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A Healthy Reminder That the Oscars Don’t Matter

It’s the end of January and, as such, all the movie chatter is centered around what will win Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. Every year presents a new lineup of polarizing choices, but 2016 really took the cake with a severe lack of diversity. The Revenant and its 12 nominations were acknowledged, but …

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‘Straight Outta Compton’ director set for ‘Furious 8’ next

From the streets of Compton to the cars of the Dubai….and London….and Rio….and Los Angeles. Following the recent success of Straight Outta Compton, director F. Gary Gray is moving to one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood as The Hollywood Reporter reports that he is set to direct Furious 8 next. This comes a week …

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Box Office Sabermetrics: Universal’s Year of Moneyball

Box Office Sabermetrics is a weekly column that will attempt to apply the statistical analysis Sabermetrics, used in Baseball, to the box office results each weekend. Universal Studios is having a great year. In fact they’re having a year where they are having the biggest box office returns this year by a long shot – …

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Ava DuVernay’s tweets about ‘Straight Outta Compton’ are worth checking out

Growing up, I was a huge fan of hip-hop and a huge fan of NWA. I still am, and I even still rock my Oakland Raiders jacket from time to time. Needless to say, I was highly anticipating Straight Outta Compton, and thankfully the movie didn’t disappoint. While the movie isn’t perfect, it is still …

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Box Office Sabermetrics: The Taylor Kitsch Syndrome Claims a New Victim

Box Office Sabermetrics is a weekly column that will attempt to apply the statistical analysis Sabermetrics, used in Baseball, to the box office results each weekend. There are a few things of note going on in the top 10 this past weekend, first and foremost that Straight Outta Compton just made a ton of money. …

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‘CB4’ – essential viewing for fans of ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Back in 1993, two low-budget mockumentary-style comedies based on Gangsta Rap, were released. The better of the two is Rusty Cundieff’s Canadian indie gem Fear of a Black Hat, chronicling the rise and fall of NWH, a not particularly talented–or particularly bright but always controversial–hip-hop group

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The new nostalgia: Releasing multiple updated versions of childhood memories

In the modern era of filmmaking, ushered in when Steven Spielberg accidentally created the summer blockbuster with Jaws, cinema has become increasingly linked with nostalgia. For example, the early films of Spielberg and George Lucas were inspired by their childhood love of 40’s and 50’s adventure serials, yet directors from the next generation (most notably …

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‘Straight Outta Compton’ overcomes flaws with a provocative beat

Director F. Gary Gray’s provocative film soars when it sticks to the vibe and pulse of the nascent “gangsta rap” movement. When it delves into serious drama, however, the results are decidedly mixed. Ultimately, the incendiary music and infectious defiance push ‘Straight Outta Compton’ over the top.

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