Australian/New Zealand Horror – World Cinema December 3, 2008

Dead Alive (Peter Jackson)

Although considered as Westernised cinema, i.e – Hollywood. Still thought source maybe approriate to original question.

Source taken from http://horror.about.com/od/foreignhorrormovies/a/australia.htm

Australia and New Zealand have a relatively short but rich horror film tradition, ranging from lowbrow slashers to socially relevant fare, from tense thrillers to outrageous horror comedies.

The Beginning: 1970s

Although horror movies have remained popular in Australia and New Zealand since the early part of the 20th century — particularly during America’s Universal years of the 1930s and Britain’s Hammer years of the 1950s and ’60s — it wasn’t until the 1970s that self-made Australian horror began to take root. It was during this time that Australian cinema as a whole experienced a resurgence due to increased governmental funding.

Director Peter Weir emerged as a fresh voice with his 1974 debut The Cars That Ate Paris. The quirky film mixed horror with humor while maintaining an art-house flavor that would characterize 1977’s The Last Wave. In that film, Weir used Australian Aboriginal mysticism to paint a haunting tale that delved into topical issues of race and culture. Before he moved on to a lengthy, prestigious international career, Weir would also direct a small psychological thriller for television called The Plumber. These early forays into horror and suspense helped propel the director into international stardom as well as aiding in the legitimization of such genre films within Australia.

While Weir’s films blended horror with other styles, the first outright Australian horror film might’ve been 1972’s Night of Fear. Originally banned for indecency, this story of a woman terrorized by a loner in the deserted Outback not only foretold 20th century Aussie exploitation fare like Wolf Creek, but it even predated the similarly themed, groundbreaking American hit The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by two years.

Early horror films like Night of Fear, the Western-styled Inn of the Damned (1975) and the nature-runs-amok Long Weekend (1978) utilized Australia’s natural, untamed environments to their advantage. The isolation of the undeveloped Outback would go on to play a major part in Australian horror — and even in action movies from Down Under, like the Mad Max series.

The Explosion: 1980s

As horror movies — and particularly slashers — exploded in popularity in the US in the 1980s, so too did Australia witness a healthy surge in the genre during the decade. Director Richard Franklin was one of the leading proponents of Aussie horror during that time, having helmed the 1978 telekinetic film Patrick and the 1981 serial killer road picture Road Games, starring reigning American “scream queen” Jamie Lee Curtis (who was riding high from her successive roles in Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train). Franklin would parlay those efforts into directorial duties for Psycho II in the US and the killer ape flick Link in the UK.

The avalanche of Aussie horror during that time ranged from the vampire film Thirst (1979) to the slasher Dangerous Game (1987) to the exploitation of Escape 2000 (1982) to the post-apocalyptic Dead-End Drive In (1986) to the psychological thriller Cassandra (1986) and the killer boar pic Razorback (1984). Razorback was filmed by renowned director Russell Mulcahy, who, like Peter Weir, made his early name in horror before moving on to bigger films like Highlander, Ricochet and The Shadow. Likewise, Dangerous Game director Stephen Hopkins went on to direct A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and Predator 2 before branching out into The Ghost and the Darkness and Lost in Space.

The surge of horror in Australia during the ’80s is evident in the decision to set the third film in the popular Howling franchise Down Under, featuring marsupial werewolves. Australian made-for-TV fare even tapped into the horror wave, as indicated by the 1986 survivalist tale Fortress, which revolved around the kidnapping of a rural teacher and her schoolchildren by a group of sadistic men. New Zealand also got into the act a bit, with small films like The Scarecrow (1982) and the mad scientist flick Strange Behavior (1981).

Stagnancy: 1990s

By the end of the ’80s, however, the quality of Aussie horror movies had become dubious — somewhat emblematic of the state of the country’s cinema as a whole, wherein international icons like Mad Max and Crocodile Dundee had been replaced by the likes of Yahoo Serious and the Energizer battery guy (Oy!). Cheap, cliché-ridden slashers like Houseboat Horror (1989) and Bloodmoon (1990) and thrillers featuring B-grade American stars like Linda Blair (Dead Sleep) and Jan-Michael Vincent (Demonstone) became more and more prevalent.

One exception, though, was 1989’s Dead Calm. This tense thriller about murder aboard a yacht in the middle of the ocean stood out amidst a sea of derivative, low-minded fare with its acute psychology, taut action set pieces and superb acting and direction — all of which combined to help launch the American careers of director Phillip Noyce and actors Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill. This one shining beacon signaled hope that Australian horror and suspense could regain the high quality of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

In New Zealand, however, the story was quite the opposite. The late ’80s and early ’90s witnessed the rise of Kiwi director Peter Jackson, whose Lord of the Rings films would later turn him into one of the biggest filmmakers in the world. Jackson made a name for himself in the horror genre with the graphic, campy “splatter” fare Bad Taste (1988), Meet the Feebles (1989) and Dead Alive (1992). His first American co-production, 1996’s The Frighteners, remained in the horror-comedy vein, but without all of the gore. Jackson’s success no doubt opened the door for a new generation of Kiwi genre filmmakers.

Resurgence: 2000s

The dawn of the 21st century signaled a comeback for Aussie horror movies. A string of releases did solid business on video in the US: the inventive slasher Cut (2000), the supernatural Hellion (2002), the murder mystery Lost Things (2003) and the psychological terror of Visitors (2003). The year 2003 witnessed the surprise success of the zombie comedy Undead, which earned a rare, albeit limited, theatrical release in America.

Even bigger was 2005’s torture-fest Wolf Creek, which became the highest-grossing Australian horror movie of all time and made over $16 million at the US box office. Wolf Creek director Greg McLean’s next feature, Rogue, was one of two Aussie killer crocodile films — along with Black Water — made in 2007. The Spierig Brothers, meanwhile, followed up Undead with 2008’s apocalyptic vampire flick Daybreakers, and Australian director Jamie Blanks returned to his homeland after helming American slashers Urban Legend and Valentine for 2007’s Storm Warning. As bigger budgets and bigger profits begin to mount for Australian horror, there’s even a planned trip back to the modest early days, with Blanks directing a remake of Long Weekend, scheduled for release in 2008.

New Zealand horror has likewise flourished (relatively speaking) since 2000, with films like The Locals (2003), The Ferryman (2007) and The Tattooist (2008) making a showing on video in America, and the Peter Jackson-inspired horror-comedy Black Sheep even receiving a limited release stateside in 2007.

Notable Australian and New Zealand Horror Films:

• Night of Fear (1972)
• The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
• Inn of the Damned (1975)
• The Last Wave (1977)
• Long Weekend (1978)
• Patrick (1978)
• Thirst (1979)
• Dark Forces (1980)
• Road Games (1981)
• Strange Behavior (1981)
• Escape 2000 (1982)
• Razorback (1984)
• Cassandra (1986)
• Dead-End Drive In (1986)
• Fortress (1986)
• Dangerous Game (1987)
• Dark Age (1987)
• Howling III: The Marsupials (1987)
• Bad Taste (1988)
• Dead Calm (1989)
• Bloodmoon (1990)
• Dead Alive (1992)
• Body Melt (1993)
• The Frighteners (1996)
• Cut (2000)
• Hellion (2002)
• The Locals (2003)
• Lost Things (2003)
• Undead (2003)
• Visitors (2003)
• Wolf Creek (2005)
• Black Sheep (2006)
• Black Water (2007)
• The Ferryman (2007)
• Rogue (2007)
• Storm Warning (2007)
• Daybreakers (2008)
• The Tattooist (2008

 

J-Horror’s influence – Forum Discussion June 4, 2009

Hey guys, i’m doing a research project for my media course..

If anyones interested theres a few youtube clips on this link to my blog..

if anyone wants to watchthem and then hit the big blue survey buttom in the right hand corner i would really appreciate it as this research will help with my findings and evaluation in my exam in a few weeks.

My research project is to look at Japanese Horror and see how and if it has influenced other international sub-genres of horror, i.e – South Korean, French, German. I tried to stray away from Western films (US, UK, NZ, AUS) as the project was based on World Cinema. Any questions/ answers please feel free to ask/say.

The basis i have been focusing on mainly are the main conventions of each sub-genre and looking for similarities and how each have influenced each other.

The four main films i have looked at are: Ringu (Japanese), Infection (Japanese), A Tale Of Two Sisters (korean) & Frontier(s) (French).

Ringu was alright, not that much scarier than its westernized partner and I remember at the time being embarrassed by the endless plot holes.

i thought ringu was superb, first film to actually scare me since watching stephen king’s IT as a kid, and i don’t really care about how scary it is compared with the hollywood remake, it was the same director and i don’t think he set out to make a version with an altogether different level of scariness

if you watch ring 0 the plot does make sense, but then don’t because it’s rubbish, 2 was alright though

And Ringu (Japanese), Infection (Japanese) are both brilliant films. The Japanese Ringu was much better than the American version. Although The Juon was a MASSIVE let down.

yeah, i’ve got tale of two sisters, it’s ok, nowhere near as engaging as ring and it borrows a lot in the SFX department

(Different colours indicate different posts by different people).

Interview with ‘Jaded Viewer’ May 27, 2009

Based on Asian & French Horror within World Cinema.

Thanks for checking out my site. Here’s what I sent over to the previous person who asked.

1)What, in your opinion, are the main conventions of a modern French horror?

Well my first real French horror movie was Haute Tension (high tension). I met the director Alexandre Aja and got to briefly speak with him.

It seems he was influenced by Lucio Fulci’s work so I guess french horror has gained its momentum from Italian horror.

I guess the first convention that seems most prominent is the home invasion. High Tension, Them (Ils) (more so than ever as the American version The Strangers seems to have the same premise), Inside and even Frontiere(s) have this same horror convention.

I’m an American so I don’t really know if this is a deep fear within the French culture but if it plays on that fear….I guess it works.

I think the 2nd convention is the French horror allusion to “others” as evil and maniacal.
It seems the French riots in 2005 have deemed Muslims as others. In Frontiere(s), it seems they play on the borderland rural french community.

But French horror seems to be an homage to the splatter of old. Good ole solid gore and carnage.

American horror has been PG-13 of late which sucks for us but I see the savagery of the new wave of French horror filmmakers seems to be going in that direction. There’s a new french horror film called Martyrs that follows the same suit.

2)What, in your opinion, are the main conventions of a modern Asian horror?

Asian horror mainly from Japan and Thailand is generally centered on the supernatural. Folk tales, old ghost stories seem to be the main focus with films such as the Ring and others.

Also, the Japanese seem to be focused on using their own society problems to make horror movies (bullying, sexual perversion, etc.)

I’m sure you could find loads of info on asian horror but those 2 would be the main conventions.

3)As you can see from your blog, who have seen a great many horror/zombie film! What do you think makes Asian (mainly Japanese) and French horror so different?

The japanese horror films are less on gore and more on the psychological. A creeping hand on the back of your neck for a quick scare. A mysterious phone call. Japanese horror is all about death in the future. Whereas French horror is more immediate.

4)I have read that J-horror mainly focuses on psychological horror and tension building, would you agree with this statement?

Yes. As I said above, it’s about atmosphere and using modern technology we use everyday that engulfs most japanese horror.

Possessed internet, videotape or notebook that kills. Every japanese movie is not abot the quick kills…its the building of 2-3 several deaths that make it memorable.

5)How many films do you know of featuring a Yurei?

I do know Yurei are japanese ghosts.

Ring, Ju on, Dark Water, One Missed Call, Shikoku, Spiral, The Grudge, Shutter all have this same premise.

I really didn’t like One Missed Call or any of these. Though I did like the Ring alot.

6)Why do you think that lately there have been such a great amount of French horror films being released?

Honestly, I think most French filmmakers make horror films to get into the Hollywood market. Aja made Hills Have Eyes remake. Others are following as well.

I think American horror is very bad right now. We’re in remake city and it comepletely fuckin sucks. So many freakin remakes it makes me sick.

French horror movies and I’ve seen most of them are awesome because of their atmosphere, various chilling scenes and all out splatter and gore. No cut aways. Just buckets of guts and blood.

American horror fans love that stuff. We appreciate it.

Only one American movie has come close (Hatchet)

I’ve written a lot of French horror reviews. You should check it out (my reviews are more humorous than your straight forward “real” critic review.

http://jadedviewer.com/2008/04/inside-review.html

http://jadedviewer.com/2008/05/frontieres-review.html

If you’ve got any other questions, let me know

References & Quotations- World Cinema (Critical Research) May 26, 2009

References needed for exam

New Media’s impact on contemporary Japanese Horror Cinema. ( http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4092/is_200710/ai_n21186134/pg_10 ) (Warda-Marciano, Mitsuyo)

‘Anne Allison writes, “Japanese ‘cool’ is traveling popularly and profitably around the world and insinuating itself into the everyday lives and fantasy desires of postindustrial kids from Taiwan and Australia to Hong Kong and France.’

‘Intriguingly, in South Korea, the local Korean film production company AFDF produced the film’s adaptation Ring Virus (South Korea, 1999, Kim Dong-bin) and released it on June 12, 1999-six months before the original Japanese version appeared on December 11, 1999.’

‘Japanese horror movies tend to have a distinct style — a deliberate pace, with quiet terror, often featuring morality tales and tales of vengeance either based on traditional Japanese stories or rooted in general Japanese cultural mythology (particularly when it comes to ghosts). That said, there is a significant undercurrent of graphic exploitation in Japanese genre films as well, showcasing shocking violence and sexual depravity.’ (http://horror.about.com/od/foreignhorrormovies/a/japan.htm) (Mark H. Harris)

Question 1 Notes (account of/evaluate)

World Cinema(J-horror-influence)

• Primary/Secondary research.
• Blog sites www.wordpress.com / blogspot.com
• Search engines – Google, use tags such as ‘Japanese + horror + influence + world + cinema + j-horror + k-horror + french horror’
• Look for previous research/opinions (opinionated, no neutral bias)
• These are usually good benefitial articles.

Quotes taken from google/blog searches/links from blogs.

Mark H. Harris, horror.about.com/od/foreignhorromovies/a/japan.htm

(conventions of J-horror/K/French/Other i.e NZ)

Shows similarities/differences between conventions and ideas within international subgenres of horror film.

Warda Marciano, Mitsuyo. – findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qu4092/is_qa4092

(Effects Asian cinema has had on world)

Japanes conventions, i.e – yurei, psychological horror.

Shows how Tarantino films have been influenced by this type of subgenre. (asian cinema), similar conventions/ideas used.

www.gaurdian.co.uk/film/2006/nov/05/features.review1 OR empireonline.com

film reviews of relevant films – film review/database website/company

Garunteed to be relevant

opinionated bias – possibly publisizing film

• Using internet as research tool = useful, searches have to be specific and refined, much irrelevant info. No txt unbiased, may not reflect true answer of findings.

Books  used = Flowers From Hell: The Modern Japanese Horror Film

(Jim Harper, NOIR PUBLISHING)

‘Over the past decade, Japan has become a key player on the contemporary horror scene, producing some of the most influential and critically respected genre movies of recent years. Whether it’s the subtle chills of Ring, the graphic brutality of Audition or the zombie-fuelled mayhem of Versus, leading Japanese horror has had a major impact throughout the world. From its origins in the mid-80s to the multi-million dollar franchises of today, Flowers from Hell traces the evolution of this consistently inventive and influential horror phenomenon.’

Introduction to Japanese Horror Film (Colette Balmain, Edinburgh University Press (15 Oct 2008))

‘This book is a major historical and cultural overview of an increasingly popular genre. Starting with the cultural phenomenon of Godzilla, it explores the evolution of Japanese horror from the 1950s through to contemporary classics of Japanese horror cinema such as “Ringu” and “Ju-On: The Grudge”. Divided thematically, the book explores key motifs such as the vengeful virgin, the demonic child, the doomed lovers and the supernatural serial killer, situating them within traditional Japanese mythology and folk-tales. The book also considers the aesthetics of the Japanese horror film, and the mechanisms through which horror is expressed at a visceral level through the use of setting, lighting, music and mise-en-scene. It concludes by considering the impact of Japanese horror on contemporary American cinema by examining the remakes of “Ringu”, “Dark Water” and “Ju-On: The Grudge”. The emphasis is on accessibility, and whilst the book is primarily marketed towards film and media students, it will also be of interest to anyone interested in Japanese horror film, cultural mythology and folk-tales, cinematic aesthetics and film theory. It covers classics of Japanese horror film such as “Pitfall”, “Tales of Ugetsu”, “Kwaidan”, “Onibaba”, “Hellish Love” and “Empire of Desire” alongside less well-known cult films such as “Pulse”, “St John’s Wort”, “Infection” and “Living Hell: A Japanese Chainsaw Massacre”. It includes analysis of the relationship between cultural mythology and the horror film. It explores the evolution of the erotic ghost story in the 1960s and 1970s. It examines the contemporary relationship between Japanese and American horror films.’

Others

Relevant Articles (references)

http://inventorspot.com/articles/japans_frightening_five_scariest_7632

http://musingcontinuum.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/ring-the-original-the-one-and-only/

http://horror.about.com/od/foreignhorrormovies/a/france.htm

http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_10773.html

Horror Buff Blog - http://horrorfatale.wordpress.com/

http://www.beyondhollywood.com/french-horror-film-inside-trailer-images/

Korean Film Archive - http://www.koreafilm.org

J-Horror History (The Death Of J-horror?) http://www.midnighteye.com/features/death-of-j-horror.shtml

Horror History - http://www.geocities.com/jahsonic/Horror.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2006/nov/05/features.review1

Forum for foreign horror film fans!

http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_10773.html

Broadcast News – Case Studies. May 15, 2009

Broadcast News – Case Studies

Velcro petals help bees hang on

Certain flowers on plants have evolved to help bees hang onto them to allow for pollination. The flowers contain velcro like properties which allow hooks on the bees to attach to them. Bee’s can realise different flower cell types through their feet.
This story is a new development, a new discovery by the University of Cambridge.
The news story was released on 15/5/09 after the experimental results and discoveries were published by the University and the journal ‘Current Biology’.
The story is news worthy as it shows new information about a process which is important for large ecosystems, especially within agricultural lands. News values – prefabrication, unexpectedness.
Agenda – To inform scientists and also the public about wildlife interactions. Could help with gaining knowledge about new areas of unknown.
Biased reporting is not obvious, although may be present in the fact that no repeats by any other ‘teams’ have been taken, and although the research looks as if this observation is true, it may still not be. However no bias from news organization itself.
This news has been gathered by local correspondents within Cambridge University. Also experts who have picked up the story from the journal.
There are images present, to show the experiment taking place and of bees and flowers which give the story a light hearted view and encourage people to read, with the use of bright colours.
Social groups – Scientists/ environmentalists.
There is no interaction with the organisation and audience apart from links to the journal and cambridge websites.
Also picked up by the telegraph, which tell the story in a similar manner, apart from use more facts than quotes.

Deal on 90m UK swine flu vaccines

The UK government has signed a deal to secure up to 90m doses of H1N1 flu (swine flu) vaccine by December.
News story is a continuous story, with Swine Flue being a major story present at the moment, this is a development from the other stories which were present.
Story released on 15/5/09 after journalists discovered the government had signed a deal.
The story is news worthy as it appeals to everyone in the UK, as there is a potential Flu pandemic set to occur. The vaccines could be the difference between the lives of thousands of people.
Agenda – To inform the general public and health organisations that the potential to die or become seriously ill from swine flu will not be as possible, due to the amounts of vaccines being produced.
The news story is not biased, however it is an informative article and no opinion is present.
News story was gathered by national correspondents, as it is a national story and effects all in the UK.
One image present of antiviral drugs to show what the drugs will look like. To early for pictures of the disease to be published.
Continuity, frequency,
Social groups – All UK population and potentially other countries. Groups featured = health organisations/government.
No audience interaction, apart from e-mail section.
Covered by many other news organisations/agencies. Such as the mirror, nursing times. Nursing times tells a similar story, but in a more medial worded way.

Obama ‘to revive military trials’

US President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Friday that he is reviving military trials for some of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Is a continuation of an older story, but hasn’t occurred in the news for some time.
Story broke out on the 15/5/09.
This news story is news worthy as it is relevant to the US and as they are a major elite nation, it is also relevant to out country as it could have consequences/benefits to the allied nations. Also has some levels of negativity and frequency.
Agenda – To inform the public of the revival of the military trials which have come under much criticism from the public.
To an extent the article may be biased as the criticism from the public have had an effect on the way the article has been written. Only takes the opinion, quotes from Barrack Obama’s point of view.
The information has been gathered by an international news correspondents or by a news agency as it is not a national/local story.
An image of Guantanamo bay prisoners and another of barrack obama are seen. Shows the harsh conditions that prisoners are kept in, as well as an important decision the president is to make.
The relevant social groups are the american government and the american military. Although the military have come under some criticisms, in this article they are shown to be doing ‘the right thing’ possibly due to them being ally troops.
Interactions from text and opinions taken on live tv show, however none on website.
Other sources of the story, that of american broadcasters show the story in a different light. Showing the American troops in a better way, and suggesting that they are doing the right thing, more national bias then shown in the UK.

Thousands flee Pakistan fighting

Displaced people from the Swat valley in one of the refugee camps.Thousands of people are streaming into camps seeking refuge from the conflict between Pakistan’s army and Taleban rebels in the country’s north-west.
Story was released on the 15//5/09, possibly by a news agency, as the areas of taleban fighting is in quite remote, dangerous areas.
Worthy of news as Pakistan are fighting the taleban who have threatened Western culture and lives in the past, with such things as bombings. If the taleban succeed they may gain control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. Western authorities are contemplating helping the Pakistan military. The story is a continuation of previous stories and contains frequency, continuation and relevance to elite nations.
Agenda – To inform not only the public of many international countries but also the governments, which will allow them to take action regarding the matter.
The report is biased in the sense that the taleban are a threat to Western societies and so voicing them an opinion would be against our nations.
Images are of Pakistan soldiers, showing bias towards the Pakistan and against the taleban.
The social groups featured are the Pakistan military who are seen in a good light, and doing ‘the right thing’, however the taleban are seen oppositely and are seen as ‘evil’ almost.
Opinions can be given, however most likely not to be in favour to the taleban.
All western news articles on this topic, highlight the stories in similar ways, however arcticles published by organisations and agencies within countries nearer to the ‘action’ do not press the pakistani military as much as others.

Codes & Conventions of Gangster/Crime Film Genre April 2, 2009

Motifs of The Gangster Genre

1. The hero is an immigrant who dislikes his low status in life and wants more.

2. Unlike the Western, this story takes place in the big city. The wide open plains have been traded in for the seedy alleyways and wharves of the urban jungle.

3. The gangster can only gain power by taking it. It is survival of the fittest, and the only law is the law of the jungle.

4. The only loyalty the gangster feels is for his own immigrant roots.

5. Success is measured in material goods – flashy cars, expensive clothes, and mansions. Women are measures of success as well.

6. The hero’s antagonist is society, and the enforcers of the law. The police, the FBI, the CIA represent the enforcers of societal status quo.

7. The end justifies the means.

Useful links – crime/gangster research/reviews March 27, 2009

http://www.influx.co.uk/wordpress/videos/gangster-lean/

Real Life Criminal ‘Gangsters’ March 25, 2009

Al Capone

Commonly nicknamed ‘Scarface’, was born in 1899 in Brooklyn, USA, parented by two South-West Itilian imigrants. Al Capone was an Itlian-American criminal who began his career in Brooklyn yet eventually moving to Chicago and becoming the ‘boss’ of the criminal organisation the ‘ Chicago Outfit’.

Al Capone became infamous for the bootlegging and smuggling of liquor, which at the time was a banned substance. He is also well known for the St. Valentines Day massacre, which took place in Lincoln Park, Chicago in 1929. The massacre was Capones effort to try and dispose of the rival crime organisation led by ‘Bugs’ Moran. Seven of Capones enemies were killed using Submachineguns and shotguns and was supposedly led by a number of Capone’s henchmen. The massacre left outrage within the public.

This has influenced many modern day films, such as Scarface taking the name from Capone’s nickname. Other films based on Capone include The Untouchables and Al Capone.

Kray Twins

Both born in 1933 Reginald and Ronald Kray were identical twins whom went on to become infamous criminals of the East-End of London during the 1960’s. Better known as ‘Reggie & Ronnie’ well well known organised criminals dealing with armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assualts (including torture) and were responsible for the murders of Jack’The Hat’McVitie & George Cornell.

The twins were also West End nightclub owners and frequently mixed with big stars such as Frank Sinatra. Both were eventually voncited to prinson being charged of the murders of jack McVitie & George Cornell.

Films which are based on The Krays include;  The Long Good Friday & The Krays.

Biological & Psychological Explanations of Schizophrenia March 23, 2009

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that can cause a range of psychological symptoms which include hallucinations and delusions. A delusion is something which a person believes to be true yet is untrue and a hallucination is hearing or seeing something that is not there or doesn’t exist. These are psychotic symptoms, with psychosis being the inability for a person to distinguish between reality and imagination. There is no exact cause of schizophrenia and no current cure yet is one of the most common serious mental health conditions with one in one hundred people experiencing an episode of schizophrenia within their lifetime.

There are two main explanations of schizophrenia, biological explanation and a psychological explanation. The Biological explanation suggests that behaviour can be related to changes in brain activity and its physiology. If behaviour is associated with changes in brain function then schizophrenia could then be caused by relative size of brain structures (areas) or brain neurotransmitters and hormonal activity. Another cause could be due to genetics. As the development of the body, including the brain is heavily determined by genetic, biological psychology assumes that most behaviours whether seen as ‘normal’ or not are considered to be inherited to an extent in gene form from parents. However no all symptoms could be created by genetic influence, as other factors such as social influences have been shown to change certain physiology such as hormonal and neural-activity. This gives the possibility that environmental and genetic factors could both influence schizophrenia.

Genetic factors can be researched using twin studies, especially those who have been reared apart (to try and prove whether environmental factors have an influence on schizophrenia using studies with adopted children or other cases.) and looking at the differences between monozygous and dyzygous twins. Evidence so far shows that concordance rates for schizophrenia in monozygous twins is much higher that the concordance rate for dizygous twins, providing support for genetic factors. Identical twins (monozygous) who share a one hundred percent gene share, have a forty eight percent chance or risk of both developing schizophrenia, this is much lower in non-identical twins (dizygous) where there is only a seven-teen percent chance or risk of them both developing into sufferers, these only have a fifty percentage gene share.Family studies using biological relatives can also account for research into schizophrenia, with the health condition being more common in biological relatives of a schizophrenic and the greater genetic relatedness the higher the risk of getting the condition.

