HHH Review Club January 2010

The Half Hollow Hills Review Club Presents

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Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

January 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

January 2010

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The Half Hollow Hills Review Club January 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Table of Contents Topic

Page

The Ratings Movie Reviews Movie Flashbacks FEATURE: We ask the club & staff “What are your favorite movies EVER?” Book Reviews FEATURE: Book vs. Movie – “Twilight” Broadway Reviews Music Reviews & Flashbacks FEATURE: Michael Jackson Tribute FEATURE: We ask the club & staff “What songs make you want to puke?”

Video Game Reviews Sports Vacation Reviews - IRELAND Restaurant Review–LA FAMIGLIA This Issue’s Club Critics

2 4 44 69 76 100 104 108 126 129 133 141 146 148 156

All reviews are the opinions of the writer. You may agree with their opinion or you may not. Some reviewers often give high ratings, while others are much more critical. Regardless, the reviewer is asked to be objective, fair, critical and as professional as possible while supporting their opinion. If you want to express your opinion, the Half Hollow Hills Review Club always welcomes new members.

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January 2010

The Ratings An absolute classic for all time. perfection!

½

Exemplifies

Near perfection. Will be remembered in the future and will be an example of what greatness is all about.

Great! Amazing! A Superb piece of work! Totally memorable and worth the money.

½

Wow! Wonderful! Very, very good. A must.

Now this is GOOD. damned good!

½

Maybe not special, but

Average, but enjoyable.

Fair. You MAY like it, but you’re not really missing anything.

½

Not good. Don’t bother.

Poor. Worthless junk.

½ star

So horrific, it is painful to endure.

0 stars

Beyond Abysmal. So bad it is insulting. Who is the idiot that allowed this to be produced?!

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Meet the Review Club

“The Critic”

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ½ To be quite frank with you, this wasn’t a good movie. There was a lot of action and a cheesy and predictable plot. Of course the acting was terrible. And then there was just Megan Fox. I say the words “there was just” because she pretty much just stood there - she didn’t act, just stood there and looked pretty.

Michael Bay should be ashamed. In fact I’m writing a letter to him now that I want those two hours of my life back a.s.a.p. The only good thing about this trash was the special effects. - Noah Berley This was a good movie, however, it wasn't as good as the first one. It is action-packed and the graphics are amazing. This is a fun movie to watch and you should be able to enjoy it whether or not you have seen the original. – Jason Zelamsky It was a good movie with good graphics. It may not be the best, but it was decent and the whole family can watch and enjoy it. – Ananth Nagaraj

¾

Let us be honest – this is a horrible movie. Yes, there was a lot of action and explosions, but just having action does make a movie all of sudden good. The story stinks and has so many plot holes it is an insult to anyone with half a brain. And the acting is so horrific I do not know where to start. Just having tons of high speed action and cool effects does not make up for it. Really – it was painful to watch. I guess it is what I should expect from Michael Bay (the director) at this point. I do give him credit – he knows the formula for earning money at the box office: Great effects, cool looking robots, a few stupid jokes, and a great looking female (so it does not matter if she can act or not). I am sorry Michael Bay, just a terrible, stupid movie!

Actually I am not sorry. – Mr. Bund

¼ Underrated. Everybody said that it was bad and had a weak plot. This is true to an extent. I definitely did not walk into it and expect to see a deep, moving, Oscar winning plot. I got exactly what I expected, I thought I’d see a lot of explosions, and it was action packed, energetic and very fun to watch. I’m not rating it as if it was a serious story. It wasn’t about the plot, it was about good special effects and explosions. I don’t think that it deserves all of the criticism that it received for being a bad movie because it did not essentially focus on plot. Every movie focuses on different things as there are many different genres of movies and each of them has at least one good movie. Some movies are about being stupid and making you crack up. Some are about making you cry. Some are about capturing your hearts and giving you a warm loving feeling, and some movies focus on attracting little kids with pointless characters and plot points.

And finally, some movies focus on keeping you on the edge of your seat with explosions and being a fun fast paced movie, like this one, and it delivered. – Brandon Fluhr Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

5

Movie Reviews 2009 ½ star

Absolute Crap!!! – Miles Essner

Transformers 2 was a total let-down. The action was really good, but honestly, the storyline was disastrous. There were just too many things happening at once. First, Sam’s house is destroyed, and then he’s going to Harvard. Not long after he ends up in Washington D.C. and then out of nowhere he randomly appears in Egypt. It is almost impossible to keep up with this movie. The acting was good, but this only goes as an O.K. movie. They better consider this before filming the third movie. – Arthur Sarkisyan

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.00 stars

A Christmas Carol ½

This movie was great. It was clearly the best take on the classic story I have ever seen! Jim Carey executes all of his parts beautifully. The animation was fantastic and the 3-D was dazzling. I really can't think of a bad thing about this movie. I think I see a few Oscars headed in this direction! I absolutely loved it. - Daniel Rudin This is one of many really bad movies out right now. This movie has nothing to it. No comedy, no excitement, no action and nothing to make this movie special or good in any way. I saw it in 3-D, but nothing really jumped out at me. It was just like if I had not seen it in 3-D. This is supposed to be a "holiday movie" but it did not exactly get me into the holiday spirit. – Brandon Nomberg

½

In this movie, which I watched in 3D, Scrooge, who is played by Jim Carrey, is visited by three spirits who try to give him a chance to make a fresh start. The plot in this movie is obvious, but the amount of suspense was overdone. The graphics were pretty good, it had some decent acting but I have to give them some credit for actually staying with the play. – Ananth Nagaraj This definitely a stud for Robert Zemeckis. Along with Forrest Gump and Back to the Future. It was a perfect to have Jim Carrey as Scrooge he put everything he had into it and he didn’t disappoint. What made it so great were all of the unexpected features in the movie, it was like lion that couldn’t be tamed. It wasn’t amazing but it was way better than a Polar Express, which is a good thing. – Miles Essner

½ As if we needed ANOTHER rendition of this tired story…– Dean Essner

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.30 stars 6

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Movie Reviews 2009

Inglourious Basterds This masterpiece begins with the insane mind of Quentin Tarantino thinking he could get away with no spell check for the title. Well this review isn’t about spelling, it’s about the movie. It stars Brad Pitt as “Lt. Aldo Rain,” who rounds up a bunch of shabby officers and turns them into Nazi killing Jews. This is very much Tarantino with credits in the beginning and a storyline arranged into chapters. And yes, the blood in this movie would be enough to fill a swimming pool, but the awesome action, dialogue and overall idea of Nazi killers is what makes this movie so darn great. – Miles Essner Ahhh…the best movie of the summer and probably the year. It was funny, witty, violent, irreverent, but most of all…it was brilliant. If there is any writer better than Quentin Tarantino in Hollywood, then he must reveal himself immediately! In addition, someone should give Christoph Waltz with the Best Supporting Actor award because his legendary performance deserves the sparkling Academy gold. – Dean Essner

The Men Who Stare At Goats Looney, gooney and extremely outrageous, this film is fun if you can close your brain for 2 hours and enjoy the madness on the screen. This, by no means, is quality stuff though. Luckily, George Clooney is there to half-save the day. – Dean Essner

¼

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Movie Reviews 2009

Julie & Julia ¼

Meryl Streep is probably the biggest heavyweight actress in Hollywood today, yet she still proves she is also the most talent ed as her portrayal of famed chef Julia Child is both spot on and imaginative. And instead of overpowering the role, she enhances it with her veteran charm. Stanley Tucci also enchants. – Dean Essner

Land of the Lost 0 stars

This is a very short review, however, I feel it is necessary to provide a public service announcement avoid “Land of the Lost” at all costs. This just may be the worst movie I have seen in years. (The same level as the horrific flop “Gigli” – if you have even heard of that travesty). I know it is supposed to be stupid funny, but they just tried too hard and it completely did not work. Shame on you Will Farrell! Please, do not waste your time – You will never get those 102 minutes of your life back! You have been warned. – Mr. Bund

Old Dogs ½

star This movie was a really bad movie.

Sure, it was a little funny, but it was a really stupid movie. This movie had me sitting in my chair checking my watch every two minutes hoping it would end. The movie starts out funny, but as it goes on, it just gets worse and worse. I don't know how anybody could produce a movie this bad. This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. – Brandon Nomberg

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Movie Reviews 2009

Michael Jackson’s This Is It OK, we all know that Michael Jackson is the King of Pop and probably one of the best artists of all time. That being said, this movie was not that good at all. I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson.

He is one of my favorite musicians, however, when I saw this movie I was pretty bored, considering it was all footage from the same concert. He did not do the moonwalk or that lean he does in Smooth Criminal. He sang all of the classics, but failed to capture my attention. I love Michael Jackson, but not the movie. – Daniel Rudin

½

Michael Jackson the King of Pop almost made it to his This is It tour in London in July, but sadly he died. The movie starts with interviews with all of the dancers that dance behind MJ, but they only got to practice with him. The whole movie is about MJ’s Rehearsals and him singing dancing and creating the transitions that would show up on the backscreen on the back of the stage. Michael’s director is Kenny Ortega, the man that also directed High School Musical.

Michael had no problems singing, except during ABC he felt the mic in his ear was pounding in his ear. That was when Kenny Ortega crossed the nice barrier... “Oh Michael were so sorry, anything for you, is there anything else we can do for you? Do you want a little more bass? Michael anything, anything?” He said that all in one breath and Michael just keeps going no it’s ok...ok...ok. Kenny also made jokes about Michael when he got back on the cherry picker for Beat It. They also made new transitioning and backgrounds for Smooth Criminal, Bad, Earth Song, and even Thriller! The coolest one was when they used a green screen and put 5 guys in front of the green screen and on the computer they multiplied them to the highest amount.

The movie also featured him singing and dancing to all of his songs. I would go see the movie again! – Andrew Faber

¾

It I’m not really sure how to rate this movie. I can’t rate it on its acting, because there was no acting, everything was footage taken of the preparing for the concert. I couldn’t rate it on its plot because there was no plot, the movie had no script and was never intended to be released. I could only rate it on the way that the director managed to put it together with what they had. The only way to describe this movie is think of a behind the scenes/making of special feature on a DVD. This movie featured wonderful music and a spectacular performance by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. – Brandon Fluhr Before I talk about this movie, I would like to express my opinion of why I think this movie was made. Ever since Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009, many people have been obsessed with him and started to listen to his music and practice his moves. This movie was made in dedication of him, and I liked it a lot. The movie was about a concert that Michael Jackson was setting up. In his planned concert he sang many songs he had written before and he did a lot of nice dance moves. There were costumes and dancers for some of the songs. This movie showed songs from the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson himself. I think this concert would have been really spectacular. There were a lot of special effects that they had planned and Michael Jackson always seems to be ahead of his time trying new things. But as a movie it was a little slow. If you are a real Michael Jackson fan I think you will love it. – Josh Cohen Average

HHH

Review Club Rating: 3.43 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Movie Reviews 2009

2012

2012 was a stupid movie. There are a lot of things wrong with this movie – too many to go into. It is just a stupid movie. – Sal Liotta The plot behind the movie is based on a father and his family trying to survive a worldwide catastrophe predicted by the Mayans to occur on December 21, 2012. The special effects were really cool, especially a title wave scene. They try to get to China before the world floods. There are super strong submarines (arks) built to withstand the flood. The movie was good and exciting. – Joe Anderson 2012 is an action packed movie with tons of special effects. As in most movies the story takes a while to take off. They always see something they have no clue what it is and then they find one clue or meet somebody that helps the journey. The main family has to get to these space rocket things in China, but they have no tickets or anything and they always find somebody that helps. The story was weak and you could pretty much predict what was going to happen.

There’s an earthquake in California and the main character, Jackson goes to pick up his family right after they walk out the door the house collapsed and then they got into the car when he pulled away the earth behind him cracked. Then they got into a plane and right when they took off you now know the earth cracked behind them! And when the world is in the middle of crumbling a car passes by that just happens to have tickets to the ship. In another scene when Jackson and his little daughter were in an RV a volcano erupted and they got through and dodged everything. Some of it wasn’t even possible to pull off in real life. The most suspenseful parts were at the end when the earth was blowing up piece by piece and the scenes kept switching from America to India to China. In the end all the rich people board the ships and all the poor people are left behind. I give it 3 stars, because the special effects were amazing. – Andrew Faber

½

The movie is basically about what scientists believe will happen on the winter solstice (December 21, 2012) based on the Mayan calendar. This movie also shows an average Californian family going through the many challenges of the chaos.

Based on the movie, this tragic day starts in California with mini earthquakes, a humungous explosion in Yellow Stone Park, (where the father and kids of the family happen to be staying) and finally, a big earthquake splitting the Pacific plate completely. It ends with a big tsunami and a big flood between the Himalayan Mountains.

The acting needed work and the special effects were pretty good. This movie is rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language. If you think you would get scared from this movie, you shouldn’t watch it. Only watch it if you believe that the theory of December, 2012 is true, and you’re willing to find out what might happen. – Nick Robinson

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.88 stars 10

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ½

Here are the 3 words to sum it up: boring, predictable and unoriginal.

Producers still think cheesy humor, making the boy and girl fall in love, and the “Believe in Yourself” moral will get them to the top of the box office. Kids will eventually realize that these horrific, cheesy movies go in the same pattern: Boy has a goal in life; Dad discourages it; Boy meets girl; Boy achieves goal; Boy becomes famous; Boy and girl have fight while piano music plays during a montage of them walking with their backs to the camera; Problem seems like it can never be solved; Boy and girl make up; end of movie with makeout session. BORING! These writers need a reality check! – Sam Leifer

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a very good movie. At first, I thought it was just about a bunch of meatballs falling out of the sky, mainly because that was how the poster depicted it, but the plot was actually way more interesting and complex than that. The majority of the movie had humor and action, but surprisingly, there were some emotional and romantic parts that touched your heart. The 3-D effect also contributed to the splendor of the film. So people, don’t think that this movie is basically about meatballs raining from the sky, because it’s far better than that. Due to the fact that it’s not in the theaters anymore and because it was such a good movie, I recommend buying Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on DVD. – Kevin Liang

This movie was definitely not the best movie I have ever seen, but it was good. It is about a kid who loves science. He invents a machine where you can make food by just typing it in and adding water. What happens is that the invention launches into the sky and turns the weather into food! Will this be good for a small, little town or will it destroy it? See for yourself, because I am not telling.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty fun movie. – Justin Wieder Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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½

This was not the best movie, but it was somewhat good. Basically, an experiment goes wrong it starts raining 3-course meals and now Flint, the hero, has to save the world. If you are someone who loves cut animated movies with a happy ending, then this is for you. – Victoria Korine Not the best, but not awful either. A boy grows up trying to invent ridiculous things like flying rats, but one day creates a machine that makes food fall from the sky. Overall, the worst thing about this movie was that it was too predicable. It was just not very thrilling. If you are going to see this movie, see it at home. At least you get free food there. – Tyler Morgan Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a good movie. There were funny parts, action parts, and some chicken kung fu fighting parts. If you read the book, then the plot was predictable, with some exceptions, but it’s such a great story that it’s so much fun to watch. The movie is about a genius, Flint Lockwood, whose inventions are almost perfect. He is a very unusual person who wants to prove himself to his town and his father. Lockwood invents a machine that makes food out of water, then he shoots it up in the sky and it rains food that the town desperately needs. Everyone loves him but when the mayor gets greedy there’s a BIG problem... I recommend this movie for families and kids ages 6 to 13 who want to see their book favorite characters come to life.

– Aaron Berley

¼ star

This was completely uninteresting. Predictable, extremely unoriginal, waste of money, waste of time, stupid, annoying, and terrible– Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.18 stars 12

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

½ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was an average movie. The film was basically a flight of stairs; each event was a step, and the “steps” in the movie ultimately led to the most important event of all. My big complaint is that the movie didn’t really correspond with the book! Also, the movie lacked in action and violence, but the cool visual effects (spell-casting) mainly compensated for that loss and were probably what kept this movie intact and from falling apart. Was the film terrible? No, but it wasn’t extraordinary either. – Kevin Liang

½

Being a Harry Potter fan, I was very excited when I heard this movie was coming out. I ran to the theater the first night I was able to get there! There was a lot of hype for this movie. It pains me to say this, but I thought this movie would be better. Overall, it was dark and the dialogue was not easy to understand. I felt that if I had not read the book, I would have had no idea what was going on. The storyline that you actually could understand was not too bad, and the action was good, but there was just too much missing. I was deeply disappointed by this movie, and I hope the 7th will be better – Morgan Rampolla

¾

Look, I understand you Harry Potter fans were very excited for this flick, but I gotta tell you, this movie was a waste of time and money. It was only a big build up to important events involving Dumbledore. OK – now what? Sure, there were some cool special effects, but the plot was so simple, that it was not worth it. – Elliott Vogel This movie did not have enough action and did not live up to its expectations. I thing they should have showed Lord Voldormort more. Overall, it is not the best in the series. – Brandon Ozley

½

You have to admit this it was not the best Harry Potter movie. – Tina Ranjbar

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½

Totally fun. I thought it was going to be bad, because of the PG

rating. I was wrong. – Tana Ranjbar

½

Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince

was an okay movie. However, it is definitely not my favorite out of all the movies. It didn’t have enough action; there was way too much drama. The story was focused on Ron and Hermione’s “feelings” more than the main conflict, involving

Harry

and

Dumbledore

searching

for

Horcruxes. Overall, this is a decent movie. –Jason Zelamsky ½ I have always lo ved the Harry Potter films and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was another great one. This movie is about Harry, Ron, and Hermoine returning to Hogwarts School for their sixth year. There is a lot in store for these characters, with surprises around every corner. There is a new professor who teaches a Potions Class, and Harry finds a textbook which belonged to a former student. But, this student was no ordinary student. It was the Half-Blood Prince who was a master at potions and his notes helped Harry to excel in this class and beyond. Harry uncovers his spells which are useful, but have a very dark side. There are also scenes which reveal Snape’s Defense Against the Dark Arts position. So many aspects of the Harry’s and Snape’s relationship are explored and add to the drama. As the year continues Harry, Ron, and Hermoine learn to Apparate (transport), visit Fred and George’s Joke Shop, play Quidditch, and learn more about Voldemort’s dark past. Dangerous secrets are being uncovered and you can’t believe what they find. Also, rivalries continue to develop and grow. The movie was exciting and thrilling with all the new spells like Episkey (fix something that is broken) and Aguamenti (produces a jet of water). This movie, unlike the previous ones in the series, focused more on drama than on action, which was a bit disappointing, but it did have some romance.

Plus, the movie ends with the biggest surprise! You might be shocked for days. If you are a Harry Potter fan you won’t want to miss it! - Ryan Winthrop After being disappointed from the last movie, I was expecting a lot for this one. The movie fulfilled my expectations but not as much I was hoping for. The Imax Experience was TERRIBLE. Only 5 minutes of the movie was in 3-D. It was not worth paying an extra ten dollars for. But the plot of the story was a little better. In the movie, Harry is going to confront the dark wizard Voldemort. Headmaster Dumbledore wants Harry to be prepared to battle Voldemort. Harry goes through memories of Voldemort as a student in Hogwarts, in order to learn more about him. . Then soon some romance occurs at Hogwarts, where Harry has a secretly loves Ron’s younger sister. Then at the end I was very disappointing. The beginning and middle were true to the book but then was ruined by the ending. If it wasn’t for the ending this movie would be the best Harry Potter film of all time. Despite the OK plot the visual effects made it up. The visual effect in the movie was AMAZING. It was the best I have seen in the film series. Despite the OK plot the movie was pretty good and I enjoyed it. - Umer Chaudhry

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Movie Reviews 2009 Harry Potter Continued… ¼

Here it is…another movie from J. K. Rowling’s book series. I am an average fan, but I thought this movie was very good. It is about Harry Potter, who connects with Dumbledore (the headmaster of Hogwarts School). Harry, Ron, and Hermione are going into their sixth year as students at Hogwarts.

They learn all about Lord Voldemort‘s past and how it relates to Harry’s life. Harry and Dumbledore can capture other people’s memories and use them as puzzle pieces in otherwise incomplete memories to see the true meaning. The new secrets can be very shocking, but in the end, it makes sense by pulling it altogether. A new professor comes to teach the Potions Class which Harry seemed to like and “lessons” learned there played an important part of the story. A lot of new secrets roam the halls of Hogwarts and some are too hard to believe. And, a certain character changes incredibly as the year goes by. It seems as the character is racing against time and experiences something new. A shocking ending lifts you off the seats and has the audience begging to know the big question…WHY??? You will not believe the ending.

I gave these movie 3 ¼ stars because it was well done. It had a lot of drama, a lot of romance, some action, and unbelievable dedication by some of the characters. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves magic, drama, and anything that will make you gasp. You did not have to read the book to enjoy the movie. Its fast pace and vivid storytelling was enough to keep anyone involved. This movie may have been a hit for dedicated Harry Potter fans, but it was not a classic movie. For me, it was an enjoyable movie worth watching. - Dana Winthrop

Although not anything spectacular this movie did a decent job of recreating the book.

This movie had a deep plot and good acting. It was less violent than the last two movies in the series. Some moments might be disturbing for little kids. Overall, a mediocre adaptation of a great story. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.73 stars Tara Ranjbar rates all the Harry Potter movies: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – 2 ¾ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 3 ½

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January 2010

15

Movie Reviews 2009

District 9

½

The summer kicked off with an action packed thrill ride called District 9. With the director taking a walk in the park with his gore, it brought more into the story. It was about an agency that only deals with aliens who are lead by a British analyst, trying to move the aliens over from District 9 to District 10. In this review, I can only go so far into detail because there are so many important things that can’t be said. I would like to give it a little more credit, but these kinds of movies aren’t usually my cup of tea. Still, it was quite good. – Miles Essner

½

If one were to grade District 9, it must be done so in three separate acts. Act 1- 4 stars. Act 2- 4 stars. Act 3- 2 ½ Stars. Why the dip in rating? Well, District 9 through most of the way is without a doubt one of the most important portrayals of alien life since E.T., one that melds together political ideals and tongue-in-cheek humor. In the end, however, it attempts to wow with special effects. It is still awesome overall though.

– Dean Essner

The Blind Side A heart warming movie that does not necessarily only meet the interests of football fans, far from it, since football has little to do with this film. This is all about the changes that Michael Oher and his adopted family went through in order to give him the family he never had. A touching film that has everything from comedy to tears, and possibly the best movie I’ve seen all year. The only part I did not like is that the Patriots traded their draft pick to Baltimore so they could get him, ughhh! – Brett Levine 16

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

This movie is hilarious. Paul Blart gets a job to be a mall cop and is trying his best. What can happen? There are good stunts, and the good relationships between the characters. It is a great movie for the whole family. This movie makes me crack up! - Justin Wieder

½

It had its funny moments. Not many, but there were a few in there. I think Kevin James can be very funny, but this movie did not really show how funny he can be. A few laughs, but do not go out of your way to see this. – Mr. Bund

¼

Kevin James provides one laugh in this movie and yes it includes him getting hurt…end of story. – Dean Essner Mall cop was a great comedy for the entire family. A real "blockbuster." It was much better than most people expected. It was an exiting movie with an unexpected ending. - Brandon Nomberg

½ star

Mall Cop was the worst movie of 2009. In this movie, Paul Blart is an officer at his local mall and Black Friday is coming. On Black Friday a bunch of thugs take over the mall as everyone runs out, but they do hold hostages. Paul Blart is the only one left and it’s up to him to save the prisoners with the mall. This movie does deliver a few cheap laughs, but come on, honestly, one of the worst movies of all time. – Arthur Sarkisyan

¼ Stupid kids’ movie which provided a few immature laughs which involved Kevin James getting hurt. The rest of the content was very predictable and pointless. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.75 Stars

Fantastic Mr. Fox ¾ An absolutely brilliant portrayal of the Raold Dahl book by director/writer Wes Anderson, this movie is both heartwarming and hilarious, as it uses the stop-motion form of animation to create an unbelievably realistic movie. And did I mention there are talking foxes. Doesn’t matter, its still more realistic than any other animated movie this year because the script is so personable and so relatable that it seems connect the story it to the real world. – Dean Essner Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

17

Movie Reviews 2009 The Invention of Lying This movie was surprisingly good. I had a bunch of laughs and almost even cried. This movie is about a world in which people don’t lie. For the first time in the world a man named Mark lies about the amount of money in his bank account because he needs to pay off his rent. He falls in love with an attractive woman, Anna, although she isn’t attracted to him. She doesn’t love him because he is fat and has a large nose and doesn’t want his genes because she doesn’t want fat children.

