Link Round-Up: Blade Runner

"Blade Runner 2049" by Paul Shipper

4 Differences Between Deckard From Blade Runner and the book

A Blade Runner for our time: The 1982 film introduced a new vocabulary, inspired a generation

Alison Hammond of This Morning sat down with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling to conduct a playful interview with the duo about their upcoming film, Blade Runner 2049. Ford and Gosling could not stop laughing with the constant barrage of hilarious jokes going back and forth between them and Hammond.

Are Blade Runner’s Replicants Human? Descartes and Locke Have Some Thoughts

Video Essay: Superhero Movies Get Old

"Logan: Superhero Movies Get Old" by Nerdwriter1

Vlogger Evan Puschak of The Nerdwriter examines the superhero franchises and how the seemingly permanent infallibility of characters can become tiresome.  Puschak compares the satirical humor of Deadpool and the hopeless desolation of Logan.

"In the end Logan makes the final turn into reaffirmation one last act of sacrificial heroics that reaffirms the myth even after exposing it as inadequate. You know it makes me wonder if this is the limit of superhero movies. It’s unclear whether a film that sought to fully demythologize this myth could ever really get made or if the genre itself is even mature enough to handle such a thing"

Video Essay: Arrival — an Adaptation

"Arrival — Examining an Adaptation" by Lessons from the Screenplay

Arrival was the most intellectually stimulating film to hit theaters of 2016.  Both epic and intimate, soulful and suspenseful, the movie was literary in way so few modern movies are.

In his latest video essay, Michael Tucker of Lessons from the Screenplay examines how Denis Vialleneuve's film departs from Ted Chiang's source material, Story of Your Life, transforming Louise's story from one of predestination into one of choice.

In the short story, Louise's daughter dies in a rock-climbing accident.  In the movie adaptation, she dies from an unpreventable illness.  In an interview on Jeff Goldsmith’s podcast, The Q&A, screenwriter Eric Heisserer explains “I think it’s more profound for me if she has a choice, if she has free will, and can change her future, and yet she chooses to have Hannah.”

The choice is a superb example of how adapting a story for the big screen can actually add depth, rather than gutting it.  Tucker elaborates on Heisserer's deft touch with an analysis of the movie's exposition and editing changed scenes, ultimately resulting in a more powerful narrative.

Video: Remix in the Matrix

"Remix in the Matrix" by Eclectic Method

The Matrix is a phenomenal movie.  The narrative value of the sequels might be debatable, but the first film makes the cut of the top ten best action films of all time, hands down.  Eclectic Method is back with a movie remix that will take you back to the nineties and make you want to dig your glowsticks out.

Video: Ghost in the Shell at the Weta Workshop

"Adam Savage Behind the Scenes of Ghost in the Shell!" by Tested

Adam Savage visits Weta Workshop to get up close with some of the practical props the effects studio made for the upcoming film Ghost in the Shell. Weta Workshop's Richard Taylor shows Adam the mechanical geisha masks and animatronic puppets his team created, and how Weta Workshop used new fabrication and design technologies to make these props possible.

Quick Pic: Die Hard Ornaments

Die Hard Ornaments

Source: Imgur via Reddit

"Come out to the coast, get together, we'll have a few laughs..."

Link Round-Up: Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War by UK-based Thomas Walker

Reviews

Cinema Blend | Empire | Forbes | Games Radar | The Hollywood Report | IGN | NPR | Screencrush | Seattle Pi | THR | Uproxx | USA Today | Variety | The Wrap

Business Insider: Why Civil War is the best Marvel superhero movie yet
Chicago Tribune: Satisfying superheroism
ComicsBeat: Thoughts from a second Captain America: Civil War viewing
The Economist: Captain America: Civil War could have been a messy disaster. It isn’t.
Forbes: Captain America: Civil War (Again) Proves More Is Less
Kevin Smith says Civil War is “greatest comic book movie ever made“
Marvel Just Screened Captain America: Civil War, and the Initial Reviews Are Great
Mary Sue: Captain America: Civil War Is Good (but Too Stuffed to be Great)
Nerdist: the Perfect Hero Explosion
New Times: Comic-Book Cinema Without the Wonder
Vanity Fair: the Marvel Machine at Peak Performance
Vox: Civil War will make you remember why we love superheroes
Vulture: Captain America: Civil War Is a Busy — But Uninventive — Blockbuster
What Culture: 10 Reasons It’s A Near-Perfect Comic Book Movie
Wired: Captain America: Civil War Is Fantastic, But Not Because of Captain America

Link Round-Up: 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane IMax Poster by Ape Meets Girl

Interviews

CBR interviews Mary Elizabeth Winstead, star of 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Director Dan Trachtenberg explains why they changed the movie’s ending
Empire interviews J.J. Abrams, producers of 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Howard Stern interviews John Goodman, star of 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Reddit recently held an AMA for Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane
ScreenRant interviews Mary Elizabeth Winstead, star of 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Link Round-Up: Deadpool

"Deadpool" by Mike Mahle

Interview: Deadpool writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick on taking risks, & sequels

Interview: Deadpool's T.J. Miller Knows Exactly How To Answer Comic Questions

Interview: GQ Cover Star Ryan Reynolds on Filming Deadpool and Life as a Father

Interview: POP! exclusive interview with Deadpool

Interview: Ryan Reynolds & TJ Miller on Deadpool, marketing, Hugh Jackman

Interview: Yahoo Movies interviews Rhett Reese screenwriter for Deadpool.

