The History of Film

The History of Film

By Jacob AschierisTV & FilmArtsHistoryVisual ArtsFilm History
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The History of Film episodes

  • A New Translation of a Master Filmmaker: Dr. Anne McKnight on Long Take

    An interview with Japanese media scholar Anne McNight about her new book Long Take. Long Take is a collection of interviews and other material by or about Akira Kurosawa, one of most famous and influential filmmakers in world history. These are being translated and published into English for the first time.   

    You can find Dr. McKnight's new translation here:

    https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517903299/long-take/



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    51 min
  • 35- French Patriotic Melodrama

    This episode is a little smaller in scope than usual. But like one my great podcasting heroes, my ambition for this show is to tell the history of film without any gaps. We cover two examples of an important, though ultimately short lived, sub-genre: The Patriotic Melodrama. We discuss and analyze the 1916 film Alsace, directed by Henri Pouctal, and the 1917 Mothers of Frances, directed by René Hervi .

    If you would like to email me you can do so at [email protected]

    History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF
    Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3

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    32 min
  • 34- American Invasion, Sessue Hayakawa, and "The Cheat"

    In this episode we cover just how, exactly, American cinema came to dominate Europe in the wake of WW1. We take a look at the economic practices that facilitated the "invasion" of American cinema onto French screens. We also examine one picture in particular, The Cheat, which exemplifies the technical sophistication of U.S. national cinema, and that film's reception by the City of Lights.

    If you would like to email me you can do so at [email protected]

    History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF
    Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3

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    57 min
  • 33- War on Film, Film at War

    This week we cover the effect of The War on the French film Industry. While The Conflict's Titanic needs did a real number on French production, it did also help develop a new kind of documentary filmmaking: The Newsreel, which was then put to work in service to the Republic.

    If you would like to email me you can do so at [email protected]

    History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF
    Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3

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    23 min
  • 32- Foundation of Death, Foundation of Light

    This episode reexamines some topics we have already looked at, but this time as context for one of history's greatest butcheries, rather than as pure film history. The development of cinema is intertwined with the forces that defined the 20th century. Today we explore how the First World War and the movies are cut from the same fabric, as we set the stage for some of the screen's greatest epochs -- German Expressionism, French Impressionism, Soviet Montage, and the Golden Age of American Silent Film. All that is tied up in The War, so let's start our journey facing it head-on. 

    -Jake

    If you would like to email the show, you can do so at [email protected].

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    26 min
  • 31- Gertie: The First Animated Character

    In this episode we finish up our series on early animation by covering Gertie the Dinosaur and The Sinking of the Lusitania, both animated by Winsor McCay. Next time it's back to Europe, where we will cover the the effect of the First World War on European film!

    I decided to end the Patreon, at least for the foreseeable future. It was a hard decision, but I wasn't in the position to devote the time that I wanted and needed to make the channel what I wanted it to be. A special thank you to all my patrons for their support. I hope that I can find a way to bring all of the ideas I had for it to life for you in the future!

    If you would like to contact me, you can email me at [email protected].
    You can visit historyoffilmpodcast.com to access helpful resources for this episode.

    The history of the film has a discord server, which you can access through this here link:
    discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF

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    32 min
  • 30- Animation Before the Dinosaur

    This is the first of two episodes (only two, I promise) about the great animator Winsor McCay. We cover his life before he became a filmmaker, and his two first movies: Little Nemo (1911) and How a Mosquito Operates (1912).

    The history of the film has a discord server, which you can access through this here link:
    discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF

    Thank you to my wonderful patrons who helped make this show possible! A special thank you to patron Ed & Shari for supporting this program in such a big way. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access to cool bonus content, you can! By visiting patreon.com/historyoffilm and becoming a patron, you can play an integral part in actually making this show exist.

    If you would like to contact me, you can email me at [email protected].
    You can visit historyoffilmpodcast.com to access helpful resources for this episode.


    Support the show

    27 min

About The History of Film

From the publisher's feed

A (mostly) chronological exploration of international film history. Each episode is a deep dive into the history of the people, events, technologies, cultural forces, and most all the movies that have…