Poem: These Are the Times

by Alex M.

These are the times that try a man’s soul
The threads of life, they constantly pull
As time goes on people change
And the ways of old seem so strange
To where will people go?
Only life does know
Some are destined to be great
Some, to die is their fate
Some, to do what they are given
Others go for what they are striven
We are all God’s children
Still, we fight with our brethren
Although violence is not the way
Sadly, many say it is okay
Still, others fight for their rights
For many days and many nights
Thus we must become united as one
But it will be long before that is done
So, until our “leaders” come to their senses
We are all stuck within our home fences.

Poem: Why Me?

by Alex M.

Why me?
Why was I put on Earth?
Why am I human?
Why do people consider me special to them?
Why was I created?
What purpose do I have in life?
Do I have any?
Why am I so smart?
Why am I so bitter with my life, but at the same time enjoy it?
Why do people judge me by my looks?
Why do I judge myself by my looks?
Why do I ask such questions?!
Why me?

Poem: Don't You See

by Korey

There you are, always in my thoughts,
the one that I adore and love.
You once were mine, but no longer,
Could've stayed with me forever.
Time faded, as did our bond,
stripped away, we're not together.
But dont you see, or feel, or know
of the feelings i still have of you?
I cant hate you, its not in me .
I guess we werent meant to be.
So now you see, why my love is eternal-ly
flowing out in desperation.
Hoping someone, anyone will
notice me, need me...love me....

Poem: Illusion

by Yatzi G.

It happened to me once

And I have fallen again twice

The first time it happened it ended really crappy

And the second time I thought would have made me happy

I deceived myself more than once into an illusion

And there is no confusion

I thought at first “what the heck I’ll give it a try!”

And soon enough it ended with a heart broken and goodbye

It wasn’t all that bad, but I felt stupid

For I had fallen for that dumb game of cupid’s

It took me awhile

But soon returned my smile

For I had found something to lean on

Something that was never gone

A friend

Who apparently without noticing helped me mend

He was special, different, and extremely unique

And I can’t believe he was once a geek!

I got to know him and soon

I was the arm that he was leaning on

And as he did for me, I was never gone

We would talk for hours

And he once did give me a flower

I didn’t know what was going on

And I didn’t notice how stupid I was

For he and his actions were my flaws

Soon when I would see him it wasn’t the same

For again I had fallen in cupid’s stupid game

I was happy

And maybe sometimes quite snappy

But he didn’t care I was the awesomest person he had ever known

And that he told me on the phone

But then one day

He went another way

He wanted something else

That was not me

And that was the end of my love for he

I do not know what will happen

But he will be my friend no matter what

But I do promise to be the arm he leans on

And promise I will never be gone

So this was my illusion

And maybe staying friends might be the conclusion

Poem: One Day With You

by Jose D.

One Day With You

Will be the worst day of my life

and the happiest to remember

One Day With You

Will make all well

One Day with you

My wounds go well

One Day with you

my heart is full

One Day with you

My mind is sane

Once that day is over

It's back to pain

Where my wounds will swell

my heart will stop

my mind loses sanity

When the day is over

I'll await the next one

Poem: Friends

by Jahcinda  

Friends are there when you need them
Friends are like flowers
You can never have an enough of friends
Friends support when you try something new
Friends are forever

Poem: Annapolis

by Abby R.

Traffic. It is the first thing you encounter upon arriving in Annapolis. If you are fortunate, you may happen to spot a parking space among the crowded cobblestone streets. If not, you’ll eventually end up in a dimly lit parking garage searching for an unclaimed space.. Once parked, you emerge in the bright sun, anticipation coiling in your stomach as you make your way downtown. People of various ethnic backgrounds engulf the narrow sidewalks, and seagulls can be heard screeching overhead, keeping a sharp eye out for anything resembling food. Delicious smells waft from the doorways of numerous cafés and bakeries, filling you with a desire to sample their wares. If you should venture down a side street, you will surely encounter all manner of charming little houses. These quaint abodes sport brightly painted walls dripping with ivy, and the varied architecture is truly a marvel. Upon leaving this charming place, you will be filled with a desire to return.

Poem: Peace

by Alex M.

What is peace you ask?
Well, answering that is no simple task
It could be a calm and gentle breeze
That feels cool but does not freeze
This breeze would be fresh and free
Like the air in Big Sky Country
Or the sounds of Music in the air
Such as Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer”
How about taking a bath that is hot
In a Jacuzzi where all your worries are turned to naught?
Or maybe a wonderful sight
Of seeing a starry sky at night
Peace can be described in more than one way
Whatever you prefer hey, that’s okay!

Poem: O Wonderful Rain

by Dontavien M.


O wonderful rain,
As you fall from above , the
sun changes the blue sky.

I was leaving town,
going to Maryland to
see my family.

I see my mother,
tending to the big garden.
She picks roses.

Crazy little dog,
how energetic but, you
are my dog Sassy.

Poem: An Autumn Stroll

by Abby R.

A fall day such as this is rare
For as I walk I hear the sound
Of crisp leaves skittering across the ground
This mischievous autumn air
Entwines its fingers in my hair
Vibrant hues are all around
And cool refreshing scents abound
As I walk this trail without a care
Brittle trees whisper their woes
Small rodents scurry about
The Indian summer sun beats down
The chill air nips at my nose
As I continue this solitary route
I soak up these sights, and head back to town

Poem: L.O.V.E

by Dontavien M.

Love is ever-spreading like
a flower in a garden.
Over-powering like a god’s
strength, love can change anyone.
Very filling like stores in a
mall, love can fill any heart.
Everlasting just like time
true love will never end.

Poem

by Kate

While looking back on life,
You realize all of the mistakes
Things that should have been said,
But they weren't
Places that should have been visited,
But were forgotten about
Things that should have been kept,
But you threw away
You realize you should have
stopped and smelled the flowers
To bask in the sunlight,
To enjoy your book,
To really eat your lunch.
But you rushed.
To places that you forgot
about.
To meet people that you don't
remember.
To look at something you didn't
like.
You found funerals a burden,
and crying babies a pain
You ate things that you didn't
want.
You bought a priceless collection,
that you hated.
But you forgot.
You forgot what a good
song sounds like.
You forgot what it felt like
to hold a child.
You forgot what it feels like
to really cry.
You forgot how to love.
Things that should have been
most important, weren't.
The emotions that should have been
there, weren't.
And you forgot about me.
So I was gone.
How could you forget to
love me?

Poem: I'm Sorry

by Kate

I can't love you,
the way you love me,
and
I can't look at you,
the way you look at me
I don't know why I
can't love you, I just
can't.
I'm sorry.

Poem: WHO, WHAT, WHY AM I?

by Dontavien M.
 
Why was I born?
What is the reason for my life?
I know that God had no part in making me, but who did?
I’m a demon.
All I do is cause pain and suffering no matter where I go.
Why would anyone love me if I don’t love myself?
Why am I alive if I deserve to die?
I know only one way to stop the fights that I cause.
Since I was born into darkness and my spirit is darkness, I shall die and plunge my soul into internal darkness soon and that will stop the fights and bring the money.
Heaven I’ll never see.
Hell I’ll never feel.
Nowhere will accept me and no one should.
That is what I know of me, so if my own parents don’t love me—
can you tell me
Who, what, why I am?

Poem: Ode to Nature

by Kate
 
Tulips in a field
Purple, blue and yellow shades
Dotting the green grass.
 
Dark rain drops falling,
From the huge and dark night sky.
The smell of old rain.
 
Undisturbed clearing,
Trees that go on forever.
Solitude of woods.

Poem: I WANTED TO BE...

by Dontavien M.
 
 I wanted to be MVP
but she wouldn’t be my coach
 
I wanted to be the fire
but she wouldn’t let me burn.
 
I wanted to be the Big Kahuna
and surf the biggest wave
but she wouldn’t be the wind
to make the ocean shake.
 
I wanted to learn everything
but she wouldn’t be my teacher.
 
I wanted to be a rock star
but she refused to be my band.
 
I wanted to be a gardner
tending to the best flowers
but she refused to be my
bulb blossoming into a rose.
 
I wanted to be her man
always loving and supporting
but she wouldn’t settle down
so I have to move on.

Poem: Miss You

by Kate
 
I cried when you left
I was upset when you died
I went to your funeral, but
It wasn’t the same without you
 
We miss you,
I miss you.
 
I always will,
Never will I forget,
Who you were,
And are
 
I miss you.

Poem: Acrostic Poem

by Nichelle
 
Loyal- Always stay true to each other and never lie.
 
Original- Make up your own way to show how much you love and care for each other.
 
Valuable- Cherish what you have with your partner and never let it go.
 
Equal- Always make sure that you and your partner want the same things in life.

Poem: Unknown

by Akeem
 
what am I?
I am told that I don't belong
what am I ?
an outcast tossed to and fro?
what am I?
as I search the rest of me mentally and physically
what am I?
how do I fit onto the checker board of God and the devil
awaiting my turn to be played and checkmated
what am I ?
a ticking time bomb harm and destruction
what am I?
I can't seem to figure it out
what am I?
hmm I don't know...but I have something
to say
what am I....I don't know the answer still.....
unknown

Poem: Taxi

by Tristan
 
Keep the painting up; no need to take it
 down. Yes, leave it. The way it was before, don't
change it, can't change it, don't like it that way.
 It's good the way it was; no, leave it, leave it.
 I'll fix it later. Bring her in here? When it's finished.
Not too soon. Hurry, she'll be here, must be ready.
 Waited too long for this, can't wait any longer, must be ready, must have it finished. The way
she wanted it. God, so tired, so tired, but no
time today or any tomorrow, she'll be here then and
 it'll be just the way it was before and she won't
have changed at all, I promise, not changed at all.
She's coming back today, did you know that? I
told you, I know, I know, can't stop thinking about it.

 You know that. Sorry. No, no, move that table over
 here, and it needs something to go on it-bring mom's
 vase down from the attic, I'll go cut some flowers.
Don't forget the water. Water for the
 flowers. She doesn't like her bed by the window. Doesn't
like the sun in her face like that anymore. She used to
sleep under the window-she liked it to wake her up

 in the morning, but I guess the sun is colder in
 the city, and it moves too fast. She needs to slow down.
That's why she's coming back. She doesn't want to remember
 the city. She wants to forget about being away, and I'm glad
 of it, glad she's back. Was afraid I'd lost her, isn't that silly? Stupid
 of me. Nothing will have changed, we'll be kids again, I promise.
Then you can stop by and visit, after she's back in her old room,
and we can sit out on the porch, all of us. Mom will be there too,
 the way she always was. And nothing will have changed. The house
won't be empty anymore.
Not that vase! The other one, the
 one with the flowers on them, I forget what they're called. I don't think they're real
flowers anyway, one of us painted them on the vase in school. They're just flowers, and
Mom kept the vase. I don't know why, I would have thrown it out if
someone gave it to me. Always hated that vase,
 hated it, oh, maybe we shouldn't bring it out after all. Why
 would anyone want that in their room? She'll hate it. No, it'll do.
 Don't have a choice. Maybe she won't
notice. Here, I've cut some roses from the trellis, do you think she'll like
 them? I think she will. No, I know she will. There weren't any flowers
 in the city. She'll have missed
them. She won't
 have changed a bit,
 I know it.
 I know it.
There's the taxi.

Poem: My Heart

by Akeem

The heart is a house for many things
sometimes it overworks to take life all in
the choices we make affect it in a good or bad way
to heck with it all I say
sometimes I wish I could just go away or
maybe disappear to make my heart better
oh how I long for the day when the repair man
tapes my heart together again when
and maybe I will come to a happy end

Poem: The Green Sea

by Kate

The whipping of the wind
Hurts my ears as I fly
To the other side of the
Green sea.
 
Whack, I’ve come crashing
In cold.
 
The green sea comes in
Like pins and needles.
 
 Then I’m flying again.
 
The waves are moving fast under me,
Rushing to the expected
Landing place.
 
I’m floating on the waves,
Those waves of the
Green sea.
 
The waves love me,
And I fly into the
Shore.
 
They jump high and roar,
And
I am forgotten.

Poem: Squirrel's Tail

by J

1 Leaps and bounds from branch to branch,
2 follows the body in zigzags, figure eights, skips.
3 Sticks like glue,
4 relentless to lug or tug.
5 Becomes munificent with each passing day.
6 A pesky, perturbing object.
7 Growing…
8 Then, shedding its mass of unwieldy locks:
9 Glancing back
10 Nothing!?
11 Shaking, shivering without it:
12 Pests, we cannot live without.

Poem: What Is a Friend?

by Nichelle
  
What is a friend?
Is he/she the kind of person you can
trust
use
abuse
talk to whenever you feel like it
What is a friend
Is it someone that treats you like
dirt
trash
nothing
loved
caring
Who really knows what friends are?

Poem: A Love Lost

by Sherry

I write of a love, lost to me forever
Loneliness consumes me I miss his touch
I long for his embrace, his hugs
His love. Such a small fee to keep me breathing.
Because inside I'm dying without him
Heartache, my only companion, closest friend
I only pay that the pain will end
Hold these feelings where no mortal can see
But the gods know how the pain kills me.

Poem: Girl in the Art Museum

by Tristan
  
she is the outofeye
inhabitant of
His surroundings,
   the unseen sleight of hand
  of the Statues against the window,
       outlined by the washed-out afternoon.
the escalator
 will carry him
             Under
          with moneymetalhands
   if he does not look away.
the ill-made god coughs 
with sterile electricity,
waiting.
Her meetmyeyes
made him fear the Statues.

Poem: Silence

by Matthew K.
 
It always is created
It always is destroyed
It lives through time and space
Searching for a home
Its cunningness is fitting
Its followers in awe
For all who are with it
Will never stand or fall
All who try to fight
Will always be consumed
And fear driven in their hearts
For all who wish to see
It is a soldier of the darkness
Always standing his ground
For if he fails... all will fail
A destruction for all eternity
Is what is in store for all

Poem: Man

by Kate
 
he wanted to be
an action movie,
but she wouldn’t
be his camera crew.
 
he wanted to be a football team
and shine in the super bowl,
but she wouldn’t
be his stadium.
 
he wanted to be a power saw,
made of steel,
but she wouldn’t
be his wood.
 
he wanted to be
loved,
but she wasn’t
up to the challenge.
 
he needed her,
but she needed to
be a book,
so he tore out her
pages,
and threw them away.

Poem: Darkness

by Matthew K.
 
It never was created
It can never be destroyed
It drains the very souls of men
And uses up their strength
It has never lost a battle
It has never had to fight
For all who see or hear it are fallen and stricken with fear
Some have stood against it
But they only utterly fail
Because you can't hope to win against smoking mist
It consumes all who fight
And kills all that don't
The space and time of others
Is where it needs to survive
Light has been its enemy
But darkness always wins
For none can stand to fight
Against nothing... but death
All you can do is delay
Your own destruction
Because darkness has the souls of man
And shall never be left alone
We have brought this upon ourselves no one but us
But everything has consequences
And I guess this is one
Only a miracle can save us
From our own demise
But that's what men are for
The home and lair of evil
The darkness and soul combine
Wiping everything out
The heroes in this world today
Are nothing but a shadow
For they have souls of shadow
But what are we to learn

Poem: How Many Times

by Akeem
  
how many times has a heart felt sadness
how many more can it be broken
how many times can i move it for u
how many times must honor and trust be shattered
how many times have i smelled that unfamiliar scent
how many times ..........
how many times ..........

Poem: To My Romantic Boyfriend

by Sherry

Every day I cried because you didn't love me
It made me sad
I wanted just to tell you how I felt
But I was so weak
 And now, I smile every day because you are my boyfriend
You make me so happy
I just want to show you how much I care
You have made me strong
 And now I don't want you to go or for this to end
I cant promise forever...But I wish I could
Because I love you...

Poem: School is a Drag

by Alex M.

School is such a drag
Sometimes I wish I could throw it away like an old beat up rag
People get up at or before dawn
No wonder so many of them have to yawn!

With 7 different long classes to study

At the end of the day our brains feel like putty

When it comes to attendance, one second late

And it’s hours of detention for ya, mate!

Teachers either know what they’re doing, or they don’t

Teachers either give students help, or because they’re mean they won’t

Some of the things we are taught

Seem to be all for naught

We take notes galore

When we think that’s enough for now, teachers give us ten times more!

Tests and quizzes never give us a break

We finish some today, but tomorrow we have more to take!

The work students do is a pain

The homework load is insane!

Yes, school is a drag; I know

But without it what direction would our lives go?

Poem: The Whale

by Tristan

I am the
undertow,
the current under me.
I plug my nose against
the water,
the womb water,
the cement-mixing water,
sinking into
me.
I hug my knees
against the
sunshine noise:
The sacred is reduced
to stage fright
and
water-logged newspapers,
washed up on the curb.

Poem: The Change

by Sherry
 
Winter time-A season where things lie dormant
A time where most things die
During these cold months my heart died and I lost myself
 
Spring time-A season where things come to life and prosper
A time where most things heal and grow
By this time, I'll smile and be happy or need anybody
But until then, you will be in my thoughts
And I will hate you for it...

Poem: Love Goes Wrong

by Kayla

How can I dare to look at you?
I am ashamed.
How many times I said I love you,
and you just blew me away.
You always say that you won't play games.
But you continue to play.
You say you'll be there forever.
But you continue to leave.
It hurts so much that I no longer can breath.
Now I'm going to do something you wont ever believe.
You mean the world to me but what am I to you.
Nuttin thats why this must be.
Here it comes.
I will do it and everything will be gone.
But why should I do this for someone like you.
I will not take this no more from this fool.
Let me find him.
Here it goes this is it.
He is gone and now I'm free.
Why did it have to be like this?
I loved him but I was wrong for that.
So this was my story,
and he won't be back.

Poem: The Waterfountain Woman

by Tristan
  
I got the broken woman,
The one-armed hunchback,
Along with her immortal thirst
Hanging above the fountain,
The water frozen in St. Louis Arch
Just the way he carved it. No one ever told me
If she was broken in the carving
Or in the shuffle of cardboard boxes:
Den to cellar to attic across winters.
She pulls her shawl closer
With her good hand.
Another woman is under glass,
Somewhere,
My grandfather's elegy,
With both arms bracing her corn husk form
As she stoops for a drink of water.
But I got the broken woman.

Poem: The World Held Back!

by Coral
  
T   hen with all the chains of metal holding me back
O  ld sayings comfort my soulB elieved to be the angels calling with a song
E nhancing their voices of truth
F reeing their minds from harm
R elaxing every muscle strained from when
working for the devil
E ven changing the views of never flying and
hoping gravity doesn't destroy my dream
E nabling the forces of good to power
my life everyday.
I am free!

Poem: Your Loss, My Gain

by Sherry
  
As I sink my pearly white fangs
into your soft neck a wave of
crimson red fills my mouth
It gives me life as it is taken from you
This blissful experience fills me with love
You aren't just another victim to me now
Oh no... I LOVE you
I've waited so long for this
I hear your every thought and see
your life flash before your big blue eyes
As your body grows limp your heart slows
and I force myself to leave your beautiful body
Then, I begin to search for my next victim.

Poem: Forgotten

by Kate
  
Your memory fades,
I am lost
In a sea of your life
I am sailing with people I never knew.Fragments of me come back,
My eyes, my hair,
My favorite sweater.
While you sit alone in your office,
You see me on a park bench
In your memory.
You search for my identity,
but nothing is found.
I am forgotten.

Poem: 12:14 Digital

by Tristan
  
Horns, jostling arms--move them along
No machetes made for concrete jungles.
Guitar riff! Ringtone. "Y'ellow?" Silence.
Sewer steam rises from the city street
Discordance of the cigarette men.

Poem: Shackled to the Darkness

by Fiona

Can you read my weakened mind?
Can you feel all of my emotions?

Do you see the shackles that bind
Me to my inevitable destiny?

Can you see right through me?
Do you hear my thoughts?

Have you listened to my plea
For a rescue from the dark?

Do you watch me from afar?
And is it possible that you know
How I wish on each bright star?
Can you know for what I wish?

I am wishing for something true:
Two true hearts, one true love.

It could be me; can it be you?
Are you my rescue from the dark?

With one touch my body trembles,
I shiver like a tiny, frightened child.

Can you unlock these chafing shackles?
Can you read my unloved mind?

Poem: The Rocky Mountains

by Alex M.

