Addams Family and Maleficent reviews

Animated Version Re-do Worth the Time ‘The Addams Family’ reboot Years later, flamboyant positive message of acceptance. With a star-studded cast, proves to be funny and slightly frightening while delivering a positive interior designer and popular TV personality, Margeaux Needly, moves into the town, Assimilation, just down from their mansion. All Directed and produced by Conrad Vernon, from “Shrek”, “Shrek 2” and “Boss Baby,” the animation was pretty and wellincluding Finn Wolfhard, Snoop Dog and Nick Kroll, the iconic theme song and sarcastic humor will draw you in and keep you laughing. message for viewers. the residents have the same, basic detailed. This PG movie is the perfect personalities and Margeaux fixes up Also, the characters’ images mix of humor for all ages and is BY PAULA SWEENY the houses to look exactly the same. fit their personas perfectly. Their the perfect way to embrace the REPORTER The Addams family struggles differences stuck out juxtaposed with Halloween season. with Margeaux as she tries to push the normal townies.

Released Oct. 11, “The Addams them out of the neighborhood Family” provides big laughs and a so she can sell all the houses in little spookiness for everyone. Assimilation.

The movie is a take on the But Margeaux’s daughter, original 1938 cartoon by Charles Parker becomes fast friends with Addams and the many different Wednesday. Each are deemed bad shows and movies that have been influences for each other according produced since then. Though the to their mothers. plot is different and incorporates Meanwhile, Pugsly is practicing new characters, it still includes all for his Mazurka, a right of passage your favorite characters. for all Addams family members. If

Newlyweds, Gomez and he fails, he will be disowned from Morticia move into a creepy, his family. abandoned mansion where they raise Between the unlikely friendship their kids, Wednesday and Pugsly, of Wednesday and Parker, and so they won’t be bullied for their Pugsly’s pressure to honor his family, oddness by the outside world. this story proves to promote a Photo used with permission from EPK.TV/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

Maleficent: Mistress of Unnecessary Sequels

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a fun movie, but lazy writing and excessive plot holes make it hard to enjoy. BY JENNA BARACKMAN MANAGING WEB EDITOR

Like every other Disney movie, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” left viewers satisfied with a cliché, happy ending. Princess Aurora, played by Elle Fanning, was crowned the queen of the Moors, unifying the human and mythical kingdoms. She was set to marry Prince Phillip, played by Brenton Thwaites, to further unify the two. But Malificent’s angry opposition to the marriage seemed unfounded.

With nothing left to expand on from the first movie, a sequel was frankly unnecessary. The original “Maleficent” film at least had purpose and explained the backstory of the Disney classic “Sleeping Beauty.”

Nevertheless, a movie with three female leads, beautiful cinematography and a generally enjoyable plot seemed promising. But in the end, it turned out sorely disappointing. The main conflict is Maleficent is framed for cursing the king, Phillip’s father, played by Robert Lindsay, when it was actually Phillip’s mother, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who poisoned him. The conflict of the movie could have easily been avoided with one conversation.

When asked if she was behind the mysterious curse of the king, Maleficent bluntly replies only the word “no” and then flies away without saying or doing anything else to defend herself. Then, out of nowhere Aurora and Maleficent immediately hate and disown each other. The conflict is similar to that of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” where the conflict could have been completely avoided by a 10-word conversation.

Additionally, the villain, Prince Phillip’s mother Queen Ingris, was a very minor character in the first film. However, in the sequel, she is suddenly the main villain. Yet her backstory is underdeveloped. Due to her minor role in the original film, audiences had a difficult time making a connection and her role seemed forced.

The climax of the movie, a battle scene between fairies and humans, was especially weak since audiences had no loyalty to either side. In addition, no dynamic characters were developed on either side, making it increasingly difficult to root for one side over the other.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is yet another lazy film from Disney this year. From the liveaction version of “The Lion King” to “Toy Story 4,” every Disney movie this year has either been a bad remake or an unnecessary sequel. This streak seems to mark an end to the shining, golden age of Disney, and appears to only do fan-fare as opposed to the meaningful and emotional movies Disney has produced in the past. Though on the surface level it’s enjoyable, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is just another reminder of Disney’s corporate greed and loss of creativity.

(Photo used with permission from EPK.TV)

A&E FALL FALLTREATS TREATS

From homemade treats to quick snacks, find a fall food that speaks to you and your taste buds. Le Journal spotlights three staff favorites. For mixing and baking directions, visit Le Journal Live

BY KAMRYN ROGERS PRINT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mini Apple Pies

*Staff tip: add lemon juice Prep & Bake Time: 55 mins Serving Size: 12 4 pie crusts homemade or store-bought 2 1/2 cups chopped and peeled apples 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1 tbsp lemon juice

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Prep & Bake Time: 70 mins Serving Size: varies 1 1/2 tbsp melted margarine 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp garlic salt 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

Pillsbury™ Halloween Cookies

Prep & Bake Time: 10 mins Serving Size: 24 in each package 1 package of Pillsbury™ Ready to

Bake!™ pumpkin and/or ghost shape sugar cookies

Heat oven to 350°F.

Bake cookies as directed on package.

