Author: Ben Kaufman

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial: New Orleans class is good addition to off campus studies

A new class is being offered for the summer of 2014 to take place in New Orleans. The course will be three weeks long, similar to the Bucknell-in Summer Programs hosted by the Office of International Education. We believe that this class has a lot of potential for students to expand their depth of learning at the University.

The course only spends one week in New Orleans, but that week seems to be extremely busy with a diverse amount of activities. During that week, the mornings will be spent working for Habitat for Humanity in St. Bernard’s Parish, one of the most destroyed areas after the hurricane. This opportunity for service learning will make a great addition to the two trips to New Orleans that the University already has through the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Team. This is also a way for students to work together for a common goal of helping out those in need, which is what the University teaches us through our time here. After that, the afternoons will be spent touring social engineer attractions, like the rain pumping system. While this sounds intense, we think it would useful for students not only to know this for their lives after graduation, but also to understand the dramatic effects the pumping system had during the hurricane.

At the end of each day, students will get the opportunity to meet local musicians and attend performances. New Orleans is rich in musical culture, and will give them a great taste of the uniqueness of the music. The blend of service along  with the local culture will give students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the New Orleans community.

This class will be beneficial for people who want to study abroad but cannot afford to go to places outside of the country. Only one week of the course takes place in New Orleans, which cuts down on finding a location to house everybody for an extended period of time. We understand that students will have to pay summer tuition for the program, and we are assuming they will also have to pay for their living space on campus during that time. While that may take away from the abroad experience to an extent, they are still getting an experience to study in a place that is different than the University.

We definitely think students have a lot to gain from an abroad experience, and this New Orleans experience is no exception. We think it is beneficial to also send students to places in America because there is a lot in this country that many people haven’t seen. With the majority of the students being from the northeast, it will be beneficial for students to see what life is like in the south and how it differs to their lives at the University. Overall, we think this is a great experience and gives more options for student involvement.

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Students need a break from relationship with technology

William Powers came to the University on Oct. 8 as part of the First-Year Common Reading program. His book, “Hamlet’s Blackberry,” discusses the impact of technology in the digital age by observing major technological revolutions through time. He starts with the time of Socrates and brings it to the 21st century.

Nonconformity is an idea Powers carried with him as he wrote his book. In his talk, he said that he didn’t conform his writing to the typical technology article that shows how technology affects us right now. Instead, he wrote about how technology has affected society through time, not just in the present day. This is especially interesting on campus, where most students have grown up with cell phones and an internet connection from a young age. For us, the internet and smart phones have become an everyday part of life, fully integrated into most of our actions. Walking between classes, you can see students glued to their phones as they pass each other without acknowledgement. It’s as if we’ve formed a relationship with technology almost akin to our relationships with the humans around us.

Think about how you wake up in the morning. Without the technology of alarm clocks, when we were younger, most of us were kindly–or harshly, depending upon how deeply you slept– woken by our mothers. Now most of us wake up to phone alarms, and upon waking up, we check our latest emails, social media updates, and other applications on our phones.

With this in mind, it gets easier to see Powers’ point about the need for people to break away from technology. He said that for five years, his family participated in what they called an “Internet Sabbath,” which meant that they would break away from technology for the weekend. They would unplug in every sense of the word, not touching technology until Monday. The University has already begun to adopt its own form of an Internet Sabbath: the Dancing Mind Challenge. The Dancing Mind Challenge gives people the opportunity to break away from technology for the day, taking the time to read a book instead. Perhaps with the addition of more events like this, the University community can find value in time spent away from technology.

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Editorial Opinion

Students give away trust too easily on campus

Generally, the University is a safe place. Take a lap around the library or the caf and see the countless number of laptops and cell phones lying around unattended. It’s a trustworthy campus, which makes people feel comfortable and safe while we are here.

Unfortunately, this was not the case on Wednesday night. After last year with all the break-ins and other scares that we’ve had, somebody broke into the mods again.

Even though it was not a University student involved in the break-in, it brings up the point of safety and security that needs to be addressed. We understand that since the mods are far away from campus, most people do not venture that far out of their way to do anything to them. However, the mods also do not have some of the safety measures on campus dorms such as ID pads, giving the student more responsibility for the safety of their property. Since the mods don’t have an ID pad to let them in, students have the equivalence of living downtown in that they can choose whether or not to lock their door, as opposed to the entire building being open to University students.

This recent break-in can also serve as a good lesson to students. After college, most of us will be heading out to live places where many of the security measures we have at the University will not be present. We have to learn at some point to adopt basic practices of living safe, which includes keeping our homes secure. However, has it also reached the point where the University needs to put in more security measures at places like the mods, especially if people are walking into dorms when students are in them?

It is nice when we are in college and live in a world where we have the security of the University and the administration on our side if anything goes wrong. But it’s still important to be responsible for your valuables and to understand the consequences of your actions. While we do live in a trustworthy environment where most of the people will cause you no harm, it is always safe to keep caution with little things like locking your door when you leave. Especially living with a group of people where everyone is liable for each other’s property.

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Featured Sports

Bison Quarterback Brandon Wesley

Alex Wagner

Senior Editor

Quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 has become a staple of the football program since his arrival to Lewisburg in the fall of 2010. After just three seasons, he is either at or near the top of many Orange and Blue all-time career statistics lists, including pass completions (first place with 461), passing yards (second with 4,926), and total offense (second with 5,401 yards.)

But the number that is most remarkable, and makes all of the other statistics possible, is 32. That is the number of consecutive games that Wesley has started at quarterback for the Bison leading into the 2013 season.

It is no secret that football is an unforgiving sport that sees more than its fair share of injuries. Although they do not get hit nearly as often as other players, quarterbacks are regularly on the wrong end of crushing tackles. But Wesley has managed to stay healthy through three grueling seasons by making the right decisions.

“I attribute my consecutive start streak to my ability to play smart and knowing when to give in and take what the defense gives me,” Wesley said.

Weighing in at 195 pounds, he also knows that he is one of the lightest guys on the field on any given play, which doesn’t work in his favor when it comes to preventing injuries.

“I’m relatively light compared to a lot of guys out there on the field,” Wesley said. “I’m reminded of this before every game when Coach [Joe] Susan comes up to me and says, ‘Good luck, skinny.’ He usually says it in a joking way, but there is a lot of truth to it.”

It is also important to note that Wesley has such a long streak because he started the final 10 games of his first-year campaign. During that season he put up very impressive numbers. He finished 68 for 1,699 total yards. These statistics helped Wesley to five Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards on his way to becoming the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Although there have certainly been some bumps in the road, he has ultimately benefited from being thrust into the starting role at such an early stage in his career.

“Being a starter since my freshmen year gives me a lot of confidence going into this season, knowing that I have a complete understanding of the offense and what the coaches expect from me,” Wesley said.

One particular game at Lafayette from two years ago stands out in his mind not because of his individual performance, but because of the daunting weather conditions surrounding a great team win.

“During that day I saw the most snow I had ever seen in my life. I couldn’t believe we were even attempting to play that game,” Wesley said. “I remember asking people, ‘Are you sure they are going to make us play in this?’ Fortunately, we ended up winning the game despite me not being able the feel my fingers and toes. I couldn’t have imagined coming out of there with a loss.”

Wesley knows that despite his strong performances in the early years of his career, he will need to put together a strong senior campaign if he wants to become a truly accomplished quarterback, and he has a clear idea of how he wants to step up his game.

“One of my personal goals this season is to become a better student of the game and focus on the small details that will help improve my game,” Wesley said. “Coach Susan always tells us to strive for perfection and the only way to be perfect is to do the little things right.”

Wesley and the rest of the Bison will certainly be looking to perfect the minor details of their game as they head into their third game of the season this weekend against Sacred Heart, after a win over Marist and a loss to Cornell earlier this year. The Orange and Blue will be sure to rely on the experience of their veteran quarterback to help guide them to victory.

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Community needs open discussion about social life

We are all aware that the number of hospitalizations of drunken students was unfortunately high the first few weekends of school, totaling 19 students. On the positive side, last weekend was the first weekend of this school year that nobody was hospitalized.

This is a skewed fact, considering that the decreased number in hospitalizations last weekend was mainly a factor of the lack of parties that occurred off campus, which was likely a result of the increased police activity occurring last weekend. It seems students were too afraid to go out this weekend, considering the extreme and excessive measures that the police went to in attempt to control the party scene.

We understand that students at the University like to go out and party on weekends. We also understand that some of these parties get out of hand and can lead to danger. The question is: do we want to completely stop the party or just control it moderately?

In many ways, measures taken to shut down partying do not always result in improving the safety of students. The administration and the police department often fail to understand that it is nearly impossible to completely shut down student partying, and attempts to do so drive students to underground drinking that is often more dangerous.  We think that Dean of Students Susan Lantz and the students that met last week created a better solution to the problem by not shutting down partying but rather eliminating hard alcohol to make them safer. We were unable to see if this is a viable solution because the excessive police activity caused most parties to be shut down.

It’s difficult for the University and students to take measures downtown because the University has no jurisdiction there. Perhaps an open discussion between the University, students, and the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department (BVRPD) would better result in a cooperation between everyone. From there, parties can begin to become better under control so that police do not have to feel they must resort to harsh tactics to control downtown.

The school and the police department have taken numerous measures in order to secure safety for the students. As students, we understand that. But the tactics they are using to approach it are actually creating an environment that will lead to more harm. If there is a way for everyone to work together to think of a new solution rather than continuing down a road that perpetuates a cycle, we think that students would be more cooperative with the administration and the BVRPD.

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Arts & Life Review Television

“Breaking Bad” captivates viewers once again

Henry Doherty

Contributing writer

“Breaking Bad” never disappoints. This week’s episode, “Granite State,” started out with Jesse being forced to cook by Todd’s Uncle Jack, even though they promised Walt they would kill him. With Hank dead, Skyler, Flynn, and Marie are all a little scared and angry. Skyler just got her daughter back from Walt, and Walt had just gotten into the van which we learned is how to get off the grid for good.

The episode begins with Saul Goodman walking out of the van. We can see that this is after Walt got in the van (we see Walt in a cramped dorm-style room figuring out his next plan). Saul is forced to share a room with Walt, which leads to a heated argument between the two about what the future holds. Luckily for Saul, he holds his ground and refuses to help Walt. This is naturally the smart choice, considering whatever plan Walt comes up with will probably get Saul killed. As sad as it is, I feel like this was our goodbye to Saul Goodman, unless Breaking Bad is yet again tricking us.

“Breaking Bad” wouldn’t be what it is if they didn’t think outside the box. This late in the series, Vince Gilligan is developing a new love interest between Todd and Lydia. We start to see Todd’s interest in the previous episode “Ozymandias,” but now we see him protecting her at all costs, exhibited by him breaking into Skyler’s home to make sure she does not mention Lydia to the cops. This could have been pretty stupid considering Skyler probably forgot about Lydia at this point. Now it’s on her mind, and something could slip to the DEA considering the pressure they are putting on her.

Even though Jesse ratted Todd out, Todd made sure Jesse lived just so he could cook with him and impress Lydia. When Todd and Lydia met in the restaurant, Lydia was coming to tell him that she’s out. But when Todd mentioned that the last batch was 92 percent and blue, she got interested. I honestly have no idea where Gilligan plans on taking this story line. All I’ll say is that I will be extremely surprised if Todd and Lydia both survive this next episode.

For Jesse, he is captured and being forced to cook. He takes advantage of Todd’s generous mood and gets the top of his cage left open to the stars. Thinking ahead, he stole the picture of Andrea and Brock that had a paper clip attached to it, and used that to escape the handcuffs. Unfortunately, he doesn’t escape. Being as evil as they are, Todd says they will threaten Brock if he tries to do that again. To prove to him that they are serious, Todd kills Brock’s mom, Andrea, right in front of Jesse. Poor Jesse can’t catch a break. First Jane, now Andrea. It’s unfortunate to see a character we love suffer this much.

For Walt, the van driver drops him off at a log cabin in snowy New Hampshire in the middle of nowhere, secluded from all communication and the real world. There is a town a few miles away, but Walt made a deal with the van driver that Walt would get food and supplies delivered by the van driver once a month if he doesn’t go into the town. For the first time, Walt actually listened to him. Even though he went to the gate shortly after the van left, he stopped and walked back inside.

The next scene is slightly eerie. Walt is more rugged looking, after what we can assume has been a few months, and still has not left beyond the gate. Here, we see Walt desperate and alone, trying to find peace and comfort in the van driver during his monthly visits. It’s a side of Walt we aren’t used to. We’re used to Walt being power hungry, but we see him in a state of weakness.

Walt finally finds a way into town, which we all knew was bound to happen eventually. He finds a payphone and discretely calls Flynn, who surprisingly told Walt off when Walt offered him money. Go Flynn! One of the few times he did something that the audience agrees with. Anyway, if we thought Walt was in a bad state before, this threw him over the edge. At this point, he’s given up. He calls the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from the bar phone to have them find him. While sitting at the bar waiting for the DEA to arrive, he sees his old friends and business partners Elliot and Gretchen on TV being asked about him. She said two things in particular that really seemed to anger Walt. The first was that the only contribution Walt had to the company was the name and the second was that the blue meth, Walt’s signature formula, was still being sold. From this, Walt knows that Jack and his gang have not killed Jesse, since he is the only one besides Walt who knows how to cook it. By the time the cops showed up, Walter was already gone.

The best part about “Breaking Bad” is the fact that we are almost completely done with the series and yet viewers are still unsure as to what will happen. Even though we’ve seen a snapshot what is to come, we’re still left with the mystery of how it will happen. We know Walt is at a Denny’s on his 52nd birthday with a new car and more importantly a giant gun. We know that he goes back to his house in order to get the ricin that he had hidden away. While we want to guess about the future, there’s really no point because even if you’re close to right, “Breaking Bad” will take your prediction and completely turn it on its head. At this point, even though Walt and Jessie hate each other, it seems like they both share a common enemy whom they both hate more.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the Editor

To the editor,

I would like to clarify some of the information from last week’s editorial concerning social events at Summit House. First, it is important to note that Summit House is simply the name of the building in which Fran’s House, the LGBT and ally affinity housing program, resides. Therefore, the discussion should be focused on Fran’s House hosting social events in Summit House. Second, the editorial claimed that Fran’s House had recently been granted the ability to host registers. This is simply not true. The groundwork for this idea originated from reading the student handbook and seeing what events we could hold within the confines of the rules. Last year’s version of the handbook (this year’s version has, to my knowledge, not yet been printed) states “A social event held in a University-owned facility must be registered by completing a space reservation form from the Events Management Office … in addition a Social Event Registration Form (SERF) must be completed and submitted to secure the approval of the appropriate Dean.” Summit House is a University-owned building, making us eligible to apply for such an event.

Having said this, I would like to make it clear that Fran’s House is strictly in the planning phases of this undertaking with the goal of hosting one nonalcoholic social event this semester to serve as a foundation for the possibility of hosting an alcoholic event in the spring semester. Finally, although the editorial referred to these social events as registers, I would like to clarify that Fran’s House does not aim to emulate Greek organization registers. Our goal is to create an alternative social space for members of the entire University community (both Greek and independent) for those who seek an additional option to Greek social events. Since The Bucknellian’s release last week, I have received a lot of student support (from both Greek and independent individuals) in this endeavor and I am very hopeful for the precedent that these events may set.

Sincerely,

Kate Albertini ’14

House Leader, Fran’s House

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Arts & Life Review Television

“Breaking Bad” leaves audience in anticipation

Ben Kaufman

Editor-in-Chief

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT. If you are not up to date on Breaking Bad, you should stop reading this piece now.

Just when you think that Breaking Bad was reaching points of no return and complete ridiculousness, Vince Gilligan takes your mind and plays with it just a little bit more.

It’s hard to say if is the most exciting episode of Breaking Bad this season, considering that every episode since its return a few weeks ago has kept me on edge more so than any other TV show. However, this episode brought along a new twist that I was not expecting. Before I get to the most important part of the episode (the ending), I want to touch on a few things that led us to that part.

First of all, Dean Norris as Hank has been outdoing himself this return. Hank started out beginning of the series as the classic jock character. He was the guy who was overly confident in everything he did. He was succeeding in his job at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and he had a solid group of friends and a strong family bond. He had all the right to be cocky, and therefore one of the more annoying characters on the show. Especially when the viewer’s focus is meant to be on their sympathy for Walt, then Hank looks particularly worse in the beginning of the show because he comes off as an unlikeable guy. Now, however, Hank has been on his game. As much as I want to root for Walt as the protagonist of the story, the moral and ethical part of me wants Hank to succeed.

