Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – ☆☆☆☆ out of 5 stars

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint look a bit surprised in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. (Photo courtesy of cbc.ca)

As Printed in The Lumberjack on Nov. 24, 2010

by Gary Sundt

Let’s just be honest here: You’ve already made up your mind when it comes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. This is not a matter of the quality of the stories or the mystery of the series. Your opinion of any one installment comes down to your predisposition to the Potter universe, and you either like the franchise or you don’t.

I am a Harry Potter fan, and I have been since I read J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when I was 11. I’ve read all the books, and I’ve seen all the films. I waited in the line outside of Harkins Flagstaff 11 for 12 rather cold, rather miserable hours to see the latest entry. Accordingly, I like me some HP, and I liked me some Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Interview with Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie, noted author and writer, speaks with The Lumberjack on Tuesday prior to his lecture in Ardrey Auditorium. Alexie has written a number of Native American books and is famous for his screenplay Smoke Signals, which is an award-winning feature film. - Jacob Petersen/ The Lumberjack (Photo courtesy of jackcentral.com)

As Printed in The Lumberjack on March 5, 2009

by Gary Sundt

Sherman Alexie walks into the Drury Inn Hotel & Suites with a stride that does not reflect his status as perhaps the most influential Native American writer working today. Dressed in a black suit with a blue collared shirt, the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene poet, novelist and filmmaker drove himself up from Phoenix to Flagstaff for the Feb. 26 appearance at Ardrey Auditorium entitled “Without Reservations: An Urban Indian’s Comic, Poetic and Highly Irreverent Look at the World.”

Seeming slightly worn from his trip as he sits down for the interview, Alexie admires the laptop on which our discussion will be recorded.

A Review of the Film Industry

As Printed in The Lumberjack on Oct. 14, 2010

by Gary Sundt

I didn’t review any of the releases at Harkins Flagstaff 11 this week. I didn’t want to see Katherine Heigl play the same character again. I didn’t really feel like seeing Seabiscuit 2: Electric Boogaloo. And I didn’t want to see Wes Craven continue to slash his legacy into the grave.

The poster for Life As We Know It, a movie I didn't see. (Photo courtesy of hollywoodtrailers.net)

Now, before you go thinking I was being lazy, and deem this a cop-out article, I wasn’t alone in this sentiment. Moviegoers seem to agree, as the top film at the box office was The Social Network (my vote thus far for best film of the year) for the second week in a row, but it only made $15 million. That’s not really a difficult number to beat at the weekly box office.

The fact is that all of the major movies released this past weekend were entirely uninteresting, and not especially worth my money or my time.

Kick-Ass

A costume-clad Aaron Johnson stands over a guy and holds his baton-weapons in Kick-Ass

As Printed in The Lumberjack on April 22, 2010

by Gary Sundt

I loved Kick-Ass. I loved every blood-soaked, foul-mouthed, costume-clad minute of it. Here is a movie that is precisely what the filmmakers designed it to be – an outstanding satire on a genre that has become a respected cinematic medium. It’s also a great movie, but that’s beside the point.

Shutter Island

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo look at a lighthouse in Shutter Island

As Printed in The Lumberjack on Feb. 25, 2010

by Gary Sundt

Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island is like seeing any other psychological thriller ever made. It has elements of the haunted house story, the troubled detective story, and even comes complete with its very own twist ending that you’ve already seen in several other films. But even you’re having seen it all before should not deter you from seeing Shutter Island. In fact, the familiarity of the storyline, combined with the expertise of direction, is the very reason you should see this movie.