Mount Hood

“Transformers” returns to theaters

By: Blayde Biacan
Freelancer

Michael Bay is directing another, I repeat, another “Transformers” movie. “Transformers: The Last Knight” is the fifth installment in Michael Bay’s iconic franchise. If you aren’t aware of what Michael Bay specializes in, let me tell you that you can expect huge explosions and fantastic special effects. The “Transformers” films are especially known for their top of the line and innovative effects.

What you may not be expecting to hear about is the featuring of Winston Churchill’s old estate as Hitler’s Headquarters. Many people, especially veterans, are critical of Churchill’s estate being covered in swastika banners due to him being a World War II hero. In response, Michael Bay told BBC, “When you see the movie you’ll understand.” To back up his statement, he mentioned how the movie would depict Winston Churchill as a big hero and that Churchill would not be “turning in his grave”.

Another main hero that will be featured in the film is King Arthur, played by Liam Garrigan, who has played King Arthur before in ABC’s “Once Upon A Time”. King Arthur’s role in the movie is currently unknown, but King Arthur was featured in the “Transformers” animated series, where he teamed up with Autobots back in the Middle Ages.

Mark Wahlberg is returning to star in “The Last Knight”, alongside Peter Cullen returning as the voice of Optimus Prime and newcomer Isabela Moner. The film will also feature new Autobots and new Decepticons, as well as the official debut of the miniature Dinobots. The larger Dinobots made their debut in 2014’s “Age of Extinction”.

With confirmation that the film will feature King Arthur, Nazis and dinosaurs, who wouldn’t want to wonder what Michael Bay has in store for us with the plot of the movie. “Transformers: The Last Knight” is coming to theaters on July 23, 2017.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

Scare season returns

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

The fall season comes with pumpkin patches, rain and changing leaves. This is also the time for all the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween to begin showing up out of the shadows, creeping up on those who are unaware. That’s right, the season of Haunted Houses is back and ready to scare anyone daring enough to go inside.

If you’re someone who enjoys going to creepy old houses, or walking along a dark trail, then maybe these sights are for you. For all you haunted house people, The Oregon School of the Deaf, in Salem, is hosting The Nightmare Factory for the 29th year in a row. This year’s theme is the zombie-filled Infected Nightmare. The special haunted tour will be $10.00 from Oct. 7 to 8, however, the rest of the show dates will be $15.00 for general admission. If you’re looking for a really good scare, their $20.00 Pitch Black event will occur on the last two nights of the show, Nov. 4 and 5, will be a truly terrifying experience.

Another haunted house that’s just a little farther north is Milburn’s Haunted Manor, located just outside of Hubbard, Oregon. Guests can face the imaginative horrors of Milburn’s manor in either one of two parts: “The Manor”, “The Dark” or guests can dare to do both. General admission is only $10.00 for one part, or $15.00 for both. For those who wish to go, but feel this might be too frightening, you will be pleased to know that this is more of a PG-13 type of haunted house.

If you’re looking for something closer, with more of an R rating scare, look no farther than Corvallis’ own Haunting of the Majestic. The Majestic Theatre in Corvallis will transform for four nights only into a haunted house at the end of October. The 18+ haunt is on Oct. 28 and 29 with a much more family oriented haunt on the 30 and 31. Prices will be hard to know until those dates come closer, but you can still check out the Majestic’s website for more details as the dates draw nearer.

These are but three events happening on this side of Oregon. There are far more haunted houses around the area if you’re brave enough to find them.

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

“Rogue One” merchandise hits shelves

 

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Disney is well aware of the massive fan base that Star Wars has. Hundreds of thousands of people from all ages adore the series and, subsequently, are fully prepared to throw their money at it. With last year’s reboot of the Star Wars franchise, Disney announced that a new Star Wars film would be released every year until 2020. One year will be a part of the trilogy; the next will be a standalone story. Disney has also started an annual tradition called Force Friday where all the upcoming film’s merchandise will be released.
Force Friday of last September, prior to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, was a massive success. Fans flocked to stores all over the world to get their hands on toys, clothes and more for the new film.

Disney is continuing the tradition for the newest film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” which releases this December. This year’s Force Friday took place on Sept. 30. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us had special displays set up featuring all the new merchandise.

Toys R Us opened its doors at 12:01 a.m. for eager customers who couldn’t wait to get their hands on the new merchandise. I was one of those customers, standing in line for an hour before the opening with about 40 other people, a lot of whom brought lawn chairs and blankets and were there hours before me. Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Rey and a Scout Trooper were even there to take pictures and get people excited.

When the doors opened people went crazy grabbing items and piling them high in their carts. Employees were handing out free t-shirts and posters as well.

As for the new merchandise, Disney released a large amount of action figures for the upcoming film, as well as updated figures from previous films, such as an updated version of Kylo Ren. Due to the limited quantity, people were especially interested in the Toys R Us exclusive six inch Hovertank Pilot. I had to fight for that one. Other items available included a replica Stormtrooper helmet, new Darth Vader masks, a Bluetooth speaker that looked like BB-8 and many new Funko Pop bobble heads.

