Here's What We Have:

Where would you rather be on Halloween night than a Brooklyn venue, hearing live music while dancing in costume with your friends (or by yourself)? The answer is nowhere . Especially when the live music you’re seeing is Double Standard – an NYC-based girl band beginning their takeover of the indie rock scene.  The band consists of Lydia Eberling (lead singer), Siena Moran (vocals & guitar), Lauren Dinhofer (lead guitar), Zoë Arora (bass), and Meg Cournoyer (drums). Each member showcases vital attributes to the band, which further enhanced their stage presence. Their individual talent is evident as their personalities shine through each song. While the band is just at the start of their career, they released their lead single, “Crush” just a week prior, along with merch and an eager support system. October 31st at Brooklyn Made marked just their second live performance. I must say, for only their second show, they filled the venue in a way most opening acts do not! It was not only impressive but also exciting to see the committed support for a new all-female band. Opening for Phoneboy  alongside Divine Sweater , the theme of the show was “Night of the Living Prom.” Playing into the theme, the band dressed for a spookier prom, a zombie prom. As the band walked out on stage in their bloody gowns and blazers, the energy in the room was visible and felt in many ways, through the jumping and shouting of the crowd and the uplifting support of close friends. Having a spot in the back of the audience really allows you to take your surroundings in and further analyze the energy the room has. Getting to see the stage in its entirety, each member settling into their positions, the room filled with fans and supporters alike. The crowd anticipated music and danced in silly costumes, seeing characters such as princesses, witches, vampires, you name it, making the feeling in the room noteworthy. A Halloween show is just special. Double Standard  exceeded expectations for putting on a rocking show. With the first two tracks reeling the audience in and prepping the crowd for the setlist, the band got more and more confident with each track. Their new single “Crush” was the third song played, which I’m sure was heard from outside of the venue. Clearly excited to play a song that’s out on all streaming platforms, their energy was lively and exuberant. The song displays a sense of yearning, which was felt through the live instrumentals. Punchy drums and a powerful electric guitar paired perfectly with Eberling’s bright vocals. The catchy chorus, “I think I’ve been waiting for you!” was shouted by the members and even some people in the audience who knew the lyrics, further delivering this honest and angsty feel to the track. They performed a cover right after their lead single, and you really can’t go wrong with an ABBA song. Double Standard  just continued to hype up the audience. Their rendition of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” uplifted the crowd, and Arora’s sick bassline enticed us all. Their harmonies melded beautifully together as if they were made to sing together, transcending the room we were in. Moran’s vocals entering in on the fifth song stuck out to me, as they were mellifluous and compelling. Their song “To Maine” featured thundering drums by Cournoyer following Eberling’s strong vocals that held the room spellbound. The song held an energy that was infectious to everybody in the crowd. The last two songs really showcased the band's collective chemistry and how well they work together on stage. “Butterfly Bomb” was melodically beautiful, keeping us all engaged with the sonic expression of the lyricism. Eberling’s emotional performance and the harmonies with Moran were incredibly powerful. Arora and Moran were in sync, shredding on the guitar and bass, rocking out with each other. Again, the emotion in the song was felt through the powerful instrumentals, performance, and angry screaming at the end of the song! Their last song, “Bushwick Khole”, started off by asking the men in the audience to make some noise, and once they did, she screamed, “FUCK YOU GUYS!” All I gotta say is, it was awesome. Dinhofer’s riffs created a transcendental listening experience as the theatrics on stage continued. The band truly performed with sassy and quirky lyrics as they got on the floor of the stage and acted it all out. Their energetic movement and visible joy of performing were palpable all the way in the back. To end my thoughts of the night, it’s a pleasure being able to see and write about an all-girl rock band in this small indie rock bubble we have. In an industry oversaturated with indie boy bands, it’s important to uplift and appreciate the female voices and talents that might escape us. Each song held a mesmerizing spirit, an eye-catching performance, and candor within the lyricism that made the show so enjoyable. I’m excited to experience the future of Double Standard and what they have in store. Check out and follow Double Standard' s  socials for more music and show announcements and stream their recent single, Crush !  Written by Amy Kapel Photographed by Elissa Mentesana

This spooky season, the pull to watch horror movies is stronger than the urge to make unnecessary sequels out of dead horror franchises cough cough Friday the 13th & Nightmare on Elm Street  (and I may finally be able to say Scream(!?) ). I have dedicated the month of October to watching one Halloween-themed movie a day. This has allowed me to be introduced to some intuitive and strong final girls, and it reminded me of my favorites. Here are five of my favorite Final Girls in horror (in no particular order). These girls have not only defeated their movie’s “big bad,” but by the time you get there, you are deeply rooting for them. There are so many horror movies these days where the final girls merely walk into that situation, but these girls have been put through the wringer and have made it out because they were smart and, in some cases, won in the long run.  Major spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution! Margot from The Menu (2022) The Menu  follows our main character Margo, played by Ana Taylor-Joy, and her date Tyler as they are shipped to a remote island for the dinner of a lifetime at an exclusive, luxury restaurant. As time goes on the dinner appears to be more personal and sinister than it may have first appeared as deaths start to pile up and it is revealed that by the end of the night, everyone will be dead. We find out that Margo is a paid escort and was brought there because the restaurant does not take parties of one and Tyler and his previous girlfriend broke up. Every single other person who is in attendance for this dinner represents some part of the restaurant industry Head Chef Slowik, the creative mind behind this dinner, dispises. It is revealed that Tyler knew from the start what Slowik’s plan was and that he brought Margo, sentencing her to death. Margo later denounces Slowik’s work by calling out how pretentious and unfulfilling the meal was. She challenges him to make something truly meaningful and filling - a cheeseburger. He prepares it with care and places it in front of Margo. She takes a singular bite and asks for it to go. Slowik, defeated, prepares the once-bitten cheeseburger to go and allows Margo to sail away from the island while everyone else goes up in flames during the final course, the deconstructed s’more. The movie ends as she sits on the boat, eats her cheeseburger, and watches the restaurant burn with everyone inside. Margo ends up in a murder-suicide plot that was never meant for her and she can use the personal life of Chef Slowik to find a way to break him, gain his approval, and be released from her fate. Grace Le Domas from Ready or Not (2019) When Grace Le Domas, played by Samara Weaving, is forced into a murderous game of Hide and Seek and has to hide for her life, she doesn’t let herself go easily. The Le Domas family, heirs to a board game empire, has a ritual that keeps their family prosperous. Typically, it’s a simple game like Chess or Old Maid, but on the random chance they pull the game Hide and Seek, a sacrifice of the newlywed into the family is demanded. The rest of Grace’s new family suits up with various weapons and gives her a 100-second head start. Grace manages to kill a number of her new husband’s family before sunrise after being captured and escaped several times. At sunrise, the family had lost the game and they all burst into an explosion of blood and guts by the curse. She goes out as the house burns to a crisp. She fought hard to beat the game, killing three people directly and managing to take several injuries just to wait out the clock, ending a ritualistic tradition older than anyone alive in the Le Domas family. Anita "Needy" Lesnicki from Jennifer’s Body  (2009) Amanda Seyfried plays a mousy and timid teen as her best friend, Jennifer, becomes sexy, confident, and supernatural after a satanic ritual goes wrong. Needy gains this sort of sixth sense for Jennifer’s actions. Needy feels that Jennifer is about to do something bad and she finds Jennifer covered in blood and then she shows up completely normal in Needy’s bedroom not too soon later. The body of Jennifer’s first victim is ripped up like spaghetti and she then sets her sights on Chip, a boy Needy had an interest in and a blooming romance with. Jennifer convinces Chip that Needy is romantically involved with another man, so she becomes distant and then moves on Chip. When he doesn’t fall for it, she attacks him. Needy finds them and tries to save Chip but he eventually dies. So much of their friendship involves Needy being put down by Jennifer to make her feel better, so seeing that Jennifer could not even give Needy the one guy who she wanted and who wanted her back shows how much she didn’t care for the friendship where Needy would have given anything for Jennifer. The two fight, Jennifer bites Needy, she gains some of Jennifer’s powers, and then she kills Jennifer. Needy then goes on a murder spree and kills the band members who tried to kill Jennifer and turned her into the satanic monster. Jennifer in this film is the definition of a maneater and she has so many wonderful scenes, making this my favorite of Megan Fox’s roles. Needy, having this arc of strength and eventually having to kill her best friend, becomes quickly pitied but also rootable. Having credits showcase how the band members were murdered gives us closure that Needy got her bloody revenge and where she was not able to save her best friend, she was able to avenge her.  