Movie
La La Land captures old school cinematic magic
January 23, 2017The classic Hollywood musical gets an updated look while staying true to the genre with Golden Globe darling La La Land. You know you’re in for a cinematic treat when the opening scene is a fully choreographed number set during one of Los Angeles’ infamous traffic jams. Everyone is listening to different music in their cars until one woman gets out of her car and starts singing. In a matter of seconds, more and more people join her until the sour mood has been turned upside down. Other than the “Oh my God, it’s Ryan Gosling” moment that I had…
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American Honey is everything but sweet
October 31, 2016American Honey, directed by Andrea Arnold, shines like the backlit summer-scape of your mind. Its visceral and concrete insight into the underbelly of the American dream submerges the viewer. The long shots of sunrises and sunsets over the rolling American…
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Do you have what it takes to be Keeping up with the Joneses?
October 30, 2016Keeping Up with the Joneses stars Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher as the most stereotypical, boring married couple on the planet (the Gaffneys), and Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot as the Joneses. The Joneses are gorgeous, sophisticated, multi-talented, awe-inspiring people…
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Kubo and the Two Strings is more than just a family film, it’s an artistic masterwork
October 10, 2016Kubo and the Two Strings is a must-see 3D stop-motion animation that leaves you dizzy with childlike wonder. After having watched it three times, I found myself saying “If you liked Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, you will probably like…
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Snowden shows the human side of Edward Snowden
September 26, 2016Snowden is a well-crafted and eye-opening narrative of issues of global surveillance and government accountability in the wake of 9/11. It recreates the overpowering surprise felt when ex-NSA employee, Edward Snowden, exposed the National Security Agency (NSA)’s operations of collecting…
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Lights Out is a step above mediocre
August 2, 2016Music. The beach. Money. A bowl of unsalted peanuts. Everyone has a passion. Mine? Mediocre horror movies, though it’s a mediocre passion. And boy, when I saw the trailer for Lights Out I got excited, or more accurately, mildly enthused. I…
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Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates isn’t as dumb as it sounds
July 11, 2016If you’ve seen a romantic comedy before, you know the plot of Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates: boy meets girl in quirky circumstance, things go wrong, things get deep, things get worse, everyone has a coming-of-age moment, the leads…
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Independence Day: Resurgence falls short of expectations
July 4, 2016Independence Day: Resurgence is a block without the buster. With dry dialogue, failed attempts at comic relief, and two-dimensional characters that leave audiences wondering why they were even in the film, it falls short of the expectations set by its…
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CINEPHILIA: The Nice Guys ultimate dumb buddy cop film
June 13, 2016Ryan Gosling, as famous for his abs as for his acting, can mount character-driven indies on his ripped shoulders like a nouveau Brando. He can be charming like Clooney or evoke an existential crisis with the mere words “I drive,”…
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Do you hate the new Ghostbusters trailer? You might be a sexist
May 30, 2016The original 1984 Ghostbusters is not a classic. In fact, that’s what makes it so enjoyable. It’s got little to no character development, a poorly paced and thinly drawn plot, and fewer funny lines than you remember. It’s essentially an…
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