Culture Corner

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

Movie: “Dark Star” dir. John Carpenter (1974)

In John Carpenter’s feature directorial debut, crewmates are isolated on a decaying spaceship in an age of near-future interstellar exploration. If this sounds at all familiar, the film was co-written by Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon, who penned the screenplay for “Alien” (1979). Originally created as a student film at the University of Southern California (USC), it follows four astronauts two decades into their mission to destroy unstable planets and further human space colonization. Their work is tedious and thankless; they are denied repairs to the ship, even as broken instruments necessitate the death and cryogenic freezing of their commanding officer. The remaining crew bides their time in deep space, recording video diaries, caring for stowaway aliens and debating philosophy with bombs. The allure of space is derided by the bureaucratic treatment of the crew, begging the question: What does human exploration mean if the systems facilitating it remain the same?

Book: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker (1897), in the form of “Dracula Daily” by Matt Kirkland (2021)

Count Dracula is a ubiquitous pop culture character that stems from an epistolary novel. After being adapted and interpreted in so many mediums, it only feels a return to form to read the book as a newsletter. Created by web developer Matt Kirkland, “Dracula Daily” sends the entirety of the text of “Dracula” to subscribers (free of charge) on the date the letters, newspaper articles and journal entries are addressed. While not actually daily, the newsletter allows subscribers to follow along with the narrative, reading and considering the text at a slower, more deliberate pace. Running from May 3 to Nov. 7, now is the perfect time to subscribe to “Dracula Daily” and enjoy a classic piece of literature.

Multimedia: “17776” by Jon Bois (2017)

On April 7, 2026, humans stop dying and aging, choosing insted to spend their new immortal lives playing football. From the mind of sports writer Jon Bois, “17776” is a project presented under the guise of a news article that turns into a series of videos, GIFs and text blocks. The narrative jumps from human stasis to the titular year, where a newly awakened space probe joins their kind in watching a world consumed by “football.” Employing GPS, 3D-imaging and historical facts to underscore the world we leave behind, the work examines human motivation and legacy. For those who wonder about the purpose of sports, “17776” is a captivating experience like no other.

Album: “Jubilee” by Japanese Breakfast (2021)

Made to be a project in joy, this album is just the indie pop pick-me-up for an inconsistent spring. A development in frontwoman Michelle Zauner’s multi-instrumental form, the music takes on a chamber-like quality as streams of melody blend into an uplifting, bright sound. Reaching the heights of its energy at the beginning of the album in songs like “Paprika” and lead single “Be Sweet,” the album progressively moves into more relaxed arrangements that are no less entrancing. The breezy orchestration and Zauner’s vocals create a finely balanced contrast to the lyrics, which often opine the course of relationships through crafting narratives around observations of strangers, billionaire antics and the death of a loved one. An ambitious project populated by stories, “Jubilee” rides its ebbs and flows to create an album that allows for both easy listening and analysis — perfect for the waking spring season.

Written by: Hannah Osborn— arts@theaggie.org