Goodbye Lenin

Goodbye Lenin (2003) Directed by Wolfgang Becker is a film about the divide of east and west germany in 1989. The story follows a boy called Alex, who's mum belives very much in the east and west divide, one night she sees him getting arsted for being in a protest agiainst the divide.

Will wrtite the rest tonight! xxxx

Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run is a german film made in 1998, it is about a drugs deal that has happened and Mammi, Lola's boyfriend has lost the 100,000 marks to pay the boss. The story is split into 3 parts and shows what happens by a single decsion how much the outcome can change. Lola has only 20 minuets to get to Mammi, so she thinks of who is the best person to go to. After deciding her dad is best, she runs all the way to his office, but in each part it plays out diffrently and ends up with diffrent endings.

I really enjoyed the film and I like stories were they play out diffrently due to one change in a plan. I liked the film alot and I think I will be deffinatly watching it again. There was some heavy repeation in the film, such as the scene at the begging when the film is playing with Lola running donw the stairs, it should ither be cut down or not in there at all. But other parts of the film worked, like when they both got shot there flash backs were both questioning the other about there love and what the would do, but always come back to real time and start over again.

Overall the film was excellent and I am sure Franka Potente had a hard time doing all the running!

LIVING WITH CRIME

What social scenarios are explored within each film?
Bullet Boy: In this film, it is set in the East of London, so explores how closley related everyone in the area is related to crime and how the only way to really protect yourself is to keep your head down and own a gun.
Sweet Sixteen: The film is set in Greenock, Scotland. The film is set around Laim trying to get his mum into a safer place and away from her boyfriend and abusive Grandad. The fiml highlights how an 15 year old is forced to make choices for his mum who should be the mature one and looking after him. It also shows how it would be quite normal for drug dealings to happen as job in the area.
London To Brighton: The social sinario in this film is all about the prostitue bussines, and how the men who run this "business" have no regard for woman and see them as a way of making money and having fun. It shows how in some places in London this awful business of tretment of woman occurs. Which wouldn't happen in the normal everyday streets of the audience watching the film.

How is crime portrayed in each film?
Londton To Brighton: In this film there are many crimes being comitted. The main crimes is the prostuit businees that is run. It is illegal and can be put in prison if found. Also, about 3 murders are committed in the film making this a film all aboutn crimes committed and no one is found out or sent to jail.


In what ways are people deprived in each film?
What opportunities are available to the main characters in each of the films?
How are criminals portrayed within each of the films?
Can the protagonists (lead characters) escape from the situation they are in?
What punishments do characters receive for their crimes in each of the films?
How is violence portrayed within each of the films?
What social restrictions are evident within each of the films?
These next two headings require more thought and time!

How can the films be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society?
What links can be made between the socail situation of the film and the society in which we live?


Will finish this in my time!

Compare Three Crime Films

Three example of British crime films in the last 10 years would be, London to Brighton, Sweet Sixteen and Bullet Boy. All films are set in Britian and are all very simlar and diffrent. Lonodon to Brighton is about a prostuite businees and how the choice of a twelve year old leads to trouble in her life. Sweet Sixteen is set in Scotland and is about a boy called Laim

Will Finish this at home!

PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION and EXHBITION

Exhibtion Questions

1)Why are there no viable arts/independent cinemas in many areas? Why/how is Southampton able to sustain the Picturehouse (Harbour Lights).

There are not as many independent films for almost all film exhibitioners for example Odeon and cineworld which are owned by the film companies for example paramount, twentieth century fox which distribute all there films which leaves no room for British independent film. Cinemas such as the picturehouse aka harbour lights show mainly independent British films in contrast to bigger cinemas picturehouse only has two screens.

2) What is the relationship between movie going and video/dvd/blu-ray hire/sales?

A few years ago films would make more in the cinema than on video and dvd. Contemporary audiences now would rather wait to buy a film on dvd and watch it in the comfort of there own home.dvd quality has improved over the years so you can get the same quality as you would as home. Box office takings are all not about the cinema now, half of the money made by a film is down to DVD sales and merchandise.

3) What does the programming of the Sky movie channels and Film Four respectively say about the relationship between pay television, niche marketing and consumer behaviour?

With sky movies and film four there are movies on 24/7 and there’s also chose of different genres to watch. In between films there are trailers for the new films coming out and there are niche marketing schemes which promote a new released film. In these niche marketing schemes, there are exclusive clips and interviews with cast members.

4) What is the most appropriate response Contemporary British Cinema can make to Hollywood dominance.

British cinema should show more independent british films and not show as many Hollywood films.

5) Should British films be distinctive at the expense of profitability if profitable at the expense of distinctiveness?

