Microlog
81 Microlog entries tagged with ‘film’
30 Days Of Netflix
A curated selection of the best things available for us users in the UK and Ireland. It’s definitely better for TV series so far, but this is a good start. Sound & Screen ·
Screenplay Basics
Filing this for future reference. Sound & Screen ·
Raiders of the Lost Archives
A shot-by-shot comparison of Raiders of the Lost Ark with scenes from 30 different adventure films made between 1919-1973 [c/o MetaFilter]. Spielberg the student of cinema paying tribute to his favourites, perhaps? Sound & Screen ·
Once Upon a Tram (1958)
A nice little short film at the Europa Film Treasures archive capturing one of the last runs of the Hill of Howth tram. My grandmother on my mam’s side was on the last ever tram, if I’m not mistaken. Interesting ·
Joe Queenan: If someone tells me a film sucks, I have to see it
I share the sentiment, but don’t necessarily want to pay for the ‘privilege’. Ahem. Sound & Screen ·
Lomokino
A movie camera that shoots on any 35mm photographic film (if you can get it). Interesting ·
My favourite film: Predator
I’ll fight anyone who says Predator isn’t one of the best action films of the 1980s; it’s up there with Robocop IMHO. Sound & Screen ·
io9’s 50 Scariest Movies Of All Time
Compare with the AV Club’s Scariest Movie Scenes. Both are missing an obvious classic in Robocop. Was no one else frightened by that ED-209 scene? Still gives me chills just thinking about it. Arts & Culture ·
Gateways to Geekery: Giallo
I love The AV Club’s Gateways to Geekery - this one on giallo is a very handy primer - and I’m thinking it’s an idea that would lend itself very well to print… Sound & Screen ·
6 Movie Plot Holes You Never Noticed Thanks to Editing
It’s not so much ‘editing’ as ‘we’re throwing so much shit at you that you’re too concerned about what’s coming next to notice what just happened’. Sound & Screen ·
Green screen: what’s happening to Irish cinema
What they don’t really get into here is that Irish cinema, as it is, is really about marketability and profitability. If worthy art is made, that’s fine, but it’s not the primary driver — there’s too much fear of taking a chance on something that won’t find mass appeal. Which is a Bad Thing, in my estimation. Sound & Screen ·
Junior Programmer Season at the Screen Cinema
The Screen is really becoming the kind of sassy rep house that Dublin badly needs (the IFI is great, but come on, it’s quite fuddy) and this scheme is a fantastic idea. I’d contribute myself but I’m completely paralysed by choice. Sound & Screen ·
How to make an intelligent blockbuster and not alienate people
An extract from Mark Kermode’s new book. I purchased the Kindle version (my review is on Goodreads) but not without jumping through a few hoops. Listen here, Amazon: Ireland (for all intents and purposes) is part of the UK book market, so please fix your regional restriction nonsense. Sound & Screen ·
Every Final Destination Death (1-4)
So you never have to see any of the actual movies. NSFW, or for anyone of a nervous disposition (even though so many of these situations would simply not happen, being physically impossible). Sound & Screen ·
50 Documentaries to See Before You Die: The Full List
Great list, but nothing released before 1988, and no foreign-language docs. There’s an opportunity to fill in the gaps here. Sound & Screen ·
Cinema of sin: London’s old Scala picturehouse
I love the idea of all-night movie marathons. Why don’t we have them anymore? Sound & Screen ·
Better Late than Never?: A Christmas Story
I can honestly say I never heard of this movie until I read this article. And it’s supposed to be some kind of US holiday tradition? Some things just don’t travel, I guess. Sound & Screen ·
How To Fix Horror
A four-part series by Jason Zinoman, author of Shock Value. Can’t say I agree with everything he suggests, but at least someone is making an effort. Sound & Screen ·
10 Modern Movies That Are Better in Black and White
Following from Steven Soderbergh’s media diet. Some interesting suggestions here, though I disagree with the horror choices: they’re better in colour. Sound & Screen ·
Steven Soderbergh’s media diet
A year of films, books, TV, plays and stories consumed. Including Raiders of the Lost Ark three times. In black and white! [c/o Kottke]. Sound & Screen ·
Is a ‘director’s cut’ ever a good idea?
