Scene

‘Black Adam’ was not the film we deserved

DC Comics has not been able to make a great film since they started trying to copy Marvel’s style and themes. More often than not, DC is able to make a decent film that isn’t blatantly copying Marvel. However, one exception to this rule is the recent DC film “Black Adam.”

Smino’s ‘Luv 4 Rent’ and the soul of modern hip-hop

St. Louis rapper and neo-soul artist Smino’s third studio album, “Luv 4 Rent,” presents some of the smoothest and most entertaining music of the entire year. While this has been the case for most of the music he’s released, Smino’s latest effort builds beautifully on his previous work. In “Luv 4 Rent,” he improves both his production and vocal compositions while broadening his horizons in terms of influence and song structure. 

Animation Nation: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'

This past week was one of my roughest weeks yet. Yes, I got to see a part of history and storm the field while Notre Dame beat Clemson, but waiting for me was three paintings and one drawing with fast-approaching deadlines. The Sunday Scaries were hitting hard and more late nights were coming.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ is the most expensive fanfiction ever made

By Júlia Jorge and Matheus Herndl

‘Stick Season’: An ode to New England

Noah Kahan teased his newest album “Stick Season” as an ode to New England. When he released his first single, the namesake of his album, it blew up on Tik Tok, and the once-niche indie singer was thrown into stardom. The single “Stick Season” was released on June 8, while his second single “Northern Attitude” was later released on Sept. 16. 

‘The Metamorphosis of Birds’ is a visual Masterpiece

Catarina Vasconcelos’s “The Metamorphosis of Birds” tells a beautiful story of her family life. Vasconcelos’ visual storytelling further showcases her talent. Caterina wrote, directed and appeared in this documentary. Within the images in the movie, the importance of visuals becomes clear.

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ grabs your attention and does not let go

War is awful. Most everyone believes that, but those without firsthand experience cannot truly grasp the horrors of war. “All Quiet on the Western Front” does a stellar job of imparting the devastation of war onto its viewers. Before I dig deeper into my review of the movie, however, I’d like to give two quick disclaimers. First, I have never read the book “All Quiet on the Western Front,” nor have I watched the previous 1930 and 1979 film adaptations. Second, beware because spoilers lie ahead.

‘What’s the deal with the heads?’: ‘The White Lotus’ premieres with Sicilian style 

On the coasts of Italy, among the beautiful beaches, gauche restaurants and tastefully nude Greco-Roman statues, crime is afoot. Yet another “White Lotus” location is the scene of a grisly crime, but now the stakes are much higher. There are five bodies that have shown up floating in the crystal-clear waters of the resort. The show flips the onus onto the audience to figure out the culprit and the victims as they get to know the messy characters of the resort.

‘House of the Dragon’: A worthy heir

There have been few disasters in entertainment history comparable to the final season of “Game of Thrones” back in 2019. In only six episodes, the once worldwide phenomenon that drew in millions of viewers collapsed, ridiculed for outright bad writing, ruining even its previous seasons in the eyes of many fans. When the “Game of Thrones” prequel show, “House of the Dragon” was announced shortly after, many were skeptical that it could succeed, considering how audiences had soured on the series. So, does “House of the Dragon” stumble as Thrones did, or does it soar?

‘Bear in the Big Blue House’ and ‘PB&J Otter’: A retrospective

Since its final airing in 2011, Walt Disney Studios’ preschool channel Playhouse Disney has been all but radio silent for years. But a little thing called Disney+ came along, and the streaming service began to gain several well-known Playhouse Disney shows such as “Rolie Polie Olie” and “Out of the Box.” For years, fans of Playhouse Disney have wanted “Bear in the Big Blue House” to join Disney+. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2022, Disney+ finally put all four seasons of “Bear in the Big Blue House” as well as all three seasons of “PB&J Otter” on the platform. With these two shows appearing on Disney+, it seems reasonable to look back on both shows, see why they were so lovable back then and understand why they resurfaced now in 2022.

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s ‘Changes’: Yet another idea

“We wanted to see how far we could take a single idea.”

Book Nook: ‘Throne of Glass’

“Throne of Glass” is a young adult high fantasy novel about a teenage assassin, Celaena, who has been given a life sentence in prison and tries to win her freedom via a combat tournament. Although I enjoyed the novel, I wanted more from it.

The Simpsons’ ‘Treehouse of Horrors’: All 33 of them

Before we start, I know what you’re thinking: a Halloween article in November? One may think I’m getting to this late, but I prefer to say I’m getting a head start on next year’s celebrations. 

Why you should visit more museums

To me, a museum is an incomparable location and it eludes precise description: it is a confluence of beauty, culture and history. One of my favorite activities is going to museums, and I immediately look for one whenever I am somewhere new. As such, I decided to argue this hobby should be actively cultivated. 

Danny Elfman lives forever

“I’m so happy, happy.” 

'The Banshees of Inisherin': An unexpected tragedy

To be honest, I walked out of the theater after watching the dark comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” with mixed feelings. I didn’t like it. It made me feel uncomfortable and sad. 

Blanc Daze: Notre Dame’s new band

Spooky Scene Selections

Halloween is just around the corner, and Scene has chosen its favorite songs, films and haunting reflections to celebrate!

Dear reader, Taylor Swift has triumphed once again

Taylor Swift has done it once again.

‘Derry Girls’ season three: Growing up and heading out

On Oct. 7, the third and final season of the hit show “Derry Girls” was added to Netflix. After months of waiting patiently, international fans were finally able to watch. Premiering in 2018,  “Derry Girls” follows five working-class friends at a Catholic school during the 1990s. It is a show about the mishaps of adolescence as well as the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The gang consists of the soulful but misguided Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), the ditsy Orla (Louisa Harland), overdramatic Clare (Nicola Coughlan), sassy Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and her quiet, English cousin, James (Dylan Llewellyn). Together the five of them are the “Derry Girls” who deal with a range of teen issues, from money, romance, breaking rules, as well as the rules that come with living in Northern Ireland in the ‘90s. One example is when Michelle tries to smuggle a bag of vodka onto a bus, denies ownership of it as she is a minor and the unclaimed bag gets literally blown up by the bomb squad.