The film begins with the main character Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) suffering the loss of his mother after a tragic accident.  His father, Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), is now forced to raise the boy on his own.  While struggling with the loss of his wife, Jackson wants to send his son away to a baseball camp for the summer.  Joe is doesn’t want to go and insists on staying home to help his group of friends direct a zombie movie for an amateur film competition.  Both are forced to change their plans when tragedy strikes their town.

While filming a scene for their movie at an old train depot outside of town, a disastrous train crash occurs that almost claims the lives of the group of friends.  The friends soon discover that the train wreck was no accident and that their lives may be in danger for witnessing it.  Something on board the United States Air Force train is set free and the military will stop at nothing to get it back.

Joe’s best friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) is the director of the zombie film.  He wants to keep making the movie amidst the chaos of what is beginning to unfold in their town.  Meanwhile, Joe is developing a mutual crush on his friend, Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), the girl set to play the damsel in distress in the zombie film.  After experiencing the train wreck, Alice wants nothing more to do with making the film.  It is up to Joe to convince her otherwise.  However, there is just one problem; Alice’s father is indirectly responsible for Joe’s mother’s death.  Despite the reckless actions of Alice’s father, she decides to keep working on the movie.

With the train wreckage and military swarming throughout their town, Charles decides to use all the commotion in his film for production value.  It’s not long before the kids realize what exactly is going on and the danger they are all in.  After Alice vanishes, it’s up to Joe and the gang to rescue her from whatever was on the Air Force train.

The film is written and directed by J.J. Abrams (“Forever Young,” “Star Trek”) and produced with the help of Steven Spielberg (“E.T.,” “Saving Private Ryan”).  The movie takes us back in time to 1979 when there were no cell phones, World Wide Web or camcorders.  The nostalgia in the film is well portrayed and planned. It makes a great setting for the story.

This film is not your traditional sci-fi movie. In fact, you can’t even tell it is a sci-fi film until well over halfway through it.  The special effects are gripping and will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Although teenagers, Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning’s acting makes the film worth watching alone.  The two are very talented and undoubtedly have successful careers in the film business.  The movie is full of clever jokes and plot twists.

The movie lives up to the claim of being the 2011 blockbuster of the summer.  If you are looking for an action packed film that will make you feel like a kid again, as well as scare the heck out of you, then rent “Super 8.”

With cold, wet weather in the forecast, students need to dig out those warm clothes in preparation.  For those students who don’t have any cold weather clothes, here are a few suggestions on where to shop for some.

Located at the Shoppes at North Village in St. Joseph is a T.J.Maxx department store.  It is a perfect place to pick up name brand clothing for a fraction of the price.  A coat that may be a J.C. Penney for $150 could be  at T.J.Maxx for $75.  The same goes for all of their clothing.  Cold weather socks at Foot Locker are $12 for three pairs; the exact same socks are at T.J.Maxx for $5.  T.J.Maxx is one of the cheapest stores in town, offering a wide selection on discounted name brand clothing.  So check out T.J.Maxx if you want quality products at lower cost.  As college students we all can stand to save some money.

Missouri Western student Steve Belding says he prefers J.C. Penney and Dillard’s because they tailor to his needs.

“Since I need to shop for Big and Tall I usually try Penney’s and Dillard’s first,” Belding said. “Their Big and Tall sections usually have nice looking things.”

Gordmans is another department store that has a wide selection of winter clothing.  It opened this year in the East Hills Mall, and is loaded with clothing for everyone.  They have a wide selection of women’s warm boots under $30.  This is a pretty good deal, considering the cheapest boots at Dillard’s department store are over $50.  Yes, the ones at Dillard’s may be a better name brand, but no one will notice the tiny little emblem stating what brand they are while you’re trudging through the snow.  All you should be concerned about is if they are keeping your feet warm without breaking the bank.  Gordmans also has a huge sale on warm clothes right now, and a lot of stuff is buy one get one half off.

Those of you looking for some extreme cold weather gear need to visit The Duffel Bag, located in historic downtown St. Joseph.  They offer military grade clothing from armed forces all over the world.  If you want an authentic Russian fur coat or a Russian ushanka, you’ll find it there.  You want some of the highly sought after Austrian military clothing, you’ll find it here.  The Duffel Bag has tons of military grade long underwear, gloves and extreme cold weather Gore-Tex.  The clothing they sell at the Duffel Bag is pennies on the dollar compared to what it cost soldiers new at a PX.

Bill Field, the owner of the Duffel Bag and retired Army veteran, says if it was made by the military it’s usually very good stuff.

“You can find about anything warm down here, regardless of whether you’re a man or woman,” Field said.  “We get different stuff in here every week, so be sure to stop in and browse our goods.”

St. Joseph resident Jesse Cline shops at the Duffel Bag quite often for all sorts of things.  He loves the store and always finds a good deal.

“I come here to get high quality clothing for a fraction of the price,” Cline said.  “The gloves, socks and long underwear a better quality than anything you will find at a department store.”

If you need some warm clothes this winter, definitely shop around.  Don’t just run into a popular department store and buy something because it’s name brand. Even if that’s what you want to do, check T.J.Maxx first because chances are they will have the same product at a lower price.  Don’t be afraid to stop in at the Duffel Bag and take a look around. Just because it’s military doesn’t mean it is not stylish.  What it does mean is that it is quality and will keep you from shivering in the next couple of months.

Students at Western are doing all sorts of things, some mischievous and some not so mischievous, such as working.

Elizabeth Hiley, an elementary education major at Missouri Western, says she will be spending her Halloween at the doctor’s office and work.

“I will be working at Subway, but I still plan on dressing up and passing out candy,” Hiley said. “I’ll be getting a sonogram that day, and I’m really excited to find out what I’m having; I hope it’s a boy.”

Most students are doing the same thing they do every year:  dressing up and heading out to house parties or pubs.

Alex Bear, a history major, said he plans on dressing up as the doctor from Dr. Hook and heading to the Flying Saucer bar in Kansas City’s Power & Light District.  Bear said his girlfriend is making him dress up, but he enjoys Halloween.

“I feel it’s a good reason to get together with people; I like hanging out with my friends,” said Bear.

If you are looking for a terrifying scare this Halloween then head to Atchison, Kan.

Less than 20 miles south of campus lays a small town on the banks of the Missouri River.  Proclaimed by the Travel Channel to be the most haunted town in Kansas, Atchison is home to many ghostly attractions.

Atchison offers many ways for people to experience its haunted aura.  One way to experience nearly all of its deadly attractions is the haunted trolley tours.

The haunted trolley takes its victims to the infamous Sallie House, where a young girl who died during an emergency operation continues to terrorize the living today.  The Sallie House has also been featured on the television show “Sightings,” which documented violent attacks on people living in the home by the poltergeist.

The trolley tour also takes its riders deep into the woods of Jackson Park to an infamous location where a woman named “Molly” was brutally murdered and hung from a tree.  The place has for decades been referred to as “Molly’s Hallow.” Local lore has it that some nights you can see an apparition hanging from the tree or hear blood curdling screams coming from the woods.

If the haunted trolley ride is not enough to cure your hunger for a good haunt, then maybe you would enjoy having a meal with the spirits that haunt the Riverhouse Steakhouse, located at 100 Commercial St. in Atchison.

Built in 1870, the Riverhouse building was a depot for the railroad for several years.  In 1908, the building was purchased by Lulu Howard and operated as a brothel.  After much anguish, the City of Atchison was finally able to shut Lulu down in 1913.  Today the building is a restaurant and leased by Dustin Hundley.  Hundley himself has had several strange encounters with spirits in the building.

“I was closing up the restaurant one night and had my first experience with one of the ghosts who haunt this building,” Hundley said.  “Floating across the dining room was a woman dressed in Victorian clothing; it scared the hell out of me.”

Several similar incidents have been reported at the Riverhouse building.  Early one morning in 2008, a craftsman completing renovations in the upstairs bar reported a long, one-sided conversation with a person he assumed to be his co-worker.  When he looked up, the man he had been talking to was gone.  Stories like this make the Riverhouse the most ghostly dinning experience in the area.

If you are interested in some of the haunts Atchison has to offer, such as trolley ride times, restaurant hours or more haunted attractions, all information can be found at http://atchisonkansas.net/HauntedAtchison/home.html.

The obvious and undeniable star of the show is Steve Catron as Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is an awful, selfish, crotchety old man, but he’s also the protagonist of the story. The audience has to love him despite all of his faults. Catron pulls this off wonderfully, bringing a level of humor to Scrooge’s character that I did not expect. Catron has been equally impressive in his past roles at Western, especially in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” last year, but this role allowed him to shine in such a different way. Instead of playing a character role like in “Laughter” or a completely straight role as he did in “Phantom” and “Romeo and Juliet,” Catron’s role as Scrooge combined humor and seriousness into a great, involving experience for the audience.

Erin Williams was perfectly cast as the Spirit of Christmas Past. Her jovial character was very much like a female Santa, and I do mean that in a complimentary way. Watching her munch on popcorn during a serious scene between Scrooge of 21 and Belle added comic relief to the moment without distracting too much from the scene the audience should be focusing on.

The abovementioned serious scene accomplished everything that it should have: it intrigued the audience, making us want to know more about Scrooge and Belle’s relationship, and it highlighted the great talents of Jeremy Edwards as Scrooge and Morgan Robinson as Belle. I wouldn’t mind watching a spin-off play featuring those two characters one bit.

Jeff Jones’ take on the Spirit of Christmas Present was especially memorable. His elaborate costume, complete with a sort of Carmen Miranda headpiece, was amazing, and perfectly represented the opulence that is traditionally associated with his character. Jones’ jolly laugh rang throughout the theatre, making me absolutely believe that he was capable of spreading the Christmas cheer his character threw around in handfuls of glitter.

The moments with the Cratchit family were sweet and moving. Sebastian Smith, as Bob Cratchit, was a definite standout. Smith conveyed to the audience the complicated nature of Bob’s character well. From his very first scene, I could see the struggle and hope in Smith’s face, which I believe are qualities inherent to poor Bob’s character. Bob’s constant cheeriness makes his eventual breakdown all the more moving, and Smith pulled off this transition well.

My one complaint about the production involves the set. I loved the overall idea, and thought that the pop-up book feeling of the set was well-executed and really enhanced the magical feeling of the show. However, I know that the whole audience was not able to see all parts of the stage equally because of protruding set pieces. I was sitting stage center left in row 7, and I had a hard time seeing the entrance of the Spirit of Christmas Present. His entrance was dramatic, and I would have loved to have seen the whole thing. I know that audience members sitting further stage left than I was couldn’t see it at all, and they really missed out.

In the scheme of the whole play, that detail hardly matters. Henry and his cast absolutely succeeded in bringing Christmas spirit to Missouri Western. Everyone should go see the show before leaving for break; it runs this weekend and next weekend. For specific showtimes, visit the Theatre & Cinema website. In the words of Tiny Tim, “Merry Christmas, everyone.”

Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is a 15-year-old high school student who is desperate for a mate and craves to keep his distant parents together. Tate jumps on an emotional roller coaster as he falls for mischievous pyromaniac Jordana (Yasmin Paige) who agrees to be his girlfriend, but he also finds out that his mother (Sally Hawkins) may be having an affair with her ex-lover, who happens to be the Tate’s neighbor.

This dramatic comedy set in Wales is unorganized, random, dark and will make you snooze. It doesn’t succeed in humor either. It is depressing and slow with all of the elongated scenes of Tate staring into space pondering the obstacles he must face.

Roberts’ performance was accurate as he played a believable depressed teenager. However that is an easy character to play, because it’s very flat. Even when he showed emotion, he was flat. Paige played an atypical teenage girl who thinks love is gross, which is another easy role to play. The parents didn’t do anything, and there weren’t very many scenes with the neighbor. So let’s just say there just weren’t actors and actresses in this movie that will be receiving an Oscar anytime soon.

The only thing going for “Submarine” is it’s unique style of shots. It is filmed in a unique Baz Luhrmann-Martin Scorsese style with flashbulb cuts and unusual kaleidoscope shots with Tate or Jordana’s face in the middle. An interesting example would be when Tate accidentally pushes a girl into a pond—she falls backwards halfway and freezes. The shot is very creative as she and her things can be seen from all angles, stuck in time.

Other than the style of the shots, though, don’t waste your time. You might as well spend your $1.20 on a McDouble at McDonald’s instead.

'Hanna' a thriller about a teenaged assassin stars Saoirse Ronan and Cate Blachett.

I was originally rather hesitant to watch this movie. After sitting through one (or five) too many movies about rogue CIA/FBI/military agents starring some Jason Statham-like actor, I was pretty bored with the genre. What made “Hanna” interesting to me was the unique protagonist. How often do movies revolve around badass sixteen-year-old girls?

Hanna is a trained assassin. She can kill with her bare hands and wield many different types of weapons. She can speak ten languages fluently and knows almost all there is to know about survival. This training is thanks to her father, a defected CIA agent. He raised Hanna in an isolated cabin in the wilderness of Finland. Hanna has never had a friend, never listened to music and has never seen anything powered by electricity. Her father ends every day by reading her a bedtime story out of the encyclopedia. As a result of all this, Hanna is an incredibly advanced operative, but an incredibly stunted teenager. This contrast allows her character to be thousands of times more interesting than the typical hulking agent.

Hanna is played by Saoirse Ronan perfectly. Her slight frame, porcelain skin and angel-blond hair allow her incredible violence to be even more arresting. In a particularly violent sequence, blood is splattered across her face. Since Ronan never seems to flush as she exerts herself, the blood seems especially garish against her glowing, ethereal skin. Beyond the physical nature of her character, Ronan pulls off the contradictions of Hanna perfectly. In a particularly poignant scene, Hanna is frightened by the many electronic devices in her hotel room. The fluorescent lights buzz, the TV shows scenes of war, the phone rings and the electric kettle whistles. Hanna cannot handle this much stimulation at once and runs out of the room, not before trying to turn off the ringing phone with the remote control for the TV. Ronan does an excellent job of portraying the transition from wonderment to panic as more and more electronics turn on. Ronan was the perfect choice for Hanna. While I originally thought that her waifish looks would be too contradictory to her violent actions, any worries are erased in the first few minutes when she kills that moose.

While Ronan is the real star of the movie, Cate Blanchett is a close runner-up. Blanchett plays Marissa, a CIA agent out to kill Hanna. The audience doesn’t understand her motivation until the end of the film, but this uncertainty only adds to the tension. Blanchett plays the stiff-jawed Marissa with an incredible strength. Marissa does horrible things, and the audience often has no explanation for her actions. No emotions cross Marissa’s face besides a ruthless determination; this shows great range on Blanchett’s part. She plays Marissa so calmly that any other actress would have come across as flat. Blanchett is cast just as perfectly as Ronan.

