Finders Keepers: The Perfect Example of a Character Driven Documentary

This week I watched Finders Keepers on Netflix. Although I gravitate towards issues documentaries for personal viewing, this documentary will shows the power that good characters can have in making a documentary engaging and entertaining. The real life story follows a media feud and legal battle between Shannon Whisnant and John Wood over a very interesting item--an amputated leg. Shannon purchased an abandoned storage unit that housed Wood's leg that was amputated after a plane crash. Odd events transpired that resulted in an all out legal battle that captured media attention. The two men in particular (however we do see this with the other family members as well) are eccentric and, quite frankly, this story seems to fantastical to be true. Check out the trailer below:

Beth Greene

For those of you that watch The Walking Dead and have not seen the recent episode…….there are spoilers ahead.

 I started watching The Walking Dead not too long ago. I binged on all four seasons on Netflix for probably a straight two weeks, meanwhile I should have probably been doing homework, but watching this series was more important to me. I heard the hype over the walking dead when it first premiered and I did not really see what everyone was talking about. The concept of zombies can either be really good or just plain horrible. Being that I was a fan of Resident Evil, I thought maybe it will be good. I started watching it, and at first I did not see the obsession, but I found myself wanting to watch what happened in each next episode. I became addicted and obsessed. It was good, and so I added another television shows to my list to watch.

The walking dead was interesting because of every character. Every character brought something different to the table. And being that every couple episodes you learn more about one character, as well as introduced to several news ones, you have to keep watching what happens to each person. You grow an attachment to what each character does and what they represent in the world. You want to see how this character develops and who they become. Even though I prefer some characters over the others, they all have some kind of interest. 

One character that I never really liked or hated was Beth Greene. Beth Greene is introduced in the second season when the main characters are brought to a farm. A farm where Beth lives with her father, sister, and other people from before the outbreak of the apocalypse. When I first was introduced to Beth I did not think much of her, she was kind of just there. She was the sweet farmer’s daughter, pale, blonde, and blue eyed who sang songs for everyone. Although she knows about the outbreak in the world, she still has not been that exposed to what it’s really like

out there. When the other group joins her family, she’s shown here and there helping out with providing food, and anything anyone needs. People do not really get a sense of who Beth is until the episode where she says she wants to kill herself. To me at least, I kind of expected that. I expected her to be a weak girl who couldn’t hold on. After she tries to kill herself, she soon realizes death is not what she wants. Death would not fix the world, she would just be gone. After that episode we see that Beth more. When all the characters have to leave the farm due to the fact that walkers overran it, they stay at a

prison. While at the prison, the people make it more homely. Once they have developed a system, Beth becomes somewhat of a motherly figure for character, Rick Grimes’ daughter, Judith. Judith’s mother, Laurie was killed during the birthing of her. Rick so destroyed from this, payed little attention to Judith because it reminded him of Laurie’s death. Although sad, this was a great moment for Beth to shine and show what kind instincts she has. Her singing also became more prominent and she slowly became closer with more of the main characters.

Everyone was seeing the prison as their new home, and somewhere they could live during all of this madness. Unfortunately the prison was attacked by other people. Once they were attacked many people were fleeing the prison and the group did get very separated. Being that Beth was one of the last people to stay around and help fight, she was left with Daryl Dixon, one of the group’s best fighters. 

Daryl’s character in the beginning was one of an asshole. Him and his brother were typical redneck low lives. Many people did not like him or his brother Merle. However once Merle was gone from the group, there was a side of Daryl that came out. He became more sensitive, and loving. He felt like it was his job to protect everyone, and now that Merle was gone and did not have a bad influence on him, he could finally show the caring side of him that was always there. Daryl’s character has become one that viewers love now, a protecting, caring, sympathetic man.  When Beth and Daryl were stuck together, it was kind of their first real close interaction. At first Daryl was very short, and rude to Beth. Beth did not understand why he acted this way, and being Beth she tried to stay positive, but he kept shutting her down. Finally he reveals to Beth that he feels responsible for the prison’s overtake, even though it was not his fault. Being that he was a protector to them, he felt like it

 was his one purpose to keep everyone safe, it was what he was good at, and he felt like he failed everyone. He was upset that they found somewhere wonderful to live, and it was so easily destroyed. Of course he says this under intoxication, and it comes off a bit rude to Beth, however it is under that circumstance that we see a side to Beth that we can’t help but love.

She faces the fact of what happened, and she feels
nothing but compassion for Daryl. She tells him that he can’t give up just because of everything bad that happens in their lives. She says this with force, and we truly see Beth for who she is, a strong woman full of hope even in the saddest of times. It is through her hope that Daryl continues and moves on from his guilt. It is her hope that guides him back, and helps him find their way.

 After this time together, they become very close. Many fans began to ship them as a couple because together they were a balance. She was full of hope and brought out all the love in him, and strength to continue on even when something goes wrong. He brought out more strength in her, showing her how to be strong physically, and never giving up on her. However their time together was ended when beth was kidnapped by a group of cops from Atlanta. Daryl destroyed by this, eventually finds the group and tells them what happened and how he is going to find her. When we finally see Beth, she wakes up in a hospital. The people taking care of her say they saved her life and that she couldn’t leave until she repaid them. We begin to see how unstable this hospital is and how no one ever leaves. Beth however, is determined to get back to Daryl, and tries her hardest to find an escaped. After a failed attempt in trying to leave she realizes that even though she’s failed she cannot give up. While at this hospital Beth proves how strong she is. She is no longer that sweet weak girl that we first met. She is no longer that girl who tried to kill herself. She is determined, strong, and full of hope, never ever giving up.

In last week’s latest episode, the group that Daryl finds finally comes for Beth. When they negotiate a trade for Beth, everything is going fine. However, when they are about to leave, the main officer in charge, Dawn Lerner, wants one Noah back (one of the people at the hospital that escaped and joined Daryl’s group). When beth hears this, it hurts her so much that something that we would have never expected to happen, did. As Beth goes up to Dawn, and basically insults Dawn, she pulls out a scissor she had in her cast and stabs Dawn. However, Dawn already had her gun in hand, and shot Beth in the head immediately after this. 

The symbol of hope, dies. The one person who never gave up, and always encouraged others to keep going, is gone just like that. After the writers built her character up so much, the took her away that quickly. Everyone in the group is affected by this death. They were so happy to finally get her back safely, the one person they all looked to. To them Beth was the one of the only things pure left in the world. Without her and her guidance, everyone feels kind of lost. 

I was kind of surprised the writers killed her off. Especially after all the praise fans were giving her character. People are outraged that she is dead. There is already a petition to bring her back from the dead, signed by more than 10,000 people. As well as plenty of conspiracy theories as to how she is going to come back to life. Basically, no one really wants to see a world without Beth Greene. I don’t really blame them either. I was really upset by this too. Even though she was never really my favorite character it was very sad to see her go. And not only seeing her go, but seeing everyone’s reactions to her death. Seeing Daryl’s reaction, someone who she loved for all of the purity that she contained.

Seeing Rick’s reaction, someone who grew a family bond with her over his daughter. And seeing Beth’s sister’s reaction, Maggie, someone who only had one family member left.

The episode overall was just heartbreaking. And while I’m devastated to see Beth go, I think it was necessary. These characters are living in a world where death happens every second. After the world has turned into this apocalyptic state, people become scared. When people are scared they do stupid things. And that resulted in Beth’s death. The writers had to show that the world they are living in is scary, and not everyone lives. At any second, any could be killed. And not only that, but they also have to show some kind of development in the other characters. How everyone will be effected by this, will show what kind of person everyone is. And personally, I believe that while at first everyone will feel down about everything and not want to survive at first, they will fight through it. They will fight through it and survive for as long as they can because that’s what Beth would do. Beth would continue to survive, because it’s what you have to do. She would not completely lose hope because of someone’s death. She would honor that person’s death by continuing on and fighting for her life. 

Overall I just wanted to talk about her character because it is a prime example of strong character development. And her character will have a huge effect on the other characters and how they develop.

R.I.P. Beth Greene. 

Continue to Inspire

Thank God For Movies

For over more than a hundred years, film has taken a very prominent role in our society. It has brought millions of people together all for one thing: to learn a story of another. Each film that is made speaks to each and everyone of us in a different way. Whether it is because we relate to a character, or we are familiar with the story, or merely because it makes us feel a certain way. Film does this for everyone. It is what inspires us to continue onto our dreams. It is what makes us laugh to the point where abs start to grow. It is what makes us cry so hard that we have to bring tissues with us to the theater. It is what makes us mad and gives us drive to make a change in the world. Film does it all and it does it for everyone.

     Growing up, I was immediately drawn to film. Over the course of my life, I have watched several different movies, where not one character was the same. All these stories each had some kind of uniqueness. This uniqueness was brought out through many characters. Many that I wanted and still want to be. Somehow I want to incorporate all of the amazing qualities I have observed, into myself. These qualities are something that I ultimately want to possess for as long as I live. I want to be Ariel, from The Little Mermaid because she can sing. I want to be Cinderella because of the strength she had shown growing up with two evil step sisters. I want to be Rose, from the Titanic, because she would rather die with the one she loved, than to live alone.

I want to be Mrs. Smith because of her daring job, and how bad ass she was. I want to be Marty McFly and travel through time and experience a life changing moment. I want to be Edward Scissorhands because he is so compassionate and empathetic. I want to be Donnie Darko and be able to question certain occurrences in my life. I want to be them all.

 I think most of the time people tend to forget where they came from. My generation, our generation, has come from a time where we were taught it is okay to put yourself first. But in order to do that, you have to know what you want, and what you truly believe is right for you, for who you are. And it is these characters that have helped shaped us as people. And we cannot forget that. My point is that these movies, these characters, are what inspired us to grow up and do what we want to do. They taught us to reach for the moon and to never give up, nothing is impossible. In order to continue on with our dreams, we have to reach back into our past, so we can continue to make these
characters that help children, teens, adults, everywhere to aspire for more. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel learns that she for once has to put herself first, and by doing that she falls inlove with Prince Eric. In Mr. & Mrs. Smith, they both realize that their jobs aren't worth losing each other. All of these movies are teaching us key lessons in life. Without them, what guidance do we have to look up to? These are the ideas that will inspire future generations to come.

Walter White: Boring Lame Chemistry Teacher to Bad Ass Meth Cook

Let's be real here; for those of you who have seen Breaking Bad, you know why it's such an amazing show. For those of you who haven't seen it, just stop reading this post and go on a binge watch right now.
Character development is such an essential item for all films and television shows. There's nothing better than to see characters grow and change. And to be honest, in the words of Yeezus himself, "Imma let you finish, but Walter White had the best character development of all time."



Breaking Bad first came out in 2008, but the show wasn't buzzing at that time. It only got hyped up and became the most watched show on American cable when it was approaching the season finale. People were starting to go crazy with every episode being a cliff hanger. As the show started to get more noticed and recognized, everyone just knew Walter White as the bad ass, bald chemistry teacher suffering from Stage III lung cancer who could also cook some high quality blue meth. At least, that's who I knew Mr. White to be when I started hearing about Breaking Bad. But Mr. White was never anything close to being Heisenberg at the start of it. Instead he was the socially awkward, boring chemistry teacher.

He had hair on his head too. Weird.

How did he become such a bad ass you're wondering? It's obviously because of Aaron Paul's character, Jesse Pinkman.

Pinkman, bitch!

Yeah, Pinkman. I mean, just look at this: Walter starts doing the famous 'grab crotch' motion to anyone that makes him angry, just like Pinkman. 

Okay...so maybe that's not entirely the reason, but if we really want to explore this development, it all goes back to the man who plays the genius: Bryan Cranston. The writers never really developed a back story as to who Walter White really is when developing the show. So, Cranston made his own past. He gained weight for the show and dressed in bland and boring colors like green and brown. He also took some attributes that his father had like being slightly slouched over to make it seem like the character had so much weight on his shoulders. He starts off like this, being the protagonist in the show. But later on, we start to see how he becomes the antagonist and we as the audience start to question his morality in choices as well.

Some have suggested that Walter White actually adopts some traits off of the people he's murdered, and maybe that's what has led to him being such a bad ass. And it's a pretty accurate theory. Gus was probably the most irritating character of all for Mr. White; he was always ahead of Mr. White's plan and just knew exactly what to do. Later on, Walter would adopt the same concept. We even seen a little bit of Mike's personality in Walter, especially in the season finale. Mike had a non-sense attitude, kind of serious humor, and Walter would eventually develop the same personality, which can be witnessed here:

He pulls off some smooth tricks that really do make him the bad ass that he is. For example, he pulls of a stunt when selling meth to one of his "bosses" early in the season:

And other pretty sneaky stunts like when he finally got rid of Gus:

Whether or not you think Mr. White is the bad ass bad guy at the end of it all, he did start out pretty lame. But to become this genius meth cook that happens to be two steps ahead of his enemies is still pretty awesome if you ask me. We even witness in the beginning of the season how he ends up being the one pursued all the time. But eventually towards the fourth season, he becomes the pursuer. He's no longer Walter White at the end of it, but instead he finally becomes Heisenberg. 

Always in style.

Characters are what makes a show: Parks and Recreation

The television series Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows. The subtle humor and natural goofiness is what drives the show to become a successful comedy. The show is about Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) who is the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana, Pawnee. Leslie is incredibly passionate about her job. Leslie will do anything in her power to become a woman involved in government. She has an interesting, yet supportive team behind her the entire way she strives for the top. The way the show is composed is documentary like. The camera is constantly moving and the characters talk directly to the camera in each episode.

                                                     

As soon as I began to watch, I found myself hooked. The character development in the show is what makes the show so interesting and attractive. Even though the characters have very different views from one another, they all work well together and support each other. For many people my age, politics can tend to be boring, unless one has a strong interest. This show is a spoof on politics and the government. It is humorous and enjoyable to watch. The characters engage the audience by adding humor and relatable jokes.

Each character in the show is very different, yet adds something to the show. Leslie Knope, the protagonist, is a passionate, hard-working, ambitious woman who loves her hometown and will do anything to climb to the top. Leslie cares deeply for her friends and her coworkers. She will always put others before herself.



                                                  

There are several relationships in the show that are very interesting. Ron Swanson’s relationship with Leslie is one of many. Ron hates the government and having anything to do with the government, where as Leslie’s passion is about the government and becoming a woman in politics. Her main role model is Hilary Clinton. Even though Ron has a completely different view than Leslie, they still have a strong friendship and work well together. Another interesting relationship in the beginning of the show is the romantic relationship between Andy Dwyer and Ann Perkins. Ann is a neat, kind, smart, loving character that will do anything for her loved ones and friends. She is a nurse and has a general direction of where she is going in life. Andy on the other hand is a low-life with good intensions who does not have a real job. He plays in a low-key band and shines shoes. Andy is clearly out of Anne’s league and Anne can do a lot better. The characters continue to grow and connect with each other, which makes the show easy to keep watching.

Dexter: Friend or Foe?

My latest Netflix binge is Showtime’s hit drama series “Dexter.” I don’t typically enjoy shows with blood and gore, but “Dexter” is an exception.  The unique storyline, strong writing, and talented cast make this one of television’s best crime dramas. Protagonist Dexter Morgan is “born in blood” after witnessing his mother’s brutal murder as a toddler.  This traumatic event creates a darkness in Dexter, a thirst for blood only satisfied with murder.  Dexter’s adoptive father Harry teaches him a moral code to protect his secret and survive with the rest of the world.  “Dexter” challenges our own code of ethics and morals as we try to determine the true essence of Dexter’s character.

Dexter is a self-described monster who spends his entire life faking normalcy. He claims to have no emotion or conscience, and tries to fake emotion to seem more human. Dexter finds comfort in Harry’s code and nurtures his evil streak. His killings become ceremonious -- a sacred ritual where he feels alive. Harry’s code forbids killing innocents, so Dexter uses his forensics job with Miami-Metro Homicide to discreetly hunt down murderers to put under his own knife. He twists his darkness into a better evil.

I think most would agree that someone responsible for dozens of murders doesn’t quite fit the bill for a classically ‘good person.’  Anyone finding satisfaction in murder is clearly mentally unstable and a danger to society. But Dexter isn’t killing just anyone. He only targets other killers. The audience recognizes these facts, and chooses to root for Dexter. Sure, he’s a serial killer, but does that make him pure evil? He’s much more than a serial killer -- he’s a loving father, husband, and brother, and he’s doing his best to keep everyone happy and safe. I’m not sure if killing murderers classifies Dexter as good or bad, but he’s not as evil as he believes. Dexter’s blind obedience to the code proves to be one of his biggest weaknesses.  Harry told Dexter he could never change, and would always have to hide his true self. The code restricted Dexter’s individual growth over the years, but he very slowly throughout the show realizes he’s been a slave to the code. In a way, he was forced into this lifestyle. 

Even though he denies having emotion, we know he’s only fooling himself.  Part of Dexter’s kill ritual pays tribute to the victims of his target as he explains to the criminal why he’s going to end his or her life. This proves Dexter has some sense of right and wrong, indicating he does have a conscience after all. Unfortunately, having a conscience doesn’t make you a good person by default. Which begs the questions, is Dexter more good than he is evil? Are his actions justified? Or has Dexter manipulated viewers into thinking he’s more human than he really is?

It's Always Interesting in Philadelphia

Having just watched my 100th episode of the strange, hilarious, and disgusting "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," I thought that I'd write a post about it while things were still fresh in my mind. If you've seen It's Always Sunny, you probably know that it is almost exclusively nothing but terrible people doing terrible things; the tagline used to be "it's Seinfeld on crack." If you haven't seen it, here's all you need to know: a group of five people (the "gang") own a bar called Paddy's Pub, which is basically their home base for coming up with awful ideas and just generally being shitty people. I've seen every episode of the show, and I'm proud of it.

Which brings me to tonight. Normally, Sunny has no particular artistic value; the shots aren't interesting or well thought out, character development is basically nonexistent, and the show's main laughs mostly come in the form of shock value or the sheer stupidity/horribleness of the characters. Tonight's episode, however, was a little different. By celebrating their 100th episode in a way that only the cast of Sunny could, each member of the gang was posed with the question of what they would do while in a convenience store that was being robbed.

The episode is split up into five parts; one for the daydream of each character. It's really interesting to dive into the psyche of characters that can tend to seem so one dimensional, and while the episode had plenty of laughs, it was also somewhat thought provoking. Mac's dream is first, and in typical Mac fashion, it involves him karate chopping away at not only the robber, but also an army of ninjas that come out of nowhere. Interestingly enough, he dies in his own dream and eventually rises into Heaven, where he takes the right hand seat next to a very shirtless and very buff God, which is a weird way of reaffirming how twistedlly religious (and possibly gay) Mac really is.

Dennis and Dee, the two siblings on the show, each had two equally elaborate and weird daydreams. In Dee's, she befriends the gun man (who is actually a woman), shoots every single member of the gang, and then goes into the witness protection program. She eventually fulfills her life goal of becoming an actress and ends up marrying Brad Pitt, showing how even in the most dire moments, Dee is thinking of nobody but herself. Dennis, in his own dream, is shot in the head. He survives (seemingly due to his own extreme ego and creepy self confidence) and is nursed back to life by an extremely busty nurse. It's twisted, but you see some of Dennis' rationale behind why he's a bit of a pervert (to put it lightly).

Skipping over Frank's dream - he runs off and eats all the hot dogs in the store while the cops catch the thief - we get to Charlie's. I knew that Sunny would save the best dream for last, and I was not disappointed whatsoever. Charlie Kelly is the oddest member of the gang, and it only makes sense for his to dream to be a cartoon. It was perfect. Charlie saves the Waitress (his longtime crush) and then ends up running off with her and starting a dream life. In a very Pixar-esque (like, very Pixar-esque) sequence of events, the two get married, have kids, and live out their lives. I kept thinking that the whole thing would end with a deranged twist, some sort of horrible turn of events, but I was wrong. The two grow old together, and eventually the waitress dies. All of this was absolutely beautifully sentimental, showing a Charlie that we rarely see; one who, at his most innocent, wants this girl to fall and love with him.  It almost made me rethink his entire character.

Of course, the episode actually ends with everyone grabbing an armful of marshmallows and running out of the store, but for one shining moment, Sunny proved that it could do more than be the show that's consistently getting snubbed for Emmy's. This show has been around for 100 episodes, and while it may be crass and extremely rude, it knows it's characters as well as any other show (in part because the show's creators and writers, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerston, play Mac and Dennis, respectfully). That was an eye opener for me, and I believe that this episode will earn some of the attention that It's Always Sunny really deserves.

The Road: Theme

       This past weekend I watched a film that had a new take on a post-apocolypic world.  "The Road" by John Hillcoat, tell the tale of a father and son trying to survive in a very cold and dark world.  The film seems to make a statement on human nature  when looking at how civilization was so quick to fall to pieces.

      We are never given a reason why civilization ended, we simply come into its aftermath.  There are no animals left aside from humans and no form of law/government.  Gangs run the land raping, killing, and cannibalizing as they go.  Our main characters, a father and son, are confronted as they go by gangs and murderers.  Through all the hardships they face they try to "be the good guys" as the son says and avoid falling into the chaos and lawlessness that surrounds them.  This desire to stay pure and good is a metaphor for the boys innocence.  The little boy tries to help people, while his father strives to protect him.  In a way the father starts to become corrupted when he steals the cloths of a man in the snow and leaves him to die, but is pulled back and saved by his son who convinces him to try and make up for what he has done by giving them back.

    This theme of trying to maintain ones innocence and remain morality is seen throughout the film.  This themes also directly dictates character interactions and how the two main characters view each other.  The reason I chose to talk about this movie is because it has an interesting theme to the viewer, but this theme simultaneously drives the plot.  I felt that this film had an excellent plot but also did exceptional job of choosing a theme that than motivated the characters actions while at the same time allowing them to become more multi-dimesional and realistic.

As People, Are We Good or Bad?

This question has been playing in my mind a lot over the past year.  Everyday, I see bad things on the news, people doing bad things to each other, doing bad things to the earth, the earth doing bad things to people, and overall society as a whole being mean spirited.  It leaves me wondering at times, are there really any "good" people on this earth; and what do we really consider good?  Usually it's our own messed up version of good.  Diluted by our own experiences and angles as well as our upbringings.  And then sometimes, there are people who are genuinely nice spirited, but do something horrible like sell, make, or do drugs, have cheated on there partner, have stolen things, or even hurt other people.  I'm sure at this point your wondering, how does this even remotely relate to filmmaking. 

One of the things that got me thinking about this subject was the show Breaking Bad.  Not a single character on the show is clean.  Walter is (in the beginning) a nice guy, a teacher, but has the unfortunate luck of getting cancer and because of this decides to make meth so he can make money to give to his family.  Then you have Hank who is a police officer and again, a generally nice guy.  Yet Hank makes poor decisions that go against what society and the law deem acceptable even though most people fully back him for what he does.  Then you have Jessie who does drugs, sells drugs, is a womanizer, steals, has killed people, yet has a personality that you can't help but love.  I could go through every single character and do the same thing.  They all share the same bond, the all have good and bad in them.

Being a realist, I find it hard to side with people being good or bad, one or the other.  I hate when you see a T.V. show and you can tell who the "bad guy" is and you can tell who the "good guy" is.  I hate this thinking because it is not real.  Good and bad in my opinion is a sense of perspective.  What I might consider good maybe horribly bad to someone but what I might consider bad, someone might treat that as a normal everyday thing.  While I do say this I do thing that people are good, and are born with the ability to do good, but the problem is society.  Society comes along and tells us what is good and what is bad.  It gives us this rigid framework that were suppose to fit our own beliefs into and deal with what society says is and isn't okay.

I don't bring this up to yell at the world over the internet, or to tell you you're all bad or good people.  I mainly bring this up because we start shooting our projects in the next few weeks and will start developing characters and stories.  I think it is always good to keep in mind this theme for when you shoot.  Shows like Breaking Bad that create characters that are so much more than one dimensional succeed.  They succeed because subconsciously, we all can relate to theses characters and there struggles to be good in a bad world.  To understand that sometimes what the world considers good, is not good, and sometimes what the world considers not good, can be good.  

Hopefully we all can create these types of characters so our stories can be told realistically and with purpose.  So our audiences can truly feel for our characters as if they are real people.  None of us are pure, none of us are wholly good.  We're all trying to grasp that fact and find other people that can prove that point.  We all have good, we all have bad.  Everyone wants to find something that they can relate to and our stories can provide that missing link.