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There’s Been an Awakening–Have You Felt It?

January 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

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   –by Chloe Sweeney

image1-2If you have not seen the film, turn back before it’s too late! This is not the post you are looking for. SPOILER ALERT!!!

The release of the new Star Wars film has had the entire world buzzing. Weeks before it came out commercials were released, action figures were advertised, and speculation as to the film’s plot were circulating. Even before its release The Force Awakens racked up over $100 million in pre-ticket sales. But, did this film live up to its hype?
Film critics really enjoyed it, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 93 out of 100. Metacritic gave The Force Awakens an 81 out of 100 and IMDb rated it an 8.5 out of 10. The audience review was generally very positive with only a very few people leaving disappointed. Mr. Buck, a science teacher at Palm Valley School and Star Wars enthusiast, said this about the film:
“I never thought I would say this, but I miss George Lucas. The Star Wars prequels had many flaws in their execution, but Lucas is an imaginative and creative image1-2 copystoryteller. The Force Awakens was a beautifully directed, mediocre story. J.J. Abrams played it safe and retold Episode 4 instead of creating something new. Although I’d rather have more Star Wars than less, this movie was nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
I am far from a hardcore Star Wars fan, but I do really love the movies. Prior to the release of the seventh film, my family and I had a Star Wars marathon where we re-watched all six episodes. It was so cool getting to hear my dad’s stories about his reaction to certain plot twists when he first saw the films in theaters. It is amazing that a movie franchise has made such a profound impact on so many people spanning multiple generations.
When we went to see The Force Awakens I was ecstatic. My memory was refreshed from the older episodes, and I couldn’t wait to see how the new film would turn out. Personally, my expectations were far exceeded. I absolutely loved the return of old characters and all the nostalgic throwbacks. The lightsaber fights packed more of a punch, and I loved BB-8. I agree that the plot was not as innovative as it could have been, but I was able to overlook that. I believe that if J.J. Abrams and Disney had significantly switched up the plot everyone would complain that they lost the elements that make Star Wars the Star Wars we have known and loved for almost 40 years.
The movie did leave many unanswered questions: who is Supreme Leader Snoke? Is Rey a Skywalker? Is she Luke’s daughter? How does Rey become attuned with The Force? Why does Luke’s lightsaber choose her? Will Kylo Ren redeem himself? Of course, there are countless other questions. It is incredibly unfortunate that the world will have to wait until December 15th, 2017, to see these questions answered in Episode VIII.

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–Edited by Trey Lucatero

Filed Under: Culture, Media, Performances, Visual Arts Tagged With: J.J. Abrams, Lucas, Star Wars, The Force Awakens

The awards they’ve missed …

January 8, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

–by Ashley Zhou

 

There are some extremely famous celebrities and athletes who have gained money, fame, and public recognition. They have been acknowledged as successful in almost every way–except they haven’t obtained that one important award in their fields. For whatever reason, they have been unintentionally locked out of winning a coveted prize–although they’ve been nominated numerous times.

 

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The first person who pops up in my head is Leonardo DiCaprio. The highest honor of being an actor is to receive the Oscar or Academy Award. Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated by the Academy for Best Performance of an Actor in a Leading Role three times and as the Best Actor in a Supporting Role one time, but he has never won. The movies that he was nominated for were What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993), The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2006), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). DiCaprio has established himself with great performances in those movies. However, the Academy obviously didn’t appreciate his talents as much as we, the audience, did. Of course, he has been teased a lot about his “so close” trophy by caring netizens (people who populate the internet), too. DiCaprio’s new movie The Revenant is being released nationwide currently with high expectations. It is also eligible for an award in the 88th Academy Awards, so we are all hoping that he can bring Oscar home this time.

 

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For the eleventh year in a row, Japanese author Haruki Murakami was favored to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and for the eleventh year in a row, he didn’t win.
His books and stories are bestsellers not only in Japan but also worldwide, winning numerous awards including the World Fantasy Award (2006) and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award (2006). However, he is still missing the Noble Prize for Literature. When asked about the possibility of being awarded the Nobel Prize, Murakami responded with a laugh, saying “No, I don’t want prizes. That means you’re finished.” It is true that great writers care much more about their readers’ responses than the awards.

 

As a strong national team throughout history, the Netherlands National Football Team never let its fans down in the World Cup–expect for every time they were in the final match. They hold the record for playing the most World Cup finals without ever winning the tournament.
In the 1974 World Cup, the Dutch played against West Germany. With only one minute into the game, the Dutch took the lead with a penalty kick by Johan Neeskens before any German player had even touched the ball. However, Germany struggled to recover until they scored with their own penalty kick in the 25th minute. West Germany pushed for a win–Gerd Muller scored in the 48th minute. Although both sides had few chances of sending the ball to the gate, West Germany was eventually crowned the World Cup champion. This was the first time that the Dutch missed the opportunity. Then, in 1978’s World Cup, after losing the final game four years ago, the Dutch made it again. The host Argentina turned the table of a 1-1 game by scoring two goals in stoppage time. But this match was a big controversy, as the Dutch accused the Argentines of using stalling tactics to delay the match that allowed tension to build in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd.
In the 2010 World Cup final, similarly, Spain defeated Netherlands 1-0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time. At the end of the game, as the sound of revelry hailed from the winning team, the orange soldiers left again with their lonely shadows fading out of the scene.

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–Edited by Gaven Li

Filed Under: Arts & Letters Awards, Culture, Humor, Media, Performances, Sports Tagged With: Almost, Awards, Dutch, Haruki, Leo

The Poet “King”

November 11, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Gaven Li

 

Jordan King, one of our sophomores, wrote this interesting poem, “How to Be an Airline Company,” for a school assignment when he was in eighth grade. He brought it to Ms. Zachik’s attention during Poetry Recitation (as in “Can I recite my own poem?!”). We are happy to share his poem today–especially since he was voted Audience Favorite at Monday’s CSF-sponsored Poetry on the Green. CSF awarded Jordan a Starbucks Reward Card for his poetic inventiveness.

 

poetry10How to be an Airline Company

Delay flights–
Or Cancel them if you want.

Make everyone pay the price
And wait hours to get to their paradise.

Make leg-room the length of a worm;
Make money off of people’s misery.
Be the Kanye West of travel,

And don’t give a crap about your customers.
You’ve already been paid,
And still charge for every little thing
Passengers will be forced to buy anyway.

Charge another thousand to make everything just a little less uncomfortable
And you’ll get a glass of water.
People won’t have any other choice.

You’re the only criminal allowed on board,
Thank you, TSA.

Make sure there’s a re-booking center;
If you don’t have one, all your employees will probably quit.

Make the aisles look like walkways for pets
your customers will have to painfully dawdle down.

All that’s okay,
Because at the end of the day
Your paycheck will be as big as San José.

–Jordan King

 

About this poem: “I wrote the poem in 8th grade for a school assignment,” said Jordan. “The criteria for the poem was it had to be a ‘how to’ poem; it had to tell you how to do something. I made it a satirical poem which makes generalizations about airlines.” What made him write about the airline company? I asked. “I chose to write it about this because of my previous experience with American Airlines; they cancelled my flight. Today, I think it’s an OK poem; it’s funny and straight to the point. It’s just me complaining but in a somewhat poetic way.”

Thanks Jordan, great poem!

Filed Under: Arts & Letters Awards, Humor, Interview, Performances Tagged With: airlines, Jordan King, King of Poetry, Starbucks

“For Mother Russia!!” — Ken Sarkis

May 19, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

World Literature student, Zachary Jenkins–also known as our Temporary Executive Arts-and-Theatre Blog Correspondent–submitted this review of Mr. Sarkis’s reprise of Shakespeare at Starlucks. Zach‘s findings were somewhat surprising . . . .
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A quick glance of Shakespeare At Starlucks might reveal this production to be a fun look at a play about an odd little coffee house where all of Shakespeare’s characters come to drink a cup of joe; however, we must wake up and look at what this play really is. If one does not know the true meaning and tone of this play, the truth will only come out when it is far too late, for this play is obviously communist brainwashing at its finest.

