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Review: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Deepens the World of Panem

At long last, audiences are returning to the world of Panem and the Hunger Games! Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis, the prequel film follows future president Coriolanus Snow as he mentors Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, in the 10th Annual Hunger Games. An emotionally complex film anchored

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Review: ‘Pain Hustlers’ Slumps in Clichés

2023 has seen the resurgence of the rags-to-riches-to-rags biopic with Tetris, BlackBerry, The Beanie Bubble, and now Pain Hustlers. It wouldn’t be a problem if all of these movies were good, but only one of the five is well worth watching because it subverts the traditional biopic tropes in favor of something more energetic. Who would’ve thought a movie about the

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ReviewsTV & Streaming Series Reviews

New ‘Goosebumps’ Series Review: A Worthwhile Reinventing of a Childhood Favorite

Growing up, I had a complicated relationship with Goosebumps. I was a huge proponent of reading and loved reading every book written by R. L. Stine. There wasn’t one in my school library that I didn’t devour and if it wasn’t there, my mother bought it from me on our weekly trip to the mall. I was obsessed, to say the

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Review: Brie Larson Cooks in ‘Lessons in Chemistry’

Lessons in Chemistry is a surprising and delightful addition to both Apple TV+’s catalog and star Brie Larson’s resume. The limited series follows Elizabeth Zott, a would-be chemist in 1950s America, as she navigates the challenges that come with being a woman scientist in both her professional and personal lives. After losing her job at a lab, Elizabeth becomes a television

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Review:  Roald Dahl’s ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’

For those who read my Matilda: The Musical review from back in December, you may recall that the works of Roald Dahl were formative in my younger years. I remember being in first or second grade and choosing the box set of his most popular novels as my monthly reward for being an excellent student. Tearing through those books was a

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Review: ‘American Horror Story: Delicate’ Part 1 Season Premiere

Spooky season has finally arrived! The temperature is cooling, the leaves are changing, and our yearly fix of horror is returning to our screens. Nothing signals a shift from summer to fall and the need to consume everything pumpkin spice and a new season of American Horror Story. Now in its twelfth year, the Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk-created series does

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Cosmic Circle Ep. 40: LGBTQ+ Representation in Media

As anyone can attest, representation of any kind is important in the media that we consume. With the makeup of our population being so diverse, between ethnicities, skin colors, genders, and sexualities, the characters and stories we see on screen and in books should represent that as well. While there’s still a ton of work to be done for proper visibility

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‘The Changeling’ Review: A Positive Start Turns Unsatisfying

The Changeling is an upcoming horror fantasy series from Annapurna Pictures and Apple Studios. Based on the 2017 bestselling novel by Victor LaValle, the show stars LaKeith Stanfield, Adina Porter, and Clark Backo as a small family living in modern New York City. The Changeling was developed for television by showrunner Kelly Marcel (the Venom trilogy), with most episodes directed by

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‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ Review: A Royally Important Rom-Com

Rom-coms have been a staple in the Kitson household for as long as I can remember. There was nothing like a Saturday with my mother and sisters, with a big bowl of popcorn and a long list of movies where the stars fall in love in some of the silliest situations ever. They weren’t always good, but there was something magical

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