The Commuter: May 5, 2021

T H E

L I N N - B E N T O N

C O M M U N I T Y

VOL. 52 EDITION 23

C O L L E G E

M AY 5 , 2 0 2 1

In My Element LBCC Photojournalism Students Capture Stunning Portraits

STORY AND PHOTO: SADIE BEAM

Raymond Richards preps his north Portland recording studio for a session on Friday evening, April 30th. Richards has been recording and producing music since he was 17 years old, recording his high school band's music. Since then, he has produced dozens of albums, one of which went gold. Richards loves working with artists and making them feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and creative. He says that is when the true masterpieces are made. When he's not producing music, he makes custom frames at Art Heads Custom Framing on Hawthorne Avenue in Portland. He loves both of his jobs, but producing music is his true passion.

Raymond Richards' favorite instrument to play is the pedal steel guitar. He started playing it more than 20 years ago and fell in love with its dreamy sound and versatility.

STORY AND PHOTO: ETHAN PHIFER

David Bowler working the closing shift at McNary Dining Hall. He was cleaning the kitchen during his 6 pm to 10 pm shift on Friday, April 30th.

David has been working there for only two week, as he just moved to Corvallis as a freshman this spring term. David is a computer science major and works two days a week on average for the dining halls.

Normally he works the late closing shift, that is because he has a lot of work as a computer science major. David hopes to graduate from Oregon State and go on to work as either a freelance website designer or as a software engineer for a big tech company.

STORY AND PHOTO: SI MATTA

Paul Turner and the theatre he co-owns and operates, Darkside Cinema, is a fixture in the Corvallis community. Since 2005, The Darkside has been Corvallis's go-to for great independent cinema, and we are lucky to have it here. This last year of Covid-19 has hit the theatre community hard, and Darkside was no exception, but Paul has made the most of the situation and has kept the theatre afloat through uncertain waters. I sat down with Paul on a sunny Tuesday April afternoon at the Darkside to catch up on the year and he was kind enough to let me get some photos.

Paul moved to Corvallis in the mid-’90s and owned the Avalon Theatre (present day location of SkyHigh Brewing) for 10 years before opening the Darkside. It is Paul's love of film and independent cinema that has kept him in the business all these years, and he has found creative ways to stay afloat in uncertain times.

Once he knew that the Darkside was looking at an extended hiatus, he found ways to adapt. He set the theatre up for private showings, following all the newest and latest Covid rules set by the state, and made the movies he would show in the theatre available to rent at home. He is looking forward to having people populate the empty seats once things get stable again, and is eager to get the employees of the Darkside back to work, doing what they all love ... sharing great cinema with the community at large.

Independent cinema is just one of Paul Turner's many passions. Since he was young, he has had the love of motorcycles pumping in his veins. The thrill of the road and the solitude of riding has been a great and wise teacher to him. Paul has written several books, and the latest one is called, "Bugs and Bikes and Squids, Oh My! Vol. I" and is a collection of essays concerning motorcycles. Many of his books and writings are focused on, and I quote, "Running an art house cinema while riding a motorcycle." You can read some of his writings on his blog, Other Stuff, and his books are for sale on there as well.

Thank you Paul for spending an hour with me catching up and letting me take photos, it was a pleasure to talk to you. Support small business and local independent cinema. You can learn more about the Darkside Cinema at their website, www.darksidecinema.com.

Inside this Edition

GRAPHICS FREEPIK.COM

CO VID CO RO VA NAVIRU 19 CC INE S

MANDATORY VACCINES?

SEE PAGE 3

UNIT Y

STAND IN UNITY

SEE PAGE 4

REVIEWS

SEE PAGES 5-10

2

CAMPUS NEWS

MAY 5, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Wellness Wednesday Mental Health Awareness STORY BY

LISA HOOGESTEGER

The Commuter is the weekly student-run newspaper for LBCC, financed by student fees and advertising. Opinions expressed in The Commuter do not necessarily reflect those of the LBCC administration, faculty and students of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, and cartoons reflect the opinions of the authors.

LBCC is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Letters Welcome The Commuter encourages readers to use its “Opinion” pages to express their views on campus, community, regional and national issues. The Commuter attempts to print all submissions received, but reserves the right to edit for grammar, length, libel, privacy concerns and taste. Opinions expressed by letter submitters do not represent the views of the Commuter staff or the College.

