Classic Films That Every Millennial Should See

By Mack Ferrell

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

            SMYRNA  -- Classic movies are little glimpses into a different time and place. They open a window into history that we have never seen before with our own eyes. Movies allow us to see what was popular or what was the social norm back in that time.

I think it's very important to see the history of this country through film. A lot of references that we see or hear daily come from these classic films. I interviewed my Survey of American Film professor, John Hart, to ask him about this topic.

            “Millennials should definitely watch some of the classic films,” Hart said. Early films inspired the movies that we watch today.

Hart added that movies made a dramatic shift in the mid-1970s with the release of “Jaws” and “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” These films started the special effects driven media that has continued with today’s films including “The Avengers,” “Transformers,” and other superhero/sci-fi films.

            I asked him to suggest three classic movies that he would recommend and why. Here is his list of favorites.

"All About Eve: 1950": This film stars Betty Davis, who was one of the first female actors in a female-centric plot. It is the only film in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations.

"City Lights: 1931": This is an old black and white, Charlie Chaplain film. It was one of the first romantic comedies and is unique because it released towards the end of the silent film era and shows the universal understanding of love that stretches across all languages and backgrounds.

"Rear Window: 1954": Alfred Hitchcock is a very renowned director and this was one of his more challenging yet spectacular films. Hitchcock demonstrated how it is possible to build suspense without much on-screen action.

            My personal favorites would be “The Godfather,” “Citizen Kane,” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” These films are very well written and are littered with great actors which make these so memorable to me.

These films are just some of the many great movies that are hidden in time to the 21^st century. Cinema has changed a lot over the years and today we find ourselves in a more money-driven world than ever. Many studio heads are focused on making a profit from their films, which is understandable, but some of the expectation for creativity has been swept aside because of that.

We pointed out that so many sequels and repeats on television and in the theaters that we have become accustomed to that. Many of us are too timid to jump outside of our comfort zone, including myself, and watch a film that’s different than what we normally see.

I challenge you to go on Netflix or Hulu or any other streaming site and select a classic film that interests you. Be sure to check out these films and others that might interest you and dive deep into some great classics! 
Here’s a link to a list of great classic movies:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_classics_movies/

(About the writer: Mack Ferrell is a Mass Communications major at Motlow State Community College.)

Motlow Hosts Adult Learner Information Nights

By Paige Hendrickson

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

         SMYRNA - Most residents of Tennessee are now familiar with TN Promise for graduating high school seniors. Now it is time for those out of high school to have the opportunity for free education!

         In response to growing needs for a more educated workforce, Gov. Bill Haslam developed the “Drive to 55” program, which is designed to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with post-secondary (college) degrees or certificates to 55 percent by the year 2025. To more readily reach this goal, the TN Reconnect grant was created to “reconnect” adults without completed post-secondary education to institutions that can help them finish these degrees or certificates, and then return to the workforce for better prospects.

         Here are the Fall 2018 Eligibility Requirements:

         * A prospective student may not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree.

         * He or she must have been a Tennessee resident for at least one year preceding the date of application for the grant.

         * He or she must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year and be deemed an Independent student.

         * The participant must be admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution and enrolled part time (six hours) in courses leading to completion of an eligible program of study.

         * A successful applicant must participate in a college success program through the TN Reconnect Community initiative as created by the TN Higher Education Commission.

         Motlow’s Director of Adult Initiatives Allison Barton is the primary point-of-contact for TN Reconnect questions (abarton@mscc.edu or 615-220-7826). Motlow is hosting “Adult Learner Information Nights” on select Tuesday nights on the following campuses to help address people’s questions and concerns about this program. Session times are

         Moore County/Tullahoma Campus - Nov. 14, 5 p.m. (Registration closed)

         McMinnville Campus - Nov. 21, 5 p.m.

         Smyrna Campus - Nov. 28, 5 p.m. (Registration closed)

         Smyrna Campus – Dec. 12, 5 p.m.

         According to Barton, these informational sessions are to help answer questions about applying to Motlow, enrolling in classes, and addressing the variety of services offered.

        

          She noted, “We have representatives [there] from Financial Aid, Recruitment, Veteran’s Affairs, Adult College Express (ACE), Weekend Warrior (only Smyrna campus), and the Reconnect Communities,” which will assist people who would like to “submit their Admissions applications and FAFSA.”

