9/13

Oak toke

Edward Frank Roy, 25, was given a summons for possession of a usable amount of marijuana at 7:13 p.m. Officers were called to Oak Hall due to an odor of marijuana and found the source to be in Roy’s room on the third floor. The police confronted Roy, who freely produced the marijuana and was issued the summons.

Stranger danger

Nine people on the second floor of Somerset Hall were referred to Judicial Affairs at 11:33 p.m., as well as a summons issued to Tyler Lamb, 18, for illegal possession by a minor, furnishing a place for consumption of alcohol, and sale and use of drug paraphernalia. Officers went to Lamb’s room to investigate a non-student visitor. A girl holding a beer answered the door and the officers found a large group of underage people who were drinking. All of them were given referrals.

9/14

Give it arrest

First-year student Steven Walsh was arrested for disorderly conduct on the first floor of Somerset Hall at 1:36 a.m. Walsh had been yelling obscenities at the R.A.’s, as well as fellow students. Officers were called in and proceeded to arrest Walsh. He made bail and was released.

Gang war

Jennifer Weigang, 48, was summonsed for driving to endanger and reckless conduct after having a dispute with her daughter on Munson Road. Weigang’s daughter was walking along the road when Weigang showed up and proceeded to get into a dispute with her daughter. Weigang drove dangerously, coming close to hitting her daughter, and sped off. Weigang’s daughter proceeded to call the police who arrived after Weigang had already left.

9/15

BAC you later

An 18-year-old male was transported from the fourth floor of Penobscot Hall to Eastern Maine Medical Center for a high blood alcohol content at 1:10 a.m. He was also referred to Judicial Affairs for possession of liquor by a minor.

Private Picasso

Several large penises were drawn on the eastern wall of Somerset Hall by an unknown graffiti “artist” at 1:39 a.m. Custodians proceeded to wipe away the graffiti.

Doobie duo

Two male students, 18 and 19 years of age, were referred to Judicial Affairs at 9:19 p.m. for possession of a usable amount of marijuana and failure to comply with officials. Officers were called on an odor of marijuana in Gannett Hall and found the two males on the second floor. The two students were uncooperative with police but eventually complied.

9/16

Powerful pot

Evan Mclean, 19, was handed a summons for possession of marijuana at 9:40 p.m.. An R.A. in Aroostook Hall called police after detecting a “strong” odor of marijuana. Officers found the source to be Mclean’s room on the third floor. Mclean proceeded to hand over a bag of marijuana to the officers who confronted him.

By Liam Nee

For The Maine Campus

The University of Maine General Student Senate added two new members to its body, allocated $1,600 to the Woodsmen’s Team and granted preliminary recognition to two clubs during their 22nd meeting of the 34th session on Sept. 17 in the Memorial Union’s Bangor Room.

Three senators join GSS, one resigns; nominations continue

Three new senators were sworn-in by Vice President Aaron Ortiz to begin the Sept. 17 meeting. Alexander Collins of Detroit, Mich.; Ryan Brann of Windsor; and Robert Begin of Jay are now the newest additions to the GSS body.

Fourth-year nursing student Sean Sibley announced his resignation from the GSS body. Sibley served on both the Services and Policy & Procedure committees.

Nomination periods for Sergeant at Arms, Graduate Student Senate Representative and Legal Services Liaison resumed. Sens. Jennifer Karod and Tanner Adams were added to the list of Legal Services Liaison candidates.

Nominations for Fair Election Practices Committee members began. Sen. Jake Dumas nominated three GSS members. Shortly after, FEPC Chair Bartley Kelliher nominated his first, non-GSS staff member.

Woodsmen’s Team funded $1,600

The GSS approved a funding request of $1,600 by the Woodsmen’s Team to be used for “entry fees and hotels [during] their fall 2013 season,” according to the resolution.

The Woodsmen’s Team plans on attending three competitions from this month to Nov. 2013 at Unity College in Unity, the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H. and the University of New Brunswick in New Brunswick, Canada.

Fourth-year student Nicole Whitney spoke on behalf of the Woodsmen’s Team.

