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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

Illustration of a cup of hot tea and a laptop on a bed. The laptop is open displaying a man with a mustache wearing a hat and dark clothes, sitting on a swing outside in the rain at night.

Off the Radar: ‘Ikiru’ is a profound and timeless masterpiece

Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru,” the 1952 Japanese film about a dying old man searching for the meaning of life, is currently available on Kanopy and NYU Stream.
Yezen Saadah, Staff Writer November 18, 2022

Akira Kurosawa is one of history’s most prolific cinematic artists. The great Japanese filmmaker won international acclaim with epic action films, such as “Seven Samurai,”...

An illustration of a cup of coffee in a white cup and white plate next to a gray laptop. On the screen of the laptop is an image of an elderly Black woman dressed in a light blue dress sitting on a chair on a sidewalk at night.

Off the Radar: ‘News from Home’ captures urban solitude and fleeting memories  

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “News from Home” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer November 11, 2022

New York City is no stranger to the silver screen. Time and time again, it has set the stage for gritty crime dramas, sappy rom-coms and billion-dollar superhero blockbusters....

An illustration of two figures displayed on a laptop placed on top of dark blue bedding with a cup of tea nearby. The first figure looks to be screaming, the other has a stern look.

Off the Radar: Black vampire myths and addiction in ‘Ganja & Hess’

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Ganja & Hess” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer November 4, 2022

“Ganja & Hess” (1973) opens with a somber, gospel-inspired opening song that cryptically refers to crucifixion and blood thirst. A set of intertitles introduces the protagonist,...

An illustration of a house with a gray exterior and blood soaking through its walls, displayed on a laptop.

Off the Radar: ‘The House That Jack Built’ attacks the cultural cult of the serial killer

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The House That Jack Built” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer October 28, 2022

A highly divisive film from a director that is no stranger to controversy, Lars von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built” (2018) uses the serial killer genre to delve into...

An illustration of a cup of tea and a laptop on a bed in a dark bedroom with the film “Lucky Grandma” playing.

Off the Radar: ‘Lucky Grandma’ and the spirit of Chinatown

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Lucky Grandma” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer October 21, 2022

In “Lucky Grandma” (2019), an archetypal chain-smoking Chinatown curmudgeon is tossed into the chaos of archaic superstitions, organized crime and strained familial relationships....

A cup of tea and a laptop placed on dark blue bedding with the laptop displaying a screenshot of the animated film “Belladonna of Sadness.”

Off the Radar: ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ paints a vivid feminist nightmare in watercolor

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Belladonna of Sadness” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer October 7, 2022

In Eiichi Yamamoto’s “Belladonna of Sadness” (1973), elegant watercolor vignettes of medieval life — reminiscent of gothic stained glass paintings — are juxtaposed by...

A laptop and a cup of tea lay against a dark gray blanket. On the laptop screen is a picture of a boy riding a bike in a forest.

Off the Radar: ‘The Kid With a Bike’ tackles the violent consequences of abandonment

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The Kid With a Bike” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer September 30, 2022

“The Kid with a Bike” (2011) is a gripping and painfully honest entry to the coming-of-age genre. Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present childhood through a lens of...

A cup of tea and a laptop displaying the film “Ruined Heart” on dark blue beddings.

Off the Radar: ‘Ruined Heart’ rides out the high and lows of love to a medley of moving melodies

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Ruined Heart: Another Love Story Between a Criminal & a Whore” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Arts Editor September 22, 2022

“Ruined Heart,” or “Ruined Heart: Another Love Story Between a Criminal & a Whore,” embodies its title wholeheartedly. For one, its lovelornness is evident from the...

A blue-and-white cup with tea inside sits in front of a computer screen with a man in a yellow suit jacket displayed on it.

Off the Radar: ‘Tokyo Drifter’ reinvents the Yakuza Film

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Tokyo Drifter” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer September 15, 2022

Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 “Tokyo Drifter” is a samurai spaghetti western dressed in a striking pop-art palette and slathered in excessive ’60s Americana. The film is filled...

A silver and black laptop shows a scene in a desert with a man squatting. A white and blue cup of tea is in front of the laptop.

Off the Radar: ‘Breaker Morant’ shatters illusions of benevolent empires and noble wars

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Breaker Morant” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Mick Gaw, Staff Writer September 8, 2022

“Breaker Morant” opens to an orchestra of men, all dressed in military khakis with their pith helmets, playing their brass instruments under the Union Jack. The film then cuts...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays light blue mountains. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Off the Radar: ‘Woman in the Dunes,’ a twinge of horror in the eyes of monotony

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Woman in the Dunes” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Amira Aboudallah, Contributing Writer April 29, 2022

“Woman in the Dunes” (1964), directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, is a tale confined to a pit in a sand dune. Amateur entomologist Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) is on the hunt for a...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a woman holding a rifle behind a red fort and a red background. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Off the Radar: ‘La Chinoise’ asks ‘revolutionary or revisionist?’

“Off the Radar” is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “La Chinoise” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Trace Miller, Managing Editor April 22, 2022

There is fission. There is fusion. And there is the immortal science of Marxism-Leninism. In his satirical film “La Chinoise,” Jean-Luc Godard traces the merger and split of...