Happy Thursday! It's still sort of chilly here, warm in the sun and all but not really hot. Which is weird because it's Azusa and usually it's as hot as the sun about now. But generally springtime in Azusa is wonderful, because the winter ends early and there's a great long time of wonderful not-cold not-hot weather before summer really kicks in. Guess summer's just a bit late this year.
WEATHER-WISE, BUT NOT ACADEMICALLY! I have two more class meetings left this semester. WHUT. Like I said last time, this end of the year has really snuck up on me, because there wasn't any of the nasty dready stress that has traditionally accompanied it. But there has been paperwork, and how much. I actually made a check list for things I needed to do! There was that much. All that's left now is Art Paper and Shut off Gas and Water. And not on the list, there's study for finals. But other than that I'm really done.
Finished the movie at 10, 11ish last night, which is way early. XD Usually when films are due, the whole class is in there pulling an all-nighter. And by usually, you know I mean, "like that last time which was also the first time." Turned it in this morning! I want to do a bonus DVD, which outtakes and commentaries, so it's not like it's really done. But the important part of it (itself) is done, and turned in, and it's screening tomorrow!
Today I have review for Comm, and then the first half of Hammy's class. But I'll have to leave early to go to the APU Film Premiere night, which cost ten dollars and is in Pasadena, it's so special. The first movie I helped on this semester is showing, among others that I was complete unrelated to. So I'm gonna miss the Office and Lost, but that's okay. I have the internet.
And tomorrow, after Last Chapel, I'm gonna write my art paper, and then my parents will be here! They're coming for our Motion Picture I premiere, which is at 7, in case you didn't hear about it and want to come. Then at 8 there's a reception, and at 9 the Route 66 Flix sort of premiere is happening, in the big parkinglot on a blow-up screen. That's where the rest (more or less) of the films are going to be shown. One of the others I helped on (haha, and was in, as a matter of fact) is showing there. I'm kinda excited to see it. It should be a good couple of days, movie-wise.
There are two things I like best about my movie. One is the acting, which I had nothing to do with. The other is the sound in a particular scene--sound effects so good you don't even hear them. Look forward to it.
But seriously, doing sound design was probably my favorite part of the whole thing. Do I have a secret future in editing??? Who knows. Oh, I sort of sent my resume to the local TV station in Ventura, 'cause they said they needed temp help on some summer video camps? I'm not at all sure what I'm getting into, but I hope I get into it.
But I couldn't leave writing. Yesterday in Story and Character we all brought in magazines and cut them up, casting our movies. I bet you couldn't guess how hard it is to find a young Hispanic male in a national magazine. I had to settle for Javier Bardem. Not quite right for the part, I'm going to say now. The movie I presented was Caper! my heist tribute. I think the fact that alligators were sporadically in the movie was the selling point. I really need to get back to writing it. Well, that's what the summer's for, right?
Gotta finish Caper!, gotta write Gray or Ink-Man 2, gotta write something else to submit to be made by next year's MPPII class, gotta keep working on Dreamers. That's one a month, right? Sounds good. 12 weeks? If I wrote 10 pages a week, say a page a day, I could have a feature written this summer. Let's do it.
You want a brief highlights of my week? You want to be tagged? Okay, let me think...
Jenn and Beth finished Veronica Mars, or at least season 2. They're about to have epileptic spasms if they don't get season 3. But, alas, I am without it. Maybe one day.
I'm trying to think of what I did over the weekend, but it's not working. Thursday we watched the Office, and I know I wrote about that....Friday I had my last art field trip and probably Mario Partyed it up. Saturday me and Sam had a voice over recording session, which was fun. Kid's got a voice. You'll hear it. Sunday I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything at all. Monday I primarily did nothing, and then I went and edited sound. Went back and did more sound Tuesday afternoon, and finished it all yesterday. There was also Mario Party scattered throughout this. And we watched Hairspray somewhere in there. And the last half of Rent was on when I got back yesterday.
So it was a movie week.
-Stephanie
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Grood
Happy Thursday! Today has been pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. Let me tell you about it.
So I accidentally turned off my alarm in my sleep, so I got to sleep in twenty minutes but not be late to class. Showed the current edit of Ink-Man and got a good amount of laughs and stuff. Needs sound and voice over and music, most of which will take up my weekend. It'll be finished a week from now! But it'll be good. Just gotta keep workin on it.
Left class early to go to housing sign-ups--no off campus next semester. But we got in Crestview, 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, washer & dryer. Pretty intense, eh? Me and Beth and Brianna and Megan. Should be pretty neat.
Um and then me and Beth went and got blended coffee type drinks and Subway! And then I went back to the ER to make a copy of Ink-Man for her to put music to...but the ER was full up so I went to the secret computer in the studio. It's set up there for ADR, voice recording. So I was undisturbed until classtime, in which he told us war stories from Vietnam and showed us some pictures. Then we left!
So I went home to change my Thursday pants out for some regular type pants--sadly I think my current Thursday pants need to find an heir. But then I went to musicals class, and we just watched some clips and went home early, too. Haha, so I guess I got out of class early across the board today.
Then I came home and went out to dinner at the Hat with Beth and Brianna and Sam! Then we came back and played some orginal Katamari, which is way easy and fun, and then it was time for the OFFICE AND OMG GUYS IT'S TIME FOR CAPS. JIM. PAM. DUDE. MY HEART. LOVE THAT SHOW. GAH.
And now I'm writing this and Beth is playing Mario and Sam is playing FFV on his Gameboy. But now the Wii has been turned on and I'm being forced to stop this and engage in Mario Party. Which we've been playing allll week. That's literally all I did last weekend, which is why this note is only about today. The rest of the week has been Mario Party.
OH and I have my computer back! That's news! It's virus free and still as slow as anything. Got some mysterious food stains, though. Crazy IT guys.
Yeah, so everything is fine in school and stuff, and really all my projects are over except the movie. So this is kinda the first end=of-the semester where I haven't been just absolutely depressed about some assingment or class that has something awful due and I haven't started it yet. I mean, things are great. It's been a really good semester. And a great day. I listened to a lot of great music on my Zune whilst walking everywhere, and it was just a cool day. I hope all of yours were all the same.
Okay, I'm a cute squiddly squid, so I'mma go get some stars and candy on this crazy train.
-Stephanie
So I accidentally turned off my alarm in my sleep, so I got to sleep in twenty minutes but not be late to class. Showed the current edit of Ink-Man and got a good amount of laughs and stuff. Needs sound and voice over and music, most of which will take up my weekend. It'll be finished a week from now! But it'll be good. Just gotta keep workin on it.
Left class early to go to housing sign-ups--no off campus next semester. But we got in Crestview, 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, washer & dryer. Pretty intense, eh? Me and Beth and Brianna and Megan. Should be pretty neat.
Um and then me and Beth went and got blended coffee type drinks and Subway! And then I went back to the ER to make a copy of Ink-Man for her to put music to...but the ER was full up so I went to the secret computer in the studio. It's set up there for ADR, voice recording. So I was undisturbed until classtime, in which he told us war stories from Vietnam and showed us some pictures. Then we left!
So I went home to change my Thursday pants out for some regular type pants--sadly I think my current Thursday pants need to find an heir. But then I went to musicals class, and we just watched some clips and went home early, too. Haha, so I guess I got out of class early across the board today.
Then I came home and went out to dinner at the Hat with Beth and Brianna and Sam! Then we came back and played some orginal Katamari, which is way easy and fun, and then it was time for the OFFICE AND OMG GUYS IT'S TIME FOR CAPS. JIM. PAM. DUDE. MY HEART. LOVE THAT SHOW. GAH.
And now I'm writing this and Beth is playing Mario and Sam is playing FFV on his Gameboy. But now the Wii has been turned on and I'm being forced to stop this and engage in Mario Party. Which we've been playing allll week. That's literally all I did last weekend, which is why this note is only about today. The rest of the week has been Mario Party.
OH and I have my computer back! That's news! It's virus free and still as slow as anything. Got some mysterious food stains, though. Crazy IT guys.
Yeah, so everything is fine in school and stuff, and really all my projects are over except the movie. So this is kinda the first end=of-the semester where I haven't been just absolutely depressed about some assingment or class that has something awful due and I haven't started it yet. I mean, things are great. It's been a really good semester. And a great day. I listened to a lot of great music on my Zune whilst walking everywhere, and it was just a cool day. I hope all of yours were all the same.
Okay, I'm a cute squiddly squid, so I'mma go get some stars and candy on this crazy train.
-Stephanie
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Catchin' Zorpas and Smashin' Pandas
Happy Thursday! Once again you find me in my comfortable study, typing away on my own computer, martini in one hand, cigar in the—wait. No. I’m not using my own computer. I’m in the computer lab again! As of Tuesday, “they” needed my computer for another “week” as there seemed to be just “one” “virus” left on it. I don’t know if that’s estimated or determined time, but it seems a little lengthy to me. They said I could have it for homework and bring it back for them to work on it, but I knew I’d just end up keeping it as is. The computer lab is fine. Going home and not having any internet to doodle on for the rest of the day is a little odd. I have all sorts of free time. Like for...
Video games! Tossed in Final Fantasy IV in a fit of desperation, and blew through at least half of it. I had 11 hours on it and now I have 24. Now I’m leveling up to fight stupid Rubicant, but he hits for like 2000 and even Kain only has like 2200 HP total. Grrrrrrr. I chose IV over XII or KH because I knew I would only be level grinding in those....but now I guess the boat’s the same for all.
The other game getting a lot of facetime in my house is Pokemon Snap, courtesy of Brianna. She’s beaten it already, but now she’s trying to get the best pictures of the Pokemon and it’s getting ridiculous. The game is about taking picture of Pokemon, if that wasn’t clear. But several amazingly funny things have come about because of it:
Legend of the Zorpa
We were shooting for Ink-Man when Brianna happened to say, “OH, I figured out how to take a better picture of the Zorpa!”
“Zorpa?!” we say. There is no Pokemon whose name even resembles “Zorpa.” “That’s a Greek woman!” Sam exclaims. “Do you mean Zapdos?” we suggest.
Yes, it must be Zapdos.
A funny side-incident is later that day, we’ve separated to change out of costumes and are reassembling to go to lunch. I’m playing ball in the court when Sam shows back up. “Guess who’s playin’ Snap,” I say to him, nodding over to Brianna through the open door of my apartment.
“Guess who’s catchin’ Zorpas!” Sam replies enthusiastically. I start laughing so much that I kick the ball straight into my own face. Also highly amusing, although it does sting for a while.
The next day we’re back shooting again when suddenly she announces, “I got a picture of Megatron!” This is too much. Only Brianna can catch a picture of Megatron in Pokemon Snap. As we laugh about it, she says, “what is it from, then, X-Men?”
What Pokemon does she mean this time? “I mean Geodude—“ WHAT. Not even similar sounding—“NO, I mean Magneton.” Okay, that at least sounds like Megatron, but still, where did Geodude come from?
NO! But I laugh and run away because I can’t take it. But she thinks I nod because later she asks “What X-Men is Megatron?” Oh, dear girl.
But the best part about the Zorpa came later, when I was watching her play. “Look,” she says, “this is how I get the Zorpas.” I look up, but am confused because Zapdos isn’t in this level….. “There’s the Zorpa!” And behold! She never meant Zapdos all along!
It was the Lapras.
The end.
So the shoot was fun. Very hectic on Saturday because we had a lot to do and not a lot of time, and some lost time and some set-up issues, but we did get it all. Sigh. Now it’s time to edit! Director’s cut due Tuesday, picture lock Thursday. Then edit sound; effects, narration. Then it’s done and time to screen it?! Everyone is welcome—it’s April 25 (Friday) at some time in the evening. The day before that is the department screening of the upper level production classes and the Capstones and such. The sitcom is showing. I still need to wrangle a copy of that. That screening is in a theater in Pasadena, and it costs money to go to it. Oooh, fancy.
Other things we done this week:
Thoroughly Modern Millie!! Went with Beth and Brianna and Sam (our film crew is very hangy-outy) and it was fantastic. Like, unspeakably good. I’d never seen it before in any capacity, but a few of my group had, and apparently it was just as good as Broadway. Like, to the point where I hadn’t realized our theater department could be so good. It’s playing this weekend and like next week I think, so if you can get to see it, DO IT. If I have time I’m certainly seeing it again.
In all our free time, we’ve also been “playing ball.” I recently bought a cheap plastic bat + whiffle ball and a big blue bouncy ball, so we run out into the court and kick it around. Uhhh, and last night we watched Disturbia, which I suddenly wanted to see because Aaron Yoo from 21 was in it, and it was written by the guy who wrote Red Eye, which I enjoyed. Disturbia....kinda an utter failure. It got to the point where I was laughing, “the skeleton grabbed him!” Mmmm, a winner.
The other thing that we occupy our hours with is creating euphemisms for doing drugs. It started with “dropping juice” because I think Beth had a jar of juice and she was insisting that she needed to drop it. Then while at Panda Express, I was telling her to smash the stuffed panda that was in the cup in front of the register, and “smashing pandas” sounded like a good drug, too. And just yesterday we came up with “taking loops,” because that’s what Beth was doing…in the parking lot. We then decided that loops are an upper, pandas are a sedative, and juice is hallucinogenic.
Half of my term papers are over and done with, and it turns out one of the four is actually just an outline. The last is on an art guy, and I just emailed him a bunch of questions. Other than that, all I have left this year is Ink-Man and passing finals. Yay! So that’s what I’m gonna do.
I’m supposed to find a clip from High School Musical to show in class today, to illustrate my thesis for my paper. I don’t have the movie, so I’m about to go to youtube. Other than that, today I’m going to edit a bit with Kelly (our mid-day class was cancelled), and after class me and Sam might “find/save the king!” (play FFIV) and then THE OFFICE IS NEW AGAIN YAY EVERYBODY DANCE. And next season they’re premiering some sort of Office spin-off in the time slot right after it. I bet that’ll be interesting.
Okay, so that’s my mass-media filled week. OH WAIT. I wanted to tell you about Morning Becomes Eclectic, my favorite radio show. It’s on in the mornings on the public station, and it plays all this indy stuff that apparently is exactly my taste in music that I didn’t know I had. It’s just like catching your weekly tv show, but it’s everyday and you get to walk to class whilst enjoying it.
-Steph
Video games! Tossed in Final Fantasy IV in a fit of desperation, and blew through at least half of it. I had 11 hours on it and now I have 24. Now I’m leveling up to fight stupid Rubicant, but he hits for like 2000 and even Kain only has like 2200 HP total. Grrrrrrr. I chose IV over XII or KH because I knew I would only be level grinding in those....but now I guess the boat’s the same for all.
The other game getting a lot of facetime in my house is Pokemon Snap, courtesy of Brianna. She’s beaten it already, but now she’s trying to get the best pictures of the Pokemon and it’s getting ridiculous. The game is about taking picture of Pokemon, if that wasn’t clear. But several amazingly funny things have come about because of it:
Legend of the Zorpa
We were shooting for Ink-Man when Brianna happened to say, “OH, I figured out how to take a better picture of the Zorpa!”
“Zorpa?!” we say. There is no Pokemon whose name even resembles “Zorpa.” “That’s a Greek woman!” Sam exclaims. “Do you mean Zapdos?” we suggest.
Yes, it must be Zapdos.
A funny side-incident is later that day, we’ve separated to change out of costumes and are reassembling to go to lunch. I’m playing ball in the court when Sam shows back up. “Guess who’s playin’ Snap,” I say to him, nodding over to Brianna through the open door of my apartment.
“Guess who’s catchin’ Zorpas!” Sam replies enthusiastically. I start laughing so much that I kick the ball straight into my own face. Also highly amusing, although it does sting for a while.
The next day we’re back shooting again when suddenly she announces, “I got a picture of Megatron!” This is too much. Only Brianna can catch a picture of Megatron in Pokemon Snap. As we laugh about it, she says, “what is it from, then, X-Men?”
What Pokemon does she mean this time? “I mean Geodude—“ WHAT. Not even similar sounding—“NO, I mean Magneton.” Okay, that at least sounds like Megatron, but still, where did Geodude come from?
NO! But I laugh and run away because I can’t take it. But she thinks I nod because later she asks “What X-Men is Megatron?” Oh, dear girl.
But the best part about the Zorpa came later, when I was watching her play. “Look,” she says, “this is how I get the Zorpas.” I look up, but am confused because Zapdos isn’t in this level….. “There’s the Zorpa!” And behold! She never meant Zapdos all along!
It was the Lapras.
The end.
So the shoot was fun. Very hectic on Saturday because we had a lot to do and not a lot of time, and some lost time and some set-up issues, but we did get it all. Sigh. Now it’s time to edit! Director’s cut due Tuesday, picture lock Thursday. Then edit sound; effects, narration. Then it’s done and time to screen it?! Everyone is welcome—it’s April 25 (Friday) at some time in the evening. The day before that is the department screening of the upper level production classes and the Capstones and such. The sitcom is showing. I still need to wrangle a copy of that. That screening is in a theater in Pasadena, and it costs money to go to it. Oooh, fancy.
Other things we done this week:
Thoroughly Modern Millie!! Went with Beth and Brianna and Sam (our film crew is very hangy-outy) and it was fantastic. Like, unspeakably good. I’d never seen it before in any capacity, but a few of my group had, and apparently it was just as good as Broadway. Like, to the point where I hadn’t realized our theater department could be so good. It’s playing this weekend and like next week I think, so if you can get to see it, DO IT. If I have time I’m certainly seeing it again.
In all our free time, we’ve also been “playing ball.” I recently bought a cheap plastic bat + whiffle ball and a big blue bouncy ball, so we run out into the court and kick it around. Uhhh, and last night we watched Disturbia, which I suddenly wanted to see because Aaron Yoo from 21 was in it, and it was written by the guy who wrote Red Eye, which I enjoyed. Disturbia....kinda an utter failure. It got to the point where I was laughing, “the skeleton grabbed him!” Mmmm, a winner.
The other thing that we occupy our hours with is creating euphemisms for doing drugs. It started with “dropping juice” because I think Beth had a jar of juice and she was insisting that she needed to drop it. Then while at Panda Express, I was telling her to smash the stuffed panda that was in the cup in front of the register, and “smashing pandas” sounded like a good drug, too. And just yesterday we came up with “taking loops,” because that’s what Beth was doing…in the parking lot. We then decided that loops are an upper, pandas are a sedative, and juice is hallucinogenic.
Half of my term papers are over and done with, and it turns out one of the four is actually just an outline. The last is on an art guy, and I just emailed him a bunch of questions. Other than that, all I have left this year is Ink-Man and passing finals. Yay! So that’s what I’m gonna do.
I’m supposed to find a clip from High School Musical to show in class today, to illustrate my thesis for my paper. I don’t have the movie, so I’m about to go to youtube. Other than that, today I’m going to edit a bit with Kelly (our mid-day class was cancelled), and after class me and Sam might “find/save the king!” (play FFIV) and then THE OFFICE IS NEW AGAIN YAY EVERYBODY DANCE. And next season they’re premiering some sort of Office spin-off in the time slot right after it. I bet that’ll be interesting.
Okay, so that’s my mass-media filled week. OH WAIT. I wanted to tell you about Morning Becomes Eclectic, my favorite radio show. It’s on in the mornings on the public station, and it plays all this indy stuff that apparently is exactly my taste in music that I didn’t know I had. It’s just like catching your weekly tv show, but it’s everyday and you get to walk to class whilst enjoying it.
-Steph
Thursday, April 03, 2008
I Wish My Name Were Punky
Happy Thursday! Today is the closest I’ve come to not getting this note out due to computerlessness. I’ve spent most of my week in the computer lab (where I am at currently), because apparently my laptop is so disease-ridden that it’s taking four days to run a scan. But I will persevere.
In this issue of Thursday Today:
1) Last Weekend with The Ink-Man
2) Get Your Own Thursday Tan!
3) Writing Critical Papers on Contemporary Media and Getting Away With It
4) No Chicken Dinner: a Movie Review of 21
5) There’s a Veronica Mars in All of Us (and a criminal in everyone you know)
1) Last weekend, of course, was the start of principle production on The Ink-Man. Bright and early the cast and crew assembled at my apartment, and off we went to capture my dreams on High-Definition Mini-Digital-Video Tape. First we had Sam and Brianna frolic across a field. Then we blocked the entrance to the ER for a while shooting the seduction scene. Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052258&l=2ac2b&id=56903048
Day Two was just as productive, and we knocked out two entire scenes before conflicting schedules broke apart our happy little family/crew. Highlights included Brianna sleeping all morning because we didn’t really need her, and Sam getting all his arm-hairs ripped out by painter’s tape. Acting in APU student films is no walk in the park, although you may be required to frolic. Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052351&l=7ce35&id=56903048
Shooting continues right after class today, and through the weekend.
2) Ever wanted to really experience Thursday in a Southern Californian way? Now you can, in only three days! Step one: carefully acquire a base tan by sitting in the sun in short sleeves for a safe amount of time. Step two: the next day, uncover the previously covered parts of your arms and sit in the sun for a long time. The next day, you’ll have the perfect red-and-brown Thursday look all your friends will envy. Be creative! Try your own patterns and designs!
To pass the time while sitting in the sun for extended periods, we recommend getting an anatomy lesson from your nursing major friend. Do you know where blood comes from, how it dies, and where it goes? Do you know how your diaphragm works, and how the esophagus passes through it? Do you know that the lungs are not balloons, but have the same consistency all the way through? Did you know that a “collapsed lung” is just a way to describe that the vacuum surrounding your lung has been punctured? Learn all these things and more while working on your very own Thursday Tan ©.
3) Between the hardships of working on a full keyboard in the computer lab and working on my roommate’s Mac, I somehow managed to write a 6+ page paper yesterday. Now I’m sure you’re asking, “Just how on earth did you manage that?!” I’ll tell you.
My secret to writing lengthy papers and turning them in on time is simple: contemporary media studies. You’ll remember my writing a 10 page paper on The Office last year. This time it was High School Musical, analyzing its similarities and differences in comparison to classical musicals.
Now I’m sure many of you just can’t believe that I can get away with writing critical papers on such frivolous stuff as current media. But I tell you I can, and it’s because of the blossoming field of Media Studies. An academic approach to today’s communication, how it works, what it’s saying, the ways in which it affects the viewer.
It’s all very scholarly, and it may secretly be what I want to do with my life.
4) “Winner, winner, chicken dinner” is how the movie starts, and it only gets worse. As he does through much of the movie (setting up the final twist which comes across as utterly staid), the narrator explains exactly what that means, how it originated as the ultimate congratulatory remark to the winner of a hand of Blackjack. This movie does not deserve the same congratulations.
The film is based on a book based on some kind of “true story,” so it is predominately not entertaining. Whereas a story has rises and falls and in-laid hints, 21 has a straight track of step-by-step predictability up until it derails itself right off a cliff. The main character is painted into his personality arc; otherwise decent actor Jim Sturgess blustering lines about “who he really is” just because the script told him to and not because his character has any substance. It was about half way through when I realized I’d seen his character arc before—strikingly similar to Troy Bolton from High School Musical 2.
Kevin Spacey (when will he stop producing vehicles for himself?) plays the terribly coercive team-driver, whose mystery isn’t set up until the moment before it’s explained. Along with Laurence Fishburne’s aging security figure, Spacey plays unmotivated and strangely self-important when the audience could care less about them; they’re there because the plot needs them, and neither put much heart into their roles. In fact, many of Spacey’s expressions seem forced, not acted, and Fishburne does a job comparable to any hobo off the street.
Among its other primary faults is the way in which it continually and continuously forgets two of its major characters, Kianna and Choi. Both Asian-American, their role on the team is token at best. While Kianna is just as undeveloped as any of the characters, she at least has some plotty screentime opposite Sturgess. But Choi, portrayed by Aaron Yoo, is almost a throw-away, having one major plot point which is corny at best. The tragedy here is that Yoo plays his character as if the camera is always on him: spunky, quirky, and all-around interesting. Now if the film had been about Choi’s jaunts in Vegas, I would have taken this movie to the best chicken restaurant in town.
5) Sometimes in Veronica Mars, clues just happen to add up in ways you might disbelieve. But let me tell you, coincidences do happen. Like when you randomly want a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s, when you go, you discover that it was a McDonald’s bag all a long, and not an Old Navy one like you have believed. A vital clue in an ongoing investigation which I am probably not at liberty to discuss further.
Beth and Jenn have become hooked on the episodic drama of the spunky teenaged detective. To the point that, when trying to express her school spirit, Beth announced, “Go Pirates!” We are also planning on solving crimes from now on, so if you need any crimes solved, we’re here for you.
But seriously, just imagine: You’re on the phone with your friend when I call you. You get to say, “Hold on, Punky’s on the other line.”
-Stephanie
In this issue of Thursday Today:
1) Last Weekend with The Ink-Man
2) Get Your Own Thursday Tan!
3) Writing Critical Papers on Contemporary Media and Getting Away With It
4) No Chicken Dinner: a Movie Review of 21
5) There’s a Veronica Mars in All of Us (and a criminal in everyone you know)
1) Last weekend, of course, was the start of principle production on The Ink-Man. Bright and early the cast and crew assembled at my apartment, and off we went to capture my dreams on High-Definition Mini-Digital-Video Tape. First we had Sam and Brianna frolic across a field. Then we blocked the entrance to the ER for a while shooting the seduction scene. Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052258&l=2ac2b&id=56903048
Day Two was just as productive, and we knocked out two entire scenes before conflicting schedules broke apart our happy little family/crew. Highlights included Brianna sleeping all morning because we didn’t really need her, and Sam getting all his arm-hairs ripped out by painter’s tape. Acting in APU student films is no walk in the park, although you may be required to frolic. Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052351&l=7ce35&id=56903048
Shooting continues right after class today, and through the weekend.
2) Ever wanted to really experience Thursday in a Southern Californian way? Now you can, in only three days! Step one: carefully acquire a base tan by sitting in the sun in short sleeves for a safe amount of time. Step two: the next day, uncover the previously covered parts of your arms and sit in the sun for a long time. The next day, you’ll have the perfect red-and-brown Thursday look all your friends will envy. Be creative! Try your own patterns and designs!
To pass the time while sitting in the sun for extended periods, we recommend getting an anatomy lesson from your nursing major friend. Do you know where blood comes from, how it dies, and where it goes? Do you know how your diaphragm works, and how the esophagus passes through it? Do you know that the lungs are not balloons, but have the same consistency all the way through? Did you know that a “collapsed lung” is just a way to describe that the vacuum surrounding your lung has been punctured? Learn all these things and more while working on your very own Thursday Tan ©.
3) Between the hardships of working on a full keyboard in the computer lab and working on my roommate’s Mac, I somehow managed to write a 6+ page paper yesterday. Now I’m sure you’re asking, “Just how on earth did you manage that?!” I’ll tell you.
My secret to writing lengthy papers and turning them in on time is simple: contemporary media studies. You’ll remember my writing a 10 page paper on The Office last year. This time it was High School Musical, analyzing its similarities and differences in comparison to classical musicals.
Now I’m sure many of you just can’t believe that I can get away with writing critical papers on such frivolous stuff as current media. But I tell you I can, and it’s because of the blossoming field of Media Studies. An academic approach to today’s communication, how it works, what it’s saying, the ways in which it affects the viewer.
It’s all very scholarly, and it may secretly be what I want to do with my life.
4) “Winner, winner, chicken dinner” is how the movie starts, and it only gets worse. As he does through much of the movie (setting up the final twist which comes across as utterly staid), the narrator explains exactly what that means, how it originated as the ultimate congratulatory remark to the winner of a hand of Blackjack. This movie does not deserve the same congratulations.
The film is based on a book based on some kind of “true story,” so it is predominately not entertaining. Whereas a story has rises and falls and in-laid hints, 21 has a straight track of step-by-step predictability up until it derails itself right off a cliff. The main character is painted into his personality arc; otherwise decent actor Jim Sturgess blustering lines about “who he really is” just because the script told him to and not because his character has any substance. It was about half way through when I realized I’d seen his character arc before—strikingly similar to Troy Bolton from High School Musical 2.
Kevin Spacey (when will he stop producing vehicles for himself?) plays the terribly coercive team-driver, whose mystery isn’t set up until the moment before it’s explained. Along with Laurence Fishburne’s aging security figure, Spacey plays unmotivated and strangely self-important when the audience could care less about them; they’re there because the plot needs them, and neither put much heart into their roles. In fact, many of Spacey’s expressions seem forced, not acted, and Fishburne does a job comparable to any hobo off the street.
Among its other primary faults is the way in which it continually and continuously forgets two of its major characters, Kianna and Choi. Both Asian-American, their role on the team is token at best. While Kianna is just as undeveloped as any of the characters, she at least has some plotty screentime opposite Sturgess. But Choi, portrayed by Aaron Yoo, is almost a throw-away, having one major plot point which is corny at best. The tragedy here is that Yoo plays his character as if the camera is always on him: spunky, quirky, and all-around interesting. Now if the film had been about Choi’s jaunts in Vegas, I would have taken this movie to the best chicken restaurant in town.
5) Sometimes in Veronica Mars, clues just happen to add up in ways you might disbelieve. But let me tell you, coincidences do happen. Like when you randomly want a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s, when you go, you discover that it was a McDonald’s bag all a long, and not an Old Navy one like you have believed. A vital clue in an ongoing investigation which I am probably not at liberty to discuss further.
Beth and Jenn have become hooked on the episodic drama of the spunky teenaged detective. To the point that, when trying to express her school spirit, Beth announced, “Go Pirates!” We are also planning on solving crimes from now on, so if you need any crimes solved, we’re here for you.
But seriously, just imagine: You’re on the phone with your friend when I call you. You get to say, “Hold on, Punky’s on the other line.”
-Stephanie
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