We’ve been excited about the Oscars for a while, and now that they’re over, there’s sort of a big void left. What better way to fill that void than to give away some Oscar-nominated movies? We’re giving away six Oscar-nominated movies: The Artist Argo Flight The Iron Lady Pulp Fiction Sting For a chance to […]
Continue readingIt’s the Oscars!
The Oscars are tonight! After weeks of buildup, speculation, and the most use of the word “Argo” on record, the Academy will reveal the results of the most prestigious and contentious film awards ceremony at 8pm in the Dolby Theatre. We’re very excited in Media Services, if you couldn’t tell from our weeks of Academy […]
Continue readingThe New York Times breaks down Oscar trailer timelines
The art of the crafting a movie trailer has recently become a science. Every smash cut, cliffhanger, fade to black, and fancy shot of an actor’s name has been reduced to a formula that seemingly every studio follows. The New York Times adds a new wrinkle to that analysis by splitting apart trailers for this […]
Continue readingCelebrating Petro Vlahos, father of modern visual effects
Petro Vlahos, an unheralded genius of modern filmmaking, died yesterday at age 96. Though not a household name in special effects like James Cameron, Peter Jackson, or Michael Bay, Vlahos laid the foundation for all future filmmakers. Vlahos invented bluescreen (“chroma key”) technology, first used in 1940 for The Thief of Bagdad and still used […]
Continue readingNon-news of the day: Palestinian director Emad Burnat detained 90 minutes at LAX on his way to the Academy Awards
Burnat’s film Five Broken Cameras has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category. While in detention Burnat texted Michael Moore for help. Moore tweeted about it and all was good. The immigration folks hadn’t been briefed on what an official Academy Award nomination looks like. BTW we recently added Five Broken Cameras to the […]
Continue readingHot Docs: Kansas vs Darwin
Hot Docs highlights interesting new documentaries we’ve recently added to our collection. Kansas vs Darwin (DVD 10562) addresses the ongoing argument between the theory of evolution and intelligent design by focusing on a specific, famous battle with the Kansas State Board of Education. In 2005, the school board considered requiring teaching intelligent design to be […]
Continue readingBurning question: Does Best Picture matter?
With all the Oscar hullabaloo (of which we’re guilty as well), it’s easy to accept that the Oscars matter, that the acting winners represent the fines that Hollywood offers, and that an institution as venerated as the Academy is the official tastemaker. Take a step back and read this interesting and controversial opinion from Rob […]
Continue readingEven more short films screening in DC
Continuing yesterday’s theme, there are more and more opportunities to see what’s new in the burgeoning short film scene. This weekend, DC Shorts will present a series of award-winning short films, including previous Oscar contenders (and some of this year’s nominees). The hour-and-a-half showcase costs $12 and runs twice daily throughout the weekend. Take advantage […]
Continue readingWatch Academy Award-winning short films right now
The 85th Academy Awards kick off one week from tonight. We’ll have plenty of lists of past winners and nominees in the coming weeks, but for now, let’s direct attention to the lesser-heralded short film catagories. Since 1932, the Academy has honored short films in a number of categories, including documentaries and animation. Though they […]
Continue readingToday’s film oddity: The Kidnappers Foil
Here’s a piece of film history so unusual that it must be shared. For forty years, con artist and filmmaker Melton Barker traveled across the United States, roping in small towns to produce a short film titled The Kidnappers Foil that would star local children and premiere in a local theater. As you could imagine, […]
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