Introduction Alongside art, comedy, and music, cinema is one of the most subjective forms of media. However, since you have joined us here on this particular site, it’s also the most subjective. And that’s why it remains the most entertaining and inspiring! One hotly, and affectionately debated topic is what was the best year for cinema. We are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of one of the forerunners, 1994. Cinema Scholars continues to present a monthly retrospective, that focuses on a pick of the cinematic talking points of this truly golden trip around the sun. Welcome to 1994 – Part ..read more

Introduction When everyone finished watching Avengers: Endgame (2019), the audience’s satisfaction was so palpable you could taste it. The film was the conclusion of an exceptionally well-constructed and well-told story. But, Disney’s Marvel Studios said “WAIT!! There’s more!” and audiences said, “I mean…sure, I guess?” Suffice it to say that audiences have not exactly celebrated the post-Endgame movies as particularly compelling stories. This similar trend continues with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.  When everyone finished watching War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), the satisfa ..read more

Introduction As long as there has been Hollywood, there have been Hollywood feuds. Instances when those behind, in front of the camera, or both, simply could not agree to disagree. A town of tinsel and egos. It is no surprise that not every personality gels. It is a place of work and industry. Have you liked every single colleague you have ever worked with? Often the drama behind the scenes can enhance what appears onscreen and sometimes even overshadow it. After all, there’s no such thing as ‘Bad Press.’ We as an audience love a good Hollywood Feud. It equates to our natural habit of ‘gossipi ..read more

Introduction Hundreds of Beavers are taking the film world by storm. The film currently holds an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78% on IMDb, yet many have never heard of the film. Many have dismissed it as ridiculous based on its juvenile name. And who could blame them? Upon hearing it the first time, I was certain I would see something silly and lacking in any virtue. I couldn’t imagine where all the hype was originating. How could a film called Hundreds of Beavers generate such sweeping, universal praise? Put quite simply: it’s just THAT good. Ryland Brickson Cole Tews stars in the silent f ..read more

Introduction Let’s jump right into it. The Fall Guy is an exceptionally fun movie. If you enjoyed Tropic Thunder (2008) and Bullet Train (2022), put your hands together. If you didn’t enjoy those movies, well…maybe you just hate fun. The Fall Guy director David Leitch and writer Drew Pearce definitely like fun. Depending on how old you are, you might remember The Fall Guy television show that ran in the early 1980s. I barely do. I remember that the main character was a stuntman and I remember his truck (mostly because I had the Hot Wheels copy of it). When the theme song started playing in the ..read more

Introduction As far back as I can remember, Ethan Hawke has always had music in his soul. It was evident in Reality Bites (1994) when he introduced a generation to The Violent Femmes, followed by directing Lisa Loeb’s video for “Stay (I Missed You)” from the film’s soundtrack. Since then he’s directed numerous music videos and features about musicians, most recently Blaze (2018), reimagining the life and times of Texas Outlaw musician Blaze Foley. He has taken this love of music and applied it to the lyrical world of literature, co-writing a (sort of) biopic of famed writer Flannery O’Connor t ..read more

Introduction “Why does this movie exist?” says countless anonymous moviegoers. I’m sure you’ve heard that question before. Usually, it’s regarding sequels or remakes. Or maybe you heard it as a statement: “Nobody asked for this movie.” How about “Who is this movie even for?” Rather than respond, you should ignore the person asking or just make a gesture at them that means “MONEY, FOOL!!” Yes, the gesture should infer all caps. But after watching the new Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, I couldn’t help but wonder not “why does this movie exist,” but more precisely, “what was this movie tryin ..read more

Introduction More than the namesake of one of the most iconic sneakers, Stan Smith has lived a champion’s life on and off the tennis court. Chronicling his rise from collegiate superstar to World No.1 and beyond, Smith blazed new paths for athletes, both as a fashion icon and a humanitarian. Who Is Stan Smith? highlights Smith’s tennis accomplishments and covers his humanitarian feats off the tennis court and how Smith’s relationship with Arthur Ashe heavily inspired his anti-racist activism, followed by his relationship with Black tennis playe ..read more

Introduction Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is a prequel to KKN di DesaPenari (2022), the highest-grossing Indonesian film in history when it was released. This new film is the first film made for IMAX movie ever produced in Southeast Asia. In 2024, it will be one of only five films made for IMAX productions worldwide. Producer Manoj Punjabi is Indonesia’s most successful film and TV producer and founded MD Pictures, the country’s largest film company. Punjabi has produced one-hundred sixty-eight movies, including five of Indonesia’s biggest all-time local box office hits, among them Sewu D ..read more

During the 1960s Elvis Presley made a lot of forgettable movies. That said, one of Presley’s most memorable films was the 1964 classic musical Viva Las Vegas, co-starring Ann-Margret. Cinema Scholars celebrates this iconic film’s 60th anniversary with a deep dive retrospective into its production, filming, and legacy.  ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ Sets the Stage When Columbia Pictures decided to turn the 1960 stage play Bye Bye Birdie into a movie in 1962, they wanted Elvis Presley to play the lead role of teen idol Conrad Birdie. A character based on Elvis. However, Colonel Tom Parker stepped in and ..read more