Michaela Hyde and Alexa Hyde Connector Staff “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” hit theaters on Thursday to a generally warm response from critics. The Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directed film is based on the 2011 memoir “The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan” by wartime journalist Kim Barker. Produced by Lorne Michaels, known predominantly…
Why ‘Spotlight’ deserved the win
Owen Johnson Connector Staff The 88th Academy Awards, which aired on Sunday, February 28th, had a number of pleasant surprises when it came to the winners. Mark Rylance won for best supporting actor. “Mad Max: Fury Road” took six awards. Leonardo DiCaprio finally got the award that many feel he was entitled to. The biggest…
‘Race’ just barely touches on racial issues
Stephan James portrays Olympic athlete Jesse Owns in the 2016 film “Race” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features) Alexa Hyde Connector Staff “Race” follows the career and achievements of track and field star Jesse Owens (Stephan James) from 1934 to 1936, during which he competed, and medaled, in the Berlin Olympics. The Stephen Hopkins directed film…
Wishes and Predictions: The 88th Academy Awards
Best Animated Film: I do not have a personal preference for what wins in this category because I have either not seen the nominated movies or was not impressed by them. My prediction is that “Inside Out” will win simply because it is Pixar, which is a recognized name. It is the same reason the…
Marvel coasts between big movies
It is surprising to know that “Deadpool” was made by 20th Century Fox rather than Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios rose to fame because of its cinematic universe idea. They make a bunch of movies that are part of the same universe, which expands the world and allows for crossover movies like “The Avengers” and the…
‘Deadpool’ doesn’t quite stick the landing
“Deadpool” is the first Marvel superhero movie rated R. (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox) Owen Johnson Connector Staff “Deadpool” is the eighth movie in the “X-Men” film franchise from 20th Century Fox and the first in at least two movie franchise for “Deadpool.” In an effort to combat his terminal cancer, former Special Forces…
’13 Hours’ movie review
It has been a good half-year or so for prominent American directors giving their takes on John Carpenter movies. David Robert Mitchell gave us a spin on “Halloween” and “Christine” in “It Follows,” Quentin Tarantino brought the sublimated racial tensions of “The Thing” violently to the fore in “The Hateful Eight,” and now Michael Bay…
Opinion: Pixar on steady decline
Courtesy Photo Owen Johnson Connector Staff With the release of “Inside Out” and “The Good Dinosaur” last year and “Finding Dory” slated for release later in 2016, I have to ask if Pixar is dying. Pixar has been a major player in filmmaking for the past two decades, releasing sixteen movies—most of which did well…