Nolen Kelly, Editor

Well here we are with the Halloween episode of the Collegian and it’s time to talk the terror. There really is no feeling quite like watching a horror movie. I may not be the biggest frequenter of the genre, but when a movie manages to dig under your skin, personally attack your senses and leave your walk to your car, bathroom or bedroom the scariest journey you have embarked on then that is truly something special. I put out a poll on my social media in search of what movies left my followers fearful or filled with discomfort, masochistic joy or true horror and the results are truly fascinating. Everything in this article is a horror movie and may contain content that is upsetting, disturbing or inappropriate content so to be safe, I am throwing up a discretion warning for any movie title featured as well as a small spoiler warning.

Nolen Kelly: “Twin Peaks: FWWM”

My favorite horror movie is “Twin Peaks; Fire Walk with Me.” I am a big fan of the show, as all stable and normal humans should be, but for some reason it seemed like the fanbase was torn on whether the movie pre-dating the events of the series was good or bad. After giving it a go for the first time this year, I understand. I later saw David Lynch’s industrial horror insanity, “Eraserhead,” and even that couldn’t match the visceral discomfort, genuine sadness and sheer horror that “Fire Walk with Me ” left on my innocent and pure soul. Maybe not everyone’s brand of spook, but if a movie has Kyle MacLachlan, a Nine Inch Nails-esque club scene, and David Bowie then it is destined to stick in my annoying Letterboxd top four for months after watching it. There’s not much more for me to say without spoiling anything but the entire second half of this movie is some of the most wildly uncomfortable and soul crushing stuff I have seen so far. Just to rattle off a few more of my favorites, I am really big on “The Lighthouse,” “Ghostbusters,” (1984), “Carnival of Souls” and the actual greatest of all time, “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Hey, look at that you survived my opinion, congratulations. This will be a bit of a long article but bare with me, this is the part I really wanted to focus on. I asked my friends to write a few short sentences about their favorite horror movies and why that one because just saying a movie you like is fine but talking about it is always better. 

Francesca Knoll: “Train to Busan” – “Picture this: the perfect zombie movie with great acting, phenomenal makeup and an ending that will have you crying your heart out. Folks, ‘Train to Busan’ has all of that and more. I enjoy this movie so much because of the fact that it is not simply a zombie movie. While the zombies are terrifying, the story tends to focus on how people may lose their moral values in life or death situations, and also a bit of commentary on the social classes in South Korea. While I wouldn’t call this specifically a horror movie, Editor’s Note: it is I definitely felt my stomach churning seeing how fast the zombie apocalypse spread and how an entire country essentially collapses. If you feel like watching a movie that makes you laugh cry, and fear for your life: go watch ‘Train to Busan.’”

James LeVan: “Insidious” – “‘Insidious’ terrifies me because there are some eerily uncomfortable scenes. Most horror movies I have seen were either slashers or relied heavily on jump scares, but ‘Insidious’ scares you by setting you up with some uncomfortable tension building. Even when you know something is going to happen, you’re not quite sure what exactly will happen and every time it succeeds in being scary. 

Jakob Eiseman: ‘Hereditary” – “My favorite horror movie is ‘Hereditary.’ It’s not the scariest movie I’ve seen or even the best horror flick I’ve watched, but it is by far the most terrifying. From start to finish ‘Hereditary’ gave me an extreme sense of anxiety and dread that made me feel like I was about to get my head ripped off or burnt alive by the villains of the film. I was told to go in blind, but I knew the film was A24 so I knew to expect being uncomfortable. Nothing prepared me, though, for how the filmmakers manipulated my expectations to make me watch my back every time I left the house for months. I still haven’t fully recovered from how utterly scared I felt on the walk from St. Basil’s to Theresa Court the night I watched it.”

Greg Shannon: “The Lighthouse” – “I think when it comes to a movie like ‘The Lighthouse’ it handles horror in a unique way. Normally horror movies are typically about jump scare and adrenaline rushes, but ‘The Lighthouse’ is slow and methodical. It forces you to let your guard down and leaves you disturbed by the end of it.

Izzy Hill: “The Conjuring 2” – “‘The Conjuring 2’ is so much more than a spooky movie about the paranormal. It’s got a beautiful love story that brought tears to my eyes, a coming-of-age story that didn’t make me hate children or British people for a moment and a spooktacular horror plot. This movie is fantastic as a standalone, but if you’re like me and my roommates, who watched all of the ‘Conjuring’ universe movies in chronological order, it pulls everything together leaving you truly stunned.

