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(10/22/18 12:00pm)
Successfully translating literature for the screen rests in capturing the details of the written word without wearing out the audience. In the case of Swedish Director Björn Runge’s adaptation of the 2003 novel The Wife by Meg Wolitzer, the writer and the power of the word are at the epicenter of this simmering relationship drama. The ramifications of literary genius become the narrative thrust of the film, where the pacing is determined by the conditions of the characters’ inner lives. The result is a film that moves slowly, but deliberately, with every look, gesture, and word building to a blazing crescendo. Meticulous attention to detail is how The Wife makes a not particularly innovative but worthwhile story burn slowly into an intelligent reflection on the dynamics of image, recognition, gender, and talent in the life of a writer.
(10/12/18 12:00pm)
Delivering a healthy dose of reality in unexpected ways is what good comedy does. It takes the truth, reimagines it along the lines of a joke, a situation, or a story, and, if timed just right, results in uncontrollable fits of laughter. Sometimes, it also makes us think, and in the case of Netflix’s Big Mouth, it makes us remember. In its second season, this animated and irreverent exploration of puberty employs absurdity to tackle real–world issues, the pain and perils of growing up, and all that adolescence can teach us about the world. What was already a successful piece of television for its sheer ability to walk a fine line of tolerable vulgarity and ridiculousness has become a lens for reflection on life’s messiness.
(09/25/18 12:00pm)
Situated at the end of a charming corner in Northern Liberties, Chalaco’s Ceviche and Pisco Bar instantly gives off an inviting sense of newness. Its sleek storefront rests in harmony with the lived–in patchwork streets of the surrounding neighborhood—modern but not out of place. Upon entering the roomy main dining area, the first thing we notice are the sounds of Latin American music and lively conversation that enliven the dimly–lit interior. In the relative darkness, the the bar glows green, giving the space a fitting underwater feel.
(09/25/18 12:00pm)
It’s an age–old story—in its past couple seasons, the TV show you once loved seems to have lost its magic. What was once fresh and exciting has become a chore to watch, and you begin to wonder if you should even bother when the new season’s premiere rolls around. This attitude is ubiquitous when it comes to fans of the FX series American Horror Story. A preference for more recent iterations of the offbeat show is practically unheard of. So, upon hearing that this year’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse would reintroduce the characters and thematic elements of the show’s earlier installments, a little bud of hope sprung in me. Unfortunately, the premiere episode left me with little reassurance.
(09/24/18 12:00pm)
The first season of American Vandal found tremendous success on a number of counts. Despite an unconventional premise, the mockumentary was well–received by audiences and critics. Following up a season focused on clearing the name of a “known dick drawer” in a high school vandalism scandal isn’t a particularly easy task, and potty humor doesn’t have a long shelf–life. However, in its second season, American Vandal swaps comedy for heart, and the result is another satisfying take on youth culture and the merciless dog–eat–dog world of high school.
(09/20/18 12:00pm)
With summer blockbuster season finally behind us, the fall months promise the release of some of the most anticipated (and most buzzworthy) films of the year, and the annual marker of this exciting time is the Toronto International Film Festival. Currently underway, TIFF tends to get a lot of attention for premiering the movies that will thereafter pick up steam, during the so–called “awards season,” which lasts roughly from September to March.
(09/12/18 12:00pm)
Some Penn students arrive on campus with an image of what they’d like their future to be and a plan for how to get there; others hope that the college experience will give them some direction. For alumnus Zach Fox (C ’17) it was at the tender age of 12 that he knew he wanted to be a comedian—an aspiration that took him from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and back before finishing his sophomore year. Now he has a feature film making its Penn debut this month, his own production company (Fat Camp Films) and an upcoming project in collaboration with Instagram’s @fuckjerry.
(09/10/18 12:00pm)
Paying only $10 a month for access to a movie screening every day is a deal that sounds too good to be true. Yet, in August of 2017, the subscription company MoviePass was able to make this film lovers’ dream a reality, and attracted both a surge of subscribers and skepticism. In a world where standard movie tickets can cost as much as $15, MoviePass allowed its users to watch dozens of films per month at a fraction of the upfront cost. The company offered deals of this kind for several years prior, but at a higher price point. When the subscription price dropped to a seemingly miraculous $9.95 a month, a wave of new subscribers jumped on it, with many not realizing that it would only last so long.
(04/23/18 1:00pm)
If there is a limit to how dark the subject matter of a black comedy can be without contaminating its humor, then The Death of Stalin pushes right up against that limit. The film holds itself together by containing its tone, neither ignoring nor elaborating too deeply on the ever–present background atrocities concurrent with the wildly dysfunctional antics of its main characters. At least for me, this approach worked like a charm. Despite my full awareness of the arrests, gulags, and executions that the audience was frequently reminded of (if only briefly), the film had my sides aching by the time it reached a violent conclusion.
(04/19/18 1:00pm)
With every passing day, finals week feels like less of something to worry about later and more like something to break down about now. What once was just a mark on your calendar, outshined by the preceding festivities of Spring Fling, is now a daunting reality. However, as you let the procrastination bug settle in, you might as well watch movies that are, at the very least, tangentially related to the content of your final exams. Sure, they won’t replace the hours you’ll spend locked up in Van Pelt, but they may help you get through a hellish few weeks.
(04/16/18 1:00pm)
After ending on a cliffhanger in December 2016, Westworld is finally returning to HBO for its highly anticipated second season on April 22nd. The part science–fiction epic, part western garnered attention during its first season due to its remarkable quality and thought–proving subject matter. To recap, Westworld season one followed several storylines, each involving or revolving around advanced humanoid robots called “hosts,” equipped with incredibly fine–tuned artificial intelligence. Within the confines of Westworld, a playground for the rich and powerful, the hosts can inflict no harm, whereas they themselves can be destroyed.
(04/18/18 12:00pm)
Some of us were elated, others disappointed, but whether or not you decided to attend this year’s Spring Fling concert, there's no denying that The All–American Rejects are throwing us way back. For some, the era of “Gives You Hell” and “Move Along” are tragically superimposed over that dreadfully awkward phase between elementary and middle school. If the now cringe—inducing emo subculture spared you, I’m sorry that The All–American Rejects didn't mean as much to you as they did to me. Either way, taking a trip down memory lane can be an illuminating experience, or, you know, a reminder of just how old you’re getting. As Fling brings back the music of middle school, here are five movies that will throw you back to a simpler time.
(04/08/18 1:00pm)
A structured approach is how non–runners become marathon finishers, how students bump their Bs up to As, and how I hope to become a more informed appreciator of the cinematic arts over the next few years. The truth is, for someone who declares her love for film with seemingly every opportunity, I haven’t seen all that many movies. What’s particularly concerning is the number of must–see classic films that remain, in my mind, nothing more than titles with attached merit. As much as I love writing about up–and–coming movies and television that interest me in the present, I couldn’t help but wonder what can be done about all those I haven’t seen. Thus, naturally, I took to the internet for a solution.
(04/04/18 1:00pm)
At the beginning of every semester, we receive a list of expensive requirements: massive binders full of loose sheets, thin volumes that address the content of only a few lectures, and the occasional supplemental text that never seems to get any use. However, they are far from the only materials that professors use to deepen their students’ understanding of a subject. Across many departments at Penn, film and other forms of media are implemented as ways into analysis and discussion. They channel popular culture and arts in a way that books simply cannot replicate and relay that information to students in a captivating and immersive way. Well outside Penn’s cinema studies department, there are courses that take advantage of film as a cultural resource and incorporate movies into their syllabi.
(04/01/18 1:00pm)
You only need to watch the first ten minutes of Scary Movie to make two very clear observations. First, you realize that a campy parody like this is going to rely on an abundance of overplayed gags, many of which will hit, and a handful that won’t. Second, you will remind yourself that no one could ever get away with making a movie like this today. The film’s mockery of intellectual disability is practically unwatchable, as are the abundance of sophomoric closeted–gay–man jokes. Is the film entertaining? Absolutely. But to me, someone who was much too young to watch it upon release, it already feels like a cultural relic less than two decades later.
(03/24/18 1:00pm)
When Zoolander 2 was released in 2016, I did everything in my power to pretend it didn’t exist. I immediately dismissed every trailer and subway station ad that inevitably found a way to sneak into my life, as though they were figments of my imagination. There was no way, I assumed, that the buffoonery that made the 2001 film Zoolander so outlandishly funny could be replicated without feeling completely worn out. I was also concerned that revisiting some of the original gags would force me to accept how juvenile they always were. Thankfully, I was able to avoid Zoolander 2 until it completely fell off the cultural radar.
(03/23/18 1:00pm)
Television crime shows are by no means homogenous—they may be fictional or based on true events, documentaries or live action, dramatic or comedic—but they are ubiquitous, and have had sustained popularity as television has evolved. Perhaps it’s the mysterious nature of crime that audiences are drawn to, or the fascinating psychology of the criminal mind. Maybe it’s the suspense of a well–crafted “whodunit” scenario that makes fictional crime compelling, and the grisly, off–putting details of true crime that gets under the skin of those who prefer documentary–style series. In any case, crime has, and will likely continue to be subject matter that makes audiences tick.
(03/22/18 1:00pm)
The availability of an entire season of television at arm’s length upon release has changed the way we watch television. On the one hand, binge–watching shows over the course of a few days is a satisfying way to process the whole story without waiting week to week for answers. On the other hand, it is only so long before we’re forced to hop on to the next thing once we’ve wrapped up on a series. This March, Netflix is bringing back several original series, as well as introducing some new ones. There are also a handful of streamable movies and documentaries coming to the platform throughout the month.
(03/14/18 1:00pm)
After the success of Glee, American Horror Story, and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, it only seems appropriate to deem writer/producer Ryan Murphy television royalty. Glee wrapped up its sixth and final season in 2015, and American Horror Story is currently in between annual installments. Meanwhile, American Crime Story is in its second season, following its predecessor The People v. O.J. Simpson with the somewhat less known true crime story of the assassination of Gianni Versace. The season is announced to wrap up with a ninth episode planned for March 21st.
(03/15/18 1:00pm)
There were a lot of things to like about Boyhood. It was sweet and thoughtful, like any good coming–of–age tale should be, and, perhaps more importantly, it felt like a fully realized vision. The director, Richard Linklater, was on a mission in making this film, as he sought to do the unprecedented and use the same young actor again and again over the course of 12 years, to the effect that the audience could see a boy grow into a man right before their eyes. This unconventional approach produced a kind of raw movie magic—it was something people had never seen before. It is easy to attack the film for being nothing special, given how ubiquitous the slice–of–life coming of age film is. I dare to disagree.