Monday, September 29, 2008
Review From IMD
I dislike the nowadays and boisterous remakes of classic horror movies as much as the next person but, ever since the news came that an update of "The Hills Have Eyes" was in talks, I had great expectations towards it. There are reasons for this rather enthusiast anticipation, actually. Unlike "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "The Fog", to name just two examples, Wes Craven's original 1977 screenplay was open for improvement AND Alexandre Aja would be just the right man for the job, as his own project "Haute Tension" is definitely one of the best horror films since the year 2000. That particular film wasn't really a masterpiece of plotting, but it was genuinely grim and barbaric and those are exactly the qualities a film like "The Hills Have Eyes" require as well. The new screenplay follows Craven's original fairly strict, except that the eyes in the hills aren't of members of an inbred family anymore but of an entire community of horribly mutated ghouls. Deep in the New Mexican deserts, a small village of coal miners once refused to leave the area at the time the American government decided to test nuclear weapons there, and now they still prowl the wasteland, assaulting travelers that dare to leave the main highways. The Carter family is next on the menu, and the mutants really don't care whether the victims are females, elderly folks or even newborn babies...
Alexandre Aja delivers the exact right amount of disturbing tension and really a lot more gore than you could possibly dream of. Much more than the overrated Eli Roth, this young French filmmaker is the new prodigy of horror. Strictly talking in terms of cinema, "The Hills Have Eyes" is also a more than decent production. The dialogs are fluently written and the characters are a lot more likable than in the original. By them I primarily refer to the members of the Carter family, as Michael Berryman's charisma as creepy Pluto remains unequaled. Altering the background of the desert-people into mutants was a pretty intelligent move by Aja, though. Despite being sadistic and utterly repulsive-looking bastards, these people are basically a sort of "victims" themselves, which brings a lot of extra depth and unsubtle social criticism in the overall simplistic story. I'm sure this film also had its share of flaws, like the editing being a little too MTV-ish perhaps, but the thrills and fast pacing were just too overpowering to have me bother about them. Kudos also to the terrific selection of songs, the convincing cast of actors and actresses and – last but not least – the personal trainer of those brilliant German Shepard dogs
Alexandre Aja delivers the exact right amount of disturbing tension and really a lot more gore than you could possibly dream of. Much more than the overrated Eli Roth, this young French filmmaker is the new prodigy of horror. Strictly talking in terms of cinema, "The Hills Have Eyes" is also a more than decent production. The dialogs are fluently written and the characters are a lot more likable than in the original. By them I primarily refer to the members of the Carter family, as Michael Berryman's charisma as creepy Pluto remains unequaled. Altering the background of the desert-people into mutants was a pretty intelligent move by Aja, though. Despite being sadistic and utterly repulsive-looking bastards, these people are basically a sort of "victims" themselves, which brings a lot of extra depth and unsubtle social criticism in the overall simplistic story. I'm sure this film also had its share of flaws, like the editing being a little too MTV-ish perhaps, but the thrills and fast pacing were just too overpowering to have me bother about them. Kudos also to the terrific selection of songs, the convincing cast of actors and actresses and – last but not least – the personal trainer of those brilliant German Shepard dogs
Review From RT
After the critical (but not American box office) success of "High Tension," French director Alexandre Aja was recruited to film an American remake to the 1977 Wes Craven classic "The Hills Have Eyes." Craven was even attached as producer.
Following the storyline of the original somewhat closely (this is far less a "reimagining" than the superior "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake that no doubt inspired 20th Century Fox to bankroll this movie), Aja's version does feature more politics around the subject of nuclear testing and hatred of America. The American flag even becomes a deadly weapon in the story. The film also borrows liberally from other '70s fear films about travelers under siege, most notably "Tourist Trap" (with the addition of a city of manicans) and Steven Spielberg's "Duel."
A family on a road-trip drive through the New Mexico desert where cel phones conveniently don't work, and while taking a short cut are stranded when a trap set in the road blows all their tires. There's an angry old ex-cop as the patriarch of the clan; his whimp son-in-law (Aaron Stanford); two daughters, one of whom is the wife with baby (yes, there's a baby), the other a young hottie (Emelie de Ravin); plus an angry younger son, even younger than the one depicted in the original. Oh yes, and the mother/matriarch of the clan.
