Films That Matter
Fall Prey To
A clever reworking of the Predator franchise, 2022's Prey, a prequel co-written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), is set some 250 years prior to what we thought was the alien species first arrival opposite human beings on Earth. Set in the vast Great Plains in 1719, the story follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche woman who has been trained as a healer, though not so secretly yearns to be a hunter. Overshadowed by her successful bow and arrow wielding brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), she uses whatever free time she has to continue training at the useful skill. It is worth noting that the familial relationship is nicely crafted, not simply one of brutish sibling rivalry (like we’ve seen in other motion pictures), instead holding within it a nuanced combination of direct competition, hunting mentorship, and much needed cooperation.
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Rag-Tag Team Rocks Through the Galaxy
Guardians of the GalaxyJanuary 8, 2016The anti-hero, who can be described as a vital character that lacks typical heroic qualities, has been a staple of both film and television over the past several years. Actors like Hugh Laurie, who created the iconic game-playing character House and Johnny Depp, who modelled his likeable yet sketchy pirate Jack Sparrow after Keith Richards, are just two examples of the moral ambiguity that comes with many a character nowadays. Perhaps a recent film that best exemplifies this term is when a group of rag-tag criminals come together to save multiple worlds in Marvel’s 2014 space action adventure flick Guardians of the Galaxy.
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The Nostalgia is Strong With This One
Star Wars: The Force AwakensJanuary 3, 2016Star Wars: The Force Awakens has taken the world by storm. Before I wrote this review, I wanted to watch the film for a second time in a theatre – this time, in 2D, yet it was sold out more than two weeks after its opening night.
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Star Pick with Joe Kraemer
Take a Return Journey to a Galaxy Far, Far AwayStar Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeDecember 27, 2015Star Wars is the talk of the town once again. Episode 7, entitled The Force Awakens is sweeping the box office by storm. So, perhaps it is wise to return to the year 1977 to look at the first film: A New Hope.
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A Tribute to the Late Roger Ebert
Dark CityApril 8, 2013As most of you probably already know, Roger Ebert passed away last Thursday after a bout with cancer at the age of 70. If there is such a thing as a superstar movie reviewer, Ebert would be it. Since the 1960s he reviewed films for the Chicago Sun Times and spent years bringing motion pictures to his audience through his television programs which featured his iconic two thumbs up rating system. Though I did not always agree with his opinions, he had the amazing knack of reaching both knowledgeable film experts and the ordinary moviegoer. As a tribute to this gargantuan movie expert, I will highlight three films that he loved during my next three articles.