         Visit the following link for registration to these events: https://motlowstate.wufoo.com/forms/z5lk20m083awol/.

Have a Cell Phone Plan? Read This!

By Mary Kate Brown

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

Imagine with me, it is the end of the month. You receive a mysterious text message. Something about data percentages and charges accrued. Who has time to worry about that gibberish? Not you! So, you delete the text and pocket your phone.

Moments later, you receive another text. This one is less mysterious. It is your dad and he is upset. Something about data percentages and money not growing on trees.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. We live on our phones. We eat data plans for breakfast! Still, there are bills to pay and parents to appease, so here are some tips and tricks to help you stay current on events and help your dad to get back to focusing on your class performance. Hey, I can’t fix everything!

 

TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR DATA when you are in a WIFI area! This is easy, and it cuts off usage of your cellular data without changing the way the phone operates.

DOWNLOAD instead of streaming videos, music and podcasts. If you subscribe to Netflix, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Prime and other services, you can download movies, music and podcasts to your device. You must be in a WIFI area to download, so this requires a bit of forward thinking. Still, this eliminates the need for WIFI and cellular data entirely.

WHERE’S THE FREE WIFI? The answer is, everywhere! Down the street from our campus, on Sam Ridley Parkway, there are multiple opportunities for FREE WIFI. Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Wendy’s, Chili’s, Arby’s and any local library all have FREE WIFI. The hidden gem is Target Superstore. They have FREE WIFI all over their store. So, you can grab a latte and a seat and get some serious Snapchatting in all while picking up snacks, shoes and storage for your apartment. It is a win any way you look at it.

World Film and Creative Writing Classes Available For Spring Semester

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

         SMYRNA – Motlow’s Smyrna campus will offer world film and creative writing honors seminar classes in the spring semester.

         Professor John Hart’s world film will be held from 12:30-1:50 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will feature an in-depth view into films from countries such as France, Korea, Germany and many more dating all the way back to the early 20^th century. The class will start with a study on the process of how films are made to teach students how to critically assess films, and learn what makes them remarkable even if they are not suited to someone’s interest.

         Hart is particularly excited about the French comedy film "Blue" by Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. 

         “French comedy is almost like a whole new genre, especially when compared to American comedy,” Hart noted.

         While this class is considered an honors class, it is available to everyone. However, Hart would prefer students he previously had in a class, or for students who haven’t had one of his classes to bring a recommendation from another professor.

         Hart sternly said, “Sometimes students see film and think it will be easy. This is an actual class and will have standards like any other class. There will be papers and there will be discussion.”

         Despite the serious nature of the class, Hart is excited to be teaching about and revisiting some of the best works international filmmakers have to offer.

         The brand new creative writing class is also available for the spring semester. Professor Jenna Caviezel will be teaching the class from 930 – 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. The class will consist of three units: poetry, creative fiction, and revising and publishing. Students will participate in a creative writing workshop process, first consisting of small groups and then whole class workshops later in the semester.

         Students will be expected to read stories, but not for in-depth literary analysis. Analysis will be done with the intent to see the text as a writer rather than as a critique. Instead of a traditional textbook, students will receive Journal of the Month, a subscription-based service that sends highly curated and well-regarded publications each month.

          “Using Journal of the Month presents the unique challenge of not knowing what is coming," Caviezel noted. "Instead of planning in advance what the class reads, I am going to know just as much as the students will about a story.”

         Even with the challenges, Caviezel is excited to be teaching creative writing at Motlow for the first time.

         For more information on either of the classes or to sign up, contact Hart at jhart@mscc.edu or Caviezel at jcaviezel@mscc.edu.

Motlow Market Helps Fight Student Hunger

By Jonathan Graham

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

         SMYRNA -- Thanksgiving truly is a time for giving. We give during this season because we know just how lucky we all are. Families unite and join around a table of food to celebrate one another and the many blessings that have been bestowed upon them. Shelter, food and merry holiday spirits abound.

         Many families, however, will go hungry this Thanksgiving. In fact, many students at Motlow go hungry every day. As a result, the Motlow Market is working to minimize hunger across our four campuses.

         The Motlow Market is a campus-wide initiative designed to help fight student hunger on campus. Each campus has a Motlow Market representative that serves to assist students in need of food. Since its inception in April 2016, the Motlow Market has served at least 15 students in need. In order for students to receive food, students need to simply contact one of the Motlow Market campus representatives who will then put together a food package for the student in need. 

