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Showing posts from April, 2020

Helpful Harmonies: The Psychology of Playlists

Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash by Daniel Andrade During this time of social distancing, one thing I’ve been trying to focus on is staying active and working out. Whether it’s a run around the neighborhood or high-intensity interval training in my room, I’ve been trying my best to exercise throughout the week. One of the major things that has helped me get through some of these tougher workouts is my playlist, which mostly consists of hard rock anthems. I was curious to see if my playlist was unique, so I asked a few other friends what they exercise to. What kept them going through a workout? Photo by Patrik Michalicka on Unsplash The results were interesting. While I’m sweating to Linkin Park and Disturbed, some of my other friends were getting pumped up by Dua Lipa and Justin Timberlake. Were there musical selections any more effective than mine? Is there a reason why we gravitate toward certain songs when we’re in a good mood, or why we pick certain tunes to h

Review Rewind: Onward

by Daniel Andrade Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures When it comes to great partners, many examples come to mind: peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin, Mario and Luigi, etc. But this list would be incomplete if it didn’t include the greatest entertainment partnership of the last 25 years: Disney and Pixar. They have a practically perfect track record when it comes to their collaborative efforts thanks to the incredible way they are able to craft emotional stories that impact viewers both young and old, all while showing off their impressive animation skills. They always find a unique way to tell such moving stories, and Onward is no exception. Thanks to its recent release on Disney+, I was able to watch it in the comfort of my own home. Onward shows us what would have happened if all the classic fairytale and mythical creatures we know were introduced to the modern technologies we are all accustomed to: the internet, electricity, social media, cars, smartphones, etc. Th

Review Rewind: The Invisible Man (2020)

by Daniel Andrade Courtesy of Blumhouse Productions The latest interpretation of H.G. Wells’s classic horror story The Invisible Man was recently released for rental so that, despite theaters closing around the world, cinephiles like myself could enjoy this film in the comfort of their own homes. So thanks to that, I’m writing another Review Rewind for you! I am once again not familiar with the source material of the book or the previous film adaptations of this classic story, but that did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this film. I’m a big fan of horror/thriller films that mess with your head and build up tension without the need for monsters or jump scares; when you’re left to imagine what is out there, that’s when you can truly terrify yourself. This movie does a phenomenal job of that from the start, lingering on these long, quiet shots that make the viewer feel nervous and afraid, even if there is nothing there (that we can see at least). That sense of paranoi