1. 6 A&E February 19, 2009 G
Mount Holyoke News
The 2009 Academy Awards
t’s that time of year No doubt about it, Meryl Streep is still queen
I again when Hollywood
becomes more over the
top than usual. That’s right. BY ALLY HICKSON ’09
Fierce. There’s no other way to de-
scribe Meryl Streep. She’s been called
for the domineering nun who sticks to her
convictions. She speaks with snarky
It’s Oscar season. FEATURES EDITOR
The 81st Annual Academy the best film actress of all time. And cynicism and contempt and you
Awards air this Sunday at 8:30 with 15 Oscar nominations, two wins and 62 films under her belt, find yourself unsure whether laugh-
p.m. on ABC and this year, Meryl Streep has managed to remain at the top of the best actress ter or jeers would be appropriate.
they have a completely differ- list for decades. Meryl Streep is so incredible that every year at No other actress could have por-
ent vibe. Not only do we not awards season Meryl is expected to have a best actress nomination trayed such a wonderfully vicious, au-
know who will win, but the for an astounding performance. This year is no different. thoritative and despicable woman. Only
Academy is mum on the big Sister Aloysius Beauvier in Doubt is Ms. Streep’s Oscar nomi- Meryl. And while there were several other
name presenters. Sure this nated role this time around. And if there was ever any doubt about truly amazing performances this year—ate
means that Sean Penn doesn’t her acting chops—and I can’t imagine there ever was—she not only Winslet, Anne Hathaway and Angelina
have to suffer through an awk- put them to rest, but blew all contentions to bits. Sister Aloysius is Jolie—none of these talented ladies hold a
ward interview with Lisa bold, austere, stringent and brilliantly brought to life by Streep. candle to the tour de force performance given
Rinna and some former Back- Every moment of Meryl on screen leaves the audience cringing by Ms. Streep. So as the Academy Awards air
street Boy, but cutting back on and cheering with pleasure and hatred. There is complete silence in and you wait to hear the winner, watch Ms.
special time with Ryan the theater as Meryl demands attention on the screen. She sweeps Streep’s natural graciousness and courtesy that
Seacrest and the Big Vowel into a room, her robes billowing behind her, and your breath only comes with true humility, confidence and respect for the craft.
(a.k.a. the E! Network) takes hitches. Her pointed features, which somehow manage to look dif- And whether she wins, again, or lets someone else take Oscar home
Not everyone is Oscar crazed
away the pleasure of Oscar ferent in every film, only serve to heighten the audience’s disdain this year, make no mistake, Meryl does it best.
night.
Wolverine, I mean, Hugh
Jackman is playing host this
year. The question is does he
The invasion has begun
hold a candle to the likes of
past emcees Billy Crystal or high concentration of actors) keeps
BY ANN MARIE MCDOWELL ’09
Jon Stewart? Well, he’s not FEATURES EDITOR their reasoning, criteria and back-
People’s Sexiest Man Alive for stage voting politics secretive.
The Oscars have many avowed The Academy Awards have no
nothing. Then there are this
non-watchers, ranging from people bearing on the real world. They
year’s musical performances BY JOANNA ARCIERI ’10
who find them too pretentious and won’t prevent trashy blockbusters When Slumdog Millionaire
for Best Song. Get ready A&E EDITOR
artsy, to those who say that the from being made, and making mil- wins the Academy Award for Best
America. Bollywood is coming
show only highlights the death of lions. They won’t prevent mindless Pic on Sunday night, it will mark the beginning of a new
to a television near you and
art. Then, there are those who fall pseudo-artsy films from being made and exciting change in Hollywood; Bollywood cinema will
you’ll want to turn up the vol-
into neither of these categories: as star vehicles for actors trying to finally gain mainstream attention in the United States.
ume when the recently popped
those who do not hate them, but lit- re-brand themselves as “serious Slumdog Millionaire is by no means a Bollywood film;
M.I.A. performs her nomi-
erally could not care less. artists.” it is a British production directed by well-respected film-
nated song, “O Saya.”
