...Film review rebuttal Objective: to use current level of knowledge regarding film (production, marketing, distribution, editing, sound, cinematography, elements of miser-en-scene, narrative etc.) rebut or critique the opinion of a professionally prepared film with which you personally disagree. Rebuttal critique guidelines: the paper should be at least three full pages, excluding supporting material and citation pages. the paper should be written in an essay format- that is, an opening thesis paragraph clearly stating paper�s intent, points to be covered, and direction; followed by well-developed paragraphs on each concept to be covered; and ending with a clear summery and conclusion. Direction: choose a film which you believe peer audience commonly would or should see and appreciate. Recent films are preferred (in the last three years) American films only. After you have selected a film, find a review of the film which you disagree with in whole or in part. The review to rebut must be written by a professional reviewer (a fan posting to a blog is not a professional review, for instance.) your disagreement with the said film review may address factors you believed the original reviewer left out or did not develop well enough. A copy of the review used must be attached to the final draft of the essay. Film review content and focus: the paper�s focus should be to write a rebuttal to the professional review chosen. The rebuttal review must cite at least three points in which you disagree...
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...(2008) is an American drama film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also assumes the role of lead actor. Right from the outset, it becomes abundantly clear that Eastwood is having fun with this film and its central character, Walt Kowalski. Credit must go to Eastwood, given that his penchant for fun does not undermine the serious nature of the plot. The majority of film reviewers draw attention to Kowalski’s troubled existence in a changing world. Conflict escalates after the death of Kowalski’s wife, particularly as Kowalski’s life becomes embroiled with the Hmong family living next door. At the surface level of plot, this is a story about a man and his struggles with himself and the world around him. At a deeper level, however, this is a profoundly religious story through which a viewer may, to use Robert Ellis’ expression, “stumble across the gospel travelling incognito.”1 [2] Many scholars have demonstrated successfully that ostensibly secular films can sustain a religious interpretation. The potential for audiences to tap into the religious nature of certain films, to perceive a sacred subtext, is due to the fact that “narratives have a dual nature, namely, an overt plot and a covert storyline of varying complexity that is comparable to the metaphorical or symbolic within literature.”2 For this reason, as Anton Kozlovic explains, “secular film can engage in religious storytelling without appearing ‘religious’.”3 While most reviewers of Gran Torino focus largely...
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...Faisal Amjad 11/01/15 Film Appreciation The Film and novel I decided to do on is the classic To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which had a legendary cast starring Gregory Peck as Atticus and Mary Badham as Scout, this adaption of the book is as much a classic as the novel itself in my opinion which can be backed up by any person who is in American theater. The film received eight Academy Awards nominations and netted awards for Best Actor, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and Best Art Direction — Set Decoration, Black and White. This film was a critical adaption of the book. Fans and critiques alike rank this among the best movies of all time, it is ranked #84 top rated movie of all time on IMDB.com, (rated by the people and critiques alike) the production was very extensive and expensive for its time, the budget for the film was about 2 million dollars and made well over $15 million at the box office and it was filmed on 35mm role of film. It was directed by Robert Mulligan, Written by Harper Lee (based on her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"), and Horton Foote (screenplay) the movie was produced by universal international pictures....
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...Analyzing films is considered an art form that attempts to “break up the whole to discover the nature proportion, function, and interrelationships of the parts” (Boggs and Petrie, 2008). Final Fantasy, the first CGI (computer generated image) film featuring synthetic human actors, opens with its protagonist, Dr. Aki Ross, surveying her barren, alien surroundings. Aki wakes from the recurring dream and looks out at earth from the window of her spaceship. As the music swells, our heroine wonders if she will be able to save the world from the “phantom” spirits that have invaded it. Two scenes later, we learn that the phantoms also have infected Aki, effectively linking the fate of the devastated planet with that of a beautiful, young though entirely computer-generated into a female body. I’m introducing the film by way of Aki’s dubiously raced, female body for two reasons. First, Hironobu Sakaguchi, its creator, director and producer has made it clear in press releases and the supplemental documentary on the special edition DVD that the film functions as a showcase for the protagonist. “Identifying the theme can be considered both the beginning and the end of film analysis” (Boggs and Petrie, 2008). According to Sakaguchi, Aki represents his mother (the two share the same name) and his coming to terms with her death (Pham, 2001). Second and more to the point of my essay, critical reception of the film places strong emphasis on the character, which often is treated as a metonym for...
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...Luis Buñuel has once again created a surrealist piece to quickly grab the viewer's attention. The Phantom of Liberty is like a continuous triathlon without a finish line, but does not leave the audience exhausted after a number of events. Each story is effortlessly tied to the next like a different course in a triathlon, and is logical because as said by Roger Ebert, “[Buñuel’s] editing makes everything seem to follow with inevitable logic,” (Ebert). Buñuel was attempting to make the viewer believe the stories interlaced with each other by prompting other characters to appear on screen and connect the character’s lives together. The preconditioned idea humans created to believe in a resolution at the end of film is disregarded after an abundance...
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...has a habit of taking classic fairytales and spinning them in new and imaginative ways to create the next big blockbuster hit. Whether it’s changing the perspective or just adding a more modern setting, it’s clear that remastering fairytales is big right now. After viewing the trailer, I had high expectations about the 1987 musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine directed by Rob Marshall “Into the Woods”, an intermingling of the Grimm fairy tales, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel. Except for an occasional giggle, magical scenery and period costumes, the Disney rated PG film adaptation musical “Into the Woods” was a dark, hodge-podge of Grimm fairytales with themes of pedophilia, murder, disfigurement, child abuse and infidelity....
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...looking for the next big thing. When it comes to the film industry you can see the growth as new movies break box office records what seems like every couple months, and as of late comic based super hero movies seem to be benefiting the most with Marvel studios leading the way. With movies such as The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy hitting it big in the box office as well as receiving critical acclaim it was no surprise Marvels counter part DC was ready to follow with its next...
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...Issue No 59 FILM “Kia ora. My name is Boy and welcome to my interesting world.” With these words Boy invited audiences to watch Taika Waititi’s highly successful comedy/drama. Cinema opens windows into multiple worlds; the study of film provides the tools with which to explore and understand these worlds. For New Zealand actor Sam Neill, a long, lonely road was an essential image in the landscape of New Zealand filmmaking when he co-directed Cinema of Unease in 1996 with filmmaker Judy Rymer. Over the years talented scriptwriters, directors and producers have travelled this road. Today New Zealand cinema has moved far from its uneasy beginnings. It has become an international thoroughfare where the cinemas of the world, including Hollywood and Bollywood, come to tell stories using New Zealand’s production and post-production facilities, employing local actors, crew and other technical staff. The study of Film makes it possible to consider the diversity in New Zealand cinema and in all cinemas of the world. The disciplined approach to studying these cinemas allows students to better understand not only how cinema itself functions, but also how New Zealand cinema contributes to the global cinematic tapestry. play? How do filmmakers contribute to culture and influence societal attitudes? How can other disciplines, such as psychology, help us to better understand film? Film explores the breadth and depth of motion picture making from the early days of cinema to the multiplex era...
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...writing a good movie review. HYPERLINK "http://www.yourmoviereviews.com/" \t "_blank" Submit your movie review 1. Watch the movie The first step in writing the review is to watch the movie. Watch the movie in a relaxed environment you are familiar with. You do not want to be distracted by an unfamiliar room. Watching the movie a second time will help you absorb a lot more detail about the movie. Most movie reviewers take notes as they watch the movie review. 2. Give your opinion Most movie reviewers will give their opinion of the movie. This is important as the reviewer can express the elements of the movie they enjoyed or disliked. However, as in all good journalism, the reviewer should also give impartial details, and allow the reader to make their own mind over an issue the reader liked or disliked. Opinions should be explained to allow the reader to determine whether they would agree with your opinion. Many regular movie reviewers will develop a following. If one can find a reviewer who shares a similar taste in films, one can confidently follow the reviewer’s recommendations. 3. Who is your audience? You need to consider who your likely readers are. Writing a movie review for children requires a different approach than if writing for a movie club. Ensure you report on the factors that matter to your likely audience. 4. Give an outline Give...
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...2011-2012 Index Introduction........................................................ pp. 1 Historical filmic context...................................... pp. 3 History in the film............................................... pp. 4 Use of intertitles...................................... pp. 5 Free interpretation of facts..................... pp. 7 Fiction mixed with reality........................ pp. 8 The film as history............................................... pp. 10 An autonomous language........................ pp. 10 Critical reception......................................pp. 14 The cinema: a mass spectacle.................. pp. 15 Bibliography......................................................... pp. 17 Introduction In this essay I am going to talk about history in The Birth of a Nation by David Wark Griffith. By “history” I mean: the historical filmic context of the film, which was released in 1915. I am going to show how history is represented in the film. We can see some facts that may have been changed in some aspects in order to guide our minds to what the director want us to think. We also find, as a method to support this, the introduction of fictional characters in some much known historical events of the United States. To end with, I am going to explain why this film is so important, including the technical improvements that are represented here. D. W. Griffith David Walk Griffith was born in Oldham County, Kentucky, on 22nd January,...
