Entertainment – Page 65 – The Western Howl

Caitlyn Nakatsukasa | Freelancer

Matt Angel’s movie “The Open House” was released on Netflix on Jan. 19.

In “The Open House”, a mother, Naomi, played by Piercy Dalton, and her son Logan, played by Dylan Minnette, temporarily move into a family member’s home temporarily after the sudden passing of Logan’s s father. However, the house is in the process of being sold, meaning there are many open house events taking place, resulting in different people showing up to the house. After moving in they notice strange events happening in their home. These occurrences include door banging, objects moving and shadows passing by. As the characters encounter uncanny people around town and witness peculiar episodes at the home, they start to believe there’s someone always around them everywhere they go.

I’ll be honest; if I had to make a list of all the horror movies I’ve watched ranked from best to worst, this movie would probably be on the bottom half of that list. I felt as though the plot line was inadequate. Many of the scenes didn’t make sense and didn’t tie into the main storyline. The viewers were never given a backstory for the antagonist, so they’re left hanging throughout the movie. There are jump-scare scenes every so often but they’re often predictable and sometimes illogical. The ending of the movie was the most frustrating. It lacked depth and didn’t answer any questions I had throughout the movie — it didn’t connect with the any of the previous scenes I had been confused about.

Despite my brutal opinion of the movie, I thought the best part about “The Open House” was the actors immense talents to pull their work off. I loved their acting — I felt the emotions resonate through the screen and could relate to the characters a lot. If you’re an avid watcher of Netflix, you may be familiar with the appearance of Minnette, who starred in Netflix’s show “13 Reasons Why.” Minnette and Dalton did a splendid performance portraying their characters in the movie. They work well in the horror genre and it was exciting to see familiar actors again.

“The Open House” has great actors but lacks enough premise for a basic storyline. It would’ve been better if they added background stories to the characters, so they’d be more relatable to the storyline or build tension of scary scenes that could tie into upcoming events. If you are a fan of cliché horror movies this may be a suitable movie of your choice.

Contact the author at cnakatsukasa15@wou.edu

Photo by: netflix.com

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Grammys return to the garden

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

On Jan. 28, the “60th Annual Grammy Awards” hit the small screen. The show was hosted by James Corden.

The awards show, which broadcasted from Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time after a 14-year stint at the Staples Center, aims to award music and recording professionals from a myriad of different positions for their excellent musical contributions. All of the awards are decided by The Recording Academy, which is comprised of people in the field.

The Grammys opened up with a performance by Kendrick Lamar, featuring a brief interlude by Bono, who sang the hook to “XXX.” from Lamar’s album “DAMN.”

Other performances during the show included: Childish Gambino performing “Terrified,” off of his album “Awaken, My Love!”; Kesha performing “Praying,” off of her album “Rainbow”; Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B performing “Finesse”; a joint performance by Sting and Shaggy featuring a performance of Sting’s “Englishman in New York” and their new single “Don’t Make Me Wait”; amongst a handful of others.

There were 84 gramophone awards on the table — including the 75 that were given out before the show began.

For the first time, the award for Best Comedy Album was presented on TV, rather than being given off-camera. The award was given to Dave Chappelle for his Netflix special “The Age of Spin.” The special was Chappelle’s first in 13 years, since his 2004 release “For What It’s Worth.”

The award for Best New Artist went to Alessia Clara, whose 2015 album “Know-It-All” debuted at number nine on the Billboard top 200 list.

By far the biggest winner of the night was Bruno Mars — he went home with six awards, including Album of the Year for “24K Magic,” Song of the Year for “That’s What I Like,” as well as Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance. Kendrick Lamar also took home a stack of Grammys, winning four of the seven he was nominated for. Lamar took home Best Rap Album for “Damn,” Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “HUMBLE.” and Best Rap Collaboration for “Loyalty” with Rihanna.

Ed Sheeran, who wasn’t in attendance to accept the awards, won both Best Pop Vocal Album for “Divide” and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Shape of You.”

The next major award show to sweep the screen will be the BAFTA Awards, which is airing on Feb. 18 on BBC America.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: latimes.com

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Review: “Big Bear, Little Bear”

Stephanie Blair | Staff Writer

On Jan. 15, Rusty Clanton released his EP “Big Bear, Little Bear.” The Tennessee-native singer-songwriter has grown a substantial following in the last five years through YouTube and touring with the likes of Tessa Violet, dodie and Emma Blackery.

For those unfamiliar with his work, when Clanton asked his fans on Twitter to name other acts that his work sounds similar to, followers listed acts from Vance Joy to Bonnie Tyler, from Bon Iver to Sleeping at Last and Passenger.

