by Tony Di Nizo From the December 2015 IssueWith a title like Hobo with a Shotgun, how can the movie be anything short of amazing? If you were to ask this, your assumptions would be correct, because it is, indeed, amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it’s worthy of an entire article explaining why it’s … Continue reading
by Byron Bixler From the December 2015 IssueFor those unaware of the magic of the samurai genre, “Zatoichi” is the James Bond of Japanese Jidaigeki cinema as far as longevity goes. Spanning nearly three decades with a 26-film series as well as a popular television show and multiple remakes and rip-offs, the adventures of Zatoichi … Continue reading
by Jacob Sullivan From the December 2015 Issue Essential to the film’s artistic success, Jo Yeong-wook’s score elevates the violent revenge of 2003’s Oldboy into a beautifully emotional tale of loss and tragedy. The orchestral compositions compliment the dramatic scenes and simultaneously contrasting with the violent ones (giving the carnage a waltz-like quality, while also … Continue reading
by Courtney Ravelo From the December 2015 Issue The original score for Peter Pan by the talented composer James Newton Howard is one of my favorite things to listen to. Pieces like “Tinkerbell” have fairy-like qualities and light jingling noises to signify her gliding around the room. “Flying” represents all the beauty of what a … Continue reading
by Kevin Fermini From the December 2015 Issue A soundtrack as haunted as its film’s central protagonist, David Shire’s score for The Conversation adds an incredible layer to an already marvelous work of cinema. Gene Hackman’s character, Harry Caul, navigates the ghostly quiet streets of San Francisco, a man lost in moral dilemma and alienated … Continue reading
From the December 2015 Issue I’ve been told that the first film I ever saw was James and The Giant Peach. I was a baby at the time, so I have no memory of that, but apparently it made a huge impression on me. There’s something about cinema that stands out from other mediums. I … Continue reading
by Mikayla Mislak From the December 2015 Issue I. The boy with shadows on his cheeks slides into the mahogany room. Morose in every sense of the word. He eagerly slides knives into his wrists, guns to his temple, nooses around his neck, and flames to his flesh. Never to die but never to be … Continue reading
by Justin Madore From the December 2015 IssueIn 2012, director Sam Mendes did the impossible for the 23rd entry in one of cinema’s most iconic franchises. With Skyfall, he proved that interesting and innovative stories could be told in the Bond universe, beautifully presenting a surprisingly human narrative with the perfect mixture of action, humor … Continue reading
by Erica Noboa From the December 2015 IssueAs Santa Claus (Edward Asner) makes his annual trip to deliver presents on Christmas Eve, he stops at a Catholic orphanage. Unbeknownst to Mr. Claus, an infant resident crawls into his toy sack and is whisked away to the North Pole. Upon realizing his accidental kidnapping, Santa and … Continue reading
by Jacob Sullivan From the December 2015 IssueMontage of Heck could have easily been a hagiography, furthering the idealizing and canonizing of Kurt Cobain. Arguably, no musician has been more romanticized in the past thirty years than the Nirvana frontman. Cobain, through the media and other films about his life, has been elevated to a … Continue reading
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