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The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

PERFECT ACTING. Koji Yakusho excels in the starring role as Detective Takabe, a titular character crucial for developing the film's themes. (Fair use image from Flim at Lincoln Center, flimlinc.org)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] Why I think “Cure” is a cinematic masterpiece

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon March 5, 2025
The 1997 Japanese feature film goes beyond plot, exploring intricate themes of despair and exposing society's darkest truths.
Director Sean Baker holds the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay for "Anora" during the Governors Ball following the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake

2025 Oscars: the victorious and the defeated

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon March 4, 2025
Read more about the films that succeeded and the ones that fell short this Sunday.
The opening shot of an upside-down Statue of Liberty is a metaphor for the film's anti-patriotic themes. (Fair Use: A24 Films)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] “The Brutalist”: a brutally honest American commentary

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon February 7, 2025
Discover why this film is worth the watch.
WICKED FILMMAKING. 2024's Wicked, despite it's large visual issues, recycled storytelling and lack of intelligence, was a smash-hit and earned itself a Oscars Best Picture nomination. (Fair Use: Universal Pictures, edited by Thomas Chen)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] Modern Blockbusters suck, at everything

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon January 9, 2025
Three reasons why modern blockbusters are so terrible.
NEW CINEMA. A wave of movies this fall-winter season hopes to compensate for the disappointing cinema earlier this year. (Press release images from various studios, credited later in each individual chapter)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] The good and not-so-good of recent cinema

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon December 17, 2024
In this extended review, A&E Editor Peter Ostrem makes movie recommendations for winter break.
CHRISTMAS SCARES. Art the Clown embraces the Christmas theme of the third Terrifier film, donning a Santa suit and hat for most of the movie. (Screen capture from “TERRIFIER 3 Official Trailer (2024) Red band” by Movie Trailers Source on YouTube.)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] “Terrifier 3:” shocking gore and shockingly bad filmmaking

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon November 7, 2024
A lousy film dominated by gruesome gore.
WHERE ARE YOU? The climax of Halloween features Michael Myers (Nick Castle) and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) engaged in a cat-and-mouse chase (image from Compass International Pictures).

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] Halloween (1978): The Horror Standard

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon October 26, 2024
The film’s minuscule budget did not prevent it from becoming the pioneer movie of modern horror.
BEHIND THE MOVIES. The Rubicon A&E editor, Peter Ostrem, has been writing monthly movie reviews for his beat since last September. Now, he's leveling up his trademark "Off-screen With Ostrem," expanding from one review per month to two. This year, he’ll dive into both a nostalgic classic and a fresh release each month.

[STORY BEHIND THE STORY] The Off-screen experience of “Off-Screen With Ostrem”

Amanda Hsu, The Rubicon October 22, 2024
Peter Ostrem is known for taking movies off the screen, but this time, Amanda Hsu flips the script on him.
THERAPY. Will Hunting (Matt Damon) and Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) sit in Maguire's office in one of the various therapy scenes in the film. (Screen capture from Miramax)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] Good Will Hunting tells an intimate story of growth and connection

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon September 30, 2024
Good Will Hunting combines excellent scripting and acting for one of the best cinema experiences in modern movie history.
DAUGHTERS. Directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae created a beautiful film centered around the Date Your Daughter program. (Fair Use Image: MSPIFF Website)

[OFF-SCREEN WITH OSTREM] Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Film Festival highlights new filmmakers

Peter Ostrem, The Rubicon April 22, 2024
The festival is showing over 200 films from Apr. 11 to Apr. 25 at The Main Cinema.
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