Casino Royale
In the opening of Casino Royale, the speed of editing is used very effectively. During the scenes where James Bond is talking to his target at gunpoint, the speed of editing is slow, where the time between shot transitions are quite long (around 5 seconds long). However, during the flashback scenes where James Bond is fighting a man in the men's toilets, the speed of editing is extremely fast (around 0.5-1 second long), to the point where it would be near-impossible to count the total number of transitions without losing count.
This sequence shows that fast transitions are often used during action scenes and that slower transitions are often used during calmer and even suspenseful scenes.
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon
The Manchurian Candidate (1959)The Manchurian Candidate is a 1959 novel by Richard Condon about the son of a powerful political family of the US who is chemically brainwashed by Communists into being their own personal assassin.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 black-and-white movie based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon.
Cast and Crew
John Frankenheimer:- The director of the 1962 "The Manchurian Candidate" film. He is known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Ronin, Reindeer Games, The Island of Dr. Moreau, etc.
Frank Sinatra:- A widely famous actor who is known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), From Here to Eternity, A Hole in the Head, Silver Linings Playbook (2012), etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (1962), he plays the main protagonist, Major Bennet (Ben) Shaw.
Laurence Harvey:- A famous actor who is known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Alamo, Darling, Room at the Top, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (1962), he plays the mysterious Raymond Shaw.
Janet Leigh:- A famous actress known for her work in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), Touch of Evil, The Fog, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (1962), she plays a main protagonist called Eugenie Rose Chaney.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 remake of the 1962 movie adaptation of the 1959 novel by Richard Condon.
Cast and Crew
Jonathan Demme:- The director of the 2004 "The Manchurian Candidate" film. He is best known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, etc.
Denzel Washington:- A world-reknowned famous actor known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), American Gangster, Training Day, Man on Fire, Inside Man, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (2004), he plays the main protagonist, a war veteran, Major Bennett "Ben" Marco, who begins to question the truth behind an incident in the battlefield in which he and most of his team was rescued from.
Liev Schreiber:- A famous actor known for his work in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Salt, Scream 3, Defiance, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (2004), he plays Sergeant First Class, Raymond Shaw, who supposedly single-handedly rescued Ben Marco and his team during the Gulf War.
Meryl Streep:- A world-famous actress known for her work in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Devil Wears Prada, The Hours, Doubt, Adaptation, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (2004), she plays the mother of Raymond Shaw and an extremely powerful political figure in the American government, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw.
Kimberly Elise:- A famous actress known for her work in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), John Q, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, For Coloured Girls, Close to Home, etc. In The Manchurian Candidate (2004), she plays FBI Agent Eugenie "Rosie" Rose.
Opening Scene
The opening of the 1962 movie is set in the middle of the Korean War in Manchuria in Communist China while the opening of the recent 2004 remake is set during the Gulf War in Kuwait. The reason for the setting change is so to make it more appropriate and up-to-date to the present day audience.
The flashback to the incident during the war was also made more sophisticated to the present day audience in the remake. Instead of using a studio with fake grass, like in the original, the battle is made more realistic with the use of CGI, i.e. the explosions and night-vision.
Due to increases in production values, there have been advances in filmmaking that greatly benefitted movies such as the 2004 remake. During a flashback scene, the screen is flooded with a blood-red colour to symbolise blood and the subconscious mind. When Marco meets one of his comrades from the incident, there is a non-diegetic sound that sounds like blood pumping.
The brain-washing scenes were also changed in the remake. In the original movie, the brain-washing scenes constantly switched between a tea party with old ladies and a meeting between Communist soldiers. One of the higher ranked soldiers would occasionally tell one soldier to kill another, however they order these executions so casually and "out-of-nowhere" that it's unnerving for the audience. The constant change of characters and the events that occur in-between are meant to represent the hypnosis of the main characters.
The remake's version, however, due to increases in production values and advances in filmmaking technology, is much more graphic and horrifying, with scenes depicting "messy" brain transplants and drills.
Thursday, 10 October 2013
The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock
The Birds
The aspects of a typical thriller it has are that it is fast-paced and action-packed, intense and the villain is really powerful but the hero is really resourceful in response.
The aspects of a typical thriller it has are that it is fast-paced and action-packed, intense and the villain is really powerful but the hero is really resourceful in response.
From the trailer, I think it appeals to the audience because it describes the summary of the movie in such a dramatic way that, at the time, it must have scared viewers before the film was even released. This, in a way, would have made people both too afraid and excited to see the movie in the cinema.
The Birds (1963) is a Horror and Thriller movie and is 119 minutes long.
Cast and Crew
Alfred Hitchcock:- The director of many horror and thriller movies, e.g. The Birds, Psycho, North by North West. Also known as "The Master of Suspense".
Daphne Du Maurier:- The story-writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". She is best known for her story-writing in The Birds, Rebecca, Don't Look Now, Hungry Hill, etc. She also wrote a few novels, e.g. The Loving Spirit (her first novel), Rule Britannia (her last novel), etc. She was also the cousin of the Llewelyn Davies boys, who were the inspiration for The Lost Boys in J.M.Barrie's Peter Pan novel. She was born on 13th May, 1907, in London, England. She died 19th April, 1989, in Par, Cornwall.
Evan Hunter:- Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he was the screenplay-writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". He is best known for his screenplay-writing in The Birds, High and Low, Blackboard Jungle, Strangers When We Meet, etc. He wrote more than 100 novels, plays and film scripts, as well as the writings of the 1981 TV series "Hill Street Blues". He was born on 15th October, 1926, in New York City, USA. He died 6th July, 2005, in Weston, Connecticut from larynx cancer.
Rod Taylor:- Born Rodney Sturt Taylor, he is a famous actor who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", The Time Machine, Inglourious Basterds, 101 Dalmations (as a voice actor), etc. He was once offered an Astronaut role in the 1968 movie "The Planet of the Apes". His trademark is playing as virile, adventurous characters. He was born 11th January, 1910, in Sydney, Australia. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", he plays one of the two main characters, Mitch Brenner.
Tippi Hedren:- Born Nathalie Kay Hedren, she is famous actress renowned for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", Marnie, I Heart Huckabees, I Woke Up Early The Day I Died, etc. Her role in "The Birds" mentally scarred her for many years due to one scene, where Hitchcock only told her to "look worried, walk up the stairs and open the door at the top", so her reaction in that one scene near the end of the movie was completely genuine. Her trademark is an unaffected, icy mid-period "Hitchcock blond", a voluptuous figure and a deep, sultry voice. She was born on 19th January, 1930, in Minnesota, USA. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", she plays one of the two main characters, Melanie Daniels.
