Ashley Matthews- post #7

Ashley Matthews
3/31/12

Food, Inc. (2008)

Dir Robert Kenner

          Camera moves play a significant role in effectively communicating the ideas in Food, Inc.  Every time we are brought through the grocery store, the camera moves on a dolly up and down the isles at the eye level of a shopper, making us feel like we are behind that shopping cart.  The camera focuses on the millions of processed food products on the shelves also at eye level.  Once we are brought inside one of the meat processing factories where it is told that the workers are abused, the camera switches to P.O.V. filming to make us feel like we are a worker there, scatter-brained and always moving.

         The camera moves on a dolly at a very rapid pace when scanning over the cornfields in Iowa. This is effective in emphasizing just how many acres of cornfields there are which are used directly to make food as well as feed to cattle which then indirectly becomes a part of our food. 

          A part in the film when the 1/3 rule is used effectively is in telling Kevin’s mother’s story.  When we first hear about her tragic story of her son getting E.Coli and dying at the innocent age of 3, she is walking down the aisle at the grocery store and she is moved to the side.  This emphasizes the fact that the processed hamburg product that contained E. Coli had killed her son within just 12 days of consuming.   Toward the end, however, we hear her story about how she went to congress to try to enact “Kevin’s law,” which passed.  Here, she is filmed walking down the hall of the white house with her mother, and they are positioned in the center of the frame.  This camera move emphasizes her as a person and her power as a consumer to make a difference in the food industry.

Ashley Matthews- post #6

Ashley Matthews

3/25/12

Never Say Never (2011)
Dir Jon M. Chu

           The ways in which this film was shot were extremely effective in telling the story of Justin Bieber’s journey to fame.  In the beginning, there were scenes showing Bieber’s early career when he first got discovered from his YouTube videos and then there needed to be an indication of a passage of time.  Chu used a series of fade in/fade out to communicate that time had gone by.  This is also used while Bieber is on tour to show that they were moving from one location to the next.  Chu also chooses to incorporate a montage of pictures and video to show scenes from Bieber’s childhood.  The camera moves on a dolly when following Bieber, his manager, and security behind the scenes rather than moving as a P.O.V. shot probably because Chu wanted the audience to feel that despite all the chaos that goes on behind the scenes, Bieber and his crew are determined and focused on their goals.  P.O.V. shots are used in crowd scenes to make you feel like you are at the concert.

            Whenever the camera follows Bieber performing on stage, the rule of thirds is used in order to balance the shot and make the composition more pleasing to the eye.  When the camera is on Bieber backstage, the camera will dolly in and out of Bieber’s face as he makes funny faces while the camera is trying to shoot him.  This shows that Bieber never thought he would make it as big as he did, and that despite his extreme famousness, he is still a regular kid at heart. 

Chris Henson 4

                “Aladdin” is an animated film by Ron Clements and John Musker. It is seen as a classic children’s movie. The movie is the tale of a poor street urchin who meets a young princess. They start to see each other secretly, and a relationship is built despite the fact that it is forbidden. The movie centers around not just these two, but an entire magical world in which they find themselves.

                The movie, which was made in 1992, was packed full of action and romance, with a good deal of comedy along the way. This film is deeper than one may think at first, especially given that it’s a children’s movie. I found this piece to be a moving and inspirational story which teaches our children that there’s more to people than we see on the outside. It is a story of how morals are more important than any combination of money and class. Aladdin is a character who is full of such morals and because of this, he is able to be successful in the end.

                I think that this film has a lot to say about the American people and their morals. Though we often lose sight of such morals, I believe that they are inherent within us all, and this movie without a doubt brings those morals to the surface in each in every one of us. The movie is also about passion and hard work, two characteristics that we as a society have always held in higher esteem than other countries. I really appreciate the depth of this movie, which does completely capture the American spirit, though its setting is elsewhere.

Chris Henson 3

In their 1992 documentary film, “Brother’s Keeper,” directors and documentarians Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky portray the small town story of two brothers and the community that surrounds them. Delbert and William Ward were two farmers in a very small town in the state of New York. William was sick for a long time, and one night he passed away in his sleep.

When the ambulance was called the next morning, they declared him dead. The emergency personnel gave Delbert, his caring and compassionate brother, their condolences and left assuming that he had died in his sleep and of natural causes. When the autopsy is finished, it is concluded that he was suffocated to death, and the police pick up the rest of the almost illiterate family for questioning. After several hours, they are able to get a confession out of Delbert.

The story is about his fight for freedom and the impact that the Ward family had on the surrounding community (who got together ten thousand dollars for bail the day after Delbert was arrested). The film is inspiring, splitting us between what we think is right, what is lawful, and what is ethical. As we follow the life and struggle of Delbert, we grow such compassion for the entire community, all of whom are uneducated, supportive of one another, and most of all, just trying to get by.

