Vibe Culture

In 3-D, Alice Loses Her Much-Ness
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Breaking Down Tim Burton
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Before 2000, web-comics werehttp://www.the-reel-mccoy.com/movies/classics/images/EdWood1.jpg considered an online cult, and things that were virtually non-existent
to people other than the artists themselves. However, with advocates like Scott McCloud and booming online comics like Penny Arcade, web-comics have become more and
more mainstream. In this decade, more artists than ever actually make their living from advertising on their websites, selling merchandise and having donations to their site, even
though the number might be considered small when compared to the actual number of comic artists out there. This medium has become so popular, that not only are web-comic
artists considered ideal guests for nerd-related conventions, but it also has given birth to several annual Web-Comic awards.
It would be unfair to pinpoint one good web-comic, since there are so many. Some of the best ones have huge followings and have been online for years, so going through
their strips would only be for compulsive nerds. There are newer ones that look pretty good as well, and they won’t take too long to get through, but because they
have not been around as long, it still is hard to say where they are going and what their potential is. As with most things online, it is up to the potential reader to
Stephanie DeVito
decide how to spend their time on the vast and varied world of the Internet.
2010
Some of my personal favorites include:
SomethingPositive.net- A somewhat cynical comic that has been online since 2001. It follows a rather large and varied cast, and their lives as they go through
The setchallenges,
up seemed like
pure perfection;
Johnny
Deppand
as the
Mad
Hatter, Helena
Bonham
Carter
the
sometimes
un-average
obstacles,
their
encounters
with stupid
people
whoasmay
life’s average
temperamental
Red
Queen,
and
Tim
Burton
holding
the
reins
as
director
applying
his
wildly
artistic
and
mirror people we know, but wish we didn’t (the same might go for the regular cast members as well). Known
beloved,
story of
Adventures
in Wonderland.
Thedialogue,
movie released
for off
its beat
dark vision
humor,toitthe
is not
for thepsychedelic
easily offended,
butAlice’s
with its
patronizing
and entertaining
it will
ontime
March
5th 2010,
a day
Lewis Carroll
must have rolled over in his grave.
stilleverywhere
get you from
to time
with its
sentimental
moments.
The story ofAAlice
in Wonderland
is set asthe
a sequel
the original
text.
Alicecrazy)
is going
twenty
at a fork
Girlyyy.comfun web-comic
that details
life of atorather
eccentric
(read:
girlon
and
her side-kick/
in
the
road:
does
she
refuse
a
proposal
of
marriage
and
stay
fully
employed
as
a
dreamer
or
does
she
accept
lover. Since 2003 the pair has amused readers with their “adventures”, and looks to be ending soon. The
strip
and make
her sister
happy
by doing
she innocence
is expected?
In a moment
of panic
Alice runs out
combines
cartoon
styleand
andmother
gags, but
usually
leaveswhat
out the
intended
with those
works.
of
her own engagement Online
party and
falls
down
samethe
rabbit
thought
she had
only who
dreamed
Multiplexcomic.comsince
2005,
it the
follows
liveshole
of ashe
group
of young
people
workofatasa
a
child.
As
she
explores
the
new
land
she
finds
she
is
part
of
a
prophecy
to
save
Wonderland
by
dethroning
movie theatre. Don’t go assuming that this will be movie reviews done as a comic (Joe Loves Crappy Movies
theone
Redfor
Queen
slaying
themovie
Jabberwocky.
is the
that),and
even
though
fans will enjoy the occasional discussions about upcoming films (or
Many
were
upset
that
Linda
Woolverton’s
is set as an addition
to obligatory
the originalclassic
story movie
rather
get angry if their opinion differs). Usually, the jokesscript
are character-based,
with the
than
an
adaptation.
This
wasn’t
what
upset
me
personally.
The
movie
is
more
of
a
Lord
of
The
Rings
references.
hero’sOfquest
which
disregards
the original
themes of Lewis
story.
The enough
1865 version
course
therecompletely
are many others
that come
highly recommended,
butCarroll’s
there is not
nearly
room
was
a storyonline
aboutare
growing
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utilizes
and new
wordones
play.allAlice
dreams
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of
here.
Comics
in endless
supply,
andnonsense,
people trycharm,
to launch
the time
(whether
they be
nonsense
to
escape
from
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rules
and
schedules
of
a
structured
society
she
will
soon
become
a
part
of.
good or bad usually has little effect on its target audience). Often as well, if you like one web-comic, it will
go funny,that
time
irrelevant,
all time
teatime,
speech
lacks Of
direction,
endInupWonderland
linking you proportions
to other web-comics
youiscan
look through
andisdecide
to enjoy
as well.
course, and
one
everyone
is openly
mad.
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draw of
is the
of escape
and, possible
was
of the
good things
about
online
is Alice
that they
arefeeling
numerous
in number,
so with aimpossibilities.
little searching,Itthere
child-like
mixedfor
in with
more adult
sociallikely,
commentary
willthe
always
be atinnocence
least one comic
everya person.
Or more
five or
that
made
Alice’s
Adventures
in
Wonderland
so
highly
regarded.
ten that in the genre with similar plot.
The movie starts out by keeping true to that message, with Alice
standing on the threshold that changes children into women. When she
runs back to Wonderland, she finds the Red Queen has taken complete
When discussing the best directors with people, the usual suspects are discussed Spielberg,
control, turning the world into an overly governed wasteland. This has
Scorsese, Hitchcock, and Antonioni to name a few. But when discussing a person’s favorite
every possibility to set up the notion that as we grow older we lose the
director you will get a different answer. Tim Burton, who may not be the best director of all
ability to see the world through child-like eyes, dreaming of something time, is a film maker who has made his fair share of great movies. With the current release of
better than what we are given. It makes sense that Alice’s own world is
Burton’s latest film Alice in Wonderland, we take a look at Burton’s five best films.
under siege and can be completely transformed if she doesn’t intervene.
Unfortunately, the movie lost that train of thought quickly.
5. Sweeney Todd- In 2007 Burton released his blood soaked adaptation of the violent musical
Wonderland is a bloody brutal place. The Red Queen has
Sweeney Todd on the big screen. The film impresses in many ways, but the first clear thing to
decomposing bodies in her moat, parts were burned down, and
mention is the beautiful sets. Burton sets the tone of the film with the dark dreary streets of
characters were enslaved. In fact “Wonderland” isn’t even called that.
Victorian
England. From the first shot the viewer gets the full feel of the movie. Also Burton
It is now “Underland”. Ew. There is also the fact that Alice is trying to
give power back to the White Queen, but why should she be in charge if gets great performances out of Alan Rickman as evil Judge Turpin, Helen Bonham Carter as
Wonderland was the world Alice created as a child? Another incongruity Mrs. Lovett, and Johnny Depp as the anti-hero Sweeney Todd. Burton could have chilled out
on the excessive gore, but other than that Todd is one of his best films.
is that when the movie refers back to her memories of Wonderland as a
child, she calls it a nightmare. How could the creators think Alice was
terrified of her childhood adventure if at the end of the 1865 book she 4. Ed Wood- Biopics recently have become a major money maker in Hollywood. Burton took
gushes to her sister about the enchanting world in which she had just
his stab at a biopic with his great film Ed Wood, the story of cult director of the same name.
been? Top that off by Alice’s sister ending the book reflecting on how she While not entirely accurate, the film is widely regarded as one of Depp’s best performances of
envies Alice and her youth because she can lay in the grass and dream his career. The film itself is an instant classic that will have the viewer not only laughing, but
up such extravagancies in her own head. The film couldn’t have missed
also appreciating the film as a drama.