Suzanne Pleshette:- She was an actress who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", Spirited Away (as a voice actress), The Bob Newhart Show, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (voice actress). Her Trademark is her husky voice. She received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on her birthday, January 31st, 2008. Upon her death, she was buried in Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California, between her two late husbands, Tom Gallagher and Tom Poston. She was born 31st January, 1937, in New York City, USA. She died 19th January, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", she plays the local schoolteacher, Mitch's ex-lover and one of the victims of the birds, Annie Hayworth.
Plot
"The Birds" is about a wealthy socialite who works in a bird shop who accepts a love-bird delivery request of a potential boyfriend for his younger sister and travels to his hometown; a small town called Bodega Bay in Northern California. However, upon her arrival, a plethora of supernatural events involving birds start to occur, one after the other.
In what ways is this an archetypal thriller?
Most thrillers tend to cast the external threat as a human being/ group of humans. Unlike those, The Birds has the unusual external threat of nature itself, specifically the large population of birds in Bodega Bay.
Hitchcock has the habit of putting in his movies the fact that there is nowhere to hide. Bodega Bay is one such case. The birds can get in anywhere, no matter how much the buildings get barricaded by survivors. These birds are seen as incredibly strong and persistent, as well as incredibly dangerous and terrifying; something birds aren't usually seen as in everyday life.
Thrillers are usually as fast-paced and action-packed. This can be seen in The Birds, like at any moment when the birds attack, e.g. when Melanie is trapped in the phone box in the middle of Bodega Bay in chaos. However, it can also be slow-paced with no action at all to build up a foreboding sense of tension, suspense and dread, e.g. THIS!!
Thrillers often include resourceful heroes that must thwart the evil plans of a more powerful villain. In The Birds, this is both true and false. There are heroes and villains present in the movie, the former being the humans and the latter being nature itself (the birds). However, the heroes here are unable to stop the villains, as you can't thwart nature's plans. So, in the end, all the humans can do is quietly escape from the birds, who have completely taken over Bodega Bay. So, in hindsight, in this movie, the villains win and triumph over the heroes; something which is mostly uncommon in all parts of media, not just films.
Thrillers often use plot devices such as red herrings, cliffhangers and suspense etc. The Birds uses heavy suspense in scenes that are usually slow-paced and have a certain character wandering alone, e.g. when Mitch Brenner's mother finds the farmer's mutilated body and when Melanie walks upstairs into one of the bedrooms only to be attacked by hordes of birds.
The movie also uses dramatic irony. This means when the audience knows something the character(s) in the movie do not. In The Birds, Melanie is unaware that the birds had been gathering in the schoolyard as she is waiting for Mitch's younger sister outside, however we, the audience, are completely aware. Here, the character is denied knowledge that only the audience possesses.
Thrillers are often villain-driven plots in which the hero has to overcome obstacles created by the villain to stop the hero from thwarting his/her plans. In The Birds, while the plot is mostly driven by the villains, i.e. the birds, the protagonists are rendered unable to overcome the birds' attacks and instead, in the ending, run away, leaving the villains as the victors.
The MacGuffin (a vague but important plot element) of the movie is the pair of lovebirds that Melanie Daniels gave to Mitch's younger sister for her birthday.
Hitchcock Technique
In the Schoolyard scene, the children singing heavily contrasts to the cruelty and the evil of nature portrayed through the birds. The character of Melanie, as well as most of the humans in Bodega Bay, at first, takes nature for granted.
When the birds attack Bodega Bay, the high angle shot seems to represent how a pitiless God would look down on the human world in shame and hatred and only stand by and watch as the humans suffer from the birds' assault on the town.
The Birds (1963) is a Horror and Thriller movie and is 119 minutes long.
Cast and Crew
Alfred Hitchcock:- The director of many horror and thriller movies, e.g. The Birds, Psycho, North by North West. Also known as "The Master of Suspense".
Daphne Du Maurier:- The story-writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". She is best known for her story-writing in The Birds, Rebecca, Don't Look Now, Hungry Hill, etc. She also wrote a few novels, e.g. The Loving Spirit (her first novel), Rule Britannia (her last novel), etc. She was also the cousin of the Llewelyn Davies boys, who were the inspiration for The Lost Boys in J.M.Barrie's Peter Pan novel. She was born on 13th May, 1907, in London, England. She died 19th April, 1989, in Par, Cornwall.
Evan Hunter:- Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he was the screenplay-writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". He is best known for his screenplay-writing in The Birds, High and Low, Blackboard Jungle, Strangers When We Meet, etc. He wrote more than 100 novels, plays and film scripts, as well as the writings of the 1981 TV series "Hill Street Blues". He was born on 15th October, 1926, in New York City, USA. He died 6th July, 2005, in Weston, Connecticut from larynx cancer.
Rod Taylor:- Born Rodney Sturt Taylor, he is a famous actor who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", The Time Machine, Inglourious Basterds, 101 Dalmations (as a voice actor), etc. He was once offered an Astronaut role in the 1968 movie "The Planet of the Apes". His trademark is playing as virile, adventurous characters. He was born 11th January, 1910, in Sydney, Australia. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", he plays one of the two main characters, Mitch Brenner.
Tippi Hedren:- Born Nathalie Kay Hedren, she is famous actress renowned for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", Marnie, I Heart Huckabees, I Woke Up Early The Day I Died, etc. Her role in "The Birds" mentally scarred her for many years due to one scene, where Hitchcock only told her to "look worried, walk up the stairs and open the door at the top", so her reaction in that one scene near the end of the movie was completely genuine. Her trademark is an unaffected, icy mid-period "Hitchcock blond", a voluptuous figure and a deep, sultry voice. She was born on 19th January, 1930, in Minnesota, USA. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", she plays one of the two main characters, Melanie Daniels.
Suzanne Pleshette:- She was an actress who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", Spirited Away (as a voice actress), The Bob Newhart Show, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (voice actress). Her Trademark is her husky voice. She received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on her birthday, January 31st, 2008. Upon her death, she was buried in Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California, between her two late husbands, Tom Gallagher and Tom Poston. She was born 31st January, 1937, in New York City, USA. She died 19th January, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. In Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", she plays the local schoolteacher, Mitch's ex-lover and one of the victims of the birds, Annie Hayworth.
Plot
"The Birds" is about a wealthy socialite who works in a bird shop who accepts a love-bird delivery request of a potential boyfriend for his younger sister and travels to his hometown; a small town called Bodega Bay in Northern California. However, upon her arrival, a plethora of supernatural events involving birds start to occur, one after the other.
In what ways is this an archetypal thriller?
Most thrillers tend to cast the external threat as a human being/ group of humans. Unlike those, The Birds has the unusual external threat of nature itself, specifically the large population of birds in Bodega Bay.
Hitchcock has the habit of putting in his movies the fact that there is nowhere to hide. Bodega Bay is one such case. The birds can get in anywhere, no matter how much the buildings get barricaded by survivors. These birds are seen as incredibly strong and persistent, as well as incredibly dangerous and terrifying; something birds aren't usually seen as in everyday life.
Thrillers are usually as fast-paced and action-packed. This can be seen in The Birds, like at any moment when the birds attack, e.g. when Melanie is trapped in the phone box in the middle of Bodega Bay in chaos. However, it can also be slow-paced with no action at all to build up a foreboding sense of tension, suspense and dread, e.g. THIS!!
Thrillers often include resourceful heroes that must thwart the evil plans of a more powerful villain. In The Birds, this is both true and false. There are heroes and villains present in the movie, the former being the humans and the latter being nature itself (the birds). However, the heroes here are unable to stop the villains, as you can't thwart nature's plans. So, in the end, all the humans can do is quietly escape from the birds, who have completely taken over Bodega Bay. So, in hindsight, in this movie, the villains win and triumph over the heroes; something which is mostly uncommon in all parts of media, not just films.
Thrillers often use plot devices such as red herrings, cliffhangers and suspense etc. The Birds uses heavy suspense in scenes that are usually slow-paced and have a certain character wandering alone, e.g. when Mitch Brenner's mother finds the farmer's mutilated body and when Melanie walks upstairs into one of the bedrooms only to be attacked by hordes of birds.
The movie also uses dramatic irony. This means when the audience knows something the character(s) in the movie do not. In The Birds, Melanie is unaware that the birds had been gathering in the schoolyard as she is waiting for Mitch's younger sister outside, however we, the audience, are completely aware. Here, the character is denied knowledge that only the audience possesses.
Thrillers are often villain-driven plots in which the hero has to overcome obstacles created by the villain to stop the hero from thwarting his/her plans. In The Birds, while the plot is mostly driven by the villains, i.e. the birds, the protagonists are rendered unable to overcome the birds' attacks and instead, in the ending, run away, leaving the villains as the victors.
The MacGuffin (a vague but important plot element) of the movie is the pair of lovebirds that Melanie Daniels gave to Mitch's younger sister for her birthday.
Hitchcock Technique
In the Schoolyard scene, the children singing heavily contrasts to the cruelty and the evil of nature portrayed through the birds. The character of Melanie, as well as most of the humans in Bodega Bay, at first, takes nature for granted.
When the birds attack Bodega Bay, the high angle shot seems to represent how a pitiless God would look down on the human world in shame and hatred and only stand by and watch as the humans suffer from the birds' assault on the town.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho
Psycho (1960) tells the story of an office woman who steals $40,000 from her boss so she can be with her boyfriend in California and start a new life. Along the way, she stays the night at the Bates Motel, run by Norman Bates and his dominating mother. However, from this visiting this motel comes a chain of disturbing and unfortunate events.
Cast and Crew:
Alfred Hitchcock:- The director of many horror and thriller movies, e.g. The Birds, Psycho, North by North West. Also known as "The Master of Suspense".
Joseph Stefano:- The screenplay writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Born Joseph William Stefano, he was good friends with Alfred Hitchcock and was deeply saddened by his death. However, he personally thought that writing the screenplay of "Psycho" has "done him more harm than good" as, afterward, he started to lack inspiration and originality for any of his other works. His most famous works are the original and the 1988 remake of Psycho, the fourth Psycho TV movie, "Psycho IV: The Beginning", in 1990, Two Bits, etc. He was born on 5th May, 1922, in Philadelphia, USA. He died 25th August, 2006, in California, USA of a heart attack.
Robert Bloch:- The author of the novelization of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Born Robert Albert Bloch, he was the character writer of 10 episodes of the 2013 TV series based on Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, "Bates Motel". His work bares similarities to legendary horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft, though the two never met. He wrote a few stories within the Cthulhu Mythos (a string of stories based on Lovecraft's work) and invented the infamous "De Vermis Mysteriis", which is similar to Lovecraft's "Necronomicon". He is mostly known for his work on the novels of the original and 1988 remake of Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III, etc. He was born on 5th April, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois. He died 23rd September, 1994, in Los Angeles, California from a terminal cancer.
Anthony Perkins:- A famous actor known for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", Psycho II, The Trail, The Black Hole, etc. His performance in Psycho made Norman Bates No. 4 in Premium Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. He was a fan of Elvis Presley and so he named his second son, Elvis Perkins, after him. He was portrayed by James D'Arcy in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". He was born on 4th April, 1932, in New York City, USA. He died 12th September, 1992, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, from pneumonia as a result of the AIDS virus. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", he played the main antagonist and deuteragonist, Norman Bates.
Janet Leigh:- A famous actress known for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", Touch of Evil, The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Fog, etc. Born Jeanette Helen Morrison, she was "discovered" by actress Norma Shearer from a photo on Janet's father's desk. Her daughter is Jamie Lee Curtis, who followed in her footsteps in acting. She received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on February 8th, 1960. She was portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". She was born 6th July, 1927, in Merced, California. She died 3rd October, 2004, in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, from vasculitis. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", she played the first protagonist to fall at the hands of Norman Bates, Marion Crane.
Vera Miles:- A famous actress known for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Wrong Man, etc. Born Vera June Ralston, her Trademark is playing an unaffected icy, mid-period "Hitchcock blond". She was one of Hitchcock's favourite actresses after Grace Kelly retired. She, like Janet Leigh, received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on February 8th, 1960. She was portrayed by Jessica Biel in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". She was born on 23rd August, 1929, in Boise City, Oklahoma. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", she played the sister of the murdered Marion Crane, Lila Crane, who, with Marion's boyfriend, Sam Loomis, brought Norman Bates to justice.
Hitchcock's Thoughts
Originally, the audience thinks that Psycho is about the $40,000 Marion stole, and so her murder in the infamous shower scene comes across as a huge shock to them, as well as completely terrifying them. This also shows that, from there-on-out, anyone could die at any moment because the audience knows now that the killing won't stop there.
From this moment onwards in the movie, the audience now knows that someone in the house near the Bates Motel is a murderer, they just don't know who it is and they don't know when he/she will strike again but they do know that it can happen at any time. This is what portrays suspense in the movie. Also, to create more apprehension in between each murder scene, there is much less violence.
