Green Dublin Apple Cocktail

2 oz Michael Collins Irish whiskey

1 oz sour apple schnapps

2 oz white cranberry juice

Preparation:

Add all three ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

Add ice, shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with a fresh apple slice.

*Recipe obtained from Cocktails.about.com

Irish Coffee

2 1/2 oz strong, hot coffee

1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey

1 tsp brown sugar

1 oz whipping cream

Preparation:

Pour the coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar into an Irish coffee glass or mug.

Stir well.

Float the cream on top.

*Recipe obtained from Cocktails.about.com

Irish Eyes

1 oz Irish whiskey

1/4 oz green crème de menthe

2 oz cream

maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

Shake well.

Strain into an old-fashioned glass.

Garnish with the maraschino cherry.

*Recipe obtained from Cocktails.about.com

Irish Jack Rose

1 oz Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey

1/2 oz Calvados

1/2 oz Fresh lime juice

1/2 oz Grenadine

PREPARATION

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

*Recipe obtained from Liquor.com

Gaelic Flip

1 and 1/4 oz Bushmills Irish Whiskey

1 oz Sweet vermouth

1 tsp Allspice liqueur

1/3 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)

1 egg

PREPARATION

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and dry shake (without ice) to emulsify. Fill with ice and shake again. Strain into an Irish coffee mug or rocks glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.

*Recipe obtained from Liquor.com

The Brotherhood

1 and 1/2 oz Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey

3/4 oz Grand Marnier

3/4 oz Bénédictine

3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the top and drop into the drink.

*Recipe obtained from Liquor.com

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Bohannon

Bounding into theaters on a wave of hype, Andrew Stanton’s “John Carter” is a rousing adventure tale the likes of which can only come from old-school, sci-fi pulps.

John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a post-Civil War era confederate cavalryman from Virginia who’s grown tired of war. But when he manages to accidentally transport to Mars – or “barsoom,” as the natives call it – he becomes caught up in an entirely new war.

Almost immediately after arriving on Mars, Carter is taken in by the nomadic green aliens known as the Tharks, led by Tars Tarkus (Willem Dafoe). While hiding out with the Tharks, he finds out about the two warring human cities on Mars, Helium and Zodanga.

He becomes caught up in their war after he saves princess Dejah Thoris of Helium (Lynn Collins). The war weary soldier must face down Tharks, Zodangan warriors, giant white apes and ancient aliens known as the Thern in order to save Mars and return home.

For anyone who thinks that this sounds eerily similar to “Avatar” or other such movies, there’s a reason for that. The original stories that “John Carter” is based on were written almost 100 years ago by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and they’ve helped inspire science fiction ever since.

In true blockbuster fashion, “John Carter” doesn’t offer up a great deal when it comes to truly good dramatic acting, but with all the explosions and fights and special effects, do you really need Oscar-winning performances? That’s not to say that none of the actors do a good job, in fact, most of them do quite well.

Kitsch plays the hero role well, managing to bring some depth to Carter. Mark Strong is perfect as the villainous shape-shifting Thern Matai Shang. Collins brings the fiery princess to life in every scene, whether she’s fighting alongside Carter or getting excited about ancient technology.

The special effects also deserve a little attention. This isn’t the Mars we know it to be – it’s Barsoom, a living planet with vibrant scenery and very real inhabitants. Most of the inhabitants of Barsoom look human enough, but the Tharks help remind us that we aren’t on Earth anymore. Standing 10 feet tall with four arms, green skin and tusks, the Tharks are an imposing presence on the screen. The combat scenes are thrilling and brutal, especially in scenes where Carter gets to show off the extreme strength and jumping ability that Barsoom’s low gravity grants him.

Despite its poor box office showing, “John Carter” is worth a view. If you’re looking for a great adventure flick to watch over spring break, look no further.

4 out of 5

Luke Bohannon

Bohannon

With an all-star cast of voices, brilliant visuals and a great message, “The Lorax” is an entertaining return to a classic Dr. Seuss tale.

Ted (Zac Efron) is a young boy who’s searching for the one thing – a tree – that will help him win the affections of Audrey (Taylor Swift). But in the town of Thneed-ville, everything is artificial, and all the trees are long gone, or so it seems.

Ted travels outside of the walled city at the suggestion of his Grammy Norma (Betty White) to find the Once-ler (Ed Helms), an old hermit. The Once-ler agrees to tell Ted the story of what happened to the trees if he continues to visit him, which Ted agrees to even after he is confronted by the mayor of Thneed-ville, Mr. O’ Hare (Rob Riggle), who tells him he can’t go outside the city.

Over the course of the visits, Ted learns the story of the Lorax (Danny Devito), a small orange creature who fights to protect the environment. The Once-ler eventually gives Ted the last Truffula tree seed and Ted becomes determined to plant the seed in the middle of town to help remind the people of Thneed-ville about the importance of the environment.

The voice casting for “The Lorax” is perfect, with Devito probably being the most entertaining choice. He provides the voice for the titular Lorax and helps imbue the character with loads of energy and comedy. Riggle does a great job as the antagonistic mayor. But with such a huge cast of big names from the entertainment industry, the movie didn’t really impress me as much as I’d hoped it would’ve.

The musical numbers, while slightly catchy, are mostly forgettable. Perhaps the most disappointing part of the film was the almost total absence of the original lilting rhymes from the book. While it would be difficult and probably weird to have the same style from the original story in a full length movie, I still would’ve appreciated a little bit more of it in the script.

The visuals weren’t exactly stunning, but they did manage to pop off the screen with some vibrancy and quite a bit of color. The stark contrast between the painfully artificial Thneed-ville and the barren wasteland that lay beyond its borders helped to reinforce the underlying message of environmental conservation. This apocalyptic wasteland and the journeys that Ted has in it help to show the strengths of the 3D animation.

When it comes to films about the environment, it’s very easy to start preaching at the audience through the script, but “The Lorax” manages to avoid this pitfall. While the underlying message of Nature v. Business is loud and clear, it’s not presented in an annoying way.

With a worthwhile story, decent humor and vibrant visuals, “The Lorax” is an entertaining family film that won’t disappoint audiences of any age.

4 out of 5 reels

Luke Bohannon

“We thought it would be cool to bring everyone together to do something fun and exciting that we hoped everyone would love to do,” said Chastity Wadley, junior marketing major and publicity chair for BSU. “Karaoke was at the top of the list when we talked about things that we could do that are different from the norm and something that would bring people out to have fun and step out of their comfort zones.”

Wadley said that the idea for karaoke came almost entirely from Jamarious Wicker, junior theater major, and that they wanted to do something theatrical and fun for BSU.

Wicker said that the idea was inspired by a combination of loving karaoke, singing in his room and having fun without caring what people think.

“We started talking about this about a month ago, and from there it was just trying to find a karaoke person, which we finally found, and then someone let us borrow the equipment,” Wicker said. “So we kind of pulled it together ourselves and tried to make it work, which we were able to do, so that was a success.”

The event started with a short video entitled “A Little Elevator Music,” which summed up Wicker’s inspiration for Karaoke LIVE. In the video, Wicker gets trapped in an elevator for several hours with another guy. Over the course of that time, Wicker sings different songs, each getting more intense than the last, until, finally, the elevator is fixed and the other guy walks out singing as well.

After the video, Wicker kicked off the karaoke by singing and dancing to Tina Turner’s “Rollin’ On the River,” complete with slacks and show jacket.

Among the songs sang that night were hits such as Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song” sung by Mike Stack, senior marketing major, “Tic Toc” by Kesha sung by Wadley and “ET” by Katy Perry sung by Rachel Cook, freshman undecided and Kayla Dugan, junior English major.

