Duration 23:14

Is Martin Scorsese Right About Cinema Dying

by Thomas Flight

533 143 watched

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24.6 K

Published 11 May 2021

Thanks to MUBI for their support! Get your 30 day free trial of MUBI here: http://mubi.com/thomasflight // support my channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thomasflight Sources: 1. Scorsese's Harper's Essay: https://harpers.org/archive/2021/03/il-maestro-federico-fellini-martin-scorsese/ 2. Matt Zoller Seitz on Content: https://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/avengers-mcu-and-the-content-endgame 3. Why Martin Scorsese is Right About Marvel: /watch/Mtq6Dn8WrZmW6 4. 2020 Hollywood Reporter's Directors Roundtable: /watch/glOkwMjtLi4tk 5. Martin Scorsese's Thoughts About Joker: /watch/Amq20fF41KR42 6. How to Pronounce Scorsese: /watch/c1xci31pPbbpc 7. Martin Scorsese Calls Marvel "theme park movies" at Irishman press conference: /watch/kkXFsZEcZyfcF (Courtesy of Getty Images) 8. Martin Scorsese's Speech at 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival courtesy of Getty Images. Chapters: 00:00 Is Cinema Dying? 05:18 Joker: An Interesting Question 10:30 An Attempt To Define Cinema 11:41 Do I Agree With Scorsese? 14:22 Long Live Content 16:37 Why All This Matters // WATCH MORE THOMAS FLIGHT -Ad-Free Videos and Exclusive Content on Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/thomasflight -My Podcast Cinema of Meaning: Ad-free and early on Nebula: Nebula: https://nebula.tv/cinemaofmeaning Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4n6zZZQjiKsLNfyldNAi8b iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cinema-of-meaning/id1611352831 -Rent or Buy My Experimental Documentary: https://labyrinthion.com -Read My Newsletter: https://thomasflight.substack.com/ // SUPPORT MY WORK -Support my Channel directly on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thomasflight Patrons get access to a discord community, monthly podcast reviews of everything I watch, and more! -Sign up for Nebula using my Link: https://go.nebula.tv/thomasflight Signing Up for Nebula using my link supports my channel financially. // FOLLOW ME -Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomasflight -Website: http://www.thomasflight.com -Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/thomasflight/ -TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ thomas.flight // CONTACT ME -sponsorship and Business inquiries: thomasflight@standard.tv -Questions, feedback, other stuff: contact@thomasflight.com (check out my FAQ as well: https://www.thomasflight.com/faq) #ThomasFlight #VideoEssay

