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Entertainment


Five Underrated Horror Movies to Watch this October

There are certain horror movies that are must-watch, staples for the Halloween season. Classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, Scream, and of course, Halloween are essential October watches. However, there are plenty of other spook-worthy films that should be watched during the month of October that don’t receive the credit they should. 



Top 5 LGBTQ+ Films to watch to commemorate National Coming Out Day

Sunday, we celebrated the hardship, failures, and suffering that LGBTQ+ youth and community endure and have endured since the beginning of time. We also celebrated the successes, stories of hope, and love and connection that make this community one of the unique and essential aspects of human history. National Coming Out Day was first observed in 1988 after a massive march for LGBTQ+ rights outside of Washington, D.C., took place a year prior. Thirty-two years later, the month of October has turned into a month that is bigger than getting free candy in a costume. It’s a celebration of love and the lives of the LGBTQ+ community that continues to fight for the right of all humanity — which is equal treatment for all of humanity everywhere. To commemorate this historic event, we look at the top five LGBTQ+ films.


An Update on the Movie Industry: Movie theaters need blockbusters to survive

2020 has been a rough year, and one area in particular that is feeling the impact of the pandemic is the film industry. Earlier this year, theaters across the world began shutting their doors forcing studios to either delay their films, or to find alternative ways of releasing them. We began seeing studios sell their films to streaming services or skipping the theatrical release by dropping their films on streaming with a premium price of around $20


Image from WMOT

Flashback: Disco is an important part of our pop culture

In the mid-70s, France’s music scene was spurring with a new sensation that would forever change the music world. Manu Dibango intermixed a series of instruments that had a “funky” appeal with their hit “Soul Makossa.” This was later picked up by New York’s underground music industry. Roller-skating, disco balls, “Soul Train,” and other iconic American culture-esque features would begin a culture of its own that would span for a decade. However, some artists in the pop industry today may be dipping their toes back into the culture of the 70s.



Threatening the theatre: How acting majors are coping with COVID-19

With COVID-19 cases still high across the nation with nearly 50,000 new cases in the last 7 days, individuals from all walks of life are having to alter their schedules and plans. Coming back to Ball State University this fall has demonstrated that there will have to be a new normal for everyone. It is currently unacceptable to embrace a friend, walk around without a mask, or congregate in large groups. Even though the average person may miss these small gestures, some Ball State students do not have time to dwell on them as their entire academic lives have been turned upside down. One major that has had to do a lot of adapting for the recent semester is the acting major.


Sjokz: A Voice for the Gaming Youth

To many Esports fanatics, Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere is someone many people—especially women—look up to. Whether it be her large presence and voice within the gaming industry or what she signifies for their professional ambition, Sjokz has paved the way for many young voices in the gaming industry who wish to fill her big shoes over the past 20 years.



History of Scream

Fall marks the time of year when Americans go to haunted houses, carve pumpkins, and curl up on the couch with a bucket of popcorn while walking horror movies. One of the horror flicks that should be at the top of every list is Scream. The film is like lightning in a bottle.  It combines horror and comedy while having clever commentary on horror films woven throughout. With an all-star cast including Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Jamie Kennedy who have created some of horror's most iconic characters, the film was able to go on to be a success both critically and financially. But how did this iconic film, not based on any previous source material, begin in the first place?



Image from IMDb

Disney throws a foul with ‘Artemis Fowl’

Despite an interesting concept with a wide-open fantasy world to be creative in, ‘Artemis Fowl’ didn’t even reach the bare minimum to make a film that might be entertaining to young children, let alone adults.  


A cry for help: How Juice Wrld is changing the rap industry

Rap. A genre born within the 1970s block parties of New York City by blending funk, soul, and disco. A genre hailed for its wordplay, punchlines, complexity, and “real” lyrics. Artists like Tupac and Biggie preach systematic issues like racism, class divide, drugs, etc. However, anybody unacquainted with the genre will tell you it glamorizes sex, violence, anarchy, and drugs. As this may have been true within the past couple of years, I think a light has been slowly growing right under our noses. A light that was almost snuffed out on Dec. 8, 2019, but has prospered above all. That light is Juice Wrld. 


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