Written by Anthony Watkins

Imagine being viciously mauled by a grizzly bear in the nineteenth century American wilderness and then helplessly watching one of your fellow trappers murder your son before your eyes and leave you for dead. This is the brutal premise for The Revenant (2015), the latest film from Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman, 2014).
 
In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Hugh Glass, whose real-life experience in the uncharted American wilderness is brought to breathtaking life by Inarritu. The film was shot entirely on location with natural lighting in frigid temperatures in Canada and Argentina. This gives the film a strong authentic element that is lacking in many survival pictures. Inarritu, who is known for his long shots in last year’s Best Picture winner Birdman, continues his aesthetic in The Revenant. Consistently throughout the film, his camera glides effortlessly through the uneven and jagged wilderness while the characters on screen struggle to walk and climb through the brutal elements. In addition to being shot on location in subzero temperatures, the realism of the film is accentuated by moments where the characters’ (even the bear’s) breath fogs up the camera lens and where blood or water droplets are splattered on the lens. These moments make you genuinely feel like you are participating in the narrative with the characters and thus are powerfully utilized by Inarritu throughout the film. Finally, the signature bear attack scene on DiCaprio in The Revenant will undoubtedly go down as the one of the most realistic attack scenes ever put on film, as Innaritu studied hundreds of bear attacks to deliver the genuine movements and physics of an attack on a human. 

While watching The Revenant, you will quickly discover there is a strong focus on nature, as Inarritu’s camera frequently captures the stillness and swaying of trees, streams flowing, and the elegance but savagery of weather through long shots. These shots juxtapose Glass’s brutal condition and situation as he struggles to survive and make his way back to his camp. The film’s themes of betrayal, revenge, and family are also brought to life by these nature shots, which show off the indifference and harshness of the elements in relation to humans.
 
Besides the stunning cinematography and beautiful camerawork, The Revenant also sports strong performances, particularly from DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. In several interviews, DiCaprio stated that this was by far his toughest film, as he had to be out in the raw elements for filming. Being a vegetarian, DiCaprio also noted that catching and eating real fish and other meat was a challenge he had to overcome. Throughout the film, he gives a dedicated performance and fully immerses himself in Hugh Glass’s character, almost being unrecognizable in certain scenes. Hardy also delivers another strong performance as a formidable antagonist who is selfish and unyielding in his own motivations. 

The Revenant is a new brand of film, one that strictly relies on and adheres to authenticity to maximize the viewing experience for audiences. In a similar fashion to the harsh environment, the film doesn’t hold back on violence or graphic content, as Inarritu wanted to deliver a visceral experience for viewers. From breathtaking cinematography and smooth long shots to the strong performances to the sharp realism aesthetic, The Revenant also manages to incorporate philosophical elements about fate and redemption. The film is certainly worthy of its 12 Oscar nominations and may just finally land DiCaprio his first Academy Award. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I certainly recommend checking this Best Picture nominee out.   

By Megan Hess

Although the general concept of "Cool Girl:" the gorgeous, unruffled woman who loves junk food and video game marathons  appears less often in its full form, many cinematic heroines embody concepts of "Cool Girl." Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), aka Black Widow, the token female in the MCU Avengers team before the introduction of Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron (Whedon 2015) has elements of "Cool Girl" in Avengers (Whedon 2012) and Captain America: Winter Soldier (Russo 2014). She starts her first scene in Avengers in a sexy black dress, tied to a chair while being interrogated by a group of older Russian men, and ends the scene by incapacitating all of them, proving she can keep up with the boys and still look hot - a classic "Cool Girl" quality. Romanoff also portrays the emotional laissez-faire of Cool Girls. For example, in Avengers, she hears the news that her best friend and teammate Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) has been compromised, and barely reacts. Her spy training could take credit for her lessened emotional response  - she doesn't want to let her feelings get in the way of completing the mission - , but it's also a part of her "Cool Girl" role. Unlike other "Cool Girls," Romanoff does not act that way for romantic reasons, but as a bonding mechanism; for the team to function appropriately, she needs to be "just one of the guys." Thankfully, Avengers: Age of Ultron humanizes Romanoff, and she becomes much less a "Cool Girl" and more a well-rounded female character. (Romanoff is really more of a femme fatale than a "Cool Girl," anyway. )

