March is weak on music but exciting for box office
February has finally come to a close, and music-lovers have filled their libraries with new content. At the same time, the stomachs of moviegoers are equally as full with popcorn, candy and soda from repeated visits to the theatre after “Black Panther” crushed box offices.
While March is looking a tad empty for the music industry, I am not going to be pessimistic, especially since hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg will be releasing his album “Bible of Love” on March 16. Not only will he continue an iconic music career that has lasted more than 25 years, but he will be experimenting with gospel music on the track for the first time.
While the announcement is a shock to many critics and listeners, this is not the first time the rap artist has branched off from his original genre. Snoop has been known to follow his heart, as he took time off to produce a reggae inspired album in 2013 titled “Reincarnated,” and even released it under the name “Snoop Lion.”
“It’s always been on my heart. I just never got around to it because I always be doing gangsta business or doing this or doing that. I just felt like it’s been on my heart too long. I need to do it now,” Snoop Dogg said in an interview with XXL Magazine.
On the same day, the rock band Stone Temple Pilots will release its new LP album “Stone Temple Pilots” after two singles “Meadow” and “Roll Me Under” have left fans on the edge of their seats. However, the anticipation starts today as they embark on a tour across the United States until July 24, hitting over 30 cities, according to an article published in Rolling Stone.
This is not only the first time the pilots will be releasing a studio album since 2010, but also since their original lead singer, Scott Weiland, died of an accidental drug overdose in 2015.
Ok, so we should not hate on the music industry in the month of March, but how about we encourage a stronger work ethic for the future? I suppose Hollywood can pick up their slack, just this once.
To kick off the month, Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova in the high-action film “Red Sparrow.” Egorova transforms from a prima ballerina to government spy, not only stay alive, but also help her sick mother obtain necessary medical treatment. While it may seem odd for a dancer to engage in high risk missions for the state, it is important to remember the title of “prima” has only been given to 12 ballerinas in history. The amount of physical and emotional training a prima ballerina must undergo is symbolic of the grueling conditioning that Egorova must complete to take on her new role as a Red Sparrow.
In Sparrow school, Egorova and other sparrows are taught to “use their bodies and minds as weapons,” in their state endeavors, according to Movie Insider. The new recruit is forced to be seductive, manipulative and badass in her pursuit to take out an American CIA agent who she later befriends.
Watching the trailer of “Red Sparrow” alone makes me want to run on a treadmill as I am writing this review at 10:40 p.m. Thank goodness Oprah Winfrey will be here to calm me down on March 9 when she stars as Mrs. Witch in Disney’s newest movie “A Wrinkle In Time.”
This film follows a young girl named Meg Murry as she travels through time to find her lost father. Murry, her brother and a schoolmate bounce from world to world, dodging obstacles with the help of Mrs. Witch, Mrs. Whatsit played by Reese Witherspoon and Mrs. Who played by Mindy Kaling. The movie appears to be suspenseful and potentially heart wrenching, as Murry and her brother have been without their father for five years.
I am going to assume that Murry finds her father in “A Wrinkle in Time,” and the movie ends happily ever after, because, remember, we are trying to be optimistic this March. Either way, if the Disney film ends badly, then the animated “Sherlock Gnomes” will be there to cheer us up on March 23.
As college students know, life can be pretty difficult at times. Apparently, garden gnomes can face a crisis too, as they do in the new movie made by Paramount Pictures. When a group of the dwarf-like statues get their home destroyed by one of those pitiful and ferocious human beings, Sherlock Gnomes is called in to investigate.
Gnomes discovers the unthinkable; all the gnomes will be smashed within the next day. It is up to the handsome and quick thinking garden accessory played by Johnny Depp to take the group on an adventure and save them from their doom.
The film itself looks entertaining, but if all else fails, I feel clever lines such as “what the fertilizer” and “no ship sherlock” will be remembered by many moviegoers.
Also, be on the lookout for “Gringo,” “Love, Simon” and “Tomb Raider” that will be hitting theaters this month as well.
Music fanatics, the time will come later in 2018 for some major releases. Until then, explore the unhealthy and expensive lifestyle of the moviegoer in March.
