Movie References in TV Commercials

I was watching TV the other day and a Pistachios commercial came on recreating the famous shower scene from Psycho. I thought it was pretty cool and I wanted to share it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gMrKHLVPyE

A Big 5 Winner!

It Happened One Night (1934) is one of three films to win the five greatest categories in the Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.  The two other films were One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). It Happened One Night is the foundation for all romantic comedies.  This film was released right before the start of the Hays Code (which would censor films) and included the actors disrobing, and Mr Shapeley's admissions to adultery.  Although there wasn't much to censor it would have been frowned upon after 1934.  With a great story, excellent acting and cinematography that captures the 1930s depression perfectly, IHON is a true classic and stands the test of time.  Gable and Colbert have instant chemistry in this film, as depicted in one of the first scenes on the bus when Ellen is sleeping and holding onto Peter's lapel - the look on Peter's face is priceless.  These two actors proceed with effortless charm and charisma throughout the film that the movie's 105 minutes seem to fly by.   It's funny that Peter Warne and Mr Shapeley became the inspiration for Bugs Bunny.  Guess Bugs got Gable's ears!!

Tolkien and the Modern Surveillance State

J.R.R. Tolkien appears to get it right with Lord of the Rings and our modern society.  Please check out the

link below - the article examines the works of Tolkien, Orwell and even Aldous Huxley, and how accurate they were with our society today.  It does seem like our society is moving toward a Mordor-like hell with constant surveillance, lack of empathy, paranoia, and incompetence built into the system.  Where is our Frodo?  Oh yeah he's living in Moscow and his name is Edward Snowden!


Here's the article:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/07/tolkien_v_orwell_who_understood_modern_surveillance_best.html

Apple in 1984

How is this ad ironic? Approach this question with your 21st century mindset.

The Most Falconful Time of the Year

This weekend, the Golden Globe nominations came bounding down the social media chimneys of the world! Huzzah!!!! I awoke! I am the Film Falcon, and 'tis the season for me to rise, rise, rise...like a phoenix...except more like a falcon....a phoecon, or a falnix, maybe..or whatever.

I come out of hiding each year to bring important film awards season news, predictions, critiques, office pools and discussions. I take over the blog of that Mr. Costal character, whom I suppose most of you have never even heard of.

My job, this year, will be inordinately easy since that  poser Costal doesn't even post anymore. He took a paper-pusher office job 'cuz he's soft. I always found him suspect. When he told me he shamelessly abandoned the Film Institute--and me--and the blog -- and this good thing we got going right here, you know what I says to him, I says, "Your situation. For you, would be concurrently improved if I had two hundred dollars in my back pocket right now."

So then he's all like, "You're a falcon...you don't have back pockets."

And I'm all like "Shut up. Ya suspect!"

He's a bird hater. I think we all know that. And I heard he sleeps in a Cedar Crick t-shirt. Just sayin'. I can fly. I see things.

Anywho...I'm back. You're here. Let's not let pettiness with Cubans hold us down. I want to give you all the tools to prepare yourselves for being true auteurs this season. I want you on top of the best films of the year.

It's an interesting year. The studios are not even hiding the formula. Summer is for blockbusters. Super heroes. Vampire love. That sort of thing. You know, films that actually make money. Oscar movies are meant to win Oscars. They don't need to make money. The money comes from the acclaim. I'll explain more on that later, but part of the way that works is by putting films in theaters as Oscar buzz mounts. The film needs to come out as close to the ceremony as possible. Too close and no one sees the film. Too far and the Academy forgets how good it is.

The Daily Show

Welcome to Oceania.

Capra Time

Week of 12/16:  Frank Capra Films

This week we will be studying the films of Frank Capra, you will identify his films, themes and analyze two of his films in class.  On Friday we will view It's a Wonderful Life, and on Wednesday we will view Mr Smith Goes to Washington.  These two films capture the essence of Frank Capra and I'm sure you will really like them.

For someone that was born in Sicily, Frank Capra has come to represent so-called old time 'American values':  selflessness, anti-materialism,  small town heroes fighting corruption,  rural,  workers,  innocence, goodness, and truth.  Are these the values that America holds dear, or are they something different?  These themes are at the heart of Capra's films, some more so than others, but they stand the test of time due to their refreshing emphasis on values that capture the American spirit, and something we should all try emulate.

Dystopia Now

Don't worry about anything - technology is the answer to everything.  Put your faith in iPads, iPods, Macs, Netflix, cable tv, candy crush, or any other technological innovation and you create your own dystopian society.  Technology is the new religion of America.  Everyone is enraptured by their cell phones, people have to check them constantly.  Everything has to be shared, nothing private.  People are atomized and separated from one another; the collective and community aspects die slowly.  People are constantly rushed, with no time to think deeply, there is no silence.  There is a sense of something being off-kilter and not right.  No matter how much you buy it never fills the emptiness.  Many drown their sorrows in drugs and alcohol.  Is life not to be slowly contemplated?  How many people let life come to them?  America has become Brave New World, and we didn't need outsiders we created it ourselves.  As Goethe said "Man errors as long as he strives".  Speed, efficiency, results based, progress are all considered American today.  However there is another tradition which goes against this modern divergence- transcendentalism.  A movement for simplicity, solitude, reflection, thinking, anti-consumerism and mindfulness.  I for one refuse to give in to the 'herd' mentality and gladly oppose this death culture and so should everyone who truly cares about others.  If each of us refuse to give in,  if we fight against it, if we live our lives under another model we can finally truly free ourselves.

