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Day 1 Assignment
Reply to post your assignment.
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23 Replies
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Woman in the Window (2021) is not one of the example movies, matches the model, and is available on Netflix
Watching WitW, here is how it fulfills the Thriller conventions:
The Unwitting but Resourceful Hero is the Amy Adams character, Dr. Anna Fox, who observes the murder of the woman she knows as Jane Russell.
The Dangerous Villain is eventually shown to be Ethan Russell, the son of the new couple who has moved in. For most of the movie, we believe the villain is Mr. Russell, the husband in the new couple.
The High stakes are not just discovering who committed the murder Anna witnessed, but finding out who has invaded Anna’s home and proving that Anna is not crazy (despite her culpability in the death of her own husband and daughter).
The Life and death situations are the death of Anna’s neighbor, the death of the Anna’s renter, the death of the Anna’s husband and daughter, and the final conflict between Anna and the young killer, Ethan, which ultimately leads to Ethan’s death.
This movie [should have been] thrilling because it was based on a novel that skillfully laid out a thrilling plot. But the execution sucked, in part because the film was shot in an overly artistic manner.
The BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story are:
The Big Mystery is why Anna is home-bound and how she can afford this large house as it appears her husband and daughter live elsewhere.
The Big Intrigue is the situation with the family across the green, the Russells, where the father is so intense and negative, the mother, Jane, is friendly, but then appears to have died, and the wife, who introduces herself as Jane Russell, but is not the woman Anna met as the mother.
The Big Suspense is how the mystery of the Russells will impact Anna, who starts facing severe psychological demons and increasingly is drawn into the life-threatening events in the Russell home.
The Woman in the Window (the movie) wasn’t a great thriller, despite nominally fulfilling the model. The book masterfully layered mystery, intrigue, and suspense. But the movie rendition was overly artsy and muddled.
What I learned doing this assignment is that it isn’t always easy to translate a thrilling novel into a thrilling movie. And I have a lot to learn about this thriller genre so I can write a thrilling plot!
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“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” To consciously look for characteristic beats in the plot.
DIEHARD Thriller Conventions
2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
A NY cop. Presumably, skilled and tough. Armed and knows guns. Stumbles into a major heist.
Dangerous Villain:
A super-cool villain. Put together a bunch of professional killers and technicians. Planned the heist to the smallest detail. Certain of success. Thinks on his feet. Ruthless, doesn’t care about killing dozens of innocent people.
High stakes:
Hundreds of millions. The lives of dozens. Especially, McClanes wife.
Life and death situations:
All the hostages. Professional killers. Cops and FBI agents. Kill or be killed.
This movie is thrilling because?
It never stopped after the action started. John, Holly, hostages were always going from one dangerous situation to the next. How the good guys were saved was always a surprise. The danger kept building up with more people at risk as the story unfolded. Holly’s exposure by the reporter. Outside attacks failing. The cops and FBI guys were as dangerous as the criminals. McClane was the only hope. The FBI guys killed and the hostages free. There were multiple endings. Hans and Karl killed twice. John and Holly free and then threatened. The cop shooting at the end.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery:
How to save the hostages.
Big Intrigue:
How to rob and get out undetected.
Big Suspense:
How to stay alive.
4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
The first suggestion of a thriller was only McClane’s gun and his being a cop. His fear of flying gave him a weakness and showed he was not some superhero who could overcome bad guys with his little finger.
The trip in the limo was an entertaining, non-expositional, way of introducing John’s and Holly’s backstory.
The setups were very effective; the shoes at the beginning; Holly and John were still in love; Takagaki was a sympathetic character and his early death made the stakes higher and the bad guys badder; Ellis was a creep and no one cared when he died; the limo driver was a significant, but minor character, but he was always in the background waiting to play his role. The construction giving several different areas where action could occur. The watch at the beginning and end. The cop who wouldn’t use his gun.
John’s character is shown in just a few minutes of scene.
It was 14-min into the film before there was even the hint of a thriller. Then, only an out of place truck moving and ominous music. Seventeen-minutes before the truck again and criminals entering.
Tense situations where one can see slowly developing threats.
The primary, secondary and tertiary characters all have presence. You could give them all a backstory.
All the hardware, explosions, shooting, glass breaking, people getting killed, fire engines etc.
