The Most Anticipated “Stuff” of 2012
By: Kirsten Gopie
Whether it’s on the big screen, small screen, or that addictive portable pocket screen (I’m talking to you, iPhone) – a great deal more than the apocalypse is set to arrive in 2012. So crack your knuckles and pass the popcorn as we explore the years most anticipated items.
Although I’m practically a stranger when it comes to this multi-billion dollar industry, from what I gather, there are a handful of to-be-released sequels that continue to lead the pack. Nabbing the #1 spot on multiple forums was BioShock: Infinite – which sees its original designer Ken Levine return for the third installment. Among the other buzz worthy sequels were Halo 4, Assassins Creed III, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Call of Duty 9. Sadly, the days of Mario and Luigi have long passed, and not even my Ocarina can bring them back.
Now speaking of movies – which is in fact something I love to do – I am pleased to inform you that 2012 holds an arsenal of blockbusters, most consisting of fantasy or superhero elements. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the long awaited prequel that sees Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) embark on a quest to reclaim a stolen treasure. Tapping into the myriad Lord of the Rings fan base, this epic is almost guaranteed to be a financial success. The Amazing Spider-Man gives the popular franchise a facelift with its new young stars Andrew Garfield, in the title role, and Emma Stone, as his counterpart Mary Jane while The Avengers boasts the long-awaited, never-before-seen pairing of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk – and in 3D, it promises to be just as epic as it is random. And speaking of epic, random movies – Disney’s first animated feature receives a stylized revamp in Rupert Sander’s Snow White and the Huntsman. The promising trailer pairs the ready-for-battle Snow White (Kristen Stewart) against the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) in what is easily the most anticipated fantasy film of the year. Stewart’s second film, the final instalment of the Twilight series, hypes more drama as the Cullen’s strive to protect the hybrid human-vampire child of Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Stewart) from the wicked Volturi. But while Twi-hards long for their fix of Jacob and Edward, I – like so many others – await the day when, after the release of Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the phenomena will finally wither away. However teenage moviegoers may have something new to obsess about: The Hunger Games. And while it’s no Harry Potter, it boasts action and drama in post-apocalyptic America as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) fights for her life in an annual televised event. The Hunger Games is well on its way to becoming the next blockbuster franchise, but it wasn’t quite enough to nab the number one spot. The long-await last installment of the brilliant crime saga, and follow-up to arguably the greatest superhero movie of all time, hits theatres this summer. Being a huge Christopher Nolan fan, I can tell you I’m more than excited for – you guessed it – The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan’s original script see’s Christian Bale reprises his role as Batman, who must return to salvage Gotham from terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) and his following. The impressive cast of Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman combined with Nolan’s multileveled screenplays and a 3D and IMAX experience make The Dark Knight Rises this year’s must-see motion picture. Gotham will fall, a hero will rise, and the legend will end – mark your calendars.
The silver screen is dominated by a trend of endings and beginnings this year – a pattern that is echoed by the not-to-be-forgotten small screen gems. This year marks the beginnings of promising sitcoms, beefy dramas and intellectual thrillers – all buzz-worthy, and steadily approaching. Fringe creator J.J.Abrams returns with Alcatraz, the thrilling new drama that has a motley group of investigators tracking supernatural criminals who have transported from Alcatraz’s 1960 prison to present day America. If that plot wasn’t complicated enough, let me throw you another – it centres a detective (Jason Isaacs), who after a devastating car crash with his wife and son, alternates between two realities. In one, only he and his wife survived; in the second, only his son remains, breathing with him. This is Awake – a bit of Fringe, a hint of Inception, and an astronomical amount of confusion. In contrast, Warwick Davis’s creation Life’s Too Short (Ironic, yet intentional) is an unconventional sitcom in the style of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Co-creators Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais (Think: The Golden Globes) are sure to deliver laughs as the trio attempts to reignite Davis’s movie career. Charlie Sheen’s bittersweet return to the small screen can be attributed to the ambivalent comedy Anger Management. But let’s face it; this could go one of two ways: It could thrive with help from Sheen’s loyal Two and a Half Men fan base, or crash and burn in a violent torpedo, just as his tour did – only time will tell. Next up, American Horror Story – and while co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy refuse to spill details about the upcoming season, they have made clear their vision of a long compilation-like series, with each year reserved for a new story. Brilliant, why didn’t anyone else think of that? Lastly, an untitled production shoved under the label of “talk-show” promises to deliver the hysterics with help from controversial host Russell Brand. You heard right – this improvisational, unstructured twist on the conventional late night show is coming to your television sooner than you think. In fact, if Brand plays his cards right, the show could very well secure a younger audience, revolutionize late-night television, and make Brand a household name synonymous with success – not obnoxious, drunken British idiot. We are nearing the end, my friends. And no, I’m not talking apocalypse. As a multitude of items hit the shelf and the screens this year, there stands something for everyone to anticipate. Do we need these things? No – but entertainment (perhaps you’ve heard of it) is a little industry that thrives in North America. And let’s face it, if there’s one thing we teenagers know to a tee: it’s “stuff”.
Students Revolt Creatively
Last week at Park Street Collegiate Institute in Orillia, a small group of teenagers refused to do their work after insisting that it did not challenge their creative minds. The group complained about dry, boring work that left them tired and depressed and claimed that the school system repressed their artistic and creative lifestyles. Instead of completing their work they clustered in their school library and began to write and draw to express their unlimited imaginative minds.
The teachers were amazed at the sudden revolt but some admit that they saw it coming. “It was only a matter of time,” claims English and Writers Craft teacher, Mr. Johnston. “You can only tell them ‘no’ so much before they stand up to you. This generation amazes me, they have so much talent. I’m secretly thrilled that they are expressing themselves and setting a creative example for other students everywhere.”
After a full week of refusing to do anything that dampened their artistic expressions, the students had all produced at least four pages of amazing, purely original works of art. To show their work off to the world as one unit they chose to collaborate it all into a magazine which is currently in the hands of their encourager, Mr. Johnston.
The magazine, Our Creative Expressions, is a memorable read for all ages. The most attached to it are other teenagers who feel empowered by the strong creative writing from people of their own age.
Ms. Kingston from the Center of Neurobiology In Young Teens tells us, “Teenagers need to express themselves, whether is challenging authority, dressing differently or painting a picture, they have to let their emotions out.”
Ms. Kingston explained that adults who develop midlife crisis or depression later on in life are proven to not have expressed themselves as teenagers and are dealing with an explosion of emotion that they don’t know how to release.
“It’s great these kids are doing this. It really shows us, as adults, that we expect too much of our children sometimes and the most important thing is to let them be creative and to discover who they are through artistic outlets.”
The magazine is to be released to the public sometime in February. It contains all of the work of the students involved, including writing, pictures and fun little games.
-ToriThe Death of Written Word
The Scourge of Electronic Books
By: Courtney Fletcher
With new technology come many advances in the way in which we live our lives. Perhaps it can be argued that the piece of technology that has most altered the literary world is that of electronic-books. The likes of Kobo Reader®, Kindel® and many others are seemingly replacing the need for tangible copies of books and novels. Recently there was a video made showcasing the bookstore, “Type”, at 833 Queens Street West, Toronto, Ontario. The creator Sean Ohlenkamp created the video, “The Joy of Books”, to showcase the books used in stop animation. The message at the end of the video is on the cover of one of the animated books, “There is nothing like a real book.” This writer is inclined to agree.
What do the masses think about this radical new shift toward Electronic Books? What do the people think about the closures of bookstores and libraries due to disinterest? This writer asked two students, both the age of eighteen about the state of the written word. Virgina Waterson and Kate Hillard’s answers differed in certain areas, but both are valuable insight into the issue:
Fletcher― Electronic-readers, such as the Kobo Reader®, have become very popular, what do you think of virtual books?
Virgina Waterson― I think they are okay for people, if that suits them but for myself...I don’t like them.
Kate Hillard― [Electronic readers are] useful if you travel a lot, but if you are not traveling. They’re cheaper, but I don’t buy books.
Electronic-books, could they replace real, tangible books?
Waterson― I hope not. I like looking at them [books] on the shelf. I like having a physical copy of each book I have read. I find them [books] easier to read.
Hillard- I certainly hope not. As useful as virtual books are, nothing beats a book with pages.
Were you aware of the recent closures of many libraries and bookstores?
Waterson- Yes.
Hillard- No.
Do you believe that electronic books are the cause?
Waterson- Maybe, maybe more so computers [are the cause]. With computers there is a disinterest in books and people don’t want to buy them [books].
Hillard- Partly yes, and partly people’s short attention spans mean that they can’t read books.
There is a sense that Electronic books are much harder for a person to read. Eye strain is a constant concern for any avid reader. Perhaps, despite the constant claims by companies that the electronic book readers are easy to read, this is nothing more than a marketing campaign. Most of us know how taxing it can be to deal with the glare from computer screens; then electronic-readers could be just as hard on your eyes.
What about the costs of books? Granted the cost of electronic versions of books are cheaper than buying the actual tangible copies. The initial outrageous costs of the electronic-readers are then justified by the small cost of the actual books being stored within the hard-drive. One question: When have you heard of paper crashing? When that electronic-reader breaks down-like the old “Pinto” we know it is-the costs would be enormous to replace the reader and all of the lost books. This is just something to think about when the aliens invade and destroy our electronics.
Now, what about the very nature of real books? There is the crisp smell that fills your senses as you inhale not only the scent of the pages but the anticipation of what awaits you in the words on the paper. Then there is the coarse yet smooth texture of the pages turning to the whim of your mind and your fingers grazing the pages. The real book that you read then is placed on your shelf, a reminder that you loved a piece of writing and something that someone else created for you to enjoy.
Best of all, a real book is a piece of the one who reads it. The pages are worn down by how many times you journeyed inside the books pages again. You can look upon the book sitting on a shelf and see the person who first enjoyed it, when you discovered what the writer created, the world you inhabit. A real book is a time capsule, a small fragment of your life. The pages are someplace safe to go when the real world is bearing down upon you.
I can rant that electronic-books are the end of literature, as I see it. The point is if you cannot feel what you are reading, how can you truly read it at all?
-Courtney
