The new Spotlight film series brought to the Star Theatre by Gold Junction Presents is meant to celebrate and educate those in the film industry that create spectacular works of art. The first series focus on the director Christopher Nolan, who has directed some of the greatest films of all time in the last 15 years. His desire to capture as much as he can in camera without relying on the over use of CGI is why his films are not only visually stunning but also stand the test of time. We have chosen to highlight certain remarkable scenes from each of these films that highlight his ambition to capture amazing scenes in camera. This series is meant to pull back the curtain and show the magic and hard work that goes into the films we see everyday. We hope everyone enjoys the list of films and has a new perspective on the film industry as a whole.
‘The Dark Knight’ March 9th
‘Inception’ March 16th
‘Interstellar’ March 23rd
‘Dunkirk’ March 30th
All films start at 6:30PM
Admission: $6
Christopher Nolan is a British-American filmmaker known for his lucrative Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling. Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century, as well as a director who pushes the boundaries of what can be done in live action, from the semi-truck flip in The Dark Knight to the Tesseract scene in Interstellar. Choosing to do as much as he can in camera instead of just relying on CGI sets him apart from his film-making competition; his films will go down in history as groundbreaking, beautiful, and ambitious.
SPOTLIGHT SCENES:
The Dark Knight
The semi-truck flip in The Dark Knight is one of the memorable scenes in the film. The scene itself took months of preparation and testing, which perfected the truck flipping head over heel; the shot also determined the best angle shot for one the most jaw-dropping scenes in cinema. The shot shows Nolan’s dedication to realism and storytelling and highlights his desire to give the audience the best visual experience possible.
Inception
The rotating hallway fight scene in Inception has gone down in cinematic history as one of the most impressive scenes shot on camera. The massive rig was built to rotate the entire set, allowing the actors to become one with the rotating hallway around them, making the impact of the scene far more tangible than had it been done with actors on wires in front of a green screen. The audience feels the gravity change for the actors and has a visceral, unconscious reaction to what they are seeing, making it all the more real.
Interstellar
The Tesseract scene in Interstellar is incredible and mind-blowing to watch but the way they built the set is even more impressive. This scene is a great example of how CGI can be used as a tool and not as a crutch in filmmaking. If you can film as much as you can on camera and have real objects, in real lighting, it will always come across as more believable than if it was all done on a computer. The reason Nolan is so successful as a director is due to his drive to create these sets that some believe to be impossible. Pushing the boundaries of filmmaking is what gives us these timeless scenes and inspires future filmmakers to do the same.
Dunkirk
The story of Dunkirk is one of the most harrowing stories of our time. This film is a great example of Nolan’s journey as a director. All the experiences of his previous films culminate in the way he not only shot Dunkirk but how he told the story. The ambition to capture all he can on camera is readily apparent in this film. From the enormous number of extras to the up close and personal shots, he can not only give you the scope of the events unfolding but gives you glimpses into the heroics of an individual on the ground and in the air.
Star Theatre 
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