“Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation,” opens with chaos. Understaffed, overcrowded and unprepared, the festival crew is shown trying to adapt to a thunderstorm that could potentially derail the whole festival.
“Everything that could possibly go wrong was happening,” Woodstock co-creator Joel Rosenman said in the documentary. It’s one of the many moments in the film “Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation” where everything could’ve gone very wrong, but didn’t.
Instead ...
Making a movie is hard work. Making a monster movie is even harder. Making a good monster movie may be one of the hardest things to pull off in Hollywood.
Godzilla returns to theaters this weekend in “Godzilla: King of Monsters,” a follow up to its 2014 predecessor and the connector to next year’s already filmed “Godzilla vs Kong,” effectively making a “MonsterVerse.”
Following the events of “Godzilla” (2014), the sequel shifts focus to the Russell family, who lost ...
On the last day of high school, overachiever Molly (Beanie Feldstein) comes to the earth-shattering realization that it’s possible to excel in school and party. She and her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) then spend the next hour and a half of the film trying to cram four years of partying into one night, but things don’t quite go according to plan. This is the premise of “Booksmart,” actress Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut that is a heartwarming tale of friendship as well as an impressive ...
As the director of “The Descent” and “Dog Soldiers,” Neil Marshall is no stranger to tackling macabre and unearthly stories. While the “Hellboy” universe seemed like the perfect playground for him, the film is lifeless and falls flat despite the gratuitous amount of blood and gore and David Harbour’s solid performance as the titular character.
The reboot introduces us to Nimue The Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich) who was trapped for centuries and exiled, only to rise again and build ...
In August of 1819, 80,000 people rallied together at St. Peter’s Field, Manchester, in order to seek representation and reform. The peaceful demonstration soon turned into a frenzy, when the cavalry were ordered to enter and disrupt the people. This devolved into a violent massacre that led to hundreds of injuries and some deaths.
Growing up in Salford, a city in northern England, “Peterloo” director Mike Leigh was never taught this important piece of history in school.
“It’s ...
Police checkpoints and investigations of a thousand-men sting operation couldn’t stop outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, but two former Texas rangers did. Frank Hamer and Manny Gault were two highwaymen who brought an end to the criminals in 1934.
“The Highwaymen” screenwriter John Fusco described the story as having an “elegiac western quality” to it that’s reminiscent of western miniseries “Lonesome Dove” or “Ride the High Country,” but was in fact a true story.
Netflix’s “The ...
Jordan Peele shattered expectations with his directorial debut “Get Out.” Not only did it tap into the zeitgeist, but it also provided a darkly humorous and equally scary take on American race relations. In his sophomore effort, “Us,” he expands the lens of his commentary by exploring recurring conflicts within American identity.
“Us” tells the story of a family arranging a secluded getaway where they can spend time with each other on vacation. A relaxing time quickly turns into a vivid ...
In 2017, American entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule presented an exclusive weekend extravaganza on an island previously owned by Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord. Jerry Media, a successful marketing company, promised a star-filled line-up as they posted advertisements that featured Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin and other models. Tickets to the event soared up to $250,000 and sold out within 48 hours.
When festival-goers arrived to the island, however, ...
The original “How To Train Your Dragon” made huge waves when it premiered in 2010. Not only was it visually stunning, it was also emotional and action-packed, setting the bar high for its sequels. How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World marks the conclusion of Toothless and Hiccup’s (Jay Baruchel) story and it does not disappoint, boasting quality animation, fantastic flying setpieces and a strong emotional core.
The third film takes us back to Hiccup’s village, where people and dragons ...
This year’s Academy Awards ceremony is sure to be a fascinating one. With the lack of a host and the staggeringly large number of snubbed films (casualties include “Widows” and “You Were Never Really Here”), there’s definitely going to be an uproar so great, we might even hear it all the way from Hollywood to our small, private Washington D.C. university.
Here are The Eagle’s picks and predictions for who will (and who should) win the awards for some of the top categories, including: ...
