Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson showcases his bravado and vulnerability in “The Smashing Machine,” Benny Safdie’s bruised and beautiful directorial debut that follows the life of MMA legend Mark Kerr. Lavanya Aditi Puri CM ’29 writes that, even despite the fact that the film detracts from MMA competition and the intricacies of Kerr’s life, The Rock’s delivery was notably powerful.
Tag: Movie
A Nightmare on 6th St: How ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ uses your memories against you
When is a movie not just a movie? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith dives deep into the trans phenomenon of Jane Schoenbrun’s recent coming-of-age horror film “I Saw The TV Glow” and the ways it demands participation from its audience.
Let’s Go Local: Cinema and connection: The Laemmle Theater
Planning a movie night or looking for something new to watch? Michelle Zhang PO ’27 highlights Claremont’s local Laemmle movie theater, its arthouse history, and the power of watching a movie on the big screen.
Frame Rating: “The Room” is high art (and I’m not kidding)
Film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ’24 defends “The Room” as a legitimate work of art and attempts to challenge the notion that movies like it are only “so bad they’re good.”
Frame Rating: Deer, death, and the art of the children’s film
Film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ’24 explores the strange, simple, beautifully dark “Bambi,” the paragon of a type of children’s film he believes has been somewhat lost to time.
Frame Rating: In defense of the “unwatchable”
The contentious film “Gummo” has been called a lot of things: abhorrent, degenerate, unwatchable. Film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ’24 explores his love for the controversial film, and advocates for a responsible engagement with challenging works of art.
Changing Cinema: A breath of fresh ‘Air’ for the biopic genre
“Air” is a recently released biopic about the historic Nike shoe deal with Michael Jordan. Film columnist Peter Dien CM ‘25 explores how the film achieves a detailed and grounded story without ever showing Michael Jordan’s character on screen.
Anti Film-Bro: Can Greta Gerwig save Barbie?
She’s a Barbie Girl, in a 4th-wave feminist world! Film columnist Eliza Powers PO ’25 explores Barbie’s relationship with feminism and how director Greta Gerwig’s upcoming movie hopes to, yet again, redefine the doll and its franchise.
‘Reimagining Safety’ documentary screening presents dialectical approach to prison abolition
The 5C Prison Abolition Collective hosted a screening of the documentary ‘Reimagining Safety,’ which explores prison abolition from multiple perspectives. Following the screening, the maker of the film, Matthew Solomon, and an expert on the subject, Jose Gutierrez, hosted a Q&A.
Behind the Screen: The screenlife genre and connection in the internet age
In recent years, the screenlife film genre has translated anxiety-ridden aspects of internet scrolling onto the big screen. In this week’s film column, Peter Dien CM ’25 explores the nuance of this growing genre.