Thursday 3 November 2011
Monday 31 October 2011
Iconic thriller directors
There are many directors who've made a name for themselves mainly through their direction of films in the thriller genre. I've picked out a few who really stand out for me, in terms of both personalities and pieces of work.
Alfred Hitchcock
Stanley Kubrick
Steven Spielberg
Typical synopsis of a thriller...
There is a generic synopsis that runs through the theme of most typical thriller films. I think there are three types of synopsis that applies to thriller films. Typically, the first: there are police detectives involved on some sort of hunt to get to the bottom of something. The second: a dystopian world where things aren't what they seem. And third: someone's done something 'naughty' and basically for the whole film, metaphorically run for their life. There are sub genres in thriller so there are various synopsises that can be applied to and thought of.
The History of Thriller...
The genre of thriller has been in the film business for roughly 70 years. Various directors have gained their acclaim for success through the thriller genre. Here is a picture from the website timerime which shows the progression of thriller films...
Rebecca was made in 1940 and was amongst the first lot of films in the thriller genre. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Rebecca was the first film to be shown at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival and set the bar for thriller films: it won two Academy Awards (which included Best Picture) and both the lead actors aswell as Judith Anderson were nominated for Oscar awards. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, the story centres on a young woman who has recently married a man and moved into his mansion, only to find herself being haunted by his ex wife.The picture is filmed in all black and white which is what Hitchcock wanted to give the film a darker edge and atmosphere. Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock's first film to be made in Hollywood.
Psycho was made in 1960 and was again directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It starred Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin and Vera Miles. Psycho was nominated for four Academy Awards even though it got mixed reviews. It is generally considered to be one of the best films Hitchcock made. The story focusses on a young woman who steals money so her and her lover can get married, but it comes with serious consequences. Psycho was the last picture Hitchcock filmed in black and white - he thought if it was in colour, it would be too gory to watch. He used various camera shots and lenses to help give the audience a deeper sense of realism.
The Shining was made in 1980 and was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It stars Jack Nicholson as the main protagonist and is based on a man who takes a job at a hotel only to find it does strange things to him and therefore to his family. The Shining is based on the novel by Stephen King. Stanley Kubrick forced the cast and crew to re-take scenes over and over again for a lot of crucial scenes and distinct shots. The Shining has been named as one of the top ten most scariest films ever.
Pulp Fiction was made in 1994 and was directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars John Travolta, Samuel L.Jackson and Uma Thurman-all of them were nominated for Academy Awards for the film. Pulp Fiction is based on a intersected and knitted group of LA 'mobsters'. Tarantino has a very unique style and a love for crime and violence being used in his films. Pulp Fiction was named the 94th Greatest Movie of All Time by the American Film Institute.
Inception was made in 2010 and was directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars numerous actors and actresses including Leonardo DiCaprio. It is based on a world based on technology of humans and how they deal with it when strange things start to happen. Inception was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five of them. Nolan uses many large scale shots and created one of the most interesting thriller films of the twenty first century.
Here are summaries of just a few of them...
Rebecca was made in 1940 and was amongst the first lot of films in the thriller genre. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Rebecca was the first film to be shown at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival and set the bar for thriller films: it won two Academy Awards (which included Best Picture) and both the lead actors aswell as Judith Anderson were nominated for Oscar awards. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, the story centres on a young woman who has recently married a man and moved into his mansion, only to find herself being haunted by his ex wife.The picture is filmed in all black and white which is what Hitchcock wanted to give the film a darker edge and atmosphere. Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock's first film to be made in Hollywood.
Psycho was made in 1960 and was again directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It starred Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin and Vera Miles. Psycho was nominated for four Academy Awards even though it got mixed reviews. It is generally considered to be one of the best films Hitchcock made. The story focusses on a young woman who steals money so her and her lover can get married, but it comes with serious consequences. Psycho was the last picture Hitchcock filmed in black and white - he thought if it was in colour, it would be too gory to watch. He used various camera shots and lenses to help give the audience a deeper sense of realism. 
The Shining was made in 1980 and was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It stars Jack Nicholson as the main protagonist and is based on a man who takes a job at a hotel only to find it does strange things to him and therefore to his family. The Shining is based on the novel by Stephen King. Stanley Kubrick forced the cast and crew to re-take scenes over and over again for a lot of crucial scenes and distinct shots. The Shining has been named as one of the top ten most scariest films ever. 
Pulp Fiction was made in 1994 and was directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars John Travolta, Samuel L.Jackson and Uma Thurman-all of them were nominated for Academy Awards for the film. Pulp Fiction is based on a intersected and knitted group of LA 'mobsters'. Tarantino has a very unique style and a love for crime and violence being used in his films. Pulp Fiction was named the 94th Greatest Movie of All Time by the American Film Institute. 
Inception was made in 2010 and was directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars numerous actors and actresses including Leonardo DiCaprio. It is based on a world based on technology of humans and how they deal with it when strange things start to happen. Inception was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five of them. Nolan uses many large scale shots and created one of the most interesting thriller films of the twenty first century.
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