T H E K E Y T O Y O U R E N T E R T A I N M E N T

MOVEMOVE11.09.12 VOLUME 11 ISSUE 12

+DRIVING JAMSTHESE NECESSARY TUNES

WILL BRIGHTEN UP YOUR TRIP

HOME THIS TURKEY BREAK

MORBIDLY FUNNYWAREHOUSE THEATRE PUTS

ON A COMEDY YOU'LL BE

SURPRISED TO FIND HILARIOUS

THE NEW BONDSEE WHAT DIRECTOR SAM

MENDES HAS TO SAY ABOUT

'SKYFALL'

all you need is

GROUPLOVE

2 MOV E • 11.09.12

We’ve finally made it to the one-week countdown to Thanksgiving break! Personally, I cannot wait to go back home to Iowa and get back on the farm with all the pigs and cattle. (Kidding.) Just to clear up any confusion that people may still have about the modernization of Iowa, we actually have pretty big cities complete with malls and Chick-Fil-A. I am desperately in need of a week away from college to reconnect with family and friends from home before I will be able to handle the slightest whisper about finals. The only thing softening the blow of a cumulative organic chemistry and biology final is the amount of pumpkin pie I will be eating this Thanksgiving.

As finals approach, it is so easy to shut down — mentally and physically — and give up before they have even started. However, we are all in college to succeed and perform well in our classes so we can graduate and pay off massive student loans. Finals time is crunch time and the time to really focus to earn those high grades we all want to see on myZou at the end of the year.

To earn those grades, organization and avoiding procrastination is key. I am one of those weird people who keeps everything written down in at least two different places just so I never forget about something. Nothing beats the satisfaction of crossing something off a list or deleting it from the computer. I forget what day it is half the time, so writing things down and planning is one of my best strategies. I have even gone so far as to plan out every hour of my day just so I can be sure every task will be accomplished. This also keeps me away from turning to Hulu instead of my textbooks when I have some extra time after a class.

At the same time, though, I am probably the world’s biggest procrastinator and procrastination has taken over every aspect of my life, not just school. I procrastinate working out, cleaning my room, calling my parents and even shopping. My Twitter bio once said, “I recently won the award for best procrastinator at Mizzou,” until I decided I should probably re-evaluate my life and realize that procrastination is never the answer.

So, one of the best things I have found on one of my many hours of procrastinating is SelfControl, an app that can restrict Internet usage and even certain websites for a specific amount of time. For those of us that have absolutely zero self control, this is quite possibly the best thing to come around since the invention of Facebook itself. Now I have Facebook and Twitter off my computer, but getting the willpower to turn my phone off or keep it across the room from me is an entirely new battle.

A few other strategies I am working hard to implement this finals season is planning to study at my most productive times. This tends to be in the afternoon or morning for me, because at night I become too distracted by the thought of my bed waiting for me after a long day. By studying in the afternoon or trying to be the most productive at this time, I can stay awake and get my homework done instead of cramming the minute before it’s due. Although, sometimes that feeling of submitting an assignment to Blackboard at 11:58 p.m. for a midnight deadline is the best feeling in the world.

Instead of pulling the journalist card and saying that I’m good at working on deadline and under pressure at the last second, I am trying my hardest to actually give myself enough time to prepare for a test or spend time on a paper to give it that extra edge. I become too stressed out and overwhelmed when I wait until the last opportunity and am working hard to be able to live a more stress-free life. That way, I’ll be able to take advantage of all the perks of college before the semester’s over.

ABBIE WENTHEon avoiding the end-of-the-semester slump

one step at a time

Fit for finals

/coverphoto/aaron farley

design/Savannah kannberg, brendan wray

internS/HEATHER FINN, JACK HOWARD

EDITOR/DELIA CAI

reportermadison feller |

“I’ll Be Alright” is one of the stronger tracks on Passion Pit’s new album, Gossamer, and it is certainly the most upbeat song. The heavy drums, wild synthesizers and simple lyrics make it a great song to sing obnoxiously with the windows down while going 20 over the speed limit. And it’ll get you hyped for Passion Pit’s February show here in Columbia.

