Cinema Scholars

Cinema Scholars is back at Fantastic Fest with coverage from the 21st annual celebration of genre film in Austin, Texas. Up first, we chat with Nick Simon, director of the Heather Graham chiller What Happened to Doris? The film celebrates its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026 on Sunday, September 20, with additional screenings on […] The post Fantastic Fest 2026: Part 1 Of Director Nick Simon On WHAT HAPPENED TO DORIS? appeared first on Cinema Scholars.

Premise Before legendary director Billy Wilder moved to Los Angeles and began to direct iconic Hollywood movies, he was a big fan of them. While Wilder was in Berlin in the 1920s, he was interested in American pop culture. This interest included the lifestyles of the silent movie stars that ruled the day. Fast-forward over […] The post SUNSET BOULEVARD: The Making Of The Billy Wilder Classic appeared first on Cinema Scholars.

Introduction Throughout the history of the moving image, there have been a handful of films classified as a “phenomenon.” Examples of this are The Godfather (1972), Jaws (1975), and The Blair Witch Project (1999), to name a few. These were films that pushed the needle, both commercially and artistically. Perhaps there is no better example […] The post THE EXORCIST – The Story Of A Cursed Production appeared first on Cinema Scholars.

Introduction From 1929 until 1965, the famed New York City establishment, The Stork Club, was one of the world’s premier nightclubs. Here, movie stars mingled with royalty, and showgirls canoodled with aristocrats. The club was so popular it appeared in several movies. These included All About Eve (1950), The Wrong Man (1957), and the titular […] The post The Stork Club: Old Hollywood’s New York Hangout appeared first on Cinema Scholars.

Introduction Independent filmmaking has always been about embracing limitations and transforming them into opportunities. Whether it’s stretching a budget, building creatures from scratch, or experimenting with new ways to tell stories, innovation often begins where convention ends. Few filmmaking teams embody that philosophy quite like Kyle Valle and Erin Áine with their 16-episode vertical horror […] The post AUTONOMOUS: Kyle Valle And Erin Áine Talk About Their Groundbreaking ‘Micro Horror’ appeared first on Cinema Scholars.