Action Cliches

Action:

• villain- stereotypically  foreign 
• sidekicks
• oppositional characters 
• Fast paced scenes
• explosions
• hero or heroine
• chase scenes
• fighting (punch ups )
• self surgery
• save the girl

Action Genre

An action film is when 1 or more heroes are thrown into a series of tasks which require physical feat. The heroes also end up in life threatening situations in which they are forced to perform self surgery. A few common sightings in action films are car chases, explosions, fist fights and gunplay. The villain is also usually quite weak in comparison to hero but has henchmen to help him out. The hero also usually has a sidekick but this sidekick is not always the obvious batman and robin Esc sidekick, but could be someone like a policeman. Action films are usually very high budget in order to cope with the cost for all the explosions.

the departed poster

The departed opening 2 mins

The departed opening 2 mins

Cliches:

• Minority groups
• stereotypical non diegetic voice over in italian accent.
• The neighbourhood
• religion
• Dark characters
• Good cop bad cop
• Saying your not a cop ( under cover )
• Rival families

Analysis:

The departed is a classic crime film as it has everything from the Italian mafia to the corrupt cop and many more typical cliches. The first thing you see in the film is a look back into what boston was like some many years ago then you see a man talking who we assume is the bad guy. You also see the 2 cops and we find out that 1 of them is linked with the bad guy ( corrupt cop ) which makes the audience want to watch on as they want to find out if they catch him. You also see the good cop who is about to go undercover into a gang to help out the police which is another cliche. Overall the opening 2 mins draws the audience into the scene of a crime film and makes them watch on.

Crime Cliches

Crime Cliches:

• Corrupt cop
• Corrupt Lawyer
• Interrogations
• Code of honour
• Eastern european/Italian bad guy
• Corrupt doctor
• Minority groups
• Cops without id
• Undercover cops
• Stereotypes: hard guys
• Foot drag shot
• Cop who doesn't play by the rules
• Bodies in car boots
• Good cop bad cop
• Gang rivalry
• gang leader
• rat
• The good guy amongst the villains
• The neighbourhood

Crime Genre

Crime Genre:
These films specifically focus on the criminals and many of the acts the do are glorified. Crime films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bankrobbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life. Film gangsters are usually street-smart, immoral and self-destructive. Rivalry with other criminals in gangster warfare is often a significant plot characteristic. The aim in most crime films is for the detective to track the criminal down and imprison but its never that easy as the criminal always finds a way to get out until the end of the film when they finally catch the bad guy.

Jeepers creepers poster

Jeepers Creepers opening 2 mins

Jeepers creepers opening 2 mins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TNPiIEp9TI

Cliches:

• Middle of nowhere ( scary location )
• Anti climax
• Driving fast being arrogant makes audience think its fine if he dies
• Lonely situations
• Little background moments
• Weird/ freaky moments ( the car chase )

Analysis: 

The opening to jeepers creepers is in someways similar to many horror films as it sets the scene early on showing that its a scary place but doesn't show the fear brought to them by something straight away. Instead we have to wait for a mysterious car to start chasing which draws the audience in by making them think about who could be driving the car. You then see the house with the car parked outside it. The house looks scary and makes the audience think don't go in there and turn around but no in like every horror film they have to just take a look which usually ends up with them dying. 

a nightmare on elm street poster

A nightmare on elm street opening 2 mins

A nightmare on elm street opening 2 mins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn_DjzN8410

Cliches:

• Lonely situations 
• Don't see much of bad guy
• creepy children
• scared to go to sleep
• going outside to check no ones there
• Did i just hear something moments
• Scary location
• Did i just see that moments ?
• creepy music

Analysis:

A nightmare on elm street is a conventional horror as it fits all the cliches and meanings to make a good horror film. The main purpose of the film was to play on the audiences fears of going to sleep and nightmares. The opening 2 mins gets the audience watching straight away as you see the main character and the bad guy. The main character is being chased down what appears to be a warehouse ( scary location ) but you don't see much if any of the bad guy making the audience wonder who he is and what hes doing. You then see the girl wake up so you know it was just a bad dream but you get the impressions the film title that it could be more than a dream.

Horror Cliches

Horror Cliches:

• Lonely situations 
• Hopeless moments
• The pretty girl is always first to die
• Anti climax/climax
• Children are evil
• Blood
• Did i just see that moments 
• Scary Locations: Middle of nowhere, woods and houses 
• Tense jumpy moments

Horror Genre

Horror Genre
The aims of many classic horror films is to get a negative emotional reaction from the audience by playing on their fears. Many horror films are frequently overlapping with other genres such as sci fi thriller and supernatural. Many horror films deal with peoples worst nightmares, hidden fears and terror of the unknown. Also most of them consist of ghosts, demons, haunted houses, zombies, serial killers and vicious animals. 

