9 minute read
LIFE
6August 19, 2021 LIFE
Special issues, under the name The Gutter, highlighting fctitious scandals were created in the late 1920s. There were also special Christmas issues made from time to time.
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Gunn gives ‘The Suicide Squad’ second chance
A gory revival of a sequel packed with twists and turns throughout
TIM NACEY INTERIM MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
“The Suicide Squad” is a strange experience.
Partially because it contains things like feral weasel-men, starfish kaiju and a man with extreme mommy issues that can melt things with the polka dots he shoots from his fingers — but also because of the limbo between sequel and reboot in which it exists. 2016’s “Suicide Squad” is widely considered one of the worst superhero films of all time. It, like this film, is centered around an eclectic group of incarcerated supervillains that were sent on an extremely dangerous mission, essentially at gunpoint. If they succeed, they get time off of their considerable sentences. If they fail, one way or another, they die.
The frst flm was originally meant to tell a much darker story that refected the bleak reality that these supervillains were facing, but the project seemed to be taken away from its director David Ayer. The tone pivoted away from Ayer’s original vision, opting for something that was more evocative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s surprise hit: “Guardians of the Galaxy.”.
Warner Bros. wisely brought James Gunn (the director of both of the Guardians flms) on board to direct the sequel “The Suicide Squad” and, while I was a bit disappointed that we seem to be leaving Ayer’s original vision further and further behind, this flm is an undeniably good time.
Gunn is most widely known for his work with Marvel, but he originally made a name for himself with the work he did for the studio Troma (known for its frankly off-puttingly disgusting and kitschy horror comedies) as well as his own indie movies like “Slither” and “Super”.
With its hard-R rating, that horror influence is very much on display in this film: heads explode, faces are blown off, an anthropomorphic shark casually carries a man’s head around and eats it like an apple.
It’s gleefully disgusting in a way that brings to mind this year’s “Mortal Kombat” reboot. The tone of the film is very much in line with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films: a group of quirky but broken people search for meaning and worth in a society that’s cast them off. While this film is quite a bit darker than Marvel’s space opera series, the same heart is still there and that’s due in no small part to this films absolutely killer cast: Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Sylvester Stallone and Margot Robbie (who continues to be the DC Cinematic Universe’s MVP, following 2020’s “Birds of Prey”) all bring a little something extra to these characters that could have easily been fat and onedimensional.
The true standout of this film, though, is Daniela Mechior’s Ratcatcher 2 (she’s the daughter of the original Ratcatcher) who acts as the group’s moral compass. She, and her rat sidekick Sebastian, bring an absolutely astounding and unexpected amount of humanity and vulnerability to her character that plays a key role in adding a lot of weight to a film that mostly functions as a goofy, violent action-comedy.
Even if the frst flm put as bitter a taste in your mouth as it did mine, I highly recommend this movie. DC has been doing an absolutely fantastic job lately at making movies that are just as fun as Marvel’s flms while managing to make themselves tonally distinct. They’re on a really good path right now and I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER MEDIA Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) (left), Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Mechior) prepare to save Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) from danger.
Life August 19, 2021
7 RCC students share successful business story
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she had always wanted to do something in business. Yet, she continued her education in nursing.
Her interest in biology and science ultimately led to her growing curiosity in her leisure interest, plants.
“A lot of my science professors are the ones who got me more intrigued with the whole background of plants,” Leon said.
Ramos, on the other hand, was in and out of the college for at least three years.
“I just did a little bit of everything,” Ramos said. “I never really knew what I wanted to do — I really wanted to do something that I loved.”
Ramos applied her curiosity as she participated in different classes. She’d actively looked for practical information to take with her from each experience.
For example, she tried cosmetology and recognized her instructors were also small business owners. Through them she was able to learn how to conduct herself professionally.
She took sociology but realized she had no interest in it. Then she pursued horticulture and gained an abundance of scientifc knowledge that’s transferable to her now-thriving plant business.
Ramos commended the amount of resources RCC provided and wished she had asked for help sooner, after personal tragedies she almost gave up on pursuing college altogether.
“If you really want something in life, go for it,” she said. “I let a lot of things limit me — Leave that all behind. Ask questions and make friends, people are willing to help if you tell them.”
