Victorian Films by Universal Pictures- Van Helsing and The Wolf Man.

Through Wikepedia I copied information I thought I could analyse with the two horror films.

Van Helson -

Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film about vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, written, produced, and directed by Stephe Sommers. The film stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. The film opened on May 7, 2004.
The film is a homage and tribute to the Universal Horror Monster films from the '30s and '40s (also produced by Universal Studios), of which director Stephen Sommers is a fan. The titular character was inspired by Abraham Van Helsing from Irish author Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. Distributed by Universal Pictures, the film includes a number of monsters such as Count Dracula and the Frankenstein's monster in a way similar to the multi-monster movies that Universal produced in the 1940s, such as Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and House of Dracula.

(Why I highlighted the words)
The film itself is a horror film, based on the theme of monsters. 
I chose Van Helsing because it is quiet recent as it's in the 200s. But as we are timing our piece into the victorian times, I was thinking about the ideas behind how the writer, producer and director Stephe Sommers showed the time differences.
The idea of the film being distributed by Universal Pictures, the company itself founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle is very well known through many films such as 

• Back to the Future films
• Bring It On films
• About a Boy (film)
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
• American Pie 1 and 2
• Bad Boys (1983)
• 8 Mile
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin
• Bedtime Story
• Beethoven 1,2,3,4 and 5
• And many many more favourites.....

The idea of how the movie is constructed with the different monsters/creatures draws the audience in to see the new updated version of the mythical creatures. As Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolf Man are all very iconic monster figures

FACTS:
Directed by	Stephen Sommers
Produced by	Stephen Sommers Bob Ducsay
Written by	Stephen Sommers
Starring	Hugh Jackman Kate Beckinsale Richard Roxburgh David Wenham Will Kemp Kevin J. O'Connor Shuler Hensley
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Cinematography	Allen Daviau
Editing by	Bob Ducsay Kelly Matsumoto
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	May 5, 2004 (2004-05-05) United States (United States) May 7, 2004 (2004-05-07)
Running time	131 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$160 million
Gross revenue	$300,257,475
Preceded by	Van Helsing: The London

The Wolf Man-


The Wolf Man is a 1941 American Monster/Werewolf/Horror filmwritten by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as The Wolf Man, and it also stars Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Béla Lugosi, and Maria Ouspenskaya. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf.The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf movie, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London. A remake was released in early 2010 starring Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.


FACTS

Directed by	George Waggner
Produced by	George Waggner
Written by	Curt Siodmak
Starring	Lon Chaney, Jr. Claude Rains Warren William Ralph Bellamy Patric Knowles Bela Lugosi Maria Ouspenskaya Evelyn Ankers
Cinematography	Joseph Valentine, ASC
Editing by	Ted J. Kent
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	December 12, 1941 (1941-12-12)
Running time	71 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$180,000
Followed by	Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

Twilight review and Opening of Film:)

Twilight:)

I really like the book and film Twilight :)
Also the follow ons... the twilight saga, new moon, eclipse and the yet to be filmed Breaking dawn.

I would like to achieve a film opening like twilight.
♪♫ How the story unfolds even from the beginning, the intensive stream of thought as the soundtrack.

At the start you can hear the thoughts of the character Bella.
The idea of hearing all her thoughts and emotions makes you connect with the character more. You can see what the other characters can't.
I would like to maybe create the same audience achievement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcnioEOMKMM

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows: Peoples Opinions

Harry potter And The Deathly Hallows

Is the seventh book and film of the series. 

Author: J.K. Rowling.

Many peoples expectations were full filled and others didn't enjoy the film.

PEOPLES OPINIONS

Person1: (Male)

              I really enjoyed it. I have seen it three times:)

              I have been twice with mates and have taken my younger brother.

Person 2: (Male)

              I was expecting alot better then that. The book was better and I was really expecting it to be better, but maybe my expectations were too high.

Person 3: ( Male)

              That was totally awesome!

Person 4: (Female)

              I was expecting better then that -_-

Person 5: (Female) 

              Whens the next one out! I'm definitely going to see it!!!

Person 6: (Female)

              That weren't what I expected, but it was good.

I really enjoyed the film. I can't wait for the second part :)

     

Toy Story 3

Growing up disney pixar animations were amazing to me. They still are:)

I have watched all the Toy Stories and just watched  what appears to be the final one, Toy Story 3.
The characters:
The boy- Andy
And his toys- Woody, Buzz, Jessy, Bullseye, Rex, Hamm, Slinky dog, Mr Potatoe Head, Mrs Potatoe head, 3 green squeeze aliens, The Bucket soldiers, Barbie.

Andy is growing up and is off to college. His mum accidently puts the toys out to the bin thinking he doesnt need them anymore. As a audience we follow the toys as they get transfered to Sunshine Daycare centre where at first the toys seem nice until the truth is found out when the gang is sent to the pre-school children who attack and fight over them.

I really enjoyed the film and wasn't expecting it to be that good:)
I enjoyed the ending when Andy gives the toys away but stays to play with the child he gives them too :)

 

Slumdog Millionaire-Film review!:)

As a media trip, we went to the cinema and watched, Slumdog millionaire.

The film was about a eighteen year old called Jamal Malik. He was brought up on the streets of Mumbi. He becomes a contest on the show Who wants to be a millionaire. The police can't believe he has got as far as he had on the show, willing loads of money. His past through flash backs reveals how he knew the answers to the questions he was asked on the show. Love, money and war among other aspects of society is shown through the character of Jamal and others.

I really enjoyed the film. I think that the director, Danny Boyle showed the character of Jamal really well. I think that the ending was good but not as great in the beginning. The beginning made me curious and wanting to know what was going on. The ending, even though the romance between Jamal and his lover is reunited, i think the ending could have been made not in such a cliffhanger because I really wanted to know what happened next with the aftermath of his brothers death and their future.

Overall I think that the Danny Boyles film Slumdog millionaire was really good. I really enjoyed watching it. It clearly showed the protagonist being Jamal and his life changing experience.
The idea of what fourtune being money and  luck can do.

MrGrays...His Story

I decided to Annotate it to help me establish my ideas:
Basic Plot:

Raza is a 26 year old librarian at a city university - quiet and unassuming - he has not been in trouble with the police before.  Both are members of the local Islamic community.  Raza lives at home with his elderly father Idi.  Jack gambles on-line in his spare time and has run up massive debt on multiple credit cards.  Faced with mounting bills and the cost of his father's care Raza faces a difficult decision.

From this first Paragraph- Scene- Camera Shots must establish a normal day or Razas life.
Camera work(Shots, Movements, Angles), Mise en scene(Locations) and Editing must be used to represent his job of being a Librarian at a City University.
The idea of him being quiet and unassuming can be a good thing, then again used against him in court of him not speaking out about his fathers debt. - they don't know it's Jack.
The idea of his dad Jack gambling- could be represented through shot reverse shot of the contrast in location of Jack and Raza. Razas location at the library and Jack sat at home infront lazily infront of a computer on gambling. The idea of them being in masses of debt could be of extreme close ups of letters posting through the door or read letters saying URGENT. Giving emphasis on the words of mounting bills of post at the door- the struggle of opening it.
The Difficult decision-
Can be shown through facial expressions of Raza. Being torn between caring for his father and working. But he must work to some how pay off the debts.
Can also show a representation of his debt through him coming home from work and wanting to buy something to eat or getting money out of the back and there's a overdraft.
Buying something in public- Shop would be more embarrasing being among other characters in the store.
Trying to get money out and seeing the amount he is overdue could help the camera work emphasise on the difficultie- He could smash his first against the machine, A close up of his first could be interperted/anchored as many stress, agressive issues.


Police arrive at the family home to inform Idi that Raza has been arrested at work - charged with the murder of a local man, Frank Cordingley (a colleague of Raza's, from the University - he is a security guard, and ex-soldier - having served in Iraq and Afghanistan).  Cordingley is found dead in his flat, following the extraction of a large amount of money from his bank account.  A neighbour has identified Raza as visiting the house earlier in the day.  Questioning takes place.

The Camera follows a cop car, it stops short of a house. Razas house. Two people- women police officers exit the car, the only sound is their footsteps on the empty street- flowers hanging on the balcony of Franks flat. Peoples curtains-nets twitching as nosey neighbours eyes follow the women as the walk through the front of the garden up to the steps and to Razas front door. The editing moves back to the location of the libary as many police surround the back and front of the premiss. The the signal of a policemans hand- 3 fingers counting down..  3 2 1.
"GO GO GO!" The echoe of the word Go. The police storm through the doors. Ask Raza questions- the sound is blocked out- music is played. The camera work emphasises on the characters lips for the audience to sort of make out what they are saying but can visually see whats going on. The idea of it being Raza is established as the murderer was wearing the same clothes as him and him and Frank were having an arguement over Jack.
Then the words of the policemen " I am arresting you on suspision of Murder, You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you say may be given in evidence."
At that the noise cuts to the sound of the doorbell.
Razas father opens the door. They walk in. He follows them in to the living room. Jack sees them, switches off the computer and acts shifty and alert- through camera shots and transitions within the camera.They gesture the father to sit down. He sits.
The editing changes the camera back to Raza getting assisted to a police van. He gets shoved in. Then the editing changes back to Razas fathers facial expressions of disbelief.

Idi does not believe that his son is capable of such an act - but the situation is complicated by Raza's behaviour. He has retreated completely into himself, and is refusing to speak.  The police inspector DCI Hammond (female) is convinced of Raza's guilt and wants a conviction to bolster the public's confidence in the system.  She is aggressive in her approach and single-minded.  Her sergeant, Sgt. Tomas Imanov does not believe that the evidence adds up (despite being the one to uncover Raza's gambling debts).  He is sympathetic to Raza's case, but frustrated by his vow of silence.

Sound through Dialogue can be used to show Idis beliefs about Raza being innocent- could be talking to a police women, Jack or even muttering to himself- to convince the audience he believes Raza is innocent.
Razas behaviour must be shown through Camera shots( such as close ups) - editing of flashbacks- sound being a sympathetic soundtrack- emphasise on the mood of current events and the emotion of Razas character.

Raza is held on remand in a large, inner-city prison.  The inmates are primarily white and react badly to a Muslim accused of murdering a British soldier.  One of the prisoners (another ex-soldier), Danny Blick is serving 20 years for the rape of a young women.  He takes it upon himelf to organise a campaign of intimidation and violence against Raza.  The prison guards are not sympathetic to Raza, but want to avoid any calls of institutional racism.

Raza is put on Trial at the Old Bailey - he is being prosecuted by a charismatic and ambitious Barrister, Ali, aged 30 (from a Muslim background - but not devout).  Ali realises that a conviction of Raza will be his meal-ticket to landing a promotion to partner at his legal chambers.  His defence lawyer, Stirling Ellison  is an ancient and apparently disinterested barrister (male, 65) who is close to retirement.  Things do not look good for Raza - he finally breaks his oath of silence on the witness stand (under intense pressure from Ali) and the revelation is shocking.  Things go from bad to worse outside the courtroom as sectarian (religious conflict) tension rises in London.  Inside the courtroom, the case is about to go down ... until Striling Ellison rises to make his case for the defence - surprising everybody with a virtuoso perfomance he hasn't put in for years....

Oh ... and by the way ... Raza didn't kill Frank.

It wasn't Raza. At the end of the scene you see a over the shoulder shot from a dark figure, the figure watching Raza. The camera view changes through editing to a close up of the dark figures eyes. The eyes turn get smaller- distant as the camera zooms out to the image of Jack.