“The western is always the same, which gives the director tremendous freedom,” Jean Renoir, a director who never made a western, once opined. In this regard, the classical American western film, which reached its fullest peak of maturity and creativity in the 1950s, represents one of the greatest playgrounds that cinema was ever offered. Many… Read more »
Guest post by Caleb Allison. The rules and regulations of the Depression-era dance marathon in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? seem simple enough. Rocky (Gig Young), the film’s imperiously duplicitous emcee, runs through them with all the vigor and verve of a carnival barker to open the film. Contestants get a 10-minute break every… Read more »
When most people think of The Love Witch (2016), the first things that come to mind are visual. They might remember a colorful costume or a stunning set that were designed by the film’s writer-director-producer-editor-songwriter/arranger Anna Biller, or an impeccably framed close-up of its unforgettable protagonist, Elaine (perfectly played by Samantha Robinson). But while I… Read more »
There are few movie musicals more beloved than The Sound of Music (1965). In its day it was a massive success, and if you adjust its earnings for inflation, it remains the most successful movie musical of all time. It seems fitting then that this adaptation of the Broadway hit of the same name has… Read more »
At the risk of sounding too negative, I’d say that the majority of filmmakers, even some very good ones, are ultimately conventional in that they rely on established forms of film language to communicate with us. Throughout the history of cinema, it has only been a much smaller group of artists who have sought to… Read more »
Every month, A Place for Film brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film… Read more »