Tag: Madison Palmieri ’22
We’ll Remember It “All Too Well”
by The Cowl Editor on November 18, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
We’ll Remember It “All Too Well”
An Iconic Era Begins Again with Red (Taylor’s Version)
Madison Palmieri ’22
Taylor Swift’s fans can certainly say they are “The Lucky One(s).”
In the past year alone, the icon has released a chart-topping album, evermore, the companion to the Grammy-winning folklore. She also released a re-recording of another one of her Grammy-winning records, 2008’s Fearless, among a myriad of other content ranging from “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” to folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.
Now that the air has turned colder and the autumn leaves are “falling down like pieces into place,” the time has come for another treat for fans: Red (Taylor’s Version).
Red (Taylor’s Version) is the second in a series of re-recordings of Swift’s first six albums that the artist plans to release over the course of the next couple of years in order to regain control over her early music, recorded with Big Machine Records, after Scooter Braun sold the master versions of it without Swift’s knowledge.
When Swift first announced her intent to re-record her stolen songs, fans immediately began to speculate as to the order in which she would release them. While it was no surprise that she began with mega-hit Fearless, fans were divided as to which album would come next: chronologically, Speak Now made the most sense, but 1989 fit with the time of the year projected for the next release.
Both of these guesses, however, were wrong. On Friday, June 18, Swift took to Instagram to announce that Red (Taylor’s Version) would release in November. The original release date was Nov. 19, but, to the excitement of fans, the artist gifted them with the re-recording a week early on Nov. 12.
From the first lines of album opener “State of Grace,” Swift instantly transports fans back to 2012. With slightly re-worked stylings and matured vocals, the artist’s growth in the nine years since recording the original version of the record is clear. From smash-hits such as “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and title track “Red” to fan-favorites like “Treacherous,” “The Lucky One,” and, of course, her magnum opus “All Too Well,” Swift takes listeners on a nostalgic, emotional trip down memory lane.
Notably, the album also includes new versions of existing tracks not published on the original Red. When she first wrote these songs, Swift gave one, “Better Man,” to Little Big Town; she recorded another, “Babe,” with Sugarland. Another addition to Red (Taylor’s Version) is “Ronan,” a notoriously emotional track written in honor of a young boy who died of cancer.
Although fans were delighted to see how these new versions of their “old favorite song(s)” compared to the originals, they were perhaps more so anticipating the album’s “vault” tracks. Swift wrote these songs during the original Red era, but they did not make the final version of the 2012 album. This time around, however, she invited some of her fellow artists to bring these previously-unheard songs to life.
“Nothing New,” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, is by far the most emotional of the six vault tracks. With poignant lyrics such as “Lord, what will become of me/Once I lose my novelty?” and “How can a person know everything at 18/But nothing at 22?/And will you still want me when I’m nothing new?” fans gain an intimate glimpse into a young Swift’s fears of becoming irrelevant, a theme also explored in “The Lucky One.”
Although Swift’s fears thankfully did not come true, with the artist more relevant than ever today, one line remains quite prophetic given how Swift has inspired rising stars such as Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray: “I know someday I’m gonna meet her/It’s like a fever dream/The kind of radiance you only have at seventeen/She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me.” “Nothing New” is also notable for being the first Swift track to feature a female artist on an entire verse, rather than simply on backing vocals.
“Message in a Bottle” and “The Very First Night” are the two most energetic vault tracks, with an upbeat style and bubbly lyrics reminiscent of early 2010s hits such as Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” instantly bringing listeners back to the now long-gone summers of that time. Notably, “Message in a Bottle” is the first song Swift wrote with Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she partnered to create hits such as “Blank Space.”
“I Bet You Think About Me” featuring Chris Stapleton not only proves that “country Taylor” is alive and thriving in 2021, but also affirms her knack for witty critique. Swift pokes fun at her ex’s lifestyle, from his “silver-spoon gated community” to his “organic shoes and million-dollar couch.” The song’s reference to how her former flame attends “cool indie music concerts every week” is a nod to a line in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Another notable line is “Mr. Superior Thinkin’,” a potentially purposeful nod to “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” a vault song from Fearless (Taylor’s Version). One of the final lines of the track, “I bet you think about me when you say/’Oh my god, she’s insane, she wrote a song about me,’” is a perfect example of Swift’s knack for self-satire, as evident on tracks such as “Better Than Revenge” and “Blank Space.”
