Worth The Time? Probs Not

Our groups director of choice is Francis Ford Coppola. The first movie we watched was Apocalypse Now. It was an interesting movie that really captivated my attention at first but as the movie went on i realized how long it was and I just wanted to get up and leave. If it weren't for the artisticly amazing shots, if that made any sense, I would have gotten my regretful butt up off the couch and go watch something short and attention keeping like Dumb and Dumber. The movie was pretty decent overall however but having to sit and watch something I otherwise wouldn't have and having to stay till the very end because I was "supposed" to was a difficult task.

I haven't seen any other Coppola films. However, I started to watch The Godfather and fell asleep before anything really happened. This worries me because I hope to God that his other films aren't as long as this last one. On the otherhand I love what Coppola has done with film in general, or at least as fas as I can tell from the interview we watched in class last semester, he's making it more of an art form instead of Hollywood blockbuster and not following the norm and just doing whatever it takes to make a great film. So what I'm trying to say is you should see it but don't expect to see something that will be on your own personal favorites. It's a great film not necessarily fun to watch.

Today is Tomorrow

Bill Murrey stars in the romantic comedy Groundhog Day. I thought this movie was pretty hysterical. My favorite scene is when that insurance salesman yells Ted for the third or fourth time and Bill Murphy flat out punches him in the face. The frustration that guy causes is thoroughly expressed in that one shot. This movie was an unnecessary romantic comedy. I think that the movie would have been good maybe better without him getting together with Rita. However it does give some closure to the story due to the fact that he tried so hard for so long to hook up with her. She wasn't even that good looking. I think it may have been a better movie if they didn't end up together because that was his goal for so long. But the true lesson learned was that he had to be better to people. Treat them as he would like to be treated. The golden rule thought to us by Jesus or in the movies case the groundhog? Relation to the article maybe? Otherwise the movie was hilarious. Repeating the same date over and over again kinda creep but otherwise funny. I enjoyed my experience with this movie. One more time emphasizing through a different arrangement of words... I highly enjoyed this film.

Screwball Comedy

I think I've actually seen this movie before this class but no recent enough where I knew the plot. In the beginning of this movie, the humor is that worse of a cartoon and I had a hard time getting into it but after a while I seemed to get used to it and even understand how ppeople could coceive this as funny. It really hit me when George the dog came into play. His nonstop barking and chasing of people really lightened the mood I thought. Iit was so annoying it became funny. Much like that of the humor found in family guy. If you do a repeated action or noise it's funny, do it long enough it's funnier than before. However Bringing Up Baby might have done it TOO long I still found it to be enjoyable. Now the love part of it didn't really add anything. However, i lkied the fact that David realized that his wife had no point being with him she was a emotionless, heartless woman that sound be living with cats because she can't sustain a relationship. The fact that Susan and David got together at the end was pointless. It was onlythere to provide closure to the end of the movie. You had no feeling of happily ever after like a romantic comedy and that was the only thing that bothered me but overall I quite enjoyed the movie.

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!