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I’m Done

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By Guest Blogger-Poet Jackson Dean

I’m done;

Two weeks ago, 14 teens and 3 adults were killed at Stoneman Douglas High School by a young man with an AR-15.

I’m done;

Parents, husbands, and wives have to face the fact that the one they love most will never return to them.

I’m done;

Instead of honoring the victims and attempting to make much needed change, our President tweets about how it was the students’ fault for not saying something before the attack occurred.

I’m done;

Young survivors of the school shooting, who have become outright protestors of gun control, are demanding change and have received death threats.

I’m done;

Instead of reforming gun control, and preventing school shootings in the future, Congress members have only sent “thoughts and prayers.”

I’m done;

“Thoughts and prayers” have been sent to every recent school shooting. No action is taken. Things go silent; and then the next shooting occurs.

I’m done;

I’ve already written one poem about a shooting this year. It’s becoming more and more commonplace, and less riveting to write these poems.

 I’m done;

My subtleties and nuances that I once used to mask the message of these shootings have run dry.

I’m done;

I am sad, confused, and angry.

I’m done;

Moreover, I am scared. Scared for my life.

I’m done;

I am terrified that I will become a statistic, just like the 17 victims.

I’m done;

And you should be too.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Go Climb a Mountain

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By Hiker and Blogger Claire Jenkins

On the 17th of February, right before the February Break, the Outdoors Club went on a hike up to the Palm Desert cross. The Outdoors Club, advised by Ms. Clark, hosts hikes monthly. All are welcome.

Happy hikers Sydney Armor, Sarah Jefferson, Claire Jenkins, and Hannah Makkai pose for a quick photo session and water break before climbing back down the mountain.

Ms. Clark and Hannah make interesting (“ahem” weird) shapes while Sydney and Sarah watch confusedly and Claire backs awkwardly away.

What’s happening? Possibly a playful pagan ritual? Actually, Ms. Clark was looking for an “interesting” photo op.

Ms. Clark smiles happily as her students dance like heathens.

PVS hikers rest in harmony with the view above Palm Desert from the yin-yang sign by the cross.

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume Two

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By Leo Milmet, The Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

 

I had several other ideas for my previous post “Underseen and Underrated Films,” from various decades, so I retroactively (after submitting it to my editor) titled that post “Volume One” and this “Volume Two.”  This time, however, the decade in which a film is released means nothing. These are simply some extra films that I love just as much as the others that were left out in order to follow my original rule of “one per decade.” Hope you enjoy.–Leo

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir. Robert Wiene, 1920): A beautiful, German, monster-horror-silent film that exudes pure artistry and pure terror at the same time. A fascinating and expressionistic masterpiece.         

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (dir. Frank Capra, 1939): An all-time American classic about a  layman who is chosen to become part of the Senate.

The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed, 1949): A masterful noir thriller. Joseph Cotten stars as Holly Martins, a pulp author who goes to visit his old friend Harry Lime in postwar Vienna, only to realize Harry is dead. Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding Harry’s passing, he is led into a confusing web of contradicting stories about the victim.

The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955): Despite initial failure, this ingeniously directed, incredibly suspenseful thrill ride is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Mitchum stars as Reverend Harry Powell, a murderous and fanatical priest in prison for car theft when he meets a man who admits he has stolen and hidden $10,000. How far will Powell go to get his hands on the loot?

A Man Escaped (dir. Robert Bresson, 1956): A brilliant exercise in sound editing and mixing. The simple (but wonderfully executed) plot concerns the escape of a prisoner of war in World War II.

Network (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1976): A poignant political satire of insane proportions. Featuring Peter Finch in one of the greatest performances of all time.

Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch, 1986): A twisted psychological thriller about a happy little suburban town and its deep, dark underbelly.

Clerks (dir. Kevin Smith, 1994): This low-budget, black-and-white comedy depicts the type of people who’d nonchalantly ring you up at a convenience store and then feel entitled to mock you just after you leave. Clerks is one of the best of its type because while it cracks its sometimes-funny and always overly sophomoric jokes, it entices you to latch on to its realistic, relatable and (surprisingly) intelligently drawn characters in a way that few comedies of its type can accomplish. Personally, I don’t watch this movie just to laugh, and that might be the biggest compliment I can give it.

Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas, 1998): This fascinating story, a visionary blending of science fiction and film-noir, is executed with beautifully bleak cinematography and production design. If you like film-noir or science fiction, this is an absolute must-see, even according to Roger Ebert, who named it his #1 film of 1998. Also, if you’ve never heard of this film, don’t look it up, just sit back and watch it one day, as the risk of spoiling one of the film’s many wonderful twists and turns is too high.

My Friend Dahmer (dir. Marc Meyers, 2017): This “horrifying coming-of-age story”  (the words of the director, Marc Meyers) concerning the teenage life of the infamous real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of my absolute favorite films of last year. Its well-written script is brilliantly executed, managing to be at once chilling, hilarious, and emotional without ever missing a beat.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume One:

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By Leo Milmet, Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

 

Many films each year fly under the radar of most audiences. Also, even more great films get less popular as time goes on. This eventually adds up to quite a few films that many people love, but that even more people never get to see.

 

Here are a few of my favorite films from each decade of film’s popularity that seem to have been forgotten or overlooked by the newest generation of film buffs. The two recent films I included (In Bruges and Silence) are films that are incredible but don’t seem to have been given their due by the masses, despite heavy critical acclaim.

 

Lesser-known films you should put on your viewing list include . . .

Safety Last! (dir. Harold Lloyd, 1923): A great silent comedy that is most impressive in that its influential humor and great story hold up remarkably well.

M (dir. Fritz Lang, 1931): One of the original film-noirs. A brilliant German crime film about a child murderer whose disturbing crimes lead him to be chased not only by the police, but by the Mafia as well. The film was incredibly progressive and daring for its time, and is just as bold and innovative today as it must have been in 1931.

Shadow of a Doubt (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1943): As paranoid as Rear Window, as suspenseful as Psycho. Hitchcock’s favorite film of his own, and for good reason.

Paths of Glory (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1957): An emotionally stunning war film concerning the lack of warmth in a cold, inhumane system. Includes one of the greatest final scenes of all time.

Night of the Living Dead (dir. George A. Romero, 1968): The original zombie film. A dark and bleak low-budget horror classic.

The Last Picture Show (dir. Peter Bogdanovich, 1971): The best ensemble film about small-town life.

Rain Man  (dir. Barry Levinson, 1988): A sensitive and subtle road-trip dramedy of brotherly bonding featuring two of the best performances of the 1980s. A popular film in its time (it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but a film one rarely hears about today.

Ed Wood (dir. Tim Burton, 1994): A fittingly strange film about the misfits of ‘50s Hollywood and the fantastically terrible films they produced. Martin Landau’s portrayal of Bela Lugosi hits and exceeds the mark of true excellence. For cult film lovers like me, this one’s an absolute treat, and one of my favorite films of all time.

In Bruges (dir. Martin McDonagh, 2008): A great character-based dark comedy that creates pure hilarity out of very disturbing content and doesn’t miss a beat. The first feature film of Martin McDonagh, whose amazing filmmaking is now earning him serious Oscar buzz for his new film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Silence (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2016): A powerful, emotionally draining masterpiece about the strength and will of faith and of the human spirit.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

OSCARS 2018: PREDICTIONS, PICKS, etc.

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 By Leo Milmet, Resident Film Critic and Academy Awards Guru

Yay! That one weekend where everyone suddenly becomes a huge film buff like me is almost upon us! The Oscars are coming up this weekend!

Here is my list of predictions, wishes, and personal picks.

The following list will be divided into the Oscar nomination categories. I will write “Will Win,” “Should Win,” and “My Picks” next to the contenders:

*“Will Win” = the film/person that is likely to win the award;

*“Should Win” = who deserves to win;

*“My Picks” = my personal picks for that category.