Frida from Blink Twice  (2024) In the most recent entry in this list, Blink Twice  follows Frida, played by Naomi Ackie, as she joins rich tech mogul Slater King, played by Channing Tatum, and his friends on his private island. They spend their days drinking by the pool in bliss and spend their nights with gaps in their memory. When her friend mysteriously disappears and no one can remember her, she becomes suspicious and realizes something more is happening. It is revealed that the perfume they wear each day erases their traumatic memories, so each night the women are chased down and trapped by the men to be abused and assaulted. She aids in the murder of all of the men who harmed her and her friends except for Slater. She burns the house down with everyone inside, pulling Slater out with her. She watches the house burn down (a common final girl trope as we have seen) as she tends to Slater. After a time jump we find that they got married and she took control of the company. She uses the same perfume liquid infused in his vape to put him into a state of unawareness and debilitation.  After fighting for her life, she was able to secure a place in high society at Slater King’s expense, which may just be a worse fate than death.  Sidney Prescott from Scream 1-5 (1996 - 2022) For the first four movies in this franchise, Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, is actively targeted by her boyfriend, her best friend, her (now ex) boyfriend’s mom, her half-brother, and her cousin. She was shot & stabbed several times and watched her friends and family die. She fought for her life,i fought for her life again, and again, and again. By the fifth movie, she finally passes the final girl torch to characters Tara and Sam Carpenter. Sam is revealed to be the daughter of Billy Loomis, Sidney's ex-boyfriend, and one of the original killers. By the fifth movie, taking place over ten years after the events of Scream 4  we find that she has married the detective Mark Kincaid from the previous movie and they have three kids in NYC. After four movies of trauma and played a hand in the murder of each of the final killers of each movie. When she finally gets freedom from the curse of the final girl, it feels well worth it.  I love horror movies, but it is usually such a struggle to feel fully satisfied by the endings of the characters you watch. In these movies though, I can proudly say that you feel content when the film ends. There may be some common tropes even in a successful final girl, like walking away from the main location, now set ablaze, while they watch in with an unphased look, but it’s a satisfying ending nonetheless. And honestly, who can fault a girl for doing Hot Girl Shit and making her way out of a horror movie where she kicks ass in style. I believe the horror franchise needs to look towards these formulas more seriously as it allows us to want to come back to these stories again and again. There is currently a sequel to Ready or Not  in the works that I am so excited for, and even though Scream 5-6 was not great in execution, I enjoyed our sister duo of final girls, especially Sam Carpenter. If you want to root for some strong women through a horror movie, I would recommend these films, and I can’t wait to see what the horror genre continues to do with their final girls! Written by Francesca DiMiceli Photography by Roberto Meadows @_.rubbertoe Director: Lucy Anderson @lugzyjane Production: Mark Bluemle @markbluemle Styling: Caroline Slafka @carolineslafka Dress from Electrix Vintage @electrixvintage Casting: Jazzi Almestica @shes.do.dope Talent: Lucy Anderson @lugzyjane , Jai LePrince @jai.leprince , Aidan Dean Dunn @aidanfdunn1 , Matti Narine @immattireal , Mariano Padilla @marianopadilla16

As a horror lover, I love whenever Halloween rolls around. While I can find an excuse to watch a scary movie anytime of the year, my tangents on practical effects become tolerable around October. I’m like one of those people who start celebrating Christmas even before Thanksgiving; as soon as a leaf turns orange, I bring out the Notes App of costumes I’ve been planning all year.  That said, when I mention that I like horror movies (especially in the “good for her” variety), I always get recommended the same films; Ti West’s X trilogy, The Love Witch , Midsommar (not really “good for her” horror, but great to know y’all would join a creepy white people cult). I like those movies just fine, but I was excited and then subsequently disappointed by Maxxxine since I saw Pearl  years ago. I’m also one of those pretentious film nerds that can stomach subtitles, so I’m a sucker for artsy foreign films. So unfortunately, it wouldn’t be right for me to gatekeep; based on movies everyone already knows and loves, here’s my certified “if you like this, try that” list (horror movie edition)! If you like American Psycho , try… Man Bites Dog: a Belgian mockumentary where the film crew follows and films the exploits of Ben, a serial killer. Surprisingly, it’s also a black comedy. Like with American Psycho, if you can get a few laughs out of some truly horrific scenes (and glean a little social commentary as well), Ben might become the new Patrick Bateman. If you like Jennifer’s Body , try… Raw: a French coming-of-age film about a girl who discovers her budding sexuality… By eating people. This one’s for my cannibalism girlies out there, especially when cannibalism is a metaphor for love/sex. Other entries for “puberty is terrifying so we’ll make it slay and scary” films (my favorite subgenre in the “good for her” category) include Ginger Snaps and Bones and All.  If you like Hereditary , try… Tigers Are Not Afraid: oh, you have generational trauma and you’re attracted to media that explores that theme through a supernatural lens? Except this one involves a little girl being haunted by her mother, who was killed by the Mexican cartel? And then you remember, oh yeah, the director based this OFF HER OWN EXPERIENCES (minus the ghosts… presumably) If you like Midsommar , try… The Wolf House : okay, I was kidding about the creepy white people cult… But speaking of creepy white people cults, this film is based off of a real one! This film is an animated (stop-motion with drawn elements) psychedelic fairy tale based off of Colonia Dignidad, a real-life Nazi cult that escaped to Chile and abused children, and is fashioned as a propaganda film produced by the leader to further brainwash followers into staying.  If you like Friday the 13th , try… Sleepaway Camp : saved the surprise for last! I’ve scrolled to the bottom of Tubi’s horror section, so I love niche slashers as well. Personally, I find Friday the 13th , as revolutionary as it was, a bit primitive in comparison to its counterparts. Sleepaway Camp , however, is anything but primitive. The acting is hilarious (camp, if you will…), the kills are incredible, especially given that they were done practically, and the killer? While argued that the twist was done in poor taste, an icon nonetheless…  Written by Ava Sharahy Photography by Francesca DiMiceli Talent: Sawyer Evans

Witchcraft has always held a complex and multifaceted role in the media, shaped by historical shifts, societal anxieties, and evolving cultural values. From its early associations with fear and the supernatural to its more modern depictions as a tool for empowerment, witchcraft has undergone a significant transformation, especially in the hands of creators who draw from both personal experience and scholarship. Sarah Lyons, a Brooklyn-based witch, filmmaker, and writer, offers a unique perspective on this transformation. As the author of “Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide to Magical Activism” and the director of the horror film “The Woods”, Lyons delves into the intersections of witchcraft, horror, and media representation in a way that challenges conventions and deepens our understanding of both genres.    The Evolution of Witchcraft in Popular Culture Lyons begins by reflecting on how witchcraft has evolved over the years, especially within popular culture. "Witchcraft has gone through so many changes in the last couple of years alone," she observes, pointing out how Wicca, once the dominant form of modern witchcraft, no longer holds a monopoly on the practice. "I remember when I was growing up, what people knew about witchcraft, what I knew about witchcraft, was like Wicca," Lyons explains. Wicca, a modern pagan religion that emerged in the mid-20th century, became synonymous with witchcraft for many people, largely due to its prominence in popular media and the public imagination. However, as Lyons notes, Wicca is only one facet of a much broader and older tradition. "Wicca is not what witchcraft has historically been," she emphasizes, pointing to the resurgence of interest in other forms of magic and occultism in recent years. This resurgence has been fueled by a wealth of new scholarship, podcasts, books, and media that explore the diverse and often radical history of witchcraft. For practitioners like Lyons, this shift has been liberating. "I think it's a very exciting time to practice witchcraft," she says, highlighting the increased visibility and accessibility of different traditions and perspectives. At the same time, Lyons acknowledges the tension between the commercialization of witchcraft and its more subversive, underground roots. "There's the capitalist cooption of it," she says, referencing the way witchcraft has been commodified in recent years. The rise of "witch kits" in retail stores, social media influencers promoting witchy aesthetics, and the commercialization of occult symbols have made witchcraft more accessible but also more consumer-driven. "I appreciate and am more in favor of witchcraft being what it is now than what it was a decade or two ago," Lyons adds, but she remains wary of the ways in which capitalism has diluted its radical potential. Witchcraft in Media: The Fantastical vs. the Real Media portrayals of witchcraft have long oscillated between fantasy and reality, a theme Lyons explores in depth. As someone who grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer  and  Charmed , she understands the appeal of fantastical witches on screen. "There's something to be said for the fantastical and fun," she admits, acknowledging that these media portrayals often spark curiosity and wonder about real-life witchcraft. Shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch  may not accurately reflect the nuances of witchcraft, but they provide an accessible entry point for many people, especially young viewers. Yet, Lyons is also critical of the tendency to reduce witchcraft to a simple metaphor for empowerment, especially in modern media. "With a lot of stuff in media these days, it feels like we've decided what's empowering and what's not empowering," she observes. While witchcraft can certainly be about empowerment, Lyons argues that it is far more complex than that. "The word 'witch' is a gender-neutral term," she points out, highlighting the diverse cultural and historical contexts in which witchcraft has appeared. Lyons’ own work seeks to explore this complexity. In her book Revolutionary Witchcraft , she examines the radical potential of witchcraft as a tool for political and social change, challenging the mainstream narrative that often equates witchcraft solely with empowerment for women. Instead, she delves into its anti-authoritarian roots and its potential as a form of resistance against oppressive systems.   Horror as Catharsis: The Power of Fear In addition to her work as a writer, Lyons is also a filmmaker, and her film The Woods explores the psychological and emotional depths of horror. For Lyons, horror is a genre that offers unique opportunities for catharsis. "Fear is one of the most primal human emotions," she explains, and horror films allow audiences to engage with that fear in a controlled environment. "Horror relies on the body," Lyons says, emphasizing the physical and visceral nature of the genre. Unlike many other forms of art, which tend to prioritize intellectual or aesthetic experiences, horror is deeply emotional, often provoking powerful reactions in viewers. Lyons also believes that horror is one of the most creatively free genres. "You put something a little spooky in there and you can talk about anything," she says. Horror, by its very nature, allows filmmakers to explore taboo subjects, challenge societal norms, and push the boundaries of storytelling. "You can set it in any time period. You can tackle any matter. You can cast any people you want," Lyons notes, pointing out that few other genres offer this kind of creative freedom. Despite its emotional and creative power, however, horror is often marginalized in the world of "high art." Lyons notes the tendency for horror films to be overlooked during awards season, even when they feature standout performances or innovative filmmaking. "I think it's interesting that those genres that deal foremost with the body—horror, comedy, erotic fiction—are pushed to the side because of that reason," she says, observing how the cultural gatekeepers of "high art" often privilege intellectualism over emotional engagement. For Lyons, this is a false dichotomy. Horror, she argues, is just as capable of offering profound insights into the human condition as any other genre—perhaps even more so, given its ability to tap into our most primal fears and desires. Witchcraft and Horror: A Subversive Intersection The intersection of witchcraft and horror is particularly fascinating, as both are often seen as subversive forces that challenge societal norms. Witches, especially in horror films, are frequently portrayed as dangerous, malevolent figures—symbols of chaos, destruction, and the unknown. But as Lyons points out, witchcraft is also a source of power, especially for those who have been marginalized or oppressed. "The witch, in this context, becomes a figure of resistance," Lyons says, someone who challenges the status quo and refuses to be controlled. In horror films, witches are often depicted as ambiguous figures, neither wholly good nor wholly evil. This ambiguity, Lyons suggests, reflects the complexity of witchcraft itself, which cannot be neatly categorized or defined. "Witchcraft isn't a defined thing. It's ambiguous," she explains, and this ambiguity is part of what makes it so compelling, both in real life and in media. It defies easy categorization, existing in the liminal space between good and evil, power and fear, magic and reality. In The Woods , Lyons explores these themes of ambiguity and power, using horror as a vehicle to delve into the psychological and emotional depths of trauma and the human condition. The film follows a group of characters as they confront both external dangers, past traumas and their own inner demons. By blending elements of folk horror with psychological thriller, Lyons creates a narrative that is as unsettling as it is thought-provoking, offering viewers a glimpse into the darker, more mysterious aspects of humanity.   Conclusion: Witchcraft, Horror, and the Media Sarah Lyons' work as a writer and filmmaker challenges conventional portrayals of witchcraft and horror, offering a more nuanced and multifaceted exploration of these themes. Lyons' reflections on witchcraft, horror, and the media invite us to reconsider our assumptions about these subjects. Witchcraft, she argues, is not just a symbol of empowerment—it is a dynamic, evolving practice with deep historical roots and radical potential. And horror, far from being a lowbrow genre, offers a powerful space for confronting our deepest fears and desires. In both cases, Lyons sees the potential for transformation, liberation, and, perhaps, a little magic. Written By Jai LePrince Photography by Eva Tusquets

It’s difficult to recall the exact moment I watched the 1988 ‘Beetlejuice’ for the first time. By the time I was a teenager, it felt like the movie was just a natural part of my life and my annual Halloween rewatches. The campy and macabre magic that Burton brings to life through an amalgamation of living and dead characters created one of the most iconic films of his discography. Now, after 36 years, Michael Keaton’s absurd demon and Winona Ryder’s goth baby bangs are back on screen in a nostalgia-filled, undeniably Tim Burton sequel.  The film starts with context for a couple of decades we have missed since we last saw Beetlejuice, with grown-up (still goth) Lydia Deetz as host of a paranormal television talk show and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) reuniting in the wake of a sudden loss. The reunion leads us to meet Astrid (Jenna Ortega), Lydia’s estranged daughter away at boarding school, and Lydia’s producer boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux). In a funeral planned with haste, further chaos ensues, including a rushed proposal, Astrid meeting a Tate Langdon-esque love interest, and Betelgeuse’s ex-wife (Monica Bellucci) have risen from the dead (again) (sort of).  Notably, Keaton’s Betelguese (or Beetlejuice, if you will) brings life to the screen beyond the cinematic grave. He remains witty, horny, and irrevocably charming. The thirty years that have passed mean nothing to the Juice, the antics made with special effects still illuminate the screen and elicit giggles out of every seat filled in the theater.  The plot of the film seems strewn together by a very eclectic thread, moments seeming out of place and characters going ignored for large amounts of screentime, but the lawlessness and rule-bending of cinema is what charms the audiences of 2024, as well as the intense pluck of nostalgia strings. The beloved classic features a maximalist camp backdrop to a familial drama for the misunderstood, and this film is at times too keenly aware of the service it wants to provide for fans. The impressive and original production design that creates the unseen realms of the afterlife remind fans of just how great  Burton is at telling his stories the way he wants to. A whimsical score by common collaborator Danny Elfman to accompany the film also puts a smile on any fan’s face.  Fan service, what is now becoming the film industry’s newest epidemic, can feel gimmicky and money-hungry. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice  dominated in the box office, it's not solely due to repeated motifs of sandworms and iconic red wedding dresses, but Burton knowing his audience. The boy-ish and all the while eccentric humor keeps its spirit three decades later. What could have been considered a cheap, throw-away line or reference is made dear to the new plot of the 2024 iteration of Beetlejuice’s latest adventures.  It's often said that no sequel can ever surpass the original, and that applies to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , However, it's not trying to in any way. It’s a sequel that wants to keep the spirit and magic of the first installation alive, which is still rare in today’s climate. And obviously is a beautiful setup for the third installation, saying his name three times…if you dare.  Written by Ana Marks Photography: Mark Bluemle Director / Talent: Jazzi Almestica

“Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower, but only so an hour.” I never liked that poem by Robert Frost. It’s too pretty. It’s too glamorous. It’s too formulaic. It’s too banal. It’s too simplified. It’s too black-and-white (or too green-and-gold—rather). Everything that he says I always knew biblically. It wasn’t until I knew it personally that I started to take issue with that poem.  There’s green and gold and black and white, but in reality it’s all gray. “Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief.” I can assure you that if Frost suffered from a mood disorder, no poem he wrote about changing seasons would have rhymed and sounded like it came straight out of a nursery rhyme. I’d rather turn to Solomon than to Robert Frost and read Ecclesiastes, and I’m not even religious, but I think he made some better points than Frost and took a nuanced approach about the fleeting nature of things. Good days are a gift. Nothing can be known or predicted.  “So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.” It’s not as simple as being able to predict dawn going down to day. It’s unpredictable. Sometimes it’s dawn going down straight to dusk or midnight or dawn staying there for longer than expected. Sometimes dawn was never even gold to begin with. I can still recall the feeling of my monogrammed comforter from Pottery Barn nestled over every inch of my body in 8th grade. I can recall the sight of the fairy lights I draped on the walls of my room one Fall when I was growing up—an extra iota of light in an attempt to distract myself from the darkness which pervaded my room earlier and earlier each day. Apple cider and Milk and Honey  by Rupi Kaur and half-decent notes app poetry to try to numb the pain. I was undiagnosed then. The weather’s been getting colder which means I’m struggling to even write this. It should’ve been done a while ago. I might need to ask for an extension—another one, I mean—just like 8th grade. I can still feel the burns I would get on my back from leaning against the space heater in my room for hours on end— The Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Hamlet piling up next to me, chapters upon chapters unread, essays due yesterday and the week before and the week before that too. Stained comforters and unwashed hair. Showers that lasted too long when I finally did take them with the water as hot as it would go. I would turn the shower on as hot as it could go and clench every muscle in my body—just to prove I could do it. The burn was intoxicatingly suffocating and there was something so gratifying about it.  Nearly-absent libido and Winter Candy Apple from Bath And Body Works. The smell of pumpkin but the artificial kind—the kind you would find in a Yankee candle or throughout the shelves of Home Goods when they switch up their stock to Fall-themed goods. Comfort food that’s now uncomfortable. The other day I switched out my tank tops and t-shirts for sweaters and long-sleeved shirts, yet my hands still reach for the tank tops on the top shelf whenever they get the chance. I can still hear my mother’s voice in my ear as I’m leaving the house saying “you need to wear a sweater or a light jacket over that. You’re gonna be cold.” “I’m fine.” I insisted, seconds before stepping outside and holding my breath as my muscles tense and my eyes tear up from the wind. In retrospect, this had nothing to do with oppositional propensities—rather something more internal. I got on the school bus and listened to the chatter of my peers around me. “I like the fall because I like apple picking and stuff and those little Pillsbury Halloween cookies, but I don’t like the winter because it makes me, like, depressed.” I roll my eyes. I can feel myself sinking into the leather seat of the bus. I hope no one sits next to me. Right now I feel heavier than the three people combined that are supposed to fill this three-seater—figuratively, I mean.  It’s only October. Even writing this feels like I’m doing something wrong—boo-hoo…another white girl is sad. My roommate’s family friend got murdered today. Her husband turned the gun on himself after killing her. Their three children found the body. My friend’s brother just went missing. There’s a war going on. Another white girl is sad. Woe is me. I’m feeling some sort of self-pity-induced-guilt for even writing this. It feels like calling your mom from the nurse’s office in middle school and begging her to pick you up when there’s a person bleeding out next to you. It’s making me feel even worse. And it’s only October. Sex is only fun in the summer and the spring, and if I have it during the fall or the winter, it’s usually only to fill a void—a coping mechanism to numb the pain—something that I barely even enjoy. I don’t like “apple picking and stuff and those little Pillsbury Halloween cookies” like those girls on the school bus in 8th grade because they’re only a sign of what’s to come—and actually of what’s already here. If you think about it, apple picking was the original sin. Maybe Frost was onto something with “so Eden sank to grief”. Have you ever felt lonely in a room full of people? Have you ever felt like if a tree fell in a forest and a hundred other people were around, it still might not make a sound? And if it did make a sound, Mr. Frost, it sure as hell wouldn’t be a rhyming one. Have you ever been walking through a grocery store, wondering why everything feels so heavy, so you turn around to take things out of your cart and realize there's nothing inside it? Have you ever resented people solely for being content because it felt unfair? Some days each child playing ball, each passerby who feigns a smile, each bodega worker who takes 4 seconds too long to scan my items feels like they’re earning a spot on my hit list—can I say that? And it’s only October. The toddler being loud on the subway next to me right now is getting on my nerves twice as much as usual. Her mom is too for not controlling her. I’m looking around the train car to see if everyone else is as irritated as I am. The man in a suit next to me is reading Kafka without batting an eye. I don’t think he’s actually reading it, but he’s still able to continue performatively reading it without being disturbed to the degree I am. The woman leaning against the pole in front of me continues to stare down at her phone, scrolling through Instagram. Someone’s phone rings at the other end of the train car. I jerk my head out like a chicken to see who it is. I look him directly in the eye until he silences his phone. Nobody else seems to notice. I’m not usually this irritable. And it’s only October. I have more tolerance for the beggars on the train than for people like this. When the beggars on the street or addicts on the train are ranting and being dismissed by the rest, I am often the only one to truly listen to them. I recognize their abandoned genius and treat their L train diatribes as sermons because oftentimes I see myself in them.  They’re not crazy. They’re misunderstood geniuses. Watch Good Will Hunting  once and you’ll understand. Sanity is nuanced. What is it I said about a tree falling in a forest with a hundred people around and it still not making a sound? I repeated a fragment of an L train beggar’s brilliance to my friend once and she replied “even a broken clock strikes right twice a day”. I responded, “No, they’re not broken.” My eyes are struggling to stay open as I’m writing this. I got nine-and-a-half hours of sleep last night. It’s dark outside now. I might have to resume writing tomorrow. I’m in a near-catatonic state of existential dread and avoidance—my stoicism mistaken for reticence by some, but just two weeks ago I was amidst a state of frenetic hyper-productivity. And it’s only October. I wish the Parsons students would stop posting pictures of their spiced lattes and links to their Fall music playlists. To the person next to me, the air smells like Phoebe Bridgers and Girl in Red and ever-changing foliage and tailgates and flannels and trips Upstate and Spirit Halloween and chai (but not chai tea because I hate when people say that because it’s redundant). To me, it smells like the inside of a psych ward. The air smells like memories of 8-year-olds locked in rooms banging their heads against the wall repeatedly and of 4-oz cups of apple juice with a slightly metallic aftertaste because you had to pull the foil back to drink the juice and of monitored bathroom visits and of grippy socks and of the tiny salt and pepper packets for your steamed vegetables—not of this year but of years before and before that and before that too. My body is a temple—sure, but only one The Sackler Family prays at. The people telling me that it gets better are only making things worse. When my extended family members recite phrases that sound like they’re walking down the sympathy card aisle of a store without having any personal experience to add, it’s almost counterintuitive. It makes me want to wallow in my own filth even more—merely to spite them. And it’s only October. I’ve had days my fingers left an imprint in my hair when I stroked it because opening the shower curtain was a month’s worth of work, and I’ve had days where I’ve had to check if my feet were still on because I made myself too occupied to sit down even for the length of a TV commercial. My emotional state is but a candle in the wind. I have always lived violently—finding myself either begging my eyelids to close or having to nail them open—confiding in my comforter or not having felt its weight in days. In the winter, my comforter is a faded, stained version of the once-cerulean blue it used to be, but I can assure you it was never gold, Mr. Frost.  My friend asks me if I want to watch Halloween movies. I say no. I don’t like watching Halloween movies and I don’t like watching Christmas movies. Retrospectively, maybe The Grinch was bipolar too. I don’t like holiday music or the sight of the first snow. It’ll just end up in piles on the sidewalk anyway—gray in a day or two. There’s something poetic about it.  Nothing white can stay. It was never gold. None of it was ever gold. Nature’s first green was never gold. It was only ever green. There was nothing ever poetic about it. Spring is Spring and Summer is Summer and Fall is Fall and Winter is Winter. How’s that, Mr. Frost? Written by Lucy Geldziler Photography by Rose Miller Talent: Zoë Nadeau @zoeenadeauu , Sophie Gilbert @sophieg32

