We go a little outside the box and tackle the notion of what makes a good movie poster. Is the key to a good poster simplicity, cleverness, business, or a combination thereof?
Memorable posters are just that: memorable.
We then take the gloves off and talk a bit about our favorite movie posters, a slideshow of which you can see below!
We’ve talked about them in passing, and even mentioned a few on the show, but we are joined once more by our unofficial third host, McG, Christopher McGlothlin to talk about movies that we consider to be guilty pleasures!
It’s a diverse range of movies, and a totally subjective look at various genres and movies, and we even apologize a few times for liking some bad, bad movies. Guilty pleasure movies cover a wide range of film, but they generally are bad in some way, shape, or form, and we’re totally enamored with them for one reason or another.
It’s just Ethan and Aaron again this time, but join us as we read off the results of the pop culture movie show down, Ethan rants about “Tree of Life,” and we list off our favorite performances of all time!
Join us for a content packed show! We plug Ruthaz, announce the winners of the first round of the first annual Movie Pop Culture Showdown, and we talk Genre Bending films With none other than Jess Hartley!
Check out her musings here.
It’s January 25th, the day after the 84th annual academy awards nominations were announced, and since we are both confessed Oscar lovers we decide to be topical and discuss our favorite best winners of all time. As an added bonus we are joined by Sound-Man Chad, our editor for many broadcasts!
An Academy Award is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The Oscar statuette is officially named the Academy Award of Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. The formal ceremony at which the Awards of Merit are presented is one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, and is televised live in more than 100 countries annually, however the first broadcast was not televised. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media; its equivalents, the Grammy Awards (for music),Emmy Awards (for television), and Tony Awards (for theatre) are modeled after the Academy.
The AMPAS was originally conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss Louis B. Mayer as a professional honorary organization to help improve the film industry’s image and help mediate labor disputes. The Oscar itself was later initiated by the Academy as an award “of merit for distinctive achievement” in the industry.
The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor outstanding film achievements of the 1927/1928 film season. The most recent ceremony, honoring films in 2010, was held at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011. The 84th Academy Awards, honoring films in 2011, will be held at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre on February 26, 2012.
It’s finally happened, we’ve decided to address the elephant in the room in the world of films today. Remakes and Reboots! much to the Chagrin of our Guest Christopher McGlothin. plus geekly happenings runs a little long as we two tangents break out and we make impassioned pleas.
About Film Remakes
The term “remake” is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source. For example, 2001′s Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of the 1960 film, while 1989′s Batman is a re-interpretation of the comic book source material which also inspired 1966′sBatman.
With some exceptions, remakes make significant character, plot, and theme changes. For example, the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair is centered on a bank robbery, while its 1999 remake involves the theft of a valuable piece of artwork. Similarly, when the 1969 film The Italian Job was remade in 2003, few aspects were carried over. Another notable example is the 1932 film Scarface which was remade in 1983 starring Al Pacino; whereas the setting of 1932 version is the illegal alcohol trade, the characters in the 1983 version are involved in cocaine smuggling. Sometimes a remake is made by the same director. For example, Yasujirō Ozu’s black and white A Story of Floating Weeds was remade into the color Floating Weeds.Alfred Hitchcock remade his 1934 black and white The Man Who Knew Too Much in color in 1956; as did Cecil B. DeMille with his 1956 remake of his silent 1923 film The Ten Commandments. Most recently, in 2008, Michael Haneke made Funny Games U.S., his English-language remake of his original Funny Games (this is also an example of a shot-for-shotremake).
Not all remakes use the same title as the previously released version; the 1966 film Walk, Don’t Run, for example, is a remake of the World War II comedy The More the Merrier. This is particularly true for films that are remade from films produced in another language, such as: Point of No Return (from the French Nikita), Vanilla Sky (from the Spanish Abre los ojos), The Magnificent Seven (from the Japanese Seven Samurai), A Fistful of Dollars (from the Japanese Yojimbo), and The Departed (from Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs).
Although it does not meet the definition of a remake, a similar (and increasingly common) development is the use of a successful (usually older) television series as the source material for a feature film. Like film remakes, these often fare badly at the box-office and/or are considered a poor reflection on the source material (e.g. The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, Dudley Do-Right); however, some have gone on to become successful film franchises (e.g. The Addams Family, Mission: Impossible).
Join Us as we take a bite at the jugular of the Vampire Movie genre! We discuss this very old film genre. with long-time friend of the show Christopher McGlothin!
About Vampire Movies
Vampire films have been a staple since the silent days, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker’sDracula, with over 170 versions to date. Running a distant second are adaptations of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. The legend of Elizabeth Báthory, the “Blood Countess” has also been an influence. By 2005, Dracula had been the subject of more films than any other fictional character.
As folklore vampires are defined in their need to feed on blood and on their manipulative nature; a theme held common through the many adaptations. Although vampires are generally associated with the horror genre, vampire films may also fall into the science fiction,romance, comedy or fantasy genres, among others.
Join Ethan and Aaron on a personal journey, in their discussion of their favorite “Kill Shit With Swords Movies” while not an officially recognized film genre, it’s one of their favorites! In addition this is one of the few topical shows they’ve done . As this is in tribute to famed movie sword master Bob Anderson who passed away on January 1st, 2012 at the age of 89.
About Kill Shit With Swords Movies
Kill Shit With Swords Movies are films that feature the immortal and phallic symbol of the sword featured in glorious battle. The sword has long been a symbol of power and honor in history, from the noble katana of the Samurai, to the lightning-fast rapier that hung on the belts of the legendary Musketeers. Swords have long been a part of film from the earliest stories featuring the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, to the more recent sword-clashing epics.
About Bob Anderson
Robert James Gilbert Anderson (15 September 1922 – 1 January 2012) was an English Olympic fencer, and a renowned film fight choreographer, with a cinema career that spanned more than 50 years and included films such as Highlander, The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Die Another Day. He was regarded as the premier choreographer of Hollywood sword-fighting, and during his career he coached many actors in swordsmanship, including Errol Flynn, Sean Connery, Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp. He also appeared as a stunt double for Darth Vader’s light-saber battles in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
It’s the end of the year and the award season is in full swing. and hey Ethan and Aaron love movies, and putting stuff in order, so naturally we are doing so with the movies they’ve seen this year! Ed Douglas from Comingsoon.net Joins the conversation and gives some very interesting films to watch from this year!
About 2011 in film
The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 28 sequels.
Ed’s top films of 2011 can be viewed here.
Want to see Aaron and Ethan’s ranked movies of 2011? See below …
BRAAINNNSSS!!! that’s right 4 days before christmas so naturally we are talking Zombie movies!! only in homage to the overwhelming crushing feeling of a zombie apocalypse, we have on not one guest host but 3!! yes, it’s the megashow, we are Joined by Aaron and Ethan’s Fiance’s Rachel and Bethany respectively, and listener favorite James Lowder! editor of amongst many things “Triumph of the Walking Dead” which can be purchased here http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Walking-Dead-Robert-Kirkmans/dp/1936661136
About Zombie Films
zombie films. Zombies are creatures usually portrayed as either reanimated corpses or mindless human beings. While zombie films generally fall into the horror genre, some cross over into other genres, such as comedy, science fiction, thriller, or romance. Distinct sub-genres have evolved, such as the “zombie comedy” or the “zombie apocalypse”. Zombies are distinct from ghosts, mummies, or vampires, so this list does not include films devoted to these types of undead.
Victor Halperin’s White Zombie was released in 1932 and is often cited to be the first zombie film. However, arguments have been made that the ‘somnambulism’ in the German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) was an earlier example, involving a character in a state similar to that exhibited by zombies. And of course, the 1910 film Frankenstein features a reanimated corpse.
