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The Social Network
It would appear that, over time, David Fincher’s Oscar-darling The Social Network has lost its luster. It was considered a Best Picture contender going into the show and ended up with a respectable, if somewhat underwhelming, 3 statuettes. And while The King’s Speech ended up taking home the award, movies like Inception, Black Swan and…
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The Mummy
Much has been made about the recent rise of movie universes. Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc. A film universe allows production companies the comforts of a franchise — character familiarity, crew stability — while bypassing the obvious drawbacks of narrative fatigue. Need to crank out another film, but your last effort flopped? Hit your audience…
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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
I’ve never been a big fan of the term, “guilty pleasure,” especially because of its use in popular culture. Obviously, it implies the presence of guilt when enjoying something — movies, music, food etc. But aside from legal and moral codes, should anyone have to feel guilty about liking something? Most examples include your one…
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Wonder Woman
I should start this piece by admitting something: I’m firmly entrenched as a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan. I loved watching the Spiderman and X-Men movies as a young teenager, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the rise of Marvel as a movie powerhouse. There aren’t too many smart and fun blockbusters out there, and the MCU has…
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Kong: Skull Island
A common complaint about cinema for the past few decades has been a lack of originality. “It’s always remakes! Why can’t anyone come up with a new idea,” says the hypothetical person in my head. I’m sure you’ve heard something similar frequently. And while this is an unfair claim for the most part — there…
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Life
It’s often stunning to think it’s been less than 60 years since man went into space — sorry conspiracy theorists. What’s less stunning is how space has since captured the imaginations of men and women across the world. Nowhere is that fascination more prevalent than on the silver screen. Hollywood’s love of space itself isn’t…
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True/False Film Festival 2017 Wrap-Up
We’re a few weeks out from the end of True/False 2017 and, honestly, it’s been somewhat difficult to collect my thoughts. Being a Columbia native for the past 5 years, True/False almost feels like an out-of-body experience every year. For one weekend, the mid-Missouri college town transforms into this nearly unrecognizable place, full of bright-eyed…
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I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
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True/False Film Festival 2017 Day 4
It seems like every year I’m sitting in one of the two biggest venues in Columbia looking to a friend and lamenting the end of the True/False Film Festival. During no other weekend does this city shine so bright and love so fiercely. The heartland of America takes on a new vitality each year during…
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True/False Film Festival 2017 Day 3
