The album cover for “Don’t Be Dumb.” | Photo from Spotify
Jan. 28, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
After a nearly eight-year wait, which saw him go through highs and lows, including a dramatic arrest in Sweden, starting a family with Rihanna and being found not guilty on felony assault charges that accused him of assaulting his childhood friend and business partner A$AP Relli with a firearm, A$AP Rocky has finally released his new album, “Don’t Be Dumb.”
The lead singles for the project, “PUNK ROCKY” and “HELICOPTER,” couldn’t sound more different from each other. “PUNK ROCKY” is a more laid-back and smooth song which, as the title suggests, has heavy punk rock influences. Meanwhile, “HELICOPTER” has an aggressive, almost industrial type of sound.
The feature list is stacked with big names, including Tyler, The Creator, Brent Faiyaz and Gorillaz. However, in my opinion, it’s the slightly lesser-known Sauce Walka who has the most interesting feature on the album on the song “STOP SNITCHING,” where he floats over an ominous instrumental. I was also pleasantly surprised by will.i.am’s contributions on the song “THE END,” where he does an incredible job of capturing the dark, apocalyptic vibe of the production, giving a verse that sets Rocky up perfectly for the remainder of the track. Doechii trades verses with Rocky on what was probably the most out-of-left-field sounding song on the entire album, titled “ROBBERY”. While the beat is slightly off-putting for me, I think it works relatively well, and Doechii and Rocky match each other’s energy. Doechii really feels like the perfect fit for the strange beat thanks to her ability to pull off unique flows.
My personal favorite performances from Rocky himself come on the songs “PLAYA”, “NO TRESSPASSING” and the title track, “DON’T BE DUMB/TRIP BABY.” The Thundercat and Cardo Got Wings production on “PLAYA” reminds me of some of the beats that the hip-hop and rock group N.E.R.D. made popular in the 2000s. It has such a smooth bounce to it, and Rocky approaches it with a catchy melody, while rapping about the fulfillment of settling down and building a life with one person. “NO TRESSPASSING” has an intro that sounds like a smoke-filled room with Rocky looking back on his early career. The song then shifts into an energetic West Coast beat with an attention-grabbing synth. Once again, Rocky showcases his ability to attack a beat at an elite level, which makes the song hard not to love. “DON’T BE DUMB/TRIP BABY” samples Clairo’s song “Sinking” and probably has the best lyrical performance on the entire album, with Rocky focusing on themes of love and personal growth. The first half of the production is spacey before switching to a more uptempo beat, sticking to similar themes.
Overall, it’s a really enjoyable project with a few minor flaws. There are a few things I’d have liked to see explored a bit more, such as the intro on “NO TRESSPASSING,” and I wish we’d seen the kind of lyrical performance Rocky had on “DON’T BE DUMB/TRIP BABY” more prominently throughout the album. As mentioned, Rocky had a lot to discuss, and it feels like he didn’t dive as deep as he could have. The production, as amazing as it is, still doesn’t hit the highs that it did on his past projects, although that may just be a testament to how great that production was more than anything else.
With that being said, I’m just glad it finally came out.
A still from Studio Ghibli’s film “My Neighbor Totoro.” | Photo from @ghibliusa on Instagram
Jan. 28, 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
It’s late winter. The excitement for the holidays has come and gone, and there’s limited sunshine to keep the doom and gloom away. My favorite thing to do to shake the frost? Watch some of the coziest movies out there with a blanket and a mug of tea.
“Pride and Prejudice” — Based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name, “Pride and Prejudice” follows Lizzie Bennet and her sister Jane in the English countryside during the Regency era. With a piano-led score and warm ambience, “Pride and Prejudice” perfectly encapsulates longing, restraint and a slow-burning romance, while also bringing to mind a warm summer or spring day. “Pride and Prejudice” is streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video for $3.99.
“My Neighbor Totoro” —One of Hayao Miyazaki’s most popular films, “My Neighbor Totoro” follows Satsuki and Mei when they move to the countryside while their mother is in the hospital. As they explore their new home, they discover forest spirits, including the fluffy, cat-like Totoro. This movie is cozy because there’s no big villain; it’s just two sisters exploring their home and enjoying the small moments. The film is slow-paced, and nothing is rushed, with sunlit fields and dust floating in the air. Nature becomes a soft place to rest, and the magical creatures are gentle forest spirits — especially Totoro, who is more like a giant stuffed animal. “My Neighbor Totoro” is streaming on HBO Max, along with other Studio Ghibli movies.
