A scary but heartwarmingly funny movie in the perspective of two and a half reviewers

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor
Sydney Carpenter | News Editor
Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

TW: Alcohol consumption

While it’s not the type of horror movie that’s actually scary, “Shaun of the Dead” was able to give us some good laughs for a drunk movie review. Be cautious of spoilers, and please drink responsibly.

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

I’m just going to start b ysaying that I had no idea what even genre we were watching going in it was so much dry humor that i was confused because i thought we were watching a horror movie??? Sure enough it’a spooky half way through, people are dying, people are moaning and groaning and also dying, and more people are dying cuz they’re killing ebveryone. Horror movie indeed.

ANyway it actually got emotional and i looked it up and it has a 92% on rotten tomatoes??? Again, not what I expected but i must agree that the mix of horror and comedy was actually impressive ive never experienced such a movie btu it was cool. I dont think horror movies that have zombies are ever that great but like i said, it was cool. GG shaun and the dead. And liz. And the other lady who saved them. OH AND ED WHO”S STILL IN THE SHED. gg to him too. Hahhaha. Ed in the shed. New title for the movie. JK SPOILERS

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Welcome to part two of sydney gets drunk what a wild ride folks all i have to say is i fell a sleep during the move and have absolutely not recollection of what actually happened that right ladies gentlemen i fell asleep and i have no regrets anway from what i remmevver that actually had toilet paper evern though dead peope were weeveyr where like wtf like we ran out of toliet paper 3 dayin into a pandemic and then on top of it they didn’t even run out of power anyway im exhausted and i’ve learned my limit is two because holy moly we are not having it plz and thank you rip my tinder messages peace out girl scouts

Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

Okay FIRST my man ed was so great, he shaped up his act and was so chillbeat th e end they played games together still!1 he was shooting zombies as a ZOMEBI thats whats the jiikd wird uhhh intraceptive? Idk but lso RIP MOOOOOMM :(((( i knew she was bitten but like SAADADA. Oh and f–k the one guy david? The four eys t–t, david i think he died and that wasnt sad, he was a d—-e so kike theswe things happen to d——-s

I actually didnt liek hate th e moveiw but i don’t think it woudlbt have the same eefect if sober, it was p bad but bad in a good terrible way, theers another i thinking which THAT wukd be fun, like did liz stay with shaun even thoug his bf is deade in the garage? Probably, shes a nice lady i liek her ans she was GOREGOEU FR NO CAP

In conclusion, rip my man ed, well be asd ab trmom as always, and f–k david d—–g

The Western Howl

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Booze & reviews: “Valentine’s Day”

A comedic romance in the perspective of three drunken reviewers

Kyle Morden | Head Designer

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

“Valentine’s Day” may not have scored high on Rotten Tomatoes, but it sure makes for a great drunk movie night. Read our full reviews in our online issue, which may contain spoilers. Please drink responsibly.

Kyle Morden | Head Designer

This needs to be put out there. If Allie doesn’t say this, SHE IS PISSING WHILE WRITING THIS>

Love, cheating, thriller, jason, harry styles, queen beyonce, and valentines day — a day full of lonely a– b—–s who somehow get a love interest by the end of the day?? EVEN THIS LITTLE A– 7 YEAR OLD GETS HIS ONWN MOTHER BACK?? “Lmao im 7 and love sick” B—H WHAT ABOUT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWSEFERSFDRSGFDRGFGFRGdfgfsjhfvsgfsjhghkjfbvdjkbfhjsdbhjvhbfhbhjvbjnkvbjnkfnk?????????fjkhsgjcgkhhbjkhjkgfbgjfhgfxhjgyibfhhsdjkbzakuhks. Btw. military families amitire? Love em. Thank god that military mom came back for her son. Btw tbh i only remember the actors name (bradley cooper hit me up)

Valentines day is a day where a lot of people get f—-d (up to your interpretation uwu)

Ok ok so “valentine’s day” a movie full of twist and turns and sharkboy and lavagirl — without the lava girl and shark. How the f–k do you get two taylors into one movie??? LET ALONE HAVE THEM DATE EACH OTHER??????????????????????

ANNIE HATHAWAT IS OKAY WITH PEOPLE WITH FETISHES, BUT BACK OFF. SHES MINE. SO IS BRADLEY COOPER — HE LOVES ME. B—H

I accidentally deleted my last paragraph, so go watch this movie yourself.

GAY COUPLES ARE THE ONLY COUPLES. ALSO DONT F—–G GROUP ALLIE WITH ME. SHES CRAZy. She said shes rolling, but idk if she means the drug or literally rolling on the floor? Dont do drugs, drink responsibly

How much do i need to type? I dont remember a word count. I KNOW HOW TO FINISH THIS.

Overall review: Let’s get naked~ uwu

Slide into my dms @_kylemorden on instagram 😉

Or contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Okay first of all i was NOT too into this movie i was just having fun. MY ROOMMATE was into it tho

I would like to preface my review with the fact that i know none of the characters names, only taylor and taylor. I am inept when it comes to celebrities

Rotten tomatoes is WRONG, I had an AMAZING time watching this movie even though I was really confused. Who’s at the airport??? Whos barely legal in high school??? I could not tell you I could not

But listen. Really. It’s a fun movie to watch drunk. Tbh itd probably be Bad if I was not intoxicated. But it was cute! It was nice! There was representation! Gay men and single mums! We support them all!!! GAY BRADLEY COOPER!!!!!!!

Even through the confusion i was extremely satisfied w/ the ending. Through the MULTIPLE PG-13 sex scenes, there was still a sweet undertone where everyone got a happy ending uwu Not that I shouvlde expected ANY less from a 2010 rom com. Google “romcom drinking games” and watch this movie, you’ll have a fantastic time.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu or don;t

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Okay so this what I got from this, please note this is my first time being drunk in my life. There were a lot of straight people but at some point we were gay and it was beautiful. I’m convinced all of these people were stunt doubles cause there absolutely no way all these famous people got together. The stunt doubles failed to give me wolf man and sharkboy there was sex scenes sometimes which was fine but i wasn’t really paying attention because I was busy eating my chili fries there was a little boy with a lot of angst for no reason over a cougar woman In conclustion roses are expensive af, and this mans was throwing them in the lake to feed ducks and thats acceptable. THE MILITARY MOM CAME BACK AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Im going to bed

Dont email me, i wont’ reply email thank you

The Western Howl

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Sinners all the time

“The Devil All the Time” is a captivating and symbolic movie that will enthral you

Brianna Lelieur | Entertainment Editor

Released on Sept. 11, “The Devil All the Time” is a new Netflix adaptation of the book written by Donald Ray Pollock ⏤ who also narrates the film ⏤ and is directed by Antonio Campos. It’s a captivating, violent and symbolic movie that shows people’s continual plight with good and evil. Warning, this movie does contain content some viewers may find graphic or disturbing.

Right off the bat, this movie drops you into an unforgiving world where it seems everyone is running away or battling their inner demons. Bill Skarsgård’s character, Willard Russell, projects his strong Christian beliefs onto his son, Arvin Russell, played by Tom Holland. He teaches him that the world is a sinner, and that they need to be punished for the things they’ve done. Later on, Willard’s wife dies of cancer, and Willard proceeds to take his own life. This throws the audience straight into a whirlwind journey with Arvin, as we see him grow up to live a life much like his father’s.

I had never heard of “The Devil All the Time” prior to watching the movie, so I definitely was going into it blind. I was intrigued by the key influence of Christianity throughout the movie, as it was what shaped the entire plot. The characters in the movie believe, to some extent, that they hold an influence over “good” if they simply pray hard enough, or if they can make a sacrifice to God. An impactful quote referencing this is Donald Pollack stating, “God had a tendency of askin\g men to make sacrifices in order to prove their faith.” The character’s continually deal with the plight of extremism in Christianity during the movie, and they’re willing to go to any length to prove their faith.

The main complaint from critics — that it is hypocritical — has been bothering me since watching the movie. However, that’s one of the key points to keep in mind when watching “The Devil All the Time.” Due to its very religious-based themes, hypocrisy is common throughout the movie because it’s a sin in the Bible. The whole movie is about being a sinner.

One of the things that stuck with me throughout the movie, was the development of Arvin. Over the course of the movie, we see him go from a timid boy who keeps his head down to defending the honor of his kin and starting a vicious crime spree. I viewed him as one of the only characters that truly was not hypocritical, because from the beginning Arvin knew who he was; he knew he was a sinner. This allowed him to not do the things he did in the name of God or for religious reasons. He was simply just a human, who was dealt a bad hand in life and acted solely out of revenge and survival.

Overall review: I would recommend this movie a million and one times. While it starts off slow, it progressively gets better. It definitely captivates you with the beautiful cinematography and intense plot. This book-to-movie adaptation was astoundingly well executed.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

The Western Howl

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Disney’s Affinity War

Discussing the controversy of Disney’s casting

Sean Martinez | Copy Editor

Now, I’m going to go on record and say that the most complicated relationship in my life is with Disney. As problematic as it can be at times, I still greatly appreciate the things I gain from it — namely Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar — but I also acknowledge that they have an unhealthy obsession with trying to make it to the top of the box office every year.

Coincidentally, this obsession landed the company in hot water.

Before Disney released 2020’s “Mulan” exclusively on Disney+ in early September, Disney fans attempted to boycott the film. The problem didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Disney launched a more accurate rendition of the story, or the fact there was an Asian female lead character. Rather, the problem had to do with the actress cast as Mulan, Liu Yifei, and her stance on what’s been happening in Hong Kong.

In June of 2019, residents of Hong Kong protested for pro-democracy when Hong Kong attempted to pass a law that would extradite residents of Hong Kong to China. However, things took a turn when the police retaliated. The situation has gotten so violent that protesters had to use umbrellas to shield themselves from tear gas and other chemical weapons.

In response to the police force’s actions, Liu Yifei shared a controversial post on Sina Weibo, a Chinese blog, that read, “I also support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now.”

Perhaps what’s most upsetting about this situation is that Disney finally cast a Chinese American woman to star in a groundbreaking film, but some believe the actress they chose does not represent Asian people in a positive light.

Sadly, this is not the only casting problem in 2020; another example is the casting of Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in “The Mandalorian.”

Again I reiterate: the issue does not concern the fact that Dawson has a mixed diverse ethnic background — it’s about her beliefs.

In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against the Dawson family when they verbally and physically assaulted a transgender man named Dedrick Finley. Instead of facing consequences for her actions, she’s being rewarded by playing one of the most iconic and strong female characters in Star Wars.

I’m sure there are countless more controversial casting decisions that I’m not yet aware of, but regardless, the message remains the same. Disney needs to prioritize casting accurate portrayals of their characters over the amount of money they wish to make. Casting someone who fits the character’s ethnic background isn’t enough. The problem with Yifei and Dawson is that they have no affinity to their respective characters. Mulan would not condone police brutality in her country, and Ahsoka would not assault someone just because they’re transgender.

My intention with this piece is not to persuade anyone to not watch these films. Like I said before, I’m a huge Disney fan, and I’m still going to enjoy watching whatever content they produce; it is because I’m passionate about the characters and stories that Disney has created that I want them to strive to do better and succeed, without a cynical penny being spent.

If Disney can let go of their obsession, and shine a brighter spotlight on characters they’ve misrepresented in the past, they could win back the respect from fans that have left. With a new generation watching these movies, young audiences will have proper role models teaching them valuable life lessons.

Contact the author at smartinez17@wou.edu

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The Western Howl

Booze & Reviews: “Shaun of the Dead”

The Western Howl

Booze & reviews: “Valentine’s Day”

The Western Howl

Sinners all the time

The Western Howl

Disney’s Affinity War

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