Longhorn Reviews

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

[Longhorn Review] Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, Terry Gilliam — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:46 pm

By: Terry Gilliam

A polarizing film, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas takes on Hunter
S. Thompson's novel of the same name, successfully converting the counterculture
classic to the big screen without straying too far from the original ideas behind
the work. Based on his own experiences on two trips to Las Vegas with his attorney,
Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the tale of two men travelling to Las
Vegas to cover a motorcycle race for a magazine, but end up becoming sidetracked by
their rampant drug use and the situations that accompany it. After several failed
attempts to adapt this work into a film, Gilliam does what many others could not in
finding a way to portray the outrageous adventures of Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and
Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) in a movie.

Although the adaptation does an overall
good job in transitioning the book into film, Gilliam's version does have
shortcomings. Once the men arrive in Las Vegas the story becomes difficult to
follow, especially for those unfamiliar with the work. The characters' drug use
leads to a distorted reality, with the protagonists coming in and out of
hallucinogenic trips, making it difficult for the viewer to grasp what is actually
happening in the story. In these sequences some of Thompson's best rhetoric is lost
to wild scenery and undecipherable speech by Duke. Johnny Depp's accurate portrayal
of Thompson's alter ego has some drawbacks, as his speech difficult to understand a
lot of the time. Gilliam surely noticed this as a voiceover narrator is used
throughout the movie, keeping the audience from being completely lost at times.

Transforming this novel into a movie is no easy task, and Terry Gilliam makes a
valiant effort. The film certainly has it’s flaws, it is confusing at some points,
and sometimes feels like there is a lack of focus, but Gilliam excels in staying
true to the story. Big fans of Thompson's work can appreciate the fact that no
storylines were added for cinematics, and no major events were cut from the film.
Johnny Depp gives a great performance as Raoul Duke, effectively capturing the
quirks and personality that make him such a fascinating character. Terry Gilliam's
film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas delivers a satisfying production for
both old and new fans of the work.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. Terry Gilliam. Universal Pictures, 1998. Film.

Thompson, Hunter S. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas: A Savage Journey To The Heart Of The American Dream. 1971. New York: Random House
Inc, n.d. Print.

Reviewer: Matt Morales

The Twilight Saga, New Moon the movie: 2009

[Longhorn Review] The Twilight Saga, New Moon the movie: 2009

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Chris Weitz, New Moon, Twilight — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:45 pm

By: Chris Weitz

Devoted readers and fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, brace yourself.
After falling in love with the handsome vampire and dreamy Edward and wishing you
were Bella, “New Moon” the movie makes you look at the book’s characters and story
line in a whole new light—a rather faint and dim one.

Directed by Chris Weitz, the
second film in the Twilight series begins on Bella’s 18th birthday in the town of
Forks, Washington. Edward Cullen--Bella’s true love--and his family throw her a
party and while opening a gift, Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, cuts her finger.
Unable to hold himself back from the taste of human blood, Edward’s brother, Jasper,
attempts to kill Bella. After Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, fends him off,
Carlisle, a doctor and father to Edward, bandages Bella’s wounds. Edward soon
reveals that he and his family must leave town without her to protect her by
preventing an incident like Jasper’s outburst from happening again.

As viewers
follow Bella throughout the following months, we watch her experience depression and
moroseness from Edward’s absence. However, when she invites Jacob Black, the
werewolf heartthrob, back into her life, Bella is lifted out of her lifeless and
emotionless state. Played by Taylor Lautner, Jacob spends hours with Bella while
fixing up her battered motorcycle. When he pulls off his shirt, Lautner exposes his
hard abs and newly formed biceps that don’t only catch Bella’s eye but any gooey,
heart-struck teenage girl’s.

If you were deeply connected to the book and Meyer’s
characters, you’ll probably find yourself detached from the film’s. As seen in the
first movie, Stewart appears yet again too tough and masculine for the frail Bella
conveyed in the novel. The only glimpse of her innocence observed in the movie was
during a scene that caused an immediate uproar of laughter that I almost needed a
tissue to wipe my eyes. When Alice has a vision that Bella will become a vampire in
the future, we see Bella frolic through the forest with Edward, both of them wearing
white, loose clothing as their vampire skin glitters in the sunlight. What exactly
was Weitz thinking when he decided to dress the couple like peasant children running
blissfully in slow motion? If he was trying to incite sheer amusement than he
definitely succeeded. The movie Bella and Edward seem nothing other than angelic and
carefree children running through the forest, a completely different portrayal than
that which was conveyed through the novel.

