I Spent Quarantine Watching Movies. Here's What I Recommend by Priya Desai
So, I’ve been watching quite a lot of TV since March 12th. Really, a lot. Quarantine was an odd time for me, but honestly, I grew so much as a person. It was a little odd to hear about my friends and others I knew struggling during a time where I seemed to thrive. I started cooking, reading, becoming more educated, and discovering who I was as a person. Although so much was changing and evolving in my world, I sort of found comfort in the chaos. I even had a chance to categorize my sense of self- before the college admissions journey--and find what I was truly passionate about : television. First off, I want to premise that this was just my experience during the pandemic. I know and understand that many others went through horrendous tragedies, tiresome experiences, and just generally a difficult time. And to whoever may be reading this, please know you always have someone to talk to; whether it be a friend, a family member, or a stranger like me, there are many people who want to help you. When I think of the television I devoured in the past 8 months, I like to think of 3 different categories: new, old but I just discovered, and obsessed. I’ll only give my favorite in each category… but if you would like to discuss that’s an entirely different conversation. As a television and movie lover, I would first like to prove my qualifications for this review. I enjoy these films and shows for all the right reasons: cinematography, screenplay, directing, scoring, etc. If it’s a basic plotline and terrible acting, don’t show me. I might just combust. Ok, let’s begin. Get ready though; it might be intense. New Shows. Alright. One fairly new show I actually highly recommend is Dash and Lilyon Netflix. You may recognize one of the lead actors, Austin Abrams, as he was on Euphoria, This is Us, andPaper Towns. This show is about two New York teenagers who fall in love and go on crazy adventures without ever meeting and through a book. Now, I have my reservations. Firstly, the actors are clearly not teenagers; you can tell they’re about 24/25, but the witty, realistic character development overshadows that odd fact by a long shot. The writing and portrayals of the main characters are quite spot on. Secondly, the side characters seem like they’re trying too hard to be dynamic, and honestly, it’s a little exhausting. But, they do influence the storyline in a good way; so while the portrayals may be exaggerated, the importance definitely isn’t. Finally, there is a character named Priya. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it just creeped me out. Do what you will with that information. Although the show may have a few pitfalls, the brilliant acting of Abrams and Francis eclipse any awkward formalities. The storyline also keeps you intrigued; never once is it easy to anticipate what happens next. The soundtrack is also pretty good, but Hollywood, please stop using Joni Mitchell’s “River” in every show. It’s exhausting. Ok, old but just discovered. This might be the one I’m most passionate about. I just discovered Dawson’s Creek. Fun fact, my sister saw James Van Der Beek at the airport one… but I digress. This show is basically the first teen show that truly exploded. Every actor was new. It was filmed in Wilmington. And it shocked Hollywood. You may recognize a few people: Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and James Van Der Beek. So, this show is about 4 friends and their lives as they come of age: Dawson, an aspiring filmmaker; Joey, his childhood friend (who’s a girl- yes this is important); Pacey, his trouble-maker best friend; and Jen, the girl who moved next door. It was sort of One Tree Hill meets Gilmore Girls. But here’s what makes it special: it’s not cringey. In almost every teen tv show I’ve watched, you can obviously tell that 40-year-old, male writers are creating these stories; they’re not realistic, funny, or overall relatable. Except for this one. In all honesty, the directing is ok, the acting gets better as they age (they were actually teenagers then so this makes sense), and the plot lines are interesting but not revolutionary. The reason this show is so captivating to me is because of its respect for teenagers. These kids are three-dimensional, complex people; not just kids, people. One differentiation that television often doesn’t bother to make. Teens use big words. Teens watch older movies. Teens spend time with their family and friends- not one or the other. Teens try in school. Dawson’s Creek represents this time of life perfectly with all of its imperfections and triumphs; it’s not some cheesy drama- which there is far too much of anyway. Finally, my obsession. I actually have been waiting for this one because it is my new love: High Fidelity. And no, not the John Cusack movie from the 1900s or whatever, but the reboot with Zoe Kravitz. Interesting fact: Zoe Kravitz is the daughter of Lisa Bonet, the woman who plays Cusack’s love interest in the original film. This version is about Robyn, a record store owner who tries to get over her boyfriend by reflecting on the past loves of her life while also running the store with her employees/best friends, living in an increasingly gentrified community, and finding new love and experiences. To tell you the truth, this show is just so incredibly smart. You can tell each costume, set, actor, soundtrack song, and shot filmed was precisely picked for the best result possible. Almost every aspect of this show is perfection- untouchable by mankind. I mean this is just a brilliant show. I can’t even say much because every aspect is perfect. Even when the characters get annoying, you still root for them. Even when the plot thickens or gets sad, you know either a radiant performance is coming or a killer old hit. Dash & Lily is currently on Netflix, and it performed pretty high so it’ll probably be picked up for another season. Dawson’s Creek went on for 6 seasons finishing in 2002 (phenomenally if I may add) and it’s also on Netflix. High Fidelity is on Hulu and was canceled after one season. But in my opinion, it wasn’t because the show was bad. I think it was because Hulu didn’t market at all, the website is a mess, and the audience (while constituting perfection) was too niche for the service to succeed off of. These are just a small slice of the world I vacuumed over quarantine, and if you ever want to chat about them, you already know I want to. Just don’t talk about My Little Pony because I’m not caught up.