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Video Essay

Thomas Flight

Martin Scorsese

Cinema

Marvel

Is Marvel Cinema

Is Joker Cinema

Martin Scorsese Joker

Joker

Theme Park Movies

Cinema is Dying

Theaters covid

Movie theaters

Harpers magazine

Martin Scorsese Marvel

Comments - 3726

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@bordidellapizza3 years ago I think what scorsese means is: it' s okay to go to the theme park, but sometimes it' s also right to visit a museum. 9047
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@alexander-ru4gd3 years ago One of scorsese' s points that gets overshadowed is how films aren' t treated like art by studios, distributors, or consumers. They are now treated the problem with marvel isn' t that they set the bar low, or are unambitious, or have little to say about society. The problem is that marvel movies exist to advertise the marvel brand, which exists to sell marvel movies, which exist to sell the brand, and so on and so forth. There' s no artistry in those films because it' s just content made to keep bringing people back to future marvel movies. ...Expand 1313
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@istrumguitars3 years ago This is why we need to support the independent film industry. Go to film festivals, go to non-franchised theatres. I love marvel, but i completely agree it is something different from cinema. 451
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@conorsandin65552 years ago Good art is something that takes risks, challenges the norm, develops the medium. 157
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@commentarytalk14463 years ago The german author hermann hesse wrote a good book called
one of the phases of this man' s life was indulging in pleasure but after a while, thetreadmill" kicked in and he ended up finding less and less pleasure, so the story goes. ...Expand 290
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@oscillatorrecords2 years ago This parallels my experience with being a music artist these days. Like, i just want to write, make records and play live, but now theres so much exp id="hidden4"ectation to make music videos, live stream, and post constantly on social media that it takes away from the actual thing that should be the focus, the music. ...Expand 47
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@albertoedoni99533 years ago Instead of being considered as an " art form" most movies nowadays are perceived merely as. 2417
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@ideadlift20kg833 years ago People said the exact same thing about plays when the cinema started to become a thing. Cinemas will still be around for a very long time. But they will get treated like plays were/is treated. 73
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@TheIrishGamerGuy2 years ago To me honestly " v for vendetta" and " the dark knight" trilogy are what i wish marvel would aspire to be. Films that felt like a complete even the old sam rami spiderman movies felt morerather than a cynically made corporate product which is painfully formulaic. ...Expand 428
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@emiliotantalean83513 years ago " cinema is dying"
that' s what everyone says since the 80s. 38
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@funkyflicksfilmreviews15353 years ago For me it comes down to choice.
the multiplex, the relatively affordable cinema, is filled with franchise movies so the only way to watch stand the average movie goer isn' t just being fed the same story over and over they' re being priced out of their ability to chose. ...Expand 60
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@richardbuckley12323 years ago Thomas, none of this is boring or nerdy at all. These conversations are necessary if we are to understand what is happening in media today and the unparalleled speed with which it is changing. 15
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@ranggawiraspati68803 years ago " cinema is an unhappy art as it depends on money. Not only because a film is very expensive, but it is then also marketed, like cigarettes, etc. A . ...Expand 1056
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@captcaboose99402 years ago Scosese has never directed a sequel to his or any other movie. That says a lot about how he defines cinema. So your attempt to define his version of cinema . ...Expand 65
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@SignalWarden3 years ago One of the things i find very interesting about scorsese' s comments is that they reflect very similar and equally valid comments made by someone who his complaints were often derided until watchmen released. Most people enjoyed it but comic fans tended to feel it was hollow. Many people had a hard time putting their finger on the problem, until eventually hitting on the fact that, without the medium itself supporting the narrative, you' ve effectively gutted much, if not all, of the context that makes the story compelling, expressive and genuine.
scorsese is effectively saying the same thing from the other side. I think they are both correct. ...Expand 69
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@CeeLoGreen6662 years ago This is why i love production houses like a24, directors like harmony korine, robert eggers, because theyre keeping the candle burning. 9
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@cypherus36153 years ago I' ve always questioned how " beingseems to have become the highest honor films and video games can get nowadays. Very inspiring and insightful video, thank you. 9
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@slimyelow3 years ago I had mega reservations when starting to watch joker because i despise franchise films. However i was blown away by the sheer visuals and the psychologic no wonder this was a hard sell to the studios. ...Expand 62
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@Syllencecraft3 years ago He' s right to some degree about theand " fine dinning" experience comparison. 2079
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@kennethcastelino30333 years ago You know, i' m much of an mcu fan as anybody else and still like watching those movies. However, i do tend to feel a tad overburdened by the constant all i' m saying is, people don' t give movies without superheroes a chance. Part of that is due to the marketing. A genuine movie filled with emotion is overshadowed while the latest marvel film takes the spotlight. I think that' s the exact point that marty is trying to make. He basically says that there' s nothing wrong with liking a marvel movie and it' s fine to be a fan of it. However, it wouldn' t kill to take a break from them and watch actual cinema made by a passionate filmmaker who needs support and encouragement to tell their story the way they want it. ...Expand 73
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@melinamorina5163 years ago Very well articulated thomas. I went to see dune the other day in the cinema and experiencing such a beautifully made movie on all levels music wise, and story wise) and watching it together with a bunch of other people was something i greatly missed and i do not want it to disappear. Like you say, cinema is an art form that should not be consumed like content. We need to be given a chance to reflect and understand the meaning of the way the movie was crafted and about the story it is trying to tell. Everything has become so shallow that i think it is more important than ever that we keep cinemas alive and allow masterpieces of movies to be shown there, kind of like a museum. ...Expand 75
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@higherentertainment23433 years ago Dude, youre a freakin legend! Im a huge cinema fan, especially of scorsese, so its awesome seeing an academic breakdown video on this specific topic. Awesome vid bro. 7
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@jkapp3742 years ago I think part of the problem of why people go out to the theaters to see marvel films rather than art-house films actually resides in the exorbitant prices . ...Expand 38
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@arnesahlen27045 months ago Weird, 2y ago it says - but you showed up only today in myi very much like this kind of philosophical talk. You do it with clear speech and evident passion for this topic. 1
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@jw97003 years ago It' s funny how anyone who says anything that could be even remotely interpreted as criticizing marvel movies has to spam 10 disclaimers in a row or . ...Expand 1740
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@guccigus59722 years ago This was one of the most eye-opening pieces ofi have viewed in a while, and as ironic as it may be considering the topic of this video, i really think that hihg quality video and art online will always be its own strange form of cinema, and i know that moving fowards there will always be inspiring people on the internet such as yourself that will continue to move the art of film fowards. Seriously though, this was a great video and i think very highly of your content even if i have some differing opinions. Great job, keep doing what you' re doing. ...Expand 6
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@christopherannas-lee33293 years ago As a designer for theatre who has also worked in film, it seems to me your definition of cinema is basically all the qualities of live theatre. The necessity . ...Expand 49
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@mestayno3 years ago He does make a quality judgement while being nice, and i agree with him. 13
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@agaspversilia3 years ago Im 53 years old and i adore cinema (as in films and as in the actual cinema as a place) and although its true that tons offil made every month, every year people who love good cinema can enjoy a lot of awesome films that keep cinema as an art form that is healthy and exciting. It just takes a lot of patience because the background noise of bad cinema is quite overwhelming.
i also dont think streaming is killing the art. Its just the zeitgeist, but things evolve fast and who knows how is it gonna be in 20 years. When im sure about - call me an optimist - great cinema (the one scorsese, and all us, loves) isnt going to die.
and joker is a masterpiece. ...Expand 13
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@blackbeltjones29033 years ago Cinema might die in the mainstream but, as with music, you' ve gotta dig a bit deeper than top 40 to find the gems. 782
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@karlm75923 years ago I' ve noticed this too and i feel kinda sad about it. I feel like this art form may vanish and i really hope there will be more who view cinematography . ...Expand 15
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@uselessagent73422 years ago He is an absolutely brilliant director and story teller his work has defined every decade and i completely agree. This doesn' t mean the who pre canon . ...Expand 6
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@rayray1173 years ago One thing i hate about streaming is people will watch a masterpiece on a tiny phone screen. 8
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@anonymous-wh2yy3 years ago That image of joker in the thumbnail accurately presents the entertainment industry. 5
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@samjam22952 years ago Really good. So far, i' ve only seen creators discuss the content of films, but virtually none about the political economy of cinema and media in general, . ...Expand
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@Flounderboy153 years ago Even when i was a kid, in my head, i would call some moviesand othersit' s definitely something you know when you see it. 1422
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@jeremiahbayani1842 years ago I appreciate your dissertation and exposure of this topic. Thanks! 1
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@WAstEDxLaMA3 years ago Dude, your videos are so great. You are very intelligent and studied, and these vids are greatly produced also. Very satisfying to watch. Thank you.
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@aarondesman73523 years ago Hah theres a warner brothers ad under the title god damn.
love your stuff tflight. 1
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@robertshaver16123 years ago Thank you. You have added to my appreciation of films and the evolving nature of cinema. Well done. 2
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@kl-fg6fc3 years ago I think the idea that in light of our era with its focus on content and the amount moving images we see, that we need to understand " visual literacy" . ...Expand 1
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@ayubnor03 years ago I don' t think cinema is dying. It' s just that blockbusters tend to overshadow better and original works. 1112
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@BriannaRoseCinematography3 years ago Exceptional video! Keeping real cinema alive is so important, it is just taking a dip right now but it will thrive again < 3. 1
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@harperwelch514710 months ago I appreciate your thoughts and observations that put into words similar unexpressed notions or concerns that resonate with me. Many thanks.
