review

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REVIEW: Villains are Evil Again in Zach Cregger’s ‘Weapons’

Eve Padilla-Salazar | September 15

On Aug. 8, Director Zach Cregger released “Weapons” — a thriller horror movie that brought a new flavor of scary to the table. The film follows a second grade class who all go missing at 2:17 AM — except one student and the teacher — leaving in the middle of the night with seemingly no motive. The film takes place over the course of the incident through various perspectives of each character. Non-linear story telling is prevalent throughout as the story is told through a series of chapters of a character's experience.

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REVIEW: Fry and dine at the State Fair

Maria Fernandez | September 15

State fairs are known for selling a wide variety of foods — many of them deep-fried — and this year’s selection was no different. I arrived at the New Mexico State Fair with an appetite — especially after the notorious $1 day traffic — and the food did not disappoint. The State Fair began again at EXPO New Mexico on Sept. 4, bringing back many beloved rides, experiences and best of all; fair foods. My first stop was the Villa Hispana on a hunt for tacos, where I came across The Taco Guy, a locally-owned business.

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REVIEW: ‘Jaws’ 50th anniversary brings terror and imersion

Eve Padilla-Salazar | September 8

On Aug. 29, “Jaws” was rereleased in theaters for the film's 50th anniversary in Regal Winrock 16’s new 4DX theater. As a fan of horror, the ocean and new ways to experience film, I thoroughly believe that this is a thrilling way to watch the movie. A 4DX theater contains features such as moving chairs, water features, wind simulated by large fans, as well as mist, fog and on the occasion, bolts of light and confetti. Audiences are given a pair of 3D glasses to enjoy the film as if they were in it. This seems like a lot for a film, but the features fully immerses the viewer and allows them to notice the finer details.

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Deftones’ ‘Private Music,’ a safe and reliable listen

Eve Padilla-Salazar | September 1

On Aug. 22, Deftones released their tenth album, titled “Private Music”. The album featured delicately-ridged vocals by Chino Moreno that keeps the Deftones sound consistent. I am not the biggest Deftones fan, I only listen to the most popular songs such as “My Own Summer (Shove it),” “Cherry Waves” and “Entombed”. I do not think they are a terrible band, I find that they stick to their formula and have been the most prominent in their respective genres. I hope to see them switch things up in the near future. Though, after listening to “Private Music”, I find myself understanding their vision of intimacy; “Private Music” describes the journey of climbing to the top for a new phase.

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Is Sabrina Carpenter ‘Man’s Best Friend’ on her new album?

Addison Fulton | September 1

On Friday, Aug. 29, Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album, “Man’s Best Friend.” The album sticks to the fun, playful pop sound and some-what simple lyrics and rhymes that Carpenter is known for. It’s raunchy, though, not shying away from innuendo or explicitness, and building both sonically and thematically on her previous album “Short n' Sweet,” exploring sex, relationships and men. It’s strange then, that such an inoffensive pop album and generically adorable pop-star have been the center of so much discourse.

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REVIEW: “Peacemaker”: A look back and forward

Addison Fulton | August 25

Did you watch “Superman” and wonder what was up with the John Cena cameo where he’s on a talk show wearing a bucket on his head? That’s Peacemaker. He’s the titular character of James Gunn’s HBO Max original series: “Peacemaker,” which released its first season in 2022, and dropped the first episode of its second season on Thursday, Aug. 21. Season one of “Peacemaker” follows Christopher Smith — aka Peacemaker — joining a black ops mission fighting off an alien invasion in order to avoid being sent back to Belle Reve prison. Smith, a trained killer, was raised from birth to kill by his father, a neo-Nazi supervillain known as the White Dragon. Smith battles with the way he was raised, the trauma he endured, and his growing desire to be a better person and a real hero.