6) Is it possible for British films to be both distinctive and profitable? If so, how ?(please use examples in your response)

In order for a British film to be distinctive and profitable, the film needs to be advertised more and seen as a more interesting film than a Hollywood film. Most independent British films don’t make it into the big British screens such as ODEON and Cineworld, so if more British films were in these cinemas are shown once a week, there might be a chance these films profit.

DISTRIBUTION QUESTIONS

1) How has Hollywood come to dominate world markets?

Hollywood has dominated cinema ever since fimls started being made. There was a new released fiml every week back in the 1940's where cinema was the main entertaiment, but since then the main disbutor of flim has been hollywood. Being known as "The Hollywood Machine" there is always a new Box Office hit being made. With only Holllywood films being made in mass quantatiy there is very little choice for the consumer to chose a film other than the new box office hits. Also, almost all the film exbitors in the UK being owned by some of the top production companies such as 20th century fox and Parmount.

2) Why do I get to see the films I do at the local multiplex?Most of the films that you are able to see at a local cinema is due to how popular and what production company own the cinema.

3) Do we get to see the films we want (demand led) or do we see films that are provided for us (supply led) and why?

Most of the films we chose to see is manily down to advertisment, and what films are being shown at the cinema. If we don't hear about a indepandent British film then we don't know if we want to see it or not. Almost all american films have a large budget when it comes to Hollywood box office films, so alot of people will know about the film and decide wether to go and see it or not. So we are almost being forced into which fimls to see and not given the choice to see that much British films.

4) Why are more people going to the cinema today?

People are being brought back into the cinema with more offers avalible to the consumer. Such as 3D films have encouged a large audience to see the diffrence between a regular 2D film and a new side to the cinema. Also, cinema's such as ODEON are creating reward cards for customers to collect points when they spend money in store. This then makes you want to go back to the cinema again and again to earn more point to get closer to earning a free cinema ticket. All these small detials makes people want to go to the cinema are are slowley making the cinema a diffrent experice for people to enjoy.

PRODUCTION QUESTIONS

1) How has the status and power of stars changed over cinematic history? The status of stars has completey changed the view's of Hollywood films. If a film has a customer's favorite actor in, it is more likely they are to go and see the film just beacuse there favorite actor is in it. Films are becoming less about a story line and more about the power of the stars who are in the fiml. Actors such as Johnny Depp have a huge fan base so when they have a new film coming out it is more likey that the film will mostly be seen for the role he plays in the film.

2)Take any film you have seen recently and find out who produced it. Then try to find out more about this person. What was their role on this particular production? What have they and others got to say about their involvement and contribution? What projects have s/he been involved in previously, were these ventures successful? Alice in Wonderland is an example of a recent film that has famous stars in. It is directed by Tim Burton who has had a string of famous films so he already has a large fan base. In almost all of Tim Burtons films, Johnny Depp is in them making almost a huge fan base wanting to see the film.

3)Why are certain kinds of films guarenteed to make large profits and others high risk? Some films which are book adaptations or have been a TV programme are more likely to make a large profit and not risk as much as high risk hollywood fimls with not that many high famous actors.

4) Which genres are currently popular/unpopular and why? Teenage chick flicks are an example of popluar modern genre which are a safe film which hollywood know will make a profit at the cinema. Another film genre which is popular is adaptaion's of fantsy novels such as A Seris of Unfortantte Events and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. These are examples of a genre that has been dicovered as a high earning film, so the industry is getting as much money as they can.

Is Cinema Dead?

British film is not what it used to be, with American films taking over the whole indusrty, British films are not as common as we used to see. The film industry has been decling in recent years now there are so many choices on how to view a film; Bluy-ray, DVD, downloading, even illegal piracy has led to the cinema having a decline in takings. Having the choice to stay at home and download the film for free is easier and much cheaper than having to leave the house and pay to see at the cinema. In modern day now, the film industry takes box office earnings from many diffrent ways sych as merchandise, DVD sales, downloads and fanchise deal's with bussinesses such as McDonalds.

Pro's

• There is more to a box office takings than one cinema, money can be earned through mechandise and snack sales
• Also there are more oppitunites to see a film for example orange wednesdays makes people want to go to the cinema on a day that people wouldn't nnormally think to go
• ODEON premiere club which you can collect points and get free cinema tickets
• See first films offer exlusive access to comsumers to see fimls which haven't been released yet for free.
• 3D films are only avalible at the cinema to encouge audiences to see a film in a new way in which they haven't seen a film before and that it is a whole new experience to see a film.

Con's

• LOVE film has caused trips to the cinema to go down and people to stay at home and watch a movie than having to go all the way to the cinema.

I will finish this tonight !!! x x

Is Cinema Dead/