Let's have some rules before you SCREAM

I am not that kind who like to watch horror film. I’m fine if the film has violence and bloody scenes, but I cannot stand the pressure of psychological oppression. When my lecture, Mr. Joe introduced this horror film to the class, I feel like finally there are some horror film for the people who want to watch but too afraid and not dare to watch, just like me. The film is horror, but not too horror, and a little bit funny.

The movie is Scream.

The movie poster of Scream.
(Source: http://i.mtime.com/eagle4/blog/6307521/)

Scream is an America horror film or slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. This film successfully revived the slasher film in 1990s. The dialogue between the actors in the movie is used to irony the horror bloody film is being formulated gradually. The mask wear by the killer in the film has become a classic merchandise in Halloween.

(Source:http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/95344531.html)

The story starts with a high school student, Casey, who live in Woodsboro town is alone at home when her parent night out. Suddenly she receives a harassing phone call and the man keeps asking her questions about horror movie. The moment when she receives the call, she had become the target of a mysterious killer. Then, her boyfriend, Steve, and she was killed by the killer and her body is hang on the tree in front of her house. But these scenes just indicate there is a killer in this town. The main story starts when the main character, Sidney, becomes the target of the killer. And the people around her such as her boyfriend, friends, the policeman, the reporter and etc. have been involved in this mystery killing incident.

This film has a lot of bloody and death circumstances, and the general plot of horror film looks like, which is the identity of killer will be only known when the film is about to finish.

The film combines some different genres to satirize the cliché of horror film. Some genres that I can found are horror, comedy, mystery and action. The combination of genre also makes this film different from the other horror film at that time. It makes the narrative more interesting and not just a normal horror film that scare the audience.

HORROR

Let’s start with the first genre, horror. As I have mentioned in my last blog about another horror comedy film, Zombieland, horror film is designed to frighten and makes the audience panic. This film has a lot of bloody and chasing scenes that can makes the audience feels terrified and shocked. We can clearly see that the sub-genre for this film is massacre or slasher flicks, which is the killer who wearing a mask. Killer is very important character because he is just like the nightmare in this film. The audiences will feel nervous, uneasy and uncomfortable when he appears, just like the characters feels in the film.

Some of the bloody scenes. (Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/the%20scream%20trilogy)

The killer who wearing mask.(Source: http://popkey.co/m/GMNVQ-scream-movie-murderer-scare-scary-horror)

COMEDY

The types of comedy in this film is slapstick. I found that the action of the killer is a bit clumsy sometime. He keeps falling down or hit by other things when he is going to kill the target. The audience is panic while watching the film because the killer is chasing the target with a knife but suddenly the killer falls down with a funny pose. This totally change the mood of the film.

Another example is when the killer attacks Sidney in her house, Sidney runs to her room and close the door then blocks the door with another store’s door. When the killer come, he can’t enter the room and he just stuck in between the door slit. 

This is one of the scene where the killer wants to attacks Sidney in the school toilet but she avoids his attack and he just bumps into the basin.

MYSTERY

I say this film is some kind of mystery or detective film because the audience will keeps guessing who is the killer. It gives audience time to think and imagine the truth and the identity of killer. But there are also some misleading clues so that the audience will not know the ending before they finish watching the film.

For example, when Sidney attacked by the mystery killer, her boyfriend, Billy appeals at her house at the same time. So Sidney thought that Billy is the killer and she runs away. Then Billy is arrested. But Sidney receives the killer’s phone call again when Billy is in the police station. Sidney starts to think that she is wrong to Billy. Besides, the police officers also found out that the harassing phone calls are not called out from Billy’s cell phone but Sidney’s father’s phone. But actually the killer has two people and one of them is Billy. He traced the calls to Sidney’s father’s cell phone to frame him that he is the actual killer.

The audience will not think that Billy is the killer or even there are actually two killers at first because the story showed Billy seems to be being wronged, and all the evidences are pointed to Sidney’s father, Neil Prescott.

