A masked killer with a signature weapon. A group of victims anchored by a Final Girl. And a structure that evenly disperses the death and mayhem. Even people who don’t watch slasher movies know the game. The look and feel of these movies have become baked into pop culture. This has happened to such a degree that even non-slasher movies can’t escape their influence. What follows is a list, in no particular order, of the best slasher movies that don’t technically qualify as such.Continue reading The Best Slasher Movies (That Aren’t Slasher Movies)
Most filmmakers understand the cinematic power of a shot with an extreme angle, but what happens when you use standard composition and natural camera level for your shot selections?We’re going to discuss the eye level shot and go over which emotions are generated with this particular camera angle, and show examples of how an eye level shot can ground your characters and connect your viewer.Continue reading Eye Level Shots: Creative Examples of Camera Angles & Shots
Most working actors appreciate the fluidity of the medium — they can be in a movie one year, and then choose to work on a play or television series the next. Television, especially lately, has become so much richer and substantive. The level of conflict between characters, and even the dimensions and rawness of each character, makes working on a show much more desirable than the sitcoms of the 90s. So, it’s no wonder why we see big movie stars in tv series all the time now. Here are a few top actors that have made the switch.Continue reading Actors…
Video game movies are often cast aside or plain derided by critics and fans, but we think that’s pure poppycock.It’s hard enough to bring a novel to life without angering fans, but just imagine if you were so immersed and devoted to that book that you occasionally slammed it into your hardwood floors, shattering it to pieces and thus forcing you to shell out $50 for a new one.Below is a list of the best video game movies to date, and with each, we provide the trailer and budget information for context. Enjoy.Continue reading 10 Best Video Games Movies: Good…
Quentin Tarantino has created some of the most memorable scenes in film history. However, none are quite so impactful, tense, and amazing as the Inglourious Basterds opening scene.The scene lasts for just under 20 minutes, but during that time, Tarantino employs a vast array of framing techniques and angles to help tell the story to its fullest potential. In this post, we’ll run through some of the different techniques he used and how you can incorporate them into your own films.Continue reading Writing and Directing for Suspense: Inglourious Basterds
Start with a heaping spoonful of hard-boiled grit. Add a splash of neon lights. Then liberally sprinkle on some corruption and cybernetic enhancements — now you’ve got yourself a cyberpunk movie. This subgenre is thriving in the 21st century and we're about to get into the top 10 best cyberpunk movies.Cyberpunk, also known as neon-noir, sci-fi noir, and future-noir, is the industrialized spin-off of neo-noir infused with elements from other science fiction subgenres. Some of the most influential titles of all time are cyberpunk movies: The Terminator, The Matrix, and Blade Runner, to name a few. Continue reading 10 Best Cyberpunk…
There are many movies about loneliness and even more lonely people who see them. As a filmmaker, working with a lonely character poses the unique challenge of how to stand out. With framing, editing and coloring techniques at your fingertips, what combination best helps your story land?Continue reading How Spike Jonze Shoots Movies About Loneliness
Why is Brad Pitt always eating in movies? Don’t believe me? Google it. He’s been doing it in a staggering amount of his movies going back 30 years. And he’s darn good at it. Many actors like “busywork” — something for them to do that accents their performance (e.g., smoking cigarettes). Brad Pitt has mastered the “talk ‘n’ chew,” a form of busywork in which he manages to avoid being disgusting while folding the act of eating into his performance. But which scenes are the best? Let’s break down this very peculiar and meme-worthy aspect to Brad Pitt’s legacy.Continue reading…
Joker Script DownloadBest Joker ActorsJoker ControversyJoker Movie Review Todd Phillips' new film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is a realistic take on the super villain that wants viewers to empathize as they watch him descend into homicidal madness. The best moments come from capitalizing on the medium of cinema during the strongest parts of the script, but it needed more of these moments.Phillips has created something unique to comic book movies, and Phoenix brings a worthy performance. I believe the filmmakers made the movie they wanted to make, but the film doesn't entertain like a Joker movie should, doesn't take advantage…
Filmmakers are lucky. Part of becoming a better director, screenwriter, actor, etc. involves watching other movies to learn the craft. Luckily, Netflix is a fantastic resource for hundreds of titles available for you to watch instantly. Since Halloween is coming up, we made sure to include a few spooky titles on this list just for the occasion. These are the best movies on Netflix for filmmakers in October 2019. Continue reading 10 Best Movies on Netflix — Playlist for Filmmakers (Oct. 2019)
