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Home Archives for turner classic movies

August 26, 2020 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

A Movie Lover’s Look at “Women Make Film” (TCM, 2020)

Introduction

From the earliest days of cinema, women were present, and often front and center. Filmmakers such as Alice Guy Blaché and Lois Webber were recognized as artists worthy of praise in their own right, even in the face of discrimination. Eventually and unsurprisingly, the inequities they faced in society and in the industry took greater hold, leaving theirs and countless other names as nothing more than the most obscure footnotes in film studies. As a result, the majority of these auteurs and the stories they told have been lost and forgotten to time.

Women Make Film: Alice Guy Blaché
Pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché

Often when we think about the world of cinema and its history, we assess the lives and careers of the “moguls,” those who made the movies or the “creator,” the ingenious talent behind the camera. Overwhelmingly, these biographies are male. Recent years have heightened anew the constant struggle to recognize women’s varied and extensive contributions to the field.

Rarely do we take full stock of the role women have and continue to play in the shaping of our cinematic literacy. We continue to challenge ourselves and shift our perspective to view the past and present (and future) of cinema “through the female gaze.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Coming Soon, Documentaries Tagged With: alice guy blache, mark cousins, TCM, turner classic movies, women make film

March 7, 2014 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

The Case For Seeing B&Ws On the Big Screen

This past Tuesday I had the pleasure of seeing Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca in a packed house at the AMC Lincoln Square in NYC. New York was one of the twenty cities selected to screen this all time classic as part of the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) 20th anniversary festivities. After seeing the film, a brainwave hit me for something I wanted to discuss: my new appreciation for watching the classics as they were meant to be seen – on the big screen.

tcm_20_casablanca

Yes it is something that I am getting more and more used to over the years, previously confining my exhibition of said films to home viewings. But a couple of years ago, my preferences started to shift when I asked my readers their thoughts on attending repertory movie theaters to watch restored/classic films. I did not however, take the opportunity to explain fully why I think it is a wonderful way to see such films, mainly due the low number of films I had seen this way. Allow me to do so now.

I know for some the idea of paying for a film or acquiring a free pass, seems like too much trouble, especially when you factor in that you have to leave the comfort of your own house; well I am here to tell you why I think everyone should try it at least once for the following reasons:

  1. Level of Detail: I am not stating any groundbreaking laws of physics or anything when I say the smaller the screen, the smaller all the objects and minor details, whether they reside in the background or foreground. In many of these cases, these objects/actions may have story significance. Seeing them projected on the big screen (obviously) magnifies their visual presence and emphasizes their importance. Remember that these films (made before televisions invaded domestic life)  were made for ALL the detail to be seen since they were produced for exhibition and projection on a theater-size formatted screen.
  2. Audience Engagement: Sorry, but there is just something about seeing a film with an audience (of primarily strangers) that amplifies one’s viewing experience. It really becomes a community event, and barring any craziness with audience members (often the case in NYC) it is a friendly reminder and affirmation of a human desire to congregate around a shared purpose.
  3. It Takes You Back to Days of Yore: This point is a continuation of sorts to my discussion of level of detail (1). Because people my age are accustomed to watching “old”/classic movies on a television screen, we may not think of these actors and actresses of yesteryear as ‘larger than life.’ In doing so, we forget this is  the only way audiences of the time pre-television saw their favorite performers. The stars were very much larger than life. It truly is a transformative experience to see Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman striding across the screen, with a presence like that of gods parading before a mass of humanity, sat lowly in their theater seats.
  4. Support for Your Local Community: On this point, I am a lucky gal indeed – I live in a major metropolitan area, so I am spoiled for choice when it comes to seeing older film at the in a theatre, whether it be a chain multiplex or smaller multi-screen house. But even if I venture, say 30-40 minutes outside of Midtown Manhattan, there are independent movie houses that exhibit new releases and first-run films in addition to offering screenings of restored classics to the community. No matter where you live take a moment to do a quick internet search and see what’s out there. And do not just limit to these indie theaters – libraries, schools, and museums also screen films on occasion.

 

Filed Under: Classics Tagged With: turner classic movies

July 14, 2010 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

Quick Reaction to “Gun Crazy” (1950)

Tonight Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is featuring the films of B-movie director Joseph H. Lewis. So far I have watched “So Dark the Night” (a surprisingly clever film featuring a bevvy of French actors). I am currently near the final 1/3 of “Gun Crazy” a film that I have been eager to catch but never had the opportunity. It is perhaps the best known of Mr. Lewis’ films and required viewing for students of the film noir movement.

However as I am watching it I am a little let down; my expectations were of an authentic, gritty crime thriller of sorts but that is not what I have watched. Sure there are dramatic and somewhat tense moments but nothing on the scale that I was looking for in a noir drama. Of particular interest to me was the performance of John Dall. As the male lead I assumed that his character “Bart” would be the primary catalyst of the criminal action – similar to his portrayal of “Brandon” of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope” (another personal favorite of mine). But instead, he is the trigger-happy, yet reasonable in some ways foil to his more ruthless partner in crime, “Laurie” (Ms. Cummins).

I am still happy that I saw it because in spite of my original expectations being altered as a result of the viewing it is notable in my estimation for one reason – the fact that the female (femme fatale) is so dominant in the relationship and really the one that we should look out for.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: film noir, gun crazy, john dall, joseph h. lewis, peggy cummins, turner classic movies

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