Film History

RETROSPECTIVE: KOREAN CINEMA’S GOLDEN DECADE: THE 1960s
RETROSPECTIVE: KOREAN CINEMA’S GOLDEN DECADE: THE 1960s

Korean Cinema’s Golden Decade: The 1960s brings together an eclectic assortment of films covering many genres, directors, and performers.

The Joker's Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now...)
The Joker’s Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now…)

The Clown Prince of Crime has become, thanks to audiences’ ever-evolving social conscience and critical eye, the newest champion of the 99%. We explore the Joker’s full role-reversal, as well as that of his arch nemesis.

No Sympathy For The Shooter: Contrasting TARGETS (1968) & JOKER (2019) In An Era Of Mass Shootings
The Joker’s Smile, Part 1: The 20th Century’s Most Adaptable Character

In this three-part exploration of everyone’s favorite “agent of chaos,” we’ll explore how the Joker has become the newest champion of the 99%.

Louis Le Prince: The Unsolved Disappearance of the Father of Cinema
Louis Le Prince: The Unsolved Disappearance Of The Father Of Cinema

When you think of the “father of cinema” or the one person that might have…

Critiquing the Critic: The Evolution and Function of Film Criticism
Critiquing The Critic: The Evolution & Function Of Film Criticism

Why do we even need film criticism? Well, the short and long answers are multi-faceted messes of conflicting perspectives – just like film.

Anarchic Cinema: Jean Vigo's ZERO FOR CONDUCT
Anarchic Cinema: Jean Vigo’s ZERO FOR CONDUCT

On numerous conscious and subconscious levels, Jean Vigo’s Zero for Conduct is one of the most honest examinations of humanity and human society yet made in cinematic form. That is Anarchic Cinema.

Cowboys, Classical Greek Art, And America's Founding Myth
Cowboys, Classical Greek Art & America’s Founding Myth

The American Western is a worthy way to gaze at the past in reference to our present; seen from the early days of the genre to more recent revisionist entries.

The Beginner's Guide: The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema
The Beginner’s Guide To The Golden Age Of Mexican Cinema

Many of the greatest Mexican films of all time were made during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, an era of timeless stars, legendary directors, and critically-acclaimed film classics.

The History of British Cinema Part 1: The Rise Of The Studio Film
The History of British Cinema Part 1: The Rise Of The Studio Film

In this first part of The History of British Cinema, we discuss the rise of the studio film in the 1940s and ’50s.

Anarchic Cinema: V-Cinema & Takashi Miike
Anarchic Cinema: V-Cinema & Takashi Miike

In our latest entry of Anarchic Cinema, we discuss the birth of Japanese V-Cinema and the contributions of Takashi Miike.

The Beginner's Guide: Fifth Generation Chinese Cinema
The Beginner’s Guide: Fifth Generation Chinese Cinema

While ‘Fifth Generation Chinese Cinema’ technically refers to the films produced by the fifth generation of graduates from the Beijing Film Academy following Mao Zedong’s ‘Cultural Revolution,’ the connotations of the phrase are far deeper in meaning than simply referring to a group of people.

Anarchic Cinema: Dogme 95 & The Emotion And Character Of Film
Anarchic Cinema: Dogme 95 & The Emotion And Character Of Film

Matthew Roe explores the Dogme 95 movement, arguing that it shows the boundaries of the human psyche, creativity and sociopolitical climate more effectively than any other movement of its time.

The Beginner's Guide: Coming-of-Age
The Beginner’s Guide: Coming-Of-Age

The Coming-of-Age film typically follows the story of confused, lonely and lost teens searching for their own identity as they weave their way through adolescence. In this Beginner’s Guide, we look back at some of the best examples of teen self discovery.

A Place For Black & White In A World of Color
A Place For Black And White In A World of Color

We examine how films have changed their use from black and white to color, as well as how it has continued to be used today.

The Evolution Of Italian Cinema: Neorealism To Post-Modernism
The Evolution Of Italian Cinema: Neorealism To Post-Modernism

From the biting neorealism of Visconti and De Sica to the gory giallo of Argento, the storied history of Italian cinema is truly compelling.