Category "cinema-history"

What is the source of Truffaut's famous anti-war movie quote?

Francois Truffaut famously said it is impossible to make an anti-war film. This is cited numerous times by Ebert, and there is even the trope "Truffaut was righ

What is the longest, single take, tracking shot in cinema/TV?

In episode four of True Detective, there was a 6-minute long, single take, tracking shot sequence. What is the longest, scripted, single take (no cuts) sequenc

Unwritten rule that you never show a child getting seriously injured or killed?

I just discovered the anime Genocyber. The Wikipedia states that it breaks the unwritten rule that you never show a child getting seriously injured or k

To which degree were Spaghetti Westerns influenced by Italian Neorealism?

After the chaos of WWII and the Mussolini-government the largely devastated Italian film industry developed the so-called Italian Neorealism, which distanced it

When was the first use of nudity on the silver screen?

With the exception of pornography (which I don't think makes it to the "silver screen"), which movie first made use of nudity? I realize that the term "nudity

Who was McGuffin?

Most storytelling concepts that have names that sound like the name of a person can be traced to an actual person, real or fictitious. (Foley, Mary Sue, etc.)

Why were the 90's considered cynical in the US when most Hollywood output I remember seemed optimistic?

I didn't grow up in the US so I don't have a perspective of this. But why were the 90's considered such a cynical time? I personally do NOT perceive it this way

What is the most commercially successful Alan Smithee film?

As you can read on Wikipedia, Alan Smithee is an official Hollywood pseudonym which can be used by directors who wish to disown a film which they have lost crea

What is the worst month to watch movies in United States?

First of all, this question is not about the influence of the critics in the media, it is about when (statistically) the good movies are released. While everyon

What is the longest timespan depicted in a movie?

Most movies depict a few days to a week's worth of real-time. What movie depicts the longest amount of time?

What is the shortest timespan depicted in a movie?

Based on this question, what feature-length movie* (about 80 minutes or longer) covers the smallest amount of time? I'm thinking along the lines of Run Lola Run

Why would a movie that appears pornographic via it's rating (X) receive an Academy Award?

When looking at the IMDb page for Midnight Cowboy, it says that the movie is rated X but won 3 Oscars. I always assumed an X-rated movie is a pornographic movie

Why do some movies start with a big rotating circle and countdown?

Why do some movies start with a big rotating circle and countdown? Sometimes after 1, a woman is also shown as well. What is her purpose?

Comparative Profitability of Genres in Movie History

I'd like to see a list of genres based in order of profitability throughout movie history. I suspect the horror genre is the most profitable genre going back al

Were old TV shows routinely sped up for some reason?

I have recently made a habit of waking up early, and as a by-product spend my mornings catching re-runs of The Donna Reed Show. I've noticed in a number of epis

Buñuel and Dalí

According to Wikipedia, Buñuel and Dalí had a falling out around the time the former was filming L'Age d'Or. Is it known whether they ever restor

First movie remake of an original motion picture

What is the first movie remake of another original movie (wholly written for the screen, not based on a book or play)? This question is very close, but not a d

Highest number of collabrations between an actor and a director

I want to know, what is the record for the highest number associations/collaborations between an actor/actress and a director. Not encompassing porn films for

What is the world's first movie?

What is the world's first movie? I am curious.

What is the longest time elapsed before a show got renewed while preserving main cast?

On the note of the Twin Peak's renewal rumor after nearly 25 years of inactivity (since last episode in 1991), what is the longest time elapsed before a show go