by Charissa Ricker | Dec 4, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Scott Derrickson, director of the new hit Marvel film Dr. Strange, shared his journey as a director, for the College of Entertainment and the Arts’ “An Awkward Evening with with Scott Derrickson” in Collins Alumni Auditorium on Friday night. The well-known horror film director said he first heard the gospel in a church neighboring his father’s car dealership in Colorado. Steve Taylor, Filmmaker in Residence at Lipscomb, was also attending this church. Derrickson and Taylor reminisced on the many films that came to the local theater and how that inspired each of their careers. “I remember seeing Top Gun (1986), and it was probably the best use of surround sound up to that point,” Derrickson said. “I saw it with a friend of mine and walking out of the theater I said, ‘I think I know what I want to do for a living.’” During his college years at Biola University, Derrickson became obsessed with reading and studying philosophy and discovering the purpose of faith (while dropping all film classes). “I started taking so many philosophy classes because I was really doubting what I believed,” Derrickson noted. “I was lost, and it was really awful.” Derrickson was on a downward path of disbelief when he read Orthodoxy (1908) by G. K. Chesterton. This book drastically changed Derrickson’s outlook on life and faith and influenced many of his films. “I grew up making haunted houses in our basement for the neighborhood kids and always had a certain love for gothic art and entertainment,” Derrickson said. “I wasn’t necessarily bent on doing horror films, but when I saw Suspiria (1977), I...
by Erin Franklin | Nov 30, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Despite a threat of rain, Lipscomb’s 12th annual Lighting of the Green carried on and gave back to students, faculty and the community by spreading some holiday cheer in front of the Bell Tower Tuesday night. Amy Grant hosted the event, which featured special guest artists and choir students from the university and Lipscomb Academy. Before the concert began, there was a “Christmas Marketplace” inside Allen Arena, complete with vendors, holiday treats and photo opportunities with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. As host, Grant opened the concert discussing her partnership with summer camp Barefoot Republic. Through this partnership, Grant met Dave’s Highway, the Lipscomb-student band. “Our first guests are students who were in the choir — someday they’ll be hosting this show — but they are a band called Dave’s Highway,” Grant said. “I got to know Erica, Delaney and Zach this summer when they come out to our farm and did the music for two weeks of day camp as part of Barefoot Republic.” After Dave’s Highway played, series of performances from the Lipscomb choirs and more guests artists such as Grant, Matt Maher and Kim Keys performed. Senior and public relations major Claire Grissom perfomed on stage as part of Lipscomb’s collegiate A Capella choir. Grissom said the choir practiced a couple of weeks after and during Thanksgiving to prepare for the concert, noting that she thinks the event is a good way to give back to the community and get everyone in the Christmas spirit. “I love it! It’s so much fun,” Grissom said. “It’s a chance to be a part of the community with the Nashville...
by Erin Franklin | Nov 27, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Moana isn’t your typical Disney princess. In fact, despite being the daughter of the village chief, having an animal sidekick and occasionally breaking out into song, even Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) herself insists that she is not a princess. Originally, I thought Disney was trying to make Moana the newest installment in the Disney princess franchise, but it appears they’re trying to mix it up a bit by providing an animated young female who doesn’t have to be a princess and doesn’t have to have a love interest to be a heroine. The film is reminiscent of Pocahontas with its focus on heritage and mythology; the story places a heavy emphasis and theme on mythological Hawaiian island gods and demigods, perhaps Disney’s most religious-oriented film to date. In fact, this focus is almost a little unsettling for an animated movie. The story is a journey, typical of a Disney animated tale with a young girl simply trying to “follow her heart.” She’s smart, capable, encouraging and independent — a heroine who does not incessantly complain about the problems of her situation before attempting to fix them; rather, she solves them by initiating the action herself. On this journey, its beginning and its end are its strong points. The story seems to get a little lost in the middle, especially when the quite odd and unlovable coconut-pirates come into play, but it finds itself again with the fiery ending and Moana and Maui finally working together as a team. Speaking of Maui, he’s not quite as lovable a character as Moana. Even after his heroism at the end, it still feels difficult...
by Brooke Dorris | Nov 23, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
When first seeing the trailer for Rules Don’t Apply and all of the A-list actors involved, one would think that it would be a hit. However, it was more confusing than anything. To briefly summarize the plot of a two-hour movie that felt more like five, small-town beauty queen and devout Baptist Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins) comes to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. Under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty), she works and works to get her name out there, but of course that doesn’t happen at first. She then meets her personal driver Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich), who is also from a very conservative and religious background. Of course, they are immediately smitten with each other, but it is forbidden for a driver to have a romantic relationship with one of the contracted actresses. It also risks their religious views. So after hearing that, one would expect this movie to be a compelling love story about two people meant to be together and defy all the odds and make that happen, right? Wrong. Instead, viewers are told about three to five different stories in one, with confusing jump cuts, overly-dramatic acting by some of the actors and a crazy old man (a.k.a. real-life Old-Hollywood-film-tycoon Howard Hughes) who is slowly but surely losing his mind (Beatty). I’m all about throwing audiences off and not sticking to the norm, but there is also risk in that, and that shows in Rules Don’t Apply. Walking into this movie, I was actually pretty excited to see it. I love Lily Collins, and being a huge Star Wars fan,...
by Myckelle Williams | Nov 18, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Loving is a historical-drama film directed and written by Jeff Nichols. It stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving, who were the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, the landmark trial that invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The film was released in theatres on November 4, 2016, by Focus Features. Loving follows the courtship and marriage of Mildred Jeter, a black woman, with Richard Loving, a white man. Mildred becomes pregnant and they travel to D.C. to marry in secret. However, the two are soon discovered and arrested, each sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958, because their interracial marriage violated the state’s anti-miscegenation laws. They are able to get probation if they agree to leave the state of Virginia for 25 years. Exiled to Washington, D.C., they sue the state of Virginia in a series of proceedings leading to the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Loving v. Virginia, which holds that laws prohibiting interracial marriage are unconstitutional. Director Nichols was able to tell the story of the Loving family as accurately as possible by relying on Nancy Buirski’s documentary The Loving Story (2011), which captured many details of the private lives of the Loving couple. The film was extremely poignant in its portrayal of the couple, who defied all odds to maintain their home and family. There was always a breathtakingly suspenseful undercurrent. The movie led the audience through one challenge after another as the couple fought to love and stay married, despite the fear and hatred that they endured daily. Edgerton’s performance was powerful. Determined but thoughtful and quiet,...
by Brooke Dorris | Nov 18, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling takes us to the magical, wizarding world of Harry Potter once more, but in a new, fantastic (pun-intended) way. The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander, played by Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, has just arrived in New York City — but not unnoticed, of course. Having a suitcase full of magical beasts, a No-Maj (American for Muggle) and an underlining evil surrounding the city, this movie really put out all of the stops to be an absolute joy to Potterheads everywhere. Within the Harry Potter Universe, Newt Scamander’s book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was first published in 1927 and became a massive bestseller in the wizard world. It eventually became an approved textbook at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter even used it for his classes. Remember Chocolate Frogs and their cards? Well, Newt Scamander has a card of his own, which of course is a huge honor. There are even more references to the original series throughout the movie. At one point, it is revealed that Newt is greatly favored by Albus Dumbledore, and he even tried to prevent Newt’s expulsion from Hogwarts. In the very beginning of the movie, it is revealed that Gellert Grindelwald is causing mass chaos across the world . . . but especially in America. However, he has yet to be found. Maybe at some point over the next few movies, we will finally see the famous duel between him and Albus Dumbledore. That is one of three story-lines in Fantastic Beasts, but don’t worry, it’s not hard to follow. What’s so...
