Aloha from Maui

Aloha from Maui

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor In August of 2023, wildfires raked the island of Maui, causing unprecedented damage to Maui County and its inhabitants. Homes, businesses, studios, buildings and more were lost to the fires — devastating not only many lives but also countless lifelines for artists, creators, business owners and creative minds.  Western has since installed an “Aloha from Maui” exhibit in celebration of the artists in Maui, Hawaii, which will be featured through May 3. The exhibit, which can be found in the Cannon Gallery in Campbell Hall, states that, “Through the loss of galleries, studios and art businesses, Maui County artists have persevered. They continue to create and share ways in which art can be healing and bring community together.” Paula Booth, Western’s Gallery Director and Assistant Professor of Art, led the charge in jurying “Aloha from Maui.” Booth, herself, harbors fond memories of Maui and believes art has the power to heal, leading to the production of “Aloha from Maui.” The artworks are completely giclee printed reproductions on canvas stretched on a two-inch frame, as, unfortunately, obtaining the artwork of thirty-six different creators crafted, gathered and shipped to Oregon from Maui proved to be difficult.  The historic town of Lahaina, Maui, was particularly ravaged by the disaster. Featured artist, Laurie Robbins Miller, honored two significant Lahaina landmarks: Front Street and the Banyan Tree — an impactful moment for fourth-year student Tati Ala, having been born and raised in O’ahu, Hawaii. “When we were first going through and picking out (artwork), I cried at like four of them,” said Ala. “Specific ones that are...

Nunsploitation horrors: An immaculate review

Nunsploitation horrors: An immaculate review

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer Content warning: this article contains spoilers and discusses dark themes involving pregnancy and religion.  The infamous nunsploitation genre is back with two new blockbuster films that have left audiences rattled and disturbed.  Nunsploitation is a film subgenre that involves the exploitation of nuns in a horror or thriller setting. Some of the most popular films of this genre come from “The Conjuring” universe, specifically the movies “The Nun” and “The Nun II.” “Immaculate,” which hit theaters on March 22, gave audiences a more artistic approach to the often repetitive and predictable horror subgenre. “Immaculate” follows an American nun, played by Sydney Sweeney, who joins a hospice convent in Italy. Besides the slightly off-putting comments and actions by the elderly nuns who are cared for in the convent, Sweeney’s character, Sister Cecilia, considers the Italian countryside her new home.  As the days and weeks pass, Sister Cecilia notices more odd and unusual occurrences around the convent, corresponding with her worsening health. Cecilia becomes increasingly more ill and requests to see a doctor. In return, she gets a checkup by the convent’s appointed physician,  where the devout nun finds out about her pregnancy. There is nothing that has caused the said pregnancy so it is ruled to be an immaculate conception. Sister Cecilia was going to give birth to the next baby Jesus.  The first half of “Immaculate” is predictable and filled with plot holes; there is nothing too unique about it. As the film progresses, though, the artistic values start to show. The final scene provides a beautiful “Rosemary’s Baby” finale for the film. ...

Live action: take two

Live action: take two

Written by: Gretchen Sims | Editor-in-Chief Content warning: this article contains spoilers. When Netflix announced that they would be re-remaking “Avatar: The Last Airbender” as a live-action series, expectations were high. As a childhood favorite to many, another failed remake was all that was on fans’ worried minds.  Starring Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka and Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, the release of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was, unfortunately, met with mixed feelings.  When the show was set to hit production, Netflix announced that the original creators of the Nickelodeon cartoon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, would work as executive producers on their live-action remake. This news excited fans who were, not long after, met with the disappointing news that DiMartino and Konietzko had departed from the show, citing creative differences — the two received writing credits for the first and sixth episodes. This disheartening turn of events raised questions regarding the show’s integrity to the original cartoon.  First, I want to preface with the fact that this new remake was nowhere near as awful as the first attempt, which went as far as to mispronounce its character’s names. It was not as good as the original, I think anyone could have guessed that, but it wasn’t horrible. However, there were a few aspects of the remake that caused it to fall short of the cartoon.  Growing up, Katara was always my favorite character. As a sister to annoying siblings, who often took on an authoritative position in their lives, I felt myself relating to her. In the Netflix remake, I didn’t...

