Top Five Raiders of the Lost Ark Musings

It seems pointless to do my usual under 500 word review on such a film, however I re-watched it today and felt it couldn't go without mention.

It is one of those films constantly referred to as "iconic" so I want to steer away from "Best Lines" or "Best Moments" and instead focus on the nostalgic musings and various thoughts a second viewing conjures.

Troma's 40th Birthday

The first book I ever read on filmmaking wasn't Bazin or Bordwell, it was a book titled "Make Your Own Damn Movie" by a guy named Lloyd Kaufman. I was still at school and someone somewhere (obviously without knowing who this guy was) had put the book in our school library. I hadn't decided to study film yet but I loved the book. It had chapters with names like "500 useless screenwriting books boiled down into one short chapter", "raising money or mastering the ancient art of fellatio" and "stunts and special effects - how to simulate and violent death and stay out of jail". None of this was covered during my three years at university and this book made filmmaking seem FUN!

I later learned the Kaufman was co-founder of Troma Studios, one of the oldest independent film studios that recently turned 40.

Echo Chamber

I'm a big fan of the TV Tropes website and they have just released the first two episodes of the second series of Echo Chamber, the show made by tropers for tropers.

Basically the story is this: A guy named Tom has been tasked with making videos about certain tropes (for those who don't know a tropes are "devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members' minds and expectations"  (according to the website) for a mysterious employer. Along with his snarky producer Dana and his cloudcuckoolander cameraman Zack, he struggles to complete videos, the subject of which always seems to relate to whatever they are doing.

Show Within a Show is the first episode:

Obviously the show relies a lot on meta humour and reflexivity and is a must for anyone who has so much as glanced at the main site. I sat and watched all twelve episodes today and I am hooked. It's updating every Tuesday and Thursday and the videos can be seen here along with the relevant tropes!

Apologies

Sorry for being quiet lately, I have just finished my final year of university! There was tonnes of work to do at the end but I'm back now and i've got T-shirts for everybody! (obligatory Reel Big Fish reference)

Sarah x

Shivering in Antici.....pation

I have been soaking up any Avengers related stuff I can find at the moment and the featurettes have been coming thick and fast. However, it's getting to the point now where the stuff is getting a tad repetitive I've been scaling back before I go and see it Wednesday. So what's the next big thing to look forward to afterwards? Well, the Avengers is just the first in the yearly glut of Spring/Summer blockbusters and a new trailer for Prometheus dropped recently: 

A fan of the original Alien series, I admit I haven't been following the news on this one as much as I thought I would. However, it looks promising and I got to also see the very creepy promo that came out earlier this month:

Also, if you have few spare minutes. 

There was meant to be a few bits and pieces about Dancer in the Dark today but I am swamped with Uni work so the only stuff you might be getting for a while is gibberings about narrative structure etc.

Sarah x 

A Little Something...

I like dinosaurs. I also like oldy style pictures of ladies and gentlemen in their jaunty hats and frilly coats. But where pray can I find a mixture of both? Link of the day is...

DAPPER DINOS

Go forth and while away some hours when you should really be doing something more constructive.

Sarah x