Mount Hood

Thanksgiving is not always traditional, Hulu’s “Into the Dark: Pilgrim” proves a much darker version

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Thanksgiving — a holiday with an iffy history at best, but an excuse to gorge oneself on all the delicious food one can imagine. It usually includes an immense amount of family time — wanted or not.

Hulu released their latest movie in their horror series, “Into the Dark: Pilgrim” (2019), written and directed by Marcus Dunstan.

This twisted tale introduces the audience to a dysfunctional family: a father who is always on his tablet, a stepmother who is seemingly cold, a daughter who struggles with abandonment issues and a charmingly naive young son. 

What could possibly go wrong when the stepmother, Anna, decides to hire a group of pilgrim reenactors to stay with them for Thanksgiving? Cody, the daughter struggling to accept Anna as her stepmom, is immediately hesitant to jump on the bandwagon, and expresses her discomfort.

The arrival of the Pilgrim reenactors is immediately disconcerting. Ethan is the Pilgrim in charge, seemingly cool and collected, while delivering each line with a gentle smile on his face. 

The impersonators are unsettling throughout, the female Pilgrims unwavering in their praise of Ethan and how he changed their lives with a sort of reverence that is similar to cult followers.

The movie builds tension, alluding to a sinister side of the Pilgrims’ plans, leaving the audience feeling uncomfortable and on edge for most of the movie.

While I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it, I’ll tell you the goal of the Pilgrims in the plot. 

Ethan wants the family to appreciate what they have: food, shelter and each other. The means to which he teaches this lesson are unconventional and horrifying.

While this movie was surprisingly dark and twisted, it was equally amusing. Dunstan managed to weave humor into many scenes, whether through utilizing slow-motion fight scenes, or Cody delivering dark jokes, there were numerous times where I caught myself chuckling.

Overall rating: I highly recommend this unique horror-comedy; it is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit — watching a family unite together to fight the evil that hounds them.

The end was not quite a twist, but did leave the audience wondering whether or not this movie was more supernatural than it appeared. 

This movie reminds people of what is truly important— appreciating the good things in life and accepting that families aren’t always perfect.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Nightmare Factory: water sprays, spooky maze and endless fun

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

The Oregon School for the Deaf, located at 999 Locust St NE in Salem, has orchestrated a spooky haunted house for the last several years called The Nightmare Factory.
I first went in 2017 and was pleasantly surprised by the low fees and relatively small lines; this year, I decided to go on the day of Halloween in hopes of it being a slower night.
The grand amount of time spent in any of the lines added up to about an hour and a half, and the fee was only $15. For a VIP pass, it would cost $25 which is a relatively good price for what you get. The VIP pass allows customers to skip the line and go straight through to the haunted house.
Once at the actual entrance of the haunted house — or rather school — each group was sent to one of three different hallways. This allows the employees to better monitor the smaller groups of about seven to eight people by letting in one hallway at a time.
The set and props were impressive; every detail was carefully thought out, and the actors were fully committed to terrifying as many people as possible.
While this was a no contact haunt, several actors would act like they were going to touch customers’ faces, just to cause tension. There were also several points where water would be sprayed at those going through the house. The water was quite unpleasant, seeing as it was aimed right at eye level — not a fan favorite.
There may not have been one central theme, but they did have several throughout the night including clowns, zombies and ghosts. Having sets like a scary swamp and a carnival provided an immersive ambiance for the night.
There was a long portion with strobe lights, while the haunt-goers had to weave through a maze, convincing my group at one point that we were going in circles.
After a full thirty minutes of screams and fog machines, the exit led to the chilly outdoors.
Overall rating: This haunted house greatly improved from how it was two years ago; it fully developed into a heightened version of what it used to be. With actors committed to scaring each person, and a set so thorough, it seemed there was no escape — I have no complaints. I highly recommend anyone in need of a good fright to check it out next year.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo by Emily Hedges

Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star create a hit YouTube series and amazing makeup products

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

On Sept. 24, Shane Dawson, a famous YouTuber, released a trailer called, “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star.”

Shane Dawson started posting YouTube skits in 2008. As one of the original YouTube stars, Dawson has evolved with his channel, growing from inappropriate skits to making mini-documentaries.

Jeffree Star had an even earlier start on the media site; beginning in 2006, his main purpose was posting makeup tutorials, as well as discussing his personal life. 

Star has over 16 million subscribers and Dawson has over 20 million subscribers, collectively making them a powerhouse team.

