In an already crowded field of superhero adaptations, Luke Cage stands out for its embrace and embodiment of blackness and black culture. This is especially notable when contrasted with Marvel’s problems with diversity. The series features a predominately black cast, including stars Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Erik LaRay Harvey, Karen Pittman, Emmy-winner Alfre Woodard, and Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Beyond representation, the decision by showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker (Sout

Animal House (1978) Animal House is THE college movie; anything that came after it is merely a footnote. Animal House changed the landscape of the comedy genre; and the talent present in the film and filmmaking is staggering (John Belushi’s performance evokes notes of the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, etc.). Check out the “Five Ways Animal House Changed the World.” Back to School (1986) I think I watched this movie on loop one summer--although it’s entirely possible that a pa

Title: The Beguiled (2017) Genre: Drama, Thriller Director: Sofia Coppola Stars (Primary Actors): Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning Bias: Although there are many Sofia Coppola films I really dislike (Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides, that random Bill Murray Christmas Special), I couldn’t help but be extremely excited for this film. Maybe it was the allure of Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning together in one film, or maybe it was ju

Matt Linton 1. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later – Back in May of this year I recommended the film that precedes this series. This picks up (as the title states) ten years after the end of that movie, and follows the prequel series from 2015. This time the action moves from the early 80s to the early 90s, and follows the gang as they return to Camp Firewood. I have no time to watch anything, and yet I know I’ll watch this before the end of the weekend. 2. Castlevania –

Much has been written (and deservedly so) about the care and skill with which Jessica Jones, the second of Marvel’s Netflix series, examines gender roles, questions of toxic masculinity, and Jessica’s (Krysten Ritter) recovery from both metaphorical and literal sexual assault. Although the assault by Kilgrave (David Tennant), a sociopath who can essentially control minds, occurs years prior to the start of the series, its effects are evident in Jessica’s downward spiral. She’

The term “New French Extremity” refers to a collection of French art-house and horror movies that were made in the late 1990s and 2000s. More of a trend than a self-conscious movement, these movies featured graphic sex, violence, and transgressive themes. In the words of the critic who coined the term, James Quandt, it was a “cinema suddenly determined to break every taboo.” Filmmakers associated with New French Extremism deliberately tried to be shocking to elicit strong emo