Mount Hood

A new version of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” comes to Netflix

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers and mentions of murder.

Film fanatics may be familiar with the title “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” a thriller that stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in an unconventional love triangle. Netflix has taken on a noir remake of the story with the leading man played by Andrew Scott, who is well known for his roles in “Sherlock,” “Fleabag” and more recently, “All of Us Strangers.” The director’s choice to make the show in black and white was due to the original book cover by Patricia Highsmith. Set in the 1960s between New York and Italy, “Ripley” is a captivating story that is hard to look away from.

In addition to Scott, the new Netflix series also stars Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn. Each actor delivered a unique perspective to the remake of the classic story within their individual roles. The chemistry between the trio was undeniable.

Andrew Scott’s stoic performance as Tom Ripley gave the series its unsettling tone. In contrast to Matt Damon’s portrayal of the character, Scott plays Ripley as a calculated, apathetic man with little remorse for his actions. In the 1999 film, Ripley is more frantic after his murders and genuinely seems to be upset about his wrongdoings. Both interpretations are incredible portrayals of the multi-dimensional character, but the passiveness of Scott’s performance is almost terrifying to watch.

The most uncomfortable scene in the series was the practically silent 20-minute murder sequence of Greenleaf, as Ripley tediously and clumsily carries out his plan. The blood on Ripley’s fingers looks black, but the audience can see its unmistakable deep red color as they experience the brutal death of Dickie Greenleaf. Ripley goes on to steal Greenleaf’s identity for his wealth and status. 

Every few minutes there is a shot of religious art, whether it is Greek, Roman or Catholic, a statue or a painting on a church ceiling. Tom Ripley walks in the shadows of these works of art, and at some points, he silently ponders them. This could be interpreted as a higher power looking down at him as he continues to commit acts of sin, whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not. He views himself as the puppetmaster of everything around him, but truly knows he is on the verge of spiraling out of control. Characters such as Marge Sherwood, Dickie Greenleaf’s girlfriend, can see right through Ripley’s actions but have no way to prove his wrongdoings. Something is not quite right with him, which all the people he interacts with take notice of.

The juxtaposition of Tom Ripley’s character is what made the 1955 novel and the 1999 film unique. Though he is a con-man and murderer, the character is also described as a sensitive man. The 90s movie depicts Ripley as a queer man, in his odd relationship with Dickie Greenleaf, and even gives him a lover at the end of the movie. His acute awareness of the people around him is what makes him the enticing villain he is. 

With an all-star cast, unique filming style and an incredible setting, “Ripley” is a must-watch for any fans of the original film or audiences interested in the noir genre. The eight-episode show goes into more depth than the movie was able to, and it did not disappoint.

8/10.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Bats and blood

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer

“Cold” — The Cure

“A Forest” — The Cure

“Marian” — Sisters of Mercy

“Bela Lugosi’s Dead” — Bauhaus

“In the Night” — Bauhaus

“Spider and The Fly” — London After Midnight

“I Don’t Want To Fall In Love” — She Wants Revenge

“The Suffering of Spiders” — Traitrs

“Nine While Nine” — Sisters of Mercy

“Walking on Both Sides” — Pink Turns Blue

“Bloodsucker” — Paralysed Age

“Human Fly” — The Cramps

“Each Other” — This Cold Night

“There’s a Girl in the Corner” — Robert Smith

“Fantasmas” — Twin Tribes

“Slowdive” — Siouxsie and the Banshees

“Lust” — Boy Harsher

“Appealing Skies” — Corpus Delicti

“True Romantics” — Lebanon Hanover

“My Favorite Black Cat” — Lebanon Hanover

“Jasmine And Rose” — Clan of Xymox

Contact the author at lminato22@mail.wou.edu  

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

Written by: Michael Hager | Freelancer

Content warning: This article contains spoilers

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is the latest movie and second-best box office opening to come from the MonsterVerse. As the sequel to the popular 2021 movie “Godzilla vs. Kong,” it is the fifth movie in the MonsterVerse, the 38th Godzilla movie and the 13th movie in the King Kong series. 

