tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17058798227403120352024-03-13T09:26:47.527-07:00AS and A2 Film StudiesDogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-25074532665611127042022-06-12T10:01:00.004-07:002022-06-12T10:01:35.469-07:00<p> I haven't posted here for sometime, as I have since retired from teaching. But I'm still tempted to put up a few posts, maybe on some TV series. They have the capacity to explore themes and ideas in a more detailed way. </p><p>Cheers, Frank Fitzsimons ( A.K.A. Dogberry)</p>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-1314711394703851952012-06-22T05:29:00.004-07:002012-06-25T09:54:59.224-07:00Why is The Artist a film worth watching?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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1 It took guts to release a silent film in our Blu screen, 3D age of special effects and digitally enhanced sound. The filmmaker showed that you don’t need special effects and huge budgets to make a film worth seeing. Also in an age of great TV series, threatening to take over from film, the film’s director, Michel Hazanavicius, showed how film can still stand on its own as a powerful medium for entertainment.</div>
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2 It is arresting and emotive: audiences forget it is a silent movie.</div>
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3 It deals with the theme of change in so many ways.</div>
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4 It has a simple story but it is not always predictable: “BANG” ( if you have watched the film you will know what "BANG" means.)<br />
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5 Like the best post modern films it cleverly references other texts.<br />
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6 It has Uggie the dog – the skate-boarding dog who has become a star in his own right; animals were often used in silent movies; for instance, Chaplin had dogs, mules, monkees, elephants, lions, tigers, cats, in his films, e.g. The Circus, City Lights.<br />
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7 The film has great music which fits in skilfully with the action, situations and facial expressions/gestures; this music, too, is often derivative: you can hear the influences of Debussy, Satie, as well as other early 20th century composers. <br />
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8 Michel Hazanavicius and Ludovic Bource pay homage to Bernard Herrman’s music from Hitchcock’s <em>Vertigo</em>, which by the way, Bource uses brilliantly in the climatic scene.<br />
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9 It has what many great silent movies aimed for: comedy, pathos, drama and to be entertaining: I was reminded of City Lights, made in 1929, two years after the advent of “The Talkies”.<br />
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10 The film “speaks” about how the changes wrought by technology affect people who cannot nor will not change. The irony of the opening scene is more evident on a second viewing. <br />
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11 The film is consciously post modern where scenes and sometimes music are pastiched and referenced from other films; for instance, George Valentine and his wife at different ends of the breakfast table reference Orson Wells’s “Citizen Kane. </div>
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12 The film deals with stardom and how ordinary people are changed and affected by it; contextually, the film deals with the rise of stardom and how some stars had even more power than producers/studio bosses. It also deals with our context of celebrity culture where ordinary people can suddenly become well-known and then forgotten and how this can affect them psychologically. Our technology of You Tube, the Internet and “Reality TV” and “Docu-drama” resonates in<em> The Artist</em> with many "temporary stars" being damaged by being left behind.</div>
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13 You can stop the film and any point and see frames with great mise-en-scene. The images in the frames could stand on their own, as they were obviously well thought out. For instance, after George Valentine leaves the Auction Rooms and nearly gets run over by a car (another sign of new technology) the cinema behind him is ironically showing “Lonely Star.”</div>
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</div>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-34125282513513639912011-12-21T17:46:00.000-08:002012-02-22T17:43:58.824-08:00Joseph Macbride: an academic on film and an authority on several key film directors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Joseph Macbride's work is certainly worth looking into. His updated autobiography on Steven Spielberg, released earlier this year, is possibly the key text for understanding the contexts against which Spielberg created his films.<br />
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<a href="http://www.josephmcbridefilm.com/">http://www.josephmcbridefilm.com/</a></div>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-63790491405239186932011-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:002011-10-19T14:22:04.059-07:00The Wicked Flee - The Score from the new version of "True Grit'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have not posted here for some time as I am not teaching Film Studies at present. However, I intend to do so in future and produce teaching and student resources next year. My intention is to produce a wide ranging website for English Media and Film and place decent resources on it for several exam boards.<br />