Deliver letters to: Address: The Commuter Forum 222 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW Albany, OR 97321 Web Address: LBCommuter.com Phone: 541-917-4451, 4452 or 4449 Email: commuter@linnbenton.edu Twitter @LBCommuter Facebook LBCC The Commuter Instagram @LBCommuter

Our Staff Adviser Rob Priewe

Editor-in-Chief Katie Littlefield Layout Designer Rebecca Fewless Marketing/Advertising Isaieh Heiken Sean Ramos A&E Steven Pryor Joshua Bloedel Photography Editor Hikari Kawai Student Voice Editor Dakota Gange Web Master Marci Sischo Copy Editor Bowen Orcutt Contributors Karen Canan Brenda Autry Tanner Johnson Leah Biesack Alistair Woods Sydney Greene Aidan Arthur Mattea Hellman Blaine Larsen Carlie Cari Ethan Phifer MacKayla Tokar Sadie Beam Si Matta

May is...Mental Health Awareness Month (and many other Hallmark holidays). LBCC has a plethora of activities and outreach planned for Mental Health Awareness week, May 1014th. Read on: The Student Leadership Council along with the Advising Center, The Center for Accessibility Resources, The Change Makers, and the Commuter have been working to create a Mental Health Awareness week for LBCC. Help us spread the word....and to help #StoptheStigma around Mental health. Help us show that #LBCares and that #YouAreNotAlone.

Get your own Mental Health Awareness Bracelet, take a photo of and share your support on LBlive. Fill out this form and we will send you a bracelet Fearful to Fearless Leadership Thursday, May 13th: Virtual Event: Fearful to Fearless Leadership: Darryl Bellamy, JR - Thursday May 13, 2021 at 1:00 PM: Leading is hard; doing it without fear is even harder! After reading thousands of students’ written fears, Darryl noticed a pattern. The majority of our leaders’ concerns boiled down into four questions: Am I enough, what if I fail, what will they think, and do I have the resources to succeed?

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a great website with personal stories, ways to get involved and connections to resources to support Mental Health. https://nami.org/Get-Involved/ Share-Your-Story

Note that many organizations have refocused on mental HEALTH, rather than mental ILLNESS. Looking at what’s going well, how to build on positive mental strengths and beyond the diagnosis and treatment of what is wrong. In physical wellness, we think more about the things that make us well - regular exercise, healthy eating, vaccinations and check ups.

And we can do more to consider this for mental wellness. Practice positive coping behaviors, talk about stress management, allow yourself to feel. “The only way out is through” - Alanis Mrrissette

We, Americans/Westerners, by experience and movie scripts, are not likely to talk about how we feel or what’s

lurking in our heads besides shiny, happy thoughts. In health care, we’ve been slow to talk about mental well-being in the same way we talk about physical well-being. It’s fine to ask “why are you in a cast? Did you break a bone?”. But not so socially acceptable to say, “You seem really sad lately. Are you feeling depressed?” We are somehow wired into “looking good” and are pretty loath to share inner thoughts of , “I feel out of sorts and really sad today”.

Why? Could be because just to say those things makes people look at you weird, and then they want to solve it. “What’s wrong? Why do you feel that way?” You cannot apply the “bone is broken, put it in a cast and heal it” thinking to, “feeling crappy, figure out cause, make it feel better” logic. Emotions and logic are not good bed partners. Nor long distance travelling companions.

GRAPHIC: FREEPIK.COM

SAFETY SUGGESTION BOX LBCC has a Safety Committee whose goal is to identify and eliminate risks on our campus, and to prevent accidents and illnesses through the involvement of employees, managers, and students in an effort to provide a safe and healthy place to both work and learn.

A "Safety Suggestion Box" is available to provide a way for you to communicate your safety concerns, hazards spotted, and suggestions for promoting safety.

Please email your suggestions, comments, concerns to: safetycommittee@linnbenton.edu

Slips, trips and falls are among the most frequently reported accidents in the United States. Falls cause nearly one-third of all nonfatal injuries, according to the National Safety Council. Take steps to prevent injuries both at home and at work.

Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls Make Fall Safety a Priority both at Home and at Work 10 Ways to Reduce Slips, Trips and Falls in Your Business Checklist for Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls at Home

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MAY 5, 2021

LOCAL NEWS

3

Should Colleges Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines?

LBCC’s Civil Discourse Program Shares Two Differing Opinions

STORY BY MORIAH RIVERA-LAWRENCE AND THE LBCC CIVIL DISCOURSE PROGRAM

Should the Covid-19 vaccine be mandated for students to return to class? Colleges across the nation are looking for answers before the FDA gives the all-clear and they’re able to make the final decision. Mandating the Covid-19 vaccine is an essential part of the return to classrooms post-Covid. This can be shown in the high level of efficacy and safety associated with the new vaccines, student engagement, and resource accessibility.

First, let’s look at the data behind the efficacy and safety of the Covid-19 vaccines. A coronavirus-based pandemic was not a surprise to scientists, who were already researching and attempting vaccine prototypes over 20 years before the Covid-19 pandemic began. Quickly customizing old prototypes to new Covid-19 spike proteins allowed for a quick path to safe vaccines. These vaccines reduce the spread of Covid-19 and reduce

the likelihood of severe illness or death.

