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KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
► COURTNEY BIERMAN
@courtbierman
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah."
"I hate it here."
Director Harvey Lowry has nearly 20 years of behind-the-scenes experience in visual effects and makeup. His credits include "A Beautiful Mind," "Watchmen," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"—these films all have something in common; none of them are particularly great, but they're nice to look at. The same is true of Lowry's latest release,"Monday at 11:01 A.M."
The film is not good, but its visuals are: the hotel where most of the film takes place is stylishly illuminated in funky blue light, the building itself is decorated
like something straight out of a Pacific Northwesterner's Instagram and the actors fit 21st century beauty standards to a tee.
"Not good" is putting it mildly. It's a low-budget horror (of a) film made by people who don't have nearly as good an understanding of the horror genre as they think they do.
Michael (Charles Agron, who also wrote and produced the film) and girlfriend Jenny (Lauren Shaw) drive their Bentley down a sunny street in a mountain town. They pull over to shop and decide to spend the night there. The town has only one hotel—the Grand Something-or-Other. The hotel's role in the story plateaus after about five minutes. Despite the fact that the town is supposedly a popular tourist attraction, with expatriate bellhops and charming shops lining sunny streets, the concierge reports that the town doesn't have cell service. Michael and Jenny decide to stay anyway.
Michael spends the rest of the film bouncing around aimlessly between various horror tropes, never staying with one long enough for the homage to play out they're probably meant to be homage, anyway, but it plays more like parody. The couple gets stuck in the town when a car accident in the tunnel seals their only way out.
There are mysterious and hostile hotel employees who never say what they mean and only reveal what's necessary. There's nightly screaming from room 327 — no doubt a reference to room 237 from "The Shining"— that no one but Michael can hear.
Charles Agron Productions
There's an omniscient and curmudgeonly bartender (Lance Henriksen) who encourages Michael to chase after a sultry bar-fly named Olivia (Briana Evigan) who almost succeeds in seducing Michael. There are hooded monks who slowly chase Michael down darkened streets, Michael Myers-style. Had Agron focused on one of these ideas, the film might have been passable. Together, each plot device is more inane and nonsensical than the last.
The last half-hour or so of the runtime is occupied with Michael half-heartedly trying to find Jenny, who has inexplicably gone missing. All of the hotel employees claim that Michael has been alone the whole time and that Jenny was never with him in the first place. He eventually finds her
body. The plot is too convoluted at this point to know for sure, but I think we're supposed to believe Olivia killed her out of jealousy because Michael was cheating on Jenny with her.
Oh, and Olivia's dead too. She slit her own throat in front of Michael. Oh, and Michael doesn't remember anything about cheating on Jenny because, guys... Michael has been dead the whole time! Finally, our questions are answered! Why doesn't anyone remember Jenny? Why does Olivia keep asking Michael if her loves her? Why isn't Agron able to convincingly deliver a single line of his own dialogue?
The film still doesn't make any sense. The significance of the film's title, sporadically referenced throughout the mercifully short runtime ("It seems like it's always Monday at 11:01 am," Agron delivers tunelessly as he storms out of an antique shop), is anticlimactically revealed a few minutes before the credits roll: the bartender tells Michael that he is actually stuck in purgatory. Jenny turned up dead in the real world, again apparently murdered by Olivia. Michael is sentenced to death shortly before the events of the film begin. His execution took place—you guessed it—Monday at 11:01 a.m. Agron's incompetency is obvious throughout the film, but here in particular: it's more or less common knowledge that prisoner executions almost always occur at midnight.
- Edited by Skylar Rolstad
1 out of 5 stars.
Lawrence Art Center's preschool focuses on teaching children creativity and independence
▶ SAMANTHA SEXTON
@Sambiscuit
Kids need to play and, according to the Lawrence Art Center, playing can be the best way for a child to learn. For decades, the Arts Center's arts-based preschool has been teaching children from ages three to five how to dance, paint, sing and learn, while having fun.
"It's a sort of free reign structure," said Gracie Rinke, a sophomore studying graphic design. "We let the children learn by experiencing the world around them and learning through art."
Rinke has been spending her afternoons, four days a week, with the preschool program since September and spent last summer
working with the school's summer camp. It has become such an integral part of her life that she schedules her University courses around working at the preschool.
"My family has always been involved in some way or another with the program," Rinke said. "My brother and I even went there ourselves when we were younger. We have all kinds of artwork souvenirs from our time here in our basement and it feels good to be working somewhere that made me happy."
Rinke said that despite being a teacher's aide, she's also learned a thing or two while working at the preschool.
"I think working here has
given me a sort of edge," Rinke said. "I've learned so much about childhood development, how to manage interactions among teachers, students, parents, and the administration, and not to mention that fact that I get to teach and be around art all the time. It really aligns perfectly with my major."
Though Rinke said that no matter what she does after graduating, she knows that she'll always have a special connection with the Lawrence Art Center preschool.
"I don't know where I will be or what I'll be doing, but I hope that if I ever come back to Lawrence that I'll be able to work with the preschool again," Rinke said. Someone who left Lawrence and did return to work at the preschool is Erin McEliroy, a 2009 graduate who moved back to Lawrence when her husband decided to earn his Master's at Emporia.
"We let the children learn by experiencing the world around them and learning through art.
GRACIE RINKE sophomore
"I saw on Facebook two years ago that the preschool was looking for some new hires and I was very interested," McElroy said.
McElroy said she became
"burned out" after earning her Master's from the University of Georgia in scenography, and teaching at the preschool sounded promising.
"We make a real difference here," McElroy said. "There have been studies that suggest that children who go to a more structured 'sit down' preschool will actually be behind by the time they reach second grade while children who go to preschools like ours are far above in reading, math, and social interaction."
McElroy said the children learn best when they're learning from themselves and the instructors are there to provide an environment that induces that learning.
"Being at the Arts Center, we have so many resources at our disposal," McElroy said. "We've had potters, dancers, and just recently we had a resident print artist show the kids what print art is."
Rinke said that her favorite part about being an aide is being able to watch the children whenever they're experiencing something new for the first time.
"We have kids for a couple years and it's amazing to watch them grow and experience the world around them through art," Rinke said. "There's so much that a child can learn from art and I'm so happy that I can be a part of it."
- Edited by Garrett Long
Naismith Hall Resident Advisor
JOBS
Our RA search process has begun We are a privately owned, coed residence hall located at 1800 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045. Our RAs take an active role in building and maintaining a positive community with their residents. Interested applicants should possess excellent written and oral communication skills, demonstrated leadership skills, and good time management. Renumeration includes free single room and meal plan. Application materials may be picked up at the front desk of Naismith Hall. Applications should be completed and turned in by Feb. 15, 2016. Feel free to email a resume to info@naismithhall.com or call 785-843-8559 with questions.
Nanny for 11yr old son after school M-Th needed for homework, chores & exercise. Would love ex science/pre PTmajor. 10 hours per week. $10/hr. Email: karen@keaadvisors.com or call 785-760-0652.
Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence is searching for Employees who are interested in making an impact on kids in our community. Hrs would include 3-6pm daily with some morning opportunities & NO WEEKENDS. $8.50/hr. Please apply at:
bgclk.org/career-opportunities
7BR FOR RENT
Available Aug. 2016 1/2 block from
Stadium 785-550-8499
TEXT US YOUR
FFA SUBMISSIONS
785-289-UDK1 (8351)
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
HOUSECLEANING
HOUSE CLEANERS WANTED
Are you detail oriented, organized, and a team player? Full or Part time
Mon-Fri,8am-5pm work 1 day a week or all 5.
Vehicle & supplies provided.
$9-10/hr.
939 Iowa Street - (785) 842-6264.