Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

As part of our final year of drama at high school we were given an activity which was to research and create a non-naturalistic performance around the Chernobyl disaster. If it was not for that drama class, I garrentee you that I would not have ANY idea, whatsoever about this radioactive disaster and had treated the plot of this film as more factual.

When holidaying in Europe a group of friends decided to embark on this extreme tour in the radioactive environment of a barron town. Dismissing the guards at the gates of Chernobyl, their tour guide gets them into the town though a secret passage. All they had for this tour was the van, their backpacks and a camera. A two hour tour extended to their fight for survival when a massive mutant bear chases them out of the abandoned construction that they were viewing. During their attempts to flee the town, one by one they start to get killed and injured from what appears to be mutants.

What starts off as a rather factual set up of the disaster, ends up as a dodgy collaboration of bad editing effects, death and monster-like chaos. Shot in a handheld manner, the 'diaries' style was able to be effectively captured for the audience not to attain a headache, however the plot had potential to kick off as interesting.. whereby they could of explored the impacts of the disaster in more of a realistic way such as for the affected to be prone to cancer, flashbacks, dramatic trauma and insanity, rather then using darkness as a shaky camera to easily shoot scenes which may have required more actors or more of a filming budget. An attempt of the horror genre was created but I think I was personally looking for a bit more of a drama element to this film, a little more story. Also whilst viewing this film, The Blair Witch Project came to mind as their are major similarities in themes and 'young adults in a foreign land' notion.

This film however does encapsulate the notion of a horror as gore, suspense, jumpy and STUPID, which is epitomised at the very conclusion of the film.

Hitchcock (2012)

Co-majoring in film and television and having seen a selection of the works of Alfred Hitchcock such as Psycho, The Birds and Rear Window, I felt that it would be interesting to watch a loosely autographical film based upon the master of voyeurism. (and also knowing that Toni Collette had a role in this film, made my desire to see this more- amazing Aussie Actress!!!) I must admit, I am unable to do a comparison between the fact and fiction represented in this motion picture as guiltily I have done no prior research to the characteristics of Hitchcock and his works beyond his remarkable voyeurism technique which epitomises the notion of being watched and the camera angle, pans and tilts to capture a scene to build suspense.

Based on the film, Hitch is painted as a cocky, determined, arrogant and at times a pig in the film industry but then again, isn't that the criteria of any successful director? Ooo and usually they smoke weed and take hallucinogens? Well, that wasn't evident in Hitchcock.. anyway moving on..

The plot is based around his struggle and shoot around Psycho and how he apparently bought every copy of the original novel so that no one knew the ending and how the movie concluded. Also exploring his ability to dodge the Hollywood Production Code of the time to incorporate a 'naked' shower scene. However  the film does present a final realisation that his wife, Alma was indeed the woman behind the man and that without her, Hitchcock is a fail. The film had numerous witty lines and humour embedded and it complimented the structure of the film. The intro and conclusion, was different to typical autobiographic based movies and added a theatric feel with the 'direct to audience addressing'. None the less, I enjoyed this movie, it was watchable, didn't drag out too much but if you are looking for suspense and drama- maybe stick to the works of Hitchcock rather than this movie.


I will leave you with my favourite lines:

Hitchcock: I will never find a Hitchcock blonde as beautiful as you. Alma: Oh, Hitch. I've waited thirty years to hear you say that. Hitchcock: That, my dear, is why they call me the Master of Suspense. 

and I do believe there was a one liner about 'holding the cock'