Movie Review - Little Shop of Horrors

Frank Oz  deconstructs the musical genre in Little Shop of Horrors, with stereotypical characters and the approach of the familiar story made comical. "As directed by the Muppet master Frank Oz, this large-scale new film version has just the right mixture of playfulness, tunefulness and blood lust. Never has any screen killer done his job as innocently as Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis), ..." (Maslin, 1986) The journey of Seymour is the main focus for the themes of ambition and dreams of being recognised as an individual from Audrey who he secretly admires and through fame. The film borrows a lot of material such as the plant 'Audrey 2' acting like Seymour's Genie, offering to grant his desires but at a price. The film takes a humorous side to the horror element as well because although the the story centres around a plant that needs human flesh/ blood in order to live, it is more lighthearted to keep to the vibe of the musical genre, the evidence describes Seymour's killings as 'innocently' which shows the audience that the plant needs a 'puppet' to get what it requires and Seymour has no choice and forced into the partnership.

Figure 1, (2007), Seymour and Audrey 

The film was influenced mainly by the original play in the 1960's and it has retained the same traits of the period through it's characters and song style that Oz has used for his adaptation. "It's hard to pinpoint just what makes this surreal saga such a delight. There's the music, a wonderful doowop score from the off-Broadway hit based on Corman's 1960 cult classic... There's Steve Martin as 'The Dentist', Audrey's biker-boyfriend, a happy-go-lucky sadist who nearly steals the show." (Andrew, 2006) The songs are in the style of Motown and jazz to recapture the sixties feel in the original, Oz has also thought of perceptional stereotypes such as the typical bimbo that Audrey portrays and the rocker, care free character of Orin. Oz has completely flipped the idea of the dentist who is meant to look after people's teeth to the image of a mad violent doctor who enjoys creating pain in his patients and loves to watch them suffer. The viewer would still find this comical because the portrayal is very exaggerated and feels like something from a nightmare to get the perception of the villain that audience in the musical doesn't care about due to his manner and actions.

Figure 2, (2009), The dentist inflicting pain for fun 

Oz has added in his own trademark 'stamp' into this film, incorporating the typical B Movie design in Audrey 2, plant from space. "...the movie is very similar to the play. Most of the songs remain intact, and the cast is full of energy and zest. The special effects fill an important niche." (French, 2001) Oz has given the plant 'Audrey 2' a human - like personality to be able to sing and talk to create it's own identity. The theme of puppetry has also been deconstructed in this film because Audrey 2 is technically the puppet being controlled to perform in the film but in the cinematic world of 'Little Shop of Horrors' the audience can identify the character of Audrey 2 as the puppet master/ puppeteer having complete control of Seymour's destiny to achieve it's goal of world domination. It first appears to the audience that Audrey 2 is sympathetic to Seymour's character but reveals it's true intentions when he turns on the original Audrey and threatens to expand into every household. This also runs into the theme of hyper reality because much like Truman in 'The Truman' Seymour doubts the new world created from his fame that was orchestrated by Audrey 2 and breaks through the lies to eventually stop the 'creator' who manipulated and controlled to finally be free with the girl he always dreamed of being with.

 Figure 3, (2011), Audrey 2 - The plant that can sing

Illustration List

Figure 1, (2007), Seymour and Audrey, @ http://www.geekshow.us/content/articles/the-big-10-musical-numbers/, Accessed on: 31^st May 2007

Figure 2, (2009), The dentist inflicting pain for fun, @ http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/new-little-shop-of-horrors-to-open-despite-recession.php, Accessed on:  15^th April 2009

Figure 3, (2011), Audrey 2 - The plant that can sing, @ http://www.themarysue.com/tag/little-shop-of-horrors/, Accessed on: 8th April 2011

Bibliography

Andrew Geoff, (2006), Time Out London – Little Shop of Horrors, @ http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/80563/little_shop_of_horrors.html, Accessed on:  24^th June 2006

French Blake, (2001), Film Critic.com – Little Shop of Horrors, @ http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1986/little-shop-of-horrors/, Accessed on: 22^nd July 2001

Maslin Janet, (1986), The New York Times - Little Shop of Horrors, @ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DE2DB113DF93AA25751C1A960948260&partner=Rotten Tomatoes, Accessed on: 19th December 1986