Kai Espinosa: “Coraline” – “I should start this off by saying that ‘Coraline’ is my favorite film of all time. Since I was a kid, I was drawn to smooth claymation and silly characters and now that I’m (seemingly) an adult, I love ‘Coraline’ for different reasons, mainly the story of family and all the dysfunction with it. ‘Coraline’ is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman about the adventurous preteen Coraline Jones. While exploring her new house, Coraline finds a small door that leads to a house similar to hers, only this house is full of bright colors, mouth-watering feasts, and clones of her parents who cater to her every want and need. Coraline’s other mother and other father offer for Coraline to live with them forever in this utopia on one condition: they sew buttons into her eyes, terrifying stuff. This movie combines stellar stop motion with themes of family and betrayal. In what is essentially a horror movie for kids, ‘Coraline’ is a chilling film that is sure to stay with you during the spooky season.”

On my Instagram page I put out a question on my story simply asking “What is your favorite Horror movie?” It almost seems like people actually like horror movies, weirdos, and here are some of my followers’ favorites. Fellow Archbishop Ryan survivor Tori Sciarra rocks with “The Lighthouse,”as well as “Scream” (1996), which is also the favorite of my A&E co-editor, Jeri Tripodi. Lee Hungerford and Aidan Degnan are classic monster enjoyers with the blandly titled but eternally bonkers “It” (2017) and “The Thing” (1982) respectively. Malachi Cason is a big fan of “Child’s Play” (1988) and Raymond Thompson digs “Halloween”(1978) just like Soraya Kelly. 

With all of the serious answers I got, there had to be some real “funny guys” who thought saying “The Santa Clause” (1998), Matt Keller, and “Star Wars” (1977- present), Ryan Donaghy, would make me laugh and guess what? You did. Are you happy now? Do you enjoy making me laugh you sickos? Sorry, I digress. Martin Redenaur is a big proponent of “The Wailing” (2016) but not as big as Audrey Walker — they both fought loudly for who loves it more and it was a stressful time. We were so generously gifted the favorites of her majesties Maria Hernandez, Vice President of Personnel of the Masque of La Salle, with “Horsemen” (2008), Liz McLaughlin, editor of the Business section, with the Jack Nicholson documentary “The Shining” (1980), and Kylie McGovern, editor of the Sports section with her favorite, “The Sixth Sense” (1999). My roommate and fellow Timothy Olyphant fan, Sam Da Silva is bit of a modern guy in a modern time and was left in a broken state after experiencing Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017) and Chase Hildebrandt submits “The Passion of the Christ” (2004). It is scary, yes it is, this is my article, you have no power here, shut up. Finally, some other normal humans, Jen Schnakenberg and Mary Wierzbicki decided that no horror movie is a good horror movie and that sits perfectly well with me. 

As you can see, people seem to like horror movies. Weirdos. But if there is one thing to take away it is that horror movies kind of rock even if you are not a horror fan. Horror can be anything that makes you uncomfortable or plants a seed of scary in your soul.

Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

Welcome to the wonderful world of entertainment. The following news includes highlights of celebrities, television, movies and music this week.

Alec Baldwin fatally shoots a cinematographer in tragic accident

            Actor Alec Baldwin was on set filming his upcoming western film, “Rust,” when he was handed a prop gun from the assistant director, Dave Halls, who assured him that the gun was “cold” and safe to use. However, when Baldwin shot the gun, it was loaded, and cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was fatally struck in the chest. The director of the film, Joel Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins, sustained minor injuries. According to the New York Post, Baldwin is devastated over the incident and has been heard saying, “In all my years, I’ve never been handed a hot gun.” Hutchins leaves behind a husband and a 9-year-old son.

The Times

Kanye West officially changes name to “Ye”

            A judge has granted rapper Kanye West’s request to legally change his name to “Ye.” The 44-year-old rapper, whose birth name is Kanye Omari West, will not have a middle or last name. According to BBC, the “Gold Digger” rapper filed for the name change in August and cited “personal reasons” in the paperwork. The former husband of socialite Kim Kardashian has gone by “Ye” as a nickname for years, and it was also the title of his 2018 album.

ABC7 Chicago

A new season of “The Bachelorette” premieres

            On Oct. 19, the eighteenth season of “The Bachelorette” premiered on ABC at 8 p.m. Airing on Tuesday nights, this season follows Minnesota school teacher and basketball star Michelle Young as she searches for her husband among 30 eligible suitors. Young first emerged in “The Bachelor” franchise as a contestant on Matt James’ season of “The Bachelor,” where she was the runner-up. Drama was in full-swing during the season premiere, as Young was quick to eliminate a man who she suspected was there for the wrong reasons. Former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe returned as co-hosts.

