Monday, 23 September 2013
"One Direction: This Is Us" Gives Fans Access to the Band Away From the Stage
Director Morgan Spurlock has made a career out of exposé-style documentaries that uncover the seedier side of seemingly mundane things. An excellent example is his debut film, "Super Size Me," where he showed exactly what happens when an average person consumes way too much McDonald's food. Making a film about an international boy-band phenomenon would seem to be way out of his usual comfort zone, but Spurlock proves equal to the task in "One Direction: This Is Us."
Spurlock gets unfettered access to band members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik, both while they are performing and behind the scenes. In most concert documentaries such as this, it is the footage that shows the band or musician dealing with everyday life that is the most intriguing to watch. In this film, the concert footage is actually just as interesting, in large part because of the way Spurlock uses his camera to make the viewers feel as if they were actually there at the concert. He also uses 3D technology, which is not only a first for Spurlock, but a first for this type of documentary. Though some critics have dismissed the use of 3D in films as a ploy, it is actually used to great effect in this movie. Audience members will quite literally feel as if they could reach out and touch the band members as they sing and dance in unison.
Only the concert footage is in 3D, with the rest of the film centering on life for each of the members away from performing. There are some real, slice-of-life moments collected for the film, including one band member's unveiling of a new home that he bought for his mother. The teary-eyed mom might just make the audience members a little bit misty too. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a different band member buys a house for himself and frets over the best way to decorate and furnish the house, especially since he will hardly ever be home to enjoy it.
In fact, it almost seems like a miracle that the band was ever able to enjoy a moment of silence at home. The film follows them on an international tour that had a grueling schedule and pace. In just a few months, the boys traveled across five continents and a seemingly innumerable amount of countries. Spurlock uses one of his trademark infographics to show just how much of the globe the band will traverse before the tour is over. In a nod to the mostly female fan base of the band, the infographic turns into the band's "1D" nickname.
Despite the breakneck pace of the tour, the boys never complain and always seem happy to sign an autograph or pose for a picture with an adoring fan, even when they are obviously exhausted. They also work tirelessly on their choreography, spending hours perfecting their moves for the show. They may have been overnight sensations, but they have to continuously work hard in order to stay on top of an increasingly competitive heap.
There are some moments in the documentary that look a lot like archival footage of the mania seen in the heyday of the Beatles. Legions of adoring fans screaming and occasionally crying are shown as the seemingly normal lads soak it all in. A single wave or wink from any one of the boys is enough to send some of these young teen girls into a tizzy. This footage seems to be Spurlock's way of showing just how big this group has become all across the world.
One doesn't have to already be a fan of One Direction in order to enjoy the film. The opening scenes give a recap of the group's meteoric rise to the top, beginning with the fact that all of them auditioned separately for "The X-Factor," a talent show starring notoriously prickly judge Simon Cowell. In fact, Cowell is interviewed and takes credit for putting the boys together to form the future superstar group, which is signed to his record label. This provides a nice refresher course for parents bringing their kids to the film or novice fans who don't know the band's history.
"One Direction: This Is Us" is a nice look into the making of a musical juggernaut that peels back a few layers to show the story behind the performances. Director Spurlock does a thorough job recording all of the work and effort behind the scenes without forgetting to embrace the target audience, some of whom will surely swoon like the adoring fans in the film.
World's Top 5 Highest Paid TV Personalities
Televisions have become an inescapable part of the modern society and commonplace in business, homes, and institutions. It is also the main source for education, sports, weather, music, entertainment, advertising, and news. The wider popularity of small screen has also provided an opportunity to artists and performers to earn immense wealth, gain popularity, and enjoy celebrity status..
TV Personalities consist of actors, producers, writers, managers, reality TV judges, journalists, political analysts, chefs, VJs, sportscasters, talk show hosts, stars, reality show hosts, and game show hosts. The increased popularity of the television has also unveiled many personalities, ranging from reality show hosts to producers, television judges, talk show hosts, and small screen stars. They have also become household names, immensely wealthy, and enjoy celebrity status because of their small screen appearances, endorsements, and entertainment-related works.
Forbes "The Highest-Paid TV Personalities" list for June 2012-June 2013 include 10 personalities, whose earnings were highest during the same period. The top 5 highest paid small screen performers selected from Forbes list include:
Simon Cowell, with a net worth of $350 million and annual earnings of $95 million is the highest paid small screen personality. He is producer, talent judge, and British Music executive. He is known for his talent judge role in American Idol, The X Factor, Pop Idol, and Britain's Got Talent. He is also the owner of music publishing and television production house Syco.
Howard Stern is born in New York City, New York on January 12, 1954. He is a television host, author, radio personality, photographer, and actor. His net worth is valued at $500 million, and his annual earnings are $95 million, putting him in a tie with Cowell for the top spot on the Forbes list. He is popular for his late night television shows, reality show judge, home video releases, books, and pay-per-view events.
Glenn Beck has annual earnings of $90 million. He is radio and television host, author, political commentator, producer, and media personality. He is known for the Glenn Beck television and radio program, Mercury Radio Arts, and 6 bestselling books.
Oprah Winfrey has annual earnings of $77 million and whooping $2.9 billion net worth. She was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States on January 29, 1954. She media proprietor, television talk show hosts, producer, actress, and also a philanthropist. She is known as queen of entertainment and reached the zenith of fame through her "The Oprah Winfrey Show".
Dr. Phil McGraw, was born on September 1, 1950 in Vinita, Oklahoma, United States. He is a TV personality, psychologist, and Television show host. With his annual earnings of $72 million, he is ranked 4th on the Forbes. In the late 1990, he appeared in "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and that appearance made him widely popular and gained him celebrity status. In 2002, he launched his own television show, Dr. Phil, for advising on his guest's trouble.
The other Forbes highest paid television personalities with their annual earnings include Rush Limbaugh ($66 million), Donald Trump ($63 million), Ryan Seacrest ($61 million), Ellen DeGeneres ($56 million), and Judy Sheindlin ($47 million).
You can also visit richest tv personalities on the Celeb Worth TV personalities page to find out more about other small screen stars who have become richest and most popular TV celebrities.
How to Layer Ableton Samples to Achieve Depth
Layering Ableton samples is a great way to add stereo imaging, loudness (while maintaining headroom), and space for your drum samples without using external plugins such as reverbs and delays. While many people (myself once included) may think that layering samples is as straightforward as putting two samples on top of each other, this is far from the truth, (and often this can actually create unwanted phasing issues).
While the above technique may sometimes work for adding high and low kicks together, the purpose of this tutorial is not intended for kick drums, but for claps, snares, hi hats, and percussive drum samples. It is based on the general concept that you do not want all of your transients hitting at the same time (more on this later). In fact, with the below technique, you technically are not even layering your drums, as the sounds never play at the exact same time!
Use the Same Drum Sample at Various Pitches
The first process will show you how to create various "rooms" for your drums, without resorting to reverbs, which can often take up too much space in a mix, or make your drum sounds too soft. Below is a great technique to keep your drums dry, but make them hit a bit harder and find a space within your mix.
1. Create a new sampler instrument and drag your Ableton samples (use a clap for this example) into the zone area.
2. Change the number of voices to 1 in the bottom right section of the drum sampler.
3. Create a one bar midi clip. We will be drawing in our clap - place a midi note exactly on the 2nd and 4th 1/4 notes of the bar, at the root key of your sampler (meaning your sample will be unpitched here). Mine is set at C3.
4. Now the trick. Exit "Snap to Grid" mode by pressing command + 4. Draw another midi note slightly after and 4 steps above the note at 1.2. Do the same for the note at 1.4, but try a note two steps below, and slightly later. The purpose of removing the grid is so that you can create smaller delay times between your samples.
5. Press play and take a listen - it should sound great! Try experimenting with the distance in between each of the two notes, and the second note's pitch. The second note's pitch and timing has a huge affect on the overall tone, and "room" of the clap, and because the number of voices is set to "1″, it cuts off that first note, so there are no phasing issues. The transient is happening again, but at a different time, and in place of the decay of that first ableton sample. Try turning voices to 2 and see what that sounds like - not so nice to my ears. Listen to the phasing!
6. Once you've heard how altering the timings and pitches of the notes sound like, try adding a third note, but this time slightly before the 1.2 mark. In fact, you can move that original note so that it does not hit exactly on the 2nd and 4th beats at all (if, for instance, your kick drum sample is exactly on beat, this may be preferable, as the sounds will cut through more since they will not be hitting at the same time). Or, try adding an additional note even later.
You can drastically change your claps, hi hats, and percussion this way. Keep experimenting!
Use Different Drum Samples With Drum Racks
If you've downloaded any of the Samples From Mars Ableton samples, such as the LinnDrum Library or CR-78 pack, we've given you many different pitches of drums so that you don't have to re-pitch the samples within Ableton. The reason we've done this is because we have re-pitched the sounds in the analog world, using either a tape machine, SP-1200, or both. Often this sound is preferable than pitching something digitally in Ableton.
With Drum Racks, you can also use different samples entirely, using the above concepts to create radically different Ableton samples. With drum racks, you additionally have the ability to pan each of the chains / notes, so you can create great stereo image drums which won't collapse in mono.
1. Create a new Drum Racks instrument and drag 2 - 3 different claps and/or snares into the corresponding zone area of 2 - 3 different drum pads.
2. Set each of these drum pads to the same "Choke" group.
3. Repeat steps 3 - 6 as listed above.
Visit my website to see images, they really help explain this concept much better!
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Student Bodies Horror Movie Review
We enter upon a serene, town where all is quiet on Halloween and Friday the 13th. Nevertheless, on Jaime Lee Curtis' birthday, an incessantly-breathing killer wearing green rubber gloves pertains to a residence to murder the baby sitter. First, he terrorizes her with a series of call, and afterwards freaks her out even more by slobbering through the phone. The baby sitter's boyfriend comes over for some action, and both are dispatched utilizing the awesome tool of selection... a paperclip!
A funeral is held for the two teens at Lamab High School. When 2 children choose to elope to have sex in an automobile, they are eliminated by a different weapon horse head bookend! The student body is now scared; the awesome is knocking off all kids having sex. In the words of one lady, "Oh, no. he can erase the entire senior course!" The authorities believe the one responsible is Toby, an innocent virgin who is asked by the college principal, Mr. Dumpkin, to seek psychiatric therapy. Nevertheless, as the body count rises, Toby's future seems bleak.
As presumed, the plot gets totally lost early on in favor of a non-stop string of verbal, visual, and audible gags. Remarkably, nonetheless, I thought many of the gags struck, thinking about the target. Paradoxically enough, Paramount was mainly responsible for trying to duplicate every Halloween rip-off you can possibly imagine, with the Friday The 13th franchise business being a significant moneymaker. It appears odd that the same studio would have made Student Bodies, but they obviously didn't give a damn about this movie from the beginning.
Apparently, director Michael Ritchie saw prospective in Student Bodies, however something went terribly wrong. Ritchie's name is nowhere in the credits. Rather, Rose was given the director's credit and the producer is Alan Smithee, the notorious pseudonym indicating that someone desires their name off the job. What happened? When you view the film, the jokes gradually decrease in numbers, and the ending lands like a huge thud. After doing some research, my theory is that Richie either left or was fired throughout manufacturing, and Rose took it upon himself to finish the picture. Regardless, Student Bodies reveals numerous indicators of post-production tinkering and anomalies, every little thing from bad calling to an ending that feels frantically tacked-on.
Technically speaking, it's not an excellent film. Student Bodies simply provides a collection of jokes and very little more, but a minimum of it's true to its purpose. The killer has an awesome choice of wielding of weapons, knives, and machetes, and opts instead for paperclips, eggplants, and horse head bookends. Similar to a lot of slasher films, all the adolescent characters are absolutely nothing more than horny targets. These unknown stars all play it totally straight, which only contributes to the movie's dreadful nature.
Some of the jokes are definitely immature and crude. When the Breather gets into the female locker room, he chooses to flog the dolphin; and when the senior prom queen gets killed, her guy wishes to make love one last time. There are even anti-PC gags including a blind motorist and paralyzed vehicle driver fighting over the only handicapped parking spot. The very best laughs originate from on-screen character oversights. Nevertheless, the genuine highlight is a statement interrupting the motion picture, with a studio manufacturer stating that while the film includes no nudity, sex, or graphic violence the manufacturers are still choosing an R-rating because they are the "most" profitable when it concerns a movie going public. Then the R-rated logo design flashes on the screen. Say what you want, however I think its brilliant!
All of the efficiencies are dreadful, though I think it was intentional. Few of the actors at work here appeared in anything ever once again. In fact, the only one of any known origin is Richard Belzer, who offers the voice to The Breather. The most memorable character and almost all various other Student Bodies evaluations will inform you the exact same thing is a comedian understood just as The Stick. Couple of know who he truly is, though he's gotten popular for this hilarious duty.
I like to include Student Bodies in my unique list of films that will make you laugh, no matter what. For anyone who likes slasher horror movies of the late '70s and early '80s, it's a no brainer that you need to watch this movie.
Friday, 20 September 2013
Cinesthesia: A Synergy of the Senses
Cinemalaya, now on its ninth year, undoubtedly is the most prestigious independent film festival in the Philippines attracting not only Filipino movie fans but also tourists from different parts of the globe. As years pass, Cinemalaya proves to be going nowhere but towards the top. In a span of nine years, Cinemalaya has produced a handful of internationally acclaimed and award-winning films. No wonder many people long to be a part of this grand festival staged nowhere else but in the elegant and sophisticated Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Last year, I was lucky enough to see Adolfo Alix, Jr.'s Kalayaan on the day before the festival's closing. That semester, we had a four-hour break during Saturdays so I decided to spend it seeing a good film. A friend came a long and we had so much fun. We were even lucky enough to have our tickets signed by the great director. That first time surely was a good time. So I told myself, "I'll be coming back."
This year, I was, again, lucky that the opening fell on a late Friday afternoon. It was just right for our dismissal and we had no school work to finish for the next day. We were dismissed way ahead of time and I arrived at CCP hours early. It's a good thing another friend lent me a book so I just killed time reading. It was a fun read by the way. The opening night of Cinemalaya involves a short program and an opening film right after. However, I live quite far from the venue and I was hesitant about seeing the film. It was scheduled to start at seven in the evening. It isn't so safe for a slender-bodied girl to still be at the streets of Metro Manila late in the evening. Days before, I invited my two high school friends who were massive movie fans to go to the opening with me. Sadly, it didn't happen. Well, the other one went but not because of my invitation but because he was coming with his college buddies. Technically, I went alone. I just happened to see one of my movie friends there.
