Your new textbooks: Comics you need to read

I recommend some comics for incoming UA students. Here's an example, a manga by Kiyohiko Azuma:

Tags: journalism, reviews, writing, comics, manga

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(500) Days of Summer review

I saw (500) Days of Summer with one of my reporters, Ali, last night. The movie follow Joseph Gordon-Leavitt who plays Tom, an employee at a greeting card company. Zooey Deschanel's character, Summer, joins the office as the president's personal assistant and the object of Tom's love interest. The story begins with Leavitt moping about the breakup with Deschanel, and from there it jumps back and forth within those 500 days of the relationship.

Too precious: omniscient voiceover, flashbacks, footage of respective childhoods, musical number complete with animated bluebird, ironic juxtapositions, and the name that comes up at end.

Good stuff: ironic juxtapositions, especially with a particular split screen sequence; color and music themes (shades of blue associated with Deschanel); female singer-songwriters and indie music including the Pixies, Regina Specktor, The Smiths, Feist, and Carla Bruni on the soundtrack; some good insights; Leavitt and Deschanel look like a believable and lovely couple (this equals good acting).

So, combine a good-looking couple onscreen with a soundtrack to appeal to the indie crowd (which would include me), and you've got a movie that is soon to be overhyped. If (500 Days) wasn't trying so hard to win your affection, the movie would come off that much better.

Tags: movies, reviews

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Raphael Saadiq's new concert DVD

Raphael Saadiq - Love That Girl from Artists Den on Vimeo.

A great song. Gotta love those classic moves.

Tags: video, music, soul

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