Archive for May 31, 2023

Movie Review by Michael R.

May 31, 2023 Movie Review, Teen Voices
The Longest Yard (2005)
Rated PG-13, 1 h 53 m

The Longest Yard is a sports comedy film that is a remake of the 1974 film with the same name. The story follows the character of Paul Crewe who is a former NFL quarterback who is known for intentionally losing football games, is now serving time in prison for stealing his girlfriend’s Bentley and driving while drunk. Crewe is approached by the prison warden, Rudolph Hazen, who asks him to help train a team of prisoners to play against the guards in a football game. The game is seen as an opportunity for the warden to boost his reputation and the morale of the guards. Initially, Crewe did not want to do it but eventually agrees to the plan and begins training a team of inmates to play football. The team includes a variety of different players that are mostly lackluster at football. Crewe eventually earns the respect of the basketball players at the prison and together they all share the same goal of taking the guards. As the game approaches, tensions rise between the prisoners and the guards, leading to a series of confrontations and sabotage attempts by the guards but that only makes the prisoner’s team stranger and more united as a result. The game finally approaches as the two teams face off in a brutal and hard-fought game, with the prisoners using their unconventional tactics and teamwork to win the game which capped off an amazing comeback and really left the guards speechless. The warden of the prison tried to force Crewe to throw the game by pinning the death of his beloved friend on him, but Crewe stuck with his teammates and redeemed himself from what haunted him back in the NFL. Overall, the film is a humorous take on the sports movie genre. I really liked the football sequences as I found them entertaining, with the prisoners using their unique skills and ideas to outsmart the guards. I also think Adam Sandler did a great job in the role of Crewe, further showing he can do a great job in sports films like he did in Happy Gilmore and Waterboy. This is a film I would definitely recommend to all people. 

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Teen Art

May 31, 2023 Art, Teen Voices

Portrait of Rose from BLACKPINK

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Movie Review- Michael R.

May 31, 2023 Uncategorized

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

The movie starts off with sports agent J.B. Bernstein is trying to land a top athlete to his agency and he seems desperate and determined to do so. The meeting takes place and afterward, J.B. seems pissed off that he can’t pay the client what he is asking for and subsequently loses the client. We then learn that J.B. and his staff are out of options and really broke. J.B. then comes up with the idea to travel to India and find the next best MLB pitcher after watching cricket and seeing similarities. To achieve this, J.B. created a reality TV show called “Million Dollar Arm,” which offers a cash prize to the winners and a chance to play professional baseball in the United States. After a long search, J.B. discovers two young cricket players, Rinku and Dinesh, who show potential as baseball pitchers. He brings them to Los Angeles, where they struggle to adapt to American culture and the training required to become professional athletes. Along the way, J.B. faces numerous challenges, including financial difficulties, cultural barriers, and the pressure to succeed. As the players’ training progresses, they begin to make progress and catch the attention of scouts from major league teams who have followed their story. However, the journey is not without setbacks, and J.B. must navigate the competitive world of sports and the personal challenges of his own life, including a tough relationship with his girlfriend. Eventually, Rinku and Dinesh get signed by the Oakland Athletics and the story gets national publicity. In the end, Rinku and Dinesh make their debut in a minor league game, and their hard work and perseverance pay off. J.B. also learns important lessons about taking risks, following his dreams, and the true meaning of success. Overall, “Million Dollar Arm” is a heartwarming and inspiring movie that celebrates the power of determination, friendship, and the human spirit. It combines the excitement of sports with the emotional depth of personal growth, making it a must-see for anyone who loves sports movies or uplifting stories. I also love how this is based on a true story and can educate viewers about this story who did not know about it prior.

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Movie Review by Sam L.

May 26, 2023 Movie Review, Teen Voices

Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Rated R, 1 hour, 40 minutes

M. Night Shyamalan’s newest movie “Knock at the Cabin” is a more conventional movie than we are used to seeing from him. While it does deal with the apocalypse and some supernatural elements, there is no outrageous twist or face palm worthy moments. But does that Shymalan that this is actually a good film? (No it doesn’t!) 

This film sees a couple named Eric and Andrew take a vacation to a cabin in the woods with their young daughter Wen. But shortly a group of 4 people, led by Leonard (played by Dave Bautista), arrive saying that if they don’t sacrifice one of their own the world will end. 

The biggest problem I have with this film is how little depth there is, in all facets of the picture. There is very little character depth and I’m pretty uninterested in all of the characters here. I feel no connection with the protagonists and all of them seem one-dimensional and shallow. Their stories and personalities are never expanded on which leads to the viewer not necessarily caring about what happens throughout the story. 