Perhaps not too surprisingly (particularly if you've seen the original), there are mutants living in the hills of the desert where they've been stranded, hence the title of the film. Thanks to modern make-up, the mutants this time around look a lot nastier than they did in the Craven original. Thanks to a larger budget, we are also treated to images of nuclear craters and an entire abandoned town populated now only by manicans and, of course, a few redneck mutants.
Also not surprising is the fact that many other travelers had swung through these parts, never to make it out alive.
Some say this remake is better than the original, but it ain't so. You can't beat 1970s fear, even with a bigger budget. The bad guys are now more monstrous -- the female character of Ruby is depicted as a mutant Red Riding Hood -- but less believable. Ultimately, it is a solid redo and, unlike so many other remakes these days, it is a proper remake, bringing us for the most part the same characters and concepts of the first production. The new "Hills" is at its best in its opening half, and we genuinely feel for these characters during the first attack on their encampment. Aja makes these people human. Excellent make-up makes the mutants even less human than they were in the original movie. Then, the film falls into horror cliché's during the second half. The fact that Aja is a non-American making a distinctly American type of horror film also hampers it. He seems to be delivering his impression of what American movies are like when he transforms the whimp son-in-law into a powerful killer who has finally discovered his manhood, while an electric guitar plays "Once Upon a Time in the West" style music in the background. The audience of teenagers I saw the movie with thought it was ridiculous.
The "Hills" remake is also hampered a bit by the fact that so many redneck horror films had made it to theaters in recent years, among them "Wrong Turn," "House of Wax," and of course the "Texas" remake. In recent years we had seen this story many times before.
Ultimately, "Hills" is less than that "Texas" redo and certainly inferior to Aja's now-classic, "High Tension." But all in all, a fun ride at the movies. The film was cut to get an R rating in theaters, so expect the DVD to feature tons more gore
Following the storyline of the original somewhat closely (this is far less a "reimagining" than the superior "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake that no doubt inspired 20th Century Fox to bankroll this movie), Aja's version does feature more politics around the subject of nuclear testing and hatred of America. The American flag even becomes a deadly weapon in the story. The film also borrows liberally from other '70s fear films about travelers under siege, most notably "Tourist Trap" (with the addition of a city of manicans) and Steven Spielberg's "Duel."
A family on a road-trip drive through the New Mexico desert where cel phones conveniently don't work, and while taking a short cut are stranded when a trap set in the road blows all their tires. There's an angry old ex-cop as the patriarch of the clan; his whimp son-in-law (Aaron Stanford); two daughters, one of whom is the wife with baby (yes, there's a baby), the other a young hottie (Emelie de Ravin); plus an angry younger son, even younger than the one depicted in the original. Oh yes, and the mother/matriarch of the clan.
Perhaps not too surprisingly (particularly if you've seen the original), there are mutants living in the hills of the desert where they've been stranded, hence the title of the film. Thanks to modern make-up, the mutants this time around look a lot nastier than they did in the Craven original. Thanks to a larger budget, we are also treated to images of nuclear craters and an entire abandoned town populated now only by manicans and, of course, a few redneck mutants.
Also not surprising is the fact that many other travelers had swung through these parts, never to make it out alive.
Some say this remake is better than the original, but it ain't so. You can't beat 1970s fear, even with a bigger budget. The bad guys are now more monstrous -- the female character of Ruby is depicted as a mutant Red Riding Hood -- but less believable. Ultimately, it is a solid redo and, unlike so many other remakes these days, it is a proper remake, bringing us for the most part the same characters and concepts of the first production. The new "Hills" is at its best in its opening half, and we genuinely feel for these characters during the first attack on their encampment. Aja makes these people human. Excellent make-up makes the mutants even less human than they were in the original movie. Then, the film falls into horror cliché's during the second half. The fact that Aja is a non-American making a distinctly American type of horror film also hampers it. He seems to be delivering his impression of what American movies are like when he transforms the whimp son-in-law into a powerful killer who has finally discovered his manhood, while an electric guitar plays "Once Upon a Time in the West" style music in the background. The audience of teenagers I saw the movie with thought it was ridiculous.
