Deception Review: A kind of magic

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

If you loved the TV show “Forever”, and liked the “Now You See Me” movies, ABC has produced the perfect blended show for you: “Deception”. “Deception” stars Englishman Jack Cutmore-Scott as the American magician Cameron Black—and he does a blimey good job of it, if I may say so myself.

Black’s career in magic comes to a screeching halt when he is accused of killing a young woman in a car accident, only to be forced to reveal this magician’s greatest secret: it was not him, but…you know what? No. You are going to have watch that big reveal for yourself. Anyway, Cameron then has a really good reason to team up with FBI agent Kay Daniels to help her hunt down and apprehend various and sundry criminals, and eventually convince her (and perhaps the rest of the FBI agency) to help him in his own quest.

The show is goofy, but its heart is in the right place; if approached with the proper willingness to suspend belief, it is sure to please and enchant. The show is still early in its first season; climaxes are theatrical in their execution, and for some reason someone decided to go with an Outer-Limits-like intro and exit exposition style (detailing the episode’s philosophy) which sometimes works and sometimes does not, but the overarching story being set up seems solid enough, and the subplot is tightly knit and serious, contrasting it with the general light-hearted air of the series. In the end, “Deception” is really just a show for fun—and everyone needs that kind of magic.

Romp and Rollick, A Family Frolic

(Photo: Andrianna Veatch)

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

With summer break so close as to be practically tangible, it’s time to start dreaming about fun times with friends and family, and for those of us with younger siblings, that probably includes something to do with family-friendly films. Despite their general corniness and crystal-clear plots, there is something special about PG action films, and “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” stands a good head above others.

Released in 2014, “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” was based on the 2007 book Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box by English author G.P Taylor. However, beyond the barest-bones concepts, the film shares very little with its textual origins but is nonetheless a delightful experience in itself. Starring Aneurin Barnard (“The White Queen”, “Dunkirk”) as Mariah Mundi, the film’s cast includes such equally amazing talent as the likes of Michael Sheen (“Othello” (1995)), Ioan Gruffudd (“Forever”, “Amazing Grace”), and Sam Neil (“Jurassic Park”). The story is set in 1885, and young Mariah Mundi’s life is permanently altered when his parents and beloved younger brother are kidnapped. Charged with protecting a mysterious amulet—or half of it, anyway—he joins forces with the enigmatic Captain Will Charity and finds himself slipping under the very nose of danger to keep a powerful artifact out of the wrong hands. Plot-wise, it is basic, classical fare, but the film’s strong points lie in the dynamic interactions of its characters and it's aesthetically lovely lightly Steampunk/Victorian England settings. The target audience demographic lies squarely in the older tween group, but there are certainly moments enjoyable for teens and adults alike. “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” is a fun film for the whole family to enjoy some sparkling summer evening.

Regis In Art: Dubi Arie’s “Under the Wings of God and the Shadow of Amalek”

(Photo: Andrianna Veatch)

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

One of Regis’ newest artistic acquisitions now resides in the Regis Room of Carroll Hall—“Under the Wings of God and the Shadow of Amalek” by Dubi Arie. The lithograph currently hanging in the Regis Room is a copy of a huge mural that once graced the O’Sullivan Center, and focuses on the narrative of the Jewish people depicted through seven panels. Arie’s art is bright with saturated colors; the almost mad-dash manner in which the figures and shapes of the panels blend and bleed into and through each other arrests the attention; the story is poignant, and the imagery is extremely evocative—particularly the panel of gravestones. Rising like so many broken tablets, reminiscent of the Ten Commandments, this particular panel (titled “In the Shadow of Amalek”, and depicting the Holocaust) is especially striking and thought-provoking. But “Under the Wings of God” is a work of art laced with hope as well, a testament to the millennia-long survival of the Jewish people.

The original mural, from which our photo lithograph was taken, was significantly large and infinitely more detailed at seven feet high and thirty-nine feet wide, but unfortunately, there is not that much space in the Regis Room, a location chosen specifically as a small center for Judaica traditions and art. Surrounded by several sets of Seder plates, etcetera, Dubi Arie’s labor of love, inspiration, and beauty only adds another layer to Regis’ celebration of its students’ diverse and rich histories.

Tags: Regis, Regis University, RIA, Regis’ Identity in Art, Art, Carroll Hall, Dubi Arie, Andrianna Veatch, Regis Room

Valentines Art: Love is in the air

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

Regis' Identity in Art: Pieces of Our Yesterdays

(Photos: Andrianna Veatch)

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

Since January 25, the O’ Sullivan Art Gallery has hosted not one, but two artists: Rob Watt’s “Set for Life” embroidery display, and “Occupied Space” sculpture by Sean O’Meallie. For anyone who enjoys the artistry of Kahn & Selesnick (Truppe Fledermaus series, etcetera), O’Meallie’s art exudes the same atmosphere of the fantastic and imaginative, but with a touch far more of the whimsical and cheery, suggestive of the playful, uninhibited creativity of childhood.

This is perhaps particularly clear in the simply titled statue “Book”. At first odd and baffling, a collection of easily recognizable objects—among other things, a book, light-bulb, and most obviously, a red balloon—don the gentle sense of childhood memories; bedtime stories, little FLYER wagons, and glorious warm days in Central Park. While this particular piece is made of painted wood and steel, O’Meallie uses many media to express his whimsy, including fur (go see the black Tribble. You won’t regret it). Another painted woodwork of his is “Balloon Man Running”, who looks like just the sort of childhood toy or imaginary friend you would want to gather into your arms for a hug and a nuzzle. No matter what piece it is, O’Meallie’s art is extremely friendly, and a true pleasure to experience.

Impressive in its sheer depth and intensity of detail, Robert Watt’s embroidery at times suggests it was mimicking the honored age-old tradition of tapestry. “Ancient Egypt I” depicts an image of the Sphinx in the days of its construction (or perhaps its rediscovery) in a medium historical and monumental, something emphasized by its relatively small size. All Watt’s work is impressive like this and strikes a deep instinctive chord in his viewers, presenting great beauty in little ways.

This is definitely an exhibition to see, full of fun, mirth, and beauty in different shapes and sizes—all of them pieces reflecting the brightness, wonder, and good cheer of our yesterdays.

Regis' Identity in Art: Dennis West’s Genesis Series

(Photo: Andrianna Veatch)

By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter

Regis University has a deep and rich artistic identity, from the sculpture of Christ on the green to the many religious arrangements to be seen in any building. Coming in just about every size and medium, the art on campus is very much an important factor of the school’s history—every piece is worth a thousand words.

Hanging on the fourth floor walls of Claver Hall are a set of eight plasma-cut, metal images based on the Genesis story of Creation. They were produced by Dennis West, and first commissioned by Regis for the Main Cafeteria as part of the “Faith and Art” series. While the first seven depict recognizable figures easily related to that Bible story (man and woman, stars and planets, etcetera), the eighth is a bit of an oddity: a chaotic image of colored metal plates cut in strange shapes, silhouettes of industrial factories and the Empire State Building. It stands out starkly amid the other images—a symbol of work not made by God’s own hand, and unlinked really to the rest of the set…an eighth day of the week.

Artists begin with a very specific inspiration and idea, but in the end it becomes a thing of public enjoyment and everyone gets their shot at it. A hundred little associations lend themselves to shaping that ‘shot’. The image now hangs on the wall of a science building dedicated to the healing of others, an atmosphere that gives an air of advancement and bright future to West’s work. The picture is still chaotic, still split down the middle, but now perhaps it reflects not man’s power to destroy (as we did with the Garden), but to create.