Resident Evil 6 by Samhita adapa

 Resident Evil 6 by Samhita adapa

Ask a Resident Evil Fan what their least favorite game is and 99% of the time, their answer will be Resident Evil 6. Commonly referred to as “action-slop”, the game almost completely ignores the survival horrors aspects of the previous installments and almost entirely steers the direction of ship towards a Michael-Bay esque call of duty dupe. It’s pretty much an action arcade game and the reception almost entirely killed the franchise and Capcom. 

When I first played the game, I really enjoyed it. It was the first Resident Evil game I've ever played and as a huge wimp, a game where I could just run away instead of shooting was my holy grail. I quite liked the game and I replayed it a lot, that is until I played the other games. It’s crazy how bad Resident Evil 6 is compared to the others. It almost doesn’t do anything right. There’s barely any horror, repetitive, convoluted, and at some points just plain old boring. I tried replaying it after playing Resident Evil 4(2005) and I just couldn’t get myself to finish Leon’s campaign. It was just so boring. It’s so far removed from Resident Evil as a franchise that you could probably slap a different name on the disc and no one would know the difference. 

Action in Resident Evil isn’t new. It was introduced in Resident Evil 4 and continued into 5, arguably both great games. There was a good balance, though RE5 is a little bit more questionable. But I think RE6 just completely abandons all aspects of horror and completely leans into the action to draw in new fans. No part of the game was scary, even on my first playthrough. I was just plowing through zombies with no care. I didn’t care about preserving ammo or health. There was literally no survival aspect to it. And at some point, the campaigns became a chore, especially Ada’s. It was just so linear. You had to keep going, no time to stop, catch your breath. It felt like a race in all the worst ways. It tries to do everything which just convoluted it even more, especially with all the vehicle sections. There’s no wonder why it was met with such a negative reception. 

Despite all of this, there were aspects of the game that I really liked. I really enjoyed my first playthrough and I think if you don’t mind that it’s pretty much RE in name only, it’s really fun, especially if you play it co-op with another person. I think the melee attacks were the best part and I’m pretty sure I used those attacks more than the actual guns and I usually swear by the semi-auto rifle in all RE games. If you are new to resident evil, then I definitely wouldn’t recommend starting off this game and probably would encourage RE4 instead. However, I do think it’s important for someone to play through this game and form an opinion for themselves instead of only listening to online discourse around this infamous installment. 

Early Oscar Predictions: Best Actor Edition by Samhita adapa

Early Oscar Predictions: Best Actor Edition by Samhita adapa

Awards Season, arguably the best season of them all, is way too far in the future. With 3 months till the Golden Globes and then another 5 till the Oscars in March, it’s incredibly early to start making any predictions at all for practically any award, especially with half the front-runners only having come out in festivals so far and not having a wide theatrical release yet. Despite this, I’m ready to make my predictions and am pretty excited about them. 

Best Actor this year is stacked and in my opinion, on the same level as last year. With The Odyssey being as much of a blockbuster as it was, Matt Damon was a given for an Oscars Best Actor nom. He’s practically a lock. I don’t think I’ve seen a list without him yet and it’s incredibly valid. Damon was amazing in the film and deserving of the nomination. Do I think he should win? That’s another story. In my opinion, I feel like it was expected from Matt Damon. He was great but I don’t think there was anything ground-breaking about the performance? I felt the same way about DiCaprio last year in One Battle After Another. It was a very good performance no doubt, but I kinda expected that. I didn’t come out of the film gushing about his acting like I thought I would. If he does win, I think that’s just due to The Odyssey’s momentum in general. 

There’s also a case to be made for Robert Aramayo, who won the BAFTA last year for portraying John Davidson in the biographical drama I Swear. However, this nom is a little bit more unstable and almost non-existent just because the film came out so long ago. Most of the winning films come out during Oscar Season in the fall but I Swear came out April 2026. 

Project Hail Mary, another film that came out in March, seems to have the same narrative for Gosling but I don’t think he’ll win for another reason. I can maybe see a nomination but a win is a long shot. Practically a Hail Mary. Probably a Golden Globe nomination and maybe a win, but definitely not an Oscar. I think it’s just the film in general that hurts his chances. It’s very good without a doubt but I don’t think it’ll get any noms in anything other than in technical awards. I feel the movie, at least for the Academy, is of the same genre as the Marvel films. It’s definitely going to get nominated, but I doubt the wins are going to come flooding in. 

And now to Digger, probably my favorite movie of the year. Discourse about the movie aside, even though I absolutely loved the film, Cruise was phenomenal. I couldn't see him in the role and that’s exactly the same way I felt after watching him in PTA’s Magnolia. He’s dramatic, funny, and just great overall. However the movie bombed pretty badly at the box office and that isn’t really a recipe for success. This significantly hurt its chances in all categories, not just Actor. The film was ambitious and took a huge ton of risks and for me, it worked though I understand why others may not like the film. Despite this, you can’t deny Cruise was incredible. His campaign seems to be running with the long overdue narrative and Iñárritu got DiCaprio his first win so a lot of people are banking on that for a Cruise oscar. I definitely think he’ll get nominated but a win is a little more shaky, no matter how badly I want it to happen. 

Despite the incredibly strong front runners, there are still a lot of films that have yet to come out and will probably yield just as incredible actors who are deserving of nominations. To name a few, Pedro Pascal in Behemoth! or Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine. Not to mention Andrew Scott in Elsinore. Then there are the international films, particularly the absolute unit of a film that in La Bola Negra is becoming in all the Oscar prediction forums online. The takeaway from all of this? It’s probably way too early to make predictions and go watch Digger! #DigorDie

Beyond the Gray: Why My Elephant has Purple Shadows by Nandita Kamalakannan

 Beyond the Gray: Why My Elephant has Purple Shadows  by Nandita Kamalakannan

I recently decided to paint an elephant, which sounds like a great idea until you realize they are

basically just giant, walking mountains of wrinkles. But the hardest part wasn't drawing the trunk

—it was figuring out what color to make it. Since I can't show you the canvas in person, you will

just have to picture it in your head, but I promise it looks absolutely nothing like the gray

animals you see at the actual zoo.

Everyone paints with gray. Gray is safe and predictable. But after spending more than two years

taking art classes, I've learned that standard gray is a trap. It can get muddy, flat, and boring

incredibly fast. When I looked at a reference photo to sketch out the massive form of the

elephant, my first thought was: how do I make this look huge and luminous, instead of just heavy

and dull? That is why I made a single, non-negotiable artistic choice: absolutely no standard

black-and-white paint.

Instead, my elephant is a creature painted entirely in the cool tones of a deep jungle shadow. All

the deep wrinkles are filled with rich indigo and dark purple. The lighter parts of the trunk and

ears are layered with lavenders and blues. Using those cool tones makes the animal feel massive,

but also mystical and alive, like it is reflecting a completely different kind of light. To make the

contrast even more striking, I painted a vibrant, bold, almost fluorescent green jungle backdrop.

That bright green isn't there to look realistic; it is there to make the cool purple tones of the

elephant pop right off the canvas.

The point is, art isn’t about copying a photograph exactly as it exists. It is about deciding how

you want to see the world. It is taking a giant, stereotypically "gray" subject and finding the

secret colors hiding inside of it. Taking art classes has taught me to pause and find the vibrant

colors that everyone else walks right past. If you ever feel stuck on a flat, boring project, my

absolute best advice to you? Try painting it purple. You will never look at things the same way

again.

The Two-Dollar Masterpiece: Why Costco Pizza is the Best by Nandan Kamalakannan

 The Two-Dollar Masterpiece: Why Costco Pizza is the Best by Nandan Kamalakannan

When I was little, a trip to Costco always felt like an intense, hours-long expedition. It meant

navigating an endless maze of concrete aisles, dodging giant flatbed carts, and staring at

towering mountains of paper towels. But none of that mattered, because there was always an

unspoken promise at the end of the journey. If I survived the shopping trip, I would be rewarded

with the ultimate prize: a slice of Costco food court pizza that was literally bigger than my head.

