Behind the camera
January 29, 2019
Confusion. This was the initial reaction that physics teacher Jim Birdsong had when two students approached him with the idea of making a movie about his life. Birdsong has been teaching at MVHS for 24 years. He would describe his life as fairly stable, but seniors Sarah Feng and Anika Cheerla sa...
Rolling out the jade carpet
Hannah Lee, Emily Xia, Ruth Feng, Elena Khan, and Aditya Dash
September 27, 2018
It’s impossible not to love ‘Love, Simon’
April 11, 2018
Going into the theater, I didn’t expect much out of “Love, Simon.” The movie had been all over social media, advertised as a progressive rom-com about a closeted gay high school student. It looked generic. It wasn’t trying to be anything special. But it was. “Love, Simon” isn’t a movie ...
“Isle of Dogs” is pawsitively enjoyable
March 31, 2018
etails, as in most Wes Anderson films, aren't ignored in "Isle of Dogs” — the Oscar-nominated director's whimsical second attempt at a feature-length stop motion film. The film features all elements needed for a great production, highlighting attentive consideration of script, casting, animation and r...
A Film Lover: Razi Mahmood
December 12, 2017
or senior Razi Mahmood, film is the best kind of art. There’s a sense of joy, a small satisfaction and excitement, when the theater slowly grows darker before a movie. The same can be felt when lying on the couch, warm, watching Netflix. The screen enters full screen mode and your eyes lay upon ...
British Literature curriculum uses technology in teaching Macbeth
November 17, 2017
igh school students have long known the works of William Shakespeare. Although sentiments regarding the renowned English playwright and poet vary, there is no doubt that his notoriously obscure language and outlandish dialect often make comprehension and analysis of the text difficult for students. ...
Bluelight Cinemas hits the lights: local movie theater closes
November 16, 2017
When Art Cohen bought Bluelight Cinemas in 2009, he knew he was in for a lot of work. The movie theater, which had opened in the 1970s, had gone through several owners before it closed down for the first time in 2001and remained closed until 2009. It was then that Cohen, a former tech industry worker,...
Netflix releases “Audrie&Daisy”
October 5, 2016
Two girls. Two nights. Two heartbreaking stories. “Audrie&Daisy,” a documentary produced in part for the purpose of being shown in schools, was released on Netflix on Sept. 23, 10 months after its January debut at the Sundance Film Festival. When Actual Films producers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk deci...
Movie Update: REX Productions gets ready to release new film, “Colorful”
December 20, 2015
In action: Junior Henry Wang films and sophomore Neel Chaudari checks audio as English teacher David Clarke and sophomore Jeremi Kalkowski act out the scene where the college student goes to talk to his professor about his final essay. Here are some excerpts from the script: Cat...
REX Productions releases ‘Absolution’
April 24, 2015
frustrated high school student named William (junior Zach Sanchez) stands, hand-to-head, on the dirt hiking trail as his friend Jack (junior Thaddeus Tarshis) walks away, map in hand. The screen goes dark, and Jack reappears, staring at an article reporting that William has been missing for a we...
Behind the Scenes of ‘Two Halves’
January 28, 2013
REX Productions gives an inside look into the filmmaking process behind its latest movie. Read More »
Movie: ‘Gangster Squad’ embellished yet underdeveloped
January 15, 2013
Gunshots and glamor oversimplify the problems of a crime-ridden Los Angeles in the 1940’s. Read More »...
