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

By CHRIS PONCE — arts@theaggie.org

T.V. Show: “The Haunting of Hill House” dir. by Mike Flanagan (2018)

Mike Flanagan’s debut Netflix original “The Haunting of Hill House” is a horror T.V. show that I try to watch once a year when October rolls around. This show, which is loosely inspired by Shirley Jackon’s classic novel of the same name, is cut into two parts: the past, which features a group of five siblings during childhood living in a haunted house, and the present, which depicts the siblings as adults dealing with a recent tragedy. What sets the show apart from other T.V. shows about haunted houses is the mature tone through which it discusses grief, along with its powerful writing. The first five episodes each follow one of the siblings, revealing a piece of the story that requires the viewer to watch all the way through to put together. The siblings also each represent one of the five stages of grief, further portraying the story’s overall theme. This show has personally helped me deal with grief in my own life and reminded me of the importance of support from loved ones. “The Haunting of Hill House” is a beautiful show with so much more beneath the surface. 

Book: “Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney (2021)

While maybe not Rooney’s most popular book, “Beautiful World, Where Are You” was one of my favorite summer reads and the characters have stayed with me long since I put the book down. This book certainly has less drama than “Normal People,” but the characters feel well-rounded and just as authentic. The book follows two friends, an author and an editor, in their late twenties/early thirties as they navigate romantic and sexual relationships, work lives and adulthood. The book also provides meta-commentary on the purpose of writing fiction and why we buy books. After finishing the book, I felt as if I truly knew the two protagonists and wished I could check up on them in the future. It’s not my favorite Sally Rooney book, but it’s one I’d recommend to anyone beginning to navigate “adulthood.” 

Album: “Surely Tempo” by Surely Tempo (2023) 

Surely Tempo is a Chicano indie rock band from Southern California that you won’t regret listening to before they “make it big.” Their music has a familiar rock sound that is easy to bop your head to. Like many Chicano rock bands, Surely Tempo’s songs incorporate a mix of English and Spanish in their lyrics. Their latest album, “Surely Tempo,” is their music at its best. The songs are reminiscent of songs you would hear at a local garage concert. Discovering their discography will not let you down.

Movie: “Signs” dir. by M. Night Shyamalan (2002)

“Signs” is my favorite alien movie not because of its depiction of aliens or of horror, but because of its message of family and faith in your identity. The film follows a family trying to rediscover themselves after going through the death of a loved one, all with the backdrop of an alien invasion. “Signs” requires little introduction; it’s a classic for good reason. The setup of a distant protagonist, a former priest, who has lost his faith and belief in destiny is deeply compelling. This movie is a perfect October watch. 

Written By: Chris Ponce — arts@theaggie.org

Reviewing the food and beverage options at the ‘happiest place on Earth’

By LORENA ALVAREZ — arts@theaggie.org 

While Disneyland offers a nostalgic representation of childhood through its widely known art and characters, visiting the parks during the summer warmth can be more tiring than one might anticipate. The following are some beverages and foods that can make the humid and hot environment much more bearable.

Disneyland offers a wide range of drinks, from alcoholic beverages in Oga’s Cantina to cold brews and lemonade throughout the park.

When asked about his go-to spot at Disneyland, Richard Rivas, a visitor at the park, noted the Takodana Quencher, a dragon-berry rum pineapple drink from Oga’s Cantina.

“The Takodana Quencher has a very strong fruity flavor that I liked and didn’t taste

like alcohol at all,” Rivas said. “It tasted like a capri-sun at first, but the more you drank, the more you realize the aftertaste of the alcohol, which wasn’t bad at all and gave it a nice flavor in the end.”

While Oga’s Cantina offers beer, wine, seltzers and other alcoholic concoctions, they

are popular for their signature cocktails. Blogs ran by Disney enthusiasts such as This Fairytale Life, Disney in Your Day and Disney Wire have ranked the drinks from best to worst, with two out of the three listing The Outer Rim, a margarita, in their top two drinks.
“This has a lot of the elements of a traditional margarita, such as tequila and lime juice, but it also makes things more interesting by adding acai liqueur and ‘exotic fruit puree’ to make it a little more sweet,” reads a blog post by Disney in Your Day. “And don’t be alarmed by the black stuff on the rim – it’s just black salt.”

