Mount Hood

Review of the 2019 remake, “Black Christmas”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

“Black Christmas,” a mystery slasher film centered on the murder of a sorority sister, was originally created and directed by Bob Clark in 1974. Clark later directed “Christmas Story,” a great balance of genres. In the original he relied heavily on the shrouded identity of the killer, and in the end, never revealed the villain.

The 2006 remake, directed by Glen Morgan,  went the opposite route and made it pretty obvious who the masked killer was, leaving little for the audience to think about.

Sadly, the 2019 remake directed by Sophia Takal followed suit and all the twists and turns that happened were obvious from a mile away, leaving no mystery for the audience and ending up quite a basic horror film.

A key difference in the plot, however, with the 2019 remake is the feminism aspect and spotlight on sexual assault issues on college campuses. 

Mysterious hooded figures with weird black goo on their faces are murdering members of a sorority, and the main protagonist Riley, played by Imogen Poots, is left to try and discover who is after her friends. Riley does not trust the authorities to help her after she was raped on campus and her rapist went unpunished. 

While there was some bad acting in the film, and a general predictability, I think that including a character who has gone through a trauma with no justice reflects current day issues with sexual assaults, especially on college campuses. The villains in the film want to put women back in their place, and reclaim male dominance in society, which reflects the toxic masculinity and sexism that is also prevalent today. 

Overall Rating: While I wouldn’t necessarily say that a second remake was needed of the Canadian horror film, and the acting wasn’t quite believable, the underlying feminism and attention to #MeToo was an interesting twist and brought something unique to the film. The “who done it” aspect was not available, because the killers were quite obvious in the film, but the motives for their rampage was different than I expected. All around, not a bad horror film; for those that prefer something a little more sinister on the holidays, “Black Christmas” is entertaining enough and touches on more serious issues.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Hamersly Library showcases [she] A Story of Photographs

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Guest artist Dongna Cai, an Associate Professor at the Beijing Forestry University Art & Design Institute, received Western professor Daniel Tankersley’s guidance for her project, [she] A Story of Photographs, to narrate a story through photos. 

It was a project that took nearly half a year — from selecting the narrative content to the actual photography work and development. There are 36 black-and-white photos that portray the lives of five female Chinese exchange students, who stayed in the United States for one year. Cai has broken up this narrative into five stages: arriving, registering, studying, enjoying and leaving.

Professor Tankersley wrote, “… sincere images of [she] open a direct window into the lived experiences of individual women whose time at WOU is characterized by a duality of the remarkable and the mundane.” He continues to write, “Dongna Cai’s photographs remind us to be curious about the people we encounter, to take risks and venture bravely into the unknown… and to appreciate the journey.”

The photos themselves are simple in nature, but the feelings they give viewers is that of  warmness. Seeing five women on Western’s campus by the Maaske Hall, or simply at the library, the bank, the gym or their apartments, brings the viewer on a journey with these students.

The five Chinese exchange students are experiencing something that many have not had the opportunity or the courage to do. It is a unique idea to present the seemingly mundane activities that seem so normal to those residing in the U.S. for years, because they are simple but foreign to those who are new to the U.S..

For anyone interested in checking out the exhibit, it is available for viewing until Dec. 13 on the third floor of the Hamersly Library.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Mikayla Bruley

Disney + quietly released the live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Released on Nov. 12 comes the remake of a Disney classic, “Lady and the Tramp,” based on the Cosmopolitan magazine story, “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog,” by Ward Greene. This 2019 remake was directed by Charlie Bean and written by Andrew Bujalski, with Tessa Thompson as the voice for Lady and Justin Theroux as the voice for Tramp.

This film is available only on Disney+, making it the first Disney remake to not have a theatrical release.

Filming for the movie really took off in the summer of 2019 in the sweltering heat of Savannah, Georgia and because the dogs in the film were real dogs, they had to ensure they didn’t overheat. While the majority of the film crew was suffering and sweating, they provided the dogs with refrigerated tents to keep them cool and excited for acting.

Several of the dogs used in the film were from animals rescues, while Lady’s parents were looking to rehome her, and after the completion of the film all dogs have been rehomed and adopted. 

The live-action version was, of course, adorable; a movie packed with dogs is hard to resist. They didn’t make too many changes to the original plot. They did, however, take out a couple songs, replacing or altering them.

Overall Rating: The film was an easy watch, it was fun and highly entertaining, but not as magical as the original. It is quite hard for remakes to surpass their predecessor, but I enjoyed the movie a lot, and anyone who has Disney+ should give it a try for the holiday season. 

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Album review of Coldplay’s 17 album “Everyday Life”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Released on Nov. 22 was the British rock/pop band Coldplay’s eighth studio album titled, “Everyday Life.” It is a double album, with the first half — songs one through eight — called “Sunrise,” and the second half — songs nine through seventeen — titled “Sunset.”

The album starts with the song “Sunrise,” a melancholic instrumental song that felt hauntingly sad with the gentle violin and somber piano — an interesting way to start the album, but I think it fits the overall theme.

Coldplay touches on some serious issues within their album, with heavy topics that are relevant in today’s society. One such song is “Trouble in Town,” which explains how non-white people are treated in western countries, touching on the hostility that minorities can face by plugging in the audio from Officer Nance in 2013 who was fired for his racist and aggressive behavior. At this point in the song the soft instrumentals reach a fevered pitch that increases the anxiety of the situation and the chaotic atmosphere.

Another heavy hitting topic is covered in their song “Arabesque” which seems to try and make peace in the wake of western fear of Islam with the war on terrorism. They merge together western musical styles with Middle Eastern rhythms.

Continuing on this trend of confrontation and addressing the issues within the world comes the first song to the second half “Sunset,” a song titled “Guns,” that criticizes Americans’ obsession and need for guns. Going deeper into the issue, they sing about how Americans think gun violence will be solved with more guns and push the idea of education and peace instead.

Coldplay doesn’t stop on their mission for exposing issues, continuing with their song “Orphans” which tackles the Syrian Civil War and shows the story of a girl and her Baba — Arabic for father — who are refugees and aided by an archangel. This song pushes the need to accept and aid refugees who are struggling to survive, and emphasizing how they need to be with their family members to achieve happiness.

The album ends with the song “Everyday Life” that ties together the main messages from the band: love, equality, pain, struggles, legacy, humanity, hope and other things in everyday life. The album covers a diverse span of people from different cultures and the different challenges they face, while maintaining the belief that we are all part of the same family on this planet. 

Overall Rating: I think this album is a heavy hitter; it is full of slow and somber instrumentals with songs that cover real world problems. It is more of a sit-down-and-reflect album, rather than a catchy money-making album, focusing on encouraging change and acceptance.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records Press

“Like Phantoms, Forever”: The Return of My Chemical Romance

Sean Tellvik  |  Freelancer

My Chemical Romance are back from the dead. On Oct. 31, rock band My Chemical Romance announced their return for a one-night show in Los Angeles after a six-and-a-half year breakup. Many fans worried this may have been a one-off reunion event, but with the addition of festival dates in March, it is time to take the return more seriously. 

To fill the empty spaces in their hearts following MCR’s breakup announcement in 2013, fans devised numerous theories about a planned reunion. A band who posthumously released a song called “Fake Your Death” on a greatest hits album titled “May Death Never Stop You” invited some speculation about the permanence of their split. 

The band primarily consists of singer Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, and guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro, who have all been working on their own solo projects since the band’s split. However, no individual member of the band has had quite the same level of success as that which they experienced united. Hits like “Helena,” “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “Teenagers” have stood the test of time and circulated many a Spotify “emo” playlist, which brings me to the most slippery issue surrounding the band’s identity. 

Many fans, streaming platforms and articles about MCR identify the band as emo, a term with a messy history and complicated implications. The band themselves have tried to set the record straight that they are not an emo band, even expressing disgust at the term. 

The term “emo” is short for “emotional,” referencing the genre’s often dark or confessional lyrics. Part of the problem is the misconception that emo culture begets self-harm and suicide. On the contrary, the music often acts as an outlet to channel much of the depression and mental health issues that lead to these actions. Especially during the 2000s, the toxic perception of emo culture has spawned violence and brutality against those who identify as emo. But the core of the genre, when separated from stigma, can offer catharsis and a form of identity to its listeners.

I believe so many people attribute the emo genre to MCR because they have validated people’s feelings of sadness, anger, loneliness — you name it — and shown listeners that it’s okay to not be okay. The lyrics to “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” which say “You really need to listen to me / because I’m telling you the truth / I mean this, I’m okay, trust me / I’m not okay,” capture the feeling of masking one’s emotions to conform to an expectation of baseline happiness. I think MCR’s openness about these feelings are what made them such a popular band while garnering them the unwanted emo label. 

One of the band’s most famous lyrics from the song “Famous Last Words” defiantly states, “I am not afraid to keep on living / I am not afraid to walk this world alone.” This message of perseverance contradicts the claim that their music breeds self-destruction. Countless fans have given their testimony to defend that this is a band that saves lives. And I think the world needs to hear their message once more to break down the stigma against mental health issues.

 

Contact the author at stellvik15@mail.wou.edu

An exciting sequel with monsters a plenty: Stephen King’s “Doctor Sleep”

Never Retallack  |  Entertainment Editor

Part of the fun when it came to watching the 2019 film “Doctor Sleep,” a Stephen King adaptation based on the sequel of the same name to “The Shining,” is finding all the Easter eggs that are hidden within this thriller.

Fans of the cult classic of “The Shining” can all agree that the film is full of iconic images and scenes, such as the blood filling the hallway, the scary twins, and of course Jack Nicholson sticking his face through the door he hacked a hole into. Mark Flanagan’s “Doctor Sleep” provided a new and exciting storyline while managing to revisit its origins and give audience members chills.

The film was originally in the works after the book “Doctor Sleep” was first published, but didn’t develop it until after the popularity of Stephen King’s “It” (2017). Flanagan said that the goal was to reconcile the differences between the novel and film “The Shining.”

The 2019 film stars Ewan McGregor as a grown up Dan Torrence. He is introduced as an alcoholic and troubled man, haunted by his past at the Overlook Hotel. Once on the path to change himself for the better, the audience meets Abra Stone — portrayed by Kyliegh Curran — a young girl who “shines” very brightly.

Those who shine like Dan and Abra are hunted by a group of supernatural beings who survive off of their souls. The film was a rollercoaster, watching the different powers that emerge, giving it a very different feel than that of “The Shining” which was more psychologically scary.

I don’t want to give away too much, but there were several scenes back in the Overlook Hotel that made audience members gasp in horror and delight; connecting back with the origins was my favorite part of the film.

Overall Rating: The actors in the film did a wonderful job, especially Curran in her debut role. I believe it’s challenging for any sequel to be better than its predecessor, and that goes for “Doctor Sleep” as well. The story was interesting, the jump scares were in fact scary, and the Easter eggs were exciting, but I don’t think it surpasses the uniqueness of Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of warnerbros.com

Spotlighting Western artist Tonya Bradley: Vocalist and violinist

Never Retallack  |  Entertainment Editor

Interested in hearing about a fellow classmate and a choir member here at Western? Look no further than this Q&A to get to know Tonya Bradley, a junior and vocalist at Western.

Q: How long have you been at Western? And what are you studying?

T: I’m a junior, this is my third year. And I’m studying Secondary Education with a concentration in Social Sciences with a focus in Sociology with a minor in French.

Q: And how are you involved in music?

T: Within the Western music department you are allowed to be in any of the ensembles no matter what your major is. I’m in Chamber Singers which you have to audition for either in the spring or in the fall. It’s a lot easier to start in the fall because you have a lot of music to learn.

Q: How long have you been part of the Chamber Singers?

T: I’ve been in Chamber Choir since Spring of my freshman year, and then I was in Concert Choir since Winter Term of that year (first-year). 

Q: So you can be in multiple choirs?

T: Yes, there are three choirs and you can be in all three. The Concert Choir is a non-audition group that is mainly classical music, but can sometimes do some pop stuff. Chamber Singers which is mostly classical, and Voices which is mostly Jazz.

Q: What style of music do you usually prefer?

T: I like the classical because you get to learn a lot of different languages, and there’s a lot of different techniques you get to learn and it is kind of the foundation of every other form of music. I also have done classical for my whole life so…

Q: So how long have you been studying music?

T: I started violin in third grade and took it all the way through my senior year in high school, unfortunately I don’t have time to take string ensemble and choir at the same time, so I don’t do both here (Western).

Q: When did you start training when it comes to singing?

T: I started choir my freshman year of high school, and took voice lessons as a sophomore, but I stopped taking them because they take a lot of time and money.

Q: Do you prefer singing over violin?

T: I do, because I feel like I get to be more creative with it and I don’t have to just stick with what’s already written on the page — I get to do more improvisation. And within the choir I am a Soprano 2.

Q: What is your favorite part about being involved with music?

T: You get to meet so many new people, and it’s a creative release for me and I when I am involved in the choir here (at Western) I feel like it improves my mental health and my school performance. It’s really important for me mentally, to keep me sane taking all my other classes.

Q: What is your least favorite part of the music world?

T: Probably just the amount of rehearsals, and the amount of personal practice I have to do to stay at the same level as everyone else, because I have a lot of trouble with rhythm so I have to spend a lot of my own time to practice. This can sometimes take away from my school work.

Q: If there is anyone interested in joining the choir what would you tell them?

T: I would tell them it’s an awesome idea; we got a new professor last fall and he is amazing. I think the choir has improved a lot and we get to do cool performances, like going to the Capitol — it’s a good experience and I think they should talk to him (Dr. James Reddan).

Q: For those interested in listening to the choir what should they look out for?

T: For Chamber Singers and Concert Choir we have a performance Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Rice and tickets are available now for anyone who calls the box office.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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