The Terrifying 10: Our list of the Scariest Movies of All Time October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentRoss Bonaime, Staff Writer
As Halloween rolls around this week, it is time to reflect on a yearly mainstay of the season: the scary movie.
While Saw VI comes out with its latest iteration on how to convolutedly kill people within a ragged plotline, I implore you this Halloween to check out some of the films that are actually frightening. With that, here are the top ten greatest scary movies.
10. Let the Right One In
Vampires may have regained popularity with Twilight, but this Swedish film did it much better.
Oskar is a kid who falls in love with Eli, a little girl who moved in next door, and just so happens to be a vampire.
The film succeeds by not glorifying vampirism and showing how horrifying and lecherous being a vampire truly could be.
9. The Blair Witch Project
This low-budget handheld horror film redefined how easily movies can be made and just how terrifying a movie with a small budget about three friends lost in the woods can be scarier than the typical big-budget horror fare. Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity – say thank you.
8. The Sixth Sense
Remember when M. Night Shyamalan was being called the next Hitchcock?
Before he made movies about killer air and swimming pool elves, Shyamalan made this eerie study of a child who could see dead people.
Shyamalan made audiences as scared as a little Haley Joel Osment and supplied them with one of the greatest movie twists of all time.
7. 28 Days Later
While George Romero became renowned for his world full of zombies, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later showed a much more realistic and frightening reality where zombies have taken over the world.
The story of four survivors working their way through England not only was creepy but also had a great emotional backbone to it as well.
6. M
One of the greatest serial killer movies of all time, director Fritz Lang utilized the chilling styles developed through German Expressionism used in earlier horror films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu and made this stunning look at a child-killer and the small town trying to track him down.
5. Scream
The best parodies work when the film is also an exceptional addition into the genre they are lampooning.
A perfect example is Scream, which builds on the audience’s previous knowledge of horror films and even uses it to trick and trap the characters within the movie.
Scream took a hilarious look at scary movies while also becoming one itself.
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Like The Blair Witch Project after it, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre became a unsuspecting independent film that went on to revolutionize horror films and become one of the first slasher films.
The film follows a group of five friends on a road trip who end up in the house of a bizarre, cannibalistic family, protected by the horrendous Leatherface.
The audience has just about as much knowledge of what’s going on as the friends, and that combined with the iconic Leatherface makes this a great classic.
3. The Shining
If anyone could make a thought-provoking, intelligent, yet still unnerving horror film, it was the late, great Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson leads his abused family into a summer resort to watch over it for the winter.
However, Nicholson starts to become unsettled by the house and starts to go crazy. The Shining’s study of Nicholson’s psyche as he drifts into insanity makes it not only a great scary movie but a great mind-bender as well.
2. The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s tale of losing religion and look into the depths of human psychology also created one of the most chilling horror icons of all time: Linda Blair’s possessed Reagan MacNeil.
In Friedkin’s exorcism, the camera stays in the room, forcing the audience to go through the same experience as the shaken priests.
The unrelenting, shocking film based on true events deserves its place as one of the greatest horror films of all time.
1. Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock was the master of thrilling, scaring and downright terrifying his audiences for six decades. The greatest proof of this is Psycho.
The story of Norman Bates who loves his mother too much, and his hotel, became one of the most recognizable stories in cinema history and still stands up almost half a century later.
Hitchcock defied traditional motifs and with this one film, helped model the entire structure of horror films from then on.
Cobwebs and Cocktails: Halloween Recipes Sure to Bring the Spirit to any Party October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentKatie Miller, Staff Writer
As the night for spooks and sweets approaches, many of you are scrambling to pick costumes, decorations, and of course, treats for your nightly Halloween festivities.
Being an ambitious and easily excitable cook, I like to go all out with party themes by incorporating the food into the overall package.
When I think of Halloween, I imagine the contrasting effect of bright orange pumpkins with jet-black cats; walls of cobwebs littered with multi-colored leaves; people dressed like our favorite movie stars walking next to our most feared monsters. All of these can be used to create truly Halloween-y party foods and drinks.
For those prospective Martha Stewarts out there, you may desire a more challenging approach to your Halloween eats.
My olive eyeball hors d’oeuvres are sure to both disturb and satisfy. Take your favorite soft cheese (feta, goat, mozzarella,) squish onto a serving tray (with or without crackers) and then top each blob off with a green olive, with the pimento facing up. The key here is to get the olives with the pimentos to give the full eye ball effect.
The more traditional among you may be looking for the ease of age-old Halloween favorites. Going with the colors of Halloween as the base for the food produces a very consistent and chic effect. Nothing catches the eye better than a clear color scheme.
Combined with simple black and orange streamers, having a table littered with pumpkins, leaves, bats, cats, witches and ghost sugar cookies; Halloween themed candies such as candy corn, orange, yellow and brown M&M’s, as well as simply filling a bowl with oranges or grapes draped in cob webs can give your party guests an impressive array of treats that are delectable, eye catching, and easy to do.
While food is the best way for all ages to creatively incorporate the Halloween feeling, themed cocktails add an extra flavor and punch for the lucky few of age. The Food Network recommends Candy Corn Cordials. All you need is a bottle of vodka, orange liqueur, several lemons, egg whites (sounds strange, but completely necessary) and candy corn!
For two drinks, first combine a half a cup of candy corn and one and a half cups of vodka in an airtight container and set it aside for at least three hours, the strain.
Next, pour four ounces of the candy corn vodka, two ounces orange liqueur, half of a lemon’s juice and one large egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. After shaking for a little under a minute, pour into favorite martini glasses and enjoy!
Other drinks include The Zombie, which has four types of rum, two types of brandy, four different types of juices and an almond sryup called oregat.
Take one-fourth measure oregat, three-fourth measure lime juice, one-half measure light rum, dark rum, cherry brandy, apricot brandy, papaya juice, one measure golden dark rum and orange juice, and two measures pineapple juice.
Mix together in shaker with ice, pour into glasses, and then dribble glasses with one-third measure over-proof dark rum. It is sure to make you walk like the living dead.
Tricks for Treats: Students Weigh in on Scandalous Halloween Costumes October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentGabriella Leone, Broadside Correspondent
In the movie Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s character goes to a Halloween party dressed as a zombie bride by covering herself in a snowball of white fabric, a black wig, fake teeth and dripping blood.
Her costume is creative, but at the party people give her weird looks and ask her why she’s dressed so scary. Lohan’s character then learns that “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”
It’s nothing new that on Halloween women will be wearing lingerie, barely there dresses and exotic, fetish-like costumes.
There are dirty coppers, naughty nurses, vixen pirates and the oh so many, oh so wrong, sexy Disney-inspired costumes. In America, sex sells and gets you attention, but what kind of attention are women drawing to themselves on Halloween?
Most guys at Mason, and a few from other schools, expressed that they like how women dress on Halloween.
Mechanical engineering major and George Washington University senior Matt Mostafaei said he loves the way girls dress. “What other time of the year than Halloween do you get to see girls dress skanky and not get mad at you for looking at them? They get to look sexy and don’t have to worry about being labeled as trashy.”
Not passing judgment seems to be the Halloween rule. Business major Azim Tariq agrees, saying that both girls and guys like this rule.
Although it seems like the majority of men would appreciate women’s sexy choices for Halloween, some don’t. “I wish girls were more creative and not risqué. I don’t think the spirit of Halloween is to see who can look the sexiest.” Global affairs major Aaron Li said. “I don’t mind but when it comes down to it…it’s kind of sad.”
So, do women dress in suggestive costumes because that’s expected of them? Pressure to look sexy and be attractive is force-fed to women every day through the media, and have you been to the Halloween stores?
Check out the costume display for women at any story and you’ll notice that Leg Avenue, a popular costume company, dominates the majority of the store with their “Sexy Line” of costumes.
We’re talking booty shorts, very short dresses, belly showing shirts, bustiers, bras, stockings and very high heels; clothing items that are usually found in sex stores. The section of creative, more covered costumes usually covers half of an aisle.
Halloween may be nights were women are allowed to dress proactively, but that doesn’t mean a lot of girls like it—just look at what some of the men who liked the sexy costumes said about them. They used words like trashy, slutty and skanky, words women don’t want to be associated with.
