In 1973, William Friedkin released 'The Exorcist,' a film that terrified the world. Upon it's theatrical release, audiences left cinemas in disgust. Some were outraged with the film's take on religion, with child actress Linda Blair receiving death threats for her role in the film. However, most cinema-goers were horrified by the film, with so many reports of people leaving the cinema vomiting. It's safe to say that this film was one of the most shocking of its time, yet watching it now it seems like quite the breeze, sometimes even unintentionally funny. In comparison to this, modern day film and TV are always trying to find new ways to try and shock their audiences. With that, this posits the question we've been mulling over in the office for a few weeks. Are we becoming desensitised to modern media? One TV show in particular seems to shock and leave people reeling more than anything else that is running today. Charlie Brooker's 'Black Mirror' looks at the horrors and wonders of modern technology, and how its evolution can spell certain circumstances for the human race. What many say about this show is how a lot of the things that happen in it could happen in reality. For example, the episode 'Arkangel' tells the story of a mother who has a chip implanted in her young daughters head, that allows her to see everything her daughter does, so she can keep tabs on her life. Whilst this might sound very absurd, [...]

A recent conversation has become the topic of conversation in the Shot Blast Media office. Famed blockbuster filmmaker Steven Spielberg revealed that he doesn't believe that Netflix films should be considered for academy awards. He told ITV news: “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.” Netflix came back at Spielberg with a tweet: We love cinema. Here are some things we also love: -Access for people who can't always afford, or live in towns without, theatres -Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time -Giving filmmakers more ways to share art These things are not mutually exclusive. Does Spielberg have a point? Should we treat these movies as just television? Or does Netflix make a better argument? Let's have a look. It is fair to say that in regards to Netflix's tweet, Spielberg is missing a lot here. There are many people who cannot afford or access a cinema, and with Netflix's upsurge in new content people are more likely to stay in and watch a movie instead. Does that mean that because we watch these movies in the comfort of our own homes, they shouldn't get the recognition they deserve? Absolutely not. Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' [...]

We're constantly inspired by the big names in Hollywood making the stories we can only wish we could have told. As filmmakers ourselves, telling your stories is our biggest passion, and we felt as though it would be a great idea to look at some of the influential filmmakers that have the magic to inspire us. Some of them you've probably heard of, but hopefully there will be a couple of new recommendations here to inspire you as well. David Lynch The master of surrealism, you're in for a strange experience with a David Lynch film. His films are an acquired taste, such as Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive. He's also the man behind the popular cult TV show Twin Peaks, which provides more questions than it answers. We love Lynch however due to his commitment and integrity. He's someone who believes in telling a story how he wants to tell it, and has always been against big studio's running the filmmaking show. He has such a real passion for filmmaking and stands out as one of the most intriguing but influential filmmakers of today. Steven Spielberg If you haven't heard of Steven Spielberg, where have you been? He's one of the most prominent storytellers of today, creating the blockbuster with Jaws, and continuing the trend with Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a couple more. What's so great about Spielberg is how diverse his stories are. He can go from making a fun family movie to a serious spy thriller. We have a range of different types [...]