DRAMA!

Drama films are films that mostly deal with real life things that happen to people. such themes are problems with drugs and alcohol, family members dieing, rape and murder, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption. these films sometimes are based through the eyes of a family and the struggles they go though. drama films gives us a fly on the wall look into people lives. we see how they act when things go wrong and when things go right. we see them happy, we see them sad, and we see them when they hit rock bottom.we get to relate with these character and see things about our lives that we have never seen before. in fact we even learn and realize things about ourselves that we did not notice before either. film makers can really use the drama film as an outlet to express ideas and feelings they have about society. they can show it in a way where a family is going through something familiar to the audience. there are many sub genres are crime drama, legal drama, historical drama, war drama, docudrama, comedy-drama, melodrama,romance, and tragedy. crime drama is based on themes involving law and crime and how the legal system deals with it all. historical drama usually has to do with war and drama from the past. Docudrama is similar to a mocumentary in the way that it is filmed like a documentary but uses trained actors. Comedy drama is when there is a nearly equal balance of drama and comedy. Melodrama's are types of drama films that use "heightened emotions" in their films. Romance dramas are dramatic films that have a lot of romantic love themes in them. tragedy dramas are dramas in " character's downfall is caused by a flaw in their character or by a major error in judgment."

Action/Adventure films

Action films: these films are primarily about the action scenes such as cars crashing, planes blowing up, and people shooting each other. these type of scenes are more important in these films than plot and dialog. The films are usually based on loose plot lines such as the main hero trying to save a group of people from something bad. there is usually some nice fast cars and a beautiful women. The main character usually has some sort of side kick as well. In the past the main character tended to be a man, however more recently women have been kicking some booty too. there are many sub genres in actions films. such sub genres are action comedy, die hard scenario, girls with guns, and heroic bloodshed. some examples of action comedy are actions films that are funny too like charlie's angels and Beverly hills cop. an example of die hard scenarios are snakes on a plane and air force one, this is when a limited location is under attack and the hero must fight! examples of girls with guns are Nikita and Lara croft tomb raider! these movies are my favorite type of genre to watch duh! these movies are total girl power action movies! examples of heroic bloodshed are films that have dynamic fight scenes and are based of themes of brotherhood and honor.

Adventure: adventures films are similar to action films. they are usually based on the main heroic character is always in some sort of dangerous situation and is trying to get from point a to point b. trying to rescue, stay alive, or complete a mission. there is always a lot of action in these film. some examples of an adventure films are Jurassic Park, Star Wars and the Mummy.

women in cinema

I have noticed a pattern of how women are executed in movies over the course of time. they are the power women, the hero, the prostitute, the housewife, the fighter, the beautiful one, the dumb one, i wonder if these roles that have gone in cycles over time have anything to do with how women have been treated over time in the world?

Network

I feel like this film is very relevant to the current times. The way that every business, whether it is a TV show, boutique, or even an advertising company, are yearning for ratings, customers, and new accounts. People are willing to do anything or fire anyone in order to survive this horrible recession. In this film, one man is told that he will be let go. he has been working at the company for years and years and is getting the boot. he is given a two week notice, and with in this notice he will still be on the air. at his next show he gets really real. he basically says that he will kill himself on air at the next show time, of course he is immediately pulled off the air, but then requests to apologize, his apologize ironically turns into him calling everyone out on their "bullshit" which turns into a show about him getting real with the world. its silly how corporations only use people when they are being benefited by it, as soon as they are not they want out no matter who it effects. Betsey Johnson even has fired so many people who have been with the company for 10 years +, just because they had a few bad months out of the 10 amazing years. they only care when things are good.

All About Eve

This movie was soo good. I think everyone should see this movie. There is an Eve Harrington in every group of friends. I know so many Eve Harringtons, they are they most dangerous type of person. they can get people so twisted and blackmailed, its hard not to trust an Eve Harrington, they seem so nice and trustful.. and then they have everything they need to destroy you haha. Bette Davis' character is so sad. there are so many actresses these days that fall into the category of "old". its one of the saddest thing i think.. Someone working their whole life for success, and then one day they wake up and the public has decided that they are just too old. there are only a few actresses that has surpassed this. They have developed the characters that they play, and have matured with the public. i think it is the ones that still want to play the single 30 year old that fall out of place. Meryl Streep however plays older roles that are still really good. the way that this movie was done was well paced. The movie was funny too! all the characters were very well developed

La Femme Nikita

I loved this movie! While watching this film, i thought of so many movies that have gotten inspiration from this. There were a lot of themes in this film. One of the were GIRL POWER. Nikita was so hard core in this film, she seriously fought like a man. if the beginning of the film she fought like a savage, no rules, she would even bite. but by the end of the film she is trained, clean, and fights like a skilled killer. i think that another theme that was in this film was the theme of focus and discipline. Almost like karate kid, Nikita had to train, behave herself, and strive to grow up with some class. In order to survive she had to drop her dirty disobedient act. The scene with the bricked over window was so intense! She moved so quickly and was so smart at it. when she jumps down the trash shoot i didn't think she was going to make it. i got scared that they were going to kill her afterward or send her back to training. I don't understand the end though, why did she leave? what happened that made her feel unsafe?

Aguirre, the Wrath of God

This is a great story about when power gets put in the hands of a person who is not in touch with reality. this story is about how one person can gather such a following that the entire group can fall off course. even in the end when everyone is dead but him, he looks out into the vast emptiness and asks "who is with me!" Aguirre leads with such terror, he scares people into following him under his reign. there is one scene where a few people disagree with his choices and they are immediately shot by Aguirre's faithful followers. at once point during the mission one of his faithful followers begin to secretly question Aguirre, and is beheaded. There are many leaders in history who get fixated on an unrealistic reality and somehow enroll many others into believing that it is right and achievable. Hitler decided that there should be a world of just a "clean race" and some how got a great amount of people to believe in him. this is a very scary thing when people are naive and ignorant. we must think for ourselves and stand up for what we believe in.

Freaks!

This movie was very fun! however it was very hard for me to watch! i have a horrible fear of amputation.. like i literally could not even watch that horrible Lindsay Lohan movie ( not because it was so badly written, acted and directed) but because she is missing limbs in the film. it is really horrible actually, just when ever i see peoples nubs i picture them all dirty and sour and sandy in my mouth and i begin to gag.. the worst are the ones in the bags.. all sweaty ! ahh! anyway it is very childish and ignorant of me but its just what happens. so this movie was hard for me to get through! but i really could not stand how Cleopatra only went after poor Hans for his money. it is really satisfying at the end when she gets what was coming to her and becomes a huge freak herself! it is horrible when people are just friends and associate themselves with others for ulterior motives, its the true friends who will love you for the real freak inside and not the money you have. i think everyone wishes they could turn their "frienaimes" into human chickens sometimes!

Eraser Head

This movie is unlike any other film i have seen. I'm still not quite sure what it is that i saw, i think i need to watch this movie a few times to really understand the significance of if. there are so many things in this film that i feel are metaphors for something. i feel that in this movie there is some type of theme or message, however i could not grasp what it was. i liked the director used music to describe the feelings of the room. when there would be something stressful that Henry was feeling, the music would get very stressful, almost freaky, like the water would begin to boil and make a loud whistling sound. in the scenes where Henry is feeling something ,the viewer cannot help but feel the same way. David Lynch uses music, back ground noises, and everyday sounds instead of dialog. what did the eraser head mean? what did it mean that his head made erasers? and why does his girl friends mother hit on him. the scene at Mary X's house is the most awkward scene in the entire film to me, it is every one's worst nightmare of what going to meet the parents is like!

question of the week

when does a cult film officially become a cult film, and at what point does it leave the cult film genre and enter a new mainstream genre? or is it that once it is a cult film it is a cult film forever no matter how mainstream it gets?

Cult/explotation

The cult film: I feel that there is no real specific definition for a cult film, i think that someone cannot intend on making a cult film either. from what i have learned it is the audience that makes a cult film and cult film. sometimes as soon as the film is released it is taken in by a cult and made what it is, and sometimes it is years later, when that film is being showed at a midnight movie it is remembered and loved. sometimes cult movies are what they are because they are just that good, and sometimes they are just "so bad that it is good". rarely cult films are loved by the masses, and most of the time, cult films are taken in a loved by a smaller very specific audience. cult films are known to be inordinate, very eccentric and usually step out of the box of traditional standards of mainstream cinema. they are considered controversial and taboo. they bring up issues and images that other movies are too scared to. these movies take a risk, and they are either loved or not. cult films are films that have not achieved main stream success but however have gathered a group of almost obsessed fans that love the movie to death. i feel like when a product, movie, clothing item, video game, really takes a risk and makes something different they wont achieve mainstream success right away, but the fact that it is so different, edgy, and daring, it captures the hearts of some people. then little by little it gets more and more popular and eventually hits the mainstream radar. this is what happened with El Toro. it got so popular in the underground scene that John Lennon bought it and put it in a wide release all around new york and big theaters, and it eventually lost all its appeal.

question of the week

midnight movies:

What happened to the midnight movie? it seemed like such a great outlet to show underground films! it seemed like such a great place and thing to do on saturday nights, i know that some theaters still do it with a hand full of movies. did it just get too over exposed and not cool anymore? when do you think they will bring it back? or will they?

Pink Flamingos!

Oh my gosh, i truly had no idea what i was getting myself into! i cannot believe how old that movie is and it is still so shocking, its funny how the midnight movie humor was so risk-ay at that time, and now is pretty much basic everyday "south park humor". i think that they should re release this film! so many of my friends have never seen this movie. i loved the egg lady! granted i cannot have hard boiled egg for some time, she made me laugh so hard. i loved divine! i wish they could make a sequel and show them with their new identities, it might ruin it though :( its hard to make a good sequel pretty much star wars and toy story only haha.

the plot of this movie was so simply, but all the characters were so well developed that they took over the movie. the plot was that divine got crowned the filthiest person alive, but there were two people that thought they were filthier so they want to sabotage divine, however they just end up getting them selves tarred and feathered and shot. the only scene that really got to me was the chicken threesome where the chicken dies after being shoved up that women.

Question of the week

The western taboo!

There are a lot of movies that talk about subject matter that is quite relevant and touchy. however i feel now a days there is a lot of censorship. there is no way a movie could come out talking about the truth about bush and how corrupt the war is right now, i just dont see that getting made, but how did the westerns get away with talking about such relevantly taboo topics in their films regarding the brutal America?

THE WESTERN!

Like i have made very clear in my previous western themed postings, western is not my genre. however they are very interesting to learn about, while researching for this class i came across many interesting facts and themes that go into the making of a western that i was previously unaware of. Westerns usually are about how the simple way of living is confronted by modern changes, whether its social or technological. this is done in many ways big or small, it can be between farmers, being threatened by the no need for them anymore, or even between natives and U.S. settlers. i found out that American Westerns between the years of 1940 and 1950 usually emphasize honor and sacrifice, however the westerns between the years of 1960s and the 1970s were more pessimistic, and how glorifying the antihero and talking about the inequality and violence of the Western America. it is interesting that these films were still allowed to be made even though they spoke about such touchy relevant subjects. The themes in westerns usually surround around honor and codes of civilization. there is always a distinct law, that either people go against or are for. westerns are usually set in obsolete areas like empty ranches, wide open desserts, on a field. however there is always a sort of town as well. the town has a church, school, saloon, sheriff, and a bank. these places are run very tight and there is a heavy code of honor. the bars and saloons seem to be free range, filled with alcohol, ladies, cards, and guns. at the end of most westerns i feel that there is always some sort of moral statement made, that wraps up the whole tale. westerns are usually based in California, Mexico, some places on the west coast that are hot and dry. however there are also westerns that are based in Australia as well.

T

High Noon

I really liked this movie! The ending is soooo good. Will Kane must confront a gang of criminals, Kane put their leader away for murder years before, and now he is out and looking to kill him. He goes around the town to gather people for help, he has done so much for this town and assumes it wont be hard, everyone turns him away! Even the judge and his own deputy. Instead of running away he stays put and defeats them all! When everyone comes to congratulate him, he just takes his star off and kicks it to the floor and drives off in his carriage!   "Carl Foreman stated the film was intended as an allegory of the contemporary failure of intellectuals to combat the rise of McCarthyism , as well as how people in Hollywood had remained silent while their peers were blacklisted." this is a common theme in the world. when something happens to someone and they reach out for help but no one wants to get their hands dirty, most people will run away to save themselves, but a few people in this world will stay in out and prove themselves just so that they can regain their pride and walk away from the poeple that walked away from them!

The Wild Bunch

For someone who doesn't like westerns I did enjoy watching this movie. To tell you the truth, I did not know much about westerns, and had not seen many at all, maybe 1 or 2. They just seemed "boring" to me. Maybe it was the way they looked or how long they typically are, I just avoided them at all costs. The Wild Bunch is a fun, loud, theme filled rambunctious movie about a gang out old outlaws getting ready to retire for good. They just want their one last ride, their one last deal, that will set them straight financially for a long while. Another theme similar to public enemy "once last punch". This theme always makes me so nervous! It foreshadows that this will be their last and final fight. Not because they will stop after this one, but because they will die. Another theme in this film is betrayal. In this film the men live by a code of honor. At the end they leave their friend to basically die with the mexicans, they while they are trying to relax and drink they all realize "when you side with a man, you stay with him. Otherwise you are just some animal." They all get up and this is what initially lead to the conclusion of their journey. 

Question of the day

When did movie credits start showing at the end of movies? i feel like most movies before the 1980s all showed at the beginning of movies, now its just the "main names" like stars, producers, director, production company and writer. Is it the choice of the creator of the movie or the director? who has made this grand decision?

Crime and Gangster

Crime and gangster films are always fun to watch, they are usually based on crime, drugs, money ,bank-robbers, murders, women, and cars. What I have found quite common in most of these films is that the audience usually

develops a type of sympathy for the main criminal. And at some point in the movie you are not sure if you are on the "good guy's" side or the "bad guy's" side. But the "good guy" always wins. These movies are usually based in large crowded cities, so that one can see the small shadowy crevices that these criminals hide out in. Gangster films are usually a story about morals, the criminal is usually someone who is striving to make money, make a name for himself. The criminal is usually coming from a small poor family and sees an opportunity to make it big. There is usually some sort of catch. An example of this would be : "the only problem is it means doing something illegal to get the money like robbing a bank". The criminal thinks that he can do it just this once and then be done with it. And then they get addicted to the money, the thrill, the rush, and they keep doing it till they die doing it. Gangster and crime movies dates back to the early 1900s, but it was not until the 1930's when sound was invented that these films really became a thrilling entertainment. The sound of the machine guns going off, the car driving away and the women screaming really added to the plot lines. The themes in the 1930s really went well with the genre as well. The prohibition era led way for fantastic movies about bootlegging alcohol and the ups and downs of that business like in the public enemy.

The Public Enemy

This movie was hard to watch. I just new they were going to die and kept waiting for it to happen, similar to Bonnie and Clyde, they should have stopped while they were ahead. the end credits message was confusing to me, was this movie put out as more of a warning? It was interesting to see the development of the two boys. How they went from troubled little boys stealing watches and selling them to the black market to bootlegging alcohol, ripping money, slapping women, and killing people like its like putting out a cigarette. it was confusing when Matt got shot, and Tom was hiding behind a building, he was almost smiling, it was creepy with his thin eyebrows, was he smiling that he did not get shot, or that he had something to do with Matt getting shot. and at the end when Tom storms into the building that all those men were walking into, we hear a lot of shots and then he comes out hurt. what was this little meeting? was it the mob meeting? why did he go in and shoot them?was he shooting for Matt? or did he feel set up having his gun and money taken away?