What Make Gangster Films & TV Shows Work? (Part 2)
Characters: The Criminals The Godfather, perhaps the traditional gangster film most people know, features a family involved in organized crime. They were our focal points, our POV characters. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) was outside of this world – almost. Their daily lives involved weddings, funerals, dinners, business meetings and – murder. What must the […]
What Make Gangster Films & TV Shows Work? (Part 1)
It’s hard to imagine a more enduring genre film type than the gangster movie. Of course, traditional gangster films, as with most genre films, have mutated into powerful crime TV shows like The Wire, Ray Donovan, and The Sopranos or films like Proud Mary and The Departed, but the core elements are still there. Since 1931’s […]
The Power Of Westerns (Part 2)
Explore the defining features of the Western genre, including iconic heroes, frontier settings, moral conflicts, and the storytelling behind classic films.
The Power Of Westerns (Part 1)
Discover the key features of Westerns, from frontier settings and outlaws to moral conflict, and learn how the Western genre shapes unforgettable stories.
Revenge Movies Are A Dish Best Served Bold (Part 2)
CATHARSIS The psychological underpinnings of revenge, around for generations of storytelling, involve identification with a character’s situation (empathetic response) which then leads to catharsis. Once we bond with the main character, identify strongly with their plight, satisfying results are what you’re aiming for in revenge-driven movies; that’s why so much of the skill comes […]
