Film Essays

Before Master Chief, before Superman, there was the cowboy. CineFix presents its picks for the best Western films of all time. You probably won’t agree with the list, but it’s a great reminder of the genre’s timeless relevance and appeal.

“The more removed the point of view is from our own, the more fascinating it is.” ScreenPrism enumerates the different meanings or purposes of the point of view shot. It can both reveal and conceal, excite and horrify, and empower and constrict.

…or rather, the wiseguys behind Goodfellas. The Film Theorists share trivia not only about the real Henry Hill – the mobster that Ray Liotta portrayed in the film – but also how the other actors were cast, and how they sought inspiration for their roles.

Film essayist Nerdwriter1 looks at Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterwork There Will Be Blood as an example of how its relatively modest use of edits and subtle framing adjustments have much greater emotional impact than the crazy rapid cuts we’re used to these days.

ScreenPrism ponders the meaning of Game of Thrones’ white walkers. Are they reminders that our dreams and issues ultimately mean nothing? Or do ice zombies have a literal connotation? Perhaps they’re misunderstood beings with their own problems?

(SPOILERS) Master of None‘s second season makes no secret of its Italian neorealist influence. But ScreenPrism gives a great breakdown of the show’s ambitious yet successful mission: adopting the dour style for the middle class while remaining sincere.

ScreenPrism briefly analyzes Christopher Nolan’s diverse filmography. His movies are often morally ambiguous stories revolving around someone with multiple personas, but it seems he has taken a more positive turn beginning with Interstellar.

“There are only two emotions – pleasure and pain.” Lessons from the Screenplay gives two reasons why Game of Thrones remains fresh and engaging: its scenes often have a simple flow, but every now and then the show will break from convention to keep us guessing.

(PG-13) Wisecrack’s Garyx Wormuloid looks back at an Earthling cult classic: Amy Heckerling’s sweet and smart teen movie Clueless. He enumerates Cher Horowitz’s epiphanies while poking fun at the movie’s heavy-handed foreshadowing.

“The human way is violence and death.” Like other excellent examples of fantasy and science fiction, the Planet of the Apes movies urge us to look inward. ScreenPrism points out how the franchise’s movies served as signs of their times.

(PG-13, SPOILERS) Wisecrack uses The Society of the Spectacle to summarize Black Mirror: social media and ads encourage us to subscribe to a commercialized and self-fulfilling form of validation, instead of acknowledging our individuality and imperfections.

Now You See It reminds us that the clothing of characters in movies are meticulously chosen or made, and not just in superhero or fantasy films. From blending in with the setting to reflecting a character’s story, costumes offer viewers many clues to better understand a film.

“Peter loves being Spider-Man, but he doesn’t love being Peter Parker.” ScreenPrism contrasts the approaches of the three modern Spider-Man movie adaptations while breaking down the symbols and philosophies of Marvel’s teenage icon.

“The mysterious thing about telling stories is that it ends up changing you.” Lessons from the Screenplay relays how co-director Pete Docter and the rest of the story team for Inside Out got stuck in a rut, and how they eventually figured out how the movie would play out.

Whether you think she’s underrated or overrated, we can’t deny Sofia Coppola’s eye for beauty, visual storytelling and willingness to evolve. ScreenPrism explores the filmmaker’s trademarks and how they show up in her movies.

“Suspense isn’t always about delay of the inevitable. It’s also about the anxiety that comes with predicting whether that inevitable will actually come.” CineFix shares its top 10 picks for tensest movie moments, from romance and drama to horror and action.

(PG-13: Language) No Small Parts creator Brandon Hardesty has a spinoff of his fantastic film essays. In It Wasn’t That Bad, he looks at box office flops and critically panned movies with the same well-researched analysis that we’ve come to enjoy. First off, Drop Dead Fred.

(PG-13: Language) Lessons from the Screenplay wonderfully parallels the journeys of the main characters of True Detective and Se7en to break down arguably the most important aspect of fiction: the character arc.

(SPOILERS) “Using an exploration of where we might be, to explore where it seems like we’re heading, in order to reveal exactly where we are.” CineFix compiles their favorite sci-fi films. They chose lots of obvious classics, but they also tipped their hat to many modern films.

(Flashing images) “Sometimes the only answer is that it got away from you.” The Royal Ocean Film Society reminds us that everyone – even the ones you look up to – makes enormous mistakes. Then he looks inward and wonders if this very video is one such example.

(SPOILERS, Gore) CineFix compares the underrated Edge of Tomorrow aka Live Die Repeat with its manga counterpart All You Need is Kill, which is a more faithful adaptation of the eponymous light novel. The movie cut a lot of corners, but it’s still a great film.

In 2008, Marvel gambled on an unfinished script, an unproven director, a controversial actor and a B-list character. It went on to become a stepping stone and a blueprint for success that even Marvel has forgotten to follow. Films&Stuff looks back to Iron Man.

Logan’s spaghetti Western structure is blatantly obvious, but Wisecrack has a lot more to say about this excellent movie. Watch their video to find out how the film can be seen as a commentary on intellectual property and superhero movies.

“The strange within the familiar, and the reality within the dream.” ScreenPrism’s brief profile of filmmaker David Lynch. Like Stephen King, Lynch loves to expose the dark side of suburban American life. But he’s not out to condemn, only to show.

(SPOILERS) “The third version of a movie is always found in the editing.” Lessons from the Screenplay uses Arrival to examine the practical and artistic considerations for rewriting a book – or in this case a short story – to fit the big screen.