Would you go to an awards ban- Regardless of nominations and maker Danny Boyle. In fact, the closest Slumdog comes to
And let’s not forget the
quet for some other school? Would awards, most movies will find their being a Bollywood film is during the musical number that
most important part of the
you go to an awards ceremony when appreciative audience. And the indi- closes the film. What this final dance sequence does is in-
Oscar telecast. Just how many
neither you nor anyone you know is viduals who enjoy any given movie troduce Western audiences to Bollywood cinema without
times will the camera pan to
getting an award? For many people, will pass on personal recommenda- really telling them much about it. Absent is the melodrama
Jack Nicholson?
the Academy Awards is such a cere- tions to like-minded friends and ac- overload, erotic sexual tension between main characters,
-Joanna Arcieri ’10
mony and the answer is no. quaintances. brilliant colors, lavish sets and elaborate choreography.
This is a yearly celebration, on These recommendations are Still it is enough to intrigue audiences into wanting to see
top of many other yearly celebra- tailored to their own audience; they more Bollywood.
tions, where a bunch of Hollywood are not a celebration of insiders by So why Bollywood now? These films have always been
types sit around and tell each other insiders. more popular internationally than Hollywood cinema, but
how amazing they all are. They set So, if you are or someone you it is nearly impossible to find Bollywood in the United
themselves apart from the other know is involved in show business States. But with a growing economic crisis, serious dramas
award shows, however, by being and nominated, by all means good will be tossed to the curb. Audiences, seduced by Slumdog
more prestigious—they got that luck. But don’t be surprised to find Millionaire, will quickly discover the fantastical wonder
way by declaring themselves more out that many people just don’t care: that is Bollywood cinema.
Big budget films may be
prestigious. Their shadowy voting last year, the Oscars had the award Entertainment Weekly has already reviewed Chandni
collection of filmmakers (with a show’s lowest ratings ever. Chowk To China. It received a D-rating and was declared
the first post-Slumdog Bollywood film to hit the US. If this
snubbed but not forgotten
review is any indication, we will start to see more Bolly-
wood films in the US. And maybe, hopefully, they will be
taken seriously.
Post-blockbuster Hollywood?
The rise of indie cinema
BY KITTY LEWIS ’11 without special effects, but my point is
CONTRIBUTING WRITER that blockbuster films should not be
In recent years, falling ratings and looked down upon simply because
high criticism has caused many to they are considered by nature to be
question the relevancy of the Academy bad films lacking depth and quality.
Awards. With the exception of The This year the Oscars excluded
from their Best Picture category both BY CLARE SCHWEITZER ’12 When the The shoe-string budgeted films began to
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the CONTRIBUTING WRITER
King, the Oscars have never favored The Dark Knight and WALL-E, two of Academy Award creep into formerly exclusive circles by means
big blockbuster movies in the Best Pic- the best movies of 2008 and two movies nominations were announced last month, box- of film festivals and word of mouth and con-
ture race. This sort of bias against that had depth and quality in quanti- office hit The Dark Knight was notably absent tinued to build momentum to awards season.
such movies is extremely outdated, es- ties. The only way I can grasp why the from the nominations for the award for Best Some people see the increase of independ-
pecially, considering the current trend Academy would choose The Reader, Picture. In its place were five films whose ent films as detrimental to the Academy
in the movie industry which is achiev- which got far worse reviews and had a combined total box office earnings are approx- Awards, as many independents film are in lim-
ing great success in producing comic far lower box office take, over The imately a third of those of The Dark Knight. ited release or are of a subject that does not
book, sci-fi and other fantasy films. Dark Knight, would be because The Over the past several years, The Academy of appeal to a commercial audience. Others see
Let’s face it. As much as we’d all Dark Knight is not the type of movie Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has in- the influx of independent movies as a wel-
like to sound smart and talk about they traditionally nominate for Best creasingly nominated and given awards to in- come trend as it shows the modern day Acad-
how amazing the cinematography was Picture. dependent films, a departure from what has emy is willing to look at and reward different
in some indie film, the truth of the Of course the Academy couldn’t traditionally been a reward for box-office at- types of films regardless of studio promotion
matter is that ordinary movie-goers nominate a comic book-based block- traction. or box-office earnings. The Academy still has
don’t watch or care much about all the buster, no matter how well made it Since its creation in 1929, the Oscars func- a lot of ground to cover in terms of independ-
artsy films that get the critics’ giddy. is—that would be below the Acad- tioned as a promotional vehicle for the major ent, foreign, documentary and animated films,
Audiences like movies that dazzle and emy’s dignity. But this is a new era of studios and the movies they made. As a result, but if the past several years are an indication,
astound them with special effects and movie making and the Academy had crowd-pleasing behemoths constantly re- the Academy will continue to broaden its base
story lines that have to do with mat- better expand their horizons and catch ceived more awards than deeper and more ac- and recognize quality regardless of studio
ters outside this world. Or at least, up with the times. Otherwise, the Os- claimed films. However, the Academy began marquee or box office profit.
most do. cars’ plummeting popularity and cred- to expand its base from a localized Hollywood
Many fantastic movies are made ibility is just going to keep falling. makeup to more global society of foreign and
independent filmmakers.

2. February 19, 2008 G
Mount Holyoke News A&E 7
concept is that I know a whole lot of funny women.
The Fast Talker
BY LARISA SUNDERLAND ’11
Last year, some friends and I went to Smith to a Five College improvisational comedy
troupe performance. Present were: Hampshire’s The Basic Character Flaws, Amherst’s
Mr. Gads, Smith’s SIKOS and Mount Holyoke’s The Unusual Suspects. The Suspects
were pretty funny, but they were undeniably given a run for their money in the Five Col-
GENDER AND HUMOR
lege setting—by Smith’s SIKOS.
The co-ed comedy troupes just weren’t as funny—more slapstick, less wit, skits that
went on for too long, crass obscenity. Also, the troupes weren’t really co-ed. Men not
only out-numbered, but also upstaged, the women of Hampshire and Amherst. These
women were foils for funny men.
ecently a friend and I were discussing some guy that she met at a party. He
R wasn’t cute, he was little too hipster for her taste, but he did have one thing
going for him: “He laughs at my jokes,” she giddily reported.
Let’s do a little close reading: He (subject) laughs at my (possessive adjective) jokes
In the co-ed world, this is the kind of humor that we put up with and that we become
foils for. The first change that I notice when I walk off of this campus: people don’t laugh
at my jokes. In fact, I stop telling so many jokes, and I start laughing instead. Why? To
be genial. To be likable. To be sexy.
(object). In this situation, my friend has all the power, because the pandering party guy
Humor isn’t perceived as a sexual trait in women, but it is in men. Remember your
becomes subject to her humor. How does this poor fellow submit to this lower standing
high school class clown? Wasn’t he popular, sexy even, because of his humor? How often
as subject? Why, that’s where the neat little verb comes in. He laughs.
is the high school class clown a chick? How often were the popular girls funny?
It’s not just that humor is a power play—it’s that humor is a sexual power play and
Not that I want to be like Regina George but I do want people to like me and so, for
laughing (acknowledging someone’s success at humor) is a sexual nod. That’s what
my whole life, I’ve laughed at other people’s jokes. Except for now. I’ve realized that I like
makes this situation a little odd. He’s doing the laughing, she’s telling the jokes—that’s
being funny. All these years I thought I’d been laughing to get what I want. Now I just
not how it usually goes.
Lighting designer shines in talk
want to be funny, but I’m much better practiced at laughing.
Women just aren’t as funny as men and that explains why male comedians drasti-
I guess the joke’s on me.
cally out-number women in the field. The only thing that’s perplexing to me about this
On Sunday, Feb. 15, was a mannequin in a silky white dress and the
BY NINA GUMKOWSKI ‘12
CONTRIBUTING WRITER acclaimed lighting de- lights set up around the stage. By changing the color
Belchertown’s
signer Beverly Emmons and source of the light focused on the mannequin,
gave a lecture about the techniques of color mixing Emmons had us see what subtle adjustments can do
using stage lights in Rooke Theatre. to the audience’s perception. She explained how
new jazz spot
Emmons has been working as a lighting de- lighting is deceptive and that “you can experience a
signer for over 50 years. She has worked in regional color without it actually being there.”
theatre, dance, and opera in the U.S.and abroad as Emmons also demonstrated how lights and vary-
well as on Broadway and Off-Broadway. She de- ing colors can set the mood and location for a dance
signed lighting for Robert Wilson’s productions for number. Using varying strengths of amber cyan and
Can it beat the odds?
