Oscars Issue, 2016 by Cinemann

CINEMANN A FILM AND TELEIVISON MAGAZINE

THE OSCARS

ISSUE

CINEMANN /Winter Issue

INSIDE REVIEWS

PREVIEWS

04 The Forest

26-27 Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

by Sophia Schein

by William He

05 Joy by Charlotte Pinney

28 Upcoming Marvel by Joanne Wang

06-7 Deadpool by William He

29 Everybody Wants Some by Jasper Cox

TELEVISION OSCARS 08-9 Masters of None by Emma Jones

32-33 Oscars Diversity by Zarina Iman

10-11 Jessica Jones by Lisa Shi

34-37 Oscars Predictions by Jasper Cox

12-13 Making a Murderer by Emma Jones

38-39 The Prestige of the Oscars in Fashion

14-15 Netflix’s Plan for 2016

by Rebecca Siegel

by Maggie Brill

40 Bridge of Spies 16-17 Legends of Tomorrow

by Kyra Hill

by James Arcieri

41 Room FEATURED

by Rebecca Siegel

18-23 Top 10 Movies of 2015

42 Brooklyn

by Kyra Hill

by Sophia Schein

24 Gender Inequality in Film

43 Spotlight

byMaggie Brill

by Sam Stephenson

25 Dylan O’Brien Interview

44-45 The Big Short

by Sophia Schein

by Jasper Cox

46-47 Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Armand Dang

Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Shinozuka

STAFF

Senior Content Editors Lorenzo BrogiSkoskiewicz Maddie Bender Chief Design Editor Benjamin Ades Junior Content Editors Dahlia Krutkovich Gabe Broshy Junior Design Editors Kyra Hill Zarina Iman Anne Rosenblatt

34-37 Oscars Predictions by Jasper Cox

Faculty Advisor Dr. Deborah Kassel

18-23 Top 10 Movies of 2015 by Kyra Hill

6-7 Deadpool by William He

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Managing Editor Jasmine Katz

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REVIEWS

THE FOREST by Sophia Schein

The Forest, starring Natalie Dormer and directed by Jason Zada, takes place in the Japanese forest, which is sadly known for the unusually large number of suicides that take place there every year. Unfortunately, the movie fails to sincerely address the difficulties associated with mental illness but rather mocks those suffering from suicidal depression and depicts them as evil creatures. The scenes displaying the bodies of suicide victims were turned into jump scares rather than tragic events. In contract, Vice, an online news site, has a great short documentary about Japan’s Aokigahara Suicide Forest. I highly recommend it if you’d like to learn more about the history of the forest. The Forest starts off slow as Sara, played by Natalie Dormer, receives a phone call from Japanese police informing her that her identical twin sister, Jess, also played by Dormer, had gone missing and was last seen entering Aokigahara Suicide Forest. Jess had been teaching in Japan and, to Sara’s knowledge, had been emotionally stable. The sisters kept in touch, and Sara had no reason to believe her sister was in any trouble until she has an ominous dream. In her dream, Sara sees her sister in the forest running from someone or something. The next morning, Sara travels to Japan to find and save her twin. At this point, the movie had the opportunity to become exciting and compelling, but it only disappoints. Once in Japan, at an inn just outside the forest, Sara meets up with and bonds with a handsome journalist, Aiden, played by Taylor Kinney. Again, a romance could have ensued and made the plot interesting, but it does not. Aiden hears about Sara’s sister and offers to let her tag along on his exploration in the forest in exchange for permission to use her story for an article. As in many horror films, the main characters dismiss sound advice and make obviously, extraordinarily irrational decisions, which lead them to get lost in the forest, encounter terribly bizarre situations and thus become suspicious of each other. The movie also delves into the haunting events in Sara and her twin sister’s childhoods that had left them in a deep sadness, which the spirits of the forest are able to exploit. The premise of the movie is certainly creepy, but at a certain point, the dumb behavior of the lead actors makes it too unbelievable to be scary. There is no rational reason to follow an eerily silent teenage girl into a dark cave with a broken ankle. At first, the nightmarish imagery and jump scares are frightening, but they quickly grow old and predictable.

JOY

her basement even after their divorce, he still seems to be the only one in Joys life who genuinely cares for and supports her. And every character was played wonderfully, and obviously Jennifer Lawrence was incredible. Essentially this film was gorgeously shot and very well crafted, but there are many issues with the way the story was shaped. This movie is far from an uplifting story about a hardworking gal with a tough spirit and a heart of gold. Joy spends most of the movie being put down by her family and being screwed over by the business she was desperately trying to make her way into. And yes, often times the struggles of a protagonist are what can make a movie, and the most classic movies are of characters who struggle the whole time, and I would have been fine with Joy’s struggles if this movie had properly ended but it didn’t. At the end of the movie’s almost two hour running time, Joy’s story is resolved in just under 10 minutes. Joy basically loses everything she has and everything she’s worked for, and they resolve all of that with a long narrative wrapping up the rest of Joy’s life and all the other characters. All in all, I enjoyed the film, Joy was a fairly good movie with beautiful art direction. The actors did well with what they were given and the directing was the best part of this film. But the script had some major in discrepancies. So go see it if you want to watch something that’s really pretty.

REVIEWS

When David O’Russell’s new movie, Joy, was first announced, the film seemed like it could become a possible awards contender. However the final product was a bit lackluster. While the movie had breathtaking art direction and cinematography, great performances, and complex characters, it weighed itself down by focusing solely on Joys struggles, and to boot, the film’s poor pacing left the audience exhausted and unsatisfied by the hurried ending. Throughout the film Mr. O’Russell uses the color white, often associated with purity as Joy’s base. The color is featured first during her years as a child when she is seen playing with toys that she made herself, these toys representing her innocence as a young girl very obviously. Then white is shown again when Joy is an adult and she is delving into untested waters and is ignorant of the unforgiving world of producing a self-made product. As the movie goes on this color follows her until the very end. In my mind it is a representation of her spirit, and her drive to never abandon her aspirations. Every scene is transformative and artfully crafted. Joy is a truly captivating film, and I can wholeheartedly say that I would watch it again purely to pay more attention to the sets. Another artful part of Joy were the unique and well crafted characters. A borderline agoraphobic mother obsessed with a soap opera, who ends up falling in love with a Haitian plumber. A father played by Robert De Niro, who’s most recent in a long line of girlfriends is played by the extraordinary Isabella Rossellini. This couple always seems to be somehow tearing Joy down, and building her back up simultaneously. Then, her jealous, judgmental, stepsister. And my personal favorite, Joy’s ex-husband and business partner, Tony, played by Édgar Ramírez. Although Tony causes Joy a significant amount of suffering, being that he’s an aspiring singer, who still lives in

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by Charlotte Pinney

REVIEWS

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DEADPOOL by William He There is only one good word to describe Deadpool: amazing. For 11 years, Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller have pushed for this to happen, and 11 years later, the movie they wanted has made it to the big screen, and it is simply one of the best movies I’ve ever watched. Set in the X-Men Universe, the movie does a great job combining X-Men, sexual humor, fourth-wall breaking humor, violence, and a moving storyline together in one amazing movie that not only takes risks in the genre but it also just a great movie by any standard. (Exemptions include hating humor and violent movies) Wade Wilson is an ex-Special Forces operative, who ends up becoming an anti-stalker-for-hire, where he gets jobs that involve threatening stalkers to stay away from girls. Progressing to Weasel’s (T.J. Miller) bar, we learn that he gets all his job assignments from there, while also setting up his meeting with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). After some time, (and a sex montage), Wade and Vanessa get engaged, only to learn on the very same night that Wade has terminal cancer in his liver, lungs, prostate, and brain. Deadpool then is approached by a private company, who claim they can cure his late-term cancer. I can’t get into how without spoiling a very pivotal portion of the movie, but what happens is that Wade gains his regenerative abilities to

survive almost any injury through the torture he is put through at the hands of Ajax (Ed Skrein) and Angel Dust (Gina Carano) in the “lab”, and begins his journey to become Deadpool, or the fourthwall breaking, highly-skilled antihero that we see on-screen. Deadpool was advertised as a very violent movie. It doesn’t disappoint. Utilizing the freedom of the R-rating to the max, we get some of the best scenes ever made in a Marvel movie, especially when it comes to violence. Whether it be Deadpool jumping from a bridge into a car, looking through a bullet hole in his arm as he rapidly heals, getting show up main street, multiple headshots with a single bullet, dual katana wielding, or decapitations, Deadpool’s violence level allows for some truly crazy levels of violence, including explicit shots mentioned above, not to mention the rest of the movie. Humor during the violence is also great, mostly because they either follow with Deadpool either getting his a** kicked, only to heal quickly afterwards, or Deadpool kicking someone else’s a**. With Ryan Reynolds at the helm, Deadpool is also one of the greatest comedies ever written. The R-rating ensures that the la fair amount, if not most of the comedy lines and scenes are highly sexual, on top of being highly explicit. These scenes not only are great comedy, but they actually manage to avoid labeling characters such as Vanessa as sex objects, but also successfully

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REVIEWS

make us understand Wade and Vanessa as a loving couple who are going to get married. In Wade’s own terms, he kept Morena Baccarin from becoming a “shorter person used as a sex object,” which is a roast of essentially every movie involving a male lead and a female love interest. Another great humor moments include Wade and Weasel discussing Wade’s new facial situation, while also finding Deadpool’s name and poking fun at other superheros for their naming schemes. This scene truly brought out the dynamic of the two actors, keeping us engaged over the short transition period from post-”treatment” Wade to antihero Deadpool. The tendency to break the fourth wall, something taken straight from the comics, is also well played, such as gum ending up on the camera, Deadpool referring straight to the audience, and pokes at modern culture, such as Reynold’s failed Green Lantern, Rosie O’Donnel, and the X-Men movies changing timelines and multiple Professor X actors. The opening credits are also a great roast of every single other superhero movie ever created, such as Tim Miller being credited as “an overpaid tool”, the producers being called “asshats” (when you consider they didn’t let Deadpool be made for 11 years, I agree with this statement), and the writers being labeled “the true heroes”, Deadpool began being funny before most of the dialogue started, warming us up for the rest of the movie’s roasts and humor. Digging at Marvel,

DC, self-deprecation, and just about everything in between truly made this movie funny to watch, especially considering how different this movie is from other mainstream superhero action films. Deadpool was very clearly a fan service movie, made by fans for fans, but that didn’t mean they’d only portray the inappropriate badass side of Deadpool. They also successfully managed to put in a moving storyline, starting with Wade and Vanessa’s sex montage, and then progressing on to the treatment. While the movie is told partially in flashbacks for the first half (explaining Deadpool’s creation backstory), the flashbacks show us the suffering and pain that Wade had to go through to become who he is today, which for a movie that’s intended to be a comedy, is surprisingly dark, but in a good way, as the relative lack (not complete lack, just relative lack) of humor in scenes involving Wade being used as a lab rat help us understand the pain he goes through in an attempt to cure his cancer and keep Vanessa from having to deal with another loss. The second half is less so of a moving origin story, and more a superhero team-up for pure awesomeness between Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), and Deadpool (God’s Perfect Idiot), vs Ajax, Angel Dust, and a bunch of henchmen including Bob (Rob Hayter) in an attempt to save Vanessa, as Ajax has taken Vanessa hostage in an attempt to lure Deadpool in and kill him. For an integrated X-Men spinoff movie, Deadpool also did a good job with the relatively small amount of screen time dedicated to NTW and Colossus, showing off their abilities quite well. NTW can turn herself into a human bomb at the expenditure of her own energy, which is used for great effect, while Colossus’ skin is organic steel, giving him super strength and super resilience to damage. Colossus brings out the true X-Man in him, while also poking fun at classic superhero tropes such as inspiring speeches that change characters to make better choices (Deadpool doesn’t, obviously), while NTW gives us a new look at what the next generation of X-Men post-Days of Future Past looks like, hyping us up for the next installment of the X-Men series in May. Overall, Deadpool, while marketed beautifully as a romantic violent comedy, succeeds in bringing out all three of those factors, while also being mostly successfully in keeping Vanessa from being a sex object, and keeping a strong central storyline that could have easily flopped from flopping by turning it into a great success. Deadpool’s R rating will leave its mark on cinema forever, by showing that not only are people fully willing to watch rated-R superhero movies, (a finding that has prompted 20th Century Fox to turn Wolverine 3 and potentially X-Force into rated R-movies), but will also watch a movie with humor fields that have never been tried before. Deadpool is a great movie, not only as it has easily become one of the best films of 2016 with its own success in the multiple genres they successfully combined together in one movie, but also because it’s changed cinema for the better forever.

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TELEVISION

MASTERS OF NONE by Emma Jones

Master of None star Aziz Ansari is certainly the master of one thing, and that is his deep understanding of the contemporary society from the perspective of the millennial generation. From his book Modern Romance to his new show Master of None, Ansari is able to effectively capture what life as a millennial is like. Media for Generation Y is often a half-baked, desperate attempt at pandering to a group that has proved unreachable for many screenwriters, authors, and comedians. Master of None proves that Generation Y is not unreachable. The show has a simple premise; it chronicles the life of Dev Shah, a man in his late 20’s, and his relationships and endeavors. Dev is an aspiring actor, but has done little more than GoGurt commercials. He floats through life chasing a dream that feels unattainable due to his race and socioeconomic status, a dream that he feels he should be able to achieve given his education. In a sense, the show is almost a Gatsby-esque critique of the American dream of the 21st century—the life plan of going to school, going to college, getting your job, and making it big. The title itself is a reference to the discord many people of this generation in their 20’s are beginning to feel; Dev Shah is a jack of all trades and a master of none. Equipped with a degree and an education, people sometimes end up a jack of everything but a master of nothing. It seems increasingly impossible in today’s society to follow one’s dreams and make spontaneous choices about one’s life. The ultimate message of Master of None is that while working tirelessly towards a single dream is admirable, sometimes life is just spontaneous. Sometimes things

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because he is shocked that anyone would treat another human being in such a way, and Rachel tells him that this is a commonplace experience for women and that men occupy a sort of happy bubble. This event and later ones in the episode drive home the importance of listening to women talk about their experiences because as a man, Dev cannot possibly understand them since he will never have to experience them. But at the show’s forefront is its discussion of race, especially the experiences of East Asian and South Asian American immigrants, as Ansari is Indian-American. A frequent topic is the lack of roles for Indian people in the films Dev auditions for. In one episode, Dev and his friend audition for two parts but the casting directors reject the idea that two Indian people could be in the same show as main characters. Furthermore, in auditioning for parts specifically for Indian people, Dev is told to do a stereotypical accent and criticized by the white casting director for voicing his feelings of discomfort. On the other hand, Master of None also highlights the positive experiences that immigrant families have, namely the bond between Dev and his parents, a bond which is present due to his recognition that they have made immense sacrifices for him. Even when his mother and father, played by Ansari’s real parents, are being unreasonable, he is still able to recognize their point of view and be patient with them because he knows they have given up a lot for him. He and his friend Brian organize a dinner with their parents for the express purpose of showing appreciation for them and learning about their lives before moving to America. The genius thing about the way Master of None tackles the politics of identity from the perspectives of Rachel as a woman, Denise as a lesbian, Dev as an Indian man, and more, is that these people are able to joke about their own identities in the way real people do. Because the actors in the show all actually identify in some of the same ways their characters do, the experiences portrayed are real experiences. And that is the beauty of Master of None: it’s refreshingly genuine. It’s a show anyone can enjoy, whether to relate to the experiences of the characters that they connect with or to learn from the experiences of the characters that they don’t. Master of None is available on Netflix.

TELEVISION

don’t work out the way you planned them to be. It’s okay to change your mind. You can go through rocky patches and not be totally sure where things are going and in the end, you will be alright. This is an important positive message for the generation with their lives planned out before them in piles of college applications and four-pound SAT books Another strength of the show is its characters and their incredible relationships. All of the characters in the show are realistic and relatable, and the viewer believes that Dev’s friend group could actually be friends with each other. The group consists of Arnold, an eccentric who Ansari describes as the “token white friend;” Denise, a lesbian who is the sardonic voice of reason when it comes to the men’s often ridiculous dating lives; Brian, who is as silly and occasionally immature as Dev is and functions as his counterpart; and Rachel, Dev’s soft-spoken but intellectual long-term girlfriend. In watching the show, these all feel like people you know and identify with. If they don’t remind you of yourself in some way, they remind you of some friend you have. In many ways, Master of None is a study of how Dev’s platonic and romantic relationships affect his life, and how through everything that happens to him his friends are always there for him to fall back on. They are real, likable people, and that’s what makes them work. Even if they are only on screen once in an episode, you find yourself rooting for them. Master of None also tackles issues of race, gender, and sexuality in a more direct and informed way than almost anything else on TV. A whole episode is devoted to Dev encountering male privilege. This episode shows a montage of a woman working on Dev’s show with him walking home from the bar, versus Dev and Arnold walking home from the bar. The woman is pursued by a man from the bar to the point where he walks into her apartment building with her. She rebuts him what seems like thousands of times while being shouted at on the street by other men on the way as well. She is stressed and angry but the man from the bar continues asking her to give him a chance. What makes this scene perfect is the cheesy horror movie music that accompanies it, which does a great job of representing the all-consuming anxiety women feel in this situation. This is an artistic choice that exemplifies the sort of social justice comedy Master of None does best. Meanwhile, Dev and Arnold dawdle and take their time on the way home, cut through the park because it’s a short-cut, and are not harassed by anyone. Dev asks Rachel about this contrast when his co-worker tells him about her experience,

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TELEVISION

JESSICA JONES by Lisa Shi Marvel’s Jessica Jones, starring Krysten Ritter as the titular character, is a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series follows Jessica Jones, a cynical private investigator with a drinking problem, and her past with Kilgrave (played by David Tennant), a villain with powers of mind-control. Jessica herself is “gifted” with superhuman strength and the capacity for short-distance flight by way of jumping. One night, Kilgrave discovers her powers and begins to exploit them in order to achieve his own goals and desires, which culminates in a terrible incident that leads to the death of an innocent as well as Kilgrave’s disappearance. Now liberated from his grasp, but dejected and demoralized by her failure as a hero, Jessica becomes an alcoholic to ease the guilt of the things she had done under Kilgrave’s control and begins to work as a private investigator. When Kilgrave unexpectedly returns, Jessica hesitatingly resumes the role of the hero in order to stop him from harming more people, although she makes costly mistakes along the way. Jessica Jones is unafraid of the dark, gritty aspects of reality. It directly confronts the ugly parts of the world, which concern heavy, controversial topics like rape, abortion, and abuse. It does not worry about making the show kid-friendly, and instead focuses on trying to display as accurate a representation about these matters as possible. The series develops every character very well so that each is remarkably complex. Although it is clear who the villains and heroes are, most of the character development takes place in the gray area. Jessica is the sarcastic, lonely anti-heroine who prefers to avoid any sort of relationship altogether. She makes terrible decisions, keeps secrets from those whom she loves, and overall is not very responsible. With a perpetual glare on her face and a wardrobe of only leather jackets and ripped jeans, she fits the role of the tough girl archetype, independent of anyone else. Even through her rude attitude and demeanor, however, she is still doubtlessly the hero who strives to help. Her cynicism is justified; she suffers from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is caused by her time with Kilgrave. She had unwillingly killed for him and was raped by him. Now free, Jessica still struggles to be in control of her body and thoughts once more. When she realizes Kilgrave would soon return, she is scared and wants to avoid Kilgrave altogether, to run as far away as possible,

despite knowing he would harm others to get to her. Even though she wants to make things right, the pain and trauma she has faced renders her incapable of facing him again. This first glance of Jessica is uncharacteristic of a “typical” courageous superhero who would sacrifice everything to save anyone; later, however, Jessica does begin to better fit this mold. Kilgrave too, although he remains the villain, has moments where the audience pities him. Jessica was the one thing Kilgrave could never have, even with mind control. She was the one person who ever dared refuse him. Naturally, this interests him more, and allows him to genuinely believe that he is in love with her. He kills for her, but he argues that getting what he wants through whatever means is the only thing he has ever known. He begs for guidance, and he finds it exhilarating when Jessica convinces him to save a family. The audience does not know for sure, but maybe he does have a shot at redemption after all. Kilgrave yearns for approval, so much so that when he sees his parents again for the first time in

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cially when there is a whole other side to him that portrays him as a lost, misguided soul who only seeks love and acceptance. Even minor characters receive major development. Will Simpson, portrayed by Wil Traval, is a cop who falls under Kilgrave’s control and would have committed murder, if not for Jessica’s aid. Ironically, he becomes so obsessed with revenge that he begins to go insane, going so far as to hurting the ones he loves on his quest for justice. Malcolm Ducasse, played by Eka Darville, powerfully overcomes drug addiction through just sheer will and does anything to better the lives of others. Although he is clearly a “good guy,” he will break the law by hiding dead bodies and by implicating himself in murder, so long as long as it helps others. In this sense, the characters all deal with ambiguous, poorly defined ethics. Jessica Jones will often make you question your own morals and ask yourself what you would do in these very difficult situations. Netflix renewed the series for a second season, expected some time late 2016.

TELEVISION

decades, he pitifully whines about how he has changed and begun to become a hero. He asks only for them to acknowledge that he is salvageable. The audience sympathizes with him when his past is revealed; he was tortured and experimented on as a small child. He even forgives his mother despite all the terrible things that she has done to him. Kilgrave does not consider sexual relations with Jessica as rape, even though she was unwilling and he coerced her into it using his powers. All this serves to show that he is not a typical one-dimensional villain, and although it does not take away from his cruelty and evil, there is a pitiful innocence and naivety under the surface, where he genuinely believes he has done no wrong and knows no better. This is even more chilling, because he thinks his actions are justified and that he truly loves Jessica and that she one day may love him back. He feels nothing for the death of others, and it never occurs to him that mind-control is a huge transgression and a violation that can affect others indefinitely. This lack of awareness leaves him with no mental culpability. He is still the clear villain, but one does feel a twinge of sympathy for him, espe-

by Emma Jones

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TELEVISION

MAKING A MURDERER Earlier this year, someone I knew said that they didn’t watch, listen to, or otherwise engage with true crime because it was “too scary.” Don’t worry, at this point I do not remember who this was and I am not calling out this opinion—that is a perfectly fair reason not to enjoy true crime. But in any case, that stuck with me. Because isn’t the point of true crime to give us, the public, a window into the realities of people who are living lives that are “too scary” by our standards? Making A Murderer hit Netflix this year, but by the time it came out true crime documentaries and podcasts had already risen from a niche genre to a place in popular culture with the rise of Sarah Koenig’s podcast Serial. For those unfamiliar with it, Serial is a weekly updated podcast focusing on one unsolved murder case that, on the surface, seems very simple but the further you go into it, the more convoluted it becomes. Serial made people uncomfortable. The issue of wrongful convictions is something we don’t like to talk about, especially when it involves some kind of race, gender, sexuality, or socio-economic bias. Adnan Syed, the Pakistani, Muslim defendant in the case Serial covered who was convicted as a teenager, had been consistent about his innocence in a battle that, until the podcast, was largely private. Adnan was just another blip in the justice system, and even though his case was considered unusual by legal officials, to the untrained eye it wasn’t anything special. Now there are whole forum threads, websites, blogs, and videos dedicated to what really happened, why he’s innocent, why he’s guilty, or why the uploader thinks Sarah Koenig the podcast host is actually the murderer. (This is a real thing, I swear.) Making A Murderer is largely the same concept, and it definitely cashes in on what true crime has to offer. Where in Serial

details were difficult to interpret at times and there were moments where it didn’t feel difficult to be neutral because of the somewhat detached podcast format, Making A Murderer forces you to become emotionally invested in the case and the people involved. It tells the story of Steven Avery, a man wrongfully convicted of assault and released eighteen years later, only to be locked up again shortly after being released. The case against Avery gets more and more convoluted and more and more the viewer is made aware of the personal vendetta that Manitowoc County law enforcement had the power to act upon. It’s an eye-opening experience to watch: Many people watching said it was unbelievable that police could be so corrupt, that the justice system could be twisted so much. Because it’s on TV, there’s a part of the human brain that thinks oh, this is fiction, not reality. Not all of this can possibly be true. But the fact is that for people like Adnan Syed and Steven Avery, what we’re watching on TV is reality. Regardless of their actual guilt or innocence, the subjects of true crime series have gone through hell, and that’s what makes the prospect of their innocence so frightening and difficult to believe for some people. Steven Avery is a family man, a kind person who could only respond that “It feels wonderful” with tears in his eyes when he was released from jail, once a young

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associated with the real murder victim, such as her brother, have also voiced discomfort about fans of the podcast theorizing about his sister’s murder and essentially slandering her and her friends. The same thing has happened with Making A Murderer on the part of the citizens of Manitowoc County, who feel like people are judging what happened in their town and the people who live in it while only knowing the story portrayed on TV. But is that the true story? Well, that is the question. If you were to ask the law enforcement whose interview clips were used on the show they’d probably say no, it’s not, they’re being portrayed in a villainous way. This issue raises some interesting questions about whether documentaries like Making A Murderer paint real people with the drama of fictional characters. To what degree is true crime really “true?” But the point of true crime, despite the “true” in the title, is not necessarily to tell what really happened—it’s to get people asking questions about what it is that really happened. Many people have criticized Making A Murderer for its heavy bias towards the defense case and have raised questions about whether it’s telling the whole truth about Steven Avery’s story. But the fact that people are talking about his story at all exemplifies the point of true crime documentaries: to get people to question something the justice system has been putting under wraps. The general public never would have heard about like Serial and Making A Murderer if they weren’t documented in publicly available media. The only way for justice to be achieved in these cases is if people are educated enough to start actively trying to achieve it, and true crime documentaries can only help this goal.

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boy who played in the used car lot his parents owned. The solemn words said in heavy Midwestern accents and deeply set family ties make the viewers invested in and attached to what for the people depicted on the show is as real as their lives. The value of true crime is that it exposes these overlooked aspects of American society that we like to ignore, but that exposition can also get into some ethical grey area. Adnan Syed, the subject of Serial, wrote to Sarah Koenig that he feels like the production of Serial has opened a wound for him. Although the show uses real evidence, much of the story is highly dramatized and this one prisoner out of a thousand was practically the celebrity star of a fictionalized drama overnight. People

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TELEVISION

NETFLIX’S PLAN FOR 2016 by Maggie Brill Netflix, the media streaming service, plans to drastically expand both it’s geographic location and its original content in 2016. These ambitious plans are possibily motivated by the enormous success of the current original content and by competition with other streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu. Netflix has revolutionized the way we watch film and television and it continues to push the boundaries with its much loved original programming and ever expanding catalogue of content. The company is constantly evolving and with these plans for expansion in 2016 come enormoWus potential gains for subscribers and shareholders, but also possible risks of diminishing quality. On January 6, 2016, the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, announced that the service would expand to 130 more countries around the world. The company plans to have presence in 200 countries by the end of 2016. Netflix’s aspirations to become an international enterprise is hindered by trying to obtain global distribution rights from networks and studios, who usually only sell rights regionally. Original programming however is much simpler to sell abroad, and might be Netflix’s future. In 2015, Netflix’s subscribers spent 42.5 billion hours on the streaming service. Some of its most successful original shows of 2015, including House of Cards, Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Jessica Jones. Netflix’s risky deal with Marvel has certainly paid off after this year’s release of Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Daredevil was the first of five series that Netflix agreed to develop in partnership with Marvel. The immediate success of the show justified the risk Netflix took in deciding to make series based on these almost unknown superheroes. According to Luth Research, an estimated 10.7% of subscribers watched at least one episode of Dare-

devil within 11 days of its release. Jessica Jones had similar success, immediately grabbing a loyal viewership. These shows’ success have encouraged Netflix to release another season of Daredevil in 2016 and order a second season of Jessica Jones for 2017. Marvel’s Luke Cage, starring Mike Colter, is the next superhero series scheduled for release on the streaming service sometime in 2016. It will be followed by Iron Fist and The Defenders, a miniseries in which all four superheroes will come together. By creating series about lesser-known superheroes, Netflix has the opportunity to be the first to bring them into the public eye and has more flexibility in each characters’ portrayal. From what we’ve seen so far, these shows have a large focus on each superhero’s humanity, and there tends to be more character development than in Marvel’s action movies. Netflix’s deal with Marvel also grants Netflix the rights to stream Disney and Marvel live action and animation before any other service. This gives Netflix a leg up on its competition, because these films tend to draw a large audience. In early January, Netflix announced that it plans to nearly double its output of original programming from 16 TV shows in 2015 to 31 in 2016, which doesn’t include 10 feature films as well as kids’ shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials. In the past, Netflix was

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returning programs include Bloodline, BoJack Horseman, Grace and Frankie, Marco Polo, Orange is the New Black, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Netflix seems to be the future of television. TV programming is no longer recording something on your television or waiting a week for the next episode of your favorite show. Television, with the help of Netflix, is adapting to this fast-pace world we live in. Viewers are no longer restricted to a certain time or date, their favorite shows are available almost instantaneously at their fingertips, whether its on their phone or computer. By creating more original content and expanding to more countries, Netflix continues to threaten the norm, in which we watch television.

TELEVISION

willing to invest in top actors and producers as well as high quality production for their original series. However will this ramp-up in production degrade the quality Netflix has tried so hard to maintain? The new original programming scheduled to be released in 2016 includes: The Crown, a drama centered around Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Flaked, a comedy series set in California starring Will Arnett. Fuller House, a reboot of Full House, in which D.J. Tanner Fuller struggles to raise her three sons. The Get Down follows the lives of South Bronx teen musicians in the 1970’s. Special Correspondents, a comedy movie about a radio journalist starring Ricky Gervais. The Ranch, a comedy series starring Ashton Kutcher as a former pro football player. War Machine, a movie starring Brad Pitt, focusing on the Washington politics surrounding the Afghanistan war. From this list, it is clear that Netflix plans to continue to push boundaries and produce a variety of programming that can appeal to all audiences. There is truly something for everyone. In many of these programs, the star power is evident and we will just have to wait and see their quality and success in 2016. In addition to these new programs, Netflix will continue many of its successful original series in 2016. Season 4 of House of Cards, arguably Netflix’s most beloved original series, will be released on March 4. Other

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TELEVISION 16

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

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There is always space in television for another superhero…or another whole squad of superheroes. Legends of Tomorrow, a new show featuring characters from DC comics, premiered on January 21st and offers another coveted opportunity to see incredible humans fight. To form the cast of this new show, executive producer Phil Klemmer drew from two current shows in the DC universe: The Flash and Arrow. In both, different superheroes have often interacted with one another; for example, the Green Arrow has helped the Flash and vice versa. Legends of Tomorrow is a more permanent middle ground on which both casts of characters will be appearing, similar to what happens when Marvel’s Avengers assemble from their various separate movies. While the biggest current superheroes of the DC universe, the Green Arrow and the Flash, will have frequent cameos, Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber) will be at the heart of the show as a part of the dynamic duo “Firestorm” carrying over from The Flash. Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), a character from Arrow with the superhero alias the Atom, will also have one of the leads along with over fifteen other heroes and villains who have crossed over from the other two shows. One notable new addition to the DC family is Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvil), a time traveler. Rip travels from the future to assemble DC’s superheroes and supervillains alike to prevent their common enemy, Vandal Savage, from destroying the universe and the fabric of space and time. The team travels all over the world and across Earth’s history and future (Doctor Who-style) fighting Savage, a nice departure from The Flash and Arrow’s singular setting in Central and Star City. Legends of Tomorrow airs on Thursdays at 8 pm on the CW network, and it is yet to be seen whether or not Netflix and Hulu will take on the new show. While it may not be the freshest idea for a show, Legends of Tomorrow promises to be a well-produced, action-packed series essential for all superhero fans.

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by James Arcieri

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FEAUTRED

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2015 by Kyra Hill

(IN DESCENDING ORDER)

SPOTLIGHT (1) Directed by Tom McCarthy

As the Best Picture, Best Ensemble, and Best Original Screen-play winner at the Critics Choice Awards, Spotlight is now predict-ed to be a major frontrunner this awards season and at the Os-cars. The movie depicts the true story of a team of Boston Globe journalists who investigate a priest accused of molesting more than 80 boys. Spotlight reveals how these reporters uncovered the secrets and scandals of the Roman Catholic Church. The star-studded cast interacts well together as drama, shock, and revelation take new turns in the film. The movie builds mo-mentum as the story continues and the scandal becomes public, and like any good novel, it grips you instantly and takes you along for the ride and lets you go only way past the credits have scrolled through.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2)

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ROOM (3) Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

Newcomer Brie Larson won the Golden Globe as Best Actress for a drama, and completely deserves every award that comes her way. After getting kidnapped and raped while still a teenager by a dark and dangerous man named Old Nick, a mother struggles to teach her son the outside world, as he was born and raised in an enclosed space and has never stepped foot outside. After being released from years of captivity, the pair learn to adapt to a very new world while struggling to cope with what they had survived. Larsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance is raw and strong, making her a very prom-inent contender for the Oscar. Her role as the mother in Room is defining and truly emphasizes what it means to not just survive, but to live.

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Although the buildup took longer than desired and the story slightly unoriginal, both Daisy Ridley and John Boyega shone as new found stars and most people will agree that Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens was the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest blockbuster The search for the map leading to Luke Skywalker was a good, not brilliant, plot to bring back the series after thirty years, and helped set the foundations for another massive franchise. The visual effects were beautiful, and the addition of new characters like Rey and Finn was refreshing and effective to engage younger generations. Yet it was the return of the old characters like Han Solo that re-minded audiences of how Star Wars has captured the hearts of so many, and created a world of space-opera fantasy, action thrills, and timeless adventure.

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Directed by Tom McCarthy

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FEAUTRED

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (4)

Filled with intense, dramatic, and off-the-wall action scenes, Mad Max was certainly a fantastic and breath of fresh air into the summer blockbuster genre. Taking place after the fall of society in a violent dystopia, Mad Max focuses on Immortan Joe and his brutal enslavement of 5 beautiful girls. Charlize Theron plays Im-perator Furiosa, who leads a violent, high-speed chase after she helps the girls escape and take Max (Tom Hardy) along for the ride. The movie has stunning visual effects and is pretty much a massive 2 hour car chase that never takes its foot off the acceler-ator.

THE REVENANT (5) Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

This year after so long there is actually a chance that Leonardo DiCaprio could win an Oscar. After being attacked by bear, Hugh Glass is left to die in the deathly cold after his hunting team aban-dons him. Despite this, Glass refuses to die and fights for survival. DiCaprio’s acting is heart-wrenching and very intense, which led to his triumphant win of the Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, and Tom Hardy’s surprisingly dramatic character also shone brightly. The acting of the ensemble as a whole is not as dramatic however, and the overwhelming negativity and darkness of the film can alienate viewers, but all in all, it’s really DiCaprio’s potential Oscar that audience members that seem to be luring people in.

THE BIG SHORT (6)

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (7) Directed by Felix Gary Gray

Over the summer of 2015, Straight Outta Compton was released and made waves. Depicting the life of the notorious hip hop group N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton portrays the ups and downs of finding fame and making a name for yourself, all while staying true to your family. The group, made up of Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Ea-zy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren, used their music to express the reali-ty of living in the racially charged Southern Los Angeles during the mid 90’s. Despite the major success and achievement of the mov-ie, it was unfairly snubbed by the Academy, and only four white screenplay writers of the film will represent the movie at the Os-cars, despite the film’s amazing success of its diverse cast. Some of the acting was average, yet the film deserves more than just a screenplay mention, especially at the biggest awards ceremony of the year.

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FEAUTRED

A star-studded cast complete with Hollywood favorites Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Christian Bale comes together to produce a film that truthfully displays the fears, demons, and tur-moils of the 2008 recession. The ensemble acts together brilliant-ly, effectively depicting the panic and the realization of financial disaster and downfall, while manipulating the fear of the American public for their own benefit. Carell is especially memorable as a greedy opportunist and over achiever, and Gosling also brings his cards to the table as a passionate banker and financier. Despite the wonderful cast, the movie can be difficult to figure out if you aren’t a Wall Street enthusiast. Yet the Big Short’s electrifying di-rection and rapid fire editing makes up for that and demands your attention throughout.

Directed by Adam McKay

Directed by Ridley Scott

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FEAUTRED

THE MARTIAN (8)

8 Matt Damon and his crew are charming, humorous, and delightful throughout the Martian, which depicts NASA botanist Mark Wat-ney who is presumed dead and stuck on Mars. He must survive with only his knowledge and skill to grow food, create water, and more importantly find a way to contact NASA. Besides Damon’s stellar performance, the rest of the cast’s dynamic was decent. Damon was able to snag a Golden Globe for his efforts, and Rid-ley Scott, the director, was a proud winner as well, but another surprise Oscar snub excluded Scott from being nominated for best director. Despite this, the movie has received numerous other nominations to look forward to.

INSIDE OUT (9) Directed by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen

It isn’t Finding Nemo or the Incredibles, but Pixar’s Inside Out is able to capture the many young and old, hearts that still yearn for childhood. Insanely creative and emotional, Inside Out tells the tale of an 11-year old, Riley, and how a sudden move from her hometown to San Francisco changes her life. The film is narrated by the five emotions in her head, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. When Joy and Sadness go on a journey deep into Riley’s mind, only Anger, Fear, and Sadness are left to control her emo-tions. The movie is very emotional and sad but does contain ex-tremely funny scenes, with Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith voicing Joy and Sadness. The cast has wonderful chemistry, and is one of the best movies of the year.

CREED (10)

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FEAUTRED

Creed, despite being a spinoff of the Rocky series, was able to find its own identity while paying homage to the classic movies that made so many Americans tear up. Michael B. Jordan is a knockout, playing Adonis Creed, the son of world-famous boxer and Rocky Balboaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friend, Apollo Creed. Adonis seeks train-ing with Rocky Balboa, played by the irresistable Sylvester Stal-lone, and works, trains, and fights hard enough to land a title match against a deadly opponent. The film is tightly directed, es-pecially the fighting scenes and the chemistry between Stallone and Jordan makes the movie very entertaining. Stallone won a Golden Globe for his performance and has been nominated as well. The movie is heart wrenching, but more importantly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a film that has the potential to inspire those of all ages.

Directed by Ryan Coogler

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FEAUTRED

GENDER INEQUALITY IN FILM by Maggie Brill

The lack of gender diversity in Hollywood can no longer be ignored with this year’s Oscar nominations. Men far out number women in categories such as Best Cinematography and Film Editing. No women were nominated for Best Director or Best Sound Editing. This imbalance reflects gender inequality in Hollywood, both onscreen and off, but only on a small scale. This year marks a drastic improvement in the representation of women from last year’s nominations. Last year, seven of the fifteen Oscar categories had no female nominees and none of the Best Picture films featured a female-focused storyline. Because of this, actresses in the Best Actress category tend to be nominated for roles in less acclaimed films. “Only 40 percent of women’s acting nominations come from Best Picture-nominated films, as opposed to 52 percent of men’s acting nominations,” writer Amelia Showalter explains. Last year, only one of the five Best Actress nominees (Felicity Jones) was for a role in a Best Picture-nominated film. In addition, Ava DuVernay was snubbed a Best Director nomination for Selma. Luckily, this year, three of the eight films for Best Picture, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Room, have a female-driven storyline with prominent female characters. Gender inequality on and off screen is a vicious cycle. According to the Center for American Progress, films written or directed by women have a tendency to feature a higher percentage of women onscreen. Otherwise, female characters are too often subjected to gender stereotypes and unreasonable expectations of beauty or are over-sexualized. According to analysis by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, 9% of directors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films in 2015 were women. This percentage is equivalent to their representation in 1998. In addition, only 11% of these films were written by women. Women are a minority in almost every behind-the-scenes occupation for film. For the top 500 films of 2015, women were 21% of the editors, 15% of the writers, and 10% of the cinematographers. On January 22, 2016, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board decided unanimously to double the number of female and

FOR THE TOP 500 FILMS OF 2015 WOMEN WERE: 21% OF THE EDITORS 15% OF THE WRITERS 10% OF THE CINEMATOGRAPHERS

minority members by 2020. Although this might increase the recognition of existing female directors, the source of the problem is the lack of female directors in the business all together. There is a huge gap between men and women in the film industry that goes way beyond Oscar nominations. Women need equal pay, education, and opportunity in the film industry in order to bridge the gap that has remained historically in Hollywood.

Dylan O’Brien is twenty-four year old a movie and television actor. He is known best for his role as Stiles in Teen Wolf and Thomas in The Maze Runner Trilogy. His newest film, Deepwater Horizon with Mark Wahlberg, premieres this coming September. Currently, he is filming the newest season of Teen Wolf and generously took the time to answer some of my questions.

Q&A QUESTION 1: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? ANSWER 1: I was born in NYC & we lived in lower Manhattan. When I was 2 we moved out of NY and I grew up in Springfield, NJWhen I was 12 years old we moved to Manhattan Beach, California...which is where I finished Middle School & attended High School

QUESTION 2: HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN ACTING? ANSWER 2: I grew up loving movies & filmmaking and always had a love for acting. As a kid, I often made my own films for fun but was too shy to attempt any acting outside of my own house until I got a little older. I was 17 when I had my first audition.

QUESTION 3: DID YOU HAVE ANY ROLE MODELS FOR YOUR CAREER? ANSWER 3: Matt Damon.

QUESTION 4: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ROLE AS AN ACTOR? ANSWER 4: Stiles on Teen Wolf.

QUESTION 5: WHAT HAS BEEN THE TOUGHEST ROLE FOR YOU TO PLAY? ANSWER 5: Thomas from the ‘Maze Runner’ series.

QUESTION 6: WHICH ROLE HAS BEEN THE MOST FUN? ANSWER 6: Every role has been fun...and they’ve all been tough as well

QUESTION 7: DO YOU HAVE A DREAM ROLE YOU’D LIKE TO PLAY? ANSWER 7: I would like to create my own iconic roles that generations of kids could grow up admiring...just like I did as a kid with roles like Han Solo or Spiderman. With that said, I’d love to play Han Solo and Spiderman!

QUESTION 8: WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? ANSWER 8: I’m about to begin shooting THE DEATH CURE which is the 3rd installment of the Maze Runner Series. We begin shooting next month in Vancouver.

QUESTION 9: WHAT CAREER WOULD YOU WANT IF YOU WEREN’T AN ACTOR? ANSWER 9: I have always loved baseball so if I weren’t an actor, my career would definitely be baseball related. My dream job would be as General Manager of the NY Mets (my favorite team) or I would love to be a broadcaster like Gary Cohen or Vin Scully.

QUESTION 10: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MOVIE? ANSWER 10: I have way too many favorite movies and I love a variety of genres. Some of my favorites include The Matrix, It’s a Wonderful Life & Bull Durham.

QUESTION 11: WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN WHEN YOU AREN’T ACTING? ANSWER 11: When I’m not working I play baseball in a league, I see my friends & family and I spend most of my time with my girlfriend (Britt Robertson) & my puppies.

Q&A

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by Sophia Schein

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DYLAN O’BRIEN INTERVIEW

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PREVIEWS

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE by William he

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second movie in DC’s small but rapidly expanding cinematic universe. It’s anticipated to be one of the biggest movies of 2016, due to the cast of characters and potential implications for the future. Directed by Zack Snyder, who also directed the controversial Man of Steel (2013), BvS is his second time directing a movie based on DC characters. Using the cinematic universe franchising method, he will bring back Henry Cavill as Superman and introduce Ben Affleck as Batman, along with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, with rumors about who will fill the other members of the Justice League. In the aftermath of the Battle of Metropolis, where Superman fought General Zod in Man of Steel and destroyed half the city, there are critics of him, such as Batman and the US government, while everybody else, for the most part looks up to him as a symbol of hope. The government holds Superman responsible for the destruction and death, while Bruce Wayne tells Su-

perman’s alias Clark Kent that he doesn’t appreciate Superman because Superman considers himself above the law ( similar to Batman but Bruce Wayne can’t reveal he’s Batman can he). This of course brings them to blows, with people like Wonder Woman getting caught up in the fight, but all three must band together to defeat Doomsday, a monster created from Zod’s remains by Lex Luthor, who essentially instigated the whole fight, and if rumors are to be believed, then there’s an even greater threat out there. This movie is big for a few reasons, but the biggest is the whole context. The whole concept of Batman vs Superman has been a comic book debate for years; Superman can fly, shoot lasers, freeze breath, and punch really hard and really fast, while also being essentially invulnerable to damage, and catches airplanes every other week. Batman is a rich dude who puts on a mask and a suit and uses a lot of other tech to augment his knowledge of handto-hand combat, who also just happens to be stronger than the average human but only because he fights crime when he’s

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beginning of the Justice League, DC’s superhero team-up squad, comprised of heroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This movie will begin the story that will be a resounding challenge to Marvel’s theater domination in recent years. Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, while also delivering some of the best action that we will see this year. Given that this is a big year for superhero movies, BvS truly stands out from the crowd not only due to its darker movie tone than most superhero movies, but also because we will actually see Superman punch Batman in live action. Need I say more?

PREVIEWS

not Bruce Wayne. On any level, Superman should win, but Superman also won’t kill anyone. It’s evident from trailers that everyone lives, but as Lex Luthor puts it: “The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world, son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!” Eventually, Luthor ends up creating Doomsday; how and why is still unknown, but we do know that the intent will be to kill Superman. Doomsday’s claim to fame in the comics was that he killed Superman by forcing Superman to die to defend Earth, which is an impossible feat. BvS is sure to have some of the greatest action scenes of 2016, and that’s saying something with 7 comic book films in a year. On top of the action which is sure to be visually amazing, BvS is also a setup for the other films DC will be pushing out over the next several years. These films include Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, a potential trilogy of Batman films both directed and starring Affleck, Justice League, and more solo films for other members of the Justice League. Remember, the full name is Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. This movie is meant to show the

by Joanne Wang

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PREVIEWS

UPCOMING MARVEL

Marvel Studios has many hooked on their series of movies based on superheroes from Marvel Comics. Currently comprised of twelve movies, there are many more yet to be made to continue the much-loved stories from the Marvel Universe. With Ant-Man released this past summer, many fans are craving for another Marvel film to premiere. Luckily, there will be two new films coming out this year and three per year from 2017-2019— a lot to look forward to! In four months, we will be expecting the release of Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016. Sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this movie takes place after the events from Avengers: Age of Ultron. To the excitement of many, Spider-Man and Black Panther is to be introduced to the series. As the title of the movie suggests, the Avengers is split into two rival teams. Due to the collateral damage caused by them, politicians decide that is is necessary to create an accountability system to closer regulate their activities; this act by the government is what splits the Avengers. One team is led by Captain America who wishes to remain free from government control when defending the population, while the other is led by Iron Man, who supports the government. Along with the conflicting ideas between the Avengers, they still must protect the world from the new threat. On November 4, 2016, Doctor Strange will premiere. This movie will be about the world’s top neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange, exploring the field of mystic arts. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, the brilliant but arrogant surgeon’s career is ruined by a car accident. During Strange’s process of healing, the Ancient One becomes his mentor and teaches him about the world of magic. In 2017, we are expecting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, an Untitled Spider-Man film, and Thor: Ragnarok. In 2018, there will be the movies Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War— Part 1, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Later in 2019, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War— Part 2, and Inhumans will premiere. Though it may seem like many will be released in the future, we know that our want of these films will never be satiable.

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by Jasper Cox

Coming off of a pair of indie hits in Before Midnight and Boyhood, many were questioning what director Richard Linklater would do next. It seemed as if there were no way the acclaimed filmmaker would top himself. So what does Linklater do? Make a spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused, of course. Everybody Wants Some, seemingly connected to Linklater’s aforementioned breakout hit, is a sports-drama/comedy film that stars a group of relatively young unknowns as new college students trying to make their way through a world with newfound freedom and responsibility. It’s a major tonal shift from his last film, Academy Award-winning Boyhood, but it is Linklater, who has yet to make a truly terrible film, so there’s no real reason to be concerned. While Boyhood looked at the highs and lows of childhood through young adulthood, Nobody Wants None seems to portray the early years of college with a lighthearted, humorous tone. Even after watching the trailer a few times, I still can’t figure out the plot-line. The film itself seems simple enough, with a bunch of freshmen joining the baseball team and hilarity ensuing, but it’s tough to figure out where the movie will go in terms of story as it progresses. As previously mentioned, the cast is made up of unknown actors who are sparse on big roles and information in general. After checking their Wikipedia and IMDB pages, there is very little information regarding their personal lives and filmography. One actor, Zoey Deutch, has had a role on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody, and that is the closest any of them has come to achieving renowned success. On the one hand, the lack of household names could mean that more successful young actors did not seem interested in the film and refused to be a part of it. On the other hand, Linklater did the same thing in terms of casting method with Dazed and Confused, and that gave us Matthew McConaughey, so it’s equally likely that Linklater wants to enter these people into the industry and help them become name-stays. Since it’s a movie about a group of college baseball players, we can expect a script filled with somewhat immature jokes with some meaningful messages about maturing and being an adult but never losing the happiness and joviality of childhood. Again, this seems somewhat generic, but Linklater has demonstrated his ability to elevate a movie beyond all expectations, (Slacker) so the film cold end up surprising us all and be a fun yet thoughtful take on college life. I do worry that Linklater has not put as much effort into making a meaningful film, but I also believe that not every film needs to have an extremely deep and powerful message behind it. Some films can just be purely entertaining. Everybody Wants Some is a film shrouded in mystery and circumstance. Between the cryptic trailer, unknown cast, and open-ended plot, the film could go in many different directions. However, Richard Linklater is on a good streak right now, and he has yet to truly disappoint with his films, so overall, the film should be worth a look.

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EVERYBODY WANTS SOME

CINEMA COVER OF THE OS

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OSCARS

OSCARS DIVERSITY by Zarina Iman

“The #Oscars. The White BET Awards,” Chris Rock tweeted. For the second year in a row, all twenty actors in the four main acting categories of the Academy Awards are white. The Revenant’s director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is the sole nonwhite nominee in the best director category, with no women in the running. In addition, only eight of the ten nomination slots open for best film were filled, leaving films like the summer hit Straight Outta Compton and Creed to be purposefully snubbed. This is not caused by a lack of talent among actors or directors of color. Phenomenal performances from Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation) and Will Smith (Concussion) to Michael B. Jordan (Creed) were all overlooked. “I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion,” stated Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first African American president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Dawn Hudson, the Academy CEO, agreed, announcing that she “was devastated that the acting nominations were all white. There are a lot of artists of color who have put out really good work in more films than in other years.” In Boone Isaacs latest statement, she promised a review of the academy’s membership recruitment process to increase diversity among the members. Though the academy does not release information regarding its 8,000 members, a study conducted in 2012 by the Los Angeles Times found the members to be 94 percent white and 77 percent male. Following the trending of #OscarsSoWhite during the last Oscars, the Academy has been trying to diversify its membership. Boone Isaacs invited 322 members into the academy, and she introduced A2020 at the 2015 Governors Awards. A2020 is a five-year initiative to increase diversity not just within the academy, but in the motion picture industry as a whole. After introducing the plan, Boone Isaacs implored the industry heads to take action. Despite this push for diversity, new members comprise a small fraction of the Academy, so it may take a while before they can truly make a difference. With the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag trending again, many celebrities have been taking to social media to express their opinions. Most notably, Jada Pinkett Smith wrote, “At the Oscars...people of color are al-

ways welcomed to give out awards...even entertain,” a gesture towards Chris Rock, who will host the awards this year, “but we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together?” Smith will be boycotting the Oscars, along with Oscar winning director, Michael Moore. Spike Lee is refusing to attend the “lily white” award show, and will instead attend a Knicks game. Many are calling for Chris Rock to not host in solidarity. Will Packer, producer of Straight Outta Compton, the highest grossing music biopic in the United States ever, deemed the nominations “embarrassing,” and wrote ”To my Academy colleagues, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. Period.” Others, like Lee, and Oscar winners Lupita Wyong’o and Whoopi Goldberg believe the problem extends beyond the Oscars and is caused by the lack of opportunities people of color have in the film industry. Reverend Al Sharpton condemned the Oscars, declaring “Hollywood is like the Rocky Mountains, the higher up you get the whiter it gets,” which has been statistically proven. The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report, organized by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, showed that only 17 percent of lead roles are filled by ethnic minorities, who make up 40 percent of the country. Furthermore, the executives of the eighteen studios that were monitored were 94 percent white and 100 percent male. More studies show that women and minorities are outnumbered by two to one in film leads, and the ratio of male directors to female directors is about eight to one.

Studio executives, who approve films, must decide which films will succeed. In these high-stakes situations the executives choose directors and producers they believe they can trust. More often than not, the chosen directors and producers are people who are similar to them, white men. This unconscious bias continuous to affect the rest of the film. Ethnically ambiguous characters are often casted as white, and even historically nonwhite figures are played by white actors, resulting in white washed movies, such as Gods Of Egypt. It is evident that many films about people of color and women cannot even reach the production stage, let alone become viable for an Oscar nomination. However, the lack of diversity in Hollywood does not fully let the Academy off the hook. For decades people have looked to the Oscars to set the standards of film, and the nominations of the past two years make it seem as if the standard is white. The absence of movies about and led by both women and people of color can only account for so much. It is understandable that we subconsciously empathize better with characters that are more similar to us, and consequentially we will be more partial to them. The problem with the Academy is the homogeneity of its members. If the majority of the Academy innately relates better to a certain type of character, it becomes clear that the actor portraying that character will be rewarded because their performance was naturally more engaging to those who are judging it. Adding insult to the injury, the only nominations received by Creed and Straight Outta Compton, movies with mainly African American casts, were white. Sylvester Stallone received a nomination for his part in Creed, and the white screenwriters for Straight Outta Compton. Roy Wood Jr. and Noah Simon of the Daily Show addressed this troubling detail. “If we want to win an Oscar, we have to make a movie about black people being oppressed,” Wood Jr. asserted. To this, Simon lamented about how black film makers are forced to make movies about their oppression to be recognized. It is degrading that people of color cannot simply make movies about every day experiences but are forced to make film after film about being oppressed, as if there is nothing more to their entire race than that. The success of television shows like Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, and Orange is the New Black proves that audiences are willing to embrace diversity and want to see themselves represented. Hopefully, executives will notice the enthusiasm for diversity, for it will not only engage audiences, but will be fiscally beneficial for studios, as well.

OSCARS

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THIS YEAR’S BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE NOMINEES

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OSCARS

OSCARS PREDICTIONS 2016

PREDICTED WINNER

BEST PICTURE

THE REVENANT

by Jasper Cox

NOMINEES SPOTLIGHT THE BIG SHORT THE REVENANT MAD MAX: FURY ROAD THE MARTIAN BRIDGE OF SPIES BROOKLYN ROOM Indie darling Spotlight started out the awards race as the favorite to take the Oscar but saw a setback after being shut out at the Golden Globes and Tom McCarthy’s missing out on the BAFTA for Best Director. It could pull off the win after picking up a surprise nomination for Best Editing, however, in addition to its predicted nominations of Best Director and Picture. The current frontrunner is The Revenant, after Alejandro González Iñárritu’s adaptation picked up three Golden Globes and led the way with 12 Oscar nominations, at 12. There is the possibility that the Oscars will choose to uphold their trend of not awarding Iñárritu his second Best Picture win in a row (Birdman), but the film’s momentum going in makes it the heavy favorite. I wouldn’t be too upset if The Revenant won Best Picture; it’s a well-acted, well-shot, thrilling tale of survival and perseverance, anchored by one of Leonardo Dicaprio’s best performances in his career—more on him in a moment. However, if I had to choose one film to win, I would choose Mad Max: Fury Road. It was entertaining, well-directed, fun but serious, and visually stunning. It was everything a Mad Max film is supposed to be and beyond. Because of the overall strength of the category this year, however, I’ll be pleased with any of the nominees winning.

POSSIBLE CONTENDER SPOTLIGHT

PREDICTED WINNER GEORGE MILLER

BEST DIRECTOR NOMINEES GEORGE MILLER: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD ADAM MCKAY: THE BIG SHORT LENNY ABRAHAMSON: ROOM TOM MCCARTHY: SPOTLIGHT ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU: THE REVENANT 70-year-old Miller should win the award not just for his excellent work on Fury Road, but based on his lengthy career as a whole, stretching back to 1979 with the original Mad Max. Miller was able to make the quiet, conversational scenes of Fury Road just as compelling as the chase scenes, and the action set pieces were fantastic. While Iñárritu just picked up the Golden Globe for Best Director, the Academy will probably side with the more experienced Miller.

POSSIBLE CONTENDER ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU

PREDICTED WINNER LEANARDO DICAPRIO

NOMINEES

PREDICTED WINNER

It’s painful to think about how many times DiCaprio has been snubbed of that coveted Oscar. However, there seems to be no stopping him this year. The sheer commitment and power of DiCaprio’s performance makes the audience forget that he’s acting. He’s dominated the awards circuit and has plenty of momentum heading into the Oscars. If he doesn’t win this year, it will be the damning evidence that the Academy hates him.

BRIE LARSON

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

NOMINEES CATE BLANCHETT: CAROL BRIE LARSON: ROOM JENNIFER LAWRENCE: JOY CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: 45 YEARS SAOIRSE RONAN: BROOKLYN

POSSIBLE CONTENDER SAOIRSE RONAN

It’s been a very close race between Larson and Ronan throughout awards season, with both picking up about the same number of awards. Larson is the epitome of perseverance, as she goes to great lengths to keep her child in a positive state of mind, despite the two’s dire circumstances and her own struggles with depression and abuse. At the same time, however, Ronan is able to bring to life the emotional turmoil of a young Irish girl trying to make a living in Brooklyn without her family, and the audience grows empathetic for her as she is forced to choose between two lives. Larson’s Golden Globe win, however, might have pushed her over the edge, but this category is a close one.

PREDICTED WINNER BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

TOM HARDY

NOMINEES CHRISTIAN BALE: THE BIG SHORT TOM HARDY: THE REVENANT MARK RUFFALO: SPOTLIGHT MARK RYLANCE: BRIDGE OF SPIES SYLVESTER STALLONE: CREED It’s an understatement to call this category “wide open.” Every actor in the group has a realistic chance of winning, with all five of the nominees turning in strong work in their respective films. I was most impressed with Bale’s portrayal of the Scion Capital CEO with Asperger’s, but Hardy was also impressive as an expedition leader with sinister intentions and palpable passion, along with Stallone in his star making role of Rocky Balboa. While Stallone picked up the Golden Globe, the momentum of The Revenant will probably push Hardy to the win.

POSSIBLE CONTENDER SYLVESTER STALLONE

OSCARS

BRYAN CRANSTON: TRUMBO MATT DAMON: THE MARTIAN LEONARDO DICAPRIO: THE REVENANT MICHAEL FASSBENDER: STEVE JOBS EDDIE REDMAYNE: THE DANISH GIRL

CINEMANN / Winter Issue

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

TOM MCCARTHY, JOSH SINGER BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

NOMINEES CINEMANN /Winter Issue

OSCARS

PREDICTED WINNER

MATT CHARMAN, JOEL AND ETHAN COEN: BRIDGE OF SPIES PETE DOCTOR, MEG LEFAUVE, JOSH COOLEY: INSIDE OUT TOM MCCARTHY, JOSH SINGER: SPOTLIGHT ALEX GARLAND: EX MACHINA JONATHAN HERMAN, ANDREA BERNOFF: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

POSSIBLE CONTENDER PETE DOCTOR, MEG LEFAUVE, JOSH COOLEY

Throughout the season, Spotlight and Inside Out have been the frontrunners for this category, so the award is down to them. While Spotlight focuses on the uncovering of the truth behind the Vatican’s lack of acknowledgement regarding the child abuse accusations towards many of its pastors, Inside Out brings out the emotional struggle and pain a child feels when everything that he or she has ever known has been taken away. The core of the story is its focus on how children’s emotions develop, and lighthearted yet heartrending way in which the message is delivered makes Inside Out one of Pixar’s best films, so it does have a realistic chance of winning the category. But because it’s already nominated (and going to win) for Best Animated Feature, the Academy will probably want to spread the wealth and pick the other frontrunner, Spotlight.

PREDICTED WINNER ADAM MCKAY AND CHARLES RANDOLPH BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

NOMINEES EMMA DONOGHUE: ROOM DREW GODDARD: THE MARTIAN NICK HORNBY: BROOKLYN ADAM MCKAY AND CHARLES RANDOLPH: THE BIG SHORT PHYLLIS: CAROL The category for Best Adapted Screenplay, meanwhile, is a much closer race, with all five nominees in the running for a victory. All the films up for the ballot have their screenplays as their main strength, crafting different stories and themes that stay true to the source material while making them worthy to stand on their own. It doesn’t help matters that Golden Globe winner Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs got snubbed. The Martian has extremely popular source material on its side, along with plenty of acclaim, but Science Fiction tends to struggle at the Oscars outside of the technical categories (see, Gravity, Inception). The Big Short has received heaps of praise all across the board, and that, along with a nod at the Golden Globes, should carry it to victory.

POSSIBLE CONTENDER THE MARTIAN

PREDICTED WINNER INSIDE OUT BEST ANIMATED FEATURE 37

NOMINEES

PREDICTED WINNER SON OF SAUL

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

NOMINEES MUSTANG: FRANCE THEEB: JORDAN SON OF SAUL: HUNGARY EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT: COLOMBIA A WAR: DENMARK Most people who read this article probably have never even heard of these movies, much less realize that they were nominated for an Oscar. I do hope that people check out these movies, because all five of them are quite spectacular. That being said, while Mustang will probably be in good favor with the committee, considering it and France are quite close, the Hungarian film Son of Saul has won at Cannes and been shown at Telluride and the New York Film Festival. Son of Saul’s story of a prisoner of a concentration camp who wants to give his supposed son, who was gassed, a proper Jewish burial, is a heartbreaking tale of family and a painful reminder of the aftermath of the Holocaust. While Mustang also shows the tight bond of family in the form of five sisters who are held hostage in their home by their conservative elders in an endearing manor, Saul’s ability to tell one specific story while also capturing the struggle of the time makes it the deserving winner.

POSSIBLE CONTENDER MUSTANG

PREDICTED WINNER AMY

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

POSSIBLE CONTENDER THE LOOK OF SILENCE

OSCARS

At this point, Inside Out is the undeniable favorite to win the Oscar. As previously mentioned, the film is a triumph for Pixar, as the studio has been able to create a film that resonates with all types of audiences. Between box office totals, general critical acclaim, and awards tally, no other animated film has come close to catching it. While the category this year is much stronger than it has been in year’s past, with Anomalisa and Shaun the Sheep both racking up great amounts of praise, it seems highly unlikely that they can top the Pixar juggernaut.

CINEMANN / Winter Issue

ANOMALISA BOY AND THE WORLD INSIDE OUT WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE SHAUN THE SHEEP

CINEMANN /Winter Issue

OSCARS 38

by Rebecca Siegel

OSCARS

The Oscars are a gateway for new actors, designers, and filmmakers to attain celebrity status. The recognition and prestige that an Oscar lends to its recipients is nothing less than career changing. To be presented with an Oscar is a confirmation of your skill in the world of film. Of course, there are still many great actors who have triumphed over the academy and gone on to receive much acclaim for their craft without the award, but the Oscar is the fastest way to gain recognition in the field of film or fashion. If a star wears a dress or a suit from a new or young designer, it may make that person’s career. Fashion at the Oscars influences the fashion of the New Year, and if a new designer is brought to the table at the Oscars, he or she is more likely to be sought after by the public and other celebrities. If someone wears something that clashes with the tastes of the media and academy, then he or she is shunned and falls into the bad graces of the industry. The Oscars determine who and what will be relevant to the public in the approaching year. The fashion at the Oscars makes way for the trends of the new year; the dresses, suits, and other items that clothe the stars in their pursuit of these prestigious awards foreshadows public interest in the upcoming year. Every event that gathers such a large group of the country’s most famous, like the MET ball or the Golden Globes, attracts a good deal of attention to what the people are wearing, but the Oscars are like the epitome of it all. Every person who comes to the event is high up in the film industry. What the celebrities are wearing makes a difference to the general public. So many gossip rags and polls pop up after the Oscars to judge the stars on their most prized possession, looks. Magazines such as Daily Mail host large online discussions centering abound the collective judging of the people who our society has come to idolize. Like last year when Lady Gaga was destroyed in the media for her style choices of a puffy silver dress with enormous red rubber gloves. The premise of judging celebrity outfits and trying to formulate a style representative of America’s most elite has become commonplace in our society. Magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire cater to the views of women in the public focus whole issues on the dresses and suits and style icons of the Oscars. No other event comes

close to having the amount of media coverage that surrounds the Oscars. As a result of all of this attention, designers already prevalent in the fashion world come after celebrities and sometimes even beg for them to wear their designs to the Oscars. The design world knows of the phenomena where people need to have whatever is on the bodies of the rich and famous. It’s a small act of privilege to have something “approved” by someone you will never meet but merely observe on screen. Designers create their entire collections around what the celebrities want, then advertise it at the Oscars, on the celebrities, to show that their brand is something to be reckoned with. The public responds to this with the instinct to buy and wear the same things as the famous, and these designers gain money and influence from that. An example of this is the fame that designer Elie Saab has been gaining ever since his designs were launched on the red carpet. Emma Stone was one of the first celebrities to wear his designs to such an event, the 2015 Oscars, and since then his brand has taken off. Before, he had gained some recognition and fame for his inventive styles, but after celebrities started to wear his dresses on the red carpets of Hollywood, his brand became a well-known staple in the closets of many of the rich and famous. The Oscars have made way for the development of new trends and rising brands and designers in fashion. The Oscars are a gathering of all of the most famous and wealthy people in America, to show the public what it is that they are capable of. The award itself gives importance to the recipient, but almost equally important, the red carpet brings awareness to new and forthcoming designers. The ceremony has become commonplace in our society, and dictates to the public who and what to wear and think.

CINEMANN / Winter Issue

THE PRESTIGE OF THE OSCARS IN FASHION

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OSCARS

BRIDGE OF SPIES by Kyra Hill

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies stars Tom Hanks in the historical drama of the year. The film tells the story of an everyday American lawyer, James Donovan, who is assigned to negotiate the swap of Francis Powers, an American pilot whose plane was shot down while flying over the Soviet Union, and Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held under the custody of the U.S. Although it didn’t receive as much limelight as other Oscar-nominated films like The Revenant, Bridge of Spies was a crowd pleaser, mainly because of an impressive performance by Tom Hanks. Unlike younger actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, Tom Hanks has brought back his former wit, charm, and ultimate talent to this film. After his starring roles in romantic comedies like You’ve Got Mail and gut-wrenching dramas like Forrest Gump, his acting in Bridge of Spies is just another golden trophy for Hanks to add to his case. Hanks’ physical appearance has certainly changed since Big hit the screens, but he has aged gracefully and fully inhabits his role as a talented, yet nervous lawyer. Given such a difficult and pressuring task, Hanks effectively portrays Donovan’s personal fears about his situation, his opinion on the Cold War, and the struggles of keeping his family alive while attempting to protect his country. The film’s special effects were also impressive; some of them are cliche, but on the whole they’re decent enough so that exploding cars looked realistic and backgrounds appeared to be relevant to the time period. Despite Hanks’ impressive performance,

BRIDGE OF SPIES HAS RECIEVED 6 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN, BEST SOUND MIXING, AND BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY.

however, the fact that the film takes place during the Cold War and stars an actor who was at the height of his career twenty years ago seems to attract only older audiences. Though there is nothing wrong with this, it is easy to say that other films like The Revenant, despite also being historical dramas, include a younger cast and therefore attract both younger and more mature audiences. Excluding this, Bridge of Spies was quite an impressive movie, captivating and full of adventure. Tom Hanks’ performance was not his best, but it was quite striking, which should be enough motivation to see the movie.

ROOM

ROOM HAS RECIEVED 4 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE, BEST DIRECTING, BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY.

OSCARS

For the past seven years, Joy has been held captive in a room with her son, Jack, who was born after she was raped and abducted by a man named Old Nick. At the start of the film, Old Nick gives Jack a remote control car as a gift for his fifth birthday. The car is somehow able to leave the room, causing Old Nick to become enraged. The scene symbolizes that he is losing control over the only stable part of his life, this woman and their child, so he attacks and almost kills her. Her fear for her child’s safety causes her to develop a plan to escape. After she and Jack successfully flee, the second half of the movie revolves around their adaption to normal life. The problem is that Joy and Jack have no idea how to interact with outside society anymore. Having been removed from her family and her life for several years, Joy has lost her connection to reality. Moreover, Jack has never even seen the world that lies beyond the confined space of Old Nick’s room. All he knows are his mother and the inanimate “playmates” that he had personified, such as “Sink.” In fact, he has never even seen the sun. The movie somehow gives us an insight into what the world is like without all the things we have become so accustomed to. How someone could live with that kind of fear everyday, and still raise a child that was a result of that fear, is beyond our wildest imagination. As Joy and Jack are rejected from the real world, she must relive the fear that she had to experience for several years. Nobody could understand her love for or her devotion to this child of rape. The way the movie was shot and all its different components compile to form a stunningly real expose about the lives of victims and their suppressors.

CINEMANN / Winter Issue

by Rebecca Siegel

by Sophia Schein

CINEMANN /Winter Issue

OSCARS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN HAS RECIEVED 3 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE, BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY.

Brooklyn tells the touching story of Eilis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant played by Saoirse Ronan, who leaves her sleepy Irish town to move to New York in the 1950’s. Eilis leaves behind her sister, mother and secure life for the land of opportunity, where she doesn’t know anyone other than the Priest who sponsored her. The audience is transported back to early twentieth century New York City. Over the next 111 minutes, a love story unfolds with a suspenseful twist. As the journey to New York begins, the audience is instantly struck by Eilis’s vulnerability. We hold our breath hoping that people do not take advantage of or abuse her as she establishes herself in a boarding house in New York. She is terribly homesick, and it takes time before she is comfortable in her new job and new surroundings. Eventually, she feels at home and meets Tony, a good-hearted plumber with a large Italian family. Tony and Eilis’s love story provides the film’s warm emotional core until Eilis is forced to return home to deal with a family tragedy. This turning point leads to a suspenseful series of events as Eilis’s guilt about leaving her mother and a young man she meets in her town leads to some serious confusion in her mind. Meanwhile, Tony waits patiently and sometimes even impatiently for his love to return. While the ending is a bit forced, the audience is treated to an entertaining story of an immigrant girl who sets out for a new world. The sense of history and strong acting keep the audience captivated throughout. This is a feel-good movie that will keep you entertained and smiling.

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SPOTLIGHT by Sam Stephenson

Spotlight tells the story of how a team of investigative journalists known as the Spotlight Team working for the Boston Globe managed to uncover the systemic child abuse within the Catholic Church. The film is exciting and suspenseful and unfolds like a detective story as the Spotlight Team gains more and more evidence and learns more about the scope of the issue. The team pieces together the story by having to uncover information from a series of obscure psychologists, lawyers, and victims while simultaneously having to fend off the Catholic Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempts to cover up the abuse, other news agencies trying to gain information about the story, and superiors at the Boston Globe sceptical of the teams allegations. Aside from its exciting plot, Spotlight also effectively depicts the lives of the characters of the story and the horrors of the abuse as well as explores the guilt faced by many of the characters that the abuse was not uncovered for so long. However, these elements are worked seamlessly into the plot and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere with it. Throughout the movie the Team tries to glean information from the victims of the abuse. These interviews poignantly tell the story of the abuse and its emotional damage, many of the victims committed suicide, while simultaneously advancing the plot. The movie also depicts the characters development with regards to the abuse scandal. The movie begins with the hiring of a Marty Baron aWs editor. Marty then requests that the Spotlight Team investigate a couple of similar scandals involving Catholic Priests abusing young boys and then being reassigned to another parish. Initially the members of the Spotlight team have mixed reactions ranging from skepticism to enthusiasm. However, as the movie progresses the characters become more invested in the investigation and begin seeing it as more than just ajob. Towards the characters realize that many facts detailing the systemic abuse were largely ignored by the media, including a member of the Spotlight Team. The, however, does not fully resolve the question of this guilt. All in all, Spotlight is an exciting, significant, and poignant movie that superbly portrays the uncovering of the systemic sexual abuse by clergymen.

OSCARS

SPOTLIGHT HAS RECIEVED 6 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, BEST DIRECTING, BEST FILM EDITING BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

OSCARS

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THE BIG SHORT HAS RECIEVED 5 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING R BEST DIRECTING, BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLA BEST FILM EDITING

The 2007-2010 financial crisis was arguably the worst epidemic to happen to the world economy since the Great Depression. Former Wall Street giants such as Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers saw their stocks plummet and ended up filing for bankruptcy. Hundreds of millions of dollars were lost, while millions of people lost their jobs and their homes. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was a disaster. Yet somehow, some people were actually able to profit off of the collapse of the housing market. The Big Short, based on the Michael Lewis book of the same name, tells the story of three different groups of investors who all got the idea that the housing market was going to collapse and decided to bet against Wall Street at its peak. Both emotionally and intellectually informative, this adaptation from director Adam McKay presents a harrowing tale of a group of people who saw through the corruption of big banks and risked everything in order to earn a profit. As this is a movie about Wall Street, there are quite a few complicated terms thrown around at lightning speed throughout the film. This is the first of many positives that this movie possesses. Using hilarious yet informative cutaways that involve real-world celebrities explaining specific terms that pop up during the film, McKay always keeps the viewer informed of what is happening at the moment. Another major strength that the movie has is the performances from its all-star cast, including Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrel, and Brad Pitt, among others. The main standout is Bale, who plays Scion Capital CEO Michael Burry in a performance so good it’s oddly chilling. Burry suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and blindness in one eye, and having regular conversations with people is extremely awkward for him. Bale is mesmerizing in his uncanny portrayal, adding layer after layer to this complicated character. Carrel is no slouch himself, playing Mark Baum, the head of a small investing firm who wants to take down Wall Street from the inside after a family tragedy. To say that Baum is an angry man is an understatement; he seems to be always on the verge of screaming his head off should somebody irritate him one too many times. Carrel is remarkable in capturing the fire of Baum while also, oddly enough, making him arguably the most likable person in the movie. Gosling also turns in strong work as Jared Vennett, a Wall Street big shot

who isn’t, while Pitt is silently powerful as Ben Rickert, a retired investor who decided to help two old friends get the necessary funds in order to invest in such a project. The movie starts off with Burry realizing that the housing market is reliant on highly unstable subprime loans that present consistently diminishing returns. Burry predicts that the market will crash soon, and decides to invest in swaps, meaning that he is betting against the success of big banks. Word eventually gets around to the two other parties, with Vennett convincing Baum to join him in betting against the banks, and Rickert being drawn back into Wall Street by former neighbors Jamie Shipley and Charlie Geller, played by Finn Wittrock and John Magaro, respectively. The movie follows these three investing parties as they try to survive the overwhelming losses that they face during this time. One weakness that the movie has is its sound mixing. On multiple occasions, it was very difficult to hear what the characters were saying, as the background noise seemed to drown out the dialogue, especially in the scenes where the characters were in a crowded area, such as a restaurant or a bank lobby. It made the film more difficult to follow. Another weakness that the film has is its interactions with the fourth wall. The characters consistently tell the audience facts about the real-life story when the movie tends to dramatize. While it is interesting to hear these bits of information during the movie, the overall flow of the film suffers. The Big Short tells a compelling story of the people who decided to go against the housing market at its peak and the opposition, both financially and emotionally, that these investors face. The fourth wall breaks of the characters cold have been cut down a bit, and the sound mixing could have used improvement, but the film rises on the strength of its compelling performances and tightly written screenplay, which deftly balances drama with comedy.

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by Jasper Cox

OSCARS

ROLE, AY,

THE BIG SHORT

OSCARS

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STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS HAS RECIEVED 5 OSCAR NOMINATIONS: BEST FILM EDITING, BEST SOUND EDITING BEST SOUND MIXING, BEST VISUAL EFFECTS, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS by Armand Dang Over the year since its release, Star Wars has captured the hearts of millions of fans across the galaxy and completely revolutionized the film industry. So many people have become enchanted by Star Wars thanks its unique charm and ability to be reused. It shows off daring heroes, high tech space military stations and weapons, intense arial dogfights, and exhilarating lighsaber battles. In the newest installment of the franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, director J.J. Abrams delivers fans another great addition to the Star Wars franchise. The plot picks up 30 years after Darth Vader and The Empire have been destroyed. The movie kicks gear into gear on the surface of the desert planet Jakku. A highly skilled X-wing pilot named Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) finds a fragment of a map that reveals Luke Skywalker’s location. In order to prevent the plans from being captured by the

First Order, he hides the map in his trusty droid BB-8, who is essentially a rolling soccer ball with a segmented head. He is captured by the film’s villain; Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Kylo Ren is a mask-wearing Dark Jedi with a complicated past who dreams of becoming the powerful Sith Lord Darth Vader once was. However the two real protagonists of the movie are Rey (Daisy Ridley), an orphan who survives by trading scrap metal for food servings, and the ex-Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), who went AWOL after watching Kylo Ren and fellow Stormtroopers massacre innocent civilians while searching for BB-8. Finn helps Dameron escape from the First Order. Rey and Finn eventually encounter each other and are pursued by Stormtroopers, they escape together in Han Solo’s old ship, known as the Millenium Falcon. They are then captured by a freighter, which is piloted by Han

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OSCARS

Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew, the rightful owners of the ship. Han Solo’s return is a gift to all Star Wars Fans, as we see the charming, resilient and daring character that we fell in love with in the original Star Wars movies. As in every Star Wars film, this one is reliant on chance and coincidences that we are forced to accept, such as Rey being able to harness “The Force” within a matter of minutes but nevertheless remains captivating. We also see the return of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). This movie, is a clear retread of the old Star Wars movies, and specifically pays homage to Episode IV: A New Hope. For example the map hidden inside BB-8 is reminiscent of the Death Star plans hidden inside R2-D2. The resistance is basically the rebellion and the First Order is basically the Empire. We also see the parallels of Kylo Ren and Darth Vader, and the Death Star and Starkiller Base. This was most likely done on purpose, as to bring back memories of the original Star Wars, which followed a similar poltline. With modern effects and technology, fans can now relive the experience of Star Wars, however on the other hand, the rehashing of old ideas is also somewhat repetitive, and fans are yearning to see a new plot that is just as captivating as the original, but at the same time can lead our new beloved characters in a different direction. Hopefully this can be achieved in episodes VIII and IX. Star Wars is a part of cinema history, and attracts children and adults alike because of its elasticity. I thought that the movie was very well done, and what really stuck out to me were the awesome special effects. The effects were much better in this movie than an of the other Star Wars movies due to the advancement in technology and the fact the original Star Wars was released 39 years prior to this one. I also liked the fact the Disney made the two main characters minorities, which hadn’t been done in the previous movies. Overall, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a thrilling and captivating movie, and I highly recommend you go see it.

LATE FILM CRITIC ROGER EBERT

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