An interview with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg of “The World’s End”

Originally published Aug. 23, 2013 on The Stanford Daily. 

There aren’t many film series quite like director Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which left plenty of room for discussion when The Daily talked with Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in advance of the concluding film’s premiere later this month.

Each of the three films — “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz” and “The World’s End,” out Aug. 23 — represents a collaboration between Wright, Pegg and Frost, but feature different characters, are situated in a different genre and tell a different story.

While “Shaun” was a send-up of zombie flicks and “Hot Fuzz” did the same for buddy cop movies, “The World’s End” is a parody of alien invasion films. The story centers around Gary King (Pegg), a washed-up manchild who reunites the posse of his teenage years to complete a pub crawl in their hometown. A few pubs in, however, Gary and his estranged friends realize that the town’s population has been replaced with identical robots. Chaos ensues.

The idea of the individual being pitted against the collective is present in all three films. So is the concept of a seemingly innocuous setting turning out to be anything but.

“I came from a very sleepy sort of town, so I think I naturally gravitate towards being a dreamer and thinking about the dark secrets behind

Photo Credit: Laurie Sparham / Focus Features

closed doors or having these dreams of just wrecking the place,” Wright said. “So I always just returned to that idea.”

The film is packed with Easter eggs, including the obligatoryfence-jump and Cornetto scenes. The attention to detail doesn’t end there, however, with each pub featured in the film named after one that exists somewhere in the United Kingdom.

“Every pub name has a bearing on what happens inside,” Pegg said. “The pub names are a key to the plot of the film in a way, down to the fact that the signs are even like tarot cards that will tell you what’s going to happen inside.”

After writing the script, Wright and Pegg sifted through names of pubs to determine the ones best suited to the plot. They applied a similar approach in selecting the tracks that appear on the nostalgia-heavy soundtrack — the pair listened to a mixtape of songs released from 1988 to 1993 on repeat while writing, and some of those songs found their way into the script.

“It wasn’t just a case of you get to the end and you see what works,” Wright said. “A lot of them were written into the script and even played in on set whether it was Primal Scream or Soup Dragons or Suede. There’s that scene where they’re walking through town, and it’s playing ‘So Young’ by Suede and the actors all had it in their ears — we had earwigs and they were listening to the songs and walking along.”

A choreographer helped to coordinate movements to music and also to simulate the drunken swagger the majority of the characters needed, as they spend the better half of the film utterly intoxicated.

While pubs play prominent roles not just in “The World’s End” but in all three films in the trilogy, Wright, Pegg and Frost emphasized that they aren’t encouraging alcoholism or hedonism.

“This film isn’t a celebration of alcohol, it’s not a celebration of the manchild and ‘Let’s get drunk all the time and have fun,’” Pegg said. “That isn’t the answer in this film. In a way, that’s Gary’s disability — his desire to do [so].”

“We are celebrating smashing robots’ heads in, though,” Wright noted.

Gary’s story, and the plot of “The World’s End” as a whole, functions as a cautionary tale of the dangers of nostalgia and of living in the past. It’s also a critique of the increasingly homogenized, even robotic, world we live in. Upon their return to their hometown of Newton Haven, the friends find that the pubs they left behind have become eerily similar to one another, a result of what Pegg refers to as the “Starbucks factor.”

It’s a defining characteristic of the Cornetto trilogy: what starts as parody of a genre evolves to become an outstanding example of the genre itself, bringing fresh and thought-provoking ideas to the table.

“A lot of comedies are so ephemeral and completely dissipate in your mind by the time you’ve gone to the parking lot,” Wright said. “We like films that might stick with you a bit longer, and even though they’ve got laughs in them and it’s silly and exciting, there are deeper themes that hopefully resonate longer.”

Cure Cancer Cafe both entertaining and beneficial

Originally published March 12, 2013 on elestoque.org. Cowritten with Yimeng Han. 

