Entertainment

The Devil Inside conjures disappointment among audiences

By Natalie Paonessa, senior

                Similar hype that Paranormal Activity received from audiences spread throughout the country as The Devil Inside came to theater release January 7. Horror movie lovers flocked to theaters opening day, selling out in many local cinemas like Destinta and Carmike, and most viewers left with a sense of disappointment and confusion from the unfocused plot and tired, repeated filming style. 

                As many other movie producers have formerly attempted, The Devil Inside was filmed documentary style, similar to Paranormal Activity, Quarantine and Cloverfield. It revolved around the story of Isabella Rossi who went to  Rome to investigate exorcisms with hopes of discovering her mother’s cause of insanity by the murder of 3 people when Isabella was very young. The documentary style or “found footage style” has had its time and now only bores the audience, according to bgnews.com. The disturbing language and body bends may have gave the viewer chills, but the plot of the movie never was very clear, jumping from one creepy scene to the next with no viable intent.

                Although it is claimed that The Devil Inside is based on a true story, the story of the real Maria Rossi is not one of demons and exorcisms. According to articles.latimes.com, Maria Rossi was a high school dropout with an alcohol and drug problem that brutally murdered a 70 year old woman with the assistance of a friend, Tina Molloy, in the UK. Maria Rossi never lived in America, never was married or had a child, never claimed to be possessed and never lived in a mental hospital in Rome. The real Maria Rossi has been in Cardiff Crown Court in Wales since 1993.

Despite the negative comments and movie reviews, The Devil Inside grossed over $30 million in its opening weekend, according to reuters.com. Audiences complained of the similarities between The Devil Inside and Paranormal Activity movies which was not surprising considering Steven Schneider is the producer of both films. Schneider is not offended by nasty comments regarding the films he has produced and is simply proud of the success achieved by The Devil Inside on its opening weekend.

Remarking to complaints of the documentary style genre, Scheider says, "A lot of the reviews talk about found footage as a genre that's tired," he said. "The irony is, the movie opened to such remarkable numbers. ... I think it's still in its infancy in terms of its aesthetic and stylistic development."

Isabella Rossi (played by Fernanda Andrade) from The Devil Inside

Fourth installment of the Twilight saga breaks into theaters

By Emily Hughes, senior

Breaking Dawn Part 1 starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson hit theaters on November 17. The Twilight films have all been extremely successful and this mesmerizing installment is the best yet.  Lead is VAGUE - lacks how/why it is mesmerizing... 

                The movie, based on the novels by Stephanie Meyers, picks up where Eclipse left off. Wedding invitations have been sent out and Bella is getting extremely nervous to marry Edward. On the contrary, Edward couldn’t be more pleased, he just wishes that he didn’t have to turn Bella into a vampire after their nuptials. One rough spot in the movie is the scene where Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, walks down the aisle. She looks like she’s in severe pain; the awful moment is forgiven, however, by the touching first kiss the couple shares as husband and wife. Jacob Black, played wonderfully by

                Also, Taylor Laughtner, makes an appearance at the reception and isn’t pleased to hear that Bella will soon become a vampire. Also the lady Twihards will be disappointed to hear that Jacob keeps his shirt on for most of the movie. Senior Susana King says, “I wish I got to see Taylor Laughtner’s abs more, he’s my favorite character in the series.”   

       To the adoring audiences delight, Bella becomes pregnant after their honeymoon.  The portrayal of Bella's pregnancy is done wonderfully, as well as the birth scene. The movie gives you a new perspective on the relationship between Bella, Edward and Jacob. The relationship between the werewolves and the Cullen’s also changes drastically.  Although the fourth installment lacks action it manages to leave the audience's yearning for more and wondering what will happen next. Kari Pankas, a senior at CMHS stated, “I thought this movie was the most well acted yet, it was touching and simply fantastic.”  

Are you a true Twihard?

By Emily Hughes, Senior

                Some claim to be Twihards but it is hard to tell who is an extreme fan of the Twilight Saga. If you have read the Twilight novels and have watched the movies, more than once, than you should be able to answer the following questions, proving just how big of a Twihard you truly are.

1.       Who plays the character of Rosalie Hale?

a.       Ashley Greene

b.      Nikki Reed

c.       Dakota Fanning

d.      Anna Kendrick

2.       What color are Edward Cullen's Eyes?

a.       Brown

b.       Blue

c.       Gold

d.       Green

3.       In which movie does Edward first propose to Bella?

a.       Twilight

b.      New Moon

c.       Eclipse

d.      Breaking Dawn Part 1

4.   
          What book does Bella constantly read in the Twilight novels?

a.       A Great and Terrible Beauty

b.      To Kill a Mockingbird

c.       Pride and Prejudice

d.      Wuthering Heights

5.       Which Vampire is an Expert Vampire Killer?

a.       Alice

b.      Carlisle

c.       Jasper

d.      Emmet 

6.       What scene is left out of the Twilight movie that was in the novel?

a.       The meadow scene

b.      The blood typing scene

c.       The prom Scene

d.      The car crash scene

7.       What happened to Emmet before he got turned into a vampire?

a.       He fell off a cliff

b.      He had the Spanish influenza

c.       He got attacked by a bear

d.      He drowned

8.       Who was destined to be the wolf pack alpha?

a.      Jacob

b.      Sam

c.      Quill

d.      Bella

9.       Where do Bella and Edward go on their honeymoon?

a.       Alaska

b.      Isle Alice

c.       Alaska

d.      Isle Esme

1        Who is the final battle in the novels against?

a.       The Alaskan Vampires

b.      Victoria’s new born army

c.       The werewolves

d.      The Volturi

The answers to the questions are below. If you answered 0-4 questions right, you need to re-read the Twilight series. If you answered 5-7 questions correctly, you might want to brush up on the details if you want to reach Twihard status. If you answered 8-10 questions right, you are definitely a Twihard.

