1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/27/24 12:15am)
The cinematic era defined by superhero films has come to an anticlimactic close. Marvel movies are flopping and copycat rivals are failing even worse. Computer–generated imagery should have been a godsend for sci–fi. Without the constraint of reality, filmmakers can construct natural worlds not in nature, crowds without extras, and aliens without janky prosthetics. Instead, the useful artistic tool has become a crutch, and audiences are over it. Dune is the answer. In Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve and his elite team combine techniques of modern and classic filmmaking for a sequel so epic that most current blockbusters look amateurish in comparison. This masterpiece of an adaptation turns the second half of Frank Herbert's Dune into a cinematic event akin to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
(03/27/24 4:00am)
The summer before my first year of high school, I spent hours lying on the blue couch in my living room, eyes glued to my widescreen TV. Despite the protests of my siblings, I refused to watch anything besides the 1990s and early–2000s romantic comedies. I was enraptured by the timelessly trendy fashion in Clueless, Kat Stratford’s magnetic personality in 10 Things I Hate About You, and the wholesome but hilarious performance of “Thriller” in 13 Going on 30. No matter how many times I watch these movies, they never fail to ignite the unbridled joy and happiness I felt when I saw them for the first time.
(03/19/24 11:43pm)
In the dynamic realm of the entertainment industry, Rachel Sennott emerges as a luminary with her unwavering commitment to creative expression. During an event organized by Penn’s Social Planning and Events Committee (SPEC), Sennott candidly shared her insights into her journey, offering a captivating narrative that traverses the realms of filmmaking, acting, and comedy.
(03/12/24 11:56pm)
Romance isn't as straightforward your simple meet cute anymore, at least according to May December and Saltburn. These critically acclaimed films leave audiences uncomfortable with their twisted themes and unsavory depictions of lust.
(03/10/24 11:03pm)
In the United States, there are cultural and political wars being fought every day. Conflicts over foreign policy in the Middle East, reproductive rights, and the fragility of democracy are waged on campuses, on town hall steps, and online. It is a time of mass strife and paranoia. In the wake of such issues, former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to address the American public:
(02/26/24 2:44am)
Fiona Herzog: The Zone of Interest by writer–director Jonathan Glazer deprives all that the audience expects to see in a film about Auschwitz. Instead, it delivers chilling implications on the role of guilt, responsibility, and ignorance when making decisions.
(04/03/24 4:00am)
Welcome, demigods and mortals alike, to a world where monsters lurk around every corner, gods walk among us, and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. Yes, my friends, I'm talking about the enchanting realm of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where ancient myths collide with the modern world in a whirlwind of adventure, humor, and heart. Grab your celestial bronze sword and your Camp Half–Blood T–shirt, because we're about to embark on a journey that's as thrilling as it is legendary: exploring the cultural phenomenon that is the new Percy Jackson TV show on Disney+!
(03/22/24 1:01am)
The origin of film lies in its accessibility for the masses.
(02/05/24 5:00am)
Weike: Hayao Miyazaki’s newest entry to his glorious filmography bears every hint of a final swan song. It’s a film with a culmination of everything that fascinates Miyazaki: a young boy’s adventure, a parallel reality, and even planes and his obsession with flying. Simultaneously, it’s also a film with ten years in the making, even carrying a title (in Japanese) that begs the most fundamental question of our existence: how do you live? Fiona, how does it feel like to watch The Boy and The Heron in comparison with the other Miyazaki animations?
(02/07/24 5:00am)
Ethereal Bisexual Daughter: "I came out via the Penn Marriage Pact."
(02/05/24 5:13am)
It’s late at night, the sky deep purple against the New York City skyline as Hudson University President Nathan Alpert walks home. He’s agitated; criticism has been coming from every direction. The campus is in the midst of mounting tensions between pro–Israel and pro–Palestine advocates. Donors have pulled out funding and student groups are protesting. He’s heading home though, complaining to his wife on the phone over the contents of the day and promised a relaxing night for his troubles. But he pauses mid–sentence, noticing students spray–painting political imagery onto a building. He yells out to them as they disperse and turns to leave. But in that movement, his eyes widen. Out of nowhere, a knife plunges into the president’s body. He falls.
(02/02/24 2:45am)
That painful and mirthful moment when you look at someone you believe you know intimately, and their face seems inexplicably unfamiliar. You feel like you’ve never really looked at them long enough to notice your eyes' perception, to account for all their subtle nuances. You see them as though they are a stranger, even if they are the dearest thing in the world to you. You feel like only now do you actually understand what they look like. This is what Nan Goldin captures in each of her photographs, she exposes the subtle nuances, the raw human experience. She forces you to stare at things long enough to really see what they look like.
(12/11/23 9:57pm)
If you’re a Penn student, you’ve probably spent the last few days waiting with bated breath as the congressional hearings about antisemitism on college campuses and Liz Magill’s resignation make top national news. You stalk the The Daily Pennsylvanian Instagram account, and your inbox is flooded with email after email discussing Scott Bok, Magill, Julie Platt, and the state of our campus. This is to be expected after such an unprecedented turn of events. But we didn’t expect our president to be the subject of a Saturday Night Live cold open.
(12/10/23 5:52pm)
The only thing Shakespeare liked more than naming characters “Antonio” was playing with gender—Portia names herself Balthazar in The Merchant of Venice, Viola names herself Cesario in Twelfth Night, and Rosalind names herself after Zeus’s mythical male consort, Ganymede, in As You Like It. The Globe’s recent production of As You Like It ratchets the show’s gender play and gay undertones up to a hundred with gender–blind casting, a feature that is not only the production’s gimmick, but blended in seamlessly with the themes of the play that I almost forgot not all productions of the show are cast in such a way. Though it has sadly ended its run, one of the most fun things I have done in my time in London was go to The Globe’s As You Like It, and it made me hope for not only more productions that centralize fun, but also more theatergoing experiences that centralize community.
(12/07/23 4:17pm)
As one of the only senior girl groups still active in the K–pop industry, Red Velvet has made a lasting impact on the genre. Title tracks like “Red Flavor,” “Dumb Dumb,” “Zimzalabim,” and “Psycho” display a sample of the group’s wide and expansive sound. No matter if the group showcases its “Red” (the bubbly, colorful pop side) or its “Velvet” (the darker, evocative R&B–influenced side), listeners know that the five–member girl group has one of the most diverse and creative approaches to the K–pop genre.
(12/06/23 5:00am)
When someone mentions the Hunger Games, one’s thoughts likely gravitate towards Katniss Everdeen, the thirteen Districts, and the whole cinematic spectacle. More recently, the mention might garner a visceral reaction towards that Josh Hutcherson "Whistle" meme, or with the recent release of the series prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, you might be reminded of the internet’s collective thirst over President Coriolanus Snow. (What’s up with that, by the way? I know Tom Blyth is hot, but has everyone forgotten that Snow is evil?)
(01/12/24 1:58am)
Think about the last time you saw a woman over 60 portrayed on screen as anything but a passive grandmotherly figure. There’s Grace and Frankie, It’s Complicated, Something’s Gotta Give and, well, that’s pretty much it. But for older men, there are a myriad of examples of men over 60 starring in dynamic roles—just think how many Harrison Ford movies have come out since he turned 60 in 2002. Despite the one dimensional examples of older women on screen, most are still part of the workforce until their mid 60s and are active in raising families. Like anyone else, they’re falling in love, grieving losses, exploring the world, and occasionally running into trouble. This phenomenon goes beyond the screen. Surveys have shown that women feel not only devalued by society as they age, but increasingly invisible. This has real world implications, manifesting itself beyond jokey birthday cards to workplace discrimination. The Golden Bachelor seeks to change the lack of representation of women over 60 in media, showcasing the highest peaks and lowest valleys of life after qualifying for AARP while staying (mostly) true to life.
(01/12/24 1:59am)
“A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.” Leonard Bernstein’s quote given at a lecture at Harvard University in 1976 opens Bradley Cooper’s sophomore film, Maestro. And, just like his first feature A Star Is Born, Maestro lives up to this promise. Both films are messy, complicated, imperfect, occasionally transcendent but nonetheless fascinating works that reveal the artistic obsession buried within their director.
(12/06/23 2:19pm)
Bundles of presents under a glistening Christmas tree. Keeping up with decades–old traditions. Quality time with loved ones. For many people, these are the hallmarks of the holiday season. For others, like myself, the staple of post–Thanksgiving holiday cheer is listening to hours upon hours (upon hours!) of Christmas music.
(01/26/24 4:03am)
In her second feature film, Saltburn, Emerald Fennell, Oscar–winning director of Promising Young Women, sought to create a film that evokes physical reactions from the audience.
