Ryan Atkins Contributing Writer “Blessed be those who have no idols.” These words serve as a sort of thesis statement for the latest album by frontman Mike Hranica and his five bandmates, who are known as The Devil Wears Prada. This sextet from Dayton, Ohio, whose name was inspired by the title of the best-selling [...]
Keara Lacer Staff Writer Captain America Captain America: The First Avenger is set in the year 1942. WWII has started, and all American men are being called to service. After being rejected yet again, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, Fantastic Four) realizes his lifelong dream of being a solider in the Army is far from reality. [...]
Ryan Atkins Guest Writer Post-hardcore rock band Emery has come a long way since its formation in Rock Hill, S.C., in 2001. After four studio albums, a pair of EPs and quite a few style changes, the group has unleashed its fifth and perhaps strongest album, We Do What We Want. Emery’s latest record comes [...]
Lawrence Fowler Staff Writer Recently released on DVD and BluRay, Disney’s Tangled weaves a brilliant film around the classic story of Rapunzel. The plot of the movie keeps close to the original story while taking liberty in the details. The character Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is full of curiosity and a sense of adventure. [...]
Elizabeth Pirkle Staff Writer After a sudden shark attack that left her with only one arm, competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton (Anna Sophia Robb, Bridge to Terabithia) questions how such a terrible event could possibly be God’s plan for her life. She finds the answer through an amazing journey in which she learns the powers of [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor Indie rock band Ocean is Theory is set to release its first full-length album this fall. The record is titled Future Fears and was recorded in LA over the summer of 2010. The Atlanta-based group formed in 2007 and is composed of four members: lead vocalist Josh Williams, guitarist Nick Novak, [...]
Jenna Ecarma Guest Writer Beastly is directed by Daniel Barnz and stars Alex Pettier as Kyle and High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy. This movie is based on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast but is a modern retelling. While the movie has the same basic plot, inner beauty is what truly matters, [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor Local singer-songwriter act Erin Elizabeth is launching at a special concert at The Channel on March 27. Sisters Erin Bailey and Meagan Elizabeth Brown, both of whom have attended North Greenville University, make up Erin Elizabeth. Bailey graduated in 2009 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, while Brown is currently a [...]
Elizabeth Pirkle Staff Writer “I promise to pray for you every day, ask for forgiveness, grant you the same and be your friend always.” These are the words penned on the “Grace Card,” a slip of paper written by police officer and pastor Sam Wright’s (Michael Higgenbottom) great-great grandfather to his former slave master. Church-made [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor Catherine Hardwicke just can’t seem to get away from werewolves. Granted, her turn in Stephenie Meyer’s vampire/werewolf saga only involved directing first installment Twilight, which gave just a foreshadowing of the wolves featured in the later films. But it could also have served as a glimpse into her latest onscreen offering, Red [...]
Candace Day Staff Writer The animated feature film Rango is about a lonely lizard on the path to self-discovery who finds himself as the hero of a dying western town called Dirt. With sexually suggestive comments, spurts of inappropriate language and references to old Clint Eastwood westerns, the film hardly lives up to its must-see [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor Ally Condie’s dystopian love story Matched may become a modern classic. Her clear, vivid prose flows like water, effortlessly pulling the reader along, and the book is nearly impossible to put down. Its style is simple but resonant, and Condie’s futuristic tale comes across in a surprisingly believable, relatable way. Matched [...]
Lawrence Fowler Staff Writer Gnomeo & Juliet is the latest take on William Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo and Juliet. Using CG-animation, Touchstone Pictures sets this timeless story in the world of garden gnomes. Gnomeo & Juliet follows the feud between the Capulet and Montague households. Very much like Toy Story, the gnomes are inanimate objects [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor The Oscars seem to have settled well into the new practice of nominating 10 films for Best Picture. Last year’s Academy Awards was the first time in 60 years that 10 slots were available, and the change sparked new life into an old movie tradition. This year’s mix of films shows [...]
Elizabeth Pirkle Staff Writer Based on the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Eagle is a compelling story that is almost overshadowed by unnecessary violence. Directed by Kevin Macdonald, The Eagle tells the story of Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum, Dear John), a Roman soldier driven by the search for restoration and [...]
Jordan Ecarma Opinions Editor Romantic comedy is a favorite movie genre for Valentine’s Day, but finding a worthwhile “rom com” to watch is not always easy. It seems like a simple enough tale: attractive boy meets attractive girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. But the well-made rom com is actually an [...]
Erin Chandler Staff Writer “You must pay for everything in this world—there is nothing free but the grace of God.” With these words, the story True Grit makes its dramatic return to the big screen. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld make up the cast of this Best Picture-nominated remake of a classic [...]
Ryan Atkins Guest Writer As anyone who has ever been caught in a hurricane knows, it is quite a singular experience. From the tell-tale drips of rain and the first gusts of wind, you’re in for a wild ride. This is the same feeling invoked by the opening sounds of Floridian sextet Underoath’s latest offering, [...]
Taylor Edwards Staff Writer As alternative Christian bands have begun blending together in recent months and years, it has become increasingly rare to find bands in that genre that are good enough to stand out above the rest of the crowd. Most of these bands concentrate too heavily on gathering their fan base by making [...]
James Chip Moore Staff Writer When the 2009 federal deficit is estimated at more than $1.5 trillion and the deficit projections are no less than half a trillion dollars annually over the next 10 years, some people take it as a call to action. One person that answered the call to fight back with knowledge [...]