Terminator 3 (2003)

The terminator has been sent back in time once again to rescue John Conner. In the battle preceding this scene, one if its fuel cells was damaged. The terminator throws this damaged unit out of the vehicle and it explodes creating this miniature mushroom cloud. Though it might at first be dismissed as being appropriate for the overall theme of the movie, I later found it to be a form of foreshadowing. Nuclear war hounds the characters of this film and at this point its presence is close enough to be tangible.



I find it strange that a town with so many signs of occupation would be seemingly deserted, even if it is past sunset. I realize that many car scenes are filmed on closed courses, but there are usually at least a couple extras here and there. I conclude that this was intentionally done to induce a feeling of loneliness and hopelessness.



I like how this scene is utterly gray. It not only fits well with the time of day and the look of the city, but also mimics the overall palette of the aftermath of nuclear war. When everything is turned to ash and twisted metal, the overall color won’t change much.

Unforgiven (1992)

This shot isn’t really what I wanted to note. Rather, what I wanted to say was that there is a lack of musical score for most of the movie. This gives the movie a greater feel of authenticity because life doesn’t have a soundtrack. I like the absence of music because it means the filmmaker doesn’t need it to sway my mood. Things in the old west happened down to Earth and with face value. Plain and simple, that’s it in a nutshell.



What’s interesting about this shot is not what’s in it, or how the camera is angled. Instead, what’s odd about it is that there’s no trail dust on any of these cowboys. You’d think that, in a time where paved roads are scarce (at least on the frontier anyway) there would be dust and dirt all over people’s pants and shirts. Yet it is strangely absent. I can’t claim credit for seeing this; my dad once pointed out this little detail to me. Ever since he spoke of it to me, I have been looking carefully for signs of the dusty trail on cowboys in western films. It is a detail few are keen to spot.



The use of a candle at night may seem obvious to some. But I see it as proof of bonding. A candle’s light only reaches so far. People nearby that want to use that light have to sit real close to each other. This leads to fraternizing and familiarity, sometimes resulting in friendship. The trio does end up bonding, but like the illumination of the candle, it’s minimal.

Lost in Translation (2003)

One of the first things I notice about a movie is the use of establishing shots, especially when they take place in cities. The vast majority of cities are simple blocks of concrete, glass, and steel. Few ever demonstrate an individualistic flair, like Tokyo does in this shot.



I like this shot because it shows how far this character is out of his element. He’s far away from home as it is. This otherwise pointless elevator shot demonstrates effectively how much this American visitor sticks out like a sore thumb.



I like how this shot sums up this character’s predicament. He’s in Tokyo for a couple weeks and his family is in the states. The arrangement of the items on the table shows that he’s used to sharing a portion of it with someone else. Without anyone to share it with, his lonely state becomes evident.

Terminator (1984)

This intimidating pose is struck by an infiltrator machine bent on destroying a bunker full of holocaust survivors. I found the lighting to be significant in creating the feeling of gloom and doom. The fact that it’s holding a huge laser gun also helps. At first I didn’t notice it, at least not consciously, but the infiltrator’s eyes are glowing. This also contributes to the feeling of dark power radiating from this thing.



I like this establishing shot because the city has so many lights yet only the street itself is well lit. Granted it’s nighttime, but you’d think with all those lights blazing there’d be much less darkness. The bluish street lamps shrinking with distance give the feeling that there’s a long road ahead. Indeed, this shot was taken not long after one of the main characters arrives early in the movie.



This is probably the first point of view (POV) shot I can remember seeing in any movie. Watching this movie as a kid, I didn’t realize how much it affected the movie overall. But it does make the terminator’s mission crystal clear: search and destroy. The choice of red and black as major colors lends to the air of ill will associated with this machine.

Batman Forever (1995)

One thing that has always fascinated me about Batman movies is the style of architecture of the city of Gotham. In this movie, the lighting dominates the structures rather than the opposite. This creates an unusual look for a city that’s supposed to be all doom and gloom when now it seems to glow radioactively.



Jim Carrey always seems to bring a considerable measure of spontaneity and odd facial expressions to a character. This medium shot of him explaining to his boss the key element in his latest invention proves that notion quite well. There are no objects to help the emphasis because they are not necessary.



Dark colors often represent dark feelings, and that holds true for this flashback to Bruce Wayne’s childhood. Everything has the blue tint, even the fire. It makes the flashback distinct and ethereal, which is appropriate for the situation.

Employee of the Month (2006)

There are several ways to show the passing of time in a short period. One of those is time-lapse. This is where a camera is left to run for a long time and record at a much slower frame rate. The result is an afternoon gone in 30 seconds or sometimes less. This one in particular I find to be uncommonly beautiful for a movie whose main focus is comedy.



If there was ever a doubt in your mind that you could get pretty much anything from a warehouse store, this little shot dispels it. The floor workers of this particular warehouse store have set up a pallet clubhouse complete with drinks, games, and furniture. You can even see what appears to be a sleeping area behind the two card players. It also attests to some latent ingenuity in the lowly workers.



I liked how this scene utilized a diminished form of dramatic effect to create a humorous scene. Normally dry ice is used to add mystique or emphasis to a serious scene, but in this case the use of freezer mist thrown into the path of the savior’s run just adds some amusement.

Army of Darkness (1992)

Though it was probably unintended, I thought this shot of the windmill behind the chainsaw made a noteworthy contrast between old and new technology. The chainsaw is shiny and full of power while the windmill is dull and slow. The new tech looks so strange compared to the old, yet we’re much more familiar with it than we’d be with a windmill.



A single light could be all a filmmaker needs to put emphasis on the importance of something. This shot is no exception. The altar of the Necronomicon (book of the dead) is dreary and old, not in the least bit holy as white lights often emphasize. Yet a white light is used to illuminate the place of the book. Whether this was intentional or not really thought out by the filmmaker is arguable.



For some reason, the use of jerky puppets seems more appropriate than computer animation for the simulation of walking skeletons. Computer animation is either too shiny or too smooth, neither of which would go well with the undead. Though the option to use puppets and animatronics is more due to the limitations of technology at the time this film was made, I still feel it is the best choice.



This shot could have been broken up onto two, but the filmmaker kept it together. The man on the right (from the future) slaps the man on the left (in the correct time period) after watching the troops score small victories in the battle below. The man on the left isn’t accustomed to such body language and stares back almost threateningly. It could have been split up so the reaction was shot separately, but that would probably have made the reaction seem too serious and detract from the comedic air of the film.