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The Student News Site of Stony Brook University

The Statesman

The Student News Site of Stony Brook University

The Statesman

The official movie poster for the classic 2014 film "Whiplash." PUBLIC DOMAIN

10 years on, “Whiplash” is as breathtaking as it is misunderstood

Joshua Lee September 23, 2024

Warning: This review contains spoilers. This weekend, Sony Pictures Classics is re-releasing nationwide a remastered print of Damien Chazelle’s...

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A graphic showcasing a "Beetle Juice 2" film review. GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATED BY HENNA JEONG/THE STATESMAN

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is Burton’s best film in over a decade, but that’s a low bar

Joshua Lee September 18, 2024

Warning: This review contains spoilers. How long has it been since Tim Burton was almost unanimously regarded as one of America’s great auteurs?...

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Students gathered on Staller Steps to watch student films at the Create + Imagine Film Festival on Thursday, April 25. BRITTNEY DIETZ/THE STATESAMN

Exploring how SBU’s media consumption has changed over the last decade

Joshua Lee April 29, 2024

The entertainment landscape has experienced a significant transformation with the rise of streaming platforms, reshaping how we consume media. This...

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A graphic illustrating the Ghostbusters Frozen Empire film being screened at a movie theater. ILLUSTRATED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB/THE STATESMAN

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”: when a franchise cannibalizes itself

Joshua Lee April 28, 2024

This review contains spoilers. Hollywood just can’t let go of its beloved 1980s blockbusters. Whether it’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of...

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The official movie poster of "Love Lies Bleeding." PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Love Lies Bleeding” takes a million swings, and they all pay off — except one

Joshua Lee April 17, 2024

This review contains spoilers.  How do you describe a movie like “Love Lies Bleeding?” Is it neo-noir? Body horror? Western? Thriller? Surrealist?...

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A graphic showing the different celebrities who attended the 2024 Oscar's Award Ceremony. ILLUSTRATED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB/THE STATESMAN

The joyful, horrifying and toxic experience of winning an Oscar

Joshua Lee March 19, 2024

On Sunday, March 10, television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th Academy Awards, and for an event known for its gold, sweat and tears...

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A graphic illustrating the negative reviews Marvel's new movie"Madame Web" received. ILLUSTRATED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB/THE STATESMAN

“Madame Web” is a disaster of indescribable proportions

Joshua Lee March 1, 2024
Following my viewing of the $80 million trainwreck that is Sony Pictures’ “Madame Web,” I was genuinely gobsmacked.
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Poster for the A24 film "The Zone of Interest." The studio's newest cinematic release premiered on December 15, 2023. PUBLIC DOMAIN 

“The Zone of Interest” is unlike anything you have ever seen

Joshua Lee February 11, 2024
Name any Holocaust film, whether that’s “Schindler’s List” (1993) or “Life Is Beautiful” (1997); chances are, the most morally repugnant genocide in recent history is told from the victim’s perspective. But what about a Holocaust film from the perpetrator’s point of view? 
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The official poster for Yorgos Lanthimos' film "Poor Things." The film premiered on Sept.1 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Frankensteinian “Poor Things” is Yorgos Lanthimos’ magnum opus

Joshua Lee January 19, 2024
In a way, director Yorgos Lanthimos is a more eccentric version of Tim Burton, which speaks volumes since Burton is notorious for glamorizing the strange, the ugly and the offbeat. With “Poor Things” (2023), the director finally embraces the sincere quirkiness of the protagonist with open arms.
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The official movie poster for "Saltburn." PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Saltburn” is a narrative trainwreck that you can’t look away from

Joshua Lee December 23, 2023
This year America’s big “eat the rich” film comes from Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Emerald Fennell, and like her feature debut “Promising Young Woman” (2020), the subversion in “Saltburn” is as misguided as it is purposeless.
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A graphic showing the official film poster of "The Holdovers" in a public setting. ILLUSTRATED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB/THE STATESMAN

“The Holdovers” is a cute, innocent film that overly fetishizes a vintage outlook of the past

Joshua Lee November 21, 2023
Throughout his career, director Alexander Payne has examined broken and morally reprehensible people with a thick coat of dry-wit humor Payne’s latest effort, “The Holdovers,” is no exception to this. And even if it’s not a perfect film, it might be the best we’ve seen from the 62-year-old director.
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The official movie posters for "Priscilla" (left) and "All of Us Strangers" (right). ILLUSTRATED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB/THE STATESMAN

The best film masterpiece of the year and one of the most frustrating: New York Film Festival screenings review

Joshua Lee November 3, 2023
These films were screened at the 61st New York Film Festival. “All of Us Strangers” will have a theatrical release on Dec. 22, 2023, while “Priscilla” will have a limited release on Oct. 27, 2023 before theatrically expanding nationally on Nov. 3, 2023.
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