I can feel the prestige everywhere. Aside form the splendid venue, people were so important-looking. I felt like I was some random Cinderella in a ball where the most affluent people have gathered together. I've got no prince charming though. Sad. Cinemalaya really is a big deal. Half of my heart was on its way to regretting why I was so foolishly bold to go alone and the other half was hoping that something nice would soon happen to make me feel that it was all worth it. The hopeful part was right. It all started when my movie friend arrived. His presence made me feel a lot less alone. Then, we saw significant figures in the world of television and filmmaking like Adolfo Alix, Jr., Laurice Guillen, Joseph Morong and Howie Severino. But what I could say to be the best thing about that night was the opening film. It was a documentary following the relationship of Jazz with his German boyfriend. It was called Jazz In Love. It was honest, brilliantly presented, occasionally and naturally funny, and at the same time, it was heartbreaking. It was beautiful. I went home joyously telling myself, "I'm glad I came."
The next day, I intended to come back but the weather appears to be stopping me. The rain fell too heavily. But then, I let nothing stop me. So, yes, I came back to see two films: Amor y Muerte and Purok 7. Most of the shows already ran out of tickets. Good thing I already bought one on the opening. It was for the erotic and daring Amor y Muerte set in a village in the province during the Spanish regime. It revolved mainly on the disagreeing beliefs of the early Filipinos and the Spanish conquistadors regarding religion, sexuality, and love. I was supposed to see just Amor y Muerte but when I found out that Purok 7′s gala screening fell on this same day, I made sure I could get a ticket. I was so eager to see Purok 7 because it appears to be really simple (and sometimes, the simplest proves to be the most beautiful) and because it has Julian Trono. I like Julian a lot because he looks so much like my current crush. Sadly, Julian Trono was not present during the gala night of his film because of his previous engagements. Purok 7 was centered on the two siblings who started living on their own when their mother decided to try her luck overseas to give them a brighter tomorrow. The film triumphantly reflected the simple and down-at-heel yet cheery district. And I arrived home tired and satisfied. And so I told myself, "Everything was worth it."
I wasn't able to see more because of the exceedingly heavy demands of my course (third year Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering student here). I would if I could. Really. Why not? I haven't seen a film for quite a while and Cinemalaya reminded me of why I fell head over heels in love with them. And what did the synergy of my senses whispered to my soul? "Ah, this is what I stay alive for."
I went home joyously telling myself, "I'm glad I came."
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Eric Bana: From Comedian to Dramatic Star
Though he's only been exposed to American audiences a short time, Eric Bana is no newcomer to the entertainment industry. His star had been on the rise for quite some time in his native land of Australia before he made his debut in front of US audiences in the 2001 action film "Black Hawk Down." With his success in American films, Bana has become an even bigger name, leading many to wonder about the history behind this particular Australian import.
Bana was born in 1968 in the Australian city of Melbourne. Originally named Eric Bandinovic-he's of Croatian descent-Bana was the second son of father Ivan, a worker at an American tractor company, and mother Eleanor, a hairdresser. His early years were spent in the Melbourne suburb of Tullamarine, and though he had early hopes of becoming an actor, he didn't actually begin performing until his early twenties. As a barman at a Melbourne hotel, he began to perform stand-up comedy at many of the city's pubs, sharpening his comedic timing. While it wasn't the acting he dreamt of doing, he was following in the footsteps of one of his earliest entertainment influences, Richard Pryor.
Though his pub earnings were slim, the performances managed to get him the notice he needed to earn an invitation to perform on "Tonight Live," a late-night talk show. From there, things began to look up as far as his comedy career was concerned. Producers from "Full Frontal," a comedy sketch series, saw his talk-show performance and inviting him to join. His job at "Full Frontal" was twofold, requiring him to appear as a performer as well as write for the series. It was during his run on the show that Bana started his rise to fame, with a mix of original characters and impressions serving to show off his comedic range. His popularity was widespread enough that he was able to release his first comedy album, "Out of Bounds," in 1994. This was quickly followed by a 1996 comedy special on television and the launch of his sketch series, "The Eric Bana Show," in 1997.
It wasn't all work and no play for Bana during this period though. While performing on "Full Frontal," he met his future wife, Rebecca Gleeson. She had worked as a publicist at the same network where he worked. After two years of dating, the two married in 1997. Since then, they have had two children, a son born in 1999 and a daughter in 2002. He also began to participate in several charitable endeavors during the same period, including a yearly motorcycle event that collects toys and money to help children during the Christmas season. His riding isn't limited to motorcycles, though, as he also began motor sport racing in 1996. This passion for cars didn't start with his television success; he very nearly became a mechanic during his teen years instead of completing his schooling.
The cancellation of his show didn't slow Bana down. What it did was change his focus to movies instead. His film debut was a supporting role in 1997's "The Castle." His performance was considered a critical success, increasing his recognition and helping his reputation to recover from his show's difficulties. The biggest thing to come from his film debut, however, was the opportunity to perform the title role in the film "Chopper." The new movie was a departure from his earlier work, a dramatic role that would greatly stretch his acting ability. Bana was up to the task at hand, gaining thirty pounds through a junk-food diet and shaving his head to more closely resemble the character he was portraying, Chopper Read. He even spent several days with the Australian criminal Read, learning how to move and talk like the man. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as the film was nominated for Best Film in the 2001 Australian Film Institute Awards, and Bana himself managed to walk away from the awards with the Best Actor win.
After his Best Actor win in 2001, it was no surprise that Bana was approached by American filmmakers, including director Ridley Scott. Scott cast Bana in "Black Hawk Down" as a Delta Force soldier. As with his role in "Chopper," Bana went through great lengths to prepare for the part. He lost the weight he'd gained for his previous role and did a bit of training with actual Delta Force soldiers. The result was a memorable character who caused American audiences to clamor for more of the Australian actor. From there, Bana's work was largely Hollywood based, with roles in films such as Ang Lee's "Hulk" as Bruce Banner, "Troy" with Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg's "Munich," and the first film of the recent "Star Trek" reboot. He's even been back to Australia for the occasional part that's managed to strike his particular interest.
Stardom hasn't seemed to change Eric Bana much though. He still resides in Melbourne with his family, still enjoys motor sports, and spends as little time in Hollywood as possible. For Bana, acting is a job worth pursuing, but his passions still remain in his Australian homeland.
I Spit On Your Grave - The Notorious Video Nasty
I Spit On Your Grave grave - whose original title was Day of the Woman - is one of the most controversial horror movies of all time. When it was first released as Day of the Woman in 1978, the extent of the violence was so graphic that the movie had to be edited down quite considerably, in strict adherence to the regulations of the Motion Picture Association of America. However, in 1980, the Jerry Gross Organisation, who were known for making a series of grindhouse movies, including Zombie Flesh Eaters, gave the film a wider release. They restored many of the cuts and renamed the film I Spit On Your Grave. And that is the title which instantly springs to mind when people remember its notorious reputation for graphic violence against women.
The movie tells the story of a writer called Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), who sets up residence in an idyllic lakeside cabin to write her first novel. Unfortunately, her presence in the area attracts the worst kind of attention in the form of three local roughnecks: Johnny, a garage owner, and his two cronies, Stanley and Andy. The latter two, on discovering where she lives, begin to cruise by her cabin in their speedboat, and during the night they surreptitiously prowl around in the nearby woods, studying her cabin with obvious baleful intent.
A couple of days later, they surprise Jennifer in their speedboat as she relaxes on the lake, and tow her to the shore. There follows a most horrific and graphic rape scene, perpetrated by the three men, which also involves Matthew, a mentally impaired grocer boy. Virtually no dialogue is spoken throughout this lengthy, disturbing scene, which lasts for almost half an hour. The gang then order Matthew to kill Jennifer, but he can't bring himself to do it. However, later on, he lies by saying that he did stab Jennifer to death.
As the weeks go by, Jennifer's mental state deteriorates as she relives the events of that horrific day. She has now changed from the happy, carefree, level-headed girl who arrived here from New York City into an extremely disturbed, bitter and vengeful victim. Consequently, all she can think of now is exacting a gruesome revenge on the scum that violated her body and who very nearly killed her.
As it turns out, she certainly shows no mercy whatsoever in giving her violators their comeuppance. The halfwit Matthew is coaxed into a sex session... and is hung by the neck. Whilst luxuriating in a hot bath, Jennifer brutally castrates the aroused Johnny... and relishes his screams of agony as he bleeds to death.
When Stanley and Andy learn of Johnny's disappearance, they make for Jennifer's cabin in their speedboat, worried about their friend's safety. Brandishing an axe, Andy leaves the boat and confronts Jennifer, but she dispossesses him of the weapon and buries it right in his back. She dispatches Stanley with equal brutality, disembowelling him with the boat's propellors as he drowns. As Andy and Stanley's bodies sink into the lake, the avenged Jennifer wears a twisted smile as she speeds away on the boat.
Although I Spit On Your Grave was severely condemned by critics for its explicit content, and although it was banned from the cinemas by the censors, who took a very dim view of its apparent glorification of violence against women, the movie did eventually find its way onto home video in many of these countries, gaining it a new audience. In the United Kingdom, the film was cited as a video nasty.
In 2010 the movie was remade, with actress Sarah Butler taking the role of Jennifer.
Alan To (real name Alan Toner) is a successful author of Kindle books. He writes mainly in the ghost and horror genres. In addition to writing Kindle books and articles, he is also currently at work on his first novel. His Amazon Author page is at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alan-Toner/e/B0088YISQ8/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
His official website is at: http://www.wirralwriter.co.uk
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
The Biggest Blockbusters of August
One of the best things about summer has always been the release of the year's great blockbusters. For decades, Hollywood has been in the habit of releasing its slow, deliberately paced works of art in the downtime between summer and Christmas. The larger family films have been coming at the end of the year. During the summer, however, all bets are off. Big budgets, massive explosions, action heroes who restart dead suns by punching them-all of it's on the table for a few glorious months between May and August.
