Mount Hood

“The Book of Mormon” returns to Portland

By: Brianna Bonham

I went into “The Book of Mormon” as a super fan who had never seen the show, expecting only the greatest, side-splitting show I had ever seen. I was not disappointed and plan to see it for a second time as soon as they swing back to Portland.

The exciting journey of the unlikely companions Kevin Price (played by Billy Harrigan Tighe) and Arnold Cunningham (A.J. Holmes) took the audience on a hilarious journey to Africa where the Elders set out to be heroes.

Tighe and Holmes both played their characters brilliantly. Tighe played the haughty, egotistical character of Elder Price perfectly. He made him loveable at times and obnoxiously self-absorbed in others. He performed with very strong vocals throughout the show while maintaining the goofy choreography, and his enunciation was always spotless.

Holmes brought Elder Cunningham to life from the moment he rang his first doorbell. He was very consistent with his character voice and movement during the run of the show, and I never once noticed it waver. He made the audience sympathize with Cunningham and root for his eccentric ways.

The supporting characters and ensemble were all entertaining and performed as a strong unit. The blend of their voices was beautiful as many spoke and sung in a character voice or with an accent throughout the performance. Alexandra Ncube, who played Nabulungi, had a beautiful voice that gave the audience chills as she sang her ballads.

The set, lighting, sound, and pit were all astounding as they were quick with changes and cues. There were a couple moments where microphones cut out but the actors and technicians worked to overcome the obstacle and carry on the show.

The lighting was very effective in many scenes, and really impressed me during a tap number in “Turn It Off,” and in “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream.” The lights brought the stage to life and accentuated the scenes nicely. Sound was always right on time with actor’s signals, and sounds such as the gunshots were very effective.

The show is absolutely amazing and one that I would not mind spending money on again. It brought lots of laughter and a great story to Portland.

Take a Trip to “Misfortune County”

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

With the New Year here, moviegoers have begun talking about the films they’ll be seeing over the next 12 months. Students and faculty at WOU, however, get the chance to start their year off with a movie made by students right here on campus.

WOU students Nathaniel Dunaway (Fifth-year, Theatre), Darien Campo (Junior, Visual Communication and Design), and Burke De Boer (Junior, BFA Acting) started their indie film studio Body in the Window Seat back in 2012. Since then, they’ve made three films and are currently in the production of their fourth.

I got a chance to sit down with director Nathaniel Dunaway to talk about the studio’s latest film, “Misfortune County,” which they will be showing on campus on January 29th.

“Misfortune County” is a Western film set in the 1900s in Eastern Oregon’s Malheur County. The film revolves around the mission of an assassin who goes by the name of Lady Vengeance, a revenge killer for hire. Dunaway said that the movie is a Western with comedy woven in, and that the film looks at the idea of quests in cinema.

Dunaway comments that it’s almost a cross between “True Grit” and “The Wizard of Oz,” adding the quest aspect to the Western genre.

The film was shot in Central Oregon, in the Ochoco National Forest. It opened up December 31st in the studio’s hometown of Prineville, OR at the Pine Theater to a full house.

Making a film set in 1900 certainly has its challenges; Dunaway talked about having to find costumes that reflected the time period and having to be very precise with camera positioning to avoid showing anything contemporary. Horses were also used for the first time in one of their films. All shots involving the horses were filmed in one day, and the actors had to be trained the same day as filming. Dunaway says the use of horses adds a lot to the realism of the Western genre, since they’re so important in both classic and contemporary Western films.

“I’m inspired by classic westerns, is the most general way to put it,” Dunaway said, listing “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “True Grit” as key inspirations.

As a director, Dunaway said that he’s “influenced by the Coen Brothers’ command of the grammar of filmmaking without heavy camera work.”

Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg are also inspirations, as well as John Ford, who Dunaway said defines what the Western genre is.

Dunaway started writing “Misfortune County” in Feb. 2015. In writing, a lot of inspiration for the character’s dialogue was taken from Western novels, as well as the works of Mark Twain.

“Writing was very enjoyable. I like to build a good story,” Dunaway said.

As this is Body in the Window Seat’s third film, Dunaway talked about some differences in directing.

“For this film, I was able to choose actors who I knew would memorize the lines, so in that sense it was easier to direct the actors and I could spend more time with the actual camera work,” he said.

Dunaway also noted that the studio was much more professional and efficient in the film’s production; he was able to take more time with each shot, and production, which took a total of 20 days, was easily the most enjoyable part of making the film.

Also, technical improvements helped in a very direct way: “Misfortune County” is the studio’s first film where the audio and video were recorded completely separately.

“Misfortune County” takes place in a very different time period, a time that Dunaway says is romanticized in Western movies.

“There’s a character in the film named P.W. Foster who comes to Oregon from Philadelphia and expects the west to be full of adventure, but what he finds is a more realistic west; but at the same time we wanted to embrace the Western genre,” said Dunaway.

Dunaway also commented that the film doesn’t celebrate main character Lady Vengeance’s ways, and that she could never be an assassin if not for the lawlessness of the time period.

As a director, there are some stylistic elements that Dunaway loves to put in his films. All three of Body in the Window Seat’s films feature dream sequences and take place in Oregon. Dunaway likes to express hopefulness with his films, the idea that no one is stuck as who they are. With the characters, Dunaway said that he likes to nod to movies he likes in his films, particularly with the names of his characters, giving them names from other movies or the names of actors.

Darien Campo served as the sound designer for the film. All of the music in the film was original, but it was sparse, taking inspiration from “No Country for Old Men” in that sense. Dunaway described the music as subtle, that it is sort of following. The film’s music is orchestral in nature, also a first for the studio.

Body in the Window Seat is currently in production of their fourth film, a mystery-comedy called “Todd Got Clobbered” directed by Darien Campo. “Todd Got Clobbered” will be filmed on Western Oregon University’s campus.

You can catch Body in the Window Seat’s showing of “Misfortune County” starring Paige Scofield, Burke De Boer, and Jim Churchill-Dicks on Jan. 29 in Hamersley Library room 106. The showing is free and starts at 6 p.m.

Demonic possession terrifies in horror comic

By: Ben Bergerson

Pivoting from zombies to demons, “The Walking Dead” comic creator Robert Kirkman takes readers for a dark trip in his 2014-released comic series “Outcast.” He and artist Paul Azaceta conjure up striking frames of the traumatic life of the main character, Kyle Barnes.

Kyle has been plagued his whole life by people close to him and he doesn’t know why. His dark past has haunted him until he is approached by his childhood reverend who takes him to visit a boy who the reverend claims is possessed.

What starts as a simple favor turns into the beginning of a search for answers about the strange things that seem to follow Kyle around. Teaming up with the reverend and an ex-cop, Kyle sets out to finally unlock the truth about his past.

“Darkness Surrounds Him,” the first volume, is a perfect read for winter term; it’s scary and a page-turner. Kirkman makes exorcisms and supernatural encounters (which in other works tend to be overdone) incredibly understated. This adds to the mystery and suspense that drives the comic.

Fans of “The Walking Dead” won’t be disappointed with Kirkman’s intense writing. Azaceta takes the tortured words of Kyle Barnes and translates them into harrowing images, creepily staring out from the pages. The mix of deep blue and hot orange on the page evokes a melancholy set on edge.

“Outcast” is a powerful, chilling tale that will make you want to turn on all the lights and lock your doors. Its haunting images and tense dialogue will leave you wanting more.

The comic is published by Image Comics, who also publish “The Walking Dead” and, another personal favorite, “Saga.” You can subscribe to the “Outcast” series directly from imagecomics.com, or you can order by volume on amazon.com.

Grab your holy water before diving in; you’ll need it.

Writing Sins and Tragedies

By: Stephanie Blair 
Copy Editor

In 2006, Panic! At the Disco’s first album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” was released. Now, 10 years later and with only one original band member remaining, their fifth album has been released: “Death of a Bachelor” (DoaB).

As a long time fan, I immediately pre-ordered upon hearing the announcement of a new album. Their last release, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die,” was an integral part of my senior year of high school. To say that I had high expectations of DoaB would be an understatement.

I had doubts after hearing some early releases, such as “Victorious” and “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time,” but as a late-90s/early-2000s kid, I always listen to an album all the way through in the order it was meant to be played in before I make any judgments.

Now that I’ve had a week to listen to it in and out of order at all different times of day, I can definitively say this:
I hate this album.

Unlike previous records, the songs do not ease into each other and share a voice that is easily identifiable as the album’s theme. In fact, most of the songs don’t sound like they should come from the same artist, let alone the same record.

There are some songs that sound like old Panic! – most notably, “Emperor’s New Clothes.” Others have a pleasing, brass-heavy sound that I had hoped would permeate the album (examples include “The Good, the Bad and the Dirty” and “Hallelujah”), but that isn’t the case.

Most disappointingly, as a long time alternative fan, the majority of the tracks, including “Crazy=Genius” and “Victorious,” have vacuous lyrics with a distinct lack of the wit expected with the Panic! name and a scattered, disjointed style.

So while there are tracks that I enjoy, overall I was disappointed. This is clearly Brendon Urie using the Panic! At the Disco hype to sell what is really his first solo album, now that all of the other founding members have left.

I wanted to like you, DoaB, I really did.

Music Festivals Invade the West Coast

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

For me, the New Year means a lot; it means a new term, a chance for new accomplishments, and a lot of upcoming music festivals.

The most notable and recently announced festivals of 2016 are Coachella in Southern California and Sasquatch on the Columbia River Gorge.

Just 18 hours south of Monmouth, in the town of Indio, CA, hundreds of artists and thousands of fans will gather for one thing: music. 2016’s Coachella lineup includes bands like Guns & Roses, Ice Cube, Calvin Harris, M83, Of Monsters and Men, among others.

Coachella will run the festival twice, on April 15-17 and again on April 22-24, with identical lineups.

One of Coachella’s most notable aspects is the fashion scene. Year after year people come wearing flower crowns and outfits resembling what was commonly seen in the ‘70s.

A little closer to home, Sasquatch features four days of some of the most notable figures in alternative music, most notably The Cure. Sasquatch also features a lot of up and coming musicians, including Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Houndmouth, and Saint Motel, as well as other popular artists including M83, Grimes, Kurt Vile, and Florence and the Machine.

Sasquatch runs May 27-30 with a cost $350 for a 4-day pass, while a 3-day pass for Coachella will cost $400.

For both festivals, one of the most popular and memorable parts of the experience is the camping. The festivals are multiple days, and a lot of people take the opportunity to camp with their friends in designated campgrounds instead of staying at a hotel.

Sasquatch is also a good thing for Oregon music fans even if you can’t make it to the festival because Portland is bombarded with concerts before and after the festival while artists are in the area. If there were an artist you like playing at Sasquatch, it’d be smart to check up on their tour dates because there’s a good chance Portland will pop up.

Tickets for both festivals are on sale now and going fast, purchasable online at coachella.com and livenation.com.

Alan Rickman Dies at 69

Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

It has been a rough month.

First, Lemmy Kilmister, bandleader of Motӧrhead and an inspiration to me as a musician, passed away of an extremely aggressive cancer.

Then David Bowie, a massive creative inspiration in both music and acting died unexpectedly of a cancer kept secret.

And now, the latest in an awfully depressing parade, Alan Rickman, an actor I respected and loved immensely, has passed away after a battle with cancer.

I don’t know how to continue this article. What is there to say? All three of these men changed my life in some way. And now they’re gone.

I didn’t know any of them personally. None of them knew that Declan Hertel existed. But they still touched my life and made me want to be better at my chosen pursuits. And now they’re gone.

I’m trying really, really hard to not be depressed about it. I’m trying, guys. I want to remember them for all the good they did for the world, and for me. Bowie taught me it was okay to be an oddity and embrace what made you strange. Lemmy taught me that you should live large and as loud as possible. Alan Rickman taught me that persistence and a passionate love for what you do will see you through the low times.

But no matter how much they meant to me and countless others, they were still, tragically, mortal.

And honestly, that’s what makes them as great as they are. If they were somehow more, if they really were the superhumans we thought they were, then their accomplishments would diminish. The fact that they had the same limitations as the rest of us makes their triumphs greater, and truly worth remembering.

While the world has darkened for their passing, maybe their legacy will allow someone new to brighten it.

So long, gentlemen.

“The Hateful Eight” Review

By: Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

I love Westerns. I love the films of Quentin Tarantino. I love comic ultraviolence. I love snappy, stylized dialogue. I love single-setting stories. I love Tim Roth.

What I’m getting at is I knew I was going to love this movie before I set foot anywhere near the theatre. And boy howdy, did I.

Tarantino’s latest film brings us Minnie’s Haberdashery, a small cabin in the mountains of Wyoming, where two bounty hunters, a wanted woman, and the soon-to-be sheriff of Red Rock, WY, hole up with four other strange and seedy characters to wait out a blizzard. As everyone is locked inside, it becomes clear that not everyone is really a stranger to everyone else, and that some of them may be working toward some hidden agenda. Unraveling the mystery is the three hours’ traffic of the silver screen, and it is just freaking fantastic.

“The Hateful Eight” features a cast full of multiple-movie Tarantino collaborators, notably Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) and “Reservoir Dogs” alums Michael Madsen and Tim Roth. I love when directors develop a cadre of actors: as they become more and more in tune with each other’s style and vision, it turns the process into one creative whole, rather than trying to herd a lot of disparate people toward a nebulous end. “The Hateful Eight” shines for this reason: the majority of the cast has worked with Tarantino before, several of them many times, and this camaraderie allows everyone to understand what they’re working toward and make it great.

I mentioned this in the opening, but it bears repeating: this film is really, really gory, even for a Tarantino film. If it’s likely to result in a shower of blood and viscera, someone probably does it to someone else during “The Hateful Eight.” Sure, ninety percent is played for laughs, but it’s seriously intense.

I’d also like to address one of the oddest criticisms of this movie that I have been seeing consistently: that it is boring. I have seen the word ‘boring’ used to describe this movie. This is completely unbelievable to me: if you found “The Hateful Eight” boring, I want to know what a tremendously exciting life you must lead to be bored by this film. This film is engaging, exciting, and excellent, and I think you ought to see it.

Now, in true Tarantino style, I’d like to go on a tangent: please, for the love of art, take every review you read with a grain of salt, especially negative reviews. People have vastly different tastes in art, and any review is just that one person’s opinion. Don’t take anyone’s word as gospel. I loved this movie. You may not. I have hated movies you may love. The point is that this is all just my opinion and my interpretation. And because you and I, dear reader, are not the same person, we will likely differ somewhat in our opinions. That’s part of what makes art beautiful: it may not speak to everyone, but for those it does speak to, there’s nothing better.