By James Powers Disney has been trying to usher in a new era for Star Wars with The Mandalorian on Disney+, and it looks to end one this weekend with The Rise of Skywalker. The studio is anxious to make a good impression on audiences after a rather troubled past couple of years. But I’m unsure that either the franchise …
Harriet: Five Feet and a Gun
– By Maria Andress – Harriet, the Focus Feature film, hit theaters earlier this month with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating and a slightly over-performing weekend at the box office. Harriet Tubman, the titular character of the film, is one of the three most well-known figures in American history with such a legendary story its safe to say multiple …
Hobbes and Shaw’s Attempt at Equality, and Why It Comes Up Short
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – The Fast and the Furious franchise is home to some of the most epically misogynist films I’ve ever seen. The series started in the early 2000s – the merry old days when it was totally cool for filmmakers to be openly, blatantly, incredibly sexist and objectifying. Some of the most memorable elements of the first …
Overcorrecting: The Objectification of Men in Film
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – I saw Alita: Battle Angel with a couple of male friends when it came out in February. As someone who’s hyper-aware of the objectification of women on-screen, I was much more satisfied with this film than I expected – I definitely went in prepared for anime action heroine Alita to be a fetish girl, but …
“Shootable” Shows: 6 High-Quality, Low Budget Projects To Inspire Indie Filmmakers
– By Matthew Sawczyn – Recently, I re-listened to the 2015 South By Southwest Keynote address given by Mark Duplass, in which he laid out what may still be the greatest way for filmmakers to jumpstart their careers. He advocated for low budget solutions, reliable resources, and simple sets. And for those of us just beginning on this lifelong journey …
Lions and Hedgehogs and Cats, Oh Yikes!
– By James Powers – It’s been a few weeks, so by now most of us have probably forgotten about the profound weirdness of Universal’s trailer for its upcoming big-screen treatment of Cats. But I haven’t forgotten. No, I refuse to forget; in fact, I’ve been thinking about it this whole time. There’s more to unpack within this collective cultural trauma …
Disney’s Retroactive Editing
– By Joe Campbell – When Toy Story 2 was re-released on blu-ray this year, fans were quick to notice something was missing. During the end credits a blooper reel full of character “outtake” plays, often having Woody, Buzz, and the gang break character as on-set shenanigans ensue. The blooper reel was still there, but one bit involving elderly prospector …
The Failure of Strong Female Characters
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – (This article contains some spoilers for Roar Uthaug’s Tomb Raider) Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a push to bring more female representation to the screen. Every genre has manifested varying degrees of change on this front; where I’m most informed is the action genre, so that will be for the most part the …
Everything You Need to Know About Marvel’s Phase 4
– By Tyler Carlos – Ahhh…Comic-Con. The time of year when film and television enthusiasts gather all in one place to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars and be the first to know what will be happening in film culture over the next year. Comic-Con 2019 was no exception, though this year focused more on the beginnings and endings …
Seeing the World in Black and White: What’s the Appeal of Decolorizing Movies?
– By Joe Campbell – When CBS released their reboot of Twilight Zone this year, they surprised everyone by releasing a black and white version of each episode side-by-side with the original “color” versions. This was a publicity stunt meant to bring audiences back to the memory of the original ‘60s show they grew up loving, but it’s hardly the …