Did ‘GUTS’ beat the sophomore slump?

Share: I tried to keep this review as light as a feather and as stiff as a board, but after rocking out to Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore studio album for the fifth time, I knew I couldn’t keep this professional. Following her triple grammy winning album “Sour,” Rodrigo took two years to release any kind of new music. On June 30, 2023, she released “vampire,” the lead single off of her new album, “GUTS.”  “vampire” cut straight to the core, singing a song of realization at …

‘Mortal Kombat 1’ refines fighting but leaves everything else fatally unfinished

Share: The latest installment of Netherrealm Studios’ “Mortal Kombat” franchise is out a mere four years after “Mortal Kombat 11” was released, rebooting the series yet again by literally taking matters back to square one. As is typical with a new “Mortal Kombat” game, fan expectations were high when the development team announced the title only four months before its release, with many unanswered questions over what would be so different from 2011’s “Mortal Kombat” reboot. Now that the game is out, the supposed fresh …

‘Starfield’ launches players into stellar journey

Share: Following an announcement in 2018 and a few setbacks, “Starfield,” the latest RPG game by industry powerhouse Bethesda Game Studios finally landed in gamer’s hands.  Instead of re-releasing another port of “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” for the millionth time, Bethesda has instead opted to make an entirely brand new title. This time around, “Starfield” sends players to the far future and opens the floodgates to an immersive fictional version of our galaxy that is just begging to be explored. True to most Bethesda …

‘The Nun II’ does little to justify why you should answer its prayers

Share: The Nun II is the latest lackluster addition to the now ninth movie in the Conjuring franchise, making it part of the largest and most boring horror movie franchise to date. Continuing on where the first film left off, “The Nun II” is set five years after the events of “The Nun” and follows the life of Sister Irene, now living at a new convent, when she’s asked by the Vatican to investigate a string of demonic murders across Europe. The trail of bodies …

‘Talk to Me’ will grab you and won’t let go

Share: “Talk to Me” is Australian twin brothers’ Danny and Michael Philippou’s first feature film. The brothers have a Youtube channel, RackaRacka, where they revealed that their movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and A24 picked up their film for distribution.  Filled with plenty of disturbing scenes that’ll leave you uneasy the whole way through, “Talk to Me” provides a new take on the overused Ouija board cliche with the main characters instead using a haunted hand to get in touch with the other …

‘One Piece’ sets sail for success in vast seas of live-action TV

Share: The long-awaited live-action adaptation of the world’s top-selling manga, “One Piece,” has hit Netflix as of last week (August 31). But as with any adaptation, it begs the question of whether or not this is any good, or if it’s a waste of time like many attempts at live-action anime adaptations. The eight-episode season put out by Netflix squashes the negative expectations held by fans of the series and/or other anime consumers. At the moment, it is ranked 3rd in this week’s Netflix TV …

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ break out of their shells in ‘Mutant Mayhem’

Share: Following the recent live action film adaptations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP that were a critical disaster for fans and critics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out of hibernation for the release of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Fans of the franchise are more than satisfied with the recent release of the animated film that is a refreshing take on the universally loved turtles. As everyone knows, the film’s plot consists of a genetic enhancer, known as ooze, falling down the …

Review: Day Trip kicks off summer rave season and it was epic

Share: We made it, friends! Summer is finally here and the sun has been shining extra bright over Los Angeles. To celebrate, I rang in the first weekend of the season the right way, at Day Trip Festival.  Insomniac’s Day Trip Festival returned to Long Beach, CA right at The Queen Mary’s waterfront on June 24-45, showcasing some of EDM’s hottest house music artists as well as rising house artists. Despite Day Trip selling out of tickets all year long, this highly anticipated festival strictly …

‘Jedi: Survivor’ forces itself to the top of ‘Star Wars’ gaming

Share: In 2019, Respawn Entertainment released “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” which completely revived single-player “Star Wars” games. Four years later, they have returned to amaze fans once again with a brand new game, and sequel to their beloved game, “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.” The game once again follows Cal Kestis (played by Cameron Monaghan) and the crew of the Mantis, five years after the events of “Fallen Order.” Now a Jedi Knight on the run, Cal must navigate an ever-changing galaxy as the Empire …

The official guide to a killer weekend in LA’s EDM scene

Share: While the weeks and nights become longer as summer approaches, the search for weekend outing plans can be tough when it feels like you’ve done everything. Feeling like you’re running in circles between hipster bars and ridiculously priced nightclubs can be all too familiar for people living in Los Angeles. Luckily, there’s a whole world of live music entertainment in LA if you’re looking to break the cycle of your typical weekend night out and try something different.  Reader, follow me for a night …