Movie Review:
Superhero Movie
by Derek Gayle ‘11
Staff Writer
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It seems to be a tradition to release a new spoof movie every year, and the sheer amount of them is turning the movie parody into the most hated genre out there. Still, the people behind Airplane!, Naked Gun, and most recently, the third and fourth Scary Movie installments, have decided to put together a compilation of a type of film that has only recently hit the peak of its popularity: the comic book superhero genre.
The basic formula of the film is no different from any of the Scary Movie style films from recently: take some scenes from popular movies of the genre, insert some pop culture references and sight gags, throw in a few celebrity cameos, and tie it together in a moderately comprehendible plot.
Different from the other recent parodies, however, is that there is very little diversity in what is spoofed. The basic plot is more-or-less just the first Spider-Man film, albeit with a few casual nods to X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Batman Begins. On the plus side, following one film that close allows for a very logical and coherent plot—a stark contrast from most other films of this genre. However, being so reflective of Spider-Man is also its biggest flaw: any time a reference is made to another film, it feels shoehorned into it. Spider-Man never met the X-Men in his film, so when Rick Riker, the main character, goes to visit them, it doesn’t seem to fit into the rest of the film at all. Same goes for when he encounters a member of the Fantastic Four. In most other parody films, we expect to see plenty of random characters; in this, it’s such a close-knit parody most of the time that seeing anyone not associated with the Spider-Man movies just seems disjointing. The film would have benefited greatly from having at least a few parodies from other films of the colorful superhero genre (have we already forgotten Superman, Daredevil, Hulk, Ghost Rider, and so many others?) and focused less on the pop culture references that are going to make it feel out of date in just a couple of years.
Another flaw with the plot is the anticlimactic ending. With most of these films, as long as it ended with a laugh and wrapped up the plot somewhat, it was fine. The problem with Superhero Movie is that the flow of the plot is so natural that, even with it ending on a good laugh and a high note, we still feel completely unfulfilled. The story is moderately wrapped up, but for the most part, it just sort of ends. Everything else mimicked Spider-Man perfectly, so why was the climax so…boring?
Despite all this, the film still ranks higher than many other movies of its kind, with mostly thanks to some rather remarkable performances on the actors’ parts. This genre doesn’t usually pride itself on having award-winning acting, but the three leads were perfect for the roles. Drake Bell, of Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh fame, portrays the lead protagonist, who obtains superpowers after being bitten by a mutated dragonfly. He carries the film very well, and any fans of his earlier teen work should be more than pleased. Sara Paxton plays Jill Johnson, the damsel in distress, who somehow finds a way to carry herself almost exactly like Kirsten Dunst in the Spider-Man films, at least when it comes to line delivery. Granted, many of her lines were essentially copied word-for-word from Spider-Man, but she still made what could have been a throwaway role her own. Christopher McDonald is the film’s main villain, and plays it so well that it’s surprising he hasn’t been a villain in a real superhero movie before. While the “overacting bad guy” is still there, it works, and makes me hope this performance gets him a villainous role in a serious film, more than just being the bad guy in Happy Gilmore. Appearances from popular parody actors is also to be expected, such as Leslie Nielson, Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson and Jeffrey Tambor, mostly in smaller cameo roles.
While I can’t say I was completely satisfied with the film, it was essentially what I expected. Though it doesn’t come close to classics such as Airplane!, it is clearly a step above from many of the horrible attempts at movie parodies made recently. If these films must continue, this one is a step in the right direction. The acting is superior, and the vulgar gross-out moments that litter many others has been lessened (possibly due to a younger demographic thanks to Bell’s casting), and while the straightforwardness of the plot was one of its biggest flaws, with some fine tuning it could work wonders.
And, regardless of any of the film’s composition, there were plenty of moments when it was just laugh-out-loud funny. With all the hit-and-miss jokes, the majority hit the nail on the head; even with some irritating factors in the plot, parts of the film were still highly enjoyable.
Superhero Movie gets 3 mutated dragonflies out of 5. Though it isn’t necessarily worth paying the money to see it in theaters, it’s still entertaining enough to put you in a good mood if you’re in need of a pick-me-up. Though if you haven’t seen the first Spider-Man, you may be a bit in the dark.
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Spotlight on:
The Higgins Academic Center
by Person 'yy
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The Higgins Academic Center is now hiring for the upcoming school year. Applications can be found online at http://www.rmc.edu/Offices/higgins-academic-center.aspx and are due by April 21, 2008. There is only one form for any of the numerous positions open, and qualified students are encouraged to apply. Not only that, but students who are looking to attend graduate school will also gain excellent preparation skills, especially those utilized by teaching assistants. Heang Sok, a subject tutor in Chinese and Computer Science, tells of some of the many benefits: “For one thing, you get to make friends with the students you work with, increasing your network of friends in the community, and at the same time, it also improves your skills on how to work well with different people in different situations. More importantly, you learn to see how other students deal with their studies and are able to use this experience to reflect upon your own strengths and weaknesses. Also, as a reward for your hard work for the community, not only you do get paid, but you will also get a certificate certified by College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), which is a big plus to your résumé.”
