Monday, January 7, 2013

3 Short Stories

Hailey Hurowitz
3 Short Stories
1/7/13
1A

   
Jane's Studying Date 
There once was a girl named Jane that was getting bad grades in her math class, so she decided to ask her friend Jack if he could help her pull up her math grades.  Jane sort of thought getting bad grades was a good thing because she had a crush on Jack.  Anyways, Jack and Jane decided to meet in the 4th floor hallway after school on Monday.  Jane was so excited for their tutoring date that the night before Monday, she got all dressed up.  When she got to school on Monday, and she was so excited the whole day that she couldn't even focus in class.  When the bell rang at the end of the day, she raced up to the 4th floor to meet Jack for their study date.  As soon as she got to the 4th floor, he was their awaiting.  They both then sat down on the floor to start studying when Jane just had to express her feelings towards Jack.  Jane then shouted out to Jack that she loved him, and he started to blush.  Jack said that he actually loved her back and that he had been crushing on her for a long time.  Jack then picked Jane up off the floor and invited her to go out for ice cream, and they walked hand and hand out of the school.


The 3 Little Ants
    There once was 3 little ant sisters named Lilly, Amber, and Joeli that were homeless after their parents died from being stomped on one day.  They decided they needed somewhere to live, so they started to look.  They all found some good dirt at a park in Atlanta.  The sisters decided though that they were getting older and needed their on place, so they started to look for materials to make their houses.  Lilly made her house out of the dirt, Amber made her house out of grass, and Joeli found a paper cup with a lid that she made her new home out of.  They all then settled into their homes, until one day, it wasn't so settling.  Lilly's house was the first to be bothered by a big butterfly that wanted to eat Lilly, but Lilly hid, and that is when the butterfly flapped its wings and destroyed Lilly's house.  Lilly then went crying to her sister, Amber's house.  When Lilly got inside, she explained everything to her sister, and then the sister became scared the butterfly would come to her house and try to eat her.  Sure enough the butterfly came and said she wanted the two little ants to come out, but the ants didn't, so the butterfly flapped its wings and blew down Amber's grassy house.  Amber and Lilly then both went crying to their sister, Joeli's house.  Joeli heard knocking at her lid door, and saw that it was her sisters, so she let them in.  Amber and Lilly told Joeli what happened, but Joeli wasn't scared if the butterfly came to her house for a little visit.  Lilly and Amber were astonished, and asked why, but as soon as they started to ask, the butterfly came to Joeli's door.  The butterfly again asked to see them, but they all refused.  The butterfly then did what she always did, and began to flap her wings, but the cup with the lid on it didn't break, it only moved a little bit.  The butterfly kept flappy its wings for a little while, but then the butterfly grew tired, and then went away forever.  The three ant sisters then decided they needed to live with each other, so Joeli let her two other sisters live at her house, and they all lived happily ever after.

The Lost Girl
There once was a girl name Ariel that didn't like school anymore, so she decided to ditch one day and go explore in the woods.  She then came across a cottage that looked empty to her, so she decided to go into the cottage.  She was so hungry, and she saw three bowls of cereal on the table.  There was a big bowl, a medium sized bowl, and a small bowl.  She first tried the big bowl of cereal, and as soon as she tasted it, she spit it out because it was very dry with no milk in it.  She then went over the the medium sized bowl and tasted it.  As soon as she tasted it she spit it out because it was too soggy.  She then went to the small bowl of cereal and tasted it, but she actually didn't spit it out this time, she liked it!  The bowl was just right,  not too dry and not to soggy.  After the girl ate the small bowl of cereal, she went to their living room to go sit down.  When she got into the living room, she saw a big chair, a medium chair, and a small chair.  She went over to the big chair first, but she couldn't even sit in it because it was to big to climb up into.  After that she went to the medium chair, where she got into, but it was really spiky, so she quickly got off of that.  After that, she went to the small chair, and sat in it.  The small chair was just right, and she soon began to fall asleep in the chair.  After an hour passed by the owners of the cottage came home to find that their house and been broken into.  They began to search the house, and they all went into the living room where they saw the little girl sleeping.  She then woke up, and was scared out of her mind, but the people that lived there weren't actually mad, and they actually led the girl up to their room, where they let her sleep on the small bed that was just right for her.






