Eric Valenti

Mo Kelly

Staff Writer

One of my most cherished memories from childhood is from one simple day when I was around 7 years old. My mom called me down from my room and when I came to see her in the living room, I saw a blanket spread out with an assortment of snacks all around. She told me we were going to watch one of her favorite movies, Mary Poppins.

Ever since that fateful first viewing , I’ve been obsessed with Mary Poppins. I’ve seen almost every “behind the scenes” clip, I know all the words to every song, and I’ve even read some of the actual P.L Travers’ books. I’m a superfan, and unapologetic about it.

So, when I heard about the plan for a Mary Poppins sequel, I was immediately skeptical. It’s such a classic, and it works so well on its own!  But, I kept my doubts to myself and waited to actually see the movie.

Mary Poppins Returns is not a remake. Instead, it shows the Banks children from the original all grown up and having troubles. After losing his wife and almost his house, adult Michael is in need of some help, and in comes Mary Poppins. There to take care of his children, she shows them how to appreciate life in a brand new, exciting way.

Emily Blunt’s performance as Poppins was practically perfect. She excellently captures the stern-yet subtly-sweet character that Julie Andrews defined in the original. Blunt has a beautiful singing voice and has great chemistry with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays opposite her as Jack. Miranda seems like he’s straight from the 20’s with everything he does in the film. He fits so perfectly in this movie that it’s weird to see him rapping Hamilton the next day,

But my favorite part about it wasn’t the acting, the plot, or even the music. It was the art. The first five or so minutes of the film were the opening credits, which I haven’t seen in a movie in a very long time. They were absolutely beautiful, I would even say breathtaking. It was reminiscent of Bert’s sidewalk drawings in the original, with muted colors and simple landscapes that found a way to incorporate so much detail. I found myself not looking at the names that were displayed in front of me, but the background of the intricate artwork. The artists really outdid themselves on this.

The most transcendent moments in the new film were when the art merged with the story of the film. My favorite scene took place in the Banks children’s vase where they meet tons of animated creatures while Mary and Jack sing a bouncy duet. The penguins from the original movie make an appearance and they’re still just as cute. (Fun Fact: The penguins in this are completely hand drawn as an homage to the original!) Again, the art is beautiful. My eyes kept bouncing around the screen trying to see everything I could; purple dancing elephants, chickens in suits, and turtles with canes, you name it! You can really see how much love was put into the scene, and the entire film.

I’m glad that I gave the film a chance because I loved it. But, I still won’t say that it was better than the original. Some of the songs seemed like throwaways that lacked the heart of the original score. I would have also liked to see more Emily Blunt in it, seeing as she is the titular character. But still, it was a fun movie that made me feel like a kid again

And if I could use one word to describe it all, it’s be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

 

 

Lauren Nicolella

Features and Social Media Editor

 

IHeartRadio’s annual Jingle Ball concert took place on Wednesday, December 5th. For the past few years, I’ve taken a look at the lineups and have attended the concert multiple times with my friends. It has become a pre-holiday ritual for me and my friends that begins the winter with delight.

This year the lineup consisted of more popular artists such as pop stars Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, and 5 Seconds of Summer. In comparison to other  Jingle ball shows, Philly featured some of my favorite artists.

I was pounced on the opportunity to buy tickets to this concert, especially after seeing my Twitter timeline up in arms about about their city’s lineup choices. With 5 Seconds of Summer releasing their album this year, they were the make or break factor when deciding to invest in closer seats than we were used to getting.

I was fortunate to see smaller lineups with lesser known artist in previous years. Bigger cities like Los Angeles and New York got the more well-known artists, and it’s like the Superbowl win brought Philly some luck this year to get a mixup. However, it was very exciting to finally be genuinely excited for more than one performer. It’s safe to say that this year’s changes from the norm were a success.

Calvin Harris, Bazzi, and 5 Seconds of Summer were breathtaking.

I was pleasantly surprised by EDM artist/producer Calvin Harris despite my typical lack of interest towards his music. His use of different colored lasers and choice of songs made everyone get on their feet and jump around. He played his hits such as Summer, Blame, and even older hits We Found Love and This is What You Came For featuring Rihanna. When an artist puts in songs that everyone knows, it’s bound to be a good time. I saw every single person swaying along in the cloudy lights, even those who were sat further down in my row.

Michigan native Bazzi has become a breakout star this year due to the success of his song “Mine”. The song was certified two-times platinum in the US, three-times platinum in Canada, and has flooded the social media sphere for months. His amazement with the crowd made me swoon. Everyone in the arena was singing along, and being able to see his face. His performance exceeded my expectations, lacing his heart to his belting, passionate vocals. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of how hard he was smiling, and his looks of delight up at the different sections in the arena.

In April, I saw 5 Seconds of Summer at the TLA and wasn’t impressed to say the least, but it wasn’t their fault, it was just super packed in the venue. However, their Jingle Ball set was much better in comparison.

I was overjoyed to finally experience their newer songs live, and they hands-down put on the best performance. It was their last show of 2018, and my friends and I could match their adrenaline, going home with sore throats from screaming the lyrics of every song back to them. Unfortunately, not every performance matched others.

Dua Lipa has become super popular this year with her songs New Rules, IDGAF, and One Kiss. I was pleasantly surprised by her appearance at Jingle Ball. I waited so long to finally see her, and was disappointed with her set overall. Her vocals were certainly there, but her choreography was so cringeworthy that I had to sit down because I was the only person standing in my row. I felt so bad, and the amount of memes I saw on Twitter days after were constantly making me relive that moment.

