Cinema Civilian

*This article, and the resulting series, will contain spoilers for 13 Reasons Why . **This article, and the resulting series, will discuss topics of Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Suicide. Reader Discretion is advised. "Hey. It's Hannah" These were the opening words of the tapes in 13 Reasons Why , which I reviewed last year ( Read the Review ). Many people don't notice an important comment in this intro though: "Don't adjust your radio, or whatever you are hearing this on." This implies that Hannah intended for the tapes to go public. She expected the listeners to fail. Or did she ever want them to remain a secret... I thought about this about a week back, but never had a reason to discuss this idea. Until I saw this on Twitter the other day: This got me thinking again: If the main point was Hannah's ultimate suicide, why would that warrant a second season? Granted, it could be focused on the lawsuits filed by ...

*This review will contain spoilers for Cars 3 Some of you may know by now that I enjoyed the first cars movie, even enough that I placed in the number 10 slot on my Top 10 PIXAR Films list . The same could not be said for the sequel, which tried to change character focuses and genres, resulting in an overly complicated film, one that is arguably the worst film PIXAR has released to date. Because of this, I was rather concerned when I heard the announcement of Cars 3 . I was worried that the film would be one of two things: 1. a re-skin of the original film in order to regain support for the franchise, or 2. something completely different from the last two films, in another bold change that would wreck the franchise even more. Boy was I wrong... While the film does return to the basic story of Lightning McQueen trying to win the big race, it changes the tone and morals in an alarmingly deep direction. Let me explain... When McQueen wrecks at the beginning of t...

13 years ago, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Pheobe, Rachel, and Joey, walked out of their famous New York flat for the final time. This final episode punctuated what is perhaps, in my opinion, the strongest sitcom in television history. Why do I think this? Well, let's take a look into the series to find out. Let me start off by saying I did not grow up with the series. In fact, I still remember my parents telling us to leave the room for the final episode, as we wouldn't understand the significance of this finale. Friends follows the lives of six people living in New York City. Each member of the group has their own quirk, as in most sitcoms: Rachel's the rich, pretty one; Monica's excessively neat; Ross's the smart one; Joey, the "dumb" one; and Pheobe's the odd one. However, the show develops each of these characters over the 10 seasons to the point where these became more footnotes in the characters' profiles. And that's something I ha...

*This review will contain spoilers for Song of the Sea This is not your average animated film. Do not let the simple art style fool you; this film covers some very serious ideas. The entire film is a journey of emotions. The story focuses on Ben, a young boy who had always wanted a little sibling. However, when his mother "vanishes" on the day of his sister's birth, he grows to resent his new sister. He criticizes her at every chance he gets. However, through a journey through the mythology of his mother's stories, he finds the spirit of their mom lives inside his sister. Furthermore, there is a sub theme about the need of emotions, even painful ones. This exists in two main ways: Maka, the Owl Witch, and Ben's grandmother. Maka sees emotions as evil things, as her son nearly drowned himself in his tears. Maka removed the feelings of her son, and anybody else she could, believing in her very soul that she was helping them. However, in the process of remov...

Given the debate about 13 Reasons Why 's controversial scene, I feel the need to discuss the idea of Artistic Liberty, and whether or not it goes to far. I recently had the opportunity to perform in a production of The Shape of Things  by Neil LaBute, in which an artist crosses several ethical boundaries in the name of her art. I won't list what lines were crossed, as that is what makes the play interesting to read and to watch. This also had raised the question of how far can (and should) an artist go to create their art. Well... I actually don't know. Art has so many perspectives that it is hard to judge everything under the same rules. Everybody has their own line between effective and ineffective uses of Artistic Liberty. So, let's look at a few examples of both good and bad artistic liberty usage, and then look at the choices made with 13 Reasons Why . First, a very good example: Jack and Rose in Titanic . This iconic couple from the James Cam...

*This review will contain spoilers for 13 Reasons Why ** This review will contain discussion on scenes of intense content (Sexual Assault, Bullying, and Suicide) which may be disturbing for some readers. Please read at your own discretion. Those of you who have read my other articles may notice that I like to add word play to my review titles. This review does not. This is a very serious show that is causing waves across the internet. Suicide is not something that should be joked about. If you or someone you know is struggling with anything and may be at risk, please help guide them to the following resources, found on afsp.org: 24/7 Crisis Hotline: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)  (Veterans, press 1) Crisis Chat Service Crisis Text Line Text “Start” to 741-741 Veterans Crisis Line Send a text to 828255 Vets4Warriors SAMHSA Treatment Referral Hotline (Substance Abuse) 1-800-662-HELP (43...

*This Review will contain spoilers for Ghost in the Shell . I am not an Anime person. I just wanted to state that at the beginning of this review, as my opinions are not based in a former enjoyment of Anime. That being said, this film has me interested in this genre of entertainment and animation film. The live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell felt like an anime in spirit, but a live action "shell" (pun intended). I found the cinematography remarkable in this film, as numerous shots felt like panels from a graphic novel, similar to how The Walking Dead  occasionally copies a shot directly from an illustration. However, this feeling was present throughout the film. A fantastic example comes when Major strains her muscles ripping open the tank. The splitting of the muscle and the particles flying off feel like an image from a comic book. It is shots like this that made for an inclusive experience. While I saw the film in 2D, I could see the 3D version havin...

*Any and all images in this review are for the benefit of the critique and analysis, and are thus protected under the Fair Use Policy of the United States Copyright Law. **This review will contain spoilers for Get Out I usually write my reviews within about an hour of seeing a movie. This way I can ensure that my reactions are kept fresh and my opinions and reactions are my own. This is how I have reviewed the last several films on this blog, and the system works and the articles are strong. I found myself needing to take a few extra days with this review. I saw the film on Saturday, March 25, 2017, and am just now able to actually review the film. This is the level to which this film plays with your mind. If you had told me a year ago that a woman holding a teacup would be one of the most psychologically terrifying characters I will see, I would have laughed you out of the room. Now, I'd be saying "Go on", and wanting to hear you out. Get Out  takes ...

Witnessing the first eight episodes of the Netflix original series 3%  is an interesting analysis into the morals of humanity. In this series, people in a distopian inland are given one chance, at the age of 20, to pass a test and make it to the utopian "Offshore". There is only one problem. Only 3% of applicants will pass the challenge. The challenges include interviews, spacial definition, rationing supplies, and other major challenges that are designed to determine who is the best, and is thus worthy of moving to the Offshore. In each stage, we find out more and more about the characters, as well as reflect on their choices and what we would do in this scenario. This process is fought by a resistance known only as "The Cause." Unfortuantely, this rebellion is very underdeveloped, making the counter to tradition quite weak in this process. My expectation is that The Cause will receive more explanation and development in the rumored second season, but f...