The Stargazer

Shang-Chi Proves Marvel Can Still Tell Compelling Origin Stories

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    Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel’s second film to release exclusively in theaters since the beginning of the pandemic, has already shattered records, quickly becoming a huge box-office success. The film is already the number one highest-grossing film of 2021, making over $320 million in profits. While at this point, it is no surprise to see Marvel doing these kinds of numbers, it is definitely worth noting that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first MCU film since 2019’s Captain Marvel where the main premise is the introduction of a new Superhero. Marvel has obviously released multiple shows and films since, but most have continued the stories of pre-established characters. And with Captain Marvel being one of the least popular MCU films, there has been a real question as to whether or not Marvel is still able to deliver complete, authentic, and unique origin stories. Desperately trying to walk the fence between giving audiences the story of a character’s iconic journey to Heroism without being repetitive or formulaic. Which has always been one of the main criticisms of the MCU.

Napoleon: The Man Who Crafted His Own Myth

””The image of Napoleon seems to have permeated our culture. Even if you haven't studied European history or ever been to France, you probably still have an idea of what he looks like or who he is. Ever stop and wonder, why? Why does the image of Napoleon seem so common? Why does he crop up in pop culture, time and time again? It might have something to do with how carefully Napoleon created his own image and myth through widely disseminated propaganda during his reign.

Did LuLaRoe Help Families or Create Criminals?

””If you haven’t seen the new four-part docuseries, LuLaRich, on Amazon Prime Video, you’re missing out. Before watching, I vaguely recalled hearing about LuLuRoe but I was unaware of the extent of the company’s growth and reach. LuLaRoe gained popularity because of their obnoxiously colorful leggings, dresses, and more that were in demand among circles of housewives across the country, but there’s so much more to the company than meets the eye. On the surface, LuLaRoe appeared similar to other multi-level marketing schemes, but deep down, the company was corrupt and filled with complicated family dynamics.

Looking Back at 21 Years of the ASLC

””On October 13th, 2021, the ASLC celebrated its twenty-first anniversary. With the help of former and current staff and volunteers, we were able to compile a brief history of the building and some of its most notable moments. While the ASLC (formerly the SLB) has only been around for just over two decades, we found that the groundwork for our on-campus cinema was laid way back in…

Breaking the Video Game Binary

””Queer representation is important. Queer people are an important but often overlooked societal group who frequently lack representation in the media they consume. While this applies to every form of media, this especially applies towards video games, which have infamously been a medium in which the existence of queerness is overlooked. And while many games in recent years have had explicitly queer characters, there is still so much further to go to create a gaming scene that is truly inclusive of queer identities and extends outside the written story.

El sueño de mara’akame y la representación de las tribus indígenas en la película

””A medida que las poblaciones nativas se vuelven más escasas con cada generación, se ha puesto énfasis en la protección de las culturas y estilos de vida de estos pueblos indígenas. El Sueño del Mara'akame cuenta la historia de un joven wixárika, Nieri, mientras pinta una amplia imagen del pueblo wixaritari y su cultura.

What Makes a Movie Scary?

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Prologue
One movie night, my friends and I were looking for a good scare, so we sat on the couch, cued up The Ring, and hit the lights. During the phone call scenes, I was confused to see my peers tense and unsettled. Does nothing scare me or is horror subjective? It’s likely the latter, considering I have experienced similar sensations while watching many movies. For instance, to exercise my right as a seventeen-year-old to see rated-R movies on my own, I saw Us in a theater and immediately regretted my decision. The movie was good; it just took a week for the nightmares to wear off. Why was I scared of evil doppelgangers but unaffected by a girl who crawls out of your television to kill you? As an avid filmgoer and aspiring filmmaker, I made it my goal to break down the elements of what makes a movie scary.

What Keeps Mission: Impossible Fresh, Six Movies In?

””Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the sixth film in the blockbuster franchise starring Tom Cruise, arrived in theaters in the summer of 2018 to widespread acclaim. Not only did it enjoy the best box office opening for any M:I film to date, but many critics heralded it as the highlight of the series. To keep a franchise alive for more than a trilogy of films is impressive in and of itself; to continuously improve upon the series more than twenty years since its inception is nothing short of an incredible feat of production. Clearly Mission: Impossible is a property with staying power. But where does this power come from?