[Classic Film] Number Seven - The Shining

Trailer:

Information:

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★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

A Masterpiece Of film [For rating system, see information tab at top of blog]

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Release Date: 23rd May 1980
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Director: Stanley Kubrick
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Writer: Stephen King (Novel)  Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson (Screenplay)
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Cast: Jack Nicholson - Shelly Duvall - Danny Lloyd

Famous Quotes

1) 'Here's Johnny!'
2) 'Come play with us Danny'
3) 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'
4) 'Hi, Lloyd, little slow tonight, isn't it?'
5) 'You son of a bitch! You did this too him, didn't you! How could you! How could you!'
6) 'I'm not going to hurt you...I'm just going to bash your brains in, i'm gonna bash them right the fuck in'
7) 'I'm sorry to disagree with you sir, but you are the caretaker...you have always been the caretaker'

Explanation
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'The Shining' is arguably one of the most famous horror films of all time. Released in 1980, it is an impressionistic take on one of Stephen Kings most successful novels, and is now considered to be one of the corner stones in the history of horror cinema. 

Its Narrative follows a family of three that travel to an isolated hotel for the winter; whilst their psychic son witnesses horrific images from the hotel's past, an evil entity possesses the father and causes him to become violent. 

The film is unconventionally frightening; it is not typically full of suspense, but still very disturbing. As you are watching you find yourself gripped to the unpredictability of the main character and his mental deterioration, as well as chilled by the various surrealistic scenes, usually driven by the son in the family. 

There is very little of a negative nature that can be said about 'The Shining', but three things stand out in particular that make it so effective; Stanley Kubrick's unique 'dreamlike' directional style, A chilling soundtrack and a completely ‘demented’ performance from Jack Nicholson. It is these traits in particular that combine to make the film haunting; a horror that stays with you long after you have watched it, playing on your imagination and lingering in your thoughts. 

The one aspect of the film that is questionable is the performance of Shelly Duvall which is often irritatingly hysterical, even comical on occasion. However this does not affect the overall quality of the film, as this performance could be said to contrast well with that of  the manic Jack Nicholson, and in some ways makes his character more intense and frightening.

'The Shining' - A classic that every film enthusiast must see.  Unique, gripping and haunting. 

Awards
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Oscar Wins:

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Oscar Nominations:

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BAFTA Wins:

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BAFTA Nominations:

N/A

Golden Globe Wins:

N/A

Golden Globe Nominations:

N/A

*The videos used in this post are not mine*

Blog Update

I'm going to be taking a week off to focus on some imminent university assignments, will be back on the 14th of November with my reviews for 'James Bond: Skyfall' & 'Sinister' as well as film recommendation posts, box office stats and film news & trailers.

Thanks, 

FilmDebate,

Adam Snowden

[Review] - House At The End Of The Street - 22nd October 2012

★

★

★

★

★

 - Average [For rating system, see the information tab at the top of blog]

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Release Date: 21st September 2012

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Director: Mark Tonderai

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Writers: David Loucka (Screenplay) - Jonathan Mostow (Story)

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Cast: Jennifer Lawrence - Elisabeth Shue - Max Thieriot

Review

After the success of 'The Hunger Games' it is no surprise to see Jennifer Lawrence expanding her filmography. Her latest project: 'House At The End Of  The Street' - a horror film co-starring Max Thieriot and Elisabeth Shue.

The film follows Jennifer Lawrence playing Elisa, a head strong teenager who moves into a new house with her mother (Elisabeth Shue). They soon learn that the neighbouring house has a dark past; the scene of a murder where a young girl killed her parents. Elisa befriends their surviving son (Max Thieriot), and begins to learn that the story is far from over. 

One of the most important criteria that a horror film has to meet if it is to be successful is a unique and unpredictable narrative. If the audience can guess the ending then the enjoyment is removed - with 'House At The End Of The Street', this was addressed effectively. The narrative is well written and keeps the viewer guessing, while it is not particularly unique in storyline, the manner in which the film was written provides a refreshing change from the 'standard' horror structure we have come to expect from modern cinema. Without wishing to spoil the film, it also contains a clever twist at the end. 

In terms of performances, the leading actors deliver. While there is nothing particularly demanding of each role, the actors never the less produce believable and realistic performances. The screen chemistry between Lawrence & Thieriot is particularly effective, which aids the narrative in its unpredictability.

