The Quill

May 3rd, 2023

Horror Comedy

What’s black and white and red all over? This joke! …Okay, I can hear your groans from here. Fortunately, these horror comedies will have you laughing the whole way through … if you’re not too spooked, that is.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

In this spoof of a slasher movie, two awkward but well-intentioned hillbillies, Tucker (played by Alan Tudyk) and Dale (played by Tyler Labine), finally buy the vacation home of their dreams—a run-down cabin in the woods. All seems to be going well— until a group of college students on a camping trip mistake the two for bloodthirsty killers. To make things worse, in their attempts to save their “kidnapped” friend, Allison, who is staying with the two after they saved her from drowning, the students begin falling prey to bizarre, deadly accidents (think Final Destination, but sillier). Will Tucker and Dale ever be able to clear the air between them? Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is best enjoyed with friends, especially if you’re the type of person who loves giving commentary on what you’re watching.

—Kana Coonce, Horror Editor

What We Do in the Shadows

This hilarious mockumentary TV series follows the wacky experiences of four vampires that have lived together for hundreds of years on Staten Island. The cast features Nandor the Relentless, a warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire; British vampire Laszlo; the seductive Nadja; and Colin the day-walker. We also can’t forget one of the funniest parts of the series, Nandor’s familiar, Guillermo. He’s the only human in the mix and has so many ridiculous and comical moments. I love the mockumentary style of this TV show, and it is totally bingable. I ended up watching all four seasons in just a couple weeks. It will keep you laughing the entire time, and the use of awkward tension and striking punchlines makes for a great watch! I would recommend checking out What We Do In The Shadows as it is available on Hulu, YouTube TV, and YouTube!

—Syd Morgan

Children of the Mirror

Children of The Mirror is a horror-comedy mini-series made for IFC by Wham! City Comedy. All six episodes are easily accessible on IFC’s YouTube page and are all about five minutes long. The show is about a cult and is presented as lessons from its leader, Curtis, to its followers. He lives in a commune with three other “children” who live to serve him. Not all the lessons are presented to the viewer, just a slow trickle as they descend further into chaos and panic while preparing for their end of the world, simply referred to as “The Return.” As more of how the cult acts and thinks gets revealed, more questions need answers. A thick layer of confusion and intrigue coats the show, with each viewing putting even just another piece into place.

—Andrew Wiegman

May 3rd, 2023

High Fantasy Reads, Part II

In Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, Kvothe, the main character, retells the story of his life to a weary traveler. He begins with his childhood, weaving the tale of his life in a troupe of traveling players into his time spent as an orphan trying to survive in a crime-ridden city. He then moves the story to narrate his time spent at a legendary magic school, where he gets into all sorts of crazy trouble. It gives full Hogwarts vibes, but so much darker and cooler. Kvothe’s life is full of crazy, wonderful, and at times heart-wrenching stories; which one will be your favorite?

Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Series #1)
by Juliet Marillier

Sorcha is the youngest of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters’ seven children. The lady of the house died giving birth to her, but the mother-shaped hole in her heart is almost filled by the closeness Sorcha shares with her six older brothers. Until Lord Colum remarries, that is, as emotionally remote single fathers in fantasy fairy tales are wont to do. Lady Oonagh, the new stepmother, wants Lord Colum’s love—and money—for herself. And naturally, being a powerful sorceress, she casts a devastating curse on the lord’s sons, turning them into swans, though she fails to catch his daughter in her magical snare. As Sorcha hides in the forest and watches the last of her family lift off into the sky, she knows she must seek the help of the queen of the Fair Folk.

The Lady of the Forest provides a ray of hope, but it requires an unimaginable sacrifice: Sorcha must weave six shirts out of stinging nettles, casting them upon her brothers only once all six are finished so they can return to human form. But she cannot utter a single word until she has completed her task, or her beloved siblings will remain in swan form forever. The Lady can’t counter Oonagh’s curse, but she manages to temper it enough that the brothers are able to visit Sorcha twice a year, becoming human again for a day each time, which soothes her sadness though she cannot speak with them. But when a band of soldiers interrupts her painful task while seeking a lost comrade, she’s carried along in their wake, unable to protest. She plots her escape, but her plans become even more complicated as the weeks pass due to her budding feelings for their leader Hugh of Harrowfield—and the fact that Lady Oonagh still wants her transformed or dead. 

