Well, here we are. It's the final episode of Crash Course Film Criticism and we're going to chat about one of the more polarizing films ever made: Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. On the surface, 2001 tells the story of human...

Before the Hayes Code was enacted, movies were a lot more brazen than we sometimes tend to think. Director/Producer Lois Weber spent much of her career making movies that challenged audiences. Her film, "Where Are My Children" is no...

Beasts of No Nation is available to stream on Netflix (as it is a Netflix release). Some films are about war, some films are about kids, but some films are about kids during a time of war. Even more upsetting are films about kids who...

Henry Reich of MinutePhysics and MinuteEarth talks about statistical paradoxes and quantum entanglement. Afterwards, Jessi from Animal Wonders joins the show with two Red-Footed Tortoises!

The Great Train Robbery is one of the earliest narrative films created in the United States. It is also considered to be one of the most significant as it introduced new cinematic techniques such as cross cutting, double exposure,...

Alice in Wonderland is a 1903 British silent fantasy film directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow. Only one copy of the original film is known to exist. The British Film Institute (BFI) partially restored the movie and its original...

In the mid-1970s, many grand, single-screen theaters struggled to stay afloat as competition from modern multiplexes in the suburbs grew. These theaters, once bustling with activity, faced declining attendance and costly upkeep. As a...

The creation of movie palaces during the Great Depression and World Wars provided a much-needed escape for people of all backgrounds. These opulent theaters offered a taste of luxury, allowing ordinary citizens to experience the...

In the early 1910s, movie studios began developing the "star system," which created and promoted national stars like Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. These stars became central to the studios' marketing efforts, leading to...

In downtown areas of major cities, clusters of competing theaters—such as MGM, Loew's, and RKO—often lined main streets, creating vibrant entertainment districts. These theaters, with their elaborate marquees and luxurious interiors,...

The grand movie theaters of the early 20th century were made possible by the ownership and backing of major movie studios, such as MGM, Paramount, and Fox, which produced the films shown in these theaters. This vertical integration...

In the early 1910s, filmmakers began experimenting with feature-length films, with notable examples including Sarah Bernhardt's "Queen Elizabeth" and the Italian film "Cabiria." D.W. Griffith further pushed the boundaries with...

For more than a century, visiting a movie palace or attending a theater performance has been a magical and transformative experience. This video highlights how theaters have historically served as cultural hubs where people could...

After World War I, optimism was high, but the Great Depression brought unexpected challenges that made it increasingly difficult for movie palaces to sustain their expensive operations. The decline was accelerated by the rise of...

The1890s marked the early days of film exhibition, when some of the first popular films of prize fights were shown in large auditoriums. This era laumched the beginning of the moviegoing experience, evolving from small, individual...

The Art House Convergence has become a vital resource for community-based, mission-driven cinemas, fostering a renewed appreciation for independent theaters. Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence in the number of these...

The decline of traditional movie theaters resulted significant cultural loss, as the shared experience of watching films in grand, communal spaces fades. With the rise of streaming platforms, fewer films are shown in theaters,...

In the mid to late 1960s, social and racial divisions, and the decline of downtown areas, contributed to the deterioration of many movie palaces. As people moved to the suburbs and entertainment options expanded, these once-thriving...

The Warner brothers began their career in the Pittsburgh area by opening a small theater but soon realized the greater potential in making movies. This led them and others to shift from theater operations to film production, eventually...

Nosferatu: a Symphony of Horror is a visual retelling of Bram Stoker's famous novel, Dracula. This 1922 German Expressionist, silent film has become a pilar of the horror genre and inspired over a hundred years of vampire movies....

Knock's condition has worsened and drawn attention from authorities. Knock, the real estate agent who facilitated Count Orlok's interest in moving to Wisborg has grown increasingly agitated and erratic as the vampire travels closer....

In this famously awkward scene, the young real estate agent, Thomas Hutter eats dinner while Count Orlok watches attentively. As the clock strikes midnight, Hutter accidentally slices his thumb while cutting a piece of bread. The...

In one of the final scenes of Nosferatu, Ellen defeats Count Orlok by enticing him to stay out until sunlight. When the sunlight hits his skin, he disolves and disappears. This dramatic scene deviates from the original Dracula novel...

Count Orlok and his coffin are onboard an unsuspecting ship. Most of the crew quickly falls victim to the vampire plague. When it is down to the Captain and the last crew member, the crewman goes below deck to investigate and is met...