Ironically Sincere

26.11.2007

The great filmmakers always tie themselves down by complying with the rules of the game. I have not done so because I am a minor filmmaker.

— JEAN-LUC GODARD

Moments of Choice

25.11.2007

The Reckless Moment (1949).

Week 10, 2008, at the University of Kent. This week’s lecture delivered by Dr. Alex Clayton for Introduction to Narrative Cinema 1: American Cinema is titled “Moments of Choice: Directing the Viewer’s Response”.

Genre, Conventions, and Ideology

19.11.2007

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).

Week 9, 2008, at the University of Kent. This week’s lecture delivered by Christine Evans for Introduction to Narrative Cinema 1: American Cinema is titled “Genre, Conventions, and Ideology”.

A Lament for Television

15.11.2007

Lost, “Exodus, Part 2” (1.24).

“Television is dying”, writes one of the creators of Lost (2001-) apropos the current changes in audiovisual distribution and the ongoing writers’ strike in America. Lindelof’s lucid article is a good place to start if we want to understand what is at stake. It is evocatively titled “Mourning TV”.

Is His Girl Friday Normal?

06.11.2007

His Girl Friday (1940).

Week 7, 2008, at the University of Kent. This week’s lecture delivered by Dr. Alex Clayton for Introduction to Narrative Cinema 1: American Cinema is titled “Is His Girl Friday Normal?: Examining the Classical Hollywood Style”.

Dollhouse

05.11.2007

Amazing and surprising news: Joss Whedon is coming back to television. After Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), an enduring monument to fantasy fiction, television had soured him. Angel (1999-2004) was not renewed for a sixth season and the fifth year turned out to be the last. Firefly (2002-3) was canceled after the production of just fourteen episodes — of course afterwards there was the splendid Serenity (2005), the film written and directed by Whedon.

Now Dollhouse is announced for next year — once again produced by 20th Century Fox. According to TVWeek:

Dollhouse stars Dushku [who played the vampire slayer Faith in Buffy] as Echo, one of a group of secret agents living in a futuristic dorm. Each has the ability to be imprinted with custom personalities and abilities for special assignments. When they return, their newly acquired memories are wiped. The show follows Echo as she takes on a variety of assignments — some romantic, some adventurous, some uplifting, some illegal — and gains awareness of her role and confinement.

Joss describes how this came to happen with his usual humour:

The show was pretty much fully formed. I wrote a synopsis, treatment, pilot episode and six suggested future episodes. I made a poster in PhotoShop because I couldn’t sleep.

Narration and Indeterminacy

01.11.2007

The Devil Is a Woman (1935).

Week 6, 2008, at the University of Kent. This week’s lecture delivered by Dr. Alex Clayton for Introduction to Narrative Cinema 1: American Cinema is titled “Narration and Indeterminacy”.