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15 Movies Screenwriters Should Watch to Study Dialogue
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. What are the best movies that you should study if you want to learn how to write amazing dialogue? The best dialogue is lightning in a bottle. There’s no real formula. It’s not a paint-by-the-numbers process that everyone can follow. We’ve explored the “secrets” of writing great dialogue. Read ScreenCraft’s The Single Secret of Writing Great Dialogue! Lack of dialogue is where you start — that’s the first key to unlocking the mysteries of memorable movie dialogue. The best practice is less about injecting those great one-liners and speeches and more about cutting and cutting and cutting every line of dialogue that you can until you find that great one-liner, fragment, or phrase hiding amidst the noise — that diamond in the rough that encapsulates the moment at the core. The second and final key to unlocking the secret of writing great dialogue is to understand that there is no secret. There is no single final secret. And the moment you realize that will be the moment that you’ll feel a heavy weight lifted from your shoulders. There are no dialogue rules that can apply to each and every screenplay. Some scripts require expositional dialogue — others would suffer from it. Some scripts require the added touch of stylistic dialogue — others don’t need it. Some scripts require no dialogue, letting actions speak louder than words (Dunkirk, The Road) — others would benefit from it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the best cinematic dialogue that has graced the big and small screens. Part of the learning process of writing is seeking out the best inspiration you can find. Then you can build on that inspiration and apply your own style and choices. Here we offer fifteen movies — in no specific order — that screenwriters should watch to study cinematic dialogue. We’ll also briefly break down what you can learn from each. -
15 Riveting Documentaries That Unfold Like Dramatic Narratives
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Documentary films have been around since the earliest days of cinema. In a sense, they are the opposite of narrative films: fictional stories created in the mind of the writer, brought to life by the director, and starring a bunch of actors who are pretending to be someone else. Documentaries by definition are nonfiction, true-life stories presented to the audience as a cinematic document of the world we all inhabit. Recently, there has been a shift in the form and many current documentary filmmakers have been blurring the line between factual documentaries and narrative fiction. They present a story that actually happened but may alter the sequence of events or hold back certain details in order to construct a more dramatic film full of unforeseen twists and ultimate climaxes. Based on the success and influence of these films, as well as narrative films that include aspects of documentary-like reality such as Boyhood (2014) and Under the Skin (2013), it is safe to assume that the boundary between narrative films and documentaries will continue to diminish, and future films may not permit classification between the two forms of filmmaking. In the end, no matter the form or genre, every film has the same goal: to captivate an audience and produce an emotional reaction through cinematic storytelling. The following films use this modern technique of documentary storytelling to demonstrate how the nonfiction stories can be just as thought provoking and emotionally powerful as the tales constructed by human imagination. -
16 Best Liminal Space Horror Movies That Define the Genre
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. The word "liminal" is something we have been hearing more and more these days. The word is nothing new but its definition pertains to a lot of what we see around us. Liminal is a word that relates to transition, or the initial stages of a transitional process. Think of it as the end of one thing, but the next phase of whatever it may be describing, has yet to really take shape. Horror is often, if not always, a reflection of the world around us and how we react to it. It's the fear of the unknown in everyday life. Whether you like it or not, the 2020s have kicked off in a very liminal way. The old ways seemed to have been torn down, but we've yet to see a new world come together. Many are nostalgic of the past, but the problem with nostalgia is that it feels good to stare at something that reminds you of the good ol'days, but you will never truly obtain what it meant and felt like ever again. Look around you, the world many of us were promised no longer exists. Malls are closing, technology is advancing, politics sways back and forth between conservative and progressive ideals, and here we all are, waiting for something new in this liminal space of life. To help us through that transition is a long list of liminal horror films that hit that spot of feeling like and limbo as you yearn for a past you can't have anymore. -
20 Great Movies That Cross The Line Between Film And Stage
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Cinema is regarded as the sum of all arts, and not mistakenly; since its origins, filmmakers strove to enrich their work by looking at other forms of art – poetry, painting, music, and of course, theater. Sometimes the distinction between the latter and cinema is neat, sometimes not; there is always something the two arts have in common, something that obsessed over and still obsesses the masters of the Seventh Art. A thin line marks the border, a line that only a few artists can cross successfully. Here are 20 great films that succeeded in crossing this line, each in its own way. -
20 Great Movies That Introverts Will Absolutely Love
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Being an introvert is often misunderstood as being boring, uninteresting, and plain. People have a tendency to care less and aggrieve towards those who are reticent, quiet, and what we often call “loner”, “weirdo”, or “creep”. Introverts are some of the most underrated and misjudged people today, and how most people perceive them is far from who they really are and what they really do. Introverts are withdrawn and separated from society, not simply because they want to, but because they are always on a different page; they think and act differently and no one will get them other than themselves. On the other hand, extroverts tend to be better at communicating and expressing their thoughts and feelings, while introverts are known to be reserved and hesitant when it comes to disclosing, and the movies listed can be a basic and useful guide for extroverts to understand and see the world in an introvert’s eyes. Their most quiet moments can be the moments where they are the most thoughtful and/or imaginative, and in these films, we see this side of them. These movies show introversion as a compelling way of life and not just a state of mind of being alone; they show the reasons behind it, its effects towards other people, and how they deal with it. The following films convey what introverts feel and see that extroverts don’t. The films listed introduce us to a different yet interesting world of introverts who may not be socially active but have an active inner life. -
20 Great Movies That Make Masterful Use of Color
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Back in the 1990’s there was a considerable cultural stir within the film community. Several companies, notably one owned by mogul Ted Turner, were indulging in a process called colorization. Simply put, this process took films created in black and white and added color to them (much as old post cards had once been colored). This was done in an effort to interest younger viewers in older films and thus make them more commercial. Many, many film buffs were appalled. Most of those who spoke out against the process took the tack of exalting monochromatic photography, admittedly beautiful but considered by some to be somewhat passé in the modern film era. As part of this campaign, many of the colorization opponents condemned any use of color in film. Maybe a certain something did get lost when films went almost completely to color, but this argument was facile. The great, and wise, director-writer John Huston noted that color could be a great tool in the hands of a film maker who knew how to use it and what to do with it. And he should have known since he used color to great effect in many of his films. What the anticolorization crowd missed was the fact that color in some form or another has existed almost has long as cinema itself. Indeed, the first color motion picture was released in 1912. The perfected three-strip Technicolor process didn’t arrive until 1935 but that still gave film makers many years in which to use it. The process was costly and thought to work best for musicals, comedies, big, spectacular films such as Gone with The Wind or special projects such as the animated films of Walt Disney. However, after World War II, a more modern wave of thought started to creep into world cinema. Many noted directors started to use color as another means by which to effectively tell stories as part of their visual styles. Like the use of black and white, this was a creative decision—and that was what colorization was infringing upon. Below are a number of outstanding examples of how skillful film makers can use color to superb effect. -
25 Great Movies That Make Landscape The Main Character
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. A landscape has the ability to shape us. It has the power to influence our behaviors, our emotions, and our memories. A place (the right place) can inspire awe. It can motivate its inhabitant to explore and get lost within it. It can also inspire a fear of the unknown and uncontrollable, reminding us that we are still at the mercy of the forces of nature. The following films highlight the landscape as an influential aspect to the stories they tell and/or the characters within them. Whether the landscape is a character with which the other characters must interact (or fight against) or an inspiring force from which the characters draw their emotions or memories, these films use the land as a integral part of the stories they tell. -
50 Greatest Movie Sound Effects
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50 Most Disgusting Movie Moments
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50 Movie Posters That Defined Their Era
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. A teaser, an advertisement, a motivator – film posters have many jobs. From 1895 to the present day, these 50 movie posters have gone above and beyond the call of duty. -
