Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 37

2 TIMEOUT! Friday, February 27, 2004 decatur, Illinois www.herald-review.comEntertainment Horrors! What's supposed to scare you is mostly funny space, some of it was designed by the artist H.R. Giger, and its tagline was "In space, no one can hear you scream." The movie is deliberately paced, building characters rather than building fear. And it's not until halfway through that the terrifying moment takes place. As John Hurt came to his end, in retrospect, I might have been thinking what King wrote: "I'm in the hands of a lunatic, and he will stop at nothing to scare ma" The lunatic director in question, Ridley Scott, has never done work as frightening sinca Although "G.I. Jane" came closa Tim Cain can be reached at timcain or 421-6908.

any "Halloween" past the first one? Weak films where you only wait for someone to separate from the crowd and meet a grisly end. Psychological horror films like "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable" or even anything featuring Hannibal Lecter do little to scare me, regardless of the quality of the film under discussion. IN A COMPLETELY unrelated conversation, my memory was somehow jogged. I went back to one of my first film review assignments. In the late 1970s, films weren't necessarily a first-weekend experience, and the Hollywood hype machine certainly didn't run as high in overdrive as it does now.

So the extent of what I knew about "Alien" was it was set in the large pointed teeth from "The Dark Crystal." The shower scene in "Psycho." (And really, does it matter if you saw it in a theater or on TV? Isn't it just as scary either way?) The appearance of the snakes in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The very last shot in "The Blair Witch Project" (which still didn't make the previous 85 minutes any less tedious). Faye Dunaway in "Mommy Dearest," or anything since she had her face re-sculpted. BUT MUCH OF WHAT passes for horror in film strikes me as comical. Rebecca DeMornay's death via picket fence at the end of "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" is honestly one of the most hilarious things I've seen. The "Friday the 13th" series or In his Entertainment Weekly magazine column a couple of months back, horror author Stephen King discussed "movies that matter." He briefly wrote about "Night of the Living Dead" and how much the film scared him when he saw it in its initial releasa I still remember the pure horror I felt the first time I saw the little girl stabbing her mother to death with a garden trowel.

What I remember thinking is 'I'm in the hands of a lunatic, and he will stop at nothing to scare I've never in my life been more frightened in a movie theater." Reading that made me ponder when I'd been most frightened in a movie theater. (With the exception of seeing the names of William, Stephen, Daniel, Sneezy iiddle of Mudd makes a splash Tom's Grill delivers classic upscale dining WWB TIMCAIN or Tito Baldwin as part of a title card.) I WAS HARD-PRESSED to think of truly horrifying films, apart from some "boo!" moments: The skeleton popping up (or down) in the sunken boat in "Jaws." The first appearance of Fiz-zgig, the cute fuzzy thing with Puddle of Mudd WHAT: Puddle of Mudd. WHERE: Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield; Canopy Club, Urbana. WHEN: Springfield, Tuesday (sold out); Urbana, Monday, March 8. TICKETS: $20 (Canopy Club).

ONLINE: www.canopyclub.com; www.puddleofmudd.com. Edison Media Research. "These days, no successful debut act is exempt from the 'sophomore slump' whispers uiini By KENT KIMES Knight Ridder Writer You know you've made the big time when you're on "The O.C." Doug Ardito, bassist for Puddle of Mudd, mused that, despite the band's track record, some folks still didn't take notice until the group's song "Away From Me" was featured in a recent episode of the popular Fox TV teen drama. "They say, we heard you on 'The O.C Wow, you really did make it," Ardito says. Never mind that the band sold more than 5 million copies of its 2001 debut album "Come Clean" and was awarded 2002's most-played song of the year honor by the American Society of Composers and Performers for the single "Blurry." The band has scheduled two upcoming area performances Tuesday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and March 8 at the Canopy Club in Urbana.

And so far, it appears Puddle of Mudd is avoiding the dreaded sophomore curse, as the "O.C."-worthy tune "Away From Me," the first single from the band's second album, "Life On Display," topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Track chart. It's a formidable accomplishment, considering the what-have-you-done-for-me lately environment of the music industry and radio programming, said Sean Ross, vice president of music and programming for DECATUR Whether going out for a romantic dinner or meeting up with old friends, Tom's Grill, a modest building hiding off North Main Street, offers a delicious, upscale (lining fare. Tom's Grill has seen Decatur through good times and bad, opened in 1935 by Tom Morford and owned by Dick Cain since 1975. Tom's Grill is definitely a Decatur landmark. I happily abandoned my no-carb, no-sugar, no-taste diet to delve into a perfectly seasoned filet mignon, served with crisp fries, garden salad with bleu cheese dressing, fresh rolls and coffee or tea for $15.95.

Along with offering fresh-cut steaks, Tom's Grill makes its own creamy ranch and bleu cheese dressings. For appetizers, beets, celery and a spicy corn relish are provided. Poppers are available for $4.75, and a combination plate of French fried cauliflower, mushrooms and zucchini is $8.75. Tom's has a romantic atmosphere to enjoy several tantalizing entrees, including a New York strip steak for $18.95, prime rib for $18.50 or Killer's Cut for $24.95. For lighter appetites, a prime rib sandwich is available for $5.75, cheeseburger for $4.50 or a horseshoe for $7.75.

Seafood lovers can try scrumptious French fried lobster for $15.95, stuffed sole for $9.95 or SIBWEULNE 13 ftragP WHAT: Tom's Grill. WHERE: 1856 N. Main St HOURS: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 4:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

PRICE RANGE: $9.7524.95. TELEPHONE: 875-9835. tasty red snapper for $16.95. Shrimp scampi is available for $8.75, shrimp cocktail for $8.25 or, for the daring, escargot for $7. Fresh lobster is available, along with a surf and turf combination, both at market prica All dinner entrees are served with a tossed salad, baked, twice-baked or French fried potatoes, rolls and coffee or tea.

On weeknights, early bird specials are offered from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily. Tom's Grill is definitely a place to go for friendly service and a great place to enjoy a meal with a classical ambianca until the record that proves otherwise is out and climbing the charts," Ross says. "Their place at radio was hardly guaranteed." Ardito said the band just con- centrated on putting its best batch of new songs on "Life On Display," most of which were "written on the back of the bus on acoustic guitars," he said. Is Ardito a fan of "The O.C.," 1 a sort of "Beverly Hills 90210" for the new millennium? "No, I don't watch the show," he said.

"But I know the whole world does.".