Must See Movies!!
Jim Piper, author of Get the Picture? A Movie Lover's Guide to Watching Films, offers advice on film appreciation and lists his ten best films of all time!
Commitment: Get the Picture? A Movie Lover's Guide to Watching Films, is an incredibly interesting and informative guide for those wanting to learn more about the different pieces that go into making a whole movie. You parse out the key concepts, such as dialogue, shots, settings, and sound, and teach us how to better analyze - and enjoy - movies. What inspired you to write this book?
Jim Piper: It's based on 30 years of teaching Intro Film at the community college level, 30 years of teaching Intro filmmaking, and seven years of making short narrative films myself.
Commitment: You have been teaching film for years and have written other film books. When did your love of cinema begin?
Jim: When I was a student at U.C. Berkeley in the early 60s. There were two art-film theatres in town. Pauline Kael wrote "liner notes" for one. Know who she is?
Commitment: What is the difference between a movie and a film?
Jim: See my introduction. Movies are for entertainment; films are about art, life, truth. Isn't it nice we have these two words in our lexicon? A lot of languages don't.
Commitment: How seriously should we take movie reviews?
Jim: Very seriously. Just keep in mind that it's all personal opinion. Don't let critics intimidate you. Go for those who are not on the make. Seek out honest critics who aren't hotshots.
Commitment: What makes a movie great?
Jim: Movies are great if they are great entertainment-The Fugitive, Titanic, The Gold Rush. Films are great if they reveal an aspect of human nature or society you've never thought about-
The Seven Samurai; Frozen River; 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days.
Commitment: What are the factors that can make or break a film?
Jim: Pretentiousness, artiness, blind ambition, overstatement.
Commitment: What should a movie fan who wants to start viewing movies more critically start to look for when watching movies?
Jim: Not just story, but shots, cuts, sounds, setting, character, and style.
Commitment: What does the setting contribute to a film?
Jim: Sitting spins story and meaning one way or another.
Commitment: How does the lighting set the tone of a movie?
Jim: Lighting spins story and meaning one way or another.
Commitment: How important is good dialogue?
Jim: Very. It should be natural and tailored to characters. As minimal as possible.
Commitment: Most viewers walk away from a movie without noticing the music. How does a movie's soundtrack affect the overall movie watching experience?
Jim: The book has a long section on music, in the chapter on sound. Most viewers don't really hear music or recognize it as noteworthy.
Commitment: What is a cut, and how can viewers notice them?
Jim: A cut is when the editor cuts a shot, usually on a computer by mouse-clicking "cut." All cuts are meaningful. Notice them? Open your eyes.
Commitment: With such emphasis on box office returns, is it still possible to make great films?
Jim: Most great films ignore box office. They are made from an artistic imperative that ignores matters of money.
Commitment: What are some of the best films ever made?
Jim: Here is my list:
1. The Seven Samurai
2. Citizen Kane
3. The Godfather
4. The Apu Trilogy
5. The Gold Rush
6. The Seventh Seal
7. Shane
8. The Bicycle Thief
9. 8 ½
10. Singin' in the Rain.
These films are old. Let me know if you want a list of more contemporary films I consider "best."
Commitment: What are the films that every movie lover must see?
Jim: See the films in the list above. As for contemporary films, see last Christmas's batch: Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler.
Commitment: Do we have to like the characters in order to enjoy the movie?
Jim: Not like, especially. But we have to find them interesting. Gong Lee in "Raise the Red Lantern" is ambitious and gets herself in a jam, but her life carries an important lesson, even though she's not Doris-Day likeable.
Commitment: You state in your book that you would like more people to see independent and foreign films. Why?
Jim: Because they are films. Most Hollywood fare is entertainment.
Jim Piper has taught English, film study, and filmmaking at Fresno City College since 1965. He has published five books: two English texts and three books about making and watching films. He wrote a regular column for a widely read filmmaking magazine. He took prizes with his short dramatic films in film festivals worldwide. He currently serves as a board member with Fresno Filmworks, a nonprofit for bringing alternative cinema to Fresno. He has been married to Carol for 16 years and has two sons who live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
To purchase Get the Picture, click here.
