I know you've seen a movie you liked so much that you called it 'an instant-classic' or 'high-quality cinema.' What do you think it takes to make a movie that "graduates" to be called 'Cinema'? Looking at the roots of the words, 'cinema' is just some French Latinized Greek for "movie" ... it's 'higher class' the same way that "gourmet" food is 'higher-class' than "home-cooked." But 'instant classic' is "a whole `nother ball-of-wax." To qualify for that, a picture might have to tie-in some actual history (like that series on The U.S. Civil War) or use stories that are already "classics" (The Lord of the Rings, stories from The Holy Bible). But using 'history' that hasn't happened (but still might) may be a little too classic---as shown by The Interview & the Steve Carell movie whose filming was cancelled as a result! The movie whose reception might have inspired the terrorists to threaten Sony Pictures? The Da Vinci Code (Ron Howard's production from the Dan Brown book) If that movie hadn't been made, it's possible that I might still think that Jesus was some demi-god who materialized on Earth like some sort of genii (voiced by Robin Williams and/or James Franco, saying "Zim-zalla-bim!" and changing the water into wine with a POOF). But now I understand that Jesus was ONLY human (the entire time He was on Earth---both before AND after His crucifixion) ... but luckily the Guardians of Peace convinced Sony Pictures NOT to let us think that Blessed Emperor Kim Jong Il were only human, protecting our minds from the evil idea that he were one of us lowly mortals What do you think it takes to make a movie that "graduates" to be called 'Cinema'?
I don't suppose there's a formula [that works] otherwise all movies made would be classics. It's the reception of the movie that elevates it to such a status. At the time it's made no one, not the director, actors or screenwriters know that the target audience and critics will love the movie to the extent that they [will] have to attach some label on it which sets it apart from other average movies.
Awards! That's what can makes a movie a classic, actors, script and directors. Very few classic films have no awards and not only the industry awards, but those from magazines too. These days there is more marketing with social media so you can see how popular a movie is and they can get the public to vote when they are nominated for awards or to promote and share the links, free marketing. If a film makes a critics review list then that also helps it become a classic. On IMDB people are always creating their own top ten films and it inspires others to consider their own.
I think each person might have his own interpretation on what constitutes cinema, there isn't a hard and fast rule, at least one that I know of. My personal distinction is of each movie's "popcorn factor", there are some movies that you can mindlessly enjoy and have a great time, usually comedies, action movies, tings like that. Then there is another level like high quality dramas for example that are better than average movies so I call those proper cinema.
Cinema is simply a place or venue that shows movies. Movies are motion pictures that are projected to or out of a screen. So the difference is that cinemas are a place that house and play movies being leased from a studio license or motion picture distributor(s).
To give you a simpler overview of the difference between the two words, while cinema refers to every movie shown at malls and independent theatres, movie is more like an umbrella or generic term for any show produced specifically for the viewing public for the duration of an hour or more. There are also such terms as TV movies and "Direct-to-DVD" movies. TV movies are directly aired on television though the format is the same as your regular film while the latter is distributed through DVDs or Bluray discs.
I think cinema denotes a higher degree of professionalism and quality, since it is distributed into theatres locally or worldwide for show. The studios involved typically aren't your everyday casual video makers. On the other hand movies may be of a far lesser quality, we might have home movies or amateur movies being showcased for people to see, in this case the studios and crews are much more simple and casual. There's still a pretty big overlap between the two since people often use the latter interchangeably with the former.
But what analysis do the award-givers put the movies under? Do they have to do a 7-paragraph essay on each of the nominees before they decide who wins? Something available for public discussion? But most films SHOWN in the cinema BECOME distributed via all the other media! I guess movies that are 'cinema' are the ones that make you 'feel like' you're watching them in the movie-house
