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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Guru Ramanathan

Guru Ramanathan, Under the Arch Managing Editor

Guru Ramanathan is a senior in Tisch majoring in Dramatic Writing. Born in India, but living in Boston for most of his life, he was initially very confused by the lack of Dunkin’ Donuts in New York City but grew to love Starbucks’ hot chocolate. Guru lives and breathes film to the point where every other thing he says is probably a movie quote, and he was also a tennis and piano player for 10 years each. If you ever need to find him he will probably be writing something on the seventh floor of Bobst or the Dramatic Writing department’s half of the seventh floor in Tisch. Follow him on Instagram @i.am.gru and listen to his podcast, “The Passion Project.”

All content by Guru Ramanathan
Guru Ramanathan

Guru Ramanathan

Guru Ramanathan May 8, 2020

I didn’t expect myself to spend my entire college career in the WSN basement, but perhaps that’s a virtue of choosing to graduate early. While I’ve been fortunate enough...

Quantitative and Emotional: the Many Contradictions of Wayne Carino

Quantitative and Emotional: the Many Contradictions of Wayne Carino

The Wagner grad student and NYU Sustainability Fellow does what he calls “background work,” but has been instrumental in and out of NYU to provide environmental policy solutions for marginalized communities and developing countries.
Guru Ramanathan, Under the Arch Managing Editor December 5, 2019

When Wayne Carino enters the NYU Office of Sustainability, he barely says a word to anyone before sitting down to work. Within minutes of coming into the office, he immediately...

Go Digital Or Go Home

Go Digital Or Go Home

As the presence of online journalism continues to grow, we must strive to use all forms of digital storytelling to our advantage.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor May 9, 2019

There is more than one way to tell a story. In the age of digital resources, social media and streaming, it is imperative that this notion is not just begrudgingly acknowledged...

Niri (Lima Das) making her feature debut in “Aamis.” (via Metanormal Motion Pictures)

‘Aamis’ Team on Their Flesh-Eating Romance at Tribeca

WSN sat down with the director, lead actress, producer and composers of the Assamese film.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor May 6, 2019

For all the surprises it holds, “Aamis,” writer and director Bhaskar Hazarika’s latest film, looks regrettably generic at first glance. A married clinician named Nirmali...

Erturk graduated from Tisch in 2016 and premiered his feature film debut at Tribeca. (via Cenk Erturk)

Tisch MFA Alum Cenk Ertürk’s Journey to Tribeca

WSN sits down with Tisch MFA alum Cenk Ertürk to talk about “Noah Land,” his feature debut at Tribeca.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor May 3, 2019

When Turkish immigrant Cenk Ertürk first set foot in the United States, he came with a dream of being a filmmaker despite having no formal education in the craft. Little did he...

A poster for the Lizzie McGuire Movie. (via wikimedia commons)

Staff Recs: Best Disney Channel Original Movies

We’ve talked about some of our favorite childhood Disney series, but let’s not forget how one of our favorite channels was churning out classic T.V. movies at this time as well.
We’ve talked about some of our favorite childhood Disney series, but let’s not forget how one of our favorite channels was churning out classic T.V. movies at this time as well.
The movie poster for Moonlight, an A24 film. (via A24)

Unpopular Opinion: A24 Films

Before you watch “Under the Silver Lake,” let’s revisit past A24 films and break down if they’re really as good as Tisch kids say they are.

Over the past few years, indie film studio A24 has taken over the independent movie zeitgeist, and certainly captured the love of the NYU community to the point where everyone...

(On the left side, top to bottom) Fish Night, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Alternate Histories, (The right side, top to bottom), When the Yogurt Took Over, Three Robots, Zima Blue.(Courtesy of Netflix)

‘Love, Death & Robots’ Is Good, Great and Forgettable

From farmers fighting aliens in mech suits to a cup of yogurt taking over the world, the new Netflix anthology series can be an emotional rollercoaster.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor April 1, 2019

David Fincher helped bring Netflix’s popularity to new heights with the critically acclaimed “House of Cards,” one of the streaming service’s first big hits. He came back...

Anupam Kher as "Oberoi" in director Anthony Maras' Hotel Mumbai, a Bleecker Street release. (Courtesy of Mark Rogers / Bleecker Street)

Anupam Kher on Tragedy and Compassion in ‘Hotel Mumbai’

The acclaimed Bollywood thespian spoke with WSN about playing a real-life character in his new film.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor March 25, 2019

Eleven years ago, the Indian metropolis of Mumbai was brought under siege by Pakistani terrorists in a deadly attack. A popular restaurant, two hospitals and the Taj Mahal Palace...

Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski star in the German drama “Transit”. (Courtesy of Music Box Films)

‘Transit’ Is a Bumpy Ride That Still Bores

Officially selected for the New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, the German film is a fascinating character drama that is let down by a poor script.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor March 4, 2019

Like its title suggests, “Transit” is mobile, unable to find solace in any one mood, setting or genre, oscillating back and forth between being an interesting character drama,...

A still of Pete Holmes, from the HBO show Crashing. (Courtesy of Craig Blankenhorn)

Pete Holmes Talks ‘Crashing’ and Comedic Identity

Comedian, actor, writer, podcaster and producer Peter Holmes spoke with WSN about the new season of his HBO show “Crashing” and gave his thoughts on modern comedy.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor February 25, 2019

For Pete Holmes, the essence of comedy is truth. This is perhaps why he incorporated several real-life events, like how his ex-wife’s infidelity led him to pursue comedy, into...

Jefferson Mays as Dr. George Hodel in “I Am The Night.” (Photo by Clay Enos, Courtesy of TNT)

Tony Winner Talks ‘I Am The Night’

WSN sits down with actor Jefferson Mays to talk about his role in TNT’s new limited series “I Am the Night,” co-starring Chris Pine.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor February 4, 2019

Jefferson Mays has been a storyteller his whole life. In his childhood, his family did not have a television set, so he and his parents would read books out loud to each other...

Chris Pine as reporter Jay Singletary in I AM THE NIGHT. Photo courtesy of TNT

‘I Am The Night’ Is A Few Steps Short of Success

TNT’s new neo-noir limited series is based off a fascinating true story, but isn’t the home run many hoped it would be in its first episode.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor January 30, 2019

Murder, mystery and conspiracies — all juicy elements that are necessary to concoct a pulpy noir. From film classics like “Double Indemnity” to contemporary series such...

via flickr.com

Unpopular Opinions: ‘Black Mirror’

The first spring 2019 edition of one of the Arts Desk’s acclaimed weekly series deals out hot takes on Netflix’s Emmy-winning sci-fi series.
Alex Cullina, Guru Ramanathan and Nicole Rosenthal January 30, 2019

Technology in the 21st century: what’s not to love? From smartphones and supercomputers to virtual reality and artificial intelligence, technology has radically altered our way...

Karen (Anne Hathaway) brings turbulent tides to Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) as his past resurfaces in "Serenity." (Courtesy of Aviron Pictures)

‘Serenity’ Sunk by a Ludicrous Script

The Matthew McConaughey-Anne Hathaway starrer starts off as a fishing neo-noir and derails halfway through into a clumsy, existential thriller.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor January 29, 2019

Oscar-nominated director Steven Knight’s new film “Serenity” is a confounding experience, but not because it challenges the viewer on some profound, artistic level. From...

Concept Art by Lee Milby from the advanced short film "Cow-Boy," a drama about fraternity hazing (Courtesy of Bronson Aznavorian).

Funding Your Cinematic Dream

Tisch Film & TV seniors discuss crowdfunding thousands of dollars for their advanced short films.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor January 28, 2019

“The very fact that a movie gets made is a miracle,” the Chief Operating Officer of FilmNation Entertainment said to Tisch Film & TV senior Bronson Aznavorian during his...

Yakuts carrying wooly mammoth tusks on the New Siberian Islands. Courtesy of KimStim.

Sundance Documentary Winner ‘Genesis 2.0’ Hits IFC Center

A look into the making of Christian Frei’s documentary, which follows hunters in their search for dead wooly mammoths and scientists working to clone them.
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor January 3, 2019

Every summer dozens of Yakutian men leave their homes to trek the remote New Siberian Islands in search of a unique treasure: wooly mammoth tusks. They desperately hack at the...

A scene from the Palm d'Or-winning film "Shoplifters." (via facebook.com)

Cannes Favorite ‘Shoplifters’ Arrives at IFC Center

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s drama won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and should be your next stop at the IFC Center.
Guru Ramanathan, Film & TV Editor November 26, 2018
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s drama won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and should be your next stop at the IFC Center.
Viola Davis as the grieving Veronica Rawlings in heist thriller "Widows." (Courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

‘Widows’ Ranks Among the Best Heist Films

The follow up to his Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave,” co-writer and director Steve McQueen returns with an arthouse heist thriller with the ensemble of the century
Guru Ramanathan, Film & TV Editor November 19, 2018
The follow up to his Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave,” co-writer and director Steve McQueen returns with an arthouse heist thriller with the ensemble of the century
Wyatt Russell in "Overlord." (via facebook.com)

‘Overlord’ Is an Amazing WWII B-Movie That Offers Zombies Too

Though advertised as a generic zombie flick, the J.J. Abrams-produced film is secretly a stellar World War II action-thriller flying under the radar.
Guru Ramanathan, Film & TV Editor November 12, 2018
Though advertised as a generic zombie flick, the J.J. Abrams-produced film is secretly a stellar World War II action-thriller flying under the radar.
(photographs by Katie Peurrung)

Hammerkatz

Sketches, Not Skits!
Guru Ramanathan, Film & TV Editor October 11, 2018

An extravagant businessman walks into a classroom to meet with his son’s elementary school teacher. The father is horrified to find out that his son has been flinging poop at...

Richie Merritt and Matthew McConaughey in "White Boy Rick."

‘White Boy Rick’ Misfires

"White Boy Rick" delivers a scene-stealing performance by Matthew McConaughey, but fails to impress everywhere else.
Guru Ramanathan, Film & TV Editor September 17, 2018
"White Boy Rick" delivers a scene-stealing performance by Matthew McConaughey, but fails to impress everywhere else.