Transcription: Paprika (2006) Film Review

Fig.1 'Paprika' (2006) Film Poster

'Paprika' is a 2006 Japanese anime, science fiction film by director Satoshi Kon. With his previous works Perfect Blue, Millennium Agent, Tokyo Godfathers Satoshi Kon has proved himself one of the most innovative anime creators, his work is frequently complex, disconcerting and surreal. 'Paprika', adapted from a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, is a visually and thematically ambitious addition to his work. 'Paprika' explores the line between truth and fiction in this future-shock sci-fi anime feature.

Fig.2 "Paprika" (2006) Film Still

'Paprika' is a story that appears to take place in modern day. A Japanese technology company has created a piece of technology knew as the DC Mini. Dr. Atsuko Chiba, is testing a the DCMini which allows her to enter people’s dreams in a lucid state. As a psychotherapist, she uses the device to diagnose and treat her patients. Copies of the prototype device is stolen and someone is using it to download the dreams of schizophrenics into people’s heads. It’s left to Chiba and her friend set of on wild goose chase to solve the theft, retrieve the prototypes, save the people, and of course, save the day before dreams become fused with reality. Along the way, we get to see controlled dream worlds, people’s subconscious, the breakdown of the lines between dreams and reality. All it is served with a bit of Japanese moralising and philosophy.

Fig.3 'Paprika' (2006) Film Still

'Paprika' retains a very Japanese identity, but is easily understandable by western audiences. The film is brimful with imagination, attempting to  visualize the impossible and highly surreal. Critic Bill Thompson writes  in a review of  'Paprika' that "There is not much, if any, of a cognizant plot to be found in Paprika, but unlike say, Akira, that was far too overbearing in its attempt to present a theme instead of a coherent plot, Paprika doesn’t push any message or theme on you. Paprika is more about the experience and allowing the viewer to take whatever they feel away from said experience." (Thompson,2009) The subject topic of dreams merging with reality has been done before,  but Satoshi Kon has made it remain interesting in 'Paprika' . The lack of a plot leaves ample time to question but with 'Paprika'  it lives and breathes with the art of interpretation. There is not a moment where it says, “This is what is happening, we will tell you what to think.” That type of free interpretation makes for a thoughtful experience and leaves 'Paprika' as a film.

The reason why so many enjoy 'Paprika' is because of its animation style which makes 'Paprika' amazingly beautiful. It's full of texture and depth in every moment and incredibly clean and crisp in its presentation. The depth of the animation helps with the interpretations. Kon seems to function much like my director, Hayao Miyazaki, in that he makes sure the animation doesn’t just add style to the film but also gives you more to ponder.

Fig.4 'Paprika' (2006) Film Still

'Paprika' pushes past what a traditional anime is about, and utilizing anime in a very original way. One of many critics, Keith Dudhnath writes in his review of how 'Paprika' went one step further in terms of anime and he states that  "Paprika is exactly what anime films should be. It couldn't be made as a live action film, but it still has enough depth of character and plot so that the audience is drawn into its world. It has an astonishing array of grand scenes that could only be drawn rather than filmed, but they're never showy for the sake of being showy. Everything is fully appropriate" (Dudhnath, 2006) It stays well clear of Anime clichés and presents a very creative film. Anime creates a medium where a director can literally translate what is in his mind onto film, and 'Paprika' is a film that personifies this fact.

One thing that is seen when researching into 'Paprika' is that alot of critics and fans have written in reviews about Christopher Nolan's 2010 film 'Inception'. This is because 'Paprika' and 'Inception' are films based on essentially the same concept. While both movies tackle the “dream state” theme head-on, they both have their differences as well. Really, the two stories go in fairly different directions from the outset. Sure, they both discuss dream worlds and are both psychological. But, Inception is generally more of a heist movie. It is also very dark and brooding. 'Paprika' is very colourful and vivid. It deals more with the possible therapeutic aspects of dreams. This was the case with Inception and 'Paprika'. Both films might’ve been spawned from the same idea, but it mutated into two separate and distinct movies. But some some fans still disagree "Yet there are clear parallels to be seen and there are a lot of anime bloggers/fans out there screaming at the injustice that Inception ripped off Paprika in a big way." ( Farfromthesilverscreen,2011) 

'Paprika' is smart, creative, and out of the box on an animation level makeing it stand out as a film. This is action sci-fi at its best, also a great introduction to modern Japanese anime.

Fig.5 'Paprika' (2006) Film Still

List Of Illustrations


Figure. 1 Kon, Satoshi (2006) Paprika Film Poster. http://www.watchanimeon.com/anime/paprika/ (Accessed on 16/02/2011)
Figure. 2 Kon, Satoshi (2006) Paprika Film Still. http://parkablogs.com/content/anime-review-paprika-2006 (Accessed on 16/02/2011)
Figure. 3 Kon, Satoshi (2006) Paprika Film Still. http://parkablogs.com/content/anime-review-paprika-2006 (Accessed on 16/02/2011)
Figure. 4 Kon, Satoshi (2006) Paprika Film Still. http://canime.wordpress.com/2007/11/04/paprika-anime-review/ (Accessed on 16/02/2011)
Figure. 5 Kon, Satoshi (2006) Paprika Film Still. http://www.absoluteanime.com/paprika/paprika.htm (Accessed on 16/02/2011)

Bibliography

Thompson, Bill (2009) Review: Papurika (Paprika, 2006). http://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/review-paprika-2006/ (Accessed on 16/02/2012)

Dudhnath, Keith (2006) Paprika Film Review. http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?id=6690 (Accessed on 16/02/2012)

Farfromthesilverscreen (2011) Anime vs. Hollywood: Paprika & Inception. http://farfromthesilverscreen.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/anime-vs-hollywood-paprika-inception/ (Accessed on 16/02/2012)

Transcription: Akira (1988) Film Review

Fig.1 "Akira" (1988) Poster

Produced in 1988 by Katsuhiro Otomo, "Akira" is considered a classic and a landmark in the Japanese sub-genre of animation known as anime. Based on the acclaimed Manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo himself, "Akira" is the highest-budget anime film ever produced at the time and one of the most expensive animated movies made in Japan. Making an international splash with its flawless animation and, to a lesser extent, splashy violence and apocalyptic story, becoming an overwhelming, breakthrough, animated science-fiction tale, that is both visually stunning and deals with recognisable human characters.

Fig.2 "Akira" (1988) Still

Years ago, Tokyo was destroyed by an unknown force that sparked WWII. Now, in the middle of the 21st century, Neo Tokyo has been rebuilt on the ruins of the old city. Ravaged by aimless youths and bike gangs, rife with political intrigue, cults, and the undercurrents of revolution, this new city a sight to behold. Its the tale of Tetsuo and Kaneda, childhood friends who grew up inseparable until Somewhere in the underbelly of the city, Tetsuo, runs into a strange boy. The boy is part of a military experiment involving psychics, and a mysterious project knew as AKIRA. When Tetsuo begins to manifest psychic powers, along with bizarre hallucinations, he becomes a target of a shadowy government organisation dedicated to stopping a repeat of the incident that destroyed the city once at any cost.

Fig.3 "Akira" (1988) Still

Stories that take place in these settings tend to have the same atmosphere: crime out of control; corrupt government; revolutions, science and technology worshipped as gods. This film takes a bit of all these aspects and many more, mixes them together so what we get is a good sense of an abstract reality and an intense reality.  Basically there is really no single plot driving the film. Critic Rafael Ruiz states "Akira works wonderfully as a tone poem of the narrative, capturing the look and emotion of the original story through brilliant production design, fluid animation and direction." (Ruiz,2004)

But on the other hand critic Marc Marshall in his review explains why some viewers have a confusing experience when watching "Akira" " When you try to pack all that into a single film, you get an incredulous tangle of information, characters, and sociopolitical interplay. You also get a very confusing movie--it is, frankly, a narrative mess." (Marshall,2006) With all these things going on it's not surprising that many viewers find the films narrative confusing. But for those that have read the Manga itself probably do not have much trouble deciphering what is going on in the film.

Fig.4 "Akira" (1988) Still

It's a convoluted story compacted down from over 1,800 pages into two hours and a lot of story is lost yet almost too much of it is kept. So it not surprising that "Akira" contains a high proportion of mind-blowing images and scenes, making it a truly intense experience. In one review Critic Damian Cannon writes "The most phenomenal aspect of Akira is the quality of its animation; it's smooth, crisp, dynamic and colourful. Always the story moves on with pace, unhindered by the fact that it's all animated (in fact this aspect may have precisely the opposite affect). This wonderful fluidity conceals an incredible attention to detail and sub-surface complexity, the fruit of tremendous effort by the Akira team." (Cannon, 1997) Style and substance run neck and neck in this thrilling landmark film that just refuses to become dated. So there is no doubt that "Akira" is ground-breaking work, that deserves the credit.

Fig.5 "Akira" (1988) Still

List Of Illustrations

Figure.1  Otomo,Katsuhiro (1988) Akira Film Poster. Figure.3 Otomo,Katsuhiro (1988) Akira Film Still.
http://terryki.0catch.com/private/stills/akira.htm (Accessed on 11/02/2012)
Figure.4 Otomo,Katsuhiro (1988) Akira Film Still.
http://io9.com/5873469/hey-everybody-the-american-akira-is-dead-again (Accessed on 11/02/2012)
Figure.5 Otomo,Katsuhiro (1988) Akira Film Still.
http://www.geekrest.com/2011/10/warner-bros-greenlights-live-action-akira-film/  (Accessed on 11/02/2012)


Bibliography

 

Cannon, Damian (1997) Akira (1988) Film Review. http://www.film.u-net.com/Movies/Reviews/Akira.html (Accessed on 11/02/2012)

Ruiz, Rafael (2004) Akira Review. http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=3591&page=reviewhttp://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=3591&page=review (Accessed on 11/02/2012)

Marshall, Marc (20060) AKIRA. http://animeworld.com/reviews/akira.html (Accessed on 11/02/2012)

http://theideologyofmoderncinema.blogspot.com/2011/12/akira-film-analysis-part-1-cycle-of.html (Accessed on 11/02/2012)
Figure.2 Otomo,Katsuhiro (1988) Akira Film Still.
http://listverse.com/2009/02/20/top-20-greatest-science-fiction-movies-of-the-1980s/ (Accessed on 11/02/2012) 

Transcription: Mary and Max (2009) Review

Fig.1 "Mary and Max" Poster (2009)

"Mary and Max" is a 2009 Australian animated film wrote and direct by Adam Elliot. After Elliot's film "Harvie Crumpet" (2002) won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in the Animation category,  there were very high expectations  of what would be next for Elliot. Again working in the style of animation known as claymation, Elliot decided to make "Mary and Max", his very first feature length film.

Fig.2 "Mary and Max"  Film Still

"Mary and Max" paints two lost souls on opposite sides of the Earth who become unlikely friends. Mary Daisy Dinkle is an eight-year-old girl living in Australia with her monstrous mother and taxidermist father. At the post office one day, she randomly picks a name out of a New York phone book. Max Jerry Horowitz, an obese Jewish man with aspergers, who lives in New York.  They start writing to one another, and continue to write to each other  throughout their lives, filling the role of the only friend they both had  has.

Fig.3 "Mary and Max" Film Still

One of the thing that grabs the audience is that this film is the heart that is in it. You can tell that it was something that was made with love and that every single second of it was thought through.  "In narrative terms, Mary, and Max is indeed classically inclined but by intensifying certain themes and flipping others, Elliot gives his film gravity and adds a very personal stamp on a genre known for hiding its directors." (Cabin, 2010) This is because "Mary and Max" is based on elements of his own childhood and his relationship worth his own New York pen- pal.

Elliot has stylized worlds that Marry and Max live in, this aloud the viewer to make a clear visual distinction among the pair’s home environments. With Max's life in a monochrome busy America and Mary's life in a  Australian suburbia. Their different worlds incorporate symbolic flashes of red, to represent the colour Mary brings into Max’s life. On a technical note the stop motion, movement especially the amazing motion control camera movements through miniature sets are smooth and add to the enjoyment of the film. Alexander Zalben film critic sates in her review that "The animation also is unique to the form, effectively using colour and the stiffness of Elliot's clay characters to create a world through narration and voice over that never feels like an attempt to mimic reality, but rather to hold a mirror up to it. Think of Mary and Max not as an animated film, but a film that uses animation to tell its story" (Zalben, 2009)

Fig.4 "Mary and Max" Film Still

"Mary and Max" is  funny and moving, a film of warmth and consistent heart-warming honesty that shows the incredible emotion depths of adult themes with the use of dark comedy.

Bibliography
Cabin, Chris (2010) Marry and Max Film Review. http://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/mary-and-max/1776 (Accessed on 02/02/2012)
Zalben, Alexander (2009) Marry and Max Film Review  http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2009/mary-and-max/  (Accessed on 02/02/2012)

List Of Illustrations
Figure.1 Elliot, Adam (2009)  Mary and Max Still. http://www.cinemagora.co.uk/movie-7773-mary-and-max.html (Accessed on 02/02/2012)Figure.2 Elliot, Adam (2009) Mary and Max Still. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/oct/21/mary-and-max-review (Accessed on 02/02/2012)
Figure.3 Elliot, Adam (2009) Mary and Max Still. http://movieevangelist.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/review-of-the-year-2010-my-top-40-movies-of-2010/ (Accessed on 02/02/2012)
Figure.4 Elliot, Adam (2009) Mary and Max Still. http://absenceofalternatives.com/2010/11/mary-and-max.html (Accessed on 02/02/2012)

Narrative: Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story (2007) Review

Fig.1 Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story Film Poster

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story is a documentary which is about William Castle, who without a doubt was, the last great American showman and the King of the Gimmicks.  The documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz, shows the career of one of the legendary Producer/Directors who made an impact on the film industry with his gimmicks. “Spine Tingler, is a kind picture, but more importantly, it shines needed light on a man in love with cinema, using his dedication to exaggeration to keep audiences screaming for more.” (Orndorf, 2011)

Fig.2 William Castle Portrait

Castle was orphaned at a young age and quickly learned that the one at a early that the one thing that made him happy was making a audiences respond to some he was responsible for and his ultimate joy was their applause. This is something you can see in every aspect of his career, he loved and lived for the response of an audience, some would say he thrived on their response. Castle started off his career by producing B-movies that could be made quickly and made cheaply. Throughout the 1950's and 60's, William Castle produced and directed over a series of about 60 films. Eventually he became tired of this and having learned every aspect of filmmaking. He soon realized that what an audience really wanted from a film was to be scared. Castle’s films that he is most remembered for are his horror films, they are Known for their outrageous promotions and audience participation gimmicks associated with them and audiences loved every minute of it.

Fig. 3 William Castles The Tingler Film Poster

Castle felt that a simple scary movie was not enough; each of his flicks came with its very own 'in-cinema' gimmick. He knew that getting people in the seats in the first place was a hard part of the movie business. Castle knew that making a film into a fun experience for an audience so it was more than just about seeing the film. So with every new film, he would whole-heartedly dive into making his films but also coming up with a gimmick to sell it to audiences.

He used several gimmicks that wouldn’t give the same effect to today’s audience but in the 50s and 60’s, these things really shook up Castle's audiences. Such as Castle film Macabre (1958), he felt the film needed more promotion than just newspaper ads, so he decided the movie need a gimmick to sell it to the public. He issued an insurance policy which guaranteed a $1000 payout to the beneficiary of any audience member, who died of fright while watching the film. The movie was a hit, and the start to William Castle’s career, as the Master Showman. Castle came up with other gimmicks, such as the idea of “Emergo”, used in The House on Haunted Hill (1959).  This was nothing more than a large plastic skeleton, which would emerge from the screen during the film and fly over the audience’s heads on wire. Once again, the film was a hit as much for the gimmick as the movie itself, and this encouraged Castle when making his next film. The Tingler (1959) where he came up with “Percepto”, involving a device which was attached to various theatre seats that would vibrate, giving the patron sitting there a tingling sensation during the a certain part of the film. Castle had another hit on his hands and with his next film was 13 Ghosts (1960), Castle introduced “Illusion-O”, where the audience were given “Ghost Viewers” which the person could see or remove anything to frightening. One thing that is noticeable is that Castle with every new film there had to be a bigger and better gimmick than the film before. Castle never had the confidence in his films and believed that this was the way to get audiences to come and watch his films.

