Formal Film Study: Teen Movies Through 80's-00's

Teen Movies through the Decades

1985: The Breakfast Club [Imdb rating: 7.9/10]

1999: 10 Things I Hate about You [Imdb rating: 7.1/10]

2006: John Tucker Must Die [Imdb rating: 5.6/10]

 

                Style: one thing I noticed in style of the moves it John Tucker Must Die. There are a lot of short cuts in the editing, but not so much in the other two movies. In all three movies there are a lot of long shots (library, football field, gym). Seeing that these three movies are from different decades, the composition, camera, and color are very different.

                Industry: These three movies are best cut out as Teen movies and Comedies, they also include Romance.

                Technology: there are not many interesting things about the technology, because none of the movies used special effects for anything.

                Culture: All three of these movies stayed true to high school stereotypes, like Mean Girls (jocks, nerds, potheads, outcasts). A common theme in all of the movies is at the beginning, no one likes each other. In Breakfast Club it is Molly Ringwald and the people she meets in detention, In 10 things it is Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, and finally, Brittany Snow and the girls she meets in detention too. These movies are examples of how different people come together eventually, such as the stereotypes that were listed in the movies. Another thing I noticed is that the main characters (girls) like Molly Ringwald, Julia Stiles and Brittany Snow is that they are sort of uptight teenagers that never let their guard down.

               Politics: These three movies actually do not address politics, nor have anything that symbolizes politics in the movies.

                Symbols: The reading of the letter at the end of the Breakfast Club sends a message out, The part of Julia Stiles reading her version of a poem mends her relationship with Heath Ledger, and at the end of John Tucker Must Die Brittany Snow admits to being wrong which also helps her relationships. They all convey different messages at the end and they eventually all learn lessons.

 

1975 Post: Windy City Rollers

Synopsis: Two young women (Carol Kane and Madeline Khan) in Chicago, work at a roller-skating rink during 1975. They are bored and don't know what they want to do with their lives. It is the 70s where disco is very big. The Windy City Rollers, who play at the rink, are the girls' favorite sport to watch. Then, suddenly, a few girls from the derby team get into an car accident after a night out. It causes the girls to leave the team. The roller derby coach does not know what to do and notices the girls are huge fans. He offers them spot on the team, with hard training and practice, they are ready within a few weeks. The girls end up being great at roller derby. After a few months they are offered to tour around the country meeting other derby players and fans. Soon after that, they gain so much popularity they are offered a special on TV, and eventually the network airs their games. The girls end up learning what they are to do in life and are very pleased with how it went for them.

Message: The message of this movie is that when opportunity strikes, take it because you never know what could happen. You may not have discovered all of your talents yet. The girls didn't know what to do with themselves and soon discovered that they wanted to do roller derby. It also sends the message that you shouldn't give up on your dream. Although it wasn't their dream, they still worked hard for their place on the team, and became incredibly successful.

Genre: I wanted this movie to be Adventure and Comedy. Madeline Khan and Carol Kane were both funny actresses. I also wanted it to be Adventure so that it leaves a thought with the viewer, So it inspires the viewer to do what they want and work for it.

Cast and Crew: I chose Carol Kane and Madeline Khan because they are both very funny. They are the main actresses (best friends). I also chose Mel Brooks as the director because he was very popular in the 70s. Not just that, but he was a very good director and directed comedies. I wanted this to be a very funny movie with silly phrases.

MPAA Rating: I chose G because this movie is a comedy and adventure. It is not really suppose to be inappropriate.

I chose this story because I love the thought of 1970s disco. It reminds me of roller skating, and it also reminds me of Women's Roller derby, because it is empowering and also one of my interests. I really enjoyed coming up with this movie and having total control of what I chose and wanted. I really enjoyed making it.

MYST Post #3: Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World

my rating:7/10
(7/10 for lack of plot)
Plot: Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. (Imdb)

I really liked the graphics in Thor.  They were very detailed and probably the main focus of the movie. I liked that the movie was overcast (weather) because it set a serious tone. I also thought the panning of the camera across scenes were interesting too.

One of the key scenes is at the end of the movie. There is a scene where the graphics are represented best. The scene is the climax of the movie and is most important to the plot. (Trying to defeat the bad guy)

This is the only other marvel movie I have seen except spiderman and batman. The graphics are similar to the avengers movie and other marvel movies. In my opinion, I think they are making these marvel movies way to fast to show off the graphics.

My opinion of this movie is that I thought it was very funny but not really focused on the plot and lacked the parts that should be explained. For example, there are two women (Natalie Portman and an actress who plays "sif") Natalie Portman was Chris Hemsworth's love interest in the first Thor (I did not see) But in the second Thor, I did not understand the role of sif. Was she a femme fatale? This movie didn't really explain the point of the character which was a problem for me. I didn't see the first Thor, but that is probably why I don't get the character.

Rebel Without a Cause Response

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

 1.      Take a look at these two quotes:

a.     “The drama and hepcat dialogue feel clunky now...” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

b.    “Rebel without a Cause has as much to say today as it did in the 1950s.” Chris Wood, Senses of Cinema

Who’s right?  Is Rebel… a timeless film that effectively captures the alienation, awkwardness, and angst of youth culture in any generation?  Or, is it a dated relic, unable to speak to or for contemporary youth?  Which critic is closer to “right”? 

 I really enjoyed watching this movie, but I do have to agree with Peter Bradshaw. This movie is a very hard film to relate to as a teenager today. A lot of these characters were very new to me and took me by surprise. For example, Plato. He is a very different character and acts in a certain way that confused me a little in the beginning of the movie. I think it is hard to relate to because of the events that happen (the cliff scene with the cars, hiding out in an abandoned mansion, Plato getting shot by the Police). Not many teenagers endure events like these. Another thing that I noticed is that no one did anything after the car crashed off the cliff during the race. It was hard to believe that everyone would clear out and forget about it. It has many aspects that represent the bad parts of “family structure” in the 50’s. (ex. Jim’s family moving, Judy’s dad, Plato’s parents). It may have been a movie that young people related to (the kids’ problems) when the movie came out, It was a hard movie to relate to, but I did enjoy the film and have a lot of interest in it.

MYST Post #2: This Is The End

This Is The End

While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. [IMDb]

Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

My Rating: 3/5

I thought this movie was really funny in the movie theater, and recently I watched it again. I really liked this movie because a lot of the actors in it have worked with Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow, who have created some of my favorite movies and shows (Freaks and Geeks). 

This movie had a lot of cinematic elements. One thing I noticed was the camera work they used. There are a lot of dramatic and intense scenes that are funny in this movie. In the parts, it mainly looks like someone is using a handheld camera like a documentary. I thought that was an interesting aspect of the movie. I also thought the sound and music worked great too. There was intense dramatic music for when there is drama and funny music/sound that goes with a comedic moment.

Another thing I enjoyed was the characters. The movie is about a bunch of movie stars at a party in L.A. and an apocalypse happens. All of the characters kept to their real life roles as actors. At times the graphics were great and at sometimes they weren't that impressive. The special effects as the city is burning down are very good, but some of the others are not. 

                     
This is a scene from This is The End. In the scene, the group is giving Jonah Hill an exorcism. The movie is mostly based on comedy, but in this scene they did a good job with makeup/costumes, lighting, special effects, and sound (fire from outside). This movie to me is more comedic than artistic, but they did have some graphics that I thought were interesting. 

Formal Film Study: Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Carmina Coppola (born May 14, 1971) is an American screenwriter, director, producer and actress. In 2003, she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, and became the third woman (and first American woman) to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. In 2010, with Somewhere, she became the first American woman (and fourth American filmmaker) to win the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. (Wikipedia) 

The Bling Ring (2013)

Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes. [IMDb]

Genre: Crime, Drama

Culture The message of the Bling Ring that today our society is celebrity obsessed, and that people love attention. The message of Lost in Translation is the meaning of happiness, marriage, and the meaning of it all.                                   Style The two styles of these movies are different. In the Bling Ring, there are a lot of shots where it is very dark and the camera starts zooming in slowly. In Lost in Translation, there are shots up close to the characters’ face (when riding in a taxi, sitting at the bar). There are also a lot of shots where the camera is at the floor and long-shots of the character walking. The Bling Ring seems to be darker. Especially because it was shot during the night. Industry The Bling Ring is much different than any other movie made, and so is Lost in Translation. A lot of teenagers would like the Bling Ring because it centers on the characters stealing clothes, jewelry, and possessions from celebrities including Paris Hilton. Lost in Translation could relate to a younger adult audience (20’s), because Scarlett Johansson’s character is a young woman who is married and her husband neglects her, and does not know what she wants to do with her life. Same for Bill Murray’s character, a middle-aged man who has a family but is unhappy. Both movies would do great in the industry because people can relate to them. Technology What’s interesting about the technology is the different kind of filters they use in the movie Bling Ring. It is shot in a dreary looking darker tone, it is the same for Lost in Translation.                                              Lost In Translation (2003)

A faded movie star and a neglected young wife form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo. [IMDb]

Genre: Drama

MYST #1 Argo

 

Argo

 

Directed By: Ben Affleck  

Written By: Chris Terrio

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Description: The movie Argo, based on true events, is about the operation of rescuing six Americans after the Iran hostage-crisis on November 4, 1979 at the U.S. Embassy. The six Americans find a hiding spot in a Canadian Ambassador’s home.

My Rating: 9/10

IMDB Rating: 7.9/10

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVuG27Ij3Bs

Last night I watched the movie Argo. I thought it was an amazing movie and I definitely enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed the beginning, which opens with a narrator teaching you the history of the Iran hostage crisis.

One thing I noticed and really enjoyed was the camera angles and styles. At the most intense scenes, they used a camera style that looks a little bit shaky, like someone holding a camera in a documentary. It really brought the movie to life and I could understand the intensity of it. The use of the camera style reminded me of the movie The Hurt Locker, which uses similar camera techniques during intense scenes. They also knew how to really scare the viewers with the situations at the beginning and end of the movie.

I didn’t just love the way they filmed it, but I also really loved the story. Every scene I watched, I liked the movie even more. I haven’t seen a really good movie like this in a really long time. Last week, in theatres, I saw The Spectacular Now, starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. I didn’t enjoy the movie so Argo was a huge relief for me.   

Although these are two very different movies with different messages, I can compare the acting. I thought the acting in Argo was so great. In the Spectacular Now, it was a low-budget film and the acting seemed really bad in some parts.

I loved that the credits stayed with the 1979 theme. I also really enjoyed the fact that the costumes and their appearance stayed true to the time frame; which is another thing that made this movie so great.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone, especially someone who enjoys history. At the beginning of the movie, my mom had told me that she was a senior when the hostage crisis happened, and that the situation was very scary. I also really loved that my mom enjoyed the movie too. We both learned a lot from it.

 

 

Review of the Reviews

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Reviews-

Positive:James Kendrick- Q Network Film Desk

Negative:Gene Siskel-The Chicago Times

I chose Ferris Bueller's Day Off, because it is a great movie, it's funny, and I never get sick of it. Most of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are good. 

James Kendrick-

Kendrick starts off by stating that the movie "breaks convention and throws us into the fantastical, but strangely believable world of its characters". The tone of Kendrick is that the movie is enjoyable and playful. I can understand why he used "convention", seeing that the movie is one-of-a-kind. The reviewer was focused most on the characters. He also complimented John Hughes’s film making. He referenced that it is one of the best teen movies ever made. I agree with him, and it is one of my favorite teen films.

I would be convinced with Kendrick’s review because it is clear on the title and the cover that Ferris wanted to skip school. 

Gene Siskel- 

Gene says that the movie is a "film that doesn't seem to know what it's about until the end". he has a arrogant tone in his review. I don't agree with his statement because in the title and cover of the film, it is clear that Ferris Bueller is a teenager who is trying to skip school. Also, at the beginning, you can tell that Ferris doesn't want to go because he pretends he is sick. I don't really understand how the critic did not know what it was about until the end. 

I would want to include in my review, that I thought the filming, characters, and concept are totally original. I also wouldn't leave anything out of my review. 

Kendrick & Siskel's Review on Rotten Tomatoes-

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ferris_buellers_day_off/