Now available on Netflix, “His House” tells the story of a young refugee couple as they struggle to adapt to their new life in England.
Author: Madalyn Watson
Editor-in-Chief Madalyn Watson shares which films can help you through a breakup.
Check out what the Lariat’s editors have been listening to as the semester winds down.
Scottsdale, Ariz., senior and photographer Kaitlyn Clink as well as brand photographer and storyteller Corey O’Connell are learning how to adapt their trade to the new normal.
Birth control. For more than just preventing pregnancies.
Check out what’s going on in Waco this weekend!
It’s no cinematic masterpiece, but “Holidate” is an enjoyable if dumb reprieve from the horrors of the real world.
And no, Ross and Rachel from “Friends” are not a good example of this television trope. Their relationship is awful.
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefNearly two years after Mike Flanagan’s masterpiece “The Haunting of Hill House” was released, the follow-up series “The Haunting of Bly Manor” became available to stream Friday on Netflix. Fans of the series were left to wonder if comparison will be the death of the second series in the wake of its predecessor’s astounding success.While “Hill House” was a modern-day retelling of the Shirley Jackson book of the same name, the backbone of “Bly Manor” is the Henry James 1898 novella “Turn of the Screw.” The series also references other stories by the same author such…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefHorror movies are a great way to get in the spirit for Halloween. However, too many films in genre toss aside female characters as clueless, squealing victims or love-struck teenyboppers.Even though feminist horror is a growing sub-genre, many of the films are still kept secret and buried due to misunderstandings and misogyny. Many of my favorite films fall into this category, so I thought I’d share two of my favorite freaky, feminist flicks to help others get into the mood for fall.Jennifer’s Body“Jennifer’s Body” is the perfect example of a film that hit the theaters too…
By Caroline Yablon | Contributor I spend too much money on coffee and found a solution to my coffee addiction – investing in a Nespresso machine.In a survey conducted by Acorns, millennials admitted to spending more money on coffee in a year than they had invested in their retirement account. Although we fall into the Gen-Z category, I think our generation applies to this stat – at least I do.I’m addicted to lattes. So much so, that this summer I knew I needed to implement a change in my coffee consumption for this semester to save money before I graduate…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefAlthough the Netflix original series “Ratched” is entertaining, it fails to pay a proper homage to its namesake. Created by Evan Romansky and developed by Ryan Murphy, the psychological thriller-drama became available to stream on Sept. 18.Riddled with lobotomies and hydrotherapy as well as a particularly disturbing scene where a doctor performs a Frankenstein-like surgery on a patient while they are both tripping on LSD, the series is not for the faint of heart. The series has inspired new interest in the 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” since it acts as a prequel…
FridayDeep in the Heart Virtual Film Festival | All Day | Sept. 25 – 27 | Streamed from their website and/or Facebook | Films are on-demand so viewers can watch at their convenience. However, virtual watch parties with live filmmaker Q&A chats are listed on a schedule. | $5 tickets for specific events and $25 for an all access passUpdated exhibit for American Indian Heritage Day | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Sept. 25 | Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, 100 Texas Ranger Trail | Adults for $8, Children (6-12) for $4 and Seniors/Military for $7 |…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefNetflix released “Get Organized with The Home Edit” Sept. 9 just in time to capitalize off the home improvement craze elevated by coronavirus-induced social distancing. If only the series was more self-aware.I am the kind of person who will cancel plans to reorganize my cupboards. I am the kind of person who watches “Extreme Declutter” and “Get Organized with Me” videos on YouTube religiously. I am the kind of person who peruses Pinterest for aesthetically organized closets and cleared off kitchen counter tops to calm myself down when I can’t sleep.Therefore, I am the kind of…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefAround the same time I began my freshman year at Baylor, my parents divorced and sold my childhood home. So when my friends and peers returned to their families during break, I moved from house to house searching for that familiar feeling — the feeling of home.I grew up in the suburbs of Anaheim Hills, Calif., less than half an hour away from Disneyland and about an hour from Los Angeles County. I lived on a street where everyone knew each other, every kid played together and almost all the parents got along. I had a…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefThe phrase “I’m thinking of ending things” has many meanings. It can refer to the end of a relationship or a life. While one use is dark, the other is undeniably darker.Like the use of this phrase, Charlie Kaufman’s psychological drama “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is up to the audience’s interpretation.Like all abstract art, the viewer will get what they want or need from the artwork rather than the creator’s intention.Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Ian Reid, Netflix’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” became available Sept. 4 leaving audiences staring…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-Chief Even though coronavirus has everyone on edge, the Waco Rage Room gives locals a place to create what comes naturally in times of stress — destruction. Winston Kail, the president and co-founder of Waco Rage Room, opened this business with his brother, David Stallings, on June 4. “With just everything going on throughout the year, it just seemed like the perfect time to do it,” Kail said. Although Kail has been dreaming of opening their business since 2017, the chaos that came with the coronavirus gave him and his brother a unique opportunity. “As we…
This is the second article in a series about weddings, wedding planning and love in the age of a pandemic. Read the first story here.By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefMission Viejo, Calif., senior Daniel Strickland and Orange, Calif., senior Bridget Chagollan grew up about a 30-minute drive away from each other, only to meet in Waco.“We met at life group, and then we got to know each other on a mission trip,” Chagollan said. Challogan and Strickland crossed paths through that life group and then the Awaken mission trip at their church, Antioch Waco. “We went down to Tijuana, Mexico, so…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefWhen Carrollton senior Ryan Johnson first met his fiancée, Texas Tech junior AisLynn Jackson, she was less than impressed with his tactics to get her to notice him. The two attended a mutual friend’s birthday party when they first met.“He was squirting me with a squirt gun and trying to get my attention,” Jackson said.She approached some other people at the birthday party and said, “This guy won’t leave me alone. I don’t know what his problem is. I’ve asked him to stop and he wouldn’t.” One year later, they met again. But this time, Johnson…
