Reilly’s Rankings: John Hughes Movies

Even though it doesn’t feel like it, summer (and graduation for seniors) is becoming visible, waiting for us as we approach the finish line. With summer in mind, the most iconic high school movies of the 80’s are brought up in the same line of thinking. So, without further ado, here is a definitive list of the best John Hughes high school movies (I’ve left out the mediocre ones), ranked from worst to best, so that you can watch them before the school year draws to a close.

  1. Pretty in Pink

I’ve seen this movie at least seven times and I change my opinion of it, particularly of the ending, each time. This is a movie about a wishy washy upper class boy, tending to care more about the perceptions of his friends than his own feelings, who falls for a lower class girl that happens to be too good for him. With a memorable soundtrack featuring the best bands of the 80s and the ability to make you laugh and cry (characteristic of any John Hughes film), I would recommend this movie to anyone who doesn’t shy away from the forbidden love trope.

  1. Sixteen Candles

While incredibly unrealistic, this movie brings forth several opportunities for laughter as well as oozes every bit of the 80’s and what it’s like to be in high school- at least, what we all wish it was like to be in high school, as I can all but promise everyone reading this that your crush will not fall in love with you purely because they notice you staring at them. Despite its penchant toward the improbable, this movie is fun and you’ll likely want to watch it again and again.

  1. Weird Science

Though I’m embarrassed to admit it, I’ve never seen this movie, so I’ll have to take my own advice to watch this one before the school year ends. However, I have it on good authority from several parties that this is a funny and mindless movie that should definitely be seen and enjoyed. So, you can take their word for it and I guess I will too.

  1. The Breakfast Club

 Still holding up today, this movie is probably the most realistic on the list and an accurate representation of the different personalities you may find through the halls of school. The beauty of this movie is that it shows that representatives from every group or clique in school have the ability to come together as friends, because no one is that different from everyone else. This movie will teach you that everyone struggles, even people whose lives you’d originally deemed as shining images of perfection. This is a movie that I recommend to every single person because everyone will surely get something out of it.

  1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

The crème de la crème, the prime teen movie and mother of all John Hughes films, Ferris Bueller’s day off. If you’ve ever had a teacher say, “Bueller?” after saying someone’s name in attendance, I can tell you with the proudest certainty that this movie is where that reference stems from my friend, and many more for that matter. The story features a universally beloved high school student and his two friends as they play hooky from school and make their mark in Chicago. Funny and unpredictable, this movie is one that anybody with senioritis or a general hankering to get out of school can surely appreciate, thereby making it the perfect movie to watch just before summer break.

High school doesn’t last very long, which makes some people smile and others frown. No matter who you are, though, or how you perceive these four years, any and all of John Hughes high school movies can be a surefire source of joy for you.

Top 10 Movies of 2019

This article has been written by Miranda Jones and was submitted through the Saber Slate Writing Upload, which is linked here. If you want the Saber Slate to publish something you write, upload it there and you might be published by the Saber Slate.

 

Miranda Jones:

Do you love movies? Well, so do a lot of other people! That’s why all the movies on this Top 10 List were so popular. So no more waiting, here it is! And if you think one looks interesting, be sure to see it at the theatre, or buy it and give it a watch.

 

1. Parasite (R)

“Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.”

Parasite won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Foreign Film, and Best Original Screenplay. It got a 400% ticket sale increase since the Oscars.

 

2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (R)

“Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find meaningful work in a Hollywood that he doesn’t recognize anymore. He spends most of his time drinking and palling around with Cliff Booth, his easygoing best friend and longtime stunt double. Rick also happens to live next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate — the filmmaker and budding actress whose futures will forever be altered by members of the Manson Family.”

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won Best Supporting Actor and Best Production Design, and it was the director’s ninth movie. It made 389.3 million USD in the Box Office.

 

3. Marriage Story (R)

“A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a gruelling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes.”

This movie only won Best Supporting Actress, but it was nominated for other awards such as Best Actor (Adam Driver), Best Picture, Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson), etc. Many were surprised that Marriage Story was nominated for Best Picture because of the fact that it was a Netflix original movie.

 

4. Avengers: Endgame (PG-13)

“Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers — Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner — must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos — the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.”

