Friday, January 15, 2010
Conclusion
Through reading other members' posts, I know a lot of wonderful and unique opinions. Crash, which is the film recommoned by Petrelli, is one of the films I have no patience to finish watching it. However, because Petrelli's great flame to this film which is presented from his passage, I starts to think about watching it.
I have also learn a lot through interview our teachers. They provide great points of view and thus I hear another voice apart from my group.
I hope our audience will also learn something and really enjoy it.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Conclusion
A Short Explanation
Week 3: Grace on Censorship
Under the Constitution the Commonwealth Government has the power to make laws with regard to telecommunications (including broadcasting) and imported material, but not locally produced matter. The latter is under the jurisdiction of the State governments. Censorship provisions have thus varied according to the nature of the material (TV, film, print etc.) and the state or territory. A Commonwealth Film Censorship Board was first established under the provisions of the Customs Act in 1917. In 1949 Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania signed agreements with the Commonwealth to delegate their film censorship powers and functions to the Commonwealth. The other States eventually followed suit.
By the early 1980s the Film Censorship Board had the following roles:
examination of imported films and video tapes under Customs regulations;
registering and classifying films and videotapes for public exhibition on behalf of the States/Territories in accordance with their legislation;
classifying imported television programs and certain locally produced television programs on behalf of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Programs produced by commercial television stations were classified by themselves in accordance with the Television Program Standards administered by the ABT.
In April 1988 the Report of the Joint Select Committee on Video Material was tabled. The Committee was split on non-party lines with varying majorities for individual recommendations. It recommended a new category to be called non-violent erotica (NVE) to replace the X category. It noted that many people were under the misapprehension that X videos contained violence, child pornography and bestiality. It also recommended a tighter interpretation of the guidelines by the Film Censorship Board to reduce the level of violence in all categories. It should be noted that while six of the eleven members of the Committee voted for a NVE category, only five voted in favour of transferring the existing X-rated material to the new category.
In June 1988 a meeting of Commonwealth and State censorship ministers rejected the NVE recommendation, with the States unanimously supporting the ending of the X category (ie. that X-rated material should be refused classification). However, in November 1988 the ALP Caucus voted not to accept this move.
Week 6-Petrelli's thoughts on Australia's Film Industry
In 2006–07, 28 Australian-produced and co-produced feature films, with a total production value of $270 million, and 45 television drama programs, with a total production value of $272 million, went into production in Australia. In the same year, the value of foreign film and television production in Australia was $49 million.
Week 3-Petrelli on Censorship in Australia:
Failure to obtain classification is an implicit ban and the OFLC occasionally refuse to give classification. All feature films, videos, computer games, and magazines that contain sexual content for commercial release are required to be submitted to this body, made up of “community representatives” appointed by the government for two-year terms.
Some films (those made for educational or training purposes, for instance) are exempt from classification under certain conditions. Film festivals and institutions such as ACMI - Australian Centre for the Moving Image must apply to the OFLC to have the films on their proposed program made exempt from classification for the purpose of screening at a particular film festival or event. If the OFLC believe an unclassified work, in their estimation would receive an X18+ classification if it were to be classified they will not grant an exemption for public screening as an X18+ cannot be exhibited. Film festivals may be required to age-restrict entrance to a festival or screening.
In addition to the OFLC, the Australian Communications and Media Authority is also active in making recommendations and setting guidelines for media censorship. Confusion has recently arisen between the three bodies over censorship of mobile content.
Week 6-Grace on Australia's Film Industry
The Australian film industry produced their first full length movie in 1906. The story of Kelly Gang was the first successful australian movie which attracted more than 2 million audiences in the premiere of this movie. This movie was shown in Britain, New Zealand, and some Asian countries.
Later, Australia's film industry developed their quality significantly with the movies they have produced. The Australian production Happy Feet won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2007. The qualities that attract overseas film producers to Australia include its world class studio facilities, stunning diversity of landscape, and great diversity of culture in australia.
On the other hand, movies such as "Samson and Delilah" has been the most successful Australian movie which was produced in this year. This movie is directed by Warwick Thornton. The film is a teenage love story of two Aboriginal tribes in Australia. Located in the poor neighborhood in the middle of the aboriginal tribe of barren , hot, and dirty desert. This movie brings an interesting story and promotes australian landscape and culture.
Hence, Australian government are actively supporting the Australian film industry through the financial support they gave and they also provide tax incentives to private sector investors as well. In 2006 and 2007, government funding represented 17 % of the total funding forAustralian produced and co produced feature films in production.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Week 6-Final Post on Australian Films that includes gratuitous Monty Python links
Week 5- Grace's Favourite Films
1. Legally Blonde
This is the best and the most fenomenal fantasy movies in the history. This movie is different with any other fantasy movies because of its special effexts and the strong characters in this movies .