In what ways is this an archetypal thriller?
In this movie, the external threat is a mad man with a twisted and deranged mind called Norman Bates.
Thrillers can be identified through its fast-paced and frequent action. Psycho has very few of these, but when there are action scenes, they are usually brief but have a slow build-up (tension) and come across as a surprise and scare to the audience. The three best examples are the infamous Shower scene, the scenes showing Marion in her car and the scene where Detective Milton Arbogast slowly climbs the stairs in the Bates' Residence before he is murdered by Norman Bates.
Thriller tend to feature a resourceful hero that has to thwart the evil plans of an even more resourceful and more powerful villain. In Psycho, there is an unpredictable villain who needs to be defeated, even though the antagonist's identity is a mystery at first. However, there is more than one hero in the movie; each one coming into play after and if the previous hero fails to defeat and is murdered by the antagonist. The first hero/heroine is Marion Crane. After she is murdered, Detective Milton Arbogast follows her trail to try to find the antagonist; her murderer. However, when he is murdered, two more heroes, Lila Crane and Sam Loomis, Marion's sister and boyfriend, try to track down the villain. This time, they catch the villain and bring him to justice together.
Thrillers tend to use plot devices like suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers. In Psycho, the plot isn't that original, however, the construction of the plot is what makes this film so famous.
Norman Bates
Alfred Hitchcock believed it important to avoid clichés and repetition, particularly in the case of a certain character; in this case, Norman Bates. Normally, the villain is charming and the hero is flawed. In Psycho, Norman Bates passes off as a shy but friendly person, but is actually incredibly unstable and dangerous, and the heroes, particularly Marion and Detective Arbogast, are rendered helpless by his unpredictability. Hitchcock was known for placing evil in the most boring and unoriginal of places and the most bland of characters' hearts.
In hindsight
Psycho (1960) tells the story of an office woman who steals $40,000 from her boss so she can be with her boyfriend in California and start a new life. Along the way, she stays the night at the Bates Motel, run by Norman Bates and his dominating mother. However, from this visiting this motel comes a chain of disturbing and unfortunate events.
Cast and Crew:
Alfred Hitchcock:- The director of many horror and thriller movies, e.g. The Birds, Psycho, North by North West. Also known as "The Master of Suspense".
Joseph Stefano:- The screenplay writer of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Born Joseph William Stefano, he was good friends with Alfred Hitchcock and was deeply saddened by his death. However, he personally thought that writing the screenplay of "Psycho" has "done him more harm than good" as, afterward, he started to lack inspiration and originality for any of his other works. His most famous works are the original and the 1988 remake of Psycho, the fourth Psycho TV movie, "Psycho IV: The Beginning", in 1990, Two Bits, etc. He was born on 5th May, 1922, in Philadelphia, USA. He died 25th August, 2006, in California, USA of a heart attack.
Robert Bloch:- The author of the novelization of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Born Robert Albert Bloch, he was the character writer of 10 episodes of the 2013 TV series based on Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, "Bates Motel". His work bares similarities to legendary horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft, though the two never met. He wrote a few stories within the Cthulhu Mythos (a string of stories based on Lovecraft's work) and invented the infamous "De Vermis Mysteriis", which is similar to Lovecraft's "Necronomicon". He is mostly known for his work on the novels of the original and 1988 remake of Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III, etc. He was born on 5th April, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois. He died 23rd September, 1994, in Los Angeles, California from a terminal cancer.
Anthony Perkins:- A famous actor known for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", Psycho II, The Trail, The Black Hole, etc. His performance in Psycho made Norman Bates No. 4 in Premium Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. He was a fan of Elvis Presley and so he named his second son, Elvis Perkins, after him. He was portrayed by James D'Arcy in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". He was born on 4th April, 1932, in New York City, USA. He died 12th September, 1992, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, from pneumonia as a result of the AIDS virus. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", he played the main antagonist and deuteragonist, Norman Bates.
Janet Leigh:- A famous actress known for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", Touch of Evil, The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Fog, etc. Born Jeanette Helen Morrison, she was "discovered" by actress Norma Shearer from a photo on Janet's father's desk. Her daughter is Jamie Lee Curtis, who followed in her footsteps in acting. She received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on February 8th, 1960. She was portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". She was born 6th July, 1927, in Merced, California. She died 3rd October, 2004, in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, from vasculitis. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", she played the first protagonist to fall at the hands of Norman Bates, Marion Crane.
Vera Miles:- A famous actress known for her work in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Wrong Man, etc. Born Vera June Ralston, her Trademark is playing an unaffected icy, mid-period "Hitchcock blond". She was one of Hitchcock's favourite actresses after Grace Kelly retired. She, like Janet Leigh, received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on February 8th, 1960. She was portrayed by Jessica Biel in the 2012 movie, "Hitchcock". She was born on 23rd August, 1929, in Boise City, Oklahoma. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", she played the sister of the murdered Marion Crane, Lila Crane, who, with Marion's boyfriend, Sam Loomis, brought Norman Bates to justice.
Hitchcock's Thoughts
Originally, the audience thinks that Psycho is about the $40,000 Marion stole, and so her murder in the infamous shower scene comes across as a huge shock to them, as well as completely terrifying them. This also shows that, from there-on-out, anyone could die at any moment because the audience knows now that the killing won't stop there.
From this moment onwards in the movie, the audience now knows that someone in the house near the Bates Motel is a murderer, they just don't know who it is and they don't know when he/she will strike again but they do know that it can happen at any time. This is what portrays suspense in the movie. Also, to create more apprehension in between each murder scene, there is much less violence.
In what ways is this an archetypal thriller?
In this movie, the external threat is a mad man with a twisted and deranged mind called Norman Bates.
Thrillers can be identified through its fast-paced and frequent action. Psycho has very few of these, but when there are action scenes, they are usually brief but have a slow build-up (tension) and come across as a surprise and scare to the audience. The three best examples are the infamous Shower scene, the scenes showing Marion in her car and the scene where Detective Milton Arbogast slowly climbs the stairs in the Bates' Residence before he is murdered by Norman Bates.
Thriller tend to feature a resourceful hero that has to thwart the evil plans of an even more resourceful and more powerful villain. In Psycho, there is an unpredictable villain who needs to be defeated, even though the antagonist's identity is a mystery at first. However, there is more than one hero in the movie; each one coming into play after and if the previous hero fails to defeat and is murdered by the antagonist. The first hero/heroine is Marion Crane. After she is murdered, Detective Milton Arbogast follows her trail to try to find the antagonist; her murderer. However, when he is murdered, two more heroes, Lila Crane and Sam Loomis, Marion's sister and boyfriend, try to track down the villain. This time, they catch the villain and bring him to justice together.
Thrillers tend to use plot devices like suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers. In Psycho, the plot isn't that original, however, the construction of the plot is what makes this film so famous.
Norman Bates
Alfred Hitchcock believed it important to avoid clichés and repetition, particularly in the case of a certain character; in this case, Norman Bates. Normally, the villain is charming and the hero is flawed. In Psycho, Norman Bates passes off as a shy but friendly person, but is actually incredibly unstable and dangerous, and the heroes, particularly Marion and Detective Arbogast, are rendered helpless by his unpredictability. Hitchcock was known for placing evil in the most boring and unoriginal of places and the most bland of characters' hearts.
In hindsight
Monday, 7 October 2013
North by North West by Alfred Hitchcock
North by North WestFrom watching the trailer for this movie, I think it would appeal to the audience because it describes the plot of the movie in a dramatic way, making the audience excited to watch the movie.
"North by North West" (1959) tells the story of an advertising executive who gets caught up in government conspiracy when he is mistaken for a government spy called George Kaplan and has to go on the run from the police and a group of foreign spies.
Cast and Crew:
Alfred Hitchcock: Born Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, he was a famous film director and has been knighted as Sir Alfred Hitchcock. His movies mostly cover the thriller, suspense and horror genres, earning him the nickname of "The Master of Suspense". Examples of his most famous movies are North by North West, Psycho, Spellbound, The Birds, etc. He was born 13th August, 1899, in Leytonstone, London. He died 29th April, 1980, in Bel-Air, Los Angeles.
Ernest Lehman: Born Ernest Paul Lehman, he was the writer for Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie, "North by North West". He was one of the most successful screenwriters in Hollywood. He also wrote a few novels, e.g. "Sweet Smell of Success". He was born 8th December, 1915, in New York City, USA. He died 2nd July, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.
Cary Grant: Born Archibald Alexander Leach, he was a famous actor who starred in movies like North by North West, To Catch a Thief, etc. He once turned down the role of James Bond in "Dr. No". He is ranked No. 7 in Empire magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in 1997. He was born 18th January, 1904, in Horfield, Bristol in England. He died 29th November, 1986, in Davenport, Iowa from a cerebral haemorrhage. In North by North West, he plays the main character "Roger O. Thornhill".
Eva Marie Saint: She is a famous actress who starred in movies like North by North West, On the Waterfront, Superman Returns, etc. She has been nicknamed "The Helen Hayes of Television". She is married with 2 children and 3 grandchildren. She was born 4th July, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey in USA. In North by North West, she plays the secondary main character "Eve Kendall".
James Mason: Born James Neville Mason, he was a famous British actor who starred in movies like North by North West, Rope, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, etc. He once visited the set of the horror movie "The Shining". He was born 15th May, 1909, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, UK. He died 27th July, 1984, in Vaud, Switzerland from a heart attack. In North by North West, he plays the main villain "Phillip Vandamm".
Hitchcock's Work
In every one of his films, Hitchcock visually planned out each scene before filming and he memorised the script so that he rarely needed to read it. The way he works could be compared to that of a conductor in an orchestra. When directing on set, he never looked at the camera and instead looked at the scene and imagined it on a cinema screen.
In what ways is this an archetypal thriller?
Thrillers generally contain fast-paced, intense and frequent action scenes. In North by North West, there were several notable action sequences, such as the Plane scene in the Crop Field and the Final Climb down Mt. Rushmore.
Thrillers feature a resourceful hero/heroine (or protagonist, meaning the character that faces danger and fights, self-sacrifices, etc, for the greater good) who is thrown into the plot in response to a villain/villainess (or antagonist, meaning the character that is evil and brings a negative effect on other characters, e.g. kills other characters) who is much more powerful and better equipped than him/her. In North by North West, the hero is Roger O. Thornhill, an advertising executive, who unintentionally gets involved in a government conspiracy against a group of rogue foreign spies led by the main villain, Phillip Vandamm. Roger Thornhill didn't expect to be a part of this and was, therefore, completely unprepared for what Vandamm had in store for him, regardless of the fact that Thornhill wasn't the man he was looking for in the first place, i.e. George Kaplan, so this meant that Vandamm would take out anyone and anything in his way, innocent or not.
Thrillers often use devices like cliffhangers, red herrings, suspense, irony, etc. Hitchcock movies almost always use some form of suspense, and North by North West is no exception. The most infamously suspenseful scene in the whole movie is the lead-up to the Plane in the Crop Field scene. Leading up to it, Roger Thornhill looks around the empty area and all you, the audience, can hear is silence, apart from the sound of the plane in the distance. The Auction scene also uses suspense by emphasizing Eve's discomfort and guilt shown on her facial expression, caused by Roger Thornhill's deliberate taunting of Eve and Phillip Vandamm, following the former's betrayal.
Thrillers have villain-driven plots in which the villain creates obstacles for the hero to overcome. In North by North West, the hero, Roger Thornhill, has overcome or avoid obstacles set by the villain, Phillip Vandamm. Roger Thornhill is constantly on the run from Vandamm's henchmen, who believe he is a secret agent called George Kaplan and wish to assassinate him, as well as the authorities, who believe he killed a powerful UN diplomat called Lester Townsend, who he believed could help him in his situation.
The Crop Duster Scene
The infamous Crop Duster scene is what made this movie so iconic and famous in film history. This is because it takes a few moments for the scene itself to kick in. The silent moments before the plane attacks is what builds up suspense and prepares for the eventual attack. Hitchcock greatly uses visuals to make the movie easier to understand even in different languages and create suspense in this scene also. He constantly switches from a close-up of Roger Thornhill to what he is looking at make the viewers "brace for impact" if what he is looking will try to kill him. This is how Hitchcock "transfers" the menace of the situation from the movie to the subconscious of the audience.
What Hitchcock did to symbolism
The final scene of the movie is set on Mt. Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore was built as a symbol of order. The final scene, in which Roger Thornhill and Eva try to escape from Vandamm and his men, throws the whole meaning of Mt. Rushmore into disorder. This was also to change the pace of the movie from suspense to action at the last minute, probably for laughs.
MacGuffin
A MacGuffin is an important plot element (something makes the plot progress) that the characters in the plot care about greatly, to the point they would do or sacrifice themselves or anyone or thing for it, regardless of what it is or what it looks like, but the audience don't care or know about it until a later point in the plot. In North by North West, the MacGuffin is a roll of microfilm, hidden within a small statuette, that contains important government secrets.