Not all of the new merchandise is from the upcoming film. The animated TV show “Star Wars: Rebels”, which just aired the premiere of its third season, received many new figures and bobble heads as well. Sphero’s remote controlled BB-8, which was released on Force Friday last year, received an upgraded wristwatch that allows users to use hand motions to control BB-8 and essentially use the force.

Lego also had a large amount of new sets for the upcoming film showcased. Five new sets are now out on Amazon and at other retailers, all brand new vehicles from “Rogue One”. Lego also released three new buildable figures.

All the new merchandise is out now at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, F.Y.E and more. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” comes out on Dec. 16.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Pokémon GO Takes Over Mobile Gaming

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

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Summer 2016 can easily be described in two words: Pokémon GO. The augmented-reality Pokémon hunting game from Niantic was released in early June and quickly took over the world. It became nearly impossible during its peak to go out in public without seeing people playing. Pokémon GO hit 45 million players during its peak in July.

The game uses GPS to place players in an augmented reality where Pokémon spawn and players must walk from point to point to catch them. Players can stop at landmarks, which are denoted as either Pokéstops or Gyms, to get supplies and battle other players. Western has an abundance of these around; walking from one building to another could easily put a player within range of at least one new Pokéstop.

Niantic even made a deal with McDonald’s in Japan for a non-obtrusive corporate sponsorship by making Japanese McDonalds’ Pokéstops. This brought in more business for McDonald’s and more sponsorship revenue for Niantic.

After its release, Pokémon GO quickly shot up both the most downloaded and the top grossing section of the App Store. Even now, Pokémon GO is the third grossing app. The financial success for both Niantic and Nintendo gave them the funding for the anticipated “Detective Pikachu” film that is now in the works at Legendary Pictures.

Pokémon GO is both a social and active game. It forces players to go out and search for Pokémon around cities and parks meeting other Pokémon trainers as they go. The game features three different teams that players can join: Team Mystic, Team Valor, and Team Instinct. The team feature gives users either an instant connection or instant rivalry with other players they meet. As for the active side of the game, Pokémon GO features Pokémon eggs that players can hatch by walking two km,  five km or 10 km. The incentive behind putting in the miles is the chance to hatch a rare Pokémon that may not be found in your region.

The app has players going where they wouldn’t normally go to catch rare Pokémon. A Wyoming teenager climbed down to a river for a better chance of catching a water type Pokémon when she stumbled across a dead body. Luckily now the game has a periodical message telling players not to enter dangerous areas or trespass while playing, as well as messages telling players not to play while driving if their speed is over 20 mph.

In addition to the popularity of Pokémon GO, Pokémon’s popularity in general has skyrocketed since the release. Pokémon merchandise of all kinds can be found in stores everywhere. This includes clothes, backpacks, school supplies, toys and more. The success of the game has provided an opportunity to bring back all of Pokémon’s popularity and, so far, has been successful in doing so.

While Pokémon GO’s popularity is on a slight decline after reaching its peak over summer, Niantic is still actively updating it. The most recent addition to the game is the Buddy System. Players can choose a Pokémon to travel with them, earning candy as they walk, which can then be used to rank the Pokémon up. This gives players a chance to upgrade rare Pokémon without having to endlessly hunt for them.

Over the summer, Pokémon GO meetups became a very popular activity. By using sites like Reddit and Facebook, players found times to meet up and hunt for Pokémon together. The Pokémon GO subreddit is great for any player looking for tips, tricks, strategies, or people in their area to play with. Meetups are still happening often, including meetups here around Western! The most recent was on Sept. 24, so keep your eyes peeled for information on upcoming meetups.
Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Blair Witch Review

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

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When “The Blair Witch Project” was released in 1999, it was met with good reviews. The film created an entirely new genre of horror with documentary style filmmaking which is still used in today’s film making industry.

The new “Blair Witch” follows the events of the original, as main character Heather Donahue’s brother reenters the forest with three friends to search for his sister after revealing new footage showing her alive 20 years later.

At its core, the film is extremely similar to the original; a group of young adults searching the woods with video cameras are haunted by some unknown entity. In plot, it feels like “The Blair Witch Project” 2.0, with fancier cameras and jump scares.

“Blair Witch” relies heavily on cheap jump scares while the original didn’t have to. The jump scares were both predictable and never used anything truly terrifying. This cheap tactic was overused and had very few successful payoffs.

However, the film shines in its distortion of space-time and isolation horror. Like the original, the group seemed to break free of time and space, going in circles, making five or six days feel like a couple of hours. They were powerless, and that was extremely unnerving and anxiety inducing.

“Blair Witch” is a must see for any fan of the original. Not only is the story directly influenced by it, the folklore behind the Blair Witch, herself, is expanded upon. Story wise, “Blair Witch” succeeds at making the “lost in the woods” trope believable.

While not a terrible movie, “Blair Witch” fails to capture what made the original so memorable. The film is brought down by its predictable jump scares and familiar plot. “Blair Witch” is at its best when the mainstream jumpy horror is replaced with the isolationist horror of the original.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Denny, don’t plan too much

By: Darien Campo
Staff Writer

Since the day it was released, critics have called Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” the worst film ever made.

In a nutshell: when Johnny begins to suspect his best friend is sleeping with his future wife, friendships begin to slowly unravel, and the true nature of humanity is revealed in this black comedy cult classic.

