The Blair Witch Project (1999): A Review

Fig. 1 The Blair Witch Project Poster (1999)

The Blair Witch Project (1999) was written and directed by Daniel Myrick, and Eduardo Sánchez. It stars Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard, as (essentially) themselves, 3 university students who go into the Black Hills woods of Burkittsville, Maryland, to make a documentary about the local legend “The Blair Witch”.

Fig. 2 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Something that The Blair Witch Project does well is evoke a feeling of unease, not only between the people on screen, but for the people watching the films as well. By having the dialogue improvised throughout the film, it allowed for the conversations to feel more raw, and natural. This, in turn, means that as the characters' emotions shift, we feel more inclined to take on those feelings, those raw emotions, they get under our skin more because they're natural and believable. The fact that the threat is always off screen, with Heather, Mike and Joshua always teetering on the edge of seeing "The Blair Witch", adds another layer to the fear that both they feel, and we, the audience, feel.

"A villain is only an actor, but a shark is more than a shark. [...] "The Blair Witch Project" is a reminder that what really scares us is the stuff we can't see. The noise in the dark is almost always scarier than what makes the noise in the dark."

(Ebert 1999)

This quote perfectly illustrates the point that "The fear of the unknown" can be one of the more powerful antagonists a film can have. Combined with the handheld camera footage, something that The Blair Witch Project kickstarted in the film industry, it makes the film feel real.

Following on from that point, something that the film did differently to normal (for its time) is use the "found footage" way of filmmaking. Whilst it was not the first film to use this technique (which was Cannibal Holocaust 1980), it certainly popularised it and launched it into , with major films such as Paranormal Activity (2007), Chronicle (2012) and Cloverfield (2008) being a few good examples of this.

Fig.3 Paranormal Activity Poster (2007)

"Once word spread that “actual recorded evidence” of a ghostly urban legend had been recovered and was being played in theaters nationwide, this thing took off like dry kindling in a campfire"(Trumbore 2016)

The fact that the film was presented as real life, actual events that took place, only added to the believability factor of the film. For years, due to the word-of-mouth marketing campaign they used, and the fact that the internet was still somewhat in its infancy - people were just getting used to it as a reliable source of information - people believed that these actors really had perished in the woods of Burkittsville.

Fig. 4 Missing Persons Notice from the Blair Witch Project Marketing Team (1999)

There is not much The Blair Witch Project (1999) did similarly to other films of its time. It didn't have a massive budget (estimated $60,000), it didn't use well known actors. It stood apart from its peers, and the marketing tactics used for it were a bit different from the norm, to say the least. A year prior to the film being released, a website was set up, with detailed reports of what the trio were finding, and a copy of Heathers "Diary", which added even more backstory to the film.

Fig. 5 An Excerpt from Heather's Diary (1998)

                                                                                                                                                  
Bibliography:

• Ebert, R. (1999). The Blair Witch Project Movie Review (1999) | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-blair-witch-project-1999 (Accessed 14.05.2017).
• Trumbore, D. (2016). 'The Blair Witch Project' Effect: How Found Footage Shaped a Generation of Filmmaking. [online] Collider. Available at: http://collider.com/blair-witch-found-footage-movies/#history (Accessed 14.05.2017).

Illustration List:

• Figure 1: The Blair Witch Project (1999) [Poster]
  At: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-blair-witch-project-1999 (Accessed 14.05.2017)
• Figure 2: The Blair Witch Project (1999) [Film Still]
  At: http://www.theloop.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1_blairwitch.jpg (Accessed 14.05.2017)
• Figure 3: Paranormal Activity (2007) [Poster]
  At: http://www.impawards.com/2009/posters/paranormal_activity.jpg (Accessed 14.05.2017)
• Figure 4: Missing Persons Notice from the Blair Witch Project Marketing Team. (1999). [image] Available at: http://iris.theaureview.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Blair2.jpg (Accessed 14.05.2017).
• Figure 5: An Excerpt from Heather's Journal. (1998). [image] Available at: http://www.blairwitch.com/project/journal4.html (Accessed 14.05.2017).

Black Narcissus: A Review

Fig 1. Black Narcissus Poster (1947)

Black Narcissus (Powell, Pressburger, 1947) is a film about a group of Nuns that travels off to a secluded area in the Himalayas to spread the word of their covenant to the locals. However, whilst they are there, some of the Nun's more animalistic and sexual desires come to light, as they learn to adapt to their vibrant yet lonely surroundings.

Something that Black Narcissus does well is provide a sense of scale and loneliness within the film. This is done very cleverly through the use of Matte Paintings on glass panels, which were positioned in front of the camera. Probably the best example of this is when one of the Nuns has to ring the bell outside the Convent. It appears to be on a very precarious and sheer cliffside, however, the drop in reality is only a few feet. Here is an example of how this was achieved using the Matte Painting technique:

Fig 2: Black Narcissus Before & After (1947)

"The mattes were by legendary British painter Walter Percy Day, another regular collaborator of Powell and Pressburger. Their work is both luxuriously detailed and extremely assertive. The most memorable use of these paintings is the famous shot of the drop down from Convent’s bell, which hangs just next to the edge."

-Walber (2016)

The films' matte paintings are some of the most impressive and recognisable mattes to come out of that era of cinema. There are many other occasions where the matte paintings are used seamlessly with the rest of the footage, such as the wide panoramic shots, giving the Convent a sense of isolation in the vast, rich landscapes.

Fig 3. Black Narcissus (1947)

One thing Black Narcissus did, that was extremely uncommon during the time period this film was released, is doubt/challenge people's belief in the Christian Faith. Throughout the film, there is an Agnostic character by the name of "Mr. Dean", who is effectively the Nun's liaison between the natives and themselves. He tries charming the women of the Convent, effectively luring them away from their faith. He is what tips Sister Ruth, the more vivacious one of the Nuns, over the edge, whether intentionally or not. She deserts the Convent, to go looking for him, to be with him. His charms almost work on Sister Clodagh, the Sister Superior, and although she has flashbacks to her former life and lover, something that obviously indicates her faith and devotion to the Convent is not as strong as it used to be, she is able to resist his temptations.

Along the course of the film, Mr. Dean begins to grow fond of Sister Clodagh, begins to care for her. He even, at one point, gives her a small nudge back in the direction of the church when she is unsure of what actions to take:

Sister Clodagh: Well I really don't know what to do.
Mr. Dean: What would Christ have done?

-Kerr & Farrar (1947)

Fig 4. Black Narcissus (1947)

Something that Black Narcissus does similarly to some films (such as The Shining [Kubrick, 1980] or 2001: A Space Odyssey [Kubrick, 1968]) is the magnitude in which it portrays this sense of alienation and loneliness. The wide, expansive shots of the Convent combined with the slow descent into madness some of the Nuns experience drives home how deeply they are being affected by their surroundings. Even though they are surrounded by each other and by the people they have come to teach and convert, several of the Nuns end up in their own little world, separate from the others. Like Sister Philippa, who ends up being so enraptured by the sky and her surroundings that she replaces all the food in the garden with flowers. Small things like this show a more realistic, gradual descent into madness.

Fig 5. Black Narcissus (1947)

Bibliography:

• Kerr, D. & Farrar, D. Black Narcissus (1947) Directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger [DVD] United Kingdom: The Archers, Independant Producers
• Walber, D. (2016) The Furniture: Black Narcissus's Maddening Matte Paintings [online blog] At: http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2016/5/23/the-furniture-black-narcissuss-maddening-matte-paintings.html (Accessed on 08.01.2017)

Illustration List:

• Figure 1: Black Narcissus (1947) [Poster] At: http://assets.flicks.co.nz/images/movies/poster/70/70afbf2259b4449d8ae1429e054df1b1_500x735.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
• Figure 2: Black Narcissus (1947) [Before & After Image] At: https://i.imgur.com/z107PfS.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
• Figure 3: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/27037579/1463947079430/black-narcissus-model.png  (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
• Figure 4: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/d6/ba/1dd6baec2b90d28613a3c832c5226b8f.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
• Figure 5: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/27037581/1463947356343/black-narcissus-philippa.png (Accessed on 08.01.2017)

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover: A Review

Fig 1. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Poster, 1989

In this review, I shall be looking at "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" (Greenaway, 1989). This film is a strange and surreal drama, focusing on the restaurant "Le Hollandais", a very high-class restaurant owned by the very low-class Albert Spica (Michael Gambon). On one particular visit to the restaurant, his wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren), starts having an affair with one of the regular patrons, Michael (Alan Howard), a man the complete opposite of her husband. This affair continues within the restaurant, in the toilets and kitchen, and out of the restaurant, at Michael's bookstore. Real feelings between the two of them begin to develop, putting both their lives at risk.

Fig 2. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

"Color has been used by Greenaway [...] to also neutralize environments to create focus for the characters and also add a surreal quality to the scene"

-asmarchitecture, 2010

The cinematography of this film is created and presented masterfully. In every shot there is always one predominant, striking colour - Green in the Kitchen, Red in the Dining Area, and White in the Bathrooms/Toilets. Each of these colours play a significant role to the area they are assigned to - Red for the lust that Georgina and Michael first experience and hint at whilst sitting tables apart in the restaurant, White being used to signify what should be the purity & sanctity of the different bathrooms, and Green for the jealousy that Albert experiences when he finds out of the affair. The character's costumes change to match these colours, apart from Michael's, showing that he is the one constant Georgina has in this world of turmoil she is in.

Fig 3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, 1989

This use of changing colour also portrays the change within the characters themselves, and what their fate will ultimately be;

"In the film, all characters that do not change die; those who adapt survive… Michael, whose habits and dress had been most regular, also dies. He had worn the same suit every evening, and this consistency distinguishes him from other characters that undergo a series of costume changes even within the same scene. In the long and complicated opening sequence, Georgina’s dress appears black to Albert although she calls it dark blue; it is green in the kitchen, red in the dining room, and white in the bathroom. Michael always wore brown. Even when he is naked, his skin has a light brown hue, in the raw and in the cooked state… Richard the cook undergoes a transformation, too, from passive observer to active participant. His black tuxedo not only marks the final scene as ceremonial but also identifies the theme of change as momentous for the entire film. This is the first time that he wears anything other than chef’s white."

- Winkler, 2001

It is obvious from this that the use of colour, and them changing, was of utmost importance when creating this film. It allows for a much deeper, more subliminal message to be portrayed on the screen, whilst still focussing the audience on the action and characters within the scene.

Fig 4. (Nyman, 1989)

The music that plays during the film adds to the brashness and vulgarity of certain scenes. The "main" song that was used is "Memorial", by Michael Nyman, originally recorded in 1984 but first commercially available on the soundtrack of this film.. The stabbing strings and high-pitched wails, accompanied by the bassier undertones really compliment what is happening on screen. "Memorial" greatly affected Greenaway, who decided to model parts of the film on the composition, and actually directed/choreographed the final sequence around the 5th movement of the piece, where the song has ramped up the harshness to the ears.

