Rack Focus & 2.35:1: Memoirs of an Invisible Man - John Carpenter, 1992

Carpenter crafted and exacted a flawless mise-en-scène by about the time of The Fog (not to discount the brilliance of Assault on Precinct 13). Like John McTiernan, he is a master of the old/tested/worn-out/forgotten cinematic technique, evidenced here by a modestly but brilliantly deployed rack focus that warps his trademark 2.35:1 frame while effortlessly integrating special effects, a moment of disorientation, balance, craft. Carpenter and McTiernan are those most rare of Hollywood artists, directors who can wield what is overused/worn-out, and integrate it into their mise-en-scène in a way that makes it feel born anew.