The Epinions Film Dictionary W/O – K??????
Apr 14 '03
The Bottom Line Where else would film be without the letter K?
When it comes to movies, the letter K suffers like all its other 25 brothers and/or sisters. Its only known as well as it is known now…which is why a simple search of the letter K on the Internet Movie DataBase (as of 2003) returns such recent and somewhat forgettable ventures into the letter K, as K-Pax and K-19: The Widowmaker. But the letter K has a long history in film.
And so I present to you the letter K…
Ka
Kaleidoscope - A Kaleidoscope came way before a Zoetrope and way before Francis Ford Coppola’s production company of the same name. Back in 1817 inventor Sir David Brewster invented the first kaleidoscope which he made out of a barrel of foam, some colored mirrors; and put the whole creation on a spinning wheel. He created a vision, the first seen…that by spinning this device a viewer could look into it and see a mirror of images and colors. It enchanted viewers so much that they traveled for miles to catch a glimpse at what this device could do. Little did they know that what little the next 200 years would hold.
Kalifornia - A vehicle for Brad Pitt, David Duchovny, and Juliette Lewis about a writer and a photographer interested in serial killers that meet such an individual in Early Grayce played by Brad Pitt. Probably one of the first movies to show a man peeing from his leg and then subsequently getting stabbed.
Karate - Perhaps one of the most influential movie genres in cinema.
Karate Kid, The - Film for young adults that put the martial arts study on the map for many adolescents. Did for karate what Rocky did for boxing. Introduced the lingo “wax on, wax off!”
Karloff, Boris - Actor who worked in countless films from 1916 to his death in 1969, but who will forever be known in his most famous role, that of the innocent yet freighting monster, Frankenstein.
Kazan, Elia - Famous director who put Marlon Brando on the map as well as James Dean. Proponent of “method acting” instead desiring “true emotional acting”. Director of such classics as A Street Car Named Desire, East of Eden, and On the Waterfront. Known for being among the first to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in 1952 which led to the Blacklist of many actors and actress subsequently ruing their careers. When Kazan received an Honorary Oscar a few years ago many in the film community refused to stand up or applaud.
Ke
Keaton, Buster - At six months he tumbled down a flight of stairs unharmed and was given the name "Buster". Buster Keaton soon found himself at the age of three in the "Three Keaton’s Act" with his Father and Mother. His films film came in the year 1917 and several funny shorts proudly starred Buster Keaton until the emergence of sound ruined his career. His stunts were mainly performed in wide open spaces, with the camera in a long shot – making it very apparent that his stunts were truly incredible feats.
Keaton, Diane - Best known, yet still under Hollywood “popular radar” for her roles in The Godfather, Annie Hall, and Father of the Bride. Used to date Woody Allen who cast her in a number of his films.
Kelly, Grace - Screen beauty who worked with almost every major Hollywood star in what is often called the “golden age” of cinema. Appeared in Alfred Hitchcock classics Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, and Dial M for Murder; worked with Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Grace Kelly retired from film to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Chosen still today as one of the top 5 all time sexiest stars in cinema.
KEM Universal editing machine - Flat bed film editing machine that when invented allowed the machine to be expanded to various combinations of sound and picture heads. In the old days, editing machines were upright and noisy, until the invention of flat beds which allowed an editor to sit down and edit a movie. The KEM Universal editing machine allowed more freedom so the editor could work on a handful of film stocks.
Ketchup - Hitchcock may have used chocolate for blood in Psycho – but in color, often Ketchup or a form of it is used. It is however not used out of the bottle for it would be too thick for many uses.
Kevin Kline - Kevin Kline isn’t much of an actor in terms of the huge spectrum of Hollywood. He has had a few good hits in such “maybe classics” as In & Out, French Kiss, Sophie’s Choice, and Soapdish. He is more often cast in comedy movies although his true essence can be found in dramatic pieces.
Kevlar - poly(p-phenyleneterephtalamide) Kevlar is used to make bullet proof vests, trampolines, and tennis rackets. Since the introductions of Kevlar it has gotten much harder to kill the bad guy in movies and also saved the lives of a few heroes.
Key Light - The main lighting source in a particular scene. Most scenes will have multiple sources of light be them background or foreground – yet the key light is the strongest of all lights, normally used to illuminate the center of action.
Key Numbers - Coding found on film strips put there by the manufacturer to key the sequence during development.
Kk
KKK – organization of white supremacists forever idolized in Birth of a Nation – cinema’s first epic movie directed by D.W. Griffith. Considered by many the birth of cinema. President Woodrow Wilson praised the film saying, "It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so true."
