“Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out of them”
― Martin Scorsese
My earliest memories of films were of watching KSTW Sci-Fi Theater at noon on Sundays that would often have cool monsters, unsung heroes and stories filled with galaxies far away. This was in the 70s and often the weekend films would be epics leftovers from the paranoia of the 50s by showing films like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, “It The Terror From Beyond Space” (which was an inspiration for the film ALIEN), “The Thing From Another World”, “Them” and “Day of the Triffids” being some of the prime examples that fascinated me. And of course, GODZILLA, plenty of he and his friends. These were my segue into the realm of more fantastic films later and a love for all that bumps in the night especially enhanced by my favorite 70s TV series, KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER.
“Cinema is the ultimate pervert art. It doesn’t give you what you desire – it tells you how to desire.”
― Slavoj Žižek
I was lucky to have a father who didn’t discriminate when it came to film and took my brother and me to just about everything showing through the late 70s into the 80s. We saw everything. And I mean everything. I was young when we went to see JAWS in the theater and although it scared me, I was hooked on the lushness of the film and larger than life presentation and corrupted by the realism of it. Disney could hardly hold my interest from there on out. The one film that changed all of it for me was ALIEN, released in 1979 and after seeing the obscure and terrifying trailer, I begged for months to see it with my Father finally relenting and taking my brother and I to see it. I can still remember coming out of the theater and wanting to go directly back in and see it again but my brother wanted none of it. Immediatly, I was a superfan and collected every thing that I could from the movie including the pulled-from-shelves Kenner Alien Toy which my Dad bought me from Christmas of 79 (I am still not certain why it was ever a toy but I am ever thankful for it) and toted that original relic around with me for many years. Highly collectible you know!
I speak often about how cinema has influenced me and has inspired much of my day to day work. Little slivers of moments that pass by making up a larger scene and each one could be the story to some screenplay waiitng to be realized. In art school I discovered “Storyboarding” and still today I think in some of this manner. I do not mean that my work is directly a movie, but it is how I might frame some of the shots and I often feel like I am walking in my own personal cinema through the streets of Poland so it tends to go hand in hand.
For a long time, I have even worked up some of my images in a cinematic manner including LTBX which I seldom share in the forums that I belong to with the exception of an FB group that I belong to called CINEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY where the members will post their visions of cinema that move them. I am constantly inspired by the work I see here and although I do not post regularly, it is something that I look forward to seeing and being inspired by.
For today, I thought I would share some of these “cinematic” images without image commentary or the possible story to each them. I will let them speak for themselves and have you create the story that best suits you. Some of the images may be new to you, but they all take on a different property when cropped in cinematic style and given the letterbox bars. I am biased, but each of these represent films I would love to see! You can certainly see where most of my inspirations in course film have arrived from. If you would like a list of my top films, I am happy to provide it!
“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life. ”
― Fellini
As always, I appreciate any comments or thoughts that you might have. Many thanks for following along! Have a cinematic day!
Erik Witsoe 