Cover Photos By (From left to right): Bryan Butterfield, Darin Hogge and Sara Staker
By JAMES GORDON Reporter
Trespasser
On Feb. 24, Weber State University police arrested a repeat offender for trespassing after returning to campus. Staff informed police the trespasser had returned and was making staff nervous due to suspicious behavior. This was not the suspect’s first arrest. Police reiterated to the offender not to return to Weber State.
Dead end
On Feb. 25, the WSU Police Department received a complaint about a dead animal by the north end zone of the Stewart Stadium.
A police officer met with the complainant and was brought to a dead bird lying on the ground. Police picked up the bird and threw it away in a dumpster.
Strong odor
On Feb. 26, WSUPD searched University Village over a drug violation report.
Resident Advisors on duty reported an odor of marijuana in a men’s bathroom at the Community Center. On arrival, a police officer
did report a “strong odor of marijuana” but did not find anyone in the area. After finding nothing suspicious, police left the scene.
Handicap parking
On Feb. 27, a WSU police officer issued warnings to four vehicles for parking in handicap stalls. The officer was patrolling University Village when they found four vehicles parked in handicap spaces without visual permits. The officer wrote down verbal warnings, which were placed in clear bags on the vehicle windshields.
Noise complaint
On Feb. 28, officers were dispatched to University Village over a noise complaint. Dispatch told officers that vehicles were driving around, honking their horns and making a lot of noise. On arrival, no one was found.
Reminder: Quiet hours on campus are from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
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WEBER STATE TRIMS LEADERSHIP ROLES AMID STATE MANDATE
By JAMES GORDON Reporter
Weber State University is reshaping operations under House Bill 265, eliminating positions in administration and reorganizing academics.
HB 265, titled The Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment Bill, aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Utah’s higher education system. This bill reallocates $60 million from the state’s higher education budget to target institutional needs.
“The passage of HB 265 requires Weber State to reallocate roughly $6.7 million,”
Bryan Magaña, public relations director at Weber State, said. “We’ve had to be very thoughtful about how we can reimagine and restructure things moving forward, including high-level positions.”
For Weber State, these changes involve eliminating administrative positions. In a town hall meeting on March 10, the following positions were announced to be removed: Vice President of Information Technology, Assistant Vice President of Regional Partnerships, Vice Provost for High Impact Educational Experiences and Faculty Excellence and the Training Lead for Student Success.
The University is keeping an eye on policy shifts that may impact higher education on a broader level.
“We’re seeing a lot on the national scene, and we’re trying to monitor that, really relying on resources from the American Council on Education and American Association of State Colleges and Universities to represent our interests in Washington, D.C.,” President Brad Mortensen said. “We know we have some grants that could potentially be impacted by this.”
In a town hall meeting with President Mortensen, Jeremy Oller was announced as the new dean of the Goddard School of
Business and Economics, Brian Rague as the dean of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology and Andrea Easter-Pilcher as interim provost beginning May 1.
Magaña said that Weber State is not seeking a dean for the Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education. This stems from plans to merge the education departments into other colleges.
“As we’ve been considering the implications of HB 265 during the search for a new dean for the Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education, it became increasingly clear that we should consider realigning academic programs in the Moyes College among closely related colleges,” President Mortensen said.
Among these departmental shifts, Weber State braces for the departure of key figures in leadership.
Provost Ravi Krovi said in a message shared with Academic Affairs that he will be stepping down as provost and senior vice president effective May 1.
Provost Krovi won’t be the only one turning a page. Brenda Kowalewski, vice provost of High Impact Educational Experiences & Faculty Excellence, International & Graduate Studies, is also leaving the university.
According to the University, Andrea Easter-Pilcher is set to serve as interim provost and hopes to find a replacement by the fall semester.
“We are trying to make sure that this is a balanced approach across the administrative and academic side of the institution,” President Mortensen said.
Vice provost of High Impact Educational Experiences and Faculty Excellence, International and Graduate Studies, Brenda Kowalewski, is said to be stepping down from her position at Weber State University.
WEBER STATE SE DESHACE DE POSICIONES DE LIDERAZGO EN MEDIO DE LOS MANDATOS ESTATALES
Por VICTORIA HERNANDEZ Traductor
Por JAMES GORDON Reportero
La Universidad de Weber State está remodelando sus operaciones en virtud de la Ley 265 de la Cámara de Representantes, eliminando puestos en la administración y reorganizando el personal académico.
La Ley 265, titulada El Proyecto de Ley de Reinversión Estratégica en Educación Superior, tiene como objetivo mejorar la eficiencia y eficacia del sistema de educación superior de Utah. Este proyecto de ley reasigna 60 millones de dólares del presupuesto estatal de educación superior a instituciones en necesidad específicas.
“La aprobación de la HB requiere que Weber State reasigne aproximadamente 6.7 millones de dólares”, dijo Bryan Magaña, director de relaciones públicas de Weber State. “Hemos tenido que ser muy reflexivos sobre cómo podemos reimaginar y reestructurar las cosas de cara al futuro, incluidos los puestos de alto nivel”.
Para Weber State, estos cambios implican la eliminación de puestos administrativos. En una asamblea pública celebrada el 10 de marzo, se anunció la supresión de los siguientes cargos: Vicepresidente de Tecnología de la Información, Vicepresidente Adjunto de Asociaciones Regionales, Vicerrector de Experiencias Educativas de Alto Impacto y Excelencia del Profesorado y Jefe de Formación para el Éxito Estudiantil.
La Universidad está atenta a los cambios políticos que puedan afectar a la enseñanza superior en un plano más amplio.
“Estamos viendo muchas cosas en la escena nacional, e intentamos seguirlas a cerca, apoyándonos en los recursos del American Council on Education y la American Association of State Colleges and Universities para representar nuestros intereses en Washington, D.C.”, dijo el Presidente Brad Mortensen. “Sabemos que tenemos algunas subvenciones que podrían verse potencialmente afectadas por esto”.
En una reunión con el presidente Mortensen, se anunció a Jeremy Oliver como nuevo decano de la Goddard School of Business and Economics, a Brian Rague como decano de Engineering, Applied
Science and Technology y a Andrea EasterPitcher como rectora interina a partir del 1 de mayo.
Magaña dijo que Weber State no está buscando un decano para la Facultad de Educación Jerry y Vickie Moyes. Esto se debe a los planes para fusionar los departamentos de educación en otros colegios.
“Como hemos estado considerando las implicaciones de HB 265 durante la búsqueda de un nuevo decano para el colegio de Educación Jerry y Vickie Moyes, se hizo cada vez más claro que debemos considerar la realineación de los programas académicos en el Colegio Moyes entre los colegios estrechamente relacionados”, dijo el presidente Mortensen.
Entre estos cambios departamentales, Weber State se prepara para la salida de figuras clave en el liderazgo.
El rector Ravi Krovi dijo en un mensaje compartido con Asuntos Académicos que dejará el cargo de rector y vicepresidente senior a partir del 1 de mayo.
Krovi no será el único en pasar página. Brenda Kowalewski, vicerrectora de Experiencias Educativas de Alto Impacto y Excelencia Docente, Estudios Internacionales y de Posgrado, también deja la universidad.
Según la Universidad, Andrea EasterPilcher ocupará el cargo de rectora interina y espera encontrar un sustituto para el semestre de otoño.
“Intentamos asegurarnos de que se trata de un enfoque equilibrado en los ámbitos administrativo y académico de la institución”, declaró el Presidente Mortensen.
Se comparte esta historia en thesignpostwsu.com
Provost y el vice-president senior de academia, Ravi Krovi.
FIGURING OUT THE GREATEST PLAYER IN WEBER STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
By GAVIN NELSON Reporter
People often seek to determine the greatest of all time in any category. With Weber State University’s men’s basketball season over, I wanted to find out who the greatest player in program history is.
The formula
There are a few different stats I used:
• Scoring: Points per game (PPG)
• Rebounds: Rebounds per game (RPG)
• Assists: Assists per game (APG)
• Defense: Steals per game (SPG) + Blocks per game (BPG)
• Efficiency: EFF = (Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks - Missed Field Goals - Missed Free Throws - Turnovers) / Games Played
Accolades + Team success (AT): I figured out the accolades by assigning points to each accolade. The accolade point system is as follows:
• All American: 5
• Big Sky Player of the Year: 4
• Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Big Sky: 3
• Big Sky Newcomer of the Year/Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team All-Big Sky: 2
• 3rd Team All-Big Sky, Big Sky 6th Man of the Year: 1
Team success point system:
• NCAA Tournament Win: 5
• Big Sky Tournament Champs: 4
• Big Sky Regular Season Champs: 3
• 20-win seasons: 2
• Big Sky Tourney Runner Up: 1
Normalizing stats
The first step is to normalize the stats, which is to divide them by the highest number found in the data. So, the player with the highest value in the specific stat will have 1.0 as their normalized stat. The scoring stat becomes nPPG, rebounding becomes nRPG, and so on.
Weighting stats
Some stats are more important than others, so I weighted them. Each weight must sum up to 1, so here are the numbers:
• Scoring: 0.3
• Rebounding: 0.15
• Assists: 0.15
• Defense: 0.1
• Efficiency: 0.1
• Accolades + Team success: 0.2
The equation
The final equation is as follows: Greatest Player Index (GPI) = ((nPPG*0.3) + (nRPG*0.15) + (nAPG*0.15) + (nDEF*0.1) + (nEFF*0.1) + (nAT*0.2))
The ranking
I decided to do the top 10 players of all time and put them on here, with each of the normalized stats they got. Here’s the ranking:
10. Jermaine Boyette (2000-2003)
• nPPG: 0.82
• nRPG: 0.21
• nAPG: 0.61
• nDEF: 0.64
• nEFF: 0.59
• nAT: 0.45
• GPI: 0.582
First, we have Jermaine Boyette, the 2003 Big Sky player of the year, who led the Wildcats to their second time in program history going undefeated in conference play. Boyette scored high in the points category, with above-average numbers in assists, defense, and efficiency, but the lack of team success outside of the 2002-2003 season hurt him.
9. Rico Washington (1987-1989)
• nPPG: 0.90
• nRPG: 0.75
• nAPG: 0.21
• nDEF: 0.52
• nEFF: 0.98
• nAT: 0.14
• GPI: 0.595
A name you’re probably surprised made it into the top 10 is Rico Washington. Washington benefits from an extremely high score in points and efficiency with good rebounding and average defensive numbers. What hurts Washington the most is the lack of team success, being a part of some of the worst teams in school history. Despite this, his stats stand out enough to put him over the hump.
8. Jimmy DeGraffenried (1990-1991, 1993-1996)
• nPPG: 0.60
• nRPG: 0.98
• nAPG: 0.19
• nDEF: 0.19
• nEFF: 0.96
• nAT: 0.64
• GPI: 0.600
Jimmy DeGraffenried is often overshadowed by his teammate, Ruben Nembhard, who will appear later, but he had a phenomenal career in his own right. Holding the second-highest rebounding numbers and being unbelievably efficient puts DeGraffenried in the top 10. He has the highest true shooting percentage in school history. I was surprised he didn’t rank higher in the accolades and team success metric, with him being a part of one of the greatest teams in school history, along with two firstteam selections and a Big Sky POY award in 1996. We must remember that it’s compared to others, which says more about the other names than DeGraffenried.
