Toy Story 4 Review: Animated April

Since the dawn of stories, sequels have been a dominant form of art. And there are a plethora of challenges that come with creating new adventures for familiar characters. Pixar’s Toy Story franchise isn’t new to the concept of a sequel, and outlines some of the best sequels of all time. These films hold a 98% average on Rotten Tomatoes and have grossed more money with each subsequent entry. And for my money, “Toy Story 4” is the best of the bunch. Continue reading Toy Story 4 Review: Animated April

Retrospective: 20th Anniversary of Monsters, Inc.

By Joan Amenn Back when Pixar was still a relatively new up and coming animation studio, the plot of their fourth film being a “buddy movie” didn’t sound all that exciting. After all their first and third films had the same theme. But “Monsters Inc.” (2001) proved to be quite different from the rest and remains one of their best conceived and executed movies. From … Continue reading Retrospective: 20th Anniversary of Monsters, Inc.

Review: Luca, from an Italian American’s Point of View

Year: 2021 Runtime: 101 minutes Director: Enrico Casarosa Writers: Enrico Casarosa, Jesse Andrews, Simon Stephenson, Mike Jones, Julie Lynn (consultant), Randall Green (consultant) Actors: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan, Sacha Baron Cohen By Joan Amenn **Spoilers: The following is a discussion of major plot points for the film, “Luca.” If you have not seen the … Continue reading Review: Luca, from an Italian American’s Point of View

ITOL Top 15 Films of 2020 (So Far), Numbers 15-11

Gosh, isn’t 2020 over yet?! Wait, we’re only just over halfway through? *Sighs heavily and inhales deeply* Okay, okay…at least there’s only 178 days left of 2020. Anyway, picking our top 15 films of the year (so far) has been tough especially seeing how release dates of certain films have been delayed and how we’ve been trapped inside for months. However, the ITOL have come together to create our top 15 films from the last 6 months. Please let us know which films make your top 15 list and what films are you looking forward to catching later this year! Continue reading ITOL Top 15 Films of 2020 (So Far), Numbers 15-11

Animated April: Spotlight on Merida from “Brave”

Merida from Pixar’s “Brave” (2012) is perhaps one of Disney’s most overlooked princess. Which is strange considering she’s one of the best role models and her existence is one of the biggest milestone achievements of the whole group. “Brave” is set in the Scottish Highlands and follows a young princess who would rather practice her archery than listen to her mother’s lessons. She defies their customs and refuses a betrothal, leading her to make a deal with a witch to change her mother. But when her mother is actually changed into a bear, she sets about reversing the spell and fixing their strained relationship. Merida is voiced by Kelly Macdonald, while Queen Elinor is voiced by Emma Thompson. Continue reading Animated April: Spotlight on Merida from “Brave”

Disney+: Making the Most Magical Screens on Earth

Many people around the world are currently staying at home practising social-distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It’s scary and stressful at times and most people have to adjust to working from home and surviving without their favourite extracurricular activities (like going to the movies…) Fortunately, there’s a streaming service whose sole purpose is to make everyone feel better- Disney+! Be it through waves of warm and fuzzy nostalgia or countless hours of family-friendly entertainment to keep the stir-crazy kids occupied, Disney’s vast collection of movies and TV shows could not have come at a better time. Continue reading Disney+: Making the Most Magical Screens on Earth