Mark uses his lies to change his fortunes, and the wonderful message that people are more than what they see on the outside - Noah Berley

Bruno ¼

It was disgusting! It was funny! It was almost impossible to watch! But, overall Bruno just pushed the envelope too far. When Jody Hill pushed his comedy (Observe and Report) passed its mainstream breaking point, he found frightening bliss. But Sacha Baren Cohen this time was not as successful because, well, he always goes too far, and when he decided to go further… - Dean Essner

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009

The Hangover

The Hangover was refreshing to watch. There are too many “Comedy” movies that are not funny, but the Hangover had me laughing the entire time. The movie doesn’t have a great plot but it sure is funny. The movie is basically about a guy who is getting married and has a bachelors party in Las Vegas with his two best friends and his brother in law. After a few drinks they wake up in the morning in a trashed apartment with no Hank(The Bachelor) and can’t remember a thing. The friends must find Hank and get to the wedding in time. Overall I give I give it 3 stars. – Paul DeCarlo

¼

I am quite frankly sick and tired of hearing how The Hangover is the breakout comedy of the year because that award belongs to either Duplicity or Observe And Report.

But, for mainstream hilarity, The Hangover is a funny bone tickling winner. I will even go as far to say that Zack Galafiankas as the chunky, idiot brother-in-law- to-be deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination. – Dean Essner

One of the funnier movies I have seen in years! – Mr. Bund

Angels & Demons ½

This is a yet another Ron Howard dud. This movie was whipping you back and forth leaving you after a scene with loads of questions.

Although, it was like National Treasure (WHICH SUCKED!!!) it seemed show signs of thrill in several spots. That’s why I’m not going to trash it. – Miles Essner ½ Better than The DaVinci code, but just an OK movie – Mr. Bund

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19

Movie Reviews 2009

Public Enemies ½

Dark, deceptive and super cool, Public Enemies was as impeccably shot and written as it was awesome. And when Johnny Depp is his reliably brilliant self, along with Christian Bale (in his thankfully not OVERLY serious mode), Billy Crudup and the Oscar winner Marie Cotillard, anything less than this excellent movie would have been a major disappointment. – Dean Essner

¾

A good movie with another very good job by Johnny Depp. It kept my attention, but not the best movie of the year. A decent rental movie – Mr. Bund

½

Johnny Depp was a perfect fit to play John Dillanger, the money stealing, bank robbing, and jail-breaking maniac. The action was endless, and so was the brilliance. It gave us a glimpse of life in the 30s and how crime war was incredibly fierce. Nothing else needs to be said for this awesome film except, SEE IT!!!! – Miles Essner

Up ¾

With its heart-wrenching opening monologue, to the outstanding CGI effects, Up continues the Pixar streak even with a main character that is possibly Pixar’s most nondescript protagonist ever (played by Ed Asner). It doesn’t matter one bit as Up is just as wonderful and endearing as WALL E if not better. Plus, the score by Michael Giacchino is hands down Oscar worthy. – Dean Essner

½

I’ve officially come to the conclusion that Pixar can’t make a bad movie. It seems like every time they have an idea it’s an Oscar win a GG win etc. They all are so gifted and they used those talents in Up. It seemed that the story was a little too bleak, but the talents of the filmmakers covered it up with symbolism and entertainment beyond the normal standards. I hope that Pixar can keep on striving to reach new heights in the future. – Miles Essner 20

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Movie Reviews 2009

Terminator Salvation

½ Action-packed, cheesy

and gobs of fun, Terminator Salvation definitely does justice to the Terminator franchise. Yes the script is weak and the acting is laughably campy, but the action is wonderfully done securing interest for me in the next series installment. – Dean Essner

½

This thrilling final chapter of the Terminator series shows us what the world they spoke of in the last three is really like. You really should watch the first three before this one otherwise it will just seem like some weird sci-fi cliché. It does have originality and will be placed close to the last three on what I call the “nostalgia meter,” but it lacks a certain something. Let’s see - it has action, a good story line, but still… WHERE IS ARNOLD? They gave him a computer-generated cameo, but that only proves that he could have been in the whole movie. Instead we get John Connor, Kyle Reece, and some mute girl. I mean they’re good actors, but what comes to mind when you hear the word Terminator? – Nick Frankel

½

The latest installment in the venerable scifi action franchise turns out to be a straight-up war film, grim and muscular and thundering and joyless. It’s the color of cement, and it weighs as much, too. – Arthur Sarkisyan

¾: This was not a great movie, but it definitely was not as

bad as everyone said it was. It was not nearly as good as Terminator 2 but it was far better than Terminator 3 which was just awful. Going into the war with the machines itself instead of waiting until the aftermath would have been a better idea in my opinion. The ending was very predictable, it is just like every other Terminator movie where progress is made but the final goal is never fully accomplished. This of course leaves room for a sequel, and a very unfulfilling movie. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.56 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Movie Reviews 2009

Taken ¾

Action packed and enjoyable although completely unrealistic. Having one gun, killing everybody with machine guns, and not even getting hit once is a stretch even for Hollywood. Though ending was very predictable, it was a fast paced movie that was fun, but wasn’t excellent. Neeson’s acting definitely brought something to the table, otherwise it would just be another weak action thriller. – Brandon Fluhr

Sorry, but just not that good. It was enjoyable, and I liked some of the action sequences, but the characters were poorly developed and I feel that they could have done so much more. Overall just an OK movie. If you want to see it, wait for a rental. – Mr. Bund I thought Taken was an ok movie. It is about an ex government agent who’s daughter is kidnapped in Spain. The action was very good… except I don’t really know how he was killing guys with his bare hands while they’re shooting at him with UZIs and MP5s, which leads me to my next point. It was like there was almost nothing really stopping him. None of those moments when you say “Oh $*#% it’s over… he’s going to fail.” They could have done much more with this movie than they did. There was too much fighting and not enough speaking. - Eric Hechler

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.25 stars

Madea Goes To Jail ¾

From the commercial it looked as though it was going to be extremely hilarious. Having seen the movie I learned that every single funny moment this film contained was featured in the trailer. It was two plots in one that partially intertwine. Part one was about an obnoxious old fat lady (Madea) who is constantly breaking the law and finally gets sent to jail, and her story is very entertaining. The other part centers around a prostitute who winds up in jail with Madea whose plot was extremely boring and unentertaining. – Brandon Fluhr 22

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Movie Reviews 2009

Year One

Jack Black is great, and Michael Cera (who was in Juno - which I hated) played the role of the passive wimp was pretty good. The history was pretty messed up though. The first book of the Bible all took place before year one.

Also the comedy was gross – Just to warn you all in advance. Jack Black does eat err… unwrapped chocolate. Also it doesn’t have a story - just two guys are banished after eating the forbidden fruit and go around and be stupid.

– Nick Frankel Since when was Jack Black in a movie this bad? – Dean Essner It had its moments where I actually laughed, but still a bad movie. – Mr. Bund

½

Jack Black and Michael Cera made some of the worst career moves by being a part in the film. The script was terrible the acting was terrible. To sum it up, everything was terrible. – Miles Essner

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.33 stars

Race to Witch Mountain If you’re expecting a remake of the classic then think again. The bad guy is more like the one from Hellboy and the plot is kind of like The Fugitive, yet it still keeps originality. The kids are good, The Rock is good, and even the minor characters were memorable. A good family movie. – Nick Frankel

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Movie Reviews 2009

Fast and Furious ½

A great movie starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. A race for $2 billion, but as Vin Diesel and Paul Walker discover the truth, it becomes a race for their survival. – Ananth Nagaraj This was a good movie, not special, but very good. It was easy for me to understand only because I saw the other “Fast and Furious” movies. If you have not seen at least the first movie this will be hard for you to follow.

Some parts may be inappropriate for younger kids, other than that it was a great movie. – Vishnu Nagaraj Fast cars and Vin Diesel’s definition of acting. Oh, there was a story in there too, but who watches this movie for a plot? – Mr. Bund

½ star

Who is Vin Diesel? What is this movie about? What are they even racing for. This movie has no plot, they just said “Hey let’s put some big explosions and girls in bikinis and call it a movie. This is the bottom of the barrel! Do Not Watch!!! – Nick Frankel

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.25 stars

Paranormal Activity 1/4

This movie was about an engaged couple named Katie and Mica. Katie revels that she has a demon who follows her, and after seeing a ghost hunter, Mica decides to catch it himself. If you enjoy perfectly angled shots, and a planned out script, don't watch this movie. But if you want to feel as though you are there, and walk out the theatre scared out of your mind, than go see it. This movie will keep you awake, as I am now, with lights on all around you. Every noise you hear, water dripping, door opening, a breeze, will cause your mind to jump. When I returned home, my sister opened her door, and I jumped to the ceiling and started hyperventilating. The special effects in this movie are very minor, due to the fact that it is supposed to make you feel as if it is a real home video. The actors are amazing and very talented and will make you believe it’s real. It has some very funny points, and throughout the whole movie you will be laughing, but at the end, you will walk out scared, and unable to go to sleep. - Zach Appenzeller

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Movie Reviews 2009

X-Men Origins Wolverine ½

This was a very

highly anticipated movie, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. The special effects drove the movie to a point where it was getting a little annoying. But the fierce role of Jackman was one of the good points the movie had to offer. I will give the movie interesting at best but to adore the series you'll have to watch the other movies. – Miles Essner

“X-Men Origins Wolverine” is the 4th movie in the X-Men series.

Logan/Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and Victor/Sabertooth (played by Leiv Scheriber) play mutant brothers who fight together. They fought in the Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, and the Vietnam War. William Stryker invites them to join a team of mutants with special powers.

Logan leaves and the group breaks up. Six years later, Logan is living with his girlfriend and is now a logger. But when his girlfriend gets killed by Victor, and their old group is being hunted down, again by Victor, he agrees to become invincible. When Logan is invincible, nothing can destroy him. The conflict is Brother vs. Brother in the final showdown. When Stryker reveals his plan, Logan escapes. Now he has to defeat Victor with the help of others and save the world.

I gave this movie 4 Stars. One reason is that Hugh Jackman is an amazing actor as usual.

Also, the stunts are fascinating! They keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. For example, Logan throws a bomb in a grounded helicopter and as he walks off, it explodes right behind him with a cloud (like an atomic bomb). What happens to Victor? What is Stryker planning? Will Wolverine save the world? Only way to find out is to watch “X-Men Origins Wolverine” unravel. - Ryan Winthrop

½

If you like superheroes or ever wondered what James Howlett’s (a.k.a.

Wolverine) life was like before he joined the X-Men or how he got his adamantium claws and skeleton, then X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the perfect movie for you! This movie is an action-packed thriller and will appeal to any avid X-Men/Wolverine fan. Also, I personally thought that this movie was one of the most outstanding of all the Marvel superhero movies I’ve watched, and believe me, I’ve watched many (Fantastic 4, SpiderMan, X-Men: I, II, III). This film will keep you interested and on the brink of your seat for the full 107 minutes. Your eyes will stay open the entire time; it will be impossible to close them. This just proves how stellar X-Men Origins: Wolverine is. After the movie concluded, all I could say was, “Wow! Definitely going to get that on DVD.” – Kevin Liang Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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25

½ I enjoy the X‐men movies, and Wolverine is my favorite.

Hugh Jackman is perfect for t he role. Learning about Wolverine’s origins was fun and entertaining. That being said, it was overall an OK movie. Honestly, I like these kinds of movies, but that does not make them 4 stars.

There is a difference between enjoying a movie, and being honest about the rating. X‐men Origins was worth seeing if you like the comic book movies, but it is still only a 2 ½ star movie. – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.63 stars

Movie Reviews

Hotel for dogs ½

An ok movie. Good for kids under the age of 9. If you are an adult or older than 9, you will probably find this movie very boring. It does not have much of a plot, and there are no exciting twists anywhere in the movie. It’s good if you love dogs, but otherwise it is pretty boring. It was not the worst movie ever, but nothing great. - Brandon Nomberg

This movie was good for little kids. I thought that it was predictable, but there were some immature funny moments that can be entertaining to younger audiences. A great family movie. – Brandon Fluhr

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009

Monsters vs. Aliens ¾

Fun, fun, fun movie! Yes it is childish and the jokes are sometimes bland, but it also is a perfectly good reason why Seth Rogen is one of the funniest people in Hollywood today. – Dean Essner

¾ I think the idea of this movie was very good, but the producers got too caught up with being in 3-D and that ruined it. Everything just revolved around the 3-D. I must admit, the movie was very comedic and there were many funny parts, but still just an OK movie. – Elliott Vogel

¼

This movie did not live up to my expectations. I felt they tried to funny, but it was just lacking. I also felt that it barely had a storyline, although the president played by Stephen Colbert was great.

Do not waste your time or money on this movie. – Sal Liotta A cute and amusing movie for little children. It actually did have a few laughs, but I recommend it for younger kids. – Noah Berley

½

This is a movie about a bunch of monsters who fight an army of cloned aliens. It's not the best movie to see, but it's a good movie to see with a bunch of little kids. It has a few funny moments, but not a very interesting plot. A bad thing about this movie is that it's so short. I sat down and felt like a few moments later the credits were rolling. In all, this movie is for little kids, but it has its funny moments. – Josiana Lecrete

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.31 stars

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27

Movie Reviews 2009

Coraline

Wow. Such a great movie. Tim Burton never stops impressing me. Coraline was very bizarre and creepy, in an artistic way which I always love. Anyone who loved the artistic vision that was thrown into Nightmare Before Christmas must see this movie. - Daniel Rudin

¾

Animation is a dark art of wisdom, creativity and sometimes, if the movie is good, magic. Coraline doesn’t have magic…it IS magic. To say that a movie is magical is to say that it is so original that it causes jaw-dropping awe, and to say that this film was aweinspiring would be an understatement. Made by the creative genius Henry Sellick who created the wonderful Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline has the looks and the feel of a movie that was generated from a psychotic dream. But it isn’t a cute one, as Coraline is PG for the squeamish. The tale is about a young girl named Coraline who wanders through a mysterious door to an alternate world of hers. Her parents in real life are overworking, uptight people, where in the alter world they are fun loving. But the catch is drastic; everyone in the world has buttons for eyes, which symbolizes their conformity as well as the removal of their individual soles. The story is captivating and overstuffed, but the magic is ever present. And as young Coraline discovers what the alternate world really is, the plot twist is frightening and yet beautiful. It will GLADLY haunt your dreams. – Dean Essner ¾ I was too late to see this movie in 3-D, so that made it just 2-D for me. Still, the movie was good, and looked very real from claymation. The only problem that I had, though, is that there is a very disturbing scene; too disturbing for young children. Otherwise, it was a good movie. – Elliott Vogel

½

Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is an adventurous girl who finds a secret doorway that leads to another world! At the other world she has an “Other Mother” and an “Other Father.” The other parents are the opposite of the real parents – they are better. Coraline meets new friends and a talking cat! Will Coraline have to choose a world to stay forever? Why did I rate it 4 stars? I loved the animations, and it was a great family/fantasy movie - Tara Ranjbar

I saw this movie during my 11th birthday slumber party with 11 of my best friends. This was an outstanding movie, with all sorts of plot twists and some scary parts. I now title this The Best Movie I Have Ever Seen. – Brandon Epstein

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.60 stars 28

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Movie Reviews 2009

Knowing ½

I love Nicholas Cage so this was kind of a letdown. My dad loved it, but I was confused and could have literally fallen asleep at some parts. There are 2 stories going on at once. First they can predict disasters, and then the kids were the supposed chosen ones. I would not say this is a must see. – Nick Frankel

½

An interesting psychological thriller. Is all of history pre-ordained, and there is nothing you can do to stop it – even if you know it is going to happen? I saw this movie with a friend going to seminary school (to be a priest), and there are some very interesting subjects addressed about God’s will, the Genesis story of creation, and the existence of angels. If you see it, it will spark an interesting discussion.

Overall, an OK movie, but it will make you think. – Mr. Bund

½

This movie is great. It has action, adventure, mild violence, and is a little scary. I think that most people would enjoy this movie. Nicholas Cage did a great job in it. – Zach Levitan

½

Knowing was a good movie. It made me think about the future. The movie was a little scary at first, but as the movie progressed, I could see the point of it. This movie could have been better, if it weren't for two very violent scenes which were simply too graphic and unreal. The ending of this movie was very logical, but when it came, the image was very strange and I could have dealt without it. -Maya Gasiorowski

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.75 stars

Dance Flick The Wayan brothers trying to remake the ________ movies (Epic, Scary, Superhero…). It was funny as it parodies many dance movies such as Step Up, Save the Last Dance and many more. It was not as entertaining as Epic Movie but much better than Scary Movie 1 and 2 which were dreadful.

– Brandon Fluhr Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

29

Movie Reviews 2009

Watchmen

There sure was no shortage of hype for this action feature, but is Watchmen really worth watching? If you were to sum up the movie Watchmen in one word it would probably be “disappointing”.

Director Zack Snyder presents the famous comic book with loads of special effects and big explosions, but he simply ends up with a conventional, average effort at best. Why? Well all fingers must be pointed at the terrible (and I repeat) terrible script that is so preposterous on the screen that it sounds like the comic book was copied directly for the screenplay. Don’t get me wrong, it is gold on paper, but it just doesn’t transcend well to the screen. Other quibbles include movies length, which was almost 3 hours and I can safely say my interest began to wane after one, and the bland acting of Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan (which is a shame because he is such a talented actor). But are there any positive aspects? Yes, and the biggest is the brilliant acting of Jackie Earl Haley, who’s face still bares the same hard nosed expression as he portrayed in 1976’s Bad News Bears. So…is it worth watching? You make the call because Watchmen is an incoherent mess of a movie that is very disappointing and even disgustingly out of place at worst, but it’s also a feisty, first rate apocalyptic portrayal on nuclear war. It is enough genius rapped in garbage to make you cry and long for what could have been. – Dean Essner

I thought this was a terrible movie. There was so much blood and killing, it was hard to watch. Also, the plot was so fuzzy and hard to understand. At the end of the movie I said to myself, “What just happened??!!” - Noah Berley

¾

Very faithful to the book and a great interpretation of a graphic novel.

IF you did not read the book, I think you may not find it easy to follow and not enjoy it entirely. IF you did read the book and loved it, then add a star to the rating. – Mr. Bund This movie was not very entertaining. It was extremely hard to follow because the plot jumped around a lot to the point that you find yourself lost. It was very annoying with a disappointing ending. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.69 stars 30

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Movie Reviews 2009

Star Trek

If you ever watched the TV series, you'll highly enjoy this movie. It follows the story of the characters very well. Personally, when I walked into the theater I was expecting a lame movie with the same old storyline. But this had action, romance, sadness, and confusion all wrapped up in a spaceship. The problem with this movie is that the plot, like all science fiction films, is full of holes. The complication of going back in time mixes things up a little. I don't want to ruin the ending for you so lets just say, "if I went back in time and killed my mother, then I would never be born and therefore couldn't kill her, so she'd still be alive." Keep this saying in mind when watching this movie. - Josiana Lecrete

½

Total action, great special effects, a very good story, and good acting. This brings you back to the time before the original Star Trek series (the one from the 1960’s). You will learn where Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the famous crew came from. It was expertly directed to combine the action and amazing visual effects with humor and an effective story. What I felt was possibly even more impressive was the casting. The actors seem like they really could have been their younger versions – especially Spock. Even if you are not a Star Trek fan, you will find this movie exciting. I look forward to further adventures with this new Enterprise crew. – Mr. Bund

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Movie Reviews 2009 ¼

Overstuffed with Star Trek references, this movie is good enough to tickle series newbie’s and hard core Trekkies. Is it the greatest movie ever? No…but in its own sphere on endearing uncoolness, it is undoubtedly a fun and well-done 21st century update to a tired franchise. – Dean Essner For some Star Trek fans this may have been just another attempt to overshoot the success of a classic. Well, they are wrong. This was a very good movie maybe not perfect but it was good. It had lots of action with more cannons than the Revolutionary War. Simon Pegg played the best character of the whole movie. He just turned the frown of the moment, upside down in the movie. At times the movie did get a little drippy and emotional (which was when my app Run Pee started to go crazy) but all in all not my cup of tea but a movie to watch. – Miles Essner

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.43 stars

Obsessed If you're looking for a "chick flick" to laugh with your friends about, this isn't your movie. It may seem harmless and funny at first, but it goes into a serious and sad plot. It starts with a man named Derek, his wife Sharon, and his son. But then a temporary Secretary enters the movie and is determined to get close to Derek. Her obsession puts his job is jeopardy, and eventually she turns into a psychotic stalker.

You'd be surprised at the plot of this movie. – Josiana Lecrete

Predictable garbage. – Mr. Bund If you think that this is a light, enjoyable movie you could not have been more wrong. This movie was about a stalker after a business executive which angers his wife, which leads to a fight between the two at the climax. This film could very possibly scare little kids, it was far from boring but still a terrible movie. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.33 stars 32

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Movie Reviews 2009

Seventeen Again

This was a pretty good movie. It had some really good laughs (due to language) and mild violence. Zach Effron proved that he can do more than just sing and dance, but he can act as well. – Zach Levitan A very good movie with a lot of tension building moments. There was no bad part of the movie, and Zac Effron acting was great (as always). This is a must see movie for any middle school kid who wants some real entertainment. - Brandon Nomberg

¼ I went into this movie with low expectations, but was pleasantly

surprised. A fairly basic and familiar plot about a man (Matthew Perry) who gets another chance to relive his lost high school dreams, but instead makes him realize how special the family is about to lose is to him. Solid acting by Zac Efron and the supporting cast, and it was a heartwarming story. Not a must see or anything original, but not a bad rental movie. – Mr. Bund

½

Honestly, the plot was fine. Nothing special, but not boring either. The actors were great. Maybe some of the content was a little inappropriate for under the age of eight. If I were director, I would have made several changes, like still have the adult look like himself to him, but to other people he looks 20 years younger. That would be more interesting, huh? The bottom line: It’s good, but Zac Efron is 20 or 21 and wants to start acting as an adult, not a teen jock that gets all the girls. – Sam Leifer

I like how Mike goes back too being 17 and tries to make the best out of it.

The bottom line: Inappropriate for little kids, but still good. – Madison Leifer This movie was not entertaining in any way. It was boring, had an unintelligent plot and was very predictable. The movie was a waste of time, weak, and nothing more than an unoriginal chick flick. Zac Efron’s popularity was the only factor that provided for any money this film made. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.46 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

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Movie Reviews 2009 Taking Woodstock This movie was utterly boring! How do you make a movie about Woodstock boring? Well, just ask the producers of this sleep-festival. It starred Dimitri Martin and it still was not funny. Martin played the son of an immigrant who lives upstate New York, and they own a motel that is not making enough money to pay the rent. When a big festival in the nearby town of Fishkill gets cancelled, Dimitri decides to run the festival in his town to make some money. The rest of the movie is just Dimitri getting high and having some fun at the festival.

The only funny part was when his parents eat some hash brownies and went crazy. – Noah Berley If someone told me that brilliant director Ang Lee was making a film about Woodstock starring Eugene Levy and comedy-central funny man Demetri Martin, I would have considered that a shoe-in for the most awesome movie of the year. Unfortunately, flat characters, no music (its Woodstock right?), and miniscule screen time for Eugene Levy equal to a film suitable for the Golden Raspberry awards. Well, maybe more like the “Most Disappointing” movie awards. - Deaen Essner

Planet 51

0 stars

I was expecting a little more out of this movie than I got. The humor isn’t even so funny, and they don’t even give a clue what is going to happen. You can’t seem to catch up with what is happening. In fact, to actually realize the plot you have to go to this movie’s Wikipedia page. You know how the main character feels about the girl protagonist from the start, and as soon as you smell the coffee, you know that the movie ends with the traditional animated movie make-out session. If you think that I forgot to give it a rating, you are wrong. This movie gets NOTHING!!!! Not even a ¼ star.

This movie was worse than Ice Age 3!!!! In fact, it is basically the devil of all animated movies!!!!!! – Sam Leifer

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Movie Reviews 2009

Zombieland ¼

Somewhere between pure (stupid) fun and brilliance lies Zombieland, a movie where the laughs aren’t because of the flesh eating creatures themselves, it’s the excellent script that allows Jesse Eisenberg to relieve the shackles of involved in “adolescent” films (The Squid and The Whale, Adventureland) for a much lighter brand of acting.

– Dean Essner Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun. It was the right dosage at the right times. Woody Harrelson was incredibly funny for his mission was not only to kick the butts of every Zombie he sees, but also to get the last Twinkie left in humanity. It wasn’t the best Zombie movie ever, Shaun of the Dead holds that spot. But it’s hard to review a movie that you can’t break down; you just have to enjoy it. – Miles Essner

The Time Traveler’s Wife ½ The Time Traveler’s Wife was a very touching story about how a man has the curse of traveling through time. The catch is he can not control when or where he travels. He has to live his whole life with this horrific gift – disappointing loved ones, almost missing his wedding, and even his son’s birth. It is such a heart warming story that may make you cry, with a twisted ending. – Paige Botie

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Movie Reviews 2009

The Proposal

½ Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal is an absolutely hilarious movie and a summer hit! In this comedy, Margaret (Bullock) has been so focused on her career that she has been ignoring the fact that her Visa for the United States is past due. The only way she will not be sent back to Canada, and keep building her career, is to marry.

