Landon’s Outlook: ‘Midsommar’ is a festival of madness
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The heightened horror genre has found solace within the personification of grief. This genre has now found its zeitgeist with “Midsommar,” an aesthetic treasure trove that never shies away from it masterfully crafted portrayals of mental illness. Anxiety, dread and depression — these are the true horrors that haunt the deep […]
Landon’s Outlook: Laika’s ‘Missing Link’ is full of hilarity, heart and beauty
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The studio heading the current revival of stop-motion animation is Laika — its newest film “Missing Link” is a pulpy action adventure romp filled with jaw-dropping achievements in stop motion. Laika made a name for itself by using stop-motion films to execute darker stories through creepy character designs and unsettling realistic […]
Landon’s Outlook: Brie Larson creates whimsical modern fairy tale with ‘Unicorn Store’
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The opening moments of Brie Larson’s directorial debut “Unicorn Store” are the catalyst of this modern quirky fairytale. It begins with a montage of home videos showing the growth of our main character Kit as she discovers her creativity. With every passing year of this extremely personal montage comes a growing […]
Landon’s Outlook: ‘Shazam!’ jolts fun into a world of self-seriousness
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The 1940s introduced us to the Golden Age of Comic Books, offering simple but cheesy stories of good vs. evil. “Shazam!” takes all the charm straight from the pages and plasters them unapologetically onto the screen. The DC Extended Universe started off rough due to the pretentious delivery of films like […]
Landon’s Outlook: “Gloria Bell” is a hilarious but melancholy take on the midlife crisis
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer Sebastián Lelio’s “Gloria Bell” presents an entirely different take on coming-of-age films, depicting the challenges of a midlife crisis and the loneliness that sets in once a mother’s children no longer need her. This is not Lelio’s first attempt with this story. “Gloria Bell” is a remake of his 2013 […]
‘Climax’ is an appalling masterpiece you have to see to believe
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer Brandon Shillingford, Contributing Writer “Climax” is the brainchild of Argentine-French cinematic provocateur Gaspar Noé, the mind behind “Enter the Void” and “Irréversible.” His latest film tells the story of a dance troupe that — after a practice session in an abandoned school — slowly descends into madness as a result of […]
Landon’s Outlook: Every layer of ‘Russian Doll’ exposes perspectives on mental health
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The Netflix original series “Russian Doll” offers a breath of fresh air into the oversaturated time loop genre while also offering important commentary on mental health. The eight-episode season puts Natasha Lyonne’s Nadia in a personal hell as she relives her 36th birthday until she can find the root of her […]
Landon’s Outlook: “Fighting With My Family” packs punches of sincere humor
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The outrageous and maniacal characters fabricated in World Wrestling Entertainment provide some interesting plotlines, but nothing compares to the real lives of the people in the ring. “Fighting With My Family” tells the inspiring story of a professional fighter, with hilarious presentation and a heartwarming execution. The story follows Saraya Knight’s […]
Landon’s Outlook: “Alita Battle Angel” flies too close to the sun
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer Japanese manga and anime film adaptations are a big trend in Hollywood. But these Americanized adaptations have driven away fans of original manga and anime, while the final product remains too strange for American audiences. The happy medium for this conundrum seemed to be “Alita: Battle Angel,” especially with names […]
Landon’s Outlook: “How To Train Your Dragon 3” soars to new heights with a personal tale of growing up
Landon Roberts, Contributing Writer The story of Hiccup and Toothless began in 2010 when a young scrawny outcast created peace between his Viking tribe and nearby dragons by forging a friendship with the last-known dragon of its kind. Through this friendship, we saw these two timid characters grow confident and responsible. “How to Train Your Dragon […]