Album Review: Gameshow by Two Door Cinema Club By Audrin Baghaie Irish indie-rock group Two Door Cinema Club released their third full length studio LP this past weekend.
“Above and Below” is a 2015 creative non-fiction documentary detailing the life of four different survivalists trying to make the most of life in their respective contexts. The film, directed by Nicholas Steiner, offers an interesting peek into a separate side of civilization, a more blunt and in-the-trenches way of living. To put it bluntly, this film isn’t that great. Perhaps I just don’t get it, because most critics are praising the movie on its visuals and examinations on life. Both of these aspects were fine, but in no way do they carry the two-hour runtime.
There are a multitude of reasons for a student to take an extra job on the side, the most obvious being a way to earn supplemental income. In addition to earning money, some students seek out side jobs that allow them to work for themselves. Many students struggle to balance a job with a demanding schedule on top of a time-consuming workload from classes. Having a job that allows students the freedom to make their own hours can be highly beneficial, depending on how busy students are.
As a kid I had a love/hate relationship with the movie version of “Little Shop of Horrors,” a sci-fi rom-com horror musical about a geeky flower shop employee and the alien, man-eating plant that takes over his life. I loved the special effects of the talking, singing Venus flytrap, but at the time I hated the ‘50s doo-wop style of the movie’s songs. Decades have gone by and my tastes have changed, so when I heard that the Albuquerque Little Theatre was putting on its own stage version of the cult classic, I just had to check it out.
Even though Fall Break at UNM consists of only two days and a weekend, students can still take advantage for a quick getaway. Whether you’re from New Mexico or not, it’s a great place to catch the vibrant autumn colors. With the last warmth of summer quickly fleeing and the cold winter creeping in, this is the best time to get outside for some last minute adventures in the gorgeous New Mexico landscape. Go hiking, bust out the barbeque and take in the colorful leaves.
Green Day, known for its driving punk rock albums and soaring rock opera concept, has released its comeback album “Revolution Radio,” the group’s first release since 2014’s triple-release of “Uno! Dos! Tre!” That experimental trio of albums was not well-received by critics due to its lack of musical direction, and the impression that it was an attempt to recreate the band’s “Dookie”-era punk sound that was more energetic, with less focus on songwriting . The band agreed, saying that they were “being prolific for the sake of being prolific” with “Uno! Dos! Tres!” With this release, Green Day has cleaned up its act.
Not much else embodies the nostalgia of childhood quite like Disney movies, and of those movies we all remember The Lion King. The film was released in 1994 to rave reviews and nearly made $1 billion at the box office. The world went crazy for The Lion King, and for the musical numbers written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
“Hakuna Matata” was definitely the motto of theater students on Wednesday, when two actors from the Lion King Tour — Ben Lipitz and Courtney Thomas — conducted a workshop for UNM theater students. Lipitz and Thomas came to help and work with students on acting, dancing, singing — all things that must be top-notch when performing in The Lion King. The workshop gave students the opportunity to learn a lot and get some advice from professionals in the field they may want to pursue as a career.
Alternative rock band Thrice threw down at Sunshine Theater on Tuesday to an electric crowd of fans both old and new. The band, known for their mid-2000s album releases, are currently embarking on a nationwide tour to promote their latest record, “To Be Everywhere is To Be Nowhere.”
Netflix has done it again with its latest Marvel superhero adaptation, “Luke Cage.”Luke Cage was created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita Sr. during the 1970s “Blaxploitation” era, where he was portrayed as a “hero for hire” in crime-ridden Harlem. Since then, Luke Cage, the super-strong, bulletproof, hero has been reimagined numerous times and has been part of many superhero alliances, including his latest foray into the Marvel cinematic universe. Luke Cage first appeared in the MCU in Netflix’s recent series “Jessica Jones,” in which he assists the titular character in her crime-fighting missions.
“Some Like It Hot” is a 1959 black and white comedy starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and the one and only Marilyn Monroe. The film, set in the Prohibition Era, details the adventure of two musicians attempting to outrun the mob by disguising themselves as female musicians. It’s going to take more than just time to derail this motion picture. “Some Like It Hot” was a huge success 60 years ago, and has since earned the privilege to claim originality from hundreds of derivative films that have appeared afterward.
On Wednesday, a duo of virtuosic pianists filled the halls of the SUB with songs by everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Hozier. A traveling act, Dueling Pianos has been performing for over 15 years and has been touring for 14 of those years due to a demand and passion for music. Kirk Garrett and Rick Wyman, the current duo of Dueling Pianos, have each been playing since they were four years old, giving each of them over 30 years of experience behind the keyboard.
For last week’s 7th Annual Anaya Lecture for Literature of the Southwest, writer Rigoberto Gonzalez discussed masculinity in Chicano literature. The event was sponsored by the UNM English Department, and was followed by a reception and book signing for the Albuquerque community. Anita Obermeier, chair of the English Department, said the series was born out of a generous donation from Rodolfo and Patricia Anaya, as a way to raise money for the Rudy Scholarship Fund for prospective English students interested in Chicano literature.
Many people would say that being a college student is a full-time job, though there is no paycheck that comes with grades and GPAs. It’s no secret that the majority of college students these days are in debt. Now more than ever students are struggling to pay not only their tuition, course fees and supplies, but also their everyday living expenses such as food, transportation and housing.
Justin Vernon began his indie folk project Bon Iver in 2006, with the release of “For Emma, Forever Ago,” an album infamously created in solitude during a harsh Wisconsin winter. Since it’s release, Vernon’s debut album has become a staple in indie folk, propelling him into the limelight. Bon Iver’s latest work, “22, A Million” was released over the weekend to the anticipation of music enthusiasts globally. And to the surprise of many, this might just be the most experimental and outrageous album released all year.
Before the night even began, a line spanning from the SUB to the duck pond was awaiting the gates to open for UNM’s Silent Lights, a silent disco held Wednesday night on Zimmerman Plaza. The event quickly reached capacity with well over 1,000 students in attendance of the rave, despite the rainy weather that came a couple hours earlier. With three DJs and an ice cream truck, the night quickly became one to remember with poi dancers, crowd surfers and a cacophony of red, green and blue lights.
It was a perfect New Mexico evening at the Santa Fe Brewing Company’s outdoor concert space. The air was crisp, with a slight fall breeze wafting the smells of tobacco smoke and a few other distinctive aromas. An excited crowd jostled for position in front of the outdoor stage, trying not to spill their cups of craft beer. The weather was perfect, but the crowd came for the performance — and the Rhymesayers crew did not disappoint.
“The Neon Demon” is a psychological thriller film written, directed and produced by Nicolas Winding Refn. Refn, known for his particular style of cinematography, is the mind behind films such as “Drive” and “Valhalla Rising.” Elle Fanning stars in “The Neon Demon,” portraying an aspiring young model trying to succeed within Los Angeles’ salacious beauty industry. Keanu Reeves and Jena Malone also appear in supporting roles.
Last week a UNM Honors College professor discussed the potential of mobile media, along with the blossoming augmented reality medium, as part of the Honors College Discovery Series entitled, ”Augmented Reality Games and Learning: More than just Pokemon Go.” Associate professor Chris Holden said the aim of the lecture was to introduce and bring more students into the augmented reality field, or AR.
Election Day is looming, and passions are high with the voting population. The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton aired Monday night, and it had viewers in the SUB — most of them UNM students — saying some impassioned things.
Solutions by The State News
