Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Observer
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Support The Observer
Observer Store Subscribe
The Observer

Scene

1679404343-92cb86fb47fd09f

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.

1679404350-67a01f55d802cf7

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. 

1679404322-88e6be1dc330504

‘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.” 

1679404321-8e0827deb8700f9

‘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.

1679404309-fa7ed036f0c4e7a

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.

1679404289-da830ed3c053ff2

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?

1679404287-668ca18570f0722

"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.

1679404217-3413d58e32bebb1

'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.

1679404222-e8a7c0522fc6cc0

'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.

1679404157-fe759c248b191f6

'I Love You Jennifer B': Regret in the future

By Coby McKeown · Friday, Sept. 16, 2022

I know, Jockstrap sounds like the name of some late 70s British punk band whose lead singer thinks that not taking a shower for a month is giving a middle finger to the system … which is exactly what this band is! Actually, I lied, sorry to disappoint you, you were probably jumping out of your seats to grab your headphones, now you probably hate me. In actuality, Jockstrap is a collaboration between songwriter Georgia Ellery and producer Taylor Skye. Their debut album “I Love You Jennifer B” is an eclectic scrapbook of electronic sounds, glitchy synths, blown-out drums and a full 18-piece orchestra. Sounds epic, right? Yes, it is.

1679404141-888d7fb108eb892

Fred again.. and the sounds of 'Actual Life'

By Brendan Nolte · Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022

You’ve known about Fred John Philip Gibson (aka Fred again..) for far longer than you might think. The 29-year-old multitalented music producer and songwriter has spent the better part of the last decade helping some of the biggest artists in the world create their own work, for the most part opting to remain behind the scenes. But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Gibson has finally stepped into the spotlight. 

1679404101-db4e4f1cf60b383

2022: The year of the prequel

By Matheus Herndl · Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022

The trend of endless movie sequels is by no means a recent one. Ever since the 70s and the birth of summer blockbuster franchises like Jaws or Star Wars, the sequel has been a staple in yearly releases to the joy of some fans and the detriment of others. Indeed, the market dominance of big-budget sequels has always been contentious, with some arguing that they are lazy and unnecessary additions to already completed stories. While the sequel tradition stands strong even today, 2022 has seemingly marked a shift in Hollywood’s mindset, with more and more prequels being released as opposed to straight-up sequels.

1679404036-bb9e3531c11b3b7

‘Tell Me Lies’: A train wreck

By Rose Androwich · Monday, Sept. 12, 2022

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, the first three episodes of the new Hulu series “Tell Me Lies” was released. While the first episode begins in the present, the director takes us back to Lucy’s first year of college.

Trending