4/5

Movie Review - Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark sets out to deconstruct the typical 'American Musical' genre to create a realistic perception of the darker traits it usually avoids. ".. the habitually galling Danish director's 2000 musical was a black-swan genre rarity - a 1960's-set sledgehammer to Broadway and Hollywood's insistence on sunshine endings in golden-era musicals involving Nazis, murder and suicide." Rogers, 2010) The Character Selma is fascinated by the hyper reality of nothing bad ever happening in a musical and uses it as her escape from the dark truths that loom into her life. Selma dreams of being the star of her own musical However this does not mask the gradual increasing dark tone that sets into the film that becomes Selma's ambition to save her son from the same genetic disorder that is causes her to lose her sight and change her life for the worse. The viewer can understand how Selma's mind wanders as she works in a factory surrounded by noise to influence her various songs and imagines that her fellow cast members are dancing and singing alongside her. However, when Selma comes out of her daydream the viewer learns that these sections are her created realities according to her passion for the genre.

Figure 1, (2011), Selma working in the factory first place where audience witnesses her daydreaming

The director, Lars von Trier attempts to change the audience throughout the course of the film. "...von Trier's goal here, I suppose, is to keep the audience off-balance, unable to watch the film as "just a story". In fact the point of Dancer in the Dark, as much as anything, seems to be an attack on the notion of cinema itself..." (Brayton, 2007) Von Trier changes the rules of what the typical musical should be so that only one character lives in the hyper realism through dreams but the darker themes shatter all of that and force the audience to watch. Selma's life in the film becomes so tragic when she is forced to kill Paul because he threatens to take the money she saved as his own and when she receives the death penalty, it hits the mark to the viewer that real life has no guide lines so there is no guarantee of a shiny happy ending. This links to the film Funny Games as that film deconstructs the torture porn genre and why a paying audience should ever go and see a violent film as it attempts to show the dark reality of the torturers winning and out to continue their scam on the next family.
The scenes where Selma is trapped in her confinement, she expresses how she hates the silence and forcibly trying to find the escape of her self created musical, as depicted in figure 2, Selma presses up to the air vent in her cell where she can hear the choir and make her imprisonment seem bearable.

Figure 2, (2011), Selma desperately trying to find inspiration to escape the silence in her cell

The ending truly sets in the strong emotions as Selma struggles to accept that she is about to die and that her story will end. "Dancer in the Dark" is not like any other movie at the multiplex this week, or this year. It is not a 'well made film', is not in 'good taste', is not 'plausible' or, for many people, 'entertaining'. But it smashes down the walls of habit that surround so many movies." (Ebert, 2000) Von Trier did make this film to be liked but as a statement that not all stories have to be happy and turn out as the audience expects, he has rewrote this rule to gain a very different reaction to the final outcome. This also compares to the ending in Funny Games, where the director has the full control of where the story will end and which characters get the benefits. In the case of Dancer in the Dark, the son Gene gets the benefit that he can have the operation and not worry about going blind due to the genetic illness but Selma is the sacrifice to this because she can not accept the money to pay for a proper defence lawyer as a goal to save her son is the only ambition that wishes to see fulfilled.

Figure 3, (2011), Selma singing the second to last song in her last moments

Illustrations

Figure 1, (2011), Selma working in the factory first place where audience witnesses her daydreaming, @ http://www.oddpedia.com/unlucky-movies/dancer-in-the-dark/, Accessed on: 5th March 2005

Figure 2, (2011), Selma desperately trying to find inspiration to escape the silence in her cell, @ http://thecia.com.au/reviews/d/dancer-in-the-dark.shtml, Accessed on: 2011

Figure 3, (2011), Selma singing the second to last song in her last moments, @ http://www.topmovietrailers.info/movie-spoiler/dancer-in-the-dark-final-scene-spoiler-warning/, Accessed on: 2011

Bibliography

Brayton Tim, (2007), Antagony and Ecstasy - Dancer in the Dark, @ http://antagonie.blogspot.com/2007/06/in-musical-nothing-dreadful-ever.html, Accessed on: 4th June 2007

Ebert Robert, (2000), Robert Ebert.com, @ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20001020/REVIEWS/10200302, Accessed on: 20th October 2000

Rogers Nick, (2010), Heroes of the Zeroes: Dancer in the Dark, @ http://www.thefilmyap.com/2010/03/18/heroes-of-the-zeroes-dancer-in-the-dark/, Accessed on: 25th September 2010

