6Gorillaz's "Plastic Beach" FallsInto Its Own Musical CategoryBy DAN ABEND (IV)The English virtual bandGorillaz is back, this time withtheir third studio album, “PlasticBeach.” Although differentfrom their previous albums“Gorillaz” and “Demon Days,”it is clear that Damon Albarnand his two-dimensional groupcreated something even morespecial with this album.Released in March, “PlasticBeach” has earned solid reviewsGeoff LaTulippe is the screenwriterof “Going The Distance,”a romantic comedy slated forrelease late this summer. Centeredon a couple trying to maintain along-distance relationship, themovie stars Drew Barrymore,Justin Long, Christina Applegate,“Saturday Night Live’s” JasonSudekis, and “It’s Always Sunnyin Philadelphia’s” Charlie Day. Ontop of writing screenplays, Geoffhas also written comedic pieces forgeekweek.com and ESPN.com.Originally from Pennsylvania, hegraduated from James MadisonUniversity and is a huge fan ofPhil Collins.1. What is your writing background?As far as writing professionally,“Going The Distance” is my background.Pre-professionally, I’vewritten in some form or anotherfor as long as I can remember. Ijust always liked stories...and Ialways loved movies. I took acouple of writing classes in college(fiction, short fiction, playwriting,scriptwriting, etc.), but it just madesense to get into the writing thatallowed me to tell stories in movieform. All that said, I worked as ascript reader for New Line Cinemafor 4+ years, so most of my writingCourtesy of Google Imagesand commercial success. Withprogressive musical techniques,unique lyricism, and fantasticguest appearances from artistslike Mos Def, Lou Reed, SnoopDogg, and Mick Jones, “PlasticBeach,” which is often considereda “pop” album, is really ina category all its own.The album starts off withan “Orchestral Intro,” but thendelves into the core of the trackswith the aptly named “Welcometo the World of the Plasticbackground comes from havingread and dissected over 3,000scripts. Once you know what todo – and more importantly, whatNOT to do – you sort of guideyourself into the process.2. What’s your creative process?Honestly, I’m not sure I havea creative process. I sit down andI write. If I’m not feeling whatI’m writing, I stop. If it’s flowingwell, I don’t stop. I can write fivepages in a day or I can write 50. IfI think something I wrote is crap(which happens a lot), I’ll reworkit until I think it’s right or that itat least won’t wreck my career.And once I hand something in,I get prepared to rewrite becausewriting is rewriting, as the oldsaying goes.3. Who are your influences?Influences: John Hughes, CameronCrowe, James L. Brooks,Judd Apatow, Richard Curtis.I’m also a big fan of anyone whohas the freedom to do and saywhatever they want whenever theywant...and yet they choose not toabuse that power.4. Do you remember howmany features you had writtenbefore “Going the Distance?”Hmmmmm. Technically, I hadTHE PINGRY RECORD ARTS APRIL <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2010</strong>Beach,” which features SnoopDogg. The great symmetrybetween his usual laidback styleand the electric background musicis instantly intriguing.From there, the album keepsthe listener satisfied with itshypnotic, eclectic musical styleand extraordinary lyrics. Thisis most notably demonstratedin “Stylo,” which features MosDef and Bobby Womack. Thesynthesized musical interludesand soulful lyricism create amusical experience that explainswhy the song reachedsuch success as a pre-releasedsingle.The group still keeps the musicalstyles diverse throughoutthe album with some upbeattracks, like “Superfast Jellyfish”featuring Gruff Rhys and DeLa Soul, some slower, deeperones like “Broken,” and tracksthat fall in between these descriptionslike “Some Kind ofNature” featuring Lou Reed.All of these tracks cometogether to provide is a unique,fantastic listening experience.If the listener keeps an openmind when listening to “PlasticBeach,” it’s easy to see whysuch an astounding number ofpeople thoroughly enjoy thisalbum.written two - one in college (afeature-length version of a shortI’d written) and one a couple ofyears ago out here. Both suckedbadly. BADLY. I sent them out toone or two people each and quicklyrealized that not only was neither astory I really wanted to write, butI wasn’t good enough to tacklethem. So I read more, learnedmore, and when I was ready, Iwrote “Going the Distance.” Andthat got a good reaction, which isfantastic, but I still have a hell ofa lot more to learn.5. Personally, I can’t wait tosee “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s”Charlie