Costal's Rhet & Comp @ Stockton College -- Spring 2010: A sad day for words and truth

http://costalwriting.blogspot.com/2010/01/sad-day-for-words-and-truth.html

The Villain Always Wins

Well with both The Golden Globes and the SAGs behind us, the BAFTAs and Oscars are looming over the many award winning films which will receive nominations. While I'd love to nick pick over who should and should not win, there is a category that I feel has already been decided. The supporting actor award has practically been won already by German actor, Christoph Waltz. Having won literally every award for his portrayal of Col. Hans Landa, he has even won the Golden Globe and SAG award for supporting actor.

This is where it gets interesting. IF Christoph Waltz wins the Oscar, this will be the third year in a row that the Supporting Actor award has been received by an actor in a villainous role. For those who do not remember Heath Ledger nabbed a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker last year and Javier Bardem won for his role as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men the year prior. While this sets a trend, not all villains win. William Hurt in 2006 lost with his role as Richie Cusack in A History of Violence. The real question is what sets villains apart from heart warming old men (Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild) and possible pedophile priests (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt).

First and foremost roles of these nature allow the actor to over act. Was the Joker really a seamless blend of reality and villainy? No! He was a character. Character acting is one of the best ways to get people to notice your skills as an actor, without having to break down crying in front of the camera. Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Petter Lorre and many other funny little men have made a living with character roles. While Javier Bardem's role might not come off as overacting, the little smile he gives the gas station clerk pushes a barrier that cannot be seen. Actors are allowed to act inhuman, unethical, and unruly all while they smile. It also allows the audience to escape into a mind set they will never embody or create something to absolutely hate. This reaction from the audience is what film in essence is about. Film is about reactions- crying, laughing, fear, etc.

Take a movie like It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart is given continuous praise for his new cynical acting style which he embodied after his run in WWII. While Stewart is extraordinary, Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter is probably the most successful of all the roles. He makes you hate him and by doing so we can easily side with Stewart even with his feelings for Mary (He loathes her because she represents him never getting out of the grubby little town). Taking this idea of the villain allowing the viewer to like the lead, look at films like The Dark Knight or No Country for Old Men. While there is no doubt in my mind that Josh Brolin and Christian Bale are two of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen, their characters are not the most lovable or praise worthy. The reason an audience member screamed "HELL YEAH BATMAN!" after Batman took out the 18 wheeler, is because Heath Ledger has laid down the unsettling road to which we side with the Batman.

With actors becoming so unsettling and the perfect outline for what a villain should be, audience members can end up siding with them. More people undoubtedly dressed as the Joker for Halloween, rather then the Batman. In this case the villain has become so successful he outshines the hero. Unlike The Dark Knight which is about the black and white and grey areas of morality, Inglourious Basterds is about showing that all of the characters are in the grey or black. When Christoph Waltz outshines Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and Diane Kruger, it is alright because they all are cruel characters. There really is no good or bad, just bad and worse.

The villainous role has slowly left the realm of Snidley Whiplash and moved towards Professor Moriarty or even Sherlock Holmes on a bad day. This transformation has undoubtedly improved cinema, just as leaving the Dudley Do-Right characters in the past and making leads multilayered emotional anchors. It is because the villainous role as started to truly mature so much we are siding with them, actors are receiving more nominations for such roles.

Help Haiti's Hunger

So I'm watching the Hope for Haiti live concert. Dad and I are sitting side by side, naming all of the actors and artists we see on screen. Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman, ...even our very own Edward Cullen is hosting. We're watching all of the stories and footage from Haiti, and talking about how great it is that people are trying to do so much. Then my brother walks in. "Dad, have you donated yet?" No. Of course he hasn't. He says he's going to, but...I'm not going to press him. I'm smart enough to not piss him off about it (no matter how tempting it is to spam-text "GIVE" to that number, 50555, and totally jack up our cell phone bill to OVER 9000 dollars).

Random side-note: Hey look, it's Steven Spielberg.

...anyway. It really breaks my heart. I feel so helpless, and I hate that because I believe there is ALWAYS something you can do. I'm sitting here thinking how much I want to do something, anything, but I can't give money because I personally have none. Then I noticed the crawler at the bottom of the page "Your donation will benefit Oxfam America, partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme...."

