Joker
Gabrielle Head There have been many different Jokers in the past 30 years, including those depicted by Jack Nicholson (1989), Heath Ledger (2008), and Jared Leto (2016). The character has been known for his rather obnoxious laughter, green hair, and, of course, his iconic painted-on smile. Recently, there has been a new addition to the group of Jokers: Joaquin Phoenix. Joker, released on October 4, 2019, is a rated-R movie about Arthur Fleck and his journey to becoming the well-known Joker. Arthur is a mentally ill man with a condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate times, although former Jokers have been known to laugh willingly. People find him disturbing when they see him, but usually disregard him. After Arthur is ridiculed on a subway by three young men, chaos erupts throughout Gotham after his “self-defense” accident. Arthur aspires to become a comedian, but fails because of his condition and unhumorous jokes. Murray Franklin, the host of a live show and Arthur’s beloved role model, invites him onto his show after finding a clip of Arthur’s attempt at comedy. Leading up to the day of his appearance on Murray’s show, Arthur faces the truth of his childhood, and the chaos of the uprising crowd—“clowns,” as Bruce Wayne’s (Batman) father Thomas called them—following him. Finally appearing on Murray’s show, using the name “Joker,” Arthur expresses his anger for his place in society and how he is always disregarded. He reveals that he attacked the three boys on the subway, and that he is fond of the mess that he created, stating that he has “nothing to lose.” Throughout the interview, he had a burst of confidence, which eventually led up to the death of Murray Franklin on live television. There has been a lot of controversy towards the movie and if it will cause problems in the real world. Instead, some fans of the movie have had fun recreating the dances that Arthur expressed during the movie. Many people have also been saying the movie and actor, Joaquin Phoenix, deserves an Oscar for his performance. Personally, I believe that this is one of my favorite movies at the time. The movie lingered in my mind hours, even days after I saw it. It didn’t seem as if it was about the Joker, yet just another man trying to get through hard times in his life. The movie also gives true statements about society today, even if the movie was set in the 1980s. It can relate to anyone who’s feeling left out and abandoned in the real world. Rattlesnake
Keira Bess Rattlesnake is a Netflix original about a mother and young daughter who are moving to a new town. When they are stopped by a flat tire, the daughter goes off to play. While playing, she is bitten by a rattlesnake and she quickly becomes ill. Panicking, her mother rushes her into a nearby trailer, where a lady cures her daughter. The mysterious lady then tells her she has to pay “a soul for a soul” and she has until sunset. This begins the worst journey of her life as she tries to find a soul to save her daughter. I would rate this movie a 3.5/5 stars because personally it wasn’t very intriguing or as suspenseful as a person might think. The storyline itself wasn’t well put together either and sort of confusing. Rattlesnake does not have a rating but it does include some strong language and scene that parents might not allow their child to see so I would say it is probably be best for 7th or 8th graders only. However, you should ask a parent if it is okay before watching. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Laila Burks Maleficent: Mistress of Evil aired on October 19, 2019, and it is rated PG. In this movie, Maleficent (played by Angelina Jolie) travels to the grand old castle to celebrate Aurora’s upcoming marriage to Prince Phillip. When she arrives at the castle, she meets Aurora’s future mother-in-law Queen Ingrith (played by Michelle Pfeiffer). She is an evil queen who plans a devious plot to destroy the Moor’s fairies in order to take over the Moor and have control over all of the land. Hoping to stop her, Maleficent joins forces with another warrior of her kind and the rest of the outcasts to battle Queen Ingrith and her powerful army. I would give this movie a 4.7 out of 5 because it was really good. I really like the plot line and the effects of the movie. The effects really made the movie feel like it was real. I also really liked the characters of the movie and how they interact with each other. I think this movie was really kid friendly , yet all ages could find something to enjoy in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Hamilton
