Sean Penn is best known for the intense, unsympathetic and no-nonsense characters he plays in movies. Here, however, he swapped the actor's mask for the pen and came through with flying colors.

You don't have any reason to not want to see American Gangster. A Ridley Scott-directed gangster epic starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) and even the RZA (of the Wu-Tang Clan) has more than enough star power to sustain even the weakest script.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Jesse James was famous as a neo-Confederate bandit fighting for the glory the South lost in Civil War. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford attempts to reconstruct the last few months of Jesse's life leading up to his death, but the movie suffers from its ambition to be so meticulously accurate and realistic.

Venturing down to Lyle's Pub on Saturday, Feb. 23, it was hard to ignore the sounds reverberating up through the JRC, the long line of coats in the hallway and the constant stream of curious students. The room was packed while student bands The Klezbians and Vegetable Medley play; it was nearly impossible to make it to the bar. Not bad for a basement that used to only see crowds for tornado warnings.

This past Saturday, Frodo and his buddies returned to the big screen, as anxious event-goers came out to Harris in unexpected numbers to indulge themselves in everything Lord of the Rings.

The Department of Theater and Dance's spring semester's mainstage production, Vanishing Marion, directed by Elizabeth Bonjean, Theatre, is a contemporary comic drama that presents the audience with a relatable and relevant look at familial and social dysfunction.

Excitement began to build around campus last week as more and more people discovered and anticipated the controversial arrival of Jean Grae, a smart, politically savvy artist, calling herself "the Correta Scott King of my generation." However, when she did arrive, 40 minutes late, and began her show, I, for one, was disappointed.

If one of this week's biggest events (it rhymes with hairy and Haines) doesn't satisfactorily bring enough sketch to your life, checking out The Chinese Stars and White People Music in Lyle's next Wednesday night should probably do the trick. It should also rid you of any memory of midsems for a night, which can't hurt.

Winter's still here! While I'm a huge fan of the snow and cold, I'm also willing to bet that you can't wait to ditch the coats and mittens and relax for a while in the sun. To help cope, you might want to make a delicious, hot cup of cocoa. We all (maybe?) know how to stir up a cup of Swiss Miss, but here's my favorite recipe for rich, chocolatey homemade hot chocolate.