Volume 1. Issue 2

Volume 1. Issue 2
Volume I. Issue 1
Cover Art by Nick Millner
Issue 1 2007
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ART/EXHIBITS
T
s
4 The Susan Inglett Gallery presents: Hope Gangloff
6 Plushies!
MUSIC
30
32
8 All They Are Saying, Is Give
TECH
Peace a Chance
12 Featured: Mindy Tom
40
Art of The Brick: Nathan Sawaya
THEATER
36
38
39
47
16 Can You Ever Go Home
Again? (The Homecoming
Maria Plotkina
Ariana King
Jaime Sunwoo
Benny Lam
Victoria Kam
Valerie Wang
Harlie Brindak
Paul Vergara
Jun Shepard
Jesse Sussman
Louis Peralte
Rio Nose
Katrina Cortes
Ren Santiago
Amanda Sonnenschein
Hilary Davies
Cid Nichols
Madalina Cucuteanu
Mary Turgeon
Annais Rittenberg
Nick Millner (Cover)
Gwendolyn Kehrig-Darton
Mary Turgeon
Annais Rittenberg
Copy Editors
MOVIES
20 I Am Legend Review
21 Juno Review
22
Atonement Review
23
There Will Be Blood Review
Layout Editors
Mary Turgeon
or
FOOD
New Tech
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Accessorize Y0ur Gadgets
Macbook Air
GAMES
18 and Crimes of the Heart)
Chicago Review
Help
Me! (Jump!)
19
Album Reviews
Featured: Matt Feldman
42
44
46
48
49
50
Guitar Hero III vs. Rock Band
Wii Fit
Super Smash Bros.
FUN
Slaying Dragons: The Adventure
Begins
Find The Hidden Objects
The Big Canvas
24 Viand Coffee Shop
25
Joe’s Shanghai
IN THE LIFE OF
26 Where I Live: Kingsbridge
Heights
35 Subway Stories: The Go(o)d
Father
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A R T
GALLERIES
The Susan Inglett Gallery presents
Hope
Gangloff
Courtesy of www.inglettgallery.com
In her second solo exhibition, Susan Inglett featured Hope
Gangloff’s astonishing artwork which demonstrated the idea of “lives
lived.” Susan Inglett presented the artworks of many young emerging artists. Hope Gangloff was the second artist Inglett featured
since she moved her gallery to a bigger space in Chelsea in 2003.
In the past and still today, we see different artists evince
various ideas in their artwork. In Hope Gangloff’s works, she simply
illustrated snapshots of the lives of people that seemed perfect, as
if the scene of the illustration had been picked out from a movie
where the actors, props, and sets had been chosen from commonly used casting. Gangloff had an ability to show each and
every detail of the objects and characters of the drawing; this skill
made each one unique. Many of these
scenes could be familiar to some of us: the
local DVD rental store, watching the television while painting your nails on a Saturday
afternoon, or gossiping with your friends on
the subway. The way Gangloff carefully
includes every single detail made each illustration so realistic, making us believe that
our lives could be this relaxing and perfect.
The atmosphere of the gallery was
astonishing, organized, tidy, simple and clean.
In the window, Gangloff’s stunning illustration of two girls sitting in front of a television
was displayed. Gangloff’s artwork reflects
simple ideas with the most remarkable details. This is what makes her work so intriguing.
---Rio Nose
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A R T
GALLERIES
By Madalina Cucuteanu
In the apartment, I
saw tons of plush toys resting on
shelves and hanging from the
walls and ceiling. There were
all types of colors, shapes and
sizes. The majority of the toys
were animals and inanimate
objects. Among the many different creatures and items were
bears, bunnies, fish, televisions,
cupcakes, and organs! These
fuzzy creations were made
from a variety of materials
such as felt, velvet, wool, and
even old sweaters. Buttons and
thread were used on almost
every piece to create the eyes
and facials features. You can
always go crazy with plushies.
Title: Scenery 03
Artist: Kup Kup Land
$52
My trip to the Luvable and Hug-able gallery
was delightful and fun and
it inspired me to make my
own plushies (but, of course,
I couldn't make something
as well as those artists could).
The best part was that everything was purchasable
and the prices ranged from
$12 to $1200. Those talented
artists created a wonderful
exhibit together and it was
definitely worth stopping by.