The "Hills" remake is also hampered a bit by the fact that so many redneck horror films had made it to theaters in recent years, among them "Wrong Turn," "House of Wax," and of course the "Texas" remake. In recent years we had seen this story many times before.
Ultimately, "Hills" is less than that "Texas" redo and certainly inferior to Aja's now-classic, "High Tension." But all in all, a fun ride at the movies. The film was cut to get an R rating in theaters, so expect the DVD to feature tons more gore
Review From The Guardian
GenreVal Taylor The Guardian, Tuesday September 23 2008 Article historyGenres are categories of stories grouped according to shared, characteristic patterns of form, content and/or style. This grouping provides shorthand means of conveying to your audiences what kind of intellectual, emotional and physical experience to expect.
You may not want to write within genres; however, it's useful to understand how they function so that you can work within, across or outside them. Film and television employ genres extensively; commissioning discussions require you to be conversant with their functions. Theatre and radio employ genres more loosely, but a proper understanding remains valuable.
The UK Film Council reports that, in 2007, the most popular genres with UK cinema audiences were:
- Fantasy
- Comedy
- Thriller
- Drama
- Horror
- Crime
- Science fiction
- Romance
- War
- Action
- Adventure
Television employs story genres within series formats. Current schedules are anchored by "precinct dramas": groups or teams working within a tight-knit group of locations, often a workplace. Police and medical series are obvious examples: the station, laboratory, hospital or surgery provides the central location.
Mainstream UK theatre is dominated by musicals and comedy; subsidised or non-mainstream theatre draws on relationships, personal stories, social drama, and romance; radio does too.
Working with genre
Research the genre you're interested in: look at how key elements are used. I'll use horror as a model, with Alien, a horror/sci-fi hybrid, as an example:
· Story world: Are there characteristic locations? What are the rules of the story world? Horror uses places where the protagonist expects to feel safe or knows what the dangers are; they become traps once the antagonist appears. (The Nostromo spaceship.)
· Stakes: What is usually at risk? How are the stakes habitually raised? Is there a "ticking clock" timeline? Horror places the protagonist in mortal danger, closing off her escape routes as the antagonist draws near. (The Nostromo crew have to prevent the spaceship reaching Earth with the alien on board; Ripley barely escapes.)
· Protagonist and antagonist: What are the generic characteristics of the protagonist and antagonist? How is the audience aligned with them? The horror protagonist is a victim who must find extraordinary personal reserves to save herself. Our point of view is aligned with her; we share her terror. Horror antagonists are (literally or figuratively) monsters: superior in strength, malevolent in intent. (Ellen Ripley must turn implacable warrior to defeat the alien's speed and cunning.)
· "Trigger" and resolution: What are the events that trigger stories in this genre? How are they resolved? Horror triggers bring in the monster, sparking the protagonist's jeopardy. The resolution expects the monster to be destroyed or expelled and the protagonist to escape. (Alien's trigger occurs when the crew members examine the alien eggs. It resolves when Ripley finally ejects the creature from the escape pod.)
· The "expected scenes": What scenes would audiences expect to see? Horror establishes the protagonist's normal world before admitting the monster. There is a series of attacks which the protagonist at first tries to avoid, before being forced into a climactic battle: whether or not she wins is the writer's choice. (Alien begins with the routine schedule on the Nostromo, disrupted by the discovery of the alien eggs. The first attack takes place on the planet; the injured crewman unwittingly brings the alien onboard and it kills the crew. Ripley thinks she's escaped, but finding that the alien has hidden in her escape pod, she has to fight again.)
· Style: Does the genre employ characteristic visual and aural stylistic devices? Horror's usual tone is one of threat and unease, created by a close alignment with the protagonist's point of view. Strong contrasts of light and shadow conceal rather than reveal information. Periods of calm alternate with bursts of frantic action which grow longer as the action approaches its climax.
Familiarise yourself with the patterns of genre; use your notes to refine your decisions about the story world, characters, events, theme and stakes of your story
You may not want to write within genres; however, it's useful to understand how they function so that you can work within, across or outside them. Film and television employ genres extensively; commissioning discussions require you to be conversant with their functions. Theatre and radio employ genres more loosely, but a proper understanding remains valuable.
The UK Film Council reports that, in 2007, the most popular genres with UK cinema audiences were:
- Fantasy
- Comedy
- Thriller
- Drama
- Horror
- Crime
- Science fiction
- Romance
- War
- Action
- Adventure
Television employs story genres within series formats. Current schedules are anchored by "precinct dramas": groups or teams working within a tight-knit group of locations, often a workplace. Police and medical series are obvious examples: the station, laboratory, hospital or surgery provides the central location.
Mainstream UK theatre is dominated by musicals and comedy; subsidised or non-mainstream theatre draws on relationships, personal stories, social drama, and romance; radio does too.
Working with genre
Research the genre you're interested in: look at how key elements are used. I'll use horror as a model, with Alien, a horror/sci-fi hybrid, as an example:
· Story world: Are there characteristic locations? What are the rules of the story world? Horror uses places where the protagonist expects to feel safe or knows what the dangers are; they become traps once the antagonist appears. (The Nostromo spaceship.)
· Stakes: What is usually at risk? How are the stakes habitually raised? Is there a "ticking clock" timeline? Horror places the protagonist in mortal danger, closing off her escape routes as the antagonist draws near. (The Nostromo crew have to prevent the spaceship reaching Earth with the alien on board; Ripley barely escapes.)
· Protagonist and antagonist: What are the generic characteristics of the protagonist and antagonist? How is the audience aligned with them? The horror protagonist is a victim who must find extraordinary personal reserves to save herself. Our point of view is aligned with her; we share her terror. Horror antagonists are (literally or figuratively) monsters: superior in strength, malevolent in intent. (Ellen Ripley must turn implacable warrior to defeat the alien's speed and cunning.)
· "Trigger" and resolution: What are the events that trigger stories in this genre? How are they resolved? Horror triggers bring in the monster, sparking the protagonist's jeopardy. The resolution expects the monster to be destroyed or expelled and the protagonist to escape. (Alien's trigger occurs when the crew members examine the alien eggs. It resolves when Ripley finally ejects the creature from the escape pod.)
· The "expected scenes": What scenes would audiences expect to see? Horror establishes the protagonist's normal world before admitting the monster. There is a series of attacks which the protagonist at first tries to avoid, before being forced into a climactic battle: whether or not she wins is the writer's choice. (Alien begins with the routine schedule on the Nostromo, disrupted by the discovery of the alien eggs. The first attack takes place on the planet; the injured crewman unwittingly brings the alien onboard and it kills the crew. Ripley thinks she's escaped, but finding that the alien has hidden in her escape pod, she has to fight again.)
· Style: Does the genre employ characteristic visual and aural stylistic devices? Horror's usual tone is one of threat and unease, created by a close alignment with the protagonist's point of view. Strong contrasts of light and shadow conceal rather than reveal information. Periods of calm alternate with bursts of frantic action which grow longer as the action approaches its climax.
Familiarise yourself with the patterns of genre; use your notes to refine your decisions about the story world, characters, events, theme and stakes of your story
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Objective Targets
AO1 - TO IMPROVE WITH THIS OBJECTIVE I WILL PRACTISE MORE ANAYALYSE ON DIFFERENT TEXTS OUT OF THE MIGRAIN ANALYSIS I WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT REPRESENTATION AND IDEOLOGY AS I FEEL I NEED THE MOST PRACTISE WITH THAT.
A02 THIS OBJECTIVE SI ABOUT SHEP FOR THIS I WILL NEED TO STUDY MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE INVLOVED MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED
A05 THIS IS A RESEARCH TASK TO IMPROVE IT I WILL HAVE TO LEARN DIFFERENT SKILLS OF RESEARCH PERHAPS USING DIFFERENT METHODS TO RESEARCH
A02 THIS OBJECTIVE SI ABOUT SHEP FOR THIS I WILL NEED TO STUDY MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE INVLOVED MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED
A05 THIS IS A RESEARCH TASK TO IMPROVE IT I WILL HAVE TO LEARN DIFFERENT SKILLS OF RESEARCH PERHAPS USING DIFFERENT METHODS TO RESEARCH
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Media Audiences
The hills have eyes could have many target audiences becuase the film could appeal to anyone howver the age rating on the film is 18 so that limits it down, but it is specific like other films as this film could be enjoyed by males and females all different races.