Film Groups

Group 1: Luke, Sam "Mom-Jeans" Guzman, Tyler Thompson, Ish, Lil' Raff, Vince, Alex, and Hugo

Group 2: Tran, Jon "Hundy" Mitchell, Kenny Merlock, Kelsey, Liepe, Christina, and Isaiah

Group 3: Chloe, Tyler Baldi, Kenny Huynh, Alejandra, Christl, Nicole, Erin, and Abigail

Group 4: Ryan, Stefen, Carly, Charlotte, Allie, Jonnor Cohnson, Devon, and Dindak

Group 5: Brandon, Kerwin, Gabe, Cass, Cam, Blake, and Erica

Here's the plan for tomorrow:

You will all work in your groups to complete the first section of your scripts. In total, there will be five portions of the script:

Exposition-->Rising Action-->Climax-->Falling Action-->Denouement

The exposition should consists of:

• an introduction of your protagonist
• an introduction/explanation of Big Brother
• an explanation of the changes brought to Oakcrest (Feel free to use another name) in regards to curriculum, personal expression, social interaction, etc.

The exposition also needs to include some form of narration; it will be necessary to explain the arrival of Big Brother. The format for your script is as follows:

• Typed, double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman

Here is a sample portion of a script:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Group Member Names

Mr. Clark, Mr. Lockwood, and Mr. Weisback

The Film Institute

17 Dec. 2013

Working Title

Introduce the setting and scene in italics. Perhaps something like this: the camera, positioned voyeuristically, shows a young man sitting  in front of a computer. He is in a lab surrounded by others all dressed in dismal blue overalls. He is typing frantically, and though panicked, he can be seen making an effort not to look away from his computer monitor. The camera then shifts to a hallway shot depicting a powerful, mustachioed man walking briskly down the hallway. He enters the room, and the students all stand up and face him. This mustachioed man begins talking, and the voice-ever narration begins.

Protagonist: Everything changed when he arrived, and by "he" I mean Big Brother. When he first arrived, he promised a return of discipline to the Oak, and frankly, he delivered. Little did we know that this meant an end to creativity, and end to friendship, and really, an end to all of us as individuals.

The man with the mustache leaves. The workers sit down and continue their work. The girl next to Protagonist begins subtly talking out of the side of her mouth.

Girl: Seriously, they want to extend the school day until six--kids will start dropping like flies.

Protagonist: I know. Can he really lock us all in the "keep" if we don't comply?

Girl: I don't know. The last person sent to the keep... who knows where he is? I heard he transferred. I don't buy it. Not for one second.

The young man on the Protagonist's other side chimes in.

Boy: I love Big Brother. Those who don't comply, well, they deserve the keep! We are getting two more hours of education. Big Brother truly loves us and wants us all to succeed.

Protagonist: Yeah, you're right. Look, I got to finish this report on the positive effects of corporal discipline.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I think you get the idea. 

Your exposition scripts are due Tuesday, December 17th.

Like Video Games - Big Brother Does Too!

Big Brother Alert!

From:  NSA/FISA Central Command Center

To: All middle to mediocre federal bureaucrats with job justification issues

Subject:  Monitor all XBox Live games & all possible video games

>>Please monitor all video games for possible terrorist activity.  It seems terrorists like to blow up and kill people.  Video game users also like to shoot and blow up things - logically they are or could/may be the same thing, or vice versa.  Budget is unlimited.<<

In another chilling report, it seems like the NSA is watching video games for terrorist activity.  If you play World of Warcraft and Second Life among others the NSA has been gathering data on millions of users which many view as a violation of their privacy.  NSA spies have created avatars to "snoop and try to recruit informers, while also collecting data and contents of communications between players".  Apparently terrorists use fake identities, the NSA believes they will use video games as a way to communicate with each other.  However, to date there has not been any success in capturing a terrorist through monitoring of video games.  Watch out  - that Orc you were talking to might be a federal bureaucrat!  I feel a whole lot safer!!

Here's the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/spies-dragnet-reaches-a-playing-field-of-elves-and-trolls.html?ref=us

The Reason Why the World Loves Mandela

In an earlier post I showed how modern doublespeak has changed America's perception of Mandela, here's the real reason why Mandela has become a worldwide saint to the world's elite.

In an article in today's NYTimes' Business Section titled "How Mandela Shifted Views on Freedom of Markets" it explains that Mandela attended a meeting in Davos, Switzerland in 1992 with all the world's economic policy makers.  Prior to this meeting Mandela and the ANC (Africa National Congress) Mandela's political party were set on nationalizing industry, banks, and mines.  After this meeting Mandela changed his mind on the nationalization program and instead opened up South Africa to foreign investment and more privatization.  So the shift was made from nationalizing private industry (bad Mandela prior to 1992) to increased privatization and capitalism (good Mandela after 1992).  This is why the world's elites find him so appealing.  It is not because he resisted apartheid and brought more democracy to South Africa.  Remember he was listed as a terrorist and a communist sympathizer in the years prior to 1988.  Mandela was a threat to the capitalist system when he advocated nationalization of industry to redistribute profits to the poor.  Moreover, he might have set a 'bad' example to the rest of the developing world who may have done the same thing.  Afterwards he became a hero because he no longer threatened capitalism and instead opened up the country even more to foreign investment.

So here are the results for South Africa's increased privatization:   53% of its citizens live below $2 a day, official unemployment rate is 25%,  white households earn 6x more than black households, black men have an unemployment rate of 50%,  whites hold 75% of all management jobs, inequality is huge and getting worse, HIV/AIDs is one of the worst in the world at 30% of adults according to the UN.

Just after Mandela left office, the UN crime statistics have South Africa as the worst in the world for murder and assault - 74 gun murders per 100,000 population. A 2005 survey dubbed South Africa the "rape capital" of the world, with a rate of 118.3 rapes per 100,000 population, according to South Africa's Channel 4 News. Mandela did good things such as fighting the apartheid regime, but overall his change in position regarding economic policies has not made South Africa better - yes blacks have the ability to vote, but what does that get them? This is why the world's policy elites love Mandela, the adulation for him is not for equality, democracy or a real chance at a better life - those are words on everyone's lips, but instead those words are simply a cover for his 'real' accomplishments - privatization, foreign investment, and wealth allocation for the rich.

No wonder why the world's top officials are there lionizing Mandela, but what are the poor celebrating?

Here's the articles: 

NYTimes Article

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/09/how-mandela-shifted-views-on-freedom-of-markets/?ref=business&_r=0


S. Africa Channel 4 Article
http://www.channel4.com/news/president-legacy-nelson-mandela-achievements-in-government

2nd Marking Period Interims Due Friday

2nd Marking Period Interim Reports are due from teachers on Friday  12/13

Here's the assignments you needed to hand-in:

Metropolis Questions - 100 pts.

Matrix Questions - 50 pts.

Blade Runner Critique - 100 pts.

Chaplin 'The Kid' (4 questions) - 20 pts.

City Lights (purple sheet) Questions - 56 pts.

Examples of 'Doublespeak'

Check out the link below for examples of modern doublespeak from the Center for Media and

Democracy.

 I found myself thinking of this tonight because of Nelson Mandela's death.  He was a liberating figure for the poor black South Africans, unfortunately he is also a victim of doublespeak.  Since he stepped down as president of South Africa in 1999 he has become the media darling and hero around the world,  especially in the West.  For those who remember American policy during the 1980's and previous years Mandela was anything but a hero, he was a actually considered a terrorist - funny how things change.  According to the NY Times from May 9, 2009  the political party that Mandela belonged  the African National Congress (ANC) was labeled a "notorious terrorist group" by our government. Fortunately for Mandela in 1988 the US government removed the ANC from its terrorist watch-list, consequently Mandela was able to enter the US without a waiver.  It is amazing the media overlooks this now especially since the ANC  is very closely affiliated with the South African Communist Party, but none of this is deemed worthy of  mentioning by the media now.  The real goals of the ANC was laid out in a statement called the 'Freedom Charter' (see link below) - all that talk about the people controlling the wealth and banks makes me think the US wouldn't exactly approve of it.  See what you think.

Maybe it went down the memory hole...

Here's a great article about the changing US view of Nelson Mandela:

http://www.voanews.com/content/us-view-of-mandela-changed-from-cold-war-communist-to-anti-aparthied-hero/1804745.html

Link for Doublespeak:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Doublespeak

Freedom Charter:

http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=72

Chaplin Time

Week of 12/6:

This week it's all about Charlie Chaplin - one of the most important figures in film history.

We will examine Chaplin's life and also several of his films.

Films this week:

'The Tramp'
'The Kid'
'City Lights'


Here's The Tramp:

Here's The Kid:

City Lights Link:

http://vimeo.com/77229035

Is Film Where It's At?

Are films dying?  Is the industry heading to the land of VHS, Atari, AOL?  It seems Netflix and cable tv have put the final nail into movies, but is this actually true?  Maybe movies have an area where they are supreme, for example 3-D and Imax screens where, at least for now, it would be hard to replicate at home.  This is the topic of the December 1, NYTimes Magazine article, "The Big Picture Strikes Back" (see below for the link).  In the article director Steven Soderbergh states, "there is less and less room in the business for artistic integrity and specificity of vision; in the age-old struggle between art and commerce, art is being routed".  The article points out that yes cable tv is supreme right now giving examples such as the finale of Breaking Bad had 10,300,000 viewers, and Netflix having 6 million new subscribers.  These are definitely true facts about the power and supremacy of cable and on-line media, but there are some great films that have come out this year, and the last several years that break the mold of commercial blockbusters. The films below need to be viewed on a big screen, not even a 60" screen will have the same effect.

Here are some of the films that I have seen and highly recommend:

12 Years a Slave:

Directed by Steven McQueen (not that one he's dead) and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor - you'll hear of him again when he's receiving an Oscar for Best Actor for his work in this film.  Brad Pitt has a minor role, but was one of the producers for this film, it also stars Michael Fassbender as a demonic slave owner.  This film grabs you instantly and doesn't let you go - it reminds me of the brutal scenes in  Amistad, but those lasted thirty minutes, not the entire film.  It depicts the institution of slavery as America's original sin and condemns those involved with it by its brutality and barbarity.  Viewing this on a big screen is the way to go for this film, when I left the theater I was stunned.

