Category Archives: Reviews
Moonstruck: A Spellbinding Message About Love. Reviewed by JaZmyn Shambley
Curses, bad luck, and the special powers of the moon all emerge at one point or another in Norman Jewison’s magical Moonstruck (1987), almost providing audience members with the same viewing experience they would have with a fantasy film. Yet, … Continue reading
Taste of Cherry (Criterion Blu-ray). Reviewed by Sydney Boone, JaZmyn Shambley, and Sophia Stolkey
Over 20 years after its initial release, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s film Taste of Cherry (1997), an essential piece of cinematic civil service, still stands as a vital contemplation on the wearying yet worthwhile act of living. It calls attention … Continue reading
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Reviewed by Jason Husak
Warning: Review contains mild spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker based only on trailers and promotional materials. Ever since the original Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) first released in the early summer of 1977, movies have never been … Continue reading
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King of Staten Island (2020). Reviewed by Livi Edmonson
Judd Apatow’s latest installment, The King of Staten Island (2020), is a semi-autobiographical film about comedian and Saturday Night Live star, Pete Davidson, and his life growing up in Staten Island. The generic elements and tropes of the “coming-of-age” narrative … Continue reading
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1984 (1984). Reviewed by Nikolas Schaal
Warning: Spoilers Ahead Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (George Orwell, 1949) has remained in the public consciousness for decades. Given the age in which we live, its prominence in current culture has grown larger, with many of the social and political … Continue reading
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Uncut Gems (2019). Reviewed by Amanda Coates
We are close to the end of Uncut Gems. Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) has convinced basketball player Kevin Garnett to purchase a sacred black opal that Howard himself acquired from Ethiopia. This gem will not only settle Howard’s never-ending debts, … Continue reading
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First Man: Walking on the Moon and Other Worldly Musings. Reviewed by Luke Batten
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” –Neil Armstrong History has been defined by the scope of our scientific achievements–and the advances we have made in space exploration are no exception. First Man (2018) maintains … Continue reading
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Recent Discoveries in Turkish Cinema: Serdar Akar’s Gemide. Reviewed by Mina Radovic
Gemide (On Board) is a Turkish film made by Serdar Akar in 1998. Following four rather repulsive men who, on their break from transporting goods on a large freighter ship, take a night off in Istanbul and, after a brawl, … Continue reading
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The Platform (2019). Reviewed by Étienne Fillion-Sauvé
When I saw the Spanish science fiction satire The Platform (El Hoyo, Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019) at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, my expectations were joyfully subverted. I had expected it to be a preachy film with shallow social commentary. … Continue reading
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Frozen 2 (2019). Reviewed by Larry Chan
In 2013, Disney’s Frozen economically eclipsed all previous Disney Princess films. For those who are new visitors to Arendelle, Frozen is the tale of Elsa the Snow Queen who is gifted with an affinity for ice. After she is cast … Continue reading
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