Going for the Gold March 1, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentRoss Bonaime, Staff Writer
Best Director
Who Should and Will Win:
This year, it’s the battle of the exes as Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron face off. But the advantage goes to Bigelow for The Hurt Locker. Her gritty take of the conflict in the Middle East dripping with realism and some of the most memorable shots of the year will hopefully make Bigelow the first female ever to take home the award.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Who Will Win:
Thirty-eight years after his first nomination, Jeff Bridges is a shoo-in for the best actor Oscar with his fifth nomination for his alcoholic country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. After four decades, Bridges should finally get his overdue Oscar.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Who Should and Will Win:
Mo’Nique for Precious is going home with this award, no question. Her fellow nominees are all well-deserved (except for you, Ms. Gyllenhaal), and Mo’Nique’s performance is without a doubt one of the best.
Best Picture of the Year
Who Will Win:
This year is truly a battle between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. While Avatar was a remarkable success, most critics agree that The Hurt Locker is definitely the year’s best.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Who Will Win:
Sandra Bullock came out of nowhere to become the favorite for her portrayal of the football-loving mother Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. Many are proclaiming this is Bullock’s comeback role and her advancement into deeper roles.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Who Should and Will Win:
Like Mo’Nique, Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds is a definite winner. Relative newcomer Waltz’s subtle yet terrifying role deserves to be mentioned alongside previous winners Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight and Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men.
Muse and Silversun Pickups to Visit Mason February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPatrick Wall, Style Editor
Expect a hard-rocking crowd and two harder rocking bands when Muse and Silversun Pickups take the stage at the Patriot Center on Monday.
Hailing from across the pond in England, Muse is enjoying some of the greatest success of its career. The Resistance, the trio’s latest release, held the number one spot on Billboard’s Rock Albums chart. The single “Uprising,” a remix of the band’s song “I Belong to You,” was featured on the platinum-selling Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack.
The band entered the spotlight in the U.S. with their 2003 release Absolution. Fueled by singles like “Hysteria” and “Time is Running Out,” the band earned a solid fanbase outside of their native country.
Opening for Muse is California’s Silversun Pickups, a band whose young career is taking off. On the heels of Swoon, the band’s sophomore release, they were nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy this past year.
The band’s lead single “Panic Switch” reached the top of the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
This show marks only the beginning of a North American tour that will take the bands across the United States and Canada through April.
Tickets have sold out through the Patriot Center and Ticketmaster, although seats are still available through ticket exchange companies.
The Patriots Go Marching: Mason’s First Annual Parade a Success February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentMarine Jaouen, Broadside Correspondent
The chilly conditions and quickly dissipating sunlight did not deter the dedicated Patriot fans who came out to watch the 1st annual George Mason University Homecoming Parade.
The parade led followers to the 12th annual Homecoming Pregame Block Party, building excitement for the anticipated men’s Basketball Homecoming game.
Beginning at the Rappahannock Parking Deck, the parade followed Patriot Circle around to the Patriot Center. Led by President Merten, the parade included student organizations, but also contributed an eclectic mix of student organizations and other oddities.
Resembling a walking forest, the George Mason Rowing Team held up oars rising high above their heads. The RT 66 PT Cruisers Club showed off their flashy vehicles, adorned with beads, balloons, Mardi Gras masks and logos, and a stuffed tiger also decorated with party beads. The Spunkmeyer cookie mobile was escorted by a vivacious Cookie Monster and three women dressed as a cookie, a spoon and a glass of milk.
Several fraternities and sororities also paraded and Mason’s own Patriot escorted the Mason cheerleaders.
Finally, the Jazz Ensemble brought up the rear, performing Mason’s fight song and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
The block party allowed friends and Patriot fans to socialize and share their appreciation of Mason culture. Students wore green and yellow attire that prominently displayed Mason’s logo, elevating the sense of community amongst the crowd. Heated tents provided a chance for families to participate in face painting and other arts and crafts, or to grab refreshments.
Senior Mike Parks volunteered at the snack tables. Vice President of the L-TEAM, a student group who promotes Leadership, Training, Empowerment And Motivation, Parks got a chance to watch the parade.
“I was impressed,” Parks said. “I especially liked the brass band.”
He was, however, disappointed about not being able to attend the game. “I wish they didn’t run out of student tickets,” said Parks.
The parade and block party would not have been successful without the intense level of student involvement. With the wide variety of student groups participating, the 1st annual Homecoming Parade was a spirited success.