This is still shown to be true even in the case that one does become a breakthrough case and catch Covid-19 even with the high level of protection from the vaccine.

These vaccines also contribute to creating herd immunity more effectively and safely than the effects of natural immunity. John Hopkins Medicine reports no serious safety concerns and shows that all approved vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness and death. An Oxford study shows a much higher risk of blood clots and cerebral veinous thrombosis from Covid itself than any Covid vaccine, including Johnson and Johnson.

Second, to understand what a vaccine mandate looks like, we must look towards Oregon law. One can seek a medical, religious, or philosophical exemption from a vaccine requirement set by a school. While vaccination may not be able to be strictly required to

attend essential classes and lectures in Oregon, colleges may be able to mandate vaccination to attend non-essential events, field trips, or extracurriculars. This can encourage students and faculty to take the leap and get vaccinated to participate.

Why even mandate the vaccine if many are hesitant, and they can be philosophically exempt anyway? Vaccine mandates can offer more relaxed social distancing guidelines in some areas oncampus and allow for more normal college experiences for those who have been vaccinated.

UC San Diego plans on having

a bustling campus this fall, with an expected 90% of students and 85% of staff vaccinated by fall quarter, they are able to have in-person classes and live oncampus again.

Third, mandating vaccination can allow for people to return to campus and receive the assistance they already

critically needed pre-pandemic from the food bank, accessibility office, counseling center, and much more. In the summer of 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the unemployment rate among 20 to 24 year-olds went from 9 percent to 26 percent. This clearly shows a need for access to resources for many college-age people, and soon. Vaccine mandates can increase accessibility so much for those who would be doing without otherwise.

Putting a mandate in place encourages the use of a highly safe and effective vaccine, and allows schools to more easily manage vaccine requirements at non-essential events to allow for more normal student experiences and access to resources sooner. This helps students back to campus, and colleges back to business by using the same method of vaccine mandate we already have in place.

STORY BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS, MARK MUNOZ AND THE LBCC CIVIL DISCOURSE PROGRAM With society shifting towards a state of “normalcy,” students returning to inperson classes for the fall is a hot topic.

This return to business as usual leads us to an impasse: should the Covid-19 vaccine be mandatory for students to return to campus?

In reality, requiring vaccines for college students to return to campus would cause more harm than good. The perspective of a vaccine providing protection might lead some to ask: “Won’t mandatory

vaccinations help people feel safe and increase enrollment?’ Of course this question would prove true for some.

However, there are some interesting findings when examining young people’s attitudes about vaccinations. According to a recent Pew Research Poll, only 60% of US adults between the ages of 18-29 say they have already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination or will probably, or definitely, get vaccinated to prevent COVID-19 in the future. That

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means roughly four in ten people in this age range will probably not, or will not, get the vaccine. Forbidding those who choose not to get vaccinated from coming to campus could have a negative impact on enrollment and revenue. This in turn could lead to tuition increases as well cuts to college programs and services.

This brings up another question: “How are colleges and universities going to verify who has been vaccinated?”

According to the Wall Street Journal, millions of Americans have little more than a cardboard card to prove they have been vaccinated. Most of us know a tech-savvy individual who can easily photoshop a card for you. If not, a quick search on Reddit (or other parts of the dark web) will connect you to people who are willing to manufacture fake vaccine cards. In the end, we are left with the honor system for colleges to identify who has been vaccinated.

Lastly, “What are the long-term effects of these vaccines?” Short answer, we don’t know. The particular case of the Johnson & Johnson recent vaccine pause comes to

mind. The reporting of rare, but severe blood clotting present in patients who received the J&J vaccine are perhaps only the beginning of side effects. Although extensive monitoring is being done, there is no way for us to know what may happen in relation to this vaccine. So, by requiring it are we truly protecting our students? Perhaps. But could we be potentially harming our students? Just as likely. In a population where we have seen very little risk of hospitalization or death, how do we justify requiring communities to be vaccinated? Herd immunity? With one in four adults, not willing to get the vaccination, we are a far cry from herd immunity.

So, what do we do? We may mandate something that could alienate future applicants or even harm our students. The clearer path would be to make vaccines optional, and trust in our students to do what they feel is right for them and the community. After all the true philosophy of education is to create critical thinkers, is it not?

Click here to join the conversation!

4

LOCAL NEWS

MAY 5, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Stand In Unity

A Protest Takes Place at the Albany Courthouse After a Hate Crime Was Committed Locally On April 23 there was a rally for STORY AND PHOTOS BY Nehemiah and his family showing the CHRISSY VEACH Last month a 13-year-old boy was a victim of a hate crime. Nehemiah was at Swanson Park in Albany, when his friends started saying racial slurs to him. While he was walking away, four teenagers beat him and kicked him in the face, leaving him with cuts and bruises all over his face and body.

