Bookforum.com

The pellucid navigation of bookforum.com is really what drives the success of the website that features all styles of writing and related news. The front page of the website is comprised of small features of their additional pages: The Daily Review, Omnivore, Paper Trail, Outposts, Reviews, and The Archive. These provide an extensive archive for newly published works (The Daily Review), all reviewed works (Reviews), events (Outposts), and news updates on authors and the literary world (Paper Trail).

While navigating the site is relatively effortless due to the style and layout of the pages, the content isn’t always as easy to follow. Omnivore’s focus is entirely unclear until a glace to the web address reveals that it is a blog from Bookforum. The blog has no running theme and the typography clutters the page with bold letters linking an average of 20 additional sites per post. Paper Trail consists of a few short sentences leading into a story or event involved in the literary world. It is effective because it comprehensively shows small snippets of important information pertaining to authors and their works.

The reviews currently posted for the April and May edition are well-written and display a variety of novels with different subject matter. The lack of categories to search, however, means wading through reviews of books that are majorly disinteresting and the search engine provided through Bookforum is almost useless. Readers just wanting to browse or search for popular titles will find that the information piled into Bookforum is especially interesting, but for those who have a distinct and rigid taste for novels will find trouble finding exactly what they desire. Ultimately, Bookforum is an effective website with an innovative layout design meant to bring all things literary to the general public. But the next time you’re looking for a specific genre, head to a bookstore instead.

Family Guy April in Quahog April 11, 2010

With the threat of a black hole enclosing the solar system in 24 hours, the Griffins, along with the rest of Quahog, prepare for their last day on Earth. What turns out to be an April Fool’s joke from Channel 5, (“And with only 87 suicides and widespread looting, we think this was a pretty successful practical joke.”) gives the town an excuse for complete freedom one ordinary Tuesday.

As usual, the episode is filled with humorous cutaways and tangents distantly related to the situations. Each scene directs the focus to another punchline, keeping the fast-paced tempo commonly found on Family Guy. The hilarity wasn’t missed between jumping from the citizens of Quahog and the Griffin’s adventures, and though it might have been appropriate to end the episode at the April’s Fool joke, the conflict introduced just after was simple enough to resolve while adding more layers to the story.

Peter Griffin had been called into jury duty the day before, and after he realized that everyone gets called, his enthusiasm disappeared. Overjoyed that the last day on Earth meant that he didn’t have jury duty anymore, Peter neglects his family for the entirety of the day in order to do the things he never accomplished in his life. Stolen from the zoo, Peter rides in the living room with a lion and just as proud as one. “Hello everybody, this is Montecoy. He’s my lion. I have a lion now.” Later, he scampers off into an all black neighborhood and yells the “you-know-what word,” returning crowned and robed.

Quagmire convinces Joe that he is actually a virgin and wants permission to sleep with his wife. Joe allows him and when he asks Quagmire how it went, Quagmire replies, “Oh, I’ve had lots of sex. I just wanted to have it again!” Then he proceeds to skip and sing away, finishing with a convicted “Screw you!” at the end. The camera slides back to Joe, whose only reply is an equally enthusiastic, “That’s Quagmire for you!”

Lois and the kids spend the day on the couch watching the Channel 5 news cover of the black hole. When Peter finally returns from his escapades, Lois yells at him just seconds before the count down finishes. Spared for a few seconds while Channel 5 reveals their spoof, Peter is later shunned for not taking interest in Meg, Chris or Stewie’s lives. Lois tells Peter to try harder since he is obviously failing, which leads to his buying a new XBOX for the kids. Predictably, the children forgive him and all is resolved within the Griffin family again.

The humor found in Family Guy normally rides on the use of irrelevant and somewhat absurd occurrences happening to regular people in a boring town, and yet, the jokes haven’t lost their zing. Familiar plays on the characters and their relationships connect this episode to the running seasons, and show Seth McFarlane’s signature comedic devices. After another solid episode and relieved that the town of Quahog stands strong for another day, the impatience grows for the next episode of the never ordinary lives of the Griffin’s.

Film Review

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Shwartzman, Owen Wilson

A lean female fox walks uphill towards a male fox in a suit and as he embraces her, George Clooney says, “You look glowing.” A spotlight shines upon Felicity Fox’s face and Mr. Fox shields the light and then starts off downhill towards a fenced farm. Agile and young, Mr. Fox and Felicity Fox deftly steal chickens but were nearly captured when Mr. Fox couldn’t resist springing a trap before escape. Sworn to stop his sneaky outings due to Felicity’s pregnancy, Mr. Fox lives a life as a quiet reporter raising his quirky son, Ash. After some fox years have passed, Mr. Fox’s nephew, Kristofferson, comes for an extended stay due to his brother-in-law’s illness and an unyielding urge to steal chickens returns when Mr. Fox desires to live more comfortably. The animated release of Ronald Dahl’s children’s classic captures a nostalgic feeling of humanity as Mr. Fox wrecks havok while salvaging what is left of his rebellious youth. What results from an escalated fight between angry farmers and Mr. Fox and the animal community personifies both the glorified and shameful qualities.

The puppets used by Wes Anderson are crafted so realistically, at times it is hard to remember that they are not the actor’s voices. Juxtaposed to scenes in which Mr. Fox stiffly turns and walks away from Badger, a whimsical feeling of drifting in and out of consciousness is created during the story. Anderson worm holes a shot as a dirt wall caves in after quickly switching from Mr. Fox to a close up of Kristofferson’s blank expression. His fast-paced scenes frequently switch angles as often as the human eye which contributes to its honesty.

The dialouge shows an artistry of wit through snippy conversations and dry humor. Each character’s personal mannerisms shine briefly but distinctly and despite the large cast and necessary verbage, the script evenly places pauses and silences that let the natural qualities flow from each actor’s words. The overall sound created the polishing touch over the film and accurately exentuated the candid moments of each character. The detail placed in the choice of tracks is apparent in the contrast between strikingly natural sounds and embellished transition that help to seamlessly connect each frame.

While the animals are busy digging tunnels underneath the angry farmer’s land, there is a comical music break that contains nonsense choruses sung over guitar at a campfire in the worker’s camp. One of the farmers cuts off the song that was documenting Mr. Fox’s raid of their livestock and reprimands the singer for bad songwriting. It is with this style that Anderson expresses the multiple messages of the children’s book through a fresh adaptation of the book. During Mr. Fox’s fits of frustration, expletives are exchanged for the word “cuss” though the phrases they are substitued are still as mature and uncensorsed. Fantastic Mr. Fox portrays a children’s book in the natural way; intended to express complex human behavoirs to children in a way that is easily understood and slightly amusing.

Music Review

A Rocket to the Moon’s On Your Side

Track Listing:

Annabelle

Mr. Right

She’s Killing Me

On A Lonely Night

Dakota

Life Of The Party

Like We Used To

Where Did You Go?

Sometimes

Baby Blue Eyes

Give A Damn

On Your Side

As Valentine’s Day comes and goes the chocolates and roses will as well, but something just as sweet won’t be so easily passed over. A Rocket to the Moon’s latest album On Your Side expresses their love through electronica pop with melodic lyrics and a penchant for the romantic. Nick Santino, the creater of A Rocket to the Moon, sings to two girls, tenderly towards “Dakota” and bitterly for “Annabelle.” He collaborates with guitarist Justin Richards, bassist Eric Halvorsen and former The Receiving End Of Sirens drummer Andrew Cook and also enlisted Matt Squire to produce the full-length. While most consider radio rock to be a limiting factor with the quality of the music, Santino expresses that the radio only serves as an opportunity to produce anything heartfelt.

What develops shows both the maturity of the band and their craftsmanship of honest love songs. “Sometimes” juxtaposes a solid electronic beat to the chant of “Everybody needs somebody sometimes” while “Like We Used To” slows down to let the sincerity ring out. The starting track, “Annabelle”, sets a fast pace and shows A Rocket to the Moon’s confidence as a collaboration.

On Your Side’s sweet romance with pop and electronic rock is a sweet trade and refreshingly so. What started as a solo project (Santino) has quickly grown into the strong quartet that recently graced the Chicago House of Blues on the Take Action Tour alongside We The Kings, Mayday Parade, Therefore Tomorrow and Call the Cops. Santino has gathered a strong following and now A Rocket to the Moon is satisfying sweet teeth everywhere.

Music Review

Be Your Own Pet’s Get Awkward

Track Listing:

Black Hole

Hearthrob

Becky

The Kelly Affair

Twisted Nerve

Blow Your Mind

Blummer Time

Bitches Leave

You’re A Waste

Food Fight

Zombie Graveyard Party

What’s Your Damage

Creepy Crawl

The Beast Within

The familar female fronted punk pop band, Be Your Own Pet, returns with Get Awkward and a stronger, more convicted soud. Though nonsensical punked out melodies are what Be Your Own Pet are known for, their second album brings less anthems to the stage. Songs like “You’re A Waste” and “Bitches Leave” are filled with more passion than theatrics with better crafted songs. Be Your Own Pet have significantly grown in sound largely due to their experiences touring and it shows through the full melody and rhythum. Jemina Pearl’s vocals are consistently raw but confident through slow songs, “Becky”, or fast-paced songs, “Twisted Nerve.” Familar songs showed the energy found on their self-titled, but overall there was a distinct lack of resonating singles on Get Awkward.

Although Get Awkward was released March 2008 and Be Your Own Pet broke up August of that year, there was a great potential in Get Awkward that the band could have taken in any direction. The variance in song structure and instrumentation from their second release show a growth in craftsmanship from the members and a general cohesiveness throughout the album.

While their new album doesn’t start a revolutionary sound, it is obvious that the band has selected their strengths and chosen to play songs that accentuate them. Pearl’s vocal range hasn’t left her signature sound, but the composition of each song is much more varied from the simple form of Be Your Own Pet. The self titled held true to a steady stream of musical punches accented at a steady beat while Get Awkward holds more tempo changes and musical flexibility. The humor isn’t lost on Get Awkward, either; “Food Fight” is reminiscent of the absurd lyrics of bored school kids found in their self-titled but now provoked to rebel in a more frenzied fight. The album is layered between slow melodic and fast paced songs, charged by short stuccato lyrics and a driving rhythm. And even though Be Your Own Pet settles nicely in between; they never had to get awkward.