The word montage comes from the French word ?monter? which means to assemble. In editing, a montage means to effectively communicate the emotions and ideas with which the artist is concerned. Russian filmmaker Vsevolod Pudovkin came up with constructive editing in the 1920s, which revolutionized the modern montage. Constructive editing was a method whereby Soviet filmmakers would take apart old films and put them together in different ways. Pudovkin felt that the use of new shots should make their own point and create new meanings through their juxtapositions. Using the psychology of Ivan Pavlov's conditioning (an experiment he used with a bell and his hungry dog), Soviet filmmakers theorized that the associations of ideas could work the same way. They believed that filmmakers should be concerned with creating new techniques that could create meaning, not just using the same old conditioned ones. Editing consisted of the thesis (shot 1) and the antithesis (shot 2), which when juxtaposed together created the synthesis (shot 3) which was a whole new idea.
As Cineplex celebrates 100 years of movie memories over the next twelve months, we?ll take a look back at some key moments, classic stars and technological milestones from each week in cinematic history, ones that helped shape and define the modern film industry into the memory-making marvel we view it as today.
So dig in with our third look back! This week's edition looks at Star Wars, Gene Kelly, the origin of Hollywood, and more!
January 29, 1964: The film debut of James Earl Jones.
When Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb opened, the Cold War satire used absurd conventions not found in most films, ranging from the parallels between love and war as mediated through mechanical representations, to human misconceptions of sexuality through destruction. Based on the novel "Red Alert" by Peter George, it was originally conceived as a tense thriller about nuclear war. But while director Stanley Kubrick was working on the script, he found that many scenes he had written were unintentionally funny. He soon recruited future SNL writer Terry Southern to turn the script into a satire, starring George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden and Peter Sellers (initially hired to play four roles ? as per Columbia Picture?s agreement to fund the film ? but due to trouble developing a Texas accent the role of Major ?King? Kong went to Slim Pickens, when John Wayne turned it down).
Dr. Strangelove is also notable as being the debut film of Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones, who played the role of Lt. Lothar Zogg, the B-52 bombardier. Kubrick cast Jones after seeing him in a production of Shakespeare?s The Merchant of Venice, in which George C. Scott also appeared. A former stutterer, who was drawn to acting as a way to temper his condition, Jones? next big role came with his portrayal of boxer Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope (1970). This earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination making him the second African-American male performer (following Sidney Poitier) to receive a nomination.
Watch his film debut below:
January 31, 1997: Greedo shoots first.
In the summer of 1977, 20th Century Fox was banking on Damnation Alley with George Peppard to be their big summer film when something unexpected occurred. That something was Star Wars. Thirty years later, the special edition of the original Star Wars movie was released with new, previously unseen material, re-edited footage, and enhanced special effects shots. Those changes ignited one of the most famous public fan outcries Hollywood has ever seen. The audience protests resulted in online backlash, petitions, and ultimately a documentary entitled The People vs. George Lucas. Some credit January 31, 1997 as the descent of the once monolithic Lucas, whose almost obsessive-compulsive re-tweaking of the franchise over the years has consistently alienated the very people who elevated the franchise (and its mastermind) to fame. Sure some directors wish to bring their films back to their original vision, oftentimes due to studio interference (as was the case with Ridley Scott?s Blade Runner or James Cameron?s The Abyss) but what?s unfortunate about Star Wars is that many of the changes seem to undermine the film?s dramatic structure. While Lucas has defended this decision, adamant that he wanted to bring the film back to his original vision, by not allowing the film to be seen in its original state, many see Lucas as withholding an important piece of film history. Ironically it was Lucas himself in 1988 who lobbied Congress to federally protect films from being altered, destroying the works of art and our cultural and historical heritage.
The original 1977 release of Star Wars became one of the first 25 titles placed on the National Film Registry Preservation Board, broke ground, created new technologies, and influenced an entire new generation of future filmmakers.
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February 1, 1887: Hooray for Hollywood!
After moving to Southern California from Topeka, Kansas and purchasing 160 acres of land in the Cahuenga Valley, located in the foothills west of Los Angeles, real estate magnate Harvey Wilcox officially registered Hollywood with the Los Angeles County recorder?s office. A prohibitionist, Wilcox envisioned the land as a community for devout Christians to live a highly moral life free of vices. Harvey?s wife, Daeida, coined the new community ?Hollywood? from the name of a friend?s summer home in the Midwest. Wilcox soon set about laying out Hollywood?s streets, made of dirt and lined with pepper trees. By 1900, Hollywood had a population of 500, connected to L.A. by a single-track streetcar. In 1902, then president of the Los Pacific Boulevard and Development Company, H.J. Whitley, established the famous Hollywood Hotel. Twenty years later, Whitley would erect the now legendary Hollywood sign (which originally read Hollywoodland) to advertise the name of a new housing development in the hills. In 1910, the community of Hollywood voted to consolidate with Los Angeles due to a shortage of water. Shortly thereafter, the motion-picture industry began expanding, as moviemakers found their ideal setting in the sunny climate and varied terrain of Southern California. As the years went by, Wilcox?s dreams of a sober, conservative religious community faded and Hollywood became known the glamour-driven centre of an industry built on fantasy and excess.
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February 2, 1996: Hollywood icon Gene Kelly passes away.
Born in Pittsburgh and graduating university with a degree in economics, Gene Kelly worked at a dance school partly owned by his mother. In 1938, Kelly got his first Broadway job in the chorus of Leave It to Me, starring Mary Martin. After finding a modicum of success on Broadway, Kelly signed an exclusive contract with producer David O. Selznick and headed west to Hollywood. Kelly?s first film, For Me and My Gal (1942) co-starred Judy Garland. Two years later, now under contract with MGM (a studio known for its big movie musicals) Kelly choreographed and starred in Cover Girl, opposite newcomer Rita Hayworth. This film marked Kelly?s first big-screen success and his first collaboration with director and choreographer Stanley Donen. In his next big hit, Anchors Aweigh (1945), Kelly performed a dance routine with Jerry from the Tom and Jerry cartoon series. The eight-minute sequence cost MGM $100,000 and took two months to film. But this sequence, along with the short film You Ought To Be In Pictures, are celebrated as a breakthrough moments in cinema and precursors to the Disney?s Song of the South (1946) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) ? two films to integrate live action with animation.
In 1951, Kelly?s An American in Paris won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But it wasn?t until 1952 that Kelly cemented his iconic screen legend status in Singin? in the Rain, often considered to be the best movie musical of all time. The movie featured one of the most memorable scenes in film history, all performed while Kelly was fighting a fever of 103 degrees.
Watch the iconic scene now. First up - 'singin' in the rain'...
Now...a little 'dancin' in the rain':
Kelly?s last big screen role was in Xanadu (1980), notable for his dance routine on roller skates. Some of his later career highlights included choreographing for the ballet in Paris and as a dance consultant for Madonna?s 1993 ?Girlie Show? tour.
What was your favourite Gene Kelly movie?
Stay tuned next week for more This Week In Film History...
Source: http://www.cineplex.com/News/This-Week-in-Film-History-February-4.aspx
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