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(12/13/20 4:00pm)
By Conner Tighe
Troye Sivan’s EP, In a Dream, broke barriers regarding equality not only in the LGBTQ+ community but the heterosexual community, too. Sivan’s “Easy,” concentrates on leading a double life in both worlds and struggling with self-identity within one’s sexuality. The initial song was already impressive in its sound and originality. However, collaborators, Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson add to the song by introducing a different perspective to the story. Musgraves lends a woman's viewpoint to the piece and an outside perspective on identity crisis. Overall, challenging the norms of womanhood and society, saying she’s “not a saint.” Ronson provides slightly different background music compared to the original. Ronson’s version is quicker, like most of his remixes are, and since the initial song was fast, there was little he could offer.
“Easy” talks about a man finding himself while still being with a woman. Musgraves and Sivan play these parts well as they’re already opposite stylistically, but their voices joining together is brilliant. The two bring a sense of unity and a powerful message of equality. The collaboration is a leap in progression with the music industry, as pop and country are two opposite genres. Although it’s not the first time a collaboration like this has been done, it spreads hope for a future of equality through a stylistic lens. The two coming together seems improbable as the artist’s collaborations in the past don’t compare to “Easy.” “Glittery” from The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show Soundtrack is slower. Again, this collaboration is a metaphor, even the title itself. “Glittery” has a more feminine connotation, and the two use the word to their advantage, explaining how their love interests make them feel inside. This song was just another celebration of equality and love.
“When you see me out/I hope the taste in your mouth/Is still as sweet as I wish it could be”
Sivan’s music has always belonged in the pop genre with his upbeat and catchy lyrics. Much of the artist’s music talks about issues appealing to younger audiences like breakups and individuality. But Ronson blended in new country, giving the song a fresh feel. The remix isn’t poor, and it’s superior to the original as it’s more upbeat. This is one of the few remixes Ronson has been a part of that sounds nearly the same as the original song. Because the initial song was already so well done, adding on to the song was a bold move but was accomplished decently. The remix provided little in how the piece sounds compared to the original. There’s slightly different background music.
Recommended if you like:
Lauv
Conan Gray
Kacey Musgraves
Featured Image: Lab.fm
(12/09/20 3:00pm)
By Conner Tighe
Shawn Mendes’ latest album Wonder is astoundingly distinctive and inviting in more ways than one, compared to his past albums. All 14 tracks recount a story of where the artist was a year ago and how he’s rebuilding his love life and – it seems – his sound. Mendes wants his fans to experience this journey through wonderland as much as he does. It’s clear enough through his overall playful tone and whimsical lyrics that leave my ears ringing with gentle whispers and kisses of lyrical bliss. Wonder may very well be all of Mendes’ past, present, and future rolled into one story of true love and passion no other artist can express through sheer vocal beauty.
Shaping into a new man and new life
Although Wonder reveals many points on the roadmap, including manhood, the journey through his music, and friendships, there’s one true target being addressed here — Camila Cabello. Mendes is the modern Romeo proclaiming a six-year-long lovefest to Cabello, who Mendes has had his sights on for years after meeting on tour years back. The guy gets the girl, and in this collection of potential singles, he’s the king of the mountain.
Mendes has changed both mentally and artistically if one reflects on his history. From Vine to YouTube, to the radio, to record albums and touring with the likes of Taylor Swift and Cabello, Wonder seals the artist’s soul to the fact that he’s worked far too hard to give up now. With controversy in the past involving his personal demons with masculinity and what it means to be a man, album four symbolizes a remarkable milestone in the young artist’s life, a milestone to be performed.
Standing strong with a new sound
Wonder features one collaboration. “Monster” with Justin Bieber speaks true to the realities of stepping into the spotlight at a young age. One can only “wonder” what that must be like. Instead, Mendes addresses both how life is a celebration of friends and what makes us all messy as humans. This is the artist’s first album with only one collaboration, but that’s not the only separating factor. “Look Up at the Stars,” “Piece of You,” “Always Been You,” and “Can’t Imagine” all show a new side of the artist, fulfilling a pensive and aesthetically pleasing sound never staying monotonous.
“It's a Friday night/And the streetlights are all saying your name/They always say your name”
The artist is taking this awful year and spinning it into something creative for his fans and himself. Although much of the album is for the fans, much of the work is for Mendes himself. Imagination can run wild with Wonder gazing at the celebration of life and its many struggles, more within this year than ever before. “Call My Friends” is a personal shoutout to the artist’s closest friends to which it seems he’s had little contact with at least in person. Something many of us can relate to. There’s a spiritual and emotional connection throughout each song, flowing till the last track. “Can’t Imagine” depicting the singer’s philosophy of what life would be like without Cabello. Time stands still in album four with love and dreams of a perfect world.
The “Achilles Heel” of it all
Although there’s a substantial appeal and fans get to see a side of Mendes yet not explored before, the album doesn’t stand up to his previous album, although close. “Lost in Japan”-Esque Mendes was his hype and the peak within his career. The aesthetic was shown ultimately in Shawn Mendes, and it’s present in Wonder but not as strong. The new album overall lacks the artist’s fast pace previously displayed, which may be just me, but it's expected at this point in his career.
Top tracks:
Intro
Call My Friends
Look Up at the Stars
Recommended if you like:
Justin Bieber
Harry Styles
Charlie Puth
Featured Image: Genius
Sources: Billboard, The Boar
(12/07/20 2:58am)
Justin Bieber’s Believe was the singer’s third album breaking out into the world with its accompanying track, “As Long As You Love Me” in 2013. While Bieber had the pop music industry in the palm of his hand, a small-town boy was singing on then-popular social media platform Vine with his guitar trying to get some notice of recognition. Shawn Mendes’ cover of “As Long As You Love Me” brought his name into fame that would later lead to three studio albums with an incoming fourth album, Wonder, hitting shelves Friday, Dec. 4. The singer’s career has been crafted with bridges, scars, and love that only furthered his path to continue forward instead of turning back.
(12/05/20 4:09am)
(11/29/20 4:00pm)
by Conner Tighe
When Johnny Depp made his way to Port Royal, Jamaica on a sinking boat, the world was introduced to a character like no other; part of this because of Depp’s superior acting skills and the storyline that would follow. Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the few pirates who’d run away from a fight, unlike most pirates, and would rather spend his time in a pub. The series, temporarily ending in 2017, has had its highs and lows with plot and overall decentness. Here we look at where the beloved series sank and floated its way throughout the years.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
The pirate series didn’t hold up after Gore Verbinski stepped out as director after At World’s End. When Sparrow reunites with past love Angelica, daughter of evil Captain Blackbeard/Edward Teach(Ian McShane), Sparrow finds himself on a mission to find the fountain of youth. The film tried to introduce new elements, like man-eating mermaids and a strange love story between a mermaid and a pacifist. The two didn’t sit right with the plot and seemed “thrown in” to make the film more enjoyable, which didn’t work. Although not as well done as past films, the fight scenes were decent, and surprisingly the best scene comes from the beginning of the film, where Sparrow finds himself trapped in King George II’s palace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR_9A-cUEJc
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
This film is the definition of a “cash grab”. Sparrow’s adventures continue by introducing new characters, obviously trying to set up a new generation of characters. When Turner and Swann’s son Henry ventures to free his father from the Flying Dutchman curse, he comes across Barbossa’s daughter Carina. She is considered a witch during this time as she’s obsessed with science and astronomy.
Sparrow is as goofy and silly as ever in this film, and although Javier Bardem’s Captain Armando Salazar was an excellent villain, it all feels so tired at this point. The group searches to find Poseidon’s trident as it will reverse all curses, thus freeing Henry’s father. In a post-credit scene, Turner has a nightmare about Davy Jones, a tentacle wearing horror of a character incapable of death, who appeared in films two and three having returned after the curse was lifted. However, wouldn’t the curse have made Jones human again? This is how you know it’s getting ridiculous at this point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgeu5rhoxxY
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Out of all films, the original still holds up as the highest-rated film. Viewers are introduced to the original characters when young Swann finds Turner floating among the wreckage of a ship that had been destroyed prior. Their love is forbidden and secretive as she discovers Turner is a pirate. When Barbossa’s crew captures her, the film begins to pick up speed. The film has some mediocre sword fights, including Sparrow and Barbossa in Isla De Muerta, an island where roughly 75% of the film is shown. My favorite part of the film is when Swann and Sparrow are marooned on an island with nothing but a pistol with a single shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naQr0uTrH_s
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The story of Sparrow continues when a curse haunts him throughout the film. Sparrow develops what’s called “the black spot” on his hand, as his debt is overdue to the fearsome Jones. Bill Nighy joined the cast as Jones and did a fantastic job with reprising his role in At World’s End.
Although much of the film was exposition and background information on Jones’ character as well as Bootstrap Bill, Turner’s long-lost father found aboard Jones’ Flying Dutchman, the film overall delivered excellently. The film's highlight includes a “three-way” swordfight between Sparrow, Turner, and Norrington, who returns as a lowlife drunk trying to reclaim his honor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozk0-RHXtFw
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
At the time, in 2007, the series’ third film was the most expensive film made. At World’s End was the final film in the series to be directed by Verbinski. The nearly three-hour film follows Dead Man’s Chest's events with Swann, Turner, and Barbossa traveling the high seas to rescue Sparrow from Jones’ Locker. The film delivered amazingly, with its visuals, sea battles, and overall plot being the best of all five films. The maelstrom battle at the end is the best battle of all the films and provides humor and seriousness well to solidify the, at the time, ending to the trilogy. Unfortunately, the esteemed series continued for monetary reasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54IUIv97nI
Sources: IMDB, YouTube
Images: YouTube
Featured Image: Polygon
(11/24/20 10:27pm)
Jennifer Lawrence’s acting skills expand well beyond The Hunger Games. Over the past decade, Lawrence has appeared in various genres like horror, drama, romance, and action. The actress can separate her real-life persona from each character’s personas and comes off as a strong, independent, and fierce actress. Here are the actress’s top five films that are a must-watch.
(11/20/20 11:59pm)
by Conner Tighe
Jennifer Lawrence’s acting skills expand well beyond The Hunger Games. Over the past decade, Lawrence has appeared in various genres like horror, drama, romance, and action. The actress can separate her real-life persona from each character’s personas and comes off as a strong, independent, and fierce actress. Here are the actress’s top five films that are a must-watch.
