For some unknown reason, Disney decided to release a remake(?), reboot(?) or possibly a sequel(?) to the 1990 Christmas classic “Home Alone” entitled “Home Sweet Home Alone” (2021). And while this movie does its best to capture the fun of the original, it ultimately falls flat. As a very big fan of the first two “Home Alone” movies (and a defender of the underrated third movie), this new addition to the franchise disappointed me in almost every way. Starting with the main child actor, Archie Yates, the movie failed to capture my attention. Yates is actually a talented performer as he showed in his performance as Yorki in the movie “Jojo Rabbit” (2019), but here he just angers me. It feels like he is trying way too hard to be quirky or amusing like Macaulay Culkin, but without any of the actual ability to do so. This is not even a diss on Yates as an actor but more on the choice to cast him here. It’s hard to create a child leading character that does not come off as cheesy or annoying, and Yates is just another example of this. He will probably end up being a very successful dramatic actor as he continues to work in Hollywood, but this role was just not the right fit for him. I also have to criticize the entire storyline and script of the movie. Although it follows the general storyline of the original, consisting of two crooks breaking into the young boy’s home and squaring off against him while he is home alone, it fails miserably in making this an enjoyable story. The crooks featured here are a married couple going through hard financial times, and they choose to rob Yates’ home to reclaim a priceless doll they believe he stole from them. The movie fails instantly at the most important part of the “Home Alone” franchise. The audience needs to want to see the crooks fall to a bunch of elaborate traps that the main character sets up, but in this movie I don’t want to see them suffer at all. The crook couple actually seem like normal and likeable people so it is just annoying and frustrating to see them be attacked by all of these complex traps. It’s not even fun to see this happen and I would rather watch almost anything else instead. Another thing that is pretty awful about this movie is the main character Max’s family the Mercer’s. In the original movie, it’s really easy to see how the main child does not get along with his family and it makes the ending where they make up much more realistic and emotional. But that doesn’t happen here. There is only a small argument between Max and his mother that does not actually portray them as having a bad relationship, giving no weight to the reunion at the end. This movie fails at almost every aspect that it tries to accomplish. The only happiness I felt during the movie was seeing the character Buzz McCallister return in a cameo by Devin Ratray. Other than that, there is nothing of substance in this movie and I would highly recommend not watching it. Gavin J. Wood
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The boys basketball team set the standard for the season in their home opener against Princeton this past Tuesday. The opposing Tigers posed as fierce competition, given they already had two games under their belt. Since two of the teams' starters were out as a result of various injuries, a new lineup came into play. The Knights proved that no amount of adversity would affect their outcome. "This season is going to be the best one yet" says Weston Aigner, #24. Standout player, Aigner, led the team with 22 points and a number of hustle plays that gave his teammates opportunities to score. Aigner is a known name in the Castle community given his accomplishments in the football season. As a wide receiver, Weston Aigner had 668 receiving yards where he averaged over 19 yards per catch. Despite his triumph in the fall, Aigner continued to work toward his next goal: basketball. The majority of the starters for Castle's team are juniors. Having that young of a team hints toward a promising season next year, too. The current lineup is full of returners, and the chemistry is already tight. The Knights will play their next home game against Harrison on December 10. This game will be another test for the Knights, as the Warriors present a challenge each year. Layla Leigh WandelCastle girls volleyball makes their way to Ball State after a fantastic semi-state win. Preparing all year for this post season game, the Lady Knights were more than prepared. Dan Watson, Castle’s girls volleyball head coach, has worked day and night with fourteen girls in order to succeed this season. Starting off strong, the varsity players trained constantly in hopes of achieving one goal: make history. Not only did the Lady Knights practice five to six times a week, they prioritized team bonding. The girls came up with the saying “fourteen strong” to represent the importance of playing together as one. The Castle Knights thrived in their family-like environment. Whether it was during games or practices, “nothing beats the feeling of having an entire team supporting you no matter the circumstances,” says Layla Wandel, a senior varsity player. Heading into championship season, nerves were high. The girls carried a lot of pressure to take this team to the next level. However, winning came easy in the beginning. Game after game, the Lady Knights swept the court, rarely even losing a set. Campbell Mcbride, a senior on the varsity lineup, says “we felt like we were on fire, there was nothing stopping us from here on out.” The energy was high when the semi-state match rolled around. Walking into the Jasper High School gymnasium, the Lady Knights were surrounded by blue and gold. Fans from all over southern Indiana drove the hour to support their Castle Family. Lainey Browning, a castle senior, “has never felt more alive than that moment.” As soon as the starting lineup hit the court, everything became real. The Lady Knights battled Roncalli, another extremely talented team of players. The first set of the evening, Castle fought hard. Having to win by 2 points, the Lady Knights did not give up until the final became 29-27. With one win already, the Knight's confidence was booming. The castle High School student section became a roaring sea of blue. Second set the knights swept 25-20. At this point during the game, Castle knew they had made it. Thriving off of their success, the Lady Knights finished the third set 25-23, winning the semi-state championship title. Castle High School girls volleyball won semi-state for the first time in school history. Their goal of making the castle recognizable was not only achieved, but viewed as one of the greatest athletic achievements of Castle High School. The semi-state championship game was a day Knight Nation will never forget. Lauren MatuscakConcluding the successful fall sports season, many athletes have made the decision to continue playing their sport at the collegiate level. On National Signing Day, eleven students at Castle signed their letters of intent to play at their desired school. The Class of 2022 has been known to excel at all aspects, but especially sports. The high number of signees is a testament to this fact. Read more about the eleven signees below: Colton Tang, the first of the signees, committed to the University of Southern Indiana for the sport of swimming. Tang began his swimming career later than many, starting sophomore year, but immediately excelled in his events. As fun as competing is to him, Tang notes that the best part of the sport is the team chemistry. Be sure to support Colton Tang and his teammates at their winter meets! Jacob Barrett signed his letter of intent to play at Murray State University in the fall in pursuit of a degree in exercise science. Barrett has played baseball for 10 years, and he recently made the decision to focus on pitching. The competition that baseball brings is what keeps his fire for the game alive. Barrett is well-known for his grit: outside of the school season Barrett continues to play baseball on his PRP Mambas travel team and is even a member of the school's football team. Parker Speth has made his commitment to Indiana State University to continue making strides in pole vault. While he has been competing in this sport for four years, his junior season is his most notable. At the conclusion of last year, Speth was named All Conference, the SIAC Record Holder, a State Meet Medalist, and performed his personal best of 15'2". Speth comments on how there is no better feeling than clearing the bar and knowing the community is behind you. Jackie Lis, the next commit, is a middle infield and outfield for Castle's softball team. Lis will continue the family legacy at Southern Illinois University next fall, playing for the same coach as her Aunt Becky did years before her. Family is a big part of the sport to her, as nearly every member of her family has played or coached softball at some point. Lis has played softball for fifteen years, and while she enjoys the thrill of the game, she is most thankful for the experiences it has brought her. Getting to play travel ball has granted her the opportunity to travel to many places around the United States, meet her best friends, and continue her education at no cost. Madison Beckhart is a true definition of someone overcoming adversity. After going through painful elbow surgery, and continuing to recover from it, Beckhart's drive and skill still landed her a spot on the John A. Logan softball team. Pat Lockyear, the coach of the girls' softball team at Castle, commented in his speech on how determined Beckhart is and how that makes her a great senior leader. Beckhart considers her teammates and coaches to be a second family and looks forward to making similar connections to a whole new batch of people in college. Troon Houlton signed his letter of intent to play Division 1 lacrosse at the University of Delaware. While Houlton excels athletically, his efforts in the classroom are something that makes him stand out from other athletes. One of the key points his coach, Tim Clark, made in his speech was how proud he was to relay Houlton's transcripts to the Delaware coaches. Houlton's drive for achievement in all aspects of life and lack of complacency is what has granted him a spot on UD's lacrosse team. Hannah Eilert excels in anything she puts her mind to. This drive has translated to her athletic and academic ability. Next fall, Eilert will study engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and play lacrosse as a Charger Blue. Eilert has played as a midfield for five years on many successful teams: Circle City, Castle, and the Gators. "My favorite part of the game is the feeling you get when you work hard against a good team and come out on top with a win," Eilert notes. Thanks to her commitment, Hannah is sure to experience many more of these feelings. Alyssa Burglund signed her committment to continue playing volleyball at Illinois College. Alyssa has been a right side hitter for eight years, and her success helped lead her team to a State Final in her final season. Burglund's favorite part of volleyball is her teammates. As one of nine seniors in the graduating class for volleyball, Burglund has grown to appreciate the community that surrounds sports. The second volleyball player to sign is Olivia Patton. Patton plays for Castle as a pin hitter, but is noted for her ability to move around in order to help the team succeed. Daniel Watson, the head volleyball coach for Castle, remarks on Patton as being a "utility player". Having these attributes makes Olivia Patton a valuable member of her team. In the fall, Patton will attend Kentucky Wesleyan College. As Castle's four-year starting Varsity defense specialist, it is no wonder that Keira Moore is continuing her career at the collegiate level. In the fall, Moore will attend the University of Southern Indiana in pursuit of a Psychology and Criminal Justice degree. This season alone, Moore was named 1st Team All-District, 1st Team All-SIAC, Academic All-State, and an All-American Honorable Mention. In her seven years of playing, Moore is most grateful for the bonds she has made as a result of volleyball. Abby Rhoutsong signed her NLI to play at the University of Southern Indiana. As a four-year member of the soccer team, Rhoutsong is noted for her quiet leadership. She leads by example, something many people strive to do. In her three years as captain, Rhoutsong has led her team to two sectional championships and a regional championship. Her achievements have granted her a spot on the All-State Academic team, 1st Team All-District Team, and All-State Honorable Mention. Layla Leigh WandelCross Country is a sport that both grows the individual to higher heights, but also the team as a whole. Running side by side with the team you're working with but also competing against creates a great energy for the runners. It is an adrenaline rush all in one. As this season approached the Castle team, they were ready to feel this emotion. Throughout the summer, oftentimes, many of the cross country runners would be seen taking a run along the river or throughout their neighborhoods. Their commitment to get better was printed on their face. Their coach, also known as Coach Ed, regularly held runs along the river or at the Castle track. This helped the group grow together and strengthen their personal running skills. Freshman, Brent Guyer, started running with Castle for the first time this summer, but has been running since he was in elementary school. He enjoys running around his neighborhood and is fueled by his team's enthusiasm and passion for the sport. He finished off the season well and even made his personal record of twenty minutes in a 5k race. He expressed his thankfulness, but also excitement for the upcoming years. Audrey Spurling, a junior on the team, has also voiced her enjoyment throughout the season. Spurling has been running for almost eight years alongside her brother who originally introduced her. She said running with her brother brought them closer together and allowed for many memories to be made. Although she does not plan to run in college, she thanks cross country for introducing her to many new friends and how to better encourage her teammates. Lastly, Trevor Monroe, the record breaker of the season. Senior on the Castle cross country team has overcome more milestones than believed to have existed. Running for a little over ten years now, Monroe has been heavily influenced by many people. Their influence alongside his talent has pushed him to be able to complete the State race in 16th place, become a Regional Champ, and get a course record at the Alan Hopewell Invitational. He hopes to continue his athletic career at BYU, but whatever Monroe does, the Castle community is behind him. All in all, cross country is a great sport. Encouraging and cheering for each other is a part of the game. Without that, many do not achieve the times they strive for or give up on their goals. “I started running because I liked the challenge, and it's simple, no timeouts, no halftime, you just run," says Gabe Land, a three year member of the Castle cross country team. This stands to be very true. It's a simple sport. The energy around it is encouraging and the kids love it. The Castle community is proud of everyone and their accomplishments. Lainey Browning Released on October 8th, 2021, “No Time to Die” has soared in theatres and officially ended the Daniel Craig era of James Bond movies. I had the capacity to view the new addition to the franchise last weekend, and I must say that I was impressed with the final Craig film. Daniel Craig has consistently made very good Bond movies (“Quantum of Solace” can be ignored) during his tenure as the infamous intelligence agent, and this one is one of the best. To start off, Bond himself here is pretty awesome. You immediately buy Craig’s Bond as a dangerous weapon who could defeat nearly anyone in combat. The opening scene features a car chase through the streets of Italy and it might just be one of the coolest scenes in the franchise. There is not a doubt in any viewer’s mind that this James Bond is a skilled and lethal combatant. Additionally, the action and fight scenes here are strong as well. Fights between Bond and the lead villain Safin (Rami Malek) are very well done and create great tension during their scenes. Even without the story elements that I love, the action alone would make this an above average Bond film. As I hinted at above, the storyline in “No Time to Die” is phenomenal as well. Watching an older and more hardened Bond take on a villain that is quite possibly smarter and more menacing than Bond himself is enjoyable and cool to see. I also loved the Bond girls featured in this movie. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) is a great love interest for James Bond, and you honestly buy into the fact that they are in love. The addition of Lashana Lynch as Nomi, the new 007 agent, was a great idea. She quickly sets herself up as a suave and talented spy who is worthy of the 007 moniker. Also, the briefly seen Paloma portrayed by Ana de Armas was superb as well. I would definitely watch a spinoff project of either of these characters if that ever happened. The plot of the movie is undoubtedly predictable, but that does not necessarily make it a bad thing. The ending fit the story perfectly and was a great send-off for Daniel Craig in his final performance as Bond. The only real constructive criticism I can give “No Time to Die” is that the villain Safin is sort of underutilized. While Rami Malek does a good job portraying the character, he just is not featured in enough of the film to truly become someone we are interested in. He shows up just enough to keep the plot moving but does not add anything new to the franchise. Overall, I really enjoyed “No Time to Die.” I think it was a great ending for Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond and a great Bond movie as well. While it is probably not my favorite of the series, I would highly recommend it to any Bond fans and any fans of espionage and action films, too. Gavin WoodCastle High School’s girls and boys soccer teams both finished out their season this past month. After a year of training, they were able to achieve unpredictable wins against undefeated teams. Before heading into 2021’s championship season, both teams trained constantly. Jordan Coon, a senior varsity player for the Lady Knights, highlighted their focus on not only physical training, but “watching film and knowing how to play against certain opponents.” Together, the girls team put in one hundred percent effort every single practice. Coach Reiter, the boys soccer head coach, made sure they “were prepared mentally as well as physically,” according to Xavier Scott, a senior on the varsity team. Not only were they testing their limits to prepare for time on the field, they were learning how to work together as a family. The Castle Boys soccer team is known for their saying, “TEAM>ME.” To many of them, it is the constant reminder to rely on their teammates as if they are family, and work together to achieve the goals they set at the beginning of the season. Colin Nugent, Castle’s varsity goalie, makes sure to “leave everything on the field to represent the team and Castle as a whole.” The sportsmanship shown has led them to be more and more successful. Going into the championship season, both teams were on a winning streak. After beating Memorial High School for the first time in 5 years, the boys team was looking up. Preparing for Sectionals took a lot of grit and determination. However, their hard work paid off. The boys soccer team defeated Memorials second time on their home turf 4-3. The Knights broke Memorial’s seventeen year sectional title streak. On the same day, the Lady Knights