The co-owners put a pause on their education at the community college, but they used the journey of ticking off interests that did, or did not, resonate with them to take the necessary steps forward to pursue their current business venture.
“RCC is still somewhere where I want to continue my education,” Leon said, however, their business is on a positive upward momentum so they’ve decided to prioritize scaling.
Reasonably, plants have always been in these womens’ lives. Although in-laws, they originally bonded over plants. Ramos’ parents are growers while Leon’s comprehension and love of science serves well in her role as a plant nursery co-owner.
Starting a plant business may have seemed like a sure thing for
DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS Savannah Leon (left) and Ally Ramos stand between their vast array of plants within their section of the small store in downtown Riverside Aug. 12. them but the two toggled between the idea of beginning a plant or flower shop and in a spark of spontaneity they decided to move forward with Meraki.
“Meraki means to do everything with your soul, love and creativity, leaving a piece of yourself in everything you do,” Leon shared the meaning behind their store.
According to Leon, business is just a formula. She noticed people were generally held back by the fear of taking risks. The young entrepreneur implores individuals to pursue and explore their passions. She also emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people. “There’s so much that we want to pursue in life,” Leon said. “Don’t hesitate to do what your mind is telling you to do if you feel it’s right.” On the road to opening their frst storefront, they knocked on several business doors to allow them to showcase some of their plants in their shops. After being turned down a handful of times, by the fifth store, Kraemer’s Coffee allowed them to display their plants. “You have to project an ambition of what you want to do,” Ramos said. “I am glad for those doors that didn’t open — don’t be discouraged by the no’s. Just keep on knocking.” The storefront is located on Main Street behind the Mission Inn and in front of the Convention Center.
Meaningful moments leaves audiences refecting on personal lives
TIM NACEY
INTERIM MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
We all know that life can be challenging and sometimes existing in itself can feel like work.
But what if it was actually like a job?
What if, before we were born into this world, we had to sit across a desk from a stonefaced interviewer and answer complex questions to prove that we deserve to live?
It’s a strange premise for a film and not one that leads to much octane-action, but director Edson Oda’s debut flm “Nine Days” does a lot with it.
Winston Duke plays one of many interviewers named Will. He lives in a small house in a purgatorial desert somewhere parallel to our world. He spends his days sitting in front of a wall covered in old television sets, and each one depicts the frst-person perspective of each of the souls he chose to move on to life.
Now and then, his partner Kyo (Benedict Wong) comes by to keep him company and, eventually, helps Will in choosing from a batch of “applicants” that wander to his house. These wandering souls are played by Zazie Beetz, Tony Hale and Bill Skarsgård.
What’s most interesting about “Nine Days” is how it manages to exist on a small and large scale simultaneously.
The entire movie takes place in either Will’s house or the empty expansive desert outside. Still, we take several detours to the television sets that show us snippets of different people’s walks of life.
A concert violinist, a bullied teenager and a young woman preparing for her wedding, to name a few. It’s these journeys, however brief they may be, into the lives of this eclectic group of people that make this movie something special.
I’ve focused mainly on the premise and setup but not much on the plot, and that’s intentional.
A deeper story is told in “Nine Days,” a good one, but when I left the theater I wasn’t thinking about the mystery that Will was trying to unravel. I was thinking about the little moments.
Kyo telling the group a disgusting story about vomit, Emma (Beetz) trying to offer Will a peach, Kane (Skarsgård) grappling with the concept of pride and Alex (Hale) becoming obsessed with parties and barbecues.
These moments add up to more than the sum of their parts and make you feel like you’re living alongside these characters throughout their nineday interview process.
This movie makes a strong case for life being about the journey, not the destination.
As I mentioned before, there’s a bit of a mystery that makes up a big part of the plot, but I found myself caring less and less as I fell in love with these richly drawn and amazingly acted characters.
Winston Duke, in particular, is fantastic in this movie as a stoic who must eventually reckon with and acknowledge the deep well of emotion he’s been ignoring.
I’m often afraid to consume existential movies or stories that deal with what comes before and after our time on Earth. However, “Nine Days” is a sad, funny, scary but mostly beautiful reminder that none of that matters as long as you can teach yourself to enjoy the ride.
