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ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Review: Hidden Figures
February 24th, 2017
By Jacob Bunting
WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS
Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, is a movie depicting the racial tension and segregation that is directed to audience of all ages. The main cast Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe leave memorable impression by being relatable, funny, courageous and intelligent while acting these heavy-hearted subjects. The real question behind this movie is, does this movie live up to the stories of these powerful women, or is it just another cheap ride to the oscars?
Luckily, hidden figures promptly displays a beautiful array of talented actors that not only incompuses the three leads, but also actors such as (Non-racist boss) and (Racist co worker) who draws the audience into the struggles that make up these women’s daily lives. Even the child actors, although barely in the film (and maybe for the better), play a special part in the heart and romance aspects of the film. These characters are additionally beautifully written, which envelopes you into the time and situation the characters are in. Which leads into another great aspect of this film.
The writing is especially brilliant, depicting scenes of bleak racial tension and triumphing moments over racial stereotypes. An excellent example of this is a scene in which Kevin Costner’s character realizes that a female scientist has to travel a great distance every day just to go to the bathroom. After an outburst from Taraji P. Henson’s character, he decides to smash the sign that stated “coloured restroom”. Afterwards, Kevin Costner’s character states “everyone at NASA pees the same colour” which is not only true, but speaks volumes to the amount of racial segregation present in an organization and how this one director promises to make the workplace better for every race.
The only possible negative a viewer could take away from the film is the romance between certain characters that adds an unwelcome drag to the film’s pace. However, it counters with an additional romance that is heartwarming and interesting to watch.
Overall, Hidden figures is an intriguing insight into the lives of three women that shaped the way the human race looks at mathematics, physics, computer engineering and the final frontier as we know it. This film truly is oscar worthy.
Television Review: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Review
February 6th, 2017
By Jacob Bunting
Warning: SLIGHT SPOILERS
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life picks up nearly a decade after the original series was cancelled. This four episode mini series however, follows Lorelai, Rory and the rest of Stars Hollow into new adventure, tackling hard topics such as loss and failure with the familiar humor and character interactions that made the original so fun to watch (and most importantly, funny). With returning writer Amy Sherman-Palladino, will the series deliver everything fans hoped for, or will it be just a unjustified cash grab?
The largest contributor to the show’s success are the returning writers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, who write these characters like they never left the show. They make these characters so relatable and funny, as viewers enjoy this miniseries with the huge returning cast. From Dean to even Sookie, everyone in some way has returned. Both Gilmore girls, Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham, feel like they never left the show, as their chemistry along with their grandmother, Emily Gilmore (played by Kelly Bishop, who plays the grandmother) really gets the show running. The supporting cast does an excellent job as well, especially Sean Gunn as Kirk Gleason, who are especially entertaining to watch. The tragedy that falls upon some characters early on in the miniseries is compelling and heartbreaking to watch, creating a great tribute to not only the characters, but the actors as well.
As far as negatives go, as a successor to the original series, the show leaves way more questions than it answers and creates even more conflict particularly when a second season is not confirmed. The show also draws out what could be five minute scenes into thirty minute sequences. Although these scenes are fun, it feels like some episodes in particular were stretched out in order to fill the hour and a half time frame.
Although it has taken years for the show to be released, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life delivers everything fans wanted. Even though the ending could be regarded as unsatisfactory for long time viewers wanting a conclusion to the beloved series, it is truly worth a binge watch during the holiday break.
Film Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
January 01, 2020
By Jacob Bunting
Warning: Contains Slight Spoilers
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the newest revival in the Harry Potter series, following the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s release earlier this year. Through the nostalgia filled winks at the audience and heavy reliance on computer generated images, will Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them live up to the historic films of the past or will it be forgotten by the common movie goer?
The main positives of the film are the actors starring in it. Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, is a loveable protagonist whose love for his creatures sweeps both Jacob Kowalski (played by the hilarious Dan Fogler) and the other supporting characters into his magical world. The antagonist of the film is Percvial Graves who is the American Head of the Ministry of Magic (played by Irish actor Colin Farrell) is protrayed with a cold and calculating aura. Although the writer, J.K. Rowling, provides more than a few winks and nods towards the original movies, the film never feels like it is relying on the past and instead develops as a separate expansion to the world as Harry Potter fans may know it.