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REVIEW: Marvel’s third attempt at its “First Family” is Fantastic

Elliott Wood | August 17

Marvel Studios newest feature film, “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” was released July 25. It’s also not the first, second, or even third attempt by a major studio to bring the titular group to life; however, it is arguably the best. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the other attempts — those being the 2005 and 2007 movies helmed by Tim Story and the 2015 reboot from “Chronicle” director Josh Trank — though none of them ever shined in the eyes of critics. My hypothesis is that, tonally, these films were molded by the other superhero content hitting theaters at the time, and failed to measure up to their competitors — until now.

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REVIEW: Tyler the Creator’s ‘Don’t Tap the Glass’ features bold lyrics and genre-bending instrumentals

Dannely Verduzco | August 11

Tyler the Creator upholds a unique blend of genres in his recent 2025 album, “Don’t Tap the Glass.” Only four days after the album’s July 21 release date, “Don’t Tap that Glass” reached No. 1 album in the Billboard Top 200. In Tyler’s ninth studio album, Pharrell is featured as a producer and a singer, specifically on the song “Big Poe”, featuring Sk8brd. The song is creative and catchy, which is what makes it successful. In his previous albums, Tyler encapsulates alter egos; however, in “Don’t Tap that Glass/Tweakin” he refers to himself as “Big Poe,” a figure fans think was first introduced in the music video for “SORRY NOT SORRY” in March 2023.

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REVIEW: Tyler Childers’s “Snipe Hunter” combines twang and edge

Addison Fulton | August 4

On July 25, Kentucky-born country artist Tyler Childers released his most recent album, “Snipe Hunter.” The title comes from a practical joke popular in rural areas of North America, where someone suggests going snipe hunting. Though the snipe is a real bird, the description and instructions given to the hunter are fake and usually ridiculous. Throughout the album, Childers plays with animal imagery, folk tales and stereotypes about the American South.

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REVIEW: New music from Marina is introspective yet flashy

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 30

After ten years of waiting, Marina fans have finally gotten what they asked for — the release of the 12th track written for “FROOT,” Marina’s third album — on its tenth anniversary. This release follows a new album by Marina, titled “Princess of Power,” on June 6. Marina — formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds — is most widely known for songs like “Prima Donna Girl,” “How to be a Heart Breaker” and “Bublegum Bitch,” popularizing overtly campy, quirky and over-the-top music and aesthetics.

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REVIEW: A new age of Superman

Elizabeth Bolke | July 21

On July 14, I went to see the new Superman, released on July 11, in Albuquerque's newest 4DX theater, which offers an immersive, multi-sensory cinematic experience, at the Regal Winrock movie theater. Walking into the theater was an exciting new adventure, not only for the new movie the audience was there to see, but for the experience that the 4DX seats were bringing to Superman’s story. The audience wasn't just there to watch a movie, they were there to experience it in a brand new way.

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REVIEW: Lindy’s Diner is historic … ally mediocre

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 18

Lindy’s Diner is a historic restaurant that has been featured in thirty movies and TV shows, but the food was hardly showstopping. In the mood for a heartier breakfast that day, I got steak and eggs, with hash browns, toast and a side of green chile. I was asked if I wanted the green chile in sauce form or chopped. I thought about asking for it in sauce form, but went with chopped. I was picturing some diced pieces of green chile in a salsa-type of situation.

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REVIEW: “F1” is a high paced spectacle, but lacks depth

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | July 11

The blockbuster film, “F1,” released on June 23, is an enjoyable experience for everyone, from the most diehard Formula 1 fans to someone who's never watched a race. The film has high-paced action, impressive filmmaking and classic sporting drama, even if the plot is fairly predictable and lacking in originality. The film follows the grizzled racing veteran, Sunny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt, as he makes his unexpected return to the F1 track. He joins the fictional struggling team APXGP, managed by his old racing teammate, Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem. It’s said that if APXGP can’t win a race by the end of the season, then Cervantes will be forced to sell the team, though it's not fully clear why they must win a race in order to prevent the sale.

