Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review: A new take on an old formula
Jack Cogen, Editor, Opinions
January 23, 2018
Warning: this review will attempt to spoil as little as possible of Episode VIII, but will spoil most of the previous films in the series. “Let the past die; kill it if you have to.” Kylo Ren’s line in the trailer for Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is emblematic not only of the t...
A closer look at the annual Urban Film Festival
Aiden Ryan, Staff Writer
June 3, 2017
Illicit substances. Fearsome beasts. Cucumbers. All of these topics and more are featured in this year’s Urban School Film Festival, an event run by video production, video/photography Teacher Kelli Yon and students interested in filmmaking. The purpose is to highlight Urban students’ video production...
Urban student creates film exploring use of Adderall
Vivien Manning, Staff Writer
June 3, 2017
Urban student Will Hoppin (’18) decided to closely examine ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and the use of Adderall in what has morphed into a film that explores his own and others’ relationship with Adderall. The film, titled “Amphetateens,” is told from Hoppin’s perspec...
REVIEW: Wes Anderson’s new film, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” overwhelms but entertains

March 20, 2014
It is complicated, quirky, and aesthetically pleasing. It is a flashback within a flashback, stretching across three eras: the ‘80s, ‘60s, and ‘30s. The cast is large and star-studded, with each character hugely important in some way to the execution of the movie. The plot is, at its simplest m...
REVIEW: 16th annual San Francisco IndieFest features variety of films

Tessa Petrich and Mara Pleasure
March 3, 2014
This year marked the 16th annual San Francisco Independent Film Festival (IndieFest). The festival featured 78 different independent films and shorts at a variety of small theaters all over the Bay Area. The festival started on Feb. 6 with the film “The Congress” and lasted until Feb. 20, closing w...
REVIEW: Watching the 86th annual Academy Awards Oscar nominees

Niki King Fredel, Staff Writer
March 2, 2014
Watch all nine of the Academy Awards best picture nominees for 2013, and you will feel like your perspective on the world has changed. Nominated for best picture in the 2013 Academy Awards are: “12 Years a Slave,” “American Hustle,” “Gravity,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “The Wolf of Wall...