Monday, 14 February 2011

Kick Ass Soundtrack.

Prodigy - Stand up


This song is a very face paced, instrumental song. It gives a sense of achievement. When listening to it, it comes across as very satisfying. It is used in Kick Ass to represent action and achievement, Although Kick Ass doesn't really achieve anything in the film. When Daves being Kick Ass... He's nothing but himself.

Primal Screem - Can't go back



The Pretty Reckless - Make Me Wanna Die


This song by The Pretty Reckless is a very meaningful song if u listen carefully to the lyrics. Although the instrumental is covered by vocals you can hear the variation in the music and it again gives that sense of achievement, as it has a climax where the music builds up. This works well in Kick Ass as most of the fights and action build up so this reflects the action occuring.


Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed


Although Ellie Goulding and this song appeals to the teenager viewers, this song isn't exactly appropriate for the film. Kick Ass is a superhero comedy, therefore Ellie Gouldings track doesn't relate to humour or action. Also the characters included in Kick Ass for example, Hit Girl who is very outrageous, unusual character, is now covered by a soundtrack by a very main stream artist. This is creating a contrast.

Monday, 7 February 2011

Postmodern Arguments

Fiske(1987) stated that we are knowledgeable of certain things, not because we have experienced them but because we view them on films, programs etc. For example before year 9, i knew what a prom was but had never been to one. So when i went to my end of year 9 prom, yes i was at a prom, but how did i know it was a prom as I'd never been to one? Fiske states that we never really know what something is if we've never done it before.

Derrida(1981) says that every text must have a genre and that no text can be without one. Derrida says that someway or another each text must categorised into one or many genres. The several genres is particulary true of Tarantino. What is seen as a simple straightforward war film such as Ingloroious Bastards can include elements of war, action, drama, comedy, and western.

Levi - Strauss came up with the theory of binary opposites. For example if somethings hot, something must be cold, if somethings bad, something must be good. He also said that all texts must be made up from other texts. He stated that we 'borrow' ideas from other texts and make them our own.

Talcott Parsons(1950) created the 'structural functionalist view'. This view suggests that we have necessary structures in order for our society to keep it together.

Bradrillard created the idea of simulation and simulacra. This is where the representation of things have become more important than the 'real thing'. For example a burger shown at a fast food cafe is the simulacra, and the burger that your presented with is the stimulation. Which is just a copy of the simulacra, its not the literal burger that you see advertised.

Postmodern dictionary.

Simulacra - A sign that has no relation to reality. You can be shown a picture of something but the real thing is never as good, or looks as the picture does.

This is an advert for Paris Glam Shine Reflexion. This lip gloss is shown as extremely glossy and 'sparkley'.



In Inglorious Bastards the blonde lady who owns the cinema comes across a young, pretty intelligent women, who runs a cinema and is helping the Germans out by letting them use her cinema. however...
Simulation - This is the actual reality of something.
This is how a Big Mac actually looks, however it is not advertised this way.










When relating to Inglorious Bastards the blonde lady is out to seek revenge. She is evil and kills hundreds of people in her theatre, as well as burning down her property.


Addition - When something is added into a film. For example in Kick Ass comedy is added into this film, where usually comedy doesn't occur in superhero films. e.g. Batman.
Deletion - When something is taken out of the film. For example Kick Ass is not out to seek revenge, he doesn't have any powers, he doesn't find a superhero.
Substitution - When an element is swapped. For example the superhero powers which are usually compulsary in most superhero films dont occur throughout any of Kick Ass.
Transposition - When something is added in which doesn't belong in there. For example the mafia are featured in Kick Ass.


Pastiche - An imitation of an existing style. Often it is done in a light hearted way but often it takes the form of a 'satire'.

For example the story of Kick Ass follows a similar one to Superman. This is as a pastiche as it isn't mocking Superman, it is simply following its story line.

Satire - An attempt to mock or ridicule topical issues. This can often mean that its humour or purpose is fleeting as it relies on the audience knowing the issues that are being set up.


Grand Narratives - This is a big explanation as to why things happen. An example being that scientists believe in the Big Bang theory, and that we developed from apes etc.
Micro Narratives - Smaller explanations as to why things happen. In the film Kick Ass it consists of many small story lines.

Paradox - Something which contradicts itself. Post modernism is a paradox as it says theyre is no such thing as structure or design, so by saying their is no point it is therefore making a point.

Pluralism - Belief that their is no one answer to anything. There are two types...
Normative pluralism - Calim that no narrative, expressions etc are any better than any others.
The second type (no name) - Different views are excepted, without denying that something is better than anything else.

Hyper reality - This is when the representation of the place supercedes the reality. For example London is presented in a far more glamourous way that it really is.

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Quentin Tarantino





















Biography
is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and occasional actor. In the early 1990s he began his career as an independent filmmaker. His films have earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA and a Palme d'Or and he has been nominated for Emmy and Grammy awards.

Filmography

His films include Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003–2004), Death Proof (2007) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). Grave Danger. Four Rooms. Grindhouse. My Bestfriends Birthday. Sin City.

Review of Inglorious Bastards
This movie was not entertaining at all. The story lines didn't tie together well at all and the dialogue from the opening scene and the basement bar scene were way too long. It was bloody boring mess and the only thing that was funny was the way Brad Pitt said Nazi. I understand that QT has gained a large number of fans but every movie he directs is not a master piece. I liked the Kill Bill movies way more than this everything in those movies were actually balanced. This was just some bloody artistic vision he wanted to put out.
Dawn H.

Music used in Inglorious Bastards
■The Green Leaves of Summer – Nick Perito – From the movie The Alamo
■The Verdict – Ennio Morricone – From the movie The Big Gundown
■L’incontro Con La Figlia – Ennio Morricone – From the movie The Return of Ringo
■White Lightning – Charles Bernstein – From the movie White Lightning
■Il Mercenario (Reprisa) - Ennio Morricone – From the movie Il Mercenario
■Slaughter - Billy Preston – From the movie Slaughter
■Algiers, November 1954 – Ennio Morricone & Gillo Pontecorvo – From the movie The Battle of Algiers
■The Surrender (La resa) – Ennio Morricone – From the movie The Big Gundown
■One Silver Dollar (Un Dollaro Bucato) – Gianni Ferrio – From the movie Blood for a Silver Dollar
■Bath Attack – Charles Bernstein – From the movie The Entity
■Davon geht die Welt nicht unter – Zarah Leander – From the movie Die große Liebe
■The Man With The Big Sombrero – June Havoc – From the movie Hi Diddle Diddle
■Ich wollt ich wär ein Huhn – Lilian Harvey and Willy Fritsch – From the movie Glückskinder
■Main Theme From Dark of the Sun – Jacques Loussier – From the movie Dark of the Sun
■Cat People (Putting Out Fire) – David Bowie – From the movie Cat People
■Mystic and Severe – Ennio Morricone – From the movie Death Rides a Horse
■The Devil’s Rumble – Mike Curb and The Arrows – From the movie Devil’s Angels
■Zulus – Elmer Bernstein – From the movie Zulu Dawn
■Tiger Tank – Lalo Schifrin – From the movie Kelly’s Heroes
■Un Amico – Ennio Morricone – From the movie Revolver
■Eastern Condors – Sherman Chow Gam – Cheung – From the movie Eastern Condors
■Rabbia e Tarantella – Ennio Morricone – From the movie Allonsanfàn

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the late 1960s when many exploitation films were made specifically (and perhaps exclusively) for an audience of urban black people; the word itself is a portmanteau 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.

Black Angel


They Call Me Mister Tibbs


Spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by Italians, usually in co-production with a Spanish partner and in some cases a German partner. The partners would insist some of their stars be cast in the film.

World War 2 timeline
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/war/timeline.htm

Post modernism within Inglorious Bastards.
To begin with, Inglorious Bastards is meant to be an old war film representing the death of Hitler, however it is presented in a very modern style. It also includes a film within a film. The Germans are seen watching a film called Nations Pride, this features elements from Battleship Potemkin, for example the man being shot in the eye, and the baby in the middle of the battle. The storyline Tarantino choses to use goes against history as Hitler doesnt die the way Tarantino shows he does. We could assume he did this to show Americans to be superior. The characters clothing are very prim and proper. For example Brad Pitt is seen wearing a clean white suit. This doesnt change even when he's been in a brawl, its still smart and clean when in real life it would be messed up and creased. Also another element which makes this film less realistic is when the camera shows an over view and it goes over the wall which divides the set, showing this is a set and not real life. Another element in the film which makes it less realistic is the text that is featured on the screen. There are arrows pointing to certain people to identify them, for example Hitler. This again makes us realise this is definately a film. The music used when the women are getting ready by David Bowie wasn't even out when the film was meant to be made. So again the realism of this film is decreased. Shots in Inglorious are also featured in The Good The Bad And The Ugly so they aren't original. Tarantino is well known for his foot fetish and this is featured like all his other films in Inglorious Bastards. When Hanslanda is in a room alone with Bridget he makes her keep her bare foot out whilst he swaps her shoe over.