Halloween

Halloween is an intense, violent slasher movie that was made in 1978 and directed by John Carpenter. The importance of this film is strong, as from this came the inspiration for many slasher movies to come. Most other movies within the horror genre after this film was produced take elements of the suspension building, storyline and visual appearance within.

The storyline is based on a typical American suburbia, however encapsulates a feeling of unease within its perfections. The grass is green and mowed evenly, the houses are clean and tidy, and people are smiling and content: the chaos provoked within this film is within the feeling of order. On a cold Halloween night in 1963, set in Haddonfield, Illinois where the Myers family live happily together, the bond is broke when the youngest member of the family Michael kills his Sister Judith. Michael was held in a mental institute and labelled as one of the most dangerous evil men alive by his Doctor and therapist, Dr Sam Loomis.

Michael has escaped, and returns to the heart of his crime and family, Haddonfield. Myers decides to stalk Laurie Strode and some of her friends. It becomes more disturbing as Laurie begins to notice signs Michael appearing around the neighbourhood with sightings of a man in a white mask. Later that day, Laurie meets up with her friend Annie whom is baby sitting across the road from where Laurie herself is babysitting. Annie arranges to pick up her boyfriend and sends Lindsey (the child she is babysitting) to stay with Laurie. As Annie gets into the Car, Myers appears out of the backseat of the Car and strangles Annie then relentlessly cuts her throat. More instances of people close to Laurie being killed off in a similar fashion happen throughout the movie until she is the next victim on Myers list.

The film comes to a close when it comes down to Laurie verses Myers, where Myers is “killed” until he keeps seemingly coming back to life, relentlessly not giving in until his target is killed. The Doctor comes to Laurie’s safety and shoots Myers, who falls through a window. By this point we believe all is safe again in Haddonfield, yet the last scene is set where Myers body vanishes meaning he must still be alive.

An intense, thrilling film, feeling original and showing most of the tricks in the book that are still used to this day.

I give this an 8 out of 10… could have been a little bit scarier!

Take care folks
Kwiss

Uncanny effects found within Art - what makes it so powerfull?

In this Unit we are discussing and creating pieces of Art based on the subject of the uncanny, the things which attract us that also repel us, the things which disturb us with that cold shudder and a desire to turn away when you cant, that feeling when you know something isnt quite right. Art does this particularly well by being able to make you feel watched, enchanted by beauty yet effected by one single thing out of place: the paradox of our comfort in reality.

When you look at a Portrait of a person, a really detailed painting or a photograph, the eyes give off a feel for the soul of what your peering into. The picture becomes less of a painting or photograph and becomes more of a communication between two souls. Yet the thing which makes this uncanny is, the picture has no soul. Thus gives me the thought of are we staring into ourselfs? A dead reflection with no praise, a look into anothers eyes which could speak a thousand words even though there is nothing beyond them than mere paper. You'll find the uncomfortable feeling you gather is actually the feeling of realising there is nothing there, and your alone within yourself, an illusion of comfort bent into a more sinister emotion.

An example of Art which displays an uncanny feel would be that which I have found on a website called http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/719914/
Here you can find many pieces of directly disturbing Art, which can be considered uncanny.

Here are a few of the images from this website which I feel provoke the uncanny effect.

Sometimes the uncanny effect is best found in a situation where there is no living things present, yet the abandoned environment left over gives off an eerie implication of something present or that has happened or could happen.

Many horror films use this idea to build tension and suspense, such as Steven King classics IT, The Shining, Christine and Children of the corn to name a few.

Take care folks
Kwiss

Poltegeist

Whilst this film is not based around the obvious nature of the uncanny experience it definantly uses elements of which to create some of the powerfull scenes that it possesses. The use of furniture, toys which could be alive or evil, a child being the only person in the house to sense a presence, the use of television sets turning on at their own accord to white noise – these are to name a few of the things which steps into the uncanny valley within this movie.

Once again this film like many others we have watched in our lectures emits the scene of a perfect suburban landscape set in a conformist ridden stereotypical America. We can see that there's a strong neighbourly feel within the setting of Poltergeist, as we see them coming together to watch football, arguing over typical Petit matters like in real life, yet confiding in them when they need comfort and support.

These people do not know what is beneath their feet, as the houses are built on an old cemetery which disturbs the deceased who wish to go onto the light. The little girl from the family, Carol Anne is a strong source of life energy which attracts spirits to her who are trying to find salvation from the light, yet they are misguided and think she is the light. The spirits are confused and shown the way by an evil source of energy, otherwise known as the beast, who also appears as a friend to Carol Anne and thus lures her into its hostile trap.

Through the hard work of some mediumship they manage to regain Carol Anne and bring the house back to peace, this doesn't stop the beast from returning again however. The last time we see the beast he tears up the coffins and bodies of the dead from the cemetery below, the spirits gush around the family and chaos reigns over the street. The Family get away as the house implodes on itself and is sucked into the light infront of a bewildered neighbourhood.

An interesting point to make is this film is held as one of the top 20 scariest films of all time, with some of the best effects of its era which are still somewhat undated to this day. There are rumours that this film was so dark and intrusive to the afterlife that it cursed some of the actors who took part in the Poltergeist films, who died shortly after the films were made. This includes the girl who plays Carol Anne, who died at the age of 12.

An interesting film, scarier at moments depending on how you look at it. Good use of character building and special effects plus brilliant acting from the cast.

Take care folks
Kwiss

Finally me blog works! =D and Stepford Wives film review

This film is set in a small suburb of America where life seems peaceful and content. However, there is something slightly wrong with the atmosphere of the setting. Unease drifts across the main characters of the film. Joanna Eberhart moves to the small town of Stepford with ehr family, where sooner than later she starts to realize things arnt what they seem. The conditions for family life are so perfect and socially steriotypical that it brings an eerie warmth to newcomers, unable to see the wrath of their surroundings before its too late.

As the film progresses we find that Joanna begins to notice this trend for perfection amongst Stepford, that the women in particular all dress in a certain untrendy fashion, going about their day to day lives as if programmed to be the ideal Wife. In a sense the Women are all "one" and their title of Wife bears the sexist viewed jobs they are expected to perform which is their burden. The Men of Stepford however, seem very collective, they go to work, socialise together and allow the Women to dot he domestic work.

The Men of Stepford, including Joanna's Husband all attend a local Men's club, which begins to take over the Eberhart family's regular day to day atmosphere. A dark cloud of confusion surrounds Joanna as she notices the differences in the Women's behaviour and the Men's strange attitudes. The pretty landscape of Stepford suddenly becomes sinister and hostile, difficult to escape from and very uncanny.

Joanna decides to combat this sexist approach to life in Stepford by arranging a club of her own for the Women to attend. Its not long before she realises her freinds who attend her club all start conforming to her fears about the Women of Stepford. In the end Joanna is the last female standing, she comes to discover her freind Bobbie has been turned and isnt Human at all. It isnt even Bobbie staring back at her, it was something more sinister, somewhat synthetic and made to perfection. Bobbie had been made into an Android version of herself, which presumably is what had happened to all the other females in Stepford. This made immediate sense to Joanna that the Men must be behind it and so in a desperate flea to escape she went to gather her children and leave. Joanna comes to find that the Men are using her children as bait and they have been taken so she decides to go to the club where the Men hold their meetings. It is here where she meets her end and android Doppleganger.

The film closes with a supermarket scene where all the Women form Stepford stand out and wear similar attire, have the same expressions and ddress each other in the same manner. You can tell these are all uncanny copies of the wives who once lived in the pretty little town of Stepford. Then Joanna steps out exactly the same as them, unfortunately this goes to proove she never escaped the evil that lurked within the small area that she lived amongst...

Animated short - Maya Class...

We just watched a short CG animated story in our Friday Maya class. The imagery used within this animation was very powerfull, meaningfull, yet kept light hearted throughout. It explored the source of our existance as human beings, where do we come from and why?

Not only this, it also showed how the human race is an imperfect species that has many flaws that prooves how we arn't yet worthy enough to be at a level to communicate with higher beings. This is shown through the characters in the short to be almost Obsessive Compulsive beings, keeping their actions the same, everything must be kept to somewhat a perfection.

The small baby Alien character in this film breaks these rules, and eventually, even after being "cured", he still plays up and wreaks havoc on the community. Hence, he like many others of his kind are sent to Earth, where they become human babies...

The animation in this film is really well thought out, the colour schemes used to reflect the Aliens world and how they express themselfs was really detailed and full of heart.

I loved how the concepts behind the Aliens world was brought to life, the "bikes" they used especially. They would have pedals, yet they would fly along at the speed of a Car! Furthermore I liked the bubbles shooting out of the back... very different, very amusing.

I give this a 9 out of 10.

Kwiss

Island project thing!

We have started a two week project in Maya based on an enviroment scene, this being of a desert island with a treasure chest.

Here you can clearly see me texturing the coins used within the image.


I have layed out the sand textures, textured the coins and now moving onto the other assets.

I have started to add more textures to the other assets in the scene. I will next need to sort the map out in photoshop then re enter it to maya when its ready, then i'll take a render.

Phils lecture on the uncanny...

Aaaah where shall I begin. Im really begining to love this course... being such an Artist for what we are training to be consists of so much terrain, its got so much depth to it, and furthermore this depth delves into dark, powerfull, existance based questions that rip out any hidden inspiration to work. In saying that, I think this uncanny business has some awesome corners to lurk around for my project...

Unheimliche - basically a fancy German way of saying "Unhomly"... which as the word suggests it means unwelcome, unfreindly. You cant trust it or feel comfort from it anymore... God I do love a bit of creepy shizzle! A familiar asset, be it a person or a possesion, can suddenly feel somewhat alien to yourself and provokes an uncomfortable infatiation. An interesting paradox im sure you will aggree... which is why I love it! =D Coz im not strange...

I just picture that Teddy bear with the glistening eyes on the top shelf in your bedroom at night, staring down, yet safely out of reach. That slight uncomfort we all have felt at some stage in our lives dies down at such a realisation. One day your in bed and you realise he's been moved and is siting in a position at the end of your bed, and thus if he was animated he could easily reach out to you. A cold shock flies through your body, hairs standing on end, a dampened feeling of creeping away so that the source of fear cant harm you. Its that hide under your bed situation, but then what if theres a monster under there too? That initial feeling of if the bear is actually watching you, if he is actually alive, is to me an example of the unheimliche term in a familiar situation we may have all experienced at some stage in life.

Now all I must do is conjuer up images to support this darkened inspiration... and find some way to include it in this new project...

Take care folks
Kwiss