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'Andor': A brave new world in that faraway galaxy

By Nicole Bilyak · Friday, Sept. 30, 2022

In 2016, Lucasfilm released the first of the “Star Wars” spin-off films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The film was a massive success and provided a new perspective on the Rebel Alliance. It took until this September to continue the journey “Rogue One” began into the underbelly of the famous rebellion in “Star Wars” when Disney+ aired the first three episodes of the newest “Star Wars” show, “Andor.”

'Do Revenge': A dish best served lukewarm

By Andy Ottone · Friday, Sept. 30, 2022

Netflix’s new movie “Do Revenge” intrigued me from its announcement: a plot inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,” but with a high school setting. Netflix advertised its similarities to other high school classics such as “Clueless,” a personal favorite of mine, so I came into the movie with cautious anticipation. The film boasts a who’s who of young adult TV stars, with Camilla Mendes of “Riverdale” as a former it girl in her senior year of high school and Maya Hawke from “Stranger Things” as a transfer student with a troubled past and a bone to pick, alongside supporting actors from the shows “13 Reasons Why,” “Euphoria” and “Outer Banks.”

The ‘GTA VI’ leak scandal

By Matheus Herndl · Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022

Released in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V, “GTA V,” was one of the most successful video games ever with more than 170 million copies sold worldwide as of 2022 and an average score of 97 on Metacritic, Rockstar Games’ landmark title has been a major influence on nearly every other open world sandbox game released in its wake. Naturally, fans eagerly awaited a sequel, but it seems that some were eager enough to commit one of the biggest cybercrimes in gaming history.

A comprehensive review of smoothie bowls around Notre Dame

By Jane Miller · Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022

Prior to this year, the only way for a Notre Dame student to secure a delicious bowl of blended acai was to take a walk down to Purely Pressed on Eddy Street. Now, there are two places on campus that sell smoothie bowls: Rollin’ and Bowlin’ at the Hagerty Cafe in Duncan Student Center and Flip Kitchen in LaFortune Student Center. I have taken it upon myself to try each of the smoothie bowl places on and near campus so that you don’t have to. For the basis of this comparison, I have selected the bowls that are most similar to each other from each respective place: Flip Kitchen’s “Acai Banana Berry,” Purely Pressed’s “Acai” and Rollin’ and Bowlin’s “Super Monkey Bowl.”

Book Nook: ‘Dune,’ two very different narratives

By Caitlin Brannigan · Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022

My summer project was reading Frank Herbert’s “Dune.”

South Bend Symphony Orchestra performs at Notre Dame

By Marcelle Couto · Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022

This past weekend, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra opened its 90th season with two stellar performances of “Mozart y Mambo” at the DeBartalo Performing Arts Center. Conductor Alastair Willis was greeted on stage with the presence of his sister, Sarah Willis, a member of the Berlin Philharmonic and French horn player.

‘Don’t Worry, Darling’ — Florence Pugh Has It Under Control

By Abigail Keaney · Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

If you’ve spent any time online in the past few weeks, “Don’t Worry Darling” needs no introduction. Between Harry Styles’ now infamous interview at Venice Film Festival (he was right — the movie does feel like a movie), Florence Pugh’s conspicuous absence from that same event, Olivia Wilde’s public feud with former star Shia LaBeouf, and perhaps the most bizarre, the Harry Styles and Chris Pine ‘spit gate’, “Don’t Worry Darling” was facing a barrage of criticism and unfortunate viral tweets well before even hitting the silver screen. The film’s trailer was met with trepidation, Styles’ labored acting skills looked all the worse next to Pugh’s natural delivery, and critics haven’t been exactly kind to Wilde’s sophomore directorial credit. The question remained, however, if, after all this, the movie would actually be any good. The verdict? It’s good enough, and sometimes that’s okay.

Roger Federer completes 24 year tennis career

By Claire McKenna · Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022

After more than two decades of play, Roger Federer has finished his legendary tennis career. Announced on September 15, through Twitter, Federer said that he must listen to his body as it tells him that his time as a competitive player is over. Federer played his final match last Friday: a doubles match with friend and rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup.

What 'Coco' has taught me

By Gabriel Zarazua · Monday, Sept. 26, 2022

Believe me, I get it. Here's another piece on Coco! Has it been talked about numerous times since its release in 2017? Absolutely, but for good reason. Being Mexican-American myself, I was skeptical at first when Disney announced this film. I thought right away it would be a stereotypical Hispanic film that the majority of audiences would assume Hispanic culture is. However, “Coco” was a film that truly moved me emotionally. So, while this isn’t necessarily a recommendation, I would like to talk about what this film meant to me.

