WRITTEN BY: RIELLE CHLOE CANLAS
Rated by Author: 3.5/5 A film originally in Korean, 20th Century Girl, is set during 1999, following the main character, Na Bo-ra, as she’s swept into an unlikely love story throughout the movie. This film is currently viewable on Netflix and was released in 2022, standing at 2 hours long. I personally have never been a fan of watching K-dramas until I watched this film. To me, the beginning was very slow. We’re introduced to the female lead character and two male characters who she inevitably has a liking for at different times. I didn’t really understand the story at first and was quite confused on who each character was. That being said, towards the middle of the movie, I was balling my eyes out, thinking this was the saddest part. I didn’t believe I would stop crying. By the end of the movie, I was hit with yet another heartbreaking plot twist. The film was an emotional roller coaster for me with so much happening all at once. If you’re interested in romance and warm-hearted films, I definitely recommend watching this. WRITTEN BY: JACOB LOPEZ
Rated by Author: 5/5 The book, The Mamba Mentality, was brilliant. It is an easy read and the contents of the book are easy to digest. I got it from Amazon on-sale and you should check it out too. I loved this book because it helped me progress as an athlete and changed my mindset for the better. I love playing my sport and I want to be great at it, that’s why I loved this book. Bryant writes and teaches about his own personal experiences in the league. Bryant highlights the mental game of the sport as well as the physical game of the sport. Through his high analyst mindset, he talks about the plays he ran and the players he had to adjust against. A big thing from the book that has helped improve the way I play and helped me progress as an athlete is Bryant’s explanation of his hard-working mindset and discipline that made him successful. After reading this book, I have been excelling at my sport by outworking the competition and being a student of the game like Bryant spoke about in this book. Reading this book has led me to improve aspects of my sport that I didn’t know I could improve and has definitely strengthened my ability to improve in the future. Even as a professional athlete like Kobe, one can never stop learning more about the game. Now I am focused on my grind and the process of reaching my big goals. I am learning how to improve my game and The Mamba Mentality has helped me a lot to do just that. I recommend this book for anyone who plays a sport to help reach their full potential as an athlete. WRITTEN BY: ZACHARY BUENAVENTURA
Rated by Author: 5/5 "The Heart Part 5" by Kendrick Lamar is the fifth installment of Kendrick’s “The Heart” series. Throughout his career, he releases these “The Heart” songs leading up to each album. These songs often signify a new era or new sound to Kendricks' music. All five songs feature long, intricate verses, which give us a first look at the overall vibe of what the album is going to be like. These songs provide an image of what has been occupying his mind. For example, "The Heart Part 5" focuses on the idea of perspective and the culture right now. This song is expressive, reflective, meditative, and perceptive. It and its accompanying video show him rapping from various angles, and Lamar makes full use of deepfake technology ("a deep fake is a photo, audio, or video that has been manipulated by Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to make it appear something it is not" Aware.com) to change his appearance to resemble celebrities like Kanye West, OJ Simpson, and the late Nipsey Hussle. The first verse talks about the risk of growing up as an African American in the "hood" and living in such a hostile environment. The second verse talks about the dangers of culture and how he is the spokesperson for his culture. He claims to represent infidelity, incarceration, gun violence, and poverty. Kendrick refuses to accept these facets of life as an inevitable part of the culture. These kinds of contradictions are what Kendrick experienced during his life and are now what he's expressing through his music. The third verse talks about Kendrick Lamar focusing on himself. He talks about what it’s like to be an affluent and influential celebrity, and his understanding of what that means. However, now he wants to take things to the next level. He says that he's ready to “‘sacrifice his personal gain over everything” in order to uplift his people. Kendrick then concludes the final verse, continuing to speak and express to those who have passed on from this life but died for “the culture”. From this song alone, I fully understand why it took Kendrick Lamar 5 years to release a new album. If I were to go fully in-depth about this song down to the wire, this article would be ten pages long. I’m grateful enough to be writing this review in the first place: a review of a song that talks about some of the most powerful and important topics of our generation, all spoken through rhythm and poetry. Rap. WRITTEN BY: DANA BARBEE
Rated by Author: 5/5 And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a murder mystery novel that takes place on a remote island mansion. This description establishes imagery in the mind of a tropical paradise getaway but it is far from that. Ten people are invited to this secluded destination by a mysterious author of almost identical letters. Each person has a different reason for attending. By the end, they're all dead. (not a spoiler...look at the title) When I read this book, I was initially hesitant because it was the first Agatha Christie novel I had ever read. I knew that she was known for her murder mysteries and for that reason, I grabbed the seemingly most murderous one in attempt to understand the appeal. Up until reading this book, I had only ever read Nancy Drew and those can't truly be considered murder mystery novels like this one can. I was shocked to find myself enjoying it as much as I did. Though I could not leave my room at night for a week out of fright while I read the book, I was deeply engrossed in the story and wanted to figure out the killer almost as much as the characters did...though I was more lucky than them. Looking back on this book, I admire the ability to write just enough information to keep the reader wanting more but not too much that it gives the ending away too soon. And Then There Were None was my first introduction to Agatha Christie and mystery as a genre and I am so grateful to have read it. I loved this book and can't wait to read more of this amazing author's intriguing mysteries. WRITTEN BY AIDEN ORANTES There’s been 15 doctors on the hit BBC show, Dr. Who. At least in this ranking, the five Doctors are named and ranked, starting with Chris Eccelstons, the 9th Doctor, and ending with Jodie Whittakers, the 13th Doctor. Just as an addendum, the 14th and 15th Doctor will not be included in this list, due to their seasons coming out in the next year, and any doctors before Chris Eccelstons time in 2005 were also not included, due to most of their episodes being lost to time.
Starting at number 5, there’s the 13th doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker. With her companion, Yasmin Khan, her adventures are just rinse and repeat from past adventures, where they end up winning every single time. Although, she has a slightly more memorable quote than Capaldi (the 12th Doctor), since she says “Keep your faith. Travel hopefully. The universe will surprise you.” Her outfit is also slightly better than Capaldi’s, even though she also has a trench coat, but the rest of her outfit is very sporty. With number 4, we have the 12th doctor, portrayed by Peter Capaldi. His companion is Clara Oswald, who is known as the “Impossible Woman”, as well as assuming the mantle of the doctor whenever her doctor was incapacitated. Her personality matches her doctors pretty well, even though she may get plot armor from being the “Impossible Woman”. His most memorable quote is “Nothing’s sad until it’s over, then everything is,” although this is said after he loses his memory halfway through his season. His outfit during his seasons is also a bit odd, as he wears brogue shoes and a trench coat, which is bound to get caught on a tree or branch. In Number 3 is the 10th doctor, played by David Tennant. His companion is Donna Noble, who’s attitude perfectly contradicts her doctors, trying to prove that he really isn't the smartest being in the universe. His outfit is also simple and stylish, with a pinstripe suit, tweed coat, and a ratty pair of Converse, which makes him more charming. His most memorable quote is “I’m burning up the sun, just to say goodbye”, this quote is especially emotional, since he loses his first love, Rose Tyler. Going on to Number 2, there’s the 11th doctor, played by Matt Smith. His companion is River Song, who he ended up marrying, even though she killed him and brought him back. This doctor's outfit is almost perfect, except for the fact he accessorized with a fez at some point, which was red. Total fashion disaster, red goes with nothing in his outfits. His most memorable line is “The future revolves around you, here, so do good! I’m not running away from things, I am running towards them. Before they flare and fade forever.” This refers to how the doctor is nearly immortal, and how he wants his companions, and whoever he encounters, to do good. Last, but not least, is the 9th doctor, portrayed by Chris Eccelston. His companion is Rose Tyler, who is the first human he’s ever truly fallen in love with, even noticing all her little details, like a broken fingernail on her right hand. He has one of the most practical outfits of any doctor, the only thing that is a bit complicated are the Doc Martens he wears, although they are some sturdy shoes. His most memorable line is “Rose, before I go, I just want you to know, you were fantastic!” He was trying to comfort his first companion, his first love, and the one who forced him to regenerate, but he still wanted to reassure her, that his “death” wasn’t her fault, it was a decision he made, in order to save her, and in the end, he finally let the regeneration happen. |
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