Three Poets That Won’t Remind You of English Class

While there’s no doubt that some types of poetry have been heavily influenced by older, structure-heavy forms like sonnets and soliloquies, the work of many modern poets has transformed the industry into one that is much more accessible for audiences who are younger, or simply less acquainted with the poetry genre.

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The Haunting of Hill House

What makes The Haunting of Hill House so impressive is how the story itself is executed. What could’ve been a campy horror story filled with jumpscares and overused tropes was instead a carefully crafted, slow-burn tale that saved its few jumpscares for just the right moments. Furniture and wallpaper are arranged to resemble faces hidden in almost every scene, and the ghosts of Hill House lurk in almost every scene – often in plain sight yet easily missed…

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Song Review: “Guilty Conscious” – 070 Shake

If you are in need for the perfect summer night drive song, I have been loving “Guilty Conscious” by 070 Shake. This creative piece tells a story while allowing the listener to get lost in the futuristic beat. Somehow feeling very nostalgic, and comfortable this song really speaks to the listener. Lyrically, the song takes you on a journey feeling pain, sadness and release…

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Art Films 101: “Ida”

If you’re looking for a film that surpasses mere entertainment, Ida by Pawel Pawlikowski may be an eye-opener. The 2013 Polish film, with its poignant story and stunning cinematography, ignited my love and appreciation for art films. “Ida” explores existentialism, family, and the secular world versus religion through Ida Lebenstein, a Catholic-raised girl who learns of her Jewish background after meeting her only living relative, Wanda Gruz.

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Review: “Come and See”

“Come and See” is a 1985 film from the Soviet Union by director Elem Klimov. The film is set in Byelorussia in 1943, and follows a young boy, Florya, as he is recruited into the struggling resistance movement against the crushing arm of Nazi Germany. He enters the war with confidence and courage, as many young recruits do, but his mind and body are soon ravaged by the horrors of war.

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Review: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Kipo tells the story of a world far in the future, when humanity has been forced underground by “mutes” – mutated, intelligent animals that have since taken over the surface world. Nature has reclaimed civilization, and humans live in small community “bunkers” just trying to survive. Kipo, a young girl from one such community, suddenly finds herself alone on the surface after being forced to flee her bunker when it is attacked by a massive, six-armed Mega Mute monkey.

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Praise for “Hunger Games” Prequel

Many fans were dismayed when it was revealed that the novel would follow Coriolanus, who is considered to be the main villain of the Hunger Games trilogy. I disagree, however. I believe that all monsters were once men, and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” reveals Coriolanus’s tumultuous relationship between his humanity and his brutality as he struggled to survive in the brutal social sphere of the Capitol.

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