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Pharos readers, in honor of Easter, we post for you a clip from Martin Scorsese's 1988 film "The Last Temptation of Christ." In the third act of the movie, Jesus hangs on the cross and has a vision, a vision of his life to be if he continues living and does not make the sacrifice. In the scene below, Jesus runs into Paul, played by the always-wonderful Harry Dean Stanton, and the two men have a wonderful conversation about the necessity of religion.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Come out to Read Aloud!
By Jeff Webb
In an effort to increase volunteerism and literacy, Upshur County Read Aloud is hosting two training sessions today, January 28th, for anybody interested in participating in the program. The first session will be held at 11AM in Martin Religious Center, and the second session will be held at 3PM at Stockert Youth Center in Buckhannon. Anybody is welcome to attend.
Sarah Wilkinson, Americorps VISTA, literacy and tutoring coordinator, urged for anybody who has a desire to work with students and young children to come out to the training. Read Aloud will teach participants how to read in an engaging and entertaining manner, hopefully resulting in allowing Read Aloud volunteers opportunities to read in schools and interact with children.
Wilkinson encouraged such people as education majors and any campus groups looking for philanthropy projects to consider coming out to the training.
Those that complete the training will receive a card that shows they have the necessary skills for effective reading aloud activities.
Leann Brown, Director of Community Engagement and Leadership Development, also encouraged people to volunteer for Read Aloud just for the simple reason of “reading great books to children and seeing their excitement.”
If you have any further questions or would like to know how to get involved, you may contact Wilkinson at Stockert Youth Center at 304-473-0145, and you may also visit Wesleyan’s Center for Community Engagement.
In an effort to increase volunteerism and literacy, Upshur County Read Aloud is hosting two training sessions today, January 28th, for anybody interested in participating in the program. The first session will be held at 11AM in Martin Religious Center, and the second session will be held at 3PM at Stockert Youth Center in Buckhannon. Anybody is welcome to attend.
Sarah Wilkinson, Americorps VISTA, literacy and tutoring coordinator, urged for anybody who has a desire to work with students and young children to come out to the training. Read Aloud will teach participants how to read in an engaging and entertaining manner, hopefully resulting in allowing Read Aloud volunteers opportunities to read in schools and interact with children.
Wilkinson encouraged such people as education majors and any campus groups looking for philanthropy projects to consider coming out to the training.
Those that complete the training will receive a card that shows they have the necessary skills for effective reading aloud activities.
Leann Brown, Director of Community Engagement and Leadership Development, also encouraged people to volunteer for Read Aloud just for the simple reason of “reading great books to children and seeing their excitement.”
If you have any further questions or would like to know how to get involved, you may contact Wilkinson at Stockert Youth Center at 304-473-0145, and you may also visit Wesleyan’s Center for Community Engagement.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Top Ten Films of 2009
By Jeff Webb
Okay: we're now 25 days into 2010, and, with the exception of a few stragglers here and there, I feel confident that I've seen the majority of critically-acclaimed film releases from 2009. With that in mind, acting as the Pharos' resident critic, I give you my top ten films of 2009, as listed below. Feel free to leave a comment if you disagree or if you would like to express your own top 10.
1. Inglourious Basterds: It's not Pulp Fiction, but it's Tarantino's second best film. Completely complex in both technique and theme. Nothing short of a masterpiece.
2. A Serious Man: One of the best movie endings ever. Leaves one speechless.
3. The Hurt Locker: Speaking of endings....Jeremy Renner gives what was, to this critic, the best male performance of the year (note: I have yet to see Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, so that opinion might change).
4. Up in the Air: Possibly Clooney's best acting. A heartfelt, tragicomedy about love and the meaning of home.
5. The Road: It's not the book, but, then again, it's not really right to compare. Director Hillcoat creates the perfect atmosphere, anchored by Nick Cave's score and Viggo Mortensen's egoless performance.
6. Public Enemies: An old-school gangster movie produced with today's technology and tenacity. The car chase sequence is, perhaps, the best action sequence of the year.
7. Drag Me to Hell: Fun. That is all.
8. Funny People: Just as Mickey Rourke was perfectly matched for Randy "The Ram," so is Sandler perfectly matched for George Simmons. Great, great role, full of melancholy and regret. And a mature, grown-up directing/writing effort by Apatow.
9. Avatar: It lacked in the story department, but the visuals and acting more than made up for it. A great time at the cinema.
10. Precious: Completely engaging. Not one false note; everything felt so real.
So, there it is. That's my top 10 of 2009. Do you agree? Disagree? What would you add? Let us know by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Okay: we're now 25 days into 2010, and, with the exception of a few stragglers here and there, I feel confident that I've seen the majority of critically-acclaimed film releases from 2009. With that in mind, acting as the Pharos' resident critic, I give you my top ten films of 2009, as listed below. Feel free to leave a comment if you disagree or if you would like to express your own top 10.
1. Inglourious Basterds: It's not Pulp Fiction, but it's Tarantino's second best film. Completely complex in both technique and theme. Nothing short of a masterpiece.
2. A Serious Man: One of the best movie endings ever. Leaves one speechless.
3. The Hurt Locker: Speaking of endings....Jeremy Renner gives what was, to this critic, the best male performance of the year (note: I have yet to see Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, so that opinion might change).
4. Up in the Air: Possibly Clooney's best acting. A heartfelt, tragicomedy about love and the meaning of home.
5. The Road: It's not the book, but, then again, it's not really right to compare. Director Hillcoat creates the perfect atmosphere, anchored by Nick Cave's score and Viggo Mortensen's egoless performance.
6. Public Enemies: An old-school gangster movie produced with today's technology and tenacity. The car chase sequence is, perhaps, the best action sequence of the year.
7. Drag Me to Hell: Fun. That is all.
8. Funny People: Just as Mickey Rourke was perfectly matched for Randy "The Ram," so is Sandler perfectly matched for George Simmons. Great, great role, full of melancholy and regret. And a mature, grown-up directing/writing effort by Apatow.
9. Avatar: It lacked in the story department, but the visuals and acting more than made up for it. A great time at the cinema.
10. Precious: Completely engaging. Not one false note; everything felt so real.
So, there it is. That's my top 10 of 2009. Do you agree? Disagree? What would you add? Let us know by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Friday, January 08, 2010
I Admire Your Pictures Very Much
A Review of "Up in the Air"
By Jeff Webb
Do you know anybody with an iPhone? Or a Blackberry, for that matter? These people walk around, constantly playing with their phones, checking their Facebook walls and Twitter posts. They know what everybody is doing every second of their day, from what store their best friend is shopping at to what their favorite athlete is eating for lunch. It is a technology obsessed culture, one where people communicate more through text message than face-to-face meeting.
Such interaction, understandably, can lead to loneliness, a craving for something real, and this is the story of director Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air.” George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who spends his life traveling from city to city, all for his job. That job is, fittingly, a termination specialist, someone who is contracted out to companies to come in and fire employees. It is a position that conditions him to not have connections. He must remain detached in his firing, and, because of his constant travel, he must remain detached from his home.
Bingham is someone who does not want human connection. Like last year’s Randy the Ram from “The Wrestler,” Bingham is a man who escapes in his work. However, instead of retreating to a fantasy world of the ring, he, instead, runs away from reality by isolating himself in airplanes and bars and motel rooms. Human connection brings responsibility and disappointment. Lovers leave, people die, etc. It is understandable someone might want to leave all this, and that’s what Bingham does, but, in so doing, one must realize something else. You may escape the burden of relationships, but you cannot escape loneliness. “Life,” as Bingham comes to acknowledge, “needs company.”
Clooney brings a desperateness to the role that he has shown perhaps only once before, in 2005’s “Syriana.” Bingham goes from a confident loner to someone who wants, so terribly, a meaningful relationship, and it tugs on the heartstrings to watch as he simply ends up jaded. The fast-paced world of the 21st century cannot allow him to form that connection. This is what he must come to realize, and Clooney plays it wonderfully, allowing himself to shed his cocksure image and achieve something much more everyman, something real and honest manifest in Bingham’s sadness.
Vera Farmiga plays Bingham’s love interest, and, while Farmiga is a wonderful actress, she feels a little underused and isn’t given much to work with. Anna Kendrick, however, who play’s Bingham’s young apprentice, is given the meatier of the female roles, allowing Kendrick to undergo a similar transformation in character to Clooney, from confident to jaded. She does so wonderfully.
“Up in the Air” will probably win Best Picture at the Oscars. It is not the best film of the year, in the opinion of this critic, but it is a great film, and it would be deserving of the title. Reitman delivers a strong script with fast dialogue, and there doesn’t seem a false note in performances. The story is somewhat Capraesque, but there is also a turn for the tragic, resulting in something much more like Cassavetes. It is that tragedy, that loneliness in the world, that resonates with viewers and makes the film special. The film, then, may look modern with its emphasis on technology, but its themes are something eternal. Something real.
By Jeff Webb
Do you know anybody with an iPhone? Or a Blackberry, for that matter? These people walk around, constantly playing with their phones, checking their Facebook walls and Twitter posts. They know what everybody is doing every second of their day, from what store their best friend is shopping at to what their favorite athlete is eating for lunch. It is a technology obsessed culture, one where people communicate more through text message than face-to-face meeting.
Such interaction, understandably, can lead to loneliness, a craving for something real, and this is the story of director Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air.” George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who spends his life traveling from city to city, all for his job. That job is, fittingly, a termination specialist, someone who is contracted out to companies to come in and fire employees. It is a position that conditions him to not have connections. He must remain detached in his firing, and, because of his constant travel, he must remain detached from his home.
Bingham is someone who does not want human connection. Like last year’s Randy the Ram from “The Wrestler,” Bingham is a man who escapes in his work. However, instead of retreating to a fantasy world of the ring, he, instead, runs away from reality by isolating himself in airplanes and bars and motel rooms. Human connection brings responsibility and disappointment. Lovers leave, people die, etc. It is understandable someone might want to leave all this, and that’s what Bingham does, but, in so doing, one must realize something else. You may escape the burden of relationships, but you cannot escape loneliness. “Life,” as Bingham comes to acknowledge, “needs company.”
Clooney brings a desperateness to the role that he has shown perhaps only once before, in 2005’s “Syriana.” Bingham goes from a confident loner to someone who wants, so terribly, a meaningful relationship, and it tugs on the heartstrings to watch as he simply ends up jaded. The fast-paced world of the 21st century cannot allow him to form that connection. This is what he must come to realize, and Clooney plays it wonderfully, allowing himself to shed his cocksure image and achieve something much more everyman, something real and honest manifest in Bingham’s sadness.
Vera Farmiga plays Bingham’s love interest, and, while Farmiga is a wonderful actress, she feels a little underused and isn’t given much to work with. Anna Kendrick, however, who play’s Bingham’s young apprentice, is given the meatier of the female roles, allowing Kendrick to undergo a similar transformation in character to Clooney, from confident to jaded. She does so wonderfully.
“Up in the Air” will probably win Best Picture at the Oscars. It is not the best film of the year, in the opinion of this critic, but it is a great film, and it would be deserving of the title. Reitman delivers a strong script with fast dialogue, and there doesn’t seem a false note in performances. The story is somewhat Capraesque, but there is also a turn for the tragic, resulting in something much more like Cassavetes. It is that tragedy, that loneliness in the world, that resonates with viewers and makes the film special. The film, then, may look modern with its emphasis on technology, but its themes are something eternal. Something real.
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