Established 1885

The Washburn Review
Established 1885

The Washburn Review
Established 1885

The Washburn Review
All content by Andrew Shermoen

‘Floor Kids’ helps you achieve your break-dancing dreams

May 28, 2018

Six comic series you should be reading if you aren’t

April 23, 2018
‘Isle of Dogs’ brings beauty, lacks focus

‘Isle of Dogs’ brings beauty, lacks focus

April 16, 2018
Mixed reception: The early trailer of Ready Player One excited fans due to it prominently featuring The Iron Giant, a character from a 1999 animated film who hasnt been seen in any media since his debut film. Many fans were disappointed when, in the later trailers and final film, the character was seen annihilating people in a huge battle. In the original film, the Giant is shown to be a peaceful character who specifically avoids fighting even though people are very frightened by its extraterrestrial origins.  

‘Ready Player One’ brings thrills, lacks substance

April 2, 2018
‘Pit People’ vs. ‘Into the Breach’: Which strategy game is best for you?

‘Pit People’ vs. ‘Into the Breach’: Which strategy game is best for you?

March 25, 2018
Five YouTube channels that deserve your subscription

Five YouTube channels that deserve your subscription

March 13, 2018
90th Academy Awards breaks records

90th Academy Awards breaks records

March 5, 2018
One key difference: Before starting production on the film, Francis Lawrence (the director of the film) and the film’s star met to discuss if she would be comfortable performing the nude scenes after nude photos of her were leaked online. Lawrence decided she would perform the scenes because the difference between the leaked photos and the film was her consent in the latter. In an interview with Variety Lawrence said “The insecurity and fear of being judged for getting nude, what I went through, should that dictate decisions I make for the rest of my life?”

‘Red Sparrow’ fails at subverting tropes

March 5, 2018
Release: “Annihilation” has a very interesting release schedule. While the movie is now playing in the United States in most theaters, internationally the film will not be released until March 12, when it will be placed on Netflix. Garland expressed disappointment towards this planned release because the film was designed to be a piece of cinema. He said that television and smaller screens can be a great place for telling stories, but the stories should be designed for that format.

Garland annihilates sophomore slump cliche

February 26, 2018
A unique style: The visuals, costuming, sets and vehicle designs of “Black Panther” are all based on afrofuturism which is a cultural aesthetic and philosophy that specifically focuses on how Africa would look in the modern day had it not been colonized and had its resources and culture stripped away by invading Europeans.

‘Black Panther’ one of Marvel’s best

February 19, 2018

Deepfakes strip dignity

February 18, 2018
The subtleties of Phantom Thread are hidden in the linings

The subtleties of ‘Phantom Thread’ are hidden in the linings

February 5, 2018
Top 10 Video Games of 2017

Top 10 Video Games of 2017

January 28, 2018
Top 10 TV Shows of 2017

Top 10 TV Shows of 2017

January 11, 2018
Dressed to impress: Every beautiful environment of Super Mario Odyssey comes with a huge amount of hidden purple location coins which can be used to buy region specific items including costumes for Mario to wear. Tostarena, in the Sand Kingdom, has two outfits to purchase with regional coins: a poncho and sombrero, and a cowboy hat and outfit. 

‘Super Mario Odyssey’ delivers best Mario game in years

December 20, 2017
Boys best friend: Miguel is constantly trailed by Dante, a stray Xoloitzcuintle, better known as the Mexican Hairless Dog. Xolos often appear in the work of Frida Kahlo, who also appears in Coco voiced by Natalia Cordova-Buckley. 

Pixar’s ‘Coco’ visually dazzles, delights

November 28, 2017
Disaster: ‘Justice League‘ has had an incredibly rough weekend at the box office. Scoring a measly $93 million it barely made 30% of its huge budget. Compare that to similar film “The Avengers” opening weekend of $203 million and you can see the difference.

‘Justice League’ fails to save floundering franchise

November 22, 2017

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ dulls audiences

November 13, 2017

Washburn presents Shakespeare parody ‘Ubu Rex’

November 7, 2017

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ becomes instant Marvel classic

November 6, 2017

Making the case for the wonderful world of podcasts

October 24, 2017
The business: “Geostorm” was plagued by a multitude of issues during its production. Producers ordered $15 million worth of reshoots after bad test screenings, and Katheryn Winnick recorded multiple scenes which were all scrapped and replaced with Julia Denton in the same role.