Dodgeball Poster

Dodgeball opening 2 mins

Dodgeball:

cliches:

• Stereotypes
• Physical comedy
• Idiot in dirty apartment
• idiot can't pay bills
• dorks
• Old man who wants to be younger than who he is.
• Lots of Losers
• Disabilities
• loser vs success 
• Love interest homophobic joke 
• opposites might fight for what they want

Analysis:

Dodgeball is very much a typical comedy with physical comedy and stereotypes galore. The film also fits in with all the cliches of a typical comedy film. The films main plot is that opposites collide in which the rich gym owner attempts to buy the poor gym owners property in order to expand his own. The opening 2 mins makes the audience want to watch on as you see the poor gym owner in his apartment and you find out about all his debts, by hearing all that you want to find out how he fixes all this. You can also see from the opening 2 mins that the rich gym owner is a 'jerk' and from that we know that the idiot will have to beat the 'jerk' to get what he wants.

Comedy Cliches

• Characters must go on journey to reach their goal.
• Gimmicks
• hero is usually an idiot
• Romantic subplot
• Best friends / sidekicks
• An idiot or more than 1 idiot
• Stereotypes:sexuality ie gay, disabilities, racial, Homophobic edge
• Negative family members
• Physical comedy
• Slapstick 

Comedy Genre

Comedy:
Comedy films are based mainly on the purpose to entertain and amuse the audience with humour.Almost every comedy film has a happy ending except for black comedy. There are many different types of comedy. Slapstick comedy is mainly based on physical humour and was the earliest form of comedy in movies. The fish out of water comedy is based on the character's being placed in an unusual situation and trying to get themselves out of it which leads to humour in itself this form of comedy is evident in both hangover films. There is also the odd spoof film in which they mock a film, tv programme or anything else in order to get laughs out of the audience. In spoofs you often see a lot of stereotypes and sarcasm. The black comedy film usually deals with subjects such as death, murder, war and sexual relations. Then finally theres the gross out films where they use vulgar and toilet humour which is evident in american pie. However in though they are all different they all roughly follow the same comedic guidelines of all the characters are jerks and must realise this in order to get the girl, save the day etc. There is almost always a gimmick where the character wakes up to a major shift in their life where somehow the whole order in their life gets flipped upside down which is evident in the hangover.

Notting Hill Poster

Notting Hill opening 2 mins

Notting Hill

 

cliches:

• Love music
• Opposites Attract 
• Unlucky in Love
• Funny supportive friend but only holds him back
• Gay stereotypes
• will they won't they moments 

Analysis:

At the beginning of the film you see a montage of photos along with the non diegetic love music. These photos give the audience an impression on the gulf in class between the two main characters. The film the concentrates on the male lead as i talks about his struggles in love. The male lead then starts work in his book shop of which the female lead comes into. This is when we get the first will they won't they moment moment. Which makes the audience want to watch on to find out if they will happen. When the male lead goes back him to his rundown apartment which links back to opposites attracting you see the other romance stereotype of the funny friend who he must lose to get the girl.

The holiday poster

The Holiday opening 2 mins

cliches:

• Love Music
• Mr wrong
• Helping Friend
• Monologue about love- self pity
• Funny but supportive friends 

Analysis:

The opening 2 mins is much like many romance films where the main female lead talks about her difficulties in finding mr right. There also a couple who appear to be perfect for each other with a love montage of them backing up the point. The final couple clearly aren't supposed to be which backs up another cliche of which the female finds mr wrong and then must go forward and find mr right. There is also the highly supportive friend who fits in with the romance cliche's. 

Romance cliches :

• Love Montage
• Happy Ending
• Supportive Friend 
• Love Rivals- confrontations 
• Will they won't they moments
• Mr right usually finds them out of their league or annoying
• Dramatic irony- we knows he's mr wrong but characters don't 
• love music and picture montages 
• Pushy mother and subordinate father

Romance Genre
Most Romance films are based on a simple formula of that the girl never ends up with the man who shes originally supposed to end up with. In many romance films the lead male and female go on a journey searching for the 'one' and end up back were they started. There are many different types of love used in romance films for example 'tragic romance' which is shown in romeo and juliet where both the male and female love partners both claim death due to love. Other examples are love at first sight, obsessive love, spiritual love and destructive love. Also at some point in every romance film they must overcome there difficulties or differences and usually ends happily ever after and is sealed with a kiss. The supporting characters usually consist of the loveable mother, the befuddled father, the mouthy but highly supported friend and the gay friend who has had his heart broken many times before so knows what there going through. The male character must also ditch the slob to have any chance of getting the girl. This is evident in notting hill where the male lead must ditch the house mate to get the girl.

Blog Feedback

Research and Planning 9/20: Some interesting comments Josh - but you clearly aren't posting regularly. I've posted more than you have! All of the genres and the film openings we have watched need to be analysed and commented on. Try and catch up now before this becomes a cause for concern.

Blog Feedback

Some good opinions about the opening of a film Josh. Try to include youtube links and pictures to make your posting even more impressive. Remember the opening films try to hook us in by what they tell us initially about character, genre and narrative. What do we find out in the opening two minutes and why does it make us want to watch on?