National Film Registry - 2015 movie selections

Remember we watched the trailer for "These Amazing Shadows," and some clips from the documentary about how the National Film Registry of the United States is trying to save important movies?

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Every December, the Library of Congress announces 25 more notable movies that will be preserved by the National Film Registry.  I'm thrilled that this year several are favorites I recommended to you in class!

2015 National Film Registry Selections

Be sure to rent L.A. Confidential, The Shawshank Redemption, and Ghostbusters. They are wonderful!

Douglas Fairbanks' The Mark of Zorro (1920) is free on Youtube. Remember we talked about his swashbuckling action films, his best friends relationship with Charlie Chaplin, his marriage to Mary Pickford and their company UA Artists.  :)

There's an amazing Spanish-language version of Dracula (1931) that technically should be in public domain, free on the internet...but I can't find it! Post in the comments section if you know where it is. The only place I've seen it is on DVD Disc One of this set for sale on Amazon.

Spanish-version Dracula was shot at night by director George Melford using the same sets as the English version that was shot during the day by Tod Browning. Here's some info about this unique moment in film history: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8txyRhZ-o9c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is the famous English-language version starring Bela Lugosi, available for free on the Internet: Dracula (1931)

And one of Edison's early silent documentaries has been preserved. Usually called Frank Ott's Sneeze", the official title of this 1894 short is "Record of a Sneeze."

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More movies to watch!

Here are some awesome movies currently on Netflix Instant:

To Kill a Mockingbird, Game of Death (Bruce Lee), Crooked Arrows, Benchwarmers, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Clueless, Heathers, Big Trouble in Little China, Wayne's World, Swingers, Clueless, PeeWee's Big Adventure, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Clerks, Mean Girls, The Shining (it's a hard R and definitely horror, so be cautious with this one...it's only if you're allowed to see Rs and know you like that type of thing), Metropolis, Carmen Jones, Mulan, Pochahontas, Rent, Grease 2, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Bride and Prejudice, The Interview, Galaxy Quest, Hot Fuzz, Bridget Jones' Diary, G.B.F., Shakespeare in Love, Notting Hill, About a Boy, Strictly Ballroom, Chocolat, Legally Blonde, Amelie, Timer, Hitch, 50 First Dates, 13 Going on 30, Can't Buy Me Love, Adventureland, Made In Manhattan, Can't Hardly Wait, My Sucky Teen Romance, Bring it On, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Underdogs, Men in Black 2, Roman Holiday, Witness, Cinema Paradiso, Sunset Boulevard, A Touch of Mink, Laura, An Affair to Remember, Fantasia, His Girl Friday, 9 to 5, The Day the Earth Stood Still, How to Marry a Millionaire, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Warriors, Charade, The Quiet Man, A League of Their Own, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV show), Side by Side (documentary about digital impact on movies).

Free on Youtube:

I didn't get a chance to watch this Tesla/Edison documentary yet but will soon! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5J90dR2dFM&list=PL36yeRvcThovUI69YiozXNfRguWBQyf3j&index=13

I like to show this analysis after Jaws. It shows WHY Jaws is great. And it talks about Hitchcock, too. :)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Tq91Sq-94

Here's pretty much my favorite Spielberg scene ever. An amazing introduction to Marion, our feisty heroine of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's all done in one shot with no cuts, a style which is nicknamed "the Spielberg Oner." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUAueFkVYvA

I really wanted to show you all this gorgeous video about Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doaQC-S8de8

Epic Rap Battles has an amazing throwdown between Spielberg, Hitchcock, Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick, and Michael Bay. It would be MA or R rated, with no clean ERB version, so viewer discretion advised! You should get a lot of the jokes now after taking History of Cinema. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wYtG7aQTHA 

I realized the last week of class I HAD shown you all a Kubrick clip...he directed Spartacus! But most of the ones he's famous for are so disturbingly R rated I didn't want to risk it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick Have you heard this popular song Renegades?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SytFteQnYY

All hail the underdogs

All hail the new kids (New American Cinema)

All hail the outlaws

Spielbergs and Kubricks

Did you know who Michael Bay was before this epic rap battle? We didn't get out of the 1980s so we never talked about him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2THVvshvq0Q  I love what this analyzer says about how he's borrowed his shots from West Side Story and Star Wars.

Drop me an email or comment here if you want to let me know what you're watching now. :) Enjoy the movies!

Panavision

Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about Panavision? In the 1950s, Hollywood attempted to lure viewers away from their new TV sets by making movies widescreen, color, and/or 3-D. Panavision was the wide format asked about on your Final.

One of the few remaining screens that can show 70 mm film is the Arclight's Cinerama Dome. We discussed The Hateful 8 and how it was going to screen there, and I suggested you go over Break.

Stay tuned, because it may only be playing Star Wars now. Here is an excellent brief article explaining the historical significance of the Cinerama Dome, what it meant to Tarantino's new movie, and the politics of movie distribution.

The Hateful Eight bumped from Cinerama Dome at Arclight-Hollywood-for-Star-Wars/41533

Welcome Cinema 3 students!

Hello to all my new LACC scholars! I can't wait to get to know you.

We are going to have a wonderful semester learning about the history of America film! By June, you will be able to identify most of these movies, and know why they are important. You're going to love it!



x-Professor Liz

Warriors! Come out and Plaaaayaaay!!!

We are watching one of my favorite movies tonight in class. It is a crazy masterpiece by a writer/director who has amazing craft. And it based on Greek military history, as recounted by Xenophon in Anabasis.

Here is a terrific article on a New Bev showing of this cult film that all your favorite directors love.


And here's the link to rent it for $2.99 on YouTube, because you know you now want to go make all your friends watch it!

Werner Herzog and Darren Aroonofsky's advice

http://www.supergraphictees.com

If you don't know Werner Herzog, you should really read up on him.

Besides being one of our best living filmmakers, he's a hell of a human being who is always doing random super hero stuff like continuing an interview after being shot ("It is not a significant bullet"), or pulling Joaquin Phoenix out of a burning car on Mulholland Drive.




Herzog's the type of legend whose work you want to be able to discuss. And if you want to be in the inner Hollywood circle, you should be able to recognize his voice while he's saving your life.

Like Scorcese and Tarantino, he has primarily worked with a female editor.

In this terrific article and video, he gives advice to aspiring filmmakers on the foundation of filmmaking. Read, and go make your micro budget film NOW.




Herzog "has never created a single film that is compromised, shameful, made for pragmatic reasons or uninteresting. Even his failures are spectacular." - Roger Ebert

Herzog has an amazing 40-year career and is truly revered, so picking which movie of his to start with is bound to create a fist fight among cinephiles. Personally I'd start with Grizzly Man, My Best Friend and Nosferatu The Vampyre as the most accessible and enjoyable for our class. But here is another suggestion, and the AV Club's Herzog primer.

And here's a great list of 11 books Darren Aronofsky and Herzog suggest you read, including our textbook by Christopher Vogler. Told you it was a seminal Hollywood read!

Pop Quiz #3

Congrats to Amber for winning Pop Quiz #2! The answer was Pulp Fiction.

This week's question is in a similar vein...

What iconic film celebrates its 15th anniversary this week? 

Again, it was in many of your Top Five Favs. (And I'm thinking you should try to get your film released the third week of October. It bodes very well for cult favorites that change movie history.)

The first current Media Arts 129 student to answer in the comments (below or in next Wednesday's class) gets to draw from the prize bag. But this time, you won't be allowed to talk about winning.


Here's a tasty Pulp Fiction video for you to consume with the beverage of your choice:

Film Radar's calendar of LA movies

Some great stuff going on over the next two weeks! Film Radar.com Movie Calendar

Want to help me judge a horror movie contest?

I know many of you Media Arts 129 students are horror fans! I have a cool opportunity for you this week! I've been asked to judge the Professional Division films from the Horror Film Race!

The Horror Film Race is an annual film festival put on by The Art Institute of Dallas! Festival Director Professor Vince William has approved my use of student interns to observe and participate in my judging process. We'll give you a great job to add to your resume: Judging Panel Intern, Horror Film Race 2014.

