Weird Sound People

Although I am interested in pursuing a career in music and media, one aspect of film I will never forget learning is sound. Especially when it comes to foley, I really feel like I can connect with creating sounds that aren't coming from the physical object itself, but ones to enhance the sound itself. This video is about a foley artist working for SkyWalker sound and his experience in working in a giant foley pit. From ET, to Interstellar this guy is truly a magician when it comes to sounds. Also another cool fun fact, did you know that there are more astronauts in the world than there are foley artists.....

ENJOY

Nightfire: Filming in Verona, Italy

While many of you may have either seen the trailer, or even the full film, Nightfire is probably a talking point you've heard about when hanging out in the Park School. I was lucky enough to travel to Verona, Italy this past January to work as the 1st Camera Assistant for this thesis film. It was a great opportunity to work on a professional run set with amazing actors, crew, and of course gear. Oh, how I miss that gear.

Now as demonstrated in the trailer above there were some quite intricate scenes that occurred throughout the film. From bike chase scenes to explosions, every day was an adventure to say the least. But you must know that this film wasn't made over night, well yes we constantly shot through the night, however, the production lasted 3 weeks and most days we worked for 16 hours with the occasional all nighter shoot. Well choreographed shots and blocking was the name of the game, because when explosions and special effects come into play there are only so many takes you get before you must move to the next shot.

(16mm ARRI Ultra Prime used with the Red Dragon.)

As 1st AC I was in charge of everything from making sure batteries were charged before we went on set(or right before the next big explosion), calibrating our DJI Ronin, even making sure the DP was out of bed in the morning. Now while I look back fondly on this trip, there were some serious road bumps we ran into across the way. 

(View from the watchtower located on the set of the military base.)

First off, the weather. We were filming in the middle of winter in northern Italy, seeing the Alps as we drove to set became a normal part of our day and it was a clear reminder of the winter cold. Not only did you have to bundle up before venturing to set, but we had to make sure the electronics would work properly. 

(Director of Photography, Garret Nicholson, preparing a shot on the Jib)

The entire film was shot on the Red Dragon which had quirks we constantly had to deal with. The first thing to know about Red cameras is that to have a clean image at higher ISOs you must perform what is called "Black shading". Black shading is the process of obtaining the functioning temperature of the Red. Typically this rests around a 45/65 split. There are two temperatures of the camera as you can see in the picture below.

To perform a black shade you will wrap the camera in a sound blanket or jacket, whatever is around really, and ensure that no light is getting to the sensor. It takes about 20 minutes but this will eliminate any grain obtained through high ISOs. However, after the one black shade is run, the camera needs to stay at that temperature of 65/45 (a few degrees off doesn't hurt). With the cold affecting the camera we would always have to have the Red otherwise the camera would drop below operating temp and the grain would trickle back into the shot.

Battery life was short lived and like most sets we needed a charging station. Sometimes it was a room indoors located on set, other times it was out of the back of a van or running off a generator.

(DJI Ronin)

Due to the calibration needed for the DJI Ronin's 3-axis gimbal we were forced to used RED volt batteries. To ensure smooth movement from the rig we had to have perfect balance and the larger batteries would not cut it. These RED volt bricks only last about 30 minutes when the weather is warm,  so when the cold was added it was cut down to 15 minutes at best. To keep the volts warm we resorted to holding onto batteries beneath our long johns and armpits. 

When using a tripod the larger Anton Bauer V-mount batteries were able to be used, but the majority of the film was shot on the Ronin so we had to troubleshoot this problem. When we were constantly running around I would carry the V-mount adapter. After we completed a shot we would set the Ronin on it's stand and plug the AC power adapter in and prepare for the next shot. This was a huge stressor of the trip, since the responsibility of battery master fell upon myself. However, having the AC power truly helped our situation.

