Tag: movie
Life, Sox, and Death: The Manic Charm of Fever Pitch
by Ian Gualtiere ’27 on February 12, 2026
A&E - Film & TV
The last Major League Baseball game of the season was played on November 1, 2025, when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Seven of the World Series. The term “fall classic” directly applied to this final game: the score was tied 4–4 when the game rolled into extra innings, both teams swapped a scoreless 10th inning. Then, the Dodgers picked up a run, thanks to a solo home run by catcher Will Smith, to secure the lead in the top of the 11th. With drama and tension building from the Toronto dugout, the Blue Jays got one hit and a walk with one out to place runners on the corners, players on first and third base, which, in the eyes of everyone watching, a single base hit would tie the game 5–5 and move into the 12th inning. This responsibility fell on Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, who fell to two strikes in the count, and then hit a measly dribbler directly to Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts. Betts stepped on second base to force the runner out, then threw to first baseman Freddie Freeman to complete the double play. And with that out, the Dodgers became the 2025 MLB World Series Champions.
After that, if a fan was not cheering for the Dodgers, they immediately asked themselves, “When do pitchers and catchers report to spring training?” The thought of a long, grueling winter without the sights and sounds of the ballpark to any baseball fan is torture. Snow covers the pitchers’ mounds, the empty seats stand as reminders of a warmer time, and the constant talk of shifting free agents gives some the hobby of tracking new faces in new places. The month of February has finally come, and all MLB pitchers and catchers report to their team’s spring training facilities in either Florida or Arizona between Feb. 10 and 13.
This anxiety of waiting, watching, and being ever so patient for the MLB season is captured in its manic charm in the romcom Fever Pitch (2005). Adapted from a 1992 book and a 1997 British film that follows a crazed Premier League Arsenal fan, the American remake perfectly distills what the movie calls “one of God’s most pathetic creatures: a Red Sox fan.” Directed by Providence College alumni Peter Farrelly ’79 and his brother Bobby Farrelly and starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, Fever Pitch goes through the throes of being a baseball fan during the winter months. This is a condition where, on the outside, one can act normal in civil society, but on the inside, the die-hard Sox fan is dying to be freed come the spring. This wintertime normalcy is what draws Barrymore’s Lindsey to Fallon’s Ben; he is punctual and charming, a successful high school teacher, and always there to be an emotional support. The cracks of Ben’s Sox insanity begin to show as Lindsey questions why they never go to his place, which is covered from floor to ceiling in Red Sox paraphernalia, or why he went down to watch the Red Sox practice in Florida in the middle of February. By the end of March, Ben finally comes clean, revealing he had inherited season tickets from his uncle and never missed an MLB Opening Day or homestand series at Fenway Park.
The couple begins to attend Red Sox games on a weekly basis, but tension grows as Lindsey’s corporate executive job pulls her away from the games. One scene shows Lindsey working on her computer in the stands as she is hit by a line drive foul ball and knocked unconscious, as Ben picks up the ball and starts to celebrate with the fans around him. The ebbs and flows of the 2004 MLB season start to take a toll on the relationship as Ben skips a Paris trip to watch the Red Sox vie for a spot in the postseason, misses a comeback Sox win against the New York Yankees while attending a birthday party, and starts to covet the season tickets more than Lindsey’s affection.
Adapting the plot from soccer to baseball and adding to what was considered a jab at the lowliest fan base in the MLB at the time, Fever Pitch was never meant to have a serendipitous ending. In 2004, the Red Sox had not won a World Series in 86 years, and the movie production did not expect the season to take a miraculous turn. The original plot had assumed the Red Sox would lose in the postseason, but the ending had to be rewritten. The team pulled off an unexpected run and reached the 2004 American League Championship against the Yankees. With the Red Sox down 3–0 in the series, they became the first and only MLB team to date to erase the deficit and advance to the World Series. The game is considered by many to be the “greatest comeback in sports history,” as many expected the Yankees to deal with the Red Sox easily. The climax of Fever Pitch was filmed during the Championship Series and subsequent World Series win.
For many, baseball means the fundamental truth of life. You’re going to win some, and you’re going to lose some, but don’t worry, it’s a long season filled with romance and true wonder.
Return of the X-Men: Impending Doom?
by Sophia Caneira ’29 on January 22, 2026
A&E - Film & TV
Just last week, Marvel and the Russo Brothers released a new trailer for
Avengers: Doomsday, coming to theaters this December. The trailer featured the brief
appearances of three iconic characters from the X-Men franchise: Professor X (played
by Sir Patrick Stuart), Magneto (played by Sir Ian McKellen), and Cyclops (played by
James Marsden). The upcoming film has received a lot of attention as several
announcements were released about the host of classic characters set to appear in it.
Theories about the characters and plot are circulating on social media, with some going
as far as to predict the film’s ending based on the stylized lettering of the movie’s title.
The X-Men franchise, particularly the films from the new timeline—X-Men: First
Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and Dark
Phoenix (2019)—are very close to my heart. While I do look forward to seeing fan-
favorite characters back on-screen, I fear my hopes for the film’s success may be too
high. I worry this new film will ruin a perfectly good series. It’s no secret that Marvel films
have been less successful and far less popular since the release of Avengers:
Endgame in 2019. Of the subsequent films, I’ve only seen a handful, but for the most
part, I was more than disappointed by what I saw. Thunderbolts* (2025) restored some
of my hope for Marvel’s future, but there is a caveat when it comes to Avengers:
Doomsday: I honestly lose interest when Marvel decides to merge the paths of separate
teams like the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. Don’t get me wrong, I love
each of these franchises individually, but in my mind, they always existed on separate
planes within the Marvel Universe. There was a sense of magic that came along with
the fact that the Avengers and the X-Men were two completely different stories that both featured scenes in two different New York Cities.
Moreover, this isn’t the first time Marvel is experimenting with introducing the X-Men to other franchises. I wasn’t impressed by the way Professor X was already incorporated into the Doctor Strange franchise in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) was somewhat entertaining, but I lost interest when it came to the breaking timelines plot.
With a few exceptions, I feel like many films and spin-off shows nowadays
receive a lot of promotion, but leave you disappointed when the screen goes dark.
Some of this, I think, is due to lazy writing and a money-grab mindset. This is true within
other big franchises, like the Star Wars universe. The trilogy referred to as the sequels
proved to me that some movie franchises are better left alone. Christopher Nolan’s Dark
Knight trilogy is a fantastic exception to this phenomenon. Nolan gave us a neat set of
three films and never took advantage of their enormous success by making a spin-off or
a sequel. The trilogy comes to an ideal, satisfying ending, and needs no further
expansion. Of course, there are always exceptions—Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(2016) is a beautiful piece of cinema. I also found the TV series The Mandalorian highly
enjoyable. It’s obvious when you watch these movies that the filmmakers in charge of
them cared deeply about their projects. Director Dave Filoni worked on both of the
projects I mentioned, and he has spoken about his heartfelt love for the Star Wars
saga—not just as a filmmaker, but as a fan first and foremost. His passion for Star Wars
is evident in his storytelling, with which he tries to honor the spirit of the original films.
With a mass of mediocre films piling up, dare I ask when Marvel will stop making
movies? Or at least, when will they stop adding onto preexisting franchises and explore
a unique vein? I suppose it’s a rhetorical question. As long as fans continue to visit the
theaters (only to leave somewhat disappointed), Marvel movies will endure—especially
when there is so much fanfare surrounding the release of a film like Avengers:
Doomsday, with the countless announcements of beloved characters returning in the
latest installment. Online, fans are joking that characters like Yoda, Lightning McQueen,
and Kermit the Frog will also be joining the cast. I had to laugh when I saw a user
comment, “I will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”
I hope that the filmmakers in charge of this task are people who truly love the
Marvel stories. I say this even as I fight back my own excitement in seeing the new
trailer. It’s hard to resist when you see Professor X and Magneto playing yet another
game of chess and Cyclops shooting laser beams into the sky.
Why We Need the Dark Side: The Politics of Star Wars
by Lucy Droege ’26 on November 20, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
As many have written about and discussed over the years, the Star Wars franchise is a story (albeit long and winding) about politics. Like all good political narratives, there is drama, love, disagreement, deception, civil war, and countless limbs chopped off. As a political science major watching the Star Wars series for the first time, the line that stopped me in my tracks was Padmé’s famous line in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” That’s not really something you throw in lightly in an action film set in outer space. However, the international context in which the Star Wars movies were released explains many of the political nuances and portrayals in the films. The Vietnam War, the Cold War, and American politics of the early 2000s significantly influence the themes throughout the films. What I failed to recognize before watching the movies is just how closely tied the series is to politics back here on Earth.
