The Soundtrack Series: Stanley Kubrick

Just as Also Sprach Zarathustra marks the beginning of a new film, today’s article marks the opening of a new series- The Soundtrack Series. It’s as simple as can be. It’s a series that will celebrate excellent soundtrack pieces from specific directors. As you’ll see, there’s no better place to start than with Stanley Kubrick.

The Ten Most Influential Directors of All-Time

Michaël Parent, who operates one of my favorite sites- Le Mot de Cinephiliaque– has been taking submissions for his annual “Most Influential Directors” poll. Michaël gets an impressive list of contributors each year, and I’m sure this year will be no different. Today is the final day for submissions, and my ballot is going to beat the buzzer, just barely. Here’s my ballot, along with a brief write-up on each director detailing why I chose them, along with a representative film from each director.

Font U: A Guide to Recognizing Popular Fonts in Films

By night, I’m John- the crime-fighting proprietor of a movie and TV site. But by day, I’m the mild-mannered John, a graphic designer and editor. Since I get paid to pay attention to words and the way they’re presented, I get a kick out of combining my day job and my hobby. I like seeing which fonts are being used in films and film posters. There are several that are very popular and I’d like to clue you in on which ones are which. Let’s start with a rather obvious one:

Infographics: Directors and the Directors Who Influence Them

One of my favorite aspects of watching a film is tracing the directorial roots. Certain shots, scenes, or bits of dialogue hearken back to other films made by other directors, usually by design. After all, directors are probably the biggest fans of film. You’d have to be to be able to tap into the reservoir of knowledge that they employ when constructing their movies. In many cases, there are specific directors whose films inspire young filmmakers to go into the business, which renews the cycle for the next generation. Here are some infographics that illustrate just how influential a masterful director can be.

(click on any image for the full resolution version)

2001: A Re-Viewing Odyssey

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I’ve had several awkward conversations over the last five years during my metamorphosis into a film nerd. Many of those awkward conversations revolve around one film- 2001: A Space Odyssey. I watched it in the early stages of metamorphosis, and found the film wildly inaccessible. I’ve since had it explained to me countless times… and each time, my reaction has been “How the hell was I supposed to get that from that film?!?!” But I’ve learned to concede the incredible visuals of the film. And I’d also learned to concede that one day, I would re-watch it, and would most likely have a kinder opinion of it after a second viewing. As it turns out, “one day” was today. Like the evolving monkeys and astronauts in the film, did I adapt?