Columns, Editorials, and Reviews
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ brings movie theaters back despite weak plotBy Sophie Ojdanic
As movie theaters reopened in the fall, there was one thing on the mind of every theater manager, usher and box office attendee — Wonder Woman 1984. In their minds, it would provide a much needed resurrection of the movie theater experience. When it finally hit theaters (and, unfortunately, HBOMax), theaters did see a slight uptick in attendance rates. While I regard WW84 highly for its business, I think there were weak points in the writing and production. We have to go back… to the movies!By Sophie Ojdanic
I was convinced that if I had gone another day without going to the movies, some poor ER doctor was going to have to inject my veins full of that stuff movie theaters like to call “butter.” The last movie I saw before quarantine was Brahms: The Boy II. Which means, even if it was only a few months, it felt like an eternity. Are we romanticizing mass murder?By SOPHIE OJDANIC
Think of a serial killer or mass murderer. Got it? Now try to name one of the killer’s victims. Significantly harder, right? It’s easy to name people like Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, or the Zodiac Killer. Don’t feel bad if you can’t name a victim. In almost every case, the media tells you more about the killer than the victim. Think about it: we know why killers do it (for the most part), how they do it, when they do it, how they planned to get away with it, and how they got caught. This comes in the form of countless news reports followed by books, TV specials, and in some cases, movies, such as My Friend Dahmer or Zodiac. Information about serial killers should not be featured across these mediums since it has historically inspired and refined future violence and is inconsiderate to the victims’ loved ones. 'Arrival' exhibits a different side of an overdone tropeBy SOPHIE OJDANIC
SPCHS Student Journalist In a year over-run with reactionary comic book movies (Looking at you, Batman v. Superman), crappy horror movies, and even worse romantic “comedies,” it was refreshing to catch Arrival in theaters. Director Denis Villeneuve’s newest production focuses on a somewhat peaceful interaction with aliens, rather than the sci-fi genre’s usual tired and overdone, trope of aliens coming from space to attack. The film, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker, runs for 116 minutes and I didn’t regret watching one second of it. The Anti-Santa (Krampus Movie Review)By SOPHIE OJDANIC
SNN Staff Writer Growing up, many German kids may hear the tale of Krampus. According to the 2015 movie, Krampus is essentially the shadow of Santa Claus. If you lose Christmas spirit or are “naughty,” instead of coal, Krampus punishes you by beating you or, in extreme circumstances, killing you or your family. This year’s rendition of the creepy Christmas story starred comedy actors Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tollman, Conchata Ferell, Stefania LaVie Owen, as well as Krista Stadler, Maverick Flack and Emjay Anthony. They were a family getting together for Christmas. Due to the “lack of Christmas spirit” the family had that year, Krampus attacks. The film seemed like more of a comedy, which is understandable, seeing as it is still the holiday season. However, if you market a movie as a horror or thriller, you should at least include more horror than comedy. The first portion of the movie is spent being a family that in all honesty seemed very fabricated and clunky. Once the horror-ish parts begin, it is just Krampus’ minions for most of the time, which do not play a part in the actual tale of Krampus. I mean, for a movie titled Krampus, there was a lack of it. Also, the way in which Krampus was portrayed ultimately could have been quite scarier, especially since he is only seen a few times. Rotten Tomatoes rates this film 63 percent and New York Daily News’ Stephen Witty says “No one has been too naughty to be subjected to this reindeer poop.” I would have to agree. However, this film could be a bit of a fun time for someone sitting at home over the holidays wondering what to watch. |
Step out of your horror movie discomfort-zoneBy Sophie Ojdanic
Just a few days shy of Halloween, there’s only one logical thing to do for a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the genre like myself – watch as many horror movies as you possibly can. In an effort to watch something other than the usual suspects (sorry, Freddy, Michael and Jason), I grabbed my ‘90s voice modulator and brought the age old question to The Crow’s Nest’s staff: What’s your favorite scary movie? Invert your expectations for TenetBy Sophie Ojdanic
Christopher Nolan has found the ultimate money-making loophole: make a movie so confusing that audiences have to watch it more than once. Tenet is enjoyable — if you’re into just nodding along to explanations you still don’t understand. Logan impresses both comic and general audiencesBy SOPHIE OJDANIC
SPCHS Student Journalist 2017’s Logan wowed audiences and critics alike without the splash-page showdowns that comic book movies are known for. And to be quite honest, the film didn’t need one. The execution of the plot and story were nearly perfect – and exactly what they were meant to be. Logan scored a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and raked in a whopping $616.20 million compared to its estimated budget of $97 million, showing that it wasn’t just a fantastic comic book film, it was a fantastic film. Metro Diner: A great stop for a large breakfastBy SOPHIE OJDANIC
SPCHS Student Journalist When I first entered Metro Diner on 4th Street N in St. Petersburg, I was bombarded with the smells of breakfast all day and the sound of music on the speakers. The host or hostess took me to a table, and gave me a menu. A chalkboard in the establishment displays the day’s specials. The specials that day were loaded baked potato soup and peach flavored tea. As I looked down at my menu, a waiter came up to get my order. What's your favorite scary movie? (Scream Movie Review)By SOPHIE OJDANIC
SNN Staff Writer Looking for a fun horror movie to watch this Halloween? Scream (1996) may be perfect for you. It adds a bit of comedy and self-awareness to a scary and thrilling story. It started off with a young teen, Casey Becker, waiting for her boyfriend to come over. She receives a phone call from the infamous ghostface killer. Her boyfriend is found, but he is not in the greatest situation. He is duct-taped to a patio chair in Becker’s backyard. After some horror movie trivia and a brief chase scene, the killer takes out his prey. After the death of the series’ first two characters, Scream follows Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell, The Craft) through high school life, though there is a bit of a problem. A killer who has seen one too many horror flicks terrorizes the school while sporting a ghostface mask and is out to get Sidney and her friends. Prescott attempts to find the killer with the help of Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard, Scooby Doo), Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich, The Newton Boys), Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan, Charmed), Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy, Ghost Whisperer), Dewey Riley (David Arquette, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl), and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Friends). |