 Image c/o Warner Bros. Pictures By Bryce Miller Entertainment Columnist Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux captured the flamboyance of Joker and Harley Quinn in the form of a never-before-seen comic-book musical. Following the previous movie's events, we see Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) as an inmate in Arkham Asylum, where he meets Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga). Like lightning, the two were struck by one another, bringing a romantic yet volatile feeling to what the film has in store. Joaquin Phoenix once again mesmerized the audience with his role as the iconic villain Joker, thrusting his way through the movie with his singing and dancing, as well as keeping the audience guessing as he experiences his periodic psychotic episodes. At the same time, Lady Gaga’s portrayal of the fan-favorite Harley Quinn hit fans like a storm with her chaotic choices, made only to make it clear to Joker that she loves him. Throughout the film, we see many different musical numbers made to highlight the moods that both Joker and Lee are experiencing. This kind of emotional flamboyance we see from both characters provides a sweet yet violent romantic feeling to the audience. When thinking about Todd Phillips’ filmography, Joker: Folie à Deux presents a new style to the writer/director. Each of them has their own flamboyance, but they’re also dramatic and funny, keeping the fans guessing as to what is going to happen next. Seeing this movie as a musical made fans very disappointed, due to the purpose of the film which is to capture the early life of the Joker in a psychologically thrilling manner. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has experienced criticism both critically and commercially, potentially because it was not marked properly as a musical, especially because the first film did not exhibit any of the musical elements that are present in the second film. Many fans were expecting another psychologically thrilling story that was going to keep us guessing at every turn. Instead, they got a psychologically thrilling musical that was suspenseful but not as much as the original. Personally, I enjoyed the film, the story was well constructed, and the actors played their characters incredibly well. The one consistent aspect of the film that most fans and I are disappointed by is the fact that they made the movie into a musical. It wasn’t something that fans were expecting or were happy about, and it tended to make the film seem like the story was going by a lot slower. Something that also wasn’t expected about the film was that it almost entirely took place in a prison. Most fans were expecting a lot more action and environmental changes, but none of that happened as much as it was expected to in this film. While most fans are not thrilled by the fact that this movie is a musical, some fans who appreciate the work that was put into the production and the choreography in the film seem to enjoy it. If you enjoy musicals I highly recommend that you see this movie.
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 Image c/o Sony Pictures Entertainment By Emily Brazeal Entertainment Columnist It seems like most movies in theaters right now are either horror or sequels, not a strong enough pull to lure me to the movies. That is until I was walking down the street and saw the flashing title–Saturday Night. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my own Saturday night. The movie, released 49 years after the first SNL episode on October 11, 1975, was brilliantly chaotic, perfectly over-the-line humorous, and absolutely attention-grabbing. All of the things we expect from SNL. The only true bummer was that October 11, when the movie released, was a Friday night. The movie tracks the 90 minutes before the first SNL was set to premiere. You felt the stress along with SNL creator, Lorne Micheals, as each minute ticked closer to the inevitable 11:30 timeslot. Sketches were not set in place, stage lights were crashing down, an actor’s contract was still unsigned, drugs were being passed around like Tic Tacs; all of it adding to the uncertainty if the show was even going to air. It was extremely stressful to watch–in the best way possible. Director Jason Reitman–of Juno, Thank You for Smoking and Ghostbusters: Afterlife fame–has once again directed a movie that is so packed with witty dialogue, action and humor that you are sure to miss something if you look away for even a second. With 80 speaking roles, almost no deleted scenes, a brilliant cast and each actor begging for your attention, it feels like a feat that the movie felt so cohesive. Reitman claims his inspiration for the movie draws back to his guest writing stint for SNL. Reitman said, “From the first moment I ever sat at ‘SNL’ and watched that thing go live, there was a part of me that wanted to capture it.” The cast was perfect at capturing one distinctive element of each SNL cast member. Reitman explained: “Chevy’s ego and Garrett [Morris] feeling lost and [John] Belushi’s genuine fear of being a star.” Gabriel Labelle, who portrays Lorne Michaels, gives the audience a complete sense of panic as he is threatened by NBC Exec David Tebet (played by William Dafoe) and at the same time complete confidence as he reassures Jim Henson and tames the manic ways of coked-out John Belushi. Cory Michael Smith playing Chevy Chase gave the perfect amount of charm and cockiness necessary to portray a future movie star. Dylan O’Brien flawlessly re-enacted Dan Akyroid’s shyness in the famous “Hard Hats” sketch and his playfulness as he flirts with many of the SNL women, including Lorne’s wife Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott). Sennott portrays the character with a terrific mix of self-confidence, supportiveness and persuasion as she tries to convince John Belushi (played by Matt Wood) to don a bee costume. Wood, who conveniently looks very similar to Belushi, played the role with the amusing neuroticism expected from a tortured comedian. Lamorne Morris skillfully portrayed Garrett Morris once again taking on the part of a lovingly awkward character that you can’t help but to root for. A phenomenal cast, great cinematography, dazzling disarray and the perfect story; almost makes you want to shout, “We’re not worthy!” This rampageous and stressful movie is perfect for any SNL fan or even that one friend who thrives on chaos. The perfect film to watch on any night, but best enjoyed on a Saturday night.  Image c/o Nicholas Zuniga By Nicholas Zuniga Entertainment Columnist Just around the corner from Saint Mary’s College, thousands of folks gathered in UC Berkeley's Greek Theater to witness Omar Apollo perform the last leg of his “God Said No” world tour on Friday, October 4. It was a sold-out show, with at least 8,000 people who gathered to celebrate the lively singer (the Greek Theater has a maximum capacity of 8,500 individuals). Kevin Abstract opened the show with a bang. He performed some hit songs of his, like “Georgia,” and included music from Brockhampton, the band he formed in 2014, such as “Peach.” Towards the tail end of the opening number, Malcolm Todd briefly made an appearance and had the crowd roaring with excitement. The audience’s exhilaration was tangible by the time Apollo began performing. He began the show with “Be Careful With Me,” from his God Said No album, which was incredible to watch live. Beyond the God Said No tracks, he peppered into the setlist songs from his first album Ivory and his debut mixtape Apolonio, along with one of his smash singles “3 Boys.” At The Greek Theater, there is relatively limited on-stage space for theatrics and creative output. However, this was no boundary for Apollo’s production. His performance was embellished by vibrant - almost ethereal - lighting, which drew attention to the performance. He had a group of dancers who all greatly contributed to the sheer stage presence of the “God Said No” performance; these dancers complimented Apollo’s powerful and energetic dance moves. I’ve only ever seen him as a singer, not a dancer, but that has changed since watching him perform live. Many consider Omar Apollo to be a “rising star.” He has gained significant attention as a performer, particularly being celebrated by the queer Latinx community (Apollo being of Mexican descent, also having disclosed very early on in his career that he is gay). It is clear that Apollo feels love from his audience, love that he reciprocates. During the tail end of the performance, the singer took time to get close to the audience to sign merchandise and posters, while also taking pictures with the crowd. He also took time to address his parents and relatives who were located in the crowd, which was a very heartwarming moment. By the time I left the theater, I was so happy to have just witnessed a stellar performance by one of my favorite artists. I’d say that this is just the beginning of a very successful and fruitful career in the entertainment industry for Omar Apollo. |
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October 2024
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