"RKO 281" offers a vividly compelling presentation of the troubled history behind Orson Welles and his magnum opus "Citizen Kane." This historical drama about the so-called “boy wonder” helming a film inspired by the life of a powerful man highlights the ego clashes and politics surrounding Hollywood. As a cinematic offering, it frames itself as a dramatically sound genesis of what is often described as “The Greatest American Film of All Time” through its amalgam of fictional recreations and historical accounts partly based
Hollywood
(Media Review) The Accidental Catalyst: Examining Pressreader-aggregated Articles on How Disney’s Mulan Sparked Media Campaigns Addressing the Plight of Uighur Muslims
A media review for my Media Theory class analyzing the increased Uighur Muslims coverage after the release of the Disney live-action film "Mulan" After the straight-to-streaming release of Disney’s Mulan in the Disney+ platform in the U.S. and other selected countries on Sept. 4, 2020 (‘Mulan (2020)’ [IMDb], n.d.), this live-action adaptation of the Chinese legend came under fire after viewers discovered the acknowledgment of the government security agency in the Chinese province of Xinjiang in the film’s closing credits. Xinjiang authorities are accused of the
Animated Classics With Charming Dinosaur Characters for Kids
Children are often fascinated by dinosaurs in movies. A number of animated offerings feature charming renditions of these creatures to entertain kids. Classic movies that showcase these prehistoric beasts can be ideal choices for a family movie marathon. There are also those that serve as historical and educational offerings readily available online -- becoming points of comparison on how the earlier days of cinema and animation have evolved through the decades. "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914) The general interest in dinosaur characters
(Response Paper) David Bordwell: The Blurred Line Separating Art Cinema with Classical Hollywood Cinema
In response to: The David Bordwell essay “The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice” from the journal “Film Criticism” A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class In the essay “The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice,” American film theorist and film historian David Bordwell primarily discussed how art cinema can be considered as a distinct mode of film practice by comparing it to classical narrative cinema (which can be traced to studio feature filmmaking in Hollywood since
(Response Paper) Laura Mulvey: The Women as Element of Spectacle in the Patriarchal Order
In response to: The Laura Mulvey essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” from the journal “Screen” A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class In the essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey objectively examined the roots of woman’s oppression in cinema using the socially established interpretation of sexual difference which controls images, including the erotic ways of looking at spectacle, as applied in films. She looked into the language of patriarchy using the tools provided by psychoanalysis, offering
The Impact of the Critical Development of the Internet in the Current State of Philippine and Global Media
Midterm paper for my Political Economy of Media class The Philippine media and global media in the Information Age are clearly evolving towards the critical development of the Internet, forcing existing media systems to integrate with the world wide web. Cyberspace has gone a long way since its milestones in the 1990s when a household that could afford Internet service back then primarily used the email platform and chat messaging services as alternative forms of communication, alongside the utilization of search
(Response Paper) Understanding Andrew Sarris’ Premises of the Auteur Theory
In response to: The Andrew Sarris essay “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962” from the book “Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings” by Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class American film critic Andrew Sarris’ “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962” expressed the concerns about the auteur theory, particularly outside the insights coming from the French thinkers and the film magazine Cahiers du Cinema. Unlike Francois Truffaut in his essay “A Certain Tendency
(Response Paper) The Conundrum in the Stars: Appeasing the Human Mind with Art and Criticism
In response to: “What is Criticism? (A Preliminary Dialogue)” and “The Critic as Artist and Vice Versa” in the book “Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth” by A. O. Scott A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class After reading “What is Criticism? (A Preliminary Dialogue)” and “The Critic as Artist and Vice Versa” in the book “Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth,” writer A.O.
(Response Paper) Besides Perfection: The Nooks and Cranny of Film Reviewing with Anthony Lane
In response to: The introduction of the book “Nobody’s Perfect: Writings from the New Yorker” by Anthony Lane A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class The introduction part of Anthony Lane’s book “Nobody’s Perfect: Writings from the New Yorker” was a nurturing read, while reminding me of how movies for spectacle’s sake work like junk food – indulging instead of nourishing. At the same time, in the ages of video games and social media, movies work like many
(Response Paper) Pauline Kael’s Journey to the Two Sides of the Spectrum
In response to: “Replying to Listeners” in the book "I Lost It at the Movies" by Pauline Kael and the blog post “Trash and Art: Critics on/of Pauline Kael” by Jim Emerson in the RogerEbert.com blog "Scanners with Jim Emerson" A response paper for my Advanced Film Theory and Criticism class Pauline Kael (1919 to 2001), is a household name in American film criticism, as well as a familiar name cited when looking for film books for academic use, as far as