Media Studies Blog

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review       George Lucas' vision of Star Wars is arguably one of the most influential elements of pop culture, as the original Star Wars trilogy released to instant acclaim while holding up strongly today. The 3rd installment of this franchise is clearly the best, as the budget, script, effects, and stakes all substantially heighten. Essentially it is bigger and better. Taking place on multiple different planets the original trilogy releases its climax as the clash between the Empire and The Rebel Alliance reaches full swing. The story is tense, as Emperor Palpatine attempts to manipulate Luke into becoming his new apprentice, and all the while the rebels begin to launch their plan to destroy the death star, thus ending the Empire's oppressive reign of terror. Lucas clearly parallels the story of the sith with that of the Nazi's, as their power rose to extreme heights yet only to be destroyed by the more morally motivated allied fo...

Seven Review: David Fincher's crime thriller classic has aged incredibly well, as its gritty portrayal of a criminal New York stays fresh to this day. It could be argued that Fincher's film borders on horror as he refuses to hold back on the violence and gore. The film takes place with a partnership between a cynical detective (Morgan Freeman) and a fresher detective with a considerably brighter outlook (Brad Pitt), as they find themselves on the tail of a disturbed serial killer. The interesting element of the film is the nature of the killer, as his moves are extremely methodical, to the point where he tortures a man for a year keeping him bedridden just to make a point. The killer makes his purpose clear, as he orchestrates clever murders on seven victims in order to make an even larger point on the sickness of humanity, fuelled by his obsession with religious literature. The film manages to stay steadily tense throughout as the murders become increasingly ...

Bram Stokers Dracula Review The film version of Bram Stokers Dracula is strange yet iconic. Such a horror masterpiece is hard to translate onto screen, often with books, key details and interesting characters are too often overlooked in the film adaptation. However one of these films main strengths has to be the triumph of an accurate translation, while some details and scenes are missed out, the important essence is still there. The film adds more to the book, giving characters an iconic face and an interesting look into Dracula's twisted love story, the purest thing about him. The special effects are also another great triumph, considering it was the 90's the use of VFX is wonderful the makeup of Dracula in his different forms and even just the use of blood was refreshing making it no surprise that it won an oscar of its visual effects ( ignoring the terrible blue flame at the start). The tone is often spot on, coupled with tense music and shots the theme of horror is gre...

The Joker Review                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ...