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Awesome Storyboards from 15 of Your Favorite Films

By Jason Bailey on

With storyboards on our mind lately thanks to their use in both the opening sequence and the climax of Argo, we decided to put together a gallery of our favorites from iconic… Read More

Film

Readers’ Choice: More of the Movies People Need to Stop Quoting

By Jason Bailey on

So come to find out, people are very attached to their movie quotes. Last week, we wrote a post that gently suggested there are some movies that everyone’s heard quoted back to them quite enough times, thank you very much. As the comments rolled in, many readers disagreed, often in colorful language! But let’s not focus on them — many of you not only agreed, but had your own suggestions for movies that others (and yourselves) should put lid on.

We combed through the hundred or so comments the piece received (both here and on our partner site The Atlantic), and while several additional titles were nominated for inclusion in the “stop quoting club” — Fight Club, Scarface, 300, Menace II Society, Blue Velvet, Team America, Jaws, Spider-Man, Psycho, Airplane, Tropic Thunder, Full Metal Jacket, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Caddyshack (I’m sorry, I just can’t diss Caddyshack; we all have our weaknesses) — several fine readers not only had suggestions, but mounted a case for the title at hand. After the jump, over a dozen more movies that you, the readers, insist we all stop quoting. … Read More

Film

12 of the Greatest Movie Roles Almost Played

By Jason Bailey on

The weekend’s big movie, as you well know, was The Hunger Games, while DVD and Blu-ray players have been firing up Fincher’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo since its release last week. The two films have a lot in common: powerful female protagonists, adaptations of bestsellers, probable franchise kick-offs. As such, they were also each objects of carefully considered casting. It’s become part of the pre-production process, the bandying about of potential name actors for high-profile roles; Fincher reportedly talked to Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, and Scarlett Johansson before settling on Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, while Hunger Games director Gary Ross’ alternate Katnisses included Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, Chloe Moretz, and Saoirse Ronan.

Contemplating proxy casting choices is a fun parlor game for movie fans (perhaps second only to considering movies that never came to pass at all). After the jump, we’ll take a look at a dozen iconic movie roles, and the actors who almost, almost filled them. … Read More

Film

10 Great Documentaries About Famous Films

By Jason Bailey on

One of our most anticipated titles at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (oh, yeah, did we mention we’ll be at the Sundance Film Festival? Because we totes will) is Room 237, a new documentary by Rodney Ascher about the obsessive fans of The Shining. According to Entertainment Weekly, one of them posits an intriguing two-part conspiracy theory. First, he holds that Kubrick “directed” the faked Apollo moon landings while shooting 2001 — itself a mere cover for his bigger job. (This one’s been floating around for years — hell, it inspired its own “mockumentary,” Dark Side of the Moon.) But here’s the kicker: the fan also contends that, since Kubrick would have faced dire consequences if he ever revealed his involvement in the moon landing, he instead smuggled clues into The Shining, using his Stephen King adaptation as a giant coded message to tell the world about the ruse.

“It’s a film-nerd love-fest,” according to Sundance programmer Trevor Groth. “These obsessive people dissect The Shining, and they’ve watched it thousands of times, all finding their own coded meaning and language in it.” Reading about Room 237, and salivating for it, got us thinking about some of our other favorite “film-nerd love-fests”; after the jump, we’ve compiled ten of our favorite documentaries about famous films. … Read More

Design

Olaf Cuadras Ferré’s Cartoon Posters for Classic and Cult Films

By Nicole Rallis on

Artist Olaf Cuadras Ferré is a man of many hats. Not only is he an illustrator, an art director, and a graphic designer, but Ferré is also a talented poster artist, creating a series of cartoonish images inspired by classic and cult films. The simple design of the posters — featuring iconic characters, evocative typography, and a monochromatic background —  is complemented by bold colors and an attention to detail in the depiction of characters’ facial expressions, clothing, and props. Check out the series, which captures the essence of such films as The Royal Tenenbaums, Pulp Fiction, and The Big Lebowski, after the jump, and keep up to date with Ferré’s projects by following his Tumblr. … Read More

Design

Reimagined Posters for Classic 1970s Films

By Caroline Stanley on

First, a disclaimer: We’re of the opinion that it would be impossible for anyone to outdo the original poster for Annie Hall. The image of Annie and Alvy standing face-to-face is perfect in its simplicity. That said, we’re always happy to see artists engage in a little cinematic homage. Such is the case with LWL70, an exhibition of reimagined 1970s film posters commissioned by Little White Lies, a British film magazine, that are currently on display at the East London-based Kemistry Gallery. Click through to view some of our favorite work from the show, and if you like what you see, snap up an affordable art print in the online shop. … Read More