The Top 20 Films of 2019.

“We are all on our own journeys. Those closest to us might not know when we are struggling. Don’t wait for them to call you, for them to check in on you. It's really OK to reach out to them to ask for help. Even superheroes do it sometimes.”

No one can seem to agree on what the best order is for watching these movies to maximize the viewing experience. Do you start with Episode I and work your way through the chronology of the story? Do you go in chronological order of when the movies were released? I give you the definitive order for watching Star Wars, from a certain point of view.

Rotten Tomatoes is our most indispensable movie review site, and dismissing it is starting to become normal. Its time to remember why its so vital to our discussion of movies.

I’m not usually one to advocate keeping franchises going, especially when they have very considerately ended, but I think that Disney should continue the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series with Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann as its central character. After all, she’s not just a full-blown pirate when all is said and done; she is the Pirate King.

There is an insidious idea creeping into the movie-going experience. Something that drives up attendance without demanding higher quality in the product. A non-issue that can make a person feel like their life has been ruined when at most two hours of their life has been slightly tweaked. This threat to our sanity and our humanity is the spoiler: the idea that if you find out the big secret in a movie (or play or book) it ruins the whole thing.

When presented with a new character for the first time, I immediately ask myself where am I going to find inspiration?

It’s during these times that I remember that Andy Serkis used his cat as his inspiration for the voice of Gollum. This story taught me to be open-minded about where I gain inspiration. There’s no need to religiously study the performances of BAFTA winning actors and attempt to copy and paste what they do. There’s a lot to be said for people watching. Or if you’re Mr. Serkis, pet watching.

Recently, I saw Midsommar with a friend and we left the theater completely blown away by it and spent our entire drive back to his place talking about it. After I dropped him off and headed home, I started listening to a podcast that had an interview with the director, Ari Aster. When I got home, even though it had been a long day, I was not tired; I was still energized from having seen the film.

Give us the songs, the dances, the people who train day in and day out to entertain and let them do what they do best. Just let them do it through a different medium.

Pride Month is about more than wearing rainbow T-shirts from Target and walking in parades. There are so many more impactful ways to support the community. Perhaps the most natural way actors and other theatre artists like us can show our support is by seeking out LGBTQIA media that contributes to much-needed representation.

“Lights. Curtain. Action!”

Besides being a bad pun, this silly play on words has begun to feel like an all too poignant reality when looking at the shows currently running on Broadway. One of the major draws of Broadway is the creativity and effort that goes into every stage of producing a show; from writing, to set, to costume, to lights, everything takes thought and effort to make it looks as seamless and magical as it does once it hits the stage.

Netflix’s new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins was highly anticipated and somewhat controversial. The story follows the persecution of Theodore Bundy, infamous 1970’s serial killer. As the film was released, so were the opinions of a multitude of viewers speaking out against the sensationalization of the horrific story. Many feel that the film is evoking sympathy for a man that would later confess to 30 murders.

Over the past decade, Marvel Studios has grown to become one of the biggest movie studios in the world.  There is one character however, who is far more interesting and compelling than a casual viewer might gather if they are only interested in the movies: SHIELD Agent Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye. He’s the one with the bow and arrow and is portrayed by Jeremy Renner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

You can learn a lot about a person and the types of movies they love. You ask 3 people what the best movie they have ever seen is, and you are likely to get three different movies.

Like a dog whistle or a typical Sam Smith song, movies speak a note whose unique resonation can only be heard by that specific person based on their life experiences.

Well, it’s that that time of year again, on the cusp of spring we start to look forward to the summer months and the summer movie slate. And with that comes the long-running Fantasy Box Office league that myself, Chris, Greg, Tim, and Paula participate in. After a dominant 2018, I’m looking to stay on the mountaintop, but I have to admit that it will be very difficult this year. This summer is incredibly stacked, so much so that we decided to extend the summer rosters from 7 to 8 and our auction budgets from $70 to $80. It made for an interesting draft and some unique rosters and calculations on everyone’s part, which should make for a fun summer. Let’s take a look at the rosters, going in order from last season’s last place to first.

A new music-centric feature film showcasing the most famous band of all time.

Out of all the movies that came out of 2018 no movie (in my opinion) has had more of the underdog story than Bohemian Rhapsody. Based on the life and times of Freddie Mercury and Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of Freddie through moments in time leading up to the legendary Live Aid Concert in 1985. 

The film opened to mixed reviews from the critics but the audience and the fans came through showing their immense support. 

However reports of Bryan Singer "Director" of the film, being very unprofessional on set to the point of barely showing up. And when he did show up he would argue with everyone. Reports even state that he threw things at Rami Malek who stars as Freddie Mercury. This report Singer vehemently denies.