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24 of the best film scenes to test surround sound
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. David Lynch once said, “films are 50 per cent visual and 50 per cent sound. Sometimes sound even overplays the visual". He’s got a point: imagine Jaws without the dramatic ‘dun-dun’, 2001: A Space Odyssey without the visceral sound effects, or even – gulp! – Jurassic Park without its memorable theme. If you've chosen the comfort of your home over getting covered in popcorn at your local cineplex, then the quality of your own speaker system for movie nights is hugely important. And while there’s value in practical, space-saving soundbars and, even more so, Dolby Atmos soundbars, nothing beats a full-fat home cinema speaker system for the ultimate AV experience. Whether you have a 5.1- or 7.2-channel system, or even a Dolby Atmos set-up with extra in-ceiling or upward-firing speakers, these film scenes will reveal how good your AV system really is. Volume dial at the ready... -
25 Great Movies With The Most Effective Uses Of Voice-Over Narration
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Voice-over narration is a technique commonly used in film, theatre or television productions in which a voice, that is generally non-diegetic, occurs in the course of a work’s narrative. Usually uttered by a character from within the work, voice-over typically aims to elucidate a story’s development and mise-en-scène, thus creating elements of structure and continuity. It can be used as a way to recount past events and create an ambience, but is also recurrent in non-fictional films, such as documentaries or televised-news, due to its characteristically informative nature. However, by reflecting on which motion pictures have employed the most significant uses of voice-over narration, we can discern films that often transcend and defy this method’s conventional expectations. Though voice-over is a technique that frequently causes debate in the cinematic world due to the claim that a film is inherently narrated – and thus that a supplementary voice would merely interfere in the storyline, it is surely due to the work of some remarkable screenwriters that voice-over has proven its ability of not necessarily intruding, but enhancing the effect of a narrative. This list is an attempt of categorising the films with the most effective and innovative uses of voice-over narration in a somewhat suitable order, with the effort of avoiding to merely classify them on a best-film basis. We can find works with varied but distinctively creative ways of employing voice-over, some based off literary works in order to preserve the author’s language, and others with entirely inventive uses – rather justifying why several were either nominated or won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. -
7 horror movies that led to real police investigations
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7 Well Written Movie Scenes That Don’t Use Any Dialogue
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Dialogue should do at least one of two things, advance plot and establish characters. A screenwriter uses more than conversations between characters to do that. Dialogue gets more recognition than any other element of a script because it is the writing that translates to the screen, but a script is more than the characters’ words. It is the document that every artist of the filmmaking process uses to create his or her piece that contributes to the film. A script is the film’s action and plot. It creates the characters and the narrative spirit that breathes life into the film. Considering that film is primarily a visual medium, characters’ action and imagery are essential tools in creating and advancing a narrative. An absence of dialogue can often be a more effective way to advance a story. Elements of a film’s narrative are encoded in mise en scene (a French term that loosely translates to “things on the screen) of every image, every shot, and every frame. Writers use a narrative structure in their scenes in which action reveals character and plot, and a pacing that creates the tension that keeps the audience engaged. -
All Sherlock Holmes Films and Series
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Best School Movies by "Seans"
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First person essay / Autobiographical documentary films
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Greatest Visual and Special Effects (F/X) - Milestones in Film
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Greatest Visual-Special Effects (F/X) Milestones in Film History: From even its earliest days, films have used visual magic ("smoke and mirrors") to produce illusions and trick effects that have startled audiences. In fact, the phenomenon of persistence of vision (it was first described to some degree in 1824 by British physician Peter Mark Roget) is the reason why the human eye sees individual frames of a movie as smooth, flowing action when projected. The earliest effects were produced within the camera (in-camera effects), such as simple jump-cuts or superimpositions, or were created by using miniatures, back projection, or matte paintings. Optical effects came slightly later, using film, light, shadow, lenses and/or chemical processes to produce the film effects. Film titles, fades, dissolves, wipes, blow ups, skip frames, bluescreen, compositing, double exposures, and zooms/pans are examples of various optical effects. Cel animation, scale modeling, claymation, digital compositing, animatronics, use of prosthetic makeup, morphing, and modern computer-generated or computer graphics imagery (CGI) are just some of the more modern techniques that are widely used for creating incredible special or visual effects. -
The 10 Best Movies About The Poetry of Everyday Life
