The Oscars are this Sunday, and although we’re as excited as every year, there’s a certain level of predictability in every ceremony. A few months ago, the current Oscar race was considered one of the most competitive of all time, but the past weeks of tertiary award shows have made it clear who will win […]
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Making sense of Birth of a Nation, 100 years later
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 readingDoes The Wire work in HD? You be the judge
In a move even more controversial than their decision to launch a standalone streaming subscription service, HBO has decided to remaster classic television series The Wire in high-definition widescreen. The show, as directed by showrunner David Simon, was intended to be show in the 4:3 aspect ratio of standard-definition television sets. In the process of […]
Continue readingAlamo Drafthouse CEO weighs in on the physical-vs-digital debate
The debate over the future of physical film has been simmering for a few years now, with major directors and film personalities carving out a place for the future of celluloid. This weekend, Tim League, film advocate and CEO of independent theater chain Alama Drafthouse Cinema, added his voice to the fray. League has a […]
Continue readingHave we reached the age of the post-plot movie?
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a massive success this weekend, proving once and for all that people will see a sufficiently entertaining movie starring a tree. Guardians received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, and it may surprisingly end up the biggest movie of the summer. But as one writer points out, it […]
Continue readingFamous directors throw money to stall the imminent death of physical film
Ever since the all-digital release of 2002’s Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, filmmakers have steadily moved away from traditional film reels in favor of the increased power of digital cameras. As the Wall Street Journal points out, Kodak film consumption has decreased by nearly 12 billion linear feet in the past 8 […]
Continue readingStill a boys’ club? Only 22% of film crew members are women
Much has been written about how the film industry skews male. Significantly more blockbuster films star male leads, and only one woman has so far won the Academy Award for Best Director. It should come as little surprise, then, that other sectors of the film world have similar issues with gender representation. According to a […]
Continue readingBefore The Interview: films that drew international and political outrage
Among the more unusual recent film headlines, Kim Jong-un has threatened war over an upcoming film, The Interview, that depicts Seth Rogen and James Franco attempting to assassinate the North Korean leader. It’s not often that a mid-budgeted comedy sparks an international crisis and calls for violent retaliation. Come to think of it, has this […]
Continue readingEmpire readers name 301 greatest films of all time. You may (strongly) disagree
Alright folks, please try to remain calm through the duration of this post while we attempt to contextualize this list. For the first time in six years, British film magazine Empire has conducted a survey of readers’ favorite movies. Their finished list of 301 movies is… let’s be generous and say that it’s suspect at […]
Continue readingRolling Stone names its favorite sci-fi movies from this century
The past decade or so have been great for the science fiction in film. Even beyond superhero movies and blockbusters, genre fare has seen critical celebration. Movies like Blade Runner have been rehabilitated to classic status, and newcomers such as District 9 and Gravity see major award nominations. This is a great time for fans […]
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