By Hanna Broderick – Editorial Editor

Season 46 of “Saturday Night Live” aired its second episode on October 10 with host Bill Burr and musical guest Jack White.

Jack White is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Some of his biggest successes include being singer/guitarist of the duo The White Stripes alongside his former wife Meg White, singer/guitarist of band The Raconteurs with Brendon Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler. White has also had a lot of success in his solo career, and his biggest song “Seven Nation Army” has become a large part of many sports being played through stadiums across the country.

For his first performance he played a medley of The White Stripes’ “Ball and Biscuit” featuring a snippet of his collaboration with Beyoncé on her album Lemonade with the song “Don’t Hurt Yourself” and traditional gospel song “Jesus Is Coming Soon” which was written during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. In the third minute of his performance White shows his incredible skills on the guitar, and it was a performance that showcased the true rockstar that he is. 

In White’s second performance, once again he showed off his skill on the guitar and his unmistakable voice as he played his song “Lazaretto.” The guitar he used for this performance was designed for him by Eddie Van Halen to pay tribute following his death earlier that week on October 6. White also threw in a few finger tapping licks, a guitar technique popularized by Eddie Van Halen, at the end of the song.

Prior to the show, White posted on Instagram about the guitar and that he was going to use it for one of his songs during his SNL performance. White concluded his post by saying “i wont even insult the mans talent by trying to play one of his songs tonight. thanks again eddie for this guitar and rest in peace sir.”

When watching these two performances it’s easy to tell that White is truly ‘feeling’ the music rather than just going through the motions allowing him to soar through his unmatched performances. Jack White’s talent and passion for what he does is what makes him an amazing artist and his SNL performances proved that.

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

The science fiction film “Avatar” was released on December 18, 2009. The film is about another race being found on a different planet. Humans try and work hand and hand with them, or at least some of them do. 

A program is created so that humans can grow closer to the people of pandora. The program allows a human being conscious to be put inside of an avatar that looks just like the native people of pandora. The avatar allows the native people to feel more comfortable with the idea of a new race. 

There are basically two sides to this program, the military side and the scientific side. The scientific side wants to grow close to the native people, learn from them and help them learn as well. The military side is there to protect the science, although they go overboard most of the time. Businessman Parker Selfridge, played by Giovanni Ribis, tries to do whatever he can in order to steal metal from the planet that happens to be under the native people’s village. 

Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, takes his brother’s spot in the program, after his death. Sully looks forward to the program, due to the fact that he will be able to walk, which he can’t do in his human body after joining the military. 

Initially the main person in charge of the science part of the program is Grace, played by Sigourney Weaver. She does not like the idea of Sully joining but grows to it as he becomes the one that builds connections with the native people, after meeting Neytiri, who is played by Zoe Saldana. 

Neytiri is tasked with teaching Sully the ways of their people. As the program improves, it is clear that the business side of things is going nowhere, so in an attempt to retrieve the metal from under the village, they demolish the village. 

Sully, Neytiri and her people fight to keep Pandora safe. 

The film’s graphics are very unique as it shows the people of Pandora as big, tall, blue people and the planet of Pandora as bioluminescent, which allows the land to glow at night whenever touched. 

The actors all played convincing roles, all fitting to their unique character. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter 

The drama/comedy film “Instant Family” was released on November 16, 2108. The film is about a couple who decides they want kids, but instead of having their own they decide to foster. 

The film features Mark Wahlberg as Pete Wagner, the dad and husband of the group. His wife is played by the amazingly funny Rose Byrne as Ellie Wagner. They both play a convincing role as foster parents who grow to love the kids as their own. 

Initially they believed that fostering children is not that bad; they thought of it as another thing to do in order to improve their lives. Unfortunately, they had no idea what having kids was like especially seeing how they gained three overnight, one which was a teenager. 

The craziness began and both Pete and Ellie had no clue what they were doing. But then again does any parent know what to do when they first start off? Over time, the family began to make a routine, and grew closer. 

Lizzy Viara is played by actress Isabela Moner. Lizzy plays the role of the older, more protective older sister, who watches over her siblings, and supports them. The younger siblings are played by Julianna Gamiz as Lita and Gustavo Quiroz Jr. as Juan. 

Both Lizzy and Ellie try and build that mother-daughter connection. Lizzy tries to adapt to the new idea of having a steady home and being with people who love her. So she attempts to push them both away. They always come back and prove that they weren’t leaving. 

The children’s mom eventually comes into the picture and tries to fight for custody. At this point it seems like the only one who still wants to be with their biological mother is Lizzy, which is understandable, due to the fact that she is older and has more connections and memories with their biological mom. The two younger kids have already grown attached to their foster parents, and don’t want to leave. 

Court hearings are made, and the biological mom wins custody of the children. When the day comes for the children to go with her, it is clear that she is not coming. Therefore leaving Lizzy the oldest heartbroken, as she believes she has no one by her side. Except that’s not true – her foster parents become her family. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Madison Lusignan – Staff Reporter

The show “Gossip Girl” takes place in Manhattan, New York, on the Upper East Side, with a few privileged teenagers and a rollercoaster of romances. 

The actual “Gossip Girl” is a voice that reads from the Gossip Girl website that is filled with all of the characters’ dirty secrets, current secrets, and past secrets.

“Gossip Girl” remains a mystery for the majority of the show and is revealed in Season 6, the final season, although throughout the show, the secrets seem to never come to an end.

Chuck Bass, who probably has the majority of the family problems, reigns as the richest character on the show, followed by Serena Van Der Woodsen.

Serena is a blonde and beautiful socialite who was handed a tough batch of teenage years, but as the series goes on, viewers see her grow into a young woman who begins to value herself and her morals.

Serena’s best friend since high school at Constance is Blair Waldorf, who finds herself madly in love with Chuck Bass but is too embarrassed to admit it. Serena seems to always find the center of attention and that beyond bothers Blair. 

Another main character who seems to be finding himself into trouble often is Dan Humphrey. Dan is just being introduced into the world of the Upper East Side when his father marries Serena’s mother, and Dan’s sister Jenny starts her fashion business. 

Dan often struggles with his new life and has a lot to sort out. He struggles but grows as a character as the series moves on.

One of the more memorable scenes in “Gossip Girl” is when Rufus Humphrey marries Lily Van Der Woodsen, and they come out to the public about their relationship. Another memorable scene is when Chuck tells Blair that he loves her, which took him two seasons to admit.

A weak point in the show is when Chuck is shot in an alley, and the people who shot him steal the ring that he was keeping in his pocket.

“Gossip Girl” is an ever-changing series and there is always a new secret to be unfolded with each episode. Some of the most interesting parts in the show are when each character overcomes one of their biggest struggles, and then moves on with life like it never happened.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

“Knives Out,” directed by Rian Johnson, is about a rich crime novelist named Harlan Thrombey, who is played by Christopher Plummer, and the dysfunctional Thrombey family. 

“Knives Out” has won the Satellite Award for Best Ensemble – Motion Picture and the Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Costume Design for a Contemporary Film. “Knives Out” has amassed a worldwide total of $309.2 million. 

The movie focuses mainly on Harlan Thrombey, Marta Cabrera, and private detective Benoit Blanc, but it also includes the entire Thrombey family. 

The movie starts off with Harlan Thrombey’s 85th birthday party at his mansion with his family. Then, the next morning the family’s housekeeper finds him dead, and the police suspect it was a suicide, but an anonymous party hires Benoit Blanc, a private detective, to investigate the death of Harlan Thrombey. 

After Thrombey’s birthday party, his nurse, Marta, accidentally gives him an overdose of morphine instead of his proper medication, and since she could not find the antidote, he only had a few minutes left of his life. 

During the last minutes of his life, Harlan instructed Marta to cover up the death by making a fictional alibi for her, and then Harlan dies suddenly. 

While private detective Benoit Blanc questions Marta, she gives incomplete answers to confuse Blanc, but she does not lie, and after this Blanc asks Marta to help with his investigation. While Marta helps Blanc with his investigation, she tries to hide evidence and lead him away from the clues. 

Eventually, Marta makes Ransom, one of Harlan’s grandsons, confess to the police and he is arrested for the murder of Harlan Thrombey. In the end, Marta gets to have the mansion all to herself because this was in Harlan’s will. 

One of the best parts of the movie was when private detective Benoit Blanc arrived at the Thrombey mansion and questioned everyone, this was funny because viewers saw various members of the family making jokes and making fun of each other. 

The director of the movie did a fantastic job of keeping the movie suspenseful. However, the movie could have included some more background into Harlan Thrombey. 

“Knives Out” can be compared to mystery movies such as, “Clue” and “Gone Girl,”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“The Imitation Game”, the 2014 war/drama film loosely based on the novel “Alan Turing: The Enigma” by Andrew Hodges, details British mathematician Alan Turing’s monumental contributions to the Allies’ victory during World War II.

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers for “The Imitation Game.” Read ahead at your own risk.]

The film opens rather ambiguously with Turing (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch) inside an interrogation room where his opening speech is meant to be for Detective Nock (played by Rory Kinnear), but also for the audience, as well. The main story, however, begins with Turing being interviewed by, head of GC&CS, Commander Denniston (played by Charles Dance) to be involved with a top-secret project at Bletchley Park during the darkest days of World War II. It is quickly evident to Turing during the interview, and, therefore, the viewers, that the top-secret project is known as Project Enigma, which aimed to decipher Nazi communications, which were assumed to be unbreakable. However, Turing was not to do this job alone, as Commander Denniston had already appointed other talented intellectuals, for example, British cryptanalyst, Hugh Alexander (played by Matthew Goode), for the task and expected them to work together as a team. Turing might have been, while he wouldn’t admit it himself, a mathematical prodigy, he found the very idea of having to work with those who have a similar intellectual prowess as himself, repulsive, even saying, “I’m afraid these men will only slow me down,” upon hearing the proposition. Turing was not initially liked by his fellow code-breakers, however, he eventually wins their favor as a valued team member, that paves the path for them to break Enigma, and as a friend, as well. 

This movie, while taking place amid World War II, is not entirely a war movie, but, rather, also a tale of alienation and the efforts made to overcome it – something everyone can relate to. Turing was one of the greatest mathematical minds Great Britain, not to mention, the world had ever seen at the time, becoming a fellow at Cambridge University at age 24 and publishing his first official paper at age 23. However, those as intellectually gifted as Turing seldom find it easy to mingle with others, and in his case, he was on the autistic spectrum. This was well-displayed in the movie through Cumberbatch’s flawless representations of Turing’s social-awkwardness through his mannerisms, speech, and overly-literal interpretations of the things said to him. Although this accurate depiction of Turing’s introversion makes for some intense scenes, it also leads to a level of comedy in the thick of the cold, callous arithmetic of war with the banter-laden dialogue, oftentimes from Turing unintentionally, and sarcasm that Turing usually fails to pick up on. 

“The Imitation Game” does an exceptional job of presenting activism for issues that were unpopular at the time. For one, it dabbles in the realm of Women’s Rights as Turing, at first, can’t stand to work with his peers and seeks to control those that he has to work with, so he contacts Prime Minister Winston Churchill and requests to be put in charge of his group, and once his request was confirmed, he swiftly fired those that he felt weren’t skilled enough to be there. As a result of the lack of personnel in Turing’s group, Turing set up a “help wanted ad,” of sorts, that consisted of a crossword puzzle in the newspaper. The candidates were thereafter asked to solve some sort of puzzle within a confined time limit, and the only female candidate, Joan Clarke (portrayed by Keira Knightley), was the first to finish the task in a room full of men. This scene was particularly powerful because she was almost not allowed to try completing the task on the account of her being a woman, and was even asked if she completed the crossword puzzle on her own and was labeled as a secretary by the security guard near the door, that is until Turing stepped in and let Clarke take a seat. Clarke and Turing became immensely close and their relationship seemed to improve Turing’s sociability with others. At one point, Clarke threatens to leave Project Enigma because her parents are worried that she hadn’t gotten married yet, so, to get Clarke to stay, Turing proposes to Clarke with a make-shift ring constructed out of wire. While everyone saw this as wonderful news, Turing found it daunting not because he didn’t like Clarke, but because he was gay. In fact, he was gay in a time when it was illegal to be as such, so he felt obligated to marry Clarke to make her happy and to protect himself from society and the law, but, in the end, he couldn’t pretend. This struggle that Turing faces mirrors what a lot of closeted minors, and, even, adults experience and allows them to find comfort in his triumphs and defeats. 

The film lacks any glaring weaknesses as the cast expertly delivers the story that plays to both the heart and the mind. It does, however, depict one of Great Britain’s greatest atrocities committed toward a war hero, which is quite unsettling. As the secret of Turing’s homosexuality surfaces, he is charged with “indecency” and is given the choice between two years in prison or chemical castration. Turing chooses chemical castration because it would allow him to continue his work, but, the hormonal treatment he receives causes an imbalance in his brain and led him to commit suicide at the relatively young age of 41. However, in September of 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown publicly apologized to Turing for the mistreatment he faced, and although it was 55 years too late, it was an act of redemption on Great Britain’s part. 

“The Imitation Game” is, by no means, a traditional war film, as very little combat, is shown, and most scenes take place in an edifice and not on a battlefield, but the spirit of war is very much evident in Turing’s team as they fight the odds stacked against them, and prove to everyone that, “Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Some information courtesy of imdb.com)

By Malakai Pisacreta – Staff Reporter

Dashing through the middle of the arena, two teams of champions clash to meet an objective to defeat the other team. This is Paladins, a video game made by Hi-Rez Studios, who have created another game called Smite. 

Paladins is a FPS where two teams of five compete in different challenges such as Siege, Team DeathMatch, and Onslaught. The most commonly played game mode is Siege, where the two teams fight to see who can stay on the capture point, and after, push the payload/stop the payload to the appropriate area.

There is a wide variety of champions with each having a unique set of abilities and each being helpful to a team’s success on the battlefield. With four different classes, Flank, Damage, Medic and Frontline, each team can consist of many different styles of play. 

After each game, the player earns experience based off of their skill and how they did. 

The game runs smooth, plays well, though one downside can be unlocking the champions. Champions are unlocked by using in game currency or spending $25.99 to get all of the characters. This brings down the potential of the game since it is free to play, and it just feels like unless the player plays for hours on end, they will never get enough to buy a champion.

