REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE RESPONSE

The movie Rebel Without a Cause has many meanings and messages.  I believed the film was well directed and portrayed.  While awkward and clunky at times, I do not think this movie is a dated relic, unable to speak to the contemporary youth.  Old movies can still have major impacts on the people that watch it today.  They are definitely timeless movies and have long-lasting effects on each generation.  I believe that this movie is still relatable to modern day teens.  The issues presented throughout the movie are things that teens nowadays deal with too.  For example, the issue with Jim and his father not supporting him or being there for him.  I feel most parents will always support their children.  However, sometimes parents make mistakes too, and kids feel like parents don't listen to them.  Also, Plato's dad walked out on his family.  I know for a fact that there are many single-parent families in our society today.  The ideas and struggles shown in the movie are not just for people in the past, but also for this generation of kids and really for all generations of kids.

MYST #3:  A Cinderella Story

A Cinderella Story is such a classic movie.  I have seen it probably a million times and it still never gets old.  Yes, it is a cheesy, typical, romantic, chick flick movie, but I still love it.  It is basically a play off of the original Cinderella movie, but focused more on a modern day scenario.  Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) lives her life for everyone else.  Her dad died as a little girl, and she was then forced to live with her evil step-mom and step-sisters.  They, of course, make her life terrible.  The only thing that gets her from day to day is the fact that she has a secret email relationship with an unknown fellow student (Chad Michael Murry).  What Sam doesn't know is, the guy she has been emailing is really football captain, Austin Ames.  The movie is really funny and cute.  I would definitely recommend it for girls who love classic romantic movies.  I would give it 4 out of 5 stars for its ability to make a classic fairy tale relatable to modern girls.

There really wasn't a lot of interesting camera techniques or angles in the movie.  During this one scene at the Halloween dance, the camera gave a bird's eye view of the dance floor scene.  I thought this was really interesting because the audience was able to see all of the cool costumes from a high above angle.  Also, in another scene, the camera showed a long, narrow shot of Sam walking through the hallways with all these people making fun of her from behind.  This is a key scene because the way it was shot shows how Sam is compared to the rest of the world.  It is used to show how out of place she feels.  This movie reminds me a lot of the movie Sydney White with Amanda Bynes.  That movie is supposed to be based off of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Again, like a Cinderella Story, the movie modernizes a classic fairy tale story.  Both have a happy ending where the guy gets the girl. 

One key scene that really stood out to me was when Sam and Austin are dancing together at the Halloween dance.  They were outside alone in this really pretty gazebo with flowers all around.  Music was playing and it was just the two of them.  They were dancing and playing 10 questions to see if Austin could guess who Sam really was.  At the time, he still didn't know who she was since she was wearing a mask.  It was a really cute scene in the movie and it allowed the audience to see how the two interacted face to face versus email to email.  Also, the camera sort of spun around the gazebo while they danced, focusing only on the two of them.  It was a scenic setting and made for a good part of the movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching this movie.  If interested after reading this post, check out the movie trailer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBkrUVRoAY8

'30s BLOG POST

Hit or Miss is a story of a woman's dream.  The plot of the movie revolves around the life of Sara Ruth (Ginger Rogers).  As a kid, Ruth's father taught her everything she knew about baseball.  However, she grew up in a society where baseball is limited to only men.  She was then forced to follow the norm, and eventually she becomes a journalist.  Now, after interviewing famous baseball player, Henry Andrews (Cary Grant), she is brought back to her roots and her love for the sport.  I think this story would work well for a film in 1935 because it relates to the traditional times of America, back before technology and social media popularity.  I feel like baseball, being America's favorite pastime, would be a fitting topic for a movie.  The style for the movie is simple.  The message of the movie is to follow dreams.  Ruth, throughout the movie, is challenged with what she is "supposed" to do versus what she truly wants to do with her life.  The movie promotes the concept of following your heart no matter what the consequences are.  

Hit or Miss would be a lovable comedy with a hint of romance, and it would be for all ages.  I believe this genre is perfect for the 1930s because comedy was still really popular back then, but also more romance movies were being made.  The combination of both is destined to be a hit.  The comical aspect of the movie would come from the dialogue and causal conversations.  The romance would come from the love that would arise between Sara Ruth and Henry Andrews.  Their love for baseball would ultimately lead to a love for each other.  The studio involved with this movie is 20th Century Fox.  I chose this studio because they are known for doing comedies.  Hit or Miss would be a large scale production because 20th Century Fox has come out with some big name movies in the past.  Also, the goal of the movie would be for it to appeal to the audience more than have it please critics.

