Tron: Legacy

I'm going to post a full review in the near future but for now:
GO SEE IT! I can tell you right now that it is getting a 5 out of 5 with a "Go see it multiple times" rating.
Tron: Legacy is awesome.

Image via Wikipedia

Skyline/Harry Potter 7 part 1

Happy day after Thanksgiving!

So, Skyline was not as bad as everyone said it was.The plot was pretty much: aliens attack with blue light that sucks you in. 5-7 survivors stay in big building. Some die. They run downstairs.
Aliens scare them. They run upstairs.
Aliens scare them. They run up downstairs.
Aliens scare them. They run upstairs.
Aliens scare them. They run up downstairs.
Aliens scare them. They run upstairs. Aliens scare them. and then just to switch it up, they go to the roof! And fight aliens.
           The best part is watching the aliens fly around and fight because they actually look pretty cool. The acting here is not stellar, but it feels like a less nausea inducing version of Cloverfield. While the ending was not as full of closure as I would have liked, it was a entertaining film to watch. It felt a  tad long, and it also didn't have the best script. I saw it at the dollar theater so, for a dollar, this was well worth it. I suggest seeing this movie once it comes out on DVD or going to see it at a dollar theater.It's hard to give this movie a rating. I liked it, but wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for admission. So it's worth a watch but still only gets a 2.7 out of 5.

Image via Wikipedia

Harry Potter 7 part one was great! Some people complained that it was too long, but they probably stayed through the credits (which are reallllllly long). This has been my favorite Harry Potter film so far and when it ended I would have been happy to watch more if it had been there. Dobby as comic relief was brilliant as was the animated sequence in which Hermione tells a story. I would be happy to watch an entire movie with that art style. My only issue was a weird scene in which a silvery version of Harry and Hermione make out in gigantic from. It was just unnecessary and I can't say I remember the book describing it quite like that. But still! Everyone should go see this movie which is (mostly) just plain fun.  HP7 part 1 gets a 4.5 out of 5.

The Cove

Cover of The Cove

 I had to write this for my independent study. Here it is!

        The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos, is a film about one man’s quest to end dolphin hunting in a small cove in Taijii, Japan. This man, Ric O’ Barry, believes that if he can stop the killing in Taijii then he can stop the industry all together.  It seems this movie would be biased against dolphin hunters, and it is, but this bias is what fuels the movie. Without the hatred of dolphin hunters, this film would not be as compelling to watch. It is interesting to see how the opinions the fishermen have of hunting are challenged by the filmmakers.

This bias is backed up with the knowledge the arguments for dolphin hunting are not viable. Reasons for the hunting are presented, but throughout the film the arguments are shown to be unrealistic. Some opinions of hunting are based on with the tradition of hunting dolphins in Japan, while other arguments are founded on the belief that the animals are killed in a humane way. Both of these opinions are proven to be based on fallacious knowledge over the course of this film.

The dolphin hunters reason is they have been hunting dolphins for decades and it is tradition to hunt and eat dolphins in Japan. The filmmakers go to Tokyo and interview people walking down the street about eating dolphin. It turns out that none of the people interviewed know people who eat dolphin, let alone there are dolphin hunters in Japan. While this section was most likely edited just people who didn’t know about it were shown, this section of the film suggests that while it may be tradition in Taijii, not a lot of people in Japan eat dolphin. Most of the dolphin meat is sold under a different, more common, type of meat, so there is not actually a market for dolphin meat itself.

            The Japanese delegate to the International Whaling Commission tells the IWC the dolphins are being killed humanely and their death is quick and instantaneous. O’ Barry and his crew of friends climb into the fenced area in Taijii where you can see the water below where the dolphins are killed. They set up specially designed remote cameras that are disguised as rocks and hide audio equipment in the water so they can hear the dolphins. After almost being caught, they drive back to their hotel. Days later they return and retrieve their equipment after a day dolphins have been killed in the cove. The footage shows the dolphins are repeatedly stabbed with spears. The dolphins swim around in panic and are stabbed as they pass by the fishermen’s boats. It is not a quick or painless death. The film coupled with the audio of the dying dolphins is horrific.

O’ Barry wears a screen with his captured footage playing on it to an IWC meeting. He was banned from all future meetings previously in his life, so this is something that he is doing knowing he will get caught  quickly. As he walks around the room people see the film he has collected. He is quickly escorted out of the room but not before people see his footage. With the footage open to the public through the movie The Cove, Ric O’ Barry hopes to teach the world about the awful truth of dolphin hunting.

Image via Wikipedia

            While The Cove is a biased movie (it demonizes fishermen who hunt dolphins) it presents a valid point: the dolphin hunting in Taijii is not acceptable. Each year dolphins are stabbed to death with spears and do not die painlessly. The dead dolphins are often sold as meat not labeled as this type of meat because many Japanese people do not eat dolphin.  The filmmakers shed light on these facts and help start the beginning of the end for dolphin hunting in Taijii. After the film has finished, ways the viewers can help support the fight against dolphin hunting appear on the screen. 

I liked this documentary alot! I give it a 4 out of 5. It would get a 5 out of 5 but it is a little too long.

Diccionario

1. la pelicula
-esta es algo que ves en una pantalla

2. la industria cinematográfica
-el gran grupo que hace muchas películas

3. el guión de cine
-lo que los actores aprenden a hablar de

4. la estrella de pelicula
-lo que hay en cada película

5. el estudio cinematográfico
-la persona que paga por la película

6. actor/actriz….de cine
-que está en la película

7. crítico/a de cine
-la persona que dice la película es buena

8. director/a de cine
-la persona que está a cargo de la película

9. el cine
-donde ves las películas

10. la cámara operador
-la persona que usan la cámara

11. el editor
-la persona corta la película

12. el avance tráiler
-antes de ver la pelicula, mirastrozos pequenos de la pelicula

13. la banda sonora
-la musica en la pelicula

14. el director de fotografía
-la persona que coloca la cámara

15.  corta!
-lo que gritó al final de una escena

16. la tablilla
-utilizado al principio y al final de una toma

17. las palomitas
-lo que comes en una sala de cine y contiene mantequilla

18. los dulces
-ejemplo: barra de Hershey

19. la gaseosa
-una bebida carbonada

20. el billete
-lo compra para entrar en la película

21. el estudio de cine
-aquí es donde la película se edita

22. la pantalla verde
-se usa para los efectos especiales

23.el productor
-esta persona está a cargo del presupuesto

24. Dolley la cámara
-algo que la cámara se pone en movimiento para fotos

25. el micrófono
-donde el sonido se graba

26. los efectos especiales
-usar para hacer objetos de fantasía

27. el cineasta
-esta es la persona que hace la película

28. subtitles—–los subtítulos
-lo que se lee si la película es en un idioma diferente

29. la animación
-de ordenador creados película

30. post-producción
-la parte del proceso de hacer cine con efectos especiales, animación, etc, pero antes de la película es liberado

Shrek Forever After

Image via Wikipedia

School started today! Other than spilling my sprite all over my pants and shirt, my junior year got off to a great start!

So yesterday Emily and I decided to go to the dollar theater and see Shrek Forever After. We were both prepared for it to be a pretty bad movie, like the previous movie we had see (Alice in Wonderland), but we were pleasantly surprised to find the movie quite enjoyable. It was funny and had quite a focus on the plot compared to the 3rd Shrek movie. although it was full of humor that is not for older people, it still had laugh-worthy moments. While watching the movie I was constantly reminded i was watching an animated movie. It looked like a bad computer game. But overall it was an enjoyable experience. 3/5


And yes I know the poster is for the first Shrek!

YES!

The Film Camp dvd showed up in the mail today! I'll post my films here soon!
:-)

Seven Samurai

I tried to find a trailer to start this post. I'm sad to say that all of the trailers for Seven Samurai are boring to watch. I don't see how anyone would have gone to see this movie if they saw the trailer!

Cover via Amazon

Seven Samurai is a Japanese movie. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, it came out in 1954 in black and white. On the dvd you can turn on subtitles to understand what the characters are saying, but I'll get back to that. The movie is as follows:"The film takes place during the Warring States Period in Japans history (around 1587/1588). It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops." 

