Arts | Culture | Living
Vancouver
VOL.1. ISS. 2. MAY 2012
FUTURÉALE Scarlett Bruns has HEART THE UP AND COMER DISCUSSES HER NEW FILM
PRIMETIME TV:
The Next Generation
WHERE SITCOMS ARE HEADED
the evolution of the genre
m .co ALE URÉ
HORROR
FUT
Oh, the
$9.99 CAD/$8.99 USD
3
FUTURÉALE MAY 2012
11
20
1 | FUTURÉALE
7 A rts
|
Cu lt u re
15 THIS MONTH’S COVER
Photo: Zoey Stills www.zoeystills.com Stylist: Jill Lansky Assistant Stylist: Ella Johnstone Key Hair and Makeup: Melissa Ward Make Up Artist: Heather Earney Dress: Alfred Angelo $410 www.isabellesbridal.com Earrings: Forever 21 $6.80 Necklace: Twinset grey (worn as bracelet) $95 Bracelets: Crystal Jewelry black rhinestone bracelet $50, Crystal Jewelry woven crystal bracelet $95, Lolo silver bangles (clear and blue stones) $185 each Rings: Lolo black Swarovski crystal ring $175, Monteiro Designs silver ring $195
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
credits:
Letter from the Editor FUTURÉALE Vancouver
Executive Director Omar Murji Editor-in-Chief Jess Morton Senior Layout Designer Ahmad Issawi “A lot of people have experiences from high school, I have a younger sister who’s seventeen and she’s trying to get into the modeling industry. She’s constantly being told she’s too fat, and she’s tiny! She’s really tiny. She’s a thirty-five and half inch hip, and they’re telling her she needs to drop down to thirty-four inches. She’s already a size zero. So in that regard, I think its something that a lot of people have experienced.” – Scarlett Bruns talking about Heart of Dance. This month we have an issue heavily themed in film and television. Each article explores a different aspect of the entertainment industry. FutuRéale’s May issue doesn’t even crack the surface of how the industry reaches such wide audiences. Why do we watch what we watch? Jess Morton Editor-in-Chief of FutuRéale Vancouver
Layout Design Ahmad Issawi Omar Murji Contributing Writers Setareh Motevalli Augustine Wong Ria Renouf Ahmad Issawi Jess Morton ISSN 1916 3215 Published by the Organic Press Publishing Company www.organicpress.ca A proud member of the ONAMAP Network www.onamap.ca Visit us at:
FUTURÉALE.com
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
FUTURÉALE | 2
d e e r B A New Y N N U F of
Augustine Wong
In 2004, six friends stood in an empty Manhattan
apartment. The moment was tearful and bitter-sweet. After ten years, these friends would no longer be living together and they were saying their last goodbyes. Her eyes still watery, one of them asked if they wanted to get some coffee for one last time. The entire group nodded and started walked out of the apartment. They did not need to discuss which coffee house they would go; they already knew. But without betraying any smile, another character, known for his sarcastic humor, asked, “where?” From somewhere out of sight, an audience laughs. As the friends left, the camera stayed fixed inside the apartment, empty of furniture but still filled with ten years of comedic memories. After a while, the screen slowly faded to black. Then nothing. 3 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Thus was the last episode of Friends, the most famous situational comedy in television history. Since then, the “sitcom” genre has continued to thrive; the most popular sitcoms currently on TV are Modern Family, Community, and The Big Bang Theory. Modern Family received a “universal acclaim” score on Metacritic, an entertainment ratings website. Community and The Big Bang Theory were less favorably reviewed but still received high Metacritic user scores. A question therefore beckons: why do people enjoy these shows?
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
modern family
According to the latest entry in Wikipedia, a sitcom is “a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment.” Modern Family is a sitcom about characters in three different environments sharing the same common family. The first “environment” has as its occupants Jay Pritchett, a grandfather and owner of a construction firm; Gloria, the much younger and attractive Columbian; and Manny Delgado, a sweet boy mature beyond his years. The second environment is lived in by Philip Dunphy, selfdeclared “cool dad” and real estate agent; Claire, an over-protective stayat-home mom; and their three children. The third environment contains Mitchell Pritchett and his male partner Cameron Tucker. Cameron and Mitchell adopted a baby girl named Lily from a Vietnamese orphanage. Modern Family contains many kinds of character interactions. Columbians spend time with flamboyant gay partners. The gay partners take care of an Asian baby.
