‘Iron Claw’s’ Tragic Tale of Showmanship

by Liam Trump ’24 Director and screenwriter Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw follows the true story of the legendary Von Erich family as they set their sights on the NWA (National Wrestling Association) World Heavyweight Championship. The Von Erichs were a inter-generational wrestling dynasty who suffered tragedy after tragedy, all under the leadership of the former NWA star, Fritz Von … Read More

Rock n’ Roll Revival Leaves Lasting Impact on Participants

by Jordan Costolo ‘25 and Audrey Farris ‘25 Rock n’ Roll Revival has been an annual tradition at Sherwood for the past 53 years, starting with the dream of a few students and the help of their teachers. Spanning over three generations it has grown into a pivotal part of the Ashton, Olney, and Sandy Spring community, while giving thousands … Read More

‘The Color Purple’ Is the Cumulation of a Growing Trend Towards Musicals

by George Awkard ‘25 Movies are one of the most well-received forms of entertainment in history, which makes them extremely easy to adapt. And since musicals already have a substantial and dedicated fan base, many of them have been turned into films. The Color Purple goes even further as it seamlessly has moved from paperback to the big screen, then … Read More

‘Wonka’ Remarkably Prequels a Classic Story Loved by Many

by Randy Wang ’24 Directed by Paul King, Wonka is a prequel to the events of the 1971 film prominent in the childhood of many people, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Mel Stuart, and/or the 2005 remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton. King’s prequel makes successful connections to Stuart’s film, having similar Oompa … Read More

‘Rebel Moon’ Delivers a Fine Sci-fi Experience

by Connor Pugh ‘24 Rebel Moon Part One: a Child of Fire is director Zack Snyder’s (of Man of Steel and 300 fame) attempt at a gritty space opera, striving for the same playing field as the likes of Star Wars and Dune. Initially conceived as a standalone film in the aforementioned Star Wars franchise before Disney rejected the concept, … Read More

Miyazaki Creates an Ambitious, Deeply Emotional Swan-Song

by Dasun Panapitiya ‘24 After coming out of retirement again, director Hayao Miyazaki attempts yet another “final movie” in the usual wholesome, child-friendly animation style of Studio Ghibli. Reflecting Miyazaki’s own life, The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito Maki’s (Luca Padovan) life in World War II era Japan. The visual spectacle of bombs dropping and a distant building on … Read More

‘Dumb Money’ Is a Tonally Confused Underdog Story

by Liam Trump ’24 Taking place during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, director Craig Gillespie’s latest feature, Dumb Money, tells the story of the GameStop short squeeze of 2021. The film goes over the main events of how one man, Keith Gill (Paul Dano), used Reddit to rally the internet to buy stock in GameStop to make a … Read More

‘Payday 3’ Lives Up the Hype in Spite of Flawed Release

by Thien Dinh ’26 Throughout the past decade, Overkill Software has become stale in the game development scene, and the company’s current games are pretty dry. Their publisher, Starbreeze Nebula, also has been in a game drought. Thankfully, Payday 3 is a breath of fresh air into the Payday series. Other than working a nine-to-five, dancing in clubs, and being … Read More

Country Music Continues To Explode in Popularity

by Andrew Rosenthal ‘24 Within the last two years, the rise of country music has erupted throughout the music industry. Country music has quickly spread to people of all ages across the United States, from kids in middle school to adults in their 50s. In 2021, country music had an 8.6 percent-share of album sales, closing in on pop’s 10.7-percent … Read More