This boss on a rampage impulsively ‘confesses’ that she is marrying Andrew (Reynolds), her underappreciated assistant.

Margaret bribes Andrew with the position he dreams of having – editor. The complicated of marriage and ‘love’ sends the couple to Andrew’s home in Alaska, where Margaret has to endure Andrew’s family, Alaskan weather, all the while hiding their true feelings. With the comical styling of icon Betty White, this movie will surely make you laugh. This is a great comedy and is worth the money. – Paige Botie

½

This was hysterical! A very good movie. Sandra Bullock was too good. I will definitely see it again. – Daniel Rudin

½

Funny and entertaining. Sandra Bullock is very good as a self‐ centered, high stakes, big city boss. Ryan Reynolds was also pretty convincing and likable as the underappreciated assistant. A full and good date movie. – Mr. Bund

¼

Chick flick that featured a predictable plot that was very boring and not at all creative in an way. Though unoriginal, it contained moments of weak light humor that made it somewhat funny. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.69 stars

I love you, Man ½ Funny movie, but with all of the ads and hype, you would have expected more from this movie. Some very funny scenes, but this movie was alright at best. – Brett Levine 36

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January 2010

Movie Reviews 2009

Extract

This movie was really funny. It is about this guy named Joel (Jason Bateman) who owns a manufacturing company that makes extract used in cooking. He has some problems in his life, including his marriage and his ridiculous friends (including Ben Affleck). The movie is very funny as he tries to solve his problems. Ben Affleck was the best part of this movie. – Josh Cohen With its hit and miss style, Extract is Mike Judge’s return to the dryer than dry style comedy that made him a genius after Office Space. Not to mention Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman are supremely hilarious. – Dean Essner

The Box ½

This is guaranteed to make you angry.

At first it is a simple story. Press the button and someone dies, but you get $1million. I read the original story and the book’s story was over half an hour into the movie, so they made all this confusing filler about the villain kidnapping their son, her foot missing, bunch of people with nose bleeds, and the man in a box of water. I hated it and would gladly recommend biting a mouthful of nails than watching it again. – Nick Frankel The Box was an OK movie. I read the original short story first.

There was not enough in the story to make it into a movie.

They tried their best, but it did not work. I did not hate it, but did not love it either. – Sal Liotta

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Movie Reviews 2009 Where the Wild Things Are ¾

Not a really great movie. I walked in thinking it was going to be much better, but left disappointed. There was very little plot. When the boy became king I felt it was just boring and nothing happened. Overall, it is not a movie to see. – Evan Alcazar

¼ Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s amazing children’s book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the raw emotions associated with the movie are not for everyone, and I was left teary eyed as a result of sadness, not because of the story’s beauty. Luckily the vast ambitions of Spike and company are easy to grasp, as you may not understand what he is doing, but you can certainly acknowledge that he is doing it well. – Dean Essner

Echelon Conspiracy This is one of the best movies I've ever seen this year.

The plot was very original, and the actors were amazing. Max gets a phone that texts him to tell him what to do and when to do it. After Max uses it to win about 3,300,000 Euros, the owner of the hotel (a former FBI agent) becomes very suspicious. The texts start threatening Max that if he turns the phone off it will kill him. Can he and a few members of the FBI find out who or what is sending Max the texts? If so, can they stop him or “it?” – Sal Liotta

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Movie Reviews 2009 Night at the Museum

Battle of the Smithsonian

½ Many of you saw the first “Night at the Museum”, and now the sequel came out. The first movie was fun and exciting. It had me wanting more, so I had great expectations when the second one came out. In my opinion, I thought the first one was a lot better. In this movie, most of the artifacts and wax figures go to a new museum called the Smithsonian, and there everything turns to life just like in the first film. The waxed figures try to take over the whole museum.

Old characters come back and try to help Larry Daly (Ben Stiller). This movie does have some adventure, comedy, and a little bit of history. I think in this movie they tried to add too many events in such a short time frame. It would have been better if they focused on one main story line and developed it, however, some of you might enjoy it and some of you may have even loved it, but I got my hopes up too high and I was let down. Again, it could be a good movie if you like that type of silly humor, but in my eyes, it could have been a lot better. It had a few laughs here and there, but it wasn’t “a must see” type of movie. New characters came along with a new plot but they did not add anything. I don’t think they should have made a sequel. This movie had a very slow start, but it had a better ending than I expected. This is one of the reasons why I thought it was okay, but not great. This movie didn’t have me at the edge of my seat, nor excited about what would happen next. It was not a thrilling piece of work. – Dana Winthrop

Its lamer than lame and tamer than tame…or its simply terrible, and destroys any of the cuteness earned in the first movie. You choose… - Dean Essner

¼ Star

¾

The first one wasn’t a hit so this review clearly won’t be very positive.

General Custer was probably the funniest for being in love with himself when he led two hundred Americans to their death. I wish that Robin Williams were in this for one minute total. Ben Stiller is a good actor and this movie was worth the money but… sequels. They just don’t work – Nick Frankel

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Movie Reviews 2009

Push

½

Push is a science-fiction, action thriller about a group of telekinetic teens who band together in an attempt to take down this government agency that's genetically transforming normal citizens into powerful psychic warriors. These human experiments develop special powers: Watchers can see pictures of the future, Movers can manipulate inanimate objects around them, and maybe the most rare of all, Pushers, who can control people’s minds. This is the most powerful kind of psychic. These are a few of the mystifying powers shown in the film.

Nick Gant is a Mover, a second-generation telekinetic who went into hiding after the Division killed his father more than a decade earlier. He lives his life in Hong Kong, a busy city that is overly populated, where psychics such as himself are safe as long as they can keep their unique gift a secret. Suddenly Cassie (a Watcher) comes into Nick’s life, in need of his help in tracking down the escaped Pusher, Kira, who may hold the key to bringing down The Division once and for all.

When Cassie and Nick come out of hiding to find Kira, the Division's bloodhounds are hot on their trail. In order to not be found by the authorities, they'll need to disappear into the city while relying on a team of other psychics to help cover their tracks. With many obstacles in their way, this team strives to stop the evil Division. This film is for sure a thriller. You may be confused at some parts of the film, but all in all it is quite an exciting movie and is worth the 2 hours of your time. – Paige Botie

½ Cool, sci-fi, action thriller. I thought it was a fresh

and different type of superhero movie than I am used to seeing.

Overall, not too bad and if you like comic book movies you should check it out. – Mr. Bund

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Movie Reviews 2009

Moon This was a wonderfully intriguing science fiction flick. With homages to both 2001: A Space Odyssey, Duncan Jones’ directorial debut is the most original portrait of outer space in quite some time. – Dean Essner

½

The Informant! ¼

Dark, funny and slightly unbelievable, Steven Soderbergh’s look into the world of corporate lying and price fixing is nothing short of slapstick comedy heaven. Too bad it had to drag on a bit too long. – Dean Essner

A Serious Man The Coen Brothers are the best directors around today.

Yes this is a bold statement, but with a miniscule budget with unknown actors, they are able to make a film that is both personable and intriguing, funny and devastating.

How’s that for dedication to cinema? – Dean Essner

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Movie Reviews 2009

TV MOVIE Spectacular ½ star

I rated this 1/2 a star because it was a stupid, like another High School Musical Movie. After losing their star singer to another group, Courtney decides to find a replacement. She finds a guy that cannot be trusted. Oh please! She is such a sore loser. She cares about winning, not about anybody else! – Tara Ranjbar

Best Of 2009 (from January to November)

by Dean Essner 1. Inglourious Basterds 2. A Serious Man 3. Fantastic Mr. Fox 4. Up 5. Coraline 6. Public Enemies 7. Moon 8. District 9 9. Duplicity 10. Where The Wild Things Are Honorable Mention List: 1. Observe And Report 2. Star Trek 3. The Informant!

4. Julie & Julia 5. The Hangover

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Movie Reviews 2009

MICHAEL MOORE

By Matthew Tierney In my opinion, Michael Moore deserves four stars since his films are about what Americans cease to realize at the first glimpse of a political or economical issue. His films since I started watching them are amazing and hilarious, and many people think his films were fabricated for the sole statement that they are too true. No one can accept that really his films are about everything people hate and everything people support.

Michael Moore in my opinion is a great filmmaker. He has made many amazing documentary’s on the faults of the American Government and Business, from Roger and Me to his latest film. Michael Moore has great talent and puts humor into many of his great films, you can’t turn down watching a movie by him unless you hate him.

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (2009) Michael Moore has done it again and has put together an amazing film! Capitalism: A Love Story is the latest film from director Michael Moore. It focuses on the American Economic problems that have been occurring over the past year. When I first saw that movie, I really didn’t know what is was all going to be about. When I came out, I was amazed.

Capitalism: A Love Story is the best film of the year in my opinion. It gives hard facts about the American Government, and wall street, in various ways taking money and homes from citizens. This is no doubt the best movie of 2009!

SiCKO (2007) Michael Moore has created a spectacular film on American Healthcare. This movie makes a statement that cannot be ignored! American citizens that have health insurance cannot even use it at times and those without it have to pay nearly 10,000 dollars, even more! It also shows how every other country does have a better healthcare system than America, even Cuba. This film defiantly stands out as an amazing movie, and makes a bold statement.

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A Focus on Michael Moore by Matthew Tierney continued… ¾ Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) We remember the September 11th attack s, don’t we?

Well Michael Moore has directed another amazing film about the first Bush presidency, and how terrible it was. When Bush was elected president, he went on vacation. When the World Trade Center was hit, we went in a war under false facts. Michael Moore has proven all of that true, and that the Bush administration is an administration filled with propaganda and false information.

½

Bowling for Columbine (2002) Is America a nation of gun nuts? Or just nuts? Well that’s Michael Moore’s film slogan. Bowling for Columbine is a great film about America’s obsession with violence and weapons. It focuses on the 1999 Columbine High School Shootings, and the events following filled with crime and violence. This film is spectacular, and everybody should defiantly watch it!

½

Roger and Me (1989) SPECTACULAR! This hilarious documentary was focused on the American Motor Industry and how it laid off thousands of works in Flint, Michigan, the General Motors home town. Michael Moore goes searching for the chairman Roger B. Smith of GM to ask him about the issue. This film is hilarious and is perfect in too many ways, a must see film!

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2009 was a big year for MOVIES, but look at some of the amazing MOVIES that were out 5, 10, 15…45, 50, 55 years ago!!!

How many have you seen?

5 years ago - 2004 The Passion of the Christ Meet the Fockers The Incredibles Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The Day After Tomorrow The Bourne Supremacy Shrek 2 National Treasure Shark Tale Polar Express I, Robot Troy Oceans 12 50 First Dates Van Helsing Fahrenheit 911 Lemony Snicket Dodgeball The Village The Grudge The Aviator Million Dollar Baby Princess Diaries 2 Anchorman Man on Fire Hidalgo Miracle Kill Bill 2 Butterfly Effect Chronicles of Riddick

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10 years ago - 1999 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace The Sixth Sense Toy Story 2 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me The Matrix Tarzan Big Daddy The Mummy Runaway Bride The Blair Witch Project Stuart Little The Green Mile American Beauty World is Not Enough Double Jeopardy American Pie Sleepy Hollow Fight Club

15 years ago - 1994 Forrest Gump True Lies The Santa Clause The Flintstones Dumb & Dumber Clear and Present Danger Speed The Mask Pulp Fiction Maverick Interview with a Vampire The Lion King Ace Ventura The Crow Natural Born Killers Angels in the Outfield Timecop City Slickers 2 The Professional

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20 years ago - 1989 Batman Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Lethal Weapon 2 Look Who's Talking Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Back to the Future Part II Ghostbusters II The Little Mermaid Driving Miss Daisy Parenthood Dead Poets Society When Harry Met Sally Born on the Fourth of July Uncle Buck Field of Dreams Pet Sematary The Abyss Major League Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

25 years ago - 1984 Ghostbusters Beverly Hills Cop Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Gremlins The Karate Kid Police Academy Footloose Romancing the Stone Purple Rain Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Splash Purple Rain Amadeus The Natural Revenge of the Nerds Terminator

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30 years ago - 1979 Kramer vs. Kramer The Muppet Movie The Electric Horseman The China Syndrome Love at First Bite Manhattan Star Trek: The Motion Picture The Black Stallion The Black Hole Apocalypse Now, 10 The Jerk Rocky 2 Life of Brian Moonraker

35 years ago - 1974 Blazing Saddles The Towering Inferno Young Frankenstein Earthquake The Godfather: Part II The Longest Yard Benji Herbie Rides Again Murder on the Orient Express The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

40 years ago - 1969 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Midnight Cowboy Paint Your Wagon Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice On Her Majesty's Secret Service True Grit The Sterile Cuckoo Run, Angel, Run Alice's Restaurant Marooned

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45 years ago - 1964 Mary Poppins Goldfinger A Shot in the Dark Marnie Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Viva Las Vegas The Fall of the Roman Empire Per un pugno di dollari Roustabout Kissin' Cousins

50 years ago - 1959 Ben-Hur Some Like It Hot Operation Petticoat Pillow Talk Sleeping Beauty North by Northwest A Hole in the Head Porgy and Bess The Immoral Mr. Teas The Killer Shrews

55 years ago - 1954 On the Waterfront Vera Cruz A Star Is Born Casanova's Big Night King Richard and the Crusaders Rear Window The Long Wait Men of the Fighting Lady Sitting Bull Phantom of the Rue Morgue

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2004

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third book/movie in the Harry Potter series. Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, are going back to Hogwarts for their thirdyear in the Gryffindor House (one of the four “teams” in the story). This year, the whole school has to be careful and on alert because Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, a prison for wizards, and the dementors (creepy ghosts) are around. They have targeted Harry and want to kill him.

Luckily, with the help of the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, Harry can take on the dementors to hopefully prevent their plan from succeeding. But, there are secrets so shocking that you would never believe! What are those secrets?

Those who have not read the book will have to watch this movie to find out. Even diehard fans of the book would enjoy watching the story come to life.

This movie is great and did a very good job of catching my attention with all the special effects. However, I feel that the “Harry Potter” books are always better. There are more places, adventures, dialogue and detail tucked deep into those pages. In my opinion, “Azkaban” is the best story in the series because new characters were introduced, new spells and settings, and familiar characters revealed more about themselves. This is definitely a movie worth watching. – Ryan Winthrop

This was a pretty good movie. Then again most Harry Potter movies are pretty good if not better.

Daniel Radcliff plays Harry Potter in third year at Hogwarts. Harry Lots of action and cool special effects. – Matt Avallone

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2004

The Incredibles The Incredibles (from the creators of Finding Nemo)is about a family of superheroes that each have their own power. Bob Parr(A.K.A Mr. Incredible)has super strength, Helen Parr(A.K.A Elastigirl) can stretch her body to great lengths, Dash Parr has super speed, Violet Parr has invisibility and can make force fields, and Jack-Jack Parr has unknown powers. Due to past superhero incidents and lawsuits, they have to stay undercover because of government law. Everything is good for the Parr family and their friend Lucius (A.K.A Frozone) who can control ice, but when the world needs saving from Syndrome (a new nemesis) and his giant robot, the Omnitrix, the family will have to do what they do best.

This movie is full of humor, adventure and teamwork. It is also great superhero movie. It is a movie that anyone, even parents, will enjoy watching. - Ryan Winthrop

Predictable and only good for kids. – Nick Frankel

¾

One of my favorite cartoon movies to be released. It was clever, funny and had a very good and enjoyable story. – Mr. Bund

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In my opinion, this is one of the best Disney/Pixar movies. It is a lot fun and very funny. It is clever with some pretty clever lines. Overall, just a solid movie.

– Daniel Rudin This was a good movie especially for kids, because Disney made it and also because the plot was easy to catch on to. When I first saw the movie about 5 years ago I loved it. Now I just like it, and not because it was an ok movie, but because I am starting to outgrow it. The movie is about these superheroes who everyone loved until someone was saved when he did not want to. Finally after numerous lawsuits against the superheroes they finally go into hiding and act like normal people. Then 15 years later a once big fan of Mr. Incredible finds him and tricks him into going to this island. His wife and kids thought he still was working for a job as an insurance guy, but he got fired. Eventually they go to the island but that is all I will say. The movie had some funny parts in it which made me laugh. I actually own the DVD of it too. That is why I gave it three stars. – Matt Avallone

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.35 stars

The Day After Tomorrow When many people think of this movie, they don’t think of a good one but I do. It was really entertaining and fun. Although the science is all b.s. because it would take decades for a climate change like the one in the movie to happen and its all way overexaggerated. The acting was alright and it had me at the edge of my seat during some parts. Overall this is a good soli d movie. – Noah Berley

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2004 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story ½

This was an amazing movie. It was hilarious. A couple of “Average Joes” come together to form a dodgeball team and go all the way to the National Championships. How do they do? You will have to watch the movie, but if you like a good and funny movie, this is it! – Vishnu Nagaraj A group of underachieving normal “Average Joes” form a dodgeball team and enter a tournament to win $50,000 in order to save their beloved gym. Vince Vaughn is amusing, and Ben Stiller plays a cocky idiot quite well. – Mr. Bund

In my opinion, the funniest movie ever made. I could not stop laughing when patches o’ hooligan was on the screen. – Brett Levine Dodgeball is a well known movie that has classic lines that people still quote. It stars Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, a hilarious duo.

Dodgeball is a true underdog story of Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) who enters a dodgeball competition in hopes of winning a big money prize. He takes his Average Joes to the ADAA against the Purple Cobras, led by White Goodman (Stiller). Dodgeball is a timeless movie that never gets old no matter how many times you watch it. – Ricki Berkenfeld

½

Why is there no sequel? – Nick Frankel

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.20 stars

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2004

National Treasure ½

Awesome. Hard to follow for kids, but Nicholas Cage is really great! – Nick Frankel A fun, predictable Saturday afternoon adventure. Nicholas Cage’s acting is okay, at best, but the supporting cast is good. Please be aware that this is a Disney movie, so do not plan on seeing too intense action or any violent scenes. What you can plan on is a predictable ending. – Mr. Bund

The Butterfly Effect ½

Now here's a good movie. The storyline is very interesting and really gets you into the movie. You won't fall asleep in this movie. And if you do, you are completely oblivious. The story is about a man named Evan who as a kid he has memory blackouts and keeps diaries about these blackouts.

Eventually, when he reaches college, he starts to have flashbacks that allow him to change the past. But every time he tries to change things for the better, life just turns out worse. After seeing this movie, it really makes you think, "If only I could change that one thing I did in second grade..." – Josiana Lecrete

Wow! Ashton Kutcher can really act. This really is a very good thriller. Evan has the ability to go back in time and change his past, but the consequences are not always desirable in the future. I highly recommend this the very smart physiological thriller. – Mr. Bund 54

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2004

i-Robot

½

Wow! I-Robot is a fantastic movie, and the graphics and the loud action sequences made it even better. I could not wait to see what happened next. The movie takes place in the future. There are hovercrafts and, of course, robots. One of the robots murdered the scientist who made him, but things get worse. Can Will Smith save the day? – Justin Zelamsky

¾ Entertaining, fast-paced and interesting sci-fi thriller with a good plot Will Smith does a good job also. I have no real complaints and would recommend this movie. Still, is not in the same caliber of The Matrix or The Terminator. – Mr. Bund

Napoleon Dynamite ½

Napoleon Dynamite is a very strange movie.

There isn't any other movie like it. It is a very stupid movie, but that's what makes it funny.

The movie is about a kid in high school who isn't exactly the coolest kid, and who makes new friends with two other uncool kids named Pedro and Deb. Napoleon tries to get someone to go to the dance with him while helping Pedro win the race for class president. I would recommend this movie to other people. – Sal Liotta

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Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 1999

Toy Story 2 This was a good movie even compared to the first one. Buzz and Woody were great as usual. The story line was good as were the new additional characters.

This movie really grabbed my attention due to the works of Pixar and Dreamworks. Andy's toys once again sneak away from their home, and they get themselves into a real jam when Al from Al's Toy Barn buys Woody and almost sends him to Japan. I would recommend this movie to anybody who enjoys animation or any 7 year old. – Doug Notti

This movie, a sequel to “Toy Story,” is about how Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) gets kidnapped by a toy collector and shop owner named Al. What’s a toy to do? Well, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang set out to save him. While in supposed toy captivity, Woody meets some new friends like Jessie, Bullseye, and Prospector Zeke. The scary thing is Woody might want to leave the toys and start a T.V show. The gang has to snap him out of it and return him to Andy’s (their owner’s) house.

The villain, Zurg, also returns with a shocking secret.

It was hard to follow up on the success of the original movie, but this sequel was quite popular when it debuted in 1999. It was a fun kid movie, but it was a bit corny at times. Overall it was humorous and I even had a few laughs myself. Adults might actually enjoy this movie because there are jokes that only an older generation would understand. If you want to watch a family movie watch Toy Story 2! The toys await you. – Ryan Winthrop

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Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 1999 Shrek 2 In Shrek 2, your favorite green ogre is back on another wild adventure. In the last movie, Shrek (played by Mike Myers) married the beautiful Princess Fiona(Cameron Diaz) and she turned into an ogre. Now, along with Donkey (Eddy Murphy), the three of them travel in an onion carriage to Fiona’s homeland Far Far Away. There, everyone is shocked, especially her parents the King and Queen, because she is an ogre. The King and Shrek don’t like each other and get into a heated argument about how Shrek and Fiona will raise a family. Later, Shrek is worried because he finds out Fiona used to love Prince Charming and sets out become a better husband.

Meanwhile, The King sends Puss in Boots (a cat assassin) to get rid of Shrek. The fairy godmother then sends Prince Charming to capture Fiona’s love. But, Shrek and Donkey befriend Puss, get the magic potion, and they both turn handsome. Fiona also turns back to human and gets tricked into thinking that Prince Charming is Shrek. But, will good prevail? Will everyone live happily ever after? This movie has action, romance, and funny moments. I only gave it 4 stars because a few parts didn’t make sense. Otherwise it is a great family movie for all to enjoy. – Ryan Winthrop

½

It was good, but childish and pointless. You do not need to see the original Shrek to understand it. Not a must see. – Nick Frankel

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½

Shrek 2 is an entertaining movie adventure. In this comedy, Shrek (Mike Myers) goes to Far Far Away land to meet his in-laws, Fiona’s (Cameron Diaz) parents. While there, Shrek has a difficult time fitting in.

The evil Fairy Godmother and her arrogant son, Prince Charming, try to sabotage Shrek and Fiona’s relationship. Shrek 2 is an amusing, memorable move for all ages. – Ricki Berkenfeld

This movie was okay. The plot was unnecessary and unimaginative. Fiona’s parents wanted to meet Shrek, and he refused to visit until a lot of convincing. Now the Shrek I know kicked anyone in his way, but now he's going to meet the king and queen of Far Far Away? Come on! I think that this was a waste of my money to see, because everything could have been improved, especially the story line. Donkey was funny, but Eddie Murphy has to step it up. The same lines are used and I felt that it could have been better. But, that's just my opinion. – Doug Notti

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.00 stars

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Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 1999 Star Wars Episode I:

The Phantom Menace

½

This was a good movie, but it was not one of the best Star Wars movies. It is the story that started everything for Star Wars.

It is where the tensions between the Republic and the Trade Federation begin.

Also, this is where you meet Jar Jar Binks, one of the funniest characters. Overall, it is a good movie, but compared to the other episodes (especially 3 and 5), it was not good. – Vishnu Nagaraj

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Movie Reviews

Star Wars Episode I…continued

½

There was so much anticipation for this movie. People were literally lining up on the sidewalks in front of theaters to be the first to see it. The excitement was palpable. The enormously successful original Star Wars Trilogy (episodes 4-6) was not just amazingly successful, they became an international phenomenon. Who has not heard of Darth Vader, or Luke Skywalker, or Han Solo or Princess Leah?

You can ask someone from the middle of Himalayas and they would know. Finally Producer and Star Wars creator, George Lucus, was going to give us the back story with episodes 1, 2 and three. The world could not wait!

But what happened? I still remember sitting there in the cinema as the credits rolled and a having that feeling a being completely let down. I counted on you George! You did just not deliver. Overall, the movie was just OK; entertaining, but just OK. Compared to the original trilogy, it was practically insulting.