Now that I am older, a lot of things from my childhood have lost their magic, but that pizza

remains a flawless masterpiece. People can argue all day about what makes a "real" or

"authentic" pizza. They talk about wood-fired brick ovens, imported tomatoes, and fancy

artisanal cheeses. I honestly do not care about any of that. If you ask me, the peak of culinary

perfection is a massive, incredibly greasy, two-dollar slice of cheese pizza handed to you on a

flimsy paper plate while you stand next to a bulk display of tires.

There is a specific science to eating it. Because the slice is so wide and heavy with cheese, you

cannot just pick it up normally. You have to master the strategic fold down the middle to keep the

structural integrity intact. The crust is always perfectly chewy, the cheese has those beautiful,

slightly charred golden bubbles, and it is always exactly the same. In a world where everything is

constantly changing and getting more complicated, there is something deeply comforting about

knowing that a Costco pizza tastes exactly the same today as it did when I was seven years old.

It is also the ultimate equalizer. Whether you are a little kid sitting in the front of a shopping cart,

a teenager grabbing a cheap dinner after hanging out, or an adult stocking up on groceries,

everyone completely loses their minds for the food court. It isn't trying to be fancy or gourmet,

and that is exactly why it is so good.

Sometimes, the best food doesn't come from a five-star restaurant with a massive waiting list.

Sometimes, it comes from a giant warehouse store right after you walk past a receipt-checker

with a yellow highlighter. Costco pizza is a childhood staple that never actually gets old, and I

will gladly defend it as the best slice in town.

Forever-Lasting Friendships comparison of themes from The Lion & The Mouse and The Funeral by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

 Forever-Lasting Friendships

Imagine having a heart-warming and everlasting friendship where it is just impossible to feel sad and depressed while being left alone? That is the theme of the two stories called The Lion and The Mouse by Aesop and Funeral by Ralph Fletcher. Portrayed through a chain-locked friendship where one is symbiotic and one is natural, these lifelong companions may have met in an unexpected way but are never ones to let each other down. These two stories contain many similarities and differences in their theme, but even through an unexpected friendship, true friends will never forget past memories. In short, these two stories and fables represent a relatable theme but represent them in different ways.

The story about The Lion and The Mouse and the Funeral both share one big theme, lifelong companions never let each other down due to their sincere recognition for each other. In the fable called The Lion and The Mouse by Aesop it states, ““Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. “Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you.” The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go. Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter’s net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.” This proves that the mouse which had been spared by the lion had come back to save him even at the cost of his own life. To further explain, this showcases an unexpected occurrence in terms of friendship, even though the mouse knew there was a sure risk in saving the lion, he bypassed all that just because of one simple act of kindness from the lion showing his true recognition for the generous Lion. 

Similarly, in the memoir called Funeral by Ralph Fletcher it explained, “Ralph Fletcher was a good friend. Last year I had to do summer school. He came by every day to walk me home.” “He was a good friend,” Larry agreed. “About a month ago, John Berkowitz tried to beat me up, and Ralph told John, ‘You’ll have to beat me up first.’ So, John Berkowitz punched him instead. He was a brave friend. Stupid, but brave!” Everyone laughed, including me. “He was a good friend,” Andy began, then stopped. I lay on the pine needles, eyes shut, smelling the mix of the piney smell and the good, rotting earth underneath. I waited for Andy to continue, but he didn’t say anything. Then he whispered: “He was the brother I never had.” This proves that even though Ralph is moving away from his friends, because his friends are so true to him, they even go as far as organizing time to praise their friend’s accomplishments in his “past life”. To further clarify, this is what truly makes a true friendship and strong relationship, even if one leaves the pack all the others must do something about it. To sum up, the theme of everlasting friendship which is shared between the stories The Lion and The Mouse and  Funeral explains that a simple act or kindness will always come back in a true bond of friendship.

On the contrary, even though both stories resemble a reaction to a life-long friendship, it is portrayed quite differently in both the story and the memoir since both occurrences have a different type of sentiment. For example in the story called The Lion and The Mouse it explains, “You laughed when I said I would repay you,” said the Mouse. “Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.” This explains the sentiment of this action is more towards the serious and proving side. Even though the Lion and the Mouse are now friends, it develops more of a serious tone in the story rather than a loving and soft friendship. To delve deeper, since the Lion and the Mouse are both realizing the trust in each other and it shows a friendship portrayed through the action of realization and recognition. On the other hand, in the memoir called Funeral by Ralph Fletcher it implies, “Then he whispered: “He was the brother I never had.” “He was a member of the Four Stooges,” Larry said in a husky whisper. Then they all said together: “We’ll never forget him.” My eyes started to water. I tilted my head so they wouldn’t notice, and stayed quiet. Nobody spoke. I thought of all the things I’d done with these guys. Staying up late listening to the radio while the DJ counted down the top ten.” This means that the sentiment in this strong friendship is more of a remorseful and loving one since it is the last meet of five life long friendships. To further clarify, even though the theme can be the same between two stories, the sentiment is a big contributor and in this case a breaking point of a bonding friendship is definitely a more remorseful sentiment. This means that even though these two stories have a similar theme, they are portrayed differently through sentiments. 

To conclude, even though the fable The Lion and The Mouse and the memoir called the Funeral both share the same reccuring theme called life long companions never let each other down due to their sincere recognition for each other, they are portrayed through a different sentiment which is influenced by the tone and setting of the respective scenario. To conclude, if it weren’t for true friendships and strong bonds, love and recognition would be very scarce in the world making it a very boring place to live in.

Analysis of The Bad Case of Stripes by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

 To start off, the theme of the short story The Bad Case of Stripes is to be yourself even

through criticism because only you know yourself best in and out. In the fictional story The

Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon it states, “Camila Cream loved lima beans. But she

never ate them. All of her friends hated lima beans, she wanted to fit in. Camila was always

worried about what other people thought of her.” This shows that even though Camila knows

she deeply loves lima beans, she is afraid of what others might think of her. This triggers a

precautionary relationship between her and the lima beans; she wants to eat them with all her

heart but she is too occupied with what others think of her.

To further explain, a confident person is always someone who believes in themselves

and doesn’t listen to others' criticism. Being a confident person is the only way to pursue your

own dreams without obstacles. However, Camila is too focused on the other’s opinion and

thoughts about herself. This exposes Camila’s unconfident exposure and weak mindset which

collapses under others' negative pressure. To add on, in the story The Bad Case of Stripes it

also stated, “Camila wanted a big, heaping plateful of lima beans more than anything, but she

was still afraid to admit it.”

This proves Camila, who is diagnosed with a “contagious and harsh skin disease” even

now still doesn’t want to admit she loves lima beans more than anything. This shows that

even though Camila knows her situation is worsening she still wouldn’t take a lima bean

medication.

This exposes a very vital trait in Camila, the only reason she isn’t eating the lima beans

is because she is afraid of how others will interpret and judge her unique actions. To explain

further, even at a time of almost certain life and death, Camila is still precautious of what

others will think of her actions. This implies that she has a very low level of confidence and

assertiveness. To conclude, everyone should be assertive to themselves and not back down

for something they believe in because only they know best about themselves.

Too Very Thoughtful (a book review of Thank You Ma'am) by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

 Too Very Thoughtful

Imagine being so thoughtful that you even invite a pick-pocket who tried to steal your purse for dinner? This is a perfect resemblance of Ms.Luella Bates Washington Jones in the meaningful story called Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes. In the story, Ms.Luella is casually walking to her house when a rather dirty and poor boy tries to steal her pocket-book. Instead of sending him to jail or punishing him for purposely stealing, she realizes his family situation and takes him home to take care of.

Considering this impeccable and rare deed, Ms.Luella is an extremely thoughtful person because she is considerate, open-minded, and attentive. To start off, Ms.Luella is very thoughtful because she is very considerate. It is not very often that a person invites a suspicious and vulnerable person over to dinner let alone when they are trying to steal from them. However, Ms.Luella recognized that Roger, a poor boy, had no money, food nor proper sneakers. She deeply understood his financial status even though his actions were far from justified. In the story Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page two paragraph seven it states, “Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?"

"No’m"; said the boy. "Then it will get washed this evening, said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the frightened boy behind her. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.” This proves that even though the boy looked suspicious and very suitable for a dark-hearted person, Ms.Luella took time to understand his situation physically and clean him up at her house. To explain further, Ms.Luella didn’t have to take the boy in to wash his face and take care of him. Even though the boy had attempted to commit theft of her pocket book, her thoughtful and considerate exposure made her take him under her wing. To add on, in the story Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page two paragraph eleven it explains, “The woman said, "You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?" "No, said the dragging boy. I just want you to turn me loose" This implies that Ms.Luella is looking to help the boy and teach him the right way of life even though she knows it is not required of her. She even goes as far as asking him if he wants any particular things. To delve deeper, this shows her thoughtfulness and willingness to help others even if they are not the most convincing physically. That thoughtfulness exposes her very considerate mentality, open to always help others.

To summarize, because of the fact that Ms.Luella deeply considered Roger’s situation before criticizing him for his non-justified actions, Ms.Luella is a very thoughtful person because she is considerate of her options. Also, Ms.Luella is very thoughtful because she is very open-minded. As shown with her situation with Roger, she is always willing to listen to what others have to say. She knows exactly how important another person’s point of view is in order to come to a correct and reliable decision. In the story Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page three into four it states, “Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere, said the woman. Here I am trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe, you ain’t been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?" "There’s nobody home at my house; said the boy." "Then we’ll eat; said the woman, I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook." "I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes; said the boy” 

This shows how patient and open-minded Ms.Luella is. Even with the fact that she knows this boy is unpredictable with his actions, she still takes the risk of letting him speak his heart out and justify his actions. This helps her determine a person’s character and intentions. To further clarify, Ms.Luella is risking her own property just to make sure that  poor and dirty Roger can live a better life under better circumstances. If she hadn’t taken that risk, it is possible maybe Roger would not turn out as a better person. Also coming from the story Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page four paragraph one, it states, "Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. You could have asked me." " The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long pause. After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run! The woman was sitting on the day-bed." "After a while she said, I was young once and I wanted things I could not get." " There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he frowned.” This again shows Ms.Luella’s open-minded attitude. Even with the liability that this boy may do something bad, she voluntarily tries to fix the boy’s attitude with a kind and helping heart. To dive deeper, the action that Ms.Luella has taken is for sure a rare one, it is not likely that you see a middle-class person reacting in such a way that it even makes the thief cry and regret his wrongful actions. If not for Ms.Luella’s open-mindness, she would have never been able to understand Roger’s situation behind his dramatic actions. All in all, Ms.Luella’s kind actions towards Roger illuminates her heart and mind full of open-mindness.

Lastly, in Ms.Luella heart full of positive attitudes, she is also thoughtful because she is attentive. If she didn’t realize that Roger was in poverty, her thought process and attitude towards him may have been the complete opposite of what actually happened. In the story called Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page two paragraph seven it states, “Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?" "No’m; said the boy.” This means that Ms.Luella has noticed the boy's physical appearance. Not only has she noticed it, she used it to analyze the fact that he might not be financially stable and may not have a complete family to take care of him. Using this reliable and important piece of evidence, she changes her attitude towards the boy from questioning to understanding. To clarify, the only reason Ms.Luella changed her attitude towards Roger was because of her attentiveness. If she had not noticed his dirty face, she most likely would not have realized the type of person she was dealing with. However, because she carefully analyzed the situation with patience and attentiveness she was able to fully understand what was happening. Also, in the story Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes on page two paragraph ten it explains, “He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans. The woman said, "You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?" This insists that Ms.Luella has noticed Roger’s rather out of order clothes. The fact that she even considered this is exceptional but the fact that she used it to determine his status and character is top notch attentiveness. To explain, the normal human brain thinks in small pieces, it breaks apart pieces of information to help it understand the situation in more context. However, Ms.Luella has barely used any time and yet she has analyzed Roger’s real inner character and intentions to uncover why he has attempted theft. To summarize, because Ms.Luella is so thoughtful because she is attentive towards others’ actions and intentions along with their physical appearance, one thing is for sure, she would make an exceptional detective.

To conclude, even though Roger may have looked like the classic inconsiderate pick-pocket to the normal person’s eye, because Ms.Luella is so thoughtful because she is considerate, open-minded, and attentive, she is able to completely deconstruct and analyze a person’s character and real intention behind an suspicious action. For sure she would make great friends with Sherlock Holmes.