When discussing film quality, people often resort to declaring popular movies overrated and defending their favorites as underrated gems. These are common defenses, especially in the face of critical drubbing or universal acclaim. And sometimes, that makes it hard to figure out if movies were ever actually beloved or hated to begin with. Intrigued by […]
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We’re bored with special effects. Now what?
Comedian Nick Swardson has a terrific routine in which he makes fun of “jaded movie friends” who don’t appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making impossible things happen on screen. “If you showed [Transformers] to people fifty years ago,” he jokes, “their brains would explode. Everybody would lose their minds.” When you hear stories about […]
Continue readingHow much food do The Goonies eat? Analysis says: a lot
One of the most fun things about movies, television, and really any entertainment medium is the way in way people break them down and uncover all sorts of weird trivia. Just like when someone recently figured out when Ice Cube had a “Good Day,” people across the Internet are always figuring out unusual facts about […]
Continue readingSame as it ever was? Neurological study explains why we miss film goofs
Spotting continuity errors can be both one of the most fun and one of the most annoying parts of the film-watching experience. Sometimes, odd mistakes and slip-ups are amusing and add an extra wrinkle to the appreciation of the film’s craftsmanship (Black Dynamite, HU DVD 8479, is based almost entirely around these sort of mistakes). […]
Continue readingFilmmaker IQ whets your appetite with a history of movie trailers
We love Filmmaker IQ and their video crash courses on the history of film. In the past we’re posted about their lesson on aspect ratios. This time around, they’ve prepared a history of movie trailers. You can either follow along in the video (embedded above) or read the article for roughly the same content. Trailers […]
Continue readingAre DVD pirates curating culture?
The film industry has waged an uphill war against piracy for many, many years. Even in parts of the world with sub-par Internet access, physical piracy and reproduction of DVDs continue to dog Hollywood’s bottom line. But the continued spread of piracy in developing countries has an unusual cultural effect as well: bootleggers are becoming […]
Continue readingMoviegoers still give critical reviews a thumbs-up
Social media word-of-mouth isn’t much of a punchline anymore. Positive reaction from friends is a strong factor in people’s media choices, and with no one to fill the critical void left by Roger Ebert’s death last year, some in the blogosphere have speculated that social media is replacing film critics as the go-to source for […]
Continue reading“Transportation coordinator”? How film industry changes affect local businesses
The film industry is very expensive. Big movie budgets often run above $200 million, and even smaller films like Nebraska can cost about $10 million. Where does that all go? Once you remove all the big expenses like actors, special effects, advertising, and various studio fees, much of that budget goes to the crew and […]
Continue readingWhat you won’t see at the Oscars this Sunday
We love the Oscars, but we admit that they’re imperfect. With the ceremony only three days away, it’s time to be a little critical. The Academy frequently overlooks specific types of films that, in retrospect, we often consider to be some of the greatest. Comedies, for the most part, are rarely nominated and win even […]
Continue readingWho was Oscar? The story of Emilio Fernández
Once again, as the Academy Awards are less than a week away, Oscar fever is reaching a frenzy. This time, we turn our attention to the statuettes themselves. Who was Oscar? Why is he naked and holding a sword? Pop culture radio website Studio 360 recently unearthed the story of the man on which the […]
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