What a Frightening Sight! Part Two.

Titch-Films

Hello guys and ghouls, and welcome back to a SELECTION of some of my favourite horror films. My movie picks may not be the best, they may not even be scary, but I am almost certain they will entertain.

We begin with...

Scream (1996)
One of director Wes Craven's slasher classics in which a serial killer is stalking a group of teenagers in the same way as in a horror film.

This film is guaranteed to make you both jump and laugh. For me, personally, Scream is one of the best slashers out there.

Trick 'r Treat (2007)
This movie features four interwoven stories that take place on Halloween: A woman who hates Halloween has to deal with her husband who is obsessed with the holiday; an ordinary high school principal leads a secret life as a serial killer; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a college virgin may have found the man she has been waiting for.

Trick 'r Treat pokes fun at the horror genre, and finds success in delivering the laughs.

Pontypool (2008)
A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects the inhabitants of a small Ontario town called Pontypool.

Most of the action takes place inside a radio station studio; as the story unfolds for the characters, it does so for the audience at the same time. This film will have you with the characters and impending danger right until the very end.

Cube (1997)
Before there was Saw, there was Cube.


Seven total strangers with widely varying personality traits are involuntarily placed in an endless Kafkaesque maze containing deadly traps.

Yes there is blood and gore, but there is also plot and story. Believe me, this movie will keep you gripped.

Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010)
I'll probably be slated for sneaking the third Lost Boys into my favourites, but that's my decision and I'm sticking with it.

Why?

One word.

Fun.

If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Resident Evil (2002)
Based on a computer game, Resident Evil is about a special military unit sent to fight a powerful and out-of-control supercomputer, as well as hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Pounding soundtrack. Zombies being blown to pieces. Pure adrenaline rush!

I hope I've inspired you if you're planning to hide behind the sofa this Halloween.

What did you think of my picks? Which ones were hit? And, which ones were a miss?

Read PART ONE.

What a Frightening Sight! Part One.

Halloween is coming, and with it I'm sure 'top ten horror films' lists will be appearing all over the blogosphere. I could do the same, but I won't, I'll save that for another time. Instead, I will use the time leading up to the 31st October to give you a non-discriminate selection of my personal favourites in the horror genre (and they won't all be classics either).

Remember to let me know what  you think of my picks. Are they a trick or a treat?

Candyman (1992)
This film is about Helen Lyle, a student, who decides to write a thesis on the legend of Candyman - a one-armed man with a hook for a hand who appears when you say his name fives times in front of a mirror - as she investigates further and tests the legend, it unfolds in front of her eyes.

Candyman subtlety mixes horror and dark humour. And, to be honest, horror fave Tony Todd is actually rather dashing as the one-armed monster. Also, I find his character rather sympathetic; or is that just me?

The Bride of Chucky (1998)
Why did I pick this one and not Child's Play? Because this film is more fun! Simple.

Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) hooks up with an old flame, another homicidal doll, and they go about trying to return to human form.

Not very serious, not very scary. Very, very funny.

Let the Right One In (2008)
Completely different kind of pick from the previous two.

Set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg, 1982, Let the Right One In is about Oskar, a 12-year old boy who gets bullied at school, he meets and falls in love with Eli who harbours the dark secret that she's a vampire.

The film is dark and romantic, and beautiful in many ways. A must see!

The Lost Boys (1987)
Whether you like to admit it or not (and some don't), The Lost Boys has become a classic. Vampires, cool soundtrack, motorbikes; what more could you want?

Really, this film needs no explanation. So if you haven't already seen The Lost Boys (where have you been?), I say, do it now! Or, whenever you have 97 minutes to kill...

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
I'm on a bit of a vampire theme here, but let me just roll with it.

Two criminal brothers (played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) kidnap a family and their camper van in order to get across the border to Mexico, and to a bar called the 'Titty Twister'.

When they reach the bar, they soon realize they have unknowingly walked into a vampire lair.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, From Dusk Till Dawn flawlessly goes from crime to horror without completely throwing the audience off course.


Well, that's all for now. But be back, part two is coming soon!
Nicola E.

Devil (2010) Review

My hopes were high for this film; I enjoy horror-mysteries and this one looked like it would be full of suspense. Co-written by M.Night Shyamalan, I expected the film to keep me guessing until the end. But unfortunately, it didn't.

Warning: Do not read on if you do not want the movie to be spoiled.

Devil is a film about a group of strangers who get stuck in a lift together. One-by-one each person gets killed off by an evil entity (the "Devil") whom they believe to be someone inside the lift.

We are presented with five bland, one-dimensional characters: a security guard, a young woman who dates older men for money, a salesman, an older woman who cries a lot, and a man who was involved in a hit-and-run which killed two people. It appears that the development of a character depends on how long they survive the film.

The "Devil" turns out to be the older woman - who after a fake death, involving her seemingly being hung, comes back to life - so she goes from weepy older woman to creepy older woman. To be honest, I probably could have worked that out from watching the trailer. In my opinion, creepy older woman is a way too obvious choice for an evil entity in a movie.

Devil disappointed me on so many levels; it wasn't thrilling, suspenseful, or even much of a mystery. This is a film I'll probably avoid buying when it is released on DVD.

What do you think?

The Future of the UK Film Industry

The film industry bucked the recession in 2009. UK cinema admissions in 2009 were the second highest since 1971. The arrival of 3D made a key contribution. There are two ways in which recession can impact on the film industry; by affecting audience demand for moving images and, on the supply side, by diminishing film finance availability.

However; on the demand side of things, it appears that the theatrical film market is recession resistant. For example, the UK Film Council found that during each of the UK recessions of 1974-76, 190-2 and 1990-92 "Cinema admissions stayed close to the long-term trend of the period in question."

The UK film industry still continues to thrive; take the hugely successful Harry Potter franchise, for example. As well as, 2009's Slumdog Millionaire, which is the UK's most successful-ever independent film.

News shaking up parts of the UK film industry are the government plans to abolish the UK Film Council, and I agree with Tim Bevan CBE, chairman of the UK Film Council, when he says it is "A bad decision." As Bevan CBE rightly points out, the UK Film Council is "The most successful film support organisation the UK has ever had." The impact this will have on the UK film industry could be devastating. Then again; the are the same people who funded St. Trinians!

Cinema has truly entered the digital age, giving UK film the potential to flourish as never before. Digital technology is beginning to transform the way in which film and moving images are financed, produced, distributed and consumed. The audience are given more choice, the audience are encouraged to participate - often through viral marketing - and, as for the UK film industry specifically, the UK is promoted in the wider world (through the Internet).

Despite the audience having more choice with television and the Internet, the film industry continues to grow, and the UK is no different. The digital age and arrival of 3D have opened many new doors. I believe it truly is an exciting era in film.

Nicola Edwards

Facts and figures from the UK Film Council

Why I Hate the Saw Films

I remember sitting down to watch the first Saw (2004) film on DVD with high expectations, and in no way shape or form were they met. This is by no means the first time an overly hyped-up movie has left me feeling this way. However, Saw not only felt like it had let me down, but it also felt like it had insulted me by acting far more clever than it actually was.

Saw wasn't original or clever, in my opinion, it did what had been done before and did it worse. Take the film Cube (1997), for example, it has a similar plot to Saw; it has less gore but that's due to the higher quality of both the plot and story. The Saw films are nothing more than a bunch of overgrown children playing with prosthetics. It would be best described as "Torture porn."

It is hard for me to understand how this franchise has done as well as it has. The Saw films are poorly acted and poorly scripted; they seem to mainly consist of people panting. Yet an audience still buy into it, why is this? These films aren't even particularly scary! Is it truly just for the mutilation?

As each film goes by the low standards drop even lower, as if there is no such thing as quality control. Obviously these films must be money-makers for the studio to churning them out. But surely I can't be the only one insulted by the stupidity of it all.

On top of being terribly silly (and all-round dreadful), it is also on the borders of "snuff movie" territory. Obviously, what we are seeing is clearly not real, but with minimum plot and story, and maximum blood and gore, there is a sinister element to the enjoyment gained from these films.

The Saw films will, hopefully, never rank among the greatest. And their following will never cease to amaze me. I know, personally, I would be insulted to part with my money for these films. What do you think? Do you agree with me? Disagree?

Working Title: Katie's Sectioning

I am currently working on a screenwriting project with the working title of 'Katie's Sectioning' The plot is centered around the female lead, Katie, who is assaulted by staff on a psychiatric ward. She then has charges of assault pressed against her by the staff whom attacked her. The plot follows Katie fighting the charges against her, as well as fighting for justice.

A lot of the story is based on my own experiences with mental illness and psychiatric hospital;s; I have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and have been sectioned on four different occasions in the past four years.

I'm still in the stages of pre-writing, but it's getting to the point where I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Full scenes are starting to appear in my head. I will keep you updated of where I'm at with this project. Hopefully, one day I will see it made into a film.
Fingers crossed, eh!
Take care.
Nicola

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vs. Being Human

For those who don't remember, either because they were too young or living in a cave, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) was a television show about a strong woman (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) with super strength whom had a calling to fight vampires and evil demons, as well as having to deal with life problems and angst. Buffy was a show that spoke to many people; young and old; female and male; and it was for this reason that the show acquired a large fan base. And, as the makers of the show stayed true to and listened to the fans, the fan base grew and stayed.

Being Human is a relatively new show, having only two seasons to date. Being Human is based around three characters; a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost, whom are all living together whilst they deal with the transition from being human to being something else, and how they now fit into this world.