Title: Cup O'Joe Pincushion
Artist: Betz White
$48
Art galleries are quiet and inspirational places to go to, but do you know
what makes them more exciting? Plush
toys! There is no other gallery that makes
you feel warm and fuzzy inside than the
Luv-able Hug-able gallery. This cute exhibit, located in Gallery Hanahou on Broadway, was more than I had expected.
The creator of the Luv-able and
Hug-able gallery was the former plush
collector Kazuyoshi Kitami (also known as
PAPANDA). He brought together various
American and Japanese artists, such as
Anna Chambers and Saki Yamashita, to
create their own toy collection to put in
the gallery. CWC Tokyo were the first to
start this fun trend. Soon after, Kitami hosted his first show in Japan called the Lele
Gallery. The Luv-able and Hug-able gallery was the first presentation in the United States. Kitami is also sponsoring another plush toy show this coming February.
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Title: Red Monster Doolie Box
Artist: Anna Chambers
$125
Title: Trash Bear
Artist: Keiko Miyata
$910
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A R T
EXHIBITS
All They Are Saying, Is Give Peace a Chance
By Annais Rittenberg
“
illustrator from New York City who has had his
work in galleries all over the country. His featured piece is called “America’s Peace Campaign.” It shows a group of large doves diving
in from the sky, breathing the blood of the earth.
It looks almost as if the birds are trying to stop the
blood from spreading, but continue to breathe
it in. There is an overwhelming amount of blood.
However, there are many doves which signify
that if peace is spread, bloodshed will lessen.
The Eastern world it is explodin’,
Violence flarin’, and bullets loadin’.
You’re old enough to kill, but not
for votin’…
If the button is pushed, there’s no
runnin’ away.
There’ll be no one to save, with the
world in a grave…
Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the
eve of destruction.
These were the words sung by Barry Sloane
and The Byrds during the peace rallies against
the Vietnam War (1965-75). The efforts to
achieve peace and stop the present war in
Iraq are not any different from the ones that
were trying to be made back in the 1960s
and ‘70s. There is an amazing art exhibit protesting against the war that
is going on currently in New York City. It is called Artists Against the War
located at the Society of Illustrators on East 63rd street. Over 50 amazingly talented graphic designers are featured in the exhibit, each individually expressing their desire for peace. Not only does the exhibit reflect the
peace that will be achieved if the war is ended, but the destruction that
has already happened and will continue to happen if the war persists.
Several pieces use the eternal image of the dove to show how peace
is dying in the midst of the intense violence and blood being spilled in Iraq.
One of the most powerful uses of the symbol is by Scott Bakal, a talented
CENTER: Scott Bakal, America’s Peace Campaign
RIGHT: Francis Jetter, Bone
Throne
All courtesy of The Society
of Illustrators
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Many of the drawings illustrated each
artist’s great resentment for George
W. Bush. In many of the drawings, his
face is drawn like a caricature, making
him look incompetent. Two outstanding caricatures are “Bone Throne” by
Francis Jetter and “EGRUS” by Joseph
Smith. Both of these drawings conveyed opinions that with Bush running
this country, America will continue to
use warfare of all kinds to fight the war
in Iraq. Consequently, Bush’s decision
is ruining the lives of so many innocent
civilians and taking the lives of so many
of our own soldiers in this unceasing war.
In particular, Tomer Hanuka’s mixed
media work titled “Refugees” illustrats
the sadness of Iraqi civilians that have
been displaced as refugees because
of the war. Barry Blitt’s watercolor
titled “Support Our Troops” demonstrated the irony of that familiar motto
by putting it under five men carrying
a coffin of a dead American soldier.
UPPER RIGHT:
Tomer Hanuka,
Refugees
UPPER LEFT:
Barry Blitt, Support our troops
BOTTOM LEFT:
Joseph Smith,
EGRUUS
All courtesy of
The Society of
Illustrators
Artists Protesting Against the War is an amazing exhibit.
There were a range of medias used, even one that was carved out
of linoleum. Not only was the exhibit filled with ingenious talent, but
the determination that these artists put into their work to get their
point of peace across could be felt throughout the entire museum.