“I think some girls do take it too far,” said global and international health major Jacqueline Tañada, but marketing major Allison Jones looked at the way girls dressed differently.
“I think it depends on where people are going—a lot of people that go to house parties are more scantily clad than those that are going out to bars.” Jones said.
She also added that if girls feel comfortable in sexy attire, then more power to them but that “Halloween stores do makes people feel like that is the norm. That’s why I usually go for making my own.” Allison is dressing this year as a Crayon and a Dunkin’ Donut, a basketball player inside of a donut.
Women’s sexy Halloween costumes are controversial. Guys seem to either enjoy looking at women in their costumes or just think they are boring and begging for attention.
Women may not like them, but the majority of women still wear sexy costumes and in the last few years it’s been a competition. It’s not about who is going to wear the most creative costume, but who is going to look the sexiest and get away with it.
Halloween is not really a day where judgment won’t be passed because as soon as your Halloween pictures are posted on Facebook, everyone starts talking.
If you’re wearing a sexy costume, people aren’t likely to say you looked pretty, but that you looked slutty, trashy, sexy or hot just because you’re showing more skin than normal.
If those are words you want people to associate you with, then dress up in any sexy costume that you want—if not, then try to get more creative and fun with it!
If you want to be sexy without the labels, remember that sexiness can be portrayed in any costume, even scary ones because being sexy is all about confidence and charisma, not just your body.
The Stepfather has Daddy Issues: Remade Thriller Lacks the Depth, Suspense of Original October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentJosh Hylton, Staff Writer
There is a brewing hatred for remakes across the movie landscape. Fans cry “foul” when their beloved memories are altered and filmmakers are troubled to see a new generation receive a watered down version of their work. Both should be equally upset over the newest remake, The Stepfather.
The 1987 original was a surprisingly tense little thriller that effectively explored the emotional distress and psychosis of its antagonist. The remake is teen fodder toned down to a PG-13 rating to bring in crowds of delusional high school students who can’t separate quality from trash like this.
The film follows David Harris, played by Dylan Walsh of Nip/Tuck fame, a mentally unstable man who cherishes family, yet does not have one of his own. To compensate, he finds single mothers with children and marries them, placing himself into a false reality as the new father.
However, when he becomes disappointed by their lack of togetherness, he murders them all, changes his identity and moves on to the next helpless family he can find. Eventually, he remarries a woman whose son has just arrived back from boarding school, an astute young kid who quickly realizes that something may be wrong with his new stepfather.
Terry O’Quinn, now most famous for his portrayal of John Locke on Lost, played the evil stepfather in the original film and was outstanding. He blended menace and charm perfectly, to the point where you came to actually like him, though you knew something sinister was brewing beneath his superficial veneer.
Walsh has the menace down pat, but he is missing the charm that is key to the character, though it may not entirely be his fault.
Every heartwarmingly appealing moment is accompanied by brooding music to remind us how evil David is, which prevents us from taking liking him. It never allows us to cling onto the character and feel sympathy for him, despite his wicked ways.
The original recognized this conflicting emotion because it hinted at his troubled past as a child, perhaps explaining why he cherished the traditional family so much. The remake ignores it altogether. It doesn’t want to bother with back story. It just wants to work as a tightly wound thriller, but too many loose threads prevent that from happening.
In the 1987 film, the characters start to catch on to the stepfather through realistic, albeit slightly farfetched, plot turns. In that movie, the brother of his previous wife is out to track him down and he has legitimate leads to do so. His perseverance and determination helped put a stop to him. Here, the characters catch on through arbitrary means that are brought up at the convenience of the screenplay rather than prudent timing.
As far as PG-13 horror remakes go, The Stepfather could be a lot worse. It never reaches that bottom-of-the-barrel quality that abysmal films like One Missed Call or Prom Night do, but eventually you grow wearisome from its contrived scenarios and repeated scare tactics.
If you really want to subject yourself to a mediocre remake full of plot conveniences and tired horror tropes, this is your best bet, but you would be doing yourself a favor by staying in and renting the original instead.
Mason Students Seeing Stars: Astronomy Night Gives Students a Look at the Heavens October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPras Gustanto, Staff Writer
Dr. Harold Geller and George Mason University go back a long way.
After getting his undergraduate degree from the University of the State of New York, Geller proceeded to get both his Masters and doctoral degrees at Mason.
He rose from being an adjunct faculty member to full-time faculty in 2000 and ultimately became the current observatory director for the College of Science.
Each semester, an estimated 1,200 students flock to Geller’s telescope for research and entertainment. As the director, he helps manipulate the campus observatory telescope in order to provide viewers with what he calls a “better vantage point above the fourth story roof.”
He adds that inquiring minds are able to see how a professional telescope facility works.
But it hasn’t always been easy for Mason to be able to see the heavens from this vantage point.
The first observatory telescope was built in 1975 by students Chipper Peterson, Bob Veenstra and John Whalan. Within four years, the observatory was torn down to make way for the Field House.
An observatory was built around the Baseball Fields in 1980, but it too was torn down due to damage from a truck accident. And due to lack of funding, Mason would be without an observatory tower for the next twenty five years.
It was during this astronomical down-time that Geller, then a graduate student, circulated a petition around campus to build a new observatory. Previous advocates included Mason big names such as Provost Peter Stearns and former Mason president George Johnson.
None of these attempts at observatory building worked. Astronomy lovers at Mason would make up for this by holding informal and improvised sky viewing sessions at noted locations around campus, including the hills which now make up the Johnson Center.
Approval for a new observatory tower eventually came through in 2004. Construction began the same year and the tower opened three years later.
It was the brainchild of Geller himself, who helped design and develop it.
According to Geller, the furthest thing he was able to see with the new telescope was the Andromeda Galaxy – 2.5 million light years away.
Now, Dr. Geller is able to hold sky observation nights for students and sky lovers.
Last Tuesday’s astronomy night session was packed with students wanting to get a peek through the looking glass of Mason’s telescope. Although it was a cloudy night, Jupiter was visible. Thanks to the telescope’s magnification, students were able to see the various moons and rings surrounding the planet. Other visible astral landmarks included the famous Summer Triangle of stars Altair, Deneb and Vega.
Geller hopes that this new tool will bring the stars closer to students.
“[Humans are all] made of the same chemicals that came from the interior of ancient stars that died before our own Sun was born,” Geller said.
Viewing sessions are held every other Tuesday until Dec. 1.
For more information, visit the astronomy observation night’s web page, at http://physics.gmu.edu/~hgeller/observing.html
In Bed with Billy: What Can Anal Sex Do for You? October 27, 2009
Posted by Sonya Hudson in : Style , add a commentBilly Curtis, Sex Columnist
For scores, centuries and even millennia, women have been letting themselves be engaged in an act that is not only unnatural to their body, but painful when improperly experienced. I’ve always wondered why girls let their boyfriends, or just guys in general, do this to them.
I know, you may be thinking, This kid is gay. He has to love anal sex, doesn’t he? Yes, I do enjoy anal sex and yes, I am obviously a gay man; therefore, I have the necessary functional tools, as well as the desire, to enjoy such things like anal intercourse. Girls do not have a prostate gland and thus, I don’t think getting anything shoved up their bum would give them any sort of pleasure.
This begs the question, what can brown really do for them?
I can imagine that some girls are more afraid of anal sex than they are of bugs and spiders.
While smoking a cigarette outside with some co-workers the other day, one decided to blurt out that her boyfriend had been trying to get her to try anal sex, which further led to the question of why men are so fascinated with having anal sex.
In my opinion, it’s either because they are secretly gay or they just want to sleep with you without using a condom and the consequence of getting you pregnant.
This has undoubtedly not been the first time that one of my friends has inquired about this sexual act to me.
Girls often find it easier to speak to gay men not only about sexual topics, but also about anything bothering them in their relationships – sometimes being the salvation to my career.
Anal sex has always brought up a world of questions to the heterosexual couple.
Will it hurt? Will I feel satisfaction from it? Guys clearly get the normal excitement of sticking their penis in a hole, but I had to wonder, girls don’t have any sexual stimuli in the rectum, so what is their reasoning for doing it when they obviously receive no gratification from the act?