Having said this, 'House At The End Of The Street' does have a significant downfall. As previously mentioned, the narrative of the film is good. However, as the most important objective for any horror film is to do the obvious; scare the audience, unfortunately, in this aspect 'House At The End Of The Street' disappoints. The film simply does not contain enough suspense, and where it does exist the focus is more on the generation of tension than scaring its viewers. Its narrative is driven by the main character, Elisa, and the success of the film partly depends  on the audience having more knowledge of events than this character. Due to this, the film does develop tension, as the audience knows what Elisa does not, but if a horror film uses this trait effectively it must build upon this tension effectively to create fear in order to scare – sadly this is where 'House At The End Of The Street' fails; it simply isn't frightening enough. 

Furthermore, while technical features of  lighting and camera work are acceptable, the film has an issue with sound and music. As it is vital to get this right, particularly in a film of this genre, here the sound used seems almost rushed and constructed in a lacklustre manner thus failing to generate the appropriate atmosphere. 

'House At The End Of The Street' - an acceptable film, but in terms of suspenseful horror, simply not frightening enough. 

[New Trailers] - 12th October 2012

Click the links for the trailers, if you know of any other recent film trailers leave a comment and I will add it to the list:

New Teasers:

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The Canyons

New Trailers: 

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Holy Motors

The Sessions

Gangster Squad

Alex Cross
Flight

Django Unchained

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

Hitchcock

The Flat

Zero Dark Thirty

The American Scream

[Review] Ted - 3rd October 2012

★

★

★

★

★

★

★ - Good [For rating system, see the information tab at the top of blog]

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Release Date: 1st August 2012
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Director: Seth Macfarlane
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Writers: Seth Macfarlane - Alec Sulkin - Wellesley Wild
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Cast: Mark Wahlberg - Mila Kunis - Seth Macfarlane

Review

The eagerly awaited 'Ted' has finally reached our screens, and the film proves to be a fine addition to Seth Macfarlane's growing list of comic projects.

There is just one thing you need to consider when deciding to go and see 'Ted' - Do you like Macfarlane's comic style? His influence in the film is so obvious that avid fans of 'Family Guy', 'American Dad' or anything else that he has created will enjoy 'Ted' immensely.

The storyline follows John Bennett, who as a child was granted the miracle wish of owning a living teddy bear. Twenty-seven years later, the bear, Ted, remains at his side, but problems begin when John's girlfriend starts to demand more from their relationship.

The narrative structure of the film is simple, it moves in a cause and effect chain that naturally lets the comic scenes and dialogue flow through the characters. The film is not exceptional in its direction, editing, cinematography, sound and music which are all adequate, but one does not look for perfection in these traits for a film like 'Ted', you accept them for what they are provided the film is not badly constructed. 'Ted' it is simply a film made in Seth Macfarlanes inimitable style.

'Ted' did contain one or two obscure scenes that seemed too contrived and perhaps a little ridiculous, however this is to be expected with Macfarlane's influence, one only has to look at 'Family Guy' to notice that he does favour the unusual at times. 

Ultimately it is the clever writing that makes 'Ted' so comical - The dialogue in the film is natural and jokes flow quickly through the characters, resulting in a very good, appealing screen chemistry. As with Macfarlane's animated exploits, the comedy is crude and borders on the controversial but remains unique to his style, independent, and welcomed change from the sea of 'slap-stick' 'scream-at-each-other' comedies that are becoming all too familiar.

As a big Seth Macfarlane fan, I thought 'Ted' was very comical. If you like his style, and Television programs such as 'Family Guy' or 'American Dad' then I would recommend it - I just wouldn't recommend watching it with your Grandparents.

[New Trailers] - 21st September 2012

Click the links for the trailers, if you know of any other recent film trailers leave a comment and I will add it to the list:

New Teasers:
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Paranormal Activity 4
Stoker

New Trailers:
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James Bond - Skyfall
End Of Watch
The Hobbit
Paranormal Activity 4
Beautiful Creatures
Lincoln

Blog Update

Welcome back readers!

As you may have seen from my Twitter page, my laptop unfortunately shutdown on me - as a result, I haven't been blogging for a month or two. Happy to say that it's all fixed now and I am back as FilmDebate running my blog.

Everything I do on my Blog, Twitter and YouTube accounts will resume today (21th of September), with a few new video ideas and blog posts to be implemented - Hope you enjoy!

Sorry for the extended holiday!