In order to ostalinpen your eyes to this sick truth, we must first look at the author and director, Mr. Ken Sarkis. Ken Sarkis, though he has never come out and said it, is a communist, maybe even a deep cover Soviet spy. Though few thin
k that the time spent toe to toe with the USSR and the USA still affect us today, I must clarify that it does, and Mr. Ken Sarkis is a prime example of this. Through his childhood and some of his adult life, there was a silent, and yet very loud, war going on overhead. This was, of course, the Cold War. In this war stood two respectable sides, communism and capitalism. Though Ken was raised in the US, this did not stop communism from seeping through the cracks right into his little empty head. After this evil seed was somehow planted, Ken Sarkis lived what appeared to be a normal American life, claiming to do regular American things. However, there are gaps in his timeline, and with these gaps unfilled, we must assume that he was training to become a Russian spy, and likewise, a communist. Now, looking at what he has given us for his incomplete timeline, one can see that he has been a teacher for many years now. This is, as you might have guessed, the perfect job for a man who wants to spread the evil seed of communism and the everlasting glory of the USSR upon the American youth. In order to spread this even further, he expanded into writing plays, specifically targeted at a larger audience. This leads us to this play. Last year, Mr. Ken Sarkis wrote another play called  Rhythm. This, however, failed to get across as many communist ideas as he may have hoped. Desperate to make a clean shot, he went back to one of his most reliable plays, Shakespeare At Starlucks.

If you have made it here, then you must not believe me yet. Honestly, I’d hope that any good American citizen would have already been out the door with their pitchfork of freedom, but since you are still reading, I guess I am going to have to go into the play itself. In the very first scene of the play you can already see Comrade Sarkis at work. The poor actor who plays Othello is the first pipeline of Ken’s ideas. Othello starts by playing a capitalist, who is seen through a communist lens. He is shown wanting not just one role in the play, but mostly all of them. This rotten perspective of a good American citizen is worked throughout the entire play. The next scene that you can see this is when Prospero arrives. This mighty man obviously portrays a fine Russian ruler, perhaps even Stalin himself, who is there to bring the new recipe of communism, that will brainwash all who drink it. After passing this vile recipe along to be made, he leaves two spies there to watch over his creation, Othello and Prospero’s own daughter, Desdemona. Now comes the grip of the storm. Three heroic capitalists, portrayed as evil, see what is going on and come up with a plan to stop it. This plan includes turning Prospero’s spies against each other and then getting rid of the mighty Russian ruler himself. In order to do this, they supply a heroic undercover spy by the name of Caliban with a test tube of freedom made from poison to pour into Prospero’s drink of communism, now code named, Frappe-Ever-After. As the heroic three American “villains” put their plan into motion, a glorious mix up happens, and the fairy who is sent out to gather the still beating heart from a good Russian girl accidentally rips out the still beating hearts of two wonderful and young American girls. Though this is a disturbing and tragic loss, it is still for a good cause, for it buys the three American “villains” time to execute their plan to end communism. Now, with the stakes set high, we reach the end of the play. Sadly for our heroes, Prospero’s two spies have reconciled and once again are on the prowl. Everything is mostly aligned.  As Caliban slips the poison of freedom into Frappe-Ever-After and passes it on, he is caught by the evil heart-ripping fairy, who forces Caliban to drink the drink of communism. This rips poor Caliban’s mind into shreds and forces him to flip on his allies.
In all, this is really a tragic play that entails the victory of communism over the good forces of capitalism, and tries to brainwash all who act in it, and all who watch it. As this has been more of a warning than a review, I will now leave you with the words of our very own David Kocen, “Eleven out of ten! It was okay.” Also, Shakespeare’s goatee is a perfect triangle.

 

Shakespeare_Droeshout_1623*We went to Mr. Sarkis for comment. He said: 

“Besides sparkling with ironic humor it glitters with subtle Truth.”

