When I was a kid, the radio stations local to my Appalachian hamlet frequently intermingled nineties pop and rock with country ballads — the latest from the likes of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks. Since the region’s unofficial mantra was John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” this was hardly surprising.
Nevertheless, it came as a shock to me when I moved to New England, where country music was considered decidedly uncool (it was Santana and Lil’ Jon all the way). Since living further north, I’ve heard plenty of rants about country’s lack of sophistication — such as how it is only ever about a significant other leaving the singer, guns and drinking — that can be unfair and misinformed. Sure, much of what you hear on popular country stations incorporates these themes, but they do not characterize a vibrant genre that encompasses everything from Appalachian folk to traditional Cajun music…. Read more »
The lights dim, and a computer mouse clicks. Music fills the auditorium, and three stories unfold on the screen. The stories are so complex and the cinematography so compelling that you lose yourself in the images and the sounds. This is the product of 10 weeks of hard work, 12 bodies moving constantly and much emotional and physical stress.
This past summer, 12 students embarked upon the first film and media studies foreign study program to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they experienced Olympic festivities, the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the process of music video production. Jeffrey Ruoff, chair of the film and media studies department and film professor, and several students who attended the FSP held an event on Monday in Loew Auditorium in the Black Family Visual Arts Center to showcase the music videos that the students produced and to discuss their experiences on the trip…. Read more »
I recently saw “The Master” in 70 mm and, like most, cannot stop thinking about it. Every moment of it was glorious – the recurring deep blue color palette and shots of the boat’s wake, Johnny Greenwood’s discordant score, that enigmatic final scene, and, especially, Joaquin Phoenix’s haunting performance as Freddie Quell.
However, the film also reminded me that Phoenix’s role is guaranteed an Oscar nod not merely due to its merits but also to two distinct advantages on the road to Oscar: one, the emotional showiness of the part and two, the fact that he has Harvey Weinstein backing his awards campaign. But what about this year’s understated or underrepresented performances? … Read more »
The return. It’s probably the central theme of September in Hanover, when old friends reunite to embrace the world’s troubles as their own … or just settle down into that glorious college routine of studying, eating, partying and sleeping, in no particular order. But Dartmouth is unique because it extends this welcome of a return to freshmen as well as seasoned students. I’ll never forget walking to Robinson Hall before Trips, a nervous wreck – I had gotten out of that ominous-sounding Hiking 1, but what if everyone on Nature Writing and Painting possessed artistic genius? – until I noticed the white banner hung over Collis porch with the reassuring message, “Welcome Home.” … Read more »
Everyone needs a style role model — someone they can identify with, look up to, emulate. When I was 12 years old, I watched “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” for the first time and fell head over heels in love with Audrey Hepburn. She was, in my eyes, the perfect woman and the perfect role model for me. Now, I know this is not exactly unique — many women have chosen Audrey as their style icon over the years — but as we all know, icons exist for a reason, and that reason is that everyone adores them…. Read more »
From the basements of Amarna and Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity to the Hollywood scene, filmmaking duo Phil Lord ’97 and Chris Miller ’97 are taking the skills they learned at Dartmouth to the big screen. The screenwriters and producers for the early seasons of the television series “How I Met Your Mother,” the writers and directors of MTV’s “Clone High” and the critically acclaimed animated feature “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (2009), Lord and Miller are credited as two of the youngest filmmakers in the industry. The team is currently set to release their latest project, “21 Jump Street” (2012), an action comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum among others, for public viewing on March 16. Miller and Lord’s strong friendship may be traced back to the craziness of their freshman year. “We had a mutual friend who said, ‘I know someone just as crazy as you are,’ and introduced us, and we became friends,” Miller said. “The moment we really became friends was when I lived upstairs from Phil’s freshman year girlfriend, and I was playing a game called, ‘Let’s see how close we can get a lighter to Heather’s hair without her noticing’ while she… Read more »