Bibliography

• Winkler, M. (2001) Classical myth & culture in the cinema. Retrieved: January 4th 2017
• asmarchitechture (2010) The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover – Use of Color as a metaphor for transformation [online blog] At: https://asmarchitecture.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-use-of-color-as-a-metaphor-for-transformation/ (Accessed on 04.01.2017)

Illustration & Music List

• Figure 1. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) [Poster] At: http://cdn.miramax.com/media/assets/The-Cook-The-Thief-His-Wife-and-Her-Lover1.png (Acessed on 04.01.2017)
• Figure 2. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) From: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Allarts. Directed by: Peter Greenaway. [Film Still] Great Britain: Allarts (Accessed on 04.01.2017)
• Figure 3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) From: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Allarts. Directed by: Peter Greenaway. [Film Still] Great Britain: Allarts (Accessed on 04.01.2017)
• Figure 4. Nyman, Michael (1989) Memorial In: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover: Soundtrack London: (Publisher Unknown)

Suspiria: A Review

Fig 1. Suspiria Poster, 1977

Suspiria (Argento, 1977) is a film about an American Ballet dancer who travels to Germany to study at a prestigious dance academy. But soon, she discovers the school is really a front for a series of dark murders by a coven of evil witches.

Fig 2. Suspiria (1977)

One things this film does well is convey an underlying sense of dread throughout. There is always a very strong use of the colour red in this film, from the outside of the building, to the main hallway and rooms within the building (see Fig 2). The colour Red is quite often used in cinema to depict desire, and also danger/suspense, and this film in a way depicts both of those with its striking set pieces - in the first instance, the girls have a passion to be the best dancer/performer in the school, and the underlying danger of the possibility of any one of the students being killed at any time.

We can see in Fig 3 that the main character, Suzy, is in the office of the dance academy. The red hue that has been applied to the scene helps emphasise to us that she is either currently in danger, or that she is about to be.

"And then there's Argento's masterful use of deep primary colours — the sets are bathed in garish red and green light (he acquired 1950s Technicolor stock to get the effect) giving the whole film a hallucinatory intensity."

(Smith, 2000)

This quote not only provides background information on how the hues were achieved, but reinforces the notion that the goings-on in the film are very surreal and dream-like, almost to a fault.

Fig 3. Suspiria (1977)

Something the film does differently to normal is prey on our drowsiness and dream-like states when watching the piece. It makes us more susceptible to being shocked by the goings-on in the film, but particularly with Suspiria, in that we, like Suzy, have a difficult time discerning between what is really happening and what is a figment of imagination.

"But unlike so many lazy films that simply position its characters to advance a plot no matter what, Argento is aware that we are at our most curious when we are asleep"

(Hall, 2016)

This quote is playing upon the fact that, when we are in a dream state, we do things we normally wouldn't. We'll just ignore or dismiss anything that would normally be considered strange, like choose to walk along a road barefoot rather than take a bus, or stay at a ballet school where people are disappearing and being killed left, right and centre. Argento is a master craftsman when it comes to Horror films, making sure to lure everyone into a false sense of security, and strike at the most opportune moment.


Suspiria, like many other films, uses an amazing score to complement the footage on screen. The soundtrack for Suspiria was written by the Italian band "Goblin", and creates a constant sense of unease throughout.

"In a film where character are stalked, observed, and hunted, this score is a signifier that you are not alone"

(Hall, 2016)

Every horror film's soundtrack needs to be distinguishable, contrary to the old adage of "the best soundtrack is one that isn't noticeable". It needs to be able to heighten your state of wariness, keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times. Suspiria's soundtrack does just this, with it oftentimes being quite brash and loud, but never to the point of it being comical. Every piece of music ties in well with the lighting and set design, to make you feel continually apprehensive of what will happen next.

Bibliography:

• Smith, A. (2015). Suspiria. Retrieved December 20, 2016, from http://www.empireonline.com/movies/suspiria/review/
• Hall, J. (2016, February). Suspiria Review: A Bad Dream Made Real. Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.slashfilm.com/suspiria-review/2/
• Hall, J. (2016, February). Suspiria Review: A Bad Dream Made Real. Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.slashfilm.com/suspiria-review/3/

Illustration List

• Fig 1.: Suspiria (1977) [Poster] At: http://civilianglobal.com/images/sized/suspiriaposter_625_900.jpg?c2336f
• Fig 2.: Suspiria (1977) From: Suspiria, Seda Spettacoli. Directed by: Dario Argento [Film Still] Italy: Seda Spettacoli 
• Fig 3.: Suspiria (1977) From: Suspiria, Seda Spettacoli. Directed by: Dario Argento [Film Still] Italy: Seda Spettacoli 

