The Last Season of “Game of Thrones” Finally Premieres

The final season of “Game of Thrones” has finally premiered after more than a year-long hiatus, starting us down the road to the finale of one of the most popular television shows. Much like previous “Thrones” season premieres, this was a set-up episode. All of the characters are shifted into place, we touch base on old dynamics, get a refresher on the threat of the undead and take a deep breath before the plunge to come. The challenge facing this “Thrones” premiere is a classic one; for 54

A Disappointing Introduction for Marvel’s Newest Hero

Perhaps the best way to describe “Captain Marvel” is that it feels outdated, like a movie Marvel Studios would have made in the mid-2000s. Much like “Doctor Strange,” the movie dives into the origin story formula that defined the early Marvel movies, such as “Iron Man” and “Thor.” It is honestly shocking to see Marvel return to this kind of story after more recent entries in their filmography have been far more willing to take risks. This formulaic approach leads to “Captain Marvel” having a

Long-Awaited Finale 'Kingdom Hearts 3' Enthralls Fans

If you travelled back in time to when I was in high school, or even middle school, and told me that I would be playing “Kingdom Hearts 3” in 2019, I wouldn’t believe you. Not because I wouldn’t believe it had come out so late, but because I wouldn’t believe that it had come out at all. Ever since “Kingdom Hearts 2” was released in 2005, fans have been eagerly awaiting the debut of the next numbered title in the massively successful crossover between Disney and Square-Enix (the video game compa

Miles Morales Proves Himself a Worthy Spider-Man

Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man, one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, is irreplaceable. But that does not mean he needs to be alone. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a story not about Peter Parker, but about Miles Morales, who must take on Spider-man’s legacy after an encounter with a familiar spider. What makes the movie such a success is how easily it sells Miles as a new Spider-Man, who is more than capable of walking alongside one of the greats. In this beautiful

“Venom” Bores Audiences Despite Tom Hardy’s Best Efforts

When I sat down in the theater to watch “Venom,” I fully expected to hate it. I resented (and still do resent) Sony’s attempt to launch its own Spider-Man spinoff movie without actually connecting it to Spider-Man himself. The trailers and marketing of “Venom” had left a sour taste in my mouth. In an interview with youtube channel ComicsExplained, Tom Hardy, whose presence in the movie convinced me to give it a try, had gone on record saying that his favorite 40 minutes were cut from the film. H

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” Thrills in New PlayStation Video Game

Ever since I was a little kid, Spider-Man has been my favorite superhero. His powers are creative, his story is relatable and his adventures boast one of the finest collections of villains and supporting characters in comic history. I was a huge fan of the original Spidey game, 2004’s “Spider-Man 2,” for its jaw-dropping rendition of New York City and revolutionary web-swinging mechanics. Though there have been a few excellent Spider-Man games since its release, the 2004 version was never equale

Solid Character Work Barely Captures “Justice League” Audience

If there’s one good thing I can say about “Justice League”, it’s that the league itself is in top-notch shape. DC’s greatest heroes have excellent chemistry with one another while remaining interesting on their own merits. It truly is a shame, then that they inhabit what is otherwise, at best, a thoroughly mediocre movie. Any strong character work fades away in the face of an incredibly choppy story, tonal issues, a boring villain and poor visual effects. What should be a major pop culture event

Walking Along Amherst’s Alternate Paths

Siraj Sindhu is a testament to Amherst College’s ability to change its students. Throughout his four years at Amherst, Sindhu found himself challenging his identity, philosophy and priorities at every turn. When asked to describe the impact that Sindhu had made on her life, his friend MacKenzie Kugel ’19 said, “Siraj is an extremely kind human being, and his sensibility about the way he lives his life is like no one I’ve ever met. He’s completely himself in a way that I haven’t ever encountere

“Being a Human in STEM” Examines the Individuals Within

“Being a Human in STEM” is a project-based course designed by students and chemistry professor Sheila Jaswal. The course, offered as a Chemistry special topics class, aims to foster a more inclusive, supportive STEM community and develop a framework for students and faculty to both understand and navigate diverse identities in the classroom and beyond. Since its inception in the Spring 2016 semester, the course has thrived, with students presenting their results at numerous conferences. During o

R-Rating and Outstanding Acting Make Best X-Men Movie Yet

In many ways, “Logan” is the fulfillment of a promise that was made in the very first X-Men movie. Under the banner of an R rating, we’re finally able to see the drunk, savage and foul-mouthed yet incredibly sympathetic Wolverine of whom we’ve seen glimpses all these years. In this grounded, bloody, grim and heartbreaking movie, Hugh Jackman is finally able to deliver the culmination of a character arc that has stretched across seventeen years and nine movies. Loosely based on Mark Millar’s “Ol

“Arrival,” Oscar’s Best Picture Nominee is Sci-Fi Done Right

“Arrival,” based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, is an anomaly in today’s entertainment scene. It’s an alien “invasion” movie completely devoid of action; instead it opts for consistent tension and drama. Even more notable is that “Arrival” is undoubtedly a true science fiction movie, one that tackles its heavy subject matter in clever and entertaining ways. Thankfully, grounded performances from a cast led by Amy Adams keep the movie focused on the human element of the st

iBoy: An Average Movie Doomed To Be Lost In a Crowded Netflix

Mark Simonitis ’19 Staff Writer Over the past few years, Netflix has offered extremely high-quality entertainment such as “Beasts of No Nation,” “House of Cards” and more. Then again, it’s also given us “The Ridiculous Six.” “iBoy” lands somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, a movie that remains exceptionally average throughout its hour and a half run time. To be honest, I am not looking forward to writing this review, because there just isn’t a lot worth mentioning. The film revolves

“Sherlock” Season 4: The Detective Who Barely Does Any Detecting

When it comes to adaptations, staying true to the source material is very difficult. Fortunately, “Sherlock” has always been good at navigating that particular problem, successfully translating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and characters in a modern way while adding its own particular twists. However, with Season 4, “Sherlock” seems to have fallen into the problem of spending so much time expanding the show that it leaves behind what made it so entertaining in the first place. Throughout the

The Green Room Opens With a Cross-Campus Romeo and Juliet

This past weekend, the Amherst College Green Room performed Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet,” with a twist. The cast traveled with the audience across campus to perform several scenes in different locations. The audience was treated to a massive Capulet vs. Montague brawl on the stairs of Frost Library, attended the Capulet ball and watched the iconic balcony scene in the Greenway courtyard, witnessed Mercutio and Tybalt’s deaths on the first-year quad and bore witness to the tragic fina

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra Welcomes the Class of 2020

Once upon a time, classical music was considered cutting edge, a place for bold and brash experimentation. This past Saturday, the Amherst Symphony Orchestra brought one of those experiments to life with massive success. In a welcome concert for the class of 2020, the Symphony performed Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony #9, “From the New World” in E minor. A bit of background on Dvorak and his Symphony: 1892, Dvorak and most of his family moved to New York City from his homeland in Bohemia after he wa

A Look Back at Fifty Years of “Star Trek” and a Peek into the Future

Space. The Final Frontier. You know the rest. On Sept. 7, 2016, fans all across the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of “Star Trek”. Who would have guessed that a high concept science fiction television show with a focus on social commentary would have ever caught on? Infamous for its tumultuous production, the franchise that was saved by syndication has survived and even thrived, becoming ingrained in our popular culture and consciousness. However, today’s audience May find it difficult to

The Power of Virtual Reality: Hands On With the Oculus Rift

It didn’t look like much, a hunk of plastic that could vaguely resemble the shape of a visor. However, I knew its reputation. I had heard the whispers and read the online impressions. People were saying that it would change everything, but I was doubtful. Little did I know that the Oculus Rift would live up to the promise of an immersive virtual reality experience. For those unaware, the Oculus Rift is one of the major virtual reality headsets on the market today. The idea is that one only has

The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight Meet With a Whimper, Not a Bang

After years of anticipation, the world’s finest heroes have finally made their big screen debut side by side in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in a study of what happens when you mix the amazing with the awful. Unfortunately, the movie never ascends to an experience worthy of these iconic titans of fiction. On the other hand, it still has enough good qualities to escape the label of a terrible movie. In case you missed the “v” in the title, the movie follows the grand superhero tradition

“10 Cloverfield Lane” Captivates Audiences with Subdued Intensity

There seems to be an unwritten rule when it comes to sequels. They almost always tend to be bigger, brasher and louder than their predecessors, which is why it’s so refreshing to see an example that defies the expectation. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is a smaller, yet scarier and more intense follow-up to the 2008 found-footage monster movie that is anchored by fascinating performances, clever cinematography, a tight script and story. Bigger doesn’t always mean better. The movie begins with Michelle

Ridley Scott’s “The Martian”: The Story of the Loneliest Man on the Planet

The red planet has been a source of inspiration for years, especially for science fiction visionaries such as H.G. Welles and Edgar Rice Burroughs. It has hosted alien civilizations, portals to other dimensions and Bugs Bunny. This time, Matt Damon takes on the second step of the final frontier. It’s his Oscar-nominated performance that anchors this movie, “The Martian,” and allows legendary science fiction director Ridley Scott to produce a quality adaption of the Andy Weir novel of same title.

Marvel’s “Deadpool”: The Merc With a Mouth Makes His Deadly Debut

Back in my sophomore year of high school, I remember arguing with a friend over Deadpool’s future. This was back when the first rumors of a Deadpool movie started to circulate and we still remembered the atrocious portrayal of the character in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” in which the Merc with a Mouth had his mouth sewn shut. I told my friend that there was no way Fox would ever have the guts to put out an R-rated Deadpool movie. If anything, we’d have to settle for a PG-13 movie, but I’m happy

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Recaptures the Magic of George Lucas

“Star Wars” has returned. After years of waiting, one of the most highly awaited movies of all time has finally arrived and successfully manages to recapture the magic of George Lucas’ original trilogy. Under the direction of J.J. Abrams, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” beckons the world to return to a galaxy far, far, away…. Set thirty years after the original trilogy, “The Force Awakens” (TFA) wastes no time in rushing us into the movie’s central conflict between the First Order, the Empire r

“Creed” Takes a Modern Spin on the Old and Beloved “Rocky” Movies

It seems almost impossible that 40 years after Sylvester Stallone introduced audiences to Rocky Balboa, another movie emerged from the iconic franchise. What seems even more impossible is that the movie is good, good enough to earn a place in the upper echelons of “Rocky” movies. Director Ryan Coogler shows us just how hard it is to keep a champion franchise down. “Creed” opens in 1998, introducing us to the character of Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of former heavyweight champion, Apoll

Netflix’s First Original Movie “Beasts of No Nation” Proves a Success

It’s getting harder and harder to remember a time when Netflix wasn’t around. I can hardly believe there once was a time when binge watching old TV shows wasn’t possible. Recently, Netflix decided to build upon the success of its original TV shows, such as “House of Cards,” and expanded its content to include original movies, the first of which is “Beasts of No Nation.” The film is based on Uzodinma Iweala’s novel of the same title, and it debuted on Netflix on Oct. 16, the same day it was relea

Amherst Presents, “Dora”: Mixing Together Memory , Ecology, and Landscapes

You’ve probably seen some of the advertisements around campus for a production called “Dora.” And no, it’s not a new portrayal of Dora the Explorer. “Dora” is a play by theater and dance chair Wendy Woodson. In Woodson’s words, it “blends together ecology, resistance fighters, a story of hidden love, and Freud’s Dora.” The Amherst Student sat down with Woodson to learn more about her upcoming production. She will be performing in the play alongside Visiting Resident Artist Peter Schmitz in the

Summer Hit "Inside Out" Pulls Heartstrings and Delivers Laughs

“Inside Out” could not have been released at a more perfect time. After a trend of lackluster sequels to older movies, such as “Cars” and “Monster’s, Inc.”, the animation juggernaut’s 15th movie struck gold in a true return to form. The film travels inside the head of 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Diaz), introducing viewers to the personified emotions that inhabit her mind: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Anger (Lewis Black) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). When Joy and Sa