But the laughs do not stop there. When
Jacob comes into Bella’s house to see that she is safe from any vampires, he finds
her with Alice. They get in an argument, Jacob saying “You don’t want to make me
upset. Things could get very ugly.” Again, rather than let the audience feel for the
characters, we end up poking fun at their reactions. Lautner’s inflection and facial
expressions distract from our ability to fully connect with his character. We are
left chuckling at his rather poorly delivered comeback and are unconvinced of his
genuineness to say the least.

Fans of Meyer’s books, don’t set your standards too
high; you’ll most likely be let down. “New Moon” clearly did not shine bright. What
should have been a sentimental and heartfelt movie was rather a humorous and poorly
filmed one. Compared to the first film, Weitz did not accomplish much more than the
original director, Catherine Hardwicke, whose film failed to meet the expectations
of book lovers like myself; let’s hope that Weitz or director of the next book,
Eclipse, proves the past trend wrong.

New Moon. Dir. Chris Weitz. Perf. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison. Summit Entertainment, 2009. Film.

Reviewer: Catherine Sze

New Moon

[Longhorn Review] New Moon

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: New Moon, romance, Stephenie Meyer, supernatural, vampire, werewolf — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:44 pm

By: Stephenie Meyer

New Moon, written by Stephenie Meyer, is the second book in the phenomenon that
is The Twilight Saga. The book picks up where the first book left off, Bella barely
escaping a close call with a red-eyed, aka non-vegetarian, vampire. The book begins
with an 18th birthday celebration at the Cullen’s for Bella. Jasper, the newest
addition to the family, is unable to control himself when Bella gets a paper cut and
tries to attack her. After this, Edward comes to the realization that Bella isn’t
safe when he or his family is around her. The Cullens leave Forks, causing Bella to
go into a deep depression for months after. Once she starts half-heartedly
attempting to put her life back together she realizes that doing dangerous things
make her hear Edward’s voice. This inspires her to buy and fix up two motorcycles
with Jacob, a family friend. She becomes very close with Jacob through this process.
While Bella is still stuck on Edward, Jacob begins falling for her. Everything
changes, though, when Bella decides to go “cliff diving”, aka jumping off a really
high cliff into dangerous waters. Alice, Edward’s sister who has the gift of
foresight, sees her jump off in a vision, but doesn’t realize that she made it out
alive. Edward comes to believe Bella is dead and as he later tells her, “[He] can’t
live in a world where [she did not]” (p 509). So Alice has to employ Bella’s help to
stop Edward from having himself killed by the Volturi. And in the end life changing
decisions are made.

While many will be saddened by the absence of Edward through a
large part of the novel, they will get to know Jacob and his story. Through the
process of fixing up the motorcycles that Bella brought him, a transformation in
Jacob is seen. His motorcycle represents all the transformations to come in his
life: the changes in his heart, in his body, and in his soul. The motorcycles can
also be seen as a symbol of Bella’s new taste for danger. While the motorcycles
bring Bella and Jacob together, Bella uses it as a way of also feeling closer to
Edward.

The cover art of the book and the meaning behind it is important to how the
reader will experience the story. It is a red and white tulip. Tulips are a symbol
of perfect love. Red tulips specifically symbolize true love, while white tulips
symbolize forgiveness. This is very important in that Bella and Edward’s love is of
Romeo and Juliet status, while they did not have quite the same ending. Meyer even
begins the book with an epigraph from Shakespeare’s play, “These violent delights
have violent ends, and in their triumph, die, like fire and powder, which as they
kiss, consume!” Just from the cover and this quote, there is much foreshadowing of

Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. New York & Boston: LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY,2007.

Reviewer: Heather Douglass

Stay Away, Joe

[Longhorn Review] Stay Away, Joe

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Dan Cushman, Elvis Presley, Stay Away Joe — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:42 pm

By: Dan Cushman (1953)

Dan Cushman wrote the novel Stay Away Joe in 1953. It was a
Book-of-the-Month-Club selection and reviewed by the New York Times. The book is a
mixture of a western, Indian comedy. The book is fairly old and is no longer being
printed. It is an easy read, and printed on actual paper by a press. Copies of the
book are somewhat hard to come by, but if you can get a hold of one it is well worth
it.

The book Stay Away, Joe was written for the sole purpose of bringing enjoyment
and laughter to the reader. Cushman wanted to write about the old western days in
order to show his readers the comical life of an Native American family that are
living between their reservation and the ways of the white man. The book is written
for people who enjoy comedies, western, Native American culture, and books that show
the everyday struggles of a family. Dan Cushman combines all of these attributes to
make an enjoyable book for the readers. Just in case you are curious I will give you
a brief overview of the book. Joe is a half breed Native American, war veteran, who
knows how to make the girls sigh, and comes back to his father’s ranch looking to
have fun and help out with the farm. Everyone thinks Joe is the greatest thing since
a slice of bread, except for a few that has him figured out. Unfortunately,
everywhere Joe goes trouble seems to follow; he also manages to come up with some
idea to make the situation better, but it usually leaves someone irritated and mad.
Most people get fed up with Joe, hence the title of the book “Stay Away, Joe”.

I loved the book. I started it and finished it in one day. I could not put it down. I
was always wondering what Joe was going to do next. It was a very good read. It is
simple but it has a great story behind it. There are so many different characters in
the book and you get to build a relationship with all of them. You want to help them
with their problems but you cannot, which is unfortunate. Cushman does an excellent
job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. He sets up the plot so that you have no
idea what is going to happen. The best characteristic of this book is that it is a
western style comedy. I personally love western comedies. There were multiple times
in the book when I actually laughed out loud. I would recommend this book to anyone
who is looking for some old school humor. You will not be disappointed with Stay
Away, Joe, because it is worth all 250 pages. I will give you one piece of advice;
if you are thinking about watching the movie Stay Away, Joe starring Elvis Presley
instead of reading the book, I would advise otherwise. The movie was horrible; it
did not live up to the greatness of the book. It was one of the worst movies I have
ever seen.

Reviewer: John Tremmel

Ghost Rider: Movie 2007

[Longhorn Review] Ghost Rider: Movie 2007

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Ghost Rider, Johhny Blaze, Mark Johnson, Marvel — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:41 pm

By: Mark Steven Johnson

Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes, is a movie based off the
Marvel Comic book. I kept hearing that the movie was a bust but I wanted to see it
for myself. But soon after the movie started I was able to see what everyone else
was talking about. The movie was just awful. Nicolas Cage, who plays Johnny Blaze,
was a teenage stunt man with his father when he was visited by the devil. Blaze’s
father was sick with cancer so he was given the opportunity to save his life by
selling his soul to the devil. Soon after selling his soul, the devil tricked him
and caused his father to die. Years later, Johnny becomes a world-renowned daredevil
by day and at night he becomes the Ghost Rider, the devil’s bounty hunter, in charge
of returning evil souls back to hell. The devil reappears to Blaze and tells him
that he can win his soul back if he defeats his evil son. Power hungry son
Blackheart who wants to bring a thousand souls to Earth so there will be hell on
Earth.

Ghost Rider was just way over the top; from the dialogue to the gestures that
the characters used. They all seemed to be trying too hard which made the movie
humorous at times when it should not have been. Eva Mendes’ Character Roxanne was
horrible. She was ditzy and forgettable. Her only real purpose in the movie was to
play as Ghost Riders weakness and to be a damsel in distress. Mephistopheles (the
devil) and blackheart (Devil’s Son) were terrible as villains. They were not scary
nor were they evil enough to play the parts.

Some of the special-effects, like
everything else in the movie, were over the top and were clearly animated, but then
there were a few scenes where I was blown away by how cool it looked. The best
aspects of the movie for me were how the creatures looked, from the evil element
creatures, to the Ghost Rider’s flaming head, to his chopper motorcycle that turns
into a rolling creature from hell. Seeing the Spider-Man movies I was expecting a
great movie from Ghost Rider, but that was not the case. Spider-man stayed true to
the comic and original story-line while Ghost Rider seems to take the story
somewhere else.

Overall the Ghost Rider was very entertaining, maybe not the way the
director intended it to be, but I was entertained. The movie had potential to be a
really good film but at the end failed miserably. If you are looking to watch a
poorly made, bad acted movie Ghost Rider is for you.

Johnson, Mark Steven, dir. . Mark Steven Johnson. 2007. Columbia Pictures. DVD.

Reviewer: Joshua Phillips

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

[Longhorn Review] The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Fantasy, Motorcycles, New Moon, Twilight, Vampires, Werewolves — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:39 pm

By: Chris Weitz

New Moon, the second movie of the series, continues the story of a relationship
between a human girl in high school, Bella Swan, and her vampire lover, Edward
Cullen. The movie begins with Edward leaving Bella behind due to a series of events
that causes Edward to believe staying with Bella would be harmful to her. Bella goes
on to suffer from a state of depression until she begins to hang out with her friend
Jacob Black. We later find out that Jacob, a werewolf, hates vampires and vice
versa. Through a series of misunderstandings, Edward believes that Bella has killed
herself and he attempts to do the same. These events lead to Bella having to try and
save Edward before it’s too late.

