Oct Prowler

PROWLER Culture 19 Visually appealing and thrilling, the movie adaptation of James Dashner's novel, The Maze Runner, was overall enjoyable but not memorable, engulfed entirely by the trend of post-apocalyptic, young-adult films. The movie follows the mystery of a place called the Glade which houses nu- merous young boys searching every day for a way out of the unsolvable Maze. When newcomer and main character Thomas ar- rives, it is clear that with him has come the end of their fragile existence. Several battle scenes between maze runners and killer maze monsters result in the death of many inhabitants and suspicion of Thomas’s part in the forthcoming dangers. Through flash- backs and exploration of the Maze, citizens of the Glade are able to escape, only to find a bigger mystery beyond the concrete walls. Had the movie preceded films like The Hunger Games and Divergent, its plot would be more powerful, but because audi- ences have seen this ‘world coming to end’ theme more than a few times over the past years, it only raises the question of which series will out-do the other. My bet--it won’t be The Maze Runner. While it lacks character develop- ment, the acting and style of the film were well crafted. The script did not incorporate cheesy, action phrases or a completely over-done love triangle, but rather humor- ous breaks between intense and sometimes monotonous action scenes. Timing and lack of originality of the film will be its ultimate demise, making The Maze Runner another brick in the wall of depressing, young-adult satires for modern day socioeconomic standards and state of the environment. Perhaps the books offers a more distinguishing factor of the plotline, but the movie was nothing more than an adrenaline rush. The sequels may prove substantial, but the plot twist and cliff- hanger of The Maze Runner do not make me want to rush back for more. Rating: 6 out of 10 Better Than: Divergent, Oblivion Not as Good as: The Hunger Games Series, The Harry Potter Series You Might Also Enjoy: The Giver, Into the Storm By Devyn Mode dmodeprowler@gmail.com The Maze Runner is the thrilling movie adaptation of the young-adult novel The Maze Runner. It pre- miered last month and the sequel is expected to come out next year. Photo courtesy of imdb.com. The Maze Runner Blends Into the Young-Adult Thriller Parade Rapper-producers MF DOOM and Bishop Nehru are NehruvianDOOM in the Bishop’s breakout album, Nehru- vianDOOM. Subtitled Sound of the Son, it’s obvious that DOOM’s newest protege has learned from one of the fathers of dark, monotoned flows, intricate rhyme schemes, and simple production. NehruvianDOOM was much anticipated by fans of DOOM, whose last album was released in 2009. However, it is apparent from the first song that this al- bum is the Bishop show. MF DOOM intro- duces the duo as Bishop Nehru and Metal Fingerz, one of his many alter-egos who is primarily a producer. It becomes increas- ingly evident that this album was meant to showcase a new, 18-year old rapper, who has caught the eye of one of the old guard in DOOM. DOOM’s production is indeed impressive, and probably the highlight of the album. Known for deceptively simple loops, DOOM’s beats provide a back- ground that highlights the certain style that his and Bishop Nehru’s voice share. Historically, DOOM has been known to be more focused on the musical quality and rhyme scheme of a song, as opposed to its dramatic narrative. Bishop Nehru’s style seems to be the happy marriage of this philosophy and that of a more traditional rapper. Simple beats, like DOOM’s, allow for more focus to be had on the lyrics themselves and their musical content. Nehru takes advantage of this fact, and his verses--most notably on “Mean the Most” and “So Alone”--demonstrate the new kid’s ability as a rapper. The most standout songs on the album, however, are the ones in which DOOM supplements Nehru’s deficiency in the hook department. In fact, on the songs in which DOOM has a verse, Nehru seems to stand taller and up the ante, perhaps in an attempt to not be outshined. “Om”, the first promotional single from the album, “Caskets”, and “Disastrous” are the clear standouts. Unfortunately, these standouts are a bit like diamonds in the rough. As an album meant to demonstrate new rapper Bishop Nehru’s talent, it is surprising that DOOM, who rarely does the hooks on his own songs, allowed so many poor hooks done by Nehru to leave the studio. Simply put, the Bishop’s voice was not meant for singing a chorus. This is a major detriment to the album as a whole, as its total length is only just over half an hour. Perhaps it might have been better at 25 minutes, with some of Nehru’s choral performances edited out. At its worst, NehruvianDOOM is a demo tape for a new rapper with a few MF DOOM songs stapled on for fans. At its best, it could be the breakout album Bishop Nehru needed to jump into the spotlight of the hip-hop community. At 31 minutes long, it’s certainly worth a spin or two, if only to be entertained by DOOM’s famous skits. Rating: 6 out of 10 Better Than: JJ DOOM, Summer Knights Not as Good as: Madvillainy, Mm.. Food You Might Also Enjoy: The Mouse and the Mask, Nehruvia By Mitchell Mobley mmobleyprowler@gmail.com NehruvianDOOM or Nehruvian Demo? Rappers MFDOOM and Bishop Ne- hru are NehruvianDOOM. You can pick up the duo’s new album Oct. 7. Photo courtesy of ghostshrimp.net

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