US BLOCKBUSTER

US Blockbuster- Hunger Games: Mockingjay- part 1

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenplay: Peter Craig & Danny Strong
Cinematography: Jo Willems
Produced by: Nina Jacobson and John Kilik
Production company: Lionsgate & Color Face
Based on: Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1
Genre: science fiction, thriller
Release date: 21st November (US)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hensworth
Budget: $250 million (shared with part 2)
Box office (so far): $275 million

 Reviews:

Rotten Tomatoes-              66%

IMDb-                                 7.3/10

Metacritic-                          64%

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1is the last of 'The Hunger Games' that were written by Suzanne Collins and later on were turned into films; this is the latest one that was released on the 21st of November of this year.

The Shining Essay

The Shining Essay.

13-16 minutes long scene.

The scene starts off with the boy playing with red darts.   The red darts could represent danger and death which are both regular conventions of horror.  Darts symbolise violence which could foreshadow suffering in later scenes.  As he goes up to collect the darts the non-diegetic music starts and it sounds like chalk is being dragged or scrapped down a chalk board, which is shown when Danny goes to collect the darts.  Also in the background of this shot you can see a collection of photographs which are all arranged in a way that shows religious symbolism (a cross).  This could then suggest that the film has religious content and could also link back to the fact the hotel was built on an Indian graveyard.  The shot then cuts to two girls dressed exactly the same.  The colour they are wearing (green) could suggest sickness and how it is creeping up on the boy so it is foreshadowing that sickness or psychological issues may come to live later on in the film.  This is part of the mise-en-scene as the performance of both of the girls leads to quite a mysterious atmosphere which causes suspense.  There is also an eye line match between both of the girls and Danny.  This part of the scene makes me feel confused because I don’t know why two girls have spontaneously appeared out of nowhere so it makes me feel uneasy and unable to predict what might happen later on.  As the shot cuts to the next scene the camera tracks backwards following Wendy, Jack and the manager.  In the background there is an ‘EXIT’ sign.  This is part of the mise-en-scene because it could show that they need to get out of the hotel because it will cause many problems for them later on whilst they live there.  It could also imply that they are trapped because now that they are at the hotel they can’t get out and so they are stuck in the hotel with no way of getting out after all of the staff leave.  It could mean that they are in an isolated location and it will not be easy to escape if they are in danger: this is another regular convention of horror.  This relates to a film called ‘A Stranger Calls’ in which Jill finds herself in an isolated setting with no means of getting out or escaping.  The camera also tracks all the way up to their room and when they enter the room there is an establishing shot where you can see the bedrooms and the lounge as they walk in.  The colours of the room are neutral along with the clothes that Wendy and Jack are wearing which could suggest that they blend in to their hotel as if nobody will know they are there once everyone leaves.  The main colour that is present in this scene is green and brown which both suggest sickness and illness, this could foreshadow for later on in the film and is also part of the mise-en-scene.  There is then a straight cut to where you see the characters outside which the camera tracks until they reach the snowplough which is coloured red.  This colour could suggest danger, pain and it is also pointed out by the manager that they may need to use it later on, which is again foreshadowing.  The shot then cuts to Danny and his mother being shown around- mainly the kitchen.  The colours that Danny is wearing are red, white and blue; all colours of the American flag, whereas Wendy is wearing more native American-Indian clothing which could contrast with Danny’s attire.  The native American-Indian clothing that Wendy is wearing could link to the hotel as it was built on an Indian graveyard and so could suggest religious content.  There is high key lighting in this scene which contrasts with what the chef is wearing as he is wearing dark colours so this could suggest he may be of importance later on in the scene as what he is wearing matches Danny’s clothing as well, suggesting they are similar in some way.  Tracking backwards happens as they walk throughout the kitchen.

25-27 minutes long scene.

Scene starts off by tracking both Wendy and Danny as they enter the maze and there is a static shot that shows a picture of the maze and what it is called. The camera tracks Danny and Wendy backwards as they follow the route around the maze and then tracks them forwards. There is a cross dissolve that then shows Jack and tracks him until he reaches the table where a version of the ‘overlook maze’ is.  As the camera tracks, you can see the colour red on the wall posts, suggesting that evil and death is creeping up on him.  There is then a long shot in which you can see the maze in full.  This could imply that the maze could cause Wendy and Danny to get lost and feel trapped, just like the hotel makes them feel.  He is looking over the maze which shows that he is keeping a close eye on Wendy and Jack; almost as if he is a bird looking for it’s prey.  It could also suggest that Wendy and Danny are in a vulnerable position, foreshadowing what might happen later on in the film.  There is a close up of Jack’s face emphasising his expression; like he is thinking of something that could be harmful towards the others.  There is non diegetic music throughout this scene.  It starts off with a slow tempo causing suspense making me feel uneasy to what may happen next.  As the camera zooms in on the maze from a high angle, the non diegetic music changes to a fast tempo and also seems to get louder, causing even more suspense and I don’t know what will happen next.  The shot then cuts to Wendy and Danny walking in this maze as the camera tracks backwards.  The colour green that surrounds them could indicate that they are both getting sick or ill and this is also a regular convention of horror.  


Rebecca Larkman

Group analysis - Haywire

Group analysis - Haywire

The scene begins with an establishing shot with a blue filter in which two characters are at eye
line match.  The blue filter could set the scene as blue is quite a cold colour and could show sadness and lack of warmth and love in the shot I know this because of the mise-en-scene presented.  There is a eye line match in this reaction shot to show communication between them both.  Also the angle of the camera as it cuts from one to another changes, this could imply that there are barriers between them and they are both very different in personality.

On the next shot the colour of the shot changed to a sepia filter, to show a much more warmer feel to the film which contrasts with the dead body being dragged and the focus being on the ground and not on the body, therefore showing the body is unimportant and could show that a dead body is not unusual in that situation.  And much the same with next shot where the focus is quite odd and is only focusing on a dead body's shoe, emphasising the above point that the body is not as important as the surroundings.  It could also imply that the most important thing is out of focus in the scene, like the bodies do have significance but the director is purposely trying to make us think they are not relevant to the storyline but instead it makes the audience more aware of he bodies and the control of focus.

The scene then jumps to an establishing close up shot of leather gloves; giving impressions of theft, crime and fingerprints, trousers and a shirt; negotiating the question of where the wearer is, the contents of the clothing are black, this gives connotations of mystery, a relevant theme towards the nature of the clip, this made me personally feel intrigued to the story as well as focus on the shot itself.  Connecting from the last shot there is a low angle shot of the woman suggesting that she is the dominant one of the scene and she is quite an important character.  She also occupies most of the shot so could show that she is the main one to focus on in this scene.  This then cuts to a shot of her on the phone in which there is a mid shot and the camera tracks the phone which shows emphasis and it connects both characters together.  The scene in which the woman is talking to the man over the phone has low key lighting in both clips as there is a parallel edit which could imply that the clip is quite dark and mysterious and it could relate to how the characters are feeling; worried, cold, evil, etc.  There is a contrast with characters and this is represented in their homes.  Mise-en-scene shows the man has a very posh and glamorous warm home whereas she has a flat with hardly any decoration which could imply she is quite a private person and does not like broadcasting her life to others as she has not settled down.

The shot cuts to the woman outside.  Mise-en-scene is presented here as there is a van in the background that says 'think' which could imply to the audience that she needs to think about what she is doing because she may regret it later on.  The impression I get from the scene in where the woman is walking through the street is of an isolation from the rest of the clip, I get this from the mise-en-scene of the scene such as the bland colours of the shot, which all blend together, showing quite a dull and cold piece of scenery, this could be perhaps of the reason that the character may want to be seen as dull, as if she is trying to blend in with everything else around her.   There is a heart beat motif alarming noise that could imply the sound of a heartbeat monitor.  This noise is quite slow and calm showing that her heartbeat is calm and she is not worried about what is going to happen later on.  It could also show that she is comfortable in her surroundings but it could contrast with how she is acting as she keeps looking around, showing signs of aggravation and anxiety.

Rebecca, Fraser and Amy.

Reflective analysis on short film

My intention was to produce and capture a short film of around 20 seconds long.  My film is both dramatical and tense due to the non diegetic music and the black and white feature used in part of the clip.  My aim was to make the film seem mysterious and quite an abstract piece of work to the audience and make them feel quite tense and unaware of what may happen next. 

My target audience is for teenagers and adults ranging from 16 to 14 years of age.  I decided to have this sort of audience as I feel younger adults will find the film more interesting and understandable and would feel keen to watch it.  I set the barrier at 24 years of age as it may not appeal much to an older audience due to the content of the short film. 

We added tension within this short film.  When the heartbeat sound is playing in the background it could through the audience off guard to what might happen next as the film is quite unpredictable.  There are two characters in which shot reverse shot is used a lot throughout the clip to emphasise them meeting for the first time after a long period.  Dialogue gives us an insight into their past "I haven't seen you in a while' could insinuate the pair have not been on good terms and therefore have not seen each other and are surprised to find each other.  The black and white filter is used to emphasise the mood and theme of this film which is dramatical and slightly tense throughout.  We used many shots such as an over the shoulder angle, a mid shot, a long shot, a close and an extreme close up to show emotions and mise-en-scene.  

This is our short film, hope you enjoy!

Rebecca Larkman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUC-X7ruZ_Y

Insidious Part 2

Insidious part 2 - Parker Cranes house.

At the very start of the scene tracking is introduced as you see the camera following the footsteps of Josh as he walks into Parker Cranes bedroom with Elise and Carl.  As they walk into the room there is high key lighting which contrasts with the characters as they are very violent and quite dark people.  The mother is dressed in grey and has dark make up on like black lips and black eyebrows which were cinematic choices made to show she is dangerous and is the one that could be violent.  Non-diegetic music is played in the background and it gets louder every time the mother is violent towards Parker, relating them both together.  Mise en scene in this shot as the background contrasts with the characters: background of the shot is a little girls room with toys and doll houses, but characters are fighting which is unusual to find in that sort of place and Parker crane and the mother do not belong there so we do not normally associate a little girls innocent bedroom with evil.  In the middle of the scene the angle of the camera changes to worms eye where Parker is looking up at his mother showing he lives in fear of her and is afraid of what she might do to him or any sudden movements.  A dutch angle is introduced when there is a close up to the mother, showing she is unbalanced and a dangerous character.  It could also suggest that Parker is in a dangerous situation.  Room goes dark instantly due to the low key lighting, this is because the mother has now noticed Josh and the others, she is in control in this scene and this scares Josh as she is evil.  There is a supernatural occurrence when she closes the door after the room turning dark.  This could also show she has the power and is in a state of superiority against Josh because he is very vulnerable at this point because he does not have Elise or Carl with him.  tracking then happens again as Josh tries to escape the room, showing that the way he got in to the room is the only way he will get out and he will not be able to as the room has been closed by the mother.  The mood in this scene is quite tense as the audience may not be able to predict what will happen next.  We see the mother and Parker from the point of view of Josh, as we are watching the scene like we are there with him and experience what he experiences which is fear of the mother and pity for the son.  We also see the mother from Parkers point of view as he is afraid of her as well and fears her actions.  The mother could symbolise death as she controls darkness and can cause harm to others like Parker and can cause fright to Josh when he is alone after she talkes the others out of the room.  

Rebecca Larkman

Horror Genre

Horror Genre

The main aim of any horror film is to create an atmosphere of fear amongst the audience: whether it be from making them jump, to the gory details that a horror film can have.  I have seen The Conjuring which is probably the scariest film I have ever watched closely followed by Insidious chapter 2.  The conjuring is full of nail biting scenes throughout and this has a massive impact on the audience.  The best part for the conjuring, for me, was the start because as soon as the film started the fear built up inside of the cinema and it really captivated the audience the way they started off with the doll and the Warrens which played a massive part in this film meaning that the audience would be intrigued and drawn to this film instantly.  This film is based on abnormal happenings throughout and that grips the audience to see something supernatural and unusual that they have never experienced.  It is no doubt that the Conjuring is full of darkness and the way they portray the anger and aggressiveness of the spirits that live in the house they go in to really fascinates me and the audience.  It is something so unreal but they make it seem so realistic and powerful that it feels like it is happening to you personally like you are feeling the fear that the characters feel.  The way the film is presented gives a real sense to your nightmares coming to life and haunting you as the film goes on.  I really enjoy horror films, it gives me such an adrenaline rush when I watch them and I think many horror film are fantastically made and they have me on the edge of my seat throughout.  Another horror film I really enjoyed watching was Insidious chapter 2.  Now the first Insidious to come out was absolutely terrifying in my opinion.  Every scene had something that only nightmares were made of and the spirits that were in their house truly scared the living day out of me.  There were so many jumpy scenes as well, not like in the typical horror movie where you can predict what would happen next; this film was so unpredictable.  This makes the audience more entertained and more scared because they don’t know what will happen next and so they enjoy it more.  When the second Insidious came out I was so eager to watch it and nagged my friends to come and see it with me so many times so we all ended up going.  The film was brilliant, absolutely fantastic.  The fear, the tension and the darkness were all in that one film and it was made with such detail.  My favourite scene from Insidious was where they had to go into Parker Crains house to find out the true story behind what happened to him, and why he was haunting Josh Lambert.  Now that scene describes perfectly how weird, dark and revolting this film really is.  It captivated me instantly because the film never got boring and whenever it felt like it was going to, something else would occur that would bring the action and fear back into the atmosphere.  There is no blood, no violence but it is probably the most jumpy film I have ever watched, and I feel privileged to have watched it.

Other horror films that do have violence and gory scenes are the saw movies.  They are such creative and unique films that were made with such a gruesome approach.  I honestly feel that the saw movies are the best horror films ever made just because apart from being gory they do have a feel of fear as you see people trying to battle to survive.  Scary horror films that are mainly about gory scenes could attract a certain kind of audience which could be different to those who want to see a supernatural horror where it could be more jumpy.  I also feel like other horror films such as sinister, the devil inside give us a fear of the unknown, the unusual; but saw does none of that.  It shows what people are capable of doing and how much they really value their lives.  Sinister has a great story line and the ending is unexpected and could make the audience feel shocked.  I personally think that the ending is brilliant, it is unpredictable and that is what i like in a horror film because so many horrors are the same nowadays, but having a film that goes beyond the normal horror story entertains the audience and leaves them wanting more.

Rebecca Larkman

Favourite film of the summer- The Purge Anarchy

Favourite film of the summer:

My favourite film of this summer has got to be The purge anarchy.  It had me on the edge of my seat almost instantly.  The film is about having one night a year where people can purge and let all their anger out but no services will be available (ambulance, fire department, police) for 12 hours, this means that crime will be reduced dramatically throughout the year.  There are five main characters: Sergeant, Eva, Shane, Liz and Cali.  All of them are surviving the night except for Sergeant who is seeking revenge from the man that killed his son but he gets caught up when he sees Eva and Cali (mother and daughter) being held at gun point by unknown men that look very suspicious.  This part of the film is very griping and full of action as Sergeant feels it is his responsibility to kill the men who are about to kill Eva and Cali, but then he also finds Shane and Liz (husband and wife) in the back of his car trying to hide from the purgers.  Sergeant has to get them all to safety by getting them all to Eva’s friends house as quickly as possible as the streets are full of crazy people trying to kill anything and everything they see.  This night is truly terrifying, just by imagining it, it makes me feel sick to the stomach because so many innocent people die just because people are angry and decide to take it out on people who are in no way harmful.  Loads of people die on the night because they simply do not have enough money to afford any protection, in a scene before the purging commences you see many people running the streets trying to find protection, which is truly heartbreaking because they are the ones that expect to die.  My favourite part of the film is when you learn about who those unknown people were that wanted to kill Eva and Cali as you find out that they are from the government and state that ‘not enough people are purging’ so they had to take manners into their own hands which makes much sense to why they were everywhere on the night.  You learn more about Sergeant as he leaves to try and find the man that kills his son but is unable to, which I think is the most moving part of the film.  He doesn’t kill the man who ran his little boy over but the man ends up helping Sergeant when he gets shot.  The sigh of relief when the purge is over was unmissable, so many ambulances and police cars were dispatched.  It is very scary to think if that ever happened in real life, the amount of innocents lives lost and the amount of casualties and inhuman activities performed on other makes my skin crawl with anger that someone could even think of doing that.  But another year will pass and the purge will return, all just to reduce crime throughout the city at the expense of innocent peoples lives.

Rebecca Larkman

The Fault In Our Stars essay

The Fault in Our Stars essay

The Fault in Our Stars became a box office success instantly.  It was originally a book written by John Green; who is now widely known due to this book.  The book was an instant success much like the film.  The book was all over social media and my friends all had the book and gave really good reviews on it so I decided to buy it and read it (best decision of my life).  The fault in our stars the book went viral all over social media and so many people brought the book having heard such great reviews about it, meaning that the film had a reputation to stand up to considering the book was out of this world amazing.  The book isn’t too hard to read either, it is just plain and simple and it gets right down to the point.  The emotions of the characters shine through as John Green expresses them so well.  It feels almost as if we are living their life and we are going through every emotion they are going through which is probably why I cried so much whilst reading it!

The love that develops between Hazel and Augustus is just beautiful, there is no other way to describe it.  Augustus would never leave Hazels side showing true commitment from his part, making sure that she is alright.  I think that is what we all long for in our lifetime: to have someone there for us, through thick and thin that can survive anything with you and will still stay by your side, which in a way means that we, the audience, can relate to them: making it clear that this is a reason why the audience loved this film so much.  Apart from this film being sad, it does have it’s moments of comedy throughout which I think is what makes this film unique as it contrasts with the reality that Hazel and Augustus are going through.  By the way, the part where Augustus an Hazel get Isaac to egg his ex-girlfriends house is just brilliant, had me in stitches!

It’s quite weird you know because at the start I think nearly everyone thought that Hazel would be the one to pass away in the end.  But as it comes to the end of the film we see Augustus take a turn for the worst as he finds out he has got cancer in nearly every inch of his body (which kinda sucks).  We see how fast he deteriorates which again shows the harsh reality of cancer and how badly it can affect someone in a short space of time.  Teenagers living with cancer is not a nice sight at all, it’s not nice to see anyone in that much pain anyway, but to know that they are at a young age and have already been through so much really moves me.  The way they act like nothing is wrong and that they can still achieve what they want to is truly inspirational and I will never forget this film, as it had made me realise how lucky I am to be here.  

Rebecca Larkman