Jackass and Rob Dyrdek's Ridiculousness ( 3rd column)

                                                         Jackass and Rob Dyrdek's Ridiculousness


  Jackass and Rob Dyrdek's Ridiculousness are reality television that focus on performing stunts to make the audience laugh. Both shows have similarities and differences, but overall the shows are comedy. The show Jackass and Rob Dyrdek's Ridiculousness aired on MTV, which gained a lot of viewers. Both shows show realism because in Ridiculousness and Jackass the stunts are taped.
  
   Rob Dyrdek is the host of his show Ridiculousness, and he also have his friends that were the cast of his previous shows as his co-host, which is; Sterling Brim and Chanel West Coast. This show is very similar to the show, " America's Funniest Home Videos." Rob Dyrdek's have an audience where he stands in front of them next to a big screen that shows clips of people performing crazy and funny stunts. The other two co-host sits on the couch and just laugh the whole time. This can become quite boring; a man standing next to a big screen television showing people acting ridiculous, while the other two co-host are sitting on the couch just laughing. I believe there is no connection what so ever and this show should not be on television. The only thing I like about this show is there are famous people that come on the show, however they come on there just to laugh as well. Most of the time I hear Chanel annoying laugh while watching the show. I feel like Rob Dyrdek could have added some creativity so it wouldn't be so much like, " American Funniest Home Videos". He needs more of a connection with the audience, so they won't just sit there and watch something they could have watched at home. Furthermore, most of the videos are not funny, personally people getting hurt in weird ways do not amuse me.

However, Jackass catches my attention. There is a huge cast that actually perform stunts themselves in order to grab the audience attention. These guys are actually because they do crazy stunts to make people laugh and they also do the unexpected. One will never know what the cast have under their sleeves which makes it interesting. To name a few of the cast members there is; Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and much more. The fact that the cast members are professionals, when they hurt themselves it funny because the audience know that they have everything in control. When they perform stunts, one can tell that they are actually having fun doing it. Jackass has more of a storyline, where Bam has a father who he always play tricks on. However, one thing that I can say is about this show is it can be a little too gross. For example, Steve-O snorts a gold fish up his nose to make it come out of his mouth and he had to make himself throw up in order for the gold fish to come out of his mouth, DISGUSTING!!! However, this show was very creative and we know its real because of the video cameras in the show.

The Postelles' Retro Vibe Evolves for Sophomore Album

New York band The Postelles are known for their summery tunes that uplift the spirits even when their lyrics are more serious. For their recently released sophomore album …And It Shook Me, the indie rockers channeled the Strokes rather than channeling the Beatles as they did in their last album. Still, their songs remain catchy and easy to listen to, as their soft retro rock transports listeners to happier times when rock and roll ruled the airwaves.

            The four-piece band met while its members were still attending Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan, NY. Made up of Daniel Balk (vocals and guitar), David Dargahi (lead guitar), John Speyer (bass), and Billy Cadden (drums), the Postelles began playing small shows in 2007 and soon caught the attention of the Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. The laidback retro vibe of the Postelles became popular in summer music festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza in 2009, as they began to make a name for themselves. In the spring of 2011, the Postelles headlined a U.S. tour with Free Energy, combining two bands that expel a youthful liveliness with a touch of nostalgia at their shows.

Hammond would then come to produce the band’s self-titled debut album in 2011, which proved to be a hit among college radio stations. The Postelles established the band’s sound as one reminiscent of Buddy Holly songs with Beatlesque harmonies. For the new album, it seems that the band has been influenced by their producer and fellow musician Albert Hammond, Jr., as …And It Shook Me definitely presents a resemblance to Hammond’s band the Strokes, while still paying homage to the rock and roll era. It seems that the Postelles have decided to modernize their sound a bit by experimenting with guest vocals and instruments in their sophomore album. However, listeners can still hear their rock and roll background in their classic riffs and feel good songs.

Most of the Postelles’ self-titled album consisted of catchy 60’s style rock, to the extent that when they played it live at shows, their fans were mentally taken to a happier era and took to dancing in couples as if they were at the school dance scene in Grease. When the Postelles tour their new album, I wouldn’t necessarily predict couples dancing but I can imagine satisfied fans bobbing along to the beat of each of their new songs, which are still danceable enough.

