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Mount Hood

“The Grudge” of 2020 fails to find new angle for the franchise

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor 

“The Grudge,” released on Jan. 3, written and directed by Nicolas Pesce is definitely an unnecessary evil for the new year. A spin-off from the original movie “Ju-On: The Grudge,” this continuation was disappointing as a viewer.

This version focuses on a mom, Officer Muldoon, who moves to a small town with her son after her husband passes away. It’s meant to be a fresh start, but several bodies are found all connected to one house: the house that the audience knows has the grudge.

For those who are unfamiliar with “The Grudge” franchise, a grudge is defined in the 2004 remake as, “when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage… a curse is born. The curse gathers in that place of death. Those who encounter it will be consumed by its fury.”

It’s the same idea in this spin-off; the grudge has traveled to the states, moving away from its origins in Japan.

Pesce’s take on this film is nonstop violence and jumpscares. There is never a point where the viewer sits in suspense and wonders “What’s going to happen?” It forces the audience along for a predictable and bloody ride that lacks any development for the franchise.

While “Ju-On: The Grudge” was slow and, admittedly, the visuals are less scary, the storyline and tension is preferable over the 2020 film. 

Despite my issues with the methods for scaring the audience, I also am not a fan of the dialogue or the plot in general. A lot of the dialogue in the movie feels awkward or forced and quite frankly, out of place. A couple of characters, such as Detective Goodman, were given interesting arcs, but those ideas were never developed and it left the audience with bits of useless pieces.

Overall Review: I am not impressed by the newest rendition of “The Grudge.” It was unnecessarily violent, and every jumpscare was predictable. The visuals were creepy enough to keep me entertained, and there were scenes that sent shivers down my spine, but for the most part it was another disappointment in the horror scene. 

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Get comfortable and grab a glass of cocoa and settle into these three short stories full of tension

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

With the start of the new term, many students may already be overwhelmed with new schedules and workloads. Reading in college often becomes tarnished as a pastime because of the amount of homework and class readings that students are required to do; a solution for that is short stories. There are countless tales that leave one breathless, contemplative or unnerved, all accomplished within 15-20 pages. 

“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver (1981): This suspenseful tale is from the perspective of a jealous husband when his wife’s blind friend visits them in their home, and unsettles readers. The discomfort that the husband feels by the intimacy of his wife and friend makes one wonder how the story will build, leaving the reader quietly anticipating each move. It can be found online here: http://www.giuliotortello.it/ebook/cathedral.pdf

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson (1892): This is by far one of my favorite short stories out there. Each time I read it, I discover something new, and the unease that I feel doesn’t ever end. It is a complex tale that shows the distress of a woman in her new house where she seems to unravel as she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in a room. Reality becomes distorted and it’s impossible to sort if what she is seeing is actually happening or not. It can be found online here: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/theliteratureofprescription/exhibitionAssets/digitalDocs/The-Yellow-Wall-Paper.pdf

“The Lottery” by Shirely Jackson (1948): Another one of my favorite short stories is based in a small village that must partake in “The Lottery,” and there is a general discomfort or fear with the characters. Each page makes the reader more and more anxious, waiting in anticipation for what could possibly happen. It can be found online here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Start the year with an album that encourages to put yourself first

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Selena Gomez released her new album “Rare” on Jan 10 of 2020, the first album she has released since 2015. The former Disney star goes deeper with this album, singing about the heartache she went through with Justin Bieber and the depression and anxiety she has struggled with, as well as touching on the stress of being famous.

The album starts with the title track “Rare,” a catchy pop tune that breaks down a relationship where the person she is with doesn’t appreciate her. The main point is that he doesn’t understand that she is “rare.” This is a powerful song to encourage women to never settle for someone who doesn’t see how special they are.

The next song on her album, “Dance Again,” is about her moving on from her trauma and opening herself up to having fun again and trying to find happiness. She sings about how she feels high without emotional baggage weighing her down.

Gomez’s song “Look at Her Now” refers to herself in the third person and once again touches on a toxic relationship. She discusses how she was hurt and how she bounced back and grew from her troubles.

One of my favorites on her album is “Lose You To Love Me.” With slow vocals and a gentle instrumental, she croons about only loving herself after her breakup.

So much of her album covers her heartache — which shows that she is struggling to process everything — but I think that her self-love focus will be very helpful for countless listeners who are dealing with toxic relationships. Similarly, it could help those who are dealing with depression and anxiety which she touches on in several songs.

