EL SEGUNDO HERALD August 26, 2021 Page 3
Entertainment
Film Review
‘Cryptozoo’ is a Highly Imaginative Adventure
About Conserving Fantasy Creatures
By Ryan Rojas for cinemacy.com
Treat yourself to a psychedelically-animated
experience with writer/director Dash Shaw’s
new film Cryptozoo, a fantasy-adventure
about the existence of imaginary creatures
that feels like something akin to the 1973
counter-culture film Fantastic Planet. But
beyond it being a mindless watch, it also
shows humans’ varying efforts of safeguarding
as well as domesticating endangered species
and understanding the “other” in the hopes
of conceiving a utopian world.
With its child-like, trippy visuals, it’s easy
to feel like you’re catching a contact high
from just watching the film. It’s simply
rendered; the flat, 2-D hand-drawn animation
of pencil lines and blotty ink, along with its
stop-motion fluidity, feels as if the doodles
from the corner of a stoned high schooler’s
notebook came to life in vivid wonder.
Cryptozoo doesn’t so much require an
active effort to follow along with, storywise,
and instead opts to slow you down. Its
glacially-moving pace feels like a nice drift
into a lazy, spellbinding daydream.
You’ll first need to know what “cryptids”
are, which the film explains as animals whose
existence is unknown or doubted (which, if
you’re unaware, are rooted in cultural folklore
and mythology). Lauren Gray (Lake Bell)
is an activist who frees cryptids from black
market opportunists. When the US government
sets its sights on capturing the Baku–a
cryptid that can suck out dreams–for weaponizing
its powers to “wipe out the dreams of
Cryptozoo, courtesy Magnolia Pictures.
Check It Out
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
By Cathie Hinkle-Library Assistant
In this honey of a book we find three
main characters; Alice, Jake and Harry who
are brought together under unusual circumstances.
Alice, a beekeeper, has recently lost
her husband and is experiencing grief and
panic attacks. Her sweet bees are not even
able to bring her any relief. Jake is a teenager,
who takes pride in his exceptionally
large mohawk. He lives in an abusive home
and recently suffered a tragic accident which
caused him to become a paraplegic. Harry,
our final colorful character, has extreme
anxiety and social insecurities.
Our story unfolds as Alice, who is transporting
a truckload of honeybee’s home
experiences a panic attack and runs into
Jake as he is scooting along the road in his
wheelchair. Jake is unhurt and when finds
out what Alice is transporting becomes truly
interested. Alice wants to just be left alone
but Jake, and his thirst for learning about her
bees, leads to an unlikely friendship. Harry,
although he suffers from anxiety, needs to
work. He applies to Alice’s want ad and
much to his surprise, he gets the job and two
lifelong friends as well. The book also has
a subplot that deals with a sneaky pesticide
company and how the three friends face their
fears in order to stay true to themselves and
to protect the bees that they love.
This book hums with humanity, gentleness
and the task of overcoming fears and how
we, just like bees, protect and nurture our
chosen family.
To check out this and other heartwarming
youth titles, please stop by the library or
check out our website, www.elsegundolibrary.
org, to apply for your free library card. We
are open 9am-9pm Monday-Thursday and
10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday. •
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
Cathie Hinkle
See Film Review, page 4
Football is Back, and
so is Eagles Offense
By Gregg McMullin
High school football is back playing its
schedule during the correct time of the
year. The 2020 season was moved to this
past spring, and it was an abbreviated game
schedule. But with less restrictive plans in
place, the 2021 season could see a return to
Friday Night Lights. It’s a welcome relief to
high school football athletes who’ve been
waiting two years for this moment to return.
El Segundo head football coach Shawn Green
has been preparing his team for its first game
tomorrow night against Bishop Montgomery.
He didn’t have that luxury in his first season as
head coach. With a successful summer behind
them and the summer practices coming to
an end, he sees a team transformation with
frustrations to a program ready to return to
being successful. “The team has really been
focused throughout the summer, and they’re
anxious to get out there and compete.”
Behind every successful head coach is his
assistants he can lean on. Coach Green has
maintained the offensive coaching staff that
his predecessor, Steve Shevlin, had in place.
Coach Shevlin is the quarterback coach and
works with the receivers. Jason Parker is the
running back coach, Paul Keiser and Shawn
Kemp have the linemen, and Darren Glotz is
the special teams and strength coach.
One area of concern for Coach Green entering
this season was a lethargic offense that was
hampered with injuries and a shortage of
Head Coach Shawn Green is optimistic with the season about to start.
Leo Menendez will lead the Eagles offense this season.
See Sports, page 11
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