Adina Bernstein

The story of the underdog is one of the oldest stories in human history. It has inspired countless people over the generations to go for what they want, despite the obstacles that stand in their…

Since the beginning of history, writers have looked to the past to inspire them. The problem with this perspective is that when history fades into myth, the real person and the real story are often…

Wartime comedies must walk a fine line. Obviously, they have to be funny. But they also have to fully present in a world in which war is the norm. In 1942, the original To Be or…

Since the advent of computer technology in the last few decades, world-ending movies have become a staple of the Hollywood blockbuster. In 1998, Armageddon and Deep Impact were released within a few weeks of each…

It has been said many times that life imitates art and art imitates life. In 2011, the film Contagion hit theaters. At the time, it was just a movie about a virus that had the…

The opening paragraph of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma is as follows: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence;…

When I was about ten or eleven, someone gave me a child’s abridged version of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Little Women. The story of the March sisters growing up in Civil War-era Massachusetts left…

Sadly, sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace have been the norm for years now. Especially by powerful men who use sex as a tool against female subordinates or women who lack power. In…

When Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood went off the air in 2001, it was the end of an era. Fred Rogers died two years later, leaving a gap in our cultural landscape that will never be filled.…

Back in the day, a music store was more than the place in which one purchased the latest album from their favorite artist. It was an opportunity to see and be seen, to be known…

It’s not uncommon to see a movie, television show, or story about a man who stands up against injustice. However, the same story with a female protagonist (especially a female protagonist of color) is not…

I love going to the movies. But there is one genre that I will not touch with a ten-foot pole. I will not see horror movies, especially around Halloween. I have an active imagination that…

Judy Garland was a performer with a capital P. She is an icon above icons, a movie star in every sense of the word. She was also a human being whose life off camera was…

Every writer or director has his or her own signature style. Quentin Tarantino’s signature films contain violence, humor, a slightly out-there narrative, and many callbacks to the films ans shows that he loved growing up.…

When it comes to gangster films, female characters usually fall into one of two categories. If they have any sort of prominence within the narrative, they usually fall within the romantic or familial label: wife/girlfriend/mistress/love…

The best stories are the ones that speak to all of us. Regardless of the time, place and/or culture that the story is set in, there is a humanity to the characters and narrative that…

When your young, sex is enticing, mysterious and confusing. You want to appear confident, mature and wise, but the reality is often very different than the image. This year is the twentieth anniversary of American…

Among every fandom, there is bound to be disagreements as to preferred actors, characters and narratives when it comes to film adaptations. In the Janeite community (those who are fans of Jane Austen and her…

Hollywood is addicted to sequels, prequels, reboots and remakes. The question that I, as the average audience member has to ask, is this is sequel, prequel, reboot or remake any different than its predecessor? Or…

In 1999, Star Wars fans around the world queued up at their local box office, eager to step once more into the world of Star Wars. It had been 16 years since Return of the…

On November 26th, 2008, the eyes of the world were on Mumbai. Terrorists were openly and brazenly killing innocent civilians. Among the nearly 200 dead and more than 300 wounded were staff and guests at…

War has a way of changing everything, relationships included. The new movie, The Aftermath, based on the book by Rhidian Brook, dives into this idea, looking into the aftermath of war and the repercussions that…

When I was growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the on-screen redheads that my former child self could look to as an icon were limited. There was Anne Shirley, but her story was limited…

Every genre has it’s expected clichés. The romantic comedy genre is no exception. The new movie, Isn’t It Romantic, both revels in the clichés and mocks them in gleeful fashion. The following review will be…

For everyone who dreams of making it in Hollywood, only a small handful will see their dreams become reality. Among that small handful, an ever-smaller group of performers become icons. Glenn Close is one of…

When the Titanic fell into the ocean in 1912, the ship and her passengers became part of our cultural history. In 1997, writer/director James Cameron retold the story of Titanic through the eyes of doomed lovers…

Christian Bale is one of the most respected actors of our era. Like Daniel Day-Lewis and Gary Oldman, he immerses himself so deeply into his character that the audience forgets that they are watching him…

On the surface, rebooting a classic and beloved film seems simple. The narrative, characters and fan base are already there, it is just a matter of updating the individual pieces that are outdated. But there…

When a screenwriter or screenwriters sits down to write a fan satire, they are walking a fine line. While the satirical elements must be present in the narrative, the fan base must feel like they…

Every genre has it’s own standard narrative. In the romantic comedy genre, the standard narrative is as follows: There is a meet cute for the lead couple, their relationship or lack thereof builds, there is…

Every genre has at least one defining film that comes to mind when thinking of or discussing the genre. When one thinks of Holocaust films, there one film that automatically comes to mind: Schindler’s List.…

The dirty game of politics, power (and sex by extension) is usually the purview of men. Women are usually seen as the support system or the sex object. The new film, The Favourite, flips this…

Sometimes, we are presented with a choice when it comes to the direction that our life will take. We can silently go along with what is expected of us, or we can go with what…

The family sitcoms of the 1950’s presented the image of a perfect white middle-class suburban family. Dad went to work at an unknown office job and Mom not only kept an immaculate house, but looked…

Life is never black and white, no matter how much we may wish it to be. There are always shades of grey that bring in unforeseen complications into what may seem like a black and…

In 1999, after a 16-year absence, the first of the three Star Wars prequels hit theaters. Episode I – The Phantom Menace would finally start to tell of the story of the generation that came…