7. Dillon Jones (2020-2024)
• nRPG: 0.68
• nAPG: 0.61
• nDEF: 0.57
• nEFF: 0.84
• nAT: 0.38
• GPI: 0.605
The most recent player to make this list is current Oklahoma City Thunder player Dillon Jones. What’s surprising to me is that Jones’ numbers don’t really stick out, but what helps
him is that he has above-average numbers in every category, save for nAT rating, primarily due to the latter. If we were to look at who was the most important to their team, Jones would be far and away ranked first as he is first in school history in win shares. This proves his reputation as a jack-of-all-trades player.
6. Ruben Nembhard (1993-1995)
• nPPG: 0.71
• nRPG: 0.34
• nAPG: 0.72
• nDEF: 0.67
• nEFF: 0.57
• nAT: 0.62
• GPI: 0.620
The player I mentioned earlier who overshadows Jimmy DeGraffenried is Ruben Nembhard. In a similar situation to Dillon Jones, Nembhard benefits from having above-average numbers in nearly all categories. Interestingly enough, as seen with DeGraffenried, despite winning an NCAA Tournament game, a Big Sky Player of the Year, and multiple first-team all-conference selections, they are still in the 0.6 range for the nAT rating.
5. Willie Sojourner (1968-1971)
• nPPG: 0.83
• nRPG: 1.00
• nAPG: N/A
• nDEF: N/A
• nEFF: 1.00
• nAT: 0.62
• GPI: 0.623
The following two players show the main issue with this equation. First off is the great Willie Sojourner. The primary issue with the equation is that it screws over players who played before the 1980s, as all of their career assists, steals and blocks were not counted. Knowing this, and that Sojourner probably would have been in the 0.90 range in terms of blocks, somewhat ruins the equation.
4. Bruce Collins (1976-1980)
• nPPG: 0.73
• nRPG: 0.52
• nAPG: 0.34
• nDEF: 0.17
• nEFF: 0.73
• nAT: 1.00
• GPI: 0.637
As with Sojourner, Collins suffers from the lack of stats. Although assists were counted for his entire college career, steals and blocks were not until his senior season. Thus, his DEF rating is hampered. Despite this, Collins has the highest nAT rating, as he was a three-time team all-conference selection, three-time conference tournament champion, three-time conference regular season champion and he won an NCAA Tournament game. If the lack of defensive stats did not hamper his numbers, Collins would probably be No. 1 on this list.
3. Damian Lillard (2008-2012)
• nPPG: 0.80
• nRPG: 0.30
• nAPG: 0.62
• nDEF: 0.44
• nEFF: 0.62
• nAT: 0.86
• GPI: 0.657
Most people’s pick for the greatest player in school history, Dame, is brought down by his defense and efficiency. However, his points and high nAT rating push him this high. Despite never going to the NCAA tournament, Dame was a part of two teams that won the regular season title and two conference tournament runner-ups. Despite not being the greatest player in terms of college play — based on this equation — he is far and away not only the greatest NBA player from Weber State but also the greatest NBA player who went to a Utah college.
2. Eddie Gill (1998-2000)
• nPPG: 0.65
• nRPG: 0.36
• nAPG: 1.00
• nDEF: 1.00
• nEFF: 0.71
• nAT: 0.48
• GPI: 0.665
A player I was surprised was ranked this high was Eddie Gill. Like Jimmy DeGraffenried, Gill was usually overshadowed by another teammate; however, Gill had a great career in his own right. Gill holds the highest nAPG and nDEF ratings and good nPPG and nEFF numbers. This puts him above nearly all players in Weber State History in GPI. What holds him back from being No. 1 is the lack of team success in his senior year and his
high accolade numbers being hampered by the man who is ranked first.