Filed Under: Performances

The First Rule of Film Club… is You Talk about Film Club

April 23, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The new Palm Valley Film Club got off to a riveting start with a screening of Ridley Scott’s 1982 masterpiece Blade Runner – a haunting, eerily prophetic mixture of science fiction and film noir, boasting one of the most astonishingly designed futures ever put on film – a dark, decaying Los Angeles circa 2019.

As Trystan Swan pointed out in his informative introduction to the film, when Blade Runner was released in 1982 it received a tepid welcome, overshadowed by the more family- and user-friendly sci-fi movies E.T., Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Poltergeist. Audiences and critics alike found it too dark and ponderous. Blade Runner did not even place in the top ten grossers of 1982, beaten out by Tootsie, Porky’s, Rocky III and even the horribly misconceived musical Annie.

Over time, however, Blade Runner has gained a huge fan base – it is now listed as IMDB’s most popular film of 1982 – and is generally recognized as one of the greatest American films of all time. Its totally original vision of a dense, crowded, multiculturally diverse and dystopian Los Angeles future was unprecedented, and inspired countless films to come.

(Early in Blade Runner Harrison Ford is seen chowing down on noodles as his spacecraft flies by an enormous digital billboard advertising Coca-Cola. Trystan cleverly decided that the snacks for the evening would be Cup-O-Noodles and Coke.)

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The Film Club’s next pick is Ridley Scott’s incomparable Alien, one of the scariest movies ever made.It will be shown in Mr. Griffin’s room US8 Friday April 24, 6 pm.

Snacks for the evening?

iStock_000017325584Small1                                        Tempeh Chow Mein (21)

Breakfast Cereal & Chow Mein

(You figure it out.)

Filed Under: Performances

The Interview: Shakespeare Edition

March 26, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

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Senior Blog correspondent on-the-scene Jingwen Zhu interviewed competitors and PVS finalists in the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare Monologue Competition:  Junior Andrew Olson and Sophomore Adam McDonald. Nearly every upper school student participates in this school-wide competition, and these talented speakers were selected by ESU judges as school representatives last January. In early March, Andrew and Adam, accompanied by the PVS Drama Department, competed at Shadow Hills High School for the spot at the national competition in New York’s Lincoln Center. Adam qualified for the valley-wide finals and took home the second place position with a prize of $300. Listen to the recorded transcript above.

Jing: So GOOD MORNING, Andrew Olson (trying very hard not to laugh).

Andrew: Good morning!

Jing: We know that you and Adam got into the Shakespeare Competition, ( being serious) and if you win, you will go compete in New York, correct?

Andrew: Yes.

Jing: What monologue are you doing?

Andrew: I am performing King Henry from the play Henry V.

Jing: Would you like to tell us what the monologue is talking about?

Andrew: Yes, sure. So, in the monologue, King Henry is addressing the army, because France is attacking England. He has to lead the army and defend against them. He is giving this speech about how… if… if we win this battle we will win eternal glory for our families.

Jing: I see. The monologue is very strong and exciting. I am curious, why did you choose this monologue then? Do you have any similarities between you and this character?

Andrew: Yes. I picked it because it is a fun monologue to do, so I thought  it would be an interesting  experience and … (thinking) a unique way to act… Yes. (laughing)

Jing: So you did it for your interest. (thinking) Also,  I heard that in the competition you have to pick a sonnet along with your monologue.

Andrew: Yes, we do. I am doing Sonnet … 29, I believe.

Jing: Okay. I have a question. Did you choose a sonnet that relates to your monologue…?

Andrew: No.

Jing: So you just picked it randomly?

Andrew: This sonnet is completely opposite to my monologue. It’s … to show the judges my range….

Jing: Okay.

Andrew: You know, to show them I have a wide range of my acting ability. Because lots of the other actors can just shout… all they do is scream the words to the judges. They don’t know how to be a soft lover speaking his love, like I do in my sonnet. (both  laughing…)

Jing: Yes. You are trying to show judges the different sides of you…  that you can be a powerful king and a spoony lover at the same time.

Andrew: Indeed.

Jing: I know you are in school drama class; you’ve had experience acting before. How do you feel right now? Are you nervous?