By Madalyn Watson | Editor-in-ChiefWhile the COVID-19 outbreak had a devastating economic impact on small businesses, the support of the local community is helping vulnerable family-owned restaurants in Waco such as Xistro’s Cafe and Revival Eastside Eatery.Sophia Garman is one of six siblings who help their parents run Xistro’s Cafe on 810 La Salle Avenue. After graduating from college, she moved back home to help manage the business.”It was always a big ambition of my parents to be able to open their own restaurant one day, but they just never really thought it was a possibility,” Garman said.The family-owned restaurant…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorGalder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s horror-thriller “The Platform” offers a simplistic, yet captivating look into the human condition.I first heard about the movie, titled “El Hoyo” for Spanish audiences, when it won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.After learning about the plot, I found myself thinking about it all the time and I couldn’t stop. Lucky for the rest of us, the film’s festival success landed it a worldwide streaming deal with Netflix.However, the film’s timing could not be more perfect since it was released on March…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorIf you’re spending more time searching for a movie to watch than watching a movie, then the Lariat has got you covered. Next time you struggle to choose a movie to watch, pick one of these movies that the Lariat staff picked.HitchBrittney Matthews | Multimedia Editor”Will Smith and Kevin James make a hilarious duo and provide a scenario with a real life Love Doctor. It’s one of my favorite rom-coms, and shows the lesson that being yourself is the best thing you can be.”Available on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon PrimeJulie & JuliaBridget Sjoberg…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorEven though online classes have begun, many students are still trying to figure out what it means to work from home and how they are going to achieve it.Being stuck at home can lower motivation, increase procrastination and make it all around more difficult to concentrate on the tasks at hand. In order to help myself and my fellow classmates, I thought of six tips. Specifically, they are the six ‘S’s to help students survive online classes.Some of these are not only inspired by others’ experience and my own, but also YouTube videos…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorLooking for something to watch that makes you forget you can’t go outside? Ten staff members of the Baylor Lariat share their picks to binge watch while social distancing. Brooklyn Nine-NineLauren Taylor | Copy Editor”A show I will never tire of watching is ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’ It is simultaneously moving, insightful and effortlessly hilarious. I can’t recommend this gem of a show enough!”Available with HuluSex EducationDelta Wise | Social Media Editor”I think ‘Sex Education’ puts a really interesting modern twist on a taboo subject. It’s not profane at all; the plot essentially just follows…
By Carson Lewis | Page One EditorIn accordance with the COVID-19 social distancing recommendations, I’ve been able to take a break from the frenetic pace of rushing between lunches with friends and to and from classes. As a result, I’ve been consuming a lot more content from many people’s favorite social media app: TikTok. And while I enjoy the innovative and hilarious ways in which those of my generation, but also other generations create content in a short, video-based medium, I’ve noticed something that has been more worrisome: advertisement that can often disguise itself as content. The phenomenon is not…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorNot only are music festivals, universities and rodeos shutting their doors as a health precaution due to the spread of COVID-19, but many other businesses and sources of entertainment throughout Waco are closing as well.What can you still do in Waco?Waco HippodromeThe Waco Hippodrome remains open. However, several special events have been cancelled or rescheduled to a later date. The theater’s capacity will be set at 50% for all movie screenings and will require at least one seat between groups. Updates will be made available on its Facebook page and website.Fabled Bookshop &…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorWhether students are still in Waco, back at home with their parents or somewhere else in the world, the fact that school is going completely digital this semester is a bit of a shock.And whether or not these students are socially distancing or having to self-quarantine, they’ll have a lot more free time all of the sudden.Whichever category you fall into, there is a lot more to fill your time with activities other than scrolling through TikTok, binge-watching Netflix and worrying about the end of the world. Some of these activities can actually…
Friday “Euphoria” by Kavitha Saminathan Opening | 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Kieran-Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery, 2120 Washington Ave. | Free | A soulful expression of contemporary paintings through color and texture that will run continuously throughout MarchMelinda Adams Concert | 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Balcones Distillery, 225 S. 11th St. | FreeLandscape of the Soul Opening | 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Cultivate 7Twelve, 712 Austin Ave | Features abstract works of multiple mediums including encaustic work and acrylic paintingsBeatlemania64: A Tribute to the Beatles | 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. | The Hippodrome, 724…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life EditorNetflix released its new original series “I Am Not Okay with This” on Feb. 26. I knew from the start that the series was catered directly to an audience like myself, but honestly, I’m okay with that.The series appears shameless with its teen drama cliches: an angsty teenage girl with emotional problems, baggy sweaters and telekinetic abilities; her beautiful and bubbly best friend hypnotized by the stereotypical jock; and the flamboyantly dressed stoner with a beat-up car.But that didn’t stop me from finishing all seven of the less-than-30 minute episodes in one sitting.Netflix…
By Madalyn Watson | Arts & Life Editor Tuesday Karaoke Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Buzzard Billy’s Swamp Shack, 100 N Interstate 35 Frontage Road | Free Michael Jacobson (saxophone) | 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Roxy Grove Hall, Waco Hall | Free Open Mic Night | 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill, 511 S. Eighth St. | Free Wednesday Greg Peters Animation Series | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Cultivate 7twelve, 712 Austin Ave. | $225 for all sessions | This 6-week course will cover all aspects of character…