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I Lost My Body (Clapin, 2019)

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Underrated Films

(This is my opinion please don’t shout at me)

Bandersnatch (Slade, 2018)

Triangle (Smith, 2009)

I Lost My Body (Clapin, 2019)

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A Brief History of Film Part 2

1895

The Lumiere Brothers invented the cinematograph. This camera was much better than the kinetograph, as it was lighter (so it could be moved) and could film and project all in one. The films made with the cinematograph were called actualities as they documented everyday life; such as Le Repas De Bebe, which showed a baby eating. These films were less than a minute long. The Lumiere Brothers are credited with the first film screening in 1895, where 10 short films were shown.

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A Brief History of Film Part 1

1891

Dickson, with Edison’s funding, created two machines; the kinetograph and the kinetoscope. The kinetograph was for making the film whilst the kinetoscope was for viewing the film. These films could only be 16 seconds long and only one person could watch at a time. Still, kinetoscope parlours became popular as they were the first time people could watch a moving image. Dickson and Edison captured Vaudeville Performers, such as acrobats and strongmen. The camera (kinetograph) couldn’t move so the performers stood in one place, showing off their skills. These short films were popular as they made the Vaudeville circuit more accessible for those who couldn’t afford to travel to see their shows. Most of the money made from kinetoscope parlours was from food and drink, which is still the truth with cinemas today.

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I want to be alone.

Grand Hotel, 1932

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fun film fact no. 3

Dallas Buyers Club (Vallee, 2014)

The film's budget was so low that the makeup budget was $250. The film's artists were able to work with that, and the film's Makeup and Hairstyling won an Oscar.

[source- boredpanda.com]

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!shot analysis!

Sunset Boulevard (Wilder, 1950)

"I am big! It's the pictures that got small." - Sunset Blvd., 1950

This shot summarises the whole film. Sunset Boulevard is about Norma Desmond, an ex-Hollywood actress who is desperate to be in films again and is a commentary about Hollywood treats it’s actors, particularly older women. 

Swanson’s performance, as shown in the shot above, is incredible. She shows how the industry can force professionals to become obsessed and possibly lose their minds. All Norma wants to do is be in the pictures again; this film is irrefutably tragic and sad. She slowly moves towards the camera, in the centre of the shot, forcing the audience to savour her heartbreaking performance.

The mise-en-scene of the lighting, Norma’s elaborate dress and the glitter scattered on her face/body shows the skeleton of Hollywood glamour, and what Norma used to be.

The camera stays still for this shot, a classic stable Wilder tripod shot, focusing all the attention on Norma.

Personally, I think it is powerful how everyone else in this scene stays incredibly still. They all feel and recognise Norma’s painful situation. It’s so bleak. And, again, their stillness makes the audience look at Norma. 

We can’t escape her pain, and neither can she. 

Lastly, the fourth wall is broken because Norma stares into the camera, making us uncomfortable. Wilder really forces us to look, truly look, at how flawed Hollywood is. If I’m not mistaken, the first time an actor looked into the camera was in The Great Train Robbery (1905), where a bandit looks us in the eyes and shoots at us; also the last shot of the film, also incredibly famous. So, Wilder was not the very first to use this technique, however, in the 1950s, it wasn’t common for directors to do this.

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Why so serious?

The Dark Knight, 2008

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Behind the scenes of Pulp Fiction (Tarantino, 1994)

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fun film fact no. 2

Armageddon (Bay, 1998)

NASA shows this film during their management training program. New managers are given the task of trying to spot as many errors as possible. At least one hundred sixty-eight have been found.

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DUNKIRK (2017) DIR. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on  the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in  the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills; we shall  never surrender. and even if this Island or a large part of it were  subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and  guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in  God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps  forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.  

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The Breakfast Club (Hughes, 1985)

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Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Slade, 2018)

!film review!

Bandersnatch is an INTERACTIVE (yes, you read that right) film about a young computer game developer in the mid-80s. Stefan (the protagonist) spends the whole film trying to develop a game called ‘Bandersnatch’, a make your own adventure game; so, just like the film, you choose what the character does.

Short review: Watch this film if you can. It is a wild ride. The craziest things happen that simply blow your mind and challenge your perceptions. It’s like a normal black mirror episode on steroids; all the intelligent and unexpected plot twists.. etc. And, of course, you get to choose what happens; there are 10 different main endings! Best audience interaction you could imagine.

Deep dive review: This will be probably the longest review I’ve ever written because all of the elements of ‘Bandersnatch’ are just so interesting and I love this film, thank you David Slade <3.

Firstly, the title deserves recognition. ‘Bandersnatch’ is a fictional character from books in the 19th century and he is typically described as a furious and unpredictable creature. Those exact words can be used to describe the protagonist. Even though we get to choose his actions, he is incredibly unpredictable, and, if you’ve watched this film you will know he can definitely be quite furious (hint: ash tray scene :0).

Next! The narrative (narratives?) itself is very creative to say the least. There are many plot twists that come out of nowhere and are simply CRAZY but somehow make perfect sense. The narrative explores mental illness; we know Stefan is struggling due to his actions, therapy scenes, medication etc. Sometimes it can be confusing to decipher whether the events we are watching are reality or in Stefan’s warped mind but I think that is part of the point; as the audience we are supposed to be challenged and introduced to new perceptions of time, reality etc. From what I understand from the film and reviews, the film is supposed to challenge the idea of free will. How much control do we actually have as humans? How many choices are actually ours to make? More specifically, the film introduces the idea that we don’t have much free will at all. “When you make a decision,” Colin instructs, “you think it’s you doing it, but it’s not.” For example, the film pushes you to certain storylines whether you want it to or not. In one scene, you choose whether a character takes LSD and even if you choose the ‘no’ option, he takes it anyway. So, there’s that; how much free will do we have?

That’s what I love about Black Mirror; the deep mind-bending questions that really make you think.

There are 10 different main endings. I could sit here and talk about all the one’s I’ve watched but 1) that would take a while and 2) so many spoilers </3. Most of the endings that I have watched/ read about are pretttty cool. Importantly, I feel like I should say that I had a lot of fun watching this film (like 4 times woops); I gasped audibly at times, smiled at the intelligent plots, laughed at the absurd twists (you know what I mean if you watched the fight scene) and cringed at the horrifying moments.

Characters! Stefan, the protagonist, was fantastic- he was acted out well, totally believable. His dad annoyed me at times I won’t lie, he always said the same thing over and over again and kept butting in but I guess that’s just his character. Colin was my favourite character; I loved his crazy dialogue. Dr Haynes also annoyed me; if only she believed Stefan every time he sort of broke the 4th wall and talked about being controlled. That makes me wonder- was Stefan ever ‘crazy’? Surely he was right about everything… and only we understand him… huh…

Film form! The mise-en-scene was impeccable, the 80s vibe was strong and thriving through the clothing, locations, dialogue. The cinematography was also nice; lighting sometimes had meaning and cool colours. Obviously, the editing was impressive; I cannot imagine how long it must have taken to A) film all of the different clips and B) edit those clips and add the interactive interface too. Good work y’all. The music deserves an honourable mention. It added a lot of tension, especially when you have to make a choice and the timer is running out. Stress levels= high.

I am not rating this film a 10/10 and here’s why: at times, I was confused about where I was in the narrative and what had actually happened/ what was a dream/ was skipped or cancelled because the choices sometimes force you to go back and choose a different option. To be fair, they do replay a quick time lapse to show you what has happened (sometimes). But still, we are of course pushed towards the main narratives and therefore it can get confusing and annoying when you are forced to go back.

Overall, fantastic film. Even without the interactive feature, I think I would have enjoyed it due to the meaning behind the narrative, film form and the whole crazy Black Mirror energy. Of course, the interactive feature was very cool and made the film so fun and exciting to watch. I recommend watching it a couple of times or playing around and skipping backwards to choose different options. There are really impressive scenes and endings to discover.

In my expert* opinion, I’d rate this film a strong 8.5/10.

* I am not an expert.

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The Truman Show (Weir, 1998)

!film review!

Simply, I think The Truman Show is amazing. The film, not the actual show; that’s wrong on so many levels.

Firstly, the narrative is very creative and well thought out. One of the reasons why I love this film is because of the many small (and big) hints that Seahaven is a set and the people in it are actors. For example, when the travel agent comes in to meet Truman, she has a napkin around her neck to protect her clothes- this is because it’s her first time getting her make-up done and she’s in a rush. Also, all the pamphlets in the travel agency are linked to the ocean; to scare Truman and deter him from travelling. I appreciate Weir adding small ‘easter eggs’ like that, the whole viewing experience is so immersive and enjoyable. Every time I watch it, I notice something new.

Moreover, the film is beautiful visually, with great use of colour (lots of blues) and the rule of thirds; especially during the last scene when Truman goes up the stairs- iconic.

I like that Weir included different perspectives, the anti-Truman group for example, and answered a lot of loose ends (such as where did Truman as a baby even come from). The fact that the narrative and the back story were so well thought out added verisimilitude; it was believable and convincing. Which, of course, makes the film enjoyable to watch.

Lastly, the character of Truman was extremely well played by Jim Carey; I’d say it’s definitely one of his most memorable and impactful roles. Carey expressed Truman’s complex build up of emotions (and eventual meltdown) convincingly and in turn the audience feel a lot of sympathy for Truman.

The only reason why I didn’t score 5/5 stars is because I don’t believe a ‘perfect’ film exists.

In my expert* opinion, I’d rate The Truman Show 4/5 stars.

*I am not an expert.

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The Truman Show (Weir, 1998)

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fun film fact no.1

The Theory of Everything (Marsh, 2014)

In an e-mail to director James Marsh about the portrayal by Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Hawking said there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself. In addition to his copyrighted voice, Stephen Hawking also lent the filmmakers his Companion of Honour medal and his signed thesis to use as genuine props in the film. 

[source- boredpanda.com]

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Birdman (Inarritu, 2014)