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| Alfonso Arau & Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate-- Utilizing the essay format, I analyze Alfonso Arau's directorial adaptation of wife Laura Esquivel's novel Like Water for Chocolate as a successful cinematic work of magic realism while also interweaving the ways it handles family duty, gender roles, and romantic love. *contains spoilers* Alfonso Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban-- After studying the first five films in the series in the Harry Potter Film Guide linked to below, I evaluate Cuaron's successful adaptation of the third novel with a main focus on shot choice and cinematic technique in augmenting J.K. Rowling's source material. *contains spoilers* Alfred Hitchcock's Cinematically Coiled Rope-- Critical essay exploring Hitchcock's own statements regarding his experimental film Rope, along with the reactions of cinematic historians and scholars. *contains spoilers* "All You Need Is Love." Across the Universe: Julie Taymor & The Beatles-- Featuring more than 20 video clips, 50 photographs and Beatles research, this 8 page article serves as a comprehensive multimedia viewer's guide to Julie Taymor's under-appreciated masterpiece. *contains spoilers* The Big Score: The Killing, Reservoir Dogs and Heist-- Brief critical study of Film Noir heist movies beginning with Stanley Kubrick's influential masterpiece, The Killing and leading up to Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and David Mamet's Heist. *contains spoilers* The Cinematic Makeover of Elizabeth Bennet-- Three Versions of Pride and Prejudice-- Comparison of three modern adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by directors Joe Wright, Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Gurinder Chadha (Bride and Prejudice) with analysis of and references to the novel. *contains spoilers* Commenting On Our Times: Hal Ashby and the 1970's-- Biographical data and evaluation of the recurring themes and cinematic motifs that ran throughout the filmmaking career of director Hal Ashby. *contains spoilers* Deepa Mehta's The Republic of Love-- With strict attention to detail, this essay compares and contrasts the novel The Republic of Love by Pulitzer-Prize Winner Carol Shields with the 2003 cinematic version from acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta. *contains spoilers* Doppelgangers and Dreamscapes: The Cinema of David Lynch (Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive)-- Investigation of writer/director David Lynch's two most critically lauded films with inclusion of various viewpoints and commentary by film scholars regarding both Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. *contains spoilers* Harry Potter 1-5: A Muggle Film Buff's Guide to the Magicians Behind the Movies-- Insight and analysis on the first five Harry Potter films with particular emphasis on the directors involved and their past cinematic works. "I Like the Way You Talk." Sling Blade as Noir-- Investigating new critical approaches to Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade as both a work inspired by Film Noir and one that is also considered an outstanding and sensitive cinematic representation of disability. *contains spoilers* In the Mood for Translation: A Look at Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love & Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation-- Essay comparing and contrasting the many similarities and differences of the influential In the Mood for Love from director Wong Kar-wai on Sofia Coppola's breakout hit Lost in Translation. *contains spoilers* Jim Jarmusch: A Profile-- Short biographical look at the independent film director culminating with an introduction to Broken Flowers. John Cassavetes: A Critical Perspective-- Background information and analysis of critical reactions to the work of John Cassavetes along with particular emphasis on Faces. *contains spoilers* McCarthyism, Masculinity & The 1950's Western: High Noon, Silver Lode and Rio Bravo-- Investigative look at the political subtext, gender and moral messages woven through Fred Zinnemann's High Noon, Alan Dwan's Silver Lode and Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo with in-depth analysis and inclusion of biographical research and critical reactions to the films as important documents of American history. *contains spoilers* Patrice Leconte & Girl on the Bridge-- Only masterful French director Patrice Leconte can take "suicidal girl meets knife-throwing boy" and turn it into a delightfully sexy and whimsical romance. The Reflection of Life: Truffaut's Adventures of Antoine Doinel-- In-depth analysis and biographical information surrounding the making and critical reception of Francois Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series that helped launch the French New Wave. *contains spoilers* Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette-- Background information on the production of the film Marie Antoinette featuring a look at the cinematic techniques employed. Steven Soderbergh: Generation Indie on Videotape-- Chronicling the independent film boom of the 1980's, this article investigates sex, lies, and videotape as arguably the most important and definitive film of Generation X in marking the change from the 1980's Me Generation to the Why Me Generation of the 1990's. *contains spoilers* The Three Colors Trilogy: A Viewer's Guide to Kieslowski's Blue, White & Red-- An overview of the three works, exploring critical interpretations, cast and crew research, and cinematic technique to find overlapping themes which lead to a richer understanding of the series. *contains spoilers* "Where Is My Mind?" Chaucer's "Unreliable Narrator" Goes Neo-Noir (The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and Memento)-- By taking a look at three Neo-Noir puzzle films, this article charts the success of each work's evolution of Chaucer's "Unreliable Narrator" and the quality and critical reception of the Singer's Usual Suspects, Fincher's Fight Club and Nolan's Memento. *contains spoilers* Woody Allen's Existential Crimes and Misdemeanors-- Complete summary and analysis of writer/director Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors that highlights moral questioning, cinematic technique, allegory and subtext along with research on Allen's outlook on the film. *contains spoilers* |
| Articles & Essays By Jen Johans |
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