Zoolander

Date: 1st July 2010
Title: Zoolander
Director/Creator: Written and directed by Ben Stiller
Cultural perspective: American
Gender of creator/ Perspective: Male

Male model Derek Zoolander has won the Male Model of the Year award for three consecutive years in a row (Thanks to his signature looks Blue Steel, Ferrari and Le Tigra) thinks of himself as a bit of a legend and being "Ridiculously good looking" but when the hot and threatening newcomer, Hansel wins instead, Derek's friends and fellow male model room mates are all killed in a freak gasoline fight and a scathing article about him being "A model Idiot?" is published in a popular magazine, things aren’t looking too hopeful for Zoolander anymore. Defeated and resigned, he announces his retirement from the male model industry but when he is approached by the only fashion designer who hasn't yet hired him, Mugatu, Derek is persuaded to lead his new cutting edge fashion line "Derelicte". Little does simple minded Derek now, Mugatu has a hidden agenda to brainwash him to kill the prime minister of Malaysia and turn him into the ultimate assassin. Derek has to find a way to get out of this with the added handicap of not being an "Ambi-turner"- meaning he can't turn left. Along the way he befriends Hansel, Derek's former rival who took away his one chance to hang on to his already fading career, and Matilda, the reporter who damaged his reputation and ego beyond repair. The three of them work together and show that there is more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking and end up saving the day and getting Mugatu uncovered for the crazy loon he really is.

The main characters in this film are Derek Zoolander(played by Ben Stiller)who may have an empty head but has a full heart with his dream to one day start up a "Derek Zoolander Centre for Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too". Hansel (Owen Wilson), the new "thing" in the male modelling industry who says "I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot." Matilda (Chrisine Taylor), the ruthless and harsh reporter who later reveals she used to be the fat kid at school and Mugatu (Will Ferrel), the manipulative and somewhat insane fashion designer who Brainwashed Derek- "Hi Derek! My name's Little Cletus and I'm here to tell you a few things about child labour laws, ok? They're silly and outdated. Why back in the 30s, children as young as five could work as they pleased; from textile factories to iron smelts. Yippee! Hurray!”
I really liked all of these characters and thought that they really made this movie what unique and absolutely hilarious!

There were heaps of really funny and clever lines throughout the movie, the world of male models is portrayed as being very interesting and adventurous in this film. This film is one of my favourites because it's so silly and sarcastic, it's showing all these stereotypes of Models and people in the fashion business in an exaggerated and unserious way like they are mocking it and i think it's just a really fun movie to watch, right down to the amazing costume and makeup and to the star Cameo's of David Bowie, Donald Trump, Fabio, Gwen Stefani and heaps of others playing themselves. I also like the fact that Ben Stiller wrote, directed and acted in this film, it shows he doesn't take himself too seriously.

I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys comedy! I absolutely loved this film exactly how it was and wouldn't change anything at all. I would say the target audience for this film was males and females of the ages of maybe 13 and up because some of the scenes would not be suitable for young audiences, also younger children wouldn't really appreciate the funny lines and would probably rather stick to films like Shrek anyway.

Lily Allen- It's not me, its you

Date: 1st July
Tile: It’s Not Me, It's You
Creator: Produced by Greg Kurstin
Cultural perspective: English

This static image is an album cover for Lily Allen's CD "It's Not Me, It's You". It features a picture of Lily lying on a massive black and pink L, obviously standing for the first initial of her name. She is wearing a nice dress, looking feminine, classy and pretty in pink and smiling sweetly but the black veil contradicts it because it is an article of clothing fit for mourning. I think it links with her song lyrics "I don't know how am meant to feel anymore" showing she is confused with what society wants from her, receiving many mixed messages from society and the media. It Also links to the name of the album, "It's Not Me, It's You" suggests that she is not the problem, it’s how others perceive or judge her.

