Mount Hood

Need a distraction? Here are a list of the best comedies sure to help

Never Retallack |  Entertainment Editor

  1. “I Love You, Man” (2009)

Directed by John Hamburg, “I Love You, Man” is a knee-slapping funny comedy, starring Paul Rudd, Jason Siegel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg and other big name actors. The film centers around Rudd’s character, Peter, who gets engaged to his girlfriend and it isn’t until the wedding planning begins when he realizes he doesn’t have many male friends. His journey to find his best man for the wedding includes a couple awkward ooooo man-dates, mistaken sexuality and the meeting of Siegel’s character, Sydney. This movie is full of awkwardness, strangeness and lots of Rush. Available on Amazon Prime.

 

  1. “Spy” (2015)

Paul Feig directed this masterpiece starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Jason Statham and other notable actors. The story revolves around McCarthy’s character, Susan, who works as a CIA analyst until her big moment comes where she must go undercover. The somewhat outlandish tale showcases German dancing, poison, ridiculous fake identities and most of all, empowerment. The movie is fun to watch as Susan becomes more confident and delivers intense battle scenes. Plot twists and intense action sequences padded by dry and witty humor is a crowd pleaser for all. Available on Youtube and Amazon Prime.

 

  1. “What We Do In The Shadows” (2014)

This masterpiece was created by two directors, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, who also happen to play two of the vampires in this mockumentary. The concept of the film is that a group of vampires — mostly notorious ones at that — have permitted a film crew to come and observe their lives. Viago, an awkward, quirky and love-sick vampire, acts as a peacemaker in his flat. Vladislav, or better known as, “Vlad the Impaler” is sexual, old-fashioned and hurt by an ex. Petyr, or better known as Nosfaratu, resides in the house as well, he also made Deacon and Nick, the two youngest, into vampires. This mockumentary is clever, weird and timeless in cinema, capturing the bizarre in the most hilarious fashion. Available on Kanopy, a site free for students.

 

  1. “Between Two Ferns: The Movie” (2019)

Scott Aukerman, director of the show “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” is also responsible for the movie adaptation. This mockumentary is painfully awkward with equal part hilarity. What could go wrong with having Galifianakis play himself while roasting different celebrities to please Will Ferrell? Prepare to be shocked, amused and horrified all at the same time; it is the perfect reward after a day’s worth of Zoom meetings and online readings. Word of advice, watch until the very end for hilarious bloopers. Available on Netflix.

 

  1. “Little Evil” (2017)

Eki Craig directed and wrote this modern tale of Antichrist hilarity, casting Adam Scott as Gary, a step dad struggling to connect with his twisted stepson, Lucas. This movie perfectly demonstrates common tropes around the Antichrist and uses references to horror films such as “Poltergeist” (1982) and “The Omen” (1976) to really draw in the audience. The obvious evilness of Lucas, the naiveness of his mother and a group of struggling stepdads who all see their children as the Antichrist make for one brilliant movie. Available on Netflix.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

Art rethought and reproduced by the quarantined across the globe

Never Retallack |  Entertainment Editor

During this strange time, people are having withdrawals from all sorts of things in their lives, including going to art museums. Maybe painting or drawing isn’t a skill that everybody practices, but going to art museums is a great way to appreciate those who have honed such skills. 

Being quarantined limits that option, and in response, museums nationally are asking people to recreate famous paintings with anything they have at home and post it online. In the states, the museum that really kicked off this challenge is the J. Paul Getty Museum (The Getty). 

They challenged the public on March 25, and since then the number of people showing off their imagination and creativity has skyrocketed.

A couple other museums or art accounts doing the same challenge are Pinchuk Art Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, and an Instagram account from Amsterdam called Tussen Kunst en Quarantaine (Between Art and Quarantine). This account is what inspired The Getty to start the challenge.

Complicated pieces with a lot of elements are intimidating to those up for the challenge. They use whatever is in their house — anything of similar color or shape to recreate the painting. People are also incorporating their animals or children to recreate classic pieces. 

Each interpretation of the paintings is hilarious and brings a smile to the face, a perfect remedy for times like these.

