Netflix’s horror series “All Of Us Are Dead” is a thrilling, adrenaline-fueled saga of zombie chaos. Based on Joo Dong-Geun’s 2009 Korean webtoon, “Now at Our School,” “All of Us Are Dead” follows the outbreak of a zombie virus at a high school in Hyosan, South Korea. “All Of Us Are Dead” is an action-packed thriller that successfully strikes a balance between gore and the exploration of deeper themes of love, friendship and loss.
The second season of “Euphoria,” which drew a record-setting 2.4 million viewers when it premiered on HBO Max, has received unprecedented levels of attention from both new and returning fans. With each episode featuring dramatic twists and turns, it seems that this season is taking its characters and viewers on a rollercoaster.
The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum held “East Meets West: The Art of Tseng Kwong Chi,” its first event of the spring semester on Wednesday, Feb. 2. According to the MHCAM website, the museum hosted “East Meets West” to commemorate the acquisition of “Lake Moraine, Canada (Canoe Mountain, Alberta),” a black and white photograph by Tseng Kwong Chi.
André Leon Talley was fashion’s greatest moments personified. The larger-than-life stylist, writer and former Vogue editor-at-large died on Jan. 18 at age 73. His death leaves a gaping void in the global fashion landscape. He was American artist Andy Warhol’s muse and a close confidante to some of fashion’s biggest names like Naomi Campbell, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint-Laurent. He was the first Black person to grace Vogue’s masthead. In his lifetime, he worked to shape the predominantly white industry with his grandiose perspective. Edward Enniful, the first Black Editor-in-Chief of any Vogue, paid his tribute to Talley on Instagram, “Without you, there would be no me. Thank you for paving the way.”
Over the past several years, the art world has seen a significant increase in exhibits exploring the amalgamation of both past and present representations of the Black identity. According to a 2021 Axios article written by Russell Contreras, many of these include escapist art pieces that center around themes of science fiction and fantasy, also known as Afrofuturism. From banners to dresses made of paper and Swarovski crystals to multi-colored quilts, Lauren Halsey, Fabiola Jean-Louis and Bisa Butler have been steadily making an impact on the art scene through their work across various mediums. These three Black female artists all have a vision of African American identities through both past and contemporary lenses: a vision they aim to share with the world.
Packed with childhood nostalgia, anime references and plenty of adventure, Cartoon Network’s “Craig of the Creek” seems to have something for audiences of all kinds, including those looking to see themselves represented on screen. The series has always featured a great deal of diversity among its young characters, and recently, LGBTQ+ characters have taken center stage in a touching episode about self-acceptance.
Although you wouldn’t guess it based on the title alone, American singer-songwriter Snail Mail’s second album, “Valentine,” mostly covers love just as it begins to spoil. During the titular song, which is also the opening track on the album, Snail Mail, whose real name is Lindsey Jordan, sings, “So why’d you wanna erase me, darling valentine?”
Jordan has always sung about heartache. Her previous record, 2018’s “Lush,” features songs about unrequited love and rejection. Heartbreak is a common theme for many musicians, but both albums are masterworks of indie rock because of their ability to exhibit that experience in entirely new ways, sonically and lyrically.
From her very first line — “Where the fuck am I?” — the Princess Diana depicted in Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín’s historical drama “Spencer” is established as gritty and unwilling to hold back. Scenic shots showing Diana driving disoriented in the English countryside make it clear that the Princess of Wales, played beautifully by Kristen Stewart, is lost. Literally, but also in spirit. As Diana gazes around at her surroundings, she asks a passerby, “How could I get lost in a place where I used to play?” This question epitomizes the tragic but heavy-handed dialogue that persists throughout the rest of the film. While “Spencer” features a stellar performance by Stewart, an appropriately eerie soundtrack and artful cinematography, the movie suffers greatly from a script that relies on cheesy metaphors and allows little room for subtext or interpretation from the audience.
When Mount Holyoke News asked to hear from longtime Taylor Swift fans regarding the recent release of “Red (Taylor’s Version),” Addie Ray ’22 came dressed the part, sporting a black t-shirt featuring seven or eight images of the American singer-songwriter collaged together in bright pink wash. The many Swifts peeking out from beneath Ray’s open denim jacket hailed from all the distinct musical eras that have defined Swift’s career. Swift has re-invented herself and her music countless times, but the Nov. 12 release of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” signaled the re-invention of an old fan favorite.
If the American crime film “The Godfather” and the daytime drama “Dynasty” had a high-fashion, campy lovechild, it would be director Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci.” Filled with a star-studded cast and impeccable costumes, the movie explores the tragic but true past of the Gucci family and their struggle for control of the fashion empire in the 1970s. Based on Sara Gay Forden’s 2001 book of the same name, the film follows the book’s subtitle: “A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour and Greed.” While the cast gave a stellar performance, their acting could not save the storyline, which got diluted by the introduction of unnecessary subplots.
80 years ago, a bizarre event occurred in Hollywood: a major Hollywood studio gave complete creative freedom to Orson Welles, a young man directing his first feature film, allowing him complete dominion over nearly every aspect of its production. The brainchild of that freedom is Orson Welles’ 1941 American drama film, “Citizen Kane.”
In a landmark contract with RKO Pictures, one of the biggest film studios in the United States at the time, Welles received a 25 percent cut of the film’s profits in addition to full control over production. Welles would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination in 1942 for Best Actor for his role in the film as the titular character, Charles Foster Kane. Though 80 years have passed since the film’s release, “Citizen Kane” has managed to stay relevant in modern discussion for both its cinematic innovation and social commentary.