The effort of these artists to achieve peace could be made a reality if more people notice all the art that is being created to stop not
just this war, but any war. Peace is possible, but it will not be easy to
achieve if violence and bloodshed continues. In the words of John
Lennon, a great peacemaker and artist, “If someone thinks that love
and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal. Imagine all the
people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the
only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one”
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A R T
featured
Mindy Tom
Grade: Senior
Major: Art
Reppin’ from: Woodhaven, Queens
Mindy Tom, Wired
Rose, Sculpture with
wire, acrylic, and
cardboard. Courtesy
of the artist.
Interviewed by
Jaime Sunwoo
LaG Mag: What art classes do you take right now?
LGM: What are your motivations
and
inspirations?
MT: Well, I always wanted to
become an artist ever since
I could remember but my sister really encouraged me to
continue art because she also
attended an art high school in
the past, and she would bring
home all these different art supplies that I was interested in and
that is one of the reasons why
I auditioned for LaGuardia--because of my sister. As for
inspirations, things I see everyday, my family, friends inspire
me. Like, even when I walk by
the park in my neighborhood,
Forest Park, I get inspired. I
like looking at the changing
colors of leaves and nature.
Also, reading books, magazines, and watching TV also inspires me. They give me different views on particular things
and just give me new ideas.
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color pencils, watercolor, charcoal, and color pastels. I never
took a photography class,
so the photos are taken as a
hobby. Well, I definitely want
to continue photography. I am
thinking of taking a photography class outside of school.
LGM: Where did you take
‘Words’?
Mindy Tom: I am taking sculpture. In the past, I have taken
illustration,
anatomy,
advance painting, calligraphy,
and advanced watercolor.
12
Mindy Tom,
Colored Pencil
series. photograph. Courtesy
of the artist.
MT: I went to China in 2006.
China was actually one of the
first places where I spent most
of my time shooting pictures. I
spent two months there. It was
crazy. I was homesick. I was
only with my grandparents
there so I was pretty bored.
My camera became my new
best friend and it still is, haha.
LGM: What is the significance of the Chinese characters displayed in ‘Words’?
MT: Well, I didn’t write those
words on the ground. It was
actually an old Beijing lady
who spent most of her time at
the park writing calligraphy
with water and brush. She really fascinated me because I
never saw that activity done
before, especially not in NYC.
I think what she wrote there is,
“southern calligraphy will forever flow.” I am not too sure if my
translation or understanding of
that phrase is accurate, though.
LGM: I see you have a fascination with colored pencils.
MT: Haha. Yeah, I really like the vibrant colors of the pencils. Also,
it’s one of my favorite mediums.
LGM: What kind of art do
you
particularly
enjoy?
LGM:
‘Brushes’
was
displayed
in
the
semi-annual
art
show,
correct?
MT: I usually take photos or use
MT: Yes.
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Mindy Tom,
Jellyfish lamp.
Courtesy of
the artist.
LGM: Did you do ‘Underwater’
at around the same time? It has
the same, rainbow scheme.
MT: Yes. It was actually my first
painting in my advance painting class. Yes, I love colors, haha.
LGM: Hmm, what are your favorite colors?
MT: I would say...aqua, purple,
blues... I like aquatic colors.
LGM: You have a couple
works dedicated to jellyfish. What’s up with that?
Mindy Tom,
words.
photograph.
Courtesy of
the artist.
MT: Haha, well I always thought
they were strange and different from other animals. People usually don’t always think
of jellyfish when they think of
animals so I thought they were
interesting. I love the way they
move in a very smooth motion and how they are difficult
to capture because of their
transparent body forms. I try
to capture jellyfish through my
artworks to challenge myself.
LGM: Life after LaGuardia--What college do you plan to
go to?
MT: Parsons. I want to major in
product or industrial design. I
am also considering communication or graphic design but
I’ve never taken a computer
graphics class so I will probably
experiment. I was considering
photography too...but I believe
it’s harder to come out with
a career with photography.
LGM: What exactly is product/
industrial design?
MT: From designing plates to
shoes to bags and other products.
Mindy Tom, Untitled,
silk-screen print.
Courtesy of the
artist.
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Mindy Tom,
underwater,
oil on canvas.
Courtesy of
the artist.
LGM: What drove you to make
that decision?
