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series in the Works

    A Marvel-ous TV series from the writer, director of The Avengers

    Hot on the heels of “The Avengers’” success, Disney and Marvel are moving forward with a pilot for a television series based on everyone’s favorite superhero support group and management group, S.H.I.E.L.D. Joss Whedon, the writer and director of this year’s “Avengers” film (as well as the creator of “Firefly,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Cabin in the Woods”) will be co-writing, producing and possibly even directing a TV series based on the popular Marvel intellectual property.

October 4, 2012

  • FX Adapting Movie ‘Fargo’ for Television

    Break out the wood chipper. It was recently announced that cable network FX is in the process of turning the 1996 best picture nominee “Fargo” into a television series. For those unfamiliar, “Fargo” stars Frances McDormand and William H. Macy and is about a car salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife.

  • XCOM Gets a Makeover

    First-person shooter might change perspective

    2K Marin’s “XCOM” might be getting yet another makeover according to a report sent to gaming blog Kotaku last week. According to a survey allegedly sent out by the game’s publisher, 2K, the game is still “being developed by the same people who created BioShock 2,” which is, of course, 2K Marin.

  • Details on ‘Daredevil’ Film Begin to Surface

    It sounds as though any upcoming “Daredevil” films won’t feature the return of Ben Affleck in the role of Matt Murdock. Apparently, 20th Century Fox approached Affleck with the possibility of revising his role in a reboot of the Marvel comics’ character in film.

  • ‘Political Animal’ Exhibition Opens this Weekend

    ‘Political Animal’ Exhibition Opens this Weekend

    Fargo-Moorhead Visual Arts (FMVA) will be opening a very political new exhibition this weekend in downtown Fargo. The exhibit, which is being called “Political Animal,” will feature work from artists around the Fargo-Moorhead area interpreting the phrase “political animal.

  • Vita Price Cut ‘Still Under Discussion’

    Playstation UK Managing Director Fergal Gara discussed the possibility of a Playstation Vita price drop with Eurogamer this week. We always aim to establish price cuts,” he said. “So the question is not so much if, but when.” This seems to be in keeping with Sony’s behavior in the past.

October 1, 2012

  • ‘Dakota Moniker’ Exhibit Opens at MU Gallery

    ‘Dakota Moniker’ Exhibit Opens at MU Gallery

    The NDSU Memorial Union art gallery will be playing host to the work of photographer J. Earl Miller this month. The exhibit, titled “Dakota Moniker - Past and Present,” will receive an opening reception this Thursday which will start at 4 p.m. and end at 9 p.

  • ‘Borderlands 2’ Review

    Gearbox Software’s “Borderlands” was released in 2009 as a first-person shooter with role-playing, stat-leveling, loot-collecting elements that added a sick twist of macabre humor to a formula that has been successfully employed in the gaming industry for the past decade.

  • ‘Dredd’ Review

    ‘Dredd’ Review

    Intelligence written in violence

    In 1995 the world at large was introduced to the British comic series 2000 A.D. in the form of the Sylvester Stallone vehicle known as “Judge Dredd.” It was pretty terrible. While the comic was a smart commentary on crime rampancy and fascism, the movie was a dumb, dull sci-fi action romp with Stallone chewing every piece of scenery that entered his field of view.

  • Rumors of Valve Purchase Continue

    The rumors just keep on coming surrounding Valve and its “potential buyers.” This time, the rumors came concerning the Korean game publishers Nexon and NCSoft. According to a report from the Korean outlet “JoongAng Ilbo,” the two have been raising cash through real estate deals and selling stock to grab the creators of “Half-Life,” “Left 4 Dead,” “Team Fortress 2” and the digital distribution platform, Steam.

  • ‘Minecraft’ Creator Shuns Windows 8

    Markus ‘Notch’ Persson spoke out against Microsoft on Twitter last Thursday after the company asked him to “help ‘certify’ “Minecraft”” for Windows 8. “I’d rather have “Minecraft” not run on win 8 at all than to play along,” Notch said in a following tweet.

September 27, 2012

  • Excellent Acting, Awkward Moments in Theatre B’s “Good People”

    Excellent Acting, Awkward Moments in Theatre B’s “Good People”

    Opening for its tenth season on Sept. 21, Fargo’s Theatre B gave its audiences something new to enjoy in the form of “Good People.” Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, it tells the story of Margaret (Lori Horvik), a middle-aged, down-on-her-luck single mother.

