Share: If Taylor Swift knows how to do anything, it’s making a hit song. “Life of a Show Girl”, Swift’s most recent album, is arguably her most controversial one, and not for reasons one might think. Despite topping the charts it is at the bottom of the ranks amongst ‘Swifties.’ This album falls into every trope Swift fans have been defending her for over a decade against. “Life of a Showgirl” is an album many hoped would be focused on how years of touring changed …
‘Lanterns’ shines even if it falls short of its potential
Share: “Lanterns” provides a casual fan an incredibly refreshing experience; a story filled with heart, tenacity, beloved characters, and a thrilling mystery. But it unfortunately falls short of what could have been one of the all time great pieces of superhero media through a few fatal flaws. In spite of that, “Lanterns” should be the benchmark for what aspiring superhero projects look to produce, even if its sky high potential makes its amazing result still feel underwhelming. Despite using a comic book IP, superheroes and …
Even when kids grow up, ‘Toy Story’ keeps them young
Share: It was the Spring of 1995 when Disney had just announced the creation of Pixar and the first movie it would release. The world’s first computer-animated film about what happens when your toys are left alone. “Toy Story.” Even though some viewers may not have been around for the original release of Toy Story, there are many who have grown up with the characters the movie has been centered around, Andy Davis and Bonnie Anderson, two kids who the toys belonged to over time, …
Everyone wants to hop onto this dam movie
Share: For people who are lovers of animals and the environment, there is a new movie that captures those interests. The movie, “Hoppers”, follows the animal lover protagonist Mabel Tanaka fighting to protect the glade that she grew up in with her grandma. The mayor had started construction to build a highway that cuts through the glade, driving away the local wildlife. Tanaka attempts to draw beavers in to build a dam since beavers are a keystone species for their respective environments. In a wild …
‘Legends: Z-A’ catches Pokémon players off guard in a new Mega Adventure
Share: After a 2 year hiatus, Pokemon officially returns with their brand new title “Legends Z-A”. Set in the fictional Lumiose City (inspired by France), players enroll in a tournament dubbed the Z-A Royale. There they meet new friends and catch Pokemon in areas dubbed wild zones while trying to make their way to rank A. Along the way they are caught up in a mystery involving a pokemon named Zygarde and help a detective named Emma solve the case. A big positive is character …
‘Black Phone 2’ leaves moviegoers grabbing onto their seats in suspense
Share: In the horror movie genre, sequels are frequently only seen as a cash grab and tend to receive harsh criticism as they are often not needed and more often than not are subpar. Creating a movie that follows up an amazing first part has come to be very difficult. “Black Phone 2” managed to improve in almost all aspects that a horror movie needs as it leaves viewers with an eerie and daunting feeling throughout the film. Director and screenwriter Scott Derrickson delivered a …
‘The Smashing Machine’ knocks out expectations
Share: The Smashing Machine movie was based on the private life experienced by the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, Mark Kerr, including his UFC career, personal hardships, drug addiction, friendship with Mark Coleman, and tumultuous relationship with former model, Dawn Staples. This movie followed the timeline during the 1997-2000 years. The film showcased topics covering the time when UFC was deemed violent, aggressive, dangerous, and with 36 states banning “no holds barred” fighting and cable providers refusal to air the fights. The biopic was centered …
‘Demon Slayer’: The castle never ends, and neither do the flashbacks
Share: After 3 and a half years of production, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba finally aired in theaters on Sept. 12. Two weeks after the movie got released, it sits at a whopping 98% percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie received some mixed reviews. Some say the fight scenes were incredible and the action left you on the edge of your seat. Others say that the scenes were put together in an almost episode by episode sequence, making the movie seem choppy and bland. The …
LA Chess Social is just fun all across the board
Share: Nearly every table in the bar held a small but grand court in black and white. This court featured a king, queen, rook and bishop. Chess pieces flew from one square to the next as some players blitzed through moves. Other pieces hovered mid-air as their holders looked on with calculating gazes. The ever-present thrum of a live band’s performance burst from a corner of the room, and conversations full of laughter, playful banter, and detailed chess strategy all melded together under the sound. …
‘KPop Demon Hunters’: Golden in the charts and our hearts
Share: When summer break had just begun, I finally had the time to open Netflix and be greeted by the title screen of a new release: “KPop Demon Hunters.” As an animation lover and KPop dabbler, there was no way I wasn’t tuning in immediately. Seeing as the movie was a Netflix original, expectations were low, but it is definitely safe to say they were exceeded tenfold. The musical urban fantasy follows Kpop girl trio HUNTR/X, who secretly fulfill a generational duty of hunting demons. …