The Charleston Gazette - Entertainment

Modern Vampires of the City an experimental success

( ) — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:45:00 -0400

By Nick Ransbottom, Home Study CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Being new to Vampire Weekend, I cant say whether the band achieved the change in its sound that it hoped to with its latest album, "Modern Vampires of the...

The Last Academy a mediocre debut

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:01:23 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The debut novel from Anne Applegate is supposed to be creepy because it follows the protagonist, Camden Fisher, at her new boarding school as she tries to unravel a myst...

Facebook at the heart of horror mystery Defriended

flipside@wvgazette.com (Jessica Johnston, Valley High School) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:09:19 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In "Defriended," author Ruth Baron does a fairly good job at displaying pitch-perfect knowledge of teen pop culture and accurately represents teenage dependency on cellular devices, the Internet and, in this case, F...

Chinese immigration explored in educational, entertaining Fire Horse Girl

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:11:24 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Almost everyone knows about immigration. Its happening all over the U.S. at any given time. Most people think of Ellis Island in New York City when they think about immigration, but thats not the only place for it. One of the b...

Landau lends a hand

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ryan Patrick, Nitro High School) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:32:33 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. believes in helping youth, and Daymark is an organization dedicated to aiding youth in...

Absolutely no redeeming qualities in Aliens: Colonial Marines

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:36:17 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I can only believe that "Aliens: Colonial Marines" is the video game equivalent of the cursed videotape from "The Ring," and if you dont pass it on to someone within a week, youll die. Otherwise, I see no reason why...

The Farm is a post-apocalyptic thriller

flipside@wvgazette.com (Tessarae Thompson, Scott High School) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:00:12 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Emily McKays "The Farm" is set in a post-apocalyptic world. The time prior to the apocalypse is known as the Before. In the Before, vampires existed, but they did no...

Shadow Breakers an adventure of mystical proportions

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:02:59 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- What would you do if you had just moved to a new town only to discover that something wasnt right. What if the town you had moved to was a center for paranormal happenings. And what if you were told that you had to learn how to fight t...

Money Run is fast-paced and exciting

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:05:25 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The life of a teen thief sounds like a pretty interesting thing to read about to begin with, right. Well, throw in the biggest heist of the century, the countrys second-deadliest assassin and a few life-threatening circumstances -- all...

Pattersons Murder Suspect a thrilling read

flipside@wvgazette.com (Tessarae Thompson, Scott High School) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:20:18 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Four siblings, two murders, one house. Who did it. That is the question Tandy Angel is trying to answer in James Pattersons "Confessions of a Murder Suspect." Wh...

Evil Dead a fun, frightening flick

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:54:39 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Well folks, you can go ice skating with Satan, and you might see some pigs in the air because Hollywood has finally remade what is considered a classic and didnt screw it up at all. Who would have thought it possible.By todays horr...

The Host a winning blend of sci-fi, action and romance

flipside@wvgazette.com (Samira Shahbandy, George Washington High School) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:02:08 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the future, a species known as Souls comes to Earth. They find mankind to be a destructive, hateful species and seek to transform humans into beings they can control. Some Souls, called Seekers, capture people and put themselves int...

A Red Hot Chili Pepper joins W.Va. students to support music in schools

lynch@wvgazette.com (Bill Lynch) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:10:58 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith said he had no idea what they were going to perform when he and the award-winning

Who will be next behind the camera for Bond.

(Nathan Thomas, George Washington High School) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:49:59 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Earlier this year, film geeks played the game of guessing who would be the director of "Star Wars VII." Now, we get to play the game all over again. Sadly, earlier this week, Sam Mendes officially announced he will not be ret...

Music for Womens History Month

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Ladies, you may not hear it enough, but youre fantastic. Really. You live in a culture where youre expected to act a certain way, look a certain way and be treated a certain way. Theres always been an immense amount ...

Die Hard disaster

flipside@wvgazette.com (Katherine Burgess, Winfield High School) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:05:23 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "A Good Day to Die Hard." More like a good day to fall short of everyones expectations. This is by far the worst of the "Die Hard" movies, and even if it werent part of the franchise, it still would not be a good mo...

Safe Haven another fabulous Nicholas Sparks adaptation

flipside@wvgazette.com (Samira Shahbandy, George Washington High School) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:10:40 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "Safe Haven" is the latest film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. Its a heart-wrenching romantic drama that will touch your heart and keep hold of it for days. When a mysterious, young woman desperately needs to get out of to...

Teen takes fantastic journey to new world in Coalwood authors debut novel

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:29:09 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Have you ever imagined something completely bizarre and out of this world happening to you. Maybe something that would completely change your life forever.Well, thats what happens to Luke Brackins when he finds a journal with an emeral...

Authors debut a heart-wrenching tale of teen pregnancy

flipside@wvgazette.com (Chelsea Shamblin, Poca High School) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:31:58 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While some shows and books glorify teenage pregnancy, Dusti Bowling, author of "The Day We Met," takes a different route in dealing with the topic. Her main...

Teen faces impossible decision in tragic Mercy Lily

flipside@wvgazette.com (Tessarae Thompson, Scott High School) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:35:49 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "Mercy Lily" by Lisa Albert is a heart-wrenching book. In it, a high school sophomore named Lily has to take care of her dying mother, Sophia, who ha...

Supernatural Kiss and Make Up is funny and fun

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:41:28 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "Kiss and Make Up" by Katie D. Anderson is the story of a teen girls journey to have her first kiss and get herself a boyfriend to study...

