Movies have become a hobby, a student’s common ritual to enjoy and relax, to learn or find something new, and to analyze through personal critique. Victoria Martinez, a freshman who is working at the Southwest Film Center this semester, shared her top five movies, which she said she finds both entertaining and informative.
1.“Straight Outta Compton” directed by F. Gary Gray
“We never really know what happened or how music became music, especially with gangster rap. A lot of that scene was just overlooked for such a long time, and I felt like the bio-flick definitely brought attention to where it all started. It was Ice Cube’s film and it is accurate because he was there, and it’s just really cool to see an accurate description of what it was like back then with police brutality and what they were going through, and how it relates today. The music is just awesome in general too.”
2. “Deadpool” directed by Tim Miller
“I thought Deadpool was pretty awesome, I just liked it for the humor because that was great. It’s very vulgar humor, but it was awesome. They found humor within their own work because they know this is going to be cheesy regardless, so let’s just embrace it, which was pretty cool.”
3. “Emperor’s New Groove” directed by Mark Dindal
“It is by far one of the most underrated Disney movies ever and it has a good message. You never know who you are going to need, like when you’re a llama and you need a potion. You never know who is going to help you. Besides the animation and the music, the people they [cast], like David Spade ... that’s what made the movie.”
4.“Life is Beautiful” directed by Roberto Benigni
“This is an Italian movie about the Holocaust and how it affected people in Italy. I remember watching it in my high school and how it made me cry. Roberto Benigni wrote, directed and starred in the movie. The movie itself is really beautiful in how it portrayed the Holocaust. Benigni plays the main character, the father. The guy basically hid his kid in a bunk and went off, sacrificing himself for his son. I find myself watching it every now and then, and still get emotional.”
5. “Amy” directed by Asif Kapadia
“This movie is about Amy Winehouse. It really shows what it means to be famous in a cynical way. It shows you what happens to someone who can’t handle the pressure and glamour. There was a scene where it shows actual footage of (Winehouse) walking through paparazzi, and I had to turn away from the screen because of how bright and how many camera flashes there were. I don’t even know how she continued walking through the crowd. It’s very eye opening about what can happen to people in this position.”
Isaiah Jordan is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @dailylobo.
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