A group of care providers and children with their signs that read “black lives matter” and “be kind.”

town's support for the family at the Albany courthouse. It was a huge turnout of the whole town and community. There were hundreds of people along with members of the City Council of Albany. There is a Go Fund Me page for Nehemiah and his family on the NAACP website. Currently Nehemiah is at home not willing to leave his home nor go to school because he is scared of being hurt again.

“No white supremacy” a protest sign reads.

One of the rally participants holds up a cardboard sign that says “White people, commit to anti-racism now.”

Participant of the rally held in Albany holds a handmade sign.

Sharing and spreading information on social media can be helpful, but this participant would argue that it’s not enough.

The family of Nehemiah holds the black lives matter flag as members of the Albany NAACP chapter talk.

The crowd gathers around outside the courthouse in face masks on April 23.

The president of the Albany chapter of NAACP speaks in front of the Albany courthouse.

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A&E

MAY 5, 2021

5

5-Word Book

Reviews

BY LEAH BIESACK

Witches, Roald Dahl Fun. Spooky. Best for daytime.

Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, Anna Brones, Johanna Kindvall Quaint, from cover to cover.

Merriam Webster’s Thesaurus Outmoded. Cool for coffee table.

A Separate Peace, John Knowles Complex relationship dynamics. Formerly banned.

GRAPHIC: FREEPIK.COM

A Spectacular Spinoff REVIEW BY

HYRULE WARRIORS: AGE OF CALAMITY

STEVEN PRYOR

@STEVENPRR2PRYOR

“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity” is the latest installment of the “Hyrule Warriors” spinoff series; published by Koei Tecmo Games and developed by their partners at Omega Force. Though not the first game to use characters from “The Legend of Zelda” series in the gameplay style of their own long-running “Dynasty Warriors” games; it is easily the best “Hyrule Warriors” to date and a spectacular “warriors/musou” spinoff in its own right.

In a story that’s canon to the main games, you play out key conflicts set 100 years before the events of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild.” As Link, Zelda and Impa partner with the four Champions of Hyrule; they must defend their kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon and his armies.

Set a century before the events of “Breath of the Wild,” the game takes full advantage of its premise to flesh out the conflict with events that were previously only hinted at in the main

PUBLISHER: Koei Tecmo Games DEVELOPER: Omega Force PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch ESRB RATING: T MY RATING: ★★★★★

series. Detailing the war against Calamity Ganon, the game shows how the ending the conflict came at great cost. In many ways, the game is to “Breath of the Wild” and the “Zelda” series as a whole what “Rogue One” is to the “Star Wars” saga in terms of style and tone.

Using a similar platform to the “Dynasty Warriors” series and other entries in the “warriors/musou” subgenre, the game uses a blend of real-time combat and strategy in order to defeat massive armies of enemies. The controls are

fluid and intuitive, and each character you play as has their own unique skills in battle. In particular, the four Hyrule Champions are key standouts: the Gerudo champion Urbosa, the Goron champion Daruk; the Zora princess Mipha and the Rito prince Revali. The game retains the same visual style as “Breath of the Wild,” which balances the more realistic graphics of entries such as “Twilight Princess” with the more cel-shaded artwork of “The Wind Waker.” With the highlyanticipated sequel to “Breath in the

Wild” still in development as of this writing, this is an ideal spinoff game to people who loved the groundbreaking 2017 game and want more.

As the latest entry in this sub-series, “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity” is a spectacular spinoff that’s easily the best “Hyrule Warriors” game to date and is definitely recommended for those eagerly awaiting the upcoming sequel to “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”

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A&E

MAY 5, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Picture Perfect NEW POKÉMON SNAP

REVIEW BY

STEVEN PRYOR

PUBLISHER Nintendo/The

@STEVENPRR2PRYOR

More than twenty years have passed since the original “Pokémon Snap” saw release on the Nintendo 64.

The photography-based “Pokémon” spinoff was released right in the middle of the first major burst of popularity of the series in 1999; and remains well-regarded among fans today. Now, a sequel and reimagining have finally arrived with “New Pokémon Snap.”

Even after all the wait, the game is a picture perfect revival of a beloved N64 classic.

After choosing the appearance of your avatar, you are assigned to go on photography expeditions in the Lental Region by Professor Mirror and his young assistant Rita. Though the game now features over 200 monsters to take pictures of (the original only featured 63 of the original 151), the basic concept remains as fresh and surprisingly engaging as ever. The controls should feel familiar to fans of the original game, though newcomers can pick up and play without any problem (the game also features new mechanics such as aiming your

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Pokémon Company DEVELOPER: Bandai Namco PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch RATED: E MY RATING: ★★★★★

camera with motion controls).

One welcome feature unique to this version is the ability to share the in-game pictures you snap online; which is tailor-made for a modern gaming landscape. The game is also graphically stunning, with visual highlights being new night stages and challenges centered around special glow-in-the-dark “Illumina Spots.”

Without revealing any major spoilers, the game also has unique ways of homaging the original game from

1999 while also updating it for a new generation.

Though HAL Laboratories (“Kirby” series, “Super Smash Bros.”) set a high bar for success with the original “Pokémon Snap,” Bandai Namco have done a fantastic job of taking the concept into new directions while also honoring the work on the previous game. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company gave Bandai Namco the job due to their success on the “Pokkén Tournament” fighting

spinoffs; and the new developers rose admirably to the task.

“New Pokémon Snap” isn’t just the ideal retro game reimagining, it’s another must-own Nintendo Switch title for “Pokémon” fans of all ages and a great game in its own right. It’s proof that a video game remake doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel- it just has to roll it where you can capture a snapshot of wonder… as well as one of a surfing Pikachu.

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Complete the grid so each row, column, and 3x3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit.

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A&E

MAY 5, 2021

7

A Podcast All About Happiness REVIEW BY SYDNEY GREENE

I have always been inspired by simple yet practical ways to provide positivity in my everyday life. I am always on the hunt for new ways to increase my happiness whether that is an inspirational quote or a social media platform all about spreading positivity, especially since the pandemic started.

I thought I had heard and seen everything there is to know about finding ways to be happy until I stumbled upon Gretchen Rubin’s podcast all about creating ways and learning tips on how to be happier.

Gretchen “Happier with Rubin ”, by a writer who studies human nature and is the bestselling author of “The Happiness Project,” is a podcast that she shares with her own sister Elizabeth Kraft, who is a writer and TV producer. The podcast was created back in 2015 but their conversations are still thriving and better than ever. These two sisters give advice on ways to be happier throughout our daily lives and they talk about tips and tricks on how to form better habits.

Rubin and Kraft sometimes have guest stars like Drew Barrymore, Leslie Jordan, and Glennon Doyle to spice up the episodes and give people more examples and insights on people’s journey to find happiness.

Every week Rubin and Kraft do an episode that is under 50 minutes long. Then, Rubin does a short episode that usually lasts around two minutes, where she shares some wise

HAPPIER WITH GRETCHEN

RUBIN

STARRING: Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Kraft AIR DATE: Shorter episodes every Monday and longer episodes every Wednesday STREAM ON: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean app AWARDS: Best Health & Fitness Podcast 2016 award WEBSITE: gretchenrubin.com

words of happiness. For me the short episodes are nice because if I really want to listen to a podcast but I only have a short amount of time I can just quickly listen to Rubin’s two-minute pick me up.

One of my favorite things Rubin and Kraft do on their podcast is in every longer episode each week they give themselves a gold star and a demerit. A gold star represents something that they are proud of and a demerit represents something that happened that they need to work on.

In episode 322, Kraft’s demerit was that she has been in Puerto Rico for

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almost a week and has not posted a single photo. Rubin gave her goldstar to their mother and father for just being great parents. This keeps it honest and shows listeners that not everyone is perfect but it is also nice to realize the accomplishments.

You can find Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast on Spotify , Apple podcasts , and for free on the Podbean app.

In

their

newest

episode,

Episode 322 that came out April 21,

they talk about how picking the right word can make a huge difference, a hack about how reading different books during different occasions can increase your reading skills, and they have the amazingly wonderful Leslie Jordan as a guest star. He is an American actor, singer and writer.

If you're like me and you always want to dive deeper into an episode, especially their most recent one, you can go to Rubin’s website.

This is where you can find what they talked about in each episode, such as her most recent episode where you can find some of Leslie Jordan’s words for the wise like, “I just have a huge capacity for happiness, I don’t have many days off.”

An interview with Rubin in The Washington Post talks about how real and honest Rubin can get throughout her books, blog, and podcast. Her friend Julia Bator says, “She sort of lives out loud and she’s very narrative in her podcast and her work.” Also in the same article, her agent Christy Fletcher says, “There is something universal about what she is writing about, the ideas and the experience, that becomes equalizing.”

What people get out of her writing is the same as what they get out of her podcast as well, pure happiness.

On the other hand, since Rubin is doing this podcast with her

sister, they do sometimes get off track by talking about their family and catching up with each other at times.

However, it is nice to hear experiences from their personal lives and see how you can relate them to your own.

In Episode 44 Rubin and Kraft interview Drew Barrymore and she captures in words exactly what I would want to say to Rubin and Kraft by saying, “ Thank you so much to both of you because you have built a temple about commercializing and celebrating the emotion of happiness.”

Barrymore mentions in the podcast how she kept “The Happiness Project”, Rubin’s bestselling book, with her while she travelled the world, it was always by her side. Barrymore also mentions how excited she was to finally meet Rubin and Kraft because she has been a huge fan forever.