13 years. She also worked for many famous dancers magenta lights, she transported the set from a sun-
including Trisha Brown, Martha Graham and Merce rise to a day at the beach to a whore house.
Cunningham. Her successful work has earned her As the lecture came to a close, Emmons shared
many accolades including six Tony Award nomina- with us some stories of her time in the theatre. She
tions. described how the styles change throughout the
“Color is the most difficult thing to talk about,” years and what she learned from her experiences.
BY CAITLIN MCDERMOTT ’10 Emmons began. “We don’t have worlds to describe She ended with a discussion the evolution of light in
HEALTH & SCIENCE EDITOR the experience.” Emmons started off with the basic theatre, from the days when every light was moved
science of color; how color is a spectrum of light and by hand, to present day, where we can cue lights to
In October, Belchertown became the home to Black Moon Jazz, energy and wavelengths. However, she believes that move and change in sync with music, all by com-
a one-room performance arts space and lounge with high hopes of science too can be limiting when it comes to describ- puter.
bringing live music to the wee town. The owner, Sonya MacPhail, ing color. She then explained how the understanding
originally in real estate, decided that Northampton shouldn’t have of a color is unique to everyone and therefore must Emmons is the lighting designer for the Five Col-
a monopoly on being the Valley’s cultural hub. As sole owner, she be seen, not just discussed. lege Opera Project. Dido & Aeneas and The Seven
has set out not to make some green but to start a space where For the lecture’s visual aspect, all Emmons used Deadly Sins are being performed at Rooke Theatre
music lovers can sit, have a drink, and fall into the ebb and flow of from Feb. 26 to Mar. 1. Tickets are on sale now.
jazz, bluegrass, indie or folk seven days a week. But first you have
to find it.
“You have arrived at your destination,” chirped the omniscient
GPS. My friend and I looked around. To one side was a field. To
the other, a pottery painting studio and a Dunkin’ Donuts. When
we pulled into the parking lot of DD’s we finally noticed the small,
black sign above the lavender stairway leading up to the lounge.
Okay, so this place is for those with a set of adventure. We made
it up the stairwell and opened the door to find a very quaint look-
ing space. There were a few hipsters in a corner with uber comfy
couches. The bar was completely filled as I walked up to ask for
the publicist, Joe Fitzpatrick, who was doing a sound check for the
opening act. Of course the first thing I mentioned when he sat
down was how tricky it was to find the place.
“Yeah, our Web site says to just look for the huge Dunkin’
Donuts sign. It’s just easier that way.”
Joe’s enthusiasm and hopes for the place are apparent by his
dedication to the business through its many trials and tribulations.
When Black Moon was first starting out, they promised a mini-
mum pay to the artists. “We just couldn’t keep it up, though,”
lamented Fitzpatrick,” so we eventually told the artists we couldn’t
promise an audience. We needed to pay the bills too. And you
know what? 99 percent of the artists still came back.”
As I listened to Joe reel off the vast array of music genres they
are home to, my attention strayed to the opening act. It was a local
guitarist and folk singer, and they were in the midst of performing
a lovely original piece about sunshine and love and all things pleas-
ant. Her husky voice and attention to her audience was quite mov-
ing. Joe notices my diverting attention.
“Oh, she’s with Mandy. Mandy’s is a late crowd but very de-
voted.”
The header for the night, Mandy Burry, is also a local per-
former. She sat down and chatted about life as a lover of local
music and part time performer. “I’d say this place is the best space
for performers in the area,” she said. “It’s big, they have a great
sound system and it’s so intimate.”
Black Moon’s heart is in the right place. Will it ever top
Northampton’s internationally-acclaimed acts? I tend to think not.
Even though Belchertown is closer to Mount Holyoke, I’d spend
the extra cash to go to Northampton. The other problem is that all
the shows are 21+ because of the bar which nixes at least 50 per-
cent of college students in the area. I do plan to go see the Rusty
Bells, a local group I first heard at another “middle-of-nowhere”
venue: The Book Mill in Montague. Perhaps as Black Moon evolves
and establishes a fan base, it will find an identity true to its local
music roots, not just that lounge above the donut shop on 202.
For more information, visit myspace.com/blackmoonjazz.