Journal-- Blood Simple

1)      Find a related article and summarize the content.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/30-years-of-coens-revisiting-blood-simple/379743/

     This article discusses how Blood Simple is a classic story of betrayal with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The writer goes on to mention how the story is a classic “who’s on first” scenario because “The principal characters—Abby (McDormand), Ray (John Getz), Marty (Dan Hedaya), and Visser (Walsh)—all behave more or less rationally, but they are all working from incorrect or insufficient information” (Christopher Orr).

2)      Apply the article to the film screened in class.  

     The author of this article, Christopher Orr, discusses how the cast of the film was key to making the story so powerful. The film has many scenes where camera angles were key. “Especially notable is the scene in which Marty tries to drag Abby from Ray’s house and the camera rushes diabolically toward them as we hear the exaggerated panting of a dog. It was shot using Raimi’s “shaky cam” technique” (Orr).

3)      Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. 

     This film was powerful, edgy, and intense. It is the age old love triangle where someone ends up dead, YET the circumstances are far less mundane. The fact that Ray and Amy are the center of the love triangle, yet they are farthest apart throughout the whole movie because neither one really knows what is going on. Ray has covered up a murder to protect Abby, while she has no clue what has gone on. Add the backstabbing PI into the mix, and it is truly a dark case of “who’s on first.” Intense camera angles also make the story great. A personal favorite moment in the movie is at the end when Abby has shot Visser, believing him to be her husband Marty. She tells him, “I’m not afraid of you Marty,” to which Visser responds, “Well, ma'am, if I see 'im, I'll sure give 'im the message." The irony is, this is the first moment where it is made to clear that there has been a serious lack of communication throughout the whole story.

Journal—Annie Hall

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, and in reading the text, we have discussed the significance of sounds and camera angles. Many of the scenes in Annie Hall use distinct camera angles to intensify the story. The film also contains many intellectual and cultural references that make it so unique.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173AE562BC4951DFB266838C669EDE

This article discusses how in the movie Annie Hall “… [the] camera finds beauty and emotional resources that somehow escape the notice of other directors.”

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.  

This article goes on to discusses the film’s directing, casting, and interesting use of camera angles which make it the remarkable classic that so many know and love.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. 

Annie Hall is a noteworthy movie made amazing by an amazing cast and director. The unique camera angles and witty dialogue that moves quickly and is very fresh and alive. 

Living in Oblivion

Find a related article and summarize the content.  (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) You can use the library or the internet.  Cite the article or copy the url to your journal entry. Summarize in your own words the related article but do not plagiarize any content.
http://www.tomdicillo.com/blog/trivia/living-in-oblivion-2/
     This article is actually a blog post by the films writer. He gives an extremely insightful explanation of what went into the making of this film, both creatively and emotionally. He discusses how his life influences affected the creation of the film and drove his passion toward powerful film making.

Apply the article to the film screened in class.   How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?
     This piece gave an amazing look into the writer's thought process while making the film. It displayed the hard work and passion that was put into this film, which only goes on to make it more powerful and meaningful as a viewer.

Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion,  formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.  I am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this)  than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.
     Overall this was a very fascinating film, especially because it was actually about the filmmaking process. In addition, the actors give a captivating and powerful performance. The film really displays all the frustrations of the filmmaker and the process of getting his small film made. It was very easy to get absorbed by the drama playing out between the characters.
     I did feel that the second half of the film drifted off bit at some point and got a bit dull, but it is still engaging and entertaining, and the story is still extremely powerful. It is very easy to see why this has received the audience following that it has.This is a powerful piece of filmmaking and shows a really passionate heart to it. Not only that but it's also entertaining and for those interested in filmmaking it's a fascinating insight into the actual on set process. The film really displays all the frustrations of the filmmaker and the process of getting his small film made. It was very easy to get absorbed by the drama playing out between the characters.

Short Film Group Podcast

Eisenstein Group Presentations

Group 1 film theory from mcgoverc

Persepolis

                                           

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, and in reading the text, we have discussed the significance of sounds and camera angles. The scenes in Persepolis uses distinct sounds to intensify the story. Similar to Juno, certain sounds are louder or more intense in some scenes in order to display the significance of the moment. Also, many scenes where Marjane is feeling intense emotion are accompanied by closed in camera angle. The scenes are more zoomed in and her eyes and face dominate the screen.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/movies/25pers.html?_r=0

This article discusses how Persepolis is “a simple story told by simple means.” However, this does not mean it wasn’t a powerful story. The article talks about how Marjane’s story is fierce and intense. She lives a life full of hardships that most people could never dream of surviving. The article also discusses the interesting technique that brought her story to life. The animation brought out the intensity in her story.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.  

This article goes on to discuss how Persepolis is “frequently somber, but also whimsical and daring....a perfects resistance [to those] who insist the world can only be seen in black and white.” The article reviews how the film tells the agonizing story of Marjane's unstable and heartbreaking upbringing. 

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. 

Persepolis is a powerful film that tells a moving story of a young woman whose life is more harrowing than most could ever imagine. Marjane suffers great loss, traumatizing experiences all at a very young age. Her world and her family literally falling apart around her. She witnesses repressive tyranny first hand and refuses to remain silent at this injustice. She is a strong outspoken woman in a society where that is a dangerous quality to have.

Journal 1--When Harry Met Sally

                                                    

1)       Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

One of the main methods of storytelling that this film used was physical spacing. The director used physical spacing between the characters throughout the movie to tell the love story. For example, in the beginning of the film, when Harry and Sally are in the car, there is a lot of distance between them. They are two strangers who couldn’t possibly be more different. Harry and Sally run into each other many years later at a bookstore. Sally stands back a bit, but as soon as Harry reveals he's getting a divorce, she steps closer, literally removing some of the distance between them. Now that they are finally friends, the audience begins to see them bond. They have an intimate late-night phone call, while watching Casablanca, and this shot reflects how close they've become, yet how they are still very much separated. Then, when both characters ultimately end up together for the first time, they instantly go from as close as they've ever been to back to a divided frame. This is exemplified during the phone call with Jesse and Marie. The scene literally and figuratively puts a divide between Harry and Sally. After much time apart, and very little shared screen time, Harry runs to catch Sally, symbolically closing that huge gap between them. In the film’s final scene, the two are now married and sitting next to each other, as close as possible. The director and film crew used phenomenal camera work to emphasize the story between the two.

2)       Find a related article and summarize the content.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/14/when-harry-met-sally-turns-25-director-rob-reiner-reveals-the-secrets-of-the-romcom-classic.html

This article discusses how the writer and director of the film arrived at the actors in the film (Meg Ryan as Sally and Billy Crystal as Harry). It also begins to delve into how certain infamous scenes came together. It maps out how When Harry Met Sally “is the quintessential modern-day romantic comedy; a film that has, for better or worse, reverberated in each and every rom-com since.”

3)       Apply the article to the film screened in class.  

This article gave interesting insight into the creation of When Harry Met Sally. It was fascinating to know that Rob Reiner used personal experience in the making of the movie. This article, and it turn the film as well, has displayed how behavior is motivated by values, norms and standards. When we take Harry and Sally’s relationship and compare it to how our culture has changed over the many years, we can take into count that relationships have changed in a more drastic way. 

4)       Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. 

The film When Harry Met Sally is a classic film that will be popular for generations to come. It includes two characters that almost anyone can relate to at some point in their life. By creating relatable characters, the films writer and director have given the audience a way to grow closer to the characters as the story went on, because they could relate to the story. With clever and symbolic camera angles, this story was overflowing with representative content that gave the film and its characters many layers to delve through. There are lots of films that describe the romantic relationship between man and woman. Of course, most romantic movies give us something to think about love and our romantic relationship. But I have never seen the movie that describes the romantic relationship as realistic as When Harry Met Sally. This movie offers a funny and poignant view of men, women, sex, love, and friendship. However, the best thing that this film does is to keep the focus on the relationship between two of the opposite sex, being witty and likable. In this movie, even though Harry and Sally are polar opposite, their relationship is gradually developing from a platonic relationship to a romantic relationship. It is clear that those are crucial to development of Harry and Sally's relationship

An Important Film to Me

     A film that is important to me is actually a very currant film. “American Sniper” has drawn a lot of discussion and controversy even before its release. Whatever the opinion has been, the fact that this movie has brought about to many thoughts and opinions proves how extremely important it truly is. When a film like this draws out the kind of emotion and passion that “American Sniper” has, then it has clearly done its job. Chris Kyle is a true hero and every American owes their freedom to men like him.

     I personally found the film to be exceptionally poignant and moving. It displayed what an American hero and his family deal with as a result of their sacrifices. Viewers watch as his family suffered through each of his deployments, and then how Kyle suffered with the brutal transition from war zone to family. I walked out of the movie theater feeling such a strong sense of awe for the men and women who defend this country, and a new respect for what their families also sacrifice. It made me proud to live in the country that Chris Kyle fought so hard to protect. 

                            The Legacy of the Legend


Photo Courtesy of
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/american-sniper-shot-for-web.png