ENTERTAINMENT

Andor

The Story of What Came Before

By Justin Kim

Star Wars without laser death sticks or magical telekinesis? It may sound boring, but many people say it is the best Star Wars show released by Disney yet. Written by Tony Gilrow, Andor is a 12-episode show starring Diego Luna, Genevieve O'Reilly, and Stellan Skarsgård.

This show gives the background story to the character Cassian Andor, who first came out in the movie Rogue One with Genevieve O'Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma. While giving his story, the show also shows how a spark of rebellion is formed. It shows how ordinary people, not lightsaber-wielding heroes, work together to fight the fascist group called the Imperials. 

Two low-ranked Imperial workers agitate Cassian Andor while he looks for his sister. Andor accidentally kills one of them and decides to kill the other to hide the evidence. An Imperial worker finds out and chases Andor down. Andor goes on a mission with several rebels as a mercenary to get enough money so that he and his mother can leave and hide from the Imperials. But, plans change, and Andor has to go through a journey where he and others start to spark the idea of rebellion in many people throughout the galaxy. 

Most Star Wars shows, and movies show things from a wide perspective with wide shots of everything. Andor however, shows many things from the characters’ point of view. This is great because it can depict how menacing an Imperial TIE Fighter can look and sound to an ordinary person from the ground or how many characters are just normal people trying to do their job even if they're on the Imperial's side.

The music composition for this show is also amazing. Every intro to each episode is the same theme but with slightly different background instruments. When every intro music is played together, it turns into a symphony of instruments playing the theme like the small movements of rebellion that turn into something bigger: The fight for freedom against the empire(Imperials). The music fits well with the show’s theme of rebellion. The architecture and locations of the settings are fantastic as well and show what kind of place the characters reside. The planet of Coruscant is an ecumenopolis meaning it is a planet entirely covered by cities. The Production Designer for Andor decided for the planet to have a brutalist architectural style as Coruscant focuses on showing scale and wealth. Some amazing scenes of cinematography result from the beautiful architecture and visual effects. Some episodes of the show are truly stunning and cinematographically beautiful. 

Since Andor takes place before Rogue One and has three characters in Rogue One, it is great to Rogue One after watching Andor as it gives some backstory to those characters. Andor is a must-watch for both fans of Star Wars and non-fans, as it has a great story and cinematography.

Oldie, but Goodie

By Aaron Bohbot

Toy Story is a classic animated movie that tells the story of toys that come to life when their owner, a young boy named Andy, is not around. The main characters are Woody, a cowboy doll Andy's favorite toy, and Buzz Lightyear, a new space ranger toy who believes he is a real space ranger.

The movie takes place in a world where toys have their personalities and can interact with each other. The story begins when Buzz Lightyear is introduced to Andy's toy collection and becomes the new favorite toy, much to Woody's disappointment. Woody becomes jealous of Buzz and decides to get rid of him, but his plan goes awry, and they both get lost.

The rest of the movie follows their journey as they try to find their way back to Andy's house while encountering various obstacles and adventures. Through their journey, Woody and Buzz learn to work together and become friends.

Toy Story was the first feature-length movie created entirely using computer animation. It was released in 1995 and has become a beloved classic for all ages. The movie's success led to two sequels and a fourth movie, released in 2019.

The friendship, loyalty, and teamwork themes make Toy Story an excellent movie for all ages. It also teaches us the importance of accepting change and learning to work with others who may be different from us.

In conclusion, Toy Story is a classic movie that tells the heartwarming story of toys coming to life and teaches us valuable lessons about friendship and teamwork. It is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good adventure and a happy ending.

Renfeld Reviewed

By Halo Jenkins

The brand new 2023 comedy horror film Renfield, directed by Chris McKay, and presented by Universal Pictures, is fascinating. The film is a modern take on the original story of Dracula, written by Abraham Stroker in 1897. This is the first movie I've watched that is focused on Dracula because I have watched vampire movies, but none of them ever have Dracula in them. My expectations for this film were high because the trailer was excellent. I was disappointed since the film could have been better if it was longer because it is only one hour and thirty-three minutes long. The ending of this film could have been better if it was longer because they made the boring conclusion brief.

The film, set in New Orleans, is about Dracula's manservant Renfield, who decides he doesn't want to be Dracula's manservant anymore, so he figures out how to escape with the help of a cop he has a crush on. The plot of this film is entirely original, considering it is a modern take on Dracula, so it is original and not the full-on Dracula story. This film is written well. I like the modern take on it, and it's a comedy and a horror film because those are my two favorite genres; however, this film isn't scary. It is gory but also not really because it's unrealistic, so when someone gets killed, it's pretty shocking rather than scary and honestly funny. The dialogue in this film is realistic, though, which I like because it's not a little kids' vampire movie which is what I'm used to, so it is not just stupid childish dialogue which I like. If this film had a consistent theme or message, it would be that evil grows in everyone, portrayed in the character Rienfield.

