web series

AFI film school #45: Cabaret-- A different sound of music

Not that long ago I looked at another musical, The Sound of Music. The one I’m looking at this week is from around the same time period…

AFI film school #44: Easy Rider -- Born to be a non-conformist

A phenomena I’ve encountered while going through the films on the AFI list is encountering some movies I had watched at some earlier point in time, didn’t like, and had decided I would never see again…

AFI film school #43: Sullivan's Travels -- The Art of Comedy

One of the coolest things about movies about making movies is that they inevitably become meta. They comment on the world, while also, by necessity, living up to the same message that they’re spreading…

Pitch Your Series to Us

Are you an artist who’s too creative to work in the  mainstream? Is your work considered too unconventional? Good news…

AFI film school #42: American Graffiti -- Let's Cruise

So many movies begin with the word “American,” from American Beauty to American Psycho to American Gun to American Hustle

Better Call Vince -- Ideas for More Breaking Bad Spinoffs

Breaking Bad, one of the best and most popular shows of all time, spawned the spinoff, Better Call Saul…one of the best and most popular shows of all time.…

The Most Underrated Ingredient of Great Art

For a great example of creativity vs creative bankruptcy, watch Star Wars episode 5, and then watch episode 9. I’ll wait. Or you can just continue reading too because I’ll extrapolate…

AFI film school #41: Rear Window -- It's an Active Live

Part of Hitchcock’s greatness is that he’s both a artistically gifted filmmaker and a very entertaining one. He creates work with deep messages that also happens to be fun every minute along the way.…

AFI film school #40: Sunrise -- Tripping the Light Fantastic

When I had covered Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, it made me realize the value that silent films have to offer.

They work within a constraint (no spoken dialogue), and with that constraint, filmmakers have to pull off a very pure trick.…

Who Analyzed Roger Rabbit?

34 years ago, a movie happened that was unlike any other movie in so many ways, and it’s actually pretty amazing that it exists…