Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 25, 2024

Arts & Entertainment



Maleficent: Mistress of Evil falls flat as a sequel

It’s really hard to get a sequel right. At best, they build upon the themes of the original piece and give audiences a chance to reconnect with beloved characters. At worst, they come across as meaningless cash grabs that can tarnish any good will earned by their predecessor. 


Courtesy of Glenstone Museum
The path to the Pavillions Building is a scenic journey through nature.

Glenstone provides an immersive art experience in Potomac, Md.

Hidden in plain sight yet undiscovered by many in the county, the Glenstone, a contemporary art museum, is a well-kept secret of Potomac, Md. Glenstone’s collection features art from the post-World War II era to the modern day. Following its inception in 2006 after being financed by American businessman Mitchell Rales, the mission of Glenstone was to seamlessly integrate art, landscape and architecture into a serene environment for introspection and contemplation. 


Public Domain
The Friedberg Concert Hall is home to various Peabody ensembles.

Peabody Prep students shine at Friedberg Hall

This past Sunday, the Young People’s String Program (YPSP) of the Hopkins Peabody Preparatory put on its 33rd annual Halloween concert. The performance took place in the Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall, and the entire venue was full to the brim. 


Dick Thomas Johnson/CC By-S.A 2.0 
Bong Joon-Ho hopes to leave audiences with mixed emotions to give “Parasite” greater realism.

Parasite transcended all of my expectations

Bong Joon-Ho’s Snowpiercer blew my high school mind. The film came to Netflix in late 2014, when the service still felt like somewhat of a novelty. Renting DVDs was still a large part of their model. Their push into original content was fledgling but promising with House of Cards, and “Netflix and chill?” was a phrase still unironically used by fuckboys everywhere. 


PETER KUDLACZ/CC BY 2.0
Actor and comedian Nick Kroll helped co-create Neflix’s Big Mouth.

Big Mouth is a crude and honest view of teen life

Big Mouth isn’t for everyone. This crude yet reflective comedy about middle-schoolers discovering their sexuality isn’t easy to digest, and, as the show cheekily admits in one of its episodes, it probably wouldn’t be able to get away with it if it wasn’t animated. But for those who make it past the shock and see the ingenious comedy behind it all, the third season of Big Mouth will be a treat. This show pulls no punches and perhaps, owing to the three-season Netflix deal, leaves no stone unturned. 




Fells Point celebrates spirited annual festival

The annual Fells Point Fun Festival took place this past weekend from Oct. 12 to Oct. 13. It was my first year at the festival, but I don’t think it’ll be my last. Over 100 vendors and 17 bands filled up the waterfront in the historic area along Thames Street, including Caroline and Wolfe.


Artist Terry Thompson discusses exhibit

Terry Thompson’s exhibition Bianco e Nero premiered at the Y:ART Gallery in Highlandtown’s Art District on Sept. 14. On Saturday, Oct. 12, Thompson presented his personal story, talked about the works on display at his exhibition and discussed the overall trajectory of his career as an artist. 


COURTESY OF ELIZA ZIMMERMAN

BMA exhibit highlights black abstract artists

In the early afternoon haze and post-Sterling Brunch lethargy, I find myself leaning back against the darkness of a Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) side room. Before me rises Kevin Beasley’s immense installation Chair of the Ministers of Defense, a sculptural piece of resin-stiffened hoods made of various clothing materials looming over a single wicker chair. 


COURTESY OF EUNICE PARK

Acatoberfest a cappella concert features new faces

Fall has arrived, which means that the annual Acatoberfest is here. On Saturday night, multiple Hopkins a cappella groups gave a lively and stunning performance at the Bloomberg auditorium. Although it takes place every year, the support towards the a cappella groups and popularity of these special a cappella performances never fade away; the entire auditorium was packed. 



Diana Ringo/CC BY-SA 4.0
Actor Joaquin Phoenix gives a compelling performance as the Joker in DC Comic’s new film.

Joker magnifies issues of social stratification and mental health

I had been talking with a friend who told me she was scared to watch the recently released DC Comics movie, Joker. While I assumed she was scared of the possibly gory and creepy contents of the film, I proceeded to ask her what exactly she found disturbing. Her response startled me.


COURTESY OF MARVIS GUTIERREZ
AVAM’s new exhibit emphasized climate change’s need for advocacy.

American Visionary Art Museum exhibit foregrounds climate crisis

Last weekend, the American Visionary Arts Museum (AVAM) premiered this year’s exhibit, “The Secret Life of Earth: Alive! Awake! (and Possibly Really Angry!)”. To those who do not know AVAM, the museum always highlights artists and work that go beyond the norm, using different and innovative mediums of art to reach the end goal of their exhibit: in this case, learning more about the earth in which we live and to love it more. AVAM did not fail to awe and surprise me with their most recent installation. 


COURTESY OF EUNICE PARK
The “seeing room” at the Carroll mansion featured decorations and paintings of Edgar Allan Poe.

Carroll Mansion hosts Poe funeral reenactment

This past weekend might have just been a normal weekend for you, but for many, it was “Death Weekend.” To commemorate the 170th anniversary of the mysterious death of acclaimed poet Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore, the Carroll Mansion hosted a funeral reenactment on Saturday morning as a part of many other events hosted during the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. 



KRISTIAN BJONARD/CC BY-SA 2.0
The Sweaty Eyeballs Festival has expanded into an international event.

Inaugural film festival shows local animation

This weekend saw the inaugural Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival move into Station North in celebration of animated works of all kinds. Sweaty Eyeballs has taken many different forms since founder Phil Davis began the program in 2012 — fluctuating between annual and monthly screenings at Creative Alliance, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and its current home, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theatre. 


COURTESY OF NICK XITCO 
The Barnstormers presented five short plays over the weekend to welcome freshmen.

Barnstormers introduce new students in Freshman One Acts

This past weekend the Barnstormers hosted their Freshman One Acts, an annual performance featuring performances by members of the new class.The event — which was comprised of five short plays — put freshmen in the metaphorical and literal spotlight both on stage and behind the curtain and was a promising omen of great performances to come.


Jwslubbock/CC BY-SA 4.0

Peggy Gou releases break-out new music video

 The first time I was introduced to the world of Peggy Gou was when my sister sent over a humorous Instagram clip of her at the Wilderness Festival at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, dressed in an iconic, yellow dress, skipping around in a circle while singing along to the 1995 hit “I Wish” by Skee-lo. Known for her quirky love for giraffes and her branded “Just Gou It” Nike t-shirts, Peggy is someone you cannot not love. Her recent music video for her EP’s A-side track, “Starry Night,” had been released this summer on Apple Music (I watched it through my sister’s phone via FaceTime), but this past week, it was finally published on more accessible platforms for the world to see. 


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