What happened? The biggest issue (and I am not alone with this complaint) was Jar Jar Binks. I know George Lucas wanted to have some humor in the movie, but this was just ridiculous. Actually, it was a downright travesty and insulting to Star Wars fans worldwide. He did not need to have this stupid humor in the original movies, and he did not need to do it here. Issue #2 was missed opportunities. What do I mean? Darth Maul was a super cool villain.

He really was. But you felt kind of cheated with him. He did not have enough screen time and his development could have made the movie so much richer. I suggest you take all of Jar Jar Binks screen time and give it to Darth Maul. Also, I felt they could have further developed the relationship with Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neison) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). They allude to how Qui-Gon has a history of defying the wishes of the esteemed Jedi council (the good guys). Neison and McGregor are excellent established actors. If allowed, their acting ability would shine despite Lucas’s unexciting script. I feel that if they just made the movie 10 minutes longer, they could have had 20 more 30-second scenes. These scenes could have made the movie immensely deeper and more exciting. It could have easily made the movie better than 2 ½ stars. – Mr. Bund 60

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Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 1999

The Matrix ½

I don't know if this film won any Oscars, and I would be VERY disappointed if it didn't.

With a wicked soundtrack, some insane shutouts, and an overall incredibly original and creative plot, this movie doesn't disappoint! But when you take all of this away, you just get some so-so acting from Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) and Keanu Reeves (Neo). However, Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus) and Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith) did a pretty good job. – Kuba Gasiorowski I’ve seen all three, but this one is the best. After seeing it, I think the world may not be what it seems! If you do not watch it you are really missing out. – Nick Frankel This movie was great but it had a slow plot. Great action from Keanu Reeves, and the graphics were very nice, but to get full quality watch it on blue ray. It does not catch your attention too quickly but is still very interesting. – Ananth Nagaraj

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.50 stars

The Sixth Sense This movie is undoubtedly one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. The past of the psychiatrist is mysterious, and the ending has a great twist. What I love about the movie is the clues that you might never catch onto the first time you see this movie. These clues give you hints about the ending. I highly suggest this movie for a scary story around a campfire, even though it's not that scary. – Josiana Lecrete

¾

Director M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece. It is the perfect blend of terror, joy, humor and confusion.

Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis are brilliant in portraying Shyamalan’s vision. One of the best thrillers you will ever see. See it once, and you will have to see it again – Mr. Bund Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Movie Reviews

15 years ago – 1994 Shawshank Redemption ¼ A classic. It was action packed, with surprises here and there. There are sad parts, gross parts, and even some confusing parts. If you love jail movies where things are given away at the end and people die for various reasons and the main character climbs through a tube full of..... well, I won't tell you that much. So go watch The Shawshank Redemption, and you will like it too. – Elliott Vogel A wonderful movie.

When Tim Robbins is sent to Shawshank Prison for the supposed murder of his wife, he finds ruthless enemies and trusted friends. Morgan Freeman narrates and sets the tone of the movie as it goes through the decades at a steady and methodical pace. This is a movie of the highest caliber and is rightfully placed on a list of one of the greatest movies you have the privilege of seeing. Go look on imdb.com – it is #1 for all-time with thousands of votes. – Mr. Bund Do I even need to write a review?! – Daniel Rudin

Forrest Gump

My opinion, the best movie ever made. I

could watch this movie over and over and over again. Tom Hanks, thumbs way up. – Brett Levine

“Run Forrest, Run!!!” Tom Hanks wins best actor and Forrest Gump wins best movie Oscars for 1994 – and it was well-deserved. The lovable Forrest Gump stumbles through American history from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. A movie we should all see, and movie that will be remembered. – Mr. Bund 62

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Movie Reviews

15 years ago – 1994

Pulp Fiction A classic. I absolutely loved this movie. Although it could get confusing at some points, it was still very interesting. – Brett Levine Some people love it. Some people hate it. I love it. Probably Quentin Tarantino’s best film. And what a great cast – Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel, and the comeback of John Travolta. Tarantino has the ability to write interesting, creative, violent and powerful scenes, and in Pulp Fiction it just all worked. This is not a movie for kids, and if you are not patient with developing scenes and dialogue you will find it long and unnecessarily graphic. An excellent mature movie. – Mr. Bund Brilliant, Amazing, Weird, Suspenseful, Funny, Violent, Clever, should I say more? – Miles Essner Oh my God! These are the only words that can be used to describe Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Quinton Tarantino all in one big mess that was transformed into a masterpiece.

It was unbelievable! I will not die until I see this movie at least 20 more times. A must see! – Daniel Rudin

The Lion King ¼

This movie was a great one, great for the entire family to view. It has witty, funny characters intender for viewing pleasure. It was a great thing to come out of Disney, as expected. The movie’s main character, Simba, is an adventurous lion cub whose father is killed by his own brother Scar; Simba’s uncle. Zazu helps young Simba in fleeing the area, because Simba is convinced he killed his father. Zazu tries looking out for him, which does not work out well.

Years later, Simba returns to his home, to overthrow Scar, who has taken control of the mighty kingdom. – Brandon Beck Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Movie Reviews

20 years ago – 1989

UHF

½

This movie is about a guy named George Newman (‘Weird Al’ Yankovic) who is a failure and can’t keep a job. His uncle wins channel 62, a faltering UHF station, in a poker game and makes George the manager of the channel. George makes some of his own shows put they are all failures. One day out of desperation George puts the janitor on air. He is an instant hit. The local channel 8 tries to take over by buying the station from George’s uncle Harvey.

Harvey makes a deal with the owner R.J. Fletcher.

R.J. Fletcher will pay for Harvey’s debt if Harvey gives him channel 62. Then at the last second, literally he backs out. He lets George try to raise 75,000 dollars in two days. So George tells every one to buy a stock of channel 62 for 10 dollars a piece. Time runs out and they are still about 2,000 dollars short, but the local hobo decides to use all of his money (2,000 dollars) to buy some stocks. He saves channel 62 and channel 8 finishes because R.J. Fletcher forgot to renew his permit for the channel. The movie was really funny, of course with Weird Al. It was entertaining and worth watching. - Noah Berley

½

Finally Weird Al is in a movie! It is about a guy with no job, life or career, who inherits a TV station that goes no where until he gives the janitor (Michael Richards-Kramer from Seinfeld) a show and makes the channel sky rocket. My personal favorite of 1989. – Nick Frankel

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January 2010

Movie Reviews

25 years ago – 1984 ½ This is the Terminator that started it all. A perfect science-fiction thriller. IF you have never seen this movie you have to remember this is 1984. James Cameron was not the critically acclaimed director yet, with the freedom to make what he wants with an unlimited budget. The story may be very familiar now, but it was a risk to make a movie about an android that goes back in time to 1984 to murder the mother of the unborn son who will eventually lead the human forces against the machines in a postapocalyptic world. It sounds confusing just writing it! On top of this, Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast as the movie villain – the terminator who goes back in time to murder Sarah Conner.

Schwarzenegger’s only real movie success at this point was “Conan the Barbarian,” and his Austrian accent was as thick as his biceps. It all worked though. Even giving Arnold like 17 lines was perfect, and his accent just seemed to make perfect sense. The action was intense. The story held together and was engaging. If you saw it once, you had to see it again.

OK, some of the special effects may seem weak by today’s standards, but get over it - you have to remember this is 1984 and James Cameron was not given the budget of George Lucas or Stephen Spielberg. Terminator became a cult classic and a fresh action thriller. Cameron would get his big budgets in the spectacular Terminator 2, and Titanic (Two of the biggest blockbusters of all time). This was the start of the whole “Schwarzenegger movie” genre also. It is difficult to truly measure the impact of this simply great movie. One of my favorites. – Mr. Bund Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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The original was the best by far. Fantastic movie. – Brett Levine

½ The Terminators were some of the greatest movies ever created ‐ especially the first one. The movie is a classic and I love it. There is lots of action throughout the movie and the plot is very interesting.

The movie is about how in the future there will be a big war: humans vs. machines. The leader of the humans name is John Connor. The terminator goes back in time to kill Johnʹs mother Sarah so that John will never be born. Another robot from the future comes to protect Sarah. I definitely recommend this movie. – Sal Liotta

Trivia: Schwarzenegger has only 17 spoken lines in the first Terminator!

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Movie Reviews

30 years ago – 1979

Rocky 2 This movie and the others were all great sports movies. They all tought that you should never give up and try harder. It takes in the early 1989's where a south paw from Philadelphia whi had just went 15 rounds of boxing with Heavy Weight Champ Apollo Creed. Rocky Balboa was a nobody who became a hero when he was chosen by Creed to fight an exhibition match. Now he has retired nut can not find a job since he doesn't even have a high school degree. He would eventually come out of retirement to fight him again this time for the Heavy Weight Title. This is and will be one of he greatest sports movies and series of films in sports history. – Matt Avallone

¼

A nobody, unrated club fighter stunned the world with his gutsy performance versus the champ in Rocky I. The champ, Apollo Creed, says he did not take the fight seriously and wants a rematch to prove to the world that he deserves to be the champ and that Rocky is nothing but a fluke. Emotional and memorable. The first 2 Rocky movies were the best of bunch (but the first one was still the best of all).

– Mr. Bund

The Muppet Movie ¾

This movie is a great musical number telling the story of Kermit’s journey to Hollywood, and becoming famous. He meets many of his future friends along the way. These Muppets include Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Miss Piggy, and many more. There are many great cameos in this movie, including Mel Brooks, Edgar Bergen, Steve Martin, and Bob Hope.

Steve Martin, a comedian, plays a quirky waiter that serves Kermit and Miss Piggy on their dinner date. Mel Brooks, who is one of the few people to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony award, plays the zany Professor Max Krassman, tries to brainwash Kermit. This is an all around great movie, and I highly recommend it. – Brandon Beck Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Movie Reviews

35 years ago – 1974

Murder on the Orient Express Incredible! Unbelievable movie! When I first saw it, I knew nothing except that it was an Agatha Christie story – which is a plus. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat (or shall I say ‘sofa’) the entire time. The film is about a mysterious murder on a train, and a detective that is really put to the test to solve the murder. With so many twists and turns, this movie is a must see. – Daniel Rudin

50 years ago – 1959 Some Like it Hot Yes, I am giving this movie 5 stars, because it was probably the most perfect movie I have ever seen! This movie is probably one of the funniest, seamlessly crafted, classic movies of all time.

When Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon accidentally witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacres in roaring twenties Chicago, they escape Spats Colombo (George Raft) and his gang by disguising themselves as woman in a traveling "girl band." There, they meet the sexy, vulnerable and all around liked Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). Monroe has this way of turning a supporting actress into the center of attention on the screen, and not many actors can do that. Her acting is quite underrated, but I don’t see how that’s really possible from watching this movie! She is the superlative example of what an enticing ditzy blonde should be, and she sets the standard that so many other actresses have failed to live up to. Some Like It Hot has got to be one of the best movies of any genre in cinema ever made, as it succeeds on so many levels! The plot and script are witty and sharp, the characters are easy to identify and HILARIOUS, the acting is a master class a comedy and the laughs are constant throughout. Comedies nowadays are usually all about teenagers, sex, and drugs. This movie was like a breath of fresh air for me. It was interesting to see how a movie as able to be so sophisticated yet so funny. This is the kind of movie the entire family can watch and enjoy, I definitely recommend it! – Sue Ranjbar

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Movie Reviews

70 years ago – 1939 The Wizard of Oz

This is a classic movie!

It is my favorite movie of all time. There is no one who does not know the story of Dorothy’s journey in the mysterious land of Oz. Even though old, it is still close to everyone’s hearts.

I love Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch. This movie deserves 5 stars – it is an alltime classic. – Evan Hirsch

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…

What are your favorite movies ever?

From the Club: Douglas Notti 1. Eagle Eye 2. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story 3. Austin Powers in Goldmember 4. Forrest Gump 5. Toy Story 6. Toy Story 2 7. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 8. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me 9. I Am Legend 10. Taken Justin Silberlust 1. Slumdog Millionaire 2. Forest Gump 3. Bad News Bears 4. Longest Yard 5. Shrek Nick Frankel 1. Stand by Me 2. The Matrix 3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 4. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 5. Big

Paul DeCarlo Star Trek: The Future Begins Dodge Ball Friday Night Lights The Star Wars Saga The Longest Yard (New Version)

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…continued

What are your favorite movies ever?

Matthew Tierney 1. Marie Antoinette - A spectacular period piece based on the life of the ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Kirsten Dunst plays the queen wonderfully. The costumes and sets are amazing!

2. Inglorious Basterds - Spectacular! Brad Pitt plays a Nazi killing colonel in Nazioccupied France. It is hilarious and a must see.

3. Titanic - This movie is amazing! Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio play Rose and Jack, two people from different social classes who fall in love, but the ship hits an iceberg and it is all downhill from there.

4. The Patriot - Mel Gibson stars as a plantation owner in South Carolina who forms a militia to combat the British after the murder of his son. A great war film.

Matthew Smith 1. Kicking and Screaming 2. School of Rock 3. Rocky 4 4. Spider-Man 2 5. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Kuba Gasiorowski 1. The Matrix (First one only) 2. The Fifth Element 3. Help! (Beatles) 4. Pirates of the Caribbean (First one) 5. Shrek (First one) Deal Essner • Fargo • The Truman Show • There Will Be Blood • Toy Story • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street • Ratatouille • Best In Show • Pulp Fiction • Finding Nemo • The Godfather

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…continued

What are your favorite movies ever?

From the STAFF: Mr. Greene Casablanca Wizard of Oz King of Hearts Cool Hand Luke Pink Panther Dr. Roth 1. Gone With the Wind 2. 2001 A Space Odyssey 3. Goodfellas 4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 5. Nosferatu Mrs. Shaw Blues Brothers Casablanca Miracle on 34th Street Three Days of the Condor Mr. Smith Goes to Washington runners up include: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, North by Northwest, Wizard of Oz, No Way Out, How the Grinch Stole Christmas Mrs. Casazza 1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 2. Summer School 3. The Wedding Singer 4. Steel Magnolias 5. Sixteen Candles 6. Better Off Dead 7. The Breakfast Club 8. Dreamgirls 9. Shawshank Redemption 10. A Beautiful Mind

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…continued

What are your favorite movies ever?

From the STAFF: Mr. Uhrlass 1-Braveheart 2-Robinhood (with Kevin Costner) 3-Gladiator 4-The Patriot 5-Jaws 6-Godfather 1,2,3 7-Star Wars Mrs. Gacek 1. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original) 2. The Breakfast Club 3. When a Man Loves a Woman 4. Back to the Future 5. Steel Magnolias

Mrs. Dunn 1. Pan's Labyrinth - in Spanish with subtitles 2. The Truman Show - brilliant story line and Jim Carrey is great in it 3. The End - I used to love Dom Deluise and Burt Reynolds 4. Life Is Beautiful - in Italian with subtitles (make me sob every time) 5. Papillon - Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman - True story about a prison in French Guyana? - I don't know why - but I'll never forget this one.

6. SpaceBalls - "Ludicrous Speed"

Mr. Brozzoski 1. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - The acting is absolutely flawless.

2. Magnolia - I mean...it rains frogs at the end. What's better than that? Not to mention the way the story unfolds.

3. Mulholland Drive - I'm a huge David Lynch fan so I could have named any of his films 4. Less Than Zero - Had to get an 80's flick in there. I could have named a few, but this one came to mind first 5. No Country for Old Men - I know a lot of people wouldn't agree with this one, but the Coen Brothers intended for this to be a silent movie with a dark overtone and I think they couldn't have done a better job.

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…continued

What are your favorite movies ever?

From the STAFF: Mrs. Pilgrim 1) Casablanca - "Here's looking at you, kid." This movie is perhaps the greatest love story of all time and a good war picture. Clever dialogue and just an all-time classic. I will watch this whenever it is on. A classic of all classics.

2) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - My favorite buddy movie and one of the only westerns I enjoy. Terrific chemistry between all the main actors.

3) Gone with the Wind - One of the great epics. Classic characters and really great dialogue. Love Rhett Butler!

4) Monty Python's The Holy Grail - My favorite comedy. Really clever and I never get sick of it. I know it all by heart.

5) To Kill a Mockingbird - One of the few good book to movie adaptations. Love the book, but may love the movie even more. Gregory Peck is a perfect Atticus.

Mrs. Krawitz Bananas-Woody Allen Producers -Mel Brooks ( original) Gone with The Wind Pink Panther -Peter sellers The Sound of Music

Mr. Bund Raiders of the Lost Ark Star Wars Movies Lord of the Rings Trilogy Terminator 1 and 2 Braveheart Godfather 1 and 2 Gladiator

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…continued

What are your favorite movies ever?

From the STAFF:

Mrs. Teer Ever After - The "True" story of Cinderella. I love that Leonardo DiVinci has a role in this story and how strong and wise "Cinderella" (Danielle De Barbarac) is. Favorite line: "My greatgreat-grandmother's portrait hung in the University up until the Revolution. By then, the truth of their romance had been reduced to a simple fairy tale. And while Cinderella and her Prince DID live happily ever after, the point, gentlemen, is that they LIVED." Field of Dreams - Just try and watch this movie without laughing and crying and wishing you had a cornfield in Iowa. The advertising tag line said it all "If you believe the impossible, the incredible can come true." Too m any other great lines to mention, like “If you build it, he will come,” and “Go the distance” A Few Good Men - Great story, great acting, a who's who of actors you'll recognize, and written by Alan Sorkin - so, great script! The Jac k Nicholson minimonologue is classic: "Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? ... I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and curse the Marines; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a life trying to defend something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."; Kaffee: I want the truth! Col. Jessep: You can't handle the truth!"

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Apollo 13 – True and accurate story of the 1969 Apollo moon mission that got into serious trouble and of the incredible bravery, intelligence and ingenuity that saved the astronauts on board. You know what's going to happen, but the suspense still keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tom Hanks, Ed Harris...just amazing. Best lines:"We live in a world where man has walked on the moon.

And it's not a miracle. We just decided to go."

"Houston, we have a problem." "We've never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch! Failure is not an option."

Pleasantville – A brother and sister living in the 1990s end up traveling back into a 1950's sitcom and as they learn that what first appears as an idyllic time and place to live is anything, but just by being there they start to change things. A really fun and deeply thought provoking look at what it would be like to be in a world that only exists on TV and how the things we believe make modern life better may not be.

Blank books, firemen who've never seen a fire, color...I LOVE this movie!

Jennifer: What's outside of Pleasantville? Miss Peters: I don't understand. Jennifer: Outside of Pleasantville? Like, what's at the end of Main Street?

Miss Peters: You should k now the answer to that! The end of Main Street is just the beginning again.

AND.... Time Travel Movies (!!!!)

Frequency Somewhere in Time Time Traveler's Wife Time After Time Back to the Future Kate and Leopold

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January 2010

Book Reviews

My Side of the Mountain

By Jean George

This is a great story about a boy named Sam Gribley, who decides to run away from home to live in the wilderness on his great grandfather’s plantation. There he plans to hunt for his own food and make animal friends. Sam has it all planned out. He knows how to fish, hunt, and even make his own clothes, but when Sam thinks he can tough it out for the winter he does not realize what lies ahead. Fierce storms and bitter coldness push Sam to his limit, and he starts to wonder if he will live though it all. – Morgan Rampolla

Missing

½

By Catherine MacPhail This was a good book for the most part.

Overall, it felt into the “freaky-scary – don’t read it at night” category. It starts out with a girl named Maxine. It has been 10 months that her brother, Derek, has been missing, when the police call Maxine’s parents to identify a body. Her parents say it is Derek, but about a week later Maxine starts getting strange phone calls from a boy who claims to be her brother. When Maxine gets the number and calls back she is told it is a pay phone at a cemetery.

It is quite freaky. Is it Derek’s ghost that wants to talk to Maxine, or is Derek really not dead at all?

Once I started the book, (though it was a bit scary) I could not put it down. I stayed up all night just to finish reading it – Morgan Rampolla

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Book Reviews

Emperor: The The The The

Gates of Rome Death of Kings Field of Swords Gods of War

¾

The Emperor series was a great set of books. It was an amazing story of Julius Caesar from the time he first entered Rome until his murder.

Although some things in this story are slightly different than what really happened, it taught me many true things about the life of Julius Caesar.

It is amazing to believe that a man could have led a life like he did. The one thing that I could not believe was that he was captured by pirates and ransomed. This story was beautifully written and made you feel like you were right there. Even though some real people were taken out, and even a few fictional characters were added to the story, it made it all the better. – Eric Hechler

¼ I enjoyed this series from the first book, right to the end. OK, so it was not historically accurate, but there was some truth in there, you just don’t always know where it is.

Either way, it was an exciting and easy to read story following Julius Caesar’s life from a boy, to a general, to the dictator of Rome. – Mr. Bund

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Book Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

By Jeff Kinney ½

Have you ever had a summer that was just horrible?

In the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Greg deals with another terrible summer. Greg has to face trips to the town pool, a “great” birthday, and a new pet dog that he despises.

However, all of this mayhem turns out to be an amazing book.

In my opinion, this is a very funny book. This sequel brings in new characters, new events, yet the same comical humor that makes this a wonderful series. I find this funnier than the second and third books. However, it’s humor falls a bit flat compared to the original. Despite that, I was fully interested. When I finished the book, I wanted to read more.

This book was truly awesome. It could’ve had a little more humor, but it was funny enough to make me laugh. I’d say that Dog Days (and the whole series) is geared towards middle school students from the ages of 10 to 13. I recommend this book for preteens too. – Matthew Bielskas

Sliverfin

By Charlie Higson It is about James Bond as a teenager. He goes to a new school called Eton and goes to Scotland for Easter break. There he found people disappearing in the lake Loch Silverfin. The Lord does no action to try to solve it. James tries to put actions in his own hands and soon to find a sinister secret under the lake of Scotland. This is a great book to read. This book keeps you on the edge of your chair. Each page was suspenseful and kept you asking questions. If you are a James Bond fan this is the book for you. The only bad thing about the book was that there were many characters so it got confusing at times. Other than that it was a good and enjoyable book to read. - Umer Chaudhry Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Book Reviews The Face on the Milk Carton

By Caroline B. Cooney ½ The Face on the Milk Carton is a great fiction book. A girl named Janie Johnson has the experience of a lifetime. At lunch, they have faces of missing children that were kidnapped on the back of the milk carton. No one ever really looked at them except for that day. When Janie looked, she saw herself on the carton. It said she was kidnapped when she was three. Janie goes through a huge adventure trying to find the truth. Her discoveries are unstoppable and brilliant. Caroline B. Cooney came up with a great plot that made me read longer and longer, breathing fast and excited to know what will happen next. Who are her parents and are they her real parents? The information on the carton is a little different than her life. Her birthday is a day or two off and her height was off too, based on what she was when she was little. With the help of her friends, she figures out the truth. And, throughout the book, Janie has been having flashbacks, remembering the moments at the mall where she was “kidnapped”. She remembers the dress and how the collar itched her neck and how spinning on the stool made life so much more fun. She remembers faces, but don’t know who they are. Do you want to find out what happens??

Read this great book to find out!! This is the first book of the all of the three books in the series. The next book is Whatever Happened to Janie? And then, The Voice on the Radio. I know it isn’t a classic like other books, but I really enjoyed reading this novel. People Magazine recommended this book to me, and I recommend it to others. This book is a great for mystery lovers. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! – Dana Wintrop

Armchair Reader: The Book of Myths & Misconceptions

by Jeff Bahr Sometimes I just have to read a book like this straight through. Each story was short and to the point – only 1-3 pages each. It is loaded with cool stories and answers to about 450 jeopardy questions.

I read it in about 5 days, but it is the kind of book you can leave in the bathroom and every time you walk out will have a few cool facts to amaze and annoy your friends and family. – Mr. Bund

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Book Reviews

Night by Ellie Wiesel ½

Night is the heart-wrenching story

of Jewish man named, Elie Wiesel, who recounts his struggles through the Holocaust starting when he at the age of 12. In this autobiographical novel he describes the horrors he witnessed, his family’s forced separation, and the winding trail of neverending tragedy. Through this calamitous experience Elie loses very much, but through his novel he inspires us all. He tells us to appreciate what you have, because it can be taken away in an instance, like it was for him. This book was a true superb work of literature. His writing is simply addictive and visual. He uses imagery to capture the reader’s attention and to describe the horrific events of his time during the Holocaust. He depicts his struggle very well and shows his growth from boy to man in the concentration camps. You must read this book! It is an inspirational story that will absolutely warm your heart. A MUST! – Paige Botie

The Giver

By Lois Lowry

¼

Jonas lives in the perfect community. There is no war, lots of rules, and a bunch of systems to do everything (assign jobs, name babies, release the old, etc.). When Jonas is selected to become the Receiver of Memory, he starts to see a whole other side of The Community, and eventually he can’t take it & decides to flee the community.