Hollywood Industry people hang out with their peers and argue passionately about movies, so let's get you practicing this skillset and add it to your resume! There are 8 short films to judge, about 55 minutes in all. Watching the shorts, discussing them, arguing, and scoring should take about 2-2 1/2 hours (I know we're all talkers, and this should be super fun!). The ultimate decision comes down to me as the Professional Judge, but I want you all to use your powers of criticism, analysis, and persuasion on me.

I'm thinking we can get together in the library this week on Thursday (time to be determined by participants!). If that date doesn't work for the majority, perhaps we can meet at the Starbucks nearest to campus on Saturday or Sunday. The judging deadline is Sunday night.

We will judge on these five categories: Story, Scare Factor, Use of Genre, Visual Quality, and Overall Mood of the Film. Also, Judges can make individual nominations in any category.

The categories are: 

Film of the Year
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Villain
Best Scream Queen
Best Blood, Guts & Gore
Best Weapon
Best Scare
Best Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Acting
Best Use of Genre
Best Costume of Horrorfest


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In related horror news, I found this Halloween sale at the Writer's Store on a cool-looking bundle of books and videos on how to write a great horror movie. I'm not familiar with any of them so I'm not personally recommending them, but investigate and see if you want them! It's a pretty good price, but maybe you want to split it with a few other students.

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Also, here is a horror comedy short of mine based on Italian giallos. The film festival version had licensed music from legendary horror band Goblin, from Dario Argento's 1982 Tenebrae. So watch it once with the current music and then picture this music. It's amazing how much music changes a film!

 

And here is a gruesome comedy short that won a bunch of awards. I made it the first day I got my Canon 5D, just messing around testing the camera with my sister, my friend, and my dog Hero. So this was me shooting with the lens that comes with the camera, using natural light and a Zoom H4N for sound. The editing took a lot longer, and was done by me in Final Cut 7.

 

The idea for CONSUMED came from me being on LA INK getting tattooed. I had to listen to the poor woman next to me tell her story on camera over and over again about the coyotes in the Hollywood Hills killing her dog, and how she had to pick up the pieces. Absolutely awful, and I made this movie to purge the story from my brain so it wouldn't happen to MY dog. An example of the art that comes from healthy purging.

Tonight's Topic: Journeys, Quests, and Odysseys

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is a brilliant movie from 2000 directed by the Coen Brothers. For once there is no debate about whether a film is based on past material, because the Coen Brothers declare on the first title card that it is based on The Odyssey.

This popular film is a terrific example of how to update a cultural myth, in this case taking the well-known story of The Odyssey and recreating it in Depression Era America as a musical. The hit soundtrack went on to sell 5 million copies, and win the Country Award's Best Album and Best Song. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. George Clooney received the Golden Globe for his performance.

IMDb citings of Odyssey references

Quizlet Chart comparing The Odyssey to O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Comparative Mythology



The Latin translation of George Clooney's name Ulysses is Odyssseus, which means "Man in Constant Pain and Sorrow". The hit song Ulysses records is "Man of Constant Sorrow."

Ulysses discovers his wife hasn't waited for his return and is marrying another man.


Big Dan Teague is the Cyclops.



Baby Face Nelson machine guns the cows for no reason during his getaway, echoing the fools' slaughter of Sun god Helios's cattle, for which Ulysses is later punished with the threat of the electrical chair, and taunted as a "cow killer". (In the Odyssey it is the Sun god's lightning bolt.)



The Sirens homage needs no explanation:




Pete is changed into a frog mirroring Odyseus's men being changed into animals. Ulysses frets about his hair, pride in appearance being his tragic flaw.

 


The Hogwallop barn fire fight references Odysseus' journey from Scylla to Charybdis.



This scene mirrors Odysseus hiding as sheep from the Cyclops.




The flood scene is an amazing reference to Poseidon's many floods in The Odyssey.




The Coen Brothers would go on to do another mythological adaptation in 2009, with "A Serious Man" taking on the Book of Job. That acclaimed film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

Watch some movies we've discussed in class

Netflix Instant:

Witness
Say Anything


Netflix DVD:

No Way Out
Quest for Fire
The Big Lebowski