‘Io Capitano’ provides an eye-opening perspective on African emigration
By Isaac Steward
This review contains spoilers for “Io Capitano”
“Io Capitano” is different from the movies I normally watch.
I’ve always felt drawn to films with far away settings, high stakes and happy endings. “Io Capitano” has all of these things, and yet it is so incredibly different from what I usually watch. The setting isn’t as far away as we can be tempted to think, the stakes are very real and the ending isn’t as happy as it might seem. All the same, ...
‘The Penguin’ premiere shows the many faces of darkness in Gotham City
By Ben Konuch
“They don't even know what they got, cause they always had it. Never hungry, born full. But not us. The world wasn't built for guys like us.”
Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” was one of the greatest superhero films we’ve gotten in recent years, and without a doubt the best product out of a tortured DC Studios in decades. It portrayed of Batman and his world as gritty and realistic yet undoubtedly “comic-book-ish” in its storytelling and aesthetics. So, when DC ...
“Agatha All Along” wavers between wicked and whimsical.
By Janie Walenda
Raise your hand if you weren’t allowed to read “Harry Potter” as a kid.
As Christians, we’re rightfully cautious of stories that use witchcraft as a source of magic. I feel comfortable watching something if it’s clear that the magic is more fantasy-based than reality-based, as in Harry Potter. If not completely fantastical magic, then the content should portray the witches as evil. The first “Hocus Pocus” distinguishes witchcraft as something exclusively ...
‘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. ...
