#3 - The Big Lebowski (I was too lazy to think of something more interesting)

In the film 'The Big Lebowski', both genders are portrayed very differently. Which one comes out on top by the film's end? Let's take a look, shall we?

Why yes, yes we shall.

FEMALES

The women in the film are portrayed as more powerful. Then again, it's not hard to be more powerful than a bunch of bowling-loving-losers.

Maude, the daughter of the Big Lebowski, seems very in control. Emotionless, but in control. Her surroundings are crisp and neat, as is her hair and her personality. She obviously knows what she wants, and will get it, no ifs ands or buts. For example, she wants a child, but she does not want a father. What does she do? Try to conceive with the Dude. She doesn't try to seduce him, and she does not hide her intentions. She shows up and they make a baby. She has the power. She also has money, which gives her power. She even has control over her father, since she gives him an allowance.

Bunny is another character who has power. She uses sex to get what she wants, and since men are portrayed as not-too-bright, they fall for it.

MEN

The main men in the film are bums. They have no jobs, they are obsessed with Vietnam, and they spend all their time in a lonely little bowling alley. Bowling itself is an uncool sport (if you can even call it a sport), so it makes the men in the film even more lame.

However, even though the Dude is a bum, he did manage to figure out Lebowski's plan, and Bunny got home safe and sound (even though he had nothing to do with it). He heroically fights the Germans, and does not end up dead, which to me means the whole altercation was a success (except for the friend dying, which put a damper on the victory).

Not even Lebowski himself is successful, seeing as he gets his money from his daughter and he is a business failure who likes to put in airs.

The only successful man in the film is Jackie Treehorn. But he makes his money off of porn, making him kind of like scum, so he didn't come off as a likeable character.

Overall, the women (as shallow as they are portrayed) are the more powerful gender in this film. They've got drive, and are apparently even willing to cut of toes to get money/power. Interesting.

MR#2: Psycho - Finally, a Movie I Can Relate to!

Pysco is the controversial thriller directed by the famous Alfred Hitchcock and realeased in 1960. Almost everyone has seen or heard of some part of Psycho, whether it is the infamous shower scene or the ominous name of the Bates Motel.

I have watched Psycho and I found it to be a very entertaining thriller. It doesn't have the blood, guts, and gore that many people want to see in a movie today, but that is what I liked about it. I find blood, guts, and gore (and people who love it) completely morbid and disturbing. Ewwww.

In this movie, Alfred Hitchcock manages to create suspense without the overblown special effects and gallons of fake blood necessary to create a horror movie today. Luckily, I managed to avoid all talk about this movie until I actually got to see it in full, and I was glad I did. Although I had jokingly guessed the 'surprise twist ending', I never thought I would actually be right and was actually very surprised.

The two best aspects of this movie (in my humble opinion) were Anthony Perkins' chilling performance as Norman Bates and the suspenseful music that played during the movie. Anthony Perkins' understated interpretation of the character Norman Bates was amazing. Even though you knew he couldn't be good, he seemed to innocent and trustworthy, an intresting mix of sinister and sweet. And the music that played throughout kept you on your seat and is what made the movie the suspenseful thriller that it is.

I can see how many people of this generation won't like it. For one thing, the lack of blood and guts could be a problem. Also, if a movie isn't in colour then it is not worth watching. While I did not find this movie scary (and believe me, I am scared VERY easily), I still thought that it was an amazing movie. I loved the plot and I loved the music and I loved how it was black and white. Colour makes everything less spooky.

One thing I didn't love about the movie was the story of Norman Bates' mother. Even though it was explained at the end of the film, I still thought it was a bit of a stretch and a bit odd. I also found the scene directing after the murder, where Norman takes his sweet time to mop (don't you just love a man who mops?) the blood up, to be a bit slow-going.

Overall, I thought Psycho was an awesome movie and definitely worth watching, even if just for the scary 'knife murderer' music that everyone knows and loves...or not. It's up to you.

Yo, Kane! Imma Review You!

For the past 3 days in class, I have had it very rough. I have been worked to the bone, almost. You would not believe the backbreaking work they make us do in this class! What have I been doing, you ask?

I have been WATCHING A MOVIE!

*gasps of horror* "Oh, the cruelty!"

Yes, I have been watching CITIZEN KANE, the movie that film nerds/snobs everywhere hail as the greatest movie of all time. It is a fact that AFI named CITIZEN KANE as the #1 movie of all time.

Do I agree with this title? I have no idea.

Now, don't get me wrong. I thought CITIZEN KANE was a good movie. But personally, the title of best movie ever made jsut sets this film up to be a disappointment. With this lofty title to uphold, first time viewers expect to be amazed and entertained for every second of the movie. With such an immense and intimidating reputation, viewers expect magic. Because of this title, I was left somewhat unsatisfied at the end of the film. If, say, the movie was given the title of worst movie ever made, I would definitely have enjoyed it more. The higher your expectations are, the more disappointed you will be. Isn't that the rule?

(This is your cue to say, "Why, yes it is! How insightful of you!")

For me, the best part of the movie was the twist ending. I am now able to understand all of those 'rosebud' jokes that I see on TV all the time. The world makes sense now.

Although the film's plot jumped back in forth, it was surprisingly easy to keep track of. This is something that I, hailing from what is known as the 'lazy generation', can definitely appreciate.

I liked Orson Welles in the lead role as Kane. After doing some research on him I discovered that prior to taking this role he had only done theatre and radio before, which is clearly evident when watching his theatrical acting style throughout the film. The fact that he was only 25 when filming the movie is remarkable. It really puts The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to shame. Welles aged without CGI help!

In the end, I found this movie quite sad. Kane is a character so desperate to be loved, yet he wants to control the love of others, which made love impossible and ultimately ended up in him dying alone. How depressing.

Oh well!

Mini Review #1 - Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times

I've always known who Charlie Chaplin was.





"Who's Charlie Chaplin?" they'd say.





I'd reply with, "You know, the guy with the funny mustache that was in black and white films."





And that is true, isn't it?



Observe the picture: Does he not have a funny mustache? Is he in black and white?

Case closed.

But the other day in class, I was able to actually watch a Charlie Chaplin film entitled Modern Times.

What did I learn? Charlie Chaplin is surprisingly small. Why did I think he was taller? He's like a pocket gnome!

I actually liked the film. First of all, Charlie Chaplin reminds me so much of my grandpa. They're both really short and weird. So I found the movie funny because I kept thinking of my grandpa, who acts just like that.

If I didn't keep imagining my grandpa in Charlie's role, I might not have found the movie funny so much as silly. It was silly. Silly humour is not my favourite, but the grandpa thing...you know. It was funny.

Overall, I enjoyed the film and was disappointed that I could not finish it in class. Will I become Charlie Chaplin's #1 fan and stalk him and his family? *ponders for a moment* Hmmm....maybe not, although that does sound fun.

The film was silly, but fairly funny. The style of humour is very dated, but still funny. If something is truly funny, it will always be funny. He got a few laughs out of me!

Well, mostly because of the grandpa thing. Maybe if it wasn't for that I wouldn't have found it as funny. I'm really biased here....and confused.

I don't know what to think!!!!

Blog #1 - Is Media Important to Me?

Is media important in my life?

I believe that media is super-duper important in my life. Nearly everything I do is connected to the media in some way. From the toothpaste I choose to use in the morning thanks to those nifty commercials, to the music I listen to as I walk home from school. Whether I like it or not, media is connected to my life and there's really no escaping it.

My top three:

Music: Is there anyone in the world who doesn't like music? Well, other than my grandparents? Not one day goes by where I don't listen to music at some point. I don't think I could get along without bopping around to my lame and somewhat embarrassing collection of 80s one-hit-wonders, or some of my other favourite (and hopefully much more cool) bands. I've never been someone who is obsessed with my music or any certain band, but listening to my i-Pod has become a daily routine for me. I don't know how I would get my homework done without it!

Film: In what other genre can you get action, car chases, explosions, and Matt Damon all rolled into two fun-filled hours? None. That is why film is one of my favourite genres of media. Really, does anything else need to be said?

Books: Yes, I am one of the last nerds in the world that will actually pick up a book (with chapters and no pictures) and read it. Since I am not the type of person who can sit perfectly still to watch T.V. for hours on end, I enjoy reading because it's kind of like T.V. (only not really) and you get to turn the page every so often. How nifty is that? A good book will affect me much more than a movie or television show would. When I'm reading a particularly good book I start to dread finishing it. I never dread the end of a television show (unless, of course, it's the end of a season or something. That's a whole different story.) To me, nothing is as good as curling up by the window on a snowy day with a good book. And no, I do not own any cats or cat sweaters or any type of cat memorabilia. Nor do I plan to.

Modern Pop Culture

I'll admit freely that I am guilty of reading only magazines with celebrities on the covers. While I fail to see the obsession with what Britney Spears had for dinner last night, I am addicted to gossip. I will occasionally watch celebrity gossip shows, but only if there is nothing else on T.V. As for technology, I try to embrace it. What else can you do? Some things I will never embrace are Facebook, Twitter, and non-stop texting. I'm not really sure why. Somewhere along the line I decided that they bug me, so I subconsciously resolved to be the last person on this planet without Facebook. This is especially sad, considering even my grandparents use Facebook!

My Desert Island Choices

If I were stuck on a desert island and could only take with me one T.V. show, one video game, and one movie, these are the three that I would choose:

50 First Dates

After the shock wears off, being stranding all by yourself on an island would get pretty depressing. That is why I would want to bring one of my favourite comedy movies with me. The last thing I would want to watch is a sad movie where everybody dies or a horror film. That would just traumatize me! This is one of those movies that I will never get sick of and just so happens to star one of my favourite actors. It would provide me with some comfort while I wait to be rescued.

Animal Crossing: Wild World

There really is no point to this game, which means you can spend hours playing and never really get anywhere. All you do is tend to your tiny, adorable town. You water some flowers, mail some letters, chat with the townsfolk (at least I won't get too lonely), do some shopping, and then start it over the next day. But somehow, it doesn't get boring. I'm sure I'd have plenty of time to kill on an island, and I'd like to spend that time collecting pretend seashells by the beach in my little town. They're more fun than the real ones.

Friends

Friends is my ultimate comfort show. It's very rare that a day goes by where I don't get my little dose of Monica, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, Ross and Pheobe to help me through the day. I'm pretty sure I've seen every single episode at least a billion times, but that won't stop me from watching it again. There has never been a more terrible day than the day that show ran its last episode. *sniffle*