         Representatives for the Smyrna Campus include Jonathan Graham, Liala Syler, Regina Hill, and Hayley Austin and Stacy Dowd. Representatives for the Moore County Campus include Kirsten Moss, Angelica Dotson, and Rhonda Cotham. Representatives for the Fayetteville Campus include Debra Smith and Joshua Caldwell. The representative for the McMinnville Campus is Laura Brown.

         There are many ways to give to the Motlow Market. Motlow’s Student Government is currently holding a non-perishable food drive at the Smyrna Campus to collect food donations. Items can be donated until the end of the semester (i.e., finals week). Boxes are in the lobby area of both the Mary Loy Apple building and the Arthur Walker Jr. Building. We suggest students get together and donate a meal – pasta, sauce, bread mix, veggies; casserole (chicken or tuna, condensed soup, veggies); pancake mix, oatmeal, syrup; chicken taco night (shells, seasoning, salsa, chicken). Students, faculty and staff can also donate nonfood items such as personal hygiene items (e.g., deodorant, soap, razors, shampoo, tampons etc.), as well as baby items (diapers, wipes, formula, and bottles).

         Students, faculty and staff who shop at Kroger can also sign up for Kroger’s Community Rewards Program. When a student, faculty or staff member signs up for the Kroger Community Rewards program and selects the Motlow State Food Bank as their charity of choice, Kroger will donate a percentage of what is purchased directly to the Motlow Market.

         Thanksgiving truly is a time for giving to those in need. If you are interested in helping support the Motlow Market this Thanksgiving holiday season, please contact one of our campus representatives. Happy holidays from the Motlow Market Team!

Jonathan Graham – jgraham@mscc.edu

Liala Syler – lsyler@mscc.edu

Regina Hill - rhill@mscc.edu

Hayley Austin – haustin1028@mscc.edu

Stacy Dowd - sdowd@mscc.edu

Kirsten Moss – kmoss@mscc.edu

Angelica Dotson – adotson@mscc.edu

Rhonda Cotham – rcotham@mscc.edu

Debra Smith – dsmith@mscc.edu

Joshua Caldwell – jcaldwell@mscc.edu

Laura Brown – lbrown@mscc.edu

We Heard It Through The Grapevine That...

                  * Sidney McPhee has been chosen as a participant in the TBR 2017 Maxine Smith Fellows Program.

                  * The Motlow Smyrna Library is going to be open for extended hours during pre-finals week and finals week.

                  * TN Reconnect will begin next Fall semester. Jeremy Mills and Allison Barton have been holding event nights to field questions and provide information to potential students, including posting Facebook videos of the sessions (presumably for anyone who could not make it in person).

                  * Students must complete eight TN Promise/FYE community service hours before the Dec. 1 deadline.

                  * Student Affairs has provided generous funding for the purchase of "hot beverage" supplies for all four campus libraries.

                  * Dec. 1 is the deadline for faculty members to submit an application to become a Tennessee Promise student mentor. Rutherford County only has 62 percent of the mentors it needs to serve the next incoming class of Tennessee Promise students. 

                  * Construction on the new (third) building is expected to begin next March.

(Stacy Dowd and Paige Hendrickson contributed to this column.)
 

Stephen King's I.T. Wins Trivia Night

         SMYRNA -- History Club’s "Trivia Night" was a splashing success! Open to students, faculty, and staff, teams competed for the right to show that they were the overall random knowledge leaders of Motlow Smyrna. Questions came from categories such as general knowledge, entertainment, science, technology, and of course… history. 

         And the winners were

         * First Place - Stephen King’s I. T.

         * Second Place - SEAM Club

         * Third Place - Team Austin

         In addition to the trivia contest, History Club also hosted a pizza and drink concession stand. Proceeds from the concession stand will go to support upcoming History Club events such as our trip to the Parthenon and an Angel Tree child.

         Thanks to everyone who supported this History Club event. If you didn’t get to participate this time, never fear! We have plans to host another "Trivia Night" during the Spring Semester. Start building your teams, watching "Jeopardy" to prep, and see if you can dethrone Stephen King’s I.T.

(Motlow Buzz Managing Editor Ramona Shelton submitted this report.)