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Here’s something most of you have probably figured out already: things don’t always work out like they do in most movies. Sometimes you get the girl, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you get the girl and lose her within a short space of time. It doesn’t matter how much you love her. People have a mind of their own, they don’t follow a conventional movie script. We make plans for this grand future only for something to happen that will forever ruin this future from happening. You ask the Gods why this is happening. You’ve been a good person. You don’t deserve any of this. It’s their silence that hurts the most. Dreams don’t always come true. Movies are full of dreamers who make their dreams come true: Rocky goes the distance, Billy Elliot defies his blue-collar upbringing and becomes a professional ballet dancer, a slumdog can become a millionaire, the short but spirited Rudy can fulfill his dream of playing football for the University of Notre Dame, etc. Sometimes these films can brighten our day and there’s certainly truth to be found in each of these movies. You should chase your dreams. You shouldn’t give up when faced with an obstacle. But sometimes we need to watch something a little closer to life. A little less fluff, a little more human. A film that doesn’t sugarcoat the existential darkness woven into our existence. Something far more relatable. These people on the screen are just like you and me. We are not alone. In this list I have compiled 10 films that celebrate or portray everyday life. Some are more cynical than others, but I thought it was important to not just choose depressing films because even those with daily struggles – though don’t we all have them? – life isn’t constantly depressing. Sometimes it’s perfectly mundane. Sometimes there’s incredible joy to be found in the smallest of things. One film introduces a series of selfish human animals. Another film shows the sadness of a lonely man, the necessity of friendship. There’s redemption in there. There’s the acceptance that things don’t always go as planned. Individuals overcoming bureaucratic entities. There are men on barstools waiting for their lives to start, not realizing that it has already started. There are those who understand that time is running out and begin to make the best of the little time they have. These are films that take their sweet time. They can be slow. They take their time with the environment and the characters. They give us that moment of awareness of the present moment. It’s fleeting, but it’s there. We smile and rejoice. We hope we’ll remember it as life goes on. -
The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. One of the most common claims made about horror films is that they allow audiences to vicariously play with their fear of death. Inarguable, really, but that’s also too easy, as one doesn’t have to look too far into a genre often preoccupied with offering simulations of death to conclude that the genre in question is about death. That’s akin to saying that all an apple ever really symbolizes is an apple, and that symbols and subtexts essentially don’t exist. A more interesting question: Why do we flock to films that revel in what is, in all likelihood, our greatest fear? And why is death our greatest fear? A startling commonality emerges if you look over the following films in short succession that’s revelatory of the entire horror genre: These works aren’t about the fear of dying, but the fear of dying alone, a subtlety that cuts to the bone of our fear of death anyway—of a life unlived. There’s an explicit current of self-loathing running through this amazing collection of films. What are Norman Bates and Jack Torrance besides eerily all-too-human monsters? Failures. Success also ultimately eludes Leatherface, as well as the socially stunted lost souls of Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Pulse. What is the imposing creature at the dark heart of F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu? He makes for quite the presence, but his hungers ultimately lead him to oblivion. So many films, particularly American ones, tell us that we can be whatever we want to be, and that people who don’t achieve their desired self-actualization are freaks. The horror film says: Wait Jack, it ain’t that easy. This genre resents platitude (certainly, you can count the happy endings among these films on one hand), but the best horror movies of all time usually aren’t cynical, as they insist on the humanity that’s inextinguishable even by severe atrocity. Which is to say there’s hope, and catharsis, offered by the horror film. It tells us bruised romantics that we’re all in this together, thus offering evidence that we may not be as alone as we may think. Chuck Bowen -
The 101 Greatest Endings in Movies History
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Not every great movie has a great ending. The reverse is also true: We’ve all had that experience of watching a ho-hum flick that became instantly unforgettable thanks to an awesome conclusion (famously, or more recently). It is, arguably, the most important part of any film — how a filmmaker wants you to feel when the lights go up is often the key to what that picture was really about. In compiling a list of the greatest endings in movie history, we had many arguments over many months about this very dynamic, and found ourselves drawn to certain types we deemed successful more than others: Ambiguous, dark endings; endings that purported to explain something but secretly did not; endings that denied us (and the characters) closure; endings that featured people dancing, but not always in joyous, triumphant fashion. Maybe that was a reflection of the times we were living. (Dark, uncertain, marked by a significant amount of human flailing.) Sometimes, we did go for the cathartic, bring-happy-tears-to-your-face finale, but we frequently found ourselves opining the sorts of stories that lack that release. The unendings. Our goal from the jump was never to determine a set formula for the Great Movie Ending. We began with an absolute morass of nominations, hundreds of finales that stuck in at least one Vulture staff member’s maw. The idiosyncrasies piled up; if the key to a good ending was a feeling, we’d surrender to impulse. Still, we did set ourselves some rules. Most significantly, we only considered one movie (feature length) per director, in part so Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock titles didn’t swallow up the whole list. We prioritized a diversity of tone, origin, authorship, subject matter, and genre. And we were a bit flexible on what constituted an actual “ending”: a final shot, a final passage; it just had to come at the end of the film. (You’d be amazed at how many scenes are remembered as being great endings that came well before the movie in question went to credits.) Still, there was no escaping our own unbound tastes and biases. You’ll see some classic endings on this list. You’ll also wonder (probably angrily) where some of the more iconic ones are. And you’ll hopefully see a few you’ve never heard of. (This is as good a time as any to remind you that this list contains many, many spoilers.) The thread that pulls all of these choices together is that after rewatching them, we felt that tough-to-articulate sensation when the lights went up (metaphorically, because of course we’re holed up at home just like you): The key to the story was more often a notion, not an answer. -
The 15 Best Movies About Resilience
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress— such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences (American Psychological Association). However, even though resilient people can survive the tragedies they have endured, it does not mean that they do not experience emotional pain, difficulty or distress. As with most things, a combination of factors contribute to resilience – mainly having supportive relationships that encourage love and reassurance, problem solving skills, the capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out and managing strong feelings and impulses. The listed films provide a wide range of instances in which the characters must endure their pain and trauma, and continue living. An important distinction must be made between resilience and revenge. While there may be fights against injustice and an aim for retribution in these resilient-themed films, the characters do not use harmful means to do so – which is the main component in vengeance films like “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”, The Vengeance Trilogy, and Memento, and hence why these and others are not listed. -
The 15 Best Movies About Teenage Ennui
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. While each stage in our growth and development as human beings has its fair share of conflict and hardship, none is as tempestuous and complicated as adolescence. It is the time of loss of innocence, when we have to leave the cradle in which we so happily romped to take a look at a world that most of the time is cruel and indifferent. It is a time of great transformation and discovery; our bodies change in such amazing ways and so fast that we feel dazzled and mesmerized. Our intellect develops more than ever before, our emotions grow deeper, and our cravings become more complex. It is in adolescence that we define ourselves by our own terms, and when we try to know who we are. We discover sex, love, passion, and our lives are filled with great intensity and energy. But we also come across pain, fear, confusion, and many other negative feelings that make us feel distraught and tired. The death of innocence comes as particularly painful, for we realize that things are and always will be far from ideal; we realize that the world is ugly, love is unsatisfactory, and our search for answers is unfruitful. That’s why philosophers such as Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus are so popular around teenagers; they realized how absurd things are and created a philosophical system around that fact. Such conflictive discoveries can lead those inclined toward melancholy to an utter dissatisfaction with the world, to an unexplainable sense of loss. ‘Ennui’ can be defined as a sort of existential boredom, one that isn’t necessarily a consequence of an eventless environment, but one that spawns from the belief that nothing good is ever going to happen. It’s an emotional tiredness that is often accompanied by depressive states. Here I present a compilation of 15 films in which ennui during the teenage years is explored and portrayed in its wide array of manifestations. -
The 15 Best Urban-Legend Horror Movies
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. This weekend, Slender Man opens in theaters after a long and winding road to the box office (including multiple release-date changes and a mostly absent marketing campaign). The central story is based on the internet lore surrounding the titular character, a long, spindly humanlike figure who stalks, abducts, and traumatizes people — particularly kids. In the movie, a group of teen girls attempt to solve the mystery of Slender Man to protect themselves and save a friend who goes missing. It’s classic urban-legend horror: those scary stories you heard through your best friend’s cousin’s girlfriend who knows a guy that was totally killed by mixing Pop Rocks with soda. If you’re looking for more spooky stories along these lines, we’ve come up with a list of 15 urban-legend horror movies ready to freak you the hell out, ranked in ascending order of quality. From the haunted VHS tapes of Japan to the sewer-trawling alligators of the United States, here’s your guide to the best, most bombastic, and occasionally sexy urban-myth-based horror movies. -
The 20 Best Movies About The Nature of Truth
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. The idea of toying with truth in a work of fiction is not new. For example, dramatic irony dates back to Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. And of course, Shakespeare popularized the concept of dramatic irony even further with works like Romeo and Juliet, and Othello. In a film, it’s easy to take what we are shown at face value. However, some of the most inventive films share traits with the great literature of the past. With the right filmmakers, truth is not something to just spoon-feed an audience. It’s something to play with; manipulating truth in a film can transcend the quality of the final product. It can make a difference between an average film and a really great one. This can also be considered a cheap gimmick, but it almost always benefits a movie. This list will showcase 10 great times filmmakers decided to experiment with the theme of truth. http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2018/the-10-best-movies-about-the-nature-of-truth/ http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2019/the-10-best-films-about-the-nature-of-truth/ -
The 30 Best Movies About Addiction
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Is there any such thing as too much of a good thing? Yes. But that doesn’t stop most people and that’s fine enough. Everyone has some sort of compulsive behavior that makes them feel good, but may have adverse consequences in the future. However, when are normal things like over-spending or overeating considered being a sort of disease? – When your whole life falls apart because of it. When it gets in the way of daily functioning by interrupting or ruining things like work, school, relationships, friendships, and health. Most people assume that the only things you can get addicted to are drugs or alcohol which are intrinsically rewarding and therefore reinforce the behavior. But there are way more addictions and many adaptations of how addiction is portrayed in cinema. Whether it is the beginning of addiction or rehabilitation from it, or even how there is a whole economy based on addicts, there’s a movie of it. -
The 50 Best Political Movies Ever
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. A nation divided. A war of ideals. It sounds a lot like reality and it sounds a lot like a movie. Indeed, the history of cinema is fertile with motion pictures with political storylines and lofty social ambitions. Ever since we discovered that the moving image has a distinct power over the masses, artists and governments have been using films to convey their message… for better and often for worse. Compiling a list of the best political movies in history is a daunting task. We had to allow for films that espouse ideas and ideals that don’t necessarily match our own. We had to consider a film’s quality as a political document and/or statement as a separate entity from its overall quality (the so-called “best movie ever made” only ranks at #49 on this list for that very reason). And we had to cast a wide net, so this Big List was voted upon and written by a half dozen film critics: Crave‘s William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold, The Wrap‘s Alonso Duralde, Linoleum Knife‘s Dave White, Blumhouse‘s Alyse Wax and Collider‘s Brian Formo. They each nominated 50 films, ranked from #1-50, and we tabulated those votes to come up with the following Top 50 Best Political Movies Ever. (Stick around at the end, when we’ll reveal our 50 runners-up as well.) -
The Arts & Faith Top 25 Films on Waking Up
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. We need stories about protagonists who learn how to wake up and to be conscious of the deeper realities behind mere default settings, unquestioned assumptions, and the spiritual sedative of focusing on self. Produced by the Arts & Faith online community, this list spans 65 years of cinema, from 1952’s Ikiru to 2016’s Arrival. The Top 25 Films on Waking Up is sponsored by Image, a literary and arts quarterly founded in 1989 to demonstrate the vitality and diversity of well-made art and writing that engage seriously with the historic faiths of the West in our time. Now one of the leading literary magazines published in the English language, it is read all over the world—and it forms the nexus of a warm and lively community. -
The Different Types of External Conflict & 10 Great External Conflict Examples
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. External conflict is an essential part of screenwriting in that it’s essential in driving any plot. It is different to internal conflict in that whilst internal conflict is within the characters, external is outside of the character. In this article we’ll seek to define what external conflict is as well as provide some brilliant external conflict examples. We’ll look at: What is External Conflict? What are the Different Types of External Conflict? Which are the Best Examples of External Conflict? Defining External Conflict External conflict is when characters are faced with forces outside themselves, beyond their control, which oppose their needs and wants. Internal and external conflict are not mutually exclusive, both are necessary in well written stories. External conflict is the basis of the entire plot, driving the narrative forward. Whilst internal conflict adds depths to characters and storylines. External conflict is essentially the outside forces that pressure the protagonist into action. Internal conflict will be the pressure a protagonist puts on themselves, something that external conflict can exacerbate, motivate or call into question. But external conflict is the pressure point unique to this story. A protagonist has a long life outside the point at time in which we are seeing them and. The external conflict is usually the reason why we are meeting them at this point in their life. This is unless of course the story encapsulates the protagonist‘s entire life, in which case conflict will be many and varied. External conflict is the antagonist force for a protagonist and it can take many forms… Types of External Conflict There are three primary forms of external conflict within screenwriting. Each is vital to understanding antagonists and obstacles. Nature vs Character – This is when the world is opposing the goals of the protagonists. This could be a natural disaster, a global pandemic or an evil creature of some kind. Character vs Character – This is the simplest form of conflict and involves the battle of the protagonist and antagonist, both of whom have opposing goals, needs and wants. Society vs Character – In this form of conflict, the protagonists are faced with a society that opposes them. Dystopian societies involve this form of conflict, where it seems that the protagonist is overwhelmed by societal oppression. These three forms of external conflict are the most common but not the only forms. There are other subcategories that can be extrapolated from each. These often