Long takes are a staple of filmic language that, when employed correctly, can both dazzle and enrich. They are virtuoso feats of technical derring-do, mounted and mastered by technicians and craftsman working at the top of their respective game to choreograph a beautiful, eye-popping moment. But it’s not enough to be technologically astounding. The best long, unbroken takes, are the ones that draw us deeper into the story, reveal something new about the characters, or get information across with an economy of dialogue or unnecessary exposition....

InBarbie, directorGreta Gerwigmade fantastical use of the eponymous Mattel toy to offer meta commentaries on gender, society, and the iconic doll itself. After years ofanimated content in theBarbie Dreamhouseseries, Gerwig’s blockbuster brought Barbie into the live-action sphere and launched Mattel Films into the Hollywood mainstream. 35 years prior, however, a different director made his debut film using Barbie-like dolls in equally creative ways. Though it didn’t receive Mattel’s blessings and is notoriously hard to find due to copyright issues, the unique film perseveres as a cult-classic for those lucky enough to have seen it....

With the release ofFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themthis weekend, the wizarding world lives again. Warner Bros. mounted the herculean effort of adaptingJ.K. Rowling’s beloved book series back in 2001 withHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but they couldn’t have known how deeply the franchise would evolve over time, and how iconic it would become. Indeed,Harry Potteris now one of the great cultural touchstones of modern history, and whenHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2was released in 2011, fans mourned the end of the franchise for good....

Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list of thetwenty films that will be competing for the visual effects Oscarcome February. In a year that saw groundbreaking technology take center stage at the movies, the most buzz was generated by an ailurophobic internet when the firstCatstrailer was released. More shrieks followed when asecond trailerrolled in like a hairball of nightmarish proportions. It didn’t bother me any; it’s the internet we’re talking about here....

While animation may not take up as much space on the roster out of the hundreds of films that come out of Hollywood every year, the ones that do break out onto the big screen and major streaming platforms reliably stick out in the hearts and minds of both audiences and critics. From original passion projects to studio sequels to small studio projects, animated films come in a wide variety due to the very nature of the medium and can range from character-driven comedies to high-concept spectacles....

A24 Films is certainly one of the most exciting new studios around, and they currently have their hands full juggling Oscar campaigns for some of their swell 2015 offerings likeRoom,Amy, andEx Machina. But 2016 looks to be yet another exciting year for the studio, with the horror filmThe Witchstanding as quite possibly their most anticipated film of the year. They knocked it out of the park with aterrifying debut trailerfor the movie, and now with one month to go before release, they’ve unveiled a newThe Witchtrailer that maintains the creepy tone without giving away too much of the story....

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for They/Them.The newly releasedThey/Them,currently streaming on Peacock, had a lot of intrigue surrounding it for its premise and what it would end up having to say about the embedded hatred of society towards who it considers to be “other.” Featuringan LGBTQIA+ castwho play young characters that are sent to an increasingly horrifying conversion camp, the film soon introduces that there is also a masked killer roaming the woods and taking out counselors....

If you somehow missed out onThe Good Wifeduring the height of its success and have wondered if it’s worth going back and watching it now, then look no further — this is your sign. Premiering in 2009,The Good Wife was initiallypresented as yet another law show to add to the weekly network television rotation. However,it quickly proved to be so much more than that. The show follows Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), who must return to her law career after her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), is involved in a political corruption and sex scandal while serving as Cook County State’s Attorney....

Production on the eleventh and final season of AMC’s long-lived, often divisive, flagship zombie seriesThe Walking Deadhas wrapped in Georgia. Believe it or not, it’s been 12 years of what seems like endless character deaths, showrunner exits, diminishing critical returns, and, yes, walkers, making the show the network’s longest lasting and most profitable offering to date. It is survived by an expanding universe of spinoffs, includingFear the Walking Dead,the forthcomingTales of the Walking Dead,The Isle of The Dead, aDaryl and Carol series, possibleRick Grimes' movies, and legions of dedicated, determined fans....

If you haven’t seen the latest episode of AMC’sThe Walking Dead, Don’t Enter: Spoilers Inside! After the unexpected end of “What Comes After”, fans are understandably asking just that question of the AMC drama. While the exit of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), in an unprecedented manner for the show, is certainly a turning point, it’s also the beginning of something new for the series. Whether that change is for better or worse (or the same) remains to be seen, but a newly revealed trailer teases out the next few episodes to come in the currently airing ninth season....

There’s more to HBO Max than just new episodes ofHouse of the Dragonthis September. This month, the critical and box office hitElvisstarringAustin ButlerandTom Hankswill be making its streaming debut on the service. TheHalle BerryandPatrick Wilson-led sci-fi disaster filmMoonfallwill also be making its streaming debut on HBO Max in the month of September. Several of your favorite comfort shows will be making their way to HBO Max this September, including all eight seasons ofThe Vampire Diaries, all five seasons ofLiving Single, all five seasons ofGotham, and new seasons ofImpractical JokersandYoung Sheldon....

Quick Links Twenty years after the release of the2004 cult classicMean Girls, audiences are being treated to an updated movie-musical version of the film.Mean Girls (2024)is based on the movie-turned-Broadway play, which first opened in Washington, D.C., in 2017.Mean Girls The Musicalthen made its way to Broadway in 2018 and was produced byLorne Michaels(SNL). The show was a hit upon its premiere, eventually launching a national tour, and is soon making its way to London’s famous West End theater district....

With the debut of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in the newHawkeyeminiseries on Disney+, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially added another member of the Young Avengers to their roster. The sprawling superhero franchise hasn’t moved to group these teen heroes together, but they have drawn quite a few characters from the Young Avengers team, which first debuted in Marvel Comics back in 2005. Created byAllen HeinbergandJim Cheung,Young Avengersfeatured many brand new characters as well as drawing upon previously established Marvel canon....