Tag: film

Film & TV

ÔÇ¿A Case for In The Heights (2021)

2021 was a mixed bag for movie musicals, from the critically acclaimed and award-winning West Side Story, to the pilloried disappointment that was Dear Evan Hansen. However, agonizingly, Jon M. ChuÔÇÖs cinematic adaptation of In The Heights, the stage version by Lin-Manuel Miranda, flew pretty under the radar, despite seemingly being appreciatedon the whole ÔÇô garnering an even 94% on Rotten Tomatoes for both the … Continue reading ÔÇ¿A Case for In The Heights (2021)

Pui Kuan Cheah
Film & TV

The Importance of NetflixÔÇÖs Welsh Subtitles

by Manon Jones Since buying north Wales football club Wrexham AFC, alongside fellow actor Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds has featured in the first two films to have the option of Welsh subtitles on Netflix. The first film of his to have this exciting option was Red Notice released in 2021 which featured Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot alongside Reynolds. This has since been followed by … Continue reading The Importance of NetflixÔÇÖs Welsh Subtitles

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

The Lost Daughter – An Unprecedented Portrayal of Motherhood

By: Erykah Cameron Maggie GyllenhaalÔÇÖs debut as a writer-director ÔÇÿThe Lost DaughterÔÇÖ, available on Netflix, is a drama that follows Leda (Olivia Colman) on holiday and explores her meeting a young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson), who reminds her of her former self. The pair keep meeting on the beach and as Colman watches the young mother, a series of memories from her past unravel. ColmanÔÇÖs … Continue reading The Lost Daughter – An Unprecedented Portrayal of Motherhood

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

By Ananya Ranjit I was 15 when I first took the Hogwarts Express to the Wizarding World. What started reluctantly soon spiralled into full blown Pottermania as I devoured each bookÔÇö often under the sheets in the torchlight, so much so that my mother had to impose a one-week reading ban to bring me back to the Muggle world. I made a list of all … Continue reading Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

Reunion Returns: The Appeal of Revisiting the Past

by: Aidan Mc Namee TV audiences are no stranger to the reunion special; casts have been reunited and rebooted for as long as weÔÇÖve been willing to watch. However, Community, The Office, and Parks and Recreation were just some of the shows that have recently opted for the Zoom reunion, featuring cast conversations, table reads of fan favourite episodes, or in the case of Parks … Continue reading Reunion Returns: The Appeal of Revisiting the Past

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

In Conversation with Murad Abu Eisheh – Student Oscar Winner and Maker of ‘Tala’vision’

by Zainab Javed Conflating child-like idealism with the brutalities of a war-ravaged state, Murad Abu EishehÔÇÖs gut-wrenching TalaÔÇÖvision explores the veracities of a war zone through the vantage point of its young protagonist, Tala.  Trapped in a war-ridden reality, 8-year-old Tala finds solace and freedom in a forbidden television. However, the secret TV becomes a matter of life and death. A few weeks ago, I … Continue reading In Conversation with Murad Abu Eisheh – Student Oscar Winner and Maker of ‘Tala’vision’

zainabjaved
Film & TV

Review: West Side Story (2021)

By Zainab Javed Issues of gentrification, class, race, love, family, and violence interwoven with glorious dance and song routines ÔÇô it might seem a lot for one film to accommodate, yet Steven Spielberg, alongside screenwriter Tony Kushner and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, in his revision of West Side Story, manages to pull this incredible feat. The 74-year-old director masterfully weaves the myriad of threads together into … Continue reading Review: West Side Story (2021)

zainabjaved
Film & TV

Potter Turns 20: The Legacy of the Wizarding World

By Libbi Kettle On a train from Manchester to Kings Cross, 1990, an ordinary muggle with an impeccable imagination starts to plan a franchise that will shake up millions. She doesnÔÇÖt know that yet, but her idea is going to become this widely beloved fictional world beyond the pages of a book. It will spur the creation of magical movies, theatrical theme parks, suspenseful spinoffs, … Continue reading Potter Turns 20: The Legacy of the Wizarding World

Contributing Writer
Film & TV, Interview

Filming Locations: An Interview with Thomas Duke (@steppingthroughfilm)

A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to sit down for an interview with Thomas Duke, who runs the Instagram account @steppingthroughfilm, which you may have seen floating around the film portion of the internet. The account spotlights filming locations of many beloved movies and series, including Sex Education and Hot Fuzz, providing in depth exploration of the integration of our world into … Continue reading Filming Locations: An Interview with Thomas Duke (@steppingthroughfilm)

Pui Kuan Cheah
Fashion

Fashion in Film Series: Wes Anderson

It is no surprise, considering the extremely specific and accurately tailored nature of Wes Anderson’s films, that the stylistic decisions he makes are so widely discussed. From The Grand Budapest Hotel to Fantastic Mr Fox, the fashion choices in Wes AndersonÔÇÖs films act as a powerful tool through which audiences are pulled into the unique spaces that his characters occupy. He has even gotten involved … Continue reading Fashion in Film Series: Wes Anderson

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

Review: No Time To Die

By Libbi Kettle ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà The highly anticipated 25th adaptation of Ian FlemingÔÇÖs James Bond series┬áwas finally released to our big screens on September 30th. More than a year after its initial release date (April 2020) due to the pandemic, we┬á are delivered the epic conclusion of Daniel CraigÔÇÖs successful run as 007. It has all the ingredients for a box office hit; a villain played … Continue reading Review: No Time To Die

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

Review: Spencer

By Rowan Davies ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà Where the f*** am I? The first spoken line from Pablo Larra├¡nÔÇÖs Spencer, and the first sentence I muttered to myself as the credits rolled. Every detail from cinematography to score was meticulously choreographed which, ultimately, crafted a beautifully sombre portrait of the peopleÔÇÖs princess.  As the camera casts a birdÔÇÖs eye shot over an aesthetically depressing Sandringham Estate, DianaÔÇÖs desire … Continue reading Review: Spencer

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

Review: Britney vs. Spears (Netflix)

By Pui Kuan Cheah ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà One of the biggest pop culture moments of the year was that Britney SpearsÔÇÖ 13-year conservatorship seemed like it was finally coming to an end. SpearsÔÇÖ father Jamie Spears has recently asked for ÔÇ£immediate terminationÔÇØ of the conservatorship – an outcome that many fans would think is long overdue. However, the #FreeBritney movement that preceded this has been going on … Continue reading Review: Britney vs. Spears (Netflix)

Pui Kuan Cheah
Film & TV

What the Kim’s Convenience Controversy Tells Us (Once Again) About the Industry

KimÔÇÖs Convenience was arguably one of the biggest Canadian television exports as of late, going beyond local broadcasters to Netflix worldwide. What was once a small, humble comedy series based on a theatre show became a smash hit among television audiences, and even garnered awards in its five-season run. It was hailed for being a win for Asian representation on the small screen in the … Continue reading What the Kim’s Convenience Controversy Tells Us (Once Again) About the Industry

Pui Kuan Cheah
wales coast
Film & TV

On Location in Wales: Freshwater West

By Joshua Allen Wales is more than well known for having some of the most stunning views in the UK, so it was only natural that when it came to choosing a location for the staggering conclusion to the Harry Potter series, that a part of it came to Wales. Freshwater West, located in Pembrokeshire, was already a popular spot amongst those both visiting or … Continue reading On Location in Wales: Freshwater West

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

10 Years Since Bridesmaids: Exploring Womanhood Through Comedy

By Sophie Revell  Paul Feig’s 2011 comedy Bridesmaids proves that comedy can be used to highlight more serious social issues, without really lightening it either. Writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo blend hilarious moments of cringe and vulgarity with touching conversations about female friendships and other important social dynamics.  Bridesmaids follows single Annie Walker (Wiig) in her mid-thirties whose life is in a bit of … Continue reading 10 Years Since Bridesmaids: Exploring Womanhood Through Comedy

Contributing Writer
Film & TV

The Effects Of Streaming Induced Paradox Of Choice

by Haris Hussnain When I was younger, we didnÔÇÖt have streaming and instead would rely on the traditional cinema or DVDs coming out to watch movies. In my opinion, this made things plain and simple. I would save up for one specific DVD which would be something that I was interested in. Although this was a slow process, it didnÔÇÖt make me wander about the … Continue reading The Effects Of Streaming Induced Paradox Of Choice

Contributing Writer
Film & TV, Literature

The Tomboy in Literature and Film

by Shivika Singh Tomboy – a term used to define girls who are not stereotypically feminine, with their tastes and behaviors usually associate with being manly or boyish. Tomboy has been a major archetype across a wide range of literary and cinematic texts. The history of the term ÔÇÿtomboyÔÇÖ dates back to 16th century when it was used as a reference to rude and boisterous … Continue reading The Tomboy in Literature and Film

Contributing Writer
Film & TV, Literature

The Weird Girl in Literature and Film

by Sophie Revell As a proclaimed Weird Girl in secondary school myself, I look upon the Weird Girl trope with pride and affection. Unlike other portrayals of women in media, Weird Girls are much more nuanced and accepted in film and literature ÔÇô but it hasnÔÇÖt always been this way. To understand the Weird Girl further, I looked to ÔÇÿThe TakeÔÇÖ on YouTube who divided … Continue reading The Weird Girl in Literature and Film

Contributing Writer
Film & TV, Literature

The Girly Girl in Literature and Film

by Shivika Singh Popular culture has very often represented men and women as complete opposites to each other, who have strong conventional gender traits attached to them. While the practice of gender binarism in the media is almost systemic, the light in which it represents men and women is different, too. On one side, the typical male protagonist is heroic and masculine, unafraid to undertake … Continue reading The Girly Girl in Literature and Film

Contributing Writer