Month: November 2015

The Hobbit featurette shows the emotion toll of filmmaking

Campus is mostly deserted today, what with everyone leaving early for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the trip! This happens to be the time of year when courses assign final projects, and for film students, that might mean producing a short or a demo reel. It can be stressful… but you don’t know the agony of filmmaking until … Continue reading “The Hobbit featurette shows the emotion toll of filmmaking”

Campus is mostly deserted today, what with everyone leaving early for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the trip!

This happens to be the time of year when courses assign final projects, and for film students, that might mean producing a short or a demo reel. It can be stressful… but you don’t know the agony of filmmaking until you’ve seen director Peter Jackson behind the scenes on The Hobbit.

BoingBoing recently found seven startling minutes of footage on the Blu-ray of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies showing the improvised, chaotic production of the final chapter of the trilogy. The crew finished sets, costumes, and scripts at the last possible moment, shooting battle scenes with no context and eventually delaying filming for a year. This speaks to the troubled final state of the films, but the most distressing part is Peter Jackson’s visible fatigue.

In every shot, Jackson looks near-death – haggard, sad, tired, and reportedly going on only three hours of sleep a night. At one point, he took an extended lunch break just to figure out how to make the next scenes work. Look at his thousand-yard stare: if The Hobbit didn’t break Jackson, it came close.

So, the film project you’re working on over break will not be as stressful as The Battle of the Five Armies. And it definitely won’t let down Andy Serkis as much.

See Leonardo DiCaprio’s next big (award-winning?) film early!

November and December are the peak release months for prestige films. Academy Award nominees are announced in January, and the big hopefuls have a habit of popping up right before the deadline. We’ve been fortunate enough to share passes to a few of these movies, but we’re saving the biggest for the end of the … Continue reading “See Leonardo DiCaprio’s next big (award-winning?) film early!”

November and December are the peak release months for prestige films. Academy Award nominees are announced in January, and the big hopefuls have a habit of popping up right before the deadline. We’ve been fortunate enough to share passes to a few of these movies, but we’re saving the biggest for the end of the semester…

We have advance passes to see The Revenant, director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s upcoming frontier movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio! The Revenant is in serious contention for Best Picture, and DiCaprio is an early favorite to win Best Actor – potentially his first Oscar. And you can see it almost a month before everyone else. Lucky you!

(Plus, there will be a Q&A afterwards with supporting actor Will Poulter!)

We have only 40 admit-two passes to give away for this screening on Thursday, December 3 at 7pm at the Georgetown Loews 14. Follow this link to redeem your pass before they’re gone. This screening will no doubt be packed, so you’ll need to arrive way in advance of the 7pm start time to ensure that you get a seat. Passes don’t guarantee that you’ll get in!

Snag a pass now so you can lord it over your family for Thanksgiving! Or, because it’s an incredibly exciting movie that you can see weeks early for free before it becomes a hot topic.

Raise awareness of film censorship by making a censor watch paint dry

Still from Paint Drying via Charlie Lyne There’s a lot of insightful talk about the role film boards play in censorship – why do these unaccountable groups get to decide what can practically be released? – but sometimes it’s more fun just to be a jerk about the whole process. This is one of those … Continue reading “Raise awareness of film censorship by making a censor watch paint dry”

Still from Paint Drying via Charlie Lyne

There’s a lot of insightful talk about the role film boards play in censorship – why do these unaccountable groups get to decide what can practically be released? – but sometimes it’s more fun just to be a jerk about the whole process. This is one of those cases.

In an act of crowd-funded ultra-spite, filmmaker Charlie Lyne plans to submit an epic-length film titled Paint Drying to the British Board of Film Classification, which will require a censor to watch hours of basically nothing. The BBFC charges per minute, so Lyne is raising cash to submit at least 14 hours of video. Besides being obnoxious, Lyne started this project to raise awareness about the censorship performed by ratings boards.

It worked, and now we’re cheering for Paint Drying to go the distance. Mashable confirms that the BBFC will be required to watch the entire film, so many Lyne can slip in a single f-bomb at some point just to keep them on their toes.

For a more serious take on the issue, seek out This Film is Not Yet Rated (DVD 2414). In the meantime, we’re waiting for a DVD of Paint Drying.

New Acquisitions – November 2015

Another month has passed, we’ve added another hundred titles to our collection. The obvious big highlight is the first season of Empire, the massively successful hip-hop drama that has been a boon to television in more than one way. You might also spot Going Clear, the famously damning exposé of the Church of Scientology, and … Continue reading “New Acquisitions – November 2015”

Another month has passed, we’ve added another hundred titles to our collection. The obvious big highlight is the first season of Empire, the massively successful hip-hop drama that has been a boon to television in more than one way. You might also spot Going Clear, the famously damning exposé of the Church of Scientology, and the Wachowski’s totally-off-the-rails sci-fi wonder Jupiter Ascending.

But you may notice a ton of oddly named, vaguely threatening-sounding films like A Dangerous Possession and The Tattooed Stranger. Our media librarian Chris Lewis is currently on a mission to add every single film noir to our collection, and these are some of the new additions. We’re getting pretty close! If you ever need to research the film noir genre, we are more ready for you than you might be prepared for.

Hit the jump for a full list of what’s new…

Home Use Collection:

Time in America – HU DVD 2436
Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life – HU DVD 3238
Vanya on 42nd Street – HU DVD 9022
Uncle Yanco / Black Panthers – HU DVD 9954
Lions Love – HU DVD 9955
Mur Murs – HU DVD 9956
The Henrick Ibsen Collection – HU DVD 12460 – 12605
Caidos del Cielo – HU DVD 12583
Connection – HU DVD 12606
West of Zanzibar – HU DVD 12609
Sacred Ground: The Battle for Mount Auburn Cemetery – HU DVD 12610
Goodbye, Columbus – HU DVD 12618
Iris – HU DVD 12620
Rape on the Night Shift – HU DVD 12621
Psych-Out – HU DVD 12622
Show Boat – HU DVD 12625
Firestone and the Warlord – HU DVD 12628
Hitmakers: The Changing Face of the Music Business – HU DVD 12629
P’tit Quinquin – HU DVD 12635
Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life & Times of Katrina Gilbert – HU DVD 12636
Low Down – HU DVD 12638
Firing Line: The Hippies – HU DVD 12639
Secrets, Politics, and Torture – HU DVD 12641
Wanda – HU DVD 12643
Dawn of the Dead – HU DVD 12644
Growing Up Trans – HU DVD 12646
Edge of Existence – HU DVD 12647
The Harder They Fall – HU DVD 12648
Storm Fear – HU DVD 12649
A Dangerous Possession – HU DVD 12650
Experiment Perilous – HU DVD 12651
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – HU DVD 12652
Fear of a Black Hat – HU DVD 12653
He Ran All the Way – HU DVD 12654
Appointment with Danger – HU DVD 12655
Blindsight – HU DVD 12656
Bestiaire – HU DVD 12657
A Double Life – HU DVD 12658
General Orders No. 9 – HU DVD 12659
Cry Vengeance – HU DVD 12660
Antarctica: A Year on Ice – HU DVD 12661
Da Zui Xia = Come Drink With Me – HU DVD 12662
Harper Lee: from Mockingbird to Watchman – HU DVD 12663
Gaslight – HU DVD 12664
Cherry 2000 – HU DVD 12665
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me – HU DVD 12666
Brainstorm – HU DVD 12667
Experiment in Terror – HU DVD 12668
A Lady without Passport – HU DVD 12669
711 Ocean Drive – HU DVD 12671
Hollow Triumph – HU DVD 12672
Crack-Up – HU DVD 12673
Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Collection – HU DVD 12675
Home Movies, Season 1 – HU DVD 12676
Bombay Beach – HU DVD 12677
Affair in Trinidad – HU DVD 12678
Keep on Keepin’ On – HU DVD 12685
On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam – HU DVD 12686
I’m Still Here – HU DVD 12687
Jupiter Ascending – HU DVD 12688
Only the Young – HU DVD 12689
JFK: A President Betrayed – HU DVD 12690
JFK: The Smoking Gun – HU DVD 12691
L’Amore in Citta = Love in the City – HU DVD 12692
Population Boom – HU DVD 12693
Running from Crazy – HU DVD 12694
Silver Lode – HU DVD 12695
Kenny – HU DVD 12696
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry – HU DVD 12698
La Notte ha Mille Occhi = The Night Has a Thousand Eyes – HU DVD 12699
King and Country – HU DVD 12700
Shut Up and Play the Hits – HU DVD 12701
Roadblock – HU DVD 12702
Bodyguard – HU DVD 12703
Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films Collection: Lassie – HU DVD 12704
Sleep, My Love – HU DVD 12705
Johnny Eager – HU DVD 12706
The Seven Five – HU DVD 12712
Yours, Mine, and Ours – HU DVD 12713
The Spiral Staircase – HU DVD 12719
The Garment Jungle – HU DVD 12720
The Gangster – HU DVD 12721
The Tattooed Stranger – HU DVD 12722
Looney Tunes Golden Collection – HU DVD 12735 – 17340
The Walking Dead, Season 4 – HU DVD 14096
The Bridge, Season 1 – HU DVD 14196
Empire, Season 1 – HU DVD 14212
Simpsons, Season 11 – HU DVD 14334

In-Library Titles:

My Dinner with Andre – DVD 1146
The Thin Blue Line – DVD 2219
Deadline Every Second: On Assignment with 12 Associated Press Photojournalists – DVD 12637
The Sky Below – DVD 12640
Big Men – DVD 12697
Cry Terror! – DVD 12760

Television directing is still not very diverse

Behind the scenes of Empire, one of the few shows with a strong track record for diversity in directing talent Much ink has been spilled about the changing face of television, with new shows (and their showrunners) finally expanding the diversity of experiences and characters on television. But even at a time with different people … Continue reading “Television directing is still not very diverse”

Behind the scenes of Empire, one of the few shows with a strong track record for diversity in directing talent

Much ink has been spilled about the changing face of television, with new shows (and their showrunners) finally expanding the diversity of experiences and characters on television. But even at a time with different people represented on screen in growing numbers, the picture behind-the-scenes has often still not caught up.

In analysis for Variety, Maureen Ryan discovered that white men directed about three-quarters of all television episodes over the past several years across all networks, including streaming platforms. Even at Netflix – often an incubator for new voices and perspectives – no woman of color directed any episode of their shows last season. As Ryan notes, this is in contrast to elsewhere in television production, where writers’ rooms have become increasingly diverse. The article partially points fingers at the exhausting television production process, where only trusted, experienced directors land major jobs… and few of those established names are women or people of color.

The article is an insightful read, particularly for the anecdotes from television industry professionals. Ryan even hints at a few solutions, such as expanding mentorship programs cultivated by the studios and guilds. There’s room for practical progress, even if it’s coming too slowly.

How big movie franchises are bypassing the critics

Last year, we mentioned the idea of a post-plot movie, where property-driven movies transcend the need for strong narrative drive. Bryan Bishop at The Verge has noticed an odder, more troubling trend: the post-critic movie. Films have historically depended on advance screenings for critics to generate positive buzz. This is especially true for smaller or … Continue reading “How big movie franchises are bypassing the critics”

Last year, we mentioned the idea of a post-plot movie, where property-driven movies transcend the need for strong narrative drive. Bryan Bishop at The Verge has noticed an odder, more troubling trend: the post-critic movie.

Films have historically depended on advance screenings for critics to generate positive buzz. This is especially true for smaller or less-promoted films, which can capitalize on high marks on Rotten Tomatoes to generate pre-release attention. Now, rumors indicate that the upcoming Star Wars film will not screen for critics… because it doesn’t need to. Bishop points out that major franchises like Star Wars or Marvel have seized on fans and online communities to generate hype, and for movies with stratospheric expectations like The Force Awakens, studios have no reason to put more information out early.

There’s a separate but adjacent phenomenon where studios won’t screen bad films to hide their quality (see this summer’s Fantastic Four), but this is different. The worry isn’t bad publicity: it’s losing control of the publicity. If you already have loyal fans at Comic-Con and pop culture sites sharing every trailer, why let critics change the direction of the conversation?

Bishop makes a convincing argument of why this is happening and what it portends for the future of the film. The short version is that people who will see The Avengers in theaters on opening weekend don’t care about the quality, so expect more direct marketing to those fans instead of indirectly through reviews. The doomsday scenario Bishop predicts in which non-fan cultural media vanishes is a long shot, but we’re definitely steeping in that direction.

See The Night Before a week early! (Yes, Christmas in November, sorry.)

So here’s the deal: we absolutely do not want to contribute to the early glut of pre-Thanksgiving Christmas and holiday celebration. Thanksgiving is a great holiday, and November deserves to be its own month. That said, holiday-themed movies are coming out early this year, and since we have advance passes to one, we are obliged … Continue reading “See The Night Before a week early! (Yes, Christmas in November, sorry.)”

So here’s the deal: we absolutely do not want to contribute to the early glut of pre-Thanksgiving Christmas and holiday celebration. Thanksgiving is a great holiday, and November deserves to be its own month. That said, holiday-themed movies are coming out early this year, and since we have advance passes to one, we are obliged to promote it. (Also because it’s an exciting one!)

Our advance passes this time are to see The Night Before, an upcoming, R-rated Seth Rogen comedy about a group of manchildren celebrating their last raucous Christmas party together before they grow up. Joseph Gordon-Levitt co-stars as one of Rogen’s friends, a great casting choice that might counterbalance Rogen’s usual antics. The movie opens on November 20th (too soon!), but we have passes to see it on Monday, November 16th at 7:30pm (even sooner!).

The movie screens at the Regal Stadium 14 in Gallery Place on Monday. Grab your passes from this link or in-person at the Media Services desk. As usual, remember that these passes don’t guarantee that you’ll get in; show up early to ensure that you get a seat.

(Hopefully this will be our last holiday season-themed post for a few weeks… but at least we did it in the service of something funny!)

Your new podcast recommendation: You Must Remember This

Via our collections coordinator Molly Hubbs, we have a podcast recommendation for wonky film history types. You Must Remember This is a weekly hour-long program about secret tales from the classic film era. Every season, host Karina Longworth covers one major topic of Hollywood history across a dozen or so episodes. Earlier this year she … Continue reading “Your new podcast recommendation: You Must Remember This”

Via our collections coordinator Molly Hubbs, we have a podcast recommendation for wonky film history types.

You Must Remember This is a weekly hour-long program about secret tales from the classic film era. Every season, host Karina Longworth covers one major topic of Hollywood history across a dozen or so episodes. Earlier this year she tackled Charles Manson’s connections to the film business; she’s currently working through the stories of MGM’s producers and stars. Above, we’ve embedded the most recent episode (#64) about Spencer Tracy’s on- and off-screen relationships.

This is strictly film nerd territory, but if you’ve ever been curious about the reality behind the glitzy image of old Hollywood, it’s audio catnip. You’ll come away with a much better understanding of what made the studio era tick.

If you enjoy You Must Remember This, you might also like Moguls & Movie Stars (DVD 8381-8383), a TCM-produced documentary collection about the film business from its birth until the 1970s.

Farewell (again?) to Betamax

It’s the end of an era that we thought had already ended. After nearly three decades of stubborn persistence, Sony has finally chosen to discontinue the Betamax videotape. For those who missed out on the 80s, Betamax tapes were the main rival for VHSes before it was clear which videocassette format would be most popular. … Continue reading “Farewell (again?) to Betamax”

It’s the end of an era that we thought had already ended. After nearly three decades of stubborn persistence, Sony has finally chosen to discontinue the Betamax videotape.

For those who missed out on the 80s, Betamax tapes were the main rival for VHSes before it was clear which videocassette format would be most popular. Betamax tapes had some clear benefits – compact size and higher image quality – but VHSes cost less to produce and attracted more publishers. (As legend tells, adult entertainment helped drive the sale of VHS machines more than Hollywood movies.) Although Betamax tapes lost the battle, they continued to find use as a recording format for professional film production. But it’s unclear why Sony was still manufacturing them… or who was using them.

With the advent of streaming platforms that now almost universally work in browsers and on nearly an electronic device, it seems that we’ll never have another “format war” as intense as what Betamax wrought. Device manufacturers and publishers will always fight over who gets the most popular content, but there’s no longer a question of whether one of two whole mediums will become the global standard.

As anyone still setting on their pricey Betamax collection can attest, that’s for the best.

Brave Wired blogger binges the entire Bond series for your benefit (and amusement)

From Moonraker, one of the Bond movies on the “Nah” list James Bond’s latest adventure, Spectre, hits theaters tomorrow. Reception on this one is decidedly mixed (Daniel Craig’s Bond seems to get it right every other movie), but it will no doubt be a box office sensation here as it has been in the United … Continue reading “Brave Wired blogger binges the entire Bond series for your benefit (and amusement)”

From Moonraker, one of the Bond movies on the “Nah” list

James Bond’s latest adventure, Spectre, hits theaters tomorrow. Reception on this one is decidedly mixed (Daniel Craig’s Bond seems to get it right every other movie), but it will no doubt be a box office sensation here as it has been in the United Kingdom. Love the Bond movies or not – and there’s plenty of room to talk about the franchise’s sexism – the fact that this is the twenty-fourth film in a fifty-year-old franchise is remarkable and ripe for analysis. How have six different performers treated the role? And over five decades, has the series ever been consistently good?

Wired writer Erik Malinowski tackled the quality question this week in an article breaking down which of the Bond movies work and why. After an apparently 50-hour binge-watching session, Malinowski was able to split the movies roughly in half keepers and half throwaways, with the edge going to the better ones. Much of the article talks about the merits of each individual film, but there’s a recurring pattern: the best Bonds are a little campy, thrilling but not too dark or angry, willing to acknowledge their cultural context, and featuring a strong supporting cast for Bond to play off of.

Malinowski’s run down is of course subjective but makes a good primer if you needed a refresher on less-remembered Bonds before catching Spectre. If the reviews are credible, there’s 14 movies on that list that you might just want to watch instead

(Our collection includes most of the Connery, Brosnan, and Craig films. Ask at our desk to see if they’re available!)