Day in a bigfilm role. Are you happy with thecasting? Are the actors they castolder than the ones you had inmind?You have no idea how excited Iam about Charlie. No idea. “Sunny”is my favorite show on TVright now, and he was the one guyI wanted badly for that role fromthe first moment, so if I said it wasanything less than awesome, I’d belying to you.As far as everyone else, wegot the types we wanted, thekind of people that could play thecharacters in the script for literallyevery role. It was like some kindof magic trick. I have no ideahow it all came together, but itdid. Originally we were lookingat actors in their early 20's to playErin, but when Drew became anoption there was not a second’shesitation in making the characterjust two or three years older.6. Your script got 14 votes onthe “blacklist.” What are yourthoughts on the “blacklist?” Didyou know about it before yourscript was on it?I was well aware of the blacklistbefore I ended up on it, and itwas a HUGE honor. If you’re anew writer, you want to be on it,plain and simple. No matter what,Mediocre Performances to a LousyScript in "The Bounty Hunter"By CHRISTINE KUMAR (IV)The 2006 film “The Break-Up” grossed around $200 millionworldwide. Although the actingand direction of the film were subpar,it achieved such box-officesuccess because of rumors thatlead actors Jennifer Aniston andVince Vaughn were dating.Unfortunately, it’s the samesituation with Aniston’s newromantic comedy “The BountyHunter.” Despite the critics’scathing reviews, it made about$20 million in its opening weekendpurely because of speculationthat Aniston and co-star GerardButler are dating.“The Bounty Hunter” narratesthe story of Milo, a tough yetsweet bounty hunter, and Nicole,an ambitious metro journalist.The divorcees are reconnectedwhen Milo has to bring Nicole tojail because she skipped a courtappearance so that she could followup on a newspaper article.However, Nicole, who is hoton the trail of a big story, trieseverything she can to wriggle outof his clutches.When Nicole’s amateur detectivework lands her in trouble andMilo becomes the target of thugs,the two begin to rely on each otherfor survival. The two rekindletheir love while solving a drugscandal, leading to the typicalSeniors Charlie Laud and Luke PounderInterview Screenwriter Geoff LaTulippeCourtesy of IMDBDrew Barrymore and Justin Long star in "Going theDistance."Courtesy of Charlie Laud (VI)and Luke Pounder (VI)when your peers, the people whorepresent them and the people whobuy scripts like your work enoughto mention it...well, it was a bigdeal to me.7. Along with the dialogue, thescene description in your scriptis very funny. Do you believehaving funny scene description isimportant?I don’t know if it’s important.A lot of times scene description isjust scene description. Sometimesit helps if it’s minimal and justguides the reader through the scriptquickly. Other times it’s better asalmost prose, descriptive enoughthat it helps draw the reader moreinto the story. With comedy, I thinkyou have a little leeway with thescene description, so if you dropa funny line or two in there, youhelp keep the tone you’re goingfor within the reader’s grasp andhopefully keep them entertainedeven when the characters aren’tspeaking or performing much ofan action.8. Do you have any advice foraspiring screenwriters?I could give screenwritersenough advice to fill a book(hmmm...maybe that’s an idea...),but I think there are a couple ofthings that are paramount: readscripts. Read as many scripts asyou can, both good and bad, producedand never having a chanceto be produced. The good oneswill show you the kinds of thingsyou should be doing - and thebad ones will show you what youshouldn’t be doing, which mightbe even more helpful. Learn threeactstructure, at least in theory, soyou know how to break the rulesthe right way later. And pay attentionto the way people talk andinteract. Stories and concepts aregreat, but if you aren’t accuratelyable to capture humanity and emotion,you’ll never be telling a fullnarrative.happily-ever-after ending.When it comes to acting,Aniston, America’s sweetheart,definitely disappoints. In addition,Butler’s caveman-like qualitiesare a turn-off for the audience.However, the worst part aboutthis movie is the screenplay: it ispredictable and full of clichés. Thelove between Milo and Nicole ispoorly portrayed: they simplyfight with each other throughoutthe movie and seem to have absolutelynothing in common. TheBy MOLLY SCHULMAN (IV)Currently on display in the<strong>Pingry</strong> art gallery is an excitingexhibition