What To Watch Next: Quarantine Edition
by Sam Acosta
It’s the start of another wonderful semester here at Cedarville University, and with that, comes the return of some of our favorite things. One-on-ones in Chucks, the lively sounds of the Meet Market, the long lines at Chick-Fil-A, and, sadly, the return of quarantine and isolation. For those brave souls who find themselves stuck in their dorm rooms, at home, or the isolated islands of Faith and Alford, one of the most daunting trials facing you right now is boredom. So here is ...
“Land” Serves as a Cutting Commentary On Grief
by Kathryn McDonald
“Grieving woman moves somewhere new to make a fresh start and escape her somewhat haunting and tragic past.” It’s a story that will doubtless be familiar to audiences; however, in her directorial debut “Land,” director Robin Wright takes this familiar tale and turns it into a timeless masterpiece.
In addition to directing, Wright stars as Edee, a troubled woman who decides that she has had enough of people telling her that she will eventually heal from the ...
“The Father” is a Poignant Look at the Devastating Reality of Dementia
by Kathryn McDonald
According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 50 million people worldwide who suffer from dementia, with an additional 10 million new cases each year. These staggering statistics make dementia one of the most common health conditions in elderly populations, with nearly 5-8% of those over the age of 60 experiencing some form of dementia.
It is little wonder, then, that the recently released film “The Father,” directed by Florian Zeller, ...
Season Finale Is A Mixed Bag of Satisfaction and Disappointment
by Sam Acosta
The finale for “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” is finally here, and it does some things well while butchering others. While I didn’t feel completely let down by the ending of this series, everything is so rushed that some of the story beats end up feeling unresolved. Episodes four and five gave me a lot of hope for this finale, but this episode ultimately wastes that momentum and lands a little flat.
One thing I did love about the finale was Sam’s transition into ...
From the Silver Screen to Your Living Room: The Theater vs Streaming Debate
by Sam Acosta
In late 2020, Warner Brothers made an announcement that rocked the movie industry: all of their 2021 movies would be available on HBO Max on the same day they were released into theaters. This revelation sparked much debate within the industry about the future of the theater business. With COVID-19 restrictions forcing many theaters to close down indefinitely (sometimes permanently), the future of the industry is highly uncertain. For some, the movie-going experience is one that ...
Feminism in Film
Why Hollywood’s empowerment narrative falls flat
by Breanna Beers
The mere inclusion of a female protagonist was once considered box office suicide, especially for major franchises with predominantly male fanbases. Movies like “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and “Captain Marvel” have repeatedly disproven that theory, driven in part by the rise of modern mainstream feminism in the early 2010s. Accordingly, we’ve seen more and more movies with women in the center of the ...
Taking Christian Music Out of Context: The Movie: The Musical
by Sam Acosta
In this incorrigible ode to Steve Curtis Chapman, “A Week Away” manages to not only ruin my memories of church camp but somehow remove God from the experience as well. Over the course of an hour and thirty-four minutes, I was forced to endure painfully written dialogue, Christian stereotypes on steroids, and theology that feels like it came as a prize in my Chick-Fil-A kid’s meal. Luckily, the production value of the film is very good, so at least that was nice.
The ...
Episode Five Gives Us Our New Captain America
by Sam Acosta
This episode gives us a deeper look into the mind of Sam as he wrestles with whether he should take up the mantle of Captain America. Boasting one of the greatest fight scenes to ever grace the MCU and some truly moving moments, episode five continues the upward trajectory of amazing quality and high expectations started in episode four. I loved this episode so much, and there is a lot that I want to unpack here.
First, let’s talk about the intro scene. After Walker ...
Is Disney Getting Too Powerful?
by Hunter Johnson
When Disney bought Pixar, fans had nothing but excitement. When they bought Marvel, fans were cautiously optimistic. When they bought Lucasfilm, that optimism turned to concern. Then they bought 20th Century Fox, one of their biggest competitors in the movie-making industry, fans came to an agreement that Disney’s growth had become downright terrifying.
Now, Disney seems to own everything. They sneakily bought the majority shares of ABC and ESPN back in the ‘90s and ...
‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Brings A Legendary Rivalry to the Big Screen
by Nick Ratliff
“Godzilla vs. Kong'' is one of the biggest blockbusters to come out since the pandemic started last March. Because new releases have become so rare, the hype and expectation for this movie were very high. After the success of the first three films in the MonsterVerse, this climatic crossover needed to be nothing short of greatness.
“Godzilla vs. Kong'' takes place five years after Godzilla killed Ghidorah, his primary rival titan. Titans are enormous beings who ruled ...