VANCOUVER
Parents are dealing with their kids. Parents deal with other parents as well as their own parents. Kids deal with each other. And the entire family interacts with the rest of the world. Such variation of character interactions offers a cornucopia of comedic situations. Jay Pritchett, a decidedly American figure, often has to put up with Gloria’s Columbian heritage; in one episode, Gloria insists on having Columbian food for dinner after having dreams about her deceased grandmother telling her to keep in touch with her culture. Jay, not willing to eat a traditional Columbian dish of small pig intestines, says, “this is awkward because my dead uncle Joe told me to have steak tonight.” Jay Pritchett also has to contend with his gay son, Mitchell. In the pilot episode,
with family intimacy issues, Gloria says that a kiss “can be the start of something new. It can be how we say, ‘this is the person that I love.’ It can be romantic. It can also be worth waiting for.” Then immediately following that heart-warming speech is Phil opening a new can of paint and almost throwing up from the resulting fumes. Another reason why Modern Family is exceptional is the show’s portrayal of the two male partners. Other shows tend to use homosexuality as a way to scream principles of equality or for cheap comedic fodder. Even Community uses homosexuality cheaply; one of the recurring characters is a man who has too much fondness for dressing up in silly costumes and is an overt homosexual flirt. Although shallow jokes about gays and lesbians can be
Mitchell says that his father “still does this thing where he announces himself before walking into any room [Cameron and I] are in, just to make sure he doesn’t have to ever see us kiss.” In response, Cameron amusingly remarks, “wish my mother had that system…” Modern Family strikes an exceptional balance between sweet family moments and comedic hilarity. At the end of an episode which dealt
amusing, Modern Family’s funny yet respectful treatment of its homosexual characters is very refreshing. Cameron and Mitchell fit in very naturally with an otherwise heterosexual family. Cameron, for instance, is adept at Japanese flower arrangement but can still bond with Jay over football. The inclusion of a gay couple has indeed made Modern Family a show about a truly modern American family.
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 4
the BiG BANG THEORY Modern Family has the greatest variety of characters and Community possesses the craziest characters; The Big Bang Theory distinguishes itself by having the most intelligent characters. The cast consists of Sheldon Cooper, a theoretical physicist gripped by a superiority complex; Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist who is Sheldon’s reluctant best friend and roommate; Rajesh Koothrappali, an astrophysicist who literally cannot speak to women; Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer and unsuccessful “lady’s man”; Penny, an aspiring actress who failed community college; Amy
to calculate the answer, Sheldon’s body remains rigid and his eyes twitch. This juxtaposition between genius-level intelligence and sheer social ineptitude provides Big Bang Theory’s comedic appeal. Sheldon is a man who proudly declares that his IQ cannot be accurately measured by normal tests. Yet he also curls up in his bed whenever he is upset. When Sheldon becomes especially distressed, his Evangelical Christian
Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist; and Bernadette Rostenkowski, who is studying microbiology. Sheldon Cooper, who possesses two Master’s Degrees and a Doctorate, says to Penny, “I’m a physicist. I have a working knowledge of the universe and everything it contains.” Penny, the least intellectually gifted, casually asks, “Who is Radiohead?” Unable
mother appears in the show to console him. On the very other side of the social spectrum lies Penny, an out-going and attractive blond. Penny serves as a conduit, or perhaps a wormhole through which the other less socially adept characters can experience life beyond playing “Klingon Boggle.” One example of the characters travelling through the wormhole is when they
5 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
confront Penny’s ex-boyfriends, who are always handsome and physically intimidating. When Penny mentions that one of her ex-boyfriends owed her $1800, Leonard, Sheldon, Rajesh, and Howard try to convince the ex to pay his debt. The ex does pay back the money but not before writing “I owe Penny $1800” on Leonard’s forehead. Penny also frequently socializes with Amy and Bernadette, taking them out to bars to have the typical “girls’ night out” experiences. Despite being very similar to Sheldon, Amy becomes more social because of Penny. Amy even calls Penny her best friend, or “bestie.” Big Bang Theory characters like Sheldon are not simply socially awkward; they are also geeks. The show boldly goes where no show has gone before by incorporating copious amounts of nerd humor. Sheldon compares himself to Spock and thinks of the group as a Star Trek “landing party”; Leonard is Kirk, Howard is Scotty, and Rajesh is the guy who always gets killed. When Leonard dated a doctor, Sheldon stated the landing party finally had a McCoy. Sheldon, Leonard, Rajesh, and Howard are also enthusiastic gamers. When Sheldon
VANCOUVER
and Leonard’s apartment is robbed, Sheldon informs a police officer that the thieves stole “our PS2, our PS3, our Xbox, our Xbox360, our classic Nintendo, our Super Nintendo, our Nintendo 64, and our Wii.” Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh also like to play World of Warcraft. However the groups’ geeky personalities are not solely confined to their love for video games and science fiction; they are also geeky when they try to do “mainstream” activities like
partying and dating. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh only become interested in Halloween parties if they can wear costumes. Additionally, Sheldon asks Amy to be his girlfriend by presenting her with a “relationship agreement,” a binding covenant which details how they should behave in a romantic relationship. Big Bang Theory is a show which reveals that jokes about nerds can be more than just making fun of thick glasses and pocket protectors.
COMMUNITY
While Modern Family possesses the most funny character interactions, Community embroils its characters in unrestrained silliness. Community is a sitcom about seven students of the hilariously pitiful Greendale community college who form a study group. They then proceed not to study and spend the vast majority of their time on ridiculous adventures like piloting a space flight simulator called the “Kentucky Fried Chicken 11 Herbs and Space Experience.” The study group consists of Jeff Winger, a disbarred lawyer; Britta Perry, a political activist and anarchist; Shirley Bennett, a recently divorced mother;
VANCOUVER
Annie Edison, a girl whose studious ways contrast amusingly with her physical attractiveness; Troy Barnes, a former high school football star; Pierce Hawthorne, a moist towelette tychoon and Abed Nadir, a pop-culture enthusiast suspected of having Asperger’s syndrome. C o m m u n i t y ’s comedic strength is with its parodies and references to popular culture. The greatest majority of these pop-culture references are channeled through Abed, who constantly correlates his surroundings to what he sees on television. Abed’s perception of the world directly influences the style of the show. For instance, when Jeff proposes a plan to ensure they can always have chicken wings for lunch at the school cafeteria, Abed says, “it’s like a mafia movie.” From that point forward, the episode named “Contemporary American Poultry” evolved into a mafia movie, with Abed playing the role of a Don. At Abed’s request, the episode ends with a scene inspired by the American classic, Sixteen Candles. Community A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
has also parodied other movies such as Animal House, The Perfect Storm, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Admittedly, Community’s character dialogue is not as clever as the funny frequent quips in Modern Family. But the comparatively bland dialogue in Community is compensated by the absolute absurdity with which the main characters behave. Pierce Hawthorne is a racist and sexist man who consistently says things like “I’ll give you the same advice my father gave me the night I lost my virginity: just pick one; they all cost the same.” Troy and Abed are best friends who engage in antics like building blanket forts and acting as hosts in their own fake morning television show. The cast of recurring characters, normally inconsequential in other shows, are equally entertaining. The Dean of Greendale College is the aforementioned man who has the fondness for dressing up in funny costumes. June Bauer is a professor of anthropology who drinks her own urine for health reasons. Benjamin Chang is a former Spanish teacher who “faked [his] way into a job teaching Spanish at a community college using phrases from Sesame Street.” The ridiculousness of Community’s entire cast, coupled with the popular culture references, make the show satisfying to watch. FR
FUTURÉALE | 6
COLOUR ME COSMETICS Ria Renouf
As rainy, gloomy skies give way to bright and beautiful
sunny weather, so too does the change come in not only our wardrobe, but in the seasonal make-up palette. Each time a new season hits, it gives people the opportunity to try new things. In the instance of make-up, trying new trends in colour is a great way to figure out what works for you.
7 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
“W
ith cosmetics trends, what you perceive as being too crazy actually [ends up] working for you,” says Michelle Celemencki, a makeup artist and beauty expert for Shoppers Drug Mart. Michelle, who has worked for Lancome, and has an impressive portfolio doing make-up
for fashion shows, weddings and commercials, has seen much change throughout the beauty industry in the thirteen years involved. Such extensive time in the cosmetics industry has allowed Michelle to develop her likes, dislikes and basics when it comes to doing make-up.
achieve with brow styling kits by companies like Benefit. The continued popularity of the television hit Mad Men has also inspired make-up looks touching on the ‘50s and ‘60s. For those who do not wear much make-up, or have a fear of going out of the house without caking heavy foundation onto their skin, the answer to such a conundrum is solved with the introduction of beauty balms (often referred to as “BB creams”), as well as a reintroduction to the tinted moisturizer. Depending on the brand preferred, BB creams and tinted moisturizers often come in a decent range of shades, and sometimes have SPF (sun protection factor) in them – though you should never rely on this alone for sun A primer like Smashbox’s protection (read: wear a high SPF under your make-up!). will ensure make-up stays Where some brands offer one or two shades, some offer up to five colour choices. “If you’re looking for an inexpensive in place! introduction,” Michelle points out, “then a brand like Marcelle is great. Their tinted moisturizers have been around for a very long time, and they have a great selection of colours. The BB creams they offer come in two shades, and allow people to choose what suits them best.” For those finding their make-up slides off through the day, Michelle recommends a primer before putting on tinted “I originally came from Montreal, so a lot of my own style is unique and independent – just like my home If you’re looking for a luxury city. I like to test the edge of make-up...I like to take what experience, try Guerlain’s Shine is meant to be basic and just play with it; just see what I can do with it.” This, says Michelle, is an attitude people Automatique Hydrating Lip Shine. should not be afraid to take when it comes to trying It’s a splurge that pays off! make-up. “There are so many common misconceptions out there that people should not try this or that because it will enhance wrinkles or imperfections – no! Everyone should have fun with their colours! Everyone should try something new!” And what better time is there to try something new? This summer’s make-up trend moves away from the traditional, overdone make-up look (for all you foundation aficionados, this means no coating your face with heavy foundation!) to a look that is soft, natural and dewy, while embracing pretty pastel colours. Bright colours for the lips take centre stage, in particular, red or orange colours. The additional embrace of the bold, strong eyebrow is very alive, and pairs well with the ‘au natural’ look, easy to
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 8
moisturizers or BB creams. “The cool thing about primers is you can find ones that are now paraben free. We’re seeing an infusion of vitamins into primers that end up being good for your face.” Smashbox, according to Michelle, has an assortment of primers to address everyone’s needs. “Not only do Smashbox primers have a good range of corrective primers, they’ve also got vitamins in them – so your face will basically love you even more for [applying a primer].”
