Cowboys, outlaws, deserts, shanty towns, and gunslinging. These are familiar elements seen in the genre known as the Western, in both literature and cinema. But for many genre fans, it specifically refers to Spaghetti Westerns, a genre that emerged during the 1960s. Traditional Westerns they weren’t, as they were often low budget, featured violence and questionable morals, on top of technically being foreign films. So, what is a Spaghetti Western, why is it called a Spaghetti Western, how did they become so popular, and create such an enduring legacy? Let’s find out.
Continue reading What is a Spaghetti Western — History and Legacy Explained
A Close-up shot is one of the most commonly used shot sizes in film and television, but there are ways to make your close-ups extraordinary. It may be when you decide to use them in your story, or how you angle your camera to get an added emotional effect, or by surrounding them with varying shot sizes. In this post, we’ll break it down for you.
Continue reading Close-Up Shots: Examples of Camera Movement & Angles
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today’s stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best opening scenes in movies to see how the best in the business grab the audience and never let go.
Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
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Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
We’ll be updating this list every month as movies come and go on Prime, so be sure to check back for new, great additions!
Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (October 2020)
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
We’ll be updating this list every month as movies come and go on Prime, so be sure to check back for new, great additions!
Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (December 2020)
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
We’ll be updating this list every month as movies come and go on Prime, so be sure to check back for new, great additions!
Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (November 2020)
Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
We’ll be updating this list every month as movies come and go on Prime, so be sure to check back for new, great additions!
Continue reading The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (September 2020)
No genre has influenced the public’s perception of criminals more than Gangster Movies. For more than 80 years, the best gangster movies have fascinated and allured the minds of millions; from Prohibition-era pre-code crime to 21st Century gang life. Our list of the 30 best gangster movies of all time includes films that span the globe and were produced in different time periods, with very different budgets.
Whether sensational like De Palma’s Scarface or grounded like Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, audiences have grown to see gangsters in new ways. But their binding similarity is that they are each responsible for shaping the publics’ view of gangsters.… Keep reading
When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them no, I went to films. – Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is not just a world-class filmmaker but also a renowned film lover. He is a lifelong cinephile with an encyclopedic knowledge of the medium. Tarantino always packs his films with homages to the movies he loves. He even uses his renown as a means to provide exposure to films that he believes deserve more success. These are often foreign language films or older films that never found their audience. The following list is not in order of preference.… Keep reading
The Spaghetti Western is one of the most iconic movie subgenres of all-time. Spaghetti Westerns originated in Italy during the 1960s under the tutelage of the great Sergio Leone – who garnered international acclaim for his “Dollars Trilogy” starring Clint Eastwood. Between 1964 and 1978, Italy produced dozens of Spaghetti Westerns, most of which were shot at the country’s famed production studio Cinecittà. The Spaghetti Western has become a symbol for international illusions of the American west, sweeping vista shots, and climatic shootouts – needless to say, Spaghetti Westerns have had an enormous impact on cinema and world culture. So without further ado, let’s answer the question: what is the best Spaghetti Western of all time?… Keep reading
If you grew up in the home video era, you may have found yourself asking, “What is a Director’s Cut?” When DVD emerged, some movies would claim to be a “Director’s Cut,” which could imply many things to the potential consumer. It might seem straightforward, but there’s a lot more to Director’s Cuts than just a longer version of a movie. So, what is a Director’s Cut and why are there so many of them? We’re going to go over the definition, its history through theatrical and home video releases, famous examples of Director’s Cuts and the different types that exist.… Keep reading
Although the Western genre is past its hay day, it undoubtedly has inspired the work of some of today’s most prolific filmmakers and it is hard to hear the word “Western” without thinking of the best Clint Eastwood movies of all time. Eastwood proved to be a major factor in defining the genre but has also stepped outside of the Western to take on some of his most memorable roles. Besides his incredible achievements as a director, Clint Eastwood’s presence on the big screen has inspired, influenced, and entertained generations of movie-goers and filmmakers alike. So we compromised a list of Eastwood’s best and most memorable movies as an actor.… Keep reading
