Study Like a Boss
The media is a powerful tool. From TV shows and movies to video games, media has a heavy hand in shaping our culture and norms. It is common to see white, skinny, “fit,” blonde models glaze magazine covers in the store. White men are often the center of blockbuster films and the news anchors we … Read more
My experience filming was great. I love the work of immersing myself into different roles. This particular one, Candy, has a risqué element, and I have to say that I am pleased with my work and how it came out. Everyone involved was a passionate filmmaker and a professional. Dark Harvest had a world premiere … Read more
Solomon Northup’s, 12 Years a Slave provides us with a different outlook on slavery. The movie gives viewers an up close and personal look at North’s days as a slave and the different obstacles he faced. The film is set in 1841 in upstate New York and then moves to New Orleans. Northup was a … Read more
The parallelism of Vera to the figure of the reclining nude as the object of the male gaze is constructed only to be threatened by Vera’s returning of the gaze. Almodovar implicates the viewer into the narrative as the film alternates between footages from the surveillance cameras in Vera’s chamber and these long shots of … Read more
Films can be a historian’s most effective teaching tool. Today’s population is more accustomed to visually based information rather than written documents because they find historical documents difficult to interpret. John E. O’ Connor, a history professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, wrote “In the classroom it is particularly appropriate for history teachers, … Read more
In December 1945, a group of five U. S. Navy avenger torpedo bombers known as “Flight 19” disappeared in the Atlantic off the coasts of Miami, Florida, Bermuda and San Juan, Puerto Rico. That created the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle as people wondered what happened to Flight 19. “The strange events of December 5, … Read more
Describe how a character changed in the film. Change. It is a natural and unpreventable yet terrifying part of life. For teenagers, such as Bianca Piper in the 2015 film The DUFF directed by Ari Sandel, change is overwhelming, confronting and often surprisingly rewarding. Sandel effectively presents Bianca’s changes through the use of parallel structure, … Read more
The 1999 film Being John Malkovich, screenplay written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze, is a highly philosophical film that deals with the ability – or inability – to truly ‘become’ another individual. It follows the story of Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) and his experience of finding a portal that allows the user … Read more
Some people may believe that artwork is strictly just religious or just for entertainment in function due to the common subject matter. Martha Rebuking Mary for her Vanity by Guido Cagnacci (1601-1663) and Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills Series (1970s) have hidden meanings. These meanings allude to how people should act and should be portrayed. … Read more
In this essay I am going to discuss the ways in which film has been used for war propaganda by concentrating on post 9/11 war films. I will first offer a look into the history of film propaganda by giving early examples and why film is a useful tool when it comes to propaganda. First … Read more
The movies are very good movies, though the movie, aiming towards children of age four to twelve, encouraging them into having love affair to early at their stage in life. I believe the movie should focus on the age bracket of fifteen (15) through age twenty-two (22). The establishing shot in this film is key … Read more
Sing is an animation film that was produced by Illumination Entertainment, written by Garth Jennings, and directed by Garth Jennings and Christophe Lourdelet (“Trailer and Movie Site”). The film tells the story of a Koala bear named Buster Moon, who owns a theatre that has fallen on hard times. In an attempt to save his … Read more
Sing is an animation film that was produced by Illumination Entertainment, written by Garth Jennings, and directed by Garth Jennings and Christophe Lourdelet (“Trailer and Movie Site”). The film tells the story of a Koala bear named Buster Moon, who owns a theatre that has fallen on hard times. In an attempt to save his … Read more
The Wolf of Wall Street is a shocking film that plunges viewers into a life of excess— full of drugs, sex, scandal, and money. This film has been controversial claiming the director, Martin Scorsese, is endorsing Jordan Belfort’s fraudster and immoral behavior; however, this film is actually a cautionary story on Capitalism. The film contrasts … Read more
It seems like every day that a movie is being remade for theaters again, but are they any better or have any different of an outcome than they had before. I look to find out the answer in this essay where I decided to watch all of the “Annie” movies that were created and decide … Read more
Definitions of cult range from the innocent to the super extreme. From undying love to just a hobby on the weekends, Cult finds its way into the hearts of viewers in the most unexpected way possible. The film industry is a tough market to breakout into films are considered artwork and others often end up … Read more
French New Wave films can be seen as a contrast of Hollywood film which most of the elements apply in the film is opposite. However, some elements are still similar to Hollywood films, yet, has a different style as Hollywood films. Such mise-en-scene expression are most common style uses in both of the period. And … Read more
In a globalized world with media pouring in from all around the world, it becomes increasingly difficult to decide what is important enough to view, and what isn’t. That job falls into the hands of news sources whose purpose is to gain as much attention as possible. Today the headlining story is the most dramatic … Read more
In his 1959 film Ben-Hur, Wyler sheds light on how the Jewish and Roman traditions are unified into the new religion of Christianity. Wyler shows Christianity’s impact on a Jew in a Roman society by allowing Judah Ben-Hur to have the strength and momentum to overcome the obstacles that lead to his redemption and revenge. … Read more
Interpersonal growth is influenced by a combination of internal and external factors. An individual’s transition from childhood to adulthood (bildungsroman) is influenced by family and community but also by internal values and ideas. Often, these external factors influence the internal factors. In House on Mango Street, Cisneros highlights how Esperanza’s coming-ofage is influenced by her … Read more
“To restore morality, we must first recognize the source from which all morality springs,” (Roy Moore). To Alfred Hitchcock, the restoration of morality is everything. Morality comes from biological sources such as survival instincts, as well as society and human interaction. Morality plays the starring role in everyone’s life and is an important detail in … Read more
Synopsis In the movie Selma directed by (name), tells the story about Martin Luther King Jr and the journey from conflicts of interest to boycotts leading to the violent walk to Montgomery. Risking lives and freedom just for the ability for people of color to vote. Keep in mind that voting for everyone is the … Read more
The United States Civil War was fought between the states remaining loyal to the Union (predominately states from the North) and those wishing to secede, forming a separate nation, the Confederate States of America (made up of the southern states). One of the deadliest battles of the war was the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle … Read more
There are movies that make you laugh, and there are movies that make you cry. Either you come out of the theater happy or come out sad. But once in a while you end up seeing a film which makes you think as you come out of the theater. You have a feeling of happiness … Read more
The Journey of August King (Ehle, 1996), takes place in 1815, the stories backdrop is North Carolina, the lead role August King, a country farmer, is on his way home after taking this route to sell his produce and he has purchased needed goods for the farm, a cow a pig some geese and other … Read more
Good morning/afternoon/evening/day to you all, I am honoured to be here in front of all of you today, at the Australian Film Institute, in front of many respected and hard-working English teachers. I appreciate the effort for all of you to come here and for us to discuss distinctive voices in the film that I … Read more
When looking at families, whether in stories or films, one can spot the person within the family that is the outcast. Lars from Lars and the Real Girl and Maggie from “Everyday Use” both share the role of being an outcast, and it is evident by the way they are treated within their respective family. … Read more
The over whelming theme throughout Ender’s Game is empathy. Ender uses this great ability of empathy to eventually become the leader he is destined to be. Starting at a young age, seen through his first incident at school with Stilson, Ender follows a philosophy of winning for all time. Winning just that single battle is … Read more
At first sight Salt of the Earth and On the Waterfront seem two structurally independent and unrelated movies that only share some basic theme elements in their plot. However, analyzing both, side by side and frame by frame, can give us a more profound understanding of the American film industry, Hollywood in particular, and its … Read more
The story of Bamboozled revolves around a Black studio executive and his attempt to create a successful show for the major network where he is employed. Instantly, Spike Lee’s film becomes a format for political discussion, as he highlights the state of the media industry and the difficulties minorities face within it. Pierre Delacroix, the … Read more
Addiction is an issue that many families find themselves struggling with. The film, Addiction: The family in crisis, discusses many of the issues surrounding addiction and alcoholism in the family. Addiction was described in the film as a “family disease”, meaning not only does addiction and alcoholism effect everyone in the family, everyone also has … Read more
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape: The Reality of Happiness In 1993 the film “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” was released by Paramount Pictures. The movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and starred actors such as Leonardo Dicaprio, Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, John C. Reilly, and many more. This was an award winning film that showed life from … Read more
In the film ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,” the director Guillermo del Toro juxtaposes the real and imaginary worlds during the time of the Spanish Civil War. The protagonist of this film is a 11-year-old girl named Ofelia who reads fairy tales and believes that everything she reads is real. The film focuses on Ofelia’s struggle to live … Read more
The Big Lebowski, as a classified as comedy and noir, is a film about a sloppy slacker that likes to call himself”The Dude” who eventually gets into a messy situation involving a kidnapping. The Dude is an Absurd hero who lives his life the way he wants to and doesn’t try to make more interesting … Read more
Clueless was directed by Amy Heckerling and released in 1995. 2. The main character in Clueless is a blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Cher Horowitz. Cher’s father is a litigator, which is “the scariest kind of lawyer,” according to Cher. Judging by her father’s job and her brand new white jeep with “four-wheel drive, … Read more
Clueless was an iconic release, written and directed by Amy Heckerling that dramatized the life and struggles of Cher Horowitz; your typical, American rich girl. Cher comes from an wealthy home, her story is set in Beverly Hills, CA where she lives and attends high school. Her mother passed away early in her life and … Read more
The film start with the new viceroy and the new archbishopric talking about how to govern New Spain (Mexico), that they should try to work together unlike in Spain. They also say that it’s their duty to make sure New Spain is saved. However plans never really go as planned specially in this film. Then … Read more
I watched the movie Selma for my movie review. I had never watched the movie before and had wanting to watch it for some time now. The movie was very sad but now after watching it I feel encouraged to fight for my rights and others. The movie Selma is the heart-breaking truth about how … Read more
The career of Tim Burton has spanned over the last 34 years and still continues today. He has developed a fair amount of films that fall under a range of genres that have been perceived well by his audience. However, all his work seems to contain common themes and aspects, that are clearly of interest … Read more
Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire: A Key to Confusion? Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Elia Kazan’s film version of the play share the same characters and the same story. Except for the opening scene, Kazan doesn’t change the plot at all. To emphasize the meanings of death and desire, the movie shows Blanche … Read more
Dystopian films are famous for presenting outrageous, typically end-of-the-world or post/pre-apocalyptic scenarios. While many viewers look at these films and see them as fun, sometimes scary adventures with their exciting, fascinatingly dangerous ideas, a closer look at the issues in these films reveals something about the societies they were made in. As a whole, there … Read more
From an introverted child who likes to draw cartoons and watching old movies to becoming one of the most famous creative minds in the world has turned his passion and hobby into his career. Tim Burton is blessed with artistic abilities, a passion for movies, and a wild imagination. He is a film director, producer, … Read more
Guillermo Del Toro’s 2001 film, El Espinazo del Diablo translated to The Devil’s Backbone, is a chilling ghost story set in Spain in the middle of their civil war. A young boy named Carlos arrives at an orphanage that is haunted by a ghost. The ghost isn’t the only looming presence, as there is a … Read more
I was in eighth grade the first time I watched The Breakfast Club. My cousins and I had gone to our local video store and were trying to pick something out. I was looking at Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, anything that had strong special effects and a huge plot. My cousins on the … Read more
At the beginning of the allegory, the “theory of forms” is also introduced. This theory states that the “existence of a level of reality inhabited by ideal “forms of all things and concepts”(Plato pg1) indicating that there is a form to any object, Adding as well that all forms will be eternal and unchanging but … Read more
If someone asked a stranger on the street to name their all-time favorite Christmas movie, there are many that would come to mind. The list would possibly include “Frosty the Snowman”, “The Grinch”, “Rudolph”, and more than likely “White Christmas”. Although it is actually considered a musical because of the songs and dance that help … Read more
“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” is a heartwarming film that uniquely explores the struggles of children in unfortunate circumstances, offering a deeper explanation as to why so many young adults struggle to achieve a higher education, or to even graduate from high school. After the death of his father seven years prior, Gilbert became the sole … Read more
The film “There Will Be Blood: is a movie about Daniel Plainview and his struggle to become a self-proclaimed oilman. In the film, Daniel is at war with mother earth in the fight for black gold. Throughout the movie, his ongoing battle alters his life in countless ways. It changes his family, friends and his … Read more
The Breakfast Club is a simple but beautiful 1980’s movie about a group of teenagers that end up realizing they are all going through some tough situations. While The Breakfast Club was made for entertainment purposes, it can be a great learning tool. Just from studying the movie, a student can realize they should not … Read more
The film, The Truman Show, outlines the encounters associated with morality, immorality and amorality that is highlighted in today’s society. The theme of immorality is portrayed throughout the lives of the two main characters; Truman’s wife, Meryl and the show’s director and God-like character, Christof. Meryl, Christof, Sylvia and the viewers of the television show … Read more
