Archive for December, 2009.
Posted on December 14th, 2009 by eeidelstein in
Blog Central I’ve always been a movie buff. Whether its an intense drama, a heartwarming romance, or a “mental hygiene movie” as my grandmother calls the stupid comedies, I know I’ve always liked films. And although I’m pretty new to the whole critiquing, I think I’m off to a good start at analyzing the most important points in a movie: the theme, the production behind the movie, as well as the general acting. And I know I’m no Roger Ebert, the Chicago Sun Times renowned reviewer, but I do know I’m a hell of a lot better than the Miami Herald’s Rene Rodriguez.
So anyway, last night I was researching top critic reviews on my recently reviewed film, Jim Sheridan’s Brothers, and while perusing through the numerous reviews, I came across our Miami Herald’s own Rene Rodriguez. I was immediately curious, as I heard that the Herald is known for rarely giving a film favorable reviews, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw the 2 stars, of 4. It didn’t frustrate me that he gave the film a bad review, after all it would be hypocritical of me, because even I, while reviewing District 9, gave the film bad reviews, despite top critics love of the movie. But what bothered me about Rene Rodriguez, is that I never seemed to understand what he was talking about. And I often found myself thinking if I saw the same movie he saw. And if this poor guy really does like movies, because the pay is certainly not the reason hes staying with the Herald.
“Brothers is a collection of strong moments that don’t add up to anything. The movie is all build-up.”
Okay I get it, he didn’t like the film, but if you’re going to say something as rash as that, please back it up, because I’m curious why the movie is a build up. What is it building up to? Whats not adding up? Its like Algebra all over again, an equation I cannot solve, ever. So anyway this brought two thoughts to my head, 1. I hope I’m missing something, and that Rodriguez, who has worked with the Herald since 1995, when I was just 1 years old, is really a lot better than I’m making him out to be. 2. If this is considered good writing, and good reviewing, then maybe I have a chance in a world were so many people are dying to hear an adolescents opinion on films. And that’s about, so please, tell me, am I this bad? Or read some of his reviews, and see for yourself.
Here is his Brothers review: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/story/1363154.html
-Eric Eidelstein
The Disney Corporation and the Grimm Brothers are to blame.
After all, they’re the ones who fed me lies about what to expect from the male population. They’re the ones who led me to believe men would go to great measures to win my heart. And they’re the ones who implied that men would come equipped with courage, honor, and respect to save my day.
So much for fairytale tales.
The truth is, most guys are scared out of their minds to talk to girls, let alone fight a battle for them. They’ll stare at the girl of their dreams for hours. They’ll watch her go through four years of high school and 40 boyfriends before getting up the courage to walk towards her and say “Hello.” And for most guys, “Hello” is the only thing that will make it out of their mouths.
Of course, times have changed and the role of the prince asking out his girl has slightly morphed into the princess asking out her frog. But movies such as 1998’s Can’t Hardly Wait and 2009’s I Love You, Beth Cooper have proved that the majority of the male population is still composed of silent observers.
Not all males are at fault. Indeed, there are a small number of guys who have made it completely clear of their attraction to the girl they adore. And while it may be unrequited, their love for the girl and courage to confess it surely goes noticed.
But this is for the guys who are scared to utter more than five words to the girl they love. This is for the guys who fear rejection more than they fear their mother’s yell. (Which, by the way, is two things men will always deny being afraid of.)
Suck it up. Stop staring at her and go talk to her. Stop sending mixed signals and say the words aloud. “I like you.” Practice it at home if you wish, but do not waste all of your hours away in front of the mirror. It’s not magic. The girl you want is NOT inside the mirror. She’s out there. In the real world.
Who knows? Maybe she’ll like you back and maybe she won’t. Maybe it’ll be the end of the world…and maybe it won’t. But you’ll never know until you get out there and tell her yourself.
If all you do is sit quietly and stare, you may just end up seeing your dream girl graduate with a complete idiot on her arm just because you lacked the courage to confess your feelings for her.
Remember, the idiot that, in freshman year, you called a dork and said that he’d never be able to get a girl, that they were all way out of his league?
Yeah, that one.
- Rayssa Gomes
The 11:04 lunch bell rings and my stomach growls for food. I open my turquoise Jansport in search of my beige plastic Publix bag only to find it’s not there. Then I realize I have left my lunch in my car. I start to walk to my parking spot when I am stopped by a security guard. “What are you doing?” he asks. I explain that I just need to go to my car for two minutes to grab my lunch. This is unacceptable. To get my lunch from my car, which is about 30 feet away, I have to travel to the front office, ask an administrator to radio the security guard at the back gate and then travel back to my car to get my food.
So I enter the attendance office and ask the aid for an administrator. She directs me to Cheryl Daniels, clerical, who then directs me to the main office. Once in the main office there is not an administrator in sight. It is now ten minutes until the end of lunch and I am still hungry without a way to get my food.
I have to ask, why do I need an official letter from President Barack Obama to access my car during school hours? Whether it’s getting my lunch, or my forgotten ID card, there is no way to cross the gates of hell to retrieve my belongings. Why is school security so strict that I am not allowed access my car even if I am in the guard’s line of vision? I am not going to leave school, I am just trying to calm my belly and continue my day full of energy. Security should not be so strict. I pose no threat by getting my lunch from my car. If anything, I am much more dangerous on an empty stomach.
SARA BERLIN, Editorial Editor
Fifteen years ago, there was no such thing as the World Wide Web. Today, chatting on the computer replaces a phone call. In a world where the Internet can be found in someone’s pocket, how does the art of communication survive?
In the new era of Facebook and instant messaging, it is easy to forget how to use your voice. Meeting with a live person can form a special connection. Because it is almost impossible to read peoples’ emotion in a text message, the connection formed through live interaction is lost. As a writer of The Lightning Strike, it has become my job to “conserve conversation.” When I interview someone for a story, it is important to meet with them in person so I can get a true sense of emotion in what they are saying. Anger, frustration, or happiness cannot be detected over a screen.
With this loss of conversation, the world will fall silent. Once everyone stops interacting in person, the special connection made between human beings will be lost. Is it possible that from now on the only relationship people have will be with a computer screen?
Congratulations fellow Floridians, we are finally not on the top of a list that screams negative connotation. Then again, we are not at the bottom either.
Ranked the 30th happiest state in the U.S, the sunny state may not be as “wealthy” or tolerant, characteristics that take role in what make a happy state, as Utah and Hawaii but we are merrily not at the bottom with West Virginia and Mississippi.
Gallup-Heathway’s Well-Being Index took a survey to find the “happiest” states in the U.S and what makes these states happier than their fellow neighbors. The study included an overall evaluation of people’s lives: physical, mental and emotional health, along with job satisfaction were all taken into consideration.
Although tolerance and wealth are key factors, the top three states, Utah, Hawaii and Wyoming, are not entirely economically healthier than any state below them. Hawaii offers a relaxed environment were stress levels tend to be lower. Regions with more racial and sexual minorities, such as African-Americans and gays, also tend to have happier people. People feel accepted in the environment they are in and do not feel the need to move away because they feel they feel less threatened.
Education also plays a key role in happiness. Although we can assume that this is not the reason for Florida, considering it takes 50th place for education. Our white beaches, party atmosphere and large diversity can be the reason for not completely falling to the bottom. Yet, we all know that focusing on education can not only help us grow as individuals but as a state as well.
Better education can lead to better employment rates and better employments rates lead to a better pay. Better pay can provide us and our families with our necessities and desires which can also increase our moods and confidence. When solving or trying to improve just one issue, this issue being education, we have the ability to solve others.
We may not be the worst state but that does not mean we shouldn’t strive to be the best if we have the ability to.