According to Whitney, other sources of expected funding include: $330 from club dues, $950 from fundraisers and $1,066 from UMaine’s School of Forest Resources.

There are 17 members on the team, and the expected cost of the fall 2013 season is $4,771.

The amount funded to the Woodsmen’s Team is less than the club expected, but SOC member Sen. Justin Conant says the committees thought process was “providing [the club] with a jump start,” up until the meet against UNH, “so that they can cover the rest with fundraising.”

Two clubs receive prelim recognition

CrossFit Black Bear and UMaine NCWA Wrestling Team received preliminary recognition from the GSS.

CrossFit Black Bear is a non-profit affiliate of CrossFit, Inc., a fitness company known for its functional movement at high intensity strength and conditioning program, CrossFit, which is practiced by thousands of gyms across the world.

The University of Maine’s Campus Recreation department recognizes CrossFit Black Bear underneath its umbrella of programs. According the club’s Facebook page, their motto is: “You can puke when you’re dead,” and “Workout of the Day” events are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 a.m.

CrossFit Black Bear received a 5-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation from the Student Organizations Committee prior to coming before the GSS.

UMaine NCWA Wrestling Team is perhaps the latest addition to the UMaine’s wide array of club sports teams. The National Collegiate Wrestling Association recognizes the team as part of its Division II Northeast conference along with 16 other schools including: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and Yale University.

Nearly three decades ago, during the ’70s and ’80s, UMaine had its own varsity wrestling team that kept a winning percentage of 54 percent over its 19-year existence. It was discontinued in 1988 due to a “lack of in-season conference affiliation and difficulty of obtaining home meets,” according to UMaine’s “M” Club.

According to Jordan Fogg — a second-year construction management engineering and business administration student, who spoke on behalf of the club — the team has already raised over $3,000 in fundraising, and a good turnout at the President’s Dinner earlier this fall has the team expecting over 80 members.

UMaine NCWA Wrestling Team received a 4-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation from SOC prior to coming before the GSS.

Auxiliary Services’ Young, Sibley speak on health services

Dick Young, auxiliary operation director of Auxiliary Services, spoke on the recent changes within the health services department on campus along with Cutler Health Center office manager Renee Sibley.

Young says Cutler Health Center, which is run by Eastern Maine Medical Center of Bangor, offers appointment and walk-in services. University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, a student-run volunteer organization closely tied to Cutler, provides on campus ambulance service.

According to Sibley, regular and walk-in appointments are serviced Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., respectively. Any student or staff member can utilize Cutler’s services, and family care can also be provided.

X-ray service is on-site three half-days per week, lab service is offered Monday through Friday, massage therapy operates on Wednesdays, physical therapy can be accessed three days per week and a podiatrist is available twice a month. A taxi service is also available, even outside regular business hours, for any reason there may be for transportation to EMMC.

Young says the insurance isn’t mandatory to be seen at Cutler.

“We work with the financial aid office — through Perkins loans, etc. — to make sure [all students and staff members] are able to get the service they need, regardless of where they’re coming from.”

Exec reports

Both President Kim Dao and Vice President of Student Organizations William “Nick” Smith mentioned plans of an upcoming event to help familiarize students with OrgSync. As of Sept. 17, the event was expected be held on Sept. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union’s Wade Center for Student Leadership.

In addition to mentioning the OrgSync event, VPSO Smith said Club of the Month would no longer be awarded.

“Some months we would get two applications, others we would get seven,” Smith said. “Club of the Semester will be much better because [the winning organization] will have the option of making better use of a larger amount of money.”

Club of the Semester winners will receive $300, compared to the $100 prize Club of the Month winner earned last year.

Other funding

Women’s Lacrosse was funded $510 for their fall season; Women’s Ultimate Frisbee was funded $350 for Red Tide Clambake 2013 during early October in Portland; Maine Peace Action Committee was funded $200 for their office budget; Strong Mind-Strong Body, Inc. was funded $200 for their office budget; and The Wildlife Society was funded $196 for an upcoming national conference.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, the University of Maine and Thornton Academy formally announced a partnership that will allow graduates of Thornton Academy to graduate and attend UMaine’s College of Engineering with a sophomore standing. This is the first time in the state’s history that a high school and University have had a partnership of this type.

