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Owen Keenan

Marvel yet to respond to Jonathan Majors' assault allegations

To say Marvel Entertainment's film department has been in a bit of a decline since the conclusion of its legendary "Infinity Saga" would be an understatement. In 2019, the studio released "Avengers: Endgame" to both universal critical and commercial acclaim. Not adjusted for inflation, it remains the second highest-grossing film of all time and still holds the record for the most successful opening weekend for a movie today.Nov 7

'Rocky Horror Picture Show' shadow casting still alive in 2023, even at Rutgers Cinema

First released on Aug. 14, 1975, in the U.K., Jim Sharman's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was perhaps one of the earliest examples of a cult classic film. Upon its release, it joined titles such as "Pink Flamingos" and "El Topo" as those synonymous with the largely antiquated "midnight movie" delivery method. Oct 31

'Five Nights at Freddy's' film flops despite Halloween hype

My initial impression of Blumhouse Productions' "Five Nights at Freddy's" film, first announced in 2015, falls in line with my take on other movies based on video games-turned-internet culture icons in that they are many years too late to capitalize on a trend.Oct 31

Biggest reveals from this year's New York Comic-Con

New York Comic Con returned to Manhattan this year from October 12 to October 15. Held at the Jacob K. Javits Center, the event has been a yearly tradition dating back to 2006, only missing 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Oct 26

X announces new paid user program, alienating more consumers

In another installment of what has been a series of bizarrely anti-consumer moves, Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced that some users will need to start paying in order to post on the site. Oct 19

What 'Barbie' gets wrong about patriarchy

Let me preface this piece by saying that I, at the very least, enjoyed many aspects of Greta Gerwig's 2023 summer blockbuster "Barbie." Sep 28

Feeling homesick? Here's advice for dealing with new or transfer student blues

As a transfer student, this September marked not just the start of a new academic year but also the beginning of my second year at Rutgers—New Brunswick. Prior to transferring, I attended the Camden campus for two years.Sep 26

This year's Nintendo Direct promises exciting releases for 2024

Last Thursday, Nintendo upheld a tradition spanning back to 2012 and live-streamed a Nintendo Direct presentation to show off its upcoming titles for both the 2023 holiday season as well as the beginning of 2024.Sep 19

'Oshi no Ko' should be added to your anime watchlist despite narrative issues

Just to state this right at the top, in case it wasn't clear, this article contains massive spoilers for the first season of "Oshi no Ko." I'll only be discussing what's been covered in the anime so far, but if you're still catching up or wish to enter the series totally blind, reader discretion has been advised.Sep 14

Considering issues with 'Wizarding World' franchise — do we really need 'Harry Potter' rebooted?

The mid to late 2000s was defined by any number of pop culture phenomenons, including a burgeoning trend of adapting long-running book series into multimedia franchises.Apr 28

Even Nicole Kidman can't save AMC's obtuse new seat pricing program

Not long ago, I wrote about my experience going to see Illumination's newest release, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," in theaters. Prior to watching the movie, I engaged in a fairly straightforward ticket-purchasing process: I went on Rutgers Cinema's website, and I bought a general admissions matinee ticket for $5, which allowed me to sit wherever there was an open seat in the theater.Apr 17 2023

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' gets its coin, but doesn't impress fans or critics

While walking into the movie theater on Wednesday, I wasn't particularly thrilled to see (and later review) Illumination's newest film, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." The film has been an internet talking point ever since its existence was officially announced in 2018 by former Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima. Apr 10 2023

Elon Musk shows support for 'Dilbert' creator, leaving us disappointed but not surprised

The last time we checked in with Elon Musk — somehow not even a month ago — we discussed some of his decisions as Twitter's new leader.Mar 8 2023

Meta wants your money, plus your data, for 'Meta Verified'

Less than a month after Twitter's proposed changes for how the platform would handle the verification of brand accounts came to light, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder, chairman and CEO, unveiled his plans for similar features to be implemented into Facebook and Instagram.Mar 2 2023

Live simply with these cozy video games

Let’s be real: Life’s pretty stressful. It’s a tiring world out there, and you need something to help let off steam after a long day. When the world is not covertly plunging children into gambling addictions, gaming as a hobby is actually a pretty healthy way to handle the pressures that come with this whole existence thing.Feb 28 2023