Schizophrenia is seen to be affected largely by the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is a neurohormone which is produced in several areas of the brain one area being the substantia nigra. Dopamine is released by the Hypothalamus and its main function is to inhibit the release of prolactin from the pituitary. Schizophrenia has been linked with high amounts of dopamine within the brain. This was discovered after phenothiazines which block dopamine receptors, blocking the transmission of nerve impulses (D2) where shown to lower the symptoms of the health condition. schizophrenia sufferers have been found to have an abnormal amount of ‘D2′ receptors on their receiving neurones. Also the knowledge that drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine which largely increase dopamine levels have been noted for the cause of psychosis. This could explain the problems of attention and thought found in people suffering from schizophrenia as the dopamine neurons play a large role in guiding attention. Alternatively Parkinson’s disease sufferers have a abnormally low number of dopamine activity and increasing the dopamine level within the brain by drug consumption develop signs of schizophrenic-type symptoms.

Brain imaging techniques have helped to discover that many sufferers of schizophrenia have enlarged ventricles and cavities within the brain which supply areas with nutrients and remove waste products such as carbon dioxide. Schizophrenia sufferers ventricles are on average fifteen percent larger then that of a non-sufferer. Sufferers with the enlarge ventricles tend to show signs of the negative symptoms and cognitive disturbances rather than the positive symptoms. It has been suggested that the large ventricles have restricted the growth of brain development or allowed for tissue damage, possibly being the cause of schizophrenia. Brain imaging can also help for research within schizophrenia. Techniques involving PET an other scans have helped to show that the prefrontal cortex shows signs of reduced neural activity within patients suffering from schizophrenia.

Another area within the biological explanation which could explain schizophrenia and brain abnormalities may be caused by exposure to viral infections before birth. These can be dormant until puberty when hormonal changes could then cause the symptoms of the health condition. This can be shown with the evidence that more suffering people with schizophrenia are born within winter months. schizophrenia is most common in people born between December and April, when viral infections are at the highest within the year. When exposure is at its highest, the person will have a larger chance of becoming infected before birth. Evidence for this can be taken from twin studies with schizophrenic twins having fingerprint abnormalities compared to their identical twin. Finger prints are developed during the second trimester of pregnancy, this is when the foetus is at its highest risk of viral infection. Viral infections could have been contracted from the mother. If the mother were to become infected this would increase the chance or risk of the foetus also becoming infected whilst developing in the womb.

There are many different explanations for schizophrenia that take a psychological stance. These contain psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioural and other sociocultural factors. Biological explanations have recently in modern times gained the most research support however psychological explanations still have an influence on understanding schizophrenia. There are two main areas within psychological explanations, those on the psychological side, taking basic psychological perspectives and socio-cultural in where the role of family and in society.

Cognitive explanations acknowledge the role of biological factors for the cause of initial sensory experiences of schizophrenia however further features of the disorder appear as the individual attempts to understand them. It also suggests that schizophrenia is characterised by profound thought disturbance. This could be down to cognitive deficits which can impair areas such as perception and memory. This could form cognitive biases and explain the misconceptions and the way schizophrenic sufferers interpret the world. Schizophrenics usually first discover symptoms of voices and abnormal sensory experiences, this then usually makes them turn to friends and family to confirm the experiences. Those that cannot confirm the reality of the sensory experiences and voices start to believe that they must be hiding the truth. This can then lead to rejection of support and feedback from peers and others around them and so disillusioned beliefs and ideas that they are being manipulated and persecuted that are not true start to be formed. This shows that the basis of schizophrenia is biology based, whether this genetic or not, then other symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions are formed after the failure to not accept the reality, these of which are cognitive.

The behavioural explanation suggests that schizophrenia is a consequence of faulty learning. Children who do not receive small amounts or little reinforcement early in their lives will put larger attention into irrelevant environmental cues. For example: taking attention to the sound of a word rather than its procedural meaning. This behaviour will eventually appear ‘weird’ or strange to others and so will generally be avoided. These strange behaviours may be rewarded by attention and sympathy and so they are reinforced. This can continue until the behaviour becomes so strange that they are then labelled as schizophrenic. This can eventually the behaviour and psychological state deteriates into a psychotic state.

