The film Phone Booth is a morality thriller directed by Joel Schumacher who is also a screenwriter and film producer. The film was scheduled to be released on the 15th November 2002 however, due to the Beltway sniper attacks it was delayed to the 4th April 2003. The key actors of the film are Collin Farrell, who plays Stu Shepard, Kiefer Sutherland, who plays the caller, Forest Whitaker, who plays Captain Ed Ramey, Radha Mitchell, who plays Kelly Shepard and Katie Holmes, who plays Pamela McFadden. The film was written by Larry Cohen. Phone Booth is in ‘real time’ which is very unusual. The whole film is based around a phone booth in which Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is trapped in by a sniper. This makes it very hard for the film to build up any tension because it is set in just one location. Moreover, there are a limited number of characters which makes it even harder. Phone Booth is a very low budget film but Larry Cohen bid for Hollywood actors.
The opening of the film uses some very clever media techniques. There is a crash zoom right at the start of film showing a phone call being transmitted up into a satellite in space and then being sent back down to earth to another phone. This emphasizes what happens when a phone call is made and what is going on when a phone call is going on. Furthermore, it is a very interesting way to start a film so it would make the viewer intrigued and they would want to see what is going to happen. The music which is accompanying the opening is non-diegetic, however, when the phone call is sent back to earth, the music then becomes diegetic because there is a gospel choir singing that song on the street. The images introduce the idea of a mad city, where everyone is running around and on the ph...
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...still at large out there and could do absolutely anything. The values and ideology that the film Phone Booth promotes are to be honest with everybody, be loyal and most importantly be true to yourself.
Overall, I feel that the director was very successful in sustaining tension throughout the whole film because when I was watching it I was on the edge of my sit as I didn’t know what was going to happen. I also thought that the ending was done very cleverly with ‘The Caller’ coming back at the end because I wasn’t expecting that to happen. The film was released later than it was mean to be because of the Beltway sniper attacks and the director (Joel Schumacher) didn’t think it was the right time for the film to be released. I feel that the film did create the right amount of tension however, I would’ve liked the film last longer because I really enjoyed it.
Aside from the opening credits, the very first piece of textual evidence displayed is “Detroit Michigan, USA.” Soon after this, the audience is able to see a city being drawn in the background with the date 1968 displayed. This piece of information and artistic aesthetic give the viewer a time and place to anticipate. Also, while there is diegetic music being played, the title and date of the song is displayed on screen. For example, during one of Rodriguez’s song being played diegetically, the title “Crucify Your Mind (1970)” is displayed on the screen.
This movie was beautifully produced. I don’t believe another director could have done as good of a job as Luis Puenzo did. I believe Puenzo was able to bring this story to life and allow us to be able to really relate to each character intricately because he lived through the uncertainty and witnessed the agony faced by many, and he made all of the emotions real through this work. I also believe that having actors and actresses that lived through the experience was an excellent move.
make the sets look in such a way that the audience were on edge from
shots in the film was the extreme close up of Bates eye when he was
The film begins with a title card sequence upon a static backdrop of shrubbery, mountains and distant clouds; a lingering sight that doesn’t truthfully establish forthcoming events in Vienna’s saloon. Her saloon may be quiet, but it is always occupied, and whilst the opening sequence, in which we are introduced to Johnny Guitar, is filled with a bravado of horns and orchestral accompaniment, the saloon itself is inversely populated by the sound of wind, tumbleweed, and stark silences - something perhaps more associated with the western expanse in which the story takes place. Yet for this dichotomy in sound, the initial visuals after the credit sequence foreshadow the destruction of locale, and the audience takes the place ...
was a spectacular film there were some things that I did not enjoy like, the
In the very first scene the audience views there is a man shaving and has radio blaring in the background. An alarm clock goes off in a different apartment and the viewer is trying to find out where the noise is coming from which makes them engaged in the film. The setting creates depth because the audience only sees what Jefferies is viewing. At the dinner party, the music playing in the background set a tone to audience making them feel what he is missing out on. There is an alleyway shown from the window and it very crowded. The alleyway represents Jefferies being isolated
The director uses the music as a symbol for the audience to determine what person belongs to which group. At the beginning of the movie when there is a standoff between the blacks and the whites the director uses a commentary sound to show the atmosphere of a prejudice and hostile city they are in. The lighting is very dim which automatically tells us that the mood of the movie is dark and there is a lot of anger among many people.
Overall, the score was beautiful and appropriate, adding suspense and mystery at all the right times. The sound effects added psychological flavor to the story without drawing too much attention to it.
I feel that the movie has no weaknesses. This is because even though I had a few things I didn’t like such as the anonymity given, I realised that there was a reason for this which I explained in my strengths of the movie below.
...r, this movie is lack of depth of storyline. The audiences can even predict what will happen in the next scenes. Moreover, the ending of this movie is too cheesy and irrational according to me. If only they change the ending to become more interesting and rational, I will give a four or five stars out of five. In spite of a lame twist ending, this movie is a perfect example to show that managers should be able to motivate and challenge their employee. It is important to remember that a happy employee means a productive employee.
People flock to horror movies each year. Usually to be scared. Another is to solve the question of Who done it? Unfortunately, a lot of these horror movies fail to scare people or make the killer so obvious the audience gets bored. Occasionally, there are a few horror movies that stick out. Scream, directed by Wes Craven, is one of them. Wes Craven is always toying with the viewer's fears. Always finding ways to scare the audience at every turn. He also plays with the viewer's head, and has them second guessing themselves. How does he do it? Well, as one of the characters in the movie exclaims, "There's a formula to it. A very simple formula. Everybody's a suspect!" This paper will discuss how Craven uses sound, camera shots, and mise en scene
The opening title sequence is arguably one of the most interesting sequences of the entire film; it begins with a wide high angle shot looking down over San Francisco's Union Square. The square is busy from nearby office workers and Christmas shoppers eating their lunches and enjoying entertainment from local street performers.
The opening of the film shows you glimpses of poverty-stricken neighborhoods with run down buildings, busted windows, and graffiti. Neighborhoods where homelessness
Finally the movie is a good movie. Actually this movie doesn’t need any improvement. The writer, actresses, and actors did their best. They tried to make a point and be a creative about it and that is exactly what they did. It is an amazing movie. I