The Hero Gotham Deserves

by Sophia Caneira ’29 on October 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

The Dark Knight Trilogy Review

Boy, do I wish I had been born in 2005 when Christopher Nolan gave us the gift of Batman Begins. Nolan’s next stab at the Batman franchise came in 2008 with The Dark Knight, but I think most people would agree that a one-year-old is a little too young to watch Heath Ledger’s stunning performance as the Joker. The first time I watched these films—as well as the third installment, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)—was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when family movie nights became a daily ritual instead of a Fridays-only event. It’s easy, I think, to fall in love with Nolan’s films, especially when the Caped Crusader himself is involved. Nolan’s take on DC Comic’s Batman still holds up in the modern day and his trio of films are widely considered to be the best superhero movies of all time.

The Dark Knight trilogy is one of my favorite movie series of all time for many reasons, from the story and acting to the cinematography, but one of the most crucial elements of this series is its score. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard created an unforgettable theme that surrounds and defines the character that is, and the movies that are, Batman. These films would not be the same without the music that creates such emotional and gritty moments in an already beautiful story.

Another strength of these movies is their casts. Christian Bale stars as the main character, who he remarkably portrays as three different personas: the charismatic, lazy, womanizing Bruce Wayne that Gotham is familiar with; the introverted, principled Wayne that serves as a foil and that we only see behind closed doors; and the persona of Batman, who is neither hero nor villain. Michael Caine plays Alfred, Wayne’s father figure and his voice of reason. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, who, in a way, makes Batman who he is. Without Fox’s loyalty and wealth of resources, Wayne would not be able to maintain secrecy, nor would he be able to jump off of rooftops and arrive in style with the tumbler that, thankfully, does come in black.

In the second installment, The Dark Knight, the most notable performance is Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker. His use of method acting creates a character who is very real onscreen. His mannerisms—the way he licks his lips when he talks, his hand gestures, his iconic voice and laugh—make his character frightening and very convincing. I also thought Harvey Dent’s (quite literally) two-faced character was a great inclusion of a well-known comic book icon.

Batman has duality because he swings between hero and villain. He is not concretely one or the other, which makes him a compelling character. In The Dark Knight, we find him somewhere in between. Especially in the second installment of the trilogy, morality is a major concept and is debated between Batman and the Joker. The film, at times, is more like a psychological thriller than a superhero movie, exploring the ages-old ideas of good and evil through unconventional means. Gotham is used as a character in and of itself and serves as a microcosm for humanity.

One minor criticism I have for the second film is the actor change for the character Rachel Dawes. Originally, in Batman Begins, Dawes’ character is played by Katie Holmes, whose performance I really enjoyed. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the same character in The Dark Knight is still notable, but I felt she didn’t have as much chemistry with Bale’s Wayne than Holmes did. However, this is a relatively minor detail, and with actor consistency aside, there’s not much to complain about. The entire cast, every character, brings value to the film and how the story unfolds.

The Dark Knight is directed by Nolan, who created all three installments of the Bale trilogy in addition to other critically acclaimed films such as Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and, most recently, Oppenheimer (2023). Personally, I love Nolan’s direction. The style he uses in all of his films, with unexpected twists and turns, is evident here. He creates a film that is not only enjoyable for Batman fans and superhero-genre enthusiasts, but also for a majority of diverse audience members. Although my personal favorite of the Bale trilogy is probably the third installment, The Dark Knight Rises, the entire trilogy is certainly a work of cinematic art, sculpted by only the best talents in acting, directing, writing, and editing.

Evil Dead II: A Look Back on One of The Best Comedic Horror Movies

by Luca DeLucia ’28 on October 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

The Halloween season brings a multitude of different films that appeal to different audiences as the world once again gets into the spirit of the season. There are so many different ways to get into the spirit of Halloween. There’s always the classic thriller like Halloween (1978) to get the adrenaline running. Some might even prefer a horror that plays with the mind, such as Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017). And for others who don’t want the scares, a simple night on the sofa with a hot chocolate and a screening of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) after their trick-or-treating will do just the trick. But what about those who want to seek something unique this Halloween season? How about a movie that aims to be as bizarre as possible, and to push what is possible even in the realm of the horror genre? The film they might be looking for has become a cult classic in the many decades since its release, and is a part of a franchise that has now grossed over $300 million worldwide.

Evil Dead II (1987) is the very movie, written and directed by Sam Raimi, who is most well known for directing the original 2000s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. The movie stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, a man looking to spend a weekend alone in a cabin in the woods with his girlfriend until he reads from a strange book found within the cabin, known as the “Necronomicon,” or “Book of the Dead.” Campbell’s role as Williams would be his defining role as an actor. As the house slowly drives Williams insane, more and more people show up to put an end to the madness, but just as quickly as they come into the cabin, they are soon swept up by the evil spirits Williams summoned by reading from the book, until he is the only one that remains.

