From what i have read on the Internet from researching Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, the film failed on many levels, they included:
The Movie supposedly being targeted to a "geeky" audience yet, not attracting a "geeky" Audience. The movie is lead to be a geeky movie due to the included elements of video games, whether it be the music, the effects or the storyline. Whereas stereotypically only geeks play video games, whether they are 'hardcore' geeks or 'softcore' geeks. Hardcore geeks being ones who read comic books and play every video game even if it is a pathetic excuse for a game, in comparison to a softcore geek who plays video games such as highly populated "call of duty" these days, where you get to kill your friends and abuse Americans.
Hardcore geeks play to satisfy themselves and achieve something from the experience whereas softcore geeks play to humiliated the opposition because they think its a 'cool' thing to do.
As i was saying, Scott Pilgrim was targeted at geeks due to the elements included, however Scott Pilgrim was not a geeky film. Yes it included geeky elements as video games and sounds etc. but the cast and cast background was not geeky.
The characters are in there low twenty's and are low lives, who slum it out and take life for a ride, no real jobs, no real commitments and no real aspirations. Also the characters are in a band, whereas in the real word you rarely see geeks in the band, in fact you rarely see geeks without their nose's in a book.
Geeks today are represented and labelled differently to what they really are. To come across as a geek today all you have to do is to button up your top button on your shirt, wear a tie and glasses, and the occasional comb over, yes this may represent how some geeks may look, but its the way a real geek acts that makes a geek; studying 24/7, staying in their homes the entire time, one or two friends etc. In addition, most if not all geeks dress to represent as not being a geek, so they try to dress in a 'normal' way, which also makes them kind of geeky because they have to try to be normal whereas most the world just are. But what is normal?
whereas the normal people try to be geeks to come across as geeks which in fact makes them not a geek, which is a simulacra and a hypertextuality, because you cant become a geek within minutes and addition of a few props to your clothing style.
In conclusion, the geeks the movie was target ted at, didn't believe the film really attracted to them, which then left the film with a very very slim audience.
Audiences like to go to movies to escape from their real life for a hour or two, to get into a movie and feel apart of the movie and be able to relate to a movie. In Scott Pilgrim, you could not relate to the movie much, only if your a twenty-so loser with two potential girlfriends. I understand the movie is a fiction story with the elements of super powers and comic representations, but even the geeks disagreed and could not connect with the movie and/or the storyline.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World grossed $10 million in its first week which was no-where near breaking even on their budget of $60 million, whereas a film like kick-ass had a budget of only $25 million and grossed back a staggering $96 million. Both films similar in a way as of both coming from comic books, however kick-ass was known to work more because it was more realistic and people could follow without having the understand the intertextuality of other superheroes, whereas with Scott Pilgrim you must have a slight implication of old video games and elements within the film, such as the life bar from video games and running elbows high with a strange visualised background to make it look like the character was running very fast. If you did not understand the elements that Scott Pilgrim involved then you would have difficulty liking the film, however even if you did understand all the elements you may still not like the film.
Monday 28 February 2011
Kick-ass Music Comparison
The music used in Kick-ass is some what unusually adapted to the movie. Whereas Kick-Ass is a quirky postmodern film in the way how it presented in the movie, a pastiche, because the movie is using and exposing elements from other movies such as superman and spiderman to put a plot together for Kick-Ass. Kick-ass soundtracks used within, work against the movie in the way that the music used has been used in previous text's such as 28 days later and Requiem for a dream, therefore taking the audiences' mind over to that film instead of concentrating on Kick-Ass, that is if they have heard the song in previous text's.
Same song if not tweaked slightly.
Same song if not tweaked slightly.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Fight Club Research
Fight Club (1999)
Director - David Fincher
Running Time - 139 Minutes
Budget - $63 Million
Gross Revenue - $100,853,753 (Worldwide)
Main Characters
Edward Norton - Unnamed character (The Narrator)
Helena Bonham-Carter - Marla Singer
Music by 'The Dust Brothers'
An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression.
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Fight Club Movie Trailer
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David Fincher
Born: David Leo Fincher
August 28, 1962 in Denver, Colorado, USA
Filmography
- Alien 3
- Se7en
- The Game
- Panic Room
- Zodiac
- The Curious case of Benjamin Button
- The Social Network
- And more
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The Dust Brothers
The Dust Brothers are the Los Angeles, California based, Grammy Award winning producers, E.Z. Mike (Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo (John King), famous for their sample-based music in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work on the albums Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys, Odelay by Beck, and the soundtrack to the film Fight Club.
Michael Simpson and John King, aka The Dust Brothers, have used technology and an encyclopedic knowledge of music to carve out a niche for themselves in the music business. As one of the hottest producer teams in the industry, nearly all their collaborations have been commercial and critical successes, adding to their growing collection of gold and platinum records.
