The best movie trailers are the ones that grab your attention, whether it’s with a stunning shot, dramatic action, or a witty line of dialogue. They’re the ones that spark your curiosity rather than satisfying it. They show off the movie’s good points, but don’t give away any of the[Read More…]
Film and TV
Flashback: After Hours (1985)
As the bars start to close and people settle into bed for the night, a different type of person emerges from the shadows and takes to the streets. The world becomes populated with insomniacs, shift workers, and club-goers; their lifestyle is fundamentally different—not just because of their nocturnal nature, but[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Rick and Morty, Bojack Horseman, and comedy in an incomprehensible world
(Warning: Spoilers) October saw the bittersweet conclusion of Rick and Morty’s stellar second season. Like always, it was funny in a way that only shows like Rick and Morty can be. After all, the show’s madcap and absurd delivery is what brought most of its audience to the table in[Read More…]
Flashback: L’Amour L’Aprés Midi (1972)
Love in the Afternoon (L’Amour L’Après Midi) (1972) is the last of French New Wave director Eric Rohmer’s series of comedies known as the “Six Moral Tales.” Though Rohmer was initially overshadowed by big names in the French New Wave such as Chabrol, Godard, and Truffaut, he developed a name[Read More…]
Fall 2015 TV Preview
The Muppets In The Muppets Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang return to the screen in a more adult-targeted comedy. The show follows the ‘real’ version of The Muppets behind the scenes a of a talk show. Conservative groups in the U.S. have already called for a[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: Modern Family
Modern Family just finished its long run of consecutive victories at the Emmy Awards earlier this year. Two writers take a look at the show and its legacy. Click each perspective to read more Modern Family was always stuck in the past Arielle Garmaise When Modern Family premiered in 2009,[Read More…]
Unearthing Marlon Brando
Despite being a great actor Marlon Brando was a human being who struggled with his past and career. Listen to me, Marlon brings viewers into Brando’s mind and captures his tormented search for meaning and internal peace. Brando is often cited as the most influential actor of all time. He[Read More…]
Sicario takes unflinching look at war on drugs
This is not the usual laid back, lowbrow action movie. In Sicario, director and Quebec native Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Enemy) has created an unnerving look into the drug conflict along the border of the southern United States. In this story, neither the Mexican and American authorities, nor the drug cartels[Read More…]
Give me convenience or give me death
“The world itself is just one big hoax,” protagonist Elliot Alderson says in the pilot episode of Mr. Robot. This summer’s critical darling, the show tells the story of Alderson, a socially-awkward, morphine-addicted hacker extraordinaire. Alderson looks at his world and sees an obvious problem: Much of it appears to[Read More…]
The extended reign of Stephen Colbert
SInce the days of Johnny Carson, the format of late night talk shows hasn’t changed much. Working with some variation of the ‘opening monologue, guest one, guest two, pre-recorded bit, musical guest, goodnight’ formula has proven to be ironically versatile. A revolving door of new hosts has also helped prevent[Read More…]