WANTED: Super Bad Dawgs - The Reflector - News
I haven't really had time to update between homework and everything else. Lately, I've been spending all my free time in Mississippi State's archives to research notorious students for a series of articles called Super Bad Dawgs. I also found a lot of other interesting, random stuff that doesn't apply to the articles whatsoever, but now I feel smarter.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
I Don't Have Homework ... Shocking
In between duties for The Reflector and ranting over the Emmys, I've had quite a bit of homework over the past week and a half. Not that I mind doing it, of course, because I'm at Mississippi State to learn — but it is exciting to have a day, every once in a while, that doesn't require much responsibility. Sadly, I do have a weirdly place night class on Tuesdays, but it's only for fifty minutes and then I'm free. (For the record, I don't like night class at all. Thank goodness it's only once a week.)
I got my "Lost" Blu-rays in the mail on Friday and have only gotten to enjoy bits and pieces of them. But I did watch the twelve minute epilogue to the series. It's a great way to wrap up some of the story lines and mysteries that weren't mentioned in the finale, and I really loved how they brought at certain original character back. I really recommend anyone who watched the show to check out the new footage. Or just buy the Blu-rays. I'm really enjoying what I have been able to watch and look through.
Last Tuesday I also didn't have much homework and managed to tear through the last book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. I really liked it a lot better than the last book (of course, I'd really have to because "Catching Fire" wasn't good at all) and wrote a review of it for The Reflector. You can find it here. Sadly, I don't have a book to read this Tuesday, but hopefully I can come up with something constructive (yet fun and slightly lazy) to do. I'm just so excited to have free time, even if it's only for a day.
I got my "Lost" Blu-rays in the mail on Friday and have only gotten to enjoy bits and pieces of them. But I did watch the twelve minute epilogue to the series. It's a great way to wrap up some of the story lines and mysteries that weren't mentioned in the finale, and I really loved how they brought at certain original character back. I really recommend anyone who watched the show to check out the new footage. Or just buy the Blu-rays. I'm really enjoying what I have been able to watch and look through.
Last Tuesday I also didn't have much homework and managed to tear through the last book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. I really liked it a lot better than the last book (of course, I'd really have to because "Catching Fire" wasn't good at all) and wrote a review of it for The Reflector. You can find it here. Sadly, I don't have a book to read this Tuesday, but hopefully I can come up with something constructive (yet fun and slightly lazy) to do. I'm just so excited to have free time, even if it's only for a day.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Guess What I Bought?
Yesterday, I became the proud purchaser of "Lost: The Complete Collection." I still can't believe the series is over, and I don't think it will really hit me until Tuesday night spring television begins. It was the most original, exciting and frustrating television series of the twenty-first century and the first show I bothered to follow and watch live and, no matter how weird it got, I never gave up on it.
I can't wait until when the show is actually released on Blu-Ray, so that I can own it and force all of my friends to watch it with me. Get ready, guys. You're about to be converted ... whether you like it or not.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Summer Reading: How I Discovered My New Favorite Book
This week, my sister went back to school on Thursday. On Monday, I realized I had few plans after Wednesday, so I needed something to do. I decided instead of calling my friends at home and forcing them to do stuff with me or doing something constructive (like packing) I would go to the library and pick-up a few books to read.
Somehow, I stumbled upon "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman — a humorous take on the Apocalypse foretold in the Bible. The book follows Aziraphale, an angel, and Crowley, a demon, who have both become accustomed to life on Earth and each other. After having bonded over their love for classical music, sushi and slight disinterest in their sides' agendas for thousands of years, the two supernatural beings have become closer to being friends than enemies.
After living his life happily for thousands of years, Crowley receives a wake-up call when he discovers the Anti-Christ will rise and begin the end of the world. He doesn't like this because Hell doesn't have the pleasures Earth holds. So, with the help of Aziraphale (who will also miss doing something other than strumming the harp for eternity), Crowley sets out to convince the Anti-Christ to be a force for good so the world will never end. Which means he can eat sushi for eternity. Not that their plans pan out, of course...
I've always admired Neil Gaiman and have been dying to read "The Graveyard Book" since it first was published (I'm in the middle of it now), and I hoped this book would be just as hilarious as the review on its jacket promised (not that those reviews mean much, after all, the publisher picks them out). The reviews did not overrate the book, and I found myself reading until one a.m. in the morning and snickering as a character delivered a particularly snarky remark.