put together by<strong>Pingry</strong> alum Jon DeCola ‘01.This is the first time ever at<strong>Pingry</strong> that someone was askedto come in and select the artistsand works to be featured in thegallery. Art teacher Mr. MilesBoyd said that the show features“up-and-coming youngimportant artists from NewYork who are early in theircareers and have been shownbefore at the International ArtFair.”The work in the galleryfeatures bright photographyby DeCola himself, words suchas “stink” and “creep” paintedon a light background, and avariety of sculptures. Paintingteacher Mr. Peter Delmancommented, “The work in theshow is subtle, understated anddemands that the viewer think.It is representative of much ofthe work of younger contemporaryartists.”When one walks around thenew exhibition, the abstractpieces of art require a littleextra thought to decipher theirmeanings. Mr. Boyd commentedthat “there’s some similaritybetween the ways people probe,one of the reasons why abstractart is so interesting. Since allthe pieces of art assembledin the gallery have been puttogether for a reason, it makesone question what the similaritiesare between a ladder withan opaque neon yellow pieceof plastic balancing on it andof a man crouching in a ditch.subplot was focused on a drug andsuicide scandal that was neitherinteresting nor funny.The only enjoyable scenesof the movie came from “SNL”actor Jason Sudeikis’ characterStewart, who plays an awkwardman willing to do absolutelyanything – even endure torture –for Nicole.Overall, “The Bounty Hunter”isn’t a terrible movie, but if youenjoy romantic comedies, justwait for it to come out on DVD.<strong>Pingry</strong> Alum CuratesProvocative ExhibitAn abstract sculpture featured in the exhibit.A. Mohin (V)The wonderful thing about thisexhibition is that the meaningis all relative.”Students who have beento the gallery find it uniqueand interesting. The contentmakes it hard to understandthe exhibit without spendingtime to think about each work.Jonathan Freinberg (IV) said,“The intentional shadows createdby the sculptures werevery interesting.” Other studentsagree that this show wasvery “thought-provoking” andnoteworthy.DeCola, the 26-year-old curator,is currently living in NewYork City and pursing a careeras a photographer. The show heput together consists of worksmade by fellow contemporaryartists in New York. Accordingto Mr. Boyd, he “did some ofthe most important 9-11 imagesever done.” After being a partof the art program all four yearsat <strong>Pingry</strong>, he spent his freshmanyear of college at Parsons inNew York and then transferredto the International <strong>School</strong> ofPhotography.DeCola’s work, which Mr.Boyd calls “tremendous quality,”includes commercial work,fine art, and photography. Someof his works in the exhibitioninclude the double TV imagewith dialogue on the bottom ofthe left-hand wall, an abstractphotograph with bright colors,and another small photographthat is quite hard to decipher.Mr. Boyd asserted, “He’s someoneyou’ll know someday. Iguarantee it.” Judging from thisart show, he’s definitely a forceto be reckoned with.
By NICOLE BLUM (III)On February 27, both theboys’ and the girls’ VarsitySwimming teams won theNon-Public B state championship.The girls captured thetitle for the first time in twelveyears, while this is the thirdstraight state championshipthat the boys have won.The boys won against HolySpirit by a landslide, with afinal score of 109-61. The teamwas led by junior standoutNic Fink, who was named theStar Ledger’s Swimmer of theYear. Fink, who is ranked firstin the state for the 100-yardbreaststroke and second inthe state for the 200-yard IndividualMedley, broke outof his comfort zone at thechampionship meet. He swamthe 100-yard butterfly (56.73)and the 100-yard backstroke(56.66), winning second andthird places, respectively.Other key contributors tothe win were James Ross (IV)and Brandon Moy (VI). Rossplaced first in the 200-yardIndividual Medley, while Moyplaced first in the 50-yard freestyle.Moy was also essentialto securing first place in boththe 200-yard medley relayand the 400-yard freestylerelay. In fact, Holy Spirit wononly one event, the 100-yardBy HAYLEY ADVOKAT (III)This season, the girls’ VarsityBasketball team had theirbest record ever. By the semifinalround of the State Tournament,the varsity squad’srecord was 21-3.The team was named ConferenceChampions when theybegan the North Jersey Non-Public “A” State Tournament,and their unbelievable seasongave them a “bye” for the firstround.The team faced ImmaculataHigh <strong>School</strong> in the secondround. <strong>Pingry</strong> Head CoachDavid White called the Immacualatateam “a tenaciousand dogged team that willnot roll over for anybody.”Forward Kelly Kurylak (VI)had a total of ten points and11 rebounds, and <strong>Pingry</strong> wasvictorious with a score ofbackstroke.Captain Calvin Jones (VI)and assistant captain Nick Gilligan(VI) were very proud ofthe team’s performance, whichallowed them to advance tothe Meet of Champions. “TheMeet of Champions was ourfinal meet, for which we hadbeen training all year,” Gilligansaid. There, the boys deliveredanother amazing performance,“sweeping all of the relays.”