One of the most danceable songs of the new album is the single Caught by Surprise, a very bass-heavy track that contains a synthesized melody, 60’s guitar riffs, and fun rhythmic clapping. This song seems to be stepping away from the 60’s and into the 80’s a little bit, but doesn’t deviate enough from the Postelles’ usual sound for it to be confused with any other band. Another extremely catchy song off …And It Shook Me is Pretend It’s Love, which could have easily been a single as well. The prominent bass and the inclusion of refreshing guest vocals from indie singer Alex Winston are proof that the Postelles are beginning to experiment with their sound and they’ve never sounded this good. While guitarist David and bassist John usually provide backup vocals for Daniel Balk, the Postelles went for a more gospel sound for Running Red Lights, where Daniel is backed up by a group of female vocalists over the band’s usual bluesy riffs. Their song You Got Me Beat is also the most likely to end up on mainstream radio for its upbeat 80’s feel, and it almost sounds like the Postelles have taken cues from former tourmates Free Energy. With their new album, the Postelles prove to listeners that they have mastered the art of nostalgic vibes within modern music.

The band has definitely evolved since their self titled album in 2011, seemingly experimenting with the sounds of more than one decade for …And It Shook Me. However, the Postelles have not lost their signature 60's rock sound, and Daniel Balk’s vocals remain reminiscent of those of James Mercer of the Shins. The Postelles are still producing catchy feel good jams without being overly happy or poppy, this time preparing us for the upcoming summer. A nice follow-up to their first album, …And It Shook Me deviates from the band’s roots just enough to keep listeners entertained.

The Big C

Derek Miller

Third Review

April 26, 2013

            The Big C

           

“The Big C” is coming back again, just like a tumor. “The Big C” is coming back for it’s final season in June and I’ve never been more excited to hear about cancer coming back. Instead of a full season, the show is coming back for a limit 8-epsiode run to wrap up all the storylines. This fourth and final season of “the Big C” is one of the reasons that people should subscribe to premium cable. Shows that explore subjects such as this are often not on cable television.

“The Big C” is about Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney) who was once a type-A personality teacher who was diagnosed with melanoma. Throughout the first three seasons we went through the diagnosis, treatments, tests with Cathy and last season we got the worst news. Cathy’s treatment is not working, so she along with the show will be dying this season.

Although the subject matter of the show can be depressing, the show is about more than cancer. We see the progression of a character and her family as they receive such terrible news. We see the hope but ultimately the loss of hope that one has for their future. Through Cathy, we see that you should live life to the fullest everyday because you are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Cancer may be title and the reason for the show yet it is often just a gateway for other conversations to be had. Cathy’s cancer has led a quest to live a better, more fulfilled life. Cancer is her motivation and inspiration versus a death sentence. We see the struggles she has trying to parent a 15 year old son Adam (Gabriel Basso) while attempting to prepare him for life without her but also enjoy each others company. Cathy also works on her strained marriage to her husband Paul (Oliver Platt).  Although she is dying, all her problems do not go by the wayside and she just enjoys her day. She has to fix all the problems and then build the relationships back in order to enjoy them. These are struggles that not only dying people deal but ones that most American’s deal with. In due time, we generally fix out our issues or they resolve themselves. Cathy is on a shorter time table than most and is working hard to resolve these things.

The subject matter of the show is quite polarizing, as is the title. My friend’s mother is going through the cancer battle and she cannot watch the show because she is afraid it will give her less hope for her mother. I understand her reasoning and that is what held a lot of viewers back. With such a stark title, one assumes the entire show is about cancer. The first 3 seasons were about Cathy who just so happened to have cancer. This final season will be the season that cancer is the true focus.  As Cathy begins to slowly lose her life, I will slowly begin to gain my Sunday night’s back. I do not want Cathy to die, simply because I want this show to continue. I’ve never laughed so hard about cancer in my life. It has made cancer seem less scary to me and I believe if given a different title it could do the same for many others. 

Nurse Jackie

Derek Miller
2^nd Feature Review

April 17, 2013

Nurse Jackie

            Sunday night’s season premiere of Nurse Jackie on Showtime kept the shows tradition alive. Under the control of a new show runner, Clyde Phillips, some wondered what direction the show would go but it stayed put. The premiere episode was loaded with Jackie’s addiction struggle, marital issues and of course the reason for the title, her dealing with being a nurse. The premiere continued with last season’s finale and did not make any inclination that this season will be deviating from the norm. Although a new show runner is necessary to keep a show from being stagnant, the viewers like myself are happy to see the storylines seem to be staying the same.