The humor that was worked in.
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Candyman Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is that even if you don’t understand every story point of a thriller film, as long as the conventions are there, you will be pulled in to watch it, and you will be on the edge of your seat doing so.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Brianna Cartwright, the fiancé of the man chosen to carry on the legacy of Candyman, must crack the code of how to use Candyman’s bloodlust to protect the Black community of Chicago from remnants of its racist past.
Dangerous Villain: I feel that there may be two. The original Candyman, Daniel Robitaille, and Anthony McCoy, who he has chosen as his successor.
High stakes: People are being found mutilated all over Chicago after coming in contact with the mythology of Candyman, or, Candyman’s chosen “vessel”, an artist who has become possessed by him.
Life and death situations: If you are from a racist bloodline, and you say “Candyman” into a reflective surface 5 times, he’ll show up and murder you in the most horrific manner possible, and everyone with you.
This movie is thrilling because? There is the ever present danger of people who keep starting the ritual, and you wonder if they’ll finish it. Candyman kills everyone in a wildly unique way – almost the way you are wondering how the next person will die in Kill Bill.
Big Mystery: Who is Candyman and what does he want?
Big Intrigue: The urban legend behind Candyman’s origin story and who his true targets are.
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I watched “The Recruit” A really great thriller by the way.
The BIG Mystery, Intrigue, & Suspense aspects of the movie are as follows:
[1] Big Mystery: The secret, question, or puzzle that must be solved by the hero. Was Colin Farrell’s father in the CIA; was he an agent? Did he die and is that his “star” on the wall at the CIA headquarters.
[2] Big Intrigue: The covert, underhanded, or clandestine force or plan of the Villain. Pacino is setting up Colin. First, by framing his love interest making it look like she is the mole in the CIA. Second, he “pretends” to have Colin be the black ops agent called a NOC, by washing him out of the training program. We learn Pacino is framing Colin; two layers of deceit and deception.
[3] Big Suspense: The main danger that the hero experiences. Colin Farrell being tricked by his handler (Pacino) and going after the love interest, convinced she is a mole. Colin learns she is not a mole, that Pacino is the mole. He scrambles to get Pacino’s confession on tape – and does so as the CIA close in on them and Pacino is killed.
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Total Recall
Big Mystery: Who am I?
Big Intrigue: Why does the Antagonist want the Protagonist alive?
Big Suspense: Is my life all a dream?
This is a great thriller because it continuously undermined what you believed was happening was real.
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The Woman in the Window
What I learned doing this assignment is: One of the big mysteries, the cause of the agoraphobia, isn’t related to the murder across the street but plays a central role on Anna’s state of mind.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
Anna Fox, child psychologist confined to her apartment due to agoraphobia. She spends time watching her neighbors, not realizing that the new family across the street is dangerous. She doesn’t doubt her senses even though she has issues with drinking and medications.
Dangerous Villain:
Ethan Russell: psychopathic
teenager across the street. Pretends to be vulnerable to gain Anna’s
trust, while planning to murder her.<div>High stakes: 1) Physical – Anna’s
life; 2) Mental – Will
she recover from the undisclosed trauma that caused her agoraphobia?Life and death situations:
Woman is murdered across the street, Ethan comes to kill Anna and her
renter, David. Will the cat die?This movie is thrilling
because it combines physical danger
with mental instability. The gaslighting neighbors and dismissive police make
Anna question herself and plan suicide. At the point when she is shown to
be correct in her assumptions, it is almost too late.What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: 1) Who was the murdered
woman and who murdered her? 2) What caused Anna’s agoraphobia? </div><div>Big Intrigue: Ethan gains Anna’s trust with the intent of murdering her.
Big Suspense: Threat to life
and deteriorating mental state.4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
This is said not to be a remake of Rear Window, but comparisons to Rear Window kept coming to mind. Eventually, however, the plot pulled me in enough to forget Rear Window (except for worrying about the cat!).
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Secret Window (2004) Thriller Conventions
is on Amazon Prime.
What I learned doing this assignment is the characters have to stand off the page with internal/external tension.
At the beginning, MORT RAINEY learns that he might have stolen his published story from a writer named JOHN SHOOTER. Tucked away at a remote cabin, Rainey processes the possibility, while being haunted by his past failed marriage, during an internal struggle for sanity.
