Mount Hood

Community spotlight: My Mom’s Basement

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

It’s difficult to drive down Main Street in Monmouth without seeing the blue building with the words “My Mom’s Basement” on the front.
Within walking distance of Western, My Mom’s Basement is both a game store and a gathering place for people to come and play card games or board games together.

“We just had our seventh year anniversary last month. We’ve been here serving the community for all that time.” said Michael Haynes, owner of My Mom’s Basement.

“Magic the Gathering is the most popular game in the store,” said Haynes. “They have over 20 million people across the world playing this game. We offer a wide variety of singles and packs for the game and we also offer both sanctioned and unsanctioned events for people to come in and play, and we have regularly scheduled games that we play every week.”

Magic the Gathering is the world’s most popular strategy card game. My Mom’s Basement does weekly “Friday Night Magic” events every Friday at 6 p.m. For those interested in Magic the Gathering, there is an online version of the game called “Magic Duels” available for iPhone, PC and Xbox One to learn the ropes. My Mom’s Basement also offers a free welcome pack for those who’ve never played but it’s first come first serve.

“We also sponsor ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ on Wednesdays. That is the number one role-playing game in the world currently. We offer games, books, dice and all the accoutrements that go with it,” said Haynes. “We’re also entertaining other games that are gaining in popularity like ‘Yugioh’, ‘Pokemon’, a game called ‘Force of Will’ and other board games and card games.”

For those who have never played these games before, My Mom’s Basement is a friendly and welcoming place to come in and learn.

“We’ve pretty much always got somebody here that’s willing to sit down and play and teach, so just walk in the door,” said Chad Harrington, Western graduate and My Mom’s Basement staff member.

“We actually have games for people to come in, sit down and play. We have demonstration games. People don’t want to spend $80 and find out it’s a crappy game. They can come down here and say ‘I’ve always wanted to try that’, pull it off the wall and see if they like it,” said Haynes.

Haynes also stressed that My Mom’s Basement is a social place where people can get together and play. Coming with a group of friends is encouraged.

“A lot of these games get a bad reputation because there’s a whole thing of ‘nerds are so secluded and reclusive’,” said Haynes. “They have this really bad reputation of being non-social and that’s not the truth at all. All of these games, you have to be social.”

“You wouldn’t believe the kinds of people who want to come in and sit down,” added Harrington. “There are people from all walks of life here. We have firefighters, paramedics, people from all walks of life can get together and join in some kind of a fantasy.”

My Mom’s Basement opens at 12 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “A Cure for Wellness”

By: Kiley Prom
Freelancer

From the director who has brought us modern-day classics such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Ring,” comes a poor excuse for a horror movie set in an isolated spa in the Swiss Alps.

The story follows the young protagonist, Lockhart, an executive at a financial institution in New York City, as he travels to the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company’s CEO from his extended vacation. From the moment Lockhart reaches his destination, he can already tell that it wasn’t an ordinary day spa. After being told the history of the grounds by a sketchy cab driver, he walks into the spa with the full intention of bringing back the CEO in no-time-flat. Sadly, his retrieval mission doesn’t go as planned and he begins to learn the true secret behind the secluded wellness center.

The first 40 minutes of the movie are very well done. The aesthetics are absolutely stunning and add to the suspense and intrigue of the film. The story is just engaging enough to keep the audience interested. Once the movie hits about the middle mark, however, the quality quickly goes downhill.

With the way the first half went I expected there to be a big climax, but it never came. The beginning of the movie gives a sense of excitement, but by the third act, the excitement is gone because there are no answers.

The story seemed to be at a stand still and had me glancing at the clock wondering how there was still over an hour left. Honestly, I felt like I could have walked out of the theater halfway through and came back for the last five minutes without missing anything.

The number of plot holes and unexplained phenomena going on were almost laughable as the director, Gore Verbinski, tried to throw in as much randomness as he could just to get a reaction out of his audience. Verbinski also decided to make viewers uncomfortable by turning the film into a worse “50 Shades of Gray,” complete with awkward sex scenes and nudity, but with a repulsive incestual twist.

There was the potential for a good film, but it fell just short of what it was trying to accomplish. The cinematography was beautiful, and the score was one of the best I heard in a film as of late, but it was too long, making it hard to stay invested especially with no climax. This is the kind of film where waiting for it to come out on Netflix isn’t a bad idea. At least then there’s the possibility to fast forward through the mundane parts.

Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu

1/4
+ Great cinematography
– Squandered ending

Review: “The Lego Batman Movie”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The original “Lego Movie” (2014) introduced a different kind of Batman. Batman was funny, poked fun at previous Batman adaptations and knew how to kick some butt. “The Lego Batman Movie” brings that concept back but this time on a much larger scale.

Will Arnett’s overly confident, sometimes childish and emotionally damaged Batman is hilarious from the very beginning. He’s sympathetic, struggling with loneliness and a major fear of attachment, but he’s also constantly making jokes.

Batman himself is a very well-rounded character. In “The Lego Movie”, Batman’s negative qualities are shown without much of the positive, but “Lego Batman” makes a point to highlight both.

The supporting cast is great as well. Michael Cera’s Robin is adorable and loveable and Zach Galifianakis gives a humorous performance as the Joker, albeit not the most sinister Joker. All the voice acting is top notch. Each actor brings their unique style to these characters, creating something entirely new out of a well known character.

The all-star cast doesn’t stop there; Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill reprise their roles as Superman and Green Lantern, Billy Dee Williams voices Two-Face and Conan O’Brien voices The Riddler. The incredible cast is not utilized very well though, with many of the supporting characters only having one or two lines in the whole film. Billy Dee Williams, for example, has a lot of publicity for playing Two Face, yet he only says 10 words throughout the entire film.

At its core, “The Lego Batman Movie” is about family. The story of Bruce Wayne’s parents being murdered is common knowledge among superhero fans, but this film takes it one step further by highlighting Batman’s emotional struggles with attachment. While “The Lego Movie’s” big moral is creativity, “Lego Batman” puts a huge focus on teamwork.

One of the best parts of the universe that “The Lego Movie” created was the merging of different film franchises, and “Lego Batman” does the same thing. Film’s worst villains, such as Voldemort, Sauron, King Kong and Daleks challenge Batman while reminding viewers that the film is still set in a massive universe.

The film also did a great job of parodying Batman and DC movies. Multiple jabs were thrown at “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v Superman.” There are throwbacks to multiple different “Batman” films as well, poking fun at some of the ridiculousness of them.

“The Lego Batman Movie” is not only hilarious throughout, but it has every aspect of a good Batman film. There is fantastic character development for Batman and Robin throughout. I found myself caring more about these Lego characters than I did in either the “Dark Knight” franchise or “Batman v Superman.” The team dynamic and growth is extremely rewarding.

From start to finish, “The Lego Batman Movie” is engaging, accessible for any audience and absolutely hilarious. With well written jokes and strong characters, “Lego Batman” is not only one of the funniest films so far this year, but also one of the best Batman films there has ever been.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

 

4/4

+ Team dynamic

+ Excellent voice acting

Live music hits campus

By: Kevan Maloney
Staff Writer

Western hosts an array of enticing and unique live performances throughout the year. The Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series provides an excellent way to see many new acts and performances. In it’s 40th season, the Smith Fine Arts program is in the process of hosting six acts.

These six acts include everything from a band that mixes many different styles and language to a large scale orchestra, to a dancing troupe. This series of musical and performance acts is exceedingly diverse and has a little something for everyone.

Half of the six acts have already been performed, but there is still a chance to see the last three acts.

Coming on Feb. 20 and 21 is Jayme Stone’s “Lomax Project.” The project is a musical act focusing on song collected by Alan Lomax over the course of his life. These songs are diverse and varied, from all walks of life.

Following that, Smith Fine Arts program is hosting Micky Dolenz with The American Metropole Orchestra on April 15. This act has Micky Dolenz giving his rendition of popular songs from the ‘60s with the help of the American Metropole Orchestra.

The last act being hosted is Danilo Perez with The Western Hemisphere Orchestra, Western’s orchestra, on June 10. Danilo Perez is a world renowned composer and pianist. His partnership with Western is huge for the school.

These performances are the next editions to 40 plus years of the Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series. It was created in 1976 by Dr. Edgar Smith, who was a huge advocate of the arts. The series was named after him in 1979 in honor of his death.

The board of 18 members is also carrying on his legacy as an educator. The series is built on giving Western and surrounding areas performances as well as providing educational opportunities.

Contact the author at kmaloney15@wou.edu

And The Razzie goes to …

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

The Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as The Razzies, is an award ceremony that recognizes the worst in the film industry. The 37th annual Razzie Awards will be covering a variety of different categories all focusing on the poor and unfavorable aspects of some of the films from 2016.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the categories that will be presented include: worst picture, worst actress, worst actor, worst director, worst supporting actor, worst screenplay, worst supporting actress, worst screen couple/ensemble and worst prequel/remake/rip-off/sequel.

