02/06/09 Intermission
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inside
B i t i n g t h e i r l i p sStanford students Claire Slattey,
Vanessa Petrosky and Zach Chotzen-
Freund put on Lips Together, Teeth
Apart for their senior project
A L S O I N S I D E
intermission2.06.0
FRID
stanfords weekly guide to campus culture
VOLUME 235 . I S S U E 1
a publication of the stanford
RVCA Design Director Kristin Reiter dishes on her job, closet, and life ... page 3
Exclusive Intermission interview with Coraline director Henry Selick... page 4
Film review of animated stop-motion horror fantasy film Coraline... page 5
Benjamin Button not up to par; Super Bowl commercials either...page 6
Lips Together, Teeth Apart: seniors dramatize middle-aged frustration...page 7
courtesy bleachblac
Fashion is the sky, in t
street, fashihas to do wideas, the wwe live, whahappening.- Coco Chan
C o r a l i n e
a film review and exclu-sive interview withDirector Henry Selick
steve lesser
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PAGE 2 THE GRAMMY AWARDS...
2.06.0
well then, email [email protected]
F
BONE TO PIC
MANAGING EDITJoanna Xu
LAYOUT EDITORSKairen Wong
Jin Yu
COPY EDITORSamantha Lasarow
DESK EDITORSAnnika Heinle
Kate Hayes
PHOTO EDITORAmanda Zhang
With movie awards season officially underway, you are probably a little tired of hearing the news, Slumdog Millionaire wins . . . again! Luckilyfor you, the monotony is about to be broken.This Sunday, the Grammy Awards take center stage again. Though the show has been pretty dull the past few years, this years performances will
be a little more exciting: U2, Coldplay and Radiohead will all be performing. Here at Intermission, we want to let you know whats up for awards
and, of course, help with those betting pools we know you will be throwing your money into.
Record of the Year will definitely be going to the most deserving of the nominees: M.I.A., for Paper Planes. Hey, we told you Slumdogwas
cleaning everything up this year, and this hit is on its soundtrack. Dont bet on Viva La Vidaby Coldplay; while this song is nominated for basically
every category, a lawsuit claiming its a rip-off is sure to taint its success. For the same reason, it probably wont win the Song of the Year award.
Instead, that honor will likely go to American Boy by Estelle, featuring Kanye West.
Teens will be happy to hear this: The winner of Best New Artist will probably be triple teenage heartthrobs The Jonas Brothers. If the boys dont
win, beware of a teen riot. The winner of Best Female Pop Vocals will clearly go to the most popular girl of the summer Katy Perry. While I
Kissed A Girlmay not be the best song of the group, it was downloaded over three million times on the Internet.
Best Male Pop Vocals is a little bit trickier to predict. Jason Mraz had a smash hit in Im Yours, but Intermission is going to hesitantly place aproverbial bet on Ne-Yos Closer. This song is, on average, played on rotation every 3.5 songs on all top-40 stations. If youre looking to make money
on this category, look to Ne-Yo.
Probably the most important category of the entire show,Album of the Year, will be won by an unlikely duo. While Lil Waynes Tha Carter III
may seem the natural and smart choice, Intermission implores you not to choose it. This award is going to go to Robert Plant (former member of Led
Zeppelin) and Alison Krauss for their collaboration,Raising Sand. The Academy of Recording Arts will always give this award to old-timers, no mat-
ter what kind of young talent is included in the category.
We hope you have a great Grammys this year, and using our picks, make the money you need to pay for tuition! . . . or at least, a cup of Fraiche.
(Disclaimer: Intermission is not responsible for the loss of thousands of dollars.)
annika HEINLE
contact annika :
anhein le@stanford .edu
courtesy mia
courtesy jonasbrothers.com
courtesy
yearofthegentleman.com
courtesy estelle.com
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intermission (i): First, tell us a little about
what you do with RVCA, your day-to-day
activities, etc.Kristin Reiter (KR): Well, Im the design
director for RVCA, which means I work with
Creative Director/Founder PM Tenore on
checking out all the designs that we get. I
work with the art and marketing depart-
ments to make sure that everyone is cohesive
and speaking the same language. I deal most-
ly with mens clothing, womens clothing and
accessories.