“The Lord of the Rings” —Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings” follows Frodo Baggins as he sets off to destroy the One Ring. The films are drenched in a palette of antique light — soft golds, mossy greens and pale silvery-blues — with a sweeping soundtrack by Howard Shore, filled with string instruments and haunting vocals. The films themselves are about how even the smallest person can change the world and focus on the small in the wake of the huge. After all, Samwise Gamgee says it best in “The Return of the King”: “Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It’ll be spring soon, and the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they’ll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields. And they’ll be eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?” All three movies in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy — both theatrical and extended editions — are streaming on HBO Max and Prime Video.
“Hook” —A modern retelling of “Peter Pan,” this film answers the question “What if Peter Pan grew up?” The whole movie feels like a fairytale, wrapped in pure ‘90s and childhood nostalgia. With Robin Williams as Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook and Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, “Hook” is full of familiar faces. The design is storybook-soft with glowing pixie dust, flying pirate ships and colorful sets, creating the feeling of stepping into a stage play. Besides, at its core, “Hook” isn’t just about fighting pirates and magic. It’s about believing in oneself, rediscovering the sense of childhood wonder and reconnecting with those closest. “Hook” is streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video for $3.99.
Content warning: this article contains spoilers for “Sunrise on the Reaping” and descriptions of gore
Reading “Sunrise on the Reaping” was definitely a rollercoaster. Suzanne Collins’ new novel, which released last March, is a prequel to the original trilogy, taking place during the 50th Hunger Games and telling the story of a young Haymitch Abernathy — a character many fans, including myself, love.
The novel opens with descriptions of Haymitch and his family living in District 12. We learn that his family is not well off — something that is pretty typical for those who live in District 12 — and that he often sneaks off with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, to escape the realities of his life. On reaping day, it is announced that twice as many tributes will be reaped to celebrate the 50th Hunger Games, or Second Quarter Quell. Surprisingly, Haymitch isn’t originally reaped, but when chaos ensues, he steps between Peacekeepers to protect Lenore Dove, causing him to be chosen as the replacement for the dead tribute.
Because District 12 had no previously known Victors, random mentors were assigned to Haymitch and the other tributes from his district. Through this, we’re introduced to a younger Wiress and Mags, characters from “Catching Fire,” the second book in the original trilogy. During training, we also learn about Beetee — another character in “Catching Fire,” and his young son Ampert, who was reaped.
Because of his acts of rebellion against the Capitol, Haymitch is given a score of one — the worst possible score — by the Gamemakers. This doesn’t go the way they intended, though, because Haymitch is soon labeled and marketed as a “rascal” and gains popularity for his personality in the Capitol.
Beetee eventually enlists Haymitch in a plan to rebel against the Capitol and the Games. While in the arena, Haymitch is meant to light explosives planted in the underground water system to prevent the Gamemakers from controlling the arena. While this plan ultimately fails, Haymitch still angers President Snow and is marked for punishment due to his contributions to the rebellion.
Haymitch eventually wins the Games by leading the last tribute to the edge of the arena, which he learns is protected by a force field. The final tribute throws her axe at Haymitch, who then ducks, causing the axe to rebound off the force field and kill the tribute.
While Haymitch does survive the Games, did he actually win? Like he says in “Catching Fire,” “Nobody ever wins the Games. Period. There are survivors…there’s no winners.” He eventually returns home, where he finds his house burnt down and his family dead; he then finds Lenore Dove, who found gumdrops she thought were from him, but were actually poisoned, which leads to her death. While it isn’t proven, Haymitch, along with many readers, is convinced that President Snow is responsible for these tragedies.
In the end, Haymitch slowly becomes the Haymitch we know in the original series, as he develops an alcohol addiction and isolates himself to cope with all of his losses and memories of the Games.
I feel like many “Hunger Games” fans can agree that “Sunrise on the Reaping” was both the most chilling and most devastating book so far in the series. I know one scene that really hit me hard was when Ampert died in the arena. Ampert was not only 12 years old when he was sent into the Games, but was reaped on purpose as a punishment for his father Beetee plotting rebellion acts against the Capitol. In the arena, Ampert helped Haymitch sabotage the water tanks below and was punished by the Gamemakers for doing so. Mutated squirrels — which felt very similar to the mutts in the first “Hunger Games” — were programmed to only attack Ampert and were sent into the arena. Haymitch tried to save him, but the squirrels attacked Ampert to his death, and the book even goes on to say that only his pearly white skeleton remained. This was arguably the most gruesome scene in the entire series, and I’m curious to see how it will play out in the upcoming movie adaptation.