Ki
Kick-off - More often the word “kick-off” is mistaken as a football term – yet in movie terms the word kick-off is actually the start of a film production. A kick-off occurs after all the months of pre-production are complete and filming is ready to begin. All the actors are set in their roles, the location scouts have found locations, the film has been ordered, and the director is ready for the first time to shout “action!”
Kickers - Ironically “kickers” is the term of light meant to illuminate a subjects shoulder region and is normally placed shoulder level with the subject. While other lights help illuminate the hair or other features of the subject, a kicker illuminates and brings out a subjects shoulders. Kickers however are hardly ever used on their own – so discerning between the different light sources in a scene is almost impossible – which is part of the magic lighting brings to film.
Kidman, Nicole - Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress of 2003 – Nicole Kidman has worked her way up the ladder from an Australian red-haired beauty, the wife of American star Tom Cruise, to true stardom based solely on her own talents. Her pictures often focus on her intense personality to undertake each role she picks.
Kids - Written and directed by Larry Clark. Perhaps one of the most talked about, daring movies, mass cinema has seen. A movie about sex, sex, and sex – staring real life performances by actors who many are years away from driving a car. The main star of the movie wants virgins and only virgins – meanwhile other characters deal with AIDS, rape, drugs, beatings, and plain dirt that makes up their lives.
Killing Zoe - "I have always liked European cinema and, originally, I was going to make this for $200,000 on 16mm black and white. So I decided to write a movie with a lot of French language and use subtitles, and them make it a violent action picture... For the most part, I wanted to write an extreme example of what my generation is about - people who are living for the moment. I know there are optimists out there, those who are trying to make things better, but it's the momentum of a diseased culture that's difficult to stop. At the same time, [Killing Zoe] is still kind of a comedy. You really have to look at the craziness for its comic value." - Roger Avary, writer/director of Killing Zoe.
Kindergarten Cop - Muscle actor Arnold Schwarzenegger takes on a kindergarten class and in the end makes a movie with both charm, and cops and robbers.
King Kong - No one after 1933 ever looked at the top of the Empire State Building the say way after watching a Giant Ape named King Kong swipe angrily at helicopters while holding a blond babe. The first “monster” movie, long before dinosaurs, that continues to rein today. Incidentally, King Kong will be remade in 2005 by Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of The Rings trilogy).
Kinescope – Device that allowed film makers to slow down images from video (often from television) and transfer them to film.
Kn
Knee Shot - Just as it sounds, the shot of a character(s) in a film from the knee up. Used in conjunction with other shots (background, foreground, POV, etc.) to help establish a scene.
Ko
Kodak - Company founded by George Eastman in 1888 that has made film for movies since the very beginning of cinema.
Kodak theater - New theater built in Hollywood to become the new home of the Academy Awards. Named the Kodak theater after the film making company Kodak.
Kook - Known as a cookie or cucoloris which defines a cutout piece of material placed in front of a light source to cast a pattern shadow. For example the dark black shades of light that a window blind would cast on an otherwise bright face.
Kr
Kramer v. Kramer - Hailed with awards mainly for the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep who star in the story of a divorced couple who fight for the love of their young son.
Kristanfh - Infamous Epinions writer. Check our her movie reviews.
Ku
Kubrick, Stanley - It has been only four years since Hollywood lost one of the most detail orientated and creative directors known in film history. Although his film credits are small to most director’s resumes, Stanley Kubrick racked up a number of awards and has influenced so many when it comes to cinema. Director of such works as A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, Spartacus, and The Killing.
Kudrow, Lisa - One of the few actors in the hit NBC TV comedy “Friends” who has made a true friend of cinema. Instead of being caught up in starring vehicles that capitalize on her persona in big budget flicks – Lisa Kudrow has instead decided to spend her cinematic career in more independent, personal films that bring out her shine.
Kuleshov, Lev - Soviet film teacher who taught his students the important of “insert shots”. In his most written about experiment, he shot a character looking at something off screen with a neutral expression on his face. He then quickly insert several frames of a hot bowl of soup before returning to the actor. In another scene he inserted an injured girl. Students found the character, who’s expression never changed, as hungry in one scene and compassionate in the other. The insert shots gave audiences different perspectives on how the character must feel.
Kurosawa, Akira - Influential Japanese director (both George Lucas and Steven Speilberg heavily studied Kurosawa) best known for his epic tales of Seven Sumurai, Throne of Blood, and Ran (with Seven Sumurai and Ran having a heavily Shakespearean feel to them). Sadly, considered more influential and popular in the West (United States) than in Kurosawa’s homeland.
That’s all I have for the letter K. This is not by all means the end to the letter K – one could go on forever! But like all good things they must come to an end. The curtain must fall!
But before it does, check out others who given a letter of the alphabet its moment in the limelight.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
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