8 The Correspondent Movies to watch with... friends Ashley Hawkins With Halloween coming up, my friends and I have been shying away from the bland comedies and cliché chick flicks in exchange for the horror genre. Searching for something that will make us jump or scream is much more suiting at this time of year. But finding a good, classic horror movie was hard. The films we looked at were too gory, too predictable, too unrealistic, or not scary enough. So, I began another adventure on my Netflix as I scrolled through the B-rated horror movies, hoping to find the ultimate, cheesiest movie ever. I live for awful horror movies. The never-before-seen cast paired with poor film quality and shallow plot, keep me thoroughly entertained for hours. If there’s nothing to scare me, at least I can laugh. When I stumbled upon the movie “ThanksKilling” and was presented with all of the above; I fell in love immediately and knew this was what my friends and I would be watching next. Tag lined “The Ultimate Low-Budget Experience” on its website, we were not prepared for what the next 70 minutes contained. According to the Internet Movie Data Base, the film was made on a budget of an estimated $3,500 and filmed in less than 11 days. Lead actress Lindsey Anderson met with filmmakers in a donut shop a few days prior to filming, and auditions were held in director Jordan Downey’s garage. The movie has a cast of 15 people, all of whom I had never heard of before. The five main characters are stereotypical of teenagers: the jock, Johnny; the nerd, Darren; the good girl, Kristen; the hick, Billy; and the ditz, Ali. The little acting experience the cast contained made the emotionless, monotonous tones of reading a memorized script all the more hilarious. Along with the horrid acting, this movie added an interesting twist we hadn’t really seen before. No Freddy Kruger appearing in dreams. No man donning a hockey mask and wielding a knife. No creepy little girl crawling out of a television screen. The notorious killer in this flick: a demonic turkey. A wrinkled, foul mouthed, puppet turkey. We watched in pure amusement as the turkey hobbled across the screen, cursing and furious, trying to kill the five teenagers that got in his way. In one scene, the teenagers are sitting around a campfire and a stuffed animal bunny is flung through the air. Darren, the nerd, proceeds to say, “That baby bunny got his stomach gnawed open by a beak. But not just any beak. A turkey beak.” We fought to stifle our chuckles, but to no avail. Laughter erupted in my living room I’ve watched the movie with horror fanatics and closed minded individuals alike, and more often than not, it ushered the same hilarious response. Internet Movie Data Base states that the film is not rated because the filmmakers could not afford a rating. “ThanksKilling” truly is the ultimate low-budget experience, and should be taken very lightly. A killer turkey isn’t frightening, but it makes for an entertaining time.
Reviews
a t t Go
October 7, 2011
Smash Burger smashes competition
A new fast food restaurant opened last week on Rand Road. Smash Burger is a perfect restaurant if one is looking for a nice juicy burger. In addition to the burget selection, the restaurant contains salads, chicken, and hot dogs. Smash Burger has it all. Building a sandwich or burger with any topping, they can be made in less than five minutes. Big, thick burgers with fluffy buns makes this place unique. Smash Burger has a modern decor and
a fun, friendly, family environment. Although it’s a little expensive, it’s totally worth it. Smash Burger has been extremely busy these past couple of days because everyone wants to get a little taste in. Smash Burger is a franchise and is growing faster then ever. Joining the Smash Club will come with many benefits. Just hop in a car and arrive in five minutes and enjoy the nice tasting burger. •Justin Jobski
OR Colors not enough for Charming Charlie customers
Randhurst’s latest addition of accessory store Charming Charlie grabbed my attention right away. Everything is sorted by color. When I walked into the place, I was greeted by a sea of various blue shades and a wave of pinks, reds, and greens. My eyes were drawn to the spectrum of colors, and I struggled to figure out where to begin browsing. My friend and I snaked our way around, running our fingers over the chunky jewelry and bead necklaces that rest on the tables. However, my enthusiasm quickly faded.
Once I got past the wide array of colors and the multitude of zebra print handbags, I realized there was nothing in the store worth buying. The jewelry was too gaudy, the hats weren’t stylish, and the handbags were not worth the price. If I ever need to be amazed for a few minutes, I’ll go into Charming Charlie to check out the rainbow of accessories, but I’ll be sure to leave my wallet in the car.
