Photo credit: popturfdotcom via VisualHunt / CC BY
Film is a universal art form. Those of us who write novels can learn a lot from the storytelling techniques of filmmakers, especially masters like Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and François Truffaut. Their films defied Hollywood norms and yet found a global audience. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 14, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/14-lessons-for-writers-from-3-classic-foreign-films/
Film Review: “In a World…,” directed by Lake Bell, 2013
“In a World” puts a spotlight on the cutthroat voice-over industry the way “Black Swan” exposed the brutally competitive world of ballet. But the former is exuberant while the latter is grim. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on July 13, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/07/13/lake-bells-in-a-world-is-an-exuberant-expose-of-cutthroat-voice-over-industry/
I agree with Buzzfeed when it picked “To Kill a Mockingbird” as the best book-to-movie adaptation of all time. Buzzfeed listed the top 23 adaptations based on their readers’ favorites. Those who “voted” for the movies that made the list were not necessarily comparing them with the novels. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 18, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/top-15-book-to-movie-adaptations/
Filmmakers love the Statue of Liberty for its cinematographer-friendly qualities.
From the 1942 Alfred Hitchcock film, “Saboteur,” to the Matt Damon-starrer “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011), Lady Liberty has been thrilling, scaring, and entertaining moviegoers over the years. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 19, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/hollywoods-love-affair-with-lady-liberty-from-saboteur-to-adjustment-bureau/
A quick Google search will show you that “La Dolce Vita,” which means “the sweet life,” is a popular name for Italian restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops. The term has taken on a life of its own ever since Federico Fellini’s film of the same title was released in 1960. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 10, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/5-reasons-why-writers-should-watch-federico-fellinis-la-dolce-vita/
Film Review: “The Savages,” directed by Tamara Jenkins, 2007
Like most film buffs, I was devastated when the news broke that Philip Seymour Hoffman died of accidental drug overdose on Feb. 2. He was 46. Described by the New York Times as “the most ambitious and the most widely admired American actor of his generation,” Hoffman was best known for “Capote” (2005), which earned him the Oscar for best actor. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 5, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/the-savages-a-small-film-showcasing-the-giant-talent-of-philip-seymour-hoffman/
François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” is a staple of film courses, the frontrunner in the French New Wave Cinema. Not surprisingly, I watched it in class when I was in college. Our analysis now escapes me, but I remember getting teary-eyed while watching it. The 12-year-old protagonist, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), is one of the most unforgettable characters ever created in film. He has stayed with me for decades. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 1, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/5-lessons-for-writers-from-francois-truffauts-the-400-blows/
Cindy Fazzi 