Not only is this a podcast about habits, advice, and positivity but a way for people of all ages to come together and embrace happiness.

It is nice to know that even on days where it is hard to see the sunshine I can always turn on “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” and find my way back to happiness.

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A&E

MAY 5, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Emotionally Charged REVIEW BY JOHNNY MEDIA

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is an emotionally charged, uncomfortable at times, magnificent piece of filmmaking, disguised as a weekly television show. It follows the endeavors of two long-time sidekick characters of the Marvel comics world, the Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie) and The Winter Soldier (played by Sebastian Stan).

We see the same level of iconic shots we’ve grown accustomed to over the past 13 years of Marvel films in this adventure. Characters sticking the landing in the superhero poses, characters jumping out of planes, being thrown from moving vehicles and of course, being slammed through walls.

But it also explores the human side of being a superhuman, in very clever and intriguing ways.

We first met Falcon and The Winter Soldier back in April 2014 in the Marvel film “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Since then, we’ve seen countless adventures with these two flanking the side of Captain America (played masterfully by Chris Evans in the films). But with this new show, which takes place after the events of Marvel’s 2019 blockbuster film “Avengers: Endgame,” we get to see them take the stage and own the spotlight for themselves in a world where Captain America has retired and passed his iconic shield on to the Falcon.

Getting the nod to be the leads of their own story, Mackie and Stan do not disappoint.

The series takes us around the globe in an effort to help prevent a group of super-human terrorists from committing crimes and disrupting the world as it rebounds from the earthaltering events of “Avengers: Endgame”.

This, however, is just the plot device that allows the action to unfold on the screen.

The real meat of the series is the racial undertones of what it means for a black man to be handed Captain America’s shield.

The shield weighs heavier in Falcon’s hands than it ever did in Captain America’s, and not because Falcon doesn’t have a Super Soldier cocktail coursing through his veins as Cap did, but because what it means for a black man to be the outright symbol of America for the world.

The show runs parallel with real-world conversations we’ve seen bloom over the last few years. It explores the race relations in modern America, geopolitical struggles, our current “always connected” lives we lead where a cell phone image and video can go viral and span the globe in a matter of seconds, as well as the use of excessive force by people in powerful positions.

Though it was based in semireality, there were some story issues throughout the series. This was, after all, a Disney-produced and distributed series that had to be family-friendly at all

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER STARRING: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan DISTRIBUTOR: Disney AVAILABLE ON: Disney+ RATED: Not Rated. Some strong language. Not much adult content, but the message and plot will likely go over kids' heads.

MY RATING: ★★★★★ costs.

This means we didn’t get indepth looks at what it means for a black man to be decked out in the star-spangled propaganda that Captain America wore or what it means to have your rights stripped away by a person in power or what it feels like to be racially profiled by the police.

Instead, we get brief glances at what these situations look and feel like from the point of view of a familyfriendly lens.

Instead of showing Falcon being ripped from his car and tased or accosted by police, we get a short interaction of racial profiling by two police officers who quickly recognize Falcon and the dialogue goes on, not addressing the topic again.

We hear a heart-wrenching story of betrayed trust from the government/ military and irreparable damage it caused, from one black man to another, but instead of digging deeper, we’re quickly moved past the topic and on to the next plot point.

Examples like this occur in each of the six episodes. This is Disney’s family-friendly approach to hard but necessary conversations.

Entertainment Weekly had this

to say about the watered-down feeling the series had, “The outline of this series suggested sky-high ambitions… But ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ was more interested in retreading the megafranchise's greatest hits.”

But to me, the Disney touch on these challenging and heavy topics is a good thing. It shows that colossal

corporations are noticing the world around us and are (slowly) engaging in the conversations to help us get to a better world for all, no matter your race, religion, sex, or what have you.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier didn’t dive headfirst into these topics, but they did dip their toes in them and that’s the most we’ve ever seen from any of the Marvel films or series. The way they went about telling

these stories and hitting on these topics worked and worked well in a refreshing new way.

NPR put it great when they said,

“Even though the first season of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ focused on a complicated plot about superpowered freedom fighters becoming terrorists, the real purpose was to spend six episodes transforming the Falcon.”

This series was a coming to terms story for the Falcon and the inclusion of everything else was just icing on the Marvel storytelling cake.

Over the course of six episodes, we learn about the struggles Falcon has been going through and watch as he uses the tools around him to come to terms and overcome them. We dive into The Winter Soldier’s depression.

We feel for his grapple with therapy and past traumas. We get to see the growth of these characters from superfluous supporting characters, who at best knew each other in passing, into paramount characters that are no longer simply acquaintances but now full-fledged equals and friends.