August is, of course, the end of the season. It's the time to pack away the camping gear, close the pool, and get the kids ready for the new school year. It's also a time for retrospection. Every success and failure of the summer blockbuster season is reviewed by studio executives for insight into what the ever-fickle audience is buying. Every last ticket that was sold during the summer is tantamount to a vote in favor of a particular movie, and the decisions audiences have made by the end of August will shape the decisions the studios make when they're planning the next year's smash-hit season.
Here are some of the hits that spent August 2013 lighting up the box office. The more successful of them will doubtless be followed by other, similar films, so these hits can be taken as hints about what the 2014 summer season and beyond will offer.
"The Great Gatsby," as literature, is far too well known to need exposition. As a film, however, it has certain features that make it distinct. The 2013 film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the role he's apparently been training for all his life, unintentionally puts a unique twist on the old story. Fitzgerald's novel seems to have been intended as a kind of modern version of "Les Miserables." The story of a wealthy man who runs over a poor child, and of what happens then, is intended to showcase the tremendous injustice in a society that values one kind of person more than another. In the film, however, what might be called the spirit of the age has made the story about the hardship this misfortune has placedon Gatsby.In years to come, it's possible that the film version of "The Great Gatsby" will again be studied as a signpost of the culture that created it.
Science fiction is always a productive well to dip into for an ambitious filmmaker. The genre rewards risk takers and visionaries, which is why "Star Trek Into Darkness" was so warmly received. This is the second film since the franchise reboot in 2009, and the consensus seems to be that J.J. Abrams has hit the mark yet again.
No summer movie season would be complete without a massive "Fast and Furious" sequel. This August, "Fast and Furious 6" hit theaters like a whirlwind: it came on fast and left everybody spinning. The "Fast and Furious" franchise has never aimed at the art-house demographic, but this installment did manage to include a human element to its plot that had been noticeably lacking in earlier films.
"Man of Steel" occupies the obligatory superhero turf for the summer of 2013. He's Superman, and hardly anything can reduce his impact onscreen. For upwards of seventy-five years, Superman has been saving the world. In 2013, Henry Cavill delivered an impassioned-almost pained-performance that saved the franchise.
If it's zombies that are needed, " World War Z " has them. Told from the perspective of the survivors and veterans of the Great Zombie War, "World War Z" does what fantasy, science fiction, and even horror are supposed to do-hold a mirror up to present-day society. It's a rare action film that manages to make bureaucratic sloth into a driving force for the drama, but this movie makes the inaction as compelling as the action. It's a neat trick, and the filmmakers have executed it well. A typical viewer will be angrier at Congress for ignoring the zombie uprising than one could ever be at the zombies themselves, who are, after all, just being themselves.
For a certain period of time in the mid-'90s, movie studios were contractually obligated to pay Will Smith pretty much every time they released a movie. His particular specialty was in headlining huge, action-packed blockbusters that made summer the real holiday season for movie fans. In 2013, a little of the old magic is back with a pair of Will Smith films. "After Earth" starred Smith opposite his son Jayden and has been well received, even if it was a bit overshadowed by the rerelease of "Independence Day," this time in glorious 3-D.
Each of these films has done its part to make August the hottest month of the year for movies. Thanks to their success, moviegoers can expect more of the same in years to come.
The Bling Ring: Movie Review
After being expelled from Calabasas High School for excessive absences, Marc Hall (Israel Broussard), a quiet and friendless teenager with self-esteem problems, transfers to Indian Hills High School. He is quickly befriended by Rebecca Ahn (Katie Chang) who is obsessed with celebrity culture, and the pair bond over their shared love of fashion. While at party at Rebecca's Rebecca leads Marc to the street where she proceeds to check unlocked cars for valuables such as money and credit cards. When Marc mentions that a wealthy acquaintance of his is out of town for a prolonged period of time, Rebecca suggests the pair go to his house. Marc is hesitant, but Rebecca is persuasive, and they enter the house, again stealing valuables, including a handbag which Rebecca's idol, Lindsay Lohan, owns. Marc is then introduced to Rebecca's home schooled friends at a night club, Nicki (Emma Watson) and her adopted sister Sam (Taissa Farmiga), as well as Chloe (Claire Julien), who attends Indian Hills with Marc and Rebecca. While reading magazines and online articles about celebrities and fashion, Marc and Rebecca discover that Paris Hilton will be out of town hosting a party. Rebecca suggests they go there and, finding a key under the doormat, the pair enter Paris's house. After flaunting a bracelet she stole from there to Nicki, Sam, and Chloe at the party Rebecca and Marc take them back to Paris's house where they marvel at the excess of Hilton's lifestyle, and decide to 'go shopping'. After this the group frequently research when celebrities are going to be away from their houses in order for them to go and steal shoes, bags, dresses, cash, and jewelry and other valuables.
