Any great director has fans and detractors, lovers and haters. But few filmmakers inspire division as extreme as comic book, movie maestro, Zack Snyder. Frivolous hack, or pop art genius? Stylist without substance, or masterful cinematic storyteller?Even Snyder’s critics admit that what he does well, he does better than anyone. Snyder's kinetic action sequences can pull viewers into a heightened, tone-rich fray. This guide to Zack Snyder’s directing style focuses on his on-screen wins and how he achieves them. We'll examine Snyder's techniques and see how he creates his undeniable visual mood and energy. Let's dive in.Continue reading Zack Snyder’s…
Andrei Tarkovksy was a director’s director. Ingmar Bergman called him “the greatest.” Lars von Trier dedicated a movie to his honor. Claire Denis said Stalker made her heart feel like it was going to stop. Suffice to say, Tarkovsky earned the respect of his colleagues. But despite his enormous impact, Tarkovsky only directed seven feature films. Today, we’re going to tackle the indomitable task of ranking Andrei Tarkovsky movies by way of three criteria: filmmaking, story, and theme. Why theme? Because theme – or the inferred stance taken on a subject of a story – plays an important role in…
It was the book they said couldn’t be filmed. Many before him tried— to varying degrees of success— but the Denis Villeneuve Dune adaptation stands as the definitive cinematic telling of this intimidating science fiction story. So, how was Villeneuve able to succeed where others failed? We’ll start by taking a brief look at Villeneuve’s filmography, then we’ll compare and contrast his version of Dune to past attempts. Finally, we’ll explore how Villeneuve’s directing style changed for Dune.Continue reading Dune — Denis Villeneuve Directing Techniques Explained
If Nicolas Winding Refn is known for any one thing, it’s style. Each of the Danish director’s films is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic which guides viewers through a dark social underworld. Ranking Nicolas Winding Refn’s filmography, therefore, is a practice in ranking the effectiveness of his style. At its worst, it overcomes the film or attempts to distract from an underwritten story. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks an audience into a neon-soaked dreamscape.Continue reading Nicolas Winding Refn Movies — The Entire Filmography Ranked
Tim Burton is a filmmaker with a style so unique that we’ve come to regard his works — and those who replicate them — as Burtonesque. And we see the Burtonesque in every facet of his films: writing, lighting, music, characters and of course, production design. We’re going to explore the Tim Burton style and his singular mise en scene with the purpose of better understanding expressive filmmaking. By the end, you might be inspired to create something equally audacious and bold.Continue reading What is Burtonesque — A Complete Tim Burton Style Analysis
One of the most, if not the most, iconic and influential directing duos of all time, the Coen Brothers have secured a place in the zeitgeist and in the annals of film history. From Blood Simple to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers’ filmography has been both eclectic and distinctive. In this post, we’ll be providing a Coen Brothers bio, taking a look at how they got their start, and exploring the Coen Brothers’ film style as a whole. Join us as we answer the question: who are the Coen Brothers?Continue reading Who Are the Coen Brothers —…
The saying goes, “If you’re going to steal, steal from the best.” So, is Stanley Kubrick the best? For many filmmakers, the immediate answer is yes. The harder question is “why?” Like a great magician, we appreciate the end result without knowing how it was done. There is certainly a lot of “process” in his work. Kubrick doesn’t just conjure greatness out of the ether. The preparation, the details, the ability to take as much time on a project as he wanted. These elements can be seen, heard, and felt on the screen. Here we present the Stanley Kubrick directing…
There’s no denying that Terry Gilliam’s films have left an indelible imprint on the landscape of cinema. Gilliam got his start as a cartoonist in L.A. before joining the Monty Python. While with the Pythons, Gilliam worked as an animator, writer, director, and actor. After the group went their separate ways in the early 1980s, Gilliam began directing his own films. We’re going to rank the best Terry Gilliam movies from both his time with the Pythons and on his own. Each film on this list is a feature either written or directed by Terry Gilliam. Continue reading The Best…
By the 1990’s, filmmakers worldwide were starting to resent the direction that cinema was going in. From Hollywood to Bollywood to nearly every other “wood” in between, big-budget movies were taking over the landscape of film. In response, Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, and Thomas Vinterberg created Dogme 95, a radical film movement that intended to strip cinema of the technical effects that it was becoming reliant on.Continue reading Dogme 95 — Rules, Manifesto and Films of a Radical Experiment
Denis Villeneuve, director of such modern classics as Blade Runner 2049 and Sicario, has yet to make a bad movie. His first two features might be flawed but they are still fresh and exciting. Between his 2nd and 3rd features, Villeneuve took a nine-year break but, since he’s been back, he’s never missed the mark. But what exactly makes Denis Villeneuve movies so good? This is not a “Denis Villeneuve Movies Ranked” article. Instead, we’ve taken a tour through his strongest films, highlighting moments that prove that he belongs on a list of the best working directors. Continue reading Denis…