The basis of New Moon follows the interactions
between Bella and Jacob since Edward leaves at the beginning of the movie and does
not return until near the end. This differs from the first movie, where the audience
focuses on the interactions between Bella and Edward. Nancy Gibbs, the author of a
review of New Moon for Time Magazine, states how “the worst thing about New Moon the
book is the best thing about New Moon the movie” (para 3), referring to the focus on
Jacob rather than Edward.

Gibbs continues to go on to give her take on Edward,
describing his appearance as “pale passion and tortured restraint [with]… eyebrows,
like muskrats determined to mate, [hunched] together in the middle of his sunken
face, [and] the few times he smiles, it looks as if it hurts” (para 3). Gibbs
contrasts Edward by describing Jacob as “warm, tawny, genial and [being] able to get
Kristen Stewart's shrink-wrapped Bella to stretch out and relax a little onscreen”
(para 4).

Gibbs has a pretty strong sense of ethos, being a writer for Time
Magazine, but it takes a blow based on her descriptions of the main characters.
These descriptions of the two love interests of the protagonist Bella are somewhat
exaggerated but justifiable based on what we see on screen. Although justifiable,
clearly Gibbs had an extreme bias towards Jacob, which makes her review less
credible to the die hard Edward fans. The Twilight series has created a “Team Jacob”
and “Team Edward” fan base, and the harsh criticism of Edward’s character does not
favor well among “Team Edward” fans.

The movie’s overall appeal targets teenage
females with the series focusing on the love between a girl and two males and her
struggle to decide who to be with. Although the producer targets females as the
primary audience of the film, this does not mean that males cannot enjoy the movie
as well. New Moon incorporates action and fight scenes and moves along at a good
pace. The movie has plenty pathos appeals on the sides of romance and action.

Gibbs, Nancy. "New Moon Review: Team Jacob Ascending." Rev. of New Moon, by Chris Weitz.
Time. N.p., 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. .

Reviewer: Dan An

The Great Escape

[Longhorn Review] The Great Escape

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: Escape, pilots, prisoner, Steve McQueen, War, WWII — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:38 pm

By: John Sturges

Masculinity in the United States is a big issue regarding the persona of millions
of men in the nation and this film can attest to that notion. This light hearted and
fun oriented war drama is far from the usual drama that we think of. It follows a
band of American and British Air Force officers who in the past have tried numerous
attempts to escape prison camps. As the German Luftwaffe Colonel von Luger stated “I
have all of the rotten eggs in one basket”, this predicament turns out to be in
favor of the allied prisoners due in part to all of the expertise that these guys
contribute to escaping the facility.

This particular film is full of well-known
actors including Richard Attenborough (old guy from Jurassic Park), Charles Bronson,
and the King of Cool Steve McQueen. The film is full of things to describe men
during the time period that this film debuted. Take all the clichés of what men do
such as patting a baseball with gloves, smoking cigarettes, etc and what you have is
this film. It essentially epitomizes the MAN or what every guy should be. They even
throw in lighthearted jokes regarding countries such as the scene in which the
Americans celebrate the 4Th of July. They march up to their British partners in
colonial clothing and straight up tell them “down with the British, and join us by
having a drink.”

Based on a true story, this film revolves around a plan of escaping
the German stronghold by digging a series of tunnels underneath the compound by the
use of ingenious techniques. Then using gathered expertise from the population of
the prisoners, they devise what to do after escaping the facility. Clichés include
Lt. Hendley (Garner), an American who can scrounge up anything and use his charisma
to befriend German officers, and Danny Velinski (Bronson) as the “ tunnel king” who
has a bravado and sensitive side to his character.

Even though the main plot of this
film was about digging tunnels and escaping an impossible Nazi German prison, it
very much centers on Steven McQueen and the character that he embodies. McQueen
essentially symbolizes the American way and is very much seen through the motorcycle
scenes where he cruises through the German countryside, taking bold approaches, and
using his wits to outsmart the Germans. Very much manly throughout the film, his
tough guy persona takes a turn towards the end of the film where he gets himself
into a tough situation. This reveals the true moment of the movie and becomes one of
the most memorable scenes in film history.

Reviewer: Daniel Lam

The Terminator (1984)

[Longhorn Review] The Terminator (1984)

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: james cameron, orion pictures, terminator — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:37 pm

By: James Cameron

The Terminator Film Review

The Terminator movie series represents an icon in
American cinematic history. Regardless of age or gender, The Terminator employs many
different elements of film that make the movie a classic within the hearts of fans
across the nation. This is the movie that boosted new comer's Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s career, made director James Cameron a name in Hollywood, and gave
new meaning to a possible dark future that gave viewers nightmares about hostile
robot takeovers. Regardless of flaws present in the movie, The Terminator is a
highly entertaining film that should be seen by movie lovers everywhere.