I also really loved how “Sunrise on the Reaping” brought so many callbacks from the other books in the series. As mentioned, many characters from “Catching Fire” returned, but we also got more information about the Coveys. In “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” we met Lucy Gray, the first-ever victor from District 12. She won the 10th Hunger Games and was a part of the first-ever tribute group to get mentors. The mentor assigned to her was Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the President Snow everyone knows in the main trilogy. Lucy Gray and Snow were very close at first, and even had a romantic connection, but Snow’s narcissistic and tyrannical tendencies won out. After Lucy Gray wins the Games, Snow is sent to District 12 as a Peacekeeper as punishment for helping her win. He eventually finds her again, and they plan to run off together. Upon leaving for the woods, Lucy Gray realizes she can’t trust Snow after learning he’s killed multiple people, and runs off. Snow, seemingly going mad, grabs a gun and shoots wildly into the forest at the mockingjays and everything else. The book ends, leaving readers in the dark on whether Lucy Gray survived or not, with many believing that Snow killed her.
In “Sunrise on the Reaping,” we find out that Lenore Dove is related to Lucy Gray and that she is part of the Covey tradition, a traveling band, which was carried on. While Lenore Dove never talks about Lucy Gray, Haymitch knows there was one other District 12 victor, but, like everyone else, knows nothing about them. He watches the past tapes of the Games in hopes of discovering more, but finds that there is nothing about the 10th Hunger Games, when Lucy Gray won. Later on, he finds a tape that President Snow gave him showing Lucy Gray singing, and he realizes that this is Lucy Gray, the 10th victor, and that Snow intentionally erased her history.
Many fans of “The Hunger Games” know that Collins only writes a new book when she has something to say about the world we’re living in. I believe that “Sunrise on the Reaping” is meant to mirror the current state of our world, and she uses the novel to take a rebellious stand like many of the characters. Many aspects that contribute to this include Ampert being reaped to punish Beetee for rebelling, Haymitch being reaped because he interfered with Peacekeepers, Haymitch carrying Louella’s dead body to Snow and laying it before him, the Games being heavily edited to erase any signs of rebellion and seeing the videos of Lucy Gray knowing that all of her history was erased. Not to mention the reaping every year takes place on July 4. As Katniss says, though, “Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us.”
Photo from @italian.brainrot.oficial on Instagram | The AI-generated image of Lirila Larila.
Jan. 21 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
Brain rot has changed a whole dang lot since Generation Z was in elementary and middle school. Once, we had CGI-animated videos of frogs riding invisible motorcycles and dancing gummy bears. We had unicorns talking about magical Liopleurodons who wanted their friend Charlie to go to the candy mountain. Hell, we even had a song about liking trains and a talking muffin.
Generation Alpha’s brain rot? Well, it almost, quite literally, rots their brain.
Between AI-generated creatures with Italian names and Skibidi Toilet, I fear for Gen Alpha’s future. In the education clinical program, I see this literal brain rotting firsthand with my fourth and fifth-graders.
When comparing the brain rot trends of the two different generations, there’s a distinct difference. Gen Z typically has longer videos with more simplistic design elements — Charlie the Unicorn and asdfmovies fit within this — that keep the attention for longer. They have quick punchlines that are utterly ridiculous, which they use to keep viewers engaged with the content.
Meanwhile, Gen Alpha’s brain rot is, well, concerning is a gentle word I’d use for it. A smiling head coming out of a toilet singing “skibidi-bop-bop.” An AI-generated image of a ballerina with a cappuccino for a head, named “Ballerina Capuchina.” They’re attention-grabbing and short, meant to keep viewers scrolling through the videos for hours.
This difference — longer videos versus shorter videos — affects the midbrain, which is the center that creates dopamine, and deals with gratification and rewards. When someone watches a short video, their dopamine levels spike with instant gratification. The center lights up again when they scroll to the next video. It’s the same science with Instagram Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts.
This instant gratification affects a developing brain much differently than an already-developed brain. Many adults can easily make a change to fix their attention span and how quickly their brain receives this dopamine.
In children? This can be catastrophic. They crave the instant reward that their brain gives them when they scroll to another video, which affects their attention span. An affected attention span means they are less likely to focus on activities that do not provide an immediate reward — for example, when their teacher is trying to teach them a lesson — and they tend to seek similar stimuli. Eventually, this continuous exposure will lead to hindered cognitive development and limited critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Children will be conditioned to absorb information quickly but superficially.
There is hope for Gen Alpha’s future however. Teachers are actively trying to limit daily exposure to technology. Parents are seeing the consequences of technology on developing brains. It’s not much, but it’s a start. One that will continue to change the course of these children’s lives.
The promotional poster for Fork ‘n Film’s 2026 “Ratatouille” dates. | Photo from @forknfilm on Instagram
Jan. 21 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
I keep seeing Reels about influencers going to restaurants that serve them meals themed to a specific movie they’re watching and all I can say is: I want to go.
