Doctor Who Special Commemorates 50 Years on Television

By: Rob Brown

BLUE BELL, PA--Saturday, November 23, 2013, was the day of the Doctor, when the British Broadcasting Corporation finally aired, after months of intense anticipation amongst the millions of Whovians, a 75-minute special episode that length-wise was “bigger on the inside” than a normal, 45-minute episode, referencing past characters and on-screen events and locations, all the while focusing on the ongoing storyline of the episode.

In the official trailer for the special, Matt Smith, the current actor to play the series’ main character, the Doctor, says, “I’ve had many faces, many lives. But there is one I’ve tried so hard to forget.”  The special will feature his incarnation of the character which will be joined by his predecessor, played by actor David Tennant, as well as a previously-unseen Doctor played by veteran actor John Hurt. Together, all three Doctors must solve the problem that is square and center to the special.

     For fifty years, the world’s longest-running science fiction television series, Doctor Who, has been shown around the world, inspiring two generations of children and adults who wish that they were travelling in time and space.

 The series itself follows the adventures of a mysterious alien traveler known only as “the Doctor,” whose home looks like a British Police Telephone Box from the 1950s – in reality a spaceship that is bigger on the inside – that can go anywhere in time and space. For as long as the show has been running, the Doctor has always been, and continues to be accompanied by supporting characters called “companions,” whose main purpose is to give viewers an insight into the Doctor’s adventures, interpreting and piecing together the problem or conflict that the character faces.  Together, he and they visit distant planets and time periods, fighting monsters, righting wrongs and defending the universe from anyone who tries to conquer it for evil purposes.  The Doctor also has the ability to change his appearance and personality when injured or dying of old age; in that sense, the main actor and the show itself has constantly “regenerated” over the years.  This “passing of the torch” from one actor to another has since resulted in the Doctor being played by eleven, soon to be twelve, different actors. 

Since the show first aired on November 23, 1963 (the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated), its “classic series,” as it is known, ran for 26 seasons before being cancelled in 1989.  After a one-night comeback in the form of a television movie in 1996, the show returned to episodic form in 2005, and has since enjoyed tremendous success with a new generation of viewers as well as fans of the classic series.  And that success will be sure to multiply even after the building anticipation that made 2013 a “fantastic” anniversary year for Doctor Who.

"Thor: The Dark World" Even Better Than the First

By: Danielle Ruch 

BLUE BELL, PA--Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, the sequel to 2011’s Thor was released in theaters on November 8th, 2013 and grossed over $85 million in its opening weekend.  Directed by Alan Taylor, this film picks up where The Avengers left off.  The main antagonist, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) is being held prisoner in the dungeons of Asgard, as punishment for his crimes inflicted on Earth.  We find Loki’s brother, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) busy with establishing peace among the nine realms, which leaves little time for the woman he loves on Earth, Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. 

Thor: The Dark World was one of the better Marvel films and was even better than its predecessor.  The cinematography was superior to the first, and the animation looked a lot less cheesy, as the audience actually got a better glimpse into the world of Asgard, and all its amenities.  The plot was also a bit more interesting that the first Thor film.  The cliché of the destruction of the universe may be overdone, but for this film, it works. The characters also have a lot more depth, and the relationships are more complicated, as one of the more notable performances comes from Tom Hiddleston, who delivers just the right amount of insanity that Loki requires.

There aren’t many major differences between this film and other Super Hero movies, but for fans who can’t get enough of the Marvel universe, this film will not disappoint.  Sprinkled with just the right amount of humor, romance, action and suspense, Thor: The Dark World continues along the path of massive success from the world of Marvel’s comics.

Valve’s “Greenlight” Program Explodes Indie Game Industry

By: Aaron Berstein

BLUE BELL, PA--Valve, one of the biggest computer game publishers and developers in the business, has recently started a program that goes along with their Early Access and Workshop. Valve’s Greenlight program takes developing games or finished games and puts them on their worldwide Steam community catalog. This has had a huge effect on the independent game design industry by taking their games and publishing them on a worldwide scale for next to nothing in return.

     “Steam’s for games and software as well” says Matt Murray, an interested communications student at Montgomery County Community College. How Greenlight works is a developer submits his or her game or non-game software to Greenlight, then the community on Steam votes on what they would like to see completed, and gives advice and support to the developer. This feedback is one of the most important things a developer can receive during development as it gives them an insight into what the community, their customers, would like to see from them. This allows them to change the game to the community’s preference, which will result in increased sales and general enjoyment. A lot of big titles have started as Greenlighted titles such as Rogue Legacy or, coincidentally, Game Dev Tycoon, and the reason they get big is because Steam manages itself with their own advertising, which means that a brand new game will be shown to several hundred thousand people at once increasing their possibility of sales.

     As a Game Design student, I believe that Valve’s Greenlight program is extremely helpful to new game designers and independent companies. If you can afford the charity donation of $100 that Valve asks for in order to make sure you’re serious about your submissions, then Valve will allow you to publish your games with them, for only about 10% of the profit you make. This gives the developers, like me, an advantage that before was not available to them.

Inherent Vice

By: Tom Sherkness

BLUE BELL, PA--Academy Award nominated writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has an all-star cast for his upcoming filmInherent Vice. The film adaptation of the novel written by Thomas Pynchon includes actors Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Benecio Del Toro, and returning lead actor Joaquin Phoenix. Anderson is known for getting extraordinary performances from his actors in his films - There Will Be Blood with Daniel Day-Lewis and in his last film The Master with Joaquin Phoenix. The film is centered upon the drug-fueled detective Doc Sportello in late 1969 into 1970 when the Manson family was prevalent in the media during which an ex-girlfriend hires Sportello to investigate the disappearance of her lover. According to Vulture, Anderson has been working with the novelist and the film has the blessing of Pynchon himself. The Internet Movie Database lists Inherent Viceas in post-production and set to release 2014.

Are Montco Students Spending too Much Time on Social Networking/Media?

By: Carli Meehan

BLUE BELL, PA--A study done on “DNews” says that the average time spent on social networks is about 13.5 hours a day. Leaving 10.5 hours for sleep and other activities during the day. So is this going into addictive territory, “Dnews” quoted in their video “people are addictive to the positive social interaction on the internet”. What about students at Montgomery County Community College; what are their personal opinions about Social Networking and Media.  Surveying a group of six Montco students 83% said they spend between 2-3 hours weekly on “SN”.  67% also said 2-3 hours academics outside of school weekly.

When asked if they felt ‘SN” effect their schoolwork Justine Carr responded, “No, because he only uses medias to post a few comments through out the day and it doesn’t interfere with schoolwork”. Another student Byron Drayton who was one of the students who uses social networking 5-10hours throughout the week  said, “it does affect his schoolwork because it takes away the free time he would have to possibly study ”.  When asked if he felt he was addicted he said, “I don’t feel addicted because I can log off whenever I want” but then asked if he could give up all Social Medias for a whole week he said “NO”. In Justin Carr’s’ case whether he could give it up for a week he quoted “Sure, but I would need other social supplements because I would get bored”.   

Recently in the DMS-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder) they have published a section on Internet Addiction, they are still researching the symptoms but the list so far is (1. Excessive use 2. With drawl: anger, tension, depression when away from the computer or social networks, 3. Tolerance and the needing of more, 4. Negative repercussion: including arguments, lying and social isolation). Researchers found it have the same effect on your brain as gambling.

A one on one interview with a Montco student Melissa Perozze and being asked if she felt students are addicted to social media at Montco? She quoted “Yes, you can’t go anywhere without seeing phones glued to their faces even when having a conversation with someone right in front of you. In class rooms it’s also a problem because you see students checking their phone every five minutes for Facebook or Twitter updates while a lecture is going on.” Then asked if she felt Social Medias affect her schoolwork? “Of course, especially at home because you need your computer to do homework and its so easy to check Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook and then you end up staying on those sites for hours instead of actually doing your work.

“Gravity” Pulls in Success

BLUE BELL, PA--Warner Bros. Picture nail biting, 3D space thriller, “Gravity,” swooped into theaters on October 4, 2013 and gave critics and movie goers a new 3D visual of outer space and put them at the edge of their seats. "I think it's the best space photography ever done, I think it's the best space film ever done, and it's the movie I've been hungry to see for an awful long time" states super movie director James Cameron. Alfonso Cuarón, writer and director of “Gravity,” brings A- list actor and Actress, George Clooney, wise, calm, veteran astronaut on his last space mission, who guides Sandra Bullock, a newly experienced mission specialist who has gone through unexpected tragedy in her life back on earth. The two survive a supposedly ordinary deep spacewalk destruction of a satellite that destroys their space shuttle leaving them completely stranded in space and looking for a thrilling journey back to earth. “Gravity “gained 80% of the entire movie goer purchases were chose to experience the movie in 3D; Cuarón displayed astonishing visual effects of outer space and planet earth utilizing 3D as a huge advantage to market to its audience.

Notorious film reviewer and critics, Rotten Tomatoes gave “Gravity” a positive 97% out of 100 and “Certified Fresh” rating. “Gravity is as jaw-droppingly spectacular as you've heard, magnificent from a technical perspective but also a marvel of controlled acting and precise tone,” thrived top critic, Christy Lemire. The story of the film was enhanced by the CGI, sound FX, and 3D technology to bring the audience into what it felt like to be fighting for life in the midst of the heart pounding outer space atmosphere and was critically acclaimed by doing so. The Hollywood blockbusters grabs hold of the audience’s feelings, and doesn’t let it go, bringing a new 3D feel to the generation of ticket holders.