The other vault tracks, “Forever Winter” and “Run,” nicely compliment the other previously-unreleased tracks as well as the album as a whole. The former can be interpreted as forerunner to evermore’s title track, using wintery imagery to explore themes of helping someone persevere through depression and find hope. The latter, featuring Swift’s longtime friend and collaborator Ed Sheeran, sets a scene that calls to mind “the road not taken” in “‘tis the damn season,” another evermore track.
Perhaps the most anxiously-awaited track on Red (Taylor’s Version), however, was“All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” A longtime urban legend among Swift’s fans, few believed that the song actually existed, let alone that it would ever see the light of day. At 10 minutes and 13 seconds, it is the album’s longest track; as a re-imagined version of one of the artist’s most popular and beloved songs, it is the album’s biggest standout.
The version of “All Too Well” released on the original Red album back in 2012 perfectly encapsulates the whirlwind of emotions that comes with looking back on a past relationship after its magic has long faded; the “10-Minute Version” of the beloved track adds a layer of criticism and self-knowledge to the romanticized relationship described in the original version.
Indeed, whereas “All Too Well” focuses on Swift’s more positive memories of her former partner, the “10-Minute Version” isn’t afraid to shy away from the uglier aspects of their relationship. Lines such as “He’s gonna say it’s love, you never called it what it was/’Til we were dead and gone and buried,” “You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath,” and “I’m in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind/You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine /And that made me want to die” add a deeper, darker, and more profound layer to the already heart wrenching song. The actor about whom the song is believed to be written has long incurred the wrath of Swift’s fans, but now, he may want to look into joining the witness protection program.
“All Too Well (10-Minute Version)” also features references to other Red songs. For instance, Swift paints the same scene depicted in “The Moment I Knew,” with one line describing how her father said that “It’s supposed to be fun turning twenty-one” after seeing her break down when her ex failed to show up to her birthday party. The line, “And I was never good at telling jokes but the punch line goes/I’ll get older but your lovers stay my age” references Swift’s remembrance of how her ex didn’t think she was funny in “Begin Again,” while also delivering a scathing condemnation of his tendency to prey on young women.
The 2012 version of Red was a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself. Swift’s re-imagining of this iconic album proves once again not only her sheer talent and once-in-a-generation ability to truly connect with listeners, but also her dedication and tenacity. Producing chart-topping album after chart-topping album is a feat in and of itself; producing re-recordings of these records a decade later that are just as, if not more, successful than the originals affirms Swift’s status as a true musical icon.
Indeed, Swift’s fans truly are “The Lucky One(s).” While Red (Taylor’s Version) will be celebrated for years to come, they were able to watch this iconic era in the artist’s discography “Begin Again.”
Marvel Cinematic Universe Series Asks “What If?”
by The Cowl Editor on November 4, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Marvel Cinematic Universe Series Asks “What If?”
Features Alternate Versions of Characters, Events From the Mega-Franchise
Madison Palmieri ’22
Die-hard fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are no strangers to discussions of “what if” an event in the franchise had turned out a different way. From those who question why Tony Stark had to die and Steve Rogers had to return to the 1940s in Avengers: Endgame to those who wish they saw an onscreen romance between Captain America and Black Widow, these fans have long expressed their desired alternative MCU plotlines through means like fanart and fanfiction.
The executives and creatives at Marvel Studios seem to have gotten wind of the intense fan fervor surrounding that question, “what if?” Indeed, in April 2019, the studio announced a forthcoming animated series with that exact title.
Although the details of the series, like those of all MCU projects, were kept tightly under wraps, the studio shared that What If? would revisit some of the most iconic characters and moments from the franchise and explore what would have happened if a single moment was different.
Marvel Studios also announced that the series would be animated as well as that many of the MCU’s actors would be providing the voices for their animated counterparts. Among the most notable returns were Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and, in one of his final projects, the late Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa.
Other characters, however, were recast. Among the most-missed actors who did not return were Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. as Captain America/Steve Rogers and Iron Man/Tony Stark, respectively.
While it was certainly jarring for fans to see these and other characters with slightly different voices, from the moment the first trailer for the series dropped in the summer of 2021, they knew that it would not be one to miss. Indeed, in a year that had already seen three original series and a film from the studio after a year of pandemic-induced inactivity in 2020, fans were growing used to a near-constant stream of content from Marvel Studios.
The first episode premiered on Wednesday, Aug. 18 and follows the question of “what if” Peggy Carter took the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, creating Captain Carter instead of Captain America. Episode two jumps from World War II to outer space in an alternate universe where T’Challa, rather than Peter Quill, was abducted from earth as a boy and became Starlord.
