– By Joe Campbell – At least once a year when I was a kid, my parents would take me and my younger sister to the local drive-in movie theater. After picking our prime parking spot, my dad would unhook the middle double seat of our minivan, place it next to the car, break out the blankets, and crank up …
How to Deal with Writer’s Block
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – I’d like to start by saying I had all kinds of writers block trying to get this article moving. Seriously, as I write these first two sentences, I’ve been procrastinating for longer than I care to admit because I didn’t know what to say to start this article. So here goes just jumping in. I …
Quibi: Fad or the Future?
– By Joe Campbell – Two years ago, I wrote an article entitled iPhone Filmmaking: Fad, or the Future?. At the time, some filmmakers were experimenting with shooting feature films completely on smartphones and I wondered if this inexpensive and accessible form of filmmaking would open doors for low budget directors. While it now seems that smartphone filmmaking was indeed …
With ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, Can Star Wars Finally Leave the Past Behind?
By James Powers Disney has been trying to usher in a new era for Star Wars with The Mandalorian on Disney+, and it looks to end one this weekend with The Rise of Skywalker. The studio is anxious to make a good impression on audiences after a rather troubled past couple of years. But I’m unsure that either the franchise …
Harriet: Five Feet and a Gun
– By Maria Andress – Harriet, the Focus Feature film, hit theaters earlier this month with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating and a slightly over-performing weekend at the box office. Harriet Tubman, the titular character of the film, is one of the three most well-known figures in American history with such a legendary story its safe to say multiple …
Hobbes and Shaw’s Attempt at Equality, and Why It Comes Up Short
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – The Fast and the Furious franchise is home to some of the most epically misogynist films I’ve ever seen. The series started in the early 2000s – the merry old days when it was totally cool for filmmakers to be openly, blatantly, incredibly sexist and objectifying. Some of the most memorable elements of the first …
Overcorrecting: The Objectification of Men in Film
– By Marielle Cuccinelli – I saw Alita: Battle Angel with a couple of male friends when it came out in February. As someone who’s hyper-aware of the objectification of women on-screen, I was much more satisfied with this film than I expected – I definitely went in prepared for anime action heroine Alita to be a fetish girl, but …
“Shootable” Shows: 6 High-Quality, Low Budget Projects To Inspire Indie Filmmakers
– By Matthew Sawczyn – Recently, I re-listened to the 2015 South By Southwest Keynote address given by Mark Duplass, in which he laid out what may still be the greatest way for filmmakers to jumpstart their careers. He advocated for low budget solutions, reliable resources, and simple sets. And for those of us just beginning on this lifelong journey …
Lions and Hedgehogs and Cats, Oh Yikes!
– By James Powers – It’s been a few weeks, so by now most of us have probably forgotten about the profound weirdness of Universal’s trailer for its upcoming big-screen treatment of Cats. But I haven’t forgotten. No, I refuse to forget; in fact, I’ve been thinking about it this whole time. There’s more to unpack within this collective cultural trauma …
Disney’s Retroactive Editing
– By Joe Campbell – When Toy Story 2 was re-released on blu-ray this year, fans were quick to notice something was missing. During the end credits a blooper reel full of character “outtake” plays, often having Woody, Buzz, and the gang break character as on-set shenanigans ensue. The blooper reel was still there, but one bit involving elderly prospector …