N o t ta •Ashley Hawkins
Students welcome chain restaurant to area: ‘Original Chicken Sandwich’ chumps competition Brian Loomis
“Eat Mor Chikin” has been a slogan that has been on the TV during a multitude of events that students have watched for years, but they have never had the opportunity to do as those crazy cows have implied until just recently. The company that put out those ads was Chick-fil-A, and they have now moved into the northwest suburbs located on Golf Road in Schaumburg, west of Woodfield Mall. Chick-fil-A was first created in Hapeville, Georgia in 1946 named the Dwarf Grill. It has since evolved into a fast food chain that can be found in both malls as well as free standing restaurants across the nation. The restaurant opened on Sept. 15 and has had a constant flow of customers ever since its doors were opened. As a customer, the initial sign of long lines and the drive-thru looking like a Los Angeles Freeway may turn some away. However, as soon as customers walk through the doors, they are greeted by a smiling face handing them a menu to keep the lines moving. As soon as someone has decided what to feast on, a cashier is ready to take the order and looking forward to helping the hungry customers out. They will take the customer’s name and will call it out as soon as the order is ready. Although there is no self-serve soda machines, they offer free refills. The only problem that may be faced is finding a seat. Each seat is presented with a flower on the table and is constantly being washed to make sure that it is able to eat food off of. Plenty of people are taking the opportunity to try something new at Chick-fil-A, which makes it difficult to find a seat inside the restaurant. Patrons may have to stand around for a while until a table is open. The venue has outdoor seating, but as the weather is already beginning to change, people may not find that to be much of an option.
•Ashley Hawkins
C
hick-fil-A opens new chain in Shaumburg at 935 E. Gold Road. The restaurant opened in September. It wasn’t until 1946 when Chick-fil-A’s
“Original Chicken Sandwich” was created. It is now the number one on the menu and has been enjoyed by many Americans. Other items on the menu are grilled chicken sandwich, chicken strips, and chicken nuggets. They also offer a breakfast menu which features a chicken biscuit, as well as other breakfast favorites. The chicken is seasoned to perfection no matter what way its ordered, and as the customer sits and enjoys his food, it is even sweeter knowing that it is a new treat that has moved into Schaumburg. With the quick service that is given, as well as the kind personalities offering help. Chik-filA is a fine establishment that all students should visit.
October 7, 2011
Entertainment
The Correspondent
Students shine at first performance:
9
Fallapalooza entertains audiences of all ages Jessica Lynk Mixing together pop and classical music can be tough to showcase, but for the choir, this mix comes easy. During Fallapalooza, choir did just that as they mixed together pop selections like “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha and the classic “Let Freedom Ring.” Blending together these songs helped accommodate every age from teens to the elderly. This seemed to make the show successful. “I felt the concert went well. We had a lot of fun, and it turned out to be a good performance,” sophomore David VanScoyoc said. The name doesn’t come from the season, but the fact that fall comes at the beginning of the school year. “It’s our first concert, hence fall- beginning of the year. We didn’t really incorporate the season. It’s just more casual, kind of an introduction of our choir family,” sophomore Rose Katz said. The performance began with a meet and greet at 6:30 p.m. for parents to ask questions about choir, and for other students to learn more about choir. Then, the performance began at 7:30 in the East gym. Tickets were sold for $3. The performance featured multiple songs, including performances by OnStage, Ladies First, Commercial Break, Heart & Soul, and the massive choir as a whole. “There were multiple numbers that I thought went well. The ones that went the best are all of the mass choir numbers. They all sounded fantastic,” sophomore Tia Lindholm said. The freshmen choir seemed to shine at the concert.
•Melanie Cohodes
D
uring Tuesday’s Fallapalooza, multiple programs showed off their skills while performing pop and classic songs. “The Treble Choir (freshmen) were extremely impressive this year. One of their pieces, “Climbing Over Rocky Mountains,” is a piece from the opera Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan. This piece has many difficult aspects to it. It requires a large vocal range for all voice parts. The text is fast and very wordy. It is also sung in three part harmony for the large majority of the piece,” choir director Sara Michael said. The concert was casual and the seating was non-reserved style, making the night all about the singing and introduction to the choir. Fallapalooza was a way to show how the students improved from the beginning and showed how close they became in the course of a month.