The cast consists of the main characters, who are Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant.  Then, there is Charles Coburn, who will play the Coach of Henry Andrews.  I chose this cast because they all starred in the movie Monkey Business.  That movie was a romantic comedy, so I figured the cast would be fitting and the actors would work well together.  Also, Ginger Rogers was ranked #2 in top comedians during that time, so she would be perfect for the movies.  The director would be Howard Hawks, who also directed Monkey Business.  He was chosen because he was part of the Monkey Business lineup, but he also has done many movies with 20th Century Fox.  Sound would be the main focus in Hit or Miss.  The sound editor would be Thomas T. Moulton.  He was chosen because he is a famous sound editor and has worked with the cast before.

The Hays Code affects the movie because the director wouldn't be allowed to show any extreme or risque romance scenes.  Even though Ruth and Andrews fall in love, the kissing must be tasteful and limited due to the code.  Also, there was going to be this scene where Henry Andrews gets beat up by some other baseball players and therefore cannot play in the game.  Sara Ruth was supposed to then take over for him.  However, because of the Hays Code, the beat up scene couldn't be shown in the movie.  Our movie wouldn't need any real advanced technology.  The setting would mainly take place at the baseball field, which is outside.  Any lighting or special effects would be a small amount.  There isn't a lot of disagreements I had with my group.  I feel like all together we came up with an interesting and fun movie.  If I could change one thing, it would be that I would make the movie more inspirational and less comical.  Because the movie is going to be made in the 1930s when the Great Depression is happening, I think an inspirational about dreams and baseball would really give people hope and make the movie more enjoyable.  Overall, Hit or Miss would be a fantastic film!

MYST POST #2:  21 Jump Street

I recently watched the movie 21 Jump Street and even though I have seen it many times, I never get bored of seeing it.  The main characters in the movie are played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.  Together, the two make the perfect pair.  The movie is about these two cops who go undercover at a high school in order to infiltrate drug dealers.  They experience the differences of modern day high school from when they were teenagers.  As the movie goes on, the main characters (Schmidt and Jenko) learn about who they really are as people and realize the importance of friendship.  It is a comedy and an action movie, which makes it that much better.  Tatum and Hill provide the right about of humor.  Hill is more of the nerdy, clumsy guy, where Tatum is built, strong, and athletic.  Their performances are hilarious and anyone who loves a good comedy should definitely see this movie.  I would give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars because the plot was exciting and the comedy aspect of the movie was really enjoyable to laugh.

 

The directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, use a lot of interesting techniques and camera angles.  During one of the major end fight scenes, the shots go into a slow motion pace.  This ultimately has the effect of adding comedy to the scene, while also allowing the audience to see each individual thing that is happening.  During another scene, the camera pans out to an extreme long shot where the audience has a full length view of the house Schmidt and Jenko are staying at.  The scene includes the characters completing chores such as taking out the trash or mowing the lawn.  The reason why this camera angle is effective is because it allows for the audience to see the setting of the house.  However, the scene is also really funny to watch because we are watching two grown men doing household chores for their mom.  Overall, I thought that the directors did a great job of using special editing and stylistic techniques.  Here is a link to the yard scene I was talking about above....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFL1E3wU58

One specific scene that stood out to me was when Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are forced to use the drugs that the dealers at the high school are selling.  Since they are "undercover", they are forced to try and fit in with the cool people at the high school and ultimately find the drug dealers.  In one scene, they actually have to use the drugs themselves.  The scene shows the sequential effects of the drugs, some of which include being super hyper and hallucinating.  The scene is hilarious because it flips back and forth from how the drugs affect Hill to how the drugs affect Tatum.  Hill ends up going on stage in front of a drama class and belts out a song, while Tatum barges into the band room and begins banging on percussion symbols.  At the end of the scene, the drugs cause them to fall wherever they into an instant deep sleep.  This scene definitely worked because it allowed the audience a preview of how the drugs worked and it provided a lot of comedy.

The pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reminded me a lot of the pairing of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in the movie Wedding Crashers.  Vaughn, like Tatum, is a big tall guy who has a unique sense of humor.  Wilson, like Hill, is more on the shorter and skinner side.  They come together in the movie and make a good comical duo.  Also, the movie 21 Jump Street is similar to to the movie So Undercover, with Miley Cyrus.  In that movie, she is also a detective that goes undercover as a college student.  I think the undercover movies are really funny because the audience gets to see how these characters attempt to have normal teenage lives.  They are forced to "fit in with society" and take on more juvenile characters.  I know that the sequel, 22 Jump Street, is coming out soon and I can't wait to go see that. 

FORMAL FILM STUDY

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Wanted, and the Bourne Supremacy

                I love action movies and that is why I chose to do my formal film study on the genre of action.  After watching each action movie, I definitely saw some similarities and some differences.  Overall, the style of each movie was comparable in that suspense was a key aspect.  There were multiple scenes where everything was fast pace and some character was either being attacked or chased.  The editing as well was done so that the audience felt as if they were running right alongside each character.  It made the fight scenes cooler and more realistic.  Wanted and the Bourne Supremacy were both made my Universal Studios, however, Mr. and Mrs. Smith was done by Fox.  Each movie has a different director, but no matter what the style is still similar because it mimics a typical action-type movie.  Also, all of these movies were made in the 2000s, so the timing in Hollywood was relevant and similar.

                The sound and special effects were really interesting in all three movies.   Because they are action movies, guns are key weapons that are used and are present throughout each scene.  The special effects of people getting shot or people standing on top of buildings makes the movies more thrilling. 

There was this awesome scene in Wanted where Angelina Jolie was in a car chase.  She ends up having to lay on top of the car in order to shoot the bad guys behind her.  While this seems totally unrealistic, it was an exciting effect/scene of the movie.  Also, many scenes in all three of the movies used slow motion during fight scenes to emphasize the fighting.  Because the movie Wanted is about assassins who can curve bullets, many of the slow motion techniques were used to show the bullets actually being shot through the air.  Not that many other action movies had that effect.  Jeffrey Lyles gives a positive review of the movie Wanted on Rotten Tomatoes.  He believes that “director Timur Bekmambetov pumps the volume on the action up to 12 with unique angles including a slow motion look at a bullet’s path to its target, certainly providing that “whoa…cool!” reaction he wants from the audience” (http://lylesmoviefiles.com/2013/08/17/review-wanted-2008/#more-12129).

To reiterate, the common theme in each of the three movies was being mainly about teams of well-trained assassins.  With respect to culture, the fact that these movies were made all around the same time period says something about our society.  Crime rates have been on the rise for the last couple of years and more violence is prevalent day to day.  Action movies aren’t just about “defeating the bad guys” anymore.  These movies took audience members into the world of killers and the way assassin are trained to think and act.  The messages in the movies certainly aren’t promoting the use of violence; it is still just for entertainment.  However, I think it is interesting that the movies are so fitting for the way our society is nowadays.  Plus, it makes each movie more relatable.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted don’t really relate to politics that much.  In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were both part of a secret assassin companies.  In Wanted, James McAvoy gets recruited also to be a part of a secret society of assassins.  The rest of America can’t and doesn’t seem to have knowledge about each team of killers.  However, in the movie the Bourne Supremacy, the government is actually getting involved to track down the main assassin and character.  The Bourne Supremacy came out a couple of years after 9/11.  While the movie had nothing to do with foreign terrorism, it is still based on the subject of killing people.  I can definitely see some correlations with these action movies and what is going on in the outside world.

 

                The camera work in all three movies was very well done.  The directors would have extreme close ups on people’s faces during intense scenes to display their reactions and emotions.  Also, there would be long shots to show important fight scenes or action sequences.  Each movie had a major car chase scene in it where the camera would follow along with the cars.  This had the effect of making the chase seem more realistic and it made the audience feel as if they were a part of the scene too.  In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, people attack the Smith household and it leads to this big fight scene.  In the end, there house end up exploding with fire and everything.  The long shot camera angle used during this scene was helpful in that it allowed us to see how the shooting and fighting affected the outside setting, such as their house (which was completely destroyed).  However, they are assassins and didn’t seem to care that much about the explosion.

                Throughout each movie, my main “discovery” was the use of sound and music and how it enhanced the style of the movies.  For example, there was a scene at the end of Wanted where there was absolutely no sound or music and the camera allowed the audience only to see a close up of the back of this guy’s head.  Then, all of a sudden you hear the sound of a gun being loaded and the audience immediately knows that someone has a gun on the guy.  The sounds used during that scene provided the right amount of suspense for the audience to feel shock and surprise.  In general, all three movies incorporated thrilling, dark music to keep the audience interested and alert.  During the most intense scenes, little to no music played for the effect of keeping people on the edge of their seats in anticipation.  During the fighting scenes, there would be loud, pounding music to emphasize the build-up and importance of the action that was taking place.

                Overall, I thought the three movies I watched were unique and interesting in their own way.  They all had a lot of cool special effects and scenes that made them appealing to watch.  Action movies in general are griping and exciting.  If fight scenes are tastefully done, they end up having an awesome effect.  I would definitely recommend any one of these movies.