Complete job descriptions can be found online, but here is a brief overview of each of them:
A Math Supplemental Instructor/Tutor attends a designated class once a week and then offers small group study sessions to the students in that class. Supplemental Instructors work approximately 5-8 hours per week.
Becoming a mentor is a great way to help students make the transition to college. It is a mentor’s job to refer students to campus resources and encourage students to become involved in extracurricular activities. Mentors also share study techniques during weekly one-on-one sessions, and serve as role models. Mentors are expected to work 1-5 hours a week.
Speaking center consultants help students with speech communication assignments. Consultants help individuals and groups by providing constructive feedback. Frequently, consultants will videotape these presentations so that the student(s) can identify their own strengths and weaknesses. Consultants are expected to work 5 hours per week, including a one hour training session per week.
Student technology tutors help students with projects that require computer skills. Technology tutors must be fluent in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and HTML.
Subject tutors help students to understand class material, with the ultimate goal of teaching the students how to become independent learners. Tutors succeed when their clients gain the tools necessary to better understand the problems or topics given to them. Subject tutors are required to work 2-5 hours per week, and as with all programs at the HAC, are an integral part of the College’s retention efforts.
Writing tutors spend the majority of their time working one-on-one with students to help them learn to become better writers. It is not a writing tutor’s job to sit down and edit someone’s paper, but rather to work with them by suggesting ways to improve their writing for the future. Feedback is not always necessarily negative. It is also helpful to get feedback on the components of a paper that are done correctly, which is something that writing tutors do quite well. Writing tutors are required to take a one-credit class that will help them learn techniques for becoming a more effective writing tutor, and should plan to work 6-8 hours a week.
While a brochure from the HAC can offer even more details than those already stated, it is often helpful to hear of the experiences from current Randolph-Macon students that hold these positions. Sophomore Elizabeth Gauthier is a writing tutor, as well as a subject tutor in the areas of french, biology, and sociology. Here’s what she had to say about her experiences with a job through the HAC:
“In general I really enjoy being a tutor because it helps me learn more than I can expect to learn from the classes I will take during my college career. Being a Writing Center Tutor has definitely brought a lot of changes to the way I view the writing process. I became more attentive to my writing and learned from the mistakes I encountered in my peers' papers. I love working at the Writing Center because helping my peers makes my college experience very rewarding. Working at the Writing Center is very much like working as a subject tutor because of the amount of new information I take in after each session with a student. Being a Writing Center and Subject Tutor has taught me a lot about myself and others.”
Heang Sok notes that he has gained a lot of experiences working as a tutor for the Higgins Academic Center. “It has improved several aspects of my skills, including my interpersonal communication skill and the ability to tackle the challenges encountered during the tutoring sessions. I guess what I like most about being a tutor is to be able to help the students who have troubles with their studies in Chinese and Computer Science courses, and it really pleases me, since I am able to partly contribute to the Randolph-Macon College community.” Sometimes students are versatile in more than one area and wonder if it is possible to take on more than one role at the HAC. Elizabeth’s experiences say that it is. “I do not find it difficult to be both a subject tutor and a writing center tutor because I use my Writing Center tutoring techniques to better my subject tutoring and vice versa. The work I do as a Writing Center tutor is obviously different from the one I do as a subject tutor but they both have in common that I am attempting to better my peer's skills in those areas. When I tutor different subjects, I try not to just answer the student's specific question but to also help them find a method to use to answer their own questions in the future. I have learned that it is not effective to just focus on the lower order problems and forget the bigger picture.”
If you are interested in a job at the HAC next year, please visit the HAC website, or see Dr. Jenny Bruce in Thomas Branch 101.
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Your Future in the Stars:
R-MC Horoscopes
by Troy Carter ‘08
Political Editor
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Spring is in the air, loyal readers, and that means that this astrologer has baseball on his mind. It would seem that the stars have also taken a vested interest in baseball this week as all of you have destinies not dissimilar to famous baseball greats.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Your Baseball Great- Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies)
Wow, Aries, that’s quite a gamble you made. You went ahead and took a bold step… and now you’re not sure where that’s going to take you. Don’t worry though, unlike Pete Rose, gambling is going to pay off for you in the end as your big risk will eventually lead to a big reward. Just make sure that you remember to quit while you’re ahead, though, because the stars may not always be this nice.