On a day-to-day basis? That sort of
depends. I review a lot of sketches and do a
lot of fittings. RVCA also does a lot of collab-
oration work with different artists and peo-
ple, whether thats skaters, surfers or super-
models like Erin Wasson. My days are gener-
ally quite crazy, but its nice because theressomething new every day.
i: RVCA is a great surf/skate company, but its
not particularly known for its clothing line.
How would you describe the line?
KR: I would describe it as utilitarian work-
wear, but with a styled twist. [The line] has a
lot of modern pieces. The foundation of the
original RVCA clothing line is mens. All of
the clothing lines a bit unisex I wear a lot
of the mens products as well! Even now, with
the womens line, its a bit more tomboy-ish.
Which is why Erin Wasson is the perfect face
of the womens line because yes, shes a
supermodel, but she also has a distinct
tomboy flavor.
i: Tell me about the fashion blogosphere. Any
favorite blogs? Experiences?
KR: Well, as you know, Rumi [owner of
highly popular blog FashionToast.com] is my
good friend. She kept bugging me to start a
blog myself, so I did. The blogosphere is defi-
nitely a cool place though when I first
joined I didnt know about all these unwrit-
ten rules, like how if someone frequents
your blog, you kind of have a responsibility
to comment on theirs as well. Its become agiant community where you can meet peo-
ple and make crazy new friends. It can be
overwhelming sometimes because I cant
respond to everything always. Being involved
in fashion? Thats my world! So my blog is
related to everything about my work, too.
i: I love the way you dress its unique, but
very comfortable and compatible
with your personality. What advice
do you have to give to college girls
looking for a similar confidence in
what they wear?
KR: For me, I grew up in theMidwest, so I grew up in T-shirts
and jeans. I developed my fashion
sense by forcing myself into new
situations, introducing myself to
odd people and getting into things
that I was unaware of before. I also
work in a male-dominated compa-
ny, so I cant always venture out
into the totally inappropriate. But I
still dress like myself. You know, I
used to get kicked out of class for
being a distraction! I think Ill
always be an outsider. Your own
personal style has to have an evolution.
i: What are your favorite types or pieces of
clothing?
KR: No. 1 is jeans, usually RVCAs. I also love
tomboy-ish boots, adore T-shirts, love a great
jacket especially the loose, blouse-y type
and of course, a great dress. I know, its
surprising it offsets everything.
i: What about favorite designers?
KR: Tons! First is probably Henry Duarte. Its
hard to find him because he only does cus-
tom work now, but hes basically a really
amazing L.A. designer who does a lot of cus-
tom denim and 70s-inspired clothing. He
knows fit like no other and is a designer
definitely worth researching. I also love
the designer behind Grey Ant Grant
Krajecki. Hes another L.A. designer
thats really close to me. I love everything
80s and 90s, and early Versace under
Gianni, not Donatella. Im in love withNicholas Kirkwood shoes.
i: Favorite places to shop?
KR: One of my absolute favorites is a
vintage shop in Hong Kong. There are a
lot of places I love right now
Maxfields in L.A. is super cool. I have a
few favorite vintage shops in Huntington
Beach, such as American Vintage. I find
a lot of inspiration pieces there! South
Beach has great summer stuff, Palm
Springs too. And of course, New York has
magnificent stores.
[Joanna asks about a vintage shop that she
saw Lady Gaga go to in Los Angeles]
KR: I also loveLady Gaga. Shes amazing!Thats where the whole massive shoulder-pad
things came from. I also put up a clip of early
Versace/Balmain video on my blog; in my
opinion, thats sort of where all the inspira-
tion is coming from now.
i: How essential do you think money is to
style?
KR: Not at all! I work closely with Eri
Wasson, and shes got amazing style, s
course a ton of her pieces are ridiculo
high-end. But weve gone shopping b
and we both love vintage pieces too. H
great style comes from her awesome e
I think thats true of everyone. Rumi,shes great at mixing high-end and low
pieces, looking fabulous in it. Most p
cant go out and buy $1,200 shoes eve
son all the time, but they still look fab
and stylish!
i: Finally tell me a fashion week sto
KR: Aggh . . . fashion weeks are alway
crazy. Once, there was a fashion week
that was a 24-hour event for me: I fle
red-eye, went to the Alexander Wang
went to his after-party and didnt slee
fashion week there are always a mil
things going on. Of course, its a fun t
but for me its also a bit stressful just
Im working.
Oh and Ill be going again to NYork in three weeks for Erins present
the Erin Wasson x RVCA line. Her lin
awesome, and were super excited to s
everyone!
joa
contact
joannaxu@stanfo
friday february 6 2009
Kristin Reiter, RVCA design director
Erin Wasson is a Texas-born model, sand designer. She has walked the runw
designers such as Armani, Cavalli, KaLagerfeld and Gucci, and advertised ipaigns for Michael Kors, Rolex, TiffanCo., H&M and Maybelline. She styledseasons for notable designer Alexandeand has since then started two lines jewelry called LowLuv, and the other clothing line called Erin Wasson x RVwhich is a collaboration with the surfbrand RVCA. Erin x RVCA will be avain leading department stores and bouworldwide on March 1.
Meet...ERIN WASSO
Light-haired vintage-junkie, artfully grungy, fabulously unique Kristin Reiteris the design director of RVCA for a reason. She tells the world why throughher popular fashion and inspiration blog, bleachblack.com, which is a collab-oration with her close friend,Valerie. There, she posts pictures of mind-blowing vintage discoveries, do-it-yourself (DIY) instructions, drool-inspir-ing designer items and just about anything that inspires her. It sure inspiredIntermissions Joanna Xu, so she gave her a call:
all pictures courtesy bleachbla
courtesy feb. 2009, fashion magazine
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intermission4
friday february 6 2009
th Henry SelickQ&Antermission?
Henry Selick is a dedicated man. Nearly eight years
after Selick first read an unpublished manuscript of
Neil Gaimans eventual bestseller,Coralinearrives
n theaters a technical marvel.Coralineis the first-ever fea-
ure-length film shot entirely in stop-motion spectroscopic 3-
D,a painstaking process requiring 512 photographs for each
econd of moving picture.Intermission recently spoke to Mr.
elick about his latest film, his inspirations and his artistry.
ntermission (i): What first drew you to Neil Gaimans manu-
cript and the project in general?
Henry Selick (HS): I found when I started to read Neils
manuscript,it felt like coming home.It felt like I was in tune
with another creative person who was from the same planet
hat I was. I could actually see a movie by the time I was
alfway through.
To imagine the film,theres kind ofthe hook of Coraline
wishing for something more than what she has,and we all do
hat.I think everyone sometimes imagines that they have
ther parents or another child or another life.I liked that
here were classic influences Alice in Wonderland going
own the rabbit hole but also open enough to let me do a
Grimms fairytale,Hansel & Gretelsort of thing.
Ultimately I liked the inventiveness ofthe story but-
ons for eyes,the darkness ofit, the dry humor . . .really,
heres nothing about it I didnt like.
From reading the production notes to the film,its so
impressive how much work went into it, from how long it
took to make each of the puppets [two months] to the effort
it takes to shoot even a few seconds of stop-motion in spec-
troscopic 3-D.With all the technical undertaking that went
into the film,which parts are you most proud ofor most
excited to show to your audience?
HS: Theres no one technical area Im really most proud of,
but what Im most proud ofis that the technology is sub-
sumed and that it supports the story.Im most proud that
technology didnt overwhelm the story and the characters.
Even the 3-D is pretty in your face sometimes,but again, its
serving the story.
There are a few things Ill mention though that really
stick out for one,we had a huge number ofcombinations
with the faces [Coraline was capable ofover 200,000 different
facial expressions,whereas Jack Skellington in Nightmare
Before Christmascould make about 150].We did that by
splitting upper and lower face,and then having a sculpt for
every different mouth shape and controlling these independ-
ently ofmouth,e yes,brows,etc. In the refinement of
Coralines expressionse veryones really we took things
to a completely new level.
