Our neighbors moved last summer. My children were very upset by the news, not because we were particularly close but because every December they put a leg lamp in their front window. The leg lamp, made famous in the iconic ‘80s movie A Christmas Story, symbolized victory for the little guy and also made us giggle every time we passed their house.
Civic theater has brought a spectacular rendition of A Christmas Story to its stage. From beginning to end, the audience was engaged, laughing and tapping their toes along to the music. The solos, ensembles and choreography blended well with the storyline. Each character was well played and so enjoyable to watch.
Ralphie (Alex Sullivan) gave such an impressive performance that although you know that he will eventually shoot his eye out, you still want him to get that Red Ryder Carbine-Action BB Gun. When he sings “Ralphie to the Rescue!” he imagines himself saving his teacher Miss Shields (Aimee Workman) from a villain, classmates from bank robbers, and his brother Randy (Ben Lowen) from a prisoner. His daydream is a compelling display of the many reasons he needs a Red Ryder BB Gun.
Once again David Duiven impresses on stage as the Old Man, Raphie’s father. His mutterings about the neighbor’s dogs and the famous tire changing scene brought big laughs from the audience. When the leg lamp arrives, the Old Man sings “A Major Award”, beaming with pride and finding the perfect front window display for his prize. The audience went wild when the Old Man and the cast broke into a leg lamp chorus line with the children holding little leg lamps.
At school Ralphie perfects his Christmas list essay, hoping that if he impresses Miss Shields, she will convince his parents that he should have the Red Ryder BB Gun. His essay seemed to do quite the opposite. Miss Shields transforms from sweet teacher to Broadway starlet, singing “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out”. The audience was dazzled as her big voice delivered the crushing news. The tap dance ensemble added extra drama to this already jazzy number.
A Christmas Story, The Musical combines love and humor, reminding us all of the moments that make the holidays special. This hilarious rendition of a Christmas classic plays on Civic Theater’s stage November 20 – December 20, 2015. Make sure to check out GRCT.ORG for tickets and more details.
I was introduced to Disney’s Newsies, the movie, years ago, in a dance class that I took when I was younger. The song that my class was going to perform on stage was a jazz number called “Once And For All.” My little sister was also in a tap class at the same time and her class was performing “My Lovey-Dovey Baby.” We learned that both songs were from the Disney movie Newsies.
We decided to rent the movie and instantly fell in love with the story line and the characters.
Newsies takes place in New York City in 1899. It’s the story of the newspaper boys going on strike against newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer. Pulitzer cut into the income the Newsies made by raising the price of the newspaper were bought and resold on the streets. So, the Newsies organized themselves and banned together against Pulitzer.
The main core of the Newsies team is Jack Kelly, Davey, Les, Crutchie, and Racetrack. Many other newspaper boys in the surrounding area of New York City join them. One of the more important areas to the strike was Brooklyn and their unofficial leader, Spot Conlon.
The play is incredible. The story does change a little from the movie to the play and those that know the story well will notice the differences. But, it is every bit as amazing as the movie
The set is a sight to behold. There are huge tower-like structures that move around for the cast to play on and the towers constantly change with each new song.
While the sight is eye-pleasing, it’s the talent of the cast that truly sets the stage. The choreography is tight, on point, and fun to watch. There is one number where they are actually dancing on newspapers!
Dan DeLuca plays “Jack Kelly”, the leader of the strike and the story’s main character. “Davey” is played by Jacob Kemp. Vincent Crocilla and Jonathan Fenton alternate in the role as “Les.” I’ve heard that the role of Les changes in each destination. “Crutche” is played by Zachary Sayle. Benjamin Cook takes on the role of “Racetrack” and “Spot Conlon” is played by Jeff Heimbroc.
My favorite numbers are “King of New York,” “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the day,” “The World Will Know,” and “Santa Fe.”
The set towers in the background during the performance at Devos Performance Hall
Speaking of Santa Fe, I have also spent some time in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was gorgeous and I love to go back. I know why Jack Kelly’s dream is to make it to Santa Fe.
On top of seeing the movie and the the play at Broadway Grand Rapids, I also saw Newsies in Chicago. At that time in the tour, they were not scheduled to come to Grand Rapids. I knew I had to see the play, and since I missed it in New York, I decided to see it in Chicago. Fortunately it came to Grand Rapids for a quick stint so I could indulge in it one more time!
Seeing it in Grand Rapids was no second fiddle. The performances shine through no matter the venue.
If you have the opportunity to see Disney’s Newsies on Broadway, take the time to see it. With the play already exiting Grand Rapids after a very limited engagement, check out the movie. They’re both brilliant and you won’t be disappointed!
Katie works in the film industry as a camera operator and has worked on films like ‘All You Can Dream’, ‘Set Up’ and a TV show called ‘American Fallen Soldier.’ She loves helping WKTV with the Citizen Journalism team and working as a tech at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Katie loves working in the film industry and loves watching movies just as much!
As ‘your mission,’ “Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”
You came back to see what I accomplished on Sunday., and as I mentioned in my last article, I will dive into the shopping and vendors at Comic-Con.
But first, I did attend one last panel on Sunday called The Art Directors Guild Illustrators. There were five panelists who all work for the film industry and the Local 800 at the discussion. The panelists were Ed Natividad whose credits include Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Transformers: Age of Extinction, Amy Lynn Umezu – Kong: Skull Island, Patrick Rodriguez – The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, Jeffery Errico – Terminator Genisys and Straight Outta Compton, and Tim Burgard – Jurassic World and Fantastic Four.
Seated left to right is Jeffery Errico, Amy Lynn Umezu, Patrick Rodriguez, and Ed Natividad
The panel was asked some fun questions by the crowd. One of the questions asked was “How is the art department changing?” There were several answers. Jeffery Errico mentioned the use of a Lightbox as the tool of choice in the art department. They used to use thumb nails, post-it, and scans to communicate with the rest of the crew.
Patrick Rodriguez mentioned that 2D and 3D applications were easier to use than the other choices, but most of the time he still prefers to draw.
The panelists were then asked to describe their favorite project. Jeffrey Errico’s favorite projects that he worked on were Burlesque and This is the End. Amy Lynn Umezu’s enjoyed working on Jurassic World and This is the End. Patrick Rodriguez’s liked working on the action movies Cowboys and Aliens and Iron Man 2. Last, but not least, Ed Natividad’s favorites were Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
My favorite quote from this panel was when Amy Lynn Umezu said, “Keep going for it; do what you love to do.”
Different Costumes at Comic-Con
The most important thing they mentioned was the benefits of being a part of the union because you will end up getting more work. It’s tough getting into the film industry, but well worth working for once you make it in.
After the panel, I went to check out the vendors and do some shopping. The vendors had some pretty cool items for sale, including costumes!
The 501st and Rebel Legion were both there. Those are two different Star Wars groups that you can join and do volunteer work while dressed in Star Wars costumes. They had some great looking headpieces. Many people were dressed up in crazy costumes and there were life size sculptors.
Comic-Con was just as amazing as everyone always says it is. Being Press was definitely awesome and I was able to get a few more perks such as guaranteed seating in the Her Universe Fashion Show. It is certainly Fanboy central out in San Diego and something that every geek should experience at least once in your lifetime.
Different headpieces at the venders
Signing off until next time, “Live long and prosper.”
Katie works in the film industry as a camera operator and has worked on films like ‘All You Can Dream’, ‘Set Up’ and a TV show called ‘American Fallen Soldier.’ She loves helping WKTV with the Citizen Journalism team and working as a tech at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Katie loves working in the film industry and loves watching movies just as much!
Set in a world of privilege, prohibition, decadence, wealth, colliding social worlds, and the incompatible contradictions, The Great Gatsby portrays an ill-fated quest for the American Dream.
Kicking off its 90th year, the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre (GRTC) opens this stage play Sept. 11, which runs through Sept. 27. Described as a cautionary tale, the production is recommended for teen and adult audiences. It closely follows the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and includes original dialogue.
First published in 1925, Fitzgerald’s 50,000-word novel focuses on 10 individuals living in the non-existent town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. Mysterious, self-made millionaire, Jay Gatsby is consumed by his passion and obsession with a beautiful, high-society girl, Daisy Buchanan. Driven to recreate himself as something astounding, and believing that fiction can be transformed into truth, the young man becomes ensnared in a trap of deception that costs him the ultimate sacrifice, as he passionately pursues the enigmatic Daisy Buchanan in a story of danger, greed, and obsession.