An apricot or orange-toned blush is both universally flattering and on trend. If you prefer a powder, then L’oreal’s Bare Naturale mineral powder offers light coverage. Another option is the Smashbox Yellow Halo powder. When used correctly, yellow powder can help cancel out redness on the face. While it is pricey, Michelle says, sometimes a more expensive brand tends to go a longer way. “Sometimes people end up spending too much on a handful of inexpensive products, and they don’t realize that what they paid for three products that might kind of get the job done can actually pay for one product that definitely gets the job done.” Once your choice of canvas is set (tinted moisturizer, BB cream or powder), it’s time to have fun with colour! Blush, Michelle says, can change the dimension of the face, and give it a pretty summer flush, pulling together the natural look. “Sometimes blush is tricky, because it might not stay on if there isn’t enough pigment. [The Danish brand] GOSH has nice pigmented blushes and the price point is decent. If we’re recommending a universal colour...a shade that goes with any type of skin tone, then a peachy-apricot colour is good. In fact, it’s a colour that should always be in your make-up
9 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
bag because it flatters many skin tones. Plus it’s on trend!” Bronzers are another good way to give yourself a summer glow – minus the sun damage. “Rimmel and Physician’s Formula offer a good range of bronzers at very reasonable prices.” Next, the eyes have it! If you’re choosing to make a statement with your eye colour, your lip colour should be softer. The opposite is true for those wanting to make a loud colour declaration with their lips; the eye colour should be calmer and less pronounced. Focusing on only one facial characteristic gives your look more sophistication, and will not make your face look too busy with colour. “With eyes, people think the smoky eye look always uses a dark colour palette, but the cool thing about the smoky eye is you can use different colour combinations to create an interesting look. interesting look. A great summer smoky eye would see the incorporation of a light pastel blue, a minty green, and then somewhere in there a champagne yellow colour to finish it off.” According to Michelle, eye shadow selections have come a long way, and a number of brands offer a great selection of mono (one shade only) eye shadows with lovely pigment and long lasting wear. “GOSH, Bourjois and Annabelle offer affordable options that have decent quality. Luxury brands Dior, Lancome and Clarins may be pricey, but tend to offer quad eye shadows (four shades in a pack; Dior actually offers up to five) that go a long way for your dollar.” Finish with a nice eyeliner and a few coats of mascara. “Don’t be afraid to try coloured eye liners! GOSH offers a great mint green that would flatter almost anyone.” With mascara, it’s not about what you buy, but how you apply it. “You have to make sure you’re looking down into a mirror, and sweeping the brush upwards – don’t look into the mirror and apply. People make this mistake a lot and when they do, they forget to deposit
Cu lt u re
A BB cream like the one Marcelle has offers protection, nutrients and coverage.
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
staying power, colour and feel that moisturizes. In that case, you get what you pay for; it’s definitely indulgent.” What’s important to also remember are the tools you choose to use. “Brushes are so important,” says Michelle, “Quo is a great brand that offers both a traditional line and a professional line. If you’re applying powder, blush and bronzer, go for the professional line brushes. They offer precision – and their eye and lip pencil sharpeners are inexpensive and high quality, too.” After all is said and done, the key to wearing a make-up trend is to realize your entire self is telling a story, and makeup is one part of such a story. “Take the trend and form it
Paint your pout! Revlon’s Abstract Orange is a great cross between the red and orange colour trend.
product into the root of their lashes, which is where all the volume is.” When you’re doing a lip colour, Michelle says to not be afraid of trying a bold red or orange. “Revlon has an excellent range, and it’s wallet friendly.” Other brands like Clinique and luxury brand Guerlain are considered more of an investment. “With Guerlain, it’s not cheap, but has a
Strong brows can be achieved with all-in-one kits, such as the Brows a-go-go kit offered by Benefit. Bonus: the packaging is retro chic!
An eye shadow palette like Dior’s 5-Colour 802 offers multiple options for those who just can’t decide. These colours are also ideal for summer, too!
