Here is a piece of music two other members in my group researched. The piece starts of quite slow, with a slight beat. As it goes on, new instruments are introduced such as violins, creating a very unsettling atmosphere. At points in the piece, the music suddenly goes quiet, and then picks up again, becoming more upbeat and louder. A part of the piece sounds like electricity, or something breaking up. The notes used are low-pitched. The piece is very eerie, creating a very tense atmosphere. This inspired us as it was very unsettling and uneasy, in places randomly loosing beat. This ties in with our concept as the person does not know that he is going to get captured and tortured. It is all unexpected.
Terence Fisher was one of the most talented and influential Hammer films director. Hammer film production was best known for its Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. They produced film genres of thriller, science fiction, film noir and comedy.
Fisher was one of the most famous horror directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was the first to bring Gothic horror in colour. Although his films were commercially successful, Fisher was given received very little critical attention throughout his career. His films were known for their 'fairy-tale' like qualities.
His first major horror film was 'The Curse of Frankenstein', where the actors of the film were made leading horror stars of the era. Some of the other classics he went on to film included, 'Dracula' (1958), 'The Mummy' (1959) and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (1959). He also made the 1962 version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' which was a commercial flop.
Prom Night (2008) Directed By Nelson McCormick Starring Brittany Show, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone
Prom Night is a mystery thriller. The storyline of the movie starts off with teenager Donna recounting to her analyst a flashback of the brutal murder of her family, by one of her former school teachers, who is obsessed with her. He was then caught and locked up 'for good'. Now living with her Aunt and Uncle, she is plagued by dreams of what happened to her family, fearing he has escaped prison and is out to get her once again. Her senior prom takes place. However the night turns from magic to murder when the psychopath Richard has escaped from prison and is lodged in the same floor in the hotel chasing Donna, stabbing anyone who gets in his way of reaching Donna.
Vantage Point (2008) Directed By Pete Travis Starring Denis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Vantage Point is an action thriller. The storyline is about when the President of the United States visits Spain and is about to address the city about an international treaty designed to combat global terrorism, in a public square. Moments after his arrival he is shot. A bomb also goes off in the square. There are 8 main characters, all at the city place when the shots ring out, all with a different 'vantage point'. This set of eight characters includes people in charge of the President’s security, the media, civilians and the people taking out the attack. Each time the clock rewinds and those same 15 minutes are told several times, from each of the person's perspectives, adding additional details until the terrifying truth behind the assassination attempt is revealed.
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) Directed and Written By Anthony Minghella Starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Talented Mr Ripley is a psychological thriller.Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City. The story starts off with Tom Ripley playing a piano, in a borrowed Princeton jacket, at a party. He is approached by a wealthy father of a recent Princeton, who believes Tom to be an actual graduate of the university and a friend of his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Ripley is then asked to travel to Italy to persuade Dickie to return to the US help run the family business.He agrees, although he does not know who Dickie is. When reaching Italy, contrives an "accidental" meeting on the beach with Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge Sherwoo. Lying his way through, he quickly becomes a part of their lives. Soon later things begin to change when Ripley offers to Greenleaf to travel with him on a short holiday to Sanremo. The two hire a small boat and head out to sea together.Eventually Ripley kills Greenleaf and goes to extreme lengths to take his identity, to make sure no one finds out about the murder.
We were given the task of creating a plot called the 'man-on-the-run'. We had to base our movie on a spoof, and so to help us, we watched the openings of a few movies such as 'The fugitive' and 'The Bourne Trilogy'.
The plot that our group came up with is as follows:
The scene starts off with a bus riding on a long, narrow, deserted road. The setting of the movie will be quite dark to create an eerie atmosphere. The audience are made to think that something ominous is about to take place.
The bus is holding prisoners that are being transported to another prison.
All of a sudden a small pair of lights appear in the distance heading in the direction of the bus.
The bus crashes into the car. The bus driver is not able to control the bus and so it skids and rolls off a hill.
The car has crashed and hits a big rock. Many of the prisoners on the bus are dead.
At this point the audience meet the main character. He is one of the prisoners.
The prisoner manages to escape out of the bus through a hole.
He makes a runner and travels to the nearest town.
In this next scene, he is on the phone to his friend. The audience discover that the prisoner has been wrongly convicted of doing a crime.
In the scene, we meet a man hiding amongst the crowds, eying the prisoner. He has a gun.
The man shoots, however misses as the prisoner realises his shoe lace is undone and bends down to re-tie it.
The prisoner ends his phone conversation and walks away, not noticing that he is being aimed at.
The man shoots again, failing to hit yet again. The prisoner realises he has been shot at and runs for his life. The chase is through a market place. They destroy everything while running, tripping over things too. This adds a bit of comedy.
The prisoner turns the corner, walking into a sweet shop crowded with demanding customers. The shooter looses track of him.
'Over Her Dead Body'
The film starts off with a shot viewing photographs of a couple. This suggests these two people could be main characters in the film.The last part of the shot is of their wedding invitation, which is going to take place. There is a romantic and calming piece of music playing in the background.It then shows a casting 'New line Cinema and Gold Cinde Film' present'. Suddenly the whole mood changes. Lively, merry music starts playing in the background. It is the big day. The wedding. Preparation is going on for the wedding, such as the tables,flowers, food etc. The first person to talk, is a female character. This suggests she is one of the main characters, as she is also the only one wearing coloured clothing. Our first impressions of the character, is that she is quite well off, bossy and fussy. We are also quickly introduced to the groom, which suggests he must be another main character.
There are a wide range of shots used in the opening of the film. Close-ups to introduce the main characters to the audience. There have also been a use of long shots and wide shots, to show the other characters that are involved in the scene. Tracking has also been used to follow one of the main characters around, so that the audience are able to get a sense of her surroundings.
From the second part of the clip, where the female character is bossy the workers around, the audience are made to think she is domineering and controlling. She seems to be taking control of the whole wedding and she likes things her own way. She has status, as the other people in the scene do not speak up to her.
The groom appears to be quite a laid back and calm character, as he is not helping with setting anything up. He does not appear in much of the first scene. He does not appear to be too stressed about the day, which may suggest he is not too bothered about image and setting of the wedding,
The workers in the background show signs of irritation.
The Eye (2008)
We meet the main character, straight in, as the film starts. The audience quickly come to learn that the character is blind, as she has a stick in her hand, and is wearing sun glasses. The music in the background is very soft and relaxing. The first part of the opening scene has been made in slow motion. It allows the audience to focus on the female character. The second character is quickly introduced. The boy on the skateboard. He is near the blind lady. It creates an ominous feeling. Suddenly the mood changes as a bus drives past. The blind women saves the boy on the skateboard by pulling him back. The first piece of speech starts. Narration also begins. She tells us that she lost her sight at the age of 5. The woman's tone of voice is quite eerie, and the fact that you can't see her eyes is a little mysterious. She walks on her own.
The film starts off with a mid long shot of the female character walking towards the camera. It then becomes a close-up. Low-angles have also been used. This made the female character look taller than everyone else increasing her importance. Long shots were used to show the surrounding of the main character. Point of View shots have also been used allowing the audience to experience being a character, in the world of the story.
The female character is blind. She enjoys playing the violin and is very good at it. She lives in an apartment on her own, and is able to do everyday life things, with her disability. She has an operation on her eyes, and she is able to see again.