Some non-alcoholic caffeinated drinks offered this fall season are the Specialty Cold Brrr-ew, a sea salt caramel toffee coffee at Cafe Daisy and a Chimney Sweep Cold Brew at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. Cafe Daisy’s had a potent caffeine flavor that, when mixed, was not too sweet or bitter. The second option was creamier and caramelly. The smoked salted sugar on top added a unique texture, making it sweeter and memorable. 

Jaylynn Velhagen-Dizon, an LA local and fourth-year English, cinema and theater major, commented on her favorite drinks and foods at the Disney parks.

 “My favorite drinks are from the Joffrey cart in California Adventure. Pretty much any of their coffees are super good. I love a good corn dog from the firehouse cart,” Velhagen-Dizon stated. “Also, a new favorite of mine is the sunchoke and pistachio pesto pasta from Blue Bayou, which is one of the vegetarian options they have available there.”

While reservations can be made day of for both restaurants, Blue Bayou’s popularity requires that visitors book months ahead of time if they wish to secure reservations. 

Its fame stems from its location — diners eat “inside the popular Pirates of the Caribbean ride,” according to Mickey Visit’s website. 

Some of the items on the menu are market fish, filet mignon, roasted chicken and prime rib. Upon request, servers will provide their allergy menu, which offers fried calamari, surf & turf, gumbo, salads and many more options that take into account the top eight common allergens (gluten/wheat, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, tree but, fish and shellfish).

Although some restaurants require reservations, there are many options that have relatively short wait times. The Mint Julep bar offers Mickey-shaped beignets, featuring seasonal flavors like pumpkin-spiced beignets rolled in pumpkin-spiced sugar. This Halloween season, the Pooh Corner in Critter County is featuring Mickey pumpkin cake pops, Minnie Mouse as a witch, bat, skull and “hunny pot” apples. They also have Halloween-themed vanilla and chocolate fudge cupcakes. 

There are also plenty of classic foods at the parks. Jacquelin Andrade, a SoCal local and UC Davis alumna, commented on their favorite sweet and savory foods. 

“I think my favorite are the beignets. The turkey legs are also really good.”

 The drumsticks are known for being “practically the size of [people’s] heads,” which can be found in Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Springs, Disneyland Resort and California Adventure. Additionally, popcorn and churros can be found throughout the parks. The parks feature their classic churros year-round, but they also incorporate seasonal options to make the parks more magical. 

While the wide range of stands and restaurants can be overwhelming, many Disney enthusiasts have created Instagram accounts and websites explaining their must-haves and where they are located at the Disney parks, so visitors can enjoy their visit and indulge in the wide variety of food and drinks the park has to offer. 

Written by: Lorena Alvarez — arts@theaggie.org

Here are three of my favorite memoirs that have kept me and my existential thoughts company this year

By SONORA SLATER — arts@theaggie.org

I was your typical 12-year-old voracious reader, leaving the library with a precarious stack of “Percy Jackson,” “Keeper of the Lost Cities” and “Warrior Cats” novels and flying through them a day at a time. I never cared much about having a refined or intellectual reading taste, or stocking up on my knowledge of the classics (apologies to my English major mother), and I still don’t really — I’m currently on chapter three of the new (new!!) “Percy Jackson” book.

But as much as reading has always been about escapism for me, it’s also become something else as I’ve entered my 20s. It’s been a way to help me navigate real life, a way to learn from other people with other life experiences and perspectives and a way to make me feel less alone.

Good, honest nonfiction helps me remember that other people are also grappling with big life decisions, career goals, relationships and friendships, anxieties, uncertainty about the future, figuring out who they want to be and what they value — you get the picture. 

