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Posts published in “Reviews”

(Archive February 2016) Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Review

By editorialteam on August 22, 2024

By John Mossey | Editor-in-Chief

Introducing the new Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren.
Courtesy photo /  flickr.com/David_Eckelman

I might receive some slack for this, but this movie was not all it was hyped up to be. Was it good? Absolutely. Easily one of the best Star Wars films ever. But why wasn’t it great? Well, here’s the thing: not even including the fact that this movie followed a very similar formula that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope had, this movie’s storyline was dull and predictable. J.J. Abrams did an excellent job reviving the Star Wars series, but the story was his greatest (and only) fault.  read more

(Archive February 2016) Review: Bill Burr’s F is For Family

By editorialteam on August 22, 2024

By Jason D. Greenough | Arts & Entertainment Editor

Who doesn’t go on an occasional Netflix binge from time to time? Don’t kid yourself, we just got back from almost a month off. You had to have watched at least a few days-worth of Netflix originals, and seasons of Network smash hits, which seem to accumulate like rabbits on streaming.

Master of None, Peeky Blinders, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation…the list goes on and on! But one show that stood out to me over holiday break was F is for Family, a Simpsons/Family Guy mash-up of sorts, created by Stand-up Comic and Massachusetts native Bill Burr. read more

(Archive February 2016) Tarantino Returns: The Hateful Eight Review

By editorialteam on August 22, 2024

By John Mossey | Editor-in-Chief

Courtesy photo / Egoitz Moreno

I’m going to start this review off by saying that The Hateful Eight is one of the best movies I had the pleasure of seeing in 2015. Quentin Tarantino, the mastermind behind this film, is one of Hollywood’s underdog directors that deserves more credit than is given to him, and his eighth film, The Hateful Eight, is no exception compared to his earlier masterpieces, which include Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, and Pulp Fiction to name a few. 

Starring an superior cast from the likes of Samuel L. Jackson (Star Wars Episodes 1-3, The Avengers), Kurt Russell (Poseidon, Furious 7), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Weeds, Revenge), and Channing Tatum (Dear John, 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike), The Hateful Eight just glimmers from the performance of the actors and actresses in the film. Dialogue between characters is rich and enticing; unpredictable and alive. These characters seem like real people living back during the post-Civil War era, where the story takes place.  read more

(Archive February 2016) Pink Floyd’s The Travel Sequence Track Review

By editorialteam on August 22, 2024

By Patrick J. Miller | Observer Contributor

“On the Run” could be one of the more uninteresting pieces of the Pink Floyd album “The Dark Side of the Moon.” Written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, it is a composition that was created by entering an 8-note sequence into an EMS Synthi AKS synthesizer and speeding it up with a white noise generator creating the “hi-hat” sound effects. Originally recorded in January, 1973, the song feels more like an experimental piece than an actual finished song. While I get the meaning of this song intending to be representative of travel pressures, as well as the fear of death at any point, I just kind of don’t get this song at all. At the very worst, it is just “there.” The overall composition feels a bit underwhelming overall, even considering what its original genesis was one year earlier. read more

(Archive December 2011) Book Review: The Help

By editorialteam on August 21, 2024

By Leigh Edwards | Observer Contributor

The Help, a novel by Kathryn Stockett, was published in 2009 in the United States and has been read by millions of people across the country. Based in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s, The Help follows two maids, Aibileen and Minny, and a young Journalist, Miss Skeeter Phelan, on a journey to reveal what it’s really like being a maid for white people during segregation by publishing a book called Help. Along the way, the reader meets colorful and sometimes downright mean characters, such as Miss Hilly Hollbrook, which keeps you turning the page and rooting for the maids and Miss Skeeter the whole way. read more

(Archive December 2011) Game Review: Modern Warfare 3 Arrives with a Bang

By editorialteam on August 21, 2024

By Jonathan Jones | Observer Contributor

As a longtime supporter of the Call of Duty franchise, I was very anxious to get my hands on the latest installment, Modern Warfare 3. So anxious in fact that I reserved a copy months in advance and stood in line at midnight to secure the game. When I finally returned home around 1 a.m. and popped the disc into the drive, I was instantly blown away.

MW3 is by no means the greatest game ever made, nor is it the “perfect” first-person shooter. However, with a revamped graphics engine and more emphasis placed on different playing styles, it is the best game in the Call of Duty franchise. In the past when a multiplayer map took place in an arctic environment with snow, the snow was in fact limited to covering the ground and that was it. In one particular map in MW3, the player is thrust into a blinding snowstorm that affects visibility in ways not seen in previous installments. This small detail may be lost on the average gamer but it just goes to show the extent to which programmers and developers wanted to improve the look of this game compared to previous versions. read more

(Archive December 2011) Club Review: Active Minds

By editorialteam on August 21, 2024

By Benjamin Allen | Observer Contributor

Active Minds, a new club at MWCC, has been created to raise awareness of mental health in students. The goal of this club is to inform students of healthy ways to deal with stress.

Another goal of Active Minds is to remove the stigma or negative attitudes and beliefs associated with mental health issues and to encourage students to seek help as soon as problems arise. The main focus is on mental health not mental illness.

According to Michelle Brennan, the president of the club, many students drop classes due to stress and mental health issues. She said, “Active minds will offer the tools to navigate through the stressful periods.” read more

(Archive November 15, 2011) Review: Goomba’s Pizzeria

By editorialteam on August 20, 2024

By Jillian Richard | Observer Contributor

Goomba’s Pizzeria
Photo by Cheyne Ordonio

Goomba’s is a Pizzeria located in Fitchburg right outside the T station on Main Street, a convenient location for any hungry person. Many students that attend the Gardner campus take the bus that goes to and from the Fitchburg station.

Goomba’s has a huge selection and variety of food to offer. They offer everything from pizza to wraps to deserts. This menu was screaming Italian all over. Perfect pizza pies lined up in a glass case as you walk towards the drinks and napkins make your mouth water if you haven’t been there before. For a hungry student this is a great stop to make if you want something that will fill you up. read more

(Archive October 18, 2011) Review: Beehive – The 60s Musical

By editorialteam on August 6, 2024

By Ericka Pultorak | Observer Contributor

“Beehive, The 60’s Musical” premiered on Oct. 10 at MWCC by the Theatre at the Mount. It was directed and choreographed by Trish Aponte. Throughout the entire musical, maybe ten sentences were spoken. Watching them dance around song after song with practically no breaks would make anybody’s feet hurt. Sitting in the front row, I could feel waves of energy rolling off the stage. The audience received a high energy performance, as well as a detailed timeline of the 60’s. read more

(Archive October 1, 2011) Movie Review: Coexist

By editorialteam on August 5, 2024

By Tiffanie LeBlanc | Observer Contributor

Coexist is a documentary about the Hutus and Tutsis in post genocide Rwanda and having to live together in peace. What I learned while watching this film was that the Hutus wanted power over the Tutsis and decided to start taking over their property and killing anyone who stood in their way. After the government stepped in and stopped the genocide the Tutsis and the Hutus now have to abide by a law to live with each other as neighbors and church gathers called “reconciliation.” read more