competed for their sectional title against Evansville North High School. Aleyna Quinn, a sophomore varsity player, led the team to victory after scoring three individual goals. Senior Jordan Coon, felt “happy and as though they accomplished so much as a team” after their victory against North. The girls advanced to regionals with their 4-1 win. Both the boys and girls soccer teams battled their opponents at the regional championships, and came out victorious. Against Bloomington South, another successful soccer team, the Lady Knights fell after putting up a tough fight. The boys successfully defeated Bloomington South and advanced to the Semi-State Finals where they fell to Carmel High School. The 2021 Castle High School soccer season has been outstanding. Not only did the seniors achieve an outstanding last season, but the underclassmen are more prepared than ever. Good luck to those competing on travel teams postseason. Once a Knight, always a Knight. Lauren MatuscakThe year the pandemic began, there were over 1.3 million attempts at suicide in the United States alone. Of those attempts, 47,511 lives were lost. 47,511 families were stripped from their loved ones. 47,511 people never got to see another day. Rather than sit in this solemn fact, Graden Herrell decided to do his part in advocating for mental health with his clothing brand “areUokay." "I know how hard it can be to ask for help," said Herrell. His initial idea for a clothing brand began in the middle of July. Herrell selected to do a brand centered around clothing, because it is something people would be able to wear. By wearing clothing with the message "areUokay" on it, he hoped that the message would make at least one person's day. Within a month of coming up with the brand idea, Herrell had successfully completed his first drop (July 30th, 2021). Herrell commented on how great the first drop was, and how much he learned from it. He knew that he wanted his brand to contribute to helping other organizations, and channeled the next drop into helping an organization called The JED Foundation. This foundation is a wonderful source for helping people in most any situation. Herrell selected this foundation because of its focus in helping young adults struggling with suicidal thoughts and emotional trauma. In the second drop (September 30th, 2021), Herrell dedicated $5 of every purchase to The JED Foundation, and as of less than a week since the release, $295 has been raised. "I want are U okay to have amazing quality as well as an amazing movement," said Herrell. To support Graden Herrell and his brand, visit the areUokay website. Layla Leigh WandelIn anticipation of the upcoming James Bond film “No Time to Die” (2021) starring Daniel Craig and Rami Malek, I will be compiling a list of what I consider to be the five best films in the long-running James Bond franchise. This is entirely based on my own preferences and not to be seen as an objective ranking. Also, I will be discussing spoilers below, so proceed at your own risk. With that being said, let’s begin. Coming in fifth place is “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969) starring George Lazenby as Bond. This is the only Bond film that Lazenby starred in which I consider to be a shame. While he is not my favorite actor to portray the famous spy, he still gives a great performance in a great movie. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is one of the most emotional Bond movies and turns truly depressing by the end. Seeing Bond’s wife be killed immediately after marrying him is shockingly horrific and allows for Bond to show feelings of sadness and fear, something that rarely happens in this franchise. This film shows the audience so many great things about Bond as a person and I think it deserves to be recognized as a superb addition to the franchise. In fourth place is “Goldfinger” (1964). The third Bond film to star Sean Connery, “Goldfinger” is the prototypical Bond movie. It practically invented all of the common tropes found in this franchise. Things such as opening action sequences and oddball villains were first introduced in this movie and have continued to be featured in nearly every Bond film to follow. Besides the influence that “Goldfinger” had on the franchise, I also find it to be a wildly entertaining movie to watch. The main villain is so bombastically strange and over the top that I can’t help but laugh at everything he does. “Goldfinger” continues to be a James Bond picture that I come back to all the time. My pick for the third best entry in the James Bond franchise is the Sean Connery led “You Only Live Twice” (1967). When I say that this is one of the silliest Bond movies, I mean that strictly as a compliment. This movie is so ridiculously out of the ordinary with its villain and so many other aspects as well. The villain, Blofeld, is almost a caricature of the other villains in this series. Seeing a grown man sulk around petting a cat while