R.I.P. John Singleton (1968-2019)

John Singleton

On April 28, 2019, director and producer John Singleton passed away at the age of 51 in Los Angeles, California. As a resident of Los Angeles for most of his life, his films reflected the interests of urban cultures and lead to many iconic films such as Poetic Justice and Higher Learning. Among his greatest achievements was his work on his directorial debut Boyz n the Hood, which saw him at 24 earn a Best Director Oscar nomination. This helped to make him the youngest person nominated for the category as well as the first African American nominated in the category. He leaves behind an inspiring body of work, if just because of his passion for promoting black stories and creating a society that welcomes sharing authentic stories regardless of what the studios think. His ability to form a lasting career is itself an incredible achievement and makes him a unique talent within the industry. He leaves behind a massive body of work that is inimitable and influential front to back.

Review: "Avengers: Endgame" Gives the Long Goodbye in Beautiful, Messy Ways

Scene from Avengers: Endgame

If the marketing is to be believed, the impact of Avengers: Endgame is a once in a generation achievement. Over the course of 22 movies, Marvel has built a cinematic universe that has come to redefine modern pop culture and turned such esoteric properties as Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel into major icons. It's also the stick in the mud that isn't going anywhere, which can be tiresome for those not willing to put up with its three movies-a-year regiments. In fact, there's another film a few months away (Spider-Man: Far From Home) that zaps the film of certain suspense. With Disney+ also promising a half-dozen shows of various B-Level characters, what is there really to get out of Endgame that warrants it of the major acclaim and billion dollar-opening weekend?

In one sense, Endgame isn't the long goodbye that audiences are promised. Avengers: Infinity War wasn't a moment that killed off half of the cast. How could it? Black Panther was a cultural milestone in the entire superhero genre. To kill off such beloved characters (in a more cynical sense: cash cows) feel foolish. It will take years, maybe even decades (or a century) for these characters to lose their appeal. The weight of supervillain Thanos rings hollow in that way, as audiences are used to these characters surviving impossible feats. While it's true that this isn't a goodbye for 80% of characters that appear in Endgame, those that meet their end do so with the bravura that only a franchise that's existed for 11 years could achieve. Not since Harry Potter has something so weird and genre-specific culminated in something of a miracle. For the 20% that are now in the past, this film serves as a loving tribute not only to what The Avengers means as a franchise but the sacrifices that come with being a superhero.

Review: "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" Has A Few Moments of Brilliance Worthy of Its Subject

Jonathan Pryce

For director Terry Gilliam, the film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has long been a quixotic task that there was a documentary made about its failure... in 2002. The film's mythic failure to ever be made properly makes the final product feel all the more like a miracle. After several false starts and financial conflicts, the film finally hit the big screen last year with a premiere at Cannes and a slow rollout internationally. While it was made, the thought of seeing it publicly was put into question due to Gilliam's bad luck. In that sense, the film is a success for even landing stateside on V.O.D. platforms. Thankfully, it's mostly an entertaining romp that pays homage to one of literature's greatest "heroes." Oddly enough, it also pays tribute to Gilliam's tendency for self-indulgence in both good and bad ways. It's more than a miracle that it got made, but it feels like another niche release from the kooky auteur.

A Look at The Oscars' New Rules

It has been a while since the fallout of the 91st Academy Awards. With many still mulling over the winners (notably the controversial Best Picture winner Green Book), it's important to look forward to what the future provides. In this case, Academy President John Bailey has released an annual change to the many voting rules for the 92nd Academy Awards. In almost every case, the rule changes are actually fairly exciting and look promising to the bigger picture. Whether it's changing the name of Best Foreign Film to Best International Film, or adding more nominees to Best Hair and Make-Up, the changes at least put the upcoming year on a more optimistic track and will hopefully embody a smoother year for all involved.