Spring Writes Literary Festival
The Student News Site of Ithaca College

The Ithacan
48° Ithaca, NY
Spring Writes Literary Festival
The Student News Site of Ithaca College

The Ithacan
Spring Writes Literary Festival
The Student News Site of Ithaca College

The Ithacan
Middle-ground video essayists speak to the average viewer

Middle-ground video essayists speak to the average viewer

By Liam Conway, Senior Writer
November 12, 2020
“Ted Lasso” is a delightful series following the titular American football coach as he makes the transition to coaching soccer in the English Premier League. The character Ted Lasso originally appeared in advertisements for the English Premier League.

Review: Apple TV scores lively sports drama

By Liam Conway, Senior Writer
October 16, 2020
Amateur video essayists discourage nuanced discussion

Amateur video essayists discourage nuanced discussion

By Liam Conway, Senior Writer
October 1, 2020
As lovers of art and pop culture, the Life & Culture section wishes to highlight Black creators whose intentions were not solely to inform. Creative work can often have just as much of an impact on those wishing to diversify their media consumption.

Spotlight on films, TV, books and music by Black creators

By Antonio Ferme, Arleigh Rodgers, Avery Alexander, Dariene Seifert, Eva Salzman, Frankie Walls, Liam Conway, Lucas Jafet, and Maddy Martin
September 20, 2020
College-educated Youtubers share film knowledge with cinephiles

College-educated Youtubers share film knowledge with cinephiles

By Liam Conway, Senior Writer
August 20, 2020
Video essays give a voice to all film fans

Video essays give a voice to all film fans

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
June 25, 2020
From left, Alice Letchford and Peter Finocchiaro participate in Trivia Night With Geeks Who Drink. The trivia night happens weekly at Kilpatrick's Publick House, and it mixes a competitive game with players' relaxed attitudes.

Trivia night at Kilpatrick’s encourages friendly competition

By Avery Alexander and Liam Conway
February 20, 2020
"The Gentleman," directed by Guy Ritchie, un unabashedly British in its humor. Unfortunately, the cast of excellent actors cannot make up for the film's disorganized narrative.

Review: Brash humor drives forgettable British film

By Liam Conway
February 9, 2020
"Marriage Story," "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," "Little Women" and "Cats" were statement films this winter season. Each movie in the selection is relevant in varying ways — through their excellent scripts, pitiful CGI or superb acting, for example.

Review: Movies from the winter season

By Antonio Ferme, Arleigh Rodgers, Liam Conway, and Sarah Diggins
January 22, 2020
“Knives Out” is a dynamic take on the classic whodunit movie model. The cast and setting are vibrant and impressive.

Review: Sharp performances bring edge to film

By Liam Conway
December 10, 2019
"Jojo Rabbit" excels in its off-beat comedy, something that is helped by the film's talented cast. Well-versed actors like Scarlett Johansson balance well with newcomers like Roman Griffin Davis, though it is the latter who steals the show.

Review: Satiric film shines through bizarre comedy

By Liam Conway
December 3, 2019
Director Robert Eggers' creative mind is on full display in "The Lighthouse," a film that follows the power dynamics between two men on a remote island in New England. The film balances grotesque horror with genuine thrills, and both are aided by Pattinson's and Dafoe's acting.

Review: Horror film sheds a light on unsettling story

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 30, 2019
"Double Tap" is a worthy sequel to its 2009 predecessor, retaining the same brand of humor as the original film. While characters from the first film carry over to "Double Tap," the new additions to the cast shine just as brightly.

Review: Fleshed-out characters revive cult classic

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 29, 2019
“Ad Astra” offers magnificent visuals that feel real but lacks any real substance. Though the movie offers some moments of depth that explore themes about human nature, nothing can make up for the film’s slow pacing.

Review: Sci-fi film wanes into weariness and boredom

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 1, 2019
"Shazam!" boasts a wonderful beginning with a tragic story and interesting, comedic charcters. However, the move derails slightly towards the final act.

Review: Superhero movie has electric beginning

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
April 18, 2019
"Dumbo" has thrilling, high-flying moments, but most of the time the acting is bland and the story is convoluted. The human actors have little appeal and are hard to relate to. Overall, this live-action adaptation does little to honor it's predecessor.

Review: “Dumbo” struggles to take flight

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
April 9, 2019
"Captain Marvel" is entertaining and introduces interesting characters and engaging storylines, but strays from the prestige of other Marvel films. In comparison to other Marvel films, the CGI and acting falls short.

Review: “Captain Marvel” is absent of classic Marvel charm

By Liam Conway
March 24, 2019
"Dragon Ball Super: Broly" takes the "Dragon Ball" franchise further with its colorful, action-packed animation.

Review: Latest “Dragon Ball” film best in the franchise

By Liam Conway
January 28, 2019
Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Creed, a famous boxer who must choose whether or not to fight the son of the man that killed his father.

Review: “Creed II” performances land emotional punches

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
December 3, 2018
Damien Chazelle directs a retelling of the first moon landing. Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy as his wife, Janet, add emotional complexity to the depiction of space travel.

Review: ‘First Man’ is a terrifying tale of moon mission

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 22, 2018
Musicians Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper star in the country romantic drama, "A Star is Born."

Review: Lady Gaga sparkles in ‘A Star is Born’

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 10, 2018
Michael Moore returns with another political documentary "Fahrenheit 11/9" exploring the social and political events surrounding President Donald Trump's election.

Review: ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ fans political flames

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
October 2, 2018
"The Predator," a remake of the 1987 science fiction film "Predator," offers exciting action sequences — and not much else.

Review: ‘The Predator’ fails to live up to predecessor

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
September 19, 2018
Director Spike Lee returns with "BlacKkKlansman," a story of undercover cops infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan in 1979.

Review: Spike Lee surprises with true story

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
September 5, 2018
"Avengers: Infinity War" is the culmination of the comic-inspired mega franchise that began with "Iron Man" in 2008. Though the movie is one half of a larger whole, it leads into the final film in Marvel's first major cinematic arc.

Review: Avengers assemble for an action-packed adventure

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
May 1, 2018
Directed by Steven S. DeKnight,"Pacific Rim: Uprising" is the less successful sequel to Guillermo del Toro's 2013 action film "Pacific Rim."

Review: “Pacific Rim” sequel lacks passion of original

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
April 2, 2018
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star in "Game Night" as a couple whose weekly game night leads them to become involved in a crime mystery.

Review: ’Game Night’ passes Go

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
March 6, 2018
Set in the summer of 1983, “Call Me by Your Name” captures the romance between the teenager Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer).

Review: Intimate, original romance is bold and beautiful

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
January 31, 2018
In this eighth installment of the "Star Wars" saga, original characters such as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) team up with new characters. They join to lead the Resistance against the evil First Order to rule the galaxy.

Review: ‘The Last Jedi’ is a force to be reckoned with

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
December 20, 2017
Larry Shepherd's (Steve Carell) son dies in battle, and Shepard is sent on a journey that reunites him with his old war buddies, Sal Nealson (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne).

Review: Linklater’s latest lets performances thrive

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
December 6, 2017
“Coco” is heavily inspired by Mexican mythology and details Miguel’s (Anthony Gonzalez) journey into the land of the dead. Miguel’s family has banned music from their lives, but Miguel aspires to follow in his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) to become a musician. The film is accompanied by “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure,” a twenty minute short set in the “Frozen” universe.

Review: Pixar brings life to the Land of the Dead

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
November 29, 2017
“The Killing of a Sacred Deer” details Steven Murphey’s (Colin Farrell) relationship with Martin (Barry Keoghan) and the damage it does to Steven’s wife Anna (Nicole Kidman). The film is a twisted, surreal thriller.

Review: Dreamlike drama is a disturbing triumph

By Liam Conway, Staff Writer
November 14, 2017
"Battle of the Sexes" is based on the rivalry between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), two famous tennis players in the 1970s.

Review: ‘Battle of the Sexes’ serves up genuine drama

By Liam Conway, Contributing Writer
October 25, 2017
“Gaga: Five Foot Two” is a Netflix documentary which follows Lady Gaga as she creates her album, “Joanne,” and prepares for the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show. At the same time, Gaga struggles with a debilitating hip injury.

Review: ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’ humanizes eccentric pop star

By Liam Conway, Contributing Writer
October 3, 2017
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