Coen Brothers

The Coen brothers have a really different style that is calming, entertaining, and bizarre at the same time. The way they subtly end scenes at punch lines adds to the hilarity and brings relaxment--like they aren't digging for laughs, they just come easily.
In Raising Arizona I feel like there is a lot of this, where you just want to laugh out loud at what you're viewing in front of you. They also aren't afraid to be completely realistic at times and comepletely fictional at others. Raising Arizona has cartoon-like aspects to it and the feeling is just silly. In Fargo the entire movie is filmed realisticly with the beginning even claiming that all the events are true. But then we find out that they fabricated the entire story, misleading us.
In No Country For Old Men the film is really realistic, showing all graphics and violence mercilessly. They try to show all moments as detailed as possible to have the story be perfectly plausible as if in real life.

Robert Altman's Integrity

Altman's films were definitely interesting and definitely revealed a new filming style to me.
I don't think I would go on looking for his work, because I don't think it quite impressed me.
But I do believe he has a good vision and intention for his work. He is driven with a passion for staying true to his initial intentions in what messages are delivered through his work.
I really respect him for being an artist and not necessarily a director.
The fact that he goes against hollywood's rubric for movies and succeeds in living out his dream, doing his favorite type of work, is amazing to me and inspires me to do the same. I want to do what I want as an artist and not let anyone's advice prevent me from creating what I love.

Thank you, Altman.

The Shining

Director, Stanley Kubrick, dramatizes The Shining’s suspense in all the right ways. Basing the thrilling screenplay upon Stephen King’s novel, Kubrick is able to deliver a classic modern horror film through his style of taking a realistic fiction through a slow and suspenseful thrill with an unrestricted type of narration, a question of reality and distant cinematography.

The basis of the plot line is realistic with some unlikely aspects. It is possible that a mountaneous hotel would shut down for the entire winter due to belligerent storms, but it isn’t likely to exist. Spirits taking over and influencing the mental health of a father may be possible but it also isn’t likely. It is easier to believe that the severe isolation and cold is what’s driving Jack nearer to insanity, but he urges that he “loves it here.” The “shining” gift of having conversations with people not using your mouth is another unlikely aspect. The psychic ability of Danny and also the cook, Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers), is unheard of in modern life. But that’s what is intriguing about the film. There is an uncertainty that brings out one’s imagination and creativity. What will they do next? How will they do it? We ask because we have never had the shining visions before ourselves.

The cinematography of the film is very authorial, distant, and eerie. Many shots seem to be subjective, because it is at eye level to the character; we see their back as they move forward and the camera follows. There are also authorial when the director controls what we are seeing. Many shots of the scenes keep the characters far away, as in a long shot. The screen displays the space of the room, as well as the distance between characters, which is growing as they continue to live in the hotel. The slow panning and tracking movements also help to show the setting and create the desired mood. The director employed close-ups when there was important dialogue between two characters, while majority of the shots are long or medium.

The film moves slowly but surely with a driven plot and carefully directed sequences. It is very intense for a 1980 film, horrifying and shocking. Kubrick creates a captivating and haunting storyline, so I'm excited to see if this style follows into his other works.

Why Is It Hilarious?

Everyone who has seen The Office knows that it is funny. The genius cinematography is what I believe contributes to it's comical success. By directing with a documentary type style, the show creates a real and personal experience of what it is like working in the Dundler Mifflin office. Each character may have Each character may have their own designated screen time to confess their opinions about their co-workers, their thoughts on a certain situation, or even their personal interests etc. We are given an unlimited persective that helps us see the strange and bizarre situations played out within the office. The use of steadicam makes us feel as if we are the ones filming, like we are taking a homevideo of our odd family. Also the endless tracking on subjects really creates comedy because it draws your attention to certain subjects very quickly. The director gets to decide how much time we focus on something and can control the jokes. When the director chooses close-up tracking, he does so intentionally as if to say "LOOK AT HOW STUPID KEVIN LOOKS!" or "WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?" It's almost critical of their actions. My favorite is when the actors make eye contact with the camera, especially Jim. We can really connect to how they feel when they look at us. It's like we both know that there is something very wrong with what just happened. It's so great.

An Uncatchable Fish

I really enjoyed getting caught up in all the aspects of Big Fish this weekend because there was so much to absorb.


Like a fairy tale, this film puts you in an unrealistic world where strange things happen and some things don't make sense. But the plot switches back and forth from fantasy to reality with the son (Billy Crudup) who thinks his father has lied about his life for as long as he's lived and with the father (Ewan McGregor/Albert Finney) who claims they are true, narrating the tall tales of his past. These two different worlds of what is real and what is "elaborate" come together beautifully at the end when the son realizes everything his father meant by his fabled stories.


When you find out that Tim Burton is the director, you'll think "of course!" The wondrous costumes, mystifying characters, and bizarre settings scream the imagination of Burton. As the father, Ed Bloom, meets the neighborhood witch, friendly giant, asian siamese twins, etc., you can tell the similarities between this and Nightmare Before Christmas or The Corpse Bride. They both create a parallel universe that's seemingly nightmarish and surprisingly pleasant.


The plot was exciting and intriguing with a lot of subtle humor which was quite amusing. The characters were ridiculous, but as always to the fable, there is much truth in them. The abstract characters stood for something much more than what they appeared to be.

I would highly recommend this movie for it is a fantastic, thrilling, and refreshing adventure that I think anyone will enjoy.

"And that's the real story of how you were born. Not very exciting, is it? And I suppose if I had to choose between the true version and an elaborate one involving a fish and a wedding ring, I might choose the fancy version. But that's just me."

title

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is an epic Western that follows the classic genre closely. The main aspect that places the film into the revisionist category is that its filmed location is in Spain. Without the familiar landscapes of home, the film loses its idealistic patriotism. Although this film is just as epic without it, focusing on the morals and motives of the characters.

The three main characters ("the good," "the bad," and "the ugly") are all introduced in the beginning half with text and a freeze frame on their face. Before they are completely introduced with their title, the director shows a situation they are in to help portray thei character.

When "Blondie" (Clint Eastwood) is introduced, he has already been seen saving Tuco (the ugly) in order to turn him into the sheriff for a reward. He then watches from far away to see Tuco get hanged. But as they hanging proceeds, Blondie shoots the rope so it breaks and Tuco runs free...The "good guy" is saving the criminal?

Falling away from the classic Western's virtuous and simple hero, this new hero has more questionable morals. His way is more difficult to figure out. Yet, through the music, and his actions and his speech, the audience trusts him. He is technically doing wrong by conning the government out of money for the rewards and helping a criminal escape, but we know that he is just and heroic.

Why I Hate Hollywood

The latest movie I saw was titled Never Back Down, which I rented with my sister and her friend because they really wanted to see Cam Gigandet (Kevin Volchok from The O.C.) and Sean Farris (Sleepover). Okay.

In the beginning they establish Jake as the new kid from Atlanta, expelled for a severe fight back at his old school. He only got in that fight because someone ill-mentioned his dad, who died driving drunk with Jake in the passenger seat. It's tearing their family apart!!

His first day at school is typical, at a large high school with not so friendly peers. He meets a pretty blonde, saves her from the teacher's scolding. On his way home, he sees a small group of people fighting and begins to step in only to be told to "back off" because it's a thing they do.

His second day one of the kids he saw fighting talks to him, fills him in on their ways. The blonde girl invites him to a party, "So, I'll see you there?"

Then I couldn't take the movie seriously anymore because of the next scene. He shows up to the party which looked nicer than a hotel space. Outdoor pool, lights roped around everywhere like it was a festival. Huge balcony tops and common rooms, with a bar at the middle. Every girl in a bikini. No way is that someone's house. Highschool? Parents? Let's keep it real, now.

So he's making his way in and the really cocky dude, who was also one of those fighters, shows him around. Then when they step outside, he asks him if he's ready to fight because that is why they invited him. They all want to see if the new kid can defeat their best... talk about ridiculous.

"I don't want to fight you."

"Then why are you here?"

He looks over to the girl.

"Oh," and the dude walks over to her and kisses her and says, "This is awkward."

As he is about to leave, the dude/jerk says, "What I can't understand is...why you were in the passenger seat, and not the driver's..." igniting Jake's rage.

So then the dude basically ends up kicking his ass, humiliating him in front of everyone.

Done. It was like reading crystal ball. I didn't even need to pay attention to the rest of the movie.

1) He needs to reclaim his dignity

2) He must heal things with his family

3) He has to get better at fighting

4) Getting better at fighting will win over the girl

5) He will learn to "never back down"

Hollywood makes movies like this all the time. And they go no where except to the Blockbuster shelves. So much time, money, and energy wasted. Why do they continue to make mediocre films and what's the point. Why don't you make a spectacular film if you have the power to?

It wasn't terrible. It was entertaining and well-casted. It just wasn't original. Or realistic. No whole school community is obsessed with watching a fight, or having secret fight clubs, or planning certain fights at parties just for the sake of a fight.

Lastly, the moral or main message or theme... was exactly the title. Clever.

Bravo, I think you should spend millions on a sequel.