CinemaStix

I don't talk about television often. But my goodness, 'The Knick', which ran for two season back in 2004, has got to be one of the most under-appreciated series of the last 20 years. The show, starring Clive Owen as Dr. John Thackeray, was released on a little-known network at the time, and it simply didn't get the reach it deserved. Not only was every episode of the show directed by Steven Soderbergh, which is remarkably enough in its own right--the show was also shot by and edited by Soderbergh. Director, cinematographer and editor--that takes the term "auteur" to another level. So today, I'm gonna look at some of the things that make Soderbergh's work on The Knick so special. And if you haven't watched The Knick already... please, please do.

There are a lot of action movies out there. Most come and go and are largely forgotten. But The Bourne Identity is one that has endured, fondly remember as paving a path for the genre's evolution in the 21st century. I want to examine why I think the film works so well. Why The Bourne Identity isn't just an action film, but in fact a really well-crafted character journey, deep at its core. And I'm going to demonstrate that by taking you through the movie with all the CIA scenes removed, focusing only on Jason Bourne and Marie's story.

Today we'll hear straight from the man himself: How Quentin Tarantino wrote Pulp Fiction--how he approached his dialogue and characters, the influence of the crime genre, and the significance of non-linear storytelling to Pulp Fiction's screenplay.

In 1940, Charlie Chaplin, aka The Little Tramp, wrote and performed one of the greatest movie speeches in history in the film The Great Dictator. This is why.

Welcome to a new segment I'm experimenting with on movie scenes that make me cry. Basically, one movie at a time, I'm trying to dissect what it is about particular scenes in particular movies that effectively bring us to tears as viewers. Because it isn't always as simple as "well, that scene is very sad". Some of the greatest tear-jerkers for me aren't sad scenes at all! I'm beginning with the film that inspired this list. A movie, I confess, I'm a total sucker for, from beginning to end: 2001's A Knight's Tale, starring Heath Ledger. So join me, in what is, by a substantial margin, my longest video ever (and boy did it take forever to edit...)

There was some backlash a few years ago when Jennifer Lawrence was quoted implying that The Hunger Games was the first female-led action movie. Obviously there are many exceptions to that. But today I want to introduce you to one of my favorites: The Long Kiss Goodnight. Released in 1996, the film stars Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson and was written by Shane Black.

What makes films like The Godfather and Inglourious Basterds so great? Well for one, their pacing. They know when to slow things down and let the tension in a scene build. So let's take a look at what that looks like.

Welcome to the second episode of my new segment on movie scenes that make me cry. Last time I talked about 2001's A Knight's Tale. Today I want to look at one of many scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King that make me weep like a babe. And to set it up properly, I want to take you on a journey of one of the greatest characters in cinema.

What does it mean to "play a king" in a movie? Google it, you'll get a number of obvious answers. How you dress, how you speak, even the actions your take. But today, I want to look at a number of examples of kings in movies, under a different lens. To look at how "kingliness" is defined not by the king himself, but by the actors and characters surrounding him.

This isn't a video about how the James Bond franchise got to Casino Royale. This is a video about how the James Bond Franchise got to Daniel Craig! Why him? What path was Craig's career on leading up to playing the role of James Bond? Of Agent 007? Well, sit back as I take you through a brief history of Daniel Craig's pre-Bond acting career.

Layer Cake (2004) is the seriously underrated pre-Bond Daniel Craig crime thriller by director Matthew Vaughn. Today we'll explore one of its best scenes... and one of its best cuts.

Oh Robin Hood. So many variations of the story put to film, but none as heart-warming and tear-jerking to me as the animated Disney adaptation from 1973. Yeah, the one with all the animals. Today, I want to focus in on two sequences from the film that make me cry every single time.