Monday, December 17, 2012

Films


Hailey Hurowitz
12/17/12
1A





Movie: The Guilt Trip
Summary: An inventor and his mom hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention.
-  I think this movie will be great because two of my favorite jews are in it, Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogen.
Movie: The Impossible
Summary:Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas fun the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her.  The family must find each other again after this horrible storm.
-This movie seems like a great family movie that will be very moving.
Movie: Django Unchained
Summary:Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave.
-This movie seems like a good Civil War type of movie.


Movie: Monsters Inc. 3D
Summary:After exploring the worlds of toys and bugs in the two Toy Story films and A Bug's Life, the award-winning computer animation company Pixar delves into the realm of monsters with its fourth feature. Hulking, blue-furred behemoth James P. "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) and his one-eyed assistant Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are employed by Monsters, Inc., a scream processing factory. It seems that the denizens of their realm thrive on the screams of kids spooked by monsters lurking under their beds and in their closets. It's the job of Sully, Mike, and their co-workers, including sarcastic Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), crab-like CEO Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn), and lovely snake-headed receptionist Celia (Jennifer Tilly) to keep the frights flowing. When Sully and Mike are followed back into the monster world by a very unafraid little human girl named Boo (Mary Gibbs), they are exiled to her universe, where they discover that such a modern-day mythological specimen as the Abominable Snowman is a fellow refugee.
-This movie is definitely a movie I would love to see because I remember watching it in theaters when it first came out as a little girl.  This will brings memories back to many.
Movie: Jack Reacher
Summary: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter-a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right-and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning-and then beat him shot for shot.
- I think this movie will be a great movie to watch, and I already want to know who it is killer.
Movie: Parental Guidance
Summary: Old school grandfather Artie (Billy Crystal), who is accustomed to calling the shots, meets his match when he and his eager-to-please wife Diane (Bette Midler) agree to babysit their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents (Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott) go away for work. But when 21st century problems collide with Artie and Diane's old school methods of tough rules, lots of love and old-fashioned games, it's learning to bend - and not holding your ground - that binds a family together.  The grandparents have one more chance to parent all over again.
-I think this movie will be charming and also really funny from the trailer.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Album Releases

Album Releases
Hailey Hurowitz
12/13/12
1A

Artist: KE$HA
Title: Warrior
Summary About Album: Warrior is the second studio album by American recording artist Kesha. It was released on November 30, 2012 through Sony Music in Australia and New Zealand, while being released on December 4, 2012 through RCA Records in the United States.
About Ke$ha: Kesha Rose Sebert was born on March 1, 1987, and she is an American pop singer and songwriter.  Her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on Flo Rida's number one single "Right Round."  Her debut single, "Tik Tok" was released in August 2009.  It reached number one in eleven countries and set the weekly  records for the most digital downloads of a female artist and of the total Top 40 Mainstream airplay records in the US.  The song also became the longest running number-one debut single by a female artist since 1977.  Debby Boone's 'You light Up My Life' set the record 33 years ago by holding the #1 position for 10 weeks.  Her debut album, Animal, was released in early 2010 and debuted at number one in the US. 
Top Song: "Die Young"



Artist: Bruno Mars
Title:Unorthodox Jukebox
Summary About Album: Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album by American recording artist Bruno Mars, released on December 6, 2012, by Atlantic Records.

About Bruno Mars: Bruno Mars is born Gene Hernandez, and he was born on October 8, 1985.  He is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.  He was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, and Mars began making music at a young age. 
Top Song: "Locked Out of Heaven"

Artist: Singing Adams
Title: Moves
Summary About Album: This second album from Steven Adams and the alt. country quartet he formed post-Broken Family Band starts off sounding like an understated Beautiful South.  But it's soon apparent that, compared to the South's Paul Heaton, Adams uses a little to much melody and artfulness to conceal his psychological wounds.  There are no re-enacted emotional breakdowns here, nor is there much evidence of Adam's wit-a defining feature of Broken Family Band's wry English take on Americana.  This album will be something you won't forget. 
About Singing Adams:  It is a band consisting of Steven Adams, Matthew Ashton, Melinda Bronstein, and Michael Wood.  They are a British/English Rock band.
Top Song: "No Rock Song"

 

Artist: Beans On ToastTitle: Fishing For A Thank You
Summary About Album: Fishing for a Thank You album by Beans On Toast was released Dec 11, 2012 on the Xtra Mile Recordings label. .2012 release, the fourth studio album from the Folk singer/songwriter. A career defining record that, in his own amiable style, deals with such matters as protests, love, drugs, religion, Wetherspoon's pubs and Angry Birds with his perfected witty social commentary.
About Beans On Toast: Beans On Toast began playing in 2005, rising from the London folk scene. 
Top Song: "Microwave Popcorn" 


Artist: Jack Beats 
Title: Somebody To Love
Summary About Album:Jack Beats released Somebody To Love, the second in their series of mini albums, on December 2nd through Columbia/Deconstruction in the UK. This release follows their Careless mini album released on September 10th.
About Jack Beats: They are a hip hop group that remixes songs.
Top Song: "Just a Beat"


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Entertainment

Hailey Hurowitz
12/11/12
1A
Justin Bieber is Getting Worse and Worse



       Justin Bieber has turned into a mean machine.  Yesterday, he chucked a plastic water bottle in the paparazzi's direction on his way out of a store in Miami yesterday.  No further drama occurred, but Justin was pretty lucky the cops were not there because they could of made him pay a littering fine, or could of made him pick up trash, or "perform other labor commensurate with the offense committed."  It's unclear what provoked the reaction, other than the paparazzi's general appearance, but perhaps a curious "papa" asked how Justin was feeling after being shut out of the Grammy nominations.
     Now, Washington, D.C. should watch out for Justin Bieber next because he has just announced his tour of summer 2013 called the "Believe World Tour."  He was in town tonight to headline Hot 99.5's Jingle Ball concert.  Justin Bieber better watch out because people will stop "beiberbelieving" in him.


info from: http://www.eonline.com/

DVD Release

Hailey Hurowitz
1A
12/11/12

Movie: Ted
Summary: Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted.  In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett(Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish, and has refused to leave his side ever since.
Grosses: This movie made  $469 million.
-I think this movie will be high on sales, but low on rents because everyone that saw this movie seemed to love it.



Movie: Gayby
Summary: This movie is about a gay man and a straight woman in their 30s that have been friends since college, and they decide to have a baby together,  The thing is that the woman wants to do it the old-fashioned way.  The man, is easily persuaded.  But after setting up that proviso and providing the requisite awkward sex scene, the movie drops the idea and moves on to oddly weird sexual things.  The movie also shows the gay date nights between them.
Grosses: This movie's world wide gross is $11,558 million.
- This movie seems super dumb, so I think it will be high no rents but low on sales.



Movie: Dreams of a Life
Summary: This movie is about how nobody noticed when 38-year-old Joyce Vincent died in her bedsit above a shopping mall in North London in 2003.  When her skeleton was discovered three years later, her television was still on.  Newspaper reports offered few details of Joyce's life, not even a picture.  This movie tells the story of who Joyce Vincent was, and how this could happen to someone in our day and age.  This movie is Carol Morley's journey to discover who Joyce was and how she came to be so forgotten.
Grosses: This movie's gross is $6.6K.
- I think this movie will be high on sales, but low on rents because this movie seems really interesting, and this summary really wants to make you know what happened to Joyce Vincent.


Movie: Why Stop Now?
Summary: This movie brings together the comic talents of Academy Award-nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo and Tracy Morgan in he summer's wildest comedy.  Eli (Eisenberg) is a piano prodigy.  Today is the audition that will determine his future.  Will he launch his career and take off into the world,? or will he stay stuck, caring for his sister and mother (Leo) who, despite her cheerful, loving disposition, is a drug addict.  The only obstacle to a seamless transition into his future is dropping off Mom off at the center where she will enter rehab, but a glitch in the system forces sends them off to enlist the help of an unlikely ally, her drug dealer Sprinkles (Morgan).  The day spirals downhill quickly, and the hapless team must collaborate every step of the way to battle their own demons and get Eli out of the rabbit hole.
Grosses: This movie's gross is $1.6K.
-I think this movie has amazing comedic actors, but I don't think the movie will be that good, so I think this movie will be high on rents, but low on sales.

Movie: Mansome
Summary: Executive Producers Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Ben Silverman bring us a hilarious look at men's identity in the 21st century.  Models, actors, experts, and comedians weigh in on what it is to be a man in a world where the definition of masculinity has become as diverse as a hipster's facial hair in Williamsburg.  This funny movie of men's idiosyncratic grooming habits are thoroughly combed over as men finally take a long hard look in the mirror.
Grosses: This movie's gross is $18.4K.
- This movie seems like a funny movie, but I think it will still be high on rents, and now on sales because this movie doesn't seem like a "great" movie people would buy.

info from: rottentomatoes.com

Friday, December 7, 2012

Movie Release

Hailey Hurowitz
12/7//12
1A
Movies

Movie: Playing for Keeps
Summary: Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid star in Playing for Keeps, a romantic comedy about a charming, down-in-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together.  Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy's soccer team.  But his attempts to generally become an adult are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive soccer moms who pursue him to every turn.
-I think this movie is going to be funny, and Gerard Butler is in it, so it has to be good:)
Movie:Waiting for Lightning
Summary: This movie is the story of Danny Way, the skateboarder whose dream was to jump The Great Wall of China on a skateboard.  It's a movie about how much abuse the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive, the challenges life brings, and how high and far dreams can go to.  In his journey for greatness, Way continues to shape the very sport which helped save his own life.
-I think this movie seems great, but a little bit gruesome. 
Movie:The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez
Summary: Retired radio DJ, Rex Page (Ernest Borgnine). always dreamed of being a Western movie cowboy.  After suffering a back injury, Rex finds himself recovering at Rancho Park nursing home, a facility held in the villainous grip of local businessman Mr. Walker (Barry Corbin) and his evil henchman, Dr. Dominguez (Tony Plana).  At first, Rex is helpless in this lawless world, but when the Latino staff realizes that Rex once met their icon, Vicente Fernandez, Rex becomes a local celeb.  And like the cowboys from his dreams, Rex discovers the love and respect of his family and the staff when he faces down the tyrannical owners of Rancho Park this homage to the Spaghetti Westerns of yore. 
-This movie doesn't seem that good to me, but it seems like a good cheesy film.
Movie: Heleno
Summary: Gifted with incredible athletic talent, Brazilian-born Heleno de Freitas conquered the soccer world in the 1940s.  As his fame and fortune grew to new heights, his passion for a decadent life of women and nightclubs threatened his career.  Featuring an Awards-caliber performance by Rodrigo Santoro (300, What to Expect When You're Expecting), Heleno depicts the thrilling life of the world's first sports superstar.
-Honestly, this movie does not seem like a good movie to me at all, but I think it will amuse some people in the world.






info from: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

DVD Release

DVD Releases
Hailey Hurowitz
12/5/12
1B

Movie: The Dark Knight Rises
Summary: It has been 8 years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive.  Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good.  For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.  But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda.
Grosses: Dark Knight's total gross was $448.1M.
- I think this movie was low on rents, but high on sales because everyone seemed to love this movie.
Movie: Hope Springs
Summary: Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband.  When she hears of a couple's specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy.  Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough-the real challenge for both.
Grosses: Hope Springs's total gross was $63.5M.
- I think this movie was low on sales, but high on rents because this movie just seems okay, and not great enough to buy. 
Movie: Unforgivable
Summary: Francis (Andre Dussollier) is a successful crime writer who moves to Venice to work on his next novel.  When he meets model-turned-real-estate-agent Judith (Carole Bouquet), he is instantly infatuated.  Francis and Judith eventually marry and move to a remote house on Torcello Island but Francis' new found happiness hinders his writing.  Obsessing over what Judith does while at work, he hires a young-exconvict to investigate.  As Judith's sexual past is revealed both men become increasing fixated on the mysterious woman.  Set against the beautiful backdrop of Venice, Unforgivable examines the consequences of unresolved past relationships and their far-reaching effects into the future.
Grosses: Unforgivable's total gross was $0.2M.
- I think this movie will be low on sales, but high on rents because it doesn't seem like a movie that people will love enough to buy.
Movie: The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Summary: Director/writer Peter Hedges brings enchantment to the screen with The Odd Life of Timothy Green, an inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green, who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like.  When young Timothy shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Kin, and their small town of Stanleyville learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts.
Grosses: The Odd Life of Timothy Green's total gross was $51.6M.
- I think this movie will be low on rents, but high on sales because I have actually seen this movie and this is a movie that no matter what age you are, you would like it.
Movie: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Summary: In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a 6 year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood.  Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality.  Desperate to repair the structure of her world in order to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny hero must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions.
Grosses: Beasts of the Southern Wild's total gross was $11.2M.
- I think this movie look a little bit confusing, but I think it will be low on rents, but high on sales because it looks really good and interesting.
Movie: Silent Night
Summary: A loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night, Malcolm McDowell and Jaime King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve.  But with the streets full of Santa's for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight.  He's made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.
Grosses: Silent Night's total gross was $9.7K.
- I think this movie will be low on rents, but high on sales because it is Christmas/Holiday season, and this movie is about Christmas time.  If it wasn't holiday season, I think it would be high on rents, but low on sales.

Info From: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/