from the text it is possible to see what attitudes the audiecnes will have, from the level of voilence you can tell that the audience is off a older age and people who are going to watch it are more likely to be fans of horror movies, so the film has to be scarier then other films for it to compete with the top tittles of the horror genre.
in terms of target audience, i would say that the they are trying to target middle class white people from ages 18 - 30 the reason for this is becuase they feature a family with similar ages in the film by doing this the audience can put themselves into the film easier.
when i first watched the film i thought it was a good film and a typical horror film however i felt it lacked something which other horror films had. this film took place in some hills which nobdoy ever goes to other horror films take place in local areas were there is other people so it was hard to really be scared knowing that it was abit to much set up becuase surely a old warzone would have been locked away from the public yet the characters just manged to drive through it. my age would have a great deal to pay with my understanding and liking of the film, seeing the media nowdays alot of things is sex focused, this film is no different meaningless scenes of sex had been added to keep the male audience engaged.
from the text it is possible to see what attitudes the audiecnes will have, from the level of voilence you can tell that the audience is off a older age and people who are going to watch it are more likely to be fans of horror movies, so the film has to be scarier then other films for it to compete with the top tittles of the horror genre.
in terms of target audience, i would say that the they are trying to target middle class white people from ages 18 - 30 the reason for this is becuase they feature a family with similar ages in the film by doing this the audience can put themselves into the film easier.
when i first watched the film i thought it was a good film and a typical horror film however i felt it lacked something which other horror films had. this film took place in some hills which nobdoy ever goes to other horror films take place in local areas were there is other people so it was hard to really be scared knowing that it was abit to much set up becuase surely a old warzone would have been locked away from the public yet the characters just manged to drive through it. my age would have a great deal to pay with my understanding and liking of the film, seeing the media nowdays alot of things is sex focused, this film is no different meaningless scenes of sex had been added to keep the male audience engaged.
Values and Ideologies
In the hills have eyes there are different values and ideologies from other films, the first thing that is noticable from the film is the gender of the characters firstly there are more females then men and the females take on the more important roles even though their roles include the stereoptype of women. the female characters are shown to be scared and weak yet are still the main focus on the film this is becase the audience do not really feel to scared when its males on scene becuase theres the feeling that they can defend themselves however seeing a helpless female being scared creates much more effect.
in the hills have eyes there is only one race throughout the whole film which is white american, there are know other races this could be down to that it is a remake of a older film and in the older version the majorty of actors where white or it could be becuase it is about one white american family in america, the second part the hills have eyes 2 feature much more ethnic characters.
in the hills have eyes there is only one race throughout the whole film which is white american, there are know other races this could be down to that it is a remake of a older film and in the older version the majorty of actors where white or it could be becuase it is about one white american family in america, the second part the hills have eyes 2 feature much more ethnic characters.
Media Institutions
The hills have eyes 2006 was made by Craven-Maddalena Films and also fox searchlight, craven maddalena films is a organisation who specialises in the horror and thriller genre other films that they have made are :
The Hills Have Eyes II (2007)
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Red Eye (2005)
Cursed (2005)
Scream 3
Don't Look Down (1998)
Scream 2 (1997)
"In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?"
craven maddalena are specialists with the genre of horror as the majority of their films are made in a similiar way, alot of the typical ideas of horror which i will be looking at are presented in their films, for example the role of women in horror films in all the films listed above the womens roles are very similar they all play that "scared of everything" kind of character. the text has been influenced the makers of the films becuase they make films in a certain way so they will be bringing their style to the film, the fact that they have fox search light which is a big movie company means that they will have no funding problems becuase the company had probably invested alot of money into already.
the film is very commercial compared to alot of other horror films, this film will have to pass numerous tests before being allowed to be shown in public, they have to see if any scenes are too visual or to graphic to have in films if the film was more underground it could have more blood scenes becuase less checks would have had to be done.
the text has been distrubed through dvd, the first showings were made on cinema this is done to secure dvd sales but after that it comes out on dvd, the benifits of having search fox light as the makers is that alot of cinemas and movie stores have connection with fox media company so the sale of this film is secure becuase people want recognize that they produce only good films so this cant be that bad.
The Hills Have Eyes II (2007)
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Red Eye (2005)
Cursed (2005)
Scream 3
Don't Look Down (1998)
Scream 2 (1997)
"In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?"
craven maddalena are specialists with the genre of horror as the majority of their films are made in a similiar way, alot of the typical ideas of horror which i will be looking at are presented in their films, for example the role of women in horror films in all the films listed above the womens roles are very similar they all play that "scared of everything" kind of character. the text has been influenced the makers of the films becuase they make films in a certain way so they will be bringing their style to the film, the fact that they have fox search light which is a big movie company means that they will have no funding problems becuase the company had probably invested alot of money into already.
the film is very commercial compared to alot of other horror films, this film will have to pass numerous tests before being allowed to be shown in public, they have to see if any scenes are too visual or to graphic to have in films if the film was more underground it could have more blood scenes becuase less checks would have had to be done.
the text has been distrubed through dvd, the first showings were made on cinema this is done to secure dvd sales but after that it comes out on dvd, the benifits of having search fox light as the makers is that alot of cinemas and movie stores have connection with fox media company so the sale of this film is secure becuase people want recognize that they produce only good films so this cant be that bad.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Other Texts To Compare To
> The Original Hills Have Eyes
> Pyscho
> Scream
> The Hills Have Eyes 2
> Halloween H20
> Pyscho
> Scream
> The Hills Have Eyes 2
> Halloween H20
Review Two
This modern-day remake of horror classic ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ kicks off with a brief but brutal pre-title massacre that will have gore-hounds licking their lips in anticipation. Unfortunately, director Alexandre Aja appears to have shot his bloody load during this early sequence, as the rest of the film fails to live up to such early promise. In fact, if you’ve seen Wes Craven’s 1972 original, it’s probably best to skip the next 45 minutes as it’s practically a scene-for-scene retread involving a squabbling family, a cross-country trip, a wrong turn and a band of mutant cannibals hungry for flesh. The second half of the flick features a few detours, including a little more motive and back story involving the creation of the ultimate nuclear family. Yet while the screenplay is tight, the performances solid and the direction superior to many of the horror reconstructions churned out in recent months, one can’t help thinking that ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ is a rather pointless exercise that reinforces the age-old adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t remake it’
Source : Time Out
Source : Time Out
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Review One
This remake brings Wes Craven’s genre-defining 1977 horror classic The Hills Have Eyes up to date for the iPod generation. Under Craven’s auspices, young director Alexandre Aja gives us an all-American family, including tech-geek son-in-law Doug (Aaron Stanford) and former hippy-chick Mom, Ethel (Kathleen Quinlan), all terrorised by blood-thirsty mutants in the desert during an extended road trip. Gut-wrenching violence and well-handled suspense will have you squirming, despite a reliance on what have become, since ’77, stock horror clichés.
True to the original, Aja pares down filmmaking to its essentials, racheting up the fear factor by means of gritty, low-budget realism. Stuck in the empty western American desert in their trailer-homes, the Carters don’t realise that they’re being watched by a clan of genetic mutants, the descendents of miners poisoned by government nuclear testing. Suspense is built, piece by aching piece, until the mutants attack - swiping a baby granddaughter - and the Carters fight for their lives.
"CREEPING PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN"
Really, then, this is a movie full of the particular joys and limitations of its genre. The underlying political message - that messing with nukes will come back to haunt us - is rammed home hard, while teenagers Bobby (Dan Byrd) and Brenda (Emilie De Ravin) prove enjoyably adept at hamming up their creeping psychological breakdown. By the halfway point you’re inwardly screaming at everyone to look behind them. Is it really possible to shoot at a mutant seven times and still miss? It is in a horror film, and that, it seems, is good enough for The Hills Have Eyes.
Source: BBC
True to the original, Aja pares down filmmaking to its essentials, racheting up the fear factor by means of gritty, low-budget realism. Stuck in the empty western American desert in their trailer-homes, the Carters don’t realise that they’re being watched by a clan of genetic mutants, the descendents of miners poisoned by government nuclear testing. Suspense is built, piece by aching piece, until the mutants attack - swiping a baby granddaughter - and the Carters fight for their lives.
