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The Cougar Chronicle

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The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

Arts

Photo source: Piece of Magic Entertainment

Indie Movies vs Huge Franchises: The Impact of “Iron Lung”

Lola Ferguson, Staff Writer March 26, 2026

Famous YouTuber Markiplier wrote, directed, and acted in a new horror movie, “Iron Lung,” in collaboration with David Szymanski, creator of the indie horror game the movie is based on. In a post-apocalyptic world, Markiplier’s character is tasked with exploring a blood ocean with only a submarine....

Photo Source: Netflix

Bringing Back Bangtan: BTS is Back!

Ruby Pulido-Pérez, Staff Writer March 26, 2026

After almost four years of no group activities, BTS has made their comeback. Their long-awaited return has resulted in sold-out tour dates, including four dates at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, sold-out physical media and light sticks, and has left their fanbase excited for what’s to come. BTS is...

Film Review: “Wicked: For Good”

Film Review: “Wicked: For Good”

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor November 24, 2025

Thanks to a special Amazon Prime preview, I was able to see “Wicked: For Good” as an early pre-release. When the first film was released, I wrote about how “Wicked” has lived in people's imaginations for years, in the book, on Broadway, and in the hearts of fans who grew up singing its songs....

Promotional poster for “Frankenstein” (2025)

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Finds Humanity in Horror

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts & Entertainment Editor November 7, 2025

On the surface, “Frankenstein” is a gothic horror story about a man’s arrogance and the cost of playing God. But under Guillermo Del Toro’s direction, it becomes something deeper, a melancholy reflection on creation, grief and the need to be loved.  After a brief Arctic prologue...

From The New Yorker

“One Battle After Another:” A Political and Hilarious Epic

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts & Entertainment Editor October 13, 2025

On the surface, it's a political thriller rooted in paranoia and government overreach, with a narrative that touches on immigration, authoritarianism, and revolutionary resistance. But beyond the political commentary, it's also an outrageous piece of entertainment.  After a prologue that sets up...

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Cover Art

The Last Chance: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Natalia Ortiz and Ruby Pulido-Perez October 1, 2025

One of the most talked-about TV shows this summer was the final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty”. The Amazon Prime series, based on a trilogy of books by Jenny Han, became a hit streaming show from summer 2022 to this summer 2025. Here's a recap leading up to the finale.   Warning: Spoilers...

Watermelon Pictures

Review: “The Encampments”

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts & Entertainment Editor May 5, 2025

In “The Encampments”, directors Kei Pritsker and Michael T. Workman assembled a clear portrait of a student movement that was both criticized and misunderstood. Chronicling the 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampments at Columbia University and its effects across campuses worldwide, the documentary gives...

REVIEW: CSUSM’s Bluelight Theatre Company masters ‘the bit’

REVIEW: CSUSM’s Bluelight Theatre Company masters ‘the bit’

Saturn Salama, News Editor April 9, 2025

30 plays in 60 minutes. Or maybe 90 (there was some supernatural manipulation of time). Only the Bluelight Theatre Company could take on a feat like this and excel to such magnificent heights. Bluelight is CSUSM’s theatre club and they recently performed Greg Allen’s play “Too Much Light Makes...

Arts and Lecture: The Veterans History Project

Arts and Lecture: The Veterans History Project

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 9, 2025

On Wednesday, March 19, the Veterans History Project: An Unveiling of the Journey brought together students, veterans, and community members for an evening of remembrance, connection, and storytelling. The event, held in the USU Ballroom, served as a powerful tribute to the men and women who have served...

Context Events: Meeting Isidro Pérez García

Context Events: Meeting Isidro Pérez García

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 9, 2025

On Tuesday, March 18, students, faculty, and community members gathered at the University Library’s Fifth Floor Reading Room for a compelling lecture by artist Isidro Pérez García.  He began the lecture by sharing his personal experiences, detailing his journey as a formerly undocumented migrant...

Album Review: "I Said I Love You First"

Album Review: “I Said I Love You First”

Nahomi Garcia Alarcon, Arts & Entertainment Editor March 30, 2025

Selena Gomez has always had a knack for reinvention and in this new musical era, she has refined her sound. “I Said I Love You First,” her latest project with producer and now fiancé Benny Blanco, is not just an album but it’s a journal of love, self-reflection and artistic evolution. This is...

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