Overall, the experience that the game gives the player is well worth it considering that it is free.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Amelia Mower – Staff Reporter

Netflix released the second season of its current Top 10 show, “Dead to Me,” on May 8 and it is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Set in California, the show tells the story of Jen Harding, following the death of her husband, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident. After meeting Judy Hale and learning more about her husband’s death, season one left many questions unanswered for viewers. 

Season Two starts off immediately where the prior season left off, with a shocking twist of events. Throughout the ten episodes, Jen and Judy encounter old friends and new love interests, leaving them conflicted in their ideals. This season also has many, many plot twists that will shock viewers, making them feel like they are a part of the story. 

The never-ending plot twists and comedic relief make this show one viewers can not stop watching. Every single episode poses new conflicts in Jen and Judy’s lives that keep their story more entertaining than ever. From security cameras to storage lockers and social media, the show keeps throwing new obstacles in their way and the women somehow seem to get through everything. Viewers also get to see a lot more of the Harding sons, and how their mother’s endeavors affect them, which added a nice touch to Season Two. 

The only downside to this season is the huge cliffhanger it ends on. What happens to Jen and Judy? A third season of the show has not been announced by Netflix yet, which is leaving fans concerned about the fate of “Dead to Me.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Madison Lusignan – Staff Reporter

“Atypical” is a coming-of-age series on Netflix created by Robia Rashid, featuring a family of four that faces more challenges than accomplishments. 

The star of the show is Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old with autism spectrum disorder, who goes through the journey of life with more challenges and roadblocks than most people have in their whole life.

Sam is the older brother of his sister Casey, and son of parents, Elsa and Doug Gardner. 

Casey teases Sam throughout the show but is always there as a support system for him, and always helps him through his rough moments, and so do his parents.

Sam has a love for Antarctica and all of its creatures, and is soothed by the thought of them or by focusing on them when he is struggling or having a bad moment. 

One thing viewers discover about Sam is that change is hard for him. It makes his life so much harder especially in this evolving world. 

One of the most memorable moments in the show is when Sam gets into college and gets to start down a path towards his own life and decisions.

Another memorable moment is when Sam gets his first girlfriend and discovers all of the different opportunities she has in her life. She brings him a new perspective. 

One of the more upsetting moments in the show is when Elsa and Doug separate; after lots of fighting and arguing, they take a break. This was troubling especially after all they had accomplished with Sam and everything they had helped him with.

Another awkward moment in the show is when Sam is forced to get a new therapist. After 18 years, Sam had finally figured out he had developed feelings for his therapist which was not acceptable to her or Sam’s parents, so they forced him to find a new one.

“Atypical” really shows the lives of people on the autism spectrum and the friends and family around them. It gives the audience an idea of what life on the autism spectrum is like and the difficulties they face day to day.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Madison Lusignan – Staff Reporter

Set in Hawkins, Indiana, “Stranger Things” begins its first series in 1983 with the subsequent seasons covering the years of 1984 and 1985. The series was created by the Duffer brothers Matt and Ross.

In the series, a young boy, Will Byers, goes missing near a top secret government laboratory on the same night a strange girl named, Eleven or “Elle,” appears at a diner in the town. 

Will’s friends Dustin, Mike, and Lucas, all desperately search to find him in the first series, along with Will’s family. 

Will is discovered in “Upside Down” which has a connection to the character named Eleven, but what they soon find out is that the “Upside Down” soon starts to become part of their world.

As the series goes on, the “Upside Down” becomes more and more involved in the lives of the people of Hawkins, and begins to unleash its monsters into their world.

One of the many memorable moments from the show is when Joyce finds her son Will and they begin their journey to retrieve him.

Another memorable moment from the show is when Jim “Hopper” declares he will become Eleven’s parental guardian and takes care of her as a father figure. 

One of the more weak and sad moments of the show is when Joyce’s old boyfriend Bob dies so Joyce can live, saving her from a deadly monster from the “Upside Down.”

Another weak point of the show is when Dr. Alexei one of the sweeter characters who works for the Russian Government is shot and killed at a fair, he was an adored character whose death was tragic.

Overall, with each upcoming season the show just gets better and better; it never seems to get boring. In fact, with each episode things seem to be getting more and more interesting. 

One of the best scenes is when Eleven steals a box of Eggo Waffles using her powers, as it is her favorite thing to eat and must fend for herself in some moments.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Tyanna Xavier – Staff Reporter

The new “Charlie’s Angels” have come back from the 2000s and made their way up to 2020. This movie was very women empowering as you can see these women take on a variety of challenges facing criminals. The action in this movie was unreal and shocking and the action sequences were very realistic.

The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aaron Spelling. The new and improved 2020 version of Charlie’s Angels was produced by Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Elizabeth Cantillon, and Doug Belgrad. This movie includes many aspects including crime-fighting adventures of three women working in a private detective agency in Los Angeles, California. As the girls all just met, it was difficult working together as they are all such independent, strong women and feel they can handle anything on their own. However, they quickly became friends and continued to take down crime together.

The movie included a curiosity between the detective agency and a surprising plot twist that was hard to predict. A movie with a good, unexpected feel such as Charlie’s Angels is always one that catches people’s attention quickly.

Some downfalls of the movie were only that it was basically remaking what occurred in the first two “Charlie’s Angels” movies rather than really making the latest version their own. However, the special effects that are put into place while making this movie were impressive, as the characters look very dangerous and powerful.

“Charlie’s Angels” was very entertaining because it was different from any other recently-produced action movie. Also, it sends a message to women all around watching that women are just as strong as men, no matter the challenge. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Malakai Pisacreta – Staff Reporter

Ahh Minecraft, a wonderful video game that is 11 years young, and still going strong.

Minecraft is a sandbox video game that was originally released on May 17, 2009, and has been going strong ever since. While there are two different versions, the original Java Edition version is only playable on Mac Os, Linux, and Windows and the Bedrock Edition, the multi-platform version playable on Ps4, Android, Apple, Amazon, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10. Both versions are nearly identical, but have some key differences.

Minecraft Bedrock edition, originally Minecraft Pocket Edition, is the most common version of Minecraft played, because it is on pretty much all consoles. Minecraft is a game with no story mode like other video games; rather, it is a game with endless possibilities with no end. 

The basic premise behind Minecraft is people play as their character, and they survive or build. In survival, players must build shelter, go mining, eat food, and fight monsters. This is the most prominent form of Minecraft, with the other mode being Creative where players can build anything you want.

Minecraft plays smoothly with beautiful music and easy-to-learn controls. Minecraft is a game that can be picked up by anyone. 

Minecraft will be getting a new update this year and that is already out on certain consoles. When it comes to Ps4, expect another review of the update.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Nether Stars

By Madison Lusignan – Staff Reporter

Co-created and executive-produced by Jonas and Josh Pate and Shannon Burke, “Outer Banks is set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where there is an ongoing rivalry on the island between the “Pogues” and the “Kooks.”

Both rivals include a group of teens who are basically opposites of one another.

The “Pogues” are a group of teenagers who all have different futures and affluences that grew up together and one of the members, John B., is aspiring to continue his father’s journey to find the gold of a sunken ship. 

The “Kooks” are a group of stuck-up rich teenagers who do nothing but terrorize the “Pogues” but what they don’t know if one of their own will turn to the side of the “Pogues” and fall into a relationship with John B.

The interesting thing about the “Pogues” is that each member has their own story and their own view on life. They each experience their own challenges, some harder than others. 

Despite their challenges and despite being intimidated by the “Kooks,” John B. and his friends find the gold, but unfortunately that is right where their problems begin. 

Some of the best parts about this show is that it is the representation of every teenager’s dream and shows what a summer would look like if teens weren’t on their phones or submerged into technology for the the months they are let free. Their adventure shows how well they take advantage of their freedom and what they do with it. 

One of the few downfalls of the show is that it also represents some of the terrible things kids go home to, and how even some kids are straight up abandoned. It portrays the hard truth of some teenagers’ lives, but they do a good way of turning it around and showing how the teenagers make the best of it. 

Each episode of “Outer Banks” keeps you wanting more and more. People should follow the characters’ interesting adventures on their free time in quarantine. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a romance/drama film that has recently been made available on Netflix that is based on the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers for “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Read ahead at your own risk.]

The movie features Charlie (played by Logan Lerman), a high school freshman and the epitome of introversion who has spent his entire summer cooped up in his house with no connection to people other than his family, writing letters to a friend of his as a recommendation from his therapist, who is later revealed to be his only friend in middle school who committed suicide. Naturally, Charlie doesn’t initially acclimate to high school very well as he finds it difficult to interact with others and would much rather observe from the sidelines, and thus he is, as the title implies, a wallflower. Charlie continues down this path of loneliness and sorrow until Charlie befriends Patrick (played by Ezra Miller), Sam (played by Emma Watson), Mary (played by Mae Whitman), Alice (played by Erin Wilhelmi), and Bob (played by Adam Hagenbuch). While Charlie enjoys all four of his new friends he instantly gravitates toward Patrick and Sam the most. Before long the three friends become immensely close and turn Charlie’s entire world upside down for the better and lead him to new experiences, such as his first high school party, albeit short, but a romantic relationship with Mary Elizabeth, and much, much more. 

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a proper coming-of-age tale because it is so widely relatable as it tackles a multitude of issues that many kids, teenagers, and even adults struggle with. For one, it addresses the hardships that many people of the LGBTQIA+ community face as the viewers learn very early on that Patrick is a closeted gay who has a brief affair with a football player named Brad (played by Johnny Simmons), but Brad is not able to open up to his parents about it because his father is extremely homophobic, and consequently, Patrick faces harassment from his peers while keeping both of their secrets safe, and, at one point, even from Brad. The film also confronts the issue of sexual abuse on more than one count because it is explained that her past boyfriends have mistreated Sam, and although it is not mentioned explicitly, it is hinted that Charlie was abused as a child by his seemingly innocent and loving Aunt Helen (played by Melanie Lynskey). The movie also offers an apt representation of how mental illness can afflict people as it is very apparent that Charlie struggles with depression and anxiety to the point where he has a massive mental breakdown near the end of the movie that is easily one of the most moving scenes in the entire film.

While the movie can be praised for taking the initiative to represent tribulations that some know all too well, it also, arguably, more importantly, instills hope in those that identify as outsiders, like Charlie. Charlie goes from being an outcast in every facet of his life with his only friend no longer with him, trudging through his life all alone to being surrounded by friends who love and support him so that he can lead a happier, more fulfilling life. This drastic transformation that Charlie undergoes works to lift the spirits of those that consider themselves to be pariahs and give them faith that regardless of how secluded and displaced they may feel, things will eventually get better and they will meet their own Patrick and Sam.

The only complaint that can be made about this film is the realism, or, rather, lack thereof as most people can attest, popular or otherwise, as unfortunate as it is, that recluses are seldom adopted into a friend group, as Patrick and Sam did for Charlie. However, it can be argued that this is precisely why the film is so effective in inspiring people because it is an escape from reality that offers a more positive perspective on how their current situation could transpire.

Ultimately, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a testament to teenagers everywhere regardless of their backstory because as much as it is a film that presents the life of a lonely freshman in high school and his turn of fate for the better, it is, in its simplest form, a story of growth, and that, is truly universal. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Some information courtesy of imdb.com)

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

The horror movie “Fantasy Island” was released on February 14. The movie initially starts off with five strangers being invited to an island that will supposedly allow their fantasies to come true. What they don’t realize is that their fantasies aren’t planned out exactly how they dreamed. 

The movie features many well known actors such as Lucy Hale, Micheal Pena, Maggie Q, Jimmy O. Yang, Austin Stowell, and Ryan Hansen. 

Michael Pena plays the role of Mr. Roarke, who is in charge of making the visitors’ fantasies come true. Mr. Roarke reveals that he’s made a deal with the island, and if he were to ever leave the island, the deal would be done. What the visitors don’t realize is that he would do almost anything to hold the part of his deal.

Lucy Hale plays as one of the visitors, Melanie Cole. Melanie’s fantasy is somewhat disturbing, as she plays an emotionally scarred girl who was bullied in high school. The trauma of her high school years led her fantasy to revolve all around her previous bully. She wanted revenge, but what she didn’t realize was the extent of the fantasy – or so we thought.

Maggie Q. plays Gwen Olsen. Gwen has the fantasy of wanting to have changed a past decision, which was to say yes to a marriage proposal from her long term ex-boyfriend.

Austin Stowell plays Patrick Sullivan, whose fantasy was to be able to be in the military. The island brings a little extra spice to his fantasy, as he sees someone important from his past.

Finally Jimmy O. Yang and Ryan Hansen play Brax and J.D. Weaver. Brothers’ fantasy was to party and live the life. They also didn’t realize that like everyone else’s fantasy there would be a twist. 

The end of the movie gives a sense of happiness, as tragic heroes and new views of life are exposed to both the visitors and workers of the magical Fantasy Island. 

The special effects and plot of this film were extremely strong. The actors in this film played very convincing roles that caught the audience’s eye. The only negative is the movie is not as scary as some might have predicted and placing it in the horror genre was an oversell.

By Lucas Greifzu – Editorial Editor

This year’s Wrestlemania was record-breaking and historic for multiple reasons. First, this year’s Wrestlemania was the first to be held without fans in WWE history. Second, it was the first Wrestlemania to be held over the span of two nights. While a lot of people were hoping that WWE would postpone the event so that it could be held with fans; many were happy with what they managed to get out of the show. The main card of Wrestlemania had 16 matches, eight on each night, and this article review each of them individually, and then review the event as a whole.