This movie is 207 minutes long, but don't let that keep you from watching it. This film is lengthy but does ever become boring. The script took a tedious 6 intense weeks of script writing and 148 days of filming to be completed. While watching, you feel as if you are best friends with the characters and you become invested in their well being. Because the movie is so long, you have plenty of time to get to now the characters and understand each of their motivations. The film has many genuinely funny moments which I was not expecting. The fighting in the movie is quite well done, and it is not surprisingly the entire focus of the movie. Much of the time is devoted to things other than fighting, such as finding the 7 samurai, preparing the villagers to fight, and just plain fun. The movie is historically accurate to the period and it looks beautiful. The entire film is just plain cool to watch because of the camera shots. There are no unecessary shots and that really makes the movie a pleasure to watch.

        A little bit about subtitles. Yes, the movie is subtitled, but that doesn't take away from it at all. The first time I watched Seven Samurai was my introduction to subtitles and after about ten minutes or so it became quite easy to read and watch at the same time. Do not neglect to watch this just because it is subtitled. 

The Criterion Collection version of the dvd comes with 3 discs. The first two are the movie and the third has extra features such as interviews and trailers. The extras alone are very interesting and are worth a watch. The dvd also comes with a 52 page booklet with interviews with different people involved with the film.

There is also an animated version of Seven Samurai called "Samurai 7" and it is worth a watch too. The animated version however, is a more futuristic version of the movie, and is also presented as a tv show instead of a movie. The storylines are very close to one another.

I give Seven Samurai a 5 out of 5. It is my #1 favorite movie. Go watch it!

p.s. The stupid dvd didnt come in the mail today either...

Today is Sunday

Image via Wikipedia

Watched Wall-e again last night. It is still soooo good! I recommend watching the directors commentary! It is interesting to hear, although can be dull at some points. Wall-E=4.5 out of 5.

Gah 3.0 and...The Losers

Ok this is stupid. The dvd didn't show up yesterday or today.

In a hurry today: The Losers was good! It had plot holes but who cares? It was a good blowing things up kind of movie and that's what I wanted. It was funny in many scenes and it had enough ridiculous action to make me happy. And the explosions were cool too! I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Gah! 2.0

So yesterday was 2 weeks from the end of camp. That means the dvd should have come in the mail. It didn't. MAYBE TODAY??????
I hope so.
anyway, heres a link. look at it! (and no this isnt my video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBN-CAhOYQ0

Gah!

I want my dvd with my film school projects to come in the mail!!!!
Todays breakfast of eggs and a calorie drink were tasty :D

Inception, Predators, and...PONYO!!!

Ok, I'm confused. I saw Inception less than a week ago, and I'm not sure what everyone is all "mind-blown" about. It was good! Don't get me wrong, but it was not super. I liked the concept of dream theives and such, but I can't say that my life was changed. Did I miss something? Oh, and the ending? Not necessary at all. It felt a little tacked on and was not needed. Shutter Island did it better! But I suppose they arent similar movies. I enjoyed Inception but I can't say it was horribly brilliant. I give it a 3 out of 5.

                                                       Inception Trailer

                       Video obtained from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPH2T9o_Dz8

Predators was a fun film to watch. While not on par with the original, who cares? Movies like this aren't supposed to have a deep plot! Characters are cardboard cut outs and are fairly boring, but I didn't go to the movie for deep thinking either. I went to see things blow up. And I was pleased with what I saw! Explosions were sharp and the action was very nicely paced. Predators are supposed to be cool, and they are! I give this movie a 3.5 out of 5.


                                                    Predators Trailer 

                       Video obtained from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u8vZwvP57Y

 Also I have now seen Ponyo. It was so good! It is inspiring to see animation that doesn't suck and can tell a wonderful story. There were some spots that it was wonderfully weird, but that made it all the more enjoyable. It was a fun film, alhtough in some spots it felt a tad slow. But speed aside I would recommend this to anyone who has some time to kill. If you don't have time to kill, then make it! This is a must see film. I give it a 4 out of 5. This weekend, instead of going to see Inception or Predators, rent Ponyo.

The trailer wont upload :(                                                          

Review:The Last Airbender

So last night Ben (my brother), my mom, and I went to see The Last Airbender. It was interesting to say the least. The whole experience started off with us sitting down watching the "preflix" entertainment. I usually just sit and watch the ads without much thought other than to make fun of the Kranich comercials. "Whether you spend 5 dollars or 500 dollars..." I always wonder: what in that store could possibly cost 5 dollars? But i digress. We were watching the ads and then there was a little information thing that appeared and a guy started talking about the best, but most unknow, animated movie. It turns out the guy was talking about Ponyo, a recent film by Hayao Miyazaki. I havent sen it, but I know many people who have, and all I can think about is: Who could possibly think that noone had heard of this film? Unrecognized? It did really well everywhere! I have friends who have stuffed animals that look like of the characters!

                                                                       Ponyo
So after my inital confusion I decided that the people who were making the preflix information didn't know what they were talking about. Soon the lights dimmed and it was time for the PREVIEWS or the TRAILERS as some call them.

The first we saw was for Despicable Me. I am interested to see if the movie lives up to all of its hype. Hopefully I will go with someone to see it, but if I don't end up seeing it in theaters I am not heartbroken. After that we moved on to the preview of The Sorcerers Apprentice. I do not understand why Nicholas Cage insists on wasting his career on these sorts of movies. He used to be at least a fairly decent actor (fairly), but now he is apparently an actor for kids movies. Oh well. The special effects look cool, and I'm sure it will do fine in the box office. Next up was Nanny McPhee Returns or Regenerates or Respawns or SOMETHING!!! I'm not really able to comment seeing as I never saw the first one, but it looks like the kind of family friendly movie that could be fun to watch. Finally, Jack Black is starring in Gulliver's Travels. I don't like Jack Black much, but it looks like it might be a nice relaxing sort of film. Finally, it was time for...THE ACTUAL MOVIE!!!!

The premise of the movie is that there are people who can "bend" or manipulate the elements of the earth. There are Fire, Water, Earth, and Air benders. They all have their own communities and governments that exist peacefully. There is 1 person who is called the Avatar who can learn tobend all of the elements and maintain peace throughout the world. The Avatar is reincarnated so there is always one present. The big problem of the movie (for awhile) is that the avatar has gone missing, and no one knows where he is. So...the opening sequence was good. I enjoyed how the opening sequence from the tv show was used in the film, only with real actors instead of the animated ones. As the movie opens for those who have seen the show, it is startling. The first scene is lifted almost exactly from the first episode of the tv show. After the movie gets moving, which only happens accidentally, there are only 2 immediate flaws that I could find. 1. The main characters name is pronounced wrong. and 2. A important secondary characters name is also pronounced wrong. But moving on to the positives of the movie! It looks beautiful. There was an obvious attempt to make the element bending look realistic. And it does. The fight sequences are done mostly in slow motion, but here it feels right at home. In real time there would be no way to figure out what was going on. There are many times while watching I found myself wondering if I could leave the theater to go try some of the stunts myself in my bedroom. If I had a fire when we got home no doubt I would have burnt myself trying to fire bend. The story felt rushed, but that's because it was trying to have a whole tv season into a 2 hour movie. Overall a good movie. I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

Great review? ok well i'll work on that!

First Post!

Today is the first post of many!
Anyway, on to my topics of the day: Toy Story 3 and Shabtai Raspberry Rolls

Toy Story 3 has been out for a good length of time now and it seems to be getting mixed reviews. Many people seem to be saying it is the best of the 3 films, but I find that hard to believe. The first Toy Story movie was an excellent introduction into the universe of how our Toys behave, while the second film had much room for improvement. Pixar apparently noticed the deficiency of the 2nd film and corrected those problems with the third installment. Many people say they cried during the 3rd movie, so it couldn't be too bad or else their feelings would not have been poked like that. According to the Centre Daily Times the Russian response to the 3rd film was less than stellar, although this is most likely because most of Russia has not seen the previous two films. Not having seen the film myself, I cannot comment, but I plan on seeing it soon! Then I will have my review for you all.





Shabtai Raspberry Rolls are quite possibly the best food I have ever eaten. The Shabtai website (http://www.shabtai-gourmet.com/?page=detail&itemnum=117) describes them as "Thin Sponge layers rolled up in Raspberry Jam, and sprinkled with coconut. Perfect for all year round and during the holidays too! Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Casein Free, Lactose Free, Corn Free, and Certified Kosher!" The raspberry jam is just the perfect amount of sweetness inbetween the layers of bread and the coconut, which I am not normally a fan of, adds a perfect bit of texture to the otherwise smooth bite. I prefer them cold, but you may also eat them heated up, although I believe that the jam may begin to ooze if you try that. Overall, these rolls are perfect and Shabtai should keep up the good work!

Tomorrow I will try to write a longer post, but for tonight I'm going to be done. And look forward to an updated site with pictures!