6. Memoirs of a geisha
I love the unique story of this movie. This movie tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after world war 2. This movie is really touch me so deep with the sufferings of Japanese women in 17th century.
7. Pretty women
Pretty Woman was initially intended to be a dark drama about prostitution in New York but was reconceptualized into a romantic comedy. The film was a critical success and became one of 1990's highest grossing films, and today is one of the most financially successful entries in the romantic comedy genre, with an estimated gross of $464 million USD.
8. High school musical
This movie has become the most successfull movie that Disney Channel ever produced. It is broadcasted in more than 30 countries and attract more than 7 million viewers in the premiere.
9. Astro boy
10. Brokeback Mountain
This is the fenomenal movie which discuss about the homosexual issue between two men in American west. This movie invited many critiques from film experts however this movie has been the most successfull movie in 2005.
Week 4-Worse than the total agony of being in love?
(Note: this post is less of a film review and more of a rant about why The Notebook is lame and Love, Actually rocks.)
I didn’t really like The Notebook.
There, I said it. I feel like I’m betraying my gender or something, but honestly, the movie didn’t really do much for me. And I didn’t particularly like the book either. I just found it TOO overly sentimental and loaded with cliches. I mean, how many times has the rich girl/ poor boy/ parents hate him/girl picks rich guy then leaves him for poor guy thing been done before? And that whole ‘I’m a bird’ thing was just lame. I’m sorry, but it was. You are not a bird, Rachel McAdams, you’re just some stupid chick with fifties hair flapping her arms around. I’m actually not a completely heartless cynic when it comes to chick flicks, though. My pick for the ultimate chick flick would probably be Love Actually. I watched it for about the millionth time a couple of nights ago- it is, quite possibly, my favourite movie of all time.
I think the British are just exceptionally good at romantic comedy-and Richard Curtis has written some brillant comedies-Blackadder,Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hil and The Boat That Rocked. They tend to have a good balance of snarkiness and sentiment so it’s cute, but not throw-up-a-little-in-your-mouth cute. And I don’t really know why, but I just love Hugh Grant, whether he’s playing an awkward-Englishman type or a womanising jerk. And Love Actually doesn’t really take a two-dimensional romantic fairytale approach to love, either. Yes, many of the storylines are romantic boy-gets-girl type things, but there are also stories about platonic love between siblings, between parents and children, even between lonely rock stars and managers. There’s even one that’s pretty much just about sex (remember the guy who went to America to get laid?) Another thing I like is the fact that they’re not all happily-ever-afters. Some of them work out, some of them don’t. So I guess I’m not quite the heartless cynic I make myself out to be. On the other hand, I’ll never be a soppy romantic Notebook-loving type, either. Just to prove it, I would like to end on one of my favourite lines from the movie, which has nothing whatsoever to do with love: ” Hi, kids. This is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don’t buy drugs….become a pop star and they give you them for free!”
Week 5-Grace's Film Review of Wag the Dog
Film review
This film review will analyse the movie Wag the Dog and highlight the important features of it. The movie, Wag the Dog, starts with the president being blamed of sexually harassing a “Firefly girl” at the Oval Office. The presidential election is only 2 weeks away and his opponent campaigns by saying ``Thank Heaven for Little Girls'' in his TV commercial. As a result, to win the election, the White House adviser Winifred Ames(Anne Heche) guides a spin doctor named Conrad Brean for an urgent situation session. Conrad Bream (Robert De Niro), the spin doctor, with the help of a Hollywood movie producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman), direct to persuade the public, using media manipulation techniques that America is at war with Albania. The headlines that effect from this manipulation soon take over the President's suspected tryst with a young girl. Thus the tail wags the dog.
The film is stimulating the message about the relationship between politics and mass media. The main theme of the film is how a presentation campaign is affected by manipulating the media and the American people. When the scandal first hits the news, a speculation that America has started to manufacture new bomber planes emerge from the “spin” group, which gives them the time to create the biggest diversion of the actual news. A series of false news is intentionally leaked to the press to divert the press over and over again.
The weakest point of the movie is over exaggeration. However, this is not noticed until the end of the movie as the script has been done perfectly to create a flawless story. Compared to other political satire movies, Wag the Dog blends in the seriousness of a situation and humour to create a very believable chain of events.
In addition to humour, the areas where Wag the Dog do well is in letting us know that the media is in the business of making money, and they will report whatever sells their product. It shows that a Presidential campaign is not about the events that occur during a Presidential term, but the spin that is put on them.
The highs of the movie are the actors and the story. The performances are amazing all around. Both Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman create some of their best work. The acting by the sustaining cast is also brilliant.
This movie is very easy to fall into as the political jargon we see in similar type of movies are minimal. The chain of events that lead to the final scene is amazing. After the viewers leave the movie they will be wondering which stories they see on television is the actual facts and which are just spins.
Week 6-Some thoughts about Australian Film Industry
Week 4 -Petrelli's Top 10 list of favourite films
Crash is a 2004 American drama film, the reason that i like it is the story is so touch inside of your heart. and the story about the race in the American society which giving us a understanding of the situation.
Number Two: Forrest Gump (1994)
i like Forrest Gump not just because i'm a big fan of Tom Hanks but also because the way which this movie chosen to present for the audience. during this movie, we defined a long way which is a meaningful process for his whole life. Family, Friends, Love, career and all those points can make a phenomenon story for us.
Number Three: The fifth element (1997)
Science fiction movies always be the best choose for me, i'm such a big fan of it. imagine that you have a spaceship and a Alien friend can give everything you want and travel around the world. i believe it can be every young boy's dream.
Number Four: Leon (1994)
A hitman whithout cold blood, how he could be. Talking about the director Luc Besson, who is a fantastic director in the world. He directed so many movies such as The Fifth Element, Taken and so on.
Number Five: Taken (2008)
it is a 2008 action thriller film starring Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace based on a script by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. in this movie, every movement that they take was so exciting for me and let me try to think about what gonna happen next.
Number Six: Titanic (1997)
it is a disaster romantic drama film which presented in 1997. i like this movie because the love between rose and jack was so touching and especially the ending was such a tragedy.
Number Seven: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
From a old man grow up to a baby, Benjamin Button learned his life in a perticular way. it is so amazing that you can following him and see what happened in his life.
Number Eight: Man of the year (2006)
he is a host of a comedian and satirical talk show, but accidently he started to stand as a candidate. it id such a great comedy movie. and during this movie, you can learn a litter bit about the process of running a candidate.
Number Nine: Perfume: the story of Murderer( 2006)
The film was a financial success, especially in Europe, earning $135 million worldwide. It was deemed unmarketable for American audiences and released in a very limited number of theaters in North America, taking in a modest $2,223,293.
Number Ten: Fight Club(1999)
Studio executives did not like the film, and they restructured Fincher's intended marketing campaign to try to reduce anticipated losses. Fight Club failed to meet the studio's expectations at the box office, and received polarized reactions from critics. It was cited as one of the most controversial and talked-about films of 1999. The Guardian saw it as an omen for change in American political life, and described its visual style as ground-breaking. The film later found commercial success with its DVD release, which established Fight Club as a cult film.
Week 4-Petrelli's Film Review: Garden State
Garden State (2004)
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard.
Director: Zach Braff.
Running time: 102 Minutes.
Genre: Comedy, Drama. Romance
Life is not simple, family relationships, job, and lover, friends, sometime it is getting worse and out of control. But sometimes, one small mistake will change your life.
Andrew Largeman, played by Zach Braff who is also the director of this film, He doesn’t like to talk to people at the beginning of the movie. He was return from LA where he is a part-time waiter. The reason why he came back was his mother’s accidently death. It is the first time in 9 years Andrew back to town. During the funeral, he meets his old friends. It is a small town, and everyone seems had a dream, that is become rich. Then, Andrew meets the girl Sam in the hospital, he started to change. The relationship with his father, I think they both had the same felling which is regret of his mother’s death. Because it was one small mistake
The sound track of this movie has a significant effect in each of the scene in this movie. At the end of this movie, the song Let Go was really touched. It created an emotional atmosphere which represented the meaning of love between Andrew and Sam.
About the camera angel, there are lots of close up shot. The audience can actually see the face of each character and really into it. When you focus on the camera angel, the camera took a close shot, the character always on the left or right of the screen, not at the middle of the screen. It remains me to think about the movie 2046. By using this skill, the audience will more focus on the characters instead of the empty place.
The colour and lighting was really catchy but dark. Back to the scene which Andrew and Sam went to this warming swimming pool with his friend. The lighting was brilliant. It created a sense of fancy atmosphere. You can feel the love from the setting and the colour as well. The best scene to demonstrate this meaning will be the one when they seating in the bathtub.
The camera movement always followed the bike from the shot which is really close to the long shot. It used the movement which from the down to the top. The scene will be the last part of the film when the want to this valley and try to find the significant card. It is the way that the director wants to tell the audience how deep the valley is.
Time to leave, every story has an end. For this, it seems to be sadness, but not really. After he got on the plan, he starts to think. It is the love inside of his heart. Like what Andrew said when they both seating in the bathtub and Sam asked how do you feel now. Andrew said safe, like a home.