Tropic Thunder Review

Tropic Thunder is the funniest movie so far this year.

I was able to see a digital screening of Tropic Thunder at USC July 10. Immediately following the screening was a Q&A with the films producer Stuart Cornfeld, who provided some interesting insight behind the movies creation.

Due to be released August 15, Tropic Thunder depicts a director who is having trouble making a war film with his superstar cast. His remedy: send his five staring actors to a remote location out of the country in an effort to help them get into character. Things get out of hand, however, and the five actors stumble upon some unfriendlies with no easy way back home.

At the beginning of the movie, trailers and commercials play that help provide some back story to the actors in the film. The first one was a little jarring to me, but the rest were fairly funny and received a huge reaction from the crowd.

Some might assume the funniest actor in the film is Ben Stiller, but in fact it was Robert Downey, Jr. who played Kirk Lazarus-an Australian actor who has his skin color darkened to better play his African American character in the film they are making.

“I know who I am! I’m the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude!” he says in the film.

Cornfeld mentioned in his Q&A that they got Downey, Jr. to play this role by having an acclaimed make-up artist photoshop an image of the actor as an African American in the way the artist would actually do the make-up. This image was sent to Downey, Jr. along with the script, and happily, he took the role.

The second funniest person in the film was surprisingly Tom Cruise who played a balding, hairy, fat studio exec. His role was suppose to be a surprise cameo, but paparazzi’s managed to get photos of him in costume last year.

Cornfeld mentioned to the audience at the screening that Cruise’s role was his own idea, as is some of the stuff he does in the film.

Stiller and Jack Black were both funny, but I wasn’t terribly impressed by either. Stiller plays a famous actor who made some bad acting choices in the past and tries to redeem himself at the wrong time. Black plays an overweight, drug-addict actor known for playing multiple roles in the same film (in a Nutty Professor kind of way).

Interestingly, Cornfeld mentioned a lot of actors turned down Black’s role, not wanting to play a fat actor. “What do you think you play in every other movie your in?” Cornfeld commented.

As far are the writing, some of the jokes were hits, while others were misses, but this is usually the case with over-the-top movies like Tropic Thunder. Not every joke will be funny to everyone, and most likely, the movie won’t be for everyone. If your a fan of Stiller’s work though, and Zoolander is one of your favorite movies (it’s one of mine), then you’ll like Tropic Thunder. If your not a fan of Stiller’s work, still check this movie out. Comedy wise, it probably won’t get any better than this, this year.

—Lucian Tucker

More Grady Info

La Salle released a timely piece on John Grady’s death, yesterday, as one “La Salle student” kindly commented yesterday. I say timely, because the Collegian has previously criticized the University for dragging its feet on notifying students on the death of prominent university members (Noticeably Pete “The Barber” Paranzino). It would only be fair to commend La Salle for their quick response on Grady’s death.

Additionally, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an obituary today. And former La Salle student Christopher Schwartz featured a blog post on an interview he had with Grady.

—Sam Fran Scavuzzo

Grady Update

John Grady died Sunday, “after a courageous battle against cancer,” according to an e-mail written by faculty member James Butler to honors students. He estimated that Grady influenced about 2,500 honors students.

He also noted that early in the fall semester an on-campus memorial service will be held for Grady.

Future plans for La Salle’s honors program have not been disclosed. However Butler wrote in the e-mail:

“Now is not the time to talk about the future, but I pledge to all Honors students that, in my handling of the Honors Program, I will do my best to be worthy of John’s legacy.”

—Sam Fran Scavzzo

John Grady Funeral Arrangements

The funeral arrangements for John Grady are as follows: 

There will be a viewing at the Geitner, Givnish Funeral Home, 5th Street and Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, on Thursday, July 17, beginning at 7 PM.

 On Friday, July 18, there will be a viewing beginning at 9 AM in the De La Salle Chapel on the La Salle University campus, to be followed by a funeral mass at 11:00 AM. 

The University hopes to have the Honors Center open between 9 AM and 10:30 AM on Friday, July 18, as well as after the service.

 

John Grady was the Director of La Salle’s Honors Program for 39 years. His presence will be dearly missed on campus.