More aspects:atmosphere.The old TV specials are pretty
clunky,and everythings very solid.I was going for something
where light was transmitted through leaves and where every-
thing was alive,not just characters walking through a dead
world.So even clouds are shifting,trees are swaying,individ-
ual blades ofgrass are blowing.
i: A lot of the people associated with
this project,from Neil Gaiman to
members ofthe crew, have expressed
how much they wanted to make a
story that resonated with future gen-
erations,with children not even
born yet.What about this film and
its themes do you think will remain
resonant beyond its initial reception
and the excitement surrounding the
film?
HS: Well,again,beyond the themes,I
think theres something in the nature
of stop-motion,the textural qualities
and things beyond that its time-
less.You could show any kids any
[early stop-motion];you could show
them the original King Kong,and
theyre just fascinated by it. Its just
that,I think, everybody as a kid goes
through a phase where they believe
their dolls or toys are living things,
and it doesnt take much for them to
believe that they could come to life,
and maybe thats what makes it time-
less.
Theres something with stop-
motion where you can come back to
it after years and its just alwaysold-
fashioned it feels like
its from another time.I think it
travels well through history they still put out
those old Christmas specials,Nightmarenever goes away,
and in terms ofthis story I think it goes right back to what
we said earlier.In t he classical sense of Grimms Fairy Tales,
these are stories that get to the core ofwho we are as people,
sitting around a campfire and trying to scare the hell out of
each other.Ultimately,the one modern thing about it that
Im very happy with is her family is more real. [Coralines]
mom is a bitch sometimes thats just who she is but shehas a fierce love for her family; shes the one who gets the job
done.I think presenting a perfect family is really wrong I
think its bad for children,to make them desire that, and so
Im extremely glad that we have this sort of a family that,at
the end of the film,theyre friendly to each other,but its not
like everything changed and is wonderful all ofa sudden.
i: It feels like almost every year now,whatever Pixar CGI film
comes out gets lauded as re-revolutionizinganimation,but
in terms of your own films,working primarily in stop-
motion and almost constantly with a more gothic undertone,
do you think theres something about stop-motion animation
that lends itself to this darker,almost more surreal kind of
storytelling? Why would you choose to tell your darker sto-
ries in this particular kind of animation with all the technol-
ogy now at your disposal?
HS: Well,if you look at the history ofstop-motion,it lived in
two very different place as special effects to make the
monsters and creatures in old films,and these were the dark-
er uses ofit, and then there were also the more cartoonish
uses ofthe form [for old Puppetoonsshort features and
stop-motion Christmas Specials like Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeerand Frosty the Snowman].
I think a lot ofthe perception oflinking the gothic ele-
ment to the medium of stop-motion is really Tim Burton
and his great story of the interplay between two holiday
worlds [The Nightmare Before Christmas],being the first
stop-motion feature of prominence.I knew Tim and worked
with him;we share a lot of sensibilities.Im also attracted to
darker things,scary things,so the work Im going to do is
going to be a cousin of that in the same way I got together
with Neil Gaiman.Stop-motion to me sort ofshakes with life its imper-
fect,you feel the artists hands.Its inherently creepy but its
also very warm.Its real stuff thats what it is.
matt GILLESPIE
contact matt:
CORALINEFiLM REVIEW
thevit
alstats
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.
.9Cor
aline
PG
Animated
Coraline f
indsapa
ralleluni
verse
but cansh
eeverget
home?
Theres something electric and sinister about stop-
motion animation.While stop-motion (essentially the
practice of photographing miniscule adjustments madeto models or puppets in order to produce the illusion of
motion) has been around almost as long as motion pictures
themselves,it has only come of age in the last 15 years.
The film that first brought stop-motion to the masses,as
well as the first full-length stop-motion feature film ever cre-
ated,was Tim Burton and Henry Selicks The Nightmare
Before Christmas.Fifteen years later, Selick returns with
Coraline,and its nothing short of a miracle how far he, cou-
pled with Tim Burton,has brought the genre. Coraline
explodes offthe screen (literally,as its the first film ever
filmed entirely in stereoscopic 3-D) like nothing youve ever
seen before at the movies.Its a technological masterpiece four
years in the making, but beneath the films astonishing aes-
thetic lies an incredibly simple,heartfelt story, and its from
this narrative that the true magic ofthe film emerges.
Coraline Jones,a blue-haired teen voiced by Dakota
Fanning,has just moved from Michigan to rural Oregon,
being uprooted from her best friends in the process.Shes
stuck in the middle level ofa grim new apartment with her
preoccupied parents and some less-than-desirable neighbors
the lower floor is occupied by a pair of ancient British
actresses,and above her resides Mr.Bobinsky,an eight-foot
Russian eccentric who spends his days eating beets and t rain-
ing his circus mice.Add into the mix a vaguely stalker-esque
neighbor boy named Wybie,and its easy to understand why
Coraline so desperately wishes to find an escape from her
dreary surroundings.
Luckily,she doesnt even have to look outside her own
home to find a completely intoxicating alternate reality of
adventure.Through a portal, Coraline discovers in an upstairs
room ofher new house, she is transported to the Other
World,which looks exactly like Coralines real world if it
were to be remade with everything an angsty pre-teen couldever desire.While Coralines real mother can be bossy and dis-
interested,Coralines Other Mother caters to her every need
whole tables of her favorite foods,a bedroom
plucked straight from a fairy tale and a quick
fix to Coralines all-too-persistent prob-
lems with Wybie. Coralines real
father always means well,but hes
boring and more than a little distant;co
Other Father,who plays piano and buil
Technicolor garden in Coralines spittinCoraline becomes thoroughly enthralle
new world where she is,finally,the com
ones attention.
Everything in the Other World see
except for one glaring abnormality: eve
sewn on in place oftheir eyes. What be
nuisance for Coraline she shows littl
being loved tenderly by button-eyed co
simply because she is being shown atten
to a nightmarish reality as Coraline rea
Mothers true intentions are far more si
becomes caught in a struggle with the p
World to save herselfand her family fro
enticing hold.
To reveal nearly the entire plot of
its magic.Selick, adopting the bestsellin
Gaiman,has taken what could be thoug
ventional storyline in the vein of Grimm
spun something entirely new with it. C
technical mastery and visual pomp,is r
story of what it means to be brave,and
ly insurmountable odds in the name of
which we love and cherish. Its a film th
(and,yes, perhaps at times terrify) you
dazzling effects and incredibly sympath
film that adults will appreciate for both
and its protagonists pragmatism.Cora
and,when called upon,incredibly brav
model any parents would hope inspires
In a world that seems to be spiralin
ward,Coralineis a godsend, a thoroug
imaginative piece of filmmaking by a m
sionate about his material and at the cr
m
courtesy http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/coraline/trailer
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intermission6
Its that time of the year again
folks: roll out the red carpet and
place your bets on which
movies you want to win that cute
little statue we all call Oscar. In
honor of this glitz and glam, we at
Intermission are bringing you
weekly reviews of this years much
buzzed about Oscar-nominatedfilms.
First on the chopping block this
week is Brad Pitts latest movie The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Nominated for 13 Oscars, including
best picture and best actor (Pitt),
this film is going to be one of this
years biggest contenders. At the end
of the day though, does the film
actually live up to its accolades
or is it just more Hollywood over-
hype? If youre as curious as the case
of Mr. Button is, youll keep read-
ing.
If you want to know what to
expect from this film in terms of
style and form, imagine if the films
Big Fish and Forrest Gump had
a love child a child named
Benjamin Button. Right away, peo-
ple who have seen the two afore-
mentioned films will see the simi-
larities in Benjamin Button right
down to the, well . . . button.
The film starts off with an old
woman on her deathbed as her
daughter begins to explore the fan-
tastical life of Mr. Button by reading
his diary. We are immediately intro-
duced to the origins of his birth: if
you havent already guessed from all
the commercials and movie trailers,
Benjamin is unique in that he agesbackwards. In the beginning of the
film he is a wrinkly old baby, and as
the years go by, his body gets
younger and younger. However,
despite the reverse physical aging,
Benjamins mind ages normally.For
example, even if his body looks 70
years old, Benjamin is at the intel-
lectual level of a seven-year-old.