“This concert is often challenging for the students because it happens so early in the school year. We have about a month to prepare this music. The students are still learning about their role within their new ensemble,” Michael said. The preparation began weeks before to get ready for the show, but it didn’t seem to set them back one bit. “We began learning our music the first week of school and have been working hard since then to make this show the best it could be,” senior Kelsey Martin said. The performance was held with high expectations and showcased the accomplishments of choir. “I expected the show to be a good showcase of what the choir department has accomplished so far this year, to show what we can accomplish in a short period of time,” VanScoyoc said. The performance had minor set backs, but they pushed through. “The dancing was great just some tempo problems, but the girls worked really hard,” junior Asha Worthy said. Many of these setbacks were due to nerves. “For many of the students, this is their first time performing in public. It may not seem as intimidating when you are surrounded by classmates, but it still can cause students to have anxiety,” Michael said. Each year the choir has multiple performances, each which can accommodate each student here. “Yes, come to support. It’s entertaining to watch and listen to people you hang out with; there are definitely some hidden talents!” Katz said.
8
The Correspondent
s e i v Mowatch to th wi nds frie
Ashley Hawkins
Viewers get ‘Lucky’ with Netflix pick Netflix keeps me thoroughly entertained on dull nights when my friends and I can’t think of anything to do. Recently, I decided to branch out from my beloved horror genre and check out a dark comedy. It was a good decision. Tall, dark, and dorky Ben Keller gets the pretty girl he’s been lusting after. A cliche seen many times before, but 2011 independent film “Lucky” twists the plot in a vile, entertaining way that had me giggling throughout the film. This dark romantic comedy strays away from the traditional fairy tale, where two souls search for eternal love and live ‘happily-ever-after.’ Instead, a ditzy, money hungry receptionist and a disturbed, lovesick nerd bond over a state lottery win, a romantic honeymoon in Hawaii, and the murders of three young blondes. The plot moves kind of slow, but the strong acting makes it bearable to watch. Colin Hanks had a moment to shine as the tormented lead role of Ben Keller. He was timid and awkward in a way that he was fittingly cast. But Ari Graynor is what made the film. I’ve seen her in films before, such as “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” and I genuinely like her acting. She does an outstanding job of getting into character. It’s easy to believe she is Norah’s drunken, scatterbrained best friend. Her acting in this movie is no different. Graynor masterfully plays the part of gold digging, erratic Lucy St. Martin. Lucy is playing with Ben’s heart and after his lottery money, but when she accidentally finds out he’s a serial killer, she does everything she can to hide his secret. Graynor never had me doubt her motives. Her quirky one-liners and fiery personality made the part memorable. She sold her character. Hanks and Graynor make Ben and Lucy the perfect dysfunctional couple. As the community gets worried about the mysterious murders, the viewer sees the two balance and complement one another, as Ben remains calm and collected while Lucy tries to keep cool, and starts to believe their complex feelings. In one scene, Lucy exclaims, “I’m going to set you on fire!” while Ben visits her in prison. Ben backs down and tries to console her, saying he loves her. This perfectly captures their hard-tounderstand relationship, portraying Lucy as the dominant figure in the marriage. The predictable ending left me rolling my eyes but laughing. We see that Ben and Lucy will get their ‘happily-ever-after,’ but in the twisted way that makes their relationship adorable. Dark-comedies are growing on me, and I may be ditching the blood and gore more often. “Lucky” has a perfect balance of suspense, romance, and comedy that anyone can enjoy with her friends. Check it out.
a t t Go
Reviews
March 16, 2012
Wanelo outpins Pinterest
Once I joined the Pintrest bandwagon, I noticed a few flaws in the website. It is great, yes, but I can never find where the item I am ‘pinning’ is from. One day, I discovered wanelo.com. It is the same idea as Pinterest: scroll endlessly through clothes, accessories, random items for a person’s house, or inspirational things. But the difference is that the viewer can click on the picture and is brought to where the item is purchased.
They can also save it into different categories if they could not afford to buy the item right away and wants to buy it later. They can also search what is trending or follow other people or stores to find more products from them. Wanelo’s motto is “find unique products and stores that you’ve never heard of ” and they do just that.
