Over the weekend, actor Michael Clarke Duncan died from complications following cardiac arrest. Duncan was a towering presence in film, and although he died at a shockingly young age and appeared in only a few big movies, his impact was powerful and is already missed by fans around the world. His performance in The Green […]
Continue readingControversial documentary re-ignites a political crisis
This past Tuesday, Israeli courts absolved the state of responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist who was killed during the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Tempers have flared around the case, alternately framing Rachel Corrie as either a victim of circumstance or a political casualty. In 2008, filmmaker Simone Bitton […]
Continue readingWhat co-productions mean for creativity in film
The increasing economic cooperation between the Chinese and U.S is no tightly held secret, but its impact on the film industry is just now becoming apparent. China is notoriously strict about which Western films it shows, reportedly refusing to screen The Departed for implying that Beijing has military connections. That tide is turning. Large movie […]
Continue readingTwo film festivals with very different audiences
Today marks the start of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest international film festival. Though smaller than notable rivals such as Cannes and Sundance, the Venice Film Festival is getting attention this year by premiering new movies from award magnets Paul Thomas Anderson and Terrence Malick. Some might call it the start of the Oscar […]
Continue readingHappy fall semester! Watch our best college movies
And with that, the 2012 fall semester at American University has begun. The first day of classes is winding to a close, but for incoming freshmen, the college experience has just begun. Whether you’re taking Leadership Gateway or preparing for your capstone, now is a great time to watch some of the greatest college movies […]
Continue readingTime Out New York crowns the greatest New York films
Here’s your controversial (if slightly old) link of the day: Time Out New York has compiled a list of the top 100 movies set in New York City. They put together a fairly complete list – but of course, you can dispute the ones at the top. Judging by the comments section, there are some […]
Continue readingBefore Photoshop CS6… there were giant chickens
For as long as we’ve trusted the authenticity of photography, it seems like, naturally, we’ve wanted to mess around with photos too. Now it seems like this urge his been around for generations – in this case, a whole century before we started Photoshopping mustaches onto people’s faces. Wired recently uncovered a collection of unusual […]
Continue readingThe Hunger Games screening TONIGHT!
We’ve gotten a number of patrons interested in watching The Hunger Games since it was released on DVD this Saturday. We hear you: it’s understandably one of the biggest movies of the year. We’re in the process of acquiring it, but our copy is still en route. Hang on! If you don’t want to wait, […]
Continue readingDirector Tony Scott dies
Film director Tony Scott committed suicide yesterday at age 68. While he was never an arthouse institution and didn’t have critical weight, Scott’s movies were immensely popular and changed the direction of big-action blockbusters. Perhaps most notably, Scott was sort of a Hollywood kingmaker, directing films that were massively successful game-changers for Jerry Bruckheimer and […]
Continue readingRetronaut unearths Frankenstein on his off-day
You can easily pull back the curtain of movie magic on almost any recent, major motion picture. It could be as innocuous as a clip of Bane and Batman off the clock, but even obtuse films like Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life come with special features explaining their production. For most older movies, the […]
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