Culture

REVIEW: Lorde’s exploratory album, ‘Virgin’ doesn’t find much new

Addison Fulton | July 9

On June 27, 2025, New Zealand singer Lorde released her fourth studio album, “Virgin.” The album keeps the melancholic, almost meditative quality of Lorde’s discography while exploring some new themes — gender and the politics of the body — alongside old themes like relationships, growing up and ambition. One of my favorite aspects of this album is actually its cover. It’s an X-Ray of Lorde’s uterus. In the image, you can see dark spots for her zipper, belt buckle and IUD.

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REVIEW: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ remake is beautiful but lacks firepower

Addison Fulton | July 2

On June 13, 2025, Dreamworks Animation released a “live-action” remake of the first “How to Train Your Dragon” film, directed by Dean DeBlois. The live action version is nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the original animated film, which follows the story of Hiccup, the young outcast son of a viking chief who becomes friends with Toothless, a wounded Nightfury dragon, despite vikings society’s hatred, fear and desire to kill dragons. The live-action film changes no major story beats; it casted live actors and redid the dragons to look as realistic as they can.

Culture

REVIEW: PinkPantheress’ ‘Fancy That’ has fans turning heads

Dannely Verduzco | June 30

On May 9, 2025, PinkPantheress released her new album “Fancy That.” The British singer has amassed huge success since the beginning of her career, with approximately 2.7 billion streams on Spotify. You may recognize her from the song “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” with Ice Spice, or “Pain,” a song that first gained popularity on TikTok. The unique process of production is one of the defining features behind her success.

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REVIEW: ‘Conclave’ is a blessed viewing experience

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | June 18

Released in Oct. 2024 and propelled back into relevance by the passing of Pope Francis, “Conclave” includes a star-studded cast who elevate the already fantastic story. The film follows Cardinal Lawrence — played by Ralph Fiennes — who must oversee the election of the next pope in his role as Dean of the College of Cardinals.

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REVIEW: “Sinners” leaves its teeth marks on audiences

Addison Fulton | June 2

On April 18, Ryan Coogler, director of the “Black Panther” franchise released “Sinners”, a vampire musical-horror film set in 1930s Mississippi. The film follows the “Smokestack Twins,” Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore — both played by Michael B. Jordan — and their younger cousin Sammie — played by Miles Caton — a supremely gifted blues musician as they prepare for the opening night of “Club Juke,” a club for the black townspeople of Clarksdale, Mississippi. The entire film happens over the course of one day and one night. Smoke and Stack are back in Mississippi from Chicago, where they’d conned the Irish and Italian gangs, likely leading to the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. They recruit Sammie to play music, but Sammie is more than talented. He is a griot — meaning he has a mystical gift allowing him to pierce through death and time to summon the spirits of his people, past and future.

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REVIEW: ‘This Cathedral of Learning’ — documentary ‘Zimmerman@75: The Campus Heart’ celebrates UNM library

Addison Fulton | May 19

In 2013, Aracely ‘Arcie’ Chapa filmed a documentary about the history of the University of New Mexico’s primary library. Twelve years later, I wanted to revisit this somewhat unknown but deeply heartfelt, fascinating 30-minute documentary. The original UNM library existed on the first floor of Hodgins Hall, but the need for books and space quickly outgrew the area. In 1926, a smaller library building was built, but the University quickly outgrew that as well. Zimmerman, which would be UNM’s first proper library, had its groundbreaking in 1938, and it remains as UNM’s largest and center-most library.

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REVIEW: I have a good feeling about Star Wars’

Elliott Wood and Nate Bernard | May 19

When we first sat down to watch Andor, we were skeptical. The Star Wars universe has been watered down as of late by Disney’s assembly line of turn-your-brain-off content and we were unsure if Star Wars would ever recover. When Disney announced that they would be creating a show centering around one Cassian Andor, we said, “Who?” But, after watching the complete show, we are delighted to say that “Andor” is a must-see and one of Star Wars’ best.