In a survey done by Redbook, 43 percent of woman questioned said they had tried anal sex with a partner at least once in their lives; only 40 percent of the original 43 actually enjoyed it.
This also brought me to the question that, despite most heterosexual standings against sodomy and homosexual relations, how can they be so against the idea of two men having anal sex when they are so eagerly willing to try it themselves?
After all, it technically is the same thing and in the end, it’s not like anyone is forcing you to watch it, or do it yourself.
Brief anatomy lesson: the female anatomy is composed to enjoy such excitement in the vagina through the stimulus of the clitoris, that’s why they get pleasure from sex, but there is nothing in their rectum that is going to bring them pleasure.
Now, for the male counterpart, the prostate gland in the rectum is a directly comparative structure to the female clitoris because if stimulated the correct way, it can give your partner quite the orgasm – as scene in the 2000 film Road Trip when Sean William Scott’s character accidentally discovers the pleasure of having his prostate stimulated by a female nurse.
The next time your boyfriend or partner begs you to let him try anal sex (because you know he probably will), turn it around on him and ask him why he doesn’t let you try some anal pleasuring on him, because he would clearly enjoy it more than you would.
It all comes down to the simple concept of whether you get excitement from the act of anal sex. I know some women enjoy such sexual expressions, but clearly, it’s not for everyone.
I mean, I love anal sex just as much as the next homosexual, but I can still admit as a medical professional that it is unnatural for anyone: the sphincter is meant to push things out of the body, not shove them in.
But if God wanted this act to be unnatural for gay men, then why would he create the prostate gland that can compare to the female clitoris in its stimulated functions?
Maybe it’s a sign that he knew gay people were going to exist in this world? I guess I’ll save that topic for philosophy classes.
The next time anyone brings up anal sex to you, or asks you if you are willing to try it, weigh the pros and cons: You may enjoy it, or it may be one of the most painful experiences you’ve ever had.
Either way, in my opinion, anal sex should stick to the homosexual community because, seriously, we gays clearly enjoy it more than you heterosexuals ever will.
Improv Expert Visits Mason: Wayne Brady and Company Crack Up Students at the Patriot Center October 20, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPatrick Wall, Style Editor
Few entertainers today can really be called the triple threat. The days of performers being able to sing, dance and act may seem like a distant memory to some, but the spirit is kept alive in one man—Wayne Brady.
Yes, this might seem a bit dramatic; maybe even over the top. But to be fair, that’s the kind of spirit Brady brings to the table with his performances. And a zany brand of comedy is exactly what he brought to George Mason University when he visited the Patriot Center last Saturday.
By now, everyone knows Brady’s resume: he entered the hearts of audiences as the star of the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? where he showcased his singing, dancing and acting talents.
After winning a Primetime Emmy for his work on the show, Brady entered the realm of daytime television in 2001 with The Wayne Brady Show.
He is now set to host the remake of the popular game show Let’s Make a Deal. But for many college students, Brady’s most well-known work came from his 2004 appearance on Chapelle’s Show.
One popular catch phrase later, Brady was back in the spotlight. When he isn’t touring the country, Brady has found a home of sorts in Las Vegas.
Along with his “white dude” (his words, not mine) co-host Jonathan Mangum, Brady hosts “Making It Up!” at the Venetian Hotel.
The days of Whose Line? now a memory, Brady was free to do with the show as he pleased. Which, as it turns out, entails doing more of the same shtick we all loved from Whose Line?
That isn’t to say the show was stale. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Brady and his supporting cast of characters including a drummer, keyboardist and Mangum brought the best of the genius improv show without any of the unnecessary Drew Carey.
Brady started the night by channeling his inner will.i.am, re-doing the lyrics to The Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get it Started.” Before coming onstage, audience members shouted out words for Brady to use in his song.
No, words like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” weren’t allowed, but ones like “surreptitious” and “colonoscopy” certainly were.
Not surprisingly, Brady handled it with ease, showing off his improve skills and impressive vocabulary.
The staples were all there: Brady flexed his vocal muscles as he performed hilariously accurate send-ups of Creed, Prince and Rod Stewart, got a little ambiguously gay in a Batman and Robin parody featuring students as props, and re-created a hillbilly trucker scene in the style of, what else, The Godfather.
