24 Frames a Second

Looking Back At The 1970′s: The French Connection (1971)

Tim — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:39:25 +0000

Watching The French Connection with my girlfriend the other night I became sensitive to what it must be like watching this classic film for the first time in 2012. I was struck by how easy it would be to write the film off as just another in a long-line of cop dramas. All of [...]

Cinema Masters: Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love (2000)

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:57:09 +0000

Sometimes I wish that films would stop being released for a few years just so that I could catch-up on all of the great ones I’ve missed; particularly those that require a large amount of reading. Not that I mind subtitles of course, it’s just that occasionally (okay, frequently) my lazy-ass would rather watch comfort [...]

The Unfortunate Fate Of John Carter

Tim — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:26:44 +0000

Only a weekend after it opened John Carter is being written off as a flop due to earning little more than $30 million at the U.S. box office (plus over $70 million in the foreign markets). There are many reasons that could, and probably will, be used to explain this poor result. [...]

Rear Window (1954): The Writer’s Perspective

Tim — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:31:47 +0000

For me, Rear Window soars above Alfred Hitchcock’s other films. Which is no mean feat. There is an effortlessness to the film that other Hitchcock films that I’ve seen do not quite have. It deftly mixes wit, suspense, and romance, and entertains from beginning to end.

I’m currently reading Writing [...]

Looking Back At The 1970′s: Little Big Man (1970)

Tim — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:21:34 +0000

In 1967 Arthur Penn directed a film called Bonnie and Clyde (1967), which, along with The Graduate (1967) and Easy Rider (1969), helped to convince the studio executives to open the gate to many upcoming young filmmakers. He followed it up with Alice’s Restaurant in 1969 and then with Little Big Man in 1970.

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Cinema Masters: Kieślowski’s The Double Life of Véronique (1991)

Tim — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:34:37 +0000

Looking Back At The 1970′s: Patton (1970)

Tim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:40:29 +0000

It is hard to believe that Patton and M*A*S*H were released in the same year. While M*A*S*H was innovative in its use of the camera and sound, Patton, aesthetically at least, resembles a classic Hollywood epic.

George C. Scott in the iconic opening scene.

Unlike Altman’s use of long lenses [...]

Looking Back At The 1970′s: MAS*H (1970)

Tim — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:33:39 +0000

Director Robert Altman was 45 when M*A*S*H was released. Prior to this film he had worked in television and directed a few small, unsuccessful, films. The critical and commercial success of M*A*S*H allowed him to become one of the most prolific and interesting filmmakers of the ’70′s. However, the film itself, despite its success [...]

Looking Back At The 1970′s: Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Tim — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:53:28 +0000

Bobby Dupea (Jack Nicholson) is a man dislocated in society. Dissatisfied with his working-class life and girlfriend, unable to cope with his academic family, he flees through life in a constant state of unease. His dislocation is not due to a lack-of-charm; we see just how charming he can be in many scenes; [...]

Looking Back At The 1970′s: An Introduction

Tim — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:43:12 +0000

American cinema of the 1970′s is often looked upon as a golden-age. Studios, unsure of what the public wanted, turned the reins over to up-and-coming filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Dennis Hopper, Robert Altman, Hal Ashby, Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Michael Cimino, and Brian DePalma, in the hopes [...]