Cinema Summaries

In the pop culture world, 2016 has been known for being the year when many large franchises made movies surrounding a big ‘conflict amongst the heros’, with many of the movies responsible being Captain America: Civil War, Transformers: The Last Knight, The Fate of the Furious, and, especially, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. After the launch of the DC Extended Universe with Zach Snider’s Man...

The NFL Super Bowl is where many films make their trailer debuts, and this year’s Super Bowl was host.  Disney revealed the first official trailer for their next animated feature Raya and The Last Dragon. It stars Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Awkwafina as Raya’s companion, Sisu, and it will debut March 5 in theaters and on Disney+. Next up, an Amazon Prime Video exclusive, Coming 2 America, sequel to C...

In Sept. 2013, the series finale of Breaking Bad aired. The climactic conclusion to the story of Walter White left fans almost universally satisfied, but anyone who has watched the series might wonder what happened to the major supporting character, Jesse Pinkman, after the finale. For six years, fans debated the fate of the fan-favorite character until it was announced that a Breaking Bad film called El...

1994 was a fantastic year for films. The following year, the Academy Awards featured many best picture nominees that today are still considered to be the best movies ever made. The first of these great films was Quentin Terintino’s Pulp Fiction, a film that captured audiences with its action and beautiful use of non-linear storytelling. Next was Robert Zemeckis’s Forrest Gump, the film that won the Oscar that year, about the life sto...

Of the countless films stuck in a release limbo due to COVID, few are as big as Wonder Woman 1984. The latest installment in a controversial film franchise, audiences had been anticipating this film for months and were excited to see Gal Gadot return to the role, waiting to see the sequel to Wonder Woman, but did it live up to audience expectations? Not really, The movie currently has a 60 percent on...

For eight years, Batman went without a face. The 1997 film Batman and Robin left fans disappointed in the character as well as divided about whether or not Bruce Wayne should reappear on the big screen.  That all changed in September of 2003, when Christopher Nolan announced that he would be creating a new Batman movie for Warner Bros. titled: Batman Begins, with Batman himself being portrayed by Chris...

After months of uncertainty and delay, Pixar’s Soul was released to Disney+ on Christmas day. This is the studio’s second film of the year, the first being Onward, which was released in the United States in early March. By the time Soul was scheduled to release on June 19th, 2020, COVID had already been responsible for countless movie delays, and this film was no exception. Now, the film is out and available to w...

2020 has been a year of theatrical danger and disappointment. Due to COVID, many highly anticipated films have been delayed with their future uncertain. However, due to recent announcements, news about many upcoming releases has finally been given. It seems that, at least for 2021, movie theaters are being replaced by home theaters. For Disney, Pixar’s Soul will be released to Disney+ on Christ...

One of the most exciting aspects of the Christmas season is all the movies and TV specials that people watch every year. While many enjoy the classics, such as Frosty the Snowman and It’s a Wonderful Life, some prefer cheese and simpler films that are filled to the brim with pure holiday spirit. 2017’s The Spruce’s and the Pine’s is one of these films. Also known as a Star-Crossed Christmas, the story...

We hardly understand our own dreams. Although they are an everyday occurrence for many, their mysterious nature continues to fascinate us, and many films have explored this nocturnal phenomenon, but none is as famous as Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film, Inception. Inception has won over 32 awards and has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. In his film, Nolan depicts a beautiful dream world and shows the ma...

Valentines day has cheesy love stories, Halloween has loads of horror movies, and Christmas is filled to the brim with movies of all sorts of varieties. However, what about the Thanksgiving movies? The film industry has seemingly skipped over Thanksgiving, so when a movie of this holiday comes along, it's something truly unique. On the last Thursday of November, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving with a ...

Since the creation of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in 1965, the Peanuts gang have appeared in various TV cartoon specials, with the most beloved being the specials revolving around holidays, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and most of all, Christmas. Every year these specials have been re-ran by various networks when they are seasonally appropriate, and many families all over the world woul...

The Day of the Dead is an important Mexican holiday packed full of culture and history. Every year, ofrendas are made that pay respect to the lives of friends and family who’ve died, and PIXAR’s 2017 film Coco captures that culture beautifully in a spectacular family film.  The story follows Miguel Rivera, who lives in a family that hates music due to the husband of the family's ancestor, Imelda, aband...

Ronald Dahl’s books have no stranger to film adaptations, and some have even been adapted and rebooted, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005. This Halloween season, HBO Max released The Witches, a reboot of the original film adaptation from 1990. The story of the movie is very similar to the original book, and to a further extent, the 1990 film. It follows our main character and his encounter with the witches in the story. ...

As COVID-19 continues its worldwide spread, it seems no business has been spared from its warpath. Among them, are the movie theater chains around the world. “The thing I miss most about movie theaters is the experience,” Junior Michael Coppinger said via text. “I think going to the movies at the theater offers an experience that you can’t get from Netflix or other home streaming services. Go...

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a Halloween and Christmas classic that is watched over and over by numerous fans, especially from October to December. While the animation and effects in the film is impressive, even after 27 years since its release, many don’t know the true time and effort that went into crafting the movie. The film was completed slowly over three years from 1...

After the massive success of Tim Burton's Batman films, the public demanded more from the caped crusader. Declining the role for a 3rd film, Michael Keaton stepped down, leaving a spot open for a new actor to become the dark knight. Val Kilmer accepted the role, and would go on to star in the next Batman film: Batman Forever. The film, however, has not been received well by audiences compared to its predecessor...

Making his return to the big screen for the first time in decades, Batman, played by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s Batman films, is beloved by many, and has gone on to influence the character in his future appearances.  Before diving into his character, it is important to note his Batsuit in this movie. Being all black, it was one of the first times Batman had ever been depicted in an all black su...

Of all the comic-book heroes we’ve come to know and love, very few can be compared with Batman. With over 80 years of history, the dark knight has found a place in the hearts of many worldwide. However, Batman isn’t limited to just comics, as you can find him in countless tv shows, cartoons, toys, posters, and, most importantly, movies. Adam West would be the first to portray Batman in a feat...

With the long wait finally over, The New Mutants, the last of Fox’s X-Men films, is hit the big screen after years of delays, but does the movie live up to what has been promised for so long? Josh Boone, director of such movies as The Fault in Our Stars, recreates the world of the X-Men comics by bringing the characters and their impressive powers from page to screen. The film has a 32 percent...

After the massive streak of movie delays this year, some pushed-back releases will soon be seeing the light of day. One of these such titles is Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan.  Many people world-wide have been awaiting this next movie in the long line of Disney reboots, but how many people will actually be watching it? A large rent fee, increased maturity rating, story changes, censorship, and...

With theaters reopening across the country, movies that have been sitting in limbo due to COVID-19 will finally be seen by their waiting audiences, but most haven’t been waiting as long as the fans of the Fox X-Men franchise. Originally scheduled to be released in April. 2018, The New Mutants has been constantly delayed due to conflicting release dates with other X-Men films, the purchasing of Fox b...

I have always enjoyed putting on a good movie more than watching tv shows. However, in these moments where I feel I have absolutely nothing but free time on my hands, I decided to try this show I saw was trending in the “Top 10” category on Netflix.  Dead To Me is a Netflix original series that showcases the life of grieving woman, Jen, after a hit and run accident leaving her husband dead. Throughout t...

When it comes down to my all time favorite movies, this is the one movie that I’ve always circled back to. It’s the first movie I ever remember watching, and it has some funny history to it when it comes to my family. This is the movie that helped inspire my college essays and a big factor into what I want to do with my life, even before I knew what that thing was. This movie that has such a spe...

Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” was released to Netflix on April 25th, and you better believe I watched it as soon as it came out. As an avid Tarantino fan, I waited for this release date in order to cross it off my “Tarantino Watch List,” and I can now officially say that I have watched all 9  of his films.e Django Unchained takes place pre civil war, and is about two men in partic...

A week or two ago I talked about having fun rewatching the Marvel series, and so I decided to continue to have fun rewatching series of movies I once loved. Yesterday, I was in a musical mood, and really feeling down on the being at home orders, so I decided to live my last year of high school through our beloved Wildcats of East High. HIgh School Musical is a movie series that is extremely loved by many people my age, and it ...

Pretty much my entire life, I have been a very busy person. So naturally, when I get the chance to go see a movie, I tend to be drawn towards critically acclaimed films that are highly recommended. However, with spending more time at home, I have been able to watch more movies and tv shows because of the extra free time, which means I have been able to watch movies that aren’t necessarily what one w...

Ten years ago, the movie The Social Network flooded the theaters with it’s story behind the build up of Facebook. It won an Academy award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for many other awards as well. This movie, based on true events, shows Mark Zuckerberg and his work on building up a small thought into what is known as the biggest social media platform there is to date. While h...

It’s been awhile since I’ve watched a movie that really got me thinking, but I can assure you that Midsommar was a movie that did just that.  I will start off this blog by saying that there may be some spoilers in this post that I will be unable to hold, as I want to get a lot of my thoughts out. So if you haven’t yet seen the movie, and are planning on doing so, please take caution as to ...

After watching the movie Onward, I was disappointed to say the least. Not because it was a bad movie, not because there weren't some cute and heartwarming themes in the movie, and not  because of the animation quality. Onward was a good movie, but it was just that simple “good” that left me unsatisfied. It just wasn’t what I consider to be a classic Pixar movie.  I have high expectations for ...

Pixar’s newest movie Onward was just released on February 29th, and a critic reviews are leaving me both excited and nervous to see it over the upcoming spring break. Onward is a story of two brothers who embark on an adventure filled with magic, to find a way to  spend a day with their father who unfortunately passed before they could fully remember him. What I have seen from trailers is a kid-friendly and f...

After seeing the award winning movie Parasite last weekend, I was able to see a bunch of trailers that also contained similarities to that movie in that there were a bunch of foreign films in different languages. Because of this, there was a movie I had never heard of called “The Traitor” or “Il Traditore” in Italian. This movie was all about the first Italian Mafia in Sicily, called “ La Cosa Nova.�...

After high appraise and 4 Academy Awards, I was finally able to see Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, this past weekend.  I’m not going to lie: knowing that this movie wasn’t in english scared me a little bit at first. The first movie I ever watched that wasn’t an english movie was Roma, which was in Spanish. Luckily for me, my grandparents speak Spanish, and I have taken multiple years of Spanish class...

From a hostless show, to a first time ever before title, to nearly a dozen Elsa’s, to famous artists all the way from Elton John to Billie Eilish, the 92nd Oscars was an unforgettable night in film history. First and foremost, how could I not start with Parasite? This movie was the the movie to win the most awards at this year's Oscars with 4 awards in total. The Oscars that Parasire won were Best Original Screen...

In just a few days, actors, actresses, and everyone behind the scenes will be walking the carpet for The 92nd Oscars hosted at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. The Oscars are something that I look forward to every year, and I make sure to schedule them into my day. From seeing the glitz and the glam on the carpet, to hearing the interviews before the show, to viewing the fun of the event...

Just over a hundred years ago, World War I took place, and now a little more than a hundred years later, the newest war movie, 1917 is creating serious Oscar buzz. The movie, directed by Sam Mendes brings horror and devastation, while also showing intense bravery and the loyalty of two main British soldiers .  According to Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is rated a solid 89 percent and an 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb. Something I’ve noticed on my other movie reviews is that ...

Bringing in 1.029 billion dollars, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brought more than just a plethora of emotions.  This movie was released on December 20th, 2019, bringing an end to the last movie of the most recent saga: The first being The Force Awakens, followed with The Last Jedi. According to the movie critics, this film wasn’t as successful as the box office numbers show. IMDb had the highest rating with a ...

Based on the unfortunate, yet inspiring true story, Bombshell illustrates the 2016 incident involving beautiful, young female broadcasters, and Roger Ailes, the chairman and CEO of FOX news. This movie shows three main women who all have different lives, but share two similarities; working at FOX News and haven been sexually assaulted and harassed by the filthy chairman, Ailes.  The three main wom...

Anna and Elsa are back and better than ever in there as Frozen Two has been out for over a month now, and it has brought a tremendous amount of talk with it and boatloads of money as the film cracked a billion dollars at the box office totals by mid-December.  With Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Jonothan Groff back in their familiar roles, leading viewers through another adventure, discovering a new land that was unknown...

When a black couple goes on their first date to a late night diner, everything is as ordinary as it could be. Two individuals, talking, getting to know each other, and seeing where things will go. After they are done eating, they head into their car and drive off, wondering where their wheels will take them, until an unfortunate turn of events. These two black individuals were soon pulled over by a white cop...

Whatever it’s like outside, the recently released A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will warm your heart. Directed by Marielle Heller, and starring Tom Hanks, this movie brings a true story to life about an investigative journalist who ends up being forced to write a nice story on the hero, Mr. Rogers.  The journalist, Lloyd Vogal, a husband and father, has lived a troubled and traumatic life that ...

