Theory Thursday: "Prometheus" is Underrated

Michael Fassbender

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: "The BFG" Brings Back the Spielberg Magic That We've Been Missing

Scene from The BFG

Everyone has that moment in their lives when they first discover the magic that is Steven Spielberg. For many, it was how terrifying the water was in Jaws; or how cloning dinosaurs in Jurassic Park was a bad idea. There's an unabashed amazement that comes with realizing the potential of cinema on a grand scale with the power to produce works that wouldn't seem fathomable on anything less. For kids of today, the magic of Spielberg may seem like a thing of the past, especially with back-to-back serious dramas like War Horse, Lincoln, and last year's excellent Bridge of Spies. However, the Spielberg that brought magic to family films is back with his take on Roald Dahl in The BFG. Lead by Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill, the fantasy adventure film may not be quite as captivating as the director's finest works, but it sure is a lot of fun while taking the viewer into a new and exciting landscape that only works because of Spielberg's assurance as a director, and we're all the more better for it.

Review: "The World's End" is an Intoxicating Look at the Past, but not the Future

Simon Pegg

One of the more loathsome trends of the past few years has been the impending doom of planet Earth. While it could be seen as a chance to reflect on what makes life worth living, it does leave little inspiration for great stories. Recent examples include Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and this summer's This is the End. Both were solid tales in their own right, but leaned too heavily on the sympathetic side. While it is unfortunate that one of the most anticipated movies of the year, director Edgar Wright's The World's End, is essentially an apocalyptic tale, at least it distinguishes itself by getting plastered before going into battle.

Can "The World's End" Do the Sci-Fi Comedy Category Justice at the Oscars?

Top to Bottom: Paddy Considine, Simon Pegg, and Martin Freeman

There is this weird disconnect between Academy Awards and comedy that seems unfair. While it has improved slightly in the past decade, stories that deal with less conventional methods are most likely reduced to little or no awareness at all. Even with director Edgar Wright's latest film The World's End planning to hit the scene in America this Friday, there is little chance that it could break the mold and become one of the first British comedies not named Four Weddings and a Funeral or The Full Monty to get into the Best Picture race. Of course, summer blockbusters in general don't stand a chance, though they seem more forgiving in the Best Original Screenplay categories.

Review: Lose Yourself in the Breathtaking "Life of Pi"

Suraj Sharma

*NOTE: This review was originally published on CinemaBeach, a website dedicated to reviewing independent and independent-minded movies in the Southern California area. I review movies there every Thursday. Also, not covered in this article is the Oscar chances. I believe that this deserves many awards, including a Best Picture slot and I believe that Suraj Sharma deserves a Best Actor nomination over Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)

Social commentary has long been a component of great movies. However, commentary on spirituality is one of the least profitable, being reserved for smaller films like Red State and The Way. Religions may be practiced by over five billion people, but the box office receipts rarely reflect them as the big moneymakers. With this in mind, it is an interesting gamble to see director Ang Lee’s $100 million epic Life of Pi centered on a story that is referenced as being so incredible, it will make you believe in god. Is the CGI-heavy adaptation of Yann Martel’s best seller capable of transcending beyond believers, or is it just a beautiful piece of spiritual propaganda?