When I first discovered IU Cinema eight years ago, I was ecstatic that such a place existed. When I was hired to work here four years later, I couldn’t believe my luck (I still can’t!). When I was told two years ago that we would be releasing a book about the Cinema, I was… Read more »
Bite-Sized Blogs
The Importance of Perspective in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and Cruella (2021)
If I had to describe Cruella (2021) in one word, it would be unexpected. Everything about it — from its sympathetic portrayal of one of Disney’s most iconic villains to its 1970s London setting — feels like a curveball. But what most surprised me about this film wasn’t its third act plot twist or its… Read more »
WALL-E: Robots, Romance, and Resilience
Guest post by Abby Carmichael. When I first saw WALL-E in summer 2008, I was at a drive-in theater in Door County, Wisconsin, lying under the stars. Onscreen, I saw fantastical sequences of robot romance unfold in an animated outer space, but just behind WALL-E and EVE’s (or, as our hero says, Eve-ah) tale, I… Read more »
The Enduring Magic of War and Peace (1966)
If I had to describe Sergei Bondarchuk’s 1966 version of War and Peace in one word, it would be “big.” Almost everything about it — from its seven-hour running time to its famous battle sequences — conveys an epic scale the likes of which few films attempt, much less achieve. But while it remains famous… Read more »
The Technical Brilliance of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), which turns 55 on June 22nd, is best known for its performances. It features Academy Award-winning turns from Elizabeth Taylor and Sandy Dennis, as well as very effective work from Richard Burton and George Segal. But to view this film as merely a collection of great acting is to… Read more »
Pygmalion (1938) and the Art of Cinematic Comedy
You might expect Pygmalion, the adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s classic play, to not make great use of the formal potential of cinema. Its theatrical roots, as well as Shaw’s role in writing the screenplay, might lead you to think that the filmmakers would create a filmed version of the play that would be so… Read more »