Episodes three and five both center on the original Avengers, with the former examining “what if” they were all targeted and killed before the events of 2012’s The Avengers and the latter placing them in the chaos of a zombie apocalypse.
Episodes four and six explore two of the series’ more depressing timelines. Episode four follows Dr. Strange as he continuously goes back in time in an attempt to save his love interest, Dr. Christine Palmer, but ultimately fails and nearly loses his sanity in the process. Episode six places Killmonger in the plot of Iron Man, with the Black Panther villain killing Tony Stark and those around him before the billionaire philanthropist could become an Avenger.
The seventh episode in the series, however, provides a light-hearted contrast. It explores the question of “what if” Thor and Loki weren’t raised as brothers. Without their sibling rivalry, Thor becomes a “party prince” who travels to different planets and creates well-intentioned chaos—until Captain Marvel steps in.
The final two episodes of the series examine “what if” Ultron defeated the Avengers, with episode eight detailing the universe in which the defeat occurred and the latter showing the Watcher, a mysterious character who presides over all the different universes in the series, bringing together different versions of characters from various universes as the “Guardians of the Multiverse” to finally defeat the villain.
With the return of fan-favorite characters in new situations and too many callbacks to earlier MCU projects to count, What If? is a must-watch for anyone who claims to love Marvel.
Film Set Shooting Takes the Life of Cinematographer
by The Cowl Editor on October 28, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Film Set Shooting Takes the Life of Cinematographer
What Is and Is Not Yet Known About the Tragic Incident
Madison Palmieri ’22
On Thursday, Oct. 21, a horrific incident sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and the nation as a whole, sparking conversation about the dangers of the use of real weapons for filming purposes.
The tragedy occurred on the set of Rust, an upcoming Western film, in Santa Fe, NM at the Bonanza Creek Ranch. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun, not knowing it was loaded. This killed the production’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza, 48. CNN reports that the actor was practicing a technique called a “cross draw” when Souza heard “what sounded like a whip and then a loud pop.” According to the New York Times, “Ms. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque, where she died. Mr. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Santa Fe and was released on Friday.”
Images released from the set soon after the shooting show a visibly distraught Baldwin trying to process the horrific situation. The actor is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation into how and why the tragedy occurred, voluntarily going to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office to offer a statement and respond to questions. Neither he nor anyone else involved has been criminally charged in the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office has obtained a warrant to investigate the scene of the shooting, examining the weapon fired as well as video footage. According to the New York Times, Detective Joel Cano found that “an assistant director on the set had taken the gun off a cart—where it had been placed by the film’s armorer, or weapons handler—and handed it to Mr. Baldwin, who pulled the trigger shortly thereafter.” Cano explained that “the assistant director called out the words “cold gun,” indicating that it was unloaded and safe for Mr. Baldwin to handle.”
According to CNN, Director Joe Souza confirmed that “three people had been handling the guns or firearms for scenes — they were checked by the armorer and first assistant director and then given to the actor using them.” However, “Souza was unaware of anyone on set being checked to see if they had live ammunition on them before or after the scenes were filmed.”
CNN identifies the assistant director as David Halls, who “had been the subject of complaints over safety and his behavior on set during two productions in 2019,” as reported by “two people who worked closely with him.” CNN explains that “the complaints against Halls include a disregard for safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics use, blocked fire lanes and exits, and instances of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”
The armorer who prepared the weapon that killed Hutchins, Hannah Gutierrez, “had recently finished work on her first project as head armorer” and expressed how she was initially nervous about taking on the job in a September interview with CNN.
Additionally, the tragedy came only days after protests were staged by some members of the production’s crew. According to the New York Times, “ a handful of crew members had walked off the set over general working conditions, according to several people involved in the production and a theatrical union official. Crew members had complained to producers about long workdays — often exceeding 13 hours — and delayed paychecks. Some also said the production company had failed to book hotel rooms near the set, meaning that they had to drive about an hour to their homes after long, physically demanding days.”
While there is no evidence to suggest any possible malintent on the part of neither Halls nor Gutierrez nor these crew members, it is quite possible that his history of unsafe practices on set, her lack of extensive experience, and difficult working conditions they describe could have both contributed to the grave error that resulted in the tragedy.
Indeed, the New York Times reports that “three former members of the film’s crew” came forward and claimed that “there were at least two accidental gun discharges on the set on Oct. 16” and while these “prompted a complaint to a supervisor about safety practices on set,” it seems that nothing was done to prevent further misfires.
