@ www.theotherpress.ca

 

 

Quoth ‘The Raven,’ never again

 

ohn Cusack (The Raven) |

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

here does one begin
with such an utter
disappointment? The

Raven was released into theatres
Friday, April 27 to abysmal reviews
(including this one!), which, in all
honesty, is quite a shame. But first,
let us backtrack:

In Baltimore, supposedly 1849,
a series of grisly murders have
taken place, all reflecting poems of
the once respected (now bumbling
drunk) Edgar Allan Poe John
Cusack). Poe is then recruited to
aide the lovable inspector Emmett
Fields (Luke Evans) in following the
clues before more deaths can occur.
The stakes are raised, however,
when Poe’s beloved fiancée Emily
Hamilton (Alice Eve) is kidnapped
by the culprit. It is now up to Poe
to... write... her to the rescue.

The first half of the film actually

    

makes for a decent mystery, with
the only outstanding issue being
Cusack himself. Cusack manages
to Nic Cage things up, making for
an unlikable, rambling, short-fused
caricature of Edgar Allan Poe. His
best onscreen moments are perhaps
shared with the likes of Eve, who
manages to make for a compelling,
strong, and interesting love interest
(albeit one that is clearly a damsel in
distress).

Unfortunately, The Raven's
weakly-fused plot eventually has
a mere thread holding the baffling
twists and turns together: Poe must
save Emily. By the last 10 minutes
though, that thread is violently torn
apart, building up to an impossible
and confusing ending that literally
leaves the viewer for dead.

Save this one for a potential bad
movie night—drink every time a
raven appears on screen of course
being the main rule.

4

 

‘Reptar’ on acid

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

(© )( @ )(@ )(@ \o)
—— ee ee

n May 1, Reptar released
their debut album, Body
Faucet. Amongst other

necessary questions, such as,
“Why am I only hearing of this
band now?” and “Please, will

you shut up and take my money,
Reptar?” you must be wondering
if they’re named after the
Godzilla-like creature from Rugrats
(1991-2004)... yes. Yes they are.
Moving on.

Reptar is without a doubt the
product of one of the most candy-
coated generations ever to literally
be conceived. Singer and guitarist
Graham Ulicny has a ridiculously
unique voice, tossing out notes
left and right and showing off his

 

vocal range with a mix of shouting
out, tenor-like cooing, and the
occasional deep purring. But
despite his talents, Ulicny would
only be a fraction of himself were
it not for Reptar’s four other multi-
talents backing him along the way.

The album’s songs cover
themes from, with info taken
from their adorably ‘90s-style
website, getting over the loss of a
friend, embracing one’s “sexual
awakening,” and fighting through
heartbreak. Amongst some of the
best on the album are the tracks
“Orifice Origami,” “Houseboat
Babies,” and “Sweet Sipping
Soda.”

An absolute fantastic debut,
Body Faucet is definitely one to
keep running throughout the
summer.

 

 

——

By Zach Roubos, Contributor

(9 )(@)(@ )(@)
ae Se

An endless love for ‘Amori Infiniti’

of the Slum Village track “Climax,” where

she kicks some bars over the J Dilla produced

classic. This ‘90s influence is further evidenced
with an additional cover of Faith Evans’

“Faithfully.” Ghatti’s voice won’t blow you

auto-tuned over fist pump-worthy tracks

produced by the likes of David Guetta and
Benny Benassi, it’s refreshing to hear artists
such as Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, who
make progressive R&B while leaning more
towards soul over electronic dance music. Enter
Lucille Ghatti and her debut full-length project,
Amort Infiniti (released April 20).

Ghatti’s sound is very chill, with some
minimalist electro beats mixed in with
‘90s-influenced neo-soul. She even does a cover

[: an era where most popular R&B artists are

away with power, but for the most part, it’s a
good thing, as her breathy and unique vocals
flow effortlessly over every track.

While almost unknown at the present, Loud
Pack Lucy (as Ghatti likes to refer to herself)
will not remain so for much longer. Download
Amort Infiniti now, and later you can tell your
friends obnoxiously that you found her before
the well-deserved fame.