Throughout the years, films have become the dominant form of storytelling in our culture. Originally incapable of something as simple as sound or color, films today are able to depict any possible idea that may creep into our imaginations. But have films actually changed all that much over time? Is a film today truly any…
Author: Tim
Pleasantville & The Social Network: Evolving From Ignorance to Ruthlessness
For many filmmakers, creating a film that represents a specific point in time is a dangerous game. The film can be seen as incredibly dated shortly after its release, and they run the risk of offending an entire generation of filmgoers if depicted in a negative light. Fortunately for any connoisseurs of great cinema, neither Gary…
The Terminator and Tales From the Crypt: Minor Budgets, Major Consequences
Other than each missing an eye in the stills above, The Terminator and Tales From the Crypt might appear to have absolutely nothing in common at first glance. Tales From the Crypt was a campy horror film from the 1970’s, while The Terminator was a science fiction landmark for practical effects. Even the storytelling format is completely different, with Tales From the…
Alien: The Power of Atmos-fear
Well…that just says it all, doesn’t it? Much like its minimalist poster, Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic Alien is a film oozing with atmosphere and subtlety. The ingenious tagline “In space no one can hear you scream” is one of the most well-known lines in film history – and for good reason. With just eight simple words, it…
The Shining: Kubrick Does it Again
Stanley Kubrick has often been hailed as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His visionary approach to the craft had reinvented practically every genre throughout the 1960’s and 70’s – from science fiction with 2001: A Space Odyssey, to romance in Lolita, and even comedy via Dr.Strangelove. So it should come as no surprise that he also…
Five Easy Pieces: The Counterculture Bible
There are few films in motion picture history that define a generation. There are fewer films that have inspired a generation. And then there are films like Five Easy Pieces, which are inexplicably able to accomplish both with masterful technique. Often hailed as one the essential films to create the New Wave Era of Hollywood films, Five…
Solaris by Tarkovsky: The True Master of the “Film Experience”
A Vision of His Own Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris is one of the most unique films I have ever witnessed. Not necessarily in terms of its tone or setting, as it bears striking similarities to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in these regards, but in its presentation. A common theme throughout reviews of Solaris (and Tarkovsky’s films in general), seems…
American Psycho: The Greatest Comedy Ever Made
Ever since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by stories about the criminally insane. Films such as the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece Psycho or the 1991 classic The Silence of the Lambs immediately captured my attention, opening up a window of perspectives that I had never even imagined. Rather than committing horrific acts out a desire for…
You must be logged in to post a comment.