Week 7

Daly's "The distribution and Exhibition of Jaws"
1. The publishers of the book and the producers of the film coincided the release date of the film with the paperback of "Jaws" which both used the same logo of a shark ascending vertically towards a female swimmer. The producers went out on tour for the book and movie, taking the conventional book writers tour, it was on this tour they answered questions about the book and movie and supplied answers all while building hype for the film. The publishers and producers advertised and supplied heavy word of mouth, even before film production began in 1973, keeping the book and film circulating conversation. The producers knew the logo for Jaws was successful because over 2,000 people lined up in a rainstorm in order to catch a midnight preview of the film "Jaws", using only the logo as advertisement.

2. "Blind bidding" is when exhibitors are given the chance to buy a rental copy of a film, but must do so before viewing the film. Exhibitors objected to the blind bidding for "Jaws" because of Universals' clauses that came with it. Many of the exhibitors would have to risk losing lots of money for a film that had no known potential. The blind bidding was called off after some exhibitors saw the film at the midnight preview in Dallas, TX, which in turn breaks the Justice Departments terms for blind bidding which states no exhibitors may view film prior to bid.

3. It was different in its scope, they spent millions on advertisements, focusing on national ads that would run the three days prior to the films release during prime time television. They also carefully planned the release of the film with the summer season to make the film relevant to everyday life. They also were heavily involved in insuring the books success by advertising as well as spreading word of mouth for it. They laboriously researched the ad spots, and created numerous preview cuts to appeal to men, and to appeal to women in hopes of gaining a larger audience which was costly but in the end effective.

Week 5 Nashville

Sawhill seems to suggest that the function of the recurring electronic devices is merely to portray the path in which technology is taking society. That these devices are bringing us together but at a cost, we become a shallow society interested only in our egos, and how people perceive us.

Week 5 Nashville

The stylistic techniques Sawhill associates with "inclusiveness", includes the use of multiple cameras- that allow the actors a greater amount of freedom to Be in the environment rather than Act, as they have no worries about acting to a camera, but rather have a knowledge and confidence that multiple cameras will find them. His lighting of the entire set also allowed the actors to move around without worrying about specific spots or leaving frame, the camera could and would follow them. Also his sound systems allowed for greater clearer ambient noise and minor-character noise.(I'm not sure what that exactly sounds like but I guess tomorrow I'll find out)

Week 4 Hollywood Classicism

For Bazin and Selde, the Classical period in Hollywood ended in 1939 and the 40's became a post-classical period while Lloyd, Elsaesser and Neale grouped all of Hollywood prior to the mid 60's, as Classical Hollywood with Bonnie and Clyde ushering in the New Hollywood. Though the classic capitalistic Hollywood never faltered and the mind set continued into the New Hollywood.

Week 4 Berliner

The Godfather Part II  disappoints the viewer in two ways; one Pacino's portrayal of the new Godfather fails in comparison to Marlon Brando's, and two the killing montage at the end of the film fails to capture the intensity of the first Godfather's ending montage. The new Godfather's dark and depressing existence stresses the emotional state of the Corleone's  after the death of Marlon Brando. The killing montage at the end succeeds in again portraying the Corleone's and its social circles emotional state. The deaths are not glorified, and their characters deaths fail to resonate any happiness in the audience.

Week 3 L.L. Murray

2. The main parallel Murray draws between the two decades culture, is the social instability. The underworld of the 30's and the underground of the 60's are similar in their use of vice and their refusal to accept political and social norms without a fight. A desperation in both decades was followed by stances, a stance against depression, a stance against a war, a stance against liquor, a stance against civil rights. The themes in Bonnie and Clyde influenced many adolescents in the underground to believe they were right in their views, and Bonnie and Clyde became symbolic figures for them.

Week 3 CHC

1. The studies divorcement from theaters caused the majors to focus their strengths on film distribution rather than that of the exhibitors. Also, as a consequence of the Paramount lawsuits the FCC was created, for fear that the majors would seek control over television and thus create a monopoly. As television began to gain momentum, in viewers and programming, the majors began to take notice. With large libraries of old films, the majors began to strike deals with television companies, allowing these old films to be shown on T.V. At this same time, studies began to acknowledge the decline in ticket sales for new releases and therefore the potential of television seemed far greater. The rise of television as a consequence has ensured that Hollywood movies, the product themselves will never end in the red. Also, due to television numerous companies/conglomerates have expanded into all media markets, with Hollywood films as their pyramid base and television as their second tier.

2. "Two Supreme Court decisions upholding the rights of local governments to prevent children being exposed to books or movies considered suitable only for adults" is the main cause of the switch from the Production Code to the Rating System. In order to avoid state legislature against films, the MPA created the ratings system. The rating systems biggest effect was rather than boost artistic freedom and creativity, they constrained it. In order to create a commercially viable product artists most often had to and still have to either add or cut scenes from their films in order to be granted a suitable rating. NC-17 and X equal death whereas PG is always better than G and PG-13 always better than PG and R for that matter. On the flip side, due to these ratings, the majors realized they could easily create products for specific demographics and in doing so the "Hollywood" film of today, aimed at adolescent males, began to take shape.

Week 2

1. The Charles theater was crucial in the development of "underground film" in New York City. It's uninhibited selection process allowed the filmmaker from even the lowest depths of society reach a mass audience. These showings fueled ideas by which other filmmakers prospered. Their early film festival brought a wide array of artists together and encouraged discussion. These showings ignited a passion in artists, it sparked the idea that Hollywood did not have a monopoly on the market, that in America you could create a film of interest to you, without worrying about content, but with the full knowledge that you had a place to showcase your film. This film of yours, even if grotesque, would be, could be seen and that is what spurred the "underground film" sub-culture and that is why The Charles Theater was important to the movement.

2.Baudelairean Cinema is characterized by uninhibited sexual visuals, and dialogue, it is a cinema that brings to the forefront subject matter otherwise cast into the shadows. The cinema was a vehicle of change, that harnessed crudity and captured beauty. It is characteristically shocking, a form that word revolt, confuse the average viewer into territory far beyond a perplexed state.