Category: Entertainment

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Entertainment Opinion

Review of The Nun *SPOILERS*

It started as a branch-off movie to The Conjuring trilogy but has become one of my favorite horror series. Here are my thoughts:

This series starts with the main two protagonists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. In the movie The Nun the main character is Sister Irene. She is related to Lorraine Warren because They were both scions of Saint Lucy.

The main problem in the whole movie is that there is an evil spirit in the form of a nun that was released years ago. There started to be cases of nuns hanging themselves from a church.  Sister Irene tries to find out the real reason why these cases are happening. However, she encounters the evil spirit and the evil spirit gets angry at her. She tries her best at what the spirit came from and how to get her to go back to where she came from.

Towards the end, she finds out what brought her to the real world and tries to return her back to where she came from. In the end, sister irene and the evil spirit get into a battle, and when they face each other face-to-face, sister irene spits the blood of Christ on the evil spirit’s face to make her go back to where she came from. 

However, when that happened, sister Irene started to drown in the pool of water she was in. This guy that helped her get to the place where the evil spirit was, came and took her out of the water and saved her. 

However, his coming to the rescue helped the evil spirit stay in the real world by getting into the guy’s body and possessing him. That’s what brings us to the second movie of The Nun.

Perhaps, many people don’t like horror movies because they are too scared to watch any. But it is a good movie and worth giving it a try because it is very entertaining, just as the other movies in The Conjuring series are. 

This was the first occurrence that happened chronologically in the series. This movie was a very entertaining watch and definitely one horror movie that should be on your list.

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Book Buzz With Amanda Book Reviews Entertainment Opinion

I’m With Stupid by Geoff Herbach Review

Over the past few days, I went to the CKM library to pick out a book to review for this week’s book buzz review. I came across a book called I’m With Stupid written by Geoff Herbach. This novel creates a safe space for struggle, angst, and self-doubt. 

Since we are starting the second semester out with a bang, seniors are grinding their teeth to leave high school. So I thought it would be fitting to find a book based on college fits and not-so-good fits. 

This book is about a high school football phenomenon named Fletcher Reinstein. He is a national treasure and is the top pick for every college in America. His life is very public at such a young age in the world of sports. He went to school in a small town in Wisconsin, where everyone had certain expectations of him and where he should go to college. 

The book does in fact start as a story about football and what it takes to be a jock going into college until about halfway through. He talks a lot about how he isolates himself thinking he doesn’t deserve someone to lean on and help him. A shoulder to cry on in other words. He constantly thinks of himself as a burden to others causing him to spiral very publicly causing the whole state to hate him eventually. 

This character has a lot of baggage for someone who is described constantly as someone who ‘has it all.’ Gifted with all the righteousness a young man could have. He turns to substances to ease his worries. The whole book he’s in desperate need of someone else to worry for him, instead of talking he holds it all in at the risk of being that hellish burden he thinks he is. 

This story brings an excellent reason for why there is no point in suffering alone at the cost of feeling like a burden. Everyone deserves to be heard, and everyone deserves to be seen without feeling judged or misunderstood. Isolating yourself at the cost of someone else’s feelings and expectations only brings hell down onto yourself. 

This book can offer you guidance on how to surround yourself with good people who will listen because they want to. This book will also help you reflect on yourself on how to still be there for other people you care about, but it’ll also help you understand yourself.

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Book Buzz With Amanda Book Reviews Entertainment Opinion

Normal People by Sally Rooney Review

This book revolves around the emotion and dialogue of two Irish characters, Marianne and Connell. Starting their story in January of 2011, they start with the typical stereotypes. Connell is popular, well-liked, shy, and easily embarrassed. Marianne is a loner, she has no friends and has no interest in creating any relationships with people her age. 

In their final year of finishing school before university, there’s a relationship that forms between Connell and Marianne. Connell is a prevalent figure at their school and is terrified of anyone finding out about his relationship with Marianne. He goes into a frenzy of what his crappy friends would think and say about him. His past relationships were very public and out of line through gossip. Since Marianne was the ‘freak’ of the school he was even more paranoid that anyone would find out about them. Marianne on the other hand really couldn’t care less about anyone’s feelings besides Connell’s. She didn’t want to lose or upset him so she kept everything a secret. She was very aware that it was foolish and stupid. But she went along with it anyway. 

Keeping their relationship a secret and under wraps, Connell and Marianne pretend to be strangers in their school. Passing by each other in the halls without making eye contact at the risk of Connell’s reputation. 

Fast forwarding to university, everything seemed to switch. Marianne finally grew up and became more of the popular girl of the college. Connell slowly became more insecure and distant. They were still friends in a complicated way but valued each other nonetheless. Long story short, this book has insane emotional ups and downs, especially with the art of conversation. There’s a lot of power in what people say, especially when it comes down to how people feel. 

This book was overall an emotional rollercoaster with many counts of miscommunication and held emotions. I feel as if this whole storyline tries to tell you that saying what you feel when you feel it is more valued than most actions. Not taking people for granted obviously and don’t be afraid to be unreasonable. In my opinion, I think this book should be called ‘The Delicacy of Conversation.’ regarding how private the words spoken between Marianne and Conell were.

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Entertainment Features

Romeo and Juliet Cast and Tech Interviews

The VAPA theater students presented their fall performance last week, featuring William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. It was the classic tale of the fateful star-crossed lovers with an alternative flair. Uniquely cast and styled, the 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet was a post-modern arrangement of a classic told a hundred times before.

Contessa Gonzales, a senior who played Juliet Capulet, said the play needed a fresh take, a different post-modernist view of the story that wasn’t related to the 1996 Luhrman interpretation. She tried not to look at any other renditions of her character so she could be original in her interpretations of the script. Contessa compared this production to the aesthetic of Tim Burton, but others have described it as having pop-punk styles, costumes, and music.

Contessa also expressed that the emphasis on Juliet’s age was very purposeful in her portrayal of the character. Juliet’s emotions are intense, and her immaturity is apparent throughout the drama, as she and Romeo make rash decisions that end in their demise. It’s important to note that many interpretations of the original play believe it was a cautionary tale, considering all the tragedy that ensues.

Dallas Murphy, who was the head of the lighting production, said that the color was very representative of the different eras and settings of the play, with orange representing the Montagues and pink symbolizing romance. Contessa, too, said that the colors of her costumes were coordinated with the events in Juliet’s life; for example, she would always wear red during a death scene.

Myari Adams, the student director of Romeo and Juliet, said her time with the VAPA team was awe-inspiring. She felt that her role as a student director allowed her to get to know everyone on set and even become closer to the people she already knew. She is thankful for the opportunity to work backstage as well as an actor in other productions. If you are interested in theater but not necessarily acting, consider joining the tech team with Dallas and Myari for their next show this school year.

There was a wonderful turnout at every show, and they would like to thank everyone who loyally came to their showings in the fall. If you enjoyed the show, auditions for the winter production, Little Women, are currently taking place for its later performances.

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Entertainment Opinion

Unconventional Holiday Movies for Your Winter Festivities

The best movies to watch during the holiday season are the ones that hardly have to do with the holidays at all. Most of these do happen to be Christmas-related, but that’s only because there are so many Christmas movies. Regardless of what you celebrate, anyone can enjoy these cheerful, random movies during this festive season. I believe the best part of a Christmas movie is not how it celebrates the holiday itself, but rather how it honors everything associated with the winter season, like family, joy, and giving. 

Let’s start by settling the Die Hard debate, it is absolutely a Christmas movie. There’s Christmas music, the plot takes place on Christmas Eve, and it is about a family coming together for the holidays. Besides the violent terrorist attack that the rest of the movie surrounds, at its core, Die Hard is about a guy trying to celebrate Christmas with his family, doing everything in his power to ensure his and his wife’s safety. It’s funny, exciting, and festive, a Holiday movie that will keep everyone happy. 

One of my favorite Christmas movies is the 1974 Black Christmas, a classic horror movie about a sorority house that is visited by someone much more sinister than the Holly Jolly Santa Claus on one Christmas Eve. Despite its festive name, the movie doesn’t have much to do with Christmas at all and instead is a suspenseful horror movie that is genuinely super scary. There were a few remakes made over the years, but I wouldn’t bother with any of them, none compared to the horrifying original. The 1974 version is free on a handful of platforms, so I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a frightful holiday movie to start the season. 

Another favorite of mine is Greta Gerwig’s 2019 Little Women, based on the 19th-century book written by Louisa May Alcott. This movie follows the lives of four sisters amidst the American Civil War, as they take on love, family, and their careers. There is only one short Christmas scene, but the movie is joyful and keeps the holiday spirit high throughout the story. Little Women may also be the most critically acclaimed movie on this list, winning over a dozen Academy Awards when it was released. 

Edward Scissorhands is not necessarily a holiday movie, but it takes place partly during Christmas, so I always watch it around this time of year. If you haven’t seen it, Edward Scissorhands is a Tim Burton film about a man with scissors for hands learning to find love and family as he explores the world after being forsaken by his creator. It’s a wholesome movie about unconditional love that can be enjoyed all year round, but it’s especially appropriate during the holiday season.

Gremlins is probably the most campy movie on this list, as the horror-comedy is about a small town being overrun by strange, singing creatures, called the “mogwai.” Don’t be fooled by its horror genre, this movie is hilarious. The creatures that the movie surrounds are small, fuzzy, and tiny until they turn evil, green, and scaly, not exactly the most intimidating villains. It’s lighthearted and one of the most festive movies on this list, a great family movie to celebrate with this year. 

Finally, if you’re in a more dramatic mood, Carol is a festive romance that takes place during the Christmas season but doesn’t have the cheesy Hallmark energy that most Christmas romances have. The movie is about two women who bond and slowly fall in love after meeting in a department store during a hectic winter day. Carol is a tender romance that is sweet if you are looking for a slow burn that is well-made and still festive enough to celebrate with. 

I hope you find yourself enjoying some of these unusual holiday movies this winter, no matter what you may celebrate during this time of year. Sure, most if not all of these are Christmas movies, but that’s only because there are so many of them made. If you have any holiday movies that you love to watch that aren’t listed or aren’t necessarily Christmas-themed, feel free to share them below and keep the recommendations going.

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Entertainment

History of Christmas Carols and a Few Classics

Christmas carols go way back to the 13th century when Francis of Assisi, a Catholic friar, would write down hymns that would later be turned into carols.

As centuries passed by, different forms of dancing were added to the carols. People from town would get together and go house to house singing and dancing Christmas carols.

Carols were also sung in celebration of religious services and have continued to be a vital part of worship days at church. During the Christmas season, the carols have a deeper meaning as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.

Being practicing Catholics my family prepares for the birthday of Jesus every year. One of the carols we wait patiently to hear through the Christmas season is “Mary, Did You Know”. It speaks of some of the testaments that Jesus granted. In my home, he is the reason for our season and we praise him even more during advent time.

As different symbols started to be recognized during Christmas the image of Santa Claus made its way into the season back in 1863. There was a Christian Bishop named Saint Nicholas who was a saint of children hence the nickname “Old Saint Nick”. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is a fun and festive carol that gets my siblings and me excited for the yearly visit from Santa and what gifts he may bring. 

Also, the Christmas season allows us to share all the blessings bestowed upon us throughout the year. Sharing the love of faith, gifts, and well wishes with those around us. “Feliz Navidad” is a traditional carol that wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and happiness to all. This song is a must to include in my caroling playlist.

In conclusion, thousands of carols can be heard and played throughout the season and I am certain everyone has their favorites for different reasons. So, turn up the volume and enjoy this Christmas.

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Entertainment Opinion

Thanksgiving movie review *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

After seeing Thanksgiving, you’re going to want seconds.

My honest opinion about this movie is that it’s filled with so much gore and unexpected kills. Each kill is some brutal kind of way but each one is just different.

This movie is just unexpected but filled with that classic “whodunit” feeling, after waiting till the end you are going to be shocked about who has been the killer the whole time.

The movie takes place in a small town in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and people are getting ready for a black Friday sale at a store. That’s where the massacre happens.

During the black Friday sale, people are shoving, pushing, and fighting each other to enter the store. But as the doors are opening, people are just getting crushed by other people which makes the door break, making the store free for people to enter the store but as the door is being opened, that’s where the first kill happens. The doors break open leaving glass still attached to the frame of the door, as people are entering the store a guy gets his throat slit by the glass leaving him to bleed out.

Just seeing the first 20 minutes will just leave you in shock because a lot more drama happens and that’s where the killer (the person dressed in the pilgrim outfit) is looking for revenge. 1 year passes by and the pilgrim looks for revenge for those lives that have been lost during the Black Friday sale.

I’m a big fan of horror movies but this movie does everything to make it as good as possible.

The main group of teens is wondering why this pilgrim is coming after them but after realizing why, you’ll get to understand the movie more. The kills are just amazing and gory. It was just shocking to see people die this way or that way, but trust me some parts of the movie will leave you disgusted. I like how the pilgrim kills people with Thanksgiving materials because it makes it more fun for the movie.

This movie is good because they know what they are doing and they are taking their time to get where they need to go. Finding who the pilgrim is and why he is looking for revenge is just amazing because during the whole movie, you’ll find yourself making guesses about if it was this person or if it was that person but it leaves you in shock about why that person is looking for revenge.  

I also loved enjoying this movie because it won’t ever be a movie like this during this month because other months have that movie like October has Halloween horror movies but for Thanksgiving, I’m just grateful that they did make a movie like this.

The pilgrim is looking for revenge because during the black Friday sale, there was this cop or sheriff doing his job but seeing his loved ones get killed during the sale just leaves him in shock for revenge. As the year passes he kills those same people. just being the distressful person to him so he finds a way but every time he kills that person, it’s just amazing how the sheriff can kill this person this way but very unexpectedly it also makes you wonder if it is Bobby because at the end of the movie, he has a pilgrim outfit but its really not him. I also thought it would be Ryan because he has a role where everyone in the group just hates who he is because he’s not a popular person but a weird one as well. 

I highly recommend this great movie because it will leave you in shock but some seems will make you jump. Seeing the reviews of this movie is just amazing and shocking but I promise you this movie will make you want seconds.

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Entertainment Opinion

Fall Activities

Here are a few activities that I like to do during the fall when I am bored or when I want something to do. Even if it’s super cold outside, there are still many things to do for fun especially if you’re just at home on your bed just laying there out of boredom.

One of the things I love to do most is as soon as October is over and it hits November 1st, I go straight to looking online at some stuff that interests me so that I can keep it in mind or screenshot it and put it on my Christmas Wish List. Yes, it’s true, I started on my wishlist at the beginning of November, there’s nothing wrong with that. It just gives me some ideas of what I want. It’s a good way to keep you busy while window shopping if you like to do so.

Another thing I love to do during the fall is go on walks. I like to stroll around my neighborhood and listen to music, preferably calmer music. I like morning walks or afternoon walks, during this time of the year is the best time because of the weather and the scenery. It feels good to go on a walk when it is about 60-68 degrees outside and the sun is out but just not all the way out and then there’s a nice cool breeze that hits your back. And then you can go back home and take a warm shower and relax. On top of being soothing, it helps you get your steps in.

One other thing that I do during fall is clean my room, and not just clean but deep clean it. I like to get rid of all my summer clothes and take them to a storage center. Then I also go through my clothes and donate whatever I don’t want anymore. It’s a good way to get rid of clothes and help others simultaneously. Cleaning my room brings me peace, especially when I am listening to music and being productive. I feel like I just achieved the biggest thing to ever exist on earth. When you are finally done cleaning, you can light a candle for the finishing touch and lay down and relax while watching a movie. 

I think a good thing to do during fall is bake, experience some new recipes, experience, or add to your baking skills. I usually throw on some Christmas music and bake a batch of cookies while having a Christmas movie playing in the background. It is a good way to keep you busy and you can also have your siblings or your parents or family come and join you. They can learn the different types of ways that you can make a cookie, it’s a good bonding experience with family and friends.

The second to last thing that I do during the fall would be to have a movie marathon, whether it’s by myself or with friends and family. Watching movies usually takes up a lot of the day so I like to start the movie marathon around 6 pm after I have finished what I had to get done. I am not picky about the movie, though I do love to watch all the Harry Potter movies during the fall until Christmas.

Finally, the last thing I enjoy doing during fall is journaling. The weather is beautiful, the feeling of it just being fall brings it all together. Journaling can be relaxing and it can help you a lot with stress and anxiety. Writing whatever you want and putting all your thoughts and feelings down on paper makes you feel like you no longer have anything to worry about. It brings me peace like I have no more worries that are weighing down on my shoulders.