I liked Nicolas Cage's performance as Dracula because it is an exciting role, but he looks like a vampire and is perfect for this role. His position stood out to me because he just played it so well. I believed that he was a vampire, and I liked his movements and stance because they helped portray that he felt that he was the most powerful and better than anyone and that he wasn't afraid.

Another performance that stood out to me was Ben Schwartz as Teddy Lobo; Teddy is a significant crime everyone hates, and I love his character. Everyone in the show hates him, which is funny because he just thinks he is so cool, but deep down, he isn't because he will not even shoot anyone, which is also amusing because he carries around this big gold gun. He just gets his friends to shoot people. He did a perfect job playing this role. His acting was great his character was great. There wasn't any specific reason why I loved his acting. I just did, and he did an outstanding job and was the perfect person to play Teddy.

I love this film's cinematography mainly because it fits its comedy well. The transitions in this film are good, the camera sequences are good the way it was filmed is good, but the main thing that I love in this film is the special effects. In this film, many people die, which sounds scary and depressing, but it's so funny because the people get killed in the most shocking, ridiculous, funny ways. The funniest part is the amount of blood. When someone dies, there's just so much blood that it's crazy, and the blood is fake, which adds to the film's humor. The blood isn't really. It just looks like red water, which is why I like the special effects because the way they made this blood was so good. This film was also edited well. Everything's smooth. All the transitions fit with the scene. It's just spotless and friendly.

Marco Beltrami composed the soundtrack for the film, and he did a great job. Marco is a 56-year-old movie and tv show composer. He mainly composes soundtracks for horror films such as I, Robot, World War Z, and Knowing. The soundtrack enhances the film a lot. It just fits with the film well. Every time a song was played, it fits perfectly with the scene, which I liked. One memorable scene was at the end of the film because the music they played in this scene worked well. The soundtrack in this film was entirely original, which works because, yes, the film is based on a story, but it is a modern take on it, so the film itself is original. I'm glad they did an original soundtrack as well. Overall this soundtrack was memorable, and I loved it, and I'm sure anyone who watches it will too.

In conclusion, I liked this film, the only thing that would make it better was if it was longer because I thought it was too short. I think anyone who watches this film enjoys it unless you hate gory movies, but again, the killing is fun because it's just not realistic, which fits the film. Overall I liked this film and suggested you watch it it's an easy watch because it's short so if you want short films this is great!

Memorial Day 

By Miah Jackson

Dinner Will Never Be The Same

By Halo Jenkins

Friday Night Dinner is a British television sitcom directed by Steve Bendelack and Martin Dennis. This British comedy originally aired on channel four from 2011 to 2020 and was canceled due to one of the main actors' deaths, Paul Ritter, which left many fans in tears. 

However, the comedy can still be watched on Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple Tv platforms. 

Friday Night Dinner is about a middle-class Jewish family of four living in England with two sons, Jonny and Adam, and their parents, Martin and Jackie, who have dinner together every Friday night. The family has dinner together every Friday night because the sons have moved out, so it is just a way for them to be together. This tv show is set in north London and was filmed in a real house in Mill Hill. 

I was not expecting much from this show because I never even knew what it was until I heard a kid from my school talking about it. He enjoyed citing quotes from the show, and I thought it was amusing, so one day, I started to watch it. At first, I was the only one watching the show, but when my parents heard me laughing out loud, they joined in to watch. Every night we would eat in the living room and watch this show, and then after we finished the show, I even watched it all over again because it was so funny. 

One thing I like about this tv show is how it was written because it is filled with humor and silly things, which I like. After all, without stupid chaos going on, this show would be super boring. The dialog in this show is pretty ridiculous, but in a good way because it is meant to be funny, which it is, but it also seems realistic for the characters' personalities. I also like how the characters act because how they dress is just funny in general for example, Martin always walks around with his shirt off, and Jackie hates it, which is funny because he is always getting told to put a shirt on, and he always gets angry. There isn't a plot to this tv show because it shows the family's life, and each episode has a different plot. however, I do think that each plot is regional. It is not like every comedy. Overall, the show is very original, which I like because it is way funnier than most comedies. Every single character's performance in this show is fantastic. There's not a single character that I thought wasn't playing well. However, one performance that stood out to me was Paul Ritter as Martin. His performance was incredible; I love his character so much, and I love his acting. He did so well playing this character, especially because it must have been tough to play because Martin is a hilarious kind of gross and weird character. He always has bizarre facial expressions, which would have been hard to do. I also think he did an outstanding job with this performance because his character is so funny, and his dialogue is just so ridiculous. Still, Paul was able to play this character and make all the stupid and unrealistic dialogue seem realistic and like something the character would say. Also, in the last episode Martin was in, he filmed when he was very sick, and everyone didn't want him to do it. Still, he did it to make the fans happy before he died. I think that says a lot about his performance because the fact that he was dying and still filmed an episode was just incredible, and you would have never even noticed he was sick. Another performance that stood out to me was Mark Heap as Jim; Jim was a fascinating character because there was something severely wrong with him. He had spent time in a secure psychiatric unit, been in a hospital, wasn't allowed to eat with a knife, and had a severe reaction to red paint. Jim is a peculiar character but also super funny it is honestly tough to describe him because you can't picture him unless you've watched the show. 

