Guest post by Michelle Mastro. There is nothing like a ‘90s action film. Their usually over-the-top action and special effects garner these flicks a special place in most audiences’ hearts. Their plots might have been cheesy, and their go-to actors obvious choices—the rotating leads often included Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, rarely… Read more »
Onscreen personas — I love ’em, and I suspect many of us do or else we wouldn’t go to see movies featuring our favorite A-list actors and cult commodities at the drop of a dime. There’s something comforting yet inherently fascinating to the idea of an actor or actress playing a character on top of… Read more »
Theater and film have had an interesting give-and-take relationship over the course of their mutual existence. Some of the most acclaimed movies ever made — such as Amadeus and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — were adaptations of plays that remained true to their source materials’ language and theatricality. Likewise, some of the most interesting… Read more »
At the beginning of the making of the documentary for Isao Takahata’s final film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, someone behind the camera (presumably one of the two directors of the documentary) asks Takahata “What kind of movie are you trying to make with Princess Kaguya?” Takahata sits fidgeting on a couch, hand combing through… Read more »
In the past, I have loosely touched on what makes an auteur an auteur. It’s a tricky title to nail down due to the subjective nature of what it means to have complete control over the vision of your art. It becomes even trickier when you try and apply the same theory to something outside… Read more »
“Oh, we’re going to talk about me now, are we? Goody.” — Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story A fierce and brilliant woman, Katharine Hepburn was a thorough original. She turned Hollywood upside down with her unapologetic attitude, her eccentric personality, and her closet full of pants. It’s safe to say that the filmmaking industry hasn’t been… Read more »