The room was lit a bright purple, imbuing the white flowers and tablecloths with a slight tint. A jazz band played in the background while waiters zigzagged in between chairs and tables, determined to create a pleasurable dining experience. Meanwhile, couples lined up to have their pictures taken at a photo booth. This scene appeared prom-like, and in some ways, it was. People were having fun socializing with friends, enjoying a catered meal and watching talented performers. But this was not an evening just of laughter and fun — rather, it was a shared commitment to help those affected by cancer.Cure Cancer Cafe, hosted annually by MV Octagon, is a unique spin on the standard fundraiser. Instead of selling magazines and sweets, the club created a social event that allowed everyone — waiters, performers and attendees alike — to contribute to a greater cause. Proceeds from ticket sales, donations and a silent auction pushed earnings over $10,000, all of which will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The night’s entertainment included musical and visual performances by students who wanted to contribute to the efforts with their talents. Particularly memorable was junior Neha Nuguru’s spirited rendition of Rihanna’s “Stay,” as well as a dance number by Urban Soul Movement. The jazz band, of course, cannot be praised enough for its endurance and soul, which set the ambiance for the entire night.

The food also added to the lively atmosphere: grilled chicken skewers or mushroom served with greens, pulled pork, rice, pasta salad and marble cake were all served efficiently by the volunteer waiters for the evening.

Towards the later portion of the night, the attendees received a reminder of the event’s purpose. Alumnus Jack Chin, who students and community members helped last year in his battle with lymphoma, took the stage to deliver a heartfelt speech thanking all of those who supported him, and people facing similar challenges to him, through events such as tonight.

Chin ended with a word of advice to the audience.

“I know that most of you can’t register to be a bone marrow donor yet because you’re not yet 18, but pretty soon you will be, and I’d really like for you to consider registering to be a bone marrow donor,” Chin said in his speech. “If you do happen to be somebody’s match, and you do decide to donate, you can be not just a savior to that one person … but you’ll also be a hero to everybody who cares about them.”

For more information about Cure Cancer Cafe, visit MV Octagon’s website or our previous coverage of the event.

Movie: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ strikingly truthful and thrilling

Originally published Jan. 9, 2013 on El Estoque. 

“Zero Dark Thirty” is not your average action movie. There is no romance, little humor and the few chase scenes are nowhere near as high-octane as we’ve come to expect. In fact, the film seems less like an action movie and more like a well-researched documentary —  meticulous, gripping, surprising.

No, “Zero Dark Thirty” is not your average action movie. It’s far better.

Reuniting director Kathryn Bigelow and journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal, the creative forces behind 2009’s war film “The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty” chronicles the 10-year-long hunt for Osama bin Laden without romanticizing or glorifying the subject matter. The plot is decidedly unglamorous: a young CIA operative named Maya, played by Jessica Chastain, is shipped out to the Middle East to interrogate detainees affiliated with Al Qaeda.

It’s a thankless task with little reward, and, as we all know, it takes ten years for the benefits to surface (the film is decidedly more realistic than an episode of “24.”) This realism results in a masterpiece that, though not always easy to stomach, remains truthful and consistently enthralls.

Before the film even starts, we’re informed that everything we’re about to see has been reconstructed from eyewitness accounts. The message to the viewer is that this isn’t any old action movie — this is the truth (although that point has been contested by some). We’re shown real footage of the 2005 London bombings and of President Obama discussing counterterrorism efforts. We’re also shown scenes that depict torture and death unflinchingly; even controversial practices like waterboarding are not off-limits. This is not the kind of film in which explosions and gunfights are treated flippantly.

Of course, all the efforts to give “Zero Dark Thirty” an air of truth would fail without the support of an excellent cast. Luckily, the actors and actresses assembled for the film are nothing short of brilliant.

Chastain, whose character is based on a real woman known only as “Jen,” is a force of nature. Chastain plays Maya as though she was born to, channeling willpower, vulnerability and a healthy measure of brashness (When her presence is questioned at a male-dominated CIA meeting focused on capturing bin Laden, Maya snaps, “I’m the motherf—er that found him.”)