There. That's it. The World Food Programme. Now where have I seen that before?

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across this website called FreeRice.com. FreeRice is essentially a vocabulary game run by a non-profit organization. For each answer you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice through the UN's World Food Programme to help end hunger. And right now, the WFP is trying to help Haiti.

So...take 10 minutes out of your day and play!

(EDIT 1/23: Would have posted this last night, but...I fell asleep. Hah.)

A (very) Modest Defense of Avatar

There are some good aspects of the film Avatar. Anytime a film brings to light the destructive aspects of colonialism and imperialism I'm all for it. Although secondary to Cameron's 3-D filming, the focus on a society being invaded and destroyed both socially and environmentally is an important one especially in light of what the United States has been doing this century, and since its formation. In case you've forgotten, or Mr Cervi didn't mention it, the U.S. has invaded two countries within the last decade, we've killed hundreds of thousands of people, there are 5 million orphaned children in Iraq due to our invasion, we have 750 active military bases around the world, 30,000 troops in S. Korea, 115,000 soldiers in Iraq, soon there will be 130,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, we are the largest arms dealer and this year our defense budget will be $663.8 Billion. By the way just on Iraq and Afghanistan the US spent $170 Billion last year. The next country closest to the US is China which spent $122 Billion on its military last year. http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending#InContextUSMilitarySpendingVersusRestoftheWorld )

All this at a time when unemployment is skyrocketing and millions of people are losing their homes! Now Avatar does not connect the dots to the US, but even if people can make a small connection to the evil of imperialism no matter where or when, so much the better. Even today, when everyone is concerned for the people in Haiti due to the earthquake many people forget colonialism's impact in Haiti and the US role in their impoverishment beginning in 1804. As the first free black society the US refused to recognize Haiti for 60 years. (for a great article on Haiti: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/opinion/22danner.html?scp=1&sq=mark%20danner&st=cse

I actually find more problems with Avatar than good things, such as the need for a white hero to save the day for the Navis (yeah that would happen!) and a 'Dances with Wolves' complex (where is Costner anyhow?). In fact, Kipling would probably love Cameron! Finally, as long as big money and big corporations control Hollywood, and we are now witnessing the pinnacle of this, we will continue to see huge movies that Cameron typifies, and less and less small productions. For most Americans there isn't a solution - they will keep on texting, facebooking, driving SUV's, and worrying about who won on American Idol. Don't change things - just consume them!!

Do you think Johnny Depp will play her?

This could be awesome!

Avatarrible Golden Globes worse than an episode of the Golden Girls

I hate Avatar. There, I said it. Whew!

I thought seeing it written would make me feel differently, but it hasn't. My sentiments are completely unfounded. I didn't see it. Nor have I seen or felt a special affinity toward any of the other films expected a nomination this year (the only one I saw was Julie and Julia... oh and New Moon of course). I wasn't blown away by the Hurt Locker (hahaha, get it?). I didn't soar over Up in the Air (too much? prob). I haven't even bothered to ON DEMAND Inglorious, but somehow I am utterly aggrevated that Avatar beat these films at the Globes.

Maybe it's that I could see this movie coming a mile away. All flash, no substance. All visual, no cerebral. Since the very first trailer, I felt as if I could relay the storyline to you almost verbatim. Everyone I know and respect, who has seen the film, including many of the loyal bloggers on this site o' ours, has justified my feelings.

Maybe I fear blue people. The characters look cross-bred--the unholy spawn of a tryst between the Blue Man Group and the cast of Cats.

Now I know Cameron innovated for this film big time! I know that industrial upgrades in cinema have not been so blatantly altered since Lucas.  (who incidentally also gets my goat lately), but I kind of, like, don't care. Is that fair?

I shutter to think that this film will provoke blurbs like, "now the rules have changed." I don't want Avatar and Cameron to change the rules of filmmaking this way. I like my movies the way they are, thank-you very much. I don't want CGI everything. I want Ellen Page as Juno. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne and Zach Galifinaka-whatchamacallit as any funny fat guy he so chooses.

If merit were judged on visual innovation, why didn't True Lies (1994) win an Oscar? Why didn't Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991) win? Oh yea, cause the storylines sucked. They were cool movies to watch in the theatre (and I saw them both in one), but they weren't Academy Award films, and you know what? Neither is Avatar. Guess what won Best Picture in 1994? A movie called Forrest Gump. A film that utilized CGI innovatively. A film with great effects, but also great acting and writing. Maybe I want too much. Maybe this is an off year for film. 

If it is a slow year for film, why not nominate Paul Rudd for the comedic performance of the year (yes, I saw the Hangover) in I Love You, Man. Do it, Oscar. Totes McGotes!

Maybe I just don't like that Cameron showed up, copied Robert Downey's sentiment about the music and proceeded to preach to the room about "accepting CGI." To a room full of actors! That's like going to a chamber maid convention and pushing Rosie from The Jetsons on everyone. Like showing up with those mechanized baskets at a toll collector conference. Here's the future everyone...I hope you like crap.

Maybe it's just that Cameron looked like he was on leave from Hogwart's. Maybe it's that he looked like the crazy old guy from Six Feet Under and sounded like John Houseman. I don't know.

Also, Ricky Gervais was a disappointment. Mostly because he got less air time than Vanilla Ice did in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (extra credit for anyone who can name the subline of that gem of a picture). One zinger? At the expense of Mel Gibson. My dog could make fun of Mel Gibson, and he has arthritisis and doesn't speak English.

Anyway, I hope the Academy gets right what the Hollywood foreign press screwed up. Maybe we just don't get them...they're foreign after all. Don't be racist, Clancey.

Oh, and I am not alone. Here.

Midterm Assignment

Read this. A blog entry in which Roger Ebert touts Synechdoche, NY as the film of the decade. Hoffman looks shocked. So was I. Or was I? Yes. I was.

Globe of Golden entity

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. AVATAR*****
Lightstorm Entertainment; Twentieth Century Fox
b. THE HURT LOCKER
Voltage Pictures; Summit Entertainment
c. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg GmbH Production; The
Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures
d. PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
A Lee Daniels Entertainment / Smokewood Entertainment Group Production;
Lionsgate
e. UP IN THE AIR
Paramount Pictures; Paramount Pictures

Date Night!

This look's like it will be the funniest movie of the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aspBKFz2dBI

A Successful Midterm Exam

Here's the Criticism Skeleton developed in class...following this plan will insure midterm success.

Paragraph One: Introduction: Be sure it is devisive (consider using an anecdote, narrative, specific example, quotation, allusion or other innovative approach) entertaing, previews your thesis and states it.

Paragraphs Two to Three: Background: Provide a brief synopsis of the film (I said BRIEF) and provide your reader proper information for any points you plan to develop to support your point. For example, if you want to say that It's a Wonderful Life is an indictment of the banking system of the 1930s, you MUST provide some context to that point. In other words, what was going in with the banking system at the time?

***Preliminary research and notes to make such a point can be developed overnight between the movie period and exam period.

 Paragraph Four to ?: Support: Use SPECIFIC reference and detail from the film to connect to your point. (In other words, if you are making a claim that Romero was using Night of the Living Dead to comment on the hopelessness of the civil rights movement in the wake of MLK's assination, point to Ben's death at the hands of a white militia, but also point to his struggles with Mr. Cooper and how he is forced to retreat into the basement. THEN connect it back to your theme!

First and Foremost

I TAKE COMPLETE BLAME!
1. So sorry Mr. Costal... day of lipsync, I was just chillin on the couch on my bf's laptop and passed across the lipdub video for "I got a feelin". I, from there, showed Mr. Lockwood, and thought nothing of it.. (my mental reasoning was, he does media, video is media, just show him, and entirely forgot about the blog) so it's my fault I didn't share..
1.5 HOWEVER I did link it to everyone on fb, so if they didn't see it.. yea

2. As I was getting my things ready for school, I was thinking, what if yes, we do our video backwards, but more original. Doing it backwards is an accomplishment in itself and it requires much dedication, BUT what if we up the ante and reverse the video, but it goes forward.