In Bed with Billy: The Life Lessons of Commitment February 22, 2010
Posted by Sonya Hudson in : Style , add a commentBilly Curtis, Sex Columnist
In life we are constantly challenged — challenged to do the right thing, to keep moving forward, to continue to better ourselves. Yet through all of this, we remain steadfast, we remain adamant and we remain committed to our goals as well as to ourselves.
We remain committed to the truth, our truth, whatever that may be. When most people think of the word commitment, they think marriage, but we surround ourselves with commitment every day.
A driving force of determination and persistence that perpetuates the dilapidation of ignorance with every passing day, our level of commitment is essentially what shapes who we become, or more importantly, who we wish to become. And one of the best ways to better ourselves is through education.
This semester didn’t seem very promising for the classes I selected, and the fact that this is my last full semester only added to my trepidation towards putting in as much effort as I should — God love senioritis.
There was one professor in particular that made me doubt I would learn anything important in his class. Last
night, he proved me wrong and put me in my place.
After debating whether I should attend the last hour and a half of my creative nonfiction class, this professor managed to blow my mind, and relinquish years of ignorant hatred I had for the author Ernest Hemingway.
He explained that most people didn’t understand the many works of Hemingway because they didn’t know he had an extensive background in the European art movements like cubism and pointillism that majorly influenced his works. The moment he said this, it was as though a curtain had been lifted from my eyes, and I could finally see what had kept me from loving such a insightful author for over 10 years.
If I had never been as committed to my education and growth and had skipped this class, I would have never learned that I really loved an author I had hated for my own ignorance. This professor’s level of commitment to his students is one of the many reasons I decided I wanted to learn more about everything. In just one hour, this man managed to completely change my perspective on two items: Hemingway, and the belief that you can be wrong about a professor. I can certainly say that it was one of the most profound moments of my college career.
After this experience, I started thinking about not just my level of commitment to my education, but my dedication to the pursuit of finding a genuine person in this world to be happy with. After yet another failed relationship, and a long history of repeated offenses against my commitment, I was still willing to learn from my mistakes and continue to go out and search for a person to truly make me happy.
Going out on blind dates and taking every opportunity to meet someone new was accompanied with the learned knowledge of either a quality I desired in a future partner, or one that would make me head for the mountains faster than the gold rushers of the 1800s.
Then there is the type of commitment that you are forced into, the kind that makes you either break, or shows you your true strength in times of great strife. If my name still stands as the gay Carrie Bradshaw, then one of my best friends of over nine years would definitely be my Miranda. So we will just refer to her that way. Miranda and I had been through way too much together; crazy nights of drunken crying on the bathroom floor during parties, years of important memories long forgotten but still left a prominent imprint on each other’s hearts.
We were so inseparable that even my father believed that we were destined to marry each other and have a tumultuous love affair until our deathbeds. While my father’s premonition about our imminent marriage was just as absurd as the 10-foot snowdrifts currently overtaking our parking lots, I loved her as though she were my own family. When phone calls became scarce, I decided to contact her through Facebook and received a phone call from her in return later that evening.
After little delay, with courage and strength in her tone, she informed me that she had been diagnosed with cancer, an aggressive form that had already metastasized in her lungs. My concern was immediately elevated, despite my reaction and Miranda’s full understanding of the severity of this situation. She remained committed to the belief that she was going to get better and displayed a strength rarely seen , but one that retains a blow more forceful than one from Arnold Schwarzenegger to the face. Her courage and optimism towards her disease made me realize how truly strong she is, not to mention how much she meant to me. Her level of commitment was a powerful force to be reckoned with.
These challenges, these tests of faith and stature, are the moments that bring us closer to accepting the fact that life is full of choices. Your level of commitment in everything you do will decide the outcome and your fate.
No matter what, remember that your mind can always grow, that your heart can always heal and that the will to survive can be the most important commitment you will ever have. We create guidelines that map out all of the places and things we wish to see and do in our lives, and although sometimes life alters these plans without our acknowledgement or permission, with courage and determination, the commitments we wish to make in this world can become reality.
Blinded by the Lights February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentRoss Bonaime, Staff Writer
Charlie Chaplin was easily one of the most influential filmmakers in film’s infancy. He became one of the first successful combinations of writer, director and actor, and still remains one of the most recognizable stars of all time, with his brand of heartfelt and hilarious silent comedy.
And then sound arrived in films. To counteract this rising trend, Chaplin released quite possibly his greatest silent film, City Lights.
