The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, is poised to be a cinematic feast. Its narrative is ambitious, its cast is impressive, and its cinematography is simultaneously delicate and striking. Ultimately, however, the film tides viewers over more than it fills them up. Though gripping and provocative, a few too many questions remain unanswered when the credits roll.
Read moreWednesday: Netflix’s New Show Gives Viewers a Thrill
Wednesday follows teenage Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) who has recently been expelled from her high school for playing a lethal prank on her classmates. Believing she would feel more at home in a school for Outcasts, her parents enroll her at Nevermore Academy. During her time there, she must figure out how to navigate her growing psychic ability, solve a series of murders, and reveal a secret that her parents have been concealing from her for years.
Read moreBlame It On The Planets: What’s The Word on Mercury Retrograde?
The phrase “Mercury Retrograde” is frequently tossed around in pop culture–such as on TikTok and other social media platforms– but what does it mean and why do tarot-reading-yerba-mate-crystal-girls start freaking out every time it happens?
Read more“The Internet is F***** Up”: A Conversation with Skidmore Alumna Grace Kuhlenschmidt
Earlier in November, I sat down with Grace Kuhlenschmidt, a 2017 graduate of Skidmore with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and one of the TikTok creators at the front of this phenomenon. Kuhlenschmidt, who is currently living in Brooklyn, New York, has accrued 338,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 170,000 on Twitter.
Read moreMidnights: Swiftly Taking Over the World
Midnights tells "the stories of 13 sleepless nights" that occurred throughout Swift's life. The album was released at midnight on October 21. Midnights gracefully speaks on themes of love, loss, anxiety and self-image, taking the listener through nights of insomnia-fueled anxieties that keep Swift awake. These themes are evident on tracks such as “Labyrinth” where Swift sings, “It only feels this raw right now / Lost in the labyrinth of my mind” and “Anti-Hero,” with the line, “I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.”
Read moreSilent Sky Review
Dim lights rise in the Black Box Theater, furnished with two wooden platforms, an upright piano, and a short, circular stage painted with a map of the night sky. The audience surrounds the thrust stage on three sides. A woman in Edwardian clothing with an old-fashioned hearing aid around her neck enters the stage and stands on the star chart, gazing upwards.
Read morePhantom of the Opera Coming Off-Broadway
In the past three years, theater fans have noticed a rapid depletion of Broadway musicals. Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice, Come From Away, and now, the longest running show in Broadway’s history, Phantom of the Opera. What exactly is going on that is causing so many seemingly loved shows to shut their doors?
Read moreDisney Plus’s New Releases: What to Watch This Fall
It’s fall, which means it’s time to bundle up in your sweater, drink some warm apple cider and put a movie on while the wind swirls leaves outside your window. But what to watch? Not to worry - these new releases are the perfect way to enhance your lazy fall day.
Read moreInside Skidmore’s Black Box Double Feature: An Interview with Tatsu Rivera and Gemma Siegler
Earlier this semester, Skidmore’s Theater Department presented a unique double-feature of two student shows: The Chaparral written and directed by Tatsu Rivera (‘22), as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s And Baby Makes Seven directed by Gemma Siegler (‘22). The shows were performed in Skidmore’s Blackbox theater, which is a small, versatile performance space that can be easily transformed into different sets. After attending the shows on the opening night, March 4th, 2022, I had the privilege of interviewing both Rivera and Siegler to gain insight into the creative processes behind the productions.
Read moreFilm Review: "The Batman" Is In the Eye of the Beholder
At the center of any superhero story is the tension between good and evil. The latest Batman film, inexplicably qualified as The Batman, strategically blurs those concepts, guiding audiences to consider the possibility that our hero and his enemy may not be so different after all. The Batman itself is about sight — what one can or cannot see, what one chooses to see or not see. Viewing the film follows a similar line of logic: either you choose to overlook its flaws, or they are glaringly obvious.
Read moreAn Interview with Erica Smith on Ujima’s Annual Fashion Show: Infiltrate
On April 16th, 2022, the Skidmore Club Ujima hosted its annual fashion show titled Infiltrate, which paid homage to the ballroom scene—a social and cultural movement spearheaded by queer brown and Black individuals. In alignment with Ujima’s mission to “bring awareness of African, African-American, and Caribbean cultures to Skidmore campus,” the show featured student models walking in three different “scenes” to celebrate the breadth and diversity of Black culture.