“Okurrr!” Chuckles rippled throughout the theater as Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) appeared on screen, speaking to her assistant after jumping off her in-home treadmill triumphantly. The scene instantly set the tone for Henson’s sassy, strong-willed character, which was enough to leave audiences laughing while feeling a little intimidated. But despite the cast’s convincing performances and humorous attempts, the film often fell flat in places where it sought to address deeper issues in the ...
On Plymouth Island, everybody thinks they know everything, but the truth is, nobody knows anything.
“Serenity,” directed by Oscar nominee Steven Knight, stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Although it seemed to have enough originality and modernization to stand out as a unique and progressive film, the movie as a whole fell drastically short due to its bizarre and ridiculous plot line.
Advertised as a thriller, the beginning was somewhat intriguing when protagonist Baker Dill’s (McConaughey) ...
Baird directs “Stan & Ollie,” a film that chronicles the late careers of the iconic comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as they embark on their final theater tour. During the tour however, they come to realize that they’re not as popular as they used to be, nor as young and spritzy.In this film, both Stan and Ollie (played by Steve Coogan and John C Reilly respectively) have realized that audiences are no longer looking to them for comedic solace, and know other, fresher duos are taking ...
Tish and Fonny, separated by a clear window at a local jail, speak to one another on the phone. Through just a few words, their love is palpable, and through just a few glances, their separation is painful. We, as viewers, are quickly anchored to the characters. In many respects, the director, Barry Jenkins, and the lead actress, Kiki Layne, had a similar effect. As I sat across from these two Hollywood stars, I expected our interaction to have a distance comparable to that of an audience member ...
If you’ve kept up with the DC extended universe (DCEU), which, as lowly box office sales report, many of you have not -- then you are probably looking forward to James Wan’s “Aquaman” coming out this weekend.For those not keeping their thumbs on the dying pulse of Warner Bros. attempt at a cinematic universe, “Aquaman” follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as he is torn between the “surface world” and Atlantis; with a war on the horizon, he must find a sacred trident in order to stop ...
When you decide to watch a documentary about food, whether it’s a feature length piece on the industry as a whole (ala “Food, Inc.”) or an episode from Food Network’s seemingly endless supply of shows about chefs eating food at other restaurants, there’s always the expectation that you’ll at least get to look at some tantalizing shots of the meals themselves.But “Chef Flynn” is a food documentary that spends very little time dwelling on the food itself. There are no slow-motion shots ...
Directed by Steven Caple Jr, “Creed II” ties the new franchise closer to the “Rocky” series, summoning a sequel that’s tied closely to the events of the fourth “Rocky” film. In this latest installment, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is challenged by Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and his son (Florian Munteanu) to a boxing match, a fight that carries an incredible amount of baggage, for both Creed and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). This fight is an opportunity for Creed to not only ...
The simple routine that Ralph and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) have at the beginning of “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is suddenly upheaved when Ralph (John C. Reilly), the loveable and naive good-guy who is unable to avoid his destructive behavior, ends up breaking his best friend’s game.The owner of the arcade can’t afford the necessary replacement part online, so he has to scrap the game that Vanellope calls home.Ralph’s guilt leads him to abandon the familiarity of the arcade and traverse ...
What is the power of influence over film?I can still recall with amazing clarity when I first saw Faye Dunaway’s devious smile in the classic “Bonnie and Clyde.” There is also Warren Beatty donning his handsome mug and plenty of violence and gore to knock the socks off any movie-going audience. That film focuses on two criminals who fall in love while pulling off a series of ever-escalating and audacious heists, while also exploring themes of sexuality, criminality, and identity.“El Ángel,” ...
Jason Reitman’s latest film tells the true story of Senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman), who was embroiled in a controversy regarding an extramarital affair while running for the Presidency in 1988. The film covers the three weeks from when the information reaches the press, to when he eventually drops out of the race. “The Frontrunner” however never has anything to say, and just lets the story unfold without ever divulging anything interesting.The film is undeniably topical, and asks the question ...
