Film Essays

If you can believe it, it’s been 30 years since Beetlejuice first came out. ScreenPrism looks back at one of Tim Burton’s most memorable films, and how it defied genres like horror, comedy, and teen films to go its own way, leaving a long-lasting impact.

Film Radar made this great video about wardrobe design in film and TV. Good costume designers inhabit the minds of both the characters and the director. In terms of production, costumes are often custom made, even for extras, and may have multiple replicas.

Film essayist Now You See It looks back at the end of the 20th century, and how many of the movies of 1999 seemed to have a consistent theme running through many of them. He dubbed it “The Year of the Cubicle Movie,” with films like Office Space, Fight Club, and The Matrix leading up his theory.

50 years ago, NASA landed the first humans ever on the moon. But prior to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, Hollywood took us there thanks to a heaping helping of creativity and movie magic. The Royal Ocean Film Society looks back at some of these early science fiction films.

(Spoilers) If you’ve never seen Rango, drop what you’re doing and stream it now. It’s honestly one of our favorite animated movies ever. Film essayist Josh Keefe looks at Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp’s underappreciated western, and how its genre-bending and aesthetic imperfections helped make it so damned great.

Now You See It points out how great sound design in movies doesn’t just mean creating realistic or believable sounds. The right sound reflects or amplifies a character, the emotion behind a scene, and even the theme of the movie itself.

Lessons from the Screenplay points out the strengths of Minority Report. The film makes exposition dramatic by adding conflict, makes the sci-fi parts believable by adding a personal stake, and makes the world more than just a setting by making it the antagonist.

We prefer seeing movies in their purest form, without 3D, meal service, or other distractions. But over the years, movie studios and theaters have attempted other gimmicks to draw viewers in. The Royal Ocean Film Society explores a some silly and superfluous movie add-ons, including Smell-O-Vision and the terrifying EMERGO!

The Royal Ocean Film Society spends some time looking at the works of Richard Williams, one of the last of his breed of hand animators – a man known for his fluid and dynamic style, and ability to create worlds with a tremendous sense of depth and perspective.

(SPOILERS) ScreenPrism shows how Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister mirror each other. They started at opposite trajectories, responded differently to similar experiences, and ultimately share the lust for power.

“…it wasn’t so much a death, as it was a discovery.” The The Matrix trilogy, particularly its first movie, can be interpreted in so many ways. Now You See It offers that it can also be read as the expression of the Wachowskis’ desire to come out and be true to themselves.

Lessons from the Screenplay joins YouTube creators in doing breakdowns of Marvel movie scenes. His pick is the wonderfully intense car ride scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which Adrian discovers Peter’s secret.

Lessons from the Screenplay breaks down Spike Jonze’s meta movie Adaptation by mimicking the movie’s structure itself. It’s both a film essay and a comedic behind-the-scenes look at the channel’s production process, complete with YouTube cameos.

CineFix presents its picks for the best production design in movies, from the flashy and stylized like Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, to the understated and naturalistic like Mike Mills’ Beginners, as well as standout picks from various movie genres.

…more specifically, non-fiction content, and to an extent, documentaries and news. Now You See It looks at how vlogs, podcasts and commentary channels thrive online thanks to being “authentic”, conversational, participatory and lengthy.

The Royal Ocean Film Society animated part of Richard Linklater’s commentary from his very first film, which is included in the Criterion release of Slacker. In it, the director talks about having patience in developing his career, and the importance of the mundane.

Before the Internet, movie fans were mostly passive audiences. But as Wisecrack points out, making online jokes and memes about pop culture has become so influential that it’s shaping how movies, TV shows, and their stars are perceived, marketed, and cast.

“You are infuriating. I’m not yelling. Oh, it’s perfect!” Now You See It explores the various effective ways that female characters can be written in movies, using Alien, The Silence of the Lambs, Kill Bill and Ladybird as examples.

Lessons from the Screenplay points out how, ideally, a movie scene should be a story on its own. He uses the third interaction between Clarice Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs as a shining example.

(SPOILERS) In the thriller Searching, a desperate father searches his missing daughter’s laptop for clues. The movie consists only of shots of device screens. Lessons from the Screenplay shows how the filmmakers adapted to and embraced this perspective.

Director Alfonso Cuaron is a master of the “oner,” those lengthy tracking shots which immerse you right in the heart of the action. From Y Tu Mamá También to Children of Men to Gravity to Roma, The Royal Ocean Film Society looks back at the evolution of his technique.

(SPOILERS) “Life is more than just what is. It’s what could be. What you could make it.” ScreenPrism points out that Bird Box and A Quiet Place don’t just have similar sci-fi plots. They also both reflect what it’s like to be a parent in modern times.

Lessons from the Screenplay explores the legendary February movie Groundhog Day. Instead of adding twists or a deus ex machina, the movie fully explores its premise – what if someone had all the time in the world? – without being boring or predictable.

Nora Ephron’s 1998 film You’ve Got Mail is regarded as one of the best romantic comedies of the ’90s. But as Wisecrack points out, there’s more to the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan flick than meets the eye, and it has more in common with Orwell’s 1984 than you’d think.

A quiet room. A phone rings. What murderous creep could be on the other end of the line? Film Qualia’s excellent video essay looks at how telephones have played an important role in cinematic horror over the years, from Rosemary’s Baby to Black Christmas to Scream.

(Gore, SPOILERS) ScreenPrism deconstructs the story and the various endings of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. It’s a story about itself, it’s a story about being a helpless consumer, and it’s a story about accepting that we can’t change the past.

Pixar’s movies are often tearjerkers. But they are also about characters who change for the better. ScreenPrism looks at Toy Story, Up and Ratatouille to show the three types of obstacles that Pixar characters overcome on their way to making us cry.

We don’t think there’s any way to accurately depict hallucinations, but filmmakers have tried for years to give us an idea, and thanks to CGI, we’re getting some really trippy effects on screen. Film Qualia explores how psychedelic imagery has made it into mainstream films.

(SPOILERS) Science fiction movies often explore human tendencies. But Alex Garland’s adaptation of Annihilation tackles large ideas: duplication, self-destruction and mutation. Lessons from the Screenplay looks at how the film manifests its themes.

While computer graphics can be used to greatly expand cinematic worlds, they can also be overdone. Marvel Studios is one of the worst culprits when it comes to slathering on the CGI, and film essayist Browntable provides some examples of why it takes us out of the action.