Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor and Chris Evans as Captain America in “The Avengers” (Marvel/MCT).

by Michael Holcomb

Doing the impossible is what humans do best. Impossible things such as going the Moon are is only but one achievement that humanity has within its long list.

This movie proves to be no exception.

It is one of those cases where the idea would work extremely well or simply implode into itself. Could Hollywood truly make a cinema spectacular with not only big star names, but also represent some of the greatest comic book heroes of all time?

The answer is an incredibly pleasing one: yes.

The Avengers is a film where all the pieces are thrown together in the right order. Everything about this spectacle is amazing. It is an extremely polished film that looks absolutely fantastic. The picture is crystal clear. The makers truly put their craft to an ultimate test here where audiences will be bedazzled by just how smooth The Avengers is. Not only does Avengers look good in its quality, but the effects are engaging.  From Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk and Iron Man flying around to a truly epic battle in Manhattan, the effects are done positively right.

Of course, effects are not the only thing that makes a movie. Luckily, Avengers is covered in that department. Joss Whedon has done as an excellent job at writing these characters. There truly exists a sense of conflict not only from the enemy, but also from the group’s inability to unite against them. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. do well to show tension that stands heavily between the reserved and ready Captain America and the flashy, stylish playboy that is Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, respectively.

Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth do well to portray their characters, Hulk and Thor, as well. Newcomers such as Scarlett Johannson and Jeremy Renner fulfill their job,s too, and fulfill expectations for a blockbuster flick of this caliber. What is also nice is that the villain, too, is expanded upon and is a familiar face since it is Loki, Thor’s brother. This should be easier for audiences to accept if they have previously seen Thor before seeing this. It is glad to be said that this film prides itself in its characterization for everyone present to make a nicely woven story for audiences to enjoy.

Overall, The Avengers is an experience that should not be missed this summer. It truly does its job to glorify and represent the heroes which American pop culture has come to know and love. The Avengers not only raises the bar for future Marvel films to match, but graciously shows itself as it is – a vastly enjoyable summer movie for audiences across.

Every year, slews of movies are released. Summer, though, is when the battle of the box office takes place. Here’s a selection of movies with the most potential.

The Avengers. In the star-laden movie, the Earth is under attack from an invading force. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) brings together Earth’s mightiest heroes, such as Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to combat the threat. Releases May 4.

Men in Black III. Ten years after the second movie, Will Smith returns as Agent J. In the new installment, Agent J must rescue Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) from being killed in the past by time traveling to the 1960s. Josh Brolin is added into the mix as a younger Agent K, and Jemaine Clement plays villain Boris. Releases May 25.

Prometheus. Ridley Scott revisits the Alien franchise with a refreshing new entry. A spaceship crew aboard the Prometheus goes on a mission to discover the origins of humanity, only to find much worse forces. The film features the talent of Swedish action heroine Noomi Rapace (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest) and Michael Fassbender (300). Releases June 8.

Brave. In Pixar’s 13th outing, this animated spectacle looks to another location to tell a story. Set in olden times of the Scottish Highlands, heroine Princess Merida sets out to defy age-old customs, unleashes chaos in her kingdom, and tries to undo a horrendous curse. Releases June 22.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Based on the novel of the same name, producer Tim Burton seeks to reimagine of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire-hunting hero by combating the undead scourge throughout his life, even during the Civil War. Benjamin Walker (Flags of our Fathers) is set to star as Lincoln. Releases June 22.

The Amazing Spider-Man. Rebooted and ready to go, Sony seeks to re-explore Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) from a new beginning. Parker is on an epic journey to discover the history of his family, accept the great power and responsibilities of becoming Spider-Man, and fight against The Lizard. Releases July 3.

The Dark Knight Rises. Christian Bale returns as Batman for what is supposed to be the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight). Not only is Batman being hunted down by police forces since the events of the last movie, but he must also work at stopping the brutal-minded Bane (Tom Hardy) from destroying Gotham. Releases July 20.

The comedy is about mysterious murders by the “Stage Door Slasher.”  Sliding bookcases and sliding passageways help “Slasher” to continue to murder. The murderer will be unmasked, but not before the audience has been in for the comedy side.

Show times are April 13-14, 19-21 at 7 p.m.  To purchase tickets in advance call 816-604-2691 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for general admission.

~Alex Greenlee

“Mom, may I get this game?” a young child asks as he lifts up a game from the rack. The game is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

The game is rated M for Mature audiences, meaning only those 17 and older can buy it.

“Of course you can, sweetie,” the mother replies.

People have been witnesses to small events like this. It can include other forms of media as well, such as movies. I distinctly remember going to a horror movie where there was an infant in the audience with its guardians.

An infant.

In our society and culture, we possess a nasty habit of putting the blame on our media. Kid becomes a serial killer? Scream influenced the child. Do they try to hijack cars and shoot people? Grand Theft Auto gets blamed. Does the kid have health problems? McDonald’s caused it. There is a trend here that is repeatedly shown. A number of parents do not embrace responsibility and that they believe that others should do their job for them. This is why multiple organizations exist. Notable examples included are the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America). Each organization rates software and movies, respectively, for appropriate age groups. These organizations do everything in their power to let people know what games and movies contain unsuitable material for minors. The ratings are always located on the product’s box for everyone to see.

Despite the information being accessible, parents still blame these organizations and their industries for failing to control their kids. Even the government gets blame for not enacting enough restrictions to the media.

The governments and organizations may not be the sole source of blame here. The blame for behavioral problems in children as they get older lies heavily with the parents. The parents are the main external influences kids are introduced to every single day of their lives. As parents, they have an active duty of raising a child so that the child may become a functioning member of society. A major problem that is persisting in this day and age is that not only the parents are not fulfilling their duty, but are putting the blame towards forms of media if their children act out.

With the story of the mother buying her kid a M-rated game, possible reasons can be given as to why she does the deed. She could easily not care about what her child does. The mother may use as a distraction to keep her child occupied as she gets work done. The best scenario is that she does care, but she doesn’t know about ratings. She does have a potential excuse, but what about the guardians who took their infant into a horror movie? The guardians simply don’t care.

Parents should care. Parents need to take an active part in their child’s life. Parents shouldn’t rely on getting a game, a movie, or using the TV as a babysitter. The parents should also be willing to learn about what is acceptable to their children, accept the responsibility of a child’s actions, and not expect the media or government to provide guidance to their children. Only the parents and guardians can provide direction for their kids.

Power or beauty?

Leadership or youth?

For a majority of women, there is no choice.

In a nation where truth can be obscured through the mass media audiences are exposed to every day, one film stands out to inform and give a glimpse into an issue that most Americans don’t even know exists. That film is Miss Representation.

On Wednesday, March 7 from 7 to 9:30 p.m., MCC will screen the film Miss Representation and host a faculty panel in after the film in Longview’s Mel Aytes Education Center.

Miss Representation is a critically acclaimed documentary about how the mainstream media underrepresent women in power and promote a questionable image of what qualities a woman should have. The film examines how the media focuses on an image of women as youthful, compliant, and absolutely stunning.

Multiple concepts discussed and explored include body issues women can develop due to society’s set standards of female beauty; how people are indirectly letting the situation occur; how both men and women work to perpetuate the stereotypes; and how woman in power are undermined by the media.

The film features in-depth coverage of the influence of the mainstream media, examining different types of women – from average students and children to  prolific, powerful women such as Kate Couric, Geena Davis, Jane Fonda, Condoleezza Rice - from birth to older age.

J. Bean’s Gathering Place is the newest restaurant in New Longview, the shopping center at the corner of 3^rd Street and View High Drive. J. Bean’s is located in the space vacated by the restaurant R.A. Long’s Sawmill, right next to Next Door Pizza. Owner Tim Griffin is no rookie. He’s been in food management for 17 years, and he owned a catering company also by the name of J. Bean’s. This new restaurant is family owned and serves a wide variety of all-American foods made from scratch.

Prices are student friendly, with nothing on the menu costing more than $16.   J. Bean’s also offers MCC students and staff a 10 percent discount, and has specials every week, such as Mexi Monday, Educator Happy Hour, and a $7 lunch menu Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shorelines editor Matt Porto preps for more submissions (David Hiestand/The Current).

“There is just something magical about seeing your work in print,” said Terri Lowry, faculty sponsor of Shorelines, Longview’s annual publication of student writing and artwork.

Shorelines pays students for exemplary work through its annual “Creativity Contest,” which features cash prizes for fiction, poetry and artwork.  The entry fee is $1 per submission, but Lowry says students do not have to enter the contest to benefit from publishing in Shorelines.

“Many publishers and literary magazines read college publications like Shorelines,” said Lowry.  From her experience as a novelist and poet, Lowry says that having published works to put in a portfolio or cover letter helps immensely when submitting to larger publications.

Shorelines student editor Matt Porto will oversee much of the production of this year’s issue.  Last year, Porto took second place in the poetry contest and worked as a reader for Shorelines.

“It’s a great confidence booster to write something and see it actually published,” said Porto.  “It opens up a lot of other possibilities because, once you see how easy it is to submit something, you realize that there are so many other places you can submit to with similar criteria– especially online.”

Someone who can personally attest to the possibilities that open up when one takes a proactive approach towards writing is internationally published sci-fi author and Longview history instructor Steven Murphy.

Murphy says that the Crystal M. Field award he received in 2007 for his student work with Shorelines, along with the short stories he published in prestigious magazines such as Interzone, greatly assisted him in landing a position as a history instructor– a position which provided him with the credentials to work as a historical research assistant for sci-fi author John Birmingham.

“There are lots of people who aspire to be writers but 99.9 percent never submit anything.  When you submit to a magazine like Shorelines, you move away from the wannabes and that much closer to publication,” Murphy said.

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The 2011-2012 edition of Shorelines will be available in the Longview library and spread around campus after the first week of May.  Although a digital release is unlikely for this edition, Lowry and Porto would like to integrate a website in the near future.  They say they envision a website that would regularly publish student art and writing, and also feature student film, music, and animation.

“A Shorelines website would further broaden the submission process and allow for greater creativity; there are almost an endless amount of mediums you can exhibit online,” said Porto.

To achieve this dream, Shorelines needs students with web design skills.  Lowry says any such students would be welcomed to the Shorelines team.

Students interested in submitting to Shorelines, or working on their website, can pick up a blue flyer with further information from Terri Lowry’s office at the LA in room 202W.

The deadline for submissions is March 15.

~Michael Scassellati