Using a Macintosh-based recording system that lets them record directly to their hard drives, the duo's cut-and-paste style continues to push the boundaries of music in general and hip hop in particular. Their producing talents put them atop the A-list for bands looking for a remix of their music.
Starting in the mid-'80s as college DJs hosting the first all-rap radio show in Southern California, Simpson and King quickly found themselves producing music for Delicious Vinyl, the record label of acts like Tone-Loc and Young MC. An unexpected studio visit from the Beastie Boys resulted in one of the most influential rap records of all time: Paul's Boutique. Pioneering the use of digital samples, the music collages on that album mixed rich soundscapes and funky beats from hundreds of different records, giving the album a historic scope that's still being copied.
As rap became increasingly corporate and more formulaic, the Dust Brothers moved on to acts more suited to their edgy and diverse interests. Collaborating closely with Beck, the duo helped the folk-hipster create Odelay, a quirky album that quickly found its way onto music critics "best of '96" lists. Since then, they've moved on to more mainstream projects, like teen sensations Hanson with their number one single "MMM Bop" and the first singles from the new Rolling Stones album, while continuing to find time for less commercial projects. Currently, they're working with Primus on a soundtrack for a movie called Orgasmo, talking with Marilyn Manson about the next disc from goth's clown prince, and still trying to release a disc of their own music.
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States circa 1971 when many exploitation films were made specifically (and perhaps exclusively) for an audience of urban black people; the word itself is a combination of the words "black" and "exploitation"
Blaxploitation films were the first to feature soundtracks of funk and soul music. These films starred primarily black actors.Variety magazine credited Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, released in 1971, with the invention of the blaxploitation genre. Others argue that the Hollywood-financed film Shaft, also released in 1971, is closer to being blaxploitation, and thus is more likely to have begun the genre.
When set in the Northeast or West Coast of the U.S., Blaxploitation films tend to take place in the ghetto, dealing with hit men, drug dealers and pimps. The genre frequently takes place in an atmosphere of crime and drug-dealing. Ethnic slurs against whites (e.g., "white trash"), and negative white characters like corrupt cops, politicians, prostitutes and gullible gangsters were common. Blaxploitation films set in the South often take place on a plantation, dealing with slavery and miscegenation.
The Trailers above are perfect examples of Blaxploitation films, the cast of the film are majority black of have an ethnic race, in addition the music in the trailers are 'bow chika wow wow' type of music.
Blaxploitation films were the first to feature soundtracks of funk and soul music. These films starred primarily black actors.Variety magazine credited Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, released in 1971, with the invention of the blaxploitation genre. Others argue that the Hollywood-financed film Shaft, also released in 1971, is closer to being blaxploitation, and thus is more likely to have begun the genre.
When set in the Northeast or West Coast of the U.S., Blaxploitation films tend to take place in the ghetto, dealing with hit men, drug dealers and pimps. The genre frequently takes place in an atmosphere of crime and drug-dealing. Ethnic slurs against whites (e.g., "white trash"), and negative white characters like corrupt cops, politicians, prostitutes and gullible gangsters were common. Blaxploitation films set in the South often take place on a plantation, dealing with slavery and miscegenation.
The Trailers above are perfect examples of Blaxploitation films, the cast of the film are majority black of have an ethnic race, in addition the music in the trailers are 'bow chika wow wow' type of music.
Inglourious Basterds + Quentin Tarantino Research
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth and Diane Kruger. The film tells the fictional story of two plots to assassinate the Nazi Germany political leadership, one planned by a young French Jewish cinema proprietor (Laurent), and the other by a team of Jewish Allied soldiers led by First Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt).
The film was successful at the box office, grossing $320,351,773 in theaters worldwide, making it Tarantino's highest-grossing film to date. It has received multiple awards and nominations, including eight Academy Award nominations. For his role as Hans Landa, Christoph Waltz won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the BAFTA Award, Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Soundtrack
The opening theme is taken from the folk ballad "The Green Leaves of Summer", which was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster for the opening of the 1960 film The Alamo.The soundtrack uses a variety of music genres, including spaghetti western, R&B and David Bowie's theme from the 1982 film Cat People. This is the first of Tarantino's soundtracks that does not include dialogue excerpts from the film. The soundtrack was released on August 18, 2009.Track Listing includes:
- "The Green Leaves of Summer" - Nick Perito (Originally in The Alamo)
- "The Verdict (La Condanna)" - Ennio Morricone (mislabled "Dopo la condanna")
- "White Lightning (Main Title)" - Charles Bernstein (Originally in White Lightning)
- "Slaughter" - Billy Preston (Originally in Slaughter)
- "The Surrender (La resa)" - Ennio Morricone
- "One Silver Dollar (Un Dollaro Bucato)" - Gianni Ferrio
- "Davon geht die Welt nicht unter" - Zarah Leander
- "The Man with the Big Sombrero" - Samantha Shelton & Michael Andrew
- "Ich wollt, ich wär ein Huhn" - Lilian Harvey & Willy Fritsch
- "Main Theme from Dark of the Sun" - Jacques Loussier
- "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" - David Bowie (Originally in Cat People)
- "Tiger Tank" - Lalo Schifrin (Originally in Kelly's Heroes)
- "Un Amico" - Ennio Morricone
- "Rabbia e Tarantella" - Ennio Morricone
Although Tarantino used music that had been used in other action movies such as Cat People, The Alamo, White Lightening and Slaughter etc. they work well with the movie because of the similar genre they withhold, action.
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Quentin Taratino
Tarantino has had an outstanding impact on the film and media industry, whether it be from acting, writing, producing or directing.
He has acted in 27 Titles.Wrote 18 Titles, Produced 20 Titles and Directed 15 Titles.
Although the numbers may only be in the lower half of the double figures, Tarantino likes to put 150% of his body and mind into a production, whether it take two years or ten years.
Tarantino is best known for films such as;
- Pulp Fiction
- Inglourious Basterds
- Reservoir Dogs
- Kill Bill 1 & 2
- Sin City
- Grindhouse/Death Proof (least favourite of his career, according to people i have asked who have seen it)
- True Romance (writer)
- Natural Born Killers (writer)
- Hostel 1 & 2 (producer)
- And many more. Quentin Taratino Filmography
The Clip Above is a compilation of Tarantino's Movies. (note this was made in 2007)
Even though the clip above may seem irrelevant, it goes to show perhaps why Tarantino makes and produces such movies with action and violence, as the clip above shows Tarantino having a short fuse.
Tarantino's Foot Fetish.
It has came to the media audiences mind that Tarantino has a foot fetish, this has devloped throughout his movies. Quentin Tarantino always try's to add the element of feet into his movies, and sometimes pays off.
Tarantino Sum-up
He Like's Action & Feet.
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Inglourious Basterds/Kick-Ass
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Source of findings for below
Source of findings for below
One of the most significant aspects of postmodernism in this regard is the use of pastiche to other media texts and the inclusion/alteration historical facts, within a piece of media. This can be seen in Inglourious Basterds, a film based around the time and events of World War II, however the events within the film are almost completely fictional, for example Adolf Hitler died by committing suicide as it became apparent the war was lost, in this film he is killed in a suicide mission (arranged by the ‘Basterds’, a military unit fighting against the Nazis) in which a Jewish cinema owner hosts the premiere for a new Nazi propaganda film, then sets the cinema on fire, killing Hitler. Although entirely fictional, the overall presentation of the film would imply it is a reflection of real-life events. Postmodern texts frequently blur the lines between real life and the reality presented within the text, the audience willingly accept this regardless of the fact the film is clearly artificial, and often hints towards this using narrative devices such as splitting the film into chapters, a convention normally seen within children’s fairy tales, used here for a completely different reason. This historical inaccuracy may be controversial as the film isn’t a ‘real’ war film in terms of the plot it portrays, and because it may be seen as disrespectful to war veterans due to the way in which the film represents war in a humorous way. ‘Inglourious’ contains multiple scenes of extreme violence to the point of being gratuitous, showing the film doesn’t take itself seriously despite being based around extremely serious real-world events, this glorifies a violent approach, even representing the ‘good guy’ Basterds as thuggish, as is seen when they are ordered to collect scalps from every Nazi they kill. This could cause controversy as the Basterds are a group of Jewish soldiers, which are represented as the heroes of the film against the Nazis, yet are still shown to be violent, as if to advocate violence as being the ‘right’ thing to do. Inglourious Basterds is directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is known for producing postmodern films such as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Pulp Fiction. These films, together with Inglourious, have attracted controversy over the amount of creativity or original thought which has gone into the creation of each film. A characteristic of postmodernism is the heavy use of influences, or direct lifting of elements from other media texts. Inglourious Basterds doesn’t have a specially composed soundtrack, but lifts music from other films and artists, for instance a David Bowie track entitled “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” is used as background music in the scenes leading up to the Basterd’s plan to burn down the cinema.
The selection of music is not only controversial in the use of others’ work, but also because the music used doesn’t fit the time period; Cat People was released in 1982, but is being used as a soundtrack to a World War 2 film.