Baldwin issued an official statement on the tragedy on Friday, Oct. 22, referring to it as a “tragic accident” and sharing that he had spoken with Hutchins’ husband to express his profound sorrow. On Twitter, he wrote, “there are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours” and “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
A vigil for Hutchins was held on Saturday, Oct. 23 in Albuquerque Civic Plaza.
The public’s reactions to the tragedy range from sympathy for Baldwin, Hutchins, and all others involved to calls for Baldwin to face prison time for firing the weapon that took Hutchins’ life despite being unaware it contained a projectile.
People are also drawing comparisons between the shooting and a similar tragedy that occurred on a film set in 1993. According to the New York Times, during production for The Crow, actor Brandon Lee, the son of martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, was killed “after being shot at with a gun that was supposed to fire blank cartridges.” The incident occurred because “the tip of a .44-caliber bullet has become lodged in the gun’s barrel in filming a close-up scene, and dislodged when a blank cartridge was fired.” Police conducted an investigation, but “found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing and no charges were filed.”
It is too soon to tell whether the investigation into the Rust shooting will have a similar conclusion, especially since so many questions about the incident remain, including what type of projectile was in the gun and how the rules designed to prevent such tragedies from occurring failed.
In the days to come, there will hopefully be more answers, as those involved and the nation as a whole struggle to grapple with this horrific, wholly preventable tragedy and work to ensure that no similar shooting deaths will occur in the future.
Album Review: Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres
by mpalmie2 on October 21, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Album Review: Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres
A Look at the Band’s Much-Anticipated Return
By Madison Palmieri ’22
Although Fall 2019 was only two years ago, it seems like it was a lifetime ago. It should come as no surprise, then, that fans of Coldplay have been anxiously waiting for the beloved British rock band to announce their ninth studio album since the November 2019 release of their eighth record, Everyday Life.
To fans’ delight, the band began teasing cryptic images and symbols on Instagram in late April, with a link taking viewers to an enigmatic site called “alienradio.fm.” Soon after, Coldplay shared that they would be releasing a new song titled “Higher Power” on May 7. With uplifting lyrics and a sound reflective of the group’s 2011 album Mylo Xyloto, it was an instant hit. Some superfans even dubbed the undeniably catchy tune “the song of the summer.”
On July 20, Coldplay announced that their ninth studio album, titled Music of the Spheres, would arrive on Oct. 15. Over the course of the next several months, they released two more singles from the much-anticipated record, “Coloratura” and “My Universe.” The former is a dreamy, strings-heavy escapade into outer space; the latter is a feel-good pop bop that features K-Pop superstars BTS.
From these first peeks at Music of the Spheres, it appeared that the album would display the zest for life found on Coldplay’s 2015 record A Head Full of Dreams as well as their attention to the interconnectedness of all life on Earth as expressed on Everyday Life—and, as the dancing aliens in the official music video for “Higher Power” suggested, address the interconnectedness of the entire universe.
These speculations proved to be correct. The first track, “Music of the Spheres,” features a cryptic message and space-wave sound. Notably, bits of its melody are reminiscent of that of “O,” a song from the band’s 2014 album, Ghost Stories. With a length of just under one minute, this instrumental is the perfect prelude to track two, “Higher Power,” and the album as a whole.
The third song is the upbeat, drum-heavy “Humankind.” Opening with distorted vocals intended to mimic alien language, the track explores an extraterrestrial attempt to contact the earth, concluding that “we’re capable of kindness/So they call us humankind.”
“Alien Choir” is another instrument-driven track. Backed by a haunting chorus of “ahs,” it creates a mysterious, slightly eerie atmosphere similar to the opening of “Cemeteries of London” from Coldplay’s smash-hit 2008 record Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.
The fifth song on Music of the Spheres features Selena Gomez in an unexpected but well-matched duet with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The pair tells the story of a lost love, incorporating the album’s celestial motif throughout with references to the moon and the stars. Notably, the melody of the chorus is reminiscent of that of “Now My Feet Won’t Touch the Ground” from Coldplay’s 2008 EP Prospekt’s March.
“Human Heart” is one of the album’s standout tracks. Featuring We Are KING and Jacob Collier, the song explores the stereotypes associated with masculine and feminine displays of emotion, concluding that we’ve all “only got a human heart.” Sung in the style of a church hymn, “Human Heart” is quietly powerful, gently asserting that our complex feelings, and even our humanity at large, defy social constructs and stereotypes.
The seventh song on Music of the Spheres is the album’s most political track. Indeed, with heavy guitar riffs and references to “a man who swears he’s God/Unbelievers will be shot” and “a turnin’ of the tide/We’re no longer gonna fight for/Some old crook and all his crimes,” “People of the Pride” recalls the revolutionary energy of earlier Coldplay tracks like “Violet Hill” and later efforts like those of Everyday Life. Although it is not quite clear whether the band is criticizing one particular political phenomenon or modern sociopolitical strife as a whole, the line “We’ll all be free to fall in love/With who we want” is a clear reference to the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
“Biutyful,” like “Humankind,” makes use of distorted vocals to imitate an extraterrestrial perspective. Upbeat yet tranquil, it seemingly details the friendship between a human and an alien. At 22 seconds, “Music of the Spheres II” is Music of the Spheres’ shortest and perhaps most mysterious track. Indeed, listeners only begin to recognize the cheers of a crowd mixed with cryptic language as the track smoothly transitions into “My Universe,” suggesting its use as a prelude to the BTS feature.
“Infinity Sign” opens with a dizzying xylophone-like sound. Curiously, vocals do not appear until halfway through the song, and only manifest in the background of the track. Although the words uttered are not immediately clear, according to Genius, they are the repetition and echo of the phrase “Spritius sanctum,” which is Latin for “Holy Spirit.”
Overall, Music of the Spheres explores themes familiar to Coldplay’s discography, such as an appreciation for life and unity across differences of nation and culture, but takes these motifs in a new, intriguing direction with the album’s celestial, extraterrestrial theme. The band’s long-standing attendance to political issues is apparent, as well.
Sonically, Music of the Spheres represents a union of the old and new. Familiar melodic bits combine with innovative use of voice distortion technology and instrumental composition to evolve the band’s sound.
Over the course of their twenty-year career, Coldplay has continued to reinvent themselves and has also continued to meet with commercial and critical acclaim. Music of the Spheres will likely be no exception, but rather further indicate that the band will continue to be successful with whatever future musical visions they bring to life.
Global Citizen Live 2021 Combines Music and Social Justice
by The Cowl Editor on October 7, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Global Citizen Live 2021 Combines Music and Social Justice
Musicians, Activists Come Together for a Good Cause
Madison Palmieri ’22
On Saturday, Sept. 25, hundreds of today’s most talented musical artists from all genres, as well as a smattering of celebrities, donated their time to come together for Global Citizen Live 2021—even though they were not all in the same place.
The festival took place across six continents over the course of 24 hours with the intent of raising awareness for worldwide issues such as poverty, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It was scheduled to coincide with the UN General Assembly and G20 Climate Meetings. These are two important gatherings whose participants’ decisions have the potential to impact the issues Global Citizen is concerned with.
The organization was founded in 2008 with the goal of eradicating the most extreme forms of poverty by 2030. This year, however, it has focused on its “Recovery Plan for the World,” which seeks to end the pandemic through governmental and private sector aid that creates an “equitable global recovery.”
The concerts were held in venues including The Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre. Other notable locations included London and Paris. At each venue, attendees were treated to unique, memorable performances from their favorite artists.
In Central Park, Camilla Cabello took the stage to perform “Havana” before her boyfriend and fellow singer Shawn Mendes joined her for a swoon-worthy rendition of their duet, “Senorita.” Billie Eilish dazzled fans with a set comprised of songs from her new album, Happier Than Ever. She also brought out her brother and frequent collaborator, FINNEAS, to perform a duet of “Your Power.”
In between the musical performances, celebrities took to the stage, calling for social and political activism. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for instance, expressed the need for vaccine equity across the globe.
While the evening was filled with many outstanding performances, the most magical moments came during Coldplay’s set. They first performed their perpetually-tear-jerking hit “Fix You” with Eilish and FINNEAS in the twilight before inviting Cabello and Mendes back onstage to sing “Yellow,” another one of their classic tunes. For the grand finale, BTS appeared in hologram form for a bilingual performance of their new collaboration with Coldplay, “My Universe.”
In L.A., fans were treated to 5 Seconds of Summer’s first live performance in almost two years, opening with their 2014 smash hit, “She Looks So Perfect” and closing with their more recent chart-topper, “Youngblood.” Demi Lovato and Adam Lambert performed a rendition of “Mad World” and H.E.R. joined Stevie Wonder for a duet of “Superstition.”
In between sets, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department came onstage to share their harrowing personal experiences fighting wildfires in the hopes of raising awareness of how climate change leads to these devastating fires.
To close out the night, One Republic brought everyone back to the early 2010s for a crowd-pleasing rendition of their hit “Counting Stars.”
Across the pond, acts such as Duran Duran and Kylie Minogue performed in London; Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Black Eyed Peas, Doja Cat, Charlie Puth, and others took to the stage in Paris.
At all these venues and others, concertgoers, performers, and guest speakers alike were overjoyed to be back together in person. With the awareness generated by Global Citizen Live, hopefully they will soon be able to celebrate advancements in the social, political, economic, and environmental movements that Global Citizen champions.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Released
by The Cowl Editor on September 3, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Released
Teaser Confirms Ties to Other Spider-Man Franchises
By Madison Palmieri ’22
After months of anticipation following leaked set photos and rumors regarding plot, casting, and other aspects of the production, the first official trailer for Marvel’s long-awaited upcoming film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, has arrived.
The exciting first look at the film shows Tom Holland’s Peter Parker dealing with the aftermath of the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, in which his identity is revealed. Struggling to cope, he asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell so that everyone forgets that he is Spider-Man. However, as the trailer suggests, things do not go according to plan.
The movie is the third Spider-Man film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has been in the works as early as 2017, when Far From Home, the second movie in the franchise, was released; however, development of the project stalled due to negotiations between Marvel and Sony over the rights to the beloved comic book character. The two companies ultimately reached a compromise in September 2019 that allowed Spiderman to remain in the MCU.
Rumors about the potential plot of the film began to swirl in October 2020, beginning with the news that Benedict Cumberbatch would be reprising his Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Dr. Stephen Strange. Fans were quick to point out that the character’s next appearance after the then-untitled Spider-Man movie would be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Given the potential for multiple universes and, consequently, multiple versions of the same character, fans began to theorize that the new film might tie into Sony’s two live-action Spider-Man franchises. The first was a trilogy directed by Sam Raimi that starred Tobey Maguire in the titular role. The second was a duology featuring Andrew Garfield as the lead.
Speculation intensified in late 2020, when it was revealed that Jamie Foxx would be reprising his role as Electro from Sony’s 2014 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Alfred Molina would be reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from Sony’s 2004 Spider-Man 2. Fans quickly grew convinced that Maguire and Garfield would similarly return, featuring as Spider-Men from other universes alongside Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man.
Although it remains unclear whether fans will see all three Spider-Men together on the big screen, Marvel has already paved the way for such coexistence of different versions of the same character—on the small screen.
Throughout 2021, the MCU has released original series on Disney+ that tie into its films. These live-action shows each have fewer than 10 episodes and amount to several hours of screen time. The most recent series, Loki, directly featured or hinted at nearly a dozen versions, or variants, of the titular character in addition to the “main” version played by Tom Hiddleston. Notably, Loki’s finale also confirmed the existence of the MCU multiverse.
While this does not guarantee that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will similarly appear as Spider-Man “variants” in No Way Home, the fact that other cast members and characters from their franchises will be appearing in the film makes it a real and exciting possibility.
Indeed, the trailer gives fans confirmation of the appearance of the multiverse, with flashes of lightning signaling Electro’s return and the actual appearance of Doctor Octopus. The brief clip also hints at the return of Green Goblin, another villain from the Sam Raimi trilogy.
However, Marvel fans wondering what this means for the MCU’s Spider-Man, and the future of the franchise as a whole, will have to wait until the film’s premiere on Dec. 17 to find out.
RI Food Fights Offers a Taste of Competition
by The Cowl Editor on September 3, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
RI Food Fights Offers a Taste of Competition
A Fun and Easy Way to Explore Local Flavors
By Grace Whitman ’22
Have you ever sat in your dorm room and said to your roommates, “guys, what should we have for dinner? The Ray food just isn’t cutting it today?” If so, log onto Instagram and check out Rhode Island Food Fights’ account (@rifoodfights). The local blog posts the best food finds across the state of Rhode Island.
You may ask, what makes RI Food Fights different from any other state food Instagram account? Each month, they bring people together by hosting competitions between local restaurants and other food businesses.
RI Food Fights originally only hosted competitions in set locations. The purpose of these contests was for restaurants to compete with one another in order to find the “Best in Rhode Island.” The first food “fight” was a cupcake challenge held at The Spot Underground in
March 2011. This competition was such a success that the company expanded their events to include ice cream and cookie challenges.
As RI Food Fights grew bigger and became more popular, it became harder for restaurants to bring their hot food like burgers, pizza, and wings to an off-site event. This complication sparked the creation of a second type of food fight: the passport event.
How does this event work? RI foodies buy a $25 passport full of coupons for 20-30 shops or restaurants in the Ocean State. Participants travel to these different locations and vote on which stops are their favorite. Each month, the food voted on varies. Recent contests have centered around ice cream, pizza, donuts, and hot wings.
