I Still Believe in Heroes

 1. Pixar's Coco I can't overstate how much this film meant to me. To finally be able to see my culture being represented on the big screen in an accurate and loving way was overwhelming in the best way possible. I've seen this film twice now and both times I was overcome with a sense of pride at seeing a film being able to perfectly capture the essence of Mexican culture. Every single aspect of this film, from the behaviors to the music, was treated with dignity and respect. I didn't realize how much this film would affect me, but I'm thankful that Coco was made and that it is getting the amount of love that it is. In my eyes, this is the best Pixar film ever made. 2. Horror is Killing it This Year Horror has always been my favorite genre in film and to see how hugely successful horror movies were this year has been awesome. Films like It and Get Out made huge amounts of money, but more importantly, they were excellent films that people wanted to see over a...

            Greta Gerwig makes her solo directional debut with the coming-of-age drama, Lady Bird , starring two-time Academy award nominee Saoirse Ronan. Gerwig, who also wrote the film, has primarily been an actress that you may recognize from films such as 20 th Century Women , Jackie and No Strings Attached . 2017 has been a year that has seen many phenomenal directorial debuts including Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Andy Serkis’ Breathe . Gerwig does not disappoint and turns in an incredible film that can be enjoyed by all.             Lady Bird takes place in Sacramento and is the story of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson as she finishes out her last year of high school and prepares for college. The film takes place in 2002, a time where the United States’ economy was rapidly shifting as a result of 9/11. Christine’s family struggles because of those economic c...

Movies have been a part of my life for as long as I remember. As I have gotten older, I have realized that I love cinema and I wish to be involved with it in any way possible. I see cinema as a way to escape reality and be in a world outside of our own. I love analyzing film and trying to figure what any particular shot in a movie meant or what it was supposed to show. Movies have a way of affecting certain people in certain ways and that's what this list is about. The following list is NOT what I consider to be the greatest films of all time. They are simply the films that have impacted my life significantly. This list might contain minor spoilers/plot points but I will do my best to keep that to a minimum. I hope you guys enjoy this list and I encourage you to watch any of the films on here that you may not have already seen before. This list is not in any particular order. 1.  Hercules  (1997) Disney's Hercules  is one of those movies that I wish people would ...

Image via ComingSoon.net Brooklyn  shows a beautiful story of a young Irish woman, Ellis (Saoirse Ronan), who must leave her home in Ireland for New York in order to have a chance to live the life her family knows she will never be able to have if she stays at home. After a rough trip across the sea for Ellis, she arrives in New York where her new adventure begins, meeting some great people and some who are just not very good. While she is not very happy at first, she eventually gets to be happy and everything that happens to get to that point is so entertaining and full of both heartbreak and heart-warming moments, making  Brooklyn   a very fascinating film and one of my favorites of the year. What John Crowley was able to do was direct  Brooklyn  to near-perfection. There are so many things that Crowley was able to do right, yet my favorite part about this movie was the way in which it made you feel as if you were actually back in the 1950's. Every...

Image via StarWars.com Before I begin, I feel the need to say that while I certainly enjoy the original trilogy very much (the prequels not so much), I've never been a die-hard fan of the series. For whatever reason, Star Wars  never resonated with me in the same way it did with other people and it was only until recent years that I really looked at those original films and realized how good they actually are. But man, The Force Awakens  is just something else. I loved this movie and I will say right away that this is probably my favorite  Star Wars film of all. I know many people will disagree, but maybe some will agree and that is the beauty of film. Much like with food, everybody's taste is different and The Force Awakens , for me, is just exquisite. **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD** One of the main problems I had with the prequels was how political they were. I felt that that specific approach took away a lot of the magic that the original trilogy had and made t...

Image via Collider.com Last year, when Mockingjay Part 1 came out and a lot of people criticized it, I defended it. It was a very good movie despite its flaws. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Part 2 . This has to be one of the least satisfying endings to a series that I have seen in a very long time, which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the first three films. Below, I will explain everything that I liked and disliked about this movie. **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD** There is a lot wrong with this movie, however, I will begin by pointing out a few positives. First of all, the performances were great as always. Regardless of what one may think about the movie as a whole, it is hard to deny that these actors all have done a fantastic job of really transforming themselves into their respective roles. And second, there is an incredibly well-done action sequence between Katniss & company and the mutts that takes place in the sewers which ends up being ...

Images via ComingSoon.net Last night, the first official teaser trailer for the upcoming Captain America: Civil War  dropped along with 3 posters. First of all, I have to say that I love all 3 posters. They do a great job in highlighting the separation between the characters and they are sure to start making fans want to pick a side. Speaking of, I thought they would go with the usual "Whose side are you on?" tag but I was pleasantly surprised to see instead "Divided we fall". As great as these posters are, however, they pale in comparison to the trailer. Simply put, I think this has been the best trailer I have seen all year. The trailer clearly explained what this story will revolve around and showed fantastic action shots but yet didn't reveal any major spoilers. The music flowed perfectly with the trailer and nothing seemed out of place or unnecessary. Much like the posters, but even more so, the trailer clearly lays out the division between the c...