"Attack The Block" Matches Music To Movie Pretty Much Perfectly

Attack the Block is an unlikely contender in the currently overcrowded ring of alien invasion flicks – which are all fighting for success at the box office (particularly the U.S. box office). The film has no real headlining stars (a small appearance by Paul star Nick Frost is about as famous as it gets); it was shot on a small budget; the main characters are a gang of young, unapologetic hoodlums; plus, they’re young hoodlums who speak in thick British accents, while dropping slang that requires Urban Dictionary to decipher.

So the question then becomes: how does this foreign indie genre flick do so well what so many big-budget Hollywood genre flicks do so poorly, so often?

The setup is this: A street gang in one of South London’s tougher “blocks” are out one night, up to their usual no-good-deeds. This time they happen to run across a young nurse named Sam (Jodie Whittaker), who gets into a scuffle over her ring with the gang’s leader, Moses (John Boyega). In the midst of the scuffle a strange object comes crashing down from the sky, and all of sudden, Moses’ would-be robbery has turned into a battle with a mysterious creature. Being the tough guys that they are, Moses and his gang chase the creature down and kill it – only afterward determining that the creature is most likely an alien. Not that the boys care, though: as far as they’re concerned, ET has landed in the wrong neighborhood.

However, “actions have consequences,” as the film later reminds us. Moses and the gangs’ close encounter sets into motion a chain of events that lands them in the crosshairs of the police, a local gangster, and of course, a whole swarm of invading aliens. On this night gone horribly wrong, “the block” is indeed under attack.

What sets this film high above so many others like it is the style that writer/director Joe Cornish (Ant-Man, Tintin) crafts it with. The smart story, authentic characters, hip dialogue, inventive filming choices (in place of big-budget spectacles), vibrant cinematography and even the techno-funk soundtrack, all work to create a cohesive and engrossing movie experience. This is a film that contains many familiar genre tropes (sci-fi/horror/urban-drama/comedy), yet also feels contemporary, fresh, and absolutely fun.

The characters (and the young actors playing them) get big props for making this film work. It’s a bold move to ask an audience to follow and care about a group of hard-headed young hoodlums, but the cast of young actors (Boyega in particular) do a great job of making their respective characters human and relatable, without compromising their rough-edged authenticity, or wallowing in melodrama.

Take Moses, for instance. He’s a roughneck who has inner nobility beneath his callous shell – a knucklehead who you almost believe would be a better person in another world. Only, Moses is in the world he’s in, and isn’t apologetic about the wrong he does in order to survive. Think a strong, silent, outlaw gunslinger type, transported into an urban setting. His foil is nurse Sam, a woman who has lived in “the block” all her life, despite the dangers, and still sees a distinct line between right and wrong. The sub-plot with her and Moses going from predator and victim to friends adds a level of grounded meaning and subtext to this otherwise over-the-top story.

The supporting cast in this film are keep things light and fun from moment to moment. Those supporting players include Moses’ fellow gang members (the pot-head, the geek, the asshole, etc…) and “locals” like a dope-headed weed dealer (Nick Frost), his fish-out-of-water upper-class client (Luke Treadaway), a psycho gangster/wannabe rapper (Jumayn Hunter), and two “baby gangsters,” who spend the film trying to earn their reps on the block (in truly hilarious ways).

One might worry that this urban world which Cornish imbues with such life would be compromised by the sci-fi/horror/comedy tropes that get thrown into the mix, but this is not the case. Unlike other genre-mashing movies, the filmmakers do a good job pulling off the alien invasion by using what small resources they have to the utmost and making smart decisions. The aliens themselves are presented as big, oil-black “bear/dogs”, whose only discernible feature is a mouth of fangs lit-up like neon signs. This keeps the aliens mysterious and menacing, and saves the filmmakers the burden of having to create more detailed CGI creatures. The way the aliens almost ooze in and out of the shadows works perfectly in the urban environment, where there are nooks and shadows aplenty. It’s not the best effects work (not by a mile) but it is very effective in this context.

A good soundtrack is also a crucial ingredient in creating a good movie experience, and Attack the Block matches music to movie pretty much perfectly. House music duo Basement Jaxx, working with musician Steven Price, create a score for this film that is equal parts techno, hip-hop and funk; it amplifies the authentic feeling of the urban world the film is set in, while keeping the necessary tension pulsing throughout the proceedings. Definitely one of those soundtracks you want to keep bobbing your head to, long after the credits roll.

In the end, this is a film that is just fun to experience. The small-budget production values lend it a 1980s nostalgia, which is hard not to appreciate if you’re one of those people who grew up watching movies like Gremlins. Add in the modern urban edge, entertaining characters, and a story that manages to be clever on top of fun, and you have a movie that some big-budget filmmakers should look to before trying to push out another invasion flick that’s big on spectacle, but woefully lacking in enjoyment (see: Cowboys & Aliens – or rather, see Attack the Block instead).

Films Without Music Are Really Impossible To Imagine

Films are one of the best entertaining mediums. From the time of the silent moving pictures they have continued to make some impact on the human mind. Then gradually came sound and dialogues, but the film songs and the music, whether in the background or in the song is one of the best entertainment. It mesmerizes the human mind along with various kinds of dreams. However, the success of a film is related also with the performance of the actors, script or the director. But there is hardly anything that can be comparable with music.

There are many factors of how music can make an impact and can simply turn around a film. It is more than essential in dramas or plays, since it tells more than the story. It reaches deep into the heart of the audience and this makes music for film so much essential. The Bollywood film with their song and dance numbers is one of the best entertainment mediums. The Hollywood films relies more on the latest hit songs. Songs and lyrics are not only romantic but also equally applicable with horror, action or animation.

There are different kinds of music created in a film and this is related with various kinds of background music. This is known as underscore as per the terms of the background music score. This music differs from films to films and the original recordings are composed only for a specific movie. Most of them are used in movies and different kinds of recordings. It is generally related with subject contracts and royalties and this helps to make it much exclusive for the company. The songs are generally used to emphasize the emotions on a certain scene.

Films without music are really impossible to imagine nowadays. You may find films with frequent background music and only dialogues. Songs may be in the beginning or towards the end of the film but with every situation and to dramatize it further there is always the presence of music for film, whether in the background or the other. Most of these compositions are licensed; it can make comedies funnier or tragedies more heartbreaking. However, music should be cleverly inserted into the films to make the movies, plays or dramas more interesting and lively. With the music it could be as dull as the budgeted soap operas and can actually make or break a movie. 

"Titanic 3D" Enhances An Sharp Big Screen Experience

Following the success of Avatar, James Cameron became the poster child for modern 3D in Hollywood – setting the gold standard for how filmmakers could approach the format artistically (i.e., subtle depth as opposed to gimmicky pop-out effects). As a result, more and more directors are coming around to the 3D format, and delivering their own enjoyable implementations of the effect (such as in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo).

However, while Cameron may have opened the eyes of directors and producers – not just money hungry studios – to the benefits of shooting in 3D, many moviegoers are still skeptical of films that are presented with post-converted 3D. Non-native 3D offerings are a mixed bag with unnecessary (My Soul to Take) or flat-out ugly (Clash of the Titans) conversions, not to mention underwhelming applications of the format to re-releases (Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace). Can Cameron once again set the bar – this time for post-conversion – with Titanic 3D?

NOTE: As with previous 3D rerelease reviews, we’ll be focusing on whether or not Titanic 3D is worth the price of admission, instead of revisiting prior criticisms that have been routinely brought-up over the fifteen years since the Titanic‘s original release (the lengthy run-time (3 hours and 15 minutes) and an (at times) overly melodramatic romance, etc). While moviegoers no doubt responded to some of the film’s characters and plights, Titanic relied heavily on spectacle. But is that spectacle even better in 3D?