The first one I saw was themed to “Ratatouille.” A seven-course meal, all with dishes that are either in the movie or inspired by it. Which, genuinely, sounds divine. I mean, come on, ratatouille? The dish itself is delicious, but eating it while watching “Ratatouille”? That is a dream come true for me. I fear it’s my favorite Pixar movie.
Fork ‘n Film, an interactive dining experience that focuses specifically on Disney-owned films, was founded in 2023 by Francesca Duncan and Nick Houston in Los Angeles, California. After watching “Matilda,” the pair were inspired by the scene where Bruce Bogtrotter eats an entire chocolate cake in front of the school.
“I thought, ‘I’m really hungry. I wish I could try that,’” Duncan recalled in an interview. “How cool would it be to put on an event where people are able to eat what they see on screen?”
In 2023, the Los Angeles social scene was still recovering from the coronavirus quarantine, and came up with the idea as something for people their age to do. After running a trial event on the roof of their apartment building, themed to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Duncan and Houston realized they had an idea that people wanted to attend and ran with it.
In less than two years, the pair was hosting 180 events monthly across their eight US locations and generated over $11 million in revenue. What started as a pop-up event quickly became a million-dollar idea.
In December 2024, Portland’s Fork ‘n Film location hosted its first event at the Kimpton Hotel Vintage. Since then, the events have been almost sold out every single weekend.
While tickets can be pricey — ranging from $99.99 for general admission to $199.99 for premium seats — the event offers a full immersion experience. As event-goers watch the movie, servers will bring various meals either explicitly from the movie or inspired by it.
In February, Portland’s Fork ‘n Film will be hosting a “Lady and the Tramp” weekend Feb. 13-15 and a “Princess and the Frog” weekend Feb. 20 and 21.
And the “Ratatouille” themed dinner? Well, it is always their event with the most tickets sold — once completely sold out in 0.8 seconds — and will be coming to Portland for two nights only: March 27 and 28. Better get those tickets fast.
I love cozy games. Cozy games are known for being the types of games that are designed to be relaxing and non-combative. They are designed to be brightly colored with activities that range from organization to puzzle solving to decoration. Some can have combat, though it is typically simplistic. However, I believe that the main purpose of this genre is falling in love with the game’s world, having the player express themselves in their own unique way with customization and learning about the colorful characters these games have to offer. Games such as “Animal Crossing,” “Stardew Valley,” “Slime Rancher” and “Unpacking” are all very well known for being enjoyable, cozy games.
One game that deserves much more attention is a little game called “Tiny Bookshop.” Released in 2025 and developed by Neoludic Games, “Tiny Bookshop” is a game where the player leaves their old life behind to move to a coastal town known as Bookstonbury to run a traveling second-hand bookshop. After playing the demo and quickly falling in love with the game, I bought the full version and spent most of winter break playing through the game, even completing the main story.
Gameplay —The game consists of the player moving around various locations to sell books. The player will start out with only one shelf that holds a certain number of books, and it is their job to stock the shelves. The books are color-coded, with each color being a different genre. Different locations will prioritize different types of literature, so it’s important to keep that in mind. Once on location, the player opens the shop, and customers will come inside to browse the selection. When recommendation requests pop up, the player gets the opportunity to look at the books stocked on the shelf. Each book will have the title, author and a brief description of the story. The customer will tell the player what kind of book they are looking for, and it’s the player’s job to find the closest book possible to that description. If successful, more customers will come in and buy more of the stock. If the interaction fails, nothing really happens aside from the customer leaving immediately.
Customization —For anyone who really enjoys customization, “Tiny Bookshop” has incredible options for making the bookshop ideal for each player. The shop is able to be painted in various colors from the start, with more available for purchase later on in the game. Some of the decorations that are bought can also be painted in custom colors, such as the bookshelves. There are many different types of furniture available to buy with the in-game currency the player receives from selling books. Certain items can be gained from the characters in the town as they are befriended, with most of the items having boosts for certain genres of books, as well as some types of customers. For example, during the fish market, the player will receive a major boost in sailor customers if their shop is decorated with beach or sea decor. If it isn’t, the customers will avoid the bookshop due to the player’s “lack of taste.” There is also a coffee machine that increases the number of customers on rainy days. It also generates more revenue, so I strongly recommend getting it.
Lovable characters —The first character we meet is Tilde, who is the retired bookshop owner of Bookstonbury. She teaches the player the ropes of running the shop at the beginning of the game and is very well known throughout the town as a gentle woman with a big heart.
Shortly after meeting her, we meet Fern, who is the town journalist. They are a bit shy and awkward around the player, but they quickly warm up and even ask for their help at times.
