By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor Rushmore (1998). It’s been a little over a year since I started doing these MovieTalks, and a year ago, I did not expect to become the sole writer for the column. Now that I’ve gotten more comfortable and feel I have more freedom in what I write,…
Category: Arts & Culture
John Proctor is the villain
Theater Department produces another spectacular show By Amber Friend | Sports Editor The Theater Department at the University of Southern Maine put on an amazing rendition of John Proctor is the villain on the Gorham Campus. The one-hour and forty-five-minute show captivated the audience at Russell Hall. Directed by Sare Valentine, the show took the…
WMPG expands to Gorham: Studio 51
A new internet radio station in Gorham By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer Interested in getting involved with WMPG on the Gorham campus? WMPG is looking for DJs for its newest creation: Studio 51, an internet radio station based in Gorham. No training is necessary as DJ training can be provided! There are also work-study…
Where community meets creativity
Bad art Wednesdays at WGS house By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer “We don’t clean after bad art,” event host and Administrative Specialist Clara Perka explained to me after I asked where to dump out my paint water cup; it’s just about getting creative. After attending Bad Art Wednesday for the first time, I will definitely…
Veronica Lewis’ Debut Album
Short but Sweet and Heartbreaking By Xander Morley | Contributor In August, the indie-pop artist Veronica Lewis dropped her debut album, “Too Late For Tears.” She has only been releasing music on streaming services for the last year but already has a strong fan base and an even stronger sound. Lewis’s album was sent to…
MovieTalk: The Substance
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor “Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger. More beautiful. More perfect?” Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star as famous television aerobics instructors (Elisabeth Sparkle) and (Sue) in the body horror feat of the year The Substance (2024). The film generated interest on social…
Oh He Dead Will See YOU in Portland
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor The DC-based indie soul band Oh He Dead is making its way toward Portland Maine for their upcoming show on October 20th at 7 pm for audiences twenty-one and over at the Portland House of Music. They’re a close-knit five-member group made up of powerful songbird CJ Bowlin’…
Lights come to life
Boston lights at Franklin Park Zoo By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor The Boston Lights are back this year at the Franklin Park Zoo. I spent this past Saturday in the rainy city with my mom, my brother, and some family friends with tickets purchased a month before in our possessions. I had…
WMPG’s Jazz at the Movies
Jazz lovers unite for a night at the cinema with WMPG’s screening of Cesaria Evora: La Diva Aux Pieds Nus By Dahlia Wechsler | Contributor Hosted by the Portland Conservatory of Music in the city’s historic west-end neighborhood, WMPG reintroduced its Jazz at the Movies screenings. Featuring guest speaker, Kalu Monteiro, the night consisted of…
Who’s TANGLE
The unveiling of a new sculpture on the USM Portland Campus By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer If you’ve been on the north side of the Portland campus, behind McGoldrick, you’ve probably seen TANGLE. Approximately 14 ft. tall by 10 ft. across and over 2000 pounds, TANGLE is made of discarded fishing nets, rope, and steel….
MovieTalk
Civil War By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor On April 26, 2024, the independent film and television company A24 released a film highlighting the significance of the press during a fictional war within the United States. Civil War, directed by Alex Garland made $122.5 million at the box office and earned an 81%…
Book Review
McGlue By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor McGlue (2014) is a short 144-page novella written by Ottessa Moshfegh. It’s set in 1851 in Salem Massachusetts and tells the dizzying story of a sailor who wakes up injured, with his head reeling, and who stays perpetually drunk or hungover throughout the entirety of the…
Album Review: Jay-Z’s 4:44
How one man’s faulty life choices turned into a work of art conveying acceptance, and forgiveness. By Chris Tiner | Editor-in-Chief East Coast, lavish-style rapping is what Jay-Z has become notorious for. As the simple, salmon/peach color to the cover of this album reads, “This Is His 13th Studio Album”, 4:44 is a testament to…
MovieTalk: Strange Darling
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor Hello and welcome to the first MovieTalk of the semester! As a film lover I am always watching new and old films when I can, logging them into letterboxd, and getting excited for upcoming films. I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve been slacking this summer….
Book Review: Lapvona
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor During the summer I had an office job that offered hours upon hours of downtime. With nothing to do and all of my organizational work finished for the day I started to get rather bored. After staring at a computer screen all day the last thing I…
Welcome Letter: Emilyn Smith, Director of Photography
By Emilyn Smith, Director of Photography Conveying messages through art is something that’s always been important to me. Not only am I able to tell others’ stories through photojournalism, but I can also shed light on important social issues and become a voice for those that may not have their own. My goal is to…
Welcome Letter: Julz Levesque, Arts & Culture Editor
By Julz Levesque, Arts & Culture Editor The Free Press has had some major updates this year and among some of them are fresh faces. A new print layout has ushered in some new editors on the team including myself. My name is Julz Levesque and I am your new Arts & Culture editor for…
Album Review
Bright future By: Elizabeth Hildebrandt, Staff Writer ‘Let no machine eat away our dream’ is a line from Adrianne Lenker’s latest album, Bright Future, and it is a sentiment that carries meaning throughout its 43 minute runtime. It fully embraces humanity, originality, and creativeness through Adrianne’s clever wordplay, heartbreaking songwriting, and appreciation for the…
MovieTalk
Poor Things By: Julz Levesque, Staff Writer The film Poor Things was highly anticipated and generated buzz before and after its initial release in American theaters on December 8th, 2023. The film racked up $117 million at the box office and was one of the top contenders during awards season this year. It won five…
Movie Talk: Society of the Snow
By Julz Levesque and Elizabeth Hildebrandt, Staff Writers Society of the Snow is one of Netflix’s most recent films being theatrically released on December 13, 2023, in Uruguay, following a release in Spain a few days later, and finally hitting streaming in the United States on January 4th, 2024. Society of the Snow was directed by…
Movie Talk: Anyone But You
By Cammie Breuer, Arts and Culture Editor Will Gluck, director of Friends With Benefits and Easy A, brings us another romantic comedy, this one inspired by William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The very attractive romantic leads were portrayed by Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Sweeney is probably best known for her role as Cassie…
Stravinsky’s Octet for Winds
Faculty Concert 2/2 By Jared Fairfield, Staff Writer On February 2nd, the Osher School of Music presented a faculty concert series, with Dr. Will Kinne conducting Igor Stravinsky’s Octet for Winds (1923). The concert also included the world premiere of Octet composed by Dr. Daniel Sonenberg, and the premier of Moving Past composed by Dr….
Keeping Poetry Alive at USM
The O’brien Poetry Reading with Maurice Manning By t love smith, Ad Manager The O’brien Poetry Reading is an annual honored tradition upheld by the English Department at USM. The tradition is to have a poet-in-residence visit the Portland campus every year “to meet with students and to give a public reading,” according to…
Movie Talk
The Creator By Cammie Breuer- Arts and Culture Editor Garret Edwards newest sci-fi flick, The Creator; is a thrilling take on how technology has permanently transformed our way of life. Other films of his include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Star Wars: The Last Jedi; and 2014’s Godzilla. This film has a small but…