The November 4, 1998 2nd Issue

Dear Readers,

The first issue of AMSTIGER was a big success! Teachers and students gave us great comments on it, which you will be able to find on the next page in the Mail! section. This issue there's a whole new layout, we have new staff members and we have more of some things and less of others. We decided that because we had a surplus of movie reviews, we might as well do a cover story on movies.

Our webpage is always being redesigned, and you can read some of the things in this issue on our webpage, at www.angelfire.com/ny/AMSTIGER. If you have already gone to our webpage, remember that it is constantly updated, so once is never enough. If you don't have access to the internet at home, then you can go to the computer center before or after school (see the daily bulletin for when it's open). Please e-mail us your comments on this issue at amstiger@yahoo.com.

We have decided on a two-week basis for the releases of AMSTIGER. Wednesday, November 18, will be the release date for the next issue.

By Kevin Malaney

This years election was really crazy. There was so much negative campaigning that it made me sick. Why can't we just campaign on the good things? At Kids Voting 1998 I didn't know which Senate candidate I should have voted for, because both were very immature. I sure hope these ADULTS stop and realize what they are saying and doing. D'Amato campaigned about how many votes Schumer has missed, and Schumer campaigned about something similar. I think that it is time for all politicians should realize the point of their running (if there is any other than for the money), and campaign for that. Hopefully the candidates in next year's election will be more mature.

AMSTIGER: How many years have you been teaching?

Mr. Craik: Um…almost thirty.

Q: What do you like about teaching?

A: I like the challenges of kids coming in each day with new questions because nothing ever stays the same.

Q: Are you married?

A: Yes, I am.

Q: How did you meet your wife?

A: I met my wife through college.

Q: What's your favorite movie?

A: I have lots of them…I really like "Grease"…and most recently "Men In Black" and "Independence Day."

Q: What's your favorite book?

A: I really like Tom Clancy's series of books, including "Rainbow 6." I also like the Web Griffin series.

Q: What's your favorite music or radio station?

A: I listen to soft rock music on WJYE 96.1 FM.

Q: Do you like the idea of AMSTIGER, Mr. Craik?

A: It's great-everyone in the world can see it on the web, so it gives you guys a new level of responsibility. I tried to start a school newspaper about twelve years ago with an Apple computer with barely any graphics, and it didn't work out.

By Tristin Elliott

Yeah, all of you have heard of the new ever-popular Flutie Flakes, named after the now famous Bills back-up quarterback. People are calling Flutie "the Bills' miracle man" and having put the Bills on an amazing winning streak, he really is great, making them one of the top teams in their division. As of about September 28, Doug Flutie signed an agreement and allowed P.L.B. Sports and Jasper Foods Inc. to make Flutie Flakes (they'll otherwise put the cereal under the store name).

After over a week of the cereal being out, people have bought 50,000 boxes of the stuff. James Walker, one of the guys who works with Jasper, said, "We didn't know if they got lost or what, but it turns out that they were sold." There's another run of 50,000 boxes of Flutie Flakes in the works, and we are hoping to see them out in a few days. The pressure is immense, with hundreds of people around the country calling about how to get this new cereal, which is similar to Frosted Flakes.

Meanwhile, Flutie's just trying to not get caught up in the media. "Let me concentrate on football." He said. Thank goodness someone's focusing on what counts.

By Nick Baer

It's a rainy Saturday or Sunday, there's nothing good on Television, and you're bored. What to do? In this common situation, most kids would go to the movies.

First of all, let's get acquainted with what and how movies, otherwise known as motion pictures, are and got started. "A motion picture is a series of images recorded on film or tape that appear to move when played through a film projector or a videotape player. Also known as movies, film, or cinema, the motion picture is one of the most popular forms of art and entertainment throughout the world." (World Book Encyclopedia). In the late 1800's, science developments led to projected motion pictures on celluloid film. In the earliest movies, movie theaters, known back then as nickelodeons, were stores made into theaters by the adding of chairs. Movies cost five cents, and the movies were silent, so a pianist in the store would play music during the movie that would fit the action on-screen.

Fast-forward to present time-movies are in color, they have movie theaters to play the movies, and yes, there is sound in today's movies. Here in Buffalo, about three to five movies open in theaters every week. Every year we are advancing in movie and movie theater technology. On December 19th of last year, the film "Titanic" came out, with a budget of 200 million dollars, setting a record for the cost of one single movie (before it, "Waterworld" held the record with a 175 million dollar budget). It became the highest grossing film of all time, raking in over a billion dollars (and still going) worldwide.

When going to see a movie, you think of what type of movie you want to see (action, horror, comedy, etc.), the movie's critic ratings, and the movie's M.P.A.A rating (PG, R, etc.), and who you want to see it with. For middle school students, there is a wide variety of the answer to these things you figure out before seeing a movie.

We have reviewed a surplus of movies here at AMSTIGER that you'll find in the next couple pages of this issue.

"Armageddon"

4/4 stars-by Tristin Elliott

"Armageddon" has good acting, a well written script, and good taste. As most people already know, "Armageddon" is about the end of the world and an old guy spotting an asteroid through his high-powered telescope. He immediately alerts NASA and the government who determine that it is heading towards Earth and has the volume of the state of Texas. The only way that they can stop is to drill 800 feet into the asteroid and set of a nuke in it, thus blowing the thing in two. Those two pieces would then barely miss the Earth. Their problem? They need a drilling team to drill 800 feet in there in a mere eight hours.

Their solution? Harry Stamper and his crew of oil drillers, the best drillers in the world. What they have to do is train them in all the aerodynamics that they need, then send them out on two rickety shuttles to stop the asteroid. With an explosive action, like an accident on their pit stop at Mir, a shuttle going down, and having to leave one member of the group behind to denate the damaged nuke. "Armageddon" is truly excellent.

