Will Cooper

3 weeks ago | michigandaily.com | Will Cooper

The history of baseball is in many ways the history of America itself. Its very nickname — America’s pastime — goes beyond the simplicity of a game, evoking a grandiosity that channels fundamental images of Americana. Baseball legends hold their place in the annals of history next to presidents and national heroes: Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron. When I think back to my own life, it’s filled with memories of the game — I spent my childhood playing catch and watching Tigers games on the TV.

1 month ago | michigandaily.com | Will Cooper

Anybody remember that viral video of the ape with an AK-47? If you’re like me, you remember it well. In what was actually a marketing stunt for a “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” this video went pretty viral on early YouTube, presumably appealing to gullible children like myself that thought it was genuine. The video in question presents itself as found footage from some unspecified West African militia that gives a monkey an AK-47 rifle as a joke.

2 months ago | michigandaily.com | Will Cooper

In its storied history, there has emerged a stereotype for what films at the Sundance Film Festival are like. Often centered on colorful, unique and mercurial figures, Sundance movies have a reputation for fulfilling a certain folksy niche. As a professed fan of “Little Miss Sunshine” (a Sundance film itself), I looked forward to seeing movies in this vein while attending this year’s festival.

2 months ago | michigandaily.com | Will Cooper

Supposedly, bubble and squeak is a dish. Originating in England, this concoction is lovingly made from leftover vegetables, smashed into a pan, covered with any spice you can find and then fried. Typically, in modern England, it’s made of cabbages and potatoes. It’s some kind of national dish, I suppose. Now, I’m not English, so I had no fucking clue what bubble and squeak was. When I learned of the Sundance film of the same name — “Bubble & Squeak” — I had no idea what the film’s name meant.

2 months ago | michigandaily.com | Will Cooper

Linda (Rose Byrne, “Insidious”) is often told that her daughter (Delaney Quinn, “The Beanie Bubble”) resembles her. Maybe it’s her smile. Maybe it’s her eyes. Maybe it’s just the way she acts, a daughter’s mannerisms mimicking the mother that’s been there since the beginning. For many parents, this would be just another gift of parenthood, the blessing of seeing the best things about you reflected in another. For Linda, the resemblance is so intense that she can’t even look at her own daughter.