Double Indemnity (1944) - Film Response

Double Indemnity is a film noir movie made in 1944 starring Fred MacMurray and Babara Stanwyck. It has themes of sex, seduction, murder and deceit.
I enjoyed the film as it is very different from other films we have been studying. I like films which explore gritty and dark themes as it seems to give much more to the audience as a film.
The portrayal of the femme fatale by Stanwyck was ingeniously done. Her subtle style of acting made the character seem a lot more sinister than just playing her in an explicit way.
Also, with film noir, the power of suggestion is utilised very well and adds to the film's overall darkness.

Up The Junction (1968) - Film Response

Up The Junction is a 1968 film directed by Peter Collinson and stars Suzy Kendall and Dennis Waterman.

I enjoyed this film as the main protagonist was a woman, named Polly, who was independent and knew what she wanted from life. She hated the whole privileged lifestyle and wanted to move away and make a life for herself – living off her own wages, and making her own way in the real world. No matter who tried to pigeon-hole her as posh and rich she kept investing in things that she could only pay for with her own hard earned cash.

 

She is shown to be strong as she is living through all the judgements everyone gives her, even her boyfriend, Peter. 

The ending was interesting – in my opinion, not the best way it could have gone – as she realises her money and status will always be there to get her what she wants and needs as she pleads to see Peter before he is sent off to prison for six months for stealing a car. She realises that he just wants to give her what she’s used to and she, also, realises that he doesn’t understand her wants and needs as the last shot of the film is her crying for not only losing her lover but also losing her identity. 

This film had a stronger representation of women than Alfie (1966) did because it was from a female perspective. All Alfie did was objectify women and in a way dehumanise them which is quite frustrating as a female viewer to hear women being called “it”. Then, in contrast, watching women doing what they want and how they want is quite an empowering thing.

Hachet - Bringing Back Good ol' Slasher Films

 
What I miss are good ol' fashioned slasher films which were so over the top that you can't help but laugh at it.
Recently, horror films have been too serious with no signs of comic relief - with the exception of Insidious and Insidious 2. Even the new Evil Dead has lost it's stupid allure by dropping Ash's character (I mean, come on! Bruce Campbell is hilarious!) and replacing him with a terrifying, nightmare-inducing character called Mia. These films have just been taking themselves far too seriously and it was about time a movie went against the norm and broke out of the horror movie cliches - by using old horror cliches! Queue cheesy effects, lighting and best of all - the terrible acting. It all adds up to create one great horror film that's not only fun to watch; it's not actually cringe-worthy like films such as Hostel. 
With a tagline of "It's not a remake. It's not a sequel. And it's not based on a Japanese one.", Hatchet is the slasher film I've been looking for. Directed by Adam Green - this gore fest is so over the top that it's funny.
Victor Crowley (portrayed by Friday the 13th legend, Kane Hodder) haunts a swamp marsh and kills anyone in his wake. The elaborate death scenes have buckets of blood spurting out in every direction.
Familiar faces fill the screen such as Freddy Kruger himself, Robert Englund and Dodgeball and Avatar star Joel David Moore.
Despite being called Hatchet however, only one person in the film is killed with a hatchet. This makes me think of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre because only one person is murdered with a chainsaw and only one person is seen with their flesh being cut on screen - Leatherface himself.
The ending of the film works really well as it just cuts to black as Crowley is screaming at the girl he is holding. It works as an ending that not only makes you laugh but makes you feel slightly uneasy as you feel like no-one survived the whole ordeal (until the sequels were released).

Personally, I have not seen the sequels and I'm not entirely interested in watching them either. The second one maybe okay to watch as it's directed by Adam Green again. However, the third has a different director and he has applied a scarier look to Crowley which is not how the film should be.  
Reviewing the comments online for this movie, I feel people have completely missed the point. This. Film. Is. Not. Meant. To. Be Scary. It is a complete piss-take - it's not serious at all! 
If you want to watch a funny horror film that feel a lot like 70s and 80s horror then watch this movie. It's perfect for all your stupid horror needs. Here's the trailer... If you think it's serious - watch the whole film and see for yourself.

 

Synopsis For Short Film

A girl’s mother has passed away and she is packing up her stuff to leave and start a new life.  She looks through old photos and smiles tearfully at the memories and the nostalgia she feels. As she is packing up the stuff she comes across a doll which looks broken and at the end of its life – she throws it away and then remembers another box of stuff upstairs. When she gets downstairs she finds the doll on the sofa – slightly confused but thinking she only imagined that she threw it away, she puts it in the bin again. This time when she walks out the room the doll is on the floor – she checks the bin to see if she’s hallucinating or something but she is not. She then gets a nose bleed from looking at the doll. She decides to smash up the doll but after doing so she finds it back in her mum’s stuff. The girl gets a sudden throbbing pain in her head – she becomes scared and runs outside only to be hit by a car.

Farewell Charlie Power - Short Film Response

Farewell Charlie Power is a short drama film made by postgraduate students.
It depicts a learning disabled adult who still lives with his elderly parents. He accidentally kills his dad and his mother struggles to live with him.
I liked the short but I didn't like it as much as the others. It was well acted and quite heartbreaking when it came to the father's death. It made me feel uncomfortable when he dug up his father, bathed him and stuck him back in his bedroom to surprise his mother.
I liked the ending - a happy ending is always a good ending. It was an enjoyable short film and I would like to see more from the students who made it as it was beautifully shot; it actually felt like a real film or TV show.

Indecision - Short Film Response

Indecision is a short comical film by postgraduate students.
The film depicts a man who is deciding to break up with his girlfriend which is being narrated by a man. As he walks off it portrays how indecisive the male character is and then proceeds to do this interesting 360 degree camera movement. It then ends with the man's legs in one scene and his head in another - symbolising his indecision. And then the tide decides to come in even though he hasn't decided whether to come or go.
I found this film extremely funny because I wasn't expecting his legs to just be poking out of the ground as the camera was spinning between the two scenes. I thought it was a nice touch that as he was stuck between the two scenes the woman had left symbolising the fact that she had moved on.
I think this short film is very interesting and fun.

The Forgotten Hit - Short Film Response

The Forgotten Hit is a short mystery film by undergraduate students.
The film depicts a man waking up in the middle of the forest with amnesia. He finds a gun and soon after a man who has been shot and killed. Upon finding his wallet he soon discovers that this man is in fact the target of a hitman who he was sent to kill. He finds a car and works out where to find this persons wife who wanted the hit called off. He shoots and kills her only to find out that she is in fact his wife. He actually managed to disarm and kill his assailant who took his wallet. He panicked and hit his head on a rock which caused his amnesia.
I quite liked this film as it had a well thought out non-linear narrative. It reminds me of this other film I've seen called Wrecked which stars Adrien Brody. It used music very well and the closed narrative helped to keep the audience hooked and keep watching.
The only problem I had was that a hitman would be wearing gloves when he goes into a target's house and kill them.