Walt is next, known as the town’s retired sailor who is generally more reserved but kind. He’s incredibly antagonistic toward the cruise ship that will occasionally visit the town. Once the player’s friendship increases with him, he will be able to invite them to the fishing market that happens on certain days of the month.
Maryam is next and, quite honestly, I didn’t like her as much at first. She’s the owner of a cafe and a very straightforward, no-nonsense character who will voice her opinion in a rather blunt way. However, as the player gets to know her and sees the relationship she has with Tilde, there is a soft spot to her harsh exterior.
Moira is Maryam’s niece. She’s a very nonchalant character who, similar to her aunt, is a bit stubborn. She and her aunt can fight at times, but both of them think very highly of the other. She’s a goth queen who is into the supernatural and enjoys a good horror book. She also has a rock band where she plays guitar.
Harper is a child who comes frequently to the bookshop. She is a very smart kid and incredibly persuasive. This child was capable of convincing other children to construct a massive sand castle on the beach that was multi-leveled and needed a construction crew, while having the player fund it all. Harper has quite the leadership skills.
Klaus is a character who works at the Méga Marché, which is basically this town’s version of a cheap supermarket. He is also part of Moira’s band, playing guitar and being a singer, as well as Harper’s uncle.
Anne is a university student who enjoys plants and will often sell them at the flea market. She is immediately very sweet toward the player and gives them a lot of plants. Anne enjoys romance and fantasy while completely hating nonfiction books, so I like to think she is basically me.
Overall, “Tiny Bookshop” has had me in a chokehold since I bought it. With its engaging gameplay, expansive customization and compelling characters, there was so much that made me want to keep coming back to play it so many times. The artstyle is also very appealing, giving a sort of cartoon comic vibe while the music is relaxing. I strongly recommend this game to anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of cozy games. It’s available on Steam and on the Nintendo Switch.
A still from the 2012 Nickelodeon “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” reboot. | Photo from @tmnt on Instagram
Jan. 21 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
I always say that almost everyone, at some point, watched a cartoon about a color-coded group of kids or teenagers saving the world. Don’t believe me? Well, I could sit here for days and list all the shows that have color-coded groups, but then that would take up my whole article — it’s a lot. However, I specifically want to talk about three shows that had a certain level of popularity in the 2010s: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and “Power Rangers.” A wild combination, I know, but bear with me. So, why these shows? Well, they all have a similar premise — a color-coded group of teenage ninjas have special abilities and are the only ones who can save the world. While “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Power Rangers” are reboots of their respective 1989 and 1993 original series, “Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” was created specifically for the Lego toy line of the same name — a marketing tactic that Lego heavily utilized in the 2010s. So why the color coding? Well, it’s a visual design element that stems from the original IDW “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics. With each turtle looking so similar in design, artists needed a way to differentiate them so fans could tell them apart. Thus, Leonardo was associated with blue, Raphael was associated with red, Donatello was associated with purple and Michelangelo with orange, creating a visual element that other artists began to use. By the time “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” hit American airwaves in 1993, the show also had different colored characters to show who was who, with one major difference from its predecessor: there were two female characters, and they were pink and yellow. While April O’Neil was associated with the color yellow in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” she was a supporting character and didn’t have as much agency as the Yellow Ranger did. When the reboots hit Nickelodeon in the 2010s, “Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” was hitting Cartoon Network. A major difference between this show and the other two, however, was that each ninja master was color-coded to the element he was a master of. So what made these three shows stand out among the rest of the 2010 shows? After all, there were other shows with punchier animation and harder-hitting jokes. My theory is that they were part of what is now called “older brother core” — the aesthetic that most members of Generation Z associate with either an older brother or male cousin. It’s characterized by a laid-back skater style that blends grunge, emo and nu-metal all into one, and is especially associated with the “Call of Duty” video game franchise, Monster Energy drinks and Adult Swim shows. In fact, when I look at a list of media associated with older brother core, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Power Rangers” and “Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” are on the list. The 2010s were heavily influenced by this aesthetic — especially when Disney Channel launched Disney XD, which I thought was just Disney for people who skate when I was growing up. The 1980s were similar in this aspect. Skater culture was taking the forefront, and music was beginning to become more experimental — especially with bands like The Ramones and The Descendants making way for the grunge and pop-punk era of the 1990s. The 2010s mirror this as trends recycle and come back into focus. After all, I’ve been seeing a lot of 90s and early 2000s styles come back into popularity. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is available for streaming on Paramount+, “Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and “Power Rangers” are streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime respectively and “The Lego Ninjago Movie” is streaming on HBO Max.
Still of Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” | Photo from @movietitan on Instagram
Jan. 14 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
I was never really interested in Marvel growing up. I was a fan of DC comics for as long as I can remember. I loved Wonder Woman, Superman and, albeit a bit less so, Batman. The DC Extended Universe — often shortened to DCEU — includes movies directed by Zack Snyder and other directors from 2013 to 2023. This is, of course, the same set of years that the Marvel Cinematic Universe — commonly known as the MCU — hit its peak, but the DCEU never had the same level of success.
When “Black Panther” was released in 2018, I was an eighth grader. My middle school did a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports event as a reward for students who had a high level of attendance and other positive behaviors. We had the choice between “Black Panther” and “Sherlock Gnomes” to go see in theaters, so I decided on the former. It was my introduction to the universe, and I’ve seen almost every Marvel movie since then.
My partner loves the MCU, so he convinced me to do a complete timeline watch once he found out I’ve never seen most of the early Marvel movies. The only reason I saw any MCU movies that came out after “Black Panther” was because, for whatever reason, every guy I dated loved taking me to see them in theaters once they found out I didn’t know much about Marvel.
This first watch-through comes in preparation for “Avengers: Doomsday” to hit theaters late December this year. I knew most of the basics and how things ended up, but really seeing how things happened, understanding callbacks and seeing the foreshadowing has been an experience I wish I had sooner. Starting with “Captain America: The First Avenger” and going in order of when they happened rather than when they were released has proven the best way to watch.
I’m finding I enjoy the MCU much more than I ever enjoyed the DCEU. I think a large part of it has to do with just how deep the universe goes. Heroes are given their origin movies and see actual character development instead of just grunting and looking sweaty for two hours.
But let’s have some fun. I’m going to break down just what has made this watch-through fun and enjoyable for me, which I hope will convince others to finally take that first step to watch.
A strong cast — The MCU has an absolutely stacked cast. Most are household names now because of their roles; however, some actors were well known before they became superheroes. Part of my fun during the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies has been saying, “Gamora, your Neytiri is showing.” This, of course, comes from the fact that Gamora and Neytiri are both played by Zoe Saldaña. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper play the ever-iconic Groot and Rocket Raccoon, respectively, and I don’t think Marvel’s casting directors could have chosen anyone better.
Benedict Cumberbatch is another actor who was well known before he entered the MCU, starring in roles such as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s “Sherlock” and Smaug in “The Hobbit” trilogy. The man’s voice is like butter, which is why he was the perfect choice for Dr. Stephen Strange.
Of course, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark will forever be iconic. They are the beating heart of the MCU. The starting points. Downey, in the 2008 “Iron Man” movie, kick-started the whole franchise, and Evans is, quite literally, the first Avenger. Without them, the franchise wouldn’t be what it is today.
Well-rounded, fleshed out characters —As I said earlier, the characters in the MCU get wonderfully written origin movies instead of only simplistic action plotlines. The movies can be dark, but not overly gritty with blue-toned overlays to try and make it look “serious” — I’m looking at “Man of Steel” here — and characters aren’t turned into shells of themselves. They’re snarky and can crack jokes. They’re allowed to mess up and fall flat on their faces to start their arc. They’re not perfect, no matter how much they pretend to be. Everyone is just deeply human in their journeys.
I am very biased towards Bucky Barnes. He’s my favorite character. He was, weirdly enough, my favorite character before I got into the MCU. Tall, dark, handsome and brooding? Yeah. That checked all my boxes when I was in middle school. As an adult, that hasn’t changed. I still fall into fangirl mode and shriek his name whenever he’s on screen. Pray for me when I get to “Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
But part of Barnes’ appeal is his character arc. Captured by HYDRA and brainwashed for 70 years before he eventually breaks free and gets to live a semi-normal life, Barnes is a character whose struggle is deeply human. How many of us have had to overcome a traumatic experience in our lives and try to find peace with it? How many veterans have struggled with PTSD and might see themselves in his story? There’s a character for everyone to relate to in the MCU.
The indomitable human spirit — This one is kinda corny, I know, but the MCU is full of movies that are, in some way, about the indomitable will we have as humans. There are, of course, some exceptions. The “Thor” movies. Peter Quill’s storyline in “Guardians of the Galaxy” only counts towards this because he’s half-human. But, for the most part, Marvel movies are about human beings defying odds that are supposed to kill them.
Tony Stark has a death-sentence in his chest with the arc-reactor core. Steve Rogers became one of the greatest heroes in the world, even after he was told no time and time again. Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes have arcs that are such deep allegories for sexual assault and human trafficking that they feel like they could be real.
This goes with how relatable the characters can be. Their stories are deeply human, which makes them deeply human characters.
In our lives, we often overcome things we weren’t supposed to. We show kindness even in the face of deep adversity. And that is what we see in the MCU. These movies remind us what it means to be human.
And if those reasons can’t convince anyone to watch the MCU? Well, superheroes and explosions should be a good enough reason.
With the exception of “Venom: The Last Dance” and “Spiderman: No Way Home,” all Marvel movies and shows are streaming on Disney+.
A nighttime shot of the Whiteside Theater in Corvallis, where the Wild and Scenic Film Festival was held. | Photo courtesy of Wes Flow
Nov. 19 2025 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
On Nov. 13, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival celebrated its 10th year in Corvallis and was hosted by the Corvallis Environmental Center. The Corvallis Environmental Center, a non-profit founded in 1994, focuses on creating a healthy, sustainable community through educating students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade on environmental wellness, leadership development and food security.
Featuring 10 films on topics from conservation to outdoor sports, the festival aimed to inspire the community through a love of nature. This year, the festival’s message centered on hope, aiming to draw attention to the ways people are making a difference in the world by working to bring change in their communities.
This year, the films were screened at Whiteside Theatre in Corvallis, a 30-minute drive from Western and six minutes from Oregon State University. The festival also offered on-demand tickets, where viewers could watch each film from the comfort of their home. These on-demand screenings were available on the Corvallis Environmental Center’s website Nov. 13 through 19.
The center provided these films to the Corvallis School District free of charge for teachers to view the films in their classrooms with their students.
“We want to share these films with everyone who cares for this planet we call home. We believe that is everyone,” said Corvallis Environmental Center Outreach Coordinator Karen DeWolfe.
“Films are a powerful way of sharing stories from other communities. It is powerful to see other people effectively making a change,” she added. “Film also helps show us how beautiful our world is, and I think this can inspire us to take additional steps to care for our planet.”
My favorite was the second film, “Friends of Frogpool Lane,” which was produced by Freshwaters Illustrated in partnership with Amphibian Friends, an organization in eastern Pennsylvania that the short film also follows. It was founded in 2010 by Kim White and her husband after she saw an article about amphibian migrations on a busy road near their newly-purchased property. From there, White discovered a vernal pool on her property, a seasonal wetland that typically appears in the spring and grows through the rainy season. They are the ideal habitat for frogs and salamanders to mate and spawn in, since the pools cannot sustain fish life. Vernal pools are highly endangered habitats, with as many as 50% of vernal pools in the Eastern United States being lost or impacted.
Every year for the last 15 years, on rainy nights in February and March, Amphibian Friends sets out with the help of 25 volunteers to assist the migration of thousands of salamanders and wood frogs.
In 2023, the Whites’ vernal pool was permanently protected through a conservation agreement with the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust. The film ends with the message “Help amphibians migrate by driving slow on rainy spring nights and protecting migration corridors.”
Wild and Scenic’s flagship festival is held annually in Nevada City, California and Grass Valley, California, before hitting the road for the On Tour program. There are currently around 110 stops and events in this program, with more than 38,000 people being reached annually. Each stop is supported by local environmental organizations, which then donate the proceeds to local social programs.
This year, the proceeds from the festival went to the Corvallis Environmental Center’s Food for Families program, various scholarships for the center’s youth programs and growing fruits and vegetables at Straker Arts Garden for Education.
“Food for Families is centered on our one-acre education garden, SAGE,” DeWolfe said. “We grow ~5,000 lbs of fresh, sustainable produce annually to supply local food for people most in need in our community.”
Food for Families delivers in-season fruits and vegetables from the Straker Arts Garden for Education to emergency food agencies in Corvallis, including the South Corvallis Food Bank, Stone Soup Kitchen and the Oregon State University Emergency Food Pantry. They are able to do this with the help of over 300 volunteers, interns and staff at the Center.
This is Wild and Scenic’s 23rd year, with the next edition — as the festival calls itself on its website — slated for Feb. 19 through 23. The event is expected to occur again next year. Specifics have yet to be released, but students can keep an eye out to contribute to the cause.
“The Film Festival has helped us make connections with amazing local filmmakers, like Chelsea Jolly and Dave Herasimtschuk,” DeWolfe said. “It brings our community together to celebrate the beauty of our planet and the people we share it with. And it helps us come together for a night of feeling hopeful.”
“I believe and I hope it helps all of us realize we can be the change we want to see in the world,” she added.
Still of Oona Chaplin as Varang in “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” | Photo from @entertainmentweekly on Instagram
Jan 7. 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
James Cameron created perhaps one of the greatest fictional worlds in cinematic history when he introduced moviegoers to Pandora in his 2009 film “Avatar.” While the director is best known for his 1997 historical romance “Titanic,” his true pet project is the “Avatar” universe.
In a 2022 interview for the “Avatar: The Way of Water” press tour, Cameron revealed the idea came to him in a dream when he was 19.
“I woke up after dreaming of this kind of bioluminescent forest with these trees that look kind of like fiber-optic lamps and this river that was glowing (with) bioluminescent particles and kind of purple moss on the ground that lit up when you walked on it,” Cameron said in the interview. “It was all in the dream. I woke up super excited, and I actually drew it. So I actually have a drawing. It saved us from about 10 lawsuits. Any successful film, there’s always some freak with tinfoil under their wig that thinks you’ve beamed the idea out of their head. And it turned out there were 10 or 11 of them. And so I pointed at this drawing I did when I was 19.”
The franchise’s titular film, “Avatar,” broke records when it first appeared in box offices. It was the highest-grossing film ever — until “Avengers: Endgame” usurped it in 2019 — and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. In 2010, following the success of his movie, Cameron announced that two more movies were set to follow, with the first of these sequels initially slated for a 2014 release. However, Cameron did not feel underwater filming technology was advanced enough for the direction he wanted to take the sequel, so it was delayed until December 2022.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” became as big a success as its older sister. It was the highest grossing movie of 2022, earning $2.02 billion globally, and is currently the third-highest-grossing movie of all time. With “Avatar,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Titanic” sitting in the first, third and fourth spots, respectively — “Avengers: Endgame” still holds second — James Cameron sits second in the list of highest-grossing directors, only $1.3 billion behind Steven Spielberg.
December 2025 saw the release of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which picked up immediately where “Avatar: The Way of Water” left off.
The film follows Jake Sully and his family as they defend their lush world from the Resources Development Agency and its privatized military SecOps. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Stephen Lang reprise their roles as Sully, Neytiri and Colonel Miles Quaritch, with most of the cast from “Avatar: The Way of Water” returning. The film also introduces Varang — played by Oona Chaplin, best known for her role as Talisa Maegyr in “A Game of Thrones” — the Tsa’hik of the Mangkwan Clan, and Peylak — played by David Thewlis, best known for his role as Remus Lupin in the “Harry Potter” franchise — the leader of the Na’vi Wind Traders.
Water, fire, wind? This is starting to sound a lot like “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” In fact, a lot of times, when someone mentions “Avatar,” there’s always the clarification: “the one that controls the elements or the blue cat people?” What started as a joke about sharing a name has now shaped into two franchises being near-mirror images of each other.
The Metkayina Clan, which was introduced in “Avatar: The Way of Water,” bears an eerie resemblance to the Water Tribe in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” They’re isolationists, deeply spiritual and, of course, associated with the ocean. The only difference, however, is that the Metkayina Clan does not control the element they are associated with. The Mangkwan Clan, which is associated with fire — actually controlling it in a way in “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — and which turns on their own kind? Well, that’s almost twin to the Fire Nation. Even the Wind Traders are similar to the Air Nomads: never staying in one place and wearing orange, monk-style robes. Both franchises are also based on various indigenous cultures.
But it’s not as bad as it seems. Both franchises rely heavily on similar tropes and premises.
For one, color-coding elements. Fire is red, which is seen in the Fire Nation’s clothing and the Mangkwan Clan’s war paint, and aggressive, which is shared by both groups’ desire to conquer their world. Water is blue and is associated with spirituality — the Metkayina are the most spiritual of the Na’vi clans, just like the Water Tribe. Air has flow and cannot be contained, which is seen in the Air Nomads and the Wind Traders, who each never stay in one place. Even the Omaticaya, the forest-dwelling Clan to which Sully and Neytiri belong, is similar to the Earth Kingdom in the sense that both groups are grounded and deeply connected to their element.
In short, fire is red and aggressive, water is blue and flowing, air is free-willed and cannot be tied down and earth is grounded and holds a deep connection to the surrounding world. These are all associations that the elements have naturally. After all, every zodiac sign has an element it best fits with.
And being based on indigenous cultures? Well, natives are just like that. We’re cool.
On a more serious note, indigenous peoples share many commonalities with one another. We all have fought against oppressors and colonizers in our histories. We are all deeply connected with the world around us. Our stories are compelling, even today.
“Avatar” is, of course, not without its critics. A lot of people believe the films fit into the white-savior trope, where a white person assimilates into a native population and ends up saving them. Others feel like it is the noble savage trope, where the indigenous peoples are portrayed as morally superior and uncorruptible. Still others see it as a romanticized view of colonization.
As a native woman, I don’t see these movies as any of those, but some indigenous peoples do see them like that. It is all based on perspective. I think they are a love letter to the indigenous peoples who have been on this world since time immemorial and survived despite war and genocide.
“Avatar” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” are currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, where “Avatar: Fire and Ash” will also be released once it leaves theaters.
