20 The Film Magazine Articles to Read from 2018
2018 has proven to be quite the year here at The Film Magazine. Behind the scenes we’ve forged new partnerships and established some exciting ventures (many of which have yet to be revealed), while on site we’ve hit record high numbers and, most excitingly, offered our very best content yet!
New to the team this year are Jacob Davis, Elizabeth Howlett, Kieran Judge, Darcy Rae, Beth Sawdon and Annice White, while we’ve had guest columns from Rhian Gillah, Craig Sheldon, Vicky Wheeler and Luke Whitticase. Each and every one of them has offered something unique and insightful, with their varied approaches making for some excellent reading no matter your interests.
In this special piece, it is my (Joe’s) job as editor to introduce you to a narrowed down selection of the very best of what we had to offer in 2018 as selected by committee based on suggestions from team members and avid readers.
Here are the 20 The Film Magazine Articles To Read from 2018 (in order of date published)…
20. A Retrospective Look at The Passion of the Christ and Its Artistic/Cultural Merits
Author: Katie Doyle
Date Published: 29th March
Excerpt: In this eye-opening piece of analysis, Katie Doyle takes an in-depth look at ‘The Passion of the Christ’ as a piece of art and a cultural phenomenon, flagging issues regarding discrimination and the movie’s post-9/11 politics.
This Easter release lambasted the discrimination on offer in Mel Gibson’s ultra-popular biblical movie The Passion of the Christ and judged the film by its merits as an honourable adaptation and as a standalone movie. Katie Doyle truly took the sword to the early 2000s release in the midst of speculation regarding a long-gestated sequel finally being given the green light.
19. Netflix versus Cannes – All You Need To Know
Author: Joseph Wade
Date Published: 22nd April
Excerpt: Netflix and Cannes Film Festival have been embroiled in a bitter debate regarding cinema. Here’s all you need to know about the Netflix versus Cannes debate.
Navigating the movie news cycle can be a daunting task when websites have as many as 20 stories per day, and we all know that debates on social media can rage on for weeks after as little as a small spark ignites the fury in the great many people occupying Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and so on. One such a topic was the war between Netflix and Cannes Film Festival – a debate that reached beyond that of the broken business partnership and into the philosophical question of “what constitutes a film being deserving of the title of ‘film’?” Joseph Wade broke it all down in this piece.
18. The “An Artist’s Contributions” Series
Author: Francesca Militello
Date/s Published: 1st Feb – 3rd May
This series (which started all the way back in 2016 with a piece on Orson Welles) had two instalments in 2018, with Francesca Militello offering outlines of the influences of David Wark Griffith and Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein on cinema old and new, with interesting analysis and historical context the key components to each article. A spin-off based on the cinematography in Abel Gance’s Napoleon (1927) proved to be a good companion piece.
David Wark Griffith Edition
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein Edition
17. The Exceptionals: The Philosophies of The Incredibles
Author: Luke Whitticase
Date Published: 11th June
Excerpt: In this special feature, Luke Whitticase explores the philosophies of ‘The Incredibles’ and its director Brad Bird, drawing particular parallels with exceptionalism and Randian Objectivism.
Passing philosophical and political judgement on such a widely beloved superhero animated movie was never going to be an easy task, but Luke Whitticase pulled it off with aplomb in this eye opening piece.
16. Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked
Author: Joseph Wade
Date Published: 28th August
Excerpt: Every movie from the first 10 years of the MCU (2008-2018) RANKED worst to best. 20 movies overall (including Infinity War).
This comprehensive ranking of all 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings from Iron Man in 2008 to Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018 was not only one of the largest editions of Ranked ever, but it was also a history lesson on the passes and fails of the MCU to this date and what led to the rise and/or fall of each release.