Another issue we ran into was difficulties with the wireless follow focus. Due to the cold and issues with the receiver the follow focus would not deliver it's signal. We tried everyday to get the follow focus to work but still struggled to find the solution. In the end we had to just close our iris, cross our fingers, and keep our distance. The follow focus would have been an extreme help, especially for the long tracking shots the movie had. It just goes to show you never know what will happen on set, but you better be damn ready to work around anything that gets in your way. 

(Paul Wolter getting Wild)

Overall, I had the time of my life. Being able to travel across the world for film is something I want to continue to do for the rest of my life. I met amazing people, learned so much about the filmmaking process and how to become a better DP, and the wine made up for any sort of mishaps we had on set during the day. There is so much that I took away from this project but I'd have to write a book to do explain it all, so until then this will suffice. Until next time.

High School Musical Brought Back the Musical Movie

I remember waiting anxiously for High School Musical to premiere on Disney Channel in 2006. It was not a very highly anticipated movie because it was "just another DCOM." However, this movie's fame blew up immensely as soon as it came out and paved the way for musical movies to come back into the scene.

After this movie was released, it became very popular for Broadway musicals to create movies, such as Hairspray or Mamma Mia!. Also, Disney Channel tried to follow up with musicals that were not nearly as popular but still in the limelight, like Camp Rock or Starstruck. High School Musical was a very large part of my childhood that I will never forget. I am obsessed with musical theatre and this just gave me a new genre to fangirl over. It became popular again for teenagers to listen to musical theatre and I finally wasn't THAT big of a loser anymore.

High School Musical was a phenomenon and  released two more movies after the first, with the third hitting the big screen. I will alwayys remember how sad I was at the end of the third movie, because it felt like a significant part of me was over. High School Musical made stars out of many people such as Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, or Ashley Tisdale. It brought new talent to the screen and was a hit of its time. I still love High School Musical and appreciate all that it has done for the musical theatre movie world.

Se7en

When I first saw Se7en, I was blown away by how dark the ominous the story had become. By the end, the plot and characters were so intense that it was truly captivating. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman pull off their best performances in this mystery thriller.

The story centers around Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as they investigate a trail of murders. The crime scenes are always very strange and seem to resemble one of the seven deadly sins. With these clues, the detectives track down the real killer but he gets away in a gripping chase. Throughout the sequences, Mills and Somerset build on the relationship between one another and there are some heart warming moments to balance out the horrifying ones. Eventually, the killer reveals himself to the police covered in blood. Can the two detectives survive the killer's final trap? I won't spoil the ending but it is definitely worth watching and is considered a classic in shocking endings.

Kevin Spacey plays the murder and, in my opinion, it was his greatest role in a long time. He was calm, cool, and collected which made him absolutely terrifying whenever he had something to say. You'll really learn to hate this guy quickly, and Spacey does such a good job of achieving it. The twist was good upon itself, but Kevin Spacey definitely made in ten times better.    

I always end up watching this movie a few times a year to refresh myself in a deep and compelling narrative. However, I definitely won't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach.    

The Film 'Birdman' Looks to be One Long Continuous Shot

*No Spoilers, I will just go over the way this film was shot

Birdman was shot in a way where the entire movie felt like it was one long shot as well as one take.  After seeing all the Nominations and Awards this film is getting I decided to watch it for the first time over the weekend.  I have never watched anything like this before! I am amazed by the amount of preparation and practice it must have taken to pull this off so well.

Here is a scene from the movie so you can get a feel of how this was shot in an unorthodox way.

After doing research about how this movie was filmed I was surprised to find out that they shot the film within thirty days. They shot in portions of seven to fifteen minutes. 

Here are quotes by Star Michael Keaton that shows how in sync the cast and crew had to be for this film to work: 

"Anything—a misremembered line, an extra step taken, a camera operator stumbling on a stair or veering off course or out of focus—could blow a take, rendering the first several minutes unusable even if they had been perfect.  You had to be word-perfect, you had to be off script, and you literally had to count your paces down to the number of steps you needed to take before turning a corner," "Everyone would apologize perfunctorily if they messed up ... mostly because we were aware of how hard it was on the camera operators, and the camera operators didn't want to screw up because of us."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/birdman-how-it-was-filmed-2014-10#ixzz3PVkiC100


Unfortunately the Director Alejandro González Iñárritu & DP Emmanuel Lubezki didn't give away too much about how they shot this movie so fluidly, but did mention they used quick "Pan" shots as their cuts.

Little Miss Sunshine: Beyond Words (SPOILERS)

I’d like to preface this writing by saying that Little Miss Sunshine is one of my favorite movies. All the way from the writing, to the filming, to the performances, there is an extreme level of care and of course, the inevitable family drama that I love to watch and write about. If you haven’t seen the movie, STOP READING. It is really great, and I recommend watching it before you read this post because I am going to be talking about one of my favorite scenes in the movie that gives a major plot point away.

At this point I’m assuming that those of you still reading have seen the movie so I won’t go into great detail explaining what it’s about. So the particular scene that I am referring to is when Dwayne freaks out because he finds out he is colorblind. I find this scene brilliant for multiple reasons.

The beginning of the scene sets the stage perfectly. Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence until he is allowed to enlist as a Navy pilot, is in the back of the yellow van, as his sister Olive amuses herself by giving him an eye exam with a hospital pamphlet. Next to Olive is her Uncle Frank, and in the front are both parents. The scene starts out quiet normally, and there is no evidence of any topic of conversation being very important. After Olive tests Dwayne’s vision, she moves on to a colorblindness test that Dwayne takes to appease her. She asks him what color the letter is inside the bubble on the sheet, and Dwayne responds on his little notepad asking what she is talking about. This is where the greatness of this scene starts to explode.

            Frank, upon realizing what is happening decides to chime in. He tells Dwayne that because he can’t see the letter, this means he is colorblind and that people with colorblindness cannot fly jets. There is a beat and then Dwayne’s fuse is lit. He becomes like a Mentos trapped in a soda bottle and begins to throw himself against the side of the van violently. Frank starts yelling for Richard to pull over and both he and Olive begins to get upset because she has no idea what has just happened. When Richard finally pulls off the highway, Dwayne bursts out of the car and runs down the side of the grassy hill. At the bottom, he falls onto his knees and screams his first words in 9 months “F*******ck!”

            That one word may be one of my favorite lines in a movie just because of how honest it is. In that one line, the audience is able to hear and feel the anguish and heartbreak that Dwayne is feeling. Not to mention that way he performs this scene is so real.

            Within a few moments of screaming, Sheryl tells Dwayne that she knows he is upset, but they have to go if they are going to make it to the pageant. This causes Dwayne to go on a rampage about how much he hates his family and how screwed up they are. After his rant, there is silence. Olive then makes a gesture by walking down the hill and simply hugging him. The way she does this is so innocent and purely kind. After a moment, without a word, Dwayne gets up in resolve. He picks Olive up and carries her up the hill, and the family gets back in the car and on their way.

            This scene is a true testament of good cinematic writing and great acting. I would recommend it to anyone (especially if you are like me and enjoy hilarious movies about dysfunctional families).

Typecasting

Typecasting is a word that's thrown around the Hollywood industry quite often. It's defined as "the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups." Many people try to claim it's not a real thing. They say it's just a stigma we place on actors who we don't want to see in certain movies. Well, typecasting isn't what we decide to think or believe, it's just something we have to accept to be a fact of acting life.

Think about it. Could you ever take a movie seriously if The Rock ever played a role like, I don't know, a tooth fairy? The ten actors in the video are some of the best examples for typecasting. With maybe one or two exceptions, none of them could ever be taken seriously in any other type of role. On of my personal favorite examples of typecasting I've recently seen has actually been discussed in a couple of my earlier posts. Charlie Day is an actor who's known for playing narrow-minded dimwits in productions such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Horrible Bosses. In his most recent project, Pacific Rim, he plays an incredibly intelligent scientist who manages to find a solution to an invasion of monsters from a different universe. Yeah, I laughed, too. It's absurd to even think about.

This wasn't supposed to be a particularly long post. Typecasting is a simple concept that people just don't often think about. Are there some actors who are able to escape the confines of typecasting and who go on to broaden there résumé? Yes. But many, many actors are often stuck in the same kind of role for the majority of their film careers.

The beauty of "Honest Trailers"

I was just browsing around YouTube earlier today like most of us do when we're trying to avoid doing our homework or going to the gym or, well, doing anything productive for that matter, and I stumbled upon a gem. The channel is called Screen Junkies and the channel specializes in a series which they call "Honest Trailers."

Have you ever watched a trailer for an upcoming movie, got super excited for it to come out, and when the day finally comes when you see it you're greatly disappointed? Or maybe it's simply not what you were expecting AT ALL?  Of course you have. We all have. The people who are hired to put together movie trailers are hired because they're good at what they do...usually. They throw together some dramatic music, the most intense or dramatic scenes of the movie, and often a badass voiceover to top it all off. Well, Screen Junkies has moved past all the lies and has worked to give you--the possible moviegoers--the most honest trailer possible. Just watch:

I know that I've ripped on Pacific Rim in the past, but that's only because I saw it exactly how the creators of this video saw it. Call be a pessimist. Call me a tough critic. For those of you who saw this movie, you can't tell me this wasn't an accurate depiction of the pure ridiculousness it contained.

Next up is the Honest Trailer for World War Z. I figured I'd discuss this one so my opinion isn't totally biased. I actually really enjoyed this movie and all it had to offer--or most of it, anyway. Overall, I thought the movie was very well produced (despite having almost been shut down several times during production due to Pitt's absurd spending) and I enjoyed watching it. It did, however, have its faults like any other movie. This trailer picks out each and every one of them.

Again, for anyone who's seen this movie, you cannot possibly say that the depictions in the trailer are wrong. Possibly exaggerated? Yes. But not wrong. World War Z was a good movie derived from a great novel, but there are oh so many faults and weaknesses contained within its 116 minutes. For one thing, the movie does follow loads of zombie movie stereotypes. It also has lucky coincidence after lucky coincidence to make sure the main characters stay alive. The problem of the movie is ALSO solved through a string of completely ludicrous "discoveries." It was like watching Fast & Furious 6 all over again. Just watch the trailer for examples of all of these.

Trailers are a necessity for the movie industry. They're really the only way to get the word out about an upcoming release. The problem with trailers, though, is that they often misrepresent what you're going to see and often leave you greatly disappointed. Screen Junkies created a way to allow you to reflect on these instances and laugh. Laugh a lot.

Iron Man 3

Tonight, I was lucky enough to see Iron Man 3 in 3D.  Personally, I thought it was very well done.  I'm not really into the sci-fi kind of stuff, but I really did enjoy this film.

Two parts of the film that I found exceptional were 1) It was very comedic.  There were parts of the film where I found myself cracking up.
and 2) The special effects were amazing.  The (what seemed like) endless names of people who were on the special effects team goes to show that each effect was worked on and perfected by multiple people.

My only critique-- a predictable story line.  You knew who the bad buy was from the very first scene.  If the writing were a little less predictable, that would have greatly helped.

Final Project Idea

I have a small idea for the final project.  It's going to need some more elaboration, some more thought and some time to develop, but I think it could become something better than just an idea.

The premise?  A movie playing inside someone's head.

I'm thinking the typical kid, probably no younger than 13 and no older than 20, not realizing what they have.  Life gets "rough" for the character, and by "rough" I mean maybe they don't score with their love interest or they're doing poorly in a class- so nothing too tragic but enough to put our main character down in the dumps.  But then, all of a sudden, he sees camera's around him accompanied by lights, microphones, and an entire film crew.

Why? His life is being made into a movie.

The director keeps changing what he doesn't like about the character's life, as if he is changing what he doesn't like about the film he is creating.  Sometimes, the kid likes the changes the director makes and sometimes he doesn't.  Eventually, throughout the story, the character realizes that he is in charge of his own life.  He learns through the director that he enjoys his life just the way it is, and that he can do whatever he wants.  He also learns that the drama in his life is nothing too tragic, and definitely isn't anything a movie could be based on.

Annie Inspired

As I got thinking about the project Haley, Hannah and I are working on, I got thinking to what other stories are similar so I could get some inspiration.  Thinking about the two characters that we have envisioned (a couple in the Prohibition Era getting themselves into trouble for selling alcohol, and stupidly turning in themselves for reward money), I immediately thought of a funny couple from the childhood classic Annie.  

Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis from Annie are a conniving, ridiculous couple who are trying to help Mrs.Hannigan get reward money.   (Gee, sound familiar?).  I just couldn't believe how similar these two characters are to the characters that Haley, Hannah and I have envisioned in our heads for this project.  They're silly and try to plot ridiculous schemes.  I think that we should definitely use Tim Curry and Bernadette Peter's interpretation of these characters to our advantage when we think about putting this project together.  Not to mention we could probably get a few costume ideas from this film as well.

Our project and Annie also take place around the same time period, the 1930's and Prohibition Era.  Again, I think watching this 1982 version of Annie will help us encompass a comedic interpretation of this era.  Annie is a movie that focuses on the light side of the Great Depression and 1930's, and puts a comedic twist to a time that wasn't so bright and happy.   Since that is the approach our group is going for, I think it would be a smart idea to study this movie.

So I think I'm going to pop in this version of Annie, as well as the 1999 television remake of Annie directed by Rob Marshall to help come up with a more solid idea for this project while I'm home on break.

     The Sci-Fi television and movie series Star Trek is releasing a new movie in May.  This series first began in 1966 and has since grown into a world of its own.  With 6 different television series' and 12 different movies the Star Trek franchise may soon be hitting the end of its run.  The latest movie is the sequel to a new series of movies that has predated everything we have seen before.  The characters take up the rolls of the original cast of Captain Kirk traveling the galaxy with his crew and starship, but the crew is much younger.  The series shows a lot of the back story of the characters in what was developed 40 years ago in the original series.  The latest series is action packed and emphasizing the special effects that was not there 40 years ago.

     Since its beginning Star Trek has had loyal fans who enjoy the development of new ideas and new series'.  The creativity of the episodes where we meet new species with different abilities and freak looking faces inspired the development of many other Sci-Fi series'.  The franchise has participated in the creative ability to develop other life forms with social issues and emotions similar to our own.  The character development of the relationships between the different species is one of the fine points in the Star Trek series, main point being Kirks relationship with Spock.

I hope that the producers at CBS and director, JJ Abrams, continue to keep the story line as one of the main parts in the Star Trek series.  Many loyal fans are excited about the new movie and latest series but fear for what might happen to the timeline and history that the Star trek series has developed.

This is 40... This is awful!

      I recently saw This Is 40 and I have never been more disappointed in a movie theatre. The movie is basically a sequel to Knocked Up but with a different cast. The main "plot," if you could call it a plot, was about the struggles of an upper middle class marriage. To begin, the cast is really not likable and the supporting cast members are a constant reminder about how dull the main characters are. I think that the casting was poorly done and casting is one of the most important aspects of a film. The character development was very weak which made it hard to follow throughout the movie.
     
      The length did not help at all. A slow comedy like this should not be just shy of two and a half hours long. My friends and I were almost praying for the end to come, but the film just kept adding more and more inner stories to the major story. There were a lot of forced conclusions to the inner conflicts. I think Judd Apatow was trying to be too adventurous with this film and it did not pay off. Plus, every humorous part was shown in the credits, so there were barely any surprising laughs throughout the film. I do not understand why a movie would spoil itself before it even premiers. I think that there were a lot of unnecessary scenes that did not move the plot along at all. Along with a lot of unnecessary plot lines, there was also a lot of forced humor, which is very unlike Judd Apatow's movies.

      I was truly excited for this movie, but it really let me down. In the trailer a critic said that "This is by far a Judd Apatow's best movie!" It was the worst by far. The movie was just like a hear beat monitor. It went up then flatlined, then up and flatlined again throughout the entire movie. I wish the film settled on a certain genre instead of switching between a comedy and a drama the entire time. If you could not tell, I was very dissapointed and I really want Judd Apatow to surprise me with a great film in the future.

There is still hope.

The Hobbit Review

Last night I attended the midnight premiere of "The Hobbit". I arrived at the theaters at around 11:00 PM to make sure I got a good seat and then waited for an hour for 15 minutes of previews to start. After this the movie finally started and then it finished up at around 3 AM.

Needless to say, it was a long night.

The Hobbit begins with scenes highly reminiscent of "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"; in fact, early on in the movie there is a scene that is an exact recreation of a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring.  This was fun, and people who have been longtime fans of the films will appreciate this.

The introduction to the movie is long. I would guess we don't start our adventure until close to 30 minutes into the movie. I've never had a problem with long introductions, but for some people, this may have been a bit too much. The story progresses very fluidly I felt, but there were so many subplots that you sometimes got lost in all the was happening. Also, this "impending doom" that was coming to Middle Earth was a topic that kept getting brought up, but everyone knows what this is, so I'm not sure why this message kept getting repeated.

Acting-wise, the cast is stellar. I can't think of a single performance that disappointed me. All the dwarves were casted wonderfully, Martin Freeman as Bilbo was perfect, and Ian McKellen returns to play the role that got him an Oscar. There were other cameos that may have been unnecessary in this movie, but their presence pleased fans and added to the story overall.

The cinematography was fantastic. I was drooling over the beautiful extreme wides portraying the landscapes and mountainous region of middle-earth. The fluidity of the cinematography is evident is every aspect of this movie. We seamlessly flow between the wides showing our adventurers traveling and the close-ups showing the true emotions on the character's faces. The film even uses several long takes that really show the great pacing that the actors had, even before they were being cut around.

Peter Jackson did a wonderful job on his latest return to Middle Earth, and quite honestly, I can't picture anyone else making these movies any more. He is really staying true to the feel of the Lord of the Rings movies while also keeping in mind the whimsical nature that is portrayed in The Hobbit.

Overall, I'd have to say this is a must watch for anyone who has been to Middle Earth before. Technically, this movie is almost flawless, and even the slow story is damn good. Go see it.

PS- I watched it in 3D. Really well made and seamless 3D, however, I'd save the extra $5 and watch it in 2D.

Lincoln Movie Review

When I was on vacation last week over Thanksgiving.  I ended up going on a Disney cruise so I had unlimited access to different movies that Disney has under their different companies which included the Steven Spielburg directed, Lincoln. I saw it twice.  It was absolutely phenomenal.  From the opening battle scene of the movie, you already have the sense of how historically accurate the movie is going to be just by the way they showed the battle scene.  It was ugly, it was brute, it was dark, and it was realistic.  It accurately reflected how most civil war battles actually ended up after the initial gun fire volleys.  Then, it cuts to a scene of two black men having a conversation with someone.  We do not see who that person is at first but, finally his face is reveled and it is Abraham Lincoln, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.  Day-Lewis' acting in one word was phenomenal.  At times, you forget you're watching a high budget movie and instead find yourself immersed in America's past.  You also meet many other characters from the countries past such as Preston Blair, Alexander Stevens, Ulysees S. Grant, and my favorite performance and home town hero for myself, Thaddeus Stevens played by an incredible and inspiring Tommy Lee Jones.  I can go on and on about that acting but you honestly need to see it for yourselves to experience some of the best acting I think I've honestly ever seen.  I personally loved the cinematography in the movie, even though I know some people wanted much more from it.  Personally, I felt it complimented the story and honestly, I don't think they wanted to take away one bit from the absolutely perfect acting.  Another thing that was great was the scenery, the props, the make up, and especially the costumes.  Clearly it was a period piece and they did it in such a way that it was natural and didn't feel like a period piece even though it was exactly as they did wear at the time.  Another thing that was incredible in this movie was the writing.  There were so many memorable lines which is one reason that I say this, but the other, is much more important.  The movie is long, extremely long, and also a period piece and historically correct at that.  Yet, with all of these constrictions, the writing managed to captivate the entire theater of all ages and even myself, who can find myself dosing off in many of movies especially period pieces.  You can obviously tell how I feel about this movie and I feel that I am understating how good this movie actually is.  You have to see it, absolutely.  It is a movie that will be used to teach the civil war, president lincoln, and civil rights in college classrooms and high school classrooms for the century to come, it is just that good, and historically accurate as well.  I think it deserves to win every category at the Academy Awards because it is the full package.  Now, stop reading this and go out and see it.

Certain and uncertain endings

Alright. So early this week I watched Shutter Island starring a Mr. Leonardo DeCaprio.  Overall it was a very good film but that is not my concentration.  What I am concerned with is the ending.  I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone that has yet to see it, but I will say it is an ending that leaves the audience questioning what exactly happened.  It is one of those endings that you have to take an extra period of time and try to figure out what exactly just happened.

In this period of attempted epiphany, I instead came up with a general question.  Why do some directors or writers decide to end their films in a state of uncertainty.  At the same time, however, why do some choose to end in concrete or obvious endings.  Is it that one leaves a more powerful impact on the audience, or is it something more then that.  Could it be that they do not know a clear way to end it that will be memorable so they leave the ending up to interpretation.  Personally any ending that confuses me usually causes me to watch the movie for a second, third, or fourth time, or at least sit on the plot and try to figure it out.  However I do tip my cap to any movie that has a definite powerful ending.  When a movie has a straightforward, powerful ending (sorry I am drawing a blank on a specific piece) I tend to just sit there in a state of awe.  At the same time though, if the ending is awful or not what I was hoping for, I sometimes become enraged and don't want anything to do with the movie.  Very often people say things along the lines of "yea it was good, but the ending sucked".  And I feel this is a reaction many people leave with after movies.

 Sometimes many times an uncertain ending is the way to go, but I would say a powerful concrete ending is the way to go.  A good ending is what you leave the audience with and everything that happened for the last hour and a half or so goes out the window.  So what is the way to go.  Personally I feel like leaving the audience in a state of confusion is usually more powerful and leaves everyone wanting more, but if you are able to pull of the ending of the century that people don't hate, well then go all out for it.  Sometimes having some closure is the way to go.  I guess as the viewer, our opinion really doesn't matter and the ending is determined by the sinister writing and directing tactics by the people in charge of production.

"Argo" Review

Recently I went to the theaters and got to see "Argo". This is Ben Affleck's latest film and in my opinion, probably his best. This film is one of those movies that seems to just be perfect in almost every aspect. Without ruining too much, I'll try to explain why.

"Argo" opens with storyboards of a fictional movie, and it transitions into a fantastic intro that grabs you immediately with a sense of threat and urgency. It deals with the Iranian hostage crisis that occurred from 1979-1981. We see the point of views of a group of American embassy escapees who are now trying to return to America. Cue Ben Affleck's character who is an expert in extraction and is brought in by the CIA and Brian Cranston's character to help out.

This is where the movie really stands out. It manages to take this incredibly doom and gloom concept of rescuing fugitives and we get story telling that is anything but that. "Argo" weaves together drama,   humour and tension into this great engaging storyline. The characters are all different and each and every one of them are well developed, even the secondary character stay away from being bland or boring. 

The other reason I loved this movie was because it has possibly one of the tensest scene's I've ever seen. My heart was beating of my chest for nearly ten minutes, and it's no surprise how this movie ends; after all, it's history.

Overall I highly suggest going out and seeing this movie, I have a strong feeling this will win some Oscars, and it definitely deserves it.

Breaking Away

 Breaking Away tells the story of Dave Stoller and his three best friends while they find their way out of adolescence into adulthood. Without the guarantee of a college degree or a steady job, these young men feel lost in a new world that they increasingly see as being divided between the haves and the have nots. Dave, Mike, Cyril, and Moocher were all raised by working class families in a small town in Indiana, also home to the state university. Abandoned limestone quarries once worked by the town’s residents – known as “cutters” – surround the town, serving as a reminder of lost industry and tragic irony. Dave and his friends reflect a sentiment shared by the people of the town that the university’s students, who are generally wealthier, are in effect cultural trespassers. This sentiment provides a societal conflict between the cutters and the university students that culminates in the ending bicycle race showing that four lost young men can achieve the seemingly impossible. This film ultimately explores some fundamental human ideas such as overcoming near impossible odds, class struggle, and the relationship between father and son.

            Dave, Mike, Cyril, and Moocher are all “in eminent danger of turning 20” and growing up after graduating high school. These friends share a common concern that they will become screw-ups and will waste away their lives. Mike, the former star quarterback resents the university students for having the opportunity to make it to the pros. Without a scholarship, Cyril can’t afford college. Moocher debates whether or not he should marry his girlfriend at such a young age. Dave on the other hand has a dream of becoming a world-class cyclist and has a romantic interest, however he hides behind an Italian mask to escape reality. Each young man in this group of friends has an equally important and deep internal conflict that allows the film to explore realms of thought that often go forgotten.

            Dave, an ardent bicyclist, who shows quite a bit of talent, idolizes the Italian cycling team so much so that he wholeheartedly embraces Italian culture, much to the annoyance of his friends and family. Dave escapes the reality of his life by playing out an Italian fantasy. He embraces Italian culture so entirely that it edges on obsession at points. Feeling ashamed of his working class background, he pretends to be an Italian foreign exchange student to win the love of a girl attending the university. Dave’s escapist approach to life comes crashing down when his idols come to town for a racing event in which they force him to crash after being annoyed that he could keep up with them. This stark realization that his idols are not in fact as perfect as he imagined left Dave disillusioned and depressed, forcing him to finally evaluate his actual life. With the help of his parents and friends, Dave pushed through and regained his drive much like any other developing adult who relies on a support network.

With the presence of the wealthier university students, it causes Dave, his friends, and the entire town, who come from lower classes, to question their self-worth. The very limestone quarries worked by prior generations like Dave’s dad led to the construction of the university’s campus. So in effect, the university was built by the hands of cutters. This is a tragic irony; with the miners feeling as if the university they built is too good for them and intended only for the rich. Dave and his friends reflect the sentiment held by the miners, as they feel a certain level of resentment towards the students who will seemingly have it all.

Dave, once again with the help of his friends triumphed over the university students in the final race, coming in a near and exciting first, proving that class and material wealth are not as strong as one’s all intense burning desire to prove their worth. The outcome of the race not only proved the self-worth of Dave and his friends but also proved to the townspeople that previously lived in the shadow of the university that they too were worth something.
[Borrow this movie from the Ithaca College Library.]

I think that we, as human beings, can all find a fundamental message in the film that allows us to delve into deep introspective thought about our own lives. Throughout my own life and much more recently, I too have questioned my own self-worth. I feel a deep connection to Dave’s character who, during his moment of doubt and pain after the accident, lost sight of what is truly important in life. I know that I have experienced the same moments of doubt and pain where things that were once important to me suddenly weren’t. Dave’s father, for the most part, hides his true emotions towards his son, but as a loving father who cares deeply for his son, he is ultimately there to support him. This kind of paternal bond is not always shown in many families and I believe I can firmly relate my relationship to my father to Dave’s. It is for the above stated reasons that this movie is universal and appeals to a level of emotion that is deeply complicated and sometimes perplexing.