Don’t be deceived by its trailers: Phantom Thread, the new Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice, Boogie Nights) film, is possibly the funniest thing he’s made yet. It’s also one of the most impeccably-crafted movies of 2017. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Reynolds Woodcock in what he claims will be his last[Read More…]
Tag: movies
Short guides to active viewership and listening
Active Viewership Throw your cellphone, food, and “friend” out the window Rather than splitting your time between different distractions, do one thing at a time! Ask “Why?” Take for granted that filmmakers know what they are doing, and that all things happen for a reason. Questioning every artistic decision will[Read More…]
Loving Vincent: first ever oil-painted animated film pays homage to Van Gogh
Loving Vincent, to put it simply, is a work of art. Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, the film advertises itself as “the world’s first fully painted feature film.” Each shot in the film was hand-painted in Vincent Van Gogh’s style by a team of over 100 artists. A[Read More…]
‘How to Talk to Girls at Parties’ genre mashup loses the plot
The hunt for a wild party is a timeless, often fruitless adventure many teenagers embark on, but when well-meaning gawky teen punk Enn (Alex Sharp) stumbles on a house party hosted by aliens in latex, a surreal mess ensues. There, he meets his delicately awkward love interest Zan (Elle Fanning),[Read More…]
“Dunkirk” is director Christopher Nolan’s most immersive work to date
Since his first film Following (1998), Christopher Nolan has proven himself to be one of the most ambitious directors of his generation. Many of Nolan’s films deal with complicated time structuring, turning his scripts into labyrinthine puzzles to be decoded, such as the amnesic haze of Memento (2000), Inception’s (2010) layered dreamscapes,[Read More…]
First Impressions: Safdie Brothers’ ‘Good Time’ not the best of times
Leo Stillinger: At the beginning of the Safdie brothers’ (Daddy Longlegs (2009), Heaven Knows What (2014)) new feature-length film Good Time, two brothers have just robbed a bank. One asks the other: “Are you feelin’ this?” Good Time is not a good movie, but perhaps it can be justified in[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: Film Reboots
End the Reboot Hollywood and content creators of all kinds have always been influenced by those that have come before them. Some of the greatest films of all time are based on previous works: The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to name a[Read More…]
Why you should clap at the movies
Have you ever walked out of a movie in which the audience clapped raucously as the credits rolled, only to have your friend turn to you and ask, “What’s the point of clapping? It’s not like the cast or crew can hear the applause anyway.” If you’re anything like me,[Read More…]
A behind-the-scenes look at McGill on the big screen
In the climactic scene of 2008’s Get Smart, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) hastily scans his surroundings, desperate to escape a holding cell, where the fictional CONTROL intelligence agency is keeping him captive. In a crucial final moment, he notices the film’s iconic red convertible, and uses the automobile to crash[Read More…]
Spotted: McGill in the movies
When you’re trying to make it to your 8:30 a.m. lectures on a freezing cold February morning, it’s hard to imagine that McGill resembles the bowels of the Pentagon or a military base during the zombie apocalypse. Yet in the past, Hollywood has managed to transform locations around campus into[Read More…]
