Amelia Borger Staff Writer Hacksaw Ridge. Where do I start with this movie? I went in thinking I would see a World War Two movie similar to the likes of Saving Private Ryan, but I was in for something more brutal and true. Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Private Desmond T. Doss, an American army medic who refused to bear arms in combat. Doss saved seventy-five men during the Battle of Okinawa after the call came to retreat off top of the hundred foot ridge, and he stayed behind enemy lines avoiding Japanese soldiers and shelling from American and Japanese ships. He was the first Conscientious Objector to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Andrew Garfield does a remarkable job of portraying the skinny marine, bringing the true grit needed for a role like this one. He is alongside Teresa Palmer, playing Doss’s beautiful wife, Dorothy, who brings an angelic and softer sense of hope to the film. Their love story brings a sense of innocence to the film and another sense of what the reality was with couples being separated during the war. Vince Vaughn delivers a promising performance with the role of Sergeant Howell, a role that is definitely out of his comfort zone, but he provides brute humor and pathos to bring laughs and a pause for thought with a fantastically written script. Andrea Tyson Staff Writer Fifty-four years ago Marilyn Monroe stood in Madison Square Garden in New York City preparing to sing in front of fifteen-thousand people. In the sea of the crowd, there were photographers, business men and women, and paparazzi, but among them was the President of the United States at the time, John F. Kennedy. The event was held ten days before Kennedy’s forty-fifth birthday, but fifty-four years later everyone is still mesmerized by one thing from that night-- Marilyn’s infamous dress. After World War II a new trend in films was coming about-- nudity and censorship. Some bombshells of the time, including Deborah Kurr, Rida Hayworth, and Marilyn Monroe, paved the way for hierarchical diffusion of this new popular culture trend to spread. This cultural boom was an event that everyone knew was going to come, but many, many people were not ready for it to happen. Despite all of this, designers continued to create what was then considered scandalous clothing for these bombshells to wear and the public to see. One of these designers was Jean Louis, a designer born in 1907 in France, who moved to Hollywood to work in the film industry. Let me tell you-- he was successful. Louis’s clothes were considered risque and outrageous at the time he made them, but they are now considered charming. He worked for more than forty years in Hollywood with some of the biggest celebrities of the time including Deborah Kurr, Rida Hayworth, Katherine Hepburn and, you guessed it, Marilyn Monroe. Andrea Tyson Staff Writer The comic books that we have grown up with are getting a makeover. For years, comic books only told stories revolving around science-fiction: traveling to outer space, using supersuits with technologically-advanced weapons to defeat villains, and other stories that occurred on an Earth hundreds of years from now. In recent years, however, comic books have been used to illustrate topics in the realm of science through stories. For most young children, picture books are their introduction to reading. You sit down in bed right before bedtime and beg Mom or Dad to read just one more story until they figure out an hour has passed, and you should already be asleep. Teachers and artists are taking advantage of this and are now using comic books as a tool for education. McKenzie Feldman Staff Writer A season full of fabulous opening numbers and star-studded routines wrapped up with the season twenty-three winner, Laurie Hernandez. The Olympic gold medalist was a fan favorite from the start, and many are not surprised she walked away with the coveted mirror ball trophy. However, it cannot go unsaid how much finalists James Hinchcliffe and Calvin Johnson stole America’s hearts as well. This was the first time in the show’s history that the final three came down to all athletes. The growth of all three stars was evident on the ballroom dance floor during the unforgettable two-night finale event. Monday night started with the four remaining teams performing the redemption dances. The judges were not holding anything back in their scores; after all it is the finals. Surprisingly, none of the remaining finalists scored perfectly in their redemption dances. Judge Len Goodman called Johnson the most improved dancer in the finals, and Judge Julianne Hough said Hinchcliffe was the perfect package. Ironically, the judges made great comments, but only a few tens were given! Jessica Stiehm News Editor You’ll be hard pressed to meet a person today that doesn’t know who Harry Potter is. But what about Newt Scamander? Last Friday, Nov. 18, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them premiered in the U.S, kicking off the five-movie saga with smashing success. Opening weekend made $75 million, and as the Thanksgiving holiday commences, revenue is only expected to climb. J.K Rowling herself wrote the screenplay, has