We live in a time dominated by nostalgia, with new generations discovering a love for icons of the past. From the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the “Terminator” legacy, to the long awaited “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” coming this Christmas, Hollywood continues to assert the power of the franchise.

Any screenwriter will tell you that adaptation represents one of the most complex conundrums in the filmmaking process: how does one bring a character from page to screen while maintaining the essence of the story? Some shows do remarkably well, while others can’t seem to find the proper balance. IGN recently polled viewers asking which comic book shows currently airing were most favored.

The long anticipated addition to Steven Spielberg’s dino-horror franchise took cinemas by storm last weekend and shows no signs of slowing down. Among its many accolades, the film has become the highest grossing opening weekend of all time. Fresh off his turn in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Chris Pratt capably leads a likeable ensemble — including Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D’Onofrio — against a violent, genetic-hybrid dinosaur.

Women in comedy have been thriving over the last few years. Amy Schumer has shooed away those who would call stand-up comedy a man’s world. “Saturday Night Live” also holds strong female comedians in its current lineup, consisting of Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon. Perhaps the greatest victory for women in comedy over the last five years has been the success of Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids” in 2011.

With regards to contemporary filmmakers, few directors have a resume that compares to Quentin Tarantino. From the release of “Reservoir Dogs” in 1992, he has steadily produced generally well received — and often acclaimed — films that have revolutionized the way we view cinema. His style is one of nostalgia, often harkening back to bygone eras, genres, and overall stylistic approaches.

If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that transgender rights represent the next major front in the battle for LGBT equality. Members of the transgender community experience some of the greatest struggles of anyone, with enduring considerably higher rates of discrimination, suicide, and HIV/AIDs infections than other communities.

Discrimination sadly proves itself time and time again as an issue that appears in almost any sector of the population and any industry. In entertainment, we’ve seen how women can be judged harshly based on their age and “sex appeal.”. In Silicon Valley, major tech companies treat women in a manner similar to boorish fraternity boys more than as peers and equals.

These days, news stories of unjust acts perpetrated by members of our justice system have become all too common. From hearsay reports of police shooting unarmed black men, to racist text messages, to the overall need for prison reform, our legal system has come under relentless fire for abuses of power.

Despite the prevalence of comic book material in mainstream cinema, some characters still have not gotten their due. One almost has to feel sorry for Arthur Curry, better known as Aquaman. For years, the world has derided his relevance as a superhero, relegated to little more than a punchline for jokes in shows such as “Family Guy.”.

Sometimes casting decisions are incredibly surprising. Who knew Robert Downey Jr. would be perfect to play Tony Stark? Then, there are other decisions that are initially good, but the end result is less than satisfactory. For example, when George Clooney played the role of Bruce Wayne, he had no idea he basically scuttled the entire “Batman” franchise in 1997.

More and more, companies have begun to recognize major social issues and events as potential opportunities. Anheuser-Busch regained some lost public trust while providing relief to flood victims in The Bible Belt, and Facebook has started introducing new features to identify and address issues of mental health and suicide.

Over the course of our lives, we collect scars — inside and out; the ones we cannot see sometimes do the most damage. For 22-year-old Kalief Browder, the scars inflicted during an unjust three-year prison sentence simply became too much. No longer able to cope with the traumatic events of his time in jail, he took his own life.

Teens and parents struggle in separate yet equal ways; the former must learn to grow and adjust to new life experiences, while the latter must keep those experiences in check. Finding a balance between these can prove difficult and sometimes tragic. Motivated by the shame of a video taken by her father, 13-year-old Izabel Laxamana jumped off of an overpass in Washington state, dying after landing on top of a passing car.

These words have immortalized the “Fallout” series among gamers for years. The post-apocalyptic adventure franchise has existed since 1997, but it truly earned its legendary status in 2008 with “Fallout 3,” and the 2010 follow-up, “Fallout: New Vegas.”. Developer Bethesda combined mechanics from their widely popular “Elder Scrolls” franchise with complex, ethically driven story lines, along with innovative combat systems to create something truly memorable.

People tend to fear most what they cannot see; even in warfare, armies fear snipers and place immense bounties on their heads in order to see them brought down. That fear becomes amplified when lone sharpshooters set their sights on civilians. a state still reeling from the fallout of the Aurora shooting in 2012 — once again fears the toll of gun violence on the state.

Take a moment and think of the best twist endings in Hollywood films; a moment that came out of nowhere and absolutely floored you. You probably thought “Empire Strikes Back,” “Psycho,” or maybe even “Se7en.”. Now, who thought of a more contemporary film? Very few, probably, because the ubiquity of cell phone cameras and internet access have made it easier than ever to analyze the minutiae of a film’s production.