The Internet Movie Database allows any ol’ person to hop on their browser and rate a movie they’ve seen. Unlike Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, the scores come straight from the registered members. Sure, the aforementioned sites allow user ratings, but they’re not the primary purpose of the website. Contrarily, IMDb thrives on user ratings. Some of the more popular movies… Read more »
When talking about the singularity of cinema and its power, Ingmar Bergman once said, “Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.” He understood that cinema has the power to mesmerize the viewer and to make them… Read more »
2016 was a strong year for movies, and while many people saw Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Arrival and other critical or commercial success stories, there were, as usual, many films that slipped under the radar. The following ten films were not widely seen yet are definitely worthy of an audience. 1. Midnight Special This film… Read more »
Politics is one of the favorite subjects of cinema since the time of its very foundation. First, movies were used as a powerful propaganda machine, but subsequently developed into artistic device to criticize and vivisect various elements of political power. Directors became free to express their own political views and ideologies through their films. In this list you can find… Read more »
Film can be one of the most effective artistic mediums when it comes to teaching lessons about any given writer’s morals or beliefs. The art form is often used to send messages and teachings about a specific topic, and perhaps no topic is more commonly explored than that of love. Love is a theme that can be found scattered throughout… Read more »
In continuing the gold mining for obscure films around the world, and learning about different cultures through their rich artistic expressions, I’ve selected these 10 titles that deserve greater recognition. 1. An Innocent Witch (1965) Japanese director Heinosuke Gosho has never crossed the border as his celebrated colleagues Kurosawa, Ozu, Mizoguchi and Miyazaki, among others, though his career is… Read more »
It’s wild how after consistently making great, classic and game-changing movies for decades, Steven Spielberg is constantly being second-guessed and undervalued. He makes movies with such ease and such consistency that it’s almost like he’s being graded on a curve. He made “The Post” in a month during post-production on “Ready Player One,” so people were not giving it the… Read more »
According to many, Alfred Hitchcock is the greatest director of all time. Dubbed the Master of Suspense, the majority of Hitchcock’s filmography aligns with the mystery and thriller genres. Throughout his career, he frequently used similar plot devices and techniques from film to film as a way of capturing the audience into his suspenseful tales and holding their gaze until… Read more »
Romance has been part of cinema since the very early days: indeed, “The Kiss” was one of the very first films ever screened for the general public in 1896. From Murnau’s Sunrise to Hawk’s Bringing Up Baby, from Singin’ in the Rain to Moonstruck, romance is one of the few constants through all the tumult and turmoil of the world… Read more »
Though he began in theater and never abandoned it, Sam Mendes can only be considered a British film director based on how many Bond films he has to his name. Deemed Best Director right off the bat for his debut film American Beauty, the English director would spearhead many films focusing on particularly domestic concerns up until he gave his… Read more »
Whenever we’re talking about coming-of-age, teen movies, regardless of their main plot and point around which they center, we’re talking about sexuality. Whenever we’re talking about adolescents overall, we’re basically talking about sexuality, as it constitutes a “nodal point” for a person’s growth and further mental and physical function. Therefore, this period in an adolescent’s life is one of great… Read more »
For those who have been fans of Alex Garland’s written work and his cinematic directorial debut “Ex Machina,” “Annihilation” was eagerly anticipated. “Annihilation” was based on Jeff VanderMeer’s original novel of the same name, which was also the first part of a cerebral and mysterious trilogy known as “The Southern Reach.” Reading the original novel, it became clear that adapting… Read more »
Imagination is the major raw material of creativity. All kinds of art, from poetry to photography, would have never discovered their means of expression without a plunge into the vast and mysterious fantasy sphere. It is supposed that fantasy reaches its apogee during childhood and later in life grows dim, in opposition to awakening and maturity. However, the artistic impulse… Read more »
Every Oscar season, some actors are overlooked, while others are considered overdue and others settle for their status as a nominee. While a lot of factors need to be taken into account when assessing someone’s Oscar chances (the competition, the movie’s success, the campaign etc.), there are a handful of actors who consistently give performances that are so great and… Read more »
Cannes is a prestigious film festival and the Palme d’Or its most prized award; perhaps the most coveted award in world cinema, for those not of an Academy Award persuasion. Each year, acclaimed auteurs line up with their films to compete, and many have rightly been rewarded for their work. That’s not to say that the jury are always correct… Read more »
Hailed as the saviour of the DCEU, Wonder Woman garnered so much attention and positivity that it was even being discussed as a possible Oscar contender. The film also set a number of box office records. It grossed over $820 million at the box office and is the sixth highest grossing superhero film of all time at the domestic box… Read more »
