Input 2 continues to explore the deep roots of the Halloween film genre. More specifically, how the original Halloween movie created many of the horror tropes today. But how does the new Halloween sequel hold up to the first one? Does Michael Myers still strike fear into the hearts of viewers? Tune in to this week’s episode of Input 2 to find out more!
‘From Normal to Extraordinary: Ball State’s First Century’ was a struggle to sit through and even more of a struggle to evaluate. Despite slick production, excellent music, and strong research, the film suffers from a lack of a strong narrative backbone.
‘When Jeff Tried to Save the World’ is a fascinating character study set against a backdrop of faded neon and gutter-balls. The cinematography and set design is humble, yet charming, and the ensemble cast absolutely knocks it out of the park. Despite being rooted heavily in a nostalgia (of sorts) for the bowling alley of yesteryear, this film couldn’t be more relevant for our generation and the one before it. No matter how many quarters this one eats, Jeff is worth the price to play.
'Starlink: Battle for Atlas' can be confusing and frustrating at points, but it's wonderful overall. It’s fun to play and doesn’t get boring because of how much there is to do.
David Green’s 2018 Halloween remedies this in the simplest way possible: by pretending everything after the original Halloween movie doesn’t exist, and you know what? I wish that were true, because the 2018 Halloween is the perfect sequel to the original.
Jeremy and Matt break down reports that Blink 182’s UFO company ‘To The Stars Academy’ is $37 million in debt.
Juuls may be here to stay and just like any new form of technology there will be benefits and drawbacks, so we must as a society consider the consequences of this latest trend.
In honor of the spooky Halloween season, we will be counting down thirteen of the best segments from The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror.
For the past few years, every major televised award show has experienced a decline in viewership. So where can they look to find new strategies to engage viewers?
Jeremy and Matt break down Marvel’s Iron Fist being cancelled by Netflix and its possible jump to Disney’s streaming service.
‘Trench’ truly could have easily been another ‘Blurryface,' but Twenty One Pilots put in the effort to create a better, more unique experience for the listener. The incredible production elevates the music to another level and compliments the melodies sung by Tyler Joseph. The story of the album is dense and worth diving into. But the main feature is how the music constantly changes while still feeling like a cohesive record. For those who have not listened to Twenty One Pilots, this album is definitely worth listening to. For the fans of Twenty One Pilots, this albums serves as a high point in their discography that you will love.
'Forza Horizon 4' offers some of the most fluid and unique experiences that any racing fan would be dying to have. Unfortunately, the scale seems to tip in both directions when considering the little tweaks that throw the whole engine out of whack. It seems in this iteration, the British edition of the horizon festival gets caught in the commuter lane.
Even if it is not quite as fully developed, fresh, or intriguing as its predecessor, THINK: PEACE is still a strong sophomore record from Clarence Clarity that further proves that he’s one of the most inventive, forward-thinking producers out there. It also is a perfect record for people wanting to listen to Clarence Clarity for the first time. His trademark glitchy, maximalist production is still intact, but it’s toned down and Clarence’s talent as a songwriter takes the front seat. Everything is a bit more streamlined, for better or worse.
'Mega Man 11' is everything fans were hoping for and more. Even with subpar sound design, everything else from the visuals to the level design to the minute-to-minute gameplay is Mega Perfection. A franchise as battered and bruised as 'Mega Man' deserves this kind of relief. With this kind of title bringing glory back to the name of the Blue Bomber, one can only hope this ushers in a new era of 'Mega Man' goodness.
‘Nigerian Prince’ is a dark (and scarily relevant) look into the financial underworld of Nigeria, held back by a fairly scattered story and an emphasis on style over substance. That said, when it hits its stride, you’re practically begging for it to take your money, and when it falls, it’s like the stock market. It sinks.
This week on Pop Tabs Matt, Jeremy, and Jake discuss Pete Davidson’s inappropriate jokes about Ariana Grande, Total War: Rome II unapologetically including women in their game, and Shane Dawson’s documentary series on Jake Paul.
For both newcomers and veterans of ‘My Hero Academia,’ ‘My Hero Academia: Two Heroes’ captures your attention from the start. Class 1-A are their usual loveable selves, especially Bakugo, and the few new characters were memorable. Some background was given for All Might, so it was neat to see the No. 1 hero when he was younger. The fighting sequences were action-packed and just beautiful to watch. The animation looked amazing, and ‘My Hero Academia: Two Heroes’ proved just how much better MHA would be if it were always on the big screen.
Even if the story doesn’t bring anything new to the table, 'A Star Is Born' is still a solid execution of a tried and true story. Much of the thanks has to go to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, whose chemistry was gold. Their solo performances also deserve to win gold, Oscars, that is. This may just be remembered as one of the high points of Lady Gaga’s career. She finally got the chance to prove herself as an actor on the silver screen, have her name in the same group as icons such as Garland and Streisand, and release a song (“I Will Never Love Again”) that is bound to become a classic power ballad along the lines of “I Will Always Love You” and “My Heart Will Go On”. It’s a wonderful start for what could be an illustrious career in film, and solid proof that Lady Gaga will most likely go down as one of most memorable, beloved artists of this decade.
‘Venom’ is a must-see with all of its dark, gorgeous combat scenes. Tom Hardy makes Eddie Brock lovable and memorable, and Venom himself adds to the movie’s dark factor. It is fast-paced, which makes it enjoyable, but also hurts the movie in a few ways. Despite that, even without Spider-Man included, ‘Venom’ makes a beautiful movie worth watching.
