Why "Moana" is One of the Most Timely Movies of 2016

Scene from Moana

*NOTE: Spoilers for Moana

It is hard to undermine the magic of Disney and their ability to open each new movie big. The studio known for releasing quality entertainment has made almost every one of their films a guaranteed smash, especially their animated princess movies. Moana is their latest and features beautiful animation, great music, and one of their most compelling protagonists in years. While the film is enjoyable on a surface level, it's interesting to consider how the film relates to the moment of its release. It may not seem like it, but Moana is one of the most timely films of 2016 with plenty to say on xenophobia, cultural tradition, and learning to overcome prejudice. The film may be based off of an old folk tale, but it couldn't have come out at a more appropriate time. It isn't an allegory about the presidential election, but it may as well be about the modern American political climate. 

"Moana" Tops the Box Office While Beatty Covers the Bottom

Scene from Moana

It is likely that if you had family, you spent a part of this past Thanksgiving weekend seeing Disney's latest film Moana. If you didn't, you should. It's one of the most fun films of the year. Along with anticipation comes box office glory. It shouldn't be a surprise that the South Pacific princess movie debuted at number one while earning $81.1 million in North American box office alone. It also makes it the second highest grossing film to play on Thanksgiving weekend, coming a little over $10 million shy of fellow Disney film Frozen. Since Moana opened on Wednesday, it actually has quite a few oddball records to account for, including helping to solidify Disney as possessing 90% of the top 10 slots for the best three-day and five-day openings. Also after the jump, a quick look at another Oscar contender who performed very poorly this past weekend.

Best Song: 50 Songs That Should've Been Nominated

Scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Revenant" (2015)

Scene from The Revenant

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Review: "Moana" is One of the Most Fun Films of 2016

Scene from Moana

With each passing year, it becomes more difficult for Disney to keep making new iconic princesses. This is in part because of the limited supply of fairy tales that the studio has pulled from over close to a century. It makes sense then that they hit the high seas to explore South Pacific folklore in Moana: their latest musical that also features the likes of Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and reliable Disney co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin among others). By exploring a new subject matter, Disney has managed to open up their potential while delivering one of their most electric stories of the 21st century so far. With heart and humor, Moana is another gem from the studio known for going above and beyond. So say hello to one of the best Disney animated films and prepare to have a new soundtrack stuck in your head for awhile. Moana is great.

Theory Thursday: "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005) is Overrated

Scene from Mr. & Mrs. Smith

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 Trailer for "Silence" is a Gorgeous Reminder of Scorsese's Brilliance

Andrew Garfield

It must be great to be Martin Scorsese. With an infinite amount of acclaim and consideration as America’s best living director, he has capabilities that almost nobody else does. In the case of his latest film Silence, he managed to announce its release date rather recently and make it one of the year’s most anticipated films. To make matters more humorous, he threatened not to release the trailer if Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election (spoiler alert: she did). Two weeks later, the silence around Silence has broken, and it’s time to revel in the first look at a master’s latest film.

Check Out the Nominees for the 2016 Spirit Awards

Scene from Moonlight

It's that time of year again. With a little over one month of the year to go, awards season has officially launched with its first major awards ceremony. The Film Independent Spirit Awards have officially announced their nominees in all of the categories with major players like Spotlight, Jackie, and Manchester by the Sea coming out strong. The following is a list of every category and its nominees. What do you think of the results? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments and be sure to check out the ceremony on February 25: the day before Oscar Sunday. More information will be given as it develops.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Steve Jobs" (2015)

Michael Fassbender

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

A Katherine Waterston Appreciation Piece

Scene from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

This weekend marks the release of the latest movie from J.K. Rowling’s magical world: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Featuring the talents of returning director David Yates, the series serves as a prequel to the story we all know. With Eddie Redmayne as protagonist Newt Scamander, the journey looks to introduce a whole heap of new magical characters and lingo that will make fans happy. However, I would like to dedicate this entry not to the wonderful world of Rowling, but to the co-star that has had a phenomenal run over the past few years: Katherine Waterston.

Theory Thursday (Book Edition): "Prisoner of Azkaban" is the Best Harry Potter Novel

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. 

Review: "Arrival" is a Smart and Timely Film About More Than Aliens

Scene from Arrival

It is difficult to watch director Denis Villeneuve's latest Arrival and not think about the real world. This is in part because of the film's theatrical release being a few days after the 2016 American presidential election; itself a motive that feels intentional the further along the film goes. With the results leading to controversy and outrage, there's questions as to whether the world can truly come together and understand differences. This is a central piece to Arrival: a film that contradicts the alien invasion story by focusing on a more intellectual debate. Unlike this past summer's Independence Day: Resurgence, Arrival wants to better humanity. It is the perfect film for the moment as well as further proof that Villeneuve is one of modern cinema's most challenging, engaging mainstream voices. 

Check It Out: Watch Videos From The Academy's Governors Ball 2016

Jackie Chan

This past weekend, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) held their annual Governors Ball to hand out Honorary Oscars to individuals in the arts who have done superb work. This year's group featured Jackie Chan, Frederick Wiseman, Anne V. Coates, and Lynn Stalmaster along with celebrities introducing them with monologues detailing each recipient's achievements. Thanks to the fine work over at The Academy's YouTube page, you can watch highlights from the ceremony right now, including each recipient's speech as well as the introduction by AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Review: "Moonlight" Embraces the Complex Beauty of Black Lives in Exciting New Ways

Scene from Moonlight

Director Barry Jenkins has produced something magnificent with his latest film Moonlight. In an era where cutting edge cinema is often spoken about in a technical sense, he has found a way to explore it in a spiritual sense. With a story that spans three key periods of a black man's life, he has found a new and exciting way to explore the black experience through an art house gaze. With limited exception, the story of Chiron is one that is personal and captures a beauty rarely seen in American cinema. The film's title refers to the way that black skin shines in the moonlight. To say the least, few have captured it as beautifully and artfully as Jenkins has, leading to the question as to why that is. It may only be a small piece of the bigger puzzle, but it is evidence that black lives can be beautiful, even in dire circumstances.

The "Jackie" Trailer Adds a Beautiful Sense of Woe to a Tragic Story

Natalie Portman

It seems poignant that with the 2016 American presidential election almost a week old, it's time for the Oscar race to turn to its own political royalty story. Director Pablo Larrain's Jackie has been effectively receiving praise from its various festival appearances and looks to pit Oscar-winner Natalie Portman back into the Best Actress race for her role as Jackie Onassis Kennedy. The teaser produced an electric series of images that if nothing else was beautiful to look at. In the first full trailer, we get to hear Mrs. Kennedy tell her tale of woe and add context to the imagery. The results keep it locked as one of the year's most exciting releases of the Fall season.

R.I.P. Robert Vaughn (1931-2016)

Robert Vaughn

On November 11, 2016, actor Robert Vaughn died in Ridgefield, Connecticut of leukemia at the age of 83. His work was prolific and over his career he guest starred in over 200 episodes of TV. Among his biggest achievements was playing the lead character in the espionage series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and co-starring in the western The Magnificent Seven. His work garnered him an Oscar nomination for The Young Philadelphians as well as many other iconic roles. What he leaves behind is an impressive body of work that reflected his strengths as an actor capable of leading and supporting major movie stars from over the past 60 years. His work will continue to be admired and appreciated for his ability to bring depth and charisma to each and every role that he played.

Robert Redford to Retire From Acting

Robert Redford in Pete's Dragon

Robert Redford is probably one of Hollywood's most beloved actors both in front of and behind the camera. His acting career spans more than 50 years and has spawned such iconic titles as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well as Best Picture winners The Sting and Ordinary People. Still, the actor who also founded the independent film festival Sundance has come out with some sad news. He's not too far off from retirement. In fact, there's only two more films left until he says goodbye to his work in front of the camera. It's sad to hear, but his reasons for it do make plenty of sense.

Best Song: Recap of the Best and Worst Songs

Photos from the 2000 Academy Awards Ceremony of the Best Original Song nominees

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Super Delegates Bonus: Anthony Weiner in "Weiner" (2016)

Anthony Weiner

Welcome to Super Delegates Bonus. As a subsidiary of Super Delegates, the sporadic additional column is meant to explore depictions of politicians on film outside of the conventional methods of the column. This ranges from everything such as political candidates in TV movies and miniseries to real life candidates providing feedback on their pop culture representation. While not as frequent or conventional, the goal is to help provide a vaster look at politics on film as it relates to the modern election year. Join in and have some fun. One can only imagine what will be covered here.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Citizen Kane" (1941)

Scene from Citizen Kane

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Super Delegates Bonus: Richard M. Nixon in "Secret Honor" (1984)

Philip Baker Hall

Welcome to Super Delegates Bonus. As a subsidiary of Super Delegates, the sporadic additional column is meant to explore depictions of politicians on film outside of the conventional methods of the column. This ranges from everything such as political candidates in TV movies and miniseries to real life candidates providing feedback on their pop culture representation. While not as frequent or conventional, the goal is to help provide a vaster look at politics on film as it relates to the modern election year. Join in and have some fun. One can only imagine what will be covered here.

After 10 Years, "Borat" is Still a Very Nice Film

Sacha Baron Cohen

In the 21st century, has there ever been a phenomenon quite like Borat? Yes, there are many comedians who do excellent work while pranking audiences in costume, but think of the cultural impact that just one comic creation had. It was the second spin-off movie from Sacha Baron Cohen's Da Ali G Show series, which focused on Kazakhstan journalist Borat Sagdiyev as he explored the great country of America. Part of the joke can be found in the entire title, which is actually Borat: Cultural Learnings of America to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazahkstan. Yes, part of the joke was in Borat's (played by Cohen) broken English. However, it would be a definitive, ground breaking mockumentary meant to explore America's real feelings on touchy subjects. It's hilarious and 10 years later is still among the sharpest comedies ever.

Theory Thursday: "Braveheart" is Overrated

Mel Gibson

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. 

Super Delegates: Richard M. Nixon in "Nixon" (1995)

Anthony Hopkins

Welcome to Super Delegates, a bi-monthly column released on Tuesdays and are done in part to recognize politics on film, specifically in regards to Oscar-nominated works. With this being an election year in the United States, it feels like a good time to revisit film history's vast relationship with politicians of any era and determine what makes them interesting while potentially connecting them to the modern era. The series plans to run until the end of this 2016 election cycle, so stay tuned for every installment and feel free to share your thoughts on films worthy of discussion in the comments section.

The "20th Century Women" Trailer is a Delightful Look at Womanhood

Scene from 20th Century Women

Six years ago, director Mike Mills released one of the most striking LGBT comedies in recent history with Beginners. Focusing on an often ignored perspective of a father coming out as gay, he made a tender and effective story that paralleled the embrace of life with the strange news that few sons ever get to experience. To some extent, his follow-up 20th Century Women feels like his attempt to discuss his mother's life, whether pulled from personal accounts or not. The story follows a mother (Annette Bening) as she raises children in 1979 during a changing culture. From the looks of the latest trailer, it's bound to be just as charming and effective as he's always been.