During the moments when Crowley and Aziraphale were on the page together, the book truly became alive and the fast moving dialogue snapped with life. I loved every minute I spent with the demon and angel and when the book focused on the other characters (who were likable as well and actually were fleshed out), I sometimes felt myself wondering when I could get back to the unlikely duo's antics.
And, even though the book was extremely funny, it carried weight with the implications Gaiman and Pratchett left at the end of their story. It lets the reader question who is good, who is evil, what destiny means and how one becomes the way one is. I was captivated and fascinated by each part of the book, and when I closed the pages of the novel I was left with the impression that I could read it again and again and still not catch all of the subtle details the authors layered in their story.
My only regret? That I didn't discover this book earlier. It was published a little over twenty years ago, though it is so oddly relevant it could have been published today.
Monday, July 19, 2010
How Did I End Up With All of This?
Today I was planning to sleep in. But, as luck would have it, my phone (which is never on silent because I always forget to turn it off despite it going off every morning) decided to wake me up. And somehow, instead of wasting my time, I ended up cleaning a good deal of my room. It turns out I own a lot of things I don't really care about.
For example, somehow, despite talking about for years how the "Twilight" books aren't well-written at all I own all four of them. And they're actually placed somewhat neatly on my shelf. It's not that they're horrible, or anything. I just realized many of my favorite books ("Wuthering Heights," "David Copperfield," "13 Reasons Why" and "Jurassic Park," to name a few) aren't in my house. Do I really want to own escapist fantasy I'll never read again instead of books I've checked out of the library so many times it's slightly embarrassing?
But I get points back for owning all of the "Harry Potter" books, right? Because they will be known as classics just like "Alice in Wonderland" and "Watership Down" are one day.
Even when I went through my movies I discovered I don't even want to watch half of the DVDs in my collection ever again. In high school, when most of these were purchased, I apparently really liked romantic comedies and superheroes. And, for the record, "Spiderman 2" and "The Dark Knight" are probably the greatest comic book movies ever made and are simply good in general. But the fact remains that in twenty years I probably won't care about "Night at the Museum" or "Fool's Gold." In fact, I never really cared about "Fool's Gold" because it was just ... bad.
Despite "Saving Private Ryan," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Toy Story 2" and "The Princess Bride" being some of my favorite movies since I first saw them, I've never bothered to buy them. And it's probably because I've just impulsively bought things that I felt like reading or watching at the moment.
But that's why we have the library and Netflix. So I can borrow fluff books and movies instead of turning my room into a hoard of "entertainment." It's too bad I didn't figure this out five years ago and saved myself the trouble of trying to decide what to do with all of my junk.
For example, somehow, despite talking about for years how the "Twilight" books aren't well-written at all I own all four of them. And they're actually placed somewhat neatly on my shelf. It's not that they're horrible, or anything. I just realized many of my favorite books ("Wuthering Heights," "David Copperfield," "13 Reasons Why" and "Jurassic Park," to name a few) aren't in my house. Do I really want to own escapist fantasy I'll never read again instead of books I've checked out of the library so many times it's slightly embarrassing?
But I get points back for owning all of the "Harry Potter" books, right? Because they will be known as classics just like "Alice in Wonderland" and "Watership Down" are one day.
Even when I went through my movies I discovered I don't even want to watch half of the DVDs in my collection ever again. In high school, when most of these were purchased, I apparently really liked romantic comedies and superheroes. And, for the record, "Spiderman 2" and "The Dark Knight" are probably the greatest comic book movies ever made and are simply good in general. But the fact remains that in twenty years I probably won't care about "Night at the Museum" or "Fool's Gold." In fact, I never really cared about "Fool's Gold" because it was just ... bad.
Despite "Saving Private Ryan," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Toy Story 2" and "The Princess Bride" being some of my favorite movies since I first saw them, I've never bothered to buy them. And it's probably because I've just impulsively bought things that I felt like reading or watching at the moment.
But that's why we have the library and Netflix. So I can borrow fluff books and movies instead of turning my room into a hoard of "entertainment." It's too bad I didn't figure this out five years ago and saved myself the trouble of trying to decide what to do with all of my junk.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Supporting Characters: The Real Reason Brilliant Movies Work
Author's Note: The following post contains some slight spoilers for "Inception," "Saving Private Ryan" and "Spiderman."
"Inception" is a brilliant movie. It was worth going at midnight and is worth seeing again — which is a good thing because apparently sometime next week I'm taking my little sister and her friend to go see it. You can read my review of it here. This morning at 2 a.m., I was excited about the intricate plot and the mysteries Christopher Nolan left unsolved. Today, however, when I considered my favorite parts of the movie I realized I loved the character development of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) — the man Dom Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio's character, is hired to target.
Most of the film rightfully focused on Cobb and his family history and why he became a fugitive. However, I was more interested in Fischer and his broken relationship with his father. Murphy's performance was captivating, and it was emotional to watch the young man come to terms with how his father viewed him and how he could become his own man. The final scene Fischer had before he woke up from his dream was the most gratifying part of the movie for me as an audience member — it brought his character full circle and almost moved me to tears. But not quite.
Supporting characters stealing the show is nothing new — I remember watching "Saving Private Ryan" for the first time. While I cared about John Miller (Tom Hanks) and came to admire Private Ryan (Matt Damon), the one character I connected with was Upham (Jeremy Davies).
His struggle to deal with being thrown into the harsh reality of war and combat was affecting and real. Though many people I have discussed the movie with have called Upham a coward, I never saw him as one. I simply saw the consequences a gritty, hopeless reality can have on one's soul. Upham was a scholar, a philosopher who was never built for war. His compassion for Steamboat Willie in the middle of the movie showed someone struggling to be different and break away from the endless killing cycle. And, finally, when Upham reached his turning point in the climax, it's easy to see turmoil and a rush of emotions cross his face. Through his performance, Davies helped make "Saving Private Ryan" one of the most emotional, if not the most emotional, war movies of all time.
Even in straightforward superhero movies sympathetic supporting stars strengthen the overall plot. Throughout the entire Sam Raimi "Spiderman" franchise, James Franco's Harry Osborne was the character whose story arc was the most unpredictable and compelling. As Harry struggled with who to trust and what to do, the audience empathized — even when he knowingly turned on Peter momentarily. Though some (like my friend April, for example) were only upset at the end of the third movie when they realized they could no longer stare at James Franco were a sequel to be made, I cried for the loss of a great character.
I don't think I'm alone — I mean, how many people's favorite character from "Harry Potter" is Harry? Or Bella from "Twilight?" While main characters usually make or break a movie, book or television show, it's the supporting roles that give some of the best surprises and depth.
"Inception" is a brilliant movie. It was worth going at midnight and is worth seeing again — which is a good thing because apparently sometime next week I'm taking my little sister and her friend to go see it. You can read my review of it here. This morning at 2 a.m., I was excited about the intricate plot and the mysteries Christopher Nolan left unsolved. Today, however, when I considered my favorite parts of the movie I realized I loved the character development of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) — the man Dom Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio's character, is hired to target.
Most of the film rightfully focused on Cobb and his family history and why he became a fugitive. However, I was more interested in Fischer and his broken relationship with his father. Murphy's performance was captivating, and it was emotional to watch the young man come to terms with how his father viewed him and how he could become his own man. The final scene Fischer had before he woke up from his dream was the most gratifying part of the movie for me as an audience member — it brought his character full circle and almost moved me to tears. But not quite.
Supporting characters stealing the show is nothing new — I remember watching "Saving Private Ryan" for the first time. While I cared about John Miller (Tom Hanks) and came to admire Private Ryan (Matt Damon), the one character I connected with was Upham (Jeremy Davies).
His struggle to deal with being thrown into the harsh reality of war and combat was affecting and real. Though many people I have discussed the movie with have called Upham a coward, I never saw him as one. I simply saw the consequences a gritty, hopeless reality can have on one's soul. Upham was a scholar, a philosopher who was never built for war. His compassion for Steamboat Willie in the middle of the movie showed someone struggling to be different and break away from the endless killing cycle. And, finally, when Upham reached his turning point in the climax, it's easy to see turmoil and a rush of emotions cross his face. Through his performance, Davies helped make "Saving Private Ryan" one of the most emotional, if not the most emotional, war movies of all time.
