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The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

Cinema with Sam

Sidney Lumet's 1957 film "12 Angry Men" received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: 10 movies you should watch before leaving college

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist May 9, 2025

We have come to the conclusion of my time as the movie columnist of The Lafayette. While I could have made my final column a review for Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” (2025), I decided to change...

"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" (2005) is the chronological third film in the Star Wars cinematic universe, but the sixth by release date. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Sam Review: ‘Revenge of the Sith’ still a force 2 decades later

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist May 2, 2025

"May the 4th" is right around the corner, and in honor of this fantastic holiday, Disney and Lucasfilm decided to please Star Wars fans around the world and re-release George Lucas’ 2005 film “Star...

"Sinners" (2025) features director Ryan Coogler's fifth film collaboration with actor Micael B. Jordan. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘Sinners’ is a wickedly good film

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist April 25, 2025

Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” (2025) is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the year. Correction: “Sinners” is the best movie of 2025. Starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as gangster brothers...

Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza's "Warfare" (2025) has been released to critical acclaim, boasting a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘Warfare’ brings realism of combat to screen

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist April 18, 2025

Unflinching, pulse-pounding and masterfully crafted. Those are the words I would use to describe A24’s newest film, “Warfare” (2025). Based on actual events and set in 2006 during the Iraq War, specifically...

"A Minecraft Movie" has a respectable 48% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is a blockheaded blockbuster

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist April 11, 2025

While the game that serves as its source material thrives on creativity, endless possibilities and player-driven storytelling, "A Minecraft Movie" (2025) strips away all charm and leaves audiences wandering...

"The Electric State" has been panned by critics, recieving a 16% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘The Electric State’ is anything but electric

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist April 4, 2025

Directing duo Anthony and Joe Russo's latest film, “The Electric State” (2025), continues their recent trend: badly written, poorly acted, astonishingly expensive and not even given a theatrical release. Since...

"Alexander" was first released in 2004 to little critical success. (Photo courtesy of Amazon)

Cinema with Sam: ‘Alexander: The Ultimate Cut’ redefines the film

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist March 14, 2025

Throughout the mid-2000s, the success of “Gladiator” made multiple directors want in on the supposed success of the historical epic. Oliver Stone, best known for films such as “Platoon” (1986)...

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" has a strong teen and adult fanbase, despite being a Nickelodeon show. (Photo courtesy of FilmAffinity)

Cinema with Sam: 20 years later, ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ transcends target audience

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist March 7, 2025

Few animated series have left as profound an impact as “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Premiering in 2005 and concluding in 2008, this Nickelodeon-produced show has stood the test of time, captivating...

"The Pitt" successfully adds a sense of realism to the typically dramatized medical drama. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘The Pitt’ brings fresh take to medical dramas

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist February 28, 2025

It’s been 16 years since producer John Wells and actor Noah Wyle left the medical drama world with the conclusion of their acclaimed series “ER” (1994). Since then, television has been plagued with...

"Captain America: Brave New World" made $88 million during its opening weekend in theaters. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ average entry in MCU

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist February 21, 2025

I saw the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Julius Onah’s “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025) in the immersive IMAX format last Thursday. The film follows Sam Wilson...

"Sleepless in Seattle" is one of three collaborations between director Nora Ephron and actress Meg Ryan. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Cinema with Sam: ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ classic rom-com that holds up

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist February 14, 2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! There is no better time of year to watch amazing rom-coms, and considering I already reviewed my favorite of the genre, I thought I’d take a look at another Nora Ephron story,...

"The Apprentice" (2024) received a surprise nomination in the Best Actor category for lead actor Sebastian Stan. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Cinema with Sam: Oscar nomination reactions

By Sam Cohen, Movie Columnist February 7, 2025

With just under a month before the biggest names in Hollywood grace the red carpet, the 97th Oscar nominations have shaken up the film world. Here are my thoughts on some of the highs, and lows, of the...

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