Classic Western

I'm not even sure if this blog is really worth my time since it's so late but I thought i might as well spread my opinion on the subject. To be completely honest the only western hero I had ever heard of growing up was John Wayne. That was about as in depth as I got into westerns. I remember as a kid on afternoons I would channel surf, I mean what homework did I have as an 8 year old, and stop maybe for a minute or two on a western because the sound of gunshots seduced me. There really is a lot more to them then I remember. Although typical westerns are basically the same they can be very interesting. The scene in My Darling Clementine Wyatt comes into town merely to shave and ends up getting a job as a sheriff. The reluctant hero is there a better kind. This concept is used even today. If anyone has read Harry Potter they know Harry is much like Wyatt in that they both don't want to do it but everyone looks to them when there is danger because they are the natural leader and that basically was the whole point of this blog. I just wanted to point out that Harry Potter is a western with magic instead of guns. Good! Point MADE! try and contest me....ya can't!

Citizen Kane: One of the Greats?

Citizen Kane has been conceived to be one of the greatest films in the history of films. Why? Because it uses techniques developed by other directors in a way that adds affect to the film. He combines these different techniques to create a collasal movie. His backround in radio shows as he uses large contrast in sound. Like in the opening scene transition when Kane whispers ROSEBUD and then immediately changes to a big booming voice of an announcer reading headlines of newspapers. Not to say that some transitions aren't a little goofy and unnecessary. One in particular, you may be able to guess it, The skwaking bird. WHAT WAS THAT? Anyfarts, However great the shooting of this film was or wasn't does nothing to do with the unfufilling plot. What lesson came from this story? Was there a point? Was it that a man's life can't be summarized in one word? Was the point to relate his life to that of Adolph Hitler? There is no clear cut reason to watch this. Which to me, is close to as bad as a movie without an ending. If the point was to entertain it didn't entertain me. It kept my interest but did nothing for me. So, does Citizen Kane deserve to be considered one of the best films? I would lean to yes it does. Cause even stories with clear cut reasons to watch still suck but i couldn't stop watching it kept my attention and was interesting to watch even WITHOUT color. O M G!!!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good The Bad and The Ugly, (directed by Sergio Leone, staring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef) a typical western movie about three cowboys who's paths cross in the search of 200,000 dollars of the Confederate's army. But where the typical western breaks away is when we are introduced to the fact. It's during the Civil War and the money is buried in the middle of a battle field and a graveyard. Each guy has a piece of the information to which grave it is buried but no one is giving up their information.

Throughout the first ten minutes or so there is no, i repeat, NO talking. No dialogue what so ever. This puzzled me. It added this mysterious effect that wasn't appealing at all. I was literally getting upset cause we are introduced to the bad and the ugly yet we don't know anything about them. All we get is a face. I was literally yelling at the TV and seeing if the sound was on. It was rather uncomfortable. The techniques used in this movie such as camera angles, movement and non diagetic sound help to keep the story moving. However the lack of other elements that keep current audiences focused on the movie and not some new mole they discovered on their arm are in great shortage. I myself fell asleep but was awaken by a bridge exploding so I can't say it was completely boring but didn't hold my interest for the length of more than 2 hours.

I was very let down by the acting of Clint Eastwood. His character was rather bland and uninteresting. I wasn't impressed at all to say the least. In fact it was "the ugly" that really added to the movie. It was what kept me awake for most of the movie. The humor that he brought. He plays an big baboon that has lost any family he once had which makes you truly connect with him and his ridiculous lines of stupidity. You can't help but laugh. I wouldn't say that this is should be in the Top 100 but I'm not saying it shouldn't. I can see why it should with it's cinematography and editing techniques but also the acting and lack of sound can really put you to sleep. I would recommend you watch it but keep all lights on and take a nap ahead of time. It's worth seeing.

Cameraman, Director, Actor, and Editor

Going into 11th grade one of my best friends had just received a new video recorder for his birthday. He just so happened to bring it up to our church camp just to mess around and put funny things on tape but nothng serious. As the week went on he was getting bored with it cause he thought there was nothing left that could possibly be more funny than taping your gentials and seeing how many peopl you could get to watch it and see it unexpectedly and see there reaction to it. So I ended up using it and became kind of interested in it. So interested in it that i asked my parents for one for christmas and hey we're in Edina so of course they abided. kidding that's all i got from my parents so I got one present instead of 5-7. I ended up making some videoes that are rather amateurish but I don't car I have fun doing them. It's a good way to pass time with friends and editing is a hassle but time cannot pass faster at least for me. I participated in a talent show at my church not a competition or anything but friends and youth staff liked what they saw. Apparently it was rather funny. So, now a few people at my church have asked me to make videoes for them for big volunteer groups I prticipate in. It's a good way to make a little extra cash while for me having lots of fun. This is a video I made very late at night after some plans fell through with friends and because of this YES I made it by myself like a loser with no friends. It's on YouTube. Search "jfkera" if you want to see more. Don't watch the hummer one. I'm warning you now it's a waste of your life 8 mins approximately. TRUST ME!

Critique The Critic

Chris Vogner from the Dallas Morning News critiques the recently released to DVD movie 300 in this review. Vogner's views about the move very much relate to my own feelings about the movie. He talks about the "wristwatch rule"

The earlier you look at your watch (or cellphone), the less engaged you are by what you're seeing on the screen.

This is actually a really good point. I guess I never realized how much you check your watch when you're bored with a movie. However I had no feelings like these during the movie. This movie is one of my new favorites. I heard many good things about it before I saw it. So without even previously seeing it, I bought it and I was not disappointed. Chris also relates the cinematography to the very similar Sin City. I ,however, have never seen the entire movie. You know how it goes, bits and pieces. But the similarities are unmistakable. Chris Vogner also talks about the grotesque fight scenes that are VERY entertaining. Who does not enjoy a good blood splatter scene? The action is non stop. The way it is filmed is shot not only intensifies the fight scenes, it makes them more gory and more entertaining.

A digitized cornucopia of craggy mountains, dark clouds, soaring arrows, decapitations and hand-to-hand combat that would make an Ultimate Fighting Champion quiver in fear, 300 is enough to mobilize the pulse of adult teenagers everywhere.

This movie is not only amazing to watch. It is based on a true story, which Vogner comments on, that is also a remake of a previous movie, The 300 Spartans, but it is nothing like it; Vogner says welcome to the 21st century. Vogner comments on how the backgrounds are extremely fake looking if you actually look at them. I didn't realize this while I was watching but can understand how it would look like that since the whole thing was digitized but it in no way did it detract from the movie. Vogner describes the stylized fighting scenes that take up the majority of the movie.

But the bulk of the movie is devoted to highly stylized combat. Spears and swords tear into flesh. Persian elephants go flying off cliffs. Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), a hairless, effeminate chap who makes Leonidas look even more manly by comparison, sends wave after wave of fighters against the Spartans, only to see them punctured and hacked to bits.

This was what made this movie so great in my opinion. It shows very intense scenes that could very much be realistic, in my opinion, for that time period. Unlike current war movies about recent wars, it shows true bravery and intense combat. Recent war movies are just straight up gory and sad. This film creates the feeling of true bravery. After seeing the movie I didn't feel like crying or an overall feeling of sadness. Honestly I felt like I could kill someone and wanted to just own a guy in a fight. That's a feeling you don't normally get from a movie. Anyway, I think Chris Vogner did a decent job of critiquing this film and creating the feeling and attitudes from this film.