Now on to Jesse. He has been on an emotional roller coaster for this entire season. He essentially has nothing at this point. He lost Jane; he has no contact with his parents. He has Andrea and Brock to a certain extent. He has them in the sense that it is clear he still has some connection to them, but on screen that is very rare. But now, Jesse has been using any intelligence he can think of to try to outsmart Walt. Again, even though we are meant to root for Walt as the protagonist of the story, Jesse is a more appealing character. The fact that he has teamed up with Hank helps with our moral compass in that Jesse is prepared to do the right thing despite Walt’s approval.

Hank and Jesse had a great plan to get Walt too. Not surprising that they had such a smart plan, but still worth acknowledging on the writers part for their ability to create this story line. The part where Huell was shown the picture of Jesse was an incredible addition and well done on every part. It was a simple idea that brought together Walt’s biggest failure.

Walt fell into the trap. As unexpected as it is that Walt fell for it, Hank and Jesse’s plan was very well thought out and it makes sense that Walt would fall for it. It is unfortunate to see a character we loved so much in the beginning fall to such a level. His main redeeming quality of the episode was when he tried to call off Todd’s uncle from coming to kill Jesse. That was the Walt we once knew and loved. The Walt that we understood in the beginning of the series for getting into the cooking business in the first place.

Bryan Cranston, as usual, is phenomenal in this entire episode. Especially at the end, when you can truly see how torn Walt is between his personal safety and victory as opposed to that of his family. You can see how difficult that decision was for Walt to hang up the phone on Todd’s cousin. For the audience, this seemed like a redeeming quality for Walt. It reminds us that at his very core, Walt is a good human being. He wants what is best for his family, and did not want to destroy the family that he had already caused so much harm to.

After some minor banter between Walt, Jesse, Hank, and Agent Gomez, guess who comes to join the party? Todd, his uncle, and the entire gang of hitmen come as Walt had originally intended. At this point, Jesse and Walt are in their respective cars, and there is nothing that Walt can do because he is handcuffed in a car from which he cannot escape.

Naturally, the shooting begins. After a solid two minutes of just hearing gunfire, we are left to wonder about what will come next. Who is dead and who is alive? I think it’s obvious that Agent Gomez is dead. He didn’t serve much substance as a character, and it was be an easy cop out for the writers if he was killed off. Considering Gilligan and the rest of the writers really don’t like when people have a happy ending, it would be logical that Hank also ends up dead from the shooting. Also, in the event that Hank does die, the amount of drama to pursue from that is going to be ridiculous. How will Marie react? Will she try to console in Skyler, or flea away?

Assuming that, all that is left is Walt and Jesse. Walt is obviously alive, as we know from the moments they show us in the future. But is Jesse dead? On a personal level, I really hope not, because Jesse is one of my favorite characters. On a level that will create a lot of story and drama for the show, it is hard to tell what will come of Jesse’s character.

All I have to say is that Vince Gilligan continues to win at creating one of the best shows on TV, and I am excited to see what happens next week.

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Editorial

Editorial: House Party excess is a community wide issue

 

After President John Bravman sent out his email announcing the cancellation of House Party Weekend, many students were angered by the students mentioned in the email, feeling as though they “ruined it for the rest of us.” When a problem like drinking and excessive partying becomes such a widespread issue that over 20 students are sent to the hospital, it becomes a community problem. Most students do not drink by themselves, and more often than not they are encouraged by their peers to engage in heavy drinking.  Overall, any student who participated in House Party Weekend, even if they drank responsibly, condoned the actions of every student on campus. It wasn’t as if all the students on campus were drinking extremely responsibly and there happened to be a few who drank way too much. The fact of the matter is that most students during House Party Weekend are on the edge of excessive drinking and any of them could tip over into a trip to the hospital.

Additionally, as a community, we are all reflections of each other. When a drunken student is disrespectful to hospital staff trying to help him or her, that person’s actions reflect the University as a whole and shape how the Lewisburg community views all University students. Therefore, all students are stakeholders in the actions of our community members. While it is sad that we will not be able celebrate House Party Weekend this year, we should also realize how detrimental it was to our community.