Similarly delightful is Jason Clarke, who plays Maya’s co-worker and mentor Dan. He appears first as a somewhat deranged torture machine, but Clarke’s nuanced portrayal doesn’t allow that to be the case for long. As Dan’s humanity reveals itself so does our understanding of the film’s essential moral ambiguity. Bigelow isn’t here to pick sides or to tell us what’s right: her goal is to provide us with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The real force behind “Zero Dark Thirty” is Bigelow’s dedication to creating a film that is not intended to exploit the events of the last 10 years, but rather to shed light upon them. It’s what makes the eventual and inevitable death of bin Laden feel less like a glorious victory and more like a flat conclusion to an exhausted saga; and it’s also what ensures that “Zero Dark Thirty,” much like the manhunt that inspired it, will not soon be forgotten.

Drama: Murder mystery absorbs and delights with interactive setup

Originally published Dec. 17 on El Estoque.

I helped solve a murder.

Well, no, not really. It wasn’t a real murder — just the mysterious deaths of three characters in Advanced Drama’s “The Curse of the Cobra’s Kiss,” performed twice Dec. 14. I didn’t actually help identify the killer, either — my guess, written on a ballot provided by cast members, was pretty far off.

The crime committed in “Cobra’s Kiss,” written by Craig Sodaro and directed by Kim Saunders, isn’t a real murder — but the show’s cast and crew create an experience so absorbing it may as well be. The play is performed in a highly interactive format. Audience members are seated at a number of circular tables in the Black Box Theater, remade to look like a snazzy 1920s cafe, and cast members act in every direction, even conversing with audience members during the intermission. Be warned, though —  this setup may result in some bodily harm (I was at one point whacked in the side by a mummy).

The plot is simple and exactly what you’d expect from a murdery mystery. A cat is murdered, a professor is murdered, his wife is murdered and the apparently reanimated corpse of a pharaoh pops in every once in awhile. The cast is populated with the usual suspects — the jealous secretary, the inheritance-coveting nephew and the doomsaying soothsayer among others.

A mummy enters the set of “The Curse of the Cobra’s Kiss.” For the performance, the Black Box Theater was transformed into a 1920s cafe populated with Egyptian artifacts and cast members acted in every direction. The result was an absorbing experience. Photo used with permission of Kim Saunders.

They’re all perfect. Every actor seems to use a different accent, and each one seems to have it down to a tee. Sophomore Akshay Savale transforms into an Italian in his portrayal of Chef Boyardee. Seniors Sarah Baxter and Kazmiera Tarshis perfectly imitate Southern belles in their performances as Rose and Violet La Tou. And junior Alexander Pieb, playing the bumbling detective Hercules Porkchop, channels an almost manic energy as he provides a hilarious French accent that he insists is in fact Belgian.

Already brilliant on their own, these actors elevate the show to a new level through their chemistry as a cast. Dialogue is whip-fast and witty, and the interactions between characters are genuine. Moreover, every character, regardless of whether they’re off to the very edge of the room or on center stage, is constantly involved and reacting to the ongoings. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out from trying to keep track of every possible suspect.

During the intermission, characters drift through the audience  — who are provided with delicious snacks, drinks and paper on which to take notes — offering to be interrogated. It’s impressive how these actors manage to stay in character even when responding to unscripted questions.

When asked if he had a role in the demise of Moo Moo the cat, Savale, acting as Chef Boyardee, assured me that he and the deceased feline had no bad blood between them and were in fact “like brothers.” Senior Dhruva Seelin, who plays Texan filmmaker Max Deblohardt with admirable swagger, offered me a role in his next motion picture.

After this walkaround, audience members have the opportunity to write down their guesses for the culprit in each of the three murders, with the most accurate, most inaccurate and most creative responses each winning a miniature chocolate sarcophagus.

Despite competition from the excellent cast, it’s the lights — designed and run by junior Rafael Ruiz — that steal the show. There is lightning, fading to black and general craziness that engulfs the entire theater. The audience is not just watching the show, but immersed in it.

Though the cast and the lights maintain their quality in the second half of the program, the script begins to devalue in terms of believability. They were secretly married all along? And she was having an affair with him? And she’s his illegitimate child? Come on, there’s no way I could have seen that coming!

Although it’s possible I’m just bitter that I didn’t win a chocolate sarcophagus.

MOVIE: Moving ‘Lincoln’ tips hat to the 16th president

Originally published Oct. 31, 2012 on El Estoque. Cowritten by Angela Wang.

The first scene of “Lincoln,” in theaters Nov. 9, is a battle. The color palette is gray and dull, with the exception of an American flag waving in the background. It’s exactly what one might expect of a movie like this one — a two-and-a-half hour long Steven Spielberg-directed biopic centered around arguably the most revered figure in American history.

Those first five minutes are as far as your expectations for the film will take you.

This is not a movie about the Civil War. This is not a war movie, period. That first battle is the only one you’ll see for the duration of the film; you will not see the Gettysburg Address, nor will you see Lincoln’s night out at Ford’s Theatre (spoiler alert: he dies).

In fact, the movie is not even a biography of Lincoln’s life. Rather, it zeroes in on his last few months, chronicling his efforts to pass the 13th Amendment — the one that would officially abolish slavery once and for all. Despite this unpredictable approach, “Lincoln” proves to be a moving experience, both because of the leading man’s nuanced portrayal of our 16th President and because of the film’s relevance in today’s political world.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a dead ringer for the Abraham Lincoln we all know from our history textbooks, pennies and Mount Rushmore. His appearance is uncannily accurate; his hair— facial and otherwise — is perfect; his gangly posture is familiar to anyone acquainted with Lincoln’s characteristics.

Day-Lewis succeeds not only in appearing like Lincoln, but also in taking this near-mythic character and transforming him into someone relatable to the audience. We see a Lincoln who gives his twelve-year-old son piggyback rides, goes off on tangents with alarming frequency and keeps notes in his top hat. But we also see a Lincoln who is dictatorial, who slaps his son when frustrated and who may not be quite as honest as his nickname indicates.

The movie itself serves, perhaps, as a commentary on bipartisan bickering — it is not chance that the movie’s release falls so near Election Day. The House of Representatives is just as divided between Republicans and Democrats in 1865 as it is today, nearly 150 years later. And even then politicians such as Republican Congressional leader Thaddeus Stevens, played with wit and warmth by Tommy Lee Jones, are forced to sacrifice their personal opinions to suit the wiles of their party.

“Lincoln” is by no means a comprehensive look at Lincoln’s life, as one might expect. But Lincoln’s story is so well-known that an elongated introduction isn’t really necessary. We’ve grown up with Honest Abe; his life is a folk tale, a legend.

What’s extraordinary about “Lincoln” is that, despite the familiar material, you still find yourself holding your breath. Will the 13th Amendment pass? We all know it does, but we are still on the edges of our seats. And when Lincoln goes out to the theater, we hope  — all the while already knowing the outcome  — that he will survive.

Buried in the middle of the film is a poignant question Lincoln asks: do we fit into the times we are born into? There’s no doubt that he was what mid-19th century America needed. But, faced with the current state of the political arena, the times we are born into might need “Lincoln” just as much.

In repose, guards make lasting impression

Originally published Aug. 2, 2012 in the Stanford Daily (print and online).

At first glance, the life-sized photograph suggests that the woman in the painting is modeled after the woman seated next to the painting, and further inspection only supports this conclusion. The similarities are uncanny: same white shirt, same periwinkle coat, same cropped, copper-colored hair. Even their facial structures seem to correlate.

Of course, it’s impossible. The photograph–one of 16 by Andy Freeberg that constitute the Cantor Arts Center’s new exhibit, “Guardians: Photographs by Andy Freeberg, an Exhibition in Three Parts”–is titled “Altman’s Portrait of I.P. Degas, State Tretyakov Gallery.” The woman portrayed in the painting is I.P. Degas; the woman sitting beside the painting is a nameless guard at the Russian State Tretyakov Gallery.

When Freeberg traveled to Russia in 2008, his goal was to capture the way in which capitalism had transformed the formerly communist nation. Upon visiting, however, he changed his focus to rest on the elderly women who serve as museum security guards, who appear to possess a deep passion for their work despite long hours and little pay.

Their passion–as well as Freeberg’s–is apparent in “Guardians.” The photographs, shot on a 35-millimeter digital camera, are elegantly composed, with gorgeous use of shadows and negative space. But although Freeberg, a San Francisco-based photojournalist, has tremendous talent, it’s also inarguable that he was given some compelling material to work with. The guards, sitting by the paintings entrusted to them, are beautiful. Freeberg does them justice.

The exhibit is divided into three portions, with the first two, “Antiquity to the Enlightenment” and “19th & Early 20th Century,” focusing on specific time periods and the last featuring photographs by Freeberg of Cantor’s own security staff. While these images fall short of the breathtaking beauty of the first two sets–no doubt hindered by the fact that, unlike the Russian guards, Cantor’s guards are required to wear uniforms–they are nonetheless a sight to behold. Also, it’s pretty exciting when you recognize a face (as the woman standing next to me so astutely noted when she asked, “Hey, isn’t that the girl from the lobby?”).

This last portion of the exhibit is accompanied by a five-minute documentary on Cantor’s security staff, directed by Josie Johnson ‘13 and produced by Justin Warren ‘09. The brief video has Cantor guards reflect on their favorite pieces of art at the museum, a question that prompts the subjects to launch into amusing anecdotes on everything from Sunday school to childhood vacations in England.

As delightful as “Guardians” is, however, be warned: the three parts of the exhibit are located in three different portions of the Cantor Arts Center, leading to much confusion. This difficulty in navigation is only exacerbated by the fact that the building is currently undergoing some remodeling. Arm yourself with a map, but even so, expect to have to ask one of Cantor’s helpful guards for advice.

How fitting.

“Guardians” will be on display at the Cantor Arts Center until Jan. 6, 2013.

DRAMA: Student-produced “Amelia Earhart” soars high

Amelia Earhart, played by senior Anna Shabrova, attempts to steer her airplane through a heavy storm. Extraordinary performances such as Shabrova’s, as well as a minimalistic yet potent set design, helped make the drama department’s new student-produced show “Amelia Earhart” a success. Photo by Amrutha Dorai.

Originally published May 8, 2012 on El Estoque. 

Amelia Earhart was not a quitter.

She battled countless failures and naysayers throughout her life. However, the pilot always stubbornly refused to give in, and this strong sense of will is the engine behind the drama department’s new student produced show “Amelia Earhart.” In the production, Earhart, played by senior Anna Shabrova, always gives the same response to her doubters:

“Every pilot that goes up,” says Earhart, “has to expect their engines to conk out once in a while.”

The show, on the other hand, does not conk out even once. “Amelia Earhart,” which played on May 4 and May 5, is a perfect storm of talent: talented director senior Nicolas Arquie guides a talented cast to success on a set created by talented designers. Despite the fact that the performance — along with the drama department’s other student-produced show, “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” which ran on May 3 and May 5 — was held in the Black Box theater rather than the main auditorium, “Amelia Earhart” ranks among the best drama productions in recent memory.

Following a nonlinear storyline, the play relates the story of Amelia’s final flight, during which she experiences flashbacks of pivotal events in her life. During those last hours over the Pacific, she relives everything, from childhood memories of her alcoholic father all the way up to her status as a feminist icon, a title whose larger-than-life implications she felt she could not live up to.

Shabrova channels Amelia’s confusion and neurosis beautifully, leaving the audience to wonder how this could be the first time the actress has ever taken the stage, having served solely as a member of the production staff in the past. Amelia Earhart may be idolized in American culture, but Shabrova plays her more like a tragic hero than the gung-ho heroine we all know. In the play she is a woman so determined to avoid seclusion that she traps herself in a cockpit, a woman so afraid of falling that she must fly, a woman so racked with self-doubt that she will go to any lengths to prove herself. When Amelia lands her plane in a New Mexico town to ask for directions, Shabrova’s delivery makes it clear that the famed aviatrix is more than just lost geographically.

Senior Max Sorg is wonderful as Amelia’s father —  a loving man who takes his daughter to the roof and gives her the moon, but then comes home the next evening drunk and swinging. When he sweet talks his little girl, he is genuinely touching; when he screams, he is genuinely terrifying.

In a number of scenes, including flashbacks featuring Amelia’s father, the cast uses white curtains drawn over the sides of the stage to silhouette all the characters but Amelia, leaving her surrounded — both visually and metaphorically — by ghosts. It’s a nice touch, much like many other elements of the very simple set. Consisting of nothing more than a few tables and chairs, as well as a spinning propeller, the set provides a minimalist charm to the show.

