Entertainment Archives - Page 3 of 4

Alyna’s Got a Book for You!

January 26, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a new book to read? Alyna Rei lends us her thoughts on the 2016 heartbreaker It Ends With Us. — Editor Lilah Nick

By Alyna Rei, Book Reviewer

I would never claim that I am a bookworm. I would say I love a novel with a purpose. I love to read books that can take me to another world. This is why I’m writing my first book review ever on the novel It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. This book was recommended by my mom. It has a very emotional plot change–the sense of it coming keeps you on your toes. Spoiler alert!!

The book starts off with Lily, a woman whose mother is abused by her husband. She meets Ryle, a neurosurgeon who shows a lot of interest in her the day they meet. Over time, they meet each other more frequently through Ryle’s sister, Alyssa. They soon end up falling deeply in love. While Ryle and Lily are dating, Lily reunites with Atlas, her first love. Ryle and Atlas hate each other from the start. They both seem to be jealous of each other. Ryle begins abusing Lily. When Lily finds out she’s pregnant, Ryle claims he will change, but–spoiler alert– he never does. She divorces from Ryle, and it “ends” there.

Now, I would never say this is a romance novel. Yes, there are romantic parts, but the plot is not about romance. Sorry to break it to you: this is not your ordinary romance novel. Lily did the right thing for herself and her daughter. Lily did not want her daughter to witness domestic abuse. Lily noticed that Ryle has his patterns of abuse, and she feels it’s best to end the relationship. Ryle is able to be in Emerson’s (the daughter’s) life. That’s what Lily wanted. Her daughter won’t experience what Lily experienced, and Lily breaks the cycle of abuse. The book doesn’t say if Lily and Atlas ever get together. All we know is that they stay good friends after their reunion.

Turns out, the book is based on the author’s life. This story was inspired by events in Colleen Hoover’s life. Hoover wants to do her mom’s story justice and show what her mom went through.

There are two love interests in this book, but I wouldn’t say this is a love triangle. Lily falls in love with Atlas in her teen years. She then falls in love with Ryle in the present time. If you were to ask me, I’ve been Team Atlas since the beginning.

Overall, I give this book a good 5 stars. There are no dragging scenes. There’s a great explanation to everything when needed, which makes the reading entertaining. This is a great story! You will not want to put the book down.

The Archon War: Part 1

December 15, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Our Genshin Impact expert Izumi is back again, this time with an exciting trilogy that will lead you down a cold and stormy path of war. What a cliffhanger! Want to know what comes next? Find out next blog installation as the saga continues. – Jesse Denyer, Editor

By Izumi, Middle-School Gaming Correspondent

The Archon War is a huge event in Genshin Impact. The Archon War is at the base of the whole game story. The Archon War is still unknown as to how it started or why, and there is no information on how the victors or losers were decided, or how the nations divided. According to the non-playable character Soraya, “The war began as a struggle over the seven divine seats in Celestia. Those who struggled fought both for supremacy and to see their plans for a prosperous humanity come to fruition. However, not all gods participated in the war with the intent of taking a divine seat; some wanted simply to defend their territory; while others wanted to save as many people as possible from the destruction of the war” (genshin-impact.fandom.com).

After the Archon War, the seven Gods who won split into the seven nations of Teyvat, while the rest became evil, which leaves a lot of evil. To share all of the information of the Archon War and the events during it, I will split it into two posts, the first post will be about Mondstadt, and how it got its first and only Anemo Archon.

