BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
General audiences may feel they know Natalie Portman from her years as a Hollywood star, but she is hardly done evolving. Portman is a prolific, critically acclaimed and award-winning actress, already an enduring A-list household name at 37 and showing no signs of slowing down. Instead she’s speeding up and expanding her repertoire to include a turn in the director’s chair.
BY SHLOKA GIDWANI ’22
The Indian YouTube channel All India Bakchod (AIB) recently faced controversy after a freelance comedian who worked with the channel, Utsav Chakraborty, was accused of sexual harassment. Writer and comedian Mahima Kukreja shared a Twitter thread on Oct. 4 accusing Chakraborty of sending her unsolicited pictures of his genitals. She also spoke on behalf of other women, some minors, who were either harassed by Chakraborty or felt unsafe in his presence.
BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
“Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,” said Mr. Hale, played by Kylie Levy ’21 in last week’s production of Susan Glaspell’s 1916 one-act play “Trifles,” directed by Brianna Sloane. With set design by technical director Shawn Hill, lighting design by Lara Dubin, costume design by Elizabeth Lowe ’19 and dramaturgy from Heidi Holder, the one-act play opened Rooke Theatre’s Fall 2018 season.
BY EMMA MARTIN ’20
This Sunday, Oct. 13, Sarah Cavar ’20 held a reception for the publication of their collaborative zine, “[S]PACE,” featuring student work from self-identified members of the disabled community. The event was meant to elicit new creation; Cavar shared prompts for those gathered to write and create with during the event.
BY SARAH CHAIT ’21
Well it looks like our good friend Banksy is back to his old tricks again after a prolonged media silence. This latest stint by the English artist occurred about two weeks ago at an evening auction in the historic Sotheby’s, when a piece by Banksy titled “Girl with Balloon” sunk into its frame and shredded itself the split second it was sold to an unnamed buyer for 1.04 million British pounds ($1.36 million). The stunned crowd was unsure if this was the work of the enigmatic Banksy himself, but it was later confirmed to be Banksy’s doing by the artist himself as well as Pest Control, a society for the authentication of street art.
BY GABBY RAYMOND ’20
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, the stars of the Netflix series “Big Mouth,” took their audience on a cringeworthy 10-episode journey in their sophomore season. The show toggles between raunchy sing-along adult cartoon and the sexed class we all wish we had in high-school, though maybe not with P.E. teacher Coach Steve. There are moments you will not physically be able to look at the screen and others when you laugh so hard you cry — either way, the cesspool of middle school hormones is so relatable you’re going to have to buckle in for a binge watch.
BY ERIN CARBERRY ’19
Originally premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018 before landing in box offices this August, “Searching” is a dramatic thriller that follows David Kim (John Cho, “Star Trek”) through his increasingly desperate search for his missing 16-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La, “Mom”). Aiding him in his search are his lazy younger brother, Peter (Joseph Lee, “Miracle That We Met”), and Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing, “Will & Grace”).
BY TESS TUITOEK ’21
The use of award shows as political platforms for celebrities has been a part of Hollywood for a long time. With the advent of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, stars and activists have used the red carpet as a platform to speak up about sexual assault, wearing all black in solidarity with the Time’s Up movement at the 75th Golden Globes.
BY SABA FIAZUDDIN ’21
The Mount Holyoke Film Society held their first event of the semester on Friday, a screening of the feature film, “Ocean’s 8.” The film stars Sandra Bullock (“Miss Congeniality”) as Debbie Ocean, the sister of the original franchise’s iconic character Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney, “Up In the Air”).
BY ERIN CARBERRY ’19
Based on the debut thriller novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, “A Simple Favor” follows widow and single mom Stephanie (Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”) as she befriends the enigmatic Emily (Blake Lively, “The Age of Adaline”). When Emily disappears, Stephanie becomes obsessed with finding her friend and is quickly drawn into the tangled web of Emily’s secrets. As the story unfolds and more stones are overturned, the audience discovers that no one — not even wholesome, mommy-vlogger Stephanie — is as innocent as they seem. But how far can a story like this go before it becomes too far-fetched to follow?
BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” serves as a playful reminder that art does not have to imitate life — it just needs to celebrate it. With the first film’s takeaway point being an ode to laughing one’s way through messy-wonderful accidents, the second takes a similar tone: loving company (and maybe a good party) as a remedy for grief. The film is a bubbly, feel-good tribute to the (spoiler alert) now-late Donna (Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada.”)
Every summer, Mount Holyoke students go off into the real world for internships and experiences that will shape them for the rest of their lives. Some of our MoHos venture into more artistic endeavors. Arts & Entertainment talked to some of these students about their summers and the work they did in their respective fields.
BY ERIN CARBERRY ’19
Released on April 13, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” is a reimagining of the 1960s sci-fi classic television show of the same name. When the project was first announced, audiences had their reservations: some feared another gritty sci-fi reboot while others had flashbacks to the series’ last attempt at a reboot, the universally panned 1998 film. Overall, hesitant audiences have nothing to fear: the series has heart, wit and cleverness in equal measure.
BY JAHIYA CLARK ’20
Society has conditioned women to believe that they must look “pretty” to be happy, but how valuable is feeling “pretty?” In Amy Schumer’s new comedy “I Feel Pretty,” the running joke for most of the film is that the main character, Renee Bennett (played by Schumer, “Trainwreck”) thinks she is conventionally pretty. The joke is that it’s only in her head.
BY EMMA MARTIN ’20
This weekend the Mount Holyoke College theatre department presented their popular rendition of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with four performances in Rooke Theater. The show, directed by Noah Tuleja, featured strong acting against the backdrop of an extravagant, whimsical set with creative costuming and an unforgettable soundtrack.
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