Tree of Life resources

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/27/136646293/the-tree-of-life-a-creation-trip-worth-taking

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/29/136690764/pitt-plays-the-american-patriarch-in-tree-of-life

The Advice John Lennon Would Have Given #OccupyWallStreet

The Advice John Lennon Would Have Given #OccupyWallStreet

Nothing is Forgotten, a wordless comic

Nothing is Forgotten, a wordless comic

Feminism and Television

The following assignments are due two days after the first day we come back together as a class. Here's the article about Roseanne. And here's the article about The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Also, be hand in the Rosenanne innovation graph whenever it is done.

Small Ky. church votes against interracial couples

Post-racial society, eh? This one's for all of you who think we are spending "too much time on race."

Small Ky. church votes against interracial couples

Another Hint or Hints from the Falcon

Has the Falcon mentioned how much he loves Diablo Cody (screenwriter of Juno, Jennifer's Body, The United States of Tara)? Well, if he hasn't...ahem....he loves Diablo Cody.

So when he found out that a little indie written by Cody and directed by Jason Reitman (Juno & Up in the Air) was a winner at the Gotham Film Awards this weekend...."man oh man," he sighed into the tiny shard of glass he keeps in his nest and uses as mirror...."you're slipping, you old bird."

Yes. Even birdmen, super heroes grapple with the fragility of their own humanity.

It's called Young Adult and stars Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt of stand-up, Comedy Central roasts fame. This little re-Junion...he he...joins Beginners on the Falcon's check out for Oscar time list.

The Falcon Returns

Helloooooo Oakcrest High School....Call me...The Falcon! Those of you who are veterans of this site are accustomed to my vast insight and nealry 30-something percent accuracy rate in handicapping film award shows.

If you are new to this venue....Welcome to the Big Time! I am half Falcon, half film enthusiast (all man, and not pictured here...or maybe I am). My identity is protected by Mr. Costal in order to help me fend away the paparazzi and invitations to the birthday parties of all 27 Pitt-Jolie children.

Each year, slightly after Thanksgiving, depending on wind velocity and migration patterns, I rise from out of my Falcon's nest and begin to assess the annual film award shows. In the process, we have the opportunity to ban together and watch the best films of the given year. So far, in 2011, most (if not all) of the Oscar-worthy films are still in the theaters:

1. The Artist

2. The Descendants 

3. Extremely Loud and Extremely Close

4. Hugo

5. J. Edgar

6. The Help 

7. The Inner Lady

8. Midnight in Paris

9. Moneyball

10. War Horse

Thanksgiving Break Film Assignment

This weekend, please read, as literary and classical support of our overall themes of film and race, chapters 14 - 16 of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Please read synopses of the first 13 chapters at the literary clearing house of your choice (i.e. Sparknotes, Book Rags, etc). It is not lost on me that you could just as easily read the synopses of these chapters as well -- but that would make you a dirty, dirty liar. And you have to look at yourself in the mirror every morning, you know? Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

More on UC Davis

Time Magazine article

Looking for ways to save money on food at WDW...here are some excellent tips

http://www.mousesavers.com/meals.html

Magic Kingdom 40th Anniversary Video

WDW 40th HD from Martins Videos on Vimeo.

Miss Representation

Journal #7 video

Birth of a Nation Assignments

Questions on Birth of a Nation - Due Thursday (Oct.20)

Essay on Birth of a Nation - Due Next Thursday (Oct. 27)

Also please read the following essay by the late historian John Hope Franklin called Birth of a Nation - Propaganda as History.

http://www.studythepast.com/reelhistory/readings/john_hope.pdf

For Class Wednesday

Laurel and Hardy - The Music Box - Films & Trailers - 123video

Laurel and Hardy - The Music Box - Films & Trailers - 123video

UPCOMING!

Metropolis revisions (with originals attached) due before the end of the day Friday.

College essay workshops Monday & Tuesday of next week (pep rally Friday)

This Week in Film

http://wp.stockton.edu/frenchfilm/

Link is to the Stockton French film series. One Friday a month throughout the year. All are welcome. Let me know if any of you are interested.