Ashley felt the branches tearing and scratching at her skin as she ran through the forest. She was thankful that the evening sun was still shining even though it was the end of summer. She didn’t know what to do but run. When she saw what he was doing to the girl… what he had done to her, she couldn’t think about that now. She needed to get as far away as possible. She slowed to a walk and tried to catch her breath once she reached the road. Flashes of the day she had clouded her head, she couldn’t think.  She remembers last night, parts of it, but coming to a dark room woke her with a start. She had stood immediately, beginning to feel the space around her, and stopped when she felt his presence behind her, the darkness keeping her from seeing the room around her. She knew she shouldn’t speak, in that moment her chest was so tight she knew she wouldn’t be able to talk even if she tried. The man shifted so he was in front of her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to another room. “Here.” He grumbled and shoved her to the floor. This room was lit, blindingly lit, and made her feel less safe than the dark did. At least the dark was something she was familiar with. This, this sterile room, this felt like her worst nightmare coming true. She had always hated the doctor's office, mainly because of the fluorescent lights, and this was that turned up to eleven. By the time she had collected her thoughts, her eyes were still adjusting to the light. “I wanted to show you.” The man stated and the words made Ashley flinch. She looked around the room, hoping to see where the voice was coming from. “I hope you’ll understand, I didn’t want to show you like this. It was the only way.” The words boomed from the sound system that was somehow connected to the room. Where the hell am I? Ashley questioned herself. What was he going to force her to see? She looked up at the glass panel in front of her and her jaw dropped. She was terrified.  A rustle from behind Ashley pulled her out of the memory of the night before and nearly made her jump out of her skin. She clenched her fists and forced herself to breathe, trying to remember what she had learned in therapy and her self-defense classes. She tried to take stock of what she had. Her (now dirty) t-shirt from the night before, her torn-up jeans, and her socks. “Fuck.” She whispered to herself. She knew there was only so much time until he realized she was gone, and there was only one thing left to do. Pick a direction and start walking. Ashley began walking through the grass on the side of the desolate road. Not a car in sight. She wondered how long it had been. A day? Had she only been stuck with that man since the previous night or had she been out for longer? She looked around as she walked, trying to identify any sort of landmark that could tell her where she was. Nothing, just trees, and sky, and grass, and road. Ashley was exhausted. Her adrenaline had kept her going through the farmland and off past the forest and onto the road. A road. Any road. That was her goal. She had gotten out. What now?  Ashley clenched her teeth as she began to open her eyes again. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Through the glass, she saw a girl who had to be around her age, if not younger, tied to a chair with a burlap sack over her head. She was covered in blood so fresh, and dark, that Ashley could barely tell what color the girl's skin was. Her bra and underwear were dyed red. Ashley’s mind began to race. “Why me?” She bellowed at the glass, caving in on herself, using all the energy she had to form the words she knew she needed to say. “Ashley…” The man started “I’m disappointed. I thought you understood me.”  Ashley shook her head “I don’t even know who you are!” She screamed. She heard him speak again. “Fine.” The man spat, his voice echoing through the speakers “If you want to have it that way. Go.” She heard a click, the door behind her opened, and that’s when she started running.  The asphalt was tearing the skin on the bottom of Ashley's feet, and still she walked. She checked each side of her, the fear of whoever it was that had her trapped just hours ago was still in her mind. Her mind was still racing but she forced herself to walk, to conserve her energy. Finally, about 3 hours and 6 miles later Ashley almost cried tears of joy as her walk broke into a run when she saw the gas station. She kept running, she was so close, less than half a mile away. She could see herself now, past the gas pumps and trash cans and through the double doors of the 7-11, then into the back of a cop car on the way to figure out who the hell did this to her. When suddenly, she heard the engine of a truck behind her.  Written by Lucy Anderson Photography by Mia Scagnelli Talent: Lauren Bastidas, Ella Malave MUA: Marlie Kaye

Back in 2021, I heard about a new television adaptation of The   Vampire Chronicles  by Anne Rice coming to AMC. Interview with the Vampire , the series’ first novel, is about Louis de Pointe du Lac being interviewed about his life as a vampire by a young reporter. You may have heard of the 1994 Interview with the Vampire  film starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst, which is probably the most mainstream of all Vampire Chronicles  iterations due to the high-profile cast. I had not yet seen the film (and was hesitant due to my distaste for both lead actors) nor read the books, but as a general fan of vampire media, I was really excited about the show when I saw the first teaser trailer. Color me pleasantly surprised to find out they were finally leaning into the queerness of the source material and were not at all afraid to market it as such.  Season one of Interview with the Vampire (2022) was incredible from episode one, solidifying the opinions of many that this is one of the best shows on television (including myself). AMC’s Interview makes several adaptational changes, but they’re all done thoughtfully and thoroughly. The original story takes place in the late 18th century, but the show has moved it up to beginning at the dawn of the 20th century. This is also the second interview between Louis (Jacob Anderson) and the interviewer, Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), occurring in the present day (at least when it first came out–2022), while the first interview was the same as the book canon in 1973. Louis, having reflected on the previous interview, decides he has had more time to understand his past and wants a new shot at telling his story.  The most notable change was casting Black actors (Jacob Anderson and Bailey Bass) for two of the lead characters, Louis and Claudia, who were both white in the original books and movie adaptation. This was not an example of race-blind casting, though, as both characters’ experiences as Black people in early 20th century New Orleans were significant to the story and the characters’ backstories and motivations. Both characters are given much more depth than even the original novel, and many fans have mentioned that Louis’ character, in particular, is made more likable and relatable in the show compared to other iterations, which is frequently attributed to Jacob Anderson’s outstanding performance.  Season one really embodies the queer history of vampire stories and using vampirism as a metaphor for queerness. Louis, following his turning, struggles to come to terms with his vampiric nature–he doesn’t want to kill people, and he wants to hold on to whatever he has left of humanity. Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), Louis’ maker and lover, is the opposite; he has had well over a century to accept what he is, and he does embrace the violence and power of being a vampire. Lestat is also pretty shameless in his desire for Louis from the moment they meet, while Louis, a man raised Catholic in the South, is very much still repressing that part of himself. In season two, we get to see more of an embrace of both Louis’ vampire self and queerness over time.  While this is a show about vampires, it does deal with very real issues like racism and abuse. The writers show a lot of care in telling these stories and depicting complex relationships and dynamics. This is a gothic horror at its core, and vampires, by nature, are cruel and violent creatures. Still, there is a lot of romance, joy, and profound emotional moments in the show. Season two was just as great, if not better than season one, and it was just released earlier this summer. Louis and Claudia have left New Orleans to find other vampires, particularly in hopes of discovering some sort of vampire history, so they make their way to Europe. Delainey Hayles joined the cast as Claudia after Bailey Bass, unfortunately, had to leave the project, but Hayles was a wonderful addition and played a more mature version of the character that was suited to her arc in Paris. Assad Zaman also became a more prominent figure in season two after the reveal in the season one finale that he was playing the vampire Armand, who would be a lead character in the second season. Armand is another character who had a bit of a change from the novels when it came to his age and race, but the heart of the character is very much the same, and Zaman really captures the quiet intensity and ancient nature of the character.  