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The Extractionist: Reviewed by Theresa Strong

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The Extractionist: Reviewed by Theresa Strong

The Extractionist by Kimberly Unger

Kimberly Unger has created a world that does not exist at this time, but one that I can suspend disbelief enough to say could exist someday. At times it felt as though I had been dropped into this world where the language was foreign-ish but familiar enough, I could fake my way through it. And technical…the story is highly technical, but luckily, I like technology and am able to suspend my need to concretely know and just go with feeling as if I had a general understanding of it. This all makes sense as Unger’s background is in creating video games and working with the cutting edge of VR technologies. This can become a stumbling block for some readers when it can be forgotten that not everyone understands the world an author spends their daily reality in.  

Despite these small hitches, I was hooked and could not put this book down. By page two, I literally snorted out loud with laughter. If I would have been drinking, I’m sure some of it would have come out of my nose. Our Heroine, Eliza McKay, or McKay, as she is frequently called, is a hacker with a very unusual menu of jobs that she does. One of those jobs is to enter the Swim, Unger’s version of the internet only, so much more than just the Internet, as you learn through reading, and rescue other personalities who have gotten themselves “caught” in sticky situations. Situations that they are unable to get out of on their own. Being on the government’s unpopular list, McKay hesitantly accepts a job that is interesting but also feels somewhat on the sly. When things go awry, and she is forced to complete the job to less than her satisfaction things heat up. As you can imagine, adventure ensues. With her globe-trotting travels and some very creative characters including Spike, an artificially intelligent being she and her brother created who shows up in the Swim and helps at times. When not helping, Spike offers colorful commentary, not always appreciated by McKay, but it made this reader chuckle.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Unger’s book and would highly recommend it. I would go so far as to say, it could be worth presenting to your bookclub.  We’re still doing that these days right? It’s a great book to escape with and share with your friends.  With the warm weather coming up it would make a great read at the beach!

 

Cinephile: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

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Cinephile: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Plot: “Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.” -IMDB  

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens with the titular doctor and a young girl running toward a shining object and away from another beast of calamity. How Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) got here and who this girl is are not important at this moment. All that matters is escape. Escape comes as an impossible choice, which forces the doctor to violently wake from a dream. We do not know it, but this is more than a dream.  

The girl running for her life is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). She possesses a unique power she cannot control that allows her to jump from one universe to another in the multiverse. If you have watched any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you know a power such as this will be in high demand by those with less than the best of intentions; enter Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).  

What makes this film interesting is Wanda’s reasoning for chasing the power across the multiverse. After sacrificing so much, including the love of her life, Wanda longs for a life with her kids; kids she never got to have in this universe, but knows she has in other timelines. So begins an epic battle between an all-powerful witch hellbent on a normal life and Doctor Strange protecting an innocent girl who is just discovering her powers.  

What grows from there will require the viewer to hold the storylines of 34 films and television series together in a complex web of battles spanning the galaxy and multiverse. Without a doubt, I cannot imagine someone using this film as their entry point into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With no prior knowledge, you will find yourself royally confused and disappointed.  

Luckily for me, I have seen all the movies, but have spent no time with the Disney+ series. This means I have missed important details holding this universe together. This is the birthplace of my frustration with this film and this phase of the MCU (which is feeling like the last season of The Office—we all know it should be over, but we continue to watch).  

 Following the same premise of Spider-Man: No Way Home, this film forcefully collides universes together to continue broadening the breadth of the universe and the characters in which it contains. I know I am in the minority here, but I am finding this age of never-ending calamity and world building exhausting. This exhaustion is not necessarily the fault of this film, but it is symptomatic of a bigger concern.  

This film delivers on an interesting idea and gives a more nuanced villain who longs for something normal. Doctor Strange yearns for something similar in the form of a love that will never be his. This longing is interesting but is not enough to support the weight of an entire film meant as nothing more than a vehicle delivering us to the next stage in the universe.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan

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I Am Not Throwing Away My… Thoughts

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I Am Not Throwing Away My… Thoughts

By Thomas Campbell

Just like my country I’m done, cranky and touchy, but I am not throwing away my thoughts. I want to express the absolute pleasure experienced by seeing the 2022 tour of Hamilton. Every time I get the chance to do something in a crowd, I count my lucky stars that COVID is finally, slowly getting under control and I pretend it’s impossible we could have another wave coming… but let’s move on.

I never was into seeing theatre growing up. Being in the closet (and being good at it) didn’t allow me such luxuries. So as an adult I have tried to branch out more, attempting to culture myself and experience the wide world of live musical performance. I must admit I did not go into Hamilton expecting to identify with any of its themes or narratives, but by the end I was feeling both seen and challenged at the same time. 

There are plenty of morals for both young and old: focus on the now, forgive and forget, have convictions, marry rich, and so on. However, the overall underlying theme of the show is something I think we have seen throughout all world history. We’ve seen it in wars overseas, we saw it on January 6th, and we see it in our schools; words vs. violence. 

There are three duels in the show, one in the first act and two in the second act with each one having heavy consequences for Alexander Hamilton. The first duel was punitive towards Lee for being unable to take action while in command. If he hadn’t been so unqualified, thousands of lives could have been saved, a fact which both Hamilton and John Laurens would not let slide. While vengeance is sweet, the taste is short lived and this first duel left Alexander without a chance of having the authority he had been yearning for. Did Lee deserve consequences? Absolutely. Did he deserve death? Assuming his intentions were good while he was in command, I would think not, but there wasn’t much discussion on the topic. In all reality, Washington likely would have found a fitting punishment and Lee’s reputation would have been irreversibly harmed, but Hamilton and Laurens took justice into their own hands, leaving themselves and their cause no better off.

Do you ever wonder why duels fell out of style? They used to be completely legal and everyone involved, even doctors, would respect the outcome. I suspect people started doing the math, realizing that those participating didn’t really feel better afterwards and that a delicate ego is easily bruised and slow to heal. In my head I used to figure only people who couldn’t articulate their thoughts would be foolish enough to put their life on the line for their pride, but history shows differently.

In the show they act like Philip Hamilton (Alexander’s son) and George Eacker’s duel was ill-considered, implying that other duels are genius, productive events. Do you remember what Philip died for? He died for the principle of ‘DON’T TALK

ABOUT MY DADDY THAT WAY!’ Was that more important than Philip leading a long, productive, fulfilling life where he contributed to the early years of American history? I don’t think it’s a competition, and Alexander didn’t think so either when this second duel left him without a son.

And finally we have the duel. Hamilton v. Burr. Both parties willingly participating, both parties having decided one of their deaths would fix all their problems. All resulting in a dead founding father and a villainised vice-president who ironically due to this duel over his run for the presidency would never get to hold high office again. Who wins in this outcome? It’s not a very dignified way to end a career or life, and we look back and laugh at their mistakes while making the same ones ourselves. Even with a wildly successful play preaching these morals around the country, senseless shootings and bar fights are unfortunately alive and well. More than raising your gun and shooting up, maybe just don’t accept the duel. 

Though if Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had gone out to dinner and sorted things out, we wouldn’t have this fantastic show. So maybe I’ll let it slide this once.

*In Spokane, WA Hamilton runs through May 22, 2022 at The First Interstate Center for the Arts.  Visit www.firstinterstatecenter.org for tickets    

*To see when Hamilton is coming to your town visit https://hamiltontickets.org/tour

Cinephile: The Ten

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Cinephile: The Ten

By Nathan H. Box, MNPL

The Ten is a ranking of the ten best films watched in a calendar year… so far. New films, old films, theatrical releases, and streaming adventures, all movies are considered. Many films will enter, but only the ten best will make the list. Every movie watched in 2022 has the potential to shake up the list. Be sure to check back often and let me know what you think. 

