Digital | The Hanslick Girls

October 27, 2017

Watching On Loop: The Video Sharing App “Vine”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or restaurants, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls discussed the artistic merit of one of the most famous video sharing apps, on the one-year anniversary of its fall. Let’s hear their conversation…

Dania suddenly shot up from the couch.

“Vine’s been dead for a year!”

Eleanor glanced over. “Huh?”

Dania turned her phone towards Eleanor. On the screen, Facebook was notifying her of what she had posted a year ago:

“R.I.P. VINE IN ALL OUR HEARTS. IT DIED FOR OUR SINS. 2016 IS THE WORST.”

October 2, 2017

Take My Word: “LeVar Burton Reads”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls rediscovered the magic of LeVar Burton’s voice, returning from his Reading Rainbow days, on a brand new podcast. Let’s listen in on their conversation…

Gwen liked to listen to music while she cooked. Usually, it was slow, casual music, the kind that she could describe as “floating” through the air, complementing the scent of the food. Musicals, she often said, were ideal.

So she was initially dismissive when Eleanor and Dania both, independently, suggested she listen to a podcast instead. Gwen loved podcasts, certainly, but preferred to cook to music that she could acknowledge distantly. Podcasts required your attention to be undivided – or, at least, less divided than she could give while cooking. But both her flatmates insisted that LeVar Burton Reads was still ideal.

September 4, 2017

The Fullbright Company’s “Gone Home”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls discussed the 2013 “walking simulator” game that took Steam by storm, and scared countless players. Let’s listen in on their conversation…

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Part of the appeal of Gone Home is its excellent story structure, which is best experienced with as little context as possible. In order to get the full experience, I recommend you stop reading after Dania exits her room the first time. Enjoy.

“I hate that,” Dania said. “You could at least tell me a little about the story or something.”

“I promise,” Eleanor assured her. “You have to go in completely blind. We shouldn’t discuss it until you’ve played through the entire thing.”

August 28, 2017

In These Trenches: Brian Jordan Alvarez’s “The Gay And Wondrous Life Of Caleb Gallo”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the girls discussed Brian Jordan Alvarez’s gay dreamscape of a webseries from last year. Let’s listen in on their conversation…

The credits flashed by under the sensual tones of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever,” as Dania lifted her head off the armrest of the couch.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, basically,” Eleanor said. “He’s trying to get a longer series going on Netflix or something but for now it’s just five episodes.”

Dania rubbed her eyes. It was too late at night – “only five episodes” had seemed like a short enough length to watch, forgetting that at about 15-20 minutes each, the entire series was basically an 84-minute movie.

Category / Digital