On March 31, 2020, CBC announced that Kim’s Convenience—their fan-favourite sitcom—had been renewed for two more seasons. Less than one year later, on March 8, 2021, fans around the world were shocked when the network announced that the fifth season of Kim’s Convenience would be its last. The confusion set in immediately,[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is mind-numbingly entertaining
While I am far from ashamed of my love of cult classic movies, I have never dabbled in anything remotely related to the Godzilla or King Kong franchises. Last week, however, I dived headfirst into Legendary Studios’ MonsterVerse with Godzilla vs Kong, released in theatres and HBO Max on March[Read More…]
In speculative fiction, sex is no longer a fantasy
New and exciting fantasy novels are constantly making names for themselves in the present day: From Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the fantasy genre has continued to redefine and reinvent itself. While fantasy is not new—arguably over a century old, dating[Read More…]
Lana Del Rey grapples with fame on ‘Chemtrails Over the Country Club’
Chemtrails Over the Country Club is abound with Lana Del Rey’s signature wry wit: The album’s title references the chemtrails conspiracy theory, adding a sinister undertone to the otherwise pleasant visual of a sprawling green country club with planes flying overhead. The album is an atmospheric, 45-minute wash of sound that[Read More…]
Escapism, identity, and the evolution of TikTok aesthetics
Tweed peacoats, plaid dresses, corsets, and cutlasses found discarded in antique store basements have attracted a new group of buyers in 2021: Teenagers. “Aesthetics,” a branch of philosophy that studies the nature and qualifications of beauty, taste, and art, has been given a whole new meaning in the last decade[Read More…]
‘CARNE y ARENA’ fuses uncanny simulation and intimate portraiture
Content warning: Graphic violence. Dubbed a semi-fictionalized ethnography by director Alejandro Iñárritu, CARNE y ARENA, or Flesh and Sand, is a VR exhibition that immerses participants into the lives of undocumented immigrants in the United States. For 15 harrowing minutes, CARNE y ARENA takes participants across the U.S.-Mexico border, hounded by[Read More…]
Actors shine through screens in ‘Inaccurate Conceptions’
Players’ Theatre’s production of Inaccurate Conceptions, written by Sharon Reichert and directed by Kiara Pollice, U2 Education, ran from March 25-27. The 30-minute play, cleverly adapted to be performed live on Zoom, explored romance, gossip, and breakups. During the brief and intimate runtime, the audience glimpsed a relationship between four[Read More…]
Why we are obsessed with obsession
Hannibal Lecter has been a fixture in contemporary horror since his introduction in Thomas Harris’ seminal 1981 novel Red Dragon. Even though Harris, at the time, may not have understood why readers wanted more of his character, media featuring or referencing the character has been around for 40 years. CBS’s[Read More…]
Political panel shows place substance over sensationalism
Political newscasts are often reduced to a ratings game in which clicks and views spur profits. Recent popular programs consist mainly of sensationalist clips that further their political agendas. Whether it be alternative sources like PragerU or The Majority Report that “stick it to the libs,” or mainstream outlets like[Read More…]
Stephanie Dinkins revolutionizes fine art and artificial intelligence
On March 17, transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins presented her work at a virtual talk hosted by the Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies speaker series. Dinkins, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, spoke on how her art questions the place of artificial intelligence (AI) in our[Read More…]