The Importance of Editing and Music Selection

This Week in Film

CCHS will screen a documentary by local filmmaker Tom Shadyac called "I Am." It is part of the Peace Pilgrim celebration. 

If you are unaware of the fascinating and inspiring life of Peace Pilgrm, please view, at least skim, the documentary on this Hamilton Township native.

Also, from the annals of "ways knowledge of visual arts could really help you in even unlikely professions," here is an interesting topic for discussion by the Office of Homeland Security.

React as Journal #1. 

9/11 Documentary Assignment

If you missed part of the the doc, or just want to rewatch some of it. I linked it here.

Assignment, Essay #1: Write a reaction to the documentary viewed in class. The essay should focus on your overall reaction to the documentary itself, not the event. In other words, you should focus on the element of the doc that most profoundly affected you. In order to integrate research into the process, I want you to also find at least one fact, figure, statistic or other truth about 9/11 that you did not know until researching this assignment. Parenthetically document the one source. I will explain if this confuses you. Do not worry too much about the format of the citation this time. Just come as close to what you have been taught.

More Than Meets the Eye

Hey there beloveds! For those who don't know, this is Stumpy LC posting up in herr!! Woo! ...ask Costal.

But I am here to bring you my personal and latest intro/what-to-look-forward-to for the movie I have been waiting impatiently for, Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Now, for those that don't know me, please note that I am HUGE Transfan. I have literally been with the series my entire life and have watched every single disappointing series after another (Transformers: Energon... ugh) so it takes an awful lot to get me excited when I hear that a new Transformers movie is coming out (for those of you that have watched Revenge of the Fallen, you'll know what I mean when I say that the franchise has a lot to offer, but only when utilized correctly.)

Now I'll be the first to admit that the second movie left quite a bit to be desired. Though I enjoyed the idea and loved that they placed such an iconic character like The Fallen (first seen in Transformers: War Within) in modern light, but it could have been done in better taste. And it would have been much better without so many plot gaps (though I actually disagree with that notion of plot holes since the movies are actually meant to be researched first, then watched. It's a common trick done by Hasbro in marketing: you have to read the prequel and backgrounds of different characters to piece the story together, which Transfans have done for years. Apologies to the rest of you.)

Fortunately, Michael Bay has promised to get his act together and do the series proper justice.

(SPOILERS and PLOT and junk)

I won't reveal all that I know, but here are some of the basics to go into the movie knowing:

1) Dark of the Moon picks up a few years after Revenge of the Fallen left off. The Cybertronian race is now pretty much known and NEST is still trying to fight off Decepticon incursions globally. Everything seems to be going along relatively normally when Sam Witwicky (like usual) stumbles upon a grave secret: The US government has been hiding something from the Autobots, something so important the even Optimus Prime cannot believe its treachery. The moon landing was a cover-up. A Cybertronian ship crashed on the moon years ago and it was commanded by none other than Optimus's mentor, Sentinel Prime. A race ensues between Autobots and Decepticons to see who will recover the ship and its crew first and uncover the secrets surrounding the civil war that has crippled the Cybertronian people for eons.

2) The story focuses primarily on the history and lives of the transformers and less on that of Sam and company. It's an intense story-arc that makes up for the second movie, grabbing details that many Transfans will be excited about (space bridges, the Matrix of Leadership, the Ark, the Nemesis, Soundwave's Casseticons, the psychotic Shockwave, and the Code of Cybertron just to name a few) and somethings you don't have to be a fan to enjoy (like the fact that the paragliding into the city of Chicago was actually done in real life.) And the final battle? Let's just say that a lot of bots- including some that have been loved in the other movies- are going to die. It's not called Dark of the Moon for nothing.

3) There are going to be a TON of characters (both bot and human) in this so get familiar with them as quickly as possible. Here are the basics:

Autobots: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide, the Arcee Sisters (Arcee, Chromia, Elita-1), Wheelie, Jolt, Sideswipe, Mirage/Dino(name changed post production), Silverbolt, Wheeljack/Que(name changed post production), Dreadbox, The Wreckers (Roadbuster, Topspin, Leadfoot)

Decepticons: Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, the Cassesticons (Rumble, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Beastbox, Ravage), Astrotrain, Shockwave, Driller, The Dreads (Crankcase, Crowbar, Hatchet), Blitzwing(maybe)

Other bots: Brains, Sentinel Prime

Humans: Sam Witwicky, Lt. Colonel William Lennox, Agent Seymour Simmons, Chief Robert Epps, Carly Miller, Dylan Gould, Ron and Judy Witwicky, Charlotte Mearing, "Hardcore" Eddie, Dutch, Bruce, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong

4) For the cast, Michael Bay has pulled out all the stops for this one. All Hail Peter Cullen (Transformers G1, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Prime) as he returns to play Optimus Prime, and Megatron is again voiced by the talented Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings). Legendary Transformers voice talent Frank Welker (Transformers G1, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Prime) is Soundwave, and Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye, Disturbia, Transformers) is our ever present Sam Witwicky. Megan Fox is out (finally) and Rosie Huntinton-Whitely is in as Carly Miller, an old, G1 favorite character from season 2. But the real fan favorite and actor I am personally looking forward to hearing will be that of Sentinel Prime, being voiced by none other than the legendary Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek: The Original Series) a.k.a Mr. Spock! He, once again, returns to the world to Transformers since his last role as the cunning Galvatron back in 1987 (Transformers: The Movie).

I, personally, cannot wait to see how this movie is depicted on the big screen (since, yes, I have read the prequel, the movie's book adaptation, and the Dark of the Moon comic as I am a dork.) I actually already have tickets (June 28th,midnight premiere in 3D!) and am waiting anxiously to see it myself.

Movie opens on June 29th (Paramount bumped it up from it's original release date, July 1), so look for it! (no doubt I'll be reviewing it and posting here soon after).

related links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399103/

http://www.transformersmovie.com/

http://www.michaelbay.com/

http://www.whatsthelatest.net/miscellaneous/transformers-3-dark-moon-photos-movie-trailer-characters/

http://screenrant.com/transformers-dark-moon-3d-preview-kofi-118150/

Rebecca black is back!!!!

there partyin partyin yeah funfunfunfun cheak it thought of u costal

You Are Free to Cruise around the country

As of right now, this is the list of students who are completely done with the course and will be exempt from the final exam. These individuals will receive an "A" on their final for completing their tasks in an exemplary AND timely fashion.

That said, the final WILL BE the final critique and research paper. Some people need to simply revise it, others need to actually DO IT. My expectation will be that these assignments are completed in class (or both) in the computer lab in 220.

Kristie Aaron
Austin Barbetto
Savana Biren
Sarah Chamberlain
Samantha DiSano
Dave Franzmanthes
Steve Heckmann
Christine LaTorre
Alix Leszczynski
Joseph McGarvey
Brittany O'Brien
Isabella Peralejo
Ray Poane
Ellie Sebastian
Hannah Straub
Casey Waddell

Peer Critique Review Worksheet

Write your name on the top of your partner's paper.

1. Read critique through start to finish without stopping.

2. Pick up a pen and check critique for mechanical and grammatical errors. Place an "awk" in front of any sentence that contains a structural issue.

3. None just read the intro paragraph(s). Is the intro devisive? Does it employ an attention grabbing element? Does it preview the tone or main points of the criticism? Can you isolate a thesis? Is it well written. Box what you think the thesis is.

4. Now read the synopsis paragraph(s). Does the writer do a good job of writing a clear, concise summation of the film. Is it an appropriate length? Do all characters contain a first reference? Are all actors mentioned with the characters? Is the director, title of the film mentioned first? Is everything punctuated correctly?

5. Do the components of the paper correctly correlate to the thesis? In other words, does the writer focus on what he/she says they will in the thesis? Are the points specific? Does each point provide specific, relevant connection to the film itself?

6. Is there at least one credible source used in the paper. Does it provide adequate support of the point? Is is specific? Is it attributed? Is it cited? Did the writer create a works cited page?

http://youtu.be/u8PxG5zvgOM

Here's Your Assignment!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/13/135353192/if-youre-looking-for-a-little-diversity-on-television-try-hgtv

Review of Director's Project

Once your team receives at least a "B" in all three elements, you may begin screening your director's films for the class.

The Research Paper: Should be approximately 5 pages, typed. Works cited page in MLA format. Get help here.

The two film critiques must be at least two pages each. Follow the same format. Films must be pre-approved by Costal or Weisback.

Paper Due Dates

Tomorrow: Final True Grit critique / Next Friday: Goodfellas

The Music Box

Just thought I'd share this really awesome video!

If you have the time, definitely watch it. The story is adorable, but the cinematography alone is great!

For those who are ready....

Your next critique will deal with Goodfellas. This one will be a bit different, you will choose one of the technical styles Scorcese is known for and pair it with a theme. Discuss how the technical aspect evinces the theme with at least part of the paper. The rest can include straight up criticism. There must be at least one piece of outside source in this paper. At least one direct quotation from a reputable source that is both cited and attributed.

Technical: Music, colors, camera angles, film speed, narration, pauses, sound, close-ups/pans

Themes: violence, degradation, nostalgia, "old times" vs. "new times", "good" vs. bad

Martin Scorsese Scene by Scene - Part 4 of 5

Martin Scorsese Scene by Scene - Part 3 of 5

Go to minute 8 to hear him discuss "Goodfellas"

Martin Scorsese on Story vs. Plot

Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun.

"What have I done to cause you to treat me so disrespectfully?"

A Good overview of the oranges in the trilogy. Also a full PDF of the script exists online. Just google it, and eat an apple.

Week of March 14th

Journals due Wednesday

True Grit rewrites due Thursday

The Falcon's Oscar Picks 2011

2010 was a phenomenal year for movies. Even with the Best Picture field recently widened, it felt as if every film deserved a spot. Unlike last year, when we endured stinkers like Avatar and The Blind Side, there were no bad movies in this year's race.

My least favorite offerings, The Kids Are Alright and True Grit, were still good films. Very good films. Best Picture worthy films.

To illuminate the difference between 2010 & 2009, one need go no further than examing the obligatory Coen Brothers offering. Last year's A Serious Man, a metaphoric, but ultimately quizzical foray into modern interpretations of ancient Judaic myth (I think...and I saw it twice, and I'm an English major), left everyone wondering where they missed a serious plot point. (Editor's note: I used all the good puns for this movie last year).

Grit, on the other hand was an atmospheric Coen-ization of a tried and true classic. It teemed with trademark Coen Brothers "dont-know-if-i should-laugh-or-cry" moments.

COSTAL'S WHAT IF HOLLYWOOD PLOT LINE: What if we could resurrect the old, crotchedy and girdled John Wayne from the original True Grit but cast him in a remake of Fargo directed by John Ford?

So, even though a double feature addition to the Costal house has kept me off the blog this season, here's my annual offering of ranked nominees:

10. True Grit: Moody and breath-taking. Hailee Steinfeld ran circles around that Dorothy Hamil bundle of androgeny who starred in the first movie (Nyaw...please find and add her name), but I felt like I was watching The Dude pretend to be The Duke.

9. Kids are Alright: Great performances (just ask the Falcon) and witty script, but at the end of the day I felt like the movie wasn't sure what it wanted to be. Not very funny for a comedy. Too silly for drama. And I hate the word "dramedy." Sounds like something I would take after taco night on a Carnival cruise ship. Were the lesbian stereotypes meant to be satirical? Was there an underlying message that male anatomy can wedge (ahem) itself into any Mommy and Mommy household? But it does have the best line of the year: "Marriage is a marathon." True dat, sisters.

8. 127 Hours: White knuckle thrill ride I watched through my fingers. James Franco, ivy league chic leading man, and Danny Boyle, intense Brit director who came to Oscar gold by way of zombies, are brillant. Franco literally played opposite a boulder and kept me hooked. But the film's short-coming is Boyle's. It felt truncated...amputated, if you will. Unlike Slumdog Millionaire, his Indian epic Best Picture of the '09/'08 season, this movie seemed to NEED Boylle's signature visual asides. He is known to ramble outside the confines of the narrative visually, providing music video-like vignettes within his films that are meant to accent the main plot line. Here they felt like plot fillers, not spices. A dense cranberry stuffing meant to mask a meager Thanksgiving bird. The result made the film seem both overdone and sparse at the same time.

7. Winter's Bone: I love Jennifer Lawrence. I love wolf sweaters. So slam dunk, right? The movie's ambling, journey sometimes played like white trash "Lord of the Rings." Yet, the all gal swamp boat ride was one of the most harrowing scenes of the season.  Kudos for exposing the greatness of John Hawks, though. And Jennifer Lawrence should be Natalie Portman big by next year's ceremony. And I don't mean preggers.

6. Inception: Visually stunning. Epic effects. Decent acting. Just plain fun. But the plot has more holes than Charlie Brown's Halloween costume. Director Chris Nolan will have his time. He rises with Spielberg-like speed to the blockbuster hall of fame. But not this year.

5.  Black Swan: Natalie Portman was phenomenal. The last 25 minutes are a death drive. But overall, the plot seemed overdone and passe. It does unveil the type of genre hybrid I think will become more common as audience tastes mature in our desensitized digital world. Speaking of "Swan Songs..."

4. Toy Story 3: Not a dry-eye in the house as Buzz and Woody take their final (hopefully), computer-generated bows. But the strength is in the trilogy overall, not in this individual installment. Toy Story is Hollywood most dependable brand of the past 15 years. It deserves recognition. But Acadermy voters will find a Best Animated win as praise enough. Otherwise, Oscar rarely gives out series awards like it did in '02 with Return of the King.

3. The Fighter: I didn't have room in my heart for the fighter. I wanted to call it over-rated. I wanted to dismiss it as "just another boxing movie." But the performances, and subsequently, the real-life characters burrowed into my sub-conscious. I found myself pondering Melissa Leo's character for weeks. Evil or misunderstood? Do I pity her or hate her? Does she, in real life, deserve to be applauded by Hollywood at the Oscars? Definitely not, but I suspect she will be.

During the film, I found myself willing Christian Bale's crackhead away from the crackhouse. His character could've gone either way at that climatic moment. Either scenario was plausible. And that's the power of the film. Investment. It's about investing in ourselves and our loved ones despite their trangressions. The film succeeds in demanding the same from its audience. The performances are so nuanced that the audience doesn't perceive the full complications or shades of each character until after the movie ends. That's a sign of greatness.

PS - Forget Black Swan! The sisters in this movie are scarier than any manic killer bird hallucination. Also, Amy Adams cat fight scene was hotter than the Portman/Kunis love scene. Maybe that says more about me than films, but, fahgettaboutit!



2. The King's Speech: Why not Best Picture? A bit dry. A bit short on climax. A bit long in self-importance. A bit too obviously built for the Oscar formula of handicap + Hitler = GOLD! Still, the interplay between Firth and Rush had my brain spewing a thesaurus of critical appraise words: clever, indelible, delightful. Yes, delightful! As lame as it sounds...delightful is the best word for it. Finally! A buddy movie for history buffs...and no cops...or dogs! Woo-hoo! 

1. The Social Network: Few things are as unique or satisfying as an Aaron Sorkin script. Like that guy you used to sit up all night waxing philosophy with in college. You know the one. The only one you couldn't beat at Risk. Its like that guy rings the doorbell, and for a few hours, it's cool to act smart again. You talk fast. You drop obscure pop reference allusions like Arnold dropped the Gooch. 

His dialogue makes me giggle and cringe, and usually, both at the same time. He brought us "you can't handle the truth" and "You want me on that wall!" Social Network is filled with such great one-liners and comeback dialogue moments that students asked me to put on the sub-titles, so they "didn't miss anything." Sigh! Swoon! Sorkin's the Justin Bieber to the twelve year old girl of my soul.

The actors were also phenomenal (Andrew Garfield got robbed). Some gorgeous cinematography (see: everyone making a fuss over the crew scene). The editing and shot sequence moved with a flow that mimiced the technological innovation it tells tale of. Equal doses of legitimate Zuckerberg controversy and cheesy Zuckerberg media stunting (SNL?) make it a perfect homage to "the" Facebook.

But enough about me!