 

BEST PICTURE:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Will Win: Gary Oldman–The Darkest Hour

Should Win: Gary Oldman–Darkest Hour

My Pick: Gary Oldman

 

BEST ACTRESS:

Will Win: Frances McDormand–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Saoirse Ronan–Lady Bird

My Pick: Saoirse Ronan

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Will Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Will Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

Should Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

My Pick: Allison Janney

 

BEST DIRECTOR:

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro–The Shape of Water

Should Win: Greta Gerwig–Lady Bird

My Pick: Martin McDonagh–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

Will Win: Coco

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Will Win: Faces Places

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: The Big Sick–Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name–James Ivory

Should Win: The Disaster Artist–Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

My Pick: My Friend Dahmer – Marc Meyers

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Will Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

My Pick: Baby Driver–Courtney Hoffman

 

BEST FILM EDITING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

Should Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

Will Win: A Fantastic Woman

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Will Win: Edith + Eddie

 

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

Will Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

Should Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

My Pick: Darkest Hour

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Alexandre Desplat

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Jonny Greenwood

My Pick: Darkest Hour–Dario Marianelli

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set

Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeffrey A. Melvin

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration:

Alessandra Querzola

My Pick: The Shape of Water

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd

Nefzer

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049

 

SOUND EDITING:

Will Win: Dunkirk–Alex Gibson, Richard King

Should Win: Baby Driver–Julian Slater

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

SOUND MIXING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

Should Win: Baby Driver – Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagi

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

Will Win: DeKalb Elementary

Should Win: DeKalb Elementary

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:

Will Win: Lou

Should Win: Lou

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Will Win: “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman–Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

I live in your version of sensibility…

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By Anne

 

My feelings are always wrong,

except for guilt which is what I deserve to feel

and the fear that must always control me:

 

My sadness and anger are selfish;

My happiness is a burden and a chore;

My very existence has brought hardship,

And my fault it has always been.

 

My job is to fix everything broken

and to hide from the world while doing it.

 

All people are evil inside;

To form relationships is a careless thing

–but being alone is pathetic.

 

My reality

fictional.

My opinions

wrong.

That which I love doing

isn’t worth doing.

At least this is what you’ve taught me.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Time

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By Shelby Armor

The Desert Town Hall Forum hosts Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, next Thursday, March 8. Typically, the Youth Town Hall invites high school students to meet the featured speakers. Because Ambassador Kennedy is such a force in the poetry world (editing 19 New York Times best-selling anthologies), The Desert Town Hall Forum sponsored a poetry contest in her honor. The theme? “Giving Back”–for Ms. Kennedy and her extended family “exemplify a dedication to public service.” Shelby submitted the following poem:

Time is a fleeting thing

Going by before the chance to reflect is given

Going by with too many forgotten moments

My dad told me of Times where he went through battles

Battles he fought for his country

Battles he fought for himself

Battles he fought for his parents

He told me that these Times possessed lessons

He told me to always give a firm handshake

To never give opposers the satisfaction of victory,

Even if it hurts

I took these lessons with me through my life

And Time passed

The ever-fading moments flitting by me,

As I desperately tried to hold onto his lessons

And to form my own

When my father passed, I kept his memories with me

And when my children would ask about him,

I passed on his lessons

Telling of the battles he fought

And the things he sacrificed

I gave back everything he taught me

I gave them my own memories of Times gone by

The lessons I learned

The ones I took with me

The battles for myself

The battles for my dad

The battles for them

They took these lessons with them

And I knew that I had given them all I could

Lessons from fleeting Times that have passed

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Fusion Music: Fusic

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By Peter Kadel, Burgeoning Music Editor

America has historically been a place where cultures mix and blend to create new types of food, dance, literature, art, and music–a giant mixing bowl where people can embrace and experience other cultures. The blending of cultures is what will bring us closer together as a nation. One example of this culture-blend occurs in Fusion or Alternative Music. Here are three examples of some awesome Fusion Music.

A Tribe Called Red (genre–Pow Wow EDM): These Canadian DJs combine the music of Pow Wow’s from various Indian nations with electronic dance music to make a less repetitive, soothing sound. The group frequently collaborates with other DJs and Native American musicians to create a diverse body of work. There are more electric songs like “Electric Pow Wow Drum,” “Indian City,” and “Stadium Pow Wow.” Others like “We are Halluci Nation” and “I Feel” take a political stance and force us to confront the decades of mistreatment of Native Americans. It can’t be denied that the U.S and the various indigenous nations have a troubled and violent history and this genre could be the beginning of a new era in which culture can mix and blend instead of adhering to strict separation under the guise of avoiding cultural appropriation.

Dropkick Murphys (Irish Rock AKA Celtic Punk): Now, I may be biased because this is one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite genres, so be aware of that. This genre combines two styles that sound great on their own. The rich acoustic sound and meaningful lyrics of traditional Irish song combined with the speed, energy, and emotion of rock and punk music creates a strong emotional music. While some rock and punk bands rely only on anger to fuel their music, bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly (another Celtic punk band) speak to a broader range of human emotion. The sound of the genre itself, while not as unique as A Tribe Called Red, is distinct and entertaining. Celtic punk bands often gain popularity on Saint Patrick’s day when everyone is feeling a little extra Irish.

Native Howl (Thrash Grass): This pairing definitely seems like the strangest, least appealing mash up, but, as a lover of Bluegrass, I can say that a combination between Bluegrass and Thrash Metal is a fantastic union that is equally angry and folksy and all parts enjoyable. This genre is a good example of opposites attracting and playing off of each others’ strengths and covering their weaknesses. As Bluegrass relies heavily on acoustics and lyrics it can sound repetitive and all the songs can meld together. While metal has a fantastic energy and the songs are unique, the lyrics can often be lacking with similar phrases being used again and again. While Thrash Grass isn’t perfect, it is an entertaining fusion.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Over 10,000 Views!

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Shelby Armor marks our milestone.

Our blog, The Bird On Fire, recently reached a huge milestone. For the first time ever, we reached 10,000 views! The Bird On Fire was formed in 2014 as a Winterim course on how to create a blog. The first post was on December 18, 2014, stating how we have many fun posts to come. When Blog became an elective offering in 2015, we landed on our motto: “Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans” (Thank you, Gaige Griffin). Now look how far the blog has come! As we hit 10,000 views, we go back and remember the fun times that have happened since its formation. Who could forget Brennan’s exposé on the Doomsday Clock? Or Makena’s comforting poem on “Comfort”? Or Gaven Li’s famous recorded Blog-sponsored ping-pong competition? (280 views on YouTube!) We thank each and every reader for coming back time and time again to read our posts. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, and we are excited about where we’ll go in the future.

Pictured above is the very first post of the blog.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Story Starter . . . Can You Finish It?

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Sophomore Doreen Yuan is working on a novel. She’s given us the start of it. She has great plans for her mysterious figures. But, let’s play. Where would you take the story?

 

Snow Country Train

                     Chapter One                         

“In the Endless Snow”

 

Story begun by Doreen Yuan



 The piling snow made it hard to see the end of the railway track, a place buried in a  raging storm. Driving past, we see the faded shadows from struggles of passengers long ago. You can only see the ongoing snowfall, and the occasional dry dead trees in the snow. My friend Dazai, who had been suffering from the stale air in the train carriage, suddenly sat upright and winked at me with a mysterious smile. He then reached out and pulled up the window frame, shaking off the rust, letting the cold air rush into the train car.

Dazai looked out of the window, as the wind and snow fell on his hair and shoulders. Luckily, the train doesn’t travel quickly, or else I’d fear that the cold would bite his skin. My friend Dazai is clearly cold, but he insists on reaching out the window for the snowflakes. He quickly withdraws his hand when the cold wind picks up, turning into a flurry. He stretched his hand out and marveled at the melting snowflakes on his skin.

“This is such a fleeting thing.”

The other man in the carriage fiddled with arranging a briefcase.

The melted snow made an imprint on Dazai’s suit, darkening the fabric, but a few flakes remained. The other man with the briefcase, AnWu, as always, looked helpless. And, once again, he opened his neat briefcase, took out the plain checkered handkerchief and handed it to Dazai from across the table.

“It’s dangerous to open the window in this storm. It’s dangerous.. Please don’t…, ” said AnWu.

Editor: Shelby Armor