ACTION

Action scene showed when Sidney is fighting with the killer to survive.

(Source: http://wifflegif.com/tags/90541-sidney-prescott-gifs?page=4)

Sidney found out the killer actually is two people, Billy and Stu. She fights with them with the help of reporter, Gale. At last, Stu is killed by Sidney. Billy attacks Sidney but also killed by her by shooting on his head.

(Source: http://wifflegif.com/gifs/483007-sidney-prescott-neve-campbell-gif)

(Source: http://wifflegif.com/gifs/474587-sidney-prescott-matthew-lillard-gif)

There is also a lot of chasing scenes in this film, when the killer is chasing the target/victim all over the house. The killer chases Sidney when she is alone in her house. This is their first met.

(Source: http://wifflegif.com/gifs/483038-sidney-prescott-neve-campbell-gif)

Lastly, I think that this horror movie is more entertaining the audience compared to scare the audience. The story line is more twisted as we cannot figure out who is the killer before we finish watching the film. The combination of genre allow this film has an interesting content.

There is some rules for horror film.
Don't have sex with others.
Don't take drugs or alcohol.
Don't say "I'll be right back.".
Don't ask "Who's there？".
Don't check the source of weird sound alone.

Or else you will die.

There is a zombie on my lawn - Zombieland

When it comes to zombie, I immediately think about the computer game “Plants VS Zombie”, and there is a BGM for the game “Zombies on your lawn”. This game mixes the elements of cute and scary, which are the plants and the zombies. It makes me relate this type of game to the movie that I watched in Film Studies class last week, Zombieland.

(Source: http://www.popcap.com/games/plants-vs-zombies/extras)

Zombieland is an America zombie comedy film in 2009 directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. This film is about the virus spreads indiscriminately to whole world, humans have been transformed into a dehumanizing and bloodthirsty horror zombies. The main character, Columbus, the geeky college student, is one of the survivors. He was a little timid and cautious, but the experience that he had let him able to escape from the danger again and again. One day, Columbus meets the tough and valiant guy, Tallahassee, so they go together. Then, they meet the sexy and glamorous sisters, Wichita and Little Rock. They take an extended road trip across the Southwestern United States through this new zombie apocalypse. They are on a journey to find a sanctuary free from zombies.

(Source: http://deadline.com/2014/09/zombieland-2-gets-writer-and-urgency-843881/)

I’m surprise that this zombie film is different from the others zombie film. Normally we can see the disgusting bloody scenes, the scientists in white coat in research centres are developing the antidote for zombie virus, serious discussion about dark side of human nature and etc. It just four people driving a jeep travel in Zombieland. There are some genres we can classified for this film such as horror, comedy, romance, action, science fiction and road films. This combination makes the film content and narrative more interesting.

HORROR

Let’s talk about the first one, horror. Normally, a horror film is designed to frighten and makes the audiences panic. It is often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining the audiences at the same time in a cathartic experience. There are a few sub-genres for horror film such as unnatural, psychological, massacre or slasher flicks. The film, Zombieland is under unnatural, which is the zombies.

Coulrophobia is one of the antagonist in Zombieland.
It manifests in Columbus's mind and later in a real zombie.

(Source: http://giphy.com/gifs/zombie-blood-clown-l6qGwXXsI5J3W)

The 406 room's girl become zombie.(Source: http://bewarethehorrorblog.tumblr.com/post/28064747100)

These are another examples of zombie in Zombieland.

(Source: http://www.playbuzz.com/lukep11/zombieland-champions-cup)

(Source: http://latestissue.blogspot.my/2010_08_01_archive.html)

(Source: http://highdefnews.blogspot.my/2010/02/zombieland-nut-up-or-shut-up-edition.html)

COMEDY

Besides, comedy is one of the main genre for this film. There are three types of comedy being used in this film which are slapstick, dark comedy and parody to draw laughter out of audience. We can often see some of the characters acts funny visual action to draw attention. This is slapstick.

Tallahassee hits the fat zombie in supermarket.

