6 A&E
THE MIHS ISLANDER OCT. 2022
“Race to Be Human” Breaks Our Bubble Kyle Gerstel and Abby Weiss A&E Team
A moment: the Performing Arts Center is filled with about 40 parents, faculty members and students. The predominantly white audience leans forward, listening closely to a Black student explaining their horrific encounters with racism on Mercer Island. The room brims with sympathy and shock at an experience most of us will never fully understand. This part of the process is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. On Monday, Oct. 17, MIHS hosted a showing of the iNDIEFLIX film “Race to Be Human,” followed by a Q+A with a diverse panel of MIHS staff and students discussing MISD culture around race. The film was also screened for members of the community at the Mercer Island Library on Oct. 17 and 18. The film emphasized the importance of involving A table of antiracism resources outside of the PAC. Photo by Kyle Gerstel.
students in conversations about how to combat racism in schools. “As much as I appreciate all of the work schools are doing, I think that is impossible without [...] the help of different students,” one youth interviewee said. The panel addressed how perceiving a space as safe is dependent on personal identity and experience. “We’re on MI, [so] we’re in a little bit of a bubble,” student panelist Carson Schiller said. “Until I reached high school, I thought the island itself was a safe space. Spaces can feel safe to some people and not to others.” “It’s really hard to find people to talk to,” student panelist Omolara Olusanya said. “One person compared my nostril size and how big my nose was to the headlights of a bus. Growing up in a place where there really aren’t people like me, I just couldn’t have that shared experience with anybody.” In order for a space to be safe for everyone in it, it is important to avoid targeting specific individuals. “I like to think of calling people in instead of calling people out,” English teacher Daniela Melgar said. “Using the term ‘racist’ is something that makes [a lot of people] instantly defensive, but I think it’s okay to accept that something you said was racially biased,” student panelist Miles Tardif said. In addition to discussing the importance of talking about race, the film and panel discussion touched on the importance of showcasing characters played by minorities in stories that do not only discuss their
Halloween Horror Movies Betty Butler
Features Team
Halloween is upon us, and with it comes ghosts, skeletons and of course, scary movies. Here are three movies that everybody should watch this year, and to keep with the Halloween-inspired theme, they are rated on a scale of one to five pumpkins. “X”: directed by Ti West (2022)–Rated R I was drawn into this film mainly from the cast as it features celebrities like Jenna Ortega and Kid Cudi, as well as it is made by A24, so I was curious to see if it would follow the studio’s trend of either being pretty good or making no sense or be boring. “X” follows a group of young adults in 1979 as they pursue creating an adult film on a farm unbeknownst to their hosts, a very elderly couple. The entire first hour is buildup; there are few to no jumpscares which I think leads to a much more gratifying second half because all the threats are condensed into the last 45 minutes. The part I was most scared of happened about right at the hour mark and was the first kill of the movie, which lasted for an uncomfortable amount of time. The pacing of this movie also works because it allows for the characters to feel better established and relevant to the story. There are eight main characters, but the two I liked the best were the lead girl Maxine, whose desire to be famous drives her into the porn industry, and the Photo courtesty Ti West cinematographer RJ Nichols, who brings his girlfriend along and tries to see past the lewd nature of the content. I give “X” 4/5 pumkins; overall, a fun, modern take on the slasher genre, but viewers have to be willing to get through the first hour of graphic sex scenes and odd encoutners with the elderly for the chiling payoff. “Corpse Bride”: directed by Tim Burton (2005)–Rated PG I was very excited to finally put my HBO subscription to use and watch this movie, which I know was made for young children, but I still hear very favorable words about it from my friends and classmates. Before watching it, I attributed a lot of the positive things I heard about it to nostalgia, but I found the movie to be just as endearing as others said. The film portrays Victor, a soon-tobe married young man, as he accidentally says his vows to a corpse, Emily, on the night of his wedding and thus she transports him into the world of the dead. This colorful “world of the dead’’ was the most enjoyable part of the movie for me, the scenes within always had lots of personality, constantly playing with the fact that all the characters within are cartoony skeletons; Emily has maggot living in her skull that consistently offer well-meaning but often unappreciated advice. I was also struck by the fact that “Corpse Bride” is a musical. The songs were quirky and fun, but still managed to capture themes like fear of the unusual and self-consciousness within them. “Corpse Bride” is altogether a wholesome, feel-good movie, and is a perfect Halloween movie if you are watching with younger siblings or just want to watch a movie that is appropriately scary for the target audience of children, well worth a rating of 3/5 pumpkins. “Halloween”: directed by John Carpenter (1978)–Rated R I could not talk about Halloween-themed movies without mentioning the movie that is literally named after the holiday. This film follows high school students on Halloween, particularly the “good girl” Laurie Strode as she babysits a young boy paranoid of the bogeyman, while coincidentally her friends are being hunted by a bogeyman-like killer named Michael Myers. While I was watching this movie, I was confused on where the plot was heading. None of the protagonists were actually aware of Myers’ future attacks, so they weren’t trying to defeat him together. At the same time, his attacks seemed very random, so it was hard to understand and predict why they were happening. The movie is really nothing special, but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. While many of the characters do not feel developed past the typical horror stereotypes of “good girl,” “scared kid” and “delusional old man,” I didn’t really take much of an issue to this because the characters just all seemed like placeholders to begin with. This old-school slasher movie is a perfect balance of fun and scary; while the teenage protagonists are trying to prepare for homecoming and Halloween, they are also being stalked by a serial killer. “Halloween” gets 3.5/5 pumpkins, and would be fun to watch with friends or select members of your family, like a cool aunt or cousin.