‘Geostorm’ provides zero thrills, horrid acting

October 22, 2017

‘Cuphead’ delivers stunning visuals, difficulty

October 17, 2017
‘Blade Runner 2049’ exceeds all expectations

‘Blade Runner 2049’ exceeds all expectations

October 11, 2017
Magic: Blade Runner 2049 uses a unique mix of visual and practical effects to pull off its beautiful images. This scene in particular is not CGI but a large LED screen depicting this large hologram of the character Joi.

“Blade Runner 2049” exceeds all expectations

October 9, 2017

‘BoJack Horseman’ brings pain, laughter

October 2, 2017
It film justifies societal fear of clowns

‘It’ film justifies societal fear of clowns

September 11, 2017
‘Twin Peaks’ returns better, crazier than ever

‘Twin Peaks’ returns better, crazier than ever

September 4, 2017
Sibling rivalry: The show did great work slowly planning the eventual separation of Jaime and Cersei as the brother of the twins started to slowly notice how unhinged his sister has become after the death of their children. Jaime’s eventual escape from his sister in the finale of this season was an emotionally riveting moment.

HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ season 7 divides fans

August 28, 2017

Summer 2017 movies deliver idiocy, victory

August 22, 2017

‘The Dark Tower’ proves a missed opportunity

August 20, 2017
Acclaimed: Awards Daily recently conducted a poll of the top 10 movies of 2017 so far and The Big Sick placed number 2 on their compiled list which used the opinions of 100 critics. It was only slightly edged out of number one by Jordan Peeles racially-infused thriller Get Out. James Mangolds solo Wolverine film Logan got slightly less votes putting it at number 3 right behind The Big Sick. 

“The Big Sick” revives tired genre

July 27, 2017
Origin-less: Sony and Marvel made the smart choice of not portraying the tired and overdone origin story of Spider-Man that so many are familiar with. Homecoming still makes many references to Peters first bite and the tragic passing of Uncle Ben.

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ swings into action

July 11, 2017
Box Office Behemoth: Wonder Woman has already shattered several records with how much money it has earned in its first few days in theaters. It was not only the biggest single-day gross for a film directed by a female, but the biggest opening for a for a female-led comic book film as well. 

“Wonder Woman” celebrates hope, heroism

June 18, 2017

Octet brings triumphant end to eighth festival concert

June 17, 2017
Dear White People urges viewers to stay woke

‘Dear White People’ urges viewers to stay woke

May 27, 2017

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ laugh out loud humor abounds

May 6, 2017
Frozen in Fear: When asked for one unique experience she has had while at Washburn, Smarts admitted that she has never eaten a frozen meal before, let alone known that they existed. She has still never tried them and instead opts for cooking her own meals mainly consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats. 

Botswana student talks American healthcare, dining habits

April 28, 2017
Departments collaborate in ‘Grand Night for Singing’

Departments collaborate in ‘Grand Night for Singing’

April 25, 2017
Decorated: Dr. Craig Treinen is the director for the Washburn Univeristy Jazz Orchestra. The director took a moment during the Friday concert to play with his band on the song “Lover Man” by Jimmy Davis and Roger Ramirez.

Jazz Orchestra closes out Coleman Hawkins Festival

April 19, 2017

Italian parties experience power shift, PM advocates for unity

April 6, 2017
Music department opens festival with piano recital

Music department opens festival with piano recital

April 4, 2017
‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ revamps monster hunting games

‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ revamps monster hunting games

April 3, 2017

An American Ichabod in London: Spring break travels

March 28, 2017

Local blues band ‘The House Jumpers’ performs at NOTO

March 28, 2017

Local poetry slam decontructs relevant social issues

March 13, 2017
Old dog, new tricks: Director James Mangold has been on the Hollywood scene directing movies since the early 90s. Hes just now showing off the full extent of his directing talents with movies like 3:10 to Yuma, The Wolverine and Logan.

Gritty realism and broken characters thrive in “Logan”

March 7, 2017
Start-up: Brent Ferguson is an adjunct professor at Washburn University who is working on creating a guitar program at Washburns Music Department. While forming the program here at Washburn he is also pursuing a doctorate at Kansas University.

