Recent Posts

• The Weird World of Jared Hess: Broadside Talks with Gentlemen Broncos Director

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm Comments are Disabled

  Katie Robertson, Broadside Correspondent Jared Hess is an award-winning writer and director who, in just five short years, has created two blockbuster films and made a lasting impression on popular culture and the independent movie-making world, creating an unassumingly unique genre all his own. Hess, who brought us the weird world of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, has a new movie called Gentlemen Broncos opening in selected cities Oct. 30. Gentlemen Broncos tells the story of 15-year-old Benjamin Purvis, an aspiring science fiction writer, played by Michael Angarano (Lords of Dogtown). Benjamin’s mom, played by Jennifer Coolridge, sends him to a writer’s camp where Benjamin gets a chance to meet his idol in the science fiction writing world, Dr. Ronald Chevalier. Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement plays the Bluetooth-wearing, novel-stealing antagonist of the film. Chevalier, in a fit of desperation, steals Benjamin’s story to submit to his publishers. The story that unfolds follows Benjamin’s misadventures to get recognition for a story that was rightfully his. Broadside got a chance to sit down with Hess to ask him about the inspiration for his new film, a surprising Ninja Turtles connection, and the danger that comes with getting too weird. […]

   

• Rock, Paper, Action: Mockumentary The Flying Scissors is Amusing, but Not Much Else

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 9:07 pm Comments are Disabled

  Josh Hylton, Staff Writer There’s a game I play with my friends. It is always spur of the moment and it always comes about when we have a disagreement, when neither my friend nor I want to get up and do something. It is initiated by one quick sentence: “Let’s go, on ‘shoot.’” That game is Rock Paper Scissors, but to us, it is more than a game. It’s a way of life. It is sacred and the loser must do what is expected of him, no questions asked. Perhaps that is why I was so amused by the new mockumentary, The Flying Scissors, a film that puts a humorous satirical spin on the hallowed game. The film follows the National Rock Paper Scissors League as they prepare for the upcoming championship where dozens of regional winners from all over the nation will compete in upstate New York with the hope of being crowned the NRPSL champion. Among the contestants are Leon Washington, played by Mike Britt, who uses vulgar trash talk to intimidate his opponents, Frank, played by Todd Susman, an aging man who has come down with arthritis in his RPS hand, making it increasingly difficult to compete, […]

   

• Movies That Rock: They’ve Got the Beat: The All-Time Best Films About Music

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 9:04 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer Last Wednesday, Michael Jackson’s final concert opus, This Is It, was released to rave reviews and sold-out showings. On Nov. 13, Pirate Radio will be released. It’s a movie starring Philip Seymour Hoffman about DJs going out to sea to broadcast illegal rock and roll radio to ‘60s England. With this recent rise of music in movies, here are the top-ten movies about music: 10. School of Rock What would happen if Jack Black took over a private school’s music class? The film shows the educational power that all types of music can have on children and that Black would make a pretty great music teacher. 9. 8 Mile At the height of Eminem’s musical career, Marshall Mathers made his stunning film debut appearing as underground rapper B-Rabbit.  The film builds around his constant struggles until finally they burst into a breathtaking musical performance that hits viewers as hard as life has hit B-Rabbit. With “Lose Yourself,” Mathers won an Oscar for best song. 8. I’m Not There Todd Haynes decided to take a spin on typical rock biographies like Ray and Walk the Line by having six different actors play Bob Dylan in different points of […]

   

• Isolated Incident: Dane Cook to Visit the Patriot Center

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 9:01 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor It’s been nearly two years, but he’s back. On Nov. 6, outspoken comedian and actor Dane Cook will bring his antics back to the Patriot Center with his ISolated INcident Global Thermo Comedy Tour. Known for his outrageous observational humor, Cook has proven to be a smash hit among college students. Starting his career in Los Angeles, Cook appeared on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend in 1998. Since then, he has released five comedy albums and has toured successfully for each. In 2004, his album Retaliation was the first comedy album in nearly thirty years to climb the Billboard charts, peaking at number four. This feat put him in the company of comedy greats like Bill Cosby. He is notable as being one of only two comedians to sell out the famed Madison Square Garden. For his latest release, titled ISolated INcident, Cook performed in front of a crowd of 30 at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. In addition to his successful stand-up career, Cook is also known for his acting. He has acted in over 20 movies, starring in such films as the cult classic Waiting…, Employee of the Month co-starring Jessica Simpson, and Good Luck […]

   

• Metal Madness: Iconic Metal Bands Rock the Patriot Center

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 8:58 pm Comments are Disabled

  Chris Earp, Broadside Correspondent This Halloween, two iconic heavy metal bands made their way to George Mason University for a show to end all shows. The headliners, Dethklok and Mastodon, are both unique within the genre. The former is actually a cartoon band around which the television show Metalocalypse is based. The short comedy takes a satirical look at the metal world, poking fun at the industry and bands themselves. Real musicians record Dethklok’s music, and two genuine albums later, have amassed a large and rabid fan base. Mastodon has been an integral part of American metal for years. Since the Atlanta-based band first crashed onto the scene with Remission in 2002, their music has been evolving steadily. The product of this evolution is Crack the Skye, a concept album that fans had the pleasure of hearing played all the way through this Halloween. One of the reasons that heavy metal concerts are so much fun to attend is that the fans are so energetic. The excitement that I felt just milling about, trying to find my seat was absolutely electric. It seemed like everyone I saw was wearing a Mastodon or Dethklok shirt, and some were even dressed like […]