The Rocky Mountains are the best place to be
Because they have great scenery
With woodlands and bodies of water full of peace
And towns with noise to cease
Beautiful blue skies
Full of “I wonder whys”
Lots of greens and life in the summer
In the winter snowy white cold and number
Clear water to drink in Glacier Park
From refreshing spring water that is not dark
Yes it’s true there are other places to be
But the Rocky Mountains are the right place for me.

Poem: I Run

by Fiona
  
Rain courses down my face,
My hair is plastered to my cheeks,
And still, I run.
 
Slanted sheets of raindrops
Fill my already full eyes.
And still, I run.
 
I am blinded by the torrents,
My chest burns, I'm out of breath.
And still, I run.
 
Leg muscles cramp as my feet
pound the slippery pavement.
And still, I run.
 
Feet pounding on the wet asphalt,
Blood pounding in my drowning ears,
And still, I run.
 
I've fallen once; it won't happen again:
This time I'll only trust my feet
And keep running.
 
I think I've lost my way home
Then I remember I was thrown out.
And so, I run.
 
Someone new is in my place;
I'm just a discarded toy.
And so, I run.
 
Darkness is closing in upon me.
Outrunning it is my only hope.
And so, I run.
 
I run from my past and past mistakes,
I run from his name and empty promises.
I run from his laugh and warm embrace,
I run in the downpour to my future.
 
I run.

Poem: Under the Cotton Candy Clouds

by Fiona
 
Lying quietly on my back,
I gaze wonderingly at the sky,
And watch white cotton candy clouds
As they glide silently by.
 
That day’s beautiful blue bird sky,
Silky soft clouds I reach out to touch,
So much unlike the dark gray norm
With black stinging raindrops and such.
 
As much as I long for that day to last,
Life still goes on under a peaceful sky.
Wars are still fought, many are killed,
Mothers give birth, and people still cry.
 
So for one afternoon I’ll just sit and stare
At the cotton candy clouds that float in the air.

Poem: Don't be Stereotypical

by Hayley
 
they call her cinderella
she's hiding her secret life
deep inside
she cries and cries
cinderella cinderella
tell me your secret life
 
she tells them no
she begs them please
she's on her knees
just let her be
 
but cinderella
we all know that you don't cry
she simply smiles and says
that's all one big lie <3

Poem: The Beginning

by Alex M.
 
Tis the end
My good friend
It is sad to say
You’re going away
Leaving a life behind
Stuck in the back of your mind
Soon to be memories of long ago
As thru life you constantly flow
But you should go
Because you know
That at the end of any corridor
There is a door that leads to more
So it is not really the end;
It is more of a beginning my friend.

Poem: Midnight Sorrow

by Fiona
 
I have no pen with which to write
My ink has all run dry
The broken tips of my pencils
Lie scattered about me as I cry
 
Whiteout cannot cover up my pain
My erasers cannot expunge the past
Glue cannot hold together
The memories I am losing fast
 
Exposed on the pages in between
Past mistakes like black on white
The past I tried to leave behind
For a future then so bright
 
Shadow followed my every move
Time has taken its weighty toll
‘There is no hope,’ my heart sighed
As my tears fell through its gaping hole
 
I have no pen with which to write
My ink has all run dry
The broken tips of my pencils
Lie scattered about me as I cry

Poem: Disillusioned

by Fiona
 
Reality is a dimension,
The door is locked and there is no key.
I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen,
Beautiful eyes can deceive.
 
Abstract thought becomes appealing,
Lost in your mind, miles away.
Your feelings float, but your head is reeling,
In time with Love’s music you sway.
 
Space looks different when you’re cold,
The stars seem to laugh as you go by.
Here’s my hand, of it grab hold,
As time goes passing slowly by.
 
The words are there, but not the song.
The want is there, but not the need.
I was right and you were wrong,
So give me your hand, let me lead.
 
Gravity always takes its toll;
You crashed through Reality’s ceiling.
In time you’ll heal and be more than whole,
We’ll live through the thunder you’re feeling.
 
Your spirit is free, though now a bit cold,
Swallow your pride and never sigh.
Life goes on or so I’m told,
In time we both shall learn to fly.

Poem: Early Morning Magic

by Fiona

Light, but the shadows still creep,
Unhindered by the mist's gentle sleep.
Dew-laden leaves catch the sun’s ray,
Reflecting the rainbow every which way.
Tinkly music wafts up to the sky,
Clear, yet faint, each note floating by.
For that one morn, I list the ways,
Earth visited those fairy kingdom days.

Poem: Night in the Woods

by Fiona

Dark. Very dark. No moon, no flashlight.
Ouch! What was that? Keep moving.
Left foot, front. Then right. Keep moving
I better keep my hands out in front of me.
 What made that noise? Keep moving.
It's right foot, left foot. Keep moving.
I didn't think that it would take this long to get home.
Eww! That was really slimy. Keep moving.
 It's left foot, right foot. Keep moving.
Am I ever going to get home? Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving.

Poem: Time, Sweet Time

by Fiona

Time goes 'round in circles.
tick, tock, tick tock, tick, tock. Time makes
 the days and the hours tick tock, it even makes the tick
 tock months and years. It plays upon the silly tick tock
 faces, of many many different tick tock clocks. Or
they make the noise tick tock cuckoo! Many
 times I've tried to tick tock make time
stop. What if time decided
 to take a tick tock
 time out?
tick
I ask you, what
 would tick tock happen?
The tick tock world would stop
tick tock turning, the whole sun would
 tick tock freeze, and your tick tock hat wouldn't
be carried off on the tick tock breeze! Tick tock
alarms would never go beepbeepbeep. You could
finish a tick tock book, and never be tick tock late.
Whatever tick tock time you wanted, that's
the tick tock time it was.
Sigh. Oh well. It'll never tick tock happen. tick, tock, tick, tock...

Poem: Secret Crush

by Nichelle
 
Library
This is where I first met him
This is where my feelings started
We got hired here together
 
Library
When I first saw you
I thought you were older then 16
Where I first saw you
I thought you were nice and cute
 
Outside the Library
He’s funny and understanding
He lets nobody bring him down
His articles in the newspaper
It’s like you're living his life
 
Outside the Library
At football games for marching band
I’m always happy to see you
 
At the Library or outside of it
We hardly talk anymore
All we say is “Hi!”

Poem: These Are the Times [2]

by Alex M.
 
These are the times that try a man’s soul
The threads of life, they constantly pull
People ponder and question what to do
But the ideas are as vast as the sky is blue
To where will people go?
Only life does know
Some are destined to be great
Some, to die is their fate
Some, to do what they are given
Others go for what they are striven
But as we ponder our life years down the road
We can’t help but question the state of today’s world
We are at war in a land
That doesn’t want a helping hand
Human population continues to rise
Will we still have room for its increasing size?
And what about the future in jobs
Will people be laid off by the gobs?
With all these thoughts, questions, and worries we carry
We all must keep in mind to try and be merry
Relax and cut those tensions with a knife
And remember all the joys in your life
For, everything should be taken with consideration
But how could anyone live without moderation?

Poem: As Time Goes By

by Fiona
O to be a young beauty, full of bliss,
Not aware that things can be, and are, amiss.
Too soon will she know, again and again,
That the world is full to the brim of sorrow and pain.
Too soon will her beauty vanish with age,
As her sweet life keeps on turning the page.
Too soon will her once pretty face,
Turn wrinkly and yellow, like once beautiful lace.
Too soon she too will look back on her life,
And sigh over all of the sorrow and strife.
And then, as her days are almost run through,
She will think of that young beauty's life too.

Poem: Any Other Day

by Devin

On any other day
the covers would be pulled to my chin
and I would sleep the sun away
On any other day
my tears would flow from my cheeks
Niagra Falls with pools so deep
and I would cry my dreams away.
On any other day
the rain would fall steadfast,
pounding fists of the dead and dreary.
On any other day
the sky is dark.
I've seen the dim and dreary
tasted the decadence of the weak and weary
I've danced the storms impending fury
and stripped the leaves of love life's journey.
With every coming song I sang
I danced the dismal night away.
And with this silent tune I hum
I wait for the sun to play along. 

Poem: Sometimes

by Devin

Sometimes I wish you would smile,
when I am happy,
when I am strong
Sometimes I wish your hands would lift me farther when I am soaring
Sometimes I wish you wouldn't notice my flaws
It would be nice,
to have the sun sparkle on my accomplishments
and stars smiles at my every delight.
Sometimes, when I am down
It would be nice to let the shades of the willow tree
hide my shame from all to see
Sometimes I wish you'd notice
my tears like the raindrops on swollen window panes
Sometimes I wish you'd be proud of me
When I am smiling
When I am laughing
When I am glowing
When I am happy.
And sometimes I dream
that you're blind to the shadows on the other side of me.

Poem: Darkness

by Alex M.
 
There is a darkness inside
That I constantly try to hide
It tries to keep me from my life
And puts me in a constant strife
It says I am not worthy
And all my companions will desert me
It blinds my sight
Which is wrong or which is right?
I try to disregard but my self esteem is so poor
That it bites like a deadly viper and stings to the core
Thoughts clawing and scraping in my head
My mind and spirit they constantly shred
Family and friends continue to console and continue to help
Yet, I continue to beat myself as one beats an ungrateful little whelp
I lie in bed and yell at myself “Shut up!”
“Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get up!”
Then other voices join in and chime “How can you be so selfish?!”
And over and over again these thoughts continue to swish
I am so tired of this and wish it were done
But sadly it has only begun
I need to understand that I am only eighteen,
And what lies ahead in my life has yet to be seen.

Poem: Lonesome Cries Upon My Tears

by Devin
 
His kiss is in the wind,
A soft breeze across my lips.
His tears are in the rain
Soaking my heart in the unrelenting storm.
His smile is in the sunshine
As I sit in the garden and watch the butterflies.
His praise is in the sunrays that beat down on my back,
I smile when I remember you.
 
Your eyes are in the stars
Twinkling every time I catch your gaze.
Your arms are my sheets at night
When I dream of our lazy afternoons.
My tears are the only memory
Of the past I once called love.
 
I’m lonesome when I reminisce upon our ending.
I cry when I remember how you once felt.
I’m tired when I dream of falling asleep in your arms.
I’m sad when I know that I still love you
And that I still want you back.
 