On Aug. 1, 2018, Dawson posted a video called, “The Secret World of Jeffree Star,” where he showed how Star is not only a beauty influencer, but also has a multi-million dollar makeup company. During this video, Star joked about Dawson creating a makeup brand in partnership with him, but it wasn’t until later that they agreed to go through with the idea.

Starting in Sep. 2019 Dawson’s series, “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star” shows the entire process of creating an idea for makeup, the money and time that goes into it, and the overall drama in the beauty world.

There are six videos, each running an hour long, that have been released so far, letting the world see the challenges that Star and Dawson went through for work and in their personal lives.

On Oct. 29, a new video revealed Dawson’s eyeshadow palette, “Conspiracy,” and his other products. The name and concepts for each product — even down to the name of each shadow — is connected to memes within his YouTube channel and his life. 

On Nov. 1, Dawson’s makeup was released on Star’s site which struggled to remain functioning for the first hour that the makeup was presented.

Most of Dawson’s products had sold out within a few hours, and the remaining products were there as a byproduct of the site crashing and not making them available until later in the day.

The video shows Dawson and Star trapeze through the complicated world of beauty, and Dawson will continue to produce videos covering their journey of what happens after his product has been released.

Those who would like to buy any of the merchandise released can visit https://jeffreestarcosmetics.com/collections/shane-x-jeffree-conspiracy-collection.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of jeffreestarcosmetics.com

Review: Sequels are hard to do right, “Zombieland: Double Tap” was up for the challenge

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

When “Zombieland” came out in 2009 many were shocked by how fun this zombie comedy was to watch, receiving more positive reviews than not. Ten years later, Reuben Fleischer returned to direct the sequel, “Zombieland: Double Tap.” 

For those who saw the first film, they will know that the sequel title alludes to Jesse Eisenberg’s character, Columbus, rules for surviving in the zombie apocalypse. Shooting a zombie twice to ensure that they are dead — or rather, double tap.

Throughout the first and second film, Columbus is narrating the story in the past tense, delivering punchy one-liners and guiding the audience through the movie.

Along with Eisenberg, the rest of the original cast also starred in the sequel: Emma Stone as Wichita, Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee and Abigail Breslin as Little Rock.

While the only character who looks physically different is Breslin, now a young adult, Columbus’ character development was interesting to see. He was more physically daring and ready to fight the new breed of zombies that terrorize his group. 

Keeping true to the brand of “Zombieland,” the sequel was full of surprises, dark humor and lots of gore. The introduction of a new community of survivors who are weed-loving pacifists was a jab at millenials and earned some hearty laughter from the crowd. 

Zombie movies are a hard genre to nail. After “Shaun of the Dead” (2004), I think a niche for more comedy horror movies emerged. Comedy horror is one of my favorite genres; it takes situations and creatures that normally fill an audience with fear, and turn it into something laughable.

Overall rating: I prefer the first “Zombieland” but when it comes to sequels, they did a great job of creating a new idea while keeping the core elements of what made it successful in the first place. Anyone who enjoys a funny horror film with a great cast of characters should check out “Zombieland: Double Tap.” 

 

Contact the at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of zombieland.com

Album review of “Mala Santa” from the impressive Becky G

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Those who are ready for an album to dance to, take a listen to Becky G’s new album released on Oct. 11, “Mala Santa.” 

Rebecca Marie Gomez, known as Becky G, is only 22 years old and was discovered in 2011 while covering songs on YouTube. She initially released songs in English, some well known such as “Shower” and “Can’t Get Enough ft. Pitbull” before she switched to her Latin roots in 2017 and released songs solely in Spanish.

Just this month, Becky G was awarded the Extraordinary Evolution Award at the Latin American Music Awards, a result of the success she has achieved and a prediction of all that is to come from this star.

She is also an actress, starring as the Yellow Power Ranger in the 2017 film “Power Rangers,” and some animated movies as well. Currently, Becky G is more focused on her music.

Her album “Mala Santa” is a reflection of her journey in the spotlight — being signed onto a contract at only 14  years old, she went through that challenge of growing from a young innocent teen to a woman while the world watches.

She decided to name her album “Mala Santa” because she felt as if she is the music industry’s mala santa. In Spanish “mala” means “bad” and “santa” is referring to the concept of “holy” in her lyrics. So in essence she is a singer who is neither bad nor holy, but something in between.

“I think people now understand and see that I am still very much so that sweetheart, that little angel that they first met, I’ve just grown up into a woman,” Becky G said in an interview with Billboard.

Out of the 16 songs on her album, nine of them feature other artists; a great amount of collaboration went into completing this. Every song has a catchy chorus, an undeniable beat, and Becky G’s amazing voice serenading listeners. Most of her songs have themes such as love, drinking, partying, heartbreak and misunderstandings.

While these themes are quite similar among most pop, the catchiness and fast-paced songs are enthralling. Each bop on the album encourages listeners to dance along. 

Her song “ME ACOSTUMBRE” featuring Mau y Ricky is one of my favorites on the album, really showcasing her vocals with bigger runs and more focus on her voice.

The must-listen song will have to be “MALA SANTA” as it is a sensual play discussing essentially her naughty and nice side, which ties to her album cover of her in all black on one side and all white on the other: a balance between her devilish and angelic aspects.

Overall Rating: Regardless of your Spanish comprehension, this album is a crowd pleaser for anyone needing an album to dance to.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of iambeckyg.com

An exploration of the popular haunted house Fear PDX

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Haunted houses —  a Halloween classic, and a way to be terrified that is safer and more interactive than a horror movie. 

I am personally a huge fan of these events and I go to at least two or three different spooks every October. Fear PDX is a particular haunted house that I have been going to for the past few years. Based in Portland, they offer a collection of different themed houses on one site.

We waited approximately 2.5 hours outside before even getting inside the venue. A notable difference this year while waiting in line was the inclusion of a DJ. While that may sound weird or out of place, dancing to the early 2000 bops he was playing, it was a perfect way to kill the time.

There was also a good number of scary actors going around and interacting with the masses — jumping, crawling and revving a chainsaw as they went.

Up until this year, Fear PDX was typically held in the Moda Center and the eager crowds had to wait in a large line for at least an hour before entering the floor where the different themed “houses” were. Then, they’d wait in those individual lines for about 30-40 minutes. 

This year, they held their attraction on Glisan Street in an empty building where they combined all of the themed houses into one seamless walk. The four houses set up were: Doll Factory, Dead City, The Mansion and Dark Carnival.

By far, the Doll Factory was the scariest, with actors delivering each line with an eerie voice and looking at us with unblinking eyes —  not breaking character at all. 

The actual experience of going through the house was full of strobe lights, fog machines, loud sound effects and a lot of screaming, but the amount of time spent walking through each house took a total of 30 minutes.

The general admission ticket cost $28, while the VIP pass that allowed you to skip the lines cost $50. There was a bonus house that cost an additional $8 and was “interactive,” meaning the actors were allowed to grab you. I personally am not a fan of houses such as these so I don’t know how scary this particular portion was.

Overall rating: The spooks provided by Fear PDX were decent enough for the amount paid; the wait time was a little ridiculous — also typical for a successful haunted house. The added touch of a DJ did not go unappreciated, and there was enough happening in the actual haunted houses to keep me jumping in fright and eager to escape back into the night.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of fearpdx.com

It’s not too late to get in the spooky spirit, check out Huluween

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

The staff of the Western Howl recommended our favorite horror movies in Issue 3— accessible to read on wou.edu/westernhowl — and now I want to focus on what the streaming service Hulu has to offer for their Halloween special, “Huluween.”

When on the Hulu website, simply search “Huluween” and there will be a page that has organized hundreds of spooky movies into categories: Hulu Originals, Huluween Essentials, Huluween Film Fest, For the Family, Hauntings & Supernatural and many more.

Seeing as there are hundreds of movies and television shows compiled on these lists, I will cover only the Hulu originals, seeing as they are new and possibly only available for a limited time.

For full length original movies they have created: “Little Monsters” (2019); “Wounds” (2019); “Uncanny Annie” (2019); “School Spirit” (2019)  and “I’m Just F——- With You” (2019).

I watched “Uncanny Annie,” which was a campy teen slasher film, but a highly entertaining and an easy watch. The monsters and jump scares kept me enticed, while some of the cheesy lines and poor acting kept my eyes rolling.

“Little Monsters” was a pleasant surprise; the comedic horror movie was a joy to watch. Featuring a tough kindergarten teacher unwilling to let her class get scared in a highly dangerous situation, singing to them while flesh-eating monsters were only a feet away was the only way to succeed.

Hulu also has a series of horror films all under the category “Into the Dark,” which encompasses full-length films as well as shorts.

Some of the better rated from this anthology are: “Culture Shock” (2019); “Pure” (2019); “They Come Knocking” (2019); “All That We Destroy” (2019) and “Treehouse” (2019).

There are several options available for their Huluween special, and while it is not a free streaming service, it only costs $5.99 a month. You can also try a one week free trial to get your fill of horror instead.

For those interested in trying some new scary films — full-lengths or shorts — the options on Hulu are quite entertaining.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of hulu.com/press

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