‘Emancipation’ walks to the finish line when it could have run
By Ben Konuch
“They cut me. They burn me. They burn my neck. They burn my feet. They break the bones in my body more times than I can count. But they never, never break me.”
“Emancipation,” the new historical drama from Antoine Fuqua starring Will Smith, follows the story of Peter, an enslaved man who embarks upon a daring escape and a perilous journey to get his freedom and his family back. The film is loosely based on the real-life events of Peter and Gordon, two men who ...
Students celebrate 50 years of global outreach with Cedarville University
by Avonlea Brown
Photos by Logan Howard
Students flowing into the first chapel of the semester were greeted by an unusual but routine sight. Tables lined the walls on either side of the main entrance and representatives eager to talk to students didn’t wait to be approached. The annual Global Outreah Conference had arrived.
This year, Cedarville celebrated 50 years of the Global Outreach department and sending students on short-term missions trips.
Cedarville Univer...
Student Spotlight: Sam Acosta
Videography by Jacob Bundy
Edited by Josephine Schmidt-Krayer
Today we talked to Sam Acosta, a talented Senior Theatre Major at Cedarville University. Listen as he tells you about his past experiences, passions, and hopes for the future.
‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ is a triumph of melancholic and meaningful storytelling
By Janie Walenda
What do you get when you combine Guillermo del Toro, stop-motion animation and the darker elements of a classic fairytale? You get a creepy, existential and charming film.
As in the plentiful other versions of Pinocchio, the titular character is lively, irresponsible and ultimately has a big heart. However, only del Toro’s version has Pinocchio’s creation shot like the creation of Frankenstein. His first living moments are creepy instead of cheery.
What ...
Is ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ really a mystery?
By Caroline Stanton
I approached this movie with a completely open-minded and fresh perspective because I had never seen the original “Knives Out” movie that premiered in 2019. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a spin-off of the original, and followed the same protagonist Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, as he worked to solve a classic tongue-in-cheek murder mystery. I haven’t seen a lot of movies that compared to this one, but I enjoyed it for what it was. The cast all ...
‘1899’ is a paradox of a thriller – and not in a good way
By Ben Konuch
“May your coffee kick in before reality does”
“1899” is the newest mystery thriller from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the minds behind the German Netflix series “Dark.” One look at a trailer or any marketing images and you’ll see what I saw, that “1899” looks like a dark, mysterious, mind-bending thriller. While this is true on paper, watching “1899” went from excitement to intrigue to indifferent boredom as the script and the pacing lost any ...
‘The Wingfeather Saga’s’ first three episodes build an expansive world
By Sophia Monastra
Forget movies, an author’s new dream is to have his or her book series turned into a TV show. Because of the episodic nature and length of the medium, shows are the best way to stay faithful to the books and allow enough time for meaningful development.
The popular semi-allegorical four-book children’s series, “The Wingfeather Saga” has recently become Angel Studios’ latest show. It follows the adventures of siblings Janner, Tink, and Leeli as they are ...
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ is an unexpected masterclass of animation
By Ben Konuch
"The legend will never die!"
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is the newest installment in the “Shrek universe,” and the second film to focus on its iconic fighting feline. As a character, Puss in Boots has captured the love of audiences from his first appearance in 2004’s “Shrek 2” as a “Zorro” parody voiced by the same actor as Zorro, Antonio Banderas. While Puss had his solo film debut in 2011’s “Puss in Boots,” this installment was suitably ...
‘Dragon Age: Absolution’ is a mildly entertaining but empty three hours
By Ben Konuch
"Beware, boy. Memory unheeded can only bring enmity."
I absolutely adore the "Dragon Age" series. The video game franchise from Bioware quickly became one of my favorite pieces of fantasy within my first few hours of playing the first title, "Dragon Age: Origins" back in 2020. As I've played the rest of the games and delved deep into its novels and comics, my love for its story hasn't changed. Set apart from other fantasy worlds with its dark nature and tone and ...