Due to the quality of Thornton’s curriculum for science, technology, engineering and math, students can graduate with up to 30 college credits. This works in the same way as typical high school Advanced Placement courses, where students who take the class can take a test at the end of the year. If they pass the test, they are given a credit for the college equivalent of that course.

Dana Humphrey, the dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Maine, believes that this partnership could be a model for other high schools in the state.

“They can have the entire first year of engineering courses done when they graduate high school. They’ll be able to get an engineering degree in three years, that’s a good deal,” Humphrey said. “What’s great about Thornton is the breadth of AP courses they have available […] The teachers need to teach the content that will allow the students to pass the test. Thornton has managed to do that.”

According to Humphrey, the STEM courses offered at Thornton are better at teaching students calculus based mathematics within the different classes. Since calculus plays such a huge part in engineering, it’s easy to see how having these types of courses in high school is important for future generations of engineers.

“Maine ranks 47th in the country for per capita production of engineers. We need to provide more pathways for students to become engineers,” Humphrey said. “Right now, 97 percent of engineering graduates have a full time job within six months of graduation. That’s much higher than any other discipline in the University. It shows a great demand.”

With such a high national demand for engineers, an increase in engineering talent from Maine could be a boon for the state’s economy. Engineering is a very hands-on profession with a lot of trial and error. Part of what has allowed Thornton to reach this status with the University is the resources that are available to its students.

The school finished building a new STEM lab and new media center which will allow students to delve into the actual working aspects of engineering. These developments, coupled with classes like ‘Intro to Engineering,’ will hopefully see the number of potential engineers in the state rise as students will be able to better figure out their career paths before college. Although Thornton Academy is the first school to have its STEM curriculum officially recognized by the university, it is not the only one with such a strong curriculum.

“We have a collaboration with Bangor High School who have established a STEM academy. We’re trying to move toward a model [with them] that looks like the one we have with Thornton,” Humphrey said. “I think that other high schools in Maine are going to be able to take and adopt this model.”

AP courses have been utilized in high schools for a long time now. What’s being done between Thornton and the University of Maine isn’t new, but with the vast array of options and accreditation that Thornton’s curriculum now has it is simply making the system more efficient for producing capable engineers.

“What I would hope is that many high schools in Maine would follow a model like this, at least to the extent that they can,” Humphrey said.

By Rachel Boudreau

For The Maine Campus

A 70-year-old Cottonwood tree in downtown Orono came down on Tuesday in preparation for a new structure to be the focal point for the downtown district.

According to Sophie Wilson, town manager of Orono, “this whole project began in 2009 when the Katahdin building caught fire.

“We weren’t even thinking about cutting the tree when we first started planning for this building. In the initial designs of what we wanted to do with the property, it did include the Cottonwood tree,” Wilson said.

A Facebook group had been created to help raise awareness about saving the tree, accruing over 150 “Likes.”

“We hired a landscape architect and construction workers to try to create a design that would allow the tree to stay,” Wilson said.

The town of Orono has a tree ordinance and tree board. According to the tree ordinance there are three factors that determine whether a tree can be cut down. The ordinance looks at the species of the tree. If the tree species is endangered they cannot cut it down. They also look at if there is anything rare about the tree in size or placement, and lastly they look at the health of the tree.

Cottonwoods have a lifespan of between 70-100 years. This tree has reached its life expectancy and did not meet any of the requirements to save it.

Cottonwood trees deteriorate rapidly from the inside out, and this one was doing just that.

After four City Council meetings, and hearing no public concern about the tree, the town decided that the tree had to come down. It was not until then that people started to have concerns and wanted to save the tree.

After several months of designing, planning, redesigning and reframing, the end result of what would be done with the property, which is now owned by the University Credit Union, is finally coming together.

A 16 thousand square foot University Credit Union Headquarters will take up part of the property in the heart of Orono.

