Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 25, 2025 April 25, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

arts

COURTESY OF ALICIA GUEVARA This year’s I-Show involved creative plays all set in the same location: a hotel lobby.

Witness Theatre’s I-Show is a wonderfully fun collection of creativity and mayhem in the very best way

By ALICIA GUEVARA | February 8, 2023

It’s always a bold move to sit in the front row of any group of people. Whether it be a huge lecture hall, a small classroom or an interactive magic show (a mistake I will not make again), back corners have become my safe space. I routinely linger at the edges of rooms, but, at Witness Theatre’s I-Show 2023 in Arellano Theater on Feb. 4, I sat front and center.

THE COME UP SHOW / CC BY 2.0 According to McShea, rapper JID is one of the artists that was unfairly left out from this year’s GRAMMY nominations.

GRAMMY nominations overlook hip-hop masterworks

By TIMOTHY MCSHEA | February 4, 2023

When the GRAMMYs revealed their list of nominations for the 2023 awards, I immediately scrolled to the category “Best Rap Album of the Year.” Not because I hold the award in great regard but quite the opposite — the GRAMMYs have a vile history of botching the awards for rap/hip-hop artists, showing a partial disregard and ignorance for their culture. 

DANI CHARLES / CC BY-SA 3.0 The director and cast of the biggest South Indian blockbuster of 2022, RRR, have won multiple awards.

In Focus: RRR

By VAREN TALWAR | February 1, 2023

A long-standing debate in film has been whether cinema is entertainment or art. While I find this idea of a zero-sum game quite sad and unfair, every once in a while there comes a movie that decimates this misconception by being an incredibly entertaining and artistic masterpiece simultaneously. There were a couple of films like these in 2022 but, in my opinion, none more viscerally representative of my point than S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt).

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include Turn Every Page, The Snow Hare and My 21st Century Blues.

To watch and watch for: Week of Jan. 29

By SOPHIA LIN | January 30, 2023

Welcome back! As we settle into the semester, I always enjoy finding some time to hit the theaters and check out a new title on the shelves. It’s one of the few sweet spots before classes turn busy, and you won’t regret making the most of it while you still can.

COURTESY OF ALIZA LI Li highlights the moving and memorable flavors of sound showcased at the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra’s final concert of the semester.

Hopkins Symphony Orchestra concludes season with Mussorgsky, Takemitsu and more

By ALIZA LI | December 7, 2022

Since the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra’s (HSO) return from pandemic restrictions in fall 2021, I’ve had the pleasure of attending almost every one of its concerts. Although the reason for this has more to do with my friends’ participation in the orchestra rather than any particular affinity for classical music, the viewing and listening experience has been extremely enjoyable.

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0 The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg’s new semi-autobiographical movie.

Thank you, Mr. Spielberg

By VAREN TALWAR | December 7, 2022

In the opening scene of Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, a young Sammy Fabelman watches his first film — The Greatest Show on Earth — in 1952. As he watches a train crash on the huge screen, his world is lopsided by the grandeur and magic of cinema. While watching The Fabelmans, I felt the same thrill as Sammy, albeit my emotions were due to the beauty of a simple and incredibly personal story that Spielberg brings to the film.

COURTESY OF HELENA GIFFORD Though important in highlighting the diverse student body, the annual Culture Festival yielded low attendance numbers.

Culture Fest shows off student cultural organizations in near-freezing temperatures

By HELENA GIFFORD | December 6, 2022

The annual Culture Festival, which took place on Keyser Quad, featured cultural performances, music and food on Dec. 2. The event was hosted by the Multicultural Leadership Council, with funding from the Inter-Asian Council (IAC) and the HOP. Each cultural student group present at the event had a booth where members talked about their culture and organization.

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK Picks this week include George & Tammy, The Light Pirate and Unity.

To watch and watch for: Week of Dec. 4

By SOPHIA LIN | December 6, 2022

Welcome to December! This time of year boasts an excellent line-up in the art world, with holiday-themed releases close on the horizon. The last week of classes is finally upon us, so be sure to take this time to curl up with a little something before final exams hit.

ESVIAFM / CC BY-SA 4.0 Guevara reviews Netflix’s Falling for Christmas, starring Lindsay Lohan.

Falling for Christmas: an unsatisfying show of shallow sweetness

By ALICIA GUEVARA | November 28, 2022

I really wanted to like Falling for Christmas, Netflix’s latest romantic comedy starring Lindsay Lohan. As a fan of Lohan’s nostalgic Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, I was looking forward to seeing her light up the screen in another major film. Since its release on Nov. 10, the film has consistently been featured in Netflix’s top 10 list despite its lackluster reviews from critics.

COURTESY OF ZHIYUN WANG Phunktions Hip Pop Dance Company performs onstage at the 14th Annual SLAM Benefit and Showcase: DJ Got Us Slammin’.

SLAM Showcase awes with uniquely charismatic performances

By ZHIYUN WANG | November 19, 2022

The 14th Annual SLAM Benefit and Showcase: DJ Got US Slammin’ hosted by the Hopkins SLAM Hip Hop Dance Group filled Shriver Hall with energy and zeal on Nov. 12. With the stage extravagantly decorated by iconic SLAM colored balloons, the showcase this year not only celebrated the diverse dance groups around the DMV area but SLAM’s 20th anniversary as well.

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s picks include The Menu and Luca Guadagnino’s new film Bones and All.

To watch and watch for: Week of Nov. 13

By SOPHIA LIN | November 16, 2022

For some welcome distractions from the busyness of midterms, look no further than diverse range of releases slated for this week! Long-awaited films The Menu and She Said are open this weekend at the same time as festival favorite Bones and All, while on Disney+ The Santa Clauses is out with its first episode.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0 Henry Cavill plays a supporting role as Sherlock Holmes in Netflix’s Enola Holmes 2.

Enola Holmes 2: A sequel that is actually good?

By ALICIA GUEVARA | November 16, 2022

As the weather begins to plummet and Thanksgiving Break approaches, the stress induced by the mere thought of impending midterms threatens to overwhelm me. Yes, I could study, but when I saw Enola Holmes 2 was released on Oct. 27, I had to carve two hours out of my schedule to watch it.

LBJ LIBRARY / PUBLIC DOMAIN MARK 1.0 Woody Harrelson stars in Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning film Triangle of Sadness.

Triangle of Sadness is a darkly humorous reconstruction of society

By VAREN TALWAR | November 9, 2022

The premise of a group of people stranded on an island is an overdone trope in modern media. However, while Triangle of Sadness is not radically different in its approach to the content, it definitely succeeds in presenting it in a way few have done before. This is primarily because of its extensive focus on power dynamics before the characters get stranded. In fact, the ‘stranded on an island’ storyline only composes the last third of the film.

COURTESY OF MARY KATE MCCORMICK This week’s pick’s include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Drake and 21 Savage’s new album Her Loss.

To watch and watch for: week of Nov. 6

By VAREN TALWAR | November 8, 2022

There is plenty to explore in the arts this week! The incredibly successful Japanese anime One Piece Film: Red plays in American theaters, and Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is this week’s revival film at the Senator Theatre. The much-awaited Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also opens in theaters this week! 

EL HORMIGUERO / CC BY-NC 2.0 Daniel Brühl is one of the stars of Netflix’s war drama All Quiet on the Western Front.

All Quiet on the Western Front portrays the sobering reality of war

By HELENA GIFFORD | November 7, 2022

104 years after the armistice of World War I, all veterans have long past and their memories are left to the history books. Having lived in peacetime my whole life, my concept of war is very abstract, so I expected the war movie, All Quiet on the Western Front, to be a fun action-packed watch. However, I quickly realized that this was a very grim film. All Quiet on the Western Front, released on Oct. 28, is a German anti-war film that brings the reality of war back into its horrific focus.

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