The female “Ghostbusters” reboot hasn’t had it easy. From its inception, the film has been the subject of widespread criticism, some of it hateful and sexist, some of it thoughtful and...
With Paul Feig’s “Ghostbusters” remake coming out this Friday, The Daily Texan looks back at four scary awesome horror comedies.
“Arachnophobia”
Even for...
“Orange is the New Black” and “Game of Thrones” are currently among the biggest shows to binge watch on TV and streaming services, but there are a few others that deserve some attention....
Sequels are a staple of summer movies, but the best ones are those that surpass their predecessors. Take a look at three of The Daily Texan’s picks.
“From Russia with Love” (1964)
After...
We are halfway through 2016, and some great films have graced the silver screen so far. Here are five movies The Daily Texan recommends checking out.
“Hail, Caesar!”
In “Hail, Caesar!,”...
Amid all the destruction and grit of modern blockbusters, it is nice to see a fairy tale that embraces joy and imagination. Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG” is a nice, cozy breather from...
Fireworks are a Fourth of July staple, but if you’d rather stay indoors, put on a show with one of these four films to celebrate American independence.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Just as “Huckleberry...
Actor Anton Yelchin amassed credits in big blockbusters, genre pictures and indie films before his untimely death Sunday at the age of 27. The talented young performer, who began his career at the age...
While humanity has yet to encounter alien life, extraterrestrials have come to Earth countless times on the big screen. The Daily Texan suggests you check out four of these movies that are out of this...
Diving back into the sea is easy in Pixar’s “Finding Dory.” Clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), as well as their blue tang friend, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), are...
Talking fish. Genocidal aliens. Skilled assassins. Unhinged supervillains. These are the stars of this summer’s biggest movies, and The Daily Texan has compiled a list to watch out for.
“Finding...
Whether they are inspiring fables or dark and brooding dramas, great animated films are more than just cartoons. Here are four animated classics that deserve your attention.
“Batman: Mask of the...
The Wright brothers flew planes. The Coen brothers direct movies. The Bargo brothers climb mountains.
Branndon and Greg Bargo have tackled expeditions in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Now they are...
There’s a new Ambien, and it’s called “Warcraft.” While fans of the “Warcraft” video game franchise are more than happy to stage massive battles between orcs and humans,...
Among this year’s films are a slew of critical duds. From “Batman v Superman” to “Warcraft,” they join the ranks of movies that are long-remembered for being horrible. Here...
Step aside Backstreet Boys. In the world of “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” The Style Boyz, tacky sweaters and all, are the boy band to beat.
Of course, a lot of suspension of disbelief...
The year’s biggest movies nearly always come out during the summer. From alien invasions to superheroes, these pictures seek to deliver the spectacular and the fantastical, but the best remain firmly...
“Captain America: Civil War” is what “Batman v Superman” should have been. Thoughtful. Deep. Witty. Fun. It’s a bold political thriller that asks questions about superhero...
UT’s radio-television-film professors shape the storytellers of tomorrow, but they have also been shaped by the storytellers of yesteryear. Here are a few members of the RTF department and the films...
“High School Musical” sucks. The Daily Texan suggests you sing along with five of these catchy musicals instead.
“West Side Story”
A lively and poignant update...
It’s only natural that comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who recently concluded their acclaimed “Key & Peele” series, have made the leap to motion pictures with “Keanu.”...
Movie characters have been blazing it for years, and the best stoner comedies are the ones that give their viewers a truly special high. Here are four movies The Daily Texan recommends you pass along.
“Inherent...
Although it’s a crime drama, “Hostile Border” has enough political subtext in its opening that viewers might guess the rest of the movie will be social commentary. For the first 10 minutes,...
With her acoustic guitar in hand, Veronica Sixtos covers songs and posts light-hearted vlogs on her popular YouTube channel. But she’s not just a singer and online personality — she’s...