The film’s beasts are also fantastic, shown in an array of exciting visual effects which draws the viewers into the Harry Potter world once again. However, the film only hosts a handful of creatures. The film would have benefited from an increase of fantastical creatures. Unlike the earlier Harry Potter films, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them relies heavily on computer generated images near the third act, where the film is accelerated to an enormous display of magic. These scenes are extremely exciting, as the characters do not rely on the things they are just taught at Hogwarts. When a fights break out between characters, it is extremely intense and exciting to watch.
Although Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them lacks the ensemble of beasts that viewers would expect and heavily depends on computer generated images to tell the story, it presents itself as a great adventure film for the family. Although the film does not stand up to the massively heartwarming and exciting Harry Potter franchise, it is still an enjoyable film
Leonard Cohen: A Musician Like No Other
December 28, 2016
Leonard Norman Cohen was best known during his singing career for his low voice, which made him very popular in Montreal. His lyrics were described as poetry, he would choose his words so carefully and manage to make a song so beautiful simply through the poetic, and deep lyrics. The 7th of November 2016 saw the end of a magical musical era.
The Artist Formally Known as Prince
December 28, 2016
Born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Prince Rogers Nelson came from a musical family; his father was the leader of a jazz band in the area, and his mother was the vocalist. A child musical prodigy, by the time he was 14, Prince had taught himself piano, guitar and the drums. Foreshadowing his future musical endeavors, he was also in a band called “Grand Central” as a teenager. At the age of 18, his demo made its way to businessman Owen Husney, who signed Prince with Warner Bros. in 1978.
Doctor Strange Review
November 07, 2016
Marvel’s most recent outing is Doctor Strange, a mind bending original story of an arrogant neurosurgeon whose fatal injury drives him to learn the mystic arts to heal his physical injury and ego. He also happens to fight some evil cultists who plot to destroy the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. No pressure.
BTS Comes Back, and Stronger Than Ever!
October 03, 2016
BTS, short for “bangtansonyeondan”, is a well-known k-pop group. They debuted in 2013 with their album 2 Cool 4 Skool, which helped them climb quickly to the top of the charts. As a result, Korean hip-hop was slowly popularized. Along the way, they gained many fans and admirers. In fact, there is a huge BTS fanbase called ARMY, made up of people from all around the world.
Farewell Ziggy Stardust
February 17, 2016
BY MATTHEW MACDONALD
David Bowie has died.
Born in Brixton, England on January 8th 1947, David Bowie started to make music in the 1960’s and, from there he took us on a lyrical journey through every decade. His music in the late sixties was odd and very different from the music that was being released at the time. From the very beginning, Bowie was different, and definitely worth listening to. His music was a weird mix of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, with a very psychedelic twist that made him standout in the massive pool of British artists.
The Direction of Hip Hop
February 16, 2016
WRITTEN BY VAUGHN WHITTLE
Those who love Hip Hop are getting mad at Hip Hop.
They do not understand the general direction that rap is taking, or has been taking, in terms of its subject matter. My personal observation from recent popular rap records is that the artform is going more towards blunt conversation. I say this because the songs in the genre that are more popular, be it Future (gangsta/trap rap) or Logic (conscious rap), tend to have a very casual feeling to them. Good examples of these types of lyrics include "we don't stand in line, foreign shoes hurt your feet" from Young Thug and "I just talked to Farrakhan, that's sensei" from Kanye West. Lines like these might be beginning to become more popular in different ways, and this is alright as it is simply people who are talking about things taking place in their lives that interest them.
FILM REVIEW: Spectre
February 16, 2016
BY MATTHEW MACDONALD
*SPOILER ALERT*
As a gigantic James bond fan, I must say that Spectre did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, from the amazing opening sequence in Mexico City to the climactic finale in London.
The story of Spectre revolves around Bond. James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) . Bond is investigating a mysterious group called Spectre. He learns about the group after M’s passing. From there on Bond travels the world in search of a way to stop the elusive group whilst the new M (played by Ralph Fiennes) has to fight to keep the 00 program intact.
Demi Lovato’s Confident Album Review
October 30, 2015
Calling out to all Lovatics. Yes it’s here, Demi Lovato’s fifth studio album Confident. After two years of long waiting, she is back and describes Confident as “very authentic to who I am”, telling fans that, “The sound just evolves into everything that I have been and everything that I want to become.”