Arts & Culture

The Menendez Brothers ‘Monster’ Soundtrack: How Fraud Became a Fortune

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The Menendez Brothers case has resurfaced in the public eye, thanks in large part to the gripping second season of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. This American biographical crime drama does not just recount their lives — it pulls viewers in with a masterful blend of spoken and unspoken elements that deepen the narrative. As with any compelling storytelling, music plays a pivotal role, driving the emotional intensity and pushing the story forward where words fall short. The soundtrack for the show features a range of artists, but the name that appears most often is an R&B duo by the name of Milli Vanilli, composed of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. This duo reached the height of their fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s with their debut hit “Girl You Know It’s True” on the Billboard Hot 100 for 26 weeks, peaking at No.

Arts & Culture

Pacific Rim Uprising: A Feast for Eyes, Not Heart

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Even with a Kanye West endorsement and an all-star cast, many believed Guillermo Del Toro’s mecha-monster film Pacific Rim would bomb when it was released in 2013. While it is unfortunate that the guileless thrills of seeing giant monsters brawl equally colossal robots no longer excites as it used to, Del Toro’s eye for detail and ability to bestow a haunting grace to his extraterrestrial and mechanical monsters alike elevated Pacific Rim above the typical creature features. A stellar overseas performance helped drag the sequel’s status from the depths of development hell and now, Pacific Rim Uprising graces screens five years later. However, the absence of Del Toro’s idiosyncratic and artful touch looms over this Steven DeKnight directed film. While Pacific Rim Uprising never quite “rises up” to the iconic nature of its predecessor, it is fast-paced and undeniably fun, delivering exhilarating and bright action sequences and crisp CGI spectacle that excites in the moment, even if it does not stimulate much afterthought.