On Donald J. Trump, fast food, and the end of the world

March 2, 2016

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ben Roden Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Sometimes, despite my most meticulous planning, I end up with extra french fries at the end of my combo. Over the years, I’ve developed a system that ensures burger and fries cross the finish line in unison. This may seem like a trivial achievement, but there are variables […]

On ignorance, ISIS, and the greatest beef of the 21st century

February 29, 2016

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ben Roden Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Neil DeGrasse Tyson is many things; a prominent astrophysicist, a pop culture icon, and for many, a lovable mascot for the seemingly vague and inaccessible scientific establishment. This week, Tyson added another impressive and unprecedented bullet to his CV when he became, at least to my knowledge, the […]

The peculiar triumph of the “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast

February 29, 2016

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ben Roden Asst. Arts & Culture Editor In a media landscape dotted with sequels, prequels, reboots and remixes, truly original narratives are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast stands as a fascinating example of what can happen when artists embrace creativity and throw convention to the wind. “Night Vale” is […]

On Netflix, magic, and the American ritual

February 29, 2016

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ben Roden Asst. Arts & Culture Editor On Main Street in Logan there used to be a little art house movie theater. Now wait a second – I don’t want you to get the wrong idea when I say “art house.” The place wasn’t vintage-y, or hip, or even particularly clean. There was only one […]

The second-hand rapture of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

January 11, 2016

Reading Time: 3 minutes Illustration by Rebecca Cho Ben Roden Asst. Features Editor Let me get this out of the way: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” isn’t a great film. The effects are impressive and the acting is solid, and there are hip little jokes where you’d expect hip little jokes to be, but in all the ways that […]

Popcorn Time: “O’Horten”

January 11, 2016

Reading Time: 2 minutes Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics Ben Roden Asst. Lifestyle Editor Norway is full of natural treasures. There is ice. There are fjords. And there’s Director Bent Hamer. Hamer’s drama/comedy/character study “O’ Horten” was originally released in 2007, and has spent the last few years navigating the mystical and convoluted path that every foreign film must […]