![Standing center stage, senior Ananya Akula conducts the Phoenix Chorale. “[Conducting and teaching] is really fun,” Akula said. “Music education is what I want to do.” On the day of the choir assessment, Akula found out that she received the President’s Music Scholarship – a full ride to the University of Miami Frost School of Music.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ananya-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Fatima Qaderi grew into the person she wanted to become when she was younger and continues to work towards growing more confident in using her voice when it matters. “I didnt get treated the way I wanted to be treated, and I realized that it wasnt just them treating me the wrong way, it was me treating me the wrong way,” Qaderi said. “I forced them to like to look at me in a way where Im someone who needs to be respected; they cant just disregard me, they cant just look over me because I have a different opinion, because Im a woman, because Im Afghan, because Im Muslim, or whatever. It just took going through different experiences to figure out how [I wanted to] be heard.” Photo courtesy of Fatima Qaderi.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_3870.jpeg)
![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
![Gracing stages, football games, and even the big screen, Taylor Swifts popularity doesn’t seem to be declining anytime soon as she’s been almost everywhere on social media, and just this December, [Swift] won TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year award. This brought along magnificent pictures of Swift, articles praising her, and some controversy between Swifites (Swifts most devoted fans), and other people on whether or not she should have won this award.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/taylor-swift-person-of-the-year-1-1094x1200.png)
The 12th Movie In The “Halloween” Franchise, “Halloween Kills,” Continues to Captivate
The movie sequel to the 2018 “Halloween” arrives in theaters, a remake of the 1978 “Halloween.”
Dean Cundey, Director of Photography for 1978 “Halloween” off of Creative Commons Licenses
Micheal Myers, the main villain in all “Halloween” franchise movies, stands with a knife in his hand in front of a house he just burned in Haddonfield, Illinois in 1978.
February 4, 2022
The 2021 movie “Halloween Kills¨ starts off where the 2018 movie “Halloween” ends, with Myers being burned by Laurie Strode, a victim of Myers, but you can hear him breathing in the post credit scene indicating he is alive. This resurrection of sorts was somewhat expected as Myers, the main villain and central character, has to be alive for the series to continue.
The movie did not impress or live up to the expectations. The 1978 “Halloween” is scary to watch because it gives you a lot of suspense when Myers is chasing his victim to their demise. “Halloween Kills” does a good job giving you a thrill when Myers kills his victim, but the chase should give you more thrill because it is longer than the kill. “It was not as good as the first one, but interesting enough so that no one was bored throughout the movie,” sophomore Soham Chandra said.
With a quick flash to previous scenes from the 1978 film, Myers’s psychiatrist (played by Nick Castle), Donald Pleasence, shoots him with a revolver many times. This does not stop Myers as he gets up and runs away.
In another 1978 scene, Officer Hawkins (played by Will Patton) accidentally kills his partner while Myers is strangling him. However, Hawkins regrets not letting his partner shoot Myers rather than killing his partner. If he had let his partner shoot him, Myers would have been dead and his killing spree would halt at last. These scenes were shown to act as a recap/introduction to refresh viewers.
In the current 2018 time frame, set 40 years later, survivors of Myers’ killing sprees—Marion Chambers, Lindsey Wallace, Cameron’s father, and Lonnie Elam—celebrate Myers’s 40th anniversary of not killing anyone because he was imprisoned. While they celebrate, firefighters respond to Laurie Strode’s burning house, a victim who was harassed by Myers back in 1978. Myers had escaped and went to Strode’s house. The fire was caused by Laurie trying to kill off Myers by burning her house down. Unknown to the firefighters, they accidentally let Myers out assuming he was a victim within the house. From there, the killing spree continues.
Although it was overhyped, the movie had extremely graphic parts that gave people a thrill. It is the most graphic out of all the “Halloween” franchise movies. The movie is less scary, more disgusting. There are many jumpscares, and the kills themselves make you jump out of your skin. The violent scenes felt similar to the video game and movie “Mortal Kombat.” It’s known for being extremely explicit with its killings or finishes. These scenes left viewers shocked with the creative visuals that have not been seen in previous films.
Other than that, the movie does an amazing job continuing the series. Even if it is a cliffhanger, I would rate it a 9/10 because the explicit/gore scenes give the movie something you will never forget. It is a great recommendation to anybody who is a fan of the “Halloween” franchise or enjoys the realistic gore aspect. Well done to David Gordon Green, director of “Halloween Kills,” for creating a well-made sequel to a classic movie that is seen by many on Halloween.