The MonsterVerse originated when Legendary Pictures and WarnerBros Pictures purchased the rights to the franchises related to Godzilla, King Kong and other Toho monsters, now known as “Titans,” back in March 2010, with plans to unite the two titans in future films.

Toho Company LTD were the original creators of Godzilla in 1954, alongside Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan. All four titans were featured in the 2019 movie “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” 

In “Godzilla x Kong,” Monarch — a secret organization formed in the 1940s to hunt and study massive unidentified terrestrial organisms, MUTOs or titans — has hundreds of different locations around the world to study each titan associated with a region. At the end of “Godzilla vs Kong,” the audience learns about Hollow Earth, a whole different world underneath Earth where Kong rules over in the end. 

Kong begins exploring Hollow Earth and expanding his territory until he runs into Suko, or Baby Kong, as fans have dubbed him. Suko eventually leads Kong to a new place, where he finds hundreds of great ape titans like him working like slaves and an ice titan named Shimo — also known as Blizzard Lizard —  ruled by an ancient orangutan titan called Skar King. Skar King’s goal is to rule over Earth, which forces Kong to rise up and ask for Godzilla’s help. At the same time, Godzilla has killed multiple titans, building up his radiation to prepare for the big fight. When Kong first shows up, Godzilla fights him on sight. The last surviving Iwi from Skull Island awakens Mothra, who is able to convince Godzilla to help Kong. 

Godzilla and Kong are able to break the crystal that controlled Shimo, and no longer under Skar King’s power, she is able to help. After defeating Skar King, Kong, Suko and Shimo return to Hollow Earth, and Kong rules over all the other great ape titans. Godzilla goes to the Coliseum and sleeps.

My theater experience was very enjoyable. The movie theater had limited edition cups, with the  choice of Godzilla or Kong toppers and popcorn tins to promote the movie. In my opinion, this movie was the best to come from the MonsterVerse. 

9/10. 

Contact the author at mhager20@wou.edu

Westerns track and field team stars in new podcast

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Howl had the opportunity to interview seven athletes from the men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field teams. An impressive lineup of athletes from both sports were chosen to speak to the Howl about their respective programs, coaching staff, hobbies and experience at Western. The interviewees for the podcast show were Elwood Hosking, Rami Dear, Bryce Mefford, Isaiah Rodriguez, Wyatt Smith, Lindie Larson, Riley Smith and Olivia Flack. 

Topics ranged from the individual successes of the athletes to a collective admiration of coach Zach Holloway, personal interests, events and entertaining stories from their time in the program. The athletes ran a variety of events, including the 800 meter, steeplechase, the distance medley relay and the mile. They each bring a wealth of knowledge on their event, how to prepare mentally and nutritionally and a few embarrassing yet entertaining storytimes on failed barrier jumps. 

All of the athletes have made their mark on the program, but Rodriguez and Larson have made big waves in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 2 competitive environments. Rodriguez took an impressive second-place finish as a true freshman in the 800-meter competition during the 2024 GNAC track and field championships. Larson has quite an impressive resume with two-time appearances in three different sectors — the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, GNAC cross-country Championships and the NCAA Division Two cross-country West Region Championships, as well as an appearance in the NCAA Division Two pre-nationals competition. Additionally, Smith also placed first in the Linfield Erik Anderson Icebreaker Memorial Invitational for the 800-meter race. The vast majority of athletes interviewed have attended the GNAC Championships in some form, which speaks volumes about the quality and performance of Western’s program as a whole. 

What stood out in particular were the stories of Zach Holloway, the head cross-country coach and assistant track and field coach. He previously worked for the highly successful Adams State University cross-country and track and field programs as he completed his education. Before his time at Adams State, he was a former distance runner at Western. He returned to Western in 2018 and has been coaching here since. Many players referred to Holloway as someone they could reach out to for anything, a great resource for support and a listening voice. Dear and Hosking elaborated on Holloway’s demeanor, “Zach’s really humble, most recently he ran a race that he didn’t want to tell us where it was, or when it was, but he tells me what time, and like dude, that’s faster than my like cross country season best! — He’s too humble, but Zach’s still got it.” Dear stated. Holloway seems to have been a powerful force in recruiting, with Hosking and Dear both stating that he was a large part of their decision to come to Western.

