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After weeks of wonderful outings to the box office, it was only a matter of time before a weekend arrived without any appealing films to be seen. Of course, that’s just one opinion, albeit one shared by many.

Of the two films opening this weekend, “Chimpanzee,” the documentary about a chimp separated from his family, will easily elicit the more heartfelt, emotional response from moviegoers. But when your competition is a lifeless, soulless “The Notebook” wannabe (irony?), accomplishing such a feat is not hard.

“The Lucky One” stars an all-grown-up Zac Efron as a Marine who manages to survive three tours in Iraq, thanks in no small part to a photo of a mysterious woman who Efron thinks is — you guessed it — his good luck charm.

It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly what aspect of this film doesn’t work. Maybe it’s the early -90s/late-‘80s tropes of creating unwarranted tension by simply not doing the right things. Everyone watching knows where the tension lies, knows what’s coming eventually. Yet, like the season six reveal in “Dexter,” it’s just too drawn out. You’ll realize you’ve checked out before the opening credits have finished rolling out.

First of all, as a veteran myself, convincing me that Efron is a veteran of three tours in Iraq requires more than briefly showing him in a uniform or sparse, overdramatic flashbacks. I was actually a fan of Efron after a few of his smaller efforts, but much in the way “Twilight” has shown just how wooden an actress Kristen Stewart is, “The Lucky One,” has shown why Efron will never be anything more than that kid from “High School Musical.”

But I’m not just being rough on Efron. There’s no life from anyone in this movie. The entire film follows Efron finding a photo of a girl and then eventually meeting her in real life. But when he finally meets that girl, played by Taylor Schilling, all you want to know is why in the hell does he want to actually be with her.

When you’re relying on drawn-out pans of solemn faces staring at solemn sunsets, maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to tell an actual love story.

The last film I  enjoyed so little was “Abduction,” which I walked out of midway through. But I stayed for this whole cinematic abomination, and I still think that if I had only been given the opportunity to walk out of one, it would still be “Abduction.”

“The Lucky One” is a bad movie, but it’s not the worst movie I’ve ever seen. It’s not even the worst romance I’ve ever seen, but that’s not exactly something to brag about. Paper-thin plot and characters do nothing to elevate this above the status of meh.

The world-famous Technology, Entertainment and Design conferences feature the most brilliant minds in the world discussing a wide range of topics from green technology to the changing face of humanity. The conferences have featured such speakers as Bill Clinton, Bono, Bill Gates and Richard Dawkins. The TED website features 1,050 free, groundbreaking talks that taken together have been viewed over 500 million times by people from all over the world. Their slogan, “Ideas Worth Spreading,” fits nicely with George Mason University’s tradition of innovation, which is exactly why TEDx is coming to the Fairfax campus for the very first time.

TEDx is a series of licensed events under the TED brand, which takes place just about anywhere in the world that the desire exists, including many at neighboring universities in Northern Virginia. Producers of TEDxGeorgeMasonU—its official title— Andrew Hawkins and Joe Renaud, have been working hard for the last year on bringing the spirit of TED to Mason. They have brought together eight members of Mason’s distinguished faculty to give talks on Sunday, May 6.

“We wanted to strive to [showcase] the brilliant minds here at Mason while bridging the gap between humanities and the sciences,” said Renaud, a co-producer and junior physics major.

Four of the speakers come from the humanities and arts departments, while the other four come from the sciences and research areas. Speakers include theater professor Rick Davis, modern and classical languages professor Paula Gilbert, public and international affairs professor Bassam Haddad and Krasnow Institute director James Olds.

“What are you passionate about?” asked Hawkins, co-producer and a Mason alumnus, when recruiting speakers for the event. “What do you have to say to the world?” For the producers, the most interesting and exciting part of organizing the speakers was seeing how similar their speeches were. With no guidelines, the eight speakers, with their varied backgrounds, found very different ways to approach similar topics.

“We noticed that there is this common thread among many of the speeches,” Hawkins said. “[The speakers have] spent their lives and careers grappling with similar themes and take different approaches to them.”

