Flash Movie Reviews
Compiled by Regan Doyle
The Oscars: a night that always sparks attention, from those in designer clothes to those making their way into Hollywood Fame. This year, the Oscars were unexpected, to say the least. We were introduced to CODA, which won the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor awards. The film also made history for being the first in which a deaf male actor, Troy Kotsur, won an Oscar. Besides this notable moment and many others in the film, the Oscar's highlight for many was the incident between Chris Rock and Will Smith. "The slap" made most of the headlines compared to the rest of the Oscars. Nobody had it on their BINGO cards for 2022.
In honor of the Oscars, the staff of Red Skies Magazine has compiled a list of movies and TV shows worth watching. Grab your popcorn-- you are in for a treat!
Hollywood in New England
Gloucester, Massachusetts is the unsung location for CODA, which took home Best Picture at the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences Awards. Coda is also a musical term for a piece that brings the music to a close. Yet this movie is only the beginning for its young star, Emilia Jones, whose earthy pipes are worthy of the Joni Mitchell song she sings—and signs—for an audition at Berklee School of Music in Boston. Streaming now on Apple +.
– Laura Smith
Django Unchained
I would recommend Django Unchained. It’s a Quentin Tarantino movie starring Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz. Leonardo DiCaprio is also in it; he puts on a phenomenal performance in this movie. It’s about an enslaved man named Django (Foxx) who is bought, in a rather unconventional manner, by Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) who is a German “dentist”. King offers Django his freedom, and they work together to save Django’s still enslaved wife. The soundtrack is wonderful, and the direction is top-notch as is to be expected of Tarantino. There’s action, romance, extreme cruelty, and true kindness. The movie is over two hours long. If you start it, you are in for a long ride, but it’s totally worth it.
– Isabelle Briggs
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a classic and an all-time favorite movie of mine. It stars Andre the Giant, Cary Eavis, Robin Wright, and more. It’s witty, funny, and combines that humor with the romance and action of a fantasy story. Two storylines coincide with each other; a grandfather reads his grandson a story of fantastical fun, while the audience gets to see the story played out. If you’ve ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail or A Knight’s Tale, then this would be right up your alley. The endearing cast of characters will make you laugh and cry, and you’ll be transported into a world so magical.
– Mae Fraser
Encanto
Disney’s Encanto is a movie about breaking free of generational trauma and a heartwarming story about family bonding. The movie takes place in beautiful Columbia and showcases the culture through the animation, song style, and scenery displayed throughout the film. With hit songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which has been in the billboard top 100s for over a month, you’re destined to enjoy the music on top of the story. If you’re looking for a movie for the next family movie night, then consider this new film.
– Cristianna Libby
The Lovely Bones
I recommend the movie The Lovely Bones. It is a beautiful drama that I find myself going back to watching over and over again. It is one of many movies that my mom recommended for me to watch, and it has been one of my favorites for years. The acting performances were amazing, the scenes were beautiful, and the imagery for the scenes in afterlife is just absolutely beautiful. It is a story of Susie Salmon who has been killed and is making her journey of accepting her death while we also follow along watching her family cope with the loss.
– Josie Kinghorn
Remember the Titans
A movie that I would highly recommend would be Remember the Titans. I am not one to keep up with new movies, and I prefer to watch the ones I know will be good. This movie is based on a true story. Remember the Titans is a beautiful movie that shows no matter how different you may be, you still matter and should have a fighting chance in this world. A family falls in love with this young adult athlete who needs the guidance aspect in his life. He is a great kid that grew up with a very unfair childhood. Throughout the movie, there are some downfalls, of course. But all in all, you will finish watching it with an open mind and an open heart.
– Jana Morgante
RWBY
RWBY is an internet-based animated series made by Roosterteeth that can be found on their website. It tells the story of four young girls who battle monsters and, after spending time in a school training to fight said monsters, travel to a world called Remnant. The whole series is highly fairytale-inspired, with every character in the series being an allusion to at least one popular myth or story. It’s heavily anime-influenced, containing a lot of the popular tropes found in eastern animation. The action and fight scenes are incredible, even in the early seasons when the animation quality was admittedly lacking. It is also one of the few shows where I can safely say, even after running for eight seasons, it is still improving tremendously.
– Silver Lindberg
The Walking Dead
The most recent show I’m into is The Walking Dead. I’ve seen all ten seasons and have decided to rewatch them all. “Why would you want to watch something so gory and menacing?” Through all the gnarly, blood-filled scenes, my focus always lands on the characters and their conversation with one another. I see the ways they’ve attempted to match with allies, the families of strangers they built, and the manipulation most of them feed into to survive. Despite the macabre, I particularly appreciate how the main characters fight to keep their humanity alive within themselves. TWD makes me think about why we, as human beings, like watching horror movies or shows of this sort. I’m reminded that most of us can’t look away from a car crash! We have this fascination with the stimulation we get from watching this stuff; our fight or flight instinct kicks in. To keep it simple though, as I could study it more, I like the adrenaline rush! Though, I hate haunted houses. Funny.
– Samantha Flaherty
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Most people have seen The Chronicles of Narina: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Others (including myself) have read the book as well. Even if I have seen it, I decided to rewatch it recently, and it was such an experience to watch it again as an adult. The last time I watched it, I had to be ten. Not only did I feel I could appreciate the work that went into the movie to give it such a mystical feel, but the emotions that resurfaced were ones that I haven’t had since I first watched it. Georgie Henley is able to make the viewer sympathize with her, and Tilda Swinton embodies the energy of the White Witch. The soundtrack is so beautifully composed that it will tug at your heartstrings.
– Regan Doyle
The Batman (2022)
This weekend I actually went to see The Batman (2022) and it was phenomenal. As someone who typically doesn’t love superhero movies (and DOES love Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz), it was quite actually one of the best superhero films I’ve ever seen. It didn’t feel like the typical, action-packed, super unrealistic type of movie that I feel like a lot of them end up being (which, if you enjoy that, power to you!). It definitely felt like more of a thriller mystery with some really sick action scenes, sort of what my partner described as “traditional Batman”. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz had not only amazing performances on their own, but also as a duo, and genuinely, that 3-hour movie felt like an hour and a half. There wasn’t a single thing that bored me or felt unnecessary, and I just loved it.
– Rachel Pullino
Edited by Krystal Yin