RICOCHET TACOS & AMERICAN MURDER

22 ENTERTAINMENT INREVIEW

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief The Imagineering Story

This six episode documentary is a must watch for any Disney Parks fan. It is a beautiful display of the work Disney’s architects, artists, engineers, and more have done over the last 70 years, as it shows viewers just how much heart is put into these seemingly simple theme parks. Seeing the way the Disney company revolutionized the theme park business starting one man’s dream is truly inspiring.

Hubie Halloween

Adam Sandler sought to make audiences laugh in this horror-comedy flick, and he did not hesitate to hold back anything. With Sandler pulling in his usual crew of Hollywood friends as well as former Disney Channel stars, Hubie Halloween looked like it was going to be a hit. The movie missed its mark, as although it had its comedic moments, it was not as funny as past Sandler films. Despite that, it is always entertaining to watch Sandler goof around with his friends for an hour and a half.

Ricochet Tacos offers new and original take on classic tacos

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief

The new Ricochet Tacos restaurant on the square is far from your average taco joint. With its out-of-the-ordinary tacos and amazing service, Ricochet is a must visit.

Contrary to the first Ricochet Tacos restaurant in Valparaiso, the Crown Point location has a slightly different interior, as it is two stories and has a stunning view of the court house and square. Despite that, the differences end there, as the great tasting food was preserved in the expansion to Crown Point.

One of the things that sets Ricochet apart from other taco restaurants is its menu. Ricochet’s menu pushes the boundaries of tacos, as their tacos are inspired by various international dishes. Most of the tacos are $5 to $7, which is slightly pricey in my opinion. I can confirm that the price is worth the flavor.

I decided to order the “Handlebar” and the “Surf Ninja” tacos. The “Handlebar,” a steak taco with avocado, Napa pico, pickled red onion, smoked serrano salsa, queso fresco, potato haystack, and cilantro was my favorite. This unlikely combination of food was like heaven in a taco, and it was the perfect amount of spicy and savory. The steak and avocado complemented one another extremely well, and the Napa pico added a spicy kick to it. This taco was out of my comfort zone, but it was worth the venture out.

The “Surf Ninja,” a blackened gulf shrimp taco with avocado, Napa pico, spicy

Pictured from left to right are two of Ricochet Tacos’ menu options; the Surf Ninja taco and the Handlebar taco.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

mayo, BBQ sauce, poblano tomato salsa, cilantro was another solid menu option. It was not as good as the “Handlebar” in my opinion. The spicy mayo was overpowering and almost over took the savory but sweet flavor of the taco. Despite the spice, I did enjoy this taco.

Ricochet offers a variety of dips, and I couldn’t go to a taco place without having some guacamole and chips. The guacamole was a little pricey, as it was $9 for a bowl, but we were given a generous amount. Despite the price, Ricochet served a solid bowl of guacamole. It was the perfect consistency and the ingredients balanced well, as none overpowered the others. It had a very mild taste to it that worked excellent alongside the chips.

The icing on the cake of my Ricochet visit was desert. My table ordered a churro basket, which was one of the more reasonably priced items there at only $5. The fu man churros came with cookies and cream dipping sauce. The churros were hot and fresh, which contrasted nicely with the coolness of the dip. The cinnamon sugar coated churros and the sweetness of the cookies and cream tasted heavenly together. I typically do not order dessert, but Ricochet’s churros are a necessary exception.

I would recommend going to Ricochet Tacos. If you are a picky eater, this may not be the place for you as most of their menu items are very non-traditional. The “Handlebar” taco is a must for any steak lover and the desert alone is a reason to visit. Ricochet’s service staff is friendly and quick, making the trip even more worthwhile. If you are a fan of living on the edge and do not mind paying a few extra bucks, Ricochet is the place for you.

documents the tragic story of the Watts family

BY AUBREY BANKS reporter

“American Murder: The Family Next Door” informs viewers of the horrific murders and disappearance of Shanann Watts and her two children, Bella and Celeste. This Netflix documentary shows actual footage of the real Watts family and how the murders took place. The documentary may be graphic for viewers who don’t like blood and foul language.

The documentary shows the many secrets that the family held. The family had a dark history that even their neighbors don’t know of. After Shannan and her children went missing, police soon discovered that the neighbors didn’t see anything at all. From the surface, it looked as if Shanann and her children had vanished into thin air.

This documentary does a great job of uncovering what happened at the right time. It was very easy for me to go along with the film because it tells how the events happened in chronological order. I could watch the film without being confused about what or how something happened.

There were a lot of shocking moments in this film that made my jaw drop. From uncovering personal family matters to finding out who did it. It was a very enjoyable film to watch. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the documentary and couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Although the documentary was enjoyable to watch, I found that it could be a bit boring at times. I’m not new to murder documentaries, as this one was boring in the sense that it followed cliches that anyone would guess. It would be nice to see a murder film presented in a new way, a way that everyone is not used to.

This documentary speaks the message of “this could happen to anyone,” which is true. It’s very scary to think that this could happen to any normal person. This fear makes the film more entertaining. It’s even scarier that the neighbors didn’t see anything, which is very shocking. Someone would hope that somebody saw something, but no one did. This fact made the disappearance of Shannan even more frightening and added to the sense of urgency to find her and her daughters.

One great thing about the production was the storytelling and narrative that followed the police on their journey to finding Shanann. The producers did an excellent job showing what the police and neighbors did, such as posting flyers around town. It was good to see these things happen in the town’s perceptive of finding Shanann.

Although “American Murder: The Family Next Door” was a bit boring, it did do a great job of showing what happened to Shannan and her children. There were many plot twists in the film that I wasn’t expecting, which made the film a lot more enjoyable. I would recommend this documenta-

ry to anyone, especially those who may be new to murder documentaries because of its basic and easy to follow plot line. I would also recommend this film to anyone who likes the unexpected and is prepared to see a lot of plot twists.

PLAYING FAVORITES

Magic Candle Company Air Fresheners These air fresheners are a must for any Disney Parks fan’s car, as this company sells various scents themed to the Disney Parks, ranging from “Pineapple Whip” to “Haunted.” The high quality smells bring a sense of magic to one’s day. Magic Candle Company 4 for $19.95

WE’RE SO OVER

Judgemental People

With the pandemic, people have become a little stir crazy from being around the same group of people all the time. Lots of people seem to be judgmental and not being kind to one another. Everyone needs to treat each other with kindness.