Gravity:

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, this film actually gave me vertigo, but in a good way.  The cinematography and visual effects are second to none and should win Oscars for these categories.  The film is a gripping survival story and although the dialogue is tedious at times, this film is what a big screen needs - huge visuals of the Earth, the silence and blackness of space, the camera work that puts you right there, and more - best to see this in 3-D!  Sandra Bullock has more bad luck than I do driving on Halloween!

Nebraska:

If you liked The Descendants and Sideways, then you'll love this film.  As usual with an Alexander Payne film, this focuses on ordinary people - in this case Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) plays an almost invalid curmudgeon who thinks he won a million dollar lottery and needs to get to Lincoln, Nebraska - he lives in Billings, Montana.  His younger son decides to take a road trip with him, and they meet up with old neighbors, friends and nightmarish relatives along the way.  The visuals in this film (it's filmed in black and white) are grainy and like Woody emphasize the decay and dilapidated state of the Midwest.  This is another film that loses the visual 'punch' if seen on a small screen. June Squibb plays Woody's wife and steals the show with her one-liners!

Here's the trailer for Nebraska:

Here's the link for the NY Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/magazine/the-big-picture-strikes-back.html?ref=magazine&_r=0

Big Brother has come to Oakcrest...

Yes, you: members of the prestigious Film Institute. But the time has come to rise up and dare to portray the dystopian nightmare Oakcrest has become since the arrival of our great "protector," Big Brother.

Hopefully from reading 1984 and watching Metropolis, Blade Runner, The Matrix, V for Vendetta, and Children of Men, you  have arrived at the conclusion that artistic expression is the enemy of totalitarian regimes.

Alas, we will combat Big Brother through the means of cinematic expression, a truly collaborative form of art.

"Artists use lies to tell the truth."

_________________________________________________________________________________
Both classes of the Film Institute will be expected to complete a 7-10 minute short film depicting the effects of Big Brother here at Oakcrest High School.

The following is a list of questions that the short films should explore:

• Define Big Brother: Who is (s)he? How did (s)he come to power? What does (s)he represent?
• Who are the enemies of this newly, Big-Brothered Oakcrest? Do the alliances shift? Explain.
• What are the hierarchical  classes at Oakcrest? Are there proles? Upper party members? Explain.
• How does Oakcrest control thought and expression?
• How have the arts been affected? Sports? Curriculum?
• What is the state of the Oakcrest media program? 
• Are students allowed to have interpersonal relationships?

The films must include/portray the following:

• A 20 or more page script 
• A completed storyboard depicting the shots to be used in the film
• A "2 Minute Hate"
• Narration: Due to the short running time, this is key.
• Words, phrases, and ideas from Newspeak (http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ns-dict.html); the film must contain at least 5 specific uses of the language.
• Big Brother: flyers, posters, etc.
• A character must cross Big Brother and pay the price. The consequences and ensuing reprogramming must be depicted.
• Appropriate music (Radiohead encouraged. I'll lend you Hail to the Thief if you so desire!)

This project will consist of an on-going, collaborative effort. Each class must select members to fill the following roles:

• Director - The director is in "charge" of the film. (S)he supervises the story and oversees the production, making creative decisions that ultimately shape the final product.
• Production Designer - The production designer creates the "look" of the film. This job also includes wardrobe selection.
• Screenwriter - Although the plot and concept for the film will be collaboratively inspired, these students will be responsible for composing the 20 page script. Improvised dialogue is permitted, but the film must be scripted!
• Director of Photography - The DP is responsible for planning the shots used to compose the film. The DP must completed a detailed storyboard prior to filming.
• Cameramen - To portray a world in which residents are constantly observed, the films will be shot solely with iPhones. Sideways only; don't forget!
• Editor - The editor is responsible for compiling the footage into a smoothly transitioned film. This job also entails the task of creating credits.
• Actors - Each member of the group must appear in the film in some way or the other. Don't look directly at the camera. 

When is this due? I don't know. We will spend this week brainstorming: reading 1984, discussing the films we have watched, and working on concocting a plot.

Participation and Grades

There seems to be some concern over how students gain participation points in Film History.  First of all, as a student in the class you must actually participate in the class.  Arriving late, missing class, or being inattentive does not meet the criteria for participating in class.  However, discussing films and related materials, posting comments on this blog, viewing films without the need to check your cellphones, and being an ACTIVE participant in the class will ensure you of getting your full total of points - and additional help.  Students who have issues with this should see me in person and I will advise you on how to engage in the course more effectively.  Ask yourself the following:  how do you approach the class?  Do you have a commitment to the class or just there to waste time?  Are you engaging in the class or are you disruptive?  If you answer these questions truthfully, I am sure your grade reflects your actual contribution.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Matrix - Exploring the Nature of Reality

The Matrix (1999)  explores many interesting philosophical questions.  Can we really be sure of our reality?  Maybe we are living in a computer generated dreamworld?  How do we really know we are here?  These questions are a branch of philosophy called scepticism - we can't fully be sure our knowledge is accurate.  As mentioned in a prior post - the French philosopher Rene Descartes traces all our knowledge and thoughts down to one thing - Cogito, ergo sum.  I think, therefore I am.  We can doubt everything except the fact that we are actually thinking right now.  This is twisted in the film The Matrix.  We are being deceived by AI who use us as an energy source.  Descartes also came up with this idea before the Wachowski's, he came up with the idea of an 'Evil Demon' (sort of an evil God) which was deceiving us all the time.  Descartes didn't really think this was true, but it could be a possibility.