Western’s track and field team, similar to other programs, brings in a fair amount of transfer athletes from other two-year and four-year universities. Hosking transferred in from Division 1 school Portland State University, while Dear transferred in from Clackamas Community College. Flack spoke about her experience transferring from Lane Community College, a Northwest Athletic Conference two-year school. “I really like the atmosphere here on the team and I knew a lot of people who transferred from Lane to Western, and they always had good things to say about it — it was a smooth transfer.” Transfer athletes from junior colleges — JUCO — typically make the move after two years, which grants the athlete two more years to compete at the university level. In some cases, similar to Hosking, athletes will choose to redshirt, since the NCAA grants an athlete a total of five calendar years to compete. 

Aside from programs and coaching staff, each interviewee had a unique perspective with vastly different interests from each other. Despite interests from coffee shop dreams to mob bosses, the athletes shared that for the most part, they were all a tight-knit community. Throughout all three episodes, athletes spoke highly of each other, constantly referring to members outside of the podcast space and sharing memories. Many athletes like Flack choose to room with their teammates, something that is typically encouraged by programs to promote camaraderie. Mefford told the Howl that his friendships from the cross-country and track and field teams were something he is “going to value for the rest of his life.” 

Mefford chose to abstain from competing this season but still sacrifices his time practicing and attending meets so he is able to stay close to his teammates and support them. Smith attributed part of her decision to attend Western to her brother also participating in the program here. Bailey Smith is a senior on the track and field team, and Smith elaborated on how close they were by stating that Oregon still “felt like home,” despite both siblings originating from Cody, Wyoming. 

Ranging from a team bonding hide-and-seek gone wrong to entrepreneurship, chemistry and high-level athletic competition, these cross-country and track and field athletes covered it all. Podcast show episodes will be available on YouTube.

Contact the author at Howllifestyle@wou.edu

Social media representation of female athletes

Written by: Daelynn Aerni | Freelancer, Cameron Wright | Freelancer

Has one ever used sports as a method of escapism to follow one’s dreams or passions?

That is why so many people watch sports: as an escape from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy skillful athleticism from people who represent them. While many are able to watch

their favorite players in sports and relate to those athletes, a lot of people are unable to see

themselves represented in sports, especially women. 

Some of the bigger issues in women’s sports that so many athletes face are the negative social media impacts and the significantly lower viewership rates. Social media continuously misrepresents female athletes, focusing mainly on the image athletes should portray instead of covering the athleticism and skill these women constantly demonstrate.

It wasn’t until the 1900 Olympics that 22 women were allowed to compete alongside

men in the games, however they were still not able to compete in the more physical sports like

shotput because women were still viewed as “fragile and gentle.” 

The Women’s National Basketball Association wasn’t created until June 1997, when the National Basketball Association Board of Governors approved the idea of a women’s professional league. After fighting for their place at the table in the world of sports, female athletes are still berated with criticisms of not only their athletic performance, but of their representations of femininity through the platform of social media. 

As the women’s movement so famously started in the mid 1800s, there has been little progress in women’s sports compared to the men’s associations. Celebrating their 28th season in 2024, the WNBA still does not have nearly the amount of media coverage compared to the NBA. In 2019, women’s sports coverage was 5.1 percent of all sports coverage on TV and 5.4 percent of all sports coverage online.

This statistic is not just indicative of the WNBA but of all women’s sports. How are younger generations supposed to find escapism and identity in the sports they love if half of the world’s population is not covered by the media in the first place?

With limited media coverage as well as false narratives being placed into public opinion, potential business partners, teams and coaches, female athletes have to take matters into their own hands by amplifying their sports how they see fit. 

Sports tend to see a low number of women in leadership roles, therefore, athletes in women’s leagues do not get to see the same level of representation at the executive level as male athletes  do — leading to a gross oversight in ignoring inequities and injustices. In the end, female athletes are typically their own best advocates because male-dominated leadership frequently ignores their achievements.

