Top Ten Movie-Related AC Content of 2006

Associated Content is of course a resource for a quick movie review, but don't discount it for anything more advanced than a write-up on Wedding Crashers. Film analysis, cinema history, filmmaking tips and all sorts of in-depth content are but clicks away in the bewilderingly eclectic Movies section of the Arts & Entertainment forum. Here's a few peeks behind the scenes of 2006.

The choices are deliberately varied; there's everything from interviews to history to academic discussion to the good ol' Associated Content standby, the gift guide. So whatever your taste, you're sure to find something about movies you'd like to learn more about.

"Interview with Mary Harron, Filmmaker on the Edge" by Rebecca Alvin

One of the first Associated Content articles of the year, Alvin's chat with Mary Harron proves a real coup to AC. Female directors are still a bit of a minority, and Harron's stock in 2006 with "The Notorious Bettie Page".

"Discussion of the Role of New Technology and Digital Media on Filmmaking" by Jonathan Pace

Stylistically a rather odd cross-section between a blog of a small personal production and a rumination on the state of media at large, Pace's piece seems somewhat restless to find the answers to the big questions it raises about movies and multimedia. Some of the writing seems to carry the head-adrift ponderous thought of a Georg Simmel or a Foucault... but then there's the MS-Paint generated comic book 'bad guy' to accompany the piece. May cause heads to be scratched.

"The Reel Cause of the Civil War, Slavery, as Portrayed in Film" by Nicholas Plagman

An article not on the analysis of films alone but the meeting point of culture and history, Plagman's thoroughly-researched article shows how even Hollywood narrative becomes a document of real-life history as our views and thoughts are shaped by the flickering images on the screen. Movies are our link with what people were thinking and discussing at the time the cameras rolled, and they are the gateway to how our future will look back on us; Plagman's argument sits uncomfortably close to elementary school memories of the complex causes of the Civil War being dismissed as all about slavery.

"Dr. Strangelove: A Satirical Study of War and Sex" by Peter Havens

Brief and easy to follow, Havens' piece is a good entry-level paper for those beginning to look past the surface of movies. Kubrick's use of sexual metaphors in "Dr. Strangelove" is easy enough to spot and understand on one viewing, and the article allows the reader to connect the dots and find the director's larger point from these observations.

"History of Music in Film: Analysis of How & Why Film Scores Enhance the Emotional Import of Films: Citizen Kane" by Jennifer Shipon

A long title and a long article, but necessary content. Shipon focuses on one of your correspondent's most beloved issues in aesthetic analysis of films-the score-and chooses a title we all know to follow along with. (Not only that, but a title of great importance to cinema history, and one that revolutionized an industry along the way.) Bernard Herrmann's score is placed in historical context and given an extensive scene-specific analysis that proves instructive not only in the study of film score but cinematic language in general. (Exhaustive footnotes, of course, follow.) Recommended for more advanced readers.

"A Need-to-Know Basis: History of the Sundance Film Festival" by Cecil Butler III

Often discussed, never quite understood, Sundance continues to be a loud voice on both the mainstream and independent film scenes. Butler examines the film festival from its grassroots, well, roots to the behemoth it's become in a simple, easy-to-follow style.

"Why People Aren't Going to the Movies: A Theater Near You Not the Pleasant Experience it Used to Be" by John Sanchez

Something more lighthearted. Frankly, I can't get enough articles that call for people to shut up and turn off their cell phones when they go to the movies.

"Robert Altman: Retrospective Biography of a Hollywood Rebel" by Ali Burroughs

It's sad that an article like this had to be written, but Burroughs gives a solid, quick summary of Altman's life beyond the basic facts of the newswire, that sheds some light on the filmmaker's personality and by association his movies.

"Top Ten Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Inexpensive Filmmakers" by Nicole Ayers

I wouldn't normally list a gift-giving article in a summation like this, but considering that I gave my own mother a rather similar list when my last birthday rolled round, it would have been hypocritical for me not to. Filmmakers need love, and DVD-Rs.

"Watching a Jean-Luc Godard Movie Does Not Always Need To Be Frustrating" by Timothy Sexton

I think it was the sad earnestness of the title that got my attention on this. Your correspondent is not a particular fan of the French New Wave, but recognizes the importance of the movement to cinema. Sexton discusses the context of Godard's work at length, and relates it to the tropes employed by classical Hollywood fare, in order to help the unfamiliar viewer parse cinematic language. Fine academic writing, and a good way to close out the year.

What will AC bring in 2007? Let's hope for good thoughts on good movies.