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Show u li. f "1 PAGE 9 EDITOR I Monday, August 23. 2010 Holly Coombs, (. v iGYies 586-548- 8 L. I I vis M Historians and film fans alike may neither did anything memorable. They summarize the 2010 summer movie were so forgettable, that they are almost season as simply, 'mediocre, or dare 1 unworthy of a Redbox rental. Add Iron Man 2 into the group of good, say, average. In a time when films are designed to wow with the latest special but not great, summer films. Sure, Robert effects, audiences were left disappointed Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke delivered and frustrated. stellar acting performances, but the story Imagine being told you were going to and plot read like a stale soap opera. It's Disneyland and finding out your family sad when MTV reality shows are more was really just taking you to Boondocks creative than a blockbuster film based on Family Fun Center. Even worse, suppose a treasure trove of comic book characters. you were being set up on a date with Maybe Jersey Shores very own Snooki Jennifer Aniston only to arrive and find could've saved this movie, after all isnt out your date was eating Big Macs with her hair pouf indestructible? Rosie O'Donnell. In short, that is what Animation has witnessed somewhat the summer movie season felt like for a of resurgence lately. DreamWorks fan and critic like me. has seriously stepped up their game Certainly, a summer filled with Shrek, with How to Train Your Dragon and Iron Man, M. Night Shyamalan, sexually Universals Despicable Me was every suppressed vampires and yes, even the bit as entertaining. Yet, Pixar and queen bee herself, Julia Roberts, would Disney are still king as they delivered yield impressive audience satisfaction Toy Story 3 which capped off arguably and support. Instead. 2010 the best film trilogy of all time. blockbusters took a turn for the Toy Story 3 captures the human worst and landed somewhere spirit, using toys no less, while GURU between lack and luster. entertaining us as we laugh Movie plots, stories, and through our tears. themes have become so oneThe spy movie also has become more dimensional, so packaged, and prevalent rigidly cardboard, that one recently. Salt, Knight & Day, would think FedEx or UPS and Killers were all released, were producing, writing and and did little to differentiate itself from the other. Of the directing. Nevertheless, 2010 was not a complete and utter three aforementioned movies, waste as both Inception and Toy Salt stands slightly, like Gary Coleman over Mini-Mabove Story 3 proved that blockbusters could skew from plot norms and the others. The mediocrity experienced this still be financially successful. summer would have reigned had Nobody wants to make a bad movie. Can you imagine Universal it not been for the summer movie savior, or Disney saying to the cast and crew, Inception. Christopher Nolans magnum Okay, we are going to make this movie opus includes an incredibly talented ensemble cast, dramatic yet infectious bad, really, really, really bad. ACTION! Of course not. Yet, more often than not, musical score, and a sophisticated plot films are being made undeniably bad. which demanded careful, thoughtful Jonah Hex takes the cake this summer navigation. Dont be at all surprised if as the ultimate bad movie. After my Inception is nominated for a Best Picture viewing I was left wondering if what Oscar and even wins. It really is beyond I had seen was a cheaply produced good or great, more along the lines of Victoria Secret commercial starring a astounding and astonishing. Its worthy of stunning Megan Fox or a sequel to Will being christened the best film of the past Smiths cowboy foray, Wild Wild West. In five years. the end, it seemed to be a pathetic blend Truly, this summer lacked movie luster, of the two. The remedy: dont make In many ways westerns. They simply but didnt completely fail. futuristic, sci-it certainly lacked but in at least a few dont work. it shined brighter than even Edwards Hollywood is also under the impression that movie franchises, which bring in sparkling skin could muster. Hopefully boat loads of Benjamins, are the way to next summer will yield better results. avoid such misfortune. Shrek: The Final After all, dont we deserve a little Jennifer Chapter and Sex and The City 2 proved Aniston or Disneyland in our lives? this theory to be utterly false (By the Matt Howard is a senior communication way, doesnt Sarah Jessica Parker look like a foot?). Yes, movies are a business, major from Nephi. He can be reached at and each film gained serious coin, but mhowardsuunews.com. e i I t S i A t i e, fcl I.. .III. .11 .1 . .1, III. Mil .11 , HOLLY Don Burroughs sings Sit Down, Youre Rockin The Boat, from Broadways Guys & Dolls Aug. 13 at The Utah Shakespearean Festivals COOMBS UNIVERSITY JOURNAL Bardway Baby production. This first-tim- e Broadway event was put on as a fundraiser for the newly organized Artistic Initiative Fund. fi Festival raises $25,000 for Artistic Initiative Fund By HOLLY COOMBS hcoombssuunews.com 531 An estimated patrons helped raise $25,000 for the Utah Festival's Artistic