cinema

Which Best Picture Nominee Should You Watch?

Posted on by Genna Gincel

The Academy Awards may be over, but there might be some nominated films you still haven’t seen.  Here’s a guide on what to watch depending on what you’re looking for in your next movie-viewing experience.  Click the movie poster to watch the Official Trailer.

Boyhood

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If you’re looking for a realistic coming-of-age story, this one’s for you.  Boyhood was shot over twelve years, using the same actors, to give an authentic account of a young boy growing into a young man.

The Theory of Everything

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If you’re looking for a love story, this one’s for you.  Telling the story of Stephen Hawking’s life and his relationship with Jane Wilde, The Theory of Everything tells their love story and the effect of his motor neuron disease on their relationship and his career.  It’s both uplifting and heartbreaking.

The Imitation Game

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If you’re looking for a British historical film, this one’s for you.  This film tells the true story of Alan Turing, who was recruited by the M16 British Intelligence Agency to crack Nazi codes during World War II.  Years after his success and contribution to Britain’s war efforts, he ends up in prison after the British government discovers his homosexuality.

 American Sniper

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If you’re looking for a patriotic biopic, this one’s for you.  This film tells the story of U.S. Navy Seal, Chris Kyle, and his time as a sniper in the Iraq War and the effect the war had on his family and his psychological state.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

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If you’re looking for a quirky comedy, this one’s for you.  This Wes Anderson comedy embodies everything people love about the famous director and features an excellent cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Edward Norton.

Whiplash

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If you’re looking for a gripping drama, this one’s for you.  This film earned the Best Supporting Actor award for J.K. Simmons, who plays a jazz band teacher who pushes his students with emotional abuse to better their musical talent.  The film also stars Miles Teller.

Selma

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If you’re looking for an inspiring American history drama, this one’s for you.  This film tells the story of the march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama in the fight for fair voting rights.  The film stars David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as Oprah and Carmen Ejogo.

Birdman

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If you’re looking for a psychological comedy, this one’s for you.  Birdman took home the award for Best Picture this year.  Featuring an all-star cast, the film tells the story Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) an actor trying to revamp his career years after playing a superhero named Birdman in a successful film franchise.  For any film buffs out there, this film was shot and choreographed to looks like one continuous long shot, which helped earn it the Best Cinematography award.  The film also earned awards for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Dressing Up for the Movies

Posted on by Kelly Craig

image from The Washington Post

What does Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games all have in common?  Yes, they are each a book series and yes, they each have movie versions, but that is not what I am talking about.  Each of these movies draw an audience who do not only feel it is enough to go see the movies but feel the need to go one step further: to dress up to go to the movie in costume as one of the characters.

There is a wide range on the spectrum of fans who dress for such movies.  When each of the Harry Potter movies were released, some showed up with a simple lightning bolt on the forehead while others went all out in Halloween-costume-contest worthy outfits.  For Twilight, some showed up in t-shirts while others came in fangs.  For The Hunger Games, fans came in all out outrageous Capitol dress or rugged game attire.  They resembled specific characters, most popular Katniss and Peeta, since they are main characters and all.  There seems to be a set of rules when dressing up for the movies though.

Dressing up in character for the movies is only appropriate in certain occasions.  No one is dressing up like a cop to go see 21 Jump Street.  Also, smearing mud on your face or dressing in flames might get a few stares at the 11am feature of The Hunger Games (although dressing in real flames in a movie just leads to an arrest and bad cliché).

So when is it okay?  Dressing up in character to go see a movie is only appropriate for the premiere.  It actually seems like a must to dress somewhat themed.

Some of the fans kept it simple with a Hunger Games t-shirt, jeans and boots.  Others took it the next step by wearing a top and make-up to resemble characters.  The next level of fandom included outrageous Capitol-inspired makeup and/or headpiece.  Others went all out with full outfit, makeup, hair (resembling Katniss’s simple braid down her back), and props.  Bringing props to the movies may be a step too far, as bringing a bow and arrow, however fake, may be dangerous and may not be allowed in the theater.  The above and beyond status seems to have gone to those who have painted their bodies in paint or spiked there long hair into six long points shooting in every direction.

USA Today provides a media gallery by Getty Images of fans in costume here.

The good news is you have plenty of time to find an outfit displaying how die hard of a fan you are as the second Hunger Games movie will be released in November 2013.

-TravelBug

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