Netflix’s ‘Night Teeth’ review: a bloody awful film with very little bite

Netflix’s ‘Night Teeth’ review: a bloody awful film with very little bite

In Netflix’s new original vampire thriller film, “Night Teeth,” viewers meet the main character, Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), a broke college student whose future goals include succeeding as a music producer and buying his grandmother a house. Benny’s fairly average life, defined by writing academic papers for his classmates and skateboarding around his hometown, takes a turn for the worse when he begs his older brother, Jay (Raúl Castillo), who works as a chauffeur, to let him play the role of driver for one night. From there, Benny begins chauffeuring Blaire (Debby Ryan) and Zoe (Lucy Fry), a pair of sultry vampire friends interested in attending several lavish parties in Los Angeles with the intent of wreaking havoc. While “Night Teeth” shows promise by showcasing a star-studded cast — Debby Ryan, Lucy Fry and Megan Fox, to name a few — and attempting to feature chemistry between star-crossed lovers Benny and Blaire, it falls flat, mainly due to its nonsensical dialogue, lack of exciting action and unimaginative scenes that are in desperate need of some plot twists.

Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra’s Monster’s Ball returns to campus

Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra’s Monster’s Ball returns to campus

On the rainy night before Halloween, the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra welcomed its first in-person audience since March 2020 to the 11th annual Monsters’ Ball. The balcony of Chapin Auditorium was practically filled to the brim with attendees, most of whom dressed up in Halloween costumes for the occasion. Instead of wearing traditional concert attire, the musicians also donned Halloween costumes, dressing up as Spider-Man, the Duolingo owl, a butterfly, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and the protagonist from the 2019 folk horror film “Midsommar” — to name only a few.

In ‘Fabulation,’ FMT department expands cast and storytelling diversity

In ‘Fabulation,’ FMT department expands cast and storytelling diversity

For one Black student in the Mount Holyoke film, media and theater department, it was “a dream to be able to work on a play like this and design for actors who looked like her,” visiting lecturer Michael Ofori said. The FMT department held performances of its production of American playwright Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine” from Oct. 21 through 24. This was the department’s first in-person production since the beginning of the pandemic, and the performance was held in Rooke Theater, with seating at 75 percent capacity.

Twilight Renaissance rekindles interest in vampire romance genre

When the creators of the “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” posters wrote the tagline, “The Epic Finale That Will Live Forever,” it seems as if they were anticipating the thriving fan culture that the franchise would retain almost a decade after its final installment first premiered in movie theaters.

The Twilight Saga refers to a series of five vampire romance films, all of which are based on American novelist Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling books of the same name. Although “Breaking Dawn,” the last installment of the Saga, first premiered in theaters in 2012, in the past couple of years, fans have flocked back to the series with the excitement reminiscent of seeing an eagerly anticipated midnight premiere. Book Riot defined this cultural phenomenon, often called “The Twilight Renaissance,” as a period where people are “once again making fan art, sharing memes and discussing the series’ impact after a dip in popularity during the mid-2010s.”

‘No Time to Die’ taps into sentimentality, saying goodbye to the longest-running Bond

‘No Time to Die’ taps into sentimentality, saying goodbye to the longest-running Bond

“No Time to Die,” the latest James Bond installment, is surprisingly emotional for an action film. The movie, which is the final Bond film to star Daniel Craig as the titular character, ups the sentimentality beyond the norms of the spy thriller genre in a fitting goodbye to the longest-running Bond.

The movie follows in the steps of classic Bond films and expands on what a Bond film can look like. “No Time to Die” opens with a scene that imitates a familiar sight from previous Bond movies — Bond, accompanied by a beautiful woman, driving his iconic Aston Martin DB5 sports car through a small European town. In these opening shots, the film nods to similar scenes in the Bond tradition, which can be found in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and “Goldfinger,” to name a few

Humor and representation shine in third season of ‘Sex Education’

Humor and representation shine in third season of ‘Sex Education’

Netflix’s newest season of “Sex Education” allows viewers to feel as if they are eavesdropping on the latest gossip during a high school passing period, while also providing catharsis for the trauma that accompanies being a teenager. The third season, released on Netflix on Sept. 17, brings audiences back to some of their favorite characters from the town of Moordale. “Sex Education” has its strong points when it comes to portraying teenagers on an emotional, cultural and sexual level, even if it exhausts certain storylines and disregards promising subplots.

Phoebe Bridgers takes to the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston

Phoebe Bridgers takes to the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston

Phoebe Bridgers has had a remarkable year. Following the release of her second studio album, “Punisher,” in mid-2020, the 27-year-old musician gained widespread fame and multiple Grammy nominations. Bridgers spent the latter part of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 playing virtual sets on late night shows before embarking on a largely sold-out, fully outdoors in-person tour in September 2021. On Sept. 26 and 27, Bridgers played for a sold-out Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, MA.

Children’s games become deadly in Netflix’s ‘Squid Games’

Children’s games become deadly in Netflix’s ‘Squid Games’

“Squid Game,” a South Korean horror Netflix Original series that dropped on Sept. 17, has quickly become the hottest television show streaming on the platform. It has a stellar 94 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.3/10 on IMDB and has taken the number one spot on Netflix in 90 countries. The show deserves the worldwide recognition and success it has received since its release. It possesses a suspenseful atmosphere, successfully drawing viewers in as the players navigate the games.

‘I feel rejuvenated, I feel excited’: Dance majors on returning to campus  

‘I feel rejuvenated, I feel excited’: Dance majors on returning to campus  

Sashaying and pirouetting within the confines of cramped off-campus rooms became the new normal for many Mount Holyoke dance majors in March 2020, when students were sent home because of COVID-19. While many classes functioned similarly enough to the on-campus experience, the dance department saw a significant shift in their classes. The studio space, which allows students and faculty to experience community and energy through movement, was now missing from dancers’ lives. During the pandemic, professors and students had to figure out how to recreate this sense of community in a virtual environment.

Julien Baker performs at Gateway City Arts

Julien Baker performs at Gateway City Arts


On Saturday, Sept. 18, Julien Baker performed to an excited and emotional crowd at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA. Playing a mix of favorites from her debut album as well as most of the content from her newest release, “Little Oblivions,” Baker interacted with her audience like old friends. Baker was joined onstage by a small band, including Mariah Schneider on guitar and vocals, Noah Forbes on piano and Matthew Gilliam on drums. The four musicians created an intimate environment that allowed Baker’s striking vocals to shine. The size of the audience — all fully masked — showed that the Pioneer Valley is more than ready for the return of live music.

In ‘star-crossed,’ Kacey Musgraves shows she isn’t a typical country singer 

In ‘star-crossed,’ Kacey Musgraves shows she isn’t a typical country singer 

“Let me set the scene / Two lovers ripped right at the seams,” country music star Kacey Musgraves sings in the first lines of her recently released fourth studio album, “star-crossed.” In this opening track, Musgraves outlines her marriage falling apart — from the painful split from American singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly, to the divorce itself, to finally breaking free from the hurt.

‘Fabulation’ will kick-off the Rooke Theater’s 2021-2022 season

‘Fabulation’ will kick-off the Rooke Theater’s 2021-2022 season

The Mount Holyoke College department of film, media and theater will open Lynn Nottage’s 2004 play, “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine,” on Thursday, Oct. 21. The show will run until Sunday, Oct. 24 and will be directed by visiting lecturer in film, media and theater Michael Ofori, who teaches acting, “as well as various other courses in interdisciplinary arts and African theater and performance,” according to his staff biography.

Second installment of ‘RACE and … Dance’ celebrates house dance 

Second installment of ‘RACE and … Dance’ celebrates house dance 

On Friday, Sept. 24, Five College Dance and Mount Holyoke Division of Student Life, Office of Community and Belonging and the campus Cultural Centers hosted the second session of “RACE and … Dance,” a three-part dance workshop hosted on Zoom. The event was designed to allow the general public to learn about and appreciate African diasporic cultures “whose contributions to contemporary dance are often underexplored,” according to the event’s Embark page.

Watch these five movies by Latine and Hispanic filmmakers

In honor of National Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, Mount Holyoke News asked Bianka Ballina, Mount Holyoke Fellow and Visiting Lecturer in the department of film, media and theater, to recommend five movies by Latine and Hispanic directors.

‘He’s All That’ is a film worth skipping

‘He’s All That’ is a film worth skipping

Netflix’s recent remake of the classic romance film “She’s All That,” titled “He’s All That,” is a modern spin on the original coming-of-age movie. The motion picture, starring Tik Tok-er Addison Rae, falls short, banking less on its cast’s acting abilities and more on their internet fame. With a lackluster script and direction from Mark Waters, the Netflix original proves to be just an awkward spoof of the hit ‘90s film it is inspired by, and, ultimately, is unnecessary.

Lorde branches out with ‘Solar Power’ and releases its companion EP

Lorde branches out with ‘Solar Power’ and releases its companion EP


“Solar Power,” the third album from New Zealand singer-songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor, more widely known as Lorde, is a sharp sonic departure from her earlier work. So far, “Solar Power” has been met with mixed reception from both long-time fans and critics. Released on Aug. 20, 2021, the album’s stripped-back, acoustic sound — reminiscent of pop songs from the early 2000s — ushers in a new chapter in her artistry.

Sounds of MoHo: August


These are the songs that Mount Holyoke students had on loop all July. Did your favorite songs make the cut? Find out by visiting our Spotify playlist here. You can follow the Mount Holyoke News on Spotify to catch all of our latest staff playlists.

Find the August Sounds of MoHo playlist on our Spotify playlist here.

‘The White Lotus’ is a biting — but toothless — satire

‘The White Lotus’ is a biting — but toothless — satire

“The White Lotus,” one of the most talked-about television shows of summer 2021, is deceptive from the onset. The series begins with a mystery, but as it unfolds it becomes clear that hot-button issues such as class struggle and race are at the center of the narrative. Although I first became interested in the HBO six-episode limited series upon viewing the opening shots, which display a dead body being loaded onto a plane, I noticed the show ends up leaning more toward satire than a sincere whodunit.

Inaugural Mariposa Prize awarded to two Mount Holyoke College graduates

Inaugural Mariposa Prize awarded to two Mount Holyoke College graduates

This past spring, the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and the department of Spanish, Latina/o and Latin American studies announced a new student award, the inaugural Mariposa Prize. The prize was funded by and based around the work of Hector Dionico Mendoza, a mixed-media artist who teaches in the visual and public art department at California State University, Monterey Bay.

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