This lack of visual distractions allow the viewer to focus on what is truly important: Amelia and her story. And when her engine finally does conk out over some unidentified corner of the ocean, we are so in tune with her that our eyes may just grow a little misty. Just like Amelia lost her way in that storm in 1937, we lose ourselves in the perfect storm that is “Amelia Earhart.”

Color Guard still spins onward

Originally published Nov. 9, 2011 in El Estoque. 

The traffic cones were taking a beating. Standing in a stoic line on the edges of the student parking lot, they could not catch a break — a Honda, an SUV, and a beat-up old BMW all trundled by, ignoring the brave little pyramids completely.

“Hey, watch out!” a shout echoed. “There are kids here!”

It was 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and Color Guard had invaded the student parking lot.

The team stood in two parallel lines, purple flags hanging loosely from their hands as they waited for the marching band to start playing and for their routine to start.

In previous years, Color Guard would split their practices between the football field and student parking. However, the threat of field construction has left Color Guard — as well as the marching band — stranded in the parking lot. This has prevented the team from practicing and performing field shows not only during this season, but also during the last three years when the field construction was scheduled to happen.

They have relocated their practices for parades to the school parking lot, and Color Guard captain senior Caitlyn Sullivan feels that the lack of a field has actually helped them improve their game by allowing them to focus more on parades and fine-tune their musicality.

All of a sudden, a drum started to beat. The girls straightened their backs and held their flags more firmly in their hands. The moment the band started to march, flashes of purple filled the air.

Color Guard’s relocation to the parking lot does appear to be benefiting the team, as they recently placed first at the Oct. 22 Color Guard tournament at Foothill High School. And at the end of November, they are planning to attend the Color Guard tournament in Arcadia in southern California, marking the team’s first foray into distant competitions.

This requires a great deal of teamwork. “I think we’re pretty close,” freshman Color Guard member Sowjanya Akshintala said. “If I have any problems, I can go and talk to anyone there about it.”

And there have been problems for Color Guard, such as the lack of a functional field.

“But it’s okay,” said Color Guard coach Daniella Johnston. “We do look forward to having a field competition again, but right now we’re doing what we can with what we have.”

Routine finished, Color Guard huddled together in the dull glow of the streetlights. When the drum’s final few beats died out, their giggles were the only sound left hanging in the air. Off to the sides, the traffic cones still stood, beat up but defiant.

Aspiring authors team up to take on NaNoWriMo

Originally published Nov. 1, 2011 on El Estoque. 

The author of this article spent an hour staring at her computer screen wondering where to start.

Juniors Ellen Do and Dania Khurshid will not have any such luxury. Come November, Do and Khurshid will have no time for writer’s block: they are collaborating to write a book during National Novel Writing Month. The basic challenge of NaNoWriMo, run by the nonprofit Office of Letters and Light, is to write a 50,000 word story in the month of November.

However, Do and Khurshid are streamlining the process by teaming up. “Compared to one person doing it on their own and having to write 1600 words per night just to meet the quota, if you divide it’s just so much easier,” said Do.

“I think we can do it,” Khurshid said confidently.

Her confidence is not unfounded. The pair has been preparing for NaNoWriMo since September. As of now, their planned plot follows a serial killer on the loose at a school that is organized into a social hierarchy based on card suites. The story will be told from two points of view, each written by one of the girls: Khurshid will be telling the tale from the perspective of the Queen of Hearts, while Do will write as the four of spades. They haven’t gone into details.

Staring at their computer screen, juniors Ellen Do and Dania Khurshid brainstorm for their novel. The girls are participating in National Novel Writing Month, a program in which aspiring authors attempt to write 50,000 words in November. Do and Khurshid hope that, together, they can meet this goal. Photo Illustration by Amrutha Dorai.

But Khurshid doesn’t think this oversight will be a problem. “Honestly, it’s not that hard, because when you start writing, it’s hard to stop,” Khurshid said.

