Review: "Toy Story 4" Finds Great Reasons to Exist

Scene from Toy Story 4

In spite of being one of the most beloved family franchises for 24 years, Toy Story 4 has been put in an interesting position. It's the first to be met with strong skepticism. Why does there need to be another entry when Toy Story 3 wrapped everything up in a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning, billion-dollar grossing bow? It's a fair assessment, especially as Pixar has made plenty of sequels that audiences don't love that much over the past nine years. However, that's arguably the greatest piece of marketing that this film could have ever wished for. The latest film, which also features breath-taking animation, is all about the sense of reaching that point when all hope seems lost; when your use has been used up. In spite of being a film that feels inessential, it's actually one of the best fourth entries in a franchise since Mad Max: Fury Road as well as evidence that there's so much more to explore in the talking toys genre than we ever thought there could be.

Theory Thursday: "Toy Story 2" is Pixar's Best Movie

Scene from Toy Story 2

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

A Look at Oscar-Nominated "Saturday Night Live" Cast Members

This Sunday marks a particularly special anniversary in American comedy. In a large special, Saturday Night Live will be celebrating its 40th anniversary not only as a pop culture making TV show, but for spawning some of the finest entertainers of the modern era. While it wouldn't seem too common, there is a little bit of an overlap between this lengthy sketch show and the Oscars. While there haven't been any winners, there have been quite a fair share of nominees. The following is a tribute to those names who managed to exceed the trapping of sketch comedy to produce some of the finest and most prestigious content in film history.