REVIEW: ‘The Social Dilemma’ is the movie ‘Cuties’ wanted to be
William Becker, Staff Writer
September 22, 2020
“The Social Dilemma” is a thrilling look into what is wrong with the world today and how technology influences it. There’s a classic narrative of “phones are bad and kids should play outside,” but “The Social Dilemma” takes a much more striking and unique look into the demons of social media.
REVIEW: ‘Unpregnant’ is a road-trip to familiar tropes
Stephen Lambros, Staff Writer
September 21, 2020
Unpregnant is a perfectly serviceable film that many viewers will enjoy. The script is whip-smart, there are fun performances, and the subject it discusses is timely. It could have been a little more original, and it could have handled its subject with a little more nuance, but for what it’s worth, if HBO Max receives more films that are this well-rounded, they could certainly compete with the other streaming services
REVIEW: ‘Cuties’ is the opposite of cute
William Becker, Staff Writer
September 18, 2020
If the Maïmouna Doucouré, the director of "Cuties", really wanted to comment on the over-sexualization of children, she should not have done so by putting heavy camera-emphasis on genitals and thrusting motions. The glamorization of this is not decreased at all by covering it in music that glorifies sex just as much as the movie does. It isn’t right, not even remotely so.
REVIEW: “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is a cinematic brain freeze
Stephen Lambros, Staff Writer
September 13, 2020
Charlie Kaufman’s latest foray into cerebral cinema, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, a film that is perhaps the least accessible film to the general public that Netflix has ever released—which in turn makes it their most exciting original film to date.
REVIEW: ‘John Was Trying To Contact Aliens’
William Becker, Staff Writer
August 25, 2020
You would be forgiven for thinking John Shepard, the subject of “John Was Trying To Contact Aliens,” is a strange man. You would also be forgiven for thinking (at least before viewing) that “John Was Trying To Contact Aliens” is a boring, alien conspiracy documentary. You would not, however, be forg...
REVIEW: The quiet nostalgia of ‘The Secret Garden’
Stephen Lambros, Staff Writer
August 21, 2020
It’s still a shame that lukewarm reception will likely hold this film back from being a hit—when done right, films like The Secret Garden can become designated as classics. But for now, if this film plants seeds of inspiration for other film projects, it will likely be doing so in secret
REVIEW: “Project Power” is mid-grade at best
William Becker, Staff Writer
August 19, 2020
The instant picture this brings to mind is of a thrilling battle between throngs of superheroes and supervillains filled with tons of explosions and unique superpowers slamming together for a fast-paced, end of the world style battle. The premise here is exceptional based on those details alone, setting the creators of “Project Power” up for an intensely exciting and culturally relevant piece of art. If this writeup so far has managed to make you excited to watch, I’m sorry, I was too.
‘The Photograph’ offers black representation and a smart love story
Valerie Keys, Managing Editor
February 18, 2020
There are so many adjectives that describe “The Photograph": witty, gracious, smart, sexy, fun, spontaneous and an all-around classic love story. Following the death of her photographer mother, Mae (Issa Rae, "Little," 'The Hate U Give") is left with a handwritten letter revealing the most intimate...
‘Birds of Prey’ has a clear identity, even if imperfect in execution
Darius Melton, Opinion Editor
February 12, 2020
“Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” was never going to avoid being compared to the previous Harley-centric film, “Suicide Squad.” The 2016 ensemble film has its fans, but the criticisms were hard to argue against. The pacing was wild, most of the characters were...
“Just Mercy” and the brilliance of Destin Daniel Cretton
Stephen Lambros, Staff Writer
January 20, 2020
Destin Daniel Cretton is one of the most exciting directors making movies today. Having previously directed shattering dramatic films with high levels of emotion such as "Short Term 12" and "The Glass Castle," Cretton has had a major hand in launching Brie Larson into A-list status and is currently slated...
REVIEW: ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’
Jonathan Montague, Staff Writer
February 25, 2019
I cannot believe this movie is bombing at the box office. Can someone please explain this to me? "The Lego Movie" was one of the biggest movies to hit 2014, with some people even angry that it was not nominated for Best Animated Film. Now, after some a couple spin-offs to hold us together, they have finally released the direct sequel, the literal "Second Part!" And if you ask me, it is just as good as the first one.
REVIEW: ‘Serenity’
Jonathan Montague, Staff Writer
February 25, 2019
I cannot stress how much you need to see "Serenity." Steven Knight is either an evil genius, a complete lunatic or some amalgamation of the two. It is easily the next big “so bad it’s good” film, and I hope/cannot wait for it to officially gain that cult status.