“(Singing) was fun,” Dugan said. “No one judged anyone and we could just get up there, whether we messed up or not, and just have a good time and rock it out up on stage.”

Dugan said that she would definitely recommend Karaoke LIVE to other students and that it was a good idea.

Khaili Scarbrough

“We thought that (these acts) would have a broad appeal and especially with Kenya Safari Acrobats, we felt like it was a family show that would appeal to both young and old and that it really had a unique cultural element to it that we thought could bring some entertainment as well as education to our community,” said Melissa Windsor, executive director of EAC.

Windsor said that Black Violin is something unique and different that will appeal to a younger audience that EAC is not always able to reach.

“(They) are showing people that traditional musical instruments can be played in non-traditional ways,” Winsor said. “I think that it is a great opportunity for us to enrich our lives and expose people to something new and different.”

Will Hohmeier, EAC marketing assistant, said that Black Violin combines classical skills with a modern, DJ or Hip Hop mix to create their own unique sound.

“With Black Violin, ESU has been very helpful and we are really thrilled to have UAC as a part of our sponsors,” Windsor said. “They will be helping us get the word out and spread the news that we have a great concert coming up.”

EAC is offering students free tickets for both acts that are available at the ID office in the Memorial Union. There are 150 tickets for Black Violin and 50 for Kenya Safari Acrobats.

“I think that students are going to be surprised because the quality is top notch,” Windsor said. “They are going to see professionals of the performing arts. It will broaden their experiences. I think that overall it is a wonderful way to get a different perspective on the world.”

Windsor said that the arts really opens doors to new experiences and it is really important that people continue to be open. She thinks that acts such as these will help Emporia to draw new businesses, people and students.

“I think that bringing more culturally diverse shows to Emporia is a great idea because it keeps things interesting,” said Sarah Williams, sophomore elementary education major. “New and different experiences help to draw people out of their homes into something fun.”

After the shows there will be educational outreach opportunities for youth to learn more about the performances and the artists. Students from Riverside Elementary and William Allen White Elementary will get the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the Kenya Safari Acrobats.

Khaili Scarbrough

“Act of Valor” tells the story of a team of Navy Seals – played by actual active duty Navy Seals – who start the movie off by tracking down and rescuing a CIA operative who’s been kidnapped by a shady group of terrorists. A phone found during the rescue leads the group to a terrorist plot to use a new type of undetectable exploding vest to attack America. From there it’s a race against time to find the men in charge of the operation and stop the vests and those determined to use them from reaching the United States.

The main message of this movie seems to be that Seals are awesome. One of the coolest moments of the movie is one that has made its way into most of the trailers as well. One of the Seals snipes a man standing on a dock who then falls onto a pair of hands waiting to draw him underwater in silence. This movie is filled with moments like that, but never do you get the feeling that anything is being exaggerated when it comes to tactics. Aside from a couple of “lucky” moments, including a dud rocket, the whole movie is incredibly realistic in terms of the combat presented and the tactics being used by the soldiers.

But where the Seals bring believable action to the screen, their awkward line readings and stilted dialogue leave a great deal to be desired. That being said, I have to say that I really wasn’t expecting Oscar worthy dialogue for this film. If the filmmakers wanted the dialogue to be perfect, they would have used actors. So while it’s painfully obvious that these Seals haven’t received extensive acting lessons, it can be forgiven, considering that instead of said acting lessons, they were learning the actual combat tactics we see used in the film.

“Act of Valor” is also swimming in clichés. We start off learning that one of the two main characters is a soon-to-be a dad, and, of course, his buddy has to constantly give him crap and tell everyone about it.

Although it started off as an ambitious project, “Act of Valor” comes out as a pretty average action movie with a few interesting aspects. The use of actual Seals adds a little something else to the film, but not enough to boost it beyond the realm of your run of the mill action flick. Military buffs and action fans will love this film, so if you happen to be one of those, check it out.

3 of 5 reels

Luke Bohannon

Denzel Washington plays the shadowy and epically named Tobin Frost, a former CIA agent who goes rogue and starts selling secrets. When Frost walks into an American consulate in South Africa, he’s taken to a nearby safe house, which is overseen by Mathew Weston (Ryan Reynolds).

A group of mercenaries attack the safe house, forcing Weston to escape with Frost. What follows is a choppy and predictable romp through South Africa as Weston tries to keep Frost from escaping while also trying to stay alive and prove himself to his superiors.

Like any espionage thriller, “Safe House” has a few twists, but they’re all so very predictable that it takes all the fun out of it. If you’ve seen any spy movie before, you’ve seen “Safe House.” Even Denzel seems to get bored as the movie goes on. When we first meet Frost, he has a mischievous gleam in his eye, but by the end, he just seems bored and tired of the events unfolding.

Frost is one of the more poorly used characters that I’ve seen in a while. When I first saw a preview that showed Denzel playing a rogue CIA agent with a knack for mental manipulation, I immediately started looking forward to it, but by the end of the film, I realized that Frost barely did anything to make us believe that he was as much of a threat as he was supposed to be. Provided, Denzel does a great job with the moments he’s given and gives the character at least a little depth, although we never get the full picture of Tobin Frost.

Reynolds plays the naïve Weston perfectly. All too often we get the character who’s been overlooked by their superiors, and they either end up being hopelessly incompetent or a closet badass. Weston is neither, and it works very well.

While his lack of field experience is obvious, we can also see him prove that he is, in fact, a trained agent with the skills to prove it.

One thing that director Daniel Espinosa does well in this movie is to continually remind the viewer that nobody can be trusted and nobody is safe. From the opening scene where Frost meets with a contact from MI6 who initially sells him the much sought after file which drives the film, each scene is laced with tension as it’s never made perfectly clear who can be trusted.

“Safe House” is nothing all that special, and doesn’t live up to its hype, but it’s worth a  see for fans of the actors.

2 stars

Luke Bohannon

Members from the Emporia community consider purchasing a duckling for a souvenir before the performance starts. “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Tortoise and The Hare” were performed on the Granada stage on Saturday. Yo Han Kim/The Bulletin

Families and students flocked to the Granada Theater on Saturday for a light show performance of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” and Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The show was presented by the Emporia Arts Council and was produced by the Corbian Visual Arts and Dance & Lightwire Theater.

“I’ve never seen a light show like that before. I thought it was really different and creative,” said attendee Alan Ryan. “You could tell they put a lot of effort into it.”

The Corbian Visual Arts and Dance & Lightwire Theater has a 10-member cast, two of which are the show’s creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp. The group uses costumes, stage sets and puppets fitted with battery operated electroluminescent wires called “EL wires,” which eliminate the need for stage lighting or even power outlets.

Carney and Popp said the theater group started after the two met while dancing in the Broadway show “Movin’ Out,” and began utilizing the new technology to create their show, along with a new form of puppetry.

The Corbian Visual Arts and Dance & Lightwire Theater began performing their own renditions of the “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Tortoise and the Hare” shows last month, but these classics are not the group’s first set of shows.

Over the last couple years, the group has performed in cities all over the Americas and Europe with a different show called “Darwin the Dinosaur: A Glow in the Dark Adventure for All Ages.” The light show tells the story of Professor Henslow, a famous scientist with magical powers, and his creation Darwin the Dinosaur.

The character of Professor Henslow creates a heart for Darwin in order to transform him from a predatory beast into a loving creature. Darwin and the professor are walking around outdoors when Darwin gets distracted by a group of fireflies and ends up meeting other creatures in the wild.

When Darwin meets a vicious red dinosaur named Brutus who threatens to harm the professor, Darwin has to make a life changing decision that helps him discover the meaning of true love.

The group has put the production of “Darwin the Dinosaur” on hiatus while they focus on their other performances, which will be touring the United States and Canada until the end of May.

Carney and Popp said the group will resume worldwide performances in September, starting with a show in New Orleans on Sept. 2.

Steven Edwards

Stealthy noises in the night, a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of your eye, toys and rocking chairs that move on their own and flashes of images right in front of your face that will cause you to jump in your seat.

Kipps is a young lawyer who is sent to find documents left behind by the late occupant of Eel Marsh, a decrepit mansion located on a spit of land only reachable by a thin winding road that is so low that it disappears when the tide comes in.

The locals are unwilling to help him in this endeavor and try to force him to leave. However, Kipps cannot fail this job because it is his last chance at the firm by which he is employed, and he has a young son, Joseph (Misha Handley), to support.

But he finds that the house comes with more than just a mountain of old papers. The grounds are haunted by the spirits of a woman shrouded in black and several young children, all of whom do their best to threaten Kipps. He soon discovers the legend of the woman and that she is, in fact, responsible for the deaths of the children in the village, a form of revenge for the loss of her son.

The mansion itself is a triumph of supernatural proportions with its crumbling façade and shadowy corridors. Watkins has helped create a masterful atmosphere for this style of ghost story. The hallways in the mansion are long and end in shadows. The rooms provide countless hiding places for shadowy specters, and each window becomes a portal into horror.

This film’s greatest strength lies in the brilliant sound work. The visuals on their own aren’t all that scary, but the atmosphere generated by the sound of a children’s toy turning on by itself echoing through a huge mansion is palpable. Screams and bangs are used expertly to create tons of “jump” moments throughout the film. Everything from a malfunctioning faucet to a ghostly shriek is used to keep the audience on their toes.

The one issue I had with this movie was Daniel Radcliffe. It’s not that he’s a bad actor, and it’s not even that I can only think of him as being Harry Potter. It’s because he looks and sounds entirely too young to be the father of a four-year-old.

Definitely check out “The Woman in Black” in theaters, where you can get the full experience of the eerie visuals, the horrifying sounds and the supernatural mastery that is Eel Marsh Manor.

4 out of 5 stars

Luke Bohannon

Top 10 Worst Breakup Lines

Compiled by The Bulletin staff

1. I’ve been seeing a lot of your sister lately.

2. I guess I’m just into girls now.

3. This might be the booze talking, but I think we should break up.

4. You look at lot different with the lights on.

5. I just want to dedicate more time to WoW.

6. When I’m around you I feel three pounds lighter because you bore the crap out of me.

7. I guess looks are everything.

8. Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Not me anymore.

9. You’re just not fulfilling my need.

10. We were dating?

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Bohannon

While we might have some unseasonable warmth around here, “The Grey” brings unrelenting cold to the bigscreen, and I don’t just mean the temperatures.

A group of workers, including Ottoway (Liam Neeson), from a hellish oil pumping station are flying out for leave when their plans are derailed by the untimely and brutal crashing of their plane in the middle of the frozen wastelands of the far north. The survivors of the crash band together, with Ottoway taking charge early due to his experience as a wolf sniper, and try to get back to civilization, only to face cunningly ferocious wolves, harsh temperatures and unforgiving terrain.

Ottoway describes the men who occupy the station as being “unfit for mankind.” But even though these men are apparently the scum of the earth, the ones who manage to survive the horrific crash become likeable characters, if only because we want them to survive against the insurmountable odds they’re facing.

Against the survivors are all the forces of nature, chief among them, the wolves. Whereas Ottoway and his weary band struggle to survive in the frozen no man’s land, the wolves that follow them do just fine. No matter where the group goes, the wolves always seem to be there, howling and snarling from the darkness.

A particularly haunting scene comes during the first night when the wolves appear at the plane’s crash site, their eyes reflecting back the fires of the group’s torches in the night.

Joe Carnahan, director of “A-Team” and “Smokin’ Aces,” manages to give each of these characters their due time and personality in the film. So often in films like this we see a group of victims, names to be scratched off a list with some new grisly death scene dreamt up solely for the shock value. “The Grey” does an excellent job of making us care for each of these men.

While each of the characters does get a measure of depth, Ottoway gets the lion’s share of the attention. Throughout the film we are shown flashes of him and his wife, who he apparently sees every time he goes to sleep. On the brink of suicide before deciding to leave the station for civilization, he realizes he wants to live and see his wife again. We even get a glimpse into his childhood during a poignant campfire scene in which he tells the men about his father who, despite having a rough streak, wrote poetry.

“The Grey” is a cold film, never showing any real mercy to the characters and not cheapening itself with a storybook ending.

4 out of 5

Luke Bohannon

Courtesy photo of Colin Jones

When you throw dance rock, funk and jazz influences together, you get the recently-formed local band The Slack Theory.

Officially formed last spring, the genre blending live group consists of Emporia State University students P.J. Stephenson, sophomore music major, on saxophone and vocals; percussion performance graduate John Gilmore on drums; graduate music student Jason Brooks on keyboards and vocals; sophomore music major Colin Jones on bass guitar and senior music major Riley Day and local musician Wade Krump on guitar.

Regarding their influences, Day said their biggest ones include Parliament, Bad Rabbits, Cannonball Adderley and Gnarls Barkley. Day said that he would describe the band’s sound as “party funk rock.”

Jones said there is also a definite influence of free jazz and bebop on their live performances.

The Slack Theory only plays shows locally and intermittently right now, performing about once a month on average at bars and house parties in Emporia. The most recent show they played was on New Years Eve at Beer: 30. But the dance-funk sextet is planning to play more shows this spring.

“We would like to play at some bigger venues,” Day said, “because with at least six people in the band, you need the space.”

Day and Jones said The Slack Theory plays originals as well as covers at their shows, though they are not sure what the band’s set list could consist of in shows to come. Day said the group plans on playing shows outside of Emporia later this year.

The band would like to release an album in the future, but there are no plans to do so right now.

Day and Jones said The Slack Theory’s main focus as of now is to just play more shows in the spring and work on new music.

“Recording is a definite possibility, and we are working on some new material,” Jones said, “but there are no plans to record any material as of yet. We just started doing this nine months ago, and we would like to play more shows before we work on recording anything.”

The Slack Theory will have formed one year ago this May, and although they have only performed a handful of shows so far, it’s a challenge to work around each member’s individual schedule.

“We all have school or work, so finding time to record would be hard.” Day said, “Our saxophone player P.J. has to travel for work pretty often.”

Stephenson said he works for Flint Hills Music.

The Slack Theory is planning on playing shows at Natasha’s and Beer: 30 in March.

Steven Edwards

The film “Red Tails” focuses on four pilots in particular – Marty “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker), Joe “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo), Samuel “Joker” George (Elijah Kelly) and Ray “Junior” Gannon (Tristan Wilds). Aside from Easy and Lightning, just about every other character in the movie is completely one-dimensional. Most of the dialogue between characters is in quick one-liners spoken into flight masks or incredibly clichéd conversations on the ground.

Where “Red Tails” fails with dialogue, it makes up for with action. Every plane is rendered beautifully on the screen and every dogfight puts you on the edge of your seat. These aren’t clean or simple dogfights either. Each time the pilots hit the skies it’s a fast and dirty fight for survival against the enemy pilots, and we see time and time again how brave and skilled they are.

One thing that detracts from the film is the lack of impact. Major events in the story seem to hold little to no impact for the characters dealing with them. When Junior is forced to bail behind enemy lines and is captured, nobody seems to care. There’s a moment of grief from Easy, but after that it’s as if nothing had happened at all. We see the other pilots walking around in high spirits as though their comrade wasn’t being held captive by the enemy.

