REVIEW: ‘Bad Education’ examines largest public school embezzlement case but isn’t fair to all characters
John Cotter, Staff Writer
May 5, 2020
The school system, at its fundamental level, is meant to educate, lead and inspire the youth. The past years have shown us countless controversies and meddling monetary flubs at the collegiate level. But the public school sphere has seemed rather untouched by the media’s scathing critique as of late. M...
REVIEW: ‘Onward’ is a typical magical adventure
Chinyere Ibeh, Staff Writer
April 15, 2020
As one of the films released early to video on-demand and streaming services, “Onward” features two brothers who go on an adventure to spend a day with their deceased father. Tom Holland stars as Ian, the younger brother who has just turned 18-years-old, and Chris Pratt stars as Barley, the old...
REVIEW: Ben Affleck shines in melodrama of ‘The Way Back’
Nate Burleyson, Assistant Sports Editor
March 8, 2020
Let’s just start by saying that “The Way Back” is not a basketball movie. It is not a movie about sports or a feel-good story about a basketball team on glory road. It tries, desperately at times, to be more than that — sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. But Ben Affleck’s performance a...
REVIEW: Latest remake of ‘The Invisible Man’ eerie in more ways than one
Keira Wingate, Assistant Arts & Life Editor
March 1, 2020
The latest version of “The Invisible Man” offers a new take on 1987 novel by H.G Wells, that was given its first adaptation in 1933 with the original movie directed by James Whale. Here, there is basically no emphasis on science, but on a woman who needs to escape her abusive partner. Little doe...
REVIEW: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ brings witty entertainment
Lauren Coates, Contributing Writer
February 23, 2020
Although there will certainly be higher-grossing films this year, there are few other 2020 releases that have generated as much pre-release discourse as “Sonic the Hedgehog.” I’m speaking, of course, about the internet’s garbage fire that ensued after the film’s first trailer was released onli...
REVIEW: ‘Birds of Prey’ cluttered, lacks meaningful content
John Cotter, Staff Writer
February 16, 2020
After “Joker” became the first R-rated film to garner over $1 billion at the global box office (and to earn eleven Academy Award nominations), eyes have been understandably focused on this mature sub-genre and its successors. Warner Brothers and the DC Universe have quickly piggybacked on the succ...
‘The Photograph’ features soulful, artistic performances
Keira Wingate, Assistant Arts & Life Editor
February 16, 2020
It is hard to make romance movies today without over saturating the screen with corniness, and show what seems to be a completely unrealistic reality. “The Photograph” brings reality into love in an artistic way with an absolute killer soundtrack. “The Photograph” was written and directed by Ste...
REVIEW: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ reinvents wheel of love
Rebecca Rogers, Contributing Writer
February 16, 2020
“This is a film for Chicago,” director Céline Sciamma said with a chuckle as she sat down for a post-film discussion. Her newest feature, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” was shown in an advanced screening at the Music Box Theatre on Wednesday night. Her comment came after to the uproarious response to t...
REVIEW: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is ‘utopia of femininity’
Michael Brzezinski, Chief Film Critic
February 16, 2020
We are in the middle of an incredibly special movement in modern cinema right now. We are finding ourselves in an overwhelming uptick in popular and accessible foreign films in the domestic market that are actually making a cultural splash. This all started two years ago with the release of Alfonso Cua...
REVIEW: ‘Knives Out’ murders all expectations
Rebecca Meluch, Focus Editor
February 3, 2020
A cunning thrill, a nail-biter, a would-be page turner, “Knives Out” begins with a “whodunit” murder, a pool of blood and untied ends. Being a lover of murder mystery novels and films, this one was not what I predicted it to be. Rian Johnson stacked the cast with famous figures, but the film st...
REVIEW: ‘Just Mercy’ a poignant, haunting reflection of nation today
Rebecca Rogers, Contributing Writer
January 31, 2020
Adapted from lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson’s memoir and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, “Just Mercy” is a timely legal drama that brings tears and anger to every viewer. It is a moving true-life story that will remind the viewer of how little progress we as a society have made since th...
REVIEW: ‘Like A Boss’ is the first ‘girl boss’ comedy of the decade
Kionnie Barrett, Contributing Writer
January 26, 2020
Director Miguel Arteta makes his first debut of the decade with the new comedy “Like a Boss.” This film introduces us to two funny best friends, Mia and Mel who are played by Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne. These best friends will have you laughing from the beginning to the end of the film. M...