OR
JESSICA LYNK
Comedy club lacks sense of humor
Laugh Out Loud comedy club is capable of giving an audience something to crack up about from their continuous improv and obvious humor; that is, if their audience consists of a group of second graders. Located in the Streets of Woodfield, the club abbreviated as LOL gives its crowd a cheap chuckle and some greasy popcorn. Instead, I found myself wondering exactly why I paid twelve dollars to sit on a plastic chair, in a tiny dark room, forcing a laugh as I pretended to enjoy the train wreck. The “formally trained” comedians seemed to laugh more at themselves and col-
leagues than the audience, that is excluding the members of the crowd that were under eight-years-old. Whoever thought up the name of the club was obviously mistaken by what was being presented on stage, or better yet probably was one of the uncomical comedians. Laughing out loud was not the case at the tragic display of humor. If trying to find a place for a side-splitting good time, Laugh Out Loud comedy club should be in the opposite direction. CLAUDIA CAPLAN
N o t t a 2012 brings high spirits in cinemas Brian Boyle
tential of being awesome. Director Christopher Nolan’s take on the Looking back on 2011, film enthusiasts Batman is grounded in the real world, often pitsuch as myself take time to assess how movies ting our hero against Gotham City’s organized fared. When pinning down the most worthy crime families. The two trailers already released picture of the year, we ask ourselves which mov- make July 20 the most eagerly anticipated day of ies made us think, laugh, or touched our hearts. the year. The only movie Yet, compared to that has almost equal the past few years, 2011 anticipation is “The was a real let down Hobbit: An Unexpectin terms of cinema. ed Journey.” Director Fortunately, 2012 will Peter Jackson returns see the return of great to the world of “The franchises along with Lord of the Rings” in exciting new ideas. this prequel. Presented Only one week in two parts, “An Unaway, “The Hunger expected Journey” reGames” seems to have leases on Dec. 14 and everybody’s attention. part two, “The Hobbit: “The Hunger Games” There and Back Again,” is based off the overreleases a year later on whelmingly popular Dec. 14. trilogy of books. I’m hoping that The basic prem“The Hobbit” will reise is simple: an over•thehungergamesmovie.com ceive a Best Picture bearing, cruel govennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in nomination at the Osernment, run in “The “The Hunger Games,” one of the most anticicar’s like “The Lord of Capitol,” forces each of pated movies of 2012. the Rings: The Return its twelve surrounding districts to send one boy and one girl to fight to of the King” did. On June 22, Disney Pixar will release the death in a huge arena with an orchestrated environment and hidden death traps, all while “Brave,” which is about a young girl who wants to fight for her village. being broadcast on live TV. Comedies also look to have a big year, inThe book provides an addicting, suspense filled action thriller, which, if imitated correctly, cluding “The Dictator,” released on May 11, could be perfect for the big screen. However, about a Middle Eastern ruler, and “This is Forwith the recent popularity of “The Twilight ty,” released on Dec. 21 and a spin-off from Saga,” “The Hunger Games” could easily be “Knocked Up.” Explosive blockbusters, fantastical epics, turned into the relentlessly dull love triangle that “Twilight” has always been, rather than the and gut busting comedies give us a lot to look action movie it should be. “The Hunger Games” forward to in the coming months. Hit after hit seem to be upon film-goers this will be released on March 23. It seems to be the ultimate year for comic year. The only problem will be faced by my walbook movies. When narrowed down, one film let, which is going to hurt after numerous trips stand out. “The Dark Knight Rises” has the po- to the local theater.