  • Gangnam Style Breaks World Record for Most YouTube Likes

    LMFAO, Justin Beiber, Adele, Gotye and Eminem. All of them are big-time artists beloved world wide, but they are no matches for PSY. It was recently announced that Park Jae-Sang, better known as Korean Pop Superstar PSY, has entered the Guinness World Record Book.

  • Sony to Support PS3 Through 2015

    Jason Koller, Sony’s vice president of hardware marketing, has stated that the company plans to continue support for the Playstation 3 console with first-party content up to the year 2015. “A lot of great content is coming,” Koller said. “And over the next 2-3 years, the PS3 has got an incredible lineup.

  • ‘Dust 514’ Release Date Slip

    A seemingly innocuous comment in a television interview may have just leaked the release date for one of 2012’s most anticipated games. IGN user Uzair Syed tipped off the video game news site to an interview on Fox Business with Jack Tretton, the CEO and president of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

  • Shery Lee Short Art Exhibit Opens This Weekend

    Shery Lee Short Art Exhibit Opens This Weekend

    A new art exhibition will be opening this weekend featuring the works of Sherry Lee Short. The exhibition, titled Sherry Lee Short: Reflections from Solitude, will focus on Short’s drawings of wilderness landscapes inspired by her trips through North Dakota and Minnesota.

September 24, 2012

  • Sony announces new hardware designs

    Sony announces new hardware designs

    With Sony’s Tokyo Game Show press conference out of the way, we can finally begin talking about the company’s new plans for their hardware. Specifically, the press conference confirmed the existence of a new version of the Playstation 3 as well as new colors for the Playstation Vita.

  • FOX fall TV preview

    With school starting up again, and Labor Day officially in the books, it can only mean one thing. The start of the fall television season. Throughout the next two months, all four networks will unveil their fall schedule. Last up is FOX. The network has found success with their Tuesday comedy block, and hope to continue that success adding two more comedies to the night.

  • eMe:Prologue

    Yasser Shaikh, a senior majoring in biotechnology, will provide The Spectrum with a fiction story every issue that depicts the life of a college senior law student who happens to get involved in a Mexican mafia drug cartel and soon finds himself running from the cops.

  • Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are leaving Bioware

    Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are leaving Bioware

    Company co-founders move on to new things

    At an internal meeting last Tuesday, it was announced that Bioware co-founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, a.k.a. “The Doctors,” would be leaving the company and the video game industry in general. This was later confirmed in a blog post containing explanatory comments from both Zeschuk and Muzyka.

  • NEW RELEASES

    Comic book previews for Sept. 26

    It can be hard to keep up with all of the new comic books that come each week. So, we’ve decided to start showcasing the biggest new releases alongside their Comixology descriptions so that you can keep up with the rest of us! This week, the 50th anniversary of “The Amazing Spider-Man” approaches and DC’s slew of zero issues continues.

September 20,2012

  • New comic book releases

    The world of comic books can be incredibly intimidating. Story arcs and series runs can last for dozens of issues and sometimes it’s hard to keep up. That’s why we’re giving you a breakdown of each major comic book release this week with their corresponding plot synopses and teasers from Comixology.

  • NBC fall TV preview

    With school starting up again and Labor Day officially in the books, it can only mean one thing -- the start of the fall television season. Throughout the next two months, all four networks will unveil their fall schedule. Next up is NBC. Near the bottom of the pack when it comes to ratings the last couple years, the Peacock network hopes that four new comedies and two new dramas can help get the network out of the cellar.

    “Revolution”: Airs Mondays at 9 p.m.

    What would happen if suddenly one day in the near future all electricity would just stop working? This is the premise of the new show from executive producer J.J. Abrams (“Lost”). Starring Daniella Alonso (“Friday Night Lights”), Billy Burke (“Twilight”) and Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”), Revolution takes place 15 years after the lights went out, and follows an unlikely trio setting out on a journey to save the world. “Revolution” premieres Sept. 17.

