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.
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!
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 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.
Another week, another cinema. This is the Castro Cinema in San Fransisco, CA, USA. It’s a classic beauty, isn’t it?
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.
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.
When I was younger (and not a critic yet), I used IMDb ratings to decide what to watch, for both movies and TV shows. My rule was: don’t watch anything that scores below 7.
Ah, the weekend’s on our doorstep once again. Here’s a beautiful cinema for you: This is the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, France:
It’s Thursday and there’s a bunch of new movies to premiere today, January 30 of 2014. These are release dates for the U.S.
Alfonso Cuarón has been getting a lot of award attention for his most recent movie, Gravity (2013) as of late. It has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Best Director for Cuarón and Best Actress for Sandra Bullock), and was already awarded with seven Critics Choice Awards and a Golden Globe for Best Director. I haven’t been fortunate enough to see it yet though I can’t wait!
Heya everyone! As it’s almost weekend again, here’s the cinephile’s cinema, where we film lovers gather ’round and have a chat. Take a (virtual) drink, get some popcorn, and sit down in one of those lovely chairs.
Since I don’t have access to unlimited data internet at least until we find a permanent place to live, here in Oz, I won’t be able to do any of the previews I used to do, discussing trailers. Instead, I thought I’d share with you the movies that are opening every week, and new posters for upcoming movies! LOTS of movies are opening in cinema’s this week, on January 24!
I’m honestly not much of a horror fan, especially the ghosts I cannot handle (nor the high-pitched violin shrieking and shots that give me heart attacks). Zombies are something else, though. I’m pretty good with the blood and gore and they’re generally not too scary.
First of all, I was struck by the impressive cast of this movie. Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo… That’s quite the list. Now You See Me tells us the story of four street-wise magicians, not afraid to scam a person or two while they’re at it.