the boat more. The movie was nothing but an attempt to make Alice
an epic adventure, reminiscent of Narina, but it wasn’t done nearly as
3. Beetlejuice- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Burton’s second mainstream film
well. What summed up the movie’s complete misunderstanding of the
Beetlejuice is still considered a classic comedy. The story revolves around a young dead couple
real Alice was clearly portrayed in a dance. Sounds weird but I swear
trying to rid their house of the new residents. In their quest to rid the house of the new people,
it isn’t. Throughout the movie, the Cheshire Cat tries to get the Mad
they summon “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice who causes even more mischief. Everytime Michael
Hatter to do the Fudderwacken, a dance he is supposedly the best at that
Keaton (who plays BJ) appears on screen, laughs come quickly, which is a clear sign of how
celebrates the cheer of Wonderland in its hay-day. The Hatter promises
great the film is.
that once the White Queen is in power again he will Fudderwacken.
The Frabjous day comes, Alice slays the Jabberwocky and that Hatter
2.Edward Scissorhands- Only in the mind of Tim Burton could the idea of a man with
begins to dance a horrific dance. It was danced to a techno beat. If the
scissors for hands exist. On first look the movie Edward Scissorhands would appear to be a
epitome of Wonderland is represented in a techno dance then it implies
silly idea, but Burton’s execution is incredible. In short, it is a tale of a man who can’t love
that Wonderland is a modern, mechanical, synthesized place.
anything human, because anything he touches ends up getting cut due to his scissor hands.
At the end of the movie, Burton tries to bring it back to the original
setup of holding onto the little piece of yourself that refuses to grow up
Edward is someone everyone can relate to because people only like him for his sculpting
and forget about all the madness of dreaming when Alice boldly refuses
abilities, and everyone has felt underappreciated by their friends at some time. Overall,
the proposal, gives everyone a piece of her mind and replaces her late Edward Scissorhands is timeless film that everybody can relate to which is why it is so good.
father in his business. It gives the movie a disjointed feeling. Half of the
movie feels like just an excuse to use the characters from Alice.
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas- Possibly Tim Burton’s most known film isn’t even
As a sister to
one he directed. Produced and written by Burton, Nightmare before Christmas is a must
Alice’s Adventures
see for anyone looking to discover Burton. The songs are rich, the claymation is great, and
in
Wonderland
the plot never gets old. The story follows Jack Skelington, the Pumpkin King, who decides
it didn’t do the
after Halloween is over to fill in for Santa and help run Christmas. While the movie is no best
original justice at
picture movie, it is a movie that has stood the test of time and is still a tradition for thousands
all. As a movie
of people to watch in the week leading up to Halloween.
it wasn’t awful
but in all honesty, -Zach Cohen
it moved far too 2010
quickly, characters
that “lead” Alice in
her journey were
underdeveloped and
the script added awkward lines and over-explained things that would have flourished in its own subtlety. If
you are looking for something amusing for the next two hours maybe you wouldn’t mind the new version of
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland it is pretty sweet looking in 3D. As for me, this movies isn’t my cup of
tea.
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TELEVISION TELEVISION TELEVISION TELEVISION TELEVISION
HBO Returns to World War II With The Pacific
Nate Falk
2011
HBO, in collaboration with Dreamworks, has come out with a new 10 part mini-series that
tells the story of three Marines fighting against the Axis powered Japanese in the Pacific
during WWII. “The Pacific” comes from the producers of “Band of Brothers”, Tom Hanks
and Steven Spielberg. The three main characters are Pfc. Robert Leckie played by James
Badge Dale (Chase in 24 Season 3), Sgt. John Basilone played by Jon Seda, and Eugene
Sledge played by Joe Mazzello. These three characters are the stars of the mini-series, and
the battles like Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa will be seen through these men’s eyes.
The characters are all different and bring their own perspective to the new mini-series.
