Share: In a time when celebrities were normally found in Hollywood, a particularly famous wrestling family thrived in Texas as world champions of the ring. Even when they were on top of the world, the Von Erich family were believed to have been cursed. Their “curse” is rooted in the entrapments of toxic masculinity that the Von Erich brothers inevitably faced. “The Iron Claw,” the recent film directed by Sean Durkin tells the tragic true story of the Von Erich brothers who climbed to success …
The Courier Presents: Our favorite entertainment of 2023
Share: Albums of the Year: Album: “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?” Artist: Lana Del Rey Why: I’m a huge Lana Del Rey fan. Her new album is some of her best work since her album “Norman Fucking Rockwell” in 2019. “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?” is filled with songs about grief, family, heartbreak, and self-discovery. It’s one of her most personal albums as she dwells on who she is and why. All year, I’ve had …
Actors don’t need to act like they enjoy their movies
Share: Recently, actor Jacob Elordi, best known for his role as Nate Jacobs in HBO’s Euphoria, has been facing backlash online for his comments regarding “The Kissing Booth” series and his comment from a red-carpet interview. During the interview with IndieWire, Elordi was asked about what he looks for in roles to which he responded “I mean, I just play what they give me you know. I need a job.” This statement is very similar to one made by Rachel Zegler during a red-carpet interview …
‘Hunger Games’ prequel relights the franchise flame
Share: Frances Lawrence’s latest addition to “The Hunger Games” franchise is reigniting passion amongst Hunger Games fans, and rightfully so. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released on Nov 17, and since its release, it has received high praise from its fans. In this prequel to “The Hunger Games,” viewers are sent back 64 years before the events of the first book and can finally see Panem in the days before the Hunger Games and only 10 years after the “dark …
Artistic freedom gets run off a cliff as execs ax movies
Share: On Nov 9, Warners Bros Discovery decided not to release the anticipated comedy movie “Coyote vs. Acme,” starring John Cena and featuring Wile E. Coyote. The film was supposed to be released later this year; however, the company shelved the project, preferably taking a $30 million tax write-off instead. This decision not to show the movie caused outrage among artists, animators, and fans alike. With pressure mounting due to the backlash, the studio has since decided to let the film be shopped around with …
David Fincher’s most introspective movie reveals his inner assassin
Share: In David Fincher’s latest, he proves how valuable his filmmaking experience is for an ostensibly simple and straightforward story. “The Killer” feels like Fincher’s most introspective film in years; examining the POV of a conscientious perfectionist through the lens of a nihilistic hit-man. Notorious for his painstaking attention to detail, as seen with his penchant for an excessive number of takes, no other protagonist of his has felt as self-reflective as the titular “Killer.” Fincher reteams with writer Andrew Kevin Walker, whom he previously …
Hey! Hollywood! Leave those games alone!
Share: While by no means a new trend, recently there has been, it seems, a heavy focus of directors and producers trying to push the envelope, bringing games that should stay games into the movie realm. Enter “Five Nights at Freddy’s” specifically, the latest in a long line of video game adaptations and yet another video game brought into the real world. Despite the few rare examples that have grown to be way better than expected, it still shows that these games should stay as …
Directors deserve a final say on their films (if there’s something new to say)
Share: With many movies emerging from a 90-minute runtime to a 2-hour runtime, it has become a modernized form of cinematic storytelling for some film directors to release “director’s cuts” of their movies. Their films are typically released with a shorter runtime due to many possible reasons spanning from budget cuts and studio executives’ interventions. A director’s cut of a film should only be absolutely released if it is necessary and serves a purpose for the director and their circumstances. Ridley Scott, known for directing …
5 silly, spooky movies will make you laugh and cry this Halloween
Share: Horror films and Halloween go together like masked killers and stupid teenagers. However, the horror genre has become far more diverse over the years, with films such as, “Get Out,” “Hereditary,” and last year’s “Barbarian,” proving how capable horror can be at telling meaningful stories. As great as those films are, they don’t exactly scream “Halloween”. The mood for this time of year should feel more “spooky monster scary, not grandma died scary”, to quote Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes from “Community”. That being said, …
‘Dumb Money’ is actually quite smart
Share: Following in similar footsteps to films such as “The Social Network,” and “The Big Short,” “Dumb Money” tells a tale of a very contemporary event that disrupted the entire industry it was a part of. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, America Ferrera, Seth Rogen, and Pete Davidson among others, it is yet another example of why historical dramas should not be relegated to purely telling stories the majority of the audience wasn’t even around for. “Dumb Money” is the …