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Do you want to join the Teensoul team? We are always looking for innovative, creative and passionate voices to write for us. Get your work published and write about what you love! If you want to take the leap, send us an email at teensoul@colosoul.com.au or contact us on Facebook: @teensoul!
4 LETTER FROM EDITOR 6 FEATURE ARTICLES 19 ODDITY PHOTOSHOOT
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his issue of Teensoul is a pretty special one. The entire issue has been created by 30 talented Year 10 students at Halls Head College. Through workshops, these students have learned to write feature articles, music/ film reviews and the process that it takes to put a magazine together. By the end of this process, the students walked out with a published article (or two) that they wrote themselves. What makes this edition special for me, is that it embodies everything that Teensoul is about - creating magazines that are written by teenagears, for teenagers, on topics that are important to them. As usual, this issue has been a team effort thus my heartfelt thanks goes to Helen Yarnall and Bronwyn White from Halls Head College for jumping on board with this project. Thanks to Teensoul assistant editor, Sarah Makse, and Tanya Ajwani for weaving their magic in editing this issue. To Colosoul’s editors, Owen Scrivener and Isadora Jarosek for their support in mentoring the students. To Renae Rabel from POP Creative for designing this awesome mag. To Tricia Ray, for her ongoing support and guidance in the production. Most of all, thanks to everyone at Halls Head that wrote and contributed - this wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you!
Sophia van Gent
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TEAM wearecolosoul.com.au WHO WE SUPPORT The Esther Foundation - Perth Beyond Blue- Australia Help Save the Kids - Thailand Fair Tradie Project - Uganda WWF - Australia PMH Childrens Hospital - Perth Childwise - Australia 60 Earth Hour - Singapore WHO SUPPORTS US
CEO: Tricia Ray Editor: Sophia Van Gent Contributing Writers: Tara Wilson, Emma Craig, Brittany- Leigh Wragg, Tasa Jackson, Emily Fenton and Katie Cox, Thomas Pestrucci, Logan Fincham, Ruben Droogmans, Chloe Gates, Jahan Tachmuradova, Nathan Robinson, Sam Watson, Luke McIvor, Zach Owen, Nelleke Fagan, Brayden Moody, Jayne Ulyatt, Madi Moore, Charlee Fairclough, Timea Mathe, Becky Rendle, James McWhinnie, Chloe BoydSmith,Calan Wallder, Shannon Palmer, Sam Finlay Contributing Photographers: Callan Avis, Sam Elliott Graphic Designer: Renae Rabel Printed By: World Wide Online Print Cannington Editorial: teensoul@colosoul.com.au Front Cover: Lepak Media photographer - Sam Elliott, model - Amy King, graphics - Renae Rabel, film strip background: CuteStockFootage Publication Supported by: Halls Head College Disclaimer: No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in Teensoul Magazine are those of the respective contributers and may not necessarily comply with those of the publisher and staff. HALLS HEAD ISSUE
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BEHIND THE SCENES OF
FILM MAKING By Tara Wilson & Emma Craig
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ew movies are released everyday but do you really know what goes into making a film? It’s a tough job. There is a complex process that goes into making film. Each step is crucial.
The first step is development, where the creative ideas set-off. A producer gets an idea, maybe from a newspaper or a book. In this phase the film’s story is drafted using a three-act structure.
It takes great skill and patience. We will give you an insight on filmmaking, from script writing to the final product.
The next step is writing a scene-by-scene outline of the film. When you have a clear vision of the structure, plot points and scenes you can start the screenplay. The outline will guide the script.
There are seven main components to film production.
Financing the film is one of the most troubling parts of making a film. It’s the most expensive part of the process.The film industry is rough if you don’t make a profit. Pre-production involves casting, locations, shot lists, script breakdowns, tech scouting, scheduling by the first AD and product design. You need a production designer, costume designer, location manager, casting director, cinematographer and a line producer. Pre-production can last anywhere from three weeks to three months. After you have finalized your script, fully cast your film, booked all the equipment, secured all your locations, hired the crew, completed you story board and mastered your shot list, you should now be ready for principle photography. Most films shoot four-to-five pages a day. The Gaffer, Grip & Electric, first assistant camera, second assistant Camera, and Sound Mixer are all necessary members of the team for this step. The next step is post production. This is where the editor, composer, sound designer, music supervisor, VFX artist, and colourist come into action. Post-production can be a very long process. You test the film and correct any mistakes. The final step is movie distribution. This is where you release your film to the public for the first time. You can promote your film to get an audience. Now that you know the main components of making a film, start writing the script!
