Fiction Genres: The Comprehensive Guide to Rule Them All
Fiction genres are much debated and revised, but they’re crucial to providing logical order to the storytelling arts.
Movies
Filipino Movies: 21 Best Films of All Time from Philippine Cinema
In this article, we examine Filipino movies and Philippine cinema, arguably one of the more underappreciated industries in Southeast Asia.
10 Movies That Need A Sequel But Don’t Have One
Franchises rule the movie marquee, but there are still movies that need a sequel but don’t have one. Here’s our top 10 picks.
Movie Soundtracks: How 6 Iconic Films Found Their Music
Here’s a look into how filmmakers select the perfect songs to complement their work and a breakdown of a few iconic movie soundtracks.
90s Action Movies: 10 Best Action Films Underrated for Far Too Long
For 90s action movies, cinema moved away from the musclebound giants of yesteryear and embraced more relatable heroes.
Buddy Cop Movies: 10 Best Police Pairings of All Time (2021)
The best buddy cop movies are, at their core, great action movies. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best buddy cop movies ever.
Box Office Flops: 10 Great Movies That Were A Financial Failure
Not all box office flops are made equal. Our proof? These 10 fantastic films that flopped financially in their original theatrical releases.
Sci-Fi Horror Movies: 10 Frightening Films That Make You Think
Looking back at science fiction film history, we see that its roots are dug deep and tied together with into sci-fi horror movies.
Monochrome: The Chromism Worth More Than Its Budget (Review)
Monochrome: The Chromism’s crew is a genuine group of people who came together around a passion project to make something ambitious and different on a shoestring budget of $2,000.
The Shining and Doctor Sleep: A Halloween Double Feature (Review)
The Shining and Doctor Sleep are Stephen King’s latest seemingly complete saga, years apart in the making but just as chilling.
Alien – Fictionphile Podcast #22
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the movie Alien is a work of art.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Fictionphile Podcast #20
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a work of art.
Denis Villenueve’s Dune Trailer Drops, Features “Dark Side of the Moon” Cover
A new Dune trailer dropped on Wednesday for Denis Villeneuve’s epic reboot of the famous science fiction story by Frank Herbert.
Project Power VFX Artists Share How They Pulled Off the Netflix Original’s Superb Visuals
Project Power’s VFX is clearly one of the stars of the Netflix original movie, alongside Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Dark Knight Rises – Fictionphile Podcast #18
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Dark Knight Rises is a work of art.
The Dark Knight – Fictionphile Podcast #17
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Dark Knight is a work of art.
Batman Begins – Fictionphile Podcast #16
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Batman Begins is a work of art.
The Shawshank Redemption – Fictionphile Podcast #15
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Shawshank Redemption is a work of art.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) – Fictionphile Podcast #14
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) is a work of art.
The Fifth Element – Fictionphile Podcast #13
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Fifth Element is a work of art.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – Fictionphile Podcast #5
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a work of art.
10 Best Trapped Movies for When You’re Stuck Indoors (Coronavirus 2020)
If you’ve ever been stuck indoors and driven stir crazy from lack of social interaction, these trapped movies help you feel not so alone.
10 Philosophical Movies to Watch Right Now
Philosophy shapes every action in our lives, whether we recognize and understand it or not.
Denis Villeneuve Movies: Your Complete Watching Guide
If you haven’t seen all or any of director Denis Villeneuve’s movies, make the filmmaker’s catalog a priority on your watch list.
Jojo Rabbit Expands America’s Collective Memory of World War II
Taika Waititi’s 2019 film Jojo Rabbit expands society’s collective memory of World War II.
Christine (1983) More than a Killer Car Movie (Review)
Proceedings start slowly with Christine, as two high school friends, Arnie the geek and Dennis the jock, navigate life through high school.
Bong Joon-Ho Movies: Your Complete Viewing Guide
This past award season, we bet there is one name you’ve probably heard more than any other: South Korean director and auteur Bong Joon-Ho.
Sci Fi Armor: 6 Best of All-Time
Often times in science fiction we tend to eschew sci fi armor and instead focus on the ships, creatures, gadgetry, big flashy guns, and legally distinct laser swords.
10 Best Psychological Thrillers of the 21st Century (So Far)
Psychological thrillers leverage the complexity of the human brain, which allows them to tap into infinite possibilities.
HBO & WB Form Warner Max Label to Make Original Streaming Content
HBO Max’s May 2020 premiere was already anticipated, but with Warner Max it’s clear WarnerMedia will enter the streaming wars guns blazing.
Remaking Sexism: Female Representation in A Star is Born
When analyizing A Star is Born (2018) using Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema it’s clear the narrative is inherently sexist.
Macbeth & Structure: Shakespeare’s Proto-Blockbuster
When Shakespeare’s great tragedies are brought up, including Macbeth, we often focus on literary merits, but what about plot structure?
Have Religious Movies Fallen Out of Favor?
Religious movies have fallen in popularity at the box office in recent decades. But what caused the rise and fall of these religious epics?
20 Best Upcoming Sci Fi Movies, TV & Books (2020)
At Fictionphile, we’re pretty big science fiction nerds, so it’s only natural that we keep a close eye on upcoming sci fi across all of fiction’s mediums.
2020 Oscar Nominations: Joker Big Winner, Gerwig Snubbed
The 2020 Oscar Nominations were announced this morning for the 92nd Academy Awards, and Joker received the most nominations with 11 nods, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, and Directing.
10 Action Movie Cliches Picked by a Nitpick
There is a rumor that I am a picky person, perhaps even worse, a nitpicky person. Some would say this especially applies when it comes to action movie cliches.
Aeschylus: Ancient Greece’s Father of Dialogue and Drama
If you ever loved a movie, play, TV show, or book–anything with dialogue–take a moment and thank Aeschylus. Not convinced? Let’s talk.
Deadpool Now A Disney Princess – Reynolds Confirms MCU Deadpool 3
Disney buying Fox shook up the state of the evolving Fox comic book universe, claiming victims like X-Men. Yet, strangely enough, it seems Deadpool 3 has survived the purge.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid: Lord Take This Badge Off of Me (Analysis)
Hunting Kris Kristofferson in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, James Coburn enlists Slim Pickens and María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García — or the Mexican actress Katy Jurado, for short.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Spoiler Free Review)
As a long-time fan of the Star Wars series, ever since I was introduced to it in the 90’s, I was enamored with the aesthetic of glowing laser swords, massive mechanical marvels, mysterious ancient orders, and strange-looking puppets dressed up as aliens.
Star Wars The Skywalker Saga box set available for pre-order now
With Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker out less than a week, Disney didn’t wait long to announce a Star Wars The Skywalker Saga box set of all nine installments of the franchise’s flagship story.
New Mutants movie not dead, trailer releases soon
The New Mutants movie, based on the X-Men horror spin-off, finished years ago but never released. Now, sources say it’s on its way in 2020 with a trailer in January.
Fictional Locations: 12 Made-Up Destinations We Wish We Could Visit
Thanks to various forms of fiction, popular culture is rife with different fictional locations from Hogwarts to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Body Swap Fiction: The 7 Best Examples of All Time (2019)
Just like bodies, no two examples of body swap fiction are exactly the same. They can range from the macabre to the quirky or cringe-worthy to brilliant.
A Constant Reader’s Guide to the Stephen King Multiverse
If you’re relatively new to Stephen King, you might not know the terms constant reader or the Stephen King Multiverse. That’s why we’re here to break down the fiction universe you simply must know.
Doctor Sleep Book vs Movie
The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep is now a feature film directed by Mike Flanagan.
Ranking Science Fiction Weapons by Amount of Destruction
The battles of science fiction usually need heavy artillery. However, sci-fi movies do not all follow the rules of a single universe.
8 Underrated Martial Arts Movies Ranked by a 4th Degree Blackbelt
Martial arts movies reside in a pseudo-genre where actual martial art skill is not necessary. Yet, we wondered what a fighting expert might like in a martial arts film–so we asked one.
Metaphors in Movies: 10 Most Underrated Uses of Metaphors in Film
Though commonly found in poetry and prose, metaphors appear in several popular movies. Let’s review a few underrated metaphors in movies.
Best Movie Remakes: Past, Present, and Future
Movie remakes might seem like they’re a sign of the times, but their relationship with storytelling is woven into our collective history.
5 Best Lighthearted Films About the Apocalypse
Earth as we know it could one day be rendered uninhabitable by some form of apocalypse, whether it’s nuclear war, zombies, or a robot uprising.
Superhero Fatigue: Disney Overload & The Marvel Machine
Superhero Fatigue has been discussed for years, but yet the movies (and merchandise) kept on coming. Do other films have a shot anymore?
5 MCU Phase 4 Movies We Bet Marvel Will Announce
MCU phase 4 is just around the corner. After Avengers: Endgame and the ensuing in-world fallout, there’s an approaching need for new properties.
5 Totally Plausible Brain-Machine Interfaces from Sci-Fi
Researchers shook the Internet by the brain this week when they partially restored a quadriplegic man’s control of his hand, and we saw a glimpse of a potentially game changing brain-machine interface.
5 New Discoveries in Science Ripe for Science Fiction
Hearing about new discoveries in science sometimes feels exactly like reading or watching science fiction.
4 Chat Bots Easily Mistaken for Skynet Harbingers
The singularity, otherwise known as Dawn of the Planet of Computers, has been predicted for years. All we’ve received thus far are chat bots.
A Considered Star Wars Casting Call Speculation
At the end of June 2013, a Star Wars casting call leaked for the sequel trilogy. Here are our guesses.
Upstream Color Explained … Maybe
Like Primer before it, Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color leaves many people confused. Maybe more than they need to be. Keep in mind that art can be subjective, and it’s hard to always diagnose exactly what an artist intends, especially if they intentionally leave it open for interpretation. But I believe Carruth’s latest, while complex and …
REVIEW: All American Zombie Drugs
You have to commend All American Zombie Drugs for its ambition. All American Zombie Drugs, which comes out today (June 23) on DVD and VOD, starts with a clever premise that sounds like a perfect marriage of two newly reborn and popularized genres: buddy stoner comedies and zombie flicks. Throw in some commentary about America’s …
Man of Steel Theme As Human As They Come
Before I get jump into my take on the Man of Steel theme and my impressions of the movie, you may want to read my past thoughts on the themes behind Superman in general and how I thought it could apply in “Man of Steel.” I don’t want you to take this as a review. …
The Sessions Challenges Mind/Body Split
The Sessions is a movie about a poet paralyzed from the neck down by polio who hires a “sex surrogate” to take his virginity. It’s a great premise. But it does a rare thing. It goes further. It explores the split with have in society, that you can live by the body or live by …
Bad CGI in Twilight Series A Call to Arms?
The horrible CGI in Twilight, this last one even more than others, is an insult. I have a confession. I saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II the other night. Yes, this means I’ve seen all the others. Can we move on, folks? Here’s my point: How did they get away with doing it this cheaply? …
The Man From Earth Review – Streaming Gems
This will be a The Man From Earth review, which might seem odd. It’s a small little movie that came out five years ago, and you’ve probably never heard of it. But, like most good little things, you can find it streaming somewhere online. I’ve been under the weather recently (thus the absence in a …
Lois Lane, Say It Ain’t So! (Man of Steel Spoiler)
Man of Steel spoiler ahead. Avert thine eyes! OK, so the blogoosphere and such has been sent into a frenzy over a simple band of gold sold at a movie prop auction recently, hinting at a possible Man of Steel spoiler. It’s said to be from the movie Man of Steel and belonging to the …
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And The Razzies Go To…
While we wait for The Oscars tonight, The Razzies winners have been announced. For those out of the loop, you don’t want a Razzie. They’re a “worst of” award. Here’s the thing. I like the Razzies, because it’s a chance to have a few laughs. Hell, even Sandra Bullock accepting a Razzie in person — …
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Film Review
The Perks of Being a Wallflower film, not to be confused with the cult novel of the same name, released on DVD and Blu-ray yesterday. This review will be concerning the film alone, as I’ve sadly not read the novel yet. This movie might masquerade as a coming-of-age flick, but its tone and subject matter …
JLA Movie Dead Before Arrival?