I liked Mark's performance as Jim because Jim must if been tough to play, considering Jim has serious mental issues and he would walk and talk weirdly, which would have been hard to play, especially because Jim had a stutter, so it must have been hard for Mark to have to force a stutter. This performance was outstanding simply because the actor did a perfect job playing such an awkward and strange character. Now I wouldn't say the tv show has the best cinematography I've ever seen, but it just doesn't need it because, again, this show is a comedy, not a super crazy action-packed film which a million transitions. This show is a calm show about a family having dinner. Its nothing crazy, so no, there aren't heaps of transitions and memorable camera sequences, but it certainly was not filmed badly especially considering it was filmed in a real house and not a million sets because filming in a real house is hard, especially because its a house in England because they are ancient and tight, certainly not open plan and trying to get the right angle with walls and stairs in the way would have been quite difficult. Still, they managed to do it, which is impressive. 

This show does not include special effects because it is a sitcom, not Star Wars. One thing I liked about this tv show is that the film is edited well. Unlike most shows, there isn't just one set composer for the soundtrack in Friday night dinner. It is different because, in this show, there is no music. There are only three songs in the whole show. However, the songs were made specifically for this show. The three artists who created music for Friday night dinner are Mike Snow, Casiokids, and Phoenix.

These artists don't usually compose soundtracks. They make music like any other person on Spotify. I can't talk much about the soundtrack for this show simply because there isn't one; however, all I have to say is that when I was watching this show, I didn't feel like anything was missing, so I don't think it matters, that there was barely any music in this show. Also, I don't think this show needed a piece, so don't panic if you feel like the show will suck without music because it won't.

Overall this comedy is a hilarious show worth watching, especially if you want to laugh. I recommend this tv show to families because people like to watch shows that relate to them, and families can relate to this show. I recommend this show to anyone who wants comedies because this is undoubtedly one of the funniest shows I've ever watched. Any age group can manage this, which is why it suits families. Again if you like this show, I highly recommend The Inbetweeners because it is another British comedy similar to this and is entertaining, although it is inappropriate for kids. In conclusion, you should watch at least one episode because you will instantly be hooked and nonstop watching it.

“labour” by Paris Paloma

By Daria Serheyeva

Last month Paris Paloma released the song “Labour,” which previously went viral on TikTok. Along with the song, she posted the official video on YouTube, which currently has 4.7 million views. 

The video features a woman, the singer, dressed in a white shirt and a red dress, and the outfit looks like it was taken from the past. She walks around and serves the table, putting more food on it, while a man, the character’s husband, sits at it. The husband is dressed in dark clothing and often stares at his wife while eating. He does not show gratitude at any point. Instead, he consumes a lot of food, not bothering about eating with any manners. This makes him seem greedy and rude. 

First, the woman serves the table, and the music is relatively calm. The lyrics talk about how much she does, serving her husband, and that it is “emotional torture.” Then, Paris sits down, and the lyrics say, “If our love died, would that be a bad thing?” It’s unclear whether she thinks that or says that directly to the man. The man starts eating, consuming all that hard work, and taking it for granted. He looks at the woman with a dark look, which shows that he thinks he has more power than her. The ending is my favorite moment because it has powerful lyrics and a change in the song's atmosphere. The woman looks over the table and grabs a pomegranate. She stops caring about how she will look and rips the fruit open, the red juice flying on the white shirt. Paris starts eating the pomegranate, and half of her face and hands get covered in the red liquid, which looks similar to blood, although it is juice. She smiles at the man, and he smiles back with slight fear and judgment in his eyes. The woman starts telling her husband off, again with powerful lyrics, and at the end, she disappears.

The acting in the video is amazing. I loved how the characters showed emotions like judgment or anger. It looks believable and subtle enough to let the viewer interpret the character’s facial expressions. The directing is also really good. The characters stay in the same room for the entire video, but changing camera angles makes the video interesting. The camera is shaking slightly in some moments, while in others, it is in a fixed position. The moving camera works well to enhance the emotions already shown by the actors. Overall, the acting and directing are awesome, and the emotions in the video are portrayed well.

I recommend this song, it can go into many playlists, and it just sounds good. The music video also makes it even better because it adds a storyline to an already awesome song. I must “labour” might not be for everyone, but I think many people would like it. The song appeals mostly to women because of its general message. Also, it might be a good song for those interested in history, at least from what I have seen on TikTok and the song’s atmosphere. Overall, “labour” is a wonderful song, and the music video works beautifully with it.