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My View
Taratino's Inglourious Basterds is a paradox as it contradicts the way Adolf Hitler died, whereas in the movie he was murdered by the 'Basterds' with the unknown assistance of the cinema owner (Shosanna Dreyfus) and her assistant (Jacky Ido), in comparison to real life historic story that Adolf Hitler committed suicide when figuring out he was losing the war.
Whereas the music from other war films in inglourious basterds worked well because war when you hear a soudntrack from a war film you may also think of a different film which takes your mind of the current film, however because it is in the same genre it works because in war movies their is always a battle/war in commence. In kick-ass the soundtrack seemed to work against the film because when you heard the 28 days later soundtrack even though the soundtrack may have fitted the scene and worked, it therefore did not work as it made the audience who have seen 28 days later think of that specific film, therefore taking the audience's mind onto another film.
Kick-Ass Soundtrack Criticism
The selection of music is not only controversial in the use of others’ work, but also because the music used doesn’t fit the time period; Cat People was released in 1982, but is being used as a soundtrack to a World War 2 film.
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My View
Taratino's Inglourious Basterds is a paradox as it contradicts the way Adolf Hitler died, whereas in the movie he was murdered by the 'Basterds' with the unknown assistance of the cinema owner (Shosanna Dreyfus) and her assistant (Jacky Ido), in comparison to real life historic story that Adolf Hitler committed suicide when figuring out he was losing the war.
Whereas the music from other war films in inglourious basterds worked well because war when you hear a soudntrack from a war film you may also think of a different film which takes your mind of the current film, however because it is in the same genre it works because in war movies their is always a battle/war in commence. In kick-ass the soundtrack seemed to work against the film because when you heard the 28 days later soundtrack even though the soundtrack may have fitted the scene and worked, it therefore did not work as it made the audience who have seen 28 days later think of that specific film, therefore taking the audience's mind onto another film.
Kick-Ass Soundtrack Criticism
Monday 7 February 2011
What is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism is difficult to define, because to define it would violate the postmodernists premise that no definite terms, boundaries, or absolute truths exist. In this article, the term postmodernism will remain vague, since those who claim to be postmodernists have varying beliefs and opinions on issues. Postmodernism is a concept applied in media texts which suggests that artists and audiences are now prepared to accept a media text may not be true to reality, and the techniques used to make this departure from realism.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Further Criticisms Of Postmodernism
Rosenau (1993) Rosenau identifies seven contradictions in Postmodernism:
1. Its anti-theoretical position is essentially a theoretical stand.
2. While Postmodernism stresses the irrational, instruments of reason are freely employed to advance its perspective.
3. The Postmodern prescription to focus on the marginal is itself an evaluative emphasis of precisely the sort that it otherwise attacks.
4. Postmodernism stress intertextuality but often treats text in isolation.
5. By adamently rejecting modern criteria for assessing theory, Postmodernists cannot argue that there are no valid criteria for judgment.
6. Postmodernism criticizes the inconsistency of modernism, but refuses to be held to norms of consistency itself.
7. Postmodernists contradict themselves by relinquishing truth claims in their own writings.
2. While Postmodernism stresses the irrational, instruments of reason are freely employed to advance its perspective.
3. The Postmodern prescription to focus on the marginal is itself an evaluative emphasis of precisely the sort that it otherwise attacks.
4. Postmodernism stress intertextuality but often treats text in isolation.
5. By adamently rejecting modern criteria for assessing theory, Postmodernists cannot argue that there are no valid criteria for judgment.
6. Postmodernism criticizes the inconsistency of modernism, but refuses to be held to norms of consistency itself.
7. Postmodernists contradict themselves by relinquishing truth claims in their own writings.
Yet More Criticism Of Postmodernism
Schematic Differences between Modernism and Postmodernism | |
Modernism | Postmodernism |
romanticism/symbolism | paraphysics/Dadaism |
purpose | play |
design | chance |
hierarchy | anarchy |
matery, logos | exhaustion, silence |
art object, finished word | process, performance |
distance | participation |
creation, totalization | deconstruction |
synthesis | antithesis |
presence | absence |
centering | dispersal |
genre, boundary | text, intertext |
semantics | rhetoric |
paradigm | syntagm |
hypotaxis | parataxis |
metaphor | metonymy |
selection | combination |
depth | surface |
interpretation | against interpretation |
reading | misreading |
signified | signifier |
lisible (readerly) | scriptible |
narrative | anti-narrative |
grande histoire | petite histoire |
master code | idiolect |
symptom | desire |
type | mutant |
genital, phallic | polymorphous |
paranoia | schizophrenia |
origin, cause | difference-difference |
God the Father | The Holy Ghost |
Metaphysics | irony |
determinacy | indeterminacy |
transcendence | immanence |
(SOURCE: Hassan "The Culture of Postmodernism" Theory, Culture, and Society, V 2 1985, 123-4.)
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