Have you ever watched a film that seemed perfectly crafted and technically flawless yet left you feeling emotionally flat? Or conversely, seen a movie that critics dismissed as silly or misguided but which moved you to tears? Most of us have experienced both. Cinema is a curious and powerful art form. As a scholar of … Read more
D.W. Griffith and Broken Blossoms: Key Techniques and Lasting Influence In this article I outline the defining features of D.W. Griffith’s films—particularly the techniques that made him a leading director of the Silent Era and one of the most influential filmmakers of the early twentieth century. This is not an exhaustive study of Griffith’s life … Read more
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Carrie Coon, Pom Klementieff, Sebastian Stan, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Letitia Wright, Vin … Read more
Kickboxer (1989)Director: Mark DiSalle, David Worth Screenwriters: Mark DisSalle, Glenn A. Bruce, Jean-Claude Van Damme Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Michel Qissi, Haskell V. Anderson III, Rochelle Ashana Plot: Amateur fighter Kurt Sloane must avenge his crippled brother by defeating his attacker and Muay Thai champion, Tong Po. Kickboxer (1989) stands as … Read more
Netflix vs Cannes: The 2018 Clash Over the Future of Cinema In 2018 a high-profile conflict exposed a growing divide in the film world: the streaming-first, on-demand model championed by services like Netflix versus the traditional theatrical, festival-focused view of cinema upheld by institutions such as the Cannes Film Festival. At the heart of the … Read more
Jaws (1975) Director: Steven Spielberg Screenwriters: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb and Jeffrey Kramer Plot: When a great white shark terrorizes the shores of a quiet town, the local sheriff forms an unlikely team to hunt the man-eating shark down, before it hunts … Read more
To the Bone (2017) — Review To the Bone (2017) Director: Marti Noxon Starring: Lily Collins, Keanu Reeves, Carrie Preston, Lili Taylor Plot: Ellen is a rebellious 20-year-old struggling with anorexia who has spent much of her teenage years moving through one recovery program after another, only to emerge lighter each time. Desperate for a … Read more
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) Director: Jake Kasdan Screenwriters: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Rhys Darby, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Jonas Plot: Four teenagers are pulled into a video game called Jumanji and must defeat the villain Van Pelt to return to the … Read more
Ready Player One (2018) Director: Steven Spielberg Screenwriters: Ernest Cline, Zac Penn Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen Plot: When the creator of the virtual reality universe called the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a challenge: find his hidden Easter … Read more
“He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, through His wounds we are healed” -Isiah 53; 700 BC. Mel Gibson opened The Passion of the Christ with Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant, signalling a deliberate intent: to depict Jesus’ final hours with an unflinching realism that would cut against the sanitized portrayals … Read more