Tag: Film

REVIEW: Michigan Pops Orchestra “A Night at the Popscars”

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The featured image above was taken from their Instagram: @michiganpops

This semester’s Michigan Pops Concert has been my favorite out of all the concerts I’ve attended! There was a crazy line at the door and the crowd turnout was also the largest I’ve seen, so much so that the start time was postponed to accommodate more audience members. It’s always refreshing to see that both children and the elderly are present in addition to college students; it shows that this student organization is popular among locals too.

They had a large and impressive list of repertoire (most were already familiar to the audience thanks to the theme they chose) and I appreciated how well they balanced the amount and order of classical and contemporary music. My favorite and most anticipated piece was Howl’s Moving Castle, but I wished it was longer. I felt that the arrangement could’ve been better too, though that doesn’t mean the Pops Orchestra didn’t play it well.

It seemed like there were more featured soloists in this concert than in the previous ones, but I think it still showcased the orchestra as a group pretty well without being overshadowed. Unfortunately, there were some balance issues and at times it was hard to hear the soloists.

The winner of this year’s high school concerto competition was a Sophomore from Huron High School, which is so impressive since the winners have historically mostly been Seniors. She played the Lalo Violin Concerto, and she exuded so much power and charisma as she performed. Shoutout to the violist who gave an amazing show of Bohemian Rhapsody and the pianist who shined during La La Land! You can watch them on Youtube, but nothing will beat the live music so pull up next year!

As for the skits, the most memorable part for me was when some students wore paper swans on their heads as they performed swan lake. It impressed me how well-made the swans looked!

It appears lots of members will be graduating, which is a little sad, but I’m looking forward to what changes the remaining and new Pops board and members will bring us next year.

 

PREVIEW: Michigan Pops Orchestra Concert “A Night at the Popscars”

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As we approach the end of the semester, the time for the Michigan Pops Orchestra’s concert approaches too! This semester’s theme is “A Night at the Popscars,” meaning they’ve selected a variety of music that’s related to Oscar and other award-winning films.

Many pieces they have selected are teased on their poster (the featured image above) which can be found around campus and on their Instagram @michiganpops. It looks like Howl’s Moving Castle, Star Wars, and West Side Story will be featured, with Howl’s being my most anticipated one!

I’m wondering how the Pops members will have done justice to the Oscar-winning films with their own directing and acting. I’m sure they won’t disappoint though, and I’m looking forward to which movies they’ve chosen to recreate (Star Wars probably being the most likely one).

The concert is at 7:00 PM at the Michigan Theater on Saturday, April 8th. Tickets can be bought online, at the ticket office, and sometimes at Mason Hall, or you can even get a free ticket with a passport of the arts!

PREVIEW: Cocaine Bear

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Cocaine Bear is a film notorious for its origin: the true story of a bear having found and eaten cocaine. I personally don’t know much about the movie or how much of it is based on true events, but my friends have been very excited to watch it for its goofy nature.

The genre of Cocaine Bear is thriller and comedy, and it’s a relatively short movie (or at least what I felt was short: 95 minutes). I tend to stay away from both of these genres because I don’t have the confidence to watch thriller movies and lack interest in watching comedies (in theaters at least), so I’m curious about how I’ll feel about this film in terms of quality, history, and personality.

The movie is soon to stop showing, so either check it out yourself or wait to see if it’s worth based on others’ or my review!

REVIEW: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is only one of two MCU movies to receive a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. While it is fair Quantumania was rated rotten, I would argue there are MCU films that deserve to be rated more rotten. 

The film follows Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, who is now famous for saving the world alongside the Avengers, and has written a biography about his experiences. He has lost five years of time with his daughter – played by Kathryn Newton reprising her role from Big Little Lies – during the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and is doing his best to reconnect with her. Cassie reveals that she has been working on a device that allows her to study the Quantum Realm – where Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne was trapped for 30 years – from Earth. However, Janet immediately tries to shut down the device, causing it to malfunction, sending Scott, Cassie, Janet, her husband, and her daughter down into the Quantum Realm. There, Janet reveals a dangerous threat looms in the form of Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. 

The stakes in the film are almost ridiculously high with how powerful Kang is, however the film is very much not serious. Scott and Cassie befriend an ensemble cast of gooey, blobby, and strangely proportioned supporting characters, and Michael Douglas clearly wanted to be on set as little as possible. It would be safe to assume that when Douglas’ character shows up after not being in the film for a bit and says “Sorry I’m late,” that is simply footage of him showing up to set every day. There is an interview of Douglas at the premiere of the film, where he states he would come back for a fourth Ant-Man film only if they kill his character off. 

