Joe's Film Blog

Waiting Room: Cinematic Aims (Draft)

2009-03-25T03:13:00.000-07:00

Waiting Room: Cinematic Aims

Waiting Room is a film portraying a satirical view on the concept of the afterlife and also the fragility of life; by satirical I am not meaning dark comedy but more presenting the cliché of the afterlife and in a way mocking its ideas. I am part inspired by Silent Hill 2006 Dir. Christophe Gans at the end of the movie the main character is dead and wonders in the space between, it is a very dark perception of the afterlife. It is misty dark, no sun or warmth and all looks very cold, although it’s not an amazing movie I really liked this portrayal of death and beyond. Visually I want my film to hold normal color and lighting in the beginning but after the death of our character I’d like to possibly take out a bit of color and contrast with more dark or bleak lighting but nothing too dramatic.
In my film our character takes a hard knock to the head when performing a simple home task, from this he gets back up rubbing his head after a brief moment of unconsciousness (possibly having a link visually to the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho where there are held shots Marion and a close up on her eye, but I would like to be a lot more subtle with mine as I do not want to give away that this is a death scene). A bit dazed and confused and most properly suffering some minor concussion the character stumbles his way over to the sink and drink a glass of water. The character has a small gash on his head but thinks not too much of it, after slapping on a plaster and recomposing himself he continues with general home living. Yet nothing is quite right, his family does not appear to be home in which he assumes he must have been out for a while and doesn’t make any effort to try and contact them.
The character feels the sense of being alone, isolated and this is also suggested through the use of camera, shots on a slight slant and shots from a distance showing the character small within a larger frame, high angle shots and such. When attempting to turn on electrics i.e. television there is nothing but static, on every channel and static noise from every radio. This is all very odd to both character and audience and starts to suggest that the knock to the head was something more or with greater consequence. Nothing is quite right and the absence of people; communication and character confusion I want the film (after knock) to have a dream like qualities with the camera and possibly lighting but subtle changes in these aspects.
Our character starts to hear a slight ringing, a constant high tone running through his head. He believes he’s just having an ear problem possibly from the fall, but this tone starts to gradually get louder and escalate till it is a loud ringing, he realizes that it’s from within the home and starts raiding through possible sources of the sound. As he searches it gets ever louder constantly progressing. He then finds out it’s coming from his attic, he runs to find a ladder and swings it under the loft hatch, he then bolts it up the ladder and pauses for a moment with his ear up against the hatch, the tone is now unbearable for audience also. After a brief breath he swings the hatch open where a white light fills the screen and the tone ceases in its climax. The film then ends. I want sound to be crucial within these last few sequences intriguing yet also unnerving. I believe that the sound will add this surreal feel to the film. What I have to be careful about and remember in filming and editing is to keep the changes subtle, as I don’t want the audience to catch on straight away that possibly the character has been dead since the beginning when the fall occurred and in this strange space between life and death, purgatory possibly, in deaths waiting room. I believe this film would be aimed at more of an older teenager onwards. I don’t think a younger audience would be able to cope with more the concept and also I don’t think showing them more of a bleak view on the afterlife idea would be fair.

Louise's Journey

2009-03-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

Thelma & Louise 1991 Dir. Ridley Scott

At the begining of the movie Louise is working at the Diner, a job usually occupied by women. Employed and controlled by a man. She wears a standard american diner uniform which kind of resembles a maids uniform. She is not happy here, we know this as she plans to escape and abandon her job and go on a road trip with her firned Thelma (Geena Davis).
When we first see Thelma and Louise togther Louise comes across as the dominant one in their friendship and mothers her in a way, she is less naive more aware and the more mature character. Louise is in control of the journey, she drives the car and is the navigator of the journey. Louise drives a 66 Thunderbird, a very desirable car for men. Thelma begged Louise to stop at the bar like a child would beg there parents to stop somewhere, this shows that Louise is in complete control of where they stop and holds parental status. When in the bar Thelma is dancing about and very immature, Louise has to watch out for her like a babysitter. This ultimately leads to Thelma getting in trouble and Louise saving her. Defeating the man and taking on the hero/protagonist role.
Once on the run they take refuge in a motel where Louise gets in contact with Jimmy, this is the first point in the film where she asks/needs for help from a man. Before she has not relied on a man to help her. Now the audience knows that Louise has previously been involved with a man and has not been "going it solo" all the time. The fact that she has recently had a relationship gives her back some of her feminity and makes us portray her as more of a woman. This is short lived as once she recieves the money and spends some time with Jimmy she then ups and leaves with no intentions of seeing him again. This now cuts out emotional hold backs and she takes control.
They continue on there journey and pick up JD along the way. They stop later at another Motel where JD steals the money off of Thelma, this courses Louise to break down as the money was her way of escape, she belives it is now not possible to escape and starts crying. In which Thelma conforts her, this is a switch in the roles as Thelma remained strong whilst Louise could not cope. This is one of the only times we see Louise at her weakest.
Later Thelma then stops at a Store and robs it, Louise is now slightly over shadowed by Thelma as she has found her confidence. Louise was unsuspecting of Thelmas act and it comes as a shock to her. They escape and are on the run again.
A policeman then pulls them over for speeding, Thelma again takes charge with a spontainus impowerment and puts him in the boot. This scenes is still feminised by Louise and Thelma saying "Thank You", "Please" and plenty of apologies. Louise once again has to be the one whom is a partner wrapped up in this instead of the dominant one like in the beggining of their journey.

Wordle

2009-02-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

(click on the worlde)

Marry Harron

2009-01-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

Born 12th January 1953 Marry Harron is a Canadian Director and Screenwriter best known for her films "I Shot Andy Warhol"1996, "American Psycho"2000 and "The Notourous Bettie Page"2005.

Harron moved to England when she was thirteen and later attended Oxford University. Whilst in England she dated Tony Blair (not inportant but an interesting fact). She helped start and write for Punk magazine as a music journalist — she was the first journalist to interview the sex pistols for an American publication.

Marry has won two awards, one being"Best Adapted screenplay for American Psycho" and has also been nominated for five others.

Filmography:

The Notourious Bettie Page (2005)

American Psycho (2005)

I shot andy warhol (1996)

She has also directed many T.V episodes. Written for film, acted and produced film.

An interview where Marry Talks about "Bettie Page".

Annotated Film Catalogue

2008-12-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Annotated Catalogue

Films

Item 1: Fight Club (1999 Dir. David Fincher)

This is my primary focus film and is a prime example of materialism and consumerism in American film. It challenges a represents the impulse to buy and own material goods that inevitably will get you know where and allows you to get owned by your objects.

Item 2: Dawn of the Dead (1978 Dir. George A. Romero)

This is my secondary film and is a good example of how Consumerist undertones can emerge in a film even if not intentional. It’s set on the brink of malls becoming massive in America and the zombies have the instinct to go to them, this can be seen as a direct link to people within society and there connection with malls and material goods.

Internet:

Item 3: IMDB “Fight Club” Information Page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/

Provides general information on director, writers, actors and a brief overlay of plot and additional information related to the film/director.

Item 4: IMDB “Dawn of the Dead” Information Page

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/

Provides general information on director, writers, actors and a brief overlay of plot and additional information related to the film/director.

Item 5: “Materialism in Fight club” by Maria Adelmann

http://www.geocities.com/aipoissac/fight_club_materialism2.htm

An internet piece discussing Fight Club’s materialistic references and underlining tone. With fight club quotes referring to materialism and a thorough explanation of scenes and dialogue related to that subject.

Item 6: The Esotericism of Fight Club” by Paraplethon

http://www.spearoflonginus.ark11.net/theestoricsmoffightclub.html

Journals:

Item 7: “Zombies, Malls, and the Consumerism Debate: George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead” by Stephen Harper

The Journal of American Culture, Volume 1, Issue 2

A text from the University of Glasgow which raises debate and evidence of “Dawn of the Dead” being a satirical film about consumerism.

Interviews/Videos:

Item 8: Brad Pitt and Edward Norton: The Fight Club

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7VaA6_CDRyY

An interview where Brad and Edward discuss the ideologies of the film and their characters.

IMDB Forum:

Item 9: IMDB Discussion Board

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/board

A response taken from my IMDB question that challenges my hypothesis.

Rejected items:

Matthew Halls: Teaching Film and Media studies/Fight Club and male fundamentalism:

This text focused too much on the representation of men and did not touch on my subject. So couldn’t be used as evidence.

Wiki-Pedia’s Information for “Dawn of the Dead”:

This internet source is unreliable and did not provided and deep research or useful text.

Challenging Response

2008-11-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

Finally i have found the first comment/qoute that actually is against my arguement. I have been unsuccessfull finding some qoutes that challange my question giving my research a more even balance. What i really didn't want was a biast appeal to my research with no conterversial material. But luckily on a response to my IMDB question of fight club's materialism i got an interesting view of the film wich i have not thought of. Anywho this will be a nice qoute to add to my research.
(Click to see in full)

IMDB Primary Research

2008-11-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

I've created an IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) account so that i can post my questions, links to my blog and get discussions going with "People of the web!" Giving me a wider range of responses and views on my subject matter.

Ch-ch-check out my account and if you have one too post some comments on my discussion.

www.imdb.com/user/ur20131579/boards/profile

Focus Group Response

2008-11-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

I believe the focus group worked out well and i got a decent discussion going with some great comments and feedback on my research and questions.

These are two "Peer Assessments" filled in by two classmates whom were evaluating my focus group. These responses help me on knowing how the group responded to my questions and how i can alter my Focus Group to achieve better feedback.

(Click to see in full)

Focus Group Discussion Q's

2008-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

I will present clips, following with questions in which respond and analyse the content of the films.

Do film's like "Fight Club" provide true social commentary?

Do you think Media and Advertisement push society to buy and Consume?

Do you believe film is a good way to voice opinions on matters such as the state of our Economy?

One YouTube user commented on this clip saying "that movie change the way i see the world" do you think that film can do this? if so is there any films which have changed the way in which you see things differently?

Secondary Film: Fight Club

2008-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Directed by David Fincher Fight club is another film with a heavy focus on america's materialistic state.

Plot Overview:
The Narrator suffers from lack of sleep, he is stuck in a job he does'nt want and surrounded by possesions he does not need. He attends night groups for the sick, terminally ill, alchoholics and such in the hope that atteneding these classes his own problems will seem lesser. This works and he gets sleep and comfort as he rakes thorugh his classes each week, this is stopped when he meets an unstable young women "Marla" he finds out that she and he both have a lot in common and they spend a lot of time together.While touring, he meets an enigmatic young man named Tyler and after a short conversation both become fast friends, and the narrator finds a new way to vent his issues as Tyler and him vent frustration through fighting, this soon becomes heard of and other men in need of this escape join the "Fight Club". The club escalates in it's intentions and without the agreement of the Narrator Tyler and the members start acting violently on combating the consumerism within society.

Small Scale Research.

2008-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

"A close anallysis of whether or not American films are pre-occupied with representing the hegemony of Materialsim"

I am looking into the idea of how American films can portray americas consumerism and materialism. I am looking specifically at George A.Romero's 1978 Zombie horror classic "Dawn of the dead", this film is set in a shopping mall a place that (when the film was made) was only just becomeing big. The film reflects on americas fear of this new comeing beast and can be seen on the level of Americans becoming zombies to the prospect of buying unesscesary material goods. I will also be looking into films such as "Fight Club" which also includes a heavy consumerism narrative to the story.