Character Profile: Mr Blonde - Reservoir Dogs

"Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy? Or are you gonna bite?"

Name:  Mr. Blonde
Played By:  Michael Madsen
Build:  Tall, Slender, Muscular
Personality:  Clever, Confrontational and Malicious

Relationships with other characters:  Since all of the main characters in the movie had never met each other prior to this heist and had their identities hidden by their colour alias', the relationships with other characters were very limited.  Despite this however, Mr Blonde dd have a very good relationship with crime boss, Joe Cabot and his son, Nice Guy Eddie, and had served time in jail for them whilst not revealing any information to the police about them nor their criminal activities.

What makes them a great character?:  When we are first introduced to Mr Blonde, we are left feeling amazed that this man could ever commit such atrocious crimes he is accused of by both Mr White and Mr Pink until we finally see them for ourselves.  From his witty one-liners to his intense moments of intimidation and anger, Mr Blonde is a good example of a classic crazy character.

Most iconic moment:  The cool and collected yet incredibly cruel and pointless torture scene which rides the fine and delicate line of violence, without ever crossing it, in what is an amazing yet horrific moment.  And all this whilst never losing his cool, characteristics of a typical psychopath.

Big Fish: Storytelling

Big Fish is a Tim Burton film starring Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney.  Following the adventures of a young Ed Bloom, the movie explores the truth behind all of the stories a father has told his son about his life over the years since he was born.  Because of this, storytelling is an important factor of this film.

The way the movie incorporates the stories into the film adds to the excitement of the movie.  By showing visual aids to what Edward Bloom is talking about  in his stories, he makes them easier to understand what is happening and how bizarre these tales were.  This was a very necessary feature of the film.  This is because without showing how the stories played out, Burton would have ended with a film too full of dialogue that it would have become boring and unentertaining, making people not want to watch or buy it.

The way Burton used character's voices in the flashbacks was also very important.  By using the senior Edward Bloom's voice to explain what is happening at some parts and to lead into the stories, there is overlap of Ed talking in the flashbacks.  This gives us a good understanding of the film and makes it very easy to follow.

Film Idea (Practise)

In our last Media lesson, we were given a genre, a prop and two characters, and told to develop a film in it's entirety around these elements.  This is our result:

Selected Movie Elements:  'Horror', 'A Knife', 'Jack, 26' and 'Jane, 20'

Film Title:  3
Certificate:  18
Running Time:  Around 120mins
Genre:  Horror, Thriller
Language:  English
Location:  A London Call Centre

Main Characters:

Jack Stewart:  The film's protagonist, Jack is a stereotypical worker at the call centre, Aspect.  He generally blends in with the rest of the people working at the small office and does not talk to people much.  He has a romantic interest in Jane when she joins the team at the start of the film and dies, although in vain, in attempt to save her from death at the end of the film.

Jane Wilson:  Love Interest of Jack.  Seemly shy but funny personality, blonde and attractive in appearance.  She is hired by Aspect and the film starts on her first day in the job.  Killed by Ridley and is the last to die in the movie. 

Ridley Harris:  Physically weak but ingenious mastermind behind all the key events of the movie.  Having killed Mr. Svenson, the Aspect CEO, he pre-recorded the Tannoy and put himself back amongst the action to avoid suspicion.  Only surviving character.

Murdoch 'Mud' Vincent:  The office bully and dictator of the centre, Murdoch is a tall and intimidating character who terrorises most of the cast, especially Ridley.  Had a one night stand with Trish who he is secretly in love with but is defensive and is abusive towards her and makes her feel ashamed. Changes after the events begins and becomes better as a person.  He makes amends with Trish who secretly loved him too and admits his affection to her shortly before she dies. Sacrifices his own life to save the others in Stage 3

Lloyd Friar:  Lloyd is Murdoch's 'second in command' at the office, often found by his side when he is terrorising the rest of the cast.  Appears to genuinely enjoy violence as proven when he goes on a murderous rampage during Stage 1 where 2/3 of the 27 workers needed to die.  Killed by Murdoch in order to stop Lloyd's frenzied self from killing anybody else. 

Billy Mason:  Gentler and more easy going 'third-in-command' of the office jock trio.  Becomes so traumatised after the death of Lloyd and after killing several people in self defence at the same time that he commits suicide in the bathroom by breaking a window and jumping to his death.

Sally Anderson:  The mother figure of the office.  In her early 70s and not wanting to leave, Sally has been at the centre for years and is somebody for the younger workers to turn to for advice or information before the event.  She is happy to admit her chances of surviving are limited and happily gives her own life to save Lionel in Stage 2 after he saved her in Stage 1.

Lionel Kingsley:  The calm and collected, very level headed supervisor of the call centre.  A natural leader he is well liked and takes immediate control of the situation after the event and tries to keep things under control.  He saves Sally in from certain death in Stage 1, putting his own life in danger. Dies in Stage 3 from an electric chair type contraption. His final words are said with solemn but comforting aplomb: "hey, I've seen a man get struck by lightening and live to tell the story - maybe I'll pull through..."

Trish Sims:  Mr. Svenson's attractive secretary and general busybody around the office in her early 20s.  Was shamed by Murdoch after they slept together but secretly still loves him.  After he reveals that he loves her too she tells him "that's all I ever wanted", and sacrifices her own life in Stage 2 so that he can live.

Vanessa Hughes:  The intelligent and sarcastic girl at the office.  She generally explains everything and is generally quite likeable around the office. Dies at Stage 3 after tripping a boobytrapped wire.

Mr Svenson:  The Swedish CEO of the organisation who is mysteriously found hanged in his office.  This is assumed to have been suicide however his bubbly personality and general wellbeing causes suspicion among the workers.  This conspiracy that he was murdered is confirmed when Jack finds footage of him being forcefully put into a noose and murdered by a masked figure.

PLOT:

OPENING:

The film opens at an office on a Monday morning.  Jane is new to the call centre and is introduced by Mr Svenson who then retreats to his office.  After exchanging a few glances with each other, John talks to Jane, there is obvious attraction between them.  'Mud' and his cronies are berating and harshly teasing Ridley.  When Trish intervenes, Murdoch turns his attention to her in an abusive way.  Vanessa and Lionel are discussing figures and talk of potential promotion.  Suddenly, a scream is heard from the CEO's office and we discover Mr Svenson hanged in his room.  Immediately assumed to be suicide, people are quite surprised and shocked as to what has happened.  They try to call the police but they can't get signal and all the phones in the centre appear to be dead.  They try to leave but the doors are locked shut, leaving them stranded, 100ft in the sky in the office skyscraper.

STAGE 1:
Suddenly, the Tannoy is heard across the office.  The voice is distorted as to disguise the man behind it.  It reveals that out of the 27 people left in the office, only 9 can survive into 'Stage 2'.  At first people think it is a wind up, but then on every computer screen appears a masked figure forcing Mr Svenson into a noose, and hanging him.  At once people begin to breakdown, there is silence before Lloyd goes on a crazy rampage, killing several people, this kicks violence off as everybody fights to save themselves.  Jack puts Jane behind him and battles their way to the bathroom to safety.  Lionel saves the elderly Sally from onslaught, wounding his own arm in the process.  Ridley is cowering in the corner and people seem to almost not realise that he is there.  Eventually, after Lloyd has killed several people, just as Lloyd is about to attack Trish, Murdoch overpowers Lloyd and chokes him to death, visually upset by the process.  He is the last to die, leaving the remaining nine in Jack, Jane, Ridley, Sally, Trish, Lionel, Vanessa, Murdoch and Billy. 

STAGE 2:
The surviving members of the call centre are given time to catch their breath and go over what is happening to them.  Billy is evidently distraught that Mud killed Lloyd and tries to attack him but Murdoch easily stops him and instead tries to reassure him. Jane thanks Jack for saving her and they are close to kissing before Billy storms in, still upset.  Jane and Jack leave Billy in the bathroom alone who then, in his anger accidentally smashes a window, cutting his hand in the process.  However, in his despair and obviously disturbed state, climbs out of the smashed window and jumps to his death.  Meanwhile, the Tannoy begins again.  It tells the remaining people that they should look in the drawer of Mr Svenson's desk to understand what happens next.  It tells them nine must turn to six or there shall be dire consequences.  Nobody can muster the courage to re-enter Mr Svenson's office with his body still hanging until Ridley steps up, wanting to prove himself.  He goes into the office and retrieves what is a collection of dangerous objects and photographs.  The photographs are revealed to be pictures of their family members who have been abducted and evidently abused in the pictures, much to everybody's despair.  Sally sacrifices herself, saying that she hasn't got long left and so she wants the rest of them to survive.  She isn't strong enough to kill herself and so asks somebody else to do it for her - Lionel agrees and she dies quickly, smiling.  It is at this point that people start wondering where Billy is and as they enter the bathroom, they see the blood on the broken glass from his hand and realise that he must have jumped meaning that only one more person needs to die.  Due to the high risk situation, Trish reveal her feelings to Murdoch, who in turn admits that he loves her.  She tells him that that is all she ever wanted to hear, and sacrifices herself to save him.  He is obviously very upset by this.