So far, speeches listed include James Olds’ “When TMI Kills: Cognitive Overload in the Age of I-Devices” and Professor Kristen Johnsen-Neshati’s “What in the World.” With many more provocative speeches to be listed in the coming days, this event is sure to be as thought provoking as past TED events.

“The exciting thing is that [the response has been] about 50 percent students, and the rest is faculty and outside members of the community,” Renaud said. “We’re excited that it’s branching out.”

The RSVP form for free tickets to the event went live on Feb. 17 and within 24 hours sold out completely with a waitlist of around 600 people.

For those who were unable to get tickets, all is not lost. The event will be broadcast online for free via Livestream from the TEDxGeorgeMasonU website. Volunteers will also post updates about the events to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. They will facilitate online discussions through these methods and even ask questions from online viewers during the live discussions.

“We want people online to basically be there as well — as much as they can be,” Renaud said.

The talks will be recorded and distributed online for those who are not able to watch the conference live from their homes.

“These speeches will be on the Internet for as long as the Internet exists,” Hawkins said. “People will be watching them forever.”

The TEDxGeorgeMasonU event takes place May 6 in Innovation Hall. Viewers can tune into TEDxGeorgeMasonU on Facebook and Twitter for updates until the conference and for information on the live feed and recordings of the talks.

Obviously, “Skyrim,” with its over 300 hours of gameplay, is still at the top of the games-to-beat list for many readers of Button Mashing. However, you may want to pull yourself away from it and invest your time in a game that gives you a visceral, adult-oriented good time. That game is “The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.”

The original “The Witcher” was developed by CD Projekt RED and published internationally by Atari. It was released in Europe and North America in October 2007 for PCs.

“The Witcher 2” contains numerous storylines and multiple endings. As in the first game, players assume the role of the stoic Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans who have been genetically enhanced and rigorously trained to fight the vile monsters that inhabit the kingdom of Temeria. They are also given a special power, such as alchemy, magic or sword handling.

“The Witcher 2” has all the elements of a great RPG, but the game is heavy on adult themes. The dialogue is vulgar, which can be shocking for some, but other gamers will appreciate this level of maturity. “The Witcher 2” also flexes its muscles with its visceral presentation, showing blood splattering across the screen as enemies are impaled, slashed or otherwise victimized by whatever gory method you can think of to kill your adversaries.

“The Witcher 2” contains elements of other third- and first-person role-playing games.  Due to the ability to affect the story by choosing the protagonist’s dialogue during scenes, this feature also allows players to play through the story more than once to see other routes they could have taken.

The combat in “The Witcher 2” is fast, fun and exciting. Geralt relies on his two trusty swords — steel for human enemies and silver for monsters — to dole out considerable damage. He can set up traps, throw bombs and knives and conjure up a number of spells to whittle down his enemies during combat. All this may seem intimidating at first, but once you get familiar with the command wheel, which is a device that slows down the flow of combat, allowing easier access to Geralt’s weapons, items and magic, players will find themselves experimenting with different ways to execute enemies. Taking advantage of these elements is crucial if you want to survive the game’s progressively increasing difficulty. The game does punish mistakes, so be careful.

As Geralt advances through the game’s levels, players can divide talent points across a skill tree to enhance his existing abilities or to unlock new ones. Doing so allows players to customize Geralt, but it can also tempt gamers to favor a select few skills rather than availing themselves of  all the unique skills Geralt has in his arsenal.

For example, you could unload all of your skill points on the magic spell Quen, which deploys an electrical shield that temporarily blocks attacks from Geralt’s aggressors and simultaneously discharges damaging bolts to foes. Combine this with an overpowered fire spell and there you have it. There is no need to learn to use any of Geralt’s other maneuvers. This doesn’t detract from the game, but it feels a little backward, considering that at the outset you must make use of almost all of Geralt’s abilities to survive.

The game also features a potion system, which is set up to punish players who quaff potions and other restorative items mid-fight. Each potion contains a toxicity level, which is a numerical amount that differs with each potion. Recklessly chugging down potions and restorative items will increase Geralt’s poison level, and if you are not paying close attention to this, Geralt will gradually begin to lose health, making you even more vulnerable to harpies, dragons, wyverns and other hideous creatures that roam the world of “The Witcher 2.”

