6 Shots From 6 Films: Special Steven Spielberg Edition

Posted on December 18, 2025 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.

Today, we wish a happy birthday to director Steven Spielberg! It’s time for….

6 Shots From 6 Films

Duel (1971, dir by Steven Speilberg, DP: Jack Marta)

Jaws (1975, dir. by Steven Spielberg, DP: Bill Butler)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Vilmos Zsigmond)

1941 (directed by Steven Spielberg, DP: William Fraker)

Schindler’s List (1993, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)

Saving Private Ryan (1998, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 1974 Edition

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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 lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, we pay tribute to a great year in cinema. It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 1974 Films

The Godfather Part II (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

Chinatown (1974, dir by Roman Polanski, DP: John A. Alonzo)

The Conversation (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Bill Butler and Haskell Wexler)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, dir by Tobe Hooper, DP: Daniel Pearl)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Sylvester Stallone Edition

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Sylvester Stallone! It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Sylvester Stallone Films

Rocky (1976, dir by John G. Avildsen, DP: James Crabe)

First Blood (1982, dir by Ted Kotcheff, DP: Andrew Laszlo)

Rocky III (1982, dir by Sylvester Stallone, DP: Bill Butler)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: Jack Cardiff)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Francis Ford Coppola Edition

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today is Francis Ford Coppola’s birthday! Coppola is a bit of a controversial figure among some film scholars. While everyone agrees that, with the first two Godfathers, he directed two of the greatest films of all time (and some people would include Apocalypse Now on that list as well) and that he was one of the most important directors of the 70s, his post-Apocalypse Now career is often held up as a cautionary tale. Some say that Coppola’s career suffered because of his own excessive behavior and spending. Others argue that he was treated unfairly by a film industry that resented his refusal to compromise his vision and ambitions. Personally, my natural instinct is to always side with the artist over the executives and that’s certainly the case with Coppola. Coppola has only completed five films since the start of this current century and three of them were not widely released. Say what you will about the films themselves, that still doesn’t seem right. For the record, I like Megalopolis.

Regardless of how one views his latter career, Coppola is responsible for some of the best and most important films ever made. And today, on his birthday, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Francis Ford Coppola Films

The Godfather (1972, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

The Conversation (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Bill Butler)

The Godfather Part II (dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

Apocalypse Now (1979, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Vittorio Storaro)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 1975 Edition

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, we pay tribute to the year 1975. It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 1975 Films

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, dir by Milos Forman, DP: Haskell Wexler and Bill Butler)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975, dir by Sidney Lumet, DP: Victor J. Kemper)

Deep Red (1975, dir by Dario Argento, DP: Luigi Kuveiller)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, dir. Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones, DP: Terry Bedford)

Scenes I Love: Jaws

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Arleigh

“You know the thing about a shark, he’s got…lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eye. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’. Until he bites ya and those black eyes roll over white.” — Quint

People have blamed Spielberg and his breakout film, Jaws, as the cause of the blockbuster mentality that studios have had since this film came out. Studios and producers wanted to recreate the ultra-successful box-office numbers of Jaws. Despite the fact that this film was modestly budgeted, people nowadays who think they’re film experts point to it as the culprit. They’ve called it the film that begun the dumbing down of Hollywood when creativity was sacrificed for profit.

Why did I pick a scene from this film as a favorite? I picked this particular scene because it’s one reason why the film succeeded and made people come back again and again. It’s a scene that perfectly captures one reason why we love to see films in a communal setting. We want to share the same experience and emotions this scene brought up from the pit of each audience’s psyche.

Jaws didn’t ruin the creativity in filmmaking. I like to think that this one film was a filmmaker at his most creativie (shark wouldn’t work properly so Spielberg kept it off-screen which just added to the terror and tension in the film). This very scene goes down as one of the greatest film monologues. It sets up the danger the trio faces with some anecdotal evidence from the very person who survived the experience, but who might have become unhinged because of it. I love the look of frozen terror on the face of Richard Dryefuss’ character as he listens to Robert Shaw tell the story of the ill-fated journey of the U.S.S. Indianapolis.

This latest “Scenes I Love” is why I consider Spielberg one of the best filmmaker of his generation and probably beyond that.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Francis Ford Coppola Edition

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is Francis Ford Coppola’s birthday! Coppola is a bit of a controversial figure among some film scholars. While everyone agrees that, with the first two Godfathers, he directed two of the greatest films of all time (and some people would include Apocalypse Now on that list as well) and that he was one of the most important directors of the 70s, his post-Apocalypse Now career is often held up as a cautionary tale. Some say that Coppola’s career suffered because of his own excessive behavior and spending. Others argue that he was treated unfairly by a film industry that resented his refusal to compromise his vision and ambitions. Personally, my natural instinct is to always side with the artist over the executives and that’s certainly the case with Coppola. Coppola has only completed four films since the start of this current century and three of them were not widely released. Say what you will about the films themselves, that still doesn’t seem right. This year will bring us a new Coppola film, Megapolis. I know that we’re all hoping the best.

Regardless of how one views his latter career, Coppola is responsible for some of the best and most important films ever made. And today, on his birthday, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Francis Ford Coppola Films

The Godfather, Part II (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

6 Shots From 6 Best Picture Winners: The 1970s

Posted on March 10, 2024 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 lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, I’m using this feature to take a look at the history of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Decade by decade, I’m going to highlight my picks for best of the winning films. To start with, here are 6 shots from 6 Films that won Best Picture during the 1970s! Here are….

6 Shots From 6 Best Picture Winners: The 1970s

The French Connection (1971, dir by William Friedkin, DP: Owen Roizman)

The Godfather (1972, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

The Godfather Part II (dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, dir by Milos Forman, DP: Haskell Wexler and Bill Butler)

Rocky (1976, dir by John G. Avildsen, DP: James Crabe)

The Deer Hunter (1978, dir by Michael Cimino, DP: Vilmos Zsigmond)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Francis Ford Coppola Edition

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is Francis Ford Coppola’s birthday! Coppola is a bit of a controversial figure among some film scholars. While everyone agrees that, with the first two Godfathers, he directed two of the greatest films of all time (and some people would include Apocalypse Now on that list as well) and that he was one of the most important directors of the 70s, his post-Apocalypse Now career is often held up as a cautionary tale. Some say that Coppola’s career suffered because of his own excessive behavior and spending. Others argue that he was treated unfairly by a film industry that resented his refusal to compromise his vision and ambitions. Personally, my natural instinct is to always side with the artist over the executives and that’s certainly the case with Coppola. Coppola has only completed three films since the start of this current century and none of them were widely released. Say what you will about the films themselves, that still doesn’t seem right.

Regardless of how one views his latter career, Coppola is responsible for some of the best and most important films ever made. And today, on his birthday, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Francis Ford Coppola Films