The Fall 2022 Film Studies Crew is a mix of new and familiar faces. We thought we’d introduce ourselves.
Category Archives: Features
Hollywood’s Obsession With Biopics
It seems like every other movie in recent years is a biopic. A story about a famous musician we adore? Check out Bohemian Rhapsody, Tick Tick Boom, or Rocketman. A story about the struggling artist? Check out I, Tonya or the Eyes of Tammy Faye. A story about a significant moment in history? Check out Hacksaw Ridge or the Imitation Game.
My point is, there’s quite a few. The question is, why?
It’s because it’s the easiest form of source material for a film. Let’s face it, Hollywood is getting lazy.
Continue reading Hollywood’s Obsession With Biopics
What are Aspect Ratios and Why Should We Care?
The structural and emotional gambits upon which cinema of the past and present is founded have their roots in a number of factors, not least of which is one curiously under appreciated cinematic element: aspect ratio. Tucked away in the further reaches of a project’s production details on IMDb or found alongside a runtime on your favorite streamer’s ‘About’ page or average Blu-Ray case, this term quite simply relays the dimensions of a displayed image in terms of the relationship between its width and height. Aspect ratios common to contemporary consumer displays include a rectangular 16:9 for most televisions, laptops, smartphones and monitors, a largely square 4:3 for older TVs and some tablets, the 3:2 ratio often seen in 2-in-1 computing devices and 21:9, which is employed on ultrawide monitors and many projector screens. Continue reading What are Aspect Ratios and Why Should We Care?
What We’re Watching While Social Distancing
We’re all probably watching a lot more movies and shows in social isolation. Here’s the kinds of things we’ve been catching up on, or going back to for comfort. And what we’re looking forward to seeing more of. Continue reading What We’re Watching While Social Distancing
Comfort Movies Bracket and Coral Gables Art Cinema Giveaway
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy—maybe Jack should have tried watching a movie. As we’re all confined to the comfort of our homes, we’re turning to movies to get a little more comfy. But, there are so many to choose from. Lucky for you, we’re bringing you a bracket of all our top choices.
Partake in the movie madness by voting daily on our Instagram polls for your favorites. Only one can rule them all! Continue reading Comfort Movies Bracket and Coral Gables Art Cinema Giveaway
Who Are “They?”–How Oscars Nominations and Voting Work
Do you think Bradley Cooper deserved a Best Director nomination for his directorial debut in 2018’s poignant retelling of A Star is Born? Were you shocked to see Willem Dafoe’s absence in this year’s Best Actor category after his horrifyingly brilliant performance in The Lighthouse? Oscar nominations and wins can often leave us scratching our heads, but just how are contenders chosen – and by whom? Continue reading Who Are “They?”–How Oscars Nominations and Voting Work
The Oscars Know They’re So White and Don’t Really Care
The Oscars nominations have been out for 2 weeks now and I am still upset. Almost everywhere you look, there is some kind of discussion going on around the lack of equality and diversity paired with calls to fix it. This year’s biggest award show in the film industry is no exception.
The Oscars have come under fire for their lack of diversity on numerous occasions, and soon after the 2020 Nominations were released, the Academy Awards made headlines for all the wrong reasons once again. This year’s nominations seem to be part two of the #OscarsSoWhite fiasco in 2015, with nearly all of the nominations being given to white, male-led, male-directed, and male-focused films.
Continue reading The Oscars Know They’re So White and Don’t Really Care