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Reviews

(Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)

‘Hawkeye’ hits the mark: season 1 review

By Jack Deegan | Jan. 2

Marvel Studios’ newest show “Hawkeye” has come to a close with the season finale, which aired on Dec. 23. The series centers around the titular Hawkeye aka Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), who is drawn out of retirement and therefore must go away from his family during Christmas. Clint is forced to partner with his biggest fan, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), after she is caught in a criminal conspiracy regarding his dark past as the assassin Ronin. There’s also a dog that eats pizza, and what more could you want?

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(Photo courtesy of Imdb)

‘Encanto’ review: Latest Disney film teaches us to live authentically

By Lea Pichardo | Dec. 22

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ released its newest animated feature “Encanto” in theaters on Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Day. The movie lived up to every expectation I had. “Encanto” is refreshingly comedic while also powerful, serving as a reminder that the act of storytelling is intrinsic to living a good life because stories can remind us of what is truly important.

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(Photo Courtesy of Kingrichardfilm.com)

‘King Richard’ review: Will Smith delivers as the passionate father of Venus and Serena Williams

By Nick Delvescovo | Dec. 22

“King Richard” was released in theaters on Nov. 19 as well as on HBO Max the same day. It was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, the unconventional but determined coach and father of the legendary tennis sister duo, Venus and Serena Willams, played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, respectively. The film additionally features Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal and Tony Goldwyn. “King Richard” is a delightful movie that follows Richard Williams and his ultimate plan of making his daughters into “the next two Michael Jordans.”

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(Photo courtesy of Apple Music)

‘Music of the Spheres’ review: Coldplay’s stellar new album will take you into space

By Stephanie Afemeku | Dec. 22

Coldplay did it again with their new album called “Music of the Spheres,” a space-themed pop record filled with songs about their fictional system called the Spheres. Released on Oct. 15, the album was inspired by the “Star Wars” movies, according to lead singer Chris Martin. Space music is one of the best types of music to listen to when you want to de-stress and have fun. Each of their songs has a meaning to it that makes up a part of the Spheres.

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(Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures)

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is Marvel’s Multiversal Masterpiece

By Jack Deegan | Dec. 21

After years of buildup, the final movie in Marvel Studios’ first Spider-Man trilogy is here with “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This movie takes place immediately after the previous film, and follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as his identity is revealed to the whole world. In an attempt to fix this problem, Peter goes to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help, but after a botched spell, things only get worse as villains from throughout the multiverse threaten their reality.

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(Photo courtesy of A24 Film)

‘C’mon C’mon’ Review: One of the Best Films of 2021

By Nick Delvescovo | Dec. 15

“C’mon C’mon,” released on Nov. 19th, is the newest A24 film directed by Mike Mills. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann and Woody Norman. “C’mon C’mon” follows Phoenix's character Johnny, a radio host who interviews children across the country on their views of the future. When Johnny’s sister has to take care of her ex-husband, who is dealing with mental health issues, she appoints Johnny to watch Jesse, her 9 year old son. This film tackles loss, complex family relationships, and gives an insightful view of how kids view the world and how hard it can be to feel misunderstood.

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(Photo courtesy of imdb)

‘House of Gucci’ review: full of talent, great historical fashion

By Maia Venuti | Dec. 1

“House of Gucci” is the newest release from director Ridley Scott and the crime-drama is based on a true story, telling the tale of the relationship and tragic murder of Maurizio Gucci by his wife, Patrizia Reggiani. The cast consists of exclusively a-list celebrities, with Lady Gaga and Adam Driver starring as Patrizia and Maurizio respectively, but the film also showcases actors such as Jeremy Irons in the role of Rodolfo Gucci, Al Pacino in the role of Aldo Gucci and Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci.

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(Photo courtesy of Twitter @AGpodcast)

What We’re Listening To: ‘Anything Goes’ with Emma Chamberlain

By Sara Nigro | Nov. 25

“Anything Goes,” the podcast hosted by YouTube personality Emma Chamberlain, has been and continues to be a popular form of entertainment for young people across the globe. The 20-year-old influencer has become well known for her honesty and relatability that she translates to her viewers through her multiple platforms. She gained her following after starting her YouTube channel in May 2017 and since then has branched out to create a series on Instagram Reels, her own coffee brand and her highly-rated podcast “Anything Goes.”

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(Photo courtesy of IMDB)

‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ does justice to the original while keeping things fresh

By Nick Delvescovo | Nov. 23

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” released in theaters on Nov. 19th and was directed by Jason Reitman, who is the son of Ivan Reitman, the director and producer of the original two “Ghostbusters” films. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” stars Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon. The film follows the family of Egon Spangler, the former Ghostbuster played by Harold Ramis who unfortunately passed away in 2014. The Spangler family moves onto their grandfather’s old farm as they uncover the secret past of their seemingly normal small town in Oklahoma. 

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Taylor Swift transforms ‘Red’ track, ‘All Too Well,’ into a short film, releases ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’

By Chelsie Derman | Nov. 14

Taylor Swift is known for her storytelling. From her high school romance tale in “You Belong With Me” to her three-part “Teenage Love Triangle” with “Cardigan,” “August” and “Betty” (all songs from her eighth studio album, “Folklore''), her songs are always more than just melodies. Swift revises her beautifully-crafted songs yet again in “Red (Taylor’s Version),” which was released on Nov. 12.

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‘Antlers’ may lack in its story but not in its monster

By Nick Delvescovo | Nov. 14

“Antlers,” which was released on Oct. 15, was directed by Scott Cooper. This film was pretty heavily anticipated because of its credited Guillermo del Toro production. It follows a teacher in a small town in Oregon as she and her brother, the local sheriff, start to uncover rumors about local disappearances and deaths from a mythological deer creature. 

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‘Spencer’ review: An impressive yet strange look into the struggles of Princess Diana

By Andrew Caselnova | Nov. 13

After receiving a five-minute standing ovation and overwhelming support at the Venice Film Festival this past September, Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer” premiered on Nov. 5 with high critical acclaim and audience anticipation. For those wanting a more truthful telling of the events surrounding Princess Diana’s eventual departure from royal life, “Spencer” might not live up to the anticipation. “Spencer,” as the opening shot says, is “a fable from a true tragedy,” opting for a more artistic telling of Princess Diana’s Christmas weekend at Sandringham. 

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‘Eternals’ tells a unique, beautiful story that exceeded my expectations

By Jack Deegan | Nov. 13

Marvel Studios’ newest film “Eternals” is finally here.  Directed by Academy Award winner Chloé  Zhao, the film promised to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, giving us a look at how the entire universe came to be. We focus on the Eternals, a team of ancient aliens who have secretly been living on Earth for thousands of years and swore to not interfere with humanity unless their sworn enemy, the Deviants, were involved. After an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite to stop the Deviants once more. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan and Kumail Nanjiani among others.

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‘No Time To Die’ review: A bold, beautiful send-off to Craig’s James Bond

By Ian Krietzberg | Nov. 9

With over a nearly 60-year career on film, the character of James Bond has found himself in numerous lethal situations and always seems to wander out of them, dusting off his jacket and offering a cocky sort of grin for the viewer; his invincibility has always seemed a sure thing. The franchise is too enormous to ever feel like the titular character is in any real, legitimate danger. 

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‘What If…?’ finale brings an exciting first season to a satisfying close

By Jack Deegan | Nov. 8

Marvel Studios’ anticipated animated project, “What If…?,'' aired its season finale on Wednesday, Oct. 6, wrapping up an impressive first season in a satisfying way. The Disney+ show stars Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher — an omniscient being who swore an oath to watch over the multiverse without interfering in it — who serves as the series’ narrator, guiding us through these vast new realities as we explore how major Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) moments would change if things happened differently. Wright is part of a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Hayley Atwell, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more familiar faces. 

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Squid Game S1

‘Squid Game’ review: What is the real horror of the game?

By Maia Venuti | Nov. 8

“Squid Game” is a 2021 Netflix Korean thriller and horror show that has taken the world by storm. If you are not already familiar with the show's premise, in the simplest of explanations, it is about 456 people who are all living on the brink of financial ruin. All of these people are invited to play childhood games in order to win a massive amount of money, enough to pay off all their debts as well as allow them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. The games played are all childhood games that everyone is already familiar with, having played them as children. The catch? If you  break the rules of the game, you are shot execution-style by the mysterious masked guards who help run the games. 

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‘Dune’ is a technical masterpiece with an emotional void

By Jack Deegan | Nov. 8

Dune” is the newest film from Academy Award-winning director Denis Villeneuve and promises to bring a faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name to the silver screen. Set in the year 10,191, “Dune” takes place on the desert planet of Arrakis and follows the gifted Paul  Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) who is troubled by dreams of the future and must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to stop a war and save his people. 

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