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Entertainment

Fall Playlist

Head Over Heels – Tears for Fears

This song reminds me of the opening scene of Donnie Darko, one of my favorite fall movies, about a kid’s hallucination of the end of the world. This song is also just a new-wave classic, the perfect kind of music to enjoy during this season. 

Rainy Day – Susan Christine

Other than new wave or alternative, one of the most appropriate fall genres is of course folk, and this song is a perfect example of how fitting it is. Her downbeat song albums like Paint a Lady are a peaceful addition to a mellow afternoon and will always suit a rainy day well. 

The Nightingale – Julee Cruise

Like the foremost song, this piece makes me think of one of my favorite shows, Twin Peaks. It’s a murder mystery, and as the plot slowly unravels throughout a slow and twisting show, so does the community at hand. This is all ultimately very typical of writer and director, David Lynch, who, if you can stand the dark aura of Twin Peaks, has also created many other bizarre stories, like that of Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, all excellently weird movies to watch during this dreary time of year.  

Only When I’m Dreaming – Minnie Riperton

If you don’t care for the dark energy of the previous show or song, Minnie Riperton’s whimsical, soul music will surely suit you much better. Honestly, I could listen to her all year long, but when the leaves change color, I always want to celebrate with her fanciful jazz. 

September Song – Eartha Kitt

There are maybe hundreds of different “September Songs” out there, but this one is without a doubt my favorite of them all. It’s old and sounds like it could be from a Disney Princess movie, but I think it’s purely magical. A bit older than the other choices on this list, but a  comforting, nostalgic song for autumn nonetheless. 

Flowers In December – Mazzy Star

This song may be the closest I will ever get to country, and yet it’s still one of my favorites on this whole list. Mazzy Star is the master of melancholy, and even with a harmonica, her music is still slow and quiet, like a December day. This entire album is very delicate, especially during this serene season. 

Sleeping Lessons – The Shins

I could sleep to this song every time it comes on. The backing track specifically is rhythmic, I could listen to the piano riff at the beginning all on its own for hours on end. I honestly wish The Shins would release that version so I can sleep to it. 

Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin We end with possibly the most upbeat song on this playlist, and surprisingly that is a Led Zeppelin song. I feel like the lyrics paint the scene of a dark, gloomy day that I can relish in all the better when it is dark and gloomy outside. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy Fool in the Rain, so listen while it’s still meteorologically relevant!

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Entertainment News

Celebrating 100 Years of Disney

On October 16th Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary. With this huge milestone let’s take a look at the creations and impacts of Disney and what’s to come in the future.

Disney has created hundreds of fictional characters for their stories with the most notable being Mickey Mouse, but when exactly did Mickey Mouse come to light?

Mickey first appeared in his iconic steamboat intro in 1928. While most believe that Disney created this infamous character that isn’t the truth. Ub Iwerks created Mickey who then sold the rights to Disney.

Mickey’s character design originated from the very first Disney character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

The very first Disney Princess was Snow White in 1937. This was then followed by Disney’s version of Cinderella, and then Aurora more commonly known as Sleeping Beauty.

Through Disney’s empire, they have created 494 Movies, many show series, and twelve theme parks worldwide.

To help celebrate this milestone Disney has created a fun game where you have to collect 6 different character cards weekly, on the app TikTok. 

They also decided to release to the public a newly restored 4K version of the movie Snow White. Along with that was a short film titled, Once Upon a Studio, which featured all of the Disney characters coming together to take a picture.

Disney owns a variety of different content, like Pixar, National Geographic, Star Wars, and Marvel.

In 2024 Disney will release new movies like a new Planet of the Apes, and a live-action prequel to The Lion King, which shows Mufasas and Scars’ relationship prior to Mufasa being king. 

Disney is worth a whopping 153.24 billion US dollars which will probably only go up due to their services like Disney+ and all of the future content they will create. 

Disney cares so much about consumers’ experiences that they have created new colors for their theme parks to help people fully be entranced. “Go away Green” is put onto things like light poles and trash cans which makes them not stick out to the eye. 

From fairies, and dragons, all the way to aliens Disney has created characters that have become something special to people across the globe all starting back to the man himself, Walt Disney. 

Walt Disney’s creations have had an impact on families’ lives worldwide for the last 100 years, helping create memories and spark imagination, so one can only wonder what will happen in the next century.