This album cover was obviously made to advertise Lily Allen and her music. The picture is quite eye catching with the large L placed in the centre, taking up quite a lot of space and the pink of Lily's dress next to it makes her stand out also. The use of the colours pink and black link back to what I said in the first paragraph about contradiction. I think the Pink symbolises Lily's fun, girlie, happy, party-girl image and Black is significant of the bad things people have said about her like being a drunken, rude and inappropriate loudmouth and stuff. To me, this shows Lily is not sure about how people see her, though I think she knows who she is and is simply letting people decide for themselves, which I like. I think if someone saw this CD in a music store, the image would attract their attention and it may stimulate curiosity, I know it would for me. Also, in my opinion, any Lily Allen fans would definitely check it out because it is something different from her, the cover is more grown up and mature compared to some of her earlier work.

Based on the overall feminine look of this album cover, I would say the target audience would mainly be females form the ages of about 16 to 40 because this is round about the age group that Lily's music is more suited to because of some of the sexual references in some of her songs on this album.

I think this album cover would definitely help the sales of the CD because I think it would appeal to the target audience with the title being the opposite of the clichéd phrase commonly used in break ups "It's not you, it's me", it would spark curiosity and intrigue. People would want to know more because in the sensitive situation of a break up, even though someone may be thinking that it is the other person’s fault, they use the excuse of having their own personal problems to get an easy way out and instead of hurting the person’s feelings. I think people would definitely be interested in this CD because I sure am, being a big Lily Allen fan myself.

film- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Director/creator: Chris Columbus
Cultural perspective: English
gender of creator/perspective: Male

This movie is about a young boy and his friends who go to Hogwarts, a school for witches and wizards and all of the weird and wonderful goings on at the school during the year. This year, Harry, Ron and Hermione face a huge challenge when the chamber of secrets is opened and a mischievous yet well-meaning house elf called dobby keeps trying to get harry to leave Hogwarts for his own good. Within the chamber of secrets is a terrible monster that continues to terrorize the school and petrify students. Harry, Ron and Hermione must find a way to stop it and save Hogwarts from closure.

The main characters in this movie are harry, Ron and Hermione. The main characters in this film are very valiant and brave. They put themselves in danger trying to find out how to save the school and its students from a terrifying mystery monster. These characters seem to have a knack for getting themselves into trouble and it made them very interesting to watch. The characters are very likeable because of their kind and brave personalities which are demonstrated at various points throughout the film like when they must make the journey down into the chamber of secrets and face the giant basilisk.

My favourite character in this film is Hagrid. I found his character particularly likeable and interesting because he is not as he seems. At first sight, people are scared and intimidated by him because of his size but in the film we see that he is a "gentle giant", comforting Hermione when she was called a mud blood and just generally being a helpful and kind friend for the three kids when they need someone to talk to and trust. Hagrid is big, clumsy and a bit of an oaf just like his dog fang yet his personality makes him seem a bit like a big child who sometimes forgets about the rules like when he keeps accidentally telling the three about all of Hogwarts most guarded secrets.

The target audience of this film is probably children from the ages of about seven and up and perhaps not much younger because at some points this film can get a little dark and scary for very young children. As with all of the Harry Potter films, there are powerful themes of triumph over evil, strong bonds of friendship and magical and amazing adventures. I really liked this film because I am a big fan of the Harry Potter books and thought it was about as good as it could be considering how tough it must have been for the director to try and keep all the fans happy. It’s really cool to see another person’s take on the book and what they have done with it and how they imagined it to be, I think it gives the story a new feel but with the same level of awesomeness as the book. The only thing I would change about this film is I would probably try to add more of the little details that are in the book because I think people who have not read the books and have only seen the movies can’t really appreciate how epic the tales of Harry Potter really are. Also, I would like to see more quidditch because that has always been one of my favourite parts of the entire series.

film- The Dark Knight

Title: The Dark Knight
Director/creator: Christopher Nolan
Cultural perspective: American
Gender of creator/ perspective: male

In this, the latest instalment of the Batman series, Bruce Wayne and his vigilante shaddow the Batman, continue the seemingly endless effort to bring peace and order to Gotham and reign in the plague of crime that unfortunately but inevitably has infected the city, aided by Lieutenant James Gordon and recently selected District Attorney Harvey Dent. But a new and threatening character is stalking the streets. The Dark Knight faces a rising criminal known only as The Joker, whose haunting grin, psychopathic laughter, and ruthless morality makes him the most dangerous enemy he has ever come across. It becomes an agenda to Batman to stop the mysterious Joker by any means necessary, knowing that he is dealing with something that he has never seen before, getting himself caught up in The Joker's lethal game where the rules are sketchy and the stakes are high.