    “Chicago Fire”: Airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

    This hour-long drama focuses on a group of firefighters in Chicago. Starring Jesse Spencer (“House”), the show follows America’s everyday heroes as they face life and death. The show is bound to bring about comparisons to FX’s critical success “Rescue Me,” which just ended its seven-year run last year. At the very least, it is the only show about firefighters in primetime this year. “Chicago Fire” premieres Oct. 10.

    “Animal Practice”: Airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

    Starring Justin Kirk (“Weeds”), “Animal Practice” looks at the life of Dr. George Coleman, one of the top veterinarians in New York City. George gets along better with his patients than he does with humans. Things get even more complicated when George’s ex-girlfriend takes over the family business and becomes George’s new boss. The show also stars the most famous monkey in show business. Crystal has appeared in movies such as “Night at the Museum” and “The Hangover Part II.” “Animal Practice” premieres Sept. 26.


    “Go On”: Airs Tuesdays at 8

    Matthew Perry (“Friends”) returns to primetime as Ryan King, a charming sportscaster, who, after losing his wife, finds support from members in his mandatory group therapy sessions. In these sessions, Ryan meets an oddball cast of characters, all with their own backstories filled with varying degrees of loss. He may not believe it right away, but this crazy group just may be the key in helping him move on. The show also stars Jon Cho (“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”). “Go On” premiered Sept. 11. Missed episodes can be found on nbc.com.

    “The New Normal”: Airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.

    This new comedy has already come under fire when the Salt Lake City NBC affiliate refused to air the show calling it inappropriate. The New Normal follows a single mother as she becomes a surrogate to a gay couple. The show stars Justin Bartha (“The Hangover”). “The New Normal” premiered Sept. 11. Missed episodes can be found on nbc.com

    Guys With Kids: Airs Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

    From Executive Producer Jimmy Fallon (“Saturday Night Live, Late Night”), Guys with Kids stars Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”), Jesse Bradford (“The West Wing”), and Zach Cregger (“Whitest Kids U Know”). The guys happen to be 30-something dads who struggle as parents because they are still children at heart. “Guys With Kids” premiered Sept. 12. The pilot can be found on nbc.com.

  • Obsidian Entertainment’s new, old-school game

    Yet another video game has begun and already completed a massively popular Kickstarter project as of last weekend. “Project Eternity” is the tentative title of the new isometric role-playing game (RPG) from Obsidian Entertainment that broke its Kickstarter funding goal in a single day.

  • Steam Greenlight gives the green light

    If you read the Arts and Entertainment section of The Spectrum with any sort of regularity, you may have noticed at some point that I like to talk about Valve Software’s digital distribution platform, Steam, quite a lot. That’s because the service has been undergoing some major changes over these last few months, not the least of which is Steam Greenlight.

  • New ‘Wonder Woman’ TV series a possibility

    After over three decades of unsuccessful reboot attempts, Wonder Woman may finally be returning to television. Wonder Woman has been an incredibly difficult character for DC Comics to make possible over the years. Her name can barely sell comic books and animated movies and, ever since the end of her original TV series in 1979, she hasn’t been able to able to make the jump to the big or small screen yet.

September 17, 2012

  • New iPhone 5 announced, detailed by Apple

    New iPhone 5 announced, detailed by Apple

    By a show of hands, who’s surprised that a new iPhone was announced last week? The sixth iPhone redesign, officially dubbed the iPhone 5 (yes, really), was officially revealed during Apple’s annual Cupertino event. Now that we’re officially out of iPhone 4S territory we can all relax, take a deep breath and look at some technical specs.

  • Brian Posehn stand-up hits Fargo

    Brian Posehn, probably best known his writing and appearances on “Mr. Show” as well as co-starring on “The Sarah Silverman Program,” will be bringing his stand-up Comedy Mutant Tour to Fargo this September. The comedy tour’s official press release describes Posehn as “the bearded/comic book nerd/metalhead comedian/writer/actor the world didn’t realize it needed.

  • Nintendo Wii U priced, dated

    Nintendo Wii U priced, dated

    Nintendo’s successor to the Wii, the aptly named Wii U, was detailed during a press conference last week. The new game console, which was announced last year, will initially be boxed in two bundles in North America. The white “basic” set will retail for $299 and come with eight gigabytes of memory.

  • The problem with Nintendo fever

    Why I hate Nintendo press events

    As a journalist that has been following the video game industry for quite a few years now, there is one kind of day that I dread more than any other. That day is Nintendo press conference day. I wasn’t born until after the first Nintendo Entertainment Systems and Famicoms left factory floors for the first time.

september 13, 2012

  • ‘Green Lantern #0’ review

    ‘Green Lantern #0’ review

    Geoff Johns’ constant need to politicize every aspect of the DC Universe is in full force in “Green Lantern #0.” Hal Jordan, the first (sort of) Green Lantern of Earth is dead again (but not for long, this is a Geoff Johns story, after all) and as power rings are wont to do, his has found a replacement.

  • CBS fall television preview

    With school starting up again and Labor Day officially in the books, it can only mean one thing: the start of the fall television season. Throughout the next two months, all four networks will unveil their fall schedule. Next up is CBS. As one of the top rated networks, they do not have a whole lot of holes on their schedule, but four new shows hope to carry on the network’s success.

  • Scottish government claims game industry does not exist

    A report on the Scottish economy has concluded that the country’s video game industry is virtually non-existent. Specifically, the report claims that the national video game industry employs only 200 workers that there are no students with game-related industry studies and that the industry’s monetary value to the country is exactly zero.

  • Nothing but good in ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

    Nothing but good in ‘Jekyll & Hyde’

    Good versus evil takes to The Stage at Island Park in “Jekyll & Hyde,” a musical adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Scintillating songs, witty one-liners and crazy characters make up the perfect plot amid two acts of exciting musical entertainment.

  • EA attempts to acquire Valve

    Publisher reportedly offered $1 billion.

    Electronic Arts, better known as EA has made a habit of buying up independent video game studios over the years. From Bioware to Popcap, EA definitely likes to acquire its blockbuster factories from outside sources. That’s a strategy not entirely different from Valve, in fact, which likes to absorb small, independent teams and projects into its fold, inject them with lots of cash and talent and publish their products on their own terms.

September 10, 2012

  • ‘Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes’ announced at PAX

    ‘Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes’ announced at PAX

    Hideo Kojima takes us back ‘Metal Gear’ and Big Boss

    Oh, Hideo Kojima. We all knew that you couldn’t (or wouldn’t be allowed to) stay away from “Metal Gear Solid” for very long. And, to prove what we all already knew, Konami has announced yet another game in the franchise, “Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes.

  • ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ Musical Hits Fargo

    Starting tonight, Fargo will play host to a classic battle between good and evil. Robert Louis Stevenson first published The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886. Even after 126 years, the story still manages to fascinate readers around the world.

  • ABC fall television preview

    With school starting up again, and Labor Day officially in the books, it can only mean one thing -- the start of the fall television season. Throughout the next two months, all four networks will unveil their fall schedule. First up is ABC. With three new dramas, and a couple new comedies, there looks to be something for everyone.

  • Ubisoft drops controversial DRM program

    A decisive blow was struck for the sanity of PC gamers everywhere yesterday when French video game publisher Ubisoft announced that its infamous “always on” digital rights management (DRM) will be coming to an end. Fans and journalists have taken issue with Ubisoft’s always-on approach to DRM since its inception, and for good reason.

  • ‘Resident Evil 6’ Copies Stolen, Sold Early

    “Resident Evil 6” is currently slated for an official release date of Oct. 2. However, a store in Poland was selling the game as early as last week, about a month ahead of schedule. So what’s going on? Last week, Polish website Neo Plus said that it was able to purchase copies of “Resident Evil 6” in Poznana, Poland.

September 6, 2012

  • ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ renders up something fantastical

    A view of the world in the eyes of Hushpuppy

    Beauty is subjective. This is never more evident than in the new film “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” As the feature begins, we immediately find ourselves lost in the captivating whimsy of the 7-year-old protagonist, Hushpuppy. Filled with the wonderment only a child can possess, the film follows her through her gritty, delta-like rural home; affectionately referred to as “The Bathtub.

  • ‘Office’ ending after 9 seasons

    After nine seasons, 162 episodes, three Emmy wins and a lot of laughs along the way, everyone’s favorite paper company is turning out the lights. It was announced that “The Office” would officially come to an end after this year’s ninth season. The decision is a big blow to NBC, which has seen “The Office” become the network’s top-rated scripted show.