TIPS FOR FIRST TIME FILMMAKERS: •A GOOD SCRIPT IS A DIRECTOR’S BEST FRIEND: With little money, time, or experience, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to pull movie magic out of nowhere without a solid screenplay. No matter how hard things get on set if you have a great script, you still have a shot. •WHEN BREAKING DOWN THE SCRIPT, TRY TO ISOLATE THE BEATS AND TURNS OF EVERY SCENE: In a limited amount of time, sometimes nearly everything that’s been prepared is cut out, so it’s good to at least have a basic understanding of what is needed from a scene. Sometimes you can accomplish what you need with one shot instead of five. •THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IS ASSEMBLING THE RIGHT CAST AND CREW: If your main decisions will happen before you shoot a frame of anything, you want people that are quick on their feet, skilled, passionate, and will make the film as good as it can be. •STAY POSITIVE: No matter how impossible everything can sometimes feel, as long as you try to get through it. HALLS HEAD ISSUE
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WHEN LIFE IMITATES ART By Brittany- Leigh Wragg and Tasa Jackson
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hat would a famous on-screen love story mean to an audience if they saw it as false? Actors and actresses play their part in a film as convincing as they can to convey their love or hate for one another and their acting skills can be strongly influenced by the two’s off screen romance/ friendship. But what happens when the camera’s turn off and your favourite star crossed lovers who have experienced love at first sight, interlocking lips and risking their lives to be together in a film, go
back to the reality of hating each other? Example - Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 motion picture Romeo and Juliet. Rumour has it their chemistry on set was anything but lovely. Claire Danes admits to despising Leonardo DiCaprio and therefore made it very difficult for the pair to act in love. “I can’t believe Leo and Claire hate each other. It’s so hard to watch the film now knowing that the two aren’t as ‘loveydovey’ behind the scenes. I will never be able to see this film the same,” says Stacey Holmes, an avid Shakespeare lover.
Despite being touted as one of the best romance movies ever made, the strong onscreen chemistry between co-stars Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling did not translate off-screen. Despite playing a love struck couple, who must endure struggles and obstacles before reuniting, McAdams and Gosling did not get along when they were not shooting. “If I had known the two hated each other during the time I was watching the film, it would’ve been extremely difficult to connect with their love story the way I did.” said movie critic, Lisa Jackson. “I doubt I will feel the same about their love when I watch the movie next.” Co-stars despising each other off screen, but loving each other on screen, is not just restricted to films - it also happens on popular TV series. In the 90s hit TV series, “ Fresh Prince of Bel Air ”, Will Smith and Janet Hubert extremely disliked each other, despite playing the roles of aunt and nephew onscreen. The actress who originally played Aunt Viv on “ Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ” was fired and replaced with another actress, due to the hatred her and Will Smith felt for each other. Hubert blamed Smith and called him “an ego maniac”. “After understanding that the two despise each other, it made it hard to connect to the family relationship that they were trying to portray,” Gardenia Lam, mother of four, reflected.
Yet not all actors hate each other, and instead become close friends.Take the movie Titanic for example. Kate Winslet met Leonardo Dicaprio on the set of “Titanic” eighteen years ago, and their onscreen chemistry was evident to everyone, as they portrayed an epic love, which moved almost every viewer. It was definitely the closeness between the two that helped compliment the love story/connection. Another couple whose friendship impacted their on screen romance was Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in “The Hunger Games” trilogy. They displayed a close bond off screen, as friends, which had helped them portray their relationship as “star crossed lovers” in the film. Their bond onscreen was so close that they managed to convince both the audience and the cast members that the two genuinely shared a love for each other. “Now knowing my favourite on screen romances are close in real life makes it so much more enjoyable and I get slightly more excited as the relationship progresses.” reflected Lisa Jackson.
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THE By Emily Fenton and Katie Cox
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We’ve all seen the Oscars and we’ve all seen the Grammys but has anyone ever stopped to think, how did the nominees get into that position?
For the past 28 years, FTI have been hosting the WA Screen Awards, promoting the Western Australian screen sector. There is a different judging panel selected each year.
There are a number of screen awards from the nationwide awards to the specific state awards. In Australia, screen awards range from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts to the Western Australia Screen Awards hosted by FTI.
“This year was an ‘in-house’ judging panel, which means that the director of Screen Production, Ross Walker, hosted the judging panel and then the judging panel would watch all the films, make comments on them,” explained Nicolau.
Established in 1971, initially as the Perth Institute of Film and Television (PIFT), FTI is a non-profitable organization that provides an alternative pathway to the film and television industry. FTI is an ongoing company that
“They discuss and debate the production value, how high the standard was, the message they are trying to convey, how the audience are left after the film/documentary/game.”
provides a variety of educational training and development programs, production assistance schemes, equipment and post production facilities, industry networking support and major screen culture events. “We are like the stepping stone from University to the real world” says Ashleigh Nicolau, Marketing Coordinator of FTI. FTI is there to “nurture and support people going into the film industry” and they help to organise training and events for people to help their films be seen.
“We are basically the face for emerging film-makers,” said . Nicolau
Yet it is the voting process that is the toughest, longest and probably the most complicated. The undertaking to determine which films become nominees often involves more than 6000 voting members and hundreds of eligible films, actors, actresses, directors, cinematographers, editors, and composers, amongst others. Before working at FTI full time, Ashleigh Nicolau’s documentary,“Viva La Vincent” was nominated for best short form documentary.
Early this year, Ashleigh and Thomas Baskerville set on a challenge - hold an event, break a Guinness World Record all whist documenting it for their short film Viva La Vincent. “This process has been insane. Not only [were] we making a documentary, running an event and trying to break a world record, [but we were] also on the hunt for Vincents,” Ashleigh said during an interview with the ABC. As a sounding board for movie selections, international film festivals are often the go to. “We view films at international festivals, and use our networks to see new films,” explained Nicolau. For Sydney Film Festival, international films are also a source of inspiration. “We aim to provide our audience with a selection of the best films from around the world, while also providing a high profile platform for Australian cinema,” says Nashen Moodley, festival director of Sydney Film Festival. For Australian cinemas to thrive, film award ceremonies are an integral p a r t o f t h e p ro c e s s a n d m o s t importantly provide a platform to boost the profile of Australian cinema .
AWARDS
ESS OF FILM
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ccording to some the film industry
has ‘run out of ideas’ and begun modernizing old themes and franchises with varying results. Some were great successes, such as Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Some were considered good, but not great, for instance The Amazing Spiderman (2012), and Godzilla (2014). Others however were terrible failures. The recent Ghostbusters movie has just left cinemas and was regarded by viewers as ‘a disappointment’. The film had attempted to gain massive amounts of hype, but due to its lackluster first trailer it never achieved its goal and ultimately failed to live up to its own expectations. “The majority of the acting was bad, the shots used were quite bland and the cgi/ effects were not great,” said a film reviewer.
the director admitted it didn’t turn out how he wanted it to, scoring an average of 4.3 out of 10 on film rating website IMDB and only a 9% on film rating website Rotten Tomatoes. It even rated worse than the recent Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that many people disliked. But why are reboots getting so much hate from the audience and critics alike? Could it be that film studios just want to make money with an already established franchise? Is it just the fans of the old comparing it to the new with nostalgia influencing their decision?
At the beginning of the year, Point Break was released. A remake of the original 1991 film, Point Break had high expectations for itself with an estimated 105 million dollar budget, yet it only gained $28 million in the US, and struggled to break even worldwide. IMDB user Nixon Carmichael says “It’s almost as though they made a terrible movie on purpose,” and user Troy_Campbell says “Impressive action sequences let down by almost everything else,”. The 2015 movie Fantastic Four is commonly regarded to be the most disliked superhero movie of all time and the worst in the line of reboots and sequels of the franchise. Even
If you’re looking for reasons why reboots are getting so much hate, then look no further than poorly written jokes and the film trying too hard to be funny. Look no further than plot points that make no sense, characters that were extremely underdeveloped and films relying entirely on action sequences, which can tear the movie down a lot. Look no further than no character development, and the changing of key parts of the original plot. With all the recent events, it’s about time that film companies rebooted their ideas about reboots.
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MAKES FOR A GOOD MOVIE A D A P TAT I O N ? By Ruben Droogmans and Chloe Gates
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here is nothing worse than walking out of the cinema feeling disappointed that the movie adaption of your favourite book is nothing like you would have hoped for. Whether the storyline has been dramatically altered, or the emotions and actions portrayed in the book weren’t perfectly captured, nothing compares to
the feeling of walking out of a cinema with your mind full of what was and what wasn’t transferred from the book into the movie. When it comes to developing an entertaining movie adaptation, sticking to the overall plot is one key to success. Popular novel The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) was adapted wonderfully for the screen because it kept to the general plotline. “The Hunger Games film adaptation stuck to the plot very well,” confirmed Scarlett Tanner, something that fellow film aficionados Madi Moore, Brittany Wragg and Chloe Boyd-Smith all agreed on. Naturally, certain bits were cut out but they did not affect the actual story of the film. Adaptations were found to be “more than satisfying” if it was a beautiful representation of a famous novel. The protagonists shared similar characteristics to the novel, leaving fans satisfied after seeing one of their favourite books successfully adapted into a film.
“All the characters were very similar in their appearance to the novel descriptions. It was like seeing the book in your mind’s eye,” reflected Shannon Palmer. In comparison, the second movie in Veronica Roth’s book trilogy, Insurgent, was a poor book-to-screen adaptation. In this film, many key plot structures affiliated with the book were either changed or removed from the storyline. The major difference between plot structures in the book and movie is the ‘Divergent Box’ as it was practically created out of thin air. It held no connection to either the Divergent book or movie. This addition to the storyline took a major toll on the overall plot, as the movie’s main focus was on the box.
Both Samantha and Tasa agreed that seeing the Insurgent film, they were left with a “disappointed feeling” and hoped for a more accurate reflection of the novel. Along with many other changes in the adaptation, the film was definitely, compared to the book, a disappointment to the fans of the book trilogy who were expecting a more accurate film version. Plot and character adaption are the only tools that will make or break a film adaption - it is also the actors and actresses that are cast in the movies. The cast of The Hunger Games is better known and more “famous” than the cast of Insurgent, meaning fans of those actors are more likely to be biased towards their idols opposed to the film/ novel. The success of adaptations will depend
“The producers and director missed out crucial points and events throughout the film,” commented Samantha Finlay. “Even the characters were reflected in a ‘mediocre’ way,” said Chloe Gates.
on not only how true the movie is to the book’s plot line, but whether or not it can capture the overall emotions and feelings of the book in a new way. You don’t need to look past The Hunger Games or The Lord of the Rings triology to see how true that is.
“The characters were overall adapted alright to their book counterparts, except for Tris whose hair was completely different,” explained Tasa Jackson.
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By Jahan Tachmuradova and Nathan Robinson
LOCAL FILMmAKER PROFILE: Jarrad Seng
with my mates. All these random pranks at McDonald’s, And I was very much into music and bands so all this creativity was always there. Q: Is there anyone special in your life? A: Yes, I do have a lovely girlfriend in Perth but we never really get to hang out that much because of all my travels but she does get to come with me on some trips.
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e’ve had the opportunity to
interview Jarrad Seng, a unique filmmaker based in Perth. Jarrad is also a creative photographer that would do anything to get the best shot even if that involves hanging out of a circling jet! This is not an average interview; we went outside our comfort zones and asked Jarrad a few unusual questions and just wait till you read his answers! Q: What was your childhood like? Was there anything special you remember the most? A: Not really, I’ve always been very creative but probably in a different way. I was quite a naughty boy when I was in high school, always playing pranks on people
Q: Where and when did you start filmmaking? A: When I met Matt Corby, we met in Perth and filmed a few little videos and then we did the same with Passenger, and it was all just for fun. I never actually thought that I’d be a real filmmaker and I still don’t think I am, but I do have some friends that are proper directors and filmmakers. Super hard-core with their set up and productions and I thought… that would never be me I’ll just stick with photography because it is easier. After working with musicians I kind of learnt how to work with this industry. Q: What are some of your most memorable moments? A: There’s been a lot of memories, there’s been a lot of crazy places I’ve travelled to, I guess Iceland is my favourite place to HALLS HEAD ISSUE
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go especially when the northern light are happening. When I’m out there sitting at
Q: What are your plans after you’re finished with everything you wanted
midnight in complete wilderness, those are the kind of memories I will always remember at the back of my mind and think how is it possible that this is my job to be standing here on the other side of the world looking at these amazing things in the sky.
to do? A: I don’t think there’ll ever be a time where I haven’t finished everything, I want to travel and experience everything I can and photography is the perfect way to do that.
Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done so far? A:There’s been a lot of ‘crazy’…done a lot of stupid things… walked on the edge of a lot of things, like rooftops. What about hanging out of planes to take photos of Iceland? Yeah, that was a few years ago and we were in a tiny little plane, just me and the pilot I’m taking ariel photos of the landscape because it’s so crazy. But the only way we could do that was the pilot has to tilt the plane and fly around in a circle I didn’t fall out...
Q: How did you get this far? How did you make it in this industry? A: it’s been a hard run. I was working hard, doing everything I could, once your name starts popping up everywhere you get more work. It was all about being polite and friendly, I worked with great people that would respect me as I would respect them. Working with great but not famous people. Now there isn’t a lot of space left in the industry, and it’s hard to get into it.
ODDITY ODDITY PP H H OO T T OO SS H H OO OO T T
“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” -Allen Ginsberg
Model: Tahlia Borrett Styling: Poppy Maxwell, Frances Harvey & Katelyn Kitching Clothing: Foxfeet Collective & Frances Harvey Hair and Makeup: Alanah Yukich Photographer: Callan Avis from Lepak Media Graphics: Renae Rabel from POP Creative
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“JUSTPLAY” THE FILM INDUSTRY By Sam Watson and Luke McIvor
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ho do you think of when asked who the major figures in the current film industry are? Do the likes of James Cameron or Steven Spielberg come to mind? Perhaps even those on the new platform of the internet such as Casey Neistat?
“I first got into this line of work because I’m a dancer at heart and was using videography as a way to view and document my progression in a visual art form. From there I became more interested in film itself and just grew with it,” recounted McIvor.