Fig. 4 Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story Film Still  

One thing that is for certain, is that Castle loved his fans and mightily respected them and their opinions. All he really wanted was to make going to the movies a fun experience for audiences. Once in a interview Castle stated, “We all have a common interest, bigger and more horrible monsters – and I’m just the monster to bring them to you.” (Power, 2011) All Castle truly wanted was to please his audiences and he often had a fear of failure. That is why with every new film castle made he thought there had to be a gimmick to go along with the film, to get audience to come and watch his films. But his fans will always say that his films never failed to please them. And it was “Through pure showmanship and the force of his own personality, he made audiences feel they were part of something truly unique that they would remember for the rest of their lives. As this film can attest, they’re still talking about it today.” (Ziskind, 2011)

 

Bibliography

Orndorf, Brian (2011) DVD Review: 'Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story'. http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/24992 (Accessed on 15/10/2011)
Power, Patrick (2011) Hollywood Icons: William Castle-Master Showman. http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/hollywood-icons-william-castle-master-showman/#ixzz1aqRFTbS8 (Accessed on 15/10/2011)

Ziskind, Linda (2011) Guest Post by Jeffrey Schwarz: “Event-izing By The Master or How To Put Butts In The Seats”. http://blogs.indiewire.com/tedhope/archives/guest_post_by_jeffrey_schwarz_event-izing_by_the_master_or_how_to_put_butt/ (Accessed 0n 15/10/2011)

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story (2007) Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story Film Poster. http://www.altfg.com/blog/film-festivals/fantasia-film-festival-2008/ (Accessed 16/10/2011)

Figure 2. William Castle (2007) William Castle Portrait. http://lewistice.com/recent-projects/spine-tingler-the-william-castle-story/6481_ha_shockedcastlecloseup_touchedup/ 

(Accessed 16/10/2011)

Figure 3. Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story (2007) William Castle's The Tingler. http://australianfilmreview.wordpress.com/2010/07/ (Accessed 16/10/2011)

Figure 4. Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story (2007) Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story Film Still. http://lewistice.com/recent-projects/spine-tingler-the-william-castle-story/6512_un_castlewithfanmonsters_sanantonio_19dec1959_touchedup/ (Accessed 16/10/2011)

Narrative: The Best Worst Movie (2009) Review

Fig.1 The Best Worst Movie Film Poster

Best Worst Movie (2009) is a documentary film about what is, arguably, the worst film ever made Troll 2 (1990). Directed by Claudio Fragasso, a1989 horror movie made on a low-budget B movie that holds a place in history as perhaps the worst movie ever made. With the movie review site Rottentomatoes gives it a 0%, the lowest score possible.

Fig.2 The Best Worst Movie Film Still

It was Michael Stephenson, one of the main actors from the film, who decided to make a feature-length documentary about the film. The documentary also show the understand why Troll 2 has such a cult following that has risen to make it a cult phenomenon and most importantly why fans love this film so much. “It is about the idea that somehow this crappy little film from 1990 has managed to pervade the consciousness of pop culture and resonate with its audience in a manner never really intended by those involved in making it.” (The Geek, 2011)

Fig.3 The Best Worst Movie Film Still

The overall opinion, to the extent that there might be one, is that “Troll 2″ is one of the worst movies ever made, but is has developed a dedicated cult following of fans who prize it. Giving "Best Worst Movie," an ironic twist, that it has achieved something that "Troll 2" never could do and that is critical approval. It was this award-winning documentary that has helped turn George Hardy and other cast members of Troll 2 into some kind of cult celebrities.

Fig.4 The Best Worst Movie Film Still

Why do Troll 2 fans find this film so watchable? The documentary explains it best, because simply it is that terrible that is so good. From the plot, to the actors, even the trolls that are not even trolls but the biggest reason that fans are drawn to Troll 2 is the inadvertent comedy it provides. "The biggest reason 'Troll 2' has become this phenomenon is that it's sincere. It's a sincere failure that haunts us," Stephenson said. "With 'Troll 2,' we thought we were making a great horror film, and that's what causes people to smile and to laugh." (Hubbard, 2010) The film is so popular for the simple reason that one gets from watching Best Worst Movie is that Troll 2 has some sort of authenticity that you don't get in a lot of films.

Fig. 5 The Best Worst Movie Film Still

 “At its best, Best Worst Movie is a sharp celebration of the community that cult movies foster. This isn't a movie about appreciating Troll 2's cult as being exceptional or outstanding in any way but, rather, showing viewers what fans and the actors see when they talk about their fixation of choice.” (Abrams, 2010)

Bibliography

The Geek (2011) Best Worst Movie - Movie Review. http://www.bmoviegeek.com/2011/02/best-worst-movie-movie-review.html (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Hubbard, Jeremy (2010) Fan Base Forms Around Worst Movie. Everhttp://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/cult-fan-base-forms-troll-worst-movie/story?id=10565306 (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Abrams, Simon (2010) Best Worst Movie. http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/best-worst-movie/4811 (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

List of Illustrations

Figure.1 The Best Worst Movie. (2009) The Best Worst Movie Film Poster http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47583 (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.2 The Best Worst Movie. (2009) The Best Worst Movie Film Poster. http://eternalsunshineofthelogicalmind.blogspot.com/2009/05/best-worst-movie.html  (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.3 The Best Worst Movie. (2009) The Best Worst Movie Film Poster. http://www.scnsrc.me/films/57744/ (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.4 The Best Worst Movie. (2009) The Best Worst Movie Film Poster. http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/109/1095951p1.html (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.5 The Best Worst Movie. (2009) The Best Worst Movie Film Poster.http://jadedviewer.blogspot.com/2011/01/troll-2-best-worst-movie-and-extending.html(Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Narrative: Lost in La Mancha (2002) Review

Fig.1 Lost in La Mancha Poster

 

Lost In La Mancha is more than just a documentary. It is the tale of Director Terry Gilliam and his burning ambition to bring his version of the tale of Don Quixote to the big screen. A 16th century classic story by Miguel de Cervantes about a delusional old man with a head full of  fantasies, who goes on a quest accompanied by his horse, to battle the evils of the world with a sensible squire to guide him through reality.

Fig.2 Lost in La Mancha Film Still

In August 2000, master filmmaker Terry Gilliam finally got his opportunity to create his dream film he had been working on for a decade, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. However for all his creativity and enthusiasm, the film immediately run into a series of disasters that threaten the production of the film. Terry Gilliam, from the very start of his career, has had a hell of a time catching a break, earning a reputation as a director who’s reached far exceeds his grasp. At the same time, however, he is a filmmaker blessed with undeniable talent and vision, and even his weakest films have a flair that’s missing in many other movies. "But as directors Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton prove in their documentary Lost in La Mancha, all the ambition in the world can’t compete with an aggressive bout of bad luck." (Cherington,2011)

Fig.3 Lost in La Mancha Film Still

 

As a film project, Quixote already seemed to be cursed. Orson Welles started shooting a version in 1957 and sweated over it for two decades. Gilliam himself had traveled a long road to get to shooting, with several false starts, until the summer of 2000. American documentaries Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe were on hand with complete access to everyone involved, to capture the story of Gilliam’s attempt to create Don Quixote.  It was planned to be the most expensive film ever produced solely with European funding. But shooting only lasted a mere six days before the project was abandoned. Gilliam attempts to create Lost in La Mancha offers an astonishing insight to the affects that a directors ambitions can have on a movie. "Lost in La Mancha offers astonishing insights into the irresponsible way big-budget pictures are made nowadays, and the currently chaotic state of the capitalist system." (French,2002)

Fig.4 Lost in La Mancha Film Still

“Many difficult and ambitious filmmakers—Coppola, Herzog, Orson Welles—are, like Don Quixote himself, forever charging at imaginary giants. In the case of Terry Gilliam, it would appear that the giants are all too real.” (Cherington,2011)

Bibliography

Cherington, Sam (2011) To Film the Impossible Film- Lost in La Mancha (2002)http://thesamwithnoname.com/2011/01/31/to-film-the-impossible-film-%E2%80%93-lost-in-la-mancha-2002(Accessed on 11/10/2011)

Cherington, Sam (2011) To Film the Impossible Film- Lost in La Mancha (2002) http://thesamwithnoname.com/2011/01/31/to-film-the-impossible-film-%E2%80%93-lost-in-la-mancha-2002/ (Accessed on 11/10/2011)

http://www.documentaryfilms.net/Reviews/LostInLaMancha/

List Of Illustrations

Figure.1 Lost in La Mancha (2002) Lost in La Mancha Film Poster. http://thesamwithnoname.com/2011/01/31/to-film-the-impossible-film-%E2%80%93-lost-in-la-mancha-2002/ (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.2 Lost in La Mancha (2002) Lost in La Mancha Film Still. http://www.over-blog.com/ (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.3 Lost in La Mancha (2002) Lost in La Mancha Film Still. http://thecia.com.au/reviews/l/lost-in-la-mancha.shtml (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

Figure.4 Lost in La Mancha (2002) Lost in La Mancha Film Still. http://getfilm.co.uk/film.php?id=21189 (Accessed on 14/10/2011)

French, Philip (2002)Down the shoot (Lost in La Mancha) http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2002/aug/04/philipfrench (Accessed on 11/10/2011)

Narrative: Ed Wood (1994) Review

Fig 1. Ed Wood (1994) Film Poster

Tim Burton pays tribute to the one of a kind creative spirit of Edward D. Wood Jnr. In a biopic about the man that is arguably the world's worst filmmaker and the director behind the cult classics “Plan 9 from Outer Space” and “Glen or Glenda”. Ed Wood, a charming amateur with Orson Welles aspirations and a shortage of talent, truly gain his success and his films gained their infamy and cult status in the early 1980s after his death in 1978.

Fig. 2 Ed Wood (1994) Film Still

The film is shot entirely in black and white, showing the bizarre career of Ed Wood as a writer, actor, director and producer. Ed Wood himself as a director had a vision, of his greatness as a filmmaker, an equal to his inspiration Orson Welles and to aspire to have the same approval with his first film, Glen or Glenda, as Orson received for Citizen Kane. Sadly, though what Ed Wood had in enthusiasm and convincing nature, he lacked talent when it comes to producing films.

 

Fig. 3 Ed Wood (1994) Film Still

"Technically, "Ed Wood" is a feast on a par with Burton's previous films, but in black-and-white. Sensational models and Tom Duffield's production design brilliantly conjure up a Hollywood in transition between illustrious past and seedy present" (McCarthy,1994)

The script is excellent and this is a very interesting tale full of incredible characters with a story that strikes a good balance between drama and comedy. The way that Burton decided to shoot the film in black and white makes a remarkable impact, it would be hard to imagine this film working so well in colour.  “The direction is superb and Tim Burton brings his usual distinctive stamp to this film giving everything a slightly caricatured, realer than real feel.” (Hill, unknown) When you look through the works of Tim Burton, this would be the film that you would say is his most normal film. With a subject like this, Burton couldn’t really go too far out there, like most of his other films. The thing Ed Wood had some of the oddest characters from any Burton film, which shows that sometimes real life can be much more entertaining than fiction.

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Burtun, Tim (1994) Ed Wood Film Poster. http://www.theartofmovieposters.com/pages/gallery/Burton.htm (Accessed on 24/09/2011)

Figure 2. Burtun, Tim (1994) Ed Wood Film Still. http://www.allstarpics.net/0624161/011933088/ed-wood-1994-pic.html (Accessed on 24/09/2011)

Figure 2. Burtun, Tim (1994) Ed Wood Film Still. http://www.gamraii.com/2011/03/ed-wood-1994.html  (Accessed on 24/09/2011)

Bibliography

McCarthy, Todd (1994) Ed Wood Film Review. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117903075/ (Accessed on 24/09/2011)

Hill, Simon (unknown) Ed Wood Film Review. http://www.celluloiddreams.co.uk/edwood.html (Accessed on 24/09/2011)