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(03/04/20 8:57pm)
H.G. Wells’ novel The Invisible Man, one of the pillars of science fiction, depicts the world through the eyes of Griffin, a mad scientist who learned how to make himself invisible. He terrorizes a local town with his newfound ability, leading to the destruction of his own sanity and that of those around him.
(02/28/20 3:30am)
Disney has claimed to have their first gay characters numerous times, each to varying levels of outwardness, representation, and validity. First, it was LeFou in the live adaptation of Beauty and the Beast who did little more than dance with a man in an ensemble scene at the film’s close. Next, it was through Cyrus Goodman on Andi Mack, who was the first of Disney’s characters to say “I’m gay” on–screen. Now, Disney has garnered headlines again with a character in the upcoming film Onward, voiced by Lena Waithe, who, apparently, is the first out gay character in a Pixar film.
(02/28/20 3:19am)
Why can’t we stop talking about Sonic the Hedgehog? Almost a year ago, in April of 2019, the movie made headlines after its first trailer. The reason? Its absolutely horrific design for Sonic. His eyes were small and beady, his teeth were shockingly human, and his overall look was so photorealistic that he scarcely resembled the fuzzy, blue hedgehog we have come to love from the original Sega games. Apparently, the dozens of articles on the subject and the public outcry were heard by the producers—just a few days later, they announced that Sonic’s design was to be changed and the movie’s release date postponed.
(02/21/20 1:40am)
Every generation needs its darling. It should come as no surprise that names such as Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn, the most famous actresses of their time, are surviving household names. More recent and comparable women who started their careers while young and have had a lasting impact on culture include Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson. Just a generation later it's Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster. Now, however, it comes time for the current crop of college students and young people to figure out who will become the prominent name of the time. Among a wide scope of talented performers, a single name has emerged: the 23–year–old, Academy Award–nominated, Florence Pugh.
(02/17/20 6:48am)
Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, based on the 1984 ABC television series of the same name, has a very simple premise—somewhere, there is an island that makes your dreams come true. The mysterious Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña) runs it with his ominous staff and apparently invites various people to visit and live out their dreams. With such a concept, of course, things will quickly go awry.
(02/17/20 6:00am)
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is a superhero movie in some sense of the genre. It's based on comics by DC, set in the famous city of Gotham, and cares about a character’s journey to beating some brooding, ominous villain who pulls political strings behind closed doors. It has fight scenes, character development, and big, flashy sequences where all our heroes come together.
(02/12/20 1:46am)
The romantic comedy, while far from the most prestigious genre of film, is certainly one of the most culturally important. Movies in this genre may be called disparaging names such as “chick flicks,” scoffed at by the greater world of cinema, and ignored at every award ceremony ever made, but they are talked about decade after decade. However, among these comedies, one film stands out as the pinnacle of the rom–com, the paragon of everything that these movies are about: Bridget Jones’ Diary.
(02/07/20 10:17pm)
Greener Grass, just recently released on Hulu, opens to classical music playing on a field nestled within the heart of Suburbia. The setting is familiar. We've all seen the trope of perfectly WASP–y, pristine, entirely constructed environments filled with entirely fake people. Here, a melodramatic spectacle is made of a children’s soccer game. A child yawns, a boy bumps into him, and then he collapses onto the ground, hyperventilating and crying for his mother.
(02/03/20 4:47pm)
The Turning could have been a perfectly fine movie. Perhaps it was destined to be a B–list horror flick with nothing new to say, a silly plot with a vaguely interesting premise, a promising setting (you can never go wrong with a haunted Victorian mansion), a pair of creepy kids, and some ominous spiders appearing out of nowhere. Yet, despite its decidedly okay production, it fumbles its way from alright into actively bad, leaving its audience with little more than angry grumbles.
(02/02/20 11:10pm)
A decade after the teen comedy's initial release in 2004, Mean Girls became a cult classic. Undying classic quotes such as “On Wednesdays, we wear pink,” “You go, Glen Coco!” “You can’t sit with us,” and “She doesn’t even go here!” are just a minor indication of how important Mean Girls is to modern culture. The film marked the debut of actress Amanda Seyfried, affirmed Lindsay Lohan as the teen icon that she is, and became many young people's first introduction to comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. It would be very hard to deny just how iconic Mean Girls is and to not be surprised at its subsequent press—including a direct–to–TV sequel, a musical adaptation, and now, a film adaptation of the musical.
