Recent Posts

• BROADSIDE INTERVIEWS: Chris Rock & Tracy Morgan: Iconic comedians talk about their new film, growing older and family

  Lifestyle April 19, 2010 at 1:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Ramy Zabarah, Staff Writer In the heavily anticipated American remake of the 2007 British comedy Death at a Funeral, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan and many other well-known actors have come together to show the importance of family and acceptance, while still making us laugh. Last week, I had the privilege of sitting in on a conference-call interview with both Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan, and I listened as they shared stories about the movie and their experiences while shooting it. The plot of the film follows a group of family members and friends who come together to mourn the death of their patriarch, the father of the two main characters, Aaron, played by Chris Rock and Ryan, played by Martin Lawrence. It is here that problems arise, including the discovery that, prior to his death, their father was romantically involved with another man. “The movie is about acceptance. This guy’s dad was gay, but he loved him to death,” Rock says. Morgan believes it’s more about family values. “Family keeps you honest, and they keep you grounded,” says Morgan. “It’s unfortunate that we all have to come together sometimes because somebody died.” With a cast including such […]

   

• The lost titans of film

  Lifestyle April 19, 2010 at 1:40 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer There are some films that are widely considered to be the greatest classic dramas of all time. Movies like Casablanca, The Godfather and Lawrence of Arabia are on most radars as some of the best. Yet there are many great dramas that mostly go unnoticed. Here are five forgotten classic dramas that everyone should know: 5. The Passion of Joan of Arc It is hard to say what exactly is the greatest film performance ever, but it would be hard for that conversation to not include Maria Falconetti as Joan of Arc. This silent film is a portrayal of the trial of Joan of Arc and is one of the great landmarks of early cinema. The focus on the expressions of Joan and the incredible use of close-ups to show her suffering makes the film beautiful, yet extremely difficult to watch. 4. Marty Marty is the simple story of what some might call the lovable loser. Marty is a lonely, middle-aged butcher who lives with his mother. Every night he goes to try and find “the one” but always comes back empty-handed. But right when he gets ready to give up, Marty meets a schoolteacher […]

   

• FROM THE VAULT: Bullets and action guaranteed

  Lifestyle April 19, 2010 at 1:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Jason Ulrich, Broadside Correspondent Looking for a movie to rent that will say you’re both a worldly intellectual and an action fan? These movies tend to be few and far between with one noticeable gem coming out of Hong Kong in 1989. After having produced, directed and written some 20-plus movies, Hong Kong-born director John Woo made the most groundbreaking and career-changing of all his films to date. The film, The Killer, not only went on to garner rave reviews and accolades, but it also influenced an entire new generation of action filmmakers like the Wachowski Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Tony Scott and Michael Bay. Woo’s films also weigh heavily on both first- and third-person shooter video games such as Max Payne and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Using slow motion, quick cuts, long tracking shots and beautiful lighting to evoke a Catholic-style fall from grace, The Killer’s most beautiful negotiation is between its Western film influences and its Eastern storytelling archetypes, dating back to the sword-and-sandals action films of the ’50s and ’60s that Tarantino loves so much. The story revolves around an assassin named Jeff (Chow Yun-Fat), hired by the Chinese mob for one last job. On the […]

   

• Death follows its predecessor well: American remake lives up to the original

  Lifestyle April 19, 2010 at 1:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Kayla Beardsley, Broadside Correspondent I am not afraid to admit my hesitation before seeing the American re-make of the 2007 British comedy Death at a Funeral. The thought “how could anything be funnier?” crossed my mind. However, this Neil LaBute-directed version kept true to its adaption, and kept the laughs going. The new Death at a Funeral did what remakes are meant to do but rarely accomplish – it took out what didn’t work in the first one. The never-ending fight scenes were shortened, the plot was tweaked just enough for the plot to make more sense, and writer Dean Craig’s one-liners about pop culture were consistently hilarious. My biggest fear going into this film was the drugged and crazy character of Simon, played by Alan Tudyk in the original but this time taken over by James Marsden. Tudyk was the part of the first film that never failed. Every time he entered the scene – the audience was already prepared to roll over laughing. Marsden played this role in the remake and from his very first reaction to the pills, I was pleased. As hard as it is to say, Marsden may have done a better job than […]

   

• Kaleidoscope secures Mason Day gig

  Lifestyle April 19, 2010 at 1:31 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Pearson Jones, Asst. Style Editor There can only be one. Five bands came to compete in George Mason University’s musical gauntlet, but only one would go onto the final stage. Last Thursday, House of Echo, Rites of Ash, I Am the Kaleidoscope, Find the Focus and The Automatics shared two dueling stages in Dewberry Hall. The rules were plain and simple. The last band standing would be promised a gig of musical prominence at this year’s Mason Day fesitivites. Plugged in and tuned up, the feuding bands met on Mason’s campus to determine who would open up for Cobra Starship during their Mason Day concert. In the end, I Am the Kaleidoscope was hailed the victor by three judges. Dewberry Hall was far from being a packed house but the bands still performed like they had sold out Madison Square Garden. All the bands proved they had the necessary energy to keep up with a crowd as large as Mason Day’s. I Am the Kaleidoscope’s presence, though, was the only one that wasn’t at risk of being eclipsed by an already well-known band like Cobra Starship. I Am the Kaleidoscope was set to play in the third slot for […]

   

• Class helps poor of Fairfax: Mason aids with service and donations

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:27 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Genevieve Timpone, Broadside Correspondent Although Forbes Magazine lists Fairfax among the most affluent of America’s counties, there are still many individuals in the area who are homeless. The Lamb Center strives to be a safe haven for those in need. The Lamb Center is a Christian-based homeless shelter in Fairfax, Va. The organization allows the area’s homeless to get out of the elements, and provides a number of services, including meals, laundry, showers, phone access, a prayer area and mental outreach programs. The shelter also provides work-related help to its guests, such as resume drafting and the use of its address as a place of contact. George Mason University’s COMM 330: Principles of Public Relations class is working with the Lamb Center by collecting donations. According to junior communication major Nicole Carnemella, a student in the class, the class has not had much luck in receiving donations. Many stores they went to were either unwilling or legally unable to provide donations. “Other than a few donations from friends and family, we don’t have that much,” said Carnemella, noting that the group had only collected about two boxes of supplies. The COMM 330 class is not the only place on […]

   

• Students seesaw against slavery: Work to raise awareness on human trafficking

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:21 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Pras Gustanto, Staff Writer A playground activity like seesawing can be more than just a fun way to pass the time — it can also act as a tool to raise awareness. That is what Seesaw Against Slavery did to educate the George Mason University student body about human trafficking. The event, which took place last Monday, gave people the opportunity to ride a seesaw while helping to raise awareness of human trafficking by donating money, which went to aid awareness on the issue. The act of riding on the seesaw symbolizes what childhood could have been like for trafficked infants. “We seesaw because they can’t,” said Margalit de Gosztonyi, a junior biology major. The event brought together Christian organizations such as The Gathering and Campus Crusades for Christ in sponsoring the event to raise funds to help end human trafficking. The U.N. defines human trafficking as “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion . . . for the purpose of exploitation.” Sex trafficking in both its personal and commercial variations is a common form of trafficking. “[It] is simply the global form […]

   

• Medical symposium comes to campus: Alpha Epsilon Delta hosts event

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:20 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Yuri Svjagintsev, Broadside Correspondent Being an undergraduate student is a very eye-opening and difficult time. Why is it difficult? Possibly because, for many students, it means deciding what they want to pursue for the rest of their lives. Some students are clueless to what their future professions will be. This is why organizations like Alpha Epsilon Delta exist on the George Mason University campus. The objective of this professional organization is to prepare students for a career as a physician and how to be successful in the challenging task of applying and completing medical school. According to Dara Kabban, Alpha Epsilon’s events coordinator and a senior biology major, the organization is also an “honor society that does service.” One of the programs offered is a shadow program, in which students shadow a medical professional. Since Alpha Epsilon Delta is an honor society, it requires participants to uphold a certain GPA. On Tuesday, the fraternity invited participants in VCU’s medical school to come and speak at the Johnson Center. The participants in this organization were all at different stages of their medical careers. They ranged from Asad Qassim, a fourth-year medical student at VCU, to Dr. Bashian, a retired pediatrician. […]

   

• Mason Ecosphere

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:18 pm Comments are Disabled

  By EAG Member Nya Jackson As Shavon Jordan, a sophomore psychology major, thumbed through her $222 Information Technology 103 book, she felt sick to her stomach knowing it would be thrown away at the end of the semester. “I’m mad I won’t get any money back, but it’s also wasteful because the book is going to end up in the garbage since I have no use for the book after I’m done with the course.” Jordan is not the only one thinking about George Mason University’s wasteful behavior. The Office of Sustainability (OS) has been considering how to reduce wasteful consumption and increase sustainability on campus. The OS is implementing a multi-level Climate Action Plan that will ideally lead Mason to climate neutrality. Recently, the OS held two town hall sessions to engage the Mason community. According to Lenna Storm, Mason’s sustainability coordinator, “With 15 participants — staff, graduates, undergraduates and faculty — and input from all aspects of university operations, the seminar resulted in a list of over 300 projects aimed at reducing emissions.” While all of these projects were not included in the Climate Action Plan after their costs and benefits were determined, many are ready for immediate […]

   

• Mason celebrates 40th anniversary of Earth Day: University goes green

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:15 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Pras Gustanto, Staff Writer Earth Day this year will mark a special occasion for both the world and for George Mason University. It will mark the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, a day that is designed to inspire knowledge and recognition about the Earth’s environment. Sunday, April 25 will also be Mason’s first official Earth Day trip to the National Mall. This will be the climax of a series of Earth Week events at Mason that started on April 6 and will end on May 1. As it says on Mason’s Office of Sustainability (OS) website, “Earth Week in 2010 features many opportunities to learn about environmental sustainability as well as Mason’s commitment to leadership in environmental research and action.” This past week had several events covering a variety of environment-related topics. On April 17, for instance, there was Mason Beautification Day, when Mason students were invited to make Mason more beautiful. Among other things, the event involved planting and painting around campus. Upcoming events will feature Earth Day celebrations for just about everyday of this week. On Tuesday, April 20, Dr. Geoffrey Birchard of Mason’s Environmental Science and Policy Department, will speak on the subject of […]