Students 'Like Me'

By Andrea Green
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

         During a recent visit to Hobby Lobby, I had an interesting exchange with a stranger. As I was walking toward my car, my arms laden with bags of holiday décor, I was approached by a haggard-looking woman. Her appearance suggested pure exhaustion: tousled hair, a misbuttoned shirt, and a screaming toddler secured to her right hip. A second child slowly trailed behind her banging his Superman toy against car bumpers. The cacophonous trio caused several shoppers to take notice. I smiled at the woman, and was surprised to see her not only smile in return, but change course and approach me.  

         As I placed my various bags in the trunk of my car, I heard her say, “Excuse me. I’m sorry to bother you, but do you go to Motlow? I saw your green sticker.” She nodded toward my parking decal. I told her I taught English at the Smyrna campus. The woman’s face suddenly transformed. Her exhausted expression was replaced with an energized countenance of interest.

Over the screams of the little girl in her arms, she responded, “Oh good! Can I ask you a question? I’m thinking about applying next semester, but I can’t seem to make myself go through with it. Do you have a lot of students like me?”

         Like me.

         I’ve heard this phrase countless times from a specific demographic, but just to be sure I asked her, “What do you mean by like me?”

She replied, “You know, older students. I’ve been out of school for 15 years and I just feel silly going back now. I don’t want to be the only old lady in the room.”

Ahh, serendipity! This woman wasn’t asking just any teacher at Motlow. She was asking a woman who had herself questioned many times if she was going to be the old lady in the room. I didn’t start school until I was 28 years old. For years I allowed insecurities and doubts to hinder me from beginning my education. I related my story of being a non-traditional student at Motlow, and I assured her that I worked with—and had at one point been a student of—some of the best teachers I’d ever encountered. I assured her that never did I feel different. Never did I perceive any judgment about my age. Never was I made to feel like I didn’t belong, and never was I made to feel like I was a failure for not attending school at an earlier age.

         I welcomed her to visit our campus and see how many students like her we actually had. At the end of our conversation, she was still physically exhausted. The toddler’s screams had increased in both volume and severity, and the little boy was angrily tugging on her free arm. In her eyes, however, resided a refreshed and renewed look of hope. She thanked me, and as she walked away I heard her tell her children, “Mommy’s going to school! Yes, she is! She’s going to be a nurse!”  

         Unfortunately, this woman’s concern about being stigmatized as a nontraditional student is a quite common narrative. The stories vary, of course. Some are stymied by issues with family, illness, or myriad other obstacles. Others may actively choose to wait because they enjoy their current jobs. I’ve taught veterans who start their education after four, eight and even twenty years in the armed forces. Often, these students erroneously think that their experiences as mothers, fathers, cashiers, factory workers, and soldiers won’t have any real value in a classroom.

As a former student and current faculty member, I work to assure these students that Motlow welcomes them with open arms. Most of the non-traditional individuals I’ve encountered are studious, diligent, inquisitive (all those adjectives teachers used to describe GOOD students). They are usually very successful in my classes despite their insecurities about their age. Our society touts education, education, education; however, we also simultaneously purports the expectation that college should be attended (if you do it the right way) directly after high school. The reality is that we have a society full of adults who, for whatever reason, have waited to enter higher education.

         I laud my non-traditional students for their courage to go back to school. What I’ve failed to do is to help these students see that their situation really isn’t that a-typical. They are not, as one nontraditional student joked, Billy Madison sitting in a kindergarten classroom. More importantly, they aren’t taking a time-out from their ‘real’ lives. Motlow is merely a transition from one path to another in their personal journey. My colleagues and I don’t care if our students are 16 or 60. We’re here to help.  

(Andrea Green is an English professor on the Smyrna Campus.)
 

Motlow State to Close for Thanksgiving Break

         LYNCHBURG, Tenn. – Motlow State Community College will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday from Nov. 23-26 (Thursday-Sunday), according to college officials.

         The closing applies to computer labs, libraries and other facilities at all Motlow State campuses, including the Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville and Smyrna campuses.

         There will be no classes on Wednesday, although Motlow facilities will remain open. Classes scheduled for Thursday through Sunday also will not meet.

         All classes will resume their normal schedules, and all campuses their normal hours, on Nov. 27 (Monday).

#ConfidenceBeautyLove

By Alex Melara

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

I’ve often wondered what beauty really is. The concept seems pretty simple. However, it is truly a complex aspect of life.

