Articles by: style

 

• Team Edward or Team Jacob?: New Moon Trumps Twilight in Pure Sex Appeal

  Lifestyle December 2, 2009 at 7:18 pm Comments are Disabled

  Evan Benton, Staff Writer Last Friday, in the wee hours of the morning, hundreds of thousands of people around the country attended the midnight showing of New Moon, the adaptation of the second book in the wildly popular Twilight series, pulling in a record single day box-office record of almost $73 million in only 4,024 theaters. Filmgoers were mostly made up of women of the teen, tween and questionably older variety, but also included men, made up of dutiful boyfriends, gay men and those humble few of the “just there for the experience” variety. I was part of the latter. (Promise.) The Twilight series is now a bona fide saga, like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars before it. This was obvious at first glance around the theater. Preteen girls proudly holding up “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” signs, black-cloaked vampiresses with muted-yellow contact lenses and fangs, catty soccer moms arguing over whose seat is whose while their children stand wide-eyed and confused – this is what happens with saga sequels. True fans know no courtesy, show no shame, and hold nothing back. The crowded cinema seethed with tension and hummed with anticipation. Some passed the time […]

   

• Dorm Room Feasts: Tips and Secrets to Having an Away-from-Home Thanksgiving

  Lifestyle December 2, 2009 at 6:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  Katie Miller, Staff Writer Thanksgiving is a day for spending quality time with loved ones and of course, eating an inordinate amount of comfort food. Between yams, turkey and stuffing, many take great pride in how many servings they can push down or who can get the drum sticks. For those who are looking for a less-fattening Thanksgiving, you should try avoiding foods high in carbohydrates, fats and sugars. Instead of going for the sugary and dense pecan pie, try pumpkin instead. Not only does it have less calories and fat, but its sweet taste and smooth texture fulfill your sweet tooth without filling out your belt line. For many college students, however, going home for Thanksgiving can be more of a hindrance than a benefit. Such a short weekend home doesn’t always outweigh the cost of an expensive ticket or a long car ride. Sadly, this may mean sacrificing your mom’s famous stuffing or your uncle’s delectable pumpkin pie. Luckily, the joys of Thanksgiving goodies don’t have to be forsaken. For those of you stuck at Liberty or the Student Apartments or in areas off campus, there are many cheap and easy alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving extravaganza. Safeway […]

   

• Dead In the Water: The Rise and Fall of M. Night Shyamalan’s Directing Career

  Lifestyle December 2, 2009 at 6:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Evan Benton, Staff Writer In the waning summer of 1999, The Sixth Sense was released in the United States and soon took the world by storm. There were just too many perfect combinations: the new catchphrase, the decade’s third-best twist (The Silence of the Lambs and The Usual Suspects as #1 and #2, respectively), and the pale little boy with just the right amount of cute and dread factors – all coming together to create the best horror film in years, and also a pop culture phenomenon. Nearly $300 million domestic gross and six Academy Award nominations followed. Even now, a decade later, we’re still talking about The Sixth Sense. The film was the writing and directorial brainchild of a man named Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan, better known as M. Night Shyamalan. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1992, Shyamalan achieved worldwide recognition in 1999 with The Sixth Sense. After The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan was in talks with everyone, reputedly being tagged to direct the first adaptation of the Harry Potter series to co-directing the next Indiana Jones sequel with Steven Spielberg. He made Unbreakable in 2001, a solid script that resulted in solid critics’ […]

   

• Fake Family Countdown: Babies, Superheroes and Little Miss Sunshine: The Top 10 Movie Families of All Time

  Lifestyle December 2, 2009 at 6:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer As the holiday season begins, many will be spending time with their friends and families this Thanksgiving. With families gathering together this week, here are the top 10 movies about families. 10. The Bicycle Thief This classic Italian film centers around a poor family and the father who finally gets a job, which requires him to ride around on a bike. After selling the family’s bed sheets to purchase the bicycle, the bike gets stolen the day it was purchased, leaving him and his son to try and find the criminal. This beautiful story shows their relationship as the father tries to teach his son about right and wrong while also trying to keep his family afloat. 9. Juno Sometimes, new families start a little earlier than planned. That’s what happens to the MacGuff family when their teenage daughter Juno becomes pregnant. Ellen Page, as the title character plays the naiveté of a 16-year-old perfectly, but it is her father and step-mother, played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney, respectively, that really show this film’s heart and a parent’s ability to support their children through anything. 8. The Incredibles The Parr family in Pixar’s action film […]

   

• John Mayer Hits the Mark With New Release: Singer-Songwriter Braves New Sound with Latest Album Battle Studies

  Lifestyle December 2, 2009 at 6:37 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ramy Zabarah, Broadside Correspondent In an era of pop where indie is the new punk and auto-tune has snuck itself into most radio singles, few artists are able to stick to their musical roots while maintaining a fair balance between quality and catchiness. While it may not meet the blues-rock quota of his previous studio album Continuum, multi-platinum selling guitarist John Mayer has hit another home run with Battle Studies, his newest album. Stepping away from the catchy riffs, virtuoso guitar solos and melodic blues-rock was a dangerous move for Mayer, but he pulls it off well. From the introductory track “Heartbreak Warfare” to the folksy single “Who Says” to the soft bluesy conclusion of the album, “Friends, Lovers or Nothing,” Mayer appears to have applied more of his folk roots into writing this album. The overbearing theme for Battle Studies seems to be heartbreak. The album serves as a guidebook in that field, as portrayed in the opening song, “Heartbreak Warfare.” “I don’t care if we don’t sleep at all tonight/ Let’s just fix this whole thing now/ I swear to God we’re gonna get it right/ If you lay your weapon down.” Those who know Mayer as “King […]