Originally written as two short stories by Stephen King, the film does a great job of sending the audience in weird directions as Rainey pushes his way to the resolution.
The Unwitting but Resourceful Hero is Mort Rainey. Mort has a mental break, something like in the movie The Shining, if Jack got away with it.
The Dangerous Villain is Shooter, later revealed as Mort, who is determined to get even for the divorce.
The High stakes of death are played out by Shooter’s threats, killing of his dog and others, which turn out to be Mort.
The Life and death situations start as verbal then the death of his dog ramp things up. Things continue to ramp up, testing Rainey’s mental stability until it’s revealed that Shooter is Rainey.
This movie is thrilling because of the isolation of the environment, pacing of the movie and increased violence and twist.
The Big Mystery is what the hell is going on?
The Big Intrigue is what the hell is going on?
The Big Suspense is what the hell is going on? LOL
NOTE: Yesterday, I did this for BLOOD SPORT then when writing it up realized it wasn’t a thriller only to do this one to find out the hero / villain are the same person ;-/
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P.S. I would have to call Die Hard a crime-thriller sub-genre, but a romantic-thriller would be a close second.
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Transsiberian (2008)
The Unwitting but Resourceful Hero consists of two characters: Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jesse (Emily Mortimer) attend a church conference in Russia and decide to tale the Trans-Siberian railroad across the country to complete their “once-in-a-lifetime.”
The Dangerous Villain is initially thought to be “The Spaniard” Carlos (Edwardo Noriega), but the twist at the end reveals the Russian drug detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley) to be the villain and who meets all the conventions for a thriller.
The High stakes are Jesse’s innocence or guilt as a murderer of Carlos, or her merely defending herself against his sexual advances. In the end, both her life and that of Roy’s are at stake in this drug drama.
The Life and death situations include Carlos attempting to rape Jesse, then her near fall from the train, and at the end the defense of Roy and Jesse against the drug cartel.
This movie is thrilling because if owe has ever traveled on trains in any of the countries of the former Soviet Union (and I have) they will identify with the many characters and events that ride these mysterious trains.
The Big Mystery is why is Carlos and Abby (Kate Mara) so friendly to Roy and Jesse, and what is the significance of the dolls Carlos carries with him.
The Big Intrigue is the situation with Grinko’s pursuit of Roy and Jesse as new friends on the train..
The Big Suspense is how is Jesse going to disentangle herself from the situation where she has killed Carlos without Roy and the police knowing about it. Moreover, how are they going to get out of the situation with the drug cartel?
What I learned doing this assignment is that I can better identify the necessary conventions of a thriller.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Edward Gadrix.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by
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MOVIE SCREENED: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER – CONVENTIONS
Psychological Thriller?
What I learned: Keeping Conventions in mind as I watched the movie
HERO:
Dr. Ryan is an analyst fueled by both analysis and instinct, and improvises when he needs to.
VILLAIN
The real villain is the lack of clarity in the conflict, and the really high price of getting it wrong – nuclear conflict.
Ramius the Russian Commander, means our hero no personal harm, but we have evidence that he can be unscrupulous if that serves his interest, as when he murders the Russian political attaché assigned to him.
BIG MYSTERY
The true intentions of Ramius – big consequences
BIG INTRIGUE
Ramius’s plan is full of highly intelligent deception –
BIG SUSPENSE
The audience is kept waiting for the big reveal and assurance of outcome. Right at the very end there is the shock and further frustration from the last-minute twist, and high stakes battle.
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The Saint (2017 TV Movie) Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment: Mysterious relationships and clues being dropped here and there can draw a viewer into the story. The story I have in mind has similar elements, but I have not yet created the mystery or the clues.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Simon Templar, good at what he does, but facing hidden threats. He thinks he is working on one thing, but the events surrounding him involve a much bigger, personal story.
Dangerous Villain: The Fixer steals money from third world countries through hacking bank computers. He is deeply connected to Templar’s youth, but Simon does not know this.
High stakes: An innocent girl has been kidnapped.
Life and death situations: Battles every few minutes. A nuclear bomb. Helicopter minigun firing into hotel. Bank vault protected with explosives.
This movie is thrilling because? Although we don’t worry about Templar, he is The Saint after all, we don’t know if the people around him, or the people he is trying to save, or the law enforcement he interacts with, will survive.
Big Mystery: Who is the villain and what is his relationship to Simon Templar.
Big Intrigue: A Ring, identified as important to some family, appears early on and keeps reappearing at crucial moments in the story. Why?
Big Suspense: Ticking clock: “You’ve got 48 hours”. The innocent girl will be killed if money is not transferred.
What makes it a great thriller? You don’t understand certain things that you are seeing, but it is obvious that they are clues to some mystery. Unexpected connections appear that make it more mysterious as it progresses.
Fun note: This was supposed to be a pilot for a reboot of The Saint TV series. It did not get picked up. Roger Moore appear in it for about 30 seconds towards the end.
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Renee’s Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is what the basic conventions of a thriller movie and why it’s important to follow them when writing my own thriller.
THE CONJURING – it matches the model and isn’t one of the example movies that we will be analyzing during the class.
• Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Ed Warren – he doesn’t want to take the case initially because he is worried about what it will do to his wife Lorraine. He eventually is forced to use his knowledge of paranormal activity to perform an exorcism to save the Perron family from a malevolent spirit.
• Dangerous Villain: a malevolent spirit that cursed the land that the house sits on upon her suicide. She will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who resides upon her land.
• High stakes: if the malevolent spirit isn’t stopped, the entire family will die.
• Life and death situations:
o Carolyn (mom) is shoved down the basement stairs by an invisible entity.
o Eldest daughter is attacked by the malevolent spirit.
o Nancy is dragged around the living room by her hair and thrown into various pieces of furniture.
o Lorraine’s daughter Judy is attacked in her own home by a malevolent spirit.
o Carolyn takes her youngest children back to the house to kill them.
o Carolyn becomes possessed by the malevolent spirit that won’t let her leave the house.
o Ed Warren must perform an exorcism even though he isn’t an ordained minister.
o Carolyn gets free and goes after her youngest daughter.
• This movie is thrilling because? The stakes get raised throughout the movie and you don’t know if Ed and his wife Lorraine will succeed in getting rid of the malevolent spirit in time to save the family.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
• Big Mystery: who/what is terrorizing the family.
• Big Intrigue: why is the malevolent spirit trying to kill the family.
• Big Suspense: Ed performing an exorcism that he isn’t trained to do.
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HI ALL –
Unfortunately a personal issue has come up in my family and am not able to participate in the course at this time to map my thriller.
However, just reviewing all your responses is a way for me to learn!
Best wishes on your thriller journey.
Lew Sherwood
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE fall out- sophia banks
What I learned is how much intrigue, action and thrill one needs to sustain audience and have a good movie.
• Big Mystery: The secret, question, or puzzle that must be solved by the hero.
Who took the plutonium
• Big Intrigue: The covert, underhanded, or clandestine force or plan of the Villain.
Henry Cavill to frame Ethan Hunt and who works with the apostles.
• Big Suspense: The main danger that the hero experiences.
The turning on Ethan by Walker, and the threat of him and Solomon Lane to blow the plutonium.
2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
• Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
Ethan hunt who is MIF agent, very resourceful but cares about the one individuals and there for gets himself in trouble. Also gets framed and gets people hurt including his ex-wife.
• Dangerous Villain:
Walker, rogue CIA agent who wants to kill Ethan.
Solomon lane who wants to frame Ethan and kill his ex-wife.
• High stakes:
The entire world will blow up.
1/3 of population stave.
• Life and death situations:
Life and death
Plutonium new clear weapons
Life and death walker almost dies jumping out of plane
Ethan hunt and Walker almost get killed in bathroom scene
Ethan hunts almost gets killed in the meeting with White widow.
Ethan hunts almost gets caught by French police in take capture of Lark.
Police woman gets shot and Ethan almost killed.
The car chase in BMW Ethan almost gets shot.
Ilsa almost gets killed by Ethan.
Raid on the tunnel with Ethan and CIA
Almost died on elevator
Bombs cant be disarmed endangering entire team
Helicopter chase
Fight with walker
• This movie is thrilling because?
No stop action and suspense, twist and turns – like the revealing of Walker as agent imposter.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
• Big Mystery:
Who took the plutonium.
• Big Intrigue:
Walker working for lane, inside agent.
• Big Suspense:
The capturing of the plutonium and the stopping of blowing up the old.
