Let's get one thing said straight out of the gate: I am a HUGE Zooey Deschanel fan.
However, I was disappointed with the first few episodes of New Girl. I was expecting a quirky, Middle Earth loving girly-girl in Deschanel's character Jess, but I didn't anticipate how simpleminded she was. The tagline for the show is "Simply Adorkable," but based on the first couple of episodes, it should have been switched to "Simply a Dumb Girl Who is Lucky that Craigslist Didn't Give Her Serial Killers for Room Mates." Who says that a dork has to be dumb? In the beginning, Jess wasn't nearly three-dimensional enough.
But hold on, there's hope. Now that we're past the Thanksgiving episode (which I believe is the best one so far), I think New Girl has some newfound potential. Jess is slowly but gradually shedding her dummy robe in favor of a more believable personality, while still being as puppy, rainbow, and unicorn loving as ever.
If you've given up on New Girl like I almost did, I'd say it's worth another shot. The show has the potential to be the classically cute comedy that can bring a smile to your face and light up the room. Tune in Tuesday nights at 9pm!
I know what you’re going to say: “Yoyo Ma playing bluegrass?
Really?” Really.
If you haven’t heard of The
Goat Rodeo Sessions yet, consider this your wake up call. Just imagine –
the musical virtuoso and cellist prodigy Yoyo Ma plus the award-winning
bluegrass-er Stuart Duncan PLUS the jazzy contrabassist Edgar Meyer PLUS the dreamy folk-inspired
mandolin-playing Chris Thile. These four musicians, all stellar in their own
rights, have come together to craft the album The Goat Rodeo Sessions, an eleven-song bluegrass journey with
soul, power, and intoxicating sound.
If the folk revival is where your music’s gone recently, The Goat Rodeo Sessions is where it
needs to be now.
Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvw0vbewH_Q
Over the past few weeks, despite the lack of
mainstream media attention, Occupy Wall Street has garnered up a lot of
discussion about the current state of affairs in the United States. Despite
differences in opinion on the movement, one thing that can be said about the
movement is that this group of protesters is making their voices heard. And in
a society that often prides fitting-in and conformity, a great lesson can be
learned from the Occupy movement— silence does not set you free.
I believe that the one thing everyone has in this
world is a voice, and this voice gives you power. When you start to figure out
your voice, you start to figure out who you are. When you begin to speak
out, it’s a lot harder to be ignored. Realistically, one voice cannot change
the world. But being a rebel in thought doesn’t get you very far until you
begin to speak and act on your voice. And when a lot of voices join together,
they become harder to ignore. Even if you don’t think you’re being heard,
speechlessness does not protect you, it simply hides you. Only your voice can
make your presence known.
For our generation, it is easier than ever to
make our voices heard. Blogging in particular is an easy way to get your voice
out, especially among your peers. So I invite you, the Stonehill community, to
submit your posts to this blog. State your claim, tell the world what you
think, and hear what others have to say. You never know who is listening.
Within the recent Boston genre of film, an interesting theme has surfaced; that being the need to leave the city that had loved. In Good Will Hunting, Will had only known the topic city. As he grows as a person, past his academic prowess, he realizes the need to branch out and explore new lands, heading west like the frontiersmen of old. In The Town, Doug MacRay has worked himself a niche life style that was quickly shrinking around him. Again, just like Will, Doug escapes his entrapment and chooses a life unfamiliar to him. The films suggest that leaving one’s comfort zone is a worthy goal in itself, but also, just the start of a larger journey of self. So, I too take such leave, entering the unknown, as a new chapter in the film of my life begins.
I should begin this review by explaining my own set biases. I am a movie critic. I’ve never reviewed a play before. I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to be looking for and thus may be missing some important stuff. So, I shall just do my best to give a fair and just review that may be lacking in theatrical knowledge.