Katreena Goan A very famous musical named Hamilton has been coming up in eighth grade social studies classes as the eighth graders learn about the American Revolution. Though the musical is very popular among many students, some are unaware of the full musical and what it is about. Hamilton is a popular musical written by Lin Manuel Miranda and had its opening night on August 6, 2015. The musical tells the stories about one of our founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton (played by the writer, Lin Manuel Miranda), and his great contributions to the American Revolution, as well a view into his personal life with his wife and family using modern music elements like rap and hip hop as well as ballads. The musical starts with the song, “Alexander Hamilton” which tells about his poor childhood growing up in the Caribbean. Later, we find out that he immigrated to America and meets another main character, Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.). Burr and Hamilton meet and become friends in the song, “Aaron Burr, Sir”, where he also meets his best friends, John Laurens (Anthony Ramos), Hercules Mulligan (Okieriete Onaodowan), and Marquis de Lafayette (Daveed Diggs). The four best friends are known to some fans as the Revolutionaries. Hamilton has a very go-getter personality; when he sees what he wants, he works for it, no matter what. “My Shot” is a good example of this, where Hamilton says the very famous line, “I am not throwing away my shot.” This song also explains the premise of the first act of the play: the fight against the British and for American independence. Throughout the first act, we meet the Schuyler sisters: Angelica (Reneé Elise Goldsberry), Eliza (Phillipa Soo), and Peggy (Jasmine Cephas-Jones); and George Washington (Christopher Jackson), the commander of the Continental Army. The first act takes us through the battles in the war all the way until the final battle at Yorktown. In the midst of the war, Alexander Hamilton gets married to Eliza Schuyler, though Angelica is also secretly in love with him, and we find out about Burr’s affair with a woman named Theodosia. Burr has a daughter and names her after her mother, while Hamilton has a son named Philip, after Eliza’s father. The first act ends with “Non-Stop”, a song about Hamilton’s constant work at the birth of America and his slight neglect of his family. Act two begins with Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs) and James Madison’s (Okieriete Onaodowan) entrance in “What’d I Miss” as Jefferson had been an ambassador in France while the war was going on. Madison frantically explains that there is conflict going on with Hamilton, who is trying to make a national bank. This act goes straight into the arguments and disputes about how to run the government and economy that happen between Hamilton and Burr, Jefferson, and Madison. During all of the politics, Hamilton is also struggling with his home life and being there for his family. Angelica has moved to England with her husband but is coming back to spend the summer upstate with Philip and Eliza, while Hamilton stays in New York to keep working. While his family is gone, he has an affair with Maria Reynolds. Later, in “The Reynolds Pamphlet”, Hamilton decides to “write his way out” and exposes himself. Eliza becomes very angry with him. Afterwards, we find out that Philip has gotten himself into a duel with a boy that badmouthed Hamilton and asks him for help. Hamilton says to shoot for the sky instead of at his opponent to keep himself human, but the other boy shoots him, and Philip dies an extremely sad death. During their grievance, Eliza and Alexander make up when they stay uptown. The next song, “The Election of 1800” talks about Burr and Jefferson’s fight for president, where Hamilton decides to vote for Jefferson instead of Burr, despite their disputes. Burr and Hamilton get into an unusually civil fight in letters over the election in “Your Obedient Servant” and agree to duel. Just like he told his son to, Hamilton aims for the sky, while Burr shoots at him. He immediately regretted his actions in, “The World Was Wide Enough”, and Hamilton dies with Angelica and Eliza by his side. The musical’s final song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, describes how Hamilton had impacted America’s economy and politics, and how Eliza lives on to tell about Hamilton’s legacy. The musical is not only very entertaining and has well-written music and songs, but a good way to learn American history. In my experience, I knew more than usual in social studies class due to this musical. With all of this, along with well-written story with comedy and sadness, the musical quickly became one of my big interests, and I was even able to see it at the Orpheum in the summer. |
Stranger Things
Gabrielle Head Stranger Things has become a sensation to fans of many ages. The show includes supernatural events and characters. Made in 2016, the show has now developed three seasons. These seasons can only be viewed on Netflix. The show is known for its lively cast, characters, and interesting storyline. In season one, Hawkins is faced with a tragedy: Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp) goes missing. His friends, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) set out on a quest to find him. During this journey, they meet Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown), a girl with powers, that soon helps them. Unexpectedly, they encounter false claims, experiments, and, of course, supernatural activity. For season two, the last episodes of season one leave us with the return of Will, yet a new threat. Season two is set in autumn, and introduces two new characters: Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and her stepbrother, Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery). While getting help from previous traumatic experiences, Will becomes aware of a new threat arising. While he was gone, he grew an unwanted connection to a monster, the Mind Flayer. Not only did the connection let the monster “spy” on the real world in the form of WIll, but it also allowed Will to feel the pain that the monster did. The mission for this season was to get rid of the Mind Flayer from Will’s body, and close the gate to the other dimension. Season three, which came out on July 4th of this year, featured new places in Hawkins, such at Starcourt Mall. The season is very colorful as it depicts the new era of 1985 and it’s new “retro-style.” This season does not include Will Byers as the main victim, revealing it to be Billy Hargrove. He becomes the host of the body of a newly-formed Mind Flayer. The season leaves us off with cliffhangers for the next season, including a new type of monster. Season four has been confirmed for the show on September 30. The only information know about the new season is that the line “We’re not in Hawkins anymore,” which was revealed in the teaser. The original cast will also be returning as their characters. There are lots of theories about the characters and what is to come in the future. I am Legend
Keira Bess I am Legend is a movie directed by Francis Lawerence, who is also the producer of The Hunger Games. It is based in Manhattan during an outbreak of a lethal cancer disease. The disease caused half the people in Manhattan to either die or become vampiric mutants. The movie stars Will smith, who plays the character Robert Neville. Robert and his dog are the only people left… or so that’s what he thinks. It is up to Robert find a cure and save the people. I would rate this movie a 5 out of 5 stars because it has a lot of suspense and is very intriguing. I also enjoyed the movie because Will Smith is a hilarious actor and adds a great sense of humor to the movie. Disclaimer: The movie contains some strong language and gruesome scenes that parents may not allow, so make sure it is okay it is okay to watch for you. (rated PG-13) Maleficent
Laila Burks Maleficent aired in the movie theaters in on May 30, 2014, and it is now on DVD and Blu-Ray. This movie was rated PG. Maleficent (played by Angelina Jolie) grew up in the Moor, a magical realm on the outskirts of a rival human kingdom, with all of the other fairies. She lives a happy and simple life as a child. However, when an invading army threatens the Moor, she rises up and becomes the land’s fiercest protector. When she experiences a horrible betrayal, her heart turns to stone and turns into an evil creature seeking revenge on the humans. She participates in an epic battle with the invading king’s successor. She then curses the king’s newborn daughter, Aurora (played by Elle Fanning), only to find out that she holds the key to peace in the kingdom. I would give this movie a 4 out of 5. I gave this rating because the story line was decent and the acting was really good. The effects were cool because it didn’t look just like it was behind a green screen, but it looked as if it was real. In conclusion, I think Maleficent is a good movie and you should really watch it if you like magical, mystical creatures, and effects. Aladdin
Savannah Clay The live-action version of Aladdin came out May 24, 2019 and no one seems to realize that it exists to this day. This movie is a good one, and yet it is not a movie that everyone, or really no-one talks about. Aladdin has all the “WOW" factors that would attract the audience, but everyone forgot about one of Disney’s classics. Aladdin has all the emotions ranging from sadness to enthusiasm. This movie opens a door for crying and laughing, yet people won’t click the “play” button. It also opens doors for creativity; the colors and the dancing are big parts of this movie. At the the end of Aladdin, it might give you the thought to start dancing and singing, but of course you would not! Aladdin might seem like a kids-only movie, but trust me anybody who takes the time to sit down and watch the movie will NOT regret it. I encourage you to buy some popcorn and some coke, and relax for the movie! Creeped Out
