Cinemadope: Death Valley

Cinemadope: Death Valley

For all its sun, California has never lacked for shadows. Before their books were made into genre-defining films, writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett — authors who essentially invented hard-boiled detective fiction with books like The Big Sleep and The...
Cinemadope: Changing Pitch

Cinemadope: Changing Pitch

The musical has always been an important part of the filmmaking world. In the earlier days of film, when crowds were more likely to be familiar with singing stars of the stage, a flimsy story could be propped up with a handful of winning tunes. Think of the...
Cinemadope: The Spirit of Giving

Cinemadope: The Spirit of Giving

As we close out another year on this great blue marble, I’m reminded of an annual event in the film world: the December doldrums. This is that week, which creeps in every year just before Christmas, when theaters seem to be holding their collective breath. People are...