Edie Falco effortlessly portrays Jackie Peyton. Jackie Peyton is a registered nurse who is going through a brutal divorce because the pharmacist, with whom she cheated on her husband with, exposed her painkiller addiction. Last season’s finale ended with Jackie and her husband going through their divorce and her best friend Dr. O’Hara giving birth.

Seeing Jackie go through a divorce makes the viewers questions her sobriety and the show plays on that uncertainty. Anything that goes wrong, we expect Jackie to crush and snort a pill.  Yet every time she deals with the problem like a real adult and doesn’t abuse a drug, we feel a sense of accomplishment. Since her sobriety is relatively new this works but I can see this uncertainty getting “played out” within the next few episodes. She is going to have to fully kick the habit, sober up or else the viewers are going to ship out.

            Another qualm that many viewers have with the new show runner is his disposal of Dr. O’Hara (Eve Best). The viewers have seen the progression of Dr. O’Hara and Jackie throughout these first 4 seasons. Their friendship and silly banter is often a comedic break to Jackie’s addiction or a bleeding patient in Room #4. With Dr. O’Hara now gone, there will be a void of comedy that needs to be filled. Although she is the epitome of grace and poise with her British accent and stauesque legs, she often had moments of humiliation. There would be times when she would show up to work in the same outfit because she had slept out the night before and times where she would forget to show up all together. To see a Doctor doing these actions was often reliving and ironic. She was Jackie’s crutch when she was fallen but sometimes she needed one of her own. Just when you think you have seen enough of Jackie, Dr. O’Hara’s storyline would pick up to give the viewers a reprieve.

            Although the best characters are Jackie Peyton and Dr. O’Hara, there are many other characters that add originality. Every character in this show has a purpose and it is shown throughout. Not a single person is there to take up airtime and act as filler. The quality of the actors is a true testament to the integrity of the show. Week after week, the show is funny, heart wrenching and emotionally involving. We know so much about the characters that every Sunday we sit and watch Nurse Jackie, it’s almost as if we are meeting with our friends for coffee and seeing what they were up to this week. 

Prequel Theory - Star Wars

Ah, Star Wars. When I was a kid, a wee tike under 10 years old, we had the box set of A New Hope (George Lucas), The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner), and Return of the Jedi (Richard Marquand) on VHS. It was almost a daily routine to watch all three while my mom was at work; leaving me, for a while, incapable of seeing the movies as individual films. To me, they were the perfection of story telling and no matter how terrible my day was I knew Luke and Han were saving the day in a galaxy far, far away.

Then Phantom Menace (George Lucas) released in 1999. As a boy the age of Anakin Skywalker (Jake Loyd), I was amazed at the spectacle of the movie. The lightsabers, Gungans, podraces, and flashy CGI were candies for my brain. At the time, I wasn't even bothered by Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best). There was a good amount of fun to the film, but something still stood out to me. When Anakin piloted a Naboo Starfighter without training, accidentally blowing up the control ship of the enemy's robotic Droid Army and not getting blown out of the sky like the inexperienced child he was. That small sequence of events gave me the first feeling of being cheated by a storyteller. Before that moment, I had thought that George Lucas was a prophet, come down from on high to impart the New Gospel. I was disillusioned and the world was bared raw.

Jump to 2002. I'm still a young boy and The Clone Wars (George Lucas) comes to theaters with promises of more Jedi battles, epic clone warfare, and a chance to dive into back story of the original trilogy. When I left the theaters, I had as learned as much about the rich universe of Star Wars as I had from the trailer. The Clone Wars, which is largely forgettable, introduces Count Duku (Christopher Lee) and then kills him by the end. Like Darth Maul (Ray Park) in the previous film, the Jedi face the “big bad” and defeat him handily. By the end of the film, we had learned of the Clone Army and how the Clone Wars mentioned in A New Hope weren't wars but one-sided skirmishes, and that now 19 year old Padme (Natalie Portman) was in an abusive relationship with 14 year old Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).

Finally, Lucas wraps up his trail of trainwrecks in 2004 with Revenge of the Sith. At least we were given some plot and backstory this time. Anakin, now an angstier teenager, gets his first on screen kill when he fight the one-that-got-away Count Dooku. Since the villain dies in the opening sequence, we are left with a decrepit robot named General Grievous (Matthew Wood) to be frightened of. Well, at least until Obi-Wan kills him halfway through the movie. What we are left with is the mysterious senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who too quickly builds up into The Emperor. Padme is still in an abusive relationship with Anakin, who force chokes her when she comes to help him. Before Anakin commits assault and battery, he had killed all of the children in the Jedi Academy because Palpatine says it will save Padme and is for the greater good. At the end, we have the battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin, the birth of Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) Skywalker, and the transformation of Anakin in the black-clad Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).

It was ambitious of Lucas to create and entire trilogy to prequel the original films, but that's all. He fell short on the scorecard, stretching out bland character development over three movies, introducing characters and then killing them off quickly, and not providing any challenge or growth. Only six characters live on after the end of Revenge of the Sith, the remaining Jedi go into hiding, and the Empire takes over. So how does this new story live up to the original? It doesn't. Darth Vader is now a whiny brat that beat his wife, Obi-Wan loses his title as wise mentor, and nothing feels connected to the originals. Fans wanted backstory. We wanted to see how vile and ruthless Darth Vader was. We wanted to feel the sorrow and joy of a rich universe of meaningful characters. We didn't want Jar Jar Binks to be the reason the Empire formed. Heck, we didn't want to see him after Phantom Menace. This all boils down to the fact that Lucas saw that CGI had become pretty advanced and he knew he could use it to sell more toys. We saw many Jedi throught the films, but the only new ones who said or did anything, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), died for dramatic effect. The drama was another missed mark. There was no emotion in the films except for anger; even Anakin's lust for Padme was seething with rage. Love, joy, sorrow, envy, greed, pity, loathing, regret. Lucas will try to tell you they are there but it's all anger. I wish I could say that it's all on another level, that Lucas planned it this way, but it isn't. Each screenplay was started and finished after the previous film had been released.. Going from one episode to the next, he gave himself less direction than the actors who were standing on a green screen the entire time. But it's ok. We can buy an action figure of every minor, throwaway character and pretend they meant something to us.

The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane, has the makings of your ordinary war novel. It’s graphic in depiction and precise in wartime detail. We experience every ounce of emotional pain and intensity for the young characters, especially through the story’s vivid imagery of battle. Crane describes the American Civil War from a journalistic angle as if he were in the midst of action and reenacting history.

Stephen Crane is known for using a unique writing style. Some of his most notable works are The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky and The Blue Hotel. He incorporates themes of personal crisis and irony, which The Red Badge of Courage has plenty of. Readers will find that metaphors are not want makes Crane’s 1895 story a unique war novel.  

            The essence of Crane’s novel isn’t to imagine the tumultuous Civil War alone. The focus is on character development, and in doing so, provide a philosophical narrative into the life of one soldier. This particular young man, Henry Fleming, is a typical teenage rebel in his own right. He joins the 304th New York Regiment against his mother’s wishes, believing that war will make him a brave man. As an eighteen year old army boy, Fleming aspires to be a prodigal warrior like his storybook heroes. Fighting for one’s country can be noble, but it tests the mental state of young Henry, making him feel more cowardly than heroic.

Beneath Henry’s confident exterior is a boy living in fear. This underlying theme implies that battle can trial the mind of men. It may even imply that society’s perspective of war as patriotic is contrary to Crane’s notion that it is un-naturalistic. Another philosophical narrative is that men who fight in unison could also easily falter, which is an effective ironic twist in Crane’s world.

 Henry’s friend Jim Conklin approaches him with a plan to retreat from battle if others did. This idea becomes a reality when Confederate soldiers overpower Henry’s regiment leaving Union forces to flee – all including Henry. Crane writes, “He now conceded it to be impossible that he should ever become a hero. He was a craven loon. Those pictures of glory were piteous things. He groaned from his heart and went staggering off.” (Chapter 11) Henry shows embarrassment when victory is proclaimed by the Union commander. He discovers a dead body in the woods and returns to camp only to find Jim dead as well.

             Crane’s weakness spot of the story is providing little evidence that Henry changed for the better. Although Henry returns to battle, and even takes the role as flag bearer, one might ponder whether he learns a viable lesson. At the beginning of the novel, what’s clear is that Henry has a dismal view on heroism and romanticized outlook on war from books. His drive to achieve a heroic label might be read as possessing a foolish drive. Sometimes his dream of becoming brave turns into a thrill seeking excursion, and the patriotic symbolism and philosophy of war do not motivate him. By deviling into the path of character irony, Crane never expresses any possible epiphany Henry might have had.

