Kill Bill 2

How does Tarantino use thriller signifiers in this action adventure, martial arts film?
The Brides Burial
Opening to Kill Bill 2
Tarantino uses two intertextual references to Hitchcock’s 'Psycho' (1960)
Reference 1 - The soundtrack
Reference 2 - Close up of the bride driving her car, refers to Marion Crane leaving town with the stolen money.
Why?
To intensify the suspense To indicate the brides danger To flatter the audience - like a tribute to Hitchcock. The scene includes a lot of generic thriller conventions. The scene is set in an unglamorous, isolated location at night time - noir lighting. This makes the scene shadowy. The camera is at a low angle, meaning that the viewers are seeing things from the bride’s point of view. This also makes Bill's brother look more superior.

Dr Who

1/ Why could Dr Who be described as an intermedial text?
The word 'intermedial' refers to a situation where a text relies on an understanding and experience of other media texts e.g. music and film. Dr Who could, therefore, be described as an intermedial text as there are many different media texts which have come from the popular TV drama, which was first aired on November 23rd 1963. These include related TV programs like The Sarah-Jane Adventures, K-9, Torchwood and Totally Dr Who. Other media texts related to Dr Who are; the website - www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho - a magazine and podcasts. There are also other texts that aren't media related but are still related to the Dr Who program. These include children’s toys, calendars and 'top trumps' cards.

2/ Do you think Dr Who is simply a TV show with a range of spin-offs or an intermedial text?
Personally, I think that by watching the TV show, you won't then know all about the Sarah-Jane adventures or Torchwood. I think that the TV shows are all in the same genre of TV dramas but with different target age groups. For example, The Sarah-Jane adventures are shown on the CBBC channel which automatically shows that they are for a younger audience.

Working Title

Working Title is the film industry that we will be studying for our exam. They have made quite popular films such as Atonement and Pride and Prejudice.
There are two chairpersons in Working Title - Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
Working Title is 41st in the world-wide movie power list.
'They have been listed on as the most powerful figures in the British industry and in 2002 Premier magazine put them at 41st in the world-wide movie power list' BBC News story - 2004
Universal have bought stake-holders from Working Title. Working Title is British but has American shares in the company.
Working Title was started in 1984, making the company 24 years old. Its original founders were Sarah Radclyffe and Tim Bevan, however, Fellner joined the team after Radcyffe left.
Working Title is an independent company which means that they have freedom.
Although Working Title is British based, it has international appeal.
The first film made by Working Title was 'My Beautiful Laundrette' in 1985. This was a British film which tackles controversial subjects. This film is an art house film.
The first film to be well-known globally, was ‘4 Weddings and A Funeral’ made in 1994, which first became extremely popular in America. Other popular films made by Working Title are ‘Notting Hill’ in 1999 and ‘About A Boy’ in 2002.
Working Title have gone from making low budget, small, art house films to converging with American and European countries and making big international films.

The Third Man

Director - Carol Reed (UK)

The opening scene starts with non-diagetic sound - a voiceover. There is a medium close-up, tilt shot of the open suitcase which shows that things aren't quite how they should be.
The next shot studied, was a close up of the black market which shows the viewers of the unglamorous location. This is all in noir lighting. The audience then see a body in the river and a sinking boat, which shows that the city is dangerous.
The audience are then introduced to the main character, Holly Martins, who is dressed in generic thriller costume - a trilby hat and suits.
Non-ambient lighting as he walks up the stairs to Harry Limes apartment. His shadow is on the wall. This adds a sense of mystery to the mise-en-scene.
There is juxtaposition in this scene as there is cheery music against the dull and dreary mise-en-scene.
There are no subtitles for what the German caretaker is saying. This helps the audience to feel like they are in the same position as Martins.
At the funeral, there is a 'femme fatale' (Harry Limes mistress) which is extremely generic for a thriller.
The following shot included the iconic introduction of Harry Lime in the doorway. This is a tilt low angle shot of the empty Vienna streets which makes the city look small and vulnerable, as if the city in coming down on top of Martins. The noir lighting in this scene adds to the sense of nightmare which is also generic in a thriller. The tilt shot also emphasises Martins disorientation.