The year was 2013. At this point, Marvel had released 7 feature films in their cinematic universe. Their planning had paid off, as each solo release was able to slowly build a team of heroes that felt natural and organic. Such success is admirable, with many envious of the huge fan reactions (and box office earnings) that were received. With comic book cinema thriving, it made sense that historical rival DC would attempt to replicate some of this prosperity. With the groundwork laid in 2011’s Man of Steel, it was now time to take the next step. While Marvel chose to make 5 solo movies before uniting its protagonists, DC decided to put their 3 biggest stars in the second film of their franchise. This, perhaps obviously, did not go as planned.

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This article contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Read at your own risk.

There are very few men like Quentin Tarantino left in the movie industry. While some filmmakers have an uncompromising vision, only a small group are able to deliver story-focused pieces of cinema with large budgets to back it up. This privilege has allowed him to deliver a multitude of iconic characters, each using well-written dialogue to reach their status of fame.

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With the first half of 2019 coming to a close, many film fans are beginning to discuss their favourite movies of the year so far. While blockbuster cinema has failed to make much of an impact, there have been some truly fantastic story-driven releases. Without further ado, here are The Cinema Cult’s top 5 films of 2019 (so far).

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Everyone has an opinion when it comes to film. While there are some objective elements to be critiqued, cinema is a largely subjective art-form. You may like a certain movie while someone else may not. In an ideal world, these disagreements would result in conversations highlighting what you admired, while admitting the faults, creating a civil discourse that takes in alternate viewpoints. Unfortunately, these interactions are becoming few and far between. Many of us seem to believe that you have to pick a “side”, or in fact that there are “sides” to pick at all. This tribalistic sentiment has been brewing in online film circles for a while but seems to have reached a boiling point with a few recent blockbusters.

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This article contains spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story. Read at your own risk.

Originating in the seminal Star Wars film, Han Solo has grown to become a fan favourite for nerds and cinema goers alike. Portrayed with a wonderful performance by Harrison Ford, Han was able to go from strength to strength during his tenure in the first trilogy. With a once off appearance as an older man in The Force Awakens, many of us thought that this would be the last live action sighting of our favourite smuggler. With an unwarranted decision to provide a needless backstory, 2018 saw the delivery of a movie that predictably did more bad than good. Continue reading