MT: Well, I always enjoyed
going to furniture stores...well, stores
in general like Target, the Container
Store, the MoMA store. Their designs
are always so fun to look at and I want
to contribute to society in designing
things that everyone can use. I actually
took a class at MoMA over last summer,
“In The Making: Design In Action” class.
LGM: Are there any artists who inspire
you?
MT: Yes. My sister, my friends, Pablo Picasso, and Georgia O’Keefe.
LGM: One last question: Where can
people see more of your artwork?
MT: I guess in semi-annuals or in
some of my classrooms. They can
also see my artwork on the web.
Check out more artwork by
Mindy Tom at:
Mindy Tom,
brushes, oil
on canvas.
Courtesy of
the artist.
Volume I. Issue 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnieminnmin
http://www.minnieminnmin.deviantart.com/
Issue 1 2007
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THEATER
tery surrounding the dead mother define every encounter. When the Americanized son
returns with his wife, the status quo is turned
upside down.
The production values of this play are
effective. The drama is directed by Daniel Sullivan with a clarity that emphasizes the emotional highs and lows of some rather bizarre
characters and situations. The set, a one-room
interior of the house, designed by Eugene
Lee, shows hints of being decrepit without
distracting from the actors in the space. Ian
McShane, as Max, the authoritarian father,
and Raúl Esparza as the shady son Lenny, are
particularly strong. In the role of Ruth, Eve Best
does her best to bring an elusive and purely
symbolic figure to life. Ruth seems to represent
Pinter’s simplistic view of women: they occupy
the niche of either a madonna or a whore. In
The Homecoming, Pinter portrays women as
indispensable to the family but not as three-
CAN YOU
EVER GO
HOME AGAIN?
The Homecoming and
Crimes of the Heart
Reviews by Amanda Sonnenschein
Two revivals that have recently graced the New York stage
offer very different perspectives
on the nature of family and home.
The Homecoming, Harold Pinter’s
bleak study of familial relations and
the struggle for power, is playing at
the Cort Theatre, and a few blocks
away at the Laura Pels Theatre,
Beth Henley’s improbably optimistic Crimes of the Heart is on view.
The Homecoming
was a groundbreaking play
for Pinter, who is a master of
his own brand of playwriting. He took the Theatre
of the Absurd and made
it more accessible to audiences by giving it plot and
molding it into the framework of a domestic drama.
To this, he added Freudian
overtones. Modern dramatic theory distills the four
main elements of play production into movement,
stillness, sound, and silence.
Pinter is excellent at incorporating pauses with absolute silence and stillness. This
technique resonates with
the audience and creates
something quite unique
and significant. The Homecoming was shocking to the
audiences of 1965 when
it was first staged. In 1967,
Courtesy of www.applause-tickets.com
it won a Tony award due
to its audacious ending, its
dark, almost morbid view of
human nature, and its satirical assault on conventional
morality. It retains its intense
emotional impact today.
In The Homecoming, a successful son returns
with his wife to his North
London home after having lived for several years in
America. Here, his father,
uncle, and two brothers inhabit a highly dysfunctional,
possibly illegally maintained
homestead, shrouded in
deception, secrecy, rivalry, and hatred. Violent
attacks—verbal, physical,
and psychological—characterize their interactions
and the absence and mys-
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Issue 1 2007
Courtesy of www.monstersandcritics.com
Courtesy of www.variety.com
dimensional figures. For this
reason, this reviewer had
trouble relating to the play,
despite the virtuosity of the
performances and the
overall quality of the production.
Crimes of the
Heart, at the Laura Pels
Theatre, is a Pulitzer Prize
winning play that was first
produced in 1979. It is written by a woman, directed
by a woman, and concerning three women in a
small Mississippi town. In this
play, as in The Homecom-
ing, family life is irrevocably
altered following the notorious death of the mother.
The “homecoming” here is
to the house of the women’s hospitalized grandfather where they had been
raised since they were orphaned. Although there
are elements of the absurd
in this primarily domestic
comedy, especially with its
excesses of tragic occurrences, the playwright Beth
Henley provides so much
dialogue and detail that
the improbable is totally
believable. Like The Homecoming, Crimes of the
Heart derives comedy out
of peculiar and potentially
tragic circumstances, but
Henley’s notes are lighter
than the dark accents hit
by Pinter, and consequently, the dynamics are quite
different. The three women
in this play work with one
another, forming a supportive and loving unit that
leaves the audience with
a positive outlook on the
primarily wholesome nature of family life. This is in
direct contrast to the men
of The Homecoming who
destructively work against
one another in a struggle
for power that only creates
tension and leaves the audience feeling uncomfortable.
The story of Crimes
of the Heart centers on
the tumult surrounding the
shooting of the youngest
sister’s abusive husband,
but the play is really concerned with the inability of
each of the sisters to establish a productive, happy,
Volume I. Issue 1
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Courtesy of www.newsday.com
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THEATER
THEATER
Help Me!
C H I C AG O review
diences believe Chicago
is a musical which portrays
“R rated values,” and they
do not find this agreeable.
Yet, there is a moral to this
story. The musical serves
as a harsh, but accurate
insight on the workings
of showbiz. Through the
protagonists, the audience learns why only the
most corrupt people can
win in the “dog-eat-dog”
world of theatrical entertainment. This is because
one of the play’s premises
is that, in general, people
are drawn to violence and
crime, and if an actor embraces this attitude in their
theatrical life, that actor
will be able to shape the
public’s appeal to the actor. This becomes evident
when Roxie pushes Velma
out of the limelight only
after Roxie murders a man
named Fred Casely. After
the murder, the audience
becomes infatuated with
Roxie, and completely
forgets about Velma.
Personally, I enjoyed the musical very
much and was extremely
gratified to have seen this
wonderfully performed
Chicago is about
play. Yet, at the same
the trials and tribulations
time, I felt that it was not
of Roxie Hart, an aspiring
the best musical I have
vaudeville performer, and
ever seen. My criticism
Velma Kelly, an entertainer
comes from the way that
extraordinaire, as they purthe protagonists went
sue careers on vaudeville.
on tangents and begin
The story begins with a perto talk about something
former warning the audifunny but pointless, which
ence about the greed and
made the scene insipcorrupt business (musical
id. For example, at one
photo courtesy of bangitout.com
theater) displayed in
point, Roxie had the
the play, and is folstage all to herself,
lowed by that fabuand she made me
lously famous song
feel that she was
we all know and
going to break out
love – All that Jazz.
into song, I almost
Throughout the play
knew it and I was
we learn about show
waiting for her to
business and its distortbreak out into that
ed views of the world,
song, but she did
and how it eventually
not. Instead, she
drives Roxie Hart and
talked about ranVelma Kelly to a psydom things which
chological precipice.
were funny, but
From
this
had nothing to do
observers viewpoint,
with her predicaChicago can very
ment. As a member
likely make some
of the audience,
people uncomfortI was thrown off
able because of
and was looking for
the sexually explicit
significance in her
songs,
costumes,
rambles, but could
and plot. Some aufind none.
Every year, for
my birthday, my parents
buy tickets for me to see
a Broadway show. As a
result of this annual ritual, I
developed a love for musical theater and show
tunes. This December I
was fortunate enough to
see Chicago, a musical
widely renowned for its
musicality and creativity.
Volume I. Issue 1
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by Ren Santiago
Katrina Cortes
In one word, hilarious. Jump! encompasses
martial arts, acrobatics
and vaudevillian slapstick.
It starts off with the family, introducing themselves
with signature moves; the
“strict" grandpa's "Flying
without wings!", haughty mom's "Groin Blast!",
prankster dad's "The...
Dodge", drunk uncle's
"Drunken Chop" and the
hidden battle-ax antics of
the daughter's "Talk to the
feet." They’re a family living
in a typical korean home,
with behavior that is anything but. There's almost
no dialogue, except the
heavily-accented words
from the grandpa and
once, by the daughter.
The dopey uncle's
style is reminiscent of Jackie Chan's Drunken Master,
but as for the rest of the
story, it's totally different. It's
been described as "Jackie
Chan meets Charlie Chaplin." The whole family takes
any chance to show off
their skills, somehow angering their grandpa and
then managing to
blame it on the
drunkard.
It sets off when a
seemingly harmless suitor
(signature move; "the Flipflop") is introduced by the
grandpa, intended for the
daughter. Within seconds
you find out that once his
glasses are taken off, he
transforms into some wild
combination of a martial
arts master, rabid dog, and
Michael Jackson (a bit of
a stretch, but it explains
his over-the-top hip thrusts
and joking "self-loving" well
enough). Their romance,
very funny and cute, being constantly interrupted
by her very discrete uncle.