A further line of exploration involves the idea that reality is just our experiences, thoughts, and memories.  Our thoughts and memories can be doubted - people with amnesia, or people that use drugs have warped memories.  What about our experiences?  Can our experiences be certain?

Another philosopher George Berkeley (1685-1753) endorsed a view that the only reality we can be sure of is our mental reality - Idealism.  All reality is mental.  For example the color red - what is it exactly?  Doesn't is change in certain lighting conditions?  Isn't it just electromagnetic wavelengths that our brains interpret?  Color is a mental attribute, not part of the physical world.  This is the same for everything else that exists for idealists.  Plato spoke to this with the Allegory of the Cave.  What we see is false projections of the ideal.  

What do you think the film tells us?  How can the film be applied to our lives today?

Blade Runner Assignment

New Blade Runner Assignment:

Use the Evaluating a Film Handout to write a critique on Blade Runner.  Don't just answer the questions - use the handout as a guide to write out your essay.  The length should be 1.5 pages minimum.

This will be due next Monday - 11/25.

Nighthawks at the Diner

The above painting is Edward Hopper's magnum opus: "Nighthawks at the Diner." The painting was an inspiration for the look of Blade Runner.

Scott, a painter himself, repeatedly showed the painting to the film's production designer. 

See the similarities?

Blade Runner: What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Blade Runner - the 1982 film by Ridley Scott -  presents us with many interesting philosophical questions.

  How do we know we are human?  What is a human?  What are our memories and can we trust them?  What is reality?  Can we allow the mistreatment of a minority group?  Should we create  artificial intelligence?  Can we/should we extend our natural life span?  What is the meaning of life?

The film brings these questions to light in a bleak LA of 2019, but reminds one of the overcrowded cities of China with its decay and endless garbage.  Based on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep the film follows Deckard, a retired law enforcement officer who must track down replicants (human-like androids).  He meets and falls in love with another replicant named Rachael while visiting the Tyrell Corporation.  The renegade replicants are seeking information that will extend their short four year lifespans.  Deckard hunts down and eliminates the replicants except Roy who dies naturally while fighting Deckard.  Rachael and Deckard then run off together.

Since the replicants look and act exactly like humans, they can only be exposed by a variety of questions that seem to focus on empathy.  Apparently the replicants show less empathy than humans, although as depicted in the film this seems reversed in most of the human characters.  Even the violent Roy displays some compassion at the end of the film, while most of the humans are robotic and unfeeling.  The replicants even have memories implanted to make them as the Tyrell Corporation's motto states "more human than human".  With all the similarities between humans and replicants  how do we know we are human, and what exactly does this mean?  If our memories cannot be trusted, how can we trust anything?  The French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) investigated this same problem and came to the conclusion that everything can be doubted except the fact that he is thinking.  Since we are thinking - at least those reading this - do we exist?  Can we really trust our memories though?  What if they were programmed in like the replicants?  What if we hit our head and we lose them?  If memories cannot be trusted, can anything  ever truly be certain.  What are memories?  Electrical implants?  Don't memories change over time?  Doesn't everything?

The philosophical issues that this film highlights are deep and worth investigating.  As you will see there are many other films that touch on these same issues.

Class Discussion Questions

1)  What if there wasn't a test to expose the replicants - would that mean the replicants are human?

2)  Rachael and Deckard express love for each other despite the fact that they are replicants, since they show love how are they not human? 

3)  Replicants are so human-like that it seems wrong to use them as forced labor.  What would need to be different about the replicants to allow us to use them for forced labor?   

4)  Is there anything that you know that is an absolute certainty?  How so? Explain

5) How is Blade Runner a dystopia?  

6) What are the parallels between Blade Runner and Metropolis?

7) Describe the similarities with German Expressionism

Dystopia & Modern America

Week of 11/12 - 11/15:

Plenty of fun, optimistic, and uplifting films this week!  >>Sorry just the opposite<<

There is a long tradition of contemplating speculative societies that are dehumanizing, frightening, and invasive in print and film.  This week we will examine one of my favorites - Eric Blair, otherwise known as George Orwell.  A man who wrote about anti-fascism, anti-Stalinism and actually fought in the Spanish Civil War against Franco's fascists.

The main focus for Film History this week will be media manipulation, surveillance and the lost of freedom in modern America.  We will examine the juxtaposition of Orwell's 'Doublespeak' and modern news terminology, the rise of the NSA surveillance state (thanks to Edward Snowden's release of classified information) vs freedom, and also examine films that portray these frightening societies.  The first film we just viewed Metropolis - depicts a hierarchical state  which attempts to add a compassionate mediating element in order to moderate the opposing social classes.

Later in the week we will view the film Blade Runner (1982), which depicts a very rainy LA around the year 2019 - only six years from now!

 Your assignment for Film History will be to analyze Blade Runner.  Due next Friday 11/22.  

Address the following:

• Compare modern America to Blade Runner's LA
• Analyze the technology in relation to our own
• What aspects of modern life seems to be moving toward those in the film?
• What is the film's main message? 
• What is the message about technology? How does it relate to Metropolis?

Radiohead, Metropolis, Dystopia, and Frankenstein

The stark and impressive imagery of Fritz Lang's 1927 silent opus, Metropolis, serendipitously syncs with the music of British band, Radiohead. The version of the film we watched yesterday in class was assembled by a graphic designer from Arizona.

He briefly describes the creative process on his film blog, "Electric Shadows":
http://electric-shadows-film.blogspot.com/2010/07/metropolis-radiohead.html

The above link will also allow you to watch the film at home if you so desire! Impress your friends! Convey the important message that the mediator between the head and the hands must always be the heart, an idea that directly correlates to your next assignment.

Metropolis is a film that portrays a terrifying imagined future, or in other words, a dystopia. The word dystopia refers to "an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one."

In the 20th century, many writers and directors alike envisioned a future plagued by technology and advancement: worlds in which humanity suffered in the wake of new technological discoveries.

In some ways, this idea can be traced back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Life, as created by technology, goes awry, and a demonic monster is birthed by the science of man.

• The same thing happens in Metropolis: Rotwang makes a robot, a "maschinenmensch." Chaos ensues.
• The scientists in 28 Days Later attempt to cure rage. They discover a "rage" virus, and thanks in part to the good intentions of some animal rights' activists, chaos ensues.

Both films explore the negative effects of intermingling nature and science, and ultimately, both films depict dystopias. 

In my mind, both of the aforementioned films can be considered the progeny of Shelley's idea of the "Modern Day Promotheus": Frankenstein's monster.

We will finish our discussion of Frankenstein thusly:

• Watch this succint but thorough summary courtesy of our man, Sparky Sweets.

• Read an excerpt from Stephen King's "Danse Macabre" in which he explores the enduring legacy of Shelley's creation. He attributes the popularity of the monster to the brilliance of the idea and to the now classic film adaptations. I will distribute copies of the essay in class, today.

Your Task:

• Compose a 500+ word essay (3 full, typed pages; double-spaced; size 12 Times New Roman)  in which you explore the creature's continued omnipresence.
• Support your response with 
• specific references to films we have watched in class (or films you have watched on your own),
• references to the plot of Shelley's Frankenstein (the novel itself), 
• and references to Stephen King's essay.

Your completed, typed essay must be turned in by Friday, November 15th.

No complaints, please. After all, I could make you read the novel in its entirety, a novel Stephen King refers to as a "rather slow and talky melodrama."

I agree, Mr. King.

Metropolis: A Solution for Society?

We watched Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) on Monday 11/4.  Please be ready to discuss the film and there will be questions on the film for you to answer.  This film was made at the end of the German Expressionist movement - see if you can evaluate the elements of German Expressionism in the film.  Also, what does the film say about society?  Workers? The Elite?  What is the solution for the differences between social classes?

Questions are due tomorrow (11/6)

German Expressionism

German Expressionism was an artistic movement from 1919-1927 which in contrast to realism, attempts to portray emotions.  Huge sets, weird angles, jerky movements and eccentric images are the main aspects of this unique movement first centered in Germany after WW1, but later is exported to America.

The most important films that we will view are:  The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921),  Metropolis (1927), and a later film M (1931).



Here is The Cabinet of Dr Caligari:

Here  is M:

Nosferatu & Horror

This week we will be studying the horror genre, one of my favorites.  Nosferatu by F.W. Murnau (1922), is a gothic masterpiece and set the standard for truly scary vampire films.  Watch this film and notice the gothic imagery and compare the vampire Count Orlok to modern vampires.

Check out this documentary on Horror Films:

One of the first 'horror' films - The Haunted Mansion by Georges Melies:

Edison's Frankenstein (1910)

28 Days Later

Night of the Living Dead created the template for the modern zombie-horror film. 

Innovative filmmakers continue to reinterpret George Romero's "monster," a creation which reflects a self-destructive and violent predilection indigenous to humanity. Thanks to Romero, horror continues to serve as satire, a means to pose questions about society, government, and other serious issues. The best horror is both frightening and thought-provoking.

Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland's attempt at horror revisionism yielded a classic film. 28 Days Later is stylish, violent, satirical, inventive, nostalgic, and ultimately romantic. The film poses trenchant questions about human nature and addresses a uniquely modern fear: viral outbreak.

What are your thoughts about 28 Days Later? Leave a comment on this post summarizing your feelings regarding the film.

Your post must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 1st.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Boyle's decision to shoot the film using handheld, digital cameras
• The atmospheric music
• The film's satire of military power
• Rage as a virus
• Interracial romance
• Racism: the chained up "infected" soldier
• Normalcy = "people killing people"
• Normalcy = an end to humanity

The First Annual Zombie Run

Run fuun, Hungryy....BRAINS!!!!!!!!!

Do the Right Thing - Fight the Powers that Be

Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing (1989) is once again at the forefront of the Film Institute.  I hope our

students who viewed the film found it enlightening.  I have always loved this film.  The film tells the story of one block in Brooklyn which becomes the locus for many of the major problems of the 1980's:   racial relations, equality, oppression, violence vs. nonviolence, and human nature - all encapsulated in a 24 hour period.  There are many interpretations of the film - its metaphors and symbolism.  An idea I like is the concept of voice - who is being heard in the film and our society?  What message is the film trying to put forth?  What is Mookie's solution?    How does our society limit or stifle certain messages?  How does the film reflect the issues that plague America, and seem to be unsolvable?

Racism is the major theme.  One definition I found seems useful according to Albert Memmi,  "the generalized and final assigning of values to real or imaginary differences, to the accuser's benefit, and at his victim's expense, in order to justify the former's own privilege or aggression".  Keep this in mind as you analyze the film.

Birth of a Nation Essay is Due Friday 10/18


Assignment for Wednesday 10/23:

1)  Does Mookie 'do the right thing' when he throws the trashcan through the window?
What does this mean?  Relate this defining moment to the rest of the film.  Lastly, what is the film's message about racial relations?

2)  How does this film "fight the powers that be.." regarding racism?  Relate to the opening sequence with Tina (Rosie Perez) - what other forms of oppression are being attacked?  

3)  Most of the time the hero in film (and other media) have defined goals and move toward them in a linear fashion.  Is this true of Mookie?  What is his goal if he has one?  If he doesn't have one - what does the film focus on?  


Here's Spike Lee talking about DTRT back in '09:

Here's Spike Lee's latest:

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/08/210218261/spike-lee-doing-the-right-thing-for-himself


Here's the Love/Hate original from Night of the Hunter:

The Walking Dead's Debt to George Romero and RiffTrax Live is coming to Mays Landing!

In anticipation of The Walking Dead's 4th season, Rolling Stone magazine is posting an interview with a cast member daily. Yesterday's interview with executive producer and special effects make-up consultant Greg Nicotero focuses on the producer's relationship with George Romero, the director of Night of the Living Dead:

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/greg-nicotero-walking-dead-owes-a-lot-to-george-romero-20131012

*     *     *

As you may have already determined, Mr. Weisback and I are in the midst of an on-going debate over which film is superior: Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead. While I readily admit that I prefer Dawn, which is more of an action movie than a traditional horror film, I must begrudgingly admit that Night is the superior film. It transformed the horror genre and influenced countless other films, and as the aforementioned interview indicates, the film is still seen as the zombie watermark. 

My love of Dawn began when I was a student at the Oak. Horror films and gory special effects intrigued me, and when I finally tracked down a worn-out VHS copy of Dawn (Rest in peace, Absecon Video. You are missed.), I was not disappointed. The film is cheesy; yes, I admit, but it is chock-full of zombie mayhem, gore, and rampant attacks on consumerism. It was love at first viewing.

Here's the thing: I love low-budget, B-movies. I remember borrowing my cousin's copy of The Psychotronic Video Guide. It became my bible, and with a highlighter in hand, I began making a list of obscure B-movies that I had to see. 

I can trace my love of "bad" movies to one of my all-time favorite television shows, Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The premise of the show is simple: a man stuck in space with his robot pals is forced to watch the worst movies ever made. To keep his sanity, he and his robot companions relentlessly mock the cinema garbage they are forced to consume. The show is off the air, but the creators live on, producing Riff Trax. 

On Thursday, October 24th, our local Regal Theater is hosting a live Riff Trax for Night of the Living Dead.

Clark is going!

A New Cormac McCarthy Film Is On Its Way...

At 80, Cormac McCarthy is still keeping busy. He wrote the screenplay and executive produced the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed film, The Counselor.

Read about it here.

Ridley Scott? Cormac McCarthy? Yes, please!

This American Life

You do not understand Hamlet because you are not a murderer. Find out why:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/218/act-v

This man is not a murderer.

The questions for this radio program are due on Thursday, 10/17.

More Birth of a Nation Ideas

As you finish viewing the 2nd part of Birth of a Nation and start to think about the essay check out some of the following articles and ideas.

The absolute best article about the racism and technical innovations displayed in Birth is "Birth of a Nation - Propaganda as History"  by the late historian John Hope Franklin.  I will copy this article for you by Friday 10/11.  The article gives an excellent background about how Thomas Dixon was able to get D.W. Griffith to make the film, and all the controversy surrounding it.  Dixon wrote to Joseph Tumulty, Woodrow Wilson's secretary in May 1915 that, "the real purpose of my film was to revolutionize Northern sentiments by a presentation of history that would transform every man in my audience into a good Democrat....every man who comes out of our theater is a Southern partisan for life."  Not only did the film distort the truth of the Reconstruction period (1866-1877), but it sparked the rebirth of the KKK in 1915 after having been suppressed from the 1870s, finally reaching 4 million members by the 1920s.

The legacy of Birth is still with America through stereotypes, racism, discrimination and a distorted view of history.  For a more accurate version of Reconstruction, read Eric Foner's  Reconstruction, or W.E.B. DuBois'  Black Reconstruction.   The result of the backlash against black progress during the Reconstruction era -  Jim Crow segregation, rampant racism, and de facto slavery reintroduced.  The legacy of Birth runs deep and keeps running.

Here's some more info. you can check:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2013/02/birth-of-a-nation-revisited.html

http://www.thefinaltake.com/the-birth-of-propaganda-d-w-griffiths-the-birth-of-a-nation/

Protesting the film:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/episodes/the-birth-of-a-nation-and-black-protest/

Birth of a Nation

Here's the link for Birth of a Nation - remember we are watching the 2nd part, which you'll need to view for the essay assignment.

This Week's Assignment

This week we are finishing Hamlet and watching the 1990 film adaptation starring Mel Gibson.

Not pictured: Hamlet, sanity.

Despite any misgivings I may have concerning the star, the Zeffirelli version is by far my favorite cinematic interpretation of Hamlet.