“The Citizen Kane of bad movies” is a phrase coined by film professor Ross Morin that gets tossed around frequently. “The Room” has been mocked, parodied, remixed, memed, and outright torn apart by viewers all across the globe. But no matter how much derision it has attracted, on May 27 “The Room” turned 13 years old – and it is still going as strong as ever.

A year and a half ago I had the pleasure to meet Tommy Wiseau himself at a showing of “The Room.” Theatres all across the country still have late-night showings of the film, and crowds pack each and every one of those houses to share the unique “Rocky Horror”-esque experience. Even after all these years Wiseau still tours the world to meet his fans, and there seems to be no signs of slowing down for him.

Though a bit of a showboat, Wiseau is an incredibly pleasant man, and is happy to give attention to each and every fan he meets. His unique accent, peculiar looks, and mysterious background all make the perfect ingredients for a cult celebrity hero. Fans speculate about his movie, they impersonate him, and they even dress like him (I am guilty of this myself) all in an enormous rally around one of the oddest films ever to see the big screen.

“The Room” is, without a doubt, not a well-made movie. The writing is sloppy and inconsistent, the direction is laughable, and the acting is horrifying. For all intents and purposes, “The Room” is a perfect example of how not to make a film.

But there are thousands of bad movies filling dollar bins around the world, so what makes “The Room” different? How can a film considered so widely to be so bad experience so much success?

I think it goes beyond good and bad. “The Room” showed me that a bad movie is more than just lazy writing and sub-par acting. A bad movie is instead a lack of passion – something “The Room” has in spades. Behind the scenes stories, like the ones in Greg Sestero’s tell-all “The Disaster Artist,” reveal just how dedicated Wiseau was to his project. Tommy Wiseau dreamed for nothing more than to direct the greatest film ever made, and he let nothing – not his lack of funding, not his lack of proper crew, not his lack of support, not even his lack of fundamental skill as a filmmaker – stop him from realizing that dream.

“The Room” may not be the best movie ever made, but I would argue that it is the bravest movie ever made. It displays passion, power, and absolute love for the art of filmmaking. Everybody can find some part of themselves inside “The Room.”

Just like Tommy Wiseau himself famously said: “You can laugh, you can cry, you can express yourself, but please don’t hurt each other!”

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

A Moon Shaped Pool

By: Darien Campo
Staff Writer

Sunday, May 8 finally brought us the release of Radiohead’s long-anticipated ninth studio album “A Moon Shaped Pool.” In only 11 tracks this 25-year-old band shows us that not only can they still write music to rival their greatest works, but they’ve only gotten better at it.

The album is 11 tracks long, a few of which are songs fans have been waiting to hear on a studio release for years. “Identikit” was first played live in 2012, “Burn the Witch” has been teased since 2003, and “True Love Waits” has been a concert-exclusive fan favorite since 1994. These are only three of the fantastic songs brought by Radiohead’s newest release.

This album makes prominent use of the London Contemporary Orchestra under multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood’s composition. In fact, the instrumentation in this album hearkens back to earlier eras of Radiohead’s discography. For the fans who have been concerned the band has moved too far into electronic, looping music, you’ll be happy to hear that AMSP features many songs that make full use of all five band members on their classic instruments. Songs like “Decks Dark” and “Identikit” lovingly combine their old five-piece rock sound with the electronic influence of Radiohead’s later career.

We can compare Radiohead’s albums all day and try to rank which release is the best, but AMSP is above that. “A Moon Shaped Pool” shows us that Radiohead has grown. This album is mature, it is strong, and it is the accumulation of years of experience from five insanely talented musicians. Though the album doesn’t drive you to dance, it sure does beckon you with a wink and a nod, asking you to come out and join it on the floor. The album moves you physically, as well as emotionally. Every member of Radiohead gets their chance to show off what they’ve learned over 25 years and nine albums, and together they flex and flaunt their musical prowess. “A Moon Shaped Pool” is emotionally draining, sonically astounding, physically grooving, and compositionally spectacular.

Once again, Radiohead has shown the world that they are some of the most powerful musicians alive today. You don’t even have to like them to appreciate the artistry of this album. “A Moon Shaped Pool” will be a monolithic feat in the history modern rock, trust me when I say you do not want to miss this one.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

THE EDITOR SMILES WARMLY TOWARD

Unique YouTube channels that you oughta subscribe to.

“Grand Illusions” is the YouTube channel of Tim the Toyman, an old British fella with a MASSIVE collection of toys and novelty items. His videos range from about 45 seconds to 20 minutes (!), and center around a single item or a category of them, be it playing cards, unconventional lighters, strange bottles, toys that look like fish, or one of his most recent: brushes! There are all kinds of toy collection channels on YouTube, but Tim is one of the only people that never talks about the value of the toys or the brand or anything like that. He is just a funny old man with a deep, abiding appreciation for toy design, mechanisms, and how they function; and “Grand Illusions” is his way of sharing his life’s work with the world. His charming persona, dry wit, and clear passion for these “funny little contraptions” keeps me coming back. Quite extraordinary.