'The Tsugua Diaries': A pandemic-era masterpiece

By Rose Androwich · Monday, Sept. 26, 2022

Admittedly, I found myself a watcher of pandemic escapism shows and movies, the most prominent example being “Emily in Paris.” Watching “The Tsuagua Diaries” illustrated just how a director can draw inspiration from something so unprecedented — the pandemic — and use it to create a masterpiece.

Fifteen seconds for fame

By Willoughby Thom · Friday, Sept. 23, 2022

Music has become disposable. One day, you hear a new hit song, and then, a month later, it has vanished off the face of the earth. While this is not an entirely new phenomenon, the world of music has shifted greatly over the last decade. Instead of relying on record sales, downloads or touring to gain popularity, musicians are relying even more on the power of social media.

All in this together: the sprawling ‘High School Musical’ universe

By Andy Ottone · Friday, Sept. 23, 2022

“Breaking Bad.”“Star Wars.” “High School Musical.” What do these have in common? They are all sprawling franchises with films and television series, which all tell one cohesive story. (If one of these looks out of place, I don’t blame you. I also did not know Breaking Bad released a movie.) Jokes aside, it’s time to “get’cha head in the game,” because I am about to break down the expansive High School Musical franchise.

‘Hold the Girl’ dropped the ball

By Claire Lyons · Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022

Rina Sawayama is ambitious. She’s a Cambridge graduate. She’s a musician. She wants to raise awareness about the struggles of being mixed race and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, all while embracing her inner child. She’s trying to out-do her critically-acclaimed debut album with her newest release “Hold the Girl.”

‘Primal’ and the language of evolution

By JP Spoonmore · Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022

Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Primal” is a masterpiece like no other. Through blood and prehistoric rage, the silence of a show without dialogue is drowned under the terrifying screams of beasts fighting their very extinction. But this is more than just a show about a caveman and a T-rex fighting duo. Sprayed across this show’s violent tapestry is a hunt for meaning.

Animation recommendations: 'If Anything Happens I Love You'

By Gabriel Zarazua · Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022

Whether sudden or expected, the death of a loved one is something we can never prepare for. Grief is not easy. Imagine you stumble across an old item — a beloved sweatshirt, a collar with a bell on it or a trinket in the back of a cabinet. You start to remember all the good memories associated with them — your uncle’s laugh, the hours spent playing with the family cat, your grandma’s tendency to collect Jesus figurines. For a second, you run through every memory associated with this person, from the minute detail of your first meeting with each other until … you remember why you are remembering them in the first place. They’re gone.

'Harry's House' feels like home

By Ananya Dalmia · Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022

There are moments in life that feel unsubstantial.

In memory of Queen Elizabeth II

By Rose Androwich · Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022

Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare, Downton Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II: all of them filled the walls of my Irish-Italian household. What was it that made Queen Elizabeth so important to us? What made her the one who led me to be named Rose Elizabeth Androwich and my younger sister to almost be named Elizabeth instead of Emily?

"Different Man", different music

By Ashley Hedge · Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022

Kane Brown has carved out a niche for himself in the music industry, straddling the line between pop and country. His collaborations with popular pop artists like Khalid, Blackbear, Marshmello and others only solidify that position. His new album, “Different Man,” is no different. Tracks like “One Mississippi,” “Losing You,” “See You Like I Do,” “Go Around” and “Dear Georgia” possess Brown’s typical pop production with country influences.

'Petite Maman': Like mother, like daughter

By Angela Mathew · Monday, Sept. 19, 2022

They say that great things come in small packages. In just 73 minutes, French film "Petite Maman" (translated “Little Mom"), directed by Céline Sciamma, tells a touching story of motherhood and memory.

'Juniper': The emotional exploration of friendship

By JP Spoonmore · Monday, Sept. 19, 2022

Notre Dame alum Katherine Dudas ‘14 just wrote and directed her own feature film, “Juniper.” That alone should be enough to convince you to see it, but ignoring the Notre Dame school pride part, this film is fantastic in its emotional evolution of grief and what we cling to when remembering lost loved ones, as well as the harsh reality that sometimes our memories aren’t always the full picture.