Skip to Main Content
Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Since 1907
Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Brandon Schreur

Brandon Schreur, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Brandon Schreur is the Arts and Entertainment editor this year. He’s a junior majoring in writing and film studies. He’s from Holland, Michigan, and this is his first year on the Chimes staff. Brandon has an intense love for all things media and especially film — watching movies is how he spends almost all of his free time. Some of his favorites are “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Sing Street” and “Jurassic Park,” but his favorite guilty pleasure movie has to be “Pitch Perfect.” He loves talking and writing about media, and his dream in life is to become a professional film critic. He’s really excited to discuss pop culture with you all this year!

All content by Brandon Schreur

A&E staff share their ‘top 3’

Whether it be movies, music, television or theatre, there’s always plenty of things to get excited about, and the chance to talk about it one final time is something that we look forward to all year. On...

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ review (spoiler free)

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
May 1, 2018

It has been ten years since Samuel L. Jackson surprised fans during the post-credit scene of the first “Iron Man,” telling Robert Downey Jr. about an idea he had to assemble a group of remarkable people....

Photo courtesy Calvin Student Activities Office.

SAO celebrates 25th anniversary

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
May 1, 2018

The practice of engaging in culture is something the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has had a long, complicated relationship with. The CRC, up to a certain point, thought it best to completely close themselves...

Photo by Brandon Schreur.

Venezuelan filmmaker inspires students while talking about new film

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
April 11, 2018

Filmmaker Gustavo Rondón Córdova spoke to Calvin students about his newest film “La Familia,” which screened at the Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival last weekend. The talk, which took...

‘Ready Player One’ review: Nostalgia isn’t a bad thing

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
April 5, 2018

I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Steven Spielberg’s newest film, “Ready Player One,” in the last week. “It’s nothing more than a bunch of forced references” and “It’s just fan service!...

From Wikimedia Commons user Christianlorenz97. CC 4.0.  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avengers_Infinity_War_logo_001.jpg

Opinion: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ shifted release date has big implications

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
March 28, 2018

In an unprecedented move, Disney has bumped up the release date for “Avengers: Infinity War.” Although seemingly harmless, this move has repercussions for the industry beyond what one might originally...

Photo by Brandon Schreur.

Worship duo brings brilliance to chapel

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
March 15, 2018

The Brilliance — a worship duo composed of David Gungor (brother to Michael Gungor) and John Arndt — performed a concert in the Chapel on Friday evening. The show was accompanied by a string quartet...

Promotional material for the movie.

‘Lady Bird’ takes flight in the CFAC

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
March 9, 2018

One of the films nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards this year, “Lady Bird,” was screened in the CFAC on Thursday, March 1 by the student activities office. “Lady Bird” is directed...

Promotional material for "First Reformed." Paul Schrader is a critically acclaimed screenwriter, film director, and film critic.

Paul Schrader premiers new film in GR

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
February 21, 2018

Paul Schrader, a 1968 Calvin alumnus and former Grand Rapids native, attended the premier of his newest film “First Reformed” as part of the Loeks Visiting Film Artist Series. Following the screening,...

Photo courtesy Calvin Theatre Company

“The Amish Project” to perform first-ever CTC encore

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
February 9, 2018

An encore presentation of “The Amish Project” will be put on by the Calvin Theatre Company on Feb. 10, 2018. This is the first time that the Calvin Theatre Company, which typically runs 2-3 plays every...

Promotional material for "The Florida Project."

Review: “The Florida Project”

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
February 7, 2018

Calvin’s film arts committee held a screening of Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project” in the CFAC Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 3. Recently receiving an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor...

Promotional material for The 36-Hour Challenge from www.grfilmfestival.com

Calvin students compete in 36 Hour Challenge film festival

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
February 6, 2018

Two groups of students from Calvin participated in the 36 Hour Challenge, held by the Grand Rapids Film Festival, with one of them winning the award for Best University Film. The 36 Hour Challenge gives...

Photo courtesy Barn on Fire

Local band lights up folk scene

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
February 3, 2018

Kalamazoo-based band Barn on Fire recently released their first official album, “Hurt You,” after seven years of work. Barn on Fire’s four members first began playing together around 2010. Having...

Photo courtesy Calvin SAO

Over the Rhine brings Christmas to Calvin

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
December 8, 2017

Indie folk band Over the Rhine returned to Calvin College on Saturday, Dec. 2, to perform an acoustic Christmas concert in the chapel sanctuary. Ohio natives Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, a...

‘Mother!’ offers a strange, twisted experience from Darren Aronofsky

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
December 1, 2017

“Mother!” — perhaps one of the most polarizing films to come out in 2017 — is being shown in the CFAC auditorium on Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. Admission is free. “Mother!” is written and directed...

Rachel Zylstra graduated Calvin in 2002. She now lives overseas in Scotland. Photo by Brandon Schreur.

Calvin alumna performs in GR

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
November 17, 2017

Calvin College alumna Rachel Zylstra performed a show in the Ladies Literary Club on Thursday, Nov. 10, in association with the Calvin alumni association and the students activity office. Zylstra has also...

The Duffer Brothers return with season two of ‘Stranger Things’

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
November 10, 2017

Editor’s Note: Spoilers for season one of “Stranger Things” follow. The wait to return to the upside-down is finally over, as Netflix released the highly anticipated second season of their hit...

Amazon’s ‘Lore’ comes just in time for Halloween

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
October 27, 2017

Amazon has released a new TV series that is based off of a podcast of the same name, “Lore,” right in time for Halloween. Given that nothing is off limits in Hollywood when it comes to adaptation —...

Emily Jo Mulder (left) Sarah Griffioen (right), juniors, are the leaders of Calvin’s first women’s 
a cappella group. Photo by Kendra Walters.

Women’s a cappella group started by Calvin students

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
September 15, 2017

While uKnighted — the student-run men’s a cappella group — has existed at Calvin College for four years now, a student-run women’s a cappella team is just now forming on campus this year. Juniors...

DC’s mega-blockbuster “Wonder Woman” shows at Calvin

Brandon Schreur, A&E Editor
September 15, 2017

Calvin SAO held a screening of DC’s breakout summer hit“Wonder Woman” — a film which has grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office — this past Saturday night. “Wonder Woman”...

"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" for the Nintendo Switch rounds out the best from this year in A&E. Photo courtesy IGN.

Chimes A&E staff create their “top three” of 2016-2017

Brandon Schreur
May 5, 2017

The Arts & Entertainment staff of Chimes has made it a sacred and annual tradition to create a list of their top three favorite movies, tv shows, albums, video games or any other form of media entertainment...

Senior Nate Roels' short film “Renardo” was accepted into the Grand Rapids Film Festival. Photo courtesy Nate Roels.

Professor and Student represent Calvin at Grand Rapids Film Festival

Brandon Schreur
April 21, 2017

In the tradition of bigger film festivals such as Cannes in France and Sundance in Utah, Grand Rapids hosted its ninth annual film festival on April 8. Calvin professor Sam Smartt and Calvin student Nate...

From left to right: Julien Baker, David Bazan, Jamila Woods. Photos by  Kendra Kamp.

Calvin hosts the eighth biannual Festival of Faith and Music

Brandon Schreur
April 7, 2017

Throughout the past fifteen years, Calvin has continuously provided a welcome platform for artists to perform during their biennial Festival of Faith and Music. Having hosted guests such as The Civil Wars,...

This is perhaps the last year for the festival, but its curators are still focused on this year and have not given up hope for the future yet. Photo courtesy Festival of Faith and Music.

Music festival shines despite uncertain future

Brandon Schreur
March 30, 2017

Jamila Woods, Vagabonds, David Bazan, Vox Vidorra and Julien Baker — among many others — will all be in town this weekend performing as part of Calvin College’s eighth biennial Festival of Faith...

“Logan” a fitting send-off to Wolverine character

Brandon Schreur
March 10, 2017

Hugh Jackman has played the character of Wolverine for the past seventeen years. Having appeared in ten separate films, he’s seen the heights of the “X-Men” franchise — “X2” and “X-Men: Days...

James Li and Johnson Cochran started their music career recording in the dorm basement and playing at the Cave. Photo by Matthew Schepers.

Calvin grads finding way in music community

Brandon Schreur
March 10, 2017

Calvin SAO is known for bringing new and upcoming artists into the community in order to support and promote their work. However, while perhaps still in the earlier stages, Calvin has also started to become...

SAO movie showings now free

Brandon Schreur
March 3, 2017

Dedicatedly hosting screenings for recent and popular films is something that the Calvin Student Activities Office (SAO) has been doing since before 2006 — including showings that date back to “The...

Spike Lee’s 1997 documentary “4 Little Girls” sheds light on the terrorist bombing that occured at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham,  Alabama. Photo taken from YouTube.

Film Arts Committee hosts screening of “4 Little Girls”

Brandon Schreur
February 24, 2017

Spike Lee has long been passionate about pushing for rights in the African-American community. Having made films like “Do the Right Thing”, “Malcolm X,” and most recently “Chi-Raq” — among...

Adele wins big at controversial 59th annual Grammy Awards

Brandon Schreur
February 17, 2017

Whether or not  you typically agree with the popular award shows that air around this time of year — such as the Grammys, the Oscars or the Golden Globes — and their all-too-often controversial winners...

Neil Patrick Harris starred as Count Olaf; Photo courtesy Moviepilot

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” not so unfortunate after all

Brandon Schreur
February 10, 2017

“Look away,” the theme song for the new television series “A Series of Unfortunate Events” forewarns us. “This show will wreck your evening, your whole life and your day. Every single episode...

“Elle” is a bizarre new turn for Paul Verhoeven

Brandon Schreur
February 10, 2017

Paul Verhoeven — creator of a number of some of the best guilty pleasures the 1980’s had to offer, such as “Robocop,” “Starship Troopers” and “Total Recall” — doesn’t seem like the...

“Life Without Sound” creates new waves for Cloud Nothings

Brandon Schreur
February 3, 2017

Listeners and fans never really know what they’re in for upon the release of a new Cloud Nothings album, EP, LP, experimental project or any other type of set they might put out. In the past, the band...

Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” tells a quiet tale about 17th-century missionaries

Brandon Schreur
January 20, 2017

“It's amazing that, with all the things against the film, that it got made and it's going to be shown,” said Martin Scorsese, director of the critically acclaimed film “Silence.” “There was a...

Season four of BBC’s “Sherlock” debuts to disappointing results

Brandon Schreur
January 20, 2017

We’ve seen several different on-screen portrayals of Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous duo Sherlock Holmes and John Watson throughout the past few years. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law starred in a couple...

“La La Land” movie review

Brandon Schreur
January 13, 2017

Damien Chazelle made a name for himself in 2014 upon the release of his massively successful film “Whiplash.” His clear love for music and appreciation for those willing to follow their dreams bled...

Photo by Tim Toda

Listeners chew on new Royal Teeth EP “Amateurs”

Brandon Schreur
December 9, 2016

Most people haven’t heard of the group Royal Teeth. With a name that sounds more like some sort of frightening procedure done at the dentist than a pop band, Royal Teeth typically doesn’t come up when...

“Fantastic Beasts” casts a fantastic spell

Brandon Schreur
December 2, 2016

Prequels generally have a bad reputation. While every now and then an “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” sneaks in there, many prequels are seen as unnecessary and drawn out cash-grabs that are...

Denis Villenueve deciphers alien language in “Arrival”

Brandon Schreur
November 18, 2016

Denis Villeneuve deciphers alien language in “Arrival” Brandon Schreur A & E Editor Throughout the years, we’ve seen countless sci-fi films depicting deadly and dangerous alien life...

Adam Young recreates history through musical scores

Brandon Schreur
November 10, 2016

“Not long ago, I found myself reminiscing the last half decade of my career. I recalled what it was like writing my first songs, recording my first album and touring in a 15-passenger van. […] It was...

Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” marvels

Brandon Schreur
November 10, 2016

In light of its ever-expansive cinematic universe, Marvel has done its best to make each of its entries feel unique and different in order to prevent the superhero fatigue mainstream audiences will eventually...

Technology takes over in “Black Mirror”

Brandon Schreur
November 4, 2016

A futuristic device that gives people the ability to scroll through every memory they’ve ever lived. A dystopian world where people are either hypnotically glued to their phones or have gone insanely...

Best movies to watch this Halloween

Brandon Schreur
October 28, 2016

Halloween can be an exciting season for different kinds of film fans — those who are interested in bloody horror movies full of ghosts, demons and psychopath killers as well as those who are drawn more...

“Westworld” looking like a fine candidate to take torch from “Game of Thrones”

Brandon Schreur
October 21, 2016

There’s an unwritten code many television fanatics practice that’s commonly referred to as ‘the three episode rule.’ When starting a new TV series, the viewer must commit to watching the first...

“Deepwater Horizon” review

Brandon Schreur
October 7, 2016

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon, a drilling rig located in the Gulf of Mexico harvesting oil for BP Petroleum, unexpectedly exploded. For the next 87 days, the oil well leaked into the ocean,...

Photo courtesy Calvin SAO

Ingrid Michaelson preview

Brandon Schreur
October 7, 2016

Singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson began making a name for herself in 2005 when she streamed her first album, “Slow the Rain,” on Myspace. Eleven years later, she’s become one of the more prominent...

Photo by  Kendra Kamp

Kanye West came to Grand Rapids, and it was lit

Brandon Schreur
September 29, 2016

There was a brief moment during the Kanye West concert this past Tuesday, after the lights had gone out and the screams had died down, where the audience all wondered one similar question: Could this really...

Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” leaks of missed opportunity

Brandon Schreur
September 23, 2016

Edward Snowden, the man responsible for leaking classified information regarding the NSA to the public, is currently living in Moscow after being banned from entering the United States. He’s a rather...

Emmy Awards: “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” win big

Brandon Schreur
September 23, 2016

“If your show doesn’t have a dragon or a white bronco in it, go home now.” Indeed, the quote in Kimmel’s opening monologue proved to be true, as “Game of Thrones” and “The People v. O.J....

Review of Frank Ocean’s “Blonde”

Brandon Schreur
September 16, 2016

“Boys do cry, but I don’t think I shed a tear for a good chunk of my teenage years. It’s surprisingly my favorite part of life so far. Surprising, to me, because the current phase is what I was asking...

Summer movie recap

Brandon Schreur
September 8, 2016

With every summer comes the release of many blockbuster films that promise sequels, superheroes and explosions, all of which usually end up breaking some kind of box office record. This past summer, the...

File photo

“Stranger Things” review

Brandon Schreur
September 8, 2016

On July 15, Netflix released the first season of its new hit show “Stranger Things.” Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, two brothers just beginning their directing career, the show consists of eight...

“Demolition” struggles under the weight of its own rubble

Brandon Schreur
April 13, 2016

Director Jean-Marc Vallee has created a name for himself by making Oscar-caliber films such as “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Wild.” His newest film “Demolition,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, attempts...

“Eye in the Sky” considers the moral dilemma of drone warfare

Brandon Schreur
April 6, 2016

Modern warfare is complicated. Gone are the days when two opponents would meet on a battlefield and fight to the death until one side ultimately surrenders. Today, wars are fought through surveillance...

“Full Frontal” features no nudity, just Samantha Bee

Brandon Schreur
February 14, 2016

Comedian Samantha Bee recently debuted her promising new late night talk show, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which airs on Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. on TBS. Bee looks to make a name for herself...

“Hail, Caesar!” pays tribute to Hollywood Golden Age

Brandon Schreur
February 14, 2016

Famed brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have long been considered by many to be two of the best writers and directors currently working, having created such films as “The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo” and...

“Mockingjay – Part 2” fails to take flight

Brandon Schreur
December 4, 2015

With the release of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” last week, the franchise, based upon the popular young adult novels, comes to a close. “Mockingjay – Part 2” picks up directly where...

Load More Stories