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What I learned from this assignment is how to combine comedy with the components of a thriller. I’m totally inspired by this movie and hope that my own work can emulate the same experience for audiences, although my characters and situations are quite different.
Title: A SIMPLE FAVOR
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Stephanie, a widow with a son who has a vlogg on cooking and arts and crafts. She does everything perfect but is very unsure of herself.
Dangerous Villain: Emily, mother of Stephanie’s son’s best friend, ruthless and afraid of nothing except having her photo taken. Psycho.
High stakes: Losing children; $4,000,000; Stephanie’s life; Sean’s life.
Life and death situations: Emily shooting Sean; Emily holding Stephanie at gun point; Contacts from Emily when she is supposed to be dead; Bruce chasing Stephanie in a truck; Stephanie’s visit to the bible camp; Stephanie’s visit to Emily’s mother.
This movie is thrilling because it has so many twists and turns. As Stephanie moves closer to both the truth, the higher the risk that she will lose everything. Her character arc is amazing but you’re never really sure that she’s going to triumph over Emily’s evil.
Big Mystery: What has happened to Emily? Is she dead or alive?
Big Intrigue: Emily’s past; Will Stephanie be able to escape Emily’s psychological manipulation?
Big Suspense: If Emily is alive, will she kill Stephanie and Sean?
love this movie because it is the kind of thriller that I enjoy and want to writer. No gore or huge bloodshed, just psychological mayhem that is not only intriguing but fun to experience!
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Subject Line: Unknown (2011) Thriller Conventions
What I’ve learned doing this assignment is how to spot the the layers outlined in the thriller conventions more easily.
Unwitting but resourceful hero:
Scientist Martin Harris arrives in Berlin for a Biotechnology Summit accompanied by his wife. After a near fatal car accident that placed him in a coma, Martin sets out to reclaim his life, but no one knows who he is, including his wife, and another man claims to be him. Over time, he learns that he’s part of an elite group of assassins sent to the summit to eliminate an Arab Prince, but his colleagues have turned against him and he must bring the fight to them to survive.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Dangerous villain:
Rodney Cole, head of the group of assassins who were sent to Berlin to kill the prince. Cole wants Martin dead because Martin starts to believe his own cover story, that he’s a scientist attending the summit in Berlin, ready to share his research with other colleagues in attendance. Cole has activated several assassins in the group to eliminate Harris whom he believes is dangerous to the operation.
High Stakes:
Harris’s life, his wife’s life, his career and reputation, his very identity.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Life and death situations
The taxi Martin is traveling in crashes into the river, almost killing him; a mysterious man tries to kill him while he’s in the hospital recovering from his injuries. The assassins Cole sent after him follow him to the apartment of a waitress who’s helping him unravel the mystery, and tries to Kill Martin, but winds up killing her friend; death of the nurse who treated him in the hospital; death of former East German spy helping Martin.
The movie is thrilling because we’re afraid the assassins will succeed in killing Martin before we have a chance to discover who he really is, and why the villain wants him dead.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Big Mystery: Who is Martin Harris?
Big Intrigue – The group of assassins determined to kill Harris and their elimination of anyone who tries to help him.
Big Suspense – Will Martin uncover the real reason assassins are trying to kill him?
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THE MATRIX Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this: This is the third time I’ve analyzed THE MATRIX, and I saw it completely different from the last time. The last time, i easily saw the BIG PICTURE stuff, but this time, I got drawn into the nitty gritty of each scene and how it was constructed. Also, I learned that this may be more of an Action picture than a Thriller. I guess you could say it’s an “Action Thriller.”
MOVIE: THE MATRIX
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
NEO. He’s a hacker who sells black market software… He gets a mysterious computer message to “follow the white rabbit,” and he’s down the rabbit hole.
He’s unwitting because he has no idea where the rabbit hole will lead. Morpheus tells him, “You’re the one,” but he doesn’t have the vaguest notion what that means. When he’s finally shown the ugly truth about reality and the MATRIX, it’s overwhelming, and he doesn’t want to believe it.
He’s resourceful because he always was “The One,” just as Morpheus believed. And as he goes through training with Morpheus, he transforms into a powerful, badass fighter, with eye popping skills– the only human capable of destroying the Matrix.