The movie doesnt really have a
plot but can be best understood as a
movie explaining what life would be
like if you aged backwards.Since the
premise here is really just a mans
aging, the film chugs along at an
appropriate pace and by appro-priate I mean incredibly slow. The
film clocks in at two hours and
48 minutes.
This is not to say that the
film isnt interesting; like all
good epic (and epically long)
movies, this one is chalk full of
quirky and interesting charac-
ters (think Big Fish again).
As Benjamin goes through life,
his relationships grow with
these characters and are all
affected by the fact that he has
to watch all of his loved ones
grow older and die.
The film also has aspects of
a love story which is achieved
through interaction between
Benjamin and Daisy, played by Cate
Blanchett. It is through this rela-
tionship where the films poetics
truly shine. Benjamin meets and
(not surprisingly) falls in love with
Its Oscar time! Mr. Button, youre up first
the vital stats.ON
ASCALEOF
1TO
1
0
.
.
.7The Curious Caseof Benjamin ButtonPG-13
Drama
A man who is born old and gets
younger every day nonetheless
experiences love, loss and life.
FiLM REVIEW
A
hhh . . . the Super Bowl. The
thought of this annual celebra-
tion brings many the thought offriends, chicken wings and cold beer. For
me, the Super Bowl is somewhat bitter-
sweet. In the fall of sixth grade, I was the
No. 1 female middle school draft pick. My
promising career was cut short when a 32
cross-Z-buttonhook went horribly wrong.
I shattered my rib cage and experienced a
compound fracture of my left femur. The
heartbreaking injury left me with a hollow
shell.
To this day, I am unable to watch a
single play of the game I loved so dearly.
However, theres still a part of the national
phenomena that I can enjoy: the commer-
cials. Over the years, I have become an
expert in this area. Ive had numerous
essays published, three in premier maga-
zines, and I am working on a 900-page
masterpiece documenting the progression
of the Super Bowl commercial. Its an art,
if you ask me.
Between Super Bowl XXIV and last
years XLII, America experienced a strong
increase in commercial quality, which led
many to believe it would only keep getting
better. Regretfully, this year was somewhat
of a letdown. I have picked my favorite
five to analyze where things went wrong.
Keep in mind, this is only my expert opin-ion and I may have missed a few due to
my intense paranoia of witnessing the
game.
The frontrunner this year was from
our friends at Audi; they aired the only
commercial with a real, live mega-hottie
badass actor: Jason Statham. It was smart,
entertaining and spanned many decades.
Jason, evidently looking for a new car in
which to make his many getaways, wrecks
both a BMW and a Mercedes (both in the
past, maybe the 50s and 70s, respective-
ly). He ends up liking the new A6. It must
have responded to his touch just the way
he likes it.
The next is from Doritos. It involved
classic spontaneous comedy: a crystal ball
smashing a vending machine, and later
colliding with the boss genitals. I love
genital collisions. Coming in at a close
third was Diet Pepsi-Cola Max the diet
cola for men. Throughout the entire com-
mercial, men are taking everything from
hitting their heads to more genital colli-
sions, showing just how manly diet cola
really is. Fourth, we have Bud Light. A
simple board meeting is taking place,
a man is thrown out of a window fro
three stories up. Who doesnt want tothat? A very believable fall, too.
Last,but certainly not least, is Co
Cola. A man is enjoying an afternoon
in the park when the nearby bugs stea
Coke. Enter a beautifully animated
MouseTrap-like progression, which en
with all the happy bugs loving their p
dle of Coca-Cola. This was by far the
cutest commercial of the event.
While I no longer watch the mos
important football game of the seaso
Im glad that I can still enjoy chronicl
the best commercials of the event.Th
year had some winners, but also som
ures. I look forward to next year retu
to the caliber I have come to expect.
annika HE
contact an
anhein le@stanford
Super Bowl commercials: from cute to funny
| continued on page 8 |
courtesy audisa.com
courtesy paramount p
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friday february 6 2009
Stanford students Zach
Chotzen-Freund, Vanessa
Petrosky and Claire Slattery
performed the play Lips
Together, Teeth Apart,a 1991
dark commedy by Terrence
McNally, as their joint senior proj-
ect.
