With all of the hoopla that surrounds entertainment following tragic events, I have a couple theories or just general ideas that deal with the situation. First off, with a movie like Heathers, it is clutch to display certain things that society might view as problematic before the actual tragic event happens in the real world (especially if you're going to tackle it in a laughable manner). As we discussed in class, something like pulling a gun on fellow jocks in the cafeteria doesn't fly with people sometimes because they feel it spawns similar actions with real people. Nevermind the people that may supply guns to kids, or parents who own guns that don't keep them in safe keeping. So in a sense, Heathers beat the world to the punch.
Another detail about such movies when relating them to real life events is they must have the ability to make fun of a serious situation, while still pulling away some serious emotion and opinions. It's not always easy to do, but Heathers pulled it off I think. It was similar in humor-serious to Strangelove. It takes a bit of balls to take something like teenage suicide or the Cold War and find any humor in them whatsoever. If filmmakers have the ability to successfully blend the two emotions, to the backdrop of something horrible, they have arrived.
I loved the Fight Club comparison in class. I hadn't thought about I don't believe. But once I heard it, I ran with it in my mind. They both had sort of similar storylines. Character 1 is starting to question their lives a bit, Character 2 is presented and furthers the questioning and even begins to take the reigns on character 1's life at times. At some point, Character 1 refuses Character 2's motives and intentions. Character 2 has something big afoot, and it's up to Character 1 to put a stop to it, ultimately putting Character 2 out of it's misery. Character 1=Veronica/Ed Norton aka 'The Narrator'. Character 2=JD/Tyler Durden.
I was baffled on the relationship between JD and his father, or more so, how they spoke to each other, with JD speaking like a father, and his father speaking like the son. It was so weird, I don't really have a true analysis for it. On one hand, I thought it just simply put further twists into JD's character, with no real reason for it, other than that, fucking up the character even more. I think it could imply how his family life has been without his mother, moving around and such. No attention, caring and whatnot. It's almost like what people say sometimes to people who aren't seeming to give a shit. Like, when someone doesn't ask how my day was, I might say "Oh Eric, how was your day today? Good I hope." to myself to show them that they're not paying me the proper attention.
Overall, a nifty film. I had stumbled upon it in pieces throughout the years but this was the first go through in one sitting from start to finish. I don't think it matters what era you're from, there are elements of everyone's high school in here somewhere. It's strange how the schooling experience can be the best years of someone's life or literally years of hell. High School almost becomes more about the relationships, the friends and enemies, than it does about the education itself. It's not what's in the math book that counts, it's how hard you hit someone in the head with it. You dress everyday, like you're going to an audition for Saved by the Bell. High School and onto college, preparation for life, no doubt.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Y'all Got Shaft?
Shaft. Obviously we've all heard of the movie (I think), but I had never sought it out for one reason or another. It turned out to be an okay movie, pretty simple plot line with some snappy one liners, and a dash of suspense at times, mainly in the rescue scenes.
I'm a little unclear on the differences between masculinity and black masculinity in films. I mean obviously if Shaft is black, it'll be somewhat black masculinity, but is it that when the character is black, it brings in more stereotypes and culture of the race to make it specifically black masculinity? On a more general level, could it be referred to as just masculinity? But if we want to get specific, we could say black masculinity. Is there a white masculinity that brings in stereotypes of white boys?
Another small confusion I had was if Shaft had a girlfriend/wife. I had assumed the first lady he had relations with was his woman, especially considering she had a big picture of him on her end table, and since he had seemingly let himself inside her apartment. So is it playing into the 'black masculinity' stereotype again that he had sleep around with another woman (white woman at that)? I suppose its possible that he just takes on all sexual conquests as they come along, nothing ties him down.
I appreciated the correlation made between the 'army' that rose up in the movie and the Black Panthers during the class discussion. I wasn't sure when watching why those guys were the people that Shaft sought out to form an army of gunned men to help with the rescue. I assumed they were just criminals, but they seemed a bit more organized.
I had rented the 'remake' of Shaft in hopes of watching it following the original, but after the reading, I'm just not sure I even want to anymore. They make it sound like crap. Not to mention I thought it was a remake, and not a new storyline. I guess the original Shaft remained in the same role, only older, as Uncle Shaft to Sammy J's younger Shaft? It's likely I will try to watch it, but no guarantees.
Best scene in the orig. was the bar scene I thought, for the interaction between the mafia guys and the homosexual dude. On the homosexual dude, I think it was Shaft's utter control, pride, and encompassing of his own sexuality that the bartenders comments and actions didn't phase him at all. I don't think he's surprised that a man would talk to him like that, and it's likely that he enjoys it, although he doesn't want to take it to next level I'm guessing. But with the swagger that he walks with, I think he's simply not shocked when he gets rise out of people. He even seems to draw in the mafia fellow at the bar. Not in a sexual sense at all, but just in an attention sort of manner. He's got a lot of control over so many things it seems, people included.
There was a funny line in the reading that I'll close with:
"What are we to make of the resurgent interest in blaxploitation films in American culture,
and how are we to receive this newly erected Shaft?"
Great stuff.
I'm a little unclear on the differences between masculinity and black masculinity in films. I mean obviously if Shaft is black, it'll be somewhat black masculinity, but is it that when the character is black, it brings in more stereotypes and culture of the race to make it specifically black masculinity? On a more general level, could it be referred to as just masculinity? But if we want to get specific, we could say black masculinity. Is there a white masculinity that brings in stereotypes of white boys?
Another small confusion I had was if Shaft had a girlfriend/wife. I had assumed the first lady he had relations with was his woman, especially considering she had a big picture of him on her end table, and since he had seemingly let himself inside her apartment. So is it playing into the 'black masculinity' stereotype again that he had sleep around with another woman (white woman at that)? I suppose its possible that he just takes on all sexual conquests as they come along, nothing ties him down.
I appreciated the correlation made between the 'army' that rose up in the movie and the Black Panthers during the class discussion. I wasn't sure when watching why those guys were the people that Shaft sought out to form an army of gunned men to help with the rescue. I assumed they were just criminals, but they seemed a bit more organized.
I had rented the 'remake' of Shaft in hopes of watching it following the original, but after the reading, I'm just not sure I even want to anymore. They make it sound like crap. Not to mention I thought it was a remake, and not a new storyline. I guess the original Shaft remained in the same role, only older, as Uncle Shaft to Sammy J's younger Shaft? It's likely I will try to watch it, but no guarantees.
Best scene in the orig. was the bar scene I thought, for the interaction between the mafia guys and the homosexual dude. On the homosexual dude, I think it was Shaft's utter control, pride, and encompassing of his own sexuality that the bartenders comments and actions didn't phase him at all. I don't think he's surprised that a man would talk to him like that, and it's likely that he enjoys it, although he doesn't want to take it to next level I'm guessing. But with the swagger that he walks with, I think he's simply not shocked when he gets rise out of people. He even seems to draw in the mafia fellow at the bar. Not in a sexual sense at all, but just in an attention sort of manner. He's got a lot of control over so many things it seems, people included.
There was a funny line in the reading that I'll close with:
"What are we to make of the resurgent interest in blaxploitation films in American culture,
and how are we to receive this newly erected Shaft?"
Great stuff.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Vanishing Point - Blog Writing at 99 WPM
What a cool movie. So much speed and chasing with what I felt like was the perfect finale to the movie. I can say that I didn't so much see it coming down to that, but after it happened, it felt right. And you've got to think his motivation for doing that was 100 percent intentional since he could have easily gotten out of the situation.
I like the idea of his car and driving fast providing freedom in the movie. At first, I wasn't aware what the terms of his bet were, so I wasn't sure why he was driving like a maniac. I must have missed a couple pieces of dialogue. I thought that maybe the car was 'hot' so he refused to stop for that reason. But of course it all makes sense now, having to get the car to San Fran at a certain time.
The illusion of the highway's freeing powers was an interesting thought that hadn't occurred to me. It can be freeing to a point, but there's still a higher authority telling you to stay within the lines. You can drive fast, but not quite as fast as you might want. So it forces driver's who seek freedom through danger and burned tires to break out from the rules and put their rights/money/etc on the line. Sometimes it really is just wanting to get to Point B quicker than usual, putting your life on the line because you're running late or there's a sale at Macy's. Then there's others who need to live life fast, not paying attention to STOP signs, not slowing down to check the sights. Hitting the open road can be as freeing as you want it to be, but once you've passed the laws limits, you better be ready to keep that speed, or you'll end up being forcibly stalled out.
There was a few scenes of Supersoul in his studio where there was a STOP sign right outside his window. Of course he was blind and couldn't see it. I thought that was an important point in taking it to Kowalski's motivation or perspective. That's not to say Kowalski was blind to the laws, but he had been down the law enforcement road before and the law seemed blind to his good intentions. So he in turn has turned himself away from the laws. He is as free as he's probably ever been, in control and running the show right up until his demise.
Did anyone else notice or make the connection of the radio stations call-out letters, KOW, and the main character KOWalski? It's probably obvious, so I'm assuming everyone did. I actually didn't make the connection until the Thurs discussion. Not sure of the relevance entirely. Maybe it simply furthers the connection between Supersoul and Kowalski. Maybe it was metaphorical for his conscience or an alter-ego voice. Who knows.
I liked this movie more than I thought I would. The desert was probably the only setting this movie would have worked in. It would be impossible to create the type of wide, infinite freedom space in a city filled with skyscrapers and traffic.
There was mention in class of those crazies in the desert singing and playing guitars being "small deadly dangerous desert cults". I found it sort of funny that a group someone might call that would be seeking out desert snakes to aid their cause, small deadly dangerous snakes. Weird connection that popped in my head.
I like the idea of his car and driving fast providing freedom in the movie. At first, I wasn't aware what the terms of his bet were, so I wasn't sure why he was driving like a maniac. I must have missed a couple pieces of dialogue. I thought that maybe the car was 'hot' so he refused to stop for that reason. But of course it all makes sense now, having to get the car to San Fran at a certain time.
The illusion of the highway's freeing powers was an interesting thought that hadn't occurred to me. It can be freeing to a point, but there's still a higher authority telling you to stay within the lines. You can drive fast, but not quite as fast as you might want. So it forces driver's who seek freedom through danger and burned tires to break out from the rules and put their rights/money/etc on the line. Sometimes it really is just wanting to get to Point B quicker than usual, putting your life on the line because you're running late or there's a sale at Macy's. Then there's others who need to live life fast, not paying attention to STOP signs, not slowing down to check the sights. Hitting the open road can be as freeing as you want it to be, but once you've passed the laws limits, you better be ready to keep that speed, or you'll end up being forcibly stalled out.
There was a few scenes of Supersoul in his studio where there was a STOP sign right outside his window. Of course he was blind and couldn't see it. I thought that was an important point in taking it to Kowalski's motivation or perspective. That's not to say Kowalski was blind to the laws, but he had been down the law enforcement road before and the law seemed blind to his good intentions. So he in turn has turned himself away from the laws. He is as free as he's probably ever been, in control and running the show right up until his demise.
Did anyone else notice or make the connection of the radio stations call-out letters, KOW, and the main character KOWalski? It's probably obvious, so I'm assuming everyone did. I actually didn't make the connection until the Thurs discussion. Not sure of the relevance entirely. Maybe it simply furthers the connection between Supersoul and Kowalski. Maybe it was metaphorical for his conscience or an alter-ego voice. Who knows.
I liked this movie more than I thought I would. The desert was probably the only setting this movie would have worked in. It would be impossible to create the type of wide, infinite freedom space in a city filled with skyscrapers and traffic.
There was mention in class of those crazies in the desert singing and playing guitars being "small deadly dangerous desert cults". I found it sort of funny that a group someone might call that would be seeking out desert snakes to aid their cause, small deadly dangerous snakes. Weird connection that popped in my head.
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