Inspired by the wild parties he reveled in on Long Island’s north shore, Fitzgerald started planning the novel in 1923. Writing was slow going, and the author completed his first draft after he moved to the French Riviera in 1924.
Fitzgerald died thinking his book was a failure
Upon publication, The Great Gatsby received mixed reviews; it sold only 20,000 copies the first year. When Fitzgerald died in 1940, he believed himself a failure and his work forgotten. Then, the novel enjoyed a resurgence during World War II and became required reading in American high schools. Over the years, many stage and film adaptations were produced, including the 2013 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Fitzgerald based many of the novel’s events on his own early life experiences. He grew up in Minnesota, and like Nick, he attended an Ivy League school, Princeton (in Nick’s case, Yale).
As with Gatsby, Fitzgerald was seduced into a life of decadence as he sought to prove himself to the object of his obsession. As a second lieutenant stationed at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama, Fitzgerald met and fell in love with a tempestuous teenaged beauty named Zelda Sayre. Zelda’s insatiable desire for fun, leisure, and wealth caused her to delay marrying Fitzgerald until he could prove to her that he was a success.
As he attained celebrity status, Fitzgerald tumbled into a wild, irresponsible lifestyle of parties and self-indulgence, all the while writing to earn money in a desperate struggle to please Zelda. Similarly, Gatsby amasses a great deal of wealth at a young age, and applies himself to procuring possessions and hosting lavish parties designed to win him Daisy’s love.
Gatsby embodies Fitzgerald’s struggle to confront his clashing feelings about the Jazz Age. As with Gatsby, Fitzgerald was propelled by his obsession for a woman who epitomized everything he wanted, even as she led him toward everything he loathed.
The case of The Great Gatsby
The GRCT production stars Brian Peerbolt as Jay Gatsby, Audrey Filson as Daisy Buchanan, Whitney Dykhouse as Myrtle Wilson, Sydney Doorbos as Jordan Baker, Matthew Swartz as Tom Buchanan, David Cobb as Nick Carraway, Patrick Hendren as George Wilson, Linnae Caurdy as Mrs. McKee/Michaelis, Liam Tichelaar as Mr. McKee/Cop, and Leo Zainea as Meyer Wolfsheim.
WHEN: September 11-27 WHERE: Grand Rapids Civic Theater, 30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Call 616.222.6650 or purchase tickets ($16-$28) online
Link to commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIV1PjRWaYk&feature=youtu.be
The 2015/16 Season Ticket Pages are on sale now. Learn more here.
As “your mission”, “the odds were in your favor”, you chose to return and experience Thursday at Comic-Con. As mentioned last time, Hall H is the Mecca of Comic-Con. It’s what makes the event so compelling. It took planning, persistence, and getting in line a couple hours early, but I was able to get into Hall H!
I arrived at the convention center around 8am knowing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 was going to be the big event for the day inside Hall H.
We finally entered Hall H at 10am.
This was on the floor with the “Lionsgate” booth
Before The Hunger Games presentation kicked off, a movie by the name of Rock the Kabash – starring Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Kate Hudson – took center stage. The movie is based on a true story and focuses on a music manager on tour in Afghanistan. During his tour, he discovers a girl with a great voice.
We were shown the movie trailer first with a question and answer presentation immediately following. Bill Murray showed up in costume. Rock the Kabash will hit theaters on October 23, 2015
I was pretty lucky and grabbed a seat fairly close to the front in the first section of seating. That was just fine by me because I had a seat in Hall H, the hub of all major happenings.
From my seat, I had the opportunity to see Bill Murray walk in! When I turned around, he was right behind me. No more than 15 feet away!
Bill Murray in Rock the Kasbah at Comic-Con in Hall H.
Mitch Glazer, the writer for the movie, was also there with Bill Murray.
A few people from the audience were able to ask question at each presentation. In order to ask a question, you had to wait in line and your question was screened ahead of time.
Mitch Glazer and Bill Murray did a wonderful job answering the questions tossed their way. One of the best quotes from Mitch Glazer was “We are Rock ‘n‘ Roll.” Bill Murray commented, “If you’ve been back stage, you know the craziness of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
One person asked, “where does Bill Murray fit into the Comic-Con world?” Bill Murray’s responded that “at first he didn’t know where he belonged in that world, but he does own a taser.”