This past month, Providence College students participated in the #BestScoopsRI competition, traveling to 25 different ice cream shops in 31 days.
Kate Zenobio ’22 said she “would highly recommend participating in RI Food Fights!” Zenobio explained, “I have gotten to explore the state of RI and try some really good ice cream! My favorite is from the Sacred Cow in East Providence! Definitely give it a try!”
Each monthly competition is split into two categories: one judged by the people of Rhode Island and the other by expert judges, who are chefs and food industry professionals. Past winners have been Providence’s Knead Donuts, who have claimed victory in the d
onut category for the past four years, Cranston’s La Casa for best Taco, and Federal Hill’s Bun Fun for Best Burger.
Since these local shops only span approximately 48 miles from the northern border of Rhode Island to the state’s southernmost tip, stopping at them won’t kill your car’s mileage. With over 90% of the Providence College student body coming from out of state, participating in the RI Food Fight Passport Program can be a great way to explore the Ocean State during your four years at PC.
Those looking to participate in an upcoming Rhode Island Food Fights event can head to their website, www.rifoodfights.com, to buy a passport. The month of September will be best Vegan Eats & Treats, October will be Best Tacos, November will be best pizza, and January will be best wings.
A “Marvelous” Series: WandaVision Premiers
by Sara Conway on March 4, 2021
Film and Television
Wanda’s Story Comes to Light in New Disney+ Show
by Madison Palmieri ’22 A&E Co-Editor
First announced in April 2019, Marvel fans have long waited for the premiere of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first original series, WandaVision. The show began filming in November 2019 but was forced to halt production in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming resumed in September 2020, wrapped in November 2020, and premiered exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.
The streaming service initially released two episodes of the series, with a new installment premiering every subsequent Friday, and the final episode set to air in early March. Whereas some critics have accused Disney+ and Marvel of only scheduling the series’s release in this weekly manner in order to maximize subscriptions to the streaming service, many fans are appreciating the more traditional episode release schedule in the “binge-watch” era of television.
Regardless of the motive behind this format, it nicely echoes the series’s tribute to bygone eras of television. In the wake of the events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) find themselves seemingly trapped in the idyllic town of Westview, NJ which, in turn, is seemingly trapped in a world of sitcoms. They come to understand the mysterious nature of their situation as they interact with the quirky characters who populate the town and face challenges related to their superpowers.
Each episode pays homage to a different era of television. For instance, the sets and costumes of episodes one and two represent the 1950s and ’60s; those of episode three contain nods to the 1970s; those of episode five pay homage to the 1980s; and those of episodes six and seven represent the 1990s and 2000s.
The series, however, also ventures outside of Westview. The entirety of episode four is devoted to the work of the S.W.O.R.D. agents tasked with investigating the anomaly to which the town has been subjected. Marvel Cinematic Universe characters such as Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) feature heavily in this installment and other key moments throughout the series.
Such key moments, from surprise guest stars to shocking character reveals, have been much to the delight of dedicated fans. Although the series has yet to air in its entirety, it is already a hit, not in the least because it is the first piece of Marvel Cinematic Universe content released since 2019.
Allison Kohne ’22 explains that “my roommates and I watch WandaVision together each weekend. It’s fun because there’s so many twists, and we think the show is going in one direction before something new is introduced and changes everything. I also think it’s interesting how unique each episode is. The different decades, at least so far, change the tone of each episode.”
While there are only a couple episodes left of WandaVision’s first season for viewers to enjoy and no confirmation as to whether the show will be renewed, fans have much more Marvel content to look forward to in 2021, as WandaVision is only the first of many original series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe set to premiere on Disney+ this year.
A “Love Story” Retold by Taylor Swift
by Patrick T Fuller on February 25, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
Swift Announces the Release of Fearless Re-Recording
by Madison Palmieri ’22 A&E Staff
2021 is shaping up to be quite an exciting year for Taylor Swift fans. Following a year that saw the release of not one, but two surprise albums, in addition to three music videos, a documentary, and a concert film, the singer has somehow found a way to top her 2020 achievements.
On Thursday, Feb. 11, Swift announced live on Good Morning America that she had re-recorded her second studio album, 2008’s Fearless, which is the most-awarded country album of all time. In addition, she shared that one of the re-recorded album’s hit singles, and one of the most popular and beloved songs of her career, “Love Story,” would be available that night.
