‘The Iron Claw’ delivers a takedown that pulls on your heartstrings

Share: In a time when celebrities were normally found in Hollywood, a particularly famous wrestling family thrived in Texas as world champions of the ring. Even when they were on top of the world, the Von Erich family were believed to have been cursed. Their “curse” is rooted in the entrapments of toxic masculinity that the Von Erich brothers inevitably faced. “The Iron Claw,” the recent film directed by Sean Durkin tells the tragic true story of the Von Erich brothers who climbed to success …

Genuine, unsponsored gift ideas for everyone on your list

Share: With the holidays right around the corner, it can be very overwhelming to find gifts for the many different people in your life. To get you prepared for Christmas, I scoured the internet so you don’t have to! Here’s a gift guide with ideas for men, women, teens, and kids. The gifts in each category are sorted from least to most expensive.  Gifts For Men: Men’s Memory Foam Slippers  Price: $20.98 Give the gift of comfort and warmth with a nice pair of slippers. …

The Courier Presents: Our favorite entertainment of 2023

Share: Albums of the Year: Album: “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?” Artist: Lana Del Rey Why: I’m a huge Lana Del Rey fan. Her new album is some of her best work since her album “Norman Fucking Rockwell” in 2019. “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?” is filled with songs about grief, family, heartbreak, and self-discovery. It’s one of her most personal albums as she dwells on who she is and why. All year, I’ve had …

‘May December’ mystifies the melodrama in one of the year’s best movies

Share: Before cancel culture had its torches and pitchforks out for anyone at the center of controversy, there were scandals. Fueled by tabloids and morbid curiosities, nothing made national news quite like an appalling figure that raised uncomfortable questions about what it means to be human. “May December,” the new film directed by Todd Haynes, seeks to scrutinize scandal for all its melodramatic, unholy glory through a pitch-perfect script by Samy Burch. Led by career-best performances from Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, “May December” initially …

‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ has the guts to change the story

Share: Two decades ago in Toronto, Canada Scott Pilgrim was dating a high schooler and it was more problematic than my 16-year-old brain could comprehend. Recently, Netflix has released its anime adaptation ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ and by the end of the first episode the plot literally takes off, leaving the original storyline behind. It is possibly the boldest and smartest move any adaptation has ever done. The 2010 film ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ is considered by fans a perfect adaptation of the original …

Local snobs roast your favorite coffee

Share: There is nothing hinting that you may have entered suburbia than when you check how many coffee shops are in your surrounding area. Pasadena may call itself a city, but a good espresso shot may be a misspour unless you know where to look for it. Coffee snobbery might come across like this fish, but that fish is probably the type to recommend you try Republik for its awful TJ-Maxx-art-esque interior. Copa Vida Okay, Copa Vida and its fanbase take it too seriously. But …

‘Hunger Games’ prequel relights the franchise flame

Share: Frances Lawrence’s latest addition to “The Hunger Games” franchise is reigniting passion amongst Hunger Games fans, and rightfully so. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released on Nov 17, and since its release, it has received high praise from its fans. In this prequel to “The Hunger Games,” viewers are sent back 64 years before the events of the first book and can finally see Panem in the days before the Hunger Games and only 10 years after the “dark …

The Courier celebrates Thanksgiving the only way we know how… in writing!

Share: The napkins are folded. The candles are lit. The staff of the Courier have brought their favorite dishes to the table. Cheers.  Let’s start with reporter Machu Suh’s tomatillo soup. “It’s a dish my family always makes when it gets colder,” he said. “It brings me home with its fragrance.” While I definitely have aspirations to learn to harvest and process acorns, I recently impulse-bought a bag of acorn flour at a Korean grocery store, and so I’m going to make these acorn shortbread …

Interest in Black Friday sales wanes as holidays draw near

Share: Considering the consumerist society we live in, what’s there to look forward to as November rolls in each year? If I can tell you one thing, it’s not Thanksgiving.  As soon as the clock strikes 12 a.m. on the night of Thanksgiving, Black Friday makes its yearly debut. This Americanized holiday awaits as the family-gathered dinners finish up, and those eager to score good deals go as far as to even push aside Thanksgiving dinner and wait in lines in hopes of getting their …

Latest literary listens included in your Spotify subscription

Share: For those with Spotify premium, the holidays have arrived early with the release of over 150,000 audiobooks included in your membership, allowing up to 15 hours a month of listening. With the long weekend fast approaching and the temperature dropping, here are some cozy, heartbreaking, and transportive audiobook recommendations available on Spotify. And if none of these are your cup of tea, know that Spotify has made a deal to include the entire audio catalog of publishers HarperCollins and Penguin Random House for premium …