Interview with the Vampire  stands out as an adaptation because it truly elevates the source material to a new level. The cast and crew all make their love for the books known; the cast has mentioned book plots they’re excited to get to and characters to meet in various interviews. Sam Reid’s casting as Lestat is one of those fated casting decisions that are always a joy to see, as he has stated before that he had been a fan of The Vampire Chronicles  since he was a young teenager after having seen Queen of the Damned (2002), a movie adaptation of the third novel (which I have yet to watch personally), and then read all of Anne Rice’s books. The writers are very intentional in what they do or don’t include when it comes to plots from the novels, including references to later stories and characters that will certainly become important. It also helps that the show has a really good budget; the special effects look great, the costuming is stunning, and the set design is intricate and thoroughly crafted. The Theatre des Vampires (a major season two location) is a standout in this–it was a mostly abandoned building in Prague that they made look like a small theater from 1940s Paris.  To call this a gay vampire show as a way of getting people to watch Interview with the Vampire  feels like downplaying the artistry and seriousness of the show, but it still is. If you like complex queer stories and fantasy/supernatural stories, you should absolutely give this one a shot. After season two, I can confidently say Interview  has become my all-time favorite television show, and as someone very critical of book adaptations, I have nothing but high praise. I have been working through The Vampire Chronicles , and seeing what the show has already done with just the first novel makes me incredibly excited for future seasons. Season three was confirmed just before the release of the season two finale, and the writers are currently getting started on scripts to continue the story with the next book, The Vampire Lestat , which could not come soon enough.  Written and Illustrated by Alec Conwell

With the local indie rock scene in NYC completely taking over, the shows are seemingly getting better and better. If you happened to miss the Dallas Wax  show on October 3rd, then we feel sorry for you. Fear not, as this review will describe in detail the performance that has stuck with us since that night took place.  Dallas Wax  is an NYC-based classic rock n roll band that, in less than a year, has accomplished so much. Just under a year ago, the band performed for the first time in a basement and has now headlined Brooklyn Made  for their EP release show, on top of playing at other respectable venues such as Arlene’s Grocery , Baby’s All Right , and Heaven Can Wait .  Brooklyn Made seems to be the venue where our best concert reviews take place. Dallas Wax  shared the stage with two other NYC-based bands, Savoia  and The Gasoline, adding to the quality of the night with Savoia's  exuberant and eccentric performance from the lead singer, Lucas Allan, coming out in a top hat and leather trench coat singing songs from their recently released EP, Sunflower Mouth, to The Gasoline,  a band that once they start playing instantly reminds you of the English rock that was coming out of the 90s. Both bands set the rest of the night as the audience itched with anticipation for Dallas Wax’s  entrance.  A Thursday night has never been so electric. Dallas Wax  is composed of Ryan Wax (lead vocals and guitar), Matt Stawinski (guitar), Alfonso Urbaneja (bass), Gabriel Seiler (drums), and Owen Hite (keys). Their sound encapsulates a soulful psychedelic rock with 70’s influences and memorable instrumentals. The show was in honor of their first EP release  The Air We Breathe , performing all 5 tracks along with some unreleased songs and covers.  As the light dims, Dallas Wax  enters the stage, walking to their respective spots in attire that adds to that 70s image that goes hand-in-hand with their classic rock sound. Only being established as a band for almost a year with such a cohesive image and sound is incredibly impressive, as this cohesion with so many members, all with different influences and interests, demonstrates the thought and effort that goes into the band. Their demeanor as a whole gave off an organic swagger you expect to see in a rock band.  Beginning the set strong with their first released single “Mud”, the crowd’s enthusiasm immediately grew, along with their attention. Wax’s ability to engage the crowd in the first song displays his natural showmanship. The single has a special quality that gets everyone jumping and singing along, not only to the song but to the riffs as well; it's almost as if the guitar is singing to us. As the bridge builds with steady drums the guitar solo is the highlight of the song, absolutely captivating you right at the start of the show. A notable attribute of seeing Dallas Wax  live is their individual dexterity with the instrumentals. Each performer shows off their technique and passion throughout the set, proving that they don’t just play the music, they truly feel it. This translates beautifully to the audience, you can’t seem to look away. Wax’s vocals are strong and slightly raspy with an alluring quality that allows the listener to analyze the words he’s singing along with the instrumentals he’s playing. Seiler steals the show as he thunders across the venue with his drums. As you get lost in the music, each punchy beat clocks you back into reality. Stawinski’s stage presence seems calm, cool, and collected all the while absolutely shredding it on the guitar, effortlessly. Urbaneja’s performance shows a real passion for music where each bassline focuses your attention on the rhythm. Hite on the keys adds a special flair to their sound, adding to that psychedelic 70’s rock vibe. As the band is collectively rocking out, you hear the keys shining through and as you look over, you see him locked in putting his all into the performance.    Their second track “The Ride”, had an instrumental break that set the standard for the rest of the show, demonstrating pure rock and roll. It is then followed along by three unreleased songs, “Caterpillar”, “Sharks”, and “Girl Like Me” , demonstrating the beauty of this setlist as Dallas Wax  can play with a span of varying sounds and emotions. Wax asserts his presence as the frontman in such an authentic way, that it’s as though he was born to be on stage. Their stage presence, as well as their music, makes you feel as though you are sonically transported to a different era of time. A slower track on the EP, “Now, We’re Two” was a different kind of performance than the rest of their songs. Deeply profound, a light guitar calms you for the first two minutes as the melody becomes familiar and Wax’s soft vocals enter. During those first two minutes, it allows your body to come back down as it transports you to this space of tranquility– where it's as if you’ve had an out-of-body experience and you’re back in the room with everyone . Combining a loud, heavy rock set with a more intimate and vulnerable piece of music is vital in showing not only the artists’ range but also their musical depth.  The set continues, slowly bringing everyone back to a place of liveliness with each song, you can see each band member enjoying themselves on stage whilst being lost in the music itself. Each member was given a moment to shine; like Hite’s transition from the keys to the guitar given to by Wax as he pulled out the harmonica, and everyone cheered because it's not a Dallas Wax  show without a harmonica moment. Followed by another shining moment in “Take Me Out” , Seiler had this amazing drum solo that started with a bang. As it continued, people began cheering louder and once you thought it was over, it only intensified and picked up pace as people followed along cheering in amazement. Right before ending the set, Wax took a moment to shout out everyone who has helped the band grow—producers, mixers, friends, and just anyone who has helped support the band to where they are right now, filling up the room with so much love. Something magical happens at a Dallas Wax show, you are sonically bewitched, as each melody and guitar riff immerses you into a different reality. The last track on their new EP, “The Air We Breathe” does exactly that. It’s an exciting thing to watch when a band obviously loves what they are playing.  The set ended with his rocking song “Bluff” ,  a favorite unreleased song that we all so desperately cannot wait to have, and once the sadness began to wash over, thinking the best is done, the crowd cheered for “one more song”. As the band returned to the stage and Wax had a tambourine in hand, we knew it was going to be stellar. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet was the cover song that had the entire room jumping and singing along. In this last song, Wax had a new persona, enthusiastically dancing around the stage hitting the tambourine, and striking the audience with remarkable vocals. Everyone was just riding a high of pure ecstasy, as Wax jumped down to the audience, he started a mosh, and people joined in.  Once we thought that the song was over, Wax hopped back on stage onto the higher platform, and with the lights off, you could only see his silhouette. He leaned his head back, microphone to his mouth, and said “Are you gonna be my girl?” and Seiler’s drumline hits. Overall a Dallas Wax  show is an enticing, unforgettable event that one should experience at least once. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing them multiple times throughout the year, and with each show, they continuously improve with each performance. A night filled with classic rock music and good people. Check out and follow Dallas Wax's socials for more music and show announcements and stream their recent EP release, The Air We Breathe !   Written by Amy Kapel and Veronica Anaya   Photographed by Michelle Paradis

Jack Nicoletti, Writer/Director/Composer, concludes his final semester at Pratt Institute with his most thrilling project yet. That Little Bodega Next to Lorenzo's follows three college kids trapped in an extraterrestrial bodega. Nicoletti builds excellent tension between the entrapment of these characters physically and within their relationships. With his discography consisting of majority comedies, this supernatural thriller is a beautiful addition, with its visuals and storytelling depth. The film has been nominated for three awards at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival: Best in Brooklyn, People's Choice Award, and Best Original Score.  I had the opportunity to chat with Nicoletti and hear how his love for 1980s sci-fi/horror films inspired him as a filmmaker and how sometimes old-fashioned techniques are a better alternative in the modern age of technology.  The film did a great job amplifying the sense of suffocation between being trapped in the bodega and the character's constant bickering. What was the process of writing the story and emphasizing this feeling? I really wanted the characters to feel suffocated; the whole movie is about feeling trapped, whether in a relationship or in a scary, shape-shifting convenience store/ I was unsure how I was going to show it visually, especially since the entire film is in one location. It's tough to make that look fun, but I just coincidentally rewatched 12 Angry Men , which takes place in this little jury room. The film starts on a really wide lens, and then, as things heat up, the lenses get tighter and tighter and tighter. The characters are trapped in the frame as it closes around them, undoubtedly a big inspiration.  The film was beautifully shot, and the neon lights perfectly captured this otherworldly prison in which the characters found themselves. What were some of your visual inspirations? What were some inspirational films behind this project? Well, I've always been super partial to 80's movies; that's how I got into film. I saw Back To The Future when I was 7, and it blew my mind. From that point on, I knew what I wanted to do, so all my biggest influences were those high concept, sci-fi, and adventure movies of the 80s. I think light is really cool, especially when you can play with color, and it's an excellent way to add contrast not just with shadows but opposing colors basically on the characters the whole movie, and that's always been my style.  With such a small budget, I was surprised to see visual effects. What was the process?  Since the old school movies influenced me, my approach to effects is to try to do things as practical as possible. There were a few shots that you could have done in 1982, like repeating the soda can, basically just the same shot over and over again, but we got her hand out each time. Even when Max levitated halfway through the movie, he was lifting himself between the register in one of the shots, and we just had a close-up of his feet. I think you can do a lot with a little when it comes to visual effects. I greatly admire film composers; music is just a language I could never speak but appreciate. Do you know what you'll have for music in pre-production, or does it evolve as the project progresses? Both my parents are musicians, so I grew up around music. Whenever I'm writing, music is important. It always helps me stay in the world of whatever I'm writing. My Spotify is filled with playlists named after movies that keep me in the zone.  I started hearing the score on the first page. Even the theme for the movie, I recorded before we shot because I knew where I wanted to go with it. It's just a tool that helps guide my mind into the style, and when I could listen to it instead, I could help guide the actors as well, so that is what we're going for here.  What was the process of finding the locations to shoot? Did you shoot on a practical location or sound stage? 90% of the movie was filmed on Pratt's campus, a convenience store on the first floor of one of the dorms. And Pratt was nice about letting us go in when they were closed, which was most of the time. We had free range of the store, completely unsupervised for three days. We were able to get everything in for free which was great.  What was the greatest challenge in making this film?   I think, the most difficult part of making this film was the actual subject matter. My prior work has been straight horror or comedy, so to branch out and explore this idea of unhealthy relationships in a film was nerve-wracking because the most important part of the film was for me to get the point across. That being said, I think that’s also why this is the film I’m most proud of. When I first came to film school, everyone was making these dark dramas that all had things to say, and I was making workplace comedies and ghost movies. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered this fun, grand storytelling style wasn’t something to discount, but it’s my way in. It’s the best way to express my deeper ideas and emotions. So, the hardest part of the film, hands down, was making sure it landed and was dealt with respectfully, but the fact that I feel like it did is what makes this film one of the most fulfilling experiences of my creative career.   That Little Bodega Next to Lorenzo’s, will premiere at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival’s Best in Brooklyn screening block on this Wednesday October 16th at 7:00pm at Stuart Cinema & Cafe. Written by Ashley Murphy

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” A question that haunts us our entire youth. In the beginning, our imagination acts as the sole restraint of what we could be. As we grow older, those possibilities slowly start to shrink. By the time we need to choose a career path, we are lost and left to choose a random road to go down in the hope we made the right choice.  At the stroke of midnight on our eighteenth birthday, in the eyes of society, we have gone from child to adult. Throwing us right into the deep end, letting us drown in adulthood before we could finish fully mourning the end of adolescence. Then after taking out thousands of dollars in loans and spending four years studying a subject most of us chose with uncertainty, we graduate as lost as when we started.  We replace our days in school with corporate life, told by prior generations that this  is how life works. Working 9-5, 5 days a week, and enjoying life only for the weekend and the occasional paid leave if you’re lucky.  Some reject this concept of life, rather than embrace the uncertainty, they choose to travel to the West Coast, work a seasonal job at a ski resort, nanny for a family in sunny California, or volunteer on a farm in Hawaii. Feeding into the childlike imagination, looking at a map, and exploring whatever new corner of the world meets their fingertips. Some may call that a fantasy, but that is just a summary of Lexi Matejeck's reality. After three years of documenting her travels online, Lexi has accumulated over 167k followers on TikTok. Sharing the highs and lows of traveling, how to make it affordable, homesickness, and more.   Her business “Travel with Lexi” partners with travel companies and hosts women and LGBTIA+ group trips that take place all over the globe. Connecting travelers in extraordinary adventures such as hiking Machu Picchu , backpacking through Central America, seeing the northern lights of Iceland, and more. I had the opportunity to sit down with Lexi at Finca Ganadito, an eco-village and tropical sanctuary in Drake Bay, Costa Rica. It was a pleasure to not only experience firsthand her second group trip to Finca Ganadito with Worldpackers but also unpack her journey of turning her passion for traveling into her life’s work.  How did you come to the decision to travel rather than take up a traditional post-college job? It always felt like a pretty easy (and scary) decision. I was in college for marketing, and I chose it because I knew it was a degree that could be used in many different career fields. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I wanted to take a gap year, but to be able to go to college and afford it, I needed my scholarships. I needed to go from high school to college to get the scholarships I qualified for.  I thought I'd wait until after college and figure out what I wanted to do job-wise because nothing sounded fulfilling at the time, especially a career/degree I didn't enjoy. What was your original plan for your travels? Did you have a career path you expected to return to afterward? I told everyone I was going to leave for six months. Six months to a year, I moved to Hawaii at first, working as a volunteer on a farm in exchange for a free place to stay, so I could afford to start traveling. I did come back after those six months in Hawaii. I came back for a chunk of time, applied to a 9-5 marketing job, and could not land a single one fresh out of college. I had good grades, a good resume, and two internship experiences; I took that as a sign to be like, "Okay, good, I don't have to do this whole going to a 9-5 thing. I'm going to keep traveling," so that's what I did. I was like that was a sign from the universe. While meeting other backpackers from around the globe, how did you find other countries' views of traveling different than the US? People in a lot of other countries I feel just view life and work so differently. I felt like from the people that I met, some other countries do view work as less important and are more focused on hobbies, traveling, their mental and physical health, and family. It's not every culture and country, in some countries they don't view traveling as positive like “why would you ever leave your family? why would you go far from home?” It was an eye-opener when I started to meet other people with different mindsets. Over the course of two years, you have accumulated a large following of like-minded individuals with a itch to explore. What was the evolution of your social media to documenting your travels and sharing informative videos? What were your initial intentions when you first started sharing? It started by just genuinely posting for fun, being in the pandemic before I went traveling. I posted for fun, as I had no following at the time. During my first six months of travel, I posted little videos of my trips here and there, but it was just more for myself and my friends. Once some of the first videos got traction, I immediately tried this, like you never know what could happen. I posted a few videos on World Packers and the concept. It got maybe, ten thousand views. It wasn't crazy, but as soon as it got any bit of traction, I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to go for this, and I kind of went from there.  