“What we wanted to do with this property was twofold. Firstly, we wanted to announce that you were in downtown Orono. Right now, people drive through downtown and do not even know it is there. Secondly, there is a parking problem in downtown Orono, and this project will do both,” according to Wilson.

The design includes 826 plantings of trees, 91 of which are big trees. The design includes 78 parking spaces and a few seating areas.

Construction is set to begin this year with hopes that it will be done in 2014.

On Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Orono Town Hall, there will be a special meeting for the public to raise concerns about the towns views on fiscal priority, and the aesthetics of the town.

By Charles McKay

“No man is an island,” poet John Donne told us in his poem of the same name. “Every man is a piece of the continent.” It’s true, life is dominated by relationships. Whether you’re in love, in lust, just hoping to hang out with friends this weekend, feeling lonely, or trying to avoid people altogether, the concept and/or reality of human interactions tends to dominate our attention.

Generally speaking, this is healthy. It’s how things are supposed to be. In fact, most mental health professionals will tell you that supportive relationships can be a key factor in determining how well somebody does when they are in treatment.

Knowing how to feel connected to others can do wonders for one’s mental health and overall success. But it’s an area that’s largely ignored in academia. We’re supposed to somehow learn relationships through osmosis, or by mimicking our elders and peers.

You can see the results: lots of lonely people walking around our campus. I’m not just talking about awkward people with inadequate hygiene and big goofy glasses held together with masking tape. There are many people who seem gregarious, the “life of the party,” but don’t know how to foster any kind of intimacy, or to let anyone get close enough to really understand them. Social posturing tends to dominate. We like to put people — even “close” friends, sometimes — into neat categories and stereotypes, rarely exploring what is meaningful to them.

We are the most “connected” generation in history, but no less lonely. Probably more so.

Even if we’re pretty happy with all our relationships, there are always rough patches: arguments, misunderstandings, awkward anxiety, etc. How can we handle these situations in ways that make the relationship stronger rather than undermining it?

One key is to have clear intentions about what you want out of a relationship. Does the other person want the same thing? Do you have the same commitment level? Have you even talked about any of that stuff?

That leads to another important concept: understanding how to advocate for what you want or need in a relationship, without being overly aggressive or sounding like a spoiled jerk. If you are uncomfortable with conflict, or perhaps overly comfortable with conflict, this can become an especially difficult challenge.

And what happens when you or someone you love winds up in a relationship that seems unhealthy or abusive? How do you find support or offer help without condescending?

The University of Maine Counseling Center and Touchstone Resources is offering a free seminar that tackles these very issues, and more. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn keys to success in relating to people, whether it’s an intimate partner, family member, roommate, or co-worker. Even if you feel successful in all your relationships, exposing yourself to new perspectives on what makes people tick is always a good thing.

If you would like more information on how to take part in this opportunity, go to umaine.edu/counseling, then click on “Touchstone Relationship Skills.”

And tell your friends to do the same. This is the type of program we all need to support if we want a healthier, more truly connected campus community. We all stand to gain when individual members of our community thrive, or to lose when those around us suffer.

Or, as John Donne put it: “Send not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.”

Chuck McKay is a clinical intern and Graduate Student at the UMaine Counseling Center & Touchstone Resources.

By Seth Dorman

On several days this past week, there was a man on the mall in front of Fogler Library loudly reciting passages of the Bible. Most students walked past him without pause. One group ran to him, joined their hands to form a circle with him at the center, and skipped around him. Others laughed at him and the words he said. A few became annoyed or angry. A few thanked him.

It is unusual to preach in public. But we hold dear our freedom of speech and our freedom of religion, so a man can preach on the mall, and students can voice their approval or disapproval. What place is better suited to the presentation and exchange of ideas than a university? However, something did seem peculiar about some of the responses to the man and his message.

First, he was reciting sections of famous literary texts: Genesis, Isaiah, and the Gospel of Matthew, which are taken from the most influential book in the history of the written word. Why would some students respond by joining hands and skipping around him in a circle, laughing? If someone were to recite Homer, would they have the same reaction?

