Ubuntu refuses to boot - usplash

I decided that I wanted to look at something while Kubuntu was booting. After attempting to install Splashy (which ended disastrously), I decided to install startupmanager and a Kubuntu usplash theme. The theme loads fine and the progress bar reaches all the way to the end, but then a little white line (like in a terminal) appears and all CPU and hard-disk activity ceases. The end result: KDE never shows. I can boot into recovery mode fine.