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...– Abhishek Shah.Pace ID – U01285579.Submission Date – 03/31/2016. | The Wolf of Wall Street. By – Martin Scorsese, 12/25/2013. Martin Scorsese’s Note – Martin Charles Scorsese is an American producer, director, actor, film producer and film historian. Born on 11/17/1942, Scorsese is 73 years old and belongs to Queens, New York, the United States of America. Scorsese, is the founder of “The Film Foundation” (1990), and “World Cinema Foundation” (2007). He has achieved many awards and is renowned personality in the United States of America. His awards include – AFI life achievement award, Academy Awards, Palme d’Or, Cannes film festival the Best Director Award, Silver Lion, Grammy awards, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and DGA awards. He has directed many landmark movies and has a great name today in the world of Hollywood industry. WORD COUNT – 121 Abstract Jordan repeatedly said, “There’s no nobility in poverty” (Scorsese, M. (Director). (12/25/2013). The Wolf of Wall Street [Motion picture on DVD]. United States of America: Paramount Pictures); the research is bout a young aspiring entrepreneur Jordan Belfort and about his lifestyle, convergence in the lifestyle, ethics, business culture, addictions and many more. Being an R Rated film due to many sequels presented in the movie, (The Motion Pictures Association of America. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2016, from http://www.imdb.com/partners/mpaa?ref_=tt_stry_pg); therefore, his lifestyle was seen. A propaganda...
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...Films are a collaboration of art forms. The plot of the film is easy and engaging to follow. The characters are meant to be relatable as we aspirational. Finally the art forms that are incorporated are able to tie the entire film together. This what makes a film artistic. Unfortunately Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run does not make the cut as a successful film due to the fact that it leaves the audience in confusion the characters are underdeveloped, the film is trying too hard to use different art forms that ultimately become a jumbled mess, and the plot doesn’t really make sense if it is just watched from beginning to end. Characters are very important in film, they are what make the movie. Characters t are memorable and enjoyable loathsome and...
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...participation in the making of this film allows them to eventually move out of the tunnels when forced to by Amtrak officials. This is not just a film on the lives of the homeless, it is about human condition. How they got there, how they get by, and how they get out. We learn in detail the cause and effects of how this small group of people ended up living in a tunnel together and formed a community. Some have turned to drugs to forget the horrors of losing children and doing jail time. Others are simply unwanted by their familes or society. As dangerous as it looks, they found the safest place to live where they could still live their lives on their own terms; never losing their wit and humor. Decisions on making this documentary were all made spontaniously. The director Marc Singer does not appear in the film, Singer explained his process by stating, "I'd been living in the tunnel for about three months before the idea came up about making the film and really became good friends with the people" (Singer, 2000). He had never even seen a movie film camera before. Singer ultimately used a 16mm camera with black-and-white Kodak film, at the suggestion of friends, because color is harder to film when you don't know what you are doing. It was a great decision, as the black-and-white lets us imagine what it would be like to live in the dark, dank conditions under the city. I think it would be an amazing experience to live underground while creating a film. Singer then devoted...
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...was seen by many viewers as yet another repetitive sequel in a franchise where “there didn’t seem to be much life left” (Whitty). According to reviewers, the opening scene of the film seemed to show this very well. The “flashes of wit in the opening film-within-a-film-within-a-film sequence” (Hale) displays the fact that this is the fourth film in the sequel and that each film is fairly repetitive in basic plot. Most reviewers seemed pretty underwhelmed with the plot but liked all of the murders and chase scenes. They felt that it was very predictable and justifying itself. “Sequels don’t know when to stop” (Schwarzbaum). “Existing in a self-contained universe, Scream 4 is its own remake (Screamake), sequel (shriekquel), parody and critique” (Corliss). Gale Weathers’ book The Woodsboro Murders becomes a film franchise called Stab that is “modeled after Sidney Prescott’s fictional life within the film” (Legel). This franchise and even the original series of Scream films are seen by many reviewers as extremely Meta, or self-referential, within the Scream films. “Scream 4 should be subtitled That's So Meta, so pervasive is the movie's habit of commenting on itself” (Travers). In the Stab franchise in Scream 4 the “new Ghostface is mimicking the sequence of killings in the original series” (O’Hehir). Many reviewers felt these Stab films continued the horror in Woodsboro instead of letting the town, and victims, recover from it. Another aspect that almost all of the critics commented...
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...Documentaries Recently I watched Man With A Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov and I must say, it changed my life. Not only that, as I’ve researched the film, I discovered that it also changed filmmaking in many different aspects as well. While many people may not personally enjoy this wild documentary, there is no denying the time and skill put into each and every aspect. In this paper, I will describe how Man With A Movie Camera set the bar for future films in how it was edited, how it was filmed, and how it has further impacted how movies are made today. To begin, while Georges Méliès invented the editing techniques of double exposures and dissolves and Edwin S. Porter improved them, Vertov and...
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