The immense popularity of the new romantic comedy “Anyone But You” has led some critics to hail the start of a rom-com renaissance. The film was a box office success, earning more than $200 million globally, and has begun trending on social media. It has even started a TikTok trend featuring the end credit song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, which has made the Billboard Top 20 in the U.K. for the first time in 19 years.
‘Stopmotion’ elevates the inanimate to something terrifying
“Drive-Away Dolls” is a poor parody of lesbian cinema
“Drive-Away Dolls” marks the solo directorial debut of Ethan Coen, who is famed for his work with his brother, Joel Coen. The movie is thematically similar to many of their combined works, though the cast is radically different from that of movies like “The Big Lebowski.”
It follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) as two friends who embark on a road trip after Jamie’s infidelity-based breakup with her police officer-girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein.)
Cliches rise from the dead in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’
Chelsea Wolfe gets weird on ‘She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She’
Chelsea Wolfe is an artist who has done a bit of everything, from collaborating with metalcore band Converge and dark folk act King Dude to co-writing the soundtrack for the 2022 horror movie “X” starring Mia Goth. Now, Wolfe has released her seventh album, “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She,” which came out on Feb. 9. The album combines the stylings of early Grimes’ electronica with those of Mitski’s emotional depth.
Dancing abounds at Marsh Arts House shoegaze and grunge musical show
As the outside world remained bitterly cold, showgoers slowly gathered at Amherst College’s Marsh Arts House at 6:30 p.m. for a show that mixed elements of shoegaze, grunge and classic punk. Over the next hour, the space became increasingly crowded, with attendees perusing merchandise for bands Tributary and Blandest, including Ruby Thompson’s “Unrequited Fanzine.”
Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” is a failed attempt at a modern slasher
Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Poor Things’ and its strange approach to the coming of age genre
Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, “Poor Things,” is a bizarre yet hilarious reimagination of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” The film, based on a novel of the same name written by the Scottish author Alasdair Gray and published in 1992, uses mesmerizing cinematography inspired by surrealist art, catches the viewer’s eye and engages them in this eccentric coming-of-age story.
Anti-Blackness disguised as rap beef: has Nicki Minaj gone too far?
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, professionally known as Megan Thee Stallion, released her latest single, “HISS,” on Jan. 26, sending the internet into a frenzy, especially on X, formerly known as Twitter. Minutes after its release, stans and casual listeners alike were in shock over Megans’ diss track, especially regarding its references to Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, also known as Nicki Minaj.
Mean Girls flounders in the space between remake and copy
Depending on your age, “Mean Girls” might mean any number of things to you. The franchise has undergone numerous transformations over the years. The 2004 movie was adapted from a 2002 nonfiction book called “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman. The movie was followed by a 2011 sequel, then adapted into a 2017 Broadway musical with a book by Tina Fey. Unfortunately, the stellar legacy of the narrative has been tarnished by the 2024 remake, which haphazardly combines both movie and musical without adding anything of its own.
Todd Haynes’ film ‘May December’ illustrates life after grooming
‘Napoleon’ falls short, and not just because it’s all made up
On Friday, Dec. 3, the Mount Holyoke History Department sponsored a trip to Tower Theaters to see the latest historical epic. Unfortunately, Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” was a disappointment — the tone and the narrative are incomprehensible. It feels like the film can’t decide between being a warrior epic, a tragic love story or a comedy. It's not impossible to do all three, so it’s a letdown to see a skilled director like Scott fumble.
Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” finally tells Priscilla Presley’s story
Sofia Coppola’s latest film “Priscilla” gives audiences a window into the life of Priscilla Presley, based on the latter’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me.” The film’s story begins at a party in Germany in 1959, where a 14-year-old Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and 20-four-year-old soldier Elvis (Jacob Elordi) first meet. As other characters point out the couple’s obvious age gap — “She sure is young isn’t she? Like a little girl” — Coppola begins the story of a young, impressionable girl caught in the trap of fame and fortune.
Marriage Pact returns, tests its matchmaking skills on Mount Holyoke’s campus
Gabrielle Korn’s debut novel focuses on queer love amid climate disaster
Taking place in a not-so-distant future New York City ravaged by climate change, Gabrielle Korn’s recently-released debut novel “Yours for the Taking,” has been called “[a]t once a mesmerizing story of queer love, betrayal, and chosen family, and an unflinching indictment of white, corporate feminism,” by its publisher, Macmillan.
Female artists lead Recording Academy’s 66th Grammy Awards nominations
Department of Film Media Theater and students put on ‘Night of Scenes’ with students
This past weekend, attendees of the Department of Film Media Theater’s “Night of Scenes” were treated to not one but four distinct narratives. Students put on four scenes from Dominican writer Juliany Taveras’ 2016 play “the anatomy of light,” one from Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius,” Jonathan Yukich’s “A Brief History of Weather” and David Ives’ “Sure Thing.”
Musician Chmba Ellen Chilemba ’17 talks on grief, gratitude, President Holley’s inauguration and reflects on her time spent at Mount Holyoke
Today, many on campus know Chmba Ellen Chilemba ’17, better known by her stage name CHMBA, as the DJ who performed at President Danielle R. Holley’s 90s-themed inauguration party. The talented musician has opened for musicians like American pop star Madonna and Benenise singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo. Her second EP, “Okongola Caucus,” came out earlier this year.
'One More Time': Blink-182 returns to the old days
Pop-punk is back.
In the past two years, Paramore, Simple Plan and Taking Back Sunday have all released full-length albums. Say Anything, Green Day, Busted and Hawthorne Heights are coming out with new songs. Amidst the revival of a genre they helped pioneer, it only makes sense that Blink-182 would come back as well — though, to be fair, they’ve been consistently releasing since 1994.
More than just a TikTok trend, Wes Anderson’s style elegantly serves the story of ‘Asteroid City’
A small desert town in the midst of the Cold War, a science competition for kid geniuses and an alien landing: these are all part of the play at the center of “Asteroid City,” Wes Anderson’s newest film. The film frames itself as an anthology television series retelling the history of a play called “Asteroid City.” We meet the playwright and the actors and gain a description of the setting.
The story kicks off when the play itself begins. By putting these different narratives on top of each other, “Asteroid City” positions itself as a discussion of grief and self-realization. Anderson’s ability to dive deep into the fragility and beauty of the human experience, even within the strangeness of his own style, is what makes him an enduring modern filmmaker.