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In the meantime, here's Carter Burwell's memorable score from "True Grit", something all teachers need these days. The tune is a rendition of the old gospel hymn, "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms." The following video is also an interesting example of exchange, what ordinary folks do with films using WEB 2.0 once they have been released.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYBB5Khoh0">The Score from True Grit</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGbxrNqK4-4&feature=related">Iris DeMent sings "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms". The Song is played at the end of the film.</a><br />
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Carter Burwell writes on his own website about why his music was not eligible for the Oscars because of his inclusion of adapted gospel hymns from the nineteenth century.<br />
<a href="http://www.carterburwell.com/projects/True_Grit.html">http://www.carterburwell.com/projects/True_Grit.html</a><br />
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<strong>Here is Carter Burwell discussing his use of music in the new film in both an interview and in the film below.</strong><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/19/133877190/true-grit-a-new-score-from-old-familiar-tunes">http://www.npr.org/2011/02/19/133877190/true-grit-a-new-score-from-old-familiar-tunes</a></strong><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gd1AcHCLmCA" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></div>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-51616208655839075792010-05-29T04:17:00.000-07:002010-06-12T05:33:19.059-07:00Practice questions for "Spectatorship: Popular Film and Emotional Response<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Robert , Shaun and Doug and anyone else who might find this post helpful.</span></span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are questions are from Dave's Paper. It is worth 35 marks. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">( The Single Film: Close Critical Study ( </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fight Club )</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is worth 30 marks. )</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the old exam this paper was known as "Shocking Cinema". But YOU need to be aware that THE RANGE of spectator's emotional responses will be WIDER than that.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">1. Explore possible reasons to explain why a second or third viewing of a film can actually increase the emotional response rather than lessen it.</span></span><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">2. How far is the emotional response to mainstream films triggered by specific techniques used by filmmakers?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To answer either of these questions you will need to have:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an understanding of how cinema produces a range of emotional responses in the spectator, using both macro and micro features.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an appreciation (knowledge) of how spectators seek a range of different experiences when watching films, including experiences that may challenge and disturb.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an appreciation ( knowledge) of cinematic contexts - including the significance of audience viewing situations, fandom and 'cultism' - in contributing to spectator response.</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Remember to analyse each questions' key words and phrases first and make a brief plan.</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(As we did in class, perhaps even using a dividing line with several arguments on each side.)</span></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use words and phrases from the question in your essay's introduction to show how you intend to shape your argument.</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write clear, introductory sentences for each point or argument in your essay. (Topic Sentences). </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of your paragraph(s) should then fill out your point with examples and argumentative comment on your examples.</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Refer to those words regularly in your essay to show the relevance of your points and argument(s).</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Come into College if you need to discuss your practice essays or need to marked.</span></span></i><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Good luck for each of the three Papers: Patty's Dave's and mine.</span></span></i>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-80216205672613161342010-04-02T04:55:00.000-07:002010-04-02T04:55:25.435-07:00"Fight Club' and the Ikea information consumerism sceneThe scene is self-referential as well as critical of consumerism. David Fincher draws attention to the fake reality of the film as well as the Ikea catalogue that seems to fill Jack's room, and rooms in ours lives, too.<br />
<a href="http://criticalcommons.org/Members/adiab/clips/FF_FincherFightClub-possum.mp4/view">Fight Club's Ikea Catalogue scene</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-56719236013918406482010-04-01T10:56:00.000-07:002010-04-01T10:57:23.456-07:00An interview with David Fincher from Slant MagazineScroll down to find his comments on "Fight Club". They are well worth reading.<br />
<a href="http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2009/01/the-conversations-david-fincher/">http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2009/01/the-conversations-david-fincher/</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-84940128529713139752010-03-24T04:25:00.000-07:002010-03-24T04:32:39.542-07:00David Fincher as an auteur<strong><span style="color: blue;">Director as auteur</span></strong><br />
Watch David Fincher’s earlier, more mainstream film, "The Game" (1997); you can begin by reading about it on Wikipedia or fan-sites devoted to David Fincher.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(film)">David Fincher's "The Game" (1997) on Wikipedia</a><br />
What similarities in themes and style can you identify with Fight Club?<br />
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Here's a trailer from the film<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happened-Bitter-Hollywood-Tales-Front/product-reviews/1582342407/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&coliid=&showViewpoints=1&colid=&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending">The trailer for "The Game"</a><br />
What similarities in themes and style can you identify with "Fight Club"?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Producer as auteur</strong></span> <br />
Art linson was the producer of Fight Club; look up his filmography on IMDB. <br />
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To get a clearer sense of the work of a Hollywood producer read Linson’s book “What Just Happened?” which includes material on Fight Club.<br />
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Here are a few interesting reviews from Amazon USA<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happened-Bitter-Hollywood-Tales-Front/product-reviews/1582342407/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&coliid=&showViewpoints=1&colid=&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending">Amazon US Reviews of Linson's book</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-73247498595748762372010-03-24T03:57:00.000-07:002010-03-24T04:16:31.571-07:00"Flashes of Tyler Durden - a YouTube video on "Fight Club"This useful You Tube video was found by, Sean, one of my students studying "Fight Club" as a single focus study film. It's a useful video for studying David Fincher's experimental visual and narrative style in "Fight Club" and for the split identity of the film's main character and narrator Jack.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGPyXgtKzDE">Flashes of Tyler Durden in "Fightclub"</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-9507693139137031762010-03-03T03:53:00.000-08:002010-03-03T03:53:16.800-08:00Specialist Study: Empowering Women questions - FM4<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These questions have been drawn from the WJEC Exam Board.</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. How far do the films you have studied depend on dramatic moments of confrontation within the narrative and how far on tracing a more subtle change over time?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Compare and contrast the ways in which the audience is encouraged to identify with particular characters in the films you have studied.</span>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-29805308523233163232010-03-03T03:42:00.000-08:002010-03-03T03:43:27.591-08:00Single Film: Close Critical Study Film Questions on "Fight Club"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>In the exam you will need to answer ONE question and it will be worth 30 marks. The following questions have been drawn from the WJEC Exam Board and they can be used for</em> <em><strong>Fight Club</strong>.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">General questions which could apply to any Single Film: Close Critical Study:</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. What does your chosen film reveal about the usefulness of one or more critical approaches you have applied?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Consider debates that have arisen in the critical reception of your chosen film, either at the time of its initial release or now or both.</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A specific question on <strong>Fight Club</strong>:</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. 'Despite the gesture of destroying symbols of corporate power at the end, <em><strong>Fight Club</strong></em> is a film about power and control, not liberation.' How far do you agree?</span>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-39482662379076384212010-02-10T11:43:00.000-08:002010-04-01T10:59:34.663-07:00Fight Club Essays and reviewsA great review with thought-provoking points on how the film did at the box office and film executives' attitudes towards the film. See the link after this video. "Everything's a copy of a copy, of a copy".<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7506690&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7506690&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></span><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/7506690">Condensed Fight Club</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2222857">Jim Emerson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2009/11/fight_club_at_ten_a_love_story.html#more">Fight Club at ten - a love story</a> Once you've read the review read several of the excellent comments this review drew from viewers.<br />
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Essays on <i>Fight Club from DVD Talk</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/1153/fight-club-essay-part-1/">Fight Club essay part 1</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/1152/fight-club-essay-part-2/">Fight Club essay part two</a><br />
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A review with links to reviews by major critics<br />
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<a href="http://www.alsolikelife.com/kdogg/journal/f/fightclub.htm">Click here for the review and links</a><br />
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A PDF file with an exam question, mark scheme and points which an an examiner would look for in your answer to the exam question.<br />
<a href="http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/5797.pdf">http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/5797.pdf</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-12454603312629814112010-02-03T11:02:00.000-08:002010-03-24T04:13:32.076-07:00"Fight Club": the single study case study film for FM4Choose three-four scenes for <b>micro and macro</b> analysis. Scenes should be no less than five minutes and no more than 10 minutes long.<br />
