Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers (2023) is a rare case where the technical craft is so intentional that it becomes a character itself. One YouTube reviewer nailed it when they said, “you don’t want to leave it. You want to bask in it.”… Read More »The Holdovers (2023) – Cinematography Analysis
John Landis’s The Blues Brothers (1980) a movie that shouldn’t work on paper, but hits you with so much unadulterated energy that you stop thinking about the “how” and just start feeling the “why.” It’s anarchic, loud, and frankly, a bit miraculous.… Read More »The Blues Brothers (1980) – Cinematography Analysis
Let’s talk about the opening of Carlito’s Way. We start at the end a 45-second, desaturated, nearly black-and-white sequence on a stretcher. As a colorist, that choice hits me immediately. It’s a visual spoiler that sets the tone for everything that… Read More »Carlito’s Way (1993) – Cinematography Analysis
There’s a specific kind of magic in the rattle of a projector or even just the opening frame of a restored 35mm print that pulls me back to Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964). This film isn’t just a Western; it’s… Read More »A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – Cinematography Analysis
For me, diving into True Romance (1993) isn’t just about admiring the craft; it’s about dissecting the “why.” Why does it leave such an indelible mark? It’s this weird, beautiful, violent, candy-coated fever dream. It manages to balance a dozen spinning plates… Read More »True Romance (1993) – Cinematography Analysis
Walk the Line (2005) isn’t just another biopic, it’s a textbook example of how visual language can take a historical account and turn it into something that feels raw, sweaty, and emotionally heavy. Johnny Cash’s journey from the dirt of… Read More »Walk the Line (2005) – Cinematography Analysis
Hidden Figures (2016) isn’t just a “feel-good” biopic; it’s a masterclass in using the image to elevate a script, and from my perspective, the craft here is doing some heavy lifting that the average viewer might not even consciously notice.… Read More »Hidden Figures (2016) – Cinematography Analysis