Onto your assignment for this week (10/7-10/11):

Part 1: Morricone

Zeffirelli's Hamlet features an Ennio Morricone score. He is an Italian composer most famous for his contributions to Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy. He is the man responsible for creating the signature sound of "Spaghetti Westerns."

Clint Eastwood's portrayal of the "Man With No Name"  revolutionized westerns in the 1960's.

My favorite Morricone theme comes from the comedy/western, Two Mules For Sister Sara, starring Clint Eastwood and Shiley Maclaine. You may recognize this theme as it was used again by Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained.

• Your task: listen to some of Morricone's work on YouTube and select your favorite composition.
• Post a link to the video in the comment section of this post and explain why the song is appealing to you.

Part 2: Shakespearean Pronounciation 

A father-son team of linguists have determined what actors performing Shakespearean dialogue actually sounded like when the plays were originally performed. Check out the video below.

• In your comment, leave your thoughts regarding the video and what Shakespeare "actually" sounded like. You may wish to compare it to the more modern pronounciation, such as that used by Mel Gibson.

Your comment must be at least two paragraphs in length.

Comments are due by midnight, Friday the 11th.

Night of the Living Dead: Daring Casting Some 45 Years Later

This guy loves Romero movies. You're about to find out why.

In 1968, George Romero released the modern horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. The low budget creeper invented a horror sub-genre, the cannabilistic zombie thriller, and coincidentally dismantled tropes concerning race in horror films.

Romero's rules! Believe it or not, this guy got his start as a production assistant on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Zombies are big business now. The Walking Dead, World War Z, Resident Evil--the list continues almost ad nauseum. However, the original Night contains the most insightful and bold commentary on society and race yet.

Check out this recent article (10/1/13 via NPR) on Romero's revolutionary film and daring casting decisions:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/30/227943197/why-black-heroes-make-zombie-stories-more-interesting

Leave a comment! We love those!

Seriously, this guy is my hero.

Thanks for indirectly making this happen, Fred!

Fate vs Choice: Anton Chigurh and True Grit

In the book  No Country for Old Men  Anton Chigurh tells Carla before killing her:

          I had no say in the matter.  Every moment in your life is a
          turning and every one is a choosing.  Somewhere you made a
          choice.  All followed to this.  The accounting is scrupulous.
          The shape is drawn.  No line can be erased.  I had no belief in
          your ability to move a coin to your bidding.  How could you?
          A person's path through the world seldom changes and even
          more seldom will it change abruptly.  And the shape of your
          path was visible from the beginning.

1)  Apply this quote to the film True Grit - how does this relate to Mattie's desire for vengeance?  How does the choices involved in revenge against Tom Chaney end up changing Mattie's life?  Could things have changed? How?  What role does fate play in your own life?  Do we really have 'free choices'?

2)  The opening and ending soundtrack plays and old hymn called 'Leaning on the Everlasting Arms' -

 What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
 leaning on the everlasting arms;
 what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
 leaning on the everlasting arms.
 Leaning, leaning,
 safe and secure from all alarms;
 leaning, leaning,
 leaning on the everlasting arms.

- Why is this important?  How does this apply to Mattie?  Does Mattie change?  If so how?

Birth of a Nation and the Birth of Racism in Film?

Birth of a Nation and D.W. Griffith:

In 1915 director D.W. Griffith created the film Birth of a Nation which attempted to summarize the Civil War and Reconstruction period.  Using innovative film-making techniques such as iris effects, focusing, varied shot distances, and editing - Griffith created a masterpiece for the time.  Unfortunately Griffith also twisted history and used racist propaganda to distort the Reconstruction Era.  Moreover, Birth  conceives racism and stereotypes in film which continue right through to the present in film and television.

As you view Birth of a Nation - list both positive and negative aspects of the film.  You will have to write an essay on this after the film.  

To Be, Or Not To Be

There are many film adaptations of Hamlet. Wikipedia estimates that since 1900, over 50 different film and tv adapations of the play have been produced. In fact, you have all likely seen one particular version.

In 1948, Sir Laurence Olivier directed and starred in a big screen adaptation of the play. It won best picture, despite the fact that Olivier, who himself portrayed Hamlet, was 40 years of age during the production. Olivier's approach at the time was groundbreaking: this was a film adaptation; not simply a recording of a stage production. Olivier uses narration to imply that Hamlet's soliloquies are internal monologue. Check out his version of the famous "To be, or not to be" speech, and just listen to that dramatic score.

In 1990, Franco Zeffirelli, an Italian film director, released his version of Hamlet. His 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet is an English class staple. You may well remember it as the version where you briefly caught a glimpse of Romeo's bare backside.

Isn't he dreamy?

But I digress. Zeffirelli's version of Hamlet features my favorite Hamlet: Mel Gibson. Here is his take on the "To be, or not to be" speech. Check out how smoothly Gibson delivers the lines in an emotional but conversational manner.

And here is yet another take on the speech. This one is from The Royal Shakespeare Company's 2009 TV adaptation starring David Tennant.

Yes, Kerwin. Dr. Who is also Hamlet. I know, mind blown.

Your Assignment: After viewing these clips, which version do you feel best captures the meaning of the speech? Post a comment and explain your rationale.

Your response is due by midnight, October 3rd. That is this Thursday.