This is significant to how women’s sports have become more popular because, instead of relying on unreliable media to share the importance of women’s sports, women have taken it into their own hands to make women’s sports more known and accessible to watch nationally. 

For example, with the work and spotlight being put on younger athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers, the game with this generation will translate from the NCAA to the WNBA. Another example is the recent addition to NBA All-Star weekend with the three-point shooting contest between Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry, which helps in promoting female athletes and their sports to huge audiences who love the same sport, just with male athletes. 

For instance, the average NBA game on TNT averages around 1.5-2 million viewers, compared to the 3-point contest, which has around 5.4 million viewers. If the media can showcase how amazing these women are in their skill and competition, more people will be inclined to tune into the broadcasting of the sport.

The media creates boxes for female athletes to fit into, whether they like it or not. These

boxes could include the sexualization of the female athlete or creating narratives of aggressive

behaviors. 

A prime example of this is the Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark controversy from the 2023 NCAA championship. Throughout the game, Reese and Clark showcase their extreme skill and competitiveness with not only their basketball skills, but their sportsmanship as well.

Both players were seen making gestures and giving a bit of trash talk to each other, which

is a normal, competitive quality in the world of sports. However, after Reese made a

gesture to her ring finger during the fourth quarter, representing how she would soon win the

championship ring in the tournament, the media became outraged. 

Reese was depicted as an aggressive, unsportsmanlike player who was “classless” and an “idiot.” Reese came out with a statement at a press conference after the game, highlighting the difference between her sportsmanship and Clark’s. 

In a CNN interview, Reese stated, “All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing.” 

As we saw in real-time, Reese was immediately labeled and put into boxes because of one

gesture, despite other players doing the same thing. The media tends to pin female athletes against each other and weaponize them.

So many efforts are being made to change the narrative about women’s contribution to

the sports world, including inspiring the change to hire more women’s college and WNBA

coaches across the nation. By increasing the number of women in the sports world and giving more women decision-making positions, they will be able to gain more power over their

platform and be able to represent themselves how they want to be represented, not how the

media caters to the male gaze.

This is why we would like to reach out to the Western community to bring light to the challenges that women in sports face daily. By addressing younger audiences, we hope to break this cycle of sexism and misrepresentation in women’s sports.

Contact the authors at daerni22@mail.wou.edu and cwright23@mail.wou.edu

The military experience

Written by: Michael Hager | Freelancer

Very few people know you can serve your country while getting your degree, and good old Uncle Sam will cover your tuition. I joined the Oregon Army National Guard four years ago when I was a junior in high school, with the intent to go to college and pursue a degree. 

Like a lot of people, my family could not afford to send me to college. One of my high school coaches was a Master Sergeant in the Army and also led the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps — JROTC — program at my school. He told me how the National Guard would pay my tuition, and there I was, 16 years old, with a decision to make.

I always kinda wanted to be in the military — my grandpa was a World War II veteran, my uncle was a veteran and one of my cousins was already in the Guard. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school, but my parents wanted me to go to college. I ended up choosing the best of both worlds. 

I met with a recruiter and he explained that once I turned 17, all I would need was my parents’ consent, and I could join the National Guard on a six-year contract. This would cover my last two years of high school and four years of college at any school in Oregon I could get into. 

After trying to convince my parents, almost exactly a month before the pandemic, I signed a six-year contract with the Oregon Army National Guard. I was able to have an older cousin swear me in, which was pretty cool. 

I was sent into the process of split training: Basic Training one summer and Advanced Individual Training — AIT — the next, instead of the normal One Station Unit Training — OSUT — that everyone else would do. This meant that I would go to Basic Combat Training in the summer between my junior and senior years, at the height of the pandemic.

My Basic was supposed to only be 10 weeks but, since it was in the height of the pandemic, we had to quarantine in our barracks for two weeks. I was sent to stay with 40 strangers and the only time we were allowed outside was to get our food. Once we were all clear, we began training 

10 weeks later. A few weeks before my senior year started, we graduated from Basic Combat Training. I completed my senior year through Zoom in 2021, and I officially graduated from both high school and Basic. By that time, I had a good idea of where my unit was going to be, and I knew I wanted to be close to my unit while I went to college. That is why I chose Western: my unit is located in Salem. 

After graduation, I was all set to come to Western in the Fall of 2021, and I went back to complete AIT with all the same people I did basic with, plus another company who also did the same as us. 

At first, it was hell. We had all gone back to high school and lost all our discipline, so the first week or so was Basic all over again. 

Eventually, we completed AIT, and we were officially Military Police Officers, which was our Military Occupational Specialty. A couple of weeks before I graduated, myself and two others were told that once we went home, we were being sent to the border by former Governor Kate Brown. The state governor is the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard. 

The plans I had of attending college in the fall were over, and I was on a year-long mission. In October of 2021, instead of getting ready for my freshman year of college, I was sent on my mission, but it wasn’t to the border. Much worse, I was sent to the middle of Indiana in the winter to help process and protect the Afghan refugees that President Joe Biden sent over. 

There were around 20,000 refugees who needed to become citizens, and we were projected to be on this tiny base with nothing but a Subway and a cafeteria 10 times worse than Valsetz. 

Luckily, we were able to go home six months later in the middle of what would’ve been the spring term of my freshman year. I was able to register for the following fall semester, which puts me one year behind my peers. 

I started going to Drill, which is where we meet up one weekend a month and train for different things. I started school and continued to go to drill once a month, and then I joined the Men’s Rugby Club. 

My drill schedule interferes with matches and tournaments, but I can work it out with my coaches, and I’m still playing. Drill, for the most part, doesn’t affect my school work except during finals week. 

As a student in the military, I also have access to the Veterans’ Resource Center on campus, which connects me to other military students and resources I can use. On Veterans’ Day, they hold different events I can participate in; one such event is the annual 5K Ruck ‘n Run, which I won last year. 

This is my journey through the military, and it varies for everyone across the branches.  All in all, the National Guard is a great way to make connections, gain experience and get college paid for.

Contact the author at mhager20@wou.edu

Mental strength transforms you

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

To preface this article, I am a terrible role model to follow. I do way too many activities, have way too little time and rely far too heavily on the luck I’ve had making it this far. I am in the volleyball program at Western, which is incredible to be a part of. A large portion of that is because our weights performance coaches, Coach Jo and Coach Metzgar, do their job so well that the only thing we have to do is sleep, eat and show up. The hard part is being able to mentally show up day after day. 

Everybody has heard the famous saying, “The mind gives up long before the body does.” Nobody knows that saying better than me and my team during our twice-a-week cardio sessions. I’ve had struggles with a busy schedule, as well as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder which makes it difficult for me to focus and perform actions correctly. It manifests during weights, when I have to remember our barbell complex or during practice, when I forget — once again — to open up my angle during serve receive. Last quarter, I was putting in 32 hours of work in addition to working another job, schoolwork, volleyball and weights sessions. 

It’s frustrating and mentally taxing. If you’re in a similar situation, you know exactly what I’m talking about. When life steps on you every day, refusing to stop and humbling you in ways you didn’t even know were possible, the mind has two choices: it can either collapse or it can grow some muscle to hold up all that weight. 

I remember thinking to myself in mid-March, “Maybe I just wasn’t made for all this. Is this where my athleticism stops? Is this my limit?” Looking back on it, my brain and body needed a break, and I went home for spring break, to vent and reflect on what I’ve been feeling so far. What flashed through my mind was all of those times I thought I wouldn’t make it through cardio. 

I decided that my new belief is — when something is wrong and my mind is tired, I’m going to fight for myself and believe in my potential. I made a few decisions to push myself forward. I took some weights off of the barbell in my brain. I started ADHD medication, I put my foot down at work — weekends only, so volleyball and school take precedence. I even reorganized my room and started opening my blinds so the sun could attempt to fix my circadian rhythm in the morning. Now, who knows whether the changes will be sustainable. However, I’ve already felt like I’ve successfully spotted my brain after it failed a lift. I took some weight off, and I worked my way back up again. Now, the weight moves easier, because I believe in my potential. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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