Dre from “Swarm:” A Psychotic Take on Invisibility
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The “Radium Girls” production was presented by Brandeis students in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Shapiro Campus Center on April 20, with a total of four shows. I was lucky enough to be part of the production staff as the props designer. I was asked to help with the props for the show and I was originally hesitant to agree. As every student here can attest to, it can be hard to balance class work, social activities, and clubs, but I ultimately agreed to join the production crew. It was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I was able to be a part of this amazing show. I can’t believe I ever considered turning the position down. By the time that tech week rolled around, all the major props were bought and sitting in the first floor of the SCC. Because the show was performed in the Multi-Purpose Room on the second floor of the SCC, the production staff and cast had to carry everything from the first floor to the second. It was a lot to move, and the transportation of curtains, props, and lights added a significant amount of time to rehearsals. Despite this inconvenience, everyone involved with the show took it in stride. It was amazing being a part of a team that worked so hard and with such passion to put on the best show possible. Alyssa Allen ’24, our director, and Phoebe Shapiro ’25, our stage manager, worked to make sure that both cast and crew had a fun, welcoming environment to work in. Whether it was playing an energetic pre-show game, organizing giftgiving among the cast and crew, or sharing inspirational words before a performance, the “Radium Girls” set was such an amazing place to be. Laughing, singing, and dancing was a pivotal part of every rehearsal and show. “Radium Girls” was truly an amazing show to work on. If you’re ever on the fence about participating in a production, don’t hesitate to join. It’s such a wonderful experience and you won’t regret it!
Springfest 2023 has officially come and gone, and it has certainly left its audience with mixed feelings. On Sunday, April 30, a smattering of Brandeis students braved the rain and 50-degree weather to shiver on Chapel’s Field, enjoy some free food trucks, and listen to live music. Unfortunately, what typically is the last big celebration of the spring semester before exam season officially begins ended up being a slightly disappointing concert series, mostly because of the horrible weather — thanks, Massachusetts. However, while this year’s Springfest may not have been quite as crowded or popular as previous years, there were some great moments despite the freezing rain and swamp-like conditions on Chapel’s Field.
In 1981, Sam Raimi, a Michigan State University student quit college to make a film for $350,000. That movie was “Evil Dead.” It ended up grossing millions, jumpstarting both his career and the careers of Bruce Campbell and his brothers. The sequel, “Evil Dead II,” would become a cult hit and a tremendous box office success. Together, they elicited a moral panic in both the United States and Great Britain over both the violence and goriness of the films. Those debates faded as the films grew more popular. And ever since, the Necronomicon and its Deadite creations have plagued the silver screen. Traditional horror comedies, the “Evil Dead” films — and television show for that matter — have spawned a large cult following that is probably larger than any other horror fanbase. Today, our standards for horror and gore are much lower. This film is by far the most intense and disgusting “Evil Dead” movie. There are stabbings, “cheese gratings,” eyeball eating, decapitations, and definitely more similarly gruesome things that I cannot recall. Yet, I enjoyed it, but probably only because I have become nearly completely desensitized at this point, having seen as many horror films as I have. Directed by Lee Cronin, creator of the critically acclaimed film “The Hole in the Ground,” “Evil Dead Rise” is a gruesomely entertaining horror flick that will inevitably scar people that wander into this film expecting anything similar to its comedic predecessors. Yet, for those that have a strong stomach and are not dissuaded by a bit of violent gore, this film will be a fun ride.
I enjoy reading poetry, but I am absolutely obsessed with spoken-word poetry and the intersection of theater and poetry; I often end up binge-watching poet performances on Button Poetry or TEDx. Since taking a poetry class this semester, I have had the opportunity to read poetry collections and engage with them in a new way. Recently, I read Franny Choi’s fourth poetry collection titled “The World Keeps Ending and the World Goes On.” The collection does not argue that the world is dying, but instead very explicitly proves that the world has died so many times already. She beautifully articulates all the pain that several groups of marginalized people have faced and explains how the several wars, crimes and violent atrocities committed have created the imminent end of the world. Before diving into her book, I decided to read and learn a little more about Franny Choi: She is a Korean American poet, performer, playwright, and editor. While she has authored several books, she is also an educator for project VOICE, an initiative that allows a collective of poets to do live performances and helps students through workshops and professional development. She has also offered educational resources through her poetry, particularly in the pieces “Teaching the Museum of Human History” and “A new species of beautiful.” Choi received her B.A at Brown University and attended the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writer’s Program where she earned her MFA. Her work lends itself to tackling issues that are pervasive in Asian Diaspora, but I appreciate how inclusive she is of other races, specifically the Black community. I enjoyed listening to her piece on Button Poetry called “Whiteness Walks into a Bar” — its balance of humor is so cleverly written. Her collection does much the same, balancing contemporary social issues while finding dignity and beauty in life.
