Jim's Film Website: Welcome
This site is dedicated to film, both classic and contemporary, often focusing on GLBT cinema.
As described below, you will find several original resources, including many 10-best lists, 50 landmark pictures, a film guide (covering dramatic structure, visual and sound aesthetics), over a hundred reviews, and linked sites for Fassbinder, Jarman, and Pasolini.
The site map outlines all film resource listed here plus additional ones, GLBT literature, and more.
Film Resources
Jim's Reviews
Over a hundred reviews of selected classic and recent films, including Murnau's Nosferatu, Dreyer's Michael, Fellini's La Dolce Vita, Resnais's Muriel, 11 films by Robert Wise, all of Fassbinder, Jarman, and Pasolini on DVD, and more. New Reviews: Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), Jutzi's Berlin Alexanderplatz (1931), The Films of Kenneth Anger. Coming in June 2008: Glitterbox: Derek Jarman x 4, a major collection of Jarman features new to DVD: The Angelic Conversation, Caravaggio, Wittgenstein, Blue and Glitterbug, plus many special features.
10 Best Films Lists in 30+ Categories
Works in over 30 genres ranging from comedy to documentary, sci-fi to Westerns. Also includes guest best-films lists.
50 Landmarks of Film History
Essential pictures, silent era to today, from all major genres and international cinemas, with brief critical remarks.
Analysis of a Scene from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train
Shot-by-shot comparison of Hitchcock's film with Patricia Highsmith's novel and Raymond Chandler's screenplay.
Basic Guide to Film
My original "user-friendly" introduction to the connections between dramatic structure, visual and sound design, and thematic expression.
Best DVD of the Year
Chosen for extraordinary quality of both the film and DVD: 2006 — Murnau's Phantom; 2005 — Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People, The Seventh Victim, 8 more); 2004 — The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; 2003 — Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast; 2002 — Singin' in the Rain; 2001 — Citizen Kane; 2000 — North by Northwest; 1999 — The Passion of Joan of Arc.
Best English-Language Films, Year–by–Year List
From 1930 to today, with no fixed number of titles, including pictures from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and more.
Films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Introduction to Fassbinder's life and work in theater and film, with reviews of all of his pictures on DVD, including The Merchant of Four Seasons, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Effi Briest, The Marriage of Maria Braun, 23 more.
Films of Derek Jarman
An overview of his career as artist, author and filmmaker, his role in British cinema, and reviews of all of his films on DVD, including Sebastiane, Jubilee, The Tempest, The Last of England, and Edward II.
Films of Pier Paolo Pasolini
Introduction to Pasolini's life and work as poet, novelist, theorist and director, with reviews of all of his films on DVD, including Accattone, Mamma Roma, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Oedipus Rex, 6 more.
Films of Robert Wise
Profiling one of Hollywood's greatest and most versatile filmmakers, with reviews of Born to Kill, The Day the Earth Stood Still, West Side Story, 1963's The Haunting, The Sound of Music, 6 more.
GLBT Cinema
Directors, great films, books, more — described below.
Recommended Books
- Best Guide to Film: James Monaco's How to Read a Film offers concise discussions of film history, technology, theory, and more.
- On Film Narrative: Syd Field's Screenplay clarifies the mysteries of narrative structure – also the only "how to" screenwriting guide I recommend.
- Study of Visual Style: Rudolph Arnheim's Art and Visual Perception is a revelation for understanding visual structures. Although focused on painting, its principles apply equally to film. Densely-written, but worth the effort.
Questions? Comments — Email Jim.
GLBT Cinema
50 Great Films by GLBT Directors
Released between 1919 and today, these extraordinary works cover a wide range of genres, from comedy to drama, fantasy to documentary.
50 Outstanding GLBT-Themed Films
GLBT experience explored from diverse perspectives, in pictures made between 1924 and today.
Films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Introduction to Fassbinder's life and work in theater and film, with reviews of all of his pictures on DVD. Coming Soon! Reviews of Berlin Alexanderplatz — both Fassbinder's 15-hour magnum opus from 1980 and Phil Jutzi's 1931 film (included in the Criterion Collection box set with Fassbinder's version).
Films of Derek Jarman
An overview of his career as artist, author and filmmaker, his role in British cinema, and reviews of all of his films on DVD. LATEST! Review of The Last of England.
Films of Pier Paolo Pasolini
Introduction to Pasolini's life and work as poet, novelist, theorist and director, with reviews of all of his films on DVD. LATEST! Review of Teorema.
GLBT Fiction & Film
Updated! Films based on a diverse range of GLBT literature, from ancient classics to contemporary fiction.
GLBT Filmmakers
Updated! Over 100 exceptional GLBT filmmakers, from early masters (including Murnau, Cocteau, Eisenstein, and Cukor) to contemporary directors.
Recommended Books
- Comprehensive Reference: Raymond Murray's Images in the Dark: An Encylopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video – excellent sections on GLBT pictures, directors, writers, actors, themes – out of print but available used or in libraries.
- Focus on One Genre: Harry M. Benshoff's Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film – a GLBT perspective has been applied to many different genres, but this book is outstanding for the insight, scholarship – and sheer enjoyment – brought to exploring the connections between horror, fantasy, and science fiction films and the evolving social history of GLBT identity from the 1930s to today.
- History of GLBTs in Film: Vito Russo's The Celluloid Closet; a wonderful complement is the film of The Celluloid Closet.
- Pre-Stonewall Hollywood: William J. Mann's Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910–1969.
Recommended GLBT Film of the Month
Updated! From classics to exceptional new works in a wide range of genres, drawn from all national cinemas.
More GLBT Arts Resources
GLBT Classical Music, GLBT Literature, GLBT Non-Fiction, GLBT Visual Arts. Essay "Why a GLBT Focus?"
Questions? Comments — Email Jim.
Site search
This search engine covers the entire website (GLBT literature, film, and all other pages) — results will open in a new window. You can also use the site map.