April 13 - 19, 2022 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Arts & Culture
Column: The ‘Lilo & Stitch’ soundtrack has too much Elvis
The Daily Aztec
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‘Cowabunga’: Catch a wave with ‘The Endless Summer’
By Trinity Bland
Presley did not identify as Hawaiian, so the addition of his songs to the soundtrack truthfully fuels the white American entertainment experience, which Disney Before fans met Pacific Islander princess has historically done long before realizing Moana in 2016, Disney’s presentation of a within the last 20 years they needed to Hawaiian cultural revolution came in 2002 broaden their horizons in terms of the with “Lilo & Stitch.” characters they created and stories they This year marks 20 years of viewers told. getting a front-row seat to the life of beloved In terms of viewer impact, it may sway Stitch, frazzled Nani and independent Lilo. people toward or away from listening to It was the first time younger audiences more of Presley’s discography. This may learned Hawaiian colloquialisms, Elvis be the first time children are hearing these Presley songs and how extraterrestrials songs and it is an excellent introduction to deserve love too. some of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest However, the film’s soundtrack really has hits, but his songs accounting for nearly a mind of its own. Sometimes, this results 60% of the soundtrack detracts from its in something outstanding, but in this case, ability to support the film’s strong cultural outstanding isn’t the word to use. elements. If time W y o n n a ’s travel existed “Burning and legendary Love” cover composer adds a Alan Silvestri powerful could produce rock ‘n’ roll sensational femininity scores for that can films like the parallel with “Back to the Nani, and her Future” series, perseverant “Forrest b a l a n c e Gump” and b e t w e e n “The Polar sister and Express,” guardian (or he should lack thereof) take the throughout opportunity the film. to pursue a C o n v e r s e l y, redo for “Lilo A * Te e n ’s and Stitch.” “Can’t Help This may be Falling In a bold take Love” cover but the overall reflected soundtrack the early doesn’t match 2000s digital the essence of signature, but the film and it should not raises more have made questions final Graphic by Ryan Hardison the than anything. “Lilo and Stitch” is one of Disney’s most celebrated animated films, cut – for the The fun, and many of the songs and characters have lived on. However, the soundtrack is overshadowed by several Elvis Presley songs that would c e l e b r a t o r y soundtrack have been better suited for songs that better represent Hawaiian culture. and certainly and colorful not for public “Hawaiian release. Rollercoaster Ride” featuring the The remainder of the soundtrack Kamehameha School Children’s Choir led consists of more appropriate musical by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu opens the story selections. Silvestri’s original compositions of “Lilo & Stitch,” leading viewers to believe give life to the film’s cynical moments (“I’m the rest of the film’s musical voyage would Lost”) and action-packed scenes (“Stitch to be aligned with this rich Hawaiian dialogue the Rescue”), possessing a deep woodwind and pride. Folks are sadly mistaken as they presence and striking a nostalgic only hear from Ho’omalu and the choir intersection with the majestic strings (“You again in the lush, modern “He Mele No Can Never Belong”). Lilo.” There’s no doubt Silvestri knows how to Perhaps the most obvious and arguably make music that creates a craving for more, perplexing aspect of the 12-song soundtrack so where is more? The soundtrack clocks in are the five Presley songs (seven including at around 40 minutes, which is unusual for two additional songs performed by other a Disney film as iconic as “Lilo and Stitch.” artists) playing throughout the film. There was room for additional original While Lilo has a humorous infatuation compositions, so what happened? Did he with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, calling him think Presley’s voice for more than half of the “face of romance” and domesticating the soundtrack would suffice? Obviously. Stitch to perform just like Presley to turn Was it the most brilliant idea in the book? his chaos into charm, it has nothing to do Not in the slightest. with the film’s premise. The soundtrack doesn’t make the film Presley classics like “Hound Dog,” “Stuck bad, but it also doesn’t make it great. As an On You,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Heartbreak overall collection, it’s nothing special. Hotel” and “Devil In Disguise” need no One could argue its special factor is introduction and never hurt anyone, nor having a bigger Presley presence than any are they songs arguably bound to the “Lilo other Disney film soundtrack, and maybe and Stitch” brand, as they were popular that’s a good thing, maybe it’s not. tracks decades prior to the film’s release. Or maybe someone should work on Yet, they take up unnecessary space that making a time travel machine specifically completely overshadows the Hawaiian for Silvestri to reevaluate some of his cultural masterpiece this soundtrack could musical choices to provide the film with a be. worthy soundtrack. MANAGING EDITOR
Graphic courtesy of Ed Marx
“The Endless Summer: Search for Surf” culminates a lifetime love of surfing for SDSU alumnus Ed Marx and offers many avenues for players to live out their surfing fantasies and have an “endless summer.”
By Owen Pratt STAFF WRITER
For many San Diego residents, surfing is seen as an incredible pastime. Surfers spend all day under the sun, gliding across the ocean on towering, foamy waves. But now, thanks to San Diego State alumnus Ed Marx, they can nose dive into surfing without risking sunburn with “The Endless Summer: Search for Surf,” an interactive surfing game. Marx graduated from SDSU in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. After graduating, he joined the Peace Corps in Kenya. He then worked for an orthopedic business in Santa Paula, California, where he worked on coding for databases and creating 3D models. After attempting to create a languagebased game for mobile phones, Marx decided to stick to what he knew best and began conceptualizing an open world game based on surfing. “It took me a long time to totally commit to it, because I was doing it part time most of the time,” the developer said. “It got to a point where people started to like it and said this could be pretty good if I put more time into it, so I started doing it more.” He eventually released “The Endless Summer: Search for Surf” on Steam for PC and Mac on Sept. 3, 2021. Before stepping into gaming, Marx was an avid surfer, and he describes surfing as a “lifestyle.” He spent many days surfing while at SDSU, and even traveled to Africa and Southeast Asia after college to surf at different beaches. Developed using the Unity engine, “The
Endless Summer” allows players to surf on the coast of a tropical island. Players can ride waves, walk around the island and talk to surfers. There are also various surfing challenges players can engage with. The game even offers a multiplayer mode, allowing players to join each other using split screen or online. Though the game offers many possibilities for players, Marx said making a surfing game comes with problems, including development hurdles and a niche market. “There are not that many surfing games, and there are some problems with making surfing games and that’s why there aren’t very many,” Marx said. “One of the things is that it’s very limited to surfers. Video games and surfing don’t mix very well…The other problem is that they’re really hard to make because you have a moving wave… and the player is moving also. If you have a skateboarding game or a snowboarding game, the player moves but the surface stays still, so it’s much more simple.” The developer explained that big studios are hesitant to invest in surfing games due to expensive development costs. The game eventually caught the attention of production company Bruce Brown Films. Bruce Brown was best known for directing the landmark surfing documentary “The Endless Summer.” The 1964 film followed three surfers who travel around the world, a story similar to Marx’s. The documentary contributed to the development of surfing culture in the United States and encouraged surfers to travel the world for the sport in pursuit of an “endless summer.” SEE ONLINE
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