Ranking A Bunch Of Random Desserts by Sam Rockmore

At this point, listing everything I wrote will be a pain so I’ll cut to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: If you disagree with me, you’re wrong. Raisin Cookies are a crime against humanity. To heal your brain, play Xenoblade Chronicles 2,  eat three cans of whipped cream, fight your basement demon, then apply bandages.

12. Raisin Cookies are a crime against humanity; the devil’s chocolate chips. These are horrible. Imagine you wake up on a snowy December morning to the heavenly smell of chocolate chip cookies. One is waiting for you on the coffee table; you take a bite of this delectable cookie and realize; it’s not Chocolate, it’s raisins. You spiral into a homicidal frenzy. Raisin cookies are the birthplace of murderers. 

11. Year-old Starburst; if you like rocks and gravel, you’ll love year-old starburst. If you enjoy having teeth, don’t eat these. It’s as hard as a brick, but it’s also sticky.

10. Brick. It’s essentially a year old starburst, but not sticky, and tastes like an old school, like this one.

9. Stale Cookie, there’s not much to say about this one except for the fact that it tastes like a normal cookie, but extra annoyingly crunchy.

8. Cupcakes are severely overrated. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like cupcakes; something can be good and overrated at the same time. (Meyer Dairy’s chocolate milk is an excellent example of this). The actual pastry part is bland, which makes the frosting the main focus. Cupcakes are great when done right; the frosting is meant to complement the cupcake, not the other way around. Cupcakes are a careful equilibrium, and have to be done right to be good.

7. Cake. You can’t go wrong with a good cake. A baked cake can be as good as an Ice Cream cake, but the issue is, people don’t have time or good recipes nowadays to make good cakes. A good cake requires a good baker, which sadly aren’t very common. I’m lucky to have parents that are excellent bakers, and I’ve been baking a lot myself. Overall, cakes are good, but vary greatly. If you want a good cake, learn to bake.

6. Brownies are difficult to mess up. Sweet and chocolatey, they almost always taste good. Unlike cake, brownies are very simple, and a simple trip to the grocery store can yield good brownies, but if you find them not living up to the decadent chocolate dream, try this recipe: https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-brownies-from-scratch/ I sincerely hope the link works on the actual newspaper site, too.

5. Lemon Squares are awesome. I’ve only made them with the box powder, and it’s still amazing. The awesome lemon part is both sour and sweet at the same time and the powdered sugar seals the deal and complements the lemon so well. Awesome.

4. Ice Cream Cake is less variable than normal cake. It’s just ice cream formed into a cake. Really not much to say here except… STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM IS DISGUSTING. That’s right, I said it, and I’ll say it again: Strawberry ice cream is disgusting. One more time just to emphasize this: Strawberry ice cream is disgusting. Strawberries are good. Strawberry ice cream is gross, trivial, and demon inducing. Please. Please don’t buy this, that makes the company want to make more, meaning more of this horrid garbage. If you or someone you love enjoys this stuff, I suggest that you seek an exorcist. 

3. Chocolate chip cookies are amazing, they’re as simple as brownies, and taste heavenly, that is, if they’re chocolate chip cookies and not raisins. There’s really no flaws with these guys

2. Whipped cream is the best food. Creamy, sweet, what else is there to say?

1.  Chocolate Milk is even better; the holy liquid. It’s variable, yes, but Byler’s easily puts choccy milk on top. I wouldn’t count this as a dessert, but it’s just the best.

5 Kids Halloween Movies by Heidi Hoffman

1.  Coraline

2.  Hocus Pocus 

3.  Ghostbusters 

4.  Gremlins 

5.  The Witches

I ranked these specific movies because they are some of the most popular Halloween movies. I suggest that if you are into somewhat scary halloween movies that won’t give you night terrors, these are the most perfect movies for you!

Terrible Dad Jokes by Scott Adkins

Sometimes jokes are so stupid, so terrible, so annoying that people want to punch you, they earn the title of “DAD JOKE!”  Here are some classics:

Doctor: Sir, I have your test results back…

Patient: Did I pass? 

Doctor: You will soon.

Customer: I would like to buy a bagel with cream cheese, please.

Vender: Sorry, we only take cash.

Man: Do you have any kids?

Woman: I have one that’s just under two.

Man: I know what one is, thank you.

Doctor: I got your eye exam results back.

Patient: Can I see them?

Doctor: Probably not.

Patient: My back hurts whenever I wake up in the morning.

Doctor: Then wake up in the afternoon.

Wife: You are officially the cheapest man on earth.

Husband: I’m not buying it.

Wife: Did you just watch me fall and spill laundry all over myself?

Husband: Yes, I watched it all unfold.

Waiter: Comfortable, sir?

Man: No, come for food.

Daughter: Dad, how do I cast spells?

Dad: You just follow the instructions.