Now, I shall channel the official Film Institute mascot, cinematic soothsayer and six time Tony award winner for his portrayal of Biff in the all-scavenger  production of Death of a Saleshen...The Film Falcon! Here are his official predictions:

Best Picture: King's Speech

Best Director: David Fincher, The Falcon knows its rare that there is an Oscar night split between film and director, but it will happen tonight because Tom Hooper (King's Speech) is too young and most people don't credit his direction as the strength of the film (which is plain silly, but hey, who am I? I'll be wearing sweatpants and holding newborns tonight while the Falcon is talking to E! and learning how to pronounce Bottega Vaneta)

Best Actor: Colin Firth, A Hollywood coronation is held fot a film about a coronation.

UPSET SPECIAL: Best Actress: Annette Bening, Never underestimate Oscar's need to hand at least one award to a winless journey woman who everyone assumes already one, but has not. Conventional wisdom stands that they can give it to Portman another year for a lesser performance. Reference number: Denzel.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

"The Fighter" Sisters Interview on www.HikariTakano.com from Hikari Takano on Vimeo.

Journals

An enormous grade for the third marking period has come due. Weisback assigned your 20th journal. So, journals will be due for the first half of the year this Friday, March 4th

Nominated For Best Animated Short. This is my choice.

Nominated for Best Short Animation

House Keeping...

127 Hours/King's Speech criticism due date pushed back till Wednesday, March 2nd. We need to discuss expectations about 50th Anniversary plans. Hold off until that happens.

Week of February 18th:

Finished viewing 127 Hours and King's Speech. Formal criticism due on either film by Wednesday 2/23. Preliminary (first draft) of movie posters were finished on Friday 2/18.

Next week - Coppola Unit:

The Godfather - my favorite film of all time! You'll see why...

Introduction, biography of Francis Ford Coppola, history of the Mafia, Puzo's novel, and begin viewing The Godfather. Finish work on decades project.

Orson Welles in The Critic

And The Oscar Goes to....You

So...hi....Weisback, I am sure has filled you in on the sordid details of my absence. I shall return soon. In the meantime, here's a fun little writing assignment for you. A great deal was made of Colin Firth's acceptance speech at the BAFTAs. It was a slice-of-life rant in which he likened shooting The King's Speech to a rectal exam. It got me thinking...which is always bad for my students...if you won an Oscar, what would you say in your acceptance speech. Call Journal #19. Dont forget to thank the Academy and your film teachers. Due upon my return. Keep with your journals.

Waiting for Godot (Costal)

Interlude - Time for a bit of Kubrick


Week of February 11:

Monday 2/7: King's Speech background Information and preparation for the film. True Grit criticism due

Tuesday 2/8: Computer time for project

Wednesday 2/9: The Shining film

Thursday 2/10: Finish viewing The Shining, Complete questions & hand-in on Friday

Friday 2/11: Analysis of the film, Vivian Kubrick's documentary on making The Shining, and reading of reviews on same. Questions on film due, analysis questions due

Preparation for the Next Criticism

The next criticism will add another essential element to our basic writing structure: scene annotation. The importance of this art is outlined by the following, courtesy of the Dartmouth College Film Writing Department:

The Elements of Composition



Film is an incredibly complex medium. Just take a look at the credits at the end of any film. Each of the people listed there has contributed something essential to the film's production - from lighting, to sound, to wardrobe, to editing, to special effects. Because there's so much to talk about, you'll have to be selective if you want to write a good, focused essay.

50 Years at the Movies Assignment

Part 1: The movie montage or "trailer:" Should be between one and three minutes long. Piece should illustrate the best movies of your time period with specific evidence upon the two seminal films you locked in. Can be "narrative" in that it tells a story. Can be "abstract" in that the images are not linear but present a "feeling" for your time period. Aim should be a representation of your time period. Due date and rubric depend on Lockwood & Thomas.

Part 2: The poster: Again, should aim to be aesthetically pleasing and aim to capture the "spirit of your time period in cinema." Should reflect a theme that is reflective of the times.

Answer to "What is a Montage?"

True Grit -- The Paper

We are going to ease back into our writing with a short criticism, one that actually borders on a review. Follow the structural guidelines of this assignment as they are outlined below. I do not care if you do not like this assignment. You will oblige me. I reckon that I can be offering you time in class to complete this mission.

