Elf life

Top Silent Movies for Newbies

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:34:20 +0000

The Artist well and truly cleaned up at both the box office Oscars and the Oscars, which has inevitably led to a renaissance in popularity of the traditional silent movie. Indeed, millions who though they could never get enjoyment from a production without a single spoken word have found to their delight how wrong they were, opening up a whole new world of movie and entertainment options – the following serving as idea choices for those new to the genre:
The Phantom of the Opera – 1925
One of the first of hundreds of adaptations of the legendary novel, one of the most famous and striking elements of the movie is the amateur make-up worn by Lon Chaney. Even by modern day standards, the lead character’s skull-like makeup application, nose pinned with wire, deformed false teeth and items of silver jewellery achieve a truly terrifying effect. This movie proves in a heartbeat that neither words nor modern special effects are required to convey a true chill.

The Birth of a Nation - 1915
Arguably one of the most important movies ever made, critics the world over herald The Birth of a Nation as the piece that essentially invented modern cinema. This stunning war epic introduced the world to panning camera shots, close ups and a world of other techniques that would go on to become standards in the industry, earning the movie immediate acclaim that has only increased over the decades. A truly essential movie for anybody looking to discover where it all began.

The Gold Rush – 1925Last but not least, no silent movie recommendation would be complete without an essential nod to Mr. Charlie Chaplin himself. One of his best movies without a shadow of a doubt, this comedy romp was also one of Chaplin’s proudest moments across the board and delivers a truly warm and feel-good vibe throughout – despite the rather depressing movie poster design.

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The Attitude of Modern Cinema.

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:03:21 +0000

As far as I am concerned, there are two extremely important factors to consider when it comes to a good film; acting and story. Because if these two things are in place, then you are more or less guaranteed to be onto a winner. Unfortunately, a lot of modern movies will place very little importance on either of these… instead they will prefer to base their work around two other factors; CGIs and budget. And that, I think, is why so much of modern mainstream filmmaking can feel so very hollow, synthetic or insubstantial…

Just to make matters worse, Hollywood has latched onto the remake thing in a really big way over recent years. Virtually every successful movie or television show has been given the revamp treatment lately and most of the time it has all ended in very bitter tears indeed. Yes, the modern film industry has carried out more cosmetic surgery than any Botox Manchester or London establishment!

So just what lies ahead for movie making? Will directors finally decide to go back to their roots or will things continue to muddle along in exactly the same bland and unimaginative way? Well, that’s a difficult one to answer… but a lot of it will depend on the general public. If people are happy to keep on watching dumbed down remakes, special effect-ridden extravaganzas or mega-buck big star showcases, then nothing much is likely to change at all. However, should cinemagoers begin to tire of twenty-first century mainstream moviemaking attitudes…

It’s all a case of %u2018watch this space'for the moment I’m afraid; Hollywood will carry on just the same unless it is instructed to do otherwise. However, you can’t help wondering how film became so boring in the first place… After all, it certainly never used to be. Mind you, that was back when the emphasis really was on acting and storyline!

Great Films of the 90’s

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:34:16 +0000

There was an era in film before everything was oriented around spectacle: what 3D effects are most impressive, who can make the biggest explosion, and what comic book heroes can be stolen from the imagination of the public and “transformed” into a multimillion dollar blockbuster. That era–an era centered on content and substance–seems long gone, but when Shawshank Redemption came on the television yesterday, I was reminded that it has only been fifteen years, and that films of substance are not dead.

The Shawshank Redemption does not rely on complicated film making or special effects. Rather, the Frank Darabont classic is rich with what drew people to films when there was no spectacle, no color, no spoken words, no soundtrack: the simplicity of human relationships. Instead of complicated technology, the characters'most valuable possessions are things like a rock hammer, a harmonica, and a chess set. Instead of the stakes of the movie centering on the end of the world or a conquest of planets, the audience here pulls for justice, truth, and hope, all entirely relateable subjects to any audience. Make no mistake: the stakes are still high, but they are high because the audience is invested in the people in the film, not because the stakes have been artificially raised to epic proportions.

During the course of the film, we see characters acting as people we might know. We see religious hypocrisy in the character of the warden. We witness police brutality and selfishness. Perhaps most importantly, we watch characters behave in a way that is heroic, but in a way that we ourselves dream of being heroic. They don’t leap through walls or destroy buildings. Rather, they are persistent in the pursuit of their dreams, they help others when it is a risk, and they stand up to authority when it is wrong,

So whereas the plot is engaging, the themes beautiful, and the direction top-notch, it is the texture of the way the characters interact in The Shawshank Redemption that makes this movie one that so regularly sits among critics'top ten lists for the 1990s.

Atlas Documentaries

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:33:04 +0000

Going trough the channels constantly has become more like a habit for me rather than an attempt to find something worth spending some time on. It is just the fact that television is becoming too concentrated on ’90210'shows and reality shows that honestly have no real entertainment simply because some of them are what you would expect from the life of the ordinary man like yourself. But I noticed that Discovery Channel (they have also started using quite a lot of TV cliches that kept my interest for the program quite low until now) have actually made something different and it is called Atlas!

Atlas is a series of documentaries about countries around the world, mainly focusing on large and densely populated states such as India, China and Brazil and well developed and interesting places such as Australia. The show I first watched was dedicated to India and I must admit it went far beyond my expectations about a standard documentary. The mere fact that years were spent by reporters and filmmakers to make the documentary was impressive enough for me to start watching it.

The show focuses on various stories within a country, exploring the way people live and looking at the achievements both historically and socially within a nation. You can grasp various information from the storyteller such as the quality of teaching English jobs in Australia, the faithfulness of Hindus in India, the working discipline of Chinese and their somehow quickly spreading love for Christianity. All these interesting facts you get for an hour and a half while watching some of the most interesting documentaries I have had the chance to see.

The films themselves are made quite professionally, with geographical illustrations and 3D graphics so that you are aware of where the story being told is taking place, with different commentaries and interviews from the people discussed in the film.

So if you are still getting angry at the soaps running on TV almost all the time, switch to a rather different program and watch something quite well made and interesting enough to make a documentary fan!

Graffiti Wars

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:03:06 +0000

Watching the TV last night, I was fortunate enough to find myself watching a program called Graffiti wars; a fascinating documentary which explored all kinds of interesting issues which people are generally divided upon. The program, which charted the ongoing dispute between infamous London artist Robbo and the even more infamous – and acclaimed – Banksy. was fascinating in every which way. To be honest I know very little about graffiti and street art but by the time the show was over, I had a really good understanding of both what it is about, and the rules which govern this sacred world of politics and macho attitude.

My only complaint would be that there weren’t any female artists featured in the show; but aside from that I have to say it ticked all my boxes and more.

Graffiti, on the other hand, isn’t considered half as good or worthy or valuable as street art

Don’t know the difference between street art and graffiti? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one, even the local councils of London struggle with that definition, and are constantly caught between doing what’s considered right and what will add value to the community. In the film they talked about how they battle with what to clean off the walls and what they choose to keep. The moral of the story seemed to be that if you are Banksy, the world’s most famous street artist, you can pretty much get away with painting anything you like, whenever you like, and that really is it. Graffiti, on the other hand, isn’t considered half as good or worthy or valuable as street art. So if you’re a graffiti artist and your name isn’t Banksy then you had better watch OUT, because hefty fines are given and sometimes people even go to prison…

I suppose I should come clean, now, and say that I have seen a bit of graffiti being done; although the graffiti we used to do has very little in common with any of the amazing artwork as featured in the show (hence why I said I knew nothing about it). When I was younger we used to creep into the Red Diesel Cornwall yard at night, and put tags on the walls. The area was large and concrete and great for what we wanted to do. The perfect training ground, and this was well before CCTV became so widespread, which meant we could pretty much do whatever we wanted.

There is one last sombre note to end this post on: at the end of the documentary it was said that Robbo – or King Robbo as he is officially known – is still in a coma from an assault which happened shortly after filing stopped. I was shocked to hear that, and I truly hope that the King awakes and gets back to doing what he does best.

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80’s Movies

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:03:12 +0000

Every decade has its greatest movies and the 80’s is no different. I absolutely love the movies from the 80’s because they are so fun to watch. This list is not in any particular order, all you have to do is pick one or two of them and you will be thoroughly entertained. Just like there are many red diesel suppliers but only a few great ones, there are only a few great movies from the 80’s as well.
Following are the list of some 80’s movies:
• Dirty Dancing: This is the movie that made Patrick Swayze a household name. If you like dancing and music from the 60’s you will absolutely love this movie.
• The Karate Kid: A kid gets trained in karate and though he is the underdog he wins. This movie has been recently remade however the original movie is still the best.
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: We all did it, you know skip school. This is the famous skipping school movie and it is hilarious from beginning to end.
• Top gun: There were a lot of movies that made the big stars of Hollywood famous. This is one of those movies, it made Tom Cruise into the big star he is today.
• The Breakfast Club: If you went to high school in the 80’s you could relate to one of the characters in this movie. They are all trapped in Saturday school together and even though in the beginning they don’t like each other but later they begin to understand one another.
• The Princess Bride: If you like romance, action, and fantasy then this movie is for you. It has the Princess that needs rescued and the daring hero who risks it all to save her.
• E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial: If there is one movie that can surely describe a 80’s film then this is it. It is about an alien who gets left behind on planet earth. He is then found and becomes friends with a young boy and girl. This movie will make your heart melt every time.
• The Lost Boys: Before there was Twilight there was the Lost Boys. It is still one of the best vampire movies ever.
When people talk about 80’s movies they will talk about these movies. So grab some popcorn, get a DVD of these movies and enjoy.

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Review: Adaptation

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:03:12 +0000

Any review of Spike Jonze’s 2002 film should come with a disclaimer: what you are about to see will confuse you if you look away for even a second. If you stay with this film, though, and listen to every word, and pay attention to every shift in pace, what you find is a startlingly original piece of work that will be unlike anything you have ever seen before. And it all begins with Being John Malkovich.

Every bit as strange as Malkovich, Adaptation is also just as complex a weave. The story is taking place in two different time-zones at all times, with four main characters, and even Meryl Streep in a role that’s far darker than almost anything else she has ever played. Chris Cooper (The Bourne Identity, among others) is also in there, and this means that at all times, the level of acting is supreme.

And yes, Nicholas Cage is in there too. Playing both Charlie Kaufman and his twin brother Donald, it’s weird to watch for a while, but you soon get used to it. By the half way point you think you know where this film is headed, but trust me: you have no idea.

Concerning Kaufman’s bizarre and often disturbing quest to produce a screenplay for Susan Orlean’s novel, The Orchid Thief, you get the idea that this film could feature anything – that Red Diesel Exeter van you saw on your way to work, or an old school friend who suddenly pops up – and get away with it.

Adaptation is that rarest of films: it’s constantly surprising, in places mesmerizing, and always thought-provoking.

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The Mist

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:33:17 +0000

One of the most overlooked horror films in recent years caught my eye the other day and I’ve barely been able to sleep since!

‘The Mist'adapted from the novella by Stephen King is up there with classics like ‘The Thing'(itself referenced as an artwork by the main character). ‘The Mist'works because it plays on that most basic of human emotions: fear of the unknown. The Personal Injuries Claims industry must have been pleased with the result as thousands of people who saw the film at the cinema walked into many doors afterwards in shock.

‘The Mist'quickly establishes the main characters of a father and his son on their way to the supermarket to pick up supplies following a storm. Shortly after they get there a screaming man covered in blood runs towards the supermarket yelling about a ‘mist'enveloping the town and ‘things'inside it. Unlike a lot of horror films there is no slow build up to the main event as the whole point of the film is to slowly ramp up the tension amongst the audience. The horrors you witness more often than not are the things the characters do to each other in order to survive. We do get glimpses and later full on shots of some of the otherworldly creatures moving about in the mist, but the film cleverly chooses to keep these beasts mostly hidden. In the end it’s your own imagination that picks up the slack.

Watch this film and the next time you see a mist descending near you, don’t be surprised if you begin to feel more then a little uneasy.

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A Chinese Feast

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:33:05 +0000

A visually stunning film from Chinese director Zhang Yimou, The Curse of the Golden Flower is an epic movie telling the story of a power-hungry emperor in tenth-century China who wants to cling onto authority at all cost. Yet the central figure is not the emperor at all. Instead, taking centre stage is his wife, a much younger women, the daughter of a neighbouring lord, who has been the dominant woman in the life of the emperor’s oldest son and has given the ruler two younger sons as well.

During all these years the film makes it clear that the empress’s role has previously been in the background, subservient to her masterful husband, although powerful emotions within the family are clearly presenting problems for the future.

With all the sons now fully mature or approaching maturity, the tensions at court reach a climax as the empress’s schemes for the future threaten to tear the empire apart.

Every single figure in the film is sumptuously dressed, from the soldiers in their battle-sodden armour to the hundreds of uniformed servants and the court ladies in their fabulous silk fabrics. Set-piece scenes of the palace entourage getting ready for the day are totally engrossing in their detail, and the battles or individual fights are as action-packed yet precise as could be expected. Meanwhile the emotional build-up is as powerful as any historical drama could be.

Director Zhang, previously known for movies such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern and Red Sorghum, has managed to produce an original film within the genre of modern Chinese cinema. Its only problem is that while visually engrossing, the story line is moved along oh, so agonisingly slowly.

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Adapting Originality

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:06:47 +0000

Adaptations and remakes are all the rage these days. So why are there so few original ideas appearing on the big screen?

The answer is quite simple: money. It is far easier and entails less financial risk to adapt a successful book or TV show simply because there is already a built in audience who will turn up to the local cinema and watch it. To persuade film executives to part with their cash for a new project, you either have to already have had a successful box office take behind you, or be sleeping with one of the executives.

Let’s take ‘Inception'as an example. It was one of the best films released in 2010 and was one of the few that could claim to be an original idea rather then a remake or adaptation. It took a fortune at the world wide Box Office as well. Hollywood liked it. The film going public liked it. But could Christopher Nolan have made that film if it weren’t for his prior success with the ‘Batman'movies? The answer is ‘definitely not’. No one would have given him the budget he needed to make ‘Inception'were it not for the fact that he had already proved he could put bums on seats. He would have had more luck pretending to be a member of Fitness Singles or a chess club then he would have if he’d gone to executives asking for $200 million plus to make a movie ten years ago.

Simply put the sad truth of films and TV shows today is that unless makers are really lucky, they can’t submit original ideas to Hollywood without first having a CV to write home about first. In the fickle world of film and television that means producing a remake or adaptation in many cases. We all have to do things we don’t like to do what we do like a lot of the time, but isn’t that the way with most jobs?