The nature of a MacGuffin is usually mysterious, unknown, ambiguous or even absent in a movie. Therefore, people tend to try and question its true identity before it is eventually revealed (if it is revealed at all in the movie). Some MacGuffins are actually unimportant to the plot, despite it being responsible for driving the plot. Some examples of MacGuffins are: simply money and glory or, as mentioned before, something completely unexplained.
MacGuffins are quite common in films, especially in Thrillers. In some cases, the MacGuffin acts as the central plot element at first, but then decreases in importance throughout the rest of the film, due to the characters' struggles and motivations acting as the central focus instead. Sometimes, the MacGuffin is brought back into play by the end of the film, however, in most cases, it is completely forgotten by the end of the film, as if it were never in the film in the first place.
In an interview with Alfred Hitchcock, he described the MacGuffin as something the plot revolves around, but "the audience don't care" about what it specifically is.
Interview with Hitchcock
Hitchcock described Thrillers as a way for the audience "to dip their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like". I believe he succeeded to portray this in North by North West, particularly in The Crop Duster Scene and the climax of the movie, from when Thronhill hides in Vandamm's house to warn Eva to the frantic trek down Mt. Rushmore.
Here, Hitchcock discusses the film.
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock was a British filmmaker and director and one of the most famous and influential filmmakers in the Film Industry.
He was famous for creating some of the most important and creative Horror and Thriller movies in the Film Industry, earning him the nickname "The Master of Suspense".
Examples of his most famous films are:
Alfred Hitchcock was a British filmmaker and director and one of the most famous and influential filmmakers in the Film Industry.
He was famous for creating some of the most important and creative Horror and Thriller movies in the Film Industry, earning him the nickname "The Master of Suspense".
Examples of his most famous films are:
- Psycho (1960)
- The Birds (1963)
- North by North West (1959)
- The 39 Steps (1935)
- Frenzy (1972)
- Strangers on a Train (1951)
- To Catch a Thief (1955)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Rear Window (1954)
Thriller Recipes
Thriller Recipes
Thriller is a broad genre. It spans throughout the whole of media, from literature to films and television. It also spans throughout all kinds of different sub-genres, e.g. Horror-Thriller.
Thrillers generally consist of fact-paced, intense and frequent action, a resourceful, courageous hero who responds to the evil plans of more powerful, more cunning villain.
Thrillers often use devices such as cliffhangers, red herrings, mcguffins, suspense, irony, etc. The plots in Thrillers are mainly driven by the villain, who must present obstacles for the hero to overcome in an effort to try to stop him/her.
Thrillers can intrigue the audience through tension, i.e. psychological (Psycho), social or political (The Interpreter) tension. Hitchcock says this is so people can "dip their toe into the cold water of fear" to experience what it's like.
Thrillers tand to be set in exotic places like foreign cities, e.g. Istanbul, Turkey in Taken 2. The heroes are usually "hard men" who are greatly accustomed to danger and were trained to be familiar with what to do in a dangerous situation, e.g. Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson), a former U.S. CIA operative (Taken 1 and 2). However, on other occasions, they are complete strangers and citizens, dragged into danger unintentionally, e.g. Max Durocher (played by Jamie Foxx), a taxi driver in Los Angeles (Collateral). Protagonists in Thrillers are mostly male, however females have taken this role as well, e.g. Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) (The Alien Quadrilogy).
Thrillers are often overlapped with mystery stories, e.g. murder mysteries; the only difference being the structure of the plot. In Thrillers, the hero must thwart the plans of a villain instead of solving a crime that has already been committed. Mystery stories, however, would have the plot spoiled for the viewer if they were told who the culprit was before he/she is caught; instead his/her identity is revealed at the end. Thrillers introduce the identity of the villain at the very beginning.
Thrillers can occur on a much more fatal scale, e.g. terrorism, serial or mass murder, assassinations, etc. Violent and jeopardising situations are general plot elements in Thrillers. While mystery stories are at their climaxes when the mystery is solved at the end, Thrillers are at their climaxes when the hero defeats the villain at the end, saving his/her own life and, at times, other's lives as well.
Thrillers are often influenced by film noirs and tragedies, in which the hero could be killed off as a price for defeating the villain and saving the world; a heroic sacrifice.
Thrillers are a case of "what you see is what you get" and "it does exactly what it says on the tin". Thrillers are made to "thrill" (fearful excitement). If it doesn't thrill, it isn't a Thriller.
James Patterson's Introduction to his Anthology about Thrillers states that "Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast. There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations constantly being invented. In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the genre's most enduring characteristics. But what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job."
Sub-genres
Action Thrillers:- These often feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) are in a race against time, that has a lot of violence and an antagonist who you are aware of throughout the whole film. They also feature a lot of guns and explosions, used by the heros and villains alike, and set-pieces for the large amounts of fast-paced action to take place in, e.g. the Snake-Pit from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Death Star Trench Run from Star Wars: A New Hope. Examples of Action Thrillers include the James Bond films, the Star Wars films, the Indiana Jones films, etc.
Conspiracy Thrillers:- These often feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) confront a powerful group of enemies that only they know are evil. Examples of Conspiracy Thrillers include The Da Vinci Code, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Manchurian Candidate, The Sentinel, etc.
Crime Thrillers:- These are a hybrid of crime films and thrillers. They feature a suspenseful plot about successful or unsuccessful crime(s) and focus mainly on the criminal instead of a policeman and emphasise and focus on action over psychological aspects. General topics for these Thrillers are murders, robberies, chases, double-crosses, etc. Examples of Crime Thrillers include Collateral, Law Abiding Citizen, Memento, The Transporter, The Dark Knight, Daredevil, etc.
Disaster Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) has to escape or stop a natural or man-made/artificial disaster, e.g. erupting volcanoes, hurricanes and tornados, floods, earthquakes, etc (natural disasters), nuclear disasters, man-made viruses, etc (artificial disasters). Examples of Disaster Thrillers include Armageddon, Dante's Peak, Volcano, Twister, The Core, The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, I Am Legend, the Resident Evil series, etc.
Drama Thriller:- These combine elements of Thrillers and drama movies. These are more slower-paced and focus more on the development of the characters, including plot twists along the course of the movie. Examples of Drama Thrillers include The Interpreter, The Godfather movies, Gravity, The Dark Knight, Inception, etc.
Erotic Thriller:- Consists of elements from Thrillers and erotica. These became popular during the 1980s, when VCR was also becoming popular. Examples of Erotic Thrillers include Fatal Attraction, Obsessed, Dressed to Kill, etc.
Legal Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a lawyer who has to confront criminals inside and outside the courtroom and strive to win their cases, as well as survive being a target of said criminals. Examples of Legal Thrillers include The Innocent Man, The Pelican Brief, Michael Clayton, The Rainmaker, etc.
Medical Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a medical doctor/personnel who has to solve a spreading medical problem, e.g. a pandemic/epidemic of a deadly virus. Medical Thrillers can either be fiction or non-fiction. Examples of Medical Thrillers include Outbreak, Awake, The Hot Zone, etc.
Political Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine must maintain balance in the government he/she works for. Examples of Political Thrillers include The Manchurian Candidate, Enemy of the State, Argo, The Interpreter, The Hunt for Red October, etc.
Psychological Thriller:- These focus on emotional and mental conflict more than physical conflict, though mostly the resolution of the plot involves physical violence. Examples of Psychological Thrillers include The Sixth Sense, Seven, Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion, Strangers on a Train and Shadow of a Doubt, Memento, Shutter Island, David Lynch's Blue Velvet, The Good Son, etc.
Spy Thriller:- A sub-genre of spy fiction. These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a secret agent working for the government and must fight against agents of a rival government or a group of powerful enemies, i.e. terrorists. Examples of Spy Thrillers include the James Bond movies, several Alfred Hitchcock movies, e.g. North by North West, The 39 Steps, etc; the Bourne movies, the Mission Impossible movies, the Spy Kids movies, Red and Red 2, Austin Powers, The Saint, Johnny English, Stormbreaker, the Jack Ryan movies, etc.
Techno Thriller:- These feature a plot which focuses heavily on the technology involved, e.g. military, futuristic. They are described in detail to help the audience to understand what they do, regardless of whether they are fiction or non-fiction pieces of technology. Examples of Techno Thrillers include the Jack Ryan movies, e.g. The Hunt for Red October; Source Code, etc.
Religious Thriller:- These feature a plot which is heavily focused on and influenced by religious and philosophical aspects, e.g. religious objects, institutions, questions and issues, etc. Examples of Religious Thrillers include The Da Vinci Code (currently the highest-grossing thriller worldwide and most famous Religious Thriller) and its sequel, Angels and Demons, Se7en, etc.
Some of the above sub-genres of Thrillers are combined when making most Thriller movies, sometimes with horror, conspiracy and psychological aspects added in. For example:-
Thriller is a broad genre. It spans throughout the whole of media, from literature to films and television. It also spans throughout all kinds of different sub-genres, e.g. Horror-Thriller.
Thrillers generally consist of fact-paced, intense and frequent action, a resourceful, courageous hero who responds to the evil plans of more powerful, more cunning villain.
Thrillers often use devices such as cliffhangers, red herrings, mcguffins, suspense, irony, etc. The plots in Thrillers are mainly driven by the villain, who must present obstacles for the hero to overcome in an effort to try to stop him/her.
Thrillers can intrigue the audience through tension, i.e. psychological (Psycho), social or political (The Interpreter) tension. Hitchcock says this is so people can "dip their toe into the cold water of fear" to experience what it's like.
Thrillers tand to be set in exotic places like foreign cities, e.g. Istanbul, Turkey in Taken 2. The heroes are usually "hard men" who are greatly accustomed to danger and were trained to be familiar with what to do in a dangerous situation, e.g. Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson), a former U.S. CIA operative (Taken 1 and 2). However, on other occasions, they are complete strangers and citizens, dragged into danger unintentionally, e.g. Max Durocher (played by Jamie Foxx), a taxi driver in Los Angeles (Collateral). Protagonists in Thrillers are mostly male, however females have taken this role as well, e.g. Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) (The Alien Quadrilogy).
Thrillers are often overlapped with mystery stories, e.g. murder mysteries; the only difference being the structure of the plot. In Thrillers, the hero must thwart the plans of a villain instead of solving a crime that has already been committed. Mystery stories, however, would have the plot spoiled for the viewer if they were told who the culprit was before he/she is caught; instead his/her identity is revealed at the end. Thrillers introduce the identity of the villain at the very beginning.
Thrillers can occur on a much more fatal scale, e.g. terrorism, serial or mass murder, assassinations, etc. Violent and jeopardising situations are general plot elements in Thrillers. While mystery stories are at their climaxes when the mystery is solved at the end, Thrillers are at their climaxes when the hero defeats the villain at the end, saving his/her own life and, at times, other's lives as well.
Thrillers are often influenced by film noirs and tragedies, in which the hero could be killed off as a price for defeating the villain and saving the world; a heroic sacrifice.
Thrillers are a case of "what you see is what you get" and "it does exactly what it says on the tin". Thrillers are made to "thrill" (fearful excitement). If it doesn't thrill, it isn't a Thriller.
James Patterson's Introduction to his Anthology about Thrillers states that "Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast. There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations constantly being invented. In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the genre's most enduring characteristics. But what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job."
Sub-genres
Action Thrillers:- These often feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) are in a race against time, that has a lot of violence and an antagonist who you are aware of throughout the whole film. They also feature a lot of guns and explosions, used by the heros and villains alike, and set-pieces for the large amounts of fast-paced action to take place in, e.g. the Snake-Pit from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Death Star Trench Run from Star Wars: A New Hope. Examples of Action Thrillers include the James Bond films, the Star Wars films, the Indiana Jones films, etc.
Conspiracy Thrillers:- These often feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) confront a powerful group of enemies that only they know are evil. Examples of Conspiracy Thrillers include The Da Vinci Code, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Manchurian Candidate, The Sentinel, etc.
Crime Thrillers:- These are a hybrid of crime films and thrillers. They feature a suspenseful plot about successful or unsuccessful crime(s) and focus mainly on the criminal instead of a policeman and emphasise and focus on action over psychological aspects. General topics for these Thrillers are murders, robberies, chases, double-crosses, etc. Examples of Crime Thrillers include Collateral, Law Abiding Citizen, Memento, The Transporter, The Dark Knight, Daredevil, etc.
Disaster Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the protagonist(s) has to escape or stop a natural or man-made/artificial disaster, e.g. erupting volcanoes, hurricanes and tornados, floods, earthquakes, etc (natural disasters), nuclear disasters, man-made viruses, etc (artificial disasters). Examples of Disaster Thrillers include Armageddon, Dante's Peak, Volcano, Twister, The Core, The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, I Am Legend, the Resident Evil series, etc.
Drama Thriller:- These combine elements of Thrillers and drama movies. These are more slower-paced and focus more on the development of the characters, including plot twists along the course of the movie. Examples of Drama Thrillers include The Interpreter, The Godfather movies, Gravity, The Dark Knight, Inception, etc.
Erotic Thriller:- Consists of elements from Thrillers and erotica. These became popular during the 1980s, when VCR was also becoming popular. Examples of Erotic Thrillers include Fatal Attraction, Obsessed, Dressed to Kill, etc.
Legal Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a lawyer who has to confront criminals inside and outside the courtroom and strive to win their cases, as well as survive being a target of said criminals. Examples of Legal Thrillers include The Innocent Man, The Pelican Brief, Michael Clayton, The Rainmaker, etc.
Medical Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a medical doctor/personnel who has to solve a spreading medical problem, e.g. a pandemic/epidemic of a deadly virus. Medical Thrillers can either be fiction or non-fiction. Examples of Medical Thrillers include Outbreak, Awake, The Hot Zone, etc.
Political Thriller:- These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine must maintain balance in the government he/she works for. Examples of Political Thrillers include The Manchurian Candidate, Enemy of the State, Argo, The Interpreter, The Hunt for Red October, etc.
Psychological Thriller:- These focus on emotional and mental conflict more than physical conflict, though mostly the resolution of the plot involves physical violence. Examples of Psychological Thrillers include The Sixth Sense, Seven, Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion, Strangers on a Train and Shadow of a Doubt, Memento, Shutter Island, David Lynch's Blue Velvet, The Good Son, etc.
Spy Thriller:- A sub-genre of spy fiction. These feature a plot in which the hero/heroine is a secret agent working for the government and must fight against agents of a rival government or a group of powerful enemies, i.e. terrorists. Examples of Spy Thrillers include the James Bond movies, several Alfred Hitchcock movies, e.g. North by North West, The 39 Steps, etc; the Bourne movies, the Mission Impossible movies, the Spy Kids movies, Red and Red 2, Austin Powers, The Saint, Johnny English, Stormbreaker, the Jack Ryan movies, etc.
Techno Thriller:- These feature a plot which focuses heavily on the technology involved, e.g. military, futuristic. They are described in detail to help the audience to understand what they do, regardless of whether they are fiction or non-fiction pieces of technology. Examples of Techno Thrillers include the Jack Ryan movies, e.g. The Hunt for Red October; Source Code, etc.
Religious Thriller:- These feature a plot which is heavily focused on and influenced by religious and philosophical aspects, e.g. religious objects, institutions, questions and issues, etc. Examples of Religious Thrillers include The Da Vinci Code (currently the highest-grossing thriller worldwide and most famous Religious Thriller) and its sequel, Angels and Demons, Se7en, etc.
Some of the above sub-genres of Thrillers are combined when making most Thriller movies, sometimes with horror, conspiracy and psychological aspects added in. For example:-
- Conspiracy/Psychological Thrillers:- The Da Vinci Code, The Manchurian Candidate, Inception, etc.
- Techno/Spy Thrillers:- James Bond films, Mission Impossible movies, etc.
- Religious/Psychological Thrillers:- The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Se7en, etc.
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Marianne Webb and Joe Howlett's A Level Media Sound Exercise Video Analysis
Marianne Webb and Joe Howlett's A Level Media Sound Exercise Video Analysis
Our video, known as "It's A Perfect Day", is about a student who goes to her classroom but falls asleep while waiting for her class to start. When she wakes up, strange things start to happen that clearly "put her off". We included all of the sound techniques in our video, e.g. we used diegetic sound where the creepy music on the phone was playing.
We chose particular techniques for certain scenes to make them effective to the viewer, for example, playing "It's A Perfect Day" by Lou Reed as background music at the end of the video when the main character walks away still shocked to portray irony (compared to the beginning of the video). I think our decisions for each technique in the video were quite successful as they did make the scenes dramatic and unnerving, as it was supposed to be for this video.
I believe we did capture the sound effectively and I believe we used the sound equipment effectively because, compared to when the microphone isn't used, the sound is much clearer for the viewer. I also think we did show the difference between each of the sound types. The diegetic sound was used when the Silent Hill theme song was playing on Joe's phone while the non-diegetic sound was used when the opening and ending songs play (The Island Song from Adventure Time and It's A Perfect Day by Lou Reed) at the beginning and end of the video. The on-screen sound was used when Joe's phone playing the creepy music is in the view of the main character's POV shot while the off-screen sound was used when the opening and ending songs play. The parallel sound was used when the opening song plays when the main character is feeling happy while walking to her classroom while the contrapuntal sound is used when the ending song plays when the main character is walking away shocked to portray irony. I think an effective sound-bridge was used when the intense music plays while the main character is walking to the door which then slowly drifts to silence before the hand suddenly appears.
I think the most positive elements of this video were the different music we used for each scene, particularly the opening and ending themes, the black-and-white effect during the dream and the Hand scene.
I think if I were to make improvements, I would have made some of the scenes stretch out longer as some scenes went by too quickly, like the Eye Opening scene at the beginning of the dream sequence.
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Friday, 4 October 2013
Marianne Webb and Joe Howlett's A Level Media Camera Exercise Video Analysis
Marianne Webb and Joe Howlett's A Level Media Camera Exercise
Video Analysis
Our video is called "Looking For You". The story is that
my character is in search of something and you don't find out what it is until the
end of the video.
We managed to include all of the listed camera shots and
movements. However, with some of them, e.g. crane shot, we had to improvise
because we didn't have the special equipment for them, e.g. a crane for a crane
shot, tracks for a tracking shot, etc.
In some of the scenes in the video, we used particular shots to
portray the scene in an effective way, e.g. we used a long shot showing me with
my back turned to the camera and looking from side to side at the start of the
video to portray that I was really intent on finding whatever my character
lost.
Similarly, we also used camera movements to portray some scenes in
effective ways, e.g. we used a rolling shot when my character peeks round a
bush to emphasise the action of peeking round something.
I think these choices were quite successful because each shot and
movement portrayed each scene very well and effectively and they make the video
flow quite smoothly.
While the video flowed very well and smoothly, some of the shots
weren’t exactly straight and some of the movements were shaky even with the
tripod.
Most of the shots were framed very well, despite some being
unsteady, which is what made the video flow smoothly and portray the scenes
effectively.
Overall, I think the most positive elements of the video were the
editing, e.g. the music and sound effects, video transitions, and how we
improvised with the more complicated camera shots and movements, e.g. with the
crane shot, Joe used a tyre from outside the school to get the camera high
enough for a proper crane shot.
I think if this video were to have any improvements, it would be
where the first few shots of the video were slightly, noticeably unsteady.
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