Today is the 100th anniversary of D. W. Griffith’s Civil War epic Birth of a Nation, perhaps one of the most troubling films in the history of the medium. On the one hand, Birth of a Nation is one of the most significant visual works of all time; it was perhaps the first feature-length movie […]
Continue readingToday in unexpected fandom: David Cronenberg loves Dilbert
Director David Cronenberg has made a name for himself as a purveyor of dark psychological films, from self-contained thriller experiments like Cosmopolis to the extra-gory body horror that made him famous in Scanners and The Fly. As befits his style, you might expect his tastes to skew towards the terrifying or distressing. But surprisingly, Cronenberg […]
Continue readingDig into net neutrality in Barbershop Punk
Only a few hours ago, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announced his proposal to reclassify Internet services as “common carriers,” a major victory for net neutrality and the prospects of an open Internet. We’ll come right out and say that this is fantastic news. The American Library Association has made it clear that open and unfettered […]
Continue readingPixar offers a cautionary tale for filmmakers reluctant to back up their work
The good folks at mental_floss recently uncovered a particularly incredible story from film history that serves as a warning for filmmakers working in the digital age. Pixar was one of the first studios to work with fully digital animation, and as trailblazers in the industry, they learned hard lessons about the perils of that once-new […]
Continue readingSuper Bowl trailer offers a rare insight into the modern CGI process
You may have watched the Super Bowl yesterday and caught the new trailer for Jurassic World. Pretty cool, right? Dinosaurs! Panic! Familiar music! But between the screaming crowds and velociraptor herds, you might not have noticed the significant changes to the film’s general tone an appearance. As Slashfilm points out, the two trailers are a […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: The art of healing
Super Bowl XLIX is imminent, and the NFL is under arguably greater scrutiny than ever over many of its policies and behaviors. Some of the greatest continued focus is reserved for the league’s treatment of concussions and injuries, which we covered during last year’s Super Bowl. This is still a big topic, but we discovered […]
Continue readingLearn a language, then watch a movie
You may have noticed that the AU Library recently subscribed to Pronunciator, a Rosetta Stone-style language learning service that is now available free for AU students. The service includes a huge range of languages, everything from the popular ones offered in classes (Arabic, Spanish, etc.) to the lesser-learned (like Macedonian or Xhosa). Pronunciator’s two-month courses […]
Continue readingHave a doubleplusgood Orwell Day!
Two years ago, the George Orwell estate declared January 21st “Orwell Day” in commemoration of the anniversary of the renowned political author’s death. It’s a relatively new holiday – this is only the third one – but we can’t help but get in the holiday spirit anyway. The significance of Orwell’s work speaks for itself, […]
Continue readingBehold the wonderful insanity of Japanese Spider-Man
Just for fun, we’re gonna share something really weird. Marvel Studios has slowly been expanding its line-up television programming, starting with Agents of SHIELD and quickly expanding with Agent Carter and Daredevil. There’s plenty to discuss about the business of high-budget television and the current wave of genre shows that we’re experiencing, but we’re not […]
Continue readingObserve MLK with a free screening of King: A Filmed Record
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday for reflection and service. If you planned to celebrate the holiday through film, perhaps the most obvious choice is to see Selma, which plays throughout DC (including at the Avalon and Mazza Gallerie theaters close to American). Reviews are spectacular, and squabbling over historical accuracy […]
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