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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

NEWSLETTER
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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

QuickTakes

“Observe and Report”

Warner Bros. Directed by Jody Hill.

People who don’t laugh at Seth Rogen have their reasons.

They have had enough of the school of Judd Apatow and all its pseudo-indie trappings. They dub Rogen’s brand of humor lazy, too accessible, too derivative. They are offended by beer-soaked humor fixated on sex or marijuana. These, reader, are the neatly organized arguments against Rogen and the new troop of comedians he represents.

But in “Observe and Report” – where Rogen plays mall cop Ron Barnhart – there are other reasons not to laugh.

This point is the opposite of a criticism. The film, directed by Jody Hill, is a surprisingly intentional black comedy – almost jarringly dark – offering a bleak exploration of a meaningless group of people, wearing their delusions as badges of honor in a world constantly stripping them of any personal power.

Rogen’s Ron Barnhart battles insecurity, fixating with undue attention over those who view him as inadequate – Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) and mall makeup-counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris) – while blindly misunderstanding other personal conflicts – his mother’s alcoholism and his own bipolarity.

And true to the film’s dark quality, Rogen achieves power only after he turns inward, achieving weird, almost mad actualization on his own terms. A wholly worthwhile film exploring freedom and obsolescence.
-Amanda Pacitti

Laura Gibson

Beast of Seasons (HUSH)

It would be easy for an artist like Laura Gibson to get lost in the shuffle of a slew of up-and-coming folk artists from Seattle or San Francisco. But this would be a shame. “Beasts of Seasons” opens with a seven-minute ballad that slowly and steadily builds into a worthwhile folk guitar song. Half of the tracks are thoughtful, while the other half – including songs like “Spirited” – have upbeat melodies, making the listener want to throw on a peasant skirt or feather headdress (whatever does it for you), roll a handmade cigarette and be happy about life. The album just happens to be good. The record is full of sappy, poetic and sweet songs you will want to listen to on a rainy night or balmy summer afternoon.
-Chloe Popescu

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