by LeBron Hill | Oct 9, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
The Anti-Hero superhero has been most popular in this generation of movies, with recent success from Deadpool and Doctor Strange. Sony Pictures attempted to capitalize on this phenomenon with Venom. Starring the brooding and mysterious Tom Hardy, whose experience in anti-hero movies dates back to 2012 when Hardy took on the role as the mercenary Bane. In Venom, the 41-year old actor plays Eddie Brock, a hard-nosed investigative reporter whose passion for the truth gets him fired, and he is forced to move to San Francisco with his girlfriend Anne, played by Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman). In the Bay Area, Brock finds success again but gets confronted with a difficult decision when the billionaire Carlton Drake discovers an alien species of body-swapping parasites called symbiotes, and Brock finds out this information. Eddie’s choice whether to let the world know or not will make a lasting impact on his life and his morals. Tom Hardy is the main attraction. The other cast members are well-known but not to the caliber of the Critic’s Choice award winner. When it’s a stand-alone film, the expectations are higher, and with that, Hardy put on a well-executed performance. The portrayal of having Venom inside of him is very entertaining, both amusing and serious. Hardy goes away from his usual intimidating and dark character and can be seen as more lightful and energetic. The type of character Venom is has never been portrayed in the big screen before, and Hardy, along with the visual effects crew, did an amazing job at showcasing the anti hero’s abilities while making it look realistic. However, the biggest...
by Quinn Gorte | Oct 5, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
12 South’s Five Daughters Bakery gets my vote for the best gluten-free doughnut in Nashville. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention their glorious Paleo Crusher doughnuts in a Gluten-Free Friday post. These are the things of legend, basically, and I love them very deeply. There are many wonderful things about Five Daughters: The convenience of their 12 South location, the quality of local non-GMO (genetically-modified) ingredients used in all of their products, and the fact that it’s family-oriented. For us gluten-free folks, arguably the best part is that they craft DELICIOUS paleo doughnuts. Yes, craft. These are no ordinary doughnuts. They’re not even ordinary gluten-free doughnuts. They are also grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, making them significantly lower in carbohydrates than most doughnuts, and, as a result, much less guilt-inducing. And, perhaps most importantly, they taste great. Let’s be real: gluten-free baked goods have come a long way. Sadly, there are still the occasional “flops” like sweetener-less, grain-free blueberry muffins or gluten-free cupcakes that don’t quite taste like anything. Praise God for Five Daughters Bakery, a company that gets gluten, grain-free and paleo baked goods right! Five Daughter’s Paleo Crusher doughnuts are moist, flavorful and perfectly sweet. The Paleo diet, inspired by the supposed diet of cavemen, doesn’t allow any gluten or grains. As a result, people on paleo diets often bake with nut flours, like almond flour, starch flours or tapioca flour, in place of typical gluten-free grain blends. Five Daughters’ Paleo Crushers use a blend of almond, tapioca and coconut flour in the base of their paleo vanilla doughnuts. For sweeteners, Five Daughters uses honey and maple syrup...
by Rachel Pavelich | Oct 1, 2018 | Fashion, News Slider, Opinion
For the past two years, I have had my mind set on coming to Nashville to pursue my dreams of fashion and mission work. That’s exactly what I’m here to do: study fashion merchandising and business as missions, with the hopes of starting a clothing company to benefit people in need. From the first time I visited Nashville during my junior year, I knew I was meant to be a southern belle. Being from Cleveland, Ohio, the trends here are so different from home, and I couldn’t wait to embrace them. Since moving here in August to start my freshman year, though, I have realized that the trends and styles are not what I thought they were. Sure, they’re still different from home, but not what I envisioned. Turns out that it’s not all cowgirl boots and gingham all day every day down here. Good to know. I am rooming with a sweet friend who is a Tennessee native. As we pick out our clothes for the day, it has been entertaining and interesting to see how the styles of the North and South differ. However, it is not just with her. The North and South overall definitely have different trends. Shoes: First of all, Chacos are NOT a thing up north. I came to Summer Scholars in 2017 (where I met my sweet roomie!) and knew nothing of them. I was so confused when, in a round of Fruit Basket Turnover calling for all those with Chacos to move, I was one of few who did not move. The whole week was full of free advertisements and testimonials...