(Source: http://indiretasdobem.com.br/blog/)

Sometimes they exaggerate the action to looks more funny. Another example is Bill Murray disguises himself to looks like a zombie so the others zombies will think that he is their type and do not disturb him. Unfortunately, he shot and killed by Columbus and die when he wants to scare Columbus and Little Rock.

(Source: http://media1.break.com/breakstudios/2011/10/25/zombieland-bill-murray.jpg)

Dark comedy consists dark, sarcastic and humorous stories to help the audience to ignored the darker serious such as death. For example, the “double tape” scenes repeat a number of times in the film. They kill the zombie with gun or car two times to make sure that the zombies are really die. Killing suppose a very cruel and serious case, but when the rule comes out the scene looks funny.

(Source: https://deadlyeverafter.com/2013/11/)

(Source: http://www.howtobeadad.com/page/3?s=diaper+load)

Parody usually imitates the idea of a serious film. This will make the audience to think those ideas from which original film and they will laugh when they find out. For example, Tallahassee is looking for Twinkies from the beginning to the end of the film. I’m so curious why they put this Twinkie idea into this movie. After some research, I found that the appearance of Bill Murray has related to this idea. Twinkie is a main food product used by Egon Spengler in explaining the level of ectoplasmic of New York in the first Ghostbusters movie. Bill Murray was the character from Ghostbusters.

(Source: http://badass007.skyrock.com/27.html)

ROMANCE

The romance between Columbus and Wichita. Columbus is attracted by Wichita at first but Little Rock said her sister does not like the man like Columbus but bad boy. I think Wichita is a brave, smart and rationale girl. She knows what should do to make sure that Little Rock and her can be survive. But Wichita starts to change her attitude when she slowly realizes that Columbus is a nice person. Their relationship become closer in Bill Murray's mansion. Then, Wichita and Little Rock are stuck in Pacific Playland because that place is crowded with zombies as they switch on all the lights and music of the playland and accidently attract zombies to come over. But luckily they save by Columbus and Tallahassee at last. Then, they fall in love to each other.

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

ACTION

An action film normally contain continuous high energy physical activities and extended chase scenes, fights and escape. We can see it clearly through all the characters. For example, the most tough guy, Tallahassee. He is an action typical hero in this film. He can shots hundreds of zombies by his own in Pacific Playland. He is always the one who kill the most numbered of zombies.

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

The starting scene showing the first rule of survive "Cardio" shows the zombie is chasing a fat guy. Columbus also chased by a group of zombies in Pacific Playland.

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

(Source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/zombieland%20gifs)

SCIENCE FICTION

Science fiction showed in the setting of apocalypse of Zombieland. The United States have fallen, most of the people transformed to zombies, even Columbus’s hometown, Columbus, Ohio also has been destroyed.

ROAD FILMS

Zombieland is also counted as a road films because the whole movie shows the characters are travelling from one place to another place. Columbus starts his journey from his college dorm located at Austin, Texas. He decides to go back to his hometown, Columbus, Ohio. On the way, he meets Tallahassee and they travel together. Then they meet Wichita and Little Rock in grocery store. After some incidents and conflicts, the sisters reveal that they wants to go to Pacific Playland amusement park in Los Angeles. After knowing his hometown has been destroyed and his probably his parent is killed by zombies, Columbus decides to go to California with others. They drop by an Indian souvenir shop and starts to destroy things. Then, they move on again. They reached Hollywood. Wichita directs them to go to Bill Murray's mansion. Wichita and Little Rock leave and go to Pacific Playland in the next morning. Columbus decides to go after Wichita and he tries to convinces Tallahassee to go with him. Then they have a fight with zombies in Pacific Playland. 

They take turn to rest and drive in the journey. This is where their relationship become closer and closer. This shows the bonding between the characters especially the scene where they are in the Indian souvenir shop. They break things and play happily. Friendship is grow among them.

