Are You Kidding Me? REMAKES!

What annoys me more than awful sequels/ trilogies is when a motion picture studio decides to make a "remake" of an original movie that came out years ago. Like sequels/trilogies, there are few good remakes, but most ruin the reputation of the original film. It makes audiences appreciate the original movie that came out years ago. There is nothing like a huge slump in the box office when the oldest edition of a film does better than the newest edition. Below are 2 of the many remakes that I left thinking "Really!!! Come On"

1. Total Recall

Before I watched this years newest edition of Total Recall with Colin Farrell, I watched the 1990 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger. While I thought this was a decent film to sit through, after leaving the theater I thought the 2012 was nothing compared to the original. Ok maybe the special and visual effects were much more advanced, but I followed the story and characters better in the original story. Here is what I want to emphasize about above when I said "slump in the box office." In 1990 when Total Recall, it made an overall gross of $119 million with $26 million opening weekend. 22 years later, the Total Recall's overall gross slumped down to $59 million with the same opening weekend around $26 million.

2. Psycho.

After watching Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, I literally peed myself and couldn't take a shower with the curtain closed. I thought Anthony Perkins played an excellent Norman Bates and I thought the overall quality of the film, despite in black & white was overall well done. After watching the 1998 film directed by Gus Van Sant starring Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche, I was in utter disgust of how they remade this movie, ESPECIALLY in color. I thought it gave it a more terrifying film in black &white. Talk about a slump, the first Psycho made a total gross of $32 million while the 1998 film made a total gross of $21 million.

In all, I feel remakes are an enormous waste of production money and we as audiences don't need to watch movies a lot of us have already seen. However, I cant say that about all remakes because some have actually turned out quite well and have done a great job in the box office.

Marwencol

     Last week, I attended a showing of the film Marwencol (2010), directed by Jeff Malmberg, at the Ithaca College Handwerker Gallery. The documentary follows Mark Hoganhamp, a victim of a brutal assault that left him with severe brain trauma. Mark had to start from scratch. He lost all of his memory when a group of teenagers viciously attacked him outside of a bar. Hogancamp recovered after a limited period of rehabilitation and returned home. He was having trouble going back to his life because he barely knew who he was. He created a fictional town called Marwencol, in his backyard, and used military dolls to represent the characters that he created. The town was like therapy to him. One doll represents himself, one his dream wife, and many other dolls represent his friends in real life. Hogancamp started to capture stills of Marwencol town life with his cameras and keep the hundreds of developed pictures in boxes. A photographer asks what he was doing one day when he was dragging a toy jeep along the side of the road. Hogancamp told him that he takes pictures and the people are real to him. The photographer was interested in the idea and kept in touch with Hogancamp. Many aspects of Mark's life are highlighted but the photographer he meets convinces him to have a showing of his work at a NYC art gallery. Hogancamp summons the courage to make the trip to his own show but he isn't sure how to be social with many people when he arrives at the exhibition.

http://www.marwencol.com/   
(^^^CHECK OUT THE TRAILER AND LEARN ABOUT THE MOVIE ABOVE.)

I thought that the documentary was missing a few parts that the audience would've liked to see. I would've liked to hear about his ex-wife that he cannot remember and only sees in past wedding videos. I would also like to know what happened to the teenagers and if he has any family and their reactions to his fictional world. I don't think the documentary was trying to milk Hogancamp's story by any means but the photographer in the film seemed to take advantage of Mark. The photographer thought that his pictures were interesting so he blew them up onto large canvas and organized re-prints on the gallery's walls with Hogancamp's knowledge of how his work was composed. No one can understand Mark's world and the photographer seems to make it seem like Mark isn't normal and his world is just a spectacle to others, not his life. I recommend you watch this unlikely story because it is truly amazing and unique in so many ways.

Chinatown

I saw Chinatown for the first time yesterday and it was everything you  said it would be; simply a movie masterpiece.  Although I disagree with Mr. Polanski's extra curricular activities his directing abilities are undeniable.  Not to mention, Jack Nicholson's portrayal of good-natured, but strong willed private detective Jake Gittes is a prime example of his genius on the silver screen; you want to root for him.  For me though, Chinatown's story development is what makes it so enjoyable it feels as if right alongside Jake Gittes as he navigates through a world of crooks.  Plus, the plot keeps you guessing all the way up to the very end.  After seeing one of Mr. Polanski's earlier works I am eager to compare it to one of his more contemporary pieces!

How Not to Market

The ICTV show I'm on, Game Over, is currently at Comic Con. The first day was press and limited passes, so the floor was as empty as we're ever going to see it, and it was a good way to get a handle on the different companies who are going to be there over the next few days, and the different products each company offers.

The day started off kind of slow, and resulted in a few hours hanging out in the press room. While we were there, one of the companies, Truth, gave out folders packed with information about an anti-tobacco campaign they've been working on: "Flavor Monsters." The idea for "Flavor Monsters" came from the fact, "Big tobacco isn't allowed to sell flavored cigarettes; yet, they offer over 45 candy flavors in the other tobacco products they sell. Sugary sweet flavor monsters."  The campaign has merch and a highly developed app, which all focuses around the different types of flavored tobacco in the industry. The Flavor Monsters are all designed as monstrous fruit that no one would ever want to cross.

When I finally got to visit the company's booth on the exhibition floor, I was sceptical as to how well Truth would present "Flavor Monsters," on account of even the promotional material they gave press was hard to disect, and was disappointed to see the result. The set-up itself was kind of cool. They had this covered booth that housed different characters from the game. They had a green screen set up that you could run in front of to make yourself part of a movie where you're being chased by the monsters, and several stations set up where you could play the game. However, not once in the entire process was it ever made clear that all of this had a point.
It wasn't until the end when they gave you your free promo t-shit with the fact that spawned the whole campaign that your realized the game was actually a campaign against tobacco use.

What is the point of creating an entire campaign against one of the largest industries in America, if you aren't even going to mention it in one of your largest marketing platforms?