Daughter: Which instructions?

Dad: Yes, that’s the one.

Man: Can you help me? I don’t know what room I’m in.

Worker: Don’t worry sir, this room is called “The Lobby.”

Kid: Dad, I’m cold.

Dad: Then just go stand in the corner.

Kid: Why would I do that?

Dad: Because it’s 90 degrees.

Man 1: Why did your wife divorce you?

Man 2: She said I had such a bad sense of direction, I don’t know my lefts and rights.

Man 1: What did you do after she said that.

Man 2: I got so mad, I right.

Man: (Enters restaurant) Are there any available seats?

Waiter: Sorry, you’ll have to wait first.

Man: Ok. Can I take your order, sir?

Man: I’m just so afraid of dark, empty places.

Therapist: A void?

Man: Great advice!

Man: I saw a truck that had four wheels and flies.

Man 2: That’s impossible, sir.

Man: Yes it is, you’ve seen a garbage truck, right?

Kid: Hey Dad, did you know 10+10 and 11+11 equals the same thing?

Dad: No it doesn't!

Kid: Yes it does! 10+10 equals twenty, and 11+11 equals..

Dad: Twenty-two! Wait…

Customer: (Holds up muffin) is this gluten free?

Baker: No, you’ll still have to pay for it.

Man: When’s your birthday?

Woman: March 1st.

Man:(Marches) Okay, now when’s your birthday?

Minecraft vs Terraria: Legends or Losers? by Olive Hollis and Caleb Sharpe

Minecraft is one of the most popular video games in the world! Terraria, while not being as popular, is filled to the brim with action, fun, and creativity. In this article, we will be comparing them to if any of these questions are answered: is there a better one? Are they both the best? Or are they not worth your money?

Similarities and Differences

Minecraft is a game where you can build anything your mind can think of. Meet all the many creatures and you can basically do whatever you want, it’s a toolbox. Terraria is similar, but has adopted the RPG style, meaning you can upgrade your character to be the strongest that it can be.

One thing that makes the two games different is that Terraria is 2D, so everything is flat. Mineraft is 3D, so everything's cubes, not squares. There is also a major popularity difference. Terraria has over 44 million copies sold, while Minecraft has 200 million copies sold (however, just because it is popular doesn't mean it’s the best game ever)!

Enemies and Items

The kinds of enemies Minecraft adds are a mix of creatures from the real world, and creatures from fantasy. Mojang, the current developers of Minecraft, says that Minecraft is officially a “pro nature game” meaning that any animal in real life that is dangerous, like snakes, sharks, crocodiles, etc, will not be added into the game, but dangerous fantasy creatures can be added.

Terraria also has lots of fantasy creatures for hostile beings, but still adds creatures from real life that are harmful, and some of them are a combination of both. There are snakes with wings, sharks that swim in sand, and snails that throw themselves at you!

Minecraft’s items always have some kind of purpose to them, like horns so people can hear you from far away, or flint and steel that is used to light fires and activate portals. There are also enchantments, which you can use to modify your weapons and equipment to make them better. Unbreaking makes them last longer, Fire Aspect makes enemies set on fire when hit, and so on.

Terraria has loads of items, like weapons, potions, furniture, crafting stations, costumes, references to other games, movies, and shows,  and more! There are these special kinds of items called “accessories” which are small features that can tell you what biome you are in, allow you to double jump, make you fall like a feather, etc. There are also modifyers you can put on your weapons and accessories too! You can have more defense, move faster, do a bit more damage, etc. Even though these accessories are small in terms of upgrading, there are countless kinds of them in the game! So many to try!

Communities and Creations

Minecraft has two main additions of itself: Java edition and bedrock edition. Java was the first edition of the game, most of minecraft’s history happening on there, along with popular youtubers or streamers, and popular public servers, such as Hypixel and Mineplex. Bedrock edition is where most of the minecraft population inhabits because the edition is on more accessible devices such as ipads or phones. So that also means that most of the bedrock players are children. Bedrock is also where Microsoft, the company that bought Minecraft back in September 15th, 2014, puts their microtransactions in. Microtransactions are things like cosmedices you can buy in the game with real money. So the game has made the company a LOT of money.

Terraria’s community is much smaller than Minecraft’s, but is still amazing. It is also a place for great modders to make mods! Mod is short for modifier, so something added that was made by a player to a game, so not officially added, it’s like a fanfiction book. Some examples of Terraria mods are The Calamity Mod and Fargo’s Soul Mod. Terraria also has a built in team system! You can select a team, represented in colors, like red, yellow, blue green, etc, and fight other players!

Minecraft’s players have made countless builds in the game, from memes, to work of arts. From simple pixel art to whole images made out of Minecraft blocks. Minecraft really has infinite possibilities for building.

Terraria has mountains of different block kinds to choose from, but building is more limited because the game is 2D. That hasn't stopped players from creating incredible things! You can make cozy little houses in the snow, or giant epic areas for boss fights. You can make an underground society, or a city of floating islands in the sky

Conclusion

So, which game is a legend, and which game is a loser? Or are they BOTH bad? Are you ready to hear it? 3, 2, 1, it’s YOUR choice! I am just an article so I am not supposed to have an opinion, but you can have one! You can decide if you like one game or the other, or both, or neither. Both games have their ups and downs. I hope the article has helped you understand both sides and you can enjoy both of them, with or without despising the other game.

Are .io Games Really Multiplayer? by Ishaan Pareek

We’ve all probably played io games sometime in our life. If you didn’t know what .io games are, they are online multiplayer games that are free to play and relatively easy to learn how to play. The .io extension is the country extension for the British Indian Ocean, but it is used in .io games, and it is a pretty nice break from the common extensions like .com. But did you think that you were playing with actual people? Well, the chances are that the .io game you played had bots. Bots are programmed to act like people playing the game in real life, with some bad at the game and some good. A good example of bots in a .io game is Paper.io 2. You spawn randomly in a map in the ongoing match of bots fighting each other, and you would play like you usually would, thinking you are playing in a multiplayer game. However, as you are dropped into the arena, not every bot is out to get you. Some bots will attack you, some will defend themselves, and some will attack other bots. This is all to make the game incredibly realistic and to make it seem like you are playing in a real server. So why do the game developers do this? There is only one reason: Money. You play an actual multiplayer game on a server, which the game developers have to pay for. When you play an actual multiplayer game, your client, which is a piece of software on your device that translates your controls into binary or some type of computer code, translates your commands and sends the data via your internet or network to a server. All the players do this, and the server collects their information. The server then sends the data via the internet/network to your game, and the game loads what other players are doing and what you are. While there still are .io games that are multiplayer, most of them are just botted servers. Nevertheless, playing .io games is still somewhat fun, even though you are likely playing against AI.

Image Source: PCGames

Inside Out Movie Review - SPOILER REVIEW By Addy Lloyd

Stars (out of 5): ★★★★★

Inside Out is about a girl named Joy with all her different teenage emotions, and those emotions are portrayed as real characters inside her head in the movie. The four emotions taking up space in Joy’s head are Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear. Each of these characters acts like you’d expect most of the time. 

Many people probably think this is so basic, so why would I give this movie five stars? 

Because when I first watched it, it was tew! Keep in mind this movie came out in 2015. This movie's animation, storytelling, and even voice acting surprised the world, making over $800 million at the box office. 

But this movie was more than just a cash grab because it took over five years to make and Pixar and Disney put their work into it to make it a sad, happy, and even inspiring movie, which for me gives it five stars. It makes me happy when a studio puts this much work into one movie and is proud of it when they're done with it. So what do you think about inside out? 

Image Source: IMBD

Bullet Train by Felix Sawers

Brad Pitt's job in Bullet Train was amazing and in my opinion it was a really fun movie to watch. It had action and humor without making it too dark or too boring. The movie is mostly set inside a bullet train where the main protagonist is Brad Pitt’s character which is introduced as Ladybug since he's so unlucky. The main bad guy is called the White Death. He hired two people with a briefcase full of money to deliver it to him at the end of the Bullet Train. Another important event in the movie is that a character's child gets pushed off a roof and the dad comes into the train to get revenge on the person who did it, who happens to be on the same train. 

Source: IMBD.com

Top 10 halloween candy by Katie Lawrence

Top 10 halloween candy

1. M & M’s

2. jolly ranchers

3.  Nerds

4. Skittles

5. Candy corn 

6. Sour patch

7. Smarties 

8. Kit kat

9. Twix

10. Hershey chocolate

Top 10 Costumes for Halloween 2022 by Josephine Chmely

Top 10 Halloween Costumes

1. Barbie and Ken

2. Eddie Munson from Stranger Things

3. House of the Dragon

4. Bridgerton

5. Sarah Sanderson from Hocus Pocus

6. Anna Delvey

7. Bratz Dolls

8. Elvis

9. Top Gun

10. Homelander from The Boys

MLB: The Show Coming April 5th by Jude Rhymer

Source: mlb.com

MLB The Show is a Major League Baseball video game, and the newest edition is ready for this year’s release. This year MLB: The Show 22 is coming out to stores Tuesday, April 5th. Pre-orders for the digital version began on April 1st. MLB: The Show 22 will have new features, including the new “City Connect” uniforms. Let's dive into it.

Nintendo Switch: MLB: The Show 22 debuted on Xbox last year and is expanding its territories yet again. The game is coming to Nintendo Switch this year, which is a big addition to getting more fans on the game. The only possible problem with this is going to be the lack of internet connection with the switch. The 30 fps (frames per second) could cause lag against Playstation and Xbox players, but other than that, it's a great idea.

New Legends: Every year, MLB: The Show games add new legend players. For example, MLB: The Show 21 added baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez. This year, we are expected to see Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Dontrelle Willis, and Joe Mauer. We’ve been waiting to see Randy Johnson come to the game for a while now, and I bet people are excited to see Joe Mauer and Chase Utley, as well as all the other newcomers added to the game.

New Mechanics: This year, Co-op mode is coming to the game. This makes it so that you can do 2v2 and 3v3 online with friends. They also added a feature where all fielders can make perfect throws using the throwing meter. These new mechanics always seem to impress players, and I can’t wait to see them in game.

More Than One Bat During The Batman? by Rasik Cruden

The new Batman movie was great, but what if I told you an actual bat made an appearance? Well, that was a reality for people going to The Batman screening in Austin, Texas. During a screening of the new film, fittingly called The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson. A real bat was spotted flying around the theater. Management of the theater paused the film and tried to contact the local animal control authorities, while also trying to get the critter out, at which they were unsuccessful. Luckily, no one was bitten or harmed, but no one knows how or why the bat got into the theater. Companies are saying that the bat was likely let out as a prank, but people are not 100% sure. The theater offered people their money back if they wanted to leave, but most stayed. 

The company wasn’t very impacted, but management at the theater have stated that they would start checking bags for future screenings of the movie. The theater’s general manager, Heidi Deno, has stated that they will be “adding additional security and checking all bags upon guests entry.” This didn’t really affect the theater, they just said they were going to take more precautions.

Personally, I think that if it was a prank, then that was stupid. If it was just a coincidence and a bat just randomly flew into a Batman movie, then I don’t think it’s too big of a deal. Only 1% of bats in the wild have rabies, so if anyone was bitten, I think they would have been fine. I think that the audience staying in the theater was a smart decision, because I would’ve done the same thing. Also because I love Batman and that new Batman movie.

Movie Review "Turning Red" A Deep Dive into Controversy by Jade Wright

(Minor Spoilers) 

On March 12th 2022 Pixar and Disney released a new movie known as Turning Red. 

The movie is available on Disney Plus and is rated PG coming-of-age movie. It has mild language and more mature content including puberty. 

It is also one of the first Pixar movies where the leadership roles are filled by women.

Directed by Domee Shi, The Movie is set in Toronto, Canada in 2002. The protagonist is about a Chinese Canadian girl named Mei. She is thirteen years old and in middle school who has everything “together.” She had straight A's, great friends, and has a great relationship with her parents. But everything changes when Mei finds out she can turn into a giant red panda. The Red Panda at first glance Mei is horrified, after all this will completely change her life. She is covered in fur, smells awful, and doesn’t know how to “control” this new body. As the movie progresses Mei finds out that this power is triggered by Mei’s emotions and as long as Mei can stay completely and utterly calm, balanced, and peaceful she stays human. Well, the only problem is that Mei is a teenager, and triggering strong emotions is very common. 

Turning Red is looked by parents as not “kid” friendly. This is a fair statement. Turning Red is geared to kids around 12 and adults. Because there are things in this movie that children under 10 would not understand. However, it’s a good movie to begin talking about puberty to children that will begin puberty soon. 

Some of the more negative reviews are people raging why the movie is not for children, why did Disney and Pixar make it an adorable story about turning into a red panda and just that? Why would you add elements of puberty? 

There aren’t many relatable movies about puberty, watching this movie is great to prepare kids who will be going to puberty, so parents can talk to children who will begin puberty why they have strange feelings for others. 

One of the largest negative things people are pointing out is that the movie talked about femine products and such. How it was inappropriate, it depends on how you look at it to see this as a sign as being either inappropriate or hilaourius, or a starting point for preparation.
As much as there are good movies rated PG that kids are able to watch, but so many good movies are rated PG and kids watch them. Turing Red took more of a realistic touch to itself, has that real awkwardness and relatable moments. 

A lot of people look at Turning Red as a special place for the director and the production designer. Because the movie is about a Asian-North American in Canada. This is the actual background of the director. According to Domee Shi in the documentary Embrace The Panda, found in Disney+ , it looks at immigrant children going to North America and their struggles. How some Asian families cared about filling the family’s honor and legacy. The stress they put on the children. More understanding of different cultures and family. 

The movie according to the director is about changing. 

It’s a coming of age movie, where you change and you have to embrace this change. 

It talks to teenagers and parents. 

A teenager could see it as you’re going to change. You won’t have everything under control, life will not always be peaceful and balanced. You’re going to change, you need to learn about embracing change. 

It also talks about honoring your parents. Mei loves her parents, and it’s good to spend time with your family. But if you get caught up and only worry about others you forget about yourself. Don’t lose sight of who you are. You will need to find that balance of having fun with family and yourself.

