Pokémon: Gotta Buy 'em All
Li-Fang J. Huang
The Best Films of 1999
Kate Ranachan
Fabricated Pop Bands: Image is Everything
Sarah Houghton
Movie, Music, and Book Reviews
Primary Colors
Primary Colors is a movie about the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise during a presidential campaign and the way people deal with them. The main character, Henry (Adrian Lester), is caught up in the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta). As the campaign progresses, some extramarital affairs that the governor has had in the past come up and threaten to ruin his chances. Pressured to smear the other candidates, he refuses to do so. Near the end of the race, in the ethical climax of the movie,, the governor is given information that could destroy the other candidate's credibility. He then faces the ethical dilemma of whether or not to use this information.
The movie charts the campaign and the reaction to Henry's ethical dilemma. Although the movie focuses mainly on Henry's reaction, it also deals with three other characters: the governor, his wife (Emma Thompson) and their family friend, Libby (Cathy Bates). Libby was hired as a "dust buster"- to find out about the governor's past so that the campaign managers and spin doctors can keep ahead of the media and be ready with answers and denials if confronted with things the governor has done.
When Henry enters the campaign, he is very idealistic. Never having worked on a presidential campaign before, he wants to be able to believe in politicians and thinks that what is right will and should prevail. Libby also thinks along these lines. She's very idealistic and believes that an election campaign should be run cleanly. Governor Stanton and his wife are more inclined to do "whatever it takes" to win.
The main question raised by Primary Colors is whether the end justifies the means. If Stantonwins- and he is portrayed as an essentially good person who deserves to win- but uses unfair means in order to do so, does that undermine his victory? Libby and Henry would say yes. The governor and his wife would say no. In the end, the movie leaves it up to the viewer to decide. However, it seems to say that in American politics, and perhaps politics in general, the end does justify the means. It doesn't really matter what you did to get there once you're in office.
The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina
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The media used to have a Billy Corgan fetish, hanging on his every word as if he were the 90's Jesus to Goth's God and Rock's Virgin Mary. After the failure of 1998's Adore, however, it seems as though that plush carpet of press adoration has been pulled out from under Corgan's feet, and so back to his cellar/recording studio he went, bringing with him his old drummer and a new bassist from Hole (you know your music career is in a slump when your old bassist quits to try acting), in an attempt to bring back that formula that made Mellon Collie so huge. The end result, Machina, is to the Pumpkins what Celebrity Skin was to Hole - a good album, but not a good album for the respective band. Corgan tries to fuse Mellon Collie with Adore, but except for some sweet b-sides, it does not mesh well. Its still worth the $20, but for those of us hoping to re-live the pre-Adore glory days, we may have to wait even longer and hope Corgan isn't planning to break up the band just yet.
-Patrick Cameron
Lies of Silence
by Brian Moore
Lies of Silence is an intense and suspenseful novel about the conflict in Northern Ireland. The characters are likable and realistic, and the plot is intriguing. The novel explores feelings of resentment and hatred between the warring Catholics and Protestants and the reader often feels caught in the middle of the conflict in Belfast.
By portraying a hotel bombing through the eyes of the IRA (Irish Republican Army), the Ulster Unionists (Protestant Orangemen), as well as the viewpoint of individual citizens who are not affiliated to any organization, we are given a unique perspectives with which we may draw our own conclusions. The author appears objective and does not try to dissuade us with political propaganda or the use of ethnic stereotypes. The main characters (Dillon and his wife Moira) are Catholic and don't hold grudges against Protestants; they have attempted to distance themselves from the hatred that has plagued their people for decades. The plot thickens when the IRA storms Dillon's house and takes the occupants hostage. Their intent is to assassinate a prominent Protestant leader and get Dillon to deliver the bomb to the hotel. Thankfully, Moira is left unharmed when the police raid the house, and they are forced to flee the country.
Lies of Silence is an extremely enjoyable and fast-paced story. The author has maintained a strong pacifist view throughout the novel without openly criticizing either the IRA or the Ulster Unionists. It is recommended very highly.