Us Weekly

“Hocus Pocus 2” is pushing for a Halloween 2022 release

            Production for the long-awaited sequel to the 1993 hit Disney Halloween film “Hocus Pocus” has started in Rhode Island. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Sam Richardson will be joining the Sanderson Sisters. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will be reprising their roles as the resurrected witch sisters. Although Disney has yet to release in-depth information about the sequel, IMDb states that the plot will follow three young women who unintentionally resurrect the Sanderson Sisters, and must act quickly to stop these “child-hungry” witches before they take over the world. “Hocus Pocus 2” will be released to Disney+ in Fall 2022. 

The Teal Mango

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of Oct. 30, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Easy On Me” by Adele. Moving up from the sixty-eighth spot, this is the second week the pop song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Punk” by Young Thug. The hip-hop/rap album is at the top spot during its first week on the charts.

Los Angeles Times

Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

*Article Contains Heavy Spoilers*

            On Oct. 15., the highly anticipated third season of the drama series, “You,” premiered on Netflix. After almost two years since the previous season aired, fans, including myself, were very eager to see how life would play out for serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) now that he is a husband and father. Briefly recapping the main parts of season two, the New York native moves to Los Angeles for a fresh start after murdering his girlfriend. He soon meets aspiring chef and produce manager, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). Joe and Love end up dating, and it is soon revealed that she is also a killer, as she murders two women romantically linked to Joe. Then a fallout occurs between the pair, and Joe almost murders Love before she blurts out that she is pregnant. Not only does Joe spare Love’s life, but he marries her. The season then ends as the new family moves to the suburbs. Here, Joe becomes obsessed with his female neighbor.

            Now, I will provide a quick recap of season three, which I watched within 24 hours. Do not continue to read if you do not want spoilers. After moving to an upper class suburban area, the new parents lose spark within their marriage and end up cheating on each other. Joe becomes flirtatious with his female neighbor, Natalie. However, Love quickly catches on and murders Natalie after luring her into a basement. After breaking the news to her husband, Joe gets rid of the body. Natalie then makes the news as a missing woman and a large search party takes place. However, instead of laying low, Love continues to go on a violent rampage. Her next victim is a father named Gil. She is angry with Gil because his unvaccinated daughters gave her newborn son the measles. After Gil’s death, Joe and Love frame him for Natalie’s murder. Although Love and Joe believe they are in the clear, they get terrified when Natalie’s husband, Matthew, opens up an investigation because he does not believe Gil was the true killer. Not only does this cause more fights between the couple, but Love decides to pretend she is interested in Matthew’s son, Theo, in order to find out information. However, Love starts to develop feelings for Theo, but is quick to call things off. Meanwhile, Joe falls in love with his new boss, Marienne, and pursues her. Joe keeps this hidden from his wife, and lies to Marienne by telling her that he is getting a divorce. Then things get intense towards the finale when Love confronts Marienne and convinces her to stay away from her husband. Love also poisons Joe. However, Joe surprises Love when he announces that he was aware of her motive all along. He then kills her. After burning their house down, Joe flees to Paris because that is where Marienne moved to. Every day, he waits and hopes he will run into her.

            After watching season three of “You,” I was left in pure amazement. I was amazed at the storyline and how excellent it was in holding my attention. It made me want to see more, even after the season concluded. This season was very easy to binge due to its well-executed plot that will really keep the viewer on their toes with the action, and will make them scream out at their screen when the unpredictable twists occur. Fans will be pleased to see that Joe stays faithful to the same obsessive personality that he has been known for since the first season. Not only is main character Joe likeable in a disturbing way, all of the characters have likeable traits even though they are troubled. In fact, I am certainly going to miss Love. The actress who played her character (Pedretti) put on a great performance. As for the next season, I cannot wait to see what will happen in Paris. “You” is now streaming on Netflix and is for a mature audience.

Gamers Grade

Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

Welcome to the wonderful world of entertainment. The following news includes highlights of celebrities, television, movies and music this week.

Meghan Trainor and her husband use side-by-side toilets

            During her guest appearance on the “Why Won’t You Date Me” podcast, pop singer Meghan Trainor revealed that she and her husband actor Daryl Sabara had toilets installed next to each other so they can use the restroom together. Trainor then took to Twitter to further share that this is normal for the pair because they are “soulmates,” and also because she misses him when she’s away from him.

People

Adam Levine gets butterfly tattoo during Instagram and Facebook outage

            Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has debuted his most recent tattoo on his Instagram story right after the social media platform’s global outage. Captioning the picture of the butterfly tattoo on his neck, the singer said,“[A] wise man once said… ‘when Instagram goes down tattoo your throat’ his name was @nathan_kostechko.” Kostechko is Levine’s tattoo artist. In addition to the butterfly on a spider web, the “She Will Be Loved” singer has also recently dyed his hair blue to help complete his new look.

