BY EMMA MARTIN ’20
The screening room of the South Hadley Tower Theaters was buzzing last Saturday, as people gathered to see a special midnight screening of cult classic flop, “The Room,” written, directed by and starring Tommy Wiseau. As the title credits and oversweeping shots of San Francisco, it become apparent that no one in the theater was taking the movie seriously. The audience shouted and cracked jokes the entire evening.
BY DALE LEONHART ’19
Pratt Music Hall was filled with musical reverie on Sunday afternoon as pianists Dana Muller and Gary Steigerwalt delighted audiences with a showcase of their talent. The husband-wife team have been playing a four-hand and duo-piano repertoire for over three decades, traveling internationally to perform. Steigerwalt, a Mount Holyoke College professor Emeritus, and Muller were welcomed to campus by a large audience who was eager to hear their masterful musicality.
BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
As a curatorial intern with the Mount Holyoke Art Museum and concert manager for the music department, Relyn Myrthil ’19 is familiar with Mount Holyoke’s arts scene. Her vast resume includes being a classically trained violist, violinist, singer, conductor, Sphinx Organization fellowship recipient, community educator and student. Next week Mythril has the chance to present her work as a conductor with the Mount Holyoke Orchestra and a curator with the museum.
BY AMY YOELIN ’18
Carson, Kyan, Ted, Thom, and Jai: the original Fab Five. These names may mean nothing to you, but to me these men have been my unofficial gay fathers since “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” premiered in the early 2000s. Sadly, this show came to an end in 2007. Of course, in the age of reboots and renewals, Netflix picked it up, now titled “Queer Eye,” which follows the same premise of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” except with a new Fab Five.
BY JAHIYA CLARK ’20
Audiences across the nation had high expectations for the premiere of one the most anticipated Marvel films in years, “Black Panther.”While the film has been a box office success — according to Box Office Mojo the film has grossed over $462 million worldwide since its opening on Feb. 16 — “Black Panther” has also been a cultural success by --pushing the boundaries of how black people appear on screen.
BY EMMA MARTIN ’20
Mara Benjamin, professor and chair of the Jewish studies department, could be seen warmly greeting the steady stream of guests filing in to see Jewish folk music group, Pharaoh’s Daughter, on Friday evening in the McCulloch Auditorium. The space was packed as the group played music that incorporated sounds and languages from around the globe with percussion, flute, strings and electronica.
BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
Project: Theatre kicked off its annual production of “The Student Body” in Chapin Auditorium. This year’s theme, “Horror and Madness,” was widely interpreted by the performers to include topics such as nuclear war, living dolls, eating disorders, familial conflict and mental health.
BY DALE LEONHART ’19
Critically acclaimed Asian American contemporary playwright Chay Yew’s two-act documentary play, “Question 27, Question 28,” opened Mount Holyoke’s theatre arts spring season. The reading illuminated the stories of Japanese Americans who were victims of forced removal and evacuation on the West Coast in the 1940s under the orders of President Roosevelt.
BY ERIN CARBERRY ’19
Netflix released the third installment in the science fiction “Cloverfield” series following two short ads during the Super Bowl. In the 10 years since the first “Cloverfield” film and two years since its sequel, “10 Cloverfield Lane,” the seemingly rushed production of “The Cloverfield Paradox” is obvious. Set in the year 2028, when humanity has nearly depleted their energy supply and now rely on a particle accelerator called “the Shepard” for survival, “The Cloverfield Paradox” is a haphazard mash of other, more critically-acclaimed works. The film starts with the atmosphere of a lazily-crafted episode of “Black Mirror” but by the time the narrative shifts to the Cloverfield space station, it becomes a weaker version of “Alien” (complete with several recreations of its most iconic moments). Relying on jump-scares and on-screen violence, the film becomes entirely predictable and brings nothing new to the series or the genre.
BY ISAAC MICHAEL DONOVAN ’19
As both a person who struggles with mental illness and a film studies major, I have often found that depictions of mental illness in film fall short of portraying its actualities and the lives of those who experience it. However, the 1942 film “Now, Voyager,” starring Bette Davis (“The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex”), is one of the most accurate portrayals of mental illness I have seen to date. It is shocking to think that a classic Hollywood film could ever succeed in portraying mental illness — a taboo subject even today — and do so in a progressive way. Davis excels in capturing the struggles of mental illness and the long journey towards self-determination and self-understanding.
BY SARAH OLSEN ’18
Music took center stage Sunday night as the Grammys celebrated artists, producers, songwriters and other members of the music industry. The 60th show featured nine of the 84 awards being handed out on-air between memorable performances from popular artists, such as Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna.
BY AHLIA DUNN ’20
In the midst of the push for more diversity in Hollywood and #TimesUp, there has been an added pressure on Hollywood to give women of color the opportunities — and pay — that they deserve. According to the website Women and Hollywood, women accounted for “only 28 percent of all creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and directors of photography working on broadcast network, cable and streaming programs.” Here are some women of color in entertainment who are on top of their game and whose future you should be paying attention to.
Mount Holyoke’s acapella community held their Spring Showcase in Chapin Auditorium Friday night. The Victory Eights, M&Cs, Diversions and Nice Shoes came together to exhibit their signature styles, celebrate their history and promote upcoming auditions. The group’s respective sets included arrangements of Sara Bareilles’ “King of Anything”, George Gershwin’s “Summertime” from the opera Porgy & Bess and the V8s’ classic the “Mount Holyoke Drinking Song.”
“The End of the F***ing World” is part coming-of-age story, part “Pulp Fiction” tribute, with viewers following moody teenager Alyssa (Jessica Barden) and self-proclaimed psychopath James (Alex Lawther) as they try to outmaneuver the police — and their parents — after running away from home. Set to a retro soundtrack of American rock and doo-wop hits, the scrawny fugitives leave a path of destruction in their wake.
BY OLIVIA MARBLE ’21
Themes spanning from personal identity to family structures were explored in the Blanchard Student Art Gallery during its latest exhibit, “Frame the Invisible.” The exhibit, which ran from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5, featured the final projects of the students in Digital Photography 1, an introductory photography course taught by Professor Amanda Herman that focused on photography basics through digital technologies.
BY CHLOE JENSEN ’20
After much anticipation, Nintendo released the newest version of the popular game “Animal Crossing,” called “Pocket Camp,” for iPhone and Android players on Nov. 21. While Animal Crossing’s revival is a nostalgic moment for those who played it on GameCube or Wii, it has also gained a younger following of avid phone gamers. According to the research firm SensorTowers, the new mobile game has been downloaded more than 15 million times since its release. “Pocket Camp” is more accessible than previous games, which required the purchase of both a game and a gaming system. Though “Pocket Camp” has fewer features than the original games, it manages to evoke just enough fun to make playing a worthwhile experience.