-Jeff Dalziel
Blackalicious-Nia
Blackalicious return with their first full-length effort at displaying where hip-hop came from. This experimental LP is sample-heavy and combines layer over layer of rich instrumentation. MC The Gift of Gab brings tight enlightening lyrics, with metaphors that would even make Rob Black say "whoa!"
Consciouss rap, like that of Blackalicious, Common, Tribe, Mos Def, De La Soul, and others, is undoubtedly on the rise. So if you're feeling this mindful vibe, check out Nia and hear Gab and Xcel get live.
- Eric Martyn
Pokémon: Gotta Buy 'em All
Li-Fang J. Huang
Pokémon, short for Pocket Monsters, was created by Satoshi Tajiri, 34, because he wanted to reflect upon his childhood. With the idea set, his friend, Ken Sugimori, was given the task of drawing all the Pokémon characters.
The characters in Pokémon are Ash, Misty, and Brock who make up a team that searches for adventure while trying to catch and train more Pokémon. Also, Ash's sidekick, the captivating and popular yellow cat-mouse, named Pikachu, helps him out in battles by electrocuting other Pokemon.
What is it about Pokémon that attracts some teenagers, and even people as old as 20, when it was only meant for four to twelve year olds?
I myself got into Pokémon for two reasons. First, a friend got me interested in it and secondly, you have to admit that Pikachu is adorable.
There are over 150 species of Pokémon, but only one or two actually talk. The other Pokémon can only growl their names repeatedly. Each Pokémon has his/her own distinct superpowers. Time magazine's November 22 issue informed me that, "the names of the characters and monsters were westernized" to appeal to a North American audience.
In every cartoon, there are enemies. "Team Rocket," which is comprised of Jesse, James, and a talking cat called Meowth. Team Rocket want to catch more Pokémon, but are always encountered by Ash and his friends. However, they never succeed and they always end up "blasting off again!"
According to Charles Laurence of The Daily Telegraph on April 24, 1999, Pokémon "began as a cartoon in which teenagers compete to capture the pocket-sized monsters, prized for such powers as zapping enemies with megabolts of electricity. Then the Nintendo Game Boy version appeared."
I have interviewed 38 Jarvis students between the ages of 16 and 20, and the results showed that 10 watch Pokémon, 23 don't and 5 used to or do sometimes. When asked why they didn't, they made comments such as "There's no point to it," "I hate Pikachu," "The dialogue is stupid," "It looks retarded," "It's brainwashing,""It's worse than Sailor Moon."
On the contrary, OAC student Julia Lee said, "it's soooo cute!" Rafael Ramirez, 18, said, "It's entertaining, a very...good influence." Wilson Ng, 18, said, "Do I watch it? I buy all the videotapes and..." One 18-year-old male said, "Pokémon makes me relax."
All 38 students were asked, "What do you think of Pikachu?" The most popular answer was "cute." I noticed that more than half of them don't watch Pokémon, but they know who Pikachu is. Do they think they are too old to watch Pokémon?
But there's more than just the television series: there are numerous Pokémon accessories that toy companies are selling to a huge market of children, making millions of dollars in profit.
Three of the students who said they didn't watch the show admitted to owning a toy. Three students who watch Pokémon said they own over 100 Pokémon accessories. Has the slogan got to them? In fact, half of the toys were purchased at Burger King, who sold Kids Meals with a Pokemon toy for about two months I went to Burger King four times, but I bought it only once with the toy because it was always "sold out." There was a large demand on the Pokémon toys, which caused Burger King to run out of the stock earlier than expected. Consumers can buy trading cards instead.
Pokémon: The First Movie, which opened in theatres on November 10, 1999, had grossed $25 million on the first two days in the U.S. alone, reported by Time magazine in the November 22 issue. At Paramount Theatre, it was said that the buyers of the first 100 tickets sold would receive a free trading card. But I wondered if the movie was another attack to entice kids and teens to spend more money. Julia Lee, who watches Pokemon, thought the movie was "stupid." Also, the soundtrack to the movie featured at least three artists who were younger than 20 years of age.
The question is, will Pokémon fade out over time as new shows of products emerge in the next five years? OR will they become classics like Mickey Mouse or Winnie the Pooh?
I asked the same 38 students, if Pokemon will become unpopular, and found that people think: "It will fade out like Power Rangers," "Of course, dealing with children fades over time," "It's a common trend," "Because it will not work for a future generation," "It's a fad, like Sailor Moon," "When a new product comes out." It appears that teens think it's a fad, that something like Pokemon can't last long, but what if is does?
Elisa Lochan, 18, said, "It might come back in 20 years." I sat there pondering, and I think I can agree with her. My brother used to watch Sailor Moon in the 1970s and look what happened to it: it came back in the early 1990s. So perhaps there are ways to preserve Pokémon, but only if future generations will still be interested.
Sure enough, some teens are addicted to Pokemon. I'm glad that being 18, I'm able to relax and enjoy a show or two of Pokemon. Go Pikachu!
The Best Films of 1999
Kate Ranachan
Here is yet another "best of" list. Before I write about my favorite films of 1999 I would like to write a disclaimer. Neither having the time nor the inclination to see every movie that came out this year, my opinion is based solely on those films I did see. I am sure many other great films came out this year and I am sorry if your choices don't appear on my list. Here are my top films of the year (in no particular order).
All About My Mother
The latest film from critically acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, All About My Mother is his best and most ambitious film to date, a beautifully told tale that explores the different social roles women play. The story centres on the search of Manuela (Cecilia Roth) for the father of her son Estevan who was killed on the night of his birthday. The catch is that her Estevan's father has since become a transvestite. Manuela travels from her home in Madrid to Barcelona where she finds her old friend and meets a nun (Penelope Cruz), who has been impregnated and infected with the HIV virus by Estevan's father. This is a wonderfully touching film, exclusively about women and those who wish be women (except for Manuela's son). Cecilia Roth is particularly good as Manuela. Despite the awful things that occur in her life you never once feel sorry for her because she is often the strongest character. This movie is in Spanish with English subtitles.
Cradle Will Rock
The latest film from Tim Robbins is a fun musical romp. Set in 1930's Manhattan it is the true story of the Broadway production of Marc Blitzstein's pro-labour musical of the same name. This Orson Welles directed show was shut down and surrounded by a McCarthy-like political controversy over federally funded arts programs which supported thelabour movement. The movie is a rich ensemble piece with standout performances from many in the cast, especially John Tarturro as an anti-fascist actor in the musical and John Cusack as Nelson Rockefeller. Robbins directs with a steady hand and cuts verywell from scene to scene. There are two subplots in the movie. One involves the mural, painted by Diego Rivera, that was removed from the Rockefeller Centre, while the other deals with Margherita Safatti (Susan Sarandon), Mussolini's publicist and mistress who is selling an Old Masters in order to fund the Italian war machine. Some of the chronological details of the story have been changed for dramatic effect, so the story is not to be taken at face value, but Tim Robbins and his talented cast have perfectly captured the era's spirit.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
This is Anthony Minghella's follow up to the critically acclaimed and Oscar winning picture The English Patient, (which is a tough act to follow). The story is about a man, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) who will stop at nothing to achieve what he wants: the life of the rich American playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). Ripley pursues Greenleaf's life it in an extremely tense and action-filled film. Damon is good as Ripley, although it is sometimes hard to believe that someone with such boyish good looks could be such a psychopath. At times he seems uncomfortable with his character's ambiguous sexuality, which is left up to the viewer to decide. Jude Law is perfect as Dickie, a real playboy living la dolce vita with his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) in Italy. Law plays Dickie perfectly as a man who has been handed everything his whole life and uses people in an awful way. The scenes of Italy are breathtakingly beautiful. Minghella creates a tense and suspenseful atmosphere which is perfect for the movie. If you enjoyed this version it might be worth it to check out the 1960 French version called Purple Noon.
Magnolia
An incredibly rich, layered ensemble piece is the newest offering from Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of Boogie Nights. This is not a movie for those who can't sit still because it runs at about three hours, but it is a great three hours. The story, which takes place in Los Angeles over the course of one day, follows many different storylines and eleven characters, but the theme of each segment is the same. Each character is looking for love and forgiveness, and the performances are all great. Anderson knows exactly what to do in order to extract the best possible performances from his actors. Tom Cruise as a macho motivational speaker is a great performance from an actor better known for his roles in more action-filled movies such as Mission: Impossible. The movie is shot beautifully and with an incredible amount of maturity, which is hard to believe when you consider that Anderson is only 29 years old. For those who are fans of Boogie Nights there is a funny cameo of Luis Miguel, again playing himself. A must-see movie.
Dogma
Only Kevin Smith would have Alanis Morrisette playing God in a movie. This is Smith's most ambitious film to date, a deliciously funny satire of all that is wrong with the Catholic Church and organized religion in general. The movie is well cast; especially secondary roles such as George Carlin as a Catholic archbishop and Alan Rickman as an angel. The story is simple: two fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) have found a loophole in the Bible which would allow them to return to heaven. The only problem is that they would end existence in doing so. Sent to stop them is Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), the last descendant of Christ. Helping her are Rufus (Chris Rock) - the 13th apostle - and Serendipity (Salma Hayek), a muse. Fans of Smith's films needn't worry because Silent Bob and Jay play major roles in Dogma. Smith's camera work is fairly simplistic, but his evolution from Clerks to this has been very interesting. Dogma has been surrounded by controversy due to what was seen as its sacrilegious content. I think this is completely unfair to the movie. Dogma raises many important and serious ideas about religion and its importance in our lives. Smith (a practicing Catholic) obviously has much love for his religion and only wishes to raise questions about the basis of our own faiths.
The Straight Story
The Straight Story is the strange new offering from director David Lynch. It's the simple story of a man, Alvin Straight (a brilliantly weathered Richard Farnsworth) who decides to travel across the country in order to make peace with his sick brother. Alvin can not afford to fly, hates the bus and can't see well enough to drive. The only way left for him to get there us on his John Deere lawnmower. The movie is slow, so it is not for those who love action. Alvin meets many kind people on his journey who want only to help him, and that's the nicest thing about this movie. It's a real testament to the human spirit and the goodness that people possess. Richard Farnsworth is great in the role as he brings a gentle quality to Alvin's nature. He is full of wisdom and emotions that he is willing to share with all he meets. This is a real feel-good movie. You leave the theatre feeling that there is still good in this world.
Fight Club
This may be the most "in your face" movie you'll see all year. Although Fight Club has been surrounded by controversy due to what is seen as excessive violence, there's no more violence than in the Jean-Claude Van Damme film. What Fight Club does have is amazing acting and an engaging story. Edward Norton is riveting as the unnamed narrator who becomes jaded with his pencil-pushing IKEA lifestyle. When he meets Tyler (a creepy Brad Pitt) his life is forever changed. Together, they start an underground group in which men fight each other to feel morealive. A comment on our consumer-driven society, Fight Club brilliantly shows what happens when material goods cannot fill the void in our lives. Edward Norton deserves and Oscar nomination for his performance.
The Limey
Steven Sodenbergh's most recent film is just as stylish as his previous effort, Out Of Sight. The Limey follows a father on a quest to discover the truth about the death of his daughter. It was ruled an accident, but he believes that her older boyfriend (a smarmy Peter Fonda) is responsible. The father is wonderfully played by British actor Terrance Stamp. The story is simple and the acting is on the whole superb. The most amazing thing about the film is the manner in which Sodenbergh cuts between Stamp's flashbacks and the present day. In place of filming new flashbacks, Sodenbergh uses scenes from an earlier Terrence Stamp movie, Working Class Hero . Whether one is familiar with Soderbergh's films or not, one will be impressed with this cool, stylized and beautiful film.
American Beauty
What's not to like about a movie that makes fun of American suburban culture? Well, with American Beauty, not much. This film concerns itself with the inner workings of one suburban family. Frustrated with the American Dream, Lester (a wonderful Kevin Spacey) leaves his job in order to smoke marijuana, work at a drive-thru and fantasize about his teen-aged daughter's friend. Lester's wife, an overachieving real estate agent, has an affair with another real estate agent while her daughter has a relationship with the strange boy next door. A heavy favorite for the Oscars, it is directed by first-time British director Sam Mendes, who is better known for his theatre direction (he is responsible for the Cabaret revival). A darkly funny movie about what happens when the bottom falls out of the American dream.
Fabricated Pop Bands:
Image is Everything
Sarah Houghton
While seemingly harmless, there are important issues revolving around this trend, which are being studied by media analysts and academics alike. Are there unspoken symbolic messages and hidden pretenses behind these groups? I'm led to wonder: how do these groups come into being? What are they trying to achieve? Who is behind them?
Examples of this genre are famous names such as the Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, the Spice Girls, All Saints, 98°, and B*witched, to name a few. Unlike the traditional struggling bands who start small and work up to fame, many of these groups are composed of singers in their 20's who tried out at an audition held by a producer, who had the idea of the image all planned out. The bulk of these groups do not write their own songs, do not decide what clothes to wear, or invent their own dance moves (although the details about behind-the-scenes are not publicly flaunted). In short, everything is decided by the producers who are carefully marketing the group to appeal to the targeted audience of young girls, roughly ages 7-14. The goal: to get these consumers, younger than ever before, into the world of pop music and culture.
From a capitalist perspective, fabricated groups such as the Backstreet Boys and B*witched are a brilliant creation: you have, in essence, a product that is produced, marketed, and sold for a tremendous profit. Carefully combine a catchy melody with trendy clothes, make-up, dance moves, evendistinct personalities (remember "baby spice"?), and what you are left with is an image which is advertised on MuchMusic and MTV, then sold to the biggest market of consumers: "tweens," or pre-teens, and teens. The money is made from record sales, concert tickets, candy, toys, and whatever other paraphernalia they can make money from.
The musical "packaging" trend is the latest in forming a band. It serves the music industry, but it also serves other interests. In this day and age, where the corporate world runs the show and it's all about money, why not be skeptical about pop culture? If fans try to emulate their role models, why wouldn't a company such as the Gap use these young singers as models for their clothes? With this theory in mind, one could conclude that the music is secondary: the image is what's for sale, and these groups are simply a medium for advertising.
There are different ways of interpreting the phenomenon of these fabricated bands, and the issues around it are multi-layered. I asked some Jarvis students questions about these groups, to get an idea of how my peers feel about them.
While everyone has heard the overplayed hits of the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys, no one who I interviewed at Jarvis admitted to be devoted fans. After surveying a random sample of students, I found my ideas about behind-the-scenes info to be confirmed. Nobody knew if these bands were singing their own lyrics (although there was much doubt), or who was behind it all. "[Some of these pop groups] have no artistic integrity," noted Julia Ford. "They're taking credit for other people's songs."
On the whole, the students believed that the image the groups portrayed was not really a problem, because their ability to please fans was first and foremost. I also asked about the message put forth in this kind of music, and about the ideas that are presented to the huge audience. Here I got varying responses: "They're sending out a positive message. They're out for a good time, that's it," said Kevin Ferrell. Vickie Thai thought, "It doesn't mater what they sing about; to 10- and 11-year-olds, it's just about the melody."
"At least it's not as bad as the rap image," commented Michael Leach. "Rap is all about 'smackin' my bitch up' and 'packin' my 9-millies.' They [pop groups] sing about love, and that's an important part of life." Dwayne Alleyne agreed with this: "Rap and hip hop sometimes influence people to do bad things, but [on the other hand] some rap stars sing about what's going on in the world, such as poverty."
This idea of sending a message about societal issues -- or a failure to do so -- is something I wonder about. "It's not the role of music to send a message," David Nguyen reminded me. "Music is an art; art and politics are two different things. Good art doesn't have to have a message."
Fair enough. Jarvis students seemed to neither love nor hate these bands, which aren't targeted to the high school age group anyway. Nobody seemed to think about fabricated pop groups as being a marketed product for sale of a medium for advertising. Nobody thought their message (or lack of message) was detrimental to young audiences, nor did they think that they were saying anything of particular interest. Nobody seemed to mind this enormous trend of marketing the image rather than just the music.
We have entered the 21st century bringing with us these pop sensations, who make up a large portion of mainstream music. Most people take this craze for granted, but there are underlying issues that need to be exposed. While image is the key element (and profit the main impetus), we should think twice about taking these groups for face value.
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