Blue Valentine

About two years ago, a film called Blue Valentine came out in selected theaters. At the time I never heard of it before, only knew Ryan Gosling was in it. So inevitably I had to go see it. I assumed it would be a sappy romantic comedy that was similar to the notebook. Wow was I wrong. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams relationship is nothing like Noah and Allie from the Notebook. Blue Valentine begins with Dean and Cindy; an older married couple with a young daughter. The family dog is missing, and Cindy is so agitated and distant from Dean it’s sad to watch. They find the dog dead on the side of the road, which is a clear symbol to the death of their love as well.  However, after this scene establishing their failed marriage, the film shifts back and forth to when they first met and how they got to where they are now. 

The one word I can use to describe this film that makes it different then any other movie about a failing relationship is the rawness. This film is up close and personal to say the least. The emotion in their eyes and worn faces shows the extreme difference in time in their relationship. The sex scenes are even long and semi uncomfortable at times. However this plays into the rawness and is what makes this film so different. 

Blue Valentine is definitely not something to watch with your lover/boyfriend/girlfriend, it’s more of a movie to see alone or with friends. It’s a pretty sad reminder that not all love lasts forever, and most people fall out of love eventually. The truthfulness in this film is something not a lot of people can handle. My favorite scene is in the beginning of their relationship when Ryan Gosling plays the ukelele for her and sings “You Always Hurt the Ones you Love” and Michelle Williams tap dances. They look so young and carefree it’s a harsh contrast to them years later, married with a kid. I posted a link of the song but unfortunately couldn't find one of the scene. But that is him singing and playing ukele. If you’re not a big fan of the Notebook then you should check this movie out. 

My first experience on set

My first experience on the set of a production is what ultimately led me to seek a career in the communications industry. I was about eight-years-old when my father took me and my younger sister to a commercial shoot. While my dad usually traveled to LA when filming a commercial, this was a low budget shoot that took place right on Long Island, maybe 15 minutes from my house. The client was a brand of microwaveable pizza. I really was intrigued by the director. One of the actors was an older man who had trouble following direction. The director was extremely patient and was able to coax the footage he needed out of the man.

I remember sitting in one of those "director's chairs," watching the live footage on a small screen and thinking it was the absolute coolest thing in the world - everything from craft services to the make-up trailer fascinated me. I knew that this was the type of environment that I wanted to be surrounded by.

More Zombie Stuff

Yeah, I know, another original post by me about zombies.

I'm fascinated by the Resident Evil series. I started liking Resident Evil when I started playing Resident Evil 4 for the Playstation 2. I loved the concept of the game, and just killing hundreds of zombies. This game made me start  watching the movies, which I liked just as much. I like how the games and movies are different, but similar at the same time. A lot of the movies were set in Raccoon City, like the games, and have a lot of the same concepts, such as the G-Virus and every other letter of the alphabet-Virus.

I also like how they incorporate some of the "special" zombies from the games into the movies. They keep the two separate by having different characters and having the movies go in a different direction in terms of story from the game. My favorite part of the movies and games is the story. I like the concept of an actual virus spreading instead of other zombie movies where the zombies just randomly pop up one day. I also like how the movies actually have endings and the characters have an objective. As much as I love Dawn of the Dead, there isn't really a point to it except survive. In Resident Evil there is a lot of betrayal, plot twists, an actual objective that they have to do, and many other things added to the story.

NBC and Chuck

I know a lot of you probably enjoy NBC comedies. The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community always seem to be mentioned when you ask a college kid what their favorite shows are. And while NBC as a network may have some issues (just ask Jack Powers about NBC if you ever get the chance) their comedies are almost always seriously underrated.

One of my favorite NBC comedies though, is Chuck.

Chuck is about a computer geek named Chuck, who accidentally downloads a bunch of CIA secrets into his brain. In order to protect him from various bad guys and criminals who don't want their identities compromised, the NSA and CIA send two of their own agents, Sara and John, to protect Chuck.

While it sounds like just another Get Smart spy-comedy, it really is a great show. Zachary Levi has excellent comedic timing, and all the characters, true to the NBC comedy way are diverse and amusing, especially Chuck's best friend, Morgan, and his sister and brother-in-law (nicknamed Captain Awesome) are equally amusing.

Despite being such a great and well-made comedy, Chuck was almost cancelled after its fourth season in 2009. However, the shows famously dedicated fan base put together a petition that got over 100,000 members. The petition, combined with a sponsorship from Subway restaurants, led to NBC renewing the show for a final, thirteen episodes.

Personally, I really love Chuck. It is such a funny, well-put-together show, and it is the type of show where you can sit down and watch one episode and then somehow mysteriously watch eight more and not realize how it happened. If you like NBC comedies, and you like good shows, I highly recommend Chuck.

Writing from Experience: True Fiction

This past year I have been working on many scripts and screenplays and I have begun to notice that by far my best works have been those based off of true events or personal experiences.  When I look at my life as a whole I think to myself, what a bland and average story I have.  I have never been shipwrecked, I've never had any superpowers, I've never even been in a gun fight or in a Jackie Chan style brawl.  However, in my opinion, I have found that you can tell the best stories from the details only you have.  My life has had ups-and-downs, as everyone has had, but the ups-and-downs I've had are unique to me.  My experience is my own and no one else's…that is unless I share it with them.

I recently become a finalist for a film award after submitting a script about a man struggling with addiction.  The story of a man coping with a drug addiction and the effects it has on his family is not a "new" story or ground-breaking idea, however it is the first hand detail through my own perspective and my own re-telling that gives the story its strength.

I feel if I gave the outline of one of my films to anyone they would see nothing special about the idea, but if you give them a script and they see a real conversation that was had, they hear your character's voice, accent, and inflection as you heard it.  They can see the details of a room you stood in.  They can share your experience.  To write a "fiction film" is not always necessarily about making a work of fiction; through my experience to write the best "fiction" films is to take a nonfiction story (or the guise of nonfiction) and present it to the audience so they may share in a personal story they could have never experienced over wise.

USA, USA, USA!

One of the most important aspects in films would be dialogue. It has the ability to make or break films. For example the movie The Room, has horrible dialogue and everyone makes fun of it for that reason. Like many key aspect in films like lighting, audio, camera work and editing, if done right it will be unnoticeable. If it is phenomenal  it will stand out.
This is the case for the dialogue in the film Miracle. Since taking the Public Communication class here at Ithaca College, I've paid a lot of attention to speeches. In Miracle the most influential speech is the locker room speech while playing the Soviet Union. This falls under the category of a ceremonial speech. Coach Brookes speaks to the team to get them amped and ready to be the first team in a long time to beat the Russians.
Here is a sample of the writing throughout the movie.
"Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here. Tonight boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played them ten times they might win nine, but not this game, not tonight. Tonight we skate with them, tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can! Tonight! We are the greatest hockey team, in the world. You were born to be hockey players, everyone of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done, it's over. I'm sick and tired hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw them. This is your time, now go out there and take it!"
This speech moves me when I watch the movie, as if I were one of the hockey players in that decade trying to beat the Soviets. Anything that moves an audience in a film shows exceptional talent.

Looper

I went to the movies the other night with a friend. My friend was like "Hey, lets go see Looper!" and I responded with "I've never heard of that before, is it any good?" to which he responded "I hope so."

Don't worry, folks. It was a really good movie. In the beginning not only do they acknowledge and make fun of "blockbuster" movies with a comment about how there's no original stories anymore, they also comment on modern society. I strongly suggest you all go see it, because it was really good.

What I really want to talk about is how media, like movies and television, can criticize our current state and they won't necessarily be punished for it. Most people probably wont even know that they are criticizing our society. I have a few opinions formed on why this is so, but I'm curious- why do you all think that film and television can comment on society and 'get away with it'?

American Gangster

Since I have done three movies with Russell Crowe I should stay with him.  American Gangster is a 2007 true story gangster movie based in the 70's about heroin kingpin Frank Lucas, starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington directed by Ridley Scott.  It was nominated for two oscars including best achievement in art direction.  Denzel Washington plays heroin kingpin  Frank Lucas, who was smuggling heroin in from vietnam in the early 70's.  Russell Crowe plays the detective who is trying to hunt him down.  Ridley Scott creates a beautiful picture of the brutality of the drug industry in New York in the early 70's.  He also gets an oscar nominated performance from Ruby Dee as Frank Lucas's mom who is the only one who is allowed to talk back to him.

I saw the movie when it first came out when I was maybe a bit to young for it, but my uncle assured my dad it was okay and so I continued watching it.  Russell Crowe's character is morally questionable with a failing marriage due to his womanizing behavior and it leads to his wife to seek a divorce and full custody of their child.  Though when he turns in unmarked bills he is promoted to head of a task force to stop whoever is supplying a new potent heroin.  Frank Lucas is the one supplying the heroin and because of his higher quality heroin at a lower price he quickly builds a fortune.

While Frank is able to avoid the cops for a while, but Crowe's character Richie Roberts gets on to him and with the end of the vietnam war Frank Lucas gets his supply cut off.  This combined with a failing marriage due to assassination attempts on his and his wife, and competing with the mafia and other drug dealers leads to him getting caught by Richie Roberts and convicted and sentenced to a 70 year term in jail.  He only served about ten years because he gave info to the police that led to over 100 convictions. The movie is a fantastic story that looks beautiful that is a must see.

Link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXceJA-eoJg

Opening Credits

This past Sunday the season premier of Dexter was on Showtime. In my house off campus, this is one of the house's favorite shows. After what seemed like forever, we were very pleased that Dexter was back on TV and we had a large viewing party in our living room for the premier. Most of us were avid Dexter fans and have seen every episode of the previous six seasons. However, there were a few people that came over that were new to the series. As the clock struck 9:00 PM the music began and the best intro and opening credits to a TV show began.

This may seem ridiculous but in my opinion the opening credits or the intro to a show is very important. Think about all of your favorite shows... Entourage has the Jane's Addiction song blaring, Breaking Bad has the Periodic Table, Weeds has the "Little Boxes" song, and Game of Thrones with the map of the realm. These introductions are something that sticks with us and something that prepares us for the show. In my opinion the opening credits are an important part of drawing the viewer into the show. Not  to gain viewers but to put the people that are actually viewing the show in the right mind set for the show.

No show does this better than Dexter. The creepy music in the background coupled with weird shots of the cutting of meat, Dexter shaving, and getting dressed, reminds you of how peculiar Dexter's character really is. It draws you back into the show and into the mind of a serial killer.

As the newcomers in our living room shuttered at the blood splatter from Dexter's razor, or the the knife cutting threw the piece of meat, the rest of just smiled because our favorite show had just drawn us back in for another season.

The Life & Times of Tim

One of my favorite tv comedies of all time is The Life & Times of Tim. The often overlooked HBO comedy is a cartoon featuring a character named Tim who works in an advertising agency. The film is loosely based off his experiences working in the advertising agency for Omnicom. The animation is amateur, but for adult-targeting cartoons when has that ever been an issue? South Park essentially is made from construction cut-outs. The show is very sarcastic and feature a lot of dead panning, but I absolutely think its hilarious. The show is made up of two 15 minute episode each week, and to start off I’d definitely recommend the pilot – its hilarious! Unfortunately, I haven't heard much about the show entering a third season, so I'm not sure if its been renewed or not. 

Apple

I recently watched a brand new documentary on Steve Jobs.  It was recently done and talked about his life from the starting of Apple, to buying Pixar, to once again becoming the CEO of Apple, until his death.  Admittedly, I am an Apple fanboy.  I own an iPhone, a Macbook, an iPad, and countless Apple applications like Logic, Final Cut Pro, and many others.

Normally, we think of Steve Jobs as just the CEO of Apple, a guy who helped with the iPhone and was ultimately, a computer geek.  What this documentary highlights and why I am writing this is that Steve Jobs revolutionized almost every aspect of the media today.  He was involved with the creation of Final Cut Pro and studio, he was instrumental in starting iTunes, helped launch logic, and also helped create the software that makes all of these tools and assets that we use as communications and Television Radio majors possible.