“Hanna” pleasantly surprised me. What I expected to be just another action movie turned out to be a crazy, badass ride. Verdict: definitely worth the dollar.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the titular character in “Hesher.” Natalie Portman, in the background, also stars.

The movie “Hesher” is about a teenager named T.J. who loses his mother in a car accident two months previously and attempts to get the totaled vehicle back after his dad Paul (Rainn Wilson) sells it to the junkyard. While he tries to stay focused on getting the car back, T.J. gets distracted by Hesher, a perverted “I-don’t-give-a-crap” attitude sort of bum who, after T.J. blows his cover living in an abandoned house, forcefully moves into T.J.’s house. T.J. also has to deal with his high school bully Dustin (Brendan Hill), who is constantly out to beat him up as well as lulls over Nicole (Natalie Portman), a grocery store clerk who saves T.J. from one of Dustin’s violent attempts.

After T.J. meets the foul-mouthed Hesher, Hesher becomes an evil fairy godmother as he frequently watches over T.J. wherever he is. One day, Hesher notices Dustin bullying T.J., so he decides to help T.J. out. Hesher draws an inappropriate image of a naked body on the side of Dustin’s bright yellow convertible with a permanent marker, which gives Dustin even more reason to injure T.J. T.J. doesn’t thank Hesher, but who would? Unfortunately, Hesher’s “charitable actions” don’t end there.

Though Hesher causes a lot of mischief and won’t step down for anybody, he does let his guard down when it comes to T.J.’s grandmother, who oversees Hesher’s flaws and appreciates him due to the absence of attention from her depression-stricken son and grandson. Hesher befriends T.J.’s grandma,  splurges on her food and orders T.J. to skip school to walk with his grandma (but he doesn’t, which comes into play later).

All in all, although Hesher is profane as all get out (makes sexual jokes in front of T.J., Paul and T.J.’s grandmother, encourages T.J. to get intimate with Nicole, recovers the porn channel for the household, etc.), he manages to affect T.J. and his dad in a positive manner as well as teach some valuable lessons through perverted—but valid—analogies, one comparing the loss of his left testicle to T.J. and his family losing his mother.

“Hesher” has made a comedic drama possible. While “comedic drama” sounds like an oxymoron, it’s the only way to describe the movie. It is dramatic in how death takes a toll on the characters, but it is also humorous through Hesher’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) ridiculous, random actions and perverted mindset along with the continuous beatings that T.J. (Devin Brochu) experiences (i.e. gets hit by a couple of vehicles and falls off his bike—in fact, in the opening scene, T.J. has a cast on his arm). With the mixture of both comedy and drama genres, “Hesher” will reach out to various types of moviegoers, yet is not a movie to see with the parents or kids.

Gordon-Levitt has branched out by playing such a jolting yet satisfying role in the film. His appearance, language and overall attitude are fairly different than the characters he has played in the past, from the sarcastic teenager in “3^rd Rock from the Sun” to the love struck guy in “500 Days of Summer” to the intelligent and smooth man in “Inception.”

Wilson has also tried out a new character, totally different from the goofy “Dwight” from “The Office.” While he is mainly a disheartened widower throughout the movie, which is hard to watch because his role is so dark compared to his other characters, Wilson nails it. He is very believable in a way that one may really think he lost his wife.

However, for fair warning, pay attention to the clues. The movie starts out slow, but that’s mainly because the director wanted the viewer to figure out what it is about instead of telling it through dialogue. Sometimes the scenes do not make sense — thanks to the poor organization — but give it a couple scenes, and the clues will make sense. Do not let this keep you from watching the film because the feel-good ending will sum up the message.

The tone was set immediately upon entering the theater: a slideshow of authentic Civil War photos, interspersed with quotes from Civil War soldiers and their families, was shown on in front of the curtain as audience members took their seats. Some punctuation errors in these slides took from their message, but this slideshow was a nice touch overall.

The somber character of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy was apparent as soon as the curtain rose from the dim lighting and spare set pieces. What people often forget, however, is how filthy Shakespeare’s sense of humor really was. The serious tone set at the beginning of the show is quickly lifted as actors Jeremy Edwards and Brian Duskey, as Benvolio and Mercutio respectively, took the stage. After several hip thrusts and mimed sexual acts, the audience was laughing easily.

Duskey had an especially impressive stage presence. His Mercutio seemed to fill the stage without being over-the-top. Duskey’s energy on stage was infectious, and seemed to rub off on his fellow actors. As Duskey established Mercutio’s character as a fun-loving wild man, the energy levels on stage began to increase, until the audience really believed that the Montague clan was heading to a party and not just off into the wings.

On the Capulet side of things, Sarah Noe and Matt Wright, as Lord and Lady Capulet, were outstanding. Their chemistry as a married couple was easy and believable (and that probably has only a little to do with their real-life relationship). The anguish they exhibit after (SPOILER ALERT) Juliet’s untimely passing is touching. Noe is heart-wrenching as a mother in grief. Her eye makeup ran from the tears that Lady Capulet cried over her daughter’s dead body. To me, that is a mark of a dedicated actress, fully in character.

As far as the titular characters, director Tee Quillin could not have cast any better. Misty Ballew’s Juliet is the perfect mix of vixen and innocent, and her love for Romeo is convincing. Her interpretation of Juliet’s famous balcony monologue was well-executed. She injected feeling into each line, instead of letting the words jumble together into a pile of lovey-doveyness. Juliet is angry in this monologue: She has found love, and it is besmirched by her love’s stupid name. Too many times have I seen this monologue butchered; Ballew’s sassy delivery nailed it.

Ballew’s Romeo, Kiefer Helsel, was the absolute star of the show. His portrayal of the tortured teen was funny, earnest and touching. The looks he gives Juliet, from the first meeting at the party to the last time he sees her alive, are a perfect balance between love and lust. And when Romeo finds Juliet’s supposedly dead body, Helsel’s range as an actor was truly demonstrated. Helsel cries over Juliet’s body in a decidedly restrained way. Yes, he is emotional, but he did not go to the extreme wailing and gnashing of teeth that it is so easy to resort to. Helsel’s Romeo absolutely loved his Juliet, and that is very apparent.

The chemistry between the leads was frankly bewitching. They looked so perfect together, their slight frames allowing them to really look like the teenagers they are portraying. Their kisses held none of the awkward stiffness that stage kisses sometimes hold—Helsel and Ballew are totally dedicated to their roles, and the development of their characters’ relationship is all the better because of that.

“Romeo and Juliet” will be showing Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. More information can be found at mwsutix.com

Giamatti, Ryan and the actresses that play the two girls are shining points in this hilarious film.

I’d never heard of “Win Win” before my trip to the Redbox Sunday afternoon, but after seeing that it starred Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan as a married couple, I knew I had found the movie I’d be reviewing this week.

Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling small-town lawyer practicing elder law by day and coaching high school wrestling by night—well, afternoon. Mike obtains legal guardianship of one of his clients in order to collect the handsome monthly check and accidentally obtains the client’s 16-year-old grandson, Kyle, along the way. Though much of the movie after Kyle’s appearance revolves around wrestling, potential sports-phobic audiences should not be deterred: “Win Win,” directed by Thomas McCarthy, is a funny, insightful, perfectly cast film.

Giamatti is fantastic in this Official Selection from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Mike’s choices early in the film are less than admirable; in the hands of another actor, it would be easy to write Mike off as selfish. The likability that Giamatti lends to the character makes it very easy for the audience to see his motivation and, in turn, understand his choices. Mike’s boyish manner and nervous “ahems” are the perfect foil to his wife’s aggressive personality, portrayed flawlessly by Ryan.

In my opinion, Ryan can do no wrong, and her turn as Jackie Flaherty is no exception. Ryan’s Jackie is a brash Jersey girl turned adult; her accent and Jon Bon Jovi tattoo are intact, but her wild ways have been translated into a fierce love for her family. Ryan’s portrayal never falters—her accent is subtle enough to not be noticed immediately, but grating enough to be realistic.

The true star of the movie, however, is Alex Shaffer as Kyle. Shaffer is wonderfully understated in this role. His character comes from a background of drugs and crime; at the age of 16, his hair is bleached, and he is tattooed many times over. It would have been easy to overdraw this character into a cursing, smoking ball of rage. The subtlety that Shaffer brings to the role makes it so easy for the audience to become absorbed in the film. There is no distracting “performing,” but only the sad story of a young man fighting to escape the world created by his drug-addicted mother. When Kyle finally lets a smile slip through, the audience feels just as gratified as Mike does.

The amount of wrestling in this movie should not deter the audience. The front of the DVD may show Kyle in his singlet, but the wrestling only serves as a metaphor for the struggles of the rest of the characters. Kyle’s wrestling style is a little unorthodox (apparently, though I wouldn’t know one wrestling style from another). While explaining it to his teammates, he tells them to just do whatever it takes. This wrestling motto serves as a metaphor that translates to the rest of the characters in the film: they are all fighting to make it and have to do whatever the hell it takes to succeed. This extended metaphor may sound cheesy, but I think that the varied problems of the characters, and the hilarious situations they get themselves in, serve to alleviate this problem.

“Win Win” received a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and this accomplishment is truly deserved. I think that everyone should go rent this movie; it’s more than worth the dollar.

However, the story truly begins in 1959 when a craft from Cybertron crash lands on the moon, kick starting Earth’s space race with the United States and the Soviet Union competing for first contact.

The integration of the US/Soviet moon missions could have been an interesting plot point. However, it becomes nothing more than a reason to include archival footage of President John F. Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, along with two of the worst impersonations of these presidents I have seen.

Skip ahead 50 years and we meet up with Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Freshly graduated from college, his previous adventures with Autobots have earned him a presidential medal and a new girlfriend, Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley).

Sadly, like so many in today’s tough economic times, Sam has been unable to find a job where he can mean something. While his predicament is understandable (how do you go back to being just another person after you have saved the world…twice?), it begins to border on annoying.

Sam’s misfortune gives us a device to meet some of the supporting cast. While it is great to see these beloved actors and there is great respect for them all, the comedic timing seems a bit off and almost seems forced.

My main point of contention here is editing. Considering the complete plot, it is an interesting integration of an important time in mankind’s history and the science fiction story now embedded into the memories of most. There actually is a lot of story in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon;” however, an hour in and few action scenes will leave even the die-hard fans wondering why they paid the ridiculous cost to see this movie when it was in theaters.

Towards the end of the movie, the action heats up, culminating with a full-on battle scene unlike any other. Make no mistake: this is an epic fight in the biggest arena possible! Sadly, this battle begins to drag on – almost to the point of wondering if you really care which side wins.

Look, Michael Bay brings an incredible style, grace and elegance to “Transformers.” The stunning computer-generated imagery provides an experience that truly brings the Autobots and Decepticons to life; I doubt anyone would argue with that. As always, the voice acting is unmatched: each voice actor allows you to connect with his or her character. For many this is a large part of why people actually enjoy the movies.

There was doubt that “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” would be a summer blockbuster hit. As for my recommendation, I say rent it before you buy it… on Blu-Ray, of course. While you wait, you should check out the soundtrack for the movie, because the music is absolutely amazing.

The film Paul is filled with tons of great humor and action.  Pegg and Frost stay true to their roots in making Paul.  If you enjoyed any of Pegg and Frost’s other films than you will definitely like this flick.  With a much larger budget and a star studded cast, this movie may be their best film to date. Pegg and Frost’s cheeky British humor mixes brilliantly with the American comedic style of Rogan.  Playing the voice of Paul is one of the best roles Rogan has done and is a much needed refreshing break away from his redundant pot humor.  With some extraterrestrial action and some gut busting dialogue, Paul is a must see movie for comedy and sci-fi lovers.  Paul is rated R and runs 104 minutes.

Juliet (Swank) is an ER doctor, living in a run-down hotel after her boyfriend’s cheating forced her out of their apartment. She finds a beautiful apartment in Brooklyn that seems almost too good to be true: the rent is affordable and the landlord, Max (Morgan) is friendly and handsome. Juliet quickly moves in, and the uneasy tone that consumes the movie sets in: Juliet wakes the first night in the apartment to strange noises and searches everywhere for their source. She sees nothing suspicious, but the audience sees the tall, male shadow. This is a pattern throughout the film—the audience knows exactly what is happening to Juliet while she remains largely oblivious. This adds nicely to the overall tension of the film. The audience becomes aware of Max’s consuming obsession with Juliet very early on in the film, but Juliet is not as quick to catch on.

This film watches a lot like a prelude to a “Law & Order: SVU” episode. In the “L&O” episode, detectives Benson and Stabler would be chasing the bad guy, bringing justice to a crime that has already been committed. “The Resident” lets the audience see the actual crime as it unfolds, from the peepholes that look into the apartment to the entryway in the back of Juliet’s pantry. Every time that Juliet gets naked—which is often—the audience knows exactly how Max is peeping in on her. If you’re not interested in seeing Swank naked, skip this movie. You see basically everything in the first fifteen minutes.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Max and Hilary Swank as Juliet in horror thriller 'The Resident.'

Swank and Morgan both deliver solid performances; the script is what keeps this movie from being better than average. Max is obviously a damaged character, but the explanation of his psyche is full of holes. His grandfather describes him as a pervert, “just like his father,” and a weird, confusing memory montage shows a newspaper clipping with the headline “Man shoots wife, then himself.” These half-explanations would be better left out of the film if they were not going to be more fully explained. They are confusing and distracting.

Besides the suspense, the best part of the movie is the set. Juliet’s place is apartment porn at its finest. Her newly renovated Brooklyn loft has hardwood floors, huge windows and gorgeous views over the river and into Manhattan. I could write an entire glowing review about the kitchen alone (besides the hidden entrance, I guess).

Overall, The Resident is genuinely entertaining, if not critically excellent. To have a better viewing experience than I did, I suggest a nighttime screening with some friends and something to drink other than coffee. I offer that suggestion with a disclaimer, however: Don’t watch this movie if you’re planning on moving into a new apartment like, ever.

of the script requires her to do so.
Mulligan is great in her role as Kathy, but perhaps even more moving is Isobel MeiklProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

Small as young Kathy. Meikle-Small conveys the unique combination of innocence and maturity that is needed to embody Kathy’s character. She starts off as a strong character, falling hard for oddball Tommy, but her vulnerability quickly becomes apparent as Tommy slips out of her reach. When she first sees Ruth holding Tommy’s hand, the tears that well in her eyes are truly convincing; in that moment, the audience sees how much she has lost.
Knightly, as Ruth, is less convincing. Her pouty whisper does little to convey the jealousy that her character consistently exhibits. Several sex scenes proved to be more uncomfortable than titillating; Knightly’s bony figure doesn’t look particularly healthy, especially for a donor, who is supposed to hold health above all else.
Garfield fills Tommy’s shoes well; his longing indecision between the Ruth and Kathy is convincing, and he’s not bad to look at, either. Garfield’s lanky frame lends a goofiness to Tommy’s character, a pleasant relief from the seriousness of the movie. And serious it is—there are barely five light minutes in the entire hour and a half long film. A nice distraction is the brief appearance of the actor who plays Bill Weasley in the “Harry Potter” films. It became harder and harder to enjoy his scenes as I focused more and more on determining which Weasley, exactly, he played.
“Never Let Me Go” was an emotionally draining experience; following three characters to their certain deaths is nothing but depressing. Adding in several doomed romantic relationships does nothing to lighten the mood. I also felt cheated somehow—although the film was emotional and heartbreaking, it could have been more so. The story felt incomplete, and the most moving relationships were sadly underdeveloped. At its best, “Never Let Me Go” is a beautiful love story. However, the love story ends up being so underdeveloped that it falls short of being as heartbreaking as it has the potential to be. Nevertheless, for a beautiful and moving experience, check out “Never Let Me Go.”

Seven years in the future, Kassie has a job offer to move back to New York and reunite with her friends. Wally meets Kassie’s son Sebastian and immediately notices the kid has a few similarities to himself. Throughout the film the two begin to bond with one another and find out the ins and outs of their lives. The humor of the Wally and Sebastian together is funny: they talk about fears of diseases and other random things a normal 6-year-old kid should know nothing about.

In the beginning of the film, you can see how Wally is attracted to Kassie, but she shows no interest in him. As the film moves along she shows small signs of affection towards him, but begins to date Roland, played by Patrick Wilson, who is the sperm donor from seven years earlier.

Roland is the exact opposite of his supposed child Sebastian. Sebastian is quiet and very timid, while Roland tries to make him more athletic and social. The two clash from the beginning, but Wally seems to step in every chance he has.

The dry humor goes a long ways in this film. There were not too many scenes where a viewer would find themselves laughing out loud, but many of the scenes are able to put a smirk on the viewer’s face.

The filmed seemed to be quite predictable; it ended with the same happy ending most romantic comedies have. It did not ruin the film and the entire time, you keep questioning whether or not it will turn out to be his kid. All the signs point to yes, but sometimes movies decide to make crazy twists. If you are a fan of a subtle laugh here and there, then “The Switch” is a good movie for you.

Swan tells the story of Portman’s Nina, a talented ballerina poised to take over as lead dancer in her company. Nina is an extremely talented dancer, and easily fetches the role of the White Swan in her company’s production of Swan Lake. But Nina’s unfailing addiction to dance leads to her downfall: one dancer is traditionally cast to play both White and Black Swans, and Nina is deemed too inexperienced, too virginal, and too technically perfect to play the Black Swan. This film is not, however, a boring movie just about ballet. Nina’s overwhelming obsession with perfection is quickly revealed, and this fixation leads the audience on a suspenseful, trippy journey through Nina’s dark psyche.

Dancing does play a huge role in the film, but the dance scenes are filmed and performed in such a way that they become comparable to any edge-of-your-seat car chase. The audience cannot help but to hold their breath as Nina whirls around and around en pointe, the floorboards ominously creaking under her. The audience gains a new appreciation of ballet as Nina’s downfall is depicted in dance. Nina’s mind begins to play tricks on her, and self-inflicted wounds appear one minute and disappear the next; both Nina and the audience begin to have a hard time distinguishing the real from the imaginary.

Winona Ryder has very little screen time in Swan, but her role is pivotal. She plays the dismissed prima ballerina, Beth, forced out before she could gracefully retire. Ryder beautifully captures Beth’s sense of desperation—her constant drunken state and ill-fitting, slightly-off clothes help the audience see her as the it girl of days past. Ryder leaves an intense impact in a short period of time, and was not recognized enough for her work in this film.

Another underappreciated player in Swan is Barbara Hershey, as Nina’s coddling, controlling mother, Erica. Erica is a retired dancer, and shoves her failed dreams on Nina; it is easy to see how Nina may be so easily pushed over the edge. Nina lives at home with her mother, in the same pink and lace room she occupied as a small girl. An extra bedroom in their apartment is devoted to Erica’s paintings: portraits of Nina, in varying stages of realism, line the walls. Erica treats Nina as a little girl, and Nina’s deviations to this ideal cause an incredible rage from Erica Hershey pulls this off incredibly. She is terrifying; close up shots of her face resemble an angry dragon: eyes flashing, face flushing and veins popping.

Finally, Natalie Portman is amazing as Nina. Her whole body is devoted to the role—an already petite Portman shed ten to fifteen pounds and trained for many months to achieve the ideal dancer’s figure. Her training allowed her to do much of the dancing herself, although, reportedly, not the incredibly difficult en pointe technique. The shots of Nina on her very tip toes were handled by a double. Regardless, Portman’s literal embodiment of Nina allows the audience to be entirely immersed in the story: the audience cringes as Nina tears her own flesh, their hearts quicken as Nina performs for the first time, and their heads swim as they try to make sense of the whole thing. Portman wows in this near “perfect” film.

The movie takes place over five days on the adult psychiatric floor of a hospital in New York City. Craig (Keir Gilchrist, known from “United States of Tara”) checks himself into the ward and immediately regrets the decision, but must wait the required five days before he can be released. During these five days, he meets an amazing and varied group of people, including Galifinakis’ Bobby, a Hasidic Jew addled by too much acid and a woman driven out of her mind by the possibility that her phone may have been tapped post-Patriot Act. A standout is Craig’s roommate, Muqtada (Bernard White), an Egyptian man who is terrified to leave his bed. White is mute throughout much of the film, which only allows the audience to appreciate his wonderfully understed performance even more.

LaurProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

Graham (of “Gilmore Girls” fame) and comedian Jim Gaffigan make solid appearances as Craig’s parents.

It is their influence, along with their young daughter’s, that prevents Craig from committing suicide in the film’s opening scene. Graham is the concerned mother and Gaffigan is the workaholic father; while this character formulation could have easily come off as contrived, their son’s unique situation (which includes uncontrollable stress-induced vomiting) helps to keep the story fresh and interesting.

Craig is very convincingly acted by Gilchrist. His character’s continual anxiety is demonstrated by a consistent shaky, sweaty, pale appearance that fades as his condition betters. His voiceovers tell his story in wonderfully written asides, to which Gilchrist lends a compelling, honest air. Craig is a perpetual overachiever, and Gilchrist shows this earnestness easily. When Bobby is nervous for a group home admission interview, Craig offers to help him practice, as if the interview is the same as one for college admission. Craig genuinely wants to help Bobby, and Gilchrist’s execution of the scene prevents Craig from coming across as annoying. Craig never brags; he is smart, and only wishes to use this skill to help others.

The biggest standout in the film is Galifinakis. His range as an actor is beautifully demonstrated as a father separated from his daughter by his mental illness. Hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, he is remarkably matter-of-fact, delivering many of his lines with the deadpan attitude that made him famous in films like  “Hangover” and “Due Date.”

This reviewer would strongly recommend “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” to anyone: there are so many different stories told throughout the film that anyone would be able to find something to relate to. The balance of comedy and drama in the screenplay is executed wonderfully by the talented cast.

The first shot of the movie is an extreme close-up on the Texas flag, flapping in the breeze. What follows is a series of establishing shots, showing cowboy boots, beer, longhorns, pickup trucks and rampant Republicanism. This opening sequence proves to be unnecessary as soon as the characters open their mouths. From the first scene, it is evident where these characters are from: a land where big hair, push-up bras and sundresses are everyday wear for a struggling mother of three; a place where a mother will tell you “knockers up!” instead of asking you to stand up straight; a state where accents cannot be too thick and people actually use the expression “hell’s bells.” From this description alone, it is apparent what kind of movie “The Client List” is—a fun, ridiculous romp, following a mother’s journey from hot housewife to hooker.

Believe it or not, Hewitt was nominated for a Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for her role in this film. Hewitt is surprisingly strong in her role as Sam, a fairly outrageous character. From the very beginning, she struts around in Christian Louboutin pumps and false eyelashes, her four-carat engagement ring flashing; it is easy to see how her family got in such a financial pickle. Hewitt takes Sam’s most outrageously awful lines (“I promise you’ll leave here satisfied, ‘cause when I do something, I do it right.”) and creates a character that the audience can root for. Hewitt easily takes Sam from sobbing mess to impeccably made-up call girl, and back again. Hewitt stands out from the rest of the cast starkly. Especially stiff are Sam’s girlfriend/lawyer Laura (Kandyse McClure) and her husband Rex (Teddy Sears).

In the beginning of the film, Sam often talks to an angel ornament on the dash of her pick-up. She vents to the small trinket, defending her choices; by doing this, the screenwriters are allowing the audience to hear Sam’s conscience. What starts off as an awkward device becomes ridiculous as Sam begins voice her streams of consciousness everywhere: not just in the car, but in the kitchen, in the hallway while her Johns are undressing in the next room, etc. This uncomfortable monologuing only shows the weakness of the screenwriting, and majorly slows down the salacious action of the plot.

“The Client List” will probably be forgotten in the next few years. But Redbox users should snap up this entertaining DVD while they can: Sam’s story is perfect for a girls’ night in, an afternoon spent procrastinating, or a reminder that, while your problems may be bad, they could always be worse. You could be a prostitute… Or a housewife in Texas.

Sarah Waters as La Carlotta shows off her "divaness."

“Phantom” is based on the book with the same title by Arthur Kopit. His book is based on the novel “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux. The leading role is Eric, a tortured soul who lives in the basement of an opera house. He is the disfigured love child of a stage manager and beautiful performer who has died before the time of the opening scene.

Eric, played by Raymond Johnson, wears a mask at all times after seeing himself in a puddle of water as a youngster. It may be the number of vocal works performed by Johnson that won the hearts of the audience or his strong baritone voice. Either way, he moved through the scenes with unwavering grace and confidence. Only Eric’s father, Gerard Carriere played by Steve Catron, knows his identity and has protected him for years from the public and opera house performers.

Catron’s performance Sunday started out almost as a carryover from his character in his last performance, “Laughter on the 23^rd Floor.” He almost type-casted himself but quickly recovered. In his best scene Catron moved the audience through an emotional father and son bonding moment when Eric is mortally wounded. The urgency to bond and explain everything was masterfully portrayed to the degree that sniffles could be heard throughout the crowd.

Eric’s entire world is the basement of the opera house. He plays there as a youngster in a park of artificial prop type trees. He sleeps on a bed from a different production and teaches a costume girl how to sing in a set that must be from an opera of horror genre. After hearing grand opera all his life Eric knows good performance and talent. Both are developed in his protege, the lovely costume girl Christine, played by Morgan Breckenridge, with whom he falls in love.

Raymond Johnson (The Phantom) shows off one of several masks made for him by the art department.

Breckenridge makes both her relationship with the Eric and The Count Philippe De Chandon seem real because Christine loves each man for different reasons. The energy is equally played between her character and the phantom and she and the Count played by Brian Shewell. Nearly every available girl on the set claims to be in love with the Count and Shewell artfully strings them along while pursuing his new found talent and love Christine.

MWSU President Robert Vartabedian is credited with the idea for a production involving the music, art and theater departments, Director Tee Quillin’s program notes. The idea is more than bold. Only perseverance and discipline of each performer could bring about the cooperation of each department on this large scale production. In the words of Eric, “People are born for many things.”

This performance was nearly constantly accompanied by a music score by Maury Teston. The execution was so well performed by the live orchestra that the audience could almost forget it occupied the pit. Conductor Rico McNeela kept each moment of “Phantom” a seamless emotional experience with talented Western students. The company of artist played four times to a sold-out house.

If that sounds familiar it’s because “Phantom” comes on the heels of Dallas Henry’s direction of “Laughter on the 23^rd Floor” last fall which also enjoyed sold-out performances. Henry was the box office/house manager of this production and shared a funny but nervous curtain speech with Director, Tee Quillin. Both of these gentlemen are fairly new to Missouri Western but have hit the ground running with these two pieces.

The company has earned their audience’s highest compliment. At the end most were hoping the house lights wouldn’t come up so quickly that fellow audience members could see their tears.

The cast of "Phantom"

There may be great talent at the show. Western has numerous dance teams, rap artists, poets and choir members, so great musical abilities should be gracing the stage on Friday night. However, not every competitor can get an A plus in talent. As the talent acts prepare their voices and bodies for success, the audience will be piling in. The attendance for this show has always been successful, says WAC director of major attraction Lauren Dillon, who is organizing the show.

“We usually draw a very large crowd,” Dillon said. “About two years ago, we had 600 people. Last year we had about 300. Potter Hall has a capacity of about 350, so we are expecting a full house.”

Dillon also emphasizes why attending the talent show could be a lot of fun for students.

“It’s really awesome to go out and see your peers’ talents,” Dillon said. “It’s another event to get involved so they are not just sitting in their rooms on a weekend. There will be prizes to award people for their talent.”

This year’s talent show will be hosted by Ventriloquist Lynn Trefzer. Dillon explains why WAC chose Trefzer to host this year’s show.

“We weren’t really sure what we wanted,” Dillon said. “So, Keisha (WAC president) started talking to her agency and they recommended her because she’s really good at keeping the crowd involved and entertained.”

According to Dillon, the talent show has been going on for at least 8 years. Usually the show consists of about ten to twelve acts, all ranging in a wide variety of activities. Freshman Chase Owens, who is considering auditioning for the show explains why it’s a good opportunity to let others see your creative abilities.

“I think it would be a good experience as far as getting my name out there as a performer,” Owens said. “The experience is a benefit overall.”
Junior TJ Brooks, who plans on attending the show, suggests that the acts truly take the chance seriously.

“It’s a way to show your creativity,” Brooks said. “It’s an opportunity to show your talent and your own style.”

So, Friday night’s talent show might be an interesting event for you get out of the house and show the campus what you have to offer; or at least watch others attempt it.

“Everybody should come out,” Dillon said. “We’ve had a lot of interesting acts and we hope to have more good ones.”

The band teamed up with Director Brian Hicks and video production company, Outpost Worldwide, both based out of Kansas City. They left all of the creative concepts up to the professionals, having little input on the direction the video was to go in, with the exception of one rule: No lip syncing or air band performance.  They wanted something different from the normal rock videos, and in the end, were incredibly happy on how it turned out.

As a fan of The Roman Numerals himself, Director Brian Hicks was inspired by the nights he’s spent on the town listening to their music. He wanted to be a part of a music scene that is close to home and that he respects.

“When I heard there was a call out from The Roman Numerals to visual artist, I for sure came lurking around with interest,” Hicks said. “These guys have put so much into an aspect of the culture/counter-culture here in Kansas City that I gladly find myself participating in often.”

The band consists of Steve Tulipana on bass, guitar and vocals, Billy Smith on guitar and vocals, Shawn Sherrill on keys and bass, and Ryan Shank on drums. Given the fact that it’s officially the internet-age, and record labels are dwindling down by the hour, The Roman Numerals decided to take a different approach on getting their new music out there by digitally releasing singles through http://www.topspinmedia.com/blog/.

They take the same stance on releasing their music videos as well.

“The video projects are in conjunction with the singles,” Tulipana said. “As we did with the music, searching out engineers we respect and giving them carte blanch.”

The Roman Numerals are certainly open to new and modern ways of spreading their music, including being a part of more than just one group in the area. They consider themselves to be a collective of local artists that write and perform in several bands, varying in genre. These bands include: Olympic Size, Thee Water Moccasins, Unknown Pleasures, Be/Non, Season to Risk, Dirt Nap and Mannequin Skywalker.

“We feel that for an underground music scene to thrive in this post-record label world artists need to collaborate and support each other to the fullest whether your medium is music, art or video,” Tulipana said.

Brendan Price, a junior and acoustic musician, thinks it’s a good idea for bands to take a more hands-on approach to releasing music and keeping the local scene thriving.

“I think it’s cool what The Roman Numerals are doing,” Price said. “It’s important to stick together with other musicians in a local setting.”
Check out their official website for more information on the band at theromannumerals.com.

Timothy Mooney will be performing two one-man plays, “Moliere than Thou” and “Lot o’ Shakespeare”, along with a bingo game. These are two of the greatest playwrights of the European Renaissance and Reformation. Mooney gives a hilarious performance, expressed brilliantly and performed with powerful techniques.

Moliere performs a “greatest hits,” that usually leads the audience to participate. Mooney, himself, plays Moliere and will take you through a sequence of beloved speeches that will leave you in tears, or laughing.

“Lot o’ Shakespeare” involves a piece from every Shakespeare play that Mooney has memorized. The performance will carry the audience through tragedy, comedy and history. Each play will have a single sentence scheme arrangement that takes off while the audience plays along, each with a one-of-a-kind “BINGO” (or “IAGO”) card.

Many people talk about what a great show this is going to be whether you like Shakespeare or not. Mooney has a way of hooking you and landing the catch.

Dr. Susan Hennessy is a French instructor here at Western and expressed her enthusiasm for what she knows will be an awesome show.

“Mooney is a very energetic actor who is all over the stage. He is very animated and has a lot of range to his voice,” Hennessy said. “He has a rubber face with many different expressions.”

Hennessy said Mooney has a deep understanding of the complex language and characters and this isn’t just a performance for those interested in Shakespeare; everybody can get involved and take something away from it.

Mooney, MFA (Directing), AFTRA, has given over fifty thousand students their first initiation of these fabulous plays. He continues presenting these plays across North America and teaches classical acting.

Don’t miss your chance to see Shakespeare portrayed the way Mooney delivers these classic works. It all happens Tuesday, September 21st at 7 p.m. in Kemper Recital Hall, Leah Spratt Building.

Everyone is encouraged to attend. Be prepared to laugh, cry and simply melt in your seat. Mooney is known for his explosive performance and unforgettable facial expressions.

The MWSU Foundation, the MWSU Honors Program, and the Alliance Francaise de Saint Joseph sponsor this performance.

Midnight Reckoning is a psychological thriller that Hall describes as a mix between Groundhog Day and The Twilight Zone. Hall plays, Joe Manning, a struggling musician hunted by bikers through the high desert. Also, haunted by visions, Joe must confront his past sins, accept salvation—or wind up dead by daybreak.

With scores of on-screen credits, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Mulholland Dr., Tony Longo co-stars as the eccentric, RV-driving prophet named Atlas. On a mission from God to rescue Joe and save his soul, Atlas is accompanied on this mission by his disciple. Dawn, a once drug-addicted fashion queen played by Persia White, who was also one of the main characters on the long-running sitcom Girlfriends.

Hall said he landed the role through the typical process, with his agent getting him the audition, and with the film’s director being familiar with his past work, but he credits a lot of landing the role to how well he and Longo meshed as actors.

Longo and Hall were familiar with each other’s work, but met up the first time during auditions.

“Tony asked me to go outside and run over the scene that we were doing together,” Hall said. “We had a good chemistry, and the director obviously saw that, which is great.”

The film’s director and writer, Derrick Warfel, was on-hand for the premiere, having flown in all the way from Los Angeles. Warfel talked about one of his biggest inspirations in making the movie during a question and answer session with the audience that followed the film.

“One of the biggest things was the whole move to digital,” Warfel. “I’ve been a writer for years and years, and you get tired of seeing things get close to getting made, and then not get made.”

According to Warfel, digital films can be made much cheaper, and that shooting a movie in the middle of the desert also cuts out a lot of costs, which were two major factors in his idea for the film.

Receiving many awards at a number of film festivals, Midnight Reckoning most notably took first place in the sci-fi/horror genre at both the Bare Bones and London Independent film festivals. Judging from the response that evening at Plaza 8 Theaters, the crowd was in agreement.

“I think it was a great movie and was filmed really well,” said Kirk Branson, one of the movie-goers that evening. “I was really impressed with the quality of the movie,” Branson said.

The film is set for home video release on October 16th. More information on Midnight Reckoning and two theatrical trailers for the movie are available at www.midnightreckoning.com.

In recent years, Skeptic’s Societies have been popping up in universities and other show grounds of “forward thinking.” Missouri Western is luckily one of those universities, as it is the home of a modest group of skeptical students, thriving on the development of a different, recognizable view to what is regularly offered on the plate of day-to-day life.

The organization was started in 2009 by David Carr, a Psychology major who began questioning popular religions early in life, as his parents moved from one church to another. The goals for the group, as listed on its Facebook page, include establishing a “home for atheists, agnostics, and other freethinkers at Missouri Western State University,” to “challenge believers in God, psychics and all other supernatural occurrences with arguments based on scientific evidence, logic, and reason” and to “present a positive view of atheism to the community.”

It’s clear that the group is still forming at an early stage, having only 17 members on its Facebook page. There is definitely room to grow, and there is a presence on campus that would take interest in a meeting of like-minded skeptics.

Senior and biology major Matthew Stehly was happy to hear that the group existed, and that he would be drawn to future meetings. Among Stehly’s various skepticisms, he included religion, the existence of God, pygmies and teapots in space. He is a prime example of atheism on the Missouri Western campus, choosing his own beliefs without treading on someone else’s.

“If it works for you, that’s completely fine, but don’t take hand-me-down beliefs as being true,” Stehly said. “Think for yourself. Use logic.”
Some students, like Junior Hanna Greenwell, think that the Skeptic’s Society would be a good place for people to get their different ideas out in the open.

“I think people should be skeptical and open minded to certain things of their own interest,” Greenwell said. “Everyone’s different, so I guess it just depends what meets their fancy, you know?”

While the Skeptic’s Society meets on Wednesdays on campus and at the Rolling Hills Library on Sundays, one can see that the on-campus presence of skeptics falls short of the group of older members who attend meetings at Rolling Hills.

“The majority that come are at least above 50,” Carr said of the off-campus meetings. Obviously, the more experienced and world-weary members of the St. Joseph community are showing off their skepticism at a much higher level than the young. However, all organizations have to crawl before they can walk, and the numbers have grown slowly but surely since the group’s first meeting at Hazel’s Coffee Shop, with only two people in attendance. It stands to reason that the longer the group holds out and more word spreads, more curious and open-minded people will arrive to discuss matters of belief, truth and logic.

While the group is mainly made up of atheists and agnostics, anyone with a knack for Devil’s Advocate would surely find a worthy forum to profess differing opinions and explanations for various behaviors.

Having a Skeptic’s Society around could do a lot of good for communities in the Bible belt, showcasing opinions that go largely unheard in a public gathering, especially any gathering with a sense of formality and purpose.

Religious groups are obviously welcome to defend their beliefs, or at least discuss them and try to help others understand them better, which could be the ultimate benefit of Missouri Western having a Skeptic’s Society. Believers and non-believers alike have a common ground where the purpose is to challenge one another with conflicting thoughts so that a new plateau may be reached, further promoting the ultimate goal of all houses of thought.

This book is a fast firing flash fiction about womanhood, sexuality, exploitation, emotional evolution and the world of stripping. It is the tale of Natalie, a thirty something mother who retraces the steps of teenaged beauty pageantry and stripping to search for the first woman she slept with. The trail takes the reader on a ride through time that reveals a life of emotional abuse, squalor and eroticism.

It makes the reader think about the lives of strippers and the esteem issues inflicted on women in a world that tells them that they have to be beautiful. It asks serious questions about the effects our sexuality has on our lives.

Without becoming porn, this book looks truthfully at the world of strippers and gets quite saucy. The shifting point of view keeps the reader feeling like they are flowing in and out of the consciences of the narrator. It forces you to wonder how you would feel if you were 17 and your high school principal just walked into the strip club you work at. It keeps a dark subject light in the right places by reviewing stripper tips, like stripper tip #6: underarm deodorant glows under black light or stripper tip #11: smoking pot in the bathroom only makes the night drag on forever.

Sure there are plenty of dirty words to keep your attention and at least two sex scenes that will make you look around to make sure you are alone while you read it, but better than that is the underlying understanding of the story. It is a story about the scars sexuality can leave on us, and how those scars shape us into the sexy little beasts we become. It is also about the connections that you make in life and how things change over time. It is a story about real life and I am glad I read it.

The direction the movie takes is not only original but is what makes the movie as terrifying as it is. The way the director splices in original footage from therapy sessions adds to the element of realism that can be lost when cutting from scene to scene.

Another interesting way the director shoots the movie is the strange focusing he uses. He focuses on certain objects in some scenes rather than the people. This is so you focus on the audio.

Even writing this, I still feel the chills as characters stumble upon the truth about Nome, Alaska, which has the most reported sightings and abductions in Alaska and possibly the United States.

The dramatization of real events gives you enough information to make sense of the story but also keep you in the dark about the truth. There are a few plot twists that are easy to guess, and once you figure them out, you want to make sure you’re right by never taking your eyes off the scene.

Tying the small history lesson in with the abduction story makes for a better case. Let’s just say I never want to hear anything speak Swahili again.

The creepiest part of the movie is the main characters first hand interview about the events that took place. The videos shown of her before the events make her look like a sane and normal woman. Then, as they show her two years later she looks like a woman that has never slept in her life, her big eyes staring into the camera piercing your minding and testing your truths.

“The Fourth Kind” should go into the record books for originality. There is little to no blood and as a matter of fact, there is some gore censored out early in the film.
It’s rare these days to come across a director that doesn’t have to use gore to make a good movie. All he needed was a good story, some original footage and a creepy woman who may or may not be insane.

By the end of the film you are asking yourself, “If our psychologists go insane, who do I go to when I go insane?”

What might be the best browser game out there ends up being free. Evony has picked 5 million users since April of this year. I have been tending to my bonsai tree of browser games faithfully since that time. I have already lost two cities and relocated twice, but I keep working to build up my horde of cavalry and ballista so that Lord Donan can lay waste to all of Server 3. It really is a bonsai. Step by step becoming a tiny work of art.

The game is easy to figure out with a series of quests meant to train the user on how to tend to their kingdom, collecting taxes and winning loyalty, all the while defending your peoples from any number of martial incursions. You can build up to ten cities; I prefer just tending the one.

With a quick chat band it is easy to get tips from others that playing the game as well. The modular form of the cities does allow for some variation in the design of your city. You could build a city with three barracks for extra army growth or a city designed for commerce and then you can rule at the always active market place. You can hire and fire heroes to lead your people and you can gamble on the wheel of fortune. I just won an iron rake with an amulet I saved up.

The beauty of this game is that if you are the kind of person that is online a lot during the day, all you have to do is favorite it, and all day long you can pop in and out of your little perfect kingdom. In the morning you can start your scholars training in the academy, at coffee break you can start recruiting heroes, at lunch you are building your walls up and at dinner you are appointing a new mayor. By bedtime you are conquering a new city.

This game really does rock for those that are into this sort of thing. I wish more of my friends were. I guess if anyone reads this article, you can come find me in land of Bohemia, ruling over Gotham City, right next to the flag 420.

Following the formula set forth by the previous three films, Nick O’Bannon (Bobby Campo) sees a premonition while with friends at McKinley Speedway, warning him of imminent death. In the nick of time, the hero saves his friends and a handful of strangers including his girlfriend (Shantel VanSanten) and a security guard (Mykelti Williamson). Like his predecessors, Nick learns the hard way that the grim reaper doesn’t like losing and strikes out at the survivors, who are forced to band together and find a way to cheat death.

Let’s get this out of the way; “The Final Destination” is not interested in being a good movie. The script is devoid of anything resembling scares or three-dimensional characters. Furthermore, if you’ve seen the other films, then you can pretty much predict everything well in advance. For some, that makes it a bad movie not worthy of the $13 bucks required to see it. For the fans, however, it’s blissful.

Just like Friday the 13, Final Destination isn’t going for masterful storytelling. Within the first five minutes, it’s pretty clear that the filmmakers know what the fans want and aren’t afraid to give it to them. That fact alone makes this film a vast improvement over the muddled “Final Destination 3” and puts it on par with “Final Destination 2.” But what puts this film above the sequels is the 3-D experience.

Whereas other recent 3-D films have tried to downplay the gimmicky nature of 3-D, the new Final Destination fully embraces the technology and uses it to its advantage. Add in the return of “Final Destination 2” director David R. Ellis, well known for crafting insanely wicked kills, and the result is one of the most entertaining movies playing on the big screen this year.

“The Final Destination” also sports a solid cast of actors that make the most out of their underwritten characters. Campo and VanSanten, as lovers Nick and Lori, come off as the best couple in the series since Devon Sawa and Ali Larter in the original. Nick Zano, playing the requisite Jerk, chews away at the scenery while the rest of the cast deliver decent, albeit workmanlike performances. Special credit goes to Justin Welborn, who is a hoot as the drunken racist ballsy enough to throw out racial slurs that most actors tend to shy away from these days. If you dug Welborn as much as I did, then by all means seek out one of his previous films; the 2007 indie hit “The Signal,” undeniably the best horror movie since “The Blair Witch Project.”

Although great for pure entertainment value, there’s no denying that the script is bad. Some key character moments are a bit hard to swallow and, as stated before, it would’ve been nice if the filmmakers had tried to at least do something to make this one a little bit different from the others. However, the main problem comes with the ending. For its brisk 82 minute running time, the film wastes too much time with the ending, throwing premonitions on top of premonitions when it should’ve just got to the point. And yes, the film most likely wouldn’t be as effective in two dimensions.

In closing, “The Final Destination” is not a revolutionary horror film nor will it likely be remembered 10 years from now save for the 3-D effects. In the end, it doesn’t really matter though. Ellis and company knew exactly what both the diehard fans and casual audiences wanted to see: a gruesome but highly entertaining horror film to close out the summer. And in comparison to the more serious movies available in theatres right now, especially the vile abomination that is Rob Zombie’s “Halloween II,” “The Final Destination” deserves to be seen. By the way, I seriously doubt this will be the final entry. Death always finds a way.