Clint Eastwood has been on the Hollywood shortlist for directing quality films since directing Sean Penn and Tim Robbins to Oscar acclaim in 2003's "Mystic River," winning the Best Director Oscar for 2004's "Million Dollar Baby" and weathering the lukewarm reception to "Changeling" earlier this year. But that doesn't excuse movie studios from throwing money at Clint and blindly accepting whatever stained package he gives them in return. This unchecked power has given us "Gran Torino."
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is currently presenting "Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913–2008," the first major exhibition bringing together the magazine's historic archive of rare vintage photographs and magazine covers with its contemporary photos. The exhibition, which opened Oct. 28, 2008, explores the ways in which photography and celebrity have interacted and changed, with portraits from the magazine's early period (1913–1936) and the contemporary Vanity Fair period (1983–present) as well as behind-the-scenes videos from key Vanity Fair shoots.
One of the most anticipated dramas of the season, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" illustrates delightfully rich storytelling. Benjamin Button's (Brad Pitt) journey is presented in a wistful, melancholic manner, emphasizing the rawness of loss, death and looming mortality. Director David Fincher's haunting fable is unlike many other dramas of its kind. This epic tale is about a man who ages backwards, coming into the world as an infant suffering from all the infirmities of an 80-year-old man. As each year passes, Benjamin becomes younger and younger until he achieves infancy at the end of his life.
Lonely robots, rambunctious villains and curious children were all part of the cinema stew in 2008, as Hollywood recovers from a whirlwind year of record-shattering ticket sales, heated writers' strikes and the passing of a few wonderful actors. With the Oscar race in its final lap, here's a look back at the year's best, by category.
In impoverished parts of the world, such as Africa, India and Bangladesh, people struggle to find a source of clean water to drink as they fall victim to waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. However, for most of us in the developed world, water is taken for granted, the entity that covers over 70 percent of the Earth or the molecule that contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. In fact, we in the United States have so much wealth that we have an endless number of different types of water, all suited for unique purposes to enhance the hydration experience. Considering how lucky we are that we not only have access to clean water, but various brands of clean water, it only makes sense to draw the line between good water and bad water in order to find the perfect one.
SUBURBAN OUTFITTER: Last night, I had a nightmare about Chictopia.com. I was clicking through page after page of girls in oversized white t-shirts, black leggings and black boots. Every single ChicBlog was exactly the same. My legs began to hurt as if the sight of so many bland outfits was physically painful and I suddenly woke up in actual pain. Lying in bed, I began to wonder if I go on Chictopia too much.
Imagine this. You wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom you share with your suitemates. In the morning, a friend stops by to show you a picture on his digital camera. It's a picture of the white board on your door. However, instead of the usual funny pictures and inside jokes from hallmates and visiting friends, scrawled across the board is the word "NIGGER." Trying to spare you the embarrassment, your friend erased the hateful word before more people could see it.
Students interested in Study Abroad Programs should note that deadlines typically arrive in the middle of Winter Quarter for the next year's programs. Check online at www.cie.uci.edu for EAP details.
