The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 10

October 13, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 7 Arts & Entertainment OFFSHORE CALENDAR Free Webinar on Resilience Practitioner Training Oct. 13 | 3 - 4 p.m. RSVP Online Curious George, A Virtual Musical Oct. 13-14 | 10 a.m. Buy tickets online Halloween Haunt Drive-Thru Oct. 15-17 | 6 - 7 p.m. Tree Tops Park 3900 SW 100th Avenue | Davie, FL 33328 Fort Lauderdale Virtual Game Night: Trivia, Charades, and Drawing via Video Oct. 15-18 | 7 - 10 p.m. RSVP Online Comedy Crossing: The Animal Crossing Standup Comedy Show Oct. 16 | 7 - 8:30 p.m. RSVP online Downtown Artisan Market at Hollywood Artwalk Oct. 17 | 5 - 10 p.m. Downtown Artisan Market at Hollywood Artwalk | Hollywood, FL 33rd Annual Las Olas Art Fair Oct. 17-18 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 620 E Las Olas Blvd | Fort Lauderdale, FL Flamingo Gardens Harvest Festival Oct. 17-18 | 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Flamingo Gardens 3750 S. Flamingo Rd. | Davie, FL 33328 Freaky features: Vampiric ventures Halloween is quickly approaching, and what better way to appreciate the season than by watching movies about one of the most influential movie monsters there are: the vampire. This classical gothic monster has inspired hundreds of movies, books and shows spanning across multiple genres. Whether it be romance, action, adventure or horror, there’s a vampire movie sure to fill the gap. Wait for night to come, settle down and bite into these horrific and fantastical vampire movies. Salem’s Lot mini-series (1979) Based off of the 1975 horror novel by Stephen King, this short series adaptation explores the horrors of small rural towns. It follows a washed up writer revisiting his hometown for inspiration for his next novel. Inspiration isn’t the only thing stirring, though; a vicious old vampire moves in and slowly begins infecting the townsfolk. Moving away from home can be hard, but in this town, it’s necessary. You can find this two-part series available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (1997-2003) If you’re not too keen on vampire thrillers, try this series instead.This iconic show brought a new type of hero to the vampire genre. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is about a high school girl who also happens to be a skilled vampire hunter. This action-packed series delves into a world of deep original vampire lore the creators curated for viewers, bringing new blood to an age-old subject. The originality of this series is refreshing, and while the story spreads out over a seven season timeline, it’s a show that does not disappoint. The whole series can be binged on Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) There have been so many remakes of Bram Stoker’s novel, “Dracula,” that it can be hard to tell them apart. This movie provides something that the others often lack, and that is the truly magical and twisted world that comes to life -- or should I say death? -- in a colorful way. The visuals of the film are mystical and brimming with color, while other “Dracula” remakes are often flooded with only darkness. The film not only features incredible scenery, but also an A-list cast, with stars such as Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. This movie, otherwise known as the only “Dracula” remake that matters, is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. What We Do In The Shadows (2014) Spooky season or not, this movie is genuinely one of my favorite films. This movie has a perfect balance of horror and comedy. The story follows a group of ancient vampires PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY S. GALLUS Vampiric freaky feature kind of night By: Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor Passenger’s ode to quarantine In early July, singer-songwriter Passenger, known for his 2013 hit “Let Her Go,” released his new studio album titled “Patchwork.” Although this is his twelfth studio album, there is one major difference that “Patchwork” boasts: it was written and recorded almost entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown. The album sets the tone from the beginning with “Sword in the Stone,” which immediately tells the listener that this is going to be a concept album about the pandemic. Just when you think that you have heard enough about it, the first song brings about the realization that we have survived a major historical event. Passenger sings about the pain and frustration we endured on the rollercoaster that was the early months of the pandemic. For many, this is still a reality. There is a sense of vulnerable honesty when he begins the song by asking how his “darling” is and then sharing the unbearably hard time he has been having. “Year on Year, Day by Day” gives the listener a shoulder to lean on and the assurance that, in time, everything will be okay. Passenger walks the fine line between nihilism and stoicism near the end of the song, calling life a “comedy show” and how if you live longer than expected, the Queen gives you a medal. In the album’s titular track “Patchwork,” apart from the cozy melody that gives any lullaby a run for its money, the song is a love letter to the tenacity of humankind and the real-life superhero ability that is being able to move on. “Patchwork” encourages the listener to “look at everything we’ve built” and to, metaphorically, sew another square onto our quilt. “Venice Canals” is one of those songs that makes you actually go and learn something. The track speaks to the numerous natural wonders that had returned during the quarantine. The stars of Beijing, the birds of Times Square and thefish in theVenice Canals. During the lockdown, the waters of the Venice Canals were clear enough to see the fish. Passenger speaks to a beautiful silver lining in the wake of the global chaos that began in March. He sings “don’t get me wrong, this ain’t no happy song,” meaning that the human world is still in ruins, but ironically, the natural world is flourishing when it was previously the other way around. “Queenstown” is the track on the album most deserving of being a single, meaning it’s really good. If one looks deeper, under its comforting chord progressions and warm verses, you can see it’s not just about a good time in a town in New Zealand. This indie, playing-guitar- by-candlelight ballad is about the good memories with friends and family before we had to wear masks that hide our smiles, stay six feet apart, do away with hugs and put on hand sanitizer every time we go out. It’s the type of nostalgia that brings more sadness than euphoria. “Swimming Upstream” is a very refreshing upbeat song, providing a little motivation boost for those who need it. This song is for those who feel like no matter how hard they try, life just does not seem to be leading them anywhere. He relates it to “swimming upstream and encourages listeners to keep swimming. “Somebody You Loved” is the only cover on the album, originally performed by Lewis Capaldi, but Passenger’s version does it just like you would expect him to: soft guitar picking, overlapping vocals and an artistic touch of electric guitar here and there. The album ends with “Summer Rain,” which sums up the entire album in one song seemingly reinforcing the idea, in case the listener has not understood it yet. The pandemic was and continues to be horrible. It has caused massive financial suffering, moral debates, serious sickness, and in the worst cases, death. However, comfort can be found in the fact that it happened to everyone. In this divided time, if we can’t relate to each other on anything, at least we can share and understand each other’s pain. By: Rey Perez Contributing Writer PHOTO PRINTED OBTAINED BY PASSENGERS Passengers’ latest album “Patchwork”