I decided to look it up and consider the categories to make my own predictions of who will be awarded The Razzies throughout that infamous night of celebrating the substandard features of 2016 films. Here are my predictions of the winners for the 2016 Razzies:

Worst picture: “Dirty Grandpa”
Worst actress: Megan Fox – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
Worst actor: Ben Affleck – “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Worst director: Roland Emmerich – “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Worst supporting actor: Nicolas Cage – “Snowden”
Worst screenplay: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Worst supporting actress: Kate Hudson – “Mother’s Day”
Worst screen couple/ensemble: “Gods of Egypt”
Worst prequel/remake/rip-off/sequel: “Zoolander 2”

The Razzies will take place on Feb. 25 at 12 a.m. PST. Anyone can watch these awards on The Razzies’ YouTube channel, “razziechannel,” or stay updated through their Facebook page or Twitter account.

Now that the stressful midterm season has just passed, it may be a relaxing and fun way to destress by getting some friends together to make predictions of who you think deserve these awards and then on the night of The Razzies, get together to see if your predictions come to be true.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

Predict me an Oscar

By: Blayde Biacan
Staff Writer

The 89th annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, is recognizing many great people and films this year. Many of the selections this year have a great diversity of cultures depicted in the movies.
I’ve watched the films nominated and predicted the winners for some categories. The following categories and nominees are:

Animated Feature Film – “Zootopia”
Directing – “La La Land”
Cinematography – “La La Land”
Editing – “Arrival”
Music: Original Song – “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”
Writing: Adapted Screenplay – “Arrival”
Visual Effects – “Doctor Strange”

For this particular Oscar ceremony there is a lot of controversy over the movie “La La Land.” The musical looks good and uses a lot of long takes. It also received 14 Oscar nominations, rivaling “All about Eve” and “Titanic.” Both lead actors, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, received Oscar nominations. The only backlash that this movie received is from critics on how it depicts jazz culture, which can be compared to pop culture in how it could be misrepresented and may not be true to its roots, which is why it may not win as many categories as some would expect it to win.
The films nominated offer a lot of diversity in setting, such as in “Moana.” It is based off of Polynesian culture when they used to sail the seas, especially when finding new land. In the film “Lion,” it shows the Indian culture and also how the protagonist has to get used to other cultures throughout the movie.
There are many other categories that I have not mentioned with great nominations and even many more categories that include “La La Land.” The Oscars will be premiered live on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. PST in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

Comedy comes to Western

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students have been hard at work on the upcoming theater production “All In The Timing.” Written by David Ives, “All In The Timing” is a set of six one-act plays that focus on wordplay. The play is directed by Western’s own, Dr. Kent Neely, and also stars six Western students.

Each one-act has its own characters and comedic style, so each actor gets to play multiple characters throughout the production.

“Each of the one acts heavily relies on the absurdity of language, specifically talking about [Universal Language] we literally speak gibberish for about half of it,” said Lindsay Spear, a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and cast member.

The one-acts featured in “All In The Timing” include “The Philadelphia,” “Universal Language,” “Mere Mortals,” “Sure Thing,” “Words Words Words” and “Variations on the Death of Trotsky.”

“They’re all really funny. David Ives was a smart guy and he really used that to create comedy. That’s a big part of it. It’s just a really enjoyable show,” said Nick Hulscher, a sophomore in the Bachelor of Fine Arts theater program and cast member.

Asked about working with the rest of the cast, Spear responded, “Everybody has brought their own style of comedy to it. Since we’re all playing different characters, it’s nice to see how everyone handles different characters and different one-acts.”

“There’s only six of us, so we were almost all there every night for rehearsals and since we all already knew each other and it was such a small group, we got close really quickly and that let us connect on more of a personal level in the scenes,” added Hulcher.

Recounting her favorite part of being on the cast, Spears adds, “‘Universal Language’ is probably one of the the hardest plays I’ve ever been in because I start off speaking English, but as it goes on I speak more and more of this gibberish language Unamunda and at one point we’re supposed to scat in this Unamundan language and the one day we finally got it right we both started screaming. It was so much fun.”

“It’s not a series show. You should go into it expecting to laugh. Don’t expect some serious tragedy because it’s really the opposite,” said Hulcher. He describes the set as a comedy club with a brick wall in the background.

“All in the Timing” runs in the Rice Auditorium Black Box studio Feb. 9-11 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional 2:00 performance on the 11th. Tickets are $14 or $8 for a Western student.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations

“Runescape” is a special kind of game. It’s one that has lasted the test of time, still going strong after 16 years. With over 80,000 players still actively playing, “Runescape” is still an increasingly popular game.
“Runescape” is an online fantasy game where your options are endless. You can take on almost

Photo from the episode “Wayne Dream Team”

any fantasy role imaginable, levelling up your many skills as you go. The game also features hundreds of quests to take players on journeys and adventures throughout the world.
Having played “Runescape” for over ten years on and off, I can fully recommend playing. Even in college, chopping some trees after class is a great way to wind down.
While Runescape’s playerbase has significantly decreased over the years, updates are still being made and new players are joining all the time.

Editor’s Disparagement

The new DC comics show “Powerless” on NBC has a lot of potential. Set in the DC Universe, “Powerless” follows the powerless employees of Wayne Security in Charm City.
The premiere was nothing but a tacky workplace comedy. With cheap jokes and poor performances, “Powerless” makes terrible use of its star studded cast, which includes Alan Tudyk, Vanessa Hudgens and Danny Pudi.
With every bad joke the show also threw in the name “Bruce Wayne” or “Batman.” Fully aware that the DC aspect is the only selling point, “Powerless” drowns viewers in poorly timed references.
Only the premiere has aired, but if the show doesn’t improve greatly, it’ll get cancelled in no time. For those curious about watching it, I’d say it’s a complete waste of time at this point.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Rings”

By: Kiley Prom
Freelancer

Continuing the route of its predecessors, this unnecessary third movie in “The Ring” franchise follows the story of the girl who’s never used a brush, as she continues her murder streak through old pirated VHS tapes.

Updated for 2017, the characters make use of current technology such as quicktime files and cellular phones, as well as keeping to the roots by starting with the original VHS tape.

Fit with a stereotypical young love between a 26-year-old who viewers are supposed to believe is a freshman and a girl who can’t attend university for a reason they never care to elaborate on, this new installment is unnecessarily packed with plenty of cheesy romantic comedy tropes.

“Rings” follows what many horror movies have done before by casting an actress with tremendously bad acting and breathing problems, and an actor whose only memorable moments are the few times he takes off his shirt.

“There’s no hiding” from this strange plot that includes a random girl on the side of the road whose presence is confusing at best until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

The film also takes our main couple on a wild goose chase, sending them back and forth between the only three buildings in the small town of Sacramento Valley, in search of the decomposed corpse of Samara.

“Big Bang Theory’s” Johnny Galecki, or Professor Gabriel as he’s referred to in the film, makes his appearance as the occult leader of students who spends his freetime showing anyone willing to watch a film from a VCR he procured at a garage sale. His character turns the already far-fetched concept of a girl coming out of the TV into a science fair project.

Vincent D’Onofrio shows up in the latter half of the movie as the saving grace of the film, playing a very convincing role as a blind man whose character becomes much more memorable as the film goes on.

The filmography was well done, all things considering. The director, F. Javier Gutiérrez, incorporated heavy use of imagery that he featured in single framed shots throughout the film. Gutiérrez also included a lot of religious symbology such as a church, crosses, as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary that contrasted with the demonic nature of the film. The director also seemed to take some pointers from popular directors before him, cashing in on the dolly zoom effect utilized in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo,” to create a feeling of disorientation.

The movie itself has no scary moments aside from a few jump scares you can see coming from a mile away, and some uncomfortable moments for the entomophobes in the audience.

Other than a few plot holes, such as the protagonists phone never running out of battery despite using it as a flashlight for over 30 percent of the film, and a confusing timeline, “Rings” is not bad. It’s not the best horror movie of all time, nor the best in the “Ring” franchise, but it did manage to keep me engaged for 100 minutes without falling asleep. However, the movie offers no rewatch value.

Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu

3/4
+ Great supporting cast
– Unrealistic plot holes

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

A large amount of “Star Wars” content outside of the films relies heavily on the characters and events in them. True originality is difficult to find in the “Star Wars” universe; the recent “Rogue One” struggled with that.

Luckily, the animated television show “Star Wars: Rebels” has the perfect amount of originality. The show follows a crew of rebels, long before “A New Hope,” on their many adventures.

“Rebels” doesn’t rely on the movies at all. When an event or character is referenced, it’s done for pure enjoyment rather than plot reliance.
All characters have their own struggles and arcs that viewers easily get attached to. The character relationships are so rich that reliance on the movies is not necessary.

Editor’s Disparagement:

ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” has aired alongside Marvel films since “Thor: The Dark World.” The show takes places in the cinematic universe and follows Agent Coulson from “The Avengers” and his team of agents.