I found this book very interesting because I realized that no place can be perfect, and we had many things The Community didn’t have. We have color, love, and family. The Community does not have those things. It got more intense as we went along, which I enjoyed. -Sam Leifer

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Book Reviews

The Last Ember

by Daniel Levin If you liked “The DaVinci Code” then you will like this. Jonathan Marcus, a lawyer/ archaeology scholar, searcheing for a great artifact lost since the Romans conquered Jerusalem in the first century AD. Most of the fast‐paced story takes place over the course of extremely full day in Rome and Jerusalem. Of course, Jonathan is not alone is searching for this artifact. There is the beautiful woman, an evil terrorist and the authorities.

Islam, Christianity and Judaism will all be dramatically be affected by the discovery of this great object! This is author, Daniel Levin’s, first novel and it is quite good. I am looking forward to his next one. – Mr. Bund

My Life in Pink and Green

by Lisa Greenwald I thought My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald was an enjoyable book to read. It’s about a girl named Lucy that tries saving her family’s pharmacy by starting a makeup business at only twelve years old. I feel like the whole concept is something new, refreshing, and different from all the other books that most teens like. If you don’t read this book, you won’t miss out on much, but I feel that it is nice to read and take on something a little different and interesting once in a while. - Victoria Korine

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Book Reviews

Yankee Years

By Joe Torre and Tom Verducci

Non-Fiction/Sports

¾

½

for Baseball fans

For 12 years Joe Torre led the New York Yankees.

Despite the relentless New York media, an overbearing George Steinbrenner, disagreements with higher management, volatile and distinctive player personalities, steroid scandals, and monumental changes to the way teams construct and develop players, Joe Torre still led the Yankees to 12 post-season appearances and 4 World Series victories.

This is an easy to read book and a must for Yankee fans. It is more than just a Joe Torre’s memoir, it includes stories and quotes from dozens of players.

For me, it was like reliving those glorious years of the second half of the 1990’s with Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone, Bernie Williams and this young promising kid named Derek Jeter. It also brought back all the emotions and turmoil of the following years with Gary Shefield, Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens, David Wells, and A-Fraud (I mean A-Rod, aka Alex Rodriguez). Through it all, Joe Torre would persevere. You will relive those years also, but there is so much more going on in the baseball world and behind the scenes, which Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci informs us. This is a book which will show you what it takes to lead a major league team with honesty and integrity. Thank you Joe for those 12 years. – Mr. Bund

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters.

By Lesley M.M. Blume

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters is one of those books that you just can’t put down. Throughout the whole story, there was not one moment without suspense, although it did sometimes did move at a slow pace. This book is generally about a girl named Cornelia that has no friends, and keeps to herself. She meets her new neighbors and they become friends immediately, which helped her with making friends in the long run. I felt that this book was very inspirational and caused me to start having deeper feelings on everything around me. Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters is a great book for people that love a happy ending. -Victoria Korine

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Book Reviews The Alexander Cipher

By Will Adams

Fiction/Thriller ¾

A fast-paced, relentless, actionpacked archaeological thriller to discover the tomb of one of the greatest conquerors in history – Alexander the Great. D’s debut novel is a successful blend of The DaVinci code and Indiana Jones, and once I started, I could not put it down. There is much more to it than just finding the tomb. Opposing forces will do anything to find it first – lie, deceive, murder – and whoever finds it first will uncover more than just priceless artifacts.

I look forward to Will Adam’s next novel, with his flawed archaeological hero, David Knox. If you read The DaVinci code, give this novel a try. You will not be disappointed. – Mr. Bund

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

By Mary Roach ¼ Interesting – to say the least. What happens to you after you die? If you donate your body to science, what do they do with it? If you were to die in a field, how would you decompose? This may sound like a science textbook, but it is cleverly written and often quite funny. If you have any interest in a medical career or in the sciences, or just looking for something quite different you should give this book a try.

– Mr. Bund

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Book Reviews

The Breadwinner

By Deborah Ellis ½ The Breadwinner is about Parvana, an eleven year old girl who lives in Afghanistan in a small and one room apartment with her family. Parvana’s father is the only one that is able to work because women in Afghanistan are not allowed to work Then Parvana’s father gets sent to jail for no inhabitable reason. Their were no other men in Parvana’s family that can work so Parvana has to cut her hair off and dress as a boy in order to support her family. I really enjoyed reading the Breadwinner. The book was very descriptive and detailed. I enjoyed how the characters seem very real. The book described poverty and showed how life is like in Afghanistan with the Taliban in power. .

Afghanistan today is still ruled by the Taliban which made it interesting because it is current. This book made me really open my eyes and realize I should be thankful for what I have. I would recommend this book to anybody who interested in history. - Umer Chaudhry

Black Hawk Down:

A Story of Modern War

By Mark Bowden Non-Fiction/War ½ A true story. It was like reading a high-paced action movie. The action starts immediately and does not let up for a minute. I could not put it down. There were times when I just had 2 minutes to read and I would pick it up anyway. – Mr. Bund

½

This was a very good book, and a true story. It was a higher level book, but it was easy to understand.

Black Hawk Down is about a group of US Marines who raid the city of Mogashiu, Somalia in Africa. It shows what soldiers have to go through in war. It also shows how much courage they have. I would recommend this book to anyone. – Vishnu Nagaraj

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January 2010

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Book Reviews Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars

By Kim Stanley Robinson

1/2

This Mars trilogy is intriguing and impressive. What would it be like to live on Mars? Purple skies, 25 hour days, 15 month dust storms, floods, seasons? One hundred Earthlings head out to Mars to create a permanent settlement. Doctors, scientists, psychologists, machinists, horticulturists, and the occasionally crazy person are chosen for this forever mission.

The battles begin before lift off and carry on for decades.

After decades of hard work and sacrifice, plants begin to take root in the unforgiving planet followed by a habitable atmosphere, all the while a new civilization erupts from the rusty surface of Mars. Thousands of Earthlings flock to the promise of new life on Mars. Many start families with children who are very tall and lithe due to the reduced gravity.

Tons of great science, but enough drama to keep you involved. – Mrs. Dunn

Revelation Space Chasm City Alastair Reynolds

½

Alastair Reynolds is a Welsh astronomer living in the Netherlands and works with the ESA (European Space Agency).

He writes this true sci-fi series that is challenging, complex, complicated, but doable. In Revelation Space, archeologist, Sylveste tries to solve the mystery of an entire civilizations mysterious disappearance.

He strikes a dangerous bargain with cyborgs and may uncover more than he bargained for. Chasm City, a whole book on the weirdest place you never want to go to. Bounty hunter Tanner, makes some unusual friends and dangerous enemies in this godforsaken place somewhere in the universe. Lots of awesome science, neutron stars, gravity, genetic augmentation, time warps, etc., etc., etc.

Definitely going to read some more Alastair Reynolds books. – Mrs. Dunn My Life in Pink and Green 86

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January 2010

Book Reviews

Catalyst

By Laurie Halse Anderson I really enjoyed this book about a girl named Kate who is trying to apply to MIT when her life starts to head downhill.

Kate is a mixture of many things, she is a long distance runner, a science and math geek, the minister’s daughter and girlfriend to the “Early Decision Harvard” Mitchell. Kate was always able to handle everything, until Teri Litch and her little brother Mikey move in. Teri has always bullied Kate ever since Kindergarten and now because her house burned down, Teri has to move in with Kate. Kate doesn’t like it one bit but, she is going to have to deal. When MIT doesn’t want to take her in, Kate Malone’s life is flipped inside out.

I liked the way the book was written and how Kate has two sides. In the novel, when Kate makes a decision, she has a “Good Kate” and a “Bad Kate” and she has to choose between both of them. I feel that this is the kind of book someone should read if they are stuck and don’t know what to do. The book was worth it and I really liked it. Amanda Troendle

3 Willows

By Ann Brashares Fiction

½

This book was pretty enjoyable. It is almost like a continuation of “The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants,” but with a different plot and characters. This book contains the lives of three best friends over the summer that changes them forever. They each find different paths to follow. Polly believes she can be a model. Ama wanted to be in an academic camp but accidentally is put in a wilderness trip and must survive the wilds of Wyoming. Jo learns how to work at a job in a restaurant.

Throughout the book, there are little paragraphs that tell stories about things that happened in the past to all the friends. These paragraphs usually relate to things that are happening in the story. The book was a good read but a little boring. I like fast-paced, exciting books so I suggest that if you are like me that you read something a little more…captivating. One thing I did enjoy about the book was that it always referred to a tree and how it grows, just as friendships grow. If you liked “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” then you will probably like this book. - Amanda Troendle

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January 2010

87

Book Reviews

Frozen Fire

By Tim Bowler

½

Fiction/Mystery

This book is truly a mystery. It managed to capture my eye when I saw the hint, “He’s Not Of This World….” The book is about a girl who is struggling in school as well as in life. Dusty (the main character) believes that a strange voice she hears on her cell phone on Christmas Night knows about the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared two years ago. Now she is setting out for this boy who is said to be dangerous and who has escaped the police for years. People say that he can read your mind and can move at the speed of light. They say, “He is not of this world.” She tries to put together the pieces of this mysterious boy while trying to find her brother. While the entire town is trying to find and destroy this boy, Dusty wants to protect him to find her missing brother. This book was exciting, upbeat and a very good mystery. I highly recommend this book to anyone. From the first line, “I’m dying,” to the very shocking end, this book was well worth it and defiantly deserves 4 stars. - Amanda Troendle

This book was an extra ordinary book. It was much different from Twilight and the other books for teenagers. This one is more mature and more complex, so I wouldn't recommend it to younger children. The way the author wrote it, made it the most interesting book I've ever read. I couldn't put the book down for even a minute.- Maya Gasiorowski

Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson The book, Speak, caught my eye when I saw the award placed in the left corner. When I actually began reading the book, I was a little surprised by the way the author wrote it. It wasn’t set up as a book normally is and was a very strange read. To sum the book up in just a few short sentences, it’s about a girl who wants to be mute. She only speaks to certain people and tries not to speak to anyone at home or in school. Her grades in school are awful and her situation at home is terrible. No one knows why she decides to be mute and throughout the entire book, she only has a little explanation of why she is mute. She “says” it’s because whenever she talks to someone, she gets nervous that she’ll mess up on a word or two and so decides what’s the point of speaking anyway? The ending was just weird and the only part where there was any action was short and barely understandable at first. I admit that I like the way Speak was written, it just wasn’t as complex of a story I thought it would be. Unless you’re the kind of person that doesn’t mind any action in a book at all, then I suggest you read this. Or if you’re a big mouth yourself (like me) you won’t really understand it. - Amanda Troendle

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January 2010

Book Reviews The Eragon Series Fiction/Fantasy

Brisingr (The third book of the Eragon series) Another AMAZING book in the Eragon series!

After losing his sword in the previous book (I’m not telling you how) there is a search for a new sword, while he travels the land once again and attends the dwarven clan gathering, once again meets with his trainers, and still manages to cross the entire land and save the day.

Once again, all ages will love it, and I know I did. Again you must read Eragon and Eldest before you read this one. This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will never forget. – Eric Hechler

Eldest

½

(The sequel to Eragon – The second book in the series) This book was great. Once again, this is a book for all ages, but you MUST read Eragon first. Otherwise you will not understand a thing. This book was very good, and takes place after Eragon leaves the Beor Mountains with his companions. They travel all over the land, and Eragon and Saphira meet their new trainers. This book is AMAZING and a great gift to all. – Eric Hechler

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January 2010

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Book Reviews

Eragon (The original book)

½ Eragon is one of my favorite books. It has adventure, action, and such imaginative settings.

Eragon is a book/movie about a boy named Eragon who lives with his uncle and cousin. One day, while hunting in The Spine, Eragon finds a blue stone. But, this isn’t an ordinary stone. It’s an egg which hatches into a dragon. Eragon names it Saphira for her sapphire colored scales. Together, with Brom (a storyteller), they set out to find and kill the dark and mysterious foes called the Ra’zac, find the Varden (the good guys), and complete Eragon’s training as a dragon rider. They meet many characters, travel to many places, and learn many secrets. Also, there is happiness and misfortune. Eragon also has different races like humans, dwarfs, and elves.

These characters have a variety of personalities, skills, and habits that keep it interesting. One of the best reasons to read Eragon is that it has such thrills that make it difficult to put down. To find out those big secrets, you need to pick up and read Eragon. - Ryan Winthrop

½ THIS book was great. It will be appeal to all ages, especially if you like dragons and war and such. I personally loved the book, and anybody who reads it will. It is so detailed, from start to finish. A great book that everyone will love. – Eric Hechler

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January 2010

Book Reviews The Troy Trilogy

By David Gemmell Historic Fiction/Ancient History

¾ Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy Trilogy, book 1) This is an astounding piece of historical fiction. It is addictive reading.

From the first page, I was hooked, and it just got better and better.

David Gemmell has a history of creating highly respected fantasy worlds and novels, and here he takes this experience to produce imaginative, colorful and deep characters. Think of this as a prequel to the Iliad and the Odyssey, or for those of you don’t know those classics, think of it as a prequel to the movie “Troy.” This is the book that renewed my faith in the historical fiction genre. I have suggested this book to dozens of people, and not one has told me they have been disappointed. Highly and enthusiastically recommended! – Mr. Bund Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow takes place before the Trojan War began. I am uncertain of the historic accuracy of this book, however, I do think that it is a very possible account of the events leading up to the Trojan war. I learned about the great warrior, Helikaeon, and the Trojans. About King Agamemnon and how the Mycenaeans played a large part in the events leading up to the Trojan wars. This book also taught me about how Mycenaens (The Greeks) not only conspired against the enemy, but also themselves.

I thought that the book was a very good retelling of the events that resulted in the Trojan War and that it is a good substitute for the story of Helen of Troy. It is much more likely and believable. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like a new and refreshing opinion on the cause of the Trojan War. – Matthew Ross Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

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Book Reviews The Troy Trilogy continued…

Shield of Thunder (Troy Trilogy, Book 2) Troy: Fall of Kings (Troy Trilogy, Book 3) Excellent!!! Historical fiction at its best. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Unfortunately, the author David Gemmell died while completing the third and final book to this wonderful trilogy, but his wife finished it with the detailed notes he left. I was hooked from the first page, and I love the way Gemmell weaves very believable and alternate interpretations of events that happened so long ago, but still intrigue us today. The characters are wonderful and the story keeps you hooked from the first page of Lord of the Silver Bow to the last page of Fall of Kings.

Call Peter Jackson now (he made the movies for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and turn these into blockbuster epic movies. Everything about them – the rich characters, immense battles, and intrigue all put to the incredible backdrop of the beautiful Aegean Sea – just begs to put on the big screen. – Mr. Bund

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January 2010

Book Reviews

A Song of Ice and Fire

By George RR Martin

This is one of the best epic fantasy series ever created. Its vision, depth and detail are breathtaking. The best fantasy to compare it to is Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Just mentioning any book in this category is an honor, and Martin’s series exceeds all expectations. Some are proclaiming him “The American Tolkien.”

This masterfully written adventure is not as clean cut as Lord of the Rings - it is much more gritty, violent and mature. Each chapter is titled and written from the point of view of a different character, and the morally complex characters do not easily fall into the category of good or evil, black or white. Instead, there is a lot of grey area, and you will find yourself rooting for a character at one time and wishing they were dead later.

These fantasy books do not overwhelm you with the magic and the supernatural. The key characters are human and their weapons are their words, wits and occasionally their weapons. Just a warning – do not get used to everyone. Martin has no problem killing anyone.

Like Lord of the Rings, these books are not quick reads at about 1000 pages per book, but the benefit is a rich tapestry that will totally satisfy you and immerse you in the action.

Originally the series was only planned to be 3 books, but now Martin plans to make it a 7-book series. The 4th book, “A Feast of Crows” was released in 2005, and was good, but not a riveting as the original three. The 5th book in the series, “A Dance with Dragons,” was scheduled to be released in April 2009, but we are still impatiently waiting. HBO has plans to create a mini series, and the script for “A Game of Thrones” is now being completed. HBO plans to give each novel a full season. – Mr. Bund Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

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Book Reviews

A Song of Fire and Ice Continued…

A Series Review by Eric Hechler

A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is book 1 in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. This was a very good book, although at times it is very slow, and you may want to stop reading, but the rest of the series is definitely worth it. This book takes place mostly over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, with tons of adventure and mystery. People are not who you think they are, they will die when you thought they might come out on top many more things. Every chapter is from a different characters point of view. There are about 8 characters that it cycles through. This is definitely worth your time to read. - Eric Hechler

A Clash of Kings This is book 2 in George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. This book is even better than the first one with tons more mystery and fighting. This book moves much faster than the first one, and is much better. It has the most action with many small, but important, battles leading up to the real Clash of Kings in the Battle of the Blackwater.

This book ends with some incredible events. Another great book worth your time reading. – Eric Hechler

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January 2010

Book Reviews

A Song of Fire and Ice Continued…

A Storm of Swords This is book 3 in George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire series.” This one is the best of the current 4 books by a mile. This book takes so many twists and turns, you will think you know exactly what is going to happen… and then BAM someone dies or something like that and you feel like an idiot. I have to admit that this is the best book I have ever read in my life.

The thing that I’m very happy about with this series is that the author kept the series going after this book. If he had wanted he could have stopped the series at the end of this book. I would have been disappointed, but I would have been satisfied. I am surprised that I feel this way because they didn’t even end the war or anything like that. But the series keeps on moving on and the war continues…. - Eric Hechler

A Feast for Crows This is book 4 of the George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. This is the last available book at the moment in the series, but the fifth one (A Dance With Dragons) will be out eventually. The first good thing about this book is it breaks the annoying chain of books that start with “A ___ of ___.” Since in this series every chapter takes place from a different characters point of view. Each character has their own story although their stories cross many times. FFC and DWD take place at the same time. Originally they were supposed to be the same book but it was too big, so they split it in half. But, (try to follow me here) instead of telling half the story for all of the characters, he tells the whole story for half of the characters, and that is the reason that FFC and DWD take place at the same time. I was very happy with this setup because It has many of my favorite characters in each, like Jaime and Cersei Lannister and Samwell Tarly in FFC and Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow in DWD. It has taken almost 6 years for George R.R. Martin to write DWD, and he is in his early 60s. He better not die before he finishes this series, or I’ll kill him again.

Another great book. - Eric Hechler

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January 2010

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Book Reviews

A Song of Fire and Ice Continued…

A Feast for Crows

A Song of Ice and Fire (book 4)

By George RR Martin Books 1-3

½

I read the first 3 books in a single summer, and had to wait years for this fourth book. After reading the first couple of pages, I paged through the rest of the book, searching for some of my favorite characters. I wouldn’t say I was entirely disappointed, but the satisfaction wasn’t there after the anticipation. In retrospect, Martin tried to develop some of HIS favorite characters in a way that he did not do in the first three. In the first 3, he jumps around from character to character, leaving the reader hanging after nearly every chapter. I admit, I skipped some chapters in order to find out what happened to a particular character, then went back to finish the skipped ones.

I read the authors comments about the need to break the story into 2 books.

I don’t buy his excuse. I could have handled a 1500 page book. What about you?

By far, the best fantasy series I have ever read. – Mrs. Dunn

“Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best…this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.” – Time Magazine 96

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January 2010

Book Reviews

The movie comes to theaters very soon.

Here is a review on the book from our May 2006 issue

The Lovely Bones

By Alice Sebold

½

This is one of those books that puts you through a whirlwind of emotions. I have never read a better written no vel. One of the things I loved most about this book was the fact that I did not know exactly how to categorize its genre. It could be classified as mystery, as well as horror, as well as fantasy. I concluded that it was predominantly on the murder mystery side. The novel is very unique in the sense of how it is told. Its main character Susie Salmon is raped and killed in the very first chapter. Susie was 14 when she was murdered by a man named George Harvey; her neighbor. The best thing about this book is that there isn’t a need to ponder the identity of the murderer. For Susie and her father the frustration is proving the murderers’ guilt. The story is told from Susie’s point of view. How, you may ask, if she was killed in the first chapter? Well, Susie tells her story from heaven as she watches everyone else’s lives.

Susie watches as the perfected serial killer who murdered her, without being suspected by a single person on earth but her father, goes on with life, as she could not. What she wanted most, as she admits in heaven, was Mr. Harvey dead and her alive. Now every book written about heaven in some aspect has a different way of describing it. By far Alice Sebold’s (the author) way is the most creative and mind boggling. In this book everyone’s heaven is different. It has everything you want it to have if you understand why you want it. The people who are in your heaven are the people whose heavens cross with yours. They are not exactly the same as yours but they have different things.

Basically everyone see’s something different. You also have kind of a tour guide/guidance counselor. Susie’s councilor’s name was Franny. She is the one who basically explained the, “if you understand why you want it concept.” I loved this book because of how every aspect of it was interwoven with something else. I found myself laughing sometimes because of the irony, especially in its ending. I recommend this book for anyone who is mature enough to handle the topic of rape. This is one of the most phenomenal books it has been my privilege to read. – Tara Blumstein (class of 2010)

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January 2010

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Book Reviews Gladiators of the Empire Novels

Sand of the Arena (Book 1) The Fight for Rome (Book 2)

By James Duffy Historic Fiction/Ancient History I would highly recommend the “Gladiators of the Empire Novels.” James Duffy knows his history, and expertly weaves fact and fiction in these thrilling, easy to read, fast-paced and exciting historical fiction novels. Even if you are not an ancient history fan, I think you will find these novels a very satisfying read.

In Sands of the Arena, young Quintus loved watching the gladiators with his father, but when tragedy strikes and his life it taken away from him by his scheming slave Lucius, he unbelievably finds himself rebuilding his life as a gladiator. Along with his friends Lindani, a kind-hearted African beast-hunter, and Amazonia, a beautiful but deadly female gladiatrix, Quintus develops into one of the most popular gladiators in the empire.

With the death of the depraved emperor Nero, Rome descends into chaos. It is the year 69AD – The Year of Four Emperors – and The Fight for Rome has Quintus and his gladiator friends in the middle of this bloody Civil War. Meanwhile, Quintus’ lifetime nemesis, Lucius, is again plotting his rise to power.

The third novel, soon to be released, fast-forwards to 79AD, the year of Mt. Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption, and is aptly entitled Rain of Fire. I look forward to the further adventures of Quintus and his friends, and expect another fast-paced and fun novel. – Mr. Bund 98

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January 2010

Book Reviews

NEW MOON

By Stephenie Meyer

1/2 star (gasp, yes I did just rate one of the twilight books a ½ a star!)

It is official ‐‐ Stephanie Meyer is the oldest emo teenage girl on the face of this planet.

How else could she have written a book like ʺNew Moon,ʺ the second sparkle‐ vampire romance in her bestselling Twilight series? Unfortunately this is no deep and intense romance ‐‐ itʹs basically a big oozing lump of teenage melodrama and horrendously purple writing style.

And the stubbornly obnoxious heroine Bella Swan doesnʹt help with her endless moaning.

After Bella’s birthday party is ruined, the Cullen’s leave Forks because they realize it’s too dangerous for them to be around her. Cue emo music, for Bellaʹs life is empty and worthless without Edward. No, but you don’t understand, it’s LITERALLY empty. There are blank pages with month names on them, presumably to show how meaningless and pointless her life has become since her true love has left her.

Firstly, this is fated “true” love. In my world, fated true love isnʹt romantic, itʹs lazy. It says ʺhey, instead of working out why these characters are attracted to each other and showing how their relationship develops, Iʹm gonna just put it in the hands of FATE and have them fall in love for no reason whatsoever!ʺ Edward loves Bella because she smells good, which means Edward loves Bella like I love freshly baked bread. Bella loves Edward because heʹs beautiful. God‐like. So beautiful...really BEAUTIFUL, in case you missed it in all the numerous descriptive reminders. But really, why do they love each other? I have no idea. Shakespeare was all too aware of the ridiculousness of star‐crossed Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

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love, which is why he was smart and killed his teenaged lovers off. But Bella and Edwardʹs happiness hinges entirely on their togetherness. What a strong, solid message to send to the young women of the world: happiness isnʹt something you create for yourself, oh no, itʹs something you can ONLY find in a beautiful, immortal man. Bellaʹs slow recognition of Jacob as a potential suitor was far more interesting and realistic, and it was disappointing to see Bella repeatedly insist to herself that no one would ever do it for her again but Edward.

In this book, Meyer is CLEARLY trying to use literary comparisons and to turn her characters into representations of Shakespeareʹs. And hey, I love Shakespeare, but if you’re gonna do that; you might as well not fail miserably.