Robert Leckie, a New Jersey native, was a sports writer before enrolling into the Marines and
joining the Pacific front. John Basilone, also a New Jersey native, served in the Philippines
in 1934, then in 1940 enlisted in the Marine Corps. Basilone was assigned to be a machine
gunner. Eugene Sledge was very anxious to join the battles during WWII, but had a heart
murmur that prevented his enlistment. Sledge’s family had a strong military history and he wanted to continue it. Sledge wouldn’t give up, so he got a forged
doctor’s note that said he had a healthy heart and got his dream of going to war and continuing family history. The characters really don’t meet often; at most
two or three characters cross paths every few episodes. The mini-series will zone in on one character per part and tell their view of the war in the Pacific.
The mini-series starts off with a map of the Pacific showing the tiny islands that many of us have never heard of but these brave men lived
on for months. Next you hear the mellow voice of Executive Producer Tom Hanks. While Hanks is talking, old black and white footage of the
war comes up, giving us an excellent overview of what’s going on. Then the screen goes black, the room goes silent, and the epic introduction
begins listing cast and crew as powerful music plays. After that your eyes are glued to the TV until the last word of the closing credits.
The Pacific was a completely different war than the one we saw on “Band of Brothers”. Don’t expect to see another “Band of Brothers” in “The Pacific”.
Instead of fighting in small European towns the soldiers fight on small islands in the middle of the jungle and much closer to the enemy. The weather
and terrain can’t even be compared; in place of cold winters are palm trees and oceans. The weather would go from a beautiful sunny day to a monsoon in
just seconds. “The Pacific” also shows the home front and romances, something “Band of Brothers” never brought up. More importantly, these men
were fighting a completely different enemy than the men in “Band of Brothers”. The Japanese had different tactics and weapons than the Germans.
Overall “The Pacific” is an amazing mini-series and though some might like “Band of Brothers” better, you can’t say “The Pacific” is bad. For those viewers who think
“Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” are similar shows, that’s completely wrong. The fact is that the two mini-series are telling two different stories in two very different
ways. “The Pacific” shows three marines, not a whole company. In addition, the viewer learns much more about these three characters then they will in “Band of Brothers”.
They’re keeping one thing similar that I really like--the interviews of the actual men who fought in the war at the beginning of each episode. “The Pacific” is on Sunday
nights at 9 o’clock and gives you 60 minutes of non stop entertainment. Though “The Pacific” and “Band of Brothers” are two different mini-series there is still a rivalry
between the two, much like the soldiers fighting in Europe and the Marines fighting in the Pacific. The viewer will have to make their own call as to which they prefer.
Southland is Shocking and Unforgetable
Brandon Bakhshai
2011
Season 2 Episode 3 of Southland opens with an officer leaving his car hurriedly
and flying up the stairs, smashing the windows of a locked door with his shoulder
before moving on to the glass window. He handles this with a patio chair, and as
the glass shatters, and a grimly intentioned criminal brings a flailing female to the
ground, a voice explains over the still image of an adrenaline-dripping officer that
“sooner or later, every police officer will learn you can’t save everyone”. This woman
will inevitably become prey, and not only the officer, but also you will have to deal
with it. Southland is a television series full of shocking moments; to be completely
honest, every single moment is shocking, in that this truly mind-blowing show (if the
critics are correct) is an accurate depiction of the life of a Los Angeles police officer.
Thus, the show is raw, unbearably tense in its most realistic moments, and immensely
biting in its most shocking. One of the more shocking and grimly memorable scenes
vibe:culture
VOLUME 2: ISSUE 6
staff
editors
Zach Cohen, 2010
Keith Zients, 2010
SENIORS:
Stephanie Devito, Louis Fischetti, Conner O’Reilly, Ithan
Sokol Tajah Ebram, Chris Palumbo, Melissa Dardani,
Vani Ramaraj,
JUNIORS
Mike Boccio, Elena Georgopoulos Heather Heyer
Aaron Lassin, Sidd Bhupathiraju
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2
Kyle Self,
SOPHOMORES
Nate Falk, Corey Koppel,
Bakhshai,
special thanks to
mr. frank manfre
advisor
Brandon
mr. peter honig
I have ever witness on primetime television occurred during the
season two premiere. Less than thirty seconds in, the scene features a line of inmates waiting for the shower. However, several
of these inmates turn towards something behind them; they are
conscious of something unusual. As the camera reaches the end
of the line, we see the arm of a man that has undoubtedly killed
before; he has a thick shank in his hand, and pushes the inmate
closest to the shower back with this shank-wielding hand. The
camera turns to expose the snitch from an earlier scene, and right
here a heavy weight will build up in your stomach. In what seems
like no time, the man has entered the shower and performs his
duty, walking out just as swiftly away as he entered, and once
again leaving not only the inmates to deal with this truly horrific
event, but you as well.
