This article is part of our Classic Film Throwback series – By Sam Hendrian – Spoilers Below Before there was Luke Skywalker, there was Curt Henderson. Ring a bell? Probably not. He is the ordinary but immensely relatable young man at the heart of American Graffiti, George Lucas’s first hit film that came out four years before Star Wars. A fun, …
Chaos & Creation on an Ecological Level in ‘Annihilation’
(2018—Director: Alex Garland) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “Almost none of us commit suicide, and almost all of us self-destruct.” — Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to Lena (Natalie Portman) Potential spoilers below Few writers have demonstrated versatility with regards to artistic medium like Alex Garland. The English writer had three novels and …
The Traveler and the Tourist: How Social Media Impacts Modern Travel
– By Paul Campa – How much is a flight to Cancun, a night at a resort in Hawaii, or a park hopper pass in Disneyland? A quick google search will tell you, as these are quantifiable and tangible measurements. Yet in terms of social currency, what exactly is the going price of that perfect golden hour sunset shot of …
If Renard Voted for the 90th Academy Awards (2017)
— by Renard N. Bansale — Potential spoilers below The 90th Academy Awards take place this Sunday. Betting contests on who will win and debates on who should win rage until the moment each category’s presenter reads the card from the sealed envelope. I prefer to just stick by my personal picks (strictly from the final list of nominees), accept …
The Reel March Madness: March 2018
— by Tyler Carlos — As the shortest, and yet somehow longest, month comes to a close, the moviegoers have much to be excited about as we head into March. Similar to last year, it seems that movie studios are eager to release some of the most anticipated titles to end the first quarter of 2018 with a bang. Each week …
‘The Pursuit of Self-Discovery’: Why Independent Cinema is an Aspiring Filmmaker’s Greatest Asset
– By Ben Escobar – How many times have you seen a really good movie and immediately after can’t help but say, “I want to make movies like that one day,” and then you give it a shot, but then end up failing miserably? Depending on the number of movies you’ve made, probably more than you’re comfortable with. We’ve all been …
‘Broadchurch’ Flips the Procedural Script
– By Carly Twehous – Admittedly, I have a bit of a personal vendetta against procedural crime shows. Let’s do a head count. Name all the cop shows on network television today. All the variations and flavors of C.S.I., N.C.I.S., and Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Castle, Bones, Blue Bloods, Blindspot, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Sorry, Marvel. I still love you.), …
10 Biggest Oscar Snubs of All Time
–By Sam Hendrian– “And the winner is… La La Land!” A few moments later… “Actually, Moonlight won.” So went one of the biggest flubs in Oscar history at the 89th annual Academy Awards ceremony in 2017. While legitimate mistakes like this have not been made too often over the course of Academy Awards history, many decisions that opinionated movie fans …
A Superhero-King Confronts the Sins of His Father in ‘Black Panther’
(2018—Director: Ryan Coogler) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “A man who has not prepared his children for his own death has failed as a father.” — T’Chaka (John Kani) to T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) Potential spoilers below Greetings, cinema of 2018! It is hard to believe that I have jumped from watching around …
Alumni Successfully Launch ‘The Catholic Card Game’
“Stop your prayers to St. Jude, because here it is: a game that is made by Catholics, for Catholics. Finally, a party game that is everything you could hope for. Well, it doesn’t guarantee salvation, but it’s fun, witty, and contains inside jokes that only Catholics would understand.” Matt and Lisa Martinusen both graduated from John Paul the Great Catholic …