Author: Beth McDonough

5 Times the Olsen Twins Nailed the ’90s

5 Times the Olsen Twins Nailed the ’90s

Posted by | Jun 13, 2016 | |

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen may have officially traded in their on screen careers for behind the scenes fashion fame when they turned down the opportunity to appear in the Netflix series Fuller House. Although their primary focus is now on their label The Row and Elizabeth and James, their luxury wear, for millennials the twins’ legacy will always lie in their total domination of ’90s entertainment. As they celebrate their 30th birthday today, let’s take a look back at the best of the best. 5. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Greatest Hits Although, shamefully, they were never recognized by the likes of the Grammys,...

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Abracadabra: The 5 Most Marvelous Movie Magicians

Abracadabra: The 5 Most Marvelous Movie Magicians

Posted by | Jun 11, 2016 | |

With Now You See Me 2, yet another 2016 sequel audiences never asked for, hitting theaters this weekend, we at AE thought it would be an appropriate time to bring you five movie magicians that are much more worth two hours of deceit and illusion. The Wizard of Oz (1939) He might be the most poorly skilled magician to ever grace the silver screen, but the Wonderful Wizard of Oz still stands the test of time as the most memorable of all. A fraud no doubt, but the man who dropped the house on the Wicked Witch of the East succeeded...

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Captain America: Civil War Battles With Its Universe’s Massive Ambition

Captain America: Civil War Battles With Its Universe’s Massive Ambition

Posted by | May 6, 2016 | |

Overview: The Avengers find themselves split down the middle when restrictive government regulations are demanded after a mission in Lagos results in several civilian casualties. 2016; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Rated PG-13; 147 minutes. Years of Set-up: Captain America: Civil War is exactly the film it advertises itself to be, with epic fight sequences on a line of moral ambiguity pitting friend against friend instead of foe. Though falling as the third film in the Captain America series, this is really an Avengers film on steroids, spinning a turn table of superheroes, most of whom aren’t entirely clear on why they chose the side...

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He v She: Who Defines the Modern Female Action Hero?

He v She: Who Defines the Modern Female Action Hero?

Posted by | Apr 27, 2016 | |

We here at Audiences Everywhere love nothing more than a healthy debate, so we’ve decided to take our passion for discussion one step further. For our newest regular feature, we are going to let one male and one female writer blindly tackle the same hot button topic. We’ll publish both answers together, which will mark the first time either writer gets to see the other’s anwer. Then you, the reader, are encouraged to chime in with who presents the best case, and add your two cents on our topic. First up: Back in December when Star Wars: The Force Awakens exploded...

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Confirmation is a Pragmatic Character Study

Confirmation is a Pragmatic Character Study

Posted by | Apr 20, 2016 | |

Overview: A retelling of the 1991 controversial scandal of Judge Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court nomination and the subsequent hearing that resulted from Professor Anita Hill’s sexual harassment accusations. HBO Films; 2016; 110 minutes. Confirmed and Condemned: During an election year where a Supreme Court seat lies vacant and waiting, Americans are reminded of the weight of this lifetime appointment and the importance of the process and the selection of those who fill those seats. Confirmation pragmatically provides the details of an example where the decision to appoint someone to preside over the highest court in the land leads to an examination of...

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Baba Joon is an Intimate Portrait

Baba Joon is an Intimate Portrait

Posted by | Apr 15, 2016 | |

Overview: A young Iranian boy living in Israel causes a rift within the family when he rebels against their traditional livelihood of farming turkeys. United King Films; 2015; 91 minutes. Speaking Every Language: The setting of this film might be on the other side of the world, and turkey farming might be an unfamiliar concept to most of us, but the root of this intimate portrait of a father who is stuck in the past and a son who wants to forge his own future is a story that transcends both language and location. Baba Joon examines the universal struggles families face when expectations and...

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Why the World Needs a Worthy Wonder Woman

Why the World Needs a Worthy Wonder Woman

Posted by | Mar 22, 2016 | |

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is set to make her solo feature film debut in 2017, which is groundbreaking for multiple reasons. First, this is the first female superhero film to be released in at least ten years, and second, this film is also directed by a woman. 2017’s Wonder Woman is being directed by Patty Jenkins, who helmed the 2003 Oscar-winning drama Monster, based on the life of the prostitute-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos. A superhero movie directed by a woman, starring a woman, is long overdue particularly with the explosive presence of Marvel and DC over the last few years that...

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House of Cards Season 4 is Marvelously Malicious

House of Cards Season 4 is Marvelously Malicious

Posted by | Mar 17, 2016 | |

Overview: Frank and Claire are forced to reevaluate both their partisanship and their partnership as they battle their way through the Democratic primaries and look ahead to the general election to secure their stay in the White House. 2016; Netflix; 13 episodes. It’s Lonely at the Top: After a divisive season three had many viewers feeling more than a little exhausted and wondering if the series that inspired Netflix binging was running out of steam. But not to worry: the ballsy, relentless, and unforgiving political drama returns with a vengeance in season four. This season the tension is higher, the rivalries...

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5 Things ’90s Kids Want to See in the Legends of the Hidden Temple Movie

5 Things ’90s Kids Want to See in the Legends of the Hidden Temple Movie

Posted by | Mar 16, 2016 | |

Nickelodeon recently announced its plan for future direction and programming, which includes everything from a series led by Cam Newton to a revitalization of some ’90s classics, including the short lived fan favorite Legends of the Hidden Temple. The adventure game show inspired by Indiana Jones will be adapted into a live action movie, featuring three siblings who become faced with their own series of obstacles inspired by those of the original series. As a loyal fan and an avid viewer from six to eight years old, I consider myself an expert on the necessary ingredients that are vital to the recipe for success. So...

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a Pleasant Surprise

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a Pleasant Surprise

Posted by | Mar 8, 2016 | |

Overview: A woman who is accustomed to a quiet life at a desk accepts a position as a war correspondent in Afghanistan and begins to redefine her definition of normalcy.  Based on the memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Kim Barker. Paramount Pictures; 2016; Rated R; 112 minutes. False Advertising: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is one of those films that gives away most of the funniest jokes in the trailers, but it is also one of those rare films that benefits from this type of exposure that usually disappoints audiences. This film has been marketed...

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Walking the Straight and Narrow: Bisexual Representation in Film

Walking the Straight and Narrow: Bisexual Representation in Film

Posted by | Mar 2, 2016 | |

J.J. Abrams sparked an internet blaze this week after answering a question about the possibility of an openly gay character being introduced to the canon in future Star Wars installments. His enthusiastic response that it would only make sense that a galaxy as fast as this one would contain characters of all sexual orientations and should be represented has, as you can imagine, ignited some pretty heated conversations on social media and strong opinions on various other outlets. Much of the sudden interest in the possibility of a gay storyline stems from a movement that erupted shortly after The Force Awakens...

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AE Monthly Book Club: March 2016

AE Monthly Book Club: March 2016

Posted by | Mar 1, 2016 | |

Welcome back! Or just welcome if this is your first time joining our newly established book club. Just as a refresher for the veterans, and a quick introduction for the newbies, each month we are choosing a book we’d love for everyone to read along with us. Weekly chapter goals will be set out below, and all month you can join the online discussion using the hashtag #AEBookClub as we hop on our high horses and provide our opinions on each book’s movie potential. For the month of March, Managing Editor Beth Reynolds has chosen Station Eleven by Emily...

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5 More Movies to Solve on Puzzle Day

5 More Movies to Solve on Puzzle Day

Posted by | Jan 29, 2016 | |

Well, guys, winter is officially in full swing, leaving us snowed in, cold, and with a serious case of cabin fever. Hopefully you all have stocked up on the hot chocolate, adult (or children’s) coloring books, mystery novels, and are current on your Netflix subscription. But if you exhausted all of these avenues by the time the first snow even hit and you need something a little extra to tantalize your noggin, you’re in luck, because today is National Puzzle Day. Last year we celebrated by providing five film suggestions for your cerebral viewing pleasure, and this year I...

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Band of Robbers is At Least Adequate Fan Fiction

Band of Robbers is At Least Adequate Fan Fiction

Posted by | Jan 27, 2016 | |

Overview: A modern tale of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, a police officer and a ex-con relive their childhood adventures by attempting to pick up the search for a buried treasure they had abandoned years ago. Whitewater Films; 2016; Unrated; 94 minutes. The Adventures of: Translating more as fan fiction and less as simply a modern update of the classic Mark Twain tales, Band of Robbers utilizes familiar character names and plot lines to tell the sometimes disjointed story of the sort of unlikely trouble Tom and Huck would find if they were plucked out of their novels and dropped in stereotypical...

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It’s an Ancient Need to Be Told Stories: Remembering Alan Rickman

It’s an Ancient Need to Be Told Stories: Remembering Alan Rickman

Posted by | Jan 18, 2016 | |

Alan Rickman was one of the most versatile actors in the business, of that there is no doubt. Just take a glance at his IMDb roster, and let your eyes scroll down the decades-spanning list of roles that range from heartless villain, to God’s microphone, to a blue caterpillar, and everything in between. We could have been given the opportunity to experience his talent for fifty years and it still wouldn’t have been enough. Cancer is a relentless, evil, world-shattering disease that steals away the people we love. Those people may be family members, friends, or people we never met...

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