Answers: 1. B 2.C 3.B 4.D 5. C 6.B 7.C 8.A 9.D 10.D  

 Hollywood happenings heighten to new high

By Abby Miles, senior

                While life in Canonsburg is not ultra-exciting or fast-paced with the normal everyday lives of the residence and high school students here at Canon McMillan, the lives of Hollywood stars have been very productive with hidden relationships and new career changes  in late November and early December.   

                Although Dakota Fanning is most known for her roles in “I am Sam” and “Uptown Girls” where she is portrayed as very young an innocent girl, Fanning has just landed a new role playing a teen bride. Her new movie is called Effie, in which Fanning embodies the title character who is a love triangle with her husband and two other men.

                In other exciting Hollywood drama Kylie Jenner, sister of Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian, is dating the Australian pop singer Cody Simpson. The 14 year olds met at the premier of Breaking Dawn Part 1 and have allegedly been inseparable ever since.  Another young couple, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were seen at an IHOP the day after the American Movie Awards. 

                According to In Touch Weekly Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant after just seven months of marriage.  Rumors have it that William and Kate are already coming up with names for their new little one.  In Touch also says Middleton is already six weeks along and the couple is ecstatic about the news.

In addition, Leah Michelle graced the cover of Allure magazine while Taylor Swift takes a break from her singing career over the holiday break to chill with her hometown friends.

                Lastly, in Hollywood news the Jonas Brothers plan to continue their solo careers. The most humble Jonas, Nick, is getting ready to perform on Broadway and has formed his own band Nick Jonas and the administration. Hopefully, all of the Jonas’s careers are going as well as Nick’s.

New television shows for teens

By Emily Hughes, senior

Many appealing teen programs, including Vampire Diaries, The X Factor, Survivor, Glee and America's Next Top Model, recently premiered on television networks like CBS, The CW and Fox. Teens are bound to love these exciting, romantic and comical shows.

Vampire Diaries – The CW’s hit vampire romance started its third season and all the drama from the first two seasons is back with a vengeance! Stephan has gone rogue but still pines for Elena, his girlfriend, from afar. In order to keep Elena and his brother safe, Stephan has joined the evil Clause on his journey to turn all the werewolves into mutant half vampire-half werewolves. Elena has become torn between Stephan and his bad-boy brother Damen. Jeremy is seeing dead people, and Caroline is in love with a werewolf and a human. Watch Vampire Diaries on Thursday nights to see how the story plays out.

The X Factor- Simon Cowell’s rival to American Idol recently premiered on Fox. Cowell even uses his sponsors as rivals; Pepsi and Verizon sponsor his musical contest while AT&T and Coke sponsor American Idol. The shows are very similar and the dynamic between Abdul and Cowell are the same as they were on Idol. One big difference between the two shows is the prize on The X Factor is bigger and better. The winner will receive a $5 million recording contract! It’s hard to say which show will excel American Idol or The X Factor, but it seems like it’s going to be a battle until one show is canceled.

Survivor: South Pacific- This hit reality show is back on CBS and so is Redemption Island, the island that gives survivor players who have been voted off the island to return with a vengeance. Two former contestants are also back, the neurotic Coach and the strong and handsome Ozzy. Russel Hans' nephew even joins the cast, he plays the game much more conservatively than his uncle and may be leaving the island sooner because of this. The new season of Survivor is destined to be a crazy one.

Glee- Gleek Out! The new season of Glee has begun on Fox, and teens across the world are screaming in excitement. The 3^rd season of Glee promises to be just as musical and enticing as ever. Rachel and Finn are together again, Quinn has gone punk, Brittany is running for class president, Mr. Schuester has finally landed Emma, Sue is out to Destroy Glee, Kurt and Blaine are madly in love and most of the New Directions are Seniors! Also this season the winners of The Glee Project will join the cast, The talented Lindsay already out-shined Rachel with her amazing pipes! This show’s 3^rd season promises to be hilarious, poignant and simply amazing.

America's Next Top Model- The favorites from past seasons are back on The CW and ready to smize! The Favorites who are back include Isis, the transgender model, Lissa, the crazy girl and Kayla, the proud lesbian. This all-star season of America's Next Top Model will definitely be hard to forget. So far Alexandria has gotten booed by the public while walking the runway, Bre melts down about her make over and the girls are already having some major cat-fights. Some models feel uncomfortable during their photo shoot featuring them eating hotdogs. ANTM’s all star season is going to show plenty of exceptional fashions and have tons of exciting drama.