"CREEPING PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN"
Really, then, this is a movie full of the particular joys and limitations of its genre. The underlying political message - that messing with nukes will come back to haunt us - is rammed home hard, while teenagers Bobby (Dan Byrd) and Brenda (Emilie De Ravin) prove enjoyably adept at hamming up their creeping psychological breakdown. By the halfway point you’re inwardly screaming at everyone to look behind them. Is it really possible to shoot at a mutant seven times and still miss? It is in a horror film, and that, it seems, is good enough for The Hills Have Eyes.
Source: BBC
Media Representations
Who is being represented?
women in the film are stereotyped as the weaker gender, female characters in the film are shown as being scared more then men, females are shown in a way that makes the viewer believe that the female characters cannot protect themselves from the villians. the female characters in the film are also shown to be more emotional then the male characters for example when something bad happens in the film, the way the director makes the auidence know that it is serious is by showing the female characters crying, by doing that it allows the audience to pick up what emotion the director wants the audience to be feeling easily.
the villians of the film are represented in a way which makes them seem mysterious, before the villains are shown properly the film shows things which give the audience clues about the life of the villians. In THHE the film starts with the background of the area by showing shots of war and explosions which explain the deformed humans which are the villains.
Media Languages And Forms
Denotation/Connotation: in the early stages of the film the first victim that gets killed is the family leader, this is important becuase firstly the first victim is a male which is unexpected becuase males are shown as stronger then women and if the male didnt survive the women are shown to have know chance, but this builds tensiopn becuase the audience want to see how the female characters survive.
there is significance with the mise en scene, the area in which the characters are in is a big open area, this gives the effect that anything can be hidding in the area and the characters would not know about it. alot of the killings happen in the dark, the darkness is a typical setting in horror films becuase it allows the audience to become scared of the unknown.In THHE there isnt commentary however the soundtrack plays a important part, when it comes to parts of the film where there is a killing scene comming up the soundtracks used are fast tempo which create a effect as it pulls in the audience and makes the focus on the film and nothing else, these techniques are the reason why horror films offer good excapism.
Narrative
in typical horror films the audience always know more then the characters in the film becuase they see all things that other charctors may not be in this reason this is important becuase the audience know things which add the the advantage of the villian which makes it more entertaining to watch the heroes win.
Genre
Horror/ Thriller
women in the film are stereotyped as the weaker gender, female characters in the film are shown as being scared more then men, females are shown in a way that makes the viewer believe that the female characters cannot protect themselves from the villians. the female characters in the film are also shown to be more emotional then the male characters for example when something bad happens in the film, the way the director makes the auidence know that it is serious is by showing the female characters crying, by doing that it allows the audience to pick up what emotion the director wants the audience to be feeling easily.
the villians of the film are represented in a way which makes them seem mysterious, before the villains are shown properly the film shows things which give the audience clues about the life of the villians. In THHE the film starts with the background of the area by showing shots of war and explosions which explain the deformed humans which are the villains.
Media Languages And Forms
Denotation/Connotation: in the early stages of the film the first victim that gets killed is the family leader, this is important becuase firstly the first victim is a male which is unexpected becuase males are shown as stronger then women and if the male didnt survive the women are shown to have know chance, but this builds tensiopn becuase the audience want to see how the female characters survive.
there is significance with the mise en scene, the area in which the characters are in is a big open area, this gives the effect that anything can be hidding in the area and the characters would not know about it. alot of the killings happen in the dark, the darkness is a typical setting in horror films becuase it allows the audience to become scared of the unknown.In THHE there isnt commentary however the soundtrack plays a important part, when it comes to parts of the film where there is a killing scene comming up the soundtracks used are fast tempo which create a effect as it pulls in the audience and makes the focus on the film and nothing else, these techniques are the reason why horror films offer good excapism.
Narrative
in typical horror films the audience always know more then the characters in the film becuase they see all things that other charctors may not be in this reason this is important becuase the audience know things which add the the advantage of the villian which makes it more entertaining to watch the heroes win.
Genre
Horror/ Thriller
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