(Source: http://giphy.com/gifs/zombieland-store-indian-dvNhpKo85ssJW)

Lastly, I will recommend this film to my friends who want to watch horror film but not dare to watch it. This film combines some of the genres and this makes the horror film is not just a horror film anymore. It is good to see a horror film that not only focuses on scare the audience but also entertain them.

Requiem For A Dream

A few days ago, I watched a film named “Requiem For A Dream” in my Film Studies class. When my lecture introduces this film to us, I’m not so interested because it seems like an old-fashioned style of American film. But after I finished watching it, I totally change my mind. This is an awesome anti-drug film I have ever seen.

Movie Poster of Requiem For A Dream

(Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=Requiem+for+a+Dream&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-5MfYtqrNAhVIRo8KHYTqA4UQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=4AYph8xoXpVafM%3A)

Requiem For A Dream is a American psychological film directed by Darren Aronofsky in 2000. This film is based on the novel of the same name by Hubert Selby. Jr. The story is about the four main characters infected by drugs addiction and what happen to them after all. They are under pressure neither physically nor mentally.

It is quite interesting that I found this film is one of the Top 10 Banned Film because of its psychological pressure. It is the few of banned film that not included too much of bloody, pornographic or mistreatment scene, all rely on director's editing and camera work, to pull the mood of the scene to the highest point.

The director uses fast cuts to present the act of drugs consumption. The scene of powder, fire, boiling water, rolling money, dilated pupils are playing in a fast speed and keep repeating to show the audience the pleasure of taking drugs. This kind of editing can pull audience into the story as if they are the people who taking drugs instead of showing them the characters are taking drugs. We can also call this kind of editing as Montage. The combination of different things can bring out the true meaning of the scene.

Screenshot of some scene that shows the act of drugs consumption.

The editing of cutting the screen into two parts, left and right, is also often used in this film. This can make the audience capture the facial expression of the characters more clearly. It also shows the contrast among the characters and enhance the mood of scene. For example, the starting scene when Harry wants to get the key from his mother, Sara, so that he can move away the television from the living room and sell it. He seems to be very angry outside the room, and she looks timid in the room. We can see that there is conflict among two of them.

Scene cuts into two parts to show both characters' emotion.

The camera position plays a very important role in this film. There are a lot of close up (CU) and extreme close up (ECU) are used to emphasize the mood of the scene. Most of the characters have this shooting scene like there is a camera just in front of their face to capture all their expression. Because of it is really close to the characters, it creates a sense of fear and pressure, a minor change of expression also might affect the audience’s mood.

Screenshots of some example of close up (CU).

I was impressed by the scene where Sara goes to see her doctor again, she starts to panic and has hallucination. The scene is shoot by fisheye lens. It not just enlarges the expression but also the emotions of the characters. The unbalance screen makes the audiences feel uncomfortable just like the character in the story.

Screenshot of fisheye lens scene.

The director, Darren Aronofsky, plays around the technique of Mise-en-shot in this film. All the camera angle, camera position, duration of shots, shot scale and pace of editing are well organized to enhance the narrative of the film. Different angle of camera shot creates different feelings. The shaking camera view also makes the audience become unbalance and confuse.

This film is a tribute to Perfect Blue, a Japanese animated psychological thriller-horror film directed by Satoshi Kon in 1997. There is a scene where Marion dips herself in bathtub is quite similar to Mima, the main character of Perfect Blue. Both of them are confuse, they cannot differentiate the reality and illusion. They slowly dig their dark side of human nature and lost their mind in illusion. No one can save them except their own self.

Mima in Perfect Blue (left) and Marion in Requiem For A Dream (right).

Besides the editing, how about the story?

It is awesome. 

This film really shows the dark side of human nature. Drugs, money, sex, things that might pull a person into Abyss. This is what actual happen in our society, maybe a little bit of exaggeration? But we cannot just ignore it because it does not happen around us. The audience has a chance to observe the character live for dream blindly, forgot the motive of their life, and lastly lost themselves in illusion. This film is not a normal American film, is a stirring masterpiece. It’s shocking is not primarily visual, but the soul, you will always remember this movie after watching it.