She said … I don’t know where I discovered the channel of “Shopdogsam,” but I’m glad I did. He’s a hippie grandpa with a thick Tennessee accent, a love of engines and Hostess cupcakes, a stuffed parrot, long white hair, and a longer white beard, and most of his videos are stream-of-consciousness monologues about … well, it’s kind of hard to say. But he’s oddly fascinating, talking into the void of YouTube-land as if it were an old, trusted friend, as he rolls an industrial spool around or eats ice cream and cupcakes with chopsticks. He’s an oddball for sure, but again … it’s all super compelling. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

Theodore Cottingham recently deleted his YouTube channel, but he still has a large collection of material on Vimeo. He runs a coffee shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has released just a shade fewer than five hundred videos of … I guess I’ll let ol’ Theo himself explain: “I am Christ, Christing the Christ, teaching all who will to become it also, through my words. These recordings are me speaking the first person words of God I am for you to learn to do also, where you record it, study it, learn from it, surrendering daily to the process of The New Covenant so you experience the transformation of Christ to become it in your two shoes becoming a new creation person of leadership in your country.” And if that doesn’t at least intrigue you, you are a lost cause.

“And we back:” Chance the Rapper’s latest shines

By: Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

I gotta cut right to the chase: Chance the Rapper’s third and most recent release, “Coloring Book” (also known to fans as “Chance 3”), is really good. Like, really, Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.42.36 PMreally good.

I heard his 2013 mixtape, “Acid Rap,” for the first time about two years after it came out, and I really dug it, but I didn’t really start to pay attention to Chance until his just-about-perfect verse on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam,” the opening track on “The Life of Pablo” (review at wou.edu/westernjournal).

His verse caught my attention like no other, and I soon after went back to “Acid Rap.” Before I had dug it, but now I felt like I got it. Chance is different, in a way he states perfectly in the first verse of CB’s “Blessings:” “I don’t make songs for free, I make ‘em for freedom / don’t believe in kings, believe in the kingdom.”

I don’t even know where to begin talking about this mixtape, so the beginning will work: I don’t want to proclaim a trend too early—two is hardly a pattern—but with “The Life of Pablo” and “Coloring Book,” hip-hop and gospel music have found themselves very, very happy together. But unlike Yeezy’s latest, which uses its gospel influence as a plea to God to help a troubled sinner, “Coloring Book” uses gospel to proclaim and share the glory with all who hear it.

He is a man blessed with unbelievable success, including getting to work closely with Kanye West, the man who inspired him to become a rapper, and who provides the hook on “All We Got,” the first cut on “Coloring Book.” The record has all kinds of high profile features (Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber, and T-Pain, to name a few), with several songs underscored with triumphant horns and choirs. Throughout the 14 tracks, Chance is not only celebrating his success, but is eternally grateful for it, and wants to share it.

What makes Chance and “Coloring Book” great is his ultimately positive message. He’s not glamorizing a destructive lifestyle or constantly firing off shots at other artists: his music is all about making the best of everything, counting your blessings, and always being humble and grateful. From touching laments about growing apart like “Same Drugs” to honestly talking about how hard it is to find success in “All We Got,” Chance ultimately lays out a message that says if you stay strong and determined you can accomplish what you want and get through what’s got you down. Even as he raps about his problems, there’s nothing underneath but love and a forward looking attitude.

Unfortunately, it seems that “Coloring Book” has been removed from DatPiff.com, where it was originally released as a free download. But if you’ve got Apple Music you can listen to it there, and since he released it for free, if you want to torrent it or just listen on YouTube, you ought to do that guilt free.

Contact the author at dhertel11@wou.edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes

Disney announces nine new live action classic movies

By: Ashton Newton

Disney is a smart studio and they generally get things very right. They have Marvel and Lucasfilm under their belt, which have been getting huge amounts of praise and attention, but following the success of “The Jungle Book,” Disney has announced that they are going back to some of their classics.

Disney has announced live-action versions of nine classic tales, and while no official dates have been tied to the films, Disney says the earliest release would be July 2017.

First on Disney’s list is a live-action movie based off of Cruella Deville, simply titled “Cruella” with Emma Stone set to star.

Angelina Jolie is reprising her role as Maleficent in a sequel and Jon Favreau will be returning to direct “The Jungle Book 2.” A “Jungle Book” sequel may get dicey though, with Andy Serkis and Warner Bros. planning a darker version of the film to release next year.

Director Tim Burton is making his return to Disney with a new “Dumbo” film with “Transformers” writer Ehren Kruger penning the script.

Reese Witherspoon will be starring as Tinkerbell in a Tink-centered film, written by “Finding Dory” writer Victoria Strouse.

“A Wrinkle in Time” and “The Nutcracker” films are also being made.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will star in “Jungle Cruise,” a film based off of the popular Disneyland ride. “Pirates of the Caribbean” also started off as a Disneyland ride, which inspired the film series.

Emily Blunt is going take on the iconic role of Mary Poppins for a sequel to the 1964 classic.

This lineup of movies is on top of the huge lineup of Marvel films on the way, including “Captain America: Civil War,” which released May 6, and the six “Star Wars” films Disney hopes to release by 2020.

Lastly, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” is in development, with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightly all returning. The film is set to release May 2017.