Daughter of the Forest is based on “The Six Swans” by the Brothers Grimm, itself a retelling of the German fairy tale of the same name and the Irish myth “The Children of Lir.” But it’s also so much more. Gorgeous writing, stunning high-fantasy settings, and a tale brimming with emotion made this one of my favorite reads when I was in my 20s. The slow-burn romance subplot is a lovely bonus. One important caveat: Marillier turns her gift for crafting immersive settings that activate all five senses toward depicting a few harrowing scenes of violence, including a brutal sexual assault. If you’re okay with giving it a go anyway, and perhaps skimming or skipping anything that feels like too much, you’ll be rewarded with lyrical writing and an achingly beautiful story. It is the first in a six-book series, but the ending feels complete enough that it can be read as a standalone. 

May 3rd, 2023

Interview Podcasts

There are some interesting people out there, so here are podcasts that interview those
people and tell their stories. 

Podcast But Outside

Usually podcast hosts like to interview well-known people. This may include celebrities, politicians, or even an entrepreneur. This podcast, however, adds a bit of a twist. Podcast But Outside is exactly what the title says it is, a podcast that takes place outside. The show specifically interviews random strangers that walk past their booth. It is hosted by two individuals named Cole Hersch and Andrew Michaan. The two are comedians but from different backgrounds. Andrew would perform stand-up comedy while Cole would work on comedy videos and skits. The two eventually came together to create a new and fascinating podcast. Each episode is completely unique as no guest is ever the same. The two set up their booth in a random location and wait for people to willingly be interviewed. Their booth is also not just set up in one state but all around the U.S. One of the most memorable places, in my opinion, is Hawaii. It is fascinating to hear these strangers’ stories: who they are, what they do, and their thoughts about life. The two hosts always seem to support and know how to interact well with each interviewee. I will say the show can be crude, as the strangers are allowed to speak whatever is on their mind, but for me it feels more genuine as people are being themselves. Some people have a filter and some don’t. I will never stop looking forward to each episode that comes out.

—Emma Krueger, Podcast Editor

Recess Therapy

Recess Therapy started out as a somewhat well-known Instagram account that found the Corn kid (a.k.a. Tariq, a now famous little kid who talks about corn on an episode, which was then turned into a song). It was created by 22-year-old Julian Shapiro-Barnum. He interviews children between the ages of 2 and 9 in New York City and has been sharing their stories online since 2022. He asks the kids with basic questions, such as, “What is your favorite food?” so they can further elaborate and take the wheel on where the conversations go. Recess Therapy is full of cute kids and their even cuter stories. If you love kids and the silly things they say, then this podcast (which is also a YouTube series) is for you! Recess Therapy also has an Instagram and TikTok if you’d like to give them a watch or follow. I rate the interviews with the little kids a solid 8.5/10. Each episode is sure to be entertaining and keep you intrigued.

—Jasmine Puls

May 3rd, 2023

A Childhood Classic Reinvented

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was created by Dreamworks, and the film actually ended up bringing in way more earnings than they’d originally expected seeing as this film was released at the same time as the new Avatar. This film was simply breathtaking and an easy movie to stay hooked on the whole time. If the animation and details didn’t keep you intrigued, then the snippets of adult humor and scenes with underlying serious tones that they sneaked in sure will. I personally love that they tried to add some details that adults would catch on to, so the movie is fun for all ages (well, maybe those 13 and up since it has some PG-13 themes). Not only that, but the movie has very good lessons for kids, including friendship, loyalty, valuing loved ones, and not being greedy. My personal favorite part of the film, though, is the depiction of anxiety. As someone with severe anxiety, I found that the attention to detail that the filmmakers gave Puss during his brief episodes made my friends and me honestly tear up. The anxiety-attack scene with Puss was the best representation I have seen so far, especially in a kid’s movie. The new character introduced with his own heartbreaking story, Parrito, also helps Puss to calm down and teaches him and Kitty, Puss’s ex-lover, to stop and smell the roses, literally. I strongly recommended that everyone go see this movie, no matter their age. I give this movie a solid 9/10 simply because I cried, and I never cry at movies. This film is unexpectedly deep for being a kids’ movie, and I feel everyone should go give this film a watch of their own.

May 3rd, 2023

Music for Plants and More

Start with synth-heavy music for your plants and move to a synth-heavy New Wave pioneer. 

Mother Earth’s Plantasia (1976)

Mother Earth’s Plantasia, subtitled “warm earth music for plants and the people who love them,” is exactly such. Composed by synthesizer pioneer Mort Garson, the album uses an early synth called a Moog. The Moog, as pictured below, was the first commercial synth, which differs from modern synths in the fact that it’s a giant room-sized cabinet. Mort got his pretty early on from the instrument’s inventor (whose last name really was Moog), and he quickly fell in love with its sound. He translated what he knew from classical arranging and conducting to the crazy new tech, which Plantasia showcases in full effect. The album has such a brilliant and bright sound, which has an almost protective aura to it. Its highs are very high, and it never breaks its feeling of sanguine freedom. There’s something about the nature aesthetic partnered with the bright, “bloopy” sounds of the synth that plants a big smile on my face every time. If you ever find your own houseplants being particularly sad, maybe throw this record on for them. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it, too.

The Man-Machine (1978)
by Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is a German electronic and synth-pop band that was created in 1970 and is recognized as one of the groups that laid the groundwork for electronic music. The band is still actively touring 50 years later, including one of the founding members (now in his 70s) who continues to share fundamentally important music. The Man-Machine (1978) only contains six songs, creating a 36-minute album, but has been one of Kraftwerk’s most popular works. This band is known for their robot-like performances as well as the formal attire (suits and ties) worn during their shows that contribute to their rigid aesthetic, which matches their eccentric sound. My favorite song from this album is “The Model” because it has a catchy beat in addition to the refreshing composition that completes the glimmering album.

I have personally watched several of Kraftwerk’s live sets on YouTube, including one of their first performances from 1970. I thought it was interesting that the electronic beats were all produced from musical instruments, not synthesizers. Kraftwerk was one of the first bands to create this type of eclectic music, and I noticed the crowd that attended this performance had vastly different reactions: from completely intrigued and enjoying it to looks of shock and confusion. I thought it was extraordinary to see a video that showcased the roots of some of today’s most popular genres such as electronic, techno, house music, and synthwave.

May 3rd, 2023

Couples Edition

If you’re looking for the perfect night-in date idea, try this board game designed for you and your beloved, look no further.

Fog of Love (2 players)

Do you enjoy a little bit of role-play, imagination, and romance?  Fog of Love covers all three as a shared-narrative game. Between you and the other player, you will create and play two vivid characters who meet, fall in love, and traverse through the perils of making a relationship work.

• Customization—Creating Your Character is Half the Game!
  
  • Draw from various decks and build your character’s defining traits and occupation. Develop their six different personality traits that your character will have a tendency towards. (For example, Paster Eve has a booming voice and uses slang. She is more extroverted. Her lover, Natalie the Lawyer, has piercing eyes and wears old jewelry. She is more introverted.)
    
  • You will also both have personal goals to work toward that you keep secret from the other player, in addition to your character’s happiness levels.
    
• Gameplay—Sink or Swim.
  
  • As you play through the chapters, you will draw event cards. (For example, bring home a dog!) They are multiple choice questions where you try to choose the best reaction and outcome for your character and their personality. Some event cards require a joint decision; some will only require input from one player. Regardless of how the decision is made, both characters will be affected by the choice.
    
  • At the end of the game, you compare your beginning stats with your current ones and decide if your character is happy enough to continue the relationship.

The Fog of Love includes a comfortable level of diversity, where the gender of the character has no effect on the actual gameplay. All the event cards and personality traits are inclusive of any two-person relationship. Plus, it’s fun to step away from your actual lives and role-play a funky little couple for the night instead!

The average pricing for this game on Amazon is $48.00, so we recommend buying it used for less.

May 3rd, 2023

Cooperative Games

Grab a friend or two for these cooperative games that will test your friendship!

A Way Out

You know what they say about any activity; it’s always better with a friend. In this case, you need a friend if you want to find A Way Out. In this cooperative video game, you and your friend play the role of two convicts who rely on one another to survive and escape prison. You’ve come to learn more about the characters you play, finding out how their stories intertwine with each other. You embark on a journey across the country, uncovering more about their past and finding a Way Out.

A Way Out was the predecessor to It Takes Two, so if you enjoyed that game, you’ll like this one! A Way Out, being a third-person, narrative game, is a bit more realistic with its graphics and focuses more on puzzle solving, using cooperative mechanics, and interacting with the environment to progress the game. However, there are some action-packed sections, too! From having a stealth section escaping the cops through a forest, an intense chase scene through a construction site, and one where you go guns-blazing through a cartel hideout, A Way Out has a variety of locations and action pieces that keeps you hooked.

It is an incredible time to play with a friend, and the ending is jaw-dropping. Give it a try if you’re looking for a fun coop game to play. It’s available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Heave Ho

Heave Ho is a multiplayer game published by Devolver Digital. In this game, you and one to three other people play as a creature with only two arms whose goal is to get to the other side of the trench and not fall to your death. You control each hand individually as you grab onto different platforms, dragging yourself across the screen. It is best played with the maximum of four players as the more people working together, the easier it is to navigate. As you continue to play, the levels get more difficult, and each level has a unique style. There are coins to collect that allow you to unlock new costumes for your character and mini games within the game! Sometimes the game can get pretty frustrating, as it can be hard to navigate, but the game has you covered: once you spend enough time on a level, it starts to assist you in getting to the finish line. If teamwork isn’t your thing, then fret not, as there is a competitive mode! In this mode, you race your friends to the finish line, but the catch is that the platform at the end is made of ice, meaning if you’re not careful, your character will go flying off. I absolutely love this game, as I never know how things will end up depending on who I play with. When I play with my siblings, there’s a lot of arguing, yelling, and laughing, but with my friends, there’s a lot of laughing and crying tears of joy. Check out the game if you need something to spice up your get-togethers.

