Perks says everyone is a misfit

Entertainment
9
Cloud Atlas threads five stories into one
By JOEL AHN
Staff Writer
Let’s say you read one novel
every week. If you do the math,
you will only finish four books
each month, almost fifty each year,
and a mere 2,500 books in your
lifetime. Considering the mountain
of literary works ever published,
2,500 is shockingly few.
So when I was recommended
David Mitchell’s, Cloud Atlas, I
gave the novel little consideration;
There are so many novels I want to
read but so little time. My friend
still insisted that the novel was
worthwhile, so I eventually yielded.
It turned out that she was
right. Cloud Atlas is a thoroughly
entertaining and thoughtful literary
puzzle.
Mitchell presents six
distinct novellas that utilize a
fragmented plot structure and, like
Scheherazade from One Thousand
and One Nights, ends each one with
a cliffhanger.
With the end of each story,
he takes the reader to a different
time, a different place, a different
genre. Every story except the sixth,
is visited twice. Mitchell later
gives culminating
endings to each of
his narratives that
satisfy the reader.
The
novel
begins in the 1800s
with the journal of
American notary,
Adam
Ewing.
On his journey
back home to San
Francisco, Ewing
sojourns in the
Chatham Islands
and discovers a
Moriori stowaway
hiding in his cabin.
The novel then
follows
Robert
P
C
Frobisher’s letters
written in 1931. After evading
his many creditors, the aspiring
composer sails for Belgium, where
hoto
he serves for an elderly maestro as
a secretary.
Cloud Atlas then takes the
reader into the 1970s California,
wherein Luisa Rey, an audacious
reporter, endeavors
to
uncover
a
major
industrial
conspiracy.
In the 1980s,
which is considered
present time in the
novel,
Timothy
Cavendish,
a
publisher is tricked
into incarceration
inside a senior
citizen’s home.
The
fifth
story pursues the
pre-execution
interview of a
genetically cloned
servant known as
.
.
Somni-451 in the
twenty second century Korea.
The sixth and last narrative, set
in a distant, future Hawaii, follows
ourtesy of misprintedpages wordpress com
Zachry, a goatherd, as he witnesses
the final fall of humanity.
Cloud Atlas is ambitious:
500 pages crisscross the lives of
characters over a span of hundreds
of years. Mitchell interweaves
each of his disparate narratives and
implies a connection between each
of his characters.
In doing so, he suggests that
human beings are merely different
manifestations of a predetermined
nature; that both the inhumanity and
kindness of mankind are replayed
perpetually in a recurrent cycle.
Mitchell possesses a knack for
the fragmentary fiction and is able
to incorporate thought-provoking
and solid ideas and plots that can
be easily understood, despite the
structure of his novel.
He has a cast of memorable
characters and a wealth of aphorisms
that the reader will ponder over for
days. An extraordinary piece of
fiction, Cloud Atlas is as profound
as it is enthralling and is able to
both edify and entertain its reader.
Perks says everyone is a misfit
By CRYSTAL RIVAS
Staff Writer
Emma Watson, who finished up the last
Harry Potter movie as Hermione, did a beautiful
performance as the free-spirited Sam. The viewer
completely forgets about Watson’s previous role
as Hermione. This film transformed her from the
young brilliant wizard into the talented actress
she is by showing her talent outside of the iconic
role in Harry Potter.
Ezra Miller, who plays Sam’s stepbrother,
Patrick, is a promising young actor. Miller got his
breakthrough role as Kevin in the film We Need
to Talk About Kevin alongside Tilda Swinton as
the dark disturbed high schooler who commits a
massacre. In Perks of Being a Wallflower, Miller
shows his great acting potential as the loud and
animated teen who is not afraid to be himself.
Entering The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I
was expecting to see a great film. When I left the
theater, all of my expectations were met. I was
very impressed with the strong feelings evoked
in me while watching the film, especially, the joy
that was felt when Charlie, the main character,
made it through high school.
I give The Perks of Being a Wallflower two
thumbs up. It was an amazing film and every
high school student should go see it. Don’t push
this movie aside, grab your friends on a Friday
night and watch this amazing film that everyone
has been talking about. You won’t regret these
one hundred and two minutes.