It is not surprising that this movie is on this list. This movie was highly praised with a 4.6 star rating on Google, and it made 2.8B USD in the Box Office. It did not win any awards from the Oscars, but it was nominated for Best Visual Effects.

 

5. Knives Out (PG-13)

“When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey dies just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc arrives at his estate to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Thrombey’s untimely demise.”

This movie was fairly popular in 2019. It did not win any Oscars, but it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. It also made 293.7 million USD in the Box Office.

 

6. Joker (R)

“Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks — the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he’s part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker. “

This movie shows how the Joker dove into madness, and it was a highly praised film. Many people went to the theatre to see this, and the majority obviously loved it. It won Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) and Best Original Score. It also made 1.072 billion USD in the Box Office.

 

7. Jojo Rabbit (PG-13)

“Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend — Adolf Hitler — Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.”

This movie was seen as witty and funny, and many people enjoyed it. It only won Best Adapted Screenplay, but it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Scarlett Johansson), Best Costume Design, etc. Its budget was 14 million USD.

 

8. Ford v Ferrari (PG-13)

“American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Co. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.”

This movie won Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing but was nominated for 3 other awards. It made 222 million USD in the Box Office, and it was a film that many people enjoyed.

 

9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PG)

“Lloyd Vogel is an investigative journalist who receives an assignment to profile Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. He approaches the interview with skepticism, as he finds it hard to believe that anyone can have such a good nature. But Roger’s empathy, kindness and decency soon chips away at Vogel’s jaded outlook on life, forcing the reporter to reconcile with his own painful past.”

This movie was not as popular as the others, but it still deserves to be on this list. I am not going to lie: it made me cry when I saw it. But it’s such a heart-wrenching movie, it’s hard not to cry! This was not nominated for any award, but it was a fairly popular movie, and many enjoyed it.

 

10. Frozen II (PG)

“Elsa the Snow Queen has an extraordinary gift — the power to create ice and snow. But no matter how happy she is to be surrounded by the people of Arendelle, Elsa finds herself strangely unsettled. After hearing a mysterious voice call out to her, Elsa travels to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond her kingdom — an adventure that soon turns into a journey of self-discovery.”

Surprise surprise! Frozen II is here! Many people say this movie was better than the original, and I would agree. It was nominated for a few awards from The Golden Globes to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). But it did not win any. But this movie did make 1.431B USD in the Box Office, which is a huge amount of money for an animated kids film to make.

 

I hope you enjoyed this Top 10 list! And make sure to check out any of the movies on here you did not get to see.

Top 5 Coolmath Games

Top 5 Coolmath Games

One of the websites that has been a staple of our childhood and our generation is Coolmath-games.com. To this day, me and many of my friends pass the time on this website if we have our work done and are bored. Today, I will be ranking my personal Top 5 Coolmath-games based on how memorable they are to me and how fun they are. 

  1. IQ Ball 

IQ Ball is a fun platformer where you play as a little purple creature who moves around by swinging like Spider-Man, and who doesn’t like Spider-Man? Now you can get to live your dreams within IQ Ball, where your goal is to grab the swirly target to beat the level. This game is memorable to me because I played this throughout the third and fourth grade trying to beat this game and seeing what my “IQ” was compared to my friends. 

  1. Run 3  

Run 3 is the third installment in the Run series. This time, there’s more levels, worlds, and characters, and even cutscenes. Although not as classic as the first two Run games, it’s still very fun to play during a slow day and find the different paths you can take. This game is memorable to me because of the memories I associate with the other two Run games- they took everything great and dialed it up in this installment.

  1. Parking Mania

Parking Mania is probably one of the first Coolmath Games I’ve ever played, and it will probably be the last one I play. The goal of this game is based on the title- your goal is to park the red car into a parking space. Pretty straightforward, if you ask me. But as you go on, you will have to execute expert-level parking maneuvers (including parallel parking) to get perfectly aligned into the parking spot. However, you must be careful- one hit to your car and you will have to start all the way at the beginning. This game is memorable to me because it’s probably the single reason why I passed my parking test. 

  1. Papa’s Pizzeria series

Papa has many different games in the series, from a pizzeria to a sushiria. The goal of these games is straightforward- you need to manage your business, taking orders from people while simultaneously cooking the food, being a time management game. When I first played this game it was very overwhelming for my little mind to do all this stuff at once but as time went on I became better and better at this, forming better time management skills. 