The beauty of Southland is that it gives you this picture,
both shocking and grim, and then allows this picture to sit in
your mind. The experience is different for everyone, just as life
is different for every person on earth. Certainly, Southland can
and will never replace shows that makes us smile or feel good;
those shows, such as The Office and How I Met Your Mother
are in their own very separate category. However, Southland is
the king of drama, and the master of shows that will stay with a
person for a long, long time.
Drake Rises to Stardom
Sidd Bhupathiraju
2011
With many up-and-coming hip-hop artists, none have made a bigger splash than Aubrey Drake Graham, who goes more commonly by Drake.
“Drizzy”, who was previously known for his acting part in
“Degrassi: The Next Generation” exploded onto the hip-hop
scene in early 2009. His first mixtape, So Far Gone, was a
huge success and although he is only in the early stages of
his career, Drake has worked with many at-large artists such
as Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and his mentors Lil Wayne
and Jay-z. Noticing his vast potential, Lil Wayne signed
Drake to his own label, Young Money Entertainment. “So
Far Gone” was deemed “The Hottest Mixtape of 2009” by
MTV. Drake also recorded two of the top ten singles in the
same week. He became only the second artist to do so along
with Nelly Furtado. “Best I ever had” placed 3rd and “Every
Girl” placed 10th. Drake has been nominated for many music awards early in his career and even won BET Rookie of
Mass Effect is a Worthy
Sequel
Corey Koppel
2012
In the videogame world an RPG is described as a role-playing game that involves the
player to develop their character through complex task based missions, upgrade systems,
character to character play, and then eventually, bore the player to death. It’s true that
RPG’s can be redundant at times, but fortunately for more action-oriented players BioWare
has recently released Mass Effect 2 for multiple platforms.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to its predecessor Mass Effect. The sequel puts the player back
in control of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew, but this time around, Shepard
can either be a male or female and is fully customizable. Apparently no one in the first game
thought to check what Commander Shepard is. At the start of the sequel everything seems normal when Normandy is attacked and Shepard is killed. Two years later Commander Shepard wakes up
The overall experience of Mass Effect 2 is engaging, but and learns
that a huthe combat system just flails around at the sides.
man nationalist group, named Cerberus, saved him and then Shepard is sent out to save the galaxy
from galactic demons known as the Reapers.
The Reapers are recognized in Mass Effect one and two, as the main threat but there
isn’t much combat with them. This isn’t a negative, but it would be more interesting for
BioWare to incorporate the Reapers more frequently into the combat system now that it
is established that they will most likely attack. Aside from the Reapers, the world of Mass
Effect 2 is extraordinarily immense. There are a number of different nebulas, solar systems,
and planets that the player can visit. Each planet has it’s own personality and is packed
with detailed artwork, but the one thing that is insufferable is that not every planet can be
explored. Understandably, it would take too much time to create an environment for each
planet, but the least BioWare could do is make a nice picture for its players to look at.
