Grim, realistic, elaborate, astounding, and thrilling. These five adjectives are what makes Sam Mendes’ 1917 a truly great film. Exploring the harms and horrors of war, 1917 redefines the military genre not as a measly backdrop for an entertaining action movie, but as a recognition of the ultimate sacrifice paid by soldiers.[Read More…]
Film and TV
Don’t let its charm fool you; “Bad Boys for Life” is a bad movie
To analyse Bad Boys For Life on its own terms, as most other critics seem to be doing, would be a disservice to the canon of good-to-great Hollywood films that have been and are being made. Sure, as a buddy-cop movie filled to the brim with gun-fights and corny jokes, the[Read More…]
The most atrocious Oscar snubs of 2020
It’s that time of year again: Awards season. Love it or hate it, it is impossible to ignore the discourse surrounding which movies (dare we say, films) are worthy of claiming hardware. The McGill Tribune is here to add to that discourse, presenting movies that we believe have been wrongfully left[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: ‘Cats’ divides theatre aficionados
Every generation has its signature so-bad-it’s-good movie: Before there was The Room, there was Showgirls, then Plan 9 From Outer Space. This week, The McGill Tribune decided to investigate Cats, the newest addition to this canon. A real cat-astrophe Gabe Nisker One cat takes a couple of attempts to launch Bustopher Jones, performed[Read More…]
Stuff we liked this break
Winter break is all about recovering from finals, spending time with your family, and updating your Goodreads and Letterboxd accounts. Here are the best from the A&E team’s period of rest and relaxation. Book: Jia Tolentino, Trick Mirror To those unacquainted with Jia Tolentino’s writing, it might seem like an[Read More…]
‘Beastmode: A Social Experiment’ sheds light on the Philippines’ drug war
For the latest installment in its weekly film screenings, Concordia’s chapter of Cinema Politica featured Eshei Mesina’s Beastmode: A Social Experiment, a documentary that is part exposé on the horrors of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, and part docudrama of how a fabricated viral video became a nationally reported mixed[Read More…]
Where do I begin?: ‘Ancient Aliens’
Ancient Aliens first aired on The History Channel in 2010, and for one month this year, I let it take over my life. The documentary-style series, produced by the Emmy Award-winning Kevin Burns, follows a group of conspiracy theorists as they attempt to convince the audience that life and culture on[Read More…]
Montreal does the Time Warp again
One rarely has the opportunity to throw toasted bread or toilet–paper across an elegant theatre venue—rarely, but not never. From Oct. 31—Nov. 2, Cinéma Impérial hosted its annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball, inviting audiences to partake in said toast and toilet–paper throwing mischief. The decades-old Halloween tradition drew[Read More…]
‘Parasite’ is a brilliant class-conscious thriller
Parasite, the new film from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, examines human performances of gender, class, and identity. The film seeks to explore the illusion of a fixed social reality and, with the deft touch of one of the premiere filmmakers of the century, creates a meta-commentary on the illusion[Read More…]
First Impressions: Is ‘The Lighthouse’ worth the hype?
On a rainy Sunday evening, The McGill Tribune Arts & Entertainment team convened for one purpose and one purpose only: To watch the much-hyped Robert Eggers film The Lighthouse. Starring ex–Twilight cast member Robert Pattison and ex–Mr Bean’s Holiday villain Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse has captivated audiences since its release. Whether or not[Read More…]