When looking at the landscape of reality television, one thing has been missing: MILFs. But no longer, thanks to TLC and their new show “MILF Manor.” MILFS, or “Moms I’d Like to Fuck” for the shocking few that are not in the know, rule this new show that has a shocking twist: eight MILF head to Mexico in search of love with — get this — their eight sons. That’s right, “MILF Manor” explores the untapped market of familial dating, and although the MILFS do not date their own sons, the show is equally as salacious — thankfully, minus the incest.
It’s been 10 years since the movie “About Time” graced the screen, and it’s still one of the best romantic comedies I have ever seen. While there are many wonderful rom-coms, “About Time” encompasses all of the best aspects of rom-coms with a heartwarming couple, funny awkwardness, and a beautiful conclusion. I love these elements in rom-coms, but "About Time" brings even more to the table that makes it one of the best rom-coms, even after nearly a decade has passed.
“Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” After a long four year hiatus, precipitated by the pandemic and other conflicts, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has returned. And with his return arrives the greatest action film of the last 10 years. Directed by Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves’ former stuntman on “The Matrix,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” is the latest entry into this original action thriller franchise that has thus far dominated both critically and popularly. I have been looking forward to this film since the third one ended four years ago. So when I entered the theater on March 23, I had nothing but high expectations. It did not disappoint.
“Everyone in our band is so talented [...] we all deserve a solo” —Cheem
With DreamWorks’ latest romp into the highly successful Shrek franchise came a movie that surely almost no one was expecting. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a sequel that seemingly came out of nowhere, coming more than 11 years after the original “Puss in Boots,” which in and of itself is a rather unremarkable movie. So I, as well as many others, were under the assumption that this movie would be nothing more than a mediocre cash grab, or an attempt to garner interest in the potentially soon to be released “Shrek 5.” So when reviews for “The Last Wish” started coming back overwhelmingly positive, my interest was piqued. Now having seen the film I can say with confidence that this film is easily my favorite animated movie of 2022.
Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, villains make or break their movies; Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, and Josh Brolin’s Thanos all were carefully developed antagonists who facilitated massive character development for the protagonists. During February break, I decided to treat myself to the movies by way of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania” and thought I would enjoy it because Kang was the main villain. However, I was disappointed. Jonathan Major’s Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania” is phenomenal as a singularity. We’re introduced to this variant of Kang at the beginning of the film during one of Janet’s (Michelle Pfeiffer) first flashbacks to her initial arrival in the Quantum Realm. Kang appears as a meek exile with a broken multiverse transportation machine. He tells Janet of his exile from his home, masquerading as an innocent charmer who wants to stop countless realities from being destroyed. Janet believes him until she touches the Time Crystal in the temporal gateway core she repaired and she’s flooded with visions of Kang’s countless genocides. Upon finding this out, Janet sabotages the machine, causing Kang to be stuck in the Quantum Realm with a maniacal desperation to escape.
From the powerful Viking empire to the liberal democracy known for Legos and social welfare, the critical transition of Denmark into a modern state is often considered to have happened at the turn of the 19th Century. Allying with Napoleon Bonaparte, the Danish state was devastated by defeat in the Napoleonic Wars from the early 1800s. The loss of Norway as a partnering state and its status as a grand international trading center contributed to the financial turmoil. Denmark in the 19th century lingered on its last leg.
Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Five weeks into the semester, and your humanities professor still does not remember your name. If you have been constantly missing LATE deadlines, here are some more terms you should know to earn yourself some brownie points in discussions. The following list cannot fully explain these words your professor throws at you constantly, but it should be sufficient for you to blankly engage in the conversation.
Editor’s note—Reporting for this story was originally completed in the fall 2022 semester for a JOUR 89A class project called “Smells Like Zine Spirit.” The article has been edited to include recent updates to this developing story.
"Always Been is a celebration of Black humanity and joy and lies in contrary to the American historical record and its in relationship to Blackness” —Parker Thompson
Shyamalan’s back! Returning from a four-year hiatus, auteur M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” is his best work in years. Through the film, based on the bestselling novel “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul Tremblay, Shyamalan transforms the source material into a story that is distinctly his. He attacks many of the themes that have defined his career. As Shyamalan’s films unfold, the audience is forced to grapple with belief in the supernatural. Each story, from “Unbreakable” to “Split,” has in some way valorized belief and faith. He consistently requires his characters to go through a renewal of faith to survive their stories. For example, in “Unbreakable,” security guard David Dunn needed to believe in his own powers to figure out his place, and in “Split,” our antagonist Kevin — who suffers from multiple-split personality disorder experiences — transformation into the Beat was only possible through belief in his own abilities. This recent addition to Shyamalan’s collection of films is no different; it is the natural continuation of his career.
With a slower start to the semester, I decided to celebrate Black History Month by educating myself on Black artists, creators, and change-makers. I grew up around various mediums of art, but one I never outgrew was graphic novels. I loved all of Raina Telemeger’s novels growing up, and one of my favorites to this day is “Smile.” However, finding media that represents me had been difficult until this past fall when I found a new favorite: “Maybe An Artist” written and illustrated by Liz Montague.