March 9th, 2023
Movies in the Multiverse
Everyone needs a movie night once in a while. Whether it’s hanging out with all your best friends or laying low at home with some popcorn, we’ve got you covered! For a mind-bending good time, try these films situated in the multiverse (or “a theoretical reality that includes a possibly infinite number of parallel universes,” per Merriam-Webster).
Everything Everywhere All at Once
If you’re looking for a movie about the multiverse that’ll leave your head spinning from start to finish and even after, look no further, Everything Everywhere All at Once does exactly that and includes creative scenery while doing it. The visuals of this movie are absolutely insane. The way the characters hop between realities is visually enticing. The broad theme of the movie is about an exhausted and overworked Chinese American woman who has to get her already late taxes done on her laundromat, under intense pressure from the IRS. She instead is forced into jumping between universes since her “husband” sends her on missions to defeat an evil that is disrupting all the parallel timelines. But if we read deeper into the movie, there are also underlying themes such as the difficult relationship between parents and children; generational trauma/curses; LGBTQ+ acceptance, especially in other cultures; burnout; pressure to be a perfect child; the harsh reality of marriage and divorce; and many, many more. This movie is the perfect mix of wacky scenes and heart-touching messages. If you can manage to follow along with the silliness and chaos, I bet that this movie will leave your heart as warm as mine was after finishing. I personally give this film at least a solid 8.5/10. I strongly recommend sitting down and devoting some time to actually getting into this masterpiece of a movie. Available on Showtime and Parmount+, and to rent from other streaming sites.
If you’re looking for a movie about the multiverse that’ll leave your head spinning from start to finish and even after, look no further, Everything Everywhere All at Once does exactly that and includes creative scenery while doing it. The visuals of this movie are absolutely insane. The way the characters hop between realities is visually enticing. The broad theme of the movie is about an exhausted and overworked Chinese American woman who has to get her already late taxes done on her laundromat, under intense pressure from the IRS. She instead is forced into jumping between universes since her “husband” sends her on missions to defeat an evil that is disrupting all the parallel timelines. But if we read deeper into the movie, there are also underlying themes such as the difficult relationship between parents and children; generational trauma/curses; LGBTQ+ acceptance, especially in other cultures; burnout; pressure to be a perfect child; the harsh reality of marriage and divorce; and many, many more. This movie is the perfect mix of wacky scenes and heart-touching messages. If you can manage to follow along with the silliness and chaos, I bet that this movie will leave your heart as warm as mine was after finishing. I personally give this film at least a solid 8.5/10. I strongly recommend sitting down and devoting some time to actually getting into this masterpiece of a movie. Available on Showtime and Parmount+, and to rent from other streaming sites.—Jasmine Puls
Interstate 60
I caught this indie film by accident quite some time ago and remember being rather charmed by it. Interstate 60 (2002) opens with a mysterious man named O.W. Grant (which we later learn stands for “One-Wish Grant”), who offers a single wish at random to people he meets. We see one man take him up on it early in the film and suffer rather catastrophic consequences as a result, the obvious message here being to be careful what you wish for. The next time we see Grant, he’s serving cake to our protagonist Neal Oliver (a young James Marsden), who wants to be an artist but is under considerable pressure from his father to go to law school instead. He wishes for an answer to life, walks outside, and is promptly knocked out by a bucket falling on his head. (Again, be careful what you wish for!) What follows is Neal’s surreal road trip in a world that feels like a parallel universe (whether it actually is is up to the viewer), as he seeks an answer to the question that is his life. Neal doesn’t know where he’s going, but somehow, a sign always presents itself, both literally and figuratively. For example, he’s told a nearby billboard is blank, but when he looks away and then back again, a woman has appeared on it, advising him to call a certain number with no other explanation. When he gamely calls, a recorded message addresses him by name and provides him with an address, telling him to go there for his “appointment,” and so his journey continues. And the Interstate 60 of the title? It isn’t on any map and therefore doesn’t exist, Neal discovers; it just is. As he continues following the universe’s lead down this mysterious road, he meets a collection of strange and interesting people who seem, like him, to be seeking something, often in unhealthy ways. Will he, too, get stuck in one of the bizarre dead ends he discovers at each stop? Or will he find the true path that his life will take? It’s no Best Picture frontrunner, but the film, written by Back to the Future scribe Bob Gale, provides a pleasant and often unique combination of armchair philosophy and goofy fun, plus enough A-lister cameos to add a dose of surprise to a movie already full of them. Back in the early 2000s, I wondered why it never seemed to find a bigger audience. Maybe it’s just too smart for most people? Yeah, that must be it. Smugly pat yourself on the back and enjoy this oddball little film. Available free on Freevee, Tubi, and Peacock, and to rent from other streaming sites.