2600 years ago, in the middle of the Archon War, there were two warring Gods, Decarabian the God of Storms, and Andrius the King of the North Winds. The two fought in Mondstadt. The Mondstadt nation was located in the northwest, where it would now be known as Stormterror’s Lair. The God of Anemo, Barbatos, didn’t exist at this point. Barbatos was nothing but a wisp of wind, an elf with almost no power. Monstadt was very cold. It was all snow and ice, cold air and endless blizzards–a condition that mortals could barely survive. This cold was all caused by Andrius, who not long ago obtained powers from a likely deceased God. Andrius wanted to start a war against Decarbian, who enclosed the city of Monstadt with a wall, making sure nothing came in or out. Andrius tried to attack the wall, but never left a scratch on it. Decarabian didn’t seem threatened and was only devoted to protecting his people. However, his people worshipped him out of fear, thinking he was trying to trap them from the outside world. (genshin-impact.fandom.com)

While Barbatos was a wisp of wind, he befriended a young bard who always dreamed of freedom. The bard left Decarabian’s walled city to save the Gunnhildr clan. He ended up living in a frozen wasteland, but the resulting faith of the Gunnhildrs empowered him. At one point, Barbatos and the young bard, alongside Decarabian’s disillusioned lover Amos and a knight, raised an army against Decarabian, God of Storms. They were victorious! The Archon Decarbian was slain and all of the people were saved from the stormy walled cage. Unfortunately, Amos and the bard did not survive the war, leaving Barbatos with lots of grief and regret. (genshin-impact.fandom.com)

In the end, Barbatos was given the title of the first and only Anemo Archon. In honor of the bard, Barbatos took the form of him and brought freedom to Mondstadt, ending the extreme cold and blizzards. He often visited the neighboring Archon Morax, who will be mentioned in the next blog post.

Isabella with the Words

December 1, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Congratulations to Palm Valley School’s US Poetry Recitation winner: Senior Isabella Goetschel. Isabella recited “Epitaph” by 17th-century poet Katherine Philips. In a striking twist of fate, Isabella was also selected Audience Favorite. Second Place went to Sophomore Indy Behr with a recitation of “be careful” by poet Ed Roberson. The Third Place recitation went to Freshman Lily Jones with “Poor Angels” by poet Edward Hirsch.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving break, the Upper School gathered for Poetry Recitation Finals in the Gym. Eleven finalists competed before judges Ms. Bernstein, Ms. Maguire, and Mr. Richardt. The judging criteria was that of Poetry Out Loud.

Isabella will advance to Riverside County Poetry Out Loud. She is our Palm Valley School representative. She will recite two poems before a panel of judges. If she wins, she advances to State Poetry Out Loud competition. Indiana serves as our alternate.

Local Music: Life Beyond the Classroom

November 11, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

PVS students have active lives beyond the classroom. We acknowledge their accomplishments in “Life Beyond the Classroom.” Jake is on his way to being a producer of ground-breaking music.

In case you didn’t already know, I, Jake Sonderman, run my own studio with Luke Sonderman called Sondy Studios. Over the summer, I recorded Pescaterritory’s 9-song album in the extra room in our house. The album contains every type of rock and roll, from the nostalgic song I’m Fine to the hard rock hit Running Away. Whether you are pining away for old times, or wanting something fresh and new, this album has what you are looking for. I had so much fun putting together this album, and I am proud to call this my first major release as a producer. Give it a listen.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3wg8zpQszKk0MatrKbfJ23?si=49W5ghAKRdWKLOvr0L5Ieghttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kqyvLXvQB9omZrGGQoNJVUm-L2B7QPp64

https://music.apple.com/us/album/pescaterritory/1536349886

FIREBIRD Letter to Palm Valley Community by Charles Schnell

February 28, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

“Naked and alone we came into exile. In her dark womb we did not know our mother’s face; from the prison of her flesh have we come into the unspeakable and incommunicable prison of this earth. . . . O waste of lost, in the hot mazes, lost, among bright stars on this weary, unbright cinder, lost! Remembering speechlessly we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into heaven, a stone, a leaf, an unfound door. Where? When?

O lost, and by the wind grieved, ghost, come back again.”

— Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel

Dear Palm Valley Community,

If someone asked you, “Who are you,” how would you respond? “I’m a. . .” Student? Parent? Teacher? Social worker? Musician? Politician? Doctor? Athlete? Farmer? Architect? Clown?

Then, if someone asked you, “What are you?” how would your response change? Would it change at all? What’s the difference between “who” and “what” you are? Which one makes you happy? Which limits you? Which obstructs you from being the happiest you can possibly be?

These questions are all asked and answered in Firebird, the new musical dramedy premiering at Palm Valley School this March. This play marks the return of the highly-regarded playwriting team of Mr. Chris Griffin and Mr. Ken Sarkis at Palm Valley School. (If you are a fan of shows such as Home Sweet Homer and Shakespeare at Starlucks, this newest musical of theirs is right up your alley!)

The play takes place over the span of the life of one person, named Arruda, as he travels throughout the world, bound to the task of defining “who” he is. There are no antagonists, other than life itself and that obnoxious, deceiving question, “Who are you?” During his voyage, Arruda encounters and learns from a wide array of odd folk who have already defined “who” they are and are quite comfortable with their answers, including a family who sweeps, the U.S. Common Core education system, successful businessmen whose specific company’s name we had to take out of the script (for copyright reasons), Buddhists and yogos, spirits of the Amazon river, and—everyone’s favorite type of people—self-absorbed actors.

This person’s journey to self-discovery will be accompanied by only the greatest composers of the 19th and 20th century, such as Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, with modern, original lyrics to tell our story.

Almost all of the 23 drama students in the Upper School Theatre Department will be playing multiple roles, and you better believe every single one will be acting, singing, and dancing their way through this existential, musical romp of self-discovery. And, to top it all off, you certainly don’t want to miss the show that will be Mr. Sarkis’s “Last Hurrah!” as a theatre director and teacher. You can expect that he is giving it his all! (As usual.)

If you would like to join us on this young person’s journey, Firebird will be running for six shows in the MPR: March 20, 21, 27, 28, 29 at 7:30 p.m. and on March 22 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets will start at $15 for general admission and will cost $20 for premium seats. (To purchase tickets, you can do so at the link below* or at the door.) The department is hard at work rehearsing and producing Firebird, and we hope to see you there as what you truly are.

On behalf of the cast and crew of Firebird,

Charles Schnell

Editor: Luke Langlois

*To buy tickets for Firebird, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-palm-valley-school-9832789066

James Jams to “Jay”

September 12, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By James Zheng

Hello, everyone. I know we are reminiscing about our time during summer, but do not forget to enjoy the new school year. You especially must check out our school blog every DAY! Last year I did most of my posts about anime, movies, and games. This year, I will try to bring new and more creative posts to readers.

During my summer, I rediscovered a Chinese singer named Jay Chou. My only impression of him was from my childhood; the first time I listened to his songs, I disliked his “lazy” singing style where you don’t know what he is saying unless you look up the lyrics. I did not have a good impression at first. However, one day I clicked on a video talking about the comparison between the top ten Chinese songs of 2005 and 2015. One of his songs was at number one in China 2005, and that made me interested in him again, and the things I used to dislike actually made him unique.

Jay Chou’s career has always been marked by his dedication to the Mandopop (Mandrian Popular music) realm. When his first album came out in 1999, it was played everywhere on the street and soon made the top ten songs chart. Once Jay realized the opportunity was there, he charged up his music career and released more and more albums. His songs never get old, even though he has been making music for nearly twenty years. Each of his albums is still overwhelmingly popular nowadays around the whole of Asia. To give a personal comment on his songs, the complex level of lyrics and songwriting is still beyond most songs in recent years.

So here are some recommendations. Some of them are more “James” subjective, while most of them are commonly recommended in the Mandopop realm.

“Can’t Express Me (开不了口).” Released in 2001, this is the song I like the most. The change of the instruments adds a lot of improvement and meaning to the whole song.
“Secret (不能说的秘密).” Released in 2007, Chou also made a film with the same name. “Secret” is a light rock song.
“Common Jasmine Orange (七里香).” Released in 2004, this song is one of the most popular in Asia, awarded “Song of the Year” by the Asian music confederation. The lyrics are full of poetry and romantic meaning.
“Sunny Day (晴天).” Released in 2003, this is a charming song played with guitar. Nowadays, it is even more popular than “Common Jasmine Orange.”
“Nocturne (夜曲).” Released in 2005, this hit the top number one most popular song among the Mandopop realm. The rhythm is quite tranquil and smooth. Jay Chou also adds some Hip-hop into his vocal style.
“Silence (安静).” Released in 2001, the whole song remains almost the same speed and rhythm while being played with the piano. The song also has a strong emotional atmosphere.

And that is what I have for you guys. Chou still has tons of amazing songs to listen to, so check them out if you are interested. Try searching on YouTube, Spotify, Google Music, or Amazon Music. Lastly, I know that everyone doesn’t understand or usually listen to Chinese songs, but why not try it out just to see if you like the beat or the vocal style. You might want to welcome something fresh. New year, new music!

Editor: Luke Langlois

Music

September 11, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

In keeping with our theme on “Welcome Back” or “What Did You Do Over the Summer?” Katelin submits a post on her favorite summertime (anytime) pastime–K-pop.

By Katelin Mei

Over the recent years, there has been a spike in popularity of K-pop, most likely because BTS and BLACKPINK have introduced the North American public to this genre of music. They have very eye-catching videos, and the members of every group tend to have a cute look.

My favorite groups

6. BTS – This was the second group that introduced me to K-pop. I like this group because I like their older songs like “RUN” and “Save Me.” I also like Min Yoongi because I find him cute.

5. NCT – This is a very confusing K-pop group. They have many different sub-groups, like NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV. The different sub-groups release different music, but they are all under the brand name “NCT.” I like this group mostly because the people in NCT have fun and unique personalities.

4. Red Velvet – This group is unique because of its varied musical concepts that they can pull off very well. They transition from having a “girl crush” concept in their song “Bad Boy” to a summery cute theme in their song “Power Up.” Unlike many other artists, they are never limited to one topic.

3. Dreamcatcher – I found this amazing group because of their latest comeback song “Piri.” They have a unique rock/anime style rarely seen in K-pop girl groups. My favourite song of theirs is “You and I.” They are releasing a new album soon, which I am extremely excited for.

2. Momoland – MOMOLAND broke into the market with their song “BBoom BBoom.” Since they come from a small company, they once did not have many fans and were planning to disband after they released “BBoom BBoom.” The song blew up and brought MOMOLAND the followers and fans they needed, including me. They are a very attractive group, and JooE is especially pretty.

1. BLACKPINK/Twice – These two groups are tied because I love them equally, even though they contrast each other in concept. While BLACKPINK has a girl crush concept, TWICE’s aesthetic is very appealing and well done (see second photo). BLACKPINK has a special place in my heart because they were the group that introduced me to K-pop. Hopefully, they can do the same for you.

Editor: Luke Langlois

rory gilmore

May 31, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Makena Behnke

as you may or may not know, i’m a big fan of the show Gilmore Girls. i always come back to this show when i’m in a tv drought. i relate to a majority of this show, and i think everyone should watch it. since i’m a big fan, i obviously have some strong opinions about the characters’ choices. today we’re going to talk about Rory Gilmore’s (one of the main characters) boyfriends in order of worst to best. she only has three long-term boyfriends in this series, so this’ll be a short post. this post contains a fair amount of spoilers so come back when you’re finished watching. if you don’t care about spoilers, enjoy.

