My response!

I believe the grade i was given was fair when assessing how much effort and work i produce for the subject...i got the grade considering how much i contribute to the course and so0o forth..
My 3 targets:
1. Change the grade B to a grade A
2. Work more on the independent study and try answering the actual question
3. imporve my vocabulary and written style

Work one does when Mr Bush is AWAY!!!....

The three points that me and kunal discussed were as follows:

1) Representation of Men:
Throughout both of our texts the representation of men is a key factor which we both need to look into. Therefore we will be looking at factors such as how the representations of these men have changed throughout time. For example, in "Dhoom 2" the representations of men have changed over time such as the way they are not completely leading the story, and how their attire has changed. In "Coach Carter", the men start to get represented as a team and strong black males instead of being shown as not so highly profiled characters who have a weak role in the movie.

2) Representation of Women:
A woman is another factor which is important as their roles have changed dramatically over time as well as their representations. Dhoom 2 shows women taking more involvement in the narrative compared to how they were portrayed before and Coach Carter portray women such as "Ashanti" as a typical black young woman who gets pregnant at a young age by her black boyfriend therefore showing irresponsibility.

3) Representation of Asians:
Many believe that Asians have started to be represented as British citizens. In Dhoom 2 Asians are no longer the Asians you would see in classic movies such as “Sholay”. This has no link to Kunals study however we believe that by covering both Asians and Black people we can help each other better by getting Basran’s opinions on Kunals study and Kunals opinions on Basran study.


Summary:
we worked well together but we had a few problems with communicating with eachother and this may occur every now and again and we therefore need to have completed the work in SCHOOL hours which once again may be a problem as our time tables differ and we just have to sort it out between ourselves which at times also meens we do not have enough time to PROPERLY thin through what we are going to be doing... so far its alright and we'll see how we progress together throughout this course!...

BLOG BUDDY RESEARCH:1

The intial cinematic silent period is important when discussing stereotypes and roles of black characters in film. The reason, according to Donald Bogle, is that the five basic stereotypes (Toms, Mulattoes, Mammies, Bucks and Coons) which would from then on dominate the African-Americans on screen, were introduced at that time.The first black American character was portrayed on screen in the short motion picture 'Uncle Toms Cabin' by Edwin S Porter in 1903. Ironically and most likely due to the racial tensions of that time, the actor portraying the black man on screen was actually an unnamed white actor using make up to give himself a black face. The various stereotypes initially created through white actors portraying black characters were all used for the same outcome, the desire to entertain a predominantly white audience by creating, emphasising and enhancing the negative social ideologies toward african americans of the time, in which they were clearly regarded inferior to thier white colonialists (due to the slave era) and thus conveyed so onscreen.As societies changed and time moved on African Americans were finally given the change to play the parts of black characters in film. Thus giving the characters more depth and realistic plausibility than the previous white actors with black faces, and became a ground breaking opportunity for Afican Amrican actors to become new stars within the movie industry. However unfortunately, many actors even till today find it hard to play dynamic, thought provoking, stimulating or any other diverse parts, and instead find themselves struggling to break free from the stereotypes they became wedged into, due to the creation of the five basic and solid stereotypes created previously by thier white co-actors, writers and directors.

this has got nothing to with my study and believe i shall sit down with kunal and change the idea to doing the representation of MEN! which obviously we both didnt realise could link back to both of our studies....we shall shortly be updating our work! and come to a further compromise of doing representaion of men!

BLOG BUDDIES

FROM MY CLASS:
KUNAL: the reason for choosing kunal is as he is doing REPRESENTATION, however the difference with this is that he is doing the representation of Black youths were as i am focusing more on asians. Areas of overlap include that we both look at the social issues of how certain factors are changing in society and this topic raises alot of debates. We may not be able to help each other ALOT but i believe that we will be able to sit down and share ideas and opinions about each others work

FROM THE OTHER CLASS:
HAMMAD: the reason for choosing Hammad is that firstly he is focusing on BOLLYWOOD and the only one other than myself... he has copied me in some places!!! however i still believa we can share ideas: areas of overlap being comparing bollywood and hollywood!

'Bibliography: Books'

Book 1:
Neale, Steve(2000): "Genre and Hollywood". USA and Canada, Routledge.
This book is useful to an extent as it includes Genres such as Action, Adventure which are the same genres as "Dhoom 2" and it can easily be compared with Hollywoods definition of the genre.
Page: 52,53,54,55,56,57= ACTION ADVENTURE!
Page: 34,35= Todorov
Page: 188= Women: link to the way women presented in Bollywood movies.

Book 2:
Merchant, Ismail(2004): "Indian Cinema THE BOLLYWOOD SAGA", Great Britain, Aurum Press LTD.
This book includes the history of Bollywood and the changes it has been through.
Page: 13= The bollywood saga
Page:22= Heroines
Page55= Comparing Hollywood and Bollywood ( 1957- annus mirables)
Page:70= The vogue for foreign locals
Page:87= 1970's: the decade of rebellors
Page: 117= Going retro
Page: 122= Sex and violence in bollywood
Page: 138= 3 Incarnations of devdas ( can compare to see the changes over time)
Page: 144=Cross bordercultural exchange

Book 3:
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish(1999): "Encyclopedia of INDIAN CINEMA", New Delhi, Oxford university Press
( need to skim and scan through it!)

Book 4:
Jauss, H. R.(1982) "Towardan Aesthetic of reception", trans. T. Bahti, Brighton: Harvester Press
Page 214: jauss 1982: 106

Book 5:
Jeffords,(1994) Hard bodies; "Hollywood Masculinity in the reagan Era", New Brunswick: rutgers university press
Page: 52

Book 6:
Shatz, T,(1981) "Hollywood genres: Formulas, filmmaking and the studio system, new york: random house.
Page: 208

Self Directed Research...

During the time we started our independent study i have actually done my independent study and saved many links by which i can answer my question. however most of the links i have found at the moment are all to do with the Bollywood aspect, the next research i will do independently is the bollywood aspect and then start to compare Bollywood and Hollywood. i am proud of my self directed research that at times i enjoy doing that rather than the work set by Mr.Bush:D!!
The following are some sites that i have found and i will also briefly explain what they are:

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/dhoom-2-stunts-get-a-foreign-salute/39720-8.html?xml:
This is a site in which we can see a article which shows how the Hollywood industry were amazed by the stunts in "Dhoom 2".

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/now-ash-hrithik-get-into-kiss-mess/39328-8.html?xml :

another article which tells us the story about the kissing scene had been taken to court.

http://www.indiafm.com/news/2007/01/20/8689/index.html: this article is also linked to the kissing scene and shows how Ashwariyah Rai's In-laws to be did not approve of the scene and wanted it removed from the film.

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=123857&catID=6&category=Entertainment&rtFlg=rtFlg

a short review comparing bollywood and hollywood- but not in much detail.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441048/movieconnections
issues connected to the movie...for example it shows the places the movie went wrong it the "goofs" section. you can also see the "Plot summary" and "quotes" etc.

SeLf EvAlUaTiOn....

a.

Attainment-(2): I beleive i have done pretty well...i just need to be concentrating more on the coursework...not that i don't but a little bit more of a effort wont hurt!

Effort-(2): i do put effort into my work...however more effort is needed in order for me to produce EXCELLENT work...Mr Bush & Miss Jones standard!.

Punctuality- (2): I believe my attendence has been good overall.. this week it hasnt been good but one can fall ill, therefore i didnt attend it...im always on TIME to lessons!

Submission and quality of homework- (1): I always hand in my work on time!...and do try putting effort in all work set.

Ability to work independently- (2): i can work independently if needs be.. we have been experianceing alot in independent work in Mr Bush's lessons... yes we understand you have other priorities to0..

Quality of writing- (3): Still not the best of ability but im sure im getting there woth Miss Jones excellent teaching of English....so0o0 just give it time..

Organisation of Media folder- (1): I believe i have a well organised media folder...probably one of the best students when coming to organising my folder.

Oral contributions in class- (1): i talk alot in class and do contribute.... even if i do move off topic at times hahah...but yes i believe i do contribute at all times.

Standard of Module 5 blog: (2): i do post alot of stuff on the blog even when im not expected to... however more use of those DEL-ICI-OUS links need to be used.

Standard of Module 6 blog: (2): needs improvement and work needs be posted up. i end up doing the work on microsoft word but never add it to the blog!

Concept Analysis...

del.ici.ous Links x10.....

Introdustion to South Asian cinema.
this relates to my study as it has got brief information and an introduction to "Bollywood" overall.

Top 10 Indian Films.
This can be related to my study as i can go back and compare them to the "top ten indian films" and what makes them top ten and not "Dhoom 2"

Globalisation and Bollywood.
this is related to my topic as it covers Globalisation and this is a major aspect overall.

India's Art house cinema.
Can be compared to Hollywood arthouse cinema

Bolly: what, when, where, who....
answering many questions for a brief introduction to my study.


Comedy keeps Bollywood box office ticking.


The melody Queen of India Cinema.

ThE StOrY....

The world's oldest desert in Namibia... A solitary railway line... A royal family on a royal
journey... From the sky, like lightning... a FLASH! The centuries old Royal Crown is
stolen!
Ali's (Uday Chopra) dream of becoming a police officer has come true. He is now ACP
Jai Dixit's (Abhishek Bachchan) 'right hand man'. Together, they are trying to keep a tight
leash on the crime in India. Little do they know what they are going to be up against.
Aryan - Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) - A hi-tech international thief. After pulling off a series of
impossible heists all over the world, his next target is Mumbai, India. The case is given to
Jai and Ali. Helping them put the pieces of the puzzle together is ACP Shonali Bose
(Bipasha Basu), Jai's college mate, now a police officer in her own right. For the last two
years Shonali has been tracking these amazing thefts and is now an expert on this thief,
who no one has seen.
Once in Mumbai, Aryan finds his match in Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai), a petty yet clever
thief. She makes him an offer he finds very hard to refuse. A partnership! Aryan accepts.
And so the game begins - a game of cat and mouse.
From the desert of Namibia to the backwaters of Goa, the mean streets of Mumbai and
the ancient forts of Rajasthan, and finally to wild and exotic Rio De Janeiro.
Does Jai Dixit manage to nab Aryan? OR does he prove to be too much for him?.. Well find out, just
watch the movie…and just for you Mr. Bush, I’ll get you a copy with subtitles and I hope you enjoyed
the dance sequences'!

Media Studies Essential Word Dictionary...

Action code: In "Dhoom 2" the film is based on Action. A cat and mouse chase. At first we see Mr. A die but at the end the resolution turns out to be that the inspector finds them and lets them free as they have stopped stealing things.

Bollywood: Indian film industry, Indian themes, dance sequences, singing. This relates to "Dhoom 2" as it is a Bollywood movie with all the following conventions.

Camp: A comical character for a comic effect, adds a bit of humour. This relates to "Dhoom 2" as a character named "Ali" is in the movie to create the humour, with his funny accent and the way he acts.

Deviance: Unacceptable behaviour that goes against the norms and values of the society. The way this relates to "Dhoom 2" is by the main character Mr. A who is a thief and theft is seen as a deviant act.

Enigma Code: Narrative structure, problems solved by the resolution in "Dhoom 2", its all about a cat and mouse chase which is resolved when the inspector finds the thief.

Fade: An editing style, when the image disappears and the screen goes blank. This has happened when there is a intermission in the film.

Globalisation: Going international, a growing industry or company. This relates to the movie as it went global: UK, US, Africa.

Head- on -Shot: When action comes directly towards the camera. This is shown when Mr. A is riding the motorbike, seems as he is heading towards the camera.

Iconography: Elements which introduce and portray a certain genre. In "Dhoom 2" it can be seen its a Action film from the way the thief and the inspector are portrayed.

Journalist License: Permission to exaggerate and sensationalise news to get attention. It "Dhoom 2" the kiss scene was sensationalised.

Key Concepts: Audience, genre, ideology, institution, language, narrative, and representation!...all shown throughout the movie and will be analysed in detail throughout the blog.

Low angle-shot: a shot were the camera is below the subject. this is in the scene when Mr. A is falling from the sky.

Master shot: In dhoom 2 u can tell by the way the camera is shot that the jewel in the train is about to get stolen by someone.

Narrative: Structure of a media text: Dhoom 2 has a non-linear narrative as there is a flash back scene later in the movie!

Out- take: a shot rejected and taken out of the final cut of the film: In some copies of Dhoom 2, the out take was the kissing scene as ashwariyah In-law's to be did not approve of it.

Preview: a pre-release of the movie shown to a certain audience. "Dhoom 2" had a preview in which they invited many Bollywood actors and actresses to come and watch the movie and feedback on it.

Ratings: a viewing figure: in the case of "Dhoom2" its a "U" rating which means all audiences can watch it of all ages.

Sound effects: enhanced sound effect added to a film to heighten the audiences experiance. in Dhoom 2 we have this occur in many places especially before and after a robbery takes place.

Todorov: His narrative theory of having a equalibrium: in which we have a robber in Dhoom 2 and the police is after, a disequalibrium: cat and mouse chase in which the police can't get hold of the robbers and when they do the robber dies and a resolution: in which at the end the robber is found and left alone to live a new life!

Uniform resource locator: an address that specifies the location of a file on the internet...This links to my study as i have used this and will be using many resource locators.

Wipe: a moving image editing technique that involves one image wiping another off screen...this is essential as this effect has been used through the film Dhoom 2.

Master of Disguise!!...

In "Dhoom 2" the character of Hrithik Roshan, changes his looks for every robbery. This video shows how each character was created through Hrithik!...very impressive.

Getting to know the character of "Sunehri"...

COMMENTS:

Aman:

Chinty:

Deep:

Radhika:

Amrit:


wo0o wo0o!

Media Language...

To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?
The text is addressed to a audience of youngsters, both male and female. The reason for this is that the film includes, Young, sexy ladies the attract the young men and young, masculine men for the young ladies.

In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?

What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?

What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?

How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

"are you like checking me out?"

This is Ashwariyah's first appearance in the movie...what an appearance... dressed like Lara Croft and taking upon the "tomb raider" look.

The Start of D:2...

Something you wouldnt often see in Bollywood movies... well get used to it! Dhoom 2 is one of many recent Bollywood movies which have shown such scenes. The reason for why it made it so0o big in the news and papers is because this kind of behaviour goes against Bollywood norms and values! for some its just a 6 second scene but for many its a shame upon the asian culture.

kiss makes it big in papers....

Bachchans axe liplock scene in Dhoom 2

By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 20, 2007 - 12:01 IST

Audiences who will now go to watch Sanjay Gadhvi�s Dhoom 2 in nearby theatres will be utterly disappointed to learn that the daring kissing scene between Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai has been chopped off from the film. The lip lock had raised eyebrows and sparked off controversies right from the time the film released on 24th November last year. One lawyer had filed a legal suit against Hrithik and Ash. However, no formal action was taken against it by Yash Raj Films. But after the Bachchans formerly announced the engagement of Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, the kissing scene has been chopped off. Sources say that the Bachchans asked Yash Raj Films to chop the scene that shows their to-be daughter-in-law doing a bold smooch. Surprisingly, when director of Dhoom 2, Sanjay Gadhvi, was asked about this issue, he turned a cold shoulder to the media, saying that he would rather not comment on the issue. However, he maintained that his personal relationship with Yash Raj Films continues to be as it was, as he considers himself as a son of the Yash Raj family.

KisSiNg ScEnE...forbidden in bollywood!

Now Ash, Hrithik get into kiss mess

Delhi: A Muzaffarpur court has issued summons to actors Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan to appear before it on May 30 in connection with a kissing scene in the hit flick Dhoom 2.

District Judge H K Shrivastava ordered issuing of summons to them after taking cognizance of a complaint petition filed by an advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha.

In his petition, Ojha alleged Aishwarya, Hrithik, producer of the film Aditya Chopra and director Sanjay Gardi had hurt the sensibilities of the audiences by the ‘obscene’ kissing scene.

The court also ordered issuing of notices to Bihar government and proprietor and manager of a local theatre for allowing screening of the film despite ‘obscene’ content.

The summons have been issued under Sections 292 (sale of obscene book etc.) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.

SoNg: DhOoM AgAiN...

Dhoom 2 - Movie Review

source: http://onedimensional.wordpress.com/2006/11/24/dhoom-2-movie-review/

November 24, 2006 at 9:02 pm · Filed under Bollywood, Movie Reviews

I will put it in plain and simple words, Dhoom 2 did not work for me on the whole! The sequel to the surprising Dhoom overdoes what it is supposed to do. It’s lavish, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, it’s the most hyped film this year, with a huge starcast! But, somewhere it lacks something…

It is the same cops and robbers story, but this time it is mounted on a global scale, from the beautiful deserts of Namibia to the hitherto unexplored Brazil, sandwiching Aamchi Mumbai in between too! Hrithik plays the greatest thief Mr. A, and Abhishek and Uday continue where they left. Add Aish and Bipasha to the mix, and voila, you get Dhoom 2!

The opening sequence is unbelievable, but Hrithik manages to make it believable! Namibia looks awesome! The second heist is great too, and Hrithik’s disguises are cool. Bipasha plays a double role, as the cop Shonali Bose, and the NRI in Brazil, Monali Bose. She looks a million bucks, but adds nothing to the plot. Aish plays Hrithik’s muse, and looks stunning and acts well. The couple looks great. Abhishek’s role is paled compared to Hrithik’s but that was expected. Uday Chopra is a scene stealer. Rimi Sen has a 5 minute role as the pregnant and jealous wife.

The main culprit is the plot. The screenplay is not worth calling a screenplay. It tries to balance romance with action and coolness, but fails! While the heists are cool, the romantic portions drag endlessly. There are loopholes galore, but I will ignore them here. There is absolutely no real surprise/twist anywhere in the plot, it is very predictable. Simply put, the movie is basically some sequences of heists and romance strung together in a convenient fashion. There are very minor and expected “twists”, for the lack of a better word.

