CULTURE COMMENTARY
DAN KINEM
staff writer
It’s quite obvious to most film
fans that there has been a huge
decline in the quality of Ameri
can films in recent years. Sadly,
most Americans are blissfully
unaware that they are being fed
a steady diet of cash-grabbing
garbage.
Movies were once born of
artistic visions and good sto
ries. The story, th& vialon, the
art came first. Nowadays It
seems money is the only con*
cem. It is no longer about mak
ing a good film but making a
film that sells. Very few times
do both things happen simulta
neously.
On the rare occasion that a
quality American film does sur
face, studios don’t promote it,
which causes it to fall quietly
into obscurity. The quality of
films being released is based on
ticket sales, not on whether the
film has any merit.
When a film is a hit, studios
immediately exploit it. So it is
little wonder that many of the
films coming out each week are
remakes, sequels, or adapta
tions (specifically those from
comic books). Where is the
“franchise” potential in a well
written, thought-provoking
drama? There is none. You
won’t see those at your local
theater when Harry Potter and
the Nobody Cares is on 10 of
the 20 screens.
STUDENT'BANDS
Student jams to own tune with Jetsam Blue
ASHLEY BEMIS
staff writer
Around Erie one can find
many different types of bands
from hardcore to jazz. How
ever, one band, Jetsam Blue, is
different.
They are a local “powerpop”
band that plays all of their own
music: over 25 original songs,
with a few exceptions of some
covers (including Katie Perry’s
“Hot and Cold”). The members
of this band include Alan
Dingfelder, Nathan Miller, Dan
Cass, and Behrend’s own Ryan
Hoover. The band started about
a year ago, but it wasn’t until
this summer when Hoover, the
drummer, actually joined.
Fora sample of Jetsam Blue's sound, visit their official website at
www.myspace.com/jetsamblueofficial.
Free • Confidential
STD TESTING - WALK IN CLINIC
Erie County Department of Health
606 West Second Street
(Comer of West 2nd & Cherry Streets)
Monday 9:ooam -11:00am
Wednesday l:00pm-3:00pm
Thursday 3:oopm-s:oopm
t
Questions? Call 451-6700
In the 70s American movies
were in their prime. Foreign
films from master filmmakers
like Jean-Luc Godard and
Reiner Werner Fassbinder in
spired American youth. Those
films were being made as art,
completely different than what
“Classic Hollywood” was doing
at the time.
Some all-time great artists
Ctune out of this period of film:
Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford
Coppola, Robert Altman, Ter
rence Malick, and countless
others. They were the “rebels,”
going against the very tradi
tional style of filmmaking. They
worked on location instead of
on sets, with their friends in
stead of a real crew, making it
up as they went. The result was
arguably some of the greatest
films ever made, starting with
“Bonnie and Clyde” and “Easy
Rider” in the late 60s and end
ing with “Raging Bull” in 1980.
Director Peter Bogdonavich
(Last Picture Show) says that
Jaws was the film that ruined it.
Jaws was devastating to mak
ing artistic, smaller films. They
forgot how to do it. They’re no
longer interested.” Many peo
ple, including director Billy
Friedkin blame Star Wars. “It
was like when McDonald’s got
a foothold, the taste for good
food just disappeared. We en
tered a period of devolution.
Everything has gone backward
toward a big sucking hole.”
The 80s has been called the
Hoover is the only member of
Jetsam Blue who goes to
Behrend. He is a freshmen ma
joring in MIS. Because he at
tends college, the band only
gets to practice one day a week.
Thus, every Saturday is a non
stop rehearsal. Hoover says
that balancing school and band
is easy for him, though he has
to keep his grades “up to par.”
Practice is cancelled otherwise.
Hoovers grades have not
completely slipped, but he ad
mits he has struggled in a few
classes. By studying enough
and managing his priorities he
was able to catch up with his
work.
“The name Jetsam Blue actu
ally came about when Alan was
worst decade of film in Ameri
can history. The cheap quickie
comedy became the norm. Stu
dios produced comedy after
comedy, many of them very
similar to the last. Fortunately,
the 90s brought back low-bud
get independent productions.
Directors like Quentin Taran
tino, Robert Rodriquez, Kevin
Smith, Paul Thomas Anderson,
and Richard Linklater gave us
hope. While movie making still
wasn’t the haven for art and
artistic expression it once was,
its presence could be seen and
felt.
However, these films soon
died out because they weren’t
making enough money. Big
budgeted blockbusters became
the money makers: all action
with a poorly written story.
Movies were made by directors
hired to finish the film, nottp
express anything through it.'
Studio tools like Michael Bky
(Transformers, Pearl Harbor)
and Brett Ratner (the Rush
Hour films, X-Men 3) turned
out generic popcorn movies.
Another cash matWaae fur
Hollywood became the small
budgeted horror film—meaning
rip-offs of an older horrpr film,
remakes of a foreign horror
film, and pooriy written scrips
Hollywood told the American
public “we know how to g*it
you into the theater and how to
make money off you with little
effort,” yet people still went.
This is painfully obvious when
looking around on his com
puter and opened a notepad file
which said ‘Jetsam Blue,”’ said
Hoover. “So there is no actual
meaning to the name and we
are considering changing it
soon [sic].”
Seeing as the band has vast
array of original recordings,
they have a CD entitled Say
One Thing.
“We really aren’t trying to go
big right now,” said Hoover.
“It’s more just for fun and laid
back. Eventually the band may
go big but I will probably not be
involved then.”
Hoover has been in many
other bands, two of which in
there is at least one horror film
a month. When “PG-13” rated
horror films are continuously
aimed at teenagers who don’t
know better than to waste their
money, there’s a problem .
The rise of music videos has
been no help. They leave little
to the imagination and give
people what they want: instant
visual gratification. Hollywood
knows that the “eye and ear
candy” formula works. It con
nects with audiences who look
for “fast-moving, something
happening” films. These ele
ments take away the most
artistic elements of films: the
storytelling, the subtle visual
images. Today’s visual torna
does make a slower film that is
trying to say something less ap
pealing to an audience that has
been trained to expect immedi
ate gratification.
movie preference is
selective, most theater-goers
can’t tell the difference between
a quality him and a cleverly dis
guised 90-minute commercial.
Hollywood is relying on the
dtipbing-dewo of our youth to
continue their record-setting
weekends at the Box Office.
yntt we tell Hollywood (with
our ileket money) that we ex
pect more than a special-effects
extravaganza, we will seldom
see quality in American film.
With exposure comes knowl
edge. With knowledge comes
appreciation of talent.
elude, The Intergalactic Experi
ence and Control Z.
“I love being in bands, I think
it’s a blast!” Hoover says.
“One thing that stands out
about [us] is that there is no
screaming and [we’re] go
happy guys,” said Hoover. “We
are able to play with any type of
band because we are just look
ing to have a good time.”
On Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., Jetsam
Blue and a few other bands will
be hosting a Halloween show ti
tled “Nightmare at the Metro
politan,” which will be held at
the Metro nightclub.
Colle
Wednesdays Only
50% off any pizza order offer is good for
delivery or carry out from 11:00am - 10:00pm
No need for coupon juat nek for the College Special
Gall (814) 824 - 8282
'Offer may not be combined with any other discounts, coupons, deals or specials
Better Ingredients.
Better Pizza.
e 50% OFF Da
No limit order as much as you 'd like
2009 / 2010
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Senior trombonist,
engineer, president
juggles extracurriculars
CHELSEA MARKLE
staff writer
In his fourth year in
Behrend’s concert band, C.J.
Burns is a dedicated bass trom
bone player.
Bums is a senior majoring in
mechanical engineering. He
has avidly played bass trom
bone since the fourth grade and
has been in concert band since
his freshman year.
Burns was a member of his
pep band throughout high
school. Burns’ passion for
music influenced his decision
to participate in Behrend’s mu
sical programs, thus he was in
spired to continue with his
playing at the collegiate level.
Currently, he is a member of
the concert, jazz, pep, brass
and percussion bands here at
Behrend.
Burns wasn’t immediately
convinced he wanted to partic
ipate in band when he first ar
rived. The deciding factor for
him was when his mom gave
/4s a senior, Burns is gearing up to play his final tune with the concert
and jazz bands next semester.
Behrend Beacon I 7
October 16, 2009 a
www.thebehrendbeacon.com | ■
him “that extra push,” and he
hasn’t regretted it.
“I started my freshman year
playing at commencement and
I have been hooked on it ever
since,” said Bums.
Living off campus, he first
found it difficult to manage
both school and his extreme
commitment to the band.
“Our director, Dr. Viebranz, is
really understanding and easy
to work with. School comes
first,” said Burns.
Not only is Burns a devoted
member of the band, but he is
also a member of The LEB and
History Club. He is the presi
dent of Auto Club and was an
orientation leader. After col
lege, Burns plans on working
for the bulletproof glass com
pany, IBIS Tech, which special
izes in presidential vehicles and
Humvee armor.
“It would be a great opportu
nity and a respectful position,”
said Bums.