Best Cinematography of Every Year (1940-2012)
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Best Documentary Hybrids – A Curated List
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Although documentarians claim to represent truth in filmmaking and narrative moviemakers tout their ability to entertain and transform through fantasy, the line between truth and fiction in filmmaking is — and always has been — blurry. In ‘hybrid documentaries,’ nonfiction filmmakers use narrative filmmaking techniques — reenactments, special effects, animation and other such elements — to effectively deliver story elements essential to conveying the film’s subject and theme. Collectively these outstanding films illustrate the many ways in which narrative filmmaking techniques can be used in documentary filmmaking without compromising the genre’s standards of authenticity, transparency and journalistic ethics. Here, in alphabetical order, is my curated list of the best: -
Greatest Documentary Films by Galina Prozhiko
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History of Russian Cinema in 50 Films
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IMDb Top 250 TV (August 2018)
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Movies about youth & rebellion: The 50 best youth-gone-wild films
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Even the most helicoptering Park Slope parent will admit that some children, adorable though they are, must simply be born bad. Not their children, of course. But these otherbarbaric youngsters—rebellious, foul-mouthed, sometimes just pure evil—always make it to movie screens, from James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause to the NYC hellspawn of Kids(and all manner of demonically possessed tykes in between). Time Out New York has collected the most shocking of these movies about youth and rebellion and ranked them in a countdown of atrocious behavior. Our only parameter: They must be teens and younger, not twentysomethings. Thankfully for all audiences, these wayward children make the rest of us look good. -
The 10 Best Films About The Nature of Truth
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. “Photography is truth. The cinema is truth twenty-four times per second” – Jean-Luc Godard From Akira Kurosawa to Sidney Lumet, many directors have managed to create great movies illustrating the nature of truth. Here is a list of some exquisite works of art on this subject. -
The 10 Weirdest Documentaries of All Time
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. The cliché that fact can be stranger than fiction rings true in the case of these documentaries. Unbelievable characters, unexpected twists and general weirdness make this list a little unsettling when you stop to consider it is all really life drama. At times you feel like you are watching a Lynch, or Cronenberg film, but the fact that this all actually happened may leave you feeling a little unhinged. -
The 10 Worst Edited Movies of All Time
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Editing is a heavily overlooked aspect of films when it comes to casual audiences. Good editing makes the very existence of a film’s edits seem invisible; someone who wills to dissect movies will pay close attention to the pacing and cutting of a film. Either way, a film that is well edited will never distract you from everything else that is going on. The only exception to this rule is a segment that blows you away with either something innovative or something swift. “Requiem For a Dream” features many cuts, but it boils an anxiety within its viewers to mimic the withdrawals the onscreen characters are facing. Thelma Schoonmaker has famously turned every Scorsese film she has worked on into a cinematic waltz. If you pay enough close attention to the less-blatant examples as well, you will find a new respect for some of your favourite films. But, this list isn’t about that. This is a list of 10 of the most toxic editing you can find. These are edits that will either give you a migraine within microseconds, confuse you beyond belief, or will be so pointless that the featured film will annoy you. Unlike most good editing jobs, these examples detach you from a film and will make you aware of each and every little cut (or lack thereof). With that being said, here are 10 films with some of the worst editing in cinematic history. -
The 15 Best Movies About Corporate Society
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. When the world became industrialized, the landscape of the world, both economically and culturally, drastically changed. The shift increased the size and influence of corporations worldwide which in turn led to floods of ambitious businessmen looking to work for powerful entities. This influx of people and money formed the modern day corporate culture, filled with success and hope as well as cutthroat competition which often leads to devastation and treachery. Naturally, much art and media in the 20th century and on focused on this prosperous but risk-filled environment, so of course some of history’s greatest filmmakers approached the subject eagerly. The films on this list may come from a variety of countries, eras and focus on different sorts of corporations but the similar portrayals of the stress involved with the culture are strikingly similar. Among the many human themes explored in these works, some of the most notable are the balancing of work and personal life, the ethics of business, ambition and desensitization to emotion. The environment lends itself to various different genres as well, including wacky comedies, dystopian science fiction and gritty corporate dramas. The list that follows is a diverse selection of the many films made about this subject, showing the common themes and the widespread influence the corporations possess worldwide. -
The 20 Best Body Horror Films In Cinema History
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. ‘Body-Horror’ is a sub-genre which primarily focuses on the destruction, deformation or infiltration of the human body in various forms. Whether it be by spreading diseases, scientific or medical experimentations, technological impulses or anything else the imagination of the filmmakers can muster – the various methods of decay of the human body can serve as an abundance of metaphors given the subtext of the horror film – which is what this list will be exploring. The ranking of the films will be determined by how good they are an example of ‘body-horror’, oppose to the overall quality of the film. Note: genres such as the ‘Zombie’ or ‘Werewolf’ movies could justifiably be encompassed by ‘body-horror’, but in order to keep this list exclusive to the genre, they will only be briefly mentioned. -
The 20 Best Movies About Con Artists
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Con artists may deceive, lie and trick everyone around them, and for some reason the audience loves them to get away with it. Every con seems to be met with a similar fascination as a kid seeing a card trick. There’s a magic in their work, not necessarily good or legal magic, but magic just the same, and these movies reveal all the secrets that everybody wants to know, so that they can be in on the secret too. -
The 20 Best Movies About Mysteries That Remain Unsolved
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. Who doesn’t enjoy a good mystery? A puzzle or an element of suspense that gradually reveals itself––often with a detective figure or maybe even a supernatural ingredient to elevate the stakes or uncertainty? It’s often in genre films that we get the most tangible of mysteries, in horror, crime, sci-fi, or maybe a hardboiled noir setting. True crime and fact-based narratives also provide ample intrigue. But, as with real life, sometimes there are no easy answers, clues have been covered, tip-offs withheld, witnesses vanish, lies told, the truth fractured, obscured, or altogether invisible. A good mystery, as the films presented in this list suggest, may not necessarily be satisfyingly resolved. Maybe the real drama rests in the unraveling? Or the obsessions of the investigator, or the guile of the guilty party? One final note, as the very nature of this list suggests, there are spoilers ahead that reveal certain elements of the films, though care has been taken to preserve much of the mystery so that there are still ample reasons to track down those films discussed that you’ve yet to see. Enjoy the ensuing drama, maybe you can figure out elements others missed, or maybe not, either way happy snooping and maybe endure a sleepless night or two… -
The 25 Most Infamous Movie Scenes of All Time
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. There’s no shortage of movie scenes intended to shock, horrify, or disturb audiences, especially within certain genres (horror being a big one). Some scenes, however, have withstood the test of time, almost taking on a life of their own outside the film. Many of the most memorable of these are either physically visceral or emotionally devastating (or both), dealing with highly emotional topics that have a tendency to get under the skin. Scenes featuring rape or torture are particularly likely to evoke powerful responses in viewers, especially (though not always, as we will see) when depicted explicitly. Sometimes these scenes are so notorious that they come to overshadow the rest of the film they’re in, becoming the one thing people (even those who haven’t seen it) associate with the film. This can at times seem arbitrary, especially when there are similar or worse scenes in other films (or even within the same film in question), but for various reasons explored below, these scenes just have a certain staying power, holding up over the years. Fair warning: Lots of descriptions of sex, violence, and sexual violence ahead, along with some spoilers – though these will be avoided when possible in the following countdown: -
The 27 greatest stop motion movies of all time
Favs/dislikes: 2:0. With Laika's visually sumptuous and breathtaking stop motion masterpiece Kubo And The Two Strings dazzling audiences throughout the country, what better time to celebrate this singular and remarkable art form? The effect is created when an on-screen character or object is carefully manipulated one frame at a time, leading to an illusion of movement during playback - and such fiendishly intricate work, which takes years of dedication, deserves to be honoured. Here are the greatest examples of stop motion movie mastery.
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