In a world full of entertainment bursting at your fingertips, streaming services, and web-based television and film at no or low cost, everyone is competing for our eyes, our attention spans, and our wallets. With what this series brings to the table and the way it delivers tough talking points and highflying action, taking the five and a half hours to watch all six of these episodes is as obligatory as eating.

For less than the cost of one adult movie ticket, you can get access to this series plus every other MarvelDisney film or series as well as every other Disney or Fox film ever made, for an entire month. That alone makes it a must-watch for me.

Roadrunner

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Deceivingly Beautiful REVIEW BY DAKOTA GANGE

Travel, rainbows, bright flowers, and scenes so beautifully colored one might get confused on what kind of movie they’re watching. 2019 brought “Midsommar” with it, where director Ari Aster and actress Florence Pugh take you on an entertaining emotionally confused journey that stirs up uncomfortable feelings and sun-drenched bleak moments that are hard to erase from memory.

Aster’s movie stars Florence Pugh as Dani, a young woman who has suffered a severe family tragedy, who seeks comfort from her already-checked-out boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor).

What starts off as a trip for a few anthropologists (and girlfriend Dani) working on their thesis, who travel deep in the mountains of Sweden to study a small culture/commune, turns sour as their trip sneakily backfires, as they become part of a 90 year “Midsommar” ritual that the commune celebrates to give back to nature.

There are feasts, psychedelic times, and a sacred tradition I’m sure you’ve already heard of - the dance of the Maypole.

What begins as a fun-filled adventurous retreat quickly devolves into a string of bizarre traditions at the hands of a pagan cult. I don’t want to give it away, but you will surely not be disappointed with the ending, with a smiley new May Queen.

Filled with unexpected twists and turns, “Midsommar” will leave you feeling a bit, well … twisty, and maybe a little shook up inside, but in an inquisitively satisfying way. Aster and cast bring forth a unique and new take on drama/folk horror unlike anything before it.

You can find this film streaming on Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies.

If you’re a Rotten Tomatoes fan,

MIDSOMMER STARRING: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, and William Jackson Harper.

DISTRIBUTOR: A24 (USA), Nordisk Film (Sweden) STREAMING ON: Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies.

RATED: R MY RATING: ★★★★★ know that this movie scored an 83%! See it here.

Perhaps you're familiar with Aster's work already, in his well known film “Hereditary.” However, unlike this previous film, one does not leave this movie afraid of the monsters under the bed, the shadows in the dark, or worried of things beyond our human grasp. Rather, you walk away with a taste of bitter-sweet cloudy curiosity in your mouth, and completely unafraid of what might be lurking about in the dark when

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you go to bed.

In comparison, where “Hereditary” was filled with a vibe conveying darkness, shadows, and the unknown, “Midsommar” is filled with some of the most beautiful sunshiney, green, fluorescent scenery that is filled with the sounds of flutes and birds, with a splash of dark paganism culture.

Created in 2019, this movie is one of my top five favorites. It’s compelling and completely opposite vibes of what is actually happening makes it a game changer in the horror industry. If you watch this movie from an anthropological point of view, it is absolutely fascinating. Histories of various cultures throughout the world have been known for their sacrificial ceremonies, to give back to “nature gods” or “demigods.”

Based off the rather harmless European “Midsommer” festival, Aster brings forth a new possibility for this ceremony.

The film “Midsommar,” it is nothing less than that -- and ancient ceremony. If you like learning about other cultures and their history, regardless of their realism, this movie surely will not disappoint. However largely less gruesome than the majority of drama/folk horror labels films, there are just a couple gruesome scenes. But never fear, if you get queezey out at the strict sign of blood, you’ll only be bothered by one scene.

In an interview with Makado Murphy and published by theNew York Times, Aster stats the following:

“These people speak a language of empathy, which is something that is missing in Dani’s life. There are several scenes that could be read as just horrific. Or they could also be read as therapeutic for the character, where she is encouraged to face the unfaceable.”

Additionally, he answers some questions,

You have called “Midsommar” a breakup movie, although this one has a bit more brutality and sacrifice than, say, “The Way We Were.”

“I’m a big lover of melodrama.

And one tradition of melodrama is having the scope of a story match whatever the characters are feeling. So I wanted to make a breakup movie that felt as big as breakups tend to feel, which is cataclysmic, because a big part of your world is now gone.

So I wanted to make this big operatic, apocalyptic breakup film.”

Check out the interview with Ari Aster here.

A review by the New York Times says;

“It’s fun, at first, partly because something feels distinctly off, like milk that’s just gone bad. (You don’t know how bad until you taste it.) Christian’s Swedish friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) doesn’t offer any clues. So Christian, Mark and their not-brainy enough pal Josh (William Jackson Harper) scope out the scene and the locals. The women are friendly, and numerous. And while their dances look picturesque there’s an undercurrent of intensity and purpose that starts chipping away at the peaceful vibe.” View it here.

