Elijah Ritch - The Daily Lobo

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Guild Cinema December preview

Elijah Ritch | December 11

Here are some of the noteworthy films screening at Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema this month. From Dec. 17-19, the Guild will present a double feature of films by renowned French animator René Laloux. His seminal 1973 masterpiece “Fantastic Planet” will be presented alongside a new restoration of the original version of his 1982 film “The Time Masters.” A wild sci-fi vision from the future, “Fantastic Planet” is set on a planet where humans, called Oms, are the pets of giant blue humanoids called Draags. The film has been a midnight movie staple for 50 years — thanks to its outlandish psychedelic animation and bold countercultural message as an allegory of the evils of authoritarian governments.

Culture

The history of graduation traditions at UNM and beyond

Elijah Ritch | December 9

In American society, graduation has become a momentous signifier of the end of one period in life and the beginning of another. Whether this be from high school, college or any place else, the event of graduation has brought about an entire culture of traditions. With the University of New Mexico’s graduation ceremonies beginning on Dec. 11, here’s a look at the origin of some graduation customs. The tradition of wearing a cap and gown while graduating can be traced back to the 12th century, though at that time they were primarily worn to keep grads warm, according to the University of Illinois Chicago. The designs of typical graduation gowns were determined by the Intercollegiate Code of 1895, which the majority of universities follow to this day, according to UIC.

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REVIEW: ‘The Fall’ earns its place at Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema

Elijah Ritch | November 26

On Nov. 8 and 9, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema screened the new restoration of the 2006 cult favorite “The Fall.” “The Fall” is set in a hospital in Hollywood in the 1910s. It depicts the unlikely friendship between Roy, a stuntman who was badly injured on a film set, and Alexandria, the child of Romanian immigrants who has a broken arm from harvesting oranges. The majority of the film’s action takes place within a fantastical adventure story that the bored Roy tells to the precocious Alexandria.

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REVIEW: Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Pérez’ is misguided yet entertaining

Elijah Ritch | November 25

A genre-defying epic, the film is a crime/comedy/romance/musical that tells the story of a Mexican defense attorney named Rita — played by Zoe Saldaña — who is contacted by Juan Del Monte, a drug lord — played by Karla Sofía Gascón — who needs help covertly obtaining gender-affirming surgery. The latest from renowned French director Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez” made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where the film took home the Jury Prize, which is essentially the festival’s third-place award. Its four leading actresses — Saldaña, Gascón, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz — collectively received the Best Actress award.

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REVIEW: Soccer Mommy breaks and mends hearts with ‘Evergreen’

Elijah Ritch | November 22

On Oct. 25, American singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy’s new album “Evergreen” was released. A striking departure from her previous work, “Evergreen” finds Soccer Mommy, aka Sophie Allison, retreating into nature during a period of grief. On the record, the new mindset she has after reckoning with this loss is clear. There’s a distinct sense of ease to the songs — she’s unencumbered by the trivial worries of modern life. Her music sounds looser and more relaxed than ever before.

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REVIEW: The Cure showcases angst, hope and beauty in new album

Elijah Ritch | November 18

On Nov. 1, rock band The Cure released its 14th album “Songs of a Lost World.” The first album in 16 years from the goth-rock titans, “Songs of a Lost World” has been in the works for years. In a 2019 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the band’s iconic frontman Robert Smith said that nailing down his vocals was the hardest part of making the new album. “I keep going back over and redoing them, which is silly. At some point, I have to say ‘That’s it,’” Smith told the LA Times.

Culture

Guild Cinema November preview

Elijah Ritch | November 4

Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema, located in Nob Hill within walking distance of campus, is unlike any other place in the city. While the Guild shows some mainstream current films and old favorites, it also consistently screens indie films, local productions, works by University of New Mexico alums, and older films that otherwise wouldn’t see a rerelease in Albuquerque. Here are some highlights from its November schedule.

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REVIEW: “BRAT” remix album transports listeners

Elijah Ritch | November 4

On Oct. 11, Charli xcx released the long-awaited remix album of her zeitgeist-defining record “BRAT.” The new project, entitled “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” features remixes of all 15 tracks on “BRAT,” alongside remixes of two of the album’s three bonus tracks. Every song features at least one new artist, each of whom brings their own sensibilities to Charli’s maximalist vision of life as an endless cycle of sex, drugs and 120 bpm. Part of why the “BRAT” remix album works so well is because the songs are actually remixes. In a pop landscape where music is produced and marketed as quickly and cheaply as possible, remixes have become divorced from their original purpose.

Culture

Duke City Repertory Theatre keeps Shakespeare relevant

Addison Fulton and Elijah Ritch | October 28

Starting on Oct. 14, Duke City Repertory Theatre presented a production of “King Lear” as a part of its “Bard Crawl” series. A wildly unconventional take on the works of William Shakespeare, “Bard Crawl” is exactly what it sounds like: a play performed in several different bars throughout Albuquerque. It has been held in the spring since 2017, with a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. Due to the success of the prior shows, Duke City Rep was able to put on a fall “Bard Crawl” for the first time this year. It has historically been a comedy, making this the first time that the company has performed a Shakespearean tragedy.

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I’m OpenAI and I approve this message

Addison Fulton and Elijah Ritch | October 21

On Aug. 18, former President Donald Trump posted a series of images to Truth Social, one of which was real. The rest were AI-generated images of Taylor Swift fans endorsing and supporting him. The post was captioned, “I accept!” This is not the first instance of AI being used to distort information regarding the election. Also on Aug. 18, Trump's official X account posted an AI-generated image of a Kamala Harris rally decorated with communist symbols and regalia. The post has over 81 million views.