Class of 2000 |
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The Graduates
Bonnie Allen
Larry Todd Jim McKenzie Roy Bonisteel Patricia Bell Wendy Tebb Lindsay Crysler Renee Pellerin |
Books Movies
Posted on January 14, 2001 by Karen BrownleeI thought I'd write in about a book I just finished reading. Susan, the host I work with, has become a real mentor to me and she suggested I pick it up. Ladies looking to get ahead...pick up "Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman" by Gail Evans. Evans is an executive vice president at CNN. Business is a game, she says, and like any game, there are rules. Because men have been in business longer, they got to write the rules. If women want to get higher positions of power in a company, they have to understand what these unspoken rules are. Some of the most important stuff I got from the book is... 1. Sell yourself! Don't wait to be noticed. Step up and tell your boss what you want. 2. Your job isn't about you. It's about the team. You've been hired because you can contribute to the team. Your individual concerns, no matter how important to you, are the small picture. The big picture is the team's ability to score a goal. 3.No does not mean no. It means not right now. Go back, regroup and try again. What I really like about it is she says you don't have to follow any of the rules you aren't comfortable with, but be aware that these are the rules to getting ahead. If you choose not to follow them, make sure you can accept the consequences. She also describes what women do that men don't that we can use to our advantage. If you are looking for a job, another great part is she tells you what to look for in a workplace, because it is much more important to women to feel good about the company she works for. It isn't a long book (187 pages). I read it in a weekend. Look for it at the library if you don't want to shell out the $36 bucks it costs (I found it there.)
Posted on September 14, 2000 by Jill MacPhersonI want to put a recommendation on the book section...and it is Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis. This book is so, so good. He wrote American Psycho (which became the movie) about 80s excess and image obsession, and Glamorama is the 90s version. He gets the vapid fashion/celeb industry so right...name-dropping, obsessed with designer everything, screwing every pretty thing in sight...it's so great. Of course, this book is a satire, so if you like realism, go elsewhere. Near the middle of the book, the plot takes a bizarre twist...I almost felt like giving up on it because it was so bizarre, but if you start thinking about what Ellis is really going for here it will be a supremely enjoyable read. We all need to exercise the brain muscles once in a while. I've noticed a lot of similarities between this book and Fight Club (my favourite ever) - I think Bret and Chuck Pahlaniuk (sp?) must have been sleeping together at the time. So if you liked it, you will probably like this book.
Posted on September 12, 2000 by Jennifer LeaskEveryone should read Capitain Correlli's Mandolin by Louis de Berniers (sp?) I read it when I was in Britain and it is really great. It takes place during World War II on the Island of Cepahlonia in Greece. It's one of those books that you start slowing down at the end because you don't want it to end. They are also making a movie of it, and before you read the book, don't find out who is starring or it will wreck it for you.
Posted on September 12, 2000 by Heather PrystayFor all you horror fans out there, I have a must read: Hannibal, by Thomas Harris. It's the sequel to the Silence of the Lambs, and it is even better. Those of you who read the book or watched the movie know that Hannibal Lecter escapted from jail, and now he's on the loose. The book deals with three people who are trying to find him: a millionaire who survived a Lecter attack, an Italian police officer how wants to be a hero, and of course FBI agent Clarice Starling. I know this type of book isn't for everyone, but if you're at all into this genre then you'll like it. The ending is unbeliveable. The movie is expected to be released early next year, but my thought is movies are never as good as the books. So, those of you who like to be scared, read it. Then be curious about what you ate for dinner. :-) Read the responses to this posting
Posted on September 11, 2000 by Chad BoudreauFor anyone who enjoys reading a good spy novel, I highly recommend The Crook Factory by Dan Simmons. I'd also recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of Ernest Hemingway. What the hell does a spy novel have to do with Ernest Hemingway you ask. Well, this novel is based on some little known facts about Ernest Hemingway. For one, during World War II, Ernest Hemingway set up and ran an amateur spy ring in Cuba. He called his band of amateur spies The Crook Factory. His ultimate goal was to capture a German U-boat. Dan Simmons weaves fact and fiction into an unbelievable story of suspense, mystery and action. I've not read many spy novels, but I am a fan of Dan Simmons, and once again he did not let me down. I won't go into the plot of the book because I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. I'll just say that after you've read it, and you're sitting there wondering how much of what you just read is actually true, you will be delighted to read the comments from Dan Simmons at the very back of the book. You will be a amazed to learn just how much of what was written is actually based on fact. You will say, "Holy shit", just like I did. I've been a fan of Dan Simmons for some time now, a writer who hops from genre to genre like a hot-assed jackrabbit. He is a master of horror: Carrion Comfort, Summer of Night. He is an award winning author of science fiction: Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion. He is a master of the short story: LoveDeath, A Prayer to Broken Stones. And now he has written a fantastic spy novel, one that is both fact and fiction.
