Reviews

Nine years after its debut, Taylor Swift has re-released her fourth studio album, Red(Taylor’s Version), the second of album of hers to be rerecorded. Much to her fans’ excitement, Swift has included eight songs she excluded from the original copy to fit the mold of her former record label, not because they were lower quality. Along with a short film and a music video, the thirty track album has proved to be an immediate success hitting #1 on Billboard. Most importantly, Swift has released the full, original copy of her masterpiece “All Too Well”, which has been the request of fans for years.

Most people are aware of the story of Princess Diana, one of the most influential figures of the late 20th century, a woman whose friendly disposition and work in charity led to her becoming an international icon, beloved by many. The film Spencer follows her story over the course of a three-day Christmas holiday, through which she must stay with the British Royal family. It depicts her account of the decision to end her marriage with Prince Charles. 

Let’s be real; Genshin Impact’s version 2.3, launching on November 23rd, really just feels like the “we just remembered new players exist” update. The return of non-Inazuma events feels groundbreaking after the exclusion of everyone but veterans in the last few versions, and Arataki Itto and Gorou banner has been very well received. On the other hand, the new double-rerun feature has been met with both enthusiasm and dismay. No matter how you feel, however, there’s no doubt that this new feature will have consequences in all future updates to come. With this change, and 2022 coming right around the corner, here’s to talking about what the new year may bring.

Meet 25-year-old Alex (Margaret Qualley): a woman living in a trailer with her emotionally abusive boyfriend, Sean (Nick Robinson), and her 2-year-old daughter, whom they share, Maddy. The show starts with Alex packing up and leaving with Maddy in the middle of the night, after the final straw. With no one to turn to, $18 in her pocket, and no security, she and Maddy fight homelessness alone. In her journey in these ten episodes, Alex must come to terms that she is a domestic violence victim. 

The anticipated adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune has finally arrived! Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part One covers the first half of the iconic novel. Due to its international box office success, Dune: Part Two has been approved by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment.

Genshin Impact had its first anniversary on September 28th, but to say it was celebrated in the community would be a lie. Between trolling, spamming, and review-bombing, it’s honestly quite hard for the casual observer to not laugh at how petty the whole debacle became.

On September 20th, 2021, Project Sekai celebrated its first anniversary with a variety of special events and goodies for its fans, ranging from a special set of ingame cards to a new song campaign and more. 

With Halloween season upon us, we are all gearing up with our favorite horror movies. If you’re looking for something strange, fun, and unpredictable, the award-winning 2010 film Rubber, dir. Quentin Dupieux, is perfect for you. It follows the tale of a tire with the opportune combination of anger management issues, homicidal urges, and psychokinesis. Referenced in such great works as the “It’s 4” article (East Side News, issue 3), this satirical horror film has captured the hearts of (mostly) everyone who has dared to venture through.

Following the success of “Royals” in 2013, Lorde rose to stardom-level fame. But almost a decade later, she has just released a third album. Each of her albums has been significantly different from the others — Pure Heroine was about the complexity of the teenage years, while Melodrama examined what it is like to be a young adult. So where is she now?

Marvel’s long-awaited debut of its first Asian-American superhero did not disappoint. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are even set to remain in the No. 1 spot in the box office, bringing in an estimated gross from about $20-22 million.