I’ve loved rom-coms my entire life, somehow able to separate their regressive values from my general disdain for the patriarchy. Writers have rightfully spearheaded feminist critiques when discussing this genre, calling out its thin female protagonists and sexist jokes. But many ignore the other elephant in the room: The romantic comedy genre is so white […]
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There are two things about Crazy Rich Asians that separate it from most romantic comedies. One is that it’s good. Based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel and directed by John M. Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets, Now You See Me 2), it uses one of the standard formulas, but the plot isn’t based on dumb lies […]
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Molding your cute little dumpling bun of a child takes care and practice. What to do when your sweet baby bun starts to rebel or brings home a girlfriend you don’t like? Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians and Domee Shi’s 8-minute Pixar short Bao (which played with Incredibles 2) share one […]
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In the spring of 1988, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince released the album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, featuring the single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” a massive hit that would go on to win the first-ever Grammy for best rap performance. The album’s next single was to be “A Nightmare on My […]
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Even by the low standards of lame PG-13 horror movies about teenage girls being harassed by supernatural entities, Slender Man is quite bad. Based on a folkloric boogeyman created in 2009 for an internet contest, this aimless turd has New England high-schoolers Wren (Joey King), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles), Chloe (Jaz Sinclair), and Katie (Annalise Basso) […]
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Summer of 84 is by the trio of Canadian directors — François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, known collectively as RKSS (Roadkill Superstars) — who made Turbo Kid, a daffy, post-apocalyptic, ’80s-style “futuristic” adventure that premiered at Sundance 2015. Their new film is another play to nostalgia, but in the least imaginative way possible. (Crucially, […]
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Like most action movies, The Meg begins with its tough-guy hero (who is the best of the best at what he does) performing a mission that goes awry, causing him to blame himself, quit the business, and feel haunted. Then it’s a few years later and we’re introduced to the scenario that will require Mr. Quitter’s […]
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Thirty years ago this month, the world saw the release of one of the most divisive movies ever made: Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. The film stands almost unrivaled in terms of ferocity of backlash and cultural import, and the controversy it inspired helped establish the ideological battle lines in which the culture […]
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If you’re like me, you 1) assumed the Fantasia International Film Festival just showed Disney’s Fantasia on a loop for a few days; and 2) are a moron, because how would that even work? It turns out Fantasia is a “genre” festival — horror, sci-fi, martial arts, weird comedies, anime, gross stuff, you name it […]
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If you faced The Meg (opening this weekend), a 75-foot prehistoric shark properly called “Megalodon,” odds are you wouldn’t survive. In that spirit, let’s remember some of the aquatic killers that have scared us since the 1950s and calculate the odds of surviving an encounter with them. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) — Uh-oh. […]
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(Spoilers for Blindspotting.) Blindspotting is nearly a musical. Music — specifically rapping — plays a significant role in the development of the film’s themes and its main characters, best friends Collin (Daveed Diggs) and Miles (Rafael Casal), to the point where rapping sometimes takes the place of dialogue. And the film, written by Diggs and […]
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