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The Ad-Lib – 10 Great Moments of Improvisation in Film

“The thing about improvisation is that it’s not about what you say. It’s listening to what other people say. It’s about what you hear” Paul Merton It’s something of an unwritten rule for any stage performer that you must, at the drop of a hat, be able to think on your feet and react off …

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‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is a thrilling showcase of Roger Moore’s turn as the MI-6 agent

The Spy Who Loved Me Directed by Lewis Gilbert Screenplay by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum UK, 1977 There’s an undeniable lasting appeal to Bond. Lasting 50 years is certainly proof of that, but there’s something deeper. After all, one can point to Star Trek and Doctor Who as cultural icons that have stood the …

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Horror Cinematic Techniques: Close-up Shot

The close up has been a powerful device in horror films for nearly a century now. The close-up shot is used in horror to create atmosphere and increase the audience’s fear by zooming in on facial expressions of the characters at hand. Conversely, close-ups are an equally effective tool used to emote objects, from Freddy …

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The new nostalgia: Releasing multiple updated versions of childhood memories

In the modern era of filmmaking, ushered in when Steven Spielberg accidentally created the summer blockbuster with Jaws, cinema has become increasingly linked with nostalgia. For example, the early films of Spielberg and George Lucas were inspired by their childhood love of 40’s and 50’s adventure serials, yet directors from the next generation (most notably …

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12 Of The Most Iconic Movie Posters of All

Hundreds of movies are released every year, and for every movie that’s released, there’s a movie poster to go along with it. While these movie posters typically do a great job of advertising the film for a few weeks prior to release, very few of them end up being remembered for more than a few …

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10 of the Best Movie Attack Scenes of All Time

If you’ve seen a film montage in the last 10 years, then you’ve been witness to at least one of the scenes mentioned on this list: the vibrating water glass from Jurassic Park signaling the T-Rex prowling nearby. It’s the perfect type of image to tell the audience: something is coming. These flashes of exhilaration …

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‘Jaws’ will terrorize theaters again for its 40th anniversary this summer

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Easily one of the most recognizable films of all-time, Jaws will be coming back to theaters this summer for special screenings to commemorate the movie’s 40th anniversary. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fathom Events will screen Jaws on Sunday, June 21 and Wednesday, June 24 at 2:00 p.m. and …

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Creature Feature: Top Ten Animals Gone Bad in the Movies

The human condition. It is a tricky and complicated concept for us mortals to grasp in terms of our ugly, unpredictable behaviors. However, when one applies a revealing spotlight on the animal kingdom and takes a look at their on-screen aggression against humans it becomes a whole new ballgame. Occasionally, the source of frustration embedded …

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The Definitive Best Picture Losers

#10. Chinatown (1974) Lost to: The Godfather Part II Well, no one will argue that it should have won, but still. Roman Polanski’s film made a true leading man out of Jack Nicholson. It grabbed eleven nominations, only taking home one. That being said, that one was for Original Screenplay, written by Robert Towne, which may …

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Interview with Linnea Quigley, star of ‘Return of the Living Dead’ and ‘Night of the Demons’

Linnea Quigley is a prolific actress with over a hundred credited film and television appearances including the likes of Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, Graduation Day, Savage Streets, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Ms. Quigley, who was kind enough to sit down for an …

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The Nostalgia Files: Sequels of the 1980s

The 1980s were a time in which the science fiction and adventure film genres reigned supreme. Films like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), and Back to the Future (1985) are three of strong examples of classic 80s films that expanded their respective universes to further installments. The sequel, while a sometimes surefire …

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Beast of Burden: Top 10 Human-Animal Combinations in the Movies

It can be such a beautiful happening when the natural forces of humanity and the wild kingdom can get together and establish a sense of harmony in motion pictures. Also, it can be a compelling yet regrettable conflict as well when man and beast decide to collide in the interest of big screen entertainment. Whatever …

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‘Godzilla’ a genuinely exciting spectacle with incredible setpieces

Godzilla Written by Max Borenstein Directed by Gareth Edwards USA, 2014 It’s been almost 16 years to the day since Roland Emmerich attempted and failed to bring Godzilla to a wider American audience, a mistake almost as gargantuan as the monster itself was an accident of nuclear radiation and mutation. Surprisingly, the concept of making …

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Film Vs. Novelization: ‘Jaws: The Revenge’

It’s rare that a film is unanimously considered one of the worst of all time, but almost every bottom ten list manages to find room for the fourth entry in the Jaws franchise. Be it the ambiguous nature of the title (who, exactly, is taking revenge?), the wooden performances or the rubber monster haunting the cast on …

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‘Jaws 3D’: Cheap Carny Tricks and SeaWorld Sharks

The summer of 2001 was especially tense. Having just been through an unending presidential election, the U.S. seemed especially on edge. Even before the towers fell in September, the media was already pushing a large, unknown insurgency, it’s face gracing the cover of Time just a month before. The infamous “Summer of the Shark” cover is …

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Revolt of Nature Horror Films: The Must-Sees

Writer Lee Gambin calls them Natural Horror films, other writers call them Revenge of Nature or Nature Run Amok films and writer Charles Derry considers them a type of Apocalyptic Cinema. Of course we’re speaking of one of the great horror subgenres for which we’ll employ writer Kim Newman’s tag: The Revolt of Nature. Since …

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Smile, You Son of a Bitch! An Art Tribute to JAWS!

Hero Complex Gallery in Los Angeles will host a special three-day art event called Smile You Son Of A Bitch, An Art Tribute To Jaws. Proceeds raised from purchases at the PangeaSeed Emporium go directly towards supporting PangeaSeed’s efforts to help save sharks and other marine species in peril. Here is some more information via …

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‘Jaws’: How a Shark Changed Hollywood

  Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) was a commercial hit. Upon its release in theatres during the summer of 1975, it broke box-office records. The film was put together by studios and agencies; essentially it was a product specifically made to make money- a lot of it. It is regarded as being the first ever “blockbuster” …

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“I’d buy that for a dollar!” The 2012 “Hey You Geeks!!” Holiday Shopping Guide

Whether you own a TV or simply rely on the web, it should be clear by the barrage of advertising that holiday shopping season has once again fallen upon us. Maybe you’re one of those who stumbled out of your post Thanksgiving tryptophan-coma at 4am yesterday for some Walking Dead style survival drills at your …

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Remember Me: Richard Zanuck (1934 – 2012)

There are all kinds of producers: hucksters, hustlers, con men and schlockmeisters. Some are in it for the glory, some like to walk the red carpet with a starlet on their arm. For some, the biggest award is a box office hit and it doesn’t matter what kind of crap they throw on the screen …

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