Our fear now is how the community will fair come springtime. The sentiment on campus seems to be that the would-be House Party Weekend will be worse than ever as students will still party, perhaps even more out of control than before. Bravman expressed himself that said weekend would be very difficult. Also, students do not need a weekend to drink excessively; they do that anyway because they want to. The excessive drinking does not occur solely during House Party Weekend–it’s an issue that happens most weekends and needs to be addressed.

The University community does not only include students, but extends to the University as a whole, including the administration. Just as students were not blind to the issues with House Party Weekend, the administration has been aware of the mounting problems as well. There have been ways that the administration has been helpful in this situation. For example, the implementation of the Community Conversation that Doug Bogan ’13 started last year with help from the administration initiated conversations surrounding this issue between students, faculty, and community members. Unfortunately, not every student took part in this, and therefore those conversations only reached a specific audience, and now the greater University community.

The administration has done things to help lessen the amount of excessive drinking, but they need to be more attentive to whether or not it is working, and the students need to be more responsive and interested in the change. The only way that we can grow as a community is if we work together, rather than pointing fingers toward something that is clearly an issue for everyone, not just a specific few.

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Uncategorized

“World’s End” proves to be a must-see

Andrew Marvin

Contributing Writer

“The World’s End” is in many ways the most mature movie to come out in the last few years. It isn’t a depressing, melancholic drag; it’s a highly entertaining romp that just happens to have something important to say. It views modern society through a skewed lens and picks it apart with a deft, humorous hand. “The World’s End” is not perfect, of course, but in a world where soulless drivel tends to dominate theaters, a movie that makes us think and feel something is rare.

This movie caps off the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, the brainchild of director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. All three movies, including “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” function on a basic level as parodies of a familiar genre. “The World’s End” might best be classified as a science-fiction spoof, though that would be selling it short. It is a satire that discusses the pleasures and pains of individuality, the dangers of conformism, and the difficulty of moving on from past failures. It borrows liberally from just about every significant science-fiction movie, such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Blade Runner,” and even “The Thing,” but it becomes something all its own. Where so many other social satires view their subjects with detachment, “The World’s End” looks at everything with sentimentality and thoughtfulness. There are no cheap shots here; every gag and reference says something about the characters or the world around them.

Like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” “The World’s End” is surprisingly touching. Viewers come to feel something for the core figures in the story, though they function more as actual characters than caricatures, unlike in the previous two movies in the trilogy. Everybody plays an archetype, but they play their archetypes well enough to make them feel like real, fleshed-out people. Central to the story are Frost and Pegg, playing a straight man and a comedic foil, respectively, in a reversal of the formula that the last two movies used to such great effect. It still works. Frost plays a fine corporate type who has started to lose his soul to the constraints of modern society, while Pegg gets to showcase his dramatic ability in addition to his comedic timing. Both characters develop in subtle, sensible ways.

That’s not to say that “The World’s End” is focused entirely on these men and their personal trials. There are plenty of chases and fight scenes, which are overproduced but flashy enough to keep your interest during the movie’s slower sections. The choreographers who worked with the film’s cast had past experience with Jackie Chan, and it shows. Even though everything revolves around the five main characters getting drunker and drunker, they remain strangely coordinated and capable of taking on small armies of robotic doppelgangers. Does it make sense? Not really, but it’s fun to watch.

Unfortunately, the movie’s pacing starts to peter off in the third act. It becomes grim, and though it is still fun, it seems more focused on hammering down its themes than bringing things to a natural, unforced conclusion. The comedy is still there, but it is subdued. “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” also suffered from third act tonal changes and plot twists. Though hints are dropped throughout the first 80 minutes as to the true nature of the invasion, the bulk of the mystery is solved in the last 30, and all of the characters’ problems are either wrapped up in haste or left unsolved.

Even if “The World’s End” disappoints in the last act, everything before it is so well-made that it doesn’t even matter. It might be hard to choose what to see when theaters are packed with such critical darlings as “Planes,” “Kick-Ass 2,” and “The Mortal Instruments,” but I’d recommend seeing “The World’s End” over anything else that has come out in the last three months. It feels as though it was made with some purpose besides raking in money, and it’s too entertaining to pass up.