Watching

While many people may be more familiar with Matt Reeve’s 2010 American remake Let Me In, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s original 2008 film Let the Right One In is certainly worth a watch. While on the surface Let the Right One In may seem like another supernatural vampire movie, the story being told most excels when it comes to subtly and the characterization of its two main leads, Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) and Eli (Lina Leandersson). The film makes for a very unique love story that doesn’t simply rely on its supernatural elements.
~Liam Trump ‘24

For a long time, I was not interested in Friends, despite its massive popularity even today, nearly thirty years later. I assumed the show lacked plotlines to keep things interesting. However, a couple months ago I decided to watch the first episode and immediately fell in love with it. Every episode is filled with great comedic timing, affectionate characters and wholesome themes. My favorite character is Pheobe; she is the funniest and most lovable of the Friends. More than any other show, Friends has held my attention and I’ve now watched 9 seasons.
~George Awkard ‘25

Reading

The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1 by Jame Tynion IV is a gripping story about old college acquaintances gathering together at their shared friend Walter’s lake house for a vacation in paradise before the world ends. The graphic novel takes a quick change from relaxation to full panic as the house recipients realize they are stuck in this house with nowhere to go. This comic doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, using a mix of sci-fi horror writing and drawings to create a sense of hopelessness, disorientation, and pure panic as each character tries to grip their new chilling reality.
~Gael Rebu ‘24

The Human Target written by critically acclaimed DMV local Tom King and wonderfully illustrated by Greg Smallwood is a 12-issue miniseries that serves as a testament to what a modern comic book is capable of being. The story tracks hitman Christopher Chance and the 12 days leading up to his death after getting poisoned by a mysterious perpetrator. Over those 12 days he investigates the Justice League one by one to find his murderer, all while falling in love with the superhero Ice. The charming and smart writing is perfectly paired with Smallwood’s pop-art style art which is probably the best work of his career so far. If you are a fan of superhero comics, art, or noir stories, this comic is a must read and definitely one of the best comics DC has put out in recent years.
~Ben Schoenberg ‘24

Listening To

Plastic Death, Glass Beach’s second album can be defined with one word: candy. It is a treat to listen to, with every song providing a unique taste unlike any other. Choosing from a palette of 12 different songs, the album ranges from themes of loss to the general human psyche. All of these are conveyed through the mixing of varying genres–progressive, emo and indie–that somehow works. If you asked me what song I’d recommend to a first time plastic death listener, I’d say “slip under the door.” It’s unexpected musical structure makes for an interesting listen.
~Thien Dinh ‘26

While The Beatles have a number of famous albums and songs, Sgt. Pepper‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one album that has tremendous re-listenability. Despite its hits like “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” the lesser-known songs are a great complement to the album as a whole. This album has songs for any mood and any setting, and shows how complex The Beatles’ discography can really be.
~Noah Bair ‘24

Playing

I recently started playing Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation, with plans to continue with other Metal Gear games. Solid follows Solid Snake infiltrating a Nuclear Disposal facility in order to neutralize the special forces unit that took control of the facility. Their rebellion was considered an act of terrorism as they threatened to launch nuclear missiles with the Metal Gear mecha. My favorite part about the game is a boss battle that “reads your mind” aka the controller motions and to deal damage to the boss, you need to switch to player 2. The whole series has an expansive story and is uniquely crafted by Hideo Kojima.
~Dasun Panapitiya ‘24

Many people dismiss the game as Pokémon: With Guns! However, the gameplay in Palworld focuses on open-world survival, base building, and capturing creatures. The story is left intentionally vague, only told through hidden journal entries, to encourage exploration and find out what exactly is going on. The designs of the Pals, while similar to existing Pokémon, are innovative enough to be both visually appealing and legally distinct. Every detail down to the music and artstyle make the game an instant classic. If they consistently release new content, the PocketPair developers could become Nintendo’s new competition in the creature capturing genre.
~Justin Lakso ‘25