Each week, the staff here at The Anchor give their recommendations on an album, book and movie to enjoy. Here are our recommendations for the week of 11/11-11/17.
Album (Cailyn R.): The Crow Soundtrack (1994)
The Crow is a 1994 film about a man who gets murdered alongside his fiancee on the night of their wedding. He then gets resurrected as the gothic supernatural avenger, “The Crow”, to get revenge on their murders. The soundtrack of this movie really encapsulates the gothic feeling of the plot. With the opening song “Burn” by The Cure, a rock band formed in 1976. This track contains dramatic vocals, thrilling instrumentals, and even contains the sound effect of a bird chirping, in reference to the main character of the movie itself. Following this track, is a track called “Golgotha Tenement Blues” by Machine of Loving Grace, an industrial rock band formed in 1989. This track contains many industrial elements, such as unique instrumentation, and funky rhythms. Two tracks after that one, is a track from arguably one of the most influential industrial bands of all time, Nine Inch Nails. This track is titled “Dead Souls”, and again encapsulates the dark feeling of the movie. The creepy repeated bass lines adds to the industrial feeling. These are only just a few tracks of the whole album, there are other tracks featuring bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Stone Temple Pilots, Violent Femmes, and Pantera. The Crow soundtrack is a great blend of gothic, industrial, and metal music. I would recommend it to fans of any of those genres, or anyone who would like to expand their taste.
Movie (May Bar): Dazed and Confused directed by Richard Linklater
The coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused directed by Richard Linklater follows different cliques through their last day of school before senior year. This night could have been the best night of their lives. This movie takes place in the mid-1970’s in Austin, Texas. The 70’s culture was very vibrant, people dressed like “hippies.” This culture was shown very well in this movie with the characters’ clothing and the environment around them. This film is an hour and forty-three minutes long and is a great pick to watch with friends.
Book (Castalia L.): The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)
Margaret Atwood’s 1985 became a classic as soon as it hit the shelf. Every year, it seems the book becomes more and more relevant to both the country and world we live in today. The Handmaid’s Tale follows a woman, called Offred, who lives in an intensely patriarchal society where women exist for the sole purpose of recreation. The style of the novel is blunt, mysteriously engaging, and a beautiful representation of what social commentary novels should be. It is a book that stays with the reader forever: no one is going to forget this book after finishing it. Its themes encompass a wide range: agency, control, gender roles, and power are the standouts. Atwood sums up her motivation for the novel’s creation perfectly: “When I wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, nothing went into it that had not happened in real life somewhere at some time. The reason I made that rule is that I didn’t want anybody saying, ‘You certainly have an evil imagination, you made up all these bad things. ‘ “I didn’t make them up.”
