Welcome to the Oakcrest High School Film Institute.
Let me begin this post by bidding farewell to Mr. Weisback, the second founding member of the Institute to move onto other things (in his case, the rigors of AP US History). We'll miss you!
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| File photo |
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| This was the most humorous photo of Mr. Hearn that I could find online. |
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Today, we watched George Melies' "A Trip to the Moon." It is embedded below if you care to re-watch.
We also watched the Melies-inspired video for "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins. This is an excellent example of a film from 1902 resonating in the cultural echo chamber. See below.
If you enjoy this video (I prefer "1979."), please check out the documentary, Beauty is Embarrassing. The film celebrates the life and work of the wonderful Wayne White, the artist most famous for his contributions to Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
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And now you write!
And now you write!
This blog is home to our on-going discussion of film, and like all of the other aspects of the Institute, it too is dependent upon your input and participation. With that in mind, I am operating under the assumption that you have seen at least two films this summer. In the comment section of this post, please post a reflection on two films you have seen this summer.
Two paragraphs should suffice.
Your posts must be submitted before Monday, September 8th.
To facilitate discussion, I will start things off.
Yes, I am a snob. I admit it. Despite having time off in the summer, I am not wont to frequent the theaters. Summer is blockbuster season, and I typically am not interested in today's big-budget moneymakers. Disclaimer: I am sick of superhero movies. (I thought The Dark Knight was ok. Please feel free to leave me hate mail in the comment section of this post.)
However, I did go to see Guardians of the Galaxy. This was prompted by two factors. Firstly, before the film's release, I argued its merits with a good friend of mine, a tried and true nerd. He simply cannot resist all things Marvel, but I was off put by the CGI raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper. I arrogantly dismissed the talking creature as silly and as something that interrupted my suspension of disbelief.
To be a true naysayer, I would have to see the film. Secondly, the film generated enormous positive buzz. Many claimed it to be superior to The Avengers.
Thus, I went to see the film with an open mind and low expectations.
Guardians was excellent, and in my opinion, markedly better than almost all of the other Marvel movies (Iron Man excluded). The film was simply fun. Music, humor, and Star Wars-like world-building made this a truly a enjoyable cinematic experience. I attribute much of this to the star-making performance of Chris Pratt.
Grade: A
Before the summer began, I decided to upgrade to Amazon Prime, which includes a nice library of streaming film titles. Amazon has a fairly healthy selection of classic movies, and I decided to watch Hud, a Paul Newman picture from 1963. The film stars one of my favorite actors, and it is based on a novel by one of my favorite writers, Larry McMurtry.
Newman made some truly excellent films in the 1960's, but what separates Hud from Newman's other popular films is his turn as a charismatic yet chilling villain. Hud, the character, is pure Id: sexually promiscuous, prone to violence, greedy, and dishonest. The effortlessly charming Newman is disturbingly magnetic, and the audience can understand Hud's appeal to his innocent younger brother.
In the film's most memorable scene, Hud's father is forced to kill his stock of cattle after they have contracted a disease (Hud had wanted to sell the cattle regardless, despite the fact that their disease-tainted meat would have made people ill.). The cattle are herded into a ditch, and shot by Hud, his younger brother, and several other ranch hands. The scene is disturbing and deeply sad.
Though simple, Hud explores a damned father-son relationship and satirizes the success Americans experienced in the post WWII boom. It is a true modern Western, a film that depicts a dying breed: the heroic, ruggedly individualistic, yet selfless cowboy.
Grade: A-
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| Yet, I am strangely fine with this talking animal creature. |
Thus, I went to see the film with an open mind and low expectations.
Guardians was excellent, and in my opinion, markedly better than almost all of the other Marvel movies (Iron Man excluded). The film was simply fun. Music, humor, and Star Wars-like world-building made this a truly a enjoyable cinematic experience. I attribute much of this to the star-making performance of Chris Pratt.
Grade: A
Before the summer began, I decided to upgrade to Amazon Prime, which includes a nice library of streaming film titles. Amazon has a fairly healthy selection of classic movies, and I decided to watch Hud, a Paul Newman picture from 1963. The film stars one of my favorite actors, and it is based on a novel by one of my favorite writers, Larry McMurtry.
Newman made some truly excellent films in the 1960's, but what separates Hud from Newman's other popular films is his turn as a charismatic yet chilling villain. Hud, the character, is pure Id: sexually promiscuous, prone to violence, greedy, and dishonest. The effortlessly charming Newman is disturbingly magnetic, and the audience can understand Hud's appeal to his innocent younger brother.
In the film's most memorable scene, Hud's father is forced to kill his stock of cattle after they have contracted a disease (Hud had wanted to sell the cattle regardless, despite the fact that their disease-tainted meat would have made people ill.). The cattle are herded into a ditch, and shot by Hud, his younger brother, and several other ranch hands. The scene is disturbing and deeply sad.
Though simple, Hud explores a damned father-son relationship and satirizes the success Americans experienced in the post WWII boom. It is a true modern Western, a film that depicts a dying breed: the heroic, ruggedly individualistic, yet selfless cowboy.
Grade: A-
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ReplyDeleteWatching movies are one of the many activities I often divulge in and during the summer, when I have nothing better to do, I tend to watch my fair share. Whether it be from classics that I can easily find on Netflix, or the latest grossing movies raving the theaters, that of which I watch in the confinements of my room, free of charge (thank goodness for piracy). Anyways, down to business.