It gets funny when
two burglars break in, the
clumsy one's main weapon a subway sandwich.
The best chance for the
three generations of martial
artists to show
off,
leaping
across
the
stage, moving
in slow motion, rewinding
themselves,
and
speeding up.
It reminds me
of Kung Fu Hustle; there's
no outbursts into song,
but there are random
steps and dances placed
strategically throughout.
My favorite scene
is when the daughter
freaks on the afro-burglar,
beating him unconscious.
When she realizes her
split-personality fiancee is
watching, she takes his limp
hand to her neck, uttering a funny, "Heruppu me!"
The extreme jumps
and graceful Tae Kwan Do
mash with these hilarious
characters makes ninety
minutes fly by like ten.
Right now, they’re playing
at Union Square Theater.
The prices range from $20
to $65. The ages are anyone over four.
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MOVIES
I AM LEGEND
review
by Maria Plotkina
I am usually not a
big fan of zombie and horror movies, simply because
I find them redundant and
annoying rather than scary
or thought-provoking. Will
Smith is the only reason I decided to go see I Am Legend; I've loved every movie
I have seen him in, no matter how silly. So, it was with
mixed feelings that I entered the theater to see this
movie. Surprisingly, it far surpassed my expectations.
The
movie
is
based on the 1954 book
I Am Legend by Richard
Matheson, with many
changes (including changing the location from L.A.
to N.Y.C., which made it
all the more appealing to
me) made to the plotline.
The movie tells the story of
Robert Neville, a scientist
who resides in a completely abandoned New York
City several years after a
medical experiment gone
wrong unleashed a deadly
disease. This virus killed 90%
of the world's population
and turned the rest into
aggressive zombies who
cannot stand the daylight
and who hunt and kill any
living thing they find. Neville is immune to all strains
of the virus and believes
that he is the only healthy
human left on Earth. He
spends his days trying to
find a cure for the victims
of the disease, with a faithful dog as his only companion. The film is riddled
with flashbacks that tell the
story of Neville and of the
spread of the deadly virus.
The opening sequence of the movie captures the attention of the
audience well. Neville is
racing a car through the
abandoned, overgrown
streets of New York on a
hunt for deer that have
most likely escaped from
a zoo. This scene opens up
some of the questions presented by the film. What
impact have humans had
on this planet, and how
long would it take for it
to be reversed? Can we,
as humans, truly survive
completely alone? The
visuals are excellent and
the overall message re-
mains vivid and thoughtprovoking. However, the
film exhibits gaping plot
holes and is not always
completely convincing.
I Am Legend may
not be a movie for everyone. It is far from perfect. It
may not be a movie that
you'll show your children
or even one that you'll buy
on DVD. However, it may
just be worth renting and
thinking carefully about. It
possesses many elements
that relate to our society and our futures. Also,
the fact that that Neville
is somewhat obsessed
with Bob Marley makes
for a nice soundtrack.
photos courtesy of: (bottom left) deadhours.files.wordpress.com, (above right) fallout3.wordpress.com
OVERALL : 7/10 stars:
Volume I. Issue 1
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MOVIES
JUNO
Reviewed by Victoria Kam
“‘That ain’t no etch-a-sketch.
This is one doodle that can’t
be un-did, homeskillet.’”
--- Juno (Ellen Page)
The movie begins
in the Midwest where
Juno, a teenage girl, discovers the world of consequences and love as she
deals with an unintended
pregnancy. Juno decides
to have sex one night with
her friend Paulie, whether
it be boredom or of interest, with a relationship
that means nothing more
to her than just friendship.
Paulie sees this connection as something else, yet
he never reveals the subject. Juno also confides
in her parents and friends
to advise her on the next
steps and finds help when
stumbling upon a family
that will adopt her child.
With the help of her peers
and her own spirit, Juno
manages to point herself
in the right direction, conquering her struggles and
becoming a more mature woman on her own.
