Thu, Feb 11, 2016
“Zoolander 2” occupies strange territory—both in its own art and in its place within the popular culture of two-thousand and sixteen.
It’s interesting to think about what Ben Stiller, the film’s writer and director, thinks of its place in the world and why he felt an updating of the adventures of Derek Zoolander was relevant to today’s audience. That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its own lifeforce—for it does.
Thu, Feb 4, 2016
Throughout the history of Japan cherry blossoms have been a symbol of life, death and rebirth.
Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase’s latest film, “An”, from a script written by Kawase based on the book by Durian Sukegawa, explores these themes in modern Japan. Kawase wants us to think about how life—its pulse and energy—exists within societal and architectural structures governed by straight lines. Kawase has always been interested in how people and chaos can play out despite the conformity of their surrounds.
Wed, Jan 20, 2016
As someone who’s always been a Shakespeare enthusiast, I was excited to see a new telling of “Macbeth” and had been following the making of this film for some time. I would like to clarify that while I am an enthusiast, I am in no way a purist. The idea of modern storytellers bringing Shakespeare’s works to a modern audience always excites me and if they can re-interpret the stories in such a way that encourages new interest, that’s even better.
Mon, Jan 18, 2016
Access is a recurring theme in modern journalism discourse—direct access to source, access to content and access to the abilities to churn out journalistic content at an alarming rate—where it is no longer a matter of if but when we reach peak content. The argument against this mass of mass media follows the thinking that the ease of access—the ease in which we can consume and create journalistic content—means the work of journalism is easier than before and it’s output is more lightweight.
Sat, Dec 26, 2015
A galaxy far, far away still has plenty of cinematic thrills to deliver if the audience expectation and early reactions to the new Star Wars film have been any indication. Directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Abrams with the help of “The Empire Strikes Back” writer Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is an attempt to put greater distance between the George Lucas prequels and realign the franchise with the original trilogy—films that are now contained within their own cinematic mythology.
Fri, Dec 25, 2015
Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” is a rhapsodic exploration of life imbued with the filmmaker’s own social conscience and intelligence.
His previous film, “Fruitvale Station”, was a commanding work, both angry and vital without ever being truly inventive. Building on the confident storytelling in that film, Coogler has taken his muse, Michael B. Jordan, and created a work that is completely attuned to the time of its making—a film infused with social awareness and understanding of the need for a diverse representation of American lives.