CIMS at BU

01/03/2019

From groundbreaking blockbusters to skin-crawling horror flicks to brilliant, subtle dramas, 2018 was a fantastic year for cinema. Did anything from this critic's list manage to top your favorites?

Our chief film critics choose the films that moved them this year.

12/11/2018

CIMS students and film aficionados alike should find a lot to love in the "Color Tells a Story" series running through the rest of December at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Exploring the increasingly sophisticated use of color in cinema over the years since its introduction, the series contains some terrific picks and should be a wonderful complement to our History of Global Cinema courses!

These vibrant films use color as a storytelling device.

11/07/2018

As a tidal wave of holidays come upon us, here at CIMS we love to dig into great films from the season. It's tricky to argue with this Rolling Stone article from a few years back: John Hughes' "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is a pretty hard Thanksgiving flick to top.

How John Hughes made a 1987 buddy comedy/road movie that doubles as a rare Turkey Day classic

11/02/2018

Happy Friday, CIMS people! The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge has just posted its November-December schedule. Peruse a hugely varied lineup ranging from an Akira Kurosawa series to a charmingly-timed Christmas showing of "John Wick: Chapter Two," and remember that students get a discount on full-price admission with a valid ID!

Our new 2018 Holiday Schedule, including events for November and December, arrives later this week! Packed with more than 65 films and events, we’ve got something you’re sure to enjoy!

10/17/2018

How have women directors expressed and explored millennial girlhood in contemporary indie film?

CIMS Guest Lecturer, Professor Patricia White, discusses this Thursday, October 18 @ 5:30 p.m. in CAS 200.

08/09/2018

“It’s completely possible to defend yourself against the 88 when 80 of them are just standing back and waving their swords in the air--that definitely makes it easier.”

Who doesn’t like a good fight scene once and a while? Check out how some of your favorite “good versus evil…fight to the death” scenes did when scrutinized by traditional fencing master and professional fight coordinator Jared Kirby, in today’s video of Vulture’s Expert Witness series.

The fact-checker truly is mightier than the sword.

07/31/2018

In ten years, we'd expect that Hollywood would have made some strides in improving diversity, both in front of and behind the camera. But has it? Has Hollywood taken steps to improve the representation of women, people of color, LGBT characters, and characters with disabilities?

Apparently not.

According to journalists at The Cut, a new study from USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative recently found that there was almost no improvement made in the top 100 films from 2007–2017.

Women and people of color are still given far too few speaking roles.

07/20/2018

On this day in 1969, humans landed on the moon for the first time and the footage was transmitted to millions of viewers worldwide, with former astronaut, Wally Schirra Jr., exclaiming during the CBS live coverage, “Oh, thank you television for letting us watch this one.”

Today, Neon acquired the rights to the Todd Douglas Miller space documentary, Apollo 11, which is set to show never released footage of the historic mission. This is the second of many movies being released in 2018 chronicling the journey to the moon. First Man, a biopic starring Ryan Gosling, will also be released in the US this October.

Check out Apollo 11's teaser trailer and learn more about the upcoming documentary in the article below.

NEON has purchased worldwide rights to Todd Douglas Miller’s space documentary, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

06/26/2018

"Bollywood is the most commercial of India’s film industries and the most averse to risk. But the box office success of films such as Padman and Veere Di Wedding are showing that audiences are 'not as prudish as we assumed them to be.'"

Check out The Guardian's recent article on how the film industry, once a "musical wonderland out of touch with reality," is making strides to address contemporary issues and what stars anticipate will come next.

06/22/2018

"TV families" have evolved over the years. Take a look at how today's TV parents react to the TV families of the past that inspired them and discuss the diversity of families in contemporary television.

And tell us, who were your favorite TV parents growing up?

(Danny Tanner. Jessie Katsopolis. Joey Gladstone.)

Stars from "This Is Us," "Modern Family," and more discuss the fictional parents that inspired them growing up, as well as the parents that reminded them of their own.

05/02/2018

Hollywood's top female actor/director/producer powerhouses. Disney's quest to take over the world. What Netflix really wants.

Film critics at the New York Times have some pretty strong thoughts when it comes to the movie industry and the "industry-adjacent" today. Check out chief critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott's most recent "memos" (advice? warnings?) to the industry and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Everyone is a critic, including Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, who have some suggestions for Ava DuVernay, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt and Netflix.

04/25/2018

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about checking out the future of film making? Boston’s Independent Film Festival, which officially kicks off today, is showcasing the best student films from nine local universities this Saturday, April 28—and BU is in the running!

Admission is FREE with your BU ID. For more info on how to support your fellow terriers and to see a full schedule of this year’s line-up of amazing independent films, check out IFFBoston's official website:

Independent Film Festival Boston brings the best new films and filmmakers to Boston year-round.