Andrew: Actually, I am really nervous, even though I have been on the stage many times. At the school competition I was practicing my monologue till the last minutes. So I am very happy that…

Jing: You got moved to the next level?

Andrew: Yes, I am. I am prepared though… Nervous, but well prepared…

Jing: Thank you so much for your time. Good luck in the Shakespeare Competition. Relax and have fun!!

Andrew: I will, thank you!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *Monologuers

Jing: Good morning! Mr. MacDonald!! (smiling)

Adam: Good morning! (waving…)

Jing: I would like to ask you some questions about the coming Shakespeare Competition.

Adam: Yes, sure.

Jing: How do you feel about it?

Adam: Uh… A little bit nervous, but not a big deal!

Jing: Nice! What monologue are you doing?

Adam: I am playing Aaron from Titus Andronicus.

Jing: Okay. would you like to tell us a little about it?

Adam: The story of the monologue…uh…is basically…this character is set up to be executed, and he is giving one final speech to the person executing him, telling him that for all of the horrible things he has done, for all of the crimes he’s committed, he doesn’t regret a single moment of it.

Jing: I see. I heard that you have been doing drama for many years and…

Adam: Yes, I took a break last year…

Jing: And you are a great actor. One thing I want to know is how do drama people choose their characters? Do you first think about those characters who share the same personality as you?

Adam: Uh…for me, I sometimes do. But most of the time I just go choose whatever character I want and have fun with it.

Jing: Okay. I see.  You are saying that you can pretty much act any one, it doesn’t have to be a specific kind of character.

Adam: Yes.

Jing: How about your character Aaron in the monologue?

Adam: I can’t say that I relate to it that much, since I am not a psychopathic murderer. But…

Random People: Yes, you are!!

Jing: !! (laughing)

Adam: Thanks, but…

Random people: You’re welcome!

Adam: But…overall it is a very fun part, and I can see …uh, the audience enjoys the role.

Jing: I am sure. Everyone should like it.

Adam: Thank you!

Jing: So what sonnet are you doing along with your monologue?

Adam: I am doing Sonnet #81, which I enjoy doing it a lot also.

Jing: I see. This time, Andrew Olson and you both got into the Shakespeare Competition, and I remember both of you did an amazing job in the play 1776. He is very nervous. As a friend, do you want to say something to him?

Adam: Uh…. Calm down Andrew and enjoy the competition.

Jing: Thank you and good luck!

Filed Under: Performances

“Something Wicked This Way Comes . . . in Socks”

March 19, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Elliot McGrew’s sock-puppet depiction of Macbeth‘s three witches about a cauldron gave Senior Blog Advisor Ben Cho goosebumps! If you don’t get goosebumps, too, well, then, you’re just a . . . . .Macbeth. Elliot (and family) created the video for sophomore World Literature class. The video can be found on Youtube or . . . here!

Filed Under: Performances

Banquo at the Banquet

March 6, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

In World Literature class, Jade Yoon depicted a scene from Macbeth, where Banquo appears to Macbeth as a ghost.  Macbeth’s conscience overwhelms his consciousness. The video is a compilation of three different versions of Macbeth movies set to music.

Filed Under: Performances

Poetry Out Loud: Words, Words, Words

February 26, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Sophomore Adam McDonald  was the winner of the school Poetry Out Loud Competition. Adam went on to compete at the county level–hosted at Palm Valley School. The Riverside County winner advances to Sacramento. The state Poetry Out Loud winner advances to Washington, D.C., to compete for $10,000. This is a California Arts Council-sponsored event. Sophomore Trystan Swan filmed Adam’s performance and edited it for viewing.

Filed Under: Performances

There is no tomorrow…

February 24, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Each year, the Palm Valley School participates in the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare Monologue Competition. This year, from American Literature class, Trey Lucatero performed Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy. Here is Trey‘s performance . . . .

Filed Under: Performances

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About

We are the Palm Valley Firebirds of Rancho Mirage, California. Join us in our endeavors. Venture through the school year with us, perusing the artwork of our students, community, and staff. Our goal is to share the poems, stories, drawings and photographs, essays and parodies that come out of our school. Welcome aboard!