also describing his evil intentions is laugh out loud funny to me. The character of Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” franchise of spy spoofs is directly based off of Blofeld here. And the fact that horror icon Donald Pleasance plays him makes it that much more enjoyable. And I could never review this movie without mentioning the fact that the main villain’s lair is practically a volcano. I don’t know who wrote this, but I thank them every time I watch it. There is no chance this list would ever exclude such a phenomenal movie. In second place is the third Roger Moore film “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977). This film is a turn from the previous entry on my list as I actually enjoy this movie for being good and not just a joke. Granted, there is quite a bit of humor here, but it doesn’t take away from the suave and interesting story. Roger Moore is fine as Bond, but the true star here is Richard Kiel with his role as the brute Jaws. I’ve never seen a more intimidating villain in this franchise than a freakishly tall and strong man with metal teeth as featured here. Every scene he is in is made instantly better by his appearance, and I find myself rooting for him most of the time. Outside of just this character, the plot is not overly complicated or weird as some Bond films tend to be, but is actually very easy to understand and get behind. The Bond Girl Anya Amasova is an interesting match for Bond, as she is basically just his female counterpart. I genuinely think that this is a top tier James Bond movie, with almost everything here working to perfection. Topping the list for me is the 1995 Pierce Brosnan debuting “Goldeneye”. Yes, I know this is not the best made or most realistic film in this franchise. Yes, I know that it sadly gave way to Pierce Brosnan being able to make more Bond movies (most of which were awful). Yes, I know that this should not even compare to the glory days of Sean Connery or Daniel Craig. With all of that being said, I could not care less. “Goldeneye” is such a fun and exciting movie to watch and Brosnan’s performance here is spectacular. He so easily embodies the slightly arrogant and suave mentality of James Bond and you can truly buy him as both a womanizer and an action hero. I think the villain Alec Trevelyan is possibly my favorite in this franchise. He is so effortlessly cool and fun to watch on screen. And the fact that he is played by the great Sean Bean makes it that much more enjoyable. Outside of this, even the supporting characters are great. The two Bond Girls here are both outrageously odd and over the top that I love seeing them on screen with Brosnan. And how could I forget the computer nerd Boris, an absolute icon of cinema. If it has not become obvious yet, I am extremely partial to the more cartoonish or far out Bond films compared to the later Daniel Craig movies that are more serious and gritty. “Goldeneye” is the perfect amount of these outlandish plotlines alongside a cast of cool and charming characters that I believe creates the best film in this series. Gavin WoodThe German Club is excited to finally get to fulfill and carry out plans that they could not last year due to COVID -19. The sponsor, Mr. Hudson is planning their annual Grillfest on September 13 at the Newburgh Lock and Dam. Although they could not do much of anything last year, they are hopeful to keep doing events such as going to Gerst Haus in Evansville for a German meal, and Swonder more towards winter. They had their first meeting this week where they had about 50 members come join and they voted on the club t-shirt and introduced club officers. This year's club president is senior Meera Bhatia. She has been in the German Club since her freshman year. She took German her freshman year because it was a new and different concept than she had ever studied before and became very interested in it. She joined this club because she got to enjoy all the fun events while also being with her friends. “Herr. Hudson is a great teacher," said Bhatia. There are two vice presidents this year named Abby Hagan and Evan Bockelman. Hagan joined this club because she believes it is an interesting language, but she also loves to learn about the culture. Bockelman has taken German all four years of high school and for his senior year was excited to step into the leadership role and get to help plan the events he had always enjoyed. The treasurer of the club, Madelyn Jorgensen, loves being able to help out with the finances and background planning of the club. All of the club members, including junior Reagan Kelly, are ecstatic to see how this year plays out and they are glad to be a part of such an interesting club. “I had always wanted to take German and once I learned about this club and joined, I enjoyed taking the language so much more," said Kelly. "I loved being able to see how the culture and food we learn about in the classroom really is." Ashley Hudson |