Film Inquiry’s Best Articles Of September 2016
Man, did September fly by, or what? We had such an excellent time featuring one short film every day of September during our #ShortFilmADay challenge. You can find the complete list and some additional information about the shorts we featured in our #ShortFilmADay Recap.
We published so many great articles last month! Film Inquiry staff members Tomas Trussow and Emily Wheeler attended the Toronto International Film Festival and told us about their experiences, and recommended some great, less discussed films. Among many other films, we reviewed Sully, Captain Fantastic, Deepwater Horizon, Frederick Wiseman‘s latest masterpiece, In Jackson Heights, and two North Korea themed documentaries, Under the Sun and The Lovers & The Despot. Writer Stephen Borunda is covering Andrei Tarkovsky’s works in his “Sculptures in Time” series, and discussed Solaris and Andrei Rublev last month. We also took a look at a new Criterion release of the 1939 film The Story Of The Last Chrysanthemum.
We added a bunch of new Beginner’s Guide to our steadily growing archive, and among others, we featured a guide to the work and career of documentarian Louise Osmond, as well as a guide to the classic film genre of screwball comedy. Find more guides below!
We interviewed Jenna Payne about her Dinner With Dames initiative, and are happy to inform you that Payne herself will be recapping the dinners for Film Inquiry on a monthly basis, so stay tuned!
In case you missed them, here are some of our best articles of September 2016, in no particular order!
The Beginner’s Guide To Bollywood
The term ‘Bollywood’ is itself a rather problematic concept. Its origins remain ambiguous, with many claiming credit for its creation; whilst others condemn it as pejorative term that unfavourably links the film industry to its Hollywood counterpart. Yet for many the term Bollywood is seen as a brand name that has come to represent the burgeoning film industry that for decades was known as Hindi cinema. […]
Read the rest of Robert Gallagher‘s fantastic article here.
Feminine Perspective And Power In THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
The Silence of the Lambs is an enduring piece of cinema. Jonathan Demme’s crime-thriller touched a nerve because of its mainstream appeal crossed with glimpses of macabre imagery. […] What’s compelling is that the story opts to focus most on the female perspective of Starling. Even though Hopkins won an Oscar in 1991 for his portrayal of Lecter, he and Foster only share four scenes together in total. Levine’s Buffalo Bill, while scary and disturbingly iconic, is a supporting role that ultimately serves as a means to an end for the plot. The one who matters most is the female lead. […]
Read the rest of C.H. Newell‘s article here.
Beyond The BOOM Pt. 3: Storytelling With Sound In JASON BOURNE
A largely-overlooked but critical element in an action film is its ability to tell a story with sound. Dialogue and musical score notwithstanding, sound cues and effects are incredible tools for storytelling in the genre; subtly adding depth and detail without ever compromising action or hogging screen-time. Given recent advances in the field of sound technology, filmmakers are even now using these techniques to great advantage in crafting critically-acclaimed action films. […]
Read Joseph Klingman’s last part of his Beyond the BOOM series here.
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS: A Story Lost In Adaptation
When deciding whether a story should be written as a book or a screenplay, a writer must decide which media would be the best platform to tell their story. The Light Between Oceans, based on a novel by M. L. Stedman, is a present example of how storytelling does not always translate well in multiple platforms. A success on paper; it sadly faltered as a film. […]
Read the rest of Stephanie Archer‘s review here.
Film Inquiry’s Greatest Films Of The 21st Century
When the [BBC’s list of greatest films of the 21st century] was announced earlier this summer, the Film Inquiry team initially agreed on doing our own gigantic top 100 to rival the BBC’s official findings. But, like most “best of” lists, that would come across as mere click-bait. Instead, as an independent film publication that takes great pride in the differing opinions of its writers, we are sharing our individual top 10 lists instead of collating them into one giant list. […]
Read Alistair Ryder’s compilation of the Film Inquiry team’s favourite films here.
The Beginner’s Guide: Buster Keaton, Actor & Director
Born Joseph Keaton (the sixth in a line of Joseph Keatons) in Piqua, Kansas on October 1, 1895, Buster had the delightful fortune of being born in the right place at the right time. His parents were part of a traveling vaudeville act, and at the age of four he joined them, subsequently becoming known as the Three Keatons. […]
Read the rest of David Fontana‘s excellent Beginner’s Guide here.
AS I OPEN MY EYES: Not Your Average ‘Coming Of Age’ Film
Leyla Bouzid’s French-Tunisian drama goes above and beyond the traditional coming of age story, using one girl’s journey to adulthood to explore politics, revolution and state sanctioned violence. As I Open My Eyes, gaining international attention for its portrayal of the Arab Spring, seeks to tackle such a prominent and life altering event through the eyes of its young protagonist: Farah. […]
Read the rest of Becky Kukla‘s review here.
It’s All Connected: The Consequences Of Marvel Studios’ Rebranding
At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Marvel Studios has unveiled various information regarding upcoming projects, ranging from a first look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to the casting of the lead of Captain Marvel.
Their last project for 2016, Doctor Strange, was given a lot of attention throughout their panel. Most notably, however, starting with this film, the company will start using a brand new logo. It is quite appropriate that they also updated their fanfare to be published alongside some of their most ambitious projects. […[]
Read the rest of Joseph Aberl‘s article here.
How Wes Anderson Is Influenced By The Peanuts
A distinctive and imaginative style plays a part in every Wes Anderson film. His influences range from French New Wave films to Jacques Cousteau‘s books and films. One influence in particular intrigues me: the Peanuts specials directed by Bill Melendez. This influence sometimes gets overlooked, but it is one of the most prominent throughout Wes Anderson‘s career. […]
Read the rest of Amanda Mazzillo’s article here.
What were your favorite articles this month? Let us know in the comments, and we’d also love to hear it if you have any suggestions.
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