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The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith documenting warfare through her camera.

Civil War: photojournalism in war-torn America

JOSUE VILLATORO, Film Critic Oct 9, 2024

Renowned film studio, A24, has stepped into big-budget movie territory as of this year with their latest film, “Civil War,” from acclaimed director and screenwriter, Alex Garland. 2024 has graced us...

Main characters Andy Dufresne and Red standing together in the jail courtyard.

Shawshank Redemption’s 30th anniversary

JOSUE VILLATORO, Film Critic Oct 2, 2024

It’s been 30 years since Frank Durabont’s cult classic graced the big screen and gave us one of the best films of all time. “The Shawshank Redemption” is set in 1940 in New England, and follows...

According to Villatoro, by taking a risk with the X-Men franchise, Disney has returned the franchise to it’s glory days. With the X-Men now under Marvel’s ownership, Villatoro hopes this trajectory of success for the franchise can continue.

2024: Year of the X-Men

Josue Villatoro, Film Critic Sep 25, 2024

2024 is truly the year of the X-Men. Out of all superhero series to come out via streaming with Disney+ this is, without a doubt, the best series to emerge from Marvel Studios. Serving as a continuation...

Austin Butler as Benny riding alongside fellow members of The Vandals M.C. within “The Bikeriders Official Trailer 2.”

The Bikeriders: A perspective into the golden age of motorcycle clubs

JOSUE VILLATORO, Film Critic Sep 11, 2024

After being delayed from the SAG-AFTRA strike, Director Jeff Nichols' long awaited period crime drama finally graced the big screen on June 21, 2024. “The Bikeriders” follows the chronology of a Chicago...

Film critic Josue Villatoro ranks his favorite five movies from 2023.

Five of the Best Films From 2023: A Review

May 5, 2024

5: Wonka    Your craving for chocolate will skyrocket after watching this. Timothee Chalamet delivers a performance that rivals Gene Wilder’s classic portrayal and serves as a pleasant adaptation...

“Elvis” is an emotional watch, for different reasons than “Priscilla." The two films draw contrasts between the different angles of
the relationship. “Priscilla” shows more behind the curtains of Elvis Presley’s relationships. Not just with Priscilla, but with his family and daughter, too.

Priscilla v. Elvis, which is better?

CALLEE FAIR, Staff Writer Mar 6, 2024

Many fans of the Presely’s were not only blessed with one biography picture, but two the last couple years with Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” coming out in 2022 and Sophia Coppola’s “Priscilla”...

According to Fair, Holland is the best Spider-Man because of his social awkwardness combined with his nerdy charm. When bringing Spider-Man from the comics to the big screen, Holland trumps the others.

Who is the best Spider-Man?

CALLEE FAIR, Staff Writer Feb 21, 2024

It has been 22 years since the first “Spider-Man” was released in theaters on May 3, 2002. Witnessing copyright wars and three other “Spider-Man” series in between, fans of this famous superhero...

“Titanic” tops the list as one of the best movies to watch on Valentine’s Day. Filled with romance and heartbreak alike, the acclaimed film offers
something for all viewers.

Ranking Valentine’s Day films

JOSUE VILLATORO, Film Critic Feb 13, 2024

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The day of rich milk chocolate, a day of candles, the day of champagne & wine, bittersweet dinners, but most importantly, the day of love and companionship. When it comes to...

Margot Robbie was not nominated for Best Actress this year, causing an
outpouring of criticism from fans.

An investigation into this year’s Oscar snubs

CALLEE FAIR, Staff Writer Feb 7, 2024

‘Tis the season of red carpets, glamorous looks, and recognizing artists from TV, movies, and music– that’s right– it’s awards season. There is no doubt that with all of the masterfully made...

Ayo Edebiri won big at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes for “The Bear”. Her role as Sydney earned her nominations in both the Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actress in a Comedy categories.

2023 film and television awards underway

BAILEY KLINKHAMMER, Executive Editor Jan 31, 2024

Happy awards season! With the start of a new year comes one of the best times of the year - awards season. So far, the Golden Globes and the Emmys have taken place, and the Oscar nominations were recently...

Gosling has a large filmography under his belt. He recently added “Barbie” to this, gathering multiple award nominations for his role as Ken.

Ryan Gosling isn’t just Ken

CALLEE FAIR, Staff Writer Jan 24, 2024

When somebody asks you to name the best actors of all time, who do you think of? Some of the names on that list could be Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Viola Davis, Jack Nickelson, Johnny...

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” has been in production for eight years.

Unpacking the “Five Nights At Freddy’s” Adaptation

CALLEE FAIR, Staff Writer Nov 1, 2023

After eight years of production halts and questions of whether this project was still in motion, “Five Nights At Freddy’s” finally hit the theaters on October 27th and on Peacock the day prior. ...

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