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Certain directors are famous for working within very specific genres. The name “Alfred Hitchcock” is synonymous with thrillers and suspense. The words “Charlie Chaplin” immediately bring to mind visions of silent comedies. Ingmar Bergman has become a code-word for bleak, existential Eastern European art films. And yet, every now and then, a director will make [...]

When you think of the term “period piece,” what usually comes to mind is Jane Austen, powdered wigs, and petticoats.  Many films depict these distant eras with a beloved sort of detachment– these eras only remembered otherwise in written documents and various memoirs. But what of the eras that many, to this day, can recall [...]

There are many folk and punk bands that, despite having no or few Irish-born members, draw upon Irish influences for their inspiration and musical style.  From established bands like The Pogues to lesser known groups like the Brick Top Blaggers, here are some examples of Celtic-inspired musicians you should check out if you like Irish [...]

Whether it was Marty McFly, Gordon Gekko, the Terminator, Jake La Motta, the working girl (Melanie Griffith), or sharp-shooter Jimmy Chitwood, the 1980’s was a memorable decade of iconic heroes, novel advances in technology, and the cementation of blockbuster culture at the movies. Hollywood has always been a fast-moving town with new sets of winners [...]

Known to some as “avant-garde” and to others as “underground”, there is a distinct genre of film known as “experimental” that exists solely to further and explore the process of filmmaking. Usually made by artists who operate outside of the commercial mainstream, experimental films are usually made cheaply with very low budgets. They frequently contain [...]

No other city in the world has the cinematic history of New York. Long a favorite of filmmakers interested in exploring city life, it can become a reflection of whatever they perceive it or the world at large to be. At times, New York is portrayed as a magical place of bustle, commerce, and unlimited [...]

The cinema is an ever evolving art form that has made countless changes in the short time that it has existed.  Great masters and auteurs have risen and fallen, inspiring countless other filmmakers.  One of the most common ways that filmmakers pay tribute to their influences is to quote, or “homage,” their favorite movies or [...]

Some of the most overlooked personalities in the film industry are the men and women who sit in the director’s chair.  While most of the public is content with engaging themselves with the off-screen antics of actors and actresses, it is often the directors who outshine their fellow artists in terms of eccentricities and sheer [...]

While many may think that French cinema is dry, boring, and stale, those initiated into the country’s movie industry know that France has one of the world’s richest crime film heritages.  French cinema is brimming with tales of enigmatic heroes, daring heists, and malevolent criminals.  Inspired by Hollywood detective stories and film noir, French crime [...]

Every holiday has its share of chotsky (stuff we don’t need, but buy nonetheless, usually on an emotional whim) and Independence Day (July the 4th) is no exception. Below you will find a collection of gifts and trinkets that will have you singing Yankee Doodle Dandy and God Bless America in no time. Just remember, [...]