Mount Hood

Review: “Halloween”

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

As Sheriff Brackett put it in the 1978 film by the same name, “It’s Halloween — everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” With the 2018 “Halloween” release on Oct. 19, audiences everywhere got just that, as they were invited into the next generation of horror.

As an avid “Halloween” fan, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel. Choosing to ignore “Halloween 2” through “Halloween: Resurrection,” this installment simply took place 40 years after the infamous 1978 Halloween night — a decision that ultimately paid off, as, in my opinion, it has been the best installment in the series thus far, aside from the original.

Three generations of “final-women,” two new scream queens and the same knife-wielding villain took the screen for a slasher filled with more gore, and a far higher body count, than its predecessor.

While the film is generally enjoyable, especially for someone looking for a fun, slasher flick, it did have its flaws.

The character development felt drastic to me. Laurie Strode, the heroine, had one of the most obvious changes. A scared, 17 year old in the original film, morphed into a revenge-seeking, ultra-protective grandmother in the sequel was a significant change.

However, the character development that I mostly struggled with was Michael Myers. In the original film, his kills were methodical. He stalked, watching from afar and moved in a slow, menacing way. In this new installment, he moved more quickly and killed anyone that crossed his path. My guess is that it had to do with pent up aggression from being locked up for four decades.

His character also felt more human. For a good portion of the movie, he was unmasked. It made him feel more real, and in my opinion that took away from the inherent evilness that inhabits him.

The plot involved a lot of unnecessary detail that didn’t really add anything to the storyline. It almost felt as if they were trying to include as many nods to the previous installments as they could, and in doing so, added extra fluff.

That being said, I was actually a huge fan of the small references to the original series. The gas station from “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” the woman with hair curlers from “Halloween 2,” and even short lines from the original were enough to make me smile when watching this film.

Overall, the film was enjoyable. However, it wasn’t very scary. Most of the scares are seen in the trailer, so I’d recommend seeing it without watching the trailer first.

I found the film to be entertaining, and it’s one that’s sure to please any generation of “Halloween” fans.

 

Overall Rating: I recommend this film.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of universalpictures.com

Lacy M. Johnson writes a new book of essays about hot-button topics

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

“You probably want him dead, strangers tell me.” This quote contains the main theme of the first essay in Lacy M. Johnson’s “The Reckonings.” In an essay by the same name, Johnson analyzes a culture that glorifies and searches for revenge— American culture. She has faced this culture directly many times, especially when she started telling her story. In her 20s, Johnson was kidnapped by her then-boyfriend who attempted to kill her. But she doesn’t want revenge.

“‘I don’t want him dead. I want him to admit all the things he did, to my face, in public, and then to spend the rest of his life in service to other people’s joy,’” writes Johnson. Johnson calls this a reckoning; she writes that wishing suffering on people who hurt us only compounds sorrow and injustice instead of cancelling it out.

This book contains 12 essays that cover topics from sexual assault, to environmental activism to racism. Johnson’s book is covertly a discussion of philosophy and ethics, with memoir stirred in.

“We human beings are not born with prejudices. Always they are made for us by someone who wants something,” commented Johnson in the essay “Goliath.”

Each essay is itself a new beginning, and covers a topic that is as serious and worth contemplation as the others.

“Silence is pathological. Apathy is pathological,” Johnson says in her chapter about white supremacy: “On Whiteness.” In this essay and in many others, Johnson dives into the idea that anyone who considers themselves innocent is out of touch with the world and the systems of privilege that exist within it.

The themes discussed in this book are very relevant and would be considered by the general population as hot-button issues. Johnson’s handle on these topics and her poetic style leave her sentiments with the audience long after this book is read.

 

Overall Rating: I would strongly recommend this book.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of simonandchuster.com

Campus art feature: “Iberian Venus” sculpture by Manuel Izquierdo

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Located in a back corner of the Grove, surrounded by beauty bark and concrete, is Manuel Izquierdo’s sculpture “Iberian Venus.” The marble sand once covering its exterior is mostly eroded away, leaving smooth white patches in its curves and crevices. Moss and crumbling concrete remain.

Installed in September 1975, “Iberian Venus” was commissioned, according to library archives, by Western’s student body. Funding was provided by what was then called the Associated Students of OCE, which would be equivalent to ASWOU now. The sculpture was supposed to include a reflection pool at its base, but upon observation, it doesn’t appear to have one.

Manuel Izquierdo arrived in Portland, Oregon in the 1940s. Izquierdo was born in Madrid, Spain and travelled to Oregon as a refugee from a war-torn Europe. In his career, Izquierdo created 27 corporate and public commissioned pieces and has participated in 25 solo exhibitions. Izquierdo died from illness on July 17, 2009.

The library archive article titled “Outdoor Sculptures on Campus” reports some controversy among Western’s students upon installation of the statue. It was argued by some students that the final sculpture did not resemble the original proposal approved by the committee.

Paula Booth, assistant art professor and director of the Cannon Gallery of Art in Campbell hall spent most of her interview brushing leaves, cobwebs and moss off the sculpture to the best of her ability, but there’s only so much one can do if they’re not trained in refurbishing art.

“It kind of breaks my heart, to be honest. I feel like it’s so neglected, and it’s by one of Oregon’s most prominent sculptors,” commented Booth.

In a secluded corner and blocked on three sides by a grassy slope, this sculpture doesn’t stand out, especially now that its white marble sand coating has been reduced to nothing. It can’t be easily seen from the surrounding sidewalks or roadways.

“Especially when you have art outdoors, you need to have it properly cleaned periodically, you need to have it fixed periodically,” Booth remarked after examining the sculpture’s deteriorating state. “It’s completely not how the artist intended it to be.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Molly Burch’s “First Flower” album review

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

“First Flower,” released on Oct. 5, is Molly Burch’s sophomore album and is a complementary companion to her debut album released in early 2017.

Molly Burch is based in Austin, Texas, and has a background in jazz vocal performance. Her background in jazz is clearly heard in her work, more obviously in this new album than in her first. Her sultry voice and the way in which she approaches her lower register packs her performance with emotion.

The tone of this new album is more loose and experimental, achieved by Burch’s new vocal approach and the underlying bossa nova-type beats. The sepia-toned guitar and whispering lyrics from the first album “Please Be Mine” carries over onto “First Flower,” solidifying Burch’s sound.

“I don’t need to scream to get my point across,” states “To The Boys,” the feminist anthem on the album.

Where her first album tackled the crowd-pleaser of unrequited love, Burch’s second album delves into the mind — more specifically, anxiety and self-doubt.

“I think I want to be better,” read the lyrics of the song “Good Behaviour.”

In another song on the album, “Candy,” Molly croons, “why do I care what you think?” Contemplative yet never wallowing, these songs play off less hopeless than a vulnerable, honest portrayal of struggling with anxiety.

Despite overarching themes of self-doubt, Burch also swings to romantic optimism in songs such as “To The Boys” and “First Flower,” where she sings “you are my man.” Each song is multifaceted and blends themes smoothly. Multiple layers exist in each song, and the simplicity that still remains provides much to appreciate.

The 11 tracks on the album are short and sweet, with only one breaking the five minute threshold. The tunes don’t ever seem rushed, however. Burch is able to pack so much emotion and storytelling into small packages due to her writing ability. These songs could easily turn into mono-dynamic songs that blend into one another, but this artist’s ability to meld so many different themes in a way that seems so effortless is thanks to her sharp pen.

Overall rating: I would recommend this album.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of mollyburchmusic.com

The Tournées Film Festival screens “BPM”

Jamari Gilbert | Freelancer

“Beats Per Minute” or “BPM” is a movie directed by Robin Campillo. This dramatized historical piece was showcased here at Western during the Tournées Film Festival. The TFF brings French films here to Western and other American campuses. “(The movies) touch on a wide range of subjects, diverse perspectives, locations, and human experiences, all circling around themes of mobility, migration and global interconnections,” says the film festival page on Western’s website. There will be six movies in total every Thursday, from Oct. 11 through Nov. 15.

“BPM” delves into activities of the HIV/AIDS activist group, Act Up-Paris in the 1990s. They are faced with many challenges in the film: the majority believing that AIDS only affects homosexuals and the government not passing laws to help stop the outbreak. Their activism varies from throwing fake blood over pharmacies to throwing the ashes of departed members onto conference members and their food.

The audience is first introduced to the Act Up-Paris branch for the first half of the movie. This section of the movie is more of a celebration of the hard work that the many men and women of the Act Up-Paris performed to ensure a brighter future for those individuals living with AIDS. As the Act Up-Paris group is trying to decide the best means of getting their message across, infighting occurs, with some members even going so far as to openly sabotage other members work when they are unhappy. Bits of drama like this are sprinkled throughout the movie even though the premise alone is serious enough.

The last half of “BPM” focuses on how AIDS will destroy an individual once infected. Several characters portray the grim outcome, but the most prominent is the character Sean, a veteran of the Act Up Paris group who is already in the later stages of the disease. He forms a sexual relationship with one of the newest members Nathan. This half of the movie goes into their relationship and shows how AIDS will both affect the infected and those around them.

“BPM” is long, but it is worth it. Showing the fight against AIDS in two different ways: the political fight that demonstrates the hardships everyone involved must face and how AIDS changes the lives of men and women who are infected by the disease.

Overall Rating: I would recommend this movie if the viewer is interested in learning about the AIDS movement in countries besides the United States, or if they’re interested in an LGBTQ+ film.

 

Contact the author at jgilbert16@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Hunter Atkin talks about his performing arts journey at WOU

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Hunter Atkins describes performance art as the “purest form of art,” stating, “It only happens once in front of the audience and it’s shared with the audience, and then it’ll never happen again. And it’s very… emotional and straight from the heart and it’s unmonetized. So, nobody gains anything from it but the art.”

Hailing from Salem, Oregon, Atkin is currently a senior set to graduate in the spring. Atkin’s craft is truly eclectic — he studies theater and has been involved in numerous straight plays on campus; he sings and dances; he also creates performance art. More recently, Atkin has been focusing on poetry and writing music. After graduation, the BFA student plans to move to a big city– such as Chicago or LA– to make his art a career.

Originally, Atkin came to Western to study nursing. The artist’s sister was also enrolled in the nursing program, and that’s part of the reason he enrolled.

“I was like ‘Okay, nursing pays, I’m not sure I’m going to like it, I’m going to go for it.’” By the end of his freshman year, Atkin had auditioned for the BFA program.

Throughout his studies, Atkin has seen a lot of support for the arts.

“(Western’s programs) give us so many opportunities to do things we would never be able to do in the real world.” Western funds a rehearsal space, workshops and improv coaches. A program called “5 O’Clock Shadow” is also offered, which allows student artists to create their own shows. A rehearsal space is provided, as well as show dates and the performance space itself — the Black Box in Rice Auditorium.

It was difficult for Atkin to choose his favorite artistic project at Western, but he eventually chose his semi-recent performance art piece, “Love.” On his reasons behind this choice, Atkin responded, “my performance art is probably the thing I’m most proud of because I wrote it all myself, start to finish, and I put a lot of myself in it and I was really vulnerable with the audience.”

Hunter commented that the most salient lesson he’s learned during his studies was experiencing rejection. Even when professors or other artists are giving criticisms that may feel hard to handle, “…afterward when you work on the things that you really sucked at, it just feels like you’re building yourself up. It’s really cool to be able to do that in a safe space.” Atkin believes that Western provides a safe environment in which artists can work on their craft, whereas the “real world” doesn’t offer those same opportunities.

Atkin’s advice for first-year students?

“Let college kind of happen to you, because eventually you’re going to find something that you stick to, that you’re really passionate about that you like a lot, and then follow that.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Hunter Atkin

Jacob Joliff band performs as a Smith’s Fine Art Series event

Jamari Gilbert | Freelancer

On Oct. 12, Jacob Joliff and his band came together and put on a concert for Western students. This concert was part of The Smith’s Fine Art Series, a collection that showcases many talents and performances here at Western. The artists perform from Oct. 5 through June 8 of 2019, with two events in January 2019, one event in April, and the final performance in June. This event was held in Rice Auditorium.

The Jacob Jolliff Band is a Bluegrass ensemble that is comprised of four key members: Jacob Joliff, the singer and Mandolin player, Alex Hargreaves the fiddle player, Jeff Picker on the bass, and Stash Wyslouch, their guitarist. With their cooperation, the band put on a unique and entertaining performance.

Bluegrass is a style of country music, but with jazz and gospel influences. No banjos were used during this concert, although that’s what some people may think of when bluegrass is mentioned. Most of the songs focused on being instrumental but a few had some lyrics spread throughout to spice things up every now and again. The music was unique and complex, but can be defined as a fusion of jazz and country.

The excitement the Joliff band had to play in front the audience was palpable. The passion and hard work that went into each song could be felt as they were performed on stage. Before the artists started the next song, the pride on their faces was obvious when the audience exploded into a round of applause and whistled.

Watching how they all shared the space and the microphone, easily stepping out of the way when it was time for one of the other members play their heart out during their songs was arguably the best part of the performance. The Jacob Jolliff Band performed very well and the enthusiasm for the music they performed only made the experience better.

The Joliff band is worth a listen by anyone who is a fan of jazz or country, and by anyone who is looking for music that is full of spirit and energy. If students find themselves free and wanting to try something new, events from the Smith Fine Arts Series provide fun opportunities on campus. The series offers some truly unique experiences.

 

Contact the author at jgilbert16@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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