Essential Entertainment Weekly

Since Halloween is this weekend, I thought I’d take a stroll down memory lane. As a kid, I was terrified of horror movies— as I imagine most kids probably are. However, there were some Halloween movies that I still love and watch to this day. “Halloweentown” (1998) I cannot express the excitement I felt as I watched Disney Channel the week before Halloween waiting for this movie to come on. The idea of there being this secret Halloween village to explore heightened my kid imagination. However, I was not a fan of “Return to Halloweentown.” I was attached to the specific actors and characters from the first 2 “Halloweentown” movies. “Monster House” (2006) I was lucky enough to see this movie in theaters when it came out in 2006. I was only 6-years-old, so it was a little frightening to me. However, “Monster House” has become a classic Halloween movie for me as I’m sure it is for others of my generation.  “Corpse Bride” (2005) In general, I’m a huge Tim Burton fan. Burton has always h...

  Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of the newest viral TV show, Squid Games. This South Korean show, directed and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, went viral for good reason. Personally, I binge-watched the entire season in one day. This show will take you on a journey of many emotions through immaculate character development, acting, and thrilling plot lines. A show that was once only available in South Korea made its way to Netflix. According to The Business Insider, Netflix’s co-CEO said that “Squid Games” could most definitely become their biggest show ever (Sept. 28, 2021).  “Squid Games” envelops themes of greed, what it takes to survive, and what it means to be a good person. As participants play in life-or-death children’s games to win a large cash prize, they must decide who they can trust. Heo Sung-tae’s portrayal of the main antagonist, Jang Deok-su, is outstanding. I found myself terrified and infuriated with him. In contrast to Jang Deok-su is the main charac...

 Hello! I've decided to widen the variety of my blog posts. Instead of just posting about movies, I'd like to begin writing about multiple forms of entertainment. This may be anywhere from movies, TV shows, to books. I love storytelling and would like to continue sharing my likes/dislikes with you! Please feel free to leave recommendations for any of your favorite stories of any form.  Talk soon, Rachel

  Introduction Mental health and poverty are growing concerns in today’s society. It seems that the rate of suicides is always increasing along with violence in impoverished cities. Something everyone says they want to do better is look out for others and help bring awareness to important issues in today’s world. One of the best ways to bring attention to current problems is through film. One film that does a great job of facilitating conversation and bringing awareness to two major issues, poverty, and mental health, is the Joker (2019). This Todd Phillips film was so monumental it landed star, Joaquin Pheonix his first Oscar for Best Male Actor. Joaquin’s portrayal of a suffering lower-class citizen of New York is breathtaking. The Joker, or Arthur Fleck, cannot seem to catch a single break in this film. After being handed the crappy end of the stick his whole life, he finally snaps. Fleck explains himself as being a product of the system and is a prime example of what can happen...