Behind the Camera by HTML5 UP

My List

I’m no film critic, but I thought I’d share some of the most memorable movies I’ve watched to date. Some I love, some are unsettling, some I’ve rewatched a thousand times. Below is a table for all the categories I’ve included. If you want to share your opinion or recommendations, be sure to get in contact via my About page.

Best Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

My all-time favourite film is the Shawshank Redemption. Directed by Frank Darabont, this movie is one of the highest rated on IMDB. I was hesitant to watch it at first, thinking it would be boring just based off the cover. However, it quickly became my favourite and has stayed that way ever since. I like this film because of the incredible acting performances. Morgan Freeman’s narration is one-of-a-kind, and Tim Robbin’s portrayal of an inmate is genius. There are many scenes that, to this day, still give me chills like the beers on the roof and the opera over the intercom. And of course, Brook’s story is one of very few movie moments that can make me cry time and time again. Altogether, the well-planned story, great acting, and satisfying conclusion make this my absolute favourite movie.

Best CGI: Spiderman Far From Home

As the topic of this blog, it would be a crime to skip out on my favourite CGI in film. Since it was action films that first got me interested in the topic, I had to pick one of my topic favorites: Spiderman Far From Home, specifically the illusion sequences. Mysterio uses advanced VR to fight Peter Parker, with hopes of having the world ‘finally listen to him.’ In doing so, the post-production teams had to create shots that represent what peter sees in the illusion and they had a high level of creative freedom to work with. What resulted was interesting CGI clips like falling glass, duplicates of spiderman, a New York snowglobe and much more. Each was entirely computer-generated and had fun transitions from one shot to the next. Because of its creativity and good execution, this sequence is one of my favourite examples of CGI in film.

Most 'Feel-Good:' Cool Runnings

This was a clear choice in my brain. There are so many things from this early 90s classic that I love: the colours, the music, the humour, the story and so much more. Altogether, it’s one of the most feel-good films I’ve ever seen, and I’ll often put it on just to brighten my mood. There are a couple of lines that I find myself quoting quite a lot, like “you dead man?”

Most Odd: Under the Skin

Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson, is a sci-fi thriller that is quite unsettling. Being that I watched this for the first time a couple of weeks ago, I made this category directly for this film. It’s odd because of its story and how the director tells it. Without spoiling too much, Scarlett plays an alien in a woman's body who seduces men and send them to another dimension as food. Bizarre, right? Not only is the story very unique, the dialogue is vey few-and-far-between. Many shots are simply done for the aesthetic of eeriness – in which it succeeds completely. Although I don’t rate it as a film that I like in any way that counts, I recommend audiences see this one if only to expand their horizons on what a movie could look like.

Most Scary: Silence of the Lambs

I must confess, I haven’t seen that many scary movies. They’ve never been my thing, but I am trying to watch more of them. Even though my index for scary films isn’t the best, I can confidently say that Silnece of the Lambs is one of the best thrillers around. It’s stood the test of time (30 years this year) and has persisted as one of my personal favorites for a while. Silence of the Lambs, as many people know, is thrilling because of its dynamic story. We follow an FBI trainee as she interviews an infamous serial killer in an attempt to learn more about a current murder on the loose. The layers that thereby unfold are gripping, uncomfortable, and 100% thrilling.

Most Nostalgic: Eddie the Eagle

Without actually picking a movie released in the 80s or 90s, this was still a close category for me. I really like Spielberg's Ready Player On(2018) as a 80’s nostalgia film, or Guardians of the Galaxy(2014) with their ‘Awesome Mix.’ But while these two were intentionally nostalgic-themed, I thought Eddie the Eagle held a very 80’s aesthetic without it being overt. This film, which is one of my all-time favorites, tells the true story of Michael Edwards and his run at the 1988 Olympics for ski jumping (same Olympics as Cool Runnings!). I’ve loved this film since the day it came out and will continue to for its inspiring message, fun soundtrack and great performances.

