Fin Martinez

Culture

"Selena" screening reminds fans of a historic life

Fin Martinez | April 26

The Southwest Film Center is going out with a bang with their final feature of the semester, “Selena,” screened on Johnson Field on Saturday, April 29. This movie hardly needs an introduction, but for the sake of those who have yet to experience this legendary biopic, here’s the rundown. “Selena” tells the story of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a legendary singer who redefined the genre of Latin music. In this biopic, she is portrayed by actress and musician Jennifer Lopez, and the film tells the story from her beginnings as a musically gifted child to her tragic murder at the hands of her spiteful manager.

A crowd of attendees raises their hands during the 2017 Fiestas event on Saturday, April 8, 2017 on Johnson Field.

Culture

Fiestas 2017 delivers a festival experience in miniature form

Fin Martinez | April 9

In an age where giant music festivals in isolated deserts and forests cater to trust-fund royalty kids, famous ravers and those with enough money to afford to go on weeklong benders, it’s a gem to find a free music festival. ASUNM’s “Fiestas” has been going on for the past 50 years, or so they say, but really it seems that it made its real debut in 2013. That year, artists like Zion-I and Tritonal played to a crowd of elated students fueled by vices and pure happiness that big name artists had come to their relatively obscure hometown. Some, like event-goer Chris Moore, wondered “Why wasn’t there cool stuff like this when I was going to school?” Maybe the answer lies in the rise of giant music festivals, with their multiple stages and jam-packed crowds.

Culture

SWFC Preview: 'Manchester by the Sea' delivers Oscar-winning performances

Fin Martinez | April 5

The Southwest Film Center is once again bringing a critically acclaimed film to its theaters from April 7 to 10 in the UNM SUB. Following their presentation of “Moonlight” earlier this semester, SWFC is screening the award-winning film “Manchester by the Sea,” directed by Kenneth Lonergan, famous for his legendary film “Gangs of New York.”

Culture

SWFC Preview: "Get A Job"

Fin Martinez | March 29

On Friday, the ASUNM Southwest Film Center will be screening 2016’s “Get a Job.” This film is directed by Dylan Kidd, whose credits include 2002’s “Roger Dodger,” 2004’s “P.S.,” and two episodes of the cult Adult Swim series “Children’s Hospital.” The film tells the story of Will Davis (Miles Teller), a recent college graduate, who is eagerly setting foot into the real world of video production only to find that the position he was originally supposed to have was cut by the production company due to downsizing.

Culture

SWFC Preview: Cult horror hit "Green Room" comes to the SUB

Fin Martinez | March 22

On March 24-26 the Southwest Film Center will be screening the cult horror film “Green Room” at the UNM SUB. The film is the third feature film directed by Jeremy Saulnier who has directed the 2013 thriller “Blue Ruin” and the 2007 horror-comedy “Murder Party”. “Green Room” is the story of a punk band consisting of members Pat, Sam, Reese and Tiger, as they tour the Pacific Northwest. After a cancellation of one of their gigs, they are booked at a rural Oregon bar which panders to skinheads.

TV

Review: Long awaited return of "Samurai Jack" doesn't disappoint

Fin Martinez | March 19

After nearly a 13 year hiatus, the legendary adventure series “Samurai Jack” has made it’s long awaited return. The series was first teased in September of 2015 and since then has been the subject of anticipation, speculation, and adoration as the return of our childhood sci-fi samurai. A critically acclaimed series during its original run, Samurai Jack was widely praised for its art style, camera angles, use of silence, and cinematography highly influenced by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Like most series of its time in the early 2000’s, it faced the chopping block to pave the way for newer — and not necessarily better — series. This left a bitter taste in the mouths of its dedicated fan base. The show’s creator, Russian-born Genndy Tartakovsky of “Dexter’s Laboratory” fame, has returned for the new episodes, making this a reboot not for the sake of rebooting but for closure, as the series never had a proper finale during its original run.

Music

Album Review: Within the Ruins refuses to fizzle out with 'Halfway Human'

Fin Martinez | March 6

Western Massachusetts band Within the Ruins has come a long way from their massive, rhythmic metal albums of the early 2000s. With each new record they’ve released, the group has made strides in the genre, transforming a brutal deathcore atmosphere into melodic and highly technical progressive metal. Their most recent release, “Halfway Human,” sees the band exploring unfamiliar territory with old techniques to forge an album that, while true to style, incorporates the risks and experiments they’ve taken throughout their musical career.

Music

Album Review: '÷' continues Ed Sheeran's evolution

Fin Martinez | March 5

Ever since the release of “+” in 2011, Ed Sheeran has emerged as a profoundly influential solo artist. Coming from his humble roots as a travelling musician in England to filling stadiums around the globe, Sheeran has earned fame with his earnest songwriting style and unique “one-man band” performances, but it’s his studio albums that showcase his true creative potential. Last week, Sheeran released “÷," the highly anticipated follow-up to 2014’s “X.” He took his creative process in a new direction this time around.

Culture

Column: Cartoons for adults are having a renaissance

Fin Martinez | March 5

Millennials grew up in an interesting era for cartoons. Many of us remember the “What a Cartoon!” show and “Nicktoons,” which produced the most iconic cartoons of the 90’s and early 2000s. With shows like “Rugrats,” “The Ren and Stimpy Show,” “Spongebob Squarepants,” “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog” and “Ed, Edd n Eddy,” it was considered a golden age for TV animation. But like many good things in life, nothing lasts forever. Around 2008 the quality of cartoons began to deteriorate. They weren’t as funny or original as they once were, and whether it was due to executives cancelling a series in favor of a new series or because cartoons were beginning to be created for a kids-only audience, the quality of cartoons took a nosedive.

Chester Gregory as Berry Gordy (center right) Cast MOTOWN THE MUSICAL First National Tour (C) Joan Marcus, 2017 agomez@abqjournal.com Mon Feb 20 10:59:33 -0700 2017 1487613562 FILENAME: 454626.jpg

Culture

Review: 'Motown: the Musical' stays true to its roots

Fin Martinez | March 1

Seldom does a record label carry the cultural significance and reputation that the legendary Motown Records does. The Broadway production “Motown: The Musical” tells the story of this legendary record label, it’s origins, it’s struggles, it’s discoveries, and the careers it helped to forge. The musical focuses on the founder of the label, Berry Gordy (played by Chester Gregory) and how his dreams of making people happy helped forge his path to stardom. It follows his beginnings as a Detroit factory worker and part-time songwriter, through his founding of “Hitsville USA,” the predecessor to Motown Records, and his journey to make his and others dreams come true of being musicians and super stars.