Everything about Mass Effect 2 is elaborate, the story, the upgrade system, and each
character. Although elaborate, some of these areas are not better than the original. The
story of Mass Effect is more enjoyable than the second installment. The sequel may have
developed more of a relationship with the Reapers, but most of the story, and game play
for that matter, comes from building a team. Mass Effect 2 is just a bridge for Mass Effect 3, which BioWare made obvious there would be. The first clue to Mass Effect 3 was
when a fleet of Reapers is headed for the Normandy at the end of the game, but what gave
it away was during a loading screen a caption read,
“Choices made in Mass Effect 2 will have major
ramifications in Mass Effect 3. Not so clever now,
are you BioWare? The dialogue that went into Mass
Effect 2 was obviously exceptional, but BioWare
always has good writing and people are no longer
impressed by it.
The character development in Mass Effect 2
is some of the best around. Each character comes
bundled with a back-story and two missions; like a
giant set of toilet paper that seems unnecessary, but
you have it just in case. The game forces players to
build a large time and then play their background
missions. Your team is useless in combat unless you
Harry Potter With Songs
The Year in 2009. What separates Drizzy from other artists is his unique
style. Unlike most other male hip-hop artists who rely on other artists
for choruses or vocal parts to a song, Drake has a well trained voice
to complement his lyrics. This gives him more opportunities as he is
both lyrically and vocally talented. His hybrid skills are shown well in
“Forever” which reached number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and
number one on Us Billboard Rap. Drake mixes
his voice with his lyrical genius in this song
to produce another one of his masterpieces.
Currently Drizzy is working on his first studio
album ,“Thank Me Later”, which promises to
be just as popular and diverse as his mixtape
and was released on March 30. His new album
will feature more big names such as Kid Cudi,
Andre 3000, Eminem, Kings of Leon, and the
returning Kanye West and Jay-Z. Drake has
gotten off to a fast start in the music industry
and all signs are pointing to him having a long
and bright future.
vibe:culture
VIBE CULTURE VIBE CULTURE VIBE CULTURE VIBE CULTRURE VIBE
need a biotics attack that you
don’t have, but
other than that,
they’re around
to make Commander Shepard
look cool.
The overall
experience
of
Mass Effect 2 is
engaging, but the
combat system
just flails around
at the sides. First
of all, the weapons in the game
involve guns and
superhuman type abilities called biotics. The weapons in the first game had
unlimited ammo, but they would overheat and players would just pick up
the next most powerful weapon. In Mass Effect 2 players keep the guns
they have and upgrade them, but now the weapons don’t have unlimited
ammo. This wouldn’t be such a problem if there was an ammo system in
the first game, but playing a game set hundreds of years in the future with
unlimited ammo, and then two years later everything requires ammo, seems
like a step backwards. The biotics also went through some improvements,
there are more uses for it, it is simpler to upgrade, and as a bonus they’re a
lot more fun. The only problem with these two areas is the upgrade system.
What BioWare forces players to do is find fake elements, mostly through
planet exploration, which is not as exciting as it sounds, and once players
find enough of one of the four elements used for upgrades, make it to the
upgrade station, and finally chose an upgrade from the extensive list, players find that one upgrade takes more than half of the amount of elements
you found. Then you look up to the sky and scream, “Curse you BioWare
for making such an elaborate upgrade system.” Don’t let this get you down
too much through, what Mass Effect 2 lacks in combat it makes up for in
motivation. The most motivation seen in a game is that, “shooting things
is fun,” but in Mass Effect 2 the player feels motivated to avenge his fallen
teammates. Of course this motivation only comes in at the end of the game
so, “shooting things is fun,” still stands as the top form of motivation.
Mass Effect 2 also allows players to import Commander Shepard from
the other game. It doesn’t make a difference if you chose to do this or not,
but I guess BioWare made it available for their more lazy customers who
don’t feel starting from square one. The secondary missions in Mass Effect
2 aren’t as exciting as the primary missions but they should still keep the
player interested for some time.
Over all, Mass Effect 2 is an exciting game that will keep players involved even after they finish the game.
Heather Heyer
2011
“Did somebody say Draco Malfoy?” If so, that could be a sign that someone is telling you to go watch “A Very Potter Musical” by StarKidPotter on YouTube! Harry Potter fans will love this musical spoof on the wondrous world of Harry Potter. It takes the
main themes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows into one play. This musical is fan-made by college students at the University of
Michigan. All of the songs are fun and will make you wish Hogwarts was a real place that
you could actually go to meet these people.
A Very Potter Musical will touch your heart while Ron stuffs his face continually and
Ginny sings her love for Harry. However, some things in this musical are not exactly what
you would expect. Voldemort befriends Quirrel during the time they share a body, Hermione Granger is desired by both Ron and Malfoy, and Cho Chang is a southern belle. Oh,
and Cedric Diggory is an annoying Hufflepuff (FIND!). Many other surprises await those
who board the Hogwarts Express this year, unless of course you fancy a trip
to Pigfarts...? This musical will have you laughing for years to come as you
randomly remember bits and pieces of Snape’s unusual tone of voice and
Malfoy’s rolling around on the stage. Memorable songs include “Gotta Get
Back to Hogwarts”, “Granger Danger”, “The Dragon Song”, and “Cho’s
Song”. The amazing cast of A Very Potter Musical is Darren Criss as Harry
Potter, Joey Richter as Ron Weasley, Bonnie Gruesen as Hermione Granger,
Jamie Lynn Beaty as Ginny, Lauren Lopez as Draco Malfoy, and Joe Walker
as Lord Voldemort. Prepare to find out that when spoofed up by college kids,
Harry Potter can be pretty hilarious.
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Conner O’Reilly
2010
vibe:culture
MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES
The Runaways Offers a Dull Trip to the 80’s
This film had the potential to be great: a coming of age tale about a beautiful young girl who is suddenly drafted into the American
dream only to be chewed up and spit out before getting her feet off the ground. Familiar story, yes, but a powerful one which would
have worked well against a rock n’ roll backdrop. The story exists somewhere in the mess which is The Runaways, buried beneath a
sea of corny dialogue and inane subplots. This film is one huge distraction from its mediocre screenplay. There are music montages,
concert performances and random musical
breaks littering the screen from the very be- This film is like an AC/DC shirt for sale at WAL-MART; it has
ginning and it becomes exhausting quickly,
no soul or purpose, it just… exists.
especially considering how dreadful the actual music is. Somebody should have told writer/director Floria Sigismondi that she was making a MOVIE, not a music video.
Here’s the skeleton of the plot: Cherri Currie (Dakota Fanning) is a young girl living in Los Angeles who is constantly surrounded
by sex and alcohol. She has seen these vices take a great toll on her family and friends, especially her father, who is an alcoholic
dead-beat. At the same time, young rebel Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) wanders the city streets with a dream of becoming a rock star.
The ambitious Jett convinces scummy music producer Kim Fowley to help her start her own group. Fowley, who recognizes this as
an opportunity to exploit fresh young talent, embraces Jett and forms a band around her, a band which is completed by the addition
of Cherri as the singer. Good girl Cherri is initially taken aback by the raunchy lyrics she’s asked to sing, but after a while Fowley
and the other band members peer pressure her into singing them. Soon enough, Cherri becomes so consumed with the debauchery
and decadence of rock star life that she abandons her morals completely and becomes a helpless victim of sex and drug abuse.
As I mentioned before, the music video style of this film is distracting and annoying at times, but the one critical error which
manages to drag it down considerably is its confusion as to where to focus its story. The writers must have been torn as to what
direction to take their film: whether it should be a rock n’ roll bio-pic focusing on the Runaways as a band, or a coming-of-age saga
focusing solely on the singer Cheri Currie (whose auto-biography the screenplay is based on). Instead of coming to an actual creative decision, the writers went down both roads, focusing on both Cherri Currie and, to a lesser extent, Joan Jett at the same time.
