Category Archives: Reviews
The Rock (1996). Reviewed by Yaakov “Jacob” Smith
It would be an understatement to call Michael Bay a punching bag for film critics around the world. Mention of his name has become code, even among the casual moviegoing public, for “bad movie.” This reputation, however, is unfounded. In … Continue reading
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Moumen Smihi is Si Moh, pas de chance (1971). Reviewed by E. Rafael Jacobs-Perez
Smihi’s short film, Si Moh, pas de chance (1971), depicts a Moroccan immigrant in France. The film follows the path of the main character as he navigates the French ghettos in search of work. The short film can be looked … Continue reading
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The Night of the Hunter (1955). Reviewed by Devin Meenan
In Great Depression-era West Virginia, Ben Harper (Peter Graves) kills two men while robbing a store. Hiding the money in his daughter’s doll, Ben swears his two children to secrecy, intent that the stolen sum will be their inheritance. That … Continue reading
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I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020). Reviewed By Jonathan Monovich
Released just two months after Charlie Kaufman’s debut novel, Antkind, a surrealist exploration of the world of film criticism, his latest film is an adaptation of Iain Reid’s novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Much like the rest of his … Continue reading
A Girlfriends Guide to Loving Loneliness. Reviewed by Sophia Stolkey
Just as director Claudia Weill states in her 2019 Criterion interview (included in the new Blu-ray edition of her 1978 debut feature film), Girlfriends turns the popular convention of most young adult coming-of-age stories on its head. By crafting a … Continue reading
Moonstruck: A Spellbinding Message About Love. Reviewed by JaZmyn Shambley
Curses, bad luck, and the special powers of the moon all emerge at one point or another in Norman Jewison’s magical Moonstruck (1987), almost providing audience members with the same viewing experience they would have with a fantasy film. Yet, … Continue reading
Taste of Cherry (Criterion Blu-ray). Reviewed by Sydney Boone, JaZmyn Shambley, and Sophia Stolkey
Over 20 years after its initial release, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s film Taste of Cherry (1997), an essential piece of cinematic civil service, still stands as a vital contemplation on the wearying yet worthwhile act of living. It calls attention … Continue reading
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Reviewed by Jason Husak
Warning: Review contains mild spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker based only on trailers and promotional materials. Ever since the original Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) first released in the early summer of 1977, movies have never been … Continue reading
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King of Staten Island (2020). Reviewed by Livi Edmonson
Judd Apatow’s latest installment, The King of Staten Island (2020), is a semi-autobiographical film about comedian and Saturday Night Live star, Pete Davidson, and his life growing up in Staten Island. The generic elements and tropes of the “coming-of-age” narrative … Continue reading
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1984 (1984). Reviewed by Nikolas Schaal
Warning: Spoilers Ahead Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (George Orwell, 1949) has remained in the public consciousness for decades. Given the age in which we live, its prominence in current culture has grown larger, with many of the social and political … Continue reading
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