Staff recommended movies to watch this Halloween

Amandla Stenburg stars in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE HATE U GIVE. Photos used with permission from Twentieth Century Fox. Photos by Edika Doss.

The Hate U Give

This movie is worth the hype and crucial for understanding culture divides and pursuing justice. BY MOLLY CONWAY PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

“The Hate U Give” grabs viewers attention through portraying one of the most overlooked issues in today’s society. The director George Tillman does a fantastic job with the movie and helping viewers form connections through the powerful message of standing up for what you believe in even it feels like you should be quiet.

The movie “The Hate U Give,” released on Oct. 5, is based on Angie Thomas’ book “The Hate U Give,” which has remained on the New York Times best seller for 86 weeks and counting. Thomas was inspired to write the book after the Black Lives Matter campaign hit the media back in 2013. The production of the movie quickly followed.

The #BlackLivesMatter campaign started after the violent death and of an African American teenager, Trayvon Martin, and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. This movie highlights the struggle, fear and experience of violence.

In the movie, we are able to see through the eyes of main character Starr Carter, played by Amandla Stenberg, this violence and resistance up close. Starr is a 16 year old African American whose world is turned upside down after she witnesses one of her closest friends Khalil, played by Algee Smith, get wrongfully killed by a white police officer. Her two worlds collide.

The Carter family lives in a predominately black community in Garden Heights, Georgia. But they send their three kids, Seven, played by Lamar Johnson, Sekani, played by TJ Wright, and Starr to the predominantly white private school outside of town to ensure that they will have successful futures.

The intense racial divide between these communities leaves Starr with two different identities: who she is at school vs. who she is at home around “her people.” Starr describes the situation as “Starr version one and Starr version two,” version one being her with her family and in her neighborhood and version two being her in her school community.

Throughout the movie we watch Starr navigate through her two worlds and eventually evolve from the young timid girl she is at the beginning, into the confident individual she is at the end. After losing two of her closest friends to unnecessary and uncalled for shootings, Starr finds, and eventually uses, her voice to pursue justice even though it significantly alters her school life.

The title “The Hate U Give” is taken from Tupac Shakur’s explanation of his album “Thug Life.” The intention of the title is to highlight the cycle of racism which is pertinent in several scenes throughout the movie.

“The Hate U Give” conveys a powerful message about how you should stand up for what you believe in. Find ur voice even when it feels like you can’t.

Fun, Freaky

Fall Flicks

From the ridiculous to the horrifying, view one or all of the staff’s must-see Halloween movies. BY JENNA BARACKMAN REPORTER

INSIDIOUS (2010)

Don’t let the PG-13 rating distract you from this genuinely terrifying flick. It doesn’t rely on jump scares like most modern horror films. Instead, its eerie plot is centered around a child trapped in another dimension, and contains unsettling characters that leave the audience cowering in fear without the typical horror clichés. It shows watchers what is scary, abandoning the “door mysteriously locking” fad and instead showing you who’s doing the unlocking. Combine the unexpected plot twists and incredibly realistic performances from stars Josh Lambert and Elise Rainier, and “Insidious” is sure to scare your pants off.

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988)

Though the premise itself is laughable, despite the fact that it’s about clown aliens from outer space, the film is fun and imaginative. The acting is surprisingly good considering their low budget. The real genius of this movie comes in the costume design, with big, overdone clown masks that are unique to each of the clowns. “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” is a classic example of a movie that’s “so bad, it’s good” and will be sure to make you laugh with its cheesy ‘80s special effects.

TWITCHES (2005)

If you enjoyed “Twitches” when it first debuted on Disney Channel, rest assured that you will enjoy it again. A timeless Disney Original movie, the story of these twin witches will surely give you feelings of nostalgia while also being a fun, seasonal movie. Not necessarily considered a “scary” movie, “Twitches” provides a fun and heartfelt alternative to traditional horror movies while still rating a Halloween favorite. Though the acting may be a little cheesy and the technology a little outdated, this timeless story of magic, drama, and 2000’s teen stars are what makes this a classic Halloween pick.

A QUIET PLACE (2018)

Director John Krasinski establishes himself as a visionary in his first film, “A Quiet Place”, a new and refreshing twist on the horror genre. The movie features blind aliens who will go after and kill anything that makes a noise, forcing all characters to stay silent, no matter how much physical pain they may be in. It immerses the audience in this apocalyptic universe, creating tense and suspenseful scenes so beautifully and realistically that the audience, too, makes every effort not to make a sound.