The first match of the first night saw the Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. This match was fairly average overall. There was good tag team wrestling from the Kabuki Warriors throughout the match. The match had good flow throughout, however it also had some mistakes; for example ,a couple of the moves at the end were not hit correctly. However, in the end, Bliss and Cross became the new Women’s Tag Team Champions. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, but if there were not any mistakes with the moves towards the end of the match, it would have been 3 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the first night was Elias vs. Baron Corbin. This match was above average as a whole. Before the match Elias was able to smash a guitar over the back of Baron Corbin. As the match started there was some good back and forth wrestling; with both men being able to show their athleticism. In the end Elias was able to pull off a victory. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the first night saw Shayna Baszler vs. Becky Lynch (c) for the RAW Women’s Championship. This match didn’t quite live up to the hype that it had laid out for itself. The match started off in a good way with some great back and forth wrestling. However, the match ended very quickly, and in an unexpected way. This unexpected ending made the match feel like it wasn’t important and that all of the buildup was for nothing. Nevertheless, Becky Lynch was able to retain her championship in a roll up pinfall victory. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, but if there was an ending that was more befitting of the hype that this match would have received a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the first night saw Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn (c) for the Intercontinental Championship. This match was fairly average overall. It started off rather slow as Sami Zayn kept dodging all of Daniel Bryan’s moves. However, as the match started to pick up both men were able to show their exceptional in ring ability. In the end, Sami Zayn was able to pick up the win and retain the Intercontinental Championship. This match gets a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

Next, crossing the halfway point of the night, the next match saw John Morrison (c) vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso in a ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships. This match was very good overall. This match was initially supposed to be a triple threat tag team match between the teams that these three men represent, but several of the wrestlers in the teams pulled out due to the Coronavirus. However, regardless of the circumstances of the match the wrestlers put on an excellent match. This match was full of back and forth action, as well as some incredible solo spots. In the end, John Morrison was able to pick up the victory by falling off of a ladder with the belts in his hands, and retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships for his team. This match gets a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the night was Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins. This match was also very good overall. This match was different from all of the others on the card because it ended up turning into two matches. First, in a match without stipulation, Seth Rollins was able to defeat Kevin Owens via disqualification in an average match. However, following his defeat, Kevin Owens challenged Rollins to a no disqualification match. This is where things got interesting, as both men used many different weapons to their advantage. But, the spot that really stole the show was when Owens jumped off of the Wrestlemania sign through the announcers table onto Seth Rollins. This spot allowed Kevin Owens to win the match by pinning Rollins in the win. This match gets a rating of 4.25 out of 5 stars, but if the initial match had been more interesting and lasted a little longer, it would have received 4.5 out of 5 stars.

In the penultimate match of the night we saw Braun Strowman vs. Goldberg for the Universal Championship. This match was below average overall. Similarly to the Smackdown Tag Team Championship match, this match was also affected by the Coronavirus. Initially, this match was scheduled to be Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg, but Roman pulled out due to his personal health. However, the match still went on, but it was very underwhelming. In a match that lasted less than 5 minutes; Braun Strowman was able to earn a dominant victory over Goldberg, and become the new Universal Champion. This match gets rating of 2 out of 5 stars, but if the match were longer and had more of a story behind it, it would have received 3 out of 5 stars. Furthermore, there is no telling how good the original match of Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg would have been.

Finally, the main event of night one of Wrestlemania was AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker in a Boneyard match. This match was above average overall. This match had a lot of good attributes to it. However, this match felt more like a movie than a wrestling match. The match was filmed on a different set and was very high production. There were several special effects moments and many things that are much more theatrical than a regular match would allow for. That being said there were some great spots throughout, and both men sold moves well. In the end, the Undertaker was able to defeat AJ Styles by burying him in a grave with his name on it. This match gets a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, but if the match were slightly less high production and felt more like an actual wrestling match, it would have received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

In the first match of the second night of Wrestlemania, we saw Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship. This match was above average overall. The match starts off with Charlotte showing that she is the more experienced wrestler. However,  the match quickly became more balanced. After some good back and forth wrestling, Charlotte Flair was able to win the match and become the new NXT Women’s Championship. This match gets a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

The next match of night two was Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley. This match was average overall. The match started off with Aleister Black trying to take out the much larger Bobby Lashley, but Lashley was able to turn it around and take control of the match. However, in the end, Lashley’s wife Lana yelled instructions into the ring that led to Aleister Black spin kicking Lashley in the side of the head, thus picking up the victory. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, but if the match had a more convincing ending to it, it would have received 3 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the night was Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler. This match was average overall, but the story was very entertaining. This whole feud started on Valentine’s Day when Mandy Rose supposedly stood Otis up for Dolph Ziggler. But, last week there was footage revealed that showed that Dolph Ziggler set himself up so that he would get to date Mandy and Otis wouldn’t. This led to the two of them having a match at Wrestlemania. The match itself was seemingly normal until Ziggler hit Otis with a low blow while the referee wasn’t looking. However, Mandy Rose came out and hit Dolph with a low blow while the referee wasn’t looking and helped Otis defeat Dolph Ziggler. This match gets 2 out of 5 stars, but the story gets a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the night was Edge vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match. This match was extremely good overall. In order to fully understand this story you have to go back to nine years ago. Nine years ago, Edge was forced to retire due to severe injuries in his neck. However, two surgeries and nine years of recovery later, Edge was able to return to the ring at the Royal Rumble in January. The night after that, Randy Orton came out and turned his back on Edge and smashed a chair over his head. At Wrestlemania this match was over 20 minutes long and was very gruesome to watch. It was a very personal match that saw many dangerous spots and potential injuries. The match ended in a similar way that the night after the Royal Rumble did, but with the roles reversed. Edge was able to put Randy Orton in a sleeper hold and then smash a chair over his head while holding back tears; which resulted in Edge winning the match. This match gets a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the night saw Austin Theory and Angel Garza with Zelina Vega vs. the Street Profits for the RAW Tag Team Championships. This match was average overall. This match was thrown together in a hurry as one of the original competitors was injured before Wrestlemania. This was a standard tag team match which resulted in the Street Profits retaining their championships. However, at the end the challengers beat up the Street Profits, but Bianca Belair came to their rescue. This resulted in the Street Profits beating down on Garza and Theory while Belair beat down on Zelina Vega. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The next match of the night saw Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi vs. Bayley in a Fatal 5 Way elimination match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. This match was below average overall. While this match might look good on paper it didn’t turn out that way. In the beginning, all of the other competitors tried to eliminate Tamina because she was the strongest one in the ring. However the big problem with this match is that there was a lack of flow between the competitors in the match. This resulted in there being several gaps of silence in the match. In the end Bayley was able to retain her championship, but she might’ve damaged her friendship with Sasha Banks in the process. This match gets a rating of 2 out of 5 stars, but if the match had some more flow to it as well as a better story between the wrestlers, it would have received 3 out of 5 stars.

The penultimate match of both night two and the entire show was John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse match. This match was exceptional overall. The match started with John Cena coming out to the ring, but he was then teleported to the Firefly Funhouse, which is the residence of the Fiend. Cena then went through a door that changed the whole perception of reality. Bray Wyatt ran Cena through his history in the WWE and explained to everyone how he was a sellout and had everything handed to him. He then got to the part in the story where Cena and Wyatt crossed paths 6 years ago. Wyatt then went on an emotional speech saying that he had to fight for everything he had, and for a guy like Cena to tell him that he is over privileged was wrong. In the end, the Fiend appeared and put an end to John Cena and defeated him in the match. When everything was said and done, this match gets a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Quick note, there has only been one official 5-star match in the modern era of the WWE, so this match was extremely well done. 

Finally, in the main event of night two and of the entire Wrestlemania card, we saw Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. This match was fairly average overall. This match went how a lot of people expected it to go. It started with Brock Lesnar dominating the match. He hit McIntyre with several German Suplexes and  three F5s, but he was unable to pin McIntyre. The momentum turned quickly as McIntyre hit Lesnar with several Claymore Kicks, and was able to pin Lesnar to become the new WWE Champion. This match gets a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, but if the match were a little longer and had some more depth to it, it would have received a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

While there were several strong moments throughout this event. The three best moments would have to be the Firefly Funhouse match, Edge vs. Randy Orton, and the Boneyard match. The Firefly Funhouse match is the best moment of this Wrestlemania simply due to the fact that it gave the fans everything that they could have wanted and more. The amount of levels that were in the story that this match told were phenomenal. Plus, the Fiend was able to assert himself as the dominant character on Smackdown after he recently lost his championship to Goldberg. The second best moment would have to be the Edge vs Randy Orton match. This match told a very personal story between these two men. They were once a tag team and they were once brothers, but this match showed that they are neither of those things anymore, and put the feud to rest. Finally, the third best moment of the show was the Boneyard match. Even though the match was very high production and didn’t really feel like a wrestling match, it still told a very good story, and was very entertaining to watch.

There were also some not-so-good moments in this show that can’t be overlooked. The three worst moments of the match were The Smackdown Women’s Championship match, the Universal Championship match, and Elias vs Baron Corbin. Hands down, the worst moment of the night was the Smackdown Women’s Championship match. There was very little flow between the competitors, and the story between them didn’t make me interested in watching the match. Not too far behind that is the Universal Championship match. There was nothing in particular that was wrong with this match, but you have to wonder how much better it would have been if Roman Reigns was competing. (While I completely agree with and respect his choice to step away due to his personal health, I do still wish I could have seen him compete at this event.) Finally, the third worst moment of the night was the Elias vs Baron Corbin match. The main problem with this match is the lack of story between the two competitors. While there wasn’t really anything wrong with the match itself, it was strange that the match was happening at Wrestlemania. This match didn’t feel like a Wrestlemania moment and in my opinion it shouldn’t have happened at Wrestlemania.

All in all, Wrestlemania 36 was an above-average Wrestlemania, and certainly better than many of the recent Wrestlemanias. While there were some very noticeable bad moments, the good moments outweighed them for this event. Overall, Wrestlemania 36 deserves a rating of: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

By Gillian Rees – Staff Reporter 

Minecraft Pocket Edition is a 3D Sandbox Game where gamers can play with friends online or solo with or without internet connection. The company that developed Minecraft is a Swedish company named Mojang and is also owned by XBox Game Studios. Minecraft was initially made by a Java worker named Markus “Notch” Persson and was released in 2009 for PC, but then they developed the game for phones. Eventually, Minecraft was bought by Mojang and Microsoft. 

Minecraft is a very popular game with a massive following on YouTube, Tik Tok, and many other media platforms. There are Minecrafters who have made a living just by making a YouTube account based around their Minecraft prowess. Some of these Minecrafters are Skydoesminecraft, Captainsparklez, and TheBajanCanadian.

Minecraft is a game with endless possibilities and situations. Players can be in Creative Mode and build freely or be in Survival where players need to gather resources, food, build, mine, and fight monsters to stay alive. They can build a portal to go fight the ender dragon and “beat” the game, or go on the online servers and play mini-games. In Minecraft there are roughly 60 different types of biomes, including forest, snowy tundra, mountains, swamp, jungle, taiga, desert. There are also villages; some are different depending on what biome they are in. In the villages, there are villagers who players can trade with, and there are houses, crops and some chests around the villages with resources players can take. There are lots of different animals in the game, including cows, pigs, chickens, wolves, and horses which are tame-able, as well as fish, bunnies, foxes, pandas and many others. 

Overall, the mobile gameplay is satisfactory. Players can do pretty much everything that can be done on the PC version. The only difference is the controls, and in most cases, players prefer the PC controls because it makes a lot of things easier. Minecraft PE is fun and one could spend hours playing without getting bored. It is a game where players can do virtually anything they want. Playing Minecraft is a great way to waste a bunch of time and is perfect for the quarantine situation everyone is in right now. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“Private Practice” is a show that takes place in the same universe as “Grey’s Anatomy.” It is a spin-off from “Grey’s” in which a neonatal surgeon named Addison Forbes Montgomery moves to LA where she works at a clinic called Oceanside Wellness Center. She builds close relationships with her colleagues including Sam Bennet, Naomi Bennet, Cooper Friedman, Violet Turner, Pete Wilder and later on in the season, Amelia Shepherd and Charlotte King.

Just like “Grey’s Anatomy” there is a lot of drama between relationships in the workplace. It allows viewers to get a glimpse on how doctors decide on what is most ethical treatment for patients. For most of the patients, the doctors discuss what they believe is the correct path regarding treatment. For instance, there was conflict between Pete and Sam. Pete’s patient was an elderly man who had cancer and was severely ill. He wanted to die and expressed that to Pete. Pete argued with Sam about physician-assisted suicide and their opinion on it. They were debating whether it was ethical or not. Pete felt as though it was justified because his patient was not living a good life due to the fact he was so ill. However, Sam felt otherwise.

Private Practice tackles popular societal issues that are commonly seen in real life. For instance, there was a patient who was a man who identified as a woman. She wanted to go through with gender reassignment surgery. Yet, the psychiatrist said she was not mentally fit enough to go through a surgery like that. Since she was denied the surgery, she executes it by herself at home. Through this patient, we see the struggles that the transgender community goes through in real life and all of the challenges they face. Another societal issue the show touches upon is the sexual assault of men in the military. In the episode, the man comes home to his beloved wife. They begin to have issues since they seem to be unable to reconnect. The wife did not know what had happened while he was away. They began to see a psychiatrist and it was revealed that the soldier was sexually assaulted by his commanding officer. He said he felt like he could not tell his wife due to the stigma surrounding the sexual assault of men. Even he couldn’t understand why he was unable to fight back when he was in the situation.

Overall, “Private Practice” was a thoroughly enjoyable show and is highly recommended. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

“All American” is a 2018 Netflix series inspired by the life of a professional American football player that is full of suspense and emotion. The show is directed by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter and written by April Blairwould and is based on a true story about a young football player Spencer James who was just trying to fit in after transferring to Beverly High School from South Crenshaw.

As a high schooler, fitting into a new school is a problem students face everyday. Drama spreads like wildfire and can follow people until they leave those doors for the last time. In “All American,” the main character, Spencer James (played by Daniel Erza), is having trouble making friends after transferring to Beverly Hills. Jordan Baker (played by Michael Evans Behling) is the captain and QB for the Beverley Hills football team. The Baker family, Laura Fine-Baker (played by Monet Mazur), Olivia Baker (played by Samantha Logan), and father Billy Baker (played by Taye Diggs) lets Spencer  stay at their house slo he can play football.

Spencer is torn between his two worlds, as his mother and brother both want him to relocate while his friend Coop struggles with gangs and his cultural shift in lifestyles. Spencer also struggles with his father’s abandonment for a coaching job. On his first day, he plays exceptionally well much to the concern of Asher, (played by Cody Christian). While Spencer gets close with his girlfriend Leila who is extremely wealthy and takes a liking to him. Billy’s daughter Olivia seems to be more interested in him.

“All American” is very suspenseful. Similar to shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “This Is Us,” “All-American” will have viewers sitting on the edge of their seat, leaving them on a cliffhanger at the end of every episode. This is an amazing TV series to watch and shows the importance of friendships, high school love, and the love for football.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is a 2020 Netflix teen romance film based on the novel P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han and a sequel to “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which is based on a Jenny Han book of the same title. 

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers for “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” as well as “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Read ahead at your own risk.]

The movie starts, or more aptly, resumes, not long after the end of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” which concluded with Lara Jean Covey (played by Lana Condor), better known as, Lara Jean, and Peter Kavinsky (played by Noah Centineo), beginning to date. Without delving too deep into the previous installment of the series, Lara Jean is the epitome of the modern-day hopeless romantic – from reading sappy romance novels to writing flowery love letters – she does it all. On the other hand, Peter is the stereotypical high school jock – tough, courageous, but still gentle when it comes to his girlfriend, Lara Jean. At first glance, Lara Jean and Peter could not be a more mismatched couple, however, their opposing qualities are what truly makes them such a good fit to the point where Lara Jean believes that Peter is her soulmate.

However, that is until Lara Jean receives a letter from John Ambrose McClaren (played by Jordan Fisher), or as he is more often referred to as, John Ambrose, the stylish, precocious, and devoted member of Model U.N., and childhood friend of Lara Jean. John Ambrose is introduced in the previous movie as one of Lara Jean’s previous crushes to whom Kitty Covey (played by Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean’s sister, sent Lara Jean’s secret love letters to, as well as the rest of her previous romantic interests (for more information on this plot point, watch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”), in the prequel, including Peter, which ends with Lara Jean believing that was the last she was to hear of her infamous love letters, which given what happened, is not the case. Lara Jean being as quixotic as she is, after receiving the letter, can’t help but imagine, no matter how much she resists, what things would have been like if she was dating John Ambrose instead of Peter. These thoughts are further instigated when Lara Jean and John Ambrose end up volunteering together at Belleview, a retirement home, while Peter is volunteering at Oakwood Market. This, inevitably, leads to tension forming amongst Peter, Lara Jean, and John Ambrose for the rest of the film until Lara Jean finally realizes who she is meant to be with.

“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is a noteworthy sequel to its forerunner because, as stated before, it links the two movies perfectly since it starts right after the end of the first movie, which gives it a sense of fluidity. Furthermore, this movie provides a sense of closure between two, feuding characters in the past installment, Lara Jean and Genevieve (played by Emilija Baranac), or as she usually goes by in the film, Gen, otherwise known as Peter’s ex-girlfriend. This was particularly satisfying to see because as detailed in the prequel, Lara Jean and Gen used to be the best of friends that tore away from each other after Gen realized that Lara Jean liked Peter as well. The fact that they were able to reunite was very heartwarming, and a testament to the existence of jeong (정), a Korean word meaning an inseparable connection between two people that can endure the harsh realities of life, between the two former friends, as explained by Lara Jean, herself. While Lara Jean is an enthusiast for love, she is not one to match-make, unlike Kitty, as she does in the case of her father, Dr. Covey (played by John Corbett) with their neighbor, Ms. Rothschild (played by Sarayu Blue). Although Lara Jean is indifferent in the beginning to set up a romantic relationship between her father and Ms. Rothschild because she doesn’t believe in forcing love, she eventually changes her mind after seeing that her father does fancy Ms. Rothschild.

This plot element was gratifying to see for viewers of the prequel for the sole reason that in the previous movie it was explained that Lara Jean’s mother died very early on in her life, so the prospect of Lara Jean’s father experiencing a romantic relationship after so many years was heartening to Lara Jean, as well as the viewers. A minor, yet tasteful, detail, also utilized in the previous film, was the use of the school ceiling banners to denote the passage of time, significant events, and also, in this film, Lara Jean’s mood.

While this film extends the plot of its predecessor in a very realistic manner, the biggest issue in the film is a matter of how anticlimactic the story truly is. The movie does a stellar job of presenting the conflict from Lara Jean’s perspective, however, once the story reaches its apex at the defining moment when Lara Jean ultimately has to choose between Peter and John Ambrose, it staggers downwards abruptly, as opposed to deescalating slowly. The sensation is hard to describe without giving too much away but it can be equivocated to the sensation of going outside with an umbrella open because it is raining only to have the rain stop two seconds later. If the movie were to build from the climax for even as little as 15 minutes, the ending would feel much more rewarding. However, it could be argued that this swift resolution of the plot plays into the novelty of the story, and the certainty of true love.

All in all, “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” will leave romance-film-aficionados divided as Lara Jean works to look beyond what she thought she knew about love and uncover who her soulmate truly is.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

(Some information courtesy of imbd.com) 

By Taylor Firla – Staff Reporter

Harry Styles is a former member of the popular boy band One Direction. One Direction went on a hiatus in January of 2016 for the other band members to pursue other projects. Harry Styles’ “Fine Line”  is the artist’s second album and was released on December 13, 2019. The album included the four singles “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Falling,” and “Adore You”. 

“Fine Line” can be described as pop, rock, or pop-rock, and features 12 songs. Since Styles has grown from being a member of a band to a solo artist, it’s helped him express himself more as a person. His music helps him reach out to his fans so that they can know him better as a person and a singer. It’s common for artists to communicate with others through the lyrics of their songs, and Styles is a good example of an artist who uses their lyrics to communicate and help us understand what type of person he is.

As fans go through the track list you can tell how different each song is, based on its pace, the emotion, the vibe, all of the details that are put into each song. The songs “Falling” and “Adore You” are diverse towards each other. “Falling” is a slow song with compelling lyrics about wanting to be this type of person he envisions  himself. The lyrics in the song “What if I’m someone I don’t want around?” and “What if I’m someone you won’t talk about?” really show that Styles is trying to tell his fans something. “Falling” also seems to be a sad song that tells us he’s going through a controversial time with asking all these questions. “Adore You” on the other hand is a more upbeat song. The lyrics “You don’t have to say you love me/You don’t have to say nothing/You don’t have to say your mine” and “I’d walk through fire for you/Just let me adore you” shows that the song has a happier tone than “Falling.” It also shows that Styles likes to experiment with different types of beats in his songs.

There are no weak points on “Fine Line.” Styles explores and creates his music by making different genres of music his own. He shows the listener how diverse his music is compared to other artists today and shows how much he’s grown as a singer.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

By Alexis Broderick – News Editor 

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” premiered on September 20, 1999, as the second series in Wolf’s successful “Law & Order” franchise. After the premiere of its 21st season in September 2019, the series became the longest-running U.S. live action series on television. This show features Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson, Ice-T as Officer Tutuola, and Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler.

The Special Victims Unit, or SVU, is a specially-trained squad of detectives in the N.Y.P.D., that investigate violent crimes, particularly sexual assault cases. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

One of the most memorable episodes of the season is Episode 19. In this episode, the SVU struggles to find a serial predator who uses a drug that leaves no evidence behind.

“Law and Order: SVU” can be very educational to the viewer. For example, a 2015 Washington State University study found that college students who watched shows from the “Law & Order” franchise were better educated about rape and sexual consent. The study concluded, “For some people, shows like ‘SVU’ are helpful because it can help them categorize: ‘Wait a second. What happened to me looked like that, and that’s a crime.'”

The female actors in the show are very relatable and while this show can be scary at times, it is also super-informative and a good binge show to watch. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

This dance movie with a hidden motive – action-packed yet super sad – is so incredibly good, you don’t want to miss it.

[WARNING: Review of this movie comes with spoilers. You have been warned.]

“Street Dancer 3” came to theaters on January 29 starring Varun Dhawan, Nora Fatehi, Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhu Deva, the four main characters essential to the plot. “Street Dancer 3” is a movie based on two rival dance crews competing in a worldwide dance competition for the ultimate grand prize: 100,000 euros ($107,865 U.S. dollars). 

While Sahej’s (Varun’s) crew prepares for the competition, Inayat’s (Shraddha’s) crew tries to help illegal immigrants while also preparing for the competition. However, when Sahej and a couple of his crew members (his crew name is “Street Dancers” while Inayat’s crew name is “Rule Breakers”) transfer over to an enemy crew (“Royals”), the rest of “Street Dancers” and even some of “Rule Breakers” get a little upset and try to convince them to join them in order to get the best result.

Sahej, of course, does not believe anything they’re saying because “Rule Breakers” is their enemy, and while “Street Dancers” was part of his family, he thought that joining “Royals” would give them a boost in the win because of how good the original dancers are. Besides, Mia (Nora), Sahej’s girlfriend, is also in “Royals” which makes it easier than to just meet up at different times behind the “Royals”’ back. 

As they’re prepping for the competition, Inayat tries to hide that she’s a dancer from her parents because her parents are extremely conservative and believe that all dancing is associated with revealing clothing and forbid it. However, she gets caught one day and is in the middle of being yelled at when her brother brings Sahej in and as an apology for smack-talking her crew. 

When one of Sahej’s best friends and crew members finds out what “Rule Breakers” ultimate motive is to win the competition, he switches from “Royals” and Sahej gets mad because they’d always said they would stick together. When Sahej’s friend leaves, he finds out “Street Dancer”’s motive for winning and tries to persuade Sahej but he doesn’t believe anything because of their ongoing rivalry.

As the movie progresses, however, Sahej comes to realize that what his friend was saying about “Street Dancer” was true and just at the start of the final performance, “Street Dancer” and “Rule Breakers” join together for a big breakout performance and end up winning the competition. Now that Sahej and everyone knows the real motive behind “Rule Breakers” insistence for them to join, they donate the money to the illegal immigrants that Inayat was secretly helping and at the end of the movie, there’s a scene of a special S.W.A.T. team helping out with food and other necessities for other people in need.

All in all, this movie – while incredibly action-packed – also carries a hidden message of “treat others the way you’d want to be treated”. The dance crews, all caught up in their rivalry, didn’t even notice the immigrants until Ram (Prabhu Deva) pointed them out with his failed attempt at secrecy. But when they did notice the immigrants, they immediately forgot or pushed back their own selfish needs and chipped the prize money towards the immigrants to get home and safe to their families. 

Besides the heavy plot, the movie also contains really good dance scenes and songs at enjoyable intervals, so when people aren’t concerned about the immigrants and what’s going to happen, they can enjoy the dances and songs as ways to get their spirits up. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Hailey Boyle – Staff Reporter

“Dear John” is a romantic drama-war film based on the book by Nicholas Sparks. The movie stars Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Curtis, and Channing Tatum as John Tyree. The film was released on February 5, 2010, and displays a love story between a soldier, and a college student. 

John Tyree is a Staff Sergeant for the US Army, goes to Charleston South Carolina while on leave for two weeks. Savannah Curtis is a college student who is there on her spring break building houses for humanity. After saving her purse in the water, John and Savannah instantly hit it off. The two spend every day they have left with each other and grow towards a stronger and stronger romance. After Savannah meets John’s dad, John gets angered towards a comment she made saying his dad has autism like Allen, her life long friend Tom’s son. This caused John to storm off and accidently punch Tom in the face. The next day they both have to leave each other and Tom agrees to give Savannah a note that John left for her. When she receives the note she instantly goes to John’s house where they agree they will write letters to each other documenting everything, until John gets discharged in one year. 

While both lovers are counting down the days until the year is up, 9/11 happens. After the attack, John decides to re-enlist with his team which saddens Savannah tremendously. Their romance through letters continues, until Savannah stops writing for months. She finally sends one final “Dear John” letter, telling John she had met someone else and they had to break up. John loses his true love and stays in the army, until he is sent back home to see his father in the hospital after having a stroke. After his dad dies John visits Savannah and finds out the other man she married was Tim, who is suffering with lymphoma. 

This movie tugs on many heart strings with everything that is involved. An autistic child, a killer romance breaking up, war, a character with cancer, and a death of an autistic single father. This film is filled with passion and heartache that touches every viewer. The movie shows countless numbers of ups and downs making it more and more interesting. “Dear John” displays a beautiful, love at first sight, relationship that has everyone routing for the two. It makes the watchers emotional from seeing the tragic love story that doesn’t work out.

The film displays multiple things that are very heartwarming. Aside from the heart aching love story, it also shows a struggling father raising an autistic child, soldiers fighting in war, and the death of a single autistic father that loved his son. It goes back and forth from one heartwarming thing to another to create a theme of love, betrayal, and bittersweetness. The sweetness from both characters triumphs the heart wrenching break-up that everyone dreads. 

All in all, the movie “Dear John” is a great watch that will definitely make one shed a tear or two. The movie shows great love and passion throughout and the struggle of two lives just not meant to be.

Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

By Eva Carroll – Staff Reporter

The movie “2012″ is an apocalyptic thriller released in 2009 directed by Ronald Emmerich. “2012″ is about a geological disaster that ultimately brings an end to the world. Dr. Adrian Helmsey and other geological scientists discover that increased radiation from the sun has melted the Earth’s core and caused the crust to destabilize. As a result, the crust will be free to rotate causing devastating earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. To save the human race, the United States government and other nations build storm proof ships which can protect 400,000 civilians. The story follows the journey of Jackson Curtis trying to save himself and his family from the coming disasters by traveling to the ships in hopes for salvation.

“2012” is an adrenaline-inducing film. The film includes multiple scenes where the family teetered on the verge of death. The suspense and fear over what could happen to the family stimulates adrenaline throughout audiences while at the same time keeping them entertained. One scene that was particularly thrilling was when Jackson gets the map to the government ships from an RV at Yellowstone park. During this scene, the Yellowstone Caldera erupts which will kill the family if they do not escape quickly enough. The scene includes multiple frames of the blast using proximity and vantage point to make the explosion seen even more destructive. The scene then alternates between Jackson madly driving away and gigantic chunks of debris crashing into and destroying the area around him. This feature highlights the imminent threat of danger that Jackson is faced with. At first, all other audio is cut besides the sound of the explosion. This technique isolates all other parts of the scene bringing undivided attention towards the devastating blast.