Overall Review: This album, while not totally soulful, I think has some really important songs that can help those who listen. I recommend this album to those who want a bop that has some more meaning behind the lyrics.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of selenagomez.com

Album Review of the eclectic album “Fine Line” by Harry Styles

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Harry Styles is no longer just an old member of the boy band One Direction, but rather a talented and diverse artist. “Fine Line” is Styles’ second album, released in December of 2019. It received much acclaim and was number three on the UK Album Charts and number one on the Billboards 200.

The album had a different sound than his first album, “Sign of the Times” which was more peaceful and almost folk, while “Fine Line” dabbles in rock, pop and some psychedelic soul, while also touching back on the more peaceful folk with a couple songs.

Most of the songs on the album have the core elements of love, sorrow and exploration. In an interview with Rolling Stone he said that the album was “all about having sex and being sad.” Styles also mentioned being more adventurous in the album which is evident with his hit song, “Watermelon Sugar” a summer bop that sounds far different from anything else he has produced. Then his song “Lights Up” touches on self-acceptance and rejection, and seems like a cry of freedom. This transitions right into “Cherry” a peaceful melody with calming guitar, going back to the warm folk he has done before.

One song that really stood out to me in its uniqueness is “To Be So Lonely” it has a different sound than the rest of his songs, and sounds quite uplifting but the meaning touches on some negative qualities of himself and going through heartbreak.

His final song on the 12-track album, “Fine Line” is one of his deepest songs about a relationship that causes more harm than good. It starts quite melancholic, just Styles gently crooning about someone whose love can be bought. The song then builds with more instruments and reaches a fever pitch before coming back down, quite possibly representing the ups and downs that he went through in his relationship or in life. 

An interesting thing that I noted was the difference in the album cover of “Fine Line” and “Sign of the Times.” The stark contrasts between the covers properly showcase how different the two albums are; his first album is dark and moody, while “Fine Line” showcases Styles in white pants and a pink shirt in a psychedelic bubble. It seems to be a visual of how he is pushing himself as an artist with his latest album.

Overall Review: “Fine Line” is an album that I cannot get enough of, it has a little bit of everything, if someone needs a sad song to cry to, there are several, if someone needs to be pumped up, that’s also an option. Styles created an eclectic masterpiece that dives into some of his vulnerabilities, and pushed his normal boundaries when creating music. I highly recommend this album to anyone really, it has enough elements to connect to most people.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Decompress with all the Netflix originals coming out January 2020

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Most people may think that January 2020 is the time to try and follow their New Year resolutions; let’s be honest, it’s the start of a new term and the perfect time to decompress with everything new coming to Netflix this month.

This year Netflix is unleashing a tidal wave of original shows and movies, here is a list of what to expect:

Available Jan. 1: “Ghost Stories,” “Messiah,” “Nisman: Death of a Prosecutor,” “Spinning Out,” “The Circle.”

Available Jan. 2: “Sex, Explained: Limited Series,” “Thieves of the Wood.”

Available Jan. 3: “Anne with an E: The Final Season,” “All the Freckles in the World.”

Available Jan. 4: “Go! Go! Cory Carson.”

Available Jan. 8: “Cheer.”

Available Jan. 10: “AJ and the Queen,” “Giri / Haji,” “Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 4,” “The Investigators: Season 2,” “Medical Police,” “Scissor Seven,” “Until Dawn,” “Zumbo’s Just,” “Desserts: Season 2.”

Available Jan. 13: “The Healing Powers of Dude.”

Available Jan. 14: “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.”

Available Jan. 15: “Quien a hierro mata,” “Grace and Frankie: Season 6.”

Available Jan. 16: “NiNoKuni.”

Available Jan. 17: “Ares,” “Hip-Hop Evolution: Season 4,” “Sex Education: Season 2,” “Tyler Perry’s A Fall From Grace,” “Vivir dos veces,” “Wer kann, der kann!.”

Available Jan. 20: “Family Reunion: Part 2.”

Available Jan. 21: “Fortune Feimster: Sweet and Salty,” “Word Party: Season 4.”

Available Jan. 22: “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak.”

Available Jan. 23: “The Ghost Bride,” “October Faction,” “SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac: Season 1 / Part 2.”