3. Dean Forester:

yes, he’s super cute & dreamy in the beginning, but near the middle/end, he turns sour. he was a good first boyfriend because he really loved her, but once Rory grew up and changed a bit, he didn’t know what to do and freaked. he’s always jealous and super possessive of Rory. newsflash buddy, 14 phone messages in 20 minutes is too much! also there was a whole “i love you” situation where he got mad then dumped her. terrible dude, really. he’s also a cheater! not on Rory, but on his wife. (that was Rory’s decision too, but Dean is the married one here). he also married his rebound while he was still in love with Rory, and that’s just wrong. he’s just a real jerk. he had some good qualities at first; he was sweet and caring, but that faded as soon as Rory figured out who she was and what she wanted out of life. just cuz Dean wanted the 50s housewife life who made dinner and perfect casseroles and cleaned all day doesn’t mean Rory had to conform to that and throw out her dreams. her constant back and forth with Dean throughout the show is really irritating, but it keeps the audience on their toes i guess.

2. Logan Huntzberger:

i really appreciate his sense of adventure and his rich-boy-rebelling attitude. he starts out kinda weird and rude then gradually improves into a pretty great boyfriend. he’s quite charming, but sometimes he comes off as an entitled rich boy who complains about his daddy. Rory and Logan are also genuine friends; their personalities really clicked. he really knows how to win Rory’s heart, and they really do make a cute couple. i’d be really happy if they ended up together; he’s a keeper for sure. i have to say, paying a coffee cart to follow Rory around because he did something wrong is a smart move. i don’t have a lot to say about him– i like him.

1. Jess Mariano:

i can’t really express my love for him. he’s just such a great boyfriend for Rory. in the beginning, he was definitely a risk seeing as he was the “bad boy” and he crashed her car, but i think this was the best relationship. they had similar taste in music, and they both loved books so much. and once they were together, he really loved her and treated her really well for a good portion of their relationship. also, their on-stage chemistry was probably the best because the actors actually dated in real life. the Jess relationship era was really a rollercoaster, but an enjoyable one with quippy comments and the perfect amount of attitude and band shirts. i have to say, he definitely needed to mature because during some points, he was just a teen boy who messed up his life, including the Rory portion of it. later on in the series, he reappears, fully mature and ready to be the best boyfriend he could possibly be. and then, he pops up again, ready to convince Rory to make some good life choices during her low period. he did get her tickets to see The Distillers, a good move on his part.

Editor: Hannah Hall

A Review of “Never Gone”

May 29, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Movie Fan Blogger James Zheng

I hardly ever watch Chinese films, but I found a Chinese movie that I really want to talk about. I have several reasons for not watching Chinese movies; the majority of them are really awful.

But not all of them are awful. While most are low quality products, you can find that ten percent of Chinese movies are exceptional works.

The movie I am going to talk about in this post is a romantic movie that has a simple story. It is mainly about the torturous experience of a couple, the disharmony they have and how they work it out. Well, do they eventually work it out? My answer is watch this film yourself and find out.

The part that draws the most attention is the preparation of actors. Kris Wu, a Chinese Canadian musical artist, is invited by director Zhou Tuoru to perform as the major character in Never Gone. I went into the movie wondering why a director would let a popular music idol be in a film. The director might just as well focus on how good looking the actors are rather than how skilled they are as actors. Two days ago, before I watched Never Gone, I read many negative comments saying how Kris Wu ruined the movie.

After seeing these pathetic comments, I finally chose to watch the movie to give it an “authentic” review. Here it goes–every setting being used in Never Gone has been used at least a thousand times. I could even say that if you are a romantic movie person, you can tell what will happen in the next second; you can see where the plot is going without questioning it. And, dialogues between the characters always give me a sense of being … embarrassed since the dialogue seems improper in that situation or just too generic. And, most times, Kris Wu’s acting just collapses; in other words, his acting is just extremely terrible or over-exaggerated.

So, overall. Is it a worthless film? Just wait: here are some positive things I have to say about it. The story of the movie is really similar to our daily life and reality; it isn’t that dramatic, which is the common flaw the director avoided. In that sense, he rejected the traditional style of romantic movies. In agreement with the negative reviews, I also think that Kris Wu’s acting is truly amateur and inflexible. However, his performance still left me an un-erasable impression. His emotion is real. He expresses his sentiment in the most explicit way. He conscientiously integrates himself into the show; he strives to present to us what the character should be feeling. After all, if you only take it from a single perspective and follow the majority opinion, you may only describe how bad it is. You would never observe Kris Wu’s achievement.