Faculty members highlight Latin American music in concert

March 7, 2017
Hanging in There: Coultis hangs a poster with the name and logo of the fictional company she created for an art project. Student’s don’t just create the art for their show, they must also design how their artwork will be placed throughout the gallery before the show begins.

Senior allery ‘Duplicate’ examines artistic process

March 1, 2017

89th Academy Awards ends with a shock

March 1, 2017
Play us Out: The “WU Words” cast spent an evening regaling stories from dozens of Washburn students. They concluded their performance with a rendition of “Got to Get You Into My Life” by The Beatles, once again promoting the power of unity and friendship. 

Theatre project ‘WU Words’ gives voice to students

February 28, 2017
Underappreciated music genres: jazz

Underappreciated music genres: jazz

February 15, 2017

I Love Cello Day unites musicians to celebrate talents

February 13, 2017

How Valentine’s Day evolved through the ages

February 6, 2017
Divisive Darling: Split premiered at the 2016  Austin, Texas film festival known as Fantastic Fest. Since then, the film has garnered high praise for its cast and original story-telling, but has drawn scrutiny from the mental health community for the its villainous portrayal of a mentally unwell man. 

Shyamalan’s thriller ‘Split’ shatters expectations

February 2, 2017
Assuring: “Care, forgive, contribute and be the dawn that ends the dark night.,” reads the quote underneath this photo titled “Damian.” The quote highlights the positive change done by “Reaching Out From Within.”

‘Faces of Change’ gallery humanizes inmates

February 1, 2017
Worldwide: Marcia Cebulskas play Visions of Right has been featured all over the United States in many different venues. Many of Cebulskas other plays have been featured internationally with a high school in Turkmenistan performing a play that Cebulska made available on the public domain.

Play ‘Visions of Right’ urges tolerance, acceptance

February 1, 2017

‘Hidden Figures’ highlights racial, gender equality

February 1, 2017

‘Sleepless’ puts audiences to sleep

January 31, 2017

‘Manchester by the Sea’ evokes sorrow, sympathy

January 25, 2017
Student gallery highlights reflective artistic mediums

Student gallery highlights reflective artistic mediums

January 25, 2017

‘Passengers’ takes a nose dive

December 28, 2016

Festival Singers perform dazzling Christmas concert

December 23, 2016
Star-stacked: Westworld boasts a talented and amazing cast list. Names like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Hemsworth, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, Clifton Collins Jr, and Jeffrey Wright should be somewhat familiar names. Dont sleep on the shows lesser-known actors though, Rodrigo Santoro, Sidse Babett Knudson, Leonardo Nam, Ingrid Berdal, and Thandie Newton also do amazing jobs in the series.

Philosophy, suspense make ‘Westworld’ prime television

December 22, 2016

Student, Shuhua Zheng, delivers operatic senior recital

December 6, 2016
10 Must-watch Christmas movies

10 Must-watch Christmas movies

December 1, 2016
Whitewashing: Doctor Strange received a large amount of criticism when it cast Tilda Swinton, a white actress, in the role of The Ancient One. The character is a Tibetan man in the comics and people accused the film of promoting whitewashing.

Trippy visuals, thrilling action astound in ‘Doctor Strange’

November 26, 2016

Washburn music department dazzles at chamber strings concert

November 26, 2016

Five shows to binge during your brief Thanksgiving Break

November 18, 2016

Film ‘Arrival’ ushers in the Oscar season

November 18, 2016
Folking Around: Bon Iver’s bandname comes from front-man Justin Vernon’s experience with mononucleosis hepatitis where he watched a lot of the show “Northern Exposure” while on bedrest. A common greeting among the characters was “bon hiver” which in French means “good winter.” 

Bon Iver’s soul-searching ‘22, A Million’ triumphs

November 11, 2016

Sophomore’s piano recital enchants audiences

November 10, 2016
Nothing to fear: Barnes’ exhibition has a heavy focus on death and decay. The pottery adorning the atrium resemble fungi and decomposition. Her piece “Death Bowls” uses a human tool, the bowl, made of decaying matter to illustrate human’s relationship to death.

Nature abounds in Megan Barnes senior showcase

November 3, 2016
Popular social media app Vine discontinued by Twitter

Popular social media app Vine discontinued by Twitter

November 2, 2016

Indie horror game ‘Darkest Dungeon’ goes rogue

October 28, 2016
Showcase highlights the talents of Washburn music faculty

Showcase highlights the talents of Washburn music faculty

October 20, 2016

‘The Girl on the Train’ stuck at the station

October 16, 2016
Aficionados: The Washburn University Jazz Orchestra is filled with both newcomers and familiar faces, but one thing is for sure. Theyve got style and theyve got talent.

Washburn jazz ensembles kick off semester

October 6, 2016
Booked Solid: Steve Loe and Barbara Stuber sold and signed copies of their various novels in conjunction with the festival. “The Glimpsing Book” was Loe’s debut novel, and “Girl in Reverse” was Stuber’s second published novel. The festival also sold copies of past guest author’s novels.

Literary Festival entertains, educates students

October 6, 2016

Topeka Festival Singers hold classical concert

October 5, 2016

New music faculty member performs harp recital

September 30, 2016

Ad Astra’s ‘Self Love’ fails at storytelling

September 30, 2016

Gordon-Levitt’s ‘Snowden’ lacks excitement, depth

September 22, 2016
Hometown: Donald Glover, the creator and major writer of Atlanta grew up in the famed capital of Georgia. He has been noted that saying his time in the city as a child was the biggest influence on the shows direction.

“Atlanta” bursts with keen observation and unique humor

September 15, 2016

‘Zak Barnes: At Home in Bazaar’ welcomes the weird

September 7, 2016
Jane Levy plays Rocky the main protagonist of “Don’t Breathe.” She has also starred in films and television like the 2013 “Evil Dead” remake and the sitcom “Suburgatory.”

‘Don’t Breathe’ full of scares and tension

September 1, 2016
Many events in “War Dogs” are either highly exaggerated or complete lies. The men the story was based on never smuggled guns from Jordan through the Triangle of Death to a US military base in Iraq. 

“War Dogs” offers bland, milquetoast comedy

August 26, 2016
Internet culture: Nerve is obsessed with exploring sci-fi concepts around the dark web, computer hacking and the culture of hiding behind the mask of a screen. In a way, these concepts feel directly tied to the themes of the documentary Catfish which –by no coincidence– the directors of Catfish also directed Nerve.

‘Nerve’ packed with suspense, surprises

August 14, 2016
Pixar knocks it out of the park with Finding Dory

Pixar knocks it out of the park with ‘Finding Dory’

June 25, 2016
Roll Credits: In Marvel movie fashion, X-Men: Apocalypse ends its credits with a stinger that hints at upcoming films in the franchise. This particular end-credits scene features a reference to an upcoming solo film for a beloved member of the team.

Beloved characters shine in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

June 7, 2016
Updating: In true Blizzard fashion, the company has announced that Overwatch will have a constant stream of content for players to enjoy. New maps, new cosmetic items, new game modes and even new characters will be added to the game. Blizzard has announced that no added content like new characters and maps will require a purchase to play them.

Well-crafted heroes and fun, addictive gameplay are the crux of ‘Overwatch’

June 6, 2016
Tea Time: Despite being the sequel to one of the highest grossing films of all time and being a contender for a highest-grossing film of the summer according to many box office gurus, Looking Glass bombed at the box office. Making $33 million domestic as of May 30 sounds like nothing to sneeze at, but the films $170 million budget means the movie is a failure.

‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ disappoints as a sequel

June 5, 2016

‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’ delivers uninteresting characters, weak humor

May 29, 2016
“Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” defines action-adventure gaming

“Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” defines action-adventure gaming

May 21, 2016
Captain America: Civil War bursts with character, emotion

‘Captain America: Civil War’ bursts with character, emotion

May 16, 2016

Soprano dazzles audiences with senior voice recital

May 6, 2016

Game ‘SUPERHOT’ features a minimalist art style, engaging mechanics

April 29, 2016

Nostalgia and character drive ‘The Jungle Book’

April 22, 2016

Moral dilemmas drive ‘Eye in the Sky’

April 11, 2016
From left to right, Dulce Cortes, Shannon Brush, Jarod Barnes, Dr. Tom Morgan, Will Hartner, and Nico Williams. The group is mainly comprised of music and mass media majors.

Percussion Ensemble holds eclectic, energized concert

April 4, 2016
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