The Daily Campus, Page 10
Monday, April 23, 2012
Focus
Remembering the 'last Airbender'
By Alex Sferrazza Campus Correspondent
Nickelodeon's newest show "The Legend of Korra,” premiered April 14. The new show from creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko serves as a sequel series to their original show "Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Therefore we found it fitting to take a look back at the show that started it all. No one could've foreseen the massive success of the hit television show. The show premiered in February 2005 on Nickelodeon, a channel known for having all of its shows feature episodes that could be viewed in any order and for not featuring series finales. This was all done in an effort to improve ratings of re-runs. That is one of the reasons why it was so shocking to see Nickelodeon air a show that would feature not only a definitive end to the story but also one that must be
seen in sequential order in order to be understood. Nonetheless, Nickelodeon picked up a show that did just that and it became a success that no one could've imagined. Enter the world of the "Avatar.” Featuring a mythological version of Earth, the world was divided into four nations, each nation corresponding to one of the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. Certain members of each nation known as benders could "bend" their nation's respective element to manipulate it to move and form according to their will. Only the Avatar, a single individual, had the ability to bend all four elements and it was their duty to keep peace in the world. Blurring the line between Japanese Anime and American Animation, the show set the benchmark for all future animated action shows; an accomplishment remembered all the more fondly today in a time
where more and more kids shows are produced with subpar flash and generic computer animation. The bending of the elements corresponded to martial arts. Every bender was animated performing an entirely separate martial art for his or her element. The backgrounds and settings were all incredibly detailed and varied, from the walls of the city of Ba Sing Se to the ice fortress of the Northern Water Tribe, everything looked stunning. The music was all composed originally by musical duo "The Track Team,” from sweeping orchestrations, to subtle Asianinspired background music, the duo truly brought the realm to life. The ever-enduring main theme and the ominous music for Princess Azula's theme in particular stand out as masterpieces. As great as the production values were, it was the incredible story and cast of characters
that cemented the series among the all time greatest. In 61 short episodes, we saw Aang, a 12-year-old boy emerge from frozen ice to his defeat of the world's greatest tyrant. Along the way we saw various characters emerge, from the comic relief of Toph and Sokka, to the deadly seriousness of Prince Zuko. From the optimism of Katara to the evil villainy of Azula, the characters were unforgettable. The journey cemented its place as a mythology among the likes of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings.” The show not only introduced us to an amazing story but also gave us a glimpse into an entire imaginary world conceived from the creators. Thank goodness we're given the chance to return to it again in "The Legend of Korra.” Just like its predecessor, this show must not be missed.
Alex.Sferrazza@UConn.edu
'Hunger Games' fever makes archery cool for kids NEW YORK (AP) — In schools and backyards, for their birthdays and out with their dads, kids are gaga for archery four weeks into the box office run of "The Hunger Games" and less than 100 days before the London Olympics. "All of a sudden sales of bows have, like, tripled," said Paul Haines, a salesman at the Ramsey Outdoor store in Paramus, New Jersey. A manager there made a sign for the hunting department: "Quality bows for serious archers and girls who saw the movie," he said. Archery ranges around the country have enjoyed a steady uptick among kids of both sexes since the movie began cleaning up at the box office March 23, though heroine Katniss — a deadly shot with an arrow — seems to resonate more with girls. "Katniss is so inspiring," said Gabby Lee, who asked for archery lessons for her 12th birthday in February after reading the wildly popular book trilogy by Suzanne Collins. "I'm not very sportsy," she offers, but now she belongs to a youth archery league near her Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, home. "It feels really good because I'm usually the girl who sits and reads." While some young archers have been doing it for years, motivated by generations of hunters in their families, the parents of others love it for its focus, independence and because they, too, have kids not drawn to more typical team or contact sports. At 7, Christa Mattessich is too young for the gruesome dystopian world that thrusts 16-yearold Katniss and her fellow child tributes into the arena for a battle to the death, a battle Katniss wins thanks to the archery skills she honed while hunting game in the woods of her native District 12. But Christa loves archery just as much and has been shooting for about two years at the same range as Gabby, Targeteers Archery in Saddle Brook, N.J., said dad Anthony Mattessich in Oakland.
"I'm an avid bow hunter," he said. "At her age, with other sports, they're just running with each other and chasing a ball, then the ice cream truck comes and that's that. For archery, they're a little bit more dedicated." Abbey Fitzpatrick in Sandy Creek, New York, turned 11 on April 10. She also asked for and received her own bow and arrows for her birthday. "It's black. It really looks like Katniss's bow," Abbey said. "She was so brave and very heroic in the games." Like more than 2 million kids in nearly every state and several other countries, Abbey did archery in gym class this year as part of the decade-old National Archery in the Schools Program that trains teachers in the sport and offers discounts on equipment. "There's a lot of buzz among young people about archery right now. They want to shoot bows and arrows so badly they're willing to follow the rules," said Roy Grimes, the
organization's president. In Michigan, enthusiast Robert Jellison teaches seventhgrade science and has incorporated archery through NASP into his lessons on kinetic and potential energy, eye-hand coordination and the properties of pulleys and levers. Jellison was invited in March with some of his students to perform a demonstration at the local library as part of a "Hunger Games" reading. "Some of the kids there went out that day and signed up for archery," he said. "A lot of people look at archery as, 'Oh, you know, is it a real sport?' All of a sudden there's all this excitement." Bobbi Bowles owns archery shop K.C.'s Outdoors with her husband in Spicewood, Texas, outside Austin. Sales of equipment have doubled in the last few weeks, she said, and they're adding beginner classes to accommodate more new recruits young and older. At the Austin Archery Club,
"The movie is sending a lot of people our way who are interested in archery, the crossbow and survival skills," said a director, Roy Wenmohs. "At a recent tournament we had about 10 young people, from ages 10 to 15," he said. "About half were new. Last year we had three." Games of a different sort are hoping for a "Hunger Games" bump come July, though kids in North America looking to catch Olympic archery will likely be sleeping during live competition. "We're thrilled with the awareness and the excitement that 'The Hunger Games' has brought to the sport of archery," said Denise Parker, CEO of USA Archery, the U.S. training and selection body for the Olympics, Paralympics, Pan American Games and other world events. "We're already receiving feedback from our youth clubs that interest in archery programs in their areas is up significantly," she said.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Country music legend Willie Nelson helped unveil a statue honoring him in downtown Austin by singing his new song "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" on Friday, a date long reserved to celebrate marijuana use. The faint smell of marijuana smoke wafted through a crowd of about 2,000 people as Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell accepted on the privately funded statue as a gift from a private arts group. Organizers said they didn't intentionally choose April 20 for the event, but once they found out, they scheduled the unveiling at 4:20 p.m. as a tongue-in-cheek reference to
Nelson's openness about his marijuana use and advocacy for its legalization. The statute stands in front of the Moody Theater, where the Austin City Limits Studio is now located. Nelson, a 10-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 40 million copies of his 150 albums, appeared on the first episode of the public television show in 1974. "He is the man who more than other made Austin the live music capital of the world," Leffingwell said. Nelson was born in Abbott, a tiny town about 120 miles north of Austin, but he has lived in Texas' capital city since 1971. Longtime friend and fel-
low singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson congratulated Nelson, saying he couldn't have imagined the city honoring Nelson during the early days of what became known as the Cosmic Cowboy movement in music. Nelson, who wore black jeans, a black T-shirt and a black cowboy hat, is notoriously shy about such honors. Before he began performing, with his sister Bobbie Nelson on piano, he thanked the organizers and joked with the crowd that had gathered to watch the ceremony. "What time is it?" he joked as the clock approach 4:20 p.m. "I feel it's getting close to something."
LOS ANGELES (AP) — History is littered with murderers inspired by art: Charles Manson believed the lyrics to the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" were a prophecy that ignited a killing spree. John Lennon assassin Mark David Chapman was obsessed with the book "Catcher in the Rye." For Anders Behring Breivik, like Columbine High School shooter Eric Harris, it was video games. Breivik revealed to an Oslo court on Thursday that the popular military game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" and the online role-playing game "World of Warcraft" helped condition him for his bombing and shooting rampage that left 77 people dead last summer in Oslo and at a Labor Party youth camp on Utoya island.
AP
In this April 13, 2012 photo, Nicole Donzella of Fair Lawn, N.J., 15, participates in the youth archery league at Targeteers Archery in Saddle Brook. In schools and backyards, for their birthdays and out with their dads, kids are gaga for archery a month after the release of "The Hunger Games." Archery ranges around the country have enjoyed a steady uptick among kids of both sexes in the movie's lead-up, though 16-year-old heroin Katniss Everdeen, the archery ace seems to resonate with girls more than boys. Donzella uses an eye patch to help line up her target.