The setting of Star Wars in an intergalactic system of order makes it easy for the viewer to sit back and watch the series as an action-packed escape from the very real politics on Earth. Despite the futuristic droids, clones, and other extraterrestrial creatures that make up the Star Wars universe, there still remains familiar political systems and intergalactic agreements in order for this universe to function. The breakdown of these agreements that make up the democratic order governing the Star Wars universe is the driving plot point of the series. In Revenge of the Sith, the democracy of the Republic is less forcibly overthrown than its destruction is willingly voted in favor of. With democratic backsliding back in vogue recently, the breakdown of the democratic experiment in Star Wars hits close to home. Much like in the real world, a state of emergency (whether real or manufactured), where states and individuals with power feel threatened, creates an opportunity to consolidate power in the hands of a select few. This shiny and dangling allure of unlimited power is often impossible not to snatch up. The dark side of the Force and of politics will always be an enticing option. Greed for power, money, recognition, and respect is inside every single lifeform. The alternative, to pursue the common good no matter the personal sacrifice, will always be the most honorable choice. The temptation of the dark side is precisely what makes the pursuit of goodness so admirable both in Star Wars and in reality.
Edelweiss at 60: Celebrating The Sound of Music
by Isabelle Camoin ’26 on November 20, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
I have been eagerly anticipating writing this article celebrating the 60th anniversary of the iconic film, The Sound of Music (1965). The movie, which was released in the United States on March 2, 1965, was re-released in U.S. theaters Sept. 12–17, celebrating 60 years of the film and reviving its beauty in 4K.
The film stars Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Captain Georg von Trapp. Maria, a young nun at Nonberg Abbey, is filled with childlike wonder and spirit in a way that lacks the discipline the Abbey runs on. She is sent by Mother Abbess to be the governess for the seven children of retired naval officer, Captain von Trapp. The family is notoriously known for vanquishing governesses in attempts to seek attention from their cold, removed father. In the film, Maria, once arriving at the von Trapp residence, is at tense odds with Capt. von Trapp when she tries to introduce play and music into the children’s lives. Capt. von Trapp’s heart opens to his children and Maria when he bears witness to their musical gift, bringing joy and meaning back into the family’s lives. All while this is taking place, Nazi Germany is on the rise, and the annexation of Austria is a pervasive threat. The film depicts tensions between love of homeland amidst the rise of power. As Maria makes decisions guided by God’s will, she is confronted with a choice between her religious calling to experience the love of God as a nun and finding God’s love in family. We see these tensions face resolution when Maria and Capt. von Trapp decide to marry and leave Austria before facing the consequences of their resistance to the Nazi regime.
Performing at the Salzburg Music Festival in the last 20 minutes of the film, the von Trapp Family singers take to the stage, performing a moving final farewell to Austria. Concluding the performance with “Edelweiss,” a song composed for the musical, Capt. von Trapp bids his country farewell in a patriotic ode to its beauty.
The film was based on the musical Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, which was a fictional adaptation of the 1949 memoir, The Story of the von Trapp Singers, written by Maria Augusta von Trapp. The film is a dramatized version of the story of the formation of the von Trapp family. In the film, Maria von Trapp is depicted as a woman who restores love, meaning, and music back into the lives of widowed Georg von Trapp and his seven children. The film condenses the timeline of the family’s departure and rejection of the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. The plot depicts an escape from Austria, meticulously planned through their performance at the Salzburg Music Festival, where the family of seven children, Maria von Trapp, and Georg von Trapp, flee to the Swiss Alps on foot to reject Georg von Trapp’s invitation to lead the Navy for the Nazi army.
In reality, as written in Maria von Trapp’s memoir, the events occurred over a period of two years. The family performed at the Salzburg Music Festival in 1936 and left Austria by train to Italy in 1938, making their way to the U.S. on a performance tour. They traveled with their priest, Reverend Franz Wasner, as a family of nine with one on the way. Georg von Trapp refused to fly the Nazi flag on their property during the annexation of Austria in 1938, and additionally rejected Naval Command and the request to sing at Hitler’s Birthday party.
The film details Maria von Trapp’s call to the von Trapp family to take care of the children because Georg von Trapp was emotionally unavailable to tend to them and was constantly away on business trips. Accounts in Maria von Trapp’s memoir depict that Georg von Trapp was much more gentle and kind-hearted from the start of her time with the family, and that originally she was brought to the family from The Abbey to take care of and tutor young Maria von Trapp, who had scarlet fever. This is when she began to engage with the already musically talented family, teaching the family to sing madrigals. Georg von Trapp fell in love with Maria von Trapp and asked her to marry him and become a second mother to his children. Maria von Trapp agreed to marry because she was in love with the children and liked Georg von Trapp, eventually coming to love him as well. In the movie, the love between Georg von Trapp and Maria von Trapp is accentuated in a way that differs from this account of Maria von Trapp’s experience. However, in both real life and the movie, Maria von Trapp was confronted with abandoning her religious calling of becoming a nun, but was advised “to do God’s will and marry Georg von Trapp.”
After 60 years, though distorted from the true story, the film is still worthy of celebrating. The film’s recognition by five Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and selection by the Library of Congress as a film to preserve in the National Film Registry reinforces the value of celebrating the film’s timeless themes of love and strength in the arts and in faith. Upon its release, the film received a lot of criticism for being too artificial and corny, and many Austrians did not give the film the time of day. Even though the film dramatizes and romanticizes the depiction of Maria Augusta von Trapp’s involvement with the family, I enjoy the film’s production and composition. Andrews brings to life a playful spirit through music and meaningful engagement.
Distinctly His Own Work: The Grand Budapest Hotel
by Tyler Bellavance ’29 on November 6, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
Wes Anderson, known for his auteur style of literary geek, used a post-post-modernism approach in the creation of the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Post-post-modernism—a style that embodies the goal of recovering the sincerity of film, focusing on existentialism, ethics, morality, and the absurdity of coincidences—ties in with Anderson’s distinct and vibrant visual style, unique cinematography, and narrative form, along with a star-studded cast to mold an excellent film that both creates lighthearted laughter and poses serious questions to the viewer.
The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the story of the elderly Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), recorded by an unnamed author (Jude Law) who treats the viewers of the film as readers of his book. Mirroring the narration style, the movie is split into five parts, like chapters of a book, all with unique titles. The film begins with a short introduction to our two narrators meeting at the dull, orange, run-down Grand Budapest Hotel. The two begin to talk over dinner once the author finds out about Mr. Moustafa’s ownership of the hotel, and over dinner, Moustafa begins telling the story of the once great hotel. The young Moustafa (Tony Revolori), a refugee of war with zero family or experience, finds himself working as a lobby boy under the renowned concierge M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes). Gustave takes the young man under his wing, and as they grow closer as mentor and mentee, they also become closer as friends. A friend of Gustave and regular at the hotel (we’ll leave it at just a friend so you can discover their relationship within the film) passes away, and Gustave is invited to her inheritance meeting. After some trouble on the train, Gustave and Moustafa arrive at the manor, making it just in time for the reading of the will. Surprisingly enough, Gustave is awarded his friend’s prized possession, a painting of a boy holding an apple, appropriately named “Boy with Apple.” The awarding of the painting creates great conflict between Gustave and the family, especially between her son and the new patriarch of her family, Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis (Adrien Brody). With the help of J. G. Jopling (William Dafoe), the family’s helper, part-time hitman, and supervillain, Desgoffe-und-Taxis blames the death of his mother on Gustave. With the dramatic disappearance of her butler, Serge X (Mathieu Amalric), who was the only witness to her death, Gustave becomes the suspected killer after leaving with the portrait. Further ahead in the timeline, the family’s lawyer mentions a missing document and refuses to back down to intimidation. The following parts of the movie are filled with comedic highs, melancholic lows, and fun clichés, like a prison-break and wacky chase scenes as hitman Jopling is in search of the missing document, which all add up to an exhilarating climax involving Gustave, Moustafa, his fiancée Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), Desgoffe-und-Taxis, the police, and a large military group within the hotel itself, which ends with a complete tonal switch that will leave the viewer thinking deeply.
Not only is the fictional story itself a delight to watch, the narrative style is also masterful. The strategy of splitting a film into parts is commonly used by Anderson and other directors like Quentin Tarantino. Not only does the book-like feel create a new type of relationship between the narrator and the audience, but it also nuances characters and creates thrilling mysteries. What builds on this to exalt The Grand Budapest Hotel as an amazing film is Anderson’s visual auteur style. Anderson switches his visual style greatly between parts and settings. The new hotel, fallen from grace, is covered in an orange, grey, white, and brown color scheme. While still vibrant as Anderson’s work usually is, the vividness of the orange is cut down by the dull colors to create a solemn, dirty feel to the hotel, which really ties with the melancholic feeling of the fall of grace. To directly contrast this, the bright pinks, yellows, reds, and purples of the hotel at its peak perfectly complement the comedic and lighthearted feel in the hotel.
Anderson also utilizes the strategic style of metafiction, a film that is conscious of itself. Our narrator—who pauses and speaks to us directly, sometimes making jokes—almost breaks the fourth wall by having conversations with the audience, sometimes calling us out and sometimes asking us questions. The use of metafiction underlines the absurdity of circumstances covered in the post-post-modernism style. Moustafa wears his purple lobby boy hat with the words spelled out in all gold and his purple jacket and pants for almost the entirety of the movie, even at a wedding. The only time he changes is when he is wearing different disguises, some ridiculous, which fit in with the clichés of prison break and heist. To give the film a more mythical feel, tied with the use of literary geek auteurism, Anderson uses distinct cinematography, which gives the set a more surreal feel. Anderson is known for his symmetrical camera shots, strange camera zooms used very rarely by other directors, moments of slow-motion, and the use of miniatures like the Grand Budapest Hotel. Anderson uses all these film form techniques to perfection and creates an uncanny, changing environment with great comedic effects that are directly opposed by the melancholic themes of the film that are built on a narrative form that’s character-driven rather than plot-driven.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a unique movie and a breath of fresh air compared to the Hollywood studio system. The plot, narrative structure, film form, auteurism of the director, unique cinematography, and vibrant, changing visual style all tie together perfectly in an amazing package that is an instant classic film. If you are tired of the factory-feel of movies of the modern era and want a fun, surprising film that you will think about the next morning, The Grand Budapest Hotel is certainly for you.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Essential Halloween Movie
by Thomas Marinelli ’26 on October 30, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
I’ve seen many, many horror movies in my time. A lot of them have become what I call “Hollywoodified,” pretty stupid and not very scary. Others, however, truly live up to their reputation and are legitimately terrifying. Recently, in anticipation of Halloween (my favorite holiday), I watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and I was not disappointed. This movie stands as a classic for a reason. Even for a film made in the 1970s, its gore, cinematography, and realism surpass most horror movies made today, despite having a tight budget. To make things worse (or better), it was loosely based on real-life murderer Ed Gein. For the sake of keeping things newspaper-friendly, I won’t go into detail about his crimes. Nevertheless, Gein, who gained infamy in 1950s Wisconsin, had a ripple effect on the horror movie industry. The new season of Monster (2022) on Netflix explores his story. The show, best known for its first season about Jeffrey Dahmer, dives into how Gein inspired iconic horror villains like Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991), Norman Bates (Psycho, 1960), and Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Out of these three movies, all excellent in their own way, only The Texas Chainsaw Massacre truly scared me, and that’s the reason why everyone should watch it this Halloween.
Like many horror films, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was shot on a very low budget. It was supposed to be a two-week shoot under the brutal Texas sun, but ended up lasting 33 days, with filming often running up to 16 hours a day. Needless to say, the cast wasn’t having much fun, yet their exhaustion and discomfort only added to the movie’s unsettling atmosphere. Set in rural Texas, the story follows a group of teenagers on a road trip to visit family members, stumbling upon a deranged family of cannibals living on a decaying farm that used to be a slaughterhouse. Director and writer Tobe Hooper was inspired by several things: America’s growing disillusionment and distrust of authority after Watergate and the Vietnam War, as well as the dark fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, with the teenagers as the lost children and the cannibal family as the witch who traps them. However, perhaps the most iconic spark came when Hooper, stuck in a crowded department store during the Christmas rush, imagined using a chainsaw to “cut” his way through the crowd. It’s strange, sure, but that kind of mind makes for great horror.
What I love most about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is how beautiful it looks, even in its horror. Hooper makes the Texas sun come alive; the film always seems to take place during golden hour or late afternoon, where even the daylight feels haunted. The set design is both bizarre and perfect: an abandoned slaughterhouse surrounded by the eerie relics of a deranged family, with cameras constantly zooming in on unsettling details scattered throughout the house and landscape. Some might dismiss the film’s gore as outdated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even in the opening shot, the fake corpse looks disturbingly real, and the gritty, documentary-style camera work makes everything feel believable. The film leans more on psychological terror than pure slasher tropes; this isn’t Freddy Krueger killing for fun. Every act of violence in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre feels either obsessive or defensive—never random.
Leatherface, the main antagonist, is quite literally masked with a human face, representing both his hard exterior and his soft, frightened interior, a reflection of America itself at the time through Hooper’s eyes. Despite wielding a chainsaw, Leatherface is essentially a child, terrified of intruders and reacting in the worst possible way, through violence that both “feeds” and satisfies him. From beginning to end, the film is deeply disturbing and unpredictable; no one feels safe, and there’s no time to relax. The teenage characters might be the weakest part of the film—they’re not very relatable and can be annoying—but their fear feels genuine, and that authenticity carries the story. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the few movies that truly scared me. It made me feel unsettled in a way few films do, mainly because it is something that could actually exist. My friends didn’t find it as scary, but that’s because it’s not a jump scare movie; it’s a gruesome, realistic thriller meant to linger in your mind long after it ends.
So this Halloween, gather a group of friends, turn the volume up and the lights down, and tell everyone to shut up and just watch. There’s no way you’ll be disappointed.
Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus
by Reese Cassidy ’28 on October 30, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
Every fall, as the leaves turn and pumpkins appear on porches, Hocus Pocus seems to rise from the grave once again. What began as a forgotten Disney movie in the early ’90s has become a Halloween tradition that fans return to year after year, not for the scares, but for the comfort.
When Hocus Pocus first hit theaters in 1993, it wasn’t the hit Disney had hoped for. Released in the middle of summer, the film earned mixed reviews and modest box office numbers. Yet over the years, something magical happened. The movie found new life through television reruns and then later streaming platforms, transforming from just another fantasy comedy into a beloved Halloween tradition.
More than 30 years later, Hocus Pocus has become a cultural ritual. Every October, families and fans rewatch it, quote it, and dress up as the Sanderson Sisters. Its staying power isn’t just about witches, spells, or black cats; it’s about the way it captures the feeling of Halloween itself: playful, nostalgic, and comforting.
The story behind its success is almost as surprising as the movie’s plot. In the early 2000s, Disney Channel and ABC Family (now Freeform) began airing the film every October. A new generation of kids discovered it, and before long, it became essential to the Halloween season. The film’s popularity grew without major reboots or advertising campaigns. Instead, it spread through tradition. People watched it with siblings, friends, and parents year after year. Over time, Hocus Pocus became a shared seasonal memory, passed down like a favorite Halloween decoration that reappears every fall.
Part of what makes Hocus Pocus so enduring is the feeling of nostalgia it evokes. The film takes viewers back to the excitement of childhood Halloween, with the thrill of costumes, trick-or-treating, and the magic of believing that something supernatural could be happening right around the corner. Unlike horror movies that rely on fear, Hocus Pocus is lighthearted. Its humor, catchy music, and sense of adventure make it the perfect choice for all ages. That comforting tone is exactly what Halloween needs to offset the horror movies and scary vibes. Watching it now feels like revisiting a familiar October from years ago, when everything was a little simpler and a lot more magical. Every time it airs, it reconnects people with the traditions that define the season of pumpkin carving, movie nights, and the sense that Halloween brings everyone together. In a world that changes so quickly, there’s something special about returning to the same movie, the same music, and the same magic that’s been around for decades.
The film’s visual world is another reason for its lasting charm. Set in Salem, MA, Hocus Pocus is filled with everything we associate with Halloween: pumpkin-lined streets, flickering candles, haunted houses, black cats, and just the right amount of fog. Its color palette of deep oranges, purples, and shadowy blues has practically become the standard for Halloween decor. Even the costumes and soundtrack add to its signature feel. The Sanderson Sisters, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, are instantly recognizable with their colorful capes and chaotic energy. Their over-the-top personalities and humor have made them icons of Halloween pop culture. Every year, fans flood social media with memes, quotes, and photos of their Hocus Pocus-inspired costumes, keeping the spirit of the movie alive.
The release of Hocus Pocus 2 in 2022 showed just how powerful that nostalgia can be. The sequel attracted longtime fans eager to revisit Salem and new viewers discovering the sisters for the first time. It reminded everyone why the original film remains so popular, not because it’s the scariest or most sophisticated movie, but because it feels timeless. At its core, Hocus Pocus celebrates community, family, and the joy of make-believe. It invites everyone to laugh, sing along, and indulge in a little seasonal magic.The secret to Hocus Pocus’s longevity isn’t witchcraft, but emotion. Each year, as October rolls around, the movie reappears like clockwork, signaling Halloween has truly begun. It’s a reminder that the holiday isn’t just about candy or costumes, but about revisiting memories and traditions that make the season feel special. In a way, Hocus Pocus has cast its greatest spell on us all, the ability to make every Halloween feel just like the first one we remember.
The Hero Gotham Deserves
by Sophia Caneira ’29 on October 2, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
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
A&E - Film & TV
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.
One Battle After Another
by Flagg Taylor ’27 on October 2, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
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.