Horror

The first horror movie I ever watched was The Amityville Horror, the 2005 remake. I remember feeling scared but I was 11 so I was probably terrified. I was sleeping round my friend’s house which was literally in the middle of nowhere with trees surrounding it. Due to the house being so old there were so many noises that were unexplained and I didn’t sleep for the whole night and was very quick to leave in the morning. When I went back and re-watched the film I didn’t really find it as scary as I had when I was younger. I think this was due to the fact that I knew what was coming. It was also down to the fact that as I had grown up I have seen much scarier films that were way more original. Even if I hadn’t of seen it when I was younger I still would have foreseen some of the things that happened in the film as it was very predictable.

I remember one scene that I found particularly frightening. The kid’s babysitter is dared to hide in the cupboard where this body of a little girl was found. Then with an extreme close up on the door handle, you see it slam shut on its own.  Extreme close ups are usually used to stress something or to show a particular detail that is important. In this circumstance it could be that no one was touching the door as it slammed shut. There is then an extreme close up on the lightbulb that is inside the cupboard where you see it flickering. In this instance the extreme close up hides what else is happening in the cupboard which makes the audience tense and leaves them not knowing what to expect. There is extreme low light in this scene as well which decreases what the audience can see leaving the audience in more suspense. Extreme close ups are used a lot in horror movies as they emphasis little details this is usually put with low light. This reduces what the audience can see. A fear that is played around with a lot in the horror genre is fear of the Unknown.

The next interesting shot is from inside the cupboard looking out from the babysitter’s perspective; there are lines going across the screen to so only small strips of the scene are shown. She can see a little girl on the bed who warned her about going into the cupboard and she seems less than interested. There are then more scenes like this where you can see the other two boys trying to get the door open. Children are used a lot in horror movies, for example the shining, the woman in black and the grudge. I think that this is because the audience sees children as innocents and if they are killed then that means the killer or bad guy is horrifically evil and when the children are the evil ones it is disconcerting as they are the exact opposite to what we picture them as being. 

Jurassic World

A films success can be measured in a number of different ways. Money is always taken into account as opening weekend figures usually determine whether or not a film gets a sequel. The amount of films made in a franchise often gives an indication as to how popular a film is, for example the star wars franchise is comprised of 6 films with more to come within the next few years and is seen as to be one of the most successful franchises in the world with a massive fan following. The size of a films fan base can also be seen as a measure of success.

Jurassic world earned over $200 million on its opening weekend and then went on to gross at over $600 million. It also has been reviled that there will be a sequel to this film. There are many reasons why this film was as successful as it was. One reason would be the cast. Chris Pratt had just been in the Marvel film Guardians of the galaxy as well as the popular sitcom parks and recreation so his name was well quite well known. He also has a large fan following that would go and see the movie solely because he stars in it.

Trailers for films are a great way of advertising the best the film has to offer but with the Jurassic world trailer they kept a lot back. They showed us a general premise for the movie and what we are to expect. However they did not show us the actual dinosaur. They gave us just enough to be aware of what it could do so that we would go and see the movie.

Another reason why this film gained so much success could be that it was already a well-loved franchise before this film. Many people would of gone to see it because they were drawn in by the trailer but others may of gone just to see if it would of lived up to the films that came before.  Other people may of spent money on this franchise because of the nostalgia they felt for the original movies. For example my mother grew up watching the first movies and was very excited to go and see Jurassic world when it came out.

The advertising is a big part of why the film became successful as the campaign itself was massive. The whole of waterloo station was plastered in Jurassic park poster and the trailer played on a screen at the main entrance there was also raptor statues which people took photos of and with which went online to further advertise for the film. 

For me the biggest reason why this film was as successful as it was is that even though it is a different film with a different cast the film had the same premise as the original series.  And many people would go and see it because it was a remake of the original. 

Mad Max:Fury Road

My Favourite Film of the summer is Mad Max: Fury Road. It is set in an apocalyptic world it and tells the story of a woman named Furiosa and the five wives of a War lord called Immortan Joe who keeps those wives as possessions rather than human beings and force them to bear his children. It was directed by George Miller and he had a budget of $150 million.

Part of the reason I loved this film was because of the character Furiosa. I like the fact that who I perceived as the strongest character of the film was a woman and that she is the one who ultimately kills Immortan joe. I think that the way she was written is how all women should be written in big blockbuster movies. We see her being strong when she’s fighting but we can also see her being weak for example when she finds out that where she comes from has been destroyed and there is a very powerful scene where she screams and falls to her knees. We also see her being a mother like protector figure to the five wives. There is almost desperation to her character which made her really human and flawed yet still powerful. She was more than one thing at any one time.  Charlize Theron was definitely the best person to portray her and she was very dedicated to the role as she shaved her head in order to play her.

I initially went to see this movie because I love Tom Hardy as an actor. I think he is a very versatile and he has such a talent for communicating without words. He can show many emotions on his face without uttering a single word which is what he does as the character Max. Max had lost both his wife and daughter and throughout the film he sees the ghost of his daughter. There was a backstory to Max but that wasn’t what the film was solely about. It told a different story which allowed much more action.

The film is looks incredible cinematically. George miller has the ability to make the dystopian world look terrible and terrifying. There was a very limited amount of CGI in this film so the explosions you were achieved by practical means and the cars you see get flipped are actually flipped. This makes the stunts look more authentic. The film doesn’t overdo it on the explosions either. Every stunt that takes place furthers the story.

The music in the film is very fast paced and unrelenting to match the action that takes place in the film. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seat and into the film. It gives of very dystopian vibes which adds to the whole look and feel of the film.

Overall Mad Max: Fury Road is my favourite film of the summer of 2015 because it was fun to watch and I felt like I was involved in the story.