Swift took to Instagram to reflect how “Fearless was an album of magic and curiosity, the bliss and devastation of youth. It was the diary of the adventures and exploitations of a teenage girl who was learning tiny lessons with every new crack in the facade of the fairytale endings she’d been shown in the movies.”
She then added that, in addition to re-mastered versions of the songs that fans know and love, she plans to include new tracks for a total of 26 songs. Indeed, she wants fans to “have the whole story, see the entire vivid picture,” and to let them “into the entire dreamscape that is my Fearless album. That’s why I’ve chosen to include 6 never before released songs on my version of this album, written when I was between the ages of 16 and 18, these were the ones it killed me to leave behind.”
A hidden message in Swift’s post names April 9 as the date of Fearless’s re-release but until then, fans can enjoy her “Love Story” re-recording and its accompanying music video, which consists of behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from the Fearless era, especially those of her with fans.
Notably, the official name of the re-recorded songs and albums will consist of their original titles and the phrase “Taylor’s version” in a nod to the fact that the singer owns these remasterings, unlike the original versions of them.
Swift’s inability to attain ownership of her original recordings led her to re-record her music in the first place. On Instagram, she insisted that “artists should own their own work for so many reasons, but the most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only one who really knows that body of work. For example, only I know which songs I wrote that almost made the Fearless album. Songs I absolutely adored, but were held back for different reasons.”
Although Swift is legally able to re-record her first five albums, she must wait until 2022 to re-master her sixth studio album, 2016’s reputation. With five other re-recorded albums, in addition to bonus tracks and any other surprises the singer may choose to share, however, fans have plenty to enjoy until then as the love story between them and the artist continues to remain strong.
“She’s Not Here for the Right Reasons”
by Sara Conway on February 11, 2021
Film and Television
Bullying on The Bachelor Reaches New Heights
by Madison Palmieri ’22 A&E Staff
Even before the current season of The Bachelor premiered on Jan. 4, fans and critics alike knew that the season would be different: the show’s lead, Matt James, is the first Black Bachelor. Once the season began, however, viewers quickly realized that Matt would not be the only cast member to make this season unique.
James’s history-making run as the Bachelor is being overshadowed by the rampant bullying that is occurring between his suitors. While The Bachelor franchise—and reality television in general—is no stranger to fights and feuds, the appalling behavior of many of this season’s contestants has sparked an outcry among fans.
Signs of the trouble that was to come appeared on night one, when contestant Victoria Larson, who refers to herself as “Queen Victoria,” made her dislike for the other girls known.
However, it was not until two episodes later, when contestant Sarah Trott interrupted a group date to speak with James about her concerns regarding their relationship, that more suitors exhibited unkind behavior. Even though Trott apologized to the contestants on the date immediately after interrupting their time, the majority of the women, including Larson, did not accept her apology.
Their rudeness caused Trott to remain in her room for quite some time, while the other women complained about her. One contestant, Kit Keenan, assured a couple of her fellow contestants that if Trott remained in the house, she was going to make her living situation difficult.
Some of the women, however, refused to stand for the unkindness. Katie Thurston attempted to comfort Trott, who ultimately self-eliminated from the competition. After Trott left, Thurston reminded the other girls to be cognizant of how their actions could be perceived as bullying.
Unfortunately, her advice fell flat. When new contestants joined the show, those already present continued their campaign of unkindness, with Larson stealing a new arrival’s crown, Anna Redman spreading damaging rumors about another newcomer’s reputation, and MJ Snyder going full-on high-school mean girl when she declared that she liked the group dynamic much better when only the “OGs” were in the house.
Although James ultimately sent Redman home due to her behavior and eliminated Larson during a rose ceremony, previews suggest that Snyder may emerge as a major antagonist, leading fans to criticize the show for giving bullies a platform.
Maria Gentile ’22 acknowledged that “half the point of the show is drama,” but emphasized how it is “frustrating, upsetting, and getting to the point where it’s not entertaining since it is just straight-up mean.”
Kara Berlin-Gallo ’21 remarked how she feels that “the show is glamorizing bullying by having it take up so much time. Seeing this behavior could trigger victims of bullying who are watching the show. The producers should be ashamed of themselves.”
Some contestants, such as Larson and Keenan, have attempted to make amends for their actions via social media, posting apologies to their Instagram stories. The Bachelor franchise, however, has yet to officially acknowledge the behavior it has enabled, leaving viewers to ponder the showrunners’ responsibility to their audiences as well as to the victims of this mistreatment. Although host Chris Harrison promises that each season of the show is “the most dramatic season ever,” this installment may unfortunately prove to be just that.