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Establishing Shot Indiana University
Michaela Owens is thrilled to be the editor of Establishing Shot, in addition to being IU Cinema's Programming and Audience Development Manager. An IU graduate with a BA in Communication and Culture and an MA in Cinema and Media Studies, she never stops thinking about classic Hollywood, thanks to her mother’s introduction to it, and she likes to believe she is an expert on Esther Williams.

Entries by Michaela Owens

Piercing the Toast: How The Birdcage Changed Cinema

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A man puts his hand on another man's back as they sit at a restaurant

Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in The Birdcage Michaela Owens contextualizes the production history of the comedy classic directed by Mike Nichols and penned by Elaine May. A hilarious farce about a gay couple and the outrageous ruse they’re willing to go through in order to convince their son’s future in-laws that they live a… Read more »

The Many Lives of Inspector Clouseau

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Peter Sellers squints his eyes in disapproval

Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau Michaela Owens takes a deep dive into the various iterations of the iconic detective at the heart of the Pink Panther franchise. Although Peter Sellers’s career offers many, many chameleonic characters — some even in the same film — there is perhaps one who looms the largest in the cultural… Read more »

Kneecap (2024): Be the Bullet

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Three men pose on a stage

Still from Kneecap Michaela Owens sings the praises of the new, acclaimed quasi-biopic of the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap. It isn’t controversial to say that the musical biopic isn’t exactly the freshest genre out there. It’s easy enough to guess what the story beats will be, what songs will be highlighted, and what “fateful” moments… Read more »

Going for Broke with Grant and Gosling

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Ryan Gosling sits on a diving board above an empty pool

Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys Michaela Owens compares the comedic stylings of Cary Grant and Ryan Gosling in two of their most outrageous performances. When Ryan Gosling was first cast in Barbie and tidbits about the movie were steadily released, there was doubt floating around on the internet of whether or not the “somber”… Read more »

Food for Thought: Audrey Hepburn in Charade

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Audrey Hepburn eats ice cream while walking by the Seine with Cary Grant

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade While there is much to love about Stanley Donen’s romantic thriller, Michaela Owens tucks into one specific aspect that makes Audrey Hepburn’s character so entertaining. Reggie Lampert is terrified. Her husband, Charlie, has been murdered. A trio of dastardly men are after the $250,000 he stole from them,… Read more »

Cary Grant: More Than Just a Pretty Face

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Cary Grant crouching on a roof in the dark

Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief Michaela Owens defines what makes Hollywood icon Cary Grant such a fascinating and endlessly watchable star. Seeing Cary Grant’s face is a religious experience. With his impossibly deep tan, expressive chocolate-brown eyes, glistening black hair, and famously dimpled chin (who else can say they have an instantly recognizable… Read more »

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