include: Supernatural vs Character (a variant of Nature vs Character eg. Ghost Stories, Poltergeist) Technology vs Character (a variant of Society vs Character eg. 2001 Space Oddysey, Blade Runner). Animal vs Character (another variant of Nature vs Character mixed with Character vs Character eg. Moby Dick, Jaws). The aforementioned three are the primary forms of external conflict. However, you’ll see in our examples that from the three primary forms of external conflict, secondary ones will spring. Furthermore, types of external conflict are by no means mutually exclusive. To the contrary, they often spawn and feed each other. External conflict is rarely the only conflict in a film of course. In most films, the external conflict feeds into and creates internal conflict within the characters who have to deal with it. Internal and external conflict need each other to survive and it’s in this relationship that drama thrives. Let’s take a look at some examples… -
The Top 10 Screenplays of All Time by CineFix, new version
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. If you want to make a good movie, the first thing you have to do is WRITE a good movie. The case for the screenplay being the most important part of filmmaking isn’t the most difficult one to make. It sets the tone for character, action, theme and pace, which inform all the other most vital storytelling devices in cinema’s arsenal. It’s a strangely daunting task to pick 10 and one that, frankly, we’ve been trying to avoid, but today we’re testing our mettle! Here are our picks for the top 10 screenplays of all time. From the crackling back and forth of classic old hollywood fare like His Girl Friday to the hipster swagger of Juno and hyper-specific cadence of Quentin Tarantnio in Pulp Fiction, the most obvious thing to look at is dialogue. But screenplays are also filled with action description, from a boulder chasing Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, to the way the “camera” swoops out of Jack’s brain at the beginning of Fight Club. There’s world building to do, like the vastness of Lord of the Rings, there’s exposition to deliver, like Rian Johnson methodically reverse engineering a mystery in Knives Out, and there is tone to set, like the violent intensity of PT Anderson and There Will Be Blood. Screenplays have a lot to accomplish, and so do we! So enjoy the next twenty minutes or so! -
Top 10 Craziest Docuseries You Need to Binge
Favs/dislikes: 1:1. As these shows prove, truth is often stranger than fiction. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Bingeable and Insane Docuseries Ever. For this list, we’ll be looking at documentary series that tackle larger-than-life and shocking subject matter, making for must-watch television. Please note, we’re exclusively looking at docuseries, not documentary features or short films. As such, “Long Shot” and “Fyre” won’t be considered, despite both making for an insane viewing experience. We’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but please note that some are inevitable. -
Top 10 Film Scores of All Time
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Our most requested Movie List to date, it's time to take a look at the best original scores ever. From setting the mood, to upping the tension, to telling the entire story, a good score can do a lot. So here are 10 of the best! -
Top 10 Horror Mini Series
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. If you're in the mood for quality thrills and chills, look no further. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Horror Miniseries. For this list, we're taking a look at some of the best miniseries to ever be produced that fit into the broader genre of horror. Whether they're gore-fests, supernatural or psychological thrillers, or dark urban fantasies, they're eligible. Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page at http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and submit your idea. If you’re in the mood for quality thrills and chills, look no further. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Horror Miniseries. For this list, we’re taking a look at some of the best miniseries to ever be produced that fit into the broader genre of horror. Whether they’re gore-fests, supernatural or psychological thrillers, or dark urban fantasies, they’re eligible. -
Top 100 TV series by Kanobu
Favs/dislikes: 1:0. Greatest TV series of all times by russian site "Kanobu" -
10 Great Movies That Are Made from Dumb Premises
Favs/dislikes: 0:0. This past weekend, The Emoji Movie opened in theaters to rave reviews. And by rave reviews, we mean alarmingly negative reviews from stark raving mad critics. With a surprisingly generous 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Emoji Movie is perhaps the most universally hated movie in recent memory. It is certainly the most critically hated film to come out this year so far. The sad part is that despite its wacky and dumb premise, it actually had some potential. Look, before you say anything and start shaking your head, think about it for a second. Despite what popular belief may think, every single movie in the metaphysical cinematic stratosphere within this world has potential to be a great one. Yes, we all groaned in heavy unison the moment that The Emoji Movie was announced and it turns out we were all in the right to write this movie off immediately. However, that is not so easily the case with every movie riddled with a stupid synopsis. There are several movies out there which have been released over the years that opened up to low expectations because their plot sounded bad, but managed to exceed expectations because the execution of those films were so well done. No matter how bad a movie may sound on paper, it is bound to make for a good film if it has an exceptional cast and crew working behind it. There are numerous examples of such films that fit this criteria throughout movie history, but for the sake of time and convenience, we are going to stick to talking about 10 just for this list. Without further ado, here are 10 dumb movie premises that surprisingly made for great movies.
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