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As die-hard Twilight fans gather for the epic first part of the final Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn, questions over the craziness that arises every time one of these films come up, as well as the controversy that surrounds the content in the book/movie for younger ages, becomes a very interesting topic.
The Twilight series is based off of novels written by Stephenie Meyer. Appealing to teenagers mostly, the book describes the ardent emotions of a young love triangle. The main character, Bella, is torn between choosing who to love: the hot-headed and humorous werewolf Jacob, or the sweet and deep vampire Edward.
Ever since the release of the first movie, crazy “Twihard” fans have gotten online early to go to the midnight release. Theaters sell out worldwide, and fans dress up as their favorite characters. Shirts, lunchboxes, posters, and toys imitating the Twilight characters and showing off “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” pride.
How do students feel about the insanity that Twilight fans show? Junior Bailie Roy says: “I think Twilight is highly overrated, I read the books and didn’t think they were that amazing, so I’m not going to see it.”
Junior Michael Thompson appears to agree: “In my opinion, the excited girls are a little over the top.”
However, there are other topics that interest a different age group other than pre-teens and teenagers when discussing the latest Twilight movie.
The movie includes a controversial scene, because throughout this scene there is partial nudity and scenes of intense sensuality. Bella soon after gets pregnant, and refuses to give the baby up.
These highly sensual scenes may be seen as wrong because the rating of the movie is PG-13, therefore younger kids will be able to enter the theater and see the movie. It may anger some parents to think that the first movie in this series appealed to the younger tween ages, but now, in its final movie, the directors introduce a very adult scene and the adult themes of marriage, sex, and pregnancy.
Says Urbana High School teacher Mark Foley,” I think it’s up to parents to decide whether or not younger children can watch movies with controversial scenes.”
However parents may feel about these controversial scenes, it is up to them to allow their children to go see Breaking Dawn. The entire Twilight series has definitely become a huge universal connecting point for many die-hard fans, who will be sorry to see the final movie go.
“I think movies can be a very unifying force in society. Like Star Wars. When I was a kid, man, there were big movies that everyone went to see, and it was a very positive experience,” said Foley.

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As the warm breeze of the summer weather begins to fade away and the explosion of oranges, reds, golds, and yellows begin to set in, there is absolutely no doubt that fall is just around the corner; waiting to unfold what it has to offer, not just in terms of environmental beauty, but also when it comes to the sphere of entertainment. The hysteria that was caused by the most awaited movies last summer–Transformers, Harry Potter etc. have now calmed down and it’s now time for this season’s lineup, which is nowhere near the definition of being uninteresting, ordinary, and outdated. So having said that, below is the rundown of fall movies summed up at its best. Enjoy and may these movies also match up with your top picks for this fall!
1. Paranormal Activity 3 (Oct. 23) – During the release of the first two movie episodes of Paranormal Activity, there is no denying that there have been much blurbs going on about the movie. It took quite some time before the wave of excitement died down. Now that there is a third part, high expectations has been set for the upcoming movie. The plot of the third Paranormal Activity revolves around a young girl named Katie and her sister who may have summoned the demon that haunts them for the rest of their lives. “I’m looking forward most to Paranormal Activity because the past ones were really good, so I’m hoping this one will also have the same standards,” said Junior Adam Awayda.
2. The Three Musketeers (Oct. 21) – A much-prepared movie and another re-telling of the classic Alexander Dumas novel, the movie centers around three former legendary but now not-so-lucky Musketeers and the young D’Artagnan who must help each other to defeat a double agent from seizing the French throne and drown Europe in war.
3. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (Nov. 18) – Following the very successful movie releases of the popular vampire book series by Stephanie Meyer, here comes the most anticipated part of the story. Finally, the wait is over. In this movie, the Quileute and the Volturi monitor the expecting parents: Edward and Bella with their unborn child. Bella’s unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and the vampire clan. “I feel like Breaking Dawn is the most anticipated movie this season! It’s the most exciting part of the saga, so it’s definitely worth watching!” said Junior Delase Kayede.
4. Puss and Boots (Nov. 4) – Are you feeling some animated films this fall? Well look no longer, this animated film will sure match your taste! This film is about the journey of Puss in Boots who became the sword-fighting cat hero before meeting Shrek and his friends.
5. Abduction (Sept. 23) – After Taylor Lautner’s tremendously appealing performance in the Twilight series, Lautner is now on to his major film Abduction. Lautner, as a young man sets out to uncover the hard truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing person’s website.
6. Happy Feet 2 in 3D (Nov. 18) – This heartwarming and whimsical computer-animated film will soon remind the public why the first movie became so successful. Due to the movie’s charm and ‘playfulness,’ it is only fitting to say that this movie is definitely one that should not be missed! The movie’s story is about Mumble the penguin who has a problem in regards of this son Erik, who is reluctant to dance. Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, which causes him to bring all his penguin allies to settle things right. “The first one was funny, entertaining and family-friendly!” said Junior Hannah Kahai. “It’s the kind of movie you can watch over and over again, so a second part is just superb!”
So there you go! There are absolutely numerous movies that are much awaited but above are just a variety of some movies that you should be looking forward to this fall!

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A Tough Job for an Actor: The Controversy over “The Help”
By Hannah Gottlieb-Graham

Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel, The Help, has touched the hearts of readers everywhere. In fact, Stockett’s fans have fallen in love with the book so deeply that many were afraid of how the movie—released on August 10, 2011—would compare. Whether readers and movie critics think the film has proven that this amazing book has been turned into an equally wonderful movie, or that the film falls short and deals with racism in the South in a much too simple manner, this is certainly one of the more controversial films of the summer.
The story is a complicated one, taking place in Jackson, Mississippi, during the height of the struggle against racism in the ‘60s. It is told from the point of view of Eugenia (“Skeeter”) Phelan (played by Emma Stone), a young aspiring writer who is disgusted by her friends’ racist remarks and behavior towards their African-American house maids who spend hours of each day taking care of the Southern belles’ white babies more than the mothers themselves do. At first, Skeeter’s distaste is masked by a desire to be accepted by her high-society friends, but she inadvertently begins her journey towards changing the community when Hilly Holbrook, the stuck-up town busybody, strengthens her wrath against the house maids by drafting an initiative that requires White home owners to build a separate bathroom outside for the “help.”
Skeeter uses her job writing as a home advice columnist for the Jackson Journal as a way to speak with Aibileen Clark (played by Viola Davis), her friend Elizabeth’s maid. But secretly, Skeeter wants to write a book from the perspective of the help that shows how oppressive the laws in Jackson are, separating the Whites from the Blacks. After many attempts to convince Aibileen to speak about the extreme racism in Jackson, she finally interviews her and her sassy best friend, Minny Jackson (played by Octavia Spencer), along with many other maids down the road. Skeeter listens carefully and records every story told to her, horrified by the amount of hatred going around in her hometown. When Skeeter writes her book, she and the maids are faced with having to deal with the consequences of her scandalous tale—one that displeases almost every White family in Jackson.
And the White characters in the film are not the only ones displeased. Film critics from The Arizona Public and Movieline (to name a few) have described the film to be “distasteful.” Bill Goodykoontz from The Arizona Public writes, “What the film lacks is a strong point of view. The story is all over the place on that front, bouncing from one perspective to another.” Stephanie Zacharek from Movieline agrees with Goodykoontz in that the film is weak in its perspective on racism, adding, “The Help only skates along the surface of one of the most painful and violent periods in our country’s history.” However, it’s understandable that the actors may have had some trouble portraying racism to the full extent in its violence, since it was directed by Tate Taylor to be a family film.
Emma Stone said in an interview with her co-star Viola Davis, “With this [film], you want to be as responsible and respectful to the time period, to the history, and to the dialect.” Carelessness on these fronts could have led to a very strong misrepresentation of the time, or lessened the impact of the book and the message of the movie. As a young actress, Stone had her work cut out for her in playing such a serious role, having to withstand the consequences if she upset the media.
In the same interview (with Bonnie Laufer from the California Tribute), Viola Davis joked that the movie should have been titled “responsibility,” because the avid fans of the book placed so much pressure on the actors to carry out their roles with such tact and passion, while staying true to the novel. Davis stated, “We knew that it was such a huge labor of love and responsibility, so we [the cast] felt like we went through the trenches with one another.”
Davis’ love for her cast members is not only apparent in her interview, but also in the film—with such a strong connection between Skeeter and the other maids portrayed to the utmost respect. So whether you have read the book and are eager to see if this incredibly talented cast has pulled off their original characters’ roles, or you just want to see what all the controversy is about, head on over to the nearest movie theater and buy yourself a ticket to The Help.

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The 13th annual Ebert Film Festival hosted by none-other-than Roger Ebert and his wife Chaz Ebert was held here, at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, just a few weeks ago. For those who are not familiar with the festival it should come to no surprise that it deals with plenty of film, but what may be unbeknownst to some is the wide variety of different films that are shown at the Ebertfest. From hand drawn, to documentary, independent or even silent films it can never be to clear what kind of film to expect.
These movies are usually chosen by Ebert himself and are typically ones that he feels are great but haven’t got the attention it deserved. This year the festival started its movie marathon with Metropolis, a 1927 silent film made in Germany, which is said to be the most expensive silent film ever made.
Many of who participated at the event where amazed by the film, not necessarily because of the plot but because of the history the film has had and what it has undergone. Over many decades some of the footage from the film was either damaged or destroyed which caused the movie to be reconstructed several times with more footage being rediscovered and a few new scenes put into the film to replace the lost.
Those who had the opportunity to see the film had the privilege of hearing the Alloy Orchestra live as they helped in making the experience that more entertaining. After every showing there is a question/answer and panel discussions with directors and actors apart of the film or other professionals who share their thoughts on the movie shown then the floor is open to people that still have questions about their thoughts on what they saw.
The festival consists of directors such as Paul Fierlinger, Sandra Schuette Fierlinger, Turner Ross, Bill Ross, Richard Linklater and many more. There were also actors/actresses such as David Call, Khomotso Manyaka, Tilda Swinton, and Rachael Harris who has been in films such has the hugely popular comedy “The Hangover” that attended the festival.
Those such as Robbie Pickering were fortunate to receive the “Golden Thumb” which is a golden casting of Roger Ebert’s thumb and is made by the same company that makes the Oscar awards.
Great, wonderful, outstanding, or spectacular are words that can’t even describe what the Ebert festival is because it is so much more than just viewing films. The event can inspire those who have interests in the movie industry to strive for that goal, and gives independent film makers with little to no money a chance to get their product out. The Ebertfest is an experience like no other and is recommended to everyone even if you aren’t a huge movie fan.

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I Am Number Four is amazing! An action packed thriller with mind-blowing effects…when you mention the trailer.

But the actual movie was, at the very least a disappointment. This Sci-Fi action flick starring Alex Pettyfer, who in the film, goes by the name John Smith. John is constantly packing up and moving because he is on the run.

Though he may look identical to a human, John is apart of an alien race called the Lorians that got wiped out by a different alien species called the Mogadorians. He and nine others managed to escape and flee to Earth. The nine Lorians are scattered across the world but years later, slowly get hunted down by the Mogadorians. The first three Lorians are died and John finds out he is next on the hit list.

The end the film gives the audience an idea there is a good chance of a sequel but by the time the credits show, the audience will feel unsatisfied. The general idea and plot sounds good if someone talked about it but the movie itself seemed too basic.

There’s that typical high school drama, where there is a new kid in school, a girl he likes along with a jealous ex-boyfriend that doesn’t want them to be together. These aspects of the film tie in with the greater evil, which will come later on in the movie.

