Dunkirk Shows Us We’re Stronger Together Than Alone
This Christopher Nolan guy? Yeah, he can make a pretty good movie. In the decade I’ve been working at Plugged In, I think I’ve reviewed almost all of his films, and they’ve all had a takeaway for me—something that, even if the movies themselves weren’t uniformly positive, I could point to and say, “That resonated […]
War For Planet of the Apes Wins Weekend Battle
You could say that Caesar made some salad. War for the Planet of the Apes, featuring the super-smart alpha chimp Caesar, scrambled up the box office skyscraper, pulled down your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and thumped its metaphorical chest in triumph this weekend. The latest Planet of the Apes flick cleared an estimated $56.5 million to […]
Parents Blame Children’s Deaths on 13 Reasons Why
The Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has been out for more than three months now, but it’s still in the news for all the wrong reasons. Two California teens committed suicide in April, and their grieving parents are speaking out now, blaming 13 Reasons Why for their children’s deaths. Bella Herndon hanged herself in her […]
Culture Clips: What Will the Future Look Like?
This Friday, moviegoers will line up to see War for the Planet of the Apes, a dystopian vision (at least for us human types) of a not-so-distant future ruled by hairy simians. For those worried that this film could be a harbinger of a fate to come, let me offer you a bit of good […]
Spider-Man Comes Home to No. 1
Yeah, sure. Spider-Man can’t fly or turn green or bash bad guys back to the Bronze age with his gigantic hammer. But when it comes to his work at the multiplex, Spidey’s as big and bad as they come. Spider-Man: Homecoming shot some webbing at the tippy-tip-top of the box office and swung to No. […]
Culture Clips: Game of Thrones Conquers Millions, Facebook Billions
Winter is coming. In, like, about five and a half months or something. In the meantime, HBO’s Game of Thrones is coming, too. Its seventh season begins July 16. The show has become about the closest thing to “must-see TV” in today’s fragmented television landscape: Time tossed it on its cover this week and called […]
Despicable Me 3 Tops at the Box Office
Everything old is Gru again. Despicable Me 3, the latest story about reformed supervillain Gru and his wacky family, coasted to No. 1 at the box office, and the outcome was never in doubt. If DM3 was a wide receiver running for a touchdown, it could’ve started its celebratory dance 15 yards out. It earned […]
Culture Clips: The Blow Out Those Virtual Candles Edition
If you’re reading this on an iPhone, pause a minute and wish your device a happy birthday. It officially turns 10 on June 29. (Well, not your phone, of course. If your phone is turning 10, you may want to look at your wireless contract.) The original iPhone revolutionized the tech industry and transformed the […]
Transformers Chugs to No. 1
Yes, it’s true that Transformers: The Last Knight was the weekend’s top movie, outdistancing Cars 3, Wonder Woman and every other competitor by a country mile. Still, there are signs that Optimus Prime may be past his. Transformers: The Last Knight snarled to about a $45.3 million take over the traditional three-day weekend. Add the […]
Culture Clips: The ‘It’s Tough to Be Famous’ Edition
Ah, celebrity, that fickle bestie of the entertainment world. One minute, you’re all, like, hangin’ out together at posh banquets, dressed to the nines and accepting awards. The next you’re wondering what’s the point of awards at all. “All the awards shows are fake,” singer (and frequent award winner) Katy Perry told The New York […]