Great Moments in Movie History Using Stick Figures: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

It’s time again for my oldest recurring feature- Great Moments in Movie History Using Stick Figures. Today’s great moment comes from a much-maligned film- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). There are a lot of scenes that are memorable for all of the wrong reasons. But there’s one scene in particular that I think we can all relate to.

The 2012 New Year’s Resolutions: Wrapping Up, Looking Ahead

It all started at the end of 2011, when I saw An American Werewolf in London (1981) and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) on the big screen. It ignited the idea that I should see as many classic films as possible on the big screen in 2012. To sweeten the pot, I added multiple other resolutions, and tackled them with fervor in 2012. With only two weeks left in the year, it’s time to wrap everything up, see how far I’ve come, and start looking ahead to 2013.

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?

Actual Movie/TV Dreams That I’ve Had

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.
-John Lennon

We’ve all had dreams with odd circumstances, odd characters, and odd results. It’s part of being human- our subconscious likes to mess with us when we snooze. Dreams are sort of a depository for the random things that enter our skulls throughout the day. And when you take in a lot of pop culture, it’s bound to show up in your dreams. Here are some examples of dreams that I’ve had where movies and TV have forced their way into the equation.

The New Year’s Resolutions: Round Four

I’ve been updating my New Year’s movie-watching resolutions once a month. At the time of my last entry, I’d lost momentum on a few of them, but picked up steam on some others. Just like a month ago, I’m nearing completion on a handful of these. I’m still not quite there but at least two specific goals are within striking distance now.

The New Year’s Resolutions: Round Three

I’ve been updating my New Year’s movie-watching resolutions once a month. Thirty days have passed since my last entry, and that means it’s time to take another gander.  With 81 days in the books for 2012, I’m inching towards wrapping up at least a few specific goals and generally doing well with all of them.

Tracking the New Year’s Resolutions: The First Turn

2012 is approximately 6 or 7% of the way complete. There is a long, long way to go. However, it’s awfully easy for people to fall off the horse with regards to their New Year’s resolutions, even this early in the year. I am not one of those people, not yet anyway. I’ve gotten a great jump on many of the movie-watching resolutions I made three weeks back. Since it also serves as an opportunity to let everyone know what I’ve been watching, here’s how I’m doing on each of my resolutions:

Re-Watchterpiece Theater: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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. 2011 has been a very Spielbergy year. Super 8 earned big points with audiences this summer by duplicating the Spielberg style. Now, there are two Steven Spielberg films in theaters–The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse. It seems only right to wrap up the Re-Watchterpiece series for 2011 by re-visiting a Spielberg classic. Enter E.T. from 1982.

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)

Ten Great Acting Roles by Directors (in the Films of Others)

Usually, directors are behind the scenes, spinning their vision into a movie. But they don’t always stay there. Occasionally, they’ll appear on screen. Sometimes, it can be a leading role. Other times, it’s merely a cameo. Here are ten great acting performances by directors in the films of others.

Fritz Lang as Fritz Lang, Contempt
Lang’s films- especially his silent films- are some of the best movies ever made. But before I’d ever seen a single film that he directed, I saw him playing the director in the film within Godard’s film, Contempt. How’s that for post-modern cinema? A director acting in a film in the role of… a director. Making it even more off-kilter, he didn’t even play a fictional director. He played himself, and it was precisely what the movie called for.