Chaplin played his classic character, the tramp, who falls in love with a blind flower girl who mistakes him for a rich man. In order to help the girl receive an operation that could restore her sight, he does anything and takes any job he can find to raise the money for it.
City Lights is beautiful in its simplicity, yet Chaplin, always the perfectionist, makes it a wonder in multiple viewings.
Chaplin shot the film over three years, the longest of any of his films, because of his attempts to make everything perfect. A scene in which the tramp buys a flower from the blind girl was shot 342 times for Chaplin to get it just right.
This dedication to perfection shows why City Lights is one of the greatest comedies and romances of all time.
In this period of convoluted romantic films like Valentine’s Day, City Lights is a warm reminder of the elegance in simplicity. Chaplin’s sheer insistence to help the blind girl and his focus on actions rather than words to convey his feelings show the beauty in his dedication to this girl who has stolen his heart.
The tramp is one of the most likable and sympathetic characters in film history. While he always scrapes by to survive, he still manages to find times to help others, no matter how wealthy they are.
In City Lights, the tramp finds time to help a millionaire who has suicidal tendencies. When the man offers the tramp money, rather than thinking of himself, he immediately rejoices in the help he can give this blind girl who is even in more need than him.
Next year, City Lights will be eighty years old. While the 1930s gave us the great comedic minds of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, amongst others, it is Chaplin who stays even more relevant than the others.
Even eighty years later, it is hard to imagine a romantic tale more perfectly told; the brilliant final shot is simply the perfect example of love and unabashed joy that is still touching.
Chaplin truly pioneered film, yet while everyone else moved on to talking films, Chaplin stayed in the silent realm to create his masterpiece, still showing value in a style that was being left in the dust. As this near-perfect film becomes eight decades old, it shows how Chaplin is one of the greatest filmmakers ever and why City Lights is an ageless gem from The Vault.
Cinema’s Dynamic Duos February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentRoss Bonaime, Staff Writer
This weekend, Martin Scorsese released his highly anticipated Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who has collaborated with Scorsese on four of his last five movies.
When a great director finds an actor they want to use over and over again, it usually makes for movie magic. With that, here are the top 10 actor/director pairings, along with their best works.
10. Kevin Smith & Ben Affleck – Chasing Amy
Smith loves using Affleck in his movies so much, he has said that he would even cast him as the shark in Jaws.
Smith and Affleck have done much of their best work together such as Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but with Chasing Amy, Smith got Affleck to a comedic, yet dramatic peak that he has not topped since.
9. Steven Soderbergh & George Clooney – Ocean’s Eleven
Everyone knows that Clooney is cool, but never quite as cool as he is in Soderbergh’s films. Clooney shined when he played the Frank Sinatra character in the remake of Ocean’s Eleven, propelling himself into movie superstardom with the help of Soderbergh.
8. Quentin Tarantino & Uma Thurman – Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Thurman has been Tarantino’s muse since Pulp Fiction and with Kill Bill, which is described as “Created by Q + U,” they together created a massive revenge tale that is one of Thurman’s best roles and another great film in Tarantino’s impressive catalogue.
7. Tim Burton & Johnny Depp – Edward Scissorhands
Depp had only made four films when Burton cast him as the star of his modern day Frankenstein story. Since then, he has starred in six of Burton’s films, including next month’s Alice in Wonderland. Separate, they are great, but together, they truly have something special.
6. John Huston & Humphrey Bogart – The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
In between directing his first film The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart and earning an Oscar for his film The African Queen, Huston directed The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a fantastic tale of greed that brings out the best of Bogart’s talents and shows what makes him one of the greatest acting legends.
5. Toshiro Mifune & Akira Kurosawa – Rashomon
Together, Mifune and Kurosawa would become arguably the most famous Japanese actor and director pairing of all time. Working in over a dozen Japanese classics together such as Seven Samurai, High and Low and Throne of Blood cemented it, but Kurosawa got the best of Mifune in one of his early roles in Rashomon as an insane, suspected rapist.
4. Frank Capra & Jimmy Stewart – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Frank Capra’s feel-good themes of the 30s and 40s were a perfect match for Stewart’s lovable charm that made them a great American duo. While It’s a Wonderful Life has becoming a fan favorite, Stewart’s work with Capra in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an inspiring work and Stewart’s finest role of his career.
3. George Lucas & Harrison Ford – Star Wars
After directing Ford in American Graffiti, Lucas went on to put Ford into one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, Star Wars. As if that wasn’t enough, Lucas also wrote the scripts for another great trilogy in which Ford would star with the Indiana Jones films, making Ford one of the greatest action stars of all time.