Broussard is exceptional as Marc. His character's attempt to be accepted and be a part of the 'in crowd' is always incredibly relatable even when his desire to do so spirals out of control with each more daring burglary and his growing reliance of the excessive party lifestyle, including heavy drug abuse. Chang is great too as the unofficial ringleader of The Bling Ring Rebecca, with her carefree demeanor yet her icy pathological undertones, as she persuades Marc to do what she wants. She's a character who could have been far more developed though, as her mere obsession with celebrity culture falls short as the sole motivation that drives her to undertake these robberies. The rest of the group also suffers from a lack of character development, although Farmiga has an enthralling scene as Sam involving the discovery of a gun whilst ransacking Megan Gale's house. Watson pulls off the dumb rich girl routine well as Nicki, but it is painful to watch her in this role, and the character description alone exemplifies that she's little more than a stereotype character mostly used for the occasional laugh.
The film is written in such a way that it seems a fictional depiction of the facts, almost a documentary, which makes for very interesting viewing. There is no sign of bias or agendas here, just the telling of a narrative. The film does not ask for audience sympathy towards The Bling Ring, nor does it go out of its way to portray the group in a negative light, which is an extraordinary feat. However, it is also a lost opportunity, because a topic like this has the potential to evoke a host of emotional responses. You almost want the film to make a statement about youth obsession with celebrity culture and excessive living. Yet the film chooses not to, and it really detracts it of having any depth. The Bling Ring is sort of just there. The entire film is spent following this group as they rob one celebrity house after another (and these scenes eventually become overly excessive themselves as they continue to incessantly occur) until the inevitable end when they are caught and their crime spree comes to an end.
Being a documentary-style film also brings its own problems to The Bling Ring. The bizarre choice is made to start the film with snippets from Marc's Vanity Fair interview, which occurs after The Bling Ring has been caught and are awaiting prosecution. While it's an intriguing first glimpse of his character, the interview is spasmodically used as a voice-over in the film, and the effect is very jarring because of its seemingly random use. The film also splices in snapshots of the celebrities whose houses The Bling Ring plan to rob from magazines, paparazzi photos, and internet articles which is similarly disorientating. However, their purpose to highlight the obsession with the celebrity culture is necessary. The splices are used to better effect when they're of Rebecca, Marc, and the rest of The Bling Ring constantly taking selfies at clubs and in the houses of celebrities and posting them on Facebook. All the while they're rocking out to delectable thumping soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the excessive lifestyle theme throughout the film.
Another problem documentaries raise is the question of how close what is depicted in the film is to what happened in real life. The Bling Ring never actually raises any controversial material in regards to this, but it renders audience's suspension of disbelief void with the question: Just how incompetent are all these people? The Bling Ring are able to enter these celebrities houses with a surprising amount of ease, which I guess is what makes this story slightly more fascinating, but it is frustrating to watch. Similarly, The Bling Ring never show any caution of being caught. They make little effort to scope out their intended target, or cover their faces or tracks very much, they rob some celebrity's houses several times, they openly sell the goods they have stolen, and then there's the aforementioned blatant exposure of their dirty deeds on Facebook. And just where are the parents of all these children throughout all of this? The Bling Ring certainly pushes the boundaries when it comes to tolerating the stupidity and audacity of its characters, even if it is attempting to highlight their inability to think of the consequences when privileged with such an excessive way of living.
While The Bling Ring boasts a solid cast, a great soundtrack, and is beautiful to look at, much like the shallow people which the film is based off, there's not all that much substance to the film as a whole.
While The Bling Ring boasts a solid cast, a great soundtrack, and is beautiful to look at, much like the shallow people which the film is based off, there's not all that much substance to the film as a whole.
Rating: 2.5/5
Monday, 16 September 2013
August Unspared in the 2013 Summer of Movie Flops
The month of August is generally considered the summer doldrums at the box office. The big blockbusters expected to gross in the hundreds of millions of dollars are usually released during June and July to take advantage of vacationing teenagers and the long Fourth of July weekend. This leaves movies released in August batting box-office cleanup, attempting to pull in the last remaining summer dollars before school begins again. Unfortunately, in a summer filled with financial failures, August has its own share of movie flops, including the biggest one of the month-"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones."
"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" wasn't expected to open big in its release week of August 23. Fortunately, since it had a production budget of only $60 million, a big opening wasn't necessary to see the film eventually make its way into the black. Even so, the opening weekend was far softer than expected, with a total intake of just over $9 million despite a wide release in 3,118 theaters. By the end of the month, it was clear that this young-adult thriller was no "Twilight," and the overall box-office reports were proof of another miss at recapturing that highly coveted audience. The total domestic intake was just short of $24 million for the month, and foreign earnings totaled only $9 million.