This addition to Clanton’s discography brings a new aspect to his work: more complex arrangements. Typically, Clanton’s recordings have a fairly low production value on the instrumental side of things — his vocal arrangements are more processed or layered, with many a self-made harmony to be found. However, this new album incorporates piano, keyboard and drums, among other things. All of this new for fans of the folk-turned-indie rock singer.

Though all of the tracks bring something to the EP, “Comfort” is, by far, the best of the seven. Tackling themes of loneliness, faith and the road to self-growth, the vocals and melody carry the otherwise minimal lyrics.

However, “Dirty Words” comes in at a close second place. An upbeat sounding, jarringly juxtaposed piece about breaking up, the song is a true gem for those who have lived through the same experience: “If one more person tells me / ‘hey listen, man, at least I bet you’ll get some good songs out of it’ / I’ll sell my things / and drive my car as far out west as it will go / and keep on going if I can”.

If I were to have a complaint, it would be that the songs don’t flow in a connected way, which I only want because I’ve come to expect it, since his last EP did that so well.

Clanton’s last EP “Calm and Normal,” was released in 2016. Though the two EPs are not distinct from each other thematically, this album holds the production value that “Novels” brought to the table in every song.

For those looking for an easy listen, “Big Bear, Little Bear” is an excellent choice. For longtime fans, it’s a signal of big things to come from Rusty Clanton in the coming years. As a longtime fan of the person and faithful listener of his music, I could not be more heartened by Clanton’s latest effort.

Contact the author at sblair13@wou.edu

Photo by: rustyclanton.bandcamp.com

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Harmonica player steals spotlight in jazz performance

Stephanie Blair | Staff Writer

Under a wash of colored lights — which would shift throughout the night, from reds and purples to blues and greens — four men took the Rice Auditorium stage on Jan. 19 for one purpose: to play jazz.

The quartet was composed of: DJ Ginyard on bass; Shedrick Mitchell on keyboard, organ and piano; Nathaniel Townsley on drums; and headliner Gregoiré Maret on harmonica. The group were old friends, Maret explained after their introduction.

But the four were not the only musicians on stage that night. For a few songs before the intermission, the quartet was joined by vocalist Christie Dashiell.

“An incredibly talented young woman — I honestly think she is one the most talented singers of her generation,” Maret said of Dashiell, just before she took the stage. “I feel really honored … that she accept the invitation and she’s going to be here performing with us tonight.”

The group played songs off of Maret’s newest album, “Wanted,” which was released in April 2016. In the performance program, Maret is quoted as saying, “There’s a lot about this record that is about my past to where I am now. I wanted to acknowledge not just who I am but how I came to be what I am now.”

Part of that story is growing up in Geneva, Switzerland to an African-American mother and Swiss father. Part of it is going from studying at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genéve to New School University in New York. Part of it is transitioning from a student and a backup musician to taking the spotlight.

Maret has received praise from critics at The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Zeal NYC and many others for his melodies and ingenuitive harmonica compositions. And critics aren’t the only ones who love him. Though Maret was the focus of the Smith Fine Arts stage on the night of the performance, he’s built a strong career out of working alongside legends both in the jazz world and out: Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Elton John and Sting, to name a few.

Maret’s music is available on iTunes, Amazon, sunnysidezone.com and Soundcloud.

Contact the author at sblair13@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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New exhibits come to Hamersly

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

For Hamersly Library, the beginning of term means the opening of new second and third floor art exhibits. The exhibits officially opened on Jan. 8 and Jan. 5, respectively. “Painting for the fun of it,” a watercolor display by local business owner Larry Sykes, is located on the second floor and “Beyond Watching,” a mixed media exhibit by visiting professor Xianzhu Tu, is located on the third floor.

The work shown in “Painting for the fun of it” is the result of Sykes being hesitant to learn how to paint. Before he and his wife moved to Monmouth, she bought him watercolor lessons. His artist’s statement describes the initial hesitation he felt towards the craft, “he knew nothing about painting watercolors but eventually gave in and found he had a knack for it. After a couple lessons his teacher said, ‘no more lessons, you get it, just paint.’”

As the work on display showcases, Sykes has an affinity for near-photorealistic pieces. His sense of detail is what initially drew Jerrie Lee Parpart, Archives and Exhibits Coordinator, to his work, “I see the exhibits program as a way to teach outside of the classroom … to spark interest in things that you normally wouldn’t have in your classroom, or to augment that which is already being taught in a class,” she said. “Specifically with Larry’s work, it’s a different way of looking at the world. He has an eye to look at mundane things … to just see the details.”

In Tu’s “Beyond Watching,” the artist has chosen to display multiple digital and ink images, as well as sculpture and installation pieces. One installation involves a bunch of small heads arranged in a pile, while another utilizes a large, square display case to show sand-made mountains atop a mirror.