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</div><div>Good choices would be:</div><div><ul><li> the last six minutes of the film</li>
<li>a scene from the fight scenes in the middle of the film</li>
<li>the film's opening</li>
</ul><div>As a class we can look at the critical reception of the film and discuss <b>your engagement with it</b> in the light possible critical approaches to the film. For instance, consider your preferred way of reading and interpreting the film:</div><div><br />
</div><div><ol><li>Through David Fincher as an auteur - his visual style</li>
<li>Through its star performers and the meaning that they bring to the scenes and film</li>
<li>Through its genre(s) and how it conforms or subverts expected conventions.</li>
</ol><div>Of course, the social context and reception of the film is important, too. The film was made in the 90s, a period which threw up a myriad of texts in which men's masculinity and their roles in a consumer and materialistic society was considered to be going through a crises. Another issue which is a key issue for postmodern films was identity, particularly fractured identity.</div><div><br />
</div><div>We will post some of our notes and discussions on this blog next week for further discussion and written analysis next week.</div></div><div><br />
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</div></div>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-43360472403003896722009-10-24T06:06:00.000-07:002009-10-24T06:07:35.510-07:00Fight Club - The Single Focus Study FilmPosts will follow as we study this in class.Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-5613245156399983712009-07-25T04:15:00.000-07:002009-10-24T06:08:03.233-07:00Robert De Niro in performance by Quinton Tarantino Parts 1 - 3In "Cinefile", a program made in 1994 for Channel 4, Quinton Tarantino profiles Robert De Niro's performances and star persona in "Meanstreets" and "The Godfather Part II". It's an important resource for anyone working on De Niro for a small scale research project.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2Vg6up_IS0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2Vg6up_IS0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />In Part 2 Tarantino focuses on De Niro in "Taxi Driver", "The Deer Hunter" and "Raging Bull".<br /><br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v0u4POopKo0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v0u4POopKo0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />In Part 3 Tarantino analyses De Niro's performance in "Once Upon A Time In America" and discusses what a film co-starring De Niro and Al Pacino would be like. A year later, in 1995, they co-starred in the cop and gangster film , "Heat"<br /><br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ERaqk2W7Vo0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ERaqk2W7Vo0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-15250467487198924832009-07-15T01:21:00.000-07:002009-07-15T01:24:41.629-07:00Film Genres - detailed examplesThis slide presentation has several examples for each film genre and sub genres.<br /><br /><div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_779129"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/newestprod/film-genres-presentation" title="Film Genres">Film Genres</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=film-genres-1227410052021072-8&stripped_title=film-genres-presentation" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=film-genres-1227410052021072-8&stripped_title=film-genres-presentation" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/newestprod">newestprod</a>.</div></div>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-51557488795071790812009-07-15T01:17:00.000-07:002009-07-15T01:20:44.118-07:00Film Classification in the UK<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68); white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:10px;"><div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_685042"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is helpful also for understanding the history of censorship in film in the UK.</span> <a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/BiggerPictureResearch/film-and-video-classification-in-the-uk-presentation" title="Film and video classification in the UK">Film and video classification in the UK</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=classification2008-1224769556934420-9&stripped_title=film-and-video-classification-in-the-uk-presentation"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=classification2008-1224769556934420-9&stripped_title=film-and-video-classification-in-the-uk-presentation" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/BiggerPictureResearch">Jim Barratt</a>.</div></div></span>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-77567124889560060022009-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:002009-07-14T12:55:22.183-07:00Movie Diva - an interesting cross between academic and popular film reviews<div>This is a great site for reading reviews on older films. Movie Diva's breadth of academic research informs each review and makes what might have been complex accessible and easy to understand.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/webpages/MDIndex.htm">http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/webpages/MDIndex.htm</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-54002197735974909042009-07-13T00:36:00.000-07:002009-07-13T00:37:27.210-07:00Various documentaries on film genres<a href="http://www.learner.org/resources/series67.html">http://www.learner.org/resources/series67.html</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-1681546778454599512009-07-03T03:43:00.000-07:002009-07-07T03:31:05.889-07:00FM3: Harrison Ford and Wife Force 1!