by Lindsey Nance | Oct 4, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Bison Square was decorated with spectacular lights, numerous TV screens, refreshments and a red carpet on Monday night to introduce My Many Sons, a film based upon the life of legendary Lipscomb basketball coach Don Meyer. The film highlights the life of the coach (1975-1999) and follows his journey as he overcomes numerous obstacles in his life, such as how he survived a terrible car accident that caused him to be wheelchair bound for the rest of his life and overcoming cancer. Meyer won the Jimmy V (Jim Valvano) ESPY Award For Perseverance in 2009. However, this crisis did not stop him from perhaps becoming the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history at one time. Mark McGee, senior publisher/media relations director with Athletics, made an appearance in the movie as well, playing the role of Chuck Ross. Ross is known as being the “biggest Bison fan of all time” and is remembered for his legendary school spirit and enthusiasm. McGee auditioned for the role over the phone and got the part the next day. He was inspired to audition for the film because of his close friendship with Coach Meyer that began his freshman year of college when he took Meyer’s P.E. class. “It was a fun experience,” McGee said of the film. “I did two days of filming for eight hours a day at West End Middle School.” Overall, McGee said he had such a positive experience shooting the film that he hopes to extend his movie career one day. McGee knew Ross personally, so he said it was an easy transition playing the role. “Chuck used to...
by Tyler Harvey | Oct 3, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Tim Burton seems to love making books into movies (Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, etc.); he does this one more with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, as he successfully produces another odd, yet satisfying film. The movie starts out playing creepy, eerie music while showing maps, old time pictures of villains, and images of children with peculiar talents and powers. Moviegoers’ first glimpse is of a “Welcome to Florida sign;” this is where we meet Jake, a lonely kid with seemingly no friends. The movie effectively utilizes flashbacks to show when Jake was young and when his grandfather would tell him stories of a house in another part of the world . . . where children with peculiar talents and powers live. His grandfather shows him old-time photographs of the children — pictures of a girl who can float, a boy who is invisible and a boy with bees living inside him, among others. Originally, young Jake believes these tales, but once bullies tell him the stories are make-believe, he thinks his grandpa lied to him. His grandpa tries to explain that all the stories are true, but it’s no use; even Jake’s dad thinks Grandpa is making up the stories and going crazy. When Jake turns 18, he decides to go where his grandpa said the house was and find out for himself. This movie has everything any viewer could want — fantasy, romance, action and even some humor. The effects in the movie are extraordinary and really make all the children’s talents look real. I advise seeing the film...
by KJ Lauck | Oct 3, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Pressures mount in Peter Burg’s Deepwater Horizon, which tells the true story of the biggest oil disaster in US history. The film chronicles the events of April 20, 2010 when the oil spill happened in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s headed by Mark Wahlberg (Mike Williams) and Kurt Russell (Jimmy Harrell). John Malkovich (Virdine) plays a good, yet unlikable, greedy and I-only-care-about-the-bottom-line kind of business man. The movie makes no point of hiding what will happen as obvious visuals and bits of dialogue foreshadow the coming events. The first instance involves a Coca-Cola can that gushes like Old Faithful; Jimmy receives a safety award for the not-so-lucky seventh straight year, and a magenta tie appears. The vibe on the rig is one that oozes with the blue-collar, hardworking mentality, and most of the cast develops a southern accent, since it is set off the Louisiana coast, allowing for the characters to feel honestly relatable and real. Once everything seems to be OK and all of the safety procedures have cleared – everything starts to head south — and fast. It is a sprint to the end of the movie once the rig begins to have some malfunctions. This is when the film really shines. The fast-paced sequences and cuts in between different characters’ views are shot nicely and are not too jumpy. Each character receives enough screen time to make the viewer sympathize with his or her experience. Wahlberg and Russell really make a deep connection with not a whole lot of screen time. Another character that Wahlberg strongly interacts with is Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez), especially as the...
by Becca Risley | Oct 2, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The men of Tau Phi social club showcased incredible talent Saturday night for the 37th annual Cowboy Show in Collins Alumni Auditorium. This year’s lineup included songs with a Backroads theme and invited the audience on a journey with intimate country music. The evening featured performances by Ashton Montgomery, John Blake Parker, Jordan Satterfield, Rebecca Robertson, Piper Smith and many more. Collectively, the night celebrated fan-favorite country anthems and covered hit songs from Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton and James Taylor, to name a few. Senior Stephen Ingram directed the event alongside sophomore Hunter Taylor and senior Ashton Montgomery. “It was a ton of fun, but also a lot of work,” Ingram said. “Without [Taylor and Montgomery] the show wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is.” Ingram said that while listening to several men put on “musically challenged” performances provided comedy to the evening, the women really stole the show. “The talent this year has been great,” he said. “All of our ladies are incredibly talented and have been a pleasure to work with.” The annual Cowboy Show began in 1979 with the men of Tau Phi scattered across the steps of Collins with guitars in their hands. It has now grown to one of the most anticipated events on campus, as it brings current students, friends, family and alumni back to campus for a night of music and fellowship. “It’s an incredible professional production and a vital part of Parent Weekend here at Lipscomb,” Ingram said. “This show not only brings together the campus and their parents for a night of fun but also 50 years...
by Anna Rogers | Oct 1, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
A crowd slowly gathered on the lawn behind Lipscomb’s bell tower Friday night. The overcast skies and slight rainfall pushed the starting time of the Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors concert from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Lipscomb students, parents and alumni donned their raincoats and sat on blankets to hear the opening performance by Lipscomb’s own The Arcadian Wild, comprised of alumnus Lincoln Mick and seniors Sarah Wood and Isaac Horn. The folk band played some of its’ more popular songs, coincidentally including “Rain Clouds,” which has over 100,000 plays on Spotify. “The band certainly lifted the spirits of the audience,” sophomore Hannah Kraebel said. “It started off as a very gray evening, but Sarah Wood brings light every time she performs.” Following the first act was the three brothers, John Blake, Grant and Hudson Parker, who make up the band Brother Parker. John Blake and Grant attend Lipscomb as a senior and a sophomore, respectively. Hudson is a senior at Lipscomb Academy. As the siblings played, the bad weather receded, and more audience members joined on the lawn. A few songs later, americana artist Drew Holcomb and his band, Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors, stood on the stage and performed for an eager crowd. Some of the more excited spectators were members of the contemporary music department on campus. Among these students was sophomore Zach Daves, of Daves Highway. “Drew Holcomb did a fantastic job. The whole band worked together really well,” Daves said. Daves, who plays guitar, naturally noticed also the guitar player’s individual skill. “The guitar player was fantastic,” he said. “His tone and the way he played was absolutely top notch.” Not only was the band’s technique showcased, but Holcomb also...
by Erin Franklin | Sep 23, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
“Queen of Katwe” tells the inspiring true story of chess-prodigy Phiona Mutesi’s rise from poverty in Katwe, Uganda, to become one of the greatest chess masters in the world. The film begins with 10-year-old Phiona (newcomer Madina Nalwanga) going about her daily life by selling corn in the “slums” of Uganda. Her father tragically died recently, so her mother (Lupita Nyong’o) is left to raise four children alone. The Mutesi’s don’t have an easy time — the oldest child runs off with a “bad guy,” they’re evicted from their home, a storm floods their new house, etc. Through Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) — the soccer player turned missionary — Phiona discovers the game of chess. While chess becomes a great resource on which Phiona can focus her energy and high intelligence, it does not solve all her problems; the film does an excellent job of showing that an escape from poverty is not an easy transition. “Queen of Katwe” was shot on location in Uganda, providing an honest look at Mutesi’s childhood home, and all the colors in the film are especially vivid and beautiful. The majority of the film’s actors are Kenyan. Be sure to stick around for the credits to see them interact with their environment; viewers will get to see the actors stand beside their real-life counterparts at the film’s conclusion. Nyong’o delivers the best performance, portraying an incredibly complex character with skill and emotion. Phiona’s mother is strong, yet she needs her older children’s help so that they can pay their rent and have food at night; therefore, she struggles with Phiona’s running off to play chess. The film...