News: Deadpool 2 Is Already in Development With the Original Writers

Video: Fury Road VFx

"Brave New World | Mad Max Fury Road | vfx" by Brave New World

Visual effects studio Brave New World made a video showing exactly what they did to make Mad Max look so fantastic.

Video: Fxguidetv on Force Awakens

"fxguidetv ep207 The Force Awakens" by fxguide/fxphd

FXGuide has created a 50-minute documentary that follows host John Montgomery as he heads to Industrial Light & Magic in San Francisco and gives us an inside look at the incredible visual effects work that they put into Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

"Hear from ILM’s senior visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett, visual effects supervisor Patrick Tubach, animation supervisor Paul Kavanagh, environments supervisor Susumu Yukihiro, compositing supervisor Jay Cooper and asset build supervisor Dave Fogler as they run through key scenes from the film."

Video: The Martian VFX Breakdown

"The Martian VFX Breakdown" by mpcvfx

Of of all the Best Picture nominees, The Martian is unquestionably the geekiest, and it's also probably the movie with the widest audience appeal.  It's a dramatic but simple story with a stellar cast.  The real stars of the film are the special effects, though.   

With the Oscar nominations out, studios are beginning to circulate featurettes highlighting the technical complexity of their contenders.  This piece on The Martian separates out the practical effects from the computer generated setpieces.

On the practical side of things, they actually blew up part of the Mars base on set instead of doing it digitally.  On the CG side of things, the reflective visors on the astronauts’ helmets were created entirely in post.  Even the transparent portion of the glass was added digitally. 

Video: Opening Shots Tell Us Everything

"Opening Shots Tell Us Everything" by Now You See It

Opening shots are underrated. I can almost guarantee that your favorite film has an opening shot that gives huge insight into the film's themes, character conflicts, or plot points.  Even though it may be forgotten by the time you’re done watching a movie for the first time, the opening shot of any movie is integral to introducing the audience to the world and/or characters they’re about to watch for a little while. Let's look at four in-depth examples to see just how revealing opening shots are.

Video: Every Best Picture. Ever.

"Every Best Picture. Ever." by Burger Fiction

Take a trip down Oscar history before the 88th Academy Awards with every Best Picture winner.

Lecture: The Essence of Humanity

"Hayao Miyazaki - The Essence of Humanity" by Channel Criswell

Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki detests being referred to as the Japanese Walt Disney. The legendary  animator has voiced his admiration for Disney's classic films, but he's frequently gone on record to criticize their lack of emotional complexity, the element of storytelling he prizes above all else.

Miyazaki's films may feature supernatural elements, but they center around human characters.  Miyazaki doesn't construct a film's plot until after he's figured out what desires drive his characters.  The director doesn’t believe in tidy, unearned endings, and choosing spiritual growth over wish fulfillment.

Such growth rarely happens without time for reflection, and Miyazaki films are notable for their frequent use of non-verbal scenes featuring characters performing the small rituals of everyday life. 

Bond’s documentary examines these moments and the emotional depths they lend Miyazaki's films.

Lecture: Kubrick In Color

"Kubrick In Color" by Marc Anthony Figueras

Vimeo user Marc Anthony Figueras assembled this intriguing video examining director Stanley Kubrick's use of color in his films. Starting as a black & white photographer for Look Magazine, Kubrick’s first few films continued the trend, but after replacing Anthony Mann on Spartacus, he made the switch to color and never looked back. The director’s eye for fine detail incorporated the color spectrum in remarkable ways.

"Rishi Kaneria put together a brilliant supercut based completely around Stanley Kubrick's use of the color red.  You can watch that here: vimeo.com/112129153

After seeing that, I wanted to create a display of the whole color spectrum through most of Kubrick's films. I truly believe that color is one of the most powerful factors in someone's psychological build.  This video was solely made for the purpose of paying tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time."

Lecture: Composition In Storytelling

"Composition In Storytelling" by Channel Criswell

Channel Criswell takes an in depth look at how directors compose their films.

Featurette: Fury Road VFx Breakdown

"Brave New World | Mad Max Fury Road | vfx" by Brave New World

Brave New World has shared an amazing visual effects breakdown of how they helped to bring George Miller‘s beautiful film, Mad Max: Fury Road, to life.

OpEd: Neo ISN'T The One

"Film Theory: Neo ISN'T The One in The Matrix Trilogy" by The Film Theorists

OpEd: Luke SHOULDN'T Destroy The Death Star

"Film Theory: Luke SHOULDN'T Destroy The Death Star" by The Film Theorists