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The Student News Site of Clemson University

The Tiger

The Student News Site of Clemson University

The Tiger

Thomas Merzlak

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor

All content by Thomas Merzlak
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are great as Elphaba and Glinda in the otherwise unimpressive "Wicked."

‘Wicked’ sounds good but looks bad

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor December 5, 2024

In a recent article, Variety awards writer Clayton Davis attempted to predict which five lucky individuals will be nominated for best director at the 2025 Academy Awards. Among his predictions are some,...

For the release event, the Chronicle staff filled the Barnes Center with board games and encouraged attendees to dress as their favorite Clue characters.

Chronicle release event releases board game fun

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor November 21, 2024

Clemson students filed into the Barnes Center on Nov. 15 to celebrate the launch of The Chronicle’s fall 2024 issue. Clemson’s oldest student publication filled its board game-inspired magazine with...

Robert F. Kennedy will heading the Department of Health and Human Services under President Trump.

Merzlak: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a terrible choice for public health

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor November 14, 2024

Shortly before winning reelection, President-elect Donald Trump offered onetime campaign rival Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “control of the public health agencies.” The possibility of a Kennedy led Health...

The College of Cardinals mobilizes outside the Sistine Chapel in Edward Berger's enjoyably silly election thriller "Conclave."

‘Conclave’ is 2024’s silliest election movie

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor November 14, 2024

The term “Oscar bait” is thrown around carelessly in film discussions, applied to essentially any movie that doesn’t have Batman in it. It’s become such a broad classification that it sometimes...

After an ecstatic third-act reveal, the film becomes devoted entirely to Art and Patrick’s battle on the tennis court as Tashi looks on from the stands.

‘Challengers’ is still the best movie of 2024

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor October 24, 2024

Near the end of Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” Mike Faist’s disgruntled tennis pro Art Donaldson tosses the ball into the air. This in and of itself is unremarkable — it’s a tennis movie,...

LCD Soundsystem have released their first new track in 2 years, the single "x-ray eyes."

LCD Soundsystem still haven’t lost their edge

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor October 22, 2024

LCD Soundsystem’s entire career has been an exercise in irony. Disgruntled producer and DJ James Murphy, annoyed with the way his music career had stalled in his thirties, wrote the group’s deadpan...

Adam Driver delivers a bizarre performance as Cesar Catalina in "Megalopolis."

‘Megalopolis’ is insane

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor October 10, 2024

In the second scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s long-gestating magnum opus “Megalopolis,” protagonist Cesar Catalina stumbles onto a scaffold, towers over a model city and manically recites the entire...

Lily Fontaine and Nicholas Eden of English Teacher performing at the Tabernacle in Atlanta

[Photo] ‘This Could be Texas’ could be much more

Gavin Turner, Contributor October 3, 2024

Lily Fontaine and Nicholas Eden of English Teacher performing at the Tabernacle in Atlanta

Demi Moore's portrayal of Elisabeth is compelling throughout "The Substance."

‘The Substance’ is strange, gross and frustrating

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor September 26, 2024

Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” now in theaters via Mubi, opens with a card touting its Best Screenplay win at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The movie that follows led me to call the Cannes...

Ian Foreman in "I Saw the TV Glow."

‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ and I liked it

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor September 19, 2024

The experience of watching Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow” is best encapsulated by a line that Owen, the film’s main character, utters early on. “It feels,” he says, “like someone took...

The Dare's debut album, "What's Wrong With New York?", is a throwback to 2005.

The Dare: Borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered 2000s

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor September 10, 2024

Over the past few months, tastemakers and artists on the trendier side of the pop spectrum have become obsessed with reviving “indie sleaze.” Indie sleaze is an aesthetic defined, as far as I can tell,...

The 68th annual Tigerama will feature a performance from X Ambassadors.

X Ambassadors to headline Tigerama 68

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor September 6, 2024

Tigerama, Clemson University’s homecoming pep rally, will feature a headlining performance from X Ambassadors as it returns for the 68th year on Sept. 27. This year’s Tigerama theme, “110%,” plays...

Magdalena Bay's "Imaginal Disk" is one of the best and most exciting pop albums of 2024.

‘Imaginal Disk’ might be the album of the year

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor September 5, 2024

Synthpop duo Magdalena Bay’s sophomore album, “Imaginal Disk,” opens with a short burst of mechanical noise, followed quickly by a single word: “Hello,” placidly intoned by vocalist Mica Tenenbaum....

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is the latest Marvel movie and one of the worst.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is barely a movie

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor August 8, 2024

I am not sure I have ever seen a movie more opposed to the things I find valuable in cinema, or in art and entertainment in general, as “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic...

Thomas Merzlak is the editor of the TimeOut section at The Tiger.

Letter from your TimeOut editor

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor July 1, 2024

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Clemson! My name is Thomas Merzlak, and I am the editor of The Tiger’s TimeOut section, which covers local and general arts and culture. I joined The Tiger at the beginning...

Now that you're Tigertown bound, here are a few tips to help make your freshman year and your transition to college as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.

Things I wish I knew as a freshman

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor July 1, 2024

Starting college can be intimidating. I myself was very apprehensive about making such a significant transition last year. Despite my initial misgivings, though, I’ve had a great time at Clemson so far....

The Chronicle features a wide variety of student submitted work in various media, including poetry, photography, painting and collage.

The Chronicle holds ‘spring cleaning’-themed release event

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor April 25, 2024

Clemson’s oldest student publication launched its most recent issue at a release party on Monday. The Chronicle, Clemson’s arts and literature magazine, spent the past semester soliciting submissions...

Swift's 11th album, "The Tortured Poets Department," was a mixed bag for critics.

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is indeed tortuous

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor April 25, 2024

Shortly before the release of her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift’s marketing team set up a temporary “library” in a shopping mall. The installation consisted of faux-aged...

Clemson students gathered in the courtyard behind the Kinard Laboratory of Physics to watch the eclipse.

Clemson physics department hosts eclipse viewing party

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor April 10, 2024

Clemson students and community members gathered in the courtyard behind the Kinard Laboratory of Physics on Monday afternoon as the University’s department of physics and astronomy hosted a solar eclipse...

Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian in "Love Lies Bleeding"

‘Love Lies Bleeding’ is the strangest movie of the year

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor April 4, 2024

The logline for “Love Lies Bleeding,” the latest film from “Saint Maud” director Rose Glass, is simple: Lou, a listless gym manager, and Jackie, a competitive bodybuilder, find their romance disrupted...

Generative AI stunts creativity and innovation in filmmaking.

Merzlak: The danger of AI in filmmaking

Thomas Merzlak, TimeOut Editor April 3, 2024

In Robert Altman’s classic Hollywood satire “The Player,” a studio executive muses to an underling about how to cut costs. “I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the...

Despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, most movies are fictional.

Movies: They’re all bad

Thomas Merzlak, General Nuisance April 1, 2024

In my capacity as this publication’s most long-winded film writer, I have viewed several movies over the last few months. I have given many of them glowing reviews, praising their formal sophistication...

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th Academy Awards on March 10.

Better than expected: The 2024 Academy Awards

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter March 14, 2024

In a shocking turn of events, the 96th Oscars weren’t terrible. The last few ceremonies have been varying levels of abysmal: in 2021, the show’s producers rearranged the show to honor a deceased...

Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides, framed by the incredible landscapes in "Dune."

‘Dune: Part 2’ is even better than its predecessor

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter March 8, 2024

In the 1890s, when cinema was in its infancy, audiences were enraptured by a particular genre of silent film known as the “phantom ride.” To make these movies, filmmakers attached a camera to the front...

Located right off campus with weekly deals, Publix's Gateway Village location is a Clemson favorite.

Best Grocery Store: Publix

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter March 7, 2024

When the Clemson community needs somewhere to go grocery shopping, Publix is the clear favorite. The popular supermarket chain’s Gateway Village location has been voted Clemson’s best grocery store...

Ahead of the "Dune: Part Two" Release next month, The Tiger reviews what make part one so excellent.

What makes ‘Dune: Part One’ so excellent

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter February 21, 2024

It’s difficult to articulate what exactly makes Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part One” so effective. “Dune” doesn’t seem appealing on paper; it’s a long, dense movie composed mostly of political...

Oppenheimer takes the summer of 2023 by storm.

Let’s Rewind: The best films of 2023

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter January 25, 2024

2023 was a banner year for movies. Major filmmakers Michael Mann and Jonathan Glazer returned from long hiatuses, while Wes Anderson released a staggering five films. The following are my picks for the...

"The Killer" is an American action film released in 2023 on Netflix.

Fincher diverts from his script in new film, ‘The Killer’

Thomas Merzlak, Senior Reporter January 10, 2024

David Fincher, the director of landmark 1990s films including “Seven” and “Fight Club,” has spent the last decade or so seeming somewhat dissatisfied with his cultural legacy. His last several...

Wes Anderson’s newest short film, “The Swan,” is a very simple story and a very sad one.

Wes Anderson’s ‘The Swan’ soars

Thomas Merzlak, Contributor November 9, 2023

Literary adaptations have been cornerstones of cinema since the medium’s inception, as filmmakers have attempted to translate classic stories by great writers from written words into moving images....

"Killers of the Flower Moon" features a star-studded cast including Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro.

Review: Why ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a true masterpiece

Thomas Merzlak, Contributor November 2, 2023

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” the new picture from Martin Scorsese, is a masterpiece. That descriptor is often overused, but it’s the only term that encompasses the massive, devastating impact of...

"Stop Making Sense" was originally released in 1984.

Review: ‘Stop Making Sense’

Thomas Merzlak, Contributor October 5, 2023

In December 1983, a thin man in an ill-fitting white-gray suit walks onto a stage. He carries with him a guitar and a boombox, which he carefully sets on the ground. He adjusts the guitar strap around...

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the sequel to the acclaimed 2018 release “Into the Spider-Verse,” debuted this June.

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse Review

Thomas Merzlak, Contributor September 27, 2023

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the sequel to the acclaimed 2018 release “Into the Spider-Verse,” debuted this June. The film, which is the first of a planned two-part story, is as visually...

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