Second, beyond their literary value, the words he spoke had a clear meaning. But as he was speaking, some shouted back common misconceptions which had no connection to his text — maybe an attempt to refute him, or to mock him, or to avoid hearing the words he actually said. Again, this is a strange response.

Of course, it is impossible to separate the Bible from Christianity, or Christianity from the Bible. Thus, the responses to this man and the words he said seemed largely not responses to him as an individual, or to the actual words he spoke, but rather responses to the Bible and Christianity as a whole. And these responses are strange in a place which prides itself on tolerance and open-mindedness. If someone had been reading from some other religious text of a different faith, and several people had mocked him or her, would there have been a backlash? Would a police officer have talked to him or her about leaving?

Some argue that religion is too contentious and private a topic for the public sphere. Christianity is good for this man; is that not enough? Why can’t he simply let those who don’t believe it walk to class undisturbed? The mall is a pleasant place to sit in September to study, talk with friends or toss a Frisbee; and the man reciting Bible passages was distracting and caused awkwardness for some.

Or maybe the problem is just that Christianity itself is deeply offensive to some, as Jesus himself warned his first followers: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

For the man quoting the Bible on the mall, according to his beliefs, to remain silent would be a failure to love his fellow human beings. This was his self-professed reason for speaking. It took courage and sacrifice on his part — and that seems worth at least an acknowledgment, and maybe even a listen.

Over the past few years, the University of Maine has had its share of controversial student entertainment events.

Dayglow, the event characterized by electronic music, shots of paint and somewhat hedonistic behavior by the attendees, let loose a chaotic evening of brawling and intoxication-related ambulance transports when it came to the Field House in April 2012.

This past weekend, Pretty Lights was hosted by Student Entertainment and did not disappoint in terms of controversy. After the opening act, Dean of Students Robert Dana took the stage and ordered roughly a thousand students off the floor and back to their seats. Many have judged this reaction harshly.

True, Dana issued an ultimatum by stating that the event would not continue unless students returned to their seats. And perhaps his gruffness, contrasted with 3LAU’s profanity-laced entreaty to the attendees to take their seats so they could ‘rage,’ made Dana appear more like a draconian administrator attempting to crush the free-spirited jubilance of students’ Friday night, but the context of the event is important.

With the nightmare of Dayglow in the memory of both campus security and university administration, Dana’s reaction is perhaps understandable. The best way to maintain an environment in which students could both have fun and be safe is to maintain order. Once one variable, such as the spirit of the students on the floor, becomes unmanageable, other factors are more and more lively to spiral out of control.

In 2003, a fire started at the Station Nightclub in Providence, R.I. by pyrotechnics killed 100 people. Poorly labeled exits and an above-capacity crowd were major contributors to the tragic inability of attendees to escape the burning building.

While it’s highly unlikely that such a thing could ever happen at an event hosted by Student Entertainment, as special scrutiny is given to student safety by UMPD: when situations get out of hand, anything can happen.

Overcrowding of the floor at the Pretty Lights concert could have ended in a deadly stampede had an emergency occurred. And even if fire wasn’t a huge concern, medical emergencies were. It would be foolish to deny that drinking went on before the event, and had someone passed out from alcohol poisoning, a loud, boisterous crowd would have hindered medical personnel’s ability to detect an emergency. Why take that chance when the consequences are so sobering?

These are all sobering thoughts, but its important to remember, the organizers of campus-sponsored events, like the Pretty Lights concert, are primarily concerned with student safety. Yes, they want everyone to have fun, but not if a riotous atmosphere leads to injury. Concertgoers do not have these concerns; they are there solely to enjoy themselves and so, perhaps any attempt to channel their energies is seen as an imposition. Maybe so. But if a student had died, how much greater would the criticism of the university administration be? And how much greater would the tinge of unhappiness settle over those who had attended and realized they had been in a supervised environment whose inattention endangered their well-being?

The Arctic Monkeys have grown significantly as a band in the last few years. The band began their days with a signature punk sound that mirrored that of The Clash. It was a sound that made them relatively unique to popular music. Since their inception, they’ve been gradually getting more recognition.

With their newest release, the Arctic Monkeys have drifted away from that initial punk sound and stumbled into a melodic groove that anyone can enjoy. “AM” was released on Sept. 10 and is a perfect successor to 2011’s “Suck It and See.” It is the next logical step in the band’s progression.

Three of the album’s tracks were first released as singles, each one better than the last. While the greatness of the album does not solely rely on the singles released, they are some of the better tracks. The second single “Do I Wanna Know?” is the opening track to the album and a great composition. The song opens with a simple drum beat and features a hypnotizing guitar riff that plays steadily throughout the song. The mid-tempo song sets the pace for the record.

The third track on the album, titled “One for the Road,” is another highlight of the record. It is one of two tracks that feature guest vocals by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, the other track being “Knee Socks.” The track itself sounds very much like Queens of the Stone Age in pace and tone. It’s much like the opening track in that it is a very mellow song. Compared to songs from their first record, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” the songs on this record are opposites in pacing.

Lead singer Alex Turner has said that Outkast, Aaliyah and Black Sabbath were inspirations for the album’s sound. It is very easy to see the hip-hop influence on the album’s music itself. The drum tracks feel very hip-hop based.

The fourth track, “Arabella,” has an obvious guitar throwback to Black Sabbath, with the lick in the chorus mimicking the verses from “War Pigs” perfectly. The inspirations do not just end with the music itself; according to Turner, the album title is influenced by the Velvet Underground greatest hits record titled “VU.”

by Josh Deakin

The album’s closing song, “I Wanna Be Yours,” is a great ending to an amazing record. It ends the way it began — with a beautiful, melodic song. The songs are all similar in tone but it never feels like listening to the same song over and over. The songs are well written both musically and lyrically, and tell fantastic stories of love. It is only a matter of time before this record blows up. The Arctic Monkeys have produced a cohesive piece of work that is destined to stand as a monumental album in rock music.

Grade: A

by, Kyle Hadyniak

for The Maine Campus

To be frank, “Elysium” is a thoroughly enjoyable, excellent movie in every respect. Director Neil Blomkamp, whose previous effort was 2009’s surprise hit “District 9,” returns with an equally flashy and thought-provoking film, anchored with stellar performances by Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Much like “District 9,” “Elysium” is a humanitarian film wrapped in a science-fiction setting, a combination with which Blomkamp seems to excel. The end product is substantial, exciting and supremely different from this summer’s typical action movie fare.

Firstly, the visuals are second-to-none. “Elysium’s” story revolves around two main locations: an overcrowded, poverty-stricken wasteland formerly known as the grand city of Los Angeles, and the beautiful utopian society of Elysium, an orbital space station inhabited by the super-wealthy. In both cases, visual effects provide completely believable and wonderfully realized backdrops. Seamless CGI allows for amazing sweeping camera angles over each location, yet the detail doesn’t apply only to the set pieces. It’s the little things that really sell “Elysium’s” visual effects, such as the subtle specks of debris in Earth’s orbit, individual fragments of gore, bullet casings, explosions, and the marvelously detailed ships including Elysium itself. This, combined with Blomkamp’s honed sense of framing, makes “Elysium” full of jaw-dropping scenes, even when there is a lull in the action.

However, due to the movie’s quick pace and frequent camera cuts, these non-action scenes are few and far in between. Despite the near-2-hour runtime, an exciting plot and skillful direction help make the movie pass quickly, never slowing down or relying on fluffy scenes to expand the runtime. At its heart, Elysium can be seen as a metaphor, if not an exaggerated one, for the state of the Earth today and potentially in the near future. Indeed, sci-fi usually prospers when it provides a commentary on society and/or the human condition, and this makes “Elysium” truly a noteworthy movie. Much like in “District 9,” Blomkamp uses the setting of the movie to draw comparisons to the socio-economic class divide existing today, and the result is a film that strikes closer to home than one would expect.

Matt Damon is excellent as Max, the lowly factory worker, who, as a child, aspired to leave the poor, sickly society of Earth and travel to Elysium with his childhood friend, Frey. Like many born on Earth, Max settles for a life of hardship and poverty. However, after being given a death sentence, Max is determined to get to Elysium, but must overcome the bounty hunter, Kruger, played by Sharlto Copley, and the forces of Elysium’s Defence Secretary, Delacourt, played by Foster.

