Mount Hood

Review: “Kong”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Sometimes the most dangerous things are the most beautiful,” says Tom Hiddleston’s “Kong: Skull Island” character, explorer James Conrad.

A fitting quote for a movie of such monstrous proportions. It’s difficult to watch “Kong: Skull Island” without being constantly blown away by the beautiful South Pacific setting and the fantastic cinematography.

Each scene of terror is followed by a scene of beauty. The wonder of the uncharted Skull Island is shown throughout, causing smile-inducing scenes of beauty around every corner, which helps to make “Kong: Skull Island” an excellent adventure film.

Accompanied by music and outfits from it’s 1973 setting, “Kong: Skull Island” makes great use of the time period, set up to feel like a Vietnam War film.

The film makes great use of its cast. Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and John Goodman all bring unique and compelling performances to the table. Working with an ensemble cast of well known actors can make for thin characters, but in “Kong,” everyone has their moment to shine.

Even Kong himself is an incredibly done character. Both terrifying and sympathetic, Kong’s special effects help to make him realistic enough to feel like a real threat to the viewer, rather than an animated joke like some “King Kong” movies in the past.

The film does fall into standard action movie tropes though. When the soldiers are focused on in the film, I found myself having heard the same dialogue and seen the same problems. “Kong: Skull Island” doesn’t do much to set itself apart from every other action film.

The plot is also weak. Two hours of “get from point A to point B with monsters” gets redundant and annoying after a while and would be a total bust without the accompaniment of great performances and excellent visuals.

With a great cast and beautiful cinematography, “Kong: Skull Island” is one of the best “King Kong” films ever made. Although brought down by action movie tropes and a weak plot, “Kong” is still a great, beautiful movie that definitely deserves a watch.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

¾
+ Great cast
– Weak plot

Tackling a trend of sadness

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The idea of publishing is exciting for writers, but can also be scary. Western student Ollie Bergh, a Bachelor of Fine Arts theater major, recently self published his first book, “The Joy You Hide,” a collection of poetry and a short story.

“The joy you hide” includes 21 poems and a short story called “kintsugi,” in which, taken from the book’s description, Bergh “… tackles a young tragedy like a film.”

Sitting down with Bergh, I was able to get some information about the inspiration behind “the joy you hide.”

“We’re so cynical, our generation, people say ‘the millennials.’ I remember talking with someone and we were one upping each other with our lives, and I just thought that was ridiculous. There’s so much happiness we have in the world everyday, but it’s kind of ‘trendy’ in a way to be sad. So I thought I’d argue that” said Bergh.

Bergh’s favorite poem, and the one where he got the book’s title from, is “our biggest fear.”

“This is maybe the thing I’ve always wanted to say. It’s six lines, but it took me so long to make sure I got every word right. I just really love it. It feels to me like the expression of the book itself” Bergh recounted.

“The runner up would be the poem right next to it, ‘the loneliest generation,’ which for me was super fun because I got all four seasons in there and I created a form that I wanted out of nowhere. I made some rules for myself and it was a fun puzzle that came out. People really like it.” Bergh added.

Bergh compiled his work into the book and published the book himself.

“As soon as I got the book in my hands, I felt guilty. I cheated in a way, I feel. I haven’t gone through the gambit that a lot of young go through which is they write, write, write, write, write their whole life. For me, this has just been a hobby. I didn’t really want to go through the arduous process of going through a publisher, so I thought ‘I’ll do it myself’” said Bergh.

“What I would say to someone who wants to do it is, if someone like me can do it – on a whim, you absolutely have every responsibility to do it. Get your writing out there, and if no one is going to publish it for you, publish it yourself” he added.

Bergh cites the inspirations for the book as our generation’s cynicism, his faith and his experience at Western.

“The biggest direct influences are the people on campus and Dr. Hughes, who has helped me a lot. I think it was my freshman year, I reached out to him and said ‘hey I want to understand what makes a good poem’ and he helped me out with that. Campus itself, the people have crafted me here” said Bergh.

Ollie Bergh’s book “the joy you hide” is available now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions for $10.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: Logan

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The popularity of superhero movies recently in Hollywood can be traced back to the 2000 release of “X-Men.” Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier both helped to create a beloved universe that is still around even 17 years later. Both have said that “Logan” is their last appearance in the universe, and a fitting end it is.

From the very beginning, “Logan” is a much different superhero movie than anything done before it. It’s R rating gives it room to be dark, gritty and full of violence. The hacking and slashing that Wolverine had done in films prior is nothing compared to the full-blown decapitation and dismemberment of “Logan.”

The film takes place in 2029, in a very different and almost dystopian America. Corporations are big, even in North Dakota trees are a rare sight and mutants are mostly gone. World-building is done right in “Logan.” The dystopian aspects of the world are learned throughout, rather than forced by exposition.

Logan and Professor X are the two main focuses of the movie and are both different than ever before. Logan is working as a limo driver, trying desperately to make money to provide a physically and mentally ill Professor X with medicine.

These are characters that I’ve grown up with for the past 17 years. To see them in such low places in “Logan” is difficult, but their struggles and character arcs make for an engaging movie. For Jackman and Stewart, their performances are both some of the best in the past 17 years of films.

This is a superhero movie with no costumes, no heroic speeches, but instead real consequences, guilt and lots of regret. This is all shown by compelling performances from Stewart and Jackman.

The film also introduces X-23, a young girl with very similar abilities to Logan, played by Dafne Keen. X-23 is the character that takes Logan and Professor X out of their everyday lives and moves the plot along. She doesn’t say much, but her presence in the film is powerful. She also kicks some serious butt for a child.

“Logan” is a must-see for superhero fans and casual moviegoers alike. The performances are top of the line, the story is tragic and beautiful at the same time and Jackman and Stewart end their “X-Men” careers on a high note. “Logan” is not only the best film in the “X-Men” franchise, it is one of the best superhero movies that there has been in a long time.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

4/4
+ Intense, violent action sequences
+ Incredible performances

Western brings the music

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

With the end of term approaching, classes are starting to pick up with exams and projects. Luckily, Western’s music department has a busy rest of the term planned with student recitals and music performances.

On Thursday, March 9, Western’s music department will be holding the end of the term student recitals. This event gives the public a chance to come and see Western music students perform. The recitals start at 11 a.m. and are located in Smith Music Hall.

Friday, March 10 will be the next show in the Smith Fine Arts Series, Orquestra Brasil with Gilberto Gil. Gil is a well known Brazilian musician and cultural icon. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and is free with a Western student ID.

Lastly, Western’s percussion ensemble will be performing both classic and modern works on Monday March 13 in Rice Auditorium. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and is free with a student ID.

With the stress of finals approaching, Western music events are a great way to unwind and take some of the stress off.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Drama, Jesus and rock and roll

By: Kinsey Bushart
Staff Writer

The new theater season has begun; the next two shows to be put on by Pentacle Theater are the drama “Emma’s Child” which was originally written by Kristine Thatcher, and the rock musical “Jesus Christ, Superstar” with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.

“Emma’s Child” was originally produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in April of 1995 and this year will be directed by Joe Silva.

According to The Statesman Journal, Silva said that “there was no doubt in his mind about taking it on,” while lead actress Laura Davis, who is playing Jean Farrell, has a personal connection to the plot of the drama.
As the mother of two adopted children herself, Davis had faced various difficulties in the adoption process similar to those of her character.

The story of the play “Emma’s Child” is about a woman named Jean and the attachment she grows for the child she hopes to adopt from a woman named Emma. Over the course of the birth mother’s pregnancy, the hopeful Jean faces many difficulties in her marriage as well as her friendships. This drama about family, hardship and perseverance is one to attend when looking for hope in the future.

“Jesus Christ, Superstar” is a rock musical that debuted in 1971 on Broadway. The story is of the retelling and detailing of Jesus Christ’s final days. The entire musical has no spoken dialogue, with a storyline loosely based on the Gospel’s accounts on Jesus’s final week. It’s chart-topping songs won Andrew Lloyd Webber the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer. The Drama Desk Award is an annual award given in recognition of achievements in the theater among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions.

The musical’s cast has been announced and is available on Pentacle’s website, as well as its director Geri Sanders, though as of yet there is no other information from cast or crew.

“Emma’s Child” is going to be at the Pentacle Theater March 3-24, and “Jesus Christ, Superstar” will begin showing April 14 to May 6.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations

One of the best bands around right now is Bear’s Den. Formed in 2012, Bear’s Den is a relatively new band but one that has been making quite a name for themselves in the folk scene.

Bear’s Den has released two studio albums, “Islands” and “Red Earth & Pouring Rain,” as well as four extended-plays. Their newest single, “Berlin” was released in December.

The biggest appeal of Bear’s Den is their accessibility for a wide audience. While their main genre is folk, they do have fast paced rock music as well and sounds that would appeal to country fans. Their lyrics tell stories and are often relatable.

One of my favorite parts of Bear’s Den’s Music is its ability to evoke both happiness and sadness at the same time.

Editor’s Disparagement

Despite receiving decent reviews from critics, I’ve found the new videogame “For Honor” to be very underwhelming. The concept is incredible and the execution is satisfying at times, but the game is a nest of connectivity issues and rough bugs. It’s too rough around the edges to warrant spending $60 on it.

“For Honor” is a multiplayer fighting game that pits players against each other in melee combat. The graphics are stunning and the game has its moments, but Ubisoft is known for their difficult releases for games with unfinished aspects and massive server issues.

The game will be good in time, but until the many issues are worked out and the price drops, buying it now is a waste of money and will only bring irritation.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

A different kind of Shakespeare

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students are hitting the stage once again with the upcoming performances of Ken Ludwig’s “Shakespeare in Hollywood”.

Directed by Western’s Ted deChatelet, “Shakespeare in Hollywood” features a cast of Western students who have been hard at work rehearsing for the play.

“‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ is based around ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare. Oberyn and Puck, the two fairies in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ come to Hollywood and find themselves in Hollywood by accident and have a bunch of hijinks and run around Hollywood making a bunch of mayhem” said Hunter Atkin, sophomore Bachelor of Fine Arts acting major and cast member.

“It’s a fictional story about the making of the film ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ back in the 1930s, it’s a real film” added John Bryant, sophomore Bachelor of Fine Arts theatre major and cast member.

Much like Western theatre’s previous production “All in the Timing,” “Shakespeare in Hollywood” is a comedy focused on bringing laughs and lightheartedness to campus.

“The play’s farcical, which pretty much just means slapstick, ridiculous comedy, way over the top acting, very heightened. It’s hilarious” said Atkin.

“With this being a comedy, we get to lighten the mood with the 1930s setting. It makes it easy to go with the setting. Some of the costumes and props we use coincide with it being in the 1930s, so it is harder than if the play was in modern day, but it didn’t make it difficult and we were still able to have fun with it” added Bryant.

Reflecting on being in the cast, Atkin said, “My favorite part of being in the cast is that Ted, the director, pretty much let the cast decide what’s happening in the play. He let us do whatever we want. He gave us the scripts, gave us the parts and just let us go, so he had an image in his head, but we really just threw out ideas and just did stuff and he just kept it in and kept integrating all of our ideas together.”

“Ted’s a really good director. A lot of directors will just say ‘this is what I want, do it this way,’ but what Ted does with his actors is he will give suggestions, but he’ll also trust his actors and see what they will bring to the table. It’s a nice mix of what we can bring and if something doesn’t work, he can fine tune it” said Bryant.

While working on “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” the cast had a great time working together has cast members and as friends. Asked separately about a story that stuck out during rehearsals, Atkin and Bryant reflected on the same event.

“Our director, Ted, was hanging out and we were rehearsing a bit where one of the characters comes on with a wine glass and gives it to another character very nonchalantly, because he’s the big boss man. We did it a few times and Ted was worried that we were going to drop the wine glass, so he comes up and takes it from one of the characters and asks our stage manager if it was plastic and drops it on the ground, the wine glass shattered and we had to take five minutes to clean it up. It was hilarious” said Atkin.

“Everybody just bust out laughing, it was really funny. We haven’t gotten to a stressful point overall where we’re too stressed about the play or things are tense. It feels really chill throughout because we’re working on such a fun show” added Bryant.

In the end, “Shakespeare in Hollywood” is a fun, audience pleasing comedy.

“Overall, I hope this is a show audiences get to enjoy. It’s a farce, it’s a chance to kick back and have a laugh. I hope it’s an opportunity for students and faculty of Western who may have busy lives, so I hope it’s a chance to leave this world and get immersed in this. Not for our sake, but to give everyone a break from the stresses of life” said Bryant.

“Shakespeare in Hollywood” runs in Rice Auditorium from March 2-4 and 8-11 at 7:30 p.m. with March 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14, $10 for seniors and $8 for Western students.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

WOU logo

Facebook   Instagram   Twitter  YouTube  LinkedIn  wouTV

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Tools

Campus Maps
Canvas
Find People
Portal
Virtual Tour
WOU Email
Technical Support

Resources

A-Z Index
Accessibility
Academic Calendar
Class Schedule
Jobs at WOU
Partnerships
Student Services

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

Accessibility    Public Records    Privacy    Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.