In conclusion, the movie is great for  people around 12 years old looking for a humorous and relatable movie. It talks about puberty so there are some things in the movie that might be awkward,  and there are multiple references to feminine products. 

It’s a great movie for Pixar and Animation fans from all around. 

The Batman Movie Review by Rasik Cruden

The Batman Movie SPOILER Review

*Editor’s Note: This review of The Batman movie contains SPOILERS.  If you haven’t seen the movie yet or plan to see it, there will be PLOT SPOILING INFORMATION in this review!

In one of my early articles back in October of 2021, I wrote about how The Batman was one of my most anticipated movies of all time, and over Spring Break I was able to see it a couple of times and, believe me, was I right about the movie! I loved basically everything about this movie. The characters were amazing, the plot was great, and I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. 

To begin, I really like all of the character’s in this movie. Batman was really good and I really enjoyed Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. In this movie there was a lot more Batman than Bruce Wayne. Bruce in this movie is in his second year as a vigilante, and we can see how moody he is and how he doesn’t act like a billionaire playboy, and how he is more sheltered and stays inside. A good detail I saw in the movie about how much he stays inside is when Bruce comes upstairs from the bat cave, and he has to wear sunglasses because of how long he stays in the dark. Basically, Bruce is more Batman than he is Bruce. We also see that his Batman is all about vengeance and doesn’t want to be looked at as a symbol for hope or goodness at the beginning of the movie - he wants to be seen as a dangerous threat to criminals in Gotham City. But at the end of the movie he is seen as a symbol of hope and he accepts that because he knows that’s what he has to be, so I really liked that character development. 

Catwoman/Selina Kyle was also a great character, and I loved her role in this movie. Casting Zoe Kravitz was a great choice. She is really talented and she was a really good Catwoman. She starts out just helping Batman because of her friend Annika, who also has a significant role in this movie. But after Catwoman finds Annika dead, she grows more fond of Batman and gets really good evidence to help him solve the case. They also actually have a very interesting and intriguing relationship in this movie. There was an announcement recently that Catwoman is getting a spinoff series, which is great because I would like to see more of her character. Overall, I really enjoyed Catwoman in this movie. 

Another character that I liked was Gotham Police Commissioner Gordon. He was a really cool side character, and I really enjoyed him and Batman’s chemistry. He was a great character and was very smart too. I loved seeing him work with Batman. He and Batman also had a couple of cool scenes. Another spinoff series that was announced was a GCPD (Gotham City Police Department)/Arkham Asylum series. That series will kind of focus on some of the inmates in Arkham.

Now some of the most important characters in the movie was the villains. The Riddler in this movie was so smart and a well constructed villain. We saw how smart he was because he had a plan for everything. Even when he got captured, he had a plan to make Gotham pay even though he was captured. He also got into Batman's head. You could see this in the scene where The Riddler was “exposing” the Waynes and the Arkhams, you could sense that Bruce was affected even though he didn’t show it. Seeing the parallels between him and Bruce was really cool to see and I really enjoyed Paul Dano’s version of the character. And even though he isn’t supposed to be funny, there is a humorous nod to The Riddler for being a trending social media influencer. In this scene, you can see him streaming to and interacting with his fans, and that part was actually pretty funny, but also important. Riddler also has a new friend in the asylum, and it’s none other than The Joker, although he hasn’t been turned into The Joker just yet. When I heard that laugh I was pretty surprised. The Joker is going to be played by Barry Koegan and I think that he will be a pretty good Joker. 

Another antagonist that was in the movie that I liked was The Penguin. Colin Farell was a great casting and I really liked his rendition of the character. I am really glad that he is getting a spinoff show like Catwoman. He was a really funny character and was a great addition to the movie. One of the last antagonists in the movie was Carmine Falcone. In this movie, Carmine was a really well constructed villain and seeing his influence on Gotham and on the Wayne legacy was very interesting. He also had an influence on other characters like Catwoman and Penguin, but I think he had more of an effect on Catwoman because we find out that he is her biological father. 

One of my favorite scenes is the opener. You hear a Bruce Wayne monologue and then he comes out of the shadows as Batman as a warning to the criminal group that has gathered, and then absolutely beats the stuffing out of that criminal group. More great scenes include the elevator fight, the Batmobile chase, any of the detective scenes, and Batman meeting The Riddler.. There are so many great scenes in the movie. 

Also I just want to say that this movie is beautiful. The cinematography is amazing and it is one of the most beautiful superhero movies or movies in general that I have seen in a while.

I have also seen criticisms of The Batman, and I just want to address them. People are saying that this movie is too dark and there is no comedy. It’s a Batman movie - you should expect it to be dark! Also there was a little comedy.  I mean, Penguin was pretty funny. There was also the thumb drive scene where there was literally a thumb on a USB drive, and I thought that was funny. I also saw people saying it was too long. I actually kind of agree with this somewhat, but I think they paced it well. I also think that some parts were necessary and that I liked the runtime because I got to see more Batman.