   

• Tuesday Jams: Baby Grand Takes the Stage at Jazzman’s

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 8:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  Chris Earp, Broadside Correspondent Happy to get out of the October drizzle, I ducked into the warmth of Jazzman’s. Not many people were there, save for some film students taping the show and a couple of coffee drinkers. It seemed that the only people intently eyeing the “stage” (which was simply the corner opposite the entrance) were directly related to the event in some capacity or another. For those who don’t know, every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., the Program Board hosts a “jam” at Jazzman’s, a coffee shop located on the ground floor of the Johnson Center at George Mason University. I took a seat close to the PA and glanced around, trying to find someone affiliated with the Program Board. I finally identified her after hearing her talking to the film students. Interdisciplinary Studies major Sho Roberts, a Mason grad student and first-year member of the Program Board, happily explained the idea behind Tuesday Jams. “The idea is basically to give students a relaxed environment that they can hang out in and support local music. We alternate who plays weekly; first we’ll have an open mic type setting, then we’ll feature a [Mason] student, and finally we showcase a […]

   

• In Bed with Billy: Does Size Really Matter?

  Lifestyle November 5, 2009 at 8:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Billy Curtis, Sex Columnist Once upon a time, there was a young girl with long golden hair. She wandered the lands far and wide in search of something she was direly looking for – the perfect sausage. The girl saw many things she thought she would never see and felt things she never thought she would feel along the way, but none of the sausages she had were good enough. Then finally, she came to a house. The girl slowly opened the front door and walked into a kitchen with three plates on the table. Each plate had a sausage on it and she decided to try each one. She tasted the first plate, but the sausage was just too small and didn’t satisfy her. So, the girl moved on to the second sausage and it was just too spicy. “Ouch! This is too hot,” she said, and moved onto the last plate, with the largest sausage of all three. She stuck a piece of the sausage in her mouth, and let it sit there until the wonderful taste seeped into her throat, and then proceeded to finish off the entire sausage. Some girls just prefer the bigger sausages. Big […]

   

• The Season Finale: Mason Misses Postseason after Dukes’ Win

  Sports November 5, 2009 at 8:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor As the clouds loomed during a murky Halloween afternoon, the George Mason University women’s soccer team recognized the nine seniors on the team during the pregame festivities, starting off the final game of the season for the Patriots. “I definitely think, since this is our best record since 1994, we’ve done great. Winning the last five games proved how much dedication and heart we had,” said senior forward Theresa DeLucca on the season. It was a must-win game to keep their hopes alive to enter the conference tournament. While the Towson Tigers’ season was over regardless the result of the game, the Patriots entered the match tied with the James Madison Dukes for fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association, with only four teams advancing to the postseason tournament. The Dukes won the head-to-head, so a tie of records between the two teams would send the Dukes to the tournament. The Patriots would need to win their game with a Dukes’ loss or tie, or they could tie with a Dukes’ loss. Knowing the need to win in the game, the Patriots (14-4-2, 6-3-2) came out of gates with a strong offense, creating strong momentum as […]

   

• Major League Soccer Playoffs

  Sports November 5, 2009 at 8:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Donald O’Mahony, Staff Writer First Round: Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chivas USA: This matchup includes the two teams that share the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. The star-studded Galaxy boasts players like Landon Donovan and David Beckham, along with many other players that have experience at the highest level. No team lost fewer games than the Galaxy this season and I expect them to advance. Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders: The Dynamo have won two of the last three championships and finished the season tied for the second-best record. Players like Brian Ching and Stuart Holden lead a very dangerous attack while goalkeeper Pat Onstad finished tied for second in the league with 10 shutouts. The expansion Sounders field a very similar team with players like Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg along with goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who had the second-lowest goals-against- average statistic in the league. I pick the Dynamo to go through based on their experience. Columbus Crew vs. Real Salt Lake: The Crew goes into the playoffs with the best record in the league this season. Guillermo Barros Schelotto won the MVP award last season and tied for third in the league in goals this year. Real […]

   

• Marquez Helps Patriots Slay Dragons: Mason Makes a Push for the CAA Tournament

  Sports November 5, 2009 at 8:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cody Norman, Broadside Correspondent Junior forward Ernesto Marquez led the way for the men’s soccer team as the Patriots defeated the Drexel Dragons 3-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Vidas Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Marquez gave the Patriots an immediate lead, scoring only two minutes into the game. After a foul by Drexel permitted a penalty kick from just outside the right corner of the goalie box, Marquez bent the ball inside the near post past Drexel goalkeeper Tres Heffron to give Mason a 1-0 lead. After the Dragons tied the score in the 17th minute when Taylor Brophy recorded the first goal of his short career, junior forward Victor Freeman took Drexel defender Jon Volpatti one-on-one and scored to begin the second half. Freeman’s goal was his team-leading seventh of the season and gave the Patriots the lead for good. Mason added an insurance goal in the final 40 seconds when Freeman led a two-on-one breakaway into the goalie box before passing off to Marquez for his second goal of the afternoon to make the score 3-1. The win bumped the Patriots into a three-way tie for third place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings with a 10-5-1 overall record […]