Review Archive

Silent films were perfected and “talkies” were born.

Cinematography took a back-seat to dialogue; the Hayes Code made movies safe for prudes.

Solving the sound problem makes room for visual experimentation again. War and noir dominate.

The golden age of the B-movie. The atomic age ushers in science-themed horror and science fiction.

Color becomes common, movies have to compete with television. The Hayes code finally ends as sexual liberation comes to movies.

Movies experiment with both graphic sex and violence. The slasher is born, and porn has a mainstream moment.

Blockbusters become expected; a satanic panic and backlash pulls film in a more prudish direction. It’s now possible to have a movie collection.

Falling production costs and a robust home-theater market make direct-to-video movies and local distrubution common. Many filmmakers adopt a a satirical, self-aware tone.

Digital production and a proliferation of distribution channels make niche films more common. A major terrorist attack in the US encourages a darker, more grim tone.

Theaters compete with streaming, high-quality large format televisions. Even the streaming services start making their own movie productions. It is not only possible but common to shoot movies using handheld equipment.

Movie-making takes a serious hit as a worldwide pandemic depresses the theater market and moviemaking difficult. Streaming is now the dominant model.