The action isn’t bad it just takes awhile to begin and feels crammed into one section of the movie. “I wouldn’t say it was bad, but it definitely wasn’t good. I think the plot had potential, but they killed it with too many special effects” said Senior Kori McGraw.

“Alex Pettyfer made the movie enjoyable and it was an interesting twist on super heroes however, the topic was still too overdone and not very well elaborated or well executed. I feel a sequel or a movie giving this some sort of context would make the experience more enjoyable and make the movie make more sense” said Senior Amanda Jacobs.

Overall the film was lacking. The picture looked very good; however the scenes looked as if they were put together without any much thought. Sadly, I Am Number Four did not deliver.

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As the New Year rolls in, unfolding its own great wonders, it is only fitting to acknowledge and look back on the entertainment of 2010. Flashing back on how the past year has been, there can be no doubt that it brought ups and downs. There were tons of blasts and a great amount of excitement to the people from the all around the world. The sphere of entertainment, delivered a good amount of movies that scored either a thumbs up or thumbs down. There were a large number of movies released in 2010, some of which gained the praises of critics and others that did not. So, below are my top 10 picks for 2010’s best movie releases. Note: These movies might not be movies that interest you. But these ones seemed to be the ones to stand out most not just for me, but also to other watchers. So, read on.

10. Lovely Bones: The special effects in the movie were probably the first aspect that made the movie stand out. The movie itself was okay. Some times there were parts in which the plot kind of got a little bit dull. However, it is still worth watching, but probably renting it would’ve been a good idea instead of leaving the theatre unfulfilled.

9. The Last Song: A movie based from the book Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. It’s pretty predictable that you’re going to be getting a mix of drama, romance, tragedy, and tears. If you love Nicholas Sparks movies or books, then you’ll probably dig this one. Although it’s probably too intense and dramatic for tween girls used to seeing Miley Cyrus in her Hannah Montana persona.

8. Avatar: Avatar, a movie by James Cameron, the director of the movie Titanic, received a thumbs up. This is definitely a must-see movie. It was best in theater because the home theatre experience won’t even come close to the theater. It is much more in-depth and then you’ll be able to appreciate the effects even more.

7. Step Up 3D: In this movie, I got exactly what I expected, not the least of which was some truly accomplished dancing, photographed impressively in 3D. The most impressive thing about Step Up is that the enjoyment and action it delivered. It’s fun.

6. Dear John: The movie Dear John would not really be considered as ‘epic’. However, the love team of the movie, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, (who looked really good together, by the way) captured the true essence of the characters from the book. Fans of the book or any of Sparks’s work know what they’re in for, and they will not get disappointed.

5. Alice in the Wonderland: Tim Burton converts Lewis Caroll’s tale, into a fantastical, eye-popping 3-D joy ride for the attention-deficit “Avatar” loving generation. The most notable thing about the movie is that the visual stimulations never stop. The appearance of the movie and the special effects seemed real and very believable. Alice in the Wonderland definitely received a thumbs up for the special effects.

4. Iron Man 2: Without watching this movie yet, I could tell that the special effects and the big action sequences were well handled. It was flashy, the effects were impressive However, not a lot of people seemed to approve that the movie was a hit. “The appearance was good, but the plot was not as good as the first one,” says Urbana High School Junior, Erin Smith.

3. Toy Story 3: For Toy Story it always means feelings are the center of the story. I walked out of Toy Story 3 feeling as if my heart was too full, as if at any moment it would burst. Pixar has already given us two utterly perfect Toy Story movies, and yet this may be the best one yet.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The movie was definitely the most satisfying Potter film. The film transported me into the story’s world and has me eager to experience the conflict that will shortly come to a boil.

1. Inception: “Inception is visually stunning, amusingly acted and richly layered. It’s a film that deserves immeasurable praise and multiple viewings. Christopher Nolan delivered a thoughtful, compelling, vividly woven film that may prove to be his opus”, said Hollywood Bites. There have been a lot of praises said of this movie. It almost sounds like it’s the best movie ever made in a long time! It’s definitely a must-see!