1. Harold Arceneaux (1998-2000)
• nPPG: 0.97
• nRPG: 0.47
• nAPG: 0.31
• nDEF: 0.89
• nEFF: 0.83
• nAT: 0.67
• GPI: 0.715
According to my Greatest Player Index, the greatest player in Weber State men’s basketball history is Harold “The Show” Arceneaux. Arceneaux has the secondhighest nPPG, along with a very good nDEF
and nEFF rating. Arceneaux is one of only two players — the other being Dame — to have won two Big Sky Player of the Year awards. That, along with an NCAA Tournament win in which he dropped 37 against North Carolina, helps Arceneaux be rated the greatest player to ever play at Weber State.
Harold “The Show” Arceneaux (21) was a part of the Weber State University men’s basketball team from 1998-2000 and won two Big Sky Player of the Year awards.
N O W H I R I N G
T h e S i g n p o s t i s h i r i n g !
A l l p o s i t i o n s a v a i l a b l e
A l l m a j o r s w e l c o m e
S c h o l a r s h i p s a v a i l a b l e
By COOPER HATSIS Editor
THE SIGNPOST REVIEWS: SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2025
South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual media festival in Austin, Texas, first started in 1987. Every year since, the event has grown to a larger scale, working as a film festival, music festival, interactive media conference and more. This 10-day event took place from March 7-15, bringing together thousands of attendees to celebrate media and the arts. This year’s festival brought over 100 films spanning from indie gems, major blockbuster films, short films and TV specials, many of which are premiering for the very first time. Here are some of the most exciting and disappointing films from this year’s SXSW festival.
“Ash”
Director Flying Lotus, best known for his career in the music industry, made his directorial debut with the new sci-fi horror film, “Ash.” Lotus first experimented with the horror genre in 2022 when he directed “Ozzy’s Dungeon,” one of the short film
segments in the anthology series “V/H/S.”
“Ash” follows Riya, a scientist on a distant planet, who wakes up to find her fellow crewmates have all been killed. With supporting performances from Aaron Paul, Riya must uncover the mystery surrounding the space station.
This sci-fi horror film excels in its visual department, with some great use of lighting and CGI space imagery. The score for the film is also worth noting. Flying Lotus composed an atmospheric and eerie score to accompany the haunting images of outer space, enforcing the feeling of isolation the main characters experience at their space station.
While the visuals and music carry the film to the finish line, the story and characters are nothing new to the sci-fi horror genre. Unfortunately, the two lead performances are not strong enough to support the film’s writing. “Ash” is a serviceable B-movie that will likely leave audiences with nothing to think about once the film is over. It will be released in theaters on March 21.
“The Baltimorons”
“The Baltimorons” is the new film from indie filmmaker Jay Duplass. Duplass has not directed a feature film since 2012; this is an exciting return for fans of his work. Duplass first found success in 2005 when his independent film “The Puffy Chair” premiered at SXSW.
“The Baltimorons” is a funny but sad look at a failed comedian as he navigates life on Christmas Eve. The film stars Michael Strassner, who wrote the screenplay with Duplass. At the film’s premiere, Strassner explained this story was personal to him and largely based on his own experiences.
The film effectively explores various areas of Baltimore as the audience follows the characters through various awkward and uncomfortable situations. It is a film where the audience feels it knows the characters and their environment by the time everything is all said and done. “The Baltimorons” does not currently have distribution but is a slice-of-life comedy worth keeping an eye on.
“Death of a Unicorn”
A24’s latest horror-comedy romp had its debut at SXSW, opening as one of the major headliners of this year’s festival. The film stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as father and daughter who have found their relationship at a crossroads after the recent passing of an unnamed mother character.
The spectacle of the movie comes in the form of the monster unicorns, who go on a graphic rampage after a baby unicorn is killed. There have been many iterations of “eat-the-rich” films, a subgenre that caught popularity in the 2010s exploring discrepancy amongst class and economic inequality, but using unicorns as a vessel for this type of film is a unique take, no matter how silly it may seem.