The stage at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke was littered with instruments last Friday night as members of the crowd waited for American rock band Parquet Courts to perform.
Parquet Courts was the lead act of the night, following an energetic performance by the indie-rock band Public Practice. During their set, Public Practice played several songs from their debut full-length album, “Gentle Grip.” Parquet Courts, accompanied by Public Practice, are on tour to promote their recently released seventh album, “Sympathy for Life,” which came out on Oct. 22.
Though both bands are based in New York City, Parquet Courts has a history with Massachusetts, as bassist Sean Yeaton is from the state. While on stage, he joked about visiting Herrell’s, a well-beloved ice cream store in Northampton. Though it would be easy to attribute the sold-out venue to the band’s regional connection, the music and the thrill of live performance was more than enough to carry the show.
In Netflix’s new original vampire thriller film, “Night Teeth,” viewers meet the main character, Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), a broke college student whose future goals include succeeding as a music producer and buying his grandmother a house. Benny’s fairly average life, defined by writing academic papers for his classmates and skateboarding around his hometown, takes a turn for the worse when he begs his older brother, Jay (Raúl Castillo), who works as a chauffeur, to let him play the role of driver for one night. From there, Benny begins chauffeuring Blaire (Debby Ryan) and Zoe (Lucy Fry), a pair of sultry vampire friends interested in attending several lavish parties in Los Angeles with the intent of wreaking havoc. While “Night Teeth” shows promise by showcasing a star-studded cast — Debby Ryan, Lucy Fry and Megan Fox, to name a few — and attempting to feature chemistry between star-crossed lovers Benny and Blaire, it falls flat, mainly due to its nonsensical dialogue, lack of exciting action and unimaginative scenes that are in desperate need of some plot twists.
On the rainy night before Halloween, the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra welcomed its first in-person audience since March 2020 to the 11th annual Monsters’ Ball. The balcony of Chapin Auditorium was practically filled to the brim with attendees, most of whom dressed up in Halloween costumes for the occasion. Instead of wearing traditional concert attire, the musicians also donned Halloween costumes, dressing up as Spider-Man, the Duolingo owl, a butterfly, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and the protagonist from the 2019 folk horror film “Midsommar” — to name only a few.
When the creators of the “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” posters wrote the tagline, “The Epic Finale That Will Live Forever,” it seems as if they were anticipating the thriving fan culture that the franchise would retain almost a decade after its final installment first premiered in movie theaters.
The Twilight Saga refers to a series of five vampire romance films, all of which are based on American novelist Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling books of the same name. Although “Breaking Dawn,” the last installment of the Saga, first premiered in theaters in 2012, in the past couple of years, fans have flocked back to the series with the excitement reminiscent of seeing an eagerly anticipated midnight premiere. Book Riot defined this cultural phenomenon, often called “The Twilight Renaissance,” as a period where people are “once again making fan art, sharing memes and discussing the series’ impact after a dip in popularity during the mid-2010s.”
“No Time to Die,” the latest James Bond installment, is surprisingly emotional for an action film. The movie, which is the final Bond film to star Daniel Craig as the titular character, ups the sentimentality beyond the norms of the spy thriller genre in a fitting goodbye to the longest-running Bond.
The movie follows in the steps of classic Bond films and expands on what a Bond film can look like. “No Time to Die” opens with a scene that imitates a familiar sight from previous Bond movies — Bond, accompanied by a beautiful woman, driving his iconic Aston Martin DB5 sports car through a small European town. In these opening shots, the film nods to similar scenes in the Bond tradition, which can be found in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and “Goldfinger,” to name a few
Netflix’s newest season of “Sex Education” allows viewers to feel as if they are eavesdropping on the latest gossip during a high school passing period, while also providing catharsis for the trauma that accompanies being a teenager. The third season, released on Netflix on Sept. 17, brings audiences back to some of their favorite characters from the town of Moordale. “Sex Education” has its strong points when it comes to portraying teenagers on an emotional, cultural and sexual level, even if it exhausts certain storylines and disregards promising subplots.
“Squid Game,” a South Korean horror Netflix Original series that dropped on Sept. 17, has quickly become the hottest television show streaming on the platform. It has a stellar 94 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.3/10 on IMDB and has taken the number one spot on Netflix in 90 countries. The show deserves the worldwide recognition and success it has received since its release. It possesses a suspenseful atmosphere, successfully drawing viewers in as the players navigate the games.
Sashaying and pirouetting within the confines of cramped off-campus rooms became the new normal for many Mount Holyoke dance majors in March 2020, when students were sent home because of COVID-19. While many classes functioned similarly enough to the on-campus experience, the dance department saw a significant shift in their classes. The studio space, which allows students and faculty to experience community and energy through movement, was now missing from dancers’ lives. During the pandemic, professors and students had to figure out how to recreate this sense of community in a virtual environment.
On Saturday, Sept. 18, Julien Baker performed to an excited and emotional crowd at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA. Playing a mix of favorites from her debut album as well as most of the content from her newest release, “Little Oblivions,” Baker interacted with her audience like old friends. Baker was joined onstage by a small band, including Mariah Schneider on guitar and vocals, Noah Forbes on piano and Matthew Gilliam on drums. The four musicians created an intimate environment that allowed Baker’s striking vocals to shine. The size of the audience — all fully masked — showed that the Pioneer Valley is more than ready for the return of live music.