Bella, Edward and Jacob are not Juliet, Romeo and Paris, but Meyer tries desperately to make them so. Where Romeo and Juliet is a play about how hatred and outside forces can destroy something pure, New Moon is just an embarrassing display of teen melodrama. Bella was always a whiny, insipid little baby; always needing a man to literally prop her up. In New Moon she takes this to a frightening new level. Bella simply cannot go anywhere without either being carried or supported by a man. Hell, even in the car thereʹs always a guy with his arm around her while heʹs driving (howʹs that for road safety?). She actually clings to whatever man is near her, and when thereʹs no man sheʹs sitting on the lap of and clinging to, there is Alice, her female friend. We are supposed to see Bella as Juliet. Sheʹs NOT. Bellaʹs misery is embarrassing.

She goes walking at night in dangerous places, trying to attract men who previously tried to rape her. She rides ‐ and repeatedly crashes ‐ a motorcycle she does not know how to operate, and she jumps off a cliff. All so she can hallucinate her ex‐boyfriendʹs voice. She wakes up screaming ‐ EVERY NIGHT. She does things that put her in the hospital every week. Why? Because her boyfriend left her six months earlier. This is not a broken heart; this is the worldʹs most stupid girl being as melodramatic as it is possible to be. And anybody whoʹs hallucinating a boyfriend should be medicated.

In the end, belatedly, Meyer realizes that post‐breakup angst is not enough to carry even this thin plot. So she quickly spins up a bunch of Bad Evil Restrictive Vampires, and Edward attempting suicide by the most hilarious method possible ‐‐ public sparkling. Such scenes almost mock themselves.

And then both of them are fine. Nope, nothing happens.

So what have we learned? ʺNew Moonʺ is a prolonged, near‐plotless slog of teenage melodrama.

This book MIGHT have just been worse than Twilight, and that’s saying something. ‐ Suedeh Ranjbar

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January 2010

Special Feature – Book Vs Movie

TWILIGHT

By Stephenie Meyer Some of you may have heard the buzz about Twilight.

Honestly, it was painful to read at times. The characters were boring, the storyline was dull until the end, and there were no unexpected events. You wasted about 450 pages out of the 497-page novel.

For half the book it described how “beautiful” Edward was and how in love Bella was with him and the other half was spent on Edward’s over-protective moments. The end was the only part I liked. First of all because it was the only good part, and second of all it meant that the book was over. The movie of “Twilight” is not great either. The acting was dull, there was no emotion and the directing was absurd.

Scenery was eerie, but in a boring way, too. The movie followed the same trend as most of the book.

More of boring. YAWN! I’m not saying I don’t like the Twilight series as a whole. I am in the middle of the third book, Eclipse and it’s not half bad. It’s just that Twilight and New Moon were not a good way to start off a series. If I can summarize Twilight and the movie up in one word it would be BLAH. Don’t waste your time unless you want to read the whole series. Otherwise, you’ll just fall asleep, drool hanging out of your mouth, in the middle of Twilight.

– Paige Botie

THE BOOK ½ Okay, I’ll admit that I never had any intention of reading Twilight, but once I did I thought it was amazing! All the suspense, emotion, action and romance! I thought it was really good, although everything does have its flaws. There were a lot of boring and mooshy-gooshy parts that went on FOREVER! Also, some parts are so predictable it’s pathetic, and OMG the worst thing I hated about this book is the FANS! You know the really obsessive ones? I have one thing to say to all of you…get over it and get a life- it is just a book! – Lauren Toscano Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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January 2010

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Book Vs Movie – Twilight continued…

Okay I’ve got to admit, the first time I read this book I was crazy about it too. But then I suddenly realized that there are A LOT of problems and plot holes. So this “average” girl moves to Forks and suddenly she is beautiful and popular. Girl finds interest in boy. Boy says “I’m too dangerous for you.” Girl says “I don’t care I loooooove you.” Then they make out for the remainder of the book. The end.

Now let me explain. First we’ll start off with our narrator, Bella Swan. The teen protagonist has NOTHING going for her outside of the fact that she catches a vampire's eye. She has no hopes, no aspirations, no dreams, and no hobbies. She cooks for her father and placates her shallow mother, and that's IT. Bella is annoying and so whiny. She’s self-centered, quite rude to her 'friends' at times, and totally lacking a sense of humor or a small amount of intelligence or any genuine concern for anyone other than herself or her pretty- boy boyfriend. I could understand why no one at her old school liked her. I couldn't understand, though, why everyone at her new school seemed to treat her like royalty and wanted to be with her constantly, right from day one of her arriving there.

And what is up with her clumsiness? What does she have a neurological problem or something? It’s also ironic how she faints at the sight of a drop of blood but doesn’t mind the fact that her boyfriend could suck the living day out of her at any moment. I believe that using a first person narrative can be very effective, but this author completely wasted it with this so called “500 page novel” - that really should be 200 pages max. I mean 500 pages with 12 words on each page doesn’t really count.

Let’s move on to our knight in shining armor, the dear Edward Cullen. The most boring character in existence! Yes, he's supposed to be gorgeous, yet I have no picture of him in my head.

Also, he doesn't have one interesting, charming, or funny thing to say. His dialogue can be divided into three categories: 1.) "Bella, you are my moon, my stars, my sun, my pearl among swine, my angel amongst the unwashed masses...You are marvelous, you are amazing, I adore you...of course, I don't know you at all, because I just met you two weeks ago, but I love you very, very much. Oh and I'm perfect." 2.) "Bella, you silly, silly girl. Who told you that you get to think and state your opinions? I'm the vampire, I'm the one who knows everything, I get to make all the decisions...remember, I'm perfect." 3.) "Behold my [pick one] beauty, strength, power, speed, marvelous, endearingly quirky sense of humor, my amazing family...have I mentioned that I'm perfect?" But we can’t forget the “Do I DAZZLE you?” So why is he described as “perfect” if he’s plain and dull? Personally, I like flaws in guys. It makes them cuter and most importantly REAL! Something you’ll never be Edward!

Do I sound like a pessimist yet? Well I’m not done, thank you very much. Now that we’ve established both characters, let’s move on to their relationship - Corny, CLICHÉ, boring, predictable (not that anything is wrong with predictability) and sort of ridiculous. I mean they just recently meet each other and fall head over heels. I do know the meaning of love at first sight, but their relationship is all fluff and smooching. Once they realize their ‘love’ for each other, they only care about themselves and no one else. True love is never selfish.

There could have been so much done with this novel. The Cullen family could have been SO MUCH more interesting! They could have had the BEST personality if only Stephanie Meyer could have done so. I’m sorry to all of those people who think this is the best book they have ever read, but I hate to break it to you guys, some just don’t like it. Although I have to admit, Meyer did make some good points with the venom and vampire stories. It also finally started to pick up with an ACTUAL event from pages 370 to 450. That’s why I am giving her 2 stars, one for her good points, and the second because she had some events that made the book some what enjoyable. I know I sound like I am completely hating on this book, but I just wanted to state my opinions. Think about it when you read the novel and then tell me how hot or how perfect Edward is. – Suedeh Ranjbar

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Book Vs Movie – Twilight continued…

THE MOVIE

I adore the Twilight Saga....but let’s face it, the movie sucked!!! The actress who plays Bella in the movie showed no emotion. Throughout the whole movie she was talking in monotone. You could tell they had a budget because of the crappy effects.

When Edward was supposed to glimmer in the sunlight, it just looked like he had a disgusting sweating problem. They could have also used some common sense when writing the movie. Nobody falls in love in 2 days....not even vampires. Even though the actors and effects sucked, I still have to give the movie some credit for keeping the book similar with movie. - Dominique Suapengco

½ star

The worst movie I have ever seen.

There is what, 5 minutes of action in the entire movie?

There is no real plot of the story, because everything that happens is so predictable. I thought it was the most boring and overrated movie I have ever seen in my entire life. Twilight was a horrible movie and I would not even think of seeing the second one when it comes out. - Brandon Nomberg

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Book Vs Movie – Twilight continued…

The MOVIE continued…

Everywhere I look, someone is reading the Twilight series.

All ages. OK, mostly girls, but all ages. People can not seem to get enough. The books are everywhere. It truly has become a national phenomenon. When the movie came out about the first book, it was hyped everywhere and had very high expectations. I have to admit I have not read the books, but decided I had to see the movie and see what all the fuss was about. I went into this with an open mind.

Honestly! So what was the verdict? It was…just OK. It was not terrible, but it was not anything memorable. It could have been a made‐for‐television movie. I think fans badly wanted this movie to be great, but it simply was not. I liked the idea of the conflict between the good and bad vampires. This had some potential, but they did not develop that part of the story enough and I do not think they gave the bad vampires enough screen time. Instead the movie turned into a long drawn out teen love story and, oh yea, there were vampires. I can see that there is going to be a whole werewolf thing in the next movie, but I will not be running to see it. What is the bottom line? Unmemorable, and they have to do a whole lot better on the next movie in the series. – Mr. Bund

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Broadway Vs Movie 9 to 5 ¼

The Movie: This was a very good movie. Starring Lily Tomlin (Violet), Dolly Parton (Doralee), and Jane Fonda (Judy), these 3 women do what they can to eliminate their

sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot of a boss (Mr. Hart). I think this a good family movie and even better for someone who really does work from 9 to 5. – Evan Hirsch BROADWAY

½

This was even better than the movie. I loved it.

Starring Sphine J. Block (from the hit “Wicked”) as Judy, Megan Hilty (also from “Wicked”) as Doralee, and Allison Janney as Violet, made it a pleasure to see. It was the same story as the movie, but it popped out at you with more color and more flair. – Evan Hirsch

Broadway Reviews Camelot (ON TOUR)

¼

This was a good musical. I took home some catchy songs and witty lines, but the first act was too long. I was yawning every 6 lines. At the intermission I crawled out of the theater. Then the second act was only 30 minutes. It had a clever little story about King Arthur, but it could have been better. – Evan Hirsch

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Broadway Reviews Opening night at Tilles Center was wonderful. Bernadette Peters put on a beautiful performance. She is a true entertainer and lady. She looked and sounded fabulous.

The Tilles Orchestra was great. I really enjoyed her talent. – Mrs.Hirsch

Bernadette Peters was great! She is wonderful! She has a great voice and had a most entertaining show. I loved all the songs she sang because they were classic Broadway songs and they fit her voice perfectly. In between each song she either told a funny story or made a funny joke (which I found both to be hilarious). I never got bored once. If she ever came back to my area I would not hesitate to buy tickets to her next concert. She is a great actress and singer and I would hope she shows off her beautiful voice to the world! – Evan Hirsch ½

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Broadway Reviews

South pacific Father – Son Review Dad’s point of view:

½

South Pacific’s revival at Lincoln Center proved to be the Classic Musical hit that it was when it opened many years ago.

The music by legendary composers Roger’s and Hammerstein was both energizing and beautiful. Aided by a major orchestra the lively play kept your interest throughout the 3 hour show.

The story line was provocative covering ever present social prejudices but at times was still able to inject humor and comedy at just the right times. Dancing sequences were acrobatic and the scenery was engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this classic musical and would recommend it to all ages. - Ron Hirsch

Son’s point of view:

½

It was a fun and cool musical. I thought it was pretty good but a little hard to understand. It is the story of a man who lives on the South Pacific who falls in love with a girl during the war. The acting was very good and so was the scenery. It is a musical I think older people would like more but, in some cases like mine some kids can enjoy it too! – Evan Hirsch

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Broadway Reviews

Wicked ¾

Being a Wizard of Oz fan I enjoyed this musical. The special effects were amazing! The musical numbers were very nice.

Some acting even scared me that's how convincing it was! Some parts were a little unnecessary and hard to understand.

True Wizard of Oz fans like me will recognize most of the scenes. This musical took place right before the Wizard of Oz. It is the life story of the Wicked Witch and Glinda who were actually friends in college. It is a very good musical with small bumps along the way but can be overlooked by the great acting, costumes, and sets. - Evan Hirsch

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Arctic Monkeys Humbug ¼

With Josh Homme and the helm of production, the Monkeys veer from their brash two minute punk songs to something darker and weirder.

Fine with me as on tracks like “Crying Lightning” and “Cornerstone”, front man Alex Turner’s lyrics are smarter than they have ever been. In addition, the melodies are louder and more psychadelic, evident on the overstuffed tune “Pretty Visitors”. The overall idea is a but messy, but the album as a whole is intriguing than anything they have ever done. – Dean Essner Download: Cornerstone

Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca ½ Best band of the year, best album of the year.

On tracks like “Useful Chamber” and “Temecula Sunrise”, this is the best new band in alternative rock. – Dean Essner Download: Useful Chamber

My Morning Jacket Evil Urges Jim James is the most innovative singer/artist besides Thom Yorke in rock and roll. The one-two punch combo of Smokin’ From Shootin’ and Touch Me I am Going To Scream Pt. 2 is the best back-toback song combo of the year. Rock on Jimmy! – Dean Essner Download: Touch Me I am Going To Scream Pt. 2

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MUSIC REVIEWS Grizzly Bear Veckatimest ½ Quiet, melodic and oh so beautiful, Grizzly Bear prove they create some of the sweetest melodies in all of indie rock on tracks like “Dory” and “Two Weeks”. – Dean Essner Download: While You Wait For The Others, Dory

TV On The Radio Dear Science The best dance record of the past few years. This is probably my favorite band right now because they are extremely unique, and they still hold that title after this album, which is their most accessible yet.

The best tracks include: “Crying”, “Halfway Home”, “Dancing Choose”, “Lover’s Day”, “Stork and Owl”, “Family Tree” and the incredible “Golden Age”. – Dean Essner Download: Golden Age

Top 10 Albums of 2009

by Dean Essner 1. Bitte Orca- Dirty Projectors 2. Merriwhether Post Pavilion- Animal Collective 3. Veckatimest- Grizzly Bear 4. Monsters Of Folk- Monsters Of Folk 5. Wilco (The Album)-Wilco 110

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Phish Joy This album is the bands first since their five year hiatus. They team up with Steve Lillywhite, the producer of their 1996 album Billy Breathes. The song “Sugar Shack,” a reggae funky groove could pass for Steve Miller/Bob Marley if it were catchier and the lyrics were cleaned up a bit. “Time Turns Elastic” is very impressive, but at times can be jumbled and confusing. At the end of the song you’ll be gasping for a breath of air. I did like the song “I Been Around”, a cool little piano vocal piece. “Kill Devil Falls” sounds pretty good and gives you a pack of some 60’s psychedelia. “Backwards Down the Number Line” sounds like a Grateful Dead tune, which is awesome that Phish can replicate the Dead’s sound pretty well. Overall the album is alright, but obviously if you want to hear good Phish you have to go to one of their spectacular and mind blowing concerts. This album shows Phish’s strengths and most notably their limitations. -Noah Berley

Lilly Allen It’s Not You, It’s Me This girl is so sarcastic! I love it! Her songs are very upbeat and sort of indie, but her lyrics are almost so sarcastic, it’s unnoticeable. It’s an interesting version of British pop. Lilly Allen seems like this pampered little doll that gets everything she wants and more, and maybe she is, but it definitely doesn’t show in her music! I must admit, her songs are not for everyone, but if you listen to her for 2 minutes you’ll know whether or not you like her. She has a light and mellow tone of voice and knows who she is and what kind of music she wants to showcase. She doesn’t sound like anyone I’ve ever listened to, which makes her stand out a lot. Give her a chance, maybe you’ll like her. – Sue Ranjbar Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Miley Cyrus Breakout ½ star Oh you have got to be kidding me.

NO, I do not listen to her, but my sisters do, and I cringe every time I hear it. First of all, I would like to say that if you listen to this girl, you have no taste in music. She has absolutely no range and she doesn’t know what her style of music is. She switches from “rock” to pop, to a terrible cover of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, that is just a pop explosion of umm… nothing. This is an abomination to the millions of children in the world who look up to, and idolize this teen girl. She doesn’t write any of her songs, but she would like to make you think that she does, but if you’re going to have someone write your songs, at least make them good. I mean, the songs are basically all about boys, oh and the title track Breakout? Haha silly little girl, remember, youʹre famous for now, you donʹt go to school! (Every weekʹs the same/Stuck in schoolʹs so lame/My parents say that Iʹm lazy /Gettinʹ up at 8amʹs crazy /Tired of beinʹ told what to do/So unfair, so uncool) Take a look at those genius lyrics! Wow, watch out John Lennon, she’s got you beat! – Sue Ranjbar

Kiss

Sonic Boom They are back! Sonic Boom is a really good album.

Kiss’s new music is definitely harder than the classic Kiss. It is a solid album and I would recommend it to Kiss fans. – Sal Liotta

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2009 was a big year for MUSIC, but look at some of the amazing ALBUMS that were out 5, 10, 15…45, 50, 55 years ago!!!

How many have you heard?

5 years ago - 2004 Arcade Fire – Funeral Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News The Killers – Hot Fuss Green Day – American Idiot Wilco – A Ghost is Born U2 – How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand Jimmy Eats World – Futures Velvet Revolver – Contraband Kayne West – The College Dropout Usher – Confessions

10 years ago - 1999 Wilco – Summerteeth Fiona Apple – When the Pawn Moby – Play Eminem – The Slim Shade LP Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication Dr. Dre – 2001 Stone Temple Pilots – No. 4 Rage Against the Machine – The Battle of Los Angeles Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile Metallica –S&M Tom Waits - Mule Variations David Gray - White Ladder Sting - Brand New Day Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left to Lose Dido - No Angel Backstreet Boys - Millennium

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15 years ago - 1994 Soundgarden – Superunknown Weezer – Blue Album Portishead – Dummy Oasis – Definitely Maybe Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral Hole – Live Through This Green Day – Dookie Beck – Mellow Gold Seal (his second album) Morrisey – Vauxhall and I Tori Amos – Under the Pink Stone Temple Pilots – Purple Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Notorious BIG – Ready to Die Pearl Jam – Vitology The Cranberries – No Need to Argue Tom Petty – Wildflowers Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York Dave Matthews Band – Under the Table and Dreaming Beastie Boys – Ill Communication REM – Monster Live – Throwing Copper Bush –Sixteen Stone The Sign – Ace of Base

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20 years ago - 1989 Pixies – Doolittle The Cure – Disintegration Madonna – Like a Prayer New Order – Technique Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 1814 Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine Jesus and Mary Chain – Automatic B-52’s – Cosmic Thing Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars Neil Young – Freedom The Cult – Sonic Temple Aerosmith – Pump Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker Nirvana –Bleach Chris Isaak – Heart Shaped World 10,000 Maniacs – Blind Man’s Zoo Bonnie Raitt – Nick of Time Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother;s Milk Billy Joel – Storm Front Rolling Stones – Steel Wheels Queen –Miracle The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique Fine Young Cannibals The Raw & The Cooked Don Henley The End Of The Innocence Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble In Step Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel

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25 years ago - 1984 Metallica: Ride The Lightning Bruce Springsteen: Born In The USA Pretenders: Learning to Crawl Violent Femmes: Halloweed Ground Prince: Purple Rain Rum DMC: self-titled Cars: Heartbeat Echo & Bunnymen: Ocean Rain Red Hot Chili Peppers: self-titled Smiths: self-titled Tina Turner: Private Dancer Huey Lewis: Sports Joan Jett: Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth Twisted Sister: Stay Hungry Bryan Adams: Reckless Madonna: Like A Virgin Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward Ratt: Out Of The Cellar Bangles: All Over The Place Wham: Make It Big Don Henley: Building The Perfect Beast Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual Thompson Twins: Into The Gap Van Halen – 1984 Mirror Moves - The Psychedelic Furs

30 years ago - 1979 Billy Joel – 52nd Street The Clash - London Calling Pink Floyd -The Wall The Specials - The Specials Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes The B-52's - The B-52's Michael Jackson - Off The Wall Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps The Police - Reggatta de Blanc Supertramp - Breakfast In America AC/DC - Highway To Hell The Cars - Candy-O The Knack - Get The Knack Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster Journey - Evolution 116

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35 years ago - 1974 Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard Supertramp - Crime Of The Century Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping Queen - Sheer Heart Attack Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark Al Green - Al Green Explores Your Mind Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties The New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon Bad Company - Bad Company Frank Zappa - Apostrophe Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like A Wheel Rick Derringer - All American Boy George Harrison - Dark Horse Barry White - Can't Get Enough

40 years ago - 1969 The Beatles – Abbey Road The Kinks – Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire The Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed Led Zeppelin I Led Zeppelin II Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country The Who – Tommy Yes –Yes Deep Purple – The Book of Taliesyn Joe Cocker – With a Little Help from My Friends Pink Floyd – Ummagumma Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida The Stooges – The Stooges Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline Frank Zappa – Uncle Meat Miles Davis – In a Silent Way The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground The Allman Brothers Band

35 years ago - 1964 Hello Dolly!

Peter, Paul and Mary - In the Wind Barbara Streisand – The Barbara Streisand Album West Side Story Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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MUSIC REVIEWS

A flashback of flashbacks - An Article from our first issue – 5 years ago

5 years ago – 2004 Green Day American Idiot Green Day's newest CD, “American Idiot,” is full of political "punk pop", unlike all their earlier CDs. Some of the songs have a good beat and are fun to listen to, but there are others that are just plain bad, one example is “Give Me Novacaine.” It doesn't fit in with the rest of the CD's type of music. Some of the songs, however, are great, but overplayed on the radio, such as “Holiday.” One of the best songs on the CD that the radio stations didn't decide to play is “Letterbomb,” a faster, somewhat "poppish" song. I would recommend seeing them in concert, because they play all the songs with more attitude and they sound better (believe it or not), and they play some songs, like “Holiday” faster. They also have some awesome effects. – A.J. Ortiz-class of 2008

15 years ago – 1994 Green Day Dookie

One of Green Day's older albums, “Dookie,” was released 15 years ago and almost every song on it is better than the “American Idiot” CD's songs. If you listened to Green Day before American Idiot, this is where most of the songs you like are from. This CD has many "Green Day originals" such as “Welcome To Paradise,” “When I Come Around,” “Longview,” “Basket Case,” and “She.” If you like Green Day and haven't heard this CD, chances are, you'll love it. – A.J. Ortiz

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MUSIC REVIEWS

5 years ago – 2004 Primus Hallucino-Genetics

½

This album is Primus’s first concert DVD, released in October 2004 and filmed on June 26, 2004, it is their last show of their ’04 tour. The album is two and a half hours packed into two sets. Despite a long absence from the concert scene, Primus manages to be as wild ‘n’ wacky as ever, but not afraid to veer off into an extended jam at any moment. The album starts off with underrated songs like “Sgt. Baker” and “American Life”, but then goes into two of their best know singles “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” and “My Name Is Mud”. Then comes the core of the concert DVD with “Mr. Knowitall”, “Frizzle Fry”, “Spegetti Western”, “Too Many Puppies”, and “To Defy the Laws of Tradition”. This album depicts Primus’s successful 2004 reunion tour. – Noah Berley

10 years ago – 1999 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Echo

½

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers try to put a new kind of pop spin on their 1999 album Echo. The balance between the ballads and the all out rocker moments are perfect. Even though the album is filled with sadness it still manages to feel pure and not forced. The album also shows that The Heartbreakers are a very versatile band. Overall the album is pretty good one. – Noah Berley

25 years ago – 1984 Twisted Sister Stay Hungry This was an awesome album and Twisted Sister’s biggest album.

The album has both of their biggest hits, “I Wanna Rock” and ”We’re Not Gonna Take It.” A must for metal heads. – Sal Liotta Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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MUSIC REVIEWS

30 years ago – 1979

Supertramp Breakfast in America This album is definitely Supertramps best by far.

I don’t really like Supertramp but I enjoy this album a lot. This album won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package, beating out albums most notably by Talkng Heads and Led Zeppelin, among others. This album has great hits like, “The Logical Song”,”Goodbye Stranger”,”Take The Long Way Home”, and “Breakfast in America”.

– Noah Berley

Molly Hatchet Flirtin’ with Disaster This is one of Molly Hatchet’s best albums, released at their peak. When this album was released Molly Hatchet was becoming recognized as a serious southern rock band. Their fan base was nearly on par with Lynyrd Skynard and the Allman Bros.

These crazy hillbillys rock hard with a triple guitar attack and the raspy southern vocals of Danny Joe Brown. They start of slow with “Whiskey Man” but then take off into the hard rocking “It’s All over All Now”. The rest of the songs on the album will keep any dude hillbilly or not rocking until the sun rises up on the bayou. – Noah Berley

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MUSIC REVIEWS

35 years ago – 1974 Bad Company This is Bad Company’s debut album, a strong way to start off a long career as a band. This album peaked as #1 on the Billboard’s Pop Albums chart for North America in 1974. This album contains great songs such as, “Bad Company”,”Rock Steady”,”Can’t Get Enough”, and “Ready for Love”. This album is an example of good classic rock. If you like this band another good band to listen to is Mott the Hoople. Noah Berley

Allman Brothers Band As They Were Live at the Cow Palace ½

This is one of the best live albums I have ever heard! It almost can’t be any better. The band is complimented with some members of The Grateful Dead. This concert is turned into a total jam session with the two of the greatest jam bands of the time. It is the perfect hippie concert. The guitar is absolutely mind blowing. During the concert there were guest appearances from: Jerry Garcia, Steve Miller, Boz Scaggs, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Daniels, Elvin Bishop and Buddy Miles. – Noah Berley

Gong You

½

One of the strangest albums I’ve ever list ened to. From mysterious animal noises to rambling guitar this is one weird album. Although I still enjoyed it a lot. Even though there aren’t many left, for all those psychedelic junkies out there this is the perfect album for You. – Noah Berley

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MUSIC REVIEWS

40 years ago – 1969

The Greatful Dead Live/Dead

This is the Deed’s first album, one of the best live albums of all time. This album shows how great the Dead are live. There improvisation is amazing and the recording of this album is beautiful. With Jerry’s fiery solos and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s great vocals the conundrum of how to bring a lengthy and awesome performance experience to the listener had been answered. This was the first band to solve this tricky problem. A very big critic of American rock, Robert Christgau commented on parts of this album and said, “....the finest rock improvisation ever recorded.

A special microphone splitter that fed both into the PA and the record inputs with no loss of quality was invented by Ron Wickersham to record this album; I think it worked pretty well. Everyone and anyone should check at this live masterpiece. Recommended Downloads: Everything!!!!!!!!! - Noah Berley

The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin Although this is a great band, they are only known for their influential debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin. This band fuses traditional sources of music like folk and country, but adds a more popular sprinkle of gospel, soul, and rock and roll. Although this album hasn’t been RIAA certified as gold, it still has had a huge influence on popular music over the years on bands like The Eagles. Also in the 80’s, during the New Traditionalist movement, mainstream country was clearly influenced by this album with artists such as Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Randy Travis. Even newer “alt-country” bands like Wilco, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, the Jayhawks and many others have become somewhat of a ramification of this early country-rock album. Many people will read this review and say, “Well this album is strictly country and I HATE country.” Well listen to this, the album is a mix of country, rock (which I know most people enjoy), folk, soul, and psychedelia. So give it a try and you probably won’t even notice that you’re listening to country.

– Noah Berley

Crosby, Stills, & Nash

This is CSN’s first album, which immediately led to their superstardom as a band. This is one of my favorite albums from the sixties. This album sparkles with the band’s beautiful and magnificent harmonies. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a must download from this album. This seven and a half minute song contains the most mesmerizing and tear jerking vocals accompanied by the powerful, yet playful, full sounds that come from Stephen Stills acoustic guitar. This album, and a few others like The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo and The Band’s Music From Big Pink (my dads favorite album of all time) initiated a dramatic change in popular music, away from late sixties bluesy-rock with blasting electric guitars, to a more subtle style utilizing folk, jazz, blues, and rock in a completely different way than ever before. – Noah Berley

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MUSIC REVIEWS

40 years ago – 1969

The Beatles Abbey Road One of the greatest, if not, the greatest album of all time. The music is forever to be remembered. It is a classic that all people should have on their ipods, no matter who you are, it is perfect. With “Come Together,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Octopus’s Garden” it is irresistible. – Daniel Rudin Do not think I am just giving this 5 stars just because it is the Beatles. Come Together, Here Comes the Sun, I Want You, and Because are just a few of the songs that make the 60’s amazing. The Beatles have stumbled on every form of rock in the album – from ballads to psychedelic. If one band has changed my life, it is the genius of John Lennon, the spiritual George Harrison, the charming Paul McCartney, and, oh yea, Ringo too. – Nick Frankel Throughout the history of music things have made a huge impact like ode to joy but in recent times and in all of history the greatest album EVER is Abbey Road. The album cover is now a symbol of perfection. The music itself is arguably the best of its time and in history with John Lennon’s Come Together, McCartney’s OH!! Darling and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer , Ringo’s last song Octopuses Garden and Georges Something and Here Comes the Sun make this the greatest album ever, suited for the Beatles last recorded album.(Let It Be was made first but due to fighting was released last.) Overall , this is an amazing album staring Here Comes the Sun and Come Together. I give it 5 stars – Paul DeCarlo

Theres not a lot to say about this album. It is debatable whether or not this is the Beatles best album but it is certainly their most produced and most tightly constructed and recorded. Any music fan can appreciate the musicanship and awesome songwriting that went into the making of this masterpiece. – Noah Berley Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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The Beatles Greatest Songs by Paul DeCarlo The Beatles transformed a generation of people all over the world with a couple guitars and a drum set. You could ask somebody there favorite Beatles songs and they could go on and on because the way the Beatles impacted the world is second only to the way there music did. Here are the ten best Beatles songs of all time.

Song (Album) 10: Yesterday (Help) 9: When I Saw Her Standing There (Please, Please Me) 8: Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends (Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band) 7: I Am the Walrus (Magical Mystery Tour) 6: Hey Jude (Single) 5: Get Back (Let It Be) 4: Come Together (Abbey Road) 3: Revolution (White Album) 2: Here Comes the Sun (Abbey Road) 1: Let It Be (Let It Be)

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Paul McCartney LIVE ½

Paul McCartney at FedEx Field

Going to the Paul McCartney concert was an amazing experience. Paul got things started with great songs like “Jet” and “Drive My Car”. That was pretty entertaining, but it was nothing compared to what would be playing later. Paul played songs dedicated to his past Beatles members.

He played” Give Peace A Chance” for John Lennon, and “Something” for George Harrison. Paul also brought out great hits like “Eleanor Rigby”, and “Band on the Run”. For” Live and Let Die”, he surprisingly had awesome special effects. First, there was fire on the front of the stage, and right after, fireworks burst into the sky. The downside however, was that the whole stadium was completely filled with thick smoke. The whole crowd sang along to songs like “Day Tripper” and “Hey Jude”. Even though the concert in general was stupendous, he did leave out some of his better songs like “Penny Lane” and “Uncle Albert”. Overall, Paul put on a terrific concert with lots of special effects, but his music choice was not his best. Matthew Bielskas

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January 2010

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Paul McCartney Summer Live 09 In the summer of 2009 on August 17th,18th, and 21 Paul McCartney played the first concert ever at the new Mets stadium, Citi Field. In 1965, McCartney played the first concerts ever at the former Mets home, Shea Stadium, with the historical Beatles in 1965, and last year he appeared at the final Shea Stadium concert hosted by Billy Joel. The concert this year had many different kinds of music going back to the ‘60’s and coming back to his new album Electric Arguments that came out in November 2008. There were also songs from the ‘70’s when he was with Wings, and also some of his songs from the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.

The concert was a sold out performance and they even added more seats on the actual field. There were big screens next to the stage so everyone could see. The sound was amazing and you could hear every word Paul said. The crowd clapped and sang along, but they didn’t yell. In 1965 the Beatles couldn’t even hear themselves playing over the screaming girls.

Paul McCartney was at his best during this 2 ½ hour concert (I saw the last night). He started the show with Beatles’ Drive My Car, followed by a Wings classic, Jet. During the show, Sir Paul played a lot of other Beatles songs like Helter Skelter and Eleanor Rigby, The Long and Winding Road and Hey Jude. He kept switching instruments, from bass guitar to piano to electric guitar. The coolest song for me was Live and Let Die, a Wings song from the 70’s that’s also a James Bond movie theme song. During Live and Let Die they had fireworks and flames popping out of the stage near the outfield. I also liked Band on the Run, another great Wings song I did not know before the show but has now become a regular selection in my ipod. Paul also played about 8 songs I never heard of before, mostly from the new album, but I thought they were great.

During the show, McCartney talked about his Beatles mates who have passed away. He played a classic Beatles song that was sung by John Lennon, A Day in the Life, followed by Lennon’s song Give Peace a Chance which got the whole crowd singing. He also played a cool version of George Harrison’s Something that started with Paul playing a ukulele and then his whole band joined in.

The main concert was about 2 hours, followed by 2 sets of encores, which included 8 songs. The concert concluded with the reprised version of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and The End. Coincidently, The End also is the encore performance in Beatles Rock Band.

I found that Paul McCartney live at Citi Field was an amazing performance and I feel lucky to have seen this legendary star of rock ‘n’ roll. – Andrew Faber st

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January 2010

By Daniel Rudin In the eyes of millions of people, Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Born on April 29, 1958, Jackson was instantly a hit when he was only six years old having performed with his brothers in The Jackson 5. They had hit songs like ABC, I Want You Back, and I’ll Be There. He then moved on to being a solo artist releasing his first album as Got To Be There.

He then released albums like Thriller and Bad. Thriller was number one on the charts in every country in which it was sold. It became the best selling album of all time and it still has not left it’s position. Michael performed in numerous music videos that changed music history. Billie Jean was one of the first music videos that the public took interest in; especially because of the moon-walk. After that, he filmed Bad, Thriller, and Smooth Criminal as well as many more. Smooth Criminal is very well known for the revolutionary dance move called the anti-gravity lean. Later his music career became less and less popular until 2007 when he decided he was going to have a comeback tour. It was going to be called This Is It. Just when the tour was going to hit America, Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 and shocked the world. Instantly, sales on Michael Jackson music on iTunes shot up and took over nine of the ten spots of bestselling songs.

The life of Michael Jackson will forever be recognized as well as his musical talents.

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January 2010

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Michael’s Greatest Hits

• • • • • • • •

Thriller Man In The Mirror Billie Jean Smooth Criminal P.Y.T Scream Bad Beat It

Facial Transformation

Music Videos • • • •

Billie Jean Thriller Smooth Criminal Bad

Best Albums

• Thriller: 110 Million Copies Sold • Off The Wall: 20 Million Copies Sold • The Essential Michael Jackson:4,560,000 Copies Sold The Bestselling Album of All Time 128

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“Off the Record”

January 2010

MICHAEL JACKSON (TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF POP)

by Paige Botie

1958-2009 It is hard to believe that Michael Jackson died just over five months ago. On June 25th, 2009 we lost a significant man in pop music. Michael Jackson was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him an important figure in pop culture for over 40 years. In 1964, alongside his brother, he was the lead singer and youngest member of Jackson 5. Many hit singles were produces such as I’ll Be There, ABC, 123, and I Want You Back. The Jackson 5 changed Motown dramatically.

In 1971, Michael started his solo career. His album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time! Other successful albums were Off The Wall, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory. Michael Jackson was also known for his dancing skills. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound, vocal style and choreography inspired numerous artists, while also breaking down cultural, racial and generational barriers. It is hard to imagine that the King of Pop is gone, and at such an early age.

Even though he is not with us, his dance and music styling will remain forever and influence generations to come.

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January 2010

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The HHH asks the club and the staff…

What Songs make you want to Puke?

We know there are songs out there that involuntarily stimulate your gag reflex!

It pains me just to write these down!

From the CLUB:

By Sue Ranjbar 1. The Climb- Miley Cyrus 2. The Macarena- Los Del Rio 3. You’re Beautiful- James Blunt 4. Sweet Child O’ Mine- Guns N’ Roses 5. Do You Believe In Magic- The Lovin Spoonful 6. Dancing In September- Earth, Wind and Fire 7. Wake Me Up When September Ends- Green Day 8. Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing- Aerosmith 9. Roll With It- Oasis 10. Billy Joel- Piano Man 11. Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard 12. Stairway To He aven- Led Zepplin 13. Let Em In - Paul McCartney 14. Birthday- The Beatles 15. Hey There Delilah- Plain White T’s 16. Creep- Radiohead 17. Mr. Jones- Counting Crows 18. Hot For Teacher- Van Halen 19. Scars- Papa Roach 20. Makes Me Wonder- Maroon 5

Justin Silberlust 1. Hey Macarena 2. Cha-Cha Slide 3. Final Countdown 4. Rock&Roll All Night 5. Disturbia

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“Off the Record”

January 2010

The HHH asks the club and the staff…

What Songs make you want to Puke?

From the STAFF: Mr. Greene My 5 worst songs...anything sung by Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton!!!

Mr. Bund Rich Girl – Reggae version 24S – Rich Girl Murder She Wrote – Chaka Demus & Pliers Action – Tera Fabulous Macarena – Los Del Rio Electric Slide – Neville Livingston The Bodyguard – Whitney Houston Rump Shaker – Wreckz-N-Effect Hangin’ Tough – New Kids on the Block Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf Rico Suave - Gerardo Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice Who Let the Dogs Out – Baha Men Heartbeat – Don Johnson Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus Thong Song - Sisco Ghetto Superstar – Mya & Ol’Dirty Bastard Informer – Snow Whoop There It Is – Tag Team Soulja Boy Tell’em Cha Cha Slide – MC Lyte Anything that comes out of Britney Spears and the KING OF CHEESE - David Hasselhoff.

Anything that Hot 97 or WBLI get there grimy hands on and ridiculously ovrplay so much it can literally drive you insane!

Mrs. Dunn Uptown Girl by Billy Joel (Songs from the Attic this is NOT - Billy used to be cool before this pop nonsense) Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler - way too syrupy Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis - the words are simply ridiculous - they are like the words from a serial axe murderer.

Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran - another stupid stupid song - I remember liking the video though.

Anything and Everything by Milli Vanilli - they were gorgeous to look at but, what a sham!

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January 2010

131

The HHH asks the club and the staff…

What Songs make you want to Puke?

From the STAFF: Bill Ulrich 1. "Butterfly" by Crazytown *Definately a one-hit wonder, they actually made fun of it in the movie "Orange County" by playing it constantly and showing how ridiculous people looked dancing to it.

2. "Barbie Girl" by Aqua *Makes me want to wreck an entire aisle in Toys-R-Us. 3. "Thong Song" by Sisqo * Thank God this ended his career, if it didn't, we may have seen other songs dealing with articles of clothing.

4. "mmmmmbop" by Hansen * I hope the Jonas Brothers read this list so that they can have an idea of where THEY'LL be in 5 years. What am I talking about, in 10 years they'll do a comeback tour with Hansen, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga. I know people will say "I'm not spending money to see that comeback show" but then, these are the same people who packed out arenas to see the "New Kids On The Block" comeback!

5. "Macarena", "The Chicken Dance", "The Electric Slide" and "The Cha Cha Song" * I put this all together as one because I can't stand any line dancing or any song that encourages people to organize in one place and look like idiots together. We Mets fans did enough of that this year at Citi Field by showing up and expecting something different the second half of the season.

Mrs. Pilgrim 1) Brittney Spears "Hit Me Baby One More Time" Actually, I hate anything from Brittney. This song was just the most overplayed song when it first came out. It just showed how far a lack of talent could take someone.

2) Whitney Houston "The Greatest Love of All" These lyrics are just completely sappy.

It should be called 'The Greatest Hate of All" because I hate it.

3) Captain and Teneille "Muskrat Love" It's about two muskrats who fall in love. Need I say more? What is a muskrat anyway? Why not chipmunks or bunnies? It's like having a love song for wombats.

4) Bobby Mc Ferrin "Don't Worry, Be Happy" They played this to death back in the day. It's also a comma splice which drives me crazy.

5) Gwen Stefani "The Sweet Escape" I hate this song. I hate the chorus. I hate that it gets stuck in your head. I don't understand it at all. I want to lunge a cinder block into the radio when I hear it.

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January 2010

Video Game Reviews

Beatles Rockband ½ This is a good game. The graphics and the instruments are great. It takes so long to set up, but is worth the wait, and it is an easy game to beat. The thing that is bad about the game is that “Hey Jude” and “Let it Be” are not on the game, because there is no piano. If they had a piano, the game would be so much more popular. Overall, I feel that there are too many great Beatles songs missing. The best part of the game is the scenery and how the Beatles’ looks changed. I would recommend this for people who love the Beatles. – Justin Wieder

Video Game Reviews

Wii Music If you play an instrument this is a must have game for the Wii . With over sixty instruments to choose from you might just want to play this game instead of practicing your instrument.

Some instruments in this game include: electric guitar, piano, flute, violin, Sitar, bagpipe, Castanets, Reggae drum set, and much much more. One moves the Wii remote and nunchuck in the same motion as if you were playing that instrument in real life. To unlock new instruments you can play fun games like conducting an orchestra, guessing an instruments pitch, and more. Also this game has the ability to jam with other musicians and they will follow and play to your tempo. You can also record and make your own music video. I recommend this game to any avid Wii player. – Noah Berley

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January 2010

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Video Game Reviews

Mario and Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story I had been waiting a long time for this game and it did not disappoint! “Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story” is an awesome game and I enjoyed every minute trying to beat it. Sounds like many others felt the same way as it received 9.5-9.8 out of 10 on the gaming rating scale. It’s the third in the Mario and Luigi Trilogy which has many followers. It starts out with the Mushroom Kingdom getting the Blorbs (a disease that makes you swell up into a ball) and then Bowser invades the castle. Things aren’t going right today, huh? Bowser eats a Lucky Shroom that makes him inhale everything he sees. So, naturally he inhales Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toads. Fawful (video game’s funniest character) is back as the main villain. Mario and Luigi must work with Bowser inside and out to help save the Mushroom Kingdom. While Bowser explores the 3-D world, the Mario Bros. explore the 2-D world of Bowser’s inside. Special Attacks are back with a lot of new ones like Jump Helmet, Yoo Hoo Cannon, Snack Basket and more.

Bowser also obtains special attacks, but you use them with the stylus.

There’s Goomba Storm, Shy Guy Squad, and more. They also got creative with the enemies this time. For example, I liked Treevil (a walking evil tree), and Toothy (a pokey made out of teeth). The bosses were creatively done and deserve some credit, too. There’s Birdo Wiggler mix (Durmite and Wisdurm), and copies of Mario and Luigi (Bowser Memory M and L).

There are three reasons why I rate this game so highly. One is the humor. I found myself laughing out loud at the dialouge. The second reason is that the game play format had great sequencing. The third reason is that Bowser and the Bros. get to work together and are linked throughout.

The only weakness was that it was a bit easier than expected. But, all in all, it was classic kick-butt Mario and Luigi action. This game is a must if you like these characters and want to get the “inside story”. - Ryan Winthrop

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January 2010

Video Game Reviews

Batman: Arkham Asylum ½

Face it. We all know it. Eighty-five percent of the time superhero games based on movies are just bad. With this game, that is not the case. Arkham Asylum is an amazing game, with amazing graphics and a unique combat system that reminds me of Assassin’s Creed. We all know that Batman is not called the Dark Knight for no reason. One of the high points of this game is the stealth combat. Hanging from gargoyles on the ceiling, you drop down and grab one of Joker’s henchman and hang him from the gargoyle. As other guards realize that their friends are missing, they become much more aware, start to work together and shows how amazing the AI is in this game. One fun part of this game is the Riddler’s riddles. You never actually see the Riddler, but you hear him over the loudspeakers of Arkham Asylum, teasing you as you try to figure out all of his stumping riddles. This game is well worth every single penny you put into it, and even when you beat the game, you will still be coming back to trump the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy over and over again. And if you are creative enough (and patient enough) you can try to solve more of the Riddler’s riddles. - Eric Hechler

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Who here who has ever seen the Ghostbusters movies has not wondered what it would be like to step into their shoes. Well now you can, as the newest Ghostbuster of the squad. Although I definitely enjoyed playing this game, it was not as impressive when you truly analyze it. Much of it is just catching waves of ghosts just in different places. Your allies are complete idiots, not even helping you through tough fights. They do shoot your enemies so it seems like their doing something, but they don’t do much except talk, which brings me to the voice acting. The voice acting is amazing, casted by the original four Ghostbusters, which makes the game feel very real. My favorite part of the game was… Stay Puft. Yep, he’s back again, whiter and fluffier than ever. He was by far the best level in the game, climbing a building while he smashed the walls in, until you finally reach the roof. He climbs the building and you shoot him off and you have to hang from the building and fight him vertically. This game overall, was pretty good, and although it had its faults I think it is worth a good three stars. - Eric Hechler

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January 2010

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Video Game Reviews

Assassins Creed II ½

Assassins Creed 2 is a game I personally have been waiting on for a long time. I loved the first game with its great action and unique combat and controls. One thing many people as well as myself were sad about is the games main character is no longer Altair from the original game. You are now Ezio Auditore di Firenze. This game takes place in Renaissance Italy during the late 1400s. I got the game the day it came out and played it for hours. Unlike the first game, you do not start as a highly trained assassin, you are the common son of banker. Or so you thought. The beginning of the game starts out pretty slow… just running errands for your mother and father with a few very funny jokes and a little bit of language I did not expect. One part about this game that I thought was one of the most genius things in gaming was including Leonardo DaVinci in the game. As a friend of the family, he gives you many new tools and weapons like smoke bombs. In one part of the game you must pilot his flying machine! This game is amazing, and I feel you get to know Ezio much better than you got to know Altair in the original game. The only thing I actually hate about this game is the new health system. Instead of your health regenerating quickly over time like Altair, you must now use health potions or visit a local doctor when your health gets low which slows down the game immensely, causing you to be much more careful and less free than you were while playing as Altair. Overall this was is an amazing game that I love. – Eric Hechler

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January 2010

Video Game Reviews

Call of Duty:

Modern Warfare 2 ½

This game has been one of the most anticipated games of all time, and the original sold almost 500 million copies worldwide. This game is great, but does not live up to the expectations. Then again, I don’t think any game could live up to this game’s expectations. The one thing I prayed for and I got was a longer campaign.

The campaign of the original only lasted about 6 hours, which I could have easily completed on a Saturday afternoon. This games campaign is much longer and more action packed than the first one. There is not much to be said about the multiplayer, as it is the same as the first. Great. The new mode added to this game is Special Ops as you fight off waves of terrorists. I know many people have been waiting for this for over a year, and love it, but I am not as impressed as I expected. – Eric Hechler

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed The Force Unleashed is a game about a boy who was kidnapped and trained in the Jedi/Sith arts.

There are different modes in the game. There is “Duel” mode, in which you go head to head with your friends with 27 different characters and 9 different arenas. There is “Tutorial” mode where you learn different move and skills. And there is “Story” mode where you are the secret apprentice in has quest for power. You get to witness the adventures of the secret apprentice and learn that every being has a purpose in life. One question remains: “Is he good, or evil?” Find out in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Available for all systems. – Ananth Nagaraj

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January 2010

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Video Game Reviews

Halo 3: ODST ¾ For people who already fans of the Halo series, ODST is much different from the first three games. The biggest change is that you do not play as the main character of the previous Halo games, Master Chief. In fact, he does not appear at all.

Instead you play as an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) on Earth between the end of Halo 2 and the end of Halo 3. This game plays out much differently than the old Halo games… much more like a mystery. You are separated from your squad of ODSTs and are out to find them. As you travel around the city of New Mombasa, you find different clues like a helmet, and a broken sniper rifle which cause flashbacks and allow you to see what happened to your squad. There were two things about this game that people wanted to see that were not in the other games. One was the final Vidmaster Achievements, which allowed you to unlock Recon Armor (The only way you could get this before ODST was to have it given to you by a Bungie employee). The second thing as called Firefight mode. It does not matter what you call it. Firefight, Horde Mode(Gears of War) or Nazi Zombies (Call of Duty World at War), they all mean the same thing: survival.

You can team up with your friends and fight endless waves of Covenant soldiers from annoying little Grunts to Wraiths to Brute Chieftains and Hunters. Overall, even though the Campaign was very short, Firefight mode and the Halo 3 map pack pick up the slack to give this game its grade. - Eric Hechler

¾ ODST is a really cool game. You play as various ODST squad members and find out clues about them. The reason I did not give it a full 3 stars is that you play the same levels more than once, and that all the guns are the same as Halo 3. I think they could have made some new weapons. I would recommend you still buy the game anyway, because it is a lot of fun. – Sal Liotta

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January 2010

Video Game Reviews

MLB: The Show ½

This is arguably the best baseball game of all time. The graphics are unbeatable.

You feel like you are in the ballpark.

There are few glitches, but they are minor.

There are so many features including RTTS (Road to the Show), where you create a player and go through the challenges of a major league baseball player.

The game is only available for the Playstation Systems (PS2, PS3, PSP). – Vishnu Nagaraj MLB 09 The Show

This is one of the best baseball games ever made. It has great graphics, the rule 5 draft and 40 man rosters. This game has everything a baseball fan could want. You can make your own player and try to make it to the big leagues or be the general manager of your own team and make trades, sign free agents and battle it out for the World Series title. Brandon Nomberg

Madden NFL 10 ½ The next version of the very popular Madden series is definitely one of the best. It features things that we have always wanted in the game. One thing is a mode where you can play with former greats such as Dan Marino and Jerry Rice. This was put into the game to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the AFL (American Football League). The graphics are, of course, unbelievable. However there are still a few minor glitches, but I still recommend this game to anyone with an interest in football. The game is available for PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PSP, and even your IPod Touch. - Vishnu Nagaraj

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Video Game Reviews

MLB 2K9 for Xbox 360 ½ Many people do not like MLB 2K9, but I do. It has great graphics and makes you feel as if you are in the game. It has some glitches but for the most part, it is fine. I really think this is a well designed game for Xbox 360 because for other systems do not have as good graphics. Friends that I have recommended it to have thought it was a great game. So overall I think this is a great, must-buy game. - Evan Alcazar

NHL 10 ¾ This is an amazing game. It has awesome graphics, accurate statistics and just about everything else a hockey fan could want.

It has "Be a pro mode," where you create your own player and hope you get drafted. It has "Be a GM mode," where you get to make trades, scout prospects, draft players and sign free agents as you try to win the Stanley Cup. You can even pick a team and skip right to the playoffs and try to win the Stanley Cup from there. The one downside is that they do not include the 2009 draft picks, like John Taveras. This is one of the few good hockey video games out there. - Brandon Nomberg

Brandon Nomberg’s games (All systems) 1. Madden 10 2. NHL 10 3. MLB 09 The Show 4. MLB 2K9 5. The Bigs 2 140

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5 sports

“Off the Record”

video

January 2010

Video Game Reviews

World of Warcraft This game is one of the best MMORPGS (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) on the market. This game has been around since the early 2000s. This game has had many improvements over the years and is now one of the most elite games ever created.

Over 8 million people play this game and Blizzard, the creators of Warcraft, are expecting many more people to join this gaming sensation. There have been 2 versions of this game, the regular Warcraft, and the amazing expansion that came out January 11, 2006 called World of Warcraft the Burning Crusade. And on November thirteenth we are expecting another expansion, World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King. There are many playable races and classes for you to enjoy in this game. Every class has a different play-style so it will never get old. This game may be one of the best online games ever created. - Eric Hechler and Justen Tomazic

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) ½ What can we say, this game has no real point to it. All you do is shake the Wii remote and break fake Olympic World Records. We wouldn't recommend this game to people who are serious gamers. If you never play this game, you really wouldn’t have missed out on anything. - Jason Zelamsky and Doug Notti

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Sports Reviews

The New York Mets

By Brandon Nomberg

What do the Mets need to do over the off-season to become a playoff team again?

Left field: First off, the Mets need a big bat in left field. There are 2 big power hitters on the free agent market and they are both left fielders. They are Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. They are the two overall best free agents this year. Unfortunately, that also means that they will be asking for a lot of money. I am guessing that Matt Holliday will ask for about $20-25 million per year, while Jason Bay will probably ask for $15-20 million per year. Although Matt Holliday would be worth every penny, Jason Bay might not.

Second Base: The Mets have got to get rid of Castillo. He is old and worn down and getting paid way too much. They should just trade him for an okay reliever. I recommend signing Orlando Hudson, who is younger, better and cheaper than Castillo. Orlando Hudson is also a better fielder than Castillo, who dropped a simple pop-up against the Yankees, as we all know. I think that Hudson would have been able to make that play.

Pitching Rotation: The Mets have a horrible pitching rotation! Maine is always injured, Perez is inconsistent, stinks and gets paid way too much and Pelfrey has not lived up to any of the Mets expectations. I suggest that the Mets trade Pelfrey, Perez, Bobby Parnell and a prospect for Roy Halladay, who the Blue Jays are open to trading. The Mets should also sign either John Lackey or Joel Pineiro. They are both very good pitchers who the Mets could use in the long run. I also suggest that the Mets sign a high risk-high reward pitcher, like Rich Harden or Ben Sheets. Rich Harden would be less risky and a better overall pitcher than Ben Sheets who is injury prone. But when Ben Sheets is not injured, he is a great pitcher.

Bullpen: The Mets need at least one more decent reliever. I recommend signing Rafael Soriano, who is one of the most consistent free agent relievers out there. He could be the set-up man for K-Rod and the Mets eighth inning role would be filled. Not to mention that he would be a great set-up man for K-Rod, who is one of the best closers in the game.

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January 2010

Sports Reviews

What the Mets need to do to be successful in 2010

By Matthew Jarvis (Who I think the Mets absolutely need going into 2010) Starting Pitchers: First off the Mets are going to need at least two quality starting pitchers. Some guys I had in mind were Erik Bedard, Chris Capuano, Justin Duchsherer, Rich Harden, and possibly Ben Sheets. John Lackey I believe is strictly an AL pitcher. Roy Halladay is probably one of the few guys who would be traded.

Relief Pitchers: The Mets definitely need to upgrade the "pen". Some quality relievers are Rafael Betancourt, Octavio Dotel, Brandon Ryan, Joe Beimal, John Grabow, and Darren Oliver. Not many teams are willing to trade a quality reliever so they better jump on these guys quick.

Catchers: Some interesting catchers the Mets may want would be Victor Martinez, Ivan Rodriguez, Bengie Molina and Greg Zaun. I know of one catcher that may be tradable and that would be Brian McCann.

First baseman: Some guys on this list are probably some of the best players you've never heard of like Russell Branyan, Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young could be some of the candidates for first base Third baseman: There is some talk of the Mets trading away David Wright so that would mean the Mets would need to fill his shoes. I think Pedro Feliz would be a great fit for the Mets with his Veteran know-how.

Left Fielder: People keep on saying that the Mets need Matt Holliday, I think not. All they need is either Randy Winn or Jason Bay. Both are veterans who are well suited for the New York atmosphere.

Right Fielder: So you really think the Mets can survive with Jeff Francour? There are a few guys on the market who I think will change your mind, like Vladimir Guerrero and possibly a former Met Xavier Nady.

Key trade: David Wright and Josh Thole for Brian McCann. In most situations you don't trade within your division, but in this situation you do. The Mets haven't won since the days with Piazza so that tells you right there what they need.

Trade David Wright???

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Sports Reviews

What the Yankees need to do to be successful in 2010

By Matthew Jarvis (Who I think the Yankees absolutely need going into 2010) Starting Pitchers: There is only one guy that sticks out in my mind to replace Andy Pettite who I expect to retire and that is John Lackey. John Lackey is an experienced AL pitcher who knows how to win.

He is a Yankee killer every time he steps out onto the mound against them he beats them. This guy knows how to win games.

Relief Pitchers: I've heard this to many times put, “Joba Back into the bullpen,” but I completely disagree. Yes we need another fireball reliever, but there are free agents. Rafael Sorian o is the only guy I think that can fill that important bridge-toMariano role in the Yankees bullpen.

Left Fielder: Carl Crawford I feel is best suited to become the Yankees everyday left fielder. He is exactly what the Yankees need. He gets on base and Put Joba in the pen??? steal, making him a perfect table setter for the Yankees. He is not the biggest superstar, but he gets the job done also in the field.

Will Petite retire???

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Key trade: The Yankees definitely need relievers. Joey Devine of the Oakland Athletics is a guy I had in mind to trade for. He will be 25 by the start of the 2010 season and could help to pick up the Yanks pen. They would not have to give a lot in return except maybe a few minor leaguers that could be average or slightly below average major leaguers, but I would still like to see Rafael Soriano come to New York.

“Off the Record”

January 2010

Sports Reviews

2009-10 NHL Predictions

By Arthur Sarkisyan Standings

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division 1. Pittsburgh Penguins 2. New Jersey Devils 3. New York Islanders 4. New York Rangers 5. Philadelphia Flyers Northeast Division 1. Boston Bruins 2. Buffalo Sabres 3. Montreal Canadiens 4. Ottawa Senators 5. Toronto Maple Leafs Southeast Division 1. Washington Capitals 2. Tampa Bay Lightning 3. Atlanta Thrashers 4. Florida Panthers 5. Carolina Hurricanes

Do the Rangers have what it takes to make the playoffs?

Western Conference

Central Division 1. Chicago Blackhawks 2. Detroit Red Wings 3. Columbus Blue Jackets 4. Nashville Predators 5. St Louis Blues Northwest Division 1. Calgary Flames 2. Vancouver Canucks 3. Colorado Avalanche 4. Minnesota Wild 5. Edmonton Oilers Pacific Division 1. San Jose Sharks 2. Dallas Stars 3. Phoenix Coyotes 4. Los Angeles Kings 5. Anaheim Ducks Half Hollow Hills Review Club

Will John Tavares help the Islanders become a contender again? “Off the Record�

January 2010

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Sports Reviews NHL predictions continued…

Final Standings Eastern Conference 1. Pittsburgh Penguins 2. Washington Capitals 3. Boston Bruins 4. New Jersey Devils 5. Buffalo Sabres 6. Montreal Canadiens 7. New York Islanders 8. New York Rangers 9. Ottawa Senators 10. Tampa Bay Lightning 11. Atlanta Thrashers 12. Philadelphia Flyers 13. Florida Panthers 14. Toronto Maple Leafs 15. Carolina Hurricanes Western Conference 1. San Jose Sharks 2. Calgary Flames 3. Chicago Blackhawks 4. Detroit Red Wings 5. Vancouver Canucks 6. Dallas Stars 7. Columbus Blue Jackets 8. Colorado Avalanche 9. Phoenix Coyotes 10. Nashville Predators 11. Minnesota Wild 12. Los Angeles Kings 13. St Louis Blues 14. Edmonton Oilers 15. Anaheim Ducks

Is Alex Ovechkin the best player in the world?

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Cup again?

Top 8 teams in each conference make the playoffs.

Is this the San Jose Sharks big year?

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January 2010

Vacation Reviews - Ireland

The Epstein Family Trip to Ireland At the end of the past summer, the Epstein family embarked on a trip to scenic, southern Ireland. We flew into Dublin airport and arrived early in the morning. We were met by the tour director, and along with several other tourists arriving with us, we took a tour bus to the hotel. We were all pretty tired from jet lag, but after a brief rest we explored Ireland. The highlight of the day was a tour through the Guinness brewery. Over the next Beautiful ruins few days, we explored Ireland, including Trinity College and saw the famous Book of Kells.

We then traveled along the southern coast of Ireland to the city of Cork, where the Titanic made its last stop before its ill-fated voyage to America. At night we enjoyed some wonderful dinners with the Trinity College other members of the tour, along with nighttime entertainment.

During the day, we traveled to some of the most beautiful and scenic points of interest on earth, such as the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher, which are several 800 foot precipices over the Atlantic Ocean. The tour ended in Limerick with a trip to the Blarney Stone (we all kissed it!) and a wonderful medieval dinner theater show.

We said good-bye to our friends, our family then took a two day trip to Galway, where we stayed for one night.

There was a wonderful town to explore, and we had the best dinner of the trip at McSwiggan’s restaurant. The next day, we took a ride to Mayo County and stayed at the world famous Ashford Castle, an 800 year old medieval castle, which is now an opulent resort. We all had a wonderful time in Ireland! –

by Elyse and Mark Epstein (Brandon Epstein’s Parents)

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Vacation Reviews – Ireland continued…

I thought this was a great vacation! We went to Dublin, Cork, Cliffs of Maher, Guinness Brewery, and many other places. We even stayed in Ashford Castle, built 800 years ago, for the last night!

I thought the food was great (and it was the first time I tried spare ribs). I loved the bread rolls so much. My mom loved the picture-taking and sight-seeing. I liked Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. The only thing I hated about this vacation was there were so many people smoking. We went to a monastery with tombs Cliffs of Moher dating back to several hundred years.

We went on a tour bus, and even met new friends living in Sayville. At their hotel room, I had a pillow fight with them. It was one of my best experiences in Ireland.

It was a fun vacation. I wonder where we’re going in the summer of 2010 – Brandon Epstein

Mr. Bund visits Ireland Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. Using Dublin as my homebase, every day I would wander throughout the gorgeous countryside.

If you are visiting wonderful medieval ruins or wandering through a cemetery filled with magnificent Celtic crosses, you will not be disappointed.

Cemeteries of Celtic Crosses Everything is so green and alive. Pictures do not capture the seemingly endless variations and shades of green. I was not on a tour, but I did book some day-tours (with only about 10 people) for the trips out to countryside.

They were wonderful and the tour guides were knowledgeable and passionate. At night I would return to Dublin and enjoy the always active nightlife. If you are either with the natives or the tourists, people just had a great attitude and you will enjoy their company while hanging out listening live band after live band. A great live music scene! I got over to the west coast and the Cliffs of Moher only for 1 day, and when I return to Ireland I will spend more time there. I wondered what people were growing on their farms on this side of the island. It just seemed like fields of green grass separated by old stone walls. Probably potatoes, but whatever it was, it was beautiful. Just a warning – I was there in the summer and it was still jacket weather. You are pretty far north, and it gets cool even in the summer. Also, prepare for rain. I had some fantastic weather, but a Dulbiner put it something like this to me, “We have rain only 2 days a week – Sunday thru Wednesday and Thursday thru Saturday!” - Mr. Bund All Photos by Mr. Bund

Climbing on the Ruins

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January 2010

Restaurant Reviews – LA FAMIGLIA On November 17, 2009 the HHH Review Club sampled the food of La Famiglia – a Family Style Italian Restaurant at 250 West Main Street in Smithtown. There was an enormous amount of enthusiasm with us reviewing our first Italian restaurant and many wanted to participate. I met with the owner, John, and we decided that it would be best if I picked up the food and brought it back to school. So on that Tuesday after school I picked up 6 huge trays of food: Penne a la Vodka Fried Calamari in a red sauce Rigatoni Campagnola – with meat, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and oil sauce Chicken Francaise - Chicken in a lemon sauce Eggplant Parmesan Chicken Famiglia - Chicken on the bone with sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and potatoes The portions were enormous, and even though there were about 30 of us dining, there was still a considerable amount of leftovers. It is hard to say what my personal favorite was. The Calamari was fantastic and I highly recommend it. I am not usually an eggplant fan, but the eggplant was perfect and will order it again. Several people were reluctant to try eggplant for the first time, but after trying it they were going back for more. The Chicken Famiglia was also very good and I loved the combination of the sausage and mushrooms. Overall, the excellent variety of dishes was perfect. It was not just an extremely satisfying dinner, but the leftovers kept me full for days. On behalf of the Half Hollow Hills Review Club I want to say thank you John and La Familgia for a fantastic experience. – Mr. Bund

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

All the food was delicious. Here is what I sampled: Penne Ala Vodka – Very rich and creamy. Very good tasting Chicken Francese – Great chicken with an excellent tasting sauce Eggplant Parmesan – Amazing eggplant with fresh cheese and marinara on top Friend Calamari – Fresh taste with crunchy breading, amazing marinara sauce with a little kick Rolls – soft and doughy I would definitely go back to this restaurant!!! – Justin Silberlust For our Fall 2009 issue, we reviewed a restaurant. However, this time, instead of the club going to the food, the food came to us. We had it in Mr. Bund’s classroom. The theme this time was Italian with fare from a Smithtown restaurant named La Famiglia.

There were six delectable dishes to try. They were called Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in a red sauce, Rigatoni Famiglia, Chicken Francaise, Eggplant Parmesan, and Chicken Famiglia. Now, I am Italian so I truly enjoy that cuisine. I had the Penne a la Vodka first. It was pasta in a creamy, pink sauce with some spicy peppers thrown in. It was delicious, and I even went back for seconds. Next, was the Fried Calamari which was in a red sauce. I am not a big fan of seafood, but I did have a taste. It had an interesting flavor with the sauce having some “bite.” Next up was the Rigatoni Famiglia which had meat and spinach. It was very good with a juicy flavor and was complimented by the spinach. Then I ate the Chicken Francaise which was in a tangy, lemon sauce.

The sauce really made the chicken quite good, and the lemony flavor was the key. It was sweet and spicy at the same time. I didn’t try the Eggplant Parmesan or the Chicken Famiglia, but I heard from others that it was quite a hit. I had a great time, and surprised myself. I tried new dishes that I would not ordinarily eat. And, I enjoyed it. So, if you want fine Italian food and a place for a family, then go to La Famiglia. It will be worth the trip. - Ryan Winthrop

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

I was very excited that the club decided to review the La Famiglia restaurant, and I am happy we did! There was a variety of foods for us to try. We chose from six different delicious dishes: Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in a red sauce, Rigatoni Famiglia with meat and spinach, Chicken Francaise in a lemon sauce, Eggplant Parmesan, and last, the Chicken Famiglia. Already, the dishes even sounded good! I had my favorites which were the Penne a la Vodka, Chicken Francaise, and the Chicken Famiglia, but I must admit they were all very good. The penne a la Vodka has a great sauce, light and pinkish. The penne had a nice taste and was a good choice of pasta for this dish. The fried Calamari had an interesting taste. I normally don’t like this type of seafood, but there was something about it that made me want to eat more. I think having it in the red sauce made the flavor pop a little more than having the squid alone. The Rigatoni Famigila was something I always like to have and I loved it. It was a nice selection of sauce and it had a delectable taste with the flavor of the meat and the spinach.

The rigatoni played a nice part in that dish, too. The Chicken Francaise was one of my favorites because of the way the chicken was prepared and the special sauce mixture. It was actually one of the best chicken dishes I have ever tried. The lemon sauce bursts with flavor in every bite. The Eggplant Parmesan, I have to say was okay. I have never cared for eggplant, but this dish really opened my eyes to trying more eggplant. It had Parmesan cheese on top, something that I like, so that helped me enjoy it more. The last dish was the Chicken Famigila which was one of my favorites. This is really just a big combo dish with mushrooms, sausage, and chicken on a bone. It really made my taste buds love it.

This restaurant is a great place for a celebration, holiday, or really any occasion.

But no matter what the event, even for a night out, it’s a great place to go to. It’s a classic Italian restaurant. I recommend it to all. I hope when you go there that you will enjoy it as much as I did!! - Dana Winthrop This year in Review Club, instead of going out to our restaurant, we ordered take out. We had plenty of delicious Italian food. My favorite was the Penne alla Vodka. It was delicious. The Calamari was good, except it was drowned in too much sauce with a bit of spice to it. I also really enjoyed the Lemon Chicken dish. The chicken itself was great, as was the sauce it was in. La Famiglia had some great food so I would definitely go back again. - Eric Hechler Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

I

thought the food was fantastic.

My favorite was the Chicken Frances.

It was chicken lathered in lemon sauce - mmmmm!

I also liked the Penne a la Vodka. It wasn’t as good as the Chicken Frances but it was good. The noodles were good and the sauce was rich.

The calamari was ok too. That place is good and recommend it. – James Madden All of Tuesday, November 17th, I have been waiting for one thing. That thing was for 9th period to come to an end. I have been waiting for the restaurant review after school. La Famiglia’s food was great! There were 6 dishes.

There was Calamari, Penne a la Vodka, Eggplant Parmesan, Lemon Chicken, Chicken on the Bone with Sausage and a Spinach Dish. I tried the Eggplant Parmesan, Penne a la Vodka, and the Chicken with Sausage. These three dishes were filling and great!

I never tried Eggplant Parmesan but it looked so delicious. After I tried it, I thought it was very good. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Italian Food. - Justin Wieder “All the food was excellent. I strongly recommend the Penne ala Vodka. That was the best!

You won’t be disappointed with this restaurant.” – Sal Liotta 152

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

“I would recommend this restaurant to a family looking for a place to eat on a Sunday evening.” – Noah Berley

This restaurant has good Italian Food! My favorite dishes were Penne Ala Vodka and Chicken Francese. The Penne Ala Vodka had just the right amount of sauce and great taste. The Chicken Francese, I think was perfectly prepared with just the right taste. I was glad to try La Famiglia’s food. I would love to visit the restaurant with my family and hope they will enjoy the food as much as I did! – Andrew Faber On November 17, 2009, the Review Club at Candlewood Middle School feasted on several dishes prepared by La Famiglia, a restaurant in Smithtown. The first dish I tried was Penne a la Vodka, pasta in pink cream sauce. It was very good, even though I rarely choose this dish. The sauce was flavorful, and the pasta was cooked to perfection!

Another dish I sampled was the bread rolls. They were absolutely delicious, especially to a bread-lover like me. These bread rolls had a flaky crust and a moist, soft middle, warmed to perfection. Both dishes were presented in the finest of aluminum platters with light brown corrugated cardboard borders. Other dishes presented that I didn’t specifically try were Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Famiglia, Rigatoni Famiglia, Fried Calamari, and Chicken Francaise.

I heard from other people that they thoroughly enjoyed these dishes too.

I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Italian food such as Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in red sauce, or Eggplant Parmesan. – Brandon Epstein Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

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Meet this issue’s Critics Extra Special Thanks to:

Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. & Dr. Epstein, Mrs. Hechler and Mrs. Hirsch for helping us at the La Famiglia Restaurant Review Day. ALL the PARENTS and PTA for their CONTINUED SUPPORT and CONTRIBUTIONS .

John, the Manager of La Famiglia Restaurant.

Mr. Krautheimer, Mrs. Pilgrim, Mrs. Kelso, Ms. Whitney, Mrs. Helf and Mrs. Silberman.

All the many teachers and administrators who have contributed their time, help and support.

All the students from Candlewood Middle School, High School East and High School West for their contributions All Review Club members of the past who have contributed articles and are printed in this issue.

Mrs. & Mr. Hirsch, and Mrs. & Dr. Epstein for their REVIEWS.

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Meet this issue’s Critics – continued

All reviews are the opinions of the writer. You may agree with their opinion or you may not.

Some reviewers often give high ratings, while others are much more critical. Regardless, the reviewer is asked to be objective, fair, critical and as professional as possible while supporting their opinion. Many are still developing their writing and critical thinking skills, and it is one of The Review Club’s goals help these writers. If you want to express your opinion, the Half Hollow Hills Review Club always welcomes new members.

Meetings for the HHH Review Club are held at Candlewood Middle School by Mr. Bund.

The Half Hollow Hills Review Club and “Off the Record” created and edited by Mr. Bund at Candlewood Middle School, Dix Hills, New York.

WORKS CITED: Almost all pictures were taken from Google.com. If there are any questions concerning pictures or statistics please contact The Hal f Hollow Hills Review Club.

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Meet this issue’s Critics – continued NAME – GRADUATION CLASS

Aaron Berley – 2016 Ananth Nagaraj – 2015 Andrew Faber – 2016 Arthur Sarkisyan – 2014 Brandon Beck - 2015 Brandon Epstein – 2016 Brandon Fluhr – 2014 Brandon Nomberg – 2015 Brandon Ozley – 2015 Brett Levine – 2011 Dan Chinitz – 2014 Dana Winthrop – 2016 Daniel Rudin – 2015 Dean Essner – 2012 Doug Notti – 2014 Elliott Vogel – 2014 Eric Hechler – 2015 Evan Alcazar – 2016 Evan Hirsch – 2015 Gabrielle Schneider – 2016 James Madden – 2015 Jason Zelamsky – 2014 Joe Anderson – 2015 Josh Cohen – 2014 Justin Silberlust – 2016 Justin Weider – 2016 Justin Zelamsky – 2016 Kerry Travaglione – 2015 Kevin Liang – 2014 Kuba Gasiorowski – 2014 Madison Leifer – 2018 Matt Bielskas – 2015 Matthew Avallone – 2015 Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

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Meet this issue’s Critics – continued Matthew Jarvis – 2015 Matthew Smith – 2015 Matthew Tierney – 2016 Miles Essner – 2015 Morgan Rampolla – 2015 Nick Frankel – 2015 Noah Berley – 2014 Paige Botie – 2014 Paul DeCarlo – 2015 Ryan Winthrop – 2014 Sal Liotta – 2015 Sam Leifer – 2016 Suedeh Ranjbar – 2012 Tanner Asadorian – 2016 Tara Ranjbar – 2016 Tina Ranjar – 2016 Tyler Morgan – 2016 Umer Chaudtry - 2014 Victoria Korine – 2015 Vishnu Nagaraj – 2013 The Editors Dean Essner – Senior Editor Miles Essner – Co-editor Brandon Epstein – Grammar Jason Zelamsky – Video games/Sports Noah Berley – Music Brandon Nomberg – Video games Paige Botie – Books Evan Hirsch – Broadway Brandon Fluhr – Movies

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Wanted!!!

Critics for the Review Club

Attention Half Hollow Hills We need critics New members are always welcome

Movies, Music, Broadway, Restaurants, Vacations, Books,

Sports If you are interested please contact by eboard or stop by Room 710 in Candlewood MS and talk to

Mr. Bund or you can contact

Mrs. Silberman in High School East Room 105 160

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record�

January 2010

Wanted!!!

Critics for the Review Club

Attention Half Hollow Hills We need critics New members are always welcome

Movies, Music, Broadway, Restaurants, Vacations, Books,

Sports If you are interested please contact by eboard or stop by Room 710 in Candlewood MS and talk to

Mr. Bund or you can contact

Mrs. Silberman in High School East Room 105 Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record�

January 2010

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