Super 8 is a science fiction film directed by J.J Abrams. J.J Abrams has also directed Star Trek and also Mission Impossible III. Star Trek was also another science fiction film, but Mission Impossible III is an action adventure film. The main characters are: Elle Fanning, the younger sister to her better known Dakota Fanning; Amanda Michalka has been in numerous USA network television shows; Kyle Chandler who is one of the only main adults that are a main character; Riley Griffiths has been acting ever since he was a first grader and the main actor is Joel Courtney. Most people will be unfamiliar with these actors as many films that are targeted at our age group don't use child actors as they contain adult themes. Also these children haven't had many big international jobs, mainly american television shows that don't get aired in the UK.
Super 8 is an olden film camera, used to shoot motion pictures. Super 8 the film is about a group of friends who want to film a movie to win a competition. Whilst filming one night on a train platform a train collides with car that was driving on the tracks, the train derails and explodes, the children try to run away from the explosions. The train crates open and the contents fall out, which appear to be small metal cubes. The air force comes in and tries to cover up what happened, they don't do such a good job as an alien creature is going around destroying everything stealing metal parts and then abducts people. The alien is trying to rebuild his space ship so that he can go back to his planet. The air force is trying to get the towns people out so that they can burn all of the metal cubes. Joel Courtney goes back to save a girl he likes and then helps the alien get his spaceship back and return to his planet. The alien ends up going to back to his planet and everyone ends up happily ever after.
I didn't really notice the film soundtrack because I think I was to concentrated on trying to spot the monster, and I don't really remember a point where the soundtrack really played a pivotal point in the film, that made me think or feel a certain way, like most films do. At one point of the film, the soundtrack just tells you exactly how to feel, and what to expect. This film's soundtrack just didn't do it for me.
The film is science fiction and it fits the usual conventions. Low key lighting creates the suspense, and mystery around what the alien is and what it looks like. The inclusion of extra terrestrial characters. I thought the film took a bit of time to get into and I didn't like the ending as it didn't end up telling us what would happen with the romantic story line. The content of the film was pretty good, I found that not being able to see the alien until late in the film frustrating, but at the same time built up my expectation of what the monster was. The film was decent, but I wasn't particularly gripped to the edge of my seat during each scene.
I give super 8 a 7 out of 10.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Sunday 16 October 2011
Media Awards Evening
I arrived late to the media awards evening because the sixth form football match ran a little over, so I didn't get to see all of the awards.
From what I saw the best year 13 presentation I saw was the silent short film that won the best extended project. I don't know the name of either the film or the director but I'm sure you know which film I am talking about. I think that it was the best year 13 production as it was the most unique as nobody else decided to do a film that way. It wasn't just the lack of sound that impressed me about the film but also the removal of colour. The lack of sound and colour made the audience concentrate solely on the film. The plot of the film was amazing, considering that there was no sound to carry the film and hardly any text used. Not once during the film did I sit there and think to myself what the hell is going on. I was kept well informed by the director, as the director carefully considered the mise-en-scene to make sure that the viewer was well informed about what was going on. The acting was also impressive as, the facial expressions and body language had to connote the feelings of the character. I think that this film was extremely impressive, I applaud the actors, and give a standing ovation to the director, for a unique and amazing short film. 5 out of 5.
As for the best year 12 production, this category is a much harder one I feel. I liked quite a few of them, the call of duty advertisement, a couple of the horror films. The only one that really sticks out in my head is the one called detention. Detention had a good plot. I liked how the director showed the audience how the relationship was a secret by using the location of the school and filming when nobody was around, the doors always being shut. The director didn't show the teacher and the student getting intimate but the director did show clothes being thrown of which means they were probably going to get intimate. Whilst watching the short film, it took me a while to understand that the male that walked out of the school building was actually a teacher, that's my one criticism of Detention. During the scene at the house I think the pandemonium was captured very well, through the use of sound, and the frantic camera movement which connotes panic, which is exactly how the teacher and his wife must of felt. All in all I enjoyed Detention as it was directed well and the acting was also good. I think that the teacher could of been more obvious as it wasn't clear. Apart from that a good short film. 4 out of 5.
From what I saw the best year 13 presentation I saw was the silent short film that won the best extended project. I don't know the name of either the film or the director but I'm sure you know which film I am talking about. I think that it was the best year 13 production as it was the most unique as nobody else decided to do a film that way. It wasn't just the lack of sound that impressed me about the film but also the removal of colour. The lack of sound and colour made the audience concentrate solely on the film. The plot of the film was amazing, considering that there was no sound to carry the film and hardly any text used. Not once during the film did I sit there and think to myself what the hell is going on. I was kept well informed by the director, as the director carefully considered the mise-en-scene to make sure that the viewer was well informed about what was going on. The acting was also impressive as, the facial expressions and body language had to connote the feelings of the character. I think that this film was extremely impressive, I applaud the actors, and give a standing ovation to the director, for a unique and amazing short film. 5 out of 5.
As for the best year 12 production, this category is a much harder one I feel. I liked quite a few of them, the call of duty advertisement, a couple of the horror films. The only one that really sticks out in my head is the one called detention. Detention had a good plot. I liked how the director showed the audience how the relationship was a secret by using the location of the school and filming when nobody was around, the doors always being shut. The director didn't show the teacher and the student getting intimate but the director did show clothes being thrown of which means they were probably going to get intimate. Whilst watching the short film, it took me a while to understand that the male that walked out of the school building was actually a teacher, that's my one criticism of Detention. During the scene at the house I think the pandemonium was captured very well, through the use of sound, and the frantic camera movement which connotes panic, which is exactly how the teacher and his wife must of felt. All in all I enjoyed Detention as it was directed well and the acting was also good. I think that the teacher could of been more obvious as it wasn't clear. Apart from that a good short film. 4 out of 5.
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