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Showing posts from July, 2019

Midsommar Review

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(A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) It was around the summer solstice last year that director Ari Aster announced himself onto the cinematic stage with  Hereditary , arguably the greatest horror film of the year and in the conversation for the genre’s most impressive modern entries. It’s thus somewhat fitting that his follow-up be a deeply-unnerving exploration of mid-summer’s most earthen celebrations. Midsommar  follows a group of American students (Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter and Florence Pugh) as they travel to Sweden under the invitation of their classmate Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) to experience a “crazy, nine-day festival” under the guise of retreat and study. Their idyllic and vice-laden getaway gradually becomes a gala of doom as their hosts unveil their less-than orthodox rituals. Triangle block in a circle hole: Dani (Florence Pugh), Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) and Christian (Jack Reynore) (l-r) (sourc

Apollo 11 Review

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 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) On July 20th 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to land on another celestial body – The Moon. Watched over by their orbiting pilot Michael Collins, they made both human and televisual history as they exited ‘The Eagle’ out onto the surface, but what often gets lost in the majesty of the “one small step” that was first taken by Armstrong is the entirety of the eight-day mission that was Apollo 11. In the past few years, there have been more conceited efforts to highlight the effort required to reach our nearest neighbor. Documentaries such as Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo and feature films like Hidden Figures have done well to offer a glimpse behind that particular curtain; however, as it pertains to the mission itself, there has never been a more ambitious retelling of that famous summer week as Apollo 11 .   Armstrong, Aldrin and C

The Toy Story Movies - Ranked!

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 (A version of this article originally appeared on kernelnow.com / mynewslike.com) There's always rooms for more toys.. (source: MICHAEL [flickr]) It’s been just over a week since  Toy Story 4  made its worldwide cinematic debut, long enough for most audiences to have taken in the film – maybe even see it twice – and, ultimately, decide on the place it will take in their hearts. When it comes to a franchise like  Toy Story , any new entry into the story is sure to be judged against its previous installments; with that in mind, join us as we take a trip down memory lane and rank all four of the  Toy Story  films. 4. Toy Story 4 (2019) RV sitting comfortably? (source: Disney/Pixar) If you haven’t yet seen the latest entry into the  Toy Story  canon, there are two things you should do immediately, firstly stop reading at the end of this sentence, and secondly –  GO AND SEE IT . Have you watched it now? Good – let’s continue. Ranking the latest film as the lowest is surely a r