How quickly can you distinguish a classic from a curiosity? Genuine taste is revealed not through its second-hand worship of established works of art, but by its ability to discern the timeless qualities in both the new and the vintage. Curiosities and classics present themselves side by side in the art market, and a savvy consumer must constantly practice critical… Read more »
2018 has treated us kindly with big-budget releases like Deadpool 2, Black Panther, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. It’s even more impressive to see more modestly budgeted movies performing exceptionally well at the box office. Movies like Crazy Rich Asians and A Quiet Place don’t seem like guaranteed successes, but they have managed to make quite a splash following their… Read more »
To cinephiles, the director is often the central figure in filmmaking, so we tend to watch and discover films on that basis. So, the usual way of understanding film history is by selecting some names as cornerstones. As expected, the reasons why some names are most famous and respected than others are controversial; those reasons tend to be regarding the… Read more »
Now in its 37th year, the 2018 edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival (September 27th – October 12th, 2018) just may be the brightest, most eclectic and engaging cinematic celebration yet. Among the five largest film festivals in North America with screenings from 70 countries, VIFF promises to have something intriguing and exciting for everyone from genre fans to… Read more »
There are so many great films that are widely agreed upon as essential; pieces of work that should be seen. However, every single cinema lover has their own list – films that they often recommend to people because they feel they are important. Although many can often justify their recommendations, it essentially comes down to taste and preference. This piece… Read more »
Distribution and Production company A24 has brought an excitement to the film industry that has not been seen in years. A24 has helped to revitalize American Independent cinema while generating somewhat of a cult following due to their efforts. Founded in 2012, the company has already received 24 Oscar nominations as of 2018, including wins for Best Visual Effects (Ex… Read more »
This is a list of films that capture the audience’s attention almost as soon as the first image fades in from black. These images are so arresting that they carry us through the whole film and reflect something important about the film as a whole. Warning: Spoilers 1. Cache The ambiguous mise-en-scene of Cache perfectly matches the ambiguity of… Read more »
If you want to make an extremely controversial film, there are a number of easy things filmmakers can do – insult religious groups, have over-the-top explicitly sexual scenes that are compared to the likes of pornography, offend governments, glorify extreme violence, or just freak the hell out of the public, among a number of other things. Now, there have been… Read more »
It is in the interest of any aspiring filmmaker to strive for originality in storytelling, above all else. Cinema is an art form in which no single iteration of a story formula is truly unique. Hence, it is up to the filmmakers to find new and expressive ways to tell stories that are otherwise anything but fresh. With that being… Read more »
We live in the cinematic world of sequels. The number of releases that are prequels, spin-offs or follow-ups to existing movies seems to grow every year, and it has become a main trait of commercial cinema to plan franchises that can last for years and years. The quality of these sequels can vary within a franchise, and a bad sequel… Read more »
A lot of filmgoers are of the opinion that the movie industry shouldn’t bother with remakes. Great movies are great for a reason – they don’t need to be remade, because the best version of them already exists – and movies that are less than great aren’t worth remaking anyway. Still, in certain cases, the themes and ideas of a… Read more »
Time flies. For a movie buff, the hasty seconds of time count as cinematic experiences. But life is one and only, while cinema is formed by infinite pieces of colors, shadows, and thoughts. Would it ever be possible to watch all of the existing good films and the ones to come? Arguably, not. Even if one dedicates a lifetime to… Read more »
Platonic love is something that almost everyone has gone through. It’s a type of love, or close relationship that is nonsexual. It is named after Plato, though the philosopher never used the term himself. Platonic love as devised by Plato concerns rising through levels of closeness to wisdom and true beauty, from carnal attraction to individual bodies to attraction to… Read more »
The genre of horror makes its profits from the exploitation of real human fears and unimaginably disturbing events. Using established and innovative techniques with cinematography and soundtrack to amplify patterns of human fear, films of this genre make their success by knowing what will really make their audience cringe. Thematic subgenres of natural/eco-horror, serial killer thriller, monster movies, and more… Read more »
A minimalist film score is something that uses a repetitive rhythm and pattern, some being prolonged and others being quick and neurotic, but nonetheless still important to a film. The small additive that even a simple score can add to a film is boundless and can resonate with the viewer more than the actions on the screen might be able… Read more »
Fictional characters often serve as stepping off points for us to better understand both ourselves and the people around us. After all, Rodion Raskolnikov’s moral struggles in Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” has been known to give readers a more impactful insight into depression than many a psychology textbook. The more vivid, specific and intimate a character’s development is, the greater… Read more »
