Film

Why do biopics about famous musicians come out so often in the film industry? The popularity of these films is based on the emotional involvement of viewers: they feel nostalgic looking at the musicians and listening to the songs that have been on their playlist for years. Moreover, you can learn about the interesting lives…

THIS FILM IS LIVING LARGE WITH HUGE AMOUNTES OF PLEASURE AND CREATIVITY As sweet and as rich as the high-calorie concoctions the lovable lead character covets and consumes, the stop-motion animated film Living Large is a treat, but the sympathetic portrait of this sad sack doesn’t become saccharine. Twelve-year-old Ben, a burdened, bullied, body-shamed boy…

A KINGDOM OF RICHES If you think that a survivor story on film about a boy and his dog battling the odds and a myriad of dangers will only keep you interested and involved if it looks rugged and realistic, is fueled by a rarely stopping barrage of heart-stopping chills and thrills, tragedy and terror,…

HOME COURT: HOOPS, HURDLES AND HEART The probable target audience for Home Court consists of those who find joy in playing basketball themselves or those who happily watch from the stands or on television. (Right now, college and professional games dominate TV schedules—it’s called March Madness.) But what if you’re not particularly thrilled by the…

I was a teen in the ’70s and I can assure you that everybody in Europe over 13 who wasn’t living under a rock knew something about the Butter Scene in Last Tango in Paris, the 1972 film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. You could not escape the despicable…

At this point, the success of a gay coming-of-age story can be measured most acutely by its tendency to fall into tropes, or its ability to transcend them. In the canon of gay films, the coming out tale has been told ad nauseam. Some of the most trite, straight-palatable representation has come in this form,…

Motorcycle films are not only thrilling entertainment; they offer valuable insights into the realities of riding. While action-packed sequences and dramatic crashes make for great cinema, they can teach essential lessons about safety and the unpredictability of the open road. By analyzing key themes and scenarios represented in films featuring motorcycles, riders can glean valuable…

OF MICE AND PENS It’s in the name: comics are supposed to be comical. The funny pages are a place for lasagna-craving kitties, pet pilots and friendly tigers — certainly not the stage on which to unpack heavy emotions or examine brutal histories. Right? Well, Art Spiegelman would beg to differ. And while the name…

It has been almost 30 years since Martin Scorsese’s epic film Casino was released back in November 1995, but the allure of this rich and moody crime drama hasn’t aged a single day. This world-famous movie enjoyed significant critical acclaim upon its release, and continues to intrigue a new audience of viewers with its stunning…

YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED More than 20 years ago, a young teenager from Boca Raton, Florida, became the first person in the United States to receive an implanted microchip made by Applied Digital Solutions, a radio identification (RFID) chip like those long used in pets. The “VeriChip” contained a tiny radio transmitter and bits of…

Love doesn’t always come easy, and sometimes, it takes crossing oceans and cultures to find the perfect partner. The idea of mail order brides has long fascinated people, leading to films that explore the emotional, cultural, and sometimes comedic sides of these unconventional relationships. Whether it’s an arranged romance in the Wild West or a…

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, which premiered on Hallmark on November 30, blends the warmth of the holiday season with the passionate sports culture of Kansas City. The film celebrates both romance and the deep-rooted connection the city has with the Kansas City Chiefs, offering a unique narrative for Chiefs fans and holiday movie…

MAKE ROOM FOR ROOM TAKEN New to Ireland, a young Nigerian man named Isaac (endearing Gabriel Adewusi) is down on his luck in present day Dublin. Unable to find steady housing, he ends up at a shelter that cannot help him. After another uncomfortable night on the streets, he has a chance encounter at a…

VIRTUAL VIRTUOSITY: HAMLET FOR THE GAMERS Jokes thrive on bringing together the incongruous, and perhaps that’s why Grand Theft Hamlet is, at its best, fucking hilarious. The premise is simple yet audacious: what if the bizarre, glitchy bodies and hyper-violent, sensory-releasing spectacle of a video game like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) were used to stage…

It’s been a strange ten years for Ghostbusters fans. After Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II in 1984 and 1989, the film series was put on the shelf for 27 years. In 2016, it was to be revived by some of the most popular Saturday Night Live comedians around. Heavily relying on improvisation, the reboot was considered…