See Rule #7
All of us want to relax and enjoy these cold wintery mornings bundled up in our nice warm beds sleeping the bitter days away. Too bad, because we all know with the holidays coming and family visiting, that isn’t going to happen.
We bet you just can’t wait for your evil, tan, cousin from Florida to come and wake you up at 4 a.m. to see the presents from Santa! Well, if that’s not the case, keep reading: we can surely help you out.
Stuck indoors for the holidays with family and is-that-person-really-related-to-me? relatives this season? Here are the top five must-see Christmas movies to help fill your heart with that, er, loving Christmas-time spirit, and to perhaps help distract you from all the festive nonsense that you would really only rather see on TV. From sleigh bells to Schwarzenegger, you will probably have heard of many of these films (unless you have been living beneath an enormous snowdrift) but here’s why we think each one is better and more slightly entertaining than that man-who-is-apparently-your-second-cousin guy telling a story in the living room.
Jingle All The Way
Famous Quote: “It’s Turbo time!”
A personal favorite, Jingle All The Way stars Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Howard Langston, a distracted father whose last chance for redemption lies in obtaining the hot-item action figure, Turbo Man, on the eve of Christmas. Schwarzenegger’s last comedy film, this is a cult classic for any fan of both Christmas and the Governator.
Just as a forewarning, this review contains in-detail spoilers for the newest, next-to-last addition to the film franchise that is Harry Potter. So if you have not seen it and ever so desire to view it at some point, please don’t bother reading this article. No one, particularly me, wants to hear you complain that some jerk on the Internet ruined The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and now you can never, ever watch it. You have been warned.
To be honest, this review is a case of nerd rage about the plot holes, over-extended or changed scenes and other aspects that are presented in The Deathly Hallows. For anyone who has a chance to read the book, the tweaks and adjustments are as obvious as a bludger flying at your in the face. And if you have not noticed those things, then please let me inform you of these annoyances.
After a devastating one point loss (to Sewickley in the Class A finals) last March, Lincoln Park’s Leopards are looking forward to a roaring outcome this basketball season.
While recently speaking with athletic director Mike Bariski, I was able to unravel some of the secrets to the success in the new 2010-2011 season. Despite the disappointing end of the previous season, the Leopards plan to wipe their slate clean and slowly but gradually reach their ultimate goal: to win the WPIAL and PIAA championship. “We obviously have to look at the small picture then the big picture and take it one game at a time,” says Bariski.
Although they are planning to start fresh, Coach Mark Javens’ team has four returning starters and a total of eight returning lettermen. The returning starters are led by Class A All-Stater Chaquille Pratt and second team All State selection Devontae Watson. They are joined by senior guards Alex Kross and Kyle Taylor
Like many All Time Low fans, I’ve been very curious about the Baltimore band’s fourth album, Dirty Work. And recently, I had the chance to hear some of the tracks, at an exclusive meet-and-greet listening party for members of the group’s official fan club, “The Hustler Club.”
The party took place at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, prior to a gig. There were about 10 fans participating, and Matt Collusy, All Time Low’s assistant, was in charge of song selection and keeping everyone together. As all the fans attending the party entered, everyone received their own pair of headphones to listen to the new songs.
Not the party-rap album of the year, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is a continuation of Kid Cudi’s cross-genre brand of deeper, darker hip-hop. On his sophomore release, the Cleveland native plays little with his style, sticking to the melancholy, lonely delivery that gained him popularity on his 2009 debut, with songs such as the major hit “Day ‘n’ Nite.”
With few light moments, listening to the album as a whole causes Kid Cudi’s own somber mood to rub off. That said, though, there are several songs of note, including “Scott Mescudi vs. the World,” featuring Cee-Lo; the title track, “Mr. Rager,” and offical first single “Erase Me,” which has a guest appearance by Kanye West.
But in the future, Kid Cudi might want to remember to include some relief from thoughts of suicide and insanity — his mind seems like too somber a place to be trapped in for a whole album. Out of all the drugs Kid Cudi references, the one he fails to mention is the one he probably needs the most: some sort of antidepressant.
–Logan Thomas
Siren Music Reviewer
It’s the beginning of that time of year for holidays and celebration. It’s also the time that the annual Tri-State Musical is held at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. And this year’s musical, Annie, is a holiday favorite.
The Tri-State Musical is highly competitive for students in and around the area. This cast of 33, ages 9 to18, put together “Annie” in only six weeks — a similar rehearsal time frame to that used in professional theater.
But the rehearsals were not the only professional feature about Annie, which features 12-year-old M. Shae Cogley of Butler, Pa. as the famous orphan. An in-demand set from Tennessee was brought to Lincoln Park to add to the show’s authenticity.