Even in straightforward superhero movies sympathetic supporting stars strengthen the overall plot. Throughout the entire Sam Raimi "Spiderman" franchise, James Franco's Harry Osborne was the character whose story arc was the most unpredictable and compelling. As Harry struggled with who to trust and what to do, the audience empathized — even when he knowingly turned on Peter momentarily. Though some (like my friend April, for example) were only upset at the end of the third movie when they realized they could no longer stare at James Franco were a sequel to be made, I cried for the loss of a great character.
I don't think I'm alone — I mean, how many people's favorite character from "Harry Potter" is Harry? Or Bella from "Twilight?" While main characters usually make or break a movie, book or television show, it's the supporting roles that give some of the best surprises and depth.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Instant Gratification Entertainment
Tonight, or rather tomorrow morning, I am going to see Christopher Nolan's new movie "Inception" at midnight. This is nothing new for me; I've been to eight midnight movie premieres — mostly just so I could experience the thrill of seeing the films before most of the viewing public. It's also rather amusing to watch "Twilight" fan girls hyperventilate over the fact that two fictional characters are about to kiss. Yes, despite not being a big fan of Stephenie Meyer's vampire stories, I attended the midnight showings of the first two movies. They're more enjoyable that way, anyway.
It doesn't matter what I have going on next day when there's a movie out I want to go see at midnight. When "Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was released I had an AP US History final exam the next day, but I showed up to the theater all the same and made it through school on three hours of sleep.
I was even convinced to dress up for the midnight premiere of the film version of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." Ten of us dressed up. My friend Katie even made a Golden Snitch costume. It was a very fun night and a great adrenaline rush.
I've even gone to two midnight book releases: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn." I was excited to be apart of history as the seventh "Harry Potter" book was released and read to from cover to cover after my friends and I bought copies. I agreed to go to the midnight release of "Breaking Dawn" for my friends' birthday celebrations. It was the most boring four hours of my life — we even bought coloring books so we'd have something to do. The wait was made worse by the fact that I didn't care. At all.
Even though television shows do not have special releases, I still insist upon watching my favorite programs live. I even watch the Oscars, possibly the biggest waste of a Sunday night, instead of waiting for internet updates so I can see who wins.
It's not really an obsession, I just like knowing and experiencing things before everyone else does. I don't want to be spoiled — especially when it comes to movies like "Inception" whose plot hinges on secrecy or cultural tent poles like the final "Harry Potter" book. With the internet, the potential to have plot summaries spoiled has increased exponentially. I just want my entertainment experience to be as pure as possible. Because, really, would being spoiled lessens the emotional impact and surprise. It's just not the same. Besides, it's entertaining to watch fangirls and fanboys get worked up to the point of crazy.
It doesn't matter what I have going on next day when there's a movie out I want to go see at midnight. When "Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was released I had an AP US History final exam the next day, but I showed up to the theater all the same and made it through school on three hours of sleep.
I was even convinced to dress up for the midnight premiere of the film version of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." Ten of us dressed up. My friend Katie even made a Golden Snitch costume. It was a very fun night and a great adrenaline rush.
I've even gone to two midnight book releases: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn." I was excited to be apart of history as the seventh "Harry Potter" book was released and read to from cover to cover after my friends and I bought copies. I agreed to go to the midnight release of "Breaking Dawn" for my friends' birthday celebrations. It was the most boring four hours of my life — we even bought coloring books so we'd have something to do. The wait was made worse by the fact that I didn't care. At all.
Even though television shows do not have special releases, I still insist upon watching my favorite programs live. I even watch the Oscars, possibly the biggest waste of a Sunday night, instead of waiting for internet updates so I can see who wins.
It's not really an obsession, I just like knowing and experiencing things before everyone else does. I don't want to be spoiled — especially when it comes to movies like "Inception" whose plot hinges on secrecy or cultural tent poles like the final "Harry Potter" book. With the internet, the potential to have plot summaries spoiled has increased exponentially. I just want my entertainment experience to be as pure as possible. Because, really, would being spoiled lessens the emotional impact and surprise. It's just not the same. Besides, it's entertaining to watch fangirls and fanboys get worked up to the point of crazy.
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