Music Corner

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

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 ! ghters 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 o" 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 le# disappointed.

First o" , “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. $ e movie feels extremely long, and we could not help checking our phones at several points to gauge how much time was le# . $ is

is largely due to the subpar plot, which drags on and provides little excitement. $ e only mildly exciting part was when Pennywise turned into a giant spider at the end of the movie, which was pretty ridiculous a# er 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 a# er stabbing Eddy in the face and attempting to murder Mike, he ends up being killed a# er 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 ! rst installment of the franchise was, we recommend you stay away.

Clarissa Shin/Prowler

60’s hollywood swings into 2019

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has everything you need to de! ne it as an absolutely outstanding movie. $ e music, the out! ts, 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 ! rst 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. $ erefore a few weeks a# er, 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, a# er 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 Cli" 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 di" erences 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 over& ow of new alternative and rock music is looking particularly good as fall approaches.

Speaking of Wallows, the trio is growing increasingly popular every day. $ eir 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, $ e 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.$ e 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 speci! city 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 $ e 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 o" or overdoing it. While over the years they have gone through a he# y amount of aesthetic and sound changes, they have kept their & are 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 a# er dropping o" 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 & amethrower 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 ! nished o" with a box o' ce of $313.9 million. Unpredictable, comedic, intriguing -- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is de! nitely one of the better movies of 2019.

Emily Augustine/Prowler

So good it will turn you

vegan

Carter Castillo Opinion Editor

Vegan ! yme is a cozy local restaurant near the corner of Michael Drive. ! ough it is small, the food and service is excellent. ! e restaurant only has about " ve tables, so it gets pretty crowded fast. However, the restaurant is very clean and it’s size allows it to be much more personable. ! e restaurant is aptly named as it is a vegan ! ai restaurant. Everything at the restaurant is completely vegan, with a few gluten-free options as well. Despite the ! ai theme, the restaurant has a varied menu that also includes burgers and wraps.

When I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by the waitress and chose a seat at the corner of the room, noticing how quaint and small the restaurant is. ! e waitress working there was super kind, and she helped us pick the best items on the menu.

I started with the tempura vegetables, which are essentially just fried veggies, and they were a delectable treat. ! e tempura was followed by the shiitake mushroom soup, another great appetizer to ease yourself into the meal.

Finally, it was time for the main course. ! e food is served family style, where meals are served on a large plates to share and each diner can take what they want.

I would highly recommend the pad-see-ew with soy beef, which is a long # at noodle that, like other dishes, can be served with soy meat or tofu. ! e noodle dishes are a great place for the soy meat to shine. ! e soy complements the noodles without overpowering them, and while it certainly does not taste exactly like meat, it leaves nothing to be desired.

Personally, I like spicy food, so I enjoyed the fried rice and drunken noodles, however some people very visibly did not enjoy the spiciness. Be forewarned, spicy means that it will actually be spicy. ! e restaurant was a wonderful experience, and even though I still am not a vegan, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody who wants a meal they can enjoy and feel good about a$ erwards.

Coming from a meat lover, this place knows how to " ll you up, so much so that you will not even miss eating meat.

Standing Out-tanding Out- Vegan Thyme is certainly the most unique restaurant at the strip mall. Though it may stand out, once inside you will feel right at home. Carter Castillo/Prowler

Lowe’s vs. Home Depot: hardware stores battle it out

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Home Depot and Lowe’s: they have their di% erences, their similarities, their pros and cons. But above all, they have wood. Wood, sold in every which way possible: cut, uncut, that’s really about it.

To be completely candid with all our wood fanatics out there, that is not what we’re actually talking about, but it seemed necessary to pay homage to before we dive head" rst into the deep end of the scariest part of adulthood: DIY home decor and improvement. Needless to say, as two non-home owning teenagers, we knew we were the most quali" ed to examine the di% erences between Lowe’s and Home Depot.

First up: Lowe’s.

Upon walking into Lowe’s, it was obvious that it was on the cleaner, sleeker side. We began to browse, stumbling upon a pair of clay cowboy boots, which we later found to be a garden accessory. Quickly, we realized that we weren’t actually strong enough to “DIY” carrying them. Maybe we should’ve sprung for strength improvement instead of home improvement.

We needed to get a cart, so we searched for one everywhere to no avail, until a$ er 15 minutes. It was only then that we found, tucked in a tiny crevice near the lumber yard, a glorious group of carts. To clarify, we, a non-biased source, would like to

con" rm that the elusivity of the carts comes from objectivity, not our incompetence. Play our new game “spot the carts” and see (or rather, don’t) for yourself.

Next, we decided to ask an associate for a kayak. It was in stock on both Lowes’ and Home Depot’s websites, so we knew it was a fundamental part of the home improvement journey. ! is was a crucial opportunity for Lowe’s to outshine Home Depot.

Clearly, the employee we asked did not agree. As we hurriedly explained the denotation of “kayak,” he stood staring at us before faux-rowing one, without losing eye contact, for what felt like an hour of uncomfortable silence. He followed this with condescending sco% s of absurdity and told us that Lowe’s doesn’t sell kayaks.

Safe to say, we didn’t ask the associates anything else. We browsed a bit but Lowe’s didn’t have anything worth checking out. ! e exception was our beloved clay boots. However, this isn’t without some honorable mentions: • ! e EXTENSIVE bath section. • ! e lamp section that lit up the store. • Halloween decorations! Up next, Home Depot.

Prior to entering Home Depot, we made a plan to divide and conquer based on the list of extremely speci" c items that we had found on the Home Depot website. We shamelessly walked up to di% erent associates and asked for items, ranging from basic home improvement necessities like jerky guns, for making jerky on the go, all the way to pots that look like a 70-year-old Harley’s Angel head with feet. We saw these items o% ered on the website, so before criticizing us for wasting corporate time, we assumed that they, or similar items, would be easily found in store.

When we asked employees where to " nd these items, they did not respond simply by imitating the torsoless Harley’s Angel, like a certain Lowe’s employee we know would. Instead, they were surprisingly pleasant and tried to aid us as best they could.

We later found that just about all of the items we were looking for were either out of stock or only available online, which was fairly disappointing. We then continued to roam around the store for more items, and our " nds were more signi" cant than those of Lowe’s. Among these items, the best was arguably the bug zapper, but the honorable mentions are: • ! e giant, decorative, # u% y spider. • SO MANY COOLERS. • Also grills. Now, the verdict.

Without a doubt, there is only one conclusion to take. ! e true losers of today, were us. We argued about the usage of the word “wasted,” but we de" nitely wasted over three hours just on going to the stores alone. ! e fact is, these places just aren’t userfriendly for ordinary people like us, especially ones that lack a home to improve in the " rst place. ! e true issue here is that we were purposeless, wandering, confused, and so consumed with our own crises to see the bigger picture: Lowe’s doesn’t even have carts. Anyway, if we had to choose one, neither really have any special qualities. We realized that home is where the heart is, and that was where the real improvement was.