Film Studies: I Am Legend Section 4

                                                                           A.O.Scott

On the 14th December 2007 A. O. Scott posted a review of  I am Legend on the New York Times website. He gave a positive view towards the film stating how Will Smith is the best of the three actors to embrace the life of the last man on Earth, the likes of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston, he called the overall performance of the film "There is something graceful and effortless about this performance, which not only shows what it might feel like to be the last man on earth, but also demonstrates what it is to be a movie star." However Scot also quoted that as the film progressed it lost its unique essence."Once they begin swarming, “I Am Legend” inevitably loses some of its haunting originality, since they look a lot like the monsters in “28 Days Later” (and its sequel, “28 Weeks Later”). They also represent a less compelling application of computer-generated imagery than all those empty avenues and silent buildings." 

                                                                   David Dylan Thomas                                                          

David Dylan Thomas also posted a review on I am Legend,on the website, FilmCritic.com gave the film a reasonable 6 star rating. He Thomas explained in his post how he thought that " I Am Legend maintains the power to awe. The production design by David Lazan and Naomi Shohan is nothing short of amazing", I agree with his review, except that later on in his review he criticised how as the plot develops queries are shown of faith and humanity, however as the final moments draw closer the information given back is rushed ultimately creating an anti-climax, he said that the result of these signs are underwhelming.I disagree with this opinion, for the plot is made intense and overall entertaining because it plays its genre well, the ending creates tension because the inevitable overrun by zombies was not foreseen, this complements the thrilling enticing events that create the codes and conventions of a horror genre.It is unstable and unthinkable.

The film had a budget of $150,000,000, grossing$77,211,321 on its opening weekend in 3,606 theaters, averaging $21,412 per venue, and placing it at the top of the box office. This set a record for highest grossing opening for a film for the month of December. The film grossed $256,393,010 in North America and $585,349,010 worldwide. The film was the sixth highest grossing film of 2007 in North America, and as of April 2010 stands among the top 100 all-time highest grossing films both domestically and worldwide.

The film was released on DVD on March 18, 2008 in two editions: a one-disc release, including the movie with four animated comics ("Death As a Gift," "Isolation," "Sacrificing the Few for the Many," and "Shelter"), and other features; and a two-disc special edition that includes all these extras, an alternative theatrical version of the movie with an alternate ending, and a digital copy of the film. Blu- Ray disc was released on 8th April 2008, and on December 9th 2008 a three-disk Ultimate Collector's Edition was also released.The film has sold 7.04 million DVDs and earned $126.2 million in revenue, making it the sixth best-selling DVD of 2008. However, Warner Bros was reportedly "a little disappointed" with the film's performance on the DVD market. 

The Core Q and A

The Core (Jonn Amiel 2003)
How is the fact that this is a disaster film foreshadowed in the opening of the film?
In the beginning scene of the film it shows the Earth's Core automatically publicising the film name, The thrilling sharp music than complements the sequence. This brings up the first grant of information on the films genre. Most of the codes and conventions of a disaster film mostly follow out of the ordinary events which eventually form a climax, films such as 2012, and the day after tomorrow both utilize this. The first insight on the films genre is shown in the first couple of scenes. First it showed a glance of danger when a pigeon was found dead on the floor, this than escalates to a flock of birds committing suicide, busting there heads on shop windows and attacking the public. This scene than follows up with NASA guiding the path of a ship which crew contains, Thomas Parsel and Rebecca Charles.Once entering the atmosphere their navigation controls were momentarily disabled causing them to crash land in the middle of an interstate.

The 8 main characters in the film are:
Joshua Keys
Serge Lawas
Bob Wosen
Thomas Parsel
Conrad Zhinsche
Rebecca Charles
Brass and Finch

In the spaceship landing scene the music creates an emphasised loud tune in the background gaining tension, This gives a sense of unease whilst watching because of the sharp non-diegetic sound. This sequence uses stretched time using editing, this makes the sequence longer which adds to the tension.

The ellipsis is presented by the use of Keys voice which talks over the silence of the scene, he is not witnessed during this scene however you can hear him through the non-diegetic sound playing. A faint tune begins giving it a type of heroic pace, as if they are the only chance of Earths survival.While these play in the background the pace of the film is changed, using editing time is going faster skipping things that do not play a great need in the films interest, however still keeps interest and understanding within a viewers mind

The mise en scen during this sequence uses dramatic tension by harnessing the destruction of landmarks such as the Colosseum as the lightening storms target, this creates an emotional response from the audience for it could be a landmark of personal and specific importance or it could be that it is a national heritage that the audience carry. Cinematography also plays a key role in the scene, the camera zooms then uses an extreme long shot. This is intended to let the audience whiteness the magnitude of the problem at hand.

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Film Studies: I Am Legend Section 3

Distribution
I am legend has been given many promotional qualities which present itself to the public, One of the main publicity and promotional attractions is because of the role of Robert Nevil played as Will Smith. Fans of one Mr. Smith may be enticed by watching Will Smith in a new film,because of his earlier succession. This creates allot of enthusiasm of the films release.Also Will Smith is lately renown for starring in films of heroism that show him as saving the world, this could attract allot of attention because people know of hes quality. Will Smith gaining this role is also expanded through the media with things such as interviews trailers and posters.I am legend also gained much hype for it had been adapted from the novel by Richard Matheson, a 1954 horror fiction which was then adapted to films, the last man on earth and then the omega man. This attracts even more viewers from the old book or film fans.There are also the fan pages that increases the buzz about the film. I am legend was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros also distributed the original Omega Man which folows as one of the three i am legend films.
A tie-in comic from DC Comics and Vertigo Comics has been created, I Am Legend: Awakening.The project draws upon collaboration from Bill Sienkiewicz, screenwriter Mark Protosevich, and author Orson Scott Card. The son of the original book's author, Richard Christian Matheson, also collaborated on the project. The project will advance from the comic to an online format in which animated featurettes (created by the team from Broken Saints) will be shown on the official website.
In October 2007, Warner Bros. Pictures in conjunction with the Electric Sheep Company launched the online multiplayer game I Am Legend: Survival in the virtual world Second Life. The game is the largest launched in the virtual world in support of a film release, permitting people to play against each other as the infected or the uninfected across a replicated 60 acres (240,000 m²) of New York City.The studio also hired the ad agency Crew Creative to develop a website that would be specifically viewable on the iPhone.


Merchandise
The certificate of I am Legend is a 15 so it is not suitable for advertisement in McDonald's, reason being McDonald's is a child friendly environment.Merchandise vary from I am legend t shirts and jumpers to action figures and i am legend golf balls.The action figures of Sam and Robert are exlusively produced by Hasbro. All of this merchandise promotes the film.

Premieres and Release 
At the premiere of the atisipated i am legend all stars were accounted for including Tom Cruise and jada smith occampanying. The premiere in London was on the 19th december 2007 with the US having their premiere on the 11th of december 2007.

I am legend poster

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