Category: Reviews

Austin City Limits 2017

Written and photos by Halie Davis

Pulling in headliners as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Chance The Rapper and Gorrillaz, made for a variety of dance parties across the stages. If those artists just weren’t an attendees jam, silent disco was offered. Adding in a new stage this year (Barton Springs) and the festival merchandise store, it’s evident to see the growth of the festival.

We were able to take some photos of bands we were able to catch, from the multi-talented musician Tash Sultana to Austin’s The Black Angels. There is more to be found on aclfestival.com.

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At the Movies: A Review of Recent Box Office Films

Reviews by Avery Callaway and Gaius Straka,

Bridge of Spies

Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “Bridge of Spies,” is pleasant, but not very memorable. There are no standout moments that can really push it over the edge from being good to great. Even with the Coen brothers writing and Tom Hanks’ star power elevating the film, it never tries to go any farther than it has to with it’s story and characters. The story focuses on James Donovan (Hanks), an insurance lawyer who has been given the difficult task of representing a captured Soviet spy in 1950s America. His ethics as an attorney are tested when his own country seems to turn against him. There are no glaring issues to be seen within “Bridge of Spies.” It achieves everything it wants to accomplish with gusto. Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks, he never gives a performance that isn’t superb. The plot can switch seamlessly from tense to lighthearted on a dime and not be jarring in the slightest. Unfortunately, it never tries to go farther than it has to, and that holds “Bridge of Spies” back.

Accent Rating B+ Avery Callaway

Goosebumps

“Goosebumps” gains some points immediately for being one of the more inspired young adult novel adaptations to come out recently. Instead of just adapting one of the novels, “Goosebumps” tells an original story by throwing many of the series’ monsters into the same setting. That, and some sharp performances early on earn the film some merit. However, “Goosebumps” quickly loses it due to a lack of consequences and a bad script.

The plot is a mess. There are so many unnecessary characters and subplots that nothing is ever accomplished scene-by-scene. Every time the audience might feel some progress has been made, the film finds a way to waste time, usually with some awful computer generated effect. Even at a run time of just over 100 minutes, it still seems like it’s an half hour too long.

It’s a shame, because sometimes a glimmer of creativity can be seen in this mess of a film. However, these moments are not frequent. The greatest sin “Goosebumps” commits is that it decided to be a feature-length film.

Accent Rating D Avery Callaway

Sicario

“Sicario” is a great example of mechanical film-making at it’s finest. Every scene and music beat work toward creating a feeling of dread and tension that immediately engrosses the audience in the events that play out.

The cinematographer, Roger Deakens, deserves recognition for his work because every frame is purposeful and precise.

The story is focused on Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an idealistic FBI officer who is recruited onto a task force, headed by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), designed to bring a major cartel located in Juarez to justice. However, the longer Kate works with her new team, the more her ideals conflict with the shady actions of her higher ups.

If there were a complaint about “Sicario,” it would be that some of the dialogue in the film was stilted at times. Some of the dialogue was too light-hearted for events taking place. However, this should not keep you from seeing the film.

Accent Rating: A- Avery Callaway

The Martian

“The Martian,” is an exciting action/adventure film about a man surviving in a vast unforgiving world millions of miles from home.

Mark Watney, brilliantly acted by Matt Damon, is an astronaut stationed on Mars and presumed dead after an intense storm strikes his base during a rushed departure off the planet.

Watney shows how much of an elite specialist he is by surviving for years on the desolate Red Planet with few resources. He even manages to make his own garden.

The movie brings out the good of humanity in many ways including the portrayal of how far the astronauts are willing to go to bring one of their own back home.

Despite the dire situation, Matt Damon’s character doesn’t fall into a gloomy depressed frame of mind. Rather, he turns to making fun of himself through his failures while remaining confident and driven to survive, and eventually, leave Mars.

Director Ridley Scott has even more to offer in “The Martian” than he did in “Exodus.” The cinematography and special effects are stunning, creating gripping scenes and a feeling of realism.

Accent Rating: A- Gaius Straka

Riverbat Cafe: You Get Served

Story by Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell, reporter

A quick bite to eat and then off to classes is how many ACC students operate on a daily basis. The Eastview Campus has an option for hungry students —The Riverbat Cafe, located in the campus courtyard.

The cafe offers two different menus, the regular menu which changes each week and the chef ’s special that changes every day. Both menus offer tasty food combinations that appeal to a variety of palates. If you are uncertain what to order, a friendly server will give you their opinion. Student’s can try the chef ’s special menu featuring items such as Albondigas En Salsa Chipotle, an appetizer of meatballs drenched in chipotle sauce. Entrées like the Chile-Seared Salmon with a sweet pear based sauce. To finish everything off — a delicious, spicy, chocolate chile cake with raspberry sauce. The food can come out within 10 minutes with the appeal of a fine dining restaurant. The flavors are so rich and unique that patrons will go back again and again.

During the day the cafe is open from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for dine-in customers and until 1:00 p.m. for to-go orders. The wait for both seating and service is about 10 minutes, while the wait time for togo orders is about 15 to 20 minutes. Many customers get their orders to go due to a busy lunch rush.

The Riverbat Cafe is a working classroom, that incorporates International Cuisine and a Dining Room Service class that meets Thursdays and Wednesdays. The cooks and wait staff are students of ACC’s Culinary Arts Department. While the department is located on the Eastview Campus, a state of the art culinary classroom is scheduled to be built at the Highland campus.

Go to the Riverbat Cafe for lunch as the cafe offers some of the best service and food that Austin has to offer.

Shyamalan Returns with Horror- Comedy “The Visit”

Story by Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell, reporter

In a surprising twist, M. Night Shyamalan’s new horror-comedy “The Visit,” ends with — a plot twist.

Most people recognize the name M. Night Shyamalan as the director of the movies “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs.” After those two outstanding films, Shyamalan’s track record went down from there having made one poorly reviewed film after another. However, “The Visit” is a step toward his former glory.

The background is set as two siblings go to their grandparents’ house for a week while their mom and her boyfriend go on a cruise. The grandchildren are excited to finally meet and spend time with their grandparents. However, within a couple of days, the siblings realize that their grandparents are acting out of the norm, starting with a strict 9:00 p.m. curfew where the kids were told to not leave their bedrooms. Before the week comes to a close, everything around the house unravels with the grandparents acting more bizarre and the kids lives at stake. The kids uncover a secret that will throw the audience for a loop.

Will the children make it out of the house safely? What is this secret that their grandparents are hiding, and will the little ones be rescued? Well … you will just have to watch the movie and find out.

A Shyamalan film wouldn’t be right if it didn’t have intense, graphic scenes to make people jump out of their seats, and that’s exactly what’s packed into this movie. However, the film is filled with comedy that helps release some tension.

The grandchildren, played by Ed Oxenbould and Olivia Dejonge, performed their roles with excellence. The thrill, horror, suspense and comedy are all there.

I score this movie 6.5 out of 10. Still, with it receiving a 58 percent from Internet review site Rotten Tomatoes, I recommend at least seeing it at the dollar theater or waiting until it comes out on DVD.

Film: “Unfriended” Illuminates the Lonely Side of Social Media

Story by Kyle August, Reporter

“Unfriended” turns ordinary social media interactions into terrifying en- counters. In the horror/thriller, teenager Blaire Lily receives a Skype message from her classmate Laura Barns. Blaire dismisses the message as a cruel prank because Laura commit- ted suicide a year ago after someone anonymously posted a mortifying video of her.

However, it soon becomes clear that the message is no prank and that whoever is responsible wants revenge. The rules are simple: cooperate or die.

The entire film is seen from Blaire’s perspective, or rather her laptop screen. The audience watches as she instant messages her boyfriend, checks Facebook, and Skype chats with her classmates, all while frantically reacting to the mysterious force.

The film, directed by Levan Gabriadze, has the same grainy, real-time approach as the 1999 horror thriller “The Blair Witch Project.”

The chatroom frame approach may seem weak, or even anticlimactic, but Gabriadze’s use of this technique takes these relatable, routine actions and effectively turns them into panic and terror.

As Blaire and her friends are haunted by the vengeful stalker, their own dark secrets begin to surface, pitting them against each other.

The funny, stereotypical characters take the edge off Unfriended, but the kill scenes are not for the faint of heart. This jolting film will make you think twice about cyberbullying, and you may never use a blender again.

In our increasingly connected world, it’s downright effortless for bullies to harass their targets via email, instant messaging, texting and social media. Posting hurtful messages online, or circulating embarrassing photos or videos have led many teens to suicide.

Courtesy picture of Bazeleus company and Blumhouse productions

Music: Poetic Lyrics Elevate “To Pimp a Butterfly”

Story by Ryan Fontenette-Mitchell, Reporter

West Coast rapper and Compton native Kendrick Lamar unveiled his new album “To Pimp A Butterfly” on March 15. Lamar’s poetic lyrics bring America’s issues to life with upbeat tracks, a heavy jazz influence and strong vocals.

Lamar shows growth from his previous album “good kid m.A.A.d city” by pushing listeners to think deeply about how they can bring about social change in America.

West Coast rapper and Compton native Kendrick Lamar unveiled his new album “To Pimp A Butterfly” on March 15. Lamar’s poetic lyrics bring America’s issues to life with upbeat tracks, a heavy jazz influence and strong vocals.

Lamar shows growth from his previous album “good kid m.A.A.d city” by pushing listeners to think deeply about how they can bring about social change in America.

The order in which Lamar lays out his tracks allows listeners to journey through his mind, experience thoughts and emotions. The album challenges popular views on politics and racism. It also addresses the depression and suicidal thoughts Lamar has faced.

In the song “Mortal Man,” Lamar includes audio from a 1994 interview with the last great king of Hip-Hop, Tupac Shakur.

In the interview, taken from Swedish radio show P3 Soul, Lamar realized the best way to reach out to teens and help them change the world is through music.

“In my opinion, only hope that we kinda have left is music and vibrations. A lot of people don’t understand how important that is,” Lamar said.

“To Pimp A Butterfly” should be listened to closely in order to discover its full meaning. Online music magazine Pitchfork has ranked the album No. 2 on its highest rated album of 2015 list. Parental advisory is on the album for use of profane language.

Courtesy picture by Hypebeast.com, Interscope Records,Top Dawg Entertainment

Buzz Mill Review

 Story by Raquel Moreno, Online Editor 

Photos by  Anthony Devera 

Students that are looking for a cool new place to study, drink, and attend free events, Buzz Mill is the place to go.

Located on East Riverside and open 24/7, Buzzmill has a unique atmosphere with its cozy cabin-style interior, where you can either grab a beer, a cup of coffee, or try their specialty infused liquor. The outside seating area is equipped with wooden benches, and a fire pit for cozy conversation on those rare, cold Austin nights. Buzz Mill does not have a food menu, but have no fear – there are two food.

trucks stationed right there in their backyard! The Blue Ox truck serves up some savory Bar-B-Que, and Golden Spike Rail Cart specializes in vegan comfort food.

Buzzmill has events every night, such as stand-up comedy and live music. Comedy shows are free every Wednesday at 9pm, and are filled with local and commuting comics.

Katy Pengra opens every comedy night with some bittersweet anecdotes for the simple joy of making strangers laugh.

Pengra, who has been working at Buzzmill for a year, said “I love this place, it has a really unique vibe to it, and it’s fun running a show here.”

Buzz Mill’s lumberjack  themed setting is a comfort for students looking for a place to hide while they cram for midterms. The little nook behind the bar has a strict “no talking” rule for anyone wishing to study in peace.

Buzz Mill is a quaint hangout full of people from all walks of life, truly representing the Austin spirit. The next time you’re around East Riverside stop by – it will be worth it!

 

 

Restaurant Review

Adriel Vigo, Contributor 

Sawyer & Co. :
4827 E. Cesar Chavez Street

For those craving a taste of Southern Louisiana, Sawyer & Co. serves traditional favorites like jambalaya, crawfish and corn bread.

Less than a 15-minute drive from the Eastview and Rio Grande campuses, the restaurant is also accessible by Capital Metro buses.

Although Sawyer & Co. serves the standard fare of burgers and salads, the daily specials such as the chicken and smoked sausage jambalaya are among the most popular menu items.

Full of flavor and soft in texture, the jambalaya is a filling dish. Only slightly spicy, it’s an easy introduction for Cajun food novices. The mashed potatoes are soft yet firm and served with Cajun gravy and steamed broccoli.

The fried pickle appetizer with jalapeno sauce is crunchy, tart and scrumptious.

ACC student Nick Lorenzen, who ordered the catfish special with french

fries and broccoli, said he is generally satisfied with the food and prices, although, “the catfish can be mushy at times.”

The restaurant provides a menu with a wide selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast being served all day.

Although the outside of the restaurant gives off a sleek and modern appearance, the interior has a retro feel.

A 1950s-style TV runs a loop of black-and-white footage from the ‘60s featuring familiar faces such as John F. Kennedy, while Bill Haley & His Comets can be heard in the background.

Booths and chairs under a covered pavilion provide a pleasant alternative to indoor dining, especially when the central Texas weather is moderate.

Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant. The authentic Cajun and southern food, affordable prices, friendly wait staff, retro feel and proximity to campus make Sawyer and Co. a convenient option for students.