Though it's still early to dissect the box-office returns and assess blame, indicators are already pointing to a few things that may have gone wrong with the film's production and release. "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" is just one in a growing line of young-adult supernatural franchises on the market garnering Hollywood attention. The movie is based on a bestselling book series by writer Cassandra Clare about young demon hunters. Clare's books have managed to gather a large following of loyal readers, and the filmmakers were determined to present a film that matched the book series as closely as possible. According to critics, they were successful in doing so. Unfortunately, according to many of those same critics, that successful adherence to the book has been one of the largest problems with the movie.
One lesson that Hollywood has learned well is that adapting a book into a movie often requires drastic changes. Book plots are often altered and characters are removed, added, or merged in order to fit the shorter form of the film. By remaining loyal to Clare's fans and presenting a movie that so closely fits the book series, director Harald Zwart has managed to present a film that's high in melodrama but low in satisfaction. The book may leave readers anxiously awaiting the next one in the series, but the movie leaves many filmgoers wishing for just a bit more to give some sense of completion to go along with the anticipation. It's not a bad film, but it seems to demand that you be a fan of the books and know what comes next in order to enjoy the open ending.
The lack of earnings can't be blamed on the plotline alone. The series has plenty of fans, both at home and abroad, and these fans may just give the film the viewership it needs to turn a profit and snag a sequel. Once a sequel is released, many of those pesky open plotlines may be closed, and the first film may see a large boost in the home market. Until then, however, the summer of flops has taught Hollywood a few tough lessons that directly affect the way "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" has been received.
The largest flops this season were primarily original ideas or the first installments of new series. "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" is a prime example of this, with producers attempting to start an entirely new franchise complete with obvious sequel room. Other large summer 2013 flops such as "The Lone Ranger" and "R.I.P.D." further demonstrate the difficulties behind presenting new ideas to audiences. The big hits of the summer were generally sequels, from "Star Trek Into Darkness" to "Iron Man 3." Another lesson learned seems to be a change in the best summer release dates. Earlier releases appear to be best, as the highest-grossing movies were put out during the months of May and June. By the time July and August rolled around, moviegoers were suffering from theater fatigue, opting to stay at home for their entertainment rather than brave the movie houses. Under this new schedule, films like "The Mortal Instruments" have even less chance of being a hit.
Despite a summer filled with failed expectations, the overall box-office picture was a good one. The summer of 2013 may very well beat the record $4.15 billion box-office intake seen domestically in 2011. Although the record earnings are largely due to earlier blockbusters, "Mortal Instruments" still has a bit of a run left. Though it may not become a hit, a sequel may yet still find its way into the theaters if the foreign profits are high.
Anne Frank - The Whole Story (2001)
I must say that I cried like a child when this movie ended. A sad, sad story of life and death during the same World War II. The movie is inspired by a true story and it was written after Anne's diaries. The main character is Anne Frank, a beautiful, dreamy Jewish teenager who dies in a concentration camp during The Second World War. It was said she became a symbol for the one and a half million Jewish children killed in what was called "The Final Solution".
Anne was having a beautiful life with her family, her mum Edith, her father Otto and her elder sister Margot when the war came and everything was turned upside down. They managed to hide for a while together with another Jewish family but they got caught and were sent to a concentration camp. Being moved from a concentration camp to another, Anne, Margot and their mum get sick and die not long before the war ended.
The movie is rich in meanings, I found it hard to get some of them isolated and analyse them for you. Let's get a closer look!
- Bad Paula and good Paula. It was a story Anne's dad used to tell her at night before the bedtime. Who were bad Paula and good Paula? The two sides of the same coin, the good and the bad, yin and yang all mixed together. Life and death too, considering what happens later in the movie and bad Paula was the winner as it seemed, death was the winner and ravished so many lives...
- The dream scene. While living in a hidden place, Anne has a dream at some point. She sees herself flying in a beautiful dance, while skating - her wish for freedom, her wish to live her life freely.
- The nightmare scene. One night, being in the same hidden place, Anne has a nightmare. She sees her friend Hannah dressed up in rags begging for help. She wakes up terrified and goes to her father looking for protection. It was a premonitory dream considering the following events. But it was not Hannah in danger, it was Anne and her entire family.
- The bells. Being hidden, Anne's only pleasure was to watch people outside and listen to the bells being rung regularly. Probably those bells were the sign that there was still life and hope outside, there was still life and hope for her too.
- The singing birds. Being in a concentration camp, crawled by lice and eaten by scabies, close to her death day, Anne wakes up one morning and hears the birds singing. She smiles and feels enchanted by the beautiful song of the birds, a proof that despite the horrible twist of her destiny, her heart stayed pure and open to beauty until the end.
- The final scene. Her father Otto is given back Anne's diary and he hardly touches it with shaking hands. Dreams, hopes, a whole world was hidden there, a world left to live after Anne died.
Every time I watch such movies there is one thought coming to my mind. I am so grateful for everything God has given me and I am not going to complain about anything because I know there were people facing terrible destinies without having any fault.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)