by Donggeon Kim (Grade 11) Project Hail Mary , the latest movie by directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, has gained critical acclaim since its release just a week ago. With an outstanding 4.4/5 on Letterboxd (making it the 89th highest rated movie btw), 8.5 on IMDb, and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Project Hail Mary seems to be a strong contender for the Oscars next year (with ratings higher than One Battle After Another, which won Best Picture at the O

by Sophie Tsai (Grade 10) Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and two World Wars, Stoner   (1965) by John Williams recounts the story of a farmer’s son who goes on to become a literature professor. An English seminar transforms Stoner’s life. Yet unlike the typical Bildungsroman, which follows the major milestones of its characters, Stoner  is about a man whose life remains ordinary and indistinguishable.  Upon picking up the novel, I was quickly captivated by its l

Review by Chelsea Armstrong Frozen, Jr. stunned audiences this past weekend with two casts and four incredible performances in the chilly KAS auditorium. From the gorgeous costumes inspired by Taiwanese Indigenous symbols, to the interactive audience participation, every detail was thoughtfully planned, with the vision, care, and love of our genius director and theater teacher, Amber Lanning. KAS students, ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 11, brought this love story betwee

by Geneva Chang (Grade 11) Editors Note: Geneva is one of two Stage Managers for this production. When you walk into school in that nice and breezy 27°C air, don’t you sometimes wish that everything could get colder by the minute until it is all… frozen?  Ignoring that bad pun, our theater department has been hard at work for the past few months on the production of the long-awaited Frozen Jr , which is to finally premiere this weekend with four shows from March 20 to March 2

Opinion by Matt Bailey Read the article here.

by Erica Liu (Grade 9) I would rate Barbie a 7.5 out of 10. While I liked the movie, I did not find it very exciting since there was not a huge plot twist or anything. Instead, it focuses on character development and powerful lessons learned about identity, self-worth, and social inequality. It is more of a heartwarming experience than a movie with drama and plot twists. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the soundtrack. It fits both the good and bad moments perfectly

by Worthing Bailey (Grade 12) Go behind the scenes and inside the visions for the Year 2 Art students, as they prep for their exhibition (40% of their grade), beginning on March 24.

Book Review by Zaine Ahmed (Grade 10) Surprisingly enough, I spent my hard earned winter break reading a nonfiction book for the first time in many years, frying my brain during a time when I was supposed to be resting. However, I am thankful that I finished it because it helped me understand how much is going on within this world that I was blind to before. Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis explores how the world is shifting from one fundamental dr

Opinion by Donggeon Kim (Grade 11) Hollywood often likes to play it safe. As of the past few years, reboots and sequels have dominated the box office, notably with films such as Inside Out 2 , Jurassic World Rebirth , and Zootopia 2 . As this trend continues, it feels as though the movie-making industry is more interested in playing it safe than being creative and original. From repetitive sequels like Avatar: Fire and Ash,  to live-action remakes of classic movies like the r

Opinion by Jay Cheung (Grade 11) Over the past decade, Disney has released live-action remake after live-action remake to underwhelming, and sometimes hostile, reception. This is best seen in Mulan , The Little Mermaid , Pinocchio , and Snow White . Even the remakes that performed well at the box office— The Lion King , Aladdin , and Beauty and the Beast —haven’t been without their controversies. All across the internet, fans have been echoing the same sentiment: What exactly

by Morris Tu (Grade 11) Full Metal Jacket (1987) is not an easy movie to watch, but that is what makes it powerful. It does not attempt to excite war or portray it as heroic. Instead, it shows how people are pushed, shaped, and sometimes broken by the system around them. The movie is split into two parts, and even though they feel different, they work together to show how soldiers are made and what happens to them after. The first half of boot camp is the most memorable part

Art by Bernice Fong (Grade 9)

by Morris Tu (Grade 11) Terminator 2 is one of those movies where you immediately understand why people hype it up so much. It is loud, intense, and honestly just cool the entire time. What is crazy is that it came out in 1991, yet it still feels more real than a lot of action movies today. Nothing feels fake or weightless. When something explodes, you believe it actually exploded. There is a physical feeling to the action that makes everything hit harder. Arnold as the Term

Film review by Zaine Ahmed (Grade 10) The Breakfast Club (1985) is an incredible social commentary about the hidden issues we all face, tackling themes of social inequality, anti-stereotypes, and the secret double lives we all live. Set in a mid-1980s Saturday school detention, the five main characters—who all lead drastically differing lives—are shoved together to bond after getting into miscellaneous trouble with the school.  The story leads them to slowly bond, culminating

Opinion by Matt Bailey “I should burn in hell/ But I don't deserve this Nobody deserves this” The hype is strong, but it’s also real. The omnipotent, omnipresent, stinking algorithm got a whiff of my interest and is spewing praise all over my FYP as the end-of-year lists come out. In this rare case, I can’t be mad about it. Getting Killed by Geese  hits all my marks, tickles all my fancies, and the full "rotation" (stream) of this late September release weighs heavy as Ogenes

By Jay Cheung (Grade 11) On Friday, the 29th of Thanksgiving, I went to watch Zootopia 2 in theaters with some of my friends. It cost quite a hefty sum, as I decided to watch it in 4DX, which just so happened to be 3D as well, so you could say I enjoyed the full experience. Needless to say, it was quite an amazing experience, with the 4DX making it extremely lifelike and more like a rollercoaster than a movie, though that didn’t detract from the viewing experience. That said

Review by Jason Lin (Grade 11) As an Ariana fan, watching the first Wicked movie was truly a magical experience. Hearing Ariana’s voice in such an iconic musical felt incredible, and the movie ending on a cliffhanger left me wanting so much more. Naturally, I was really excited for Wicked: Part Two . But honestly, it was a little disappointing. (Spoiler alert!) The whole situation with stealing someone else’s boyfriend was genuinely shocking, and some of the story choices fel

Opinion by Melanie Tan (Grade 11) On November 14th, for the first time in forever, our school had a full high school play – 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview . It was chaotic, hilarious, and, for some, the most unexpected thing our school has done this year (besides the yonder pouch and elevator policy). The play is about two desperate college interviewers who need to find their last student to accept that day, or else they will be fired. But every single student tha

Opinion by Geneva Rice Change (Grade 11) For the past two months, I’ve been working alongside 20 cast members and 6 crew members, as well as our lovely director, Ms Amber Lanning, to put together the production of 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview, Kaohsiung American School’s first-ever high school play. It’s been a crazy journey, from working to squeeze in rehearsals for students busy with sports, clubs, and scheduling conflicts, to trying to feed 26 hungry high-sc

Art by Chloe Lee, Grade 11