What Tik Tok Taught Me During Quarantine by Caroline Mack
I have learned a lot in the past 6 months. About my family, about my community, about the world. I have learned about others’ hardships, and what people in this world have to deal with every day. More than that, I have learned about my place in this community, and my view of this world. It’s gonna sound crazy, but all of this started on Tik Tok. Yes, Tik Tok. I had never thought about what was going on around me before I saw it on my phone screen. It’s always a joke: “I joined Tik Tok for the memes but now I’m a radical leftist,” but that's how it went for a good many people that I know (and yes, we did research every topic we came across). A lot of people in this world handle an enormous amount of disrespect, and uneasiness at the very least, and learning about that has been incredibly eye-opening. But everyone has their own opinion, so how is community really “community”? Well, It’s always a dream that your community is connected, that everyone loves one another, that everyone’s treated equally. At the end of the day, however, sometimes that's just a dream. Living in a community is nothing more than picking your battles, and learning when it's best to speak. For me, I know that I can’t talk to my parents about politics because it will never end well, and I’m not going to talk to my teachers about politics because frankly that's information that I don’t need or want. Not everyone is going to be able to get along, and not everyone is respected by their peers, but what's important is that you are at peace with yourself, and with your place in this world. Yes of course there will always be people that you just HAVE to argue with, and some people's morals are so skewed that you feel the need to say something. I mean I’ve gotten into plenty of arguments myself, but if you are willing, you can find respect for a majority of those you disagree with. There’s people on every side that can come together on certain topics, and most people aren’t entirely based in one side of the political spectrum. There’s so many scales of beliefs from radical to centrist to the point where politics just can’t be a part of the conversation, but if it is, make sure you know what you’re fighting for. My advice? Know what you believe, research topics, and make sure to fully understand your argument if you’re going to make one.
I Read Harry Potter as a Senior. Here are My Thoughts. by Savannah Moore
Read Harry Potter. This series is an excellent way to get into reading again because it's easy to read and just a fun story. I have a multitude of opinions on the series, but here’s my general opinions on each book and corresponding movie. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: This book is the introductory book to the series and sets up the entire story nicely. In comparison to the other books, it's rather bland; nevertheless, it's still entertaining. There's not much else to say about this one, honestly. However, the movie for this book was one of the best in the film series. It's one of the few movie adaptations that followed the book almost impeccably. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: This is one of the best books in regards to just the story being interesting. This book begins to define the characters' personalities and is vital to Harry's character development throughout the series. The movie strayed slightly from the book, but the portions that did deviate were minor and never took away from the plot. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: I have no idea why, but this was my least favorite in the series. Don't ask why; because I love the characters and the story was enjoyable, but something about it didn't sit well with me. I can't deny, however, that this book also played a notable role in not only Harry's character development but Ron and Hermione's. The movie for this book is also one of my least favorites because it continued trying to push a relationship between Harry/Hermione as well as Ron/Hermione. It was a little strange, but it stuck with the plot decently. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: This is my favorite book in the entire series. It was the first book that jumped to 700 pages, but I enjoyed every bit of it. It wasn't a big part in developing any of the main characters, but it's crucial to the storyline. The movie was horrendous, in my opinion. They left out vital pieces of the plot that affected the rest of the film series. Ironically, it's still one of my favorite movies. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: I disliked this book while reading it, but now that I've finished the series, I'll admit that this book played a large role in the characterization of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The movie was alright, and it didn't capture a fraction of the emotions I left while reading the book. There is not much to say about this book without giving away the entire plot. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: This is my second favorite book in the series. It's exceptionally complex because the characters that you once loved, you'll now hate. However, one of the characters that you'll begin to hate, you won't know that you slightly hate them until the next book but the reasons you'll hate them are in this book. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but it might if you've read the series. The movie was awful, in my opinion. I disliked every second from the opening scene until the end of the credits. It strayed from the plot in a way that the character development of Harry changed from the book. The movie did no justice to the book, and it's highly upsetting. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: This book is also my favorite, not only because of the story, but I liked how you could tell JK Rowling matured her writing style as her audience matured. This book was the most action-packed, but it was all squished at the end of the book. That's not necessarily a bad thing because it allowed for the character development that allowed the ending to take place at all. I won't say anything else, because I'm afraid once I start I won't stop talking about it. The movie is in two parts, and I appreciate that the director decided to do this. The first movie is arguably slightly uneventful, but it follows the book relatively well. The second movie has nearly all the action, and it also follows the book rather well. To finish this, I will be giving a comprehensive ranking of the books and the movies. Firstly the books are as follows:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The movies are as follows:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (parts one and two)