Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
October 3, 2026 October 3, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Arts & Entertainment

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0  Shazam! Fury of the Gods is an uninventive rehash of the superhero genre.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods offers an uncomfortable look into what teenage angst looks like in spandex

By ALICIA GUEVARA | April 2, 2023

​For the most part, I’m a huge fan of superhero films. Their predictability is my comfort cinema; I love their simplicity and determination for obvious good to prevail over evil. I love their surprisingly inspirational training montages. I even love that all the protagonists have cheesy superhero names (seriously, though, why are there so many names that end with “Man”?).

COURTESY OF JOHN D’CRUZ AND MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s recommendations include John Wick: Chapter 4, James Patterson’s new novel Countdown and U2’s new album Songs of Surrender.

To watch and watch for: Week of March 19

By VAREN TALWAR | March 19, 2023

As you get ready for spring break, the Arts section has plenty of recommendations to help with your relaxation. For those staying in Baltimore, the Charles and Senator theatres continue to feature great revivals like Porco Rosso and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. However, wherever you are, you can catch Keanu Reeves do his thing in John Wick: Chapter 4. Moreover, big names like U2 and Lana Del Rey are dropping albums right now, so be sure to check those out!

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0 Elizabeth Banks directed the dark comedy horror film Cocaine Bear.

Cocaine is a hell of a drug, especially when snorted by a bear

By VAREN TALWAR | March 18, 2023

Somewhere in the middle of Cocaine Bear, a bag of cocaine bursts open, and, as some of the powder fortuitously settles in a straight line, the titular bear snorts it right up her nose. I think the previous sentence suffices as a summary that obviously entices readers to watch this movie.

COURTESY OF JOHN D’CRUZ AND MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Inside, Daughters of Nantucket: A Novel and With Love From.

To watch and watch for: Week of March 12

By SOPHIA LIN | March 12, 2023

We’re upon that precarious last week before spring break. There’s almost always lots of work to get through before we can finally have a moment of respite, but, if you can spare any time, here’s what to check out this week. And, if not, you’ve always got the week after!

COURTESY OF PAIGE MAULTSBY Composition Professor Michael Hersch, who headed the event, hopes to plan more interdisciplinary events across departments. 

Peabody composers partner with Department of Physics and Astronomy to bring space images to life

By PAIGE MAULTSBY | March 8, 2023

The Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy hosted “Music and Astronomy: New Music for Voice Inspired by Space” on March 4, which featured original compositions and vocal performances by Peabody Institute students. The event, free and open to the public, was a collaboration between the Peabody Department of Composition and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, bridging the two different campuses for an evening of interdisciplinary exploration.

COURTESY OF EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY / CC BY-SA 2.0 Lin analyzes the duality of technology in the films The Martian and Her.

Interplays between technology and humanity to consider in science fiction

By SOPHIA LIN | March 8, 2023

The breakneck advancement of technology is bound to become one of the defining phenomena of this century. Thinkers across fields from medicine to philosophy have deliberated the implications of technology, yet it remains distinctly fruitful and enlightening to investigate the ways in which artists consider the unprecedented predicament before us.

TACKNEY OS / CC BY-SA 4.0 Preston’s novel detailed the infamous sinking of the British ocean liner the RMS Lusitania.

Diana Preston’s Lusitania: The complexity in devastation

By ERIC SMITH | March 7, 2023

I have always had an interest in shipwrecks. The Titanic was once my favorite — the most fascinating shipwreck bar none. It was the epitome of turn-of-the-century hubris and grandeur, a ship the likes of which was never seen and will never be seen again. However, there has recently been a reshuffling in my shipwreck rankings. While not quite supplanted, I have found another shipwreck that rivals my interest in the Titanic — the Lusitania, which sank on May 7, 1915. Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy by Diana Preston is the book that prompted my rethinking.

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0 Pedro Pascal stars as Din Djarin in the Disney+ show The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian, season three, episode one: A slow start to a promising new season

By ALICIA GUEVARA | March 7, 2023

I have never felt more intensely attached to a character than when I watched The Mandalorian for the first time. Not attached to the Mandalorian, the titular character and intended central protagonist played by Pedro Pascal. Not to any villain, comedic side character or even a character with intelligible lines. No, it was to the real star of the show: Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda.

COURTESY OF JOHN D’CRUZ AND MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Time Bandits, Scream VI and Miley Cyrus’ new album Endless Summer Vacation. 

To watch and watch for: Week of March 5

By VAREN TALWAR | March 5, 2023

It’s a busy week in the film and music worlds! New films like 65 and Scream VI have got fans excited, while the revival series at the Senator and Charles theatres are bringing masterful works like Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu and Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits back to the big screen. Meanwhile, pop star Miley Cyrus and the fictional Daisy Jones and the Six release new albums this week, so, if you can find time, there’s a lot out there for you to watch and listen to!

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Creed III and Zoje Stage’s new book Mothered.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 26

By VAREN TALWAR | February 27, 2023

It’s an exciting week for the arts, especially for film nerds who will be delighted with the opportunity to watch Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen at the Charles Theatre! A similar wave of nostalgia is likely to pervade you if you go for the revival screening of John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at the Senator Theatre. Elizabeth Banks’ new movie Cocaine Bear seems to have all the trappings of a cult classic and is sure to be a lot of fun as well.

THANK YOU (23 MILLIONS+) VIEWS / CC BY 2.0 Many newcomers lead the nominations of the 95th Academy Awards, which will take place on March 12, 2023.

2023 Oscars predictions: Overcoming controversy by appeasing viewers

By JOHN D'CRUZ | February 23, 2023

After a series of contentious years, many wonder whether the Academy’s new leadership, namely President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer, can draw viewers and positive reviews for the upcoming 95th Academy Awards. Due to uncertainty surrounding the value of awards shows, my predictions on who will take home this year’s Oscars will weigh both public opinion and the merit of the nominees themselves to select the most favored winner. 

MARIE CLAIRE KOREA / CC BY 3.0 Park Chan-wook is the director of the South Korean romantic thriller Decision to Leave.

In Focus: Decision to Leave (2022)

By VAREN TALWAR | February 23, 2023

With South Korean cinema gradually becoming more mainstream over the past few years, works of directors like Park Chan-wook are becoming more scrutinized. I urge everyone to jump on the bandwagon to be exposed to the wealth of this industry and its many uplifting and entertaining stories. For now, I recommend the dark and twisted rabbit hole of romantic perversion that is Decision to Leave.

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0 Paul Rudd returns as Ant Man in Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an entertaining adventure to be expected of the Marvel franchise

By ALICIA GUEVARA | February 22, 2023

Is there any movie franchise bigger than the Marvel franchise? After a quick Google search, I received my answer: a resounding no. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has, according to CNBC , grossed over 22 billion dollars at the global box office. For reference, the second highest grossing franchise, Star Wars, only grossed 10.2 billion, and it started roughly 30 years before Iron Man was released in 2008.

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Season 5 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, The Quiet Girl and Janie Chang’s book The Porcelain Moon: A Novel of France, the Great War, and Forbidden Love.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 19

By SOPHIA LIN | February 19, 2023

It’s a quieter week here in the arts world. Big-budget releases and superstar artists have taken the week off — but all the better for it perhaps. It makes for a fantastic chance to dive into the indies, the debut artists and the up-and-comers.

DAVID TORCIVIA / CC BY-SA 2.0 Your Place or Mine, starring Reese Witherspoon, lacks the essential rom-com spark.

Your Place or Mine: A romantic comedy trying to do too much

By ALICIA GUEVARA | February 19, 2023

What makes a great romantic comedy? Is it option A, the absurdly attractive romantic leads masquerading as average Joes and Janes? Is it option B, the juicy, far-fetched and highly preventable misunderstandings that bring them together? Or maybe it’s option C, the moment when their eyes meet or their shoulders brush and you think, “Yup, they’re endgame.”

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Hidden Blade, Trustfall and The Shamshine Blind: A Novel.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 12

By SOPHIA LIN | February 13, 2023

As we leave January behind, releases are picking up in the art world. Beginning with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel Studios’ latest entry marks the first blockbuster of the year. For fans of crime, neo-noir Marlowe and Chinese espionage thriller Hidden Blade are both out this week too. If those dark and twisted alleys aren’t up your alley, take a look at the indie biopic Emily.

Trending
Weekly Rundown
News-Letter Magazine