Entertainment
Horror Movies Coming Out In 2023
By Tremaine Fuller
The New Year always brings along new exciting things to look forward to, whether it be resolutions, opportunities, or horror movies. Here are the three of the most anticipated horror movies to be released in 2023 – so get your popcorn ready!
Kicking off this list, we have the movie Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey. Yes, you heard that right. Our favorite childhood bear is returning scarier and more bloodthirsty than ever. The plot follows Winnie and Piglet terrorizing an adult Christopher Robin and a group of young university women at a remote house. According to an article titled “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Is Headed To Theaters — But There’s A Catch”, from Dread Central, the movie is shot in the Ashdown Forest of East Sussex, England, over ten days and is starring Craig David Dowsett as Winnie-the-Pooh, Chris Cordell as Piglet, and Nikolai Leon as Christopher Robin. “I don’t think this movie will be good, but I’m still excited to see it,” said Bayside High School junior Devon Guthrie.
Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey is directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield in his directorial debut and is set to be released for a one-day event across theaters in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico on February 15, 2023. Putting an interesting twist on our favorite yellow bear, the movie holds many expectations from the audience.
The second movie, The Nun 2 is more notorious in the horror community. Directed by Michael Chaves and written by Akela Cooper, the movie casts Storm Reid as Lisa, Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene, and Anna Popplewell as Kate. According to an article titled “The Nun 2 Begins Filming As James Wan Shares First Set Photo” from GameRant, “Photography has commenced on THE NUN 2 in France! With @michaelchaves performing the exorcism (directing) on this one… The Nun 2 is in production and is scheduled to release on September 8, 2023.” And with that said, we can not wait to see it in theaters!
The final and most anticipated horror movie of 2023 from the beloved Scream series is Scream VI, soon to be released in the United States on March 10, 2023, by Paramount Pictures. Being the sixth installment in the Scream franchise, Scream 6 is filmed in the Big Apple, New York City. According to the article, “Everything We Know So Far About ‘Scream VI’” on Dread Central, the cast consists of Courteney Cox, Gale Weathers, and Scream survivors: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega to be returning for the forthcoming sequel. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Scream VI will be continuing the saga with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
Bayside High School junior Giselle Rodriguez describes, “I love horror movies and the excitement behind them, and it’ll be interesting to see what new concepts come with the movie considering it’s not a brand new series.” With these movies, it will definitely be a horror-filled yet exciting year as we look forward to seeing them play in cinemas.
From A Simple Joke to An Entire Game
By Jack Li
Bayside High School student, from the Digital Art and Design CTE program, Shimon Hossain, created a video game called ShatterMonk from a programming language called “C#” alongside a game engine named Unity. He was inspired by his hobbies, a mix of gaming and art, and started to learn programming on May 31, 2021.
Shimon wished to develop a game similar to old-school Nintendo and retro game franchises, such as Mario, Sonic, Kirby, and Zelda. However, he was most inspired by the video game Gimmick!, where a character has to overcome obstacles to achieve a certain goal.
With the game being relatively new, there is a tutorial with basic obstacles when you first load the game. Once completed, the player is presented with a menu of five different arenas they can choose from. From there, the player spawns in an arena hosting its own environment and enemies. The goal is to kill at least one enemy to open a portal. After the player enters the portal, they are sent back to the menu to either choose to play the same arena again or play a different arena. If the player fails, restarting is always an option.
The goal of the game is to defeat five arenas to collect a key and unlock the final boss, a gag character Shimon made with one of his classmates. ShatterMonk is a simple game with a set purpose, but certainly a challenge for both the developer and the players.
As the game is still being developed and reworked, there are a few bugs with some of the arenas. Despite that, this was an improvement from his first game and has set the groundwork for his future projects.
ShatterMonk was a turning point in his coding experience as he learned to develop games in a “better and more efficient way”, Shimon states. “I feel that my game came out pretty well considering my knowledge and experience. It definitely has sharpened my skills and knowledge with code. I can’t wait to work on more games in the future.”
Examining the Intersection of Hollywood, Sports, and Politics
By Ahmed Huossein
Political activism has a long history in both Hollywood and sports, dating back to events like Marlon Brando's refusal to accept his Oscar in 1973 as a protest against the mistreatment of Native Americans. More recently, figures like Colin Kaepernick have gained national attention for their acts of protest, such as kneeling during the national anthem to bring attention to issues of police brutality. These actions have often sparked controversy and debate, highlighting the potential for these industries to influence political discourse.
There are several reasons why politics in the entertainment industry can be divisive. Some people may prefer to avoid heavy or controversial subjects when engaging in leisure activities like consuming media, while others may take offense to particular political views being expressed. Therefore, the intersection of politics and entertainment can be a complex issue.
Most recently, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the debate over whether sports should incorporate politics was reignited. "FIFA president Gianni Infantino has urged the 32 nations preparing for the most political World Cup in the modern era to focus on the game in Qatar and avoid handing out lessons in morality," according to Graham Dunbar, in an article published by the Associated Press. FIFA urges World Cup teams to focus on soccer over politics. Despite the caution, the World Cup was marked by a number of political demonstrations, such as the Iranian national team players staying silent during their national anthem to protest against their government.
Political activism in the entertainment industry can have a positive impact, as demonstrated by examples such as Patricia Arquette's use of her acceptance speech at the 2015 Oscars to bring attention to the wage gap between men and women. Arquette used her influence as a well-respected actress to create the momentum required to pass legislation to address the issue in California. Actors in Hollywood can leverage their platform to raise awareness and advocate for important causes.
However, political activism within the entertainment industry has also had negative implications. Sonny Fulks addresses this issue in his article in Press Pros Magazine, titled "Politics, And The Impact It's About To Have On Sports", saying that "in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being turned over by the Supreme Court last week, a contingent of Columbus Crew [a soccer team] fans have since threatened a boycott of future games if Crew management doesn't come out with a public statement citing their position on the court's decision." Mixing politics and sports can have detrimental consequences, potentially ruining the game's enjoyment for many fans. The political views of a sports team's management are neither important nor relevant.
When asked about her opinion on whether entertainment and politics should be intertwined, Bayside High School junior, Grace Yu, said, "Yes, because those people [actors and athletes] have quite the influence on others, especially those who look up to them. Young people can be easily led astray by blindingly following what actors in Hollywood say. Yu added, "Instead of doing their own research, people will just follow and listen to celebrities because they view them as ‘credible.’"
Similarly, Bayside High School junior, Devyn Kurfis, believes that, "They should be separate. Athletes are supposed to entertain, bring us all together, and motivate us to shower their talent. Not be a politician and divide us. That's the complete opposite of an athlete."
Athletes and actors in Hollywood will continue to share their political views as a result of growing political polarization, which could have both positive and negative outcomes. However, it is essential we remember the primary reason we entertain ourselves with Hollywood and sports—for enjoyment.
The Global Phenomenon: Wednesday
By Afra Noor
Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are
solely the author's opinions and beliefs
Being the second most watched show on Netflix as of January, Wednesday is the latest adaptation of the Addams Family franchise. The Addams Family was established by Charles Samuel Addams as a fictional family in the late 1930s and was first published in a comic. It was soon popularized and several adaptations from movies, musicals, and even games were created.
The Netflix series, released on November 23, 2022, dives into the life of the daughter of the Addams Family, Wednesday. Played by Jenna Ortega, Wednesday is an intelligent and competent individual who is devoted to unraveling the mysteries of murder sprees during her stay at the Nevermore Academy. She acquaints herself with Enid, played by Emma Myers, Xavier played by Percy Hynes, and Tyler played by Hunter Doohan. With attempts to master her psychic abilities and capture the culprit behind the murders, Wednesday begins a journey to unfold years of conflict and history at Nevermore.
The Addams family has been popularized for decades, hence it is no surprise that fans were anticipating the show. The diversity of the casting is another factor for the show’s fame. The fictional family is portrayed as a Latine family and played by mainly Latine actors, which differs from the casting of the family in previous adaptations.
Bayside High School freshman Laura Pacheco states, “Jenna did amazing and I loved how well she played Wednesday. However, the rest of the Addams family was okay and not the best in my opinion. They were portrayed as a different family from what I knew them as.”
Similarly, Shalene Lu, a sophomore at Bayside High School says, “Jenna Ortega displays Wednesday’s characteristics and behaviors perfectly as she delivers her lines in a cold and monotone voice, while also keeping a blank face for most of the show. She encapsulated Wednesday’s reserved character very well.”
As gothic culture emerges in modern society, Wednesday has become a popularized figure in the media. Moreover, Enid Sinclair is presented as a foil character in the series as she is an optimistic and expressive person. With contrasting personalities and interests, both characters complimented and enhanced each other’s personalities throughout the show.
However, some viewers believe that parts of the plot strayed too far from the original story. Bayside High School freshman Aryssa Biswas argues, “In parts of the script where they had characters mention 21st-century media such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat, took depth away from the story.”
I believe that the overall plot of the show was excellent. Each episode only brought more suspense, making me eager to look forward to the next episode. This series has introduced new details to the franchise such as Wednesday’s psychic powers and her bad relationship with Morticia, her mother. Though these are not major details in themselves, I felt that they were crucial to the overall development of the series.
From the darkest comical scenes to brutally horrific scenes, Wednesday stays on Netflix’s top-ten list. On January 6, 2023, Netflix confirmed that the show will be receiving a season two, leaving fans excited. The Netflix series has received much support from fans of the Addams Family and continues to gain popularity.