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@riellyalexander2 years ago Very well said. As a fan of both the corporate blockbusters and cinema i hope we can have a world that shares them both. 24
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@rauldude56983 years ago Just found this channel and i love these vids. Thank you for you work. Its really inspiring.
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@literaryartist13 years ago Sooo. Cinema = art house?
i don' t think cinema will ever die. But i do believe it' ll become asort of thing. 8
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@understandingart99613 years ago My gripe with this is that these theme park movies are blocking the place of original and creative films in theatres. In my country ( india) i can' t . ...Expand 1618
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@ElZedLoL3 years ago Hey, quick info, it appears the color of the logo linking to your website in your channel banner is black on black background.
just wanted to point . ...Expand
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@amandabengerlast year I completely agree with you and scorsese.
regarding the terminology, this is where i will opt to useoveretc. I choose those words quite consciously.
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@colleencupido51253 years ago Hallelujah! God bless you, thomas flight. I agree with just about all you say. I have long admired martin scorcese not only as a director but as a really . ...Expand 3
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@Scoop95992 years ago Technical note: somewhere in theof this video a flicker in the shading of the yellow triangle behind you was introduced, seemingly around key frames
its fairly distracting.
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@AbrahamOfWorms11 months ago You have my subscription. This is an important conversation.
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@omkarpatil92593 years ago If you take joker and replace the character with someone else and keep the same story, it would hardly have any box office success. The name of a comic book character increases the brand value of a movie. 603
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@magicman95523 years ago I think these are two separate ideas: the relevance of the theatrical experience to a film, and the rise of the serialized franchise. I think the idea t as tempting as it is to have a kind of apocalyptic mindset about artistic filmmaking, it should be tempered with the simple observation that most people who really dont like these endless reboots, sequels, amp; giant franchises will probably still name many if not most of their all-time favourite films as those that have been made in the last two decades. ...Expand 10
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@epic17613 years ago I think this creates a great conversation for non-film enthusiasts to critically think and recognize, is a film good based on quality, perspective or just edit: gave you a sub. ...Expand 3
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@animyeonara91632 years ago Hi thomas, i am really amazed by your video. On your point of teaching visual literacy: i feel incredibly blessed because we had an art teacher in school, . ...Expand
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@papacinoooo3 years ago I love museums more than i love theme parks. So many valuable stuff you can find there. 3
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@MrAdonis2583 years ago Scorsese: cinema is dying.
covid: roger that. 467
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@RisingTigerFilms3 years ago Thank you so much for creating this video. Absolutely brilliant. Youve gained a subscriber here.
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@ricardoaugustin393 years ago Really good insights thomas. Thanks for the useful information.
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@sayantanmukherjee80743 years ago I think we' re losing the natural art of portraying life and its nuances, the art form that was prevalent in old cinemas, without any additional elements just because everyone likes it doesn' t make it a masterpiece. Active participation in the process of appreciating a masterpiece and understanding the artist' s thoughts, curves and crevasses of an artistic idea has always been a minority occupation. ...Expand 9
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@4MyWork3 years ago Thanks for this perspective. May it be heard.
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@marvinm.messier11203 years ago Thomas, you hit so many nails on the head with this! Cheers.
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@oliverholmes-gunning53723 years ago "Whenever anybody says they're a little concerned, they're very concerned. And when they say they're more than a little concerned, they're desperate"
All jokes aside, this is a fantastic essay on a topic that has fascinated me since it first got talked about. I wrote an essay on it myself at the time, but this puts mine to shame. My only gripe would be I would've liked to have seen more insight on the topic of curatorship. But other than that it was flawless. .. ...Expand 1
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@Ericwest10003 years ago I appreciate the distinctions that you drew about what constitutes traditional cinema and what is being sacrificed by the marketplace being the final arbiter . ...Expand 2
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@shadowgames61643 years ago I have a breakdown idea:
cinema-an art house film with a definitive meaning.
movie-a film with meaning but is prioritized to be eye catching and/or nostalgic. 2
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@inspirationalarieslast year Great video, in particular, your summary of what you thought scorsese was describing about the cinema experience was surreal for me as a 46 old. It felt . ...Expand
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@joelmaisano84816 months ago I am scorsese' s age, agree with him (and you) about cinema, and am inspired to find that such an intelligent, well followed young video essayist exists. . ...Expand
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@hkr00653 years ago It' s the difference between fine art and commercial art. That' s really it. 222
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@physicshacks63493 years ago Art is something that provoke your thought process, and gives you an another point of view to see life.
i think taxi driver, joker, the master . ...Expand 13
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@depressedyouth3 years ago Now, movies aren' t considered art, it is perceived as product, made by a factory. 4