*now what i mean is, we shoot and we're walking backwards and singing backwords, so there, we look like we're walking forward and singing BUT (now here's where I don't know if it works) we make our movements go forward...

you see, yes backwords things look cool, but to have the side actions (like paper or balls or people) to be playing forward even though the actions are reversed (err, hope that's not too wordy) is my challenge for our lipdub


now we've all seen those balls or objects that you strap to our wrists and when you throw it, it comes back... well to have some small objects wired, but not entangled could do it just right. let's say we're recording and im walking backwards and singing backwards, the people on the sides of the hall way are actually shooting their arms up and the objects would just come back to them.. so that when the edit goes for it to be reversed, it looks like they're throwing it... doubly challenging..


now the only problem is, where can we find such small material that is like elastic, enough for a whole cast, AND won't kill the people recording? NO IDEA.. i just came up with what would look cool..

now if it just doesn't make sense, i totally understand.. but you got to admit, if done correctly, we'd look like pros.. but let's remember Shorecrest started this battle, and are currently losing.. do we want to start a battle with them? (knowing how much more they have) OR should we just put ourselves out there so that we have a voice too...

let's not attack gami... yet

Another Article on the Shorewood Lip Dub:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/188604.asp

Wow...and we're all excited because we like have a blog....

This Shorewood lip dub phenomenon moved me in so many ways. There is so much more here than just viral video 15 inutes of fame, Talk Soup type stuff going on. Not only is it an innvoative idea launched by the ubiquity of Youtube, but it is also a testament to youth, public education and the power of imagination! Ok, maybe that last part was a bit much, but man oh man, does that video production class have vision! And guts...I mean big plastic bags full! No one should be more aware of the undertaking this video represents than you guys. You know how long it takes to capture even the simplest of ideas on film. Think of the use of facilities. The direction. Think about how hard it would be at Oakcrest to insure the type of pervading and uniform cooperation that occured at this high school. With epic choreography. Ridiculously clean editing. Imagine the spirit. You can feel it. Maybe Shorewood High is an unusally spirited place, but....what if it isn't. What I mean is...what if the director is just that good, and now, the world believes that it is. What if this young man has painted his own high school with the same type of broad, and encompassing stroke that Capra used for small town USA?

The video is as precise as it is imaginative...as a film teacher it depressed me, because it exposed all we are not. It also inspired me to reimagine what we can become. But more importantly, as a human being, I smiled...the whole time. I would've danced along if it weren't approaching midnight in a Costal house buzzing with the guarded silence of sleeping toddlers. And so isn't that the most important thing about film? It certainly ellicits the emotional response I always talk about. So Shorewoods High created art that was fresh and fun, and have thus left a mark on this world that can be so easily and seamlessly reached. Maybe we don't have the skill or good idea or the time or the place to pull something like this off. But, remember, your presence in this class means somewhere deep inside each of you, yes even you Clancey, there is an artist. Set that free!

What have you done? What have you created? It's midterms. How can you make the most of this institute for the last few months? How can you use it and us as tools to make the final breaths of high school great? Or just unpause your Playstation and wait for the buzz to wear off.   

High school student lives his dream in fast forward - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Life

High school student lives his dream in fast forward - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Life

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The Meaning Behind the Hollywood Studios

Check out this website - it explains how the studios came up with their logos. (No Universal Studios though)


http://www.neatorama.com/2008/12/03/the-story-behind-hollywood-studio-logos/

Bail out Mr. Potter?

Food for thought. Non-profit advocacy group for independent local banks, use the Capra classic to relate their message to consumers. Here.

ebert for class

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/12/the_twelve_gifts_of_christmas.html

The 'bagger Returns

T'is the season...oscars season that is. We take this time of year very seriously here at the OFI, so one of the key players in the formation of the Academy Award season is the NY Times' Carpetbagger journalist, who reports on Oscar buzz right up until the Big Night!

Bookmark him or buzz him up or follow him on twitter, here's a link

Films of '00

Ebert weighs in (no pun intended) on the best films of the decade