In the end, I am still not sure if I should recommend this movie. If you are interested in a romantic movie, you should try to watch it and see what comments you have.

Editor: Makena Behnke

*Available on Amazon Prime.

These Songs are Actually Pretty Good

May 22, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By James Zheng, a surprise music critic blogger

Music, as a part of our daily life, has always accompanied us whenever we need it. And, according to what I have seen so far about what people usually listen to around me, it’s normally either rap music or pop music. I’ve included plenty of unknown songs worth recommending in this post; you might recognize them; maybe not. Let’s find out.

Overall, I categorized them by genre to give you a brief preview of each.

Rock Music

Simple Plan the band. Recommendation for their songs: Holding On and Take My Hand. Simple Plan is from Canada. I would consider them as derived from punk rock. I have listened to each of their albums; I am obsessed with their unique style; this style is second to none. They do not generate the conventional idea of rock that makes a very noisy track. They don’t do much heavy metal sound; instead, they have a very cheerful track style. And, before they put the sound of electric guitar in, they usually have a fantastic melody mixed with piano and bass. All of their songs are amazing.
Daughtry the band. Recommendation for their songs: It’s Not Over and Over You. Daughtry is from America, and they are more popular than Simple Plan. Their style is a little bit hard to define because they keep changing it in each album. The unique thing about Daughtry is probably the lead vocalist’s–Chris Daughtry’s–wild singing style. You feel like he is yelling, but in fact he is not. He just puts his emotion fully into the song as few people do.

Instrumental Music

String For a Queen by ELYZA/Xan. Speaking of instrumental music, String For a Queen is my favorite ever song. The beat keeps rising and falling, it is really unpredictable. In another words, you don’t know what’s coming next, but you are expecting something more, and eventually the better thing than the expectation comes. The String For a Queen has a really dreamlike beat which more sounds like a fantasy motif. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK075fzsDCM
Blue by Xeuphoria. Blue has a very tranquil beat. When you are nervous or restless, try to listen to this song and it could help a lot to calm your mind down and make you fall into the enjoyment of this quiet melody.

Electronic Music

Demons (Original Mix) by Paris Blohm.
Wolves by Selena Gomez, Marshmello.
I am not sure if electronic music is popular in America. I think that it is a huge improvement from traditional instrumental music. Initially electronic music was played without lyrics, but to further innovate and make it more exceptional, a DJ (Disc Jockey) decides to add the singing part in to make it better.

Popular Music

What Are Words by Chris Medina. This song has a touching story behind it. The incentive for Chris to write this song is due to an accident that happened to his wife. His wife got severely injured and needed a large amount of money to pay for the therapy bill. Chris decided to participate in the show American Idol and strove to get the reward so that he could pay for his wife’s medical bill. Although he was eliminated, the song left an intense impression. The track consists of piano and violin, which is a simple combination of sounds. But he has a great voice and captivating emotion in the song.
Color Blind by Matt B. Matt remixed an instrumental song called River Flows in You, and then made Color Blind. Matt has an unexpectedly unique voice; his singing style is quite natural and casual. And the whole rhythm of the song is really relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BInjDfGMUlM

Anime Theme Music

Call of Silence by Gemie. Call of Silence is a interlude song within the anime called Attack On Titan 2nd Season. It is more likely to be a character song. The whole song is in English without a singing accent; you can understand the lyrics clearly.
Red Swan by YOSHIKI/HYDE. Red Swan is the theme song for Attack On Titan 3rd Season, and most of the lyrics are in English. It is a light rock song fused with the sound of piano.

If you listen to music a lot and have not yet known these songs, I strongly suggest you to get know them. You might step into a new musical realm.