Drama/Folk Horror has never been a favorite category of mine. In fact in comparison, my number one favorite movie is “Land of Lost” starring comedy-driven Will Ferrell. If you know anything about this movie, it’s completely harmless and fills the room with laughter. But “Midsommar” brings forth my love for and curiosity of anthropology, decorated with some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever watched.

I say it’s a must see for anyone who can stomach sacrifice in exchange for curiosity.

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Low-Key Sci-fi Packs a Punch REVIEW BY AIDAN ARTHUR A man walks through the forest, a wheeled cart trailing behind him.

Cable spools off of it and onto the mossy ground, overlapping with a tangle already lying there. He sits down, exhausted, but his phone begins to play a blaring alarm sound, flashing red. "Rest denied," it says.

"Rest denied." It repeats until he picks himself up and carries on.

Lapsis, a low-budget sci-fi film set in modern-day New York, is built around a mysterious new industry: "cabling," where workers lay cable between huge metal cubes in the forest. This service is necessary to drive the new “quantum computing” revolution and the huge strides in the stock market it has borne.

On that level, it's a strange, almost absurd idea: hardly one to build a film around. Fortunately, though, that's not the level on which this film operates. Little time is spent explaining the implications of the industry on its customers, and far more on the workers who make it possible.

In Lapsis, main character Ray Tincelli (Dean Imperial) is faced with a relatable problem: medical debt for his brother Jamie (Babe Howard.) Lacking a job or insurance to pay the exorbitant prices, he turns to the newest trend in employment, cabling. He gets in touch with some shady connections to get in, and heads out to the woods.

The environment he finds is one that is modeled on the rise of independent

LAPSIS

STARRING: Dean Imperial, Madeline Wise, Babe Howard WRITER/DIRECTOR: Noah Hutton RATED: Not Rated. Some strong language. Not much adult content, but the message and plot will likely go over kids' heads.

MY RATING: ★★★★☆

contracting and which mirrors the “gig economy”-- companies like Uber, Grubhub, and others. The similarities are obvious: Ray must supply his own equipment, does not receive insurance, and is paid for each trip he makes via an app. This makes the movie all the more believable as an alternate conception of the present rather than a leap into the future; if cabling was necessary, there seems no doubt that the rest would be a consequence.

However, Ray soon has more immediate problems than corporate exploitation. Fellow cablers seem hostile, and he can't discover why. Automation is being constantly refined to outstrip human cablers and thwarts any attempt to stop it. Tension is growing, and so is the movie's ideological message.

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In one particularly pithy scene, Ray stumbles out of the forest and onto a golf course, dirty and tired, cabling gear in hand. A pair of clean-cut, undoubtedly wealthy golfers stare at him for a moment.

He stares back. And then, without a word, he returns to the forest and the story goes on.

From here on, the political themes of the movie are put in the spotlight even more, even as the plot grows less engaging and more confusing. This second part, though it moves the story along at a brisker pace, lacks the subtle and satirical element that makes the first so enjoyable; so much so that it at one point delves into explicit discussion of the problems with the free market. However, viewers will be left with questions about both the movie and their own world.

In an interview with Matt Warren on the website Film Independent, Noah Hutton -- who wrote, directed, edited, and scored the film -- commented on its modern take on sci-fi. “I’m pretty much wrapped up in using sci-fi as a kind of way to tease out the dynamics that are already here and now,” Hutton said. “It’s a great way to look at the present, just to kind of sidestep into what we call a ‘parallel present.’ ” Another standout feature of the film is Imperial’s lead performance.

Hutton commented on Imperial’s positive reception in another interview, with Stephen Saito of the blog Moveable Fest.

“I wrote the film for Dean Imperial to portray Ray, which sounds a little crazy because Dean had never been in a feature film before,” Hutton said. “He had been in one short film ten years ago, so I knew him as a friend and I knew he had

leading man energy.”

In a way, the cast’s under-theradar nature carries on the immersion of this film. There are no big stars, and thus viewers likely have no prior impressions of the actors. Our perception of them is filled in entirely by this one performance, so much so that it’s hard to mentally separate the actor from the character. As the protagonist, Imperial exemplifies this.

Lapsis is low-budget, low-concept, and low-octane and still manages to be worth the 1:48 runtime. Its best moments soar high above its humble origins, and even the worst parts aren't enough to drag it down. This distinctively down-to-earth approach to sci-fi emphasizes humanity over fantastical technology, and the result is an immersive and thought-provoking piece.

-Lapsis is a critique of modern America from the beginning -- calling attention to the dangers of the gig economy, worker exploitation, healthcare costs, and the class divide. Despite a weaker second half, it remains a compelling and suspenseful story of the worst parts of modern capitalism, and it works as a unique sci-fi flick as well.

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