Though it may be hard to remember for our readers in the age of cinematic universes and legacy sequels, there was a time decades ago when parody movies were typically commercially successful and critically commended. Nowadays, parody films live in squalor, with the genre ceasing to exist. So how did we get here? 

In the modern age of television, it feels easier and easier for shows to slip under the cultural radar, even truly great ones; last year, 599 scripted series aired on broadcast television, compared to 288 a decade earlier, with seemingly more and more of these shows aiming for the coveted title of “prestige drama.” 

This week in the Arts and Entertainment section, I present a case for why all games, regardless of age range, genre, or play style, can create intriguing lore, through the scope of The Sims franchise. 

On Aug. 31 2023, global pop sensation Taylor Swift announced the release of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a concert film. Similar to the Ticketmaster fiasco created by her United States ticket presale, Swifties crashed the AMC site in an attempt to purchase the limited tickets to see this film on the big screen—despite the company’s best efforts to upgrade the website to handle more than five times the largest ticketing traffic it previously experienced. Following a day of absurd ticket sales, AMC announced that The Eras Tour documentary broke its single-day sales, topping the previous benchmark set by Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

From the wonderfully twisted minds of Danny and Michael Philippou, first-time directors, twin brothers and creators of the popular YouTube channel RackaRacka, comes the viscerally disturbing blockbuster sensation Talk To Me. Together, these two exceptional creators were able to tell a story that has been overdone hundreds of times and flip it on its head, creating one of the most disturbing yet engaging movie-watching experiences I have ever had. Not only did this film scare me, but my reactions made those who walked past The Lamron headquarters as I watched stop in and ask if I was okay. 

Another summer has come and gone, and with it, so has the overall quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Though this statement may seem hyperbolic to a degree, it is the melancholy reality of what has happened to this former cinematic powerhouse. Come along with me as I tell you something I guarantee you’ve overheard someone ranting about while walking the halls (that person being me): The MCU is a shadow of its former self, and this latest installment illuminates the extent this former great has fallen. 

As the new Arts & Entertainment editor, the best way I can break in this section is by discussing one of the most influential films I've ever seen: the 1998 classic The Truman Show directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. This is a film near and dear to my heart and one I guarantee you have at least heard of in passing.

I took the liberty of sharing five songs that belong in everyone’s summer playlist. If you find one you haven’t heard of, give it a listen! These five were crafted by the higher powers to boost your serotonin. Sorry Lana, there’s no “Summertime Sadness” here. 

“Gone”

Matt Keller is a graduating creative writing major. This piece was written in his senior year of high school, and although it has the same rough edges and inconsistencies common in his early writing, he wanted it put in print as a testament to his former self, to the writer within he wasn’t confident enough to let speak, and as proof that it’s never too late to try.

Frances Sharples’s multiply: a queer multimedia chapbook turned art gallery, was displayed in the Multicultural Center for this year’s G.R.E.A.T Day. Sharples’s chapbook aimed to bring the idea of ‘queerness’ and all its connotation, not only to the poems contained within it but also to the fluidity of the art medium throughout. 

Swifties far and wide, I’ve pushed this article off for some time now, partly due to business and the bullying I’ve been subjected to by the former Arts and Entertainment Editor, Matthew Keller, for my proposed response to the age-old question, “How would you rank Taylor Swift’s discography?”

If there is one quote from the classic novel The Great Gatsby that continues to poke its head up in my life—begging for attention, for regard, for answers and questions, over and over for the last several years—it is this one:

After a decade of inactivity, the Evil Dead franchise returns to theaters with Evil Dead Rise, directed by Irish film writer and director Lee Cronin. Cronin’s most recent film was The Hole in the Ground, released back in 2019, which was met with mixed reviews, though I personally found it to be a solid film. Seeing Cronin’s style in other works made me excited for his take on the Evil Dead lore. 

“Emmeline”

In 2018, cinema fans were treated to a true spectacle—the debut directorial release of Boots Riley: Sorry to Bother You. This surrealist black comedy focuses on issues surrounding poverty and the general economic status of those who live in the United States, taking a hyperbolic look at what these individuals’ lives entail centering on one Cassius Green. Though seeming somewhat straightforward, this is a film that will keep you guessing about what could possibly be coming next.