Category Archives: Features

The Absurdity of the Wealthy

The breakdown of class and wealth has been the central theme of several recent feature films. Each movie uses different tools such as comedy, satire, and mystery to convey its message that the rich are absurd and that the class system, money, and power have no bearing on a person’s worth. Each movie aims to go back to the fundamentals of the human experience.

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A Day In The Life of a PA

This semester, I was focused on getting my shit done without any distractions. That’s why when I quit my job in August, I wasn’t actively looking for opportunities that might take time away from enjoying school and any events that came along with it. But rather than close myself off to any new opportunities, I decided to take a chance when a job eventually came my way. One of the coolest things that came from working with FIU Film Studies was this job, where I had the chance to work as a production assistant (PA) for two days here in Miami. It was during this time that I got an idea of what a production assistant does and how they play a small but mighty role in the filming process.

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Early Development of Noir and its Lasting Allure

Film noir is best described as a time and place in American cinema – where filmmakers were becoming increasingly cynical and disillusioned with American life due to many things: the war, the depression (which just ended), and maybe a little bit because of constraints many filmmakers were forced to adhere to in order to make a Hollywood film. As Paul Schrader says, “film noir is not a genre.” Instead it’s more a style defined by shadowy lighting, sleazy locations, and themes of isolation, alienation, and pessimism. The most important thing to remember about film noir was that its creation wasn’t intentional – especially by the studios. But by the time anyone realized what was happening – it was too late to stop the surge of noirs that would dominate the mid-40s and the mid-50s. Continue reading Early Development of Noir and its Lasting Allure

Horror is Finally Unafraid to Redefine Itself

Every year when October comes around, we appreciate classics like Scream (1996), Poltergeist (1982), and Psycho (1960). We also get a handful of your typical slasher or jumpscare-riddled films that overflow the theaters. But what separates new releases from this never-ending pattern of commercialized Halloween horror is just how inventive and experimental directors are willing to get.

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Bloody Funny: Horror-Comedy


Horror and comedy are two of the most popular movie genres, one is on the up-and-up (especially this time of year) and the other has been relegated straight to streaming for years now. Horror and comedy, like primary color, create new colors when you mix them. The duo creates a subgenre that on paper should not work: how can you freak someone out and make them laugh simultaneously? Well, dozens of filmmakers at this point have cracked that code and now we have dozens of great movies from them. Here is how it started. Continue reading Bloody Funny: Horror-Comedy