These are all very prominent figures in the current film industry and as such they receive great exposure and the opportunity to share their works and stories of growth to eventual success. Seldom do you hear the stories and perspectives of those who are struggling to make it to mainstream success.
Andrew currently runs a business that goes by the name of ‘JustPlay Media’ where he is hired by businesses and companies to make promotional short films and various other pieces of film. He works with a wide spectrum of customers, this varies from dance companies to churches. This helps him turn over
Andrew McIvor is a local freelance videographer who is currently studying a double major in onscreen production and photography at Murdoch University, and hoping to get a foot in the door through freelance videography.
a nice profit, for a university student. Andrew hopes to be running a well-known and established business and maybe doing a little bit of travelling by the end of his studies.
“I believe that the main aim of making any type of film is to provide the viewer with an experience unlike any other. In short, I [guess] I am trying to say that it is important to be creative and original,” said McIvor.
His advice for any other aspiring videographers is “Consistency is key. Film has so many possible jobs available for all types of people . It does not matter what aspects of the creative spectrum you are interested in film will cater for you. If fashion and special effects are your thing, you can do costume. If you like creating stories you can be a script writer and if you want to express yourself in a visual/scenic way you can go into props and background set up. The point is that the film industry does not just consist of the actors or directors, it takes the whole crew on a set to bring a master piece together,” explained McIvor. For those who would prefer an occupation in working on a Hollywood Blockbuster, the US film industry was worth $38.3 billion
last year and like most large industries it needs a lot of man/woman power to keep it running smoothly. On average the top movies will have anywhere from 2002000 crew members working on one film. “So as the figure suggests, if you are an aspiring director, screen writer or sound producer you have plenty of opportunity to find an occupation in the film industry as it is so large and also continuously growing. However, it is imperative that you work hard to secure a job in the industry as there are many other young film hopefuls out there looking to be a part of the magic that is making a film,” said Andrew McIvor.
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W H AT M A K E S TA R A N T I N O S O Q
uentin Tarantino began his notorious career in film in 1987 as the executive producer for the short film, My Best Friend’s Birthday , and has spanned over two decades, with his most recent work, The Hateful Eight, released earlier this year. As one of the most successful directors he has become well known for his diverse storylines and interesting characters. Tarantino has been known for coming up with new ideas - no two of his movies are the same. If one were to look at the earnings of Tarantino’s films in its first week post release, it would suggest that his newer
movies aren’t as popular as his older movies. In the first week of its release in 1994, Pulp Fiction earned $219,848,900. Tarantino’s recent release paled in response, earning only $54,434,400. It suggests strongly that Tarantino’s greatest works are found in his earlier offerings. Yet looking at the reviews for The Hateful Eight would tell a different tale. The Telegraph wrote that “Twenty-three years after Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino has delivered his most intimate film since that auspicious debut...Only Tarantino can do this, and he’s done it again.”
his knowledge of films is one of the biggest contributors to his success as a filmmaker. Common answers also include “great dialogue, excellent scene transitioning and characterisation”, “well captured scenes” and Tarantino’s ability to use various mediums and film techniques to capture different genre and settings. He is very well known for his great characters, thanks to the way he works with his actors to really help them capture what Quentin has in mind.
By Zach Owen and Nelleke Fagan
QUENTIN G R E AT ? The Guardian’s Mark Kermode takes a middle ground towards the movie, describing it as “hard to hate but tough to love.”
The Independent hailed The Hateful Eight as “Quentin Tarantino’s bloody, brutal, brilliant return.” Ask Tarantino’s extensive fan base what makes Quentin Tarantino so great, answers include Tarantino’s storytelling ability with well-written, complex characters. Fans have called Tarantino a ‘walking film encyclopaedia’ and many would agree that
Quentin’s ability to create excellent characters relies not just on his script writing ability, but also on the actors that he casts. Uma Thurman, Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt and Samuel. L. Jackson consistently bring Quentin’s vision to life, and the more he works with them the better they work with him, creating constantly improving characters. This can be seen in Tarantino’s first blockbuster movie, Reservoir Dogs. Reservoir Dogs - a tale of events occurring before and after a simple diamond heist gone wrong - was the first Tarantino movie to put him on the map. Reservoir Dogs was described by critics as “Thrumming with intelligence and energy, Reservoir Dogs opens Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking career with hard-hitting style” (Rotten Tomatoes). Empire wrote, “With Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino started as he meant to go on. And what he meant to go on to be is evident from the opening shots of the movie: an auteur, no less.” Being an auteur is what makes Tarantino so great.
31 IMAGE SOURCE: Humby Valdes
THE HANGOVER By Brayden Moody
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irected by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, The Hangover is a surprising and hilarious twist on the popular ‘bachelor party gone wrong’ narrative. It was released in 2009 and included such film stars as Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor. It tells the story of Phil Wenneck, Stu Price, Alan Garner and Doug Billings, who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug’s impending marriage. However, Phil, Stu and Alan wake up with Doug missing and no memory of the previous night’s events, and must find the groom before the wedding can take place. On the face of it, The Hangover doesn’t look particularly promising, nor to be honest, awfully original. The ‘bachelor party gone wrong’ is a well-established comedy sub-genre and the vision of yet another group of young men getting into deep mischief with the law. The Hangover avoids most of the clichés, due to starting where most movies of this type finish: in the aftermath of the catastrophic events that took place, rather than the introduction to it. In fact, sparing us the complimentary party scenes is not just good sense but an essential element of the narrative, as there a string of events that lead to the friends having no idea what occurred the night before. Following a brief establishing set-up, the action kicks off when a trio of groomsmen (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) wake up in the apocalyptic wreckage of their Las Vegas hotel suite to discover an abandoned baby in the closet, Mike Tyson’s tiger in the bathroom and the inexplicable absence of the groom himself, who is due to get married in 24 hours. From that point on, the film becomes a twisted, and unerringly hilarious,
detective story as the ill-fated group of men, with their memories wiped clean by drugs, must piece together the events of the previous evening. All whilst trying to track down their missing friend so they can get him to the church on time. The trouble is they have very little evidence to go on, as one of the men has a missing front tooth, a collection of hospital wristbands and a wedding ring on very much the wrong finger. The pacing is furiously rapid and the laughs keep coming as our increasingly desperate heroes are assaulted out of the blue, by characters and events they have no hope of grasping. Rarely has that sinking, morning-after realisation that things are much, much worse than they seem been better induced than when a valet parking attendant rolls up not in Bartha’s future father-in-law’s vintage Merc but instead a stolen police car. Truthfully, the film abounds with such moments, most of them vastly more wild.True to form, Phillips delivers at least one incident that will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief, even while you’re laughing your head off. What gives The Hangover the upper hand over comedies with a similar sub-genre, is the chemistry between the leads, rendering it every bit as endearing as it is profanely funny.Their guy-centric fighting is so effortless, a direct product of their characters and the relationship between them. It seems almost inconceivable that it originated in a script. It is known that it obviously did, and full credit to Jon Lucas and Scott Moore for that. It doesn’t matter how crammed full of side-splitting set-pieces a movie is, if the characters aren’t convincing or likable you’ve got nothing.The characters within The Hangover show both qualities, which goes a long way in making this film a memorable one. I believe this film is a must watch, and will fill your viewing with many laughs and enjoyable moments.
A SURPRISING TWIST ON THE “BACHELOR PARTY GONE WRONG”
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im Sharman’s 1975 musical-comedy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a classic. Dr Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist welcomes newly engaged couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) into his whacky mansion when they get stuck in a storm with a flat tire.The pair’s plans to use the phone and leave are tossed out the window when Frank-N-Furter takes them up to his laboratory to celebrate the birth of his latest creation, Rocky, a blonde muscular man created for Frank-N-Furter’s pleasure. With the help of his creepy butler, Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien) and assistants Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and Columbia (Nell Campbell), Frank-N-Furter sets out on a mission to take Brad and Janet’s innocence on this bizarre night.
characters helps generate energy around the film. To add to the electric feel, the songs are catchy and fun and now world famous. The supporting characters; Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia help the weird turns of the plot stand out. I also love how Jim Sharman uses three main “Bright colours and characters, two quite average main unusual characters characters, Brad and Janet, and helps generate the “sweet transvestite”, FrankN-Furter, who is emblematic energy around the not only to the film, but also to film.” contemporary popular culture. If you are into classics, musicals or bizarre themes that challenge social norms, I highly recommend you The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I give it 4.5/5 stars.
I love The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it’s entertaining and catchy. The use of bright colours and unusual
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW By Jayne Ulyatt
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oraline directed by Henry Selick. Dakota Fanning plays Coraline.The film follows the young girl in her strange new home.
CORALINE By Madi Moore
Selick’s menacing skeletal character looms over Coraline. His art-style is unique to children’s animation, differing from more colourful feels. The different art-styles suit a variety of ages, mature and young viewers.
THE FIFTH WAVE By: Charlee Fairclough
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ive waves of alien invasions have devastated the world and mankind is on the edge of extinction. Following her mother’s death, Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) moves into a neighbouring refugee camp. When the military protectors bus the camp’s children away Cassie gets separated from her younger brother Sam (Zackary Arthur). Directed by J. Blakeson, this film conveys tragedy and heartbreak, yet also reveals courage and bravery. It’s an action thriller with some decent drama. The movie was well made, with the emotive music and atmospheric settings enhancing the film. Despite this, the many plot twists in the movie made it frustrating to watch at times.