When Bill Murray was finished making everyone laugh, they cleared the stage and got ready for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. They had a really neat introduction where you felt like a part of the District.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 top left: Jennifer Lawrence “Katniss Everdeen” top right: Josh Hutcherson “Peeta Mellark” bottom left: Liam Hemsworth “Gale Hawthorne” bottom right: Willow Shields “Primrose Everdeen”
Four people were dressed in white uniforms like those from “District 13.” Then, throughout Hall H, more people in white uniforms poured out and marched toward the stage. Once they reached the stage, they left the hall and a message from “District 13” played across the screens for everyone to see. Following the message, the full trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 was played.
The Hunger Games question and answer presentation featured Director Francis Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Willow Shields, and Producer Nina Jacobson. This was one of my favorite presentations of the entire convention.
During the presentation, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth mentioned there was a great scene between the two of them while Katniss is asleep.
One of the questions asked was “What will you miss most?” (as this is the last installment). Josh Hutcherson answered, “You’re looking at it.” Hutcherson also said that he would miss “the big family and the great crew.”
Another question touched on what the fans would take away from the movie. Jennifer Lawrence answered, “The power of the future is in our hands.” Josh Hutcherson’s answer was “Hope and Empowerment.”
The cast was also asked if any of them could do the “mockingjay whistle” and, surprisingly, none of them could actually do the whistle!
Left: Jeffery Morris’ Future Dude booth. Right: graphic novel of “Oceanus” I purchased
After the presentation for Mockingjay Part 2, I had the opportunity for two interviews that were not in Hall H. They were on the floor with two different vendors.
My first interview was Jeffery Morris, the CEO of Future Dude. I really enjoyed talking with him. Morris is the creator, art director, executive producer and publisher of his company. He is the creator of “parallel man” and his latest film Oceanus.
I sat down with Morris and talked with him for a few minutes. He made his first film when he was in eighth grade! I asked him what he thought his greatest accomplishment was. Morris responded, “It is Oceanus.”
Toys and lunchboxes from Entertainment Earth.
On top of being talented, he is very observant. He noticed my nails; which I had painted like Star Wars. Since he loves science fiction, the conversation immediate transitioned to our mutual love for Star Wars. His favorite episode in the saga is The Empire Strikes Back.
My second interview was with a vendor called Entertainment Earth. They showed me their booth, which displayed tons of their toys.
Entertainment Earth has three categories of toys. The first are toys that are their own products. Truly original and not licensed. Their other two categories are licensed.
They sell lunch boxes, statues, bobble heads, and many more! When it comes to the comic giants, Marvel toys tend to be a bigger draw than DC toys. Right now, Game of Thrones items are their most popular products. They carry many others like Jurassic World, Back to the Future, The Joker, and Captain America. They also have their own plush line of toys.
Ashley Eckstine wearing two different outfits.
To finish off day one, I signed up to go to a Geek Couture Fashion Show put on by Her Universe and the famous Ashley Eckstein.
For those that do not know Ashley Eckstein, she plays the character “Ahsoka Tano” in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The fashion show was the only event I did attend that was not held at the convention center. It was held next door to the convention center at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The first official day of Comic-Con was just as exciting as was anticipated. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” is to come back and see what I was able to experience on Friday. As a spoiler, I will mention Star Wars. “May the force be with you.”
Top left: Star Destroyer. Center: Death Star. Top right: Sailor Moon. Bottom left: Groot. Bottom right: is another geek couture outfit.
Let me take you on an adventure right into the middle of the most famous Comic-Con around.
The Adventure, my adventure, began as I was traveling out to San Diego. The plane flew out on a Tuesday, the day before Comic-Con, and I had a layover in Texas. As I was sitting there waiting for my flight, I overheard a man behind me talking about Captain America for a good 10 minutes on the phone.
When he was finished, I couldn’t contain the excitement and introduced myself to him. We wound up talking for a good hour. As it turns out, the man was a vendor headed to the same location I was… Comic-Con!
I bought this purse from Bioworld. The symbol on the purse is of the Empire from Star Wars and has stormtroopers.
We exchanged cards as we got on the plane. I made it a destination to visit their booth, called Bioworld, on Friday of the convention. Star Wars memorabilia made up their entire inventory! They had adjoining booths with all things Star Wars, one example, was Her Universe.
Comic-Con started on Wednesday, which included picking up your badges and attending a preview night. The entire event takes place over 4 days at the San Diego Convention Center. In order to get a badge, you have to buy one online at the San Diego Comic-Con website.
As Press, I was able to get a 4-day Press badge. I went at 4pm and got in line to pick up my badge in Hall D, but, as it turns out, I needed to be in line at Hall B! I chalked that little mishap up to excitement and nerves!
My registration and press badge for Comic-Con
Lines. Long lines everywhere. With the San Diego Comic-Con being so popular, long lines are to be expected and anticipated. It’s not as bad as one would think though. With the convention being held annually since 1970, the committee has had many years to work out the kinks. The event is very well organized and lines generally move quickly.
My first line of the event went relatively quickly, only taking about a half hour!
As soon as I received my badge I decided to find the hall for preview night. The preview night specials had a presentation for 5 brand new shows airing this fall on TV.
The first preview shown was called Supergirl. A brief synopsis – it’s about Superman’s cousin who comes to Earth to protect him. The show start October 26!
Supergirl coming in October
Next was a preview called Blind Spot. It’s about a woman who lost her memory but has interesting and unique tattoos all over her body. The tattoos are used to help the police track down the events that drive the blot. Blind Spot airs on September 21.
Preview number three was for a show called Lucifer. It’s about the devil going on vacation from hell. That airs sometime in 2016. Some of the shows they talked about did not have an actual start date; they were just starting sometime in 2016.
The fourth preview was Legends of Tomorrow. That is about a young Justice League joining forces together. The final preview was for a cartoon called Teen Titans. That is just an updated version of the older cartoon.
San Diego Comic-Con is a huge event visited by people from all over. This year’s estimated attendance was 130,000! Just an insane amount of people, and it was insane being there, I loved every minute.
I still cannot believe that Comic-Con is done already. Even though the event last five days, it doesn’t seem like enough time. It’s fanboy central. There is so much to do and see everywhere. On top of all of it, there is the famous Hall H. If you know anything about Comic-Con, it’s that Hall H is Mecca. It’s the biggest venue, but it only holds 65,000 people. Getting into Hall H is an accomplishment in itself for Comic-Con.
For the next few weeks I will be going into details about what happens inside Hall H, on the floor with the vendors, a fashion show, a couple interviews, and of course, some of the major movies coming up this fall and throughout 2016.
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” is to stay tuned and see what I was able to experience on Thursday inside Hall H. As a quick hint, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 is ramping things up. “May the odds, be ever in your favor.”
Editor’s Note: This begins a series of movie reviews by a film fanatic in West Michigan who is getting a degree in Communications, Broadcasting, Film and Video from Grand Valley State University.
“I am the scales of justice. Conductor of the choir of death. Sing, Brothers! Sing! SING!!” ~The Bullet Farmer
Over the last year, it’s been a slog anticipating movies. Enough movies have come and gone, here today gone tomorrow that I’ve just about given up on hoping for good, enjoyable genre films to come out and make a difference. I’ve been burned way too many times; PACIFIC RIM was amazing, but critics and audiences dismissed it as nothing special, Godzilla meandered around rather than inspiring any adoration, and anything who mentions the name Michael Bay to my face might as well slap themselves before I do it harder, with a folding chair.
But then, here comes George Miller, septuagenarian madman extraordinaire, to show off his kaleidoscopic symphony of insane imagination, relentless adrenaline, and consummate joy: Mad Max: FURY ROAD. It’s as if he’s been sitting off to the sidelines all these years, watching director after director try to make action movies in Hollywood, finally standing up in a huff, exclaiming, “No, no, no; this is how you make an action movie, lads”. On top of all that, the critics are lauding this film, of the 249 critics who have seen the film, only 5 have given the film a negative review, awarding the film a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In regards to action filmmaking, this is unheard of; not since The Dark Knight has a film rode the critical whirlwind like this, and not a non-comic book actioner since the original Matrix film.
FURY ROAD follows Tom Hardy’s Max, a former motor cop broken down by the loss of his family and friends in the fall of law and order post-Apocalypse. He is captured by the War Boys of Immortan Joe, a warlord who looks like the result of The Joker designing a suit of medieval armor, holed up in the towering Citadel somewhere in deserted Australia. Shortly after Max’s capture, one of Joe’s subordinates, Imperator Furiosa, played to hardened perfection by Charlize Theron, steals Joe’s prized breeding wives, in a desperate bid for freedom across the hostile Outback. The following one-hundred odd minutes has been described as a cathartic, two-hour car chase in the desert between madness and unbridled fury. And it is astounding to behold.