The show’s concept is exciting but the execution is not great. Existing alongside Marvel films doesn’t excuse the weak plots and thin characters.
When a new film releases, the show minorly ties in. Watching the show made the beginning of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” make more sense, but it took 13 episodes of boring filler to get there.

One or two moments of payoff per season is hardly a reason to watch a show, and that’s just what “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” requires viewers to do.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

The dethroned king of gaming

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

I had the kind of grandparents who referenced everything related to video games as “a Nintendo”, which was an easy thing for individuals unfamiliar with gaming to do with how prominent the name was.

Despite large success since 1997, Nintendo was at its financial peak with 2006’s Wii, selling 101.1 million units as of 2016, more than both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360.

Since then, Nintendo has been pushed to the very back of the console market, with the WiiU selling only 13 million units. Not only was the WiiU the lowest selling Nintendo product, but it sold less units than any of Sony’s or Microsoft’s consoles. The WiiU’s hardware just couldn’t compare with the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

While the original Wii’s hardware couldn’t keep up with the modern consoles, the main selling point was fun. Both “Wii Sports” and “Mario Kart Wii” quickly became fan favorites and helped contribute to the console’s success. The WiiU lacked memorable games and couldn’t run popular games, so it was much less desirable and the sales of other modern consoles soared instead.

2017 will see the release of Nintendo’s new console, the Switch. Nintendo told The Wall Street Journal that they’re producing three million units to start out and are anticipating selling 10 million by the end of 2017, almost catching up to the WiiU.

With optimized hardware to play modern games, such as “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim”, and a large list of new original games including “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “Super Mario Odyssey”, Nintendo is attempting to appeal to gamers on all levels.

The $300 price tag isn’t stopping fans from taking to social media with excitement. The console has already developed a large fanbase online with users on sites like Reddit collecting all the information they can.

The Nintendo Switch releases on March 3, 2017, with more games and support releasing later.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou

That’s a wrap

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

On January 29, the Sundance Film Festival came to a close in Park City, UT. It started on January 19, showing over 100 new, feature-length, independent films throughout the 10 day festival according to sundance.org. Within this festival, there are multiple different sections for the films which include: U.S. dramatic competition, U.S. documentary competition, world cinema dramatic competition, world cinema documentary competition, and next. As 2017 continues, we will start to see some of these titles more and more as they make a presence in the theaters.

One film shown within the U.S. dramatic competition was “Ingrid Goes West.” The film showcases the social media idolization of this age. As a young woman, Ingrid, played by Aubrey Plaza, grows an obsession with Instagram user Taylor Sloane, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen. Because of her obsession, Ingrid decides to moves to L.A. to become friends with Taylor. According to slashfilm.com says the film is, “not just your average comedy film, but a smart commentary on our social media obsessed world.”

“Last Men in Aleppo” is a documentary that follows some of the founding members of The White Helmets, the group of men who go around in attempt to save people from the war-stricken state of their country, Syria.Kutv.com reported that, “everything about the fly-on-the-wall documentary is deeply grim. There are no interviews, just cameras showing the raw struggle to save lives.” This documentary is directed by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen and has been said to be one of the documentaries that is most difficult to see this year, according to theguardian.com.

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon wrote the screenplay for the comedy-drama film, “The Big Sick,” based off their own lives and the difficulty of their interracial romance. It focuses on the culture-clash between Nanjiani’s pakistani culture and the culture of Emily, an american. Sundance.org wrote that Nanjiani mined “… his personal stories for comedy gold, he shares his experiences that are uniquely Pakistani but will resonate for everyone who has ever fallen in love.” This film was a huge hit at the Sundance Film Festival and is anticipated to have major success.

There was a vast variety of films showed at Sundance. As people are talking about the films that are receiving Oscars for this year, this festival sets up the movies that will be contenders for next year. The Sundance Film Festival desires to make available a place for artists to present the work that they poured their heart and soul into to create. All of the filmmakers have something that they want to convey to their audience and the best part is that we are able to watch and enjoy these films, and maybe even be moved by them.

Review: “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

For a show that constantly warns you not to watch it, Netflix’s adaptation of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is hard to put down once you start. The eight-episode first season, streaming now, adapts the first four books in Lemony Snicket’s dark children’s book series.

The show centers around three orphans who are moved from guardian to guardian after losing their parents in a fire. All the while, a villainous man named Count Olaf is a few steps behind them in an attempt to steal their fortune.

Despite being family advertised and oriented, “Series of Unfortunate Events” is an extremely dark show, though, admittedly, with frequent comic themes. The show often reminds viewers that they are dealing with some extremely dark and sad ideas.

With Neil Patrick Harris’ comedic and whimsical performance as Count Olaf, it’s easy to forget how dark the material really is and it’s almost uncomfortable when something extremely dark happens because of how lighthearted the show feels at times.

That’s not to say that the show isn’t family friendly though, the three children frequently use science, reading and puzzle-solving to figure out mysteries. With their teamwork and cleverness, the three children are great role models.

The show begins with the first two episodes adapting the first book “The Bad Beginning.” The premiere episode serves as a fantastic introduction to all the main characters and some notable side characters.

The Baudelaire orphans, played by Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith, are relatable and lovable from the first episode. Count Olaf on the other hand, is the show’s weakest link.

In his many disguises, Count Olaf feels more like Neil Patrick Harris than the character he’s playing. In chapter two, “The Reptile Room,” Count Olaf disguises himself as a lab assistant but he seems nothing like Count Olaf underneath. Harris’ performance does a bad job of bringing Count Olaf to life, especially in disguise.

The supporting cast is absolutely fantastic. Count Olaf’s troupe of henchmen provide excellent comic relief and Mr. Poe’s lovable obliviousness was enjoyably frustrating.

Another highlight of the show was the quirky art style. The show’s art style boasts strong colors, retro settings and unconventional camerawork that give it the feel of a Wes Anderson film. The cinematography does a great job translating the illustrations of the novels to the screen.

Giving two hours per book allows the show to follow the books much closer. Small conversations between characters are given much more emotion and detail than they were in the 2004 movie adaption, which attempted to fit three books into a two hour movie.

The show did a great job of adapting many key aspects of the books. One such aspect is the narration of Lemony Snicket, who was portrayed by Patrick Warburton. Each episode begins with Snicket explaining that it is his sworn duty to recount the tragedy of the Baudelaire orphans and warning viewers that there is no happy ending.

Warburton’s performance is excellent. Rather than just a narrator, Snicket is referenced in the show and is frequently present in a scene, breaking the fourth wall.

A huge flaw in “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is the tone. Partially by Neil Patrick Harris’ questionable performance as the villain, the tone of the show is extremely inconsistent. Mixing a dark tone with comedy can be done right, but scenes were often so mixed that it distracted from the subject matter.

Count Olaf’s henchmen, for example, are loveable and funny, but when a henchman does something twisted and then immediately does something loveable, I’m not sure whether to laugh or to be disturbed. This dynamic is present throughout the entire season and it becomes frustrating to watch.

When reading “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” frustrating dramatic irony is present throughout. This adaptation portrays the dramatic irony really well with the adults almost never seeing through Count Olaf’s disguises. The seeming stupidity of the adults is frustrating at times but it does well to convey theme of strength in children that is present in the book.

The Netflix adaptation is far from perfect but it is a huge step-up from the 2004 film. With compelling performances, a beautiful art style and good crossover from the books, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is entertaining and left me excited for the second season.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

7.5/10
+ Unique artistic style
+ Strong performances
– Inconsistent tone
– Neil Patrick Harris

Old titles from beyond the TV

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

People all long for the shows from their childhood. Shows like “Full House”, “Gilmore Girls”, “Wizards of Waverly Place”, “That’s So Raven” and “CHiPs” are just a few of the shows from over five years ago with released or upcoming reboots.

Reunion and revivals have aren’t a new concept in the realm of TV, but are always risky with the ever-burning question, “Will this get views?” echoing in producers’ minds. Now that the internet has given voices to people that clamor for reunions and revival, producers can test the waters with news about former cast members getting together for a reunion, or something new.

Netflix has entered the realm of reboots with its revivals of “Full House” and “Gilmore Girls.” Both were met with mixed reviews from critics but positive feedback from viewers watching for nostalgia. With the viewer’s input, these shows are seeing some form of longevity in potential for renewed seasons.

After Netflix’s success, Disney’s notice of fan demanded revivals was something they didn’t ignore. Originally giving “Boy Meets World” it’s revival in “Girl Meets World”, now seeing to the reunion, confirmed by Selena Gomez, of “Wizards of Waverly Place” and confirmation by Raven Symone that a “That So Raven” revival is in the works with Disney. Fans of both shows are eagerly awaiting the revival and reunion of these shows.

Movies aren’t excluded from TV revivals. Though movies only provide a one time story for old TV shows, they could help spark potential interest in audience’s reactions on bringing them back for a sequel, much like the fame of “21 Jump Street” and the sequel “22 Jump Street”.

The newest TV revival movie comes in the form of “CHiPs,” a 1970 TV show about California highway patrol officers. The new movie will have Oregon’s own Dax Shepard in the director’s chair.

Revival TV has become a trend within the past decade and could bring more old shows to a younger audience who might not have heard about them. With Netflix and Disney taking interest in the revival movement, more companies might take the same route in bringing back shows from their network history. With any luck, some fan favorite shows from childhood might come back to TV one more time.

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

The xx have recently released their third studio album “I See You” and, as expected, it’s fantastic. For those unfamiliar with The xx, they’re an indie pop band that has previously focused on mellow music and a vocal duo.
The third album is a mix of their atmospheric style and some more upbeat music. “I See You” has been great to shuffle through and listen to on every occasion, the music feels made to fit into almost any daily situation.

The first single, “On Hold,” released a few months ago and featured a much different upbeat style while reliant on the vocals of the band’s previous albums.

I recommend checking it out. “I See You” is an enjoyable and inviting album.

Editor’s Disparagement:

I’ve had every Playstation system since the original, so when a classic game gets re-released, the nostalgia is exciting. Lately though, companies have been
cashing in on the nostalgia and giving consumers less than quality products.

“Marvel Ultimate Alliance” and the sequel were rebooted on Playstation 4. This was exciting until I saw that the game cost $50 and the quality wasn’t improved in any way.

This is just one example of the constant overpricing and letdowns of rebooted games, a growing trend in video games that I’m fed up with.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Detroit”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Vancouver based folk duo Sheldoncole released their first EP “Detroit” in December. Sheldoncole is comprised of Sheldon Kozushko and his brother Nic, who are originally from Newberg, Oregon.

I really enjoyed the EP. Sheldoncole’s style is reminiscent of folk artists such as Jose Gonzalez and Greg Laswell. The lyrics are simple yet thoughtful and hold strong emotion that is easily felt by the listener.

The highlight of the six-song EP is definitely “West Coast.” With a catchy tune and beautiful lyrics, “West Coast” is one of the best songs on the EP.

The song “Merely Breathing” is less memorable than all the others. It feels a little all over the place, while the other strong songs on the EP are well-crafted and focused. In both lyrics and music, “Merely Breathing” had me waiting for the next song rather than enjoying it.

Another strong song is “Live for Love.” The song is sad, but thoughtful and hopeful. Sheldoncole’s friendly and uplifting style pairs well with the feeling of melancholy, creating a different and hopeful vibe in the song.

“Made for No” is heavily focused on the lyrics: a story of heartbreak and grief. The song has the most memorable lyrics on the whole EP. I found myself humming the chorus hours after listening.

The EP ends with a song called “Detroit”, a soft, relaxing spoken word song retelling the story of a night in Detroit. The song is a lot less focused than the rest of the EP. It feels out of place and ends the EP on weird note.

Sheldoncole’s debut EP gets a lot right, but misses the mark occasionally. Yet its thoughtful lyrics and all around good music makes “Detroit” a pleasure to listen to.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Monster Trucks”

By: Kevan Maloney
Freelancer

“Monster Trucks” is a movie entirely undeserving of being on screen. Director Chris Wedge direct this $125 million budget movie but it felt like everyone taking part in the production of this movie just stopped caring halfway through. That isn’t to say that the premise is bad, I actually feel that it has potential to be a good movie but gets bogged down by its chosen style and target audience.

The actors made it abundantly clear that they had stopped caring about this movie. Because of this, the acting fell way below what a paying moviegoer has come to expect. Lucas Till, who played the part of Tripp, began by putting on a half decent performance but joined the ranks with the rest of uncaring actors by the end.

The acting wasn’t the only subpar piece in this movie. The CGI was atrocious and obvious, which is a shame considering that “Monster Trucks” relies on CGI to make up several characters.

The soundtrack wasn’t so bad, however, it did have the feel of a cheesy early 2000s Disney channel movie in the sense that It just pulled semi-popular songs from all different genres and threw them in at appropriate times in the movie.

The only part that I felt was decent was the storyline because it didn’t attempt to do anything extraordinary. The story was exceedingly predictable, you saw everything coming 10 minutes before it happened. It felt like they just cut and pasted some movie ideas from other movies.

All in all, I felt that this movie had the potential to be a good movie, but was put together so irresponsibly that all the good ideas fell apart. “Monster Trucks” just felt forced and poorly put together.

