By: Tim Heroux 10 Things I Hate About You, is a 1999 teen, romantic comedy directed by Gil Junger and starrs Heath Ledger, as Patrick Verona, and Julia Stiles, as Kat Stratford. The film starts with Cameron James, played by Joseph-Gordon Levitt, a new student at Padua High School as he pursues a sophomore, Bianca Stratford. Unfortunately, Bianca is attracted to a rich senior, Joey Donner. Another problem he faces is that her strict father has a new rule that forbids Bianca from dating unless her rebellious older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. Cameron then devises a plan, with his new friend, Michael Eckman, to get Kat a boyfriend. They soon find Patrick Verona, who is a bit of an outsider. The two then try to convince him to go out with Kat. Patrick reluctantly accepts their offer and as he pursues a hard to get, Kat, he soon realizes that he is actually falling for her.
Despite the somewhat convoluted plot, 10 Things I Hate About You, proves that it’s not just another teen movie with some of the unique character archetypes it had, for it’s time. Along with that, many of the teens in the film are a lot more realistic in terms of the age of the actors playing them and the way their dialogue is written. Although the story structure is a cliche at this point in teen rom-coms, the film is still a well-made heartwarming teen flick. With that being said I'm awarding 10 Things I Hate About You with a 7.5 out of ten.
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By: Tim Heroux After Laughter is the fifth studio album released by former teen rock sensation, Paramore, in 2017. The album is considered to be a new beginning in the band as it strays farther from its roots than ever with their new funky, pop sound. Although many modern rock bands are criticized for their shift to a more pop style, such as Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy, Paramore proves that they aren’t just selling out. With a whole new 80’s pop vibe they show off how they are more than just an emo rock band.
Over the years, Paramore has had a revolving door of band members with a seemingly different lineup after each album release. This is because of much inner turmoil among the band over the years and it hasn’t been more apparent than during the development of After Laughter. In fact, the band almost broke up from all the lineup changes to the legal battles and even cracked friendships. But, because of that, it created the most upbeat sounding record of the group, yet. The first track of the album, Hard Times, perfectly encapsulates the style and state of the band during its development. Although, the optimistic sound of most of the tracks, has it appear as though they are happy songs. If you take a closer look at the lyrics much of it is about the turmoil that had been going on in the band as they were going through hard times. The tracks Rose-Colored Boy and Fake Happy are more examples of the chipper, funky sound mixed with a sad lyrical style. Much of the songs on the album also take inspiration from 80’s pop with the use of synths and guitar synthesizers. On the final track of the album, Tell Me How, Paramore slows down and lead vocalist Hayley Williams sings about lost friendships and being left with whether or not to leave the band. The only real disappointing song on the album is No Friend as the song uses Aaron Weiss, from MewithoutYou, on vocals, yet the group decided to make his voice barely audible, which is a big misstep in what could have been a very good, unique idea for a Paramore song. The album is certainly Paramore’s best and it shows that they are more than just another teen rock band. Which is why I'm awarding After Laughter with a nine out of ten. By: Tim Heroux
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