The Devout Educator: John S. Grady

John S. Grady was a professor and served as the adviser to the Honors Program at La Salle University. He died recently. Although not much is known as of yet on his death, readers are invited to share their experiences and remembrances of Mr. Grady.
—
To honor John S. (”Jack”) Grady as only a man would be foolish. Thoreau writes “most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.” This was not Mr. Grady. As we walk the halls and streets of La Salle University, as we write our papers and perform our labs, as we push our limits on the field and in our respective clubs we are playing the song of John Grady. In this way, his song will never leave us, or the school he served so well.

Virtus Scientia. Truth, Knowledge. These two words are the motto of our university. To speak of any student to pass through these halls is to speak of how these two words became clarified in one’s time at La Salle. If you ever had a class with Mr. Grady, or were fortunate enough to listen to him speak on poignant or momentous occasions, he would take a quote or phrase much like this (usually from John Henry Newman’s The Idea of a University) and turn it into something more eminently practical. Rather than performing that task myself, I believe the memory of John Grady will do that through its own power.

Truth and Knowledge are what Mr. Grady taught. I had the priviledge of taking HON 151 with him, an introduction to macroeconomics. Economics is a subject of universal application, and therefore, can be taken in many directions. Mr. Grady, as true to his nature in the Honors Program in general, left the application to us. His goal was to inspire passion about the study of economics, and the validity of its applicability. I am still a biology major, but I am now an economics minor. I am applying to medical school, but with the hopes of also studying health policy. Such was the influence of John Grady on the course of my studies at La Salle.

As I look at my portfolio from his class, and the comments he left on my essays and assignments, the word that keeps reappearing is “thinking.” Mr. Grady was a beacon of perpetual learning and thinking. His personal philosophical leanings, much as his attitude, never seemed to settle for good enough; they were always up for re-evaluation. His focus never wavered from imparting the fact, the high truth, that what we learn here applies outside the classroom and that at every turn that this relationship is clarified, our excitement should grow exponentially. Thus, his place at the head of the Honors Program makes perfect sense. In an interview for La Salle’s Economics department, Mr. Grady was once asked what makes teaching a satisfying experience. His answer is truly Lasallian and earnestly reinforcing his role as the devout educator:

“The students and my La Salle colleagues continue to make teaching satisfying. There is nothing quite like seeing the bulb of understanding flash on in a student because of the sense of accomplishment…”

Mr. Grady taught the courses and he has garnered the recognition (the Lindback Award, as well as being integral to the Honors Program’s national recognition). He has earned the students respect and admiration through his passion for academic excellence. The university will move onward from this great loss, as great universities do. However, John S. Grady will remain. Forever in touch with the students of this University, he now sits in the pantheon of superior Lasallian educators: Holroyd, Flubacher, Rodden, Kerlin…Grady.

Thank you, Mr. Grady. I hope they’ve got “The Journal” up there.

— Doug Phelan

Chevron By the Sea — Supporting South Jersey

If you’re making your way to the Jersey Shore, or if you’re already there, the weekend of July 12, Vineland, NJ is an easy stop to make to check out some great local food, music, and a fashion show.

Kill Brand Clothing, founded by Vineland-native Jonathon Smith in 2000, will be showcasing its line July 12 at 7 p.m. at the Fuel House Coffee Co. stage on Landis Avenue. The event is being held in conjunction with the Downtown Vineland Seafood Festival that day from 2-7 p.m. Local restaurants and fresh food vendors will be serving shrimp, clams, calamari, mussels and more. Live entertainment will be provided on a man-made beach in the middle of Landis Avenue. Models for the fashion show are set to roam around downtown for the daytime event. Jersey-based band Cheezy and the Crackers will provide the live entertainment for the fashion show, and hit the stage at 6 p.m. There is a $3 cover charge at Fuel House.

Kill Brand Clothing is carried in stores such as Ocean City’s Seventh Street Surf Shop, located at 7th Street and Boardwalk; Toiletwater, also in Ocean City on Asbury Street; Center City Sports in Mays Landing; Jinxed off of South Street in Philadelphia; and Virgin Record Stores in New York City, as well as stores in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and various countries throughout Europe.

Fuel House Coffee Co. was established in August 2007, and provides the Southern New Jersey area with various performing arts and hosts many local, regional and national musicians. The coffee house hosts open mic night every Thursday for aspiring singers, songwriters, musicians, and poets. Fridays and Saturdays always feature live music.

Take a night off from hitting the boards or bars at the shore points and support the local small towns just outside the shore resorts. Vineland is located about a half hour from the major shore points in southern New Jersey. Fuel House Coffee Co. is located downtown at 636 E. Landis Ave. (also known as Rt. 56). From Rt. 55, take exit 32 for Rt. 56 East, Vineland and stay straight.

—Olivia Biagi

Comcastic New Skyscraper Easy on the Eyes, Environment

In the constant bustle of Center City it is too easy for the business folk of Philadelphia to be overwhelmed in the 9-5 drag of paperwork, mergers and phone calls that make up an average day. But lately these frenzied workers have found a distraction from their routines in the form of a man-made tribute to technology, environmental forwardness and, of course, commerce. Such is the power of the new Comcast Building.

The building officially opened June 8, becoming the tallest, greenest and most innovative addition to the Philadelphia skyline. The 58 story complex holds a number of facets that separate it from your run-of-the-mill corporate office. The aesthetics of the building’s exterior, designed entirely of glass paneling, is a sight to behold in the midst of a Philadelphia afternoon. The glass also helps to filter light throughout the building. The plaza in front of the building is furnished with elaborate landscaping in which hidden sprinklers keep the plants thoroughly watered in the heat of the city summer. A fountain resides next to an outdoor café that is open to the public.

The wall opposite the entrance to the building is a hi-def video wall that throughout the day offers glimpses of outer space, fish, dancers, and people who give the appearance of living on the wall. If you happen to look in the building and see that the wall is on, feel free to go in and gawk. It is guaranteed that you won’t be the only one doing so. Models of businessmen and ordinary Philadelphians stand atop metal beams that crisscross up the sides of the lobby.

The lower level of the building is home to one of the highest of high end suit shops (allegedly a businessman can find $400 ties for sale), and a market that doubles as an excellent place for lunch and a formidable grocery store. Complete with a seafood market, fresh produce section and cake shop, a Comcast employee can leave work, walk downstairs and pick up a shrimp pizza or full rotisserie chicken to take home for the family. The downstairs of the building will also offer an entrance to the Regional Rail, creating a more convenient way for employees to catch the train or subway home.

According to www.designbuild-network.com, the building also houses an 110-foot winter garden. The building’s sustainable design, use of recycled materials in its creation and floor-by-floor climate control makes it eligible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification from the US Green Building Council.

At a shareholder’s event held last week at the Comcast Center one building official joked, “We even find time to do a little work here, too.”

— Liz Wagner

Obscurum Per Obscurius: The Subtle Knife

4.5/5 Stars

Just when I thought Philip Pullman had exhausted his bag of tricks, that he had unveiled his style fully in the first installment of the His Dark Materials trilogy, he gets me again. In The Subtle Knife, Pullman continues the journey of Lyra (now with the surname Silvertongue) as she wanders through the worlds that comprise her reality. Readers be warned: Do not dive into Knife expecting a continuation of the previous installment per se; we have the rise of a new protagonist whose importance rivals that of Lyra in terms of the grand scheme of the trilogy.

From the onset, Pullman introduces us to the mysterious Will Parry. Parry comes from what can reasonably be understood as our conception of “the world.” If ever there were a character that would be agreeable with Teddy Roosevelt’s assertion that some have “greatness thrust upon them,” Will Parry is it. The novel starts with Will killing a man in order to escape a couple of men who are after something in his mother’s possession. For the rest of the story, he runs. It’s a bit like The Fugitive, with a lot more kids, and a lot less Tommy Lee Jones.

There is a rather severe concept of fate that runs through the entire trilogy thus far (I say thus far because I am exploring the book as you hopefully are. I have not yet read the final installment). Will and Lyra are tools for a greater purpose that Knife lays out in great detail. The greater purpose set in for me in a single eureka moment, spit out by a computer in the middle of the novel. There is a glorious feeling, which I liken to exiting Plato’s cave. Ultimately, the characters we know become players in a more familiar, age-old drama I will not divulge. The reason the trilogy doesn’t become trite at the point of realization is because you know the characters so deeply, and they are (and must remain) unknowing. Situational irony at its finest.

As you explore the characters in this new scheme, the novel becomes a puzzle (not unlike those “pick the differences between the two pictures” games). Who fits into what role? You will grow attached to characters both new and old. Lee Scoresby, the balloon aeronaut who helped out so greatly in Compass comes back with a large part in this installment. One of my favorite lines of the series, and perhaps literature, comes in his conversation with the Will’s father John. In discussing the ideas of fate and necessary action, Lee says “[S]eems to me the place you fight cruelty is where you find it, and the place you give help is where you see it needed.”

Sentimentality is the name of the game in The Subtle Knife, for me anyway. Scoresby - a former b-character — grows into a sort of self-proclaimed father figure for Lyra. (By the by, there is no other way to describe his fight scene near the end of the novel than AWESOME!) Lyra and Will quickly grow together as a sort of odd pairing. Best of friends, no secrets between them, but still shrouded in mystery somewhat to the reader. At the end of the novel, we pretty much know how Lyra thinks, but not Will. A formerly-thought dead person is not quite so dead, and the relationships formed are that much more poignant for it.

The only player who received a lot of coverage in Knife who remains in similar hatred is Marisa Coulter. If anything, I ended up disliking her more. If you thought the severing experiments of Bolvangar were disturbing from Compass, wait until the merciless executions she dishes out this time around. Unlike before, Coulter gathers enough information this time around that she truly seems a juggernaut. But in a trilogy revolving around themes of organized religion and morality, I am loath to label people “bad” and “good” yet. Be careful: fate may seem to exist, but labels rarely do. This is what makes Pullman’s characters so interesting: They are fluid without seeming trite or unfeeling. There is plenty of reason for change, and change should always be suspected in such a suspenseful story.

If there is a bad side to the novel (leading to its losing only a half star in my book) it’s that you know it’s a set-up for the third installment. It needs to be, but I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m reading a tool rather than a result, while there are plenty of results in Knife. The characters advance, but spanning the entire book is a mounting of troops and divulging of necessary elements for a coming war which has Lord Asriel leading one side against The Authority (God) on the other. It leaves me ready to begin the next book tomorrow, and with a lot gained from the book so it is not a wash, but there’s something to be said for occasionally (every other chapter or so) feeling like you could catch the Cliff Notes version and pick up at the action of the third novel.

Bottom line: Despite this being the “development” book of the trilogy, continue the trilogy. It has surpassed my dreams of what I had hoped it to be (the rightful saga successor to Harry Potter for me). Where Potter becomes formulaic for me by the fifth book, Pullman continues walk the fine line: maintaining the idea of fate yet defying archetypal characterization. Also, know there is a multitude of amazingness I cannot cover in this review, nor would I want to. Do know, however, that the subtle knife, the actual knife itself, is another fascinating object, just like the alethiometer before it. Ultimately, Pullman will divine the story, and he does it exceedingly well. I’m just proclaiming the good news.

—Doug Phelan

ars longa vita breva

The Second Amendment Gives the GOP a Second Wind

As McCain plummets in the polls, the “Right to Bear Arms” issue could keep him afloat…

In a landmark case, the Supreme Court ruled June 26 that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, consequently ending a gun ban in Washington D.C. Dissenting opinions argue that the ruling interprets the second amendment out of the context in which the was written, claiming that the amendment was instituted as part of a compromise to appease Anti-Federalists looking to protect their states’ rights and interests with their respective militias. It’s a compelling argument, but it’s neither here nor there - guns are back inside the Beltway, and everyone should be a little bit nervous for that.

The bigger picture is the impact the ruling will have on the presidential race. In a lackluster campaign in which the GOP is struggling to energize its conservative base, the second amendment may now serve as a rallying cry. The Supreme Court decision represents the mobilizing strength and lobbying capabilities of the National Rifle Association. While Sen. John McCain is down by 15 points in most national polls (and losing in key battleground states Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Colorado and Wisconsin), a focus on gun rights might offer the momentum that he desperately needs; especially considering how passionately some swing-voters wish to protect them.

The ruling also brings to the forefront an apparent hole in Sen. Barack Obama’s run for the presidency. It seems as if the left lacks a comparable rallying issue.

Obama supporters might plead, “Hey hey hey, wait a minute pal! What about that unpopular Iraq War?” It seems like the GOP has blunted a lot of the anti-war movement, painting the mirage of progress in Iraq as a result of myths like “The Surge.” Relative “peace” (there have been 29 U.S. casualties in Iraq this month) is maintained on the unstable foundation of loose bribes with various tribes throughout the country. Nevertheless, conservatives have been able to position the success of the surge as part of conventional wisdom in the U.S., forcing the electorate to hesitate when they consider voting for an end to the war.

What about abortion? Women comprise the base of the Democratic party, so surely most of them will sprint to the polls to vote for Obama, right? There’s no arguing that, but Obama could suffer the loss of as many as 2 million Clinton supporters, which also costs him ground on voters passionate about universal healthcare. Political analysts also forget that Roe v. Wade is pretty much cemented in precedent, so it’s unlikely the case should be overturned, regardless of whether McCain wins the opportunity to appoint one or two conservative justices. This reality may render the abortion issue irrelevant.

If Democrats can’t get excited about ending the war or protecting abortion rights, at least they have the environment. Well, not exactly. Despite the gravity and imminence of climate change, less than 5 percent of potential voters say that the environment is their priority. Whatever advantage Obama did have on the environment has probably been wiped out by McCain who, in an act of classic Clintonian triangulation, released an ad last week portraying himself as the candidate of the environment and then proposed major offshore drilling for oil, involving serious environmental risk. All of this was performed on the same day.

Considering the American electorate is more or less split on the economy and immigration, the last rallying issue for the left is the now-cliché fight against a Third Bush Term. Voters must be inspired to move away from the administration and political party that got the country into a war under false pretenses, turned the only surplus in U.S. history into the country’s largest deficit, obstructed international law in several instances and infringed the civil liberties of the American people. However, much of the political punditry suggests voter fatigue over the Bush’s Third Term tactic. It doesn’t help Obama that McCain continues to distance himself from the most unpopular president in modern American history. The aforementioned environmental ad explicitly describes how McCain stood up to Bush on climate change, for instance. Regardless of whether McCain has stood up to Bush on anything (lord knows it hasn’t been on the war, tax policy or U.S. dependence on oil), it seems as if McCain might be winning the battle in public perception.

So the presidential race boils down to this: Advantage Obama on most of the issues. That might not matter, however, if McCain can assemble a passionate base on an issue like gun control or a non-issue like patriotism. Bush was able to do it with gay marriage in 2000. If the strategy gets McCain elected, that’s one tie to Bush that he won’t bother avoiding.

—Max Orenstein

Journalism, Jennings and [Supreme Court] Justices

Shall I confess here for everyone to read? Upon receiving an invitation from Dr. Cicala to attend the “Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution,” my first thought was “why me?” Surely, there were more experienced members of the La Salle community (like the upper echelons of the Collegian) more suited to attend this type of event on behalf of La Salle. Needless to say, I was quite apprehensive about attending, nervous that I would be surrounded by the future Bob Woodwards of America.  

The event took place at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a perfect place to celebrate the life of Peter Jennings. All together, six college students attended from all over, some communication majors, others political science. Thirty high school students were in attendance, as well as 30 well known journalists: editors of papers, reporters and correspondents inside the White House. This large group of college students, journalists and high school students sat down together to try to determine how and where the constitution, that LIVING document, applied to daily life and more importantly, journalism today.

Before attending, every person had to read up of various Supreme Court cases, some well over 100 pages long. It felt like being back in Olney Hall.  

It was impressive to listen to the journalists throw ideas around, some obviously conservative, others more liberal, as we debated various Supreme Court cases. Sometimes, it appeared that the high school students were overshadowed by the journalists and college students (for we all know how much college students LOVE to debate).  

The weekend was a series of debates about the Constitution as well as various programs. Some of the programs included a “moot” court case, deliberated by two of the best constitution lawyers in the country. Another program, “Women in the Law,” was a round-table discussion led by highly influential women about the struggle for female equality in the work place. The center of this discussion was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  

Overall, it was a fantastic experience that I hope La Salle continues to partake. It was great to listen to Ginsburg, especially being a woman myself. I was more influenced by the journalists around me and the lives they have lived, wondering if I could even achieve the same types of accomplishments. It was a great networking experience, as well as a history lesson. We never realize how much of our lives and freedoms revolve around the Constitution until we sit and truly interpret it.

I dare anyone to try to think of one aspect of our lives that is not affected by the Constitution. Until recently, I would have thought that was an easy challenge, but now, I know differently.

—Jen McShane

NOTE: Jen was featured in an Inquirer write-up on the forum.