Guest Blogger: Katie 2

Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. It’s got such good vibe to it and always puts me in the best mood. Tangled is about Rapunzel the princess of corona, she is kidnapped by mother Gothel and raised her as her own. As Rapunzel gets older she doesn’t realize that Gothel is not her real mother, but only a villain that loves her for the magical powers of her hair. She must never leave her tower and always do as mother says… but when Flynn rider a wanted man hides out in her tower when mother is gone all of these factors change. Rapunzel is frightened by Flynn and beats him up only to find out that he is actually a good guy. She and Flynn leave the tower and begin their adventure to corona to see the lights that are released every year on her birthday to honor the lost princess. Their adventure is filled with music, laughter, and love. When Rapunzel realizes that she is the lost princess the story has a dramatic change. Tangled has five main characters; Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Mother Gothel, Pascal, and Maximus. Rapunzel is voiced by Mandy Moore. Moore has a beautiful voice and has very few bad reviews on her role in this movie. Flynn rider is voiced by Zachary Levi. The inspiration of Flynn was from Indiana jones. In this movie he has killer charm and was one of the best princes I have watched. I loved his role in tangled. Mother Gothel is voiced by Donna Murphy. She is your ordinary villain and did an awesome job giving suspense to this movie. Her role really tied together the theme of this movie and she was given 5 stars on her performance from multiple critics. The last main characters were personally my favorite Pascal, Rapunzel’s chameleon, and Maximus the horse of the men going after Flynn rider. Even though Pascal doesn’t talk his noises are made by Frank Welker. He is the sweetest character and does whatever he can to help Rapunzel. Maximus also doesn’t speak but his sounds are also made by Welker. Max becomes Flynn riders side kick, they may but heads but they always got eachothers backs. Welker did an awesome job in making these two the most charming characters in the movie. The whole time you just want to jump into the movie and kiss them! I think the main theme in tangled is following your dreams. Rapunzel’s dreamt about exploring the city and going to see the lights and it brought so much from it; A prince, her real family and a new life away from the tower. Another theme would be never judge a book by its cover. At the beginning of the movie Flynn and Maximus were villains and didn’t care about anyone but themselves, but by the end of the movie they became friends and showed that they weren’t all that bad. Tangled is my favorite Disney movie so far, It is so fun to watch and it never gets old. I can watch it with my parents who are 50 or with my nephew who is two and everyone loves it. Its audience targets younger kids but it tends to intrigue all types of people. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to watch a good Disney movie. Five stars from me bye far!

Guest Blogger: Brandon E1

The movie that I chose to review was one of my personal favorites, Pacific Rim. The movie Pacific Rim is a non-stop, action filled movie of monsters called Kaijus, which emerged from an “interplanetary portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean”. In order to combat these colossal monsters, the humans came together to create the Jaegers, gigantic robots controlled by two humans. One of these pilots is none other than Raleigh Becket, played by Charlie Hunnam. Charlie Hunnam’s representation of Raleigh Becket was extremely well done and really added to the overall success of Pacific Rim. A major theme of the movie is teamwork. Throughout the entire movie, the nations need to work together in order to rid the world of the Kaijus. A ton of the reviews I have seen online about Pacific Rim have been negative reviews saying that the movie was boring, flawed, not worth the time or the money to view/purchase it. I, personally, would have to disagree with all of these critics by saying that it was one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. As one critic said, “Only could a movie this fun hide its massive flaws so well. We all knew this would be escapism, with giant robots fighting giant monsters and no other justification needed to love the movie if the scenes were exciting and well executed”. So, maybe I’m just one of those people who really don’t care if the movie is flawed so long as there is tons of fighting and destruction. I, personally, would recommend that anyone who hasn’t seen this movie should definitely put the time and money into purchasing it (it’s only $5.00 at Walmart North, Rochester MN for a limited time), because even if the movie is flawed, if you’re just looking for a fun movie to watch, Pacific Rim is the one for you.

Guest Blogger: Steve 2

In the movie The Dark Knight, Batman (Christian Bale) has met a new villain in Gotham named The Joker (Heath Ledger). The joker is a sociopath that wreaks havoc on the city without a motive, “just to watch the world burn”. Batman is fighting with Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) the DA who is determined to bring down organized crime to an end. Also Batman isn’t just battling the joker, the joker teamed up with a number of mobs and has control over some of the staff within the police department. Batman must overcome these odds, and save Gotham while keeping his identity hidden, before innocent lives are killed. Harvey is the White Knight of Gotham, a symbol of hope to the people, however the Joker knows this and attempts to turn him…. In this twisted film that has veered far from the comic book, the actors and actresses have done a spectacular job on acting, especially the late Heath Ledger. Who frightened everyone at how dark one person could be, definitely showed the true meaning of terror. Christian Bale played an outstanding Batman, he followed the saying “sometimes the good guys have to do bad things to make the bad guys pay”. The theme in this movie is psychology. Throughout the movie the Joker thinks that deep down everyone is evil, and is determined to prove that he is right. Many critics think this movie is far from the comic book and I agree with them; the comic is nowhere near as dark as the movie, and no as in depth either. Critics also agree that it’s very twisted and dark and no really suitable for children. I’m with them again on this one because children younger than the age of 12 are too innocent to be watching something as dark as this. However overall the movie got great views all around, and received numerous awards, and is one of my favorite movies. Worth the money!

Guest Blogger: Amanda 2

The movie I chose to review is The Green Lantern. This movie is your basic superhero movie. Hal, played by Ryan Reynolds, is the main character who starts off in the movie as an irresponsible pilot who is ‘chosen’ by the ring, becoming a green lantern superhero. By wearing the ring, Hal is able to create anything he sees in his mind and make it solid. But with powers, comes villains. Hal needs to defeat the villain Parallax, the only way to beat fear is with Will. The protagonist of the movie is played by Ryan Reynolds. He was very well casted for this role because he brings a care free feeling to the movie until he buckles down and gets stuff done. Also Ryan Reynolds has the face of a superhero, he is beautiful. Hal is motivated by a girl named Carol, who he has relations with, to stick with the ring and save the world. A theme we should take away is that responsibility can be found in everyone. The rotten tomato critics said “Noisy, overproduced, and thinly written, Green Lantern squanders an impressive budget and decades of comic’s mythology” which I strongly disagree with. I think that The Green Lantern is a very well run movie and has a basic superhero plot. This movie is another amazing movie that I enjoyed watching very much and would advise others to view as well.

Guest Blogger: Sean 1

“Olympus has fallen” was one of the better movies that I have seen. The movie is about the North Koreans attacking and taking over the White House and capturing the president played by Aaron Eckhart. Then Gerard Butler, who plays as an ex secret service agent Mike Banning, has to infiltrate the White House and try to save both the president and the president’s son. The big names in this movie are Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Melissa Leo. I believe that all of the actors/actresses that preformed in the movie performed extremely well. Gerard Butler did a great job playing the tough as nails secret service agent. Aaron Eckhart also did a good job portraying the President of the U.S. as for the characters they portrayed Mike Banning was a strong willed and fearless agent. He is driven by his old muscle memory and this causes him to be thrust into the Americans scheme to rescue the president. The president is Benjamin Asher; he is compassionate and is also strong willed. In the movie he called for a visit with the North Koreans in order to find a way to bring peace between them and at the end he is still trying to do the same thing. Bill Zwecker states that the special effects and attention to detail in "Olympus Has Fallen" are superb. He also says that while "Olympus Has Fallen" breaks no major new ground in the political thriller genre, Fuqua has directed a sharp, very taut adventure that keeps you engrossed from start to finish. I completely agree will Bill Zwecker that this was a very good movie, not the best I have ever seen but it was still good. The critics on NY times however didn’t think it was good at all in fact they said that the most recent “Die Hard” movie which the record shows I reviewed a little more than a month ago, although I have no recollection of it was terrible, but it turns out not to have been the worst “Die Hard” movie this year. That honor, for the moment at least (it’s only March!), belongs to “Olympus Has Fallen.” I disagree with them even though the script or the believability of someone actually getting to the president was bad; it is still a good movie. I would recommend this movie to people it is a good movie full of action and suspense.

Guest Blogger: Pitia 1

22 Jump Street is a sequel of 21 Jump Street. Instead of being undercover in high school they are sent to be undercover in college. After one of their missions went wrong they were sent back to jump street to do the same thing, go undercover and find out who is selling drugs. They are sent to college to investigate this new drug known as “wyfy” that killed a student on campus and the only lead they have is it’s someone with a tattoo. At college Jenko becomes popular with jocks that are prime suspects of the investigation, and also dislike his partner Schmidt. Since Jenko and Schmidt had no leads they went to see Mr. Walters and Eric in jail to get advice on how to look for the supplier. While hanging out with his jock friends Jenko notices that Zook has the tattoo he noticed in the photograph token of the dealer. Schmidt and Jenko are then invited to join the fraternity led by the jocks but Schmidt refuses and that causes tension between the two of them. They then realize that Zook was just buying it not selling it. Jenko then reveals to Schmidt that he got offered a football scholarship with Zook and that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a police officer no more. They then find out that a guy named Ghost is the one selling the drugs so during spring break Schmidt prepared to go after Ghost alone and Jenko asks to help to they can have one last mission together. The main actors in the movie are Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube. They were perfect for their roles because Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill fit the college look and they were both hilarious. Ice Cube was also perfect for this role because he is known to be mean and tough. Channing Tatum was the jock, and very athletic. Jonah Hill was the nerd, and not athletic. Ice Cube was the harsh disrespectful aggressive boss. The audience is to basically take away that if you sell drugs you will get caught eventually and face serious consequences. I agree with the critic Matt Zoller Seitz from the website Rogerbert.com. The movie was live and very silly. Your mind will want to predict what cliché moment that will happen next. Overall 22 Jump Street is an amazing movie that will have you laughing beginning to end. I personally like 21 Jump Street, more but that’s just me. It is definitely worth your money and your time if you like comedy.

Guest Blogger: Abdi 2

This movie starts off with a demigod named “Percy Jackson” played by Logan Lerman. What Percy is the son of Poseidon and a mortal women hence the word demi god which means half god, half man. Percy never knew he was a demigod until the last second when he was attacked by this half human half beast which was babbling about some lightning bolt that was stolen from Zeus. The beast thought Percy had it which brought him into danger. So his protector named Grover played by Brandon T Jackson helped him get away to this safe place. At that place called Camp Half Blood he learned to protect himself and keep safe but after seeing his mother die and hades making an appearance in the matter Percy sets out with his crew to go save his mother. His crew contains a Great female solider/Demigod named Annabeth and is played by Alexandra Daddario and Grove a half goat, half human played by Brandon T. Jackson. He reaches hades hideout after obtaining 3 crystals that gives them a safe passage out. He confronts hades and tries to save his mother. The question is how? How will he save his mother from a god? What will he do? You watch and find out. The characters are outrageous and very energetic. Most of their motivations are to save their friends and family. Unfortunately I couldn’t find reviews on this movie with the given websites but on the website “RottenTomatoes” it stated that “This movie is worthy of being compared to the harry potter series and I rate it a B-“so agreeing with that critic I think it’s definitely worth your time and money because it definitely gets you on your heels and keeps you on your toes.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 2

The movie The Dark Knight is the second movie in a trilogy about a troubled orphan billionaire who uses his fear and anger to fight crime in the city of Gotham. In this movie, Batman, who has become an icon in the city of Gotham, is forced to fight his toughest enemy yet, the psychotic and sociopathic Joker. Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, puts a dark twist on an otherwise silly comic book villain who, before, was never taken seriously. Ledger’s performance won an Oscar and some believe that the intensity of the role was what ultimately led him to commit suicide shortly after the filming of the movie. Christian Bale, who played Batman, did a great job of transitioning from dark mysterious vigilante at night to eccentric billionaire playboy during the day. The Joker starts off as a villain committing, comparatively, small crimes and just trying to get people on his side, by the end of the movie he starts to show how truly insane he actually is and that he just does this stuff for the “fun” of it. The theme of this movie, like many other superhero movies is that good always trumps evil, but in this movie it takes that common theme and goes even deeper. The theme is that people are inherently good and even when they are being threatened by a psychotic terrorist they will usually do the right thing. Another theme we can see in this movie is that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good, we see this multiple times throughout the movie as Batman is forced to make decisions in order to protect people. Roger Ebert said in his review in July of 2008 “’Batman’ isn’t a comic book anymore. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy”. This is my exact feeling on this movie, it’s a movie that took the comic book genre and made it real, it added suspense, mystery, and a darkness that you just don’t see in any comic book movies from the past or the present. In my opinion, this movie is the greatest superhero movie of all time and should certainly be high up in the list of greatest movies of all time, it is definitely worth your time and money to see.

Guest Blogger: Marian 2

What happens when you date three different girls that are all at the top of the totem pole at the same time? Well if you’re Carrie, Heather, Beth, and Kate, you decide to give him estrogen, put him in a woman’s thong, and use a new girl to play with his mind. In the 2006 film John Tucker Must Die, four girls have a mission to bring down the school’s hottest player―both off and on the court―to make him feel the pain felt by the all the girls he has dumped. The protagonist of the film, Kate, has different motivations than the rest of her new and damaged girlfriends. While they all want to see John suffer, Kate also wants to fit in, and ultimately wants to live a little in her high school life. The actress that plays her, Brittany Snow, does a terrific job of being the new and shy girl as she shows her innocence from her fashion to her looks of unfamiliarity with the popular high school society. John Tucker, our antagonist, played by Jesse Metcalfe also does great with his confidence of being irresistible, and obliviously being cocky throughout the film. Looking at Metcalfe’s character more in depth, John is very selfish, but very effortless and worthy of it that girl’s swoon at the sight of him. His motivation in the film is to have the attention of every girl. While all of these different motivations push the premise of the film, one theme can be seen throughout: treat others the way you want to be treated. The Golden Rule plays a role with relationships, like John and his brother and Kate and her mother, and the intentions and incidents in the film. While critic Robert Ebert gives the movie two stars and says “It's about two-fifths bad”, the movie deserves a five start rating on a five star scale with the film’s underlying elements and meaning. While the New York Times’ critic Jeanette Catsoulis believes that “acting well is the best revenge” for Metcalfe in the film, every character seemed to do very well for their character. This movie is worth anyone’s time and money if you can move past cheesiness and are able to see more, or if you simply like cheesiness and love actor John Metcalfe. Either way, you will hopefully finish the film with a different look on life and people.

Guest Blogger: Warda 2

Beyond the Lights is an extraordinary tale and not one of your typical romance movies. It circles around the life of Noni, a “Ciara/Rihanna-like” pop star on the rise to fame. Noni was your typical child with a beautiful talent and her mom discovered this and somewhat turned into a scary momager. Some say that people like her mother exploited her daughter for her own personal gains and as the movie goes along you can see that some aspects of this is true. As the storyline progresses we see how fame starts to affect Noni and not in a positive way. The pressure to be perfect and be unattainable to all the public is was breaks her down slowly over time until eventually Noni becomes suicidal. As this happens, we meet the next main character and Noni’s love interest, Kaz. An upcoming police officer who sees something worthwhile in Noni. Throughout the movie, it’s an uphill battle for both who so very badly want to be together but all these forces are trying to pull them apart. In the end, love prevails but in the typical sense that you might think with the very happy ending and just a few mishaps. Beyond the Lights is a story about compassion and overcoming the impossible. Many critics, such as the Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers states, “Beyond the Lights brims with surprises that befit the title. It's electrifying”. I agree with this statement because Beyond the Lights is like a movie like no other. The way the storyline is written and portrayed by the actor it makes the audience feel connected with them and that’s why I believe that it is a movie worth everyone’s while. I enjoyed this movie overall and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for your not-so-average love story.

Guest Blogger: Jill 2

The 2003 movie staring Will Ferrell has become a Christmas classic around the best time of the year; the review by Roger Ebert, “this is one of those rare Christmas comedies that has a heart, a brain and a wicked sense of humor, and it charms the socks right off the mantelpiece.” The film is basically about the story of Will Ferrell who was raised in the North Pole and when he finds out he isn’t an elf, he decides to make his way to New York to find his biological father. Of course, Will Ferrell in his role in Elf is prime Will Ferrell; you can’t hate him in that movie. He’s the perfect amount of funny without it being overdone. Also James Cann, who plays Buddy’s biological father, was perfect for the role, playing the serious and workaholic dad who makes a change for the better in the end. In the movie, Elf, the character Buddy, is a happy, go-lucky, innocent “elf” who just wanders around the streets of grumpy little New York and just sheds his Christmas cheer all over everyone. Buddy just wishes to find where he belongs in the world and to make the people he loves feel loved back. Buddy’s love interest, which is played by Zooey Deschanel, is a character that is that one, “not a big Christmas fan”, and a little bit of a downer in most things, but when she meets Buddy, their very different attitudes mix well so she can let loose and look at things just a little bit differently to enjoy life half as much as the character Buddy does. The themes in the movie would be that family is and should always come first, no matter what, also to never stop believing; in yourself and others around you, and Christmas is the best time of the year no matter what people say. I highly agree with the critic of the movie review Elf, Ebert saying at one point, “It took me about 10 seconds of seeing Will Ferrell in the elf costume to realize how very wrong I was”. Elf is one of the best Christmas movies of all time, I say, and something I look forward to every year to watch over and over with my whole family until they are all sick of it. It has a little bit of everything for everyone and just a good movie you can sit back and watch and never get sick of the jokes and acting Ferrell put into the film. This movie is one you must see at least once in your lifetime or you would not feel complete without it. Why? Because anyone could watch it and enjoy it from beginning to end, I don’t know anyone who could watch this movie and not be quoting it for months, maybe even years on out after.

Guest Blogger: Nicole 2

In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Prince Adam, a shallow and narcissistic man, finds himself cursed to bear the awful appearance of a furry beast and his servants transformed into household objects by an Enchantress when Adam refuses to provide her shelter from the cold. The only chance he has of breaking the spell and returning to normal is if he manages to fall in love with a woman that loves him in return. There is a deadline, however. On the Beast’s 21 birthday, the final petal will fall from the rose the Enchantress gave him, if he cannot find his true love by then, he is stuck as the Beast forever. A decade later, Maurice, an inventor living in a French village nearby, becomes lost and stranded in the woods and seeks shelter in the Beast's castle. The Beast, however, sees this as trespassing and imprisons him. Maurice’s daughter Belle - a beautiful bookworm that holds the attention of the village hunter, Gaston (who lacks some brain power and manners), and who the village people deem odd because of her dreams of far off places and adventure - finds him locked up in the castle’s dungeon and offers her place in exchange for his freedom. The Beast accepts so long as she remain at the castle forever. At first, Belle views him as little more than a monster, while he views her as difficult and stubborn. Is it possible, however, for their perception of each other to change and for there to be something more? Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle, does a magnificent job in the role. Her voice is light and feminine but very stern when need be, O’Hara’s vocal expressions brig the role of Belle to life. In contrast, the Beast’s ,voiced by Robby Benson, is deep and masculine. Benson’s voice comes across as slightly terrifying sometimes and friendly in others, showcasing the Beast’s dynamic personality flawlessly and is described by Janet Maslin in her movie review of Beauty and the Beast as “so convincing that it eradicates all memory of his mild manner”. The contrast in the two characters, Belle and Beasts’, voices provides the movie with a compelling stylistic element in both their speaking roles together and duets as Belle tries her best to escape and the Beast tries desperately to make Belle love him. Janet Maslin goes on to describe Beauty and the Beast as “more darkly forbidding and at times more violent than the average animated children's fable” and I agree, but although the mood is very dark at times, the central theme that love looks not with the eyes but with the heart shines through even greater because of it. Beauty and the Beast remains one of my favorite movies of all time and I strongly encourage everybody to see it if they have not already.

Gust Blogger: Shaylee 2

The movie plot is about a father that is an inventor goes out to look for things to buy for a new invention but when he buys an old shot up truck his life changes after he discovers that it’s not a truck at all. And when people find out he has it they will not stop until they get the truck back. The actor Mark Wahlberg who played the inventor and father did a really good job I don’t think anyone else could have played it better. He kept you on your feet along with many hilarious moments. Nicola Peltz- played the teen age girl in the show and I think she did a pretty good job at showing all kind or emotion in the film. Cade (the father) was motivated to find? Build a new invention that will change the world and get him some money to keep his house and put his daughter Tessa through school. Tessa’s was motivated to get his dad back on his feet and to be able to be a regular teenager with her friend and her bf The theme of the moving is trying to figure out why the humans turned against the robots after being their friends and now are hunting them down and killing them.

Guest Blogger: Pitia 2

21 Jump Street is a movie starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. During their high school year they were totally opposite in high school. Schmidt who is played by Jonah Hill was an obese nerd who got bullied, and was scared to talk to girls. Jenko who is played by Channing Tatum was a dumb jock. After graduation they both decided to join the police academy, and they both passed and became partners. After forgetting to read the criminals they arrested at the park their Miranda rights they were placed in 21 Jump Street. They were assigned to be an undercover cop at a high school and they’re operation was to infiltrate the dealers and find the supplier of this new synthetic drug that was going around in the school. The drug killed a student that posted a video of him on the internet trying the drug that’s what got the police and schools attention. The 2 major roles were played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and they were both perfect for these roles because they have great acting experience and they’re both hilarious. Dickson who was played by Ice cube was their mean tough boss. He was perfect for this position because he is known to be mean and tough on people. During their undercover operation Schmidt felt like he belonged in the high school because the popular students were nerds like him. He fit right in and they accepted him for who he was. He started to feel himself after that and would ditch his partner to hang out with them. At one point he started insulting his undercover partner Jenko while at his new friend’s house. There was tension built up and they got in a fight during a school play and managed to both get expelled. Eric Molson who is played by Dave Franco was the main dealer and was one of the nerds Schmidt friended. Mr. Walters the gym teacher who was played by Rob Riggle is the one who created the drug and told Eric Molson to sell it if he wants to make some cash on the side. The theme is basically you will eventually face a consequence when your caught selling drugs. I agree with other critics saying it is a great and hilarious movie that will have dyeing with laughter. This movie is totally worth the money and time because it is very entertaining.

Guest Blogger: Jon 2

Parker (Jonathan Parker) also known as Dumbfoundead is one of my all-time favorite hip hop/ rap artist whom I’ve been listening to for a few years. He’s one of my favorites because in all of his songs, his flow seems effortlessly smooth. Even in his rap battle type songs he still comes off as if he’s not even trying. With Parker’s music there isn’t one consistent mood his music evokes, some of his songs get you hyped, some make you relax, and some make you feel down. It’s impressive that he can make us feel such a diverse range of emotions, and I think that shows how talented he is as an artist. I believe the most similar artist to Parker is G-Eazy. Some rappers have a very choppy sound, but these two are the exact opposite, their best quality as musicians in my opinion is their delivery. Onto his album Take the Stares. Aside from a few songs on this album, I wasn’t a huge fan. The album was too mainstream for me, most of the songs were about partying and him being famous and the perks that come with it. Also many of the songs are over produced and have too much going on in them. What really turned me off though was the fact that his sound that set him apart from others seemed to be lost. The songs that I actually enjoyed were “Old Boy Jon”, “New Chick”, and “Growing Young”; these songs were the few in the album that actually highlighted his talent and what sets him apart. And a review by Charles Lam in northwest asian weekly agrees with me, in the article it goes on talking about how Parker tried to make his music more trendy, but this ended up upsetting fans who wanted the original Parker. Although this album isn’t worth buying, or even downloading illegally, his other works are definitely worth it. His sophomore album DFD, Love Everyday EP, and Old Boy Jon are fantastic albums that Dumbfoundead fans and I can’t get enough of.

Guest Blogger: Abdi 1

This movie starts off with a demigod named “Hercules” played by Dwayne Johnson. What Hercules is the son of Zeus and a mortal women hence the word demi god which means half god, half man. Hercules went through many brutal tasks known as the legendary 12 labors which in the process made him stronger and more famous as well. He became an idol in his hometown of Thrace and had a nice loving family. Until the king of Thrace drugs Hercules and slaughters his family then blames it on Hercules. That made everyone hate the great Hercules and drove him out of the city. So he was driven out of the city and to gain wealth he became a missionary and helps towns with his crew for money. His crew contains a Archer named Atlanta and played by Ingrid Berdal, a story teller named Arius and that’s played by Isaac Andrew, a maniac named Tydeus and that’s played by Aksel Hennie, and last but not least a soldier named Amphiaraus and that’s played by Ian McShane. He comes upon a small village seeking aid from Hercules and he is to mold an army of farmers into fearsome soldiers to defeat a warlord who is causing trouble upon the villages. But after the task is done they turn on Hercules. What will he do? You watch and find out. The characters are outrageous and very energetic. Most of their motivations are to get rich and die wealthy. But Hercules just wants to help people and the money is just a bonus to him. A critic on Ew states that “Hercules might seem perfect for The Rock, but we really need a better Dwayne Johnson” and I definitely agree with it the figure of Dwayne is perfect for the movie but his acting really need to be stepped up. But overall it was a great showing and rated it a C+. I think it’s definitely worth your time and money because it definitely gets you on your heels and keeps you on your toes

Guest Blogger: Warda 1

Catching Fire is a movie about a dystopian future of the present day America. This is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Jennifer Lawrence plays the headstrong and determined Katniss Everdeen. In this book we follow Katniss after Peeta and her won the Hunger Games, although she thought everything would be different and her family would finally be able to live comfortably it was the opposite. Katniss wants nothing more than to protect her family and her loved ones from the treacherous President Snow but it seems like all he’s bent on doing is making sure she dies. The plot of this movie followed every aspect and baseline of the book, which the first one failed too and even, scored an 89% out of 100. Katniss Everdeen is a character that everyone pretty much loves due to the fact that when it came down to it, she kept her moral intact. Although she was overly underestimated Katniss proved to be quite the competitor, especially when President Snow announced that previous victors would have to go into the arena for the second time. Catching Fire, in my opinion, has had the most diverse characters, all with different backgrounds and upbringings but somehow they all tied together and fit the format perfectly. From Peeta who seemed to be shy and timid but showed shrewdness when the time came, to Finnick who was a fan favorite to the ever so lovely Johanna, who was ruthless despite her looks. All these people were so different but brought together by the likeliness of the movie. Entertainment Weekly even stated, “Catching Fire is smoothly exciting but a bit of a tease. It gets mileage out of setting up the Quarter Quell as some ultimate Fear Factor version of Deliverance, yet there isn't a moment of real dread in it”, I agree with this because not only does this movie take you on a rollercoaster of emotions you are most definitely satisfied with it in the end. I recommend watching this movie because of the sense of fulfillment it gives the movie goers. A definite 10 out of 10 stars

Guest Blogger:Clay 1

In the epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings the first film is titled The Fellowship of the Ring written by JRR Tolkien. It takes place in medieval middle earth where Frodo and eight companions set out to destroy the ring in the very place it was forged, while the dark lord Sauron is seeking the ring, creating war across the land. To make this movie really stand out a few of the characters are played by renowned actors including Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom. Many compare The Lord of the Rings to movies like Star Wars or Harry Potter, but to me it is incomparable to any movie. It’s incredibly entertaining and captivating, but also has countless deeper meanings and messages we can apply to situations in our own lives. Critics on websites like decentfilm.com and rottentomatoes.com have very mixed opinions on the film; some say there are big holes in the plot line where things could have been ended a lot quicker. An example of this is that they could have just flown on Gandalf’s eagles to destroy the ring but instead went on a brutal and long journey to get to Mordor. But many others say it’s obvious why they did this… because it’s about the long journey. The Ring was more just a symbol to tie the characters together while the journey was used to represent fellowship, hope, and to never give up. Either way, The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly regarded as one of the greatest trilogies to ever exist and remains unlike any other films out there. If you are looking for a breathtaking movie, The Lord of the Rings is just that. Its action packed with exciting adventures and over flowing with emotion, a movie really doesn’t get better than this.

Guest Blogger: Jill 1

The 1992 Disney film, Aladdin, centers around a spunky homeless orphan that lives off the streets in the city of Agrabah and makes a living from stealing, conning, and hustling others for money and food. With his only companion being a little monkey named Abu, they make do of what they have. But when Aladdin, the main character in the movie, and Abu get chased down by the law enforcement one day for doing their usual con-artist ways, they run into a young girl, also running from the guards, but who turns out to also be the Princess, and Aladdin takes a special interest in her. Throughout the movie both Aladdin and Jasmine go through many different obstacles throughout the film, with Jafar, the palace sorcerer, who has it out for them, an inner struggle within both of them, and their forbidden love. Aladdin is an animated film, so the voice of the characters is what brings the movie to life. Scott Weinger is the voice of the main character Aladdin, his spunky, lighthearted voice makes the movie that much more enjoyable. Linda Larkin is the speaking voice of Princess Jasmine and Lea Salonga is the singing voice of Jasmine. Her strong and opinionated attitude Larkin presents makes you love her even more, then with Salonga’s soft and enchanting singing voice, she gives Jasmine that special flare in the movie. Then of course, everyone’s favorite Genie, who is voiced by the one and only, Robin Williams. The review, Aladdin, written by James Berardinelli, talks about the magic Robin Williams gives the voice of everyone’s favorite Genie, “At times, when Williams is in full throttle, Aladdin becomes a ‘how many famous people can you spot’ game”. And also saying, “Most of the time when the Genie is around, we're oblivious to whoever else is on-screen”. This can be true in some cases. Aladdin is an independent character, who is just trying to survive on what he has and deep down, cares for the people he loves; choosing friends over money in many cases in the movie. Jasmine is also an independent character, which has her mind set on what she wants and will not change that for anybody. Then Genie is just the loud, funny, comic relief, yet serves a huge part in the film. A theme this movie has is that friends and relationships are more important than money and wealth, and also even if you don’t have all the luxurious others have, if you have good people around you, you can feel like a millionaire. For the most part I agree with what the critic and article has to say about the movie, Aladdin, and that it is a fun, lighthearted, comedy Disney film that is quite enjoyable, but I disagree with some things he states, like, “The mixture of Robin Williams' voice and the Disney animators' work makes the Genie a truly magical personae, stealing scene after scene from the rather bland title character (let's face it -- Aladdin is about the least interesting individual in the movie)”. Which I would have to say is false, yes, Genie and Williams are undeniable in this film, but the main focus of the movie is around Aladdin and sometimes Jasmine, as well as Genie. Overall, if for some reason you have yet to watch the movie Aladdin, it would most 100% be worth your time, with it’s fun, easygoing, and enjoyable storyline and characters.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 1

Hot Rod is about a young and passionate stuntman named Rod Kimble. Rod has spent his entire life doing stunts, but when his stepfather, who he is constantly trying to impress, is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he takes it upon himself to raise the money to save his father’s life. Andy Samberg, who plays Rod, is absolutely hilarious. Andy brings this surreal man-child to life perfectly with his huge smile, goofy personality, and child-like features. Rods group of misfit friends, Rod’s brother, Kevin, played by Jorma Taccone, Dave, played by Bill Hader, and Rico, played by Danny Mcbride, are the perfect ensemble to go along with Rod’s crazy antics. Each one of the characters brings something different to the screen making the comedy very diverse while at the same time working perfectly as an ensemble. The main theme in this movie is to always stay positive and never give up. We see this throughout the movie as Rod constantly gets injured or put-down, and yet he always gets right back up with the same positivity and determination as before. Another theme you can see in the movie is nice guys always win which is shown through the love triangle between Denise, Johnathan, and Rod. This movie is very hit or miss with most viewers, most people find it either extremely funny and laugh throughout the movie or they don’t get any of the humor and think it’s incredibly stupid. Critics are pretty much split in half as well. A. O. Scott from the New York Times stated in his August 3rd review “In any case poor certainly describes the quality of the filmmaking”. Other people like Roger Ebert stated in his review on August 2nd 2007 “The movie is funny because it is sincere. It likes Rod”. This is the perfect statement for the people who like the movie. It portrays Rod, who could have been portrayed as an idiot who can never do anything right, as a hero who will never give up on his dreams which I believe resonates with a lot of people. All in all I would definitely recommend seeing this movie, it’s a great goofy comedy that has extremely memorable and relatable characters.

Guest Blogger: Brandon M1

Zombieland is the story of a guy named after his hometown Columbus, Ohio. Also known as Jesse Eisenberg, who is trying to get back home across a zombie-infested America, and may I add he has a very intense fear of clowns. He finds another survivor, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), and the two team up, not with many disagreements. Then they find two women known as Wichita As Emma Stone and her “little sister” Little Rock as Abigail Breslin. The story shows the undead being shot, mashed, sledgehammered, etc. With both Columbus and Tallahassee, his mission is to find the last Twinkie, because he loves them. Also the two girls in this story start out to make themselves seem like they can be trusted, but we see right away that they just used the guys for their weapons and their car. The girls mission in this story is to get to an amusement park in Los Angeles, and what better thing is there than an amusement park in a zombie movie. Eisenberg, is a great actor, plays a nerd who has an endless survival list. He has lived this long by it, and he just makes rules alone the way, and always remembers the ones he’s already made. Another character Woody Harrelson is a very strong actor, he’s given a great opportunity when it comes to killing zombies. He prefers car doors, tire irons, and anything else that comes in handy. A theme that I’ve taken away from this movie is “Keep your friends close and your enemy’s closer.” Because we see how Wichita and her sister Little Rock use the two guys again after they thought they could trust them once again. Woody Harrelson’s character is an angry person, because they had found a Hostess truck and he thought there would be twinkies in there, but they turned out to all be snowballs and he just got angry and started yelling and everything. I Agree with that article Zombieland by Roger Ebert, I also think that zombies aren’t that scary anymore because there’s so many shows with zombies, but people love it. Also all the actors are great, and also all have something in there mind of where they need to go and will do anything to get there. It is worth your time and money, because it’s a funny film but also has the scary effects with the zombies but also keep your enterained with the character driven storyline.

Guest Blogger: Nicole 1

Disney’s cartoon adventure, Lilo and Stitch, tells the story of a little blue alien experiment that has been sentenced to exile because his creator, Jumba, illegally constructed him. However Experiment 626 (aka Stitch) was made with quick wits, super strength, and instincts to destroy everything and wreak havoc. Experiment 626 uses his genetic enhancements to escape from the aliens trying to exile him and crash lands on Earth, in Hawaii. Because Earth has been named a sanctuary for the mosquito species (which is “endangered”), Jumba and a galactic Earth expert, Pleakley, are sent to capture Experiment 626, but must stay hidden and cannot harm or be seen by any humans. At the same time, Lilo and her sister, Nani, are faced with the dilemma of staying a family after the death of their parents, while social worker Cobra Bubbles tries to take Lilo away. Experiment 626 uses Lilo as a human shield to evade Jumba by becoming her pet “dog” and is renamed Stitch, but he is very rough around the edges and needs training to be a model citizen (according to Mr. Bubbles), so Lilo teaches him to be like her idol, Elvis Presley. Lilo and Stitch is a “charming tale of intergalactic friendship” according to A. O. Scott in his film review of Lilo and Stitch titled “Escaping Deep-Space Exile and Making Friends in Hawaii” and viewers cannot help falling for the loveable monstrosity Stitch or the head-strong and often rebellious Lilo. Stitch is voiced by Christopher Sanders who does a stunning job at playing the maniacal but fluffy extraterrestrial. Stitch’s character speaks in alien gibberish for a majority of the movie and the rest is spent with Stitch learning English and sounding childlike, but Sanders arises to the challenge and delivers a spectacular performance rivaled only by Daveigh Chase voicing Lilo. The character of Lilo is very temperamental and intelligent Chase supplies the movie with the charm and charisma the story needed. Both Stitch and Lilo have a certain stubbornness and roughness around their edges that provides the film with a comic effect as well as a drives home the theme that true friendship can conquer all obstacles. A. O. Scott stats in his article mentioned earlier that “The film strives to be more soothing than thrilling, which is kind of thrilling in its own way” and I agree that this film has taken a different approach to action than most movies and that is one of the reasons I adore this movie. I highly recommend watching this movie if you have not already seen it as Lilo and Stitch is a fascinating tale with whimsical and action-packed traits.

Guest Blogger: Amanda 1

Iron Man 3 is a movie that was able to factor action, suspense, romance, and villains into it's plot line. In this movie, we see Tony Stark, who is played by Robert Downey Jr., make some difficult decisions and do some amazing things. Tony Stark is forced to do whatever it takes to secure the safety and well being of his spouse. He has to face villains and work with the War Machine. Tony Stark also has to watch as his small army of iron men are destroyed when his enemy bombs his home. We, as the audience, follow Tony Stark in his journey to make the best life he can for the woman he loves, even if it means giving up his 'hobbies'. Robert Downey Jr. was a very well cast role for the part of Tony Stark because he adds not only the ego to the character, but also gives Iron Man a sense of fitting into the characters shoes. The motivations in this movie are very obvious. Iron Man does all the fighting and saving of the world for the woman he loves. Something the audience should take out of this movie is that we need to put the well being of others before our own and care for the ones we love. The critics I have been looking at have been rating this movie very well. They have been loving this action pack, character driven movie and I would have to agree. I think Iron Man 3 has an amazing cast, an intense plot, and an overall well played movie. This movie is definitely worth the time and money to see, it basically sells itself.

Guest Blogger: Marian 1

The 2014 film Divergent revolves around sixteen-year-old Beatrice “Tris” Prior, and the new chapter in her life involving an opening between adolescence and adulthood. The movie involves adventure, romance, and entertainment in a dystopian, yet free-willed story. In this fresh opening, Tris has to decide to either stay or join one of the many factions to build an identity. Tris starts out being a susceptible sixteen-year-old, to a strong-willed senorita that joins the toughest faction of all: Dauntless. Her motivations are to start a new life, and follow her instincts. Shailene Woodley provides perfect vulnerability to Tris, as she is seemingly discreet and reserved as a person in Hollywood herself. In addition to that, the actress has been raised by two psychologists as parents where certain elements of the film involve the psychological concept of divergent thinking or divergent. With advice from Jennifer Lawrence and her personal experience, critic Roger Ebert says she is “the movie watchable”. Alongside her is her romantic foil played by Theodore James as the unforgettable & handsome Four. Tobias “Four” Eaton is a man with a sharp future as a leader, but a boy with a troubled past. With Tris, he is determined to lead a new life. James also does a fantastic job of nailing Four’s vulnerability parts with Tris, and vicious side when everyone first meets him. The actor did an amazing job of getting Four’s character traits down, according to the book, and “often quite engaging”, according to critic Roger Ebert. Reoccuring themes in the film is free-will and identity. Not only Tris and Four, but everyone has to choose their own passage and find themselves. While critic Roger Ebert gives this movie a 3 out 5, and the New York Times says Shailene was the only reason to watch the film, I give it a 100% rating, a 10 out of 10, a fresh review, etc. The movie incorporated a lot of themes and elements related to what people silently deal with today, and should not be overlooked. Considering that statement, I believe this heartwarming story and encouraging film is worth anyone’s money and time.

Guest Blogger: Jon 1

I Am Legend is one of my all-time favorite movies, it may seem like an odd choice but I’m a bit of a geek, I like apocalypse and end of the world type movies; it’s just something I’ve been drawn to. So a quick overview of the movie, Robert Neville (Will Smith) is living in Manhattan, alone. There is no other human being on the island; his only companion is his German Shepard. In the opening scene you see the effects of the absence of people, towering sky scrapers have become overgrown with vegetation, the roads are now a grid of parries, and wildlife have now overtaken the city. He’s been surviving in the city for several years by looting the city during the day while vampires can’t attack him because of the day light. For years he’s been trying to make contact with any other survivors with an AM radio, and while surviving, he’s been working on a cure. I think Will smith played his role very well; you were able to tell the character was afraid of the vampires, cared a lot for his dog, and was seemingly fed up with the fact that after so many years, he had yet to find a cure. Roger Ebert gave this movie a 3 out of 4 and I think this is a fair rating. He makes a few points that make you question the plot of the movie such as “If Neville firmly believes he is the last healthy man alive, who is the vaccine for?” and “And how, I always wonder, do human beings in all their infinite shapes and sizes mutate into identical pale zombies with infinite speed and strength?” but he goes on to say that though there are some flaws it’s still a very good movie, which is a very good way to describe the movie. I think this movie is definitely worth your time and money, although by now you could probably find it on Netflix for free.

Guest Blogger: Brandon M2

Best known by his stage name, Mac miller, an American rapper who’s born out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also a record producer under some alias’s like Larry Fisherman, Larry Lovestein, Delusional Thomas, and The Velvet Revival. Early 2010 Mac signed a record deal with Rostrum Records, produced his first album Blue Slide Park, and it went on to debut on the US Billboard chart. It was the first independently distributed debut album to top the chart. Miller's first viral hits featured him rapping excitedly about middle-class comforts over classic instrumentals like "Nikes on My Feet" — currently at more than 36 million YouTube views, it was at the top of the charts for hip hop albums, Some emotions that are evoked from this song are just Mac Miller and his friends having the best shoes and the best clothes. Mac miller’s sound and his flow in his music is a lot like Wiz Khalifa, because all he does is rap about having the best everything. Cars, clothes, money, women, etc. Like when Miller says “..hit the shoe store, going to cop a few more.” This is memorable because when your shoes goes bad, you always have to go to store and get new shoes, or maybe even a couple of them. I disagree with this one critic, Dan Rys, he did a review about Mac Miller, and this other rapper, Lord Finesse because Miller supposedly took the whole soundtrack from Finesse’s song “Hip 2 Da Game” in which Finesse ended up sueing miller for $10 million dollars. I disagree, because in this world today, a lot of music has already been mad and it is hard to be original without getting sued. So that’s just a normal thing to do, remix a song and make it your own style. Mac Miller is worth our money and our time to listen to because you just have to listen to the music and the lyrics to understand how good of a rapper he is.

Guest Blogger: Clay 2

Piano legend and revolutionary singer/song writer Billy Joel dominated the top of music charts in the 1970’s through the 1990’s. Starting his career with his hit “Piano Man” in 1973 showing the world he was going to be a very cutting edge musician looking to get his point across. This song was about a young man playing piano in bar late on Saturday nights and seeing all different walks of life. This song was meant to narrate Billy’s life before his rise to fame. Although Billy was gaining popularity as one of the best in the industry writing everything from songs on politics and major world issues to love songs, there was still one he was compared to. This “piano man” went by the name of Sir Elton John, a creative music theory expert personally knighted by the queen of England. Elton’s began his career with his 1st of 50 to hit the top 40 charts in 1969, “Rocket man.” This song captures his ability to put together combinations of piano masterpieces and melodic vocals. “Rocket Man” was inspired by the sighting of a shooting star and was written about how astronauts were no longer seen as heroes but as an average occupation. Most of the time Billy and Elton were the best of friends, besides the decade they went without speaking due to differences in beliefs in the way you should live your life. But eventually Elton gave a standing ovation to Billy Joel on live television. Still they were constantly compared as who was a more revolutionary musician. Many critics agree that Billy’s talent as a musician tops Elton due to the fact that he writes his own lyrics, and his songs tell a story. Other critics fight back with the argument that Elton is superior by having a more symphonic and melodic piano sound and the diversity in his vocals. A good number of critics claim the two should not be compared. They say they appeal to different occasions: Billy writes songs to dance to and Elton writes beautiful pieces to simply appreciate.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 2

The Doors are a band that grew to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their music would be described by most as psychedelic rock with occasional blues influence. Many of their songs evoke a mysterious or even rebellious kind of feel with song lyrics that, at the time, were considered very lewd. Although many of their songs are about drugs or culturally taboo topics, a great number of their more popular songs had in depth social commentaries that really made people think and inspired people. One song that really stands out to me is the song “Riders on the Storm” this song is about how we are all just a small part of a very big and chaotic world and we are all just trying to make our way through the world one step at a time. This song is one of their most popular songs because it brought people together under the idea that everyone has their own problems and lifestyle, but in the end we’re all just trying to make it through life. Partially what makes The Doors so special is that they are unlike any of the other bands of the era. Many people may try to compare them to bands like Cream or Led Zeppelin, but while those bands really focused on having strong memorable melodies usually written in major keys, majority of The Doors songs had very mysterious melodies that gave the songs a dark and gloomy kind of sound. One of my favorite albums by the Doors is their 5th studio album, Morrison Hotel. At the time the album was not very well received by critics, and in Lester Bangs’ review written in 1970 for the Rolling Stone magazine he referred to the album as “a thyroid burst of manufactured energy worthy of a thousand mediocre groups”. But since that time the album has grown into one of the bands more popular albums with many lifelong fans claiming it as their favorite. The reason I love this album so much is because it has the typical Doors sound and adds an almost bluesy aspect to it. The song “Roadhouse Blues” is a perfect example of their different sound, instead of heavy organ and mysterious guitar parts it has a very memorable bass line and a more upbeat sound. The new sound coupled with the classic Jim Morrison lyrics and voice makes for a perfect song that has become one of the Doors most popular songs in their short time as a band.

Guest Blogger: Abdi 2

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American recording artist, dancer, and actor and has been known for his great songs, his smooth dancing and of course his “different” style of clothing. In 2005, a 16-year-old Chris Brown stormed the pop and R&B charts with his self-made debut album and smash hit "Run It!”. He racked up his fans and was known as a hit ever since then! Many fans compare Chris to Usher with his singing or Michael Jackson when he dances and I agree and disagree with the fans. I agree that Chris Brown is a splitting image of Usher when he was that age but Michael Jackson? No Jackson is a legend and Chris is not nearly as great of a dancer as MJ. Back to CB’s memorable song “Run it”. That song set rolling stone and Billboard critics and reviewers on a rampage stating “This kid is not an average teenager” or “Chris Brown is underrated and should be noticed as one of the best teenage singer and dancer of our era. I fully agree with the critics they definitely because compare to all the other teenage artist of that time they were all wanabee rappers and were not setting a positive trend for the fans to follow on. Like Music wise Chris inspires fans to start singing and states in his songs “Don’t Give Up”. “Run it” will always be a memorable song because it was the one song that started his career and set a positive trend for the fans! Another Memorable song is “Forever” sang by the one and only Chris Brown Himself. That song itself got all the female fans to fall in love with him. The critics exploded with amazing comments like “This is what we needed to see from Brown” to “This artist is a music sensation” and I agree with both these critics! Any album made by Chris Brown is worth it so get to buying those tracks now!!

Guest Blogger: Jill 2

The 1975 are a 4 piece English indie rock band that started back in 2012 and have only grown musically and popularity wise since then. The 1975 can be classified into many different genres of music, some being alternative rock, indie rock, and indie pop. Their self-named debut album, The 1975, was a hit and makes you feel very different emotions in every song. Pat Levy, in the article, The 1975, puts the overall feeling of the album into words, saying, “with The 1975, the Manchester group has crafted a skillful pop album that you can listen to while you stare out the window at some dreary weather or while you drive around with the top down, not an easy expanse to cover.” This is exactly what their songs make you feel. Their sound and their songs have been compared to many well-known artists from the past and present, Artic Monkey’s, Kings of Leon, and a Prince sort of vibe from some of their songs. Chloe Ravat talks about The 1975’s album, in the article Track by Track Review: The 1975, she talks about one of their songs M.O.N.E.Y., which she describes it as, “comprising more of the favored robotic-style harmonies, the track has a syncopated rhythm and eventually develops into a cool R’n’B style groove. It sounds like Prince in space. Awesome.” Because majority of their songs are mainly about girls along with other things, and even though their lyrics are poetic, it’s hard to find lyrics that are particularly memorable for me, but one is, get in the shower when it all goes wrong, this can speak to a lot of people in many different ways, it’s basically just saying to get in the shower and wash the bad day away. Most of the critics really enjoy the different type of music and songs The 1975 put out and compose, it’s different and refreshing. Chloe Ravat says, “For us, it’s one of the most impressive debut albums of 2013. Each track is unwaveringly good.” And also, “It will be interesting to see how they evolve and progress on forthcoming releases, but for now – The 1975's debut album is quite likely the best indie-pop record of the year.” And I can validate that, yes, The 1975 are definitely worth to be looked at.

Guest Blogger: Warda 2

Beyoncé Knowles is considered be the ultimate queen of the music industry. Although her music is a little bit of R&B mixed with new era pop people of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, and locations all unite together to enjoy her music. Her most recent album, Flawless, lives up to its namesake and completely blindsided her fans and the general public. Nobody knew that she was even in the workings of a song when on a chilly November morning suddenly a whole entire album was dropped. Her songs incorporated a lot of musical variety while still being in touch with what she’s known best for. The silky tone of “XO” to the soul rendering “Pretty Hurts”, Beyoncé takes it to a different level with Beyonce. Many other artists try to mimic her sound and her soulful croon, but somehow fall short. Her charisma and confidence are what her fans feed off of, and with this album she surpassed all expectations. One song that was particularly memorable on this album was “Pretty Hurts”. This song speaks about how society views the term pretty and what it means to be pretty. In one of the lines it says, “Mama said. “You’re a pretty girl, what’s in your head, it doesn’t matter”. This is how society is nowadays and unfortunately no matter how hard we try to change it, it all comes to down to the people. This song relates to anybody on any terms even if you’re not a female, because society does have a certain view for the male counterpart also. Critic Rob Sheffield states in the Rolling Stone review of Beyonce, “But only massive hubris could have made a feat like this album possible. And Beyoncé's hubris makes the world a better, more Beyoncé-like place”. I agree with him because not most stars could pull off writing 14 different songs and 17 videos without a leak and that’s why I think Beyoncé is the ultimate mega star in the music industry.

Guest Blogger: Nicole 2

Season 8 of the X Factor UK ended in two records being broken: first group to win the X Factor and first girl group to win the X Factor; and Little mix was just starting. About a year after their win on the X Factor UK, this quartet consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall released their debut album, DNA, which debuted in America at number 4, higher than the Spice Girls’ debut at number 6, and became the highest debut by a British girl group on the Billboard charts. DNA hit its peak position at number 2 on the iTunes charts, but the album had 3 singles in the top 20: “Wings” peaking at number 1, “DNA” peaking at number 3, and “How Ya Doin’?” peaking at 16. Little Mix’s sound is best classified as R&B and pop and the debut album showcased that with “placid, feline production, tight harmonies and breezy beats” according to Al Fox in his BBC Music review of Little Mix. Little Mix’s DNA features dynamic R&B vocals, powerful ballads, drum beats, fast pace rap, girl power, and reminiscing about all they have accomplished and experienced on the X Factor. DNA’s eleventh track, “Going Nowhere” is an attitude heavy song which consists of Spanish guitar, beatboxing by Jesy Nelson, and a sassy rap from Leigh-Anne Pinnock. The song is laid out by the first line “Sick of you playing on that Xbox thing” and sets up the message of saying goodbye to a boy and relationship that’s “Going Nowhere”. Not all songs on the album are about relationships, however. “Always Be Together” represents the four girls’ friendship, “Change Your Life” reflects on how winning the X Factor affects their lives, and “We Are Who We Are” speaks to the fans with its empowering message of “We are who we are, who we are, pretty's just a pretty word”. In 2013, Little Mix released its sophomore album Salute which travelled to number 1 in the UK and number 4 in the US with its R&B sound. The album starts with “Salute”, a call to arms for women around the world with lyrics including “Divas, queens, we don't need no man, salute!” The song features a “Blitzkreig siren and fierce attitude on female empowerment” and is “primed for an arena tour intro” according to Lewis Corner in his article “Little Mix Salute album review: A razor-sharp record that makes a mark” on Digital Spy. Track eight, “About the Boy” features Perrie Edwards with a high note fit for opera, while track nine, “Boy”, showcases all of Little Mix’s vocals with a 54 second acapella to start the song. Little Mix has not forgotten their fans, however, as they include “Little Me”, a song empowering young girls and boys to love themselves with the powerful lyrics “You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out, and know that right here, right now, you can be beautiful, wonderful, anything you wanna be”. The ballad “Good Enough” is Little Mix fighting back against people that said Little Mix would not amount to anything. Little Mix’s new album is to be released soon and many critics are looking forward to it as am I. Surely I will buy it, and I believe you should as well because Little Mix is bound to have a well done production.

Guest Blogger: Marian 2

Former “Bubble Gum” pop star in the girl group The Stunners, is now the new critically acclaimed R&B “it” girl, and has dropped a ridiculous album , Aquarius, to forever rid the innocent persona of an innocent, young girl. Tinashe Kachingwe—or simply Tinashe—show’s off her mature side with hot artists such as ASAP Rocky in her song “Pretend” and DJ Mustard in the highly acclaimed “2 On”. But perhaps the young artist takes on a much more mature member in the R&B industry with her throwback 90’s style music in which she is being compared to Janet Jackson, Damito Jo, and the beloved Aaliyah. This resemblance feel and adulthood is richly seen in her first and previously mentioned song “2 On”. Looking at the song lyrically, the track entails someone who is ready to leave a previous life, and lead a new life. Tinashe herself confirmed the fact that it is a “turn up” or party song that lets her start a new chapter, considering she is now 21, and no longer a “stunner”. It is also has a 90’s touch with light, soft vocals—resembling Aaliyah's—and a slick overall performance. Overall, the song makes one feel "free" with it's unique track. While the song sounds very similar to a mixture of what we hear on the radio today and a 90's hit, "2 On" has people and critics buzzing with it's originality, and even similar to the rare 2005 song "We Be Burnin" by Sean Paul. As if it couldn't get any better, rapper Drake did his own version of the young star's song called "2 On/Thotful". On top of that, the catchy phrase "2 on" is running over the overused phrase "turn up". Like most critics I agree that the album itself is "a force to be reckon with", and very different in the sense of actually wanting to get up and move. With this, it is worth anyone's money and time to take a chance with tracks that are unconceivable to the mind and soul. Overall, Tinashe is doing well for an R&B rookie, and even better as an upcoming artist.

Guest Blogger: Amanda 2

Luke Bryan is a well-known country artist, who first hit fame in 2007 when he released his song “All My Friends Say”. In all of his albums, he includes different feels. For instance in his album called “Crash my Party”, he includes of variety of song types. He speeds things up when he plays “Crash My Party” or “That’s My Kind of Night”, but then slows it down with some girlfriend and drinking songs, such as “Drink a Beer”, or “Goodbye Girl”. Luke Bryan is like other country singers in the words of the songs, but what sets him apart is the sound of his voice. He has a certain “accent” you could call it. The way his voice sounds, makes him stick out from other country singers, and makes his music just that much better than others. The song that sticks out the most is “Drink a Beer”. It is memorable because of the emotion that’s included in it. It sets more of a sad and longing feeling, really involving the listener in the emotion it has. There was one review on one of his albums that wasn’t the best, and I completely disagree. The review didnt give Luke Bryan the credit he deserved in my opinion. It made his album seem as though it was just another plain album, instead of a unique set of songs. I think that Luke Bryan is an amazing artist and a growing sensation.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 1

The Grateful Dead is a band that grew to fame in the 1960s and was one of the most prolific bands of the “hippy era”. They were started in a neighborhood in San Francisco known for being the birthing grounds of psychedelic rock and the hippy movement. This neighborhood is known as Ashbury and Haight, many bands that played a key role in the hippy movement started here including Jimmy Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. While Jimmy Hendrix is known for his intense guitar riffs and his rebellious lyrics, the Grateful Dead were more focused on peace and love and had more of a folk-rock type of sound. One thing that separated the Grateful Dead from many other musicians of the time was their fans. Grateful Dead fans, otherwise known as Dead-Heads, would follow the band all over the country going to every single show they put on. Dead-Heads continued to worship the band all the way up until the lead, Jerry Garcia, died in the early 90s and the band stopped touring. One of the Grateful Dead’s most well-known albums is American Beauty. This album features many of the Dead’s greatest hits such as: Sugar Magnolia, Truckin’ and Ripple. This album is very folksy and has a very up-beat “peace and love” feel to it, it’s the type of album that you listen to and just feel happy, even if the lyrics or the content of the song isn’t very happy. Even at the time the album was released it was highly regarded and one critic even said that it “was one for now and one for the kids in 20 years” (Zwerling). That quote was a perfect prediction, the album American Beauty is an album that has passed the test of time and will likely continue to be known as one of the greatest albums of the hippy era.

Guest Blogger: Clay 1

Van Halen - The legendary glam band that dominated through the 80’s and 90’s, became one of the biggest and most influential bands to ever exist. Vocalist David Lee Roth’s, Aka “Diamond Dave”, unique bluesy voice topped with high pitched screams along with Michael Anthony’s melodic harmonies and solid bass playing made it hard for any other bands to compete. The rest of the band was made up by the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex. Eddie is arguably the one of the best guitar players to ever walk the earth and undoubtedly one of the most creative. He created one of the most unique guitar tones and revolutionized his finger tapping technique. One of Eddie’s defining moments was opening up their 1984 album with his epic guitar solo “Eruption. His brother Alex has been one of my biggest drum influences. Known for his ghost notes, double bass pedals, “off-beat” Rhythms, and last but not least his helicopter drum solo. These four set out to be a rebellious band singing about girls and partying, and succeeded. Together they dominated the music scene until 1987 when Dave left the band to fulfill his solo career. But the rest of the members continued on and invited fellow rocker Sammy Hagar to fill the spot as lead vocalist. Unlike most bands that fade out after losing a vocalist, Van Halen was able to keep most of their fans and add whole other dimension of popularity to their fame with Sammy. Although, kicking off their new line up with their hit “Right Now” showed that Van Halen may have a new theme. They brought more deep meanings and emotion to their music. Whether it was Dave or Sammy, Van Halen could always be compared to bands like Motley Crue who dominated the Sunset Strip and Guns N Roses who entered the scene later in the 80’s. But Van Halen always seemed to be on top of the food chain. Even at the end of their career, they topped the world’s largest concert at a total of 750,000 people at one single show. Ending their career with Sammy in about 1995, Van Halen returned later in 2010 reuniting with Diamond Dave but without Michael. Instead Michael was replaced with Eddie’s song, Wolfgang Van Halen. They advertised the coming of their newest album “A Different Kind of Truth” and it came out with a boom. Opinions from the critics range drastically. Reporting everything from “it being a huge success” to “they should have stuck with Sammy and Michael.” Although I think some bands should just know when to call it quits, I thought “A Different Kind of Truth” gave lots of older David Lee Roth Fans a chance to relive their teenage years. All in all, no matter what the lineup was Van Halen was revolutionary, and I would recommend any of their albums to anyone and everyone. Mainly, because they have talent and gives you a chance to get away from the “music” you hear these days.

Guest blogger: Abdi 1

This band known as maroon 5 has blown up in the music industry this hear with remarkable songs such as “Payphone feat. Wiz Khalifa” and “Maps”. Maroon 5 consists of 5 members hence the name maroon 5. It stars guitarist-singer Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bassist Mickey Maddin and drummer Ryan Dusick and they are one heck of a pop-rock group. Many fans compare Maroon 5 to other bands such as one direction and All American Rejects but I think all those fans are wrong. There is a HUGE difference between one direction and M5 but not so many between M5 and All American Rejects. One direction plays very heart to heart soft songs and attract female fans but not so many male fans while M5 attracts both genders. So that knocks One Direction out of the category. Then comes All American Rejects, now this is a tough one because both these bands are very similar but one difference is M5 is more of a pop group then a rock group suck as All American Rejects so that should do that one too! Now to my point of view M5 makes amazing music and fortunately in the review of “Maroon 5, 'Daylight': Track Review” the critics thought the same! This review written by billboard and was nothing but a thumbs up towards the group. I agree with the critics opinion’s saying “The track drags a bit before reaching a crowning bridge, which provides some much needed momentum for Levine's emoting in the final chorus.” Because Adam Levine (Lead Singer) did start off a little slow but as he moved forward he definitely boasted up his singing ability to the peak of perfection in the final chorus. And this is definitely a memrabole song just for that reason. Another memrabole song is the song by the name of Misery because as said in many reviews “Adam Levine getting his butt kicked by a girl is definitely one to remember”. I give this music group a big rate of 8/10 and definitely think it’s worth the buy because they make great music and are very cool!

Guest blogger: Steve 1

Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum born on May 24, 1989 In Oakland, California is an American rapper, songwriter, and producer whose career started in 07’. Since then he has released six mixtapes, 3 EPs, before releasing his hit album “These Things Happen” on June 23, 2014. Listening to the album for the first time, during the summer, without knowing anything about the young artist, I found myself nodding my head to some of his songs, thinking it had an Eminem mixed with Macklemore feel to it. His music varies from the stories of how he parties constantly to the seriousness of how he is always working to get where he is, that feature many of his songs. For instance, in the song “Let’s get lost” featuring Devin Baldwin, the lyrics “Beautiful girl that I just met on tour, another good girl that I’ll probably destroy” implies that the Young artist has many young girls chasing after him and are always at his disposal. This is memorable because the word choice “destroy” references the obvious and implies that he is destroying the individual emotionally because they get attached. On the other hand, in the song “Almost famous” a single by G-Eazy, the lyrics “Always on tour cause I’m making cheese, Michigan in February is 8 degrees, and the fans outside could maybe freeze” tells us that he’s always working to pay the bills, and his fans are so loyal that they’re waiting in the freezing cold just to hear him perform. This lyric is memorable because since G-Eazy is from Oakland, he doesn’t like the cold in anyway, but to pay his bills he’d perform in the freezing cold. “His album “These Things Happen” debuted at #3 outselling media dominating Phish, Riff Raff, and Ab-soul, and his concerts sell out across the country. Yet the outlets that generally cover hip-hop don’t cover him, and he has yet to see a print from a major magazine” (RollingStone). I agree with this statement, but I also think that in the near future he will have his big break. My overall opinion about Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum is that he is a dedicated young rapper that is currently rising to fame, and will soon be no longer “Almost Famous”.

Guest blogger: Jill 1

The Australian born band, 5 Seconds of Summer, also known as 5SOS, are a group of 4 guys who started a band back in 2011, just because they loved music. The band consists of Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin. They started off covering and uploading various types of music and different bands and artist they looked up to on Youtube, consisting of Blink 182, Ed Sheeran, Kings of Leon, and also a few of their own songs they wrote. They’ve grown musically since then and their current type of music they write and record would be classified as “pop-punk” as many critics would say. According to Jason Lipshutz, in the article 5 Seconds of Summer Scores With Debut Album: Track-By-Track Review, “5 Seconds of Summer is a hybrid of the two musical ideas, a pop-punk act where the ‘pop’ greatly outweighs the ‘punk’”. Their debut album, 5 Seconds of Summer, is a roller coaster of emotions, starting with their hit single, She Looks So Perfect, which is a very catchy and dance tune, to their closer song, Amnesia, which is a slow, heartbreaking song about moving on from a bad breakup. Many people would say that their song, Mrs. All American, is the modern day, Stacy’s Mom, and also, their song, Tomorrow Never Dies, has a very Fall Out Boy feel to it. We’ll never be as young as we are now, the chorus in their song Never Be, is memorable because with the way the song lays out, with the strong vocals and lyrics, and slow guitar riffs and beating drums makes you just want to throw your hands in the air, take a road trip, and forget about the real world for a while. Many critics think 5SOS are just another “boy band”, when in fact, they are far from the boy band title. According to Caryn Ganz, “5SOS actually have a lot more One Direction than Green Day in their DNA”, which I would have to say is 100% wrong. 5SOS aren’t trying to be the next 1D or Green Day, they are trying to be the next 5 Seconds of Summer, and with their strong vocals and harmonies and music that can appeal to anyone, they are doing just that.

Guest blogger:Marian 1

From Miss Bootylicious to Mrs. Carter, Queen Bey (Beyoncé) has been on top for years with her body popping melodies and soulful vocals. All 15 songs on the album differ from anything ‘Yoncé has ever done. She has broken from her alter egos, and finally came out with a self-entitled album that showcases her life— including Blue Ivy and Mr. Carter himself—with “a soft new focus” and “an insinuating sensuality”. With the release of the album in late, winter of 2013, the most memorable song was “Drunk In Love” featuring Jay Z. The song incorporated that R&B sound we all know and love from Beyoncé, but with elements of hip/hop like “chunky trap beats” executed by Jay Z. Having both artists collaborate like never before —since this is the very first time they are teaming up as a married couple—makes fans excited like never before. While this song is similar to Lauryn Hill’s 2014 song “Consumerism”, and shares the same qualities of Bey and Jay’s past collaborations such as “Bonnie & Clyde”, “Drunk In Love” opens up about Beyoncé’s new love life and beginnings that serve as a different caliber than an easy flow and quick rapping. Considering the caliber of the song, fame doesn’t only come with the melodies, but the lyrics too. The 15th top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 has everyone saying the most random, yet catchy, word of the decade: “surfboard”. The lyric is memorable since it shows the extent of Beyoncé’s singing career and fame, as well as the affective communication used in her music. Like critic Mike Wass, I believe that “Drunk In Love” was “exquisitely produced” and shows the growth from Beyoncé’s love affair with Jay Z in “Crazy In Love”, and, in “Drunk In Love” , show that their “union grew stronger with each passing year”. This song is worth anyone’s time when they want to escape routine, and feel driven to do something different. In addition to this, we see Miss “flawless” get in touch with her vulnerable side by releasing her most breathtaking song yet: “Pretty Hurts”. Unlike “Listen” & “Halo”, this song in the Beyonce album, once again, reveals something about the extraordinary artist as she relates to every girl and women across the world about self-disclosure and self-esteem. The song touches your heart by relaxing your mind and soul with the light and easy background music, along with the loud yet soothing, distinct voice of Beyonce. The artist’s vocals may be compared to Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” and Mariah Carey’s “I Still Believe” considering its soft background music, and a strong female R&B vocalist. Something that stands out is the beginning of the song where Beyonce is answering a beauty pageant question. The question is “What is your aspiration in life?”, and Beyonce says, “To be happy”. While this isn’t a lyric, it gives people an idea of the situation the song has to deal with. Besides that, the title of the song is what stands out as a lyric, and that Beyonce encourages and aspires to be “comfortable in her own skin”. Looking at lyrics, the song seems similar to Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” and, looking at difficult situations and oneself, Eminem’s “Gone”, except with an R&B atmosphere. Once again, many critics feel that the empowering song is a “gorgeous plea for self-acceptance”, and I couldn’t agree more. Despite the fact that sanctioning anthems seem overrated and old news, there is nothing wrong with being reminded, and in such a beautiful and textured way. Overall, the song contains the amazing, the unexpected, and the best, and is worth every cent and dime you have.

Guest blogger: Nicole 1

Florida-Georgia Line’s two members, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, were unknown to the country music scene until they dropped their debut single “Cruise” in 2012 and immediately sky rocketed to Number 1 on country music charts. This duet is a great representation of today’s country music; they mix country with hip-hop to create catchy, danceable songs that establish a party atmosphere, which is reiterated by the title of their debut album: Here’s to the Good Times. A majority of the songs on their freshman album showcase fast beats, rap influences, and plenty of guitar and banjo instrumentation that take the songs back to their country roots; however, the duo is not afraid to slow down the partying with a love song every now and again. “Stay”, known to some as the closest the duet gets to a love ballad on this album according to Robert Silva in his review titled “Florida Georgia Line crank up their sound machine”, demonstrate Florida-Georgia Line’s soft side with lyrics such as "I'd sell my soul just to see your face / And I'd break my bones just to heal your pain" and prove there is more to the duo than just partying. Florida-Georgia Line has a sound similar to those of Luke Bryan, Dierks Bently, and Jake Owens; as all four country acts sing of partying, girls, and drinking. In contrast, Florida-Georgia Line sings primarily of having a good time whereas Luke Bryan, Dierks Bently, and Jake Owens are known to slow it down with heartbreaking ballads, professions of love often, or even tributes to where they grew up. Although Florida-Georgia Line sings primarily of partying, they have many memorable lyrics. For example their song “People Back Home” from the deluxe version of Here’s to the Good Times contains a line that states “So we dreamed big and we worked hard / Now we got the whole world cruisin'” which references their debut hit “Cruise” and their journey to become famous. Furthermore, in their new hit (off their second album Anything Goes) the duet slows down and proclaims “You know you came from it and someday you'll return to it”. Critics say "I think it's a good move for Florida Georgia Line to come back with more of a ballad," and that "It shows their maturity and diversity in sound as artists. Listener reaction has been great so far" according to Wade Jessen in his article Florida Georgia Line's 'Dirt' Plows To No. 1 On Hot Country Songs. I have to agree with critics, I look forward to hearing more of Florida-Georgia Lines new album and highly recommend people purchase it as I definitely will as well.

Guest blogger: Jon B1

Intuition (Lee Shaner) is a hip hop/rap artist I’ve been listening to for around 4 years. He is and has been one of my favorite artists for a while now because of his unique sound and his ability to tell a story (with actual meaning, unlike most music today) in each song. Lee sets himself apart from other artists because his delivery in each song is unbelievably smooth, very few artists compare to Lee’s signature polished sound. His music can evoke several emotions, some are perfect for kicking back and wasting a day with a few buds like “Old Enough”, “First Day of Summer” or “Buzzkill” while he shows his contemplative and serious side with songs like “Nowhere”, “Ain’t the Blues”, and “Best Fool”. If I could compare Lee to one specific artist, I would, but I can’t. He’s so different from other artists in the sense that he seems to take the best qualities from others and combine them to make an amazing sound. Lee’s sound is smooth like Dumbfoundead, has heavy lyrics like Atmosphere, and is at times relaxed/light-hearted like Hoodie Allen. Now onto his album Intuition & Equalibrum, it was released in the spring of 2013. This album is his sixth and by far his best; unlike most rappers, Intuition actually gets better with age. Intuition & Equalibrum is an album that reflects on Lee’s thoughts and experiences over the past 4 years. It took him so long to release this album because “Real life ends up taking precedence over rap life”(Shaner) family issues, job issues, and relationship issues all contributed to Lee’s drought in the hip hop scene. Two songs in particular that are memorable are “Best Fool” and “Dear John” because “on “Best Fool”,(Lee) sends a break-up letter to his vices on “Dear John”(Gillespe) changing his demeanor to be more optimistic rather than jaded, which he had portrayed in his previous 5 albums. I Agree with Gillespe who wrote “STREAM: INTUITION & EQUALIBRUM” who gos on to say “It's new territory for hip hop and that's part of the gift Intuition and Equalibrum bring”. I think Intuition has matured tremendously as an artist and I hope he continues to put out music. Intuition & Equalibrum is definitely worth the buy, its an album similar to none.

Guest Blogger: Keatton 2

I really liked the movie ride along because of the humorous comedy. Kevin Hart is one of my favorite actors which made this movie an easy pick. Ice Cube was also in ride along and plays a tough guy police officer. Kevin Hart is trying to win Ice Cube’s say so he can marry his Sister, but Ice Cube hates Kevin Hart and finds him very annoying so he decides to take him on a ride along because he wants to become a cop. He thinks he will make him change his mind about being a cop by showing him all the boring jobs that he usually doesn’t go on. Kevin Hart finds out that Ice Cube is trying to fool him so Kevin starts playing the game back but what he doesn’t know is that he is walking into a huge gun cartel gang that is actually real and thinks it’s all fake. This movie has lots of funny lines, but is somewhat serious and has some romance in a silly way. Ice Cube sneaks in to Kevin’s house and catches him and his girlfriend getting a little dirty and scares Kevin and he starts to run and knocks himself out on an end table. I just thought that this movie was well put together and lots of thought behind it. They had chosen a lot of my favorite actors for this movie which makes it so easy to watch and enjoy. Kevin appears to start winning Ice Cubes blessing and respect throughout the movie even though he’s a goof ball, he sees that he tree’s his sister with respect and really loves her. He was worried he wouldn’t be able to protect her but that might change by the end of the movie! I don’t want to ruin the ending for you so you’ll have to see what happens with the gun cartel!

Guest Blogger: Elvir 2

The Hangover is a 2009 movie about four friends who are celebrating their friend’s marriage. They all plan on going to Las Vegas to celebrate Doug Billings’ wedding. While in Vegas Doug, Stew, Alan and Phil make a pack on the roof of their hotel, talking about how this will be a night they will never forget. While the time passes, they wake up the next morning with Doug missing and other numerous problems. During this time, they try to search for Doug before his wedding starts. One of the actors name Zack Galifianakis who plays Alan in the movie is very wild and makes the movie more funny and interesting with his funny antics and his humorous statements. To me, Zach Galifianakis performance was amazing and also the best character to watch in the movie. Another actor named Ken Jeong, who plays Leslie Chow in the film, is another interesting character in the movie. His performance as a flamboyant Asian gangster brings thrills and also humor to the movie. His performance in the movie to me was a ten out of ten. The theme in the movie is about when having too much fun, we can go on the wrong path and the movie is about long lasting friendships. In the movie, they thought a night out in Vegas would be a great night, but it lead to a lot of trouble and stress for everyone. Whether it was losing Doug or not getting married the movie was pretty exciting. Stew, Alan and Phil looked all over to find Doug before it was too late, and Doug’s wife began panicking because she didn’t think the guys were going to make it back before the wedding started. As friends, they all came together as one before the wedding had started and also left as close friends after the wedding was over. According to the critics review Roger Ebert states the movie was funny all the way through do agree what Roger Ebert says about the film about it being funny until the end. I do recommend this film to anyone who wants to laugh a lot while watching a film with your friends and family. The hangover is worth your time and money.

Guest Blogger: Malcolm 2

Today I’m going to blog about a great movie called Taken and I guess you could say this movies whole story plot in one scents. Taken is about his daughter being taken in a florin country. Now that you know the jest of the story now we can dive right in to it dissecting the movie. The movie starts off by husden an wife start off the move already devorested and they have a daughter they share custody of can the movie goes on like a normal everyday life. THEN one day the daughter asks her mom if she can go to a concert. Her dad is very protective of his daughter and does not want her to hurt like any other father. Since the mother an child knows the father will not let her go to the band concert in England. Mother tells the father he has to sing a slip to let her leave the country, they tell the father she’s going to visit museum’s so ok the father says sure you can go visit museums with your best friend for a weekend. We are going to fast forward a little bit. As the father was bringing the bags in for the girls he found the concert tickets in the girls bags an found out what they were really going to England to follow a bad on tour. To late they were already at the airport. HE gave the standards for when they tuck down in England. They called for a cab at the airport and a random guy asked if they wanted to share cab with them know teens they want to save every dollar so they said yes. Now the guy that is sharing a cab with them knows where they live on top of that the girls gave him the floor number they were on because he invited them to a party that night. So the guys came back that knight an kidnaped them. Made them become prostitutes. The dad comes a saves them at the end. Watch the movie an you will not be disappointed in the movie. I think the move is trying to get the point a crossed it never pays off to lie people always find out in the end. Also never trust a stranger. So go watch taken my next movie blog will be about Taken 2.

Guest Blogger: Nadira 1

I decided to review The Notebook a great movie for anyone who’s a hopeless romantic I’d say. This movie will bring tears and leave you wanting a fairytale love story of your own. The Notebook filmed and directed by Nick Cassavetes based on a novel written by Nicholas Sparks. The movie cast Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams young couple that falls in love during the early 1940’s in Seabrook Island, South Carolina. They played Noah and Allie Calhoun. The story is being narrated from Noah Calhoun in a past tense way, He is reading his entry life story he experienced with Allie Calhoun. He reads the story to his lover because she lives with Alzheimer’s in a nursing home. The pain plot of the story is a modern day nursing home and elderly man named Noah reads story from his personal notebook to Allie. Allie Calhoun was a very wealthy seventeen year old girl who would come down to Seabrook’s on summer vacation. And Noah was nothing but a lumber boy. Made enough to have a stable life. He and Allie were never ones to be. But oh did it work for them. They had the summer of their lives. But Allies parents didn’t want their daughter with Noah mainly her mother. Huge argument happening led to Allie and Noah breakup Allie leaving Seabrook. This led them both to move on with their life’s. Noah and his best friend Fin enlisted to fight in World War II. Fin was killed in battle. Allie becomes a volunteer nurse in a hospital for wounded soldiers where she meets an officer Lon Hammond, Jr. a handsome, charming man she knew her parents would except of. Allie and Lon get engaged and prepare to Mariam when Allie runs into Noah. Who remember she has not seen in ages. Allie and Noah meeting up leads them to rekindling their romance. And making her break up with Lon. I’ll leave my review where it’s at. The ending is something you’ll need to watch and review you. I highly recommend watching The Notebook.

Guest Blogger: Chris 2

Last weekend I went to the new Godzilla movie with my little brother and I thought it was going to be a very good. Well the movie was about a family of 3 the body family mom was Sandra, dad Joe, and son ford who live in japan or close to there and the mom and dad both work at a nuclear power plant and all so live very close to it as well and suddenly they are facing crazy earthquakes is what they think but it was something else and it destroyed most of the plant along with fords mom Sandra was killed and this leaves Joe searching for 15 years for why this happened and while ford moved on father Joe sucks him back in to find out the truth of why this happened and it only escalades from there. Aaron Taylor as ford brody I never really heard of him tell this movie but he did very well wish he could have showed a little more emotion in the movie. Another main actor was Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody Sams dad and he was great in this movie had dark edge to him and very electric I really liked this character he played. To me the theme of this movie was really first just searching for the answer why did this happen and the second theme is how are we going to stop this should nature just let play its course. “This movie is so boring I almost left the theater. Why hide the monster so much? Doesn't make sense to try to build tension hiding it, because IT'S A GIANT MONSTER. Even the battles, most of them are showed on news broadcasts on TV sets far from the camera.” This a critics review on the movie and to me I would have to agree the fighting scenes are really cool but there’s not enough of them and the buildup for these fight scenes are just too long it’s like they tried to fit too much in the time they had. My final opinion would be just wait tell it comes on dvd it’s not worth the money to go to the theater.

Guest Blogger: Brittany 2

The Lego Movie came out February 7th 2014 in 3D. The movie is about a Lego construction worker is recruited to join in on a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the Lego universe. Many Actors paly the voices in this movie, a couple of my favorites are Channing Tatum (Superman voice), Jonah Hill (Green Lantern voice) and Will Ferrell (Abraham Lincoln voice). You can’t really judge how well they did because they’re not really acting there just using their voices. They use a catchy song “Everything is Awesome” that kids love, it’s more a child movie but even the critics loved it. Overall most critics say it was an amazing movie. “Everything in "The Lego Movie" is, indeed, awesome”” To be honest, my enthusiastic reaction might be slightly skewed by the fact that "Everything Is Awesome" is both the title and most insidious lyric of a catchier-than-a-Norovirus musical number whose sweeping camerawork over a Lego-sized cityscape is almost as impressive as the opening sequence” says some critics. There is a plot twist but I don’t want to give it away so you will have to spend the money to watch it, it’s defiantly worth it, in my opinion.

Guest Blogger: Eric 2

I am legend is a movie that is about a Police officer in Manhattan who is a lone survivor of an apocalypse set in New York. Will smith is the main character, and also one of the only characters in the movie. As the New York Times put it, Will Smith does a great job of making the movie realistic. He does this by doing a great job of acting like he’s the last man on earth. There are many different conflicts in this movie, but the biggest one is when he found another person, which hasn’t happened for over 2 years. He becomes very sad after this because in the movie it flashes back to the beginning of the movie where he lost his son and wife during the apocalypse. Will Smith then becomes hell bent on finding a cure for this disease that everyone became effected by. The movie shows the conflicts that Will Smith faces by showing his life alone in the biggest city in America, with only a dog as his best friend. The movie pulls out many sad emotions in the audience, while also keeping them on the edge of their seats waiting for more. Critics agree that the movie I Am Legend does a great job showing the theme of not knowing what you have until it’s gone. Will Smith has nothing after the apocalypse other than himself, and empty city, and his dog. I agree with the because the movie keeps the audience on their feet and makes them wonder what’s going to happen next with Will smith and his adventures on living on earth as the only remaining healthy human, and his struggle to find a cure to this disease that has plagued the world. To me this movie is definitely worth your time and money because of all the ups and downs the movie had, and all of the emotions it brought out in you when you watch it.