Dennis Hopper.

So on May 29th the veteran actor Dennis Hopper unfortunately passed away, only two short months after the public announcement that his battle with prostate cancer had spread and was now irreversible.
I'm a huge fan of Hoppers roles throughout the years. As a character actor he's always been able to move seamlessly between highly opposing characters. Hoppers roles in Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet probably stand out as his strongest and most publicly memorable. But being a boy of the 90's myself it was his role in "Speed" that first introduced me to him. For me Dennis Hopper makes this film what it is. Speed redefined the action genre and to me it isn't Keanu Reeves all American hero that sells it but Hoppers psychotic and unmerciful villain. Rarely has a the action film, over the top terrorist bad guy been portrayed so perfectly. In the original "Speed" script Hoppers character dies in the opening scene and in a twist ending the villain turns out to be a split personality of Keanu's character. After seeing the strength of Hoppers role the producers decided to keep him on, and in my opinion made the right decision.
These over the top roles were further explored in the more fantasy based "Mario Bro's" and "Waterworld" although not the most memorable films for me Hoppers performances still stand out due to his larger then life personality he brings to these characters. For me tho it is his role in one of my all-time favorite films that I'll remember him for. "True Romance" is the type of cast where every role is a leading actor but still Dennis Hopper stands out for me in that movie. This is mostly down to him delivering the best lines in the films best scene. The face off between him and Christopher Walken will always stand out as some of the best acting between two of of my favorite actors. The dialogue is perfectly delivered by both and has and always will be one my favorite scenes of all time.

RIP Dennis Hopper

Get To This.

Goodbye Brittany Murphy

Coming Soon

Sorting out lots of MexicoFALLZ stuff for next year. 3 UK Tours Booked, Loads of new merch, videos, hopefully a seven inch and an E.P. aaaaaaaaaand! we might actually release our album at some point too!

Antichrist

If I can give one piece of information about Lars Von Triers latest film "Antichrist" it's DONT WATCH IT. Ok watch, it but i haven't really felt right since. As a fan of Triers previous films i expected the usual abstract, nonsensical plot and a mix of vivid and indecipherable imagery, as expected from him. It's filled with lush and crisp cinematography. His scenes sometimes look like immaculately lit, perfectly shot photographs. The opening and closing scenes particularly are as close to aesthetically perfect as can be. Where Trier Loses me is the films pornographic approach to violence and sex. I'm personally am able to sit though some pretty gory images but Triers work borders on bad taste. The film is innocent enough for the first hour but once it begins to move it is in parts unsettling and in others unwatchable. I wont go into details but watch it for your self, as long as you know you wont be eating meals, having sex or having any sort of contact with animals for the few weeks prior.
Above all the violence of it, for me, took to much precedence over the films images and ideas, which are both amazing. When it finishes all the viewer is thinking about are it's scenes of sexual torture, Which is what the public and media have focused on first when commenting on this film. As it's so rare for Trier to make an English speaking film. Let alone one that plays in British Cinemas you'd think he'd use the opportunity to let a wider audience see why he is admired and respected by so many of his peers. But instead he creates something which somehow manages to be pretentious and degrading at the same time.

It's probably the most well shot porn/snuff movie. you'll ever see.

Three Dee.

Perhaps I need to rethink what format I should be working in. It seems more and more films are being made into 3D. A huge majority of animated films made now are available to watch in this format and in most cases at a largely increased price. I've recently learnt that SKY are soon releasing their first entirely 3D channel next year. Many companies are also developing the first 3D ready televisions. With more and more 3D programs being broadcast, Is it just a passing fad? Or could it be the only way we view all films and television in the future. Isn't cinema exciting enough without it intruding in our face space? Ok fair enough the glasses obviously look rad as hell but I don't really like the thought of having to bring viewing apparatus with me just to watch a film. With so much time spent on cinematography and defining the mood and look of a film, it seems like 3D takes away a lot of that character and authenticity that directors try so hard to achieve. I am yet to see a film which utilizes the technology in anything more than a novelty way. There are some interesting 3D projects currently being made so it will be interesting to see what directors are going to produce as 3D becomes more of a household, everyday commodity. Perhaps working with film and video, as I'm doing now, is a waste of time and I should start thinking about how films will be shown in 10 years from now. But could it ever be a replacement? I'm not sure films like "Amelie" or "The Shawshank Redemption" would have had, anywhere near, the same visual impact, were they shot in 3D. It seems in many of the modern 3D feature's made, the technology often distracts the viewer from visual tone or style. For this reason it is difficult for these films to achieve any sort of integrity in the way there shot.
Numerous defining directors from Hitchcock to Andy Warhol have all used 3D in their films, in the past. So there is nothing to say that integrity and unique style cant be achieved. But perhaps modern day filmmakers of this standard should be the ones experimenting with the format today, If any exist? For me 3D is a brilliant novelty on a disney theme ride. But i think i prefer my films flat. Life is 3D enough.

Waiting.

I am studying my first year in Video Arts Production at UCA. It's very early stages but so far i love the course. This film is our latest project. The brief was to create a film which follows the conventions of modern cinema. I've tried to create a suspense, horror using the many cliché's used in modern horror. It was only a short project and this is what i came up with. Please subscribe to my youtube channel as i'll be uploading more films in the near future. http://www.youtube.com/user/Marcusbrilliant