Chris Henson 2

                “Beethoven” is a film by Brian Levant, and was also created in 1992. It is the story of a typical American family, consisting of three kids and a happily married mother and father. This film for me captures the essence of the American dream in a way that has been lost in Hollywood. It is a comedy, and the acting is poor. But that doesn’t stop this movie from being an inspiration to us all. The story is of a caring stay at home mother and a strict father who is trying to provide for his family. One morning, a puppy sneaks into the house and into the arms of the youngest daughter. Because of the bonds that are created, the father is obligated to keep it, but “only until the owners are found.”

                The dog, a Saint Bernard, grows rapidly and sets his eyes on tearing apart the house and the lawn while bringing together the family. With it comes our hearts as we are all drawn to memories (or lack thereof) of our own family and, of course, our lovable pets. It is a story which is able to capture the American way of life, allowing us to connect with the movie despite its pitfalls.

                Through his 1992 film, “Beethoven,” Brian Levant successfully captures our attention and directs it to something that has been missing when we go to the movies. That something is a mix between morals and a storyline which shows the viewer what America used to be, and should be for that matter. Though the jokes are corny and it may never be a “classic,” I feel that it has successfully taken me, as the audience, to a simpler place: the home.

Chris Henson

“Lessons of Darkness” is Warner Herzog’s 1992 documentary about the Kuwait oil fields in the aftermath of the Gulf War. Though it is very slow at times (and almost painfully so), it is a very powerful and thought provoking piece which, in my opinion, successfully and accurately captures and portrays the intensity and urgency of the situation.

The film starts with the quote, "The collapse of the stellar universe will occur – like creation – in grandiose splendor." The conflict that is known as the Gulf War resulted in the bombing of the Kuwait oil fields. The majority of the movie consists of simple shots of the disastrous yet awesome fires that are accompanied by massive geysers of oil.

Though there is not much dialog, and perhaps even because of that, there are a lot of times when the audience is free to think about the consequences of our unnecessary wars. It also has us thinking about the fact that we have these machines which are used to pump out what appears to be the very blood of the Earth. As we pan across the oil fields, we see what appears to be great lakes of dark water, but, as Herzog puts it, it is merely the “oil disguising itself as water.” The film “Lessons of Darkness” is overall a very intense film which triggers the realization of our actions.

A Few Good Men (1992) Rob Reinder WK

William Klingbeil

A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men (1992) directed by Rob Reinder uses many filming techniques that help to personify the mood during each scene. The opening scene is a classic way to present the problem that is going to occur during the story. Like in the T.V. show Law and Order and many other judicial system based films, such as My Cousin Vinny (1992) there is a crime that is committed and the audience experiences the crime happen first hand.

The filming techniques including, waste down shots, dark lighting, and slow pan shots helped to set the mood for the murder of one the Marines. The initial slow pan shot of a dark sunset followed by waste down shots of the murderers as they waked made it seem like they were up to no good. Then when they killed the marine the murderers were shown with extremely dark lighting on their faces. These elements of filming put together helped to set the tone for the First scene.

One thing that I noticed in the film is that Tom Cruise always plays a cocky role. For example in the Film Top Gun he plays a cocky young pilot, and in this film he plays a cocky young lawyer, who at first doesn’t seem fit to have the job. The way in which the director portrays Tom Cruise at first makes him seem as if he isn’t serious enough for the job. The film first shows him playing softball and being unaware of obvious things such as who his clients are. Showing him playing softball makes it seem like he isn’t serious enough for the job. At first he seems as if he doesn’t have enough experience in the court room, but after buckling down and getting serious he wins his trial and proves Downey and Dawson innocent.

The amount of big name actors in the film really attracted me to want to watch it. In knowing that Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon were in the film made me expect the film to be very well played. This is a perfect example of how having a big named actor in your film can boost your audience. Because people will go and see your film just because they like those actors.,

Overall I believe that the film was very good, and it kept my attention the entire time watching it. It also made the military seem corrupt and its soldiers brainwashed. This is one of the messages, which I believe the director wanted to get across to his audience.

Jessica Docksteader

The Bodyguard 

Director: Mick Jackson

Year: 1992 

I know this is probably hard to believe but this is the first time I have ever seen the movie The Bodyguard. So far, this is the best movie I have seen made in the year 1992. It was definitely my kind of movie. I loved that the legendary Whitney Houston played pretty much herself and her bodyguard who is played by Kevin Costner who is an amazing actor that fall in love.  With previous knowledge that this was Houston’s first movie, I was surprised that Whitney Houston was such a good actress she was. I love that the movie has lots of twists and turns and that the plot really engages the audience. I love that this the character Frank is supposed to be this badass but you still see his soft side in his infatuation with Rachel.  Throughout the movie the viewer can notice that Frank would do anything, even if that meant endangering himself, to keep Rachel away from harm. My favorite scene is probably the most iconic scenes in the entire film, is the final scene when Rachel is saying goodbye to Frank at the airport and as she is boarding the plane, I will always love you begins to play. I cannot lie, I cried. It was just such a heart wrenching moment.

            The film uses many different shots, which makes the movie flow very nicely and brings it all together. The acting and the music is the best part about this movie. There is seriously something so special about Whitney’s voice and the director did a great job of making her music a priority throughout the film. There was a definite chemistry on screen between Houston and Costner, their love for each other was believable and they both did a great job showing that.  I think what the director and cast wanted to get across to their viewers is that you can fall in love, but it is not always going to be easy, that love is hard.  It was an amazing movie and I absolutely loved it. I would recommend this film to anyone. 

Brittany Garcia - Cape Fear 1991

Brittany Garcia 

Title: Cape Fear

Director: Martin Scorsese 

Year: 1991 

Cape Fear was also a favorite in 1991. The movie is about a public defender who acted as a lawyer in the case of an “alleged” rapist. Years prior, when the case was open, the public defender put aside and withheld some very important information from the courts. This information may have possible got him off with no charge, but given the info was never released, he was sentenced to fourteen years. The public defender withholding this evidence brings up a huge ethical implication in the legal system. The alleged rapist, when released from prison, wanted revenge so he went after the public defender and his family. 

One shot that stood out to me in this movie that I had one shot that I hadn’t seen in many of the other movies I have watched thus far is the over the shoulder shot. In one scene, this was used effectively when the alleged rapist was in a two shot scene alone with the public defenders daughter. He was flirting with her and the camera would go from a medium close-up on him to the same on her then would transition to an over the shoulder where he would be talking and we could see this but we didn’t see his face, only hers. 

Cape Fear ended with amazing graphics. The family of the public defender tries to escape so they get on a boat, not knowing the alleged rapist had followed them and was on the boat too. He tried to kill/injury all of them so it turns into a huge brawl. There is a thunder storm outside so the lightening that is striking places an emphasis on the sequence in the end of the movie. The graphics that transition from outside the boat in the storm to inside where the place is a disaster are great. Tilt shots were used during this brawl as well. For example, the camera would start down at the alleged rapist feet and then tilt up revealing his face. Or another example is when something scary is about to take place,  the camera would start with a close-up shot on his face and then slowly zoom out and tilt down revealing a weapon. 

I would recommend this movie to those interested in law and justice or who enjoy a good violent/suspenseful film. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas(1993) #5

Director: Tim Burton

The Nightmare Before Christmas really was just a small preview into the mind of Tim Burton. All of his films have this bizarre, yet appealing shrill to them as this one does. The animation in this film/musical was mesmerizing. The songs in the film are very funny although I wouldn't necessarily consider this something for kids. I can just imagine the patience that a filmmaker has to put in doing stop animation and this was very well-done. The movement of the characters are almost so flawless that it makes everything seem so realistic rather than made of clay. My favorite scene was the whole performance that Jack Skellington makes when he is singing "What's this" I thought all the different use of colors in contrast to his black attire was very visually appealing. The camera angles really did make the film, Burton used so many different angles from inside of houses, medium shots and action shots. All of the fast-paced movement keeps you following the character through this maze of unique and random sets that were artistically designed. You really have to have the imagination of a child to make a film like this. It is evident that so much thought had to have been put into this and it is what makes Burton continue to surprise us. His mind seems to be his own world and he expresses it best through the creativity he puts into his films. My favorite character was Jack, not because he was the main one but because he embodied what I thought to be your somewhat average Joe. He wants more than his mundane job of being in charge of Halloween every year and he searches for something that can bring him happiness in life. Much like other films in the end Jack gets the girl and saves Christmas.

My Cousin Vinny 1992 Dir. Jonathan Lynn Anna Urick

My Cousin Vinny

            My Cousin Vinny is the first movie I watched from 1992 for this assignment. My first reaction and initial thoughts were getting used to the clothing. This might seem like a minor part of a film but it took me a while to get used to the early 90’s fashions, simply because they were so different from what is “in style” today.

            I personally did not like this film very much. I know many people and critics view My Cousin Vinny as an entertaining film from the early 90’s but I have more of a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and enjoy clever jokes and the situational comedy of My Cousin Vinny was not particularly entertaining to me and extremely predictable which became boring after a while.

            The entire movie is based off of one miscommunication after another. While miscommunication in comedy is funny I felt it was beyond repetitive in My Cousin Vinny. The whole plot was based around two boys being charged with murder through simple miscommunications. The situational comedy became overkill for me when the majority of jokes or funny moments had the exact same set up. The lawyer (Vinny) attempted to explain the miscommunication the judge to avoid the whole trial but it led to more miscommunication and the full trial. Certain repetitive scenes also became boring after a few times. Each morning they were woken up by some strange noise or disturbance near where they had slept the night before. It was just very predictable, even after moving to a new hotel each night, it was obvious they would be woken up.

            The film did have a few parts I enjoyed. First, I did like Vinny’s character trait of fast talking his way out of certain situations and the clever, persuasive side to him. Even if he did not always realize how clever he was being. I thought the character dynamics between Vinny and his girlfriend were good, highlighting why the worked as a couple even though they both had strong, stubborn personalities. His girlfriend ultimately saved the day for the two boys in jail by being able to properly explain such intense detