Tag Archives: Critical essay

Why Go to Film School? (Part 2)

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Hilary

In my last post, I talked about why production-centered classes might be helpful for a wannabe director/producer/screenwriter. This week, I’ll list a few attributes of the more purely scholastic side of film school (e.g. film history/media studies, Gen. Ed. requirements, … Continue reading →

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Why Go to Film School? (Part 1)

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Hilary

If you look around on the internet, there are some pretty convincing arguments against the idea of going to school to learn about filmmaking, mostly revolving around the cost or the time and effort it takes to earn a degree. … Continue reading →

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Italian Native Americans and German Japanese: The Probable Importance of Verisimilitude in Casting

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Hilary

Perhaps it doesn’t matter, perhaps it does. But no matter how good the acting ability of the players in movies and television, ranging from many of the characters in the 1935 movie Charlie Chan in Egypt to the character Gwen … Continue reading →

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SFX Evolution: How Special Effects Have Changed, and Not Changed

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Hilary

It’s interesting to consider that many of the special effects invented by Melies during the dawn of filmmaking were not only still in use half a century later, but even into the present century. Take, for example, the 1960 version … Continue reading →

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Roger & Me Vs. Capitalism: A Love Story

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Hilary

Because I have seen all of Michael Moore’s recent documentaries, and because he implied that Capitalism: A Love Story might be his last, I decided to see the first documentary he made back in 1989, Roger & Me. It occurs … Continue reading →

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Brooding Females, a Recent Trend Imitating the “Brooding Male” Cliche?

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Hilary

I was watching old episodes of Daria recently and it got me thinking about the introduction and continuing low-level trend of the brooding female teenager character in television shows and movies. Dark, brooding characters are a perennial favorite for screenwriters. … Continue reading →

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Father-Daughter Stories: A New TV Trend

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Hilary

I thought it might be interesting to talk a little bit about the recent trend of father-daughter dynamics in TV shows, especially in crime shows. What’s so interesting about the most recent examples is that it’s basically the same dynamic … Continue reading →

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Chuck Versus Get Smart

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Hilary

Ever since Chuck premiered about four years ago, I’ve been comparing it to Get Smart in my mind… Continue reading →

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Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh: Best Martial Arts Movie Team Ever!!

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Hilary

Chan and Yeoh are the Astair and Rogers of martial arts movies and I just thought it was worth mentioning. Continue reading →

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The Future of the MPAA Ratings System

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Hilary

One of the primary complaints I hear and read from critics of the current ratings system is that it prevents NC-17 (X-rated) movies from being shown in most theaters and decreases advertising venues for such films. It is for this reason that, when filmmakers claim they are being forced to edit/censor their movies, what they’re actually complaining about is that their movies will receive a higher rating in its original form and, thus, be less likely to rake in significant revenues. Continue reading →

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