Far too much is written in year-end lists about great acting as it forms such an integral, indispensable part of our moviegoing experience. Actors are, at the end of the day, the face of the film. They channel the truth of their characters and express the thematic intentions of the filmmaker seamlessly and in the process, give us cinematic moments… Read more »
These 10 ambiguous films are a great example of how to create a compelling and enthralling story without attaching to the conventional cinematic storytelling rules. The final uncertainty is crucial for the narrative and encourages the viewer to question the bizarre nature of the movie and to make sense of the events occurred (if there is any). 10. Enemy… Read more »
Action-thrillers have truly become something special over the last few years. Europe and Asia have long offered the world unique and exhilarating action-thrillers that their American counterparts have only started to somewhat grasp. From the early ‘90s with Luc Besson’s action-thrillers to end all action-thrillers, “Léon: The Professional,” the genre hybrid has become bigger, bolder, more daring, and sometimes a… Read more »
If “everyone has their own truth”, as the saying goes, it is understandable why cinema, which is “truth twenty-four times per second” according to Jean-Luc Godard, has been and will likely continue to be the subject of so many passionate disputes. Their charm consists of the fact that they are for the most part unsolvable and they need to stay… Read more »
Compiling a list of beautiful erotic movies that everyone wholeheartedly agrees to is mission impossible, as one person’s erotic dream may be another’s nightmare. Like any other idea, the concept of eroticism will differ from person to person. Someone’s idea of erotic could be the actual physical act of lovemaking whereas another’s could be eroticism of the mind. To some… Read more »
Since the beginning of cinema, horror has been one of the most popular genres with audiences, but one that’s most ridiculed by critics. This poor reputation was not unfounded, as still, the majority of horror films are below average, relying on cheap jump scares, underdeveloped characters, and gratuitous blood. Unfortunately, the horror movies that are made with care and feature… Read more »
Talking about “the best (individual) shots in film” is a difficult task, not only because there’s thousands of equally deserving entries, but because meaning in cinema is usually better conveyed through the succession of frames, shots, and sequences. Concepts like “affinity” and “contrast” play a crucial role in achieving meaningful and lasting images, and although it would be easy to… Read more »
When talking about some of the most shocking scenes in cinematic history, it is easy to connect it to plot twists and big reveals by the end of the film. However, although such things might also be a part of the shock or the cause hereof, this list concerns itself with standalone scenes that shocked, and therefore not necessarily overall… Read more »
Sometimes the first shot turns out to be the best, as these filmmakers have proven. Not that these director’s have only made one good film – although there is one exception – however, their debut feature has remained the greatest effort of their career, for varying reasons. There are some great filmmakers on this list, while others’ may have just… Read more »
Part of the appeal of science fiction cinema and literature has been gazing into possible futures where current social trends have run rampant, technological innovations have grown askew and to their fullest extent, and what looks to be a utopian society on the surface is actually anything but. The following list does a spectacular job of compiling and critiquing the… Read more »
What makes a film rewatchable? A great soundtrack? Stunning cinematography? Great performances? There’s no definite answer. Sometimes we rewatch films because we want to relive a feeling that we associate with them, and they don’t even have to be great films. We also rewatch films because they are so complex that one view is not enough, or because knowing how the… Read more »
Making a movie takes a lot of time and a lot of effort – and things can often get pretty crazy along the way. That’s probably why stories of what went down behind the scenes on most films are often as entertaining (if not even more so) than what actually winds up in theatres! Prior to a film being released,… Read more »
Whew, now that the disappointing movies are out of the way it’s time to talk about the opposite of disappointing movies. Sometimes movies look really really bad and turn out to be really really good. Sometimes movies like kinda-sorta bad and turn out to be kinda-sorta good. Not everyone is an expert at predicting the quality of movies. Let’s be… Read more »
“If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies. Don’t even mention them to me.” It’s more than fair to say that JD Salinger’s most famous protagonist Holden Caulfield was NOT an enthusiast when it came to the flicks. However, Salinger himself had a far more complicated relationship with the silver screen. For decades filmmakers, actors, and screenwriters have been… Read more »
The person directing a film is not always necessarily involved in writing it. There have been many great directors who have chosen to only direct the films that other people write, but there are also directors who want to make film so personal that they also become screenwriters. These directors then create unique worlds and develop a unique style that… Read more »
Cinema-goers all around the globe, but especially in the United States, are suckers for war movies. They tend to capture the audience’s imaginary with feats of bravery from courageous soldiers, or horrific scenes of violence that make us question the morality of going to war, even when it seems necessary. Regardless of the point of view, though, war movies that… Read more »
