Browsing: Arts and Life

The “Great Video Game” series has been probably the most fun thing I’ve gotten to participate in at the Lariat. I’ve enjoyed reading all of the submissions that people have turned in — the academic analysis of “NASCAR Thunder 2003,” the religious look at “The Legend of Zelda,” the philosophical explorations of “BioShock” and “Pokemon Snap,” etc.

A few films into their Disneynature movie-making experience, producer-directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, veterans of the BBC’s acclaimed “Planet Earth” series, figure they’re finally getting the hang of Disney.

With a line-up of comedians including Bob Saget, Judd Apatow, Patton Oswalt and Lisa Lampanelli writing for the book “Care to Make Love in That Gross Little Space Between Cars?,” you would think that it would have to be funny.The problem is, while the book is indeed funny in parts, it’s uneven at best. It certainly doesn’t live up to the high expectations that its list of contributors would help to engender.

Twenty-one can be a significant number to people. For some, it’s the legal drinking and gambling age. For others, particularly those involved in the military, there’s the 21-gun salute. This year, however, there’s the 21st celebration of Chilifest.

“Super Mario 64” all started for me, Mario, when I received a letter from Princess Peach, which asked me to come to her castle to eat a special cake she had prepared. Of course, next thing I knew, I was in front of the castle after what seemed like a blackout. I was so acting like a good little man in blue overalls. I ran up to the castle and entered in.

Cinematographer Stephen Poster set up a simple studio rig of three stage lights and a small collection of crude three-dimensional objects on a black felt top to display how easily one could produce shadows and harsh lines. With a camera attached to an external monitor, Poster shined and reflected light beams all across the room while students and faculty watched.

I leapt from my mother’s 1994 Mercury Villager, bounded for the front door, and with haste jumped the stairs to the room I shared with my younger brother. I had just returned from Blockbuster, my young mind’s pinnacle of joys — a reward for cleaning my room. I held the limited edition green case in my hands.