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the Racquette
Arts & Entertainment
Feb. 26, 2016
Review: “Amy” Exposes and Entertains Rebecca Augustine Staff Writer
Amy Winehouse is a controversial character in our culture. She abused alcohol, which ended up being the cause of her ultimate demise. She also suffered from bulimia for a long time period, and at one point was addicted to heroin. In the movie “Amy,” we follow the course of Winehouse’s life through video recordings and narrations by family, friends, and even Amy herself. Winehouse was portrayed as smiley and happy in the beginning of the movie. People wanted to be around her. She made other people feel special. Slowly throughout the movie, though, her relationships started to get strained, and she got thinner and thinner. She was no longer the sharp young girl she once had been. Winehouse’s talent was apparent from a young age. She closely followed idols like Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Tony Bennett. When she started writing music, it was because she didn’t feel like the music that was being produced really expressed how she felt about things. One debatable topic of Winehouse’s life is whether or not our culture was fascinated by her music because of the addictive life she led. There were other blues singers that led a similar lifestyles. For instance, blues idol Billie Holiday went through a similar abusive relationship with men and drugs. What made Amy’s music so interesting for listeners is that her lyrics were not the most relatable,
including songs like “Stronger Than Me” or “Back to Black,” both of which come up in the film through live footage of her performing them and growing as an artist. “Stronger Than Me” is interesting because it projects both female and male stereotypes. Meanwhile, “Back to Black” encourages unhealthy relationships with romantic partners, as well as drug use. These are the types of topics she would write about. At some point in the film it seemed that she was convinced that this was the genius of her music.
Jokes were made by comedians at Winehouse’s expense. Money was made at her expense, too. The paparazzi culture was abusive to her. People have to make a living, right? A second topic of controversy is the film’s depiction of celebrity and paparazzi culture. Disregarding the things Amy did and the way that she behaved, there is a subtle statement in the way that her fame and fortune are shown. Videos of her are shown,
ranging from home videos from her peers to videos other people and the paparazzi have taken of her; some with permission, some without. The movie also showed videos from talk shows, stand-up and late-night shows. Jokes were made by comedians at Winehouse’s expense. Money was made at her expense, too. The paparazzi culture was abusive to her. People have to make a living, right? Overall, “Amy” was well done, but not without some problems. One issue was that they elected to show short clips of songs as opposed to the full versions. By showing short clips, however, the director was attempting to keep the audience’s attention on the story itself. The director didn’t want the movie to drag. Another issue with this style of biographical movie is that sometimes someone would be talking, but they wouldn’t show the person’s face. Instead, they would show pictures or a different scene. Then again, it’s probably a style of making biographical pieces. The use of actual footage from Winehouse’s life was impressive, and everything fit into a storyflowing sequence, which feels like a rare circumstance. It is all too common to see an actor depicting another person in a biographical movie about that person, which creates the problem of the audience being aware that it is just a interpretation of the actual person. In “Amy,” the audience sees the real person, which is a very powerful choice.
Upcoming Events Friday, Feb. 26: Jazz Ensemble Snell Theater, 7:30 P.M. Friday, Feb. 26: Friday Night Movie screening: “Spectre” Union Dining Court, 9:00 P.M. Sunday, Feb. 28: Dance Ensemble Mixer PAC Lobby, 2:00 P.M.
Roxy Theater: Feb. 26 - March 3 Gods of Egypt (2D) (127min) 6:50 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 3:00
PG-13
Gods of Egypt in 3D (127min) 9:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30
PG-13
Deadpool (108min) 7:00, 9:20 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00
R
How to Be Single (110min) 7:00, 9:20 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30 No 7:00 Show Mon 2/29
R
Risen (108min) 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00
PG-13
Kung Fu Panda 3 2D (95min) 7:00 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00
PG
Dirty Grandpa (102min) 9:00 Nightly Matinees Sat 3:00
R
CINEMA 10 Presentation: Mustang (137min) Mon 2/29 7:15 pm
PG-13
Creative Writing
Recipe for the Girl in the back Anonymous
Inside the house there is smoke, but no flame. It floats like a haze over heads, all dyed the same color by the slippery dark. Words in the shadows slither like snakes over her skin. Thrilling her with ripples of fear, chilling her with their writhing intent. And he, that specific he, isn’t looking at her. Her eyes are blue like water. Inside the house there is there is a beat, but no drum. It crawls out from the trembling stereo on it’s hands and knees, dragging, drawn out, a carnal kind of slow. She can feel it in her bones, in the bouncing floorboards beneath her feet, she can feel it almost as acutely as she can feel that his eyes are not on her. Her skin is smooth as weathered as a river stone. Inside the house there is salt, but no tears. There is no time
for tears here. Only the stinging salt of sweat. She can smell it on the drawstring sacks of skin and bone around her, laced with other forbidden forms of salts she wants to get to know. He isn’t looking at her. He still isn’t looking at her. Her moves are slow and sensual as the sway of seaweed. Inside the house there is filth, but no dirt. The filth is beneath her fingernails as she drags them along the solitude of the wall, back pressed firm to the wood. There is filth in the secret smiles of the dancers, their eyelids heavy and low, drunken on one thing or another. There is filth in her mind when she looks at him not looking at her. The filth that creeps and sinks into her core, pouring daring, yearning and fear into her blood. Inside the house there is smoke, and beat, and salt and filth. Just add water and she’ll flow like the undertow that runs smooth and cuts sharp.
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The Car Rebecca Augustine
It makes me satisfied to know That I was the car The car That made you to turn your headlights on When it’s that time Just before dusk Almost too bright out to tell And I with my superior intuition And headlight-brightness ratio judgment Decided to take the initiative Saw opportunity and grasped it Head-first All in, no looking back Twisted the side-bar knob forward With my headlights on, I knew, I was doing the Right thing. And you With your Indecisive tendencies Your peers probably got you strung out on They think you follow all the rules Not this time You’ve got your head in the clouds But not too much Because you’re driving But as I pass by you Your attention redirects to the Dimming, setting And almost instinctively You flick your headlights on
It makes me satisfied to know That I was the car The car that made you to turn your headlights on When it’s that time period Just before dusk Almost too bright out to tell And I With my superior intuition And headlight-brightness ratio judgment Decided to take the initiative Saw opportunity and grasped it Head-first All in, no looking back Twisted the side-bar knob forward With my headlights on, I knew, I was doing the Right thing. And you, with your Indecisive tendencies Your peers probably got you strung out on They think you follow all the rules Not this time You’ve got your head in the clouds But not too much Because you’re driving But as I pass by you Your attention redirects to the Dimming, Setting And almost instinctively You flick your headlights on