Available Jan. 24: “The Sun,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 3,” “The Ranch: Final Season.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Movie Review: Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece “Parasite”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

It’s hard to really capture the brilliance of the 2019 South Korean film, “Parasite” within one article, with the cleverly constructed dialogue written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, as well as the striking filmography and acting.

The plot follows the impoverished family of dad Kim Ki-taek, his wife Chung-sook, son Ki-woo, and daughter Ki-jeong living in a small semi-basement apartment where they struggle to make ends meet.

Ki-woo has a friend Min-hyuk who is leaving his tutoring job with a wealthy family to study abroad, and asks Ki-woo to take over for him. While he is not in a university and has no classical training, he gets the job by lying.

This is the start of the journey as the Kim clan infiltrates the influential Park family slowly, with an almost eerie precision. The stark contrast between how the Kim family lives versus the Park family calls into question issues of class in a satirical way. 

While the film feels generally unnerving, it takes a complete 180 to shock audience members and become completely unsettling and disturbing. The harmless and functioning relationship between the Park and Kim family becomes strained as judgment and ignorance pierces through.

The film does an exceptional job in showing the ways that those who are impoverished are treated poorly in subtle ways, and the effect that it has on them is greater than many would assume. The film also calls to question how money influences the way people behave and addressing the advantages it gives the wealthy.

After the film ended, I sat there wondering how realistic a plot like this would be in real life, the dramatic and violent turn it took was so shocking, but with the strain of poverty, wealth and social interactions it is a haunting tale of what people can be pushed to do.

Overall Rating: “Parasite” is now one of my favorite films I have ever seen, it was well-crafted, intelligent and kept me on the edge of my seat. Joon Ho takes current issues of socioeconomic class and put together an entertaining and shocking masterpiece. I highly recommend this film to anyone in need of watching something new with an exciting twist.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Heartworm, a dream pop group ready to release music

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

There are many interesting bands in the making, included is New Orleans based, Heartworm. I was able to grab an interview with musician Dani Kardon, who is originally from Portland, OR. 

 

Q: How long have you been practicing music? 

A: I’ve been playing music for about 12 years now, I’ve jumped around from guitar to vocals to piano a fair amount! 

Q: What got you interested in music? 

A: I think just being a kid and loving the act of being loud and making noise probably, I get more and more into it the more I play, I think the interest just feeds itself!

Q: How would you say your music has changed over the years? 

A: My music changes a lot with what I’m listening to definitely. I grew up on old soul, the motown collection, all that. But I cycle through musical phases and I think I just pick up little bits of everything that I like and shove ‘em into my songs.

Q: How did you and your band get together? 

A: Me, Eryn (Bass) and Sabrina (Guitar) work/worked at the school of rock Metairie together, and Hannah (Drums) was in a band with Sab before. We just kind of were like, “okay let’s jam on some songs” and then it turned into hanging out and playing music, and then it turned into “okay we definitely need to be a band.” I would just like to put on record that I f**king love them.

Q: What is your position in the band?

A: I’m just like the singer — whatever else needs to be done person. I play keys a lot for the band. I’m also one of the songwriters in the band! I’m also the baby, that is another role I play. But like, boss baby.

Q: What are the future goals for your band? 

A: I think just ride the wave as long as possible. If it works it’ll be amazing and if it doesn’t it will still be amazing while it lasts. All of us take it seriously but at the same time very much don’t take it seriously, does that make sense? I’d love to tour and release albums obviously, that feels like it’s way in the future, but we’ve already recorded enough for a small EP so I guess it’s not so mystical and far away.

Q: How would you describe the style of music your band does? 

A: Lazy Punk and Dream Pop, what does that mean? Wouldn’t you like to know. We would also like to know. I dunno, just listen to us! People will figure it out.

Q: When can listeners expect music to be released? 

A: The middle of January! Like soon soon.  

Q: What is your favorite part about creating music? 

A: I love the song writing process, and what’s so amazing is taking a song to a band and watching it turn into the thing that you had in your head, or even better than what was in your head.

Q: Anything else you would like to add? 

A: Our merch is stupid cool, it was specially designed by a girl at Loyola named Maggie Chreene who is like a Goddess amongst women, and we’re working on an online store to buy it. Not to brag but a tik tok of her making the merch got like 10K likes. So yeah that’ll be something to watch for, because they really are gorgeous, we love Maggie. I’ll put the link in here. Also just thank you so much for interviewing me about my band, we love the interest people have been having in us and we’re so eager to share our music and lil band with everyone!

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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