Fusion of Cultures is an event where many multi-ethnic groups on campus come together and showcase different aspects of their culture.
What kinds of things will be there? Dancing, Singing, Theater, and of course FREE FOOD from around the world.
Brought to you this year by:
The African Students Association(ASA), The Arab Students Association (ASA), The Persian Students Association (PSA), The Pakistani Students Association (PSA), Michigan Pakistanis (MPak) and The Michigan Latino Assembly (MLA)!!!!!
What they don’t tell you about this movie is that, when it is eventually shown on television during Halloween marathons, it can be paired perfectly with the Christian Bale-helmed American Psycho. Honestly, I will be shocked if we don’t see at least one academic paper comparing the two parables of lunacy, featuring two of our greatest actors giving exceptionally creepy performances. That being said, this is not that academic paper so I will not bring up American Psycho until the end.
Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is quickly established as a man who will do anything necessary to make a living. The film follows his rise (or descent?) into the world of Los Angeles crime journalism via taping footage of crime scenes. He rises to the top of his league by increasingly malicious deeds and the stakes climb as we discover how much of a monster he truly is.
I like camera
Being a film major myself, I know the struggles of filming night scenes. Anyone who has owned a camera or camcorder knows the pain of seeing grainy night footage cloud clear memories. That is one reason why the plethora of darkness throughout Nightcrawler is so gorgeous–the blackness is milky smooth and you find yourself truly immersed in the lunacy of our protagonist, Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal). The majority of the film is shot in the dark, with only a handful of day shots as punctuation (that also have deeper meanings I am sure). However, the story is of a budding LA crime videographer and his questionable ethical decisions. This is not a film for the daylight.
At first I did not enjoy the cinematography. Throughout the film it is rough and unfinished, competent but not extraordinary. Then I realized: this is a film about a blossoming videographer. The genius of the cinematography is that it mirrors his own high-strung education in camera work and framing. Nightcrawler is quite a reflexive film, with not only images of cameras strewn everywhere and footage on videoscreens, but direct on-screen references to framing and camera jargon such as wide-screen lenses and megapixels.
In this way, lovers of filmography and photography are given a chilling reminder of boundaries in capturing life through a lens. The cinematography hammers this point into our faces by trading shots between Lou’s camera and the “official” camera of the film.
So here’s my number just call me maybe…
I enjoy James Newton Howard’s work, but the music felt inconsistent.
In this case, it seemed to be a reflection of the film’s own inconsistent message. Describing anything would give too much away, but the ending scene leaves the audience questioning its message more than anything. At some points the music is hopeful and cheery, reflecting Lou’s rise as a result of diligence and hard work. Other shots are adrenaline fueled and guitar driven. Then there were the pieces that matched the overall dark town of the film. Each would have worked in their own right, but spliced together they felt uncertain of which story they wanted to tell.
This brings me back to the comparison between American Psycho and Nightcrawler. At the end of American Psycho, we find that Bale’s character was only imagining his maniacal fantasies. He tries his hardest to confess his crimes, but no one seems to believe him or even bother paying attention to him for that matter. This is a dark commentary on the apathy of the corporate world and high-class society. What is the real lesson of Nightcrawler? The best I could think of is our failure as a society to address disturbed individuals when we have the chance.
Throughout the course of the film Lou interacts with many people. Several question his judgment, but none of them makes an effort to actively confront him or even help him. And this is not the kind of individual that suddenly develops a psychotic personality, this is a man who has been molded by the people around him.
Somewhere in this film there is a powerful moral lesson, but the film itself does not make that leap. Instead we are left with a morally questionable ending. We are left waiting for someone else to step in and fix the problem for us. Perhaps that is the film’s message, a commentary on our complacency and unwillingness to question what we see before our eyes.
Nightcrawler is the untold (semi-fictional) dark side of Los Angeles crime journalism, where a photographer will do anything to get a good shot of a murder scene. Perfect for Halloween weekend? You better believe it.
Who: Jake Gyllenhaal in what looks to be another Oscar-worthy performance.
Where: Rave Cinemas and Quality 16 (both within 4 miles of Ann Arbor!)
When: Showings begin at Midnight on Thursday
Just look at that photograph. Marvel at the 30 pounds Gyllenhaal lost to start in this role, his bugged, creepy eyes. If you are into thrillers, crime journalism, or a clever alternative to a slasher flick, this may be the movie for you.
This is featured post 1/∞ of my ongoing “Food as Art” quest.
Located on the 7th Floor of Hatcher Graduate Library, the climb alone is an impressive feat. However, upon arrival I was treated to a small, yet easily digestible display of the life span of one of America’s many gourmet food magazines.
Although the magazine itself ran until 2009, its look and feel was distinctly 1950s suburbia. At the beginning we are introduced to Earle MacAusland and Samuel Chamberlain, two of the people that started the magazine (both males!). MacAusland started the magazine with the quote “Good food and good living have always been a great American tradition.” Ah yes, mom’s meatloaf does hearken back to the days of yore.
More importantly, Samuel Chamberlain did the dirty work of traveling all over the world and making the content exciting. These weren’t simply recipes, but artfully crafted adventures of a fictional Burgundian cook, and ways of thinking about how food can be prepared and enjoyed. One of the coolest things about this exhibit was the assortment of spin-off books by contributors.
Like any art from past generations, the covers of these books alone offer a window into mid-20th century society. We have since evolved our caricatures of Russian people, and I would be shocked if I saw a font like that on a book cover today. I even saw The South American Gentleman’s Companion, featuring essentials such as “Exotic Cooking Book” and “Exotic Drinking Book.” Thankfully we have moved past the mysticism of Latin American society and we no longer refer to it as “exotic.” My favorite quote: “By making cookery a game, no a chore…you approach the kitchen exactly like a modern Columbus approaching unknown shores.” While this is funny in its own right, we continue to be inundated with hordes of travel cooking shows and superfoods like quinoa have taken the world by storm.
At its core, Gourmet, like any magazine, is about presentation.
Dozens of people worked countless hours to generate a product appealing to the eye, and each magazine hanging from the wall made a unique attempt to catch the viewer’s eye. Unlike a film or even a concert, you are free to roam around the room at will, leaning in to get a better look at the covers of the magazines. The Gourmet exhibit isn’t explicitly about cooking (it’s more about origins and lifespan), it is easy to get a sense of how people create their own pieces, then bring these together into a larger whole.
Announcement:
There is a special lecture on the exhibit, Tuesday, November 18 at 4 pm in Room 100 of the Hatcher Graduate Library
The joys of cooking need not remain behind the confines of kitchen walls, especially when you can explore the history of a major food magazine: Gourmet.
As the U of M library states “Gourmet illuminated the ‘best of the best’ in categories such as farm to table practices – long before it became fashionable, reviewed top restaurants and chefs, and highlighted the magical integration of fine food with sommeliers, growers, and artists.” In other words, they were the hipsters of food magazines.
Where: Hatcher Graduate Library, 7th Floor Special Collections
When: Now! until November 28th, 10 am – 5 pm each day. For the full schedule check this link.
Cost: Did you really think the library would charge you, a student? Of course not.
The Penny Stamps Speaker series is an awesome lineup of artistic and activist personalities that come to the Michigan Theater Thursday evenings during the school year.
What FoodCorps? They connect with and educate children about healthy eating and good food! Ian Cheney & Kurt Ellis, the founders, have also made documentaries and founded other food-based ventures intent on changing our gastric landscape. You can check out more here.
When: Thursday, October 16 at 5:10 PM
Where: The Michigan Theater
Come and learn about the future of food and the big ideas on the way…