FilmDebate,
Adam Snowden

[New Trailers] - 15th June 2012

Click the links for the trailers, if you know of any other recent film trailers leave a comment and I will add it to the list:

New Teasers:

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N/A

New Trailers:

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Sinister

Django Unchained

Thats My Boy

Your Sister's Sister

Hotel Transylvania

Pitch Perfect

Resident Evil: Retribution

Blog Update

Just a quick notice to update you on my activity. I have decided to take a couple of weeks off blogging just to get a few things sorted; moving, uni, etc.

I will be continuing with my tweets however, and hope to be back blogging as soon as possible.

Thanks,

FilmDebate
Adam Snowden

[Film News] - 11th May 2012

Click on the title to be taken to the source:

1) Confirmed - Nick Nolte to star in 'Bitterroot'

The 71 year old will star in 'Bitterroot', the story of an ageing rancher who looses his life savings through a phone solicitation bank scam; with no one to help, he takes matters into his own hands.

2) Confirmed - Stephen King's 'The Reach' to get a movie adaptation

The king of horror strikes gold once more with news that his novel 'The Reach' will be adapted into a film, starting to wonder which of his novel's wont get a movie deal! 

3) Confirmed - The Wolverine will film in Japan

Fox have announced that the film will be shot in Japan, reportedly it is focusing on a famous stretch in the comics that are set in East Asia.

4) Confirmed - Henry Selick to direct 'The Graveyard Book'

The Neil Gaiman adaptation picks up a director in the form of Henry Selick as well as a deal with Disney

5) Unconfirmed - Jonah Hill joins the cast of 'The Wolf Of Wall Street'

Apparently he is very close to joining Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's project 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' 

6) Confirmed - Guillermo Del Toro set to co-direct 'Pinocchio'

Guillermo Del Toro is not set to co-direct the stop motion adaption of Disney's 'Pinocchio' 

7) Confirmed - Kurt Russell & Sacha Baron Cohen drop out of 'Django Unchained'

Quentin Tarantino's much anticipated project has hit it's first snag with news that Kurt Russell and Sacha Baron Cohen have left the cast. 

8) Confirmed - Sam Raimi to produce 'The Poltergeist' remake

The horror remake is now firmly in the pipe lines, with Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee and Robert Tapert all on board as producers as well - Now they need to find a director 

9) Confirmed - Willem Dafoe joins 'Out Of The Furnace'

He will star alongside Christian Bale & Casey Affleck in Scott Cooper's crime thriller in 'Out Of The Furnace' 

10) Unconfirmed - David Koepp to write 'Snow White And The Huntsman' sequel

Even before the release date of the original film, Universal have reportedly already hired a writer for its sequel - Jumping the gun a little?

11) Confirmed - Catherine Zeta-Jones joins the cast of 'Red 2'

She joins the cast of the comedy/action sequel alongside Byung-Hun Lee and returning Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich & Mary-Louise Parker

12) Confirmed - Chloe Moretz joins the cast of 'Maggie'

She will be staring as a zombie alongside Paddy Considine in 'Maggie' 

13) Confirmed - New writer hired for 'Daredevil' remake

Director David Slade has seen his project slump over the last year, so the only logical thing was to replace current writer Caleb Kane. The new man for the job: David James Kelly

14) Confirmed - Rebecca Hall on for 'Iron Man 3'

The latest is that she is going to be replacing Jessica Chastain 

[New Trailers] - 30th April 2012

Click the links for the trailers, if you know of any other recent film trailers leave a comment and I will add it to the list:

New Teasers:
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2 Days In New York


New Trailers:
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The Dark Knight Rises
Hope Springs
Lawless
Hotel Transylvania
Fast Girls
Hick
G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation
Piggy
Monsieur Lazhar
This Is 40
Prometheus

[Film News] 23th April 2012

Click on the title to be taken to the source:

1) Unconfirmed - Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie to reunite on screen in 'The Counselor'
Reportedly, Ridley Scott's project 'The Counselor' will be reuniting the pair for the first time since 'Mr & Mrs Smith' in 2005.

2) Confirmed - Dwayne Johnson to star in 'Lore'
The Rock joins the cast of 'Lore', a monster action-packed comic book adaptation written by Ashley Wood and T.P Louise.


3) Confirmed - Ray Liotta joins 'The Rut'
He has joined the cast of 'The Rut', an independent drama directed by Karyn Kusama


4) Unconfirmed - Taylor Swift to take the lead in Joni Mitchell Biopic
The singer is reportedly considering the role of Joni Mitchell in a film adaptation of the book 'Girls Like Us', written by Sheila Weller.


5) Confirmed - 'The Dark Knight Rises' will contain over an hour of IMAX footage
They didn't hold back! 

6) Confirmed - Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman & Liam Hemsworth join the cast of 'Paranoia'
The project has been in the pipelines for over three years, but has suddenly picked up interest. Ford, Oldman and Hemsworth all join the cast of Robert Luketic's film.


7) Confirmed - Russell Crowe to star in Darren Aronofsky's picture 'Noah'
The Oscar winner has signed on for the lead in 'Noah', a biblical picture based on one of the most famous stories in the bible; Noah's Arc. 


8) Unconfirmed - David O. Russell & Christian Bale could be reuniting for 'American Bullshit'
'The Fighter' was the first project that paired Christian Bale and David O. Russell, and the result was a performance Oscar. Reportedly, the pair could be reuniting for 'American Bullshit', an FBI-sting film set in the 1970's. 


9) Confirmed - 'Sin City 2' has begun Production
Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez have begun production on 'Sin City: A Dame To Kill For'

10) Confirmed - Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson to reunite on screen in 'The Internship'
Twentieth Century Fox and Director Shawn Levy will reunite the pair since their hit film 'The Wedding Crashers' 


11) Confirmed - Guy Pearce joins the cast of 'Iron Man 3'
Reportedly, he is to have quite a central role, however what character he is playing is yet to be released

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12) Unconfirmed - Leonardo DiCaprio to take the lead in 'Live By Night'
DiCaprio's production company; 'Appian Way' is already producing the Dennis Lehane adaptation, however it has come to light that Leo himself may be taking the lead. 

[Review] John Carter - 15th April 2012

★

★

★

★

 - Leaves A Lot To Be Desired [For rating system, see information tab at top of blog]

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Release Date: 9th March 2012
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Director: Andrew Stanton
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Writer: Andrew Stanton - Mark Andrews - Michael Chabon (Screenplay) - Edgar Rice Burroughs (Story)
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Cast: Taylor Kitsch - Lynn Collins - Samantha Morton - Willem Dafoe - Mark Strong - Thomas Haden Church

Review

As is common with a range of Disney live action films, 'John Carter' is actually an adaptation. It came from a story named 'A Princess Of Mars', first written in 1917 by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the same man that brought us 'Tarzan'. When you consider that the story of 'John Carter' was originally written nearly a century ago, the imagination used in its production is something to behold. 

The film is a fantasy/sci-fi action production following the character of John Carter, an American civil war veteran who is unknowingly transported to Mars. There, he is confronted by a race of alien barbarians, a war between two human factions and a princess in need of a saviour. 

Unfortunately, I have little to say of a positive nature about this film; it is weak in a range of areas. The storyline is common to Disney, following the standard; 'unknown-hero-saves-the-world-and-gets-the-girl' dynamic. This predictability is furthermore accompanied by a barrage of weak performances which are unrealistic and somewhat stylized. The dialogue also lacks any imagination, and the direction disorganised. Furthermore, the film’s length, over two hours, leaves one feeling drained, and ultimately bored. 

The single positive aspect to acknowledge from 'John Carter' are its numerous action sequences, in which special and sound effects, and editing are effective, but this in no way makes up for the areas in which the film needs improvement. Due to the emphasis on adventure sequences, 'John Carter' will attract the kind of audience that is synonymous with action films - the pre-teen adventure-hungry boys. However, even for this specific target audience, there are unfortunately, films currently viewing that are far better than 'John Carter'.  

'John Carter' - Just a short review. A poor film that I would not generally recommend - predictable fundamentally a waste of viewing time.  

[New Trailers] 13th April 2012

Click the links for the trailers, if you know of any other recent film trailers leave a comment and I will add it to the list:


New Teasers:
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Keith Lemon The Film
Looper
Top Cat: The Movie


New Trailers:
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Elles
Red Lights
A Fantastic Fear Of Everything
The Angel's Share
The Sweeney
Savages
Lola Versus

[Film News] 10th April 2012

Click on the title to be taken to the source:

1) Unconfirmed - Woody Allen eyes Cate Blanchett & Bradley Cooper for his next project
You would think the 76 year old would take a small break after winning his fourth Oscar last February, but it seems nothing can stop him - Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper, an unusual combination, but a promising one none-the-less. 