“Death of a Unicorn” is a good popcorn movie. The performance from Will Poulter, a highlight of the film, reminds the audience that they should not be taking this movie too seriously. Moving past the violence, “Death of a Unicorn” has a charming message about parenting at its core. “Death of a Unicorn” will open in theaters on March 28.
A still from the 2025 film “Friendship.”
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd starring
“Friendship”
“Friendship” is a new A24 comedy film that first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2024. The film stars Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd and Kate Mara. Going into the festival, “Friendship” was one of the few films with a lot of buzz around its name due to its success at TIFF last year.
The film follows a father in the suburbs who becomes obsessed with being friends with a weathercaster who lives in his neighborhood. At times, the film is painfully awkward and uses this to its advantage to create effective comedic moments. The style of humor might not work for everyone, but there is a good chance “Friendship” will become one of the decade’s defining cult comedies.
“Friendship” explores the struggles of making friends as people age. It is a subject matter that few other comedies have ever explored, at least not in such a personal and real way. Robinson is weird and quirky, just as he should be, and Rudd is cool, just as he should be. It is a film that knows how to use its actors and their comedic abilities. “Friendship” has an in-theater release scheduled for May 9.
“The Studio”
“The Studio” is a new Apple TV+ show from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg that premiered its first two episodes on the opening night of the SXSW festival. The show follows a movie producer, played by Rogen, as he navigates the often complicated and messy world of Hollywood.
The TV show uses a “one-shot” style of filming, meaning that the camera never cuts. This style of filming lets the show create strong comedic moments while also elevating the tension in any given scene.
“The Studio” features several cameos from real world actors and directors like Paul Dano, Greta Lee and Martin Scorsese who all play as themselves in a very comedic fashion. “The Studio” is a fun and exciting homage to pop culture and Hollywood. Rogen and Goldberg’s latest comedic adventure will debut its first episode on March 26 on Apple TV+.
“Together”
“Together” first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased by Neon. The film follows a long-term couple that is going through a rough patch after moving to the countryside together. The film’s protagonists are played by Allison Brie and Dave Franco, who are married in real life. The couple is literally brought closer together after uncovering a supernatural force in a cave.
“Together” is one of the strongest horror films to come out of this year’s SXSW but will likely be one of the best body-horror films to release this year. The film does an effective job at balancing humor, drama and gross-out horror in a way that few other films have.
While “Together” has two great performances at its center and will be a good time for fans of the genre, the film is rather predictable. For fans of horror, there are some tropes in this film that have been played to death and will lead to an ending that seems obvious. Even with an obvious premise and end, it is the journey to that endpoint that makes this horror movie so unique and special. “Together” has a theatrical release scheduled for August 1.
“Uvalde Mom”
“Uvalde Mom” is a documentary about Angeli Rose Gomez, a single mother who saved her children during the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022. The Robb Elementary shooting is the third worst school shooting in U.S. history, killing 22 and injuring another 18.
The documentary explores the history of the Texas city, the controversies surrounding Gomez and her relationship with law enforcement, as well as gun laws in Texas. The documentary moves fast and has a lot to say in a short amount of time.
“Uvalde Mom” is one of the most powerful documentaries to come out of this year’s SXSW festival. Debuting the film at Texas’s largest film festival shows a lot of merit on the filmmaker’s side. The documentary does not currently have distribution for a larger release but will be playing the festival circuit until it does.
Jessica Hynes, Tea Leoni, Will Poulter, Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega and Anthony Carrigan in the 2025 film “Death of a Unicorn.”
REVISIÓN DE THE SIGNPOST:
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2025
Por NATHANAEL STOUT Traductor
Por COOPER HATSIS Editor
South by Southwest o SXSW (Sur por Sudoeste), un festival anual de los medios en Austin, Texas, empezó en 1987. Cada año, el evento ha crecido a un nivel más grande, funcionando como un festival de películas y música, una conferencia de medios interactivos y más. Este evento de diez días tuvo lugar entre el 7 y 15 de marzo, congregando miles de asistentes para celebrar los medios y el arte. El festival de este año llevo más de cien películas incluyendo joyas independientes, mayor taquillazos, películas cortes, y especiales de televisión, muchos de los cuales estrenan de premera vez. A continuación se destacan algunas de las películas más emocionantes o decepcionantes de este festival de SXSW.
