Happy Snow Day (the sequel) Year 13!  

As we are missing the lesson today, here are some ‘Shaun of the Dead’ clips for you to watch.  Please make some notes on how genre is established within the clips based on our discussions about the zombie sub-genre last lesson and on your knowledge of comedies/parodies.  You can post your comments here if the weather prevents us from returning to school, otherwise we will discuss your ideas on Thursday!

PD

I have selected this ‘The Dark Knight’ film poster as I believe it effectively establishes an heroic image of Batman through the action shot. The mise-en-scene of Gotham city helps to establish the scene and crime/superhero hybrid genre. The images also create reference to the first part of the trilogy, targeting an existing audience.

http://www.impawards.com/2008/dark_knight_ver15.html

This has to be one of my favourites, easily! It uses the success of Batman as a character to attract the audience, relying on their wider cultural understanding of Gotham’s characters. Not only of Batman, but of The Joker. We see the reference to him through the use of the symbolic Joker ‘calling cards’ and also through the bloody smile which not only reflects his character but could be seen as an indication to the narrative. The fact that we see the iconography of the bat symbol now transformed to highlight the Joker’s humour creates enigmas as to whether the Joker actually defeats Batman of transforms his representation in some way.

Batman Poster

This is my favourite batman poster as it shows The Batman looking over the city of Gothem. I believe this is a clever idea as it conveys Batman to be the eyes of the city and always watching over it from the high angle shot. The darkness of the poster links to the movie title ‘The Dark Knight’ and also highlights the unstereotypical superhero representation of The Batman. I believe this is also a great way for the portrayal of The Batman and The Joker’s similarities.

http://www.impawards.com/2008/dark_knight_ver10.html

A variety of techniques are used to market the film including the listing of stars which feature in the film, appealing to specific audience groups. The framing of the three characters with the action codes of holding iconic props concealing parts of their faces emphasises their significance in each characters individual identity. Use of the technical code of low lighting in the background and high lighting on the faces and props emphasises the importance of identity in the narrative. The fact Dent is portrayed in a similar way to the Joker creates the enigma to cause and origin of the change, creating audience appeal.

Here are the links to the clips for today’s lesson on ‘Changing Representations’.

Snow White:

Disney’s Snow White

Once Upon a Time

Snow White and the Huntsman

 

Cinderella:

Disney’s Cinderella

Ella Enchanted

A Cinderella Story

Look, I promise I won’t make too big a deal of this but we all know I have major, major love for Easy A. It’s sharp, it’s funny, Emma Stone is ginger…the list of the things that make this film brilliant goes on and on and ends with I want Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarke to be my parents in real life.

I do, actually, have good concrete reasons for why Easy A is up there with the best. And the first of these reasons is its main star; Emma Stone. Shall I just give you a bit of background to her? Well, I shall anyway whether you want me to or not. Until Easy A, Emma Stone had mainly supporting roles in some great films, including House Bunny and Superbad as well as being the love interest in the comedy-horror film Zombieland. But if you haven’t seen Stone in this film then you’re missing out in what must be one of the most sharp, witty and hilarious characters ever written for film. And this is coming from me. Stone’s monologues as Olive just sparkle and her interactions with Amanda Bynes and Aly Michalka are hilarious. I don’t think it’s just Stone’s lines, it’s the way in which she embodies the character of Olive. I personally like to think Olive is a mish-mash of all the qualities that the ideal teen would like to be seen to have; good humour, good hair, sparkling wit and that determination that life won’t get you down. I can’t even put it into words (well, I could try but it would be a lot of OMG’s and SHE’S AMAZING AND GINGER in there) how good Emma Stone is in this film. And I will say this, she has comedic timing that they can’t teach you. In this film she’s made me laugh and cry, probably at the same time.

My second reason as to why Easy A is probably one of the greatest films ever is the story itself. Easy A is in fact not a reference to Olive wanting to get an A in a test, it references the scarlet ‘A’ literary heroine Hester Prynn wore in the Scarlet Letter, which the film references and somewhat mirrors throughout. The basic story of the film is that Olive lies about losing her V-plates and is somewhat labelled the school…ahem…bike.  So, the film in a nutshell sets about to explore the high school system of today, where rumour and infamy can basically make or break your social life. I do actually think the topic is extremely relevant to school life today. I, of course, have never been labelled the school bike and been made to wear a red A on all my clothing. But hey, it could happen. Like some of the best films of the recent years, Easy A explores themes within the film and it does actually take you more than one viewing to figure out what these themes are. The themes I’ve counted so far; marriage, friendship, love, religion, family, secrets, what ‘real’ romance is, gender, sexuality and a fair few more but I’m too lazy to write them all out. Rumour and popularity are also major themes. One side of the film I actually really admire is the fact that it sort of shines a light on the desperation of some teens to become popular in today’s culture. Olive doesn’t set out to do that and the film cleverly shows us that popularity and infamy are two very different things…

My third reason to explain the above statement (I’m not writing out that incredibly long title again is that I think what cements Easy A’s brilliance is that the film is of sorts a homage and a love letter (the sort Lizzie would have written to Mr Darcy if she wasn’t too busy hating him) to the teen movies of the 80s. Aaah the 80s, a time when you could listen to Cyndi Lauper and not be judged by society…the homages to the films such as Ferris Bueller and Sixteen Candles are in their ways quite cleverly used throughout the film and there is this one brilliant line from Olive where she says ‘but no, John Hughs did not direct my life.’ Possibly my favourite line ever. And I actually think these homages enable Easy A to become the modern equivalent of these 80s movies. Maybe even superior in places.

And there concludes my argument. I hope you agree with me, most of you probably won’t but that’s because you lack the talent to see the awesomeness of this film. Did the Avengers give you a fake sex scene whilst jumping on a bed? No. Did Black Swan have sparkling with such as:

Amanda Bynes: A higher power will judge you for your sins

Emma Stone: Oooh, Tom Cruise?

No, Black Swan didn’t. Did The Artist have dialogue like this? No, it didn’t have much dialogue at all. Take that Citizen Kane, take that Taxi Driver, take that Barbie: Swan Princess…Easy A is one of the greatest films ever. End of.

Next time: Carly Rae Jepsen, the new Cyndi Lauper? Is it OK if I listen to them both?

Some of my favourite films have earned my appreciation through their brilliant dialogue: gems of sarcasm, perfect comedy, impassioned speeches – I love them all.  Here are some of my favourites:

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist…” (The Usual Suspects)

“I shall call him Squishy.  And he shall be mine.  And he shall be MY Squishy.” (Finding Nemo – Dory is a legend!!!)

“We all go a little mad sometimes.” (Psycho)

“So we’ll hunt him because he can take it.  Because he’s not our hero.  He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector.  A dark knight.” (The Dark Knight)

“Dr Banner, your work is unparalleled.  And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.” (Avengers Assemble – family favourite this one!)

“I find I’m so excited that I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at a start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.” (The Shawshank Redemption)

What are yours?

And if you really think you know your films why not try these (tough!) quote quizzes from Empire Magazine:

http://www.empireonline.com/quote_quiz/

http://www.empireonline.com/features/sonofquotequiz/default.asp

http://www.empireonline.com/features/movie-lyrics-quote-quiz/

This year’s Poll of the Month looks at the ever-growing genre of ‘reality’ television.  This genre encompasses talent shows, constructed reality and competitive task-based shows.  With MTV’s new show ‘The Valleys’ about to hit our screens – featuring one of our former students – it’s time for you to cast your votes!  What is the best reality television show?  Don’t forget to leave a comment when you vote and tell us why or feel free to suggest a show that isn’t on the list!

 

For many people, Batman comes at the top of the superhero list.  But can Nolan’s trilogy of films, and specifically ‘The Dark Knight’, really be categorised as superhero films?  Let the genre debate begin…