Active versus Passive Movie Watching

Have you ever got home from a long day’s work and to relax, you turn on the first movie you can find? You inevitably end up half watching, half zoning-out. At the end, you’re lucky if you remember anything that happened on-screen. This is the way that too many Canadians are watching movies nowadays. Likely, it has something to do with on-demand streaming service where media is a click away. When we don’t pay attention or put films on as background noise, this is passive movie-watching and it doesn’t give any justice to the film. The opposite is active movie watching, or when we intend on consuming media and are attentive to it.

There is something to be said about putting on a movie and giving it your full attention. When we actively listen, we pick up on the details. The subtle acting from the characters, the hints in the dialogue, items in the background, or simply a beautiful or unique shot – all of it adds to the quality of the experience. Albeit, some movies are better than others and every-so-often there’s one that’s a complete waste of your time. But most movies put effort into their production and, ultimately, want to affect the audience in some type of way. Passive watching negates this, effectively and instantly cheapening the film. Active watching also gives you headspace to build suspense. Especially key for mysteries and complex adventures, the only way we can get good payoff is to pay attention early.

The forementioned points are just the consequences of the moment. Really, there are much larger impacts of consuming media in a lackluster way. When people watch films without really watching, they can be quick to make assumptions. Like reading only the book cover and then drawing conclusions, watchers miss the full value of movie. If enough of this goes on, people can lose touch with the little things in life. It may seem like an over exaggeration, but if viewers can’t stop to appreciate a good film, what else are they missing out on? It can be healthy to take a step out of your daily life and into another world, provided by movies or books. Passive watching, over time, can also lessen attention spans. By not putting in the time or effort, passivity perpetuates the immediate reward system that is so popular in society and social media. Active watching forces the audience to wait – as we sometimes must do in life – for the pay off, strengthening our patience and appreciation for other things life has to offer us.

I believe, at least every now and then, people should consciously intend on watching a film actively. It may be one you haven’t seen before, or an old favourite you love to re-watch. It reminds us to stop here and there, exit our own headspace, and simply be present for the moment. This can do a world of good for many other aspects of a person’s life.

The Future of Cinema

I’ve always loved the event of going to a theatre, turning off my phone and just being present. Sadly, this is becoming less and less popular these days because of several different factors. The recent pandemic has only sped up this progression. Here, I’ll discuss my thoughts on the theatre industry, the age of streaming service and what is in store for the future.

Netflix is one of today’s top-dog businesses. After getting its kickstart in the late 2000s, this streaming service has been on the incline ever since. It gives audiences autonomy when choosing their media (i.e. a person decides what they want to see and when they want to see it). Moreover, Netflix promotes the comfort of your own home - and they do have a point. With unlimited snack variety and paused bathroom breaks, why would anyone want to leave their house to see a film? There in-lies the problem for the theatre business. Climbing ticket prices at theatres have hit the public hard, and don’t get me started on the $10 popcorn. It’s difficult for theatres to compete with streaming, and we are seeing the subsequent effects. In fact, theatres have hit an all-time low over the past couple of years. It had tremendous effects on the entire film industry. With this trend already taking place, COVID-19 only worsened the situation. By forcing people to stay at home, streaming services exploded while theatres perished. I know I wasn’t the only one the miss my movies outings over the past year and a half.

I think, pandemic aside, that it’s important to keep our theatres in business. Making an event out of movie-watching, going with your friends, and silencing your phone are all overlooked aspects that contribute to a great film experience. It ties into the active watching I discussed in my post: Active versus passive movie watching. By intending on watching a movie and carving out a time for it, theatre-going forces us to watch films actively. Netflix and the alike, on the other hand, further ingrain the passivity that is so harmful to film-watching. If we have everything media at our beck and call, its much easier to throw on a film as simply background noise. Although the future of the theatre industry is dim, I think that speaking about it will help us to save this dying concept.

As for the Yukon, I really hope we get at least one of our theatres back!