Overall, I think that this movie was amazing and I really enjoyed it. It was also a beautiful movie and every scene was shot so well. I would love to see more of the cast playing those characters again because. I think that they casted great actors for these characters. I think Robert Pattinson really shined in this movie and cemented himself as a great Batman, and I would love to see him in more movies. Go see this movie! I highly recommend it!  10/10 

Movies To Watch When Your Bored Out Of Your Mind by Willow Hudish

Paddington  

Year: 2014

Director: Paul King

Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Ben Winshaw, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Nicole Kidman

Genre: Adventure, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 95 minutes

About: A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven. A young Peruvian bear with a passion for all things British travels to London in search of a home.(IMDb)

ParaNorman

Year: 2012

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin

Genre: Animation, Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 96 minutes

About: ParaNorman is a 2012 American stop-motion animated dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, and written by Butler. In the film, Norman, a young boy who can communicate with ghosts, is given the task of ending a 300-year-old witch's curse on his Massachusetts town. (Wikipedia)

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Year: 2021

Director: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe (co-director)

Stars: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Olivia Colman

Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi

About: The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a 2021 American computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The film follows the dysfunctional Mitchell family that winds up having to save Earth from a global robot uprising while on a road trip. (Wikipedia)

Over The Moon

Year: 2020

Director: Glen Keane

Stars: Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong

Genre: Adventure, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 100 minutes

About: Fueled by memories of her mother, resourceful Fei Fei builds a rocket to the moon on a mission to prove the existence of a legendary moon goddess. (Netflix Official Site)

Jumanji

Year: 1995

Director: Joe Johnson

Stars: Robin Williams, Jonathan Hyde, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt

Genre: Adventure, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 104 minutes

About: Jumanji is a 1995 American fantasy adventure film directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain. (Wikipedia)

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Year: 2014

Director: Rob Minkoff

Stars: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Ariel Winter, Patrick Warburton

Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 92 minutes

About: Mr. Peabody is a gifted anthropomorphic dog who lives in a penthouse in New York City. He raises his adopted human son, 7-year-old Sherman, and tutors him by traveling throughout history using the WABAC, pronounced "way back", a time machine. They visit Marie Antoinette in Versailles during the French Revolution in 1789. Getting caught in the Reign of Terror, Peabody is nearly sent to the guillotine to be executed by Maximilien Robespierre, but escapes with Sherman through the Paris sewers.(Wikipedia)

The Willoughbys

Year: 2020

Director: Kris Pearn, co-directors Cory Evans and Rob Lodermeier

Stars: Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, Seán Cullen, Ricky Gervais

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

About: Four siblings with horribly selfish parents hatch a plan to get rid of them for good and form a perfectly imperfect family of their own. (Netflix Official Site)

Coraline

Year: 2009

Director: Henry Selick

Stars: Dakota Fanning; Teri Hatcher; Jennifer Saunders; Dawn French; Keith David; Ian McShane

Genre: Family/Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 100 minutes

About: Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers a hidden door to a fantasy version of her life. (Coraline - LAIKA Studios)

Labyrinth

Year: 1986

Director: Jim Henson

Stars: David Bowie; Jennifer Connelly

Genre: Fantasy/Musical

Rating: PG

Runtime: 101 minutes

About: Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, with George Lucas as executive producer, based on conceptual designs by Brian Froud. (Wikipedia) 

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Year: 2008

Director: Mark Waters

Stars: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger

Genre: Family/Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 96 minutes

About: The Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 American fantasy film based on the book series of the same name by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. (Wikipedia)

Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett and Beyond by Rasik Cruden

Star Wars is a big franchise that is both loved and hated by fans. The latest Star Wars movies have had mixed reviews, and personally I have mixed feelings on them too. I have enjoyed The Mandalorian back in 2019, but other than that, Star Wars hasn't really felt that special to me. But now, with The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars has been very interesting and refreshing for me. A reason for this is of course because of the return of The Mandalorian. 

Seeing Mando again is nice and exciting. A cool thing about seeing Mando is seeing what he has been up to after the last time we saw him. Like his journey with the Darksaber and how he’s been without Grogu (Baby Yoda). We also got to see previous characters from the Mandalorian series like Peli Motto and Cobb Vanth. It was really refreshing to see them again, because I really like their characters. 

Another reason I think that Star Wars lately has been good is because of Boba Fett. Boba Fett is one of the coolest characters in Star Wars and even in fiction. Seeing How he got out of the Sarlacc Pit was something that a lot of fans including myself were waiting to see and his journey to become Daimyo of Mos Espa was really interesting to me and made me want more journeys like that.   

Also seeing Cad Bane back was really exciting. I loved his character in the Clone Wars and seeing him face off with Boba Fett was really cool. The way he tried manipulating Boba was cool and showed how much of a villain he really is. His death was kind of a downer, but other than that, seeing him again was really exciting and surprised me. 

The whole finale of The Book of Boba Fett was great and set up Mandalorian Season 3, which I am super excited about. The Mandalorian is one of my favorite, if not favorite, Star Wars characters, and seeing him in another season is very exciting. 

This isn’t really related to Boba Fett or The Mandalorian, but I am pretty excited for the Kenobi show. Obi-Wan is an amazing character, and is one of my favorite Star Wars characters of all time so I am pretty excited. It’s pretty cool how Star Wars is capitalizing on shows and I think they have a lot they can expand on or introduce. Overall, I am very excited to see what Star Wars has in store and I am all around excited for the future of Star Wars.   

Spider-Man: No Way Home Movie Review SPOILER EDITION By Rasik Cruden

EDITOR’S NOTE: SPOILER ALERT: This review of Spider-Man: No Way Home includes spoiler information.  If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want important surprises revealed to you, READ NO FURTHER.  If you’ve seen the movie and/or don’t care about the possible surprises being spoiled for you, read on!

The most hyped up Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, came out recently and I was lucky enough to see it already more than once. I am a huge Spider-Man fan and this movie was my most anticipated movie ever, and it delivered. It was an amazing movie and I am going to give it a breakdown. Spoilers Ahead: If you haven’t seen it already then don’t read this article. 

Let’s first talk about the characters. The villains in this movie were absolutely amazing. A big highlight was Green Goblin. In this movie, Green Goblin really tore apart Peter mentally and physically. He was kinda like the Joker to Peter Parker. I really loved him in this movie. Some other villains in this movie that I liked a lot were Doc Oc and Electro. Doc Oc really was a treat in this movie and the fight on the bridge with Spider-Man was really good. Electro in this movie was great too. He really stole every scene he was in. He was funny, compelling, and a great character in this movie. 

Now let’s talk about the characters everyone was wondering about: Tobey Mcguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men. They were absolutely amazing in this movie. The chemistry between them in this movie was great. The comedy between Tobey, Andrew, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man were great and was definitely the best comedy in the film. They also got their redemption arcs in this movie. Andrew got to save his girlfriend M.J, when in his universe, he let her die. Tobey McGuire’s Spider-Man saved Green Goblin from getting killed. In his original universe Green Goblin was killed by his own glider while fighting Spider-Man. I also loved the callbacks and seeing villains interact with each other and interacting with the different Spider-Men. 

This movie was also really emotional. Aunt May gets killed by the Green Goblin and it’s a really sad moment. Peter has to live with the fact his aunt’s death was basically his fault. Aunt May gave the “With great power, there must also come great responsibility” speech, which was very cool. The movie also ends with Peter making Doctor Strange make everyone forget who Peter Parker is, which was really sad because M.J and Ned both forget who he is, but he has to accept that as he puts them both in danger on a regular basis. This restarts Peter with a clean slate. He moves into a new apartment and gets a new suit (which looks amazing), begins college, and starts a new life in which everyone has forgotten who he is. 

There is so much I could say about this movie, but overall this movie is perfect and beautiful. It made me feel so many different emotions and just felt so special to me. I really loved this movie, and it is definitely going to be remembered. As a huge Spider-Man fan, seeing the three Spider-Men together in the same movie was just so amazing. It didn’t feel real. Overall, this movie is perfect and a 10/10. I HIGHLY recommend it.

 https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/spider-man-no-way-home-kraven/ 

Why Spider-Man: No Way Home Is Going To Be Huge by Rasik Cruden

Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes of all time and is very relatable and just a cool character. His new movie is coming out and it is getting so much hype and here is why: people are speculating that all three Spider-Men are going to be in the movie. 

There is a lot of proof, too. There were some leaked pictures of both Tobey Mcguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men on some kind of scaffolding. And in the trailer (in what looks like the final battle), there was scaffolding that looked like the leaked photos. So there is some confirmation there. 

Some more evidence is in the Brazilian trailer. In the trailer there’s a shot of Lizard, Electro, and Sandman, and Lizard’s head goes back, looking like he got kicked, so people are speculating that Andrew Garfeild was kicking him in the face, which is very likely. 

Now let’s talk about the villains. Doc Ock, Lizard, Electro, Green Goblin, and Sandman all are set to make appearances. These are all past villains. This provides evidence that the past Spider-Men are most likely in the movie because they wouldn’t just put all those past villains in just to miss the opportunity to put in the past Spider Men. This movie also is speculated to have Matt Murdock, A.K.A Daredevil in it, which is pretty cool. Kevin Feige, The President of the MCU said that if Daredevil were to come to the MCU, Charlie Cox would play him. 

This movie is also supposed to be a lot darker than the other MCU adaptations of Spider-Man, which I am totally for. Spider-Man’s darker side is something we don’t usually see, and when that dark side comes out it gets crazy, so I am excited to see that. 

Overall, this movie looks very solid and I am so excited to see it. If you are free to watch it on December 17th, you definitely should. This movie will be huge! I am personally seeing it on opening day, which is this week! I am so excited to see it and I hope you are too.

December 2021 Movie Releases by Jude Rhymer

Spiderman: No Way Home

The new Spiderman movie coming out December 17th has a lot of hype around it and a lot to live up to. The rumors of having all three Spidermans in one movie sounds crazy, plus with all the villains. Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, and Sandman have all been confirmed. Mysterio, The Scorpion, and The Rhino are all up on the table. Dr. Strange has also been confirmed to be in the movie from looking at the trailer. From looking at the trailer it looks like it has so much potential to be one of (if not) the best movie of the year. 

Jurassic World Dominion

The sixth movie of the franchise looks to be one of the best. After Fallen Kingdom the dinosaurs spread around the world and their population is rising. We haven’t gotten a trailer yet but we did see a preview. Started with a nice opening with some fun dinosaur interactions. Then it pans over to see a Giganotosaurus. They are around 49 feet tall compared to the 43 foot T-Rex. They actually stand face to face and have a very short lived battle. The T-Rex face plants as a mosquito comes and sucks the blood of the T-Rex. If you are a Jurassic Park fan, that was a pretty fun tease. Then it goes to current day as a T-Rex (aka Rexy) causes havoc at a pull in movie theater. An ACU team tries to tranquilize it but eventually lose it as the preview ends. This movie looks like it could be good, hopefully both these movies live up to their hype, and make the fans of these big franchises excited for more to come.

Eight Wonderful Christmas movies to watch during the Holiday season, and two for those who don’t celebrate Christmas by Kate Duffey

White Christmas

Came out in 1954

2 hours

My Christmas comfort movie

The Polar Express

Came out in 2004

1 hour 40 minutes long

Wonderful family- favorite movie, starring one of my favorite actors: Tom Hanks

The Santa Clause

Came out 1994

1 hour 37 minutes

One of my Two favorite Santa Claus movies

The Christmas Chronicles

Came out in 2018

1 hour 42 minutes

My other favorite Santa Claus movie. I recommend The Christmas Chronicles 2 as well.

Home alone 1

Came out in 1990

1 hour 43 minutes

My favorite upbeat Christmas movie

Home alone 2

Came out in 1992

2 hours

My favorite ‘Home Alone’ movie

The Christmas Ring

Came out in 2020

1 hour 24 minutes

My favorite Hallmark movie

Elf

Came out in 2003

1 hour 37 minutes

The funniest Christmas movie I have ever seen

The First Snow in the Woods

Came out 2011

28 minutes

My favorite winter “movie”

Little Women

Came out in 2019

2 hours 15 minutes

Not really a Christmas or winter movie, but a really wonderful movie all around. Definitely recommend the book as well!

Winter Jokes by Scott Adkins

With Christmas around the corner, let's get into the holiday season with some laughs.

• Q. What do you get when you cross a snowman and a tiger?

  Frostbite.
  

• Q.  What do gingerbread men shepherds use to tend their sheep?

  Candy Canes.
  

• Q. Why should you tell a candy cane you like someone?

  They’ll hook you up with them.
  

• Q. What is a snowman's favorite party snack?

  Ice krispies treats.
  

• Q. How did Santa fix the hole in his clothes?

  He used pine needles and thread.
  

• Q. What did the teacher say when the Christmas tree aced the test?

  “He’s sharper than he looks!”
  

• Q. What did the sabertooth tiger say to its prey?

  “Ice to eat you!”
  

• Q. Why did the iceman go to the nurse?

  He looked slick.

• Q. What did Santa say when he forgot a present?

  “I’ll just ho-ho-hope I can find the present!”
  

• A gingerbread actor was about to go onstage. Another gingerbread man said “Break a leg!” The actor turned around and said  “How rude!”

• Q.  Why did the gingerbread person go see the doctor?

  He was feeling crumby.
  

• A snowman was standing in the snow when the sun came out. The snowman was so sad his heart melted!
  

• Q. What does the gingerbread man say when something goes wrong?

  “Oh snap!”
  

• Q. Why is Christmas the best time to make up jokes?

  You can make snow many of them!

• Q. Why should you never believe ice?

  You can see right through it.
  

• Q.  Why didn't Rudolph lead Santa’s sleigh?

  He’s not very bright. (As in mentally)
  

• Q.  What did the kid say when he looked outside and saw a blizzard?

  “Boy, the weather sure is in a flurry today! I wonder what made it so upset?”
  

• Q. What’s a gingerbread man's least favorite job?

  A construction worker. The houses keep getting eaten!