Charlize Theron is fantastic as the stoic Furiosa who will do anything to provide a better life for the young ladies in her care, clearly earning her sharing top billing with Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky. Tom Hardy takes over from Mel Gibson quite well. He moves with precision, determination; there’s a lot of animalistic behavior in his madness. And his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is as haunting as most anything from The Babadook. Nicholas Hoult is a treat as the nutty War Boy Nux, providing moments and dialogue that is destined for a pantheon of insane bad assery. There’s also the chief villain, Immortan Joe, who is played by the same actor as the villain in the original Mad Max, the Toecutter! Then there’s the Doof Warrior, a man clad in a lava-red jumpsuit who has not a single line in the film, but steals every scene simply because the man wields an electric guitar that breathes fire! Also, Rictus Erectus is to be referred henceforth as Stone Cold Steve Australia.
The funniest thing is that for the last 20 years, Miller has been tempering himself by working in family films. After seemingly concluding the original Mad Max trilogy with the entertaining, yet uneven Beyond Thunderdome, Miller made the 2 Babe films as well as 2 Happy Feet flicks. With ease, Miller remembers that the trick with all filmmaking, but the action genre in particular, is to show, not tell, as film is a visual medium. None of this Nolan-esque obsession with infinite exposition so the audience won’t ever be lost. Miller drives the audience head-first into the insanity, with a short chase scene that leads into yet another chase scene building up to an even BIGGER chase scene that will end up taking more than half of the film’s runtime. It’s quite admirable as well as shockingly to the point. The movie has been streamlined to the point that anyone can enter and enjoy the film as long as they are willing to accept the outlandish craziness of the post-apocalyptic Outback, where masked warlords rule over helpless refuse, stubborn drifters grunt and snarl rather than speak in sentences, and independent women are the most bad ass thing in sight.
On the note of the women’s role in the film. There is a small, but loud audience of deluded man-children on social media claiming that FURY ROAD contains a sickening feminist agenda, poised to forcibly insert feminist ideals into the gung-ho, he-man world of action films. Yeah, because Aliens was totally ruined by the fact that Ellen Ripley was the main character of the film. Oh, and how dare Lara Croft be born female? All action protagonists must be born with male parts and no feminine qualities whatsoever! Ugh! Just of note, this is a film where the main villain is a tyrant and known sex-slaver, yet there is not a single scene of extravagant nudity or even a rape scene, which premium television apparently relishes, cough cough!
This film is joy. A pure, off-kilter, powerhouse of joy. And I have seen this film eight times au cinéma since its release. This has NEVER happened before. Hollywood, please acknowledge my humble request: Fire Michael Bay, Can Zack Snyder, Halt production on all movies, and then give them all to George Miller.
As fall colors fade and temperatures drop, Pure Michigan is ushering in winter weather fun with the release of the 2014 Pure Michigan Winter Guide. The michigan.org website and social channels, including Facebook and Twitter, are also switching into winter gear for the season.
“Michigan offers residents and visitors alike a perfect opportunity to take a snow day and enjoy all the winter season has to offer,” said Leslie Hornung, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “This travel guide inspires people to embrace the beauty and unique events found in Michigan all winter long, while providing valuable tips and information to help plan a wide variety of getaways throughout the season.”
Individuals can request a copy of the 2014 Pure Michigan Winter Travel Guide at michigan.org or by calling toll-free (888) 784-7328. The guide will also be available at the 14 Michigan Welcome Centers across the state as well as in a free, universally accessible digital edition, which will allow users to access the guide from their desktop and laptop computers, smartphones and tablets.
Feature stories in this year’s winter guide include Into the Woods, a look at ways to explore Michigan’s backcountry – from snowmobiling to fat-tire biking; Winter Weekend Escapes, highlighting ski resorts around the state; and Cool Catch showcasing Michigan’s ice fishing assets. Those who prefer the indoors will want to check out The Art of Pie, with information on hands-on classes for the perfect pie, and Indoor Explorers to find kid-focused museums that entertain and educate.
The publication also includes a guide to Michigan state parks and trails and a winter events calendar. Once again, 100,000 copies of the winter guides have been printed at Quad Graphics in Midland, Michigan.
Last month, Pure Michigan teamed up with Lands’ End to offer fans across the nation the chance to win an ultimate winter getaway at Boyne Highlands Resort. There is still time to sign up to win, with the sweepstakes running through November 14, 2014. The prize package features a five day/four night trip for five to Boyne Highlands Resort including skiing, snowshoeing, winter zip-lining, spa services and access to the indoor water park at nearby Boyne Mountain. Additionally the winner will receive a $1,000 gift card from Lands’ End to outfit their Michigan adventure.
Michigan is home to 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails, 3,000 miles of cross country skiing trails and is second in the nation for the number of ski areas found across the state. Offering activities as diverse as tubing, ice fishing dog sledding and snowboarding Michigan winter vacations has something for everyone from outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers to families – much of which can be found in the 2014 winter guide.
Pure Michigan is a brand representing business, talent and tourism initiatives across Michigan. These efforts are driven by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which serves as the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business growth, jobs and opportunity with a focus on helping grow Michigan’s economy.
For more on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit: michiganbusiness.org. For Michigan travel news, updates and information, visit michigan.org.
Intersections by Anila Quayyum Agha The only art piece to appear in both the people and the jurors top-20.
After 11 days of voting, the public has selected from 1,536 entries in four categories the 20 finalists that will continue on with the possibility of winning a $20,000 category award and ultimately the $200,000 Public Vote Grand Prize.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. October 5, 2014 — ArtPrize, the radically open international art competition today revealed the public’s top picks, 20 works from among 1,536 entries that are now one step closer to winning the world’s largest art prize. Thousands of visitors filled Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids this afternoon to hear ArtPrize founder Rick DeVos and executive director Christian Gaines announce the Public Vote Final 20.
“Throngs of curious visitors encounter and consider work of contemporary art during ArtPrize,” commented Christian Gaines, ArtPrize executive director. “It’s a phenomenon that happens no where else on the planet. The public vote at ArtPrize is the ultimate catalyst for visitor involvement, inspiring countless conversations around what art is and why it matters.”
Over the course of 11 days, 37,283 individuals cast 352,732 votes, selecting five, entries from within each of four entry categories to move onto the second round. These 20 works have captured the public’s eye and will move to the second round of voting, where they will vie for the chance to take home $260,000 in prizes.
Tumbleweed by Nathan Lareau
The new awards structure has allowed us to see for the first time direct points of comparison between what captivated the public and what the jurors found most interesting,” said Kevin Buist, ArtPrize director of exhibitions. “One entry made it onto both the public vote and juried award finalist lists, [Intersections by Anila Quayyum Agha], so the tension between the results of these two ways of assessing art is exactly what makes it so fascinating and valuable.”
The ArtPrize 2014 Public Vote Final 20 are as follows, in no particular order:
Two-Dimensional
Frits Hoendervanger | Autumn’s Passage | Amway Grand Plaza Hotel | Detroit, MI
Armin Mersmann | Gabriella | Amway Grand Plaza Hotel | Midland, MI
ArtPrize visitors have one more opportunity to voice their opinion and decide the winners of $260,000 in prizes. Round 2 Voting kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EDT today, October 5 and will continue through October 9 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Each registered voter may cast up to 20 votes, one for each of the Final 20 entries during this second round. The winners of both the public vote and the juried awards will be announced at the ArtPrize Awards on October 10.
The conversation will continue next week at the two-part series “Why These Finalists?”. On both October 6and 7, a panel of three art experts will discuss half of the public and juried finalists in a lively, humorous, and irreverent debate — further exploring the tension between public and expert approaches to assessing art. Free and open to the public, “Why These Finalists?” will take place in the ArtPrize HUB Soundstage in front of a live studio audience, and will be broadcast live on WOOD TV-8.
ABOUT ARTPRIZE
ArtPrize is an international art competition, open to any artist and decided by public vote. It invites artists to try out new ideas on a large and diverse population of people. It seeks to broaden the critical dialogue around contemporary art by awarding the world’s largest art prize, at $560,000. Registered artists and venues connect online at artprize.org and agree to present the artwork for public display during the 19-day event. The public votes using mobile devices and the web to distribute $260,000, while an additional $300,000 in juried awards are decided by a group of international art experts. ArtPrize 2014 will include 1,536 entries representing 51 countries and 42 U.S. states and territories. ArtPrize 2013 attracted more than 400,000 active participants. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 1.7 million votes for public art.
