Akira Kurosawa Series – Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962)

The Akira Kurosawa double-feature of Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) sees Kurosawa scaling back the scope of his previous samurai features like Seven Samurai (1954) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) for a more concentrated focus on one warrior’s interactions with small towns, rival gangs, juvenile samurai pupils, and political warfare. In Yojimbo and Sanjuro, Toshirô […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Throne of Blood (1957)

“Behold, within this place Now desolated, stood Once a mighty fortress Lived a proud warrior Murdered my ambition His spirit walking still Vain pride, then as now, will Lead ambition to the kill” Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 film Throne of Blood – his interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, set in feudal Japan – opens and closes with […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – The Hidden Fortress (1958)

As someone who has been a massive fan of Star Wars for longer than I have been a major cinephile and film enthusiast, whispers of Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 film The Hidden Fortress have entered the conversation many times surrounding George Lucas’ space opera. I had always heard that Kurosawa was perhaps Lucas’ biggest inspiration […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Rashomon (1950)

“In the end, you cannot understand the things men do.” This quote from the character known as “The Commoner” (Kichijirô Ueda) in Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Rashomon can be interpreted as the thesis for the entire story. A masterful critique on the very essence of truth and its relationship with humanity, Kurosawa’s adaptation of Ryûnosuke […]

Star Wars Prequels – Review and Reflection Supercut

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) I am going to be completely honest, I loved this film growing up. I was a Prequel Era Star Wars kid, and this trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart. That being said, this is an extremely average movie, and quite frankly, a “bad” movie by […]

My Hollywood Experience – Featuring the Critics’ Choice Awards

I have always been that annoying kid to brag about his dad’s cool side gig and all the perks that go along with it. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Thanks to the fact that my father, Noel Manning, has been a member of the Critics’ Choice Association for more than two decades, […]

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER – Reflection

The following is an archived social media reaction of mine, from April 2019, directly after I saw the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Never in my life have I had such a reaction to a trailer than I did for Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker. Not for Infinity War, Endgame, […]

KNIVES OUT – Rian Johnson Has “Dunnit” Again

I love how Rian Johnson took the “keep your politics out of my movies” trolls from THE LAST JEDI and basically composed an entire narrative commentating on the negative impact of people of this nature, through the lens of one of the most entertaining films of 2019. Talk about a legendary power move. This cast […]

Explore the significance of theatrical audio in documentary “Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound”

The vast majority of filmgoers and movie fans around the world associate the term “motion picture” with just that, the picture. We tend to first and foremost focus on the visuals, the aesthetics, and the things that can be seen with our eyes. However, on a subconscious level, something even more spectacular is occurring as […]

Brick – Rian Johnson’s Directorial Debut

So you’re telling me that Rian Johnson wrote, directed, and edited this modern-day crime-noir masterpiece on a shoestring budget of $500,000? Well good golly Miss Molly, that is one heck of an accomplishment. The direction of this film is spectacular. The cinematography is outstanding, with well-crafted shot composition, framing, and camera movement from DP Steve […]