Directory of Theory and Criticism Resources

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Film theory seeks to develop concise, systematic concepts that apply to film and video. Classical film theory provides a structural framework to address issues of techniques, narrativity, diegesis, cinematic codes, "the image", genre, subjectivity, and authorship. More recent analysis has given rise to psychoanalytic film theory, structuralist film theory, feminist film theory, and theories of documentary, new media, third cinema, and new queer cinema, to name just a few. Film criticism is, on some level, encapsulated within this rubric, and includes questions about how and why film works, and what effects it has on viewing subjects. These techniques can be applied to individual films, but it is usually aligned with theoretical concepts of the medium. Notice how this is distinct from film review (or film commentary), which is usually written for a general audience and is generally not theoretical.

Subcategories

• By Genre
• Feminist
• Journals
• Matrix, The
• Psychoanalytic

Resources in This Category

• 'Alliwell That Ends Well

  http://cmulrooney.tripod.com/alliwell.html
  Brief analysis of films by many directors.

• Brian W. Fairbanks

  http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/writer/
  Reviews and essays on film criticism by the entertainment editor at the Paris Woman Journal.

• Chronicle Of A Passion

  http://home.earthlink.net/~steevee/
  Film reviews and commentary by Steve Erickson, with a concentration on foreign film.

• Cinetext - film & philosophy

  http://cinetext.philo.at/
  Internet forum for cinema studies addressing students, researchers, scholars, and anyone with an interest in the thoughtful exploration of cinema, film, and television.

• Classic Movies-Related Articles

  http://articles.dhwritings.com/
  Repository of articles which originally appeared as newsgroup postings but which stand on their own as arguments or elucidations.

• Clio's Eye

  http://clioseye.sfasu.edu/
  Essays by scholars, guests, and students, reviewing and discussing films and other media from an historical perspective.

• Culture Court

  http://www.culturecourt.com/
  A review of film, books, and media arts. Includes features and reviews of selected works.

• Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing

  http://www.storyispromise.com/wmovies.htm
  Essays that review films from a storytelling point of view.

• Film Trip

  http://members.tripod.com/mcrae_tony/
  Commentary on various movie genres, along with film recommendations.

• International Federation of Film Critics

  http://www.fipresci.org/
  Organization with 46 member countries. Includes film news, festival reports, and resources on film criticism.

• Is It A Book: Cinema

  http://www.philobiblon.com/isitabook/cinema/
  A discussion of nonlinear narrative in film.

• Keyframe.org

  http://www.keyframe.org/
  Attepts to answer the question of whether the digital age is affecting traditional cinema.

• Metaphilm

  http://www.metaphilm.com/
  Reviews films of artistic and independent variety, highlighting content and context. List of films as well as feature articles.

• No, But I Read The Movie

  http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/no-but-i-read-the-movie/Content?oid=2169959
  "Great books into films, or films from great auteurs... film lovers, make up your critical minds!" By Richard C. Walls [Metro Times Detroit].

• Philosophical Films

  http://faculty.frostburg.edu/phil/forum/forum15.htm
  Interpretation of films by using philosophical texts and vice versa.

• Recent Movies and TV Programs: Signs of the Future?

  http://www.revelation13.net/movie.html
  The Revelation 13 web site discusses how movies relate to prophecies of world events, and how movies can help us understand the chaotic world events today.

• Senses of Cinema

  http://www.sensesofcinema.com/
  An online film journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema, of art, independent and experimental cinemas.

• Strictly Film School

  http://www.filmref.com/
  An evolving analysis journal of landmark cinema, examining universal themes, symbols and imagery, historical and artistic genres.

Related Categories

• Home > Arts > Movies > History
• Home > Arts > Movies > Reviews
• Home > Reference > Dictionaries > By Subject > Film

 

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