Evil Dead II, as the name implies, is a part of a trilogy. It is the middle child between The Evil Dead (1981), and Army of Darkness (1992). However, the trilogy does not tell one cohesive story. Rather, Evil Dead II is a sort of remake of its predecessor, following nearly the same plot as the 1981 original. The Evil Dead is also a cinematic reimagining of Raimi’s college short film Within the Woods (1978), also starring Campbell. It is quite interesting to see just how different each movie in the trilogy tries to portray its ideas. Whereas The Evil Dead functions more like the conventional horror film, with moments of dread and silent intensity in between the deaths of characters, Evil Dead II aims to ramp up the comedy to the nth degree. The movie has a very loose plot: the overarching motive is simply for Williams to survive the night as he faces different problems within the house that lead him to the next innovative way someone is meant to perish. Deaths are excessive, with over-the-top acting and an unrestrained amount of blood. Campbell’s acting helps set the tone of the movie as well; his outlandish body movements and facial expressions make him fun to watch for the entire runtime. Williams bounces around the cabin as the monsters, known as the “deadites,” slowly turn him crazy as the cabin becomes more and more alive with each waking minute. In my opinion, there will never be a funnier moment in any horror movie, than the scene where Williams is forced to cut off his hand, for it got possessed by the book, and after he traps it under a trash can, he weighs down the can with the Hemingway novel A Farewell to Arms, as lightning strikes outside the cabin to symbolize a dramatic, and comedic, end to the scene.

While The Evil Dead leaned mostly into horror and Evil Dead II combined horror with comedy, the third movie in the franchise, Army of Darkness, ends up forgoing the horror-comedy approach altogether. Army of Darkness is mostly a comedy, with horror aspects such as the deadites still lingering from the original two movies, but these serve more as goons from a superhero movie than an evil force that the protagonist has to overcome. Army of Darkness follows a more structured, albeit very whimsical and hysterical, plot that sees Williams going back to medieval times as he tries to get back to the present day (fun fact: the original name of this movie was meant to be “Medieval Dead”). Unlike Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness is a true follow-up, as the end of the latter movie sees Williams going back in time and leaving audiences on a cliffhanger as to how he might get home. The success of these three movies would lead to the series becoming a franchise, which includes two theatrical reboots (with a third one slated for 2026), a TV show that recasts Campbell as an older Williams, as well as many video games, comic books, and even a musical. It was Raimi’s campy and outlandish idea for a comedic horror film that has its roots delving from 1978 that ended up becoming one of the most well-known horror franchises of the modern day, celebrated by many fans for its unique take on the horror genre. And while each movie of the original trilogy aims to do something different in terms of its take, I find that Evil Dead II strikes a balance between horror and comedy, making it my favorite work of the entire franchise. If you were to ask me, I would love nothing more than to spend my Halloween weekend in front of the TV watching a man survive a night in a cabin in the woods against the Evil Dead.

“I’m A Great Quitter”

by Andrew Katz ’26 on October 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Why George Costanza is the Greatest Sitcom Character of All Time

The question of who is the greatest sitcom character of all time has often been a debate between sitcom enthusiasts, but one character who is always mentioned is George Costanza from Seinfeld (1989-1998). If you have never seen Seinfeld, George is Jerry Seinfeld’s lifelong childhood friend, whose main characteristics are selfishness, laziness, cheapness, and outward overreaction at the slightest inconveniences he faces in life. From the outside looking in, you might be confused by how this character, who is just straight up a jerk, could be so beloved by the audience. Yet, Seinfeld viewers know that when George enters the screen, they will be entertained. This is due to two things about how George’s character is written. The first is that he is extremely insecure with everything about him, which the audience can relate to in their own lives. The second is that whatever selfish plan he comes up with always backfires on himself. Larry David, the co-creator and writer for the show, uses similar recipes when writing George’s plot for each episode. His plot is usually something like this: George comes up with a plan based on his insecurities, the plan is always a selfish one to benefit himself and hurt others, and the plan always backfires.

With that level of thought being put into the character, the actor who plays George must play him to perfection. That is where Jason Alexander, the actor cast as George, knocks it out of the park. Alexander plays the role of George to perfection, as he is overly charismatic when he talks about his insecurities or when he is freaking out when his plan fails. Alexander truly makes you feel as if he has been George for his entire life. The over-the-top outbursts that George shows when he fails his selfish plans is what drives the comedic effect even more than the audience just seeing the plan backfire.

But George has another quality that makes him so beloved. It is that he is slightly relatable. George’s problems mainly consist of his over-the-top parents and the ridiculous, random scenarios where someone is a jerk to him. The audience can relate to these two problem starters occurring daily. When audience members face these situations, they get over it, though they may wish that they could make a big deal about it. George, however, cannot get over it quickly. George instead makes it his mission to deal with the inconveniences as the only way he knows how—by stooping to the other person’s level. The audience also gets to feel superior to George, which is what makes his character so beloved, even when he is doing selfish acts. If George was cool with no insecurities, he would be an annoyance for the audience. But George isn’t cool. George just wants to get by in life by doing whatever benefits him, but he fails every time. That is what makes him so entertaining and the greatest sitcom character of all time.

One Battle After Another

by Flagg Taylor ’27 on October 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Another Paul Thomas Anderson Masterpiece

Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest film, One Battle After Another, was touted by critics to be one of the defining films of this generation and given top-tier reviews across the media. The trailers released were vague, likely an intentional move by Anderson. Going into the theatre, I knew I would hold this film to an unfairly high standard due to the aura and mystery surrounding its release. Anderson’s film did not disappoint one bit. One Battle After Another is extremely relevant to our current political and cultural climate, exploring themes of revolution, fatherhood, and freedom through the story of a paranoid ex-revolutionary father and his daughter as they escape the evil figures from their past.

The film has a star-studded cast, and all of them mesh together in comedic but beautiful and impactful ways. In the first act of the movie, we are introduced to the revolutionary couple of Perfidia Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor) and “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). The couple and the rest of the revolutionary group, the French 75, commit various acts of revolution, like freeing immigrants from a detention center or bombing a politician’s office. During these daring battles, Beverly Hills makes an enemy with the film’s main antagonist, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (played by Sean Penn), who then develops a strange perversion for Beverly Hills. A series of unfortunate events leads to the disbandment of Beverly Hill’s and Calhoun’s cell of revolutionaries, and Beverly Hill’s arrest and subsequent disappearance. As the first act closes, we are transported 15 years into the future, to the present day.

In the second act of the film, the audience is introduced to DiCaprio’s new persona, Bob Ferguson, and his daughter, who has grown into a 16-year-old girl, Willa Ferguson (played by Chase Infiniti). Bob is an extremely paranoid, stoner father who constantly worries about the government coming back for him ever since he had to go on the run with his daughter after Beverley Hill’s arrest. However, Colonel Lockjaw decides to hunt down the father-daughter duo for reasons I will not spoil. The plot takes off from here, and the movie truly feels like one battle after another as Bob and Lockjaw both struggle chasing Willa across Texas. Anderson’s different shot variety and the fast pacing of the film give the tone of a long, suspenseful chase, one battle after another for the characters, each with their respective goals. The resolution sequence (a long car chase) at the end of the movie was truly special. I have not experienced such a tense environment in the movie theatre for a long time.

On top of Anderson’s genius filmmaking, Johnny Greenwood composed one of the best scores I’ve personally ever heard. His score was just as important to the tense and suspenseful feelings felt throughout the play as Anderson’s filmmaking. Greenwood also selected some great songs for the soundtrack, some of my personal favorites being “Dirty Work” by Steely Dan, “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love )” by The Jackson 5, and “Soldier Boy” by The Shirelles.

Finally, the star-studded cast of One Battle After Another delivered a multitude of award-worthy performances. Chase Infiniti made her film debut for Anderson’s work and delivered an inspiring and impactful performance representing Gen Z in a film, making a direct response to current times in the U.S.. DiCaprio was extremely funny and quirky while also having moments of deep passion, perfectly playing his role of a smoked-out, paranoia-stricken ex-revolutionary. Benicio del Toro plays Sensei Sergio, Willa’s karate sensei, who leads an underground railroad for Hispanic immigrants fearing government agents. Toro steps into this role beautifully, portraying a different type of revolutionary as a symbol of strength in the community. Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall play empowering and emotional roles as strong-willed and brave revolutionary women. Last but not least, Sean Penn plays a downright vile, detestable character in Colonel Lockjaw in a jaw-dropping performance. From the facial tics, his walk and posture, the hatred in his voice, Penn brings to life a “soldier boy” that will go down as one of the iconic villains of this generation.

It is hard to give a deep synopsis of the intricate themes and skillful filmmaking of One Battle After Another without spoiling too much of the film’s plot and ending. I highly recommend making the trip to the theatre and experiencing it for yourself. It was one of the fastest and most tense three hours in recent memory. I’ll have to rewatch it once or twice more before making any crazy statements towards the film’s all-time standing, but with extremely high expectations for this movie, Anderson and his cast and staff somehow managed to meet these high standards and then some. One Battle After Another was a captivating experience and delivered impactful and relevant messages in a funny, action-packed film that could not have been released at a better time than now.