October is upon us and that means everyone is thinking about Halloween. Costumes are in the shops, adverts are on the TV and it’s also a big time for filmmakers. However, not all Halloween films are 18+ scare-fests, there’s a lot of Halloween films that are aimed directly at the family, and that doesn’t mean they’re just for kids! Continue reading
The Best Films of 2016 So Far
We are coming very close to the end of 2016 and what a year it has been so far for those in Hollywood! There have been some truly fantastic films released so far this year and, who knows, maybe another smash hit could occur in the next few months. To remind you of how fantastic this year’s films have been, we’ve chosen a small selection of our favourite films of 2016 so far. Continue reading
Weird and Wonderful Cinema Experiences: Part 2
At the beginning of the year we looked at some of the most entertaining, bizarre and wonderful cinema experiences across the UK. From watching a movie in a hot tub with your closest friends to taking a risk with the Secret Cinema, there are some brilliant ways in which you can make your cinema experience more unique.
We thought it would be fun to look at some more – so we’re back with a part 2!
Genre Spotlight: Fantasy
Films often draw inspiration from the wonderful worlds authors create on paper, and fantasy is no different. Watching elaborate and stunning worlds on screen provides a lovely sense of wonder. Fantasy’s only limit is imagination; everything is possible, offering a world perfect for escapism into a different realm full of elves, vampires, and other mythical creatures.
From the Harry Potter series to His Dark Materials, fantasy offers many subgenres for you to enjoy.
The First Film
Filmmaking and cine films had their beginnings in the late 19th century, when technology advancements provided the chance to completely change how events are recorded. From immortalising precious memories to recording tragic moments, films like the Zapruder Film are invaluable pieces of history.
Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers have often been credited for pioneering the technology for the moving image. Louis Le Prince, however, has been credited with the oldest surviving film, recorded in 1888.
The Future of the Cinema: Are They Losing Popularity?
With the massive rise in streaming on demand, cheap DVDs and home entertainment systems, is the Great British pastime of going to the cinema at risk of dying out?
Well, despite all the doom and gloom from some within the film industry, it still seems that ticket sales are going strong. According to the UK Cinema Association, there were more than 16.5million admissions to cinemas across the country in July 2016 and the numbers for 2015 as a whole were healthier than they had been for the previous two years.
Genre Spotlight: Horror
There’s nothing better than curling up on the sofa with the lights dimmed and popcorn out and watching a spine tingling horror movie. Once a rather DIY genre, best exemplified by B movies such as Day of the Triffids and low budget flicks like Nosferatu, serious money from Hollywood has been invested in the horror genre over the past couple of decades and brilliantly made scream flicks are hitting our screens right, left and centre.
The Zapruder Film
The invention of film not only revolutionised the face of mass entertainment, but changed the way we record history. We no longer had to rely on the accounts of witnesses to understand historic events; we could see them happen for ourselves. More importantly, as the home movie gained popularity and became more affordable, it became more likely that we could record history for ourselves.
One of the most prominent examples of this is, of course, the infamous Zapruder film; 26.6 seconds of silent footage which captured the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy in full colour. Because of its graphic nature, we do not include the footage here, however it is easily found online should you wish to view it.
Genre Spotlight: The Wild Wild West
The different genres of film mean that there is something out there for everyone. From film noir to romance, whatever your tastes there is a film or even a whole genre that encapsulates it perfectly.
One genre that took over the expanse of the movie world throughout the 1950s is undoubtedly the western. Actors such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood have become part of the cultural consciousness, the epitome of the rugged cowboy on an adventure to fight a corrupt lawman in an array of epic gun fights. These movies were at their peak a grand production that involved many key film elements to become a staple genre of the movie world.
The Differences Between Video and Cine Film
Cine film and video have been used for many years for a good reason: they’re reliable, quality ways to record and watch television or homemade videos, even if a bit outdated nowadays – still, you can find plenty of media in these formats, especially classic movies that never go out of fashion and your own home movies! Knowing how these mediums differ from one another, though, can be challenging.
