The Brave News

by Aharon Colon, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Movies would not be anything without music. There would be no box office hits, no social media buzz, and definitely no hits to where you can lie down on your bed late at night having nostalgic feelings about your favorite scenes from your favorite films.

We’ve all been there. However, I do not believe that the music in these iconic movies get the amount of recognition that they deserve.

When I think of an entire album that had a profound effect on a movie, I think of Black Panther (2018) by Kendrick Lamar, featuring a swath of artists like SZA, Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Khalid, Swae Lee, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, Travis Scott and many more. This album has defined modern day soundtracks and set a new bar for movies to come.

Not only has it set trends in the film industry, it was widely popular as well, adding to the cultural pervasiveness of the Marvel film’s brand last year. With Black Panther already being acclaimed for casting an almost entirely African American cast, the album did not disappoint as the ensemble for a tremendous cast.

In terms of one-off songs that made their waves in pop culture film classics, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from The Breakfast Club is arguably the most iconic song ever in movies.

The image of John Bender pumping his fist as the movie closes out is still fresh in the minds of film buffs, who will never forget what that moment meant to them. The very thought of that movie is synonymous with the song, and the people working on the movie chose a perfect tune to capture the moment. The teen-angst of the film mixed with the pop culture at the time, made the song feel nostalgic and give the vibe that nothing will ever be the same.

For soundtracks and background music, there are a plethora of great examples for all kinds of music and movie lovers. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, GoodFellas, The Shining, 8 Mile, JAWS, Pulp Fiction and more, all are still continuing to capture the imaginations of viewers everywhere. The purpose of the music in these films was not just about creating drama or intensity, but creating a multitude of different emotions for the watchers at home that could last a lifetime.

I remember sitting at home watching Star Wars for the first time, hearing the Empire’s theme song “The Imperial March” and having the fear of God struck in me. From then on, I began to pay more and more attention to the background music and the different songs playing as characters came and went. This attention has made my experience as a movie-goer exponentially better.

There is nothing like hearing a song play behind such an important scene in a movie and thinking, “Hey, what is the name of that song?”, then finding it and listening to it all day.

I feel like this feeling is not celebrated nor recognized enough. Movie-goers nowadays, unless they are presented with a pop album like Black Panther, tend to look over the soundtrack and build their opinions solely around the actors or the quality of the cinematography.

Without music, many aspects of a movie are not the same. It seems to me plain wrong to have recognizable scenes like the one from the Breakfast Club not have music backing it, or to not have the dashingly intense background music from Jaws underlying a chase scene. And it is, in fact, the music in these scenes that make them recognizable cultural mainstays in the first place.

by R.J. Johnson and Kourt Williams

Over the last two weeks, fans of Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom celebrated the anniversary of the deceased rapper’s birthday, which was on August 15th, continuing the trend of the rapper’s premature demise having a more positive than negative impact on the L.A. area. 

Initially, the murder of Nipsey, which was thought to be a gang hit, brought speculation of another “40 Days, 40 Nights,” which is a 40-day span of gang members commiting murder and terrorizing their communities, as well as neighboring ones, in retaliation for gang violence.

This didn’t pan out and after a couple of days of grieving over Nipsey’s passing, his gang “Neighborhood 40 Crip” and the rest of the L.A. area realized that Nipsey’s death was, in fact, internal, as he was slain by fellow “Neighborhood 40 Crip” member Eric Holder.

After the negativity ran its course, all of Los Angeles began making strives to better their communities. A young woman Tiarra Bogard, 17, from the LA area seeked inspiration from Nipsey herself.

“He was personally a role model for me,” Tiarra said. “He was an inspiration for kids growing up in this area that you can actually be somebody one day.”

Nipsey wasn’t a passive leader in his community. With the businesses he owned, he provided jobs to those around him.

“My uncle worked at the [clothing] store he was killed at. It was crazy because my uncle told me since Nipsey got shot, his clothing line’s profit has doubled,” said Tiarra.

“The Marathon Clothing,” Nipsey’s small-business, provided the community jobs with the goal of building generational wealth among locals.

One of Nipsey Hussle’s main goals was to provide inspiration and give a chance to those who weren’t given much opportunity. Tiarra experienced Nipsey being up close and personal with the community herself.

“What I loved the most about Nipsey was that he never forgot where he came from,” said Tiarra. “I remember when I was eleven years old, he came to my block and bought my cousins, friends, and I ice cream. He also gave us some advice and encouragement on the aspects of life.”

Little things like this is what helps keep these historically gang-torn communities as tight knit as possible.

A Bosco senior from the Los Angeles area, senior Aneicko Milligan, felt the impact immediately after Nipsey’s death and saw all the changes that came with it.

“I’ve seen a lot more people watching who they interact with but also lifting each other up,” Aneicko said. “That’s what it’s all about: being there for one another.”

Despite that sentiment, due to him personally enjoying Nipsey’s music prior to the rapper’s death, Aneicko feels that the amount of recent support that’s been given to Nipsey isn’t truly genuine.

“I feel like not many people were out here really listening to his music. Kendrick and YG mainly dominated areas like Compton, South Central, and the rest of L.A. Where was all this support for Hussle when he was trying to make our community better? Nowhere to be found. Everyone was still just gang banging and fighting over pointless things,” said Aneicko

Nipsey didn’t receive the same amount of recognition that his peers did in the music industry, and a lot of his good deeds went unnoticed. Positivity tends to go unnoticed within communities because of how much more of an impact negativity tends to have.

Negativity, such as gang violence, shootings, or any kind of crime committed, headline the news a good majority of the time, leaving less room for the good things being done to breathe.

Whether it’s a cause receiving a donation, youth centers being built, or schools attempting to improve on their curriculum for their students, these kinds of events tend not to receive the same amount of recognition as death and despair in our culture.

“A lot of influencers want the clout behind their good deeds,” said Aneicko. “Nip stayed humble and I respect him for that. He gave the community hope to make it a better place.”

For all ages, Nipsey Hussle’s life and death left a legacy behind that is being honored, with many still living hoping to replicate some of the things that he did for his community for their own.

Giving without expecting anything in return, that is what makes a neighborhood hero.

by Ryan Tavera

Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood lives up to the standards that one of America’s greatest living directors has set for all of his films. 

Going into this film, this reviewer expected a classic Tarantino affair, with blood-filled scenes and clever dialogue. However, this film is breaking away from trademark aesthetics such as his nonlinear storytelling and speech heavy scenes. Instead, he focuses more on traditional storytelling, making a smooth watching experience and entertaining piece of film.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes place in 1969 and pays homage to an era otherwise known as the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Tarantino makes you feel as if it’s a cool summer night, and you’re swerving in and out of streets through the hills of Hollywood. The imagery of classic cars and music really bring to life the 60s atmosphere, with the inclusion of locations such as drive-in movies, poshy theaters, and bright lights throughout the streets.

Disregarding the fun and laid back atmosphere Tarantino creates in his films, the movie revolves around a much more sinister story. As the title of this movie suggests, this film is a fairytale settled in reality.

If you know anything about 60s Hollywood or cults in general, you might have heard about Charles Manson, a prominent cultist leader who referred to his group as his “family”, as well as Sharon Tate, a famous actress of the period associated with Manson. On August 19th, 1969, Tate, who was pregnant at the time, was staying at her house located in the Hollywood hills with a group of friends when cult leader Charles Manson and his group brutally murdered her and her friends.

Tarantino takes this tragic story and twists the ending of the brutal killings. In Tarantino’s tale, he changes the outcome significantly. Instead of the Manson family being punished, Tarantino’s trademark features kick in towards the end, and his signature over the top violence makes this story his own.  Even though the movie eventually all builds up towards Sharon Tate and the Manson family’s big ending, don’t think of this film solely as that.

Instead, the movie focuses on Tate’s neighbor, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is grasping on to his fame and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to find their place in an ever-changing Hollywood.

Rick Dalton, once a figure of prominence of Hollywood, starred in a popular western television show “Bounty Law.” However, when the show ended, so did Rick’s place in the spotlight.

As a character, he is uneasy and dramatic, either drinking his pain away or smoking a cigar while on the verge of tears. Cliff, his stunt double, is found frequently comforting Rick, running errands for him and driving Rick around in his 1966 Cadillac.

Cliff Booth, on the other hand, is a war veteran who lives in a trailer with his pitbull named Brandy and is a sharp man who is bold but wary. He seems to always have every situation under his control.

It is also rumored that he murdered his wife, which Tarantino briefly shines a light on, but it is never revealed if he did or didn’t, leaving the audience to have their own speculations.

The stand out in this film, however: DiCaprio and Pitts’ staggering performances.

Every time they’re on the big screen, they’re the center of attention. DiCaprio has delivered again with his phenomenal acting that every cinema lover has come to know over decades of excellence. He brings Rick Dalton to life, and his expressions make his character seem always on edge and agitated.

But Pitt really steals the show. It seems as if the role was written specifically for him, as he plays a likable protagonist who is a straightforward yet a rugged man, always the predominant force in the room.

Each segment of the film is made almost like a short story, where the scenes can range from 10-50 minutes long, and in between each short story are usually visually stunning shots of L.A., with vibrant lights everywhere and music in the background to really create an aesthetic environment.

In particular, my personal favorite scene was when Cliff Booth visits an old ranch where he once shot westerns, but didn’t know it was being used as the hideout of Charles Manson’s cult.

Your eyes are simply glued to Brad Pitt’s character as he walks on the seemingly deserted ranch. As the music begins to play in the background, he slowly approaches the house sitting on the hill, people seemingly pop out of nowhere in between abandoned trucks and run downed buildings, which makes for an extremely suspenseful bit of film. The eerie and mysterious vibe of the scene makes you want Cliff to turn back and get out of there, but at the same time, you really want to figure out what’s going on in the house.

At its center Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn’t about suspense, nor is it about the tragedies that happened in 1969. It is a buddy-buddy film featuring DiCaprio and Pitt whos acting converges excellently. When they appear on screen together, it makes for an easy-going and entertaining scene.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a slow-burning stick of dynamite. The fuse is the first two hours of the film, filled with nods to 60s L.A and great character development, while the explosion is the last 40 minutes, and trust me the ending is certainly worth the wait.