Director’s cuts are fine if they don’t replace the original. And it goes without saying that they only matter where the film is of sufficient quality and the original version was compromised in some fashion. Sound & Screen ·
Now and then: How film titles have evolved
The 1950s and ’60s are when things start getting awesome. But they’ve bland-ified in recent years, I feel. Sound & Screen ·
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Prince of Darkness
Revisiting the locations of John Carpenter’s unfairly maligned sci-fi/horror hybrid from the mid-1980s. Most are still as they were! Sound & Screen ·
Cin-O-Matic
For keeping track of upcoming cinema and disc/download releases. US-centric, but that shouldn’t matter too much. Sound & Screen ·
Wikipedia’s list of films considered the greatest ever
Tokyo Story is pretty fantastic, far better than Kane. See also: The AV Club’s best films of the ’00s. Sound & Screen ·
The 100 Greatest Movie Insults of All Time
It goes without saying that this is Not Safe For Work. Sound & Screen ·
The Guardian’s guide to film genres
Part of the paper’s film season which ran recently. Like any such list it’s subject to much debate, but it’s not bad as an introduction for novices. Sound & Screen ·
Saul Bass, Richard Williams and the fascinating history of cinema’s opening credits
Is there a book about this? If there isn’t there should be. (And if there is, please let me know so I can add it to my wish list.) Sound & Screen ·
Wikipedia entry on Neon magazine
Remembering the late, lamented Neon – the original version, that is. One of the best film magazines ever. Posting this here as inspiration for a new project I’m kicking about in my head. Arts & Culture ·
Unassuming long takes in movies
Nice work; it makes me wonder if I really take the time to notice things enough. [c/o Kottke] Sound & Screen ·
Takeshi Kitano: one original gangster
It’s not enough being a good actor, a great director and the Japanese Chris Tarrant; no, the bastard has to be an accomplished artist as well. Arts & Culture ·
Film Noir Checklist
A primer for anyone who always wanted to but was afraid to ask. I defy you to watch Sweet Smell of Success and not be knocked out of your socks. Sound & Screen ·
Teal and Orange - Hollywood, Please Stop the Madness
I knew something was off, and now I know why. Sound & Screen ·
Some visualisations of stories and narratives
I’d like to see one for The Wire, or The Sopranos. Or The Simpsons. Or better yet: one tracking crossovers between different movies/series (cf. The Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis). Arts & Culture ·
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows is streaming online
Hosted by the National Film Board of Canada, no less. I never got around to seeing this the first time round. Sports & Games ·
New trailer for Cloverfield
So it looks like that’s what it’s officially called now, Cloverfield. Hmm. In any case, it’s shaping up to be a mindlessly fun yet vaguely thoughtful disaster spectacle, and it’ll be out in just two months’ time. Which is nice. Sound & Screen ·
The AV Club interviews documentarian Errol Morris
It might be more than a year old, but it’s still worth posting; I always find the background workings and politics of film production a fascinating read. Sound & Screen ·
The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time
I love movie spoilers, me [c/o kottke.org]. Sound & Screen ·
Primer timeline
I think I get it now. Or maybe not. Sound & Screen ·
Great Barbelith thread on scary (as distinct from horror) movies
I posted my own choices, then promptly forgot about it for a month — and look what it turned into! A great community they/we’ve got there/here. Sound & Screen ·
How Pink Got So Violent: A guide to Japanese female exploitation films of the ’70s on DVD
Another grindhouse sub-genre gets the reissue treatment — and some socio-cultural context [c/o MetaFilter]. Sound & Screen ·
Movie Genre Primers
If you don’t know your Dogme from your Troma, this is the place for you [c/o kottke.org]. Sound & Screen ·
Talk isn’t cheap
A witty introduction to the world of the voiceover artist. Sound & Screen ·
Jack Black’s Nacho Libre Confessional
Five words: Jack Black as a luchadore. That’s about as high-concept as it gets, ladies and gentlemen. Sound & Screen ·
The Internet Movie Script Database
Filing this for future reference. Sound & Screen ·
Top 10 Reasons Why King Kong Was A Disappointment
I wasn’t blown away either, but not for any of these reasons [c/o Projectionist]. Sound & Screen ·
I find your lack of faith disturbing
The weblog of Josh Friedman, screenwriter. If this doesn’t turn into a book, I’ll eat my left shoe. Sound & Screen ·
The story of Superman V
If you thought Hollywood producers were morons before, just wait till you read this. Sound & Screen ·
The Onion A.V. Club interviews George Carlin and John Carpenter
I’m posting these together, because they look a lot alike. Don’t they? Hmm. Maybe it’s just me. Sound & Screen ·
Hong Kong movie pirate sentenced
What’s worse than this guy going to jail is knowing the movies he went to jail for. Sound & Screen ·
Blue Velvet, analysed frame-by-frame [c/o del.icio.us/kfan]
Check in again in a couple of years when it gets to the scary parts. Sound & Screen ·
In Memoriam: Joe Ranft of Pixar
He was the voice of Heimlich in A Bug’s Life. I loved Heimlich! Sound & Screen ·
Ernest Lehman, Hollywood screenwriter, 1915-2005
As a tribute, here’s Lehman’s working script for a true noir classic, The Sweet Smell of Success (c/o MetaFilter). Sound & Screen ·
Michael Chabon on his attempt to get the scriptwriting gig for Fantastic Four
Sound & Screen ·
If our favorite movies and TV shows are so easy to find, will we still enjoy watching them? [c/o kottke.org]
Some? Definitley. Others? Not so much. Sound & Screen ·
TransFormers finally rolling out
I linked to this two years ago, but now it’s finally happening. Pity we’ve got to wait another two years before we see it. Sound & Screen ·
40 Things That Only Happen in Movies
I’m sure there are a few more. Sound & Screen ·
Salon interviews Bruce Campbell
Some more Brucey love for you. Sound & Screen ·
“As far as Evil Dead (yawn) 4. Sam Raimi is too busy making wheel-barrels of money right now.” [c/o del.icio.us/kfan]
Sound & Screen ·
A 7-year-old questions the continuity of the Star Wars series [c/o plasticbag.org]
Did a better job than me, too. Sound & Screen ·
Somebody out there really hates George Lucas [c/o kottke.org]
Whoa, don’t hold back there, mister. Sound & Screen ·
American cinema chain to advertise ‘actual’ start times
Isn’t this article a bit pointless? I don’t see what the big deal is. When I worked for UCI it wasn’t any secret that the features started 15 minutes after the billed time (that was standard; we had it on our schedules so we’d be ready for cleaning the theatres). All that ‘busy moviegoers’ stuff is crap, anyway: if you’re so bloody busy, why are you going to the fucking movies?? And besides, hasn’t anyone thought that giving an earlier time means stragglers won’t interrupt the start of the movie so much? Didn’t think so. Sound & Screen ·
Roger Ebert’s tribute to the late Russ Meyer
No introduction necessary. Sound & Screen ·
Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso is out now on DVD
Back in the mid-’90s I used to read a magazine called Super Play. If you don’t know it, it was an unofficial magazine for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System; for those who do, I’m sure you remember it fondly. You see, what was different and special about Super Play was its focus on ‘grey market’ Japanese import games, which went hand in hand with regular reports on other facets of Japanese pop culture like manga and anime — those alluring alien ideas that made each issue compulsive reading for me. I was never a big gamer, but the likes of Super Play, and the irreplaceable Digitiser on Teletext, made me feel like a part of the greater gaming world, appreciating my interest regardless of my lack of skill (and boy, was my skill lacking!) and neither was afraid to step away from the console for a while. It was in Super Play that I first read about Porco Rosso, in a context where it wasn’t too weird to discuss a cartoon about a pig flying a warplane. I still miss Super Play. Sound & Screen ·
Kill Bill Vol. 1 — in ASCII [c/o Boing Boing]
Sound & Screen ·
“Filmmaker Sam Raimi is in talks with New Line Cinema about loaning the studio the zombie slayer from his Evil Dead movies to costar in a three-way, big-screen bout, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash.” [c/o del.icio.us/kfan]
Sound & Screen ·
The Donnie Darko website, step-by-step
Sound & Screen ·
Everything you were afraid to ask about “Donnie Darko” [c/o del.icio.us/merlinmann]
Sound & Screen ·
Evil Dead: The Musical
Sound & Screen ·
Cinema 24: “This blog is intended to chronicle the process of developing, financing, starting, and maintaining a small, independently-owned, art-house theater.”
Sound & Screen ·
David Carradine on David Carradine: “I’m not a rebel. I’m just an iconoclast.”
Sound & Screen ·
Amid layoffs and slipping sales, film companies are struggling to keep the ailing industry alive
Sound & Screen ·
A quasi-review of The Return of the King that misses the point entirely
Sound & Screen ·
Keiko the ‘Free Willy’ whale dies
Sound & Screen ·
Not-bad Guardian piece on the Irish government’s plans to abolish tax breaks for filmmakers (though I’ve never come across the term ‘Shamrock Hollywood’ before)
Sound & Screen ·
The Matrix: Reheated [c/o Antipixel]
Sound & Screen ·
Sledge Hammer: The Movie?
Sound & Screen ·
Curse of the Commentary Tracks of the Damned!!!
Sound & Screen ·
“I feel sexy when I feel really wild. I feel sexy when I’m sweaty and hot in the middle of the jungle, or in the middle of the desert.” (I’m sure you do Angelina, I’m sure you do) [c/o highindustrial.]
Sound & Screen ·
TransFormers rolling out in live-action movie [c/o highindustrial.]
Sound & Screen ·
Guardian Quiz: How well do you know Japanese cinema? (I scored 7/10; not bad for an amateur)
Sound & Screen ·
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This is the personal website of MacDara Conroy, a production journalist and mediavore in Dublin, Ireland. Read more »
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This page lists all Microlog entries by MacDara Conroy tagged with ‘film’. You will find many more entries sorted by month and by category in the Archives.
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