This kind of system forces players to operate more thoughtfully and strategically when going into battle. Hacking, slashing and drinking potions when your health bar is close to depletion won’t work.

In every significant way, “The Witcher 2” is just as rich and compelling as it was on the PC, despite a few technical and graphical hiccups. These minor flaws don’t detract from “The Witcher 2” as a genuine RPG. This is an absorbing game, but it’s genuinely mature as well.

Summer’s almost here, and everyone on campus is enjoying the beautiful weather. For many Patriots, this warrants a time to rejoice. Sandals, flip-flops, gladiators and the like are all here to liberate our feet. Many people have added carefree fashion pieces such as Capri pants, sleeveless shirts and some sheer clothing to their wardrobes. However, there’s a place on campus that this freedom is forbidden: the chemistry lab.

It’s already a bothersome part of most people’s week, and now the strict clothing policies add another reason to dread going to lab. Slogging through a two- to three-hour laboratory, with all of its procedures, calculations and other nuances, is tedious enough.

Added to this stressful situation is the fact that missing a lab is an unforgivable offense. If one attempts to make it up, at least an hour’s worth of scheduling is involved, which ends up being so frustrating that the endeavor is often dropped altogether. A large number of chemistry students recently experienced the attendant frustrations following a missed lab because they failed to comply with the dress code.

It is the purview of lab monitors to walk about the laboratory with their goggles and clipboards, inspecting our materials and making sure that we treat the lab as the sanctuary they believe it to be.

There were tumultuous moments in this paradise last week as droves of students were turned away at the door because of various clothing infractions. Maybe one student wore flip-flops or another wore Capri pants. Even worse, some students were midway through their experiments when the monitors noticed some dress code infraction and expelled the violators, who had to abandon the data from over an hour’s worth of work. Sadly, labs that are regularly filled to the brim appeared less than half occupied.

Though lab regulations might seem unnecessary and unfair at times, they are definitely a needed precaution. If we’ve learned anything from the hour-long safety videos, it’s that spilling something on yourself is a lot less farfetched than it might seem.

Though it seemed as if last week’s war on spring apparel was waged unexpectedly, it was a stern reminder of chemistry lab protocol. This may seem like a harsh way to end the semester, but there’s only one more lab left in the semester. For many College of Science students, this means washing their hands of general chemistry forever, which is a much-anticipated milestone.

It was a night to remember. It was a night to recognize. It was a night to pay tribute to those we have lost and those who are fighting.

Cancer never sleeps and neither did many students during George Mason University’s Relay For Life. The relay began on Saturday and ran until 6 a.m. Sunday morning in the Field House. Countless students came out to support the cause and walk to put an end to cancer. Teams from different school organizations participated, including the women’s rugby team, university scholars and fraternities and sororities. Some teams were dedicated to specific people who were fighting the battle themselves.

The event started off with the National Anthem performed by Off the Books, followed by speeches from student cancer survivors. First to the podium was freshman Emily Albis who began her battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the end of 2010. During her speech, Albis held back tears as she thanked everyone for coming out.

“Cancer sucks … No one should have to go through what I have to,” Albis said.

Mason graduate Evan Milberg spoke next. Milberg, currently a graduate student at Georgetown University, fought both testicular cancer and stage zero melanoma. Though he had to battle through both cancers, Milberg had a positive, inspiring attitude. During his speech he mentioned that everyone has six degrees of separation to cancer. Everyone knows someone, whether it’s a family member, friend or acquaintance, who is dealing with cancer. Cancer affects everybody.

After the speeches, the survivor lap took place, followed by the caregiver lap. All of the teams stood around the track as those who have fought and won their battle with cancer came around. It was an emotional and uplifting moment. When both laps concluded, the teams were all called and began their walks around the track.

Along with the food and fundraisers offered throughout the complex, attendees could participate in various events and performances. This included a wing-eating contest, donut race around the track, dodge ball and other games and activities.