Stephen Freud developed the Psycho-Dynamic approach. In terms of schizophrenia it suggests that the health condition is a results of regression to a pre-ego state and attempts to re-establish ego control. If the life experiences of a schizophrenic sufferer are harsh, for example uncaring parents, then the child may regress to a stage of development before the ego and realistic awareness of the world is properly formed. Schizophrenia is seen as an infantile state and symptoms such as delusions can reflect this primitive condition. Other symptoms such as hallucinations and voices reflect the attempts of the person to re-establish its ego control.

Socio-cultural explanations stress the role of social and family relationships. This can include social labelling, family relationships and life events. A major link in this health condition is the high risk of schizophrenic episodes being linked to the occurrence of stressful life events. These can be discrete stressful experiences such as: deaths of close relatives, brake up of intimate relationships or even job losses. Although the mechanisms of schizophrenia being caused and triggered by stressful experiences has not been identified, high levels of physiological arousal has been seen to be associated with neurotransmitter charges, possibly explaining stressors as a cause.

This explanation can be supported by research that shows that schizophrenic episodes seem to occur fifty percent of the time within three weeks of a major stressful life event such as marriage, house buying or death of a close family member. With twelve percent who suffered having a major life experience within 9 weeks of the episode. This suggests that major life changes can trigger schizophrenic episodes. Other research shows that schizophrenic episodes are more common after a more concentrated period of stressful events.

The family relationship theory suggests that children who frequently receive contradictory messages from their parents are more likely to develop schizophrenia. For example a mother telling a child that she loves them and is proud of them, but at the same time turning away in disgust. This will lead the child to receiving confused and conflicting messages about their relationship, conflict between verbal and non-verbal. A continuum of these contradictions can develop into an abnormal internally coherent construction of reality. Chronically this can develop into schizophrenic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.

It also suggests that negative emotional climates or a high degree of expressed emotion can lead to schizophrenia. Expressed emotion is a particular family communication style that involves criticism, hostility and emotional over-involvement. A patient with a family containing high expressed emotion is more likely to relapse or have a schizophrenic episode. The expressed emotion tends to arouse the patients stress levels and so worsens the condition.

Social labelling however was popularised by Scheff. This states that social groups create a concept of psychiatric deviance by constructing rules for group members to follow. Schizophrenic behaviours are seen to ‘deviate’ from the ‘norm’ and so are considered ‘abnormal’ Once the deviating people are labelled schizophrenic, it opens gates and promotes the development of schizophrenic symptoms.

Both biological and psychological explanations try to explain how and why schizophrenia is developed in a hope to try and control or cure the condition. The biological explanations try to explain the health condition in terms of biochemistry and physiology in terms to try and adapt new drugs or techniques to overcome the problems, whereas psychological explanations try to take into account how the behaviours are developed and how environmental factors can be controlled to try and stop the condition. Although both are considered to contradict each others research, in my own opinion schizophrenia seems to be a development of both biological and psychological abnormalities.

schizophrenic Brain Scan

Differences & Similarities between Ozone Depletion and the Greenhouse effect problem. March 16, 2009

Similarities between the ozone problem and the greenhouse problem	Differences between the greenhouse problem and the ozone problem
Both can absorb Solar radiation. Both can be manipulated by man, Ozone being increased due to fluoro-carbons being released into atmosphere, greenhouse problems due to burning fossil fuels. Depletion of Ozone layer can lead to larger amounts of radiation entering atmosphere and so an increase in both effects. Flourocarbons + bromine will lead to change in ozone levels. Can both eventually lead to an increase in the earth’s temperature.	Greenhouse problem – greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide becoming increased within the atmosphere can lead to absorption of more infrared radiation and so increasing the heat of the planet. Most radiation is absorbed when reflected off of the Earth’s surface however UV light usually directly hits oxygen molecules. Could potentially lead to rising sea levels, melting ice, land and polar. Change in climates, death of many different species due to not being able to adapt and many other natural occurrences could change due to increase in solar absorption increasing temperature. An example of Positive feedback Absorbs the radiation and radiates it out as heat energy.
	Ozone depletion – Nitrates contribute to ozone breakdown. UV light causes breakdown of oxygen into O1 which then can react with oxygen to form Ozone. Will lead to more harmful UV radiation entering the atmosphere and potentially creating more ozone, however could be harmful to many living things. i.e – cancer to humans. An example of negative feedback unless manipulated by humans or other cycles help to increase depletion of ozone. Radiation causes oxygen molecules to split.

Black Cash – Film Poster March 11, 2009

Little mock up film poster for our amateur gangster film. Its called Black Cash staring Steve Salisbury & Chris Gamelan.