Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Review

by Kush Bansal | Dec 21, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews

Ford V Ferrari Review

by Kush Bansal | Nov 16, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews

Ever since 2012’s Rush, the era of racing movies has slowly fizzled out in favor of blockbuster action movies with cars featured throughout the movie (ahem Fast & Furious). However, James Mangold, coming off of 2017’s Logan, directs this adrenaline-fueled movie starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, both of whom lead this movie above expectations.

The plot is: “American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Co. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.” This movie was amazing. From start to finish I cared about each character because I wanted them to succeed. This movie does a phenomenal job of setting up a goal and putting everything it has to make sure the audience roots for everyone involved. The acting was fantastic, with Christian Bale starring as Ken Miles who isn’t the “All-American” racer you think he is yet he proves to be one of the most skilled drivers in American history. Matt Damon also provides a great performance as a supporting character who is the one holding the dream together for everyone in order to accomplish it successfully, while also trying to prove to himself that his past does not define who he is. Of course, I have to talk about the great cinematography and sound design during the racing scenes as everything is done practically and looks like you are there watching the race unfold in real time. The score added so much more character to the scenes as it kept your adrenaline high and you were left to the edge of your seat. The script was great, the pacing was perfect, and all-in-all Ford V Ferrari was a blast from start to finish. This is one of the best original movies I have seen in the past few years.

In the end, I am going to give Ford V Ferrari an A+. This movie is one of the greatest racing films I have ever seen and is available right now on HBO.

Opinion: Societal Changes

by Kush Bansal | Nov 16, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews

2020. I remember New Year’s Eve, excited for the new year, and leave what I thought was the worst year of my life. In hindsight, I still believe 2019 was a dumpster fire BUT 2020 is pretty close. I’m not going to bore you with what you already know. COVID-19, the violent protests, the election – it’s all a mess. But let’s take a step back, or more like a thousand. As students of Franklin High School, I’m very sure that we all faced a massive dilemma: come to school in-person or virtually. While most opted for in-person learning, I also know many who have decided to stick to virtual mainly for their own safety. It’s been quite an adjustment, and unfortunately, it will be the new normal for a long time. I’m not trying to be a cynic, but being optimistic that the virus will magically disappear in one month is outlandish. We have to get used to it: the masks, hand-sanitizing, cleaning desks; we all have to do it no matter what. Some of us have to deal with all that while having to deal with the same old course load and stress. From my point of view, Junior year has been a lot, and it’s only October! Doing well in my classes, extracurriculars, the ACT, the constant whine of colleges; I have always thought that the upperclassmen from before complained too much but now I truly feel their pain. FHS this year has so far been a mixed bag. There has been SO much divisiveness and apathy among students. It’s as if no one was ready for the normal schedule of work and busy schedules with everything that has been going on.

Now, if you haven’t already realized, this is my opinion on everything that has been going on. Keep in mind that I am a Junior and there is heavy bias, however, I believe that Junior year is the worst time to go through a pandemic. Why? It’s the most inconvenient. Think about it, we Juniors have the most to lose if we cannot succeed in a time like this. What we do now will impact us later, and sadly it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I know what you’re thinking: “I’m a freshman/sophomore/senior and my life is just as terrible”. Look, I understand that everyone is being affected. But for me, I look at how the pandemic affects each grade like this: the freshmen have just started high school and therefore there isn’t as much pressure for them to be worried about their high school experience (given that our situation won’t last for the next 4 years). The sophomores still have 2 years left of high school and still got to experience a normal school year (or at least how it should start) last year. The seniors, while yes their Prom and final homecoming was canceled, can move onto college and the rest of their lives in only a short amount of time. I am one of those who believe that no one should peak in high school. Yes, it’s a time in our lives which transitions us into adulthood and is the best time to have as much fun as possible and try new things. But high school is only 4 years of your life. I know that people who are way more active in the community (such as those who participate in sports) are at a disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean that they’re restricted to being active in high school. Life beyond high school is even more important and realizing that there’s more to do can keep your options open. I too have wanted to do many things, but one thing that everyone should all learn to do is to sacrifice. If I really can leave you with one piece of advice, learn to sacrifice your own self-interests for others. Especially with the pandemic, it’s only for some time and then it will all go back to normal if you simply learn the rules and follow them. For example, wear your mask. It may seem dumb and annoying to strap a piece of fabric to your face and have to talk in it, but this virus affects people other than yourself. Be courteous and understand that you are not the only one in for the ride. People you don’t even know can be negatively impacted by your actions. I can’t stress enough that you should be kind to one another, especially in these times where our opinions will clash. Regardless if you have differing opinions, learn from each other, and support one another. Look, this article may have been a bit off-beat and more serious, but we can still make this school year the best it can be despite the hardships we face right now. Stay safe and reasonable. Wear your mask, sanitize your hands, and most of all be the best possible person you can be.

A review on takeout during quarantine

by Saber Slate | May 4, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews

Quarantine is a lot of stress for some people. Many businesses are closed, but a few essential ones are still open, such as fast food, grocery stores, gas stations, hospitals, and more. Probably one of the most popular forms of business right now is takeout. While dining rooms in restaurants may be closed, drive thrus are still open, very much so. So popular in fact that they wrap around buildings and onto roads. Today I’ll be rating takeout. This will be a rating based on wait times, food quality, and price. 

I’ll start with Culver’s. Culver’s is one of the most popular Wisconsin based fast food chains. But it’s not really fast food, per se, because they make everything fresh. But it’s good stuff and they have good custard as well. The price of quality is a bit higher so expect to spend a bit more when you’re here. Since this place is popular, expect a bit of a wait time. But in my opinion, it’s well worth it. 

Next up is a bit of a contrast from the first one, McDonald’s. It’s like how the Krusty Krab is to the Chum Bucket in Spongebob. One is genuine, quality food, and the other may as well be actual garbage. But it’s cheap and fast if you’re looking for something to eat and fast. Their coffee isn’t too bad either. McDonald’s is popular however, so drive thrus may be busy. But since this place is fast food, the line will move pretty fast, and you won’t pay too much. 

On the topic of coffee, let’s talk about Starbucks. This is probably the most popular cafe in the country, with hundreds of locations located around the continental United States. But the fact that it’s popular means that it’s busy. And it feels like it’s always busy. When I talked about the drive thru queue wrapping around buildings, this is what I meant. People will wait forever to get their coffee fix. To be honest, it’s not even worth the wait. In the time it takes to wait in the line at Starbucks, I could already be finished with my own coffee at home. Lately I’ve been digging that whipped coffee recipe that uses instant coffee mix, it’s good stuff. I gotta give props to the Starbucks workers though, you deal with a lot of people and it can’t be easy to keep everyone happy, especially during a pandemic. 

This article’s getting a bit long, so I think I’ll start a part two sometime. Let me know in the comments which fast food/takeout place to review next and I’ll get on it. I’d like to give a huge shout out to all the workers in fast food and retail, you’re keeping us going.