ReplyDeleteI’m a big fan of horror/suspense movies so naturally I had to watch Purge: The Anarchy. Compared to the first movie, this was definitely a step up. I liked the whole concept of how it didn’t necessarily revolve around just one specific family and how all the characters portrayed were all connected to one another. The actors were also much better than the first. I think Frank Grillo, specifically, did a fantastic job playing the Sergeant. He had the perfect demeanor of a hurt, conflicted, and vengeful dad. Lastly, the movie was a more “mature” version compared to the previous. This one had more action and effectively showed the characteristics of the corrupt government. Purge: The Anarchy had me gnawing on my nails.
Grade: B+
She’s All That (1999) is an older film but it definitely made my list of Favorite Movies (Mamma Mia! being beautifully seated at the top). She’s All That is your typical teenage, cliché, romance. It revolves around a bet being made between friends on trying to transform the socially awkward, below average girl into a hot socialite. Unsurprisingly, the leading male falls for the girl and she finds out about the bet and things go wrong. In the end, as always, the guy gets the girl and receives the final dance of the night. It’s a cute chick flick, so if you’re not into that don’t waste an hour and a half of your life watching something you know you’ll hate. It’s funny, witty, somewhat romantic (in a geeky cliché way), charming, and innocent. Plus the characters weren’t bad to look at either, aka Freddie Prinze Jr. who plays Zack Siler, talk about handsome.
Grade: A
She's All That is actually an update of George Bernard Shaw's 1912 play, Pygmalion.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis past summer I watched several films, mostly love stories. My favorite from the summer was “If I Stay”. Though most of you might have thought it was a horrible movie because it was a “Chick Flick” it has a great moral to the story that was presented to the audience. For those who have not seen it I am not going to spoil it for you. With that being said, this film made the audience come to a realization that even though there may come a time in your life where you lose everything you can still find a way to work through the pain and suffering. Mia was the main character and was my personal favorite. You saw the progress of her pain and suffering and how she came to her decision of whether to let go or stay.
ReplyDeleteGrade: A+
Another movie I watched was “God is Not Dead”. This movie was very powerful to all ages. While it took place in different scenarios the main one was in the college classroom. It showed how the main character Josh had his faith tested when he had a teacher that was Atheist and wanted him along with his other classmates to come to an agreement that God was dead. With most movies like this there is a moral of the story. Josh realized that though his parents and girlfriend didn’t agree with him going against his professor because they didn’t want him to lose is education he did what he felt was right and decided to honor God even though the people closest to him put him down for it.
Grade: A
Overall, there two movies were the ones that stuck out the most to me and I could also watch these over and over again.
The movie The Fast and the Furious 6 is filled with action and mind blowing events and plots. this movie came out in 2013. The movie series started in 2001 and has been going strong ever since. The movie has multiple star and high rolled characters but the main two really are Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker). The theme or "code" of this movie is "Family." I high recommend seeing this movie if haven't seen.
ReplyDeleteThe movie TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) came out recently this year (2014) and is a comedy and action film. There are four brothers that are ninja turtles and are trained by there father ,that is a rat, to help keep the city of New York safe. The turtles have their own colors< Leo is blue< Raff is red, Donnie is purple, and Mikey is orange. Master Splinter is the father. This movie a "have to see" because its hard to explain how crazy it is.
-Troy Manno
Anthropomorphic turtles snowboarding with cars?
DeleteTyler Manno
ReplyDeleteFast and Furious 6 was movie about bringing the family back together by getting a member to come back home. However, she was brainwashed from and explosion that occurred in the previous movie. This movie had positives and negatives about it. The positives about the movie was that it always kept you on your toes will all the thrilling action. In the movie there was a huge plot twist when Torretto thought they had won by getting the chip and a part of the family back in Letty, but they had it all wrong and they were a step behind because they had captured his family and they let him go to get his family back. At the end of the movie they winded up getting everything they were going for. The last positive of the movie was the picture and the camera shots they had. The shots they had made you think you were a part of the movie. The negatives of the movie was they didn’t include who the two other Spanish characters were never seen again. They were just missing and if the producer of the movie put that little information into the movie it would’ve been a better movie.
Grade: -A
22 Jump Street a movie about to cops who go undercover as college students to find out who the supplier is with the new drug. Like the first one when them separated from each other one being the cool one who was actually the nerd in high school and the nerd who was the coolest kid in school in high school. Well in this one it switch for them again. The cool one Jenko was back to being the cool one and Schmidt went back to being a nerd. This movie had very little positives like the action shot were good but that’s about it. The main positive was that it was funny because I was laughing the entire time. The negatives it was basically the same as the first one just flipped around and basically you knew everything that was happening.
Grade: C
hello
ReplyDeleteHi.
DeleteOver the time of summer, I spent my days outside exploring and chilling with friends. When I'm not doing any of that, I'm enjoying indoors. While I was inside, I saw a movie that I missed while in theaters, Neighbors. Neighbors starred, one of my favorite comedians, Seth Rogan. It always starred Zac Efron, Dave Franco, and Rose Byrne. I have to admit, I find the trailers hilarious but when it came to the movie, the main jokes were played in the trailer. I was disappointed but the jokes were funny. I had a few laughs then and there but my expectation was a roll-over-and-die kinda movie.
ReplyDeleteGrade: C+
The other movie I saw during the three months was The Purge: Anarchy. This horror and thriller was the top movie for me I saw all summer. It was intense, suspenseful, and overall fun. This movie didn't follow the typical stereotype that the first movie is way better than the squel.
Grade: A-
A C+ sounds about right.
DeleteI recently watched a few older movies, Cry Baby, and Vanilla Sky.