The film tries to build the backstory of Eric and Andrew through flashbacks but they aren’t done well and really don’t add a lot to the story or to the depth of the characters. 

At the end of the movie, there is this scene between Eric and Andrew where they are deciding who they have to sacrifice and it is meant to be extremely emotional but because the character development isn’t there throughout the rest of the movie, the stakes don’t feel quite as high in this scene. This is just one example of how a lack of complexity is a detriment to the picture. 

The overall plot doesn’t really get fleshed out either. You could essentially watch the trailer and understand 95% of the movie, nothing interesting or unexpected happens throughout the film at all. It is incredibly predictable and the picture does very little to divert your expectations.

This movie wanted to be a complex examination of a moral dilemma and it wanted to explore the fabric of love between two people but the premise is unoriginal and the themes are presented in a traditional, uninteresting way. 

One positive for me though was the acting. Dave Bautista did a great job and it was a joy to watch him, he was definitely the bright spot of the film. I also enjoyed Ben Aldridge’s and Jonathan Groff’s performances as the couple. The performances of those three make the movie watchable even though the overall picture was relatively uninteresting. 

Unfortunately, M. Night Shymalan has yet to return to his early career success. This film has a semi-interesting premise but it never takes the story beyond the obvious. They failed to capitalize on what could’ve been a captivating movie and instead the result was a half baked film that was disappointing to say the least. 

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Teen Art by Chloe C.

May 24, 2023 Art, Teen Voices

Summer Flowers

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Book Review by Jason L.

May 19, 2023 Book review, Teen Voices

Blindness by Jose Saramago
(1995) 349 pages

The eerie and thought-provoking book “Blindness” by Jose Saramago explores the dark recesses of human nature. The book is a compelling depiction of a society that disintegrates into anarchy as a result of an unexpected outbreak of blindness.

The story opens with a mysterious outbreak of “white blindness” rapidly sweeping through an unnamed city in an undisclosed nation. The government acts quickly to contain individuals who have contracted the disease in an abandoned mental institution as the disease spreads. The main character, a woman who is the sole person not affected by the disease, ends up in the hospital with her blind husband.

As the days go by, the situation in the hospital worsens, leaving the blind patients on their own without access to food, water, or medical care. As the government fails to stop the disease’s spread and leaves the isolated patients to their fate, the situation gets out of hand.

The writing of Saramago is distinctive and potent. With little punctuation and lengthy, fluid words that are practically stream-of-consciousness in style, he conveys a sense of haste and disarray. He explores the psychological and emotional effects of losing one’s sight, which results in a frightening and realistic picture of blind individuals.

Saramago explores themes of authority, corruption, and the human condition throughout the entire book. He investigates the extent people would go to in order to survive in dire circumstances as well as the disintegration of societal conventions when order is broken. While characters are compelled to make morally challenging decisions in the face of absurd circumstances, the book also explores the nature of morality.

The novel “Blindness” is intense and unsettling, not recommended for those who are easily scared. Although Saramago’s writing style is demanding, the result is an emotionally stirring and thought-provoking novel that will stick with the reader long after the last page has been turned. Anybody who is interested in the human condition should read it since it is a true masterpiece of contemporary literature.

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Book Review by Chloe C.

May 17, 2023 Book review, Teen Voices

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
(2017) 389 pages

 “No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end.” What would you do if you were suddenly told that you have less than 24 hours to live? In the fictional novel “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silveria, the main characters Mateo and Rufus had to think about that when they both receive a phone call telling them that they are going to die sometime that day.

The story is about two teenagers that got a phone call from an agency telling them that they are going to die that day. This agency is referred to as death cast. They will give you a call on the day of your death at midnight, to inform you that you will be dying sometime that day. In this book anyone who receives their call is referred to as a decker. Mateo is an 18-year-old Puerto Rican boy who suffers from anxiety. His father has been in a coma for two weeks and his mother passed away while giving birth to him. He has always dreaded getting the phone call so he kept himself hidden in his apartment, but it was inevitable. Rufus is a bisexual 17-year-old Cuban American boy who is rather outgoing. He has been in foster care ever since his parents and sister died after getting their call from death cast, six months ago. The night before he had gotten his call, he made the worst decision of his life, which became his biggest regret. But ultimately it is what will lead him to meet Mateo.