The Worst Person in the World  

I need more people to see The Worst Person in the World. It was my selection for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars. It is a movie I cannot shake. In reflection, I cannot think of a more original approach to what it means to be in your late 20s and early 30s. From every direction, you can feel the crushing weight of expectation; expectations about relationships, your career choice, and children. Better than most, I think this film fully encapsulates this period in life when you become a fully formed adult.  

Audible  

Audible is an Oscar-nominated documentary short film about a deaf high school football team in Maryland. Given its premise, it might be easy to dismiss this as another sports movie about a team overcoming impossible odds. This movie is that and so much more. At its core, it is about a collection of unique individuals, each with personal trials and tribulations to overcome, coming together around a common purpose. I found it so inspiring and desperately needed.  

Lead Me Home  

I have walked and worked the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. I have spent time in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. I have interacted with and loved on my homeless neighbors in Seattle. Lead Me Home attempts to tell the story of homelessness on the west coast. It does not concern itself with answering questions about how we got here. Instead, it is deeply focused on the people who live unhoused on our city’s streets. It moved me deeply and made me cry more than a short film should. I encourage you to watch it with an open mind.  

The Tragedy of Macbeth  

The Tragedy of Macbeth has left an impression of me I cannot shake. Featuring stellar performances from Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, this familiar story is given new life thanks to the vision of director Joel Coen. Coen chooses a minimalistic approach that enhances the dread, perilousness, and ominous nature of this story. Without a doubt, this film breathes new life into Shakespeare’s famous play and left me in awe. 

The Batman  

For the uninitiated, DC stands for Detective Comics. The Batman sees the caped crusader return to his roots as a detective first and crime fighter second. By focusing on a Bruce Wayne, who is in the second year of the job, we meet a man who is still learning the ropes of what it means to be a hero in a violent and unforgiving Gotham City. The entire experience felt raw, apocalyptic, and unhinged. While I prefer Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of the Dark Knight, this version checked a lot of boxes for me.  

V for Vendetta  

Every couple of years, I return to V for Vendetta. During the Trump years, it felt like required viewing in the same way that 1984 felt like mandatory reading. In the shadow of those dark days, this film now feels like a cautionary tale. If we are not careful, misinformation, exploitation of current events, governmental surveillance, and rights sacrificed for the greater good will form a slippery slope leading to a reality few of us will recognize. 

The Thin Red Line  

“War is hell.” There is no glory to be found in killing your fellow man. All too often, film paints conflict as some noble trial without showing the harsh and violent reality. The Thin Red Line does not succumb to this idea. It shows war for what it is, the devolution of man. On the battlefield, we meet men longing for home, scared of conflict, conflicted about the prospect of taking life, and warriors who throw caution to the wind. In the same vein as Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, and Apocalypse Now, this film is an honest betrayal of war demanding of your attention.  

Traffic  

When drug use escapes the inner-city and heads toward the suburbs, white parents finally pay attention to the epidemic. But this film is so much more than that. It strings together an end-to-end network by providing stories focused on supply and demand. Along the way, we meet cartel members and the cops they employ. We come face-to-face with Americans profiting off the drug trade. As an audience, we see the results of demand as drugs wreck a family. This film puts a human face on drug trafficking and everyone it touches.   

The Imitation Game  

The Imitation Game is one of the best movies released in 2014. Looking back on the life of Alan Turing, you see his brilliance, sacrifice, work, and how he was treated on full display. In the years following this movie, this means more to me. Throughout history, who else has had their work discounted because they looked or loved differently? Who are the heroes lost to time because of prejudice and discrimination? When I think about the life of Alan Turing, my heart breaks for those who will never fully get the credit they deserve. 

Flee  

For months now, my television screen has been filled with images of refugees escaping the borders of Ukraine. Seeking safety from a war without merit or purpose, they are fleeing their homeland in pursuit of peace and calm. While Flee is not about the current conflict in Ukraine, it asks us to step into the shoes of refugees escaping Afghanistan. Throughout their journey, we learn what it means to lose a sense of home. Forced into the shadows, we come to understand the uneasy life of those who just want peace. Without a doubt in mind, this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen about the refugee experience. It is an empathy inducing juggernaut that is more than worthy of your time.   

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

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Issue 3 Vol 1 – Diane Anderson-Minshall: Taking the Reigns of Our Legacy

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Issue 3 Vol 1 – Diane Anderson-Minshall: Taking the Reigns of Our Legacy

Cinematic Consideration: The Oscars!

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Cinematic Consideration: The Oscars!

By Nathan H. Box, MNPL

For us cinephiles, this week is our Super Bowl. My social media feeds are filled with debates over the most deserving film to win best picture, snubs, and which actors and actresses should hear their names called out on Sunday. As someone who loves this art form, I devour the conversation, arguing with strangers, and patiently waiting for my Oscar party on Sunday night.

Of every film nominated across all 23 categories, I have had the distinct joy of watching all of them except three: Parallel Mothers, Writing with Fire, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. For over 25 years, I have obsessively watched this awards show and, without a doubt, this seems to be the most even year. Make no mistake, there are clear winners in some categories, but there are others where it is anybody’s guess. 

Speaking of guesses, below are mine, accompanied by some reasoning. To make it interesting, I’ll give you a sense of who I think should win and who I think the Academy will choose. If you have a few moments, we would love to hear your choices below in the comments. 

Best Picture

My Choice: Belfast

The Academy: The Power of the Dog 

To see conflict through the eyes of a child gives the battles of man a new perspective. Belfast is an experience I will never forget. I have never fully understood the violence between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, but watching this film framed for me the human cost of such challenges.

Best Director

My Choice: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

The Academy: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Yes, West Side Story is a remake, but it is a beautiful, vibrant, and an imaginative retelling of a quintessential piece of American cinema. In Steven Spielberg’s capable hands, new life is breathed into this story for a new generation. The result is a cinematic experience I want to relive again and again.

Best Adapted Screenplay

My Choice: The Power of the Dog

The Academy: The Power of the Dog

Adapted from the 1967 novel written by Thomas Savage, The Power of the Dog tells a new story of the American west. Gone are stories of good versus evil. Instead, we are offered a nuanced story about envy, longing, belonging, and quiet rage. This movie is methodical and will leave you pondering its ending long after the credits have ended.

Best Original Screenplay

My Choice: The Worst Person in the World

The Academy: King Richard

I feel like The Worst Person in the World was written for me. In my estimation, it encapsulates what it means to be in your late 20s and early 30s. Trying to navigate relationships, self-worth, and your own ambitions in a world where so much is expected of you, this is a film about growth and perseverance.

Best Actor

My Choice: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick…BOOM

The Academy: Will Smith, King Richard

In King Richard, Will Smith delivers one of the best performances of his career, but in tick, tick…BOOM, Andrew Garfield gives the best performance of the year. As struggling playwright, Jonathan Larson, who would go onto create the Broadway-smash, Rent, Garfield is a man obsessed with his vision. Food, friends, work, none of it matters if Larson cannot achieve his dream. Garfield fully embodies the role; a role filled with heart, passion, and dedication.

 Best Supporting Actor

My Choice: Troy Kotsur, CODA

The Academy: Troy Kotsur, CODA

If you have not seen CODA, I recommend you do it as soon as possible. It is the story of a deaf family and their hearing daughter, Ruby, who is pursuing her passion for singing. Troy Kotsur, who plays Ruby’s father, gives a performance filled with heart and love. While he may not be able to fully appreciate his daughter’s talent, his dedication is powerful.

Best Actress

My Choice: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

The Academy: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

In my initial review of Spencer, I said it was a film I would show to a film appreciation class; a film we would dissect scene by scene. As Princess Diana, Kristen Stewart’s performance is engrossing as we watch her give way to paranoia and madness. Watching her perform feels voyeuristic and painful. Each choice she makes in this film is worthy of discussion, but it is also award worthy.

Best Supporting Actress

My Choice: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

The Academy: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Ariana DeBose, as Anita, in West Side Story, is vibrant, fierce, and a grounding force. When she is present, she elevates every scene. Dancing, singing, acting, there is nothing Ariana cannot do. I, for one, cannot wait to see where her career takes her next.

Best Animated Feature

My Choice: Flee

The Academy: Encanto 

Flee is a revelatory experience as it sheds light on the refugee and immigrant experience. If you are open to it, this is a movie with the power to change you for the better. The world can use more empathy and artistic expressions such as this film are made to pull such a force out of us. 

Best Cinematography

My Choice: The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bruno Delbonnel

The Academy: Dune, Greig Fraser 

The Tragedy of Macbeth is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Shot completely in black and white, how it makes use of this palette is nothing short of breathtaking. Shadows, highlights, bright spaces, and dark corners are characters in this film equal to the actors on the screen.

Best Costume Design

My Choice: Cruella, Jenny Beavan

The Academy: Cruella, Jenny Beavan

Cruella is a story centered on the world of high-fashion, which means the costumes better match the setting. Without a doubt in my mind, they do that and much more. The dresses and clothes in this film are not just props. They are fundamental to the story.

Best Documentary Feature

My Choice: Flee

The Academy: Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

I cannot shake Flee. Watching the news, seeing millions of Ukrainians flee their homeland because of an evil man, the story behind this film and its central message seem more important than ever before.

Best Documentary Short

My Choice: Audible

The Academy: The Queen of Basketball

In my estimation, Audible is nearly perfect. Focused on a deaf high school football team from Maryland, this short is more than a sports movie. It is an underdog story about characters with complex lives.

Best Film Editing

My Choice: Dune, Joe Walker

The Academy: Dune, Joe Walker

Dune is a visual feast heightened by the quality of its editing. Every scene feels important, perfectly paced, and beautifully crafted.

Best International Feature Film

My Choice: The Worst Person in the World

The Academy: Drive My Car

The Worst Person in the World is another one of those films I cannot shake. The more I think about it, the more I seem to find things I like about it. In so many ways, it felt relatable, real, and authentic.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

My Choice: Cruella

The Academy: Cruella

Again, Cruella is a story about the world of high-fashion. To make it believable, we had to be transported to this world via tools such as makeup and hairstyling. In so many ways, they defied my expectations.

Best Original Score

My Choice: The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood

The Academy: The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood

The score to The Power of the Dog is a mysterious and haunting reimagining of music we often associate with the American west. It possesses the power to intensify every scene, and serves as a character in its own right.

Best Original Song

My Choice: Be Alive, from King Richard

The Academy: Be Alive, from King Richard

Kids get ready! Beyoncé is about to win an Oscar.

Best Production Design

My Choice: The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Academy: Dune

When you consider The Tragedy of Macbeth, one might call the production design minimalistic. In my estimation, how the spaces are used is an homage to the original play, but they also elevate the sense of calamity lurking around every corner.

Best Short, Animated 

My Choice: Robin, Robin

The Academy: Robin, Robin

Easily the weakest category of the year, I found myself unimpressed by most of this year’s nominated animated shorts with one exception, Robin, Robin. This short is charming, funny, and a wonderful tale about the family we choose.

Best Short, Live Action

My Choice: The Long Goodbye

The Academy: The Long Goodbye

This year’s live-action shorts are heavy and depressing. My choice for the Oscar is a story about an immigrant family in Britain preparing their home for a wedding. Their peace and joy is broken by a right-wing march that spirals out of control. Easily, this is one of the most heartbreaking films I have seen this year.

Best Sound

My Choice: West Side Story

The Academy: West Side Story

I now own the soundtrack to West Side Story on vinyl. The sound and music are so vibrant and enthralling it became an experience I wanted to live with again and again.

Best Visual Effects

My Choice: Dune

The Academy: Dune

Every year, they release a new movie that pushes the visual envelope further than I ever thought possible. Dune was that release in 2021.

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Wicked – Spokane Wa March 9-27

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Wicked – Spokane Wa March 9-27

Reviewed by Jonathan Shuffield

As the country begins to lift mask mandates, we cautiously begin to step back out into the sunlight….or the moonlight as it were.  Cities are beginning to wake up and are calling for people to engage again.  This is an uncertain, yet pivotal time in our communities.  A city is only as healthy as the willingness of its citizens to open their wallets and participate in its culture.  After two years locked away, with some businesses shuttering their storefronts, people scared of what the outside world could bring, we are given a hesitant green light to get back to life. For me, this means live theatre! 

Did you know that according to Playbill.com there will be close to 50 national tours of hit Broadway shows traveling the country in the 2022-2023 theatrical season?  With the reopening of Broadway in the summer of 2021, its successful re-emergence depends on these shows. Traveling shows, or bus-and-truck shows as they have been known, are the arteries feeding the beating heart of Broadway.  If you are lucky enough to live in one of the major cities in your state that hosts them, they will be worth every penny you spend to fill a seat.  Honestly, the only way to keep these shows coming back to your town is to do just that, show them the money.  

For the first time in two years, I took myself to the theatre.  I am lucky enough to live in one of these towns.  What better way to come back than to catch the National Tour of Wicked.  In the 19 years since it debuted on Broadway, I somehow have never seen it.  An amazing and still relevant tale of the prejudice, fear-mongering, propaganda-driven response to controlling the masses…..set to music!  It’s also the back story to what really created the beloved characters of The Wizard of Oz, based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire.   

If you are worried about the caliber of the show you will see, a national tour has to go through the same audition process and rehearsal expectations of the shows that play in the 41 Broadway theatre in New York City itself.  I caught the tour on its stop in Spokane, WA at the First Interstate Center For the Arts.  From the minute I walked through those doors it was an experience.  You could feel the buzz in the air as I floated through the lobby, grabbed myself a cocktail, and looked over the crowd. The city showed up, apparently just as hungry as I was for a night of theatre, the place was packed.  Mask mandate still in place, the theatre staff made it feel like a safe and inviting time for everyone.  

With beautiful performances from Allison Bailey as Glinda, Talia Suskauer as Elphaba, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, and a stand out for me, Lisa Howard as Madame Morrible I did not for one second feel like I was receiving the knock off version of this legendary Broadway show.  I believe it is very important to celebrate the work these individuals put into these huge stage productions and the venues that open their doors to host them.  If you get a chance to see the national tour of Wicked when it comes to a city near you, I highly recommend you go.  Not only will you be met with this amazing story and beautiful music, but you will be helping your city slowly come back to life. 

If you are in Spokane, WA you can catch Wicked at the First Interstate Center For the Arts through March 27th.   

Tickets at https://firstinterstatecenter.org/event/wicked/ 

Check for upcoming tours to your town at www.broadway.org/tours

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

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Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Plot: “When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.” 

Review: I did not approach Ghostbusters: Afterlife as an unbiased critic. I must admit that before we get started. Born in 1983, a year before the theatrical release of the original Ghostbusters film, I would soon find myself obsessed with those who defended Manhattan from a giant marshmallow. A deep child-like love with this movie morphed into a childhood dominated by toys, the animated series, and the sequel, Ghostbusters II. I even spent a couple of Halloweens dressed as a Ghostbuster dawning my brown jumpsuit, proton pack, and trap. In these unlikely heroes, this nerdy kid with glasses and an endless supply of sarcastic jokes found people to admire.  

In 2016, they relaunched this franchise with an all-female cast. Those who loathe anything smelling of feminism hated it. I found it to be a hilarious and worthy successor. I left the theater filled with a simple appreciation. Thank you for not running my childhood.  

Walking into Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I whispered the same prayer. Please do not ruin my childhood. Before the theater grew dark, I thought, please advance the story, introduce new characters, serve up a buffet of nostalgia, but please do not ruin this thing I hold dear.  

With the lights lowered, I readied myself for disappointment, which is a terrible way to approach a movie. Instantly, this film opens with a level of intrigue that made me miss the great science fiction movies of the 80s. It is in this opening scene we will spend the rest of the film unpacking. This setting will draw a single mother, Callie played by Carrie Coon, and her two children, Trevor played by Finn Wolfhard and Phoebe, played by Mckenna Grace, to Oklahoma.    

As they explore the seemingly abandoned farm, waves of nostalgia arrive like a tsunami. A PKE Meter and a proton pack both made me smile, but when ECTO-1 is discovered in a barn, I was hooked. With these tools comes the realization that our family is not alone, and lessons are being taught beyond the grave. In these moments, I found myself fully invested. When we learn our family is not alone inside the house and lessons beyond the grave are being taught, I found myself fully invested.  

This film is not without its faults, though. It leans a bit too heavily on nostalgia; this becomes abundantly true in its last third. It suffers from this problem I have with a lot of sci-fi, where complex problems or obscure bits of knowledge are easily solved or known to move the story forward quickly. With this understood, this is a family movie about a family dealing with some unique challenges. It is also a comedy; a through line that ties everything in this franchise together.  

As our characters embarked on the final showdown and some huge reveals made their way to the screen, I knew this film had accomplished its goal. It did not ruin my childhood. Rating it 4 out of 5 stars is probably a bit too generous, but I told you I am biased. If you want the truth, find a critic who hated their childhood. This one was a lucky kid. 

Nathan

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What Being Queer Means to Me – Jasmin Singer

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What Being Queer Means to Me – Jasmin Singer

By Jasmin Singer

When I was a little girl growing up in those fluorescent 1980s when my bangs were crooked and I was a proud, card-carrying member of the Whitney Houston Fan Club, I possessed a longing that even Whitney couldn’t fulfill.

Despite my long string of heartbreaking crushes on my women teachers, it would be many years before I’d come out—eventually trading in my accidentally asymmetrical bangs for an intentionally asymmetrical ‘do paired with telltale thick glasses and, most likely, tickets to an upcoming Indigo Girls concert.

Purpose. Connection. Direction.

I came out as bi at 19 after I boldly met a woman in an AOL chat room and we went back to her apartment all the way in Queens to awkwardly sleep together. Looking back, it’s abundantly clear that I was not even remotely attracted to her, but that didn’t matter—because I had started the powerful process of liberating a part of me that desperately wanted out.

It would be another eight years before I would realize that I was a full-fledged lesbian—a revelation I had after an experience with an older butch who was the first brave (and possibly hopeful) soul to inform me that she was absolutely certain I was gay. (She never did get her toaster.)

Love. Lust. Allyship.

And yet, despite my rainbow socks collection, when I was first asked to write about what being queer means to me, I was befuddled. It’s like asking me what it means to have a belly button. I don’t particularly think about it very often, but I’m happy it’s there.

As time went by, however—and my curmudgeonly disposition faded ever-so-slightly (along with my bright crimson hair dye)—I challenged myself to connect on a deeper level to what my queerness means. And as I lit my Bette Midler candle and meditated on the question, the answer came to me.

Empathy. Passion. Compassion.

Being queer means I can write my own script. It means I can free myself from the very narrow world that many straight people have available to them. It means I can dye my hair and tattoo my skin and pierce my face and sob over Patti LuPone ballads without feeling threatened by a heteronormative society that is banking on my assimilation.

It means I can be a safe space for younger queers who want very much to find mentorship and allyship and don’t know where to turn; I get to be that person for them—the one who reminds them they’re exactly the right level of fabulous just

as they are, today. It means I can hold my wife’s hand and kiss her in public and normalize something for a queer-leaning teen that sees our amorousness and recognizes the possibility of happiness. It means I can ask for the things I want and need—whether in my relationship, in my workplace, or from myself—without letting fear dictate my moves.

Because I’ve overcome fear already. I’ve teetered on the edges of despair and self-destruction but I always found my way back thanks to a global community of LGBTQIA+ goddesses who wanted me there, even if we hadn’t met. And as I got older, the knowledge that I can see my way through challenging times effectively gave me permission to take risks; to throw my name in the hat, even when it was a near impossibility; to go big or go home.

Partnership. Self-confidence. Collective care.

And it’s paid off. No longer needing to ascribe to societal norms because society as a whole was not mine for the taking and “normal” was never a word people used to describe me anyway, my queerness opened me up like a candy jar—ready to give and receive all the sweetness in the world. I became an activist for so many communities whose trajectories were not as upward-tilting as mine, fighting for the rights of trans Black women and men, of those whom society still deemed “less than,” of animals.

I went vegan 18 years ago, a life- and career-defining decision precipitated by my relentless pursuit of boycotting cruelty. My queerness had loosened the jar lid; all I had to do was barely pivot and the rest came pouring out.

Fun. Connection. Community.

All around me, everything I see and do and am—everything I believe in, fight for, care about—is a direct extension or result of my queerness. The little old rescued dogs who sleep by my side as I type this. My brilliant, nerdy wife in the next room putting together plans for our net-zero home construction. The media nonprofit I co-founded that focuses on changing the world for animals. The Newark LGBTQ Center that welcomed me in as a board member. The anthology I edited last year on antiracism and animal advocacy. The friends I have, the challenging conversations we spark, the space we hold, the unconditional love we share.

These are all reflections of my queerness, luscious manifestations of the life I have built after that fateful decision to bravely find my truth and tell my story, at first tip-toeing and then finally leaping out of the closet with my hands in full-on Evita mode.

Bravery. Wholeness. Authenticity.

The tremendous gifts I have been presented and the ones I am lucky enough to give away are, in its most simplest term, pure expressions of my worldview, my identity, my queerness.

And that—Whitney Houston—is the greatest love of all.

Under The Influence: 10 Questions for a New Year – Lyle Anthony

The QueerCentric
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Under The Influence: 10 Questions for a New Year – Lyle Anthony

  • How do you approach a New Year? Resolutions/goals or…?

I honestly just look forward to having an amazing year, manifesting love, happiness and opportunity, I’m not much of a resolutions guy.

  • How has your music changed or been influenced by the pandemic? Has it?

My music has definitely become a bit more refined as to who I am as an artist during the pandemic. Being South African and a lover of Pop music, my Afro Pop sound resonates deeply within my soul.

  • Do you have new music on the horizon? 

Yes, yes, yes! I’m in the process of writing and getting my music together to release a new album really soon. Can’t wait!

  • What are some essentials on your playlist currently?

My most definite essentials in my music library are Afro Beat, some pop, Adele, Jazmine Sullivan, Cynthia Erivo, some gospel and all around happy music. 

  • What is your favorite song that you have recorded so far?

I don’t have a favorite song as I love all of my music. I write each of my songs from a specific place and mood, so to say I have a favorite would be lessening the rest. However, I Deserve, Love Wins, Bless Up, Worlds Collide are my jams. 

  • Finish this sentence “Life without music is…”

 Life without music would be an absolute bore!

  • What excites you about making music?

 I love the process of writing and being in studio. Listening to the beat, coming up with melodies and making it sound good are all the things that excite me about making music. 

  • A musician to watch (other than yourself of course)

A muscian to watch out for other than myself is definitely Vincint, he is quite established but man, what a voice.

  • Live performance vs. creating in the studio

Live performance is truly what makes me come alive. It’s exhilarating and the most incredible feeling. I’m a born performer so it’s always great being on stage. Creating in studio is also something I enjoy but it’s such a different feeling and mood. I enjoy going in and getting it done and getting out. Lol

  • If you could make one wish for your listeners this year, what would it be?

One wish to my listeners is that they keep liking, sharing and spreading the message of Lyle Anthony and Love!

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