MYST: Life of Pi

For my final MYST post I have decided to rewatch life of Pi. Going into the movie I was a little anxious due to the beautiful day this Sunday had been. However, I was determined to be a complete shut in and kill two birds with one stone and watch Life of Pi and Jaws (for final). All I could say was how great the digital effects blew me away for my second time watching. Thinking back to class about how the digital effects from Life of Pi's effect had bankrupted a digital design firm gives me great sympathy for how their hard work had not paid off.

As for the plot I think it was great in terms of how it resolved itself.*Spoiler Alert* I love how the movie maintains an optimistic attitude with the death of everyone from the ship wreck as a depiction of animals.  Realistically saying you spent months surviving with a hungry tiger for months is a bit unreal, yet I am quite a pessimist after all. In my opinion hollywood should learn from this movie and start producing more philosophical movies such as this. I would give Life of Pi an A for its visual effects, deep intricate optimism and feel good story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vGhezgI5Es

In this scene in Life of Pi, Pi is in dream state of mind. Perhaps onboard the boat he had hallucinated from dehydration. Regardless it ultimately appears the ocean is the universe and he is just drifting through it. Once knocked down from the universe Pi ultimately realizes it its him that can save himself from drowning in the universe and balance things once more.

“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.” 
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

MYST: Children of Men

For one of my final movies in your spare time I decided to watch Children of Men. After watching the scene where there is no cuts in class, I figured why not give the movie a shot. Before a brutal eight hour drive to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania I decided to kill time with the movie. Going into the movie I had somewhat of an interest already because we had seen a few scenes, also dystopian societies interest me for their ability to reflect on what life would be like without certain essentials. 

After faced with the tough question "Would this be considered a foreign film if the director/writer is Mexican (Alfonso Cuaron), the production company is American and the cast is British?" I concluded that it is in fact foreign because it seems to appeal more to a British citizen than an American with its futuristic depictions of London. However, the film did appeal universally to basic ideas of standing up for what is right including against a police state like government.  I enjoyed the film's complexity and its fast paced anything can happen attitude. Overall I would give the movie a B+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBfsJ7K1VNk

Like discussed in class Cuaron did long scenes with very few cuts. The video explains how in the one scene where the main character was ambushed in a car equipment had to be strapped onto the car as well as having camera men sit on top of the car as well. Many directors would have cut scenes to probably insert the camera angle in different spots to capture the whole scene. Cuaron's filming on the other hand had little to no cuts which keeps up with pace of the mood and puts the audience in the movie. In my opinion the no cut method should be used more often for its ability to draw in audiences like it did with me.

MYST: Annabelle

To kick off fourth quarter I decided to watch the scarily anticipated movie Annabelle. Going into the movie it was a Monday afternoon and I had finished all my work. So I decided why not end the worst day of the week with a movie, right? After seeing The Conjuring and admiring the writers ability to go down the common path of a spooky haunted house, they still managed to make audiences jump out of their seats. I was eager to see what screen writer Chad Hayes was going to throw down this time.




However, I would not get many hopes up high for Annabelle. Perhaps my feeling toward Annabelle could be because I am often desensitized to movies such as these. I would probably rate this as a B-,  aside from the occasional scary jump out scenes I felt like the plot had been nor scary or complex enough. To me the best horror movies are the ones with the most complex plot that leaves people still trying to comprehend it after the movie. The movie showed a little bit of this in the scene with the cult members invading the home of the couple and trying to sacrifice them to the demonic doll, but this all seemed too shallow. My advice to Chad Hayes next time would be make a deeper history with the doll and explain why it became a product of Satan.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VrHBt-cOl8



Like most horror movies often times the victim is in an old sketchy looking area or in this case the mother is stranded in the sketchy basement of her apartment. As fear grows for the safety of the mothers baby the demon never takes a day off from getting in her head. The room is poorly lit making it obvious to the audience another demonic episode will happen. As she seeks the safe well lit looking elevator for refuge from the monsters the victim has to be let down again with the shut off of the lights to symbolize the fight between the woman and the possessed doll. Lastly for some reason as the woman begins to leave the elevator only to the sound and vision of thunder and lighting perhaps to captivate the audiences attention toward the idea anything can happen right now.

MYST

Movies in Your Spare Time: Batman; The Dark Knight Rises

For my final critique I decided to watch one of my favorite super heroes in action again, Batman. I can fondly remember my first time watching The Dark Night Rises and how I had been wanting to see another movie in particular at Hollywood Boulevard theater. After messing up with the times the only one I could settle for was Batman. With no expectation going into the movie my mind was surely blown under the new deception of Batman that Christopher Nolan had produced. Growing up I had watched the 70s version of Batman and how it was very much appealing to all ages. Once Batman Begins came out in 2005 I was sure that was the beginning of the end for the Batman series. Little did I know Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Nolan would bring back the public's interest seven years later with in my opinion the best movie of all the Batman series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVcUrrknCYA

While watching the movie some cinematic aspects that Nolan likes to maintain throughout the movie is darkness and having things jump out to keep the audience in tune. During this one scene the lights flicker off and the jokers ends up getting beaten, this is often typical and maintains the idea that he is coming from nowhere to get the villians. Another thing Nolan likes to show off is the quickness and stealth full trait Batman has when talking to Officer Gordon in one frame and then disappearing in another. Here is a parody making fun of Batman's constant disappearance and reappearance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBsdV--kLoQ

Going back to the darkness most of filming is at night hinting that at night all the villians come out to lay havok on Gothem.

Since growing up on Batman I would rate this movie an A+. The movie was unique because often times Superman, Spiderman and Ironman, often times are a little cliche or unrealistic as defeating the antagonist goes and living happily ever after. With Batman being a masked vigilante that constantly looks over his city to rid it of evil, it maintains a truth that there will always be a fight between good and evil.

MYST

Movies In Your Spare Time: The Interview

Since December of 2014 there has been quite some hype revolving around this movie with it's controversy of critisizing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Being a fan of Seth Rogen and James Franco for their roles in Pineapple Express and This is the End, I knew surely no one should take them seriously. After reading Vice News, I had read that North Korea's defectors are sending balloons filled with tapes of the interview to North Korea in a vengeful fashion. One defector claimed that the movie actually could help start a rebellion within the regime due to the fact that many view their leader as a god. If the people of North Korea see the film personifying Kim and insulting his competence ideas could arise to stop anymore loyalty to the regime.

Going into the movie I had been on a trip coming back to Hawaii. The plane was cramped and crowded and I was anxious to get off the plane. Looking for something to kill my boredom, I pulled out my Ipad with a download of The Interview. At the time the movie could not be found in theaters out of fear of an attack and having it on the Ipad made me happy I could pass the time on my flight. Overall it was more raunchy than humorous even for Seth and James which is why I would rate the movie a C+. Seth and James are notoriously funny to the teenage demographic, however, even I felt like there we moments of awkwardness or lack of meaning. I can only imagine how the older demographic must have felt when they saw it for its political controversy. Despite all the crudeness the movie had to offer, I had to hand it to Seth Rogen and James Franco for being modern day Charlie Chaplins. In an odd light, The Interview was no different than the The Great Dictator and the belittlement of imperialistic powers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hmkhiXcWgU

THIS SCENE CONTAINS HARSH LANGUAGE VIEW DISCRESSION IS ADVISED. After digging through alot of scenes the one with the tiger had the most complex cinematography. The first scene with Seth in the tiger patch opens up to a brief silhouette of the tiger to add mystery and tension on what will happen next.  As the CIA tries to keep the mission from being compromised you see them talking to James while the camera rotates around them expressing more tension as well as frustration with the main characters.

Formal Film Studies

Corporate Culture

After reviewing the following movies such as Wall Street: Money Never sleeps, Risky Business and The Wolf of Wall Street I concluded that often times Hollywood depicts young go getters as someone who has to step on others to climb the chain of success. I began to wonder if this was a universal truth or a hollywood concoction to critique the rich and successful. Furthermore, out of all three of the movies viewed it is undoubtable that the newly working youth that seem to be targeted by Hollywood. 

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Oliver Stone

The beginning of the movie plot differentiates from a normal corporate movie with a affluent young investment manager that seems to be doing well for himself yet continuously working to the top. When the market crashes and the firm plummets out of business Jacob (Shia LeBeouf) loses a former Wall Street colleague to suicide. The scene when Jacob contacts his panicked coworker in a park you see a bubble traveling away symboling that their bubble of financial security is leaving them. Trying to recover from the crisis Jacob teams up with antihero Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a newly reformed insider trader freed from prison, while they try to take hold on the financial market. The movie was fast paced to give the audience an idea of how chaotic Wall Street is and the movie was composed of often times busyness surrounding the character while he stumbles all around New York City.

The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese






This movie starts off with a typical Hollywood mix of a hardworking broker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo Dicaprio) trying to make it in the financial world. When the money and drugs get too tempting and he begins to use penny stocks to lure unsuspecting customers into his web of insider trading, boiler room stocks and Ponzi schemes. Historically many Wall Street moguls have been involved in corruption and the movie further suggests that idiots are handling your money do not trust them. When Jordan was getting high instead of tending to his wife on a ship that was sinking the movie further promotes that once you reach the top you lose your family values because the wealth made you care free.






Risky Business
Paul Brickman




This movie starts off in a wealthy north shore area of Chicago where Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) stars as a wealthy aspiring entrepreneur high schooler that submerges himself to the pressure his parents have of him going to a Princeton. The movie implies that the road to success or pursuit of the materialistic American dream can weight down todays youths. When trying to recover a stolen crystal egg Joel tries to cover his devious behavior when risking his life to get it back. The egg symbolizes materialism and how much tangible items reflect our relationships with others as well as risk for them.

1930s Screen Play

Writers: Austin McNichols, Billy Bizub, Chris Ayers and Jackson Dockery
Genre: Horror
Studio: Universal Studios
Director: James Whale
Actor: Boris Karloff, Henry Travers and Deana Durbin
Made in Color: No
Make Up Artist: Jack Pierce

The Bat

The setting begins in a widowed, failed science professors basement as he searches for the cure for Polio and good fortune. (Boris Karloff) Robert Carmicheal begins his research on bats injecting each with mild doses of polio. Meanwhile the experimental vaccine is being combined with the bats DNA to make a deadly combination. Out of carelessness Robert leaves one of the bat's cages unlocked one night. The very next morning Robert enters his layer one of the bats bites Robert and he begins to pass out. After hours of being out cold Robert wakes up to find the bat lying dead next to him and his daughter (Deana Durbin) Marylin concerned and afraid. Although Robert appears the same he most surely is not. A day passes and Robert is sitting beside Marylin smoking a cigar and watching the local news. On the news is a report of a gruesome murder of the Jeffersons, a family that lives down the block. Sickened by what has happened Robert rushes out the door to see the crime scene and what has happened in their quiet suburban town. At the scene the whole family is being carried out in body bags while the Jefferson's dog (who is still alive) begins barking rapidly at Robert, but is restrained by local law enforcement. After coming home Robert begins his work again in the lab and injects his last bat subject with his blood. That night Marylin hears foot steps in the house, curiously she walks over to Robert's room to check up on him, however, his bed is empty. Marylin reaches for the phone to alert the police when a hand comes and grabs her wrist. Flinching Marylin looks up to find Robert covered in blood with  a knife in the other hand. Fearing for her life she begins to run. After running away Robert begins to chase her into the street it is there Robert is hit by a car and killed. The next morning Marylin is in the police station with (Henry Travers) Police Chief Officer Brady, when asked what research her dad had been doing she mentioned how he was trying to cure polio. Officer Brady then mentions how all the other bats had died except for the one with Roberts blood and had been cured of it's disease.


Does this fit the Hays Code?
No, because of violence and blood it would have to be censored.

Why did you choose this staff/production company?
We chose Universal because it was the number one horror movie producer of its time. We chose director James Whale because he is best know for his four horror films, Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The invisible man and Bride of Frankenstein. Boris Carloff is a pioneer in horror acting, we chose Deana Durbin because she often played young roles for Universal and Henry Travers because he played many supporting roles for Universal.