EL SEGUNDO HERALD February 17, 2022 Page 3
Entertainment
Champions Crowned in Hockey
By Gregg McMullin
The El Segundo In-Line Hockey Association
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crowned its champions in three divisions,
including the Bronze Division, Silver Division,
and Gold Division. Played on a picture-perfect
day, ESIHA president Jeff Tiddens presided
over a full day of games. The parity in the
teams was evident in one game that went into
sudden-death overtime, a near comeback in the
second game, and the final game that saw a
near upset. This year the winning team’s name
will be engraved and added to the El Segundo
Cup, a replica of the Stanley Cup.
Devils Win Bronze Division
(5-8-year-olds) in OT
The Devils and Golden Knights may have
played the tightest and most exciting game of
the day. Dustin Vanek’s overtime goal sealed
the Devils’ win in their 13-12 win over the
Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights’ Tyler Kaplan’s goal gave
his team a 3-1 first-half lead. The Devils scored
five consecutive goals by Vanek, including two
assisted by Noa Toivanen for a Devils 6-3 lead.
Kaplan found Liam McDonald open in front
of the net and scored just before halftime to
cut the deficit to 6-4. In the second half, the
scoring was at a frantic pace, and each team’s
score was answered by the other team. The
Golden Knights took a 9-8 lead on Kaplan’s
with 8:06 remaining in regulation. McDonald’s
goal shortly after that gave the Golden Knights
a two goal lead. The Devils responded first
on a goal by Toivanen to cut it to 10-9 and
the equalizer by Vanek with 4:56 left in the
second half. The Golden Knights responded
when Tyler Kaplan scored on a power play
and, with forty seconds remaining in regulation,
took a 12-11 lead on Kaplan’s seventh
goal of the game. Vanek made a steal on top
for the Devils and raced in to tie the game
at 12-12 to force overtime. Two minutes into
the overtime period Vanek scored the winner
for the Devils
Brayden Le Leads Gladiators to
Silver Division (9-11-year-olds)
Title
The Gladiators jumped out to a big lead
and then held on to defeat the Cobra Kai 9-5.
The Devils pose after winning the Bronze Division in overtime.
The Gladiators defeated Cobra Kai to claim the Silver Division.
See Sports, page 8
Film Review
UFO Cult Bizarreness Abounds
in Cosmic Dawn, Based on a True Story
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy
If you’re in the mood for some low-stakes,
campy cult bizarreness, Cosmic Dawn may
pique your interest. Written and directed
by Jefferson Moneo, this isn’t your average
sci-fi story that’s rooted in imagination and
make-believe; this is based on Moneo’s own
lived experience. He states, “Cosmic Dawn
was shaped by an extraterrestrial encounter
I had as a child. Like Aurora in the film, no
one believed my story.” Now we’re talking.
Starring Camille Rowe as Aurora, the film
tackles an ambitious premise with obvious
production quality limitations, but still makes
for an enjoyable watch. Aurora was never the
same after witnessing the disappearance of her
mother by a UFO as a child. The unexplainable
paranormal event wreaked havoc on her
life. Everyone believed she was crazy, despite
knowing that what she saw was true. It isn’t
until she meets Natalie (Emmanuelle Chriqui)
at a local bookstore that she finally feels seen.
Natalie reveals herself to be a member of The
Cosmic Dawn, a UFO worshipping cult that
all share a common paranormal experience
(and a karaoke obsession).
Aurora is skeptical at first but eventually
falls in with the cult and its high-powered
feminine leader Elyse (Antonia Zegers). Elyse
is a visionary, revered by her members in the
same way Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones
or Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh were
admired. It’s not until Aurora is invited to a
remote island compound for The Cosmic Dawn
retreat that she begins to question Elyse’s
motives, sanity, and self.
Cosmic Dawn plays in a nonlinear timeline,
jumping very liberally back and forth four
years into the future throughout the film. A
bit distracting at times, the purpose is to show
that Aurora’s integration into the cult happened
four years in the past. Even though she has
since moved on and distanced herself from
The Cosmic Dawn, Aurora soon discovers
that she hasn’t really escaped Elyse’s control.
While Jefferson Moneo never explicitly says
what he saw as a child that inspired this film,
we’re led to believe it was some truly wacky
stuff. Camille Rowe embodies a traumatized
child turned adult with undeniable magnetism.
Even when dressed the same as the other
cult members in full-length jumpsuits, Rowe
always stands out. As a whole, Cosmic Dawn
has a similar The Scary of Sixty-First vibe
that feels intentionally trippy and off-center.
That’s not a big surprise given that the score
is composed by Alan Howarth and features
music by MGMT.
One of the big takeaways after watching
Cosmic Dawn is the film’s message of discovery
and acceptance. Acceptance is a journey that
looks different for everyone but staying true to
yourself and your beliefs will keep you on the
right path. Just be aware that a belief in UFOs
may lead you on a direct path to the mothership.
Distributed by Cranked Up. 98 mins. Now
playing in select theaters and VOD. •
Cosmic Dawn, courtesy Cranked Up.
Morgan Rojas