Based on Stephen Chbosky’s critically
acclaimed novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
was released on October 12. This emotional
must-see film will have you laughing and crying
in your seat.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about an
introverted freshman boy with a troubled past
who is taken under the wings of two seniors who
introduce him to the real world. Starring Logan
Lerman as Charlie, Emma Watson as Sam and
Ezra Miller as Patrick, The Perks of Being a
Wallflower is a moving tale of love, loss, fear,
hope, and the unforgettable friends that help
people through life.
The movie was far from disappointing.It
didn’t lose any original ideas from the novel
because Stephen Chbosky also wrote and
directed the adaptation. High school can be hell,
but this film argues that anyone can get by with a
little help from his or her friends.
Throughout the film, it felt as though the
audience were accepted into “the island of misfit
toys” and the lives of unique teenagers who
weren’t so different from one another, looking
for a way to get through their everyday lives.
From their first day of school, to their first
friendship, to their first fight and to their own
self-discovery, the characters in this film will
give hope to all people who are still looking for
lifelong friends, those who will help each other
through the drama we call high school. In fact,
viwers will be rooting for Charlie as he treks
through the high school life.
Logan Lerman is most well known as the
cute guy from Percy Jackson. Although he had
impressive roles in Hoot, 3:1 to Yuma, The
Patriot, and Mine and Only, no one really knew
how well he’d perform as the main character
of this film. After watching the film, all doubts
were put aside. It seemed as though the role of
the timid and troubled Charlie was created just
for Lerman. With his great acting, the chemistry
he brought on screen with the other actors,
P
.
especially with Sam, was amazing. Logan struck
gold with this role and it wouldn’t be surprising Stephen Chbosky’s book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, was adapted into a film realeased on
October 12. It casted Ezra Miller as Patrick, Emma Watson as Sam, and Logan Lerman as Charlie.
if he was nominated for an Academy Award.
hoto courtesy of teaser trailer com
Entertainment
10
Actors present contemporary twist on Shakespeare
By JOY CHEN
Layout Editor
Fort Lee High School
presented
Somewhat
Shakespeare on November 2930 and December 1, featuring
two plays, “Don’t Say Macbeth,”
co-directed by senior Estefany
Feliz, and “Othello Undone,”
co-directed by senior Artemis
Siskos. The entire production
was lead by English teacher Mrs.
Jodi Etra.
This year, the fall production
was performed in the small gym
as a result of the renovations
taking place in the auditorium.
In “Don’t Say Macbeth,”
(shown in photo on the right)
juniors Stephanie Spivak, Alexa
Soto, and Jaryn Stewart play three
witches who curse Shakespeare’s
Macbeth while watching junior
Kara Ford gives a monologue
from the original Shakespeare
production. Sitting to the left of
Ford is sophomore Cole Nelson,
a teenager for whom they are all
performing for.
By taking the tragedy and putting
it into a modern setting, the actors
were able to add a touch of comedy
to the otherwise morbid Macbeth.
“Othello Undone” was a presentday counterpart to the original
romantic drama, taking place in
a high school. It starred junior
Samantha Rubin, and seniors
Andrew Fuentes and Anastasia
Genicoff.
Photo by Masaru Yamaguchi
Rebel Soul disappoints, but Halcyon impresses
By PAUL MISHIN
Staff Writer
Kid Rock has never been konwn
as an innovative artist, but it’s
surprising that he can still push his
tired rap and country rock. Even
though he finally abandoned his
commercialized and edgy nu-metal
sound, he transitions to a lazy and
uninspired soul record that is not
his calling.
Kid Rock certainly doesn’t tackle
any philosophical or introspective
ideas in his lyrics in Rebel Soul.
He sings about his hometown,
ego, likes, and dislikes. “Detroit
Michigan” shows Kid Rock’s poor
attempt to sound dynamic and
Photo courtesy of blog.detroitnews.com
soulful; the accompanying gospel
vocals and cheesy french horns had
me cringing throughout the song.
Other songs don’t see much
improvement, as they are coated
with the blandest, most recycled
guitar riffs I’ve heard. The result is
a formulaic mix of clichés that are
laughable at best. Kid Rock comes
accross as very nonchalant, despite
how hard he seems to try so hard to
be emotional.