already finished the second one, and has ideas for the third. I had the pleasure of seeing the film opening night, and I was blown away. Don’t worry if you aren’t a Harry Potter fan; the movie has the unique stand-alone quality that invites viewers who haven’t seen any of the Harry Potter movies to still enjoy it. Taking the magical world to America was a fantastic idea because it’s nothing like Harry Potter’s world. Old and new fans alike will enjoy in the culture shock that is inevitable once the first scene plays. Warning: Minor plot and character spoilers ahead. Jacob Sosdian Staff Writer Do you love watching The Avengers? Welcome the newest member of the Avengers, Doctor Strange. I was really excited to see this movie because I always wanted to know who would play a powerful character and how he would connect with the other Marvel films. Well, they did a good job with that. Doctor Strange is about a former neurosurgeon that embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Steven Strange, and he played the perfect part. The first time I saw Benedict Cumberbatch was in War Horse and then I became a fan when he played Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness. Then we have Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Mordo. He is best known for playing Solomon Northup in three winning Oscar film 12 Years a Slave. Then we have our supporting actors Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, and Mads Mikkelson. Jacob Sosdian Staff Writer Swiss Army Man was a really good film; in fact, it is probably one of the best independent films I have seen in a while. Swiss Army Man is about a man named Hank who is stranded on a small island. Hank sees a dead body that washed to shore and befriends it. Together they go on a surreal journey to get home. It may sound weird, and you may ask yourself how this could be a good movie; well this is why. The two main characters are Paul Dano, who is known for being in Little Miss Sunshine and There will be Blood, and Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the dead body. Daniel Radcliffe is my favorite young actor who is known for being in a popular series Harry Potter. Swiss Army Man has its cheesy moments, but this film has a powerful meaning and that’s one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much. It has a unique understanding about life and love, and after watching it I wanted to go out and do something adventurous. The directors, Daniel Scheinert and Dan Kwan, are new faces to Hollywood; they have only worked on short films and a little bit of everything else. What I like about this is that they created something different from other movies, and I can’t wait to see if they will ever work on another project together. Jessica Stiehm News Editor The North Dakota Access Pipeline has been a heated subject of debate since its approval several months ago. The $3.8 billion pipeline traverses four states and passes under the Missouri River twice, inciting environmental concerns from people across the nation. In addition to the danger element in case of an oil spill, the pipeline cuts through Historical and Sacred ground belonging to the Native American Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Despite the thousands of protesters that have come together to rally against the pipeline, construction has continued and priceless history has been lost to the bulldozers. However, the opposition has gained massive media attention resulting in none other than, the Divergent actress, Shailene Woodley’s support. The star was recently charged with criminal trespassing, and she livestreamed her arrest via Facebook. Andrea Tyson Staff Writer Alicia Keys is a singer who we have all heard about. She produces music that evokes feeling, littered with metaphors and symbols that are unique to how she feels. Keys is a successful, beautiful woman, but her decision to stop wearing makeup earlier this year has sparked interest in many people. This week Keys has been put under a lot of scrutiny after her makeup artist revealed that she may not be as barefaced as we thought. But is it worth everyone’s time to get worked up over “pore less face definer mattifier?” Jacob Sosdian Staff Writer Are you a big fan of classic rock? Do you love classic rock bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, or even The Rolling Stones? If you do, you are going to like what you hear. After over a decade The Rolling Stones are back to make a new album. The band announced on Thursday that they are coming out with a new album that will be released on Dec. 12. They are naming the new album Blue & Lonesome and that the album has twelve tracks that they recorded in three days at the British Grove Studios in West London. Co-producer Don Was said, "This album is manifest testament to the purity of their love for making music, and the blues is, for the Stones, the fountainhead of everything they do”. The iconic Rolling Stones logo is now blue. In 2005 they came out with an album called A Bigger Bang. Here is some background information for those of you “too young” to know who the Rolling Stones are. |
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