Film crits
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FILM TITLE: Carrie
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2013 DIRECTOR: Kimberly Pierce (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Sue Snell - the jock's girlfriend ANTAGONIST: Carrie - daughter of a religious extremist THEMES: Growing up and becoming an adult. Bullying. STOCK CHARACTERS: The bully, the jock, the jock's girlfriend STOCK SITUATIONS: Carrie being bullied in school. Carrie getting her period ICONS: Pigs blood from the bucket BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Old house. Typical high school prom. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: Carrie attends high school and follows her mothers rules and orders. DISEQUILIBRIUM: Carrie gets pigs blood dumped on her whist standing on the high school stage after being crowned home coming queen. RESOLUTION: Carrie kills her mother and everyone in the school except for the jock's girlfriend. |
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FILM TITLE: The Conjuring
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2013 DIRECTOR: James Wan (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Ed and Lorraine Warren - couple, paranormal investigators. ANTAGONIST: Carolyn Peron - mother of 5 girls, becomes possessed by a demon. THEMES: Losing self control, abuse. STOCK CHARACTERS: Mother, father, children, family dog. STOCK SITUATIONS: Exorcism scene. ICONS: Toy that plays music, wardrobe, crucifix. BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Old, rusty haunted house. Forest setting. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: The whole family moves into a new house. DISEQUILIBRIUM: The dog dies. The family begin to get haunted and the mother gets possessed. RESOLUTION: The couple perform an exorcism on the mother stopping the mother from killing the daughter. |
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FILM TITLE: Cabin in the Woods
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2011 DIRECTOR: Drew Goddard (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Dana and Marty ANTAGONIST: The director THEMES: Mystery, idiot teens, sex and punishment STOCK CHARACTERS: 5 typical high school students STOCK SITUATIONS: Split up to survive. Sex in forest. Blonde girl is the first to die. ICONS: The diary, zombies, weapons. BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Deserted cabin in the woods. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: The 5 teenagers arrive at the cabin in the woods and throw a small party. DISEQUILIBRIUM: Diary is read which awakens the zombie which starts killing the teens. RESOLUTION: The world ends after the virgin and the crazy smart guy defeat the zombie. |
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FILM TITLE: The Purge
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2013 DIRECTOR: James DeMonaco (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Mary Sandin and her family ANTAGONIST: The Purgers THEMES: Anti government, slasher STOCK CHARACTERS: Scapegoat, final girl, tragic hero, nerd, rebellious daughter, bad neighbours. STOCK SITUATIONS: Searching for fathers approval of boyfriend, jealous neighbours ICONS: Masks, phallic objects BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Big, dark house. Expensive looking furnishing. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: Lock up house with elaborate security system and sit down to watch the purge commence. DISEQUILIBRIUM: Young son lets injured black man into the house. Purgers threaten family to give him back to them as they have a right to purge. RESOLUTION: Black guy is the hero. Mother sits with the purgers until the purge is over. |
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FILM TITLE: Shaun of the Dead
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2004 DIRECTOR: Edgar Wright (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Shaun ANTAGONIST: Zombies (suddenly appeared) THEMES: Zombie thriller. Hybrid movie. STOCK CHARACTERS: Blonde girlfriend, the ditzy and oblivious mother of Shaun STOCK SITUATIONS: Brain dead consumerism. Unhappy with society. ICONS: Head trauma kills. Guns for defense. Lights go out. BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Typical/normal house and nieghbourhood. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: Shaun is trying to find meaning to his life as its very routine with his girlfriend and his mother. DISEQUILIBRIUM: Shaun and Ed discover a zombie in the back garden. They set out to kill it. RESOLUTION: The British Army gun down the zombies and the remaining are used for cheap labor. |
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FILM TITLE: Saw 5
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2008 DIRECTOR: David Hackl (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: The five captured characters. ANTAGONIST: Jigsaw the clown. THEMES: Thriller/slasher. Torture porn. STOCK CHARACTERS: Dumb blonde, black woman, emotional one, final girl, proffessor. STOCK SITUATIONS: dumb blonde is first to die - decapitaed. Smart final girl. Black woman killed "i didn't trust her" ICONS: Puppet BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Basement. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: The 5 wake up in unknown area. A leader is established naturally. DISEQUILIBRIUM: the five die off slowly starting with dumb blonde. RESOLUTION: Final two realize that everyone could've lived. Detective solves the case. |
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FILM TITLE: Child's Play
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1998 DIRECTOR: Tom Holland (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Chucky the doll/Charles Lee Ray ANTAGONIST: Karen Barclay and Andy Barclay THEMES: Movie Monsters. STOCK CHARACTERS: Evil doll, evil red head, worried mother STOCK SITUATIONS: Doll can move and talk like it is alive, Chucky can't die. ICONS: Puppet BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Hotel corridor, hotel room, low lighting. (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: DISEQUILIBRIUM: RESOLUTION: |
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FILM TITLE: The Hole
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2009 DIRECTOR: Joe Dante (Burton's theory) PROTAGONIST: Dane and Lucas Thompson and Julie ANTAGONIST: Their fears - Clown, Dead friend and Dad THEMES: Chanelling young peoples fears and using it against them. STOCK CHARACTERS: Girl next door, protective older brother, fears. STOCK SITUATIONS: Young boy is afraid of clowns, abusive dad, oblivious mum doesn't notice what is behind her. ICONS: Clown, oblivious mum, grabbing the ankle. BACKGROUND AND DECOR: Low lighting basement, big american house (Todorov's theory) EQUILIBRIUM: The Thompson family move into a new house. The older brother gains a crush on the girl next door, Julie. DISEQUILIBRIUM: They notice the hole in the floor of their basement, they open it and their fears come to life. RESOLUTION: All three have to face their fears in order to defeat them. This means confronting the Thompson's abusive father and Julie's friend that died in her company. |