Everybody Draw Mohammed Day submission

by Matt



Well, the day has finally come, and it's time to let your craft flow.

Now, if I could draw worth two shits, then I'd definitely be involved in animation. Instead I paint with light: the world is my canvas and the silver screen my gallery. Nevertheless, I'd like to make clear that my EDMD submission should in no way reflect my aptitude for graphic design. I may be unskilled, but I'm not fucking unskilled.

Let me explain my intent. I'm not at all shy about criticizing people's religious convictions, however, this is not a action I take as likely as some. Religious faith is an important character trait of those who experience it. To assault it is to play the schoolyard bully. You can't attack a person's beliefs without attacking the person, and I have no desire to alienate some of my best friends nor go out of my way to offend people who would be my allies.

Therefore, I think Everybody Draw Mohammed Day should not be about insulting anyone or alienating them. If you want to depict a religious leader in a piss-filled jar and call it art, then I want nothing to do with you. There's a difference between being critical and being a troll.

What I sought to do was show this controversy for how harmless it truly is. So I put myself in the place of my prepubescent self, discovering the worlds opening up before me by the latest technology, Microsoft Paint. I wanted to draw something innocent yet still badass. If I am murdered by an extremist over this picture, it will totally be worth it.



So there it is. Simple, sloppy, and tasteful. Fun for the whole family. If you have a submission, feel free to post it in the comments, but I request you remain civil about it.

We will not cower in fear, but we refuse to lower ourselves to the level of our aggressors.

BEAR ANNOUNCEMENT

via Matt

Though I have graduated from William Paterson University, I still receive email announcements their email announcements from time to time. Here is a recent one I'm sure you'll enjoy.






TIMELY WARNING

BEAR ANNOUNCEMENT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

May 6, 2010

On May 6, 2010, at 7:47 a.m. University Police took a report of a small bear sighting in the woods by Hillside Hall heading towards the soccer field. New Jersey Fish and Game have been notified. We would like to remind everyone of procedures to follow involving bears. First, to decrease the likelihood of a bear being attracted to campus, everyone should properly dispose of garbage and should never leave food out for animals or birds.

Please note that bears are dangerous wild animals and female bears are extremely dangerous when they believe their cubs are at risk of being injured. Under no circumstances should you attempt to photograph or approach a bear in any way.

If you should encounter a bear at a distance, please respond to the presence of the bear in the following manner:

o Do not approach the bear.

o Make the bear aware of your presence by making noise.

o Call Campus Police (xxx-xxx-xxxx) and report the bear as soon as possible.

o If you encounter the bear at close range, please respond to the bear in the following manner:

§ Remain standing,

§ Avoid direct eye contact,

§ Back up SLOWLY,

§ Speak aloud in a calm yet assertive voice, and

§ Call Campus Police (xxx-xxx-xxxx) and report the bear as soon as possible.

§ If you are inside a vehicle and observe a bear, please remain in the vehicle, sound your horn, and contact Campus Police if possible. Keep in mind that the noise from your horn may scare the bear away but it also alerts other people to the presence of the bear.

In addition, everyone should comply with the following five rules:

1. Never follow a bear, or encourage others to form a group to follow a bear.

2. Never leave food out in the open or in your vehicle.

3. Never hike alone in the adjacent wooded areas.

4. Never provoke the bear.

5. Never feed the bear. It is illegal in New Jersey to do so.

For additional information about bears in New Jersey, please refer to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife website at: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm

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"Perfection," a short film worthy of its title

by Matt



It was strange returning to the WPU Student Film Festival last Friday. I had organized the event throughout half of my college career, and I had feared that the bulk of the talent and ambition graduated with my class. This wasn't entirely true, as many of the films were witty and entertaining, if a little rough around the edges (par for the course with student films), but many noted a significant drop in quality since previous years.

Two hours of meandering dialogue, poor sound quality, shaky camerawork, and graphic torture soured even the better elements of most of the films, and as the night neared its end, everyone seemed to have resigned themselves to disappointment. When the last film began to roll, no one suspected, even remotely, that it would redeem the entire night.

Yet within minutes our jaws dropped, we leaned forward, and trembled in anticipation for the next moment. Since when do student films look and feel like this?



"Perfection" stands as a testament to what possible with a little creativity, some ambition, a traffic flare, and massive cajones. Its otherworldly atmosphere ranks on par with The Descent, the Silent Hill games, and Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece Stalker. Shot entirely (without permission) at Newark's abandoned Essex County Jail, it presents an underworld of rust and grime, where sacrifices are repaid with trickery and everything is an illusion.

Now, you've probably seen films that look like this, but it gains more weight when you realize that you're not looking at a set, that the dirt and the rust were there before the film, that desperate men and wicked men lived and died there, trapped by their own desires and misfortunes. To the characters, this is nightmare and mysticism; to us, this is reality.

These are things you might consider as we follow our protagonist (unnamed, but you might already know of him) deeper into the abyss, searching for -- well, I'm not about to spoil that. What are any of us searching for? He has several visions and encounters along the way, but the real fear comes from the harsh shadows that seem dangerously close to devouring him.

The low light is a mixed blessing. With the dread of the atmosphere also comes the limits of the low-budget technology. Grain and low image resolution might distract some pickier viewers, and the brighter scenes might cross the line between juxtaposing to the darkness and simply being overexposed. I didn't mind. If anything, I felt that director Andre Rivera used the shortcomings of miniDV to his advantage. The film isn't polished, and it shouldn't be. This is a dirty film, and the cinematography reflects that.



Even if the footage does lose some of the atmosphere, however, the soundtrack adds such richness to the environment that it doesn't matter. Footsteps echo reluctantly through the corridors, serenaded by a woeful guitar and the hum of supernatural energy. You can feel the sounds leading you in deeper as the reverberations from the Inferno's center grow louder.

Andre assures me that he plans on shopping this around to festivals. I'd keep an eye out for this one, because I can't praise it highly enough. The sounds and setting envelope you, and when the film ends, you feel as though you've experienced something projected from your deepest inner fantasies. And nightmares.

Severed Thumbs: Exit Through the Gift Shop

by Jon

I'm a huge fan of Banksy. I believe all of his work his meaningful, witty, gorgeous, and tongue in cheek hilarious. Naturally, when I heard he released a movie I had to see it. That movie is Exit Through the Gift Shop



So just a bit of background for those who don't know Banksy. Banksy is a UK based street artist who is infamous for his stencil work, installations, and privacy. Nobody except a very select few have heard his voice and seen his face. Here's one of my favorites of his.



Now that the introductions are over, here's the movie. The movie is a documentary that Banksy made about Thierry Guetta, a not even amateur French film maker turned street artist. As Banksy put it, Thierry was looking for him and trying to make a documentary on him. Banksy took the project and made the doc about Thierry because he is much more interesting. It started in the early Aughts when Thierry's cousin "Space Invader", a street artist, took him on a couple outings when Thierry was visiting family in France. Thierry, who always had a video camera on him at all times, came on the night runs and fell in love with the movement. Eventually Thierry gets sucked into the street art world and becomes its unofficial documenter. He travels the world taping and aiding famous street artists such as Ron English (known for his work in the movie Super Size Me )and Shepard Fairey (Obey). This goes on for a couple years but Thierry does absolutely nothing with the footage. Enter master artist Banksy, who learns of Thierry on a run in LA. They get to know each other, become friends, then a series of events turns Thierry into a street artist by the name of "Mr. Brainwash" who sells out so bad he makes Gene Simmons look like a starving artist. Take note, this synopsis does absolutely no justice to this film NONE. To anyone familiar with Banksy's work or just those even a bit curious, this is a definite must see. There's a lot of speculation on whether or not this is in fact a true doc or, in typical Banksy style, something much much more. See it, laugh, cry, get pissed, and judge. 6 out of 6