The Academy Awards are about winning, or so some say. They are about honoring those who have worked hard to get there. They are about celebrating movies. But more importantly, the Academy Awards are about celebrating and inspiring others.
As anyone who watched the 90th Academy Awards this past Sunday can tell you, I take awards shows way too seriously. For me, the Oscars is like watching my favorite team in the World Series 24 times, and every other nominee is the Yankees. This is what was going through my head for some of last night's biggest awards:
One of the few drawbacks of living during peak TV is facing the harsh reality that with so many great shows, many will also be cancelled. With that spirit in mind, here is my impassioned plea for you to watch five shows so they don't meet that fate. Hopefully, you watch them because I convince you that they're all wonderful comedies which deserve loyal and enthusiastic fandoms. Then, once viewership spikes due to the massive popularity of this list, I will get to see another season of many of my favorite shows:
Here are five new songs released in the last week that every music fan should listen to.
If any genre of film will endure until the end of time, it's the biopic. Famous, unique and important individuals will always fascinate us normal folks. Unfortunately, too many biopics feel familiar; it can feel like we've seen the same song and dance before, no matter who's the star of the show. Thus, experimenting with the genre can yield fun and exciting results. David Wain's "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" attempts (and mostly succeeds) at doing just that.
Welcome to the new standard for movie soundtracks. A week before "Black Panther" takes movie theaters by storm, Kendrick Lamar and record label Top Dawg Entertainment have released the much anticipated "Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By." This isn't your average movie soundtrack -- it's a full-fledged album and should be treated as such.
On Super Bowl Sunday, two organizations pulled off miracles: the Eagles beat the Patriots, and Netflix made people interested in "Cloverfield" again.
Often, we look to movies and television to see our own experiences reflected back to us in a way that feels poignant and accurate. The seven films outlined below contain a multitude of perspectives that can help prepare you for the emotional roller coaster that is studying abroad. If you find yourself purchasing a dilapidated Italian villa, or becoming involved with a tortured artist who is also involved with your best friend and his ex-wife, or being controlled by a rat that has hidden himself in your chef hat, these stories can shine a light on your truth.
Picture the group that might utter a line like "best boy band since One Direction." Do they look like One Direction, or the biggest boy bands before them? Young men with features sculpted by the gods themselves, seemingly placed on this earth to make teen girls cry and record labels rich? Or do you imagine a ragtag group of young and largely black music nerds that met on the internet and crash in the same house?
With much of awards season complete, Hollywood's gaze now shifts to the Oscars, which will take place on Sunday, March 4.
Five years after the release of "The 20/20 Experience," Justin Timberlake returned to music Friday with his new album "Man of the Woods." In the album, Timberlake calls upon his Southern upbringing and uses themes such as fatherhood and marriage as inspirations. Gone are the ascetics of a dapper Timberlake dressed in suit and tie, and in their place is a new Justin, wearing flannel shirts and ripped jeans.
In 2006, social activist Tarana Burke wrote two words on her MySpace page: "Me Too." Since then, MySpace has fallen out of significance in the realm of social media, but these words have remained relevant. Originally used to convey unity and empathy to women of color who have experienced sexual abuse or harassment, "Me Too" has ignited a global conversation empowering all survivors of sexual misconduct, while highlighting just how widespread the problem is.
If you need something to watch in between cheering on Team USA at the Winter Olympics next month, look no further than these five TV shows and movies.
"It's still going to be good," I heard a familiar voice say from behind me.
"Democracy Dies in Darkness." This phrase was written by U.S. appeals court judge Damon J. Keith and used by Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in reference to his reporting on the Watergate scandal. Today, it serves as the Post's slogan as well as the theme for Steven Spielberg's new movie "The Post," which tells the story of one of the paper's most pivotal moments in history.
I watched around 200 films this year. Most of them were, admittedly, ones I already loved, but a few were new ones released in 2017. Here are my five favorites, ranked in no particular order -- after "Lady Bird" (which is, indisputably, number one).
Every end-of-year "best-of" television list you read over the next week or so is going to begin with a disclaimer. It's impossible to narrow it down to just five, or 10, or 25 of the best shows, critics will lament, citing the ever-sprawling world of Peak TV, when it's simply impractical for any one writer to watch enough of the shows out there to produce a fair ranking. Even if I had seen them all, they'll add, there's so much good TV out there these days that I can't possibly make room for all the episodes that deserve a spot on my precious list.
Last Thursday night, Ed Sheeran surprised fans by releasing a duet of his song "Perfect," featuring Beyonce. It's a beautifully unexpected hit from a well-matched pair. Originally written and recorded by Sheeran, the remix does a wonderful job of showcasing Beyonce's vocal ability and expressing her personal experiences.
Here are the 20 best albums of 2017 (so far).
Here's what the Miami Student editors listened to, watched and read over Thanksgiving break.