5. Passengers
This 2016 sci-fi romance is a modern take on James Cameron’s Titanic. Passengers details the journey of Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) and Aurora Lane (Lawrence) as they have been woken up too early from their hibernation pods in their traveling vessel heading toward a more habitable planet. This, in turn, means the two will be dead long before they reach the new planet. Lane, a journalist, details the journey as well as her developing feelings toward Preston. Lawrence delivers wonderfully, but it’s not her best role. This film feels like Lawrence is playing herself in the film as nothing separates her character from her real-life self.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BWWWQzTpNU&ab_channel=SonyPicturesEntertainment
4. Silver Linings Playbook
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook sees Lawrence quite different from her average roles, this time as a widow with an unnamed mental disorder fixated on her sister’s friend Patrick Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper). She becomes fixated on him after meeting him at her sister’s house at a dinner party. Solitano, dealing with bipolar disorder and his wife's leaving after he found her cheating on him, affects nearly every decision he makes to which Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence) uses to her advantage. As Solitano hopes to reconcile with his ex-wife, Maxwell pretends to be her as a way of getting closer to Solitano. Several scenes like the diner scene when Maxwell reveals her dark past to Solitano and says Solitano is a “conformist” and “afraid to live” reveals how versatile Lawrence is as an actress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPIkdKfJS5M&ab_channel=MovieclipsComingSoon
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Lawrence jumped back into the world of mutants when 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past decided to revamp the beloved film series. Again, the actress plays Mystique, the blue shapeshifter, and becomes the center around which the film revolves. When the X-men face extinction because of sentinels, indestructible beings that hunt down mutants, Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine volunteers to travel back to the 1970s to prevent Mystique’s death at the hands of evil scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Trask plans to use the shapeshifter’s DNA to create the sentinels.
Those who watched the film’s predecessor, X-Men: First Class, can see the change in Lawrence’s character from Raven – the name given to her – to Mystique and how she slowly sided with Magneto. Toward the end of the film, Mystique goes solo and becomes a fugitive as she’s broadcasted on the news. The film further points out that Lawrence plays a fighter and a woman unafraid of exploring her path as a natural leader, which is later explored in X-Men: Apocalypse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK2zYHWDZKo&ab_channel=X-MenMovies
2. American Hustle
Big hair and an even bigger ego surround Lawrence’s character in 2013’s crime drama, American Hustle. Lawrence plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld, Irving Rosenfeld’s (Christian Bale) wife, an unstable and comical mess of a woman. She’s left in the dark much of the film as her husband schemes alongside his lover Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) to help bring down corrupt politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner). Rosenfeld is a character all on her own, and viewers may find themselves forgetting the woman is the actress as she’s that convincing in her own right. The cleaning scene with her singing along to Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” and when her husband comes clean to her about his illegal career shows how far Lawrence is willing to convince her audience she is married to an egotistical maniac. The film seldom finds the actress without a cigarette in her hand and a sense of fashion 70s style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7a1aK_lG0&ab_channel=MovieclipsComingSoon
1. Joy
In 2015 Lawrence went above and beyond to do justice to Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire that created her empire in the 90s. This autobiographical drama centers on Mangano, struggling financially in New York as an airline booking agent. Growing up in a broken household, Mangano finds hope through her inventive and creative thinking, so when her friend Jackie encourages her to pursue her inventions, our story begins.
The film does an excellent job of spanning four generations of family. As Joy and her half-sister Terry battle over finances and her father’s business, she comes across an opportunity that changes her life. Bradley Cooper is no stranger to working alongside Lawrence. Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Serena all feature the duo working together. Cooper, who plays Neil Walker, an executive of QVC, believes in Mangano’s ability to persuade customers to buy her self-wringing mop while also bringing more business to QVC. Joy is Lawrence’s best role to date. Viewers can feel Mangano’s stress dealing with a good for nothing ex-husband and insane household. Everything in this film is going against Mangano. When she addresses contract issues with Derek Markham for him to avoid criminal charges involving fraud, we know how powerful and innovative this woman is. As she walks down the street smiling, there’s something so satisfying and pleasing knowing she overcame so much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR-2TiQVY-k&ab_channel=20thCenturyStudios
Sources: YouTube
Images: YouTube
Featured Image: Bustle
(11/17/20 10:00pm)
By Conner Tighe
It’s been the year of EPs, it seems, and for queer pop singer Gregory Dillon, Sad Magic musters what is still left of 2020 and shoots through with his inner Brendon Urie inspiration. This five-track wonder is nothing short of your average pop appeal in every sense of the word. When Dillon’s vocals come through, one can’t help but feel Urie and Fitz and the Tantrums dancing in their heads. Sad Magic, with its upbeat dance aesthetic, although unique to Dillon, falls short in handling its own individuality.
Tapping into inner demons
There’s no doubt sensualness shines through every track, and Dillon does this well while talking about love in his world. “Sunset” channels Dillon’s inner queer, and he speaks to his love comparing him to a “sunset.” Very clever, Dillon. Sunsets have long been considered one of the most beautiful sights both in the photography world and the art world to which the singer is no stranger to.
Dillon’s Instagram account expresses the singer’s persona and who he is as an artist and person in the LGBTQ community. He gives off a dreamy vibe in all his media representations, and along with this album, he does so but does an excellent job of talking about hurt in his past. “Screenshots” and “Sad Magic,” for example, introduces Dillon’s mission to go on with his life not looking back but instead looking ahead to what could be a bright future for his “dying flame.” Many men in the LGBTQ community can relate to struggling with their identities and finding love as a gay, queer, bi, or trans man. Dillon taps into something as profound as queer love through his vocals, which don’t disappoint.
Feeling you everywhere
There is no doubt moving on from someone close to your heart is difficult. Dillon’s references of withstanding pain from someone the listener doesn’t know themselves are mysterious but relatable at the same time. Listeners can feel the transition of Dillon’s feelings from track one to the ending of track five. Love is mysterious and works in mysterious ways, both physically and internally. The singer doesn’t understand the reason for his pain and continues to long for his love but sees hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Dillon feels his pain everywhere he goes as if a ghost haunts his every move. It’s nearly impossible to forget the past, but Dillon transcends through five tracks from someone who’s been the victim to the victor.
