Laker Review highlights four ‘spooktacular’ Halloween songs
For the month of December, radio stations switch their playlists to entirely carols, novelty songs and other wintertime songs from the austere tradition of “Silent Night” to the white guilt of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Halloween gets no similar…
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ puts nostalgic spell on cult film’s fans
Despite its critical and box office woes, “Hocus Pocus” has prevailed as a Halloween classic since its 1993 release thanks to its infectious camp, charming, yet cartoonish leads and family-friendly take on the macabre. Naturally, the announcement of the cult…
Editorial: Have Marvel films overstayed their welcome?
In the spring of 2019, I was in the movie theater with my brother in Rotterdam, the Schenectady suburb, not the city in the Netherlands, when we watched “Avengers: Endgame.” We were psyched. The both of us grew up with…
Rina Sawayma dives into contemporary pop rock with ‘Hold the Girl’
Japanese-British pop rocker Rina Sawayama (“Follow Me”) released her second studio album “Hold the Girl” on Sept. 16. The album is the follow-up to her star-making debut album and ode to Y2K, “SAWAYAMA.” The album made her an instant alt-pop…
Weezer EP incoherent after taking ideas from other musicians
The autumn season has just begun and as promised, Weezer (“Buddy Holly”) released the latest EP in their “SZNZ” collection on Sept. 22. It features seven songs and is the band’s ninth EP record. Weezer dropped “SZNZ: Autumn” hoping to…
Aster’s debut novel ‘Lightlark’ breathes new life into fantasy genre
Alex Aster’s debut novel, “Lightlark,” is an intense fantasy that will leave readers shocked with the twists and turns that happen throughout the course of the book. Lightlark is an island that appears once every 100 years for 100 days….
Maya Hawke’s ‘MOSS’ hones in on folk ballads, Swift-esque sounds
Singer-songwriter Maya Hawke (“Blue Hippo”) released her second studio album “MOSS” on Sept. 23. The album follows her critically acclaimed debut “Blush” from 2020. To call Hawke a singer-songwriter is like calling Ted Kascynski a mathematician: there are some important…
‘Heathers: The Musical’ slays with dark humor, killer music
Despite its depiction of dark, heavy themes like murder and teen suicide, “Heathers: The Musical:” has gained a significant following out of appreciation for its off-color humor, somewhat jovial tone and energetic musical numbers. Though it has never reached the…
Wilde’s second film ‘Worries’ viewers despite promising concept
The highly-anticipated and talked about new film from actress and director Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”), “Don’t Worry Darling,” had its worldwide premiere at the Venice Film Festival to mixed critic and audience reviews. Fans of Wilde’s first film, Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”)…
