Science fiction screenwriter Alex Garland makes directorial debut in theaters today with Ex Machina, a futuristic drama starring future Star Wars co-stars Domnhall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac about artificial intelligence. The movie has mostly glowing reviews so far, which bodes well for Garland’s transition from the writing desk to the director’s chair. If you want […]
Continue readingThe A.V. Club names their eclectic, contentious list of the best films of the ’10s
2015 marks the halfway point of the decade, and given our itchy need for instant gratification, why not do some retrospectives now instead of waiting until 2020? All week, the pop culture aficionados at The A.V. Club have been posting the results of a highly debated internal poll to determine the top 100 best movies […]
Continue readingSOC’s International Cinema Series concludes Friday with British film
Back in the fall, SOC teamed up with the National Gallery of Art to kick off the International Cinema Series, a year-long roster of world cinema screenings and discussions. Over the course of the academic year, the series has covered Italy, China, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Brazil. This Friday, the International Cinema Series wraps […]
Continue readingFor real? Furious 7 carries the torch for practical effects in movies
The latest entry in the Fast and the Furious franchise is apparently on-track to crush April box office records. There’s a plethora of reasons why the series has been so successful – this entry in particular attracting attention after the death of actor Paul Walker – but its greatest asset might be its continued use […]
Continue readingAll the President’s Men wins Washingtonian’s bracket; SOC professor has some choice words
In February, we reported on the Washingtonian’s bracket to determine the most “DC” movie of all time. Much to our sadness, the Mr. T-starring DC Cab did not win, but top honors went to the classic Watergate drama All the President’s Men. AtPM beat out lobbyist ode Thank You for Smoking for the top prize, […]
Continue readingWhat is world cinema? American’s Cinema UC answers
Under the preview of film professor Jeff Middents (friend of Media Services), AU’s Critical Approach to Cinema University College group has helped on-board new undergraduate students into the world of cinema studies. This year, as a capstone project, Middents asked his UC group to make sense of contemporary world cinema. The UC students produced a […]
Continue readingIn India, national cinema preservation is in the balance
We post about film preservation frequently on this blog, and for the most part, contemporary film preservation effort in our neck of the woods are excellent. Between the National Film Registry and the continued investment in restoring older masterpieces, we’ve come a long way from losing all our silent films. But such an infrastructure doesn’t […]
Continue readingMove over, Fitzcarraldo. Newly rediscovered Roar had the most disastrous film production ever
Many films have ascended to legendary status for their troubled productions. Apocalypse Now, Heaven’s Gate, and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote all famously far exceeded their budget and production scope. Thanks to the sleuthing and restoration efforts of Alamo Drafthouse, we can add one more name to that pile of terrifying disasters: 1981 safari […]
Continue readingSee these 100 streaming documentaries before you graduate
AU students get access to our streaming video collection, which includes thousands of hours of great documentaries. We realize that there’s quite a bit to sort through, so finding the best of them (or even knowing to look for them) might be a challenge. To help you navigate the highlights of our collection, we’ve assembled […]
Continue readingVanity Fair celebrates one century of vanity credits
gif via listal Earlier this week, we acknowledged the 100th anniversary of Birth of a Nation and the blockbuster style of filmmaking that create. But as Vanity Fair points out, Birth of a Nation also marked the start of directors declaring authorship for movies. D. W. Griffith was the first director to have a possessive […]
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