Movie: Strong acting and plot knock ‘42’ out of the park
April 13, 2013
Only one number is retired by every Major League Baseball team: 42. However, every year on April 15, all players wear this sacred number in honor of the date of Jackie Robinson's revolutionary major league debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Released on the weekend of the 66th anniversary of the Hall-of-Fam...
Movie: ‘Jurassic Park 3D’ greatly improved with few changes
April 6, 2013
OUR GRADE: 4.5 stars YOUR GRADE: // When “Jurassic Park” was first released 20 years ago, not a single current MVHS student had even been born. However, despite the age of the film, its longevity still withstands the test of time as one of the most revolutionary visual effects films of all time. Initi...
Movie: ‘Broken City’ fails to break standards
January 22, 2013
“Tell me things haven't changed!” a corrupt Mayor Hostetler (Russell Crowe) triumphantly calls out in the midst of a political debate, trying to convince his misguided audience that he has improved the living conditions of his jurisdiction. “Broken City,” a crime drama directed by Allen H...
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 »...
Preview: ‘Struck By Lightning’ hits theaters Jan. 11
January 10, 2013
On Dec. 16, 2012, El Estoque participated in a video chat with actor Chris Colfer about his new movie, “Struck By Lightning.” The interview, organized by Tribeca Film, featured questions from student journalists from throughout California. The interview has been reproduced below. Some questions ha...
Movie: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ strikingly truthful and thrilling
January 9, 2013
Film reenacting hunt for Osama bin Laden delivers realism unlike any action movie before. Read More »...
CONTEST: ‘Lincoln’ movie ticket giveaway happening now
October 24, 2012
On Oct. 24, El Estoque will be hosting a contest to give away nine free movie tickets to the early showing of “Lincoln” playing at Cupertino Square AMC 16 on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The contest is open to all current MV students who follow the three simple steps below. Step 1: Like El Estoque's Facebook page or follow u...
‘Titanic 3D’ still great, but minimally improved
April 5, 2012
The disaster of the Titanic is a story that both awes and horrifies. In 1912, the so-called “unsinkable ship” hit an iceberg and pulled down 1514 people to their watery graves. This tragic moment provides an interesting backdrop for director James Cameron’s timeless tale of love and rebellion. Originally released in 199...
MOVIE: “The Lorax” is a fun watch, but not memorable
March 4, 2012
Thneedville is an artificial town full of inflatable trees and enclosed on the sides from the outside world by metal walls reminiscent of some industrial wasteland run by a money-hungry maniac who has found a way to sell air. This is where “The Lorax” takes place. A young resident of Thnee...
MOVIE: ‘The Vow’ entertains, makes few waves
February 12, 2012
What’s the biggest obstruction to true love? Amnesia, that’s what. “The Vow”, directed by Michael Sucsy (“Grey Gardens”) and released Feb. 10, is a formulaic romance timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day festivities. In it, Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams), a happil...
Movie: Old formula, new message
December 20, 2011
“There’s more celebrities here than rehab,” says Laura (Katherine Heigl) in reference to the New Year’s Eve festivities. There are 24, to be precise. And those are only the bigger names. With numbers like that, it almost seems like screen pollution. The truth of the matter is,...
Movie: “I Don’t Know How She Does It” actually does it
September 18, 2011
Thoughts on Sarah Jessica Parker’s movie “I Don’t Know How She Does It”: its jokes are mostly clichés, puns and innuendo. I could predict the plot as the movie went on and see the blatant foreshadowing of later events. Even most of the audience could. They’d collectively gasp at the “uh...