It’s safe to say that Disney knows that they’re doing and have a long-term plan for their films, with both classics and fresh content.

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

You should be watching for “”Overwatch””

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

In the modern world of video games, the studio Blizzard stands out for some of the most memorable games around. Games like “World of Warcraft” and “Diablo” are some of the most popular in recent years, so when Blizzard comes out with something new, it’s going to be big.

“Overwatch” is just that. Announced at BlizzCon 2014, “Overwatch” excited first person shooters and Blizzard fans alike with a stunning cinematic trailer.

“Overwatch” is a team-based competitive first person shooter. The game features 21 playable heroes with all different abilities and play styles. Characters break down into four broad categories: offense, defense, support, and tank.

Cooperation is highly encouraged. Players can switch heroes during the game, so it’s advised to switch things up often and find a perfect balance of offense, defense, and support to have an advantage over the opposing team.

Each character can be individually customized with voices, emotes, and skins, unlocked with level ups and coins won in game. This gives players a chance to express themselves in game and look way cooler than everyone else. Luckily, all customizations are purely cosmetic, so no player has an unbalanced advantage.

“Overwatch” has three objective based game modes, instead of the standard “team deathmatch” style modes. This forces players to work together in order to complete objectives like capturing control points and escorting vehicles across the map.

Game developer Chris Metzan said that “Overwatch” “promotes teamwork and relationship and having fun with your friends.”

Last week, “Overwatch” had an open beta test for players to jump in and get a feel for the game before its May 24 release.

I got a chance to play the beta for a few hours and I found it to be an outrageously fun experience. The game played smooth and people were cooperative and sincere.

Blizzard has also been releasing mini comics and animated shorts to immerse players into the world of “Overwatch” before release. These can be found on the “Overwatch” website, as well as YouTube.

The general plot of “Overwatch” is that an “Omnic” artificial intelligence crisis led to an uprising of robots around the globe in a near future Earth. Because of this, the UN creates a task force to protect Earth called “Overwatch.”

“Overwatch” also has its own Reddit community where players can share tips, strategies, and original artwork, all while sharing the excitement of the game.

“Overwatch” releases May 24 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. No Mac release is planned. Blizzard has talked about adding cross play between platforms, so all players could play together, much like the game “Rocket League.”

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

Winter has arrived

By: Conner Williams
Editor-in-Chief

Screen Shot 2016-05-01 at 8.42.15 PMWarning: This article contains spoilers. Read on if you’ve already seen the premiere, or if you’re some sort of savage that reads spoilers.

April has come, and that means winter has finally come with it. Well, you know, Westerosi winter.

For those faithful readers of Martin’s beloved series, unlike me (I’ve got all the books, I just need to dedicate about a decade of my life to read them), season six comes as an annoying reminder that the TV series is now separate from the books. I’ve been told by a reader of the books that it’s been that way for a while, but now the series is actually ahead of what has happened in the written timeline.

Despite this, about 10.7 million people tuned in to watch the premiere, with about 3 million of those in the form of online streaming, reports TV.com. Compared to “The Walking Dead’s” season six finale that had about 14.2 million viewers, “Game of Thrones” didn’t quite live up, but that could be due, in part, to it being on a premium channel instead of basic cable.

The main question that’s been floating around in everyone’s mind is whether or not Jon Snow is really dead. I hate to break it to you, but this episode didn’t do much to reverse the dozen stab wounds that he was so graciously awarded “for the Watch.” However, those that give faith to the Lord of Light still remain hopeful at the presence of the Red Woman at Castle Black.

Across the Narrow Sea, Arya Stark battles with her new gift the Faceless God has bestowed upon her in full-on Daredevil style; Cersei Lannister faces the reality of losing another child as the deformed Mountain guards her in her King’s Landing keep; Tyrion and Varys come to terms with the fact that they won’t be leaving Meereen anytime soon; Jorah Mormont and Daario Naharis continue their search for the fleeing Khaleesi; the Sand Snakes of Dorne betray their prince; Sansa Stark finally meets her mother’s former protector; and Melisandre shows her true form much to the dismay of eyeballs everywhere.

You can watch the episodes on HBO with a purchased subscription through your cable provider or stream them on the HBO Now app, which is currently offering a free month for new users. New episodes premiere every Sunday at 9 p.m. PST.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalEIC

Good Music is Good

By: Darien Campo
Staff Writer

In high school, my Facebook page proudly proclaimed that I liked “all music except rap and country.” Of course, this wasn’t true at all; I couldn’t have given you the name of one Vaporwave track, I hadn’t heard a single Gregorian chant in my life. Which is a little embarrassing for someone who likes “all music” (except rap and country). What I really meant was that I really liked classic rock and heavy metal, and pretty much nothing else.

Somewhere around my junior year I began to frequent bandcamp.com, a website I still use to find artists. By chance, I happened to run across the album “Nostalgia” by a trip-hop band called Wren. This album opened my eyes (and ears). After I first heard those gorgeous beats and beautifully sampled vocals, I realized that I had spent my life ignoring an entire world of music I should have given a chance. After Wren, I learned to withhold my judgement on new music, and instead open up and let myself explore new ideas and sounds.