  • Western Minnesota Steam Threshers reunion

    Located 45 minutes away from our great university is one of the biggest tractor shows in the world. The Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion is held annually in Rollag, Minnesota on Labor Day weekend. The reunion is huge. At this past show, there were estimates that 65,000 people would be attending the four-day long show.

  • Valve confirms hardware development

    It’s finally happened. After rumors, speculation, denials, blog posts and ambiguous job listings, Valve has finally confirmed that it will be entering the hardware development space. “Valve is traditionally a software company,” says a Valve job listing for an industrial designer.

  • Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

    Actor Michael Clarke Duncan died on Monday due to complications from a heart attack at the age of 54. In a statement issued by a representative for Omarosa Manigault, Duncan’s girlfriend (now revealed to have been his fiancé), the actor “never fully recovered” from a myocardial infraction he suffered earlier this year in July.

  • Found Footage Festival coming to Fargo

    A collection of rare, weird and hilarious videos will be making its way to Fargo this month during the Found Footage Festival. Festival hosts Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett -- whose work includes “The Colbert Report” and “The Late Show with Dave Letterman” -- have been collecting unintentionally comical video oddities for over 20 years.

August 30, 2012

  • Anti-Obama documentary surprises at box office

    The box office showed some very surprising results last week. No one film performed especially strong, but while one film proved to be an unexpected failure, another proved to be ‘interesting’ success. For the most part, the numbers look fairly par for the course with the loud, dumb “Expendables 2” taking in $13.

  • OnLive loses staff, becomes new company

    Streaming video game service undergoes major changes

    The “streaming video game service” OnLive underwent major changes last week after losing almost fifty percent of its staff. Rumors began to circulate earlier this month that the cloud-based gaming service was in the midst of laying off its entire staff.

  • ‘Matrix’ Trilogy Creators Rumored to be ‘Justice League’ Directors

    DC Comics and Warner Bros. have unsurprisingly decided to cash-in on their own superhero team-up film with the Wachowski brothers now rumored to be directing. Attempts to make a film adaptation of “The Justice League of America,” a superhero team-up comic featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other DC stalwarts, have been struggling to get off the ground for decades.

August 27, 2012

  • NDSU Music Academy provides community with music lessons, life skills

    NDSU Music Academy provides community with music lessons, life skills

    The NDSU Music Academy, a non-profit organization working with the NDSU Music Department, is preparing for another successful year of offering music lessons to both children and adults in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The types of lessons include piano, voice and guitar, as well as a few other instruments.

  • Sony shuts down ‘WipEout’ developer Studio Liverpool

    2012’s worrying trend of game development studio closures continued last week as Sony shut down the UK-based Studio Liverpool. The studio was best known for the popular “WipEout” series of Playstation exclusive racing games, as well as being responsible for the publishing of the original version of the classic title “Lemmings” in 1991.

  • Comic book releases for week of Aug. 22

    Comic book releases for week of Aug. 22

    Comic books can be very hard to follow. With series that run hundreds of issues long and intersect with half a dozen other storylines, keeping up with each franchise every month can be hectic. That’s why we’ve decided to pull each of the week’s biggest comics and lay them out for all to see.

  • ABC moves Jimmy Kimmel against Letterman, Leno

    ABC moves Jimmy Kimmel against Letterman, Leno

    Jay Leno and David Letterman better watch out, because starting this January, the late night game is about to get a little more crowded. ABC announced Monday that it has decided to move Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show up a half hour from 11p.m. The move puts Kimmel in direct competition against the two late night mainstays, with Leno over at NBC, and Letterman at CBS.

August 23, 2012

  • Downtown small business owner binds creativity, style

    Downtown small business owner binds creativity, style

    Walking through downtown Fargo’s newest shop, Unglued, is almost like experiencing a tangible Pinterest. With do-it-yourself craft projects becoming more and more popular, Pinterest offers its online members the chance to share their unique crafts and crafting ideas.