There is something both
uncanny and marvelous about
watching actors in their early
twenties master the fraught emo-
tions of adults struggling with
middle age.Lips Together, Teeth Apart
shows a day in the life of two cou-
ples as they try to celebrate the
Fourth of July at a New York
beach house on Fire Island. The
house seems like paradise, but in
reality, it was recently given to
Sally in her brothers will, and for
that reason reminds everyone of
her brothers struggle with AIDS
and a gay lifestyle that relied on
the seclusion of Fire Island.
Although the group thanks God
they arent gay, their own lives are
far from straight-laced and sim-
ple.
Each characters opening linespresent an aspect of their person-
alities that they want to portray to
the public. First on stage is
Chotzen-Freund, playing Sam, the
gut-scratching, middle-aged man
who tries to act confident. Next,
Petrosky stomps onto the stage as
Sally Sams wife the distressed
artist struggling with her brothers
death. John, played by Nathaniel
Nelson, is the snooty husband who
hides behind a New York Times
crossword. Slattery plays Johns wife
the perky Chloe, dropping in
French phrases between her inces-
sant friendly suggestions and
offerings of food and drink.
These seemingly stereotypical
characters, however, soon reveal a
sarcastic and more complex per-
sonality that they hide from the
public eye. Although they are sup-
posed to be on vacation, the ten-
sion between these couples is evi-
dent from the start as they silently
wrestle with their own inner
demons. Private monologues
quickly reveal to the audience the
truths each character is trying to
hide. After a few more one-liners,
we understand that the other char-
acters already know these truths;
however, as actors in their own
right, they are able to act ignorant
and keep their lips together for
now.
As the play progresses, the
monologues join into the openconversations, and every unspoken
word that had been neatly avoided
adds to the foreshadowed chaos.
Through witty jabs and comedic
arguments, the true dynamics
among each of the characters
comes to light. The script offers
interesting commentary on con-
temporary issues, but also does
incredible justice to the timeless
theme of letting fear prevent us
from the stirring experience of life.
These actors succeed at creating
their characters individual person-
alities and a gripping group
dynamic that allows for subtleties
and outbursts. Equally enjoyable to
watching the characters in the spot-
light is observing the expressions
and actions of the characters in the
shadows.
These actors give life to what
some Stanford students are wit-
nessing their parents go through
and what others fear will eventually
happen to themselves. Although the
subject matter is heavy at first, the
evolution of the characters and plot
allows for moments of genuine
compassion within and amongst
the couples. At times funny, at
times sobering, but consistently
compelling, this senior project is a
theatrical experience not to be
missed.
The play opened last night in
Prosser Studio Theater, located in
the back of Memorial Auditorium.
The remaining performances are
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
at 8 p.m., with a matinee at
on Saturday afternoon. Tick
be sold at the door for five d
gwen W
contact
gwenw@stanf
Lips Together: uniting seniors with middle-aged ang
steve
-
8/14/2019 02/06/09 Intermission [PDF]
7/7
intermission8
7pm
Bob Marley TributeCoHocelebrate Bob Marley turning 64
7:30pm
Vagina MonologuesCubberley Aud.see the incredible play celebrating femininity
8pm
Lips Together, Teeth ApartProsser Studio Theatrecaptivating senior drama project
M
T
W
Th
Sa
Su
F
7:30pm
Bon Bon BallRoble Gymbecause you know you love Viennese dance
8pm
Poetry SlamCoHoit will make you instantly hipper
7pm
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa @ FliCKSMemAudi like to move it, move it
8pm
Jazz Jam SessionCoHoif you need to relax and chill out, man
9pm
Comedy Night750 Pub, GCCits good to laugh
7pm
Tango DancingCoHolearn it for the ladies
8pm
A Concert in Black and WhiteMemChua concert telling the tale of a black man andwhite man
LINEUP
2.06.09
-2
.1
2.
09
Though the good weathers gone, Roxy was left looking for the
hot spots for an outdoor campus hookup this past week. But getting
your lovinon outside isnt easy, even for a pro like Roxy. Theres
always the risk that youll run into your 75-year-old math professor
while grinding against the Quad, and worse yet, the risk that he will
want to join. This in mind, Roxy decided to evaluate a few of
Stanfords naughtiest nooks.
The Cactus Garden
Roxy has often heard rumors that the cactus garden is a free-for-
all hookup spot on campus. While she appreciates the value of most
things long and hard, cacti spines may just not be among the bunch.
Dont misunderstand: risk is key to any element of a sexy outdoor
romp. But thinking that youre pleasuring one thing and then realiz-
ing youve got your legs wrapped around a spike with a five-syllable
Latin name is a few steps short of terrifying.
Tip: Theres such a thing as too long and too hard, and a cactus isthat thing. No room to roll, no place to prop: no place for Roxy.
The Observatory
The observatory is an ideal hookup spot if you are with your new
girl or guy open space, limited chance of getting caught by your
roommate (unless you like that) and just think of the pick-up line
opportunities. None of that, Im over the moon for you, business.
Get creative: Oh sorry, I thought that was the telescope. Or,Just
reach down here and turn this knob. Or for you science nerds,Im
hotter than a blue giant right now.
Tip: Avoid the Uranus jokes. And dont get the metal equipment
stuck anywhere you wouldnt want to explain to a doctor.
The Escondido Playground
Roxy actually knows people who have gotten their freak on at the
Escondido Elementary School playground at night. While Roxy wasinitially disturbed, she realizes there are some upsides to doing a little
playing yourself. Youve got swings, and well, you get the idea there.
You have great position opportunities on the slides, as long as things
dont get too slippery. Best of all, there are those little holes in the fort
you can, lets just say, stick your head through.
Tip: Night hours only. A playground may be great for some
swinging, but jail isnt exactly sexy unless you have some very unusual
fetishes.
The Faculty Hot Tub
Rumor has it that this is the
hot spot for SAE guys to take their
dates. (By dates, Roxy means
unwitting victims.) A hot tub is a
sexy spot to get things . . . flowing.
But the deal breaker here is the
word faculty. Theres nothing to
get you, well, down like the mental
image of Hennessy and
Etchemendy chilling there in their
Speedos.
Tip: Lets be honest. You dont
want to get anything stuck in a jet
in the first place, but the idea of
your physics professor finding
you dangling there in the
morning is even worse.
Avery Aquatic Center
Everyone loves a late-
night skinny dip, and what
better place to get wet than
Stanfords recreational pool?
Make your own pool rules:
Rough play required; pets
(verb, not noun) are mandato-
ry; excessive noise strongly
recommended.While swim-
ming and sex are great ways to
get your blood pumping,
swimmers should also be
warned theres a chance the
police will show up. But dontthink of such a scenario as a
drawback. Think of it like this:
free handcuffs.
Tip: Just make sure you
dont get tied up in a lane
divider. Or, if you like it like
Roxy does, make sure you get
tied up in a lane divider.
Outdoor survival guide, Sass-style
her at first sight when they are young chil-
dren. However, due to Benjamins condi-
tion, he is quite the physical mismatch for
Daisy. The film continues to build on this
mismatch over the years, as the couple seems
to never be the
right age for
each other.
Only at about two
hours into the
film are Daisy and
Benjamin finally
right for each
other, which
means that femaleaudiences will
have to wait a
while before Brad
is finally attractive
on screen.
I wont spoil the
ending for you,
but the film definitely contains some poetic
ad nauseam, making us in the audience feel
like the movie is overexerting itself to make
us -appreciate the beauty of the story and
its characters. This point then brings up the
biggest issue that I had in the film
that it was just trying too hard. Watch
motion montage sequences with rom
ly dramatic music gets tiring quic
believe me,this film is full of these, an
moments where we are expected t
down and. But for me, the tears jus
come.
Bottom line: The Curious
Benjamin Button is a good movthat is it. Its just good, not great. I
going to bother contesting the fact th
nominated for so many Academy Aw
I do think that there are much stron
contenders in the mix.Stay tuned for
of those films in the upcoming week
kyle EV
conta
kedemon@stanf
CONTINUED FROM BENJAMIN BUTTON PAGE 6