3.5/10
– The cast didn’t put as much effort into it as necessary
– The CGI underperformed
– The soundtrack felt ramshackle
+ The storyline wasn’t terrible

Contact the author at kmaloney15@wou.edu

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” book series is the perfect thing to get completely absorbed in. With over 40 books in the series, spanning different timelines and groups of characters, there is always somewhere new to explore on the Discworld.
The series takes place in a fantasy world on a disc shaped planet that rests on the back of a giant turtle who is flying through space. “Discworld” is filled with wizards, adventures, Death and more. The series even contains books explaining the science behind the exciting and complex world.
With so much in the “Discworld” series to explore, it’s worth it to give it a try and check it out.

Editor’s Disparagement:

I recently bought the popular strategy game “This War of Mine.” The game is set in a modern day besieged city, where survivors inside must search for supplies, eat and avoid sniper fire from enemies outside the city limits.
While the game is challenging and sometimes fun, the harsh realism and dark art style make for a unenjoyable experience. There’s a difference between playing a dark game and playing a game that just puts you in a terrible mood for the rest of the day.
The art style also focuses primarily on the color black, which gave me a headache after a while.
If you’re in the mood to feel terrible, “This War of Mine” is for you. Otherwise, almost any other game is happier.

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

New year, new shows

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

Entering into 2017 means more than just a new year and a new you; it means new TV shows to premiere. Since shows ended in the fall, it’s finally time for old shows to return for their winter season and for new shows to start with high hopes of lasting just one season.

“Riverdale” will be premiering on The CW. This one-hour drama is based off of the “Archie” comics. The chief creative officer of the “Archie” comics, Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, is the writer for the show. It will follow Archie and his friends in their small town. The tagline for the show speaks for itself: “A great place to get away with it all.” You can catch this show on Jan. 26 at 9 p.m.

For something less dramatic, check out the show “Powerless” which is premiering on NBC. It’s an action-comedy sitcom show based in the DC universe. Emily Locke, played by Vanessa Hudgens, is the Director of Research & Development at Wayne Security. With this job, she deals with all the citizens that are tired of the fights that the superheroes have with their villains. It premieres Feb. 2 at 8 p.m.

HBO is releasing their new miniseries show “Big Little Lies” starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley. This show follows three mothers as their lives begin to spin out of their control into chaos. This comedy-drama will only have seven episodes and will premiere on Feb. 19 at 9 p.m.

Some shows have already premiered but are definitely worth checking out. If you like to be able to watch TV shows whenever is convenient for you, Netflix released the TV show adaptation of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Jan. 13.

If you want more drama in your life, ABC premiered their new season of “The Bachelor” on Jan. 2. It is on every Monday at 8 p.m. Not into drama but enjoy laughing? Another season of “New Girl” began on Jan. 3 on Fox; catch it every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

No matter what, there is a show premiering this winter season that will suit you. Take some time to explore and enjoy the latest TV entertainment.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

DC movie extravaganza

wonder-woman-colorimdb-com

By: Kinsey Bushart
Staff Writer

DC’s Cinematic Universe has ramped up production and, in the next few years, is planning on releasing more superhero movies.

One of these is Ben Affleck’s “The Batman.” Affleck is starring, directing and writing in his newest DC exertion. Back in August, Affleck released the name of the film’s villain: Deathstroke. This information was released on his Twitter when Affleck posted a short video of the villain.

Unfortunately, this latest Batman movie is not without its own problems. Critics, including Bret Easton Ellis, have been quoted talking about the major issues in the script that have yet to be ironed out.

“The Flash” has also been in the limelight, the film has lost two directors since it’s introduction and is looking for its third. The Flash had a cameo in “Suicide Squad”, and “The Flash” solo film is set to release March 16, 2018.

DC is also planning on the expansion of the Aquaman enterprise. Willem Dafoe will be making his debut in 2017 in “Justice League,” and is set to appear in the solo “Aquaman” film. Dafoe will be reprising his role as Nuidis Vulko in the solo film, which is projected to be released July 21, 2018.

The Wonder Woman trailer was also released recently. This movie comes long before “Dawn of Justice.” At the beginning of the trailer Diana sits at a desk in modern times and recounts her story.

Set during World War I, Diana, a Amazonian princess leaves her island home to explore the world as well as protect it. She’s introduced to the war efforts after she rescues a soldier after he crashes his plane. The two are then connected during the rest of the war, and Diana finally seems to come into her Wonder Woman status. Wonder Woman is set to come to theaters June 2, 2017.

kbushart16@wou.edu

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