Films Research Information

X-MEN First Class

The 2011 American superhero film was the fifth instalment in the X-Men film series, it was directed by Matthew Vaughn and produced by Bryan Singer. The story revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and focuses primarily on the dynamic of the relationship between Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto and how their groups originated and grew. The film stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and others. The film was an adaption of the comic series X-men: First Class, it was made to appeal to the audience of superhero enthusiasts, which includes the young audience and the older generation who enjoyed the original comics. Marvel have had a great period of success in recent years, there has been a ‘superhero-boom’ with many films being released such as The Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man and Thor. The production of First Class began in August 2010, there were many companies involved to produce the extensive range of visual effects, the technology required was extremely modern, in some cases ‘digital doubles’ were needed to complete certain scenes. This high budget for technology made it a huge attraction for audiences.  The film was made to continue the success of the X-MEN franchise; it uses the same group of characters to maintain the fan base of the previous films. The    unique selling point of the film is the spectacle of superheroes interacting together and the excitement generated by the tension. Furthermore it builds on the foundations set by other films in the series, meaning fans can see their favourite characters in new scenarios.

The Maze Runner

The 2014 American dystopian science fiction film was the first instalment of The Maze Runner film series, based on James Dashner’s novel. The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas who wakes up in a large area surrounded by a giant maze, there are several other boys there and Thomas must try to find a way out of the maze and figure out why he was put there. The film was directed by Wes Ball and produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen and Lee Stollman. The story has already been enjoyed by many through book form, meaning the film already has many fans. The film is action packed and the plot is one-of-a-kind, it combines a dystopian theme with tension and action, it is presented in a realistic fashion to create an amazing sense of immersion. The Unique Selling point of The Maze Runner is the interesting dynamic created as a group of teenagers are trapped in a maze, the film shows how their society runs and the different roles each member possesses. The mysterious maze is also intriguing as the audience is given very limited information about it, as the film continues, more and more information is slowly given to the viewer.

The Blair Witch Project

The 1999 American found footage horror film shows the story of three student filmmakers who disappeared in the Black Hills near Burkittsville. The film shows the discovered video and sound from their equipment which was found a year after their disappearance. It was written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez and it was produced by Haxan Films. The film begins with text saying the three student filmmakers disappeared and their footage was found. The film then shows the student’s efforts to prove the existence of a witch; despite multiple warnings from locals, they enter the woods only for a series of events to happen leading to the climax, where the characters are seemingly attacked and the footage ends. The film was revolutionary as it allowed the audience to engage in the story in a new way, the footage is shot from a first person perspective.