  • Annual NDSU street dance welcomes students back on campus

    Annual NDSU street dance welcomes students back on campus

    Event brings in social atmosphere, provides East & West coast musicians

    The annual NDSU street dance that filled up Administration Avenue brought musicians from both east and west coasts to entertain students and faculty on Monday evening. Holly Spears, originally from Wana, W.Va., kicked off the night at 9 p.m., then Tommy and the High Pilots, originally from Santa Barbara, Calif.

Spot Light

Photo of the Day

Top News

  • THE BISON BEST ’12-’13

    THE BISON BEST ’12-’13

    1 RECORD-SETTING ENROLLMENT Last fall NDSU officials reported yet another record of full-day enrollment of 14,319 students in undergraduate, professional and graduate programs. In the fall of 2011, first full-day enrollment was at 14,240 students. The 2012-2013 school year marks the seventh consecutive year that enrollment has increased at NDSU.

  • Initial Steps Begin for New Campus Aquatic Center

    New Facility to Open by 2018

    Plans are underway for the building of a new campus aquatic center. Its official proposal passed on April 11, 2013 with a 61% student majority and will be the first swimming facility that the school has had in five years. As a part of this year’s Student Body President Luke Brodeur and Vice President Jace Beehler’s original campaign platform, the reins of the project will be handed over to newly-elected President Robbie Lauf and Vice President Erik Diederich.

  • Advice From the Big Dogs

    Five Tips for Freshmen at NDSU

    nce again, summer is here and another school year is on the way. Many of the students returning to NDSU in the fall know a lot about NDSU and have experience with the things they like and dislike about campus. For example, many students have found their favorite studying spot on campus or know their favorite place to grab something to eat between classes.

  • Former NDSU Instructor Experiences Boston Marathon

    e didn’t have many friends in Boston. Previous communications instructor and graduate student at North Dakota State University Michael Burns was spending his first year after moving from Fargo in Boston. So he didn’t have many friends. But one of the few he did have may have saved him.

  • From the Editor’s Desk

    No Promises – It’s Up to You

    As the incoming editor for the 2013-2014 school year, it is not going to be easy to fill the shoes of previous Editor-in-Chief Linda Vasquez. The paper went through staff changes, design changes, managed to snag the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show spot at The Best of the Midwest College Journalism Convention and was listed as an exemplary college newspaper on journalismdegree.

News List

Summer in the City

A Guide to Happenings in Fargo-Moorhead

As final exam week comes and goes, so do many of the students that grace the halls across the NDSU campus. However, even though many students leave Fargo for the summer months, the excitement in this city remains as strong as ever. We all know the Fargo-Moorhead area is full of fun and excitement throughout the school year… from concerts, to citywide events, to sporting event, the FM area has it all. Full story

NDSU Students Represent 48 States, 78 Countries

NDSU Students Represent 48 States, 78 Countries

North Dakotan and Minnesotan Students the Majority

hile the bulk of NDSU’s student population originates in North Dakota and Minnesota, it is a bit more diverse than many may think. NDSU students come from all parts of the country and world—with 48 states and 78 countries represented in the spring of 2013. Full story

Architecture Students Seek Community Voice

Architecture Students Seek Community Voice

Public Install Project a Huge Success

ive architecture students have taken their skills to the streets. Armed with plywood, paint and chalk, Matt Fremstad, Katie Becker, Colby Judovsky, Brittany Taplin and Jeff Bauer have made it their mission to bring out the voice of the people. Inspired by the work of famed urban designer and community activist Candy Chang, who presented at this spring’s Beaux Arts Gala, these students in Don Faulkner’s fourth-year urban design architecture studio have installed a community outreach project in downtown Fargo. Full story

Top 5 of F-M’s 2012-2013 Theatre Season

Top 5 of F-M’s 2012-2013 Theatre Season

1 FMCT’s “Rumors” Nothing this season was better than “Rumors,” that is for sure. Neil Simon’s beloved farce came to life at The Stage in February, and it sure left a mark. To put it simply, this production was hilarious. There was nothing not to like about this show; its characters, story, script and runtime were all ideal. Full story

The Biggest Games, Movies, Music and Comics to Watch for This Summer

The Biggest Games, Movies, Music and Comics to Watch for This Summer

f you’ve been watching closely, you should already know that this summer is going to be a big time for entertainment. Everything from video games, to movies, to music is going to see a major influx, and we’ve got a list of the things you should be paying attention to. Full story

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