With that being said, Urinetown was fantastic. It was completely enjoyable, engaging and challenging. I’ll start with the set. Immediately after entering Hemingway theatre, the stage jumps out at you and left me thoroughly awestruck. Hemingway, being a relatively small college’s main stage, is a miniscule set up that could be limiting to such an ambitious show. To circumnavigate the stage’s stifling nature, the set was extended nearly into the first row of seats and used every inch of the area made available to them. This helped to make the show an immersive experience and helped to lose one’s self in the world of the story.
Of course, no show would be able to get off the ground without the players and Urinetown’s lineup was one of quality and talent. Based on the limited number of plays I’ve seen, I would say that the acting was far better than any average college performance. Any minor flubs were minimal, relatively not bothersome and, occasionally, added to the enjoyment of the show as the audience saw the actors realize their mistakes and move past the moment. I must take time, though, to recognize the play’s male lead, Chris Getchell, who played Bobby Strong. Getchell took center stage with charisma, poise, and sharp wit and made a real emotional connection with the crowd. When Bobby Strong finally meets his fate in the middle of the second act, devastation encompassed the crowd as the narrator’s earlier grim promise was fulfilled; this indeed was not a “happy play.”
The narration also must be discussed. The meta narration by Officer Lockstock (portrayed by Sean Racine) and Little Sally (portrayed by Tara Hurley) was a great way to frame the story. Though any given play’s narrator often refers to the audience directly, the narrator, not just breaking, but shattering the fourth wall and discussing plot developments, the structure of the show, and the overall formality of storytelling really helped to distinguish this musical from the rest of the field and explore an unconventional story.
Finally, what I truly appreciate this play for is the story’s subversive message. The idea that corporate greed may be a necessity in our daily practices is a point rarely touched upon by storytellers. Urinetown really challenges the audience to question the lines between good and evil, natural and artificial, and question the relationship between people’s intrinsic rights and what is best for the masses.
Are you one of those people who go on YouTube just to find funny videos? I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m one of those people. However, when I get tired of talented toddlers and animals doing wacky things, there’s always one video that I can rely on to make me laugh every time. When I’m feeling down, I just type “John Lennon in the bathtub” into the search bar.
It brings me to a hilarious clip from my favorite movie, A Hard Day’s Night. It was The Beatles’ first feature film in 1964. The movie is supposedly a realistic yet whimsical portrayal of The Fab Four’s everyday adventures as Britain’s #1 sensation. If you like black and white movies, British comedy, the 60s, quick-witted dialogue and cute boys from Liverpool, this movie is perfect for you. Then again, I recommend it to almost everyone I meet because I’m so certain it will change their life, or something of that nature. Yes, it’s just that good.
I know a lot of music snobs will get annoyed with me for saying this, but after watching A Hard Day’s Night for the 23rd time I realized that technically The Beatles were the first real boy band. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling them the first band that had ever been composed of boys and I’m not calling them lip-syncing dancers. They are, however, the first rock-and-roll band that ever had a ridiculously huge following. In fact, they pretty much set the stage for pop music. If you watch the movie, you’ll know what I mean. For instance, in the first scene they are being chased by rabid fan-girls. In the last scenes they are playing a concert on TV in front of a live studio audience full of screaming girls (who, apparently, were not actresses but actual fans). While pretty much all of today’s big artists have big fan-bases, I can think of two recent girl-magnets that get similar attention: The Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber. Their talent is debatable, but whether you like it or not, these boys are so popular that they have even wormed their way into our vocabulary. (Oh my Jonas! I don’t belieb it!)
After making these comparisons, I am forced to slyly mention that the Jonas boys put out their own movie, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, in 2009. Then, of course, we have Biebs’s new 3D flick Never Say Never. Both of the aforementioned are concert movies which also include documentary footage of the stars. While A Hard Day’s Night is fiction (and, in my opinion, way more entertaining) the premise is similar, as is the general exploitation of their fame. It’s funny that even back in 1964 popular musicians got movie roles for their charm.
