FIRST PLACE REVIEW
Katie Dickson, Wando HS (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.)

“Tomorrow never comes until it’s too late.” This is the poignant tagline of DJ Shadow’s “Six Days,” an eerie social commentary on the inevitability (and stupidity) of war in pursuit of political gain.

The song’s ironic and profound lyrics are emphasized by a strange mix of steady bongo beats and calming synth vibes, reminiscent of a 70s drug trip, while Shadow’s high-pitched, lilting voice drifts in and out of the piece like an anonymous individual in a sad reverie.

The instrumental hip-hop songwriter and producer effectively manages to incorporate elements of jazz, soul, ambient and hip-hop genres along with his earnest political opinion, as “Six Days” describes the ominous side of war and Shadow’s concern that we tend to dismiss consequences from our list of worries.

We slap yellow ribbons on our minivans and patriotically stand by our troops fighting a seemingly lost cause. We refuse to tune into CNN because the depressing news is too much. Too much for us to bear while we recline on couches in warm houses and fleetingly reflect on how terrible it is “over there.”

“Six Days” progresses through a metaphorical week in the life of an average American that parallels the time it takes for the presence of war to creep upon his homeland.

The close listener may be frightened by the subtle transition from “negotiations breaking down, see those leaders start to frown,” to “you never thought we’d go to war, after all the things we saw, it’s April Fools’ day.” This statement reflects the incredible ease in falling prey to the vicious cycle of war to “solve” problems with countries of differing ideologies or policy.

Thousands of American men and women are buried under our soil or splattered on buildings in the Middle East. Pictures of orphans covered in shrapnel and blood collage the morning paper. Is being the victor in a game where everyone loses truly worth the heartache?

The most dramatic and moving segment of the entire song, comprised of relatively limited clips of vocal work, comes when Shadow asks, “You hear a whistling overhead, Are you alive or are you dead?”

Having a carefree conversation with a friend over lunch, only to be driven to the ground under a shower of debris: That may very well be the thing DJ Shadow so urgently wants us to view as a reality. Unfortunately there is an innate refusal to back down against foreign hostility that creates a never-ending “sword and gun day.”

The concluding questions is, “You feel a shaking on the ground, a billion candles burn around, is it your birthday?” as the war finally collides on the home front with a previously untouched civilian way of life.

Shadow seems to worry that if we choose to ignore the universal loss that results from a violent grapple for power, indeed, tomorrow will never come until it’s too late. This song seamlessly couples artistic melody with a philosophical wake-up call intended for all Americans and is definitely worth a listen and reflection.

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SECOND PLACE REVIEW
Daniel Boan, James Island Charter School (Charleston, S.C.)

As much as I love spending my free time slouching in front of the computer reading film reviews, there are many times I wish I didn’t. If everybody in the world has a different opinion than I do, I feel like some sort of failure. The Coen Brothers’ latest film No Country for Old men is the prime example of this. It seems like every critic in the world admired this film (adding to their list of critical darlings such as Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou?) calling it everything from perfect to one of the best of the past decade. As much as it pains me to admit… I didn’t get it.

No Country tells the story of Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a hunter who takes a case willed with two million dollars from the scene of a drug deal gone horribly wrong. This of course does not go over well with Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) as he sets off on a path of violence in order to get a hold of this money. This causes Llewelyn to watch his every step and causing the local Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) to take on one of the toughest crimes in his career.

As the story progresses, it’s difficult not to notice the talent within this film. If there is one thing I did agree with all the critics on, it’s that Bardem delivers one of the scariest performances in a long time (second only to Daniel Day Lewis’s performance as the deceptively charming Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.) Watching him murder person after person without a care in the world (except maybe getting blood on his shoe) is disturbing yet strangely fascinating to watch. Jones is also brilliant as the sheriff; you can just see the stress and turmoil of the situation through his facial expressions alone. If the key to great acting really is to make it look easy, this man’s amazing. The weakest of the bunch though is Josh Brolin. It’s not that it’s a bad performance, but compared with the likes of Jones and Bardem, it’s nothing to write home about.

The directing and cinematography is also hard not to notice. Every shot seems perfectly planned out, from the back and forth tension between the gas station cashier and Chigurh, to even the highly controversial ending. This is definitely a movie for the film geeks out there; there’s much to admire.

With all these great elements in the equation, a perfect movie should be the end result, right? Unfortunately No Country is lacking one of the most overlooked aspects of film: storytelling. The story is told by jumping between the three main characters, which gets a little distracting. What is so disappointing is that with such great performances behind them, I really wanted to get invested in these characters. But the oddly written screenplay sadly wouldn’t allow it.

The ending is also very off-putting. I’m a fan of the offbeat ending as much as the next film lover—the abrupt and open endings of Reservoir Dogs and The Descent comes to mind – but this one was almost too different. The idea behind it is a perfect way to wrap up the movie, but it’s simply too abrupt. If this idea had been handled in a less abrupt manner, it could have been brilliant. About half the people in the showing I attended let out a big confusion-induced “WHAT?!” as the credits began rolling, and this is the feeling the audience left with. Trust me, it’s not a good one.

But No Country for Old Men does stand out as a film to appreciate rather than enjoy. You may never want to revisit this story, and you may never fully get into it, but filmmaking of this level is still hard not to admire. With that being said, and though I feel like a failure at life for saying it, I’d still take Daniel Plainview over Anton Chigurh any day.

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THIRD PLACE REVIEW
Lauren Corcino, Clarke Central HS (Athens, Ga.)

Varsity? More like J.V. Located in the heart of Athens, GA, the Varsity was far from a victory when the restaurant proved to be understaffed, overcrowded and sweltering hot.