(01/27/20 10:15pm)
Guy Ritchie has returned to his roots. After his slightly peculiar live–action remake of Aladdin, it was unclear if the director would go back to his classic, comedic, fast–paced style of film as aptly displayed in the Sherlock Holmes duology or the funny spy action thriller The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Within the first five minutes of Ritchie’s latest film, The Gentlemen, it becomes clear that this is Ritchie back in his old groove—almost immediately, a character calls another a “deluded shit–eating cunt,” threatens to physically harm him, and then shares a drink in his living room.
(01/20/20 1:32am)
Whether willfully or not, the Oscars are considered an important cultural event and a hallmark of success for actors, directors, and technical crews. Everyone’s gaudy outfits get articles devoted to them, coverage of the newscast fills social media, and these awards are considered to be granted to the best of the best in Hollywood.
(11/27/19 3:06am)
Ford v. Ferrari is not just a racing movie. Yes, it has to do with racing—the first act is primarily about assembling a race car, its two main characters are well–known figures within the racing world, and the majority of the runtime is spent either on the track or in the workshop. But you don't have to know precisely what an RPM is, how races work, or what even goes into the construction of a race car to understand the movie.
(11/21/19 8:42am)
If The Walt Disney Company had not already solidified itself as one of the most influential and culturally relevant media companies of all time, the buzz surrounding its streaming service, Disney+, has made us sure. Just a day after its release, they boasted over 10 million subscribers, and that number is only growing. The response to this new service, and the hundreds of movies and TV shows it contains, has been widespread and positive at every turn.
(12/02/19 1:10am)
After the chaos that followed the appearance of Tupac's hologram at a 2012 Coachella performance, it should come as no surprise that the public has strong feelings about "resurrecting" deceased artists. Tupac’s image cost at least $100,000 and was mostly made up of archive footage artfully edited together, and since then the question of giving other deceased people the same computer–generated treatment has been buzzing in the back of people’s minds. This moment with Tupac’s hologram and Snoop Dogg interacting on–stage marked a terrifying advancement of technology: We can’t ensure that the dead actually stay dead.
(11/11/19 10:43pm)
Perhaps following up Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is an impossible task. Kubrick’s 1980 classic is considered one of his best films, if not his magnum opus, and has spawned great discussion since its release. Such detail–focused examination is showcased most famously in the documentary Room 237. The Shining is not just an important aspect of film canon—it is an icon, a constantly referenced piece of work, and a culmination of an amazing director’s talents in one of the best horror movies of all time.
(11/07/19 2:01am)
The Lighthouse is a hard film to watch and an even harder one to explain. Its premise is that Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are stranded on an island together for four weeks, and clearly they're beginning to go insane. There's a female siren, who shouts in a terrifying half–song, half–scream, a seagull who attempts to make Robert Pattinson’s existence a living hell, and an incessant humming noise from the lighthouse that seems to be driving each character mad. Director Robert Eggers, who previously gained critical acclaim for his breakout film The Witch in 2016, has crafted this film in black–and–white and an oppressive 1.19 by 1 aspect ratio. There's also the glaring, holy light of the lighthouse, omniscient and pseudo–religious. Suffice it to say, The Lighthouse is a very strange film, but certainly an interesting one.
(11/04/19 8:34am)
The King, on all accounts, should be a home run—it has Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, men rolling around in the mud, and it’s released on Netflix, meaning its mass of Twitter fans can watch it right from their bedroom, free of charge. The film initially gained traction when its trailer was released and people drooled over Timothée Chalamet’s dirt–stained face and messy hairstyle. Even within hours of its release, people were already talking about Robert Pattinson and his weird accent. Yet, despite the fact that The King seemed primed for success, it fumbled with a boring plot, peculiar pacing, and some uninspired performances.
(11/06/19 2:31am)
It comes as no surprise that the era of female superheroes is upon us. As Marvel has gained mainstream and critical attention with the massive productions of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, it's become clear that this specific genre of superhero movie cannot escape from popular media trends. This year’s Captain Marvel, starring Academy–Award winning Brie Larson, confirmed Marvel’s desire to follow the popular trope of the girlboss: a woman who breaks glass ceilings and stands up for herself.
(10/14/19 3:33pm)
Ang Lee is a peculiar director. While he perhaps garnered the most acclaim for his 2000 classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he is equally renowned for the touching Brokeback Mountain. In many cases, Lee's films jolt back and forth between fast–paced action to tender drama, like in the critically adored Life of Pi. Lee’s most recent film, Gemini Man, leans in the action direction, but stops short of fully becoming a sci–fi flick, a comedic drama, or even a guns–blazing, nonsensical action, making it feel muddled and half–finished.