COMMENTARY: Rutgers' priorities are all mixed up

The only thing Rutgers football loses more than sports games is money. Since joining the Big Ten Conference back in 2014, the University’s athletic department has accumulated $265 million in debt, with almost $125 million of an operating deficit having built up over the past two years.Feb 20 2023

Fearless leader or fascist dictator? Elon Musk makes perplexingly bad choices as Twitter's CEO

In another instance of gross mismanagement under its new CEO Elon Musk, Twitter is reportedly planning to introduce drastic changes to its verification pricing model. These changes are specifically meant to target companies looking to protect the integrity of their identity on the platform. Feb 14 2023

2023 Nintendo Direct announces exciting upgrades but troublesome price increases

Another February, another Nintendo Direct convention to overhype. The gaming giants always have some sort of presentation to kick off the year, and 2023 was no different. It was announced on February 7 that a showcase would occur the next day at 5 p.m. eastern time about the company’s release schedule for 2023.Feb 10 2023

Elon Musk's Twitter woes prove he's no champion of democracy

When Twitter CEO Elon Musk first indicated an interest in acquiring the platform early last year, he made one point abundantly clear: His top priority was protecting what he called "free speech." Jan 20 2023

Nintendo Switch needs massive upgrade — will fans be disappointed or pleasantly surprised?

Nintendo has had a busy 2022, to say the least. In October alone, the company published new entries in both the "Bayonetta" and "Mario + Rabbids" franchises and released "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet" just in time for the holiday season. Dec 2 2022

Marvel madness, DC disease: Do we have superhero fatigue?

"Black Adam," "Morbius" and "Black Widow" — what do these three movies have in common?Nov 30 2022

Post-coronavirus, it's not game over for video game launch parties

It may be hard to picture now, but there was a time when video game midnight launch parties were commonplace. In an era before social distancing, face masks and the word "corona" — apart from its association with a brand of alcohol — it seemed every store that sold video games had some sort of release event for eager fans awaiting the arrival of a new game.Nov 22 2022

How newfound social media CEO Elon Musk is clipping Twitter's wings

American comedian Kathy Griffin may not have been the first person to impersonate Elon Musk on Twitter, but she was certainly the first celebrity to be banned for her mockery of the company’s new CEO.Nov 14 2022

Bayonetta's voice acting controversy shines light on video game industry issue

One of the year's most anticipated games has been marred in controversy. PlatinumGames’ upcoming title "Bayonetta 3" kept fans waiting since its announcement back in the 2017 Game Awards show, where it was confirmed to be in development for the then-newly released Nintendo Switch. This was all the information gamers would get until a trailer released in July revealed the game would be launching on October 28.Nov 10 2022

In serious need of that GPA boost? Check out these study tips

There are things we all can agree would be beneficial in the long run but just can’t ever bring ourselves to do consistently enough that it would positively impact our lives.Nov 8 2022

'The Nightmare Before Christmas' could reflect bigger truths about cultural appropriation

Halloween has come and gone, and as we all begin our annual tradition of ignoring the Thanksgiving season to instead rush head-first into Christmas, you may find yourself wanting to revisit some festive classics in order to prepare for the holiday season.Nov 1 2022

Ranking Halloween candy, from Reese's Cups to Ring Pops

It’s fall. People are ordering pumpkin-flavored drinks from their cafes of choice, admiring the cascade of colorful leaves now blanketing the ground and being incredibly thankful for their place of residence’s functional heating unit.Oct 31 2022

What are VTubers? How virtual YouTubers found pandemic fame

As we’re still technically living through it today, it probably won’t shock you to hear the pandemic drastically shook up how we as humans live our lives. Specifically, our entertainment-seeking habits drastically pivoted in the face of increasingly canceled and postponed events and stay-at-home quarantine orders.Oct 27 2022

Rate My Professors' bias problem deserves failing grades

To me, one of the hardest parts of starting a new semester (besides having to unlearn the previous semester’s schedule), is trying to get a feel for what kinds of instructors I’ll be studying under for the next four months.Oct 20 2022

What that 'GentleMinions' TikTok trend could say about animation's future

The summer 2022 movie experience was a bit underwhelming, to say the least, for both moviegoers and production companies alike.Oct 17 2022

Reflection: Transferring Rutgers campuses is worthwhile, even with culture shock

Like much of my cohort, the transition from 12th grade to the first year of college was rough, to say the least. In addition to all of the typical stressors one must endure during any significant transitory period in their life, I also had to navigate a worldwide pandemic hellbent on altering all aspects of life as I knew it.Sep 28 2022