Movies that I enjoyed and Movies that Should be included in this Class

3 movies I enjoyed in the Film class

“The Postman Always Rings Twice” - I really enjoyed this movie because I really like films from this time period but I have not seen many Film Noir movies before.

“Citizen Kane” - I think that “Citizen Kane” is a great movie for a film class because it does have many shots that were taken and are now used in modern films.

“Bonnie and Clyde” - I liked this film because I have heard about it before but I have never seen it. 

3 movies that should be included in this class

“Sunset Boulevard” - This movie should be included because not only is it a Film Noir, it is about the change of the film industry from silent films to talking films.

“The Birds” - This film should be included because Hitchcock has influenced so many current directors.

“Out of Africa” - I think that this movie should be included in the film class because of the amazing scenery and the great storyline.

Steve Carell Interviewed on The Treatment

            On August 11, 2010, Steve Carell was interviewed on “The Treatment.”  Steve Carell is well known for comedy films and television shows.  He is currently finishing his final season on the American version of “The Office” where he plays a very outspoken boss.  This year, Steve Carell has been in many films including, “Date Night,” the animated film “Despicable Me,” and “Dinner for Schmucks.”  He started off his career as a regular on “The Daily Show” and has also been in films such as “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Anchorman.”

            I learned a lot from listening to this interview that I did not know before.  I have seen many of the movies that he has been in and I also enjoy watching “The Office.”  I did not know that he did not originally plan to go into comedy.  He said that he just wanted to be an actor.  Steve Carell seems to fit so well into comedy films because most of the characters he plays are so over the top.  He also explained that he enjoys working with ensemble casts, which can be seen through most of his films.  The films he works on do have one or two main characters but the other characters are all very strong and are almost as important as the main characters.

            “You can’t be too self congratulatory if something does work or too tough on yourself if it doesn’t.”  Steve Carell said this when he was explaining how he does comedy.  I think that this is a very noteworthy quote because Steve Carell is considered to be a very funny actor, but he is saying that if he gets a laugh out of people, he cannot be too proud.  He is also saying that if a joke does not get the response that he wants, he just has to move on and try to get a good response from the next joke. 

            Steve Carell was talking about some of the somedians that he grew up listening to comedy albums of.  About Peter Sellers, he said: “You never got a sense that the actor gave any indication that what he was doing was funny; it was always the character struggling to get through a moment.”  He explained that he looks up to comedians who can be very funny but are funny in a natural way.  He said that Peter Sellers did not “wink at the camera” as he told the jokes. 

            “For ‘Dinner for Schmucks’, I thought about the character look and maybe a little about how the character moves…I decided that that character was left handed… it’s using a different part of my brain.”  Steve Carell said this when he was explaining how he prepared for his role as Barry in “Dinner for Schmucks.”  He said that he did not think too much about how he would stand but he did want the character to be left-handed. He decided that he would favor his left hand and see how it would change the character. 

            This interview with Steve Carell was very interesting because he does play characters that are very different from each other and from Steve Carell himself.  He had very good opinions about comedy and the actors, past and present, in comedy films.  

Shot List for the Opening Scene of "The Postman Always Rings Twice"

SHOT LIST

Production Title: “The Postman Always Rings Twice”

Director: Tay Garnett

Cinematographer: Sidney Wagner

SHOT #	LOCATION	SHOT TYPE	CAMERA ANGLE	CAMERA MOVEMENT	SHOT DESCRIPTION (subject, action, lighting, etc.)
Example: # 1	Ext.	ES - LS	EL	Slow Zoom-In	Ext. banquet hall, night; slow zoom-in to view of crowd inside
1	ext.	est.	EL	still	still camera on “Help Wanted” sign
2	ext.	Est	EL	still	Shows outside façade of the diner
3	ext.	LS to MS	EL	pan	car pulls up to diner, camera follows
4	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through driver’s side window to passenger window
5	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through passenger side window to driver window
6	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through driver’s side window to passenger window
7	ext.	Est	EL	still	still camera on “Help Wanted” sign
8	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through driver’s side window to passenger window
9	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through passenger side window to driver window
10	In car	MS, 2S	EL	still	filmed through driver’s side window to passenger window
11	ext.	LS	EL	pan	pans from car driving away, to actor, to police officer driving up
12	ext.	MS	EL	still	Still camera on actor
13	ext.	MS	EL	still	still camera on police officer, talks to driver in car and walks away
14	ext.	MS	EL	still	still on actor
15	ext.	MS, 2S	EL	pan	camera pans as police officer walks back to motorcycle
16	ext.	MS, 2S	EL	Still	officer gets on motorcycle while talking to actor
17	ext.	MS, 2S	EL	pan, dolly	officer drives away, actor walks towards diner, camera follows