<strong>FM3 Small Scale Research Project ideas</strong><br /><strong>Harrison Ford</strong><br />As amusing as this selection of clips may be they are still useful for examining star/performance issues on Harrison Ford - the repetition associated with his screen persona in similar film genres and and the meanings that he brings to the roles. Just as John Wayne used to furrow his forehead before expressing his anger in his films, there is also the trade-mark look of angry surprise on Harrison's face across a range of films. It is shots like these that audiences "expect" and "want" , whether they are always conscious of them or not, because they often derive pleasure from them. And, yes, Ford seems to be forever saving his wife! (Not withstanding Indiana Jones films in which he saves women who, had he married, <em>could</em> have been his wife).<br /><br />An important aspect of Harrison Ford's persona and one worth exploring, is Ford's representation of masculinity - in this instance, the protective husband. Some modern US critics and writers bemoan younger American heroes who lack the assured masculinity that the now ageing Ford and Clint Eastwood, exude with ease.<br /><br />For performance consider Harrison Ford's<br /><ul><li>Voice, intonation, accent, pitch</li><li>Facial gestures and movement</li><li>body movement and the idiosyncrasies he displays as a performer</li><li>use of space and his phsyical presence and room he takes up in frames</li><li>how all of the above represent his masculinity and the persona he projects on screen.</li></ul><p>Any aspect of the above can <strong>create meaning from performance as they can show his character's feelings about other characters.</strong> These elements can affect <em>how audiences react</em> to Ford at various points in a film's narrative.</p><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M9GwtRsOYSI&hl=" width="660" height="525" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" fs="1&rel=" color1="0x3a3a3a&color2=" border="1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-5647537262193333342009-06-22T18:26:00.000-07:002009-06-23T04:20:17.751-07:00Film Research and Creative Projects - FM3<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre; "><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o6mclovd27E&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o6mclovd27E&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object></span><br />The German film director, Fritz Lang, would make a great subject for an <span style="font-weight:bold;">auteur</span> study. His film, "Metropolis" (1927), was a big- budget, futuristic movie, that was then the most expensive in Germany. With the rise of Hitler Lang fled to the USA where he used his experience and knowledge of expressionism to make several films in several genres, particularly, westerns and film noir.<br /><br />"Metropolis" was reputedly Hitler's favourite film. Hitler's minister for propaganda, Joseph Geobbels thought the film encapsulated nazi ideals. Fritz Lang himself became uncomfortable with the film and disliked it possibly for the same reason, even though "Metropolis" that he made his name. His wife and co-creator of the film, Thea Gabriele von Harbou, remained in Germany as a faithful supporter of the nazi regime. <br /><br />These clips are from the Giorgio Moroder version which he coloured and set to mostly synthesiser music in 1984. This version is both loved for its music and despised by some purists of the film.<br /><br />The film would also make an interesting <span style="font-weight:bold;">genre or gender</span> study.<br /><br />The mad scientist, C. A. Rotwang, has made a female robot for the master of Metropolis, Fredersen. But scientist has ulterior motives!<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C904vxvy8Aw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C904vxvy8Aw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />Rotwang throws a party for Fredersen and his friends to prove how human his devilishly tempting creation can be! By this time the female robot has been given the appearance of Maria.<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yC4XHKwZTzA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yC4XHKwZTzA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />The real Maria meet Fredersen's rich son by mistake as she goes through a door on the wrong floor. Two worlds collide in fully-blown German expressionism.<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_pRZBxceEBQ&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_pRZBxceEBQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br />Rotwang chases after Maria so he can carry out his experiment to gain her appearance for his robot.<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1szmGhvrpmo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1szmGhvrpmo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />Rotwang's transformation of the Robot after he captures Maria.<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t6ZpVwFAlFg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t6ZpVwFAlFg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />A longer sequence from the film after which the Robot, as the false Maria, has done its worst by getting the workers to flood their factory underworld. (This clip's quality is poorer than those above. These clips are the work of Metropolis-Redux, an American who has gone to great pains to produce a DVD quality print of the film.)