The Movie Weekend That Was

This weekend was loaded with variety, including an acclaimed 2013 film, work from icons like David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman, a Michael Bay film (yes! Michael Bay!), a 70s sci-fi cult classic, and The Documentary You’re Looking For. This is the movie weekend that was.

A Year’s Worth of Box Office #1s and a Podcast about TNT-Filled Sharks

Apologies for the lack of content lately, but I have done some work lately that I’d like to share. If you’d like to see all of the #1’s at the box office in 2013 or hear me talk about Bergman (amongst other things), you can find it after the jump.

Infographic: The Demographics of Ingmar Bergman

I recently discovered a really cool feature on IMDb. Click on any film and you can see the film’s average rating (1 to 10) amongst site visitors who have voted on that particular film. It also shows how many people have voted to make up that individual film’s rating. The really cool feature happens when you click on the total number of voters. It takes you to a demographics page, illustrating how men and women of various ages have voted for that particular film. The possibilities with something like this are limitless, and I can’t wait to dig into it a little bit more. But for now, there’s no better place to start than with everyone’s favorite master of melancholy, Ingmar Bergman. Here’s how the various demographics have voted for Ingmar Bergman films.

It’s Ålways Bergman in Philådelphia

It’s Always Sunny in Philadalphia will be coming back this September, now airing on FXX. They’ve released a series of teasers that pay homage to Ingmar Bergman, thereby creating one of the oddest, most amazing pairings imaginable. Each teaser is riddled with Bergman clichés, and they’re all in Swedish. They’re hilarious, and sure to please the somewhat limited market of people who are simultaneously Bergman and IASIP enthusiasts. As it turns out, I am definitely their target market and I want to high-five the whole cast for creating these ads. Here are the teasers.

11 Great Parodies of Ingmar Bergman

When you have a career that spans seven decades, and you’re talented enough to forge some of the best work in your field, it’s inevitable that people will stand up and take notice. Such is the case with Ingmar Bergman, whose films are almost synonymous with art house cinema. Thankfully for us, that means that Bergman’s work has been parodied time and time again. Here are eleven great parodies of Ingmar Bergman’s films.

Re-Watchterpiece Theater: The Seventh Seal (1957)

Re-Watchterpiece Theater is a series that explores the organic way that attitudes about films change after you watch them a second time, a third time, or more, further down the line than the original viewing.

Re-watchterpiece Theater is usually a vehicle for me to tackle questionable films, or films that are likely to elicit a much different response at this point in my life compared to the first time I watched it. And that’s what makes today’s choice so odd. The Seventh Seal has been one of my favorite films from the moment I saw it. It hasn’t even been that long ago that I last saw it. But sometimes, you find yourself in a Bergmany mood and sometimes, in that Bergmany mood, you find that you’ve learned some new tricks.

Movie Love: Then and Now

I’m a firm believer that movie tastes are organic. They constantly change as we’re exposed to new things. If you don’t believe me, take a second to think about what your favorite movie is now compared to 10 years ago, 20 years ago, or longer. How about your favorite actors, actresses, directors, and movie characters? Surely things have changed. Here’s how it plays out for me.

Polish Film Posters for Ingmar Bergman Films

Whatever’s in the water in Poland, I’d like to drink it. Because Polish movie poster artists have quite a knack for spinning film art into something completely unique. It’s as evident anywhere as it is with posters for the films of Ingmar Bergman, whose work was ripe for artistic interpretation and visual license. The beauty of these posters is that they’re intriguing even if you’re unfamiliar with Bergman or Polish art. And they’re a visual treat if you’re familiar with either. Here are ten Polish movie posters for Ingmar Bergman films.

If Other Directors Had Made Lincoln

I finally made my way to the theater to see Lincoln, Steven Spielberg’s latest Oscar-quality drama. There were a lot of shining moments in a very solid film. Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, a humongous and impressive cast, and a stirring finale all come to mind. But for most of the film’s running time, I couldn’t shake the thought- what would other directors have done with a historical drama about Abraham Lincoln?

Television Commercials Directed by Movie Directors

Ad agencies are turning to Hollywood more and more. Every year around the Super Bowl, audiences discover that a handful of their favorite ads during the game were actually directed by notable movie directors. Throughout the past, directors have made TV commercials for a variety of reasons. For many, it was an opportunity to hone their craft and gain exposure with Hollywood. For others, it was a chance to make important public service announcements. Here are some of my favorite commercials directed by movie directors.