Lucky Numbers- 24, 66, 4256
Taurus (April 21-May 22)
Your Baseball Great- Deion Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays)
Hey now, Taurus, where’s the loyalty? You can’t just go around turning on your friends like you have been doing. Your friends trust you to keep secrets and you’ve been letting them down by breaking that trust. Sure, you’re popular for a little while for having all of the cool gossip, but if you keep up this pace you’re going to be seen as weasely and untrustworthy, not unlike a certain baseball player I know.
Lucky Numbers- 40, 40
Gemini (May 23-June 23)
Your Baseball Great- Manny Ramirez (Boston Red Sox)
Have you been quirky and spacey lately? Boston fans have long described their slugger’s idiosyncratic behavior by saying “that’s just Manny being Manny”. Lately, Gemini is just being Gemini. Your mind has been wandering and some of your bizarre behaviors have been coming through. Some of your friends are going to find it endearing, but most everyone else is going to be laughing about it behind your back.
Lucky Numbers- 24, 2, 9
Cancer (June 24-July 23)
Your Baseball Great- Trevor Hoffman (San Diego Padres)
When the San Diego Fathers need a save, they turn to future hall of famer Trevor Hoffman. When your loved ones need a save, they’re going to need to settle for you, Cancer. But that’s alright… you’re almost certain to come through for them in the clutch. All of the work you do saving others is starting to pile up, though, and sooner or later everyone has to let the ball drop. Hey, check it out, a baseball metaphor!
Lucky Numbers- 51, 4, 7, 9
Leo (July 24-August 23)
Your Baseball Great- Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees)
What can you say, Leo? When you’re hot, you’re hot and right now you’ve got things working for you. Good luck seems to follow you from your friendships to your class work. There’s no telling if there’s any end in sight, but one thing’s for sure: you should enjoy the good times while they’re here.
Lucky Numbers- 5, 41, 56
Virgo (August 24-September 22)
Your Baseball Great- Daisuke Matsuzaka (Boston Red Sox)
Is there some sort of a language barrier, Virgo? Because lately it seems like miscommunication seems to follow you wherever you go. Whether it’s you not understanding others or others not understanding you, everything has been lost in translation. So when you really need to get your message across this week, take extra care to be deliberate in everything you say.
Lucky Numbers- 07, 18, 51,111,111
Libra (September 23-October 23)
Your Baseball Great- Deion Sanders (Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies)
How are you just like Neon Deion, Libra? Because you’re moving almost too fast. You got off to a quick start going after something that you want, but right now your cart is way in front of your horse. If you don’t slow down with that new relationship or ambitious new project, you’re going to find yourself crashing.
Lucky Numbers- 21, 37, 40
Scorpio (October 24-November 22)
Your Baseball Great- Babe Ruth (New York Yankees)
Two things make you like the Babe, Scorpio: your magic powers to see the future and to place creepy voodoo curses. Okay, maybe you can’t place magical curses, but lately it has seemed like you can “call your shot” just like Ruth did. You have excellent foresight and you know exactly what’s down the road, so make sure you act according to your instincts.
Lucky Numbers- 3, 60, 86
Sagittarius (November 23-December 21)
Your Baseball Great- Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs)
So the quote may not be a Sammy Sosa original, Sagittarius, but I want you to repeat after me: “Baseball has been very, very good to me.” We’re not talking about baseball literally, of course, but life. After all, you seem to be in a pretty good place and have quite a lot to be thankful for. Take some time to be grateful for all you’ve been given this week.
Lucky Numbers- 21, 61, 98
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Your Baseball Great- Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants)
“What do I have in common with Barry Bonds?” you ask? Well Capricorn, neither one of you seems to know when to give it up. Just like Bonds is still looking for somewhere to play this season you’re still desperately holding on to a hope that you’re pretty sure is an empty one. Let go of that false hope and I think you’ll see some new doors open for you. Unlike Barry Bonds, he’s just done completely.
Lucky Numbers- 73, 25, 762
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
Your Baseball Great- Cal Ripken Jr (Baltimore Orioles)
There is no other baseball player to describe someone who gives it their all everyday, Aquarius, and that’s what you’ve been doing lately. Showing up and getting the job done day in and day out can be grueling work, but if you can keep up this pace for 16 more years you might see some real rewards come out of it.
Lucky Numbers- 8, 2,632
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Your Baseball Great- Roger Clemens (New York Yankees, Houston Astros)
Everyone can understand wanting to be the best, Pisces, but you seem to have had a “stop at nothing to get ahead” attitude lately. Just remember that it’s your work ethic that got you where you are today and that hard work always pays off in the end. If there’s ever a temptation to bend the rules a little bit to get ahead, though, you might want to be careful of who’s watching. Not that I’m trying to imply anything about Roger Clemens or anything…
Lucky Numbers- 3, 12, 2.