hardships. “If you aren’t represented, you don’t see it, and if you can’t see it, you can’t believe it,” one Latin American interviewee said. The documentary inspired nuanced conversations within the panel and hopefully beyond. The film ended with a montage of smiles, and after the difficult work of confronting our biases as a community, it is important to reward our progress without abandoning the process. “We’re all imperfect, we’re all unfinished,” Melgar said. “We all have to unlearn a lot and we have to learn a lot.”
Scan the QR code to read a story told during the panel discussion by MIHS student Omolara Olusanya.
Taylor Swift Does It Again With “Midnights” Kat Marsh Copy Editing Team
“Midnights,” released Friday, Oct. 21, is Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album. The album has a sound reminiscent of her previous albums, “Lover,” “reputation” and “1989.” “Midnights” marks Swift’s return to pop music after two alternative albums, “folklore” and “evermore.” When the tracklist was announced, I was hesitant because of the song titles. Titles like “Question…?” and “Vigilante Sh*t” made me lose hope, but the actual songs redeemed Swift’s titles. “Vigilante Sh*t” is actually one of my favorite songs from the album. It reminds me a lot of Swift’s 2018 album “reputation.” This absolute banger features Swift’s lyricism and producer Jack Antonoff’s overall production skills. Maybe it is not full of deep and thoughtful lyrics like “folklore” was, but its lyrics are great in a different way. Some of my favorite lyrics from “Vigilante Sh*t” are: “don’t get sad, get even” and “I don’t dress for women / I don’t dress for men / Lately I’ve been dressin’ for revenge.” This song reminds me of the sound of “...Ready For It” from “reputation” and the theme of “no body, no crime” from “evermore.” However, I was disappointed by “Snow on the Beach” because it was advertised as featuring Lana Del Rey, but she is barely audible on the track. The song itself is beautiful, again featuring Swift’s classic and beautiful lyrics, but I was expecting Del Rey to get a verse similar to Phoebe Bridgers on “Nothing New” from “Red (Taylor’s Version).” I would have loved to hear more of Del Rey on this track, but her background vocals are gorgeous. Antonoff’s production stands out yet again, and the use of violin adds to the dreamy vibe of this love song. Swift’s track fives are known to be the most vulnerable on each album, and “You’re On Your Own, Kid” did not disappoint. This song is deeply personal and touches on Swift’s rise to fame, her eating disorder, losing friends and navigating love. One of my personal favorite lyrics is “From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes / I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss.” Swift is often renowned for the bridges of her songs, and I think “You’re On Your Own, Kid” is one of her best. The song builds really well into the bridge both sound-wise and lyrically, making for a really wellrounded fifth track. Another personal favorite is “Bejeweled.” I love both the “I do not need a man” energy in the lyrics and the beat. Antonoff uses a lot of synth in this track which really adds to the vibe. My favorite lyrics on this track are “Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer” and “And when I meet the band / They ask, ‘Do you have a man?’ / I can still say, ‘I don’t remember.’” This is like the ultimate confidence anthem and I am obsessed with it. Overall, I absolutely love this album. It is a combination of all of the best parts of “Lover,” “reputation” and “1989.” “Midnights” is a solid album both sound-wise and lyrically, and a great return to pop music for Swift. I think this album is balanced and has a good combination of vulnerability and bad b**ch energy. Taylor Swift has yet to make a bad album. “Midnights” is her tenth iconic album, and I cannot wait for more.