Shakespearean Initiative Fund at the festivals first Broadway experience on one-nig- ht Aug. 13. After the former actors and directors Brian Vaughn and David Ivers were named directors at the g Tony company on May 5, they came up with the vision Award-winnin- Joseph Gordon-Levi- tt stars in the summer blockbuster Inception. for the Artistic Initiative Fund with what Utah Shakespearean Festival Associate Artist Jason Robert Brown said was a lofty goal (to raise) $250,000 by the 2012 season. According to bard.org, the fund was created to promote the festivals growth in aitistic excellence. s.id By AMBERLI WILDE awildesuunews com were from Washington County. Teams used the collected food to create various structures In the second year of including a tank, ship, sushi competition. SUU's College table, an iPod, a lectern, a book a of Integrated Engineering and Rubik's Cube. All the structures were and and Technology faculty for their creativity students weie aw aided Juror's judged the during Washington third-annuFavorite during the County Fair by people at the Canstruction Competition. fair as well as jurors selected a is service Canstruction among those directing the fair. project designed to collect SUU chose the theme. "The and donate food to food War on Hunger. and built a pantries, said Natalie Burden. tank to represent it For this, S. Computer they won the award. Juror's Engineering Science academic enhancement Favorite. Burden said all the donated coordinator. that was donated to food the Canstruction At the Iron County teams went Wednesday, competition to the Care and Share. seven teams gathered together straight a total of 1.359 received with collected food from the They lucid of pounds community to showcase their from these donations. said sometimes creativity at the Washington Burden County Fairgrounds for this people do not realize the need nationally recognized service of food during the summer months. project. She Two of the teams were from said this activity, Iron County while the other five however, helped to take a little li Brown said the fund is separate of perfo: mance. He said because the fund is from the operating fund, which the from provides money for putting on shows completely separate for summer and fall seasons. annual fund it can be used for those He said the annual fund is set up purchases. before the season begins with the (It can be used) for staff in amount of money the festival plans professions or backstage crew, to spend for the season, which can be Brown said A director will come hard if changes need to be made when in and the visual had changed from the season is in progress. the original budget and they want When its locked in, it's locked ir, or need something. The so when its set its really hard to get something fund will allow the director to be able approval (for budget changes), he to do things that the annual fund may said. So the artistic fund will do that not have allowed. to insure quality. Utah Shakespearean Festival Public Brown said the Artistic Initiative Relations Director Amanda Caraway Fund can be used to hire actors, said REACH, also known as Really and stitchers, drapers upgrade Eager Actors Crying Higher, has a technology. When the money is exhausted in cabaret every Thursday at The Grind the annual fund, they can use this Coffeehouse as a way to help provide See BARD, Page 10 fund, he said. It guarantees quality Hun ir bit of that need away. The two teams from Iron County w'ere SUU's C1ET faculty and students and the Color Country ToastMasters SUU's team consisted of CIET faculty members Burden. Glen Longhurst, John Sargent and Mikhail Crawford, a senior intergrated engineering from St. George, who was SUU's Canstruction team captain. The food used to build their structure came from community members who donated canned and other nonperishable foods as well as money that was donated to buy food. For the activity, the CIET team met once a week for five weeks before the competition. Burden said the first week was spent coming up with a name, design, and a theme while the following four weeks were spent doing partial prebuilds leaving the actual build for the day of the competition. This activity was fun and. at times, challenging, Crawford said. Canstruction was originally supposed to be a part of the Iron County Fair, but when all but two teams dropped out due to a shortage of donated food, the teams were contacted by the Washington County Volunteer Center and decided to join them in their canstruction. Burden said. Even though the other teams dropped out, they gave their loot of food to the two remaining contesting teams in Iron County, and that food made its way to the Care and Share. It was a motivator and a fun. challenging activity for participants, Longhurst said, Donors to the project helped support a very worthwhile community project, and it will be a blessing to those who need and who will ultimately receive the food. i i 1 i t i i 1 t - I ( i MIKHAIL CRAWFORD FOR THE .j JOURNAL faculty and students Canstruction tank on display at the Washington County Volunteer Center. The structure was the winner of the Jurors Favorite award CIET |