But now that time has passed,
I know you never loved me,
Not nearly as the passing fortnights
And I wish upon the every star
That I can just forget the memories.

Poem: Answers

by Alex M.
 
The answers will be near, the answers will be nigh
They will be as clear as the blue in the sky
But when will they come and what will they be?
That depends on what people are trying to see
Some are easy enough to find
Others, will torture the mind
Some may come in the blink of an eye
And if you’re not quick they’ll pass you by
An answer may be drawn out and its coming: slow
So you’ll have to be patient if you want to know
Or one will be right in front of your face
But you will still miss it in its place
So hear my words of wisdom and follow them thru:
Keep the faith so life will improve for me and for you.

Poem: Beautiful You

by Devin

I surrender your love,
For mine was never truth
Her soul forever lost in the heavens
I cry,
We hold each other in solemn remorse
Your salty tears run down my flesh.
We cry.
For you.
For me.
For her.
You loved her honest and true
Now all I want is happiness for you.
I beg to see the wholesome smile upon your face.
But it’s too late.
I long to give her one last hug,
Fill her with strength,
Tell her she’s loved
And help her move on with courage.
 
I wrote that poem December 14th, 2004 in honor of my beautiful friend, Alicia Ann Pekari. She died of acute stomach cancer at the age of 16.

Poem: Mother

by Alex M.
 
Mother, to me you are so dear
You helped me grow every year
When I became scared
You held me and cared
When I was unhappy or things went wrong
You held me tight and pushed me to be strong
When I was bad and in trouble
You punished me on the double
There were times that I threw up
You then gave me 7-up
Good times were when you made pizza dough
Or we would play Dr. Mario
The long trips to visit grandma and grandpa in Great Falls
Were spent with Bon Jovi or Def Leppard bouncing off car walls
And when I would play ball
You would cheer me through it all
Soon I will become a man
Working as hard as I can
And by God’s demand
I will take a stand
And so it is time for me to go
But I really do want you to know
For you I will always there be
As you were always there for me.

Poem: Ode to your love

by Devin
 
His kiss is in the wind,
A soft breeze across my lips.
His tears are in the rain
Soaking my heart in the unrelenting storm.
His smile is in the sunshine
As I sit in the garden and watch the butterflies.
His praise is in the sunrays that beat down on my back,
I smile when I remember you.
 
Your eyes are in the stars
Twinkling every time I catch your gaze.
Your arms are my sheets at night
When I dream of our lazy afternoons.
My tears are the only memory
Of the past I once called love.
 
I’m lonesome when I reminisce upon our ending.
I cry when I remember how you once felt.
I’m tired when I dream of falling asleep in your arms.
I’m sad when I know that I still love you
And that I still want you back.
 
But now that time has passed,
I know you never loved me,
Not nearly as the passing fortnights
And I wish upon the every star
That I can just forget the memories.

Poem: The Dream

by Korey
 
*The Dream* by Korey
Come dance with me, into this starry night
Hold on to me, in the liquid moonlight
Please let this last, never let go
This doesn’t happen often, so
I will cherish this endless waltz of love
As if it was an angelic dove.
Don’t change the beat, keep up the tempo,
Let’s see how far this night can go
 
But are you real or just a dream?
A little bit of both it seems.
So please don’t leave, stay with me
Or else this love will no longer be
The grandest time of my entire life
The separation would be like the stab of a knife.
With the best pleasure comes the deepest pain
Hmmm....I guess I’m just a bit insane.
 
So I ask once more "Just who are you?"
But it was the last I could do
For then I awoke, but I don’t recall
If the dream ever existed at all.

Poem: Wind at Night

by Tristan

The sounds of the wind in the darkness drift
Carry whispered visions, long-dreamt myths
From where they've come, I do not know
From all the wide world, they've come to show
The forgotten joys and forgotten woes,
Memories of paths where the young boy goes
The unremembered trails to youth's proud feet
Though wise old man's yet still may meet
On some cool leaf-strewn autumn day.

And the trees, they reach to brush the star-flung night
To snatch a twinkling diamond from God's sight
And bring it down 'mong branches twist'd and gnarled
The guiding vision thus ensnarled
Will remember to us then its many watches kept
While hill and plain and city slept;
Over the lovers alone together in the night
Lit by a light that was not starlight
Blind to the world around them in decay.

The trees, they reach to brush the whispered darkness lore,
Catch hold of it, to dance, 'til neither is no more.
The wind at last gives a gentle nudge, and the diamond-star is free --
To sail and soar away up there, filled with a gentle glee,
While we down here alone must wait
For wings to grow at the will of fate.
At last the trees and wind their dance must end
With longing blessings the trees do send
The wind to travel, farther on its way.

Poem: Alicia, you are loved

by Devin
 
I surrender your love,
For mine was never truth
Her soul forever lost in the heavens
I cry,
We hold each other in solemn remorse
Your salty tears run down my flesh.
We cry.
For you.
For me.
For her.
You loved her honest and true
Now all I want is happiness for you.
I beg to see the wholesome smile upon your face.
But it’s too late.
I long to give her one last hug,
Fill her with strength,
Tell her she’s loved
And help her move on with courage.

Review: Cascada

by Nathan W.

When you think of disco and dance music, you think of 70’s music such as “Stayin’ Alive.” However, Cascada is an up-and-coming dance artist, who is completely unlike the 70’s music. Cascada is a German artist, gaining popularity in the UK and the US. Her music is upbeat and good for dancing with hits such as “Everytime We Touch,” “Ready for Love,” and remakes of “Kids in America” and “Truly, Madly, Deeply.”

Cascada can be found at www.cascadamusic.de or www.myspace.com/cascada. Her new album, “Everytime We Touch,” is now available in stores.

Review: Matt Costa

by Mandi I.

Matt Costa is a great up and coming artist to look out for.  Riding on the recent success of Brushfire Records, who feature Jack Johnson as one of their top selling artists, Matt released his first feature length album, Songs We Sing, in 2005 with the record company. His music sounds similar to Jack Johnson’s but with more rhythm. Brushfire Record’s boasts talent like G Love & Special Sauce and other up and comers.
 
Matt Costa’s lyrics are great and spin through your head all day and this artist is bound to follow in Jack Johnsons simple greatness. Check him out at   http://www.myspace.com/mattcostamusic  or www.mattcosta.com.    

Tea, Kingsfoil, and Simple and Supreem Concert Review

Abby H.

Saturday, November 26th, three amazing bands performed at the JCC in York. The three bands were Kingsfoil, Simple and Supreem, and Tea the Band. This was Tea’s first show back in York since July because three of their members are currently at college outside of York.

The first band to perform was Kingsfoil, and they put on a fantastic show. They got everyone warmed up and dancing in preparation for the two other bands. Next came Simple and Supreem, a band that came all the way from Philadelphia to open for Tea. They really had the crowd moving, and even had quite a few people up on the stage jamming out.

Finally Tea came on and really rocked the stage. They played songs from both of their albums, Anfang and In a State of Undress. Everyone was enjoying themselves and had a fantastic time. It was a funk filled night with tons of glow sticks and a rocking good time. Over 400 people showed up in support of the bands and made the night quite a success.

You can check these three bands out at their websites to find out more about them and to find out when they will be performing near you.

Tea – www.myspace.com/teatheband
Kingsfoil – www.myspace.com/kingfoil
Simple and Supreem – www.myspace.com/simpleampsupreem

Music Review: X & Y by Coldplay

Alex D.

After hearing the single “Speed of Sound” on MTV one morning I just had to get my hands on this new hit, X&Y Coldplay’s newest release. Realizing that Coldplay even had a new album out baffled me though. After “A Rush of Blood to the Head” their second album with familiar tracks like “Clocks” and “Scientist” had come out, the band had announced it to be their last album.

When you hear that it’s called X&Y you just think its some weird reference to something the band is trying to tell you. The puzzle aligns when you turn the album over and see that there are two sides to the album X&Y, just like old vinyl baby. In a recent interview Coldplay’s bassist Guy Berryman, explained why they chose this format.  

“Our idea of an album, a perfect album, is prob­ably not too long, being about 10 songs. I think when we came to compile all the songs on the record, we tried to pick 10 but we realized there were certain ones we couldn’t leave off, so it was gonna be more than 10 and so just so it seems like a shorter album, or you can listen to it in 2 halves, we split it into a sort of A and B side so mentally it prepares you and that was the idea.”

 You may not think an album is nothing more than songwriting, adding instruments and getting signed but its so much more that that. Being unaware of all of the layers the album is made of, you may not realize how important the track listing is. If songs are in different orders than people may or may not like it depending just on the song number. Will Champion had something to say about this during a recent interview

 “It’s crucial. Track listing is important. You can re-arrange the songs and make it sound like a completely different record. The 1st record was done in a specific order originally and we gave it to some people and they came back saying it was the most miserable record they’d ever    heard, good but incredibly depressing and so changed it around a bit and everyone’s like, ‘Oh it seems like it’s so optimistic!’. So, it’s just a way of steering people down the journey of the record and whether it makes sense or not. Certain tracks go well into each other and just try­ing to get the right journey through the songs.

 Even though Coldplay’s new album took 18 months of studio time and work, it was worth waiting for. When a band or artist is passionate about music, they will do what ever it takes. Chris Martin, Coldplay front man explains what this album stands for in a recent interview.

“In mathematics X and Y were always the answer, but in life no one knows… to me this album is about those unanswerable questions, and what you should do about the fact, that you can’t explain all unknown variables.”

Coldplay’s new album X&Y, was amazing. I really enjoy this new album though, and was happy hearing there was more Coldplay to come. However, if you have just gotten over a break up- I wouldn’t recommend this album. Its romantic lyrics about love and loss might break your heart again and trigger those tears.

Movie Review: Constantine

by Chris 

Maybe, it’s the evil in me but I just enjoy movies with demons. I like to see demons being slain, I like to see demons slaying humans, I like to see demons eating humans, or demons eating other demons. I’m not really picky. I on the other hand am not a big Keanu Reeves fan. So, naturally I was torn. Save myself some grief and refrain from watching yet another movie where Keanu Reeves portrays all of TWO emotions or ignore the fact that Mr. Neo is in this film and enjoy another demon movie. Naturally I chose the latter or you wouldn’t be reading this review, would you?

