The Hateful Eight makes the case for physical film, so what if it backfires?

The upcoming release of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is a pivotal moment for physical film. Tarantino famously loves film stock (having shelled out money to keep film production plants running); the director wants his upcoming movie to showcase the rich power of film in a way that’s undeniable to studios and audiences. But showing […]

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How We Made looks at the inauspicious production of My Beautiful Laundrette

We hadn’t stumbled across it until now, but since 2012, The Guardian has been publishing “How We Made,” a weekly column that invites creative types to talk about the history of their works, including films and television shows. This leads to all sorts of great anecdotes, often about the emotional, personal side of production. This […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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