Wearily, yet with a flicker of intrepid excitement, I crossed the urban wasteland that is Portland in the early nighttime. This was a much-needed respite following a satisfyingly long day at school, and I was eager to immerse myself in a bewildering night of music, indulge in cheap beer, and dive into sonic horror that would make most run in cowardice. Tonight was Dead Animal Assembly Plant’s headlining show in their hometown. The opening acts promised a diverse array of genr

Imagine this: It is January 21, 1881, the weather is frigid – a dense fog hangs over the northwest Oregon Coast – and not far off the shore near the town of Cannon Beach, a lonely lighthouse can be see sitting atop Tillamook Rock, shining its light for the first time. Decades later, this lighthouse would become known to locals as “Terrible Tilly,” and after learning about poor Tilly’s history, it’s obvious to me just why. The U.S. Congress first decided to budget for the cons

The 1973 film “The Exorcist” from director William Friedkin must be one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Despite how it spurred controversy across the nation, it also won two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Fast forward 50 years and now we have the release of its sequel, “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green. I went into this film expecting it to be a rip-off from the 1973 original. While it does feature two unnecessary cameos fro

The Halloween season is upon and there are a lot of different things to do, such as going to the pumpkin patch, looking for a haunted house, or visiting the local Spirit Halloween shop – but there is nothing that beats watching a scary horror movie. It’s the season of horror movie sequels, so why not do a spoiler-free review on the 10th installment of its franchise, “Saw X”? This time, John Kramer is our protagonist, and it’s personal. The Saw movies have had their ups and do

Mt. Hood’s Visual Arts Gallery is hosting its annual Faculty Arts Exhibit in through Oct. 24. Visitors can see the diverse range of works created by several talented faculty members. The huge sculptures of Nathan Orosco, the fine detailed pottery of John Hasegawa, and the whimsical block prints of Edie Overturf are just a few of the incredible sights on display. The exhibit is open, free to all, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Meantime, anyone inspired by the showcase ca

In 2013, horror fans across the world were gifted with “The Conjuring” from Director James Wan, and subsequently a new movie universe was born – and it quickly became a classic. From that one film, seven more films were spun. One of the most notable: “The Nun.” The first Nun film, following the frightening demonic entity that takes form as a grotesque nun, differed greatly from the original Conjuring film. That could be expected, considering it came out five years after Wan’s

Photos by Tony Acker Autumn has rolled in like a morning mist once again, and here in the great city of Portland where it’s especially dark and spooky this time of year, one may desire to wander the city and experience the thrilling attractions and spooky experiences it has to offer. Not all of Portland’s Halloween offerings will leave your wallets bone-dry. In fact, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to partake in some of these spine-chilling festivities. The Davis Graveyard

Did you know that East Portland has its very own birdwatching hotspot? Powell Butte Nature Park, located just off Southeast Powell Boulevard and accessible by foot, car, or public transit, is one of East Portland and Gresham’s best birdwatching areas. Over 150 separate species have been observed there, with the extinct cinder cone volcano and its slopes offering many different kinds of nature, from forests to grasslands. This biodiversity, spread out over about 600 acres, con

Growing up seeing and knowing the Disney princess movies makes watching the live-action versions that have come out periodically over the past several years very exciting: It’s like a part of my childhood has been growing up, along with me. Some 34 years after the original “The Little Mermaid” movie first came out, the Disney studios have made a live-action film, which premiered on May 26. When Disney first announced who was going to play the star role of Ariel, there was som

Recently, I was lucky enough to watch one of MHCC Theatre’s performances of “Buried Child” by Sam Shepard, a twisting, morbid story about a broken family in Illinois during the 1970s economic recession. Family patriarch Dodge and his wife, Halie, fight over their two sons – Bradley and Tilden – as Halie mourns her youngest son, Ansel, who apparently was murdered. Arriving in the middle of it all is Vince, Halie and Dodge’s grandson, with his girlfriend, Shelly. Together, the

The Marvel Cinematic Universe team has always had a penchant for making incredible, emotional movies, and it’s happened again. Following the tearjerkers that were “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” many fans were excited for the silly mannerisms of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy crew to return. If you were rooting for the latest Guardians movie to provide a br

“Fast X” (also best known as “Fast and Furious 10”) is the tenth film in the ‘Fast and Furious saga, and premiered on May 19. The film is directed by Louis Leterrier, with the contribution of screenwriters Dan Mazeau and Justin Linn, and stars the same core actors and characters as when it began. Facing many missions over the years and always against impossible odds, Vin Diesel returns as Dominic “Dom” Toretto – not to carry out another dangerous assignment but to protect wha

Shot in early 2022 and releasing this summer is “Barbie”: a live-action Barbie movie set in – you guessed it – Barbieland. There have been animated Barbie movies, before, 36 of them, to be exact. This will be the first live-action version, and you might be wondering, “What could be the plot of a live-action Barbie movie?” Let me do the honors and tell you: Barbie gets expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect looking doll, so she sets off for the human world. The

Polly Malby has lived an incredible life and career, traveling the U.S. and beyond working as a midwife and teaching the art of midwifery to the next generation, with threads of science, art, and faith woven into her story. Now the Fairview-based artist harnesses her passion for birth, beauty and the wonder of life itself and uses it to create unique custom lampshades and lamp fixtures to shine a light in the world. Her story began as the oldest of five siblings. Her father s

In 1974, in a small city in Wisconsin, what could be considered the world’s most well-known tabletop game was born. For a few years, Dungeons & Dragons was an instant, then expanding hit, but after the rise of digital games, it seemed to disappear. That is until 1996, when Wizards of the Coast relaunched the role-playing game. Today, D&D has moved from being a tabletop game that only the coolest of nerds played, to a global hit that nearly everyone has heard of. And in late M

Have you ever seen an advertisement for the traditional Chinese dance performance Shen Yun? For many, it is impossible not to be bombarded by Shen Yun advertisements if you live in the vicinity of one of the 130 cities that the dance troupe tours every year, one of which is Portland. In fact, we have advertisements for Shen Yun right here on the Mt. Hood Community College campus. I first noticed this very poster (shown here) a few months ago, pinned onto the bulletin board di

Today (Friday) at 7 p.m., the Theatre Arts department at Mt. Hood Community College is set to stage the highly anticipated play “Buried Child” in the intimate Studio Theatre. A compelling stage production, it offers an opportunity for MHCC students to gain invaluable experience in theatre production. The majority of cast and crew are current students, showcasing their talent and dedication to the performing arts. Set in rural Illinois during the 1970s, Buried Child follows th

On Thursday, Mt. Hood Visual Arts students joined a reception to celebrate their student exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery. Their impressive work is on display, free and open to all, in the Gallery 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through Friday, June 2. Claudia Cooper Claudia’s niece was the inspiration because she and Claudia have a deep connection: They bond through the arts. It took Claudia the entire term to create this beautiful sculpture. She first learned how to form the s

Never say you don’t like something if you have never tried it. I have never been one to listen to jazz, but on May 5 I attended the opening night of the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, staged right here on the MHCC campus through the weekend. I must admit I was not expecting much because in my past, in grade school when they would have showcases, it was not great, I recall. But as I was walking up to the College Theatre, I immediately knew this was going to be different. I arrived an

The U.S. entertainment industry is huge, making an ongoing strike by the writers of television/movie/streaming content so prominent in our society this month. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The union represents 11,500 writers and without them, new shows can’t begin filming, while others are put on pause. Every three years, the WGA negotiates new contracts for their writers, b