Afterward, intense crescendo music starts to build as Jackson gets closer and closer to the plane which builds up the intensity and urgency of the situation. When Jackson reaches the plane, he stays inside the RV looking for the map. As he does this, the ground underneath the RV collapses and the RV is seconds away from plummeting down to the core of the Earth. At this moment, the music stops and his children start to cry. Viewers are led to believe that Jackson is going to die. This scene has everyone jumping out of their seats pleading for Jackson to get out of the RV before it’s too late. Miraculously, Jackson manages to climb out of the RV and onto the plane runway. Jackson is seen running after the plane with the ash cloud and debris bellowing after him. He manages to make it on the plane with the map safely and escape from his near certain death. The producer could have made Jackson’s quest for the map easy, but he purposely made the task dangerous to make the film more adrenaline inducing. They incorporated multiple film techniques to increase the thrill and intensity of the scene such as manipulation of sound, usage of particular media elements (proximity, vantage point, etc.), and variation and alternation of frame clips. This was just one scene that made the movie all that more thrilling. 

“2012” spreads a positive theme about good vs. evil. In the film, there were multiple conflicts that the characters were faced with, but one in particular demonstrated the good nature of human beings against the evil nature in human beings. Different characters represented different sides to this battle. Characters like Mr. Anheuser, a greedy and selfish government official, and Yuri Karpov, a misogynistic billionaire, represent the evil in people. Characters such as Dr. Adrian Helmsey, a young geologist, represent the good in people. Dr. Helmsey works for Mr. Anheuser. Mr. Anheuser hid the truth from the American people and led the execution of anyone who tried to speak out. Whenever Dr. Helmsey tries to persuade Mr. Anheuser to let the public know, Mr. Anheuser shuts him down. It seems for the majority of the movie, evil is in control. However, at the end of the movie this changes. One of the final scenes takes place right after the boarding gates to the ships close. Hundreds of people who paid for their tickets were not boarded onto the ship. There is only 15 minutes until the tsunami wave hits the ships and the unboarded passengers herd outside the boarding gate. Dr. Adrian Helmsey makes a speech about how it is inhumane and wrong to allow hundreds of others to die. Mr. Anhueser argues that if they open the gates, they may not be able to close them in time and they will all die.

Dr. Helmsey attempts to convince the heads of the mission to open the gates by saying, “The moment we stop fighting for each other, that’s the moment we lose our humanity.” They have to decide if doing the right thing is worth the sacrifice. If the gates stay closed, it shows how evil nature wins because Mr. Anhueser gets what he wants and what is left of humanity is motivated by self interest and greed.

If the gates open, it shows how good nature wins because people are still fighting for each other and doing what is right. After a long silence, they open the gates spreading a message to viewers that the good in people will always trump the evil.

On the other hand, “2012″ is very cliche and repetitive. This movie has all the end of the world cliches out there. First of all, the stereotypical “loony bin” is the first one who tells Jackson about the coming events. Just like every other apocalypse movie, Jackson plays his warnings off  and later realizes that he was right the whole time. Further, it just so happens that Jackson can save his family from any situation even though it would be literally impossible to do so in real life. One example of this in the movie is when Jackson gets his family out of California which was becoming destabilized. Not only does he successfully swerve every falling car and piece of debris, he manages to speed through both a collapsing bridge and collapsing glass building completely unscathed. He also randomly has access to all different types of last minute transportation including two different planes. Throughout the movie there were so many unbelievable crazy coincidences that saved Jackson and his family that the movie became a little too unrealistic. On to my next point, some scenes were way too similar. For example, when Jackson drives out of California, the road behind them starts to crack and break apart as the crust destabilizes. Then, when Jackson and his family try to leave California by plane, the runway behind them starts cracking down and breaking as well. Moreover, when Jackson and his family leave Yellowstone park by plane, the same thing happens where the runway starts to crack and fall apart behind the plane’s path. Finally, when Jackson tries to get on a plane to china where the ships are located, the runway cracks and falls apart directly behind them….again.  

“2012” is successful in creating suspenseful and thrilling scenes that the audience expects in a thriller/action film. The film is also successful in incorporating deeper themes such as good versus evil. However, the film was cliche and repetitive which is why it does not deserve a 5 out of 5 rating.                    

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!

“London Has Fallen,” directed by Babak Najafi, is about Secret Service agent Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, and how he saves President Benjamin Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart, from terrorists in London, England. 

“London Has Fallen” has amassed a worldwide total of $205.9 million and $62.7 million in North America. Angela Bassett, who played Lynne Jacobs, was a nominee for the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. 

The movie focuses mainly on Mike Banning and how he manages to keep President Benjamin Asher safe and save him from the terrorists that capture him, but it also includes people like MI6 Agent Jacquelin Marshall, Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs, and Vice President Alan Trumbull. 

The movie starts off with G8 intelligence services tracking Aamir Barkawi, who is an arms dealer and terrorist, and authorizing a US Air Force drone strike on his compound during his daughter’s wedding, the strike apparently killed and injured some of his family members, but not him. After this, two years have gone by in the movie, and British Prime Minister James Wilson suddenly dies, so President Asher, Mike, and Lynne go to the funeral in London. 

During President Asher’s car ride to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, mercenaries disguised as police officers and emergency responders coordinate attacks that kill five leaders that were set to attend the funeral proceedings. When President Asher arrives at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, gunfire reaches his location and many mercenaries attempt to kill him and his security detail, but Agent Voight escorts President Asher, Agent Banning, and Director Jacobs out of the cathedral plaza, until he is shot and killed. From that point, Agent Banning escorts President Asher and Director Jacobs to Somerset House, and they get on board Marine One, then Marine Two and Marine Three follow Marine One out of Somerset House. 

Eventually, President Asher is kidnapped by Barkawi’s men and severely physically harmed, and Agent Banning works with the British military to save President Asher from Barkawi and his men. 

One of the best parts of the movie is when Mike deleted the resignation letter that he had after he watched Vice President Trumbull talk about the United States of America prevailing. 

Previous to President Asher’s kidnapping, Mike and Benjamin enlisted the help of MI6 agent Jacquelin Marshall, the terrorists capture Trumbull’s encrypted message that they would send a delta team to Mike’s location, but the terrorists get to the building and attempt to assassinate Mike and President Asher. 

Agent Marshall found out that MI5 Intelligence Chief John Lancaster aided Barkawi through his attempt to assassinate President Asher, so she goes to arrest him but he goes for his gun, so she shoots at him and kills him. 

However, the movie could have included some more action in the beginning part of the movie, like before the drone strike. 

The director of the movie did a really good job of providing vivid details and action-packed fight scenes. 

“London Has Fallen” fits nicely between the two other movies in the “Fallen” series – “Olympus Has Fallen” and “Angel Has Fallen.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Stephanie Caron – Entertainment Editor

“Animal Crossing” is a fun-loving, classic video game that was first released 19 years ago on the Nintendo 64. “Animal Crossing” is a game where the player’s character is a human who lives in a village that is inhabited by various animals. In the game, the player goes fishing, searching for fossils to put into their museum, and bug catching. The last release of an “Animal Crossing” game before the latest one was “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. The anticipation of the new game that is loved by so many was long, and highly demanded. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” was released on the Nintendo Switch on March 20 and is better than anyone could have ever expected. 

Many features were updated and changed in the newest game: better graphics, new villagers, new buildings, new clothes, and many more. In the release in 2012, the main goal of the game was that you were the mayor and had to create the town from scratch, but with this release you are not the mayor, you are now on a deserted island and your job is to create a new town for visitors to come visit and live with you. You are given set goals to do to get further into the game, and many tasks to get new villagers. 

Including the basic features many there are smaller changes of the game that might not seem like a big deal to a new player, but to a fan of “Animal Crossing” it is a huge deal. Nintendo created a phone for you to carry around to connect with your encyclopedia of insects and fish, see what friends are on, your nook miles, and your DIY bench. The DIY bench and the Nook Miles are two new features that really shape the game as you are given many different quests to obtain your miles, and DIY projects to expand your village. It is shown throughout the game how much thought and detail went into the creation, and production of this new version. 

This game is very addicting, as you want to grow and expand your village to be the best it possibly can. Although the wait for this new “Animal Crossing” was long, it was completely worth the wait.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” was released as a Netflix original sequel to the first movie, “To All The Boys I Loved Before.” The film was released on February 12 in the U.S. The movie features Lana Condor as the main character, Lora Jean. She tries to navigate her new relationship, in the harsh high school environment.

In the first movie, it is shown that Lora Jean writes love letters to all of her crushes in the past. Lora Jean’s sister grows sick and tired of watching her older sister have no social life. In an attempt to better it her Lora’s younger sister releases her letters, to Lora’s past crushes in hopes that it will spice her life up. Lora Jean tries to run from her sister’s ex boyfriend (whom she wrote a letter to), as she tries to save the embarrassment. While running from one boy, she runs into the arms of another, unaware that they would fall in love. 

Lora’s love interest, Peter, is played by Noah Centineo. Peter and Lora make an agreement to start a fake relationship (they each have their personal reasons). The fake feelings eventually become real. They have their problems but by the end of the first film they end up together. 

In the sequel, Lora and Peter are dating, but Lora has a hard time adapting to the life of a girlfriend as she overthinks about both her and her boyfriends every move when they are together. She gets a letter in the mail from another one of her past crushes that received one of her famous crushing letters that she wrote when she was younger. His name is John and it is clear that he has feelings for Lora Jean from the letter. Lora tries to put the letter aside but when signing up for a volunteer opportunity, she gets stuck with John. Lora struggles with who to pick in a crazy love triangle, but in the end one connection is stronger than the other, and she finds her true love. 

There are many strong points in the sequel. The actors seemed really committed to the roles as they all played convincing parts. In some scenes, however, the camera work is a bit cringy. Sometimes, it’s best to keep it simple, but not awkward. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Amelia Mower – Staff Reporter

An inside look into the daily affairs and scandal of Washington, D.C., along with the duties of President Tom Kirkman are encompassed in “Designated Survivor’s” third season, launched exclusively on Netflix. As former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, having no prior political experience, Tom Kirkman became President of the United States in the wake of tragedy. In Season Three of “Designated Survivor,” Kirkman is running for reelection as President, facing many unexpected challenges along the way. 

The 10-episode season touches on many sensitive and controversial topics that President Kirkman has to consider on his run for reelection. These topics range from bio-terrorist attacks and opioid addiction to the debate over immigration and transgender rights in the United States. The last episode of the season shows the ultimate result of Kirkman’s reelection and closes up some of the loose ends found in prior episodes. 

This season also digs deeper than ever before into the background and lives of some of the Presidential Cabinet members and people close to the President. Viewers find out about Aaron Shore’s questionable past, Emily Rhodes’ family issues, and Hannah Wells’ motivation. Affairs between colleagues and secrets between members of the Cabinet are sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. 

Although slightly different from the two seasons before it, the third season of “Designated Survivor “is definitely one to watch. It does a good job of portraying real-life issues, ones that even parallel the debates going on in our country today. One thing that is very unique to this season is the inclusion of real, non-actor people of the United States in President Kirkman’s campaign. This aspect and the input of actual people’s opinions and experiences make this season of “Designated Survivor” special.

The only downside of “Designated Survivor’s” third season is that it is the final one. Netflix cancelled the show after the third season aired in June 2019. Because of the cancellation, the last episode of the show poses many unanswered questions about the fate of Tom Kirkman and his Cabinet. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-in-Chief

The documentary series “Tiger King” was recently released on Netflix and quickly grew in popularity to make it onto the Top 10 list of shows to watch in the US. The story follows the life of Oklahoma native, Joe Exotic. Not only does Joe act like a character out of a dramatic TV show about country life, but he also owns over 200 big cats. While running his own private zoo called Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, Joe finds himself fighting against various animal rights activists, including one woman named Carole Baskin. Each episode of this seven-part series is filled with immense amounts of drama. From a disappearing husband to polygamy to a murder-for-hire trial, this show truly encompasses the drama that is involved with the private ownership of exotic animals. 

Although the show revolves around Joe Exotic, whose personality takes over the screen with his eccentric lifestyle of running his own broadcast network, filming a reality TV show, and continuing a singing career, the other people involved make the documentary really worth watching. Carole Baskin, the animal rights activist from Florida and Joe’s sworn enemy, runs her own sanctuary called Big Cat Rescue. With millions of followers on different social media platforms, Carole has a huge impact on the animal rights world. The feud between Joe and Carole gets more and more extreme throughout the series and makes the storyline that much more interesting. Joe accuses Carole of feeding her husband to her tigers and continuously berates her on his broadcast network. People such as John Finlay (Joe’s husband) Rick Kirkham (the reality TV show director), Doc Antle (a fellow big cat owner and breeder), and Joshua Dial (Joe’s campaign manager in his run for president and governor) all contribute to the dramatic storyline that explains Joe’s seemingly insane lifestyle.

If people are looking for a series to binge for the entire day during quarantine, “Tiger King” is perfect. The fact that this show is completely true makes it that much more interesting and keeps the viewer on the edge of their couch. Grab some popcorn and take a seat cause you won’t want to get up until the whole show is over.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Malakai Pisacreta – Staff Reporter

“I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO READ!” says an angel who has just been sent into the distance by a plumber with a red hat, blue overalls, and a mustache that no one can forget.

This is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a game pitting video game characters from different licenses, developers, and franchises, against each other. Though the game has been out since December of 2018, this game is only just getting started when it comes to content for players. 

This game has the largest roster yet of any Super Smash Bros. game with 74 characters at launch, six DLC characters, and six more to come.

The game play is typical of other Smash Bros. games, multiple different modes such as, Classic, Stadium, Smash, and Online.

The main mode that most play is Smash, where you can have up to eight people play at once, which is a fun way to have family and friends alike, good or bad, enjoy the game.

There is also Classic Mode, which takes the player through different challenges as the character they choose, ending when they give up, or beating the final boss.

With not many things to do in quarantine, gamers can turn to Smash to help fill the time by playing online, with friends or strangers.

Playing online is fun, but without a stable connection, the game can feel super slow, and unresponsive.

Smash is also a good way to have fun with younger siblings or parents, because the controls are simple enough. 

Unlike other fighting games, 77 characters in the roster do not need those complex button inputs, (ex, down, forward, down, forward a). 

Most fighters will only need to have the a or b button pressed while holding the joystick in a direction or without a direction.

The three exceptions are for fighting game characters, Ryu, Ken, Terry Bogard. These characters require the experience of either, playing the games they come from, or button-mashing.

Overall, the game has so much potential, and hopefully many more years of play to experience.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

By Sydney Simpson – Staff Reporter 

The CW series “All-American” starring Daniel Ezra is now one of the top three most streamed shows on Netflix due to the release of its second season on March 7. Loosely based on the story of former NFL star Spencer Paysinger, Season 1 of the show follows main character Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) who is a junior in high school and who also happens to be one of the top 100 football players in the country. 

James was originally from South Crenshaw, a tight, loving community and a town that suffers massive amounts of gang violence. After being recruited by Beverly Hills High School’s football coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), James left South Crenshaw to play for Baker in hopes of more opportunities. In order to meet the requirement to be a student at Beverly, James had to move in with coach Baker and his family, further separating him from his friends, family, and community. The first season of the show focused more on James’s football career, how he acclimated to life in Beverly Hills, and how he led his new team to the state championship, while season two focuses more on his home life, and the heartbreaking issues occurring in his community. 

Season 2 of the show was inspiring, heart wrenching, and frustrating all in one. With multiple plots occurring at once, the show really keeps the watcher on their toes. There are a multitude of characters, all with their own complex emotions, backgrounds, and problems that add to the interesting and exciting storyline. It was inspiring by showing that anyone, no matter where they come from, can overcome even their biggest obstacles. Almost every character in this show had at least one struggle during season two, either external or internal, and the ways that each individual dealt with those struggles were different. Some needed more help than others, but in the end, almost all of them were resolved. 

Season 2 of the show focuses more on the home lives of the characters rather than just on football, and it really goes in depth with the struggles of being a teenager and the pressures that kids put on themselves to make people proud or to be the best. It has heartwarming moments, such as the teenagers of both communities coming together at points throughout the season to fight for what’s important to them, and the multiple times that James and his friends stood up for each other no matter what happened. Family values were instilled throughout the season as well, by showing how Spencer remains close with his Mom and his brother while living in Beverly, and how he deals with the issues he has with his father. On the downside,  there is a lot going on through the season and it could be hard to keep track of, which makes the show slightly confusing. It also discusses many mature topics, such as depression, drugs, violence, and more that could be unsuitable for younger viewers. 

All in all, the show “All-American” is an incredible view into the struggles of teenage life while at the same time being an entertaining and realistic show about American high school football. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Hanna Broderick – Staff Reporter

“John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch” is a children’s comedy special created by Mulaney and Marika Sawyer. The special came out on December 24, 2019 on Netflix, where Mulaney has done three previous stand-up comedy specials. Mulaney’s intention was to create a special that resembled 70s kids television. It was mainly inspired by classic series’ “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company” and “The Great Space Coaster.” The special features Mulaney alongside 15 child actors and singers ages 8-13, and includes special guests Jake Gyllenhaal, David Byrne, and André De Shields.

At the beginning of the special Mulaney talks about how he was recently watching children’s TV and he didn’t like it. Remembering how much he enjoyed it as a kid, he concludes that TV was simply better back then and his goal was to create something similar to what he enjoyed as a kid. It does exactly that, each skit tackles a different topic through sketches and songs. 

The show is funny for adults because of how much of it represents the innocence and silliness of kids. It sort of pokes fun at the ‘dumbness’ of kids without being condescending towards them. It also makes multiple comments on how sometimes the more simplistic and oddly intelligent approach that children often take, could be the best.

In one sketch, the kids are sitting in a meeting room holding a focus group led by Mulaney about a fake movie he produced, one of the kids breathlessly explains the whole plot to him, despite him obviously already knowing. However, the child does a great job in summarizing the movie and Mulaney realizes that it would be the perfect logline. This is all why it is an appealing special to people of all ages.

Considering that the show was made for kids and adults, the actual format of the show could have been made more in mind of children. The special is 1 hour and 10 minutes long which most kids do not have the attention span to watch. It could have been served better as a multiple episode mini-series showing only one or two skits an episode. Besides that, the actual writing, directing, production and screenplay was phenomenal. 

“John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch” is the perfect special to watch for anyone, of any demographic. It is extremely funny and explores topics that have not been previously talked about in a kids show.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

By Tyanna Xavier – Staff Reporter

“Five Feet Apart” is a 2019 classic and romantic film that will have every woman at the edge of their seat in tears. This film was directed by Justin Baldoni and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was based on a true story of a couple named Dalton and Katie Prager who both had cystic fibrosis. 

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the glands that produce mucus and sweat, causing mucus to become thick and sticky. As the mucus builds up, it can block airways in the lungs making it harder to breathe.

In the movie, the main character, Stella (played by Haley Lu Richardson), checks into the hospital for help with her cystic fibrosis (CF), as though it is her second home. Stella has been there so long she became friends with a lot of the staff and other sick patients that are around her age. When she is roaming the halls of the hospital she comes across another patient named Will (played by Cole Spouse) who also has CF. However, Will was there to do it through an experimental trial to help with the CF. 

As most women have seen many romance movies in their lives, this is one to remebever. Will was so tired of having this disease he didn’t care what would happen to him. However, Stella refused to let him think that way. Every day she would see him but of course, stand five feet apart and just help him stay organized with his medicine and tell him that they are going to get through this together. 

Some strong points of the film were that it was unpredictable, yet very realistic. This film was fiction but it introduced real life problems and complications in people’s lives. People with cystic fibrosis should never meet each other because they carry bacteria within their lungs that could be harmful to each other. Therefore, for this movie to be a rom-com about two teens who can love from a distance but never touch is very eye-watering.

As much as this movie was very thrilling, however, it did resemble many other romance movies. For one, it is similar to “The Fault In Our Stars” and “The Notebook” because the plot involves characters battling with medical issues. Notwithstanding, this movie was very entertaining. It just could have had a slightly different storyline than these other romance movies. 

This is a great movie to watch on a girls’ night along with some ice cream and a box of tissues. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

By Maddie Papcun ─ Staff Reporter

Tim Burton is well known in the entertainment industry for his dark direction of macabre cartoons and horror films, such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Yet, while animated movies in general lend themselves more to whimsical or high-spirited themes, Burton pushes the envelope again and again, especially with “Corpse Bride.” 

Released on September 23, 2005, and now almost 15 years old, “Corpse Bride” is the tale of Emily, a bride of the afterlife, and Victor Van Dort, her still-breathing groom. It is set in a fictional, Victorian-era village of England. 

As the film opens, Victor, the son of newly-wealthy fish merchants, is set to marry Victoria Everglot, the daughter of newly-poor aristocrats. The hope is that such a union will raise the social status of Victor’s family, while simultaneously raising the financial status of the Everglots. 

Nervous about marrying someone he does not know, Victor struggles through the wedding rehearsal and eventually runs away to the forest to practice his vows alone. As he places a ring on a branch, it manifests into the hand of Emily, a dead woman in a tattered bridal gown who agrees, saying “I do.” Thus, Victor is caught between two marriages, and struggles to find his place in both the mortal world and the Land of the Dead. 

The strongest point of “Corpse Bride” by far is the soundtrack. The movie is semi-musical in nature, as some of the plot is told by songs the characters sing. These songs reach a wide range of genres, but the best one is titled, “Remains of the Day,” and utilizes a New Orleans jazz style to explain how Emily came to be the titular  “Corpse Bride.” 

Another strength Burton’s “Corpse Bride” holds is the casting. Johnny Depp voices Victor, and Helena Bonham Carter is the voice of Emily. Honestly, this should not be a surprise, as Burton has a habit of casting the two actors in opposing roles of his movies. This would seemingly make the pairing overdone, but the opposite is actually the case; each applies perfect emotion and characterization through their voice acting. 

Additionally, “Corpse Bride” does a fantastic job of explaining typically difficult concepts to its younger audience. It is an animated film and is intended for children, but it also deals with heavy topics such as death, true love, and murder. Burton’s film does not struggle in explaining these concepts simply, rather it perfectly breaks each difficult point down while telling an entertaining story. 

While “Corpse Bride” is a movie that’s a little older, it is a timeless story of love and loss told through Tim Burton’s classic style of stop-motion animation, suitable for all ages. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Some information courtesy of imbd.com) 

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

Tons of new songs have come out during these three months in 2020. Many of those songs have been on TikTok, which is a platform where people post videos to get likes and views and get “TikTok famous.” Some of the songs include “You Should Be Sad” by Halsey, “Yummy” by Justin Bieber, and “What A Man Gotta Do” by the Jonas Brothers.

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Halsey has been known for her distinctive singing voice and the way her songs make her fans feel like they can do anything. Some of her songs are about getting over bad breakups or about getting over that friendship that was so toxic you didn’t have anything to fall back on. “You Should Be Sad” is about a girl getting ready to breakup with her significant other and no matter how gently she’s doing it, she’s doing it in a way that makes it obvious that she never wants to see him again. 

The lyrics “I wanna start this out and say / I gotta get it off my chest / Got no anger, got no malice / Just a little bit of regret” start off the first verse by conveying the meaning that she’s had this in her for a while and needs to get it off in a way to let her continue to be free and without regrets.

One strong part in “You Should Be Sad” is the lyrics “Oh, I feel so sorry / I feel so sad / I tried to help you / It just made you mad” because it shows that she’s trying to be the bigger person while also trying to reject him as clearly as she can. It shows that you can do anything you put your mind to as long as you’re focused and ready. 

A confusing part of song is the line “Let me start this off by saying / I really meant well from the start” because it’s confusing and makes questions arise like “was she planning on breaking up with him before the relationship even became official?” or it could’ve given off the impression that she was in it for the glory or whatever and then ended it because she wasn’t satisfied.

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Before releasing his new album “Changes,”  Justin Bieber had about as many songs as diehard fans have on their liked songs playlist on Spotify. One of the extremely popular songs on “Changes” is called “Yummy” which is about his deep affection for his wife and how he’d do anything for her; drop everything and go to her if that was what she wanted. 

The most memorable lyrics in “Yummy” are “Say the word, on my way / Any night, any day / In the morning or late / Say the word, on my way” because it shows that he’s always ready to drop everything and go to her if she ever needs him no matter what’s happening and that’s basically what his whole album is about, basically just showing his true “intentions” (another song on his album) and letting his wife know that he’s always there for her since the album is basically dedicated to her and his relationship with her. 

A weak point in “Yummy” is when Bieber sings “Standing up, keep me on a rise / Lost control of myself, I’m compromised / You’re incriminated, no disguise / And you ain’t never running low on supplies” because it’s confusing, simple as that. Probably only Bieber knows what this means, and while that is okay and all because it’s his album, it’s a lot more confusing for his fans too because they would want to know what it means if they can’t figure it out.

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The Jonas Brothers’ album “Happiness Begins” is all about the era of being tied down, marriage, and the honeymoon phase in marriage and Kevin, Nick and Joe really play it up in their songs on this album. 

“What A Man Gotta Do” is about the passion behind the marriage and how the husband is reassuring the wife that they’re in it together no matter what. 

The lyrics “I’d move the earth or lose a fight just to see you smile / ‘Cause you got no flaws, no flaws” are memorable because it shows that the husband is pleased to praise his wife and that he’d do anything for her happiness, even if it made him a little upset. 

A weak point in “What A Man Gotta Do” is the lyric “Cut my heart about one, two times” because only the artist knows what it means and although that’s normal for songs because fans can’t be expected to know what all of the lyrics mean, it’s still confusing because they don’t know what the singers are trying to convey. 

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Overall, “You Should Be sad”, “Yummy”, and “What A Man Gotta Do” are actually really good songs to move around to and to gather inspiration from (especially “You Should Be Sad” for that last one).

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

Music fans may know “Falling” by Trevor Daniel. Well, he recently released a new song called “Past Life” which is him talking about his past life and basically what he would change to make his new life better. He reflects on all he did in his past life and how he’s trying to better himself by recounting what he did and would not do. 

“And I don’t want to sit in all my sadness / I know it’s a habit of mine” is a part of the song where Daniel acknowledges that he spends most of his time wallowing in his despair and that he doesn’t want to do that anymore in this “new” life of his. 

A strong part in the song is when Daniel sings, “Don’t re-, don’t remind me / I ruined it before it began” because of how he acknowledges that he ruined the life before it began, and that he doesn’t want to be reminded of his past actions. It shows that Daniel is willing to move on and forget his “past” life and transition into his “new life” while also making sure he fixes his mistakes or avoids making them again. 

One weak point point in the song is when Daniel sings, “Got me here like you can never figure me out / Last night was the last time, was the last time” because it gets kind of confusing. Like, why was last night the last time? What was it the last time for? What did he do to make it sound like he was definitely never gonna do it again? Also, what does he mean by “you can never figure me out”? Is he trying to block out the people who hate on him? Is he leaving clues that the recipient will never figure out? The lyrics are very confusing and leave a lot up to interpretation. 

Overall, “Past Life” by Trevor Daniel is a good song and it could inspire someone to block out their haters or cut off toxic people so they can move on and get started on their “new life” and make new friends or keep old friends and create new bonds. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

By Addison Schwing – Editorial and News Editor 

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR “PARASITE”

Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” has taken the box office by storm. The comedy-thriller premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2019, whereupon it received the Palme d’Or, the first South Korean film to do so. Upon its release in Korea at the end of May, Parasite was met with critical acclaim, going on to receive over 180 awards, including four Oscars. 

Parasite follows the story of the Kim family, who are destitute and live in a basement apartment in the slums of an unnamed Korean city (the movie was filmed around Seoul and in Jeonju). The Kim family father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jung and son Ki-woo hold temporary jobs as pizza box holders and struggle to make ends meet. One day, Ki-woo’s friend offers him a job as an English tutor for the exorbitantly wealthy Park family, who live in a lavish modern house and drive nice cars. 

Soon, Ki-woo helps the rest of his family infiltrate the Park family, with Ki-jung posing as an art therapist, Ki-taek working as the family chauffeur, and Chung-sook taking up the position of housekeeper. They revel in the glory of the Park family’s riches until they discover a secret that will tear the two families apart, and see innocent blood spilled. 

