Like Italian Neorealism, German Expressionism had a direct relation with the politics of the time. Neorealism emerged after fascism destroyed Italy. In response, leftist filmmakers tried to create a cinema which dealt with the social realities produced by fascism. German Expressionism was born in between two World Wars, in a growing Germany where Weimar Republic had a promising future. The… Read more »
“So bad, it’s good” cinema is on the rise, as evidenced by new websites (RiffTrax), books (Showgirls, Teenwolves, and Astro Zombies), and podcasts (How Did This Get Made?) that have been created during the past decade to meet demand from a growing fan base. It may seem like an inaccessible medium, or even a fruitless endeavor to watch them, but… Read more »
Animated films are often thought of as kid’s films, but in many cases, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many animated movies are in fact targeted at children, but then there are also those which cross into more mature territory, as well as those that cross the bridge and can be greatly enjoyed by both the older and the… Read more »
In Japanese cinema, the genre of jidaigeki refers to films set in a pre-20th Century period of Japanese history. A sub-genre of jidaigeki is the chambara–or sword fight–movie, a type that most often features samurai in various kinds of dramatic action, and in nearly every case showcasing displays of great swordsmanship and valor. The most legendary practitioner of the chambara… Read more »
“Marlon had an expression, he’d say: Let’s go out and jiggle the molecules.” – Quincy Jones Throughout the history of art, there have arguably been only a handful of artists in any medium that reconfigured the way we perceive life and our place within it. Painters Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso famously challenged our sense of sight with Cubism. Jazz… Read more »
British director Michael Powell and Hungarian writer and producer Emeric Pressburger were a two-man creative powerhouse in the mid-20th Century. ‘The Archers’ (as they styled themselves) unleashed a sequence of classic films onto the world that has a unique place in cinema history. Huge box office and critical hits upon first release, their work was latterly (and incorrectly) dismissed as… Read more »
With two films by Terrence Malick (Knight of Cups and an untitled Malick project) in the works and Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings in post-production, we look back to some of the best films starring Christian Bale – one of the most meticulous, devoted and talented actors of his generation, a man constantly searching for the next intriguing performance…. Read more »
The word “giallo” is Italian for “yellow” and is derived from a series of cheap mystery novels that featured a trademark yellow cover. The giallo film genre was heavily influenced by these novels and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Visionary Italian directors Mario Bava and Dario Argento created and defined the genre with films like “The Girl Who Knew Too… Read more »
A unique product of cultural, historical, and artistic conditions, the screwball comedy film was the quintessential genre of the mid-1930’s to the 1940’s and has proven to be both popular and enduring over the years. With roots in the classical farces seen on the theater stage, the screwball comedy is typified by a courtship-related plot centered around a strong female… Read more »
If you’re any kind of modern cinephile, you’ve probably watched at least one film by the Coen Brothers: they’ve become two of the most respected and admired auteurs in contemporary film. A Coen film is typically written, directed, and even edited by the duo. Joel and Ethan consistently work with the same actors, music supervisors and cinematographers, talents which allow… Read more »
What is it? Good question! This web series provides the citizens of the internet with a comical in depth look into the world of cinema. Their mission is to examine ground-breaking films under the intersection of pop culture and nerdism. Taylor Trash Productions brings us along on this wild ride with our host Taylor James Johnson. Taste of Cinema: The… Read more »
Kenji Mizoguchi is one of the three directors considered as the greatest Japanese filmmakers ever, alongside Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu. Mizoguchi is known for his unparalleled mastery of long takes and mise-en-scene, for his films which are reminiscent of a traditional Japanese scroll painting due to his infamous atmospheric long static shots and above all, he’s known and acclaimed… Read more »
Back in the 1900’s, the rise of the star system developed a new Italian film genre based on beautiful female stars. These very famous actresses were known as divas (goddesses). Their movies, known as frock coat films, featured stories of passion and intrigue in upper middle class and aristocratic settings. The situations were unrealistic and often resulted tragic, with eroticism… Read more »
These films of the 2000s have left a mark for generations to come, and while being animated, most of them are not for younger audiences. We can take time to appreciate technicalities along with complex storylines: these films encourage spiritual growth and provide a view of the world that otherwise would be lost in translation. Hollywood, specifically Disney and Pixar,… Read more »
Written and directed by cinematic great Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood is loosely based on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel ‘Oil’. Following the rise and rapid decline of self proclaimed “oil man” Daniel Plainview, whose fall from grace is less than noble, this film is known for the haunting, Oscar winning performance of Daniel Day-Lewis in the leading role…. Read more »
Over the years, there have been some remarkable cult movies, such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), “Harold And Maude” (1971), “Repo Man” (1984) and many, many others that have bent and twisted the art form that we call ‘cinema’. They are the ‘under the radar’ films that certain factors of film lovers have been proud to call their… Read more »
One of Hollywood’s true legendary directors, screenwriters and actors, John Huston is part of Hollywood royalty. He was the son of Walter Huston, a renowned stage and screen actor, and the father of actress Anjelica Huston. They are the only family that can make the claim of having won Academy Awards in three separate generations as Walter received the Best… Read more »
It goes without saying that the science fiction genre and the term “thought-provoking” go hand in (spacesuit) glove, simply because science fiction deals with concepts and themes that are by and large removed from our normal everyday experience; they grapple with the technology of the future, they play with the space-time continuum, they fiddle with the supernatural, they wrestle with… Read more »
The Sixties, particularly the latter part of that decade, saw morality and standards change dramatically in regards to film content and film making. After a string of costly musicals such as “Star!”, “Hello Dolly” and “Doctor Doolitle”, all of which flopped horrendously at the box office, one thing became clear. The powers that be in Hollywood were experiencing something of… Read more »