Dangerous Villain:
There are layers of Dangerous Villains, personified by AGENT SMITH, who has superpowers inside the Matrix, and leads a team of Agents, who have the power to kill Neo (and his compatriots.) Beyond Agent Smith, there are the “Squiddies,” robot-killing machines that search in the real world for Morpheus and his crew, and beyond them is the hive-mind that is The Matrix.
High stakes:
The stakes couldn’t be higher: life or death, and the future of humankind
Life and death situations:
The Agents want to kill Neo because he is “the One,” the only human who can destroy the Matrix.
If Neo dies inside the Matrix, he’s really most sincerely dead.
The Squiddies want to destroy Morpheus’ ship, the Nebuchadnezzar to neutralize the threat from Morpheus and his crew.
This movie is thrilling because?
Non-stop Interest Techniques, raising stakes, a traitor in their midst, and of course the eye-popping kick-ass action that was iconic in its day.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery:
What is the Matrix? Who controls the Matrix? Is Neo the truly “The One? Who are the Agents?
Big Intrigue:
The AI behind the Matrix has enslaved all of humanity and turned people in to “batteries” to supply power to the Matrix… They’ve also created a realistic cyber world for the enslaved population to live as avatars, unaware of their true situation.
Big Suspense:
Will the Agents kill Neo before he can save humanity and put an end to the Matrix?
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No Time To Die (New James Bond 007 feature): Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment: I was able to identify and match the elements discussed in the first class with how they played out on-screen.
SPOILER ALERT: Should anyone desire to see this movie, it may be beneficial to not read any further.
James Bond is retired from his 007 active service with his probable forever girlfriend. But his peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old CIA buddy, asks for James’s help. This leads Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain armed with an ultra dangerous new technology that, in the wrong hands – this villain, could eliminate anyone in the world with pinpoint accuracy.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
James Bond, retired version. He’s not adept or equipped as he once was when operating as the real 007 in his heyday. In fact, MI-6 replaced him with a newly assigned 007 when he retired.
Dangerous Villain:
Safin, pathetic in appearance yet clever, scheming and wealthy, desires world dominant power and plans a new world order he would lead by uniquely killing off any and all opponents without firing a single shot.
High stakes:
Safin conspires with a top biochemist, also evil, who develops nanotechnology that, by the mere touch by a host who has this special DNA, can infect another. The newly infected individual is either a host that is unwittingly targeted to kill another (because she/he is now infected) with her/his mere touch, or is the one who is targeted for death by the touch. In either instance, the DNA of this technology can be manipulated to target and kill with pinpoint accuracy of certain individuals, or it can be modified to kill groups of individuals, or it can be manipulated to kill off entire populations, even targeting an entire race. And in the hands of Safin who is mass producing the undetected “touching agents” in an impermeable World War II bunker, the world is in serious trouble.
Life and death situations: Here’s just ten:
1. Opening scene. Madeleine as a child, witnesses her mother’s murder by Safrin. She flees, falls through a frozen ice pond and is trapped under water. Safrin saves her. Madeleine later becomes James’s hopeful forever life friend in retirement.
2. Purported (false) betrayal of Bond by Madeleine.
3. James, in retired mode, visits a grave. But his old enemies, the Spectre organization, booby trap the grave with a bomb. He’s nearly killed but survives.
4. Ronan-type car / motorcycle chase scene.
5. Escape from Spectre ambush
6. Death of James’s CIA buddy, Felix Leiter.
7. Madeleine and her daughter’s kidnaping
8. The bio-nanotechnology, when explained
9. Break-in and break-out of the World War II bunker and the mass production of human infectors.
10. Spoiler: The final scene of the living James Bond who, now infected by nanobots meant to target for death his love, Madeleine, chooses to remain on the island where British missiles with warheads are irretrievably on their way to forever wipe out Safrin’s factory of human infectors.
This movie is thrilling because?
In James Bond fashion, there is always an anticipated, upcoming fight where Bond beats incalculable odds.
What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
The revelation of the method by which the bio-nanotech infection can be passed by a mere touch, and how it can be engineered to infect certain individuals or populations with pinpoint accuracy.
Big Mystery:
Bio-nanotech method
The hidden room in Madeleine’s Norway home and the secret therein.
How is the leader of Spectre directing Spectre while imprisoned and chained in the most secure prison in the world? (Answer revealed: bionic fake eye).