   

• Ten9Eight Shoots for the Moon and Misses

  Lifestyle November 21, 2009 at 5:10 pm Comments are Disabled

  by Josh Hylton, Staff Writer Upon arrival at the official website for the new documentary, Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon, the first thing to catch the eye is a quote praising the film. The quote comes from the U.S. Secretary of Education. Clicking further through, quotes from the Chancellor of New York City Schools and the Executive Director of the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore are highlighted. The one thing all of these people have in common is their affinity for learning and watching students succeed. Though their intentions are noble, they, by all accounts, really have no idea of what constitutes a good or bad movie. They merely see the message, an admittedly good one, but fail to recognize the film’s importance, or in this case unimportance. While certainly not a terrible documentary, it is not something I can see garnering much praise upon its release. Ten9Eight follows a select group of inner city teenagers as they compete on a national scale in the National Youth Entrepreneurship contest where they create their own products and businesses and pitch them to a group of judges who decide which entrepreneur has the most viable business model. By […]

   

• Playing House: Artist Peter Marcus Displays Prints at Mason

  Lifestyle November 17, 2009 at 4:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Marian McLaughlin, Staff Writer “The house serves as the portal to metaphors of the imagination,” said Jon Stilgoe in reference to Gaston Bachelard’s philosophers on architecture. This same idea is reflected in Peter Marcus’s work, as seen this month in the Fine Arts Gallery on campus. Marcus, a printmaker whose style is anything but limited, has a series of collaged collagraphs on display alongside the colossal, assembled sculptures of Joan Hall. Together, the two create elaborate, large scale structures that encompass a variety of printmaking techniques. Whereas Marcus dabbles by marrying digital images with intaglio ink, Hall uses handmade paper and pulp to create emerging, organic images. Houses are the dominant subject matter in Marcus’s prints. His canvases, often times longer than 10 feet, are homes for homes. Growing up in St. Louis, Mo. and Jamestown, R.I., Marcus recreates the imagery and unique architecture from these towns through his work. Yet, there is something slightly off-kilter about his representations. Although they are realistic and drawn to scale with punctual perspective, these houses seem to be situated in a surreal scenario. Perhaps this feeling is due to the lack of boundaries, roads and other elements that create ideal neighborhoods and real […]

   

• Changing the Textbook Biz: Website Offers Affordable Alternative to Expensive School Books

  Lifestyle November 17, 2009 at 4:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor It has bankrupted some. For others, it has forced them into jobs working long hours. No, it’s not Wall Street. In fact, to some, it might be even worse. Textbooks. Of all the routines students go through at the beginning of each new term, book buying is easily the most dreaded. Parents groan as they empty their bank accounts and students lament having to carry what often feels like a bag full of bricks to class each day. But students across the country and across campus have found a new way to get the books they need and save money at the same time. Enter Chegg.com. Founded in 2007 by Aayush Phumbhra and Osman Rashid, Chegg started as a classifieds site for college students but quickly took its current form. The site refers to itself as the “Netflix for textbooks,” an apt description. The site allows students to rent the textbooks they need without having to purchase a book they might not otherwise use after the semester ends. Students can search books by title or by professor. From there, they are shipped via UPS. The savings are eye-catching: Phumbhra said that the most popular book rented […]

   

• Food in the Bedroom: These Snacks Will Get You in the Sack

  Lifestyle November 17, 2009 at 4:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  Katie Miller, Staff Writer When used appropriately, food can do more than just satisfy your stomach. Touted as sure-fire performance enhancers, aphrodisiacs have ignited sexual desires for centuries. The sexual power of certain food’s tastes and textures can bring new flavor and excitement to any relationship. Sadly, most of the beliefs about aphrodisiac’s ability to improve your libido are simply myths that have survived centuries of oral tradition (pun intended). So if foods like chocolate, chili peppers and oysters– three of the most well known aphrodisiacs –are simply placebos, why have these rumors survived? The reason? We give these foods their sexual power. If we think something is sexy, it will be. But there are other misunderstandings about aphrodisiacs that further reveal why they still thrill and excite us. First misconception: they are not just foods. According to the Discovery Health website, health.discovery.com, anything sensory that enhances sexual pleasure and prowess qualifies as aphrodisiacs. Most arousal ultimately comes from a person’s own association with the item’s taste, smell or symbolism—not just with the food’s chemical composition. Ultimately, without understanding what you and your significant other find appealing, there’s no way to find that particular food that fulfills your fantasies. But […]

   

• Second Time Isn’t a Charm: The 10 Sequels You Wish You Hadn’t Paid to See

  Lifestyle November 17, 2009 at 4:44 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer This Friday, much to the chagrin of the many people who don’t want their eardrums to burst from screaming, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is set to be released, looking to be packed with not only vampires, but werewolves as well. Also released this month was the sequel to cult classic Boondock Saints. Because of these unfortunate sequels, here are the top ten worst sequels of the decade. 10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull When audiences went to go see the fourth film in this groundbreaking action franchise, they hoped for more of Indy killing Nazis and discovering lost treasure. Instead, Doctor Jones found himself in the middle of a broken family, with Shia LeBouf as his lost son, Indy finding alien lifeforms and even surviving a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator. With the latest installment, Indiana went from a pulp comics action hero to a baby daddy having adventures too ridiculous to believe, even for Indy. 9. Big Momma’s House 2 It’s bad enough that Martin Lawrence is still making comedies, but for him to make a sequel to one of his most terrible comedies is even worse. In […]