J
Entertainment ‘Bang Bang’ Sophomore raps his way through the halls March 16, 2012
Jessica Lynk Every student aspires to do something in his lifetime. For sophomore Peter Janisewski, it is to inspire other white rappers, as well as spread his raps through YouTube. “Music is always there for me even when everyone else is gone, and it allows me to express myself how I want to. Also, it’s just fun to rhyme and freestyle,”Janisewski said. Janisewski has been rapping since he was in seventh grade and has been surrounding himself in rap music since then. He started his YouTube channel, 12gaugeghosts, last year doing remixes of songs and posting original raps. His YouTube videos have accumulated over 5,000 views. “I put them up on YouTube just
to let other people listen, and once in seventh grade, everybody would I get good enough, help others that listen. Nowadays, it’s much harder go through the same situations as I to get feedback,” Janiszewski said. do,” Janisewski Janisewssaid. ki found inspiration from He has many sources. received posi“Eminem tive feedback is probably my on his videos, biggest one. with comAlso one of my ments like friends also “Really liked rapped, and the rhyme he got me into scheme and it. We would lyricism that spend hours you put into this!” but on Skype lisWhenever I get an idea during school tening to beats some people I’ll usually write down in my noteon YouTube still are not on book quickly. When I’m at home I’ll and free stylboard with his usually do all music stuff past 9 and try to get my school work done before that ing,” Janisewsrapping. “When I so I don’t have anything to worry about,” ki said. R apping started to rap Janisewski said. can be a hard
“
Dubstep
The Correspondent
9
skill to master, but for Janisewski rapping is practice, emotion, and time. “Delivery comes with a lot of time and practice, as well as experimentation with different emotions,” Janisewsi said. Balancing school and music can be a tough act for student musicians, but for Janisewski music is on the mind. When it comes to making a career out of his hobby, Janisewski isn’t sure where it will take him. “It isn’t my first priority. At this point it’s just a hobby and something I do in my free time for fun. On the other hand, if the dominoes were to fall into place, I can’t say I wouldn’t pursue it.” •Check out Janisewsk’s YouTube channel link on Corre live. •Nick Runge added research to this story.
dirty beats DROPS DROPS DROPS
Melanie Cohodes
The new craze in the music scene is dubstep, the bass-pounding, wub-wub-ing club music that’s loved by some and hated by others. Despite starting out not well known, dubstep is steadily gaining followers. “It started out in south London, as part of a movement called the Jungleist movement,” senior Tyler Zanona said. “It was part of garage dance music, which was mainly street performing DJs. It was the precursor to bass music, which consists of mainly drums and bass, UK garage, and dubstep. Dubstep emerged as the product of all of that.” “It’s raw chaos,” senior Ty Nocita said. “It’s so much more raw than a lot of other music.” While some may think it’s a collection of remixes, dubstep isn’t necessarily adding ‘bass drops’ to a popular song; it can contain an element of originality. “Skrillex has original stuff,” sophomore Cheyenne Blakely said. “Him and deadmau5 are really good.” “A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that because it’s electronic, it’s not as good as music with instrumentalists,” Zanona said. “But it’s arguably one of the most difficult musical forms, because you need to know a lot about sound engineering to make it.” However, dubstep still isn’t recognized as a legitimate genre of
music by some. “It shouldn’t be its own genre; it’s just techno. There aren’t even any singers,” senior Emily Schnur said. While some dubstep songs have lyrics, others don’t, and that is part of what makes it different from most music. One example of this is Skrillex, whose MTV biography states that “Skrillex is part of a new generation of artists that refuse to be restricted by preconceived notions or outside expectations.” Skrillex was one of the main DJs responsible for making dubstep popular and is now the number one most searched DJ on BeatPort.com. He won three Grammys (according to MTV.com) and is either hated or loved with a passion by the dubstep community, as can be seen by Googling his name. Searching ‘Skrillex’ gets about 60 million results, with some of the first that aren’t his own Wikipedia article or Facebook bring up questions such as: “Is Skrillex the most hated man in dubstep?” Many people discovered dubstep via Youtube, and have been listening to it since. “I was watching dubstep dancers,” Zanona said, “and it was awesome. Their dancing is ridiculous.” “It’s starting to become super popular,” Blakely said, and with good reason. Dubstep has quickly gone from a small subculture to a widely-known form of music.
Coffee
House
March 20
Lunch hours
8
The Correspondent ies v Mo y M y Wa
with Ashley Hawkins
“Alone in the Dark” When action-adventure meets horror, the result is never good. Directed by Uwe Boll, 2005 film “Alone in the Dark” was disappointing from the opening credits until the final scene. For a $20 million budget, the film didn’t invest enough in editing. In one scene, a bullet is visibly shot a distance from a zombie, yet the zombie instantly cries out in pain and collapses. At other points in the movie, a boom mic and a camera are visible. These blunders strayed away from the focus of the movie and caused me to laugh in ridicule. The editing wasn’t the only poor quality of the film. The acting failed to carry the plot and keep me engaged. While leading actor Christian Slater brought some credibility to the film, it was hard to enjoy with the horrid acting of Tara Reid. She lacked emotion, speaking in a monotonous tone. It sounded like she was reading from cards the entire time. “Alone in the Dark” also featured numerous fight scenes, packed with slow motion back flips and kicks, and supplied by a soundtrack of metal music and gun shots. These fights were out of place and very dragged out. It was monotonous and unentertaining. The film received a one percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes. I wouldn’t even give it that. Unlike other bad horror films, this one didn’t have any sort of humor to make it worth watching.
“Beauty and the Briefcase” It doesn’t get anymore cliche than 2010’s “Beauty & the Briefcase.” A beautiful blonde journalist pitches the ultimate story idea to land her dream job- working for “Cosmopolitan” magazine. Lane Daniels, played by Hilary Duff, has to bring her ‘Magic Man Checklist’ into the business world and find a guy in a suit who contains every quality on said list. Hoping to find love in the process, she documents her adventures at the office and writes the story for Cosmo. Of course, she finds love. Of course, she lands the job. Of course, she learns an important moral lesson and matures along the way. Totally predictable. But I loved everything about this movie. Hilary Duff has been my girl since her Lizzie McGuire days. She’s grown up quite a bit over the past few years, but she was perfect for this role. Her quirkiness really shined in the film, bringing Lane Daniels to life. The supporting roles of Jaime Pressly and Jennifer Coolidge bring additional star power and humor to the cast, adding depth and excitement to the plot. The realm of chick-flicks is new to me, and I’m not sure why I liked this movie so much. Maybe it’s because I’m an aspiring journalist like Lane. Or maybe it’s because a majority of the characters are attractive business men. It might not have horror, but “Beauty & the Briefcase” has romance, comedy, and fashion and was a refreshing break from my beloved slasher films.
a t t Go
Reviews
May 18, 2012
Old time favorite still serves the goods
Gene and Jude’s in Riverside is a great place to grab a hotdog at anytime. The food is great, and it doesn’t cost much. Although the menu can be limiting, they have perfected each item, such as hotdogs, toppings; sport peppers, fries that are smashed on top of the hotdogs, mustard, and onions. They also have tamales. While the fries are greasy, they compli-
ment the hotdog’s taste and make them even better. The combination of the two is amazing. Due to lack of seating, customers have to stand at the counter, however; most people eat their meals in their cars. This place only takes cash, and do not ever ask for ketchup…it’s just a Chicago thing. • cara Malok
OR Copycat app fails to impress
A month ago, Instagram took the app store by storm, and now, Gifboom seems to be giving it a run for its money. Gifboom is an app created by TapMojo LLC, that allows users to take videos and select up to 20 images from it, therefore, creating a gif. The user can put text, filters, and borders on it, and if that’s not similar enough, it also copied Instagram’s icon and layout. An Ins-
tagram user would easily be able to navigate around Gifboom because of the similar design. Although, users must figure out how to favorite a gif, delete a gif, and follow people all on their own, something that Instagram doesn’t lack. Face it, it’s a good idea, but Gifboom is just a knock off Instagram with bugs that need to be fixed. Sorry Gifboom, but I’m ‘booming’ you out of my iPhone. •Mackenzie francis
N o t ta
Comic book heroes finally live up to hype Brian Boyle
The dialogue and banter is quick, witty, and intriguing. Often times scenes with only conversaEver since 2008, the super-hero sub-genre tions between the heroes are just as exciting as of films has struggled to live up to the critical action heavy set-pieces. This is mostly due to the film’s humor and commercial success of Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece “The Dark Knight.” On May 4, the and color. The movie is flat out hilarious. Joss latest comic-book film was released in the form Whedon’s direction and script fully embraces of “The Avengers.” And one thing’s for sure, the slightly goofy side of superheroes. It’s flashy, lively, and vivid. This allows for all the char“The Dark Knight” has finally met its match. The movie is the next chapter in Marvel’s acters to mesh, and seeing Thor in full battle armor and a bright red “Cinematic Universe,” cape standing next to the which was established mechanical Iron Man, or with 2008’s “Iron Man,” the star-spangled Captain and included subseAmerica, doesn’t seem as quent films “The Inout of place as expected. credible Hulk” (2008), Don’t fear though, “Iron Man 2” (2010), “The Avengers” is sure to “Thor” (2011), and satisfy any needs for a all“Captain America: The out action experience. In First Avenger” (2011). fact, “The Avengers” has Though all these some of the most specfilms have been leading tacular and entertaining up to “The Avengers,” action scenes I’ve ever exnone of them are necperienced. essary to comprehend The real fun comes the basic plot, and the in the final act, when Loki film does a phenomleads his alien invasion enal job of reintroduc•marvel.com on Manhattan. The entire ing and reestablishing team comes together and these already develhris Evans stars as patriotic hero Captain desperately tries to protect oped characters. America in the latest comic book based the city and its civilians. The plot centers The special effects are top around Nick Fury, movie, “The Avengers.” played by Samuel L. Jackson, a one-eyed di- notch, the fight scenes are delightfully amusing, rector of S.H.I.E.L.D., a government agency in rewarding, intense yet comprehendible. There is so much to love about “The Avengcharge of keeping tabs on Earth’s superheroes and villains. Thor’s dangerous and angry adop- ers.” The characters are compelling, especially tive brother Loki, god of all things devious, in- Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk and Robert Downey filtrates S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and steals a Jr. as Iron Man. The writing is great, with witty banter and a mystical source of unlimited energy called The Tesseract. With this incredible power, Loki leads hilarious script. The action is incredibly exciting an alien army on an invasion of Earth, thus lead- without being overwhelming. The heart, humor, and characters really set “The Avengers” apart ing to the assembling of the Avengers. The story is basic enough, but it’s almost from not only super-hero films, but most movused as an excuse to get these brilliantly por- ies in general. It’s the epitome of summer blocktrayed characters to interact with each other. busters and a must see.
C
May 18, 2012
Entertainment
The Correspondent
9
Summer concerts allow Choir finale sends off seniors students to simmer down Jessica Lynk
Erin Horne students for all Martin Theater
and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Between lovers of B96 and concerts. “It’s just a lot more redevotees of obscure indie bands, laxed, and you can hang out with there are summer concert events to your friends and have a good time,” fit everyone’s taste. Senior Lindsay Voinivich said. Country lovers can get their fill Boivin plans to go to Summerfest, Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw, at Country Thunder in Twin Lakes, and Warped Tour. “I like the type Wisconsin. Blake Shelton, Toby of music at Summerfest, and I’ve Keith, Jason Aldean, and Luke Brygotten into country music recently, an are headliners, and are joined so [Kenny Chesney & Tim Mc- by an abundance of other country artists, including The Farm, Wade Graw] should be fun,” Boivin said. For newcomers to the summer Bowen, and Easton Corbin. At First Midwest Bank Ampimusic scene, navigating the different events can be tricky. For a close- theater in Tinley Park, Warped to-home venue, the B96 Sum- Tour will be held. What separates this concert event from others is mer Bash offers that it travels around upbeat tunes the nathat many are tion, familiar with. and is “I love interthe music a c t ive . and the exAttendperience. ees can Plus, it’s vote for a great which time with b a n d f r i e n d s ,” they’d like junior to see play K a y l a longer. D a l e In adsaid. dition, each The •loll oldplay year the Sum lapal rocks o ooza Th u Tour has a m e r t at a L e band cago ov w o er the s ill be back p llapalooza 20 “BBQ Band”, Bash umme erform 1 r. ing in C 1. an up-andboasts hicoming group headlinthat is allowed ers like Flo Rida, Big Time play in the Rush, The Wanted, and Mike Pos- t o ner. “It’s easy to see everything,” lineup. In return, they’re required Dale said. “It’s at Toyota Park, is to grill meals for all the other bands very clean, and runs very smooth- nearly every night of the tour. “Warped Tour has a ton of ly.” Lollapalooza is also held year- good bands, and I think it will be ly in Chicago, but the fundamental fun,” Boivin said. The lineup indifference