Laila Burks Creeped Out is Netflix tv series that aired on October 31st, 2017. Each episode is different from the other. Creeped out is a series of enchanting, spellbinding, and intriguing tales. Each story takes place in a different time and place. Each character explores the unexplained and go through different traumatic events. I would give this show a 4.5 out of 5 because it is a really good show but it is not really scary. The acting is not too bad, and the whole series itself is very interesting. I would definitely recommend this show if you like the interesting and unexplained. In my opinion I think this is a really good show to watch when you are bored to pass some time. In conclusion Creeped out is a very good show to watch and I would recommend it for people of all ages. |
The iPhone 11
Keira Bess Apple released the new iPhone 11 last Friday, and everyone wants to know if it is worth the upgrade from the X. Brian Chen of the New York Times says that after making some tests, it’s not. However, he also claims that the new iPhone has been made with an improved camera, longer battery life, and they have been made faster. They have also knocked down the price to $700 from the $750 for the iPhone X last year. Gareth Davis on TechRadar.com wrote a balanced review on the new iPhone 11. He says that the iPhone 11 is not much different from the iPhone X except for the six colors. In their review he said that the new iPhone 11 is a triumph for Apple because of the lower price and better camera. I personally think that the iPhone 11 is not worth it. This is because there is really no upgrade from the X and the camera makes the phone look weird. I would rate the iPhone 11 a 5/10 since the new colors are nice but the phone itself is ugly. |
New iPhone 11 Review
Annalee Guthrie The new iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max were released on September 20th. The iPhone 11 will retail for $699, the 11 pro will be $999, and the 11 Pro Max will be $1,099. The 11 is at a much affordable price than the iPhone XR which retailed for $999. On the new iPhones that everyone is so very excited about is the new cameras, with wide, ultra-wide, and the telephoto Cameras, even though there is controversy on them. Also, the battery life has taken a leap from the previous iPhones, it can last up to 12-14 hours on a single charge, and the older ones can only last 8 to 10 hours. The Wi-Fi on the iPhone 11 is yet another step up, they can talk faster and more efficiently to other devices that support the same Wi-Fi. With all the excitement for the new phones, a lot of people surprisingly don’t like them. They don’t like the square, bulky, and alien looking cameras on the back. The other controversy on it is that the iPhones X’s look the same in the display, also work the same. If you hold one of the iPhone 11’s to one of the iPhone X’s they look identically. And the same problem that people have with previous iPhones is they took away to headphone jack, replacing it with a dongle (which you do not get in the box with the newer iPhones). Apple’s phones, have been stuck with the same display while Samsung has given a wide range says Zach Epstein, “While some Android phone makers have now managed to achieve screen-to-body ratios that climb into the mid-90% range, Apple is still stuck in the low-80% range because of the huge notch at the top of the iPhone’s display”. With all the good and bad sounding the phones, it still stands that Apple is striving to create the best and greatest phones they can for consumers. |
Pailsie Hargove started cheerleading in the 1st grade at Bon Lin Elementary. The Bon Lin Middle School cheer squad usually starts practice off with stretches, splits, and kicks. The cheer squad practices every Wednesday in a month. The cheerleaders have been lately working on cheers for basketball games. Before she started doing cheerleading she did gymnastics which played a big part for her flexibility. She loves to perform and show off her school sprit. She really likes the “Pick it Up” cheer, which goes, “PICK IT UP, PICK IT UP, WHOOOO, WEEEEEEE.” When cheering for other cheerleaders they always give it their best. The BLMS cheer squad is not in a completive league. All of the cheerleaders consider themselves as friends, and tries to support each other. She wishes that the team could do more stunts and flips. She plans on staying on the cheer team until high school, but is not sure about college.
|
Chelsi Mosbey joined the cheerleading group because she loves to cheer, dance, and to making friends on the team. She thinks being on the team helps you to have more flexibility, but it is not a requirement to be one the team. During basketball season they usually do more chants to encourage the players. She has been able to get her left spilt through cheerleading and is still working on the rest of the splits. She loves to do stunts, they don’t do a ton of stunts because people can get hurt. She likes the cheer “Physical”, which goes, “LET'S. GET PHYSICAL.” She loves to support the BLMS football and basketball team. She loves the friends she has made through cheer, and even considers them sisters. She wishes the school could be more connected and supportive of the cheer squad. She definitely believes that cheerleading is a sport, and wants people to know. Chelsi plans to stay in cheerleading through out high school and college.
|