‘Maleficent’ spins unique twist on classic character

Disney always has a way of adding an interesting touch to movies as the years have gone by. Gone are the days where the princess is dependent on the prince and helpless. Recent releases like Tangled, Pixar’s Brave, and Frozen have all shown fans that heroes can come in the most surprising forms. Sleeping Beauty has a tale that almost everyone knows, but Disney flipped it upside down with Maleficent, a live-action reimagining of the classic Disney animated film. One of the most neglected parts of Sleeping Beauty was the reasons as to why Maleficent was as evil as she was. Why did she have it out so badly for the king and queen? What was her problem with Aurora? These questions were all answered swiftly in Maleficent. Viewers are introduced to the title character as a young child, where the audience is shown her growth emotionally and physically. Be prepared to relate to Maleficent on a whole different emotional scale. Angelina Jolie is spectacular as Maleficent. She portrays the infamous villain with humor, heartbreak and unconditional love. The heavy undertone of feminism throughout the film was incredibly refreshing. Also, Jolie’s makeup and outfits are absolutely flawless. Elle Fanning is gorgeous as Princess Aurora. Every outfit she wears is beautiful, but as in the original adaptation, she does not contribute much to the film as a character. Fun fact of trivia here: Princess Aurora has the least amount of lines in a film out of any Disney princess. Newcomer Brenton Thwaites is also a little underwhelming, though still breathtaking, as Prince Charming. It would have been nice to see Aurora and...

Middle East violence rooted deeper than anti-Islam film, professors say

Heightened unrest in the Middle East — including a deadly attack on a U.S. ambassador and three other staff members in Libya last week — is being blamed by many on a short anti-Islamic film, which was posted on the Internet a few months ago. But some Lipscomb professors say the 14-minute film is just an excuse. “I think it becomes a convenient handle for people to seize upon, both in the Middle East and in America,” said Dr. Howard Miller, visiting professor of history. “It’s a way of minimizing the failure of our government to address this problem.” Miller earned his doctorate in medieval studies at Yale and served four years in the military as an Arabic translator. He teaches classes about Islam and Christianity, as well as history and politics of the Middle East. Miller said blaming the film for the violence is an easy out for some leaders. “It allows the rulers in Egypt, the rulers in Libya to kind of slough off their own responsibility,” he said. “If you believe government is a responsibility to set conditions for economic success, then by any token, the Egyptian government has failed … So, in a sense [the film] becomes a clever pretext for rioting,” Dr. Tom Seals, assistant professor of Bible, agreed, saying he thinks Islam, as a religion, is not really what is sparking the violence. “I think most of it is behind the cloak of a radical Islamic belief,” he said, “but I think it’s more political than it is religious. People desiring to promote their agenda, their lifestyles.” Seals is the faculty sponsor for...