From reading this book the reader can learn they should live their life and do as much as they can while they have the chance.  We don’t have a system to tell us when we’re going to die, so it’s best to live how you want with no regrets. His whole life Mateo isolated himself by staying in his room every day. It wasn’t until he had only one day left to live, that he realized he needed to do something with his life instead of being scared of the outside world. As he thinks to himself after receiving his call “I guess what I’ll miss the most are the wasted opportunities to live my life.”(8-9) The book also teaches that everyone’s time on earth is limited. With this precious time we all need to spend it wisely and not do the things that you don’t want to be remembered for. Rufus had beaten up his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend almost to the brink of death. The next day Rufus receives the death cast. When the police showed up at his foster home he knew he had made a grave mistake. He didn’t want to spend his last couple hours of life stuck in jail as he realized “Dying sucks, I bet, but betting locked up while life keeps going on without you has gotta be worse.”

What I like about this book is that the characters and their problems are relatable. The way Mateo would rather stay in his room all day, sometimes I feel like I can stay in bed instead of getting up and dressed for school. How Rufus likes to live his life carelessly reminds me not to be as reckless. There were some fun action scenes, like when a decker decided to self-destruct in the same place where Mateo and Rufus were. Or the time when the guy Rufus had beaten up decided to try and kill Rufus, who was with Mateo at the time and it ended up putting them both in danger. The book is in a mostly first-person point of view, but it switches each chapter, giving you point of view from both Mateo and Rufus but also the side characters they pass on their way and even their friends and the people trying to kill them. I do have one complaint though, which would be the romance between the two main characters. It was pretty predictable, but it was also kind of random. I am a romance fan, and I did enjoy the sad romance at the end, but it was sort of rushed. It was almost like the author had forgotten to write their love story for half the book. And some would say that they liked them better as friends or platonic soulmates, but I guess it comes down to the reader in the end.

The book is a boy loves boy story and that might be unsettling for some people, it shouldn’t be but you never know. Some people enjoy these kinds of romance stories and some don’t, so I would recommend it to someone who does enjoy them. The plot is interesting with the premise of our time on earth being limited. It is also something you could read if you want to cry a little. I personally didn’t cry while reading it, but I wanted to at some points. When they say “I would have loved you if we had more time” I thought that maybe the author would not let the main characters die, that maybe there would be a twist and they’ll live happily ever after. But maybe the real twist is that there is no twist! You will have to read the book to find out. 

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Movie Review by Michael R.

May 12, 2023 Uncategorized

The Sandlot (1993)

The movie starts off with the audience meeting the main character, Scotty Smalls, a new kid in town who struggles to fit in with a group of boys who play baseball every day at the sandlot. The boys are led by Ben “the jet” Rodriguez, a talented baseball player who takes Scotty under his wing and teaches him how to play. Through the movie, the themes of friendship, teamwork, and the joys of childhood are explored. The movie also shows the boys’ adventures. As the summer progresses, the boys form a strong bond, and Scotty learns important lessons about friendship, loyalty, and overcoming fears. Eventually, one day when the boys are playing baseball, they lose their ball so Scotty runs home and takes his dad’s most prized possession in a signed Babe Ruth ball. Scotty brings the ball back and as the boys continue playing, when it’s Scotty’s turn to bat he ends up hitting his first-ever home run and subsequently loses the ball over the fence is a very ironic scene. The issue with getting the ball back from over the fence is that is where “the beast” lives and the boys are very scared of the dog. The boys end up making up a plan to get the ball back after Scotty explains the significance of it. After a wild goose chase between the boys and the “beast” for that ball, Scotty finally confronts the “beast” and learns that he is just a kind old dog with an owner who used to play baseball and is happy to give the boys back their ball. Overall, the movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves sports movies, coming-of-age stories, or just great movies in general. It’s a film that captures the magic of childhood and reminds us of the importance of friendship, teamwork, and facing our fears.

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Game Review by Chloe C.

May 10, 2023 Game Review, Teen Voices, Video games

Valorant (2020)

Valorant is a free-to-play first-person tactical shooter game developed by Riot Games. Who have also developed other popular games such as League of Legends, Teamfight tactics, etc. The game was published on June 2, 2020. The game has excellent graphics along with creative-looking characters. The maps are beautiful and I love to look at the details while playing, there are so many small details that are added that most people usually wouldn’t even notice while playing. The maps are also designed after real places in the world, for example, Venice. But then the characters also all have unique designs with a lot of detail. So far all the characters have been given different ethnic backgrounds which is very nice of Riot to add diversity. So far they have 21 playable agents/characters who all have different ethnicities. But along with their characters and maps, there is also an interesting plot to the game. Not all players want to learn about the story and they just like to enjoy the game for what it is, but I personally enjoy learning about it since there are so many mysteries. So the story starts with this thing called “radianite” which is initially known as a substance that “provided a clean, safe source of energy” according to Valorant wiki. But being exposed to radianite can result in unusual amounts of strength and supernatural abilities which is what happened to some of the Valorant agents/characters. These people are called radianites. In the story there are two Earths, ours is Alpha Earth, and the one we are up against is our mirror Earth Omega Earth. Omega Earth is invading our Earth in an attempt to obtain our supply of radianite which leads to the game where you go against other players who are supposed to represent the mirror Earth. The characters are in something called the Valorant protocol, though not all of them are radianite, some just have tools that are infused with it. There is so much to the lore of Valorant and I think it all seems to be well thought out and very interesting.

In my opinion, it is a fun and enjoyable game, one of my favorites, but there are some things that aren’t as enjoyable as others. First I have got to warn you about the players. Since there is a voice chat, which is almost necessary for doing good in the game, you will meet many toxic people while playing. At first, I didn’t meet that many but as I played more I encountered a lot. But of course not everyone is like that, there are some really nice or funny people who can make the game that much more fun. But just in case, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The game does get frustrating at times, but you just have to tough through it sometimes. 

Riot also hosts competitions. Such as VCT and Champions where different E-sports teams get to compete on stages in front of real audiences. Which I think is great, it’s something players enjoy participating in and others like to watch their favorite teams play live in person or on a stream. 

While the game is free-to-play Riot definitely knows how to get their players to start spending. There are things from agent contracts to buying gun skins, to battle passes. None of it is necessary to play the game, you don’t need it which is what makes the game free-to-play, but just cause you don’t need it doesn’t mean that you don’t want it.

So all in all Valorant is a free-to-play tactical shooter game with amazing graphics and characters, with an enticing story, and I would definitely recommend it.

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Movie Review by Michael R.

May 5, 2023 Movie Review, Teen Voices

Happy Gilmore (1996)

The movie starts off with the main character Happy getting cut from a hockey team he is trying out for. Happy is not pleased with this and voices his frustration with the coaches and goes on a bit on a tangent. Happy then arrives home to see his girlfriend is leaving him as she makes some remarks about his inabilities. The next day we see Happy go to his grandma’s house, and we learn she is getting evicted for being behind on her taxes. Happy vows to get the money to pay for the house while he puts his grandma in a retirement home in the meantime. In the retirement home we learn that the residents are forced to work and do extensive labor, they are also threatened to be killed if they say or tell any of their family members about this. Happy starts to try and find ways to make money for the house but has trouble (Happy was unemployed prior). Happy then meets golf legend Chubbs Peterson. Chubbs is a former player who was forced to retire after he lost one of his hands in an alligator incident. Chubbs offers to help train Happy in golf after he sees the tremendous strength Happy has when it comes to hitting the ball of the tee but Happy denies it. Happy’s ability to hit the ball from the tee is amazing but his short game is awful. Happy with his newfound skill enters into a local golf tournament where the winner will be added to the PGA tour. Happy ends up winning and is now a part of the PGA tour. Happy does not really know anything about golf or the etiquette of the sport and that really shows once he’s in the PGA tour. Happy acts very excessive on the golf course and does not know how to handle himself. Happy is almost kicked off the tour as a whole until the head of talent relations Virginia offers to help Happy as she realizes how much the fans love Happy’s antics and ability to hit the ball so far. This comes much to the dismay of top golf player Shooter McGavin as he hates how Happy gets so much attention while coming in last place every single game. Shooter and Happy end up meeting and tensions immediately rise between the two and from that point forward the two become bitter rivals. Happy starts to get better and places better, which subsequently earns him more money for his grandma. While Virginia helps Happy contain his emotions on the golf course the two end up falling in love during this time and start dating. Happy eventually goes back to Chubbs as he realizes he needs to work on his short game if he wants to be Shooter. Chubbs takes Happy to a minigolf course and the two enjoy themselves while Happy improves in the process. Happy wants to thank Chubb by giving him an alligator head but Chubb gets scared by this and ends up falling out a window to his death. Happy as a result vows to win the biggest golf event of the year in honor of Chubbs and that will also get him enough money to get his grandma out of the retirement home and back in her home. The event is wild and chaotic throughout and it comes down to the last hole between Happy and Shooter. Shooter does everything in his power to sabotage Happy, but it does not work as Happy finds a way to win! Happy is now able to take his grandma out of the retirement home as she is thrilled by this, and he was also able to defeat his rival Shooter in the process. This movie was overall great and funny throughout. I thought Adam Sandler did a great job in the role of Happy and for someone who is not a big fan of golf I was still intrigued throughout the whole movie. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of comedic sports movies. 

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