2) Confirmed - Mark Millar & Matthew Vaughn to adapt 'The Secret Service'
The 'Kick-Ass' pair are teaming up again to adapt another comic 'The Secret Service' 


3) Unconfirmed - Ben Affleck to star in 'Nathan Decker'
It seem's that Ben Affleck isn't all about directing and writing now, as he is tipped to star in Warner Bro's new political comedy 'Nathan Decker'.


4) Confirmed - 'X-Men: First Class' Sequel to begin filming in january 2013
Very little other information has been released, only that the shooting schedule has been changed to make sure Jennifer Lawrence's other projects don't clash. 

5) Confirmed - Gerard Butler offered a part in 'Motor City'
Gerard Butler, known quite extensively for his, shall we say, 'vocal' performance in '300' may be taking a part in Albert Hughes' dialogue free picture 'Motor City'; a unique crime/thriller focused on a framed criminal's revenge. 


6) Confirmed - Woody Harrelson joins the cast of 'Out Of The Furnace'
He has taken the role alongside Cristian Bale, playing the leader of a dangerous crime ring.  


7) Unconfirmed -Ben Kingsley to join the cast of Iron Man Three?
Certain reports suggest that he could be playing the villain in the third instalment 

8) Confirmed - Colin Farrell pulls out of 'Arthur & Lancelot'
Don't worry too much, the project continues to move forward. 


9) Unconfirmed - John Lee Hancock could be directing 'Saving Mr Banks'
'The Blind Side' Director could have hit the project of his life in 'Saving Mr Banks', a film about the making of 'Mary Poppins' - reports suggest that Tom Hanks could be playing Walt Disney


10) Unconfirmed - Jennifer Aniston could join the cast of 'We're The Millers'
Reports suggest that Aniston could join her 'Horrible Bosses' co-star Jason Sudeikis in the new comedy 'We're The Millers'.

11) Unconfirmed - Steve Carell to make an adaptation of 'Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'
After making several kid's animations in 'Over The Hedge', 'Despicable Me' and 'Horton Hears A Who', it seems Carrell now wants to move to live action child's cinema.


12) Unconfirmed - Paula Patton, Denzel Washington & Mark Wahlberg could star together in '2 Guns'
'2 Gun's could combine the three, but the project is very young.

[Review] The Devil Inside - 23rd March 2012

★

★

★

 - Poor [For rating system, see information tab at top of blog]

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Release Date: 16th March 2012
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Director: William Brent Bell
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Writers: William Brent Bell - Matthew Peterman
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Cast: Fernanda Andrade - Simon Quarterman - Evan Helmuth - Ionut Grama 

Review

The Devil Inside' continues the boom of films shot in the 'amateur' style that has proven successful over recent years, and while films like these continue to attract audiences, particularly in the horror genre, this film fails to impress.

Exorcism, possession and controversy with religion has always proven to be a popular and interesting subject, so it is no surprise that 'The Devil Inside', focused totally on exorcism, has become the next installment in this relatively modern film style. 

The storyline follows a daughter making a documentary on exorcism, whilst investigating the case of her own mother, who murdered three people during her own exorcism in the late 1980's. 

It is the narrative of the film that poses its first problem; it lacks substance. It is made in a manner that exploits shock scenes, and these are undoubtedly the focus of the film. The plot sounds interesting when promoted in a few simple sentences, however, one quickly becomes aware that the weak storyline is there only as a vehicle to lead into the different horror scenes designed to shock and disturb the viewer - yet another film that has forgotten the purpose of a strong interesting narrative in place of stylistic elements.

In terms of special effects, sound mixing and make-up, the film is actually quite adept. The various scenes of exorcisms throughout the film do not deny the audience realism - as you are watching, you do not find yourself questioning it's authenticity, even though you know you are watching a fabrication. However, this is true of most horror films made in modern cinema. It is simply a fact that audiences have a very high expectation of realism, and 'The Devil Inside' is not unique in any way in this sense. 

The main problem with 'The Devil Inside' is, therefore two- fold; the first is its unrealistic storyline. Unless you are an avid fan or firm believer of exorcisms and daemonic culture, the film is just too unbelievable in its narrative to shock or frighten.  

Secondly, the construction of the film is poor. The manner in which cameras have been used throughout is disjointed, uncoordinated and sloppy. You find yourself bombarded by strange methods of editing and camera work that ultimately grades the films continuity as weak. 

'The Devil Inside' - a horror film that will unfortunately not stand the test of time. Weak in substance, performance and quality.