Posted on October 13, 2000 by Chad BoudreauHowdy. It's been a little slow over here in this section so I figured I'd make a couple recommendations and see if that spurs some more submissions and responses. Then again, perhaps everyone else is too busy to go to the local cinema.... Anyway, here's a couple quickie reviews you can read while eating your corn flakes.... Almost Famous I would have thought Kim Smith would have sent in a review of this movie, but I guess it will have to be me who recommends to everyone to see this movie. It's fantastic. The story, the characters, the music, those bygone days of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Great show. Check it out. Croupier Shelley and I checked this one out on a whim the other day. It's a British production (I think there may have been some French production too), a small film that really draws the viewer into it's slow building suspense/mystery. The plot involves a wannabe writer who takes a job as a croupier (a card dealer) at a mid-size British casino. There are some great behind the scenes commentary on the goings on at casinos and a nice plot that perculates slowly like fine coffee. It's a great one to check out if you're looking for a little something different. Magnolia I saw this in the movie theatre when it came out some time ago. But, Shelley and I rented it last week and it really held up on a second viewing. I would go as far as to say I enjoyed this as much if not a little more the second time around. I was able to watch it more closely, having already seen it once, picking up on extra touches and finer details. I would have to say this movie has climbed up onto my list of favourites. It's a somewhat large list, but it's a list that is filled with only the movies that can survive repeat viewings without losing their lustre. That's it for now. Keep an eye out for Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan's (Sixth Sense) next movie. That's coming in November, as is The Grinch. And this coming February get ready for Snatch, from the people who gave us Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It's going to be awesome.
Posted on September 15, 2000 by Kristen HigginsI have to reccommend the movie The Tao of Steve. It isn't set in Asia and it doesn't involve monks. Picture New Mexico and a fat, dope smoking kindergarten teacher. The lead character is rather large yet he seems to get these amazing women - all because he follows the rules set out by Tao and his hero Steve. It isn't a typical guy gets the girl, guy loses the girl, guy gets girl back kind of flick. It is very funny - if you are a guy, you will relate (I think) and if you are a girl you will realize that yes men can be very stupid. I saw it with three girls and a guy and we all loved it! Expect big belly laughs and no tears. Let me know what your reaction is.
Posted on September 14, 2000 by Jill MacPhersonTwo movies I want to highly recommend to people are Primary Colours and Three Kings...sorry that these are old, but I live in rural Sask. and we're not so up on current releases. Both of these movies were almost ruined by their boring, lowest common denominator previews...I didn't see either until it had hit video, but they totally deserve a viewing. Three Kings looks like just another pro-American testosterone frenzy about how they won the war, but it's not. It's actually a movie that cuts through the propaganda we were fed by the US during the Gulf War. It talks about Bush's dirty dealings and portrays brown people as just that - people...mostly innocent people who are having their families and homes bombed to death so that we can have cheap oil. It sounds a little heavy, but it's really not. It's shot in a hip and cool way, looks great, and is really funny. Plus, if you're into Marky Mark, he's there and buff like any good American soldier should be. Primary Colours is a movie written by an anonymous Clinton aid, and it is totally heartbreaking. It's another movie that is about something serious, but it is so-o-o funny. It's about Bill Clinton's rise to Democratic party leader. It's all about how he was just this hillbilly from Arkansas who loved to eat and party. He came from a poor state, so he really wanted to get into power and make a difference for the poor...especially the working poor. That was his main objective. He had a soft spot for illiteracy and really understood what people in poverty go through. He also made a promise that he would run a clean campaign. Once he gets into the system, though, he finds that he has to play the same dirty game as everyone else. That's just how it works, and if you don't play their game, you won't get into power. I think this is a movie that everyone should watch (especially journalists)because it is really the story of all well-intentioned politicians. They start out wanting to do good things, but they get bogged down in the system until they're just like everyone else. It made me cry(although PMS could be to blame, but I don't think so). Anyway, it's great, so watch it. Read the responses to this posting
