2019-2020 Issue 1 (Sept. 20, 2019)

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entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

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is largely due to the subpar plot, which drags on and provides little excitement. The only mildly exciting part was when Pennywise turned into a giant spider at the end of the movie, which was pretty ridiculous after a couple of minutes. Furthermore, “IT Chapter Two” failed to jump out of the structure of a typical horror movie. All the jump scares were predictable and many of the characters served no purpose other than to add “horror” to the movie. While we thought it was mostly going to be centered around Pennywise, it turned out to be Pennywise’s zombies that took the spotlight. Henry Bowers, the main characters’ bully in “IT,” also makes a return as he escapes jail with a knife and a zombie companion. But after stabbing Eddy in the face and attempting to murder Mike, he ends up being killed after a roughly ten minutes of screentime, with his overall purpose in the movie being a head scratcher. Overall, “IT Chapter Two” is approximately three hours that we will never get back. If you are a huge Stephen King fan, it might be worth your time to see the movie. But if you are looking for a horror movie that is as good as the first installment of the franchise was, we recommend you stay away.

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Pennywise the Dancing Clown makes his return in “IT Chapter Two,” which was released on Sept. 6 as a sequel to the highly successful “IT” from 2017. “IT Chapter Two” takes place 27 years later and features our original gang of clown fighters as adults, all of whom have parted ways and largely forgotten the horrors of Derry, Maine. However, Pennywise has been sighted again and the group must return to Derry to defeat the evil once and for all. Prior to seeing the movie, we were a little put off by the reviews found online. On Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, “IT Chapter Two” has a rating of 63 and 59 percent respectively. Additionally, several audience reviews claimed the movie was long, cliched and disappointing. However, remembering how good “IT” was, we decided to follow through and give the movie a chance. In a mostly empty theater, we saw the movie and left disappointed. First off, “IT Chapter Two” rings in at a whopping two hours and 50 minutes. Although there are several phenomenal movies that are longer in length, this is not one of them. The movie feels extremely long, and we could not help checking our phones at several points to gauge how much time was left. This

60’s hollywood swings into 2019 Jessica Zhou DPS Editor “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has everything you need to define it as an absolutely outstanding movie. The music, the outfits, the famous LA restaurants, the 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the cigarettes instantly bring you to the glorious age of 1960s’ Hollywood. More than just illustrating an era, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” retells the story of the famous entertainment capital and changes history as you watch it. Upon its release on July 26, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is Quentin Tarantino’s major comeback. Tarantino’s movies are known for their nonlinear narratives, long dialogues and unique portrayal of violence. Of course his love for feet and spaghetti Westerns also take a major part in this new movie. When I first heard about “Once Upon a Time in

Hollywood,” I was purely interested because of Leonardo Decaprio and Brad Pitt. It was later when I heard from a friend that the movie was going to be centered around the Tate murders. Therefore a few weeks after, as I was walking into the movie theater, I expected to see a story that revolved around Sharon Tate and the end of innocence in 1960s Hollywood. However, after three hours, I walked out completely bedazzled -- it was nothing like what I had imagined. A major spotlight of the movie was focused on the heartfelt friendship between the semi-famous Hollywood actor Rick Dalton (Decaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). As Dalton faced a downhill in his career, Booth became his driver, house repairman and alcohol companion. While both were always seen together, their differences were made sure to be apparent. In the beginning of the movie, Booth

Music Corner!

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

Emma Schoors Photographer From Wallows releasing two end of summer jams to Green Day’s pulsating return, the recent overflow of new alternative and rock music is looking particularly good as fall approaches. Speaking of Wallows, the trio is growing increasingly popular every day. Their new singles “Trust Fall” and “Just Like a Movie” are weave-ins to the basket of alternative they’ve created, and following the release of their debut album “Nothing Happens,” listeners are bombarded in the best way possible with the band’s new music. Moving on, The Growlers latest release of “Try Hard Fool” is a perfect blend of the band’s earlier, grittier sound and their more recent, synthesizer-heavy record “Casual Acquaintances.” Lead singer Brooks Neilson’s vocals are on full display per usual, but the overwhelming feeling of the song is one of simplicity and casualty, with a more polished sound throughout.

Returning to the topic of Green Day, the rock band is back again with Billie Joe Armstrong trolling the entirety of his fan base for the millionth time.The band’s newest single and title track for their upcoming new album, “Father of All...” is exactly what you would expect from the band sound wise. However, the band is veering away from the specificity of politics and more into the topic of the world right now in general when it comes to lyrics. We can expect “a lot of depression, but with a sense of humor,” Armstrong said. In anticipation of the band’s new album “Beneath The Eyrie,” Pixies are back with a three song contribution of “St. Nazaire”, another great example of the band’s ability to achieve the signature Pixies sound without ripping it off or overdoing it. While over the years they have gone through a hefty amount of aesthetic and sound changes, they have kept their flare and impulsivity which is what makes great music, and one can only hope the full length record follows this path too.

drove his old worn-down Volkswagen to his trailer in the valley after dropping off Dalton in his 1966 Cadillac at his ranch located on a hill in Hollywood. However, the mind-boggling, history changing, mesmerizing moment came at the end as Tex Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel, all actors, arrived at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles, the home of Sharon Tate. An allusion to the Tate murders, these three people were ordered by Charles Manson to murder whoever was in that house. ***SPOILERS AHEAD*** In the movie, Tate and her three friends were still together in her house that night, so Waston and his companions turned their target to the next door neighbour, Rick Dalton. Coincidentally, that night Booth and his pitbull, Brandy, were also at Dalton’s home. To put it simply, Booth and Brandy killed two of the murderers through a rather violent combat and Dalton used a flamethrower to kill the last murderer. As expected, the movie concluded with rather high rankings: 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 percent on Metacritic. It also finished off with a box office of $313.9 million. Unpredictable, comedic, intriguing -- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is definitely one of the better movies of 2019. Emily Augustine/Prowler


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