<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yKxOsBnVUig&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yKxOsBnVUig&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-43740483918763738262009-06-18T08:23:00.000-07:002009-06-18T08:40:58.784-07:00Genre as a critical framework to question and assess film - "Stagecoach" from 1939If you prefer assessing John Ford's "Stagecoach" using a <strong>genre </strong>approach you could focus on some of these points and view several scenes to decide whether Ford consciously focuses on, say, various forms of social prejudice, or whether these issues simply emerge out of the time in which the film was made. Perhaps there is something to be said for each approach. Clint Eastwood said that in "Josey Wales" (1975-6)he was not particularly conscious of his theme of social unity which could be seen as the need for Americans to unite after the Vietnam War. (See earlier posts). Yet in retrospect that is what he seems to have reflected in his film - Josey Wales is supported by the different types who, through his help, have banded together into a social group, suggesting that there is strength through social unity. Ford's film also mirrors an American society that was divided by the Depression and, perhaps, still feeling the after-effects of the Civil War from 65 years earlier. <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9dPtEKC0NW4/SjpcZ6kdBuI/AAAAAAAABX0/3m0wE80fShw/s1600-h/Genre+or+Auteur++John+Fords+Stagecoach+1939.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9dPtEKC0NW4/SjpcZ6kdBuI/AAAAAAAABX0/3m0wE80fShw/s400/Genre+or+Auteur++John+Fords+Stagecoach+1939.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348689107744524002" /></a><br /><em>Click on this image to enlarge.</em>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-2623982125361220712009-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:57:21.379-07:00OCR videos on Basic camera shots and camera movementOCR Media Studies - Basic Camera Shots<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fe2PqbUk0bU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fe2PqbUk0bU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />OCR Media Studies - Camera Movements<br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z68dMBAAn-k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z68dMBAAn-k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-89792312598891986672009-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:002009-05-28T05:03:39.178-07:00John Ford in WikepediaFor interesting points on John Ford as an auteur skim for Ford's cinematic style and for references to Monument Valley, etc. It's a good read and helpful for FS6'Auteur and Genre unit.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford</a>Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705879822740312035.post-55725047566662128242009-05-09T10:01:00.000-07:002009-05-16T02:24:07.085-07:00"All I want is to enter my house justified" a review of "Ride The High Country" from 1962<object width="660" height="525"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ui1Mnvdj24I&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ui1Mnvdj24I&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">My review from Amazon</span><br /><br />5.0 out of 5 stars "All I want is to enter my house justified," 19 April 2009<br /><br />Sam Peckinpah's elegaic western, also known as "Guns In The Afternoon", is surely one of the finest in its genre. The director explores the themes of friendship, honour and loyalty in pressing circumstances and changing times. Joel McCrea and Randolph Scotts' time-served experience of starring in B westerns is as present as the ageing and time-worn "lawmen" they portray. The banker's son (Byron Foulger), who laughably looks as old as his father (Percy Helton), shakes Steve Judd's (McCrea's) hand to seal the deal for McCrea fetching the gold from the miner's camp only to turn it over to inspect Judd's fraying cuff. A life of integrity, honesty and disappointed hopes has led the now desperate Judd to this new venture.<br /><br />The film is about transformation and ultimately, redemption. Ron Star's Heck Longtree is a young man whose moral compass is finally influenced by Judd as it had been earlier by Westrum. The young man always had courage but he learns about the importance of honour and integrity from Judd as he changes from a selfish, womaniser and potential murderer to a young man capable of sacrifice and the faithful love of Elsa Knudsen (Mariette Hartley).<br /><br />However, Scott's Gil Westrum is not the only character capable of transformation. In what must be one of the most moving scenes in cinema, let alone westerns, the audience knows that Westrum will carry out Judd's last wishes to the letter - and in doing so will be worthy of joining Judd "later" in "The High Country".<br /><br />"Gil Westrum: Don't worry about? About anything. I'll take care of it, just like you would have.<br />Steve Judd: Hell, I know that. I always did... You just forgot it for a while, that's all."<br /><br />The film's intelligent script is worth pausing over for its ironic quips and its amusing repartee. Peckinpah's approach to right and wrong is more tonal in this part revisionist western than, for instance, John Ford's black hat - white hat, clear cut vision of good and evil. There again, Peckinpah's film was made during a more cynical, post-war period in the early Sixties, which Gil Westrum embodies for most of the film. Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", another excellent film in its own right, differs from Peckinpah's in almost every way and yet it was released in the same year, 1962. Its treatment of honour, age, integrity, friendship and love are also very different.<br /><br />The next time you you watch "Ride The High Country" pause over the sign as Joshua Knudsen prays over his wife's grave. The message on it is intriguing, particularly for the representation of women in this and other Peckinpath films.<br /><br />The formerly blacklisted, George Bassman's elegaic score amplifies the ambiguity of of the film's title, "Ride The High Country". With its journeys, to and from the gold camp, the moral high ground and, perhaps, the journey to heaven implied for Judd. Lucien Ballard's cinematography and Peckinpah's shot-making in several sequences, particularly the final shootout, elevates the film far above most classical westerns.<br /><br />In an age when integrity, honesty, loyalty and honour are more absent in public life than ever, Peckinpah's western is a moral lesson on the lasting importance of these virtues.Dogberryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066979590321006745noreply@blogger.com1