ArtsEntertainment “Pride and Prejudice” adaptations have a place Issue 12
By EMILY CROWE Staff Writer It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen fans have strong opinions. As a new devotee to Austen, I am only really familiar with perhaps her most popular work, “Pride and Prejudice.” I, like most readers of this book, have many feelings toward the characters. Bingley is incredibly lovable, if a little acquiescent to his nasty sisters. Elizabeth is amazingly headstrong, if slightly prejudiced. Wickham is an abhorrent man, full stop. Some of my strongest opinions on this story are regarding the many adaptations of it, so I decided to collect my thoughts in a definite ranking of them. Please peruse carefully, digest fully and if you disagree, do not tell me. 1. The book: At first glance a suspiciously long
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book, this work sucks in the reader with well-written characters and witty dialogue. The beautiful Jane, the willful Elizabeth, the brooding Darcy and the effervescent Bingley are contrasted by the pedantic Mary, the brash Lydia, the deceitful Wickham, and the overbearing Mr. Collins. The slow burn romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, along with the will-they-won’tthey romance of Jane and Mr. Bingley, make this 200-year-old novel a popular story to this day. “Pride and Prejudice,” while enjoyable in many other forms, is best in its O.G. form – the novel. 2. The 1995 miniseries: In my (correct) opinion, this is the best television or film adaption of “Pride and Prejudice.” Though I’ve only seen the first two episodes, the performance of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, along with the faithfulness to the book, has me eagerly waiting to watch the
rest. In the words of one of my friends who probably loves Jane Austen more than me, the Mr. Collins of this series looks like “a boiled potato,” which I think is a remarkably accurate description for a man who wants his identity to be tied to the domineering matriarch of Rosings, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. While it is not perfect – Elizabeth being prettier than Jane is certainly an error in casting – this miniseries falls just short of the near perfection of the novel itself. 3. The 2005 film: While this film is excellent in a number of ways, Kiera Knightley is a wonderful Elizabeth and music is used beautifully alongside the plot, many of the other characters feel underdeveloped when compared to their novel counterparts. The relatively dreadful natures of Lydia, Kitty, Mary and Mrs. Bennett are underplayed, making it difficult to understand why Bingley’s
is reverting to his rap roots: ruthless, crazy and unapologetic. Impressively, Eminem continues his common trend of carrying his own weight on his project, not having many features, which is uncommon in modern rap. The features, however, are very interesting: Royce Da 5’9’ and Jessie Reyez, two very new push artists with great images. In other rap news, Kanye West seems to be following a trend of not announcing the release dates of future projects. The rapper released a new single “XTCY,” following a massive controversy. He raps, “You got a sisterin-law you would smash? I got four of ‘em,” throwing Twitter into an uproar an ultimate meme field day. In terms of production and lyricism, Kanye has channeled his vibes from “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” which I consider his best album behind
“Graduation.” Lyrically, I am getting vibes from The Life of Pablo, very raw, edgy and as I described Eminem, unapologetic. I have noticed in a trend of rap lately that rappers are deferring from the infamous mumble rap and are going back to actual production and writing, which I am highly in favor of. Quinn XCII shows his vulnerable side on his new single “Panama,” a smooth head-nodder to listen to as we transition into fall. I added this to my fall/winter playlist on Spotify, as I can definitely see this being played at a bonfire or while I do homework at my coffee table with dim lights and candles lit. The guitar chords are perfected to give nostalgia of the perfect late-night, beach, sing-a-long visual. The bridge, as well as the closing chorus are infectious, making you feel a part of a montage. The song closes similarly to Kanye’s
Source: flickr.com
Image from the 2005 film
sisters thought his match with Jane was not particularly advantageous. As this is a relatively crucial plot point, this fault is key in this film being ranked below the miniseries. 4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Who asked for this? If I want a good action scene, then I’ll go watch a Marvel movie (RIP Bucky).
Eminem, Kanye, Quinn XCII, Miguel drop surprise music By DEMETRIUS HARRISON News Editor With the exception of a few buzz singles and his faster than “Rap God” feature on Nicki Minaj’s “Majesty,” it’s been almost two years since we’ve been treated to new Eminem music. The veteran rapper released a surprise, ninth studio album Kamikaze, on August 31, and it has already received massive success, gunning to be one of his most successful albums yet. The playlist has already made headlines as Eminem has reportedly hardcore dissed some of music and pop culture’s trendiest names: Lil Yachty, Lil Pump, Donald Trump, Tyler the Creator, Drake, Earl Sweatshirt and many, many more. If you are a fan of Eminem’s older music, during his prime of alter-ego “Slim Shady,” I highly encourage you to listen to Kamikaze as it seems he
“Violent Crimes” with a voicemail to set the mood. I highly recommend this tune, as well as Quinn XCII’s entire catalogue if you enjoy soft, maybe even story-telling, ‘vibey,’ indie-pop music. If you are a fan of Future Bass, my friend recommended I listen to “Light Me Up,” recorded by Miguel, who has been crossing over into the EDM world lately, Julia Michaels, famous for “Worst In Me,” “Heaven,” and “Issues,” and produced by RL Grime who I started listening to after hearing this masterpiece. Upon my first listen, as soon as Miguel began singing the chorus, I immediately maximized the volume, put in my second earbud and added the track to my “euphoric make-outsesh” playlist. Listen to this song and you won’t regret it, it completes every mood and is a serious offender of my repeat button.
