Awesome Film Essays

The Royal Ocean Film Society gathered snippets from animation experts that point out the importance of walking in cartoons. We can learn a lot about a character – even a live one – by their walk, and changing even one element of it can drastically change the character.

There’s no question that Robert De Niro is one of acting’s all-time greats, having portrayed everyone from the sociopathic Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver to the cat-loving Dad in Meet the Parents over the course of his career. Luís Azevedo put together a great retrospective of his many characters and looks in this clip for Little White Lies.

There’s no question that filmmakers often reference other films in their works. Film scholar Yaron Baruch demonstrates just how true that is for Wes Anderson in this side-by-side comparison of footage from Moonrise Kingdom and Walt Disney’s animated version of Peter Pan.

(PG-13) We already know how oranges can indicate impending doom in movies, but we had no idea that fluffy pens were so symbolic. Little White Lies and editor Luís Azevedo delve into the ways in which these writing instruments have served to drive home a point for the strong women who use them on screen.

(PG-13) Wes Anderson has always had a very precise and fastidious aesthetic. But after making Fantastic Mr. Fox, his style changed in ways that made his subsequent movies even more magical. The Discarded Image and Beyond The Frame teamed up to explore how his stop-motion learnings affected even Anderson’s live-action films.

(PG-13: Language) After a period of popularity in the 1950s, 3D movies all but vanished. Then, the gimmick made a huge comeback in the 2000s, even invading TV sets. Then, as quickly as it peaked, the boom was over. The Royal Ocean Film Society explores the history of 3D cinema, and what causes it to fail every time.

We all know that Joker was in many ways inspired by Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. But as Jared of Wisecrack points out, there were many other references to 1970s and 1980s movies woven in. The cynicism of the era served as a perfect source of inspiration for Todd Phillips’ dark masterpiece.

It’s tough to make a really scary movie or TV show without shadows for creepy things to hide in. But as filmmaker David F. Sandberg explains, it’s not always the easiest thing to film dark scenes and have them come off as realistic, while still being visible on everything from projection screens to smartphone displays.

There’s so much to love about the style, stories, creatures, and characters in Hayao Miyazaki’s catalog of animated films. But what is it about these artful pieces of cinema that make them so dear to us? Kaptain Kristian digs into how Studio Ghibli breathes such life into every frame.

More than five decades 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 imagination and movie magic. The Royal Ocean Film Society looks back at some of these early examples of science fiction films.

The area along Wacker Drive near State Street is one of Chicago’s most architecturally significant and iconic locales. Perhaps that’s why Hollywood loves to destroy it over and over again. The A.V. Club looks at some of the many movies which made a mess of the place.

Gene Wilder was one of the best comedic actors of all time. With performances in films like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers, his timing and pacing of his speech are still unequaled. Editor Rishi Kaneria and Raging Cinema Extras present some of those perfect moments, minus Willy Wonka.

There’s a whole lot to love about the visuals and storytelling in Hayao Miyazaki’s films. Among his regular subjects are flying machines, and The Royal Ocean Film Society takes to the skies to find out why they’re a recurring theme, and why aircraft are so important to this master of anime.

While audiences are abuzz about Joaquin Phoenix’s take on The Joker’s origin story, The Take looks back at some of the many versions of the Clown Prince of Crime over the years. Each interpretation may be very different, but they all share a love of anarchy, a warped sense of humor, and a terrifying grin.

(PG-13) Film essayist The Discarded Image explores one of director Stanley Kubrick’s many techniques – the strategic use of tight shots to accentuate a character or story’s most pivotal moments. While most directors use close-ups, Kubrick was a true master of this primitive filmmaker’s tool.

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 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.

(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.