ReplyDeleteCry Baby is absolutely ridiculous, but I loved it. Im a teenage girl, so Im going like anything with young Johnny Depp and singing. Especially when hes dressed at a greaser. The plot is a little jumbled, but not hard to follow. Cry Baby Walker and his gang of drapes don't really do anything wrong, theyre actually really nice people. When a square girl falls for Cry Baby things go wrong. The squares, who are supposed to be the good kids vandalize cars, and set things on fire, causing a huge fight. Everyone else is let off with a warning, but Cry Baby is sent to jail and his sisters kids get taken away. The rest of the movie is just him trying to get back to his girl. I watched it about 6 times in a row. Id give it a B.
I also watched Vanilla Sky for the first time. Its been on our movie shelf for awhile and I never thought to put it in but it was actually really good. A little confusing but over all it was really good. I love Jason Lee, and he has a beard in this movie so it was pretty great. It all made a lot of sense at the end but it made me really sad. Id give it an A.
Have you seen Benny and Joon? It's my favorite Johnny Depp movie.
DeleteThough I only found myself at the movie theater twice this summer, one being a movie that I'm sure most teenage girls found themselves watching, I was in the end disappointed. Neighbors may have had some of the hottest actors in Hollywood, but having a film which rely's on popular faces with extraordinary bodies with a less than a satisfactory plot doesn't make for a five star rating. The comedy revealed a majority of the so-called funny scenes in the previews which played for months before the release, so seeing it all play out at the theater wasn't anything special. Although it was disappointing, I have to admit, the few and far between chuckles gave it a C+.
ReplyDeleteThe other film I found myself almost dying to see this summer was The Fault in Our Stars. I'm not much of a reader, but as I sat in the theater, teary eyed and completely speechless, I regretted not reading the story by John Green. It was a love story that made you appreciate your loved ones more than ever and feel for those who fight the battle of cancer every day, not knowing if the kiss they had just given their husband was going to be their last or if they are going to live to see the sunrise the next morning. Those who read the book had said the movie was outstanding, which was a surprise because a novel is always a great deal better than its' film. The actors, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, were nothing but flawless with showing their emotion and expressing their love for each other. At certain times, it didn't even feel like what I was watching was all on a screen in front of me- it felt real. Critics say it was the best love story since The Notebook, but I think it was even better. By far, this film deserves nothing short of an A+.
So, I won't be watching The Fault in our Stars in the company of others.
DeleteOne movie I recently watched this summer was called Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. I honestly really enjoyed watching this movie. It has the concept of a cheesy, love film (which is my guilty pleasure) but something about it separates it from all of the rest. It's more interesting. The concept is more advanced and thought out. It's more depressing and emotional. Basically the main character wants all of his memories with his ex-girlfriend erased, and as he's getting them erased he decides to change his mind. It is honestly heart wrenching watching all of the good times go by and knowing he will not remember anything. The two main characters, Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet do an excellent job portraying the emotions in this film. I honestly think the idea, plot, and even how it was shown was amazing. This is a great movie in which I would recommend to anyone.
ReplyDeleteGrade: A
I also watched If I Stay this summer and have to honestly say I was disappointed. I have a passion for music so I was expecting the film to be at least semi relatable. It wasn't, at all. The tragedy happened almost as soon as the movie began and the rest of the movie was basically the girl walking around the hospital. It was a very depressing movie, and the idea was great but it could've been shown a lot better. One part I did enjoy though was a Smashing Pumpkins cover, which wasn't bad. (It was actually probably the best part of the whole movie.) This movie wasn't horrible but I was expecting something amazing and it turned out to be something very ordinary.
Grade: B
Love Eternal Sunshine!
DeleteOver the summer, I watched a few movies. Two that come to my head are Divergent and Lets Be Cops. I’ll start with Divergent; a movie about the future and how their government wants their society is divided into five factions. When teens reach 16 they then have to choose what faction they want to join and once you choose, you cannot switch. The teens have to take a test to see what faction would be the best fit, but they don't have to pick their best fit, it is their choice. The main character Beatrice goes to take her test and finds out she is divergent meaning she has a little of each faction and has no fear, but no one can know. The government thinks divergent people will ruin their system. Beatrice or Tris, then chooses the faction of dauntless, which is basically the soldiers and free spirits. Beatrice had to past a series of tests to stay in dauntless, so one of the trainers found out she is divergent and he ends up helping and falling in love with her. Dauntless people then have to go into the city are ordered to attack the Abnegation compound. The government finds out she is divergent and Jeanine, the Erudite leader orders Tris to death. Tris mom finds her and tells her that she is also divergent. While trying to help her, she dies. At the end, Tris end up destroying the government’s idea of the factions. I really enjoyed this movie because of all of the action and the little love story.
ReplyDeleteGrade: A+
Let’s Be Cops, a movie about a game designer and his best friend who has no job. The two best friends are roommates. The game designer designed a movie about being a cop and had to pitch it to his boss. He bought cop costumes for the pitch. He boss ends up totally ignoring his idea of the game. He goes home and puts the costumes on with his best friend and walks around the city. People actually think they are real cops. They end up getting involved with real police work and finding out the chief of the police is actually a bad cop. They end up helping solve a huge crime. I liked this movie because of the comedy; it was definitely one of the funniest movies I had ever seen.
Grade: A-
Trevor Little
ReplyDeleteThis past summer I watched Pistol Pete it’s all about Pete Maravich who was in the NBA years ago. Pistol Pete is in 7th grade whose only dream is to make it into the NBA. In my opinion the movie was fantastic I loved every second of it. This film hits me on a personal level because ever since I was a kid I always wanted to make it into the big leagues. Watching that flick made me feel some type of way. After watching it that first time I watched almost 7 more times. It’s a very inspirational and heartwarming movie with a little bit of everything. Comedy, romance, and horror the whole package. I would recommend this movie to every one of all ages. If you’re bored and need to waste an hour and a half watch Pistol Pete.
Grade A
Earlier this July I recently watched The Amazing Spiderman and it was the best two hours of my life. If I could go back in time I would go back to that moment when I first walk into Spiderman’s theater. The Amazing Spiderman is hilarious the actor Andrew Garfeild is literally the funniest man alive. As well as the movie is intense like when Spiderman had to choose between saving kids or the love of his life. However the flick did seem pretty long I was tired of seating in the movie seats but I still found it very amusing. I would recommend it to anyone who loves superheroes, action movies, and a good film.
Grade A+
Spiderman 2, with Tobey Maguire, is my favorite superhero film of all time.
DeleteAlso, see Bird vs. Johnson: amazing basketball documentary.
The first movie I decided to waste eleven dollars on this summer, (which I did much too often the last few months) was the highly recommended "Neighbors". Reviews were off the charts and people loved the actors casted in the film. Naturally, I went into the theater with incredibly high expectations given the excitement surrounding it's release. However, I couldn't help but leave a little disappointed, maybe that's my fault for having unrealistic expectations but the movie just didn't live up to the hype. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes. Was it worth my eleven dollars? No. Because I'm stingy.
ReplyDeleteGrade: B-
Furthermore, my favorite film of the summer was the new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie. As a huge fan of the turtles growing up, I could not wait for the new installment of what I consider to be a classic. I went out and saw it the night it was released with, yet again, incredibly high expectations. Only this time the hype surrounding the movie was created by myself just because I wanted to see it so much. Other than that I had no reason to believe it would be worth watching. However, the combination of action, quirky comedy, and super-hero like qualities made this a really enjoyable film for me. I absolutely loved everything about it and almost went and saw it a second time in theaters.
Grade: A+
Now I must admit, I am a total sucker for a romance movie and am the true definition of a hopeless romantic. Therefore the two movies I selected, The Fault in Our Stars, and Endless Love, fit me like a glove and unfortunately, left me depressed, longing for a love like the characters in the movies shared (but that is to be expected right?) Anyway, here is what I thought of the two movies.....
ReplyDeleteThe Fault in Our Stars totally exceeded my expectations. I thought it was going to be this totally predictable love story but there were actually a few parts that really took me by surprise. Now regrettably, I watched the movie before I read the book, and as usual the book was better but I still thought the movie was really well done. The movie was very similar to the book as well, which I always appreciate. The Fault in Our Stars just had such a beautiful story line. It made me put things into perspective and truly made me thankful for all I am blessed with in my life. It taught me that nothing in life is guaranteed and what people really need to take in and appreciate are moments. I truly enjoyed this movie, (and just as a warning, I would advise you to have tissues nearby if you are planning on watching it).
A+
Now, Endless Love is one of your typical, predictable, love stories. The plot mainly consists of the following: girl meets a guy with a "bad boy" reputation (who's really a nice guy at heart) and they fall in love. But, the girl's father does not approve and does everything in his power to terminate the relationship. It doesn't matter though, because the heart wants what the heart wants and they end up being together. Even so, the movie is adorable and you can't help but be mesmerized by the girl's beauty and the guy's handsomeness and charm. After watching this movie, I watched it again the following night just because I thought it was just so stinkin' cute. I'm not so sure how much a guy would appreciate the movie, being that it is truly a "chick flick", but I think for a teenage girl it is relatable and they would really enjoy it. Well done.
A-
I think Endless Love had a very strange trailer that depicted the guy as fairly menacing. Apparently, this is not the case.
Deletes
ReplyDeleteOne of the saddest moments of my summer was when I had heard the passing of legend Robin Williams. From Aladdin to Good Will Hunting, this man has been a big part of my life from quite an early age. One night I was looking to watch something new, first thing I came across on netflix was the movie "World's Greatest Dad" wanting to honor this master of movies I decided to give it a go. Let me just say it was by far one of the best things I've seen all summer. This movie had me laughing hysterically one minute and bawling my eyes out the next. The character development was phenomenal, the plot twists were completely unexpected (yes I said "twists" there is more than one), and I personally found the humor out of control. Do not watch this film if you are not interested in dark humor and don't have the nerve to be taken on a shocking journey about how self-centered our society really is. I would not recommend watching this with your parents due to the fact there is more then enough foul language and vulgar references to make the room extremely uncomfortable. All in all I highly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good thought provoker.
ReplyDeleteGrade: A+
If you ever built a single Lego set in your life I would recommend "Lego Movie". I was hooked just by seeing the preview for the first time. I finally had the opportunity to see it this summer at my cousins house, and it was beyond enjoyable. It was fun for the whole family, my cousin of 7 was extremely into it as well as my aunt who is... 40 something? That's besides the point, but basically everyone loved it including myself. It was your classic hero's journey we learned SO much about our freshman year, the only difference was really how legos were incorporated which added a spin to all of it. The way they shifted between "Lego World" and the "Real World" was extremely creative to say the least. Like I said, the humor was enjoyable for everyone, extremely easy story to follow, good character development, amazing special effects, and the witty one liners just put it over top. I would recommend this flick to anyone. Bottom line was it was very enjoyable.
Grade: A+
See the Fisher King. It may be my favorite Robin Williams' performance of all time.
DeleteVincent Leszczynski
ReplyDeleteMy summer was not one full of many movies but there were some movies worth talking about.
Let's start with the bad. My little cousins loves Transformers, so when Transformers Age of Extinction came out he begged me to take him, and unfortunately, I did. Michael Bay needs to realize that nobody cares about the people in a transformers movie, the care about THE GIANT ROBOTS. Like the other Michael Bay transformer movies there was too much human time and not enough giant robots beating the bolts out of each other. But I will admit when it came to giant-robot-death match time I enjoyed the carnage but that enjoyment was even lessed by the constant check ins the movie did o the humans during the fight. Also Mark Wahlberg so that was a good thing.
D+
This summer I also decided to re-watch The Warriors, a late 70's classic (according to some... and me) about a new York street gang fighting their way home. By that description alone you should be sold, but if that isn't enough, keep reading. This movie tries to be serious but it is just such a silly situation, the fight seems are drawn out, the drama is silly and most of the actors look like they have no business being part of a street gang. The movie is ridiculous and that is why I love it!
A
Walter Hill, director of The Warriors, is awesome! See Streets of Fire and Crossroads.
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ReplyDeleteThis summer I watched the movie neighbors which I was really excited to see because of the previews but when I actually watched it the only funny parts were the ones they already gave away but it was still a good movie and kept me laughing so I'd give it a B
ReplyDeleteThe other movie I watch was grown ups 2 which was an awesome movie and extremely funny because adam sandlers an amazing actor so I would recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it and I'd personally give it A
There are so many fantastic books out there that deserve a movie adaptation, and Divergent was not one of them. The book itself was mediocre at best, and in accordance to tradition, the movie was even worse. Divergent is a story about a girl who doesn't fit into any of these government established factions, so she just selects one she thinks looks fun. She picks the "Dauntless" group, fearless adrenaline junkies, with a penchant for violence. She taught how to fire guns, hand to hand combat, and how to suppress her fear. But honestly, the main interest is the fear element. They put her into a drug induced fear-coma or something silly, and she must face all her worst fears. She stays in the coma until her heart rate slows to a normal pace, or she conquers each fear. Once she's learned to put fear behind her, you might as well stop watching. The rest of it is the government taking over the dauntless faction, and the protagonist and a few others taking on the government. Which let's be honest, you could read plenty of other books that do it far better. Mediocre story hopping onto the Hunger Games hype train.
ReplyDeleteC-
I skip a lot of movies, many that people rant and rave about being the pinnacle of its genre, over and over again. But every once and awhile comes along a gem that deserves the praise it gets. Django Unchained was one such gem. A bounty hunter frees a slave, because the slave has valuable information. Que the Quentin Tarantino style action of everybody in a several mile radius of the main character spontaneously exploding, combusting, or otherwise meeting their untimely demise. They might not be the most intellectual , but I love Tarantino's movies regardless.
A+
Django sure was a heck of a lot of fun.
DeleteSmart? Nah.
On a rainy summer night, the best place to go is to the movies. One of the movies I saw this summer that left a lasting impression was The Purge: Anarchy. I saw the first purge and was highly disappointed, so going to see the second my expectations were pretty low. However, I was pleasantly surprised. There was a very interesting and yet suspenseful plot. It literally kept me on the edge of my seat, it was unpredictable. The mission of revenge portrayed a father’s love for his child. With strength and composure, the sergeant chose to let the man who killed his son live, which later saved his life. It displayed the cliché role of karma, good karma that is. I would recommend this movie to all who enjoy a good scary movie, definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteA-
On another note, I watched Endless Love this summer as well. I love movies about love, I’m a hopeless romantic. The story of a forbidden love is always a great one. A young girl who just graduated high school has lost the love spark in her life since her brother passed. She meets a boy that relights that spark inside her. However her judge mental and hardheaded father disapproves. I love the display of the power of young love and the lengths the young man would reach to please her father. It is a sappy love story and its one of those movies I could watch over and over again.
A
This summer I went to the theater to watch the highly raved about "The Purge: Anarchy". Knowing that the first Purge was very unappealing to viewers and could not capture my attention, I had very low expectations going in. However to my surprise I loved it and was on the edge of my seat the whole movie. The plot followed one story the whole movie and tied all the characters together rather then staying with one character in one setting. Also every time you thought you knew what would happen next, the story would turn and something very unexpected would happen anticipating you and keep your eyes drawn to the screen.
ReplyDeleteGrade: A+
On the other hand, a movie I could not wait to see this summer was "If I Stay". We gathered a big group of our friends and headed to the movie theater very excited to be blown away by a moving story only to be highly disappointed and wind up refreshing twitter the whole time. I expected to be an emotional wreck watching a young girl try to find herself and find who she wants to be on earth while facing the fear of death. And watching her battle herself to stay on earth for her family. Instead we watched it bounce back and forth to people saying good by and the memories of her soppy love story with a young band boy.It was nothing more then a story of her young love with nothing to move the viewers and no inspiration. There was truly not much meaning to her real battle on expecting death or not. Very disappointing.
Grade: C-
Sappy.
DeleteThis summer I had watched Labor Day which was released in 2013. Surprisingly enough I had loved this movie. Basically a convict breaks out of jail and approaches a young boy who then (as naive as it sounds) brings the man home to his mother. When they find out he is a convict and that he is wanted for murder the man promises no harm to anyone he just needs to stay somewhere. The convict stays with the boy and his mother for quite a while before being caught and in that time falls in love with the boys mother. While Labor Day seems like a completely predictable love story, the director adds twists and turns to keep it from getting too predictable. Jason Reitman did an amazing job with that and kept me interested the whole time. Id give it an A-.