Naturally, audience participation was a must. Brady went through the audience, bringing students onstage to perform along with him.
“The show was a lot better than I expected.” said senior history major Kyle Roe. “He was high energy and a lot of fun.”
Audiences young and old packed the Patriot Center. Admittedly, some of Brady’s humor was a bit more racy than his squeaky clean image might suggest.
But any potentially awkward moments–like his song about herpes–were met instead with raucous laughter.
Much of America may have put Wayne Brady behind them, but as anyone who has seen him live can attest, Mr. Brady is far from history.
The Art of Birth: Local Artist’s New Art Exhibit Draws Praise, Criticism at Mason October 20, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentMarian McLaughlin, Staff Writer
When Jessica Clements was pregnant with her first child, Sam, she was terrified at the idea of birth.
She tried to find photographs, videos, anything from our cultural media depicting birth, but became frustrated at how censored and unrealistic this topic was.
So Clements decided to cope with pregnancy and birth by creating a series of realistic and raw paintings, sparing no details.
Now comfortable with birth, Clements has three children: her son Sam, her daughter Sierra and her show, “The Origin of the World,” a series of 10 paintings that show different women in the process of birthing their children.
One of the most explicit paintings is “Charity and Izaiah,” which portrays a breeched birth on a square canvas. It is abstract in a sense that it is difficult to tell the point of view of the subject.
The process of birth is often depicted with the soon-to-be mother lying down on her back, but here, Charity seems to be sitting, possibly trying to gain leverage through labor by arching her back and placing her arms behind her.
Only a portion of her body is visible, from her torso to her mid-thighs, which makes the image even more raw.
There is no facial expression tied to such a graphic scene, only two human bodies shown in a state of stress and struggle.
Charity’s body seems almost pornographic, her legs spread wide, which from a distance or a first glance might seem pornographic.
However, even as she pushes her newborn out, Charity’s stance is anything but inviting. Sex is not the basic human instinct represented here; instead this scene is all about survival.
Other paintings, such as “Heather and Mike,” focus on the relationship between the soon-to-be parents during stages of their child’s birth.
Although the primary focus is on the women in each situation, their male counterpart is ever-present behind them, providing physical and emotional support.
In “Heather and Mike,” Mike is standing right behind Heather, as if leading her further through her labor while holding her up with his embrace.
The mood of “Jill, Renee, and Sevilen” sets it apart from the other pieces.
The husband and wife lay together in a bathtub, and the reflections from light scatter and penetrate the water’s surface.
The wife lays back into her husband, overcome by either a state of relaxation or surrender. Her husband observes, and envelops her in his arms, but instead of holding onto her shoulders, as Mike did to Heather, he is more sensual, grasping his wife’s breasts.
Some students like Sarah, who wrote in the comment book, complimented Clements on her “courage to display so openly” while others found the content too graphic or gross.
The exhibit, located in the Johnson Center’s 123 Gallery, is right by the food court. As people stand in line for Taco Bell, Clements’ paintings of womens’ bleeding and expanding vaginas are in full sight.
Another note in the comment book, remaining anonymous, said “I EAT HERE, YOU IDIOTS.” Some boys chuckled as they walked past, making a quick entry into the gallery only to run out, seeming repulsed.
Art and Visual Technology major Mike Forster has seen many shows come through the 123 Gallery, but he has never seen anything so realistic, especially pertaining to a subject such as birth.
“Usually, images are done through metaphor, but they never show the actual act.” said Forster.
“In Clements’ exhibit, you can just tell what is happening through each figure’s expression. There is no interpretation involved at all. It is graphic, but it depicts something important and true.”
Wild Things a Ride Into Fantasy: Children’s Classic Story Makes for Heartwarming Adapation October 20, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentAlex Hylton, Staff Writer
Every so often, a film comes along that is absolutely wonderful, marking a real achievement in filmmaking. It’s a film that delightfully taps into the imagination of a child but allows adults to marvel at its grandeur.
It becomes something more than what is shown on the surface and delves into real emotions and themes that reach out and touch our hearts.
Where the Wild Things Are is one of those films, adeptly exploring the dynamics of life and the paths many children take to learn and grow to be born again into a mature, young adult.
Based on the beloved book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are begins with Max, played by Max Records, facing a number of troubles.
His father has long since left, his mother is too focused on other things to give him much attention and his sister is neglectful, allowing her friends to bully him without intervening.
Max is lonely and friendless, his only reliable companion being his imagination. One night, his bottled up frustration explodes into aggression and he runs away only to find a sailboat which drifts him out to sea, eventually landing him on a strange island where he meets the wild things.
The beauty in this opening is that you cannot pinpoint the exact moment that reality turns imaginary because his imagination is his only absolute truth.
His troubles carry over into his fantasies and the strong correlation between the fantasy world and real life makes his transition indistinguishable. The Wild Things and their world feel just as real to Max as his life back home, if not more so.
The parallelisms between Max and the wild things offer up the overarching themes that dominate the film, with the closest comparison being the crude effigy to Carol, voiced by James Gandolfini.
They are both troubled souls and take no trust in anybody. They both have short tempers and decimate the things around them. They both have created works of art for the ones they love only to destroy them later when they feel emotionally betrayed.
However, each wild thing outside of Carol represents a piece of Max or a person in his life. A quarrel that exists between two of the creatures corresponds with Max and his sister, with each drifting further apart from one another.
Another creature named Alexander, voiced by Paul Dano, is hurt at one point in the movie from the bullying received by the other wild things, much like Max is by his sister’s friends. Whereas Carol portrays Max’s angry side, Alexander shows the timidity and fear that he lives with on a day to day basis.
With themes of death, rage, pain and loneliness, the film is very much an adult fairy tale, despite the PG rating, but age matters not in this story because its message is timeless and its artistry extraordinary. All ages will find themselves lost in this absorbing tale.
Where the Wild Things Are is magical, a tour de force of imagination and spirit. It is a true masterpiece that will be cherished for generations to come and it is one of the best movies of the year.
Watching the Watchmen: Who is Securitas? October 20, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentEvan Benton, Staff Writer
When roaming the dormitories of George Mason University late at night, even the least-observant resident may notice the black-suited men and women that roam them, too.
Armed with thin black rods that resemble lightsabers, these black suits travel from dorm to dorm, stopping at particular doorways to scan these rods at corresponding sensors. They continue their appointed rounds until daylight, maintaining a schedule that sees them seemingly monitoring Mason’s dorms while its resident students are sleeping.
But, in college, many students don’t keep normal hours.
“I do my laundry later than most people—mostly because you can’t seem to get an open machine before midnight,” said Sreeram Mohanan, a sophomore computer engineering major. “And every single time I’m doing it late at night, I see [them] in the student lounge watching television.”
Watching television?
The emblem on the collars and lapels of the men and women in question display the word “Securitas,” with a corresponding logo of three red circles.
One of the largest private security companies in the world, Securitas, Inc. operates in over 40 countries, with close to 250,000 employees. Services provided are specialized guarding and mobile services, monitoring and investigations.
Mason’s housing office hired Securitas in 2006, when record-setting enrollment made necessary the need for more dormitories and therefore more security. The housing office states their official university functions as securing common areas, providing assistance to the Mason Police, and helping to maintain an environment that is conducive to sleeping and studying.
“They make rounds, do reports, and deal with anyone who is breaking laws,” said Steve Morehouse, associate director at Office of Housing and Residence Life.
One can assume that Morehouse would be more than interested to hear of Securitas, Inc. employees spending their twilight hours watching late-night television in the student lounge, rather than investigating the multitude offenses that could be happening at any given moment in the dorms.
“What about people partying too loud at 2 a.m., or vandalizing the hallway bulletin boards?” Mohanan said. “How about all the people that go in and out of the building every day that aren’t even residents? This stuff happens every night practically, and yet they feel that it’s all [safe] enough to sit down and watch some MTV.”
As the only patrolling security on campus from late evening to early morning, Securitas’ role is vital to safeguarding Mason’s students.
“It makes me wonder just how secure things are around here,” said Monahan.