Pumpkin Bread

*Staff tip: add chocolate chips *Staff tip: if you don’t have eggs, 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce can be a replacement for one egg Prep & Bake Time: 90 minutes Serving Size: 24 2 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup butter, softened 2 large eggs 15 oz canned pumpkin 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 cup chocolate chips

Italian Made

Junior Cirese Mendolia, senior Alessia Serra and freshman Adaline Huhmann share their experiences of Italian Heritage Month.

BY SELA KINCAID VIDEO EDITOR

(Illustrations by Vecteezy) (Photos by Sela Kincaid)

Junior Cirese Mendolia

Junior Cirese Mendolia has a big family, like her grandparents and cousins and embraces it. She loves how she can be herself around her family on their traditional family Sunday dinners.

“It is a celebration of big families.” Mendolia said. “When I think about Italians, I just think of big families who love each other so much, and that’s what it is. I love it.”

Mendolia and her family always vacation together, and they always fly together, to experience new places around Italy as a family. Staying connected to their heritage makes it easy for Mendolia to love her family.

“‘Every two years we go on a trip to Italy and all around Europe,” Mendolia said. “It’s a really big bonding experience because I have done it since I was little.”

Mendollia said she is 100 percent Italian, since her grandparents on both sides grew up there. With everyone in her family together cooking and with her mother making amazing food for her family dinners, Mendolia finds it hard to pick a favorite dish.

“It’s an impossible question, but I would have to say my mom’s breaded chicken with lemon sauce,” Mendolia said. “She makes it for all of our birthdays. It’s the best thing ever.”

Mendolia said she celebrates her Italian Heritage every single day and expresses great love for her family and how close she is to them. “I am completely and solely Italian,” Mendolia said. “And I definitely take all the traits of it and my family.”

JUNIOR CIRESE MENDOLIA holds her homemade biscotti Senior Alessia Serra

With flour everywhere, senior Alessia Serra rolls out homemade pasta dough to help her grandmother and family prepare their family dinner.

“Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, we help my grandma make homemade pasta,” Serra said. “We have done this since I was really young.”

Making dishes like pasta, and celebrating with her family, Serra is able to connect to her family’s past and how she has been brought up in its culture.

Serra has always lived in the United States, but everyone in her family, including herself, has a dual citizenship for both Italy and America.

“I’m Italian on my dad’s side. Both his parents were born in Italy and came over as teenagers,” Serra said. “My parents used to live there before I was born.”

Serra said she is able to have a stronger bond with her big family by knowing her heritage and embracing who she is. She learns about her culture so she can understand and focus on personal aspects of her choosing.

“It helps me connect with my Italian roots and think about my ancestors, who all came from there,” Serra said.“It helps me feel more connected.”

While celebrating her heritage and cooking with her family, Serra realizes that celebrating who she is is not just a month, that she is always Italian and embraces that fact.

“We don’t really celebrate this month,” Serra said. “It’s more like a yearround celebration.”

SENIOR ALESSIA SERRA shows her pasta al cavolfiore made from a family recipe. Freshman Adaline Huhmann

Taking out the cookie cutters and rolling pin, freshman Adaline Huhmann begins to prepare her cookie dough with the help of her Nana, Jenny Lou De’Luna. They ice “wedding cookies,” with cousins, aunts and uncles, enjoying their family time together. This event happens on one Saturday in October to celebrate their Italian Heritage, during Italian Heritage Month.

“It’s a lot of Italian cookies and family,” Huhmann said. “My Nana makes these wedding cookies. I love them.”

Being rooted in family and the food made with her family, Huhmann has stayed close and involved with her heritage. Both of her grandparents on her mother’s side came from Sicily, allowing her to see and experience being Italian with them.

“I’m only 47 percent Italian,” Huhmann said. “My mom is 80 percent, and my dad is not Italian.”

Huhmann said she has learned from her Nana about how to cook her favorite foods and how to do it with love. She said that her family is “stuck together” by the glue of their Italian food. She lives her cultural heritage in everything she does, especially food.

“I like all Italian food, but I’d have to say chicken spiedini is my favorite,” Huhmann said. “I don’t know what it is. It’s just so good.

FRESHMAN ADALINE HUHMANN holds her homemade biscotti

FALL BREAK FUNStudents participated in seasonal activities over Fall Break, Oct. 11-14.

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1. ROAST SESSION

Seniors Rose Orrick, Paula Sweeny, Avery Kuhls and Lily Henkle gathered together for a night of marshmallow toasting. “It made me feel like a little kid again,” Kuhls said. (Photo by Kamryn Rogers)

2. HOW ‘BOUT THEM APPLES

Seniors Lauren Mead and Anna Switzer work together to pick apples at Johnson Farms. “The good apples were up top so I had to get on Anna’s back,” Mead said. (Photo by Emma Hutchin)

2. LIGHT ‘ER UP

After running out of marshmallow roasting sticks, senior Helen Willis makes do with a knife. “It was dark outside and I didn’t feel like going into the woods,” Willis said. (Photo by Kamryn Rogers)

4. PUMPKIN PICASSO

Jamming out to a Halloween playlist, seniors Katie Fitzgerald and Anna Switzer paint miniature pumpkins. “It really put me in the spirit of Halloween,” Fitzgerald said. (Photo by Kaitlin Lyman)

5. SAY “BOO”!

Senior Elyse Makar shows off her pumpkin mask after cutting it off a cookie box. “I’m allergic to pumpkins, so this was the closest I could get,” Makar said. (Photo by Jenna Barackman)