By Jackson Diianni Richard Linklater is a rule-breaker. I knew that going into Before Midnight (2014), so I should have kept an open mind. I was expecting it to be like its predecessors, and even though it follows the same formula (wandering, dialogue-driven romance), it deviates wildly in tone. The rule of threes would dictate … Continue reading
By Jackson Diianni The Age of Innocence (1993) is something of a departure for Martin Scorsese, who has made a career directing violent crime movies. Yet there is something about it that is not unlike the worlds of Raging Bull (1980), Mean Streets (1973) and Goodfellas (1990). Where those movies were about characters living in … Continue reading
By Haley Goetz Josh and Benny Safdie, commonly referred to as the Safdie Brothers, are a different breed entirely amongst the modern independent filmmakers of today. Bonafide New Yorkers, the brothers seem to know every nook and cranny of their city intricately well. This knowledge integrates itself exceptionally well through their films, both short and … Continue reading
By Tony Di Nizo Rocky is one of the most beloved and famous franchises in movie history. After retiring in 2006 with the film Rocky Balboa, Ryan Coogler brought the series back to life with 2015’s Creed. The film successfully re-energized the franchise by shifting focus to the son of Rocky’s enemy-turned-friend, Apollo Creed. Now … Continue reading
By Joel Liss When Overlord (2018) was first announced by JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot production company, many theorized that, like The Cellar (1989) and God Particle before, it would eventually be revealed to be an installment in the company’s flagship Cloverfield franchise. This wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. Since Matt Reeve’s surprise blockbuster in 2008, every … Continue reading
By Tony Di Nizo Released in 2004, Shrek 2 reintroduced the song “Holding out for a Hero” to a new generation. Thrilling and entertaining, this climax defines the entire movie. For example, who can forget the self-sacrifice made by Mongo? The iconic and flawless costume change made by the fairy godmother at the beginning of … Continue reading
By Jon Mendelsohn Franchises are a funny thing. If a movie has a legacy, It really doesn’t matter whether a new take on a classic story is necessary. Hollywood will make a sequel every ten years if it’s guaranteed to make bank. That’s why I was skeptical when I first heard about Halloween (2018). Is … Continue reading
By Jake Triola As we approach both the release of the second of five—yes, five—Fantastic Beasts films, as well as the release of Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which has dazzled the festival circuit, taking the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, it seems like the right moment to revisit Harry Potter and the Prisoner of … Continue reading
By Jake Triola If ever there were a filmmaker obsessed with the relationship between film and literature, it’s François Truffaut, who is noted as saying “three films a day, three books a week, and records of great music would be enough to make me happy to the day I die.” A constant reader throughout his … Continue reading
By Jackson Diianni Django Unchained (2012) gives us a superhero in place of a slave. It’s a film that mocks racism, slavery and white supremacy in the most masturbatory way possible. The point is that people can go to the movies and see Jamie Foxx kicking a slave-owner’s ass, or see the KKK fumbling with … Continue reading
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