"The Mighty"

3.5/4 stars-by Nick Baer

I really liked Freak The Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, so when I learned that "The Mighty" is just like the book, I went to see it.

"The Mighty" definitely lived up to Freak The Mighty, unlike past experiences of movies based on books. I imagined the book a bit different than the movie's interpretation of it, in that of the setting, and Kieran Culkin's (yes, MacCaulay's younger brother) character (I imagined more towards Ian Michael Smith, the title role in "Simon Birch"). But the movie is incredibly like the book in many ways, also (the movie has chapters to it, just like the book).

For those of you who have not read the book, here is the basic story line of the book and the movie. Maxwell Kane (played by Elden Henson) is an overweight, tall, non-educated kid (he's repeated the seventh grade numerous times) who is made fun of by other kids. Maxwell befriends Kevin Dillon (played by Kieran Culkin), a brilliant, extremely small kid with an unknown illness which makes his organs grow faster than his body. When together, these two boys are Freak The Mighty, a perfect kid made out of two kids, who battle imaginary knights.

"The Mighty" also has an extraordinary supporting cast. Sharon Stone plays Kevin's mother, Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton play Max's grandparents, Meat Loaf plays Max's dad, and Gillian Anderson plays a friend of Max's dad.

Overall, "The Mighty" is a great movie for people of all ages.

"Pleasantville"

4/4 stars-by Nick Baer

"Pleasantville" is one great movie. Alike "The Truman Show", a great movie that came out last summer, "Pleasantville" is a fantasy.

The basic plot is that while fighting over the remote control, two teenage siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon), are magically sent to the land of "Pleasantville", a black-and-white fifties sitcom. In this town, everything is non-colored until these two teens change it all by not fitting in to the perfect world. Thus, some people and land is turned color gradually until the town has to do something about it.

Probably the best part of the movie is when the town starts separating the colored people and things from the non-colored people and things, and signs on the non-colored stores read "No Coloreds." This is a mock of the Segregation period in history, when Negroes were separated from Whites.

Although this movie might sound a little two unrealistic for some, it isn't. While seeing this movie, everyone, from five year old boys to elderly ladies, were laughing and crying. This is one of the great things about "Pleasantville", how people of all ages will love it.

The co-stars of "Pleasantville" are wonderfully acted by Jeff Daniels as the soda-shop owner, Joan Allen as the mother of the two teens, William H. Macy as the teens' father, and J.T. Walsh as the town judge.

Sadly, J.T. Walsh died right after filming "Pleasantville," but if I were him, I would be smiling in my grave knowing how good my last movie was.

"Godzilla"

1.5/4 stars-by Tristin Elliott

The plot of the remake of "Godzilla" is that a nuclear experiment on a deserted island mutates a small lizard into a hulking giant reptile over 500 feet tall. This lizard goes out to the ocean and heads for New York City. Along the way, of course, it has to destroy every boat or sub that gets in its way.

"Godzilla" is way too predictable. As soon as the big lizard gets to the Big Apple it just runs around smashing things to its heart's content and yet still has the sense to stay on the roads. Totally unrealistic, you say? It gets worse (if that's possible). They call New York City's mayor and a ton of jets, copters, subs and whatever else they can find to stop this thing. And yet what they do is end up getting a nerdy nuclear reaction scientist who deals with the growth of resident worms to a place that had been nuked. Throughout the film he is called "the worm guy." The first surprise of the movie comes terribly.

As in all B flicks (and this should have been one of them), there's a cheesy ending. "Godzilla" is a completely pointless movie, if you want my opinion. There's a bad script, bad acting, bad overall everything, and if you've seen the movie you'll know why I gave it just 1 ˝ stars.

"Charmed"

3.5/4 stars-by Khrista Tretorola

"Charmed" is a great new show that will get you hooked the minute you see it. It stars Shannon Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano; all three play sisters who are witches and are also roommates.

All three sisters struggle while trying to balance their everyday lives along with their uncontrollable powers. Obstacles come across them, trying to take their possessions away (including their powers). Each show is a new adventure.

This program is especially good because it isn't a continuing show, so you can watch it one week and miss it another. This is great for people with packed schedules.

Tune into Channel 8 (WB49) on Wednesday nights at nine. "Charmed" will make you want to get your homework done, so this show deserves 3 ˝ stars.

Old School

By Alex Miller

I'm old school like the ABA, Like Wilt Chamberlin and Dr. J.

I'm old school like a big huge 'fro, And most of all like Oscar the Big O.

I'm old school like a no look pass, Like a runner off the glass.

I'm old school like a Converse shoe, Yeah, I'm old school, so how 'bout you?

Beyond

By Tristin Elliott

Beyond what we hope, Beyond what we dream, There is always an ever present extreme.

Past all of the things we've accomplished before, There's an impossible voice, Saying "More, more."

Beyond all human limits, There's always a need, For something that's calling knows you can succeed. For once you leave the realm of mortal dreams, Where nothing is ever just what it seems, And you leave behind what you say and what you do, So you can find the voice that is calling to you.

Soccer

By Emily Causley

Running like the wind down the big field,

My hair smacking my beat red face,

Like a-thousand small strands of brown thread.

Excited fans cheering,

My feet hitting the hard ball as I look for the net.

Weaving through the defenders,

I see the destination.

I kick the ball,

It's rolling faster than ever,

Past the penalty line,

Into the goalie's box,

And through the goalie's legs.

It slowly creeps to the back of the net.

I scored,

We won!

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