Articles by: style

 

• From the Bathroom to the Big Time: Local Band Set to Release Sophomore Album

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 2:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Nicole Ocran, Staff Writer Writing songs in the bathroom may sound strange, but frontman Brad Rhodes of Melodime appreciates its simple solitude. To escape the craziness of growing up in a household full of older siblings, at 10 years old, he retreated to the basement bathroom of his house to begin the writing process. This Northern Virginia band’s latest endeavor, The Bathroom Diaries, Vol. 1, is a nod to Rhodes’ songwriting tendencies. Although now, the rest of the band—keyboardist Sam Duis, drummer Tyg Duis, bassist Nate Thomas, and violinist and George Mason University music major Katie Shanta—play a large role in the production. Rhodes, Sam and Tyg have been together since the band’s inception. Rhodes was first introduced to Tyg in high school by a mutual friend and soon after, they recruited Tyg’s brother, Sam. “They’re brothers so, [there is a] package deal with that,” said Rhodes. “It was just us three for awhile. In the spring of ’06 was when we kind of got serious about it and started playing together. Then, the two new members, Katie and Nate; they were brought on [about five months ago].” The group has been slowly but surely climbing up the ranks. “D.C. […]

   

• The “Pack” is Back: The Top 10 “Frat Pack” Films

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 2:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer Last weekend, Vince Vaughn’s Couple’s Retreat opened with a surprising $34 million dollars, proving that the films of The Frat Pack—movies featuring Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Luke and Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Steve Carell and Will Ferrell—still have a chance against films from Judd Apatow’s crew. In honor of this box office victory, here are the top 10 films from The Frat Pack: 10. Zoolander The world’s two top models face off against the evil creator of the piano tie in Ben Stiller’s Spinal Tap of the fashion industry. Stiller and Owen Wilson are ridiculously dumb as the two models and Ferrell as the villain is one of the most over-the-top antagonists in recent memory. 9. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby The first and best of Ferrell’s sports parodies, Ricky Bobby was the epitome of a racer stereotype. His father told him “if you’re not first, you’re last,” so when he does lose a race to Jean Girard, played by Sasha Baron Cohen with arguably the worst French accent ever, Bobby starts to go a little nuts. And if anyone knows how to go crazy, it’s Ferrell. 8. Step Brothers Speaking of Ferrell being crazy, […]

   

• Halloween Rock: Deathklok and Mastodon to Headline Halloween Show at Patriot Center

  Lifestyle October 16, 2009 at 5:01 pm Comments are Disabled

  Pearson Jones, Asst. Style Editor Halloween provides the yearly excuse to dress up as some of the strangest and most iconic characters without looking too out of place in public. In keeping with the Halloween spirit of make believe characters, George Mason University has scheduled the virtual cartoon death metal band Dethklok to perform at the Patriot Center this Hallows-Eve. Also known as the TV-famed cartoon band featured on the show Metalocalypse that’s aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, Dethklok will be joined on stage by Grammy-nominated heavy metal band Mastodon as the two groups continue on their “Adult Swim Presents” tour. Mastodon has become a driving force in recent years behind the movement of new wave American heavy metal and also have been connected to some of Adult Swim’s shows by donating songs, most notably to Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Most people are familiar with Dethklok as the drawn out Scandinavian band from Metalocalypse, but during their tour, audiences will be able to see a more realistic side to this comedy rock band, a style of their own that can only be slightly compared to that of GWAR and Spinal Tap. However, ultimate question becomes how does a fake […]

   

• Roller Derby, Texas Style: Drew Berrymore Excels in Directorial Debut

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:53 pm Comments are Disabled

  Josh Hylton, Staff Writer Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It is like an online gaming avatar: it allows the audience to step into the shoes of somebody else and live vicariously through them, even if it’s only for a brief period of time. Whip It is a coming-of-age story told with equanimity and aplomb, a story that is likely to resonate with many who have had a desire to follow our dreams, but have never realized them. Based on the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, Whip It stars Ellen Page as Bliss, a 17-year-old high school student in desperate need of a new life. Cross lives in a small, desolate town in Texas, has a miserable job at The Oink Joint (a local restaurant where she is forced to wear an embarrassing pig apron in front of her peers) and participates in a myriad of pageants to please her mother, despite her secret hatred for them. She is emotionally lost and unsure of where life is taking her until she finds a flyer for a roller derby league promoting the upcoming pre-season game. She attends the game and falls in love with it, eventually trying out for the team […]

   

• Farmers’ Market Going Sour?: Mason, Smart Markets in Contract Dispute

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor This is not the plan Smart Markets founder Jean Janssen had in mind. Less than two months into the school year, there is growing concern that her farmer’s market, like much of the produce sold there, will not survive the winter. Janssen is locked in a scuffle with George Mason University over the future of her program. According to Janssen, University Services has informed her that they plan to close the market at the end of October to assess its future. Last year, University Services started investigating farmer’s markets to bring to campus. They decided on Smart Markets, and opened the market on Earth Day last year, continuing during the summer. It started with only a few vendors, but slowly gained momentum as the summer progressed. It was a hit with faculty and staff and is now reaching an increasing student audience. Mason’s market was recently named the third best small market in the country by American Farmland Trust. However, tensions between Mason and the market began when, according to Assistant Vice President of University Services Mark Kraner, the university asked Janssen to submit language to change their contract. According to Janssen, Mason is neglecting the […]

