by Cory Woodroof | Jun 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
Usually, I give a film the chance to redeem itself after a dreadful opening. Sure, over the many years I’ve ventured out to the theater, I’ve seen my share of flops. I’ve written scathing reviews about placid products that didn’t deserve a second of my time – it’s a part of the job. But, do I ever want a film to continue in the same mistakes of its opening minutes? Nope. Not since Zack Snyder’s musical train wreck Sucker Punch have I fought the urge to walk out of a film like I did while watching Snow White and the Huntsman. While the trailers sold this film as a revisionist’s delight – the sort of game changing fairy tale reimagining that could both win over critics and audiences alike under the banner of its stellar cast and brilliant first-time direction – the final product ended up being something different entirely. I knew this film was in trouble from the start. The film begins in a confusing narrated sequence where the audience learns of the wicked queen Ravenna’s (Charlize Theron) ascension to power. In a lazily scripted opener, the events unfold almost in spite of themselves, shoe-horning their way into creating a stage for the film. I know that you’ve got to get the ball rolling somehow, but I mean, seriously? The film’s manipulative beginning comes to light almost as effortlessly as Ravenna’s rise to the throne. After the dreadful opening, I kept hoping the film would improve, but my wishes were never made a reality. The languished film never realizes its vision, and as the audience, we are the true victims to...
by Emily Snell | Jun 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
Back when he was in fifth grade, Dr. Jerome Reed didn’t know he was going to become a globe-trotting “therapist for the human soul” with his piano talent. He did, however, know he was going to teach at Lipscomb. He told the president as much. Reed said when he was a child, Willard Collins, Lipscomb’s president at the time, used to speak at Reed’s church in Columbia, Tenn., on the first Sunday of each year. In fifth grade, Reed approached Collins and announced that he would one day be a professor at Lipscomb. Now after 30 years on campus, Reed, the Patricia and Rodes Hart professor of piano, said he couldn’t be more fortunate. “I think I have the best job in the universe,” Reed said, “because I do something every day that I love so much, I would be glad to do it even if I weren’t paid to do it. It’s really a fabulous job.” Reed, also the director of the music division of the Governor’s School for the Arts, has performed across the U.S., Europe and South America. At least 54 times, Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata has been the featured piece. According to Reed, Ives’ Concord Sonata is a musical depiction of some of the authors who lived in Concord, Mass.—Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. For almost a year, Reed spent time creating a PowerPoint presentation that would play during his performances of the nearly hour-long piece. The presentation includes Reed’s photos of the authors’ houses and scenery in Concord along with quotations from the authors. “I put...
by Cory Woodroof | May 31, 2012 | Uncategorized
Unlike most folks, I have a definitive soft spot for Men in Black II. Sure, the film fails in comparison to the original and has some outstanding flaws, but there’s just something about the goofy follow-up that makes me defensive. Is it a good movie? Eh, not really. When I think of MiB II, I think of Ghostbusters II – a sequel full of fun villains and silly antics. Come to think of it, Ghostbusters and the original Men in Black also share some striking similarities. Both were game-changing works of sci-fi comedy that still carry a strong following. I say all that to say I really dug Men in Black 3. Let me back up a bit. When Men in Black 3 was announced, immediate groans were heard across the galaxy (see what I did there?). Viewed as nothing more than a needless sequel, fans of the original feared yet another lackluster follow-up to tarnish the reputation of the once-popular series. While I may be a fan, I’m in a small group. Honestly, adding in a third installment after a poorly received second feature will never be an easy journey. Just look how Ghostbusters III is doing. Thankfully, Men in Black 3 both returns back to the basics that made the original so fun and avoids the mistakes of the second installment. This time around, the audience finds Agents J (Will Smith returning to the screen after nearly four years away from movies) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) facing a new, time-altering threat in Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords), a one-armed time traveling...
by Sarah McGee | May 28, 2012 | Uncategorized
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to be at an outdoor concert, art festival, or if you’re just at an outdoor hangout in general. You’re going to need a cute outfit! With the weather being as hot as it has been lately, dressing to match the weather can be a challenge. It can be hard to find an outfit that is both weather appropriate and cute. Hopefully with these suggestions, you will be able to come up with an idea of what to wear the next time you’re at an outdoor event. Maxi dresses: These are one of my favorite things to wear to something in an outside setting. They are airy and flow in the wind. They also are spectacular when you love dresses like I do. Plus, they won’t stick to you as much as jeans will. Cowboy boots: You don’t have to be going to a country music concert to be able to rock a pair of cowboy boots. They can be worn anywhere! I would suggest wearing shorter ones to an outdoor festival though. You don’t want to wear high boots because they could make your legs sweat, and no one wants that. A pair of short cowboy boots can add just the right rustic touch to an outfit. Vests: I am in love with wearing vests this summer. I think that blue jean vests look the best. They add a vintage touch, and you can accessorize them as much as you want. One thing that always looks neat is...
by Cory Woodroof | May 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
In his newest collaboration with friend Johnny Depp, director Tim Burton has re-entered the world of cobwebs, camp and comedy with Dark Shadows, an adaptation of the late 60s/70s daytime soap opera. With Dark Shadows, Burton returns to his roots – the world of funny-spooky strangeness, utilized in such films as Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks! Fresh off the hay fever nightmare that was 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, Burton finally gets back to the stuff that he’s good at – campy horror comedies. Dark Shadows does take itself seriously, but Burton makes sure his signature style shows. While you can’t call this new Burton adaptation a comedy, per se, the director uses his sense of dark humor to his advantage, cultivating hearty laughs at the expense of the ultra-campy vibe. The plot of the film follows Barnabas Collins (Depp), a pre-revolution era man cursed with the identity of a vampire after denying the love of a witch (Eva Green). Barnabas awakes 200 years in the future (1972 to be exact) to find his family’s once-prominent business in ruins and his current lineage in dire need. To make matters, the lovelorn witch, Angelique, who cursed and imprisoned him now runs the top business in the Collins-founded town of Collinsport. Barnabas, now surrounded by his distant descendants (including Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Lee Miller and Chloë Grace Mortez), sets out to restore the family business to its former glory while dealing with Angelique’s malevolent meddling. At its best, Dark Shadows gives Depp and company a chance to flex their comedic chops. Being that Barnabas is a foreigner to the 20th century, many laughs come from...
by Cory Woodroof | May 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
Ever since the post-credit sequence in 2008’s Iron Man, fanboy audiences world-wide have eagerly awaited the assembling of The Avengers, Marvel’s answer to DC’s Justice League. The Avengers, made up of such heroes as Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Thor, has always been a beloved comic book property for diehard Marvel fans. Under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury, The Avengers would team up to take on the villains in the Marvel canon while saving room for constant bickering among themselves. Ever since the moment Samuel L. Jackson’s Fury told Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark of the planned initiative to bring earth’s mightiest heroes together, Marvel Studios has introduced audiences to not just the carefree, narcissistic Iron Man. Edward Norton brought the Hulk to the screen (again) in ’08, but due to some contractual/creative differences, Norton’s satisfying take on the big green man marked his only outing as the beast. Stark returned to the screen in 2010’s love it-or-hate it Iron Man 2. Aussie Chris Hemsworth (best known at the time for a flash-shot performance in 09’s Star Trek) brought the proud, Shakespearean Thor to the big screen in 2011. In the same year, Chris Evans completed the pre-Avengers rally with Captain America’s origin. Through the thick and thin, these set-up movies have had their strengths and weaknesses. Everyone loves Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, but many complain the Iron Man movies lacked the scale necessary for superhero glory. Most have already forgotten about The Incredible Hulk (a shame, really. I find the film highly underrated.), and Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger were enjoyable...