The Shining: A Review

Fig 1: The Shining Poster, 1980

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, Warner Bros., 1980) is a psychological horror film, based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name. It follows the story of the Torrance family, played by Jack Nicholson (The Father, Jack Torrance), Shelley Duvall (The Mother, Wendy Torrance), and Danny Lloyd (The Son, Danny Torrance). They head to the isolated and remote Overlook Hotel for the winter, where a spiritual and evil presence turns Jack to violence, while Dylan sees disturbing images from the past and the future.

The film does a very good job of constantly making the viewer feel uneasy, keeping them in suspense for when Danny's next vision will happen, or when Jack will snap angrily and harshly. One scene of note in this theme is when Wendy discovers Jack's typing. The camera cuts from in front of her, to behind her, looking at her from a distance. We then see Jack creep into shot, so that his entrance is not a surprise, and so that it doesn't detract from the impact of his lines, or when he attacks Hallorann, his only unexpected appearance in the film, and the only on-screen murder.

Fig 2. The Shining (1980)

"The way he told stories was sometimes antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories" - Spielberg, Kubrick Remembered (2014)

This scene was praised by Steven Spielberg, calling it a "great example of counter-intuitive direction", noting that the obvious way of the scene playing out would be Jack suddenly appearing over Wendy's shoulder as she's reading the manuscript, saying that this unusual way of filming and editing the scene had 2 main benefits: It allowed the remainder of the sequence to maintain tension without a moment of relief that would follow from a 'shock', and, as previously stated, that it saved the biggest surprise/scare for when Jack suddenly appears and kills Hallorann.

As Steven Spielberg said in Kubrick Remembered (2014), Kubrick had a habit of telling stories and portraying things on screen differently to other people. This can be seen in the lighting, the dolly shots, the crane moves, the zoom-ins on people's faces, the framing, the hot windows as backlight, his choice of lenses and his steadicam work, all playing a part in making this film, and Kubrick's others, stand out, making them memorable.

Fig 3. The Shining (1980)

"[On Stanley Kubrick] He was a chameleon. He never made the same picture twice. Every single picture is a different genre, a different period, a different story, a different risk" - Spielberg, Kubrick Remembered (2014)

Again, looking at Spielberg talking about and praising Kubrick's work, we can see that Kubrick strived to make each individual film he produced stand out from not only the other films available at the time, but also his own work. The Shining was one of the first films to use Steadicam technology, along with Marathon Man, Bound for Glory, and Rocky. Again, by using techniques that were new to the industry, and by already breaking the norms of cinema, Stanley Kubrick was able to make The Shining stand out from everyone else.

The Shining doesn't really do many things similarly to other films. As stated in the previous two quotes, and their supporting paragraphs, Kubrick did things differently to other filmmakers, and to his previous works. It was one of the first films to use Steadicam, like Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977), another Psychological Thriller. Apart from this, there are not really any things that the film did similarly to others - which can be seen as both a good, and a bad thing - good in the sense that it's breaking the conventions of horror films, and it stands out more against the others, but bad in the sense that you aren't really able to compare the details of the film to another.

Fig 4. The Shining (1980)

"In several of your previous films you seem to have had a prior interest in the facts and problems which surround the story -- the nuclear threat, space travel, the relationship between violence and the state -- which led you to Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange. In the case of The Shining, were you attracted first by the subject of ESP, or just by Stephen King's novel?" - Ciment, Kubrick on The Shining (1981)

This question was posed to Kubrick not long after the release of the film, and adds to the next point being made - Kubrick's films were always influenced by prior interests he had. In the case of The Shining, as he said in reply to the question, "I've always been interest in ESP and the Paranormal". This prior influence allowed Kubrick to take a more detailed approach when creating an atmosphere within the film, making the events seem more realistic than they normally would. On the manuscript of the novel, Kubrick said that;

"It was one of the most ingenious and exciting stories of the genre I had read. It seemed to strike an extraordinary balance between the psychological and the supernatural in such a way as to lead you to think that the supernatural would eventually be explained by the psychological" - Kubrick, Kubrick on The Shining (1981)

Kubrick saying this shows how much believability was important. He liked the fact that there was a possibility of the psychological, fact-based elements could be tied to the supernatural elements. This adds to the already well-established brand/recognisability of Kubrick's prior films.

Bibliography:

Fig 1: The Shining (1980) [Poster] At: http://designbuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/saul-bass-poster-design.jpg

Fig 2: The Shining (1980) From: The Shining, Warner Bros. Directed by: Stanley Kubrick [ Film Still] Great Britain: Warner Bros, Hawk Films, Peregrine.

Fig 3: The Shining (1980) From: The Shining, Warner Bros. Directed by: Stanley Kubrick [ Film Still] Great Britain: Warner Bros, Hawk Films, Peregrine.

Quotes:

1. Kubrick Remembered, From: Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection. (2014) Directed by Gary Khammar. [DVD] USA:  Light Source & Imagery

2. Kubrick Remembered, From: Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection. (2014) Directed by Gary Khammar. [DVD] USA:  Light Source & Imagery

3. Kubrick on The Shining, From: Kubrick. (1981) Written by Michel Ciment
4. Kubrick on The Shining, From: Kubrick. (1981) Written by Michel Ciment

Edward Scissorhands: A Review

Fig 1

In this review, I shall be looking at Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton, 20th Century Fox, 1991).

Throughout the film, there is constant contradiction between creativity and conformity. One of the most obvious/apparent cases of this happens within the first few minutes of the film, where we have a shot of the suburb, all the colourful houses and perfect, green lawns, then in the background is a dark, depressing, monotone hill with a bland, grey mansion atop it.

Fig 2

The mansion on the hill is a good juxtaposition of the suburb below it, the latter representing "conformity", all the houses looking extremely similar, all the men leaving at the exact same time every morning to go off to work, etc, and the former being the contrast, the "creativity" (it is the mansion of an inventor, after all), despite being more drab and dreary. 

Fig 3

The contrast between the two location goes even further than the colourisation and hues, though. The actual way they've been designed and structured plays into this. The buildings in the suburb have all been built the exact same way, as you can see in Fig 3 and Fig 4, similar in the way that Levittown, a suburb in New York was designed, with each house being a carbon-copy of the previous, with one house being built every 16 minutes at the peak of construction. William Levitt himself called his company "The General Motors of the Housing Industry", and we can see that the suburb within the film definitely has that mass-produced feel.

Fig 4

The Mansion in which Edward resides is much blander, greyer and stretched out, almost Gothic in its architecture. The mansion and Edward himself were most likely designed to deliberately be a stark contrast to the typical "complacent" and "unimaginative" society of then modern America.

A quote I feel supports this, and ties things together, is "The final image of Edward in the colourful gardens, surrounded by nature and creativity reinforces the idea that American society is too sterile and narrow to cope with one who does not conform." The film, then, can be viewed as a satire, on how America was stuck in its ways, and was afraid of change, of non-conformity.

Bibliography & Illustrations

• Fig 1 Edward Scissorhands Poster (1991) From: Edward Scissorhands - Directed by: Tim Burton
• Fig 2 Edward Scissorhands Town Still (1991) From: Edward Scissorhands - Directed by: Tim Burton
• Fig 3 Edward Scissorhands Town Still (1991) From: Edward Scissorhands - Directed by: Tim Burton
• Fig 4 Edward Scissorhands Town Still (1991) From: Edward Scissorhands - Directed by: Tim Burton
• Quote: Edward Scissorhands (2011) From http://www.mediamatters.co.uk/media/EdwSci.html - Written By: Ann Devine