Foster is wholly believable as Delacourt, as her ruthless, stone-cold passion for keeping Elysium immigrant-free produces some shocking acts of violence.  In another supporting role, Alice Braga plays Frey, however her character is the only one that isn’t truly believable. Braga, while not a bad actress per se, simply lacks the emotional depth her character needs in the movie. While only slightly distracting, Braga’s performance is nonetheless noticeable in an otherwise superbly acted film.

“Elysium” is a movie that earns its R rating in an effective sense. Again, much like “District 9,” sci-fi weapons provide startlingly awesome battle scenes, where men are literally blown apart, and set pieces are destroyed by volleys of projectiles; a particularly noteworthy scene involves the reconstructing of a human face after a shockingly gruesome point-blank grenade explosion. And while there is swearing, it is not used in excess — just sufficiently to provide punch to certain lines of dialogue. With these examples in mind, it would be hard to imagine “Elysium” being as effective an action movie without the R rating. Indeed, this is where Blomkamp finds his stride.

In the end, “Elysium” is a movie that fires on all cylinders. Incredible CGI, able acting and a substantial plot more than justify the price of admission. As Blomkamp’s second sci-fi hit, one can’t help but wonder what his next film will be, and if it will equal the set of production values that have become his standard of filmmaking.

Grade: A

by, Josh Deakin

Netflix has a wide variety of films to choose from, but upon stumbling on this gem, it was an obvious must-see. The goofy 1996 crime movie, “Bottle Rocket,” gave many people their start in the film industry. To begin with, it was the first film of Wes Anderson. Anderson is now famous for his melancholy comedies such as “The Royal Tenenbaums” and, most recently, “Moonrise Kingdom.” “Bottle Rocket,” while at times displaying a dramatic tone that is found in many of Anderson’s more recent movies, is more comedy-based than anything else.

Along with Anderson, the film also marks the debut of Owen and Luke Wilson into the industry. Owen Wilson would go on to star in comedies like “Meet the Parents” and “Wedding Crashers.” Luke Wilson has also starred in a variety of movies from the Western “3:10 to Yuma” to the comedy “Old School.” Luke has also branched into television as well. He starred in the HBO show “Enlightened” which ran from 2011 to 2013. “Bottle Rocket” also guest stars actor James Caan. Caan is famous for playing Sonny Corleone in 1972’s “The Godfather.”

The film tells the story of two best friends who enjoy committing robberies. After a “heist” at a local bookstore, they take off into hiding at some motel off the highway. One of the best scenes in the movie is the opening scene that shows Anthony, played by Luke Wilson, leaving a mental hospital after a voluntary stay. What makes this scene great is that Anthony’s best friend, Dignan, played by Owen Wilson, believes that this is an elaborate escape from the mental hospital.

The dynamic between Anthony and Dignan is great. It appears as though they have been friends for a very long time and Anthony seems to take on the role of watching over Dignan. “Bottle Rocket” is, ultimately, about their friendship. These two friends are completely different people and yet they get along so well. Dignan is very impulsive in how he makes decisions, whereas Anthony is more prone to thinking things out logically.

James Caan plays Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry acts as sort of a criminal guru to Dignan while Anthony is in the mental institution. After his release, Dignan desperately tries to get Anthony under Mr. Henry’s guidance as well. Eventually, this leads to the two doing another robbery together. Mr. Henry is a relatively fun character who is also quite eccentric. Caan definitely does not slack on his performance.

One of the best qualities of the film is the dialogue. Though it is occasionally slightly predictable, it is very crisp in delivery and feels real all the way through. One could detect a Tarantino vibe in certain scenes. The only serious issue I have with the movie is that the ending feels a bit rushed. Due to the quick wrap-up, the resolution does not feel like a resolution. The last few lines of dialogue just don’t serve their apparent intended purpose of tying up all loose ends in the film. Overall, though, “Bottle Rocket” was an enjoyable film that will surely have you entertained.