STAGE 3:
After a while the Tannoy sounds once again.  This reveals that there are 3 tasks that need to be completed by three members of the remaining six survivors in order to save themselves and one other person.  One is a mental challenge, one physical and one spiritual.  The mental one takes place in the bathroom; in there the challenger is strapped onto the disabled toilet answering mathematical questions for two minutes whilst a gun is trained on their forehead from behind what used to be a mirror but is now translucent glass. There is a unanimous agreement that Vanessa should do this task due to her great intelligence, she is unhappy to do this and suggests Ridley partakes instead.  However the after a vote, Vanessa reluctantly agrees.  She is strapped in and the challenge starts, the questions begin quite easy however by about half way they have become inconceivably difficult.  Inevitably, Vanessa fails to answer one of these impossible questions with 1 second remaining and is shot through the head.  Aggrieved but forced to continue, they move onto the next challenge, physical.  This involves climbing through the air vent in order to get to the wheel which will inevitably stop poisonous gas which is being leaked into the vent at the same time.  Murdoch, overcome with grief after the death of Trish, volunteers that he doesn't care what happens to him anymore.  Jack tries to change his mind and put himself forward but Murdoch refuses and enters.  He reaches the end of the vent by using maps inprinted on the walls however when he goes to turn the wheel it wont move and has been jammed there, trapping him in the toxins, killing him.  The final challenge involves an electric chair which is in the dark and unused stationery cupboard.  The challenger would need to be strapped into the chair and the voltage increases higher and higher over a short period of time.  Lionel demands to do it, despite Jack's protests and sits in the chair.  Lionel somehow manages to withstand the whole time however the voltage wont stop, increasing still until Lionel finally dies of severe burns.  The people then realise that all three of the traps were set up to allow no survivors.

STAGE 4:
Only Jack, Jane and Ridley remaining.  They each realise that whoever is behind this isn't going to let anybody go.  They are scared and begin questioning who would do such a thing.  Ridley starts gagging and runs to the bathroom to be sick.  Jane and Jack continue discussing who could have been behind all the Tannoy.  Sudden realisation that it is Ridley, before Ridley then shoots Jack in the back of the head.  He then runs towards a fleeing Jane and skewers her through the back of the head and out through the eye socket with a knife from back in Stage 2, meant for Billy who instead killed himself. 

CONC:
Everything is quiet.  Ridley takes his jacket from the back of his chair, wipes the blood from his forehead with a hankerchief in his jacket pocket, and walks out of the office.  The shot turns to behind the Tannoy and pans out to reveal that nobody is sat there and that all the Tannoy messages and commands were pre-recorded and that nobody was manning it at any one time.

Film Opening: The Usual Suspects

The opening two minutes of The Usual Suspects give very little of the plot away.  This is because none of the characters are revealed, there is no dialogue and very little to look at.  All that is visible on screen is the sea, dark in colour, which eventually turns out to be the location for the film's climatic action scene.  I believe that they did this because the whole movie relies on mystery and secrecy and so to have such an unrevealing opening sequence is very fitting to the rest of the film.

In the foreground of the sea, we see the opening credits in white.  Popping up and fading away at regular intervals, the white makes them stand out against the dark blue of the sea, making them easily seen so that the audience are aware of who made the film.

I think that whilst this film opening is effective for it's genre, setting the mood for the rest of the film, it would not be suitable to do something similar for my AS coursework due to the fact that so little happens and it is very basic in it's nature.

Character/Acting Profiles

We chose Owen Smith age 16, to play the main character, Jake Stewart, because they are of similar age and have very similar features of short brown hair and short in height. Owen is also a drama student at GCSE and A-Level, so is not shy to play very different roles. Owen is also a media student so understands what is required and has experience of doing this because his group have also created documentaries and short (4-6 minute) movies.

Fionna Monk will be taking the role as narrator. She was also a drama student at GCSE and currently at A-level, so is also good at adapting to appropriate roles. She has a clear, projective voice which can be used in different types of scenarios. We feel Fionna will be a good narrator to introduce the background information as she has experience with acting and narration.

Dr Zachary is played by James Huxtable, he also is a drama student, and looks older than Owen who is playing the main character, Jake. James is playing the doctor trying to treat Jake in his ‘unorthodox’ ways, Dr Zachary, acts as a friend to Jake, in order to cure him but Jake doesn’t know he is a doctor. James as a drama student can improvise roles for what fits each scene, he is creative too.

Toby Setters is playing the dad of Jake. He also is a drama student and is a creative too, he looks older than various other possibilities of playing the father, and we thought he would be a successful part in this production. Toby also is a media student and understand what we needed to do to make it effective. Jake’s father is understanding of Jakes condition but hopes he will grow out of it, and wants him to be normal.

Film Opening: Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction begins with a couple talking at a restaurant over coffee.  It becomes evident quite early on that the couple are  involved in robberies on a regular basis.  While the woman torments the man, telling him that he is mostly talk, comparing him with a duck, the man slowly convinces her that they should rob the restaurant they are in at that very second.  The conversation with the woman finally agreeing to get up and rob the restaurant, and they change personas very quickly from being an in love couple, to being hostile criminals as the woman screams "Any of you fucking pricks move and I'm gonna execute every last one of ya!".

The characters in this scene actually then are not seen again until the climax of the movie, where it is discovered that Jules and Vincent are actually in the same restaurant that they intend to 'hold up'.  By doing this, and making you wait the entire length of the film before you discover what happens to these characters, it keeps you hooked from the very start of this gripping film.

The two characters are never actually given names, they simply refer to each other as 'Honey Bunny' and 'Pumpkin'. This are pet names due to their relationship rather than being code words.  I believe that not giving these characters names accentuates the fact that they are not major roles in the movie however by making them the opening scene of the film it shows that they are of importance.

This scene is mostly dialogue before the action starts which is good because it allows tension to develop whilst giving the viewer an insight into their lives and emotions.

Ident

An Ident is a moving image or logo which represents a a production company.  These will regularly appear just before the movie begins.  Memorable Idents include the lamp in Pixar, the spinning pillars in Vertigo Films and the 20th Century Fox statue and spotlights.  This is the first draft for my production company Ident, which is currently named simply, Sycamore Productions.

Mockumentary: Script

This was the original version of our Mockumentary Script:

ChairBoy

Narrator: [Narration, Several cutshots of Jake doing things]. This is Jake Stewart, a young seventeen year old boy living in Burham, Norfolk.  He likes watching the football, playing video games and seeing his friends at the weekend but when he is away from all that he enjoys nothing more than spending time with his partner whom he has been together with since he was little.  The only problem is, that it is a chair. [Shot pans from Jake to the chair, whom has been on a leash in the majority of the photos so far].  My crew and I shall be staying with Jake for the next week to see if love really does travel in mysterious ways…

INTERVIEW WITH MOTHER #1

Narrator:  Hello, you are the mother of Jake Stewart, is that correct?

Mother: [concerned] Yes… I am Mrs Stewart.

Narrator:  Can you please tell me when Jake started his relationship with his chair?

Mother: [still hesitant] Well, he was five years old…

Narrator:  Please, go on.

Mother:  Well, he was five.  He hadn’t been at school long, he was only little- He was a very easily influenced young boy, you see.  And he saw this chair in the library of his school and- Well… He just couldn’t stay away from it – he wouldn’t!  It got so bad that he was told off and given detentions almost every day!  Eventually I had to buy the chair just to keep him from getting into trouble. He was a very demanding young boy was Jake.

INTERVIEW WITH JAKE #1

Jake:  [Mid interview, very excited] It is the best chair you’re ever going to find!  Look, touch it!  Actually no don’t only I am allowed to touch it, she’s mine. 

Narrator:  What is it that first drew you to this chair?

Jake:  I don’t know really.  It just had something about it, something made me know that I had to have this chair.  See that was when I was a boy, but I’m a young man now and I couldn’t be happier

Narrator:  So you would rather go with a chair than a woman?

Jake:  Well, yes! I don’t see any reason why not. [Growing hostility]  The chair can do anything any normal girl can do!

Narrator:  I wasn’t doubting that-

Jake:  I can hold and sit with her when I am happy, I can talk to her when I am sad!  [looks around suspiciously] And, coitus? Well… [spins the chair around to show a hole in the back of the chair].

WALKING INTERVIEW WITH JAKE

Narrator: [Narration] After the first few days, it was clear to us that Jake doesn’t like to travel anywhere without his chair, preferring to keep it held by a leash for easy mobility.

[cut to walking behind Jake with his chair down the street]

So where are we going today Jake?

Jake:  We’re going to Zak’s house. He’s cool.

Narrator:  What makes him cool, Jake?

Jake:  He’s got lots of cool stuff and he’s my friend. We play games all the time and talk about football and life and school and stuff.

Narrator:  Does Zak not go to the same sixth form as you then, Jake?

Jake:  Nah, Zak is a few years older than me.  We always have to go through the side door so his parents don’t see me, he’s not allowed friends over on weekdays!

[Shot of a sign saying “Dr Zachary’s Therapy Clinic” outside the house]

INTERVIEW WITH COUNSELLOR

[shot of Dr Zachary sitting writing notes as Jake enters the room]

Dr. Zachary:  Hey there big guy, how’s it going?

Jake: I’m alright thanks.

Dr. Zachary:  Good stuff, take a lay down man let’s have a talk!

[Jake goes to lay down on the bed]

[cut to interview with Dr. Zachary]

Dr. Zachary:  I’ve been Jake’s therapist for over five years now and- wait is it six yet? [counting on fingers] One, two, three, four… No it is about five years.  I pretend to be a teenager in order to help my younger patients trust me more, to show them I’m not some big scary therapist who’s gonna rip out your thoughts and suck out your soul like a fresh vacuum!! [dry laughter]

Narrator:  Some people have said that some of your methods are quite… controversial.  What do you make of this?

Dr. Zachary:  Well I would disagree, I think that I do the job I do to help people.  I mean yes, maybe I do sometimes use some ‘unorthodox’ techniques… but I get results, I get the job done!

[Scene cuts back to Dr. Zachary and Jake’s therapy session, mid exercise.  Jake is positioned in an elaborate pose and Dr. Zachary is yelling at him]

Dr. Zachary:   Strip.

[pause]

[back to the interview]

Dr. Zachary:  What do I think about Jake’s problem?  No, yeah I think he’s pretty fucked up.  Beyond my help definitely!  But well, if they want to keep paying me then who am I to stop them?

INTERVIEW WITH MUM #2

Narrator:  Do you think Jake will ever grow out of this phase he is going through?

Mother:  I don’t know.  I hope so.  It’s too bizarre, I’m not sure how much more I can take of this.

Narrator:  Why, do you think it will affect him in the future?

Mother:  Well, he’s leaving for university next year and I- [pause] I just don’t want to see him humiliated because of his… disorder.

Narrator:  And you think this will be the case?

Mother: [defensive] I don’t kn- I never said that he would definitely be treated differently! It’s just… Well, what would you think, if you were walking through the halls or something and saw… that?

INTERVIEW WITH JAKE:

Narrator:  What does the word ‘love’ mean to you?

Jake:  I think that love is a mystical and spiritual thing.  People have been saying for centuries that love ‘travels in mysterious ways’…

Narrator:  [pause] And so do you think love travels in mysterious ways?

Jake:  I think love comes to everybody in some shape or form, and when it does, there isn’t going to be anything that stops it.

Narrator:  So, you’re saying that you think love is quite a bizarre sort of-

Jake:  [laughing] I’m saying that it doesn’t matter!  All that matters is that I love her and she loves me, there isn’t anything else.

Fin.

James Huxtable x

Documentaries

Documentaries can refer to anything from a comedic, fictional mockumentary of day-to-day life (eg The Office, Ja'mie: Private School Girl, etc.) to a serious real life account to a crime committed in the recent past (Oscar Pistorius: The Truth, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about a Father, etc.).

The main purpose of a documentary is to portray a series of events in an engaging way, keeping the audience's attention.  They often include research about the topic, captured footage of said event and one-to-one interviews with people who are involved.  This gives the viewer information about the topic which may interest them.

Cinderella Narrative

Todorov's Structure

Equilibrium - Cinderella works as a full-time cleaner at a university, working for the headmistress and being trampled on by the students, especially two young women whom represented the classic 'Ugly Sisters'

De-equilibrium - An opportunity arises for one of the female students at the school to accompany Hans Prince, a famous scientist and mythologist to a foreign country in order to make a documentary about his work. Cinderella wants to apply but is not allows to.

New Equilibrium - Despite the many restrictions and hurdles she had faced regarding this job opportunity, Cinderella beats the Ugly Sisters and wins the opportunity.  However at the last move, the famous scientist decides to cancel the documentary and move away with Cinderella instead.  A happy ending for the protagonist

Propp's Characters

Protagonist - Cinderella

Antagonist - School Headteacher

Heroine/Reward - The HandsomePrince

Father - The Handsome Prince

Helper - Buttons (Traditionally)

Donor - Fairy Godmother/Asian Cleaner

Mentor - Fairy Godmother/Asian Cleaner