Spirited Away

Spirited Away poster

(Source: http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjYxMDcyMzIzNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNDg2MDU3._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg)

Spirited Away is a Japanese anime fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli in 2001. I know this movie when I was in primary school, but I have not watch the whole movie before, I just read through the story book that followed what exactly the movie shown, something like picture book.

Spirited Away comic book 1-5

(Source: http://pic.wenwen.soso.com/p/20090208/20090208143423-1190875923.jpg)

After I reading the books, I feel like the story is really attract me so I start to search for the movie. I think I have watch this movie more than 10 times but it still remains the classic for many people. Normally, I will prefer America cartoon compare to Japanese anime, because I like the character design and the stories especially the musical part. But Hayao Miyazaki’s film is an exception. He always puts in some ideas of nature, spirit and God to alert people to take good care of nature. His films also bring out the idea of love, courage and growth of somebody. All of this we can see in Spirited Away.

One of the idea that I like the most in this film is about natural environment issue. Haku and the ancient river spirit are the example. Haku is a river spirit at first but his home is paved over to build an apartment complex, so he is homeless now. He has no choice but to go to Yubaba’s bathhouse. Besides, people thought that the ancient river spirit is a stink spirit at first because it is polluted by human waste, rubbish, old furniture, bicycle and etc. Whether industrial civilization should be based on the damage of environment, this is still an issue that cannot be ignore by society. Hayao Miyazaki puts in these scenes not just to alert the people, but also teach the young generation to take care about environment. They can learn something while they are watching animation.

Ancient river spirit looks like a stink spirit because it is polluted.

There are many characters in this film such as Chihiro, Haku, Yubaba, Kamaji, Lin and Zaniba. All of them have very solid and clear characteristic and personality. The character I like the most in this movie is No Face. At first, I think that he is a mystery character because of his whole black body with mask. And he is quiet all the time. Some people said that he is a bad guy and some said he is good. I think he has both side. He is alone when the movie just starting, he just stands on the bridge, looks aimless and helpless, do not know where can he goes to. After he enter Yubaba’s bathhouse, he influenced by others, he thinks that gold is everything. Then, Chihiro brings him out of that place that made him become greedy, he returns to the quiet guy again, but this time he is not lonely anymore, he has his friend, Chihiro. I think this situation just like our life, as we enter the society, we are influence by others no matter good or bad, so we must have a clear mind to differentiate that what is true and what is wrong, do not lost ourselves like No Face, he is lucky because Chihiro is going to help him, but we are not as lucky as him all the times.

No Face stands on the bridge that in front of Yubaba's bathhouse.

The music that used in film also an important factor. I love the background music (BGM) that used in this film especially “On Summer Day” and “Always with Me”. It makes me feel warm and comfortable. All the scenes are recall in my mind every time I listen to the music.  This music can really pull the audience into the story, follow the rhythm to lost, to cry and to laugh.

“Here I can only send you, the rest of the way you have to go yourself, do not look back.”

This is what Haku said to Chihiro before she returns to her ordinary world. I think that this is so true. We need to leave our comfort zone as we grow up, our parents cannot protect us all the times, so we need to be strong enough to face all the problems and difficulty ourselves in future. We should keep moving in our life and do not live in the past although it is wonderful. The way we can make ourselves better is just looking forward, upgrade ourselves all the times, then we can create more beautiful memories.

This film won a lot of awards such as Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards. It is the only hand drawn animated film and Japanese animated film to win best animated film. It also won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival. It is a success animated film that can accept and love by the audience that come from all over the world. It is really a movie that worth to see it. It brings out a lot of meaning to define life.

Hayao Miyazaki received honorary Oscars for their lifetime contributions to film.

(Source: http://gbtimes.com/life/honorary-oscars-presented-6th-governors-awards)

Lastly, the most memorable sentence in this film,"Do not eat too much...... you will be killed!", seems like Hayao Miyazaki also cares about children obesity problem……just kidding!