The script and music together in this movie
are arousing and comical,
and the scenery is beau-
tiful. Together with the
humorous yet emotional
acting of the characters,
the audience will be led
into an understanding
of appreciation of each
character and his or her
behavior throughout the
film. Despite the fact that
the main artist (Kimya
Dawson) made up most
of the movie’s soundtrack,
I personally found that the
beginning credits’ music
went on for too long before
the movie actually started,
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though the ‘cartoon-ified’
scenes were fascinating.
In the Golden
Globes, Juno has joined
the nominees of Best Picture – Musical/Comedy,
Best Actress – Musical/
Comedy
(Ellen
Page,
who plays Juno), and
Best Screenplay (Screenwriter:
Diablo
Cody).
Diablo
Cody’s
script for the movie was
witty, with random lingo
such as ‘That ain’t no etcha-sketch. This is one doodle
that can’t be un-did, homeskillet’, but after a while the
constant language would
just be thrown off and
nothing the characters
said made sense anymore.
All in all, Juno
shows us how much spunk
one could have, no matter
which situation they’re in.
All of the characters have
a truly inspirational spirit,
who make this movie all the
more worthwhile to watch.
Juno is still showing
in certain theaters, so you’d
better go get tickets before
it’s too late!
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Volume I. Issue 1
Issue 1 2007
Issue 1 2007
21
MOVIES
ATONEMENT review
by Cid Nichols
“Atonement
takes
you
on
an
emotional
journey
through the trials and tribulations of a young woman...”
Joe
Wright’s
Atonement setting is a
place in 1935 on a British
country estate in England. Thirteen-year old
Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) has a vivid imagination. On what seems to
be the hottest day of the
year, Briony’s imagination
takes flight. After creating
her very first play, Briony
runs into Robbie Turner
(James McAvoy) while
he tends to the family’s
garden. By the way Briony acts towards him it
is quite clear she has a
Volume I. Issue 1
22
Issue 1 2007
crush on Robbie,
but he looks upon
her only as a little
sister.
However,
Robbie has strong
feelings for Briony’s headstrong
older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Cecilia
for him, but she
chooses not to
acknowledge it.
Due
to
the heat, the
house takes on a very discomforting atmosphere
causing Robbie and Cecilia’s
emotions
to finally escalate
and
combust.
Briony,
noticing
their relationship,
feels it is her duty
to intervene in
the relationship.
She goes as far
as accusing Robbie of a crime he
did not commit.
So, with the help
of Briony and her
false
testimony,
Robbie is sent to
prison after he
and Cecilia finally
declare their love
for each other. Finally, at 18 years
old, Briony (Romola Garai) seeks re-
demption for the misdeed
she committed in her
naïve childhood years.
Based on the
best-selling 2002 novel Atonement by Ian
McEwan,
Christopher
Hampton has written a
compelling
screenplay
adaptation. He has done
a terrific job in adapting the literature to the
screen. Joe Wright, the
director of the film, has
somewhat caught the essence of the book. I do
like the way he chooses
to shoot the film. Capturing it from many different perspectives pleased
my eye. Mr.McEwan’s
words instantly pull you
into a world of power
and redemption. The film
does that in its beginning
stages and somewhat at
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the end, but its failed attempt had my attention
span off the movie and
on the person next to me.
Actress Saoirse Ronan, the young Briony Tallis,
is an amazing actress. The
power behind her eyes had
me glued to the screen. A
young actress with such
tremendous talent well deserves an Oscar nomination
for best supporting actress. I
was not pleased, however,
with the actress Romola
Garai, the 18-year old Briony. Her talent to me was
mediocre and she seemed
nothing like the young Briony. She did not remind of
her in the slightest bit. The
chemistry between James
McAvoy & Keira Knightley was like hydrogen and
oxygen. To see them perform on screen just took my
breath away. Keira Knightley did an excellent job in
capturing the style and flow
of the women of that era.
Atonement takes
you on an emotional journey through the trials and
tribulations of a young
woman who seeks forgiveness for her naïve childhood
mistake that changed the
course of two lives, as well
as her own, forever. It is a
film of hope and what the
power of enduring love can
do to someone.
There Will Be
Blood review
by Jun
Shepard
One
of
the
most
anticipated motion pictures of 2007, There Will
Be Blood triumphed
the new year with
immense
applause
and praise. This epic
follows an oil miner,
Daniel Plainview, as
he steps foot into a
small town in search
for fortunes with his
young son. They soon find a
great oil mine, but with it, corruption and deviation. With
an outstanding cast, including
Daniel Day-Lewis (of Gangs of
New York) and Paul Dano (of
Little Miss Sunshine), director Paul
Thompson Anderson successfully
portrays the inevitable conflict
of human values within a community that results from success.