RMbiz

“Stranger Things” star David Harbour teases what to expect on season four

         At New York Comic Con 2021, “Stranger Things” star David Harbour teased what to expect on the highly anticipated fourth season of the hit Netflix series. Talking about his character, Jim Hopper, Harbour hinted that the police chief of Hawkins will change for the better and that his past traumas will be explored. Regarding the main cast, Harbour suggested that the “family dynamic” between them remains. Netflix has released sneak peeks for the sci-fi drama’s new season, but has yet to announce an exact premiere date, which will be sometime in 2022.

Insider

“No Time to Die” tops the box office

            The 25th film in the James Bond series, “No Time to Die,” has topped the box office during its first weekend in theaters. This final installment in Daniel Craig’s James Bond saga has made $56 million its opening weekend. The spy film is rated PG-13 and follows Bond on a mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist. But, while trailing the villain, it is discovered that they are armed with a new and very dangerous technology.

Roger Ebert

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of Oct. 9, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “My Universe” by Coldplay and BTS. This is the first week the pop song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Sincerely, Kentrell” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again. The hip-hop album is at the top spot during its first week on the charts.

YouTube

Nolen Kelly, Editor

I am a wuss. I get scared really easily and I actively go out of my way to avoid being scared. Halloween is rapidly approaching and you know what that means — time to get spooky. If you are like me and dread the dead, but not in a cool way, then I have a simple solution for you: movies. If you came to read something from Nolen Kelly, I don’t know what you expected. Here is a list of five Halloween-themed movies that are fun enough to get you into the spooky feeling, but the horror and scaries are more like backseat elements to the movie. This list is designed to get slightly darker with each entry but nothing will be too bad. 

5. “Twitches”

Starting off, let’s look at Halloween movies that were made for younger audiences. I’m in college and I am recommending you, most likely an adult, movies to watch so if I say these movies hold up, you have no choice but to take my opinions to heart and listen to me. Halloween has always been a time that kids networks do themed holidays in style and the best example of this is Disney Channel. Maybe not as great as it once was when I was an active viewer as a small manlet, but there was still a mountain of great Halloween themed mini-movies the channel produced from the likes of “Halloweentown” and “Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge.” While those are both great, I’m focusing on “Twitches.” Twin sisters, played by Tia and Tamera Mowery (“Sister Sister”) happen to be witches in this still fun and light adventure through a spooky world that may not have aged as well as all small people my age may remember, but nonetheless it is still a good movie to watch to get into the spooky mood.

4. “Hocus Pocus”

Moving on from there I want to get a little more mature and talk about a specific Halloween classic that would get me persecuted had I not included it. It is still Disney, I know, but when the subject is about a virgin being sacrificed or something, I think the audience for this movie deserves a bit more credit. “Hocus Pocus” is an all-timer for anyone with an inkling of appreciation for the Michael Myers month and there is a good reason why. Funny, charming, spooky and memorably weird, “Hocus Pocus” will always be known for that song, I’m not going to say it’s name because I’ll get it stuck in my head and yours, as well as performances from Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City) and Bette Midler (“Parental Guidance”), “Hocus Pocus” is a surefire way to get almost anyone excited for Halloween time.

3. “Monster House”

Going further into the darkness, let’s look at animation. It would be easy to put the “Citizen Kane” of movies on here, “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” but I think a better animated Halloween movie is my personal favorite Halloween movie, “Monster House.” Steve Buscemi (“Fargo,” “Reservoir Dogs”) is Mr. Nebbercracker, an old man who takes everything that lands on his lawn, and after his young neighbor, DJ, loses a basketball to Nebbercracker’s lawn, it is up to them to get it back. But, things are a bit more mysterious than they may seem when it looks like the house has some secrets of its own. Surprise: the house is a monster. It’s not an earth-shattering movie, nor is it the greatest animated Halloween movie of all time (that’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,”) but this is still a great movie that I think does the job of getting you into the freaky feeling. Stellar animation that may not have aged well, good casting, good writing and a solid third act make this movie a must watch.

2. “Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban”

Let’s get a little more mature here but let’s also move away from the traditional Halloween setting. There are a handful of movies that can get you into the mood for some screams without even showing you a pumpkin. My pick for the fantastical Halloween slot goes to the “Harry Potter” franchise, specifically “The Prisoner of Azkaban.” Opening with a ghost bus ride that drives in between two double decker busses and a werewolf in the bushes spying on Harry, this movie starts off just right and fits in perfectly with the Hallowed-vibes from there. Werewolves, rats, Gary Oldman and ghosts are all here in this solid entry in not only the franchise but also in the Halloween mood.