“Parasite” is a joy to watch. The stark contrasts drawn between the two families are evident in subtle symbolism, such as a scene where Chung-sook hastily prepares instant noodles for the Park family’s eccentric son Da-song, and tops it with high-grade sirloin beef, presumably to illustrate the sheer wealth gap in the movie. The film builds tension through the orchestra-focused soundtrack, with the sharp resonance of violins builds as the heat rises. On the surface, Parasite is an innocent enough comedy, but under its shiny surface lies a dark and malicious interior. 

The climax of the movie, where the Kim family discovers someone living under the house, signals a sudden shift in the movie’s tone, and the switch is so sudden it easily catches you off guard. You simply can’t prepare yourself for the sheer speed that the climax happens in. Many subtle, yet significant details lie hidden beneath the surface, commanding the watcher’s absolute focus. It is certainly a film intended for higher levels of thinking, and without such high attention, the watcher can quickly become lost in the metaphorical hurricane that is this movie. 

“Parasite” is a surefire win for anyone who wants to get deeply invested in a complex spiderweb-like plot with rich characters and gorgeous cinematography. This movie is a blast and is well-deserving of its innumerable accolades. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“Black Mirror” is a show that was first released in December 2011. While it came out nearly nine years ago, it still managed to convey extremely technologically advanced ideas through each of their episodes.

“Black Mirror” speculatively examines modern society. The show executes this idea of a technological future by focusing on humanity’s relationship to technology and the consequences that may have on the world. Each episode of “Black Mirror” focuses on a different reality in order to allow people to understand that there may be future adverse effects to the technological advancements we are currently making.

For example, in one episode of the show, a top gamer company creates a video game in which players can physically enter the game. With the game eliciting a mix of thrill and fear, it results in the audience being on the edge of their seats. However, just like every other episode of “Black Mirror,” the episode ends in a tragedy, as the main character ends up dead because of a flaw in the game’s design.

With the end of each episode resulting in feelings of uncertainty and oftentimes bewilderment, the show manages to teach the audience lessons about how the misuse of technology can lead to our downfall.

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“After Parkland” is an intimate documentary following the lives of families who lost loved ones in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

The documentary shows people navigating their way through life while dealing with grief and loss. It shows the effects of the shooting that took place only a year ago. Emily Taguchi and Jake Letterman, producers for ABC’s Nightline, followed the survivors months after the shooting. They follow multiple survivors as well as the lives of the parents who lost their child. 

The documentary is not about the shooting itself but how people grappled with the aftermath of the shooting. The film has a tone of sadness at the thought of so many young lives can be taken at any moment. It also touches upon how activism can be seen as a way to cope with the tragedy. The focus on activism serves as a remembrance of the incident.

One of the victim’s fathers creates pictures with his son’s images and slogan, “Change the Ref,” the name of the non-profit he and his wife created. This will be able to help their son’s generation to work against gun violence and other issues. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

The new “Bad Boys For Life” movie was released on January 17. The film was the fourth of the “Bad Boys” series and features Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as the main characters.   

The new “Bad Boys For Life” movie stars Will Smith as Mike Lowery and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett. The two characters were played perfectly by these amazing actors.

The two actors are portrayed as partners in crime, or more appropriately, partners in justice. The two are detectives in the Miami Police Department and chase down bad guys and fight for justice while having a good time. 

Although the film gives an interesting and fun insight into the field of police work, it is at times unrealistic and features many exaggerated scenes. One example of that would be the excessive car crashes, fires, and destruction that occurs in the film. While police work can be daring and harmful, these are extreme circumstances.

This particular film talks about Detective Lowrey’s life before he met his partner in justice. His life before his partner was interesting to say the least, as he was sent as an undercover cop to a Mexican cartel. In an unexpected turn of events, he fell in love with a vicious woman, a woman that defied all his principles. Many times in the film it is mentioned that she turned him into the man that he is. Without her, he wouldn’t have the hard-core exoskeleton that is so often portrayed throughout the series.

When terrible acts are committed to members of an old case, it is clear that a rivalry has appeared between the caseworkers and the convicted. In an effort to sort out the crime, Lowrey takes on the case. Only this time, Mike and Marcus can’t do it alone. 

A new team is then introduced to viewers. AMMO is introduced as a more new and younger way to solve crime. In a way giving that famous clash of the ages that we are so used to hearing or feeling. Both of the main characters struggle with the idea of this new and more efficient way of doing things.

At the end of the film, none of that really matters, as both the young and old crime workers come together to find the bad guys and try to solve the case.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

“21 Bridges”, directed by Brian Kirk, is about New York Police Department detective André Davis, played by Chadwick Boseman, and his involvement in uncovering a huge conspiracy involving corrupt police officers. 

“21 Bridges” has amassed over $48.9 million worldwide and over $28.5 million in the United States of America. 

The movie focuses mainly on Detective André Davis and how he discovers that there are some police officers that are not following the law and participating in illegal activities, but it also includes people like Captain Matt McKenna, Detective Frankie Burns, Michael Trujilo, and Ray Jackson. 

The movie starts off with Davis at his father’s funeral service at a Church in New York City. Davis’s father, Reginald, was a police officer who was murdered during one of his shifts, therefore there was a closed casket ceremony. 

19 years go by in the movie and then André Davis becomes a detective in the NYPD. Davis gets assigned to a case involving two drug thieves breaking into a building to steal a rival gang’s cocaine. At this point, Davis does not know that the responding officers to the break-in were actually trying to steal the cocaine themselves as well, but later on in the movie he will figure this out. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Butchco and Dugan attempt to take over the case from Davis and Burns, but at the end of this argument Davis and Burns are allowed to lead the case. 

During the chase of Michael and Ray, the two suspects, Davis mortally wounds Ray and then Michael manages to keep Burns at gunpoint. Michael tells Davis how suspicious the whole everything is on the drives that he received from the money cleaner that they went to after getting cash from Adi, their drug dealing friend. 

Eventually, after looking at Burns’s phone, Davis realizes that she is a corrupt police officer and she was in on the plan to raid the drugs in the building. 

One of the best parts of the movie is when André Davis is in Captain McKenna’s home and he tells Captain McKenna that he knows that he was in the ring of corrupt police officers because he has proof from the drives. 

Soon after this, corrupt police officers and the two corrupt FBI agents, Butcho and Dugan, come to shoot Davis but he shoots them down and shoots Captain McKenna because he attempted to kill him. Davis then arrests Burns because she put down her weapon and badge. The movie ends with Davis driving off with the drives in a cup holder in his car. 

However, the movie could have been a little more clear in the beginning of the movie with the drug stealing scene and the aftermath of that scene. 

Overall, the director did a really good job at making the movie interesting and memorable. 

“21 Bridges” can be compared to other movies involving police officers and law enforcement agencies like, “21 Jump Street” and “The Heat”. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“The Flash,” ever since its pilot episode aired on October 7, 2014, has been a favorite among comic fans alike as a dynamic extension of the “Arrowverse.” However, in recent years, namely in 2016 when Season 3 debuted, the love for the show began to die out due to retcon inconsistencies, repetition, a lack of lightheartedness that made the previous seasons of the show successful, amongst other issues. Season 6, however, so far, seems to be an impetus for redemption for the show as a whole that has allowed for the return of viewers that were not fond of previous seasons.

[WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers for “The Flash” Season 6 Episodes 1 – 11 and Crisis on Infinite Earths. Read ahead at your own risk.]

The show features Iris West-Allen played by Candice Patton, Dr. Caitilin Snow/Killer Frost (Dr. Snow’s alter ego) played by Danielle Panabaker, Cisco Ramon played by Carlos Valdes, Joe West played by Jesse L. Martin, Cecile Horton played by Danielle Nicolet, Ralph Dibny (aka Elongated Man) played by Hartley Sawyer, Harrison Nash Wells (this season’s rendition of the Harrison Wells character), Allegra Garcia (the newest addition to “Team Flash”) played by Kayla Compton, and last but not least, Barry Allen, or better known as the fastest man alive, The Flash, played by Grant Gustin.

Season 6, while humorful, starts in a dark place as it begins right after the disintegration of Nora West-Allen (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy), the daughter of Barry and Iris that traveled back in time to see them. Although Nora is quite distant and mysterious in the beginning, especially with Iris, she eventually develops a tight-knit relationship with her parents which makes it all the more difficult for them to say goodbye after Nora disappears into thin air after a confrontation with The Flash’s archnemesis, The Reverse-Flash. To add insult to injury, Barry and Iris discover that Barry is fated to die during Crisis on Infinite Earths, an event that threatens the very existence of the multiverse.

However, no season of “The Flash” would be complete without a formidable antagonist and for this season, the directors introduced Ramsey Rosso (played by Sendhil Ramamurthy), a seemingly mild-mannered doctor who after witnessing his mother fall at the hand of HLH (a rare blood disorder), and knowing that he also will contract the disease, goes mad trying to develop a cure which leads him to break the Hippocratic Oath and become the villain known as Bloodwork. Bloodwork is unlike any of the other villains seen in past seasons as he is not a speedster but rather he is a meta-human that possesses the ability to infect others to create invincible henchmen that he can command. Overall, due to the uniqueness of the character and his motives, Bloodwork has proven to be a worthy adversary of The Flash so far.

As stated before, Season 6 of “The Flash” is more of a reboot for the show in terms of its reputation amongst its fans. The primary reason for this being the case is the fact that this time around the show has been made to mirror the cheerfulness and humor that was the cause of Season 1’s enormous success. Also, in past seasons, namely Seasons 4 and 5, Iris has played the role of leader of “Team Flash,” and while there is no doubt that Iris and Barry are soul mates, most fans would agree that the role of leader does not highlight Iris’ strengths as a character and that showcasing her as the intrepid investigative journalist that she is by nature would be a lot more beneficial to the show which is how Iris has been portrayed thus far in the season. Another highlight of this season, in particular, has been the version of The Flash suit Barry has donned which compared to the previous 5 seasons, is the most comic-accurate and aesthetically pleasing with the reintroduction of the chin strap and overall minimalistic design. This season also displays the adept acting ability of the cast through the perfect combination between intense emotional scenes and those that present the dorkier and more hilarious sides of the characters. All of the previously mentioned high points of the season are worth discussing, however, the most impactful was the fact that as a result of the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the multiverse was destroyed which means that all the superheroes and villains now reside on one Earth, known as Earth-Prime. Of course, this is also quite unfortunate as many of the fans fell in love with the concept of the “Arrowverse” characters being able to travel to other worlds, often intensifying the plot. However, with all that being said, it is quite an exciting installment as at the end of Crisis of Infinite Earths Barry creates a union amongst the heroes, much like DC Comics’ “Justice League.”

Although just above, the death of the multiverse was stated as a positive, there is one repercussion of the end of the multiverse that makes the event seem very indecorous, indeed, which is that, with the multiverse being a construct of the past, it eliminates the possibility of another Harrison Wells character being introduced. This is quite upsetting to fans as the introduction of a new Harrison Wells character every season has garnered the affections of many fans and has been very helpful to “Team Flash” as they work to quell their ever-expanding rogues’ gallery. In contrast, now, “The Flash” is left with Harrison Nash Wells being the only version left to assist “Team Flash,” however, the accuracy of that statement may need to be furthered examined as at the end of Season 6 Episode 11 (“Love is a Battlefield”) there is a shot in which Harrison Nash Wells sees Harrison “Harry” Wells (first introduced during Season 2) for a quarter of a second before he disappears. It is currently unclear what the implications of this happenchance are, however, fans theorize that it may be a hallucination caused by the guilt he faces since he incidentally started Crisis on Infinite Earths out of hubris leading to the subsequent destruction of all other worlds and thus all versions of Harrison Wells, also. 

Although most viewers have stopped watching since Season 3 onwards, as alluded to previously, Season 6 is a perfect opportunity to return without any feelings of regret with the introduction of the Season 1 inspired approaches to plot construction and character development.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Addison Schwing – Editorial and News Editor

At first glance, Mecha Noodle Bar is quite unassuming. It’s tucked away in a side street off of US Route 1, nestled carefully among boutiques and grab-and-go restaurants, with only a bright orange sign out the front. They don’t take reservations or call ahead seating, and they don’t deliver either. With locations in Stamford, Norwalk, and New Haven, one would assume it’s just another chain. However, once crossing through the double doors and past the curtains, you’re immediately greeted with quite the spectacle.

Every surface of the restaurant is covered with black metal and hardwood furnishings. Diners sit at communal tables chowing down on soup as waiters weave their way through the crowded dining floor. Behind a counter of noodle chefs sit shelves stocked with various Japanese foodstuffs. A portrait of the late Anthony Bourdain hangs behind the diligent chefs behind the counter, tucking into a bowl of ramen. It’s small and crowded, packed to the brim routinely with hungry patrons looking to warm up with a hot meal.

I was seated after a while and presented with the menu, which offered both ramen and pho, a handful of appetizers, and an extensive drink list on the back. The menu, while small in terms of individual items, offers many customization options for its dishes, such as soft boiled eggs, scallions, and corn. I opted for the Red Oil Dumplings and the “Tonkatsu Ramen,” two obvious favorites given everyone else’s orders at the tables nearby. To drink, I ordered one of their house-made sodas, a ginger beer. 

My appetizer arrived; four hefty dumplings sitting in dark red chili oil garnished with scallions and fried shallots. They were big, stuffed to the brim with pork and shrimp, and perfectly pan-fried, with a satisfying crunch to boot. The heat and acidity of the chili oil cut through the richness of the dumpling, which acted more as a vessel with which to deposit some of the hoisin sauce sitting at my table. It was fantastic; rich and spicy and flavorful all in a hand-sealed package. My ginger beer was spicy with a sweet, tart undertone – a perfect palate cleanser.