With eight Academy Award
nominations including Best Picture, it is pretty clear
that this movie is worth paying 12 dollars to go
see. Being one of the very few genuine pictures of
2007, I think I learned more from this movie than from
the fifty pound history text book we do hours of work
from. And I think that that’s what movies are for, right?
Volume I. Issue 1
Issue 1 2007
23
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT:
Environment:
Viand Coffee Shop
673 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10021-8042
by Ariana King
The environment here
is all a matter of opinion. It’s
an extremely small shop only
meant for someone eating alone or with one other
person. Before entering you
are greeted with an array of
what could very possibly be
every flavor of vitamin water
known to humankind. It is a
very warm place to go on a
cold day. The service is efficient enough that you can
get your food and not be
pestered or interrupted by
a waiter. The manager himself is apparently a waiter
also. The seats are unusually
small and there is hardly any
walking space, but that can
be considered a cozy thing.
The floors are a bit dirty,
but that can be ignored.
There is no back kitchen;
all of the food is cooked
a foot away from the eating space itself, and there
is no bathroom. This makes
me personally feel a bit less
anxious about the general
hygiene of the restaurant
Photography by Ariana King
Overall:
After 30 minutes of searching
for an inexpensive restaurant
on the Upper East Side, I finally
came across a small coffee
shop. Curiously, it was actually
more of a diner than a coffee
shop. Viand is located at 673
Madison Avenue, between
61st and 62nd Street, and
apparently there is another
one on 86th Street. Although I
was initially unsure of whether
or not to go in, I was coming
from the Met and had walked
endlessly searching for an affordable restaurant. This one
had three award plaques
from the Zagat guide prominently displayed, so I entered.
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Issue 1 2007
Taste:
While the food is just typical
diner food, it is indeed very
good typical diner food.
The menu is somewhat limited, and has fairly plain items
such as sandwiches and
hamburgers. According to
other reviewers, the turkey
sandwich is excellent, and
the burgers weren’t bad at
all. I would personally highlight the fries. Surprisingly,
the fries have great taste
and texture. While not particularly crunchy, the outer
shell at least has a nice crispness, and the inside tastes
like real potatoes. I saw rice
pudding on the menu, but
didn’t try it. The turkey and
veggie burgers are not the
best out there but they are
more than acceptable.
Price:
Sadly, there is a minimum of 8 dollars per person, but a dish will probably be something around
8 dollars anyway. In comparison with the expensive restaurants around
this location, Viand is
somewhat of an oasis.
Perhaps it is a bit pricey,
but one person can get
a decent meal here for
under $10 in a very expensive neighborhood.
If you want a burger or
turkey sandwich to eat
alone and in peace, Viand
is probably a good place to
go. If you also want to gain
a few pounds in the process,
there is hardly a doubt that
you should go to Viand. If
anyonetriesthericepudding,
please let me know how it is.
Photography by Ariana King
BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT:
Joe’s Shanghai
9 Pell Street New York, New York 10013
Joe’s Shanghai is a bustling restaurant tucked
in a slender alleyway. It is a small place with a big
reputation; a favorite of New Yorkers. Even celebrities and political figures, such as Mayor Giuliani, have
enjoyed its cuisine. Joe’s is credited by many as having the most authentic Chinese eats you can get
in Manhattan. The prices have not changed in the
ten plus years it has been open and remains cheap.
Yet, the quality is top notch. It is famed for its juicy
little soup dumplings (which they serve either plain
or with crab meat-be careful they’re hot!) which are
good but could be better. The Shanghai rice cakes
are to die for and the scallion pancakes are great.
Although Joe’s is often extremely busy, the waiters
are quite attentive and you will be digging into your
food before you know it. As of all successful restaurants, Joe’s has an atrocious line. Come early or be
prepared to wait. After six pm, the queue stretches
down the block and the wait may be as long as an
hour or more. Even at ten p.m. there is often a half
hour wait. However, the food will not disappoint. So,
work up an appetite and head on over!
---Valerie Wang
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