This review and discussion of season one of Marvel’s ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ contains spoilers. Following the runaway success of WandaVision, Marvel Studios and Disney+ immediately released the inaugural season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which recently aired its spectacular finale. The topical and assured show follows superhero comrades Sam Wilson/Falcon… Continue reading The surprising depth of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’
Category: Arts & Entertainment
Rock meets revolution with new Greta Van Fleet album
If you are like me and have been searching for music that is the perfect mix of 1980s rock nostalgia, with meaningful lyrics dealing in modern issues, look no further because I have the perfect album for you: The Battle of Garden’s Gate by Greta Van Fleet. Firstly, I have to address the thematic elements… Continue reading Rock meets revolution with new Greta Van Fleet album
‘Mortal Kombat’ fails to deliver on its premise
When gauging the quality of a film, it is crucial to foremostly consider if it fulfilled its intentions. Not every film is aiming to be high art, and the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat, an adaptation of the popular and graphically violent 1990s video game franchise, certainly fits that bill. From the opening frames, it… Continue reading ‘Mortal Kombat’ fails to deliver on its premise
UTM’s small jazz group performs April 20
‘The Wise Man’ ought to fear the pitfalls of the sequel
Recently, I finished the second novel in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man’s Fear. It was… a journey. I mean that in both the positive and negative senses. Having written a review of the first book in the series, The Name of the Wind, (which you can read here) I decided to have a… Continue reading ‘The Wise Man’ ought to fear the pitfalls of the sequel
Kaiju & titans & brawls, oh my! ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ review
Warner Brothers and Legendary Entertainment have had a difficult time establishing and expanding its MonsterVerse, a shared cinematic franchise that follows the exploits of famous monsters like Godzilla and Kong as they interact with humanity. Godzilla (2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017) prioritized focusing on human characters and the symbolism of mankind’s malicious exploitation and… Continue reading Kaiju & titans & brawls, oh my! ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ review
Academy Awards 2021 acting nominees ranked
The Academy Awards are almost upon us (April 25), and similar to several over categories, this year yielded the most robust crop of acting nominees in decades, perhaps in all of Oscars history. There are only two outliers (#20 and #19), but even they are mostly better than the collective worst nominees of any other… Continue reading Academy Awards 2021 acting nominees ranked
Rejoice, fans! ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ is unabashedly his film, and that’s good
Creative freedom and credit have been a prevalent issue for almost all of the filmmaking industry’s history, especially in the modern blockbuster era. From the notorious Golden Age battles for control on the Wizard of Oz and Citizen Kane to the pervasive, intrusive studio interference on innumerable films today, studios and creators have always attempted… Continue reading Rejoice, fans! ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ is unabashedly his film, and that’s good
New Sci-Fi film ‘Voyagers’ makes its theater debut
The new movie Voyagers, released on April 9 and directed by Neil Burger, takes a look into how far humans will push the envelope to survive. This movie takes place in the near future, where Earth is becoming nearly uninhabitable due to climate change. Scientist have found a new planet to take over, but the… Continue reading New Sci-Fi film ‘Voyagers’ makes its theater debut
‘Cherry’ reunites Marvel directors with star Tom Holland for bloated, overly wrought addiction saga
Restraint is a potent and essential force for any filmmaker, ultimately imbuing emotional and dramatic subtext into a film where framing and stylistic choices simply cannot. Any director can do a grand, sumptuous shot, but it is also equally integral that those choices supplement the story and characters well. The concluding moments of Casablanca could… Continue reading ‘Cherry’ reunites Marvel directors with star Tom Holland for bloated, overly wrought addiction saga