Big Intrigue:
Madeleine and everything that she represents.
Did Madeleine betray James?
Is Madeleine’s five-year-old daughter James’s child?
Why the “new world order”?
Big Suspense:
Will MI-6 with James’s help be able to take out Safrin’s organization and bunkered factory?
Will James survive?
Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
This is a long movie, nearly three hours long. But it keeps you on your toes. Next, the history of Bond and how he gets up to speed. And then his demise with the realization that Daniel Craig would never grace the screen as 007 ever again. And, lots more, of course.
With my best regards, Gordie Cowan
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PREMONITION Thriller Conventions.
I chose “Premonition” (2007) starring Sandra Bullock.
The unwitting but resourceful hero is introduced as a wife whom ‘hates surprises.’ She is totally in love and her husband is constantly surprising her. She appears to have no allies, but is her own detective in discovering what is happening to her rearranged timeline and memories.
The dangerous villain is either death or fate.
The high stakes are death itself. She finds herself in dangerous situations she doesn’t fully understand, danger to her family, and the disruption of her marriage.
Life and death situations saturate this movie.
The movie is thrilling because it moves very quickly. We don’t know who will be alive or dead at the end of it. The days are mixed up, worlds overlap, and it seems like everyone else is in on something she doesn’t get.
The BIG MYSTERY is how can she save her husband and protect her family when she can see events (or their aftermath) before they happen.
The BIG INTRIGUE is following this woman on a mission we want her to succeed at, but we don’t know how or if she is able to do it.
The BIG SUSPENSE reveals itself during every moment we are confused and questioning reality along with our main character.
It was a great thriller, because it moved quickly and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, trying to solve the puzzle. Unfortunately I don’t think the lost time and mixed up days accounted to what I would call a resolute ending. Although there was a surprise bit I hadn’t thought of at all (spoiler if I tell, you will just have to watch).
What I learned doing this assignment is how quickly thrillers move, and more importantly, how much I like it when they move quickly. Compared to other thrillers I have watched, this one took me on a ride versus me having to wait for answers longer than I wanted (I hate a movie that is too long or drags on farther than my attention span).
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Gone Girl Movie Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is there was a lot of mystery, layers and subtext that contributed to the thrill of this movie. The conventions in this lesson were very apparent in this movie.
The conventions of THIS story: Thriller, drama, mystery.
<div>
Unwitting
but Resourceful Hero: Nick suspects early on that his wife or someone is “playing”
with him so he hides evidence from the police. To buy time and figure out
what to do he stays a step ahead of the clues his wife left as long as he
can. He is honest, which although it can be a fault in the case, makes him
more likable and able to ward off some of the villains plans to take him down.</div><div></div><div>
Dangerous
Villain: She has the pedigree and mask to appear intelligent and sane. Highly
manipulative and skilled at plotting the way she frames her husband.High
stakes: Will Nick be arrested and convicted of his wife’s murder? Once she
is back home, will she kill him?Life
and death situations: The danger is mainly emotional and mental, testing
Nick at every turn. It is also danger to his freedom as they suspect him
for Amy’s disappearance.This
movie is thrilling because? Although he has his flaws, Nick is likable,
and we can see him getting pulled in deeper and deeper from the beginning
of Amy’s disappearance. He made mistakes in his past and are paying for
them in a big way. There are layers to this movie, relationship and
evidence-wise. And lots of big twists that I didn’t see coming.But I thought the ending was ridiculous, brought the entire
movie down several levels IMO.</div>
What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
<div>
Big
Mystery: What happened to Nick’s wife, Amy?
</div><div>Big
Intrigue: We suspect that Nick has been set up, and he was, by his wife.Big
Suspense: Everyone is coming for Nick and his wife was very methodical
about how she framed him. The big question is will he be able to prove it
or go down for her murder? Then when she comes back, it rachets up the
suspense – is she going to kill him?</div>
Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
· It is an interesting interplay of Nick and Amy’s voiceovers and her writings where they tell us what they are thinking, but yet there is a lot of subtext and mystery as well.
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Marathon Man – Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is how important the thriller conventions are and the consequences of getting them wrong.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Thomas “Babe” (Dustin Hoffman) is a history student and marathon runner. When Babe’s brother Doc is murdered and dies in his arms, Babe is targeted by the secret service and by Szell, thinking Doc has told Babe about Szell’s secret plan. Babe is running for his life.
Dangerous Villain: Szell, a wanted war criminal, doesn’t trust anyone; so when he travels to New York to retrieve his valuable diamond collection, he savagely kills Doc, a diamond courier. Szell wants to know if Doc told Babe of his plan before dying. The secret service, working in collusion with Szell, abduct Babe for Szell to torture using dentistry to determine if it’s safe.
High stakes: Babe’s life, Docs life, Szell’s brother’s life, the freedom of a Nazi war criminal.
Life and death situations: Szell’s brother killed in road rage, several murder attempts on Doc, Doc killed by Szell, Babe escaping aided by his running ability, elderly Jewish woman killed in street, shop assistant’s throat cut by Szell, Babe shooting secret service agent after agent killed Elsa (Babe’s girlfriend) at country house. Finally, when Babe throws the diamonds into the water, Szell stumbles and is killed on his own knife blade.
This movie is thrilling because: There is so much mystery and twists and turns, uncertainty and empathy with the main characters.
Big Mystery: Will Szell escape with the diamonds or will he be stopped?
Big Intrigue: The collusion between Szell, the secret service and Doc in assisting with diamond illegal activity and the danger to Babe’s life.
Big Suspense: Will Szell and the secret service kill Babe?
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Heidi Wolff-Thriller Genre Assignment-Day 1-State of Play
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” The Conventions of Thrillers
2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Cal McAffrey
Dangerous Villain: Robert Bingham, Steven Collins
High stakes: Cal McAffrey’s life, Della Frye’s life
Life and death situations:The murders of Sonia Baker, homeless boy, homeless girl, pizza delivery guy, Cal getting shot at in the apartment building garage.
This movie is thrilling because? It was completely unexpected that the assassin was working for Steven Collins.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: Who killed Sonia Baker?
Big Intrigue: Who is the assassin that killed Sonia Baker, the homeless guy, the homeless girl, & the pizza guy? Is he connected to Pointcorp?
Big Suspense: Will the assassin kill Cal McAffrey & Della Frye before they find out who murdered Sonia Baker, the homeless guy, homeless girl, & the pizza guy.
4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? The twist at the end that Steven Collins was working with the assassin.
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What I learned doing this assignment is:
Define your villain just as good as your main character. In this film the intrigue is missing. The MC knows who is after him and why from the beginning. That makes it more of an action movie than an action/thriller. Also, it’s hard in this case to choose the main character. Is it the woman, the boy, the policeman?
ASSIGNMENT 1
Those who wish me dead
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: the boy, fire woman, policeman,
Dangerous Villain: The assassins that kill the accountant. High stakes: Life and death situation throughout the movie.
The boy and his father are in constant danger. We fear for fire woman’s life because of suicide, she takes the boy with her so now her life is in danger too. The policeman and his wife are under threat as well. Threatening to kill his pregnant wife if he doesn’t help them.
Life and death situations:
Fire woman when lightning strikes and she slides down (throughout the film her wounded hand is foreshadowing her and the boys escape) , father and son are shot, a pregnant woman is shot at, the fire and they nearly shoot her, lightning when fire woman flees with the boy, a policeman comes home and his partner gets shot. The policeman dares the assassins to kill him. In the tower when they are shooting through the tower. The shoot out with pregnant woman and villain. The villain chasing the fire woman. She has an axe and he has a gun. The villain wants to execute the boy. The fire woman kills him together with the boy. It’s a close call. The fire is almost near the tower. The fire is also chasing the boy and fire woman. The reach the creek and lay under the water holding their breath until the fire has passed them by.
This movie is thrilling because? There are a lot of life-death situations.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: What has the accountant found out about these important people. This is not resolved though. We know this from the beginning until the end. We don’t know who are the people behind the assassinations. Will the boy and the people that help him survive the assassinations? Big Intrigue: Who gave the assignment to kill the boy? Not resolved
Big Suspense: Some ugly villains will kill anyone that gets in the way of them killing the boy.
1. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
The main character, the firefighting woman has a chip on her shoulder that is a threat throughout the movie. It resonates and mirrors the chip on the boy’s shoulder. There is an emotional layer under it all. That’s what makes it interesting.
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