Is the Gang Featured in “Guardians of the Galaxy” the Original Team?
The characters in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" come from comic book source material started in 2008, but the first Guardian characters appeared in 1969 alongside other famous…
How Did Blanchett’s Performance in “Blue Jasmine” Transform the Character Woody Allen Had Written?
Cate Blanchett’s performance in the titular role of "Blue Jasmine" evokes much greater empathy from the audience than Woody intended for his flawed character.
How Does “A Streetcar Named Desire” Use Light and Darkness as a Motif?
Darkness is Blanche's way of hiding from herself and from society throughout "A Streetcar Named Desire," and light refers to the vivid days of her youth.
In “Tootsie,” Why is Makeup So Important?
Dustin Hoffman's iconic role-within-a-role as a man disguised as a woman in 1982's "Tootsie" uses makeup to raise thought-provoking questions about gender roles and everyday…
How Does “The Thing” (1982) Compare to the Original (1951) and the Remake (2011)?
John W. Campbell’s novella “Who Goes There?” inspired three "The Thing" feature films about a bloodthirsty alien intent on wiping out a group of researchers. But despite a number of…
In “Spartacus,” How are Power and Sex Intertwined?
Kubrick's "Spartacus" depicts how power is used for sexual oppression and shows the film's titular hero refusing to degrade the fellow slave he loves.
In “Psycho,” What are the Underlying Meanings of the Character Names?
The names "Marion Crane" and "Norman Bates" have strong thematic implications and evocative power in Hitchcock's 1960 horror classic, "Psycho."
In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” What are the Thematic Connections Between Sexual Desire and Death?
In "A Streetcar Named Desire," the connection between sex and death is one of the strongest symbols in the play. Williams is indicating that putting the bulk of one's pursuits in the…
How Does “The Lion King” Echo the Story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet?
Not only does the story of "The Lion King" (1994) share similarities with the Old Testament, but it also shows parallels to William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Two young…
What was Stephen Belber’s Approach to Translating “Match” from Stage to Screen?
When preparing to translate "Match" from a stage play into a film, writer/director Stephen Belber took a lot of cues from Mike Nichols' 1966 adaptation of "Who's Afraid of…
Why is “Nightcrawler’s” Score So Upbeat?
Composer James Newton Howard and director Dan Gilroy decided to create an upbeat score for "Nightcrawler" in order to emphasize Lou's feelings of success and pride in his work and…
Despite Similarities, Do “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Blue Jasmine” Express Different Messages?
"Blue Jasmine" adapts many aspects of "A Streetcar Named Desire," but Woody Allen's film departs from the messages of its predecessor.