Alfred Hitchcock’s Final Movie Is More Black Comedy Than Thriller
The Big Picture Alfred Hitchcock infuses humor in his darker films, even once famously stating that he views all his work as a comedy, even the genre-defining slasher, Psycho . Family Plot showcases Hitchcock's dark comedic craft with eccentric characters…
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Supernatural’s Ending Was Originally Different (and Way More Epic)
Summary Supernatural's iconic 15-year run ended with a finale that faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting the original plans. The pandemic forced creators to rewrite the final episodes, resulting in a smaller scale final showdown with God and…
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New Films From Yorgos Lanthimos, Frances Ford Coppola & Andrea Arnold
Thanks to early official announcements a number of the movies debuting at this year’s 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes are already known. Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act” will open the festival. George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”…
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‘Civil War’ Film Review: A Viscerally Thrilling Warning For Our Times
Alex Garland’s latest, Civil War, is a riveting cinematic event. It has been some time since a filmmaker has captured the climate of America so precisely. Paul Schrader’s powerful 2017 statement, First Reformed, is perhaps the last time and that…
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It Took 95 Takes To Nail This Harry Potter Scene
The Big Picture "The Seven Harrys" scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 took 95 takes to complete due to the complex transformations of multiple cast members. Daniel Radcliffe studied his co-stars' movements to accurately portray their…
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This Underrated Natalie Portman Movie Is Like a Bizzaro Black Swan
Summary Similar to Black Swan, Vox Lux delves into the dark side of fame through Natalie Portman's captivating performance as a troubled pop star. Despite commercial differences, both films share themes, choreographers, and visual cues, providing a haunting look at…
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Only The Animated ‘Lord of the Rings’ Gets Frodo Right
The Big Picture Ralph Bakshi's animated Lord of the Rings film revolutionized battle scenes and stayed true to Tolkien's world vision. Frodo's portrayal in Bakshi's film showcases his intelligence and leadership qualities. Bakshi's version of Frodo maintains his agency, contrasting…
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Is Natalie Portman’s Black Swan a Perfect Blue Rip Off?
Summary When comparing Black Swan to Perfect Blue , the plot of both films certainly share some similarities. Darren Aronofsky has admitted to being a fan of Perfect Blue director Satoshi Kon in the past. Despite similarities, Black Swan and…
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The Great Escape: How Cinemas Were Shaped by the Pandemic
If you go down to your local cinema, you’ll notice something that’s become quite prevalent over the last few years. It’s difficult to find a film that doesn’t have a fantasy or family slant with blockbuster movies tending towards sci-fi…
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Adam Wingard’s MonsterVerse Movies Pay Homage to a Specific Kaiju Era
The Big Picture Showa era Godzilla films shaped Godzilla x Kong 's concept and ambition. Monsters fight or team up in Showa era films - a major inspiration for director Adam Wingard. Wingard hints at a potential third film, continuing…
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How Star Wars Was Partly Inspired by Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon
Summary The Buck Rogers comic strip set the stage for Star Wars , inspiring George Lucas to create his own galactic saga. Lucas honed his filmmaking skills with American Graffiti before pursuing his dream of making big-budget sci-fi. Collaboration with…
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‘The Wild’ Film Review: A Vivid and Complex Korean Crime Thriller
The new Korean thriller, The Wild, is the latest entry into the Asian gangster genre. Over the last decade and a half, the Korean gangster picture has taken its place on the mantle, right beside China and Japan, forming an…
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