Eric Williams has narrated 2 audiobooks on Listento.it by 2 authors, with an average listener rating of 4★ across 2 ratings. The most-rated is How to View and Appreciate Great Movies.
How to View and Appreciate Great Movies
Summary
What makes a movie “great”? Was it a particularly well-acted scene? The dramatic lighting? The emotion of the music? The tension that has built up? A powerful choice of words? The answer is, simply, yes. Sit down with renowned professional filmmaker, author, and award-winning professor Eric R. Williams to unpack the elements of more than 250 “great” movies - some well-known, others less so - including Casablanca, Jaws, The Godfather, Star Wars, Rocky, Do The Right Thing, The Wizard of Oz, and more in order to gain insights and secrets that will change the way you view films. You’ll discover how from the moment you sit down, great filmmakers control every sensation the movie experience evokes: tremors or tears, goosebumps or giggles, and why it is that we invite them to do this. You’ll also uncover the tricks used to help us suspend our disbelief, let go of our cynicism, and buy into a story using sounds, scores, lighting, color, special effects, and more. You’ll discover how even these seemingly small details can greatly enhance or detract from the theme, atmosphere, and plot. Professor Williams often refers to filmmaking as a magic show. And once you pull back the curtain to see the creative process from the filmmaker’s point of view, the magic show can never be the same again. But understanding the intent of each aspect of moviemaking - from lighting to language, color to characters, stars to scores - arms you with new set of creative and analytical tools with which to bring to the theater or to revisit your old favorites. These insights will strengthen your love and appreciation for what’s unfolding before your eyes. Roger Ebert once said, “Every great film should seem new every time you see it” and that’s exactly what How to View and Appreciate Great Movies ensures. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLC
Falling in Love with Romance Movies
Summary
Why have viewers always had a love affair with romance movies? From tragic love stories, like Romeo + Juliet, to feel-good rom-coms, like Sleepless in Seattle, people simply cannot get enough of these movies. Join Professor Eric R. Williams to analyze dozens of titles that fall under the scope of "romance films"—inviting students to see old favorites in a new light and introduce them to elements of romance in movies one might not consider to be part of the genre. Explore traditional romantic titles, such as When Harry Met Sally, West Side Story, and Casablanca; controversial spins on the traditional genre, including Her, Harold and Maude, and Lars and the Real Girl; less conventional "romances," such as Blade Runner, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, She’s Gotta Have It, and yes—even Fight Club. Throughout, Professor Williams draws on a wealth of examples, revealing the DNA of these films. Listeners will understand the difference between a love story and a romance; see how directors manipulate audiences’ emotions from opening credits to the final scene—keeping everyone on the edge of their seat; and be able to decode the underlying storytelling techniques. Students will see cinematic romances from a different point of view, deepening their understanding of the genre.
©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.