by Elizabeth EstenIn the grand scheme of Disney Animation’s history, the 1970s and ’80s is a strange period. Risks were taken to try to find a new direction, especially after the death of Walt Disney in 1966. Disney’s influence over many projects has brought a few duds over the years, but his guidance has mostly … Continue reading
by Courtney RaveloThe 5th Wave is an adaptation of a 2013 young adult novel by the same title — the first in a trilogy by author Rick Yancey. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic era, with most of the story told in the first-person by a 16-year-old girl (you’ve seen this plot before, think … Continue reading
by Byron BixlerMiles Davis was a bad motherfucker — or at least that’s what the long-in-the-making biopic, Miles Ahead, wants us to initially believe. Written, produced, directed by and starring Don Cheadle in the central role, the film presents the jazz superstar as a swaggering gangster type. Self-involved, brazenly pistol-packing and unapologetically abrasive, Miles embodies … Continue reading
by Justin MadoreThis film is devastating. That may seem like an obvious statement for a story about the Holocaust, but first-time director László Nemes has really upped the bar when it comes to the amount of emotion that can be drawn out of a person in less than two hours. He does this rather conversely … Continue reading
by Gabriella PakemanNelly Lenz: “I no longer exist. Would you recognize me?” Lene Winter: “You look beautiful.” Nelly: “That’s not the point.” Taken completely out of context, this excerpt of conversation gives the impression of a woman consoling her insecure friend. In all actuality, it serves as the foundation of a story in which a … Continue reading
by Justin MadoreThe film industry has changed a lot since Marvel’s introduction of the modern cinematic universe. Sure, the idea of a cinematic universe had been done before (see the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe, Alien vs. Predator and Freddy vs. Jason), but it hadn’t been done to the scale and quality that Marvel has raised … Continue reading
by Courtney RaveloThe third of four installments in The Divergent Series, Allegiant, comes as a breath of fresh air for fans of the franchise. Following the popular trend among YA novel adaptations of splitting the last book of the series into two movies, this film is impressive in some ways but disappointing in others. It … Continue reading
by Joshua Wieder10 Cloverfield Lane is a spiritual successor to the 2008 monster/kaiju film, Cloverfield, and it happens to be Director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut. It should be pointed out, first and foremost, that 10 Cloverfield Lane shares essentially nothing in common with its namesake. The plot is entirely distinct, as are the characters, … Continue reading
by Haley GoetzIf I had to sum up The Wave in one word, it would be “formulaic.” I walked into the cinema with relatively high expectations, for I’d never heard of a disaster film being “critically acclaimed” at the Toronto International Film Festival, a prestigious worldwide proving ground for artists of the moving image. I … Continue reading
by Haley GoetzRobert Eggers blends fantasy and realism in a strikingly imaginative manner in The Witch, a film that is already being regarded as the horror film event of the 21st century. Eggers began his career as a production designer, and this becomes apparent in the carefully constructed sets and costumes as well as in … Continue reading
Filmic 