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n underrated Disney classic, Brother Bear (2003) taught kids and adults alike to accept who you are and learn to love what you hate. Directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker who did a remarkable job crafting this colourful and sentimental animated film to appeal to an audience of all ages.The main character Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix) is a young adult Inuit with a strong distaste for bears.When a bear happens to take the life of his eldest brother, Kenai sets out after it to enact revenge. However, once his vengeance has been dealt he is magically transformed into a bear himself, and accompanied by the young bear he orphaned, is now on a journey to turn back into a human. The Importance of Brother Bear is that it certainly focuses on more of the emotional side of things. Although it does have its jovial moments, the sad scenes outweigh the joyful ones.This isn’t a negative aspect of the film because in the end, they all convey the bigger
picture of a happy ending. In relevance to the scenes, the landscape that the film revolves around is truly beautiful and worthy of appreciation in itself, from the snowy mountains to the flower meadows and so much more.The realistic drawing “The Importance of of the animals and humans with a twist of that old Brother Bear certainly Disney style is eye-catching focuses on more of the and appealing. emotional side of things.” The film is a Disney treasure, even so the film is undervalued nowadays and doesn’t quite live up to classics such as The Lion King or Snow White. The story is what really hits you in your heart, the theme of learning to love what you hate despite what connection you have with said hatred. Disney has always been successful with getting their morals noticed.
Brother Bear is an extraordinary film to watch with your younger family when you’re looking for a good short story that’s captivating yet also a tearjerker.
DISCOVERING YOUR TRUTH:
THE IMPORTANCE OF BROTHER BEAR By Timea Mathe
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eleased in 2010 and directed by Dean Deblois and Chrise Sanders, the story about Hiccup and Toothless who capture the hearts of the audience as they develop their friendship. In this coming of age movie, Hiccup and Toothless show the village the real problem behind the dragons attacking them. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), Stoick (Gerard Butler) and Astrid (America Ferrera) were the major characters within the movie, whose characterisation brings intense emotions to the audience. This is a brilliant movie about a clever young Viking that forms an unlikely friendship with a dragon after defending his village from being attacked.
and Toothless prove to the village that dragons aren’t just ruthless killers and that training them had far more benefits than slaughtering them. Hiccup may not look as tough as the other Vikings, being skinny and lanky however he is smart, courageous and caring. The 3-D effects increase the intensity level of the dragon-action sequences making younger members of the audience jump out of their seats.The bond Hiccup and Toothless make is one of a kind; their fearlessness and willingness to take big risks is what makes this movie so different. I recommend it to each and every person as it has such a heart-warming story throughout the entire movie.
Hiccup’s actions show that cooperation and teamwork can be better than competition and hostility. Hiccup
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR
DRAGON By Becky Rendle
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hristopher Nolan’s second movie in the Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight is my opinion potentially one of the best films of our generation, ranking along-side movies like Shawshank Redemption, and Green Mile. Superhero films follow similar repetitive formulas, however Christopher Nolan has pushed boundaries with this incredible masterpiece. The aftermath of Batman Begins is still haunting Gotham. Batman (Christian Bale) has outstayed his welcome, and Harvey Dent is Gotham’s next great hope in cracking down on all organised crime. When chaos is unleashed upon Gotham by the Joker (Heath Ledger), a criminal lunatic who will have you on the edge of your seat eager to see what he does next, can Batman stop this mad man or will Gotham be destroyed? Performances in The Dark Knight are phenomenal, with Christian Bale’s and Heath Ledger’s performances standing out. Character development throughout the movie is riveting, through the film Ledger consistently characterises the unpredictable joker. Bale’s Batman is riddled with doubts about his moral standing, and at the same time, “The Dark Knight is a placed under new constraints and must improve both technology and philosophical buffet.” combat to challenge his rival. Complementing with the excellent acting are magnificent costumes and outstanding CGI. The Bat-mobile looks incredible, and the Joker is terrifying. It renders well with the dark, realistic themes of the movie. The Dark Knight is a philosophical buffet, in it’s themes of terrorism, anarchy and other dark concepts. Christopher Nolan is renowned for deep challenging films and has successfully achieved yet another intellectual masterpiece. Overall it is one of my favourite films, I honestly believe it is one of the greatest movies ever and although many people claim it is overrated, it’s still the best movie I have seen.
THE DARK KNIGHT By James McWhinnie
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he Jungle Book is another favourite Disney classic brought to life. Director Jon Favreau (Director of Iron Man) produced a fun, adventurous family musical. The Jungle Book is about man-cub Mowgli’s (Neel Sethi) stride to regroup with mankind after the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), threatens to kill him. Despite protection and guidance of his guardian Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), a strait-laced panther, and Baloo (Bill Murray) a sloth bear that loves to sing and dance, Mowgli is enchanted by the conniving python, Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) and a desperate orang-utan, King Louie (Christopher Walken) who craves control of the ‘red flower.’
The quality animation, sound and the contrast in the visuals lend the film a sense of fantasy and brings the jungle and characters to life. The animal’s realistic features stand out on the characters. Mowgli, Bagheera and Shere Khan steal the spotlight, particularly in a combat scene between the two. The use of ‘the red flower’ is a fitting metaphor of man’s destruction of the jungle. My favourite scene is the brawl between Mowgli and Shere Khan. Favreau used amazing action between the animals. I strongly advise all ages to watch The Jungle Book.
The Jungle Book By Chloe Boyd-Smith
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BAD NEIGHBOURS By Calan Wallder
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ad Neighbours is an adult comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller. Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac (Seth Rogan) are an ordinary couple with a new born daughter, but everything changes when the house next door becomes occupied by a collage fraternity. Led by their President, Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), and their Deputy Pete (Dave Franco) the neighbours turn out to be a gang of party animals that cause a whole lot of trouble for the couple. This film is a happy and extremely comical movie. Nicholas Stoller gathered a hilarious cast of A-Listers. All the actors embody their characters entirely with the young cast creating a very believable college atmosphere. Bad Neighbours runs for a total of 97 hilarious minutes, throughout the whole film you never get bored as there is always something funny or crazy going on. Bad Neighbours is a great enjoyable movie that I wouldn’t change a thing about. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and has a taste for the outrageous.
A HAPPY AND EXTREMELY
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU By Shannon Palmer
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Things I Hate About You is a hilarious, fun-loving movie directed by Gil Junger and released in 1999. Set in an American high school, the movie adapts Shakespeare’s famous story “Taming of the Shrew”. Featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Julia Stiles, and Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You is a wonderful film that, despite having a very cliché feel to it, will have you chuckling along as you follow new comer Cameron (GordonLevitt) navigate high school. The film has a very cliché feel to it. Set in the 90’s, we see clothing that is way out-dated and bound to bring back the nostalgia for the kids of the era.The soundtrack is very much grunge, female Pop-Punk that is catchy, upbeat and gets stuck in your head all day long. On your first watch, the things that stand out the most would be the humour set throughout the whole film, giving the film a light-hearted feel with very few downfalls to ruin your mood. But after watching it a few times, the underlying messages seem to appear and make themselves more pronounced. One of the many favourite themes that stand out in the movie is that you shouldn’t always worry
about what other people think. Kat tells us that following the crowd can lead you into a situation with which you are uncomfortable to be in, after going through a personal experience of her own. It teaches us that individuality is important as it makes every one of us more unique and important in our own way. Individuality encourages creative thinking, allowing people to view situations in a different “It teaches us light and have a clearer sense that individuality of what they need to be happy. is important as it This is a great lesson to go by in life as individuality allows you to makes every one not be swayed by other people’s of us more unique fears, and can also allow you to and important in pursue a unique idea which could our own way”. lead to greater rewards in many different areas.
10 Things I Hate About You is definitely worth watching when you’re feeling down, when you’re bored or even on a lazy Sunday afternoon either by yourself, with family or with friends.This humorous, lovable movie will definitely lift your mood and make you fall in love with it again and again. HALLS HEAD ISSUE
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“DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME” THE BREAKFAST CLUB SOUNDTRACK By Sam Finlay
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ohn Hughes’ 1985 The Breakfast Club follows five obscure, high school students who spend their Saturday together in detention. They start off as individual cliques, but end up proving that they’re more than their given stereotypes. This film is majorly famous for its soundtrack, well known for the Simple Minds classic, “Don’t You Forget About Me”, starring at the start and ending of the film. The soundtrack as a whole works perfectly with each of the given scenes. “Fire in the Twilight”, a classic by Wang Chung, is played in the background while the five teens are running through the halls, fleeing from the principle.The song gives the scene a sense of rebellion and freedom as the teens disobey orders, and watching it yourself pumps adrenalin through your veins. However, despite all of the great songs included in the
soundtrack, Simple Minds New Wave/Pop-Rock song has to top it off as everyone’s favourite. Iconic in its own league as an 80s classic, since being used to bookend The Breakfast Club it’s been given a whole new level of recognition. “It represents that The song brings out the emotion feeling of and passion of the start and end of the journey that the teens have accomplishment.” taken to find out who they really are. It represents that feeling of accomplishment, along with the signifying fist gesture at the end of the film. I think the music, like the film, sends a strong message that teens and young adults are not as alone as they may feel, and that connection may be found in unexpected situations. “Don’t You Forget About Me” is definitely a soundtrack that will never be forgotten. IMAGE SOURCE: Nanozine
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