“The exhibition shows a series of art practices based on my personal cultural experiences of self-reconstruction from observation, perception, questioning, reflection, and awakening. Beyond watching, returning to one’s real self is the ultimate appeal of my artistic expression,” explained Tu in her artist’s statement.

While the foyer of the third floor gallery is used to display the aforementioned pieces, the two gallery rooms are arranged with Tu’s digital and ink images.

“With her work, I was very excited about the idea of combining both communication and art,” said Parpart.

In addition to these two exhibits, Hamersly Library is also hosting a smaller exhibit on the second floor for the Polk County Historical Society. In February, the library will also house a 22-panel collage that traces 3,000 years of disability history.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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Cannon Gallery highlights digital magic

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

On Jan. 17, artist Ryan Woodring came to the Cannon Gallery of Art for the reception of his installation, “Unveiling World Tour.” The installation has been up since Jan. 11 and will remain in the gallery until Feb. 9.

In his series of projected pieces, Woodring performs a digital magic trick — he alters pre-existing video clips from the various unveilings of the replication of the Triumphal Arch of Palmyra. The recreated arch was made into a 3D model and then sent around the world on an unveiling tour. In Woodring’s altered clips, rather than the cloth being lifted to reveal the recreated arch, it’s lifted to reveal nothing.

“Unlike most monument unveilings, the recreated Triumphal Arch is not aimed at permanence. It is meant to be disassembled and reassembled for the purpose of unveilings and digital dissemination,” says the artist’s statement. “Woodring’s act of removal looks to isolate the magic trick, allowing the fullness of the unveiling spectacle to circulate while making room for emptiness, hypocrisy and loss to be revealed.”

Woodring’s clips — the unveilings from New York City, London and Florence — are projected onto the walls of the Cannon Gallery.

“This is the first show we’ve ever had that is only projections and video,” noted Paula Booth, Director of the Cannon Gallery. In the past ten years, the gallery has featured five exhibits that use projection as a focal point.

Solely using projection in this exhibit may allow viewers to extract more meaning from the collection of pieces. “You can almost think of it as one artwork, like the gallery itself becomes the artwork. You can look at it really superficially, just watching the video and seeing what’s going on … it’s captivating just to watch. But then when you read his statement and realize that there’s many layers to what’s happening visually,” said Booth.

The next exhibition in the Cannon Gallery will open on Feb. 21 and will feature hanging relief sculptures by David George Andersen, the late Chief Preparator for the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, “I think it will be a slightly challenging exhibit for some folks. His work is commentary on politics, on religion, on all those things that make us uncomfortable to talk about,” said Booth.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

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Review: “The Post”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Before going to see the film, I had heard relatively nothing about “The Post” or the Pentagon Papers scandal that it follows. Regardless, the film was an engaging and empowering political thriller that boasted impeccable acting.

The film follows the publisher and executive editor of The Washington Post — Katherine Graham, played by Meryl Streep, and Ben Bradlee, played by Tom Hanks — as they try and play catch-up with The New York Times in an effort to expose Vietnam era U.S. war secrets. Before The Washington Post can obtain enough evidence to write their own articles about the secrets, President Nixon tries to shut The New York Times’s articles down.

The release of this film couldn’t have come at a better time; “The Post” felt like an homage to the free press. The movie pits The Washington Post and The New York Times against each other, emphasizing The Washington Post’s involvement and stifling The New York Times’s. Though this made for a more intense and dramatic storyline, it felt unjust. I loved the sense of journalistic fervor presented throughout the storyline.

For the greater part of this film, I was ready for Spielberg to blow it with Graham’s character. True story or not, I almost resigned myself to the fact that Streep’s character would be lessened to the part of frail, flighty woman and that her male counterparts would have to intervene to save the paper. However, instead I witnessed an incredibly moving comeback. Streep could play publishers for the rest of her career and I would be content; her depiction of Graham was incredibly moving.

Hanks was extraordinary in his role as well; his character is driven and unrelenting.

One of my favorite things in “The Post” was the underlying sense of female empowerment. It would’ve been easy to make Graham the only speaking female role. However, the movie is powdered with minor female characters that emphasize Graham as a role model to women.

“The Post” was fantastic. It isn’t the type of movie that will keep you thinking about it for days after you see it. That being said, it’s memorable, it’s engaging and the acting is incredible.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

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Review: “The Open House”

Grammys return to the garden

Review: “Big Bear, Little Bear”

Harmonica player steals spotlight in jazz performance

New exhibits come to Hamersly

Cannon Gallery highlights digital magic

Review: “The Post”

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