4 Shots From 4 Films: Summer Wars, Redline, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Ōkami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Arleigh

Typically, site anime expert pantsukudasai56 would be the one to recommend anything and everything anime. Anime in its series form, OVA (original video animation) and/or straight up film. I like to think my knowledge of anime is second only to his.

While I’ve had an off and on love affair with anime throughout the years I have seen my fair share of anime film. From pantsukudasai56’s viewpoint, only those anime that were produced from beginning to end with the intent of having a film release qualifies as anime film. OVA productions he sees as a sort of straight-to-video releases and shouldn’t qualify. his own initial 4 Shots From 4 Films entry were all anime films.

With his example as a guide I have chosen four anime films that veteran and burgeoning fans of the art form should check out. Two come from the heir apparent to the great Satoshi Kon. Another is a hyperkinetic (even for an anime) traditional hand-drawn anime which has had a major influence on the more recent Fast and Furious films. The fourth is a film from the late 80’s which rekindled my love for anime during my high school years.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

Summer Wars (dir. by Mamoru Hosoda)

Redline (dir. Takeshi Koike)

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (dir. by Hiroyuki Yamaga)

Ōkami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (dir. by Mamoru Hosoda)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Sister Stella L., White Sun of the Desert, 17th Parallel: Vietnam in War, A Colt Is My Passport

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Valerie Troutman

Another four films worth checking out.

Sister Stella L. (1984, dir. Mike De Leon)

White Sun of the Desert (1970, dir. Vladimir Motyl)

17th Parallel: Vietnam in War (1968, dir. Joris Ivens & Marceline Loridan Ivens)

A Colt Is My Passport (1967, dir. Takashi Nomura)

4 Shots From 4 Films: The Seventh Seal, Persona, Scenes From A Marriage, Fanny And Alexander

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Jedadiah Leland

Happy birthday, Ingmar Bergman.

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Seventh Seal (1957, directed by Ingmar Bergman)

Persona (1966, directed by Ingmar Bergman)

Scenes From A Marriage (1973, directed by Ingmar Bergman)

Fanny and Alexander (1982, directed by Ingmar Bergman)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Inland Empire, Borgman, A Field In England, Goodbye to Language

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Inland Empire (2006, dir by David Lynch)

Borgman (2013, dir by Alex van Warmerdam)

A Field in England (2013, dir by Ben Wheatley)

Goodbye to Language (2014, dir by Jean-Luc Godard)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Omar Sharif Edition

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Arleigh

Today the film world received news that legendary actor Omar Sharif passed away at the age of 83. The acclaimed Egyptian actor would make quite an entrance with his very first English-language film: David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia.

Omar Sharif would go on to star in such film as Dr. Zhivago, MacKenna’s Gold, Funny Girl and Behold a Pale Horse to name a few. He might be recognized by the younger generation in such films as The 13th Warrior and Hidalgo. He would be the vision of the noble romantic whether it was as a warrior, a poet or a leader. He would bring a bearing on-screen that exuded steadfast nobility yet still with a streak of roguish charm.

With each passing year we lose more and more of our classic performers. Now Omar Sharif joins the others who have gone before him but will always live on in our memories of him up on the screen.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

Lawrence of Arabia (dir. by David Lean)

Dr. Zhivago (dir. by David Lean)

MacKenna’s Gold (dir. by J. Lee Thompson)

Hidalgo (dir. by Joe Johnston)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Douce, War and Peace, Rocker, Under The Bridges

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Valerie Troutman

Since it’s likely that many of my posts will be about films that come from the bottom, or near to it, of the barrel. I thought I would occasionally direct you to four films worth checking out simply through showing you a screenshot. Some may be difficult to find, but that’s part of the fun.

Douce (1943, dir. Claude Autant-Lara)

War and Peace (1966, dir. Sergey Bondarchuk)

Rocker (1972, dir. Klaus Lemke)

Under The Bridges (1946, dir. Helmut Käutner)

4 Shots From 4 Films: The Iron Rose, Fascination, Night of the Hunted, Lost in New York

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

All of the shots in my latest entry in 4 Shots From 4 Films come from movies that were directed by the great (and sadly underappreciated) French director Jean Rollin. Several of Rollin’s films are available for viewing on Netflix. Track them down and, when you get the chance, be sure to read my review of Rollin’s Night of The Hunted!

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Iron Rose (1973, dir by Jean Rollin)

Fascination (1979, dir by Jean Rollin)

Night of the Hunted (1980, dir by Jean Rollin)

Lost in New York (1989, dir by Jean Rollin)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Planet of Dinosaurs, Real Genius, Switch, Some Girls

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Valerie Troutman

Since I’m new here, it was suggested that I cut my teeth on one of these 4 shots from 4 films posts. Also, because I’m new, I thought I would go with 4 films that have a special place in my heart. An introduction of sorts.

Of course, that means telling a little story behind each one.

Planet of Dinosaurs (dir. by James K. Shea)

Planet of Dinosaurs (1977) is a simple one. My Mom recorded it off of TV when I was a kid and I watched it over and over and over again. It’s a classic bit of Sci-fi B-Movie making. I watched this so many times that I can even recall the commercials. There was one for some compilation of hit songs. I was so young that when Gloria by Van Morrison played I thought he was saying the word Tijuana.

Real Genius (dir. Martha Coolidge)

Real Genius (1985) is just a great movie, but it especially resonated with someone like myself who always felt out of place because I was so into computers at such a young age.

Switch (dir. by Blake Edwards)

Switch (1991) is the easiest to tell the story behind. I’m transgender. I found it on cable one night as a kid and it became one of my favorites.

Some Girls (dir. by Michael Hoffman)

Some Girls (1988) is a tough one. When I first got a TiVo I put the Wishlist feature to use in order to see all the movies by actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, and Jennifer Connelly. One day this movie popped up. I’m still not sure why, but it managed to bore a hole into my heart. It can still make me sad watching it.

4 Shots From 4 Films: The Natural, Eight Men Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Arleigh

Today we celebrate the 4th of July, the United States’ Independence Day, and I mean the one from British rule and not from invading aliens.

This day has always been about the balance of one’s level of patriotism (or lackof), gathering with friends and family for barbecues and fireworks. I would also like to add that the 4th of July has also meant watching or listening to one’s favorite baseball team. Baseball, for me at least, will always remain America’s national past time.

So, here are four films that one should check out this day, or any day to understand why baseball remains such a major part for some people’s lives.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

The Natural (dir. Barry Levinson)

Eight Men Out (dir. by John Sayles)

Bull Durham (dir. by Ron Shelton)

Field of Dreams (dir. by Phil Alden Robinson)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Madam Satan, Safe In Hell, Rasputin and the Empress, and Search For Beauty

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

All of the scenes below come from films that were made and released between the introduction of sound in the late 1920s and the adoption of the infamous Hays Production Code in 1934. This was truly an exciting time for film as an art form. Not only were filmmakers intoxicated with discovering what they could accomplish through the medium but they were also unhindered by censorship or regulation. The end result was some of the most visually imaginative and narratively daring films to ever be released by the major American studios.

There’s a reason why film lovers continue to eagerly seek out pre-code films. And if you want to experience what made the pre-Code era so memorable, you could not do any worse than to start with the four films featured in this post.