By David Griffiths
2020 was supposed to be an epic year of cinematic blockbusters. It was a year where the box office was supposed to be dominated by some of the biggest franchises in cinematic history. Daniel Craig was set to return as the iconic James Bond, the Marvel juggernaut was set to roll on with the release of Black Widow while their rivals DC Comics were set to release Wonder Woman. Then of course there was also Christoper Nolan’s new film Tenet, while the cinematic territories that I write the most for, Australia and Thailand, were also eagerly anticipating the releases of Mulan and a new Fast & Furious film.
By Peter Malone
Film critics and reviewers are sometimes asked to list their top ten… for the year, for the decade, for all-time. This article looks back over the 2010s and chooses ten significant aspects of popular cinema as we move into the 2020s.
By Lars Henrik Gass
Let’s not dogmatically discuss the meaning and purpose of online festivals but find more tolerance for complexities in this area. For me, at least, this is not a question of ideology or attitude towards film and cinema, but a fragile temporary answer to a social crisis that calls for new solutions.
By S. Brent Plate
The global coronavirus pandemic has prompted a new round of apocalyptic predictions for the survival of cinema as we know it. During the 2020 lockdown, while corona cases were continually tallied, news reports told of the imminent end of the glorious pastime. Variety asked, “Will Movie Theaters Survive Corona?” CNBC said, “Dire outlook for cinemas as coronavirus resurges in U.S.,” while CNN noted, “Movie theaters are struggling to survive the pandemic.”
By Philip Lee
Cinema has seen hundreds of war films. Many glorify heroism. Many depict horror. “What sets the best war movies apart, though, is their ability to never lose sight of the real human cost of war. The true masterpieces of the genre can deliver spectacle, yes, but they also tell us something more essential at the heart of every epic struggle in human history, something that unites us all no matter which side of the battle we may be on.”1