Ashes, Ashes is adventurous, exciting

flipside@wvgazette.com (Ronni Lynn Wood, Scott High School) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:44:37 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It seems like everyone is interested in how the world could end and what might happen after it does. For instance, what if New York City were almost completely destroyed, leaving it unlike anything you have ever imagined. Kim Harrington, I knew quickly that it was going to be a great book. The voice that Har...

Celebrating Edgar Allan Poe

flipside@wvgazette.com (Katherine Burgess, Winfield High School) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:40:09 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Edgar Poe was born in Boston on Jan. 19, 1809. His mother, Eliza, and father, David, were professional actors. He was the second of three children, with an older brother named William and a younger sister named Rosalie. Shortly aft...

New Sonic game a fun but shallow experience

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:46:22 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Okay, lets get this out of the way right off the bat. Yes, "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed" is just "Mario Kart" with Sega characters. No, Sega has not implanted any sort of original content to di...

Ten apps teens love

(Staff reports) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:30:09 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Games are fun, but theyre not the only apps for your mobile device. If you dont already have them on your device, why not try these apps from FlipSiders and their friends. (See their favorite games

Looking for new mobile games. Give these a try!

(Staff reports) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:50:26 -0500

Find FlipSides list of recommended apps here. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- There are more than 700,000 apps available in the iTunes Store, with more being added every ...

Les Misérables a dream come true for musical fans

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:57:25 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "Les Miserables" is, in a word, epic. Its more than a film; its an experience. The amazing cinematography, the complex plot, the stellar performances and the emo...

The top five video games of 2012

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:21:04 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- This was a great year for gaming, and 2013 looks to be even better. But before we look forward to upcoming titles, its time for a look back at the five best games 2012 had to offer.It should be noted that all games on this list are...

New Super Mario Bros. U another worthy entry in the franchise

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:55:31 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A new Nintendo console can only mean one thing: a new "Super Mario Bros." game. Like the numerous titles before it, "New Super Mario Bros. U,"

ZombiU a genius survival horror game

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:01:48 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Fans of the survival horror genre really have it rough. We havent seen a good title in years. Oh sure, we have games like "Dead Space" that claim to be survival horror, but theyre really just atmospheric shooters. Its har...

In Scribblenauts Unlimited, the pen is mighty

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:08:15 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Your ability to enjoy "Scribblenauts Unlimited" is determined by how much you grin at the following sentence: I ...

Wii U a great start to new console generation

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:55:43 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Well, folks, the eighth generation of home video game consoles has arrived. Its time to say goodbye to the generation the Xbox 360 launched seven years ago and say hello to the new generation kicked off by the

Dishonored a real treat for gamers

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:59:20 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Very rarely does a game come out where everything seems to work perfectly. The mechanics, the story, the setting, the art style -- they all work together smoothly and provide a gaming experience that nears perfection."Dishonor...

Resident Evil 6 more action than horror

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:04:21 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If theres one thing I can say about "Resident Evil 6," its that it tries. The ninth game in the core series, "RE6" tries to make itself stand out. It features four separate campaigns featuring different pairs of...

Bond is back and better than ever in Skyfall

(Nathan Thomas, George Washington High School) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:38:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After the failure of "Quantum of Solace," a truly amazing James Bond film wasnt just necessary, but mandatory, for the franchises future. Luckily, with help...

Final Twilight film brings saga to a satisfying close

flipside@wvgazette.com (Katherine Burgess, Winfield High School) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:15:32 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It is an event most preteen and teenage girls were waiting for, a finale that avid book readers were craving, an ending parents were anticipating. And at ten oclock Thursday, we g...

Huntington Mountain Stage a solid night of music

(Nathan Thomas, George Washington High School) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:00:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "The only thing we couldnt get is an African band," joked "Mountain Stage" host Larry Groce as he expl...

J.K. Rowling and H.P. Lovecraft

flipside@wvgazette.com (Katherine Burgess, Winfield High School) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:20:29 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Raise your hand if youve never heard of Harry Potter. OK, nobody. Raise your hand if youve either read at least some of the books or seen one or more of the movies. OK, most of you. The wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling wa...

Rowlings The Casual Vacancy is worth occupying

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:06:33 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The true testament of J.K. Rowlings skill as a writer is not her choice of words or dialogue. (There are parts in all her novels where scenes feel very forced, if not just plain boring.) Rather, its her ability to create a living, brea...

Silent Hill sequel scores points for appearance, not for plot

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:12:16 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The first "Silent Hill" movie, released six years ago, remains the only respectable Hollywood adaptation of a video game. While it stumbled in some places, it still managed to nail the atmosphere of the games, whereas adaptat...

Pitch Perfect hits all the right notes

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:14:57 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I dont think Ive ever laughed as hard during a movie as I did in "Pitch Perfect," and the same could probably be said for my fellow audience members. We were...

Rhythm Thief & the Emperors Treasure misses a beat

flipside@wvgazette.com (Nicholas Ransbottom, Home study) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:20:47 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "Rhythm Thief & the Emperors Treasure" for Nintendo 3DS is quite an homage. Its "Professor Layton" with a dash of "Rhythm Heaven" and sports a vibe thats a mixture of "The Adventures of Tintin...

Are teens over Facebook.

( ) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:42:22 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Facebook has been a great way for people to communicate with lots of people at once as well as keep up with old friends, but is it getting old. Some Face...

Top five chilling classics to watch this Halloween

flipside@wvgazette.com (Katherine Burgess, Winfield High School) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:52:10 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Its time once again for most high school kids to decide if they are too old to trick-or-treat. The answer is "No, you are not too old; youll never be too old," but if you are one of the lame percentage that does dec...