ReplyDeleteAlso I watched Planes:Fire and Rescue. This animation meant for kids primarily was actually not as bad as I had expected. As most children movies do, this movie had a specific meaning and message to be sent to the viewers. Roberts Gannaway sends the message of Courage. And the courage it takes for fireman and emergency medical services to go into emergencies and fires and dangerous situations not knowing what they are getting themselves into. Also it shows determination. When the main character is told his not fit for the fire squad he works hard day and night to prove that he is. And to prove that he fits in. I absolutely loved this movie and Id give it an A.
Labor Day sounds very interesting. See the film, A Perfect World. It is the most moving convict/lonely boy film I have ever seen. That sounds creepy...
DeleteThis summer I had watched Labor Day which was released in 2013. Surprisingly enough I had loved this movie. Basically a convict breaks out of jail and approaches a young boy who then (as naive as it sounds) brings the man home to his mother. When they find out he is a convict and that he is wanted for murder the man promises no harm to anyone he just needs to stay somewhere. The convict stays with the boy and his mother for quite a while before being caught and in that time falls in love with the boys mother. While Labor Day seems like a completely predictable love story, the director adds twists and turns to keep it from getting too predictable. Jason Reitman did an amazing job with that and kept me interested the whole time. Id give it an A-.
ReplyDeleteAlso I watched Planes:Fire and Rescue. This animation meant for kids primarily was actually not as bad as I had expected. As most children movies do, this movie had a specific meaning and message to be sent to the viewers. Roberts Gannaway sends the message of Courage. And the courage it takes for fireman and emergency medical services to go into emergencies and fires and dangerous situations not knowing what they are getting themselves into. Also it shows determination. When the main character is told his not fit for the fire squad he works hard day and night to prove that he is. And to prove that he fits in. I absolutely loved this movie and Id give it an A.
Of all the movies I’ve watched this summer, the one that stands out to me would have to be Saving Private Ryan. Saving Private Ryan is a war film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. The opening scene portrays the arrival upon Omaha Beach on D-Day. The movie follows U.S. Army Ranger Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for Private James Francis Ryan, who is the last surviving brother among four servicemen. This is the second time I’ve watched this movie. Movies are always better when you don’t have to watch it in class.
ReplyDeleteThis movie stands out to me because it depicts a first person perspective on the Invasion of Normandy. So it gives us a first look as we fight to cross the beach and take out the guns killing hundreds of soldiers entering onto the beach. The movie just makes it feel like you were there. My favorite scene is when James Francis Ryan refuses to leave. After receiving news that his brothers were killed, Ryan tells the captain that he wants to stay and fight because he is with his brothers, the members of his platoon. It shows the bond that soldiers have with each other; it shows that soldiers aren’t just murderers but that they’re real people just like us. That something America needs to understand and this scene gives some people a hint to respect war veterans.
Grade: A+
I give Saving Private Ryan an A+ because it’s one of those movies that you can just watch hundreds of times without it getting old and boring.
Being a huge fan of children's movies, it seems to be no surprise that I've chosen Frozen and The Lego Movie for my movies.
ReplyDeleteFrozen was about the same as every other Disney movie. Parents die, princesses have discover themselves, and they learn the meaning of true love, all with a good half an hour of musical numbers and plenty of laughs. I did enjoy it a lot, and the animations and music were all beautiful. But it wasn't too original (nothing really is anymore).
Frozen gets a B+.
The Lego Movie. "Oh my G-O-S-H," The Lego Movie was something that I could not wait for when I heard about. Being the child I am, I have played with Legos for much longer than anyone would be willing to admit. But, that aside, I went into the theatre (actually, onto the internet) with high hopes for this movie, and I was not disappointed.
It's plot was very easy to understand, the film had hilarious dialogue, and the character development was phenomenal. It was a movie that was advertised for kids but had jokes and references for the whole family (like Batman's song he made about how he's an orphan).
With all the humor, relating to characters, and learning about how special you really are, The Lego Movie was fantastic.
The Lego Movie gets an A+ in my book.
There is nothing wrong with playing with Legos.
DeleteI had the pleasure of viewing absolutely no movies this summer, except for "Tangled" about 100 times. However I am not gonna review "Tangled'
ReplyDeleteI instead re-watched a film I found enjoyable last year, as well as watching a new film.
"Sala Samobojcow" or "Suicide Room" is a Polish dramatic film. It begins with 3 related people viewing a show at the theatre. We later find out the 3 are Dominik and his parents. The film centers around Dominik and his withdrawal from reality. He enters this online chat-room, and becomes acquainted with a suicidal girl named Sylvia. From then on, the two form this bond which causes Dominik to stray from his norm.
I appreciated this film because to me it seemed so real. I can understand the friends mocking you, parents not being there for you, and just finding comfort on the internet. It just reminds me that teenagers are vulnerable, and suicide is a possibility.
Grade: B+
Friday night, my father decided to watch Mission impossible 3, I just so happened to be in the room. I didn't give the movie my utmost attention, but followed it enough to understand the plot.
Ethan Hunt is a retired IMF agent who gets a call and is suddenly back in action. The film follows him and his team as they try to apprehend Owen Davian. In all honesty, I enjoyed the film, but lost interest many times due to an all too familiar vibe.
Grade: C
Over the course of the summer I've caught myself at the movies more so than usual. The two movies that I remember the most would be "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Divergent." The cliché romance chick flick, "The Fault in Our Stars" was actually really good and I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't read the book even though I'm not big on reading. The movie had a strong moral that a lot of people don't recognize which is that sometimes it's not about the destination its about the experience. Hazel Grace knows she going to die and instead of waiting for it to happen she makes the most of it with her love interest Gus. The second movie, "Divergent" also has a strong theme. In this movie it shows that if you set your mind to it you could achieve anything you want even though it seems impossible at first. Tris was originally was in the faction Abnegation (for the selfless) and wanted to be in the faction Dauntless (for the brave). Her initiation was really tough but she ended up being one of the best due to her hard work and not giving up.