» DISNEY
Disney studio chief quits after 'John Carter' bomb
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disney movie studio boss Rich Ross stepped down on Friday, taking the fall for at least a couple of over-budgeted bombs as Hollywood shies away from taking risks on big blockbusters. His resignation comes after two years in a row of nasty March surprises, ironically both having to do with the Red Planet. Last year it was "Mars Needs Moms," a creepy animated movie that lost $70 million. This year, it was "John Carter," a sci-fi action movie set on Mars that resulted in a $200 million loss for Disney. Ross, 50, said in a memo to staff that he no longer believed his role as chairman of Walt Disney Studios was "the right professional fit." The move was not surprising to analysts, coming a few months after studio marketing chief MT Carney also departed because of a string of lackluster releases. Disney CEO Bob Iger, who said last summer that big-budget movies were getting "increasingly more risky," thanked Ross for his years of service. The Walt Disney Co.'s stock rose 27 cents to close Friday at $42.35. Disney's most successful movies recently have been made by studios it has bought, including "Toy Story" maker Pixar, which releases "Brave" in June, and Marvel, which will release the much-buzzed "The Avengers" overseas next week. Under the Touchstone brand, Disney also distributes movies made by Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks production company, including "War Horse." Fixing problems at the studio is seen as crucial for the company, because movies launch characters that are developed into Disney toys, theme park rides, books and video games. For example, "Cars Land," an attraction based on the Pixar movies, will open at Disney California Adventure in June. "For Disney, it feeds a lot bigger value chain," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger said. "This is a more significant move for investors of Disney than it would be at other companies." Although some of Ross's troubles stemmed from films put into production by his predecessor, Dick Cook, analysts said his inability to prevent big losses was what led to his exit. "At some level he takes responsibility for not fixing them or shutting them down," Needham & Co. equity analyst Laura Martin said. "They need to lower the risk of entry and build franchise films from that base. Not go all in, hoping it works out." Part of the estimated $250 million budget on "John Carter" can be attributed to the notion that the movie could become a multi-part series, as it was based on a trove of books by the late Edgar Rice Burroughs. The series began with "A Princess of Mars" in
1917 and carried through to the posthumously published "John Carter of Mars" in 1964. The movie starring Taylor Kitsch had a budget that rivaled what 20th Century Fox spent on "Avatar." But "John Carter" made only $269 million at box offices worldwide while "Avatar" took in $2.8 billion. After splits with theater owners and marketing expenses, Disney has said "John Carter" would cause a studiowide loss of $80 million to $120 million in the January-March quarter. Ross had taken the job just two and a half years ago with a mission to cut costs and develop new hits. He had brought "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana" to TV audiences when he headed Disney Channels Worldwide. Ross spent much of his early tenure at the studio cutting costs and canceling projects that weren't seen as important to the Disney brand. He shut down the San Francisco-area motion-capture facility used to digitally animate Jim Carrey's Scrooge character in "A Christmas Carol," sold the award-winning Miramax label to outside investors, and cut such movies as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Wild Hogs 2" from the development slate. Last year, he suspended production on "The Lone Ranger," starring Johnny Depp, until its budget was trimmed. But those efforts were overshadowed by movies that were released but failed to excite big audiences, including "Prince of Persia," ''Prom," ''Secretariat" and even "Winnie the Pooh." Ross told staff in a memo Friday that "the best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities." "I no longer believe the chairman role is the right professional fit for me." Iger wished him well in a statement. "Rich Ross's creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity have driven results in key businesses for Disney," Iger said. "I appreciate his countless contributions throughout his entire career." Ross's resignation is effective immediately. Disney did not name a successor. A couple possible candidates for elevation at the studio are John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, who together built Pixar from a computer imaging company into an animated movie powerhouse. After Disney's acquisition in 2006, the men have top jobs overseeing animated movies at Pixar and Disney. The men have helped Disney's animated films move "in the right direction," according to Don Peri, the author of a couple books on Disney animators including "Working with Disney." He declined to speculate on whether they would make good studio heads.
Video games have come under scrutiny before, as when Columbine High School shooter Eric Harris avidly tinkered with the first-person shooter "Doom." Activision Blizzard Inc., maker of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft — two of the world's most popular video games — did not immediately comment on Bleivik's statement that the games helped him train. Video game companies have long argued that their games are forms of entertainment that are no different than movies or television. And fans of each of those genres have taken their obsessions to a different level by mimicking what they've learned for real-life nightmares. Here are five examples of media over the past 40 years that have sparked terrifying atrocities:
— "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare." Breivik testified Thursday that he prepared for his attacks with this popular first-person shooter created by Activision Inc. developer Infinity Ward. He said he used the shoot-'em-up war simulator to practice "target acquisition" with the game's virtual holographic rifle sight, a type of laser used to aim at foes. — "The Sopranos." After being arrested for the murder of their mother, Jason Bautista and his half brother told police in 2003 that the idea to chop off her head and hands to hide the crime was lifted from an episode of the HBO mobster drama in which Tony Soprano kills an associate and has his head and hands removed before the body is dumped.
Willie Nelson unveils 'Call of Duty' latest fiction to statue of himself on 4/20 inspire nightmare