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
to what fits you. At the end of the day, you will be wearing it. You want to be comfortable, but still try to take it to that next level...step out of the box! People spend so much time wanting to look like what they see in magazines, but that doesn’t allow them to develop their own uniqueness.” And don’t forget to practice, especially when applying with makeup brushes. “Visit make-up artists and get them to show you how to do things! Make-up artistry is just like cooking, there are basics that you can take and form into your own flavour. If the trend doesn’t work for you, try working around it, or give another trend a try.” When it comes down to it, Michelle says, “it’s all about you!” FR
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 10
Scarlett Bruns Heart of Dance is an independent film currently in pre-production in Vancouver. The writer, producer, and star of the film Scarlett Bruns tells me it’s not just a movie, but a campaign to raise awareness, a tribute to an old friend, a mission to support a charity, and a project to bring a community together. Jess Morton
11 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
On set for Heart of Dance. Left to Right: Destinee Dunkin-Klyne, Gisella Maria and Scarlett Bruns How did the Heart of Dance project get started? Actually, it was never really intended to be a movie. I was really sick. I had a lung infection, and I took quite a bit of time off work back in December 2007. I woke up one night, because I dreamt the opening scene of the script. At that point it was just a dream, and I couldn’t fall back asleep. The next night I dreamt the same thing again, so I decided to write it down. For about two or three days, while I was sleeping, the dream kept progressing in my mind. After the third day I just started writing. I wrote the entire script in, I think, about four days. As the script progressed, I had sort of a story outlined in my mind of the characters, what everyone looked like, and how it was supposed to happen. Then I started incorporating other things in my life into it. I had a girl, who I used to dance with, who passed away from an eating disorder around the time that I started writing. So I started to incorporate that into it, and found Looking Glass Foundation as a charity that we would try and benefit through the production of the film. We’re donating a partial profit of the film to the Looking Glass Foundation for
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
Eating Disorders. It’s sort of a tribute to her family as well. I went and interviewed her parents, and talked to them about the struggles that she faced, how her eating disorder progressed, and started incorporating that into the script. So it was a huge big thing that happened all of the sudden? Yeah, it was completely unplanned and I’m by no means a writer. I did creative writing in school and I really enjoyed it, but I never had any intentions of writing a script or publishing anything. It just sort of fell together all on its own. I never intended to let anyone read it, and then my best friend was over. I had it printed out and she saw it on my desk, and she started reading. She thought it was really good and she said, ‘You should try and she if there’s someone interested in producing this.’ Well first of all, I didn’t want anyone to read it! Second of all I didn’t want anyone to produce it, because I wanted to keep creative control over it. Because I’ve been working in the film industry since I was a kid, we had quite a few connections to directors and producers. So I sent it to a
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 12
Behind the scenes for Heart of Dance, Scarlett Bruns with director Terence H. Winkless. friend and said, ‘Hey would you consider reading the first five pages of this and let me know if my formatting is correct for a script? Does it read properly?’ So he said, ‘Yeah sure, fire it over.’ I sent over the first five pages, and within an hour he e-mailed me back and said, ‘I want to read the rest of it.’ So I sent him the rest of it and he said, ‘This is really great, you should try and produce this.’ It just sorta snowballed from there.
back to Bruns Family Productions, and then 30% of Bruns Family Productions’ profit is donated directly to Looking Glass Foundation. So we would be making a 20% profit, but we’re putting in 50% of the cost. If there’s an investor who donates five hundred thousand dollars, the first five hundred thousand dollars me make would go directly back to that investor. The investors are going to break even at the very least before anybody else makes money.
What is your initial goal with Heart of Dance? I want to raise one million dollars for Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders. To help fund their programs for kids who have low self-esteem, or mangled body image, or who are struggling with an eating disorder. Heart of Dance has a simple investment structure. “The way our investment is structured is that I, or Bruns Family Productions is putting up 50% of the budget, and then the other 50% we want from independent investors, or corporate investors.” When the film makes a profit, 50% goes back to the investor, the other 50% would go
13 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
There are also other options for those who want to get more involved with Heart of Dance. Those who donate are welcome to help out with the nitty-gritty stuff on set. We’re really open in making it a working experience for everybody. If we have one person who invested a substantial amount of money who is very interested in filmmaking, and his daughter is as well, then they’re gonna come on set with us and learn on the go. He’ll be able to shadow the director and the producer, and she’s gonna have a small walk-on role in the project, so she gets to say a few lines. We’re completely open to doing different things, if people want to do product placement.
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
If you have a hairspray product or something, donate five thousand dollars and you can have product placement for your hairspray. It certainly has a bunch of different opportunities for people to get involved in different ways. If they want to donate, invest, or product placement, or if they want to be in the film, or be involved in the crew. What do you think sets this film apart from other hugely marketed independent films that get tons of viewership? The fact that we’re charity oriented, and trying to make a difference. My whole idea behind the film is that I can go out on Facebook, and I can convince a thousand of my friends to donate a hundred dollars each to Looking Glass Foundation, but that doesn’t encourage other people to do it. What I hope to do with this film is have ‘X’ amount of people watch it, and that will encourage those people to help raise awareness. For them to donate not only to Looking Glass, but also to any charity they care about. It’s really just about community a coming together to support something they believe in. What I hope to do with it is just raise awareness for charities in general, and encourage other people to donate, as opposed to just asking a few of my friends to help. The director, Terence H. Winkless, said in his statement that he tried to make the characters more like individual and genuine people. Do you think that he has achieved this at this point in filming?
directing the actors. He’s really trying to bring genuine performances out of them. Terry is absolutely incredible. He directed the Power Rangers TV series, every single cast member that we have would go, ‘Oh I used to watch that!’ That was really cool, he’s directed a few Disney feature films. So we’re incredibly lucky to have him on board, and have him be so supportive of the project. A lot of people that have eating disorders have also read the script, because I’ve been in touch with Looking Glass. I’ve had script approval from them, because I wanted to make sure that its something that portrayed eating disorders accurately, and not in a negative light. I’ve had quite a few people struggling with eating disorders who read it, who really appreciate the fact that it’s not exploiting the eating disorder. Its just something that’s a part of the story, but its not about exploitation, or someone constantly running to the bathroom and throwing up like a lot of movies do. And the fact that the lead character is a normal girl, who is not skinny. Her eating disorder never escalates to the point where she has anorexia and almost dies. The reality of it is that a lot of people that have eating disorders, it takes a while to get to that point. So many people have eating disorders without anybody knowing about it, and that’s what its about. What is the next step for getting Heart of Dance to audiences? We are certainly aiming at hitting up all the major film festivals with this project, and a lot of times movies get distribution through being scouted or found at a film festival. So that’s our first step. We’ll also build momentum for the film by submitting it to all the local awards, like the Leo Awards Ceremony. I presented a Leo Award last summer, I’ve been work with Leo for quite a few years now. We’re gonna submit it to that. Just different international film festivals like the Australian International Film Festival, then there’s one in New York that we want to target, one in India, and a few in Germany. FR
Heart Of Dance
I think so. With the nature of the script. I mean characters that come across as really genuine, ones in high school movies at least, are the ones that face issues and have things to deal with. It’s not just the generic ‘you only see the person at high school.’ With all the characters we see them at home, we see them in their own environment. I think that helps makes them more real, and make them more genuine. We see, as in any high school there’s the popular mean girl, but we did a nicer and a softer side to her. She does have her own things that she’s struggling with and that’s exposed through the project as well. So For those who want to donate, get investor information, I think that in itself makes the characters more genuine. get involved, or know more about Heart of Dance visit their How far would you go to fulfill But what I think Terry is specifically referring to how he’s website at: http://www.heartofdancemovie.com
someone else’s dream?
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 14
THE VIRTUE OF F E A R Ahmad Issawi
15 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
You’re home alone. It’s night. You’re done with
any work that you’ve dragged home and you’ve got a hankering for a good flick. You get cooking on the snack foods then you A: Watch infomercials and channel surf until you pass out in a pile of crumbs. B: Call whomever you can get to come over (you’re terrified of being home alone). Or C: Grab a movie you think will scare the holy Hell out of you, and have you checking every corner of the house before you go to bed.
The success of the horror genre tells us that you’re not watching any ridiculous infomercials and that even if you do get that friend over, you’re probably still going to end up watching a scary movie. Every so often, when it seems that the screams have fizzled away and scary movies just aren’t entertaining anymore, we get the title that reels the chord back in and gives audiences and fanboys like myself a reason to keep watching.
the
MONSTER MASH
“I never drink... wine.” - Dracula (1931) What most consider as the classic horror films began in the ‘30s, and were quite mainstream thanks to Universal Studios. The classical monsters such as Dracula and Frankenstein were shocking audiences, not because of any blood, gore or even vulgarities. It was their human side that made them so effective. As people were just being
VANCOUVER
introduced to on-screen monsters, it seemed that humanizing them was the way to really get to people. Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula and the Wolfman were really just sad humans underneath. The need for love and companionship is what the plots were all about and though they killed victims on-screen, their human desires kept people watching.
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
However a trend is a trend for a reason and can only continue for so long. Eventually moviegoers will grow immune after the inevitable overexposure that comes with an original idea. The horror industry remained strong for nearly two decades before the ‘50s rolled around and began a more political attempt at fear.
FUTURÉALE | 16
I nvasion of
HOW HORROR GOT ITS GROOVE BACK
the
50- foot Woman f r o m
Planet X Post World War II, terror was beginning to effect audiences differently. People were scared of being attacked at home. An invasion of territory was in and with it came the cheesy effects in horror and the first steps towards scifi films. Some incredibly famous titles popped up every few years, there was a bombardment of alien invasion, and overgrown insect and science gone wrong movies that have easily been forgotten since. While the current remakes of the films that didn’t stink up the silver screen gained more fame, movies like The Fly, War of the Worlds and Invasion of the Body Snatchers were game changers and kept the genre alive in a time when
17 | FUTURÉALE
it was so close to death. Amongst all the aliens, 50-foot women and black lagoon creatures emerged the first 3D movie craze and yes, it all started with horror. House of Wax, starring the iconic Vincent Price, was the second film to be released by a major studio in 3D and proved to be quite the success. While 3D movies today tend to range from action to comedy, people in the 50’s wanted to be scared by the technology first. Thankfully, when the ‘60s rolled in, horror took a serious turn. As the art scene was a major inspiration in North American culture, it had shone through in film and horror was classy again.