Kent County, Mich.—Kent District Library, Capital Area District Libraries, Schuler Books & Music and Pooh’s Corner announce the semi-finalists in the second annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest. Nearly 900 Michigan writers from all over the state entered the contest – nearly double the number who entered in its inaugural year.
“For the second Write Michigan contest, we added a teen category and that proved to be the most successful, with nearly 400 entries,” said Heidi Nagel, KDL communications manager. “The diversity in topics and writing style is amazing. My favorite story in each category changes every time I read them.”
Winners will be chosen by public voting at www.writemichigan.org from January 8-31 for the $250 Readers’ Choice award, and by a panel of judges for the $250 Judges’ Choice and $100 Judges’ Choice Runner-up awards. Winners will be announced February 3 and honored at an awards ceremony on March 22 at 2:00 PM at KDL’s Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, 4950 Breton SE, Grand Rapids. Novelist Kristina Riggle will speak at the event, and write the Foreword for the 2014 Write Michigan Anthology to be published by Chapbook Press.
The semi-finalists are listed according to category:
Adult
· Ann Kammerer, “Fluffy,” East Lansing
· Anne Brandt, “Alumnae Tea,” Benton Harbor
· Connor Newton, “Enduring Youth,” Waterford
· Eric Dobson, “The Wake,” Ypsilanti
· Jourdan Rodammer, “Blind Grace,” Fennville
· Marshall King, “Terminus,” Grand Rapids
· Michael Pearson, “Lost in the So Forevers,” Hudsonville
· Oscar Bee, “By Lantern Light,” Chelsea
· Richard Fowler, “Brute Art,” Wyoming
· Robert Vander Lugt, “Mornings Like This,” Caledonia
Teen
· Ana Mohr, “Reflection,” Traverse City
· Autumn Chall, “Moving On,” Stockbridge
· Chloe Lewis, “What He Didn’t Have: A Life Told In Numbers,” Holt
· Emma Fox, “Remembering Summer,” Grand Rapids
· Grayson Powell, “Static on the Radio,” Grand Rapids
· Jackie Guzman, “Fading Sun,” Okemos
· Justin Hutchins, “The Shadows,” Caledonia
· Natalie Bradshaw, “Butterflies,” Grand Rapids
· Owen Purdue, “Troy Street,” Grand Rapids
· Wren Miller, “The Three Legged Dog,” Laingsburg
Youth
· Andrew Travis, “Tales of Ostranwhich,” Grand Rapids
· Claire Taylor, “The Truth About Sphinx,” Lansing
· Clare Wadaga, “The Seven Chairs,” Grand Rapids
· Grant Adrianse, “Sonic Blast,” Ada
· Holly Holland, “How the Dolphin Came to Be,” Dimondale
· Lilliana Appie, “Shadowland,” Ada
· Sarah Hoogstraten, “Changing Colors,” East Lansing
· Suchir Gupta, “The Silver Chalice,” Ada
· Thang Lian, “Exile,” Kentwood
· Tyler Barnes, “In Search of Buried Treasure,” Lansing
Sponsors of the 2013-14 Write Michigan contest include Aquinas College’s Contemporary Writers Series, Meijer and Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Our neighbors moved last summer. My children were very upset by the news, not because we were particularly close but because every December they put a leg lamp in their front window. The leg lamp, made famous in the iconic ‘80s movie A Christmas Story, symbolized victory for the little guy and also made us giggle every time we passed their house.
Ralphie (Alex Sullivan) gave such an impressive performance that although you know that he will eventually shoot his eye out, you still want him to get that Red Ryder Carbine-Action BB Gun. When he sings “Ralphie to the Rescue!” he imagines himself saving his teacher Miss Shields (Aimee Workman) from a villain, classmates from bank robbers, and his brother Randy (Ben Lowen) from a prisoner. His daydream is a compelling display of the many reasons he needs a Red Ryder BB Gun.
At school Ralphie perfects his Christmas list essay, hoping that if he impresses Miss Shields, she will convince his parents that he should have the Red Ryder BB Gun. His essay seemed to do quite the opposite. Miss Shields transforms from sweet teacher to Broadway starlet, singing “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out”. The audience was dazzled as her big voice delivered the crushing news. The tap dance ensemble added extra drama to this already jazzy number.
