Month: December 2022

            On this eve of New Year’s Eve, I thought it would be fun to look back to the February 1941 issue of Modern Screen magazine.  In it resides an article written by William Roberts, titled Shooting For the Stars.  Ignore the studio-flack hyperbole and enjoy it for what it is: A rare, fan-rag look … Continue reading “SOON TO BE EIGHTY-TWO YEARS AGO…”

            Macro-shots of cookies notwithstanding, a great opportunity lurks beneath the fattening waves of Christmas cheer.  Reclaim the TV remote from your nephew, hit the ‘search’ button and let your imagination run free.  Never before have so many worthwhile films been so easily accessible to the curious cinematographer!             Some odd suggestions I recently caught … Continue reading “TOO MUCH FUN”

            As I sat down to compose today’s post, it dawned on me that there were better things to be doing this time of year.  Like sitting in a nice, warm Irish pub, nursing a Jameson and photographing the back of people’s heads.             Which speaks to one of the great truths of creation: No … Continue reading “YOU SHOULD DO IT TOO…”

            Like anyone who’s maniacally certain of their take on a particular issue, I’m always searching for words, opinions and actions that support my position.  So, for the latest dose of confirmation bias, I present a quote from Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac’s 1958 novel, The Dharma Bums.             “One day I will find the … Continue reading “ON A KEROUAC KICK”

            Just to prove that cinematographers aren’t alone in the pursuit of perfection, I present a statement from one of my all-time favorite vocalists, Linda Ronstadt:             “It’s always like that when you record: You always think that you can do a better job.  You know, the whole thing with recording is you have to … Continue reading “LINDA’S LEGACY”

            A week ago, I delivered a post that deconstructed some intriguing shadow play in the studio-era gem, Casablanca (1942).             Well, its cinematographer, Arthur Edeson, ASC, was hardly the first to engage such a device.  In 1939, Ernest Haller, ASC pulled off a similar feat in another legendary movie, Gone With the Wind.             … Continue reading “MORE PRESTIDIGITATION”

            The following post currently appears as an article in the November 2022 issue of Cinematography World.  It’s titled Rat Catcher and is featured in the magazine’s Letter From America column.             I love being a cinematographer.             This’s not to say my feelings haven’t evolved over the years.  The initial rush of being on … Continue reading “CRAZY BUT STILL KINDA COOL”

            While Casablanca (1942; Michael Curtiz\Arthur Edeson, ASC) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest movies ever made, it’s also one of the best-photographed.  In addition to its brilliant images, it contains some amazing bits of technique that are noticeable to only the sharpest-eyed viewer.             At about the nineteen-minute mark, Bogart leads Claude … Continue reading “OLD DOG, COOL TRICK…”

            The November 3, 2022 issue of Variety featured an interview with legendary record producer, music company executive and co-founder of Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine.  Long-windedly titled, ‘Jimmy Iovine Opens Up About Working With John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Dr. Dre, the State of the Music Biz, and Being Inducted Into the Rock Hall of … Continue reading “ARTISTIC OVERLAP”