Video Essays Archives - Josh Matthews

Akira Kurosawa — What Are His Greatest Movies

https://youtu.be/UhI5ybYCe6c Akira Kurosawa is a widely acknowledged master of the cinematic arts. His best-known films are considered by everybody to be beloved world classics: Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Red Beard, Yojimbo. I watched his 30 movies, thought hard about them, and then created this video for…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 28, 2020

Video Essays

The Night of the Hunter — What Makes This Movie Great? (Ep. 12)

https://youtu.be/19aY8955IdU Where did the Love/Hate knuckles come from? The American movie classic, "The Night of the Hunter." Starring Robert Mitchum and directed by Charles Laughton, this movie is justifiably famous for its beautiful, shadowy images, its haunting story and music, and its frightening themes. I'll…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 28, 2020

Video Essays

Shot-for-Shot Analysis of an Exposition Scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

https://youtu.be/DqCOuYw9jjI In the hands of ordinary directors, an exposition scene can be extremely boring. Not in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark." Here, this scene in which the characters just talk about dull plot points comes alive through camera movement, character positioning, editing, and a whole…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 26, 2020

Video Essays

Why Have G-Rated Movies Disappeared?

https://youtu.be/eRso2eH7rco Have you ever wondered where G-Rated Movies went? They basically don't exist, except for Pixar movies. Why did the MPAA allow this to happen? In truth, the American Motion Picture Association's rating system encourages movie to be more "adult." American movies basically have two…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 26, 2020

movie education Video Essays Video Reviews

The Apu Trilogy — What Makes This Movie Great? (Ep. 10)

https://youtu.be/Hqb4j9UHiw8 In this 10th episode of my "What Makes This Movie Great?" series, we're going to look at a trilogy of films that are world-renowned as some of the most beautiful and memorable to ever be put on film: Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy". The video…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 26, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

Orson Welles — His Seven Best Movies

https://youtu.be/ABDDZgyZ-QI Orson Welles, director and lead actor in "Citizen Kane," is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest moviemakers ever. But besides "Citizen Kane," what Welles' movies should you watch? This is a hard question to figure out for those who aren't familiar with Welles,…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 20, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

The Breakfast Club — Shot-for-Shot Analysis of the Opening

https://youtu.be/YVkCxIyUcxs John Hughes' 1985 movie "The Breakfast Club" is famous for many reasons, including its final shot. Why is this movie so powerful and so well-remembered even 35 years later? I'll help you understand why by analyzing the opening of the movie, which creates five…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 18, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

The Purple Rose of Cairo — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 9)

https://youtu.be/zcB36aZusSQ What's the best Woody Allen movie? What's a great movie about why people watch movies? "The Purple Rose of Cairo" answers both questions. Starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello, the movie is a fantasy-romance that takes place in New Jersey during the…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 17, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

Big Night — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 8)

https://youtu.be/kayUuPbI0U8 It's time to eat! In this episode of my "What Makes This Movie Great?" series, I briefly examine the 1996 movie "Big Night," starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub and directed by Tucci and Campbell Scott. This complex movie depicts two Italian brothers who…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 13, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

What Makes This Movie Great? — Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”

https://youtu.be/4eAKtzOdiXY In this episode of my series "What Makes This Movie Great?", we'll discuss why Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" is a relevant movie for today, even though it was released in 1936. Even the hit 2019 movie "Joker" liberally quotes from it. Chaplin's great movie…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 10, 2020

Video Essays

Akira Kurosawa — What Are His Greatest Movies

The Night of the Hunter — What Makes This Movie Great? (Ep. 12)

Shot-for-Shot Analysis of an Exposition Scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

Why Have G-Rated Movies Disappeared?

The Apu Trilogy — What Makes This Movie Great? (Ep. 10)

Orson Welles — His Seven Best Movies

The Breakfast Club — Shot-for-Shot Analysis of the Opening

The Purple Rose of Cairo — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 9)

Big Night — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 8)

What Makes This Movie Great? — Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”

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