A24 A-to-Z: #55. "Woodshock" (2017)

Scene from Woodshock

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Review: "The Beguiled" Brilliantly Captures The Contradictive Nature of Men

Scene from The Beguiled

In theory, The Beguiled is a war movie. For starters, it takes place during the Civil War and features a Union soldier injuring himself on Confederate soil. What follows is a moment of hospitality wrapped up in a tense psychological war. Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell) is being cured by a secluded school for women, all of whom have varying reactions to his presence. While it's a simple story on its surface, it's a far more complex story underneath the surface. It isn't just the story of two sides hating each other, but also the struggles between men and women, as well as a deeper personal attraction. Director Sofia Coppola turns in one of her best directed movies by making every character into predators, waiting to pounce. The only question becomes who will attack first, and for what cause. It may be a Civil War movie, but the war at hand is anything but civil.

Sofia Coppola's "The Beguiled" Takes Gorgeous Vengeance in the First Trailer

Scene from The Beguiled

In a time of remake culture, it would have to take a pretty good filmmaker to turn old text into something new and inspired. Leave it to director Sofia Coppola to take The Beguiled and find a spin on the Clint Eastwood original. With the release of the first trailer, it presents a cryptic look into the world of the film. With a great female cast (and Colin Farrell), it looks to present a reversal on the damsel in distress story by pitting a man against some vengeful women. While there's little offered beyond a vengeful slur, it's still great to have Coppola back, and producing a film that looks really good.

Theory Thursday: "Spider-Man 2" is the Best Superhero Movie

Scene from Spider-Man 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.