At heart, Rebel Soul seems to
be just another miserable radio
catering tool. It’s unclear what
drove Kid Rock to adopt this
new soul style, but it doesn’t suit
him at all. The messages don’t
seem to be in accordance with his
earlier lineups that contained some
admittedly catchy but unfortunately
cheesy tracks about the image of
‘an American badass’.
Despite his shortcomings as a
musician, even his prior efforts are
better in quality than Rebel Soul.
Kid Rock has never cared about
what anyone thinks, and rightfully
so; he’s rich, proud, patriotic and
maintains a cool guy persona.
Maybe it’s time for Kid Rock to
start considering his audience and
eschewing his traditions, because
caring might prevent his music
from being so lackluster.
By PAUL MISHIN
Staff Writer
Ellie Goulding is putting quality
back into pop. Modern pop is
often too simple, overproduced,
overtly sexual, and lyrically poor.
Even though the genre as a
whole frequently suffers from these
shortcomings, the music is usually
easy to get into. I would be lying
if I said I didn’t love Lady Gaga’s
rhythms, but sometimes I want to
sink my teeth into something filled
with more worthwhile substance.
Halcyon delivers well in that
aspect. It strays from Goulding’s
last album, Lights’ infectious
bubble-gum hooks, but not too far
as to lose its electronic touch. The
bright sound that was so addictive
in her previous album is replaced
with a darker, more serious tone.
Halycon is also more than just
a new dance craze. It proves that
Goulding has the ability to mature
in sound and create powerful
ballads with her creative talent.
The multiple tracks showcase
her various skills. For exmple,
“Explosions”
displays
her
phenomenal vocals over a slow
piano whereas “JOY” welcomes a
mixture of sentimental strings and
lyrics filled with heartache.
Halcyon maintains a catchy
sound with the introduction of
serious undertones and lyrics.
Some tracks such as “Atlantis” are
just as memorable as Goulding’s
debut album from last year.
Goulding takes a confident turn
of sound and does so successfully,
something not many artists can
pull off. The album is a welcome
addition to her discography,
despite the repetetive nature of
some of her songs. However,
the entire lineup is consistently
enchanting and something I would
recommend to any listener.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
Crystal Castles comes back with new tunes
By PAUL MISHIN
Staff Writer
Crystal Castles first
appeared in 2004 and made
a big hit in the electronic
scene with the release of
their 2008 self-titled album,
Crystal Castles.
Alice Glass and Ethan
Kath, who are heavily
influenced by old school
video games, implement
eight-bit
chiptune
instrumentation that makes
them truly stand out.
With the release of III, the
duo continues to bring a
different harshness to the
stale state of pop.
Their previous albums
were a mixture of good
and bad songs, but Crystal
Castles’ transition into a
more accessible, laid-back
sound on III is their most
noticable change with a
consistently good lineup.
Some could see it as
maturation, but a few
songs such as “Pale Flesh”
still mar the album with
an obscure, ugly sound
that adds monotony to the
already short album.
III is a softer and more
relaxed album that strays
from the group’s earlier
sound
while
retaining
elements that make them
recognizable.
Ambient
dream pop and heavy
amounts of reverb continued
to influence their music.
Vocalist Alice Glass’
sweet voice stands out
nicely while Ethan Kath
showcases his masterful,
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org
dark beats which shine
with incredible hooks,
especially in the disco-like
song, “Violent Youth.”
In the lyrics of the
album, Glass
tackles
moral injustice in society
and proposes compassion
towards humanity.
III is sugar coated
with catchy pop melodies
that juxtapose well with
Glass’s stricken voice, but
an overwhelming sense of
harshness adds cacophony
of violent noise to some
tracks such as “Insulin.”
Fortunately for the
listeners, the occasional
barrage of ugly sound on
the ears do not happen
nearly as often as it did in
their previous albums.
As a whole, III is a fun
and danceable album with
an overall dark nature in
its sound and lyrics that
prevents the album from
sounding recycled. Despite
a few monotonous songs
that interrupt the album’s
moving pace, III manages
to remain an enchanting
collection of songs.
These Crystal Castles’
performances are charming,
especially in their ability to
soothe their violent sound,
something that continues
to make them so iconic in
the electronic scene. III is
highly recommended.