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Television

Luke Cage: Season 1 with Hailey and Okwudili

November 3, 2016 By Hailey Duran and Okwudili Udeh Leave a Comment

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This week, Okwudili and I delve into Marvel’s latest Netflix original series, Luke Cage. We unpack every nook and cranny of the show. We give particular attention to its highs (particularly its exploration of black culture) as well as its faults (at times weak writing and inconsistent in pacing). Though Luke Cage seemingly has the […]

Op-Ed

High Concept on the Down Low: Steven Spielberg

October 7, 2016 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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Welcome to the first episode of “High Concept on the Down Low,” a podcast that focuses on the modern Hollywood scene. We will explore everything from big-name directors to composers. If it’s happening in Hollywood, we’ll talk about it. Everyone is familiar with Steven Spielberg and his numerous films. Yet people might not be aware of how […]

News

Movie Fail Live Tweets the 88th Academy Awards

February 28, 2016 By Shrinkhala Dawadi, Hailey Duran, Thibault Jalby, Jonny Smith, Nathan Frontiero and Søren Hough Leave a Comment

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In light of the massive controversy around #OscarsSoWhite, host Chris Rock reportedly tossed his plans for the 88th Academy Awards in favor of a brand new set of material. We’re all psyched to see what he has in store. The festivities begin at 7 pm EST on ABC (or online). The full list of 2016 Oscar […]

Television

The Best New TV Shows of 2015

January 15, 2016 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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The Golden Age of television doesn’t seem to be losing steam. In fact, the era of captivating TV has crossed over to streaming services which stepped up their presence in 2015; many of the year’s best shows were provided by sites like Netflix. These days their appeal doesn’t come solely from our ability to binge watch […]

Movie Review

Jurassic World

August 24, 2015 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park was a cultural phenomenon. It remains an impressive movie that has captured the imagination of every child and adult, dinosaur-obsessed or not. While its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, didn’t manage to captivate audiences like its predecessor did, it remained an entertaining dinosaur-themed diversion. (Jurassic Park III, on the other hand, does not exist.) So when Universal Studios […]

Television

Gotham: “Red Hood” Review

March 24, 2015 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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For better or worse, a successful episode of Gotham is contingent on its crime-of-the-week. In “Red Hood,” Gotham handles this task with grace, putting forward an uncommonly exceptional episode of television. Gotham has a serious problem with corruption. We’ve seen bits and pieces of how this affects its citizens—corrupt police, mob influences and rampant unchecked crime. This […]

Television

Gotham: “The Blind Fortune Teller” Review

March 23, 2015 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Circuses get a bad rap on television. They are associated with horrible misfortune and dark, disturbing secrets. Maybe it’s because many people are afraid of clowns, or because circuses were plagued with scandals for a very long time. Whatever the reason, it is rare to see a circus depicted in a wholesome light. Gotham is no exception. […]

Movie Review

Big Hero 6

February 19, 2015 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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Film has the capacity to inspire us. It can make us feel sentimental, happy and sad. The greatest power a movie has is the ability to reach out and touch an audience’s heart. Big Hero 6, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, achieves this and more. This Disney animated movie (made in conjunction with Marvel Studios) tells […]

Television

Gotham: “The Scarecrow” Review

February 16, 2015 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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Gotham, at this point, feels like a bad CW show circa 2006. It is so full of melodrama, moody stares and juvenile exposition that I’m amazed the show got picked up for a full second season. I had so much hope back when previews for Gotham started, but each week, the show brings us new and exciting […]

Television

Gotham: “The Fearsome Dr. Crane” Review

February 9, 2015 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Fear is a powerful emotion. It renders some people unable to leave their house, while others jump out of planes and off bridges to confront fear head-on. On this week’s episode of Gotham, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Charlie Tahan) prefers that people deal with their fears in a more deadly manner. Dr. Crane spends his time targeting victims in support […]

Television

Gotham: “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” Review

February 1, 2015 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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“Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” sounds like the title of an episode all about Jim Gordon’s return to the GCPD. And it is… sort of. Gordon is back as the do-good detective who wants to straighten Gotham up. But instead of the support of his fellow peers, he once again experiences the city’s internal corruption. So much for […]

Television

Gotham: “What the Little Bird Told Him” Review

January 23, 2015 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Gotham is frustratingly inconsistent. “What the Little Bird Told Him” is a decent episode, much better than last week’s, but still unsure in its footing. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) manages to get himself reinstated as detective by promising to catch the escaped Executioner (Christopher Heyerdahl), while Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) finally makes her move against Falcone (John […]

Television

Gotham: “Rogues’ Gallery” Review

January 18, 2015 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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The holidays brought about rest, relaxation and new beginnings. This fresh start did not rejuvenate everything, however. As I was afraid would happen based on its fall finale, Gotham’s return episode, “Rogues’ Gallery,” perpetuates the series’ fractured structure and unclear overarching story. This episode is a perfect example of showrunner Bruno Heller’s inability to balance its crime-drama ambitions […]

Op-Ed

Hailey’s Best Films of 2014

January 5, 2015 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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2014 was an entertaining year for film. Marvel experienced huge successes with Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Big Hero 6. We also saw a large influx of action/comedy films, with 22 Jump Street being the prime example of how well action and comedy can mix together. Animated movies also had a good year. […]

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Television

Gotham: “Lovecraft” Review

December 15, 2014 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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  When I saw the first previews for Gotham, I was interested to see how the villains and city of Batman’s world came to be. But week after week, the show has delivered little backstory for its protagonist, an underdeveloped Gotham and a largely unengaging supporting cast. Frustratingly, the character who receives the most attention each week is Bruce Wayne: the person we […]

Television

Gracepoint: Episode Eight

December 11, 2014 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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After every tragedy there comes a time when we have to pick our lives back up once again. In its eighth episode, Gracepoint and its citizens attempt to do just that – even though Danny’s killer is still on the loose. This week the Millers get back what the Solanos did not: their son. Rev. Paul (Kevin Rankin) […]

Television

Gotham: “Harvey Dent” Review

November 21, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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“Harvey Dent” is a decent episode. Both Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) receive modest character development and crime-of-the-week continues on along the show’s theme of misunderstood villains. Where it falls short is in its portrayal of titular character Harvey Dent (Nicholas D’Agosto) and in its adherence to the mob wars that are inevitably […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Seven” Review

November 18, 2014 By Hailey Duran Leave a Comment

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We’ve all lost someone before. In a mall, a crowded street, a fair or even at the grocery store. You search frantically over the heads of people in the crowd, retrace your steps and finally breathe easy as you find your friend, partner or child. Even if the moment lasts for only a split second, the […]

Television

Gotham: “The Mask” Review

November 15, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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It is important to stand up for what we believe in. Gotham is full of crime and corruption, but Gordon (Ben McKenzie) isn’t deterred by it. He wants to help and serve its citizens in any way he can. I do not have the same tenacity as Gordon, however. I cannot keep fighting for Gotham. After two strong […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Six” Review

November 11, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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The way people respond to secrets is intriguing. We can fall head over heels for a person romantically or platonically, but the moment we find out they’re hiding something from us, we immediately change our view of them. It’s a classic trope used in everything from thrillers to romantic comedies. In the latter especially, the […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Five” Review

November 5, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Last time on Gracepoint, inn owner Gemma Fisher (Sarah-Jane Potts) aptly remarked, “Everyone’s got something to hide.” This statement, while obvious, became oh-so relevant this week. Some of the many secrets Gracepoint’s citizens have to hide come to the surface in Gracepoint‘s fifth episode. We have reached the halfway point of this Fox series, and […]

Television

Gotham: “Penguin’s Umbrella” Review

November 4, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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When you cross Gotham’s biggest crime bosses, you pay the price. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) learns this lesson in Gotham‘s best episode to date. After the momentum from last week’s episode, “Spirit of the Goat,” Gotham is finally getting somewhere. “Penguin’s Umbrella” gets off to an explosive start. Pulse-pounding music overlays a scene where a desperate Gordon […]

Television

Gotham: “Spirit of the Goat” Review

October 28, 2014 By Hailey Duran 3 Comments

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Greed is a disease. It festers and spreads throughout the body until you’re consumed with thoughts of money and power. For some, the One Percent needs a reality check. They argue there is no fairness in a tiny minority that holds all the wealth while the rest of us have to suffer. “Spirit of the Goat” takes […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Four” Review

October 24, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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We’ve established that secrets are a ubiquitous factor in our lives. But we also like to assume that those closest to us will share their skeletons. Discovering the true malevolent nature of people you thought you knew is an unimaginably scary thought. The fourth episode of Gracepoint preys on this innate fear along and communicates it through the show’s voyeuristic lens. Carver […]

Television

Gotham: “Viper” Review

October 21, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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Chemical warfare is terrifying. Imagining all of the different types of weapons that have and will be invented sends a shiver down the spine. So when a drug that gives the user the ability to rip someone apart with their bare hands was introduced on Gotham this week, my interest was piqued. As with “Arkham,” “Viper” continues to unravel the mystery connection between Wayne Enterprises […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Three” Review

October 18, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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There is a sense of camaraderie and community in small towns. But in aid of maintaining that picturesque setting, dark secrets begin to grow because everyone has something to hide. Small towns can be scary, a theme this week’s episode of Gracepoint seeks to prove. Apparently Danny knew his killer well. The implication of that knowledge is astounding. If Danny knew […]

Television

Gotham: “Arkham” Review

October 17, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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Each week of Gotham brings new disappointment. I want to like this show. I recommend it to people who ask my opinion. I try to get excited when Monday night rolls around and I always pray that the new episode will be the one to capture my love and adoration. After watching “Arkham,” I fear I hope in vain. […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode Two” Review

October 10, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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Grief is a funny emotion. Everyone suffers through it differently. Some hole up and shut everyone out, others act as if nothing ever happened and some blame and point the finger at those they care about the most. My hometown has a population of about 10,000 people; that’s not tiny, admittedly, but it’s small enough that […]

Television

Gotham: “The Balloonman” Review

October 7, 2014 By Hailey Duran 3 Comments

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“The Balloonman” is an interesting episode, even if it doesn’t feature the action-packed punches I expected from the previews. The opening shot is beautiful. It features stunning cinematography that carries over throughout the episode. Director Dermott Downs and DP Tom Yatsko’s composition exposes the beauty Gotham while highlighting the crime and decay of the city. Downs and Yatsko treat us to a […]

Television

Gracepoint: “Episode One” Review

October 4, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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The first episode of ten episode Gracepoint miniseries opens with a lazy pan over a sleepy town of the same name. With a quick cut, we see a boy standing on the edge of a cliff. Everything is quiet – too quiet. The slow, rhythmic music combines the ambient sounds of the town to give us an ominous […]

Op-Ed

Currying Favor: A Tim Curry Retrospective

October 1, 2014 By Hailey Duran 7 Comments

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When I was seven years old, my mom, my brother, and I watched Clue for the first time. That movie helped form my love of film. I can quote every line by heart and talk endlessly about what makes it great. But ultimately, there’s really only one reason the film has stuck with me: Tim […]

Television

Gotham: “Selina Kyle” Review

September 30, 2014 By Hailey Duran 1 Comment

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“Selina Kyle” opens with a shot of Bruce Wayne holding his hand over an open flame. Although clearly in pain, Bruce does remove his hand until Alfred (Sean Pertwee) comes into the room. Once Alfred realizes what Bruce is doing, he yells at the boy, only to immediately regret his outburst and instead wrap Bruce in a big […]

Movie Review

The Boxtrolls

September 27, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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When the first trailer for The Boxtrolls came out, it seemed pretty progressive. The trailer touts the idea that parents come in all shapes, sizes and forms (and yes, sometimes boxes). It intimates that not all families include a mother and a father. I was excited. The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s kids novel, Here Be Monsters! It follows […]

Television

Gotham: “Pilot” Review

September 23, 2014 By Hailey Duran 2 Comments

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In the weeks leading up to Gotham, Fox put a lot of effort into marketing. The studio released an interactive version of the Thomas and Martha Wayne murder scene for fans to explore, as well as a site for the fictional newspaper, the Gotham Chronicle. But will that all pay off in ratings and critical acclaim? […]

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