Characteristics of the 'B' movie:
-Dramatic(melodramatic)
-Large cartoon font
-Dramatic music
-Dramatic vocals(game show host)
-Over the top
-Usually based around comics
-Always containing a damsel in distress
-Cheaply made
Having now watched an excerpt of the original 'Little Shop of Horrors'(1960), what characteristics of the 'B' movie does it display?
-Same dramatic music
-Comic tone/script
-Damsel in distress
-Cartooned
Curious Incident
On Thursday, we went to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime at the Piccadilly Theatre. It is about Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy with autism. He finds his neighbour's dog dead in her front garden, and is determined to find out who did it.
The set for this play was extremely smart: it was a reflection of Christopher's mind.
It was a grid carefully made with a computer so everything was digital. It had numbers to help the actors know where to put the props exactly. It was also fitted with over 100 LED lights, and projectors. The set designer mentioned that the set was inspired by science and maths- two of Christopher's favourite things.
My favourite part of the play was the physical theatre. The other actors had Christopher held above their heads, walking along walls, and being turned upside down.
Unit 5 Production Skills and Context: 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime'
1)It is about Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy with autism. He finds his neighbour's dog dead in her front garden, and is determined to find out who did it. He discovers that his mother is alive, and that his father murdered the dog. He travels alone to London to try and find his mother.
2) Christopher Boone:
- 15 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome
- Is accused of killing his neighbour's dog
- Travels on his own to London to find his mother, who he thought was dead
- Has a close relationship with Siobhan, his teacher
- DOESN'T LIKE BEING TOUCHED
Ed Boone:
- Single father of Christopher
- Owner of a heating maintenance and boiler repair business
- Looks after Christopher e.g prepares his meals, persuades his school to let him do A level maths
Judy Boone:
- Christopher's mother
- Left him and his father two years prior because she felt overwhelmed by Christopher
- Lives in London with Mr Shears
Mr Roger Shears:
- The man Christopher's mother had an affair with
- Strongly disliked by Christopher as he knows he doesn't want him living with them
How are the following production elements used to support the narrative:
- Set
- Costume
- Lighting
- Entrances and exits into scenes/onto the stage
- Special effects
Set: The set was a computer generated grid. The set designer wanted the set to mirror Christopher's mind as he loves maths and science. We got an insight into what Christopher feels like as he goes on his journey.
Some examples of this is when Christopher was feeling overwhelmed on the train and at the train station. As he passed the different stops, the station names popped up on the back screen along with a loud voice over.
Costume: Christopher loves the colour red, and each actor got to choose a pair of trainers they thought would suit him- just as long as they were red.
Little Shop of Horrors Research
- What is the background context to the musical 'Little Shop of Horrors'?
Little Shop of Horrors is a musical set in the 1960's in the fictional town 'Skid Row'. One point of it was to draw attention to the poorer areas in America, as the rest of the country lived the 'American Dream'. It follows the lives of Mr Mushnik, Seymour, and Audrey, who all work and live on Skid Row.
- Who were the different versions of 'Little Shop...' written and directed by? What other musicals have the writers of the stage version also been involved with?
1960's film version- directed by Roger Corman and written by Charles B Griffith
1980's musical film- directed by Frank Oz and written by Howard Ashman
- What is the central story of 'Little Shop of Horrors' and what aspects of American culture does it include/refer to?
Little Shop is about Mr Mushnik, the owner of a run down flower shop on Skid Row, and his employees Seymour and Audrey. Seymour is in love with Audrey, and he spends his time researching different plants to help the shop and impress Audrey. Seymour discovers a new plant, and puts it in the shop window to attract customers. He soon finds out that the plant requires blood to grow, but as it gets bigger it wants more than just blood.
No comments:
Post a Comment