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” — R.E.M. “Skyfall” — Adele “In a Week” — Hozier feat. Karen Cowley “Seven Devils” — Florence + The Machine “Apocalypse Please” — Muse “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” — Tears For Fears “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” — Blue Öyster Cult “As the World Caves In” — Sarah Cothran “Exit Music (For A Film)” — Radiohead “Blue Spotted Tail” — Fleet Foxes “Losing My Religion” — R.E.M. “Who Wants To Live Forever” — Queen “Enjoy the Silence” — Depeche Mode “Time is Running Out” — Muse “Bottom of the River” — Delta Rae “Stare at the Sun” — Mutemath “I Know It’s Over” — The Smiths “Alone Again Or” — The Damned “The Sound of Silence” — Simon & Garfunkel “Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead” — The Stranglers “Victory Dance” — My Morning Jacket “Highway to Hell” — AC/DC Contact the author at...

Trisha Paytas births the Royal Family

Trisha Paytas births the Royal Family

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer As the British royal family passes, they are reincarnated into Trisha Paytas’ womb to be birthed as one of her children — or so the internet would lead one to believe. This conspiracy, making its rounds around the internet, is certainly interesting, and here are its origins. Trisha Paytas, a long-time infamous internet celebrity turned loving mother with a popular podcast, TikTok account and YouTube advertisement, is said to be parenting the royal family. The outlandish rumor began when Paytas birthed her first child, Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon, on Sep. 14, 2022, just six days after the queen’s death. Trisha Paytas stated on her podcast, “… [Malibu Barbie] does give me Queen Elizabeth vibes.” This conspiracy only escalated further when Paytas announced she was pregnant via her podcast on Nov. 21, 2023 and found out about the pregnancy on Oct. 3, according to her. On Feb. 5, 2024, it was released in the press that King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and is currently receiving treatment. The internet is now conspiring that King Charles’ presumed upcoming death will lead to Trisha Paytas birthing her new baby, Elvis Paytas-Hacmon, the reincarnation of King Charles. There was a third uproar when Trisha Paytas announced she would be trying for a third child almost immediately after the birth of her second child. This was stated on April 6, 2024, less than a month after Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis and treatment plan on March 22. At an earlier date on her podcast, Paytas stated, “I just don’t love that it’s King...

Games coming 2024

Games coming 2024

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer 2024 has officially sprung, and many games have already been released, such as “Tekken 8”, “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” and “Alone in The Dark” — but do not fear, as there are eight more months of anticipation to endure as these releases arrive. Headphones on and feet up, let’s start gaming.  Coming April 2024, “Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes” will be released on PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. “Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes” is intended to give gamers a new spin on the classic.  In May, the world will be given a remake of “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door”, which was originally released in 2004 on the GameCube — with a polished version also being released on the Nintendo Switch. “The Thousand-Year Door” takes place in the town of Rogueport, and the plot is separated into eight chapters and a prologue, with each taking place largely in one of the various locations. Mario travels to Rogueport to visit Princess Peach after learning that she has discovered a map that leads to an old treasure. He quickly discovers that Peach has been kidnapped and a journey is in order.  In June, a new “Elden Ring” will drop: “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” is being released to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” transports players beyond the Lands Between to the Land of Shadow, a brand-new realm.   Come July 25, “Frostpunk 2” will be released on PC. Thirty years have gone by since the devastating storm that ended the first...

Losing music subculture

Losing music subculture

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer Throughout the late 20th and the early 21st century, subcultures that existed around music genres were very prevalent and impactful to many, especially young adults. Those who were considered different or outcasted could easily find a community of like-minded individuals. These groups all involved fan culture and listening to a particular genre of music. Punk subculture, which originated from punk rock, is the first and one of the most notable of its kind. Punks share common political views — such as anti-government and anti-corporation ideologies, as well as a similar fashion sense and music taste.  Akin to all music-related cultures, punk has hundreds of branches of subcultures for a multitude of people to identify with. They may have different styles or worldviews, but they all share the same history and origin.  Other music subcultures include, but are not limited to the following: goth, hip hop, punk, emo or heavy metal.  While many people still participate and exist in these subcultures, there is a huge decline in engagement compared to the late 20th century. The culprit of the loss is none other than music streaming services such as Spotify.  Thousands of new songs are uploaded to Spotify every day, with many of these falling under niche subgenres and categories that Spotify creates to keep said music organized. Spotify then pushes these subgenres onto users to make an individualized listening experience.  Alex Michaels, a senior at Western and habitual Spotify user, expressed his distaste for Spotify subgenres and their classification system.“(Spotify’s classification system) is a mess,” Michaels stated.  “A major difference between the Spotify subgenres...

A new version of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” comes to Netflix

A new version of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” comes to Netflix

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor Content warning: this article contains spoilers and mentions of murder. Film fanatics may be familiar with the title “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” a thriller that stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in an unconventional love triangle. Netflix has taken on a noir remake of the story with the leading man played by Andrew Scott, who is well known for his roles in “Sherlock,” “Fleabag” and more recently, “All of Us Strangers.” The director’s choice to make the show in black and white was due to the original book cover by Patricia Highsmith. Set in the 1960s between New York and Italy, “Ripley” is a captivating story that is hard to look away from. In addition to Scott, the new Netflix series also stars Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn. Each actor delivered a unique perspective to the remake of the classic story within their individual roles. The chemistry between the trio was undeniable. Andrew Scott’s stoic performance as Tom Ripley gave the series its unsettling tone. In contrast to Matt Damon’s portrayal of the character, Scott plays Ripley as a calculated, apathetic man with little remorse for his actions. In the 1999 film, Ripley is more frantic after his murders and genuinely seems to be upset about his wrongdoings. Both interpretations are incredible portrayals of the multi-dimensional character, but the passiveness of Scott’s performance is almost terrifying to watch. The most uncomfortable scene in the series was the practically silent 20-minute murder sequence of Greenleaf, as Ripley tediously and clumsily carries out his plan. The blood on Ripley’s fingers looks black,...

Bats and blood

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer “Cold” — The Cure “A Forest” — The Cure “Marian” — Sisters of Mercy “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” — Bauhaus “In the Night” — Bauhaus “Spider and The Fly” — London After Midnight “I Don’t Want To Fall In Love” — She Wants Revenge “The Suffering of Spiders” — Traitrs “Nine While Nine” — Sisters of Mercy “Walking on Both Sides” — Pink Turns Blue “Bloodsucker” — Paralysed Age “Human Fly” — The Cramps “Each Other” — This Cold Night “There’s a Girl in the Corner” — Robert Smith “Fantasmas” — Twin Tribes “Slowdive” — Siouxsie and the Banshees “Lust” — Boy Harsher “Appealing Skies” — Corpus Delicti “True Romantics” — Lebanon Hanover “My Favorite Black Cat” — Lebanon Hanover “Jasmine And Rose” — Clan of Xymox Contact the author at...

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

Written by: Michael Hager | Freelancer Content warning: This article contains spoilers “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is the latest movie and second-best box office opening to come from the MonsterVerse. As the sequel to the popular 2021 movie “Godzilla vs. Kong,” it is the fifth movie in the MonsterVerse, the 38th Godzilla movie and the 13th movie in the King Kong series.  The MonsterVerse originated when Legendary Pictures and WarnerBros Pictures purchased the rights to the franchises related to Godzilla, King Kong and other Toho monsters, now known as “Titans,” back in March 2010, with plans to unite the two titans in future films. Toho Company LTD were the original creators of Godzilla in 1954, alongside Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan. All four titans were featured in the 2019 movie “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”  In “Godzilla x Kong,” Monarch — a secret organization formed in the 1940s to hunt and study massive unidentified terrestrial organisms, MUTOs or titans — has hundreds of different locations around the world to study each titan associated with a region. At the end of “Godzilla vs Kong,” the audience learns about Hollow Earth, a whole different world underneath Earth where Kong rules over in the end.  Kong begins exploring Hollow Earth and expanding his territory until he runs into Suko, or Baby Kong, as fans have dubbed him. Suko eventually leads Kong to a new place, where he finds hundreds of great ape titans like him working like slaves and an ice titan named Shimo — also known as Blizzard Lizard —  ruled by an ancient orangutan titan called Skar King. Skar...