Review: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Reinvents the Superhero Narrative Perfectly

Scene from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

With over a half dozen superhero movies released annually, it does seem difficult to answer such a simple question: what makes someone a hero? It takes an act of bravery for sure, but most films feature familiar archetypes fighting supernatural forces more than getting to the heart of how the person watching the film could ever imagine themselves on screen. It's exactly what makes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse so revolutionary and one of the quintessential superhero films of the decade. It isn't just that the animation pushes the boundaries of conventional CGI, but that it manages to find the humanity within the style and bring something new to something oh so familiar.

Theory Thursday: "Wild At Heart" is Overrated

Laura Dern

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. 

The First "Snowden" Trailer Has Lots of Action and Little Drama

Scene from Snowden

The last that we heard about director Oliver Stone's Snowden was that it got pulled from last Fall's release schedule in favor of an early 2016 one. Then, through some good signs, the film was moved yet again to Fall 2016. With many already anticipating the film's politically charged subject as being an Oscar contender, the first trailer hits with a certain anticipation. Can the director behind such provocative films as JFK and Born on the Fourth of July deliver a prescient tale of the downsides of NSA and American security? The answer isn't very clear still, but at least it looks like maybe it will be upbeat and fun. The first trailer looks to be very action oriented, so at very least this won't be the Snowden story that we're expecting, for better or worse.

Ranking the Oscar-Nominated Coppolas

Left to right: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Coppola, and Francis Ford Coppola 

With The Oscars only two days away, it feels like a good time to look back on the rich tapestry that is Oscar history. While many will be thankful to have one Oscar win, there seems to be a new set of standards if your last name is Coppola. Along with spouses such as David Shire, Spike Jonze, and Patricia Arquette winning awards, the direct family seems to have a certain precedent for winning big ever since Francis Ford Coppola hit the scene with his screenplay win for Patton. While to rank every person related to the Coppolas would be an exhaustive mess, the following is an attempt to rank the direct family, of whom continues to churn out worthwhile talent (looking forward to Gia Coppola's inevitable nomination). While there's no bad family member, it will definitely look pretty bad if one of them doesn't have an Oscar come Thanksgiving.

Birthday Take: Nicolas Cage in "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995)

Scene from Leaving Las Vegas

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Oliver Stone's "Snowden" Release Date is Delayed

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

There's an off chance that you were probably excited about the upcoming release of director Oliver Stone's Snowden biopic. With the date scheduled for Christmas Day, the story would follow the life of the notorious Edward Snowden, as played by Joseph Gordon Levitt. With a strong cast, it looked to be one of the most promising films of the Fall season. Even with a lackluster teaser trailer, it could have been something particularly great as sticking with the director's best work. However, the wait will be a little longer now, as Stone has announced that there will be a delay to the film. Is this good or bad? Nothing is sure yet.

The First Trailer for "Snowden" Promises Disarray Without Any Substance

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It seems like 2015 will be the year that Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a lot of Oscar-winning figures. Most specifically, people who were the main subjects of Best Documentary winners. With The Walk's first trailer in recent memory, it's time for the other, arguably bigger one. Following this year's Best Documentary winner Citizenfour, director Oliver Stone is back to his old political ways with a film chronicling the life of the notorious Edward Snowden. Is he a patriot? Well, we'll get Stone's impression pretty soon. For now, we have the first trailer that at least suggests some form of patriotism.

Review: 'Joe' is an Engrossing Return to Form for Green and Cage

Left to right: Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan

If there is something that can be said about director David Gordon Green, it is that he's been rather inconsistent. Starting off as a strong, promising director with films like George Washington, he seemed set to become one of the modern greats before sidetracking into abysmal comedies such as Your Highness. When all seemed lost, the brief stint of poor decisions paved the way for essentially his second coming. Then along came Joe, which may be his most enjoyably powerful and authentic film in seven years. To say the least, the Green that you love is back with a strong reminder of his skill at portraying rural characters with complex emotions.