Classic versus Modern Film Noir

         In the “Film Noir” documentary, the first filmmaker to speak is martin Scorsese.  He  explained how film noir movies represented real life, especially for him growing up in the neighborhood that he did.  He said, “[Film Noir] portrayed a world that I hadn’t seen on film before, and [in] a very honest way too.”  This quote explains film noir very well because these movies showed the dark side of life which movies of the time rarely showed.  Most movies in the 1940’s were musicals or love stories, where nothing horrible happens.  In “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” Cora is married to a man who she is not truly in love with.  When Frank shows up at the diner, she realizes that it is her chance to make something of herself.  Unlike other movies of its time, this movie shows Cora trying to murder her husband with Frank’s help.  In a modern film noir, “Red Rock West,” Michael is thrown into a life of murder because of his need for money.  When he takes a job, what he thinks is working at a bar, he is paid thousands of dollars to murder by the sheriff to murder his wife.  His one little decision may be one that changes his life. 

            A Femme Fatale was one of the main aspects of film noir.  The femme fatale was usually the character that leads the main character to crime. Cora, in “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” is a femme fatale because she leads Frank into helping her killing her husband.  Although she is not evil, she does convince him to go against his morals in order to help her.  Suzanne in “Red Rock West” is very similar to Cora, but she is more deliberate.  Suzanne knows exactly what she is doing and she is willing to use Michael with the intention of forgetting about him after she gets her money.  Although “Red Rock West” is a modern film, the femme fatale has the same characteristics of femme fatales from the 1940’s. 

            In “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” the lighting and deep focus is a very important aspect of the experience of the movie.  The use of light and shadow is used to show good and bad.  In the beginning of the film, Cora is wearing all white but towards the end, she wears black; this shows how her character changes.  The location of this film was important in two scenes.  The scenes at the beach are important because if it weren’t really filmed at a beach, it would have been very obvious and would not have given the same ambience.  The location was also important when they are driving up the mountain because it adds more suspense.  Light is also used to enhance something which, because the film was in black and white, what the only way.  Although “Red Rock West” is in color, the lighting is also very important.  The last scene in the graveyard uses lighting to show that it is nighttime, but there is enough light for the viewers to see everything that happens.  The location of “Red Rock West” was also important because there is a certain setting that was needed for this film.  It is set in the west, so a location that is similar, if not exact, to where the movie is set was necessary.

How a Movie Keeps Me Entertained

            If I really like a movie, I will watch it again and again.  Some aspects of movies that catch my attention are plot, costumes, and acting.  I love movies that really immerse the audience into that time period, place, or storyline.  Two movies that I really enjoy are “Gone With the Wind” (1939) and “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956).

            “Gone With the Wind” tells the story of a young girl, Scarlett O’Hara, living in the south during the Civil War.  The movie depicts Scarlett’s growth as she goes through personal struggles and the challenges of dealing with the Civil War.  The costumes and the set dressing bring the viewer back in time to Georgia during the Civil War.  When the movie first opens, Scarlett and her family are dressed very nicely and it is apparent that they are well off.  As the story progresses, their situation becomes dire due to the war and this can be seen in the costuming.  The plot of “Gone With The Wind” helps to bring together Scarlett’s personal life and how the war affects her family.  In one scene, she goes against her morals to help save her friend’s life and her family’s few belongings.  This depicts a change in Scarlett because in the beginning of the movie, she will not even sacrifice her dress when her sister wants to wear it. 

Below is a modern montage of scenes from "Gone With the Wind"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZzzAg0_No

            “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a remake of an earlier film of the same name.  It is about a couple and their young son who go on vacation in Morocco.  While there, their son is kidnapped.  The couple ends up following a lead to London, where they eventually find their son.  Alfred Hitchcock is a genius at suspense, and this movie is proof. 

            The plot of this movie is very compelling because the viewers feel like they are with the couple trying to find their son.  Throughout the movie, the mother, played by Doris Day, sings a song to her son.  The song, “Que Sera Sera,” is later heard in a pivotal scene of the movie.  When the couple finds out where their son is being held captive, they go to a party at the house where their son has been taken.  Doris Day performs for the party and sings “Que Sera Sera” knowing that her son will recognize her song and her voice.   Sure enough, he recognizes his mother’s singing and is found.  At the time of release for this movie, Doris Day was one of the most popular contemporary singers.  “Que Sera Sera” was introduced in this movie and later became one of her greatest hits.

This is a clip of Doris Day singing in the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuEC3r7a-o

            These are two of my favorite movies and the characteristics that I look for in movies are very apparent in both.  Both of these movies are classics because of their great story lines, acting, and production.