Roger Ebert

From the very first scene of “The Bikeriders,” director Jeff Nichols is working hard to evoke an era. In an opening deep focus shot through a bar’s door frame, Benny, a biker, sits at the bar with his back to...

For decades, Hollywood upheld and championed a certain its ideal of masculinity. Toxic masculinity permeated our screens with scenes of societal ills like sexual harassment, senseless violence, and blatant bigotry. Even cult classics like “Revenge of the Nerds” are infamous...

“We walk into these rooms and we can't just talk about our creativity or our ideas. We have to get through all the cultural baggage first.” –Ava DuVvernay, VICE.com/BET Guest Lecture Series, 2017 One day, while wandering through Instagram, I...

I always wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I learned about visual anthropology. Anthropology taught me about foreign histories and cultures, but I also learned about myself and the...

When you hear the premise of Josh Margolin’s feature debut, “Thelma,” you may think you know what the movie will be. Clearly modeled on his own family (the dedication at the close of the film is “for Thelma,” which suggests...

The following is a conversation between Robert Daniels and Odie Henderson conducted over Zoom about the steampunk Western, adapted from the 1960s same-titled series, that became a mega box office flop—Wild Wild West—starring Will Smith as Agent Jim West, Kevin...

Video game publisher Ubisoft recently revealed the latest entry in their “Assassin’s Creed” franchise, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” but not without a bit of controversy in some social media spaces. The game is set in feudal age Japan and features dual...

When one thinks of the perfect definition of a Final Girl, the likes of Sidney Prescott (“Scream”), Nancy Thompson (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”), and Jess Bradford (“Black Christmas”) come to mind. Coined as a term by academic Carol J....

Every year, outside the resplendent Grandhotel Pupp, dedicated crowds gather to snap a photo of the glitzy guests gracing the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). These stars and auteurs often arrive to premiere their film or to receive the Crystal...

Juneteenth is one of the most important days in African American history. It’s a day that represents freedom and new possibilities. And to honor it, the 2nd annual Juneteenth Film Festival returned to Kansas City, Missouri this June. The festival...