At the beginning of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s latest documentary, subject Cecil Beaton is described as a fashion designer, photographer, an author, and a dandy. How can one man be all those things, defining every facet of popular culture from publishing…
Movie Review: Bleeding Steel
Even in a summer that finds clever documentaries over-performing at the box office and ambitious newcomers like Boots Riley and Ari Aster redefining the perception of a blockbuster’s artistic limitations, this time of year reminds moviegoers of one inescapable truth:…
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Review: Mr. Rogers’ Legacy Is Medicine For Your Soul
Fred Rogers was my idol as a kid. As a sensitive, insecure, overzealous, eager-to-learn and super religious young man born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was my neighborhood, both literally and figuratively. He taught me great values, which…
Hearts Beat Loud Movie Review: Kiersey Clemons Delivers a Star Making Performance
Everyone knows Nick Offerman as the ultra-manly, wood-chopping Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation but now that the mustache is off, Offerman has taken on more grounded roles that let him expand his range rather than stilt him in caricature.…
How Independent Films are Turning the Genre into Reflections of Our Societal and Internal Terrors
In October 2017, GQ published a staggering article covering this new Golden Age of Horror Movies. It’s true, this cultural moment is quite the horror renaissance. These movies aren’t just terrifying, they’re smart, and well written. There is a matter…
Ocean’s 8 Movie Review: A Glossy, Glitzy Good Time
The trend of feminizing male franchises won’t fix the gender issues that plague cinema, and they shouldn’t be considered a mark of progress. Feminism isn’t solved because we remade Ocean’s 8 with women. However, there are opportunities to create truly…
American Animals Movie Review: A Keen Eye in the Director Chair Elevates a Basic Narrative
American Animals is based on one of the most ridiculous heists in recent memory. In 2004, four mostly well-off college students planned to steal valuable books from Transylvania University’s library in Lexington, Kentucky. These four boys thought they were clever,…