April 26th, 2023

You’ve reached the place where all the bad, but oh-so-satisfying entertainment exists. Here, in the Trash Vortex, we provide you with only the trashiest, most bingeworthy recommendations. It’s a dark hole you won’t escape!

Videos to Take You Down a YouTube Rabbit Hole

Procrastinating on your finals? Brain feel like mush? Just want to take a “short” break? From video essayists to game critics, these YouTubers have consumed all of the trashy content you could ask for in order to present it in an easily digestible format. It’s like baby food, but in video form!

Monster Factory

Monster Factory is a series created by the prodigious brothers McElroy (Griffin and Justin, to be precise) in which the two sit down to create the most monstrous character they can using the character creation tools a video game gives them. Between the Frankensteinian creations and the brothers’ childish giggling, it’s impossible not to have a good time. My personal favorite monster? Jaa’m, the sequel to dogs.

The Excruciating Tale of Bad Cinderella

Have two hours to kill and want to learn about something completely inconsequential, but nonetheless entertaining? Hate Andrew Lloyd Weber and want to feel vindicated? You’ve come to the right place! Video essayist Ashley Norton thoroughly roasts Weber’s flop of a musical Bad Cinderella, first providing viewers with a rundown of the show’s rocky past and then reenacting the production with lovingly crafted puppets. Whether you love musical theater or detest it, there is something here for everyone.

One Direction During the Purge 

Do you enjoy bizarre fanfiction? Jenny Nicholson does! If you have a half an hour to kill, join Nicholson as she browses Wattpad for works about the boy band that took the 2010s by storm … and discovers just how many stories there are about what sorts of activities Harry Styles gets up to during the Purge. As a lifelong geek, Nicholson’s earnest commentary is always a delight, even if the stories she’s reading sometimes aren’t.

—Kana Coonce, Trash Vortex Editor

April 26th, 2023

Horror Podcasts

Your home for the spooky, the supernatural, and things that just ain’t right.

What’s spookier than the human imagination? The human imagination, backed by creepy music. If a good audio experience is your jam, we’ve got you covered.

Welcome to Night Vale

This is the podcast that took Tumblr (and 17-year old me) by storm. Join the dulcet-toned Cecil Palmer as he regales the desert city of Night Vale with its weekly news, interviews with the locals, and crushes on the new scientist in town, Carlos. Of particular note is fan-favorite segment “The Weather,” which features a song submitted by a different indie artist each episode. With a colorful cast ranging from Hiram McDaniels, the five-headed dragon, to Kevin, the radio host of sister city Desert Bluffs, to an ever-rotating cast of interns, there’s a character to relate to—or not—for everybody. Also, if you’re a fan of live shows, Welcome to Night Vale frequently tours, always with a stage-exclusive story and surprise guests. Its next stop? This Sunday in Madison. Anyone have $27 and a half-tank of gas they’re not using?

The Magnus Archives

Written and performed by Jonathan Sims, The Magnus Archives is a fictional anthology series told through the lens of the new head archivist at the Magnus Institute, an organization that deals in the bizarre, the unnatural, and the frightening. As the podcast progresses, seemingly disconnected threads begin to connect into an overarching mystery that will keep you huddled under the covers into the early hours of the morning to reach its conclusion.

—Kana Coonce, Horror Editor

Greg and Dana’s Haunted Objects Podcast

Paranormal investigators and full-time weird specialists Greg and Dana Newkirk host this enormously fun podcast along with researcher Connor J. Randall. In addition to paranormal investigating and podcast hosting, the Newkirks run a traveling museum of the paranormal, which is the basis and inspiration for their podcast. Every two weeks, the Newkirks and Randall pick an item out of their vast collection of haunted objects and detail its place in the paranormal cannon, the story of the item, and its historical significance. The items that have warranted episodes so far have ranged from scrying mirrors to a plank from the Amityville house to a haunted clown doll and even historical merch from the 1980s sponsored hunt for the Mokele-Mbembe. Every episode is a chance to learn about cool paranormal history delivered in a fun and engaging conversation between these specialists. If you’re a fan of anything spooky, historical, or even just love a well-researched podcast, check it out!

—Syd Morgan