I really hope that next year’s lineup will hold something special, because it starts  the beginning of the school year on a high note. Jingle Ball has always been a fun experience, and it’s worth the amount of money spent since there is an entire lineup.

Lauren Nicolella

Features and Social Media Editor

I was practically born with every single lyric of Bohemian Rhapsody engraved into my brain, as well as singing along with the guitar riffs so I was instantly hooked on seeing it regardless of the reviews. I kept mentioning the film to my parents, so it seemed only right that I went out to see the movie for myself

 

I was in shock when I first saw the tweet that featured the first trailer of Bohemian Rhapsody. Tentatively, I clicked on it, hoping that the songs I’d grown up loving would be included. My eyes lit up when I heard the mashup of Another One Bites the Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, and We Will Rock You alongside the stunning Rami Malek playing the legend himself, Freddie Mercury.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody is a biographical film that follows the story of British-rock band Queen, as well as the life of lead singer Freddie Mercury. It’s been a highly anticipated movie for nearly ten years and has sparked major interest in both the film and music.

 

Just like the song, the movie details the tragedies, operatic life, and careers of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. The film emphasized Queen’s familial bonds sticking together through hard times. The times were different and the way that they were able to produce such a new take on rock and roll has completely changed the music industry. Queen was so persuasive in the way that they could get a six-minute long song played on the radio, and the emphasis on that struggle and process is what has made me appreciate the song a bit more. I always grew up knowing the songs by Queen but never acknowledged them on a personal level.

 

I didn’t know any details or backstory of Queen beforehand, so it was really special to find out that Freddie and his family are actually from Zanzibar. I also had no idea that Freddie was such an active songwriter for the band because there are countless hit songs that are flawlessly done. Going more in-depth about Freddie’s sexuality and getting to see a real representation of him was truly something special that the directors added in. To me, it made Bohemian Rhapsody a more authentic film, because I felt like there was a real connection to Freddie himself and not some Hollywood character that was made up.

 

My favorite, and also the most emotional part of the movie, was the 1985 Live Aid charity concert at Wembley Stadium.

 

Days beforehand, I took the time to watch their entire set, knowing from the trailer that it was going to be a vital scene. Being shocked and overwhelmed is an understatement, and I mean that in the best way possible. They did every single thing: the same Pepsi cups, the microphone, the outfit (oh my god, don’t get me started on those iconic shiny leotards) and the dance moves. I watched a side by side video, and it really takes a lot of talent to replicate such an iconic performance.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this movie so much and I highly recommend everyone to go out and watch it, because it certainly has exceeded my expectations. It’s given me a new appreciation for Queen and the song Bohemian Rhapsody, and I hope it impacts others in the same way.

 

Check out the trailer here!

Eric Valenti

 

A&E Editor

 

On October 5, 2018, the film that has been remade three times over, is back again. This time, the musical love duo is played by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

 

If you don’t know the basic plot of the movie — the fourth to tell this tale–, the story follows the famous singer Jackson Maine. His career is at its height but the fame has been a bit too much for him and he has turned to alcohol. He meets an aspiring artist Ally and they quickly fall in love. She starts performing with him, but her career grows,  his begins to fade.

 

Though you may be thinking that this plot is really bare bones, it’s the actors that really make each version of these movies. The most recent version definitely set itself apart from the others. Lady Gaga is one of the most spectacular actress’s and she pulled this role off effortlessly. This, in fact, the best word to describe “A Star is Born”: effortless. Everything in this movie comes off as natural. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga have a chemistry that a heavy movie go-er as myself has not seen in a long time.

 

The emotion that Cooper and Gaga bring to the screen is heart-wrenching. A larger theme in the movie is acceptance. Ally’s character in the film finds herself struggling to make it because she does not look like the girl that people wanna see. She’s a brunette with a big nose and doesn’t wear much makeup. She was real.

 

The only major issue with the movie was the pacing. At times, you could have left for the bathroom and come back and not be confused at all. But there were also times that the movie was too fast because of all the tours and music used to move the plot along.

 

Speaking of which, the music was splendid.

 

When talking Lady Gaga, it’s no surprise she was amazing. Gaga’s voice wasn’t put too much of a challenge, most likely because the writers want too much flash for a movie about an authentic love story. The music overall was really wholesome and songs that people can listen to with someone they care about. Specifically the song “Shallows”. Jackson Maine invites Ally on stage to sing her original song. At first, Ally is apprehensive but she eventually gets over it and gets on stage. Let me the first to say that their voices were synced up amazingly. The use of the blurred lights made Gaga look like some sort of goddesses. She naturally has a higher singing voice so to hear that complimented with Cooper’s deep voice makes “Shallows” have this hybrid rustic soul pop feel. Enchanting would be the best word to describe the relationship between these two in this song/scene.

 

This was Bradley Cooper’s first-time singing and he’s not half bad. Is songs with Gaga were a delicious fusion of rustic and pop, but his songs on his own were just as enchanting.  The song “Black Eyes” is exceptional. Cooper’s voice is quite low and makes his voice seem like he’s really singing from his soul. He sounds like a country singer meets blues. It’s all heart with Cooper and we only get a glimpse of the song because it gets cut off for a scene change but it really grabbed my attention.

 

Everything in this version of “A Star is Born” was really comfortable, which I mean in the best of ways. It felt like the actors were picked well, the music suited the film and everything just complimented each other. If you plan on seeing the movie or don’t have the interest to see the movie at all, I strongly recommend that you do, (go with someone you care about.) I saw it with [describe who you saw it with and how it made you connect.]. This movie will teach you that the deep end of the pool is dangerous but sometimes its better than the shallows.