Mount Hood

Review: “Rings”

By: Kiley Prom
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu

3/4
+ Great supporting cast
– Unrealistic plot holes

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

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

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

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

Editor’s Disparagement:

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

The dethroned king of gaming

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou

That’s a wrap

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

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

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

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

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

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

Review: “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

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

Old titles from beyond the TV

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

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

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

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

Editor’s Disparagement:

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu