Local talent isn’t hard to find if you know where to look, even in a place like Texarkana. Chatter in the halls of Texas A&M – Texarkana suggests that local Millennials and Gen Z groupies aren’t satisfied with the local attractions, mostly because there are few. But, things might be changing, especially for the local music community. Hopkins Ice House downtown hosts a mic night and Scotties Grill offers events promoting local artists.
“Owl Fest,” Compliments of the Owl Crisis Media Website
These events are nothing like Shreveport’s Owl Fest. It’s an hour’s drive, but interactivity and community involvement makes it worthwhile for young adults looking to just hang out and support local talent, a place for people to feel welcome and to embrace their gifts. One story has altered my perception of such small venue events, that of Luke Lindsey.
Compliments of Owl crisis Media, from the Owl Crisis Media Facebook Page
Owl Fest is a collaborative showcase for R&B and Rap artists. Isaiah Polk is its mastermind. Polk runs a multimedia group called Owl Crisis Media which travels throughout the tri-state area to compete in video game events and enhance the lives of talented musicians and poets.
Luke Lindsey met Isaiah at a competitive gaming event and they’ve been working together ever since, bringing a once-shy Luke into the limelight, or at least the dimly lit budget stage where many have cherished closeness with those in the community.
Luke goes by the stage name Sad Boi, but he’s full of cheer and motivational spirit. His friends keep him motivated. “Expressing yourself through music is like the best thing ever,” Luke says. He frequently uses his friends as critics.
Photo by Allison Hall Luke Lindsey Left, Isaiah Polk Right
The importance of local outlets for local talent is paramount. Since Owl Fest, Luke has recorded several tracks and performed for audiences he might not have been able to tackle alone. The goal of events like Owl Fest, he says, is to “help each other grow.” “It’s easier when you have someone there to help.” All participants help each other. They get on stage and hype each other up. For Luke, it’s all about “hyping ya’ boy up.” He says one has to support and encourage for those around you, and that’s Luke motivation in life.
Photo by Allison Hall
Bottom line, such community events bring to light a community’s richness. Luke uses the word “depressing” to describe his feelings toward the lack of similar events in Texarkana, mostly because his main goal isn’t to pursue music as a career. He just wants to promote fun and goodwill for those willing to share their time. And that could be what anyone might want from these events. At TAMUT alone we have so many musical, graphic, and literary artists. Maybe if we all came together like Isaiah’s group and worked hand in hand to make a place for ourselves within Texarkana, we could begin to lift each other up instead of spending our time wishing we had something to do.
Here’s an inside look into the mind of Luke and his take on the life of using talent as a hobby, filmed by Allison Hall.
Baby Girl 2: My Dad is Dope combats teen domestic violence at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center November 3rd Saturday 4:30pm and 7:00pm. Courtesy of Vanessa Jackson-Fields.
Local play writer and director Vanessa Jackson-Fields brings teen domestic violence awareness through her new play, Baby Girl 2: My Dad is Dope. New young actors and returning cast members demonstrated lesser-known warning signs and dangers of an abusive relationship at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center, 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Newcomer Kiauna Smith portrays smart, outgoing, family-oriented, high-school valedictorian, college-bound Jasmine (Baby Girl) escaping from her former violent boyfriend, Marcus (Kameron Randle) a year after a relationship ended.
“It’s written around a young teenage girl that didn’t know the signs of an unhealthy relationship or a potential abuser, because usually they start off really nice, well-cut people, and you have to know the signs that they can potentially be an abuser. This show points out all the signs, especially this day and time”, said Vanessa Jackson-Fields.
The 15-year Anniversary play began with the early stages of obsession, control, and stalking in teen dating violence via today’s communication media: texting, phone calls, and emailing. “They become obsessed with you. Show up at your door when they’re not wanted, even though you told them not to. They keep you away from your family and friends and want you to be with them all the time”, said Jackson-Fields.
Domestic violence advocate and play writer, Vanessa Jackson-Fields poses in the Perot Theater, where her first play took place in 2003. Photo Credit Tiffany Brown
According to One Love Foundation and Joyful Heart Foundation, isolation is considered a domestic abuse warning sign. The family foundation also mentioned belittling, intensity, manipulation, and jealousy, which Jackson-Fields mentioned in her play. “You might think it’s because ‘Oh they just jealous’, and think it’s cute, but it’s not. Being jealous can be very dangerous. It’s like they have ownership over you. They believe you belong to them,” said Jackson-Fields.
Jackson-Fields included real-life scenarios of physical abuse, potential sexual abuse, and a horrific tragedy. “Shoving, grabbing and getting very angry. The play kind of shows a lot of that. It gets very graphic”, said Jackson-Fields.
Domestic teen violence does not discriminate against social class, race, gender, age, or family background. It can occur among upper and middle-class teenagers. “I always remember April Love. She came from a nice middle-class family. She was so smart and had a bright future. She was killed September 2005 by her boyfriend on a college campus. It was days before they found her. You never would’ve thought, she would be killed in an abusive relationship”, said Jackson-Fields.
According to The Telegraph UK writer Amanda Prowse, abuse can happen in middle-class families. In fact, middle class abuse cases are rarely reported, as seen in the teen domestic violence play. “Abuse is sweeping the country and nobody really pays attention, until someone loses their life”, said Jackson-Fields.
Jackson-Fields cast newcomers Isaiah Germany, Jashaun Wedlong, returning cast members Pastor Lamarcus Franklin, Tammie Harvey, Dr. Mary Phillips, and Connie Thompson as a supportive family, however their favorite baby girl, Jasmine found herself in a violent relationship. “This play is showing when you’re in these relationships, it not only affects you, but everybody around you”, said Jackson-Fields.
The former abuse victim turned advocate encourages teen boys and girls to speak up before it’s too late. “I hope they learn okay I know he’s doing that, but I need to get away. Run! Get away from him or her! Go to your parents or somebody you know that will support you. Do not try to handle it alone or hold back, because you can’t. If they do it one time, that’s just a warning”, said Jackson-Fields.
If you are experiencing domestic violence or know someone that’s experiencing domestic violence please speak up or link to Texarkana Domestic Violence. Or call (903)-794-4000 or visit 424 Spruce St, Texarkana, TX 75501, 8-5.
Attendees receive a wrist-band moments before the 7 p.m. Pen 2 Paper strategist conference at the Texarkana Convention Center. Photo Credit: Tiffany Brown
Business strategist Bridgette Moody strategized, organized, and maximized the visions of Texarkana conference attendees during her Pen 2 Paper celebration 7 p.m. Friday night November 2. Ambitious entrepreneurs, ministry leaders, and business vendors made connections, ate great food, enjoyed live music, and grabbed their pens and paper for Moody’s instructions at the Texarkana Convention Center.
Pen 2 Paper display graphic design during conference. Photo Credit: Tiffany Brown
“Tonight’s event is about vision celebration. It celebrates the vision people who had a vision and walked that path. Some people wrote books, began and completed new projects. We want to celebrate those who had the tenacity and hung in there. Not only that, celebrating those advocates the country who have gotten Pen 2 Paper”, said Moody.
Before hosting Pen 2 Paper over the country, Moody began with herself and others around her. “This conference started as a result of working with ministries and finding out that people really didn’t have a clear vision, understanding their purpose. As a result of my own experience in trying to figure out the next level of my life, I began writing those things out, because there’s more in our hearts than we can see on paper”, said Moody.
Attendees shop around business vendors moment before Pen 2 Paper strategy conference Friday night. Photo Credit Tiffany Brown
In order to have a clear vision, an individual must grab the necessary tools: pen and paper. “Learn to write. Jot before you journal”, said Moody. Your vision should also be clear and detailed oriented. “Know what your vision is. It’s hard to put steps together, if you don’t know what it is. Be clear. Do you know what it is? Are you just doing something that someone else is doing? Do you have a heart for it? Without a heart or a passion, 9 out of 10 ten times, you’re ready to quit if you’re not making money. When it’s your purpose, you persevere the ups and downs, but you will keep going if that’s what you’re called to do.”
According to Moody, you do not have to be a skilled professional writer. “Everybody is not a writer. Write every thought down. If you can write every thought down, it helps you put those things together. You get everything out on the table like putting a puzzle together. You put your edges, colors, and like images until you the full picture”, said Moody.
Although business owners and ministry leaders attended the event, an individual did not need those titles to have a successful, clear vision for themselves. “It’s not just for business owners or ministry leaders, but individuals to find themselves in their life and figure out where they’re supposed to be. It helps them to not just exist, but to live”, said Moody.
Business strategist, Bridgette Moody welcomes attendees during Pen 2 Paper conference. Photo Credit: Tiffany Brown
Before vision boards became a successful trend, celebrities such as Harvey, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, and Arnold Schwarzennegger accomplished their written goals using this one method. “You should always keep the vision before you. Once we put it on paper, it magnify the dream, goal, and vision”, said Moody.
“Keep in mind success is not a quick process. The vision is not something that you write it today and it happens tomorrow. It’s over a period of time. You have to establish goals in the process of moving toward the vision. The vision is an expected end. Once it happens, that’s the end result”, said Moody.
Are you a fan of traditional first-person shooter video games, zombie puzzle games, or battle royale style matches? If so, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 delivers on all fronts.
Developed by Activision and released on October 12, 2018, COD: Black Ops 4 is shattering sales records across download platforms and viewership numbers on streaming services.
World-wide sales topped $500 million according to GFK Chart Track data. Following its October 12th launch, Black Ops 4 established a new one-day record for PlayStation digital game sales, and became the best-selling Activision Xbox One digital game in a 24-hour period.
“Black Ops 4 is an incredible game, and the community’s response to it has been amazing. We have shattered multiple digital day one sales records, and the number of people who connected online on day one to play has grown year on year,” said Rob Kostich, EVP and GM of COD in a press release. “But probably the most important thing is that the community is having so much fun across Multiplayer, Zombies and Blackout. We are so incredibly thankful for the community’s trust and support. This is just the beginning, it’s going to be an incredible journey with Black Ops 4.”
COD: Black Ops 4 has garnered extraordinary viewership on the video game streaming site Twitch. According to analytics provided by the Esports Observer, one of the world’s top sources for Esports business news and insights, Black Ops 4 has taken over viewership on Twitch since its release. From October 11 to 17, the game has amassed a total of 29.66 million hours watched on Twitch, the highest level of viewership through a launch weekend in Twitch’s franchise history.
Courtesy of Desert.com
So, what exactly is special about COD: Black Ops 4? A brief step back in gaming history will shed some light.
The battle royale style game mode has gained in popularity over the last couple of years with games like Player Unknown’s Battleground and Fortnite. In a nutshell, 100 players are dropped from the sky with no weapons or gear. They must scrounge around in search of “loot,” items like guns, ammo, body armor, helmets, scopes, and grenades. The playing field or “map” is large, taking up the virtual equivalent of two square miles.
After a short time, a random circular section of the map is revealed, then an all-encompassing larger sphere of electric death closes in around. This squeezing of space continues until one player remains.
By incorporating well known COD fixtures from the past, Black Ops 4 has innovated the battle royale style game. Player enhancements or “peaks” can be found randomly around the map that can have one of several effects such as improved hearing, complete silence while moving, enemy awareness, or longer held breath while sniping. Several gadgets unique to COD can be found as well such as trip mines, portable sonic walls, sensor darts, grenade deactivators, grappling pistols, and an assortment of grenades.
Will Black Ops have the longevity of its predecessors? Can it maintain Twitch viewership with the onslaught of holiday game releases? Has the battle royale genre reached its zenith of popularity? These questions can only be answered in time, but for now COD has set new watershed marks for the next iteration of battle royale to strive for.
After so many years of sequels and remakes, David Gordon Green has wiped away the slate and delivered the best Halloween film since the original.
Since 1978, John Carpenter has set the standard for slasher films. Halloween spawned numerous imitators, made a household name of Jamie Lee Curtis, created an icon of cinema, and began a franchise that, while containing a few standout films enjoyable in themselves, never recaptured the same magic of the first film.
While that’s still debatably true, there’s no denying that the latest attempt, which sets itself up as the true sequel to the first film by ignoring everything but the original, is not only a great follow-up story, but also a thoroughly entertaining horror film in its own right.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
It’s been 40 years since that Halloween night where famous masked killer Michael Myers menaced the streets of Haddonfield, Illinois, and Laurie Strode, the sole survivor of Michael’s rampage, has never forgotten it. Living in constant fear that Michael may, once again, escape captivity, Laurie has remained in isolation from the world, including her own family, to prepare for the worst. Her fears are soon realized when Michael, having remained silent and inactive all this time, breaks free and returns to Haddonfield to continue where he left off. With her family to protect, Laurie must engage Michael head-on in hopes of finally ending the nightmare she has lived through for so long.
Green’s direction is worth commending. Certain shots and scenes are definitely owed to Carpenter, but Green’s method of bringing the film to life is his own, as it doesn’t feel as though he’s trying to imitate Carpenter. Long takes and wide-angle shots recall the original, but there’s a modern sensibility that helps the film stand apart. For instance, one scene feels like it would have been staged by Carpenter, but its execution feels new and eerie. If you’ve seen the trailers you’d know I’m referring to the tracking shot of Michael as he goes from the streets to someone’s garage to someone’s house to steal a knife and kill the person inside. It’s all done in one, continuous take as it follows Michael, and it’s a stunning moment.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
The acting from most of the cast was excellent, with Jamie Lee Curtis giving the best performance. You feel how the trauma of that event has affected her character solely through her body language and line delivery. She’s reclusive, withdrawn, paranoid, and depressive, having occasional crying fits in public. It’s uncommon for slasher films to focus on how the life of a victim, or “survivor girl,” was impacted by their encounter, and, thankfully, Curtis was able to impeccably realize this rare opportunity by giving one of the best performances I’ve seen from her in some time. Other notable performances include Judy Greer as Laurie’s estranged daughter, Karen, who feels as though her mother ruined her childhood, Will Patton as the town’s deputy, and Jibrail Nantambu, an unknown child actor who easily stole the show whenever he was onscreen as a funny little kid babysat by one of Laurie’s granddaughter’s friends.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
Then there’s the core question posed about the film: is Michael Myers, a character that most people are familiar with and has been used to, scary? Yes, he is. Not another film in this series, apart from the second, has been able to make Michael as fearsome or alarming as he was in the beginning. Fortunately, that’s been rectified with this film. Michael is as brutal and unpredictable as he’s ever been, going after characters you wouldn’t expect him to target, setting up gruesome, macabre decorations for people to find, and stalking the night without anyone being aware of his presence until it’s too late. The tension when he’s on the screen is palpable, and even if you don’t see how some characters meet their demise, the aftermath paints an even more horrifying image in the viewer’s heads.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
Part of the advantage with Michael in this movie is the fact that the creators focused on what made him threatening to begin with. He’s still human and, feasibly, able to be hurt and stopped, unlike in some of the sequels where he felt like a copy of Jason Voorhees. In the first film, an almost supernatural quality showed about how ghostly and determined he was. It fools the audience in believing that he is this unstoppable force or, as Samuel Loomis put it, purely and simply evil.
While nothing ruined my satisfaction with the film, a few negatives are worth addressing. For starters, the film does fall into the usual horror tropes that we’ve come to know for years, especially for the slasher subgenre. Characters, no matter how appealing or likable, make illogical decisions only to further the plot or build tension, teens partake in scandalous activity only to be viciously murdered, predictable jump scares are present (thankfully, minimally), and so on. Another point against the film is the pacing. For long stretches the film trails on and on, specifically in some moments of comic relief that stops the film in its tracks, and takes away from time that could have been dedicated to other, more important, characters. Finally, a certain plot twist near the end of the film, while interesting in concept, feels too last minute and confusing. I won’t go into further details than that to spare everyone from spoilers, but know that there is a twist and it is a touch perplexing to say the least. Once again, if the film took a little more time from moments of comedy, that twist could have been stronger and easier to grasp.
David Gordon Green’s Halloween is a welcome return for Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, and judging by how well the film has been doing at the box office, Blumhouse Productions may be opting for a continuation. If they iron out some of the issues here while maintaining what worked well here, I think we’ll all be in for a treat in Halloweens to come.
Photo Credit, Tiffany Brown. Members of the National Society of Leadership and Success sign in before famous Top Chef, Carla Hall’s “Leading With Love” live-stream in Eagle Hall 6 p.m. Tuesday night.
Bravo’s Top Chef, Carla Hall leads the National Society Leadership and Success (NSLS) organization with love through a live-stream leadership conference yesterday evening October 23 at 6 p.m. in Eagle Hall. Hall’s tough, tedious experiences taught the united NSLS members the importance of following their passions, learning from failures and resilience, and leading with values and integrity within Eagle Hall’s conference room 6pm Tuesday night, October 23rd.
“If you feel frustration about something that happens to you, that frustration is about the teacher coming to you to teach you that thing. When all of those things happened to me at The Chew, it wasn’t about them, it was about getting me frustrated enough, so I could move from that”, said Hall.
Photo Credit, Tiffany Brown. National Society of Leadership and Success’ Founding President Philip Deuroen takes notes during famous chef Carla Hall’s live-stream.
The students took notes regarding accountability and self-diagnosis. “All this blame and not taking responsibility, you can play that game, but you’re going to delay your gifts and delay your lessons. If you are frustrated, then that’s your lesson. If you’re indifferent about what’s happening with someone else, you can just look and support them, while they’re going through it, but it’s not your lesson, it’s their lesson”, said Hall.
Upon learning Hall’s method of leadership, attending member Matthew Edwards and staff member Phillip Barnes discussed their definition of a leader. “To be a leader, be willing to listen to other ideas and not force your own ideas, be cooperative. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself, said Edwards. “Communication and empathy. It’s one of the coessential roles a leader should have. It shouldn’t be just working with different people of all shapes and sizes, you should understand where people are from. At one point, you will be always that’s under someone person and a leader. It takes a person that has round-about thinking pairing to understand everyone and working together to similar goal. Empathy is the goal”, said Barnes.
Photo Credit, Tiffany Brown. A Carla Hall poster lies on the National Society of Leadership and Success’s sign-in table.
The famous chef coincided her personal experiences with Barnes’ statement. “When I hired people at the restaurant, I wanted to teach young people work ethic, which is why I hired older people. I want this older woman to yank this kid up and be like look dude okay. Sometimes, it’s leading by example. Other people just don’t see it. You can not be a lesser than you. Nobody wants a lesser than you. Nobody wants an earnest, overly-righteous, pointing the finger, because what you don’t realize is by doing what you do other people are watching. They will flow with you or leave you”, said Hall.
Photo Credit, Tiffany Brown. Members of the National Society of Leadership and Success communicate briefly before Carla Hall’s live-stream leadership conference.
She also described the importance of teamwork during her hard-core, Top Chef competitive days. “When you’re in a competition, and it seems cut-throat and everybody’s trying to win, for me it was about doing me, and being true to myself and others, and helping others. If I am running away to get er done and I see somebody fall, I’m going to go back and get that person, because you don’t win by yourself. Top Chef was that thing, it was hard and it was a little bit of bullying. I learned you just have to say no.”
Photo Credit, Tiffany Brown. Founding NSLS chapter President Philip Deureon speaks positive messages toward the National Society of Leadership and Success.
Founding NSLS chapter President Philip Derouen and Phillip Barnes believe Hall’s advice will equip the organization to become future better leaders in their organizations. “She will give our members a live-stream about leadership, women’s foundation, and teach our members leadership and how they can use that in the real world”, said Founding President, Philip Derouen. “It will be another series of various speakers that exemplifies leadership and will intern inspire the ones in the room to grow and build upon those aforementioned leadership traits they carry”, said Phillip Barnes.
Besides being active, having boundaries, and achieving your goals, Deroeun states a necessity every leader should have. “For me your mindset effects everything, so if you have a positive mindset, you can accomplish anything that you want. That’s what I want to give all my members apart of this society.
During the live-streamed, Q/A session, Hall touched similar topics regarding the right attitude. “God goes before me making smooth, easy and clears my way. No person, place or thing or outside condition can affect me. I am powerful, worthy, free, creative, unique, confident, and so it is. I say that every morning”, said Hall.
You’re a senior in high school. You’re over halfway through the school year, and you’ve just spent the last four years of your life trying to forget that you’ve spent a good majority of it flipping through math, science, English, and history textbooks. You’re ready for your summer of freedom. But, that’s not going to happen. It’s time to decide your place in life. Your teachers tell you that college is nothing like high school. It’s hard. It’s tiring. You need to know what you’re doing before you do it, because there’s not much wiggle room. And all you can think about is what you haven’t been prepared for.
Our educators expect us to understand the world enough to know exactly what we should do with our lives, even at the age of ten. It’s a scary thought. But there lies the problem. People aren’t expected to have everything figured out once they reach college. However, our younger selves are somehow coerced into believing that picking a major field of study for higher education is a singular choice.
On the contrary, college is a place where learning the steps to make that decision actually takes place. The misconception that high school is where you make your final decision is just downright stressful. Some people get so worked up it actually decreases their likelihood of going to college. They feel so overwhelmed that their solution might be to wait it out. But education isn’t knowing everything in advance of doing it. If that were the case, we wouldn’t need education.
Venturing further into your academic career offers new discoveries and options everyday. The electives at Texas A&M University – Texarkana offer multiple teaching and learning styles, material, perceptions.
Photo by Allison Hall
One class in particular is Dr. Drew Morton’s Intro to Media Production course. The name suggests filmmakers would receive the most benefit, but anyone on campus can gain something. The course teaches students how to properly use DSLR Canon Rebel cameras for photography and video, and how to mash those clips together in Adobe Premiere. The course requires no necessary experience or skill (Hint: “Intro”). The series of projects in the course moves in an elegant and gradual way to ward away nerves about technique and to compliment your available skill set. The course is all about you: What do you want to make? What do you have to say? Film is an easy way to tell a story. A section of the class teaches you to do this without words. Visual elements can instill meaninginto a person that words just can’t.
Photo by Allison Hall
One junior history major has ventured much further into the field of mass communication thanks to classes like this. Josh Wattigny has taken several MCOM classes and is now enrolled in Intro to Media Production. Prior to any of these, he hadn’t thought of branching out into media studies. Now, he has his own camera, equipment, and a YouTube channel. “I had an interest in learning about film history, and from there I found out that I really enjoyed everything that goes into film production. I wanted to learn more and make my own movies,” Josh said. The truth is, with or without a degree, we’re all involved in the field of mass communication.
You might think you know what you want, and maybe you do, but there’s always something else worth exploring. Something you might think is too hard, or not worth the time might turn into a consistent hobby, as it was for Josh. Here, we’re discussing videography, but maybe you have a knack for poetry or writing. So, a word of advice: get out there and take as many classes as you can. Wander around and find new media of expression. You never know what’s possible until you apply yourself in a new, scary, wonderful way.
Texas A&M University – Texarkana has some upcoming workshops and lectures you can use to test the waters. November events include a GIS (Geographic Information System) day hosted in the Digital Humanities Lab on November 14th, a Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)screening accompanied by discussion from Jaime Cantrell, Drew Morton, and Rachel Stonecipher on November 20th in Eagle Hall with a live podcast taping, and a walk-through of Audacity applications and podcast recording on November 27th at 12:15 in the Digital Humanities Lab. All these opportunities provide a variety of explorable content. Please check them out and don’t hesitate to ask questions.
After so many years of development and discussion about bringing to life one of Marvel’s most popular characters, Eddie Brock AKA Venom, I’m sad to say that Sony’s attempt to kick-start their own cinematic universe may need to go back to the drawing board after this outing.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Let’s begin with the plot. The story focuses on Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, a hard-hitting video journalist who ruins his own career and social life when trying to expose the illegal actions of a genetics corporation, the Life Foundation, ran by the film’s villain, Carlton Drake, played by Riz Ahmed. Due to the nature of Drake’s research involving a downed spacecraft containing several oily extraterrestrials, referred to as “Symbiotes,” Eddie is infected with one of the alien parasites that he can hear in his head, turning him into a hulking, black creature with large, white eyes, sharp teeth, claws, and a long tongue. Intent on capturing and studying Eddie, Drake pursues him while Eddie seeks help from his ex-wife, Anne Weying, played by Michelle Williams, to help him control or remove the monster that compels him to give in to his darker impulses.
While Ruben Fleischer’s attempt at bringing the character to life is more enjoyable and, more or less, accurate to the comics in comparison to his disappointing first appearance in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 back in 2007 and, the film is, unfortunately, a disjointed mess of a film with conflicting tones and awkward execution.
CONS
Besides Hardy’s performance, which we’ll get in to later, most, if not all, of the characters are stock and forgettable. Despite the amount of talent present in the film, there isn’t much
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
to the characters besides what they contribute to the plot, with Cartlton Drake as the film’s antagonist being especially egregious. You could practically make a drinking game at how stereotypically villainous he is. Is he a rich industrialist with obvious, sociopathic tendenciesthat people will conveniently overlook? Yes he is, so take a shot. Does he monologue about his goals for mankind, constantly bemoaning how weak we are as a species as it relates to that said goal? Yes he does, there’s another shot. Does he have our intrepid hero strapped to a table to interrogate him? That he does, another shot. Does he even reference biblical scripture to make himself sound learned and intimidating, but, instead, further compounds how clichéd he is? You bet he does, and that’s another shot. I could go on, and the other characters aren’t any better either. Anne Weying is just there to further the plot and be apart of a “will they or won’t they” relationship with Eddie, Jenny Slate’s character is just there to bring information to Eddie so he can go to the Life Foundation and get infected with the Symbiote, and even Woody Harrelson, who makes a special, mid credits appearance as Cletus Kasady, is just there to set up a sequel with Carnage that might not even be made. At best, these characters will have small moments of enjoyment, but, overall, they’re utilitarian by definition.
Another issue is the advertisement for the film. What was presented with these commercials was the idea of this horrific struggle between Eddie and the Symbiote as they fight for domination. The idea showed a lot of promise considering the nature of the character. However, this was the not the film we got. While there are moments that somewhat reflected what was advertised, the film, predominately, doesn’t come close to the tone presented in the trailers, opting for a more comedic tone for about half of the film.
Speaking of the story, there’s nothing much to write home about. Villain wants thing, thing latches onto the down-on-his-luck hero, hero uses thing to run around and break stuff in a comedic fashion, villain gets his own thing, big CGI fight during the climax, and end credits. It’s a fairly standard plot, but what doesn’t help matters is how certain elements are forced for the sake of the narrative. For instance, Eddie is made to be the bad guy in the beginning of the story when he goes through Anne’s files on the Life Foundation to bring up allegations during an interview. While this does make Eddie out as reckless and insensitive, especially considering that it cost him and Anne’s job, his reasoning behind trying to expose how the Life Foundation targets sensitive cases for potentially fatal experiments paints his actions as being more noble than selfish. The problem with this is that the film really wants to create a parallel between Eddie and the Symbiote, both considered parasites in their own way, but because of Eddie’s actions being fueled by impulsive selflessness here and in plenty of other situations, it doesn’t create a natural path for his character to tread. Including an awkward scene between him and the Symbiote, which feels like a third-act breakup right out of a romantic comedy, that comes out of nowhere and other moments, the plot can be best described as labored and contrived.
PROS
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
One positive aspect of the film that I can say was legitimately entertaining was Tom Hardy’s performance, both as Eddie and the voice of the Symbiote. While his line reading as Eddie makes him sound out of breath throughout most of the runtime, Hardy brought a lot of energy and enjoyable insanity to his performance. Where everyone else is just going through the routines, Hardy goes nuts throughout nearly the whole movie, even going as far as to ad lib jumping inside of a lobster tank to take a bite out of them in the middle of a fancy restaurant with a disturbing amount of conviction. Despite this, as enjoyable as Eddie is, the Symbiote is the true star of the film. Hardy’s growling, oily voice companied with the few great moments of writing almost perfectly captures the feel of the original character from the comics, even down to the darkly comedic dialogue about eating people. Moreover, the back-and-forth between the two (yes, Tom Hardy acting alongside Tom Hardy) made for many amusing scenes, especially the moment in which the Symbiote asks Eddie to jump out of window near the top of a building with epic accompaniment, but Eddie decides to take the elevator instead, much to the Symbiote’s annoyance.
Probably the biggest component that made this film watchable, at least for me, is the comedy, both the intentional and unintentional. As mentioned with the elevator scene, there are a lot exchanges between Eddie and the Symbiote that made for some good comedy, but a large bulk of laughs that came from me were in regard to some unintentionally funny scenes that were either brought out from the inconsistent tone or from some other technical failing. For instance, Anne absorbs the Symbiote for one scene and attacks several guards that took Eddie hostage. The scene ends with her biting a man’s head off, giving the suit back to Eddie after kissing him with the suit still on, and Anne is taken aback by what she just did with no repercussions whatsoever. This horrifying moment in which someone was forced by an alien parasite to eat another human being is played off for a quick laugh. In a different film, this could’ve been a traumatic experience, much like in the comics when Anne became She-Venom, but, instead, it comes off as a confused bit of misguided dark comedy that works more in how it failed than how it succeeded.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While there is enjoyment to be had with the occasional moments of competence and laughable flubs by the creators, it’s difficult to fully recommend Venom. It can be enjoyable with the right mindset, but the film, objectively, is a mess of tones and ideas that never fully come together. Whether that’s for the better and for the worst is up to you.
5/10
(Thought I was gonna reference the “turd in the wind” line in my critique of the film, didn’t you?)
The film is now playing in theaters, and will be available in January of 2019 for home purchase.
“The Hate U Give” remains a cinematic hit in theaters. The book turned film drama was directed by George Tillman Jr. and released October 5, 2018 a day after screenplay writer Audrey Wells passed away October 4 2018.
Photo Credit: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
The teen drama depicts the double life of 16-year-old, shoe-collecting, Harry Potter fanatic, the quiet, innocent Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) living a double life as Hood Starr from a low-income African-American neighborhood, Garden Heights, and attending an upscale, predominately white private school, Williamson Prep with her brother, Seven (Lamar Johnson) a cool, intelligent, caring young black teenager.
The quiet, normal, yet double life of Starr/Starr 2.0 is shaken after witnessing the murder of her childhood friend, Khalil Harris (Algee Smith) by the police. Facing media outlets, police injustices, and battling her two worlds, Starr must find her voice within a chaotic situation for her friend Khalil. With the help of her parents Maverick Carter (Russell Hornsby), Lisa Carter (Regina Hall), two brothers Seven (Lamar Johnson) and Sekani (TJ Wright), and lawyer/activist April Ofrah (Issa Rae), neighbors, and friends, Starr finds comfort with her decision and her activism against police brutality.
Photo Credit: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
Despite its depiction of tragic loss, the PG-13 rated movie includes happy, light-hearted comedy, yet educational moments for all ages. Filmed throughout Atlanta, Georgia, the film earned a total worldwide gross so far at $29,679,543 according to boxofficepro.com.
The movie is also heavily influenced by iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. Author Angie Thomas wrote the book adapted into The Hate U Give inspired by Shakur’s lower-abdomen tattoo acronym definition of THUG LIFE.
Film critics and YouTube movie reviews encourage families of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to see the film before it leaves theaters. Texarkana Cinemark’s showtime includes a 6:30 p.m. evening show and 11:55 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday shows.
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Algee Smith, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Common, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Lamar Johnson, Sabrina Carpenter, Anthony Mackie, Dominique Fishback
Screenwriter: Audrey Wells
Book Author: Angie Thomas
Thomas Jefferson’s largest and well-known plantation, Monticello Jefferson in Charlottesville, VA. He promoted freedom and equality for all in The Declaration of Independence, yet enslaved 600 African-Americans. Photo Credit of The African American Museum of Dallas.
As the author of The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson promoted freedom and equality for all individuals. While describing slavery as an abominable crime, the third president owned over 600 slaves.
“That’s what’s most important about this exhibition. Thomas Jefferson enslaved throughout his eighty-three year life. That means he had more than one plantation. Monticello, which is the most famous and the largest, was not just the home to him and his white family, but to black families as well. In fact, there were more black people in Monticello than there were white people”, said Gayle Jessup White, Jefferson’s descendant, and Monticello Community Engagement Officer.
The African American Museum of Dallas presents The Slavery at Monticello: Paradox of Liberty September 22-December 31, 2018. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas
The African-American Museum of Dallas will be the first to host the updated exhibition regarding the forgotten slaves at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation. As the heart of The Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty exhibition, their lives will be displayed through additional items and highlights September 22-December 31, 2018.
“We focus on the enslaved people that are part of this exhibit. It’s opening in Dallas. It’s the first time the exhibition has toured since 2015. This is as far west as the exhibition has ever been”, said White.
The exhibit will include digital attributes, such as the Picture Mulberry Row recreation, Slavery at Monticello App, and many more.
“It features 300 artifacts and different articles representing not the life of Thomas Jefferson, but the lives of the people he enslaved”, said White.
Gayle Jessup White, a descendant of Jefferson and Hemings speaks about the importance of the updated exhibition. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas
White, along with The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello made sure the enslaved individuals and their contributions were no longer unheard. “It’s the enslaved people that saved that place. They did all the work and it was a 5,000 acre plantation, so figure how much work that it took. They built the building that is now a house museum, where some point of 50,000 people visit”, said White.
With proper respect, White desires the audience to remember the Monticello slaves, instead of forgetting them. “My hope is always that the audience hears the voices of the past, voices that were forgotten, voices that people thought were dismissed, because the enslaved were not considered important”, she said.
Historical figures, such as civil-rights activist William Monroe Trotter will be mentioned during the exhibition. “He was an American hero, but forgotten. He was a co-writer of W.E.B Dubois and a challenger of Booker T. Washington. He was the founder of the Niagra Movement and the newspaper, Boston Guardian. A forgotten American hero, but he was a member of Monticello’s family descendants. He’s probably the most prominent of Monticello’s descendants”, said White.
White remembers Trotter’s unstoppable activism for African-American freedom and equality. “He was most notable for challenging President Woodrow Wilson’s position on Jim Crow and the African-American mistreatment. William Monroe Trotter went to the White House twice challenging Woodrow Wilson. In addition to that, he led a campaign against a racist film called, “Birth of A Nation”, so that it would be shot in Boston where he lived”, she said.
Another forgotten historical figure and ancestor of White is Peter Hemings. “Peter was my great, great, great-grandfather. He was a cook for twelve years at Monticello, then he became a brewer at Monticello, described as very intelligent by Thomas Jefferson”.
According to White, Peter was a trained cook and brewer by a special individual. “He was a brewer at Monticello trained by his brother, James Hemings an exchanged deal made by Thomas Jefferson. One brother was to be free after he taught the other brother cooking. The other brother, my ancestor remained a slave for another twenty-five years. Imagine what it must have been like for the two of them. That’s the story of working together, so that one member of the family could be free”, said White.
The exhibition will include a special feature selection of a Monticello enslaved woman named, Sally Hemings. The newly featured selection is an additional piece seen outside Monticello. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas
The exhibition will feature a special section regarding a Monticello enslaved woman known as White’s three-times great-aunt, Sally Hemings. “Sally Hemings came on the scene publicly in 1803. This article written by James Callendar. It was a news piece that was printed in the Richmond newspaper. It had accused Jefferson of keeping a slave woman as a mistress and her name was Sally”, said White.
As the hidden affair became a public scandal, so was Sally. The Jefferson family denied the allegations, including the six children Sally bored him. “Jefferson never actually addressed it. Never came out and said no it’s not true. His daughter and grandchildren denied it. They said yes there was a slave woman named Sally and yes she had children from one of two Jefferson’s nephews, not Thomas Jefferson”, said White.
Sally’s remained a scandalous name, until her light was shed. “Throughout decades, Sally Hemings was seen as a scandal in the life of a great man. Many people did not accept that she was his concubine. However, there was evidence that she was”, said White.
With proper research, evidence, and previous testimonials from their son, Madison Hemings, Jefferson’s affair with Hemings was indeed true. “There’s circumstanstial evidence that documents that Thomas Jefferson kept his notes, farm book. Every time Sally gave birth it was nine months after he’d been to Monticello from Washington where he was President. It’s an indication, especially the testimonials that everything was true. In addition to that, ten people that Thomas Jefferson freed that were allowed to walk away from that plantation, four were children of Sally Hemings”, said White.
Despite a hidden affair, Sally Hemings is known as an influential historical figure throughout the Monticello exhibition. “At Monticello, what we wanted to make her totally dimensional. We didn’t want to paint this picture of a scandal and rob her from her humanity. We sought to give Sally back her humanity and help our audience realize that she was a daughter, a mother, a world traveler, and ultimately a liberator, because she liberated her children. It was her ability to negotiate with one of the country’s most influential men the freedom of her children. Out of 600 people he enslaved, ten were free. Four of them were her children”, said White.
White’s final words described her three-times great aunt’s intelligence and strengths during her enslavement. “She was different than most enslaved woman. Her children were free. She negotiated their freedom. That means that her children would’ve been freed in 1826 almost forty years before the Emancipation Proclamation”, said White.
With digital contributions, 300 works of art, and additional features, the exhibtion will feature a film of descendants of the Monticello slaves sharing ancestrial stories. “Our Getting Word is history project, which is a collection of world histories about the descendants of the enslaved”, said White.
All visitors are welcomed to view the following film along with additional features about the hidden American story. “This is an American story. This is a story for everyone to learn about. Yes, the focus is on the slaved people, black people, or American people, but it’s a subject that I hope in my heart everyone cares about. We are all one people. We are all Americans”, said White.
Thomas Jefferson’ Monticello Plantation’s Aerial West Front and South Wing. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas
As an unapologetically African-American woman, White gives credit to her ancestors and the Monticello slaves as the backbone of America. “They were not considered part of the American family. In fact, our African-American ancestors were essential to the American families. Without the enslaved people, America would not have become the industrial power house that it did, because it was built on the backs of the enslaved people of free labor. If people get anything, I would like it to be that message that black people built the country from the very beginning. We are part and I say we, because I am a proud African-American, we are part of the American fabric”, she said.
All ages are welcomed and tickets can be purchased, click here.
The exhibition will take place September 22-December 31, 2018 at the African American Museum of Dallas at Fair Park 3536 Grand Avenue Dallas, TX 75210.
For additional information regarding the exhibition’s time and holiday schedule, click here.
For more research and information about the Monticello slaves, click here.
To visit the Monticello plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia click here.