Unsurprisingly, the answer is yes. However, before addressing the 3D, it’s worth mentioning that Cameron and his team not only retrofitted the film for three-dimensional visuals, they also polished up the footage pre-conversion. As a result, Titanic 3D offers a noticeably sharp picture (at least compared to other re-releases from the late 90′s) and could, aside from a few shots where the CGI looks slightly dated, stand toe-to-toe with modern digital films.

Unlike Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace 3D, which really played-up the “experience it in 3D” angle, the Titanic 3D marketing has been a bit more subtle (i.e. revisit Titanic - now enhanced with 3D) which fits with Cameron’s approach to the format, in general. Despite mostly solid performances from the leading and supporting players alike, some audience members (now older in age) may find some character moments to be a bit more stilted and hammy than they might have remembered. Overall, though, the film still delivers a beautiful and at times chilling theatrical experience. Fans, as well as moviegoers who never had the chance to catch Titanic on the big screen, are likely to be pleased with the results even if it was offered in 2D, since the movie still presents well-rounded theater entertainment. That said, Titanic is only getting a 3D rerelease with no official 2D showings – which means that if you want to see the film, you’ll have to be ready to splurge on the upgraded ticket price. Fortunately, Titanic is worth the price of that 3D admission, as it employs the same subtle “style” of presentation as Avatar.

At first, audiences may be underwhelmed by the 3D – as the scenes on Brock Lovett’s treasure-hunting ship, as well as those on the seafloor, are surprisingly flat. However, as soon as Rose takes the audience “back to Titanic,” it becomes immediately clear why Cameron chose to present this particular film as an example of post-3D conversion done right. The Southampton Port scene is filled with eye-popping (not eye-hurting) 3D visuals that successfully add to the frantic energy and anticipation of the moment – from the massive crowd vibrating with excitement to the loading of a Renault motorcar. Like Cameron’s prior 3D efforts, the effect is extremely subtle – and, as a result, very natural and immersive. Even in the non-action scenes, where the camera might merely pan around a dinner table, the extravagant sets, costumes, and depth of field make even the most familiar moments fresh and captivating.

Calm 3D shots of passengers strolling on the deck or engineers monitoring the enormous cylinders in the engine room offer plenty of immersive visuals; however, unsurprisingly, the effects really take hold in Titanic’s latter half – as the character drama shifts into an epic disaster film. As mentioned the effect is subtle, but plenty of scenes are enhanced by Cameron’s 3D choices, dialing up the tension or, at the very least, outright visual spectacle in a number of memorable moments – such as Captain Edward John Smith’s window view on the sunken bridge, the flooding of E Deck, or the lifting (and subsequent sinking) of the stern – not to mention the frozen ocean graveyard.

The success of the post-conversion rests heavily on Cameron’s pre-commercial 3D skills as a visual filmmaker, which were readily on display in Titanic. This includes his attention to detail (painstakingly recreating the ornate particulars of Titanic and her passengers) as well as utilization of the full depth of field (both inside and outside of the ship’s hull). Very few of the film’s shots are ever uninteresting, as there’s nearly always something in the background worth having in the frame (whether it’s the static but elaborate details of Hockley’s stateroom or living breathing Irish immigrants dancing at the third-class party). As a result, anyone hoping for the kind of eye-popping visuals featured in Michael Bay’s shot-in-3D action spectacle Transformers: Dark of the Moon might be a bit underwhelmed, as the effect is rarely “in your face.” However, in this case, that’s actually a relief – since Cameron wasn’t as interested in outright wowing audiences with crazy visuals as he was in immersing them with the stories of the RMS Titanic.

Titanic 3D is easily the best example of post-conversion 3D to date. It might lack some of the creative synergy that could have been explored had the film actually been shot with 3D in mind (15 years ago) and it’s likely that some viewers, looking for non-stop 3D eye candy, could be underwhelmed by the film’s subtle effect. However, with plenty already going for it and a fresh polish from the pre-3D remastering, the post-conversion in Titanic 3D successfully enhances an already sharp big screen experience.