Share: As clouds of smoke from Ventura’s Woolsey fire forms in the distance, Pasadena City College (PCC) student Tanner Petterson sits in a shady spot on the edge of the mirror pools and waits until her afternoon class begins. She has ten minutes to spare, but instead of worrying about her class, she browses her phone and acknowledges the early golden hour. Meanwhile, a student on the other side of the pools lays on the grass, glued to a textbook, skimming through notes. Follow:
‘Maniac’: A masterpiece of retro-futurism
Share: The Netflix series Maniac keeps the viewer locked into the couch for binge watching, in what feels like a film divided into episodes rather than a miniseries. The cast shines, as teen stars turned movie icons Jonah Hill and Emma Stone lead us into a dark world of obscurity and wonder. Follow:
’13 Reasons Why’ fails to bring mental health awareness
Share: “13 Reasons Why”, adapted from the YA novel of the same name, stands on a platform that claims it is forging a conversation on topics that are often uncomfortable and difficult to navigate: sexual assault, bullying, mental health and suicide. Follow:
‘Dirty Money’: This is what rouge capitalism looks like
Share: Imagine a lawyer describing in an interview; “They were actually going to have a human sitting on an exercise bike. They would then be exposed to gas directly from the diesel vehicles. And then, they would poke and prod that person later to determine, uh, what type of health effects they would see from this person being gassed.” This lawyer would then go on to say, “Obviously, one cannot help to think back throughout the history of another series of events involving individuals being …
‘On My Block’ kicks authentic representation to the curb
Share: Just like we all find ourselves binging on a variety of our favorite snacks, millennials look to Netflix for binge-worthy shows that distract them from reality for hours of the day. Some millennials take a deep interest in shows that they can relate to, especially a coming-of-age story about a group of young teens. Netflix’s, “On My Block,” isn’t just any average coming-of-age story. Follow:
‘The End of the F***ing World’: A sociopathic love story
Share: In case you missed it, Netflix has become a really big deal, especially for the younger generation. Millenials are always looking for binge-worthy shows that allow them to connect to characters, to escape reality for a little while and to essentially find something that makes them feel like they are not alone in this crazy world. Netflix’s “The End of The F***ing World” does just that. Follow:
Representation matters in mainstream media and culture
Share: Sexy Latina, angry black girl, nerdy Asian, and exotic are labels the majority of marginalized folks have been thrown into due to how the mainstream culture has portrayed them. “’You have no idea how difficult it is to get a bunch of black and Hispanic kids to watch ‘SNL’ over ‘In Living Color,” said ‘Girls Trip’ actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish in her opening monologue on Saturday Night Live (SNL) after making history by becoming the first female black stand-up comic to host SNL …
Joan Didion uncoiled in ‘The Center Will Not Hold’
Share: The eccentric quiet of Joan Didion is presented in the Netflix documentary, “The Center Will Not Hold,” a film about her career and life that could only be tenderly put together by her niece and nephew. Cousins Griffin and Annabelle Dunne captured their aunt so beautifully, I am tempted to write Didion in hopes that she will accept me as her honorary niece. I promise to always have an ice cold coke and a can of salted almonds if you can coach me on …
The way society responds to sexual assault has transformed
Share: In the wake of the recent Harvey Weinstein accusations, there has been an extreme flood of sexual assault allegations against Hollywood industry people including “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey. Follow:
Mudbound: Netflix’s best original film to date
Share: Within the course of a year, Netflix has produced some great shows and films of their own; one of them premiered Friday November 17 and it was highly anticipated following the recognition it had received at AFI’s film festival. Follow: