‘Uglies’ leaves a not-so-pretty impression on audiences
By Katlynn Rossignol
In the sci-fi future society of “Uglies,” everyone undergoes cosmetic surgery at 16 to become Pretties and live in a city of pleasure. Until their surgery, youth are kept separate across the river and labeled Uglies. Tally Youngblood can’t wait until it’s her turn to become a Pretty, but her world falls apart when her friend Shay decides to leave their society and join The Smoke, a rebel community that rejects the surgery. Determined to bring her friend back so ...
Summer Film Recap: Sophie Monastra’s small theater summer
By Sophie Monastra
I don’t watch films in theaters.
I know, I’m bad for the local economy and films are better enjoyed on the big screen as opposed to on my 33-inch Best Buy home TV. Unfortunately, I’d rather wait to rent a film from Amazon–or even better, check out a physical DVD from the library–and enjoy it in the comfort of my couch than spend $20 and gas money to go sit in a sticky theater chair for two hours.
This summer, I became a better person. Unrelated ...
‘Speak No Evil” shows us the danger we allow in for the sake of our comfort
By Ben Konuch
“We've been pretending it's normal since we got here. This is so not normal!”
Human beings do something that I find fascinating. I do it, and you probably do it too without even realizing it. It’s our defense mechanism, our ability to be a chameleon in a group. And if you say you don’t, then you’re probably lying to yourself.
When push comes to shove, people don’t speak up when they’re uncomfortable with something. Sure, if something big enough ...
Summer Film Recap: Janie Walenda’s summer of adventure and action
By Janie Walenda
Like any self-respecting nerdy older sibling, I spent most of my summer watching movies and television shows with my younger brothers. Throughout the summer, we worked our way through “The Acolyte,” “My Adventures with Superman” and the “Planet of the Apes” films.
Oh, “The Acolyte.” While Star Wars has never been known for its calm and considerate fans, the backlash to the new show is similar to the reaction to the once-misaligned prequel movies. In this ...
Summer Film Recap: Ben Konuch’s summer of scares and suspense
By Ben Konuch
This summer, as blockbuster season came upon us, I found myself drawn to the smaller budget, smaller impact films from Hollywood’s most profitable genre: the horror film.
Three new, hotly-anticipated horror films released during the summer of 2024. "Longlegs,” "A Quiet Place: Day One" and “Alien: Romulus” all released to significant excitement and hype, despite all being in completely different niches of the horror genre.
While “Longlegs” was helmed by ...
‘Ignite’ is two-parts novel and one-part poetry.
By Ella Smith
As an avid fan of Kara Swanson’s debut duology, “Dust” and “Shadow,” I was excited to dive into her latest release, “Ignite.” “Ignite” is the first in a fantasy series centering around a world with a dying sun where phoenix blood is the only source of warmth. The central character, Mara, is a phoenix tasked with protecting her family against human hunters. However, it is soon revealed that Mara can trust nothing of what she’s been told about her world.&nb...
Summer Film Recap: Ashleigh Clark’s summer of sequels and adaptations.
By Ashleigh Clark
This summer was quite the summer for remakes, adaptations and sequels. Some were good; some were adequate; some were bad. In my summer review, I’d like to talk about an adaptation that soared above my expectations and a sequel that just barely met them. This is my review of “Fallout” and “Twisters.”
“Fallout,” an Amazon Prime TV show based on the hit game series of the same name, is the next installment in successful video game adaptations. ...
The Foreign Film Series brings the stories and experiences of other cultures to Cedarville
By Ben Konuch
When South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2019 for directing the film “Parasite,” he took the stage at the 92nd Academy Awards with a subtle condemnation and challenge for Western audiences.
“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles,” he said, “you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
This charge to expand our horizons and cultural understanding through films is not just thought about ...
A Tale of Two Adaptations
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ and ‘Avatar the Last Airbender’ back in thespotlight
By Janie Walenda
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of falling in love with excellent children’s media, it was the age of heart-crushing horrible live-action adaptations. 2000s kids really had it all.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and “Avatar the Last Airbender” mirror each other throughout their history. Both debuted in ...
‘Inside Out 2’ provides powerful insight to a unique generation
By Esther Fultz
This review contains spoilers for “Inside Out 2.”
Like many people in my generation, I grew up on Pixar films - “Toy Story,” “Cars,” “Monsters Inc.” - you name it. But if I had to choose my favorite movie, I probably would have said “Inside Out.” The film was released in 2015, but for some reason, I didn’t watch it until early in college when I was studying to be a social worker and it immediately captivated my attention. The film engages young ...