Beauty can have a plethora of different meanings, which might make it hard to find someone who views beauty in the same way. As for myself, I didn’t understand what beauty was until I took the time to try and understand what beauty means to others and how they view life.

This journey has helped me to define beauty as confidence. It isn’t confidence in what you wear, or how much you weigh. Confidence doesn’t mean that you have to look like the current trending celebrity. Beauty is confidence in your own self-worth. No one can define it but you. No one can define you for who you are, unless you give others the power to speak for you.

“Beauty means confidence. It means compassion. It means Strength,” according to Paloma Diaz, a student at Motlow State Community College.

I realize that talk is cheap, and it’s a long and tedious journey to self-love. I myself have gone through it. For many different years, I have found myself hating the way I look. It’s a story I would love to tell, but a nightmare I still struggle with. I have spent a lot of time, money and energy trying to get my skin to be perfect and my clothes to be stylish. But I’ve found that when you look at yourself in the mirror the only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself.

Kate Hatch, a student at Middle Tennessee State University, is someone whom I admire because of the way she expresses self-love all over her social media sites. This is what she had to say.

 “I have found beauty in a person’s dark eyes when he talks about his passion,” she said “I see beauty in a laugh. I see beauty in a young man playing with his children, or a woman hiking a mountain. I see beauty in the extraordinary parts of a person.”

I can’t give myself a magical answer on how to love yourself for who you are. I haven’t found the all-knowing guide book on self-confidence. Such a thing simply does not exist. But I can give you one piece of advice, something that really does work for me. Stop caring about what others say, and stop caring about the latest trends. Trends will change before you even have the chance to mold yourself to the current one. Stop judging the flaws that you think you see in the mirror, and become an admirer of the true beauty that is.  Stop frowning and start smiling. Stop listening to others and taking what they say to heart. Instead, start listening to yourself!

Towards the end of my junior year of high school, I struggled with coming to terms with my sexuality. Junior year was a time that I heavily focused on what other had to say about me. But it wasn’t until I finally decided to be comfortable in my own skin, with my own body, and my own thoughts that I realized what I had been doing to hurt myself in the long run. It hit me like a wave, like a tsunami filled with eye opening revelations. Not only did this moment come to me because I was open to it, but it came to me because I was truly willing to make a change. Allow yourself to have this opportunity, to have that peace of mind.

You can still take care of yourself, and as a matter of fact, please do! Just don’t be too quick to jump from ship to ship just because of a trending hashtag. I’m still trying to keep up with some trends, and I will always have a passion for fashion. I’m human, and I adore having people say that I look nice. There’s nothing wrong with wanting people to compliment you. I still dream of having the ideal body and perfect hair. These things that can be viewed in many different ways.  

“There is such a diverse amount of people in the world, that as one thing is claimed beautiful another thing loses that title,” noted Marissa Davis, a retail associate at Torrid. “With that being said, people who hold that specific characteristic become insecure and have to take the time to find something new that they love about themselves.”

I have come to a blessed point in my life, a point in which I refuse to let myself hurt. These are insignificant, yet oh so powerful words. I have made a vow to myself that I will not starve for my body. I will not stop wearing something I love just because it’s not the biggest thing selling in stores. But I will carry myself in a manner that leads others to believe that I do. I will walk with confidence and pretend like people love the way I look. I will not allow them to give power to those horrible things. My biggest hope is that this change I have made within me will manifest itself in others. My dream is that you, too, will walk around with your head held high.  

“I would like for beauty to be simple and not so complex, ” said Bailee Sherrill, a customer at Hollister Co. “We make beauty fit in a category like a box, and if you aren’t in that box, you aren’t beautiful. I wish beauty could be what God made it to be and that is simply what we are.”

Song of Solomon 4:7 states, “You are altogether beautiful my darling, there is no flaw in you.”

“This speaks to me because this is what God truly meant to every single one of us,” Sherrill added.

So I beg of you to stop focusing on trends and stop asking what your beauty means to others. Instead of asking them, start telling them. Show the world your beauty, and it will accept it. Let’s make a pact and effort to stop paying attention to trending hashtags and create our own. Use #ConfidenceBeautyLove the next time you question whether you look beautiful in a picture just because others might not like it. Do this when you see yourself being truly happy. Do this even when you’re doubting it, and let others give you the courage that you lack in that moment of need. Just remember that you shine brighter than even the darkest of shadows, because even the darkest of shadows will accept your beauty.

(My name is Alex Melara and I’m a Mass Communication student at Motlow State Community College, a brand representative at Hollister Co., and an advocate for self-love.)

Here are some helpful likes on building confidence:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/building-confidence-and-self-esteem

Love the way you look:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201407/10-ways-feel-better-about-how-you-look

How to feel beautiful and boost confidence:

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/how-to-feel-beautiful-and-boost-confidence

‘Blade Runner 2049’: A Ride Through an Intentionally Opaque World

By Xander Alsup
 Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer 

            “Blade Runner 2049” is a ride to say the least, although not in the classic sense.

“Blade Runner 2049” is the most recent film of renowned director Denis Villeneuve. So far, Villeneuve has directed a string of highly praised films, ranging from 2013's “Prisoners” to his recent hit “Arrival” (More info can be found about Villeneuve at http://www.imdb.com/).

Going into the film, I'm sure there are plenty of people wondering if “Blade Runner 2049” is the movie for them, and to that question I must give a complicated answer.

“Blade Runner” is an extremely slow movie. It takes its time with literally everything, often breaking up dialogue with long sullen pauses. The pauses seem to pan around the environment, creating an atmosphere that’s as thick as molasses. Sometimes it requires something akin to a steak knife to cut through.



            This works perfectly for people who can immerse themselves in the universe Villeneuve sets up on the foundations and ideas presented first by filmmaker Ridley Scott. Although yes, even the first movie was an adaption of a novel, the sequel is not related to the original novel in any way.

            That being said, if you find yourself to be indifferent to the world presented by “Blade Runner,” you may grow to loath this film after the first hour. Keep in mind that this movie is about three hours long. I have to admit that I enjoyed almost every second of it. As with a lot of things with this movie, your mileage may vary.

            First, let’s talk about the lead actor’s performance. Ryan Gosling plays the key role of inspector K, a blade runner who has the dirty job of hunting down and killing beings known as replicants. In a nutshell, there was a company known as Tyrell that was bought out by a man known as Mr. Wallace. Although blade runners existed before, they are now used to kill older replicants made by the Tyrell Corp.

To be honest, I didn’t expect anything from Ryan Gosling, who usually plays the exact same character in every movie he’s been in so far. Although Gosling keeps a stone-cold stare during the film, it fits his character, and it makes his character progression later in the film that much more powerful. This performance doesn’t dip for a second, showing that Gosling is capable of emoting if he just has a director that can push him to where he needs to be. Harrison Ford doesn’t really come into the film until the halfway mark, but his performance is stellar none the less.

            Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to discuss the film’s plot without ruining certain twists, of which there are many. So the best I can do is give a simplistic overview of the main plot thread introduced at the beginning of the film, which constantly changes throughout.

In a nutshell, Inspector K finds information that leads to the discovery that an android was capable of conceiving a child. Out of fear, his superior, ‘played by Robin Wright,’ orders him to hunt down the living child and kill it to keep other androids from possibly finding out about this occurrence. This is only the setup for the movie and by no means represents the rest of the film. In fact, the focus constantly switches between multiple subplots that are well explored and have interesting payoffs.

            To my surprise, not even one of my professors has seen “Blade Runner 2049.” In fact, out of all my classes, I just found one other classmate who has seen the film. Luckily, his opinion was somewhat opposite of my own (although he still enjoyed most of the film to a certain extent). For example, he loved the plot of the movie as well as the narrative twists and themes the film explores. He had a genuine problem with the pacing of the film, citing how certain scenes dragged on for far too long and almost worked to muddle the plot rather than helping it.

            Of course, I’m part of the camp that views these elements as character/world building, although the other side of the argument is also completely valid. He also loved Jared Leto’s character, who is admittedly over the top to the point of it being comical. It wasn’t cringeworthy and overworked like his performance in “Suicide Squad.”

            To be conclusive, I truly do believe that “Blade Runner 2049” is worth the shot if you’re not looking for a hardcore action movie. But if you want to watch a movie that is more interested in pulling you into its universe rather than pulling you through a completely linear narrative or action-packed set pieces, this movie may be for you.

            To see a clip from this movie, visit https://youtu.be/gCcx85zbxz4.

            About the writer: Xander Alsup is currently majoring in Mass Communication. Alsup usually

focuses on political issues, although he is also passionate about film and music.