by LeBron Hill | Oct 1, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Kevin Hart is the gift that keeps on giving. Night School marks over 40 movies the actor/comedian has been in. In this film, Hart goes back to his original form of situational humor. Playing alongside Hart is breakout actress Tiffany Haddish. After first getting her start in TV shows such as “The Carmichael Show” and “If Loving You Is Wrong,” the 38 year-old actress has now been in two leading roles, with her first, Girls Trip, last year. Directed by Malcom D. Lee (Girls Trip), Hart plays Teddy, a street-smart salesman who doesn’t get his high school diploma due to his ego. However, he soon finds out the importance of education once he hits rock bottom and is forced to get his GED. That’s where he meets the night school teacher Carrie, who turns out to be Teddy’s match. The goal for him was to get his GED, but along the way, he learns the true purpose of education. Hart and Haddish are surrounded by a veteran cast of comedians, such as Taran Killam (“Saturday Night Live”), Rob Riggle (The Hangover), and Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”). The ensemble is full of seasoned veterans that do a good job of supporting the two stars. However, the film constrains their comedic performance. There are parts where the laugh is drug out, to a point where it isn’t funny anymore. It doesn’t help that the screenplay is scattered with no real investment of characters. The chemistry between the two comedy specialists, Hart and Haddish, seems like a great pairing on paper, but the two don’t seem to bounce off one another...
by Sara Jones | Sep 20, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
The House With a Clock in Its Walls will enchant audience members with a magical storyline. Adapted from John Bellairs’ 1973 young adult book, this movie brings to life the whimsical adventures of a young boy named Lewis (Owen Vaccaro). Lewis, suddenly orphaned when his parents are killed in a car accident, moves in with his eccentric Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). Jonathan lives in a gothic style Victorian home, the perfect setting for spooky adventures and mysterious happenings. Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), a neighbor, spends a good deal of time at the house too. Soon after settling into his new residence, Lewis discovers there is more going on than meets the eye. Magic. Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman happen to be a warlock and witch searching for a hidden clock hidden within the “haunted” home’s walls. (Hence the title of the movie.) The mystery revolves on the previous owners of the home, evil warlock Isaac Izard and his wife Selena. Both of whom died/disappeared a year earlier while creating a powerful clock full of dark magic. Lewis, Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman must stop the ticking noise before the evil magic of Izard erases history. Along the way to solving the mystery, Lewis faces challenges, acquires bravery, deals with bullies and learns the power of friendship. At moments, there is too much going on, and the main storyline/mystery of the clock fall wayside to Lewis’ self discovery, making the mystery of the clock hidden inside the house feel like an afterthought. More refining of the script would have helped focus the story and keep audience members engaged. Shockingly, this movie was directed by Eli...
by Quinn Gorte | Sep 14, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
When you’re gluten-free, one of the main things you’ll miss is a hearty piece of thick, chewy bread. In the gluten-free world, that’s hard to come by. And, if you think it’s hard to find good, thick gluten-free bread at the store, try finding it on a menu. Here’s your remedy: Fido. Located only 10 minutes from campus in Hillsboro Village, Fido offers a refreshing collection of gluten-free snacks, bread, and other treats. Fido also offers a boatload of other vegetarian, vegan, and ethnically-diverse breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack offerings. And, for those of us who are late-risers, good news: Fido serves breakfast all day. If you haven’t already learned this about me, I tend to have a favorite menu item at my preferred dining spots. Fido is no exception. My go-to lunch/dinner item at Fido is their BLT. This BLT comes on a sourdough bread, unless you’re gluten-free, in which case you’ll upgrade to their fabulous, Texas Toast-style gluten-free bread. (I heard they’ve been out of this bread for a couple of weeks and are hoping to get it back in stock soon.) Add on generous offerings of applewood-smoked bacon and the classic fresh lettuce and tomato slices, and you’ve got yourself quite a substantial sandwich. The cherry on top is their aioli, which is very dip-able paired with Fido’s included side of fries or roasted sweet potatoes. (You know this gal loves a good aioli.) One of the best parts of the meal is that it’s filling; it’s not the gluten-free, vegan, and, consequently tasteless $25 meal that leaves you hungry in an hour. For $11 (or...