It honestly was a ripple effect that I feel very blessed that it's fell into my lap so easily which is why I think it was meant to be just how it was meant to be that I didn't land at nine to five after graduation.  What was the moment when you thought this platform could be a possible career path? It was once I started to make money,  in the first month I made $30 and thought that was crazy, the second month $150 and it went from there. Travel content usually consists of the highlights of the journey; what aspects of traveling do you think is often times left out of the discussion?    I feel like what comes to mind is, for sure, the negative aspects of how being out of your home environment and your routine can affect your mental health. Sleeping in hostels where you're literally sleeping around strangers at all times weighs on you after a long time. I try my best to do videos of that as well and show how gross problems can be and the crazy experiences that can happen.  Most social media is skewed; you want to show its positive side because you're trying to inspire people to go. After all, it's 90% positive and 10% just awful sometimes; videos of that need to be shown more about how gross travel. How hard it is to live around other people, always like introducing yourself repeatedly; not having a real community is the hardest part about travel for me. Every time I'm in a new hostel or a new town, I make incredible connections, but they last for a day, three days, or two weeks; lucky if you get more than two nights. I feel like long-term travelers are the only ones that understand that because when you're short-term traveling, it's like so exciting, but if you do it for more than months a month on end, it just gets like you're like oh my God I have no stable people in my life even if you meet the coolest people. Going from guest to host, what importance goes into planning group trips, what aspects of group trips do you look for when organizing these trips? I like to do a variety of trips, and that's mostly from the standpoint that I am also trying out all these trips for the first time. I'm learning which companies I like more than others. Basically, any company I've done multiple trips with are typically companies I enjoy more because I'm going to them again and hosting them again. For the most part, it's like I just have to go and experience it, and I hope it's great. Literally, every group trip has been amazing. It will always be amazing because of the people that make it amazing, but for the most part, I look or I try to focus heavily on my itinerary because I feel like some trips I've seen online just charge so much money and then include nothing. You can't charge people $2,000 to go on a week trip that just covers your accommodation because you know your accommodations aren't $2,000. They could make that trip for a quarter of the price, but they just sell an idea. I want trips to give you all your accommodations, food, and learning opportunities. The World Packers (Epic Trips) have so many learning opportunities that you get so much out of it. I also try to host affordable trips because it opens up travel to people who otherwise wouldn't. I feel like many people haven't found the confidence to go solo for the first time without being in a group because it's fucking scary. I didn't have the confidence either, I went with a friend to do the World Packers in Hawaii because I was like, I'm not about to go alone. I get people do not have the guts to go alone unless it's a group. Sometimes, you need the first trip to realize you can do this.  Why or why not do you think it is important for young adults to travel on some scale? I genuinely feel, I mean, it goes back to privilege, but if you have the means to do so, and by that I don't mean come for money, I mean, have the ability to work super hard, save up enough money, have the ability to go rent or list for a few months, put your stuff in storage, put your stuff in family houses to go travel. I know so much comes along with dropping everything but if you can make it work and you can make it happen, I feel like it's so important to go and do it because it genuinely forever altered my life because I just got to see what life really was versus what I thought it was. What advice would you give your younger travel self?  Follow your gut. I feel like there were so many times in my travels I questioned what I was doing: why am I doing this? Why am I working all these weird jobs but like not really making any money when I could be making a decent income with my degree if I was working a 9-5? What am I really doing? And instead just trust my gut.  I guess, honestly, just tell my younger self not to worry so much. I spent so much of my first travels worrying about what I was going to do after and when I was going to go back and find a better-paying job. I very much enjoyed those travels, but so much of it was filled with worried, and tell myself to be more present. Follow Lexi's travel journeys on Instagram and Tiktok . Written by Ashley Murphy

You might want to skip the popcorn while watching this heavy ride. This film may be the treasure chest of the body horror genre. The most creative, rude, and disgusting awakening to the subject matter is the great body image. The Substance follows the Hollywood star, Elizabeth Sparkle, who has had a long and successful career in a workout aerobics style TV show. However, in the world of Hollywood, her time is ticking. She comes across this black market drug called "The Substance" that claims to give her the ability to develop another version of herself that is younger and beautiful but has to switch bodies every seven days. So, every other week, she is loved by many, and the other week, she is her same self, but this constant switch between the new and old body ends up being tragic for Elizabeth's well-being. If you are someone who is a bit squeamish and can't handle blood, to say the least, I think it will be best to skip this grotesque masterpiece. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley explore the premise of body swapping, and both confront their insecurities and ultimately question the wild nature of beauty and perfection.  The story of Elizabeth Sparkle is heartbreaking to see unfold. Elizabeth goes through this insane procedure to be this younger, better, ultimate version of herself in Sue. When she gets to live as Sue, she doesn't do anything different from what she did as Elizabeth. She returned to the same job, looking for a new Elizabeth, and now, Sue has replaced her. She did not realize that going down the same path would eventually lead to her being discarded once again. The success that people strive for in the industry was something Elizabeth already had. She had all the awards, all the accolades, all of the fans, but all of these things are superficial and never last. She might have succeeded in this dream, but she is lonely at the end of the day with no family or friends, just her luxury lifestyle that didn't bring her true joy. The film's commentary is genius in tackling new, fresh faces coming into the industry. This is what makes the story so heartbreaking, not just reflecting the film but also society as a whole. It repeats the same pattern without ever learning all to reach this superficial beauty standard that is extremely unhealthy.   Dennis Quaid plays this high-up television executive named Harvey. His character is extremely misogynistic and very on the nose. His portrayal is a caricature, but intentionally so, because the director, Coralie Fargeat, wants men in the industry to be uncomfortable and reflect on it. Earlier in the movie, there is a scene where Harbey is eating shrimp in a dirty and disgusting way. He looks at other women in the restaurant in the same revoluting way as he fires Elizabeth. All this while, Elizabeth is expected to take this behavior, sit very demurely, and keep herself adjusted. There is a way he treats Sue as a product, something he can control, not a person at all. These subtle things about the movie are very on the nose, but seeing this shoved into the audience's faces and reflecting on the expectations is satisfying. The zero sense of shame men have towards their gross behavior.       Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley deliver raw and challenging performances with the intensity to live up to unattainable societal beauty standards. The film blends humor and drama as these characters reflect and lose their way on the pressure of appearance. We have all heard the saying, "Your worst critic is yourself," this movie has made me find a newfound kindness toward myself. I left the film feeling nauseous, terror, despair, and emotional damage. The prime is simple, but the execution focuses on delivering the same message each time with a higher stake than the previous. The unusual angles and immersiveness make everything seem explicit and extremely uncomfortable, almost like this was in 4D. The makeup and effects are insane and surreal, complementing the soundtrack and sound design. It is too real and creates this chaotic atmosphere.   Coralie Fargeat did not want the film to be subtle; she wanted it to be confrontational, and she translated it beautifully and gory. The film is extremely in your face and is a big middle finger to the Hollywood industry, and I am so glad to all who watch it feel deeply uncomfortable. I'm unsure what film can top this soon regarding the theater experience. I look forward to seeing what Fargeat has in store for future films; no matter how gross or nauseous I may feel, this is a first-watch experience I will never forget.   Written by Daniel Rojas