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby and The Birds were the mood-setters of the generation and suspenseful dramas were being created as horror films without creatures or monsters. Directors like Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock were creating movies that were well reviewed as well as enjoyed by audiences of all ages. Like the previous decade, there were successful films that differed from the rest: Night of the Living Dead introduced mainstream audiences to the zombie that has become so popular today, and Blood Feast paved the way for the gory films that have been so popular over the past decade. 1970s horror films picked up where the ‘60s left off. The artsy elements of filmmaking remained while many of the ideas were expanded on. ‘70s
|
L i v i n g
horror trends were to take it to the next level and finally start to push the limits as far as they could go. Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, Dawn of the Dead and the most critically acclaimed horror film of all time, The Exorcist were expansions on the ideas of Psycho, Blood Feast, Rosemary’s Baby and Night of the Living Dead. Murderers, zombies and devil worshipers were what people wanted to see in scary movies at the time, and finally horror was successfully branching out into different sub-genres. The ‘70s also introduced the exploitation style film, which was an underground success at the time, basically a low budget film with very explicit occurrences targeting women and/or minorities.
VANCOUVER
RETIRED SLASHERS AND EXHAUSTED SCREAM QUEENS Popular 1980s horror films expanded on what movies like Psycho and Halloween began but combined elements from gore films as well as the classic monster movies. This mash-up of inspirations scared audiences with maniacal icons like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky and Pinhead of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Child’s Play and Hellraiser. The genre had changed to target a wider and younger audience. A trend that began in the late ‘70s of a killer stalking and murdering teenagers had finally taken off and was extremely successful.
Unfortunately the creative masterminds behind it all began to give in to the premature minds of the youth. The ‘80s begun with original stories about infamous killers and when the money came rolling in, filmmakers began to recycle their own material and the material of others to the point where it was over the top, extremely predictable and unintentionally comedic. Irresponsible teenage victims, sex-crazed and curious of strange noises; it was all starting to get old as the genre would repeat itself until halfway through the next decade.
REALITY CHECK
Every so often, a film comes along that redefines its genre and gives audiences a fresh perspective. Horror had seen a few of these with Dracula, Psycho, Halloween and Friday the 13th. Just when critics and movie watchers were about to give up on what seemed to be a tired genre, director Wes Craven gave everyone what they wanted to see. The 1996
VANCOUVER
hit, Scream, was created as a spoof of how predictable and lame slasher movies had become, and had the benefit of also being a scary and unpredictable film. What Scream also kicked off was the use of and focus on modern technology in horror cinema. The movie was a hit and spawned three sequels along with countless knock offs and A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
imitations from new titles like I Know What You Did Last Summer to sequels of older franchises like Halloween H20. Once again, the creative minds had decided to take a break and push out sequels and lackluster ideas that had been done so many times before. Every decade seemed to have select titles that raised the bar, followed by a variety of films that would limbo right beneath that bar until the next big thing came along.
FUTURÉALE | 18
EVIL vs EVIL = even more death 2003 gave horror fanatics what they’d been waiting years to see and the outcome was an enormous success. Freddy vs Jason was the ultimate battle between the two most successful icons in the industry. While both franchises were fairly violent in the first place, this time around there was more blood and guts than ever before. Blood and guts was the most memorable thing about the movie to audiences, and was the next big thing in horror.
‘Torture Porn’ was the name given to the new wave of gory films that followed. The new trend was basically to see as much violence as possible that, to most, wasn’t very scary at all. Along came movies like Hostel, House of 1000 Corpses and SAW that featured brutally gory acts of violence that lasted longer than your average kill in a horror film. With a dose of horror that strong, audiences became immune quick and the gore became a bore.
DEATH is NO JOKE 2009 brought back the vibe that Scream once had, in being scary while still being a parody of the genre, with Drag Me to Hell. A critical and financial success for the horror genre yet the movie was more comedic than its predecessor. Though according to critics and the gross, the most successful modern horror films seem to be the ones that are mostly comedic though stand-alone movies that are of a more serious nature will always exist and do well with the
19 | FUTURÉALE
for sure. You’ll notice the next time you see a horror movie in theatres that isn’t restricted to adults, you’ll probably have some kids sitting in front of you, making fun of every scare as it happens. With all the replicated movies Does this mean that the overexposing audiences to majority of younger audiences every new idea, can you blame are tougher to scare? That’s them? FR fans. The 2012 release of The Cabin in the Woods was a success as well for a movie that was mainly comedic. As for the ever-so-hated yet financially successful remakes, they are not a trend in horror. Horror remakes have been frequent since the 1950s and aren’t likely to stop anytime soon.
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
Who would have thought a silent movie can be produced, directed, and written in today’s society? Who would have a thought a silent movie can be announced as the best film at the Oscars in today’s society?
Spotlight Review Setareh Motevalli
To modern audiences, The Artist was a movie that was never before heard of, or talked about. The Artist explored the issue of sorrow, In an age where novels by Nicolas Sparks are by referencing a silent film actor having to forcefully anticipated movies, and the endless prequels and welcome sound films. It’s a film that brought sequels of superhero films, The Artist surprised uniqueness; because of its pure originality in an era today’s society with its style of a black and white silent that complicated and repeated movie plots rarely film. The Artist is the winner of five Oscars (including makes much sense to its audiences. There have been best film), additionally another hundred and seven many adaptations and remakes, that a matchless awards, with a total of seventy five nominations. movie such as The Artist was a breath of fresh air! The film follows the character George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardon), a silent film actor heading into an era of talkie films. The brilliant movie directed and written by Michel Hazanavicius, follows Valentin’s struggle and acceptance with the struggle of sound movies, and his developing relationship with Peppy Miller (played by Bérénice Bejo), a talkie actress. The Artist focuses on the relationship of Valentin’s declining career as a silent actor and Miller’s growing career as a sound actress. The acting exhibited by Dujardon and Bejo allow the audience to understand their emotions, with their superb facial expressions and physical reactions. In a film where the only sound is dramatic music playing in the background, Dujardon and Bejo did a superb job of allowing viewers to go deep into their thoughts without any voices. The handsome actor and the beautiful actress were able to captivate audiences with the chemistry they developed in the film.
At a time where movie plots are fairly predictable: insert boy and girl here; boy and girl fall in love; boy and girl have a fight; boy and girl try to make things work; boy and girl share a kiss. Or another obvious plot line: there is hero among us; a villain wants to take down the hero; villain manages; hero does not seem able to get up; hero manages and defeats the villain; hero is praised. Hazanavicius’ originality to write and direct The Artist was done with such care with its creative back story and creative plot. By the number of awards, The Artist has truly proven to be an irreplaceable piece in today’s time. The brilliant and witty acting by Bérénice Bejo and Jean Dujardon have led The Artist be the successful and beloved film it has become. FR
This silent black and white styled film endears modern audiences to focus on finer details that many would not care for if this was a sound movie. The actors’ emotions, facial expressions, locations, and background music have brought attention and focus to these aspects that a movie audience wouldn’t have necessary cared for. The Artist allows viewers to feel the music and feelings the actors portray.
VANCOUVER
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
“The Artist has truly proven to be an irreplaceable piece in today’s time. “
|
L i v i n g
FUTURÉALE | 20
credits A NEW BREED OF FUNNY Community images appear courtesy of NBC ©2009 Modern Family images appear courtesy of ABC ©2009 The Big Bang Theory images appear courtesy of CBS ©2007 THE VIRTUE OF FEAR Dracula image appears courtesy of Universal ©1931 Attack of the 50-foot Woman image appears courtesy of Allied Artists International ©1958 Halloween image appears courtesy of Compass International Pictures ©1978 A Nightmare on Elm Street image appears courtesy of New Line ©1984 Scream image appears courtesy of Dimension Films ©1996 The Cabin in the Woods image appears courtesy of Lionsgate ©2011
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW The Artist image appears courtesy of Warner Bros. ©2011 COVER STORY Photo: Zoey Stills www.zoeystills.com Stylist: Jill Lansky Assistant Stylist: Ella Johnstone Key Hair and Makeup: Melissa Ward Make Up Artist: Heather Earney Dress: Alfred Angelo $410 www.isabellesbridal.com Earrings: Forever 21 $6.80 Necklace: Twinset grey(worn as bracelet) $95 Bracelets: Crystal Jewelry black rhinestone bracelet $50, Crystal Jewelry woven crystal bracelet $95, Lolo silver bangles (clear and blue stones) $185 each Rings: Lolo black Swarovski crystal ring $175, Monteiro Designs silver ring $195
Photographer: Andrea Bruns Dress: Alfred Angelo $270 www.isabellesbridal.com, Earrings: Forever 21 $6.80, Shoes: Bloch Sonata Point Shoes in Black $82 Photographer: Andrea Bruns Dress: Alfred Angelo $410 www.isabellesbridal.com, Earrings: Forever 21 $6.80, Necklace: Twinset grey(worn as bracelet) $95, Bracelets: Crystal Jewelry black rhinestone bracelet $50, Crystal Jewelry woven crystal bracelet $95, Lolo silver bangles (clear and blue stones), $185 each Rings: Lolo black Swarovski crystal ring, $175, Monteiro Designs silver ring, $195 Photographer: Stacey Schmidt Photographer: Dave Delvecchio
FUTURÉALE Vancouver
21 | FUTURÉALE
A rts
|
Cu lt u re
|
L i v i n g
VANCOUVER
F
U
T
U
R
É
A
L
E
.
c
o
m
FUTURÉALE Arts | Culture | Living
$9.99 CAD/$8.99 USD