Features
Experimental film by its very nature often flies under the radar of the average film viewer and even most movie buffs. However, I’d like to take this opportunity to offer a sort of crash course in experimental film by highlighting five (well, sort of six) experimental filmmakers that deserve at the very least a cursory glance. These are people who changed film-making, completely threw out the rule book, and influenced cinema in very permanent and crucial ways, both with their cameras and their pens.
Cinema is one of the few areas of modern life where the word ‘cult’ can conjure up positive connotations: more Rocky Horror and Fight Club than Charles Manson. Screenings of ‘cult’ films gather huge, enthusiastic crowds and each have their own strange rituals and practices, such as the hilarious habit of spoon-throwing during showings of The Room.
Earlier this week, the British government announced that after years of trying to make it work, they were finally giving up what was already a losing battle. From 2015, it will no longer be illegal to file-share in the UK, to the fears of the entertainment industry. Instead, certain internet providers will email their customers just four warning letters per year informing them at how their killing the industry, to which they’ll probably reply with a shrug and will continue to download the latest episode of Game of Thrones without a second thought.
We came across the following infographic, which features some of the most famous properties you’ve seen in film and on television. It includes the properties used for Blade Runner, Driving Miss Daisy, Home Alone and Downton Abbey. Please click on the infographic to enlarge it so you can actually read it – it’s a big one!
For me, the way a film looks is nearly as important as how good it is. I can remember leaving several theatres saying, “Wow, that movie was terrible, but it looked amazing!” Film is a visual media after all, and cinematographers work extrememly hard to present audiences with beautiful and stunning imagery even if the film doesn’t work as a whole – I’m looking at you, Prometheus.
The hottest and most popular film genre is the superhero genre. Since the late ’90s, thanks to DC Comics and Marvel Pictures, they have consistently produced superhero films that bring audiences in big masses to theaters. So far this year, there have been three films from that genre, and we are still waiting for the much-anticipated release of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1st.
Hello all! Gather ’round, it’s time for this week’s Cinephile’s Lounge! Let’s hang out in this beautiful cinema today, the Phoenix Cinema in London.
Every month, the team of Film Inquiry is posed a question. This month, the question is “what is your favorite film theme, and which movie did it best?” You can read the answers of the individual team members who chose to participate below!
The New York Film Academy recently published a pretty awesome infographic on their website, featuring the top 10 darkest characters in film. I’ve been known to be partial to the darker characters – I’m still a bit unsure whether I’ve a dark passenger of my own inside me or not, but I can’t help but always like the dark characters more than the happy ones. As I see it, they make any story more interesting.
If you head over to Cinefix on YouTube, you’ll be leaving hi-def behind and heading back to the 20th century. Cinefix takes your favorite movies and gives them a retro flair that you’ll love. Think Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 were a little long winded?
In today’s age of digital and IMAX cameras and big-budget post-production in film, no one would argue that cinema is very much a visual experience. Movies are, by definition, the recording of images to tell a story. But for those that are unable to see, whether they are born that way or became blind later in their lives, films can still be entertaining and immersive.
As the summer movie season begins to wind down a bit and the little ones return to school, it is a sign that the best films of the year are approaching. You see, studios like to have their best films fresh on the minds of critics when award season rolls around. While 2014 has been a disappointing year in film so far, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is fast approaching.
It’s the end of the week, and I’m ready to kick back, relax, watch a movie, drink a glass of good, red wine… What’s better than doing that with my fellow cinephiles? How’s your week been?
Nothing is more disturbing than a Disney Princess gone bad. Artist Jeffrey Thomas proves this with his creepy Twisted Princesses artwork on deviantART. Along with most of the illustrations, Thomas tells a story depicting his creative alternate film endings for each female character.
In the following animated video, a dozen and more story worlds are mashed together as Gandalf and Gollum fight, Batman goes into battle with the Joker and Two Face, Sith battle Jedi, Superman and Superwoman fight crime together. This must be one of the best promo-reels I’ve ever seen, and it’s definitely a must-see! Watch the video – you’ll definitely enjoy it.