With just the mention of the word Final Cut (the old version at least), most people think right away about a NLE that was revolutionary, streamlined the editing process, and kept costs down in the process.  It's interesting to think that a man that we all consider a visionary, impacted all of us so closely.  I for one began editing on Final Cut Pro in high school.  Because of Final Cut, I found my love for making films, telling stories, and finding my own way to be creative.  Had it not been for Steve Jobs or even iMovie, my high school may never had the money or resources to have a video production class and I never would have gotten to the point I am at today.

Another thing that Steve did was with audio.  ITunes is gigantic; and unstoppable force in the music industry along with iPods.  People forget that when iTunes was created, there was nothing even remotely close to it on the market nor was there anything reasonably as advanced as the iPod was when it was released shortly after.  Music is one of my biggest passions along with video and when I was thinking about, Steve has literally contributed to almost all of my happiness in my life in some way.  While his programs are not instrumental to my life all of the time now that I have found my passion, I still use them today and without Final Cut or Garage Band and Logic, I may have never realized how creative of a person I really am because there was nothing even remotely affordable on the market or easy-to-use for music and video.

While people are quick to judge "apple fanboys", I think it is important to step back and think about all of the ways Apple has impacted our lives.  Steve Jobs and his company have made so many things possible for all of us that may never have been possible before.  Because of their innovation, so many more innovators were created and made able to realize their true potential.  For this, not for the iPhones I use or the computer I own, do I hold Steve Jobs so highly.  Through his products, he inspired me and many others around me to create, to learn from ourselves, to be our own visionaries, and for this, we are all indebted to Steve Jobs.


May he rest in peace.

Ed Norton

    Recently, I rented 25th Hour starring Edward Norton on Itunes. I saw parts of the movie in the past and my friend recommended it on Thursday. The movie follows a drug dealer, Montgomery Brogan (Edward Norton), that is caught by the DEA and the 24 hours before his seven year jail sentence are highlighted. The movie is directed by Spike Lee and the lighting and cuts are unlike many movies. The large streets shots in NYC are very dark and Lee plays with shadows by lighting entire streets and having wide shots. Also, there are many scenes where one action is followed by the same action but from a different angle. For example, in the beginning of the movie when Montgomery Brogan slams his trunk closed, the shot is from behind him and the trunk closes and then the next cut is to a side shot and the trunk is closed again. This style is disorienting to the audience and it made me realize that I was watching a movie instead of seducing me through the story.

Edward Norton has always been one of my favorite actors. Movies such as American History X, Fight Club, and Moonrise Kingdom could easily be in my top ten favorite movies list. I find it very strange that many people say that I look like certain celebrities. Over the years I've gotten Asher Roth, Ryan Gosling, Benjamin McKenzie, Kevin Cusack, and recently, Edward Norton. Some of my friends at school now call me Ed. I know this seems strange because 1.) I don't think I look much like Edward Norton, 2.) I've received so many comments on actors I look like but I often disagree and 3.) a "you look like John Cusack" comment insults me. My roommate Conor said, "You don't look exactly like Edward Norton but you look like him more so than others." This is a strange comment but I've recently begun to understand that I do look more like Edward Norton than others. I recommend that people begin to watch multiple Edward Norton films if they haven't seen them yet. The post below me is about Fight Club and Edward Norton is gaining more and more attention.

Chinatown

The other day I finally watched the movie Chinatown. After watching it I now understand why it's considered to be one of the best movies ever made. Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson, every aspect of the movie is executed pretty much flawlessly; the acting, directing, pacing, just everything makes this movie fit together perfectly.

The movie centers around J.J Gittes who is played by Jack Nicholson. He is a private eye who is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (played by Faye Dunaway) to find out if her husband is cheating on her. However as Gittes discovers more and more we very quickly discover that things are not at all what they seem. There are twists at every corner and the movie constantly keeps you guessing as to what will happen next. It's a very enjoyable ride.

As I mentioned earlier everything about this film is executed so so well. A very special mention goes to the acting in it. Nicholson absolutely nails the private eye character who slowly ends up realizing just what he's getting in to. Faye Dunaway is great as the damsel in distress female character. Even director Roman Polanski has a cameo which he's great at.

I could keep talking about this movie but it would only keep you from watching it. It's on Netflix instant watch so there's really no excuse to not watch it. You won't regret it.

Fight Club

So far this year, I have been using this blog to motivate myself to see all the movies I have wanted to see, but never had the chance.  This week has been no exception.

This week I sat down and watched a movie many people I know rave about, Fight Club.  

Up until a couple minutes ago I had no idea who was in the film, what it was about, or any comprehension of the film at all.  Im assuming everyone who has seen this movie was equally as blown away as I was.  To anyone who has not seen the movie I highly recommend it but feel free to keep reading, I will not spoil it.

The movie stars Ed Norton who is only  referred to as "the narrator" in the credits, and Brad Pitt who plays Tyler Durden.  Ed Norton's plays a character plagued by insomnia.  He tries many methods to alleviate it, and many succeed but leave him feeling empty and without a purpose.  He then meets Tyler Durden.  Tyler Durdens take on life captivates Ed Norton's character and the two of them come together and start Fight Club.  As the first rule of Fight Club goes, no talking about fight club, that will conclude the synopsis so I don't ruin even a little bit for those of you who have not seen it.

The film was directed by David Fincher.  The movie is made to mimic the lives of its main characters.  All scenes are filmed at night, in a broken down house, a gloomy office, and create overall dismal scenes.  The scenes with Brad Pitt however, seem to have a certain flair to them.  Whether it is his flamboyant outfits, pink soap, or maybe even a stay light illuminating him in a dark basement, he carries  a certain aura with him through the movie.

All I can really say about it is watch it.  Even if you already saw it do it again.  Its an excellent display of filmmaking, acting, and it gives you a mental sweat on top of it.

Sci-fi and Fantasy Escapes

Movies. That is all I was interested in when I was younger. It wasn't until I reached about ninth grade that I suddenly became fascinated by TV shows. It all started with my father introducing me to a great show called Stargate SG1. This is a show about a military operation that has found a way to travel through the glaxay via wormhole. The wormholes are established through the use of a stargate. Each stargate on different planets have their own "addresses." SG1 is the first team sent through the wormhole to discover new worlds. So, this mix-matched team begins their adventures where they fight the Goa'uld (parasites that take over their host's mind and ruled over early human civilizations as gods, like the Egyptian gods), and many other enemies over the course of 10 seasons. This show was absolutely brilliant and was my obsession for a very long time.

After Stargate SG1 ended, I really didn't watch any other shows for two reasons. Number one, my knowledge of TV shows was limited and I didn't really want to spend the energy to find a new one. Number two, what could match up to my Goa'uld fighting heroes of the universe? It was only when I was a freshman in college and I discovered the wonderful Netflix, that the world of TV shows opened up to me again. I can't even begin to remember how many shows I have watched to date now, but I can list some of my favorites.

First of all, I should mention that my heart lies in the science fiction and fantasy realms. My theory behind this is that I personally love the feeling of being able to escape my own life for a time and delve into a completely new dimension and "experience" adventures with unforgettable characters. Anyway, I remember one of the new series that I fell in love with was a TV show called Robin Hood that was on BBC starting in 2006. There is not much to explain in the way of plot since almost everyone knows the story of Robin Hood, and it was a great show plot-wise, at least up until the very end. I won't give it away for those who decide to watch it, but it made me very upset. I guess it was a good thing that I was so upset because that is a sign of a good show. The acting was fabulous, and the presentation was altogether well edited.


I believe the next show I watched was Battlestar Galactica, which was on Syfy from 2004-2009. The concept behind this series was very interesting and the story was great... for about the first two or three seasons. Then something happened where nothing made sense. I don't know if that was because on Netflix the seasons were split up by half seasons (such as season 4 and season 4.5, why would someone do that???) and I missed a seasons worth of episodes or if the plot just went crazy. I never ended up finishing this series, but I did enjoy most of what I was able to see.


During the summer between freshman and sophomore year in college, my parents and I became huge fans of another BBC series called Merlin. Merlin is a show depicting the story of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table all from the perspective of a young boy named Merlin. Of course, the events of this series do not necessarily follow what is depicted in the novel The Once and Future King written by T. H. White. In this show, Merlin is a young boy who is sent to Camelot by his mother to live with an old friend, Gaius. Except there is something special about Merlin that no one else can know about; Merlin can use magic, a offense punishable by death. It isn't until Merlin learns from a dragon trapped below the castle that it is his destiny to protect the cocky and rude Arthur that all the adventures for Camelot begin. This show is still playing, and I believe is on season 5. Some of the graphics and CG aren't the best, but the plot is so engrossing that you can get over it pretty easily.

Soon after that, came another one of my absolute favorite shows, Falling Skies. If you have not seen this show, I highly suggest you watch it. Yes, it is another end of the world show, but it is so much more than that. Once you think you have the story figured out, they throw another twist at you. The filming and CG is very good, and I can't wait for the next season to begin.

Some other series I have watched include, Downton Abbey, Lost, Terra Nova, part of Grey's Anatomy and Once Upon A Time. Downton Abbey is a show put out by Masterpiece Classics and has a great plot, and is filmed in such a way that you feel you are truly a part of the story. The characters are so unique that you end up falling in love with them. It is a story about a well-to-do English family living on the cusp of the twentieth century and their servants. The dynamics between these two groups flow together and apart at different parts in the story. I have only seen up to season 2, so if anyone knows whether or not this show is on again please let me know.


Terra Nova only has one or two seasons, I believe, because someone told me they it was cancelled. I don't know why. I absolutely loved the storyline. It is about a family living in a future where the Earth is on it's last leg thanks to pollution and lack of resources. People can't even breathe the air with out a device that filters it. In order to get a chance for a second life, the family accepts the offer to become a part of project Terra Nova. By going through a rip in the time continuum, they find themselves on Earth but millions of years in the past, with dinosaurs for neighbors. The family and the whole colony of Terra Nova must learn to survive or die in their new world.

What I think is the most amazing thing about all of these is that the CG doesn't have to be the best. The acting, the sound, the cinematography, and really great story lines all come together to make these shows successful in drawing in the audience to different times or even different worlds. I'm always up for suggestions for new shows to watch. Recently, someone suggested that I watch the new show Revolution, which is about a futuristic world where all electricity doesn't work. Cars don't work. iPods don't work. Nothing. The government falls and militia take over. Amidst all the chaos is one girl who is fighting to get her younger brother back from the militia men who took him. It looks like a very promising show indeed.

~Amber Capogrossi

Regular Show

New York Comic Con is next week, which is an exciting time for the geek community. Many TV shows, movies, video game developers, comic book publishers, independent artists, and other organizations hold panels and give sneak peeks at the latest content they will be producing and distributing. 

One program that I hope will be at NYCC is Regular Show, which was created by JG Quintel and airs on Cartoon Network. Like Adventure Time, the show has a large following among college students due to its absurd and surreal humor. The show follows Mordecai, a blue jay and his friend Rigby, a raccoon, who work as groundskeepers at a park; while attempting to slack off, the two often act irresponsibly and put themselves in surreal situations that threaten their status as park employees or even the park itself.

Regular Show draws inspiration from two of Quintel’s student films, The Naive Man From Lolliland and 2 in the AM PM; Quintel’s characters Mordecai, Benson and Pops all appear in the shorts, and look and act much like their Regular Show counterparts. Both shorts can be viewed on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56STDM667ds

Regular Show has been well received critically, and recently won an Emmy for Best Short-Format Animated Program for the episode “Eggscellent,” which features Mordecai and Rigby attempting to eat a twelve egg omelet in order to win a trucker style hat with the words “I’m Eggcellent” on it. The episode also contains a humorous reference to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This clip shows Mordecai completing the Eggscellent Challenge, and demonstrates the show’s surreal sense of humor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvZ-22mb55o

Now entering its fourth season, the season premiere “Exit 9B” introduces Roger Craig Smith as Thomas, a goat who interns at the park for college credit. I hope that Regular Show will have some great sneak peeks if they attend New York Comic Con!

The Cursed Memory Card

Well, well, well. I knew it was bound to happen. There are just some unlucky things I've happened to find myself owning in my life. This week, I discovered one of those things....

My memory card. My Transcend 32 GB memory card. I lost it. Completely lost. No idea where it is. But more importantly, I lost one of my group mate's projects with it.

This isn't the first time I've had bad luck with this particular card though.

Over the summer – I lived and worked in Ireland for about 5 weeks – my friend and I took a train to Dublin for the weekend to sightsee (and of course take plenty of pictures with my nice Nikon DSLR camera.)

Now, I'm not a complete fool. I know that things can go wrong. That's why I brought three memory cards with me. Two 8 GB cards and my 32 GB. I figured that if something went wrong with one or if I lost one, I'd have two back ups.

So, we get in to Dublin on the train that morning. I'm taking pictures. It's going well. We stop in at the world famous Guinness Factory for a free pint of beer and a tour. Turns out they have a great rooftop bar that offers an excellent view of the city. Excellent place for a picture, right? It was. It was perfect, I got the perfect picture to sum up the weekend trip.

The rest of the day went well too! I was getting a lot of great pictures of Dublin.

The next morning, we decided to take a quick tour of Dublin's Trinity College.

I get up to a rotating metal statue in the centre of the college's quad to take a close-up, and I go to snap the picture. A tiny little beeping noise goes off and the screen reads "CARD READ ERROR."

Apparently this statue was magnetized and wiped my card of the pictures from the first day.

Just my luck.

Once

The film 'Once' received an Academy Award for Best Original Song and other awards including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film. Later a musical was created based on this film and has been highly successful on Broadway winning eight Tony awards out of eleven nominations. Despite this acclaim, however, when my friends and I were watching this film over the summer, we were very disappointed. Even my non-television/film major friends shared my beliefs that this was a very poorly made movie and that it was hard to watch. I distinctly remember that the first five minutes of the movie was a single wide shot on the male lead playing guitar that was held for way too long and had a slow, shaky, zoom in that was NOT done on a dolly. I also noticed some continuity issues and poor location planning when I could see Spring '06 collection on all of the shop windows behind the guitarist. This was a poor decision because you can tell that they shot in 2006 yet the film takes place in an earlier time judging from the props, which include exceptionally old phones and Walkman CD players. Granted they shot on a € 160,000 budget, but I was expecting more from a movie that received so much praise.

'Once' had a fantastic story about a guy and a girl who find each other through music by writing, performing, and recording songs together that show their blossoming love, however, I was cringing at how the film was made. First off, the lighting was awful. It was incredibly grainy and it looked as if no professional lighting equipment was used and that they only utilized practical lighting. However, at one point I could tell they were flashing the lead actress with a cheap LED light when the actress was not directly under a streetlight while walking down the street, and this did not look good. All except maybe one or two of the shots in the entire film were handheld, which was a nice stylistic choice, but they were incredibly shaky and it was distracting. Some single shots would also last for 2-3 minutes and this production also completely disregarded the 180* rule. Despite the poor visual, at least the story and the music were entertaining. I would recommend only seeing 'Once' once.

Good-Good

Last week I posted about how good movies have lost reputation because they decide to make unnecessary sequels that bring low box office profit and draw viewers away from the movie itself. Well now I want to discuss a few movie sequels I thought WERE necessary to follow the story from the previous movie.

1. The Dark Knight & The Dark Knight Rises




















A 3 set series following the story of Batman, directer and writer Christopher Nolan stole Box Office records through these three amazing movies that have captured the attention of many fans around the world. A story that couldn't be told in one movie was told through three films about Bruce Wayne and his life saving the city of Gotham from criminals. Batman Begin's debut in the theaters made the film $48 million while the following two increasing dramatically ($158 million for the Dark Knight and $161 million for the Dark Knight Rises.

2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

This amazing trilogy about a hobbit named Frodo who is on a journey with eight companions on a mission to destroy a ring on the fires of Mount Doom and the dark lord Sauron. These three movies were directed by the creative and masterminded Peter Jackson as his three movies were also able to bring in box office records and a large number of crowds to the big screen. In its debut, the Fellowship of the Ring made $47 million its opening weekend with The Two Towers earning more than 15 million more at $62 million and the Return of the King increasing eleven million to $73 million.

3. Spiderman 2 & Spiderman 3

With the new Amazing Spiderman movie that brought in good revenue in 2012, most fans turned away from the old set of Spiderman movies that brought in a number of box office profits. Directed by Sam Raimi, these stories follow Peter Parker who looks to save his city after acquiring special spider powers. While most thought the third was "corny shit," most were interested by the story and would agree that this series was a great series. Opening up in 2002, the first Spiderman brought in $115 million with Spiderman 2 at $89 million and Spiderman 3 at $151 million.

Info in Ithaca

Already into my second year here, I was shocked by our presentation in class regarding the library on Wednesday. I mean, sure, I know that we have a library with plenty of resources, but nobody has ever shown me the online capabilities and resources as well. Maybe it's something you can find out in the actual library...I guess I wouldn't really know, having gone into the building perhaps three times since being here (it just isn't the right workspace for me). The website, however...that's accessible anywhere with an Internet connection.  Suddenly, it's as if a million new doors were just unlocked in front of me, and I've got full access to all of their hidden treasures with the click of a button.

Not having noticed this feature until now, I certainly felt ignorant.  I expected more people to know about this, considering the work most students do and the amount we pay to do it...yet, upon asking around to some friends, they were just as amazed as I was at the amount of useful information that we could call up without leaving the room. In retrospect, I really wish someone had shown me this sooner; having taken a number of theater design and Park classes, along with helping several ICTV shows, it would've made all of my projects and performances so much more believable. It's the little details that make things memorable, too, so why not use the library's website to find and perfect them right away?  The college should absolutely make this a more well-known resource for students, because anybody could benefit from the enormous span of information available, regardless of their majors. Plus, it never hurts to learn something new now and then from a reliable source. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've always got an unanswered and random question in my head, and sometimes, Google just can't come up with an answer that satisfies me. Thus, having the library's online sources is a bit of a gift in that I can find information on most subjects with relative ease, in a multitude of formats. Some queries are better answered in words, others in pictures or videos; this college seems to know how to connect its students to any of that, if they know how to look for it.

So, Ithaca College, here's my suggestion to you: introduce the library as a resource both on campus and online within the first few days of a student's career here, in an intro level class of any sort. It would take perhaps a twenty minute demonstration, at most, by the professor to open students' eyes to this, and it's not something I'm likely to forget in the near future.  You'll know the ones who see this as an opportunity to grow by the spark in their eyes, and it will without a doubt start improving the quality of work across campus of those who want to succeed.

Blair Witch Project

In the year 1999 a movie called the Blair Witch Project came out. It was a horror movie based off a story about something called the blair witch that lived in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland and killed people who went camping. The movie is based off of 3 friends who are making a documentary about this phenomenon. The movie made millions when it came out because the people that made it were very clever. 

The whole movie is shot half on a hand held consumer based camcorder and the other on an actual film camera. In the entire film, aside from the woods, they use 2-3 actual locations one of which is a parking lot. Also, aside from the 3 main characters there are maybe 4 other people in the whole film. They shot and produced the entire thing for roughly 25,000 dollars but made millions at the box office. This is because they spent a ton of money on advertising and they started hyping the movie about 6 months to a year in advance. During the ads they played they hyped the movie as the scariest thing ever. Because of this insane advertising, hyping the movie as the scariest thing ever, everyone who went to see it was extremely scared. The funny thing is, is that the movie itself is horrible. Its not very scary and its very poorly acted. The way in which it is shot is confusing as well because they switch between the film camera and the camera the main characters are using for there documentary a lot. I really don't like this movie but i also appreciate how the producers made millions because they were very clever. It proved that advertising is extremely powerful. This was also one of the first movies to use the internet to advertise for it. The movie was touted as a true story online and thus millions were already wrapped up in seeing it.

As this season's shows are finally starting to be up and running, I've been getting increasingly more impatient with the new episodes of some of my favorite shows. "Once Upon a Time" is one of the shows I've been anxiously awaiting since it's finale last season.

When the show started last year, I remember sitting in Intro to Media Industries trying to figure out what pilots would survive and which ones would flunk. "Once Upon a Time" was one of the shows that was in my failure list. I was so used to watching American TV fail at fantasy shows, I wasn't even going to give this one a chance. I'd leave my fantasy shows to the Brits. Finally, about halfway through the season, my best friend told me I had to watch it. The two of us see eye to eye on just about everything: music, books, TV, hobbies, etc... She's one of the only people who would be able to convince me to watch something I wasn't sure on, and she did.

First off, I have to say, I'm really glad I gave it a chance.

The show is really well written; the subplots are all seamlessly interlaced, forming a latticework of characters. The design of the show is beautiful. I want to steal all the gowns off the characters. The actors are all brilliant, especially Jared Gilmore, who plays the little boy, Henry. It also doesn't hurt that Emilie de Ravin, who played my favorite character on "Lost," plays Belle, my favorite Disney princess.

The season premiere aired this past Sunday after a cliffhanger that left us with the characters finally remembering their fairytale pastlife. The new season promises a host of new chracters, from Mulan to Captain Hook, as well as a storyline just as exciting as the first season.

I'm excited to see the direction the show takes over the course of the year. It's safe to say this is one, and possibly only, fantasy show the U.S. didn't screw up.

Leverage

Leverage. The show about a group of con artists. Their jobs are to help people who have been abused by companies. So if a company took a million dollars from them, they would do their job to bring it back. In only seeing a few episodes, I can really say that this is a good television show. I won't lie about it, I was never really into it when it first started, but now that I am actually sitting down and watching a full episode, it's not half bad.

One of the episodes that I watched recently, there was a man who was killed in a plane crash and the company of the plane tried to cover the whole thing up as if it wasn't their fault when it was because it was a plane malfunction. The company refused to pay the family and they lost the lawsuit that was filed against the company. It turns out that the man had a video of the owner of the plane company discussing something with someone from another company negotiating an illegal deal to smuggle certain goods into another country. The thing about this is that it was important because the plane that they would be using was going to crash filled with passengers. They group went into action in order to bring this mother and daughter the money that she deserved. As you can see, the team in this show is mainly around to help the common man get what they deserve from the abusing companies.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I can honestly say my favorite movie of all time is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. At first, the movie can seem very confusing but once you understand what it’s about it is a masterpiece. The screenwriter Charlie Kaufman also wrote Being John Malkovich another one of my all time favorites, so you can see what kind of movie this is. The film is about Joel and Clementine, a couple who decides to erase each other from their minds. Once Joel finds out Clementine did it, he decides to get the procedure done as well. Unfortunately halfway through these memories he realizes he wants to keep them, and doesn’t want to forget all the history they had together. 

Most of the film is the memories that he wants to keep. The movie travels back in time to the present, with Joel unconscious getting the procedure done. This movie takes time and space to the next level since he's essentially in his own mind back in time.  It can be very confusing what dimension they are in but the cinematography helps this confusion.

The camera work plays a major role in deciphering what is a memory and what is reality. The memory scenes are usually shot in hand held, and the faces become distorted and blurry. We’re also able to tell what time period it is by the color of Clementine’s hair, which she changes frequently. Although it seems to not be a big part of the plot, it plays a major role in deciphering what’s a memory and how far back into the relationship they are.

The big plot twist in the movie (spolier alert) is that the beginning of the film is actually in end the of the film. After watching it a few times, you start to understand. The beginning seems to be them meeting for the first time but it it is actually them meeting for a second time post memory deletion. This plays into one of the many themes, fate.  Another important factor for being able to tell what is just a memory is the soundtrack used. During some of the memory scenes, the music was fuzzy and sounded like it was broken or rewinding. During reality, normal music was played. I could watch this movie everyday, and still find it just as fascinating as the day before. 

Full Frame Craze

Over the past few weeks, some big name camera manufacturers came out with their cheapest full frame DSLR's. This includes Canon's 6D, Nikon's D600, and Sony's A99.

See links:
Nikon D600
Canon 6D
Sony A99

Nowadays many people have DSLR's, including almost every Park student. They are becoming a new way for amateur and professional filmmakers alike to enhance their movies. From a student production to The Avengers (which wrecked quite a few 5D's for their stunt shots), they are becoming increasingly popular for a few reasons. They are relatively inexpensive, produce crisp images, are small in size, and have a wide range of lenses that can be used on them. Not only that, but many DSLR's are now FX (or full frame) which makes them ideal for filmmakers who want to keep the 35mm sensor like all professional cameras have.

One downside to this is that everyone who owns a DSLR thinks they are a photographer or cinematographer. People overuse rack focuses and a shallow DOF. Sure anyone can make good looking images or shots, but that doesn't mean that it adds anything to a story or enhances it. I am glad though that everyone can have access to a DSLR because you never know who may be the next great Director of Photography. Who knows maybe it is someone here at Ithaca or in our class.

Back to the three new FX DSLR's that have been introduced recently, they are all in the same price range (being around $2,000 body only) and have similar technical specs including: megapixels, wifi capability, screen size and HD video formats and frame rates. No matter what brand of camera you already own or plan to buy, you will be able to produce very similar and comparable results. Canon vs Nikon vs Sony is like trying to compare three different types of apples. You can get the same result as the others. It is all about what you can do with the equipment that you have.

The Death of the Intermission

Recently, I watched "The Godfather Part II" for the first time. Needless to say, it is a fantastic movie. One of the best, in fact. Everything from the acting to the lighting is phenomenal. There is one aspect of this movie that may deter people from watching it, though. The length. At a total run time of 200 minutes, this isn't just a normal story, it's an epic. At nearly three and a half hours, I have a few friends that have refrained from seeing this great film, and I had to think that even some people in the 70s may have felt similar. Then I realized while watching it; there is an intermission.

Movies having intermissions is now a somewhat of a foreign concept to my generation. There is no break in the movie. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I can not say, but "The Godfather Part II" piqued my interest in the concept of movie intermissions.

A lot of what led to the death of intermissions at the movies was not on the creative end, but the theater end. We are now almost in the era of entirely digital cinema. This means the role of projectionist is slowly, but surely, dying out. Now, it is being automated by computer. And with the death of this, comes the death of the intermission.

Doing some research I found that some of the most recent movies to have an intermission were "Titanic" and "Schindler's List". If you're not familiar, that's the 90s. Film was still the primary medium to shoot with in the 90s. So, what happened? The audience changed. The action films overtook the drama, and soon, 3 hours was too much for anyone's attention span. There wasn't a need for an intermission. If you left the theater for a bathroom break, chances are you left the theater for a crucial piece of story.

So, where does this leave us? Worse off? I don't think so, but we certainly are in a much different place then from where we started. Don Corleone is not amused either way.

Slipknot

One of my favorite bands of all time is Slipknot, a heavy metal band from Iowa. Slipknot formed in 1995 by Shawn Crahan and Paul Gray. They currently have a lineup of 8 members, as Paul Gray passed away in 2010. In 1999 they debuted their first album, self titled, and quickly became popular by touring on Ozzfest. They received a platinum for their album in 2000.

Slipknot - (sic)

The reason I bring up this phenomenal band is because this summer I finally had the opportunity to see them. Whenever I go to concerts I always love the lighting that goes into the show. There are lights calibrated to instruments, some on a timer, and others that are manual. I find it fascinating how lights can go in sync with such fast music. 

I saw them at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, New York, and in the paper the next day my dad showed me the headlining article, that Slipknot was the loudest concert that SPAC ever had. I also found it amazing that when a concert is that loud that people are still able to make out all of the sounds. Especially when there are eight people in sync making noise. Being able to hear all of the vocals, the drum sounds, percussion, guitar, bass, and the DJ to me is huge. I have been to a lot of concerts where certain instruments were really difficult to hear, but the audio at this show was perfect. 

Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex

The summer before last I had the opportunity to attend a few lectures at an equipment rental and sales facility near my home in Boston, MA. The company, called Rule Camera, hosts lectures every summer called, "pub night" where they serve pizza and beverages and invite a guest speaker to discuss some aspect of the entertainment or media industries, offer advice, and take questions. My favorite lecture, and by far the most memorable, was one given by a sports television camera operator and DP named Tom Guilmette.

Tom talked a lot about his job, which admittedly, is really cool. He works at Fenway Park in Boston, as a  camera operator. It's his job to film all the fly balls over left field. Now, I might be a little biased- I'm from Boston and I'm a Red Sox fan, but it seemed like his job would be really awesome. And a lot harder then you might think. He has to track the ball across the sky (which is really tiny from a distance and moving so fast) while maintaining his focus, all while precariously perched on the scaffolding of Fenway Park. DAMN.

In addition to making us marvel at his cool job, Tom talked a lot about social media and its impact on the film industry. While Tom works as a DP, he also rents equipment out to people and uses social media to help out people with questions about how things work. 

SO. That's a lot of stuff right? That's not even the part I wanted to talk about. Since Tom is a DP and has been in the industry for a while, he often gets to test out awesome and expensive equipment- such as the Phantom Flex camera. I don't know how many of you are familiar with extremely high definition cameras, but this one pretty much takes the cake. Shooting at 2,564 fps, it can capture images at ridiculously crazy speeds. This video, shot on his first day experimenting with the camera, was made in Vegas at a television conference. He decided to test out the capabilities of the camera, and the results are both amazing and hilarious. Be sure to check it out, and if you like it, his website has a lot more really cool videos shot with a Phantom Flex...

If you ever have camera questions, you can tweet them to @tomguilmette 

he really knows his stuff and he'll always respond if he can/if he can help!