Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Monday, 20 February 2012
@Phil: Story Idea IV
How about this one?
Tar had watched the restaurant across the street from her spot in the shop window for three years. She yearned to go there every day. She wanted to taste the food the way the humans did. She wanted to feel the joy they appeared to feel every time they filled their mouth with morsels of things edible. Today, she got the news that she would finally be freed from her prison that was this clothing store. She had overheard the owner of the shop talking about the demolition of the building due to its age. The building was meant to be destroyed in two days. This meant that Tar would be taken out of the structure. Then, she would be able to escape.
Two days later, the truck arrived. Tar could see the sticks of dynamite stacked neatly in the back of the truck. She had never been this happy. Soon she would be free and independent. She wouldn't be dressed in the hideous attire that she was always forced to wear. She could hardly wait.
The engineers from the truck got down and began unloading the dynamites. They placed them on the ground near the shop in a stack.
Without noticing, one of the engineers pulled an extra dynamite out from the back of the truck. So the dynamites at the back of the truck stumbled out of formation. Tar watched as the dynamites rolled off of the truck with increasing velocity and head towards the restaurant. An unsettling feeling took hold of Tar. She tried to get the attention of the people outside by banging on the window glass but they were too busy preparing for the demolition. No one cared for a few missing dynamites when they had a truck load to spare.
Outside the restaurant, there stood a few people smoking cigarettes. Engaged in their conversations, they were oblivious to the presence of the dynamites on the ground. Having finished smoking his cigarette, a man dropped the butt onto the ground and went back inside the restaurant. It bounced of the ground and landed dangerously close to a dynamite. He had forgotten to stub out the cigarette. It was still lit with a slight glow. A glow that was powerful enough to light the end of the wick of the dynamite.
Tar watched in horror as the wick lit into a flame. Everything around her slowed down.
The dynamite exploded. It caused the other dynamites around it to explode as well. Part of the restaurant came crumbling down. There was ash and rubble on the street.
Tar stood in her window and watched as her dreams were destroyed. She could only watch helplessly as the world around her came crashing down.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
@Phil : Story Idea III
Hello Phil,
Thank you for your feedback with regards to my OGR. You were right. There was no story at all. I have written a new story. It did take me a while but now I have an idea in my mind and will get everything done quickly =)
Here is the new story. Please let me know what you think of it and if I should go ahead with it.
Thank you =D
Tar is a mannequin who was kept in a shop display at Spirit Street in Disc City. She was loyal and stood there every day for three years. However, she got old and her beauty began to fade. Her body was getting weaker with age. It was only a matter of time when the shopkeeper was fitting her with some new garments that her left arm snapped off. That was it. The next thing she knew, she was flung outside into the alleyway and replace by a younger, prettier model. The fall was hard. It caused Tar to break his jaw.
She lay there for a night. Wallowing in self pity. When the sun shone on her the next day, she had a dawning realization. It only occurred to her that she was free. She could do whatever she wanted to do.
She looked over to his right. Across the street was a restaurant. She had been looking at it for the past three years, wondering what it would feel like to eat like the humans did. And now, she could.
First, she needed to clean herself up. She couldn't make an appearance into the human realm for the first time and look the way she did. She scavenged the dumpster in the alleyway where she lay and found an old coat and scarf to cover herself with. She then needed something to attach her arm to. All she could find was a fairly long piece of string. It was attached to a red stick. That would have to do for now. She managed to attach her broken arm to the rest of her body using the string. The red stick made her arm longer but she didn't have a choice.
With the coat on and the scarf covering the lower part of her face, Tar crossed the street and entered the restaurant.
It was magnificent. The smells were nothing like she had encountered before. It all felt so beautiful. Tar sat down at a table. It had a book on it. It was place between a candle that had a beautiful golden flame. She couldn't read what was written in it but there were pictures in the book that seemed good enough. After a while, a young woman arrived at her table to ask her what she wished to eat. Tar pointed at a few pictures, hoping she could communicate. The waitress understood her perfectly. She told Tar that her food would be with her soon.
Tar waited.
The time after the food arrived was all a blur to Tar. She fed herself through the opening created by the fall that broke her jaw. Each time she ate, she felt a surge of euphoria. After a while, she realized the people around her were staring at her. She wondered why. There was no sign that said "No Mannequins Allowed". It then hit her that she was taller than when she arrived at the restaurant. The food was causing her to grow! She couldn't stop herself though. She continued eating. With each bite, she grew bigger and taller.
After her meal was done, she was more than halfway between the ceiling and the ground. By this time, most of the people in the restaurant had left. Tar guessed it was because they were jealous.