She would know. Last April, Khurshid and a friend wrote a movie screenplay for Script Frenzy, a similar program which is also run by the Office of Letters and Light. However, this is the first time either Khurshid or Do is trying their hand at NaNoWriMo.

“I’m really excited,” Do said. “It’s really morbid, but I really look forward to writing about the killing.”

As the program is not a competition, winning is considered to be simply finishing 50,000 words. Even if they complete the challenge, however, Do and Khurshid will not attempt to get their novel published. They are not in this for money or success.

“I think I’ll learn a lot about myself while doing this, and about Ellen, more than I will about the book and the whole writing experience,” Khurshid said. “It’s a very personal thing, writing. It’s hard to be able to share that with the world.”

For a moment, Khurshid and Do were both lost for words. But come November, they’re going to have to find 50,000.

Music: Coldplay’s new ‘Mylo Xyloto’ gets a ‘Major Minus’

Originally published Oct. 28, 2011 on El Estoque. 

There has been no shortage of bad ideas in the contemporary music scene. In fact, in a world where “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” is considered poetry, Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto” must have seemed like a stroke of genius. An entire album about two kids living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland! Brilliant! And we can name them Mylo and Xyloto! And just to make things weirder, we can throw some Rihanna into the mix! What could possibly go wrong?

According to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, their new album “Mylo Xyloto,” released Oct. 24, signifies a fresh start — a blank slate upon which to begin anew. They are looking for a new direction. They are experimenting.

“Mylo Xyloto,” Coldplay’s latest album, is the product of some experimentation on their part. The mixed results indicate that the British band should just stick to what they do best — slow acoustic ballads. Photo taken from Parlophone Records.

But Coldplay’s experimentation is only taking them further and further away from the right direction. “Mylo Xyloto” is a far cry from Coldplay’s golden days — from masterpieces like “Parachutes” and “A Rush of Blood to the Head.” Unlike those earlier, more acoustic albums, their latest record layers on the synthesizers. The result is a confused riot of sounds that never leave a real impact on the listener.

Take, for example, the three singles from “Mylo Xyloto” that have thus far been released: “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” “Paradise,” and “Princess of China.” The strangest thing is that they are all upbeat, danceable melodies. Whatever happened to insightful, thoughtful, slightly depressing Coldplay? Whatever happened to good Coldplay?

It is almost a certain fact that the only good Coldplay songs are the sad ones. “Mylo Xyloto” never quite brings the melancholy. “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” sounds promising, yes, but in reality, it’s just about a bunch of British teens who like to party all night. Or maybe it’s about Mylo and Xyloto partying all night. Either way, the song consists of a list of generalizations stapled together and taped to a background of overly chaotic Chilean guitar riffs. Nobody is going to cry here, except maybe in pain.

“Paradise,” again, displays Coldplay’s taste for the dramatic. It was intriguing during “Viva la Vida,” from the album of the same name, but now it’s just getting a little annoying. Cut the sweeping, cinematic “oohs” and “aahs.” And those synthesizers!

And “Princess of China” features Rihanna. It is not necessary to elaborate on everything wrong with that picture.

It is as if Coldplay has sacrificed making quality music in order to make big bucks. They have given up their gentle melodies in favor of radio-friendly tunes, and their willingness to feature pop princess Rihanna — whose sound is impossibly incompatible with traditional Coldplay songs — only illustrates how far they have sold out.

However, “Mylo Xyloto” does have its moments. “Charlie Brown,” again an ode to rebelling teenagers, pulls off the feat in a manner far superior to that of “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” While both are fast-paced, “Charlie Brown” has a melody that is not obscured by a whole cavalcade of bass lines and drumbeats. And “Charlie” gets bonus points for having lyrics that do not make you cringe, unlike “Teardrop” with its long-winded discourses on punctuation (“I’d rather be a comma than a full stop”).

But the best song on the album is the gentle, acoustic-backed “Us Against the World.” And it provides a valuable lesson for Coldplay: “I just want to be there when the lightning strikes/And the saints go marching in,” croons Chris Martin in a voice so intimate it feels like he is whispering the words into your ear. “And sing slow-oh-oh-oh it down.”

Yes, Coldplay. Slow it down.