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@cypherus36153 years ago We live in a prosperous world, and it' s hard to claim any form of art is dying. There are more professionals than ever equipped with the most accessible . ...Expand 4
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@adamvale9452 years ago This reminds me of the distinction between literary and genre fiction in books. 2
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@sacredhamburger63093 years ago Although i enjoy finding movies on streaming services that are not playing in theaters, i will gladly go to the theaters in person as my first choice, any day. 3
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@maazcineedits3 years ago Feel sad for actors like jake gyllenhaal, joaquin phoenix, etc didn' t get enough appreciation just because they make pure & real cinema & all indie movies. 880
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@zubrowska90173 years ago And yet hbo dramas or a24 movies are incredibly successful which i believe shows that people still crave artful entertainment. I believe the issue her . ...Expand 3
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@davidloisel38332 years ago It' s the difference between films and movies.
one is driven mainly by a vision, the other mainly by money. 2
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@Erin-ep8jv3 years ago Great informative video! I' d work on making the introduction a little bit shorter and less redundant.
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@glmstudiogh2 years ago Thomas, i totally agree with you on everything in this presentation. Few movies these days are impactful.
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@ivorydungeon9093 years ago This is a good video. I notice a lot of people are discussing this cinema/theme park binary, and i really think anyone interested in using cultural theory visual literacy is important; and so are media literacy and cultural literacy. ...Expand 1
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@maggyfrog3 years ago People salty about scorsese' s stance on fast-food entertainment seem largely uninterested in the films made by cinema folk like him, which is probably this is also oddly deeply about culture and not merely about taste in movies. ...Expand 263
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@danielbrazell3 years ago Your favorite movies being marvel is like your favorite book series being maze runner or your favorite board game being catan. It' s not that those . ...Expand 2
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@randomplaceinruralamerica96183 years ago Animation is where ive gotten some of the better movies this decade
rango is an animated movie that fully embraces the stereotypes of the o id="hidden51"ld west genre theres even a character that references clint eastwood. But where rango drifts away from a stereotypical western which is usually about redemption is that the main character has no identity so instead of finding redemption its now about finding identity.
kubo and the two strings is a stop motion movie that is incredibly impressive on a technical scale. The plot twists arent revolutionary but the scenery and characters look great.
now i find video games to provide some better stories than cinema
red dead redemption 2 is a western about a gang of outlaws who are being hunted by the pinkertons while somebody sells them out
ghost of tsushima is a story set on the island of tsushima during the mongolian invasion where a samurai loses what he valued most. ...Expand 6
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@kurjan12 years ago Excellent video. Thank you. Now i have to go away and think about what you have said.
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@sgurrl6341last year Robert altman actually redid that sort of camera work first in the movie the player with tim robbins. That opening scene was flawless. No camera changes!
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@joshuaphillips7553 years ago Thank you.
i agree with marty. 3
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@KMHill3 years ago There was an extremely lengthy article in one of the popular magazines back in the 80' s that predicted in detail that movies and television would eventually . ...Expand 367
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@sildarmillion3 years ago This video essay gave me a new understanding about the relationship between art and curation.
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@slimyelow3 years ago Every once in a while a franchise does come along, crosses over and shatters all expectations: the matrix. 3
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@speroskoufis75053 years ago Filmmakers aren' t getting their money, how can they afford to make these 80s and 90s masterpieces. 4
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@starkmastery2153 years ago If you want cinema to be a distinct artform worth appreciating it would help a lot if you stopped referring to interaction with it as consuming. My guess . ...Expand 8
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@ioboireviews79283 years ago The thing that sucks is i aspire to be a director but i feel that it' s not gonna be possible thanks to all these changes. 4
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@Dennis-de1ji3 years ago In it' s essence his problem is theof art. How it becomes a cold money making machine only appealing to the first layer of the human psyche. Just deep enough to please most, shallow for all other intense and purposes. ...Expand 408
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@lukeyznaga76273 years ago I agree with you, mr. Flight. I am not intimidated by importance of visual literacy. This is something i want to know more about. I am listening!
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@paxwallace8324last year Let me just snatch one year at random from my youth 1975 and list a few of the films that came out that year. One flew over the cuckoo' s nest- milos . ...Expand 1
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@REChronic543 years ago This is why i' m equally terrified and excited for dune. Its complex and the type that can span multiple movies and spinoffs like lotr but it doesn' t . ...Expand 17
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@KingaMoor11 months ago The video was really good and enjoyable to watch. You' re also good at conveying your words and explaining the movie industry entertainment of today i also knew about mubi back when it was created. The app service used to be for free but they added a subscription. After that, i never used it again. The closest thing to mubi is tubi. Tubi also has original films and it' s free. What is also funny is both mubi and tubi are spelled the same way. It is just that the first letters are both different. ...Expand 1