Paragraph One: An introduction, something that establishes your like or dislike for the film while opening with an interesting, maybe personal (?), anecdotal connection to the film or one of its elements.

The Oscars are coming up, and I'm happy to see that Toy Story 3 is in the running for Best Picture. I'm not saying that it's the best choice, but I'm glad to see it up there. Many people think it shouldn't be there because they believe all animated films are just for kids which is definitely not the case. I'm not going to go into explaining the sad parts of Wall-E or the end of Toy Story, but instead give you some examples of unknown animated movies I've recently watched myself.

The first two I viewed were Watership Down and Plague Dogs. I enjoyed Plague Dogs more than Watership Down, but both were entertaining, even though very depressing at times. For older films, the animation is superb. It takes a lot of hard work to put in so much detail in making an animated animal look real that other companies don't want to put the time and money into it. So, they make the cartoony versions you see in films such as Madagascar. If you're going to check these out, let me give you a warning. Even though these movies were meant for children...that is not the case. There are many gory scenes in Watership Down which I kind of like because it takes away the whole cutesy title of rabbits and shows that like all other animals, they shed blood to survive and protect their territories. Plague Dogs is much the same.

Here's an amv someone made with most of the disturbing scenes of Watership Down to a Marilyn Manson song (why would you do that bro)

Today's Soundtrack

Hello boys and girls!
Here is some background
music for your daily life.

Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

The Falcon's Official Oscar Predictions

The Falcon has landed on guilded Oscar Eve to give all the good little boys and girls of the Oak (that means the only sleepers are gonna be some of the Falcon's picks...oh schnap!)  FI a bevvy of predictions for tomorrow's contenders. They are listed in the order of the Falcon's preference.

Best Picture: 

1. The Social Network

2. The King's Speech

3. Toy Story 3

4. Black Swan 

5. Inception

6. Winter's Bone

7. The Fighter

8. Blue Valentine

9. The Kids Are Alright

10. True Grit

The obvious omissions here are Danny Boyle's 127 Hours and Ben Affleck's The Town. I think Oscar will snub Big Ben, but give Renner the nod more to make ammends for The Hurt Locker passover. I think the Academy will also not allow Weinstein's canvassing be for naught, but will let Boyle's adaptation slip through the cracks. Sorry. I couldn't resist.

A Simple Job

Well I have not posted in forever (I Apologize). I thought I would post my short film from last semester. It was primarily shot on 16mm color film on the Arri SRII, with exception for a small portion being shot on the Cannon T2i and a handycam. It was edited on Final Cut Pro. I tried to keep things as simple as possible for my first try on film stock. This semester I'll be shooting digital for my film, so I'm going for something much more grand in size.

ANVIL IS IN The Green Hornet!!!

I went and saw The Green Hornet this weekend. When I was watching the movie within the first 5 minutes of the movie I noticed that Anvil was playing in the background on the Tv screen in the background stands Lips. i thought this was very ironic how we had just watch Anvil: The Story of Anvil.

Mark Zuckerberg: To be read and viewed by Midterms

Mark Zuckerberg

The Earth Does Not Exist

A Book by Nyawh

A spark on how a man like Seth Grossman can get published so i can too.

One day I came up with the idea that the earth really doesn’t exist, well nothing actually exists in our world. We are mearly the imagination of something called GOD. Every level above that god is another GOD. GOD stands for Great Omnipotent Dreamer.

Yea that’s right god exists. But also doesn’t at the same time because he is only being though up by someone else that ultimately doesn’t exist. So in the big picture it goes full circle. We only learn the god thinks up over time and he only thinks up with the GOD above him thinks up. So I guess someone in our world is just dreaming up another world making him GOD. So here is where we end up, me writing the book that is dreamed up by GOD. Just think about it…

i was bored.

Take Me Home Tonight Movie Trailer Official (HD)

i watch the trailer for this it kindof reminded me a little bit of night at the roxbury but i dont know this looks really funny its comes out in feb of 2011 :)

Ricardo Autobahn...giving it serious consideration for my son's name

It's A Wonderful Life: Alternate Ending