4/5

Movie Review - The Truman Show

The Truman Show explores the theme of hypereality as the character Truman Burbank appears to live in the perfect neighbourhood until the viewer realises that it is in fact a fake tv set prison to keep Truman on tv twenty four hours a day. "You accept the world you're given, the filmmakers suggest; more thoughtful viewers will get the buried message, which is that we accept almost everything in our lives without examining it very closely." (Ebert, 2000) The audience excepts that the town and the lifestyle appears real but as the film progresses, it becomes evident that the world of tv show is far more exaggerated and as Truman Burbank studies the strangeness that occurs with events being on an ongoing loop and that the fellow cast members act suspicious, the audience also starts to question the fake world.

 Figure 1, (2010), The hyper realistic town (world) all seems normal at first

The auidence in the film represent the viewers watching the film and their obession to escape to a better world that is a created fantasy. "Director Peter Weir creates "The Truman Show" as if you' re watching the show itself. Each camera angle, each iris shot pertains to a camera used in the Seahaven world. We're just as much the outside world to this movie as the outside world in "The Truman Show" is to the 24-hours-a-day reality show being aired." (Aronsky, 2005) The film reflects a typical audiences desire to be a part of a 'perfect world' and therefore by watching Truman, they feel connected with the character and envision the fake symbol as a version of reality. The audience also gets to see the hyperrealistic world through Truman's eyes as he starts to piece together that the rest of the cast neighbours and the creator are behind his imprisonment and that he is actually trapped in the unreal and forced to perform, not knowing it is infront of a live audience for his entire life. The viewer feels symphonic to the character of Truman because he goals and experiences he wanted to achieve but controllers in the real world prevent him from leaving the town with methods of trying to increase fear, return his father to him and even trying to kill him to stop Truman discovering the truth and the creator losing his twenty hour a day show. The creator in the show has also entrapped the auidence in the film because they constantly watch the show and become lost in the fairy tale forgetting about their own real lives, when the show goes off air at the end of the film the spell is broken as identified by members of the film audience suggesting 'shall we see what else is on'.

Figure 2, (2009), Breaking the Hyperreal – seeing Truman as his audience in the real world is watching him

The film also has a religious link to the idea of the creator as Truman's god because he has controlled and manipulated his entire life in tv world. "The imagery of the film's final act is suggestive an anti-religious parable about rejecting God - though a fleeting climatic prayer to the real God offered on Truman's behalf suggests that the target is not God, but his presumptuous imitators." (Greydanus, 2005)  The characet Christof created the virtual world for Truman which makes him out to be 'godly' in the eyes of the viewer because he treats Truman as his creation as if he is special to Christof. The final scene when Truman walks through the exit indicates a sense of trumiph over his creator and finally enters the true world. Christof tells Truman that the lies and deceit are as real in the other as they are in his, this again could be reference to the religious belief of trying to convince people to stay on the right path and the conflicts against 'truth'. The viewer depicts the truimph as Truman's chance to finally have a normal dull life and that a hyperrealistic world is not as it appears but the audience chose to believe what they hear from media and advertising that pulls them in.

 Figure 3, (2010), Truman outwits the Production team

Illustrations

Figure 1, (2010), The hyper realistic town (world) all seems normal at first, @ http://www.basement.org/2010/01/, Accessed on: 29^th January 2010

Figure 2, (2009), Breaking the Hyperreal – seeing Truman as his audience in the real world is watching him, @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/mar/16/week, Accessed on: 22^nd March 2009

Figure 3, (2010), Truman outwits the Production team, @ http://ncowie.wordpress.com/category/the-truman-show/page/2/, Accessed on: 19^th June 2010

Bibliography

Aronsky Ron, (2005), Film threat - The Truman Show, @ http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/7893/, Accessed on: 28th August 2008

Ebert Robert, (2000), Robert Ebert.com - The Truman Show, @ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980605/REVIEWS/806050302, Accessed on: 1st January 2000

Greydanus Stephen, (2005), Decent Film's Guide - The Truman Show, @ http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/trumanshow.html, Accessed on: 17th October 2005

3.5 / 5

Movie Review - Scream 4

Scream 4 adopts the production technique as the other films in the series, to put the viewer straight into the story with an intense ten minutes to open up the film with murder and the arrival of the new ghostface. "It's been a long time between drinks for the Scream series and the latest offering starts out strong with an extended movie-within-a-movie sequence. The content it contains will be familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of the earlier versions but this time it is expanded on and the slef aware humour is ratched up. Fitting, as the movie sticks to this approach throughout the remainder." (Heinemann, 2011) The movie within movie sequence is the idea of the 'Ouroboros', the snake devouring it's tail with no clear outcome. The audience are unaware each time that the two female characters are actually the cast members of the 'stab' films, the characters themselves believe they are also in the 'real' world commenting on the previous stab film they were watching before becoming the next victims and moving onto the next set of characters.