I caught this indie film by accident quite some time ago and remember being rather charmed by it. Interstate 60 (2002) opens with a mysterious man named O.W. Grant (which we later learn stands for “One-Wish Grant”), who offers a single wish at random to people he meets. We see one man take him up on it early in the film and suffer rather catastrophic consequences as a result, the obvious message here being to be careful what you wish for. The next time we see Grant, he’s serving cake to our protagonist Neal Oliver (a young James Marsden), who wants to be an artist but is under considerable pressure from his father to go to law school instead. He wishes for an answer to life, walks outside, and is promptly knocked out by a bucket falling on his head. (Again, be careful what you wish for!) What follows is Neal’s surreal road trip in a world that feels like a parallel universe (whether it actually is is up to the viewer), as he seeks an answer to the question that is his life. Neal doesn’t know where he’s going, but somehow, a sign always presents itself, both literally and figuratively. For example, he’s told a nearby billboard is blank, but when he looks away and then back again, a woman has appeared on it, advising him to call a certain number with no other explanation. When he gamely calls, a recorded message addresses him by name and provides him with an address, telling him to go there for his “appointment,” and so his journey continues. And the Interstate 60 of the title? It isn’t on any map and therefore doesn’t exist, Neal discovers; it just is. As he continues following the universe’s lead down this mysterious road, he meets a collection of strange and interesting people who seem, like him, to be seeking something, often in unhealthy ways. Will he, too, get stuck in one of the bizarre dead ends he discovers at each stop? Or will he find the true path that his life will take? It’s no Best Picture frontrunner, but the film, written by Back to the Future scribe Bob Gale, provides a pleasant and often unique combination of armchair philosophy and goofy fun, plus enough A-lister cameos to add a dose of surprise to a movie already full of them. Back in the early 2000s, I wondered why it never seemed to find a bigger audience. Maybe it’s just too smart for most people? Yeah, that must be it. Smugly pat yourself on the back and enjoy this oddball little film. Available free on Freevee, Tubi, and Peacock, and to rent from other streaming sites. —Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, Driftwood Advisor
Modest Mouse has had a varied career in their over 25 years on the scene. Chances are you’ve heard their megalithic track “Float On,” by far their most popular song. It’s upbeat and positive, almost kind of pop-ish; a far cry from the contents of Lonesome Crowded West. In contrast, the album has way more angst and anger for society. The entire album is tied together through its anti-consumerism ideas, targeted mainly at strip malls and what they stand for. The instrumentals are fairly bare-bones in terms of gear, mainly only lead guitar, bass, and drums, but by God, the band really does put their heart and soul into the music, laying down a sound that would help define the late ’90’s indie-rock scene. Being a double album, it is a bit on the longer side, but the balance of the tracks remedies this quite well. At times, it’s fast, active, and in your face. Other times, it’s slow, melancholic, and introspective. The album stands as a snapshot of a bygone era, whose messages still ring loud to this day.
In 1993, the Irish rock group The Cranberries created the melancholic yet vibrant Everyone Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? This was the band’s first full-length album, and it reflected influences of rock and dream pop. Beginning gently, this album proceeds to lift the mood by the second track, “Dreams,” which is one of The Cranberries’ most successful singles. This band is known for their alternative sound, stunningly distinct vocals by Dolores O’Riordan, and their post-punk presence, especially with their popular music videos on MTV. “Linger” provides a bridge between the slower, and more mysterious songs.
That’s right, Hues and Cues is a silly little guessing adventure all about finding the exact shade of a color in the player’s hand. Referencing the board with over 480 squares, players will draw from the deck and select a single color from the four options on each card. They will then try to describe that color in one-or-two word phrases. The closer you are to the exact shade, the more points you earn. The game concludes when one player has accumulated 50 points.
Hungry Hearts Diner is about a sweet old lady who struggles to run a small shop in a big city. The premise is to play as the woman and cook meals for various customers while learning more about their lives with each dish served. With every item you make, you not only unlock the stories of customers but also new things to make for them. The plot is full of twists and turns, and some tales you hear will leave you more emotional than you’d expect from a typical cooking game. This app is rated 4.9/5 on the Apple store and deservingly so. If you like relaxing, storytelling, casual/idle mobile games, or even if you’re just a fan of cooking games, then this app may be right for you. As one comment left by a player says, this is a “poignant story hidden inside a cooking sim.” Hungry Hearts Diner is free, so you might as well give it a go and see if you enjoy it for yourself. Available on iOS and Google Play, and for Mac/PC.
I’m just going to get it out of the way immediately, Portal 2 is probably my favorite game of all time. I can remember when I first got it back in 2012 as one of my first games for the Xbox 360, spending weeks tearing my ten-year-old hair out trying to beat it, and a genuine feeling of triumph as I did it for the first time. I remember a few years later, seeing the game on sale for $5 on Steam and popping back out the other end a couple of days later having an even deeper appreciation for it. I remember coming back just a few months ago and being drawn into the speedrunning community (people who try to beat the game as fast as possible), and after a LOT of practice getting placed 627th on the leaderboard. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but the point is this game has stuck with me for over a decade now.
To celebrate April Fool’s Day 2023, the Driftwood editorial staff unleashed their inner humor writers on many of the articles below. Find tongue-in-cheek recommendations, satirical reviews, and sarcasm galore in this special issue of our e-newsletter. You’ll still find some genuine news items and fun entertainment picks, too!
Flash! The lights illuminate the stage as the audience’s chatter is hushed. All eyes are drawn to the stage as the curtain starts to part, revealing the actors that stand in their disciplined roles. Sitting in the back row, Professor Stone Thornberry watches on proudly as the show is about to begin. Hours of rehearsal and arduous work have led up to this moment. It is one of her favorite parts of the theater: “I really like helping actors figure out their characters and watching the play come to life.”
Professor Stone Thornberry has the balanced experience of working in theater and completing her degrees, but her time on campus has been anything but uneventful! She described her life at the campus as “rather chaotic and unsettled.” Like a shift in the story, Professor Stone Thornberry went through a lot of changes since starting her job in 2011. She was the Artistic Director for Theatre on the Bay at the Marinette campus (the only female Artistic Directorin the theater’s
With those years of experience, Professor Stone Thornberry has developed a teaching style that is warm but disciplined. She believes that student participation is helpful in a classroom setting, and you can bet that it is essential in a theater where participation is needed. Putting in that extra effort can elevate the group’s performance. Though, if other teachers are trying to develop their own teaching style, Professor Stone Thornberry recommends reading about teaching and interacting with other teachers. She also suggests doing workshops and professional development to help strengthen teaching styles.
If you’d like to be more focused and less stressed while you study or do homework, try listening to music. Generations of students have sworn that certain types of tunes can put you in a more academic state of mind, and research seems to back this up. But not just any old tune will do. To lift your mood and increase your homework output, try listening to the following: