Entertainment
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March 8, 2017
New This Week Movies
March 10 — Kong: Skull Island (PG-13), directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson and Jing Tian.
Music March 10 — Watershed - Amelia Curran March 10 — Black and White Rainbows - Bush March 10 — Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams - Cameron Avery March 10 — Fail You Again - Can't Swim March 10 — Different Creatures Circa Waves
'Get out' incorporates horror, comedy, social commentary by Mia Moulden Staff Writer
“Get Out” reinvents common horror tropes like hypnotism, psychopathy and deceit with a unique story that explores modern racism in affluent America, refreshing the horror genre in a captivating and thoroughly entertaining way. A young African-American photographer named Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his girlfriend Rose Armitage’s (Allison Williams) well-to-do parents in their picturesque home, which is conveniently located miles away from any other person. Through the film, Washington’s worries shift from concerns of the Armitage family’s potential racism to much darker threats implied by the increasingly strange behavior of the people at the estate. Jordan Peele, who is well known for his work alongside Keegan-Michael Key in the Comedy Central television series “Key & Peele,” wrote and directed “Get Out.” Although the film’s dark, psychological story takes a large step away from the comedy
March 10 — Bunker Funk Damaged Bug
photo courtesy of theverge.com
Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) meets his girlfriend Roase Armitage's (Allison Williams) parents in "Get Out." The horror-comedy film marks comedian Jordan Peele's directorial debut.
that made Peele famous, Peele manages to inject his otherwise serious film with well-placed humor that disrupts tense or monotonous moments. Effectively combining horror and comedy without clashing
the two genres is an impressive feat. Peele’s sarcastic humor successfully lifts viewers from the dark, shadowy depths of his gruesome horror, but the suspense still manages to keep viewers on edge, anxiously anticipating the
FILM
JAZZ
March 10 — The Electric Man Flagship
'Logan' exposes Wolverine's vulnerability
March 10 — Millport - Greg Graffin
by Brandon Jones
March 10 — The Navigator - Hurray for the Riff Raff March 10 — Feel Infinite - Jacques Greene. March 10 — Semper Femina - Laura Marling March 10 — Providence - Nathan Fake March 10 — Elektrac - Shobaleader One March 10 — Digging a Tunnel - sir Was March 10 — Yours Conditionally - Tennis March 10 — Heartworms - The Shins
Netflix March 8 — Hands of Stone (2016), directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz, starring Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Usher and Rubén Blades March 10 — Burning Sands (2017), directed by Gerard McMurray, starring Segun Akande, Sidney Alexandria and Malik Bazille. March 10 — Love, Season 2 (2017), created by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin and Paul Rust, starring Gillian Jacobs, Paul Rust and Claudia O'Doherty. March 13 — Million Dollar Baby (2004), directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. March 14 — Pete's Dragon (2016), directed by David Lowery, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley and Karl Urban.
Video Games March 14 — Styx: Shards of Darkness (M), for PS4 and Xbox One.
Top Five Most Anticipated Nintendo Switch Games List compiled by Brody Arnold
next chilling development in the story of his ill-fated protagonist. “Get Out” also explores the forms of modern racism behind the seemingly harmless facade of the well-off, middle-aged parents Washington is pitted against.
Staff Writer
In “Logan,” Wolverine, a.k.a. James "Logan" Howlett, is bid farewell with a mix of comic brutality and deep emotion, resulting in a perfect end to Hugh Jackman’s time as the iconic Wolverine. “Logan” is inspired by Marvel’s “Old Man Logan” comic. In “Old Man Logan,” Howlett and Hawkeye travel across a ruined, villain-ruled U.S., and Howlett vows to never use his claws. In “Logan,” Howlett keeps using his claws during fights, but he is mentally scarred by his past. In his old age, Howlett’s healing begins to lose its potency. He later becomes ill because of the metal alloy adamantium that coats his skeleton. While past movies were criticized for Howlett’s lack of brutality in combat, “Logan” makes up for this with intense action sequences. Jackman’s damaged, vulnerable portrayal of Howlett perfectly matches the tone of “Logan.” At the film’s start, Howlett wakes up and finds a group of men attempting to steal his car tires. Howlett is at first too drunk and tired to stop them, but quickly rises to fight them. When the men he is fighting
damage his car, Howlett flies into a rage, slicing limbs and stabbing heads. Despite his fervent fighting, one of Howlett’s claws doesn’t come out all the way during the fight. After the fight, Howlett limps all day and is overtaken by fits of coughing. Throughout the film, Howlett teams up with X-Men founder Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), albino mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and the newly introduced mutant clone Laura (Dafne Keen). Howlett spends his time with Caliban and cares for Xavier, who is mentally deteriorating and occasionally has seizures, making his psychic powers uncontrollable. Stewart plays Xavier differently than in his past portrayals of the character. In “Logan,” Xavier is bitter at times and constantly argues with Howlett. Despite this, Stewart manages to portray Xavier as a father figure who deeply cares about Howlett and wants to make him a better man. Eleven-year-old Laura, also known as X-23, is technically Howlett’s daughter because she was created with his blood. She needs his help to evade the cyborg Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook). Gabriela (Elizabeth Rodriguez), a nurse for the
Transigen corporation, hires Howlett to escort Laura to North Dakota where she can cross the border into Canada. During the trip, Howlett quickly discovers that Laura is also a mutant and has claws and enhanced senses. Though silent for much of the movie, Keen embodies the raw emotion of a scared child. Like Howlett, Laura savagely defeats enemies throughout the movie in beautifully choreographed fight scenes that show her animalistic nature. “Logan” seamlessly transitions from vicious fight sequences to calmer moments where characters interact on a personal level. Emotional moments are weaved into the unlikely group’s trip to North Dakota. Xavier assumes a grandfatherly role for Laura. He spends time with her and urges Howlett to help her achieve a normal life. The three balance each other in often comedic ways. Howlett is forced to act as a parent to Laura, a wild girl who doesn’t know how the world works, and when Howlett gruffly reprimands Laura, Xavier scolds him. “Logan” is action-packed and interspersed with comedic moments and dark and painful emotional scenes. “Logan” is rated R and is now playing at Cinemark at Conway.