The JLA movie could and should be a million times better than The Avengers. It’s about Greek Gods, not just a random assortment of what Stan Lee thought up. But the bobbling of this movie has nothing to do with the source material. Word has come down the pipe via BadAssDigest.com (love that name) and …
Star Wars Sequels Starring Han Solo, Yoda, and Boba Fett
Two days ago, there came word about a Yoda movie, and the promise from Disney to produce more live-action films based in the Star Wars universe and using its characters with impunity. I remained silent at the time, because my emotions were mixed. I’ve thus far been impressed with Disney’s handling of the franchise, but …
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Super Bowl Movie Trailers To Watch
The Super Bowl has become one of the most watched yearly TV events, and this is largely due to commercials drawing in those who would otherwise not watch sports. A big part of this is Super Bowl movie trailers, where studios try to raise hype about movies that may not even be released for months. …
Star Wars Producer Kathleen Kennedy Proves Trilogy Is In Good Hands
Here at fictionphile.com, I’ve been talking a lot about Star Wars. Well, this probably won’t stop, especially since I’m working on a few articles concerning how I’d like to see the new trilogy handled. There will be other topics discussed soon, but first I want to highlight a recent interview with Star Wars Producer Kathleen …
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New “Variety” JLA Movie Info Proof That DC Can’t Beat Marvel?
The Internet is abuzz with a new article from Variety concerning Warner Bros., and it’s all because of one little snippet with new JLA movie info. Basically, this article is a lot of very dry showbiz inner-workings, and a lot of congratulating WB about its recent success, including Oscar frontrunner Argo. It’s all about Jeff …
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Ant-Man Movie Grows Into Reality
My first reaction: an Ant-Man movie? Really? But I’ve been proven wrong before, and if there is one character in need of a cultural reboot it’s Ant-Man. Edgar Wright might be the guy for the job. For those unaware of the news, word has come down the pipe, via MTV, to expect an Edgar Wright-helmed …
Inside Llewyn Davis Trailer Shows Great Promise
An Inside Llewyn Davis trailer popped up yesterday, popularized by indiewire.com. Despite reservations about a lack of plot that I voiced in my 2013 movies to look forward to, I think this could be one of the best Coen Brothers films ever. The movie seems to embrace that it has no plot in the traditional …
First impressions on J.J. Abrams directing Star Wars
J.J. Abrams is now the king of nerds… I mean, he’s directing Star Wars Episode 7. I plan to not only write a multi-thousand-word article about this, but I will most assuredly talk about this in the Fictionphile Podcast this weekend. For now, here are my initial impressions on Abrams directing Star Wars. First, let …
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Upstream Color Reviews Arise
Upstream Color reviews are popping up on the Internet finally after its premiere today at Sundance. They do a good job of giving impressions without giving too much away, but be wary of clicking on any links here if you want to be unspoiled. I haven’t actually seen the movie, and I’m actually no where …
Upstream Color gets a trailer, Carruth returns
Primer came out in 2004. That’s nearly a decade ago. Now, finally, Shane Carruth is back with Upstream Color. His new film, for which he served as director, writer, producer, cinematographer, composer, co-editor, and actor, is Upstream Color. Yesterday, team Carruth released the first theatrical trailer in anticipation for its premiere at the Sundance Film …
Robopocalypse delayed = I’m not surprised
I gave Robopocalypse an honorable mention in my 2013 list of movies that could become classics. I didn’t include it for a reason. The novel it’s based on has garnered accolades, but robots taking over the world has no freshness left. We’ve been talking about robots taking over since 1984. That’s when the thought of …
New Pacific Rim trailer released, shows great FX but little else
A new Pacific Rim trailer popped up on the web earlier. Coincidentally, this came not long after I posted an article about films this year that I think could stand above the rest. Making the honorable mentions was “Pacific Rim” from director Guillermo del Toro. Nothing in this new Pacific Rim trailer bumps it up …
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2013 movies that may become instant classics
As the world welcomes 2013 in with open arms after a lackluster 2012, many turn their eyes to what Hollywood has planned for the year ahead. 2013 movies promise more than a few hit-or-miss opportunities, but a few flicks have the potential for greatness. In this compilation, I’ve made a conscious decision to steer clear …
10 Looper plot holes that ruin the film
Looper is heralded as one of the best science fiction movies in recent memory. And it has a lot going for it. Chief among them is the fact that it’s one of the few completely original sci-fi flicks. No adaptation. It also does a great job accomplishing what sci-fi excels at: a morality play obscured …
Early Predictions for Man of Steel, the new Superman film
In June, we will finally have a new start to Superman, just like Batman had his rebirth (and from the same folks). The fanboy community buzzes with excitement and speculation for “Man of Steel”, but no one seems to have a bead on what the story will be about in terms of plot or theme. …
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