By ERICA CLEMENTS

   When I first decided to go see “Tower Heist” I was a bit skeptical. After several let-downs by Eddie Murphy in his most recent endeavors, I was not expecting him to make me laugh all that often.  Adding that on to the fact that I’m not a huge Matthew Broderick or Ben Stiller fan, I was fully prepared to write a negative review. However, I’m happy to say my preconceived notions were wrong and I actually enjoyed this film. While “Tower Heist” was a bit predictable and much of the plot was spoiled by various trailers, I found a few unexpected twists. Like many movies nowadays, “Tower Heist” started off fairly slow, but I liked how it deepened the background of the story and connected you to the characters. Broderick’s character was at first a soft spoken and shy man, but once you got to see more of him, his character changed for the better. I can’t see his part being played by anyone else, so the casting crew was spot on. Despite the reassuring reviews that Eddie Murphy was comical, I still had my doubts. Murphy is a talented comedian when given the right script, and I really enjoyed his character’s antics in this particular movie. His facial expressions and eccentric attitude brought a smile to my face.
   The plot line of this story is something that has been seen time and time again in movies such as the ever popular Robin Hood. To sum up the film, the ‘bad’ guy takes the ‘good’ peoples’ money. Then, a few ‘good’ people take back their money and distribute it to the common people (the hotel staff, in this case). Remind you of anything? The key to keeping a movie or story whose theme has been seen before interesting to the audience is adding unexpected aspects. However, it is not always possible to keep the story fresh and “fun” throughout the entire film, because you need the story to have depth. If a movie goes too far from the story line in an attempt to “freshen it up,” there is a large chance it could crash and burn. Luckily the director of this film didn’t do that. This fortunate decision saved the possible downfall of the movie.

By VIVIENNE WESTERVELD


   Drake, born Aubrey Graham, is a hip-hop artist from Canada that has certainly made his way up the hip-hop food chain. His new album “Take Care” released November 15 featured an impressive line- up of artists such as Rihanna, Birdman, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and Andre 3000. 
    Something that really made the album stand apart from his previous albums, “Thank Me Later” and “So Far Gone” was the depth of the lyrics. Each song has its own story. A great song on the album is “We’ll Be Fine” featuring Birdman. The song’s tone is very laid back but still has a lot of bass. The only downfall with this song is that the chorus is short and too repetitive, but Drake’s lyrical genius outshines his flaws. One of the top radio hits on the album is “Marvin’s Room.” This song adds another level of complexity by opening up with a phone conversation between Drake and his girlfriend. This song brought to light the way fame can detach you from old friends. “Marvin’s Room” also shows his sensitive side, one that is usually masked by his multimillion dollar rapper image. 
    “Make Me Proud” is another wonderful song because it features Nicki Minaj. The lyrics shed light on her new sponsorships with OPI, Mac, and a new perfume under her label. The song establishes her entrepreneurial side and shows that she is not only a performing artist, but also a businesswoman. This album exhibits Drake’s natural aptitude for music making. 

By VALERIE VELASQUEZ


   Full of wisdom and wit, Hollywood Undead has released yet another album. Their first album was “Black Swans,” released in 2008, where they turned heads with their collaboration of rap and rock. They have made headlines once again with their new album “American Tragedy.” In this album of fourteen tracks, the band centralizes their lyrics around the Los Angeles area with catchy choruses. Hollywood Undead provides listeners with a variety of head-thumping songs that are upbeat enough to be played throughout clubs as well. On this album, the track “Bullet” will really captivate listeners. Although it is a song about self-destruction, it is unbeleivably upbeat for having such dark lyrics. The majority of the songs include a rock based chorus, versus incorporating their unique rap style. Each song contains poetic and deep lyrics, even with their scattered ingenious lines. Throughout the album, each song stays energized with minimal low points. Hollywood Undead has made this their style, keeping listeners tuned in as each new track begins to play.
    Hollywood Undead is not a mainstream band, so I would not consider this album a bestseller. However, it will easily captivate existing fans while bringing in new ones. Hollywood Undead provides the music industry with a mesmorizing versatility. They will always be a great band, and they certainly do not seem to disappoint their listeners.