Posted on September 13, 2000 by Chad BoudreauThe Way of the Gun I was interested in seeing this movie mainly because it was written by Christopher McQuarrie, the writer of The Usual Suspects. I had seen the preview, and it didn't do much for me, kind of the basic kidnapping gone bad, though I had also heard from reliable sources that the preview did not do the movie justice. That's what I was hoping. Shelley was a little reluctant to see the movie. It was well known that this movie was being described as extremely violent. It's not that Shelley doesn't like some good gunplay, she just doesn't like excessive suffering. For instance, she had a hard time watching the 'rape' scene in Pulp Fiction. Just over two hours later we walked from the theatre talking excitedly about what turned out to be a great movie. You might have heard critics comparing this movie to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino movies that unflinchingly displayed violence being committed by violent men when they weren't waxing philosophical on various trivalities of life, showing that even violent men can have friends, worries and sorrow. The critics claim that this movie couldn't have been made without Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. I disagree. I wouldn't compare The Way of Gun to these movies. There are obviously numerous influences in this film, the most prominent I would claim would be classic westerns ranging from the works of Sergio Leone (Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns) and Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, one of the ultimate treatise on violent men dealing violence and still somehow managing to be 'real people'). Anyway, enough of that rambling. The bottom line is, in my opinion, this movie is a step beyond Pulp Fiction, which I did thoroughly enjoy until it lost it's lustre after the third viewing. (If any of you remember anything I've ever said about movies, it's that a truly great film is one you can watch a thousand times and still enjoy). Jesus, Chad get to the plot already! I know that is what you thinking. Sorry, I'm rambling, whipping this review off while I'm sitting at my desk at work. Two guys who make their living by whatever means they can hear tell of a woman who agreed to be the surrogate mother for a sum of 1 million dollars. This is the big ticket item these guys have been waiting for. They hatch a quick plan to snatch the pregnant woman and ransom her for several million dollars, even though they don't know who the parents are! The kidnapping goes bad, but not because these two guys are bumbling idiots. Things go wrong, because the pregnant woman has bodyguards, men that are more talented at their craft then the two kidnappers. Sounds pretty basic right? Not really. If you've seen The Usual Suspects, you should know that there is more going on then you might realize. Christopher McQuarrie is excellent at handling a large cast of characters, all of whom have a roll in moving the plot along, twisting its course and serving up complications and surprises. The plot thickens as we learn more about the 'parents' of the child, the baby's doctor, and the bodyguards. And then there's the character played by James Caan, a bag-man for the 'father' of the child. What's his stake in all of this? One of the best moments in the movie comes from James Caan. He says, "The only thing you can tell by looking at a broken down old man is that he is a survivor." This is what this movie is about. It's about surviving the way of the gun. It's about having selected a path in which to live your life and then having to accept it and try to survive it. It's not about talking about bacon or finding the secret to Like A Virgin. These characters are criminals, violent people. Their life is a life of violence and impending violence. There is no time to talk about putting mayonaise on french fries. And that's the difference between Pulp Fiction and this movie. Pulp Fiction made violence and crime look hip. John Travolta was cool. Samuel L. Jackson was a 'bad motherfucker' but that's what made him cool. In The Way of the Gun, I'd be hard pressed to call these characters cool. There is no hippness in this movie. And yet, even violent men can have friends, worries and sorrow. And that is what elevates this movie beyond the realm of a standard action flick. This isn't an action movie in the same vein that The Usual Suspects wasn't an action movie. Bottom line: This is a movie to go see.
Posted on September 12, 2000 by Jennifer LeaskIf you haven't seen Anna and the King you should go rent it. I thought Jodi Foster was going to suck and she was really good. And, if and when it comes to where you are, go see Saving Grace, you pot smokers out there, whoever you are, will laugh your asses off. It might also just be because I have a soft spot in my heart for that Scottish accent too, as it is a British film. But it's really funny.
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