Need a glossary of film criticism

[gonzolawyer]

This is directed particularly at boffo but anyone who has an answer, please jump in

Comments

[locakitty]

I love a good research challenge :)

http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms6.html
http://academic.sun.ac.za/forlang/bergman/tech/glossary/e.htm (this one had me giggling)
www.imdb.com also has a glossary, but I think that might be more technical
http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/engl/marling/hardboiled/Glossary.HTM <--more literary, but you can get a good idea from some of this stuff

I can look further if these aren't exactly what you need.

[gonzolawyer]

I found sites similar to these, but it wasn't what I was looking for. I think I'm going to have to visit the library, or even spring some $ for a (choke) book.

[locakitty]

OMG NOT A BOOK!!!

*dies*

heheheh

[evilegg]

http://htmlgear.tripod.com/text/control.text?u=antoh&i=17&a=render&style=list

I think you need to look for a book for first year film students.

[madbard]

I'd suggest liberally interspersing your reviews with the terms "mise-en-scene" and "diagesis". He'll have to pretend that he understands them too, allowing you to get away with saying just about anything.

[gonzolawyer]

My bullshit usually involves convincing mccalix that I know the way home even when I don't. I'm not accustomed to making up words from scratch. Maybe that's because I minored in political science instead of majoring in it.

[boffo]

Based on my extensive research, I've determined that most film-criticism terms are instances of people just making shit up.

Just speak clearly using words in the English language that both you and the person you're speaking to understand.

[gonzolawyer]

I was afraid you'd say that :-)

The thing is, Dan's got a better vocabulary for this stuff than I do, but it's not so good that he can explain his terms to me as well as he'd like. The words I have at my disposal are not doing the job well enough; I need to expand my film vocabulary (and the rest of my vocabulary as well).

I'd even be willing to spring for a book if there is a good one out there. I'm sure that your education has provided you with at least a couple of sources of good information. Any recommendations?

[perich]

Dan's got a better vocabulary for this stuff than I do, but it's not so good that he can explain his terms to me as well as he'd like.

This means he doesn't actually have a better vocabulary. :-p

Students have vocabulary; they know what the words mean and can explain them.

Parrots don't have vocabulary; they repeat what they've heard.

[evilegg]

Seriously, I think we ought to hang him and be done with it.
Effin' Parrot.