Around 8 p.m., groups got together and danced to V.I.C.’s “Wobble Baby” and Cupid’s “Cupid Shuffle.” Students all around were laughing and appeared in good spirits.

The Luminaria ceremony took place at 9 p.m. and luminaria bags were lit in honor of those who’ve struggled against cancer. Cancer survivor and Mason professor Leslie Morton spoke during the ceremony about how cancer affects everyone.

“You are going to survive,” Morton said. “You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you seem.”

Morton went on to praise all of the participants for fighting cancer.

“The finish line, our goal, is the cure,” she said.

The Luminaria gave participants time to think and, for some, time to mourn.

The night was filled with entertainment, including performances from Urbanknowlogy and Danny Schlenker, and concluded with a glow stick rave.

Cancer affects everyone in some way, and everyone who took part in Mason’s Relay For Life helped fight the battle. The total amount raised was $85,962, which surpassed the goal of $85,000. Everyone who took part deserves praise. It was truly a night to remember.

If you’re not a bicyclist, you’ve probably noticed quite a few of your peers mounting up and heading out for a spin around campus. With the spring weather in full effect, now is the best time to see if biking is the activity for you! You can do just that in a stress-free environment at the Pedal Collective Fun Ride from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28 on the Fairfax campus. The 10-mile route will begin at North Plaza and end at Brion’s Grille with a happy-hour.

Joe Paisley, a senior communication major and organizer of the Fun Ride, has devoted most of his free time to his passion for bicycling. After becoming a member of the campus bicycling club, he paved the way for the Fun Ride in order to encourage others to bike. Even if you’ve never been on a bike before, Paisley encourages everyone to consider the advantages of the activity.

“It’s more than exercising to me,” Paisley said. “It’s a social thing. There’s a whole culture to it.”

Bicycling is a good way to meet up with a group of people and get some exercise while enjoying the spring weather, pollen notwithstanding. Whether you’re biking leisurely around campus or taking a longer ride around Fairfax, Paisley explained that it’s just about getting on a bike and enjoying the downtime.

“The event is tailored to anyone who just wants to ride a bike,” Paisley said.

Everyone is welcome to come whether you’re a “bike nut” or just looking for something fun to do this weekend, provided you’re not bogged down from the end of the semester. The Fun Ride is a great way to get outside and ride with a group of people you might not meet otherwise, or you can try your hand at riding around campus instead of walking or driving.

Biking is a great alternative to a typical gym workout. Not only will you be outdoors soaking up the sunlight, but you will also reduce your carbon emissions. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been riding for years or if you’re just looking for something more interesting to do than hanging out on Facebook in your dorm. Paisley is the perfect example of someone who was interested and learned more about the activity. If you’re interested in biking, be sure to come out Saturday afternoon.

Participants can register for the Fun Ride at freewebstore.org/The-Pedal-Collective/-Pedal_Collective_Fun_Ride_and_Happy_Hour/ or at the event on Saturday.

Reviewing “The Cabin in the Woods” without divulging the plot of the film feels like an impossible task. To speak to the movie’s plot would be to possibly deny potential viewers of one hell of an experience. That being said, “The Cabin in the Woods” is quite possibly the most entertaining movie of the year so far.

You’ve probably seen in the trailers, what little plot details can be safely revealed without spoiling the flick. Five college kids, all of whom fulfill their own cliché roles, head out to — you guessed it — a cabin in the woods for a weekend of boozing and sexing. But things soon go horribly wrong.

It’s a formula you’ve seen before, but much as “Scream” deconstructed the slasher genre in 1996, “Cabin” is a game-changer that takes what you know about the genre, spins it on its head and then says, “Here, have some more.”

One of the reasons this film shines is that all of the characters are quite likable. Yes, they do happen to fall into familiar roles for the genre, but the formulaic aspects of the characters account for only the thinnest layer of each person’s identity.

Many people will recognize Chris Hemsworth from his role in “Thor” last year and from the hype for the upcoming “Avengers” film. “Cabin” was actually shot two years ago, before either of Hemsworth’s action flicks. His recently acquired star power adds a sort of meta-layer to his character, which would not have been the case if this movie had hit the theaters prior to “Thor.”