On January 1, 2010, two of Florida’s biggest collegiate rivals will close their doors on enormous eras. Bobby Bowden will coach the Florida State Seminoles for the final time in the Gator Bowl; Tim Tebow will take his final snaps at quarterback for the Florida Gators against the Cincinnati Bearcats. In one case, we have the departure of Bowden, the renowned head coach who turned a seemingly unheard of Florida State program and turned them into a perennial powerhouse for the next 34 years. On the other hand, there is Tebow, the quarterback who has been the face of college football for the past 3 years, winning the Heisman trophy in 2007 and leading his Florida Gators to a 2008 National Championship title. So the question stands: whose loss will be greater? One cannot deny the turnaround effect Bowden had on FSU, but how could one replace arguably the greatest player in the history of college football? To answer these questions we have to look at the accomplishments of these individuals in more depth. In Bowden’s 34 year run at FSU, he became the only coach in Division 1-A football history to have compiled four consecutive seasons of ten or more wins and have his team finish in the top five of the Associated Press College Football Poll. Tebow became the first player in college football history to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a single season and the first player to win the Heisman trophy as a sophomore. No matter how you look at it, whether you do the “tomahawk chop” or the “gator chomp” the fact is that two of Florida’s top collegiate programs will have very different looks next season. Whose loss will be greater? We’ll have to wait until the final games are over.
By Eric Eidelstein
America is the home of the brave, but when the brave suddenly die fighting for their country, are the estranged people left behind entitled to start steamy affairs with their deceased lover’s brother? I think not.
“All’s fair in love and war,” but who to love, when one’s at war? Director Jim Sheridan recreates Brothers, the critically acclaimed Danish film, but this time with a bigger budget, and some A-list actors.
The war torn Cahills begin to deal with the loss of father and husband Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire), who dies fighting in Afghanistan. Grace Cahill (Natalie Portman) plays the sweet and innocent American housewife who raises two daughters, after the supposed death of her husband. Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), brother of Sam, is fresh from the slammer, and suddenly decides to abandon his bad boy streak to care for his two nieces, and eventually his attractive sister-in-law.
Months later, in the midst of a suburban winter, snowball fights and all, Grace receives a call from the military saying that her husband is in fact alive. Overwhelmed with joy, the family is seen waving at Sam as he arrives home, but most noticeably is his facial expression, which screams post traumatic stress disorder. And if that’s not enough, the scene then skips to Tommy whose face clearly shows his disappointment in his brother’s return.
From then on the once slow paced film becomes a jumble of anger, astonishment, atonement, and a lot of admiration on my part. Maguire’s rage is evident, Gyllenhaal’s involvement is undeniable, and Portman’s radiance is irresistible, as the three protagonists find themselves dealing with the inescapable; the bonds of brotherhood, the lies in relationships, and the Afghan War that plagues so many military families.
Although the movie was slow until its peak, the entire cast portrayed their roles incredibly well.
Brothers made a clear parallel between two specific scenes: Sam and his toils as a prisoner in Afghanistan, and the Cahills back in suburbia as they cope with Sam’s supposed death. I got the opportunity to see what changed Sam from the loving father to psychotic veteran, as well as Tommy’s ascent from druggie to responsible adult. Tommy, who is neglected by his father, becomes the “Sam” the family needs, and he finds what he needs as well, acceptance. Grace on the other hand finds herself torn between her deceased high school sweetheart, and his not so square brother. And just as the puzzle pieces come together, they all fall apart, and that’s what I loved about the film, the way destiny was unpredictable, while being honest was still possible.
Brothers was clever, brilliantly acted, Oscar worthy, and even after the end credits finished rolling I was left wondering why I loved it so much, and then I realized; all isn’t fair in love and war, and that’s what made Brothers so fantastic.
When it comes to melodramatic lyrics, nobody does it better than 30 Seconds to Mars. The group has more songs crying out for attention than lead singer, Fight Club’s Jared Leto has careers. From “Closer to the Edge” to “Night of the Hunter”, their new CD, This is War, proves to be another overwrought display by 30 Seconds to Mars.
For two albums, despite the repetitive meaning of their lyrics, they have entranced us with driving synths, powerful drum beats, and sympathetic crying out, however, in their third album, released today, the band decided to add techno beats and animalistic sounds. Songs such as “L490” and “Stranger in a Strange Land” sound like they came directly out of The Lion King. 30 Seconds to Mars’ sense of individuality and uniqueness is what made them famous, yet in This is War, they took their distinct sound a little too far into the next species.
On “Vox Populi”, they have reached the saturation point, even for the most zealous 30 Seconds to Mars fans. While the CD is intriguing- to say the least- it sounds like African tribes raving at a Nickelback concert. The song starts out with techno sounds, then starts to mix with what sounds like a tribal version of the drumbeat from We Will Rock You. Children’s voices start to chant, which is a little bit too much Pink Floyd for this modern alternative rock group.
The album does have its moments, such as when Leto sings “Tell me would you kill to save a life/ Tell me would you kill to prove your right.” Those lyrics, in the song “Hurricane” seem to mirror their past two albums, whose words could relate to most listeners. In this song, they went back to their roots of a pungent, powerful keyboard with keen, crisp vocals.
The irritating thing is that they’ll start off the song with annoying chants and sounds of the wind, which will push most listeners away, but after 45 seconds, such as in the song “This is War,” they will make a bipolar shift into their alternative rock sound. If the band would have stuck with their distinct rock sound from the beginning of their songs, and slowly weened their listeners off of that sound, and into their new animalistic techno sound, it might have been more effective.
But on the whole, this is a CD full of moshposhed good ideas that just need to be polished off a little. 30 Seconds to Mars has a good sound, but is greatly in need of Lithium to keep their sound steady and less sporadic.
Everyone has to face it sometime: Print newspapers may not survive the technological revolution.
We read it in the headlines all the time. Some major paper has cut 250 jobs, another one is hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and another one has completely closed its doors. We read about the closing of a newsroom and yet deny it will happen to us, but as a realistic student journalist, I know it might happen before I even get my foot in the door.
However, if newspapers are no longer accepted by the general population then they must shift their efforts where the population is looking– the web.
The shift from print to online may be a long and rough process, but is vital for the survival of reliable journalism. Embrace websites, embrace social-media, and embrace blogging. They can all work to your advantage.
To our readers:
I can not emphasize the importance of supporting journalism. The free press is essential to democracy and freedom, but it comes at a price. We don’t ask for you to relinquish your civil liberties, but just pay for the news you read. It’s a small price for freedom, really. We live in a capitalist country and even though journalists are in no means in it for the money, they still have to make enough to feed themselves and their family.
To The Lightning Strike Crew:
As a source once told me, you have to learn to move with the cheese. Personally, as a vegan, I do not associate myself with this dairy-product, but this saying has a valid point. I love the feel of newspaper. I love being able to laminate your story and watching the Sun fade the color. I even love the smell of freshly printed paper, but I believe that one day that powerful smell might become just another scent marketed by perfume manufacturers to old newspaper junkies looking for a fix of truth. However, the conversion to online can be a journalist’s best friend if done correctly. Online stories have the potential to be viewed many times more than any print story, and the reach of the story is not just local, but global.
Do not let yourself get caught up in the past. Part of being a journalist today is flexibility. You must be willing to take on any story, take pictures, shoot video, record audio, edit any multimedia work, design layouts and even published online.
Do not let your talent and hard work go to waste by refusing to write for the web.
Pursue your gift and the truth.
Let’s call her Bridget and him Tom. They bicker and pick at each other’s faults until they have nothing else to say. Going on two years now, one would assume they were a happy couple. But then he tells his friend that that they fight over everything, and she’s jealous of a girl who he dated three years ago and does not even hang out with anymore. She is jealous of the relationship they had—the “clique” they have when they’re together. (Did I mention that the other girl has a boyfriend?) Looking at the surface, one would conclude that this other girl and Tom have moved on and she no longer poses a threat to Bridget. It’s not good enough, though. Bridget hates her and will always be jealous because some girls are never satisfied. Carrie Bradshaw says it best: “Practically all the relationships I know are based on a foundation of lies and mutually accepted delusion.” They successfully convince themselves that staying together and being miserable, is happiness and acceptable. This misery is all they know, and it’s what they’re comfortable with. It’s been so long since they had a healthy relationship with someone that they think it’s normal to fight over “little things,” when they both know it’s stupid. They feed off of each other’s complaints, which turn into comforts, and that’s what keeps them going.
Couples should make one another happy, that’s the objective. Either pick your battles and move on, or end the relationship before two years come, your friends have left you, and you are all alone.
