TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

The tragedy of September 11, 2001, reshaped so many facets of our world, and film and media are no exception . The immense impact of the attacks introduced new genres and themes in film and media. This blog explores how 9/11 influences American cinema, the emergence of new cinematic themes and genres, and why movies based on tragedy are so popular. We’ll also dive into some movies based on 9/11, such as The Rest of Us , directed by Dr. Linda G. Mills.  Immediately after the attacks, the media avoided showing destruction, shifting away from the disaster-laden blockbusters of the 1990s. Some films and TV shows, such as Sex and the City, even removed images of the Twin Towers from the opening credits of shows and scenes in movies. Most famously, the teaser trailer and poster for Spider-Man were edited so that the Twin Towers could no longer be seen in the background. In the Vox Article Movies, Patriotism and Cultural Amnesia , Lindsay Ellis states, “The two-year period immediately ...

This weekend Disney+ releases Pinocchio in what may be their worst reviewed film in years - at least for their animation to live action remakes. While this weeks' reviews of Robert Zemeckis' Pinocchio definitely set Guillermo Del Toro up for rousing success later this year with his highly stylized, no doubt brilliant "story of a wooden boy you've never heard before," we too have one you've never seen. In fact like this fall's dueling Pinocchios, we also have two. And that's the truth. Let's start with Welcome Back Pinocchio which is a charming Italian produced spectacl e boasting all the classic tropes yet it brings its own sense of wonder and departure from the original 1940 Disney classic. As the story goes, Pinocchio is now a young lad staying out of trouble for fear of being turned back into a piece of wood. But when he gets off track and manipulated into stealing, Pinocchio must learn the hard lessons that enable him to become a human once m...