Because of this, if you were to pull up my StoryGraph page from this year (I abandoned Goodreads… traitorous, I know), you would see I’ve been mixing some nonfiction into my steady stream of fantasy, young adult and, yes, romance novels. Specifically, I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs. So, without further ado, here are my three favorite memoirs that I’ve read this year, and why reading about these authors’ lives and thoughts has stuck with me.

“The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green (2021)

Yes, that John Green — the one who wrote “The Fault in Our Stars” and taught you most of what you know about U.S. history via his “Crash Course” series on YouTube. If that alone doesn’t convince you to give this book a chance, maybe the fact that it somehow combines “The Penguins of Madagascar,” facts about geese and musings on the complications of human life, love and loss will.

The concept of this book is pretty straightforward: The Anthropocene is the current geological age we’re living in, marked by the impact human activity has had on shaping the planet. Each chapter is a separate essay in which Green “reviews” various aspects of society or the world today, such as the QWERTY keyboard or air conditioning, and then gives it a rating out of five stars. 

But at the same time, he weaves in stories about his life and his childhood and his brother Hank, his reality during the pandemic, when he wrote the book, periods of darkness in his life when he struggled with his mental health or battled illness, and periods of light when he spent time with his wife and kids appreciating the beauty of the world. 

But mostly, this book is about hope; finding hope, losing it and finding it again. I debated between a lot of quotes from “The Anthropocene Reviewed” that I thought might give you a taste of its themes, but ultimately I decided that this one describes it best: 

“Hope is the correct response to the strange, often terrifying miracle of consciousness. Hope is not easy or cheap. It is true.”

I give “The Anthropocene Reviewed” five stars. 

“I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy (2022)

Jennette McCurdy was a child actor, starring in iCarly after being pushed into the television industry by her overbearing mother who insisted on living her unrealized acting dreams vicariously through her daughter. 

Throughout the book, McCurdy recounts struggling with addiction, eating disorders and the extreme perfectionism that she learned by trying to earn her mother’s praise, writing about these experiences in an unflinchingly honest way. Still, her wry humor and insightful reflection on how she’s worked to create a new life and identify for herself as an adult keep the book from getting too dark and give a purpose to the story. Here’s one quote from it that stuck with me:

“I’m trying every day to face myself. The results vary, but the attempts are consistent.”

“Dinners With Ruth” by Nina Totenberg (2022)

The subtitle of this book adds some important context: “A Memoir on the Power of Friendships.”

This book is about more than just NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg’s life; It’s the story of how she and former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg became friends, and then stayed friends, through loss, disagreement, professional conflict of interest and many, many years. It also touches on other friendships she was a part of or witnessed, including those between people who held very different political views, or different perspectives on life. 

In college, I think we’re all learning about complicated friendships — ones where you care about the other person deeply, enjoy spending time with them and learning from them, but you also disagree on certain things that are important to you. Some of my most powerful friendships in college have been the ones where we trust and respect each other enough to disagree. 

I think that’s why this book spoke to me, and why I think it might speak to some of you. Totenberg is 79 years old, and the perspective of her age made her reflections on friendship stand out to me because she is someone who has clearly cultivated the kind of friends that are with you through decades, through celebrations, loss and illness. That’s the kind of friendship I want to learn how to build and hold on to — especially female friendships like the one between Totenberg and Ginsberg.

But as Totenberg reflects on in her book as she describes several of the close friendships she’s witnessed between very different, strongly opinionated people, that’s not always an easy thing to do — especially now.

“In our current climate, could [friendships like the ones she’s seen between very different people] ever take root and thrive?” Totenberg writes. “And what does the answer to that question mean for all of us?”

The world is wide, and people have lived so many lives in different places and times than our own. And yet, there is so much that connects us (I’ve never had a unique experience in my life, if you know what I mean). 

If you, like me, sometimes feel generally unqualified to be the one at the helm of your life decisions, maybe it’s time to pick up a memoir. Absorb some advice from someone older and wiser or someone who’s gone through the same things you have or someone who’s led a wildly different life from your own and might be able to give you a new perspective, and remember that we are never really alone. 

Written By: Sonora Slater — arts@theaggie.org