When I think of films that manage to be visually sumptuous yet narratively potent, Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) is usually the first one that comes to mind. Siskel and Ebert famously called it “a great looking movie,” noting the… Read More »The Untouchables (1987) – Cinematography Analysis
The interesting thing is that Moon (2009) hits all the classic “big corporate” sci-fi notes we saw in Alien or Blade Runner, but it does it on a catering budget. The cinematography isn’t trying to show off. It’s surgical. It’s about making a tiny set… Read More »Moon (2009) – Cinematography Analysis
Nightcrawler (2014) shouldn’t look this good. Usually, when you’re dealing with low-budget night exteriors in Los Angeles, you’re fighting a losing battle against flat digital sensors and muddy shadows. But as a colorist running Color Culture, I look at this film… Read More »Nightcrawler (2014) – Cinematography Analysis
The Notebook (2004) While this one often gets pigeonholed as a “hopeless romantic” tear-jerker or—if you’ve been watching recent YouTube recaps a “toxic” love story, I see it as a masterclass in how cinematography and grading can carry a narrative.… Read More »The Notebook (2004) – Cinematography Analysis
Ridley Scott’s American Gangster (2007) lands on my monitor, I’m not just looking at a crime story; I’m looking at a masterclass in texture and tonal control. This isn’t your typical high-gloss Hollywood epic. It’s a gritty, meticulously paced visual narrative that… Read More »American Gangster (2007) – Cinematography Analysis & Stills
Ghostbusters (1984) shouldn’t work as well as it does. On paper, it’s a high-concept collision of Saturday Night Live humor and interdimensional horror. I look at this film and see something much deeper than a 1984 comedy hit. I see a… Read More »Ghostbusters (1984) – Cinematography Analysis & Stills
When I want to look at a film that gets the digital medium exactly right, I always go back to David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).People love to compare this to the original Swedish version. Look, the original was… Read More »The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – Cinematography Analysis