The influence of writer and producer Joss Whedon, creator of such fanboy favorites as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and the often-idolized “Firefly,” can be felt throughout much of the film. A few choice dialogues simply scream Whedon, as does the film’s treatment of the female heroine.

None of this is meant to take away from the accomplishments of first-time director Drew Goddard. He shoots the film serviceably and allows the film to take its time picking up pace early on. When Goddard removes the training wheels, the project breaks open all at once to deliver a third act that will have audiences simultaneously gasping and cheering.

“Cabin” is being marketed as a straightforward horror film, and while the blood does spill (boy, does it spill), it’s difficult to classify it as a strictly genre film. You will be laughing just as much as you’ll be jumping, if not more. In fact, the viewers with whom I saw the film were laughing from start to finish. Laughter from the audience typically destroys a horror movie for me, but this film is meant to be an experience. Sharing it with a crowd who appreciates what they’re seeing makes it that much more special.

“The Cabin in the Woods” is well worth the price of admission. Prepare to be missing out on seriously great conversations if you opt not to see it.

The central conflict in every installment of the “Final Fantasy” series pits an assembly of characters against some evil and, sometimes, an ancient antagonist who wants to destroy the world. The stories usually begin with a sovereign state battling a rebellion comprising the game’s protagonists. The heroes are often fated to defeat the evil force dominating their world, which is what causes the main heroes to unite.

You would think that after twelve installments (and a few sequels) with essentially the same basic plot, players would begin to think it’s the same game over and over. Well, actually, it’s not.

Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and developed and owned by SquareEnix, the series blends of science fiction and fantasy. The enterprise began with the 1987 release of “Final Fantasy” in Japan and in America three years later. Two sequels, “Final Fantasy II” (1988) and “Final Fantasy III” (1990) were also released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Subsequent titles are numbered, usually with an unrelated story. (Think of them as volumes instead of sequels.)

The series was a huge success, branching into other genres such as third-person shooter, tactical role-playing and action role-playing.

Although the series remains successful, it is beginning to lose the appeal it once enjoyed. This isn’t because of poor presentation or graphics but because the series is beginning to give players a linear story and overly simplistic combat. “Final Fantasy” used to be a challenge; now it’s a shell of its former self.

Let’s examine “Final Fantasy XIII” and “Final Fantasy XIII-2.” Both games have elements of science fiction and fantasy with a few futuristic elements, but they strip players of the freedom to veer off the principal plot. No longer can a player explore caves, abandoned villages and small towns between elements of the main quest.

Not only has the exploration component of “Final Fantasy” taken a hit, combat has become almost effortless.

“Active Time Battle” is a trademark feature of the “Final Fantasy” series. ATB essentially concerns the flow of combat. Time bars are usually located near the character’s name, and during combat the bars gradually fill up. Once the bar is full, the character can act, choosing to employ skills such as attack, magic, item and so forth.

“Final Fantasy XIII” and “Final Fantasy XIII-2” maintain the traditional ATB concept, but also incorporate a subtle amount of AI. Winning a battle in “Final Fantasy XIII” and “XIII-2” requires no strategy; at the press of a button, the character selects what attacks and skills to use. The player could go into the menu and manually select what specific skills to use, but the AI is always faster and already knows what attacks to use as well as the creature’s weakness.

The only strategy element in “Final Fantasy XIII” and “Final Fantasy XIII-2” is the Paradigm System, which allows the player to change battle strategies during combat. For example, if you’re pinned by a tough boss, you can turn the situation around by switching to a defensive position by pressing a few buttons to have two characters jointly sustain the attack, protecting the medic and restoring the party’s hit points.

Although this article may appear to be genre bashing, it isn’t. The series is fantastic, and each new installment brings something new, whether it is characters, locations or story lines. This is what fans enjoy. Sure, “Final Fantasy XIII “and “Final Fantasy XIII-2” have simplistic combat and a linear plot, but every “Final Fantasy” is different, which means that this is far from the final iteration of the series.

