The second installment in Mike White’s anthology series about wealthy residents vacationing at the eponymous White Lotus resort is as stunning and painful as the first. There is much to praise in season 2 of “The White Lotus”. The incredible soundtrack composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer springs readily to mind. Then, there is the show’s powerhouse cast who manage to make even the most infuriating characters lovable by merit of their humanity. The three-act structure of each episode that follows its players from morning …
‘Andor’ shines bright in a galaxy far, far away
Despite being announced in 2018, “Andor” was finally released on Disney+ on Sep. 21, 2022. The show follows Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor in the years leading up to the film that originally introduced him, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”. To put it simply, this show kicks ass and is the best offering on Disney+. It’s enthralling, complex, and most of all, exciting. It’s the space political thriller I didn’t know I needed or wanted for that matter. Between its 12 episodes, the show …
‘She Said’: An inspirational film on the story that spurred the #MeToo movement
A single tweet by actor Rose McGowan from 2016, and an article nine months later, written by two New York Times writers, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, about Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse would launch a gigantic movement, changing the world forever. This story would be recounted in a book written by the pair, and would inform the movie “She Said,” released on November 18, 2022. In the movie the journalist, Jodi Kantor, and Megan Twohey were played by Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan. The …
‘Glass Onion’ peels back layers in another Rian Johnson whodunnit
After a sweeping box office success in 2019, Rian Johnson was off to the races to produce a sequel to “Knives Out” and after three years, a switch in distributors, and a pandemic, it finally arrived. Ditching the New England estate and familial setting, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” moves detective Benoit Blanc to a Grecian island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron. The film follows a fantastic ensemble cast, so-called “disruptors” who are portrayed by the likes of Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella, …
Megan Thee Stallion incites ‘hot girl shit’ at private concert
Looking through my emails on a random Thursday afternoon, the title of one screams out to me by saying “You have been selected to the Amazon Music Live event Ft. Megan Thee Stallion!”. The disbelief that ran through my body that I was chosen to see Megan Thee Stallion perform her new album Traumazine the following Thursday made me jump out of my seat with glee! A building in Melrose was held as the venue that seemed to be a small space to have an …
Restless nights never end with Taylor Swift’s latest ‘Midnights’
Following a reveal at the MTV music awards, weeks of cryptic teasers on TikTok, and several fan theories, Taylor Swift has released her tenth studio album, “Midnights”. The album combines aspects like the theming of “Reputation”, the upbeat pop of “1989” and the deep, spiritual lyrics of “Folklore” to deliver a rollercoaster of emotions. “Midnights” follows 13 sleepless nights throughout Swift’s life, whether it’s staying up wondering if that special someone actually loves you or being provoked by thoughts of revenge, this album has it …
The hierarchy of power did change: All it needed was ‘Black Adam’
Following an upheaval of Warner Brothers leadership, and a myriad of financial problems, ‘Black Adam’ is the only other Warner Brothers Pictures film to release this year. Headlined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, this film follows Black Adam, a character many probably haven’t heard of but this film will most definitely change that for the better. The film opens with narration from Bodhi Sabongui’s character Amon Tomaz that gives a much-needed exposition on Kahndaq, a fictional middle eastern civilization that has existed since before the …
‘Halloween Ends’ and 9 other slasher movies you should be watching this October
“Halloween Ends” arrived in theaters and streaming on Peacock last Friday, with the promise of bringing one of the most iconic and identifiable horror franchises to a close. The series, which began with John Carpenter’s undisputed classic in 1978, has followed masked serial killer Michael Myers in pursuit of babysitter Laurie Strode for more than a dozen films spanning over 40 years. Jamie Lee Curtis has starred as Strode since the original, and has vowed that “Ends” will be her final reprisal of the role. …
‘CHARLIE’: Puth produces perfectly fine pop on imperfect third album
Released on Oct. 7, “CHARLIE” shows 30-year-old Charlie Puth in the depths of romantic melodramas as he yearns, mourns, and details his past relationships with pop and rock influences spanning the 80s to now. Coming off of the heat of a 2018 Grammy-nominated album, Puth’s self-titled 2022 project continues the artistic exhibition of his divided attentions as an overtly intellectual, perfectionist producer and a desperate-to-be-liked, but never-in-love singer-songwriter. The first track, “That’s Hilarious”, starts off the album with a rebuttal to a pitiful and begging …
‘Sanctuary’ not guaranteed for those living in America’s margins in ‘Sanctuary City’
Pasadena Playhouse’s ‘Sanctuary City’ unflinchingly examines the devastation wrought by unkept promises. In 2001, in Newark, New Jersey a high school girl, known only to the audience as G bangs desperately on the window of her best friend, B, begging to be let in. Something happened at home, something that’s happened a hundred times before and is going to happen a hundred times again. But, in spite of the late hour, his Mother sleeping in the other room, B lets G in where she seeks …