“Ash”
El director Flying Lotus, mejor conocido por su carrera de música, se estrenó como director con este nuevo película de scifi horror, “Ash”. Lotus experimentó con el género de horror en 2022 cuando dirigió “Ozzys Dungeon”, uno de los segmentos cortos de la serie de antología “V/H/S”.
“Ash” sigue a Riya, una científica en una planta distante, que despierta y descubre que sus compañeros se mataron. Con actuación adicional de Aaron Paul, Riya tiene que descubrir el misterio de la estación espacial.
Este película de scifi horror sobresale con sus visuales, con gran uso de luz e imágenes espaciales de IGC. La música también es notable. Flying Lotus compuso canciones atmosféricas e inquietantes para acompañar a los imagines del espacio, mejorando el sentido de insolación experimentado por los personajes en la estación espacial.
Aunque los visuales y la música mantienen la atención, la historia y
personajes no son nuevos para el género de sci fi horror. Desafortunadamente, las actuaciones de los actores principales no son suficientemente fuertes para sostener la escritura. “Ash” es una película de clase B que sirve bastante, pero no dejará nada en que la audiencia pueda pensar al fin. se estrenará en teatros el 21 de marzo.
“The Baltimorons”
“The Baltimorons” es la nueva película del cineasta independiente Jay Duplass. Duplass no ha detectado una película completa desde 2012, así que es un regreso emocionante para sus aficionados. Al principio Duplass encontró éxito en 2005 cuando su película independiente “The Puffy Chair” se estrenó en SXSW.
“The Baltimorons” es una vista chistosa pero triste a un humorista fallado mientras que navega la vida durante la nochebuena. El actor principal es Michael Strassner, quien escribió el guión con Duplass. Durante el estreno, Strassner explicó que la historia fue personal para él y basada mayormente en sus experiencias.
La película explora con eficacia varias áreas de Baltimore mientras que la audiencia sigue a los personajes en varias situaciones incómodas y complicadas. Es una película en que la audiencia puede sentir que conoce a los personajes y su ambiente cuando todo se acaba. “The Baltimorons” actualmente no tiene fecha de distribución pero es una comedia de pedazo de la vida de la que merece echar un ojo.
“Death of a Unicorn”
La nueva película de horror comedia de A24 tuvo su estreno en SXSW como uno de los mayores nombres del festival de este año. Paul Rudd y Jenna Ortega actúan como padre e hija cuya relación está en el aire después de que falleció la madre.
El espectáculo de la película viene en la forma de los unicornios que son monstruos, los cuales empiezan una embestida gráfica después de que muere un unicornio
infantil. Han habido muchos iteraciones de películas de “comer los ricos”, un subgénero que se popularizó en los 2010s que explora la discrepancia entre clases y la desigualdad económica, pero usar unicornios como depositario para esta tipa de película es una interpretación única, sin importar lo ridículo que parece.
“Death of a Unicorn” es una buena película de palomitas. La actuación de Will Poulter, una parte memorable de la película, recuerda a la audiencia que no deben tomar en serio demasiado la película. Aparte de la violencia, “Death of a Unicorn” en su corazón tiene un mensaje encantador sobre ser padre. “Death of a Unicorn” se lanzará en teatros el 28 de marzo.
“Friendship”
“Friendship” es una nueva película de comedia de A24 que se estrenó en el festival internacional de cine de Toronto (TIFF) en 2024. Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd y Kate Mara actúan en la película. Al empezar el festival, “Friendship” fue una de algunas pocas películas con mucho ruido asociado con su nombre debido a su éxito en TIFF el año pasado.