Opening the doors, I was knocked back with the overpowering smell of hot, sweaty bodies, raw onions and pickles, dirty feet and French fry grease. However, my stomach made the decision for me as it rumbles noisily, desperate for any kind of nourishment, even if it meant putting on a gas mask to enter the restaurant.

Making my way through the solid wall of customers waiting to order at the register, I was pushed into a group of sweaty, smelly, slightly tipsy, middle-aged men with their shirts off. The experience left me gasping for air, trying to get rid of the sight and smell of hairy, sweaty beer guts from my memory. Fortunately, the line began to speed up and within five minutes I found myself placing my order at the register.

Looking at the menu, I was frustrated at the lack of variety on the menu. Twenty different versions of hot dogs and hamburgers along with sides of coleslaw, French fries, and baked beans made my stomach churn at the thought of eating like a native Athenian.

Ordering a chili cheese dog with a side of coleslaw, I was anxious for my food to arrive. Running to the pick-up counter when my number was called, I thought I had gotten my order mixed up. Topped with mountains of chili and nacho cheese, the hot dog looked like it could have fed a small, third world country. However, upon taking the first bite, I realized that even someone living in a third world country would not even eat it.

Frozen, greasy, and topped with the vilest chili I have ever tasted, the chilidog was an absolute recipe for disaster. It was the cherry on top of everything horrible that had already happened. Leaving the rest of my meal on my plate, I grabbed my coat and walked out of the restaurant. The Varsity has just lost the game.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Megan Lamb, Lugoff-Elgin HS (Lugoff, S.C.)

She’s only 21 years old and already been in rehab more times than I can count. Her clothes look like rags, her teeth are the same color as butter, she can’t sing worth shit, and yet the whole world is obsessed with her.

What is wrong with Lindsay Lohan?

What is wrong with society?

Lohan does not even wear underwear for God’s sake. Even Paris Hilton bashes Lohan publicly; that’s got to say something right? I have to say, I had to laugh when Brandon Davis announced that Lohan was a ‘fire-crotch’ to the press while Hilton sat next to him laughing so hard she was crying. She got what she deserved when she went commando and let the world see “Little Lindsay” for themselves.

I don’t understand why young girls find Lohan so entertaining. Is it really trendy to be a slut these days and sleep around every two weeks?

Also, I have never seen one picture of her where she looks halfway decent and healthy. Her hair is not brushed, her makeup is always smudged, she looks high off of something, and most of the time it looks like she’s been homeless for about two months.

After being on probation for DUI and having an alcohol monitor attached to your ankle 24/7 knowing that someone would be watching you at all times, wouldn’t you be smart enough not to go to a club and drink all night? Lohan wasn’t, hence her stay at rehab for probably the fourth time last year.

She’s also supposedly an amazing actress, but out of the six movies that I’ve seen her in, I’ve only liked two. She was a disaster, not to mention annoying, in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, but I think that’s only because she was basically playing herself in the movie (slutty girl with no work ethic who blames her behavior on her father.)

She uses her father’s scandal as an excuse for her wild behavior, but I think we all know she had it in her as soon as she turned 15. It’s sad to me though, because she was a really cute little girl in The Parent Trap, and now she’s just another anorexic-looking millionaire.

The thing that disappoints me the most is that he sister made a statement to the press saying that she wanted to be exactly like her sister when she got older. I don’t think I could handle another one, but maybe at least Ally Lohan will have enough sense to wear panties when she ventures out in public.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Nolan Just, Charles D. Owen HS (Black Mountain, N.C.)

There Will Be Blood builds speed like a train. The first ten minutes of the film take place in calculated silence. The tension slowly and mechanically builds for over two and a half hours to the explosive and shocking climax. Once director Paul Thomas Anderson allows the film to cruise full speed, it is unstoppable.

Set in California during the early 1900’s, There Will Be Blood follows the life of Daniel Plainview, an old silver prospector and self-proclaimed “oilman,” and his takeover of the oil rights to the small town of Little Boston. Anderson takes Upton Sinclair’s muckraking novel, “Oil!,” and changes the socialist commentary into a study on the moral and mental decline of one of the most enthralling “bad guys” in Hollywood history.

Unlike previous Anderson films, such as Boogie Nights and Magnolia, which are structured around interlocking, multi-character storylines, he builds his epic solely on the shoulders of actor Daniel Day-Lewis, playing Plainview. Day-Lewis carries the film with a strength and assurance worthy of Atlas. Plainview epitomizes the greed and violence of early oilmen, yet he is the film’s only protagonist. The audience is forced to support Plainview in his fight to make profits while despising every action taken to achieve his success. Day-Lewis encourages this contradiction by providing a depth to Plainview rare in movies.

The greatest strength of this remarkable film is the pacing. There Will Be Blood’s structure resembles its wonderful, avant-garde soundtrack by composer Jonny Greenwood, better known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Radiohead. It slowly builds with soft dissident chords and rambling percussion until the tension is nearly unbearable, finally releasing the audience in a gratifying, it off key, climax. The last ten minutes of the film fulfill the promise of the film’s title and complete the greatest film of the year.

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Review Writing Winners 2008

First Place
Katie Dickson
Wando HS
Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Second Place
Daniel Boan
James Island Charter School
Charleston, S.C.

Third Place
Lauren Corcino
Clarke Central HS
Athens, Ga.

Honorable Mention
Megan Lamb
Lugoff-Elgin HS
Lugoff, S.C.

Honorable Mention
Nolan Just
Charles D. Owen HS
Black Mountain, N.C.