As with all directors who had the unenviable tasks of remaking classic movies, Jon Favreau had to recapture the spirit of 1967’s “The Jungle Book” without making his iteration feel redundant....
Most film remakes are inferior to their original counterparts and end up reminding us why we love the first versions more. However, a few remakes surpass the originals by reinterpreting them in fascinating...
Though it was released in theaters and on video streaming services on March 25, slacker comedy “Get a Job” was filmed back in 2012 and shelved — and it should’ve stayed that way.
It’s...
It’s impossible to bask in the glory of every well-crafted movie, but to help you get started this April 1st, The Daily Texan has assembled a list of cinematic masterpieces that everyone needs to...
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is one lousy cage match. Directed by Zack Snyder, this bloated picture single-mindedly breezes through its plot points and often forgets to breathe, rendering...
Two superheroes will collide on March 25 when the ruthless Batman (Ben Affleck) faces off against the mighty Superman (Henry Cavill) in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” In order to help...
We find Roy (Michael Shannon), Lucas (Joel Edgerton) and Roy’s son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), holed up in a dark motel room. Roy is packing guns. Lucas is on edge, keeping guard by the door. Alton...
The crunch of blood-soaked boots. The rustling of trees. The creak of an opening door. Sound signals the approach of danger. Lose your hearing, and you lose one of your most valuable tools for survival.
In...
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Update (9:30 p.m.): During Flatstock 53 inside the Austin Convention Center this afternoon, The Daily Texan spoke to screenprinter Gary McGarvey...
It’s called obsession, but Seth (Dominic Monaghan) calls it love. He’s a lonely dog pound worker, and the target of his affection is his former classmate Holly (Ksenia Solo), now a waitress...
Tweets from https://twitter.com/amyyyzhang/lists/sxsw-2016
Update (10:20 p.m.): “Hush” is an exciting thriller from writer and director Mike Flanagan. Starring a deaf heroine who is stalked...
The opening minutes of “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” are just like those of “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” – Paul Reubens’ lovable man-child leaps out of his slumber...
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Update (2:00 a.m.): Netflix’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” premiered to much excitement at SXSW. However, the long-awaited...
Ti West’s revenge picture “In a Valley of Violence” evokes the Spaghetti Westerns of old. Its colors are crisp, its music recalls the work of Ennio Morricone and it all boils down to...
“How can you hate me if you don’t even know me?”
Daryl Davis, an African-American jazz musician, has attempted to answer that question by meeting and befriending members of the Klu...
Tweets from https://twitter.com/amyyyzhang/lists/sxsw-2016
Update (12 a.m.): Check out our recap of the MTV Woodies, which included performances by The Chainsmokers, A$AP Ferg, BØRNS,...
Tweets from https://twitter.com/amyyyzhang/lists/sxsw-2016
Update (8:30 p.m.): Kodak celebrated the launch of their new app, KODAK MOMENTS, this week with the Memory Observatory in the Austin Convention...
On May 31, 2014, 12-year old Wisconsin girls Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser stabbed their friend Payton “Bella” Leutner 19 times and left her for dead. They attempted to murder her out of a...
On Monday, filmmakers and friends J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) and Andrew Jarecki (“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst”) spoke to South by Southwest attendees...
We are generally the observers of blood and gut spillage in action movies. In “Hardcore Henry,” we watch everything through the eyes of our hero, a cyborg soldier named Henry, as he murders...
Before Sandy Hook, before Aurora, before Virginia Tech, before Columbine – there was The University of Texas. On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman ascended the UT tower with an arsenal of guns and...
“Midnight Special” hits the ground running.
We find Roy (Michael Shannon), Lucas (Joel Edgerton) and Roy’s son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) holed up in a dark motel room. Roy is packing...
When Jake Gyllenhaal walked onstage with his keynote talk Saturday, the anticipation amongst the audience was palpable. To them, he’s the legendary star of films such as “Donnie Darko,”...
Richard Linklater has a way of making the ordinary unusually engrossing. After springing up on the filmmaking scene with “Slacker” and establishing himself in Austin, Texas, it’s only...
On Saturday, actress Ellen Page and New York filmmaker Ian Daniel sat down for a keynote talk about their new show, “Gaycation,” the Austin Convention Center’s Vimeo Theater. “Gaycation,”...
South By Southwest might be best known for its music scene, but its film festival is no joke. The 2016 SXSW Film Festival features a huge roster of narrative films, documentaries and shorts screened...
Forget everything about the original “Cloverfield.” The hectic found-footage style is gone. There’s no giant monster ravaging a city. In their place is a taut, Hitchcockian triller set...
Some movies get sequels greenlit before they’re even released. Others tease potential sequels, then fail hard enough that their respective studios decide not to make good on their promises. Then...
The films of the 1990s were defined by an emphasis on the real and the spectacular.
During the decade, independent films, such as “Pulp Fiction,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and...
In “Zootopia,” Disney brings the animal kingdom into the 21st century, trading the jungles for a forest of skyscrapers. Animals as big as lumbering elephants and as tiny as scurrying shrews...
In Disney’s latest animated feature, “Zootopia,” rookie rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) doles out parking tickets on car after car. Though each ticket briefly appears onscreen...
The most amazing action scenes are crafted by filmmakers who throw caution to the wind and rely on death-defying stunts. The Daily Texan has compiled five incredible feats caught on camera.
“Steamboat...
It’s a bad idea to go see a movie that preaches the virtues of single life on Valentine’s Day, but it’s also a bad idea to see “How to Be Single” because it sucks.
Aside...
Before hitting the theaters to see the R-rated “Deadpool” this weekend, The Daily Texan suggests checking out these adult-oriented superhero pictures.
“Watchmen” (2009)
Zack...
Just like Christopher Reeve owned Superman and Robert Downey Jr. owns Iron Man, Ryan Reynolds owns Deadpool, Marvel’s infamous Mercenary with a Mouth. This anti-hero commonly breaks the fourth wall...
It’s the 1950s and Hollywood is thriving, but studio fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) can’t decide whether to remain at the bustling Capitol Pictures film studio, or take an easier job at aerospace...
With the presidential primary season underway, The Daily Texan suggests readers watch these three political films.
“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939)
Funny, emotional and inspiring,...
For the second year in a row, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated 20 white actors for all the acting Oscars. Even esteemed movies featuring people of color that received nominations,...
There are good films, and then there are great films. There are decent movies that offer a good time in the theater, and then there are movies that stick with you long after you’ve watched them....
2016 will be the year of clashing heroes, bad guys turned good and long-awaited sequels. The Daily Texan has assembled a list of the year’s biggest upcoming releases.
Deadpool
Meet...
January is a difficult month for film studios. People often spend the earlier part of the year cutting back on spending after the holiday season and getting back into work and school routines. The movies...
With the Academy Awards fast approaching, contemporary film knowledge is now more than ever a useful asset. Films such as “Spotlight” and “The Revenant” are sure to win their fair...
Alan Rickman, who passed away Thursday at the age of 69, was a legendary British actor whose career on the stage and the big screen spanned nearly four decades. He was an exceptional performer best remembered...
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has awakened filmgoers at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of all time in North America. Nearly 40 years after the original release of “Star...
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s American West is beautiful and cruel. Powerful blizzards sweep through wintry forests, fierce animals roam the wild and frontiersmen and Native Americans...
‘Tis the season to be jolly, but some holiday movies will put their viewers in a sour mood. To keep everyone feeling nothing but cheer, The Daily Texan has compiled a list of movies to avoid this...
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is a classic John Hughes film starring Steve Martin and John Candy as strangers on a plane from New York City to Chicago that...
Director Thomas McCarthy’s “Spotlight” is a testament to courageous journalism’s importance, telling the story of how four reporters from The Boston Globe uncovered a massive sex...
To commemorate the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, The Daily Texan has compiled a list of three films to watch on Veterans Day that capture the experiences of soldiers who answered...
Daniel Craig’s James Bond has always been less refined and more grounded than his predecessors. Ever since 2006’s “Casino Royale,” Bond studio Eon Productions has offered a refreshingly...
Food flick “Burnt” fails to live up to its title — in fact, it’s kind of raw. It’s a pretty picture, and so are the mouth-watering dishes it lavishly displays, but viewers...
Film geeks are dusting off their power-laced Nikes and donning their self-drying jackets to celebrate “Back to the Future Day.” Wednesday marks the exact date when series protagonist, ’80s...
Mother knows best.
For mothers beyond the grave in “Crimson Peak,” this mantra still applies. Young Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) receives a visit from her mother’s ghost during a...
The problem with prequels is they explain too much. The “Star Wars” prequels ruined the magic of the force by giving it pseudo-scientific origins. “The Hobbit” films took too many...
A barren forest lurks behind the home of a 17th century Puritan family. It is eerily still, ominously quiet.
Something evil stirs within the woods, an evil that dominates the story of the deeply...
“Belladonna of Sadness” is a Japanese animated film released in 1973, but it never officially opened in the United States. Directed and co-written by Eiichi Yamamoto, the highly erotic, adult-oriented...
Cinema lovers from across the globe are flocking to Austin for Alamo Drafthouse’s annual Fantastic Fest, which runs from Thursday to Oct. 1. The week-long film festival showcases strange and avant-garde...
It would be a mistake to think “Tale of Tales” is a wannabe Disney film: there’s little that is wholesome or satisfying about this fantasy picture. Directed by Matteo Garrone, the film...
Johnny Depp’s icy blue eyes pierce through the screen and stay with the viewer long after “Black Mass” is over. Throughout the film, Depp, wearing contacts and covered in frightening...
The decline of frontiers around the world is one of the great tragedies. As people ventured into untamed lands, they destroyed what they could not tame.
“Wolf Totem” chronicles one of these...
“Learning to Drive” is a lighthearted study of two characters and their clashing cultures. One is a white New Yorker, likable but uninteresting, and the other a Sikh who demands the audience’s...
“Learning to Drive” is a lighthearted study of two characters and their clashing cultures. One is a white New Yorker, likable but uninteresting, and the other a Sikh who demands the audience’s...
The cliché of the tortured artist comes in many forms — the damaged painter, the depressed writer, the brooding composer. “We Are Your Friends” adds aspiring young DJs to...
With the reboots of “Mission: Impossible” and “21 Jump Street,” Hollywood is no stranger to spinning old TV series into movies. “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” a 1960s show...
The “Fantastic Four” reboot flat-out sucks.
It’s a shame, too, because the film possesses a great cast and the director, Josh Trank, helmed the surprisingly effective “Chronicle.”...
Within two decades, the James Bond franchise had already run through three leading men. It’s been 19 years since the first “Mission: Impossible” came out, yet Tom Cruise, now 53, is headlining...
While many modern video games are arguably works of art, Adam Sandler’s movie about video games is inarguably trash.
It’s no surprise that Sandler’s latest fails to hit the mark. His...
The concept of a shrinking superhero seems silly at first glance. After all, how effective can a bite-sized crusader be? According to Marvel’s “Ant-Man,” the answer is very.
Marvel...
The misspelling of genesis in the latest “Terminator” title should clue audiences in as to how dumb it is.
The film relentlessly assaults the senses with bullets and explosions to distract...
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is about a boy and a girl who has cancer. Friendship blossoms between them, and refreshingly enough, it remains purely that.
At first glance, “Dying...
After a series of mediocre to decent films, Pixar makes a comeback with “Inside Out,” the studio’s most ambitious exploration of the human experience yet.
The movie is a nuanced visual...
