Movie: West Side Story

by Eric Hendricks

Telling the story of two clashing gangs and an ill-fated love affair in 1950s New York, West Side Story is not uncharted territory. Steven Spielberg’s latest work is based on a 1957 musical of the same name, which in turn draws heavily from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Speilberg utilizes modern cinematography in ways the stage or the 1961 film adaptation couldn’t – as well as performances from stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler – to create a blend of silver screen and Broadway that’s sure to please lovers of either. West Side Story is screening in select theaters and began streaming on Disney+ March 2nd.

Album: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

by Cassidy Lovell

Big Thief’s fifth studio album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, was released on Feb. 11. Big Thief is an indie rock/folk band composed of four members: Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik, and James Krivchenia. The curiously-named album title comes from their song of the same name, and the lyrics of Lenker’s solo-album song Anything. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You consists of 20 songs, each capturing the band’s signature sound while utilizing unique  audio exploration. A total of 80 minutes of new music, Big Thief’s album is worth a listen. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is available to stream on Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, and Apple Music.

TV Show: Peacemaker

by Nik Chrissanthos

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Video Game: Elden Ring

by Cassidy Lovell

Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, was released Feb. 25. With collaboration from George R. R. Martin, writer of the A Song Of Ice And Fire novels, and Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the Souls series video games, the result is a notoriously difficult game set in a fantastical world. Experienced in a third-person point of view, players explore an open world and take on challenging foes. With melee, magic, skills, blocking, and dodging, players are encouraged to be strategic as they face unique enemies in this combat-focused game. The plot itself is rich, with multiple endings depending on character choices. Elden Ring is available to play on Windows, Xbox One and X/S, and PlayStation 4 and 5.