It’s very easy to find a genre that’s comfortable for you and stick to it, but I’m telling you to be careful not to fall into this trap. It always saddens me to hear someone who “only listens to rock” or “only listens to rap.” Just the same as someone who refuses to listen to an entire genre based on the merit of a single band, or because of how obnoxious the fans are. Sure, Radiohead fans are crazy and we need to shut up about our conspiracy theories, but have you HEARD “In Rainbows”? I mean, yeah, Neutral Milk Hotel fans can be really pretentious, but there’s a REASON “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” is so revered.

My high school band teacher shared this Miles Davis quote with us: “Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.” I try to remember this quote every time I’m exploring for new artists. I can guarantee that if you don’t like hip hop, there is still a hip hop artist out there for you. The same goes for any other genre. If you love music, you do yourself no favors by closing any doors. Open your ears and scour the internet and record stores around you, there is beautiful music around every stereo; be sure you don’t miss any of it.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu.

Plaudits for Prince

By: Brianna Bonham
Photo Editor

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 7.22.46 PMFans across the world mourn over the death of singer-songwriter Prince. At age 57 he was found dead in his home on April 22, 2016.

Focusing on his death and how he died would be a shame, as he lived a life worth remembering and celebrating. He was a very private person with his personal life, but his stunning stage presence and musical mastery was enough to inspire masses.

Coming into the spotlight in the ‘80s, along with artists and groups like Boy George and Twisted Sister, Prince’s fashion was always flamboyant, and he exuded confidence like no other. What makes him stand out is his individuality, and the fact that his style wasn’t an act but a part of who he was.

He was always wearing some sort of heels, whether they were stilletos or heeled boots. Heels on women have always been seen as attractive, or even sexual, and Prince’s impenitent donning of heels showed that they can be seen the same way on men. He did the same with sequins, ruffles, lace, etc. Anything that was seen as “feminine” he wore and suddenly it was seen as androgynous and handsome.

He challenged the idea of gender conformity in some of his lyrics as well. “I’m not a woman. I’m not a man. I am something that you’ll never understand,” Prince sings in hit “I Would Die 4 U.” He kissed gender barriers goodbye and embraced his sexuality. Prince was unafraid of his sexuality and often demonstrated that through his style, stage presence, and music until it became a part of his image.

Prince was a brilliant musician. He was a multi-instrumentalist and very skilled in all of them, particularly guitar. His fingers were paint, his guitar was a canvas, and the beautiful rhythms he created were so complex. One of his standout guitar moments for me was his performance in the Super Bowl XLI halftime show. The pure passion in his face as he played showed his love for the instrument.

With unique vocals and catchy lyrics, his music was meant to be sung along with. Standout songs such as “When The Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “Raspberry Beret,” were on the Billboard Hot 100 hits for multiple weeks. His blend of funk, R&B, pop, and rock just worked and enraptured fans in his sweet melodies, loud guitar, and funky keyboard.
Prince lived for music. He was influenced by music at a young age by his parents who were both musicians, and throughout his life he produced dozens of albums and went on dozens of tours.

His unapologetic and unquestioning individuality serves as an inspiration for many fans today, whether or not they are straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, gender fluid, or cisgender. No matter how they identify, Prince shows that it’s ok to love yourself and be whoever you want to be.

Fans across the world have been celebrating his life with mass dance parties and cover performances for days after his death. Thousands gathered outside of Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue which was featured in the movie “Purple Rain.”

A legend such as Prince will continue to live on in spirit through his music, and the many lives he has touched.

R-Rated Superhero Trend Continues

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

Fox’s “Deadpool” was the first R-rated movie to come out of the superhero craze, and it was amazing. In the Journal’s review, we said “The R rating allowed the action to be filled with blood and gore. The film didn’t hold back at all when it came to blood or dismemberment, and it was fantastic.”

“Deadpool” made $758 million worldwide, far surpassing its $58 million budget.

With its success, it’s no surprise that “Deadpool 2” is on the way. Tim Miller is returning as director, and of course Ryan Reynolds is returning as the Merc with a Mouth, himself.

The sequel will also feature the popular comic book character Cable, who was confirmed to be a part of the movie by Deadpool, himself. No actor has been chosen.

Cable is the time travelling son of Cyclops who befriends Deadpool and forms the group “The X-Force.”

“Deadpool 2” releases next year.

Following the trend of R-rated superhero movies, Fox confirmed that “Wolverine 3” would also be rated R. The movie will be Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine and will also include Patrick Stewart’s Professor X.

“Wolverine 3” is based off of the “Old Man Logan” comic storyline, which is set in an alternate universe and sees the US taken over by villains and most of the heroes killed. “Wolverine 3” has a set release date of March 3, 2017.

DC is also jumping into the R-rated movie pool with the upcoming animated film “The Killing Joke” based off of the wildly successful graphic novel of the same name.

This is the first animated film in DC Animation’s nine years to be rated R. The critically-acclaimed graphic novel is said to be one of the Joker’s most defining sources of material. Christopher Nolan has also said that “The Killing Joke” was one of the inspirations for Heath Ledger’s Joker.

The film will first screen at San Diego Comic Con, and then release on home video in July.

With the new R-rated superhero trend, adult fans have a lot of hilarious, gory, and dark films to look forward to.

Agents of “S.C.O.O.B”

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

With Marvel’s wildly successful cinematic universe, other franchises have begun to dig into the idea of a shared movie universe. DC began theirs with “Batman v Superman,” and Star Wars has theirs with the upcoming spinoff “Rogue One.”

But one of the more surprising cinematic universes was revealed with Warner Brothers’ Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe, the first movie in the universe being a new animated Scooby Doo movie, “S.C.O.O.B.” slated for a 2018 release.

All that has been said about plot so far is that the film will have the “Mystery Machine Gang” working for a larger organization.

Tony Cervone will direct “S.C.O.O.B.” Cervone has directed a lot of Hanna-Barbera and other Warner Bros animated movies.

The Hanna-Barbera universe will consist of traditionally animated films with characters from the studio’s long list of past projects, including Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, and the Jetsons. Their long list of animated shows that used to play on Cartoon Network can now be found on the Boomerang Network.

Hanna-Barbera dominated animated television from the ‘60s all the way to the early 2000s so, seeing their characters on the big screen will be a very nostalgic experience for many people.

Now the question is, will the Scooby Doo gang, Atom Ant, Quickdraw McGraw, and other beloved characters ever comes together “Avengers” style?

On television, the characters did occasionally come together in special episodes. One of the most memorable being the 1978 “Yogi’s Space Race,” crossing over The Flintstones, Quickdraw McGraw, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, among others.

In a world filled with cinematic universes, the Hanna-Barbera animated universe has the potential to be one of the most nostalgic and entertaining that has been seen yet.

“S.C.O.O.B.” releases September 21, 2018.

Everything in its right place

By: Darien Campo
Staff Writer

Last week, Radiohead’s manager Brian Message announced that the band’s ninth album would be released on June 11. Fans around the world collectively rejoiced.

A few days later Radiohead released a statement saying that “Brian Message is not Radiohead’s manager […] any quotes from last night’s event […] should not be attributed to RadiohScreen Shot 2016-04-25 at 6.57.05 PMead’s management.” And fans around the world collectively groaned.

As one of the groaning fans, I have no idea where we stand at this point. All I know for sure is that sometime in the near future (probably (hopefully)) Radiohead is releasing a brand new album.

In the meantime, I’ve been playing my all-time favorite Radiohead release, “Kid A,” on repeat.

Released almost 16 years ago, “Kid A” marked Radiohead’s first dramatic transition from guitar-driven rock to the more ambient/electronic vibes of their latter releases. It’s hard to have a middle-of-the-road opinion of this album. Fans either loved the drastic shift in composition from their previous release, 1997’s “OK Computer,” or they felt betrayed that Radiohead’s newest work tends to sound more like electronica and dance music instead of rock songs. Context made this album so groundbreaking in 2000, but even today the music holds up as strongly as ever.

Even with a new sound, “Kid A” faithfully continues the work left off with “OK Computer” with its tone of synthesized calm. The cover art shows a vast landscape of snow and mountains, and just over the horizon we can see a forest in the distance burning to the ground. Through these songs, we get the feeling that something terribly wrong is happening, but the lyrics attempt to put up a front of forceful serenity that comes off as almost more frightening.

If you haven’t listened to this record in a while, or even if you’ve never heard it before, now is a great time to pick it up. Songs like “Everything In Its Right Place” and “Idioteque” give me chills everytime I hear them. “Kid A” was a marvelous step forward for Radiohead, and is now considered a defining album in their collection. Radiohead has said that their last album, “King of Limbs,” was a transitional period for them. With what little we’ve heard from members of the band, Radiohead’s (possible) upcoming release just might be another gamechanger for the band.

Review: LEMONADE

By: Ben Bergerson and Brianna Bonham

Good art makes you feel something, great art makes you feel what the artist is feeling, which is something that few artists can do repeatedly. Beyoncé has delivered provocative, beautiful music for years, so don’t be surprised that her new project slays on a new level.

The global superstar has blown the world away with her release of “LEMONADE,” a powerful visual album about infidelity. The hour-long release on HBO and Tidal took us through the pop star’s process of recovering from Jay Z’s “betrayal,” and fans suspect that it is also about her parent’s relationship.

The video is amazing. An artistic portrayal of her emotions throughout the grieving process, it consists of the tracks from the accompanying album “LEMONADE,” and spoken word poetry. Words such as “denial,” “anger,” “apathy,” “emptiness,” and “resurrection” flash across the screen, corresponding to the next scene. Beyoncé is unafraid to show her emotions in the video which created a genuine and raw product that was, at some points, difficult to listen to.

As “PRAY YOU CATCH ME,” the first track on the album, is played, Beyoncé sings while she is crouched on a stage, dressed in black. After that scene, she is shown in a room filled with water, floating and using spoken word poetry. “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath…” are the last words she speaks before changing to the next scene.

The whole visual album is built this way, a combination of spoken word, songs from the album, and illustrative video. All this builds up to the end of the scene where she says, “But still inside me was the need to know … Are you cheating on me?” Our jaws dropped as it quickly switched to the next scene, leaving us to digest the shocking information.

Throughout the video she consistently features black women. She uses the poetry of Warsan Shire as interludes, and is joined by famous black women such as Serena Williams, Zendaya, and Quvanzhené Wallis. Blue Ivy and Jay Z are also in the video.

Featuring strong, black women in the setting that this video does celebrates their beauty and power through stunning visuals and representation.

Wrapping up the whole project, the title “LEMONADE” comes from a quote from her grandmother, Agnez Dereon: “I had my ups and downs but I always found the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.”

Contact the authors at bebergerson13@wou.edu and bbonham15@wou.edu or on Twitter @ben_bergerson or @brianna_bonham.

Re-Opening “The Jungle Book”

By: Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

From the moment the first trailer for “The Jungle Book” dropped, I wanted it so freaking badly. I have no especially great love for the 1967 version, beyond enjoying it as a child, but this new take on it looked gorgeous and had a killer voice cast, and I’d been super stoked for it since. So as the lights went down on a Friday afternoon screening, I found myself giddy, hoping that this movie would be as awesome as I had imagined it would.

And you know what, it came pretty darn close. This is a solid flick.

My favorite thing about this new version, directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), is that it doesn’t care that it’s gorgeous. James Cameron’s “Avatar” blew us all away in 2009 with its spectacular visuals, but honestly, it knew that’s really the only thing it had going for it: it looked stupid good.

“The Jungle Book,” for my money, looks better. But it doesn’t care. Painstaking effort was put into making it seem like this movie was shot by real people in real places with real cameras starring real animals. It’s not out to show off, it’s out to tell a good story, and just happens to feature visuals that would have been unthinkable five years ago.

As for telling a good story, this is where the movie falls slightly (but just slightly) short. In this age where blockbuster films are—seemingly as a rule—two and a half fugging hours long, I feel weird saying this, but here goes: I wish “The Jungle Book” was longer.

Coming in at a tidy one hour and 40 minutes, “The Jungle Book” certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it also leaves too soon. When I say I wish it was longer, I don’t mean they should tack on another 20 minutes; I mean that I wanted another 30 seconds here, two minutes there, so that they could flesh out the great, great stuff they’ve got. Not more content, but fuller content. All the makings are there for a wonderful epic: it’s just not epic enough. I have fantasies of a director’s cut, but I realize that’s kind of a silly notion.

Personally, the visuals are worth the price of admission; just because the film doesn’t draw attention to them doesn’t mean they aren’t attention-grabbing. The voice performances are invariably great and delightfully understated (particularly Christopher Walken as a big-ass ape), and newcomer Neel Sethi—merely 10 years old—does a truly admirable job of carrying the film. I would love to see him get more work and improve his already pretty notable abilities.

I could say an awful lot more about the film, from the individual characters, to the perfect inclusion of “Bear Necessities,” to the slightly weird inclusion of “I Wanna Be Like You,” to the multiple questions raised by basing a mass-market movie in 2016 on a work steeped in the attitudes of a deeply racist time (next week in editorials), but alas—I’m almost out of words. Suffice to say “The Jungle Book” is a solid, highly enjoyable flick.

Contact the author at dhertel11@wou.edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes.

This is the Junk You Are Looking For

Screen Shot 2016-04-17 at 9.49.15 PM

By: Ashton Newton

There are few bands that give me the same feelings that M83 does. It’s been that way for longer than I can recall. Something about listening to their mellow synthpop sound, deciphering their poetic lyrics, and jamming out to their fast danceable tunes grabbed hold of me and refused to let me go.

That said, when “Junk” was announced I could barely contain my excitement. M83’s 2011 LP “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” was one of the most breathtaking things I’d ever listened to, and shaped the way I look at music.

“Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” was a very cinematic record; the songs went with each other and flowed perfectly. The album was hugely inspired by movies. But “Junk” is different in that the songs are meant to stand alone, yet work together in an unrelated way.

The first song to release off of “Junk” is “Do It, Try It”, and it’s apparent that M83 was trying something entirely new with their music. The song is weird, completely on purpose. The pop sound is so upbeat and all over the place that it’s so weird it’s danceable.

Weird and different sounds are very present in “Junk.” The songs “Bibi the Dog,” “Walkway Blues,” and “Road Blaster” are all very fast paced dance songs that rely on unrecognizable synthpop sounds to create a groovy beat that the queen would have no choice but to dance to.

“Junk” also has its sweet side. Susanne Sundfor lent her voice for the song “For the Kids,” a more traditional sounding ballad. “Atlantique Sud” is a beautiful French duet with Mai Lan that is the most sentimental song on the album.

Beck also makes an appearance on “Junk” in the song “Time Wind.” Beck’s vocals with M83’s music make for a really cool song. Rock artists and M83’s music go very well together.

There are some songs that are a bit underwhelming for me. M83 is known for long and epic instrumental songs like “Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun” off of their album “Before the Dawn Heals Us,” but on “Junk” the instrumentals like “Moon Crystal” and “The Wizard” just feel too short and rushed for their style.

The album ends with “Sunday Night 1987,” one of the most calming songs on the album. M83 ends their albums with songs that leave you thinking and with a smile, and “Junk” is no exception.

“Junk” is an extremely satisfying album to listen to. M83 gives a new, unique sound with songs for every mood and person.

Contact the author at anewton14@wou.edu.

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