Join our ongoing discussion about the different genres. This time around we talk fantasy films Joined once again by Young Master Noah Gibbs!
About Fantasy Films
Fantasy Films: Unlike science fiction films that base their content upon some degree of scientific truth,take the audience to netherworld, fairty-tale places where events are unlikely to occur in real life. In mythological or legendary times, they transcend the bounds of human possibility and physical laws. Fantasy films are often in the context of the imagination, dreams, or hallucinations of a character or within the projected vision of the storyteller. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary. They may appeal to both children and adults, depending upon the particular film. See AFI’s 10 Top 10 – The Top 10 Fantasy Films.
In fantasy films, the hero often undergoes some kind of mystical experience, and must ask for aid from powerful, superhuman forces on the outside. Ancient Greek mythological figures or Arabian Nights-type narratives are typical storylines. Flying carpets, magic swords and spells, dragons, and ancient religious relics or objects are common elements. Bizarre and imaginary, invented lands include sci-fi worlds, unreal worlds, fairy tale settings, or other whimsical locales (e.g., Shangri-La or Brigadoon). The earliest sci-fi writers (H. G. Wells and Jules Verne) created fantastic worlds and/or journeys – the subject matter of many fantasy films.
Typically, the predominant characters in fantasies are princes or princesses. Some fantasy-type films might also include quasi-religious or supernatural characters such as angels, lesser gods, or fairies. Or they include the gnomes, dwarves and elves of legend.
Odd phenomena, physical aberrations, and incredible characters (sometimes monstrous characters that represent the divine or evil spirits, or fabulous magicians and sorcerers) are incorporated into fantasy films, and often overlap with supernatural films. They are often inspired or taken, however remotely, from myth or legend. They fill us with a marvelous sense of awe and touch off deep primal emotions.
Fantasy films are most likely to overlap with the film genres of science fiction and horror. When the narrative of a fantasy film tends to emphasize advanced technology in a fantastic world, it may be considered predominantly a science fiction film. Or when the supernatural, fantasy forces are specifically intended to frighten the audience, a fantasy film falls more within the horror genre.
Join us as we tackle a long awaited show when we dive into the film genre of Comedy! We are once again joined by the incomparable Christopher McGlothin as Ethan makes the the case that John Cleese should be considered among the greatest of all time, and Aaron finally gets the chance to talk about Chaplin at length!
About Comedies
Comedy Films are “make ‘em laugh” films designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are light-hearted dramas, crafted to amuse, entertain, and provoke enjoyment. The comedy genre humorously exaggerates the situation, the language, action, and characters. Comedies observe the deficiencies, foibles, and frustrations of life, providing merriment and a momentary escape from day-to-day life. They usually have happy endings, although the humor may have a serious or pessimistic side.
Join us as we look back to our development as film snobs. Yes, that’s right we take a look at the “Coming of Age” genre and our favorite films contained therein. we are joined by Local Lawrence, Ks podcaster Ethan “Slagathor” Beals!!
About Coming Of Age films
Coming-of-age film is a film genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood. Personal growth and change is an important characteristic of this genre, which relies on dialogue and emotional responses, rather than action. The main character is typically male, around mid-teen and the story is often told in the form of a flash-back. Themes of developing sexual identity, personal philosophy, and political opinions are often featured.
Join Ethan and Aaron as they take on a show favorite, Harry Potter, only as to no repeat ourselves we list out our favorite of the Harry Potter Characters.
About Harry Potter Characters
They are all fictional characters who have appeared in a Harry Potter-related book, author J. K. Rowling’s website as the “Wizard of the Month”, the Daily Prophet (the newsletter of the official Harry Potter fan club in the United Kingdom) or the J. K. Rowling…A Year in the Life documentary from Independent Television News.
Join us for a show first, when we throw convention out the window and instead of discussing a genre we discuss a directors body of work, arguably a genre in it of themselves The Coen Brothers! and to add a twist of awesome we are joined by friend of the Show Christopher McGlothin!
About The Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957) known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. Their films include Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?,No Country for Old Men, and True Grit.
The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes.
Join this this time as we welcome back Christopher McGlothlin and Discuss a spooky film genre-supernatural movies!!!
About Supernatural films
These are films that have themes including gods or goddesses, ghosts, apparitions, spirits, miracles, and other similar ideas or depictions of extraordinary phenomena. They may be combined with other genres, including comedy, sci-fi, fantasy or horror. Interestingly however, until recently, supernatural films were usually presented in a comical, whimsical, or a romantic fashion, and were not designed to frighten the audience. There are also many hybrids that have combinations of fear, fantasy, horror, romance and comedy.
This time around we finally tackle a host favorite genre, The Western!!! and to make it that much cooler we are joined by Kantcon’s very own road warrior, Noah Gibbs!
About Westerns
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. There are also a number of films about Western-type characters in contemporary settings, such as Junior Bonner set in the 1970s and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada in the 21st century.
Westerns often portray how desolate and hard life was for American frontier families. These families are faced with change that would severely alter their way of life. This may be depicted by showing conflict between natives and settlers or U.S. Cavalry or between cattle ranchers and farmers (“sodbusters”), or by showing ranchers being threatened by the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Despite being tightly associated with a specific time and place in American history, these themes have allowed Westerns to be produced and enjoyed across the world.
Considering that our show has a strong basis in comic books we were quite surprised that it took us this long to discuss comic book films as a genre. we are joined once again by Edward Douglas, film critic for comingsoon.net and superherohype.com! About Comic Book Movies A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action,fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or moresuperheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films are almost always action-oriented, and the first film of a particular character often includes a focus on the origin of the special powers including the first fight against the character’s most famous supervillain archenemy.
Most superhero movies are adapted from comic books, where the fantasy genre most dominant in the medium’s mainstream image. By contrast, several films such as the RoboCop series,Darkman, The Meteor Man, Up, Up, and Away, Unbreakable, The Incredibles,Hancock and Megamind are original, while The Green Hornet is based primarily on the original radio series and its 1960stelevision adaptation, and Underdog is based on a classic cartoon.
About Edward Douglas
Edward is in charge of the military forces on Krypton. He knew Jor-El, Superman’s father, when Jor-El was an aspiring scientist. When the space program was abolished after the destruction of the inhabited moon Wegthor , he attempted to take over Krypton…..Wait I got him confused with General Zod but look at them side by side!
You could hardly blame us! anyway Edward is a professional film critc with superherohype.com and comingsoon.net amongst other places just check out some of his reviews and judge for yourself! Read More Edward Douglas Reviews http://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/edward-douglas/
Join us as we finally start posting these things again! This time we discuss heist films as a genre with Role playing game icon Robin Laws!
About Heist films
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history. Typically, there are many plot twists, and film focuses on the characters’ attempts to formulate a plan, carry it out, and escape with the goods. There is often a nemesis who must be thwarted: either a figure of authority or a former partner who turned on the group or one of its members.
Join us as once again we abandon our movie genre discussion In Favor to discuss a Television Series! This time we are joined by our Ladies Rachel, and Beth to Discuss the much loved geek series Buffy The Vampire Slayer! Created by none other than Ruthaz Winner himself Joss Whedon!
About Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series that aired from March 10, 1997, until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy Productions with later co-executive producers being Jane Espenson,David Fury, David Greenwalt, Doug Petrie, Marti Noxon, and David Solomon. The series narrative follows Buffy Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), the latest in a line of young women known as “Vampire Slayers” or simply “Slayers”. In the story, Slayers are “called” (chosen byfate) to battle against vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. Like previous Slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides, teaches, and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the “Scooby Gang”.