Locked in a bloody chase after uncovering a massive conspiracy within the NYPD, New York City is the battleground for Chadwick Boseman in 21 Bridges, a film packed with action and named for the 21 bridges leading into Manhattan. Directed by Brian Kirk, with a budget of nearly $33 million, this movie received a 91 percent rating on Fandango. However, it didn’t score so well on other platforms, as it got a 50 percen...

After a lot of anticipation from social media and other forms of advertisement, this past week Disney+ was released to the public. This new streaming network has anything and everything you can think of that relates to Disney.  Many people already know that Disney is one of the largest franchises in the world, but some people aren’t aware of its ownership of multiple other companies such as ESPN, National G...

A twisted take on the childhood story, Hansel and Gretel has turned into a live action, horror film set to be released in early 2020. Directed by Oz Perkins, Gretel and Hansel, tells the classic tale of a set of young siblings who are strolling through the woods, who happen to stumble across the home of a creepy witch.  Gretal is played by Sophia Lillis, Hansel is played by Samuel Leakey, and the evil witch named Holda is playe...

For the first time ever, I watched the horror classic “The Shining” adapted from Steven King and directed by Stanley Kubrick. This film takes place at the Overlook Hotel at the top of the mountain in Colorado. The hotel runs in the summer season, and closes in the winter, as the weather doesn’t allow for visitors to drive up the mountain. Because of the strange off season of the hotel,...

I have to say, it’s been a common trend in my blog to only review movies that I have truly enjoyed. I know my aesthetic and my style, and I can usually tell by a trailer what movie I am interested in watching. It’s not often that I randomly to choose and go to the movies, and not know what movie I am getting into, but that was the case this past weekend. After a planned evening of going to eat dinn...

With presale tickets shutting down websites, it’s clear to see that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is going to be another Lucas Films hit.  The movie doesn’t hit theaters until Dec. 20 but people are already talking about what they believe this film will bring and theories of how this current trilogy will end. The ninth and final film brings action as the remaining members of the Resistance wil...

In this thrilling, drama, Patrick Bateman, played by actor Christian Bale, leads us through a rollercoaster of a ride, as we see him live a double life between a stubborn businessman by day, and a dangerous serial killer by night.  This movie was released on April 14, 2000 and has been around for nearly 2 decades, continuing to shock people with it’s horrific violence and an easy storyline.  If y...

After the release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s talents and abilities resurfaced for a new generation of movie lovers. For people like myself, I am now of an age where I can fully immerse myself into Tarantino’s storytelling and understand his use of violence in his films.  The first film of Tarantino’s that I watched was actually Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but...

The final trailer for Frozen Two was released just a few hours ago on the official instagram of Disney. This video has over half a million views on instagram after just five hours, and is number two on trending on the Walt Disney Animation Studio official YouTube account. These numbers will only increase as the day goes on, as the main audience for this movie are kids that are still in their everyday school routines. The...

After a long awaited two years, the children that were highly adored in late 2017, return back as adults following a 27 year hiatus of Pennywise the clown, in the newest blockbuster, It Chapter Two. This realization that the clown was not defeated was a shock to all the kids, who are now 27 years older, living their separate lives. As a part of a pact made in the previous movie, it was agreed upon the...

With the official trailer posted over a month ago, the Joker premiere has been highly anticipated by many all over the world. But before I go into more detail, there may be spoilers in this post if you are not someone who likes to research before they see movies. Joker, directed by Todd Phillips, won the highest award honored at the Venice Film Festival in 2019. It was a shock to many that it h...

After announcing that Spiderman may no longer be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,  the feud between Disney and Sony has been the talk of the cinema world. Many strong opinions have been stated on social media, and even theories of how this will affect the future of the MCU have appeared all over YouTube. While this possible change has brought more negative responses than positive, Spiderma...

The fate of horrific events in the Tate Murders was altered in Hollywood’s newest blockbuster, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.  In his ninth feature film, director Quentin Tarantino comes back to the big screen to show off the life that could have been for the Hollywood actors of the late 60’s.  With stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, we follow the lives of famous western actor Rick Dalton and ...

Forget about all those summer blockbusters, the recently released The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Zachary Gottsagen, breaks cinema norms by casting a man with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability as the lead actor.  Gottsagen is a 34 year old man, living with Down Syndrome, pursuing his dream of acting. The Peanut Butter Falcon is his newest work after parts in Bulletproof, Becoming ...