Muse House

Film List: The five best war movies of all time
By Kevin Garcia
October 16, 2014 - 11:55pm
In anticipation of the new Brad Pitt vehicle, Fury, film fan and arts journalism graduate student Kevin Garcia examines the five war films most often mentioned as shining exemplars of the genre.

With Fury starring Brad Pitt coming out this Friday, we look at five highly celebrated war films that have stood the test of time. They will be placed in chronological order. Check them out.

1. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Nick Cassavetes' 'She's So Lovely': An insane love story
By Jiamin Jiang
October 15, 2014 - 9:31am
The 1997 film, which screened as part of a showcase honoring Cassavetes at the Syracuse International Film Festival, is a particularly zany take on love triangles.

She’s So Lovely is about a love story, but that kind of love rarely exists in the real world. Maybe director Nick Cassavetes wants to let us forget about the real world and just watch his film to experience the crazy love that most people won’t experience in their whole lives.

Madhur Bhandarkar: A different kind of Bollywood director
By Ishani Chatterji
October 13, 2014 - 4:37pm
A look at the perceptions, the stereotypes and the realities of Indian cinema through the lens of one particularly prolific director, honored at this year's Syracuse International Film Festival.

The concept of Bollywood has often been confused with romance. It is assumed that every Bollywood movie is a chapter from a mushy Danielle Steel novel or a whole lot of dance and sparkle.

'Parade' at SU Drama: The struggle between justice and revenge
By Haley Chouinard
October 13, 2014 - 12:57pm
Review: A talented ensemble of collegiate performers and production workers makes 'Parade' into a haunting, emotional theater presentation.

Editor's Note: This review originally appeared at Green Room Reviews on October 12, 2014.

Syracuse University Department of Drama opened its season Friday, Oct. 11 with a heart-wrenching production of Parade.

Film List: Five classic courtroom dramas
By Kevin Garcia
October 9, 2014 - 11:43am
In honor of the new legal drama The Judge, we take a look at five of the most beloved cinematic courtroom dramas in the history of the medium.

With The Judge coming to theaters this Friday, here are five courtroom films that can't be missed. Disclaimer: I have not seen all the courtroom films ever made, but of the ones I have seen, here are the five most worth mentioning. This list is in chronological order.

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Syracuse International Film Festival blends stories from home and abroad
By Anya Jaremko-Gr...
October 3, 2014 - 6:01pm
The 11th annual festival kicks off this Sunday, Oct. 5, and runs for a week, incorporating domestic and foreign films from past and present.

Movie lovers of Central New York, rejoice!

This Sunday, Oct. 5, marks the start of the 11th annual Syracuse International Film Festival. The fest runs from October 5-12, showcasing movies from India, Israel and Spain. It also features local talent.

Founded in 2003 by Syracuse University professor Owen Shapiro and wife Christine Fawcett-Shapiro, SIFF has expanded over the last decade to include year-round screenings and media-centered programs.

'The Missing Picture' takes chances to more fully tell a story of genocide
By Seamus Kirst
September 25, 2014 - 9:34pm
Review: With the experimental film 'The Missing Picture,' Cambodian director Rithy Panh answers the question: How do you tell the story of the dead when they leave us without a trace?

The Khmer Rouge regime killed nearly 2 million people while in power in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. It targeted those who had affiliations with the former government, professionals, intellectuals and ethnic minorities. This period of genocide came to be known as the era of the Killing Fields, as the Khmer Rouge sent their victims to be “reeducated” in the fields, with the primary means of reeducation being torture and execution.

The graphic, gripping 'Return to Homs' puts a burning Syria on display
By Varuni Sinha
September 25, 2014 - 4:54pm
Review: Syrian director Tala Derki paints a violent reality of the ongoing Syrian unrest with the documentary 'Return to Homs.'

A nation is burning right now. As we sit in our pretty little homes fuming over petty little problems, millions in Syria are being snuffed out. And as we glance at the newspaper, a country where a civil war rages since 2011 finds no place. It is old news.

Talal Derki’s documentary Return to Homs, which screened at the Syracuse University Human Rights Film Festival last Saturday, is a reminder to the world to act.

'American Vagabond' captures the full scope of modern American gay life
By Kevin Garcia
September 23, 2014 - 10:42pm
Review: An emotional cinematic core helps the documentary 'American Vagabond' resonate as a tale of diverse humanity.

American Vagabond is a touching story about the power of love and perseverance. It's a relatively short film that packs a punch in 85 minutes and can be a tearjerker if you get easily emotional.

'Lakshmi' is not a film for the weak-hearted
By Ishani Chatterji
September 22, 2014 - 9:44pm
Review: Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor's take on the horrid world of Indian sex trafficking is expertly acted and directed, which makes it all the more difficult to stomach.

It takes immense amount of courage to watch a film that is based on real characters and real stories. While the purpose of film often is about taking one away from reality, Nagesh Kukunoor’s Lakshmi does the exact opposite; it hits you in the face with truth.

Lakshmi chronicles the life of a 14-year-old who is forced into the vicious cycle of prostitution and violence after being kidnapped from her village in Andhra Pradesh....