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(04/27/19 4:00pm)
by Jack Gillespie
For the past few years, it has become more and more obvious that Lizzo has what it takes to become a star. Not only has she proven with songs like “Boys," “Good As Hell," and “Truth Hurts” that she has a knack for writing tracks just begging to blow up, but she brings the kind of larger-than-life personality. Both in and out of her music she has made it clear what makes an artist like Cardi B an absolute phenomenon.
With the release of the track “Juice”, it seemed like are the pieces were about to come together. On this disco rap throwback, Lizzo comes in with enough energy to light up an entire city. On top of that, she brings a masterfully crafted instrumental that brings a sharp, modern twist to an often overlooked era of hip hop.
https://youtu.be/XaCrQL_8eMY
“Juice” hinted at a promising 2019 for Lizzo, but it was everything that followed that made that promise a reality. Not only was her first record on a major label announced, but the 2nd and 3rd singles for said record showed a much more versatile, fully developed performer, as well as a better array of beats. All signs were pointing toward Cuz I Love You being one of the best pop album of the year. For the most part, the signs were right.
(03/30/19 10:25pm)
With Netflix distributing more and more new series every year, the reality TV genre seems to have seen a reemergence, especially makeover shows. The successes of shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Amazing Interiors are solid proof of this.
(03/29/19 9:34pm)
by Jack Gillespie
With Netflix distributing more and more new series every year, the reality TV genre seems to have seen a reemergence, especially makeover shows. The successes of shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Amazing Interiors are solid proof of this.
However, no recent makeover show compares to Queer Eye when it comes to sheer popularity. When the original series from the 2000s got the reboot in 2018, it became an instant phenomenon. In the days following the release of the first season, you couldn’t get far online without running into a gif of one of the new Fab Five, especially fan favorite and self care guru Jonathan Van Ness. It wasn’t just him, though; the entire queer quintet of Van Ness (grooming), Antoni Porowski (food and wine), Tan France (fashion), Karamo Brown (culture/lifestyle), and Bobby Berk (interior design) were a charismatic powerhouse, especially as an ensemble. Just like when they hit the scene with the first season, the Fab Five keep things consistently enjoyable with Season 3.
(03/12/19 4:00am)
Welcome back to this week’s episode of Input 2! We discuss the latest film in the How to Train Your Dragon series. While the movie does make several improvements to characters, there are still flaws. How does this stack up to the rest of the series? Find out this and more on this week’s episode of Input 2!
(03/04/19 10:13pm)
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
(03/04/19 7:00pm)
by Jack Gillespie
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Very few film franchises of this decade, whether they be live action or animated, can compare to How to Train Your Dragon when it comes to sheer quality. The first two films in the series not only rank as some of the best films to come from DreamWorks Animation, but they single handedly gave the studio the credibility they desperately needed at that point in their existence. After a string of hit-or-miss, but mostly miss (Shrek the Third, Monsters vs. Aliens, Bee Movie) releases in the mid-2000s, How to Train Your Dragon was a breath of fresh air to kick off the decade.
The film was not only one of the most visually stunning CGI-animated films to date, but it brought a great balance of family-friendly fun and darker, more emotionally grounded drama. The fact that the protagonist, Hiccup, (Jay Baruchel) loses his leg at the end of the film, something that just can’t be fixed, shows that, proves that How to Train Your Dragon was willing to do things very few mainstream animated films would.
When the sequel took all the best aspects of the original and only improved and elevated them, something a great sequel is supposed to do, it solidified the series as something truly special. So How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World had quite the feat to accomplish: following up the best film Dreamworks has made in a long time while also wrapping up the most consistently stunning series the studio has ever had.
https://youtu.be/SkcucKDrbOI
(02/15/19 5:00am)
In retrospect, Animal Collective’s 2016 record Painting With sparked quite a change in the group’s output. For a band that is known for their sonic experimentation and left-field approach to psychedelic pop and rock, Painting With was a shockingly one-dimensional effort that garnered lukewarm reception from critics and fans. It was the last thing that an Animal Collective record should be: safe.
(02/12/19 6:56pm)
It is extremely hard for one artist to capture the public eye for a while nowadays. Not only is the attention span of the general public getting shorter by the day, but the tried and true tactics of pop music marketing are becoming outdated. The times they are a-changin’.
(02/12/19 6:49pm)
by Jack Gillespie
In retrospect, Animal Collective’s 2016 record Painting With sparked quite a change in the group’s output. For a band that is known for their sonic experimentation and left-field approach to psychedelic pop and rock, Painting With was a shockingly one-dimensional effort that garnered lukewarm reception from critics and fans. It was the last thing that an Animal Collective record should be: safe.
While no member has explicitly said so, it is apparent that the reception to the record caused a complete 180 in their output, including both collaborative efforts and solo releases. Projects such as Meeting of the Waters, Deakin’s Sleep Cycle and Avey Tare’s Eucalyptus saw members returning to the more acoustic, stripped-back aesthetic of earlier Animal Collective records in a more mature, meditative fashion. Each of these records stand as some of the best material to come from any Animal Collective member in years. Even the band’s 2018 album Tangerine Reef, which was released to rather low fanfare, saw the band releasing their most abstract record in more than a decade. Everything after Painting With has made for one of the most interesting, unpredictable eras in the group’s discography.
