REVIEW: Divergent [2014]

“Faction before blood” Like it or not, the twenty-first century has brought cultural alterations. For instance, the conversation about futuristic dystopias and/or social upheaval no longer includes 1984, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451. Our contemporary equivalents are now The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent. They may not be at the same reading level, target the same demographic, or prove as smart and prophetic as the former trio, but that doesnā€™t mean they arenā€™t relevant or effective. All except for one thing impossible to ignore: their delivery method.…

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REVIEW: Limitless [2011]

ā€œI was blind, but now I seeā€ What would you do if you had the means to engage the entirety of your brain? To go from twenty-five percent to a hundred in thirty seconds after taking a tiny, clear pillā€”itā€™s a no-brainer, right? Your first taste is from an old friend, your assumption is that the drug is FDA-approved, and the effects are too good to dismiss. So what if you soon find out the manufacturing is done in an illegal kitchen? Who cares if your only connection to the…

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REVIEW: The Illusionist [2006]

“Where the dark arts still hold sway” There is a lot of buzz going around movie circles about this being the year of magic. With Christopher Nolanā€™s The Prestige garnering much anticipation, the lesser-known The Illusionist, by director Neil Burger, hits screens first. Trailers show that while it appears to be the more accurate movie in terms of period and realism, it doesnā€™t seem to have the flash or grave consequence as Nolanā€™s film. While The Prestige is a movie about rivalry and mysticism, The Illusionist is a love story…

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