2. John Ford & John Wayne – The Searchers
With their fourteen films together, Ford and Wayne defined the Western genre. With Stagecoach, they created one of the first great Westerns, but with The Searchers, they perfected it, making a beautiful and exceptional Western.
1. Martin Scorsese & Robert De Niro – Raging Bull
Almost every time Scorsese and De Niro meet, a new classic is created. With Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Casino and Goodfellas, Scorsese & De Niro have created amazing art together. But they both were pushed to greatness with 1980’s Raging Bull, giving De Niro his second Oscar.
The film is now considered one of the greatest films of all time. With recent talks of Scorsese and De Niro teaming up for the first time since 1995’s Casino, it can be assured that whatever they come up with, it’ll truly be something to behold.
Comedians Get Edgy at Mason’s Komedy Jam February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentRamy Zabarah, Staff Writer
The Johnson Center Cinema filled up on Thursday night as students rushed to find seats and prepare for a night of laughter. Although full of audacity and risk, the show was definitely not a disappointment.
What started out as a cloud of noise as students socialized waiting for the show to begin, quickly turned to applause followed by silence while the first comedian, Arvin Mitchell, was introduced.
Mitchell was an instant hit, drawing laughter from almost everyone in the room. Originally expressing some reluctance as to whether he should curse or not, he was told he could speak freely, and the expletives came out like water from a hose that had been bent into a kink and then released.
Nobody was safe from Mitchell’s sometimes offensive digs. About 10 minutes into his set, a late arrival opened the door, accompanied by a friend pushing her wheelchair. Mitchell immediately called her out, saying he thought she was a midget until he realized she was in a wheelchair.
“I really thought she was a midget — I was about to bust out with some height jokes,” Mitchell said after the show. “It’s comedy. If you don’t want to be offended, don’t come to a comedy show.”
The second comedian of the evening, Dan Ahdoot, felt much the same way.
“It’s healthy for us to make fun of ourselves and to make fun of each other,” responded Ahdoot. “It’s fun to push the envelope.”
Ahdoot was the better comedian of the night, addressing less risky topics than Mitchell and focusing more on real social issues and day-to-day things we run into, while still being even more hilarious than Mitchell.
With different angles, the two comedians brought with them a great blend of satirical and risqué humor that entertained the Mason Homecoming crowd.
SafetySuit Rocks Dewberry: Up-and-Coming Act Visits Mason for Homecoming Week February 22, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPatrick Wall, Style Editor
As the clock struck 8 p.m., students walked nervously into Dewberry Hall, illuminated only by the neon green and purple lights. As students shuffled in, they looked around for friends, hoping to find a familiar face in the growing crowd. Before long, a sizable crowd formed around the stage constructed at the far end of the hall.
After a brief introduction from Program Board, George Mason University’s activities committee, the band of the evening took the stage. Hailing from Nashville, Tenn., SafetySuit is a band clearly on the rise.
Most of the crowd were clearly fans of the band, shouting out requests and yelling when lead singer Douglas Brown addressed the crowd. And the band was happy to oblige the attention. Brown dedicated a song to what he dubbed “soon to be lovers” in the audience, and asked fans for requests.
SafetySuit’s sound might be best described as emotional and powerful, as they sing songs about heartbreak and love. The crowd connected with the band’s message, and grew more enthusiastic with each passing song.
Bassist Jeremy Henshaw’s resounding bass and drummer Tate Cunningham’s pounding drums were in stark yet fitting contrast to guitarist Dave Garofalo’s atmospheric lines and Brown’s emotionally charged vocals.
The band began its rise to fame in relatively inconspicuous fashion. The band formed in Tulsa, Okla. before settling in Nashville, Tenn. While in the Music City, the quartet worked hard, touring frequently and releasing an EP before being signed to Universal Motown.
Their freshman release, Life Left To Go hit the shelves in 2008 and the band hasn’t looked back since.
Bringing SafetySuit to Mason was just part of the weekend plans put together by Program Board. To celebrate Homecoming Week, Program Board helped plan other events in line with the “Unmasque Your Spirit” theme. New Orleans-themed activities were on tap all week, culminating with the men’s basketball game on Saturday night.
For more information about Program Board events, visit http://pb.gmu.edu. To check out SafetySuit, visit http://www.safetysuitmusic.com.
Fan Fave Tributes February 21, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPearson Jones, Asst. Style Editor
Not everyone has the nerve to pick up the mic on karaoke night. It only takes ridicule from one audience member channeling his inner Simon Cowell to leave pop idol dreams destroyed and two for one drink deals at karaoke bars often leave you alone to defend yourself against a crowd full of liquid courage. George Mason University’s first ever lip syncing contest, “Lip Syncing on the Bayou” created a solution for all these possible karaoke downfalls, however.
Last Wednesday, students from different George Mason University organizations competed in a lip synching competition. It was a battle of fan fave tributes where students didn’t have to worry about their voice cracking or messing up the lyrics.
The homecoming event welcomed a large group of students eager to support their favorite groups.
Fraternity and sorority chapters mainly dominated the
night’s lineup of performers, but a few groups including the Mason Crew Club, Hispanic Student Association, a group called Tika and a free style rapper named V also performed.
The show commenced with a tribute to Phil Collins by Kappa Sig mouthing the instantly recognizable “In the Air Tonight,” a song made even more popular recently by heavy weight Mike Tyson’s performance of it in The Hangover. The song was only lip-synched by one of the four performers but everyone on stage, including the audience members, had to join in on air drumming Collins’ famous drum bridge.
Undeniably, the highlight performance of the night came from Alpha Omega Pi, with their rendition of Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World.” The dancers channeled Jackson flawlessly throughout the whole performance.
Fitted with Jackson’s signature fedora hats, the dancers slid and side pivoted across the stage with style. One of them even finished the performance off with a back flip off the stage.
While some people may have thought that being able to lip sync music doesn’t exactly require as much talent as karaoke does, their minds were surely changed by the all-out performances by Mason students.
Rebooting Tosh.0; Daniel Tosh Chats About Living the Dream and Making Fun of the Web February 18, 2010
Posted by style in : Style , add a commentPatrick Wall, Style Editor
Daniel Tosh likes poking fun at people. His stand-up routine involves gems like his “Febreeze the Homeless” charity and jabs at religion.
But with his hit Comedy Central show Tosh.0, he has a whole new group of people to lampoon — people doing stupid things on the Internet.
Tosh made a name for himself doing stand-up comedy, appearing several times on Comedy Central. The network produced his stand up special and featured him on several shows.
During this time, he pitched various show ideas to the network executives. “I’d always tried to sell show ideas,” Tosh said. “And [Tosh.0] was one that Comedy Central agreed with and put on the air.”
The show’s concept started simply enough. Tosh and a friend shot the first of his Web Redemptions, a segment where stars of embarrassing Internet videos are given a second chance to redo their mistakes.
The Afro Ninja, the viral video star who fell while attempting a back flip, was the first of these. “We shot that one before [Tosh.0] was ever a TV show. It was just a concept of someone who messed up on the Internet and giving them a chance to redeem themselves.” Tosh said.
“It felt heartfelt and that was what we originally had in mind.”
Comedy Central agreed. The first season of his show was so well received that they ordered an unprecedented 25-episode season, the largest such order in television history.
For Tosh, getting this far has been more than he hoped. “[Having the show continue] past episode two . . . has all been gravy,” said Tosh. “I don’t get too worked up or stressed out about it. I realize it’s a long shot to get here and have your own show. Anything past episode two is past my expectations.”
Despite his success, there are still mountains to climb. Although more people are agreeing to be “redeemed” on the show, Tosh estimates that about 40 percent of people they approach turn him down.
Infamous stars like the Star Wars kid don’t want to be associated with their videos and have said no.
Still, Tosh and his team press on, searching for the biggest stars. “I actually spoke to Jerry Seinfeld to see if he would help me get [Seinfeld’s] Kramer to do one.” Tosh said. “I wanted Michael Richards to do stand-up at an all-black comedy club, but that to date has not happened.”
It should come as no surprise, then, that Tosh is keeping busy. While he has no plans to head back to film, (“I don’t think everyone is dying for Love Guru 2,” he quipped), he would like to try writing once his show ends. “Once the show is done or gone, I’ll worry about [writing], but my plate is plenty full.”
For Tosh, colleges are still his favorite venues. “I still enjoy performing in colleges more than anything, and that is probably the sole reason I got into stand-up. Colleges have always been my main focus in stand-up.”
Tosh may not be hitting the silver screen any time soon, but he is keeping busy outside his show. He will be taping a new Comedy Central special June 12 in San Francisco. The special will be released in the fall and followed by a national tour spanning over 30 cities.
Tosh.0 airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central. For more information on the show or Daniel Tosh himself, visit his website at www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0.