The Cinephile’s Lounge: Week 9

Let’s go to Thailand! The Siam Paragon Cineplex I’ve actually been to the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok last November, but we didn’t go to the cinema there… As tickets were insanely expensive:

How to Analyse Movies #5: Lighting, Sound & Score - The Matrix Reloaded
How to Analyse Movies #5: Lighting, Sound & Score

In this installment of How to Analyze Movies we discuss the importance of lighting, sound and score, and how you should analyze them.

ENEMY Trailer

Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal collaborate again after Prisoners (read my review here), now for a movie called Enemy. Gyllenhaal plays a dual role, that of Adam Bell and Anthony St. Claire.

FILTH Is A Display of Cynicism and Insanity

Anyone who enjoys a complex character should see Filth. We discuss the movie’s representation of corruption and explanations for criminal behavior.

Excited about the Oscars? Have some infographs!

It’s less than a week to go for the big event of the Academy Awards! On March 2, the 86th Academy Awards will take place, presented by Ellen DeGeneres. The event usually takes place a week earlier, but was scheduled a week later to prevent broadcasting conflicts with the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The Cinephile’s Lounge: Week 8

The Sundance Kabuki Cinema in San Fransisco, CA, U.S.A.

IDENTITY: A Fabulous Short Film On The Cultural Construct of Self

Identity is a short film by KJ Adames. The short film criticizes the dominant cultural norms of identity and the self, and beautifully stylized, suggests we be ourselves instead of try to conform to those  norms. Although the use of masks is a tad literal, I found it interesting nonetheless.

How to Analyse Movies #4: Considering The Camera - Requiem for a Dream
How to Analyse Movies #4: Considering The Camera

In earlier instalments of How To Analyse Movies, we discussed film language, how meaning is created in film through the use of signs, codes and conventions and most recently, we covered mise-en-scène and editing. In this chapter, we’ll discuss the camera and how it too can create meaning and how important it is to know about the way the camera is used to analyse a movie. The way the camera has been positioned or has been used too can create meaning, and it’s very important to know how it has been positioned and to analyse a film in its whole.

The Stages and Hierarchy of Film Production

A few weeks ago I was looking for some sort of schematic overview of what a film production looks like, and I found something spectacular, created by Anton29 on Deviantart.com. Left click on the infographic and select “open in new tab/page” to see it in its full glory!

5 Reasons GREASE is Horribly Sexist

Grease has been hugely popular ever since it came out in 1978 – yep, it’s already that old. It’s rated 7.2 on IMDb and 70 by MetaCritic, and if you look on the IMDb message boards for Grease, for instance, you can see it’s still being discussed actively.

OBLIVION Is Visually Stunning but Superficial and Unoriginal

Oblivion was a movie I’d been looking forward to as I’m a huge (dystopian) sci-fi fan. Unfortunately, it was quite a disappointment. Rarely have I seen a movie as unoriginal as this one.

The Cinephile’s Lounge: Week 6

Another week, another cinema. This is the Castro Cinema in San Fransisco, CA, USA. It’s a classic beauty, isn’t it?

How to Analyze Movies #3: Mise-en-Scène & Editing
How to Analyse Movies #3: Mise-en-Scène & Editing

In the last part of How to Analyse Movies, we discussed signs, codes and conventions. In this chapter we’re moving on to the scene and editing, and what that means in film language. Everything you see in a film is constructed to fit on a screen.

PRISONERS Tells Us Justice is Incapable and to Fear People

I had already previewed Prisoners a while ago, and was quite interested in seeing the movie. However, I didn’t have the chance until yesterday due to… life.