In with the old, out with the new
“That’s what the present is. It’s a little unsatisfying, because life’s a little unsatisfying,” Owen Wilson’s Gil explains to his 1920s-era love interest near the end of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. After longing to live in the “golden age” of early twentieth-century Paris for most of the film, Gil comes to realize his nostalgic escapism is more a threat than [...]
Read moreJim Carrey aces ‘90s comedies, defines bygone era
As I attempted to pack for Spring Break last Friday I turned on the television for background noise. To my surprise, an Ace Ventura special movie event was playing, and naturally, I dropped whatever clothes I was holding to give it my undivided attention. Ace Ventura was a part of my childhood I rarely get the opportunity to revisit, and the trip down memory [...]
Read moreYippee ki-yay, moviegoers: ‘Die Hard’ still delivers
Even on those awful, rainy, just-got-dumped, have-two-finals-tomorrow days, we all have favorite films we can turn to for comfort. But whereas most people opt for nostalgic classics such as The Wizard of Oz or The Muppet Movie, I need to see a movie with some explosions! For that reason, and so many others, my favorite film of all time is Die [...]
Read moreCollege drama remains class act
College is a time when youthful exuberance meets unprecedented freedom — sounds like great TV to me. For some reason, however, television tends to avoid series which focus on the college years. While there are an abundance of shows depicting the awkward angst of high school and the existential crises of post-grad life, TV has largely steered clear of the [...]
Read more‘World’-class ‘90s teen sitcom stands the test of time
It’s no secret growing up is often confusing and frustrating, but what better way to spend those awkward years between Barney and Desperate Housewives than with our dear friends Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel), Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) and, of course, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels)? Boy Meets World was one of the defining shows of our generation. The half-hour [...]
Read moreDark teenage film kills it
The ‘80s were a glorious time for the teenage film. But while every good film fanatic has embraced the famed John Hughes teen sagas of sixteenth birthdays as seen in Sixteen Candles, and high school detentions — the basis of ‘80s classic The Breakfast Club — few have even heard of 1988’s dark teenage masterpiece, Heathers. The film, directed by [...]
Read more‘Bends’ it like Thom
The year was 1995. While consumers were mourning the loss of Nirvana — and should have been finding solace in the fact Justin Bieber hadn’t started talking yet — five Brits took the musical world by storm. Radiohead, a band which had been struggling for 10 years and had caught its first big break with Pablo Honey just two years [...]
Read moreSilent ‘Sunrise’
This past Oscar season has seen a number of films pay homage to the classic Hollywood era. Such pictures as The Artist, Hugo and My Week with Marilyn have made metaphorical sacrifices to the gods of cinema, and took home golden calves of Oscars because of it. But these films did not avoid criticism for worshipping at the altar of The Golden Age of movies, [...]
Read moreBattle of the boy bands
Although the Backstreet Boys have an album due out later this year, most girls who grew up during the ‘90s and early 2000s would argue the five-piece boy band fell off the map a long time ago — about the same time their bleached and gelled hair went out of style. Regardless of their relevance — or lack thereof — to the [...]
Read moreA project of mammoth proportions
The cardboard mammoth seemed to appear overnight, and once it secured its place in the back of Clark Hall, people hardly asked any questions. I watched students, texting on their iPhones, bump into the mammoth’s trunk or trip over its back leg. Only a few stopped to consider its painted features or examine its ruffled [...]
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