On the other hand, Jonathan Majors and Michelle Pfeiffer seemed to be in a completely different state of mind, demonstrating such careful and expert acting. I would have much preferred a film just about their characters, because every time Kang and Janet were on screen together, I was enthralled. What kept me going throughout the rest of the lackluster film was the anticipation of their characters interacting again. I am not sure what kind of spirit possessed them on set. Majors was so charismatic and suave while harboring a deep sadness that came through the look in his eyes and the myriad facial expressions he was able to portray. Pfeiffer was mysterious and anxious, yet warm, and these two forces on screen together seemed to be acting in a completely different film. 

Ultimately, Quantumania is an enjoyable popcorn movie, but it is probably only enjoyable if you do not go in with a serious mindset. The comedy in the film was weaker than in the first two, however what made this movie funny was probably not intentional. The film is ridiculous in tone, premise, and writing – and also how good Majors and Pfeiffer are. I hope they’ll star in a different, better film together sometime. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is playing at the State Theater.

REVIEW: Đêm Việt Nam

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I had a blast at this year’s Đêm Việt Nam (DVN)! Pictured above was my favorite performance from the night – the opening act done by The Detroit Lion Dance Association. I didn’t expect to see an actual traditional lion dance; it was my first time watching one as well!

It was fascinating in multiple ways. Exclaimed gasps were heard throughout the venue when the two lions suddenly appeared in the aisles. Their dance incorporated humor and storytelling, and the lions themselves showed so much emotion through their movements and eyes alone. One highlight for me was when the lions pretended to drink alcohol and afterward stumbled onto the ground in a deep slumber; then the sound of the drums awakened them and they gathered their surroundings to the rhythmic beat of the instruments. The crowd favorite was the moments when the lions would rise to face either the audience or each other. I’m truly impressed by the stamina and hard work that must’ve been put into this performance.

 

Despite being a non-dance-based organization, I enjoyed the performances the members of VSA prepared. They incorporated a lot of character and I could tell the students had a lot of fun on stage. I realized at DVN how important lighting is and how it can increase the quality of a viewer’s experience. Darker lighting heightened anticipation in the room; brighter lighting gave playful energy; and pure silhouettes on a colorful background emphasized the movements of the dancers. I think these special effects helped show off the energy the performers wanted to showcase. In my opinion, it also relieved the pressure of giving an immaculate and in-sync performance. The Power Center is an amazing venue and I hope to watch more performances there.

 

Guy/Girl traditional – this was another one of my favorite performances; the chemistry between the dancers was very charming and I loved all the romantic nuances hidden within their dance moves alongside the use of the hats

 

Fans – an example of how the background shift can change the atmosphere of a performance. The dark red was very alluring and the dark green let the shape and colors of the fans standout

 

Traditional Melody – one of the ending acts that incorporates multiple traditional dances and outfits

The event was an appropriate length: not too long that it was tiring or too short that it felt disappointing. I liked the intermittent mini-skits that helped create smooth transitions between different performances too. I even found myself smiling at the heartwarming atmosphere between the club members.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s DVN and hope you guys consider attending in the future too!

PREVIEW: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is the third of the standalone films with these characters, and it has been promised to be the biggest one yet. The film follows Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne as they are sucked into the Quantum Realm along with their families. There, they come face-to-face with Kang the Conquerer, played by Jonathan Majors – who we know from the Creed III trailer to be someone even Michael B. Jordan doesn’t want to mess with.

I grew up watching and loving the MCU, but the superhero fatigue is definitely settling in. The newer MCU films have all been just fine, and they all end the same way when you think they might be finally changing it up. That being said, I have found some of the new installments to be entertaining – those that embrace the goofy nature of adapting a comic book on screen. This is what I particularly enjoyed about the first two Ant-Man movies – Paul Rudd is always hilarious and a joy to watch, the ensemble cast fully embracing their ant leader often lets the weaker parts of the films slip by under the radar. I am curious to see how this new film will stand, as it seems to be the most related to the greater MCU and is promising to kick off the next phase of the world. With Quantumania being seemingly so pivotal, I wonder if the balance of comedy and setup will come at the cost of the spirit that made the first two films enjoyable.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be playing at the State Theater at the end of this week, with advance screenings starting on Thursday, February 16.