Dutch Uncles excite with new album
2013-02-21
Dutch Uncles are a band that started out writing finicky songs in odd time signatures for, it seemed, no other reason except that they could.
Food review: pho sate
2013-02-21
Approaching Pho Sate, you’d never know the value within. The restaurant is hidden under an overhang in a dull strip mall on the corner of Graham Road and Route 50.
However, the inside of the restaurant is vibrant, both as a result of the kiwi-green walls and the downright delicious soup.
The line was running out the door when we got there, with tables full of Northern Virginians enjoying lunch. Why is this place so popular?
The Madman’s Daughter
2013-02-20
The Madman’s Daughter, by author Megan Shepherd and published at the end of January, is a science-fiction book about a surgeon pushing the boundaries of nature and science. Taking place in urban London in the late 1800s, it is Shepherd’s first novel.
The book contains vivid settings of bustling lower-class London and a deserted tropical island off the coast of Australia. Shepherd describes the settings in a very detailed and believable way, using lifelike language. She uses imagery to set an eerie tone that is present throughout the novel.
Silversun Pickups embraces old school rock
2012-05-25
Over the years that Silversun Pickups have been recording music, they’ve been almost constantly compared to 90’s-era shoegaze, punk rock and psychedelic rock bands — think Smashing Pumpkins or My Bloody Valentine.
Their most recent release, Neck of the Woods, seems to actually try to embrace that association with the past. The resulting blend of ambience with grungy guitar hooks, ethereal vocals and thrumming bass is an homage to a time when rock was constantly being redefined. In doing so, Silversun Pickups have created one of the best albums of the year.
Senior’s artistic, ambitious film wins first place
2012-05-25
A view from a car window. A bridge at sunrise. A ballerina dancing on a road in the woods.
So opens senior Madeleine Fleshman’s short film, “A Screaming Cry in a Silent Room,” which won first place in Video Fairfax’s annual film festival in the high school age category.
“I really enjoy writing but I haven’t taken the time to continue it recently,” Fleshman said, “so this was my chance to combine film with something that functioned more like a short story.”
Fleshman originally created this film to serve as both her final exam and IB exam in her IB Film Study HL II class.
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Avengers’ marketing strategy earns big
2012-05-25
A man in a leotard, a green monster, a Norse god and a Playboy made $642 million in a week. The Avengers broke records its opening weekend and outperformed both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II as well as The Dark Knight. Although the film’s publicity was years in the making, Marvel Studios has nonetheless succeeded in translating the entire Marvel universe to the big screen, and has made billions in the process.
Theatre provides freedom of artistic expression for students
2012-05-25
In a studio in downtown Herndon, an actor is delivering a monologue. Upstage, the rest of the ensemble sits in a circle, their backs to the audience. A low beat comes up behind her words. “There are so many people like me—sometimes I just have to wonder why?” she starts. “They all dance, why am I different? … Because the anger inside of me gets to be so possessive. I clear out the garage, lace up my hardshoes—tight. Turn on the music; let the noise flood through me. Drown out life. Drill and drill. Hammer and push. Push myself.” She continues, her words intertwining with the beat.
UNIQUE thrift store
2012-04-25
People skip class to go. Others say they went before anyone else did.
No, this isn’t Chipotle. It’s Unique. The massive store located in Merrifield is a mecca for serious thrifters, but students are increasingly going to find their own clothes.
However, the store still elicits mixed reactions because of varying responses to buying secondhand clothes.
Audiences forced to walk out on Lockout
2012-04-25
The most memorable thing about Lockout were the nachos I had at the theater.
What I expected from the movie was an action-packed experience and a ridiculous story line, but Lockout was an absolute failure. The story line was completely stolen from Escape from New York, a far superior movie. Even the main character’s name from Lockout, Snow, sounds just like the Escape from New York character’s name, Snake.
Casting choices cause controversy
2012-04-25
Following in the footsteps of the book series by the same name, the movie The Hunger Games was an overnight success. It is third in the box office for most money made on an opening weekend.
Despite this success, the movie has received unnecessary controversy from fans due to casting choices. Rue, a character described in the book as similar to the main character Katniss’ fair skinned sister Prim, but with dark skin, is played by African-American actress Amandla Stenberg. Over Twitter, some fans expressed discontent and shock over this casting choice.