Bad move. The sequences focusing on Jett seem peripheral and detrimental to the flow of the film, whereas the scenes featuring Cherri Currie seem to shine with greater depth and accuracy. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because her story was
based on another source (her auto-biography)? Yes, I would wager so. Eventually (and thankfully), the film abandons whatever Joan Jett story arc the writers were trying to establish to focus solely on Cherri Currie (maybe because they ran out of
ideas). Obviously, the film would have benefitted if its focus was exclusive to Currie from the beginning, but they just had to
shove in an inane Joan Jett story (“Girls can’t play guitar!” “Oh yeah, I’ll show you!”) in order to appeal to a wider audience.
The decision to cast Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart as the leads inspired some undeserved controversy when it was announced, but they gave some good performances despite the confused screenplay. It seemed like they were using this film solely for
the purpose of shedding their ‘good girl’ images, but after seeing the actual film I was impressed by their work. They prepared for their
roles by rehearsing Runaway songs for a whole month, which is funny because they probably practiced more than the original band.
Overall, the film suffers greatly from a weak screenplay, a lack of clarity, and an ill-fitting tone. What could have been a great film about disillusionment with the
American dream was instead turned into a late-night VH1 special. This film is like an AC/DC shirt for sale at WAL-MART; it has no soul or purpose, it just… exists.
The Iraq War Movie Phenomenon Continues
Kyle Self
2012
As each new global conflict continues, the media always tries to make money off of it through all kinds
of platforms, particularly film. Nowadays, this principal equally applies to the war we have faced in Iraq
for over eight years. There are several feature films about the current war, but only a few of them (such as
Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker) ever receive much critical credit, and typically fail in the box office.
However, that does not mean that the public does not enjoy war in film. It is a powerful genre in general,
and the film academy has recently chosen such a movie for best picture of the year, after all.
Now even more recently, another attempt has been released named Greenzone. Unlike other flicks of
its kind, though, it focuses more on the war’s early years and the reasons why it even erupted. Most Iraq
War movies focus exclusively on specific missions during the war, this one still includes that concept, but
also mentions why the US even wanted to continue the war in the first place. Paul Greengrass (director
of the Bourne Trilogy) takes his BFF actor Matt Damon to make a more realistic, and consequently less
cinematic middle-eastern warfare experience.
The movie is set in Baghdad in 2003. After searching for nuclear weaponry on a few miss-coordinated
missions, U.S. Army Officer Miller becomes suspicious about the real whereabouts of this technology,
and who is using it. This obviously leads into an intricate conspiracy plot intertwining different characters
with different twists. Sometimes, it feels like the writer is giving a little too much information all at once.
The best part of the writing portion of this movie is that it tries to stay focused on the true subject matter.
The character development is weak, and not all of the information is really accurate, but it does great for
raising real questions for a Hollywood movie.
As this is a Greengrass film, you can expect shaky camera panning, lightning-fast cuts and Matt Damon
running. Lots and lots of running. But don’t think this is Jason Bourne in Iraq. Damon does not play the role as an invincible tough guy
jumping through windows, surviving vehicle crashes, and punching people
ten feet away. He is a legitimate soldier who obeys his orders without “bending” the rules or risking his comrades’ lives in action. The director does a
great job putting the heat of war into most scenes so most of the movie never
really gets boring, but the cinematography certainly needs some improvement. There are some great sets fused with a generic but scene-fitting musical
score.
The casting is all-in-all pretty weak, to be honest. Matt Damon fits the role
fine, but is fairly one-note throughout. Amy Ryan makes for a weak female
lead, and Greg Kinnear barley gets by. The Middle Eastern terrorist cast of
actors is pretty decent though, as they deliver their lines in a realistic manner,
with special credit to Yigal Naor. Still, the casting decisions leave much to
be desired.
As long as this war continues, so will half-hearted Hollywood attempts to
put it on the big screen. It’s hard to recommend this one as a theatre trip, but
it would certainly be a satisfying rental. This probably won’t succeed in the
box office at all, considering that better films in this genre hardly escape the bottom of the barrel.
E
4