She saw the waitress walk towards her with an uncomfortable look. Tar panicked. She needed to leave. She stood up to walk out of the door but she had grown so tall that her head hit the chandelier in the ceiling. It had the same candles that were placed on the table. The chandelier rocked away from Tar's face and was swinging back towards her. With reflex, she put her left hand up to catch it before it hit her in the face. She heard a sizzling sound. The air filled up with a strange and heavy smell. There was smoke. Her arm suddenly felt very hot. Tar looked down at her arm and saw that the piece of string had caught fire. The flame was about to touch the red stick. There was no time to think. The next thing Tar felt was a surge of energy as her arm exploded into a thousand tiny pieces and took the roof of the restaurant down with it.
Tar woke up in the alley across the restaurant. She looked down at her arm and saw emptiness there. She knew that she should feel sorrow and anger but all she felt was satisfaction. She had eaten food. She had tasted the love that the humans created for each other. She was content. She had eaten so much that she felt like she would explode. And she had.
Thank you for your feedback with regards to my OGR. You were right. There was no story at all. I have written a new story. It did take me a while but now I have an idea in my mind and will get everything done quickly =)
Here is the new story. Please let me know what you think of it and if I should go ahead with it.
Thank you =D
Tar is a mannequin who was kept in a shop display at Spirit Street in Disc City. She was loyal and stood there every day for three years. However, she got old and her beauty began to fade. Her body was getting weaker with age. It was only a matter of time when the shopkeeper was fitting her with some new garments that her left arm snapped off. That was it. The next thing she knew, she was flung outside into the alleyway and replace by a younger, prettier model. The fall was hard. It caused Tar to break his jaw.
She lay there for a night. Wallowing in self pity. When the sun shone on her the next day, she had a dawning realization. It only occurred to her that she was free. She could do whatever she wanted to do.
She looked over to his right. Across the street was a restaurant. She had been looking at it for the past three years, wondering what it would feel like to eat like the humans did. And now, she could.
First, she needed to clean herself up. She couldn't make an appearance into the human realm for the first time and look the way she did. She scavenged the dumpster in the alleyway where she lay and found an old coat and scarf to cover herself with. She then needed something to attach her arm to. All she could find was a fairly long piece of string. It was attached to a red stick. That would have to do for now. She managed to attach her broken arm to the rest of her body using the string. The red stick made her arm longer but she didn't have a choice.
With the coat on and the scarf covering the lower part of her face, Tar crossed the street and entered the restaurant.
It was magnificent. The smells were nothing like she had encountered before. It all felt so beautiful. Tar sat down at a table. It had a book on it. It was place between a candle that had a beautiful golden flame. She couldn't read what was written in it but there were pictures in the book that seemed good enough. After a while, a young woman arrived at her table to ask her what she wished to eat. Tar pointed at a few pictures, hoping she could communicate. The waitress understood her perfectly. She told Tar that her food would be with her soon.
Tar waited.
The time after the food arrived was all a blur to Tar. She fed herself through the opening created by the fall that broke her jaw. Each time she ate, she felt a surge of euphoria. After a while, she realized the people around her were staring at her. She wondered why. There was no sign that said "No Mannequins Allowed". It then hit her that she was taller than when she arrived at the restaurant. The food was causing her to grow! She couldn't stop herself though. She continued eating. With each bite, she grew bigger and taller.
After her meal was done, she was more than halfway between the ceiling and the ground. By this time, most of the people in the restaurant had left. Tar guessed it was because they were jealous.
She saw the waitress walk towards her with an uncomfortable look. Tar panicked. She needed to leave. She stood up to walk out of the door but she had grown so tall that her head hit the chandelier in the ceiling. It had the same candles that were placed on the table. The chandelier rocked away from Tar's face and was swinging back towards her. With reflex, she put her left hand up to catch it before it hit her in the face. She heard a sizzling sound. The air filled up with a strange and heavy smell. There was smoke. Her arm suddenly felt very hot. Tar looked down at her arm and saw that the piece of string had caught fire. The flame was about to touch the red stick. There was no time to think. The next thing Tar felt was a surge of energy as her arm exploded into a thousand tiny pieces and took the roof of the restaurant down with it.
Tar woke up in the alley across the restaurant. She looked down at her arm and saw emptiness there. She knew that she should feel sorrow and anger but all she felt was satisfaction. She had eaten food. She had tasted the love that the humans created for each other. She was content. She had eaten so much that she felt like she would explode. And she had.
Film Review: Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window is another gripping wonder. The audience is drawn into the story from the very beginning.
The bright and clear look of the film gives the viewer an unnerving sense of being a voyeur. As Tim Dirks rightly states," Remarkably, the camera angles are largely from the protagonist's own apartment, so the film viewer (in a dark theatre) sees the inhabitants of the other apartments almost entirely from his point of view - to share in his voyeuristic surveillance." Dirks, Tim. Filmsite Movie Review. Rear Window.
The film begins with a man named Jeffries who is in a wheelchair due to an accident. Due to his limited ability to be pro-active, he begins observing his neighbours who, by the looks of it, are not acquainted with the concept of drawing their curtains.
This film captures the human curiosity beautifully as the audience can relate to the actions of the protagonist. If one is subjected to endless hours of boredom, one begins to observe the activities taking place outside one's window.
Hitchcock also plays with the audience's minds as it is not made clear until the very end that there is indeed a murderer in the building opposite Jeffries. Jeffries observes a man who has an ill wife. One day, the wife suddenly disappears and a large crate is seen in the room. Jeffries suspects murder. When he informs his physiotherapist about this, she tells him to divert his attention elsewhere. His girlfriend reacts in the same way.
There is a particular scene that involves Jeffries and his girlfriend Lisa. This is the first time Lisa is introduced in the film. She is revealed first to be Jeffries' romantic interest as being shown on screen up close to Jeffries. As their conversation progresses, she moves away from him and walks around the room. Simultaneously, the camera zooms out to reveal what she is wearing. She suddenly transforms from a vision in a dream to a stylish socialite who is very well endowed with the knowledge of fashion. That bit of cinematography was powerful in informing the audience of Lisa's character.
The use of cameras in this film suggest that the use of a camera to capture the moment of another individual without their consent is a tad disconcerting. This film holds a striking resemblance to Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960). However, in Rear Window, the protagonist is a character that the audience can relate to as opposed to Peeping Tom, where the protagonist is a man with a dark childhood and an abnormal desire to kill women whilst filming them.
This film could be considered to be the inspiration for D.J. Caruso's Disturbia (2007) starring Shia LaBeouf.
Rear Window is a film that contains bits of comedy whilst being a rather dark film. It is, after all, a murder mystery. The vivid colours in this film confuse the audience as to what the genre of the film might be even though it is very clear by the plot. As Boseley Crowther states,"In the polychromes seen from a rear window on steaming hot summer days and nights, and in the jangle and lilt of neighborhood music, he hints of passions, lust, tawdriness and hope." Crowther, Boseley. (1954).The New York Times Film Review. Rear Window.
This film also gives an insight to the American middle class. The variety of people who dwell within the same place is rather large. As reviewer C. Pea states, "Quite aside from the violation of intimacy, which is shocking enough, Hitchcock has nowhere else come so close to pure misanthropy, nor given us so disturbing a definition of what it is to watch the 'silent film' of other people's lives, whether across a courtyard or up on a screen". Pea,C.Time Out London Film Review. Rear Window (1954).
Bibliography
Crowther, Boseley. (1954).The New York Times Film Review. Rear Window. Available online at : http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE6DD113EE53BBC4D53DFBE66838F649EDE
Accessed 18th February 2012
Pea,C.Time Out London Film Review. Rear Window (1954). Available online at: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/76472/rear-window.html Accessed 18th February 2012
Dirks, Tim. Filmsite Movie Review. Rear Window. Available online at http://www.filmsite.org/rear4.html Accessed 18th February 2012
Caruso, D.J. (2007). Disturbia.
Powell, Michael. (1960). Peeping Tom
Illustration List
Fig 1: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://waingapu-movie.blogspot.com/2011/02/rear-window-1954.html
Fig 2: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://events.uvic.ca/?view=day&month=10&day=19&year=2010&cal=42
Fig 3: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare6/rearwindow.htm
The bright and clear look of the film gives the viewer an unnerving sense of being a voyeur. As Tim Dirks rightly states," Remarkably, the camera angles are largely from the protagonist's own apartment, so the film viewer (in a dark theatre) sees the inhabitants of the other apartments almost entirely from his point of view - to share in his voyeuristic surveillance." Dirks, Tim. Filmsite Movie Review. Rear Window.
 |
| Fig 1: Rear Window Movie Poster |
The film begins with a man named Jeffries who is in a wheelchair due to an accident. Due to his limited ability to be pro-active, he begins observing his neighbours who, by the looks of it, are not acquainted with the concept of drawing their curtains.
This film captures the human curiosity beautifully as the audience can relate to the actions of the protagonist. If one is subjected to endless hours of boredom, one begins to observe the activities taking place outside one's window.
Hitchcock also plays with the audience's minds as it is not made clear until the very end that there is indeed a murderer in the building opposite Jeffries. Jeffries observes a man who has an ill wife. One day, the wife suddenly disappears and a large crate is seen in the room. Jeffries suspects murder. When he informs his physiotherapist about this, she tells him to divert his attention elsewhere. His girlfriend reacts in the same way.
 |
| Fig 2: Lisa and Jeffries |
There is a particular scene that involves Jeffries and his girlfriend Lisa. This is the first time Lisa is introduced in the film. She is revealed first to be Jeffries' romantic interest as being shown on screen up close to Jeffries. As their conversation progresses, she moves away from him and walks around the room. Simultaneously, the camera zooms out to reveal what she is wearing. She suddenly transforms from a vision in a dream to a stylish socialite who is very well endowed with the knowledge of fashion. That bit of cinematography was powerful in informing the audience of Lisa's character.
The use of cameras in this film suggest that the use of a camera to capture the moment of another individual without their consent is a tad disconcerting. This film holds a striking resemblance to Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960). However, in Rear Window, the protagonist is a character that the audience can relate to as opposed to Peeping Tom, where the protagonist is a man with a dark childhood and an abnormal desire to kill women whilst filming them.
This film could be considered to be the inspiration for D.J. Caruso's Disturbia (2007) starring Shia LaBeouf.
 |
| Fig 3: The view from Jeffries' window |
Rear Window is a film that contains bits of comedy whilst being a rather dark film. It is, after all, a murder mystery. The vivid colours in this film confuse the audience as to what the genre of the film might be even though it is very clear by the plot. As Boseley Crowther states,"In the polychromes seen from a rear window on steaming hot summer days and nights, and in the jangle and lilt of neighborhood music, he hints of passions, lust, tawdriness and hope." Crowther, Boseley. (1954).The New York Times Film Review. Rear Window.
This film also gives an insight to the American middle class. The variety of people who dwell within the same place is rather large. As reviewer C. Pea states, "Quite aside from the violation of intimacy, which is shocking enough, Hitchcock has nowhere else come so close to pure misanthropy, nor given us so disturbing a definition of what it is to watch the 'silent film' of other people's lives, whether across a courtyard or up on a screen". Pea,C.Time Out London Film Review. Rear Window (1954).
Bibliography
Crowther, Boseley. (1954).The New York Times Film Review. Rear Window. Available online at : http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE6DD113EE53BBC4D53DFBE66838F649EDE
Accessed 18th February 2012
Pea,C.Time Out London Film Review. Rear Window (1954). Available online at: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/76472/rear-window.html Accessed 18th February 2012
Dirks, Tim. Filmsite Movie Review. Rear Window. Available online at http://www.filmsite.org/rear4.html Accessed 18th February 2012
Caruso, D.J. (2007). Disturbia.
Powell, Michael. (1960). Peeping Tom
Illustration List
Fig 1: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://waingapu-movie.blogspot.com/2011/02/rear-window-1954.html
Fig 2: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://events.uvic.ca/?view=day&month=10&day=19&year=2010&cal=42
Fig 3: Hitchcock, Alfred. (1954). Rear Window http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare6/rearwindow.htm
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Monday, 13 February 2012
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Film Review: Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1960) is a film that fluctuates between genres of film. However, it is the starting point of all the 'slasher' films that are in existence today. As reviewer Eric Meyerson suggests,"Psycho has inspired and influenced several decades of movie killers murdering pretty young objects" Meyerson,Eric.1999.Filmcritic.com Film Review. Psycho
It begins with the story of a woman named Marion Crane who steals forty thousand dollars from a client as she requires money in order to wed her lover.
She drives to a car dealer and exchanges her car for a new one. She is followed by a police officer who smells a rat but loses her when it begins to rain. Due to the rain, Marion stops at a motel called Bates Motel. It is a (now) characteristic seedy motel that is the perfect location for crime.
The owner of the motel is a man called Norman Bates who lives with his mentally ill mother. Norman invites Marion to dine with him. In the time when he goes to his house (which is adjacent to the motel)
she overhears a conversation between him and his mother. Norman seems distressed when he returns and Marion suggests that his mother be institutionalized if she is that great a bother.
Norman states that he would like to but he cannot bring himself to abandon her.
Later that evening, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower with a score playing in the background that is all too familiar to the audience of today due to it's use in many a parody of the same scene.
The nudity in this film has been done tactfully so as to avoid any frowns from the censor board.
The cinematography in this film is particularly gripping as the camera moves various objects of significance in and out of the frame.
The body of Marion is stowed into the boot of her car and drowned in a pit of quicksand by Norman who wishes to cover up for his mother.
Due to the disappearance of Marion, her sister Lila and Marion's fiancee Sam hire a private detective to go look for her. He traces her to The Bates Motel and gets too close to discovering the truth and is thus killed by what appears to be an old woman with a knife who reviewer Boseley Crowther states as being "deft at creeping up with a knife and sticking holes into people, drawing considerable blood." Crowther,Bosley. 1960. New York Times Film Review. Psycho.
A major element of suspense is the mother of Norman Bates. The audience is not given the opportunity to view her anterior until the very end.
Finally, not getting a response from the private detective, Lila and Sam decide to go and investigate the motel themselves. Sam distracts Norman while Lila investigates his house. During this time, the camera shifts from her face to the view she would hold. This is essential in generating a sense of tension among the audience.
She later discovers that Norman's mother is a corpse and that Norman has been pretending to be the personality of his mother and himself due to the guilt he possesses for killing her.
Ultimately, Norman is captured dressed as an old woman and is taken to jail where he is 'psycho' analised.
The end of the film is a voiceover of the voice of Norman's mother in his head. The personality of the mother has taken over. This puts the viewer in mind of the little boy in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) where he converses with his imaginary friend Tony.
Psycho is a film that brings to light the complexity of the human mind and the strangeness that dwells within it. As reviewer Bill Weber rightly states,"its power is not just that of a showman's calibrated scare machine, but of a somber fugue on the trapped 20th-century creatures who inhabit its world, clawing but never budging an inch." Weber,Bill.2010. Slant Magazine Film Review.Psycho.
Bibliography
Weber,Bill.2010. Slant Magazine Film Review.Psycho. Available online at http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/psycho/5126 Accessed on 8th February 2012
Meyerson,Eric.1999.Filmcritic.com Film Review. Psycho Available online at http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1960/psycho/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Crowther,Bosley. 1960. New York Times Film Review. Psycho. Available online at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE
Accessed on 8th February 2012
Kubrick,Stanley.1980.The Shining
Illustration List
Figure 1: Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online at http://freelancefolder.com/the-alfred-hitchcock-guide-to-branding/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Figure 2:Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online at http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/psycho-the-book-the-sequels/Content?oid=1794136 Accessed on 8th February 2012
Figure 3:Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online athttp://filmsufi.blogspot.com/2009/12/psycho-alfred-hitchcock-1960.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
 |
| Fig1: Psycho Film Poster |
It begins with the story of a woman named Marion Crane who steals forty thousand dollars from a client as she requires money in order to wed her lover.
She drives to a car dealer and exchanges her car for a new one. She is followed by a police officer who smells a rat but loses her when it begins to rain. Due to the rain, Marion stops at a motel called Bates Motel. It is a (now) characteristic seedy motel that is the perfect location for crime.
The owner of the motel is a man called Norman Bates who lives with his mentally ill mother. Norman invites Marion to dine with him. In the time when he goes to his house (which is adjacent to the motel)
she overhears a conversation between him and his mother. Norman seems distressed when he returns and Marion suggests that his mother be institutionalized if she is that great a bother.
Norman states that he would like to but he cannot bring himself to abandon her.
Later that evening, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower with a score playing in the background that is all too familiar to the audience of today due to it's use in many a parody of the same scene.
The nudity in this film has been done tactfully so as to avoid any frowns from the censor board.
The cinematography in this film is particularly gripping as the camera moves various objects of significance in and out of the frame.
 |
| Fig 2: The Famous Shower Murder |
The body of Marion is stowed into the boot of her car and drowned in a pit of quicksand by Norman who wishes to cover up for his mother.
Due to the disappearance of Marion, her sister Lila and Marion's fiancee Sam hire a private detective to go look for her. He traces her to The Bates Motel and gets too close to discovering the truth and is thus killed by what appears to be an old woman with a knife who reviewer Boseley Crowther states as being "deft at creeping up with a knife and sticking holes into people, drawing considerable blood." Crowther,Bosley. 1960. New York Times Film Review. Psycho.
A major element of suspense is the mother of Norman Bates. The audience is not given the opportunity to view her anterior until the very end.
Finally, not getting a response from the private detective, Lila and Sam decide to go and investigate the motel themselves. Sam distracts Norman while Lila investigates his house. During this time, the camera shifts from her face to the view she would hold. This is essential in generating a sense of tension among the audience.
 | |
| Fig 3: The Hous of Norman Bates |
She later discovers that Norman's mother is a corpse and that Norman has been pretending to be the personality of his mother and himself due to the guilt he possesses for killing her.
Ultimately, Norman is captured dressed as an old woman and is taken to jail where he is 'psycho' analised.
The end of the film is a voiceover of the voice of Norman's mother in his head. The personality of the mother has taken over. This puts the viewer in mind of the little boy in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) where he converses with his imaginary friend Tony.
Psycho is a film that brings to light the complexity of the human mind and the strangeness that dwells within it. As reviewer Bill Weber rightly states,"its power is not just that of a showman's calibrated scare machine, but of a somber fugue on the trapped 20th-century creatures who inhabit its world, clawing but never budging an inch." Weber,Bill.2010. Slant Magazine Film Review.Psycho.
Bibliography
Weber,Bill.2010. Slant Magazine Film Review.Psycho. Available online at http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/psycho/5126 Accessed on 8th February 2012
Meyerson,Eric.1999.Filmcritic.com Film Review. Psycho Available online at http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1960/psycho/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Crowther,Bosley. 1960. New York Times Film Review. Psycho. Available online at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE
Accessed on 8th February 2012
Kubrick,Stanley.1980.The Shining
Illustration List
Figure 1: Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online at http://freelancefolder.com/the-alfred-hitchcock-guide-to-branding/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Figure 2:Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online at http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/psycho-the-book-the-sequels/Content?oid=1794136 Accessed on 8th February 2012
Figure 3:Hitchcock Alfred.1960. Psycho Available online athttp://filmsufi.blogspot.com/2009/12/psycho-alfred-hitchcock-1960.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
Film Review: The Rope (1948)
Alfred Hitchcock's The Rope is essentially a play in the form of a film. The entire film takes place within a singular set that is viewed through numerous angles throughout.
The story begins with the murder of a man named David. He is strangled by a piece of rope by two of his former classmates by the names of Brandon Shaw and Philip Morgan respectively.
The murderers then stow the body away in a table that can store things. Think more of a chest and a table hybrid. To make the situation even better, the two throw a party where they invite the fiancee of the murder victim and her father. The party goes on at a rate where the audience is decently engaged in the conversation of the actors. Hitchcock has the talent of guiding the viewers' eyes to a particular area of the film so that they pay perfect attention to what they are supposed to. Everything is crystal clear. One feels like a mute being amongst the cast as one knows certain bits of the story that the characters do not. In this case, the audience is made aware from the very beginning that there is a body in the room. Everyone else in the room is oblivious to this idea. This is the main element that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. As reviewer Bosley Crowther states, "he has made his camera a random observer in an elegant suite of rooms in which a murder is being committed just as the picture begins" Crowther,Bosley.1948.New York Times Film Review.The Rope 1948
As the party progresses, Shaw and a classmate named Rupert Cadell discuss the idea of murder and how it should be allowed only to certain humans who are considered superior in intellect. They also argue about the idea of who is to decide the levels of superiority of each individual.
Another aspect of the movie that keeps the audience interested in the film is the right amount of theatricality in the acting of the cast. The expressions and actions are exaggerated to just the right degree so as to not be too unbelievable but not to monotonous to be too real. According to reviewer Jason Pitt, "Everyone involved, from an acting standpoint, handle themselves quite well" Pitt, Jason. Critical Film.com Film Review. The Rope 1948
One particular scene which holds a high level of significance when it comes to generating a sense of tension amongst the audience is the one where the camera is placed awkwardly between the table where the body is hidden and the rest of the characters. The only person in the frame is the maid who can be seen clearing the table. A conversation can be heard in the back but is paid no heed to as the audience is awaiting in bated breath for the killers to be exposed. However, they are not, for as the maid lifts the lid of the table, Shaw cleverly engages her in conversation and tells her to go home.
The end of this story is particularly engaging as it involves Cadell finding out about the body and using a gun to fire into the sky and call the police. The scene fades out with the three- Shaw, Morgan and Cadell sitting in the living room, awaiting the police's arrival. They seem rather calm for people who are involved with murder.
By watching this film, it is made clear that Alfred Hitchcock is certainly very skilled in engaging the audience in a storyline and generating a strong sense of tension with as few edits as possible. As reviewer Christopher Null rightly states, "(Hitchcock is)the Master of Suspense" Null,Christopher.1995.Filmcritic.com Film Review. The Rope 1948.
Bibliography
Null,Christopher.1995.Filmcritic.com Film Review. The Rope 1948. Available online at http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1948/rope/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Crowther,Bosley.1948.New York Times Film Review.The Rope 1948 Available online at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=980DE3D81630E03BBC4F51DFBE668383659EDE
Accessed on 8th February 2012
Pitt, Jason. Critical Film.com Film Review. The Rope 1948. Available online at http://www.critical-film.com/reviews/R/Rope/Rope.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
Illustration List
Fig 1: Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope Available online at http://technicolordreams70.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/retro-view-rope-1948/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Fig 2:Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope http://www.qwipster.net/rope.htm Accessed on 8th February 2012
Fig 3:Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope http://mollybolder.blogspot.com/2011/02/alfred-hitchcocks-rope-1948.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
The story begins with the murder of a man named David. He is strangled by a piece of rope by two of his former classmates by the names of Brandon Shaw and Philip Morgan respectively.
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| Fig 1: The Rope Movie Poster |
The murderers then stow the body away in a table that can store things. Think more of a chest and a table hybrid. To make the situation even better, the two throw a party where they invite the fiancee of the murder victim and her father. The party goes on at a rate where the audience is decently engaged in the conversation of the actors. Hitchcock has the talent of guiding the viewers' eyes to a particular area of the film so that they pay perfect attention to what they are supposed to. Everything is crystal clear. One feels like a mute being amongst the cast as one knows certain bits of the story that the characters do not. In this case, the audience is made aware from the very beginning that there is a body in the room. Everyone else in the room is oblivious to this idea. This is the main element that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. As reviewer Bosley Crowther states, "he has made his camera a random observer in an elegant suite of rooms in which a murder is being committed just as the picture begins" Crowther,Bosley.1948.New York Times Film Review.The Rope 1948
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| Fig 2: Shaw(left) and Morgan |
As the party progresses, Shaw and a classmate named Rupert Cadell discuss the idea of murder and how it should be allowed only to certain humans who are considered superior in intellect. They also argue about the idea of who is to decide the levels of superiority of each individual.
Another aspect of the movie that keeps the audience interested in the film is the right amount of theatricality in the acting of the cast. The expressions and actions are exaggerated to just the right degree so as to not be too unbelievable but not to monotonous to be too real. According to reviewer Jason Pitt, "Everyone involved, from an acting standpoint, handle themselves quite well" Pitt, Jason. Critical Film.com Film Review. The Rope 1948
One particular scene which holds a high level of significance when it comes to generating a sense of tension amongst the audience is the one where the camera is placed awkwardly between the table where the body is hidden and the rest of the characters. The only person in the frame is the maid who can be seen clearing the table. A conversation can be heard in the back but is paid no heed to as the audience is awaiting in bated breath for the killers to be exposed. However, they are not, for as the maid lifts the lid of the table, Shaw cleverly engages her in conversation and tells her to go home.
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| Fig 3: The Engaging Scene Involving The Table |
By watching this film, it is made clear that Alfred Hitchcock is certainly very skilled in engaging the audience in a storyline and generating a strong sense of tension with as few edits as possible. As reviewer Christopher Null rightly states, "(Hitchcock is)the Master of Suspense" Null,Christopher.1995.Filmcritic.com Film Review. The Rope 1948.
Bibliography
Null,Christopher.1995.Filmcritic.com Film Review. The Rope 1948. Available online at http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1948/rope/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Crowther,Bosley.1948.New York Times Film Review.The Rope 1948 Available online at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=980DE3D81630E03BBC4F51DFBE668383659EDE
Accessed on 8th February 2012
Pitt, Jason. Critical Film.com Film Review. The Rope 1948. Available online at http://www.critical-film.com/reviews/R/Rope/Rope.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
Illustration List
Fig 1: Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope Available online at http://technicolordreams70.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/retro-view-rope-1948/ Accessed on 8th February 2012
Fig 2:Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope http://www.qwipster.net/rope.htm Accessed on 8th February 2012
Fig 3:Hitchcock,Alfred.1948.The Rope http://mollybolder.blogspot.com/2011/02/alfred-hitchcocks-rope-1948.html Accessed on 8th February 2012
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Doon
Here are three concept variations of my character Doon. I have made it like a cartoon as I want my animation to be more like "The Roadrunner Show".
Let me know what you think.
Let me know what you think.
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| Darker Yellow |
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| Bright Yellow |
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| Blue |
Monday, 6 February 2012
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Story Idea 2: Doon-ed to be on Earth?
Doon is a member of the Mannequin species from outer space. His ship has crash landed in a restaurant and is stuck there. The restaurant does not want it to leave because it isn't very popular and it finally has something cool and unusual to get it noticed by the others. Doon needs to get the restaurant to let go of his spaceship so that he can get home.
He tries everything from getting a massive feather to tickle it, to trying to get it to float away in a massive bubble, getting the big bad wolf to blow it away ,using 'restaurant dissolving' acid , using a massive pair of tongs to extract the ship.He even tries demolishing it but the restaurant just dodges it. Talk about "badass"
Fed up, he orders a dynamite and setting it to restaurant destruction mode, places it in the restaurant. The dynamite explodes, the restaurant is scorched but the engine of the spaceship is ignited and the rocket launches and takes off without Doon.
This story is more on the comical side rather than the previous one (Creator) which is more on the dark side. It's applying for it's Sith title soon.
Do let me know what you think.
He tries everything from getting a massive feather to tickle it, to trying to get it to float away in a massive bubble, getting the big bad wolf to blow it away ,using 'restaurant dissolving' acid , using a massive pair of tongs to extract the ship.He even tries demolishing it but the restaurant just dodges it. Talk about "badass"
Fed up, he orders a dynamite and setting it to restaurant destruction mode, places it in the restaurant. The dynamite explodes, the restaurant is scorched but the engine of the spaceship is ignited and the rocket launches and takes off without Doon.
This story is more on the comical side rather than the previous one (Creator) which is more on the dark side. It's applying for it's Sith title soon.
Do let me know what you think.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Generation of Story Ideas: Creator
Quin is an eccentric being who is highly fascinated by the ideas of the creation of life. For a member of the Mannequin species (a bunch of hardy beings who have strong exoskeletons and extensive life spans), he is rather proactive in daily activities. He spends most of his spare time (which accounts for pretty much his entire life) working in the basement of his restaurant Eden, experimenting with organic matter. What better place to have a lab than in the hidden corners of a restaurant, the one place where meat and chemicals can exist and no one gives it too much thought. He almost has it sorted- his latest creation. It is a new species, a revolution. He has all the parts that this creature requires but the spark of life- how does one acquire that? It's available to all of the living but it is just a tad beyond reach.
He has engaged in all his research. He has tried to work with combustible devices that could supply enough energy to run a body. However, each and every one of them requires a container- a shell that prevents it from exploding. The only container that Quin can think of is the body of a Mannequin but that is a bit difficult to acquire without killing a fellow Mannequin. Cursed Law!
Another scientist from a town located a few miles away has devised a brilliant solution to the problem of energy generation. He calls it the Eternal Spark. It is a brilliant device. It looks like a stick of dynamite but it can burn forever. It requires a shell too- an encompassing chamber that will prevent it from exploding and causing damage (such as death)
The Eternal Spark was simple enough to recreate. Quin knew what he had to do. In fact, he had already made a working copy of it in his lab.
After a taxing number of days of engaging in research, Quin finally realized the only option that he had was the one that would work the best.
He placed the Eternal Spark in the Casper Cavity, a region located between the heart and the bowels of a Mannequin. It's purpose has troubled many a Mannequin philosophers to date. But Quin knew what it was for now. It was all so simple.
He wrote a letter to the creature he was about to bring to life. He doubted that he would be able to tell it himself as he would be too preoccupied supplying it with energy towards its existence.
Everything was in place, the Spark was about to be ignited.
There was a surge of energy so profound that even though it caused him excruciating pain, Quin was glad to bear it for there is no greater joy than that of creation.
The creature was almost there, almost alive. All it required was a few more moments of being subjected to Quin's life force.
In the final moments of its creation, the cables snapped with the high amounts of energy. Quin was barely conscious to witness the birth of his creation. He only caught a glimpse of it as it opened its eyes to a fresh new world and picked up the letter that Quin had left there for it to read before everything faded into darkness.
***
There was a sudden click. Like someone had turned the lights on and everything was suddenly crystal clear. Everything was new and it was all real.
Quin's creature lifted himself from the chair upon which he was seated. The first thing that he came into contact with was a rough substance made of brightness. It had characters on it. He looked at them with curiosity. He had never seen them before but strangely, he knew exactly what they meant.
They read:
Welcome to Life.
I'm sorry I couldn't be here to deliver this message myself. As you can see, I am otherwise engaged.
You will find things in the room above that you can refuel yourself with from time to time.
I have placed a learning device in your head called a brain. This should get you through most problems if you use it correctly.
Now go. Explore this new world that you are subjected to.
Be careful though.
Since I created you in my image, I shall call you Man.
You are capable of so much and I wish I could be there to see it but we can't all get what we want.
So take care Man. Find joy in the meaning of Life.
Love,
Quin
P.S. Stay away from the apples.
He has engaged in all his research. He has tried to work with combustible devices that could supply enough energy to run a body. However, each and every one of them requires a container- a shell that prevents it from exploding. The only container that Quin can think of is the body of a Mannequin but that is a bit difficult to acquire without killing a fellow Mannequin. Cursed Law!
Another scientist from a town located a few miles away has devised a brilliant solution to the problem of energy generation. He calls it the Eternal Spark. It is a brilliant device. It looks like a stick of dynamite but it can burn forever. It requires a shell too- an encompassing chamber that will prevent it from exploding and causing damage (such as death)
The Eternal Spark was simple enough to recreate. Quin knew what he had to do. In fact, he had already made a working copy of it in his lab.
After a taxing number of days of engaging in research, Quin finally realized the only option that he had was the one that would work the best.
He placed the Eternal Spark in the Casper Cavity, a region located between the heart and the bowels of a Mannequin. It's purpose has troubled many a Mannequin philosophers to date. But Quin knew what it was for now. It was all so simple.
He wrote a letter to the creature he was about to bring to life. He doubted that he would be able to tell it himself as he would be too preoccupied supplying it with energy towards its existence.
Everything was in place, the Spark was about to be ignited.
There was a surge of energy so profound that even though it caused him excruciating pain, Quin was glad to bear it for there is no greater joy than that of creation.
The creature was almost there, almost alive. All it required was a few more moments of being subjected to Quin's life force.
In the final moments of its creation, the cables snapped with the high amounts of energy. Quin was barely conscious to witness the birth of his creation. He only caught a glimpse of it as it opened its eyes to a fresh new world and picked up the letter that Quin had left there for it to read before everything faded into darkness.
***
There was a sudden click. Like someone had turned the lights on and everything was suddenly crystal clear. Everything was new and it was all real.
Quin's creature lifted himself from the chair upon which he was seated. The first thing that he came into contact with was a rough substance made of brightness. It had characters on it. He looked at them with curiosity. He had never seen them before but strangely, he knew exactly what they meant.
They read:
Welcome to Life.
I'm sorry I couldn't be here to deliver this message myself. As you can see, I am otherwise engaged.
You will find things in the room above that you can refuel yourself with from time to time.
I have placed a learning device in your head called a brain. This should get you through most problems if you use it correctly.
Now go. Explore this new world that you are subjected to.
Be careful though.
Since I created you in my image, I shall call you Man.
You are capable of so much and I wish I could be there to see it but we can't all get what we want.
So take care Man. Find joy in the meaning of Life.
Love,
Quin
P.S. Stay away from the apples.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
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