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Chocolate + Sushi = Hot Stuff
by Katlin Farrell ‘10
Staff Writer
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Did you know that your diet affects your sex-drive? Not only are you more likely to be in the mood if you are eating good food, but also different foods have enzymes that actually boost the chemicals behind your libido! There are several articles showing research into this specific field of study.
One recently posted on MSN.com, “Spice up you love life with the great sex diet,” Valerie Frenkel focuses on how food effects the libido of females. However, her first tip applies to both males and females: almonds and walnuts. These include adenine acids that are very important for both genders to become aroused (a.k.a. if guys do not have enough of this they can NOT get erections)!
Also, if you like fish, you are in luck! Fish like salmon, halibut, herring, and cod have Omega-3 fatty acids “which can improve cardiovascular health and lower triglycerides and may increase dopamine production and reduce the risk for depression — all pluses for the libido and orgasm potential.” And, if you do not like fish, there are always omega-3 fortified eggs!
And do not forget those all important antioxidants! If you “load up on antioxidant-rich produce in all colors of the rainbow, including tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, spinach, broccoli, beets, berries and red grapes” your immune system will have plenty of help because of the boost in irradiation of free radicals through the process of oxidation. Oh, and chocoholics have no need to fear because dark chocolate is another excellent source of antioxidants (as well as being an excellent aphrodisiac). “In fact, a study of 163 women in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that those who consumed at least one cube of chocolate daily reported significantly greater desire and better overall sexual function than the individuals who abstained.”
Another article on this study is “Healthy Eating Leads to Healthy Sex Life” posted on SlashFood.com and written by Sarah Gim. In this article, the premise is basically anything that is good for the heart and keeps the pluming connected is good for a person’s sex life. It is also a review of the book Great Food, Great Sex, a book written by Lynn Edlen-Nezin, a scientist who was a healthy woman in a sexually unsatisfying relationship until she started exploring the diet and other tips she wrote about in her book. In general, she recommends in general fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and antioxidant rich foods. So, here are to good wishes of great eating and an excellent sex life. Just remember to be safe, be healthy, and be fun!
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Horton Hears a Who
by Tommy Proffitt ‘11
Staff Writer
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It is a very hard task to make a film adaptation of story that is held near and dear to so many people. A director must take appropriate steps to stay as faithful to the original source as possible, while still attempting to innovate the original.
Often times, film adaptations of classic childhood literature do not translate well to the big screen, and the audience is left disappointed, stating that “The movie was too different from the book; I liked the book much better.” Fortunately, this is not the case for the CGI adaptation of Horton Hears a Who.
Those fearing that the movie would be disloyal to Dr. Seuss’s original works can put their fears to rest. Horton Hears a Who does not, in any way, change the basic framework of the original story. Horton the elephant hears a whisper originating from a speck of dust. As it turns out, the speck of dust is actually home to an entire city, the city of Who-ville. Horton is then put to the task of protecting the inhabitants from the dangers of the jungle, because as we all know, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
All of the memorable characters from the original story are still there: the larger than life elephant Horton, the miniscule men and women of Who-ville, as well and the antagonistic Sour Kangaroo and her henchmen the Wickersham Brothers and Vlad Vladikoff.
One of the things that set this movie apart from most other generic, run-of-the-mill CGI movies was the voice acting from the all star cast (Jim Carey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnette, Will Arnet, and Seth Rogen, just to name a few). Often times, the voice acting would seem to be over-the-top; however, it fit in perfectly with the movie.
I also loved the recreation of Dr. Seuss’s jungle world. Unlike other Dr. Seuss adaptations in which the audience was presented with a strange adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s vision (most notably 2000’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas), the world in Horton Hears a Who felt as though it was taken straight from the pages of Seuss’s book. From the colorful creatures and scenery of the jungle to the strange architecture of Who-ville, no detail was overlooked when the artists set out to create this wondrous world.
Horton looked to offer a little something for everyone. Although the vast majority of the movie’s humor was directed towards a younger audience, the humor certainly did catch me off guard more than once and I found myself actually laughing out loud a few times. However, many adults excepting to leave the theatre doubled over with laughter will be disappointed as these moments are few and far between.
Overall, this movie is spectacular. It paid homage to a classic childhood story many of us hold dear. If you have younger family members who are unfamiliar with the story, Horton Hears a Who is a perfect way to introduce them, while you reintroduce yourself. And so I give Horton 4 little ‘specks’ of cities out of 5.
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