The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 — 5A

STAGE 6 FILMS

“Look, it’s some sex and gore over there!”
Sex, gore, charm 
 

in ‘Final Girls’ 

Offbeat horror film 

takes a satirical 
look at the genre

By MADELEINE GAUDIN

Daily Arts Writer

Somewhere between “Scream” 

and “Wet Hot American Summer,” 
we find “Final Girls,” an offbeat 
movie 
about 

horror movies. 
Taissa Farmiga 
(“The 
Bling 

Ring”) 
plays 

Max, 
a 
high 

school student 
floundering 
after the death 
of her mom, a 
B-list 
scream 

queen played by 
Malin 
Acker-

man 
(“Watch-

men”). 
She’s 

coerced into a screening of her 
mom’s most famous movie, “Camp 
Bloodbath,” when a freak accident 
theater fire (because those hap-
pen apparently) causes Max and 
her friends to escape through the 
screen and into the world of the 
movie, a campy teen slasher with a 
Michael Myers-type villain. 

It doesn’t take long for the resi-

dent horror movie nerd to make 

himself known and dish out some 
serious survival strategies. Per 
usual, a girl’s protective armor 
is her virginity. Interestingly 
enough, there doesn’t seem to be 
a good way to survive if you’re a 
boy. Adam Devine’s (“Pitch Per-
fect”) anachronistic jock charac-
ter is killed unceremoniously and 
the movie nerd himself (Thomas 
Middleditch “Silicon Valley”) is 
killed twice. Unlike “Scream,” 
“Final Girls” follows the rules 
it’s critiquing. Max decides to 
keep Nancy (her mom’s charac-
ter) alive by keeping her chaste. If 
Max and her friends can survive 
by making it to the final credits 
(granted it is unclear how they 
came to that realization), so can 
Nancy, right? But this attempt is 
made futile by the fact that Nancy 
is also “the shy girl with the clip-
board and the guitar,” a new rule 
seemingly created only to vali-
date the deaths of virgin charac-
ters. Not only do you have to be a 
virgin to survive “Camp Blood-
bath,” but you also have to be the 
“right” kind of virgin.

“Camp Bloodbath” looks like 

someone put an Instagram filter 
on a low-budget remake of “Hal-
loween.” Everything is cast in a 
golden light that screams nostal-
gia, and the final fight scene is a 
grand machete battle set against 
purple fog and pink lightning. It’s 

as visually striking as it is over-
the-top. The exaggerated palate 
sets the world of “Camp Blood-
bath” outside the bounds of reali-
ty, and it therefore allows the plot 
to bend in unrealistic ways.

The title “Final Girls” is a lit-

tle misleading — Max is the only 
girl who actually gets to survive 
until the end. And while all of 
the real-world girls come back to 
life in time for the sequel, Max is 
the only one privileged with the 
final battle, a fact that is disap-
pointing for anyone expecting a 
badass five-on-one takedown of 
the creepy masked killer.

Amid all the sex and gore, 

“Final Girls” manages to find 
some poignancy in the relation-
ship between Max and Nancy. 
Following a gory run in with Billy, 
the masked killer, Max and Nancy 
share a moment where Nancy is 
allowed to voice the fears of her 
off-screen counterpart — not 
being a part of her daughter’s life. 
The scene is clunky and a little 
confusing (no one in their right 
mind empties their heart out 
next to a half-dead maniac with 
a machete), but it establishes the 
film as something more than just 
a 21st century “Scream.”

Despite some plotholes and 

inconsistencies, “Final Girls” is a 
charming, poignant satire of teen 
slasher movies.

B+

Final Girls

Stage 6 Films

Available 

on Google 

Play, iTunes 

and Amazon 

Instant Video

ALBUM REVIEW

Arca’s ‘Mutant’ far 
from an easy listen 

By MATT GALLATIN

Daily Arts Writer

The 
Venezuelan 
producer 

Alejandro Ghersi, known as 
“Arca,” works on the edge of 
reality. 
When 

he teamed up 
with the celes-
tial artist Björk 
to produce her 
album Vulnicu-
ra, he described 
it as a natural 
fit. 
Musically, 

this 
makes 

sense: both artists create coded 
and complex music, and the emo-
tions attached are difficult to 
identify. Longing is the general 
theme of Vulnicura, but Björk’s 
longing is far more alien and 
nuanced than the emotion we 
typically describe it as. Delicately 
balancing cosmic production and 
affecting string arrangements, 
she walks the line between our 
world and the beyond. A new 
version of the album, Vulnicura 
Strings, strips away everything 
but the strings and the vocals — a 
humanizing move for the enig-
matic artist.

Arca’s new album Mutant is 

the sonic antithesis to Vulnicura 
Strings. Gentle orchestras are 
replaced with huge industrial 
sounds. Where Björk sings, Arca 
roars. It’s an angry departure 
from Earth. 

But while Vulnicura Strings 

and Mutant are musical oppo-
sites, they feel similar. Both grow 
and contract like living, breath-
ing creatures. This kind of con-
tradiction is what Arca thrives 
on. The most vulnerable track 
on the album, “Gratitud,” uses 
a harsh metallic tone to create 
warmth. “F*ggot” is both delicate 
and severe, mixing dance music 
synths and industrial tones with 
peaceful bells and choir. It’s an 
attempt to take ownership of the 
derogatory term and attach a pos-
itive connotation to it, much like 
hip hop has done with “n*gga.”

Much of Mutant deals with 

(while never actually vocalizing) 
this struggle over sexuality. Arca 
said that he had a difficult time 
accepting he was gay, a truth 
brewing quietly inside until 
reaching a cathartic roar. Open-

ing track “Alive” marches with 
this confident defiance, look-
ing his demons in the face and 
embracing them. The cathartic 
roar takes form in “En,” a song 
that grows and churns to climax 
in a beastly growl. This is the 
frightening cry of a man who has 
been restrained and outcast for 
too long — a mutant, you could 
say. Even during his most viscer-
al moments, though, Arca never 
leaves the dark, alien world that 
Mutant inhabits.

Interestingly, 
Arca 
called 

Mutant a very “social” album. 
Many of the songs are apparently 
evocative of a friend or moment in 
his life. While only Arca can know 
the personal stories behind these 
tracks, one thing is clear: Arca has 
some eccentric friends. Beyond 
his Björk collaboration, he added 
production to Kanye’s Yeezus, a 
number of FKA Twigs’ releases 
and Kelela’s Hallucinogen, all 
of which are on the forefront of 
futuristic music. Traces of these 
artists are everywhere in Mutant. 
The terrifying screams from the 
title track are reminiscent of 
Kanye’s on “I Am a God.” FKA 
Twig’s 
consuming 
sensuality 

seeps through tracks like “Front 
Load” and “Extent.” “Snakes” is 
a reference to the zodiac symbol 
Arca and Björk share. 

Compared to his previous 

releases, Mutant is the most 
sweeping. The minimalism of 
his debut album Xen felt like a 

trip through outer space; Mutant 
feels like an arrival to a far away 
planet. Visually, it invokes a 
futuristic dystopian city (think 
“Terminator” or “Blade Run-
ner”). Arca has been moving in 
this direction since the begin-
ning of his career. His earlier, 
more 
approachable 
mixtapes 

Stretch 1 and Stretch 2 were 
strongly influenced by hip hop. 
Stretch 2’s “Brokeup” included 
vocally altered rap verses that 
resembled 
rapper/producer 

Madlib’s alter-ego Quasimoto. 
This kind of genre association 
and vocal presence disappeared 
as Arca progressed, as did any 
comfort his music once had. By 
the time Xen was released, Arca 
had become a genre to himself, 
and Mutant expands further into 
unexplored musical territory. 

Standout tracks like “Vanity” 

and “Soichiro” plunge you into 
that dark dystopian world like a 
bad trip. “Vanity” is particular-
ly mesmerizing, swelling with 
symbols and high pitched tones 
that alternate between float-
ing idly and racing like a roller 
coaster. That said, Mutant is far 
from an easy listen. It demands 
stamina and weighs heavily on 
the listener. It’s also one of the 
best electronic albums of the 
year, a major accomplishment 
in a time of plenty of high-qual-
ity releases. Arca has proven 
himself to be a powerful voice 
in the future of music. 

MUTE

“Hidey-ho neighbor.”

A-

Mutant

Arca

Mute

STYLE NOTEBOOK
2015 AMAs: Best 
and worst dressed

By Daily Style Writers

The 2015 American Music 

Awards, hosted by J-Lo herself, 
was filled with just the right 
amount of rain (#Belieber), wins 
(TSwift needs to give it a rest), 
shade (Nicki Minaj) and Jared 
Leto we could all hope for. Here’s 
the Daily Style Squad’s rundown 
of who dominated the fashion 
department at the event, as well 
as the celebrities that should have 
traded their “outfits” for garbage 
bags (Harry Styles would have 
been better off).

BEST- TYGA 

Never have I ever regarded 

Tyga as a fashion ideal. Yet, in 
the wake of last night’s sarto-
rial tragedies, Tyga restored my 
dwindling faith in Hollywood’s 
fashion elite. Needless to say, I 
was wholly disappointed with 
the women’s fashion. I’m unsure 
why stars — who have nearly 
every designer and gown at their 
fingertips — are shying away 
from elegant silhouettes and 
opting for borderline Forever 
21-esque frocks and separates. 
But alas, young Nguyen-Ste-
venson stood out from his male 
counterparts in a sharp navy suit 
and kept it casual sans tie. As for 
happy endings — just as a fashion 
fairytale would have it — he and 
Kylie were spotted canoodling at 
Bieber’s after party. Shouts out to 
Tyga for winning bae back with 
sleekness and sophistication. — 
Caroline Filips

BEST- NINA DOBREV

My best dressed from the 2015 

AMA’s undoubtedly goes to Nina 
Dobrev. Dobrev looked absolutely 
stunning in a white gown and 
jacket by Zuhair Murad. The look 
was completed with bright floral 
accents, embellishing the top of 
the gown along with the borders of 
the jacket. Dobrev took the award 
for classiest last night by a long 
shot, yet she still managed to be 
one of the sexiest looks on the car-
pet. Job well done goes out to Nina 
and her stylist, as she completely 
stole the show. — Julia Doyle

WORST- Z LA LA

Who’s Z La La? She’s the 

woman in the weird upside-
down octopus costume on the 
red carpet. Completed with an 
excessive head piece similar to a 
tulip, it would have been best that 
it never bloomed. Let’s leave the 
sea animals in the ocean and the 
Gaga-ing to the O.G. — Christian 
Kennedy

WORST- GWEN STEFANI 
Alas, Gwen, I used to love you, 

too. Remember the Harajuku era, 
when you were rocking the off-
beat schoolgirl vibes and we all 
pretended to like it? I can’t pretend 
anymore. Stefani threw me for a 
loop with profound poof of the bat-
wing-on-steroids variety. As for 
her bottom half, I’m usually pro 
pants-less style choices, but the 
exposed leotard was more tacky 
than tasteful. — Caroline Filips

BEST- DNCE

Joe Jonas and band rocked 

coordinated outfits with maroon 
and grey tones. Jinjoo Lee’s 
knee-high maroon boots and 
sunglasses 
along 
with 
Jack 

Lawless’s black leather pants 
complimented 
Cole 
Whittle’s 

felt shirt. Jonas’s blue hair and 
printed 
button-down 
added 

just the right amount of pop 
for the band’s first red carpet 
appearance. — Christian Kennedy

WORST- HARRY STYLES
Three words: attack of floral. 

Not sure what Harry Styles was 
thinking or trying to prove in his 
hideous, cheap imitation Hawai-
ian pantsuit. While, I will admit, 
this outfit may be awesome for 
escaping the paparazzi and cam-
ouflaging into a Hawaiian land-
scape, for the purposes of every 
other event in life, it’s a tragic 
waste of time, fabric and celeb-
rity influence. Harry, oh Harry, 
has Zayn’s departure affected 
you so much that you’ll show 
up at AMAs dressed like you’re 
having an existential midlife cri-
sis at the tender age of 21? But I 
digress; let’s take a step back 
from the clearly tragic pattern 
and move on to the hem — that 
is, the flared pants. WHY? Why 
are you doing this to yourself and 
millions of pre-teen girls who 
are still obsessed with you? For 
the sake of the world, throw this 
repurposed Ikea bedspread out 
and move on. — Mariam Sheikh

BEST- DEMI LOVATO

Demi Lovato looked effort-

lessly chic at the AMA entrance 
last night. Her ’20s-inspired wavy 
dark brown hair was immacu-
lately done, and it complemented 
her sequin-printed long gown. 
The dress was completely backless 
with a slit that came up nearly to 

her hip (can you say bold?). Lova-
to’s makeup was daring with a 
black smoky eye and burgundy lip-
stick. She completed her old Hol-
lywood glam look with a jeweled 
clutch and black rings. Overall, she 
would have even given Poot a run 
for her money. — Carly Colonnese

BEST- NICK JONAS

Whoever 
categorized 
the 

“groufit” as something grotesque 
and lame is surely eating their 
words right now, since ex-Jo-bro 
and former high-profile Disney 
star proved them ever so wrong 
last night. Donned in, you guessed 
it, a grey suit with an aggressively 
grey turtleneck, not only did Jonas 
redefine an Urban Dictionary defi-
nition, but he channeled “Hotline 
Bling” Drake in the best possible 
way. While he may be a dead Red 
Devil killer (#SpoilerAlert), he 
and his style will forever be in our 
hearts, minds and camera rolls. — 
Mariam Sheikh

WORST- JENNY 
MCCARTHY

Everything 
about 
Jenny 

McCarthy’s outfit was too much. 
From the lipstick-red dress and 
boots, the stark contrast to her 
pale complexion, her white-
blonde curls, white nails and 
nude lip, to the Halloween-esque 
oversized belt, McCarthy stood 
out in the wrong way. The belted 
dress and thigh high boot com-
bination was more something 
Daphne Blake would wear than a 
former host of “The View.” Even 
for the red carpet, her look was 
too red. — Emma Kinery

BEST- SELENA GOMEZ

Selena Gomez stunned in a red 

sequin Givenchy midi-dress and 
Jimmy Choo strappy sandals. Her 
sleek middle part and long dark 
tresses paired perfectly with the 
sparkling ensemble. Her makeup 
— a deep red shadow and dark 
liner to match her power stare — 
made for one of the best looks of 
the night. The low-backed dress 
made Gomez appear elegant and 
confident; surely a certain ex-
boyfriend noticed. Along with 
her new album Revival, many 

have witnessed Gomez’s unbe-
lievable fashion revival. Credits 
are due to all-star stylist Kate 
Young (other clients include 
Sienna Miller, Dakota Johnson 
and Michelle Williams) who 
has the sartorial expertise to 
follow Gomez’s fervent return. 
— Mara MacLean

BEST- CIARA

For all intents and purposes, 

I want to clarify how anomalous 
this best dressed categorization 
is. Ciara, a now irrelevant celeb-
rity in everyone’s book, did a 
complete 180 when she stepped 
out in what may be the best Reem 
Acra gown of all time. Congrats, 
Ciara; you have officially come 
back into the relevant main-
stream, and your style is one 
to be reckoned with. It takes a 
certain amount of preparation 
and guts to step out in a sheer, 
black, floor-length, strategically 
embellished dress. The risk was 
well worth the reward, as she 
looked amazing in every way. — 
Mariam Sheikh

DEF JAM RECORDINGS

J-Lo at her fashion J-Lowest.

FILM REVIEW

