The Signal

Serving the College since 1885

Friday June 2nd

Arts & Entertainment


(Photo courtesy of Bryan Steward)

Alumnus Bryan Steward battles neuromuscular disease across 500-mile hike, recounts journey in self-published book, ‘My Own Pace’

In August 2017, College alumnus Bryan Steward flew to Spain and embarked on the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage stretching from Madrid to Galicia.  Nearly five years after he set off, Steward recounted his trek in his book, “My Own Pace,” published on Feb. 19. Though he faced a number of challenges throughout his journey — including a severe case of food poisoning — Steward’s greatest obstacle is Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD): his rare, progressive neuromuscular disease. 

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(Photo courtesy of Netflix/Yana Blajeva)

‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (2022) review: Not worth the watch

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2022) is the newly released sequel to the 1974 classic of the same name. It follows a group of young influencers looking to revive the ghost town of Harlow, Texas nearly fifty years after the original film. However, the group quickly realizes that the town of Harlow is a ghost town for a reason, that reason being the chainsaw wielding Leatherface, who kills everyone who crosses his path.

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Amulya Veldanda holding a picture of her book (photo courtesy of Amulya Veldanda).

Alumna Amulya Veldanda self-publishes children’s book, ‘Cosmo Faces the Forest of Fears’

For Amulya Veldanda, a Class of 2018 graduate of the College who majored in biomedical engineering, reading and writing will always stay close to her heart. Ever since she learned to read, she would go to the library every day after school, indulging in numerous stories and rhymes. Veldanda may currently be a scientist at the Integra Lifesciences in Plainsboro, NJ, but her inner book-lover self has never withered. Now, she plans to self-publish her first children’s book “Cosmo Faces the Forest of Fears,” on Tuesday, March 1 — and she couldn’t be more thrilled.

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(Photo courtesy of IMDB)

‘Death on the Nile’ unfortunately falls flat

Directing and starring Kenneth Branagh, “Death on The Nile” was released in theaters on Feb. 11.  This film is a followup to the 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” which, like “Death on the Nile’ is also based on an Agatha Christie novel. It also stars Gal Gadot, Emma Mackey and Armie Hammer. 

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Movie posters featured are “Belfast,” “The Power of the Dog,” “West Side Story” and “Drive My Car.” The directors of each of these films are nominated for Best Director (Photos courtesy of IMDB).

The Oscars 2022: predictions, reactions

The 2022 Oscar nominations were released on Feb. 8 and there has been a lot of buzz regarding who got nominated, as well as shock at who did not. The Oscars are a way to reflect on the films from the past year, and the awards give the more unseen roles in making a great film the recognition they deserve. I wanted to take some time today to talk about some of my favorite categories and give my predictions for who I think will win the Oscar in five of the most popular categories. 

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(Photo courtesy of IMDB)

‘Drive My Car’ review: a deep character study with powerful themes of grief, regret and growth

With the recent release of Oscar nominations, I made it a personal goal to watch all the movies that were nominated. “Drive My Car,” directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is among those films. Currently, the movie is only playing in a small number of theaters, so I took a trip to an arthouse theater in Princeton and was pleased with how this movie turned out. “Drive My Car” was released in the U.S. on Nov. 24, and is set to hit HBO Max on Mar. 2. 

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ACT having a fun time at their first meeting of the semester (Photo courtesy of Braden Drake/ ACT’s publicist).

The behind-the-scenes of what’s going on with theater groups on campus

When Covid struck and the world went into quarantine, show productions were critically affected. Unfortunately, shows couldn’t happen like normal and were either canceled altogether or moved to a virtual format. Now, shows are coming back strong in a somewhat normal — or traditional — manner. Of course, that doesn’t mean Covid isn’t completely disregarded. Masks-wearing is still required for both cast and audience members. However, shows can now return in-person with a full audience.

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(Photo courtesy of IMDb)

‘The Book of Boba Fett’ reveals only a few chapters of Boba’s story

With the release of the final episode of “The Mandalorian’s” second season, Disney+ and Lucasfilm treated “Star Wars” fans to a surprise announcement after the credits: a spin-off series centering around the longtime iconic character, Boba Fett, developed by “The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau, longtime “Star Wars” writer, director and producer Dave Filoni and “Alita: Battle Angel, Spy Kids,” and “From Dusk Till Dawn” director Robert Rodriguez. 

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(Photo courtesy of IMDB)

‘American Psycho’ reexamined: a brilliant work of satire

“American Psycho” (2000) is a drama/thriller film that chronicles the daily goings-on of 27-year-old Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a young Wall Street executive, and his slow descent into insanity. Alongside Bale, the film features a star-studded cast with Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny and Reese Witherspoon. Over the past two decades, “American Psycho” has carved itself into American pop culture, and the film is just as relevant today as it was at the time of its release. However, in recent years, I started to notice a disconnect forming between the original purpose of the film and those who are fans of it today.

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