1. “Hellboy” (2004)

Finally, talk about a man who practically re-invented Halloween monsters in the 2000’s, Guillermo Del Toro. Although he has dabbled in many actual monster horror movies, he also has a fine collection of just cool monster movies, namely my final entry on this list, “Hellboy.” Demons, Nazis, fish people and Selma Blaire with fire powers — which is awesome by the way — all set a perfectly spooky mood that while may be cheesy at times is another fun action adventure that happens to feature some impressive makeup, effects and overall visuals that will make this a must watch for your Halloween dinner party with your neighbors.

Like I said, I get scared pretty easily and actively go out of my way to avoid being scared, but when Halloween comes around I enjoy a nice spook every now and then. These are just a few easygoing spooky movies to watch this Halloween season.

Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

Welcome to the wonderful world of entertainment. The following news includes highlights of celebrities, television, movies and music this week.

Man sets off fireworks display outside of Kylie Jenner’s home

According to TMZ, a man went to Kylie Jenner’s LA property after 10 p.m. and asked security if he could see her. When security told him to leave, he did, but soon returned. This time, he was carrying fireworks and set off a display outside of the young billionaire’s home. Causing a distraction, the trespasser was able to hop Jenner’s fence. However, law enforcement apprehended the suspect before he made it to the socialite’s house. According to sources, the fireworks caused over $1,000 worth of damage to Jenner’s fence.

Harper’s Bazaar

Shakira gets her purse snatched by wild boars during attack

Pop singer Shakira surprised fans when she shared on Instagram that she and her son were victimized by wild boars in Barcelona. In a series of videos posted to her story, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer explained how she was walking in a park with her son when they were randomly attacked by the two animals. Holding up her torn purse, Shakira stated, “They were taking my bag to the woods with my mobile phone in it.” Both Shakira and her eight-year-old son were unharmed.

The Cut

“Dancing with the Stars” airs Britney Spears tribute night

On Oct. 4, “Britney Night” aired on ABC’s reality competition show “Dancing with the Stars.” During this third week of competition, the celebrities and their professional dance partners danced to some of Britney Spears’ biggest pop hits. One notable performance was Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke’s rendition of “Gimme More.” The couple performed a jazz number separately from their own living rooms after both tested positive for COVID-19.

tvline

“Challenge” will become the first film shot in space

An upcoming Russian film titled “Challenge” plans to make history as the first feature-length film shot in outer space. Directed by Klim Shipenko and starring Yulia Peresild, this drama tells the story of a cardiologist who is sent to outer space in order to perform emergency heart surgery on a cosmonaut who lost consciousness during flight. According to Variety, NASA announced last year that they were teaming up with Elon Musk and Tom Cruise to shoot the first film in space. However, Russia has beaten them to it.

Variety

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of Oct. 2, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Stay” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber. Remaining at the top spot, this is the eleventh week the pop song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Certified Lover Boy” by Drake. The hip-hop/rap album is at the top spot for the third week straight.

Wixx

By Nolen Kelly

The world is a cruel place and we are all just a bunch of greedy monsters. I don’t have a funny or long-winded introduction for this review, because I’m living in a world of darkness that doesn’t deserve my delightful humor. Netflix’s new series “Squid Game” is about 456 men and women, deep in debt, who are all recruited to play games for a mysterious company that offers a gargantuan prize. With nine episodes, each clocking in around an hour each, “Squid Game” has its ups, it has its downs, and it has a lot of other stuff. I have no creative segue for this paragraph, move along now. 

While there was a lot that I liked, there was a lot I did not like, namely the pacing of the show. The first episode worked really well. We got to know the protagonist and see his life, his struggles and how he becomes involved in the games. Then we see the first game: how he and everyone playing are reacting to it, and we, the audience, get to watch and experience everything as well. It effectively established characters, setting, mystery, a game, and the stakes. Every episode is full of subplots and different character dramas so it never gets boring, but sometimes a little too much is happening and there is not always enough space for some things to breathe and settle. Without spoiling anything, there is a moment between two characters I enjoyed a lot but afterwards I realized how rushed and sudden it was. The emotional punch of the moment came and went before I even got a chance to grasp what was happening. The eighth episode has a runtime of only thirty minutes which works perfectly in context to the story. If it was an hour long it would have been too much filler, but the thirty minutes helped contain the story within the story, tell the important parts and move on. Aside from the pacing, I was not a fan of the VIP characters. I know they were meant to be annoying but they really sucked, a few characters had moments of being more annoying than usual, and I think some scenes were a bit rushed in some important areas.

With that said, I liked a lot of what I saw. There were times when my anxiety rose to the levels from the last time I saw “Uncut Gems:” very high. The games were recognizable yet simple enough to grasp, but with the ever present stakes always nipping at everyone’s heels, the character drama was mostly fun to follow, the dynamic changes in power and group work, and the like. I wish the second episode was written a bit stronger but each episode has something memorable within it. Each game is a nightmarish iteration of a normal game that I now refuse to play with anyone ever again because I am afraid for my life. While the finale may be a bit divisive, I have to admit I was thoroughly enjoying it until the big notable moment happened, and then I wasn’t liking it, and then I really liked it after the moment settled and some conversation transpired. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not but I found myself laughing a few times despite the dark scenarios. If there was supposed to be comedy, it worked and I didn’t think it was forced; if there wasn’t supposed to be comedy, it worked and I didn’t think it was forced. The second game, the sugar cookie game, is probably the most popular entity from the show right now and while that may be one of the darker moments of the show, I laughed a few times from the excess of the scene. It is really violent, don’t get me wrong, but if my research in comedy movies has taught me anything, it’s that excess can be funny. 

If I had to pick another fight with “Squid Game,” it would be the outside attention it has garnered. I think the show is great and is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something intense, new and fun, but I think there may have been a little too much overemphasis on the show. I hear a lot of people slamming it and saying it is overhyped therefore they will not watch it, but that’s a terrible mindset to have. “Squid Game” is a good show and should be watched but that’s really all I need to say to recommend it without overdoing it. 

I recommend “Squid Game.” I think it is a fun, twisted and unique show that I can see lasting maybe another two seasons if they decide to continue on. I want to put out a few warnings just to be safe; there is a lot of blood, and gun violence, some gore, some suicide, a bit of nudity, and a lot of intense and somewhat disturbing imagery. A lot of things happen in this show and I think it is worth the viewing at some point. I don’t really want to rate this since it is a show but I do give this a thumbs up, a recommendation, and the Annual “Hey, look, South Korea has made new content that has connected with American audiences” Award. Congratulations.

Nolen Kelly, Staff

On Thursday, Sept. 23, Nintendo Co. announced in the middle of their Nintendo Direct, a showcase of upcoming Nintendo products, they were partnering with Illumination Studios (The same people who gave us “Despicable Me,” and “Sing”) to make an animated film adaptation of their most successful franchise, The Super Mario Bros., along with a notable cast to portray their beloved characters. Since the announcement you, specifically you, have taken personal offense to the casting and it has derailed any momentum you had as a human so now you spend your days in disarray and chaos. I’m here today to offer my alternative casting solutions, as well as my own thoughts on the casting in general, to get you back to being a stable and productive human. Spoiler alert, Danny DeVito will not be in this. Just because a certain Sunshiney and Philadelphian actor is cast as a certain green hat enjoyer/plumber/ghost hunter, that doesn’t mean Danny needs to follow him.

The first place to start is Chris Pratt (“Parks and Recreation,” “’The Lego Movie”) as the lead, Mario, which stirred up some chatter as one of the most controversial casting choices of the past five years. I enjoy the works of Chris Pratt not named “The Tomorrow War,” but I’m just not feeling it. As of now the voice has not been released, so there is a possibility it is just his voice. Although he has a good voice, he has not really had to change his voice for any other role. Why not give the voice to someone who has an entire career of controlling a whole scene’s comedic tone just by talking in different tones, Nick Kroll (“The League” “Big Mouth”). Watch any episode of “The League ” and I dare you to tell me that Nick Kroll would not be able to take any moment from fun and silly into a chaotically manic situation. Kroll’s voice already sounds high pitched enough to match Mario’s, voiced by Charles Martinet in the video games, and his fantastic comedic timing would make this a much funnier movie than it is shaping up to be. 

Speaking of high pitched comedians, Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Horrible Bosses”) as Luigi is perfect. I’m not kidding. I joked on my Instagram story, @nolenkelly, that I think Charlie’s casting is perfect and I stand by it. My favorite TV character voicing my main character in “Super Smash Ultimate” is a dream I didn’t think would be possible. Imagine the Nightman episode of “Sunny” where Charlie is in a world of darkness playing a keyboard while high on paint fumes but replace the keyboard with a vacuum sucking up ghosts in a haunted Mansion and he isn’t high. If I was forced to choose an alternative I would go with the actor who voiced Benny in “The Lego Movie.” I can’t remember what his name is. Next is Anya Taylor-Joy (“The VVitch,” “The Queen’s Gambit”) as Princess Peach. I don’t really have any complaints for her either. I think ATJ is very talented and she would, hopefully, make Princess Peach, again hopefully, feel like the least “in-distress” damsel ever, see her performance in “Split,” although “Split” is not at all comparable to an animated Princess Peach from “Super Mario Bros.” I hope they don’t actually feature ATJ as just a kidnapped princess. Alternatives? No clue, but I have been liking this recent spike of Zoë Kravitz (“Mad Max; Fury Road,” “Big Little Lies”).

Moving on from there are the villains with the big baddie daddy casting of them all, Jack Black, I mean Bowser, I mean Jack Black as Bowser. I don’t really have any complaints here either, I’m sorry. I’m not really, but if “Kung-Fu Panda,” “School of Rock” and my personal favorite, “Nacho Libre,” have taught us anything, it is that Jack is a master of his voice, his comedy and just being the most rad dude on the planet. If I had to recast him I would want to see Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad,” “Do the Right Thing”). He almost killed Walter White and now he’s voicing a dragon, must be a good life being Giancarlo. Another big bad, but good, casted name was Seth Rogen as the tie-wearing and going-on-adventures-with-his-son enthusiast, Donkey Kong. This should be interesting since Seth usually voices below average intelligence characters like B.O.B from “Monsters vs Aliens” or Allen the Alien from “Invincible.” The whole concept of “Monkey Seth Rogen” just feels so strange I can’t imagine any sane human wanting to take on the role so, I don’t know, let’s just say we all agree on Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Hangover”). That new trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” as well as his time as Rocket in the Marvel movies gives me some good ideas of what a raging monkey version of Bradley Cooper would look like.

Rounding out the smaller characters casting list are Keegan Micheal-Key (“Key and Peele,” “Keanu”) as Toad, Fred Armisen (“Portlandia,” “Saturday Night Live”) as Cranky Kong, Kevin Micheal Richardson (“The Batman,” “Invincible”) as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco (“The Irishman,” “Sebastian Maniscalco; Stay Hungry”) as Foreman Spike. I am strongly in favor of KMK as Toad, solely based off the second “Substitute Teacher” skit from “Key and Peele” in which Peele says the phrase “Pray tell what is the reason for this premature exodus” and I need to hear Toad say big words like that. Fred Armisen is one of the funniest people today and will be hilarious no matter where he goes, so Cranky Kong will be a character to keep an eye out for. Kevin Micheal Richardson may not be so familiar to many people, but he is an incredibly talented voice actor that appears in almost everything ever, however his casting as Kamek is a weird one considering Kamek is a woman. As I’m writing this I’m finding out Kamek is a woman so I will be hoping for the best for KMR. Sebastian Maniscalco is a fantastic standup comedian and is maybe the most facially expressive comedian since Jim Carrey in his prime so I look forward to his time on the screen.

I think this casting so far is a really strange array of celebrities that all feel like they are from different corners of Hollywood, but I just hope it is good. Nintendo makes some top notch games, so now all they have to do is translate their flair into another form of media and make it better than passable. “Super Mario Bros.; The Movie” has been announced to hit theaters in December 2022.

Greg Shannon, Staff

Last Wednesday, Disney decided they were tired of all the Marvel content and dropped their highly anticipated “Star Wars: Visions” series. What was thought to be a one episode per week series turned out to just be an entire season as they put out all nine episodes on Wednesday, Sept. 22. These episodes were relatively short, with the longest episode only being 22 minutes and the shortest being 13 minutes. There are some people who think there’s no possible way Disney could make compelling episodes that demand your attention in that short amount of time. I would just like to say, you’re wrong, stupid and should learn how storytelling works. Now, with that out the way, here are my thoughts on “Star Wars: Visions.” 

“Star Wars: Visions” was announced back in Dec.of 2020 and ever since then, I’ve been excited for it to come out. After the success of “The Mandalorian”, Disney and Lucasfilm could make something great here. I was correct and was extremely impressed by what was given to us. “Star Wars: Visions” is made by some of the best anime studios in Japan. The series is nine episodes long and only a few episodes are animated by the same studio twice. None of the episodes in this show are connected, so there’s no need to watch the series in any specific order. This format gives us the chance to explore a lot of different kinds of artwork and a variety of different stories that can be told.  

Every episode of“Visions” is its own story and offers a lot in its own unique way. One of those ways is through the animation style, including episodes that resemble anime like K-on, Kill la Kill and even Astro Boy. Each one is different from the other and it makes every episode stand out through the fight scenes or just the way lightsabers look in general. It also reminds me that Star Wars isn’t always family-friendly, with some of the most violent and coolest deaths from a lightsaber I’ve ever seen.  

While pretty much all of the episodes were great, if there was one that I didn’t like it would probably be episode two, Tatooine Rhapsody, made by Studio Colorido. The story follows a padawan who ends up joining a band and their adventure to become the greatest rock band in the galaxy. Don’t get me wrong, this episode wasn’t bad. I loved that it wasn’t exactly Jedi-focused and I loved the additions of Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt to the episode. My problem came with the music in the episode. I understand that it’s supposed to be fun pop-punk music, but it just didn’t click with me. I thought it was a bit corny and it threw me off from the whole episode. All in all, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but that’s the only thing I hold against it. 

Now for the episodes that managed to stand out to me: the first one would have to be episode one, “The Duel,” made by Kamikaze Douga. In this episode, we follow a ronin-type with his droid as they come upon a small town. When they reach the town, trouble soon breaks out when a band of stormtroopers and a Sith lord, voiced by Lucy Liu, come into town to collect rent. It’s then up to the main character, aptly named Ronin, voiced by Brian Tee, to help save the town. The art style was one of the most impressive parts of this episode. It gave off the feeling of an old samurai movie with the only color coming from the lasers fired by blasters or the blade on lightsabers. It also features the coolest lightsaber I think I’ve ever seen in my life with the umbrella saber. The fighting in this episode is smooth and fluent and honestly just extremely enjoyable to watch. 

The next episode that stood out to me was the fifth episode, “The Ninth Jedi,” made by Production IG. This episode is about a girl who is trying to deliver custom-made lightsabers to nine Jedi who are waiting inside a temple. This episode to me has some of the best fighting sequences in the entire series. The fights that the Jedi have at the temple are fluid and extremely smoothly animated.  In addition to this, there is a  chase scene that the protagonist becomes involved in. This gives us an amazing moment when they get to some icy terrain, not to mention the main character basically gets an invisible lightsaber for a majority of the episode and that concept alone is just mind blowing . Everything in this episode felt right with the villains, the choreography and the design; it was just fun and refreshing. It’s one of my favorites and left me excited for the last four episodes of the series. 

 For me, it was honestly everything I wanted from a “Star Wars” product and a little bit more. It has elements that will make returning fans of the franchise, anime fans or even just casual watchers like it. There’s an episode for everyone in this series and it’s hard to find something that is unlikable.If you are looking for something new, exciting and fun that you could binge in about a day or two, check out “Star Wars: Visions.” I would rate it a solid 8.5 out of 10. 

Jeriann Tripodi, Editor

Welcome to the wonderful world of entertainment. The following news includes highlights of celebrities, television, movies and music this week.

Nicole Richie sets hair on fire while blowing out birthday candles

            Television personality Nicole Richie had a hot start to her 40s. In a video posted to Instagram, Richie captured the moment her hair went up in flames, while blowing out her birthday candles. After extinguishing the fire, and many screams later, Richie was able to laugh. The former BFF to Paris Hilton, and daughter of singer Lionel Richie, captioned the video by mentioning how forty is the fire emoji so far.

People

Kim Kardashian is hosting “Saturday Night Live”

            Reality star and socialite Kim Kardashian surprised fans when she announced that she will be hosting an upcoming episode of “Saturday Night Live.” In an Instagram post that stated her name, Halsey’s name, and the date of the event (Oct. 9), Kardashian captioned that she will be hosting SNL and that there is no turning back. Hosting an episode for Season 47 of the NBC sketch comedy show, the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star is the first from her family to be featured on the show.

HOLA! USA

“Tiger King” is returning for a second season

            The widely successful Netflix hit, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” will return for a second season, according to the official Twitter account for the streaming service. The first season of the docuseries followed Joe Exotic, who owned big cats in Oklahoma, and focused on his feud with Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. Currently, it is unknown which characters will return, but CNN has reported that filming has taken place in 2020 and the beginning of 2021.

People

All-star cast announced for “Super Mario Bros: The Movie”

            The upcoming animated Super Mario Bros. film has announced its cast, which consists of all big names in Hollywood. Chris Pratt and Charlie Day will voice Mario and Luigi. Princess Peach will be voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy. Jack Black will voice Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key will voice Toad. Other stars set to join the cast are Seth Rogan, Sebastian Maniscalco and Kevin Michael Richardson. Charles Martinet, who is the voice of the video game character Mario, will have a cameo role, according to Entertainment Weekly. As of now, the plot has yet to be revealed. “Super Mario Bros: The Movie” is rated PG and will arrive in theaters on Dec. 21, 2022.

            IMDb

Number one on the Billboard charts: week of Sept. 25, 2021

According to “The Hot 100” on the charts, the number one song in the U.S. is “Stay” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber. Moving from the sixth spot to the top, this is the tenth week the pop song is on the charts. According to the “Billboard 200,” the number one album in the U.S. is “Certified Lover Boy” by Drake. The hip-hop/rap album is at the top spot for the second week straight.

Wixx