Do The Right Thing

Do The Right Thing was amazing. It was by far my favorite movie that we have watched so far in class. The most interesting scene to me was the climax of the story where the people of the neighborhood riot and destroy Sal's Pizzeria. It is where all the racial tension finally explodes between the characters. I thought that the DJ starting such a commotion was bothersome but I thought that Sal way overreacted. Even though it was both their faults, I did not think that either of them deserved the punishment that they received, Sal's Pizzeria being destroyed or DJ being killed by the cop. I also liked the way that each audience member is able to analyze why Mookie threw the garbage can through the window. I thought that he did it to start the riot because he was so fed up with everything and could not hold his composure anymore but lots of people have different views. That was my favorite scene because it is the culmination of all the anger and the small fights. I loved this movie and pretty much every scene within it but the riot scene was by far my favorite.

The Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers is a political movie about the struggle of the Algerian people for independence from France. I read a review from the New York Movie Review done by Peter Rainer. He did a good job reviewing the movie but I thought that he spent too much time summarizing it than actually giving his thoughts about it. Something that I agreed with that he said was that effect of the casting of true Algerian people was breathtaking. I did not agree with how much he raved about the movie. To me, it was a enjoyable movie but if I was to read this review before watching it, I would have been extremely dissapointed by the movie because he talks it up to be so amazing. I think that he missed the more ovbious parts about the movie that can be discussed such as the subtitles and the way that both the Algerians and the French were portrayed so evenly. I think he should have discussed the subtiles because it was hard for me to focus on the scenes and characters when I was trying to read the subtitles first. It just seemed to me that the subtitles detract from the audience’s ability to fully enjoy the scenes and I think he should have discussed something about that in his review. I also think he should have gave his opinions about how the story was told from both sides. I thought it was so great that they did that because it allows the audience to choose their own side if they wish to instead of having it chosen for them. All in all, there were things about the review and about the movie I liked and disliked but ultimately, I enjoyed the movie and his views he presented about it.

Chinatown

I thought that the movie Chinatown directed by Roman Polanski was really good. I did not expect to enjoy it very much just because I have not been such a fan of the genre but this improved my view towards it. I thought that it was very interesting how Gittes was assigned to investigate a case by an imposter of Mrs. Mulwray. That was an unexpected plot twist pretty early on in the movie and I enjoyed having information that important found out towards the start of the film. I also really enjoy mysterious movies and Jake Gittes being a detective made this movie mysterious. It was strange that the main character had his nose covered for the majority of the movie because he was an important actor and to have part of his face covered was something that was very different but I didn't mind. It was interesting how Gittes may have been a bad person to the other character in the story for all of the bad things that he had done but he was viewed to the audience in a different way in the movie. This is because he was the main character who we followed all throughout the story and the person the audience sympathized with so it put us on his side and really made me want to see him succeed. I thought that the movie was very interesting and improved my view of films of this genre.

Kiss Me Deadly

I thought that the movie Kiss Me Deadly, directed by Robert Aldrich, was strange but still okay until the end. The story line was different than any in movies I have seen in the past. The opening scene of the movie where Mike Hammer is driving down the road, he picks up a hitchhiker (Christina) who is running down the road like a lunatic and panting incessantly. She was only wearing a trench coat with nothing else, not even shoes. Then, when they are driving together, the credits begin to roll and she continues to pant uncontrollably all throughout the credits. That was a strange way to start the movie and it gave me a negative outlook for what I could expect for the rest of the movie. But as the film continued, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story got much more interesting and contradicted my first believes until the end where I went right back to my old negative view. Kiss Me Deadly is dramatic and held my attention better than some of the other movies we have watched in class but it's too unrealistic in the end. Overall, I thought the movie started and ended poorly but was alright in the middle and it did not help me appreciation film noir at all.

Out of the Past

I thought that Out of the Past was just an 'ok' movie. It had its ups and downs but overall I thought it was must mediocre. I thought the concept of the story was interesting and I liked that it was complex and had its deep and scary moments. But I did think it got really boring at parts and would lose my attention easily. I liked the characters and their complexities but it was all just not really enough for me. Maybe its just that I don't like film noir but I do not feel like I can make that generalized statement without having more exposure to the genre. I did think the deaf kid was interesting because it reminded me of Lassie but in a human version where he is trying to communicate messages to people like Ann but he must do so without words. But I did not like the fact that he was able to see the man coming and hook him with his fishing pole. The man was coming up from behind and he was deaf so I do not understand how he could have known he was behind him so that unrealistic part bothered me. I don't think I would choose to watch this movie again but I am glad that I was able to have an opportunity to watch a movie of this genre.

His Girl Friday

There were many things that I enjoyed and also may things that I did not like in the movie His Girl Friday. Something that I did like was that it was unique. It was not like all other films of its genre and that kept it interesting because not everything was predicable like it sometimes can be in those types of films. Also, I liked the fact that Hildy was a dominant character. I would assume since this is an older movie, that the female character would be less powerful but she had so much control throughout the story. She had her own career and was making her own decisions for her life which I found unexpected but great. Something that I did not like about the movie was the speed of the dialogue. All of the characters spoke so fast and I was not used to that in movies. It was hard for me to follow along when its so fast paced all the time and as weird as it sounds it sort of stressed me out having everything so chaotic and fast the whole time. But all together, despite the specific things I did not enjoy about the movie, I did like it as a whole and thought it was an interesting movie that I was glad to have the chance to see.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This movie was so interesting to me for so many different reasons. One of the main ones being that I had ordered this movie previously about a year ago and I watched about the first 30 minutes and gave up on it and turned it off. This time around, when I was pretty much forced to watch the whole thing, I was glad I was pushed to do so. I found that I gave up too soon and I ended up loving the movie this time. Although it is so confusing at first and I still have loose ends that haven't been tied up for me, I still thought it was great. The characters are so complex and the acting is spectacular. The creators of the film made it so realistic that it almost seemed believable that a memory erasing procedure exists. Obviously it does not but the idea of it really made me think. The class discussed whether or not people should be allowed to have their memories erased and I still am conflicted by it. At first, I thought no way should that be allowed and that every memory is beneficial no matter good or bad because it molds people into who they are but as I started to listen to other classmates opinions, I saw the other side of the issue and came to the realization that some memories are just scarring to people. They may have helped people form into themselves, but these same memories may be holding people down or causing negative effects on them still and they may not be able to get over past experiences without this procedure. So once I thought about that side, I came to the conclusion that I think this procedure, if it was to be real, should only be able to be performed but only in extreme cases. Overall, I loved the movie. I thought the concept was wonderful along with the special effects and the acting. I now regret turning it off the first time because I thoroughly enjoyed the movie once I was able to see it in its entirety.

Stagecoach

I thought that Stagecoach was a good movie. It had many aspects that I did not expect. I never watch western movies because I think that I will hate them but this movie changed my perspective. The theme of the movie is differences in social classes. It brings so many different social classes together and shows how they interact and treat each other. There are so many different classes shown through different people like Dallas who is a prostitute, Ringo Kid who is seen as an outlaw, and Doc. Boone who would seem to be respectable considering he is a doctor but because he is such a drunk, people don’t see him that way. It is also interesting to see how people of lower classes treat people of higher classes and vice versa. Throughout the movie. The characters social classes become less noticeable and they come together. Overall, I thought that this movie had more importance than just the story line because it showed how everyone, no matter their class, has something in common and class does not make someone better than anyone else.

Beauty and The Beast

I chose to watch the movie Beauty and the Beast. It movie is from the year 1946 and is understandably on Roger Ebert's great movies list. I chose to watch this movie because I am obsessed with the Disney Princesses so when I saw that this movie fit the requirements, I knew I had to watch it. I chose to write about the music in the movie because it was a part of movies that I often overlook.

There is music present through the majority of the movie. You would not realize that unless you were watching the movie while examining the sound like I was because it is so subtle that it is almost unnoticeable. The music that is played is only instrumentals and then the characters in the film sing along to the music. The characters sing about themselves, other characters or events in the movie and therefore the music helps narrate the story. It is mostly Belle that sings but the Beast, Mrs. Potts (one of the Beast's servants), and Gaston (the man who wants Belle to marry him) sing often also. The instrumentals sound like piano, flute, and most of all, violin. Also, the environment in the movie is used to make music like the wind in the forest and the birds chirping.

The music seems to go along with each scene. During the dramatic and action packed moments the music is fast and intense. This music plays in scenes like when the Beast is present and mean (at the beginning) and when Maurice (Belle's dad) gets lost in the forest. During the happy moments, the music is upbeat and energetic like when the Beast is watching Belle from his tower and beginning to realize that he loves her. During the sad moments, the music is somber and slow like when Belle finds out her dad is sick in the forest and she must go save him. During the suspenseful parts the music is intense and adds to the suspense. For example the music is very suspenseful when Belle is sneaking into the castle to find her dad and when Belle is looking in the West Wing of the castle which is forbidden. Lastly, scary music is played during moments like when Belle is being attacked by the pack of wolves in the forest and the music really helps dramatize the situation. Slow, pretty music is played when Belle and the Beast meet when the Beast is all dressed up and trying to impress Belle.

The music contributes so much to Beauty and the Beast and the scenes throughout. It was so interesting for me to watch this movie while listening for specific music and how it adds to the film. The reason it was so interesting is because the music blends so well with the film that before it had gone unnoticed to me. But in this case where I was specifically listening for it, I was able to see what great things it adds to the movie and how truly prevalent it is in almost every scene.

Citizen Kane

I chose do write about mise-en-scene. The aspects of setting, lighting, and costume and makeup are wonderful. The setting of the movie contributes so much to the story. Kane’s house is one of the main important settings. It is so grand and luxiorious. All of the valuables inside and things just help show his wealth. I did not fully realize just how big the house was until parts like where Kane is standing in the fireplace, or when they crane over all of Kane’s possessions after his death. The setting of the story really helped set up the characters and show their social status. Costume and make-up were also very significant. The clothing helped show the people’s social classes. The make-up was used well to show how people felt, like when Susan is in bed after she had tried to commit suicide, she looked so much different and so sick. The make-up helped show how she felt. Lastly, lighting was used in ways to help tell the story. For example, low- key lighting is often used. The contrast in using low-key lighting helps point out specific traits of characters and how they handle situations. Overall, I think all the aspects of mise-en-scene were used well to add that something special to the movie.

Journal #2

I chose to review the animated movie Finding Nemo. It was directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Lee Unkrich. Not only did Andrew Stanton direct the movie, but he also contributed greatly in writing the screenplay and was the voice of Crush (the sea turtle) who is my favorite character. Finding Nemo was produced by Pixar Animation Studios in 2003. Since this is an animated movie there are obviously no actors that you can see but there are actors that play the voices of the characters. These actors include Albert Brooks (Marlin), Ellen DeGeneres (Dori), Alexander Gould (Nemo), Willem Dafoe (Gill), Andrew Stanton (Crush) and Barry Humpries (Bruce). The music was done by Thomas Newman.

Finding Nemo is about a clown fish named Nemo who gets captured by humans and taken away from his parents and then his father, Marlin, goes out in search of him. Along the way Marlin meets another fish, Dori, who then continues on with him on his journey to find Nemo. The story also follows Nemo in his attempt to escape the dentists fish tank he was brought to. The setting of Finding Nemo is in the ocean and some parts are also in the dentist's office where Nemo is trapped. The main characters are Marlin, Dori, and Nemo. Although those are the main characters, some of my favorites are the more secondary ones. One of my favorites is Crush the sea turtle. I like Crush because he talks like a surfer and is really funny. A line from the movie that Crush says is:

Cuz we were like, "woaaaah.", and I was like, "woaaaah." and you were like, "woaaahh...”

The story is very simplistic in the fact that the story is so easy to follow for children to be able to understand but it is also has more complex parts and comedy for adults that does not pertain to children. The dialogue of Finding Nemo is very funny. It is so enjoyable because all the characters are so relatable. Even though the characters in the movie are not real people, you can still in some way relate each and every one to yourself or someone you know.
There are no actors physically in the movie, but the voices of the actors who play the characters fit so well with the characters that they almost seem like real people. There was no set, make-up or costume because it was all animated but the colors that were used made up for all of that. The colors were bright and made everything pop. Each individual fish or other sea creature had amazing detail, colors and patterns specific to them which made the visuals amazing.
Parts of the editing in the movie are less prominent because it is animated but there still is so much editing done. There are close ups of the fish, people and many other things. There is a example of using lighting to show dominant characters when the sharks look so powerful as they cast shadows on the fish underneath them. There is also quick cuts when Nemo is stuck in the filter of the fish tank and is trying to escape. It is a scary and intense scene and the quick cuts help emphasize that. Lastly, the music was fit perfectly to the movie. There were slow, mellow songs in the calm and peaceful parts and fast music during the dangerous and intense scenes. The music, by Thomas Newman, really contributed to the film and allowed me to become more wrapped up in what was happening. One of the songs (Nemo Egg) from the movie is actually now one of my favorite songs.
I was surprised to see this movie on Time's All Time 100 Movies list because I feel like animated movies are often overlooked but I am so glad that Finding Nemo got the recognition it deserved. Overall I think that this Finding Nemo is an amazing movie and I really enjoyed every aspect of it.

Crash

I have many favorite movies but the one that I chose to write about is Crash. Crash has a great cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Tony Danza, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendon Fraser, Terrence Howard, and Ryan Phillippe. There are so many characters in this movie which may seem confusing, but it ends up to be one of the major benefits of the movie. Crash is about many different characters separate lives. At first, the characters seem to have nothing in common but in the end all of them are tied together in some way and all of their stories intertwine. The stories bring many examples of racism and racial stereotypes. The characters consist of a detective who has a younger "trouble maker" brother, the "trouble maker"s partner in crime, a District Attorney and his racist wife, a prestigious film director and his wife, two cops (one of which is extremely racist), and a Persian-immigrant and his daughter. My favorite quote of the movie is when the detective says to his girlfriend after their car accident,

It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

I think that quote pretty much sums of the movie. It is in the beginning when he says it and it is extreme foreshadowing for what is to come. Crash is my favorite movie for many reasons but mostly because of the way that the characters all have separate lives and problems but then fate brings them all together and connects them all somehow.

Crash

I have many favorite movies but the one that I chose to write about is Crash. Crash has a great cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Tony Danza, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendon Fraser, Terrence Howard, and Ryan Phillippe. There are so many characters in this movie which may seem confusing, but it ends up to be one of the major benefits of the movie. Crash is about many different characters separate lives. At first, the characters seem to have nothing in common but in the end all of them are tied together in some way and all of their stories intertwine. The stories bring many examples of racism and racial stereotypes. The characters consist of a detective who has a younger "trouble maker" brother, the "trouble maker"s partner in crime, a District Attorney and his racist wife, a prestigious film director and his wife, two cops (one of which is extremely racist), and a Persian-immigrant and his daughter. My favorite quote of the movie is when the detective says to his girlfriend after their car accident,

It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

I think that quote pretty much sums of the movie. It is in the beginning when he says it and it is extreme foreshadowing for what is to come. Crash is my favorite movie for many reasons but mostly because of the way that the characters all have separate lives and problems but then fate brings them all together and connects them all somehow.

Journal #1

The review that I read was for the movie "Superbad". It was done by Lisa Schwarzbaum. Lisa is a critic for Entertainment Weekly. She rated the movie a B and had some positive but mostly negative things to say about it. She started off the review by implying that the movie was really geared only towards men because of all of the jokes in the movie that refer to the penis. This is also because so much of the movie is based around the idea of the boys getting girls drunk at a party so that they can have sex with them and lose their virginity before heading off for college. Lisa said in her review

They’ll get a couple of girls drunk at a party and do ‘em. Lay ‘em, plow ‘em...choose the age-old crudity of your choice

She also points out the fact that the movie is not as appealing for some adults because it is mostly only high school students shown besides two very unintelligent and unrelatable cops. Lisa regularly uses sarcasm to help tear down the things about the movie she does not like. An example of this is from the review is:

That’s Superbad’s clean little secret, the throwback thing that’s almost as fascinating to this seasoned female as the fabulous illustrations of male genitalia that Seth used to draw in grade school

She writes about the unrealistic parts of the movie by saying how hard she finds it to believe how safe the wild party is and how Jules (the girl that one of the main characters Seth is after) is unrealistically perfect. Lisa calls Jules

the impossibly perfect hottie who’s popular and not mean and retains her coolness although she doesn’t drink when all around her do

The review shows mostly negative feedback for the movie but to get a B rating it cannot be all bad. And even though she talks so badly of it, she does admit to slightly enjoying this type of comedy when she writes

it’s easy to enjoy the pulsing phallic comedic energy of the enterprise

She also does give credit to the actors by saying how talented they are and often compares this movies to others like The Forty Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Overall, I thought that this review was too negative. I have seen this movie myself and I think that the review was too harsh. She seemed to pull out all the bad things about it and did not give enough credit for all of the hilarious other parts of the movie. Although the jokes were often crude and slightly inappropriate, that is not all the movie had to offer as it may seem from this review. I think Lisa needed to "lighten up" a bit and realize that the movie was not such an attack on women as she thought it was. It was very simply just a funny movie that needed to be watched knowing that it was all in good fun. I thought this review was very well written and hit many key points of the movie but I do think it was too negative. She gave it a pretty positive rating (B) and then bashed it throughout the review. Although I did enjoy some of her perspectives on the movie, I do not think I will read another review of Lisa’s.