The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 12

October 27, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 6 Arts & Entertainment Seven nights of Tim Burton films In September, when asked about the lack of diversity in his films, Tim Burton made a statement saying “Things either call for things or they don’t.” While Burton’s lack of diversity in films is a controversial topic, I still wanted to include this piece because I believe his older films should not be canceled because many of them are considered holiday classics, despite their lack of including minority cultures. As a minority, his films still hold a place in my heart. I never looked at them for their lack of diversity, but rather the personalities of the characters and scenes he created with his imagination, regardless of race, ethnicity and culture. When you think of Halloween, you may think of Tim Burton and his gothic fantasy and horror films. We often hear about, see merchandise from and watch films like “Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and even “Edward Scissorhands,” but Tim Burton films aren’t just suited for the spooky season. You can easily segue into the winter holiday season with them, too. Here are seven nights of Tim Burton films to help you celebrate the spooky season and get ready for the winter holidays. Tuesday, Oct. 27: Sleepy Hollow (1999) Start your week of Halloween celebrations with a classic. “Sleepy Hollow,” based on the classic tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” brings alive the story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. This film mixes horror with fantasy and romance and is the perfect start to your Tim Burton movie marathon. Stream “Sleepy Hollow” on Netflix. Wednesday, Oct. 28: Edward Scissorhands (1990) Celebrate the middle of your week with another classic: “Edward Scissorhands.” When a scientist builds Edward, a gentle, animated human being, but dies before finishing, Edward takes matters into his own hands and makes himself hands out of scissors. Despite his kindness and topiary talent, Edward is viewed as an outcast by those in the suburban town he was brought to by Peg’s mother, the girl he falls for. Stream “Edward Scissorhands” on Hulu and Disney+. Thursday, Oct. 29: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) One of Tim Burton’s lesser-known films, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” known simply as “Sweeney Todd,” tells the story of a barber who gets sent to Australia for a crime he did not commit. When he returns home 15 years later calling himself Sweeney Todd, he vows revenge, killing unlucky customers until he kills the man who sent him to Australia. This film is musical gore and very appropriate for the spooky season. Stream “Sweeney Todd” on CBS and Amazon. Friday, Oct. 30: Frankenweenie (1984-2012) To get yourself ready for Halloween, start celebrating the night before with “Frankenweenie.” Whether you watch the short created in 1984 or the full-length film made in 2012, you’re in for a treat. “Frankenweenie” pays homage to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and tells the tale of a boy named Victor who, saddened by the loss of his dog Sparky, decides to experiment with bringing him back to life. With Sparky back from the dead, Victor runs into the problems when his classmates steal his secret and try to resurrect other dead animals. Stream “Frankenweenie” on Disney+ and Amazon. Saturday, Oct. 31: Beetlejuice (1988) Celebrate Halloween with “Beetlejuice,” a film about a rambunctious spirit named Beetlejuice who quickly becomes more harm than help when a deceased couple unsuccessfully tries to haunt their new homeowners and their teenage daughter. It’s got whimsy, humor and a bit of gore to get you celebrating the spooky season -- and it’s a Halloween classic. Stream “Beetlejuice” on Hulu. Sunday, Nov. 1: Corpse Bride (2005) Even if Halloween is now yesterday’s news, you still may be in the spooky season mood. Continue celebrating with “Corpse Bride,” a film about a man named Victor (who may or not be the same Victor from “Frankenweenie”) who, nervous for his wedding, recites his vows in the forest, putting the ring on a tree branch and getting dragged to the lively land of the dead. Here, Victor meets Emily, the corpse bride who wants to marry him after he accidentally said his vows to her. However, Victor wants to return to the land of the living to marry his true love, Victoria, before she is forced to marry the villainous Barkis. Stream “Corpse Bride” on Freeform and Amazon. Monday, Nov. 2: TheNightmare Before Christmas (1993) The best way to end the Tim Burton movie marathon is with one of the best films of all time: “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” In this truly classic holiday film, you can join Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, as he makes Christmas his own with the help of his Halloween loving constituents. This film will satisfy all your spooky needs and get you ready for the winter holiday season with good songs and storytelling. Stream “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Disney+ and Amazon. PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY F. MIRELES Here comes halloween! Everybody scream! By: Flor Ana Mireles Copy Editor If thinking outside of the boxwas an artist, it would be Melanie Martinez. She can’t write a bad song, and I think you’ll come to agree with me after you take a listen to this seven song EP. I have always been in awe of how she is able to create images within her music. The symbolism used in her songs is top notch and there is something relatable for everyone.. On Sept. 25, the EP “After School” was released. The title is perfect for the EP as it summarizes each of the tracks, titled “Notebook,” “Test Me,” “Brain & Heart,” “Numbers,” “Glued,” “Field Trip” and “The Bakery.” “Notebook” is a song about an ending relationship that hasn’t been working out for a while, but before she officially breaks up with her boyfriend, she offers him advice for his future relationships. College is a time where everyone is finding themselves and going through relationships and breakups, so this was a perfect song, relatable to college students. “Test Me” is a song about the tests the universe provides and finding that just living life can offer you better knowledge about life than classes themselves. She sings that you learn more through life experiences than sticking your nose in between the pages of a book. “Brain & Heart” is one of the slower paced songs from the EP and talks about trusting both your heart and your brain without invalidating one over the other. We have always been told to follow our hearts, but to take our brains with us. In this song, Martinez speaks about using both your brain and heart with equal measure. The lyrics “When did humans start to separate brain and heart as if they could stay alive alone” summarize the purpose of the song. “Numbers” is a song that criticizes the music industry. Martinez wants to illuminate that money is the motivator and songs and their quality aren’t that important if sales aredoingwell.You can hear this in her lyrics, “Am I just a number? ‘Cause it seems like that’s your goal. You push us past our limits just to watch decimals grow.” It makes her feelings of feeling disposable in the music industry clear. “Glued” speaks about the importance of finding a balance between being too caught upwith the many things that may be going on in your life. The song illustrates that, while it is easy to grow “After School” by Melanie Martinez By: Ana Maria Soto Contributing Writer attached to someone, you should not depend on their existence for happiness as they may not always be around. “Field Trip” is a song about being seen as who you are versus what people expect you to be. This is interpreted by the lyrics “You’re not real, just like me. We were never our bodies.” “The Bakery” is the final song in the EP, and one that I’m sure everyone could relate to. I remember hating the jobs I had in high school, but sticking around because I wanted to save up money for something I reallywanted—this iswhat the song is about, seen in lyrics like “Not my first pick, but I’ll do it. Make that cash right so I can move quick.” On Instagram, Martinez spoke more in depth about working at a bakery in high school to save upmoney to invest into her artistic passions. Make your way over to whatever music streaming service you use and listen to “After School.” The EP’s themes relate to things we are all going through or have gone through at one point in our lives.