In 2018, the $29 million Hindi Bollywood epic, Padmaavat, hit number one on the Bollywood charts in India. Starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Padmavaat was widely praised, but it also received a great deal of criticism. The film was lauded for the visuals, style of acting, and cinematography. Despite its controversy, the box office […]
Film
‘Minari’: A Reconsideration of American Cinema
When A24 released the trailer for Minari in 2020, I couldn’t finish watching it in its two-minutes-and-five-second entirety. Not because I hated it, but because my heart hurt from loving it so much that I dreaded the moment when the trailer would end. I knew that in American cinema, this kind of visibility for Korean […]
Chinese Nationalism on the Big Screen: Comparing Disney’s ‘Mulan’ (1998) to ‘Mulan’ (2020)
China has always appealed to U.S. businesses through its sheer size, but with the country’s increasing wealth, U.S. industries work to find new ways to appeal to their markets’ eager consumers. China is aiming to surpass the U.S. as the world’s wealthiest box office, and Hollywood has shifted its attention accordingly. In August of 2020, […]
A24 is a Revolutionary Production Studio
A24 is spearheading the unanticipated new wave of indie films. A24 is a film distribution and production company founded in 2012 by seasoned film veterans Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges. Since its inception, this up-and-coming indie film distributor has accumulated 25 Academy Award nominations and has received high acclaim for their impressively broad […]
Hollywood’s Obsession With Killers
In Hollywood, sex and scandal corral in audiences by the thousands and for good reason- but where is the distinction between telling an honest story and romanticising an unworthy person? American cinema is no stranger to the twisted films surrounding murderers, rapists, and sadists. Look no further than the classic, American Psycho (2001), a film […]
Crazy Rich Asians Deserves our Love and Attention
By: Michelle Luan To many, Crazy Rich Asians was a “must-watch” or a check on the bucket list. For others, it was just another insignificant rom-com that hit Hollywood. Released in August of 2018, the movie depicts much more than a simple love story. Hollywood has suppressed the Asian-American voice since inception, but this movie […]
I, Tonya Changes Nothing
On January 6, 1994, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan exited the ice at Cobo Arena in Detroit, and, in a narrow corridor, was struck with a ASP telescopic baton three inches above the knee. Cameras swarmed around Nancy Kerrigan as she cradled her bruised knee, sobbing “why, why, why.” Less than a month later, Jeff Gillooy, […]
The Weinstein Scandal Is A Turning Point for Hollywood
Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has produced films that appeal to every audience. From Pulp Fiction to Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting to The Artist, Weinstein has helped create some of the most emotional, interesting, and powerful movies of this generation. Indeed, Weinstein has reportedly been thanked in Oscars acceptance speeches as many times as […]
Who Best to Play Dracula?
My favorite cereal growing up was Count Chocula. Cereal was, of course, a special occasion—specifically for the late-night pajamas hours or, for some of you weirdos, the “red-light district” hours. It had marshmallows in it that were probably made of plutonium, but they gave Count Chocula that perfect radioactive zing which tickles the tongue in […]
Deal With It—Ryan Gosling is VERY Talented
Fact: Ryan Gosling is an actor. Fact: Ryan Gosling is famous. Fact: Ryan Gosling is successful. Question: Does Ryan Gosling deserve this success? Is he as talented as his astronomical stardom suggests? This is actually a pretty hot topic in online forums. These conversations can go like this: Person A says, “He sucks.” Person B […]