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In "Is the 'Cool Girl' the New 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'?" Chris Osterndorf speculates about whether Flynn's "Cool Girl" will rise to cinematic prominence  like Nathan Rabin's term for the eccentric beauties who improve the mediocre lives of their mopey male companions in Garden State (Braff 2004), Elizabethtown (Crowe 2005), and other similar films. (For a more in-depth look at the trope: http://www.cinemablography.org/manic-pixie-dream-girl.html) He certainly brings up an interesting question, and only time will tell the result. In the meantime, screenwriters should focus on continuing to portray the wide array of options for women, not only the "Cool Girl." 

Works Cited
Osterndorf, Chris. "Is the "Cool Girl" the New "Manic Pixie Dream Girl?" The Daily Dot. 18 July 2014. Web. 17 Feb 2016. 

Written by Emmanuel Gundran

Hollywood has disappointed video game fans time and time again over the years. Films such as Super Mario Bros. (Morton and Jenkel 1993), Bloodrayne (Boll 2005), and Hitman: Agent 47 (Bach 2015) were critical and box-office bombs that disappointed fans and bored audiences. Problems fans have had with Hollywood's video game adaptations range from straying too far from the source material to nonsensical action sequences and unnecessary easter eggs. For these issues and more, fans have taken their own initiative to make proper video game adaptations.

One practice among video game-based fan films is to take the story from the original source material and adapt it to film. Some films rely on the main story of the original game to carry the adaptation's story. Eddie Lebron's Mega Man (2010), based on the popular Capcom game franchise, is a film that adapts a game's story and characters to the narrative medium while also developing the protagonist's motives and relationships with other characters and humanizing the antagonist.

Mega Man, both the game and its live-action adaptation, follows the story of Rock, a personal robot assistant, who wants to find his purpose in life after being built by Dr. Thomas Light, a robotics expert he considers his father. When Light's former colleague Dr. Wily rebels and steals Light's robots to conquer the world, Rock feels a sense of justice, re-purposes himself as a fighting robot, now dubbed Mega Man, and challenges Wily and his robots. The source material is straight-forward in presenting its story, with the player as Mega Man, traveling from level to level destroying Wily's robots until they reach Wily himself; while the film does show Mega Man fighting Wily's robots it takes its time with character development and build-up. Before we see him find his true purpose, we watch Rock aimlessly wandering Dr. Light's house, questioning his role as Light's personal assistant and wondering if it's actually meaningful. Meanwhile, Wily broods on his being let go from Dr. Light's latest project and wanting to take back the media spotlight which he believes Light has stolen.

Meanwhile, other filmmakers may take a radical approach to the video game source material they're working with. Take, for example, Mario Warfare (2014), a web series created by the YouTube film-making group Beat Down Boogie, which takes the Super Mario Bros. franchise by Nintendo and re-imagines the classic Super Mario Bros. story formula with a Call of Duty-esque setting and style, gun and fist-slinging action, and mature, referential humor. Though the series is not entirely faithful to its source material, it is enjoyable enough and aware of its source material that fans enjoy it much more than the hollywood-made Super Mario Bros. (1993). 

Video game fan films posted online are vastly unique from their Hollywood counterparts because directors have the freedom to do what they want with the source material without worrying too much about mass appeal. Some directors can choose to make faithful adaptations of their favorite video game franchises to live out their dream of seeing it on the big screen while others take different artistic approaches to the source material. As long as Hollywood continues to search for a success in the video game film genre, fans will continue to cling to the Internet and fellow video game fans for the films that they want to see.

Written by Cayce Bower

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin,  T.J. Miller, and Ed Skrein


​Director: Tim Miller


Oh, hello there! I bet you are wondering, “Just how good or bad was this Deadpool movie?” Well, there are certainly different opinions about this, but I am attempting to give it a good, honest review. I found it to be very well done, and I was entertained all the way through to the very end of the credits.


As a mild comic book reader and a big fan of Deadpool, I went into the theater knowing full well what kind of movie it was going to be (but you should also be able to figure it out from watching the movie trailers).The character Deadpool is traditionally a mercenary, with morals just about as low as one can have. He is sadistic, and by no means your typical superhero, as he himself explains during the film. Speaking of that, he also “breaks the fourth wall” quite a bit. 

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It is rated R for a reason. This movie contains an abundance of violence, blood, language, crude humor, and has some nudity as well. It has a darker feel than your average superhero movie, and that is what the filmmakers intended.

*Spoilers Ahead*


Keeping in mind that this story is not told linearly, here is a somewhat brief synopsis: Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a thug/mercenary-type guy that is good at what he does. He ends up falling in love with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and is basically living his dream, until he becomes diagnosed with cancer throughout his body. After hearing about a hospital-like place that could heal him, he is introduced to Ajax (Ed Skrein) who holds Wade captive while experimenting on him, attempting to make him a mutant - a human with supernatural abilities. He becomes horribly scarred, develops his healing-factor, and escapes desiring vengeance on Ajax as well as hoping he’ll be able to undo Wade’s disfigurement. He begins tracking down Ajax, and in doing so dons a costume and his signature katana swords, becoming Deadpool. Eventually teaming up with fellow mutants and members of the X-Men, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (who by the way, has an awesome name), he fights Ajax and his soldiers in a desperate battle of life-or-death. 


Now like I said, this is not told linearly. Deadpool narrates this story à la the style of his narration in the comic books. This means that there are multiple flashbacks, interruptions by himself, and so on. It can be very confusing if you are not familiar with that style of storytelling, but I think most people should be able to follow along just fine.

As far as movie adaptations of comic books go, this film is near the top of the list in terms of accuracy. Most fans of the ‘Merc With The Mouth’ (as he is so lovingly called) were outraged at 20th Century Fox Studio’s previous attempt at the Deadpool character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Hood, 2009), and rightly so. In that film, Wade Wilson became a conglomeration of multiple other mutants’ powers, and the worst of it all was that his mouth was sown shut, taking away some of his key characteristics. Now, with the events of the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past (Singer, 2014), Fox was able to right their wrongs with Deadpool and remake the Deadpool character the way he is supposed to be. 


I felt that the acting was remarkable, at least when it needed to be. I did not find any of the acting in this film to be bad, or even fair. Now, I know, not every part in this movie required exceptional acting, like the part of Weasel (T.J. Miller) but I still think he played his part well. Ryan Reynolds in particular nailed it, from the humorous mannerisms and voice imitations that are so characteristic of Deadpool, to the more serious feelings of love, loss, and hatred that his part also required. I have only seen Reynolds act in a handful of films, but I think his performance in Deadpool was quite exceptional. And because they never get enough credit for these things, here is a shoutout to the writers for providing a glorious screenplay.

The CGI in this film was very well done, too. With the multiple instances of gunfire, decapitations, and of course, Colossus’ skin, the editors did a wonderful job. And those are just a few uses of CGI that stand out in this film. I mean, someone had to do the tedious work of animating the eyeholes of Deadpool’s mask so his face would not be expressionless like a certain Lord of the Sith in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, (Lucas, 1977). (I know, I know. I tried to be subtle with that reference.)


If you have no problems with the content, I highly recommend watching this film. It is very exciting, and is a superhero - I mean, antihero - movie that you won’t want to miss!

Written by Megan Hess

When people called Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller, 2015) “explosive,”  they weren’t just referring to the film’s literal explosions.
While Mad Max: Fury Road, the latest installment in the Mad Max franchise, has the same, if not similar, look as its predecessors, it achieved a different feel by tweaking the rules financially successful action movies traditionally follow.
For one, George Miller relegated his titular character to sidekick status. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) still gets his name on the marquee, but it’s not his movie this time around. Instead, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives (literally) most of the film. Along with downstaging Max, Mad Max: Fury Road has a more nuanced plot and deeper, more resonant themes than its cohorts. Its central plotline - in a post-apocalyptic society, a disabled woman rescues other women from sex slavery - provokes discussions about autonomy and empowerment. Many call it a “feminist” movie. But, despite assuming the feminist label himself - “I’ve gone from being very male dominant to being surrounded by magnificent women. I can’t help but be a feminist” (Rich) - Miller has not been so direct about whether Mad Max:Fury Road is or is not a ‘feminist’ film.  “Initially,” (italics mine), he said at a Cannes press conference in 2015 “there wasn’t a feminist agenda.” (Pantozzi). This vague statement only leaves things more open.
 Miller hasn’t taken a stance, but his colleague, prominent feminist icon Eve Ensler, has. Best known for writing the play The Vagina Monologues, Ensler has written about and worked to prevent violence against women for years through her “global activist movement” V-Day (Ensler).  Miller had her consult on the film in order to ensure an accurate depiction of the hardships his female characters faced. During an interview with TIME magazine, Ensler stated, “I think George Miller is a feminist, and he made a feminist action film” (Dockterman). 

When viewing Mad Max: Fury Road through a feminist lens, it becomes a simple feminist allegory cloaked in jarring detonations: women push back against the status quo engineered to keep them down, and the patriarcy makes an attempt to “right” the disrupted world order. Mad Max: Fury Road fits not only the traditional definition of feminism - political, social, and economic equality for both sexes - but also the definition of intersectional feminism. While the second-wave feminism, which kickstarted the modern feminist movement, catered mostly to white, middle-class, heterosexual, American, women, intersectional feminism concerns itself with women of all countries, classes, races, and sexualities. It also seeks to get male participation in feminist efforts.
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  Mad Max: Fury Road shows intersectional feminism at work. By enslaving his young, beautiful, wives, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) keeps them second-class citizens, canceling out the health, youth, and beauty they possess - traits that would give them power and status were they allowed to mingle with society. When Furiosa frees them, they’re grateful to have someone who treats them as people, not possessions - as Riley Keogh’s character, Capable, says, “We are not things!”  - and follow her willingly, despite her missing limb. The wives react similarly when they meet the surviving members of Furiosa’s clan. Instead of seeing the women as less capable due to their advanced ages, they recognize how their wealth of experience can benefit their cause.

Throughout the film, Max works with Furiosa as a partner. She doesn’t forbid him to participate because of his gender, or claim superiority. He, in turn, doesn’t patronize or condescend her, or challenge her authority because he sees her as lesser, and extends the same common courtesy to the film’s other females. Max also serves as a good intersectional feminist role model for men because he never acts entitled to receive sexual favors from Furiosa or the wives as compensation for his assistance, and never makes unwanted sexual advances on a woman. In fact, Max never makes any sexual advances. He proves that women and men can just be friends and\or work together without things becoming physical.
Feminist or not, Mad Max: Fury Road displays the simplicity of intersectional feminism. Men and women putting aside their differences to work together for the betterment of all involved, which doesn’t seem surprising or revolutionary - nor should it. In Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller suggests if the characters can accomplish this feat in their post-apocalyptic environment while pursued by an army of diseased men loyal to a dying tyrant, then the film’s audiences can also apply intersectional feminist principles to their (considerably more mundane) lives.
 
Works Cited
 Dockterman, Eliana “Vagina Monologues Writer Eve Ensler : How Mad Max: Fury Road Became a Feminist Action Film.” TIME. TIME, INC. 7 May 2015. Web. 18 Dec. 2015 http://time.com/3850323/mad-max-fury-road-eve-ensler-feminist/
Ensler, Eve. “About Eve.” n.p. n.d. Web. 4 Jan 2015. http://www.eveensler.org/about-eve/
Pantozzi, Jill. “Mad Max: Fury Road’s George Miller: “Initially, There Wasn’t a Feminist Agenda.” The Mary Sue. Abrams Media. 15 May 2015.
http://www.themarysue.com/mad-max-fury-road-feminist-agenda/
Rich, Katey. Mad Max: Fury Road Director George Miller: “I Can’t Help but Be a Feminist.” Vanity Fair. Condè Nast. 14 May 2015. Web. 20 December 2015. http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/mad-max-fury-road-george-miller-interview
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