What Films have influenced the stylistic aspects of Edgar wrights directing technique.
Films
Item 1
Shaun of the dead (2004, universal pictures)
This is one of my primary sources. It is Edgar Wright’s first feature film, which he directed and co wrote with Simon Pegg. In my opinion it is a valuable source because the movie reflects lots of elements from other famous zombie movies such as dawn of the dead and evil dead 2, through the use of cinematography and editing. It also makes small references to these movies through mediums like character names, and even the title. These influences are commented on by Wright in the commentary feature on the DVD.
Item 2
Hot fuzz (2007, universal pictures)
This is one of my primary sources. It is Edgar wrights second feature film with him as both director and co writer (along with Simon Pegg) and is the second film in their definitive blood and ice cream trilogy. It is a valuable source in the same way that Shaun of the dead is a valuable source. Because reflects lots of element from other more iconic films in the same genre. The difference being that because this is, primarily an action movie it makes reference to films like die hard and point break instead of dawn of the dead. These influences are commented on by Wright in the commentary feature on the DVD.
Item 3
Fistful of fingers (1995, blue dolphin film distribution)
This is a remake of a film Edgar Wright made whilst in school. The reason for remake his on film was this time he had a bigger budget as he had won funding because of the quality of his early films. This film is homage to the spaghetti western genre, primarily the il buono, il brutto, il cattivo which has been described by Edgar as a big influence.
TV
Item 4
Spaced series 1 and 2 (channel 4, 1999-2001)
I have chosen spaced for similar reasons I have chosen the films, because it makes references/spoofs/reflects different films that have influenced/inspired Edgar Wright in his style of directing. Because this is a TV show it has different narratives for each episode meaning it references a wider verity of films than both hot fuzz and Shaun of the dead.
Internet
Item 5
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/feb/12/guardianinterviewsatbfisouthbank (Jason Solomons, February 2007, the guardian)
Although in this interview Edgar Wright dose not talk a lot about films that have had a great influence on his directing and writing, he dose talk about how he has been a great lover of films since a very young age and how that has effected his life early on and later in life and some of his favourite directors and actors. This is a reliable source as it is from the guardian newspaper.
Item 6
Edgar wrights imdb (internet movie data base) page. A large source for quick references that includes film names, release dates. Also lists numerous quotes and general information about Wright. Should be noted that much of the information found on the website is provided by volunteers so may not be considered 100% reliable, it dose however have 20 members of staff who’s job is to check information.
Item 7
Edgar Wright’s official blog. Gives information about his early life and how he managed to get to where he is in the movie business. Also, it is regularly updated by Edgar on his current film projects. This is a reliable source as Edgar Wright himself writes it.
Item 8
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=8&sid=606a35c1-f197-499d-b009-cb9da8685415%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ukh&AN=52619562 (Ethan Alter, film journal international vol. 113 issue 8 pg10-12, 01/08/2010)
This is an article/interview taken from the film journal international magazine. In it they talk about how Edgar developed a love for cult cinema from an early age. Also talks about how his blood and ice cream trilogy (Shaun of the dead, hot fuzz, the world end (not yet realised)) are suppose to homage to the films they spoof.
Videos
Item 9
This probably the most valuable source out of all the sources I have found because it is a video of Edgar Wright naming ten of his favourite movies and how they have influenced his style of directing and writing. This is a reliable source as the list was comprised by Edgar Wright
Books and magazines
Directors A-Z a Concise Guide to the Art of 250 Great Film Makers (Geoff Andrew 1999)
This is a “companion to 250 of the all time great visual stylists.” I have chosen to include this book into my research because it includes information on directors of films Edgar Wright has stated to be a big inspiration to him, such as john woo and George Romero. This is a reliable source because the author is one of Britain’s leading film critics and the fore word is written by the Coen brothers.
The cult film reader (Ernest Mathijs, Xavier Mendik, December 2007)
This book delves into the realm of cult films all the way from the start of cinema to present day. I have included this into my research as Wright is a self confessed lover of cult films and many of his favourite movies are cult films and are discussed in this book (evil dead 2, dawn of the dead). This is a reliable source because the author is the director of the cult film archive and convenor of the ma in cult film and T.V. at Brunel university.
Sergio Leone: Once upon a time in Italy (Christopher Frayling 2005)
A biography of Leone’s film career. I have included this as it Edgar Wright has described leone and his films (especially the dollars trilogy) as having a major impact on him when he was younger. This is a reliable source as the author was the governor of the British film institute and was knighted for his services to art and design education.
Discarded sources
Scott pilgrim vs. the world (2010, universal pictures)
I first choose this film to be one of my sources because it the biggest budget film Edgar Wright was involved with, so with there for mean he would be able to do a lot more in this movie than his others. In this sense I was right but the movie did not have lots of influences from films but games and modern pop culture.
Although this is a q and a with Edgar Wright about Shaun of the dead, the whole interview is focused more about the process of filming and editing and the reception it’s got.
