Adina Bernstein

High school movies are a dime a dozen. Though the specific narrative, characters, and details will vary, the genre, for the most part, is pretty cookie-cutter. The new Netflix film, Moxie (based on the book…

There are first experiences in life we never forget. The first kiss; the first time someone you love dies; your first best friend. Though they may seem small in retrospect, those developments can feel earth-shattering…

When we think of archeology, we think of exotic locales, hordes of ancient buried treasures, and danger coming from the locals who are not pleased by the sudden appearance of strangers. But in reality, it…

Sometimes, comedy’s purpose is more than a good laugh. It is able to make a point as few things can. This year is the 40th anniversary of 9 to 5. Looking back on the last…

When a film is labeled as “classic”, there is a certain something about it. Entertaining and inspiring multiple generations of audiences, its success goes far beyond the initial response from moviegoers. Unfortunately, this sometimes inspires…

Seemingly every year, Hollywood looks to the past for inspiration. Specifically, the spotlight falls on successful movies and television shows from previous decades. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the 1960s and 1970s were…

For most, if not all of us, fairy tales are part and parcel of the fiction we are introduced to when we are young. Tales of kings and queens, princes and princesses tell us what…

War is complicated. Humanity is complicated. Put them together and there is a perfect storm of destruction and loss of life. But satire has a way of allowing us to both laugh and think clearly.…

There has always been a double standard when it comes to what happens in the bedroom. Men can do whatever they want and no one bats an eye. Women, however, are bound to a strict…

High school movies are a dime a dozen. Every generation has more than enough high school movies to call their own. But, like any genre, some movies are forgettable and there are other movies that…

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…