Initially, my reason for wanting to compare these two TV programs was due to the similarities and, interesting differences, between the mythologies of the shows. Obviously, they are both in the same genre of fantasy, so, they are similar in context. In both television programs, vampires are "made" in the same way - the vampire drinks the victim until almost death and then the victim feeds from the vampire - in Buffy this is known as "siring" and in Being Human it's called "recruiting". In BtVS it's like family. In Being Human it's more like a job. Werewolf and ghost mythology is also pretty much the same in both shows. There is even a werewolf called Nina in Being Human as well as a werewolf in the also popular Buffy spin-off show Angel, and Being Human's Nina even name checks Angel's Nina in an episode.

One of the main differences between the mythologies of the two programs is that in Being Human vampires can go out during the daylight. Whereas, in Buffy and Angel they cannot. Another noticeable difference is that, in BtVS, vampires supposedly have no reflection, but they show up on camera (which, of course, uses mirrors); however, in Being Human, vampires don't have a reflection, neither in a mirror directly, nor on camera. This mythology error first came up in the season two Buffy episode 'School Hard' and was used as a joke in the season seven episode 'Storyteller'.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Being Human also have, sort of, similar characters - the obvious comparison is that both shows have a werewolf called Nina in their universe. Comparisons can also be made between BtVS's Caleb (the priest played by Nathan Fillion in season seven) and the priest from season two of Being Human (an easily forgettable character - Kemp - played by Donald Sumpter). Okay, to be honest there aren't many similarities between these two characters apart from they're both priests. But I wanted to compare these two characters because Caleb was a memorable character that you loved to hate. He was evil and merciless, but with a small charm, and it was easy for us to believe that he tricked girls into following him before killing them. However, it was hard to believe that Lucy (Lyndsey Marshal) in Being Human would betray Mitchell for Kemp. Therefore, in my opinion, Caleb from Buffy was a much better character; he was well-written, better acted, and would blatantly win in a fight!

My second character comparison is between The Master (BtVS) and Herrick (Being Human); played by Mark Metcalf and Jason Watkins, respectively. Both characters are leader vampires who are followed by other vampires (their minions). The Master was an odd looking vampire in season one of Buffy who was trapped beneath Sunnydale, and Buffy had to face him in the season finale and, after she downs and then is brought back to life, she kills him. The Master actually rarely comes face-to-face with the characters he opposes. Herrick was the ring leader of the vampires in season one of Being Human and, like The Master, he is disposed of in the season finale. However, unlike The Master [spoiler alert], Herrick is brought back to life in the season two finale. Vampires do try to resurrect The Master at the beginning of season two of Buffy, but they fail. Personally, I prefer Herrick as a vampire villain, he is twisted and fun, and I look forward to seeing more of the character in series three. Although, if these two characters had a fight, I believe The Master would win.

My third, and final, character comparisons are between Being Human's Mitchell (Aidan Turner) and BtVS's Angel (David Boreanaz). Angel is a vampire with a soul, as well as the love of Buffy's life. Both Angel and Mitchell are brooding vampires who do not want to feed from humans; Angel because he has a soul and this makes him feel guilty, and Mitchell because the burden when they kill and are forced to relate more with humanity. As for who would win in a fight? I believe that would be Angel.

Admittedly, Being Human is still in it's early stages, but  if you ask me: 'Do I think Being Human will be better than BtVS, or ever have the same fan base?' My answer would be 'No'. Buffy, like I said, always stayed true to it's fans and its fans paid the same courtesy as the show. And Buffy, along with spins-offs have continued in comic book form, keeping the show almost as popular today as it always was.

What are your opinions on these two television shows?

Welcome to the world of Titch Films!

This is the first of what I hope will be many entertaining and, sometimes, insightful blog posts. The blog will be film and television based. It will include my thoughts, reviews and (not expert, but definitely nerdy) analyses of past and recent film and TV. What I mean when I say I will be analysing film and TV is that I will be comparing and making observations about what I watch, which although I will try to write them academically, that will not make them so. For example, my first analysis will be a comparison between the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Being Human.


I am an aspiring screenwriter and film producer. However, due to severe mental illness I have been unable to further my career at the speed I would like. I have compensated by a lot of self-schooling, by reading many books on films and screenwriting. My chosen career plan is most certainly unorthodox, once I have my third A-Level, I plan to study a foundation course on Digital Video and then go to university to study a BA in Film and Video and then a masters in screenwriting. In between and during, practically, I will be building my self-confidence by working in the voluntary sector and when I feel I'm ready I will move on to getting work experience in the film and television industry.

My mental illness really has hindered me a lot, but I am full of passion and I am sure I have the talent. I know now that I need to prove it. I don't bring up my mental disorder for sympathy, just so I can explain why I'm not as far along my career path as I should be. My mental illness, and the discrimination I faced because of it are what spurred me to come up with a campaign called Free Your Mind, which aims to battle stigma towards mental illness through the use of art, music film and culture. More about Free Your Mind can be found here.

Anyway, back on subject. I will also write about how my film career is progressing. So be sure to check back. And I promise I will have plenty of film and TV related material for you soon.
'Til then. Take care.