Oscars Snubs and Dubs

MEGAN WEAVER Staff Reporter

The 2023 Oscar season is officially over until next year, which means that film buffs will be arguing relentlessly for the next three weeks over the winners and losers.

I was really interested this year because I watched several of the movies that were nominated. I was also invested because I’ve actually started watching movies as they come out and not two years later, so I was up to date this time around.

You might have noticed that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won a lot. I am super happy with how this movie did at the Academy Awards. Winning seven out of its 12 nominations, I’m glad that this movie is getting the accolades it deserves.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” explores the idea of nihilism vs absurdism in such a beautiful and heartbreaking way. It also has an incredibly unique and original take on the idea of multiple dimensions and alternate universes. The relationships between the characters display some of the best writing and characterization I’ve ever seen. This movie has changed my entire outlook on life.

Also, Michelle Yeoh was the first Asian woman ever to be nominated for Best Actress and I’m super glad she won because she is the heart of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Yeoh delivered such a great performance. She had a way of making her character, Evelyn, so raw and real. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” wouldn’t be half the movie it is without her.

Yeoh has also been acting since the 80s so this award was a long time coming. I also watched “All Quiet on the Western Front”(2022), which won four Oscars, and all of them were well deserved, especially Best Original Score. I loved the score in this movie, there’s one song that’s prominent throughout the movie. It has a very haunting, loud rattle that is used oftentimes to signify upcoming danger and it puts you on the edge of your seat. The song I’m talking about is called “Remains” and I recommend looking it up. The rest of the film was excellent, though it could’ve probably been a little shorter. The cinematography and acting portrays the horrors of war so well. There’s also a lot of symbolism within the movie that I noticed and as someone who’s not a big fan of war movies, this one almost made me cry.

So whether your favorites won or were robbed, we can all agree that 2022 was a great year for movies. Some 2023 movies I am looking forward to are “Barbie,” “The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

DILLON SECKINGTON Features and Opinions Editor

When HBO announced a television adaptation of Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us” in November 2020, many were unsure how to feel. While the game certainly had a narrative appeal and pleasing cinematic qualities, there are always those creeping thoughts that another version could ruin the spark initially created in the game.

However, as the show released each episode, fans and critics were blown away by the refined storytelling and contemporary thematic value that HBO’s adaptation brought to the table. From the first episode to the finalé, viewers witnessed an adaptation that stayed true to its roots within “The Last of Us” video game, while also building upon the tone, theme and ideas that made the video game a hit in the first place.

“The Last of Us” series features nine episodes of gut-wrenching action, heartwarming storytelling and deeply enjoyable acting. We see Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, on a journey across an apocalyptic United States in hopes of saving humanity.

These actors are certainly based on the video game’s original characters; however, the actors have also clearly taken their own ideas and thoughts into their characters.

Overall, the casting in this series is incredible. On one hand, Joel’s daughter, Sarah, played by Nico Parker, makes a lasting impression in a short time to let the audience know that her character is a major theme throughout the show.

On the other hand, you have actors like Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett who show viewers their range once again. This, along with other production aspects of HBO’s “The Last of Us” series are what made fans fall in love with the series.

In the first episode of the series, titled, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”, viewers initially see a scientist on a talk show, essentially warning the show’s viewers of the cordyceps fungi and what it is capable of. This dramatic and, frankly, frightening introduction creates a slow burn of sorts for the series.

“The Last of Us” also does a lot to comment on gender and sexual norms.

From the portrayal of strong female characters in both the game and the series to the series’ gripping third episode, “Long, Long Time”, “The Last of Us” combats female video game character clichés and shines a glimmering light on queerness. “Long, Long Time” is a major highlight of the series. With another season confirmed by HBO on the way, fans have a lot to look forward to. Now that we know the series stacks up to the legacy of the original PlayStation-exclusive game, fans are left to wonder what steps, risks and accomplishments the creators of “The Last of Us” will see in the second series.