I’ve been reading more and more articles online about all aspects of cinema and posting it to Twitter for sharing. I typically do not post news here, and I certainly do not believe in re-spinning content and commenting on it. However, I do believe much of the stuff I’ve been reading is worthy of sharing.
So, instead of doing the typical spin like most film blogs do, every once-in-awhile I will post a few articles that I’ve read that either captivated me, informed me, or made me wonder. Be sure to follow me @cinemafunk as I do retweet and post links. Don’t be afraid to send me something either.
How to make a brilliant comic book movie
Matt Zoller Seitz, January 14, 2011 | Rounds up some of the more well-done comic book adaptations after getting reamed by comments on a previous article where he reams comic book movies. Indeed, he does an excellent job listing the truly great adaptations, but there are of course, some that are questionable.
Has 3D Already Failed? The sequel, part one: RealDlighted
Kristin Thompson, January 20, 2011 | An excellent survey of the current issues that are maybe keeping 3D from succeeding using financial and logistical evidence and assumptions. So far, over time, 3D has proven to be less profitable over time, this includes Avatar and Toy Story 3. Thompson summarizes Jeffery Katzenberg statement that theaters are not converting fast enough. Another aspect discusses how 3DTV may or may not have impact in the future, but the issue that is ignored is how 3D ticket prices are several dollars more than a traditional 2D ticket price. This is an excellent recap that supports many of my theories from my article earlier last year, A Case Against 3D Cinema.
Making Hollywood Films Was Brutal, Even for Fritz Lang
Manohla Dargis, January 21, 2011 | One of cinema’s most enduring directors and filmmakers Fritz Lang earned and enjoyed immense freedom within the German film industry. So much, that Metropolis is still, by inflation, one of the most costly films ever made ($280 million in 2010 dollars). Lang, a Jew, fled Germany despite being invited to make films for the Nazi film industry, and continued to make films in America. Despite his enlarging repertoire of films, he received far less freedom in his filmmaking, yet still created many of the tropes for film noir.
Conducting Documentary Diplomacy
John Anderson, January 14, 2011 | Hillary Clinton’s devotion of ‘smart power’ has beget the American Documentary Showcase, a project of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The project tours many American documentaries into several countries around the world. What is rather wondrous about this project, is that the films included often do not have positive images or opinions of American politics, capitalism, or consumption. Thea idea of this project, appears to show that American, despite its issues, is a free country.