What’s old is new again. Thrift shopping is becoming a more popular form of purchasing clothing and it can be especially useful for those of us college students who are on a budget.

It seems that people either enjoy or strictly avoid thrift shopping. Though it can be fun rummaging through racks of clothing, some find the thought of wearing someone else’s clothing unappealing. But as long as you know how to search through all of the items in the store, it can actually be fun and easy to find some great deals.

“You can find clothes that are barely worn and in perfect condition. It’s a great deal,” said Vicenta Tran, a freshman chemistry major.

For those who have a slightly higher fashion standard, the store Plato’s Closet offers cash for gently used, name-brand clothing and sells the items at a generously discounted price. The closest Plato’s Closet store to campus is in Chantilly.

“It’s a good way to find nice clothes that are pretty cheap, but you have to do a lot of scavenging,” said Jake Chavara, a freshman government and international politics major.

It is beneficial to check out many local thrift stores and larger chain thrift stores to get an idea of which stores carry items you like. The clothing and accessories in some places are of better quality and in better condition. It is also important to allot adequate time to thrift shopping because, in order to find the diamond in the rough, it is necessary to search through large amounts of clothing. Typically, the time spent shopping will pay off. You can end up leaving the store with a couple shirts and a pair of shoes for around $20.

Seventeen magazine recently challenged fashion bloggers to create a fashionable look for under $17. In the process of creating her look, blogger Sammy Davis of Sammy Davis Vintage went to Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Luckily for us at Mason, there are some thrift stores just around the corner. Yesterday’s Rose is on Main Street and they carry everything from sweaters, shirts and dresses to jewelry and handbags. There is also a Goodwill located on Main Street.

Whenever you want to go on a shopping spree but don’t have a bit of cash, just remember that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If you take the time to search through the clothing at a thrift store, it can literally pay off.

As students leave home and travel to college, it can be difficult for siblings to stay in touch. Hoping to keep students and siblings connected, the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services will host its first annual Siblings Day weekend on Saturday, April 28. All George Mason University students are invited to participate and register their siblings for the fun-filled weekend.

In order to attend the event, students must register their siblings on or before Wednesday, April 25 at masonfamily.gmu.edu. The signed registration form must be submitted to the office of orientation and Family Programs and Services via mail or by emailing a scanned copy. The event is open to siblings aged 12 to 18. While the office hopes to accommodate younger siblings in the future, they have planned this year’s weekend for adolescent siblings.

As the graduate assistant to the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services, Jennifer Burns is excited to watch this event come to fruition.

“We hope that this will be a way that siblings and teenagers can stay connected after one goes off to college,” Burns said.

Sibling attendees must pay the registration fee of $20. The fee will provide a T-shirt, games and trivia, a pizza party and late-night trivia on Saturday. In addition, students can purchase discounted tickets for themselves and their siblings for Kings Dominion. The Kings Dominion tickets are $25 each, and transportation to and from the amusement park is included.

Event organizers hope that the weekend will be an opportunity for younger siblings to learn about college life as well as stay connected with their collegiate family member. Students may use the opportunity to show their siblings around campus, introduce them to friends and show them dorm life. Each Mason student may bring up to three guests to stay with them for the weekend. The event is not limited to just siblings. Students may invite cousins or family friends as well.

Students will check in their siblings on Saturday, April 28 from 9 to 10 a.m. in The Hub (SUB II). Those with tickets to Kings Dominion will depart shortly after registration. Other campus activities will include trivia at Corner Pocket, a drive-in movie in Parking Lot I and laser tag in the The Hub (SUB II) ballroom. Sibling Day activities will conclude on Sunday, April 29 with brunch at Southside.

“We are excited to see this event start and hope it will continue to grow and expand in future years,” Burns said.

As younger siblings begin to consider and prepare for college, visiting college campuses can ease their concerns and provide a window into college life. Organizers believe the event will be an opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of college life and of the Mason community in particular.

Students interested in participating may direct questions to the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services at 703.993.2475 or  families@gmu.edu.