As a final comparison, I can’t help but notice that a lot of people hate on Justin Bieber and The Jonas Brothers today. In fact, to demonstrate how overrated and talentless they are, people often relate them to bands like The Beatles. I wonder if these people realize that The Beatles initially received the same criticism compared to other musical legends. It seems that history repeats itself. So, what comes next? What is the next big thing? All I know is…it just won’t be the same as John Lennon in the bathtub.
Everyone knows who the Beatles are: four guys who changed music and entertainment in ways that no one else ever has or ever will again, four little songwriters from Liverpool who rival Shakespeare in terms of cultural influence. They aren’t what this article is about though. Who wants to go to the prom with the clean-shaven, well-dressed parents dream of a date when you can go with just the opposite – the grungy, leather jacket-wearing, cigarette-smoking badass who your parents, his parents and most parents disapprove of?
The anti-Beatles would be, of course, the Rolling Stones. I don’t want to get into the age-old argument with myself of which band is better; I just want to illustrate how the two iconic bands are complete opposites. On one hand (left or right, doesn’t matter), we have the band that adorns matching suits, complete with ties and matching bowl-cuts, famous for songs like “All You Need Is Love,” “Here Comes The Sun,” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” On the other hand we’ve got the scraggly-haired rotating cast of cursing and spitting rockers, best known for songs like “Love In Vain,” “Sympathy For The Devil,” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You.”
We should probably skip back just a bit, though, to genre. The Beatles played skiffle-inspired pop music while their counterparts recorded jazz-influenced rock and roll. Later on, the Fab Four would experiment with psychedelic drugs and create other worldly and experimental sounds infused with lyrics calling for peace and love. The Stones were less into this genre, preferring good old-fashioned alcohol and marijuana. They were never as concerned with the philosophical and existential wanderings that Lennon and McCartney employed as they were with letting loose and getting their “Rocks Off.”
Widely regarded the greatest musical album ever, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club in 1967. The Stones’ answer? The mockingly titled and less known Their Satanic Majesty’s Request. They were sneering at the entire hippie movement that the Beatles were going through, while simultaneously recording their own creatively moving material.
There’s no question that, somewhere behind Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, George Martin is one of the greatest producers ever. He perfected every sound the Beatles ever played for him, and that is how they wanted it. They aimed for a picture-perfect recording on every album, with no loose ends or mistakes. They spent hours in the studio, recording and mixing, rerecording and remixing. The one mistake that they did leave has gained fame for being so – when Paul accidentally sang “Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face,” in “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” I mean no disrespect to Andrew Oldham by saying this though, because, in the earlier Stones albums, he captured just the sound that they were going for, as did Jimmy Miller in later years. That sound was a ragged, jagged, freewheeling one that gave listeners the impression of a bunch of guys rocking in their basement.
This shiny production on the songs that the Beatles churned out and the hours upon days upon weeks that they spent in the studio didn’t bode well for touring or performing live, something that the Stones focused almost solely on. Through the Stones epic shows, Mick Jagger has become one of the greatest showmen in the history of music; very rarely do we hear John, Paul or George sing with as much emotion that Mick puts into most songs. The Beatles played live shows for four years, from 1962 until 1966. The Rolling Stones have been playing live shows for five decades, and their shows have been historically remembered as better than the shows from those four Beatle years – this is a hard thing to judge though, because there aren’t too many people available to talk to who were at those shows, and those that are were not disappointed.
Don McLean’s “American Pie” references both bands, relating the Beatles to a dominant force – the kind that could play on a football field and no one would care if the game ever started up again. The reference to the Stones, though, displays an almost disdaining attitude, calling Mick Jagger the devil, and referencing a concert in San Francisco where the Stones’ security, Hell’s Angels, killed a man.
Without dark, we couldn’t appreciate the light. Without pain, we couldn’t appreciate pleasure. Just think of the Rolling Stones as rock history’s ying to the Beatles’ yang. For every “Let It Be,” there was a “Let It Bleed.” For every “Little Girl,” the perfect pop musicians doted on; there was a “Stupid Girl” that the wicked rockers were fed up with. For every “Taxman,” “Postman,” and “Rich Man,” that the Beatles created, there was a “Street Fighting Man” in the evil minds of the Stones.