Figure 1, (2010), Horror scenario within a horror scenario

Scream 4 has a sense of time travelling with it's mash of generations and references to the other proceeding films in the scream series. "In the last of the film's three prologues, Jenny Randall (Aimee Teegarden) accuses Stab 5 of being the worst in the Stab franchaise for stooping to the use of 'time travel'. In fact Scream 4 is probably the best of the Scream sequels, but with its generational clashes and self-concious echoes from the past, the film is already flirting with a 'time travel' gimmick, collapsing the differences between then and now, and making the old heroes, rather than the new villains, the ones who, Michael Myers-like, just keep coming back." (Bitel, 2011) The theme of survival ties in well throughout the series to make the original cast members able to have the experience of the previous incarnations of Ghost Face and the knowledge for the rules of a horror movie. The story centres around another class of generation in Sidney's cousin Jill as if she were starting in the same in high school and susposedly being stalked by a killer and her ex boy friend plays the role of the creep who seems overly obesessed in her. This lays in a lot of puns about the original film because the characters and scenerios are similiar so that Scream 4 no longer needed to spoof other horror films but could successfully influence itself.

Figure 2, (2010), Ghostface stalking Gale

The film is a mirror reflection as to what the audience has seen before but also runs in different directions to change the tension and atmosphere. "Now between franchaise boogeymen, Craven who begat Freddy, who begat Ghostface - is happily treading water here, exploding the cliches he exploded so successfully 16 years ago. The result is a brain-dead brainteaser, a mirror reflection of a mirror reflection." (Lovell, 2011) The director, Wes Craven was able to use some of the gimmicks and references he used before because that is what the audience expected to make this film feel part of the franchaise. However the film twists right at the end with the reveal of Jill's true nature and intention and instead of mirroring Sidney's character, she is seen to mirror the character of Charlie her partner in the murders because both characters want acceptance and come out of the dark by killing the friends and family who thought they could trust them. The ouroboros of the whole series has been the three original cast members being triumphant over the killer which is represented with the significant line "Don't Fuck with the Original", which tells the viewer that Sidney, Gale and Dewey always would win because the villain makes many flaws after they reveal themselves to create the oppurtunities to topple them.

Figure 3, (2011), Jill Roberts, cousin of Sidney Prescott

Illustration List

Figure 1, (2010), Horror scenario within a horror scenario, @ http://www.flicksandbits.com/tag/emma-roberts/page/3/ , Accessed on: 25^th November 2010

 Figure 2, (2010), Ghostface stalking Gale, @ http://uk.movies.ign.com/dor/objects/14312631/scream-4/images/scream-4-20101021014200931.html, Accessed on: 21^st October 2010

Figure 3, (2011), Jill Roberts, cousin of Sidney Prescott, @ http://cindileejm.blogspot.com/2011/04/scream-4-movie-review.html, Accessed on: 21^st April 2011

Bibliography

Bitel Anton, (2011), Eye for Film - Scream 4, @ http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?film_id=20162, Accessed on: 22nd August 2011

Heinemann Andreas, (2011), Flicks - Scream 4, @ http://www.flicks.co.nz/news/review-scream-4/, Accessed on: 16th May 2011

Lovell Glenn, (2011), CinemaDope - Scream 4, @ http://cinemadope.com/reviews/scream-4-%E2%9C%AE%E2%9C%AE/, Accessed on: 4th May 2011

5/5

Movie review - Funny Games US

Funny Games address's the rules of the torturer and the victim similarly to Scream. “A stylish, darkly satirical horror-thriller, raising serious questions about Hollywood’s sanitisation of violence.” (Wise, 2008) In the film, the characters Peter and Paul play a lot of mind games with the Farber family, which conveys to the audience that they have done this before and know how the situation should be played out. The cast in Scream also have a clear view of the rules of the victim and the stalker/ torture stereotypes. Funny Games addresses the 'torture porn' theme in a darker light because the tone becomes uncomfortable when Peter and Paul start killing off the family and looks as if the torturers are going to win. It emphasises the dark and the awkwardness that most horror films try to mask from the innocent audience.

Figure 1, (2007), The arrival of Peter and Paul, everything seems normal

The characters of Peter and Paul are perfectly portrayed in this film as the nice friendly neighbours to the sick and twisted villains of the story. "Haneke's own film making doesn't miss a beat. If you saw the original, the elements of surprise may be missed but dread and suspense and nastiness are translated perfectly." (Rigg, 2008) Paul and Peter in the film are typical characters the audience love to hate because they play the torture porn roles successfully convincing the viewer that they have pulled their stunt off many times before and are therefore believable when they show their true nature. Their nastiness is realistic enough that the audience are praying that somehow the Farbers overcome them and regain the power lost when the torturers enter the house. However the director rewrites the classic rules of the victims triumph with the scene where Paul rewinds that point of Anna grabbing the gun and shoots Peter, this robs the audience of the outcome that wanted to see and puts the situation in Peter and Paul's favour. The director has deliberately written it this way to make the audience feel a certain horrific way towards the film.

 Figure 2, (2008), Paul torturing Georgie

Another trick the director puts into the film is his choice to stage Paul to look at the camera at crucial points where the torturing almost becomes unbearable. "Haneke's minimal plot explains almost nothing about the family that we can't glean from their possessions and nothing about the sadists who toy with them except that this is neither the first time they've done this nor will it be the last. But as the situation escalates, the torturers occasionally address us, the audience, chastising us for any pleasure we might derive from the proceedings and provoking the question of why we remain in the theater." (Davis, 2008) This technique of stage direction envolves the audience into the story so that they are no longer just simply observing and it creates a level of interaction that the viewer recognises what will happen next the moment he looks up at the camera. The strongest evidence of this, is the moment Paul strolls up to Farber's friends home and uses the excuse of 'wanting the eggs' again. He puts on that fake nice person routine but the moment the friend exits the shot Paul looks at the audience again with the sinister glare and the viewer instantly knows that the whole game is about to be placed with this new victim and the torturers will get away with it. The film feels theatrical interms of shot direction and the inclusion of the audience indicates that we are right there in the twisted film and are not allowed any comfort from what they are witnessing.

Figure 3, (2009), Paul looks at screen in end scene

Illustrations

Figure 1, (2007), The arrival of  Peter and Paul, everything seems normal, @ http://www.celluloid-dreams.com/library/e_f/funny_games_us/downloads, Accessed on: 2007

 Figure 2, (2008), Paul torturing Georgie, @ http://moviemaniabyabhi.blogspot.com/2008/10/movie-review-funny-games-us.html, Accessed on:  9^th October 2008

  Figure 3, (2009), Paul looks at screen in end scene, @ http://supcakes.tumblr.com/post/131753800/twodollarlove-i-just-put-funny-games-us-on-so-so, Accessed on:  2009

Bibliography

Davis Robert, (2008), Paste Magazine – Funny Games US, @ http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/6924/review/film/funny_games, Accessed on: 9^th June 2008

Rigg Julie, (2008), Movie time – Funny Games US, @ http://www.abc.net.au/rn/movietime/stories/2008/2361595.htm, Accessed on: 11^th September 2008

Wise Damon, (2008), Empire – Funny Games, @ http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=134223, Accessed on: 6^th April 2006

3 ½ /5

Movie Review - Moulin Rogue

The style of this film and story is set to be a fairy - like musical that centres around the very obvious theme of love. "Christian and Satine often serenade each other, using snippets of modern day rock love ballads, which I guess is supposed to make this turn of the century romantic fable more relevant to the teenagers of the turn of this century." (Gonsalves, 2008) A lot of the songs are taken from other artists as a way to commute a more modern culture for an up to date audience so that they can relate to the story better. The songs create a familiar sense of fairy tale alongside all the theatrical sets and characters, the plot develops on the typical love story using the songs as a secret code for how Christian and Satine truly feel towards each other.

Figure 1, (2011), Christian and Satine

The director gives a lot of the story away through hints and how the story arcs with the show that Christian and performers of the Moulin Rouge use to disguise the truth. "We know the ending of Moulin Rogue! at the beginning. There is no need to stop and actually consider the developments or invest time in teasing the intricacies of the plot out... What is Moulin Rouge! about? Truth, beauty, freedom and above all love." (Kupo, 2010) There is not much for the viewer to wonder which way the story will turn because the viewers are experiencing a second similar story during the production Spectacular Spectacular, in the film in which the characters are stereotypes of the actual characters in the film, Christian is the poor guitar player, Satine is the courtesan and Duke is the Maharaja. It plays on the idea of how Christian can offer Satine truth and love, whereas Duke cast as the rich and powerful villain can offer her the world and her dreams of become a star. The film chooses the route that is inspired from classic love stories, of freedom, to break the boundaries  that forces them apart. However, the end of the film has more of a Romeo and Juliet influence to visualise the consequences of Satine's decision as her illness kills her, it marks to the audience that actually they are not destined a happy ever after.

Figure 2, (2011), Cast of Moulin Rouge’s theatrical show ‘Spectacular’

Moulin Rouge also takes inspiration from Characters and stories of classic Disney fairy tales. "...or when Kylie Minogue appears spreading her magic dust as a Tinker-Bell-like fairy, one wants to applaud. But then almost every shot is as demanding of our appreciation and after a while of patting yourself on the back for 'getting' Moulin Rouge's many references, watching this breathless, over-excited film becomes wearisome." (Arroyo, 2001) The director of this film interweaves many stories happening at once, all taken from inspiration from character's stories to make their purpose in the film seem credible, Satine is similiar to Cinderella because the character has also been kept in the dark from true love and expected to carry out the tasks set by her master. Her meeting with Christian helps Satine to realise that she actually longs to be free of the lies and faked world she comes from.      

Figure 3, (2011), Ending of show and film

Illustration List 

Figure 1, (2011), Christian and Satine, @ http://mayflower007.blogspot.com/2011/04/most-memorable-movieserie-kisses.html, Accessed on: 8^th April 2008

Figure 2, (2011), Cast of Moulin Rouge’s theatrical show ‘Spectacular’, @ http://rosylarosenoire.blogspot.com/2011/07/moulin-rouge.html, Accessed on: 15^th July 2011 

Figure 3, (2011), Ending of show and film, http://www.allstarpics.net/0638194/012014218/moulin-rouge-2001-pic.html, Accessed on: 2011

Bibliography

Arroyo, (2001), BFI Sight and Sound, @ http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/2000, Accessed on: 2001

Gonsalves Rob, (2008), E Film critic.com - Moulin Rouge, @ http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=4303&reviewer=416, Accessed on: 18th July 2008

Kupo, (2010), Erotics, Postmodernism and Moulin Rouge, @ http://www.awardsdailyforums.com/showthread.php?t=22375, Accessed on: 7th February 2010

4/5

Movie Review - Scream

Scream is influenced from a lot movies from the horror genre such as Halloween, the characters are all meant to know the rules of the ways in which to survive. "It's an important detail in a movie that's made up of teen characters who are all wise to the intricacies of what to do and what not to do in horror films. Multiple references to various movies of the genre litter a script that prides itself on being cleverer than the features it both mocks and reveres." (Haflidason, 2001) Scream changes the concept of the original rules and ideas of the typical victim of a helpless girl who is thick and doesn't know how to deal with the situation. This film allows the the typical group of teen stereotypes to have the upperhand and experience from films that Scream mocks. Scream has a huge link to Halloween because they both have the idea of the killer stalking teen women while wearing a mask, building up to the terror element.

Figure 1, (2011), Billy Loomis aka Ghost Face

The film breaks the original traditionals of horror but still has the classic obviousness of the identity of the killer and the gore within the film. "It's been a long time since a teen-slasher movie has offered up anything but dull buckets of gore. With Scream, the genre reclaims it's roots." (McGurk, 2002) Scream is very predictable in terms of story and which victims are most likely the next to be killed. However there are certain twists in the plot development such as there are two killers instead of one, that give the film a unique identity in it's own right.