The Terminator contains many cinematic elements that add to the movie’s unique appeal to
a large audience, which contributed to the film’s success during the 1980’s. The
story is about an evil cyborg, the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger),
from the future that travels back in time in order to kill the mother, Sarah Connor
(Linda Hamilton), of the man who leads a rebellion against the machines. In
addition, a freedom fighter, Kyle Reese (played by Michael Biehn), also goes back in
time in order to save Sarah Connor from the Terminator. The film contains a gripping
blend of romance, action, and horror. Scenes of the Terminator brutally killing his
victims in the search for Sarah Connor are supplemented with the romantic
relationship between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. This makes the movie more
appealing to a mass audience by adding more substance to the film that goes beyond
gunfights and car chases. However, certain scenes of combat might get repetitive for
some viewers during the movie. The multiple car chase scenes in the film have the
same general formula; the Terminator finds and shoots at Reese and Connor followed
by a narrow escape by the protagonists. Nevertheless, the action scenes are very
exhilarating and employ special effects that are a focal point in the film.

The cast
of characters also represents the perfect portrayal for the plot and setting of the
film. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator character to perfection by displaying
robotic characteristics with little to no emotion, and makes the cold bloodied
cyborg killer very believable. Furthermore, Linda Hamilton plays the role of Sarah
Connor perfectly by properly demonstrating character development. She transitions
from a terrified individual to a confident character that is capable of holding her
own even against the evil cyborg. Michael Biehn lives up to the character of Kyle
Reese by displaying the brave and protective qualities that make Reese a central
figure in the Terminator.

The Terminator represents the first movie in a series that
will always be seen as a timeless classic in motion picture. The combination of
action, romance, excellent special effects, and character development makes it easy
to recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates a gripping film.

The Terminator . James Cameron. Orion Pictures, 1984. Film.

Reviewer: Rushi Patel

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[Longhorn Review] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Material Type: All, Books — Tags: bilsdungsroman, fantasy. young adult, magic, wizardry — Posted on May 2, 2011, 3:36 pm

By: J.K. Rowling

After years of anticipation, the final piece to the Harry Potter puzzle has been
placed and fortunately, it fills the gap perfectly. Avid fans have been awaiting the
release of this book for years and it is safe to say that they will not be
disappointed. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book to
the internationally acclaimed Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The series
revolves around a trio of best friends– Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione
Granger– who together fight the Dark Arts in efforts to destroy the evil Lord
Voldemort. It is a bildungsroman novel. Rowling wraps up the series in this last
book, answering many questions and yet still leaving some up to the viewer’s
imagination. She does this seamlessly and many will be left with a sense of
resolution that they’ve been expecting after such an epic storyline.

Each book
throughout the series grows increasingly darker. Not only does the plot move away
from the detailed depictions of life at Hogwarts that were present in the first few
books in the series, but vivid details of Harry’s journey with his best friends
become directed towards violence and mortality. No longer is Harry competing for
approval from his fellow schoolmates nor is he battling to win the Qudditch Cup for
his House. In The Deathly Hallows, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, battle Lord
Voldemort’s regime that has surreptitiously infiltrated the Ministry of Magic. He
also bravely takes on Dumbledore’s previous task of finding and destroying
Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Throughout the book, Harry endures a sequence of struggles
that no seventeen-year-old wizard should ever have to undergo. The weight of the
burden of his destiny with Voldemort slowly deteriorates Harry’s impetus and cloaks
him a cloud of doubt; however, he never gives up, and ultimately his unwavering
determination leads him to triumph.

Rowling does an impressive job of tying all the
loose ends that were left in The Half Blood Prince. Readers learn more about the
story behind the valuable locket from the previous book as well as learn about
Dumbledore’s dark past that was previously hidden from the audience. We see the
development in Ron and Hermione’s relationship. We discover the truth behind Snape
and his motives as well as his childhood. Several characters die and many have
matured into unexpected characters. There are plenty of duels and many scenes filled
with tragedy. Fortunately for readers, Rowling leaves an epilogue that will leave
many very happy.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows exceeds all expectation, and
possibly is the best one in the series. The book leaves readers transfixed and the
plot is filled with exciting twists and surprises. There is a reason as to why the
Harry Potter series has become a cultural phenomenon. The series may have ended, but
the adulation and enchantment that comes from reading the books will forever live
on.

Reviewer: Vy Nguyen