A great restaurant within walking distance of Stonehill’s campus, Thailand Restaurant closed on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 in the late evening hours. It was 21 years of age. Though the specific circumstances of death are unclear, employees close to the restaurant revealed it had to close because they were unable to renew the lease. Thailand Restaurant is survived by numerous employees who are always friendly, attentive, and hospitable to both new and returning customers. Thailand Restaurant offered excellent food at very reasonable prices. It was well known for amazing Pad Thai, super curry dishes, and an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet. Thailand Restaurant was a great getaway for students and local community members alike. It was known as a great spot where families of Stonehill students can go when they come to visit for a weekend, or perhaps after move-in day in the Fall or move-out day in the Spring. A place where students could escape the bland weekend cafeteria food, it was something different and delicious. It was an ideal location for a date, with a pleasant atmosphere. It was respected for not following the norm near a college campus of being either a pizza place or a liquor store, but instead being a culturally diverse and more adult/real-life dining experience. Thailand Restaurant, you will be missed dearly by many
It will though. Of quick note, this film is great. It is an all around well made piece of cinema with crisp editing, fantastic performances from the three main leads (Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush) as well as from the supporting roles, the cinematography is note worthy as is every other technical aspect of the film. It is, without question, well deserving of all of its 12 Oscar nominations. But, with all this in mind, I don’t believe it deserves the title of Best Picture of 2010. Please keep in mind, here there be spoilers.
Reason #1: This film is Oscar Bait. If you are unfamiliar with this term, it is a label put on the types of films that the Academy historically prefers. Most films that get nominated for Best Picture and the other major categories, to be fair, fall under this distinction. But, The King’s Speech falls under a particular brand of Oscar Bait. This particular brand is made up of the films that speak to the close relationship between cinema and theater and the drive to be recognized as a serious medium of art. This includes musicals (Nine), films about World War II, in particular the Holocaust (The Reader), and biopics, especially those about the British Crown (Elizabeth). If it is also a period piece, preferably set in Britain before World War II, you’re golden. The Academy, hoping to appear appreciative of fine art, will gladly push nominations on these types of films rather than the ones that took more risks and strayed away from the film making norm. This has been pointed to as the reason for Nine’s four Oscar nominations and The Reader getting a Best Picture nomination over the widely popular and critically acclaimed The Dark Knight. Not to say these types of films never deserve the recognition, but it is a well documented bias in the Academy’s history.
The King’s Speech manages to hit several of these notes. It is of course a period piece set in 1930’s London and tells the tale of the Duke of York becoming King George VI. Also, the main conflict of the film is the King attempting to overcome a stammer so his people will have faith in him and the country as it enters World War II. This is the type of World War II action that the academy loves: ignoring the dirty, ugly warfare and concentrating on the effects past the battlefield (see: Saving Private Ryan, which undeservedly lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love, a period piece). Oh, the Academy also loves films where the main character has to overcome a disability (see: Forrest Gump, which undeservedly won over one of the most influential films in recent history, Pulp Fiction).
I should mention that I don’t believe films like these should not be made. They tell interesting tales that are enjoyable and open overlooked chapters of history to a new audience. But, stacking the deck so heavily in one’s own favor for praise from the Academy is frustrating, especially when films attempt to do this every year. What I would like to see from future films of this particular sort that deal with the Crown are to take more risks in their film making and not to just play to the audience who will give you the award. Challenge your audience. Reason #2: The ending of the film is curious. For those who haven’t seen the film, King George gives a flawless speech to his nation, impressing his teacher/ friend, his wife, his country, and himself. With the victory under his cap he goes on his balcony to acknowledge his people. The country is ready for World War II! That last part bothers me. The film is meant to end on an uplifting note of personal triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. As the jovial, celebratory score kicks in and King George confidently stands over his people, all I can think is “How about some perspective here?” One of the most brutal struggles in the history of society is beginning, the Holocaust is occurring on the same continent, and I’m meant to be revelatory over the King of England overcoming a speech impediment? I’m aware, though, that this is where the story has to end and I doubt there was a way to keep what I just mentioned in context and still achieve a feel-good ending. It just leaves me with a poor taste in my mouth as I leave the theater.
Reason #3: The film’s not saying anything new or interesting. This is pretty much all my personal preference, but Best Picture should go to a film with subversive or challenging themes. The King’s Speech is about personal triumph, overcoming the obstacles each of us is presented from the day of our birth, learning to trust others, and, to a certain extent, fulfilling our destiny. These are all classic themes in cinema and are important for people to see and enjoy, but The King’s Speech does not do much to this established genre. One could argue that the film is trying to say something about class systems, mainly that we lose opportunities for greatness when this type of system is strictly observed. The film, though, fails to take this idea to fruition, settling for the need for classes shown by the importance of the King in the universe of the film. Thus, the film fails to challenge its audience and is happy to stay a good personal story of growth, which it does wonderfully. I just would hope for more from what is supposed to be the best film of the year.
If you haven’t heard of The Civil Wars yet, consider this your tip-off. You’re welcome.
This dynamic duo released their first full length album, Barton Hollow, a week ago and already it’s jumped to number one on iTunes list of hot buys. Rightfully so, I’d say. Sure, the couple got an auspicious vault into the public’s eye when their single “Poison & Wine” was played during an episode of Grey’s Anatomy; Taylor Swift’s benediction didn’t hurt either. But their hauntingly seductive tones and simple compositions have kept the river of success flowing.
While the music of The Civil Wars (Joy Williams and John Paul White) carries components of the neo-folk trend our hipster personas love, there is also a much deeper, raw, sensuous feel to their songs. Tracks like “Barton Hollow” draw images of the secrets in the nostalgic, dirty South (Bontemps anyone?) while “20 Years” bewitches and burrows into the heart of regret. And without fail Williams’ enchanting elegance mixes with White’s rough-hewn (yet somehow silky) depth to create duets that flow naturally, full of emotion and skill.
Look, you don’t have to take my word for it. I’ll even put the links here for you:
Dear Alarm Clock, Please feel free to take a vacation day tomorrow.
Sincerely, Lazy Ass.
The Sympathy Plea
Soooo sick today, can barely move ugh!
The “I Have Friends!”
Evelyn Brown and Jessica Smith are the funniest people in the world!!
The Shameless Plug
My band’s playing at McFarrell’s tonight, come check us out!
The Sports Update No One Needs
THE STEELERS ARE IN THE SUPER BOWL WOOT WOOT
The Weather Update No One Needs
It’s snowing!
The I Feel Guily for (staying up so late watching YouTube, drinking my body weight in alcohol, eating that entire pizza) so I’m Getting It Off My Chest
Four shots of vodka + five beers in two hours = bad idea
The I Need Plans Tonight!
Anyone going out tonight?
The I Have Plans Tonight!
Going out in Boston tonight with my besties!
The I Had So Much Fun Last Night!
Had a blast in Boston last night with my besties!
The This is How Much I Hate Homework/ Grad School Apps/ Work!
Why, why, why do I always leave writing essays to the last minute…
The Happy Holiday!
Happy President’s Day!
The Status of the Week
It’s Sister Week! If you have a sister who you love and will love forever, copy and post this status!! Or it’s like you’re saying you really don’t love your sister!!
The Optimum Way to Contact Me in the Near Future
Lost my phone so facebook me! or
Will be away from my computer this weekend so text me!
The Obscure Song Lyrics
“And the seasons, they go round and round, and the painted ponies go up and down…”
Annnnd of course:
The Intimate Details of My Daily Life
Just ate lunch (turkey sandwich with mayo and chips) now time to clip my toenails! They’re disgusting!