  1. Idle Breakout 

I have a lot of favorites on Coolmath, but this one is probably my favorite newer one. The goal of the game is similar to Breakout, where your goal is to break as many bricks as possible to move to the next level. However, it’s called idle Breakout because you can just let the game run in the background while the balls earn money for you by breaking bricks. You can buy many different kinds of balls, each with different abilities. There’s also power-ups that are unlocked over time. As the game goes on, the bricks become harder and harder to break, and black colored bricks appear, which you can only break once you break all of the other bricks. There are also bosses you can fight to own bonus points for unlocking more skills. For a game with such a simple premise, it’s actually very complex as you progress from level to level. For example, I’ve been running the game in the background with the most powerful balls and I’ve made it to almost level 800 (the levels repeat themselves with more powerful bricks) and made millions of in-game dollars. It’s addicting to see each brick be whittled down each level. You also need to manage your money as well to get the right kind of upgrades for what you need. There are definitely better games to pick as my favorite, but I couldn’t think of anything else because this is one of the only ones I play anymore. 

 

So, I hope you enjoyed my Top 5 Coolmath Game picks. Leave a comment down below if you think I missed a game that deserved a pick, or some honorable mentions you would like to see added to the article. Thank you for taking the time to read!

Advice Column – Winter Fashion

Advice Column – Winter Fashion

Attention Saber Slate readers! We still have an Advice Column, and we’re still accepting submissions for advice! Recently, we got a whopping 1 new question from who wants to be called “Basement Bois.” Basement Bois asks: 

“What looks good on guys during the winter?  That isn’t the common sweats/vans/sweatshirt?  I like to be in the basement a lot wearing steel toes and jeans, but how do i make that look Good?  So I guess the real question is, How do basement kids look really good in the winter?” 

Dear Basement Bois,

Flannels. The answer is always flannels. Flannels go with absolutely anything, no matter what kind of season. In the fall, pair flannels with jeans or khakis. During the wintertime, pair the flannel and jeans with some kind of hoodie or winter jacket (that doesn’t contain bright colors). In the springtime, just simply roll the sleeves of your flannel shirt back and opt for khaki shorts if it’s warm out. If it’s very hot out like in the summer, there are good short sleeve and thinner flannel shirts out there that are very nice. And during all seasons, wear cowboy boots. Cowboy boots go absolutely with anything, no matter what you wear. On a more serious note, just take it easy with what you wear. As long as you don’t try too hard to look good, you probably already look fine with a hoodie and jeans. 

Thank you to Basement Bois for your submission! Remember to fill out Advice Column submissions at tinyurl.com/fhsadvice. Be sure to email fhsnewspaper62@gmail.com if you have any questions. Your submission may be featured in a future article, so stay tuned!

New School Cell Phone Policy

Since the beginning of the year, new policies have been in effect here at FHS, with mixed reception from the student body. The most significant one, in my opinion, is the new cell phone policy. Teachers are required to enforce this policy, as quoted from the school handbook: 

“In an effort to create a safe and effective learning environment Franklin High School students are permitted limited use of their personal electronic devices… Personal electronic devices include but are not limited to cell phones, headphones, AirPods, iPods, iPads, and Smart Watches.”

The policy goes on to state that devices can be used in the cafeteria during lunch periods and within the hallways before and after school. Devices can never be used in the school office, restrooms, locker rooms, or in the classroom. However, students can be allowed to use their device in the classroom “for the sole purpose of engaging in educational activities when specifically directed by their teacher.”

If students are caught violating the cell phone policy: On the first offense, the student’s phone will be confiscated and the teacher will take the phone to the main office. The student can pick up their phone at the end of the day. On the second offense, parents will be contacted and 45-minute detention will be issued. On their third offense, the parents must come to pick up the phone in the main office and the student will be issued a two hour Saturday detention. On the fourth offense, a conference with the student, their parents, and an administrator will be held. 

Clearly, cell phone usage is a problem with a lot of the student body and I respect that the administration is taking the initiative here, instead of just leaving it up to the teachers to figure out what to do. But it’s ultimately up to the student to decide how to manage their cell phone usage during school.