Figure 2, (1996 - 1997), The last characters taking on the villians

One major postmodernist example in the film is the identity of Ghost Face, which draws a lot of attributes from the painting by Edvard Munch. "Amoung the droller touches in 'Scream' are the killer's mask, which is Edvard Munch by way of a trick or treat costume, and suspense scenes set in de rigueur locations like the high school bathroom." (Maslin, 1996) Scream draws inspiration from original key ideas in art and setting because this makes the american teen stalking world believable to a viewer. They can believe in the killer in a halloween costume because it hides his identity but also strengthens the idea of a predatory monster that is tracking his victims down and playing psychological games of fear and entrapment so the victims know they are not going to escape alive. The typical setting of the high school bathroom, the one place the killer could strike where the victim is allowed  to be alone and defenceable. This allows the killer to hide in a cubicle and strike unexpectedly.

 Figure 3, (2011), Ghost Face

Illustrations

Figure 1, (2011), Billy Loomis aka Ghost Face, @ http://scream.wikia.com/wiki/Ghostface, Accessed on: 2011

Figure 2, (1996 - 1997), The last characters taking on the villians, @ http://screamfreak.tripod.com/image.html, Accessed on: 1997

Figure 3, (2011), Ghost Face, @ http://12ftdwende.tumblr.com/post/4968627410/12ftreview-scream-1-4-by-jake-brooks-slasher, Accessed on: 26th April 2011



Bibliography

Hafildason Almar, (2001), BBC Film reviews - Scream, @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/05/24/scream_1996_review.shtml, Accessed on: 30th May 2001

Maslin, (1996), New York Times - Scream, @ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CEEDE1431F933A15751C1A960958260&partner=Rotten Tomatoes, Accessed on: 20^th December 1996

McGurk Margaret, (2002), Horror fans will 'Scream' again - Scream, @ http://enquirer.com/columns/mcgurk/122096a_mm.html, Accessed on: 15th October 2002

5/5

Movie Review - Mulholland Drive

Mulholland Drive contains the fundamentals of Post modernity because it is hard to fix the story to one view as it seems to drift away before the audience can decide what is actually taking place. "But Lynch's subplots seem to be running in tandem with a different, non-existent story line." (Tatara, 2001) The evidence sums up quite clearly the experience of trying to watch the film. Lynch has made a decision of making the lead character's dreams the bulk of the story to draw the viewer in and have them convinced they are real, however when both characters appear to have been sucked in the blue box and 'awaken' then the viewer is following the same people but as different characters from what was shown. The story twists and floats away to break the assumptions the viewer has made up to the point where it has completely changed and the audience are left struggling to find a dominate view.

Figure 1, (2011), Two Female leads

The clash of themes in the film help to keep mystery of whats happening in the film because the conflicts have a big contrast to open up another view on characters, story and world of the film. "This visually menacing, highly entertaining horror picture, which deconstructs Hollywood as the dream factory and the land of opportunity, continues to explore such Lynchian obsessions as good versus evil, dreams versus nightmares." (Levy, 2006) The viewer can see these themes clash in the character of Betty Elms/ Diane Selwyn because even though it is essientially the same person, the two identical characters have their own complete personality. Betty is a typical young actress, exciting by the hollywood dream and the passion of being a successful actor, whereas Diane is a jeaous ex - lover of Camille and becomes enraged with her relationship with Adam Kesher so plans her murder as revenege. The story becomes a nightmare with these new personalities as the viewer gets a very different view of who these 'people' are.

Figure 2, (2010), One of female leads in another role as Camille in love with the movie director

Lynch confuses the viewer further, with subtle hints that all these different worlds that fade in and out of the movie are an illusion. "Rita drags Betty to a nightclub. It is as though the two of them (and thus, Diane) are having an epiphany. At the nightclub, they see a show that tells them this is all an illusion." (Young, 2008) This specific scene in the film throws world of the story out of balance because of people pretending to be on the stage and vanishing to leave a prerecorded voice and the host officially repeatedly saying 'This is an Illusion' makes a viewer wonder if that is true for the dream - like story that is played out in the bulk of the film.

Figure 3, (2011), Nightclub 'Silencio' - Illusion scene

Illustrations

Figure 1, (2011), Two Female leads, @ http://alienationmentale.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/mulholland-drive-review/, Accessed on: 13th March 2011

Figure 2, (2010), One of female leads in another role as Camille in love with the movie director, @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/oct/01/mulholland-drive-david-lynch-watch, Accessed on: 1st October 2010

Figure 3, (2011), Nightclub 'Silencio' - Illusion scene, @ http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mulholland-drive-night-club, 6th September 2011

Bibliography

Levy Emanuel, (2006), Emanuel Levy cinema 24/7 - Mulholland Drive, @ http://www.emanuellevy.com/review/mulholland-drive-3/, Accessed on: 20th October 2006

Tatara, (2001), CNN Entertainment - Mulholland Drive, @ http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/12/review.mulholland.drive/, Accessed on: 12th October 2001

Young, (2008), Looking Closer - Mulholland Drive 2001, @ http://lookingcloser.org/2008/11/mulholland-drive-2001/, Accessed on: 21st December 2008

4/5

Movie Review - Inception

Figure 1, 2010, The Kick

Inception is a visual interpretation of what a dream world might look, on the surface there is not much distinction to a typical town that a viewer would expect to see in a typical town but then it becomes more dream-like when bridges appear from nowhere or when the world stenches as a box that the characters can walk all over. There is a lot of layers to the story but all influenced from various films. "To begin with, Nolan's propensity for gimmicky, unnecessarily complicated stories -witness Memento as Exhibit A- wraps his audience in so many layers that eventually even his characters onscreen cry "Uncle!" Second, if I see one more movie with a subplot that focuses on DiCaprio's character in emotional free fall due to guilt over the death of his wife (this year's Shutter Island and 2008's Revolutionary Road immediately spring to mind) I'm going to have nightmares myself." (Knight, 2010) This Identifies that Inception is wrapped in Postmodernism because it has borrowed plot lines from other films to make the characters have deeper connections and to make the viewer aware that the world of the film is still human and they can relate to.

 

 Figure 2, 2010, Spinning top totem

Inception has based a huge central theme around espionage, as the film is about a group that is trying to plant a new idea in their target and robbing them of the life they might of led. "It is tempting to say that Nolan is the new Lewis Gilbert, director of The Spy Who Loved Me. At the third dream-level, DiCaprio and Murphy find themselves skiing in naff white military snowsuit outfits - much less cool than the formalwear they modelled in the hotel - towards a perfunctorily imagined Dr Evil-style mountainside HQ." (Bradshaw, 2010) The worlds in Inception have a strong James Bond influenced theme as if the characters drift from one set to another, even the projectons fight back with guns which makes confuses the concept of which world is real and which is the dream. This works in the final scene, where the audience are left wondering if Cobbs has actually made it back to his children or been tricked in the familiar settings of the dream.

 

  Figure 3, 2010, Sleep Machine

Christopher Nolan also took inspiration for myth to include a subtle fantasy element to the dreams. "Ellen Page's Ariadne (named after the heroine of Greek myth who helped hero Theseus find his way through the Cretan Labyrinth) is The Architect whose job is to design the maze-like structures of the dreams." (Best, 2010) Nolan has used the idea of a giant maze/ labyrinth in the film as a hidden surface so the characters can hide from Fischer's projections, giving them longer to move around freely but as the film progresses the audience and the character Ariadne realises they are actually in a trap where Cobb's guilt for his ex-wife resurfaces. Araidne's creation scenes helps to put the fantasy side of a dream across to the audience and how the limits could be pushed through someone else's imagination.

 Figure 4, (2010), Creation Scene - World changes

Illustrations

Figure 1, 2010, The Kick, @ http://www.vintagemint.com/2010/07/19/inception/, Accessed on:  19^th July 2009

Figure 2, 2010, Spinning top totem, @ http://www.vintagemint.com/2010/07/19/inception/, Accessed on:  19^th July 2009

 Figure 3, 2010, Sleep Machine, @ http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/inception-oscar/, Accessed on:  17^th July 2010

Figure 4, (2010), Creation Scene - World changes, @ http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=12868, Accessed on: 11th July 2010


Bibliography

Best Jason, (2010), What's on TV - Inception, @ http://blogs.whatsontv.co.uk/movietalk/2010/12/22/inception-christopher-nolans-dazzling-sci-fi-thriller-has-heart-as-well-as-brains/, Accessed on: 22nd December 2010

Bradshaw Peter (2010), Culture Film  - Inception, @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jul/15/inception-review, Accessed on: 15th July 2010

Knight Richard, (2010), Windy City Times - Inception, @ http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=27308, Accessed on: 14th July 2010

4 ½ /5