Despite a brief conversation with a new pilot about the idea of death, there’s very little in this movie that suggests that these pilots are actually in a war.

One of the more difficult to believe characters was Major Emanuel Stance, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. It’s not to say that he doesn’t do a good job, but he oversells the part like crazy. Rather than placing his ever-present pipe in his mouth, he seems to chomp down on it like he’s taking a big bite out of an apple. He also does this in nearly every single scene that he’s present in. We seem to constantly be catching the Major at the start or at the end of a good smoke.

“Red Tails” is Anthony Hemingway’s first big screen directing credit. For his first time out, Hemingway has done a decent job creating an entertaining, if rather shallow, action flick.

This is a movie definitely worth seeing in theaters, if only to appreciate the stunning visuals and the action-packed story while they’re still larger than life.

Luke Bohannon

Mark Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday, a former big time smuggler who’s left the lifestyle and settled down with a wife and kids. But when his brother-in-law Andy botches a cocaine delivery, Chris is forced to step back into the game to settle things with Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Andy’s greasy boss. Farraday sets up a smuggling run to bring back a massive shipment of counterfeit bills from Panama while his friend Sebastian (Ben Foster) protects his family from Briggs.

Farraday and a group of other smugglers sign on to a cargo ship making runs between New Orleans and Panama. The captain of this ship is none other than J.K. Simmons, the dad from ‘Juno’ and J. Jonah Jameson from the ‘Spiderman’ films. He’s possibly the most entertaining performance of the movie, causing trouble for Farraday by trying to catch him in the act. Even though the captain makes a lot of trouble for Farraday and his group, one can’t help but like him.

It’s somewhat difficult to take Briggs seriously as a villain considering that the voice he uses for the role is laughable at best. Luckily, David O’Hara (‘Wanted’) provides at least some menace as a shadowy crime boss. His role in the story isn’t all that well established, but he occasionally shows up, makes threats or offers, and then disappears, taking, at times, an overly thick Scottish accent with him.

Overall the entire movie is slightly ridiculous, stretching the bounds of believability and even its own timetable. Upon arriving in Panama, Wahlberg and his merry band of smugglers only have a short time to get the counterfeit bills and return to the ship before it leaves.

In this “short time” they find the bills, realize they aren’t good, manage to find another supplier – even though nobody knows how to get to his warehouse – and get mixed up in an armored car robbery. Where did they find all the time for this? Probably the same place Briggs found his ridiculous accent.

While there are a number of light-hearted scenes in ‘Contraband,’ it doesn’t hesitate to travel into dark areas as well. Briggs’ attacks Farraday’s wife played by Kate Beckinsale who takes her fair share of physical brutality over the course of the movie.

In the end, the film does the best it can with the tired heist storyline, but it’s nothing all that special.

Freshman history major Ace Finch keeps track of stats during ESU’s home game Saturday evening in White Auditorium. Finch was excited as men’s basketball team was victorious against the Central Missouri Mules, winning 74-72. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

Never missing a KU basketball game, Ace Finch, freshman history major, parks his wheel chair in the lobby, the only place that has cable TV in his dorm.

From the small town of Council Grove, Finch dreams of following in the footsteps of his father, Daryl Finch, who teaches science and coaches football and basketball at Council Grove High School.

“He is the type of kid that doesn’t like being told he can’t do something,” Daryl said. “I remember how angry he was at me when I wouldn’t let him play football. Like any parent, you only want the best for your child and going off to college has always been his goal, and unlike football, college was in his physical ability.”

Finch said that coaching basketball and teaching history at the high school or college level would be his dream job, “since playing is out of the question.”

Born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination, Finch is limited to a wheel chair, which he uses to get around campus, and a walker he uses when he is in the dorms.

Finch could never play sports, but he said he has always done his best to stay active. Since sports were such a large part of his life during high school, taking stats for the football and basketball teams and running the 100 meter dash and throwing discus, Finch said that getting involved in ESU athletics was a major priority for him. This inspired him to contact head basketball coach Shaun Vandiver.

“I enjoy stat taking and that is what I do for the basketball team here,” Finch said. “It is what I have always done, besides running my mouth to officials during the games. I do what I can help out.”

Not being able to travel with the team upsets him, but Vandiver said that by next year arrangements will be made for him to attend away games.

“I enjoy it because it’s a challenge for me to keep up,” Finch said. “I had never been to an Emporia State basketball game before, and then here I am taking stats.”

Finch said that the teams both in high school and in college have made him feel like such a part of the team that not being able to play has never bothered him too much.

“There have always been times that I wish I could play, but the times when we are down by 30 points, I feel bad for the guys that are stuck on the field,” Finch said. “I have always known my role on the team – keep kids positive and take my stats.”

With only the help of his stepsister, Taylor Morgan, who is also a freshman at ESU, Ace now lives independently in the Towers Residence Hall. Morgan helps him put his shoes on in the morning and does his laundry for him, a job that Finch pays her $50 a month to do.

“Not adapting well was what I worried about most,” Finch said. “It wasn’t really the school work or not making friends because I knew I was going to do that – it was all the physical challenges. The first night I got here, it was hard. It took me like two hours to take a shower because the seat in the shower was higher than anything I have ever used before.”

Finch said he wanted to have the real college experience, and this motivated him to join the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity. Finch’s residential assistant, Jordan Yulich, junior elementary education major, is also a member and encouraged him to join.

“I think Ace is the reason the floor is so close,” Yulich said. “During the first few days they seemed to bond around him, doing the little things like pushing him to lunch. I wasn’t told I was going to have a resident with a disability, but the only thing that worried me was coming up with programs he could participate in.”

Being in a wheel chair did not stop residential life from putting him on the fifth floor of the Towers. Finch said the only thing that he worries about is both elevators malfunctioning. In the case of a fire, Finch is supposed to wait in the stairwell for firemen to come get him.

“For the most part, the campus is handicap accessible,” Finch said. “I know if I do need anything, all I have to do is ask. No one is going to turn me down because they would feel like a jerk. I want to try to maintain my independence, but for some reason my wheel chair battery always dies whenever a cute girl walks by.”

Rocky Robinson/The Bulletin

Luke Bohannon

The last few years have seen so many different revival projects for old franchises that it gets easy to just brush them aside and ignore them, but that would be a mistake when it comes to “The Muppets.” Proving that the old crew can be fresh and entertaining even today, the film manages to bring in a healthy dose of nostalgia for older fans and an even bigger dose of comedy for everyone.

The Muppets have been forgotten, and it seems the only people who miss them are Gary (Jason Segel) and his brother Walter (A Muppet). When Gary takes his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles for their anniversary, he brings Walter along to see the Muppet Studios.

During the tour, Walter manages to overhear a dastardly plot by Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to bulldoze the studio to drill for oil unless the Muppets can raise $10 million to buy it back. Walter and Gary set out to reunite the scattered Muppets to put on one last show to save the studio.

One of the great things about the Muppets formula is that while it may not be the most original, it’s still entertaining. Really, saving the old theater by raising money with a last minute show? It’s been done to death, but with the classic Muppets formula incorporating huge numbers of guest stars, witty laughs and heart-warming moments, it’s easy to forget the unoriginality. Plus it certainly doesn’t hurt that the Muppets themselves are remarkably self-aware and poke fun at their own slightly tired storyline.

While there are plenty of jabs at old school humor, “The Muppets” takes aim at modern entertainment too. The number one show in the universe is called “Punch Teacher” and is hosted by Ken Jeong (The Hangover). The show consists of, well, punching teachers. Even Tex Richman provides a tongue in cheek joke when he brings in his own team of Muppets called the Moopets, who he calls a “hard cynical act for a hard cynical world.”

The film is also chock-full of cameos. From old timers like Mickey Rooney to newer stars like Selena Gomez, “The Muppets” brings in more celebrities than you can shake a stick at. My personal favorite cameo was from Jim Parsons.

All in all, “The Muppets” is a heart-warming movie that’s great for viewers of all ages and perfect for the holiday season, even if it’s not a Christmas movie.

Luke Bohannon

Elise Blann, senior theater major and Andrew Walker, junior theatre major, perform during dress rehearsal for “Eurydice” by Sarah Ruhl Tuesday evening in Bruder Theater. The play opened last night and will run through Saturday. Photo courtesy of the theater department.

Take a vast journey from pens, pencils, papers, tests, libraries and offices and into Emporia State’s production of “Eurydice,” Sarah Ruhl’s play that takes place in the underworld.

The show opened last night in Bruder Theater and will run through Saturday. Each performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

“The production of ‘Eurydice’ is not an average night of theater,” said John Henningsen, director, communications major and photographer for The Bulletin. “It is a dark, fantastical journey through life, death, love and innocence.”

Henningsen said the play is set in the 1950s and is based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

“We meet Eurydice as she finds love and moments later loses it,” Henningsen said. “It follows her journey in the underworld and the struggles she goes through to find her way back to the land of the living. The rest of the evening is her journey to discover the meaning of love, love of life, love of family, love of self and love of knowledge.”

At first glance the play is a dark comedy, but the drama is philosophically provoking, allowing audience members to reflect on personal relationships, Henningsen said.

“The play asks questions such as what is love, what is important in life, do you love something enough to let it die, do you love something enough to let it live and what are you willing to sacrifice to allow that love to flourish,” Henningsen said.

The play, set in the mythological underworld, emphasizes its message with unique lighting, and stage setup.

“The lighting in the performance includes a lot of blues to go along with the mood of the play and browns because we took a very earthy approach to our design,” said Sertrice Grice, freshman psychology major and prop master for the show. “The backdrop is a tree and the floor is brown. All of this feeds into the setting – the underworld.”

Henningsen said the setting also assists in tackling the ideas of death, life and discovering what is important for survival under the human condition.

“The staff’s idea of the underworld is a dark drippy place that bursts to life when it is met with Eurydice’s love for her father, for her husband, for books and for life,” Henningsen said.
Andrew VonSeggern, junior secondary education theater and speech major and curtain director, said he recommends attending the play.

“The play is better than a movie,” VonSeggern said. “During each performance, the actors feed off of the crowd and the audience gets a feel of the theater culture.”

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for general admission.

Simone Cosper

Luke Bohannon

“J. Edgar,” much like the man it’s based upon, is shadowy, enigmatic and infinitely fascinating. The collaboration of Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio led to the creation of a film that is truly a masterpiece in almost every way. Shifting between the personal and public lives of J. Edgar Hoover, Eastwood has created a unique portrait of an individual who was once regarded as one of the most powerful men in America.

Hoover was the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years, during which he transformed the woefully underpowered agency into an efficient crime-fighting organization.

But the film shows us much more than just Hoover’s public life and career. We are given a view into a fairly sensationalized version of Hoover’s personal life, focusing primarily on his relationships with his long-time secretary and confidant Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) and his closest companion Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). One other relationship highlighted in the film is that between Hoover and his domineering mother, Annie Hoover (Judi Dench).

Hoover’s relationship with each of these people is defined very quickly through subtle cues, brilliant acting and perfect direction. Eastwood must be applauded for balancing Hoover’s very well documented public life and his somewhat murky private life, including the prevalent rumors of Hoover’s homosexuality. All of these aspects are explored through incredibly powerful scenes that showcase the true acting abilities of the cast.

While DiCaprio is the main character and does a truly masterful job, Armie Hammer’s portrayal of Tolson is a somewhat downplayed but undeniably powerful one.

Hammer is possibly best remembered for his dual role of the Vinkelvoss twins in “The Social Network,” and he surpassed himself in every way in this film.

From a young agent in the FBI to an old man suffering from the aftereffects of a stroke, Tolson’s character presents a plethora of challenges for an actor, and Hammer not only overcomes these challenges, but thrives, out-shining DiCaprio in many scenes.

Any great film needs an outstanding cast, a visionary director and an inspired writer. “J. Edgar” definitely has all three, with Dustin Lance Black as the author behind the script. Black’s most prevalent work before this was “Milk” in 2008.

Black, rather than trying to guess at what these people may have been like, has presented the film in a manner which allows for the accepted public image of these individuals to be presented. The majority of the film is told through the ingenious device of Hoover dictating his memoir to several young agents as they write it over the course of several years. While this does lead to a somewhat distorted timeline, jumping between past and present, it never becomes tedious and actually allows for added drama.

There’s a lot that can be said about this film. “J. Edgar” is one of the best, if not the best film of 2011.

Luke Bohannon

William Clamurro, professor of Spanish and coordinator of the honors program at ESU, plays the oboe in his last concert with the Mid-America Woodwind Quintet. This farewell concert was hosted by the woodwind quintet Thursday night at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin

Sounds of harmony echoed between the stained glass windows of St. Andrews Episcopal Church last Thursday. Members of Emporia State’s Mid-American Woodwind Quintet played a final performance with William Clamurro, professor of Spanish, coordinator of the honors college and oboist.

“The music is good,” said Andrew Spencer, ESU alumnus. “The pieces seem to be quite adventurous – they are not commonly practiced.”

The quintet consists of ESU faculty members Catherine Bergman, clinical instructor, on flute; Dawn McConkie, instructor of clarinet choir, on clarinet; Allan Comstock, music department chair, on bassoon; Terrisa Ziek, clinical instructor, on French horn; and William Clamurro on the oboe. The concert last Thursday was Clamurro’s last with the quintet, as the lifelong oboist has retired from the group.

“The group has been in existence since the 1940s, but one of the reasons we have been able to do this is because of Clamurro,” Comstock said.

Clammuro’s instrument of expertise, the oboe, is the soprano member of the woodwind’s double reed family, Comstock said.

“The Mid-American Woodwind Quintet meets for two hours every week and that is a big commitment,” Comstock said. “Clamurro has decided that it is getting to be a lot for him.”

Clamurro said he enjoyed performing and engaging in community service with the group.

“They perform a lot of daring music, a lot of traditional music and modern music,” Clamurro said. “They go out to local schools, the community and local community colleges, so I think it is very fun and rewarding.”

Comstock said that Clamurro joined the Quintet in 1997, despite his employment in the English department rather than the music department.

“He is a wonderful oboe player,” Comstock said. “He has done as much playing as if he is on the music faculty, so we have adopted him.”

Clamurro said he began playing the oboe in junior high. He then studied the instrument under a former member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra of New York and in other locations including New England, Seattle and Washington.

“I have also played in a lot of the places I taught at,” Clamurro said.

After retirement, Clamurro said he plans to continue playing with the Emporia Orchestra and mentoring young musicians.

The music department will host the Fall Flute Festival all day this Saturday in Beach Hall. The concert costs $4 for students and senior citizens and $5 for general admission.

Simone Cosper

“I chose the United Way because of the services they provide to our region,” said Rob Gilligan of Emporia Marketplace. “A lot of times with fundraising campaigns, for younger people and college students, it’s not something you can just write a check for … but maybe buying a concert ticket is a way they can give to United Way and still be able to have some fun.”

Gilligan said that he is also trying to develop other ways for people to donate to United Way, which is a funding agency that supports several non-profit organizations in an eight country region.

“Each year they do a big campaign to raise funds to help with operational expense and cost for a bunch of different things,” Gilligan said. “(This concert) will give us an opportunity to raise some awareness about United Way, and it’s a good way for people to come together and enjoy the entertainment.”

Gilligan said that around 200 people attended the concert last year and they seemed to enjoy the entertainment. He said he hopes for 400 attendees this year.

The White Ghost Shivers of Austin, Texas will provide the entertainment. Gilligan said the group is hard to place into one specific genre.

“Hot jazz, early soul, a lot of vaudeville,” Gilligan said of the group. “It’s really hard to call them a band … really, they are a show. They are an entire performance piece. They’re an experience.”

Erin Mullane, senior theater major, said she has seen the group perform several times and that they are a nice change from mainstream music.

“I think it’s bold that they are a band that plays in the 20s and 30s ragtime jazz style,” Mullane said. “I like that they expose the audience to a different kind of sound.”

Adam Helmer, junior theater major said he is looking forward to the experience.

“I hope to get to see an amazing concert and to learn how much money is raised from this event to benefit United Way,” Helmer said.

Emporia will be the White Ghost Shivers’ first stop for the Kansas tour. They will also perform with The Skirts, a folk band from Chase County.

Tickets can be purchased for $15 at the Granada Box office, Sweet Granada, Granada Coffee Company, United Way, the Emporia Gazette and on campus, and 100 percent of the profits will go to United Way.

Khaili Scarbrough

Luke Bohannon

Just when I was beginning to wonder where Matthew Broderick went, he shows back up with Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller to pull off a heist. Honestly, I didn’t see that coming.

But make no mistake – “Tower Heist” is way more of a heist movie than it is a comedy, despite what the trailers might lead you to believe. Although, there are definitely a few solid laughs throughout the film.

The Tower is a luxurious apartment building where only the very wealthy can afford the rent, and they certainly get their money’s worth. The staff, headed by Josh Kovacs (Stiller), are courteous and competent, attending to the tenants from the moment they enter the Tower, where they’re greeted by kindly Lester, the doorman (Stephen Henderson).

One of the most notable tenants is financial powerhouse Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) who owns the penthouse of the Tower as well as a bright red 1953 Ferrari, once owned by Steve McQueen. However, the Tower is turned upside down when Shaw is arrested by FBI agents, lead by Claire Denham (Tea Leoni) and accused of running a Ponzi scheme, which includes the pension plans and investments of the Tower’s employees, even old Lester the doorman.

Outraged, Kovacs rounds up a group of employees, plus a crook named Slide (Murphy), and sets out to rob Shaw’s penthouse in order to steal back their money. Of course things don’t go quite according to plan, but it’s a heist movie.

“Tower Heist” is all about the ensemble, and this one is pretty good. The core team is Kovacs, Slide, Mr. Fitzhugh (Broderick), who’s jobless and has lost his family following his eviction from the Tower, Charlie the concierge (Casey Affleck), the bellhop Enrique Dev’reaux (Michael Pena), and Odessa the maid (Gabourey Sibide). This odd mix of traditionally serious actors like Affleck and Sibide and comedians creates a cool dynamic that allows the movie to switch between serious and funny at the drop of a hat.

Aside from the cast, “Tower Heist” also had an all-star production crew, including Brett Ratner, best known for the “Rush Hour” franchise. Ratner managed to create a movie that defies traditional genres, not just being a comedy or a drama, but rather a subtle blend of the two, all the while giving every actor their moment to shine.

Of course, Ratner doesn’t get all the credit. Writers Ted Griffin (Ocean’s Eleven) and Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can) created a screenplay that plays perfectly with the tone of the times, touching on the battle between Wall Street and the working guy.

While it wasn’t quite as funny as I expected, “Tower Heist” was a thoroughly enjoyable movie, offering both laughs and genuine quality drama. Definitely check this one out.

Luke Bohannon

Deborah Gerish, associate professor of social science, discusses food issues with students during the Food Film Festival on Monday in Science Hall room 72. “Super Size Me” was the first film shown. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin

What gives you the fuel you need to carry out bodily functions? Unless you have learned how to photosynthesize, it’s food.

In honor of food, The General Education Council and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is hosting the first ever Food Film Festival.

“The reason we are doing the Food Film Festival is to try to get students to look at the different aspects of reality from the food perspective,” said Jon Leach, graduate teaching assistant. “It helps students understand that even though we have these separations of academic disciplines, it is all the same base of human knowledge that is interconnected.”

The festival started Monday with a showing of the documentary “Super Size Me,” which follows filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s attempt to eat a diet consisting only of McDonalds for one month. At the end of his 30-day experiment, Spurlock had packed on almost 25 pounds and had a cholesterol level of 230.

“I thought (the film) was interesting,” said Lesha Bacon, sophomore communications major. “It wasn’t as gross as everybody made it out to be. I don’t really eat out to begin with, so I don’t see this changing my eating habits, but it is something I would tell people about.”

Several other films on food, each sponsored by a different student organization, will be shown throughout the month of November. “Super Size Me” was sponsored by the Quidditch League and the Gamers’ Guild. They provided “Harry Potter” themed snacks like Mrs. Weasley’s rock cake and warm butterbeer.

The Environmental club, The Department of International Education and The Black Student Union will also sponsor films.

“The general education curriculum as a whole has been trying to find way to show students that classes such as history, biology and physics, everything in the general education, curriculum is connected,” said sponsor Deborah Gerish, associate professor of social sciences. “There have been several of us putting together this pilot program this semester to modify what is needed next semester.”

Leach, who is co-founder of the Quidditch League, said they not only provided warm butterbeer to fight off the cold but also explained how food is common among populations.

“Students can take what they have learned in their various general education classes under that food theme,” Leach said. “We are trying to recreate what the goals of the general education program are through films showing how food is common to all people.”

Photo illustration by Yiqing Fu

After the movie, Gerish held a discussion with the group over what they had seen in the film.

“Food is such a crucial part of our lives that we often pay no attention to it,” Gerish said. “Thinking about what goes into food before the fork ever goes into your mouth can raise all kinds of wonderful possibilities. The films we have chosen range from films that gross people out to educational films like ‘Food, Inc.,’ and even feature films.”

“Food, Inc.” was the last film shown this week.

“We chose ‘Food, Inc.’ and ‘Super Size Me’ because they are more health conscious,” Leach said. “We like the gonzo journalism perspective in ‘Super Size Me,’ and ‘Food, Inc.’ is more about the geopolitical ramifications of food.”

The Food Film Festival will continue through next week with “The God of Cookery” showing at 7 p.m. on Monday in Science Hall room 72. The film is a Hong Kong comedy, sponsored by the Department of International Education to go along with International Education Week.

The festival will wrap up Wednesday with What’s Cooking sponsored by the Black Student Union. The film will also be held in the Science Hall room 72 at 7:00 p.m.

Rocky Robinson

Luke Bohannon

“In Time” combines an interesting new story concept with a well known moral tale to create a fairly unique film that delivers exactly what it promises.

Starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, “In Time” tells the story of a world very different from our own where time is literally money. Each person is genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, after which they’re given one year to live. But people can work to earn more time. So as long as their time doesn’t run out, they never die… unless they’re murdered or die in accidents. Basically, the rich can live forever and the poor try to survive day-to-day.

Will Salas (Timberlake) works a menial job, earning barely enough time to keep himself alive until one night he meets a wealthy man named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) in a bar who has over a century on his clock. After Salas helps save his life, Hamilton gives him his remaining time and dies. Salas uses Hamilton’s time to cross “time zones” into New Greenwich, a wealthy district, and meets Sylvia Weis (Seyfried), the daughter of a wealthy citizen.

He soon finds himself accused of murdering Hamilton and is forced to go on the run, pursued by the “Timekeepers,” a police force led by Raymond Leon (Cilian Murphy) and a mob-like group called the Minutemen. Salas and Weis end up going on a crime spree, giving time to the poor.

The film is helmed by Andrew Niccol, director of “Lord of War” and producer for “The Truman Show.” Niccol does a good job with this film, not overdoing the action or drama, which serves to increase its appeal.

But one flaw is that the film doesn’t explain the whole history of the time currency system very clearly. We’re given a very cursory explanation of the whole idea and left to figure the rest of it out on our own.

The casting for this movie is spot on, and while there wasn’t a great deal of emotional depth in the script for the actors to work with, each cast member played their parts well.

There wasn’t anything “bad” about the film, however, there wasn’t much that really made it stand out from other action movies. The Robin Hood-esque storyline has been done before and the premise of the movie didn’t add much to it.

While “In Time” wasn’t anything overly special, it was still entertaining and definitely worth seeing for anyone who’s craving a good action movie.

Luke Bohannon

The Bloody Cauldron

Ingredients:

3 ounces of tomato juice

1 ounce of Black Vodka

Pinch of celery salt

Splash of Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice

Pinch of Horseradish

Stalk of celery for garnish

1 Slice of jalapeño for garnish

Ice

Directions:

Add all the ingredients into a serving pitcher and stir until fully blended. If black vodka is not available, the recipe also works well with clear vodka.

Once fully blended, fill a tall glass with ice, garnish with a slice of fresh jalapeno and a stalk of celery and then pour in the mixture. Serve immediately.

NOTE: If you are making a batch and storing it in the refrigerator, leave the ice and garnish out of the mix until you are ready to serve. *Recipe obtained from Celebrations.com.

Jamaican Zombie

Ingredients:

2 1/2 ounces light rum

1 ounce dark rum

1 ounce apricot brandy

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 ounce pineapple juice

2 ounces orange juice

1 ounce passion fruit juice

1 or 2 teaspoons powdered sugar to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a frosted zombie glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry. *Recipe obtained from Webtender.com.

Salem Witch

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce vodka

1/2 ounce raspberry schnapps

1/2 ounce Midori melon liqueur

Splash of lime juice

Splash of grenadine

Fill with 2/3 sour mix

Fill with soda water

Directions:

In a collins glass with ice, pour vodka, Midori, and raspberry schnapps. Add a splash of lime juice. Fill 2/3 with sour mix and the rest with soda water (or seltzer). Stir gently, and finally top with a splash of grenadine. *Recipe obtained from Webtender.com

Vampire Bite

Ingredients:

2 ounces premium tequila

3 ounces tomato juice

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

liberal sprinkle all-spice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a highball glass with ice and stir.

TIP: For a fun “garnish,” buy a bunch of cheap plastic vampire fangs and hang them on the rim of the glass. *Recipe obtained from Celebrations.com.

*Please note that The Bulletin does not condone underage drinking or any other illegal activities that involve alcohol.

The show is not the type of performance that the council would normally host, but they decided to bring it to Emporia after being contacted by Art Beat, the nonprofit organization that helps schedule shows for In the Mood, said Melissa Windsor, executive director of EAC. The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Albert Taylor Hall on campus.

“It is such a big production that there wasn’t room for it at the Granada,” Windsor said. “It is a show that attracts a broad range of people but really appeals to the older generation that lived through the 40s.”

Windsor said that about 200 tickets have already been sold, but EAC expects a rush in the days before the show.

“I heard about the show in one of my classes and saw fliers around town,” said Landon Noll, freshman theater education major. “I am probably going to go even though the tickets are kind of expensive.”

The show is a celebration of an unusual era in American music, according to In the Mood’s website. The show is on its 17th year and has even been performed overseas. It has recently been on tour in Australia and the group performed a show for the 53rd presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton.

Shaw said the goal of In the Mood is to bring a quality show to small towns. After receiving positive feedback from past performances in Emporia, Shaw was eager to get in contact with the EAC. He said the show will run throughout Kansas each year, and although no schedule has been made, he said they will probably make another appearance in Emporia in the future.

“We encourage feedback from the audience and often ask for suggestions for new music,” Shaw said. “We add new music every year so it is something that people like to see over and over again. The older generation really gets into the show because it is something they experienced in their lifetime.”

Tickets are available at the art council building downtown or at Brownpapertickets.com. Adult tickets cost $27 and youth tickets are $12.50.

Rocky Robinson

Luke Bohannon

I’m a huge fan of the “Paranormal Activity” movies. The unique way in which these films have utilized the “found footage” style has been both refreshing and horrifying – that is, until now.

“Paranormal Activity 3” has fallen very short of the legacy of the series, and it’s a shame to bear witness to.

This prequel to the first two films takes place in the late 80’s and again focuses on the sisters Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi Rey (Jessica Tyler Brown). The sisters are living with their mother Julie (Lauren Bitter) and her boyfriend Dennis (Chris Smith), and have befriended an invisible entity named Toby who lives in their house.

Naturally, some spooky stuff starts happening in the night and Dennis, who just happens to be a wedding videographer, decides to set up cameras in the house to catch said spooky stuff along with a lot of unnecessarily long pan shots and a completely random sub-plot involving witches.

As I said, I’m a fan of this style of filming, but “Paranormal 3” didn’t bring anything new to the table aside from stretching the bounds of believability. There were several moments in the film that I found myself wondering why the cameraman was carrying around a camera at that particular moment or even why the camera was left on.

One possible reason for the shortcomings of this installment could be the directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. Neither have worked with the “Paranormal” franchise before this, although they have made another “found footage” film called “Catfish.”

The true disappointment lies with producer Oran Peli, who has been involved as a writer with all of the “Paranormal” films as well as “Insidious.” Seeing as he remodeled his own home to film in and bankrolled the original film, you would think he would have looked at the third one and said, “Maybe this isn’t the direction to take.”

The biggest downfall of this movie is that all the cool and interesting moments advertised, as well as the plot advertised in the commercials, were not actually in the movie. The previews show a house fire that played a large part in the back-story this movie was supposed to portray, yet it was completely absent in the final product.

Also, nearly all of the scary moments shown in the trailers that were omitted from the film for whatever reason were replaced by rather lack-luster scares and false-alarms, aside from one rather inspired moment in a kitchen.

“Paranormal Activity 3” had the potential to be another great addition to the “Paranormal” series, but instead it became a tedious exercise in unrewarded patience for this unhappy viewer.

Luke Bohannon

Photo Illustration by John Henningsen

If there’s something strange in your Emporia neighborhood, who are you going to call?

At 7 p.m. tonight, Ghost Hunter Jeff Davis will be in the Memorial Union’s Web Hall, courtesy of the Union Activities Council.

“We chose to bring Jeff because it’s different and we thought it would be something the students would want to see,” said Eden Tullis, senior English major and UAC president. “Picking it to go a couple of days before Halloween was definitely planned.”

Davis will discuss his own experiences with the supernatural and inform students about hauntings on campus, Tullis said. Before his presentation, Davis will spend the day pursuing any ghostly activity on campus.

There are various stories that deal with the paranormal on campus. One of the most well-known deals with the top floor of the Memorial Union, Tullis said. Rumor has it that the halls are haunted by ghost named Martha.

