charli beck

Pacific Northwest College of Art, Visual Studies MFA and Critical Studies MA

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Two women kiss in front of a red background with a yellow stream twining through it like a stream of silk. The woman on the left bears a pink hoodie and a ponytail embraces her partner, garbed in a black dress with her hair in an updo. Her hands are placed on the first woman's chest in an intimate gesture.

“Saving Face” is the Best 2000s Queer Rom-Com You’ve (Probably) Never Seen

The 2004 film features a mother and daughter navigating new circumstances amidst cultural expectations with humor and sensitive, deft craft.…

April 21, 2024

The image of a man in a suit and hat with a dark tie repeats through sets of images descending in three film strips, each of which is in imperfect alignment with each other. The first man is in a grey strip, reaching to touch the shoulder of his clone in a green strip, who in turn is staring at his copy in a blue strip, as if they are in a cycle repeating endlessly through time.

Black & White: The Historic Film Technique Directors Are Rediscovering

Santiago Rivera, Washington University in St. Louis

In the modern era of digital coloring and novel technologies, how is modern cinema reinventing its roots in Black and White?…

March 28, 2024

An astronaut cast in a green glow stands a green pane projected onto a black background. They are covertly peeking behind them, their eyes visible in the glass mask at some unknown figure, said figure's shadow fluidly creeping along the green path like ink.

Alien: Isolation and the Horror in the Sublime

Hamad Naroze, Hunter College

How the video game Alien: Isolation utilizes sensory cues to keep players on edge, making sure they're always aware of the present dangers.…

March 23, 2024

Ghostbusters car submerged in mysterious liquid.

The Haunting of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’

Amelie Allen, University of Arizona

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” releases later this month, and it remains to be seen whether the franchise can stand outside of nostalgia alone.…

March 12, 2024

Person with colorful glasses behind a clipboard.

‘Love is Blind’ Will Improve Your Cognition

Finlay O'Connell, Minerva University

Reality television allows for viewers to gain a better understanding of social and romantic relationships, as demonstrated by the explosive reaction to the newest season of “Love is Blind."…

March 11, 2024

Boy at school looking at 3D 'Dungeons and Dragons' poster.

Why You Should Play ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

Natalie VanHecke, University of Texas at Dallas

Alright, players! Everyone knows that the wonderful world, “Dungeons and Dragons,” is a great game that many people play. Come to find out, dragons aren’t even the best part of the game.…

March 5, 2024