“The Great Wall” was hit by accusations of whitewashing for casting Matt Damon in a movie set in ancient China. (Courtesy of Universal Pictures and China Film Group) Owen Johnson Connector Staff In the opening scene of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” there is one shot where all of the…
89th Academy Awards: Wishes and predictions
La La Land is nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. (Courtesy of Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment) Owen Johnson Connector Staff Best Animated Film: My wish for Best Animated Film is the stop motion animated “Kubo and the Two Strings,” though I highly doubt it will win. My prediction is that “Zootopia” will win in this…
Underrated classics: ‘Kung-Fu Hustle’
“Kung Fu Hustle” was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2005 for “Best Foreign Language Film,” but lost to “Paradise Now.” (Courtesy of Columbia pictures) Connor Kennedy Connector Staff When it comes to action and comedy, in most movies the two are kept relatively separate. There may be a scene where some snappy dialogue happens…
‘The Lego Batman Movie’ constructs its own success
“Lego Batman Movie” director Chris Mckay is best known for directing three seasons of the Adult Swim parody show “Robot Chicken.” (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Staff Like “The LEGO Movie” from three years ago, “The LEGO Batman” movie is a celebration of the usage of LEGOs, in addition this time around…
Underrated classics: ‘V for Vendetta’
“V for Vendetta” graphic novelist, Alan Moore, denounced the film upon its release for its radical changes to source material. (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Staff In memory of John Hurt, 1940 – 2017. Set in dystopian England in the late 2020s, the Norsefire party has turned the United Kingdom into a…
Keaton steals the show in ‘The Founder’
“The Founder” was directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel. (Courtesy of the Weinstein Company) Eric Smith Connector Contributor “The Founder” is a true story about greed, money and deceit starring Michael Keaton as Ray Krock, the man who franchised the famous fast food company we all know as McDonalds. Dick McDonald…
Split on “Split”
“Split” is the twelfth movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan since his debut in 1992. (Courtesy of Universal Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Staff In terms of what kind of movie it is, “Split” is one of a kind. There are a lot of times when a movie turns out unintentionally hilarious, but this is one…
‘The Bye Bye Man’: A movie as terrible as its title
The plot of “The Bye Bye Man” was based on the short story “The Bridge to Body Island” by Robert Damon Schneck. (Photo Courtesy of The Weinstein Company) Owen Johnson Connector Staff After moving into a house with his girlfriend Sasha (Cressida Bonas) and best friend John (Lucien Laviscount), college student Elliot (Douglas Smith) accidently…