between the two con- cludes many alternative and pop certs is the type of music. Lolla, punk bands. Rise Against and All while bringing in a few big-name Time Low are two of the betterbands, mostly sticks to the indie known groups. The epitome of all concert scene. Florence + The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, FUN, and events is Summerfest, which is an The Black Keyes will all be playing eleven-day event that includes everything from Ben Fold Five to at Grant Park this August. Chicago’s Ravinia is great for the Beach Boys to Motion City those looking to spend time with Soundtrack. Held in Milwaukee, friends, and enjoy music as well. the event has an incredible range “I really liked how fun the atmo- of music, and seems to resemble a sphere of the lawn seating is,” se- mash-up of all the other concerts nior Sara Voinivich said of her Ra- this summer holds. Whatever the price range, time vinia experience. “A lot of people bring food and have picnics and it’s limit, or distance, a concert event is available to please nearly everyone. a lot of fun.” Another upside to Ravinia is “Summer concerts are a great exits pricing. Tickets are far less ex- perience and always so much fun,” pensive than larger concerts, and Dale said. free passes are offered to college
C
Every year, the choir puts on multiple performances throughout the year. Last Monday and Tuesday, the choir performed its final concert of the year showcasing the progress made throughout the year. “From Treble Choir, to Concert Choir, to Women’s Chorale, and finally Chamber Singers, we have all improved in our own groups drastically from August when we first started. Choir is about working together with those around you, and by this point we’ve mastered that, so it’s incredible to see what is able to be accomplished,” senior Brad Grochocinski said. •Jessica Lynk The concert started off with seniors enior Jeremy Huene leads the choir in his final honoring their favorperformance. The choir had their spring conite teacher, as the night cert on May 14 and 15. was focused around those receiving their The night ended with the graduation diplomas. Chamber Singers singing “Dae“It was emotional because it mom Irrepit Callidus,” “Prayer of was senior night, and we have such the Children,” and “Rejoice and a large graduating class (43 seniors) Sing Out his Praises.” this year,” senior Kelsey Martin said “My favorite song is ‘Daemon.’ Knowing that this would be It’s a very difficult song musically, their final performance at this and to add to the chaos of the piece school took its toll on many of the it’s in Latin; It’s a fast, harsh, piece, seniors. but so fun to perform,” Grochocin“It has been such a privilege ski said. to be apart of choir these past four Senior Jeremey Huene guest years and it is so sad that this is our directed “Prayer of the Children,” last concert ever,” senior Christa which provoked emotion throughAntuma said. out the audience. The night included many solo“My favorite moment was getists chosen by judges at the annual ting to conduct my peers, see their Broadway workshops after choir smiles, and have them blow me director Sara Micheals asked who away at how absolutely amazing impressed the judges they were,” Huene said. One soloist was senior Kristin “It [‘Prayer of the Children’] Kapinos, who sang “Beyond my has such a deep meaning, and you Wildest Dreams” on Monday. could tell that we moved a lot of “I liked my song because it’s people, which was really cool,” Percute and upbeat and fun to act out,” longo said. Kapinos said. For some seniors, seeing the Another solo group consisted song performed their freshman of seniors Joe Farrell, Grochoinyear gave them a great opportunity ski, and Martin, who performed to end their senior year with a fa“Those You’ve Known.” vorite. “I loved singing with Brad and “That song [‘Prayer of the Joe because that was something Children’] has an extraordinary I was never able to do; I also love message and I have dreamed about that song, so finding two talented singing it ever since I was a freshguys to sing with was awesome,” man. Getting to sing it at my last Martin said. “It just shows that this choir concert ever was an amazing song that meant so much to us had privilege that Mrs. Michael gave a lasting effect on our judge, and us,” Martin said. that’s the greatest accomplishment This concert was a great endyou can make as a singer.” ing to most of the seniors’ career as An additional soloist was juchoir students. Many hope that stunior Mike Perlongo, who sang a dents and staff will remember this combination “Flesh Failures/Let group of singers. the Sunshine in.” “I want people to remember “Having a solo was really cool. the class of 2012 as being one of Its always fun to perform in front the most talented group of kids this of a big crowd, especially when it’s school has seen,” Huene said. comprised of all your friends and family because everyone is so supportive,” Perlongo said.
S