Thursday, 31 March 2011

Film Noir: The Last Seduction Essay Question (2)

This second of the 3 film noir essay questions is focused on the representation of gender and must be completed by next week. The final essay on noir will be set as half term homework over the Easter break, focusing on the question of narrative resolutions:

The Last Seduction Essay Question

BRITISH CINEMA CASE STUDY : SUBMARINE declared a box office hit

Released in just 60 cinemas in the UK, director Richard Ayoade’s debut Submarine has proven to be a hit with audiences. Optimum Releasing achieved similar success with the British satire Four Lions in 2010 and adopted a similar marketing and distribution strategy with Submarine. Interestingly enough both Ayoade and Chris Morris, the director of Four Lions, made their name working on Channel Four. This proves yet again the importance of Television production companies in nurturing and supporting British film making talent. Submarine’s distinctive marketing campaign backed by strong critical reviews and a soundtrack by Alex Turner of Arctic Monkey’s fame has certainly helped this quirky coming of age tale find an audience in the UK. Submarine like Four Lions offers hope that British cinema does produce a healthy slate of films each year which can remain successful given the continuing dominance enjoyed by Hollywood films. Optimum releasing expanded the release of Submarine from 60 screens to 100 and it is likely to help with the final box office take.

Download the detailed production notes to the film.

The Official website for the Film offers a range of production details.

Here is the trailer to the film:



Read an interview from The Guardian with the director behind the film.

Read Peter Bradshaw's positive review of Submarine - Four Stars.

Watch the interview with Ben Stiller at the Toronto Film Festival who has helped to produce and promote the film internationally:



Additionally, here is an interview with main leads from the film:

The British Film Industry - Some Useful Websites

Whilst much has been reported of the abolition of the UK Film Council, the closure of such an important funding and organisational body seems to suggest that the British film industry will continue to face the domination of Hollywood. Here are list of useful websites on British cinema:

The British Film Institute

BritFilms

The UK Film Council

David Fincher as Auteur; Fight Club Contextual Materials


The following video essays by film bloggers and critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Aaron Aradillas takes a critical approach to the opening credits/title sequences to the films of American auteur David Fincher:

Part 1). Alien 3
Part 2). Seven
Part 3). Fight Club
Part 4). Zodiac

This material is useful in trying to determine the characteristics that pin down David Fincher as an auteur:
  • What do they opening sequences tell us about Fincher's approach to film making?
  • Why do you think he invests so much time and creative energy into the opening sequences of his films?
  • How well do they capture the essence of his films and establish key themes?
To understand the ideological complexities of Fight Club we need to seriously consider Fincher's status as an auteur and if the film does represent a repeated concern with specific themes and characters.

Welcome to the AS and A2 Film Studies Blog


This blog has been created with the intention of supporting learning for both AS and A2 film studies. We will be constantly updating the blog with various materials including:

  • Film resources
  • Class notes
  • Handouts
  • Powerpoint presentations
  • Trailers/posters
  • Documentary links
  • Links to film websites
  • Film related tasks & activities
  • Important film news & events
  • Video Essays
  • Film Reviews
Please check back regularly - we would love to hear your comments on any aspects of the blog including the entries. The blog will be organised in relation to the units covered for AS and A2 Film which include:

FM1 - Exploring Film Form; The Micro Elements - Mise en scene, Editing, Cinematography, Performance, Sound
a). Storyboard / Short Film
b). An analysis of a film sequence - 1500 words

FM2 - British & American Film
a). Producers & Audiences
b). British Horror Genre
c). Film Noir

FM3 - Film Research and Creative Projects
a). Creative Work - Short Film / Script
b). Small Scale Research Project

FM4 - Issues and Debates
a). World Cinema Topics; Neo Realism
b). Spectatorship Topics; Documentary
c). Single Film Close Study; Fight Club

Omar Ahmed, Tom Dixon