ReplyDeleteLauren Giordano
ReplyDeleteTemptation by Tyler Perry is a movie about the confessions of a marriage counselor that gets involved in a dangerous affair. The main character Judith works in high end match making office but comes from a low end world. She was raised in a Christian home, and was married to the man of her dreams and high school sweetheart for 10 years. When a very renown and wealthy man, Harley, comes into her office, it isn't long until their time spent together becomes a problem for Judith and her marriage. Tired of her regular life, Judith is tempted to change her appearance, her lifestyle, and have an affair with Harley. Harley begins to be not exactly the man she thought she was, and luckily she is saved right before he near kills her. If I were to grade this movie I would give it a solid B. The director Tyler Perry definitely has his stamp on the storyline and his name scored him well-known actors and actresses for this film making it enjoyable to watch. The movie is moving and dramatic and overall enjoyable.
Another movie I watched this summer was "John Tucker Must Die". Though this movie was released some time ago, I watched it for the first time this summer and was surprised that I didn't watch it sooner. The movie takes place in a high school, and has all the staples of a teenage-high school movie usually does. The social pyramid and clique friend groups take a big part in the storyline. The popular boy, John Tucker is an athlete who gets all the ladies. When his multiple girlfriends find out about each other they use the new girl who is looking for friends as revenge. Using his own tricks back on him they play the player, and make him fall in love with this girl only for her to break his heart. Definitely a must see for all teenage girls, a classic I would put on the same list as "Mean Girls". My grade for this movie is a -A.
Heathers>Mean Girls
DeleteI guess I'll do something a little more controversial.
ReplyDeleteThe Academy Award winning movie, Brokeback Mountain is a tragic forbidden-love story that focuses on everything except the love part. This film manages to capture the story without being gratuitous or shying away from the hidden passion surrounding the characters.
The 2005 Ang Lee film follows the story of Ennis Del Mar and his forbidden-for-its-time love affair, spanning two decades with Texan rodeo cowboy, Jack Twist. Set in 1960s Wyoming, the film adaptation of Annie Proulx's short story, revolves around Ennis and Jack, whom love each other and can find no way to deal with that. Like many "star crossed" or "forbidden" love stories, society is the Big Baddie at play here, however, it is just as likely that the true villains are fear and regret. Although the close-mindedness of the 60s doesn't exactly help the characters, it certainly isn't there only threat.
Often dubbed the "gay cowboy movie", Brokeback Mountain is ultimately about fear and regret as well as how both of these can destroy us if we let it. The tragedy is universal, the fact that Jack and Ennis are both men is just one scenario. It could just as easily been about two women, lovers of different social-economic backgrounds or those of differing religious sects. What made this movie stick with me all these years, is the simplicity and easiness to relate to the characters. Some could identify with the characters because they too have experienced a time or event in which they felt restricted by social criticism (i.e. dating outside one's age group, pursuing an 'unrealistic' goal/job, not fitting into certain social standards).
This is a love story as much as it is a story about the cruelty of society. Ennis Del Mar is a simple man who lives in a place that will not accept him as he is, and from this failure to find acceptance, he slowly turns the hate and fear on toward himself. The mountain itself proves to be an escape, not unlike Oz for Dorothy or Wonderland for Alice for both Jack and Ennis as the continue their occasional...."fishing trips" (that's what they tell their wives they do. Fish.) Brokeback became to be a quasi-fantasy land, at least to Jack and Ennis anyway. Jack's wife even goes on to sarcastically call it a fantasy land where "there were whiskey springs" (referencing Jack's drinking problem), believing it was made up or possibly another place to get drunk, given Jack's fondness of it. The fantasy shatters when Jack condemns the place during their final encounter, complaining it was "all they had" because of Ennis' failure to accept their relationship much sooner. In the film's final scene, Ennis reveals to have a postcard of Brokeback stashed away next to one of the few remaining items he has of Jack, as a sad memorial to what-once-was. If anything, I think we should all strive to live a life that will not end in such a way. Instead of living with the regrets of "what could have been", each person should continue to have plenty of stories that begin with "remember the time when...". Maybe that's the real message here.
Grade: A- because it did drag a bit.
A great film. It should have won best picture (Crash...Ew), and Heath Ledger's performance was definitely Oscar-worthy. It is one of the best modern westerns, and it is one of the most emotionally draining films I have ever seen.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is art and deserves a review from someone who can do it proper justice, but I'll try.
ReplyDeleteTarsem Singh's 2006 film, "The Fall" follows the story of a stuntman named Roy in a hospital on the during the 1920s. During his stay he tells another patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a story of five mythical heroes. This film is a modern Princess Bride in a way with a Cinema Paradiso twist. Due to Roy's impaired mental state (he's in the hospital, mind you) and the girl's extensive imagination, the line between fantasy and reality blurs as the story progresses.
Cinematography alone quickly turned this movie in a piece of art for me. Shot in India, Bali, Italy, China, Romania, Spain, Cambodia, South Africa, the Czech Republic and Egypt, the director uses natural landscapes that appear to be right out of a fairytale to bring this five-year-old's fantasy to life. Tarsem manages to make elaborate character wardrobe vital to the fantasy as well as his location, he does this in his movie The Cell as well.
During the early days of production, the young girl who played Alexandria spoke little to no English, only repeating what she had heard. This natural language barrier was obvious in certain scenes even later becoming a major plot point in the film's climax. In another effort to keep everything "real" feeling the director also insisted that Lee Pace stay wheelchair-bound for all of his hospital scenes (Roy was paralyzed), only revealing he could walk when the fantasy portion of the movie, (which required walking) was filmed.
The story is told by Roy, we see how his character develops through the plot of the story he tells. In the closing scenes when he is depressed, after a suicide attempt he starts killing off the beloved characters, conveying his pessimistic attitude towards life in general as a result of everything that has happened to him. However, Alexandria (the little angel) comes to the rescue assuring Roy of his self-worth and pulling him away from the proverbial edge. He quickly reminds her that it is in fact his story, when asked why he'd kill all the characters. With the innocence that only a child could possess she quickly reminds him that it's her story too. What started out as a fantasy story to manipulate a child turned into a blossoming friendship with a suicide prevention notice. How quant.
I found the two stories equally gripping, and was engaged emotionally throughout. Every time it switched from fantasy to reality I wanted to know and see more. They were no tearjerking moments but i defiantly hid behind a pillow or two when Roy's depression tried to get the best of him.
Final Grade: A
(P.S. Can we please watch this in Film Club??)
I told my step-dad this summer that I’ve never seen The Matrix, so we watched it right away. He likes it..a lot, and so did I! I’ve always liked movies that made me think. The Matrix was one of those movies. The idea that we are all living in a “dream” blew my mind. The explanation of the concept developed as the plot developed. The main character Neo is supposed to be the “chosen one” that will free as many human minds as possible. By freeing their minds, they wold realize that they weren’t living in a real world, but rather just a programmed world to keep them occupied until they die. This movie has so many details and characters that support the plot that it is hard to encapsulate it in a paragraph, but it was developed well and kept my attention throughout. I do warn anyone that watches this movie that they may have some really strange dreams for a couple nights after. (I know I did, but thats a different blog post.) Overall, I give this movie an A+. I can’t wait to watch the second one.
ReplyDeleteIt was 1 AM and going to sleep didn’t cut it, so I decided to watch a movie. I had heard many people talk about the movie Divergent, but I had never seen it for myself. It takes place in a dystopia where teens at a certain at age have to take an aptitude test that suggests a unique faction that would best suit them. It follows a girl who is characterized as a “Divergent”: Somebody who is classified as all of the factions ( those who are selfless, peaceful, honest, brave, and intelligent.) To avoid being killed by those who find the divergents a threat, she chooses a faction to lie low. Long story short: They find out she is divergent, she falls in love with her teacher, and the two save a bunch of people from a power hungry faction that is trying to take over. There were twists, witty humor, and a plot that was unique. I really enjoyed Divergent, and would watch it again. (This movie didn’t give me any crazy dreams.)
My Grade: A-
The first Matrix is fantastic. Unfortunately, the sequels are not.
DeleteMikaela,
ReplyDeleteThough I only found myself at the movie theater twice this summer, one being a movie that I'm sure most teenage girls found themselves watching, I was in the end disappointed. Neighbors may have had some of the hottest actors in Hollywood, but having a film which rely's on popular faces with extraordinary bodies with a less than a satisfactory plot doesn't make for a five star rating. The comedy revealed a majority of the so-called funny scenes in the previews which played for months before the release, so seeing it all play out at the theater wasn't anything special. Although it was disappointing, I have to admit, the few and far between chuckles gave it a C+.
The other film I found myself almost dying to see this summer was The Fault in Our Stars. I'm not much of a reader, but as I sat in the theater, teary eyed and completely speechless, I regretted not reading the story by John Green. It was a love story that made you appreciate your loved ones more than ever and feel for those who fight the battle of cancer every day, not knowing if the kiss they had just given their husband was going to be their last or if they are going to live to see the sunrise the next morning. Those who read the book had said the movie was outstanding, which was a surprise because a novel is always a great deal better than its' film. The actors, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, were nothing but flawless with showing their emotion and expressing their love for each other. At certain times, it didn't even feel like what I was watching was all on a screen in front of me- it felt real. Critics say it was the best love story since The Notebook, but I think it was even better. By far, this film deserves nothing short of an A+.
Lauren G.
ReplyDeleteTemptation by Tyler Perry is a movie about the confessions of a marriage counselor that gets involved in a dangerous affair. The main character Judith works in high end match making office but comes from a low end world. She was raised in a Christian home, and was married to the man of her dreams and high school sweetheart for 10 years. When a very renown and wealthy man, Harley, comes into her office, it isn't long until their time spent together becomes a problem for Judith and her marriage. Tired of her regular life, Judith is tempted to change her appearance, her lifestyle, and have an affair with Harley. Harley begins to be not exactly the man she thought she was, and luckily she is saved right before he near kills her. If I were to grade this movie I would give it a solid B. The director Tyler Perry definitely has his stamp on the storyline and his name scored him well-known actors and actresses for this film making it enjoyable to watch. The movie is moving and dramatic and overall enjoyable.
Another movie I watched this summer was "John Tucker Must Die". Though this movie was released some time ago, I watched it for the first time this summer and was surprised that I didn't watch it sooner. The movie takes place in a high school, and has all the staples of a teenage-high school movie usually does. The social pyramid and clique friend groups take a big part in the storyline. The popular boy, John Tucker is an athlete who gets all the ladies. When his multiple girlfriends find out about each other they use the new girl who is looking for friends as revenge. Using his own tricks back on him they play the player, and make him fall in love with this girl only for her to break his heart. Definitely a must see for all teenage girls, a classic I would put on the same list as "Mean Girls". My grade for this movie is a -A.