   

• Making Peace Funny: Comedians Encourage Communication in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  Alex Hilton, Staff Writer The StandUp for Peace comedy show Wednesday night was a huge success. The two comedians, SNL’s Dean Obeidallah and Comedy Central’s Scott Blakeman have created a comedy show bringing together people of all religions, including Israelis and Palestinians. The show is designed to put people of different faiths in the same room and give them an hour of comedy to enjoy in each other’s company. Following the show was a discussion about the purpose of the show as well as a question-and-answer session with the comedians. The two friends came up with the idea to create the comedy show while on a bus in New York. The duo performed their set at George Mason University four years ago. There has been an ongoing conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people. Blakeman, an Israeli, and Obeidallah, a Palestinian, incorporate this into their show by bringing the two groups together and spreading a message that there can be peace through communication. Both comedians had the audience laughing the entire show. This was even true during the discussion, where the duo answered questions ranging from their political views to which country they thought had the best hummus. During the […]

   

• In My Own Words: Mason LIFE Student Wins Award

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  Erin Thompson, Staff Writer Hi, my name is Erin Thompson. I am a senior at George Mason University in the Mason LIFE program. I work part time at Broadside. I have been involved in the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia. I became a self-advocate on the Down Syndrome board with another self-advocate named David Egan. My responsibilities are going to my board meeting or making conference calls for the board meetings once a month and attending the many meetings of the DSANV. I represent the interests and concerns of people with Down Syndrome on the board but not just the parents or advocates of people with Down Syndrome. I know what it is like to have Down Syndrome and sometimes I give speeches and represent DSANV. I have some special news to tell you. I recently got nominated for the Dan Piper Award. I was competing with 18 other people and I won the Dan Piper award and now I am going to New York City to get the award. I will be presented it in Central Park, where the Buddy Walk is, on Sept. 26.

   

• Computer Generation: The Best CGI Movies of All Time

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:46 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer It’s hard to believe, but almost 14 years ago Pixar released the first ever fully computer-generated feature film with Toy Story. This week, Pixar will re-release this first film and its sequel with Toy Story 1 & 2 in 3D. In honor of this, here are the top 10 CGI movies: 10. Jurassic Park The immense shock of seeing dinosaurs that weren’t robots or some other gimmick brought audiences in droves with Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking action film. Jurassic Park seamlessly blended the real with the impossible into a film that dropped jaws and changed action films. 9. Finding Nemo The tale of a clownfish searching for his son was one that not only resonated with parents around the world and became Pixar’s highest-grossing film, but also pushed the boundaries of CGI with its incredible effects and beautiful underwater worlds. 8. Shrek The first film to challenge Pixar’s supremacy in the CGI world, Shrek became a massive success with its fractured take on fairytales. By intentionally blasting the Disney franchise, Dreamworks called out the House of Mouse, but never were able to come as close to greatness as they were with their green giant. 7. Terminator 2: […]

   

• Lady’s Night Out: Lady Gaga Entertains, Connects with Fans

  Lifestyle October 6, 2009 at 1:44 pm Comments are Disabled

  Julia Harding, Broadside Correspondent Lady Gaga may have been an hour and a half late to her show, but fans didn’t care once she appeared on stage. She shimmered in her mirrored dress and latest hairdo when she started the last concert of her Fame tour last Tuesday night. Starting out with “Paparazzi,” everyone could sense the night was going to end in an explosion. Upon arrival at the D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution) Constitution Hall, fans were dressed to impress— many ladies (and gentlemen) arrived as mock Lady Gagas. Others just found the craziest leopard print dresses or metallic thigh high boots. The fans were prepared to enjoy their night. Her style never failed to lure and entice the crowd. From military jacket thong attire to her infamous bubble outfit, Lady was nothing less than marvelous. And if the outfits weren’t enough, the setlist was. Some of the better performances included “Boys, Boys, Boys,” “Lovegame,” “Money Honey” and of course, “Just Dance.” Between performances were two-minute video clips. Though ingenious, the short films left much to be desired. A little too robotic and manipulated for the crowd’s taste, the fans had to shake off the creepy persona of […]

   

• Fundraiser Held for Student Scholarships: Over 2,000 Attended Annual Event

  Lifestyle October 1, 2009 at 2:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor The rain may have been falling last Saturday, but grey skies couldn’t dampen the electric feeling at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts. Students, faculty and community members gathered for the fourth annual Arts by George! fundraiser. Arts by George! is an annual fundraiser presented by Mason to raise money for scholarships. Appropriately, the money goes to students within one of the seven programs within the arts department. Since its inception in 2005, the program has been a huge success. “It is the buzz of Northern Virginia,” said William Reeder, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, “and that is the result of the quality of the student performer, and we are so incredibly thankful and proud.” This year, Reeder feels confident that the fundraiser brought in over $100,000 in scholarship funding. Combining a silent auction with a series of concerts and displays, Arts by George! aims to engage its patrons and show them firsthand how their contributions impact students. For the auction, the usual spread of golf outings and fancy dinners were up for grabs, but there was also plenty of art to be had. Works created by Mason students and faculty […]