Bright, flashing lights. Throngs of people. Conversation occasionally punctuated by laughter. The scent of food diffusing through the air. This was once the normal scene in the early to mid 1900s in downtown Bryan. However, as the city began to expand and businesses began moving closer to where people lived, downtown Bryan slowly fell into disrepair as malls and big-box retailers took over. What was once the cultural hub of town became a run-down, deserted reminder of times passed.

Colorful lights, two-ton elephants balancing on small, round rubber balls, ferocious man-eating lions jumping through hoops, and trapeze artists flying and tumbling in the air ever so gracefully. All together to create the greatest show on earth. The Greatest Showman is an original musical about the origins of P. T. Barnum’s vision to create something new that would eventually become a worldwide phenomenon.

History is taught in many different ways and these ways provide different perspectives of each event. Though it may seem that we know everything there is to know about our world; it is most definitely true (yet hard to admit) that we do not. We isolate ourselves from some of the most impacting events in history. One event that never made it into history books, and was kept a secret by the people who didn’t witness it, was a riot that took place in the heart of Detroit, Michigan. That is until August 4, 2017 when Detroit came out in theaters and provided the world with a secret event that changed the perspective of the social reform movement.

I’m not really a fan of action movies. I’ve never really liked the explosions and loud surround sound screeching of tires on pavement and bullets shooting through glass, or the cruelty of the antagonist in a cliche situation in which the female lead is taken hostage. Over the summer I saw a movie that was an exception to that. Baby Driver is a crime-action film from director Edgar Wright who also brought the world movies like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World adaptation.

This summer Spider-Man: Homecoming came out in theaters as Hollywood’s love for sequels continues to earn money. Over the years, there have been a total of seven Spiderman movies. Being the superhero fan that I am, I decided to watch this one in theaters. Although the main character Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is very attractive, I still didn’t enjoy the movie like I did the others.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a live-action remake of the classic animated fairytale. The new production strives to appeal to a modern audience while also staying true to the original storyline and music while adding a few new twist to the original classic. Beauty and the Beast is about the fantastic journey of Belle, […]

Dogs tend to hold a special place in the hearts of people. When a movie about dogs comes out, naturally, audiences flock to the box office. A Dog’s Purpose is an emotional rollercoaster of a movie. From happy to sad to angry to horrified, A Dog’s Purpose takes audiences through just about every emotion possible. Viewers laugh one second, then try to hide their tears the next.

From the glistening eastern sea, to the great western woods, to the radiant southern sun, to the clear northern sky, lies the magnificent land of Narnia. Filled with talking beasts, fawns, satyrs, and more, this magical land provides a safe haven for readers of all ages; all under the careful watch of the mighty lion, Aslan.

Though 2017 is still in its early stages of life, the year has proven promising for the box office. With the successes of movies like Hidden Figures, Get Out, and Moonlight, the 2017 movie-scene has been set for films with messages for the masses. While there is hope for powerful films during this box-office year, there are some films that seem to fall short of this expectation, specifically director Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” are the words that begin some of the most famous movies Hollywood has ever produced. Captivating audiences with lightsaber duels, X-Wing and TIE Fighter battles, and the Skywalker legacy, Star Wars has become a franchise famed around the world. Recently, Disney decided to continue the saga by releasing The Force Awakens, the seventh installment of the series, in December 2015. Along with the new episode, they also released Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It is not technically an episode but instead tells the tale of the mission to steal the Death Star plans that are later used in episode 4. Overall, I thought it was a great movie and a wonderful way to enrich the series.

We live in an era where a majority of young adults think that the world owes them something. Teens have used methods of expressing themselves over time from passing notes in class, to Myspace, to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, but teen angst remains mostly the same as time passes. The new teen dramedy film, The Edge of Seventeen, is a funny, quirky, and perceptive look at Nadine Franklin’s (Hailee Steinfeld) life during her junior year of high school. The Edge of Seventeen is one the funniest coming-of-age teen dramedy films I have seen in a long time.

From gunfighters squarely facing each other on a dusty street and cowboy gangs terrorizing the town, to gambling halls and theaters with a gilt-edged Victorian glamour, and a vigilante lawman finding his true love, the movie Tombstone has it all. Tombstone, which was released in 1993, is an old monumental western, with many modern touches, that is set in Tombstone, Arizona, the boom town and site of the legendary O.K. Corral.

Allegiant, yet another novel from Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth, hit theaters March 18. Fans anticipated the film and hoped it would surpass the disappointment of the last movie. With hopeful hearts, while secretly preparing for the worst, droves of fans attended the premier as they had anticipated the movies release since it was first announced as a series.

It’s finally here, Episode VII of the Star Wars saga: The Force Awakens. Many devoted Star Wars fans could hardly wait to sit down in theaters wearing their fandom t-shirts and carrying their large buckets of popcorn to once again gaze upon the classic introductory paragraph as it floated off into the starry abyss behind it. They couldn’t wait to soak in the entire film with all of it’s explosions, plot twists and turns, and many juicy, important, and devastating cliffhangers leading audiences into the next episode set to release in 2017.

It is Halloween, or is it Christmas? Many people (much like myself) are still bummed out about Halloween being over. Now that it’s almost pointless, and kind of pathetic, to still be watching Halloween movies, it’s time for the inevitable switch to the insurmountable pile of Christmas movies that has been idly waiting in the back of the closet along with all the dusty tree ornaments and stockings.

As the leaves begin to turn and the air gets a little more brisk, we begin to feel the spooky aura all around as October creeps in. With October comes fall favorites like the Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, the comfort of wearing sweaters 24/7, and of course, the best of all, Halloween. Now if you’re like me and consider yourself a “Halloweenie”, then you totally understand the obsession and love for the amazing holiday. How could someone not love the monsters, candy, insane yard decorations, and most of all, the movies?

In a world where vegans get special powers for being vegan and people can literally burst into coins, a certain Canadian has a hard time getting the girl in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. This story tells the tale of the awkward and dorky Scott Pilgrim as he tries to defeat the seven evil exes […]

Many times when a movie is based off of a book, people go into the theatre with high expectations. We want everything to be exactly how it is in the novel. If movie-goers are looking for something like this, then The DUFF is not their movie. I read The Duff a few years ago when […]

Insurgent, another novel from the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth, is finally in theatres. Fans have been waiting for a year for this film to hit box office, and it’s finally here.

Damsel in distress meets handsome prince. Boy goes on a dangerous adventure. Girl goes to see her grandmother despite the dangers around her. Those are classic fairytales; but every once-in-a-while, a story strays off the beaten path. The stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood are brought together through the telling of the story of the Baker, his wife, and the Witch of the film, Into The Woods.

The movie based on an award winning novel, The Fault In Our Stars is about two teens who have different cancer conditions falling in love after meeting at a cancer support group.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the world, many creatures were stirring as corporate tech giant Sony was preparing to release its controversial film The Interview.

My hopes were low for the final movie in the Hobbit series, The Hobbit: the Battle of Five Armies, as the other two movies had let me down in story, characters, and believable action. I am sad to say that the third did not break this trend, but it wasn’t horrible.

Disney recently released Big Hero 6 in theatres after its inception as a Marvel comic in 1998, giving it a second life. Disney’s recent acquisition of Marvel enabled this as they now have the rights to the story. Overall, it was a good, solid film and contained good messages about problems that most people face at one point or another.

When someone asks about classic movies, most people think about the milestone movies for each movie genre. Bela Lugosi films for those horror-geeks, the typical 80’s high school movies for some nostalgic middle-aged woman (and current teenage girls), and, of course, Charlie Chaplin for all the hipsters and film buffs. Any way you slice it, there are some undeniable classics. The movies-less-watched can often times be the best movies, especially when created and directed by genius Hayao Miyazaki.

If you have watched the Hunger Games, and you’re seeking another thrilling young adult movie, Divergent might be the choice for you. Trilogies have become increasingly popular over the last decade, but Divergent is a cut above other series such as Twilight. As the screen faded to black, I just sat there, wondering if I would be able to wait for the second installment.

As a kid, all I used to sing was, “Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a Spiderman can.”I still sing it today. I’ve been a Spiderman fan since I was a kid, and my mom has tons of pictures of me dressed up in Spiderman costumes. Consequently I was very excited for the new movie, The Amazing Spiderman 2, the sequel to the 2012 film, The Amazing Spiderman.

Frozen, the recent hit movie released by Disney, enthralled millions with its tale of two sisters, betrayal, and ice magic. Overall, I think Frozen is a decent movie with a few flaws, however, the public’s reaction to it is unreasonable. To me it seems that many love the movie to a point of reverence exemplified by how Frozen remained in theaters for months, while the typical movie stays in theaters six to eight weeks.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second installment in the Hobbit movie trilogy which premiered on December 13, 2013. After being disappointed by the first movie nearly a year ago, I had low hopes for the sequel. Sadly my expectations proved to be mostly true.

Few movies out there truly capture my attention the entire time. It’s extremely difficult for me to get pulled into a film, but there is one very special exception.

Arrow through the head? Axe to the face? Try a wire through the throat perhaps? Hope your stomach can handle it, because in this movie you get it all.

If you’re in search of a movie that both you and your significant other would enjoy, Safe Haven might be just the right movie. This movie is not only a powerful love story but a thriller that will have you jumping out of your seat, biting your nails and crying your eyes out, all at the same time.

I was overjoyed when I heard that one of my favorite books, The Hobbit, was being made into a film. I got even more excited when I found out that the film would be split into three parts, allowing each movie to be more detailed. However my hopes were dashed from the opening scene.

Planning on a cheap date to the movies? Think again. After buying the tickets comes the one thing that makes a good date; the snacks.

As we wrap up this second semester, many of us find ourselves struggling to plan out our futures and make life altering decisions. With college looming around the corner, the decision remains, to stay or to go.

No matter who you are and no matter what kind of situation you’re in, there are always those certain moments in life when you feel like nothing can bring you down simply because you’re with the people you love the most and feeling alive.

We’ve all seen the previews – our hearts melted, and we’ve been dying to see the movie ever since. If you felt this way about The Vow and haven’t seen it yet, lower your expectations.

I walked into a field of beautiful flowers waiting for him to appear. I had seen him before. He was tall and had gorgeous hair that was at least three feet high…and he sparkled. Maybe that’s what made him look so greasy and in need of a shower.

The movie has a special place in not only my heart, but the hearts of my entire generation. When the news broke that it was going to be rereleased in 3D, my friends and I couldn’t contain our excitement.