Mind magic
Although Sad Magic is a straightforward journey of Dillon’s love life, there’s also a hypothetical sense of accomplishment regarding what he’s been through. The singer’s vocals are dreamy and, to me, sound like Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie. Vocals, aesthetics, and storytelling accomplish a “mind magic” that plays with the listener’s heads. Dillon finds himself unable to separate his EP from other pieces of music in the pop industry. Sad Magic is fun with its upbeat rhythms and catchy lyrics,
“Stop, hold off, I can’t go back. Oh, the sky is burning fast. Call your name. I watch you turn into the sunset.”
Top tracks:
Sad Magic
Lovely.
Sunset
Recommended if you like:
Panic at the Disco
Fitz and the Tantrums
Troye Sivan
Sources: Instagram
(11/12/20 3:00pm)
by Conner Tighe
My PlayStation 2 would sit, stirring loudly as I would game until the sun rose. After some homework, I would return to the imaginative world where I found game discs piled on top of one another, building up scratches, and the gaming system collecting dust that would lead to its downfall years down the road (clean your PlayStation folks). Those days are long gone. Today, you’ll find wall mounts containing specific orderings of game titles and legs that keep my PS4 from overheating. PlayStation has come a long way, as the gaming world has evolved with new systems and games. It’s essential to keep up with your systems (*cough* PS5 releasing Nov. 12) and your gaming area’s overall look. Here are five items you need to keep your gaming sanctuary looking up to par.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="216"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
Cooling System
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes your gaming system getting overheated after hours of beating zombies and enemies in a wasteland. Cooling systems, although they take away the overall look of your system, provide excellent circulation, and maintain proper airflow for all gaming systems. There is an array of cooling systems with some on stands with mini fans like the LinkStyle PS4 Cooling Fan and others merely being small legs to support your systems like the Simple Feet product, which lifts a PS4 off surfaces. Although gaming systems come with built-in fans, the work doesn’t seem to be enough, and you may find yourself sitting next to a campfire-like warmth billowing from your gaming system. Cooling systems could be your savior.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="161"] Image from Cougar Gaming[/caption]
Gaming Chair
I hope you’re not sitting on the floor while you’re shooting enemy soldiers through skyscraper windows. Give yourself the gratitude of getting a gaming chair that’s both affordable and comfortable for those fast passing hours of well-earned kills and yells at the screen. Prices generally range a little over $100, like the GTRACING Gaming Chair, but those prices can shoot into the thousands, like the Cougar Armor Titan, for diehards. Gamers can keep their color scheme consistent with designs and colors that come with choosing the perfect “throne.”
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="187"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
Organization System
Video games are a luxury and a nuisance as they can begin to pile quickly if one is not careful with their organization. GameStop and other stores offer wall mounts and other shelving systems to get your games off the floor and onto a more suitable position. These shelving systems provide more room for other gaming equipment on your desk. I would consider this item to be the most crucial point of gaming spaces, if nothing else.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="105"] Image from Tom's Guide[/caption]
Headphones
It comes as no surprise that I consider headphones to be the foundation of any gaming space for easily distracted people. Gaming has been a haven for players since the dawn of time, and with headphones, everything else disappears—at least temporarily. With the right headphones, gamers can experience surround sound, sometimes with a microphone allowing gamers to communicate with other gamers. The top three best gaming headphones include the SteelSeries Arctis 7P/7X, HyperX Cloud Stinger, and Razer Blackshark V2. Gamers can also be like me and use their own standard headphones.
Extensive Memory/Storage System
As a gamer’s collection grows, so does the amount of space required to store all the memory and save points gamers have tirelessly worked to acquire. Without a proper storage system, any gamer’s system will fall flat sooner rather than later. Some systems, like the original PS4, require an extension quite literally attached to the system. The PS4 Pro expanded on this issue and included sufficient storage space. Some gamers don’t keep games and will trade them as soon as they’ve completed them, while others, like me, keep games for another round of adventure. Make sure to make this decision early in your gaming career to avoid any “unpleasantries.”
Sources: Amazon, Cougar Gaming, Simply Feet, The Container Store, Tom's Guide
Images: Amazon, Cougar Gaming, Tom's Guide
Featured Image: Playstation
(11/05/20 11:26pm)
Role-playing mechanics were never at their peak until 2001’s Final Fantasy X was released. Easily one of Final Fantasy’s best releases, if not the best, the tenth video game entry holds superior gameplay and a story lasting well past a decade that can’t be said for other role-playing games since then. Japanese company Squaresoft, now Square Enix, is known for its work with other popular titles, like the Kingdom Hearts Series. The series, which featured characters and designs inspired from the Final Fantasy Series, unknowingly reached a gold status when 2001 came around.
(11/05/20 11:09pm)
by Conner Tighe
Role-playing mechanics were never at their peak until 2001’s Final Fantasy X was released. Easily one of Final Fantasy’s best releases, if not the best, the tenth video game entry holds superior gameplay and a story lasting well past a decade that can’t be said for other role-playing games since then. Japanese company Squaresoft, now Square Enix, is known for its work with other popular titles, like the Kingdom Hearts Series. The series, which featured characters and designs inspired from the Final Fantasy Series, unknowingly reached a gold status when 2001 came around.
When Tidus, a young adult who is a well-known Blitzball player from Zanarkand, meets a mysterious man named Auron, all hell breaks loose. After being sucked into a time-lapse, sending him into an unknown world known as Spira, he slowly learns what’s at stake when he meets young summoner Yuna, daughter of High Summoner Braska, who defeated Sin prior years before. Sin is a massive creature of time and darkness shattering cities across Spira whenever it wishes and is considered the main antagonist of the story and Seymour Guado leader of the Guado. This is only the tip of the iceberg that dazzles players as they continue to upgrade their characters and realize each character's background, mainly Tidus, who faces haunting memories of his father Jecht, who disappeared 10 years before the story’s beginning.
Earlier releases of FF were nothing short of groundbreaking with their unique worlds and characters that shared common destinies while battling evil. So, when number 10 was released, new worlds were presented as well as the memorable role-playing mechanics, but the story hugely established itself.
Several relatable tendencies and issues are presented in this media. Daddy issues, the death of a brother, and following in the footsteps of parents are engaging lessons and morals explored in this crazy game of passion and love for diversity. At the same time, characters develop partnerships and connections on their journey to each city where Yuna builds relationships with locals and develops powerful connections with the “fayth,” spirits of the dead that have been killed by Sin.
One of the most memorable moments in the game comes shortly after Yuna and her guardians travel around Spira to Kilika islands. The group finds the town in disarray as Sin had attacked the city shortly before the group’s arrival. Yuna walks across the water with her staff performing “The Sending,” a ritual that sends souls to the Farplane where they can rest in peace. At this moment, players see the love Tidus feels toward the young summoner, a love that would not be explored until long after the two are well into the journey.
Players find the characters butting heads frequently over personal issues, but all remember their mission to bring “The Calm,” a decade lasting time of peace, from Sin until he’s reincarnated.
Like previous titles, each character has unique abilities: magic (white mage/black mage), strength, nimble and agility, or comedic relief. Final Fantasy X brings all the emotions with every character fueled by battles with enemies, the foremost being Guado. The latter will spark every player’s fury when he comes after Yuna and her guardians after she refuses to marry him.
Two years later, a direct sequel was released, Final Fantasy X-2, which explores more of Yuna’s character. In 2013, the two were remastered on newer game systems, and the releases still hold up to being one of the best video games ever released.
(10/27/20 8:00pm)
by Conner Tighe
In 1996, the birth of true horror was released when Resident Evil hit the shelves. The game features Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as members of the task force S.T.A.R.S. trapped within Spencer Mansion. Players face several obstacles, including puzzles, terrifying zombies, zombie dogs, and even more terrifying… the dialogue. Years later, the classic game would become a worldwide phenomenon within the gaming world, spurring several sequels, prequels, and a whole movie franchise centered (roughly) on the video game plot. What also came afterward was even more unexpected. The likes of other horror genres surfaced with Silent Hill, Doom, and Clock Tower, among many others that would later come after.
The horror genre in the video game industry has soared since the 90s, with many franchises and memorable characters coming to light facing the forces of evil and science experiments gone awry. After some careful deliberation, here is a ranking of the top five horror video games that continue to frighten players to this day.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="309"] Image from Eurogamer[/caption]
5. Resident Evil 4
This is a title I often replay. There is always more to explore in Resident Evil 4. When the president’s daughter goes missing, players will join with Leon Kennedy once again, this time, in rural Spain, to discover what lies underneath the mysterious Los Illuminados cult. This title offered more than previous games in the series, including the infamous chainsaw-wielding man and sisters recycled in later games. Resident Evil 4 was the first game in the series to step away from the odd camera angles featured in previous games, which was big at the time. There’s something magical about this release that brings players back again for one more scare.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="280"] Image from Microsoft[/caption]
4. Outlast
Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist, finds a newfound terror when he checks out of a seemingly abandoned psychiatric hospital. This first-person perspective combined with limited lighting, no ability to fight back, and unpredictable jump scares will leave players running. The frights and nightlife scouring the hospital seem endless, with requirements to do the most basic tasks and players must balance smarts and curiosity to survive.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="252"] Image from Microsoft[/caption]
3. The Evil Within 2
Detective Sebastian Castellanos descends even more into the evil of the STEM system when he’s approached by a former detective partner who informs him his daughter is still alive after a fire had taken the lives of her and Castellanos’ wife years earlier. The sequel in this beloved series takes players to an even darker world, the city of Union, where ghosts, mutated monsters, and a mysterious photographer terrorize Castellanos as he shoots, hides and runs from them. The game hugely expanded on its predecessor with its open-world concept while still maintaining the third-person perspective.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="287"] Image from MCV/DEVELOP[/caption]
2. Resident Evil 2: Remake
In 1998, players got to experience more of the zombie world with new characters: Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong. Trapped in a police station for roughly 70% of the game, players battle zombies as usual but face a new enemy, Mr. X (Tyrant) stalks players around the police station, forcing them to hide as the enemy is indestructible to basic weapons, like gunfire and knives. Last year, the game was remade and the gameplay, graphics, and dialogue were overall excellent. The remake introduced an additional element to the game, allowing a limited amount of ammo around the police station forcing players to either flee or perform headshots on enemies. Resident Evil 2 is the definition of survival horror.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="307"] Image from Cnet[/caption]
1. The Last of Us 2
According to GameSpot, the original The Last of Us was praised for its inventiveness and creativity with the apocalypse genre, which had been done many times previously. The Last of Us 2 takes players further through a darker world and story that will leave fans angry and bittersweet, feeling sadness but understanding. When Washington Liberation Front leader Abby Anderson kills mentor and friend Joel Miller, Ellie swears revenge. The story amped up its apocalyptic appeal and helped show the progression of hierarchy and power struggle within a broken world. The gameplay is better this time, including new features like allowing characters to hide from enemies in tall grass. Although the “horror” factor isn’t as prevalent as the predecessor, the overall plot reigns supreme.
Sources: GameSpot, YouTube
Images: Cnet, Eurogamer, MCV/DEVELOP, Microsoft
Featured Image: EssentiallySports
(10/26/20 2:41pm)
In 2017, an 18-year-old was introduced to the world through YouTube and social media as a young man capable not only of writing, but wrestling, singing, and potential being a voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout two-and-a-half years, Geick had populated his content throughout social media, talking about his on-and-off relationship with Jackson Krecioch, vlogging with his friends and brother, and addressing silly and sometimes serious topics on his short-lasting podcast Out of Frame. It’s 2020, and Geick’s channel lies empty without updated content and a trail of breadcrumbs that left him leaving the spotlight possibly for good.
(10/21/20 9:45pm)
by Conner Tighe
In 2017, an 18-year-old was introduced to the world through YouTube and social media as a young man capable not only of writing, but wrestling, singing, and potential being a voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout two-and-a-half years, Geick had populated his content throughout social media, talking about his on-and-off relationship with Jackson Krecioch, vlogging with his friends and brother, and addressing silly and sometimes serious topics on his short-lasting podcast Out of Frame. It’s 2020, and Geick’s channel lies empty without updated content and a trail of breadcrumbs that left him leaving the spotlight possibly for good.
Geick’s channel garnered thousands of viewers and subscribers after his take on pride in Los Angeles in one of his videos from 2017, while wearing a Nike spoofed “Just Fook It” shirt and recognizably perfect quaffed hair. “When I was growing up, there wasn’t as much a diverse LGBT showing,” said Geick in the video. He criticized pride’s assumption that all gay men are feminine, but he supports the underlying message. “Pride gives off the message of the LGBT community as a whole, which is you can be whoever you want to be as long as you’re not hurting somebody else.” He also loves that more men can be gay and not fit the stereotype that has been portrayed throughout the media for decades.
Geick’s masculinity, talent, and overall outspokenness, with the help of his imagery in the public eye, made the influencer shatter a glass ceiling of stereotypes with something the world had not seen before.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Image from YouTube[/caption]
In 2017, according to Earn The Necklace, Geick began dating Krecioch, another LGBTQ+ influencer popular on the platform YouNow. The two posted on Krecioch’s channel and YouNow talking about their lives and taking part in challenges. Geick grew up in Illinois and graduated from Adlai E. Stevenson High School, where he won two state wrestling championships in a row. He self-published his poetry titled, Early Works: A Collection of Poetry, which talked about painful memories in his childhood and small details in his life he found appealing enough to address through prose. At the end of the book, Geick previewed a brief prologue about a novel he had been working on at the time. Geick has made it clear on social media that his favorite author is Cormac McCarthy, and anyone that has read the prologue can see the similarities and influence.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LFHK7g1Wv/
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="325"] Image from Pinterest[/caption]
When 2018 came, Geick was written about for his exceptional writing and wrestling skills in The New York Times and Chicago Tribune. Later that year, Geick and Krecioch broke up due to personal issues. “We just broke up, that’s it,” said Geick in 2018. “Nothing happened. I’m okay with saying it live. It’s not a secret we broke up.” The two got back together only to break it off for good in 2019.
Geick was known for his exceptional vlogging skills, where he featured his friends and even featured a “motovlog” of him swerving and driving through hectic New York traffic to get to an Apple store while on his motorcycle. The influencer wanted his fans to be a part of his life as much as possible and provided 35 videos with approximately 197,000 subscribers.
In December last year, Geick posted his latest YouTube video of himself playing the piano while covering Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” The caption reads, “I still hate making music videos.” The video received over 2,000 likes and received over 58,000 views.
Earlier this year, Geick began to date the TikTok influencer known only as Okjohnnyboy. The two are not as public as Geick was with Krecioch. Many rumors surfaced throughout social media about Geick’s secret past and possible motives for obtaining substantial amounts of money. The influencer began posting less and less on his platforms until his announcement that he would be joining the military.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B69pseCAUi1/
Contrary to what Geick originally stated, he’s been active on his Snapchat and Instagram accounts, updating fans and friends about his current whereabouts and daily activities. His latest Instagram post features him in uniform with the second part caption, “There are moments I lose my breath. I feel the dam set to break. Everything I run from in bottles and everything I run to in dreaming. All of it. The weight, the uncertainty, the missing so much so strongly that my heart tries to cut itself free and abandon me.”
Neither Geick nor Krecioch was able to comment.
Sources: Blurb, Chicago Tribune, Earn the Necklace, The New York Times, Tiktok, YouTube
Images: Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube
Featured Image: GAYNRD
(10/14/20 7:03pm)
Sunday, we celebrated the hardship, failures, and suffering that LGBTQ+ youth and community endure and have endured since the beginning of time. We also celebrated the successes, stories of hope, and love and connection that make this community one of the unique and essential aspects of human history. National Coming Out Day was first observed in 1988 after a massive march for LGBTQ+ rights outside of Washington, D.C., took place a year prior. Thirty-two years later, the month of October has turned into a month that is bigger than getting free candy in a costume. It’s a celebration of love and the lives of the LGBTQ+ community that continues to fight for the right of all humanity — which is equal treatment for all of humanity everywhere. To commemorate this historic event, we look at the top five LGBTQ+ films.
(10/14/20 4:10pm)
by Conner Tighe
Sunday, we celebrated the hardship, failures, and suffering that LGBTQ+ youth and community endure and have endured since the beginning of time. We also celebrated the successes, stories of hope, and love and connection that make this community one of the unique and essential aspects of human history. National Coming Out Day was first observed in 1988 after a massive march for LGBTQ+ rights outside of Washington, D.C., took place a year prior. Thirty-two years later, the month of October has turned into a month that is bigger than getting free candy in a costume. It’s a celebration of love and the lives of the LGBTQ+ community that continues to fight for the right of all humanity — which is equal treatment for all of humanity everywhere. To commemorate this historic event, we look at the top five LGBTQ+ films.
5. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal show viewers what it’s like to be gay and living in early 60s Wyoming. The pair's characters are monumental in the LGBTQ+ film industry as one of the most heartfelt films about two men in love. The film perfectly represented the struggle between self-acceptance and society’s desire to claim default heterosexuality during this time. The story of two cattle ranchers broke many barriers that some film industries at the time would not dare try in film. Femininity in gay men and bisexuality was thrown into the mix, challenging the norms of being gay and masculine.
https://youtu.be/U5D1iU5KnqQ
4. Shelter (2007)
Zach — a surfer and artist living with his older sister, his disabled father, and young nephew — finds love and an interest in his older brother’s friend Shaun. Although Shaun is out, Zach is not, and him finding inner acceptance with himself is relatable and something LGBTQ+ youth everywhere can latch onto. Although the film is mediocre compared to most LGBTQ+ films, Shelter expresses a simple plot with a satisfying ending.
https://youtu.be/bKsCvcvoZcE
3. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Timothée Chalamet lends his talent as Elio Perlman, a young teenager living in 1983, Northern Italy. When his father’s graduate student, Oliver, enters Elio’s life, everything changes. The film speaks true to what it meant to be gay in the early 80s, with an overarching theme of secrecy and desire that can never fully be pursued and accepted in society. The movie, however fantastic, will rip your guts out and throw them into the fire. The film won best adapted screenplay at the 2018 Academy Awards, where Chalamet was nominated as “best performance by an actor in a leading role.” According to Variety, among many other sources, Call Me by Your Name will have a sequel. Although little is known about the film, the sequel novel to the original is titled Find Me and takes place 10 years after the events in the first novel. The original cast will return to reprise their roles. Evviva!
https://youtu.be/Z9AYPxH5NTM
2. I Am Jonas (2018)
This Netflix film received a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and captured LGBTQ+ youth in the late 90s as well as the life of Jonas, a young teenager living in France who meets Nathan, another young man. Nathan and Jonas’s journey of combating discrimination and finding love in an unaccepting society is beautiful. When viewers learn of the tragedy in Jonas’s life, it stays true to the horrors, specifically kidnapping, which is something that LGBTQ+ youth have faced and may continue to face in today’s world. According to NBC News, in 2017, Chechnya — a region in Russia — institutionalized an anti-gay purge where Ilyas (whose name is withheld for safety reasons) was dragged from his car and beaten by the Russian military all because he was gay. The man now lives as a refugee after speaking out against a state-sponsored violent campaign where as many as 100 gay and bisexual Chechen men were kidnapped and sent to a detention center where many have died. I Am Jonas was an awareness of sorts about underground torture and discrimination gay and bisexual men face in countries outside the U.S. The film provides a bittersweet ending that will leave viewers wanting a second watch. Although the film is in French, don’t let that discourage you from watching a pure masterpiece.
https://youtu.be/HHigllswzSc
1. Love, Simon (2018)
Nick Robinson provided his best role to date as young Simon Spier, looking for acceptance and love from his friends and family in the beloved Love, Simon. When Robinson’s character develops a secret pen pal through email, his whole life flips upside down, especially when a local high schooler discovers he’s gay and blackmails him. Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford and Keiynan Lonsdale lend their talents to this sweet family film. Love, Simon was unlike any other LGBTQ+ film at the time until its spinoff series Love, Victor was released two years later.
https://youtu.be/E0cbWdlQg_8
Sources: Human Rights Campaign, IMDB, NBC News, Rotten Tomatoes, Variety, YouTube
Featured Image: IMDB
(10/13/20 2:56pm)
In the mid-70s, France’s music scene was spurring with a new sensation that would forever change the music world. Manu Dibango intermixed a series of instruments that had a “funky” appeal with their hit “Soul Makossa.” This was later picked up by New York’s underground music industry. Roller-skating, disco balls, “Soul Train,” and other iconic American culture-esque features would begin a culture of its own that would span for a decade. However, some artists in the pop industry today may be dipping their toes back into the culture of the 70s.
(10/09/20 4:30pm)
by Conner Tighe
In the mid-70s, France’s music scene was spurring with a new sensation that would forever change the music world. Manu Dibango intermixed a series of instruments that had a “funky” appeal with their hit “Soul Makossa.” This was later picked up by New York’s underground music industry. Roller-skating, disco balls, “Soul Train,” and other iconic American culture-esque features would begin a culture of its own that would span for a decade. However, some artists in the pop industry today may be dipping their toes back into the culture of the 70s.
Disco brought people together like no other music niche could. Hispanics, African Americans, LGBTQ+, Caucasians, you name it—they were on the dance floor. When the disco ball was spinning, nothing else mattered. Donna Summer, Captain & Tennille, and the Bee Gees are a few contenders that brought people together on the dance floor with their vocals and dance numbers. Famous female musicians like Summer, Diana Ross, and Chaka Khan inspired the world of drag, and these “queens” are still performing today both on their own accord and by their drag doppelgangers.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="386"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
The disco movement heavily influenced entertainment during the 70s and helped integrate both Caucasians and African Americans after the decade of segregation. “Saturday Night Fever,” featuring John Travolta and Karen Lynn Gorney, was released in 1977. In 1971, the first episode of the iconic “Soul Train” aired with Gladys Knight & the Pips as the first act, followed by The Honey Cone, Bobby Hutton, and Eddie Kendricks. The commonality shared between the two was the music. Disco’s influence in the music industry grew from just being a good tune to something that could be shared among everyone in a way that no other movement could — with the exception of The Beatles, who stirred a nationwide craze of Beatlemania a decade earlier.
Margaret Court Arena’s “How Disco Changed the World” says that disco — both the lifestyle and the music — helped fragment a mainly white-dominated industry and helped LGBTQ+ members and women find independence and liberation through “pulsating, high-energy rhythm” and “a haze of flashing strobe lights.” The article points out bands like The Rolling Stones, Kiss, and Rod Stewart began incorporating disco influence into their music, which many criticized. Synthesizers, keyboards, and electronic drums became the norm rather than guitar and acoustic drums.
Many artists are paying tribute to the 70s era: Lady Gaga (“Rain on Me”), Justin Timberlake (“Pusher Love Girl”), Poolside (“Around the Sun”), Doja Cat (“Say So”), Lizzo (“Juice”), Dua Lipa (“Break My Heart”), and Harry Styles (“Treat People with Kindness”) are a select few in the spotlight credited with reviving a large piece of our music history through new-age music. The exciting bit is that the new decade has its fresh spin of what some call “funky.” Original disco celebrated fun times and everlasting youth when fun times were easier to come by. Today, music is a sacred space of comfort and — in this case — a place where “groovy” is what’s “in” and is still considered entertainment.
The nightclub scene incorporates fast, rhythmic tempos. This is not new, but considering all that disco offers and continues to offer, it becomes clear how disco is still relevant several decades later — long after afros and bellbottoms. Fashion comes and goes with the decades. History repeats itself, but disco is a foundation of America’s history in the music world. Disco hasn’t died; it went into hibernation and has resurfaced and evolved with the times. No other music genre has brought more people together where nothing else mattered but the moment people hit the dance floor.
Sources: Margaret Court Arena, Mental Itch, World Atlas
Image: Amazon
Featured Image: WMOT
(09/22/20 9:11pm)
Going back out into the real world can be scary, with businesses beginning to reopen, and this awkward transition period the world is in. If you find yourself in need of another reality, fall in love with one of the most passionate and well-written authors of our time. I encourage you to dive into one of five novels by the illustrious author, screenwriter, and playwright Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy has captured an enormous fan base while telling gripping tales of horror and mischief around the United States. He is like no other author in his grasp of storytelling, and his work will stand the test of time. Several of McCarthy’s works have been turned into films, and you may recognize some of them. With 10 novels published, McCarthy has written some groundbreaking narratives. Let McCarthy’s dark world take you with these five novels of justice, revenge, and real evil.
(09/18/20 5:00pm)
by Conner Tighe
Going back out into the real world can be scary, with businesses beginning to reopen, and this awkward transition period the world is in. If you find yourself in need of another reality, fall in love with one of the most passionate and well-written authors of our time. I encourage you to dive into one of five novels by illustrious author, screenwriter, and playwright Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy has captured an enormous fan base while telling gripping tales of horror and mischief around the United States. He is like no other author in his grasp of storytelling, and his work will stand the test of time. Several of McCarthy’s works have been turned into films, and you may recognize some of them. With 10 novels published, McCarthy has written some groundbreaking narratives. Let McCarthy’s dark world take you with these five novels of justice, revenge, and real evil.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="166"] Image from Amazon [/caption]
5. Suttree (1979)
McCarthy's 482-page semi-autobiographical novel is the heaviest of his works. Cornelius Suttree, a fisherman living off the Tennessee River, calls the South home while dealing with past trauma. Shunned from his family, Suttree makes his way across the Tennessee region to make a living. The story is intriguing but appears dry halfway through the novel. Only genuine McCarthy fans will tolerate the never-ending story of grief in Suttree’s life. With the grim take on life in Tennessee, McCarthy stays true to what his fans know best: life can always be worse. And life commonly is.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="178"] Image from Amazon [/caption]
4. The Orchard Keeper (1965)
The Orchard Keeper gave McCarthy a point on the roadmap. The novel established his career as a novelist, and it still entertains today. The story revolves around strange circumstances featuring orchard keeper Ather Ownby, who passes on his knowledge of the Tennessee wilderness to a boy named John Wesley Rattner. Rattner’s father, Kenneth, is killed by bootlegger Marion Sylder. Sylder develops a close friendship with Rattner, who is unaware Sylder killed his father. McCarthy captured the rich, unique nature of the Tennessee town, Red Branch. Nature itself seems like a character as it plays a significant role in telling the story of the people. Although it’s not his best novel, it’s still, patient, and cool with its suspense and eventual climax.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="164"] Image from Amazon [/caption]
3. The Road (2006)
By far McCarthy’s bleakest and darkest book, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the journey of a man and his son across a desolate wasteland that is written in a captivating and powerful manner. McCarthy keeps you reading by providing twists and scenes of terror that no human should have to encounter. During a time like this in America, the novel makes you wonder what could be in America. McCarthy leaves room for thought with his novels. What happened to the world in this novel? There are theories, but nothing is confirmed.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
2. Child of God (1973)
Evil roams the Tennessee wilderness in this McCarthy thriller. Like my number one choice, this novel revolves around a cat-and-mouse chase of good and evil. A violent nomad beyond humanity is murdering the public while the local sheriff is running off clues to track the man down. The narrative is tense and includes a kicker of an ending. For those that get a thrill from gruesome violence and an engrossing narrative, this is a strong recommendation.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="177"] Image from Amazon[/caption]
1. No Country for Old Men (2005)
By far McCarthy’s greatest piece of literature, this story revolves around greed and coming to terms with aging in a broken world. Hunter Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. Nearby, lays a briefcase of a substantial amount of cash; here is where our story begins. McCarthy creates his greatest villain to date. Anton Chigurh, a ruthless hitman, hunts down Moss while sheriff, Ed Tom Bell, tries to keep up with the mess of events. The novel found its way onto the big screen in 2007. The film comprised a great casting group featuring Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Kelly Macdonald. The film also won four Academy Awards — Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay — and grossed $171.6 million. The film certainly lives up to the amazing story that McCarthy crafted.
Images: Amazon
Featured Image: Los Angeles Times