What did work for me was Hrithik, Aish, Uday, and Abhishek (not completely). This is Hrithik’s movie from start to end. Abhishek looks supporting type, and in fact Uday has more meat in his role than Abhishek. Bipasha is wasted, and Aish should do more such kind of roles. Hrithik carries the movie on his shoulders. In fact, Hrithik overpowers the movie, and makes it watchable at least once. He is not the villain, I would call him an artist instead, a superhero, with a demented mind. He looks better than the two hotties Bips and Aish. Aish looks scorching and does justice to her role. Watch out her “trust” scene with Hrithik, she rocks there. Uday steals every scene he is in, and brings the much needed comic relief every now and then. This guy has a lot of potential, Priyadarshan where art thou? Bipasha is wasted, but looks good in the bikini.

I think the biggest problem here is that Abhishek’s character has been relegated to the background for most of the movie, and the guy has to maintain the same expressions throughout the movie. There should have been more shades and nuances to his character. The ending scene of the movie is the best for Abhishek. Abhishek, to his credit, does well with whatever he has been given.

There are great one liners, the dialogues are witty, cinematography is top notch, and background music is great too. But the music is the weakest link here. Songs come randomly, and none of the songs, barring Hrithik’s dances, work here. They slow down the movie excruciatingly, and make the viewer restless. Action is good, some of the best action seen in Indian cinema, but the SFX should have been better, specially considering the budget of the movie. But one feels the slow motion technique has been overused here. There should have been more action, but instead, some jarring romantic scenes are interspersed.

Instead of being cool and slick, the movie comes across as overcool and too smart to be good. There is really too much slick to digest, and many elements are overdone. Director Sanjay Gadhvi does a fine job, but his previous two efforts were better. This movie doesn’t come across as his movie, any other director with the starcast and budget would have made the same movie, and who knows, maybe even better! There is no real “direction” in this movie, and this is precisely what the movie lacks. It goes haywire trying to add every masala ingredient, out of which, only some work.

There are far too many Hollywood inspirations to count, so I would not go into all that. So for those of you who follow Hollywood closely, Hrithik is your sole reason for watching this movie. Even Aish pales in comparison.

To sum up my thoughts, I would recommend watching this once, just for Hrithik. Other than that, Namibia and Brazil are beautiful, and Uday makes you laugh. The rest of it is all been there, seen that. Expected much more from this, and I am disappointed!

My OpInIoN...
I agree with the review to an extent, the reasons being that "Dhoom 2" does over do alot of it's sequances. The story line is so0o predictable and the main reason that everyone should go watch the film for is Hrithik seen as he is the face shown throughout ALL the movie. Adding cast like Bipasha and the wife is a total waste of time because they do not have much of a role to the movie and are probably added to get the film going on for longer. However i disagree on the statement on how Ash looks stunning...she enters the movie with a hollywood look to her and as for "Bipasha is wasted, but looks good in the bikini"...it's bollywood...bollywood and bikini's don't go!!

The Cast...

Hrithik Roshan

...

Aryan Singh/Mr A.

Aishwarya Rai

...

Sunehri

Abhishek Bachchan

...

A.C.P. Jai Dixit

Bipasha Basu

...

A.C.P. Sonali Bose/Monali Bose (twins)

Uday Chopra

...

Ali Akbar Fateh Khan

TrAiLeR...

PrOpOsAl

To what extent has bollywood turned into Hollywood, with close referance to "Dhoom 2"

Film: Dhoom 2

Date and Director: 24 November 2006 (UK), Sanjay Gadhvi

Hypothesis: Is bollywood turning into Hollywood?

Media language: westernised clothes…westernised dancing… set in different countries: Namibia, Brazil.

Institution: Bollywood: Yash raj films

Genre: Action

Representation: of the women as sex objects. Sexy and attractive, men are portrayed as strong and muscular.

Audience: teenage, adults and Asians.

Ideology: Patriarchal= men on motorbikes…women are portrayed independent but seen as sex objects.

Narrative: non-linear, shows flash backs of certain scenes.

Social: a form of escapism and racial events.

Historical: goes against traditional movies e.g. mother India and sholay.

Economic: increase in moving to one country to another…rich girl falls in love with poor boy and have to go to certain extents to get married because her family doesn’t agree with the marriage.

Political: patriarchal issues?

Theorists: Propp- hero & villain
Todorov- equilibrium, disequilibrium, resolution.

Research:
Watch movies: both Hollywood and bollywood to compare.
Ashwariyah rai: Lara croft….kissing scene…settings…clothes…speech
Internet research: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441048/ http://www.apunkachoice.com/movies/mov648/index.html