The film industry has changed significantly throughout the years. Just looking back on my childhood the special effects that once seemed so realistic at the time are now dated and cheesy. Subjects that seemed taboo are now spoken about openly. Yet technically, all movies are similar. No matter how convoluted they all follow a plot…
Author: Sydney
Social Commentary on Reality: Inception and Pleasantville
The first time I watched Pleasantville and Inception I was quite young, still in high school. Looking back my understanding of these movies was limited because I lacked experience in life. Watching them again at age 26 they have a whole new meaning. Both speak about a person’s place within reality, our perception of that…
More Mainstream Than You Think: My Bloody Valentine & Twin Peaks
While watching the first two episodes of Twin Peaks and the film My Bloody Valentine, I wasn’t really expecting to find so many similarities between the two. Both are set in small towns, both feature an ensemble cast, and both deal with mysterious circumstances regarding murder. Released in 1981 My Bloody Valentine is a slasher…
Indiana Jones, the Action-Adventure blockbuster
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a film about an archaeologist bringing stolen artifacts back to their original owners, and rescuing their children from a cult that practices dark magic. Even though Temple of Doom is a sequel, in the story line it is the prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s…
The Shining, Devil’s in the Details
If you have watched a few of Stanley Kubrick’s films you know that he is a perfectionist to the point of pain. Every aspect is controlled and with purpose, from the camera angles, to background decorations, and color scheme. There is much debate to this day surrounding the film and what Kubrick was trying to…
The Breakdown: A Woman Under the Influence
The film “A Woman Under the Influence” is an unconventional art house film. And it is also one of the first fifty films to be preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry. Showing real people and real issues may be difficult to watch, but is culturally significant. The main character is Mabel, a loving housewife…
Journey Through Marriage, Via Italia
“…thirty years after its premiere, it regularly makes the top-ten listing of Cahiers du cinéma.” I would have to agree with the UC Press E-Books collection on Roberto Rossellini. Journey to Italy was released in 1954 yet I could see a film with similar nuances coming out today. This movie made me extremely uncomfortable in the best of ways. It was…
Batman Begins: A Cinematic Memoir
Growing up I watched a lot of movies. My Mother worked full time, went to school, and was raising two children. Keeping us entertained with a film was a way for her to take a nap. My experience with films had become over saturated to the point where I wasn’t really interested anymore. In 2005…
You must be logged in to post a comment.