Full disclosure: you’ll have no idea what Daddy Yankee is saying in this song. But that shouldn’t stop you from dancing to this unbelievably infectious tune. I highly recommend fist pumping furiously out of your sunroof.

The most popular song from this classic jam band is a great way to start off your trip. This song is oozing with bubbly happiness so that by the time you get to the flute solo (Yes. A flute solo.), you might actually be looking forward to hours of driving.

“I’LL BE ALRIGHT” - PASSION PIT

“LOVUMBA” - DADDY YANKEE

“SEND ME ON MY WAY” - RUSTED ROOT

your drive-home playlist

The Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s “THIRST” is not your average Nutcracker.

The production, which premieres Thursday at the Missouri Theatre, contains not a single sugarplum fairy. Instead, “THIRST” showcases MCB’s unique blend of classical ballet and modern dance.

“I think a lot of people may have a misconception,”MCB dancer Elise Eslick says of ballet shows. “We are a ballet company, so yes, we’re classically trained, and we wear pointe shoes in pieces, but it’s much more than that.”

Innovative choreography in “THIRST” only emphasizes MCB’s singular style. The production contains six works — four of which are world premieres staged especially for the company.

MCB director Joanne Sandorfi says the range of pieces is what makes “THIRST” worth seeing. From Karen Mareck Grundy’s sharp, mechanical “1000 Details” to John-Mark Owen’s fluidly mesmerizing “minore al maggiore,” “THIRST” keeps things interesting.

“I’m really excited about this show because there’s a ton of variety in there, not only for the audience but for the dancers,” Sandorfi says.

Eslick is in all six pieces, which is a first in MCB history. The show will be a challenge for her, but she is looking forward to it.

“It’s a lot of dancing, a lot of partnering, a very high-energy show this year,” she says. “It’ll be awesome.”

With great awesomeness, however, comes great behind-the-scenes frenzy. Having only six members in the company means more dashing, more dancing and less time to breathe.

“It’s all just kind of frantic because you’re going as fast as you can while you’re sitting there trying to focus and take a breath and think about the next piece,” Eslick says of the quick changes she’ll have to pull off to appear in each work.

But for the MCB dancers, sharing their art with an audience is worth the backstage chaos.

“This is our passion, this is our career and we share it with an audience,” Eslick says, “And maybe it’ll touch somebody in some sort of way. It’s really important.”

Both Eslick and Sandorfi hope that low ticket prices and special offers for students (read: you) will draw a large, diverse audience.

“Some people have never seen dance like this before, and this sounds so cheesy, but that’s why we do it,” Eslick says. “Just come and expose yourself to it, and take your opinion from there.”

“THIRST” will be showing at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16 at the Missouri Theatre. Tickets are available through the Missouri Theatre’s box office.

“THIRST” a far cry from the classicsThe Missouri Contemporary Ballet's upcoming show boasts innovative contemporary choreography.

staff writerclaire landsbaum |LAUREN KASTNER | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

When: 7:30 p.m., nov. 7-10Where: stephens college warehouse theatre

The streets of Broadway are all too often saturated with upbeat, campy musicals about topics far outside of our immediate world (i.e. “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King”). And don’t get me wrong -- while it’s often fun to escape the drone of normal college life for the musical stylings of a ginger mermaid, sometimes what we need is something a little more heavy.

Enter “Causa Mortis.” This dark comedy, written by author and playwright Jacob M. Appel, follows the unfortunate conditions of two hospital patients and the difficult decisions their families and doctors must make. Currently playing at Stephens College Warehouse Theatre, this play will have you cracking up at its peculiar plot and unusual characters.

Time is ticking, literally, for Eleanor, played by Morgan Schoob, who has been staying in a hospital for 66 days on account of having a wristwatch lodged in her brain. This watch was accidentally left in Eleanor’s head during a previous surgery and is now threatening to cut off the blood supply to her brain.

Upon first hearing of this storyline, I was skeptical that anyone could pull it off believably, but Schoob’s authentic acting and wonderful comedic, ahem, timing made the story convincing and intriguing. Her ability to make every scene laugh-out-loud funny was enjoyable. She even had me giggling as she acted out a murder attempt -— if that’s not talent, what is?

The cast was rounded out with other Stephens College students, including Leslie Hudson and Breanne Pickering, who played Schoob’s daughters, Paige and Gloria, respectively. While Hudson added a much-needed seriousness to the show, it was Pickering’s overdramatic monologue that stole the second act.

Even with a small cast and an absence of set changes, “Causa Mortis” drew in audience members as it explored the world of medical ethics and hospital practices.

Emma Carter, who plays medical student Robyn, guided the show

along as she stumbled her way through the hospital, complaining about how her only wish was to help people. It seems there’s much more to the medical world than beneficence, though, and as plot twists unfold, Carter pilots the storyline and guides the audience through all of her (and the patients’) misfortunes.

By the end of the two-hour play, I found myself questioning my thoughts on death, ethics and what gives life meaning. Needless to say, the dark part of this dark comedy did not get lost in the shuffle.

No matter if you’re a seasoned theater-goer or just looking for some entertainment to spice up your weekend, “Causa Mortis” will be sure to leave your brain thinking and your abs hurting.

“Causa Mortis” receives four quirky stars out of five

Jacob M. Appel’s dark comedy puts the ‘play’ in playful. »

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE WINEMAN

Since the release of her self-titled debut EP in 2008, Valerie Anne Poxleitner has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. After adopting the name LIGHTS, Valerie began her professional music career at 16 as a writer for Sony/ATV Music Publishing, but her interest in music began at a much earlier age.

“When I was 11, I learned a couple of chords on the guitar and fell in love with the concept of creating something out of thin air,” Poxleitner says.

After composing several songs for the Canadian television series “Instant Star,” Poxleitner went on to record her first EP, which earned her a 2009 Juno award for New Artist of the Year.

That summer, LIGHTS appeared on Vans Warped Tour. Later that year, she released her first full-length album, The Listening. In an interview for ARTISTdirect.com, Poxleitner described the album as an emotional journey that chronicled her self-discoveries over a couple of years.

With her second studio album Siberia, released last year, Poxleitner found her sound straying from familiar polished pop and delving instead into a grittier sound influenced by the grimy beats of dubstep, according to the LIGHTS website.

“Siberia is different because I’ve changed since The Listening.” LIGHTS says. “I’m still changing.”

Collaborating with Canadian electronic band Holy Fuck and rapper/hip-hop artist Shad, Poxleitner was able to create a unique, if not unexpected, sophomore album.

“The collaboration with Holy Fuck and Shad was so organic,” Poxleitner says. “It just sort of happened and that’s the exciting part: rolling with the punches.”

LIGHTS has been on tour in support of Siberia for the last two weeks. Her tour began on the west coast in San Francisco and will end in Boston.

“We had a day off in Arizona and went to these beautiful canyons,” Poxleitner says of the tour. “It was an opportunity to appreciate the bare necessity of nature.”

After the conclusion of her tour, LIGHTS will perform with deadmau5 at the 2013 Juno Awards on April 1. But before then, Poxleitner will visit Columbia for her first time, and she says she’s excited.

“I have an awesome band, and the shows are always energetic,” LIGHTS said. “You can see it, hear it, feel it.”

3 11.09.12 • MOV E

After one look at the cover of “Assassin’s Creed 3,” it’s pretty obvious that the game is going to involve two things: lots of stabbing and the American Revolution.

With four games coming before AC3, the Assassin’s Creed formula is pretty refined at this point. Yes, this is the fifth console game in the series, but only the third in the overall trilogy. It’s just as confusing as the games themselves.

See, while I love the series, the games before AC3 were getting more stale than a three-month-old opened bag of Doritos. All the games in the series have the same formula: you need this thing so you need to assassinate this guy, but in order to do that you need to assassinate these other guys first. It’s getting old.

The saving grace for the games has been their adaptations of historical periods and locations like the Crusades and Renaissance Italy. The team behind the games takes real historical events and places them into a context of a centuries-long struggle between the two forces of Templars and Assassins. The stories in the game are top-notch, with historical fiction and science fiction added in for good measure.

This finally brings me to Assassin’s Creed 3, which held my hopes for future interest in the series. Well, it’s a mixed bag. I wanted to love AC3. I really did, but it’s fallen in to the monotony of the earlier games.

The game centers on the story of Connor, a Native American, who becomes an Assassin in order to protect his tribe from the forces of both the Revolutionaries and the British. Of all the Assassin’s Creed games, the choice of the American Revolution as the historical period was simply brilliant.

Through the game, you run into such figures as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Samuel Adams and pretty much every historical person of the period. Exploring the cities of New York, Boston and Philadelphia in their colonial primes can’t compare to the sketches and paintings available in textbooks.

The story of Connor is also a welcomed breath of fresh air to the series. Connor’s only priority in the game is the safety of his tribe, whether that means siding with the colonies or Britain.

Unfortunately, to progress through the story, I had to deal with the game itself. Exploring the towns at my own pace was enjoyable. Hunting deer and bears was also a fun distraction, but playing the game’s story missions? Not so much.

The missions just aren’t diverse enough. They almost always start with being incognito to avoid enemies and then end with needing to get rid of this large group of enemies. It happens over and over; the stale bag of Doritos strikes again.

Luckily, the combat has been refined in the game so the monotony has a sliver of enjoyment. Countering attacks and breaking defenses has been tweaked to make swinging a tomahawk at redcoats both visually and actually satisfying. (Side note: Yes, you have a tomahawk, and yes, it is just as awesome as it sounds.)

The game throws a lot at players in the game. There’s the balance between the boring story missions and the more interesting side missions, like killing poachers on your territory. The game excels in so many places; the environment, story and combat are better than ever.

But getting through to the end of the game felt more like a chore than it should have. I wanted to get to the Battle of Lexington and Concord or Battle of Bunker Hill, but had to go through hoops of boring kill-this-guy missions.

I’ve played all the games in the Assassin’s Creed series, and this one does a lot of things better than most of the other games. But its overall gameplay is just lacking.

If you’ve played any of the earlier games, you need to pick this game up just to see the end of the story, but I can’t see myself recommending this game to someone who’s new to the series. While I understood the story, the minute-long intro at the beginning of the game just can’t bring newcomers up to speed in the fifth game of the series.

Assassinations gone wrong

PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON FARLEY

BRENDAN WRAYon Assassin’s Creed 3

bits and bytes

»

Rush hour traffic is one of the most frustrating things any driver has to deal with. Combat the ensuing road rage with some peaceful, relaxing Louie Armstrong. Take lots of deep breaths, and remind yourself that in a few hours you’ll have a belly full of home-cooked food and no responsibilities for entire week.

As you start to recognize familiar landmarks of your hometown, you’ll start to get pretty excited. Let Beyoncé match that with the most giddy and joyful song in the history of the world. This song is also a great way to reward yourself for successful road trip and an excellent way to officially start off your Thanksgiving break.

The native Chicago rapper is especially encouraged for students headed back to the 312, but this song will still rattle your trunk regardless of area code. Roll the windows up, turn the bass on the stereo as high as it can go, and let King Louie’s massive beat swallow you whole.

“LA VIE EN ROSE” - LOUIS ARMSTRONG

“DRILLUMINATI” - KING LOUIE

“COUNTDOWN” - BEYONCÉ

your drive-home playlist

aaron pellish | reporter

If you’re itching for a beam of that California sunshine in this dreary Midwestern climate, look no further than Los Angeles-based band Grouplove. The indie-pop band’s joyfully melodic summer tunes, especially the party pleasing No. 1 single “Tongue Tied,” have enjoyed a fair amount of radio airplay and should be drilled into your brain to last long after the convertible top is closed (and the mercury has dropped). MOVE spent time with bassist Sean Gadd to find out what’s on the minds of the fun-loving, hat-wearing musician and his band.

MOVE: So, you’ve been touring since September — how’s your sanity?

Sean Gadd: We started the band in 2010 and have really been on the road nonstop. Some days, you don’t know who you are … but no, it’s good, we’re very lucky for the fact that we like each other. We have a great time on the road, and I think when you’re on the road so long, and you have those brief times off, you kind of don’t know what to do with yourself when you don’t have your tour manager around to tell you when to get up in the morning.

M: You guys have had a Billboard No. 1 single, been featured in video games and on Jimmy Kimmel. What would you count as your greatest achievement?

SG: All that stuff is nice you know — No. 1s, commercials and such — but I feel the band’s reward is that we have people that like our music and understand our music and come for our live shows. We build our reputation as a live band, and every time we come around the country, we’ve paid our dues, and we move up to the next level in that scene.

M: Grouplove is well-known for lively performances. What’s the secret behind that energy?

SG: You can be exhausted before a show, and as soon as you walk on stage, that can change because you have people there to see you. And you forget about everything. That energy comes from the positivity in the audience and it just … happens, you know? It’s very natural.

M: Any particularly memorable moments from touring these past couple years?

SG: I feel like every night there are memorable moments. We’ve been very lucky for the fact that we’ve gotten to play a lot of festivals that we grew up going to, and been around other musicians that we’ve have so much respect for. I’m from England, so when we played Glastonbury a few years back, (it was a) rather big moment for me because I went to Glastonbury Festival as a kid and to me it was always the greatest festival out there. (Guitarist) Andrew (Wessen) and (drummer) Ryan (Rabin), who grew up in California, felt the same way about Coachella.

M: What music are you hooked on now?SG: I have a big thing for Alt-J, who we’ve been very lucky to have

open for us on the start of this tour, and they’re great people — a great

band with great music. There are a lot of bands we’ve played with that we really like their music. Apart from all the classic who we all listen to, like the obvious stuff — The Beatles, the Pixies, Nirvana — it’s nice to be there with contemporary music. Music is really exciting, and there’s a lot of positive stuff happening.

M: Ironically, your latest album is named Never Trust A Happy Song. Is there a meaning behind that?

SG: We were all hanging out late one night, and it was something I said. We had a book with a bunch of pictures in them and a few quotes, and one of the quotes read, “Never trust a happy song.” And it kind of related to our sound. There’s a way you can hear a beautiful love song that may be lying to you lyrically, but you don’t know. I feel it kind of represents us in a way. When we first came out, we sounded like a happy California band, and it just kind of made sense. There’s some darkness mixed with positivity on the album.

M: Can fans look forward to new material in the future?SG: On this tour we’ve got three new songs in the setlist, which we’re

really excited and pumped up about. We’re so lucky — we have all these songs to work with. (Vocalist and keyboardist) Hannah (Hooper) and (vocalist and guitarist) Christian (Zucconi) are nonstop writing songs. Christian writes a song a day some days. With Never Trust A Happy Song, one of the hardest things was actually picking the songs to go on the album, and I think that’s going to be our biggest difficulty again with album number two.

M: Last question for you, Sean. You’re often seen wearing interesting hats on stage. What gives?

SG: I’ve always been a hat guy, and I like wearing hats. It’s become partly that people expect it, but there’s not much more reason than I just like wearing hats. I’m always telling Hannah, “I’m going to play a show without my hat on,” and she’s always telling me I look better without a hat and asks why do I wear them. And I say, “You don’t get it, Hannah.”

staff writeralex bond |

staff writerlisa conley |

Tongue-tied for GrouploveWhen: SundayDoors: 7 P.m., Show: 8 P.m.Where: The Blue NoteTICKETS: $20

MOVE chats with the bubbly quintet's bassist

LIGHTS continues to shine bright

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT BARNES

When Sam Mendes first signed on to direct “Skyfall,” the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise, the crew didn’t have a script to work from. Then in 2010, development of the film was “suspended indefinitely” according to an article by The Hollywood Reporter.

Budget issues with MGM Pictures caused the movie to be continuously delayed, but Mendes remained undeterred in his support of the film, according to the article.

Tonight, four years after the last James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace,” was released, “Skyfall” will arrive in American theaters after a huge weekend internationally when it was released in Europe.

In a conference call with college reporters, Mendes expressed his excitement in directing a film with a rich backstory like the James Bond series.

“I felt there were a lot of opportunities with some pretty amazing characters,” Mendes says.

For Mendes, the film also represented a first in his career, which has spanned three decades, six films and won him an Academy Award. Mendes says that every actor he offered a role to in the movie accepted, including Academy Award-winners Albert Finney and Javier Bardem.

The plot of the film focuses on Bond attempting to recover a database of NATO agents who are secretly working within terrorist groups worldwide. Mendes says the most exciting scene to film in the entire movie was the initial encounter between Daniel Craig’s Bond and Bardem’s Silva, the villain.

In the past, Mendes has been known as more of a character-driven director winning accolades for films like “American Beauty” and “Road to Perdition.” Mendes is also the first director in the 50-year-old franchise’s history to be an Oscar winner.

“I was making the movie in a way I’d make any movie,” he says.

Regarding the pressure he felt directing one of cinema’s oldest franchises, Mendes says he learned to push away the white noise of what other people thought James Bond was supposed to be.

“The truth is, wherever you go, you’re going to have somebody stating the opposite opinion to what you think,” Mendes says. “So I think the most important thing I discovered was to push away the white noise and try and ask yourself, ‘What do you want to see?’ … And I’ve tried to make a combination of what I wanted adults to see, and also what I felt my inner 12-year-old would have wanted to see.”

The film opens nationwide today, but reviewers are already referring to it as one of the better James Bond movies in recent memory. In his 4-star review of the film, critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times refers to “Skyfall” as “one of the best Bonds ever.”

Mendes however, says he is content with himself having created a personal Bond film.

“In a way, it’s a combination of classic, old and new, pushing the genre in a different direction,” Mendes says. “I think that comes mainly from trying to cut out, as much as possible, other people’s opinions.”

4 MOV E • 11.09.12

JENNIFER BENNETTon embracing geekdom

bookeater

Go geek

senior staff writerhunter woodall |

PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

I read Russian literature for fun. I enjoy translating Ciceronian Latin. I’m obsessed with Tolkien. I’ve never said, “I hate math.” I can name more than five comic book characters, and I can give you a million reasons why Marvel is better than DC. I’m geeky, I’m proud and I’m not alone.

Books such as Alexandra Robbins’ “The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School” and David Anderegg’s “Nerds: How Dorks, Dweebs, Techies, and Trekkies Can Save America” highlight the benefits of being … different.

They argue that traits that get you branded as geeky or weird in middle and high school end up helping you as an adult. I agree.

Anderegg’s book focuses on what designates someone as a geek, why kids try to avoid that label and why geekiness is ultimately a pretty desirable trait. Being branded a geek can be as simple as liking science or using your computer for more than checking Facebook.

Basically, according to Anderegg, the difference between geeks and everyone else boils down to “smart people can’t also be sexy, and sexy people can’t also be smart.” There are plenty of famous individuals out there who disprove this (such as Harvard-educated actress Natalie Portman and straight-A student/NFL star Peyton Manning), but the stereotype persists. Being pretty doesn’t make you stupid, and being ugly doesn’t make you smart.

Robbins’ book follows seven individuals as they navigate high school without sacrificing their individuality. Additionally, Robbins interviews hundreds of formerly teased geeks about their adult lives — and get this: they all say that the qualities their middle school peers found weird are the very qualities that make them successful. Robbins uses quirk theory to explain this phenomenon: differences (“quirks”) that lead to exclusion in adolescence end up being extremely useful in adulthood. For example, teenage isolation turned one woman into a “shrewd people observer,” leading to success as a celebrity publicist. Love of literature turned another friend into a publishing superstar.

Anderegg and Robbins both argue for examining our unconscious assumptions about geekiness. Qualities like attention to detail and the ability to remember massive amounts of information on a subject — hallmarks of traditional geekiness — can actually lead to professional success. Having original ideas and being able to stand out from the crowd are also boons. What makes companies like Amazon, Apple, Chipotle and HBO so special? It’s their ability to be innovative that leads to their commercial success.

Read more from Jennifer Bennett at move.themaneater.com

hunter woodall | senior staff writer

Director Sam Mendes talks new Bond film “Skyfall”» The film marks the

50th anniversary of the franchise.