Eventually, my ramen arrived, and what a sight it was. It was unlike anything I had ever seen; a big blue bowl of thin noodles swimming in a light brown-ish broth, with a slice of chashu pork belly, a half of a soft boiled egg, and wide strips of nori flanking the bowl. At first bite, I was enthralled by the complexity of the broth, offset by the firmness of the noodles. The taste was indescribable; traditional tonkatsu broth takes anywhere from 24-48 hours to make, and its time on the stovetop certainly lent it a rich umami sensation accentuated by fragrant spices. The pork belly was tender and pleasantly fatty and not at all conflicting with the rest of the dish, the soft boiled egg was soft and, while a little bit strange to eat, was still delicious in its own right, with delicate savory notes poking through the richness of the broth. The nori served little purpose other than some textural difference, but it was a welcome change of pace from the rest of the dish. By the end, I was totally full, and after paying my bill, I actually had some difficulty getting back to my car, thoroughly incapacitated by the delicious meal I had previously consumed.

Fairfield, Connecticut is a haven for restaurants such as Mecha, boasting a wide array of restaurants, from simple pizza and sandwich joints to upscale gastropubs. Mecha Noodle Bar is an unpretentious, yet satisfying restaurant that serves filling meals made with quality ingredients and prepared with care. Even if it may be a little pricy (my meal for one ran me around $30), it’s well worth the cost and the drive to get there. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

The sequel to the bestselling “Jumanji” movie is now here…and it’s a movie viewers don’t want to miss.

[WARNING: Review of this movie comes with spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk.]

“Jumanji: The Next Level” came to theaters on December 13 starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas (all returning) and a new cast member, Awkwafina.

The movie starts off with Spencer coming back home from college in New York. He’s made plans to have a sort of reunion with his friends from high school: Bethany, Martha, and Fridge at their favorite diner, now called “Nora’s”. When Spencer gets home, he finds out he’s sharing a room with his grandpa, and things get interesting from there on.

When Eddie’s (Spencer’s grandfather) old friend comes by his house for a visit, Eddie gets mad because Milo (old friend) abandoned their old restaurant to “retire” and relax. Milo gets mad back at Eddie for taking things to the extreme and says that he just wanted to relax with his wife and retire because he knew his “time” was up.

Spencer rediscovers the Jumanji game, after thinking that it was gone after the last time he went in. Curious, he goes in again, and goes missing. When he doesn’t show up to the diner with his friends, they get worried and go to his house to figure out where he’s gone. They snoop, and they find the game in the basement, shock taking over all their faces after they see it. Since Spencer’s grandfather is down in the basement with them, he gets sucked into the game with Milo when they start and Bethany is left back in the real world.

The roles are switched when the characters enter the game. Instead of Spencer becoming Dr. Bravestone, Eddie becomes Dr. Bravestone, and Fridge becomes Prof. Shelly Oberon. Martha is still Ruby Roundhouse, and Milo becomes Franklin Finbar. Milo and Eddie are confused when they find out what they are, and because of their short-term memory, Fridge and Martha have to keep telling them what’s going on. Meanwhile…Bethany, having been left behind from the game, goes to Alex to help get them back. When Bethany and Alex get into the game, she turns into a flying horse and Alex turns into the famous Nick Jonas, who is Alex in the game as well. 

The goal to get out of Jumanji is to recover a stone from Jurgen the Brutal, and to do this, they need to get Spencer, who turns into Awkwafina, whose character is someone skilled in lockpicking and stealth. Spencer, while in the character’s body, feels even worse about himself, because being in that specific body reminds him of who he is in real life, and he’s devastated because instead of becoming Dr. Bravestone, he’s basically another version of himself. 

The movie follows the main cast as they retrieve the stone and save Jumanji, once again. Once they get back home, the four friends decide never to go back in and they destroy the game console. Martha and Spencer are back together, and everything is just as it was in the first film. 

A strong point in “Jumanji: The Next Level” is when the characters switch avatars. This is a strong point because it shows how the different characters can make the avatars their own and it shows independence and that people don’t have to always be the same person; they could always use different personality traits to express themselves.

A weak point in “Jumanji: The Next Level” is when Spencer goes back into the game without notifying his friends. The whole foundation of their friendship is honesty, because when they first became friends, they had to depend on each other to survive. Him not telling his friends about going back into the game was a breach of that.

Overall, “Jumanji: The Next Level” is a really good action movie, and it’s not one moviegoers want to miss. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter 

The new animated film “Frozen 2” premiered in theaters November 22. This movie is a sequel to the first “Froze”n film which was released November 27, 2013. The film features Queen Elsa and her sister Princess Anna as the main characters. Queen Elsa is known for her magical powers that allow here to control the cold (thus the name “Frozen”). 

Idina Menzel plays the character Elsa in the film. India does a great job at being the voice of the character, as she can clearly portray how the character feels in the way that she talks. 

Kristen Bell plays the character  Anna in the film (Elsa’s younger sister). Her voice also fits her character well, and allows the audience to fully grasp the tone of the scenes. 

The movie although having to do with magical/mythical powers, of course has a deeper meaning. The deeper meaning being that sisters or family, is extremely important and should be there through all your imperfections or problems. 

In the first “Frozen” film Elsa runs away from the kingdom and everyone believes that she has been cursed and that her powers are a sin. Anna her sister decides to journey off by herself and find her sister, because she knows how her Elsa must’ve felt and how scared she was. Anna after staying in her home for years leaves the kingdom defenseless and has no idea what’s to come. When Elsa is in distress Anna risks her life, as she stands in front of a blade to save her sisters life, risking her own. The tables are switched and there is one way to save Anna (true love), of course the audience believes this involves true love with a man, but that’s not the case here. In this case true love was Anna and her sister as Elsa truly loved her sister and Anna truly loved hers. The love that they had for each other saved each other. 

That is why the film is appealing to most audiences. It can appeal to the younger generations as well as the older ones in a way that most films wouldn’t. 

New songs were put in the film they could only be described as catchy as they pull the audience in and make them sing along. 

The movie also appealed to the imagination of the children that watched it, as the animations were as detailed as they could be for an animated film.

Rating:  3.5 out 5 stars

By Briana Hernandez – Staff Reporter

AJR is an American pop band composed of multi-instrumentalist brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met. The band is a pop group who write, produce, and mix their material in the living room of their apartment. Their most successful songs are “I’m Ready,” “Weak,” “100 Bad Days,” and “Burn the House Down.” In 2019, their third album “Neotheater” debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200, and hit #1 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

The name “AJR” comes from the first initials of the three brothers, Adam, Jack, and Ryan. Their musical style has been described as “electric,” combining elements of pop, doo-wop, electronic, and dubstep.

This group would originally perform covers of songs until they started to make themselves more known through singing at Washington Square Park and Central Park with their own original songs.

The brothers released their third EP, titled “What Everyone’s Thinking,” on September 16, 2016, which features the lead single “Weak.” The lead single was written by the band in a day, within a few hours, without any idea of the future success the single would have. “Weak” has been certified Platinum in the U.S., Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, and Gold in Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Australia. It has over 320 million streams on Spotify.

The band released its second studio album, The Click, on June 9, 2017, featuring the singles “Weak”, “Drama” and “Sober Up”, which features frontman Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, who co-wrote the track. This song reached number one on the Mediabase Alternative Singles chart in 2018. The band’s 2018 tour in support of the album, The Click Tour, featured Hundred Handed, Grizfolk, Ocean Park Standoff, and MAX as openers.

An extended version of The Click was released on September 21, 2018. The Click (Deluxe) included new tracks such as “Role Models”, “Normal” and “Burn The House Down”, the latter which the band released in March, 2018 as a single and reached number two on the Mediabase Alternative Singles chart. Also included was “Pretender – Acoustic”, an acoustic version of “Pretender”, which was a collaboration between AJR, EDM artist Steve Aoki and American rapper Lil Yachty.

In all of their songs the lyrics are easily known and are stuck within the beat of the songs. Their songs are easily relatable to a degree for their targeted audience. Even those who don’t listen to pop, electronic, doo-wop or anything like that, they can still can get glued to at least one of their songs. This being due to how they suck listeners in.

They don’t target everyone instead they only make songs specified group. For those who like rap, heavy metal, or etc. those are the types of people who would not like this type of music. 

In the beginning of this song there is a short clip of “I’m Ready” from Spongebob Squarepants. This song has an upbeat and is very positive in its tune. This song talks about being crazy about a girl and how they’re going to “set the night on fire”. With this song they put a twist on the meaning of the blues, with an upbeat tune, but talking about a girl. They are similar to most boy bands out there, including One Direction, the Jonas Brothers, and the Backstreet Boys.

This song brings the relatable state that not everyone wants to get up everyday. Also, brings how even though one person may be weak it doesn’t mean anything, there shouldn’t be discrimination against it. Part of their lyrics that play into this is, “But I’m weak, and what’s wrong with that”. Everyone is weak at one point, it doesn’t mean that someone should be attacked for being so. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

“Angel Has Fallen,” directed by Ric Roman Waugh, is about Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, and his interactions with President Alan Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman. 

“Angel Has Fallen” won the Labor Day weekend box office with an estimated $11.5 million. 

The movie focuses mainly on Mike Banning and how he is falsely accused of planning an assassination attempt on President Alan Trumbull and his entire Secret Service team, but it also includes people like Leah Banning, Clay Banning, and Wade Jennings. 

The movie starts off with Banning at a Secret Service training facility and when Banning comes out of the facility, Jennings takes Banning’s helmet and collects DNA evidence, such as hair and sweat. Of course, at this time, Banning has no idea that Jennings did this and will plan to betray him in the future. 

During one of the President’s fishing expeditions, Wade Jennings and his Salient team fire drones that target and kill all the members of Mike’s Secret Service team, but they do not target Mike and the President. After this, the Federal Bureau of Investigation falsely accuses Mike of an assassination attempt on the President and his own Secret Service team because of the DNA evidence that Jennings planted in the van that fired the drones.

Eventually Mike escapes custody of the FBI and custody of Salient Global because of his Secret Service training. 

One of the best parts of the movie is when Mike Banning and Clay Banning press buttons and wires on land in the forest and a bunch of bombs go off and kill the bad people from Salient Global that Wade Jennings sent to kill Mike. 

Banning is thought to be a criminal during most of the movie, and as a result his family is poorly treated. After President Alan Trumbull clears Banning’s name, he is uncuffed and allowed to help out in protecting the President from Wade Jennings and his Salient team. 

Banning successfully takes the President out of the hospital, but then his team is attacked by Salient, and it turns into a bloody gunfight. At the end of all the fighting, the President is safe and Mike Banning lives and becomes promoted to Secret Service director. 

The previous Secret Service Director David Gentry arrests the acting President Martin Kirby for helping Salient Global plan the assassination attempt on President Alan Trumbull in order to raise up to the office of the President of the United States and help give military contracts to private military companies. 

However, the movie could have included more action in the beginning part of the movie, like before the training exercise. 

The director did a really good job and the actors were very good at making the movie interesting. 

“Angel Has Fallen” can be compared to the two previous movies in the “Fallen” series, which are “Olympus Has Fallen” and “London Has Fallen”. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“Joker” is a new psychological thriller based off of the D.C. comics. 

The film was directed by Todd Phillips and produced by the Warner Bros. Some of the cast consists of Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, and many more.

The plot follows Arthur Fleck, who is a part-time rent-a-clown. He is working for a sketchy talent agency. Fleck is mentally ill and takes medication as well as attending court ordered therapy. 

This leads to him resorting to crime to make a living in Gotham City. 

Arthur wears two masks. One for his day job as a clown and one that is a way to attempt  he is part of the word that surrounds it. His isolation and loneliness built up into madness and the movie follows his self destruction. 

The movie is creepy and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

All the actors performances’ were highly praised. The were able to capture the dark tone of the movie as well as the topic of mental illness.

The film was suspenseful and eerie and is able to appeal to a large audience. It keeps the viewers scared yet entertained. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

The last song ever sung by Selena Gomez before October 2019 was “I Can’t Get Enough” with Benny Blanco, J Balvin and Tainy. “I Can’t Enough” was released on February 28, leaving many of her fans a little more than eight months wondering if she’d release new music or not. 

AJustin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s second wedding was on September 30. Selena’s new songs “Lose You To Love Me” and “Look At Her Now” released on October 23, not too long after the wedding. Many fans speculated that the pop singer’s two new songs were about the marriage and that the songs were revealing how “betrayed” she felt that Justin moved on so quickly. Selena was quick to shut that down and Hailey also shut those rumors down, but some fans can’t help but wonder if it’s actually true or not. 

“Lose You To Love Me” is an almost “soft” and emotional song – supposedly – conveying Selena’s feelings towards Justin and Hailey’s wedding. “In two months you replaced us / Like it was easy / Made me think I deserved it / In the thick of healing, yeah” is one of the phrases in the song, referring to Selena’s feelings on how fast Justin moved on from her to Hailey. “Lose You To Love Me” is a very emotional song, which will really put anyone “in their feelings”, and want to play it for any sad event or anything.

A strong point in “Lose You To Love Me” is the way it flows and the lyrics “And now the chapter is closed and done / To love love, yeah / To love love, yeah / To love, yeah / And now it’s goodbye, goodbye for us” which basically means that Selena’s over Justin and that she is officially ready to say goodbye to what once was between them. A weak point in “Lose You To Love Me” is the lyric “Set fire to my chorus” because it doesn’t really go with the meaning of the rest of the song. 

Another new song of Selena Gomez, called “Look At Her Now”, is just the opposite of “Lose You To Love Me” although conveying the same meaning — just in a different way. “Look At Her Now” is all about how she’s sad about moving on but also about the fact that she’s happy to live life and that she’s glad she’s not tied down anymore. A strong point in “Look At Her Now” is the lyrics “Of course she was sad / But now she’s glad she dodged a bullet” which really conveys how Selena and Justin were always on and off and that there were many accusations in their relationship (all of them about Justin doing something wrong or cheating on her). This phrase in the song really conveys the meaning that she’s glad she’s out of the relationship, otherwise it might’ve grown toxic. A weak point in “Look At Her Now” is the lyrics “Not saying she was perfect / Still regrets that moment” because it doesn’t really relate to the rest of the song and could be confusing for many people. 

After a little more than eight months without releasing a song, Selena Gomez is back and better than ever with “Lose You To Love Me” and “Look At Her Now” for her new fans, and a lot of them seem to be eating it up. Her two songs really put into perspective the topic of breakups and moving on and being happy, which could sound really good to newly-single people.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars