Elf

I remember one time when I was younger, my family was talking about who our favorite actors were and I immediately said Will Ferrell. I did get laughed at unfortunately, but in my defense I was like 8 years old and Elf was the funniest movie ever. It didn't matter how many times my sisters and I would watch it, I'd laugh at all the same jokes. Even to this day I kind of want to try syrup on spaghetti because I feel like Buddy was onto something with that.

Will Ferrell nailed the acting for this movie. I think he relied more on method acting (Stanislavski Method) by using a more improvisational approach and being natural throughout the film. There are goofy scenes that are so far out there, Ferrell had to look internally and try to convey a message that the words itself couldn't tell. He had some funny lines, but I think his actions and honing in on the character is what makes this movie fun to watch even today.

Elf is one of those movies where you love it until you hate it. I'm glad that I only watch Elf around Christmas time, or I'd be sick of it by now. It was released in 2003, so I've been watching this movie since I was 2. I'll sometimes see things on social media about people dressing up as Buddy and doing some of his signature moves (like the splits up the escalator or hoping through the crosswalk) and it makes me giggle every time.

Jaws

I watched Jaws for the first time over the summer at the McHenry Drive-In Theatre. I realized then that the film was one of the best of all time. Spielberg’s usage of the animatronics, John Williams’ score, and the camera angles helped make this the first blockbuster. 

Bruce, the mechanical shark, brought a real sense of terror. However, the frequent malfunctions prompted Spielberg to rely more on suspense-building techniques than constant shark appearances, which helped add to the overall terror of the movie in my opinion. 

John Williams' iconic score is just as famous as the movie. The “duh-duh” looping theme is synonymous with impending danger, enhancing the suspense. Williams' contribution to the film's overall tension is undeniable. The score helped me feel uneasy every time I heard it play, and I still play it in my head whenever I’m swimming out on a lake.

Camera angles are crucial in showing the terror lurking beneath the ocean's surface. Spielberg's use of the underwater point of vie heightens the suspense and fear. The low-angle shots amplify the sense of vulnerability, allowing the audience to feel the looming threat. I would always picture myself as the shark during these shots, and it had an added effect on the movie.

Even though I hadn’t seen “Jaws" until this summer, I realized the fear of the unknown lurking beneath the water will ALWAYS be scary.

Moonlight Review

After watching Moonlight again for this class, I had a few key takeaways that helped to my overall understanding and appreciation of the film. I think Chiron's identity is ultimately shaped by those around him. When he was younger, he had the nickname of "Little" which imply that he's small, weak, and unimportant. Juan tries to get through to Chiron by helping him out, and Juan wants Chiron to stick up for himself and create his own identity. Chiron is able to eventually understand who he is and become comfortable with his own identity, and that's where we see his nickname switch to "Black". I think his encounter with Kevin helped open his eyes for this moment. 

The colors of blue and black that are seen throughout the movie represent sadness and gloominess. I think the black could be seen with race, and Chiron's nickname is "Black". I think black could represent firmness and strength, and we saw Chiron's strength to keep going through the trauma and bullying while growing up but not refusing to back down. 

I think the chaptered structure of the film supports Chiron's journey as a character. The chapter layout helped to show the key moments from his life while still being able to show everything that happened. We got to see the full transformation of his character. I think if it was done differently, the audience would be missing out on certain aspects of his life. On the other hand, since it was mainly the key moments of his life, part of me wished I could know more about what was happening to Chiron throughout his whole life. 

Swiss Army Man

Swiss Army Man was talked about highly when it first came out. Some people loved it upon release, but our in-class viewing was my first experience watching the film. I admit, part of this is my fault because I don’t watch a ton of movies. However, I just couldn’t stop picturing Manny as Harry Potter. That’s not to take away great lead performances from both Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, it was just funny to picture the wizard fighting a bear in the forest with a campfire and farts. 

The humor in the film was funny, until it wasn’t. I laughed at the first instance or so of every joke, but I didn’t have to see the camera cut back to Manny’s “compass” again and again. The film bounced from a psychological drama to a buddy co
medy and back to a serious tone in a matter of minutes, and the whiplash effect made me dislike the film at times.

As a class after the movie concluded, we talked about if the film was a dream. I think the majority of the events on-screen are in Hank’s head, mostly because when we see that he wasn’t that far away from civilization to begin with. With that being said, there were themes throughout the movie that helped tie together all the crazy events happening. I didn't love the ending, but since the movie was all over the place, I'm not sure how else you'd end it. 

Short Film

When the short film project was announced, I was in the process of going through multiple job interviews a week, trying to figure out my post-grad plans. It was a bit stressful, but I brought my internal feelings to class with the idea of someone preparing for a job interview as the basis of our group’s story.

I’m glad we were a bit different in our approach by not doing a horror/murder/mystery film, especially with the added risk of Sam’s idea of trying to make the entire film in one shot. His other idea of having no script seemed dumb at first but after a few takes, I knew it was the right idea. He seriously looked and sounded at times while talking to himself on the walk nearly identical to how I was looking and feeling during my job interviews. 

The biggest realization I had from the project was the added preparation needed for every aspect of filming, especially from Robbie while filming. We had to make sure he wouldn’t trip, get the necessary shots in-frame, and also move around enough so it didn’t feel like a monotonous shot. Before we started filming, I looked back over chapter 5 in Moving Pictures because I wanted to make sure our cinematography was good enough to keep people intrigued throughout the short film. From making sure the lighting worked out, to using different angles despite it being one shot, we tried to bring it all together to create a fun film.

I don’t know if I’ll help contribute to another movie outside of this class, but watching a short film go from an idea in my head caused by stress to a seamless three-minute video was a cool experience.

Thanksgiving Films

I’m currently writing this in a food coma after my third plate, but that’s how you properly celebrate Thanksgiving. My family doesn’t watch a lot of football, but we were scrolling through the TV trying to find a movie to help us relax and digest our turkey. All of the Hallmark-esque channels were playing Christmas-themed movies, and I’m not going to complain. I love the comedies, the dramas, and pretty much everything in-between when it comes to Christmas movies.

However, for as much as my family and I love Christmas, we also love Thanksgiving. We were trying to find a timely movie to celebrate the appropriate holiday, but there were no Thanksgiving-themed movies on. Then again, there aren’t that many movies that revolve around the holiday. Some may take place during the season or reference a Thanksgiving meal, but not in the same way that Christmas movies are produced. 

Outside of Fantastic Mr. Fox or A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, the closest option my family would watch would be Free Birds, just because my cousins would want to watch cartoons. Yes, there is a pilgrim-themed horror movie out right now, but that’s not my style at all. I know the options are limited and I know it’s because Thanksgiving has always been overlooked (department stores will have their trees out in October if they can get away with it), but I just wish more people in Hollywood took time to appreciate an important holiday in American history.

Inside Out 2

I just recently saw the teaser trailer for Inside Out 2, and I can’t wait for this sequel to be released. I always forget how much I love the original because it tells such a unique but relatable story. The personification of different emotions in a young girl’s head made me cry throughout the story (not a surprise at all), but it also made me laugh out loud. The writing was perfect and I instantly connected with Riley.

I feel like this movie is a great example of the narrative structure that was discussed in chapter 4 of Moving Pictures because you have your protagonist (which I think is Riley because the audience is rooting for her, but between the emotions I think Joy was the protagonist because she was trying to make the most out of a bad situation) and then you have a bunch of obstacles (the other emotions making things worse, the core memories getting messed up, etc). Throughout the entire movie, I loved seeing the obstacles because the protagonist was able to figure her way through them.

Now, the teaser trailer shows the audience that Riley is about to go through puberty. I immediately thought back to all of the new emotions I had to experience during puberty, and how hard it was to adjust to life with my new feelings. Anxiety was the only one that was introduced in the trailer, but I can't relate to this as much. Luckily I never really experienced anxiety growing up, but hopefully some of the other emotions are more relatable for me or maybe we'll be able to see the different mood swings (I'd like to say my mood swings went away after puberty but unfortunately I still have like 100 a day).

At the end, the title card flips through various emotions, old and new, and has a question mark next to each of them. I think the question mark is anxiety’s fault, as she’ll be second-guessing everything. I think Disney will be able to tell a funny story of not being able to understand these new emotions during puberty and not knowing how control them. With that being said, I don't think young kids should be exposed to the idea of anxiety and other emotions like that too early because it might confuse them before they should worry about it. Either way, I'm excited to go watch it, and now I want to rewatch the first movie!

Drive-In Movies

Over the summer, I went to the McHenry County Drive-In movie theater for the first time. They had a double-feature, The Meg 2 would open for Jaws. Honestly it took me longer than it should've to realize it was Shark Week. I loved the experience of getting there early, setting up, and honking my horn with the rest of the cars in attendance.

That’s not to say that drive-ins are automatically better. I'm only 5'9", which isn't that tall but still felt it was difficult to get comfortable in the back of a car. We had to readjust positions every so often because unfortunately we forgot to bring extra pillows and blankets. However, it was a nice getaway and allowed me to check something off of my bucket list. It felt like there was more of a shared experience with the cars next to us rather than if we were in a normal theater. 

I enjoyed being able to divulge into conversation about whether or not we liked the movie like we do in class, and I feel like you don't get this same experience at a theater. It relates back to chapter 2 in Moving Pictures saying that everyone is a film critic: being able to talk about certain scenes, the cinematography, the sounds, etc. contributes to the drive-in experience. Cars honked instead of applauding. You could hear cheers when Jason Statham’s character did something cool, and you could also hear anticipation/screams from younger kids watching Jaws for the first time.

Drive-ins are becoming more and more of a novelty. There’s only a handful of them left. I’m not saying that I would instantly prefer a drive-in over a theater every time. Theaters are about maximizing comfort, and I can’t comfortably watch a movie in the back of my car. However, I would go back to McHenry, and I would suggest seeking out a drive-in yourself if you’ve never been.

Hallmark Movies

Everyone knows it: Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and it wouldn't be Christmas without the occasional (or nonstop) Hallmark movie playing. I understand that every single Hallmark movie has the same plot: the girl goes back to her hometown, accidentally runs into a guy she just met or reconnecting with an old friend, ends up falling in love, tries to deny that she's in love, and then they end up together in the end. Very predictable, but I still can never get enough of them. Most Hallmark movies know how to use mise-en-scene to their advantage: the setting is so pretty, the lighting is usually warm to show a cheerful mood, the outfits are always put together nicely, and the Christmas decorations are the prettiest I've ever seen

Don't worry, I'm not one of those people who gets into the Christmas mood before Thanksgiving. I save all my Hallmark movies for the 4 weeks between the two holidays. And sometimes for a little bit after Christmas, oops. It's great because over break, I usually have basketball practice for a few hours in the morning, and then I come home and watch the Hallmark channel the rest of the afternoon. 

I honestly don't know how they keep releasing new Hallmark movies since they're all so similar, but I'm glad they do. I feel like you could make a Christmas movie that had a slightly different plot than every other one, but I enjoy that they all end with a "happily ever after". And the acting is subpar at best, but it's all to help get into the Christmas spirit. 

In Theater vs At Home

I feel like nobody goes to movie theaters anymore; it's so easy to turn on Netflix or Hulu and just watch it from the comfort of your own home. It's much more convenient and a lot cheaper. I love being able to watch practically any movie I want at home, but watching a movie at the theater will always be my favorite. When I was younger, my dad would let me skip school and he would take me to the movies. We'd go watch whatever movie was playing that day, get some lunch afterwards, and then just spend time together until the rest of my family got home. And then it was funny because my mom would ask me how school was and I'd lie and pretend like I went to school (even though I'm pretty sure she knew I didn't go haha). 

With that being said, I do still enjoy having movie nights at home. My aunt and uncle have a movie theater setup in their basement that we all watch movies in. It's usually 8 of us down in their basement watching the newest movie (always something that my dad or uncle wants to watch), and I think it's so much fun. If my little cousins join, then it has to be a Disney movie so that makes me happier lol. The good part about this is that watching movies at home is still a shared experience, which is my favorite part about movies: I enjoy being able to talk about it at the end. It's definitely not the same experience as going to the theaters, but it's a close second (can anything really be better than movie theater popcorn??)

Social Dilemma's insights on Social Media

When Social Dilemma got released, everyone was talking about it. It was released on Netflix in September of 2020, so it was still during the time when not much else was going on (makes people more excited for new documentaries!). Honestly, I think the reason that people were most intrigued was because it talked about the dangerous impact of social networking, and how tech companies used it to their advantage to manipulate and influence us as users. This documentary talks about how social media companies manipulate the users by using techniques that help encourage addiction to their platforms. Personally, the scarier part for me is that social media companies have been collecting personal data (it's been pretty much unregulated), and use it to create very specific ads.

During COVID, I started using my phone a LOT more (what else is there to do??), but I didn't think much of it. Of course I had to watch this documentary, and it opened my eyes so much. It made me realize how addicted I actually was to scrolling through social media, how I started doing it mindlessly, and how excessive usage of social media would make me so down on myself. Even sometimes if I was in the middle of a conversation with someone, I would randomly check my phone or my watch if I got a notification. I hated it!! I knew social media was addictive, but I never thought that these companies would do it on purpose, and that's what bothered me. They would send notifications to help release dopamine, which caused users to go into the app a lot more and keep scrolling so they would continuously feel the hit of dopamine rush through them. 

After watching it, I put time limits on all my social media apps to try and help myself get better. Side note: I keep getting distracted writing this because I'm getting snapchat notifications and it made me go on snapchat and instagram...addictive!! Anyways, I also sometimes change my phone to black and white because social media uses pretty colors to attract the user to keep using it. Honestly, it usually works pretty well (watching instagram reels without any color is kind of boring). 

It was a great documentary and I would recommend it to others. Social media is great for helping us stay connected with anyone around the world at any given time, but at what cost?

Animated Bloopers

Whenever I want to watch a movie but don't know exactly what, I usually go to Disney+ and watch a Disney or Pixar movie. I feel like you can never go wrong with it in my opinion. They have always put in so much extra work to make sure that every single detail is perfect in the movies. Growing up, I loved watching Toy Story...and may have hoped that my toys came to life when I wasn't there (I was young okay, and it would've been so cool if they did come to life). 

The first few times watching the Toy Story movies (along with other Disney Pixar movies), I enjoyed the ending with the bloopers but never really thought anything of it. As I got older, I realized that the producers had to make entirely new scenes of the animations messing up to make it seem like the animations were real. I think this is such an awesome addition to the movies, and honestly shows Disney Pixar cares about the smallest details. Other live action movies would sometimes include bloopers, and it's always fun watching the actors mess up and goof around with each other. The animated bloopers are adorable and would always make me laugh. 

Like how can you not laugh at these bloopers! It's so cool that they put in extra time and effort to create new animations and new lines for the characters just to give the audience something to laugh about at the end, and help the audience feel more connected with the characters (since they seem like actual people during the bloopers). This is one of my favorite parts of Disney Pixar movies, even though they don't include these in all of them.

I Saw Redemption in Shawshank Redemption

If I'm picking out a movie to watch, it's either a comedy or a Disney movie; I usually don't like dramas or horror, and I like sticking to my comfort films. I decided to try something different for once, and I watched 1994's The Shawshank Redemption. 

Directed by Frank Darabont and based on the Stephen King's "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption", the movie is set in Shawshank State Penitentiary. You had your usual fights, sexual assaults, and, of course, attempts at prison breaks. While I wasn't really expecting to like it all that much because I knew that the prison would be violent, it turned out to be a great movie. 

Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is wrongfully serving two consecutive life sentences for two murders that he didn't commit. You would think that the movie would go along and show how Andy was able to finally prove his innocence, but in reality we were able to see what redemption looks like: the challenges, growth, possible outcomes, success and failures, and seeing the concept of freedom through the eyes of different prisoners. 

This movie allowed me to understand how these prisoners felt, being trapped in a set routine and not knowing how they would ever be able to function in the real world again. Andy showed a different kind of outlook, demonstrating that true freedom is fueled by pursuing what's meaningful and to enjoy the things that bring us happiness. In a way, everyone becomes prisoners in their own lives, getting stuck into the same mundane routine every day and slowly losing purpose and forgetting the meaning of life and freedom. People let work and school overtake them until they are left with nothing. 

Andy connects with the audience to help show that even in the worst possible situation (like wrongfully serving two consecutive life sentences in the harshest prison) you should still focus on the things that are meaningful to you and bring you true happiness.

Unexpected Relationships: What The Upside is trying to tell its audience

Most people know of Bryan Cranston from a more suspenseful background like Breaking Bad, but he's also been involved in some lighthearted comedies, like Malcom in the Middle and The Upside. Directed by Neil Burger, The Upside was released in 2019, Based on a true story, it tells the story of a quadriplegic who needs a caregiver to help him with his day-to-day routine. 

Phillip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston) was involved in an incident while paragliding, which leaves him paralyzed. Unable to do his daily tasks without someone helping him, so he starts to look for someone to help take care of him. Over time, he doesn't find any enjoyment in living anymore. On a cruel note, he decided to pick the worst caregiver available. He hires Dell (Kevin Hart), a struggling parolee; who is trying, but failing, to reconnect with with his ex and young son. 

While watching the movie, I figured that Dell and Phillip would never get along; I was very wrong. These guys were complete opposites, and neither of them wanted to bond with the other. It's evident throughout the beginning that Dell hated his job, and Phillip didn't want him there. They had one thing in common: they hated how their lives were going at that current moment. 

As the movie goes on, Dell starts to get through to Phillip, and you start to see some spark from both of them. It suddenly turns from Phillip hating his life, to laughing and joking around whenever Dell is around. They started encouraging the other to try new things, and while doing this they both found joy in living again. The movie ends on a high note of both guys learning that life is supposed to be fun, and they try to find joy in every moment. 

I feel like this movie is a great example of how unexpected relationships can end up changing your life for the better. Both of them thought their life was over, but able to show that there are things worth living for, and you have time to make a change for the better. Certain people get put into our own lives, and we assume that there's no reason behind it and that nothing will come of it. 

I think it's the people that are different from you who actually challenge you to become a better version of yourself, and realize things about yourself that you hadn't seen before. If you're always surrounded by people who are the exact same as you, there's no room for growth. This movie taught me that I have to put myself into an uncomfortable situation if I want grow and find happiness in the little things. 

My Favorite Shot

 

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  One of my favorite books and films is Where the Crawdads Sing, so it's only fitting that this shot has stayed with me since watching the movie. This movie was directed by Olivia Newman and released in 2022, so it's still a relatively recent film. In this shot, we see Kaya sitting on her bed, still in her childhood home on the screened in porch. She has some of her drawings of nature hanging behind her, as she's going through one of her books about the marsh. Kaya grew up in an abusive home with her parents, and she's the youngest of 5 siblings. Her mom ended up walking out on the family in fear of her life, and gradually all of Kaya's siblings also left, leaving Kaya and her abusive dad behind. Long after her dad died, Kaya remained in the same house because she was comfortable living alone in the marsh, away from everyone else. With her back towards the window, it helps to show the audience how Kaya is closed off with new people, and doesn't want to be part of anything going on in the town. Growing up, she was always looked at differently since she was from the Marsh, and ever since she has been against making friends with people from the town. 

  Even though her back is still towards the world, the use of lighting makes this an important shot. Seeing the light come through the window and showing the details of her drawings helps to set the tone during that moment. Kaya has learned to exploit her knowledge of the marsh and her talents of drawing, and the director was able to show the audience how much her life has gotten better since the scene is brighter than other moments. The natural sunlight and warm colors coming in through the windows shows how happy Kaya is now that she's doing something she loves, and with someone who supports her through her journey. 

  I don't think I would change this shot because it perfectly depicts how her life got better. All the drawings on the wall where in the book that she published, which she ended up making money off of and being able to better her life with. While the movie does have another low point after this shot, the audience feels a sense of comfort while watching it because we see how she will be able to get through anything thrown her way.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Intro Post!!

 

• Hi everyone, welcome to my new blog about my film introduction class! I wanted to take this class because my boyfriend is really into film and media, so I wanted to learn about the things he loves. My two favorite movies are Where the Crawdads Sing and Up because of the emotional storytelling in each.

  I read Where the Crawdads Sing a few years ago before it became a movie, and I absolutely loved it. The way that Delia Owens was able to tell such a great story and in two different timelines really captivated my attention. The movie was crafted in a way that stayed true to how the book was written, and was able to capture the split timelines like it was in the book. 

  I also thought Up was a great movie. I think the opening montage in Up was an iconic start to a film because it introduces who our characters are and their relationship to each other incredibly quickly, and the reveal that Ellie dies pulls at my heart strings. After that opening montage, I wanted to continue following Carl on his journey. Other than that, I'm a relative novice when it comes to film, but I'm excited to learn about it throughout the semester.