Read moreFilm Review: Go See "Everything Everywhere All At Once" At Once
Everything A24 touches turns to gold, and Everything Everywhere All at Once is no exception. The title itself is a mouthful, and the movie viewing demands similar patience and attention to detail. The directive duo known as Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, respectively) responsible for Swiss Army Man are made mightier by their partnership with the respected production house. In their latest film, the directors’ enormous ambition begets immense achievement.
Read moreWhat's the Word on Wordle?
Wordle is the word puzzle web game that has been blowing up the internet ever since 2021 blended into 2022. But, where exactly did Wordle come from? Well, Brooklyn-based Josh Wardle invented the game (naturally), where every day, a new mystery five-letter word is chosen by the algorithm, and players have six tries to successfully guess the correct answer. Every time a player guesses a letter in the correct place, the letters become green; when they have guessed a letter in the word, but not in the correct place, the letters become yellow. Letters not in the word remain black. Using these clues, players have been guessing and spelling away to crack the code each day.
Read moreEvent Preview: Khameleon Productions to Present at Skidmore College on March 8th
Khameleon Productions, a U.K.-based BIPOC theater company, will be performing their “uprooted” version of Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy, Medea at Skidmore College in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater on March 8th. This is but one stop on Khameleon Productions’s four-month “Uprooting Medea” U.S. tour to promote their company and production at over thirty colleges in the nation—including Boston College, Smith College Brown University, University of Miami, and Yale University—crossing twelve states.
Read moreA Dive into the Black History of Country Music: Giving Credit Where it’s Due
If you picture a stereotypical country music band, you might call to mind a crew of musicians playing the banjo, a mandolin, the fiddle—maybe the harmonica, perhaps a pedal steel guitar—and someone on mic with a twangy Southern accent. While the specifics of your band may vary here or there, whether you realized it or not, your imaginary country band is most likely white.
Read moreBeneath the Glitz and Glamor: An Honest Review of Sam Levinson’s "Euphoria"
After nearly two and half years, the award-winning HBO original “Euphoria” has returned for a second season, which premiered on January 9th, 2022. The first season received high praise, winning Zendaya, who stars as 17-year-old drug addict Rue Bennett, an Emmy for her stellar performance. Brimming with unconventional shots and costumes, Euphoria masterfully conveys the fantastical, often over-dramatized teenage life. Beneath this tasteful production lies a myriad of more sinister themes, including the hypersexualization of minors and the glamorization of substance abuse and mental illness. This review digs deeper into these themes to explore the show’s potentially damaging effect on its young audience.
Read moreFilm Review: "Licorice Pizza" Asks, Are You Ever Too Old to Come of Age?
Paul Thomas Anderson’s renown lies largely in his consistency. After decades of filmmaking, Anderson continues to feature flawed characters seeking fame, fortune, and love in suburban Southern California. In Licorice Pizza, Anderson returns predictably — though not disappointingly — to the San Fernando Valley to chronicle two entangled stories of shaping up and striking out.
Read moreSpotlight: Electronic Music Producer, Ryan Dowling '24, Releases Remix with Band Emblem3
Ryan Dowling ’24, also known professionally as “ry flora,” is an electronic music producer and audio engineer. His remixed version of “Eyes Wide Open,” single by American rock-hip-hop-pop hybrid band Emblem3, has just been released.
Read moreForty Lashes of A Silver Tongue: Malchijah Hoskins ‘22 on His Case Center Gallery Piece
Malchijah Hoskins is a senior at Skidmore College majoring in Sociology and minoring in Art, Intergroup Relations, and Media and Film Studies. He has recently gifted the community with his art installation “Forty Lashes of a Silver Tongue,” which is currently on display in the Case Center Gallery, closing Wednesday, December 8th.
Read moreFilm Review: In "The French Dispatch", Wes Anderson’s Ennui is Anything But Boring
After going two years without stepping foot in a movie theater, it was The French Dispatch that finally drew me away from my laptop and into the familiar setting. The act of purchasing a ticket and a bucket of popcorn felt revolutionary after so much time had elapsed. The wait proved worthwhile. While watching The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s latest production, I recalled all the ways that seeing a movie in theaters is an unmatched experience. I love the way the image is amplified on the screen, rendering the audience miniature and mesmerized. Anderson's work is recognizable for its vibrancy and attention to detail, and particularly well-suited to this format.
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