RAP
Future exhausts himself with two full-length albums by Cassidy Kendall Staff Writer
Rapper singer, songwriter and producer Future has spread himself too thin with the release of two full-length albums, making for a whopping total of 34 songs within a week. Future released his fifth album “FUTURE,” the first of the two releases, on Feb. 17. This first release is the weaker of the two. Although “FUTURE” consists of 17 unexceptional songs, the album is worth a listen because it isn't terrible. My favorite song is “When I Was Broke” because it's about how Future's girlfriend was there for him even when he was struggling. Since its release, the album has received an average of four out of five stars with over 1,000 ratings on iTunes, but many still criticize Future’s vein of rap music, calling it “mumble rap” because of its incoherent lyrics. It’s safe to say that 1. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” What can be said about the Zelda series that hasn’t already been said? Well, apparently a lot. Although “Breath of the Wild” departs from the traditional Zelda formula, it seeks to recapture the magic of the original game by dropping players into the middle of an open world where they are free to do as they please. “Breath of the Wild” is the 19th release in the main “The Legend of Zelda” series. By the time this list is printed I’ll be experiencing the adventures of “Breath of the Wild,” and I’m sure I’ll only want more.
“FUTURE” is not life-altering or unique. “FUTURE” is rather disappointing considering that this is the self-titled album of a prevalent rap artist. Future released his sixth full-length album “HNDRXX” on Feb. 24. Although “HNDRXX” isn’t especially strong, it’s better than “FUTURE.” Like “FUTURE,” “HNDRXX” is made up of 17 run-of-the-mill songs. However, "HNDRXX" does have some standout tracks like the relatable “Fresh Air.” In "Fresh Air," Future gets over a breakup by doing his own thing in life. Although "HNDRXX" received four-and-a-half stars on iTunes, the reviews for “HNDRXX” are almost as brutal as the ones for “FUTURE.” Many feel that “HNDRXX” is not enough to redeem the mediocre “FUTURE.” Because of the success Future has attained in recent years, expectations may 2. “Super Mario Odyssey” While Nintendo has released plenty of 3D Mario games since “Super Mario 64,” none of them ever felt like a true sequel to the legendary Nintendo 64 game. Even the masterful Super Mario Galaxy series was incredibly different because of its linear level design. “Super Mario Odyssey” is rumored to feature the best qualities of “Super Mario 64”: huge open areas with a ton of collectibles. Although it’s weird seeing Mario embark on adventures alongside regular humans, the game looks gorgeous.
Peele does not overuse this trope and expertly uses the film’s plot to prove his point in a striking and haunting manner. The technical qualities of “Get Out” bring a new atmosphere to the horror genre. “Get Out” is creepy without relying on the overused night scenes or the archetypal derelict houses of blockbuster horror films. Instead, Peele places Chris in the arms of a welcoming, if slightly overbearing, family and in a comforting, idyllic home that looks like it deserves its own HGTV special. The one major flaw of “Get Out” was its predictable villains. It’s clear who is to be feared early on in the film, which reduces the suspense of jump scares. Despite this, “Get Out” still manages to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and makes up for its obvious villains with its unpredictable plot twists. “Get Out” is both a refreshing take on horror and survival and a powerful message about modern racism in upper-middle-class America. "Get Out" is rated R and is now playing at Cinemark at Conway.
have been set a little high for “FUTURE” and “HNDRXX.” Future has gained a lot of respect as a rapper and has been riding a wave of success ever since the release of “What a Time to Be Alive,” his phenomenal 2015 collaboration album with Drake. It is understandable that fans have expected greatness since then. Although these albums didn’t necessarily live up to the fans' expectations, they were decent and shouldn’t cause Future to lose longtime followers. Give “FUTURE” and “HNDRXX” a listen if you haven’t already and decide for yourself whether Future should have a future in your playlist. These albums follow Future's fourth album “EVOL,” which was released on Feb. 6, 2016. “FUTURE” and "HNDRXX" are available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes and are now streaming on Apple Music and Spotify. 3. Pokémon We don’t know how and we don’t know when, but rumors began circulating last year that an updated version of “Pokémon Sun and Moon” would be released for the Switch. A quintessential Pokémon game would be huge for the Switch because Pokémon games are usually reserved for Nintendo’s strictly handheld systems. Don’t get your hopes too high, though. Nintendo could easily break everyone’s heart by releasing a shovelware Pokémon game instead.
photo courtesy of mixtapemixup.com
Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat, performs live wearing a wolf skin. Bruner is touring the U.S. and Europe on a 42-date tour.
Thundercat drops intoxicating, genre-bending album 'Drunk' by Sophia Ordaz Entertainment Editor
For jazz fusion bassist Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat, creating music has always been a joyful process. Bruner's exuberant joy and lighthearted disposition permeate his third full-length album “Drunk.” “When I’m at home creating music, I always end up laughing,” Bruner said, according to Complex News. “It’s always funny.” The Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus collaborator exposes his wacky sense of humor with a fart joke in “Captain Stupido” and a falsetto chorus of “meows” in “A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suit II),” a surprisingly pensive ode to his pet cat. According to culture news source Los Bangeles, Bruner’s stage name emerged from his obsession with cats and the 1985 television series “ThunderCats.” The bassist’s penchant for oversized cat T-shirts and the “ThunderCats” tattoo on his right hand inspired neo-soul legend Erykah Badu to dub him “Thundercat.” Bruner maintains these rather geeky origins on “Drunk.” In the track “Friend Zone,” Bruner copes with the infamous friend zone by playing videogames “Mortal Kombat” and “Diablo,” and in “Tokyo,” he marvels at a “Dragon Ball Z” slap bracelet and claims that he will “blow all [his] cash on anime.” Bruner doesn’t stray from the contemporaries he’s associated himself with. FlyLo produced 16 of the album’s songs, and Kendrick Lamar's producer Sounwave is credited on three tracks. Lamar himself makes an appearance on “Walk On By,” a trudging, distorted track with a remarkably unhurried Lamar verse. The album’s most surprising track is “Them Changes,” a song originally 4. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” “Mario Kart 8” was already an amazing game, but the watered down battle mode disappointed longtime fans. Nintendo is finally remedying this with the exciting “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.” Besides the long-awaited battle mode, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” includes everything from the original game, all the downloadable content released over the past few years for the Wii U version and new tracks, items, vehicles and characters, like Bowser Jr. and King Boo.
released on Bruner’s 2015 EP “The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam.” Likely Bruner’s most famous work, its chorus would not be out of place in an Alabama Shakes song, and its funk instrumental is Isley Brothers reinvented. “Them Changes” is a bit of an anomaly for Thundercat; there is no other Thundercat song quite like it. Much of “Drunk” lives up to its title. Songs are steeped in an intoxicated stupor, inundated in molten bass and saturated by hazy synths, bringing to mind Thundercat’s work on Lamar’s explosive 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Thundercat’s murky bass arpeggios resemble waves incessantly lapping a shore on “Lava Lamp” and “A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suite II).” The bubbly synths of “Friend Zone” carry Thundercat’s grumbling bass and airy falsetto. Bruner’s soft rock influences come to the forefront on “Show You the Way,” a foggy, downtempo song featuring the vocal talents of Kenny Loggins and the Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald. At 23 songs, “Drunk” is densely packed, but its musical gems are sparsely distributed. The underdeveloped “The Turn Down” and the tepid “Where I’m Going,” as well as the regrettable Wiz Khalifa feature on “Drink Dat,” are rudimentary sketches that pale in comparison to standout tracks like the dreamlike “Lava Lamp” and the glittering “Friend Zone.” If Bruner had cut down the number of songs on “Drunk” and fleshed out deserving tracks, “Drunk” could easily be the best release of 2017 so far. As the album stands now, “Drunk” is at worst a missed opportunity, and at best a muddled potpourri of superb bass playing, commendable production and labored, lackluster vocals. “Drunk” is available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes and is now streaming on Apple Music and Spotify. 5. “1-2-Switch” I can’t wait for this game to release for one reason: to watch it crash and burn. “1-2-Switch” is a group of lazy, motion-based mini games. The release of “1-2-Switch” shows that Nintendo is still stuck in 2006, clinging to the casual market that made the Wii so successful. What Nintendo doesn’t realize is that casuals have long abandoned consoles and moved to smartphones and tablets. Although “1-2-Switch” will release and sell terribly, Nintendo will most likely make the same mistake again.