“Very few teams in the historyof the Meet of Championshave ever done that,” Gilliganadded. Overall, the boys’team showed an unbelievableseason: they were undefeatedduring the regular season in thecompetitive Skyland Conferenceand were named the bestboys’ team in the state by theStar Ledger.The girls’ team faced atough challenge against BishopEustace, who was favored towin the meet. In the 200-yardmedley relay, Cailee Cassidy(IV), Kathryn Kolb (V), ReganFink (VI), and Morgan Burke(III) established a new schoolrecord with a time of 1:52.42.Alysia Tsui (VI) broke anotherrecord with 59.55 in the100-yard butterfly. Tsui pushed<strong>Pingry</strong> to the lead once againwith her first place 100-yardbackstroke swim (59.82).Captains Meghan Hager44-27.The quarterfinal was againstThe Oak Knoll <strong>School</strong>’s powerhouseteam. Emily Damstrom(IV) and StephanieHanchuck (V) scored tenpoints each and had a total of17 rebounds. <strong>Pingry</strong>’s victoryled #2 ranked <strong>Pingry</strong> to play#3 ranked Paramus Catholicin the Semi-Final round.As expected, it was aclose game with multiplelead changes in every quarter.Despite extraordinary effortsfrom Victoria Morgan (VI),who scored eight points, andthe dedication of the entireteam, <strong>Pingry</strong> lost in the finalseconds.Lexi Van Beisen (III)thought that the best part ofbeing a member of the teamwas “meeting all the girlsand having fun while workinghard.”THE PINGRY RECORD SPORTS APRIL <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2010</strong> 7Girls' and Boys' Varsity Swimming End Seasons On TopGirls' BasketballAchieves #2 RankB. Morrison '64(VI) and Gabby Scrudato (VI)were “thrilled with the way thegirls swam.” “Thirty-five personalbest times were achievedat the meet,” Hager said. Mrs.Lee, the girls’ head coach,agreed, saying, “All of theperformances were impressive.Seeing the culminationof everyone’s best efforts andwatching everyone rising tothe occasion was outstanding.”Despite some tense moments,the girls eventually triumphedwith a score of 90-80.The double wins were celebratedby pushing coachesBill Reichle, Judy Lee, andSteve Droste into the Collegeof New Jersey’s pool.Boys' Varsity Ice Hockey Finishes TheirSuccessful Run With Stellar 20-4-1 RecordBy KASIA AXTELL (III)With a final record of20-4-1, the boys’ Varsity IceHockey season was the bestone in school history. Despitea disappointing 3-1 loss toMontgomery in the SkylandConference ChampionshipFinals, the rest of the seasonwas hugely successful withkey wins against schoolssuch as Ridge, Hillsborough,Randolph, Kinnelon, St.Peter’s Prep, and, the team’slongtime rival, ChathamHigh <strong>School</strong>.Led by senior captainsPeter Martin and Ryan Kiska,senior assistant captainsBrian Weiniger and AndrewLaFontaine, and head coachJohn Magadini, the teampulled off incredible wins inthe new, more competitiveconference. Particularly notablefor the team was beatingMontgomery twice duringthe regular season withfinal scores of 3-2 and 3-0.One of the most disappointinglosses occurred inthe Prep B finals when <strong>Pingry</strong>lost 5-2 to Morristown-Beard. However, the team isstill enthusiastic about theirseason. “We can’t complain.We had a great run,” Martinsaid.Next year’s team looks tobe just as good, despite theloss of 7 key players: Martin,LaFontaine, Weiniger, Russoniello,Brandon Brier (VI),Pierce Fowler (VI), and Kiskawho was recently namedStar Ledger’s Central JerseyPlayer of the Year. However,top scorer Matt Beattie (V)will lead the team next year,hopefully powering them tomany more victories.“This team will be consideredthe best <strong>Pingry</strong> Hockeyteam ever because we are theB. Morrison '64first to win twenty games andthe first to finish in the toptwenty overall,” said Martin.And, after finishing the seasonwith a ranking of ninth inthe state, the team definitelyhas reason to be proud of itssuccess.B. Morrison '64
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