La película sigue a un padre en los suburbios que empieza a estar obsesionado con ser amigos con un presentador del tiempo que vive en su barrio. A veces, la película es dolorosamente incómoda y la usa como ventaja para crear momentos cómicos. El estilo de humor tal vez no funciona para todos, pero hay una buena probabilidad que “Friendship” llegue a ser uno de los comedias de culto que más defina la década.
“Friendship” explora la dificultad de ganar amigos cuando la gente envejece. Es un tema que pocas otras comedias han explorado jamás, por lo menos de tal manera tan real y personal. Robinson es extraño y extravagante, justo como debe ser, y Rudd es genial, justo como debe ser. Es una película que sabe cómo usar sus actores y sus habilidades cómicas. “Friendship” tendrá un lanzamiento en
teatro el 9 de mayo.
“The Studio” “The Studio” es un nuevo programa de Apple TV+ de Seth Rogen y Evan Goldberg que estrenó sus primeros dos capítulos la primera noche del festival de SXSW. El programa sigue a un productor de cine, interpretado por Rogen, al navegar por el mundo de Hollywood. que a menudo es complicado y desordenado.
El programa de TV usa un estilo de grabar llamada “one-shot” (una toma), significando que la cámara nunca corta. Este estilo de grabar deja que el programa haga momentos cómicos fuertes mientras que eleva la tensión en cada escena.
“The Studio” tiene algunos cameos de actores y directores reales como Paul Dano, Greta Lee y Martin Scorsese que actúan como sí mismos en una manera muy cómica. “The Studio” es un homenaje divertido y emocionante a la cultura popular y Hollywood. Esta nueva aventura cómica de Rogen y Goldberg estrenará su primer capítulo el 26 de marzo en Apple TV+.
“Together”
“Together” primeramente se estrenó en el festival de cine de Sundance de 2025 y fue comprado por Neon. La película sigue a una pareja de larga duración que está en problemas después de mudarse al campo juntos. Los protagonistas son interpretados por Allison Brie y Dave Franco, que están casados en la vida real. A la pareja literalmente les acerca después de descubrir una fuerza sobrenatural en una cueva.
“Together” es una de las películas de horror más fuertes de SXSW de este año y probablemente será una de las mejores películas de horror del cuerpo de estrenarse este año. La película trabaja eficazmente en equilibrar el humor, el drama y horror asqueroso con un éxito que raramente obtienen otras películas.
Aunque “Together” tiene dos buenas actuaciones en su fondo y será divertida
para los aficionados del género, la película es un poco predecible. Para los que miran el horror mucho, hay algunos tropos en esta película que han ocurrido demasiado en el género y dirigen a un final que parece obvio. Aunque tiene una premisa y final obvio, es el viaje a ese destino lo que hace que esta película de horror sea tan única y especial. “Together” tiene un lanzamiento teatral el primero de agosto.
“Uvalde Mom”
“Uvalde Mom” es un documental sobre Angeli Rose Gomez, una madre soltera que salvó a sus niños durante el tiroteo de la escuela primaria de Robb el 24 de mayo de 2022. El tiroteo de la primaria de Robb es el tercer peor tiroteo en la historia de los EE.UU., matando a 22 y lastimando a 18.
El documental explora la historia de la ciudad de Texas, las controversias con Gomez y su relación con la policía, además de las leyes de armas de fuego de Texas. El documental se mueve con rapidez y tiene mucho de decir en su corta duración.
“Uvalde Mom” es uno de los documentales más poderosos del festival de SXSW de este año. Estrenar la película en el festival más grande de Texas muestra mucho mérito con respecto al cineasta. El documental actualmente no tiene distribución para un lanzamiento más grande, pero se mostrará en festivales hasta que lo obtenga.
Se comparte esta historia en thesignpostwsu.com
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