The main characters in this film were Batman/ Bruce Wayne, The Joker, Lieutenant James Gordon, District Attorney Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes (Bruce Wayne's previous love interest). These characters worked well together in the film and made for an interesting and exciting storyline. I think strong performances were made by all in this film (although not including Maggie Gyllenhaal who plays Rachel, for some reason I can’t quite describe this actress just annoys me, I thought she had a seemingly lacklustre take on this character and i think someone else could have done a better job on playing this role)

my favourite character would without a doubt be The Joker played by Heath Ledger. Heath's performance in this film absolutely blew me away, making the character of The Joker come alive, totally taking on the persona of a dark and sinister psychopathic mastermind criminal with none of the inhibitions or restrictions of normal society. I think his performance was very convincing and believable right down to his strange mannerism of always licking his scarred and mangled lips with a crazed yet amused look in his eye. The deliverance of lines was startlingly demented further outlining the wild and insane, yet still charismatic personality of this complex and intense character. my favourite line from the Joker was "whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you....stranger.." because he has personalised the clichéd phrase of "whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger" and I think it fits the character well because he seems to thrive on strangeness, peculiarity and the risk of danger. I think Heath Ledger more than deserved his Oscar for "best performance by an actor in a supporting role" for this movie.

i would recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of action movies, Batman, and insanely good performances. this was so much more than a comic book film, The Dark Knight truly delivers with drama, action, romance, horror, dark humour and the study of a psychopathic killer wrapped up in a detective-like story.

the lion king

Title: The lion king
Director/ creator: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Cultural perspective: African/ American
Gender of creator/ perspective: Male

This movie is about a young lion cub and his journey to becoming king of Pride rock. Simba is the son of Mufasa and Serabi, king and queen of Pride rock. Life goes well for Simba, playing in the sun and growing bigger and stronger each day, testing his boundaries with his friends Nala and Zazu. Untill one day, Simba's uncle Scar grows jealous of Mufasa and Simba. He hatches a plan to get rid of both of them once and for all so that he may become king. He sets up an extremely dangerous suituation (a stampede of wilderbeast in the gorge) with his band of hyena followers and puts Simba right in the middle of it. Scar sends for Mufasa, knowing that Mufasa would put himself in danger trying to save Simba. Scar watches as Simba and Mufasa struggle to escape. Mufasa climbs the steep face of the gorge and places Simba on a ledge but Mufasa is dragged back down into turmoil. Mufasa breaks free as Simba watches with panic and concern for his father. Mufasa is injured and climbs the rock face, reaching for his brother Scar to help him. As Simba tries to find a route to his father his attention is diverted and he doesnt see Scar push Mufasa to his death. After the stampede Simba finds his father's body and thinks he is responsible for his father's death. Scar gives him the advice to run away and never return, sending Shenzi, Bonzai and Ed (his three hyena minions) after Simba to kill him. Simba evades them and finds himself in the company of a meercat called Timone and a warthog called Pumba who's personal motto is "Hakuna matata" - No worries. They tell Simba to put his past behind him, "when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world". The three of them live in a lush pardise where Simba grows up into a true lion but he has been living in carelessness with no responsibilities, when he runs into his old friend Nala hunting for food for her starving pride of lions, Simba's family, it is a shock for him. She tells him he needs to go back to Pride rock and challenge Scar for kingship because Simba is the true king and Scar treats the pride unjustly, the hyenas have taken over. Simba refuses to accept responsibility until Rafiki knocks some sense into him. Simba, Rafiki, Timone and Pumba go to Pride rock to confront Scar and his hyenas. Simba finds out that Scar was the one who murdered his father and they fight, Scar's hyenas turn on him. Simba is king and back home once again. All is well.

The main characters in this movie are Simba, Mufasa, Scar and Timone and Pumba. I think these characters made the film very interesting to watch because of the relationships between them. Scar and Mufasa are brothers but Scar (the villain) is bitter and twisted beacuse he believes he should be king, not Mufasa or Simba (Simba is Mufasa's son and Scar's nephew). Mufasa is very protective of Simba but he is king and has other responsibilites. He finds it hard to keep an eye on Simba all the time so wherever Simba goes, Zazu (Mufasa's trusted advisor) goes also. Timone and Pumba are the comical relief with their carefree atitudes and relaxed and humourous personalities (an example of this is when Timone and Pumba are singing about Pumbas past troubles when he was a young warthog). My favourite characters would be Timone and Pumba, when i was a child they particularly appealed to me because of thier goofy facial expressions, the fact that they eat bugs and worms ("slimy, yet satisfying!"-Timone) and because of thier humourous dialogue.

Another character i found interesting was Scar because he is so intent on getting the throne for himself that he has no problem killing off his family members to get what he wants. He is jealous, bitter and twisted but also clever and cunning, thinking up the perfect plan (trapping Simba in the gorge during the stampede and telling Mufasa, knowing one or both of them would get killed in the process) to get rid of Mufasa and Simba and making helpful alliances with the hyenas in order to gain kingship for himself. I think scar makes a good villian because of these personality traits he has demonstrated throughout the film.

I think the target audience for this film would be any children from the ages 3 and up because of the characters, the easy to understand plot, the colourful animation and the simple, child-friendly dialogue. The purpose of this text was maybe to help children learn how to deal with the idea of life and death. the way this film was made shows death as something that happens to everyone but it's not something to be scared or worried about. Also maybe how to deal with problems in their lives by listening to the motto Hakuna matata- no worries. Forgive and forget. Also the idea of taking responsiblity and how friends and family are very important and valuable- we can see this by Simba taking up kingship even though he was already happy where he was, to do this he needed the help of his family and friends to gain triumph of good over evil. In my opinion, the best thing about this text is that i can keep watching it over and over throughout different stages of my life and it still brings out the same emotions and high level of interest in me, the ideas and messages in this film are still relevant to me.

I wouldn't change anything about this movie even though every time i watch the part with mufasas death, my eyes tear up just a little. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is still in touch with their inner child and is having trouble taking responsibility or has had someone close pass away.

glee- season finale

title: glee
director/creator: Ryan Murphy
cultural perspective: American
gender of creator/perspective: male

in this episode, the glee kids are going to sectionals but things go wrong when Fin finds out he isnt the father of Quinn's baby, Puck is. Fin leaves the group because he cant stand to be in the same room as Quinn and Puck after their betrayal. Mr Schuester, their mentor and "coach" has been fired and the glee kids beleive they dont have much hope of winning without him. things go from bad to worse when they find out the two other opposing teams had stolen their set list (thanks to sue who had been trying to sabotage the glee club since day one, angered by their evident success) and the glee kids have nothing to perform. Fin comes back and saves the day by providing an all new song to perform and inspires the glee club with a heartfelt pep talk. they go on stage and come first place.

the main characters in this episode are Rachel, Fin, Puck, Quinn, Mercedes, Kurt, Mr schuester, Emma and Sue. i like the characters because they are all different but fit together in the plot. a character i found interesting was Sue because she is the 'bad guy' and is ruthless and sneaky. she is very entertaining to watch because of her firey and determined personality. we see in this episode Sue will stop at nothing and sink to new lows (giving the glee club's set list to the opposition) in order to get what she wants.

the purpose of this episode in particular was to wrap up the series and provide some closure but still leave things open for season two. an important message in this episode was how team work and perserverance are key to success. the glee club would not have been able to win wihtout their entire team working as one in the performances. it shows the audience that the glee club have to work hard but they have their fun. they have thier ups (winning sectionals) and thier downs (losing fin and mr Schuester) but they all stick it out in the end and pull together. the best thing about the text to me was watching the performances because they are very entertaining and the kids are very tallented, but also watching all the drama and hardships the team goes through together. i think alot of young people could relate to this as it is a dramatization about what goes on in every school and alot of the challenges they face are presented in this text (like teen pregnacies, underage drinking and social problems).