CinemaStix

Sound of Metal is a film that went further than most to depict deafness and deaf culture with dignity and respect. This is how.

Based on the stageplay La Cage aux Folles, The Birdcage isn't just one of the best Robin Williams movies. It's one of the best family comedies of all time. And that's hugely thanks to the direction by legendary theater director Mike Nichols. Here's how Nichols brought some of his theater sensibilities to the film, and why it was so successful.

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.

This is the story of how Pulp Fiction was written... not just by Quentin Tarantino, but also by Tarantino's Oscar-winning co-writer and best friend Roger Avary, leading to the eventual downfall of their collaborations together.

Here’s a brief exploration into how filmmakers use color in costume to help tell their stories, reveal character changes, and present themes.

From Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz to Scott Pilgrim, Edgar Wright has directed some fun movies. His use of music, sound, action and editing are second to none. Today, we'll look at his 2017 film Baby Driver and how Edgar Wright used clever costume design to color code his character.

From Galaxy Quest and Charlie's Angels, to Moon and Three Billboards, Sam Rockwell is one of the most diversely talented actors around. But he's not just a great character actor... he's a gosh darn good dancer. And Sam Rockwell finds some way to hoof it in just about every movie he's in. Let's take a look.

From Inception and The Dark Knight Trilogy to Interstellar and Tenet, Christopher Nolan has directed some of the most spectacular and thought-provoking films out there. But today, I want to take a step back to examine his smallest and cheapest studio film: The Prestige (2006). Specifically, I'll take you through some of the simple, yet highly effective, ways Nolan and his cinematographer, Wally Pfister, shot and lit The Prestige in less time and with a smaller budget.

Keanu Reeves has reignited his career thanks to the John Wick movie franchise. But this isn't just the story of his comeback. John Wick represents a big win for directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, two career stunt choreographers who made big waves with their debut film. John Wick started as an independent action movie, and has now spawned three major sequels. Here's how Leitch and Stahelski, and of course Keanu Reeves, did it.

Iron Man—the movie, and character, that started it all. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is massive. But what if I told you that Iron Man and Tony Stark were so unknown by most mainstream audiences that they had to make animated Iron Man advertorial films ahead of release to show kids he wasn't just a robot? That he was as cool as Spider-Man or The Hulk. What if I told you that Stan Lee created Iron Man knowing full well that the character was an inherently unlikeable person, daring himself to make audiences like him anyway? And how on earth did the MCU, and Robert Downey Jr. for that matter, manage to keep Tony Stark and Iron man interesting over the course of an entire decade? Well... let's talk about it.

Oh, John Williams, you genius, you... So, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a divisive movie. But if we can be sure of anything, it's that John Williams' original score for the film is some of his best work. And perhaps no new track in The Phantom Menace was more phenomenal and downright memorable than Duel of the Fates, the epic choir piece that's previewed during the lightsaber battle with Darth Maul near the end of the film. Today, I'm gonna talk a bit about what makes the song so fantastic, and how John Williams went about creating it for the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Disney feature animation ruled the 90s with hit movie after hit movie. But there was one animated film to come out of a different studio that has stood the test of time as well as any to come before it: The Iron Giant, directed by Brad Bird. The Iron Giant was one of the most precious films to me as a kid. And if you haven't seen it, I'm very proud to get to share it with you today.

Vin Diesel is one of the most successful actors working in Hollywood. But he didn't come from fame and wealth. Early on, he had a challenging time getting cast at all in an industry where few roles were created for multi-ethnic actors. So what did Vin Diesel do? He created a role for himself, writing, directing, producing and starring in his own independent short film called Multi-Facial. The film would go on to earn him roles in The Iron Giant and Saving Private Ryan. Here's how Vin Diesel did it.

American Psycho isn't the simple, dark, clinical slasher film many assumed it was when it released back in 2000. It's fundamentally a social satire, and a comedy. A very dark comedy. But a comedy nonetheless. And no one understood this better than American Psycho writer/director Mary Harron and breakout lead Christian Bale. Today, we'll delve into the funnier and most satirical moments from American Psycho, hearing not just from Harron and Bale, but also Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote the original novel.

The first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, isn't just a great movie. It's a brilliantly directed one. Steven Spielberg's skill at blocking and stages scenes is second to none. Today we'll take a look at some of the ways Spielberg implements blocking and staging using the same method that director Steven Soderbergh uses to analyze films: making the movie black and white, and taking away all of its score and dialogue... allowing us to focus only on the film's visual storytelling.

With the release of the seven the Mission Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning Part I, I wanted to take a look back at the original Mission Impossible movie, from 1996. This isn't just a great action film... or a great Tom Cruise movie... it's a beautifully shot suspense thriller with visuals that frankly astound me every time I watch it. Director Brian De Palma and his long-time cinematographer, Stephen Burum, put their all into crafting a tense and subdued first entry into the franchise. Mission Impossible wouldn't be what it is today without this movie. And while each new Mission Impossible film has found a way to triumph over the last, Tom Cruise's first foray will always remain a classic.

Director Christopher Nolan made waves back in 2000 with his second film, Memento. And the movie immediately became one of the best examples of character subjectivity in film. Today we'll look at the way Christopher Nolan and other filmmakers use a subjective camera and other inventive techniques to put their audience into the heads of their protagonist.

Ocean's Eleven is a "fun" heist movie. Director Steven Soderbergh never intended for it to be anything terribly more deep than that. But part of the reason it's captivating and successful is because of the way the film prioritizes character and character interaction over pure plot. The macro editing of Ocean's Eleven was all about good pacing and making sure we spent enough time just hanging out with the characters to really develop a fondness for what they got up to. Today I'll take a look at some of the important decisions Soderbergh made to ensure the rhythm and release throughout Ocean's Eleven was the best it could be, even if it went against some of his initial instincts as a director.

We've seen some great long shots in film. We've seen movies edited to look like one, long, unbroken take. But the film Victoria (2015), directed by Sebastian Schipper, is the real deal. One 2 plus hour film shot entirely in one go. Today I'll introduce the film, talk about some of the challenges of pulling off such a crazy filmmaking feat, and share some of the even crazier things that made Victoria the special film that it is.

Sin City (2005) is no ordinary comic book movie. Nor is it your average book to screen movie adaptation generally. Director Robert Rodriguez personally sought out author Frank Miller, creator of the original Sin City graphic novels, to co-direct the movie with him. With the author not just on set, but also directing, what you end up with is essentially the most faithful movie adaptation possible. Today I'll look at how Robert Rodriguez convinced Frank Miller to make the movie, and what the implications of that were. Next time I'll complete the story by discussing the technology behind turning the Sin City novels, visually, into a feature length film.

Turns out there's so much to say about the production of Sin City that I couldn't fit it all into one video. Last time I talked about how director Robert Rodriguez convinced Sin City creator Frank Miller to co-direct the movie with him, and what the impact of that collaboration was on Sin City's dedication to capturing the art and style of the originals graphic novels. This time I'll be looking at how Rodriguez utilized green screen and other digital technology to make that classic Sin City art possible.

The 1974 film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, directed by Sidney Lumet, was made in a way no modern murder mystery movie ever would be. It's patient, methodical, deceptively simple in its approach to storytelling, but absolutely magnificent in its technical prowess. Shots are long and well staged, making the best use of its constrained physical environments and the sheer number of characters at play at any given moment. Today I'll look at some of the ways director Sidney Lumet approached his take on Murder on the Orient Express, while also making a few comparisons to the 2017 remake of the film.

The Witch (aka The VVitch), directed by Robert Eggers, is one of the most stunningly shot mid-budget indie films out there, as well as one of the most smartly-budgeted period horror movies. Today I'll talk about how Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blashke balanced a very natural shooting and lighting style with savvy filmmaking tactics to keep costs down.

From Spaced to Hot Fuzz to Baby Driver, Edgar Wright is one of the most original directors working today. His first feature film, Shaun of the Dead, holds up as a bonafide classic. It's not just a great zombie movie. It's an excellent comedy. Inspired by an episode of the 1999 sitcom Spaced, Shaun of the Dead reunites a ton of old collaborators, including Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright himself. Today I'll be looking at one of the main ways Pegg and Wright use repetition to construct a near-perfect script in Shaun of the Dead.

M. Night Shyamalan has had some misses in his career. But when he's on his directing game, the result tends to be something truly unique. Unbreakable, the 2000 film starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, is no exception. A Superman story for the modern age, Unbreakable is a commentary on the superhero story structure that predates the golden age of superhero movies. And it knocks most of what followed it out of the water. Today, specifically, I'll be looking at how Shyamalan and his cinematographer Eduardo Serra used extraordinary long takes to help bring Unbreakable to life. Where most modern films have average shot lengths of under 3 seconds, Unbreakable has an average shot length of almost 19 seconds. And the result is something truly great.

What was the world's very first Christmas movie? You might think back to classics like Miracle on 34th Street or even It's A Wonderful Life. But you'd be about a half century off. In this quick flashback, I'll be going through a couple of the earliest Christmas movies ever made.

What do the first two Harry Potter movies and the first two Home Alone movies have in common? Quite a lot, actually. Director Chris Columbus made two of the greatest Christmas comedies in the early 90s with Home Alone. But when it came time to direct Harry Potter, it laid a surprisingly firm foundation, from similar protagonists, plot beats, style and tone. Today I'll show off some of those comparisons.

Mike Judge might be best known for his animated work, but his live-action feature debut from 1999, Office Space, is one of the most quotable cult classics out there. Today we'll dive a bit into what makes Office Space so memorable and so worthy of a re-watch 25 years later.