            Red Badge was initially critically acclaimed by writers nationwide.  General Alexander C. McClurg's was one of the only negative critics of Crane’s novel at that time. He asserted that Crane’s novel was an effort to mock the philosophy of American patriotism among soldiers. Patrick K. Dooley of Salem Press wrote a more thorough assessment of Red Badge’s philosophical interpretations. One was the notion that the novel incited religious symbolism, which Robert W. Stallman famously brought to attention.

As a seminal commentator, Stallman characterized Jim Conklin as a Christ-like figure (somewhat of a paradox). In a commentary piece of the story’s philosophical undertones, Dooley writes, “Stallman argues that the novel's central theme is redemption and asserts, in support of his reading, that the iconic sentence at the end of Chapter 9 –"the red sun was pasted in the sky as a wafer" – refers to the communion wafer of the Holy Eucharist. http://salempress.com/Store/samples/critical_insights/red_badge_commentary.htm

            Whether Crane intended to tie war into philosophical religious points is debatable. The reader will analyze the story’s messages themselves, but it should not take away from the fact that Red Badge is one of the most enduring novels in American history. It has withstood the test of time and remains a strong narrative about the philosophy of war and courage. 

3rd Column Review - Shark Tale (Mob in Animation)

                Eric Middleton

                4/26/13

                Sorrento: Review Writing

                Last Column Review: Shark Tale               

Finding Oscar

“Oscar, the Shark Slayer.” Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? In the world of the deep blue sea, one would think Oscar would be this muscled up whale with a grizzled look on his face. But in fact, Oscar is a harmless fish portrayed by Will Smith in the animated movie, Shark tale.  The movie is about Oscar’s wish to become rich and famous being granted. Smith channels his early Fresh Prince days in this role as the character is really immature. Oscar has serious wishes of the fame/fortune, but unfortunately, is comical in the way he approaches his work and overall life in general. Like Willy Loman’s tragic character in Death of A Salesman, Oscar uses too much time fantasizing. Fortunately, luck is able to save Oscar’s life when he discovers the sharks.

                This is what will bring us to my final column review. My previous entries have talked about setting and growing up within the mob. Shark Tale does an excellent job at looking at the family of a mobster. Don Lino (DeNiro) is the old Vito Corelone like godfather shark who has intentions of giving his family business up to his sons. The problem is that one of Lino’s sons isn’t shown as worthy enough to take over the business. Here the audience is able to learn a lesson that personality must be passed on from generation to generation. The mafia requires hyper masculinity and no sensitivity.  Lenny (Jack Black), Lino’s son, can’t even bring himself to eat a shrimp. He comically swipes all the shrimps off the dinner table when his father demands that he eats it. The audience also learns about tough love from a father as Don Lino refuses to give up on his son.  He loves him, but he wants him to change. In a lot of ways, the movie is a battle between patriarchy and enlightenment. Lenny represents the new age way of independence seeking. There are some homo-sexual innuendos that come from Lenny’s lack of aggression. On the other hand, Don Lino represents the old way of father knows best thinking. Lenny is  thrown in Oscar’s problem as he exiles himself and it is up to Oscar to do the slaying of the rift that separates a father and a son.  

                The movie works so well because of the real arks and storylines that each character has. Everyone in the movie changes by the time the credits are shown on screen. The comedy is very much more of a satirical like one.  It’s great to see a movie that puts such a high value on morals. Oscar and Don Lino had to turn their backs on their fortunes in order to maintain love.  From here we see the humanization of the gangster and the potential for growth that remains prevalent.  Unlike many other mob flicks that are long, this movie checks in at about an hour and 30 minutes.

                A three director team of Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, and Rob Letterman lead this charge for shark tale. They do a brilliant job of coming up with a city that resembles New York City in a lot of ways. Some characters may come off as stereotypical, but they are portrayed in a manner that reflects the diversity of the acting cast. No characters are ever demeaning because they each reflect a strong possibility of being able to change.  The facial movements worked well with the a-list acting that was provided.

                Shark Tale, is just a fun ride for the whole family. The morality of the movie is not shoved down the viewer’s throat and it serves as a nice underline or highlight to just pure comedy. Fans of mafia films will be able to rejoice in the excellent blending of genres that Shark Tale is. Over time, this is a movie that should gain a cult like following for its ambition.