Going to an art gallery isn’t on the table, but there are still plenty of ways to interact with art in everyday life; if one is bored, trying to recreate a favorite painting may be a great solution.

Feel free to submit any of your own interpretations and send it to @thewesternhowl on Instagram to show us your creativity and imagination

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Guinevere PH Dethlefson

Cannon Gallery provides “An Artful Life…” exhibit to celebrate the life of Alfred Maurice

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

The Cannon Gallery opened a new art exhibit on Feb. 28, “An Artful Life: Celebrating the Life of Creator, Teacher, and Collector Alfred Maurice.” It is one of the seven exhibits open to commemorate Maurice’s life and the work that he did. 

The gallery contains pieces from his time in Chicago; most of them are abstract architectural paintings that are bright and eye-catching — all of which are from the years 1979 to 1989, and any proceedings benefit the Maurice Prize.

Maurice was a passionate artist and has been known to say, “To me, art isn’t anything precious or special. It’s a way of expressing oneself, on par with writing or talking.”

The gallery at Campbell Hall is bold, and the layout of the stark white walls with vibrant and unique buildings are enticing.

The majority of the artwork is made with acrylic on canvas, with only three other pieces created with graphite on paper. One of which called, “Self Portrait with Painting,” features Maurice smiling proudly, representing the pure joy he had when it came to making art.

The artwork is simple yet unique; I highly recommend anyone interested in art — whether or not they have much background knowledge — to go and take a look.

The gallery will be open until March 20 in Campbell Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Never Retallack

Western Howl’s favorite breakup songs

Western Collective

“My Dick” — Mickey Avalon

“Take a Bow” — Rihanna

“Missing You” — John Waite

“Bleeding Love” — Leona Lewis

“You should be sad” — Halsey

“The Good Side” — Troye Sivan 

“Die for Me” — Post Malone 

“Bad at Love” — Halsey 

“Cry Me a River” — Justin Timberlake

“He Wasn’t” — Avril Lavigne

“All I Ask” — Adele 

“Dancing on My Own” — Calum Scott 

“So Sick” — Neyo

“i miss the old u” — blackbear

“Figures – A Reprise” — Jessie Reyez ft. Daniel Caesar 

“Irreplaceable” — Beyoncé

“Gives You Hell” — The All-American Rejects

“Not Over You” — Gavin DeGraw

 

Magical review of “Onward”

Sean Martinez  | Copy Editor

Amidst all the classic sequels and live-action adaptations, Pixar once again delivers original content with its newest film, “Onward.” 

The story tells the tale of two brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, as they attempt to bring their father back to life for just one day. They try to use a wizard staff, along with a gem, to resurrect him, but something goes wrong, resulting in their father having just a pair of legs. The rest of the film is a fun, adventurous and emotional quest to see their father one more time. 

Ian, played by Tom Holland, has just turned 16 years old and has no memory of his father, who died before he was born, and wishes he had the chance to meet him. His older brother, Barley, played by Chris Pratt, is obsessed with the fascinating history of magic that was once prevalent in their world. Both of their strengths and weaknesses became factors that pushed the story onward at a well-balanced pace.

To director Dan Scanlon, “Onward” was more than just a movie — it also reflected his personal story. His father died when he was young, and the ultimate question that spurred this fantastical film was, “What would it be like to spend one more day with him?” 

Scanlon did a great job of blending the magical world with the modern world. Everything in this film was creative, not just the characters and storyline, but the animations as well. There was not one wasted scene — all the little things mattered and tied into the bigger picture. There was also a good balance with fun, brother-bonding scenes and impactful tear-jerking moments. And as always, Pixar provided the audience with an abundance of easter eggs to crack. 

Overall Review: It may be too soon to dub “Onward” as one of Pixar’s top 10 movies, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t find myself resisting at any point in the film, the story was easy to follow. Needless to say, “Onward” is the perfect family film to watch this spring. It’s very moving and inspirational. 

 

Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of pixar.com

Theater department welcomes Western to “Urinetown” with winter production

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

“Urinetown,” — a satirical musical, opened at Western on Feb. 28 with Michael Phillips as the director. The play was entertaining and interactive, and the opening act had about two minutes of uninterrupted silence while the actors laid on the ground, “asleep.” This made many audience members giggle nervously as the silence drew out. Laughter was a key element of the show. 

The story covers a drab town in the mid 1900s where a water shortage has led an evil man, Cladwell, to start Urine Good Company which now charges the poor pay-per-use public bathrooms. If anyone disobeys these rules, they face the threat of being sent to the mysterious and dreaded Urinetown.

This outlandish tale is packed with humor, love, violence and catchy songs. It was also full of jokes that tease elements of theater; Little Sally— a poor young girl— has conversations with Officer Lockstock where he explains how they’re covering basic elements in the first act so as not to overwhelm the audience. It mocks the “rules” that are typically followed in plays in a way that had the audience bursting into laughter.

The Western students who acted in the play did a phenomenal job, from the larger roles such as Hope Cladwell and Bobby Strong, all the way to the peppy assistant of Cladwell. The dedication and effort to the roles was apparent, and with the thorough costumes as well — everyone was able to shine in their own ways.

The live band was a great addition to the play, adding “necessary” drama to each scene, when someone made a surprise entrance, the other actors would gasp dramatically or exclaim “What?!” and the music would peak. At certain sad moments, the music would remain happy and upbeat, which Little Sally would comment on, earning more chuckles.

All the actors sang wonderfully, or sang as their characters were supposed to, which ended up being hilarious, and the dances were also well done. Overall, Western’s theater department delivered a hilarious and clever rendition of “Urinetown.”

Those who are interested in seeing the show themselves, can watch more performances Mar. 4-8 with the box office opening at 6 p.m. and the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free for students with ID.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Never Retallack

The West Of Us show camaraderie in Smith Hall

Sean Martinez  | Copy Editor

On Feb. 26, The West Of Us held their Winter Term Acapella Concert in Smith Hall, proving once again that instruments are not needed to make music. When the lights dimmed and the pitch pipe sounded off, The West Of Us kept the audience engaged as everyone listened to some well-known songs with unique twists. 

One of the performances that really resonated with the audience was the duet with “Build Me Up Buttercup.” My personal favorite was their unique take on Charlie Puth’s “Attention.” It was really cool to hear how each performer complemented each others’ voices. This was the first acapella concert I attended, and they did not disappoint. 

Acapella at Western has undergone numerous changes; it wasn’t until 2018 when the acapella group became gender inclusive and took on a new name, The West Of Us. 

The West Of Us strives to give audiences a great performance, but on top of that, co-presidents Olivia Martin and Austin Stewart are looking to recruit more students into the fold, students who will stick around long enough to bring the acapella group to new heights. 

“This year, we’re just trying to leave a good impression on everyone so that they want to stay, they want to learn music and they still want to sing acapella,” Stewart said. 

Olivia Martin added, “It’s kind of like leaving a legacy behind and ensuring that acapella is still going to be here for the years after we’re gone.” 

For Martin and Stewart, acapella is more than just making music with their mouths and entertaining crowds: the camaraderie is what keeps them coming back each year. Stewart talked about his experience coming to Western from Hawaii. Miles away from home, he decided to open up to new opportunities, which is when he was introduced to acapella. Ever since he joined, he’s considered The West Of Us a second family. 

Martin also went on to add, “It’s like a magnet that brings really compatible people together, and you just have the best time with them.”

Similar to team sports, Martin explained that acapella relies heavily on teamwork. “Everyone seems to be working on the same wavelength in order to collectively get better as a group,” Martin said. “It doesn’t ever feel like somebody’s trying to raise themselves up by lowering others. We either all go up or we don’t move at all.”

The West Of Us also aim to build a sense of community at Western. In recent years, they have performed for Western events such as the Cesar Chavez Conference, the Late-Night Breakfast, the Out of the Darkness Walk and their biggest performance, Acaparka — held at the Main Street Park at the amphitheater in spring. 

“We bundle all of our songs together … and then we perform a really large setlist for everybody,” Stewart said.

Be on the lookout for updates regarding the date and time for Acaparka.

 

Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Lisa Martin

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