Let’s talk about Keanu’s part in the film and get it over with. Reeves plays John Constantine, a man who can see demons and exorcise them directly back to Hell. Well, half-demons actually, but that’s kind of irrelevant. At first glance Constantine may seem like your clichéd chain-smoking badass. And he pretty much is, except for the fact that he can see demons. At a young age this drove him into committing suicide. Yes, not attempting, committing. Technically he was dead for 2 minutes, went to Hell, and came back or some other such bull. I must have dozed off at that part. The character of John Constantine is semi-interesting but pretty conventional. And as expected, Reeves played him with the emotional range of a tree stump.

Some of the other characters were interesting, like Shia LaBeouf’s character Chaz. Or was it Chad? Who cares, he’s a sidekick. My point is that despite the fact that I don’t remember his name he was pretty interesting. Screw Constantine, Chaz/Chad should have his own movie. Angelia is a detective who comes to Constantine for help after her sister kills herself. Her character is just as clichéd as Constantine. I’ve only seen it done about a trillion times before by Ashley Judd (not that she did it any better). Midnight, who was an interesting character, was the owner of a shady bar for half-breeds. He attempted to stay a neutral in the whole Heaven vs. Hell war.

Outside of the characters (very few of which are interesting and the few that are, are featured least often) the storyline was pretty cool. Probably because it came from a DC Comics graphic novel. Constantine is stuck between a war between Heaven and Hell where half-breeds live among us and demons are trying to escape to the real world. He must stop the son of Satan from using a holy dagger or some other generic mystical item from enslaving the Earth. There was an undertone to this film about Constantine’s smoking habits, which made me wonder was this movie produced by the American Heart and Lung association?

So I conclude with three words that best describe this movie. Mediocre, mediocre, and mediocre. Constantine is like being in limbo, it’s not really Hell but it’s certainly not Heaven either.   

Movie Section Special: Top Ten Must-See Before College Movies

by Andrew 

You’ve seen everything in theaters. You’ve watched “The Matrix: Reloaded” so many times that you’re beginning to understand what the architect was saying. You’ve watched the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in one sitting (with or without bathroom breaks). You can quote line for line “Kill Bill.” You are the king of movies. But odds are pretty good that there’s one or two (or even ten) movies on this list that you haven’t seen and need to see by the end of high school. So gather up your friends and start heating the popcorn…
 
10. Monty Python and The Holy Grail
 
Why you should see this movie: The Monty Python troupe retells the classic story of King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail in the most ridiculous ways possible. God, the killer rabbit, Tim, the French guards, the castle Anthrax, the Dark Knight; the list of great things in this movie could go on and on forever. The DVD collector’s edition even includes a Lego version.
 
Why only #10: Because you should have seen this movie long ago, probably before high school! It’s a bit childish, and it’s more British humor that not every one agrees with. It also has what everyone calls the worst movie ending of all time.
 
9. Dogma
 
Why you should see this movie: Two angels, who were kicked out of heaven for all eternity, have found a loophole in the Catholic dogma to get back into paradise. God’s missing, so the task of stopping the duo is left up to the “Last Zion,” the 13th disciple, and Jay and Silent Bob. Amidst all the bad comedy are some very important religious questions too.
 
 Why Only #9: This film makes fun of almost every major world religion. If you can’t laugh at yourself and your ideals, this is not your movie. It’s also a Jay and Silent Bob movie which means elementary school cheap laughs through potty-humor and stoner jokes.
 
8. The Evil Dead Trilogy (Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness)
 
Why you should see these movies: Meet Ash. All he wanted to do was have a quiet weekend with his girlfriend at a cabin in the mountains. Too bad the previous occupant was translating the Necromonicon (or the book of the dead) in his free time and left all his notes on tape right out in the open. The result is an ultra-gory trilogy with some of the best one-liners ever. The director: Sam Rami, who would later go on to direct two little movies called Spiderman and Spiderman 2.
 
Why only #8: They’re classic bad movies. One moment they’re terrifying, the next you’re laughing you head off at the horrible moon in the background, which isn’t for everyone. None of the movies flow together that well (Evil Dead has five people at the mountain cabin; Evil Dead II says there were only two). Plus, these films make Kill Bill look like Disney (1 and 2 could have gotten an NC-17 rating, but were instead “not rated” to reduce negative press).
 
7. Office Space
 
Why you should see this movie: The creators of “Beavis and Butthead” put together this comedic look at the workplace, but don’t let that discourage you. Peter Gibbons wakes up one morning and decides he doesn’t like his job, so he’s going to get fired. And if he can’t get fired, he’ll just have to make it so he never needs to work again. Think “Dilbert” with an “R” rating.
 
 Why Only #7: The TV version gets played on Comedy Central about once a month and cuts out some of the best parts while the commercials prevent an emersion into Peter’s world. The ending is just about as abrupt and pointless as Monty Python.
 
6. Se7en  
 
Why you should see this movie: Perhaps the most horrifying and underrated horror film of all time; and I really like horror films. Two police officers, the underrated Morgan Freeman and the overrated Brad Pitt, track a killer who takes lives based on the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, pride, lechery (lust), wrath, and envy. After watching this movie you’re never going to forget those sins.
 
 Why Only #6: This movie is truly terrifying. It isn’t a “jump out of the shadows” scary like Alien; this is “please don’t let this be what I think it is” scary like Silence of the Lambs and it doesn’t let up. That’s good for some and bad for others. Brad Pitt is only in chick-flicks is also deeply engraved in some minds.
 
5. Fight Club
 
Why you should see this movie: If guys set up the “Ya-Ya Sisterhood” what would it be about? Beating the life out of each other is a pretty good guess. Throw in a message on the dangers of post-modernism and soap in the wrong hands and you’ve got this movie. Plus there’s an ending here that puts M. Night Shyamalan’s greatest twists to shame.
 
 Why Only #5: More Brad Pitt, and considering that he’s holding a large bar of soap on the DVD cover you might get some wrong ideas (get your mind out of the gutter). The violence is rarer than you’d think, but when it occurs you get a little queasy.
 
 4. Reservoir Dogs
 
Why you should see this movie: Before Pulp Fiction there was this: Quentin Tarantino’s first film. Five strangers, each with code names, attempt to pull off the perfect crime, only one of them is an undercover cop. But which one is it? The acting is brilliant. The dialogue is great. The end result is a perfect movie.
 
 Why Only #4: Confusing ending that’s hard to piece together perfectly. Quentin Tarantino makes a guest appearance as Mr. Brown that makes you very happy he dies after the opening scene. Mr. Blonde is one sick (expletive deleted).
 
3. Big Lebowski
 
Why you should see this movie: Several mobsters break into the house of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, pee on his rug, then realize they have the wrong Jeffery Lebowski and leave. Things go downhill from there in a movie about bowling, money, nihilists, detectives, porn, and finding a new rug for the Dude. Its also by the guys that did Fargo and O Brother Where Art Thou? John Goodman is hilarious.
 
Why Only #3: It may be the best comedy ever made, but #2 and #1 aren’t comedy. The TV version on Comedy Central takes about ¼ of the movie (not kidding here), mainly the good parts. You’re either going to love or hate the oddball plot.
 
2. Equilibrium
 
Why you should see this movie: What the Matrix sequels should have been. Amazing fights, excellent (comprehendible) philosophy, an unemotional main character that puts Keanu Reeves to shame. Odds are you’ve seen it on the bottom shelf at Blockbuster and passed it by. Once you’ve seen it you’ll be kicking yourself for a very long time for doing so.
 
Why Only #2: Only one “cult movie” deserves higher billing, only because Equilibrium’s initial concept is so strange. Also the re-viewing rate of this movie is a little lower then the #1 movie, simply because watching the same action sequence over and over gets a little dull.
 
1. The Shawshank Redemption
 
Why you should see this movie: Called by some the best film ever made, it had the bad luck to come out in the same year as Forest Gump, Pulp Fiction, Interview with the Vampire, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Andy Dufresne must serve back to back life-sentences in Shawshank prison for a crime he may-or-may not have committed. Based on a short story by Stephen King (which many people find unbelievable after watching) and incredibly acted by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, you NEED to see this movie.
 
Why #1: My roommate stated he hadn’t seen this movie and was almost lynched on the spot. When someone went and got the movie and he proceeded to IM people while the movie was playing, someone turned off the movie and everyone walked out, glaring at my roommate. This movie commands that much respect and deserves every bit of it.
 
Honorable Mention. Donnie Darko
 
Why Honorable Mention? I haven’t seen this movie yet, but have heard great praise for it on the dorm floor. I didn’t feel right putting it on the list, but didn’t feel right leaving it out entirely. It looks great and horrifying at the same time. Donnie Darko is plagued by a giant rabbit named Frank who predicts the end of the world unless Donnie stops it (apparently by doing some very bad things). One of these days I’ll need to get around to seeing it…
 
Final Note: Looking back on this list I realize that every movie here is rated “R” with the exception of Monty Python (PG) and Evil Dead (unrated). Kids under 17, check with parents. Kids over 17, steal the car and rent these movies, then check with parents if you have younger siblings. Enjoy!

Movie Review (DVD): The Sixth Sense

by Kelsie

The Sixth Sense is a great movie about a boy who can see the dead. Cole (played by Haley Joel Osmond) lives with him mom, but is not willing to share his secret with her. He has told nobody. Then along comes a man to help him get over his fear of being scared. Cole finds that he can confide in him, and tells him about his troubles. "I see dead people," Cole told him. He is then told to try and help these spirits because certain dead people have come back to look for what they wanted to see. He didn't want to have to do this, but it was the only solution to make them stop visiting him. A young girl ghost visits him, but nobody knew how she died. Then it is up to Cole to talk to her and find out the mystery behind her death.

Through his journeys of trying to help them, Cole discovers that the people don't know they are dead, but think they are living their life normally. Cole finds that the ghosts aren't that scary when he talks to them. Eventually Cole tells him mother what has been bothering him, but it doesn't bother him as much because he knows how to handle it.

I think this is an excellent movie, but not for the faint of heart.

Movie Review: Fat Albert

by Chris

Hey, hey, hey. Ring a bell? No? Well, actually most of you have probably heard of Fat Albert, but are too young to have actually watched the cartoon. If you have, then admit it. You’re old. Get over it. I was actually expecting this movie to suck but it, in fact, did not. At least it didn’t suck too badly. The kids from Fat Albert find their way out of the television to the real world and hilarity ensues. That’s the extremely abbreviated version. Yes, I know it sounds like something that belongs on Nick Jr. and I would agree. At times the humor was pretty juvenile and the whole thing was pretty formulaic. A formula that produces mediocre films. Yet, that doesn’t mean it completely sucked. In fact, some times I actually found myself laughing. There were plenty of parts that were entertaining as well. The Fat Albert characters look colorful in contrast to the bland people and world around them. That changes during the course of the movie as they begin to “fade away”. You should look for appearances from Aaron Carter and B2k’s Omarion as well as a brief appearance by Joel Madden . . . you know, the guy from Good Charlotte. Formulaic, but fun, this movie is probably worth your time but wouldn’t be at anyone’s #1 spot.

Movie Review: The Punisher

by Nichelle

The Punisher is a Marvel Comic Origin and has been made as a movie. I think the movie is better then the comic. Hopefully, once you see it, you’ll think the movie is better. 

Starring Tom Jane & John Travoltra
 
“Jane” goes out to seek “Travoltra”, the murder of his family. Once “Jane” starts to look and people start to get in his way, nothing will stop him.

Movie Review: The Order of the Pheonix

by Nathan
          
For Harry Potter fans, the fifth movie- “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”- launched mere days before the seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (due out July 21, 2007). This movie is just as, if not more, blockbuster than the other films. Directed by David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg, this movie is about as cannon from the book as it is possible to be- and considering that the book is over 850 pages, that’s a feet worth mentioning!

Just as dark and complex as the book, yet light-hearted at the same time. Newcomers to the series include Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Helena Bonham-Carter (Belatrix Lestrange), and Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), all of whom bring their respected characters to life. I was deeply impressed by all three> Luna is one of my favorite characters, and she was exactly as I imagined. Umbridge made me cringe just as she did in the book, and Belatrix was completely demented.

Many of the lines in the movie were verbatim from the book. However, the pacing seemed off. Some parts were fast, while others were slower. Fred and George’s dramatic flight from school with fireworks, and the final battle in the Ministry were my favorite scenes. Of course, I went to the IMAX, where I saw the final battle in 3-D!

Although some scenes were cut such as the St. Mungos scene and the Sanpe’s Worst Memory scene (although that was a flashback), the director did a fantastic job with the move. My first disappointment with it was Daniel Radcliffe’s (Harry’s) lack of full emotions. He had many emotions, but they weren’t the same as the book. For example, Harry shouted a plethora of times in the book, using a capital letters to express his frustrations. My second disappointment was that Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series, yet it is the shortest film at a whopping 2 hours and 15 minutes. Since I saw in at the IMAX, the final 20 or so minutes were in astounding 3-D, which definitely brought the book’s climax to life.

All-in-all, I would have to say that I was extremely impressed with the film. Film rating: 4 out of 5.

Movie Review: The Amityville Horror

by Kelsie

So this was a really good movie!!! I thought that it wasn’t one of those run of the mill movies that people watch because its supposedly good, or something like they have to!! It was really enjoyable, and woo-hoo spooky!!! Haha though I am a jumpy person and so every little thing made me jump out of my skin!!! J This is a remake, so im not entirely sure how good the first one is, but hey!! Give it a go!!!

It’s the story of the DeFeo family, and how they were all brutally killed by the eldest brother of the family. Then a couple years down the road, another family, the Lutz family move in to that exact same house, not realizing what terrible things were done previously. Very shortly after they move in, George Lutz starts to hear voices telling him to kill them all. The exact same voice that was telling Ronald Defeo to kill his family.

Yeah, so its pretty darn spooky and very enjoyable. You should watch it sometime if ya haven’t already!!!  

Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada

by Kelsie

Alright. So the movie wasn’t nearly as great as I’d heard it would be. I thought it might be a little more action and a little less of the exact same thing happening to the exact same people over and over and over again. Oh well.

So this movie, yeah, it’s about this girl who wants to work with a fashion magazine. Trouble is, she’s not really that type of person. Then she finds her nitch, and things start to work out for her. Then something happens, and her associate gets shoved down in the ranking as she moves up. And it all ends out like every single other movie like this does, everyone’s all happy and the world moves on.

So anyway, it’s eh overall. If you are desperate and have nothing better to watch, why don’t cha just give it a shot!!

Movie Review: Music and Lyrics

by Mary
 
Music and Lyrics is the best movie of 2007 so far. Hugh Grant shines as Alex Fletcher an 80’s pop star has been who is content singing at high school reunions, amusement parks and maybe appearing on a show called “Battle of the 80’s Has-Beens”. When he is given one week to write a hit song for teenage pop sensation, Cora, he seeks the help of unknown (even to herself) lyricist, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore). The witty banter and clever jokes results in a hilarious love story. The onscreen connection between this dynamic duo is instant. Unfortunately it isn’t long until creative differences rise over their new song “A Way Back into Love”. And it turns into the classic “boy loses girl” story.

That Dynamic duo isn’t the only thing that makes this movie great. The soundtrack is full of catchy songs that everyone loves! The songs such as “Pop! Goes My Heart” and “Way back into love” are infectious and you will be singing them long after you leave the theater. This wonderful movie has been raved by critics everywhere and is playing in a theater near you!

Movie Review: Pursuit of Happiness

by Yatzi
 
In 1981, Chris Gardner was a struggling salesman in little needed medical bone density scanners while his wife worked in double shifts to support the family including their young son, Christopher. In the face of this difficult life, Chris has the desperate inspiration to try for a stockbroker internship where one in twenty has a chance of a well-paid full time job. Even when his wife leaves him because of this choice, Chris clings to this dream with his son even when the odds become more discouraging by the day. Together, father and son struggle through homelessness, jail time, tax seizure and the overall punishing despair in a search that would make Gardner a appreciated millionaire.

Movie Review: The Aviator

by Calvin

Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) a 30something millionaire, already made a fortune improving oil drills, decides to go to Hollywood and shoot films. In short time he turns from producer to director of a WWI fighter movie, “Hell’s Angles”, which took him 3 years to make for 2 reasons: 1 the change from silent to sound movies, and 2 Hughes’ perfectionism. As the movie progresses, we come to find he has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, that’s when some one has to be exact on everything. For example: if his cloths touched the floor, or weren’t folded right, he would have to burn them.). However his film was the biggest hit of his time, even though Hollywood never really accepted him. After making Jean Harlow (played by Gwen Stefani) a star, and having a romantic relationship with Katharine Hepburn (played by Cate Blanchett), the eccentric inventor’s passion for aircrafts, he began to design new planes, break air speed records, founded “trans-world Airlines, flew around the world, and risked his life testing the aircrafts he designed. At one point in the movie, he is test flying a new plane that he had just designed. But he crashed into a house breaking his arm, torching the new plane, and severely damaged the house. He makes many enemies in his later life, yet he still manages to thrive.
 
Kudos to the producer! This was a very thrilling movie that surprises me time and time again.

Movie Review: Below

by Nichelle

If you have a problem with water, the movie “Below” is not what you want to watch.
There’s a war going on and the navy found 3 survivors. After rescuing them, then they had to go underwater so they couldn’t be seen. Not knowing that somebody on the ship is a killer, people start to die and nobody knows why. Who is killing all these people? You’ll find out when you watch “Below”.

Movie Review: Step Up

by Yatzi

Okay, to begin, this movie is rated PG-13. It is an exciting movie in which a street dancer is forced to do community service in an arts school. There he meets a young girl who asks him to help her, for a showcase. Through out this adventure in ballet and street dancing he learns the meaning in life and that it is not all just parties and games. In this it shows that little kids will follow what you do, so set a good example. I would give it a 10 in my rating. I totally recommend this thrilling, awesome, dancing, killing (literally) movie.

Lady in the Water

by Abby H.
 
This M. Night. Shyamalan thriller is somewhat different from what I expected when walking into the movie theater, but I’ve got to say that it was definitely worth my money. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, just waiting to see what will take place next. The movie is quick to get right into the action, with the mysterious appearance of a woman who seems like she does not know where she came from. She shows up at an apartment complex, leaving the landlord to figure out how to solve the mystery. Piece by piece he finds out about the lady by learning from those living in his apartment complex. This movie is highly worth the investment if you enjoy watching movies that really make you think. You will definitely find that you go away really considering things, since this is a movie where not all the questions are answered.     

Movie Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

by Abby H.
 
In most normal circumstances, I am a firm believer that the book is always better than the movie. Being the very stubborn individual that I am, I usually just refuse to watch a movie if I have already read the book and enjoyed it. I guess my logic behind this is that I will probably not like the movie and it will ruin the vision I had in my mind that the author had painted for me in the book. However, the other day I was intrigued to sit and actually watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie.

I must say, this book is one of my all time favorites, and when I first saw the previews for the movie, I already had this vision in my mind of the book being pulverized by Hollywood and decided I had no interest in seeing it. However, the other day, I decided to be open-minded, and turned on the movie. I found that the producers did a fabulous job of following the book, almost to all points, and instead of ruining the vision I had in mind while reading the book, they more or less brought that vision to life in this movie.

Though a few minor things are changed in the movie, the plot is the same and the main actresses do a great job of bringing Lena, Carmen, Tibby, and Bridgette to life. If you read the book and enjoyed it, I would definitely recommend seeing the move and even if you did not read the book, I would still recommend checking out the movie because it is just a good story in general that all can enjoy.

Movie Review: DaVinci Code

by Kate

I think that this is one of those movies where you keep shoving popcorn in your mouth because it’s so thrilling. At least that’s what I did. In the beginning, Jacques Saunière, the curator of the Louvre is forced to his death by the utterly creep albino, Silas. Silas works for Opus Dei, a prelature of the Catholic Church. The Chief of police, Bezu Fache contacts, Dr. Robert Langdon, a professor visiting Paris for a conference. Langdon, then goes to the Louvre, where he meets Agent Sophie Neveu, who is Saunière’s granddaughter. She thinks that he left a code for them to figure out. This code leads them on a wild chase through out Europe. Little do they know, their chase is just the start of a huge mystery that has been going on for ages.  Jacques Saunière was a member of the Priory of Sion, an ancient society.

I don’t wish to give away the whole story, but I just want to say that I think the end was a bit off. The whole movie builds up to this amazing height and then it just stops. It’s sort of like they give up. Sofie and Robert find some papers dating back to the time when Jesus Christ was crucified.

Langdon then figures out where their ‘treasure’ is. He never actually finds it and digs it up, but you just know, that he’s found where it is.

It’s definitely a movie to see.  

Movie Review: V for Vendetta

by Mandi

When the producers of the Matrix and the 1989 graphic novel “V for Vendetta” collided, they created a movie that would challenge what we think a terrorist really is. V, a masked figure, is out for revenge on a corrupt near-future British government.

Natalie Portman (Star Wars) plays Evey, rescued by V and a daughter of political activists, who gets caught in V’s plan when he rescues her. V is out to destroy the Parliament Building on the 5th of November. The government is forsaking person privacy for national security. With most of the United States dead or involved in civil war, Britain leads the world.

But is V a hero or a terrorist? That’s for you to decided in this twisting movie. Be prepared to think in this movie. Some may view this movie as propaganda or even an excuse for Al Qaeda but how can this be if the book is over 15 years old? Still, the issues of this movie are obviously very real.

In all, the movie was great. It had amazing visual effects and was a change from every movie out there.

Movie Review: Ultraviolet

by Brandon

Action: 9/10
Acting: 7/10
Special Effects: 8/10
Overall Rating: 7/10

The movie starts out with Violet saying "I was born into a world you may not understand." And it goes into a movie that was quite confusing at times.
Violet (Milla Jovovich) was a hemophage which is an enhanced human that has incredible speed and other skills. The government wants to rid the earth of these hemophages. There was a deadly weapon the government was going to use to eliminate all hemophages.

So Violet sets out to retrieve and destroy this “weapon” It turns out to be a young boy called Six (Cameron Bright) who was raised in a laboratory. She was shocked when she realized that she was going to kill a child, because she herself could not have children. So she spent her time protecting the child and trying to make him feel good since he was going to die, or at least that’s what it seemed. I don’t want to tell to much in case you want to go and see the movie.

Ultraviolet was a nice movie; it had great special effects and good actors or actresses. But the story line was hard to follow. It was jumpy and you were easily confused. They impressed the fact that Violet was born into a world you may not understand too much in my opinion. If you like action movies then you should go and see it, or not. You should definitely rent it when it comes out. Not buy though it’s just not buy worthy, well yea it is but still.

Movie Review: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

by Abby H.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a chilling tale about a young college student that was possessed with demons. The movie begins with the medical examiner coming to the Rose home and pronouncing nineteen-year-old Emily dead. The movie then proceeds with the court case against the priest who was Emily's exorcist. His lawyer, Erin Bruner, will try everything she has to see that the priest is not charged with Emily's murder. She makes the attempt to prove in a court of law that Emily Rose was possessed by demons and that her only hope was Father Moore. As the prosecuting attorney tries to blame Father Moore with refusing to let Emily receive medical attention, Ms. Bruner shows that there was no medicine that could help Emily and the thing she truly needed was the power of God.

Movie Section Special: Top Five Best Films of '05 - Chris's Picks

by Chris

As we boldly enter a brand new year I think it is more paramount at this time than any other that we sift through the few gems that the film industry actually contributed during the year of 2005 along with the boundless mass of truly awful refuse, junk, and gobbledygook. Let’s start with what was decent.

5. King Kong- I’ve never had an affinity towards remakes, particularly of old classics. They always tend to suck the magic out of the originals. Also I was never really a fan of the original King Kong to begin with. As a child of the 1990’s I just couldn’t get excited about outdated stop-motion special effects or giant apes. How could I, having grown up with Jurassic Park? It never really seemed that epic to me either and to a child (or even a teenager) interspecies romance just seems weird. So King Kong was one of the few movies that I saw against my better judgment, based solely on reviews and was actually pleasantly surprised by. One thing it does particularly well is rather than try to bring Kong into the 21st Century he’s left alone in what was the modern day when the original premiered. Also, through some odd bit of magic Peter Jackson managed to make Jack Black good! That alone, is reason enough to see this movie and the high quality visuals and story that consumed every minute of this three-hour epic is why it makes my top five.

4. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith- After seeing this movie for the first time, straight through from beginning to end I literally breathed a sigh of relief and said: “It’s about time.” I, as with many of my generation, was very young when first introduced to the Star Wars trilogy and was very excited for the sequels. I’d be lying if I said that Phantom Menace was any good at all and Attack of the Clones left a lot to be desired. So by the time Revenge of the Sith premiered I was hanging on my last final strands of optimism. Luckily it turned out amazing and I fortunately did not have to curl up into a ball and cry for a week. Much like with Empire George Lucas managed to end the prequel trilogy on an all-time high. Kudos for that, but for the love of holiness lets hope he lets sleeping dogs lie this time.

3. Sin City- Comic book movies suck. I know I’ve been saying it for years, but despite the few success that have shined through recently it still rings pretty true. Admittedly it appears the filmmakers have learned from the follies of old and managed to make some comic book movies that were decent.  Some, however, remain so faithful to the source material, chose actors to represent the characters that fit so perfectly, and such splendidly appropriate acting (a bit campy, but it fits) that you think God must be somehow involved. Or Satan. Sin City is the new definitive comic book movie. Frank Miller had dreams at night about his comics coming to life. He imagined Hartigan, Marv, and that Yellow Bastard as living, breathing, three dimensional people. Robert Rodriguez stole those dreams, copied them, and the result was a gritty, dazzling, exciting, fast-paced film that has the reek of Frank Miller all over it.

2. Goodnight and Good Luck- A film about the Communist scare and McCarthyism at the height of the cold war. My response when I heard this was a sarcastic “Oooooh”. Despite this it received great reviews and appeared different enough from the usual box office crap that my interest was piqued (even though it was black and white). It was not the biopic I thought it would be and was, in fact, fairly short. But in this short amount of time we dive into a pivotal time for the CBS news station when Edward Murrows takes a stance that few others would at the time in his opposition to Senator McCarthy. This movie was fast paced and well done. A bit short, but I suppose the whole point was to leave you begging for more and it does so quite well.

1. Rent- Rent was my favorite movie of 2005. Hands down I never had a better at the movie theater this year than when I was seeing this. I fell in love with every character and laughed at every bit of intentionally comedic dialogue. I laughed at a few corny song lyrics, too. Everything about this movie was enjoyable. Actors played their characters exceptionally and the music was either touching or fun. I don’t really know whether or not it can be called an accurate look at how the poor Bohemian avant garde of New York live and I honestly don’t care. It’s a menagerie of musical fun nonetheless and my pick for the best film of 2005.

“That’s all there is.  There isn’t any more.”

Movie Review: Fun with Dick and Jane

by Brandon

PG-13
 
This movie is another Jim Carrey being funny movie. It was a very funny movie but wasn’t as good as I thought.

Dick (Jim Carrey) and his wife Jane, are the normal family with a kid. They have financial problems but think nothing of it really. The bank came and repossessed
most of their stuff including their T.V. and their Landscaping. So Dick takes matters into his own hands shortly followed by his wife as the went around the town robbing mini markets and ATM machines, and even other people's grass and bushes with a squirt gun.

If you like Jim Carrey and funny movies then you should see this.

Movie Review: Hero

by Scot

Hero, A new movie released by Miramax, is not for those looking to sit back, relax, and enjoy a couple of hours of mindless entertainment--the movie demands your attention. The entire movie is in Mandarin (Chinese) with English subtitles, which have the habit of disappearing before you get a chance to read them. Furthermore the plot is complex, and can be hard to follow if you’re not paying attention. That being said, Hero is a truly beautiful film and worth seeing for the cinematography alone. The plot is composed of one story told from three different viewpoints, and each viewpoint has its own color theme and mood. The shots that director Zhang Yimou uses all have an incredible beauty to them that is unlike any American movie I have ever seen. His shots are very simple, often containing only one color on the entire screen, but at the same time very complex. The plot is good, provided you like eastern philosophy; otherwise it can be a little slow. The fight scenes are well choreographed, provided you don’t mind the lack of realism.  In conclusion Hero is well worth seeing, provided you have to mental energy to keep up with the subtitles. Of course, you could always ignore the subtitles and just enjoy Zhang Yimou’s beautiful shots and scenery, which are really what make Hero worth watching in the first place.

Movie Review: Rent

by Kelsie

Wow! What an exciting movie! The actors were superb, the costumes were excellent, the music was terrific, and the set was amazing. I know that most of the actors were from the original cast on Broadway, but it is so weird to hear the difference between when they were younger and now. They actually sound so much more GROWN UP!
I kind of had doubts about going to see the movie when it first came out, after seeing the Phantom of the Opera movie, but then I talked to a few people about it and they said it was truly an amazing show. And man, they were right. I know you probably think that Rent is just a boring story about a group of poor college kids living in the streets of New York. In a nut shell, it is (minus the boring part). but technically, it is much more than that.

Really, if you get the change, go see it. It is really, really good and it follows the original play pretty closely. Even if you don't want to go see the movie or the show, you should at least get the soundtrack.

Finally, to top it all off, even though I've said it about 20 times, (give or take a few) this movie was really good. So, when you have nothing to do--that is, nothing to do that is in the slightest bit amusing--get us, and go see RENT :)

Movie Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

by Nathan

If I had just two words to describe Walt Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe,” they would be: powerful and breath-taking. This is 2005’s family film, just in time for Christmas.

Based on the series by C.S. Lewis, this movie chronicles (no pun intended) four children ( Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) as they move to an eccentric professor’s house in the London countryside to avoid the air raids from WWII, as they move into an enchanted wardrobe, leading them into a magical land, Narnia.  

In Narnia, the children learn of a fabled prophecy, detailing them as the two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, who will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia. Along the way, they meet Mr. Tumnus, a fawn, Aslan, the Great Lion, and the White Witch.

In the end, they do restore peace to Narnia. The books have been discovered as an allegory of the Bible and Christian tales. For example, Aslan’s sacrifice represents the crucifixion of Christ. My pastor’s Christmas sermon series is about that; the fantasy connection between Christmas and Narnia.

The movie has another connection: the fact that it was produced by Disney, which normally produces movies of this nature, although Disney has a rule about not showing bloody, gruesome deaths. “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” has some scenes that could have blood, but Disney took them out.

Overall, this is a classic, especially compared to the 1970’s BBC version, where you can see strings moving a stuffed Aslan, and it’s one of my top three (3) movies of 2005. ( “Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” round up the top.)

Movie Review: Rent

by Chris

Before I get to this review I feel an insatiable need to confirm that there are, in fact, 525,600 minutes in a year. So, now that mathematical accuracy is assured for all you anal retentives and obsessive compulsives out there we can move on to this garbled review. If you think I thought this movie was anything other than pure gold then you’re clearly addicted to smack and you should enter my 3-step rehabilitation plan.

Step 1) Get a life, loser.

Step 2) See this movie.

Step 3) Get off the smack.

I wasn’t quite sure exactly what to expect upon entering the movie theater. After all this was not only the first time I was seeing this movie but I had also never seen the Broadway play on which it is based. While it is a play that’s been around 10 years, and has been showered with Tonys and countless other awards, it wouldn’t be the first time that wonderful material has had all of the life sucked out of it by a film iteration. This, and the lack of any other moviegoers in the theater whatsoever, made me somewhat apprehensive.

This apprehension was soon swept away by the magnificent music, story, and (surprisingly) good acting. Considering that it’s a musical I wasn’t expecting quite as much emphasis to be put on actual acting, but the parts of the movie that weren’t sung were good.

The story revolves around a group of dirt poor Bohemian folks (is there any other kind) living the dirt poor Bohemian life in the year 1989-1990. There’s Mark, the filmmaker, Roger, the musician, Mimi, the . . . uhm . . . “dancer”, Tom, a professor, Angel, a cross-dresser who can raise hell with two drumsticks and a bucket, Maureen, Mark’s old girl friend, and Joanne, Maureen’s new girlfriend. Needless to say they’re an interesting group.

The best thing about this cast has probably got to be the chemistry between them. Six of the main characters were actually in the original cast so the chemistry is oft-times palpable. There are times when you forget they’re a dirt poor group of vagrants and think: “Man, I wish me and my friends were like that!” Unfortunately, unless you and your friends have the eerie ability to spontaneously burst into seemingly choreographed song and dance you can’t and won’t, but you can always live vicariously through Rent.

If by this point you haven’t reached the conclusion that this is an amazing musical and theatrical masterpiece that you should definitely see then please see above for my 3-step plan. La vie Boheme!

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by Brandon

As a movie it is one of the best. But if you're a huge Harry Potter fan, you're going to be disappointed. If you're not really into Harry Potter, you might like it. It was full of action and very talented actors and actresses.

If you like a mix of romance and fantasy and action, then watch this movie.

The movie left a lot of stuff out, but what they did have in was done well.

The Quidditch World Cup was awesome, besides the fact there was no match. The evil Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes, makes a big impression when he's on the big screen. The Triwizard Cup was also a great part of the movie, except the third task wasn't as good as everyone expected.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by Nathan

The biggest, most anticipated movie of this holiday season, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” hits theaters today, Friday, November 18, 2005. This could possibly be the best “Harry Potter” movie to date.

The movie opens with the Frank Bryce scene, and then goes to Harry’s reaction when he’s awakened by Hermione for the Quidditch World Cup. There is very little Quidditch World Cup action before we see the scenes of chaos with the Death Eaters. We also see Barty Crouch Jr. conjuring the Dark Mark and his father’s “attack” of the trio about who conjured the mark.  Then, we go to the Hogwarts Express for the usual journey to Hogwarts.

At Hogwarts, we automatically see the foreign visitors arrive for the start-of-term feast and Dumbledore’s introduction of Mad- Eye Moody, Barty Crouch, and the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

The movie progresses through the plots of the first (1st) task, which the special effects are amazing, the “unexpected task” of the Yule Ball, where the Great Hall looks magnificent, and the second (2nd) task, which is a little odd, but has good special effects.

The third (3rd) task was different form the books, however. There were no monsters or the special “filmy substance” that made Harry’s world turn upside down is absent. The only “horrifying creature” that attacks Harry are the bushes since they converge and form new pathways, similar to the moving stair cases in the first movie. Harry and Cedric do their little verbal and a little physical battle for the Tri-Wizard Cup.
 
The Lord Voldemort scene is truly spectacular. He rises with the cauldron burning in flames, and transforming into his cloak. Cedric’s death isn’t really a big deal, yet. The Death Eaters arrive and the big duel against Voldemort occurs. Harry goes through the Priori Incantatem sequence, and is returned to Hogwarts, where he psychologically breaks down over everything. He starts balling his eyes out and he is forcibly taken by Moody for the clincher: Moody’s transformation into Barty Crouch Jr.

The movie ends on a happier note as the trio watch the guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang leave.

I enjoyed the movie, as it’s the best movie of the “Harry Potter” series yet. I think “Order of the Phoenix” and “Half-Blood Prince” will be good, but not as good. Although the movie had its downsides of being very fast, not properly explaining every (Barty Crouch Jr. never gave his testimony), cut scenes ( the full Quidditch World Cup, the Dursleys’, leaving for the burrow, the entire Frank Bryce scene, some of Harry’s dreams, the major row between Fudge and Dumbledore at the end, and Fred and George receiving the Tri-Wizard money from Harry to name a few, and yeas I knew they had to cut stuff out), it had its good points: the Yule Ball and Hermione’s dress, which made her look prettier, the Voldemort scene, and the Fred and George beard growing scene.

On a scale of one (1) through ten (10), I’d rank this a nine point five (9.5)

Last point: be wary of an agitated Dumbledore!

Movie Review: Dumb and Dumberer

by Faisal

I recently saw the movie “DUMB AND DUMBERER”, it was hilarious like the first one but I still thought the first one was funnier. It’s about Lloyd and Harry’s adventure in high school.

They get in all kinds of trouble, like catching their principal stealing money from the school with the “lunch lady”. I personally like any movies with Jim Carry in them I would recommend you watch it. I checked it out from the library (MARTIN) I hope u get to watch it …….ENJOY!

Movie Review: Fantastic Four

by Chris
       
I believe it was Nostradamus who predicted the ‘Summer of a Thousand Remakes’. He said the movie theaters in the summer of 2005 would be inundated with lame big-budget remakes. Really, he saw it coming. Don’t believe me? Bite me. Fortunately, he also saw the coming of the great battle between two comic book juggernauts, DC’s Batman in the revamping and the resuscitation of a series that went to Hell, and Marvel’s First Superhero Family, the Fantastic Four. Batman has received first-rate reviews and has given the box office a well deserved spanking, but is Fantastic Four worth your sixpence? That’s for me to know and those who can get through this garbled review to find out.

Fantastic Four has long been one of Marvel’s more popular comics from the mind of Stan Lee. Marvel is, after all, practically the innovator of the new age of comic book movies. They took what DC ruined with Batman and Robin and made movies like Spider-Man, X-Men, and Blade which are now practically ingrained into our pop culture. But Marvel is not without its blunders, you can always get a Daredevil or an Elektra (both underrated, but still only passable movies). So here’s what I was looking for as I stepped on a piece of caramel and watched Fantastic Four come to life.

Does it stay true to the comics? Not staying true to the source material can ruin a comic book movie, like trying to screw around with the story of origin or the character’s relationships. Luckily, Fantastic Four does keep things, like the origin story, intact. But what was a major misstep for this film as far as staying true to the source material goes was the character relationships. Johnny and Ben, in the comic book series acted a lot like feuding siblings, in the movie it’s taken a step too far. Johnny comes off looking like an obnoxious jackass, and oddly enough, I think we’re actually supposed to like him (I didn’t, but they want you to). Furthermore, Victor Von Doom is a wealthy American business tycoon rather than a kook from Latveria. (While he still is from Latveria it in no way affects the story) I suppose the guys at 20th Century FOX figured “Heck, it worked for Osborn in Spider-Man”. Of course Osborn was actually a rich businessman in the comics. Were these the same guys who made Daredevil a total rip-off of Spider-Man? Good comics can stand on their own as good movies without being poor imitations!

How about CGI and special effects? In a movie like Fantastic Four, where the characters are meant to exhibit such freakish anatomic anomalies as stretchiness, invisibility, bursting into flames, and super . . . rocki-ness . . . . (Yeah it’s a word!) The special effects have got to be top-notch and unfortunately . . . They really weren’t. The Thing looks pretty bad . . . Like hardened orange vomit I’d say. And it seems as though they spent so much money on the characters’ anomalies that they didn’t even have enough cash left over to show something as simple as a launch into space, or Ben Grimm actually turning into the Thing, which would have been neat. These things aside, the special affects weren’t horrendous but could have definitely been better for what this movie was supposed to be.

Let’s talk actors . . . You may or may not recall that I was not too excited about Jessica Alba playing Susan Storm (First Half of ‘05 Movies). I compared her to Kirsten Dunst (who I called Cameron Diaz), which was probably a mistake because Kirsten played Mary Jane, a high school sweetheart, while Jessica Alba is supposed to be a believable . . . scientist. She really isn’t. Which I suppose is why they reduced Susan Storm’s character into little more than Von Doom’s secretary. It works for Alba, since she doesn’t have to play a part that simply isn’t in her nature (Tara Reid in Alone in the Dark, anyone?) but to be honest it ruins an intelligent female role that wouldn’t have had to have been revised if it was played by someone who could properly play the character of Sue Storm as she is. Women will probably be offended by it, but the movie’s main viewer demographic, teenage and college-age comic book geeks (like myself) will just be ogling Alba in her skintight blue outfit. Chris Evans was entertaining as Johnny Storm - if a thoroughly unlikable character - and played the ‘little brother’ role pretty well. Ioan Gruffudd – who played Lancelot in King Arthur (crappy movie) so you’ve probably never heard of him – played Reed fairly well. And Michael Chiklis did a wonderfully angsty Ben Grimm who has to cope with suddenly becoming a freak. Together, even at the end of the film, they never really feel like the family that the Fantastic Four have always been, they do make a good (if sometimes lackluster) team.

So what have we learned? Well, nothing really. This was a good summer movie, even if it doesn’t stack up to Spider-Man or X-Men, it’s decent in its own right. It’s at least better than Daredevil and its spin-off ‘Hey let’s put Elektra in a prostitute’s costume’. But if Marvel wanted to send out someone to battle Batman, Spider-Man or X-Men 3 might have been more appropriate, because in the fight for super-hero supremacy, Marvel just got its arse handed to it, this summer.