The top floor of the Union used to serve as living quarters for 10 teachers. One of the teachers, Martha, allegedly committed suicide in these quarters and has been causing havoc ever since, doing things like turning lights on and off in locked rooms and opening and closing doors, according to Tullis.

Born and raised in Washington, Davis has experience ghost hunting mainly on the west coast. Some of his accomplishments include being featured on an episode of “Haunted History Over the Northwest,” a television program on the History Channel, as well as writing several books.

“Students will enjoy hearing about the paranormal Jeff has found during his years as a ghost hunter, as well as things he has found while hunting the ESU campus,” said senior accounting major Ellen Huschka.

The American interest in the paranormal has peaked in recent years due in part by the media, according to Ghosthuntingserets.com. This includes the Sci-Fi hit television show “Ghost Hunters,” as well as the 1984 classic movie “Ghost Busters.”

“I think students enjoy this because the paranormal always seems to interest people,” Tullis said. “The fact that we also haven’t had (a ghost hunter) on campus for a very long time should get all ages and classifications interested.”

At the end of his presentation, 50 participants will be selected by a drawing to accompany Davis around the college grounds. During this tour, he will share with students his observations and the locations of activity that he found.

Susan Welte

Emporia residents dressed up for the Rocky Horror Picture Show Friday night at the Granada Theater. The movie showed both at 8 p.m. and midnight. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin

Hundreds of fans swarmed the Granada Theatre last Friday night to take part in the object-throwing, aisle-dancing cult classic known as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The show played at both 8 p.m. and midnight.

Shelby Lindsey, junior art major and volunteer at the Granada, said that the show appeals to viewers because it is a “cult film,” which means that fans are highly devoted to it.

“It’s interactive,” Lindsey said. “We had prop bags for everyone.”

The first 200 people at each showing received a prop bad, which contained rice; a newspaper; glow sticks; rubber gloves; noisemakers like whistles; a strand of toilet paper; pieces of toast; party hats and playing cards, Lindsey said.

All items were used during certain parts of the show and were most often thrown towards the stage. For example, during the opening scene of the movie, audience members mimicked the actors by throwing rice at the newlywed couple leaving the church on screen.

“We have concerts every month but this is really the only interactive event we have ever had,” Lindsey said, “I love it because it’s just strange – in general it’s just creepy.”

Some audience members came dressed in unusual outfits, which included maids in fishnet stockings. Two such viewers were Brenna Mercer and Daya Williams, Emporian sisters who said they came to enjoy the show and relive pleasant memories from their teenage years.

“The first time (I saw it), my dad took me when I was 18 and it was with the audience participation,” Mercer said. “It’s one of my most fun memories from when I was younger.”

Williams is an Emporia State secondary education graduate. She donned a maid costume.

“I love the audience participation,” Williams said.

Along with using the items in their prop bags, viewers sang along with the music and danced in the aisles to the song “The Time Warp.” Members of the audience also shouted at the screen during key moments in the performance.

“It was nice having the prop bags – I didn’t have to remember what to bring,” said Janet Burenheide, Emporia resident.

Maria Morris, Flint Hills Technical College student, said that she loved the audience participation and her favorite part was when the volunteers at the Granada threw water at the audience during a rainy scene to simulate being rained on. Audience members put newspapers over the tops of their heads to keep dry from the “rain.”

The next show on Granada’s calendar is “Beetlejuice,” set for 7 p.m. this Friday night. Admission is $5 and the doors open at 6 p.m.

Khaili Scarbrough

Luke Bohannon

What happens when you toss George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Ryan Gosling into a political drama? Good things happen.

“The Ides of March” follows a young, idealistic Stephen Myers (Gosling) who is the junior campaign manager for Pennsylvania governor and democratic presidential candidate Mike Morris (Clooney). Myers is working alongside senior campaign manager Paul Zara (Seymour Hoffman) in an attempt to win the voter support for Morris along with the presidential nomination.

As a debate between Morris and his opponent nears, Myers is contacted by rival campaign manager Tom Duffy (Giamatti) with an offer –  jump ship and work for him. Myers refuses the offer. At the same time, Myers new girlfriend is one of the interns on Morris’ campaign.

Little does he know, Myers’ meeting with Duffy and his new relationship are catalysts that will send him on a journey into the dark reality of politics.

Clooney’s directing is at a high point in this movie, and he also managed to portray an interesting behind-the-scenes look into the campaign of his character and at the same time deliver a satisfying amount of intrigue and drama.

Along with his directing, Clooney does a great job on-screen as Morris, looking and sounding every bit like the political powerhouse he’s supposed to be.

But Clooney isn’t the only actor who shines in “Ides.” Most, if not all, of the cast does a fantastic job. Gosling plays his part with simple grace, slipping through his character’s transformation during the film without missing a beat. Hoffman, of course, delivers a great performance as Zara, and Giamatti is a perfect foil to Hoffman’s character.

“The Ides of March” is based on a play titled “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon, and it definitely shows. The whole movie plays out like a stage production, focusing on characterization and character-driven drama.

Many hot-button political ideas are addressed in this movie through debates and town-hall meeting, including religion, same-sex marriage and foreign policy. The combination of smart story-telling and political topics will leave viewers with a lot to think about after they’ve left the theater.

The one notable flaw of “Ides” is that it lacked an emotional impact in many scenes, mostly due to the music, or lack thereof. The score of “Ides” is somewhat awkwardly carried out.

In some scenes the music was very obvious, playing out with faux-patriotic tones that bring to mind cheesy History Channel educational videos about politics. But when some sort of musical cue was really needed to underscore a major event, all the viewer gets is silence.

Still, if you’re politically inclined or just looking for an interesting drama to watch, I definitely recommend this film.

Luke Bohannon

Saxophone players of the Emporia State Jazz Ensemble perform Thursday evening in Albert Taylor Hall. Their next performance will be on Nov. 17 in Albert Taylor Hall with special guests. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Saxophones, trombones, trumpets, guitars, drums, a vibraphone, a piano, flugelhorns, bass guitars and other instruments played in unison for a jazz concert last Thursday in Albert Taylor Hall.

“The purpose of the concert was to play great music and hopefully play it well,” said Gary Ziek, director of bands and professor of trumpet. “This concert served as an educational tool for students. They were exposed to music all around the world. During tonight’s concert, we had music from Brazil, America, Cuba – you name it.”

The concert raised around $350 for the music department and more than 170 people attended the event, including about 40 music majors and four faculty members. Tickets sold at $5.

“The concert was awesome, fantastic and adventurous. I was shaking my head and feet in my seat the entire time,” said Jennifer Perna, sophomore elementary education major.

The first half of the concert featured ESU faculty and students, including Ziek, PJ Stephenson, Tracy Freeze, Riley Day, Colin Jones and John Gilmore, performing a jazz combo. Another ensemble played “Norwegian Woods,” “Eighth Avenue March” and other pieces directed by Ziek during the second half of the show.

Ziek said that jazz is “indefinable,” but that it is all about rhythm, harmony and energy.

“Jazz stands out from other genres of music because so much improvisation is involved,” Ziek said. “In a lot of other genres, what is performed is closely linked to what is on the page, but when playing jazz, there is a lot more freedom.”

The mission of ESU’s music program, Ziek said, is to teach students about America’s native music, including jazz.

“Music is sort of like life – very important as important as breathing,” Ziek said.

The music department also hosted the marching band festival on Wednesday at Welch Stadium.

“I want to let people know that future plans of the music department are available online and in the music department office,” Ziek said. “I encourage people to come to all different kinds of concerts because there are great things going on.”

The music department will host a Chamber Orchestra concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night in Heath Recital Hall. Tickets will be $4 for students and seniors and $5 for general admission.

Simone Cosper