It is this fact that makes Panda Bear’s Buoys such a disappointment. Of all of the members of Animal Collective, Panda Bear (formerly known as Noah Lennox) has had the greatest success with his solo material; 2007’s Person Pitch stands as one of the most critically acclaimed records of the 2000s, and each record following it (Tomboy, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper) has received its own significant amount of praise.
(02/11/19 7:28pm)
by Jack Gillespie
It is extremely hard for one artist to capture the public eye for a while nowadays. Not only is the attention span of the general public getting shorter by the day, but the tried and true tactics of pop music marketing are becoming outdated. The times they are a-changin’.
That’s what makes Ariana Grande’s domination of popular culture for the past few months so special. She has been the celebrity on everybody’s lips, and all of the buzz accumulated with one small song: “thank u, next”. The combination of her highly-covered relationship with Pete Davidson, the passing of ex-boyfriend and rapper Mac Miller from a drug overdose, and a seemingly endless list of other scandals and incidents all went into this one song that became a cultural phenomenon the moment it dropped. “thank u, next” is the antithesis to the demand to separate the art from the artist; it is impossible to grasp all of the meaning of the song without knowing of all that Ariana Grande has gone through for the past couple of years.
The same goes for the whole record, as ‘thank u, next’ is Grande’s most personal, conceptual record yet. Lyrics concerning her past relationships and her mental health can be found all over this record, but much of the record focuses on her relationship with Pete Davidson. And it isn’t just a cursory look at it; from her need of space away from the people she loves (“NASA”), to the desperate measures she’d take to save a doomed relationship (“bad idea”), to the unhealthy but passionate ways she expresses her love (“needy”), Grande and her co-writers tackle her complicated, rocky, and at times toxic relationship with Davidson and her part in it in an incredibly in-depth manner.
(11/30/18 5:40pm)
While holiday music might be overplayed by the time the new year comes around, hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on the radio is a sure-fire way to tell when it is officially Christmas time.
(11/29/18 2:16pm)
by Jack GIllespie
While holiday music might be overplayed by the time the new year comes around, hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on the radio is a sure-fire way to tell when it is officially Christmas time.
However, while most people can name an endless list of Christmas carols and standards, there are not too many albums that could be considered Christmas staples. The following five records are ones that are either worthy of such title or are just perfect for the winter season.
(11/23/18 1:00pm)
It’s been a while since Imagine Dragons could be considered a legitimate rock band. Once an okay band by radio rock standards whose heart they put in their songs could not be denied, they have made next to no progression as an act. They haven’t quite reached the point of Maroon 5, who are only a band in name, but Origins proves that Imagine Dragons may be on the same path.
(11/18/18 8:00pm)
by Jack Gillespie
It’s been a while since Imagine Dragons could be considered a legitimate rock band. Once an okay band by radio rock standards whose heart they put in their songs could not be denied, they have made next to no progression as an act. They haven’t quite reached the point of Maroon 5, who are only a band in name, but Origins proves that Imagine Dragons may be on the same path.
(10/18/18 4:00pm)
With his debut album, No Now, London singer, songwriter, and producer Clarence Clarity did something very few artists have done; he introduced himself to the world with a sound that is truly unlike any other artist. His uniquely glitchy, maximalist, surreal brand of alternative R&B set himself apart from everybody else, and was a big part of what made No Now one of the best pop albums of the 21st century. It was quite the act to follow up, so it’s no wonder it was three years before he released a follow-up.
(10/17/18 8:00pm)
Lady Gaga had a lot to lose starring in 2018’s A Star Is Born. First of all, it isn’t often that ventures into acting can be considered successes for pop stars (i.e. Madonna, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears). Gaga does have a history in theatre and acting roles in television, but this was still bound to be an uphill battle. Additionally, she is bound to be compared to the previous starring ladies of the previous A Star Is Born is films, and it’s quite the illustrious company: Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand. To be in the same company as these means a lot of pressure to deliver a performance that can be compared to them.
(10/16/18 9:11pm)
When reading up on Back Roads prior to viewing it, a willingness to touch upon dark, taboo themes was within its plot. I was expecting something quite uneasy. Back Roads delivered on that aspect, but from an angle that was not expected. For a movie considered a drama, it isn’t really a dramatic film; there are moments of emotional intensity, but most of the film drama is more subtle and bubbles under the surface.
(10/16/18 6:34pm)
by Jack Gillespie
When reading up on Back Roads prior to viewing it, a willingness to touch upon dark, taboo themes was within its plot. I was expecting something quite uneasy. Back Roads delivered on that aspect, but from an angle that was not expected. For a movie considered a drama, it isn’t really a dramatic film; there are moments of emotional intensity, but most of the film drama is more subtle and bubbles under the surface.
The bleakness of Back Roads is prevalent throughout the entirety of the film, but it evolves and escalates. In the first half of the film, there is almost a mystery novel whodunit feeling as Harley tries to uncover all of the details of his father’s murder that his mother was arrested for. But as the film goes on, the importance of the murderer slowly fades away. Who did it does not seem to matter anymore; all that is significant is how his presence and death has slowly destroyed Harley and the rest of the Altmyer family.
The film’s plodding pace and subtle, eerie mood is only emphasized with Alex Pettyfer’s portrayal of Harley Altmyer. It’s obvious from his performance that Harley is someone damaged by his traumatic past; most scenes with him give off an uncomfortable, off-kilter vibe. A big part of that is that it seems in quite a lot of his scenes, there is always a second-long pause between dialogue. It’s a choice that does create an eerie tone in some interaction, such as a lot of his early scenes with Jennifer Morrison’s character, but more often than not it makes an already slowly-paced film seem even slower. Overall, Pettyfer delivers an interesting, if not flawed, performance that encapsulates the mood of Back Roads.
The quality of the performances run the gamut, from mediocre and/or awkward (Nicola Peltz and Chiara Aurelia as Amber and Misty Altmyer), to solid but not spectacular (Alex Pettyfer’s Harley Altmyer and Jennifer Morrison as Callie), to short but scene-stealing (Juliette Lewis as Bonnie Altmyer, June Carryl as Harley’s therapist).
The weakest part of the characters is their development. The Altmyers, the family the entire film is supposed to revolve around, are the biggest victims of the film’s Achilles Heel. Harley, while he is the most developed character, is mostly defined by being awkward, quiet, and having a drinking problem. Amber, the oldest daughter, is esentially just a bratty teenage girl archetype cranked up to 11 and easily the most unlikeable character of the film. While it is not expected for young children characters to be as deep as their older counterparts, Jody Altmyer has next to no character.
For a movie like Back Roads, it is imperative that the main characters seem realistic and three-dimensional. They don’t necessarily need to perfect or kind people, the leads of Back Roads make their share of questionable decisions, but they need to seem like real people to make the drama and tragedy that much more tangible. So when Harley and his sisters are going through struggle after struggle, there is a layer of separation that makes it feel less poignant. Their trauma of child abuse and losing their mother and father does give the audience something to sympathize with them for, but other than that there is no reason for viewers to care for them as people.
(10/15/18 7:00pm)
There are not a surplus of films about drag performers. Sure, there are quite a lot of movies in which actors in the film dress up in drag such as (i.e. Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, White Chicks). But movies about drag queens, kings and others whose art and passion revolves around the practice, are much less prevalent. Movies that take place in Alaska are also not too common, especially when the setting isn’t just used as a snowy backdrop.
(10/14/18 11:03pm)
by Jack Gillespie
There are not a surplus of films about drag performers. Sure, there are quite a lot of movies in which actors in the film dress up in drag such as (i.e. Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, White Chicks). But movies about drag queens, kings and others whose art and passion revolves around the practice, are much less prevalent. Movies that take place in Alaska are also not too common, especially when the setting isn’t just used as a snowy backdrop.
So Alaska is A Drag, which both of these qualities can be applied to, is quite the special film. Just based on it’s basic premise there are very few films like it; and the film takes advantage of its one-of-a-kind combination. The only place where Leo (Martin L. Washington Jr.), our protagonist, can obtain gowns for his drag is essentially a lost and found for items left on boats. There’s only one gay bar within a hundred miles of his hometown and it’s depicted as being almost empty constantly. It’s a fascinating portrayal of how subcultures, in this case drag, endure in a community that hinders its very existence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx9OSETnETo
The plot of Alaska is a Drag sees Leo, a young, ambitious drag performer who has found himself rotting away in rural Alaska, balancing his passion for drag with boxing with doing whatever he can to get him and his sister, Tristan (Maya Washington), out of Alaska and to Los Angeles to follow his dream, as well as possibly reconnect with his mother (Nia Peeples). The largest arc of Alaska is A Drag, getting out of Alaska, is solidly set up and wraps in an unexpected but sweet manner. It’s smaller arcs throughout the film aren’t wrapped up or as paced as well. A prime example is the drag competition that plays out like it should be the suspenseful, emotional climax of the film precedes the wrap-up of almost every other major arc.
Even if all of the arcs weren’t paced perfectly, the stellar leads really did make the journey worth it. Leo as Alaska’s lead has enough charisma to shine throughout the entirety of the film. Washington Jr. brings so much charm, emotion and versatility to Leo. His on-screen relationship with Maya Washington, who plays Leo’s sister, Tristen, is especially a joy to watch; their own daily routines, inside jokes, and believable close bond really makes them a dynamite brother-sister duo.
Almost all of the majors roles, and some of the more minor ones, like aging, flamboyant drag queen Hal AKA Mistyque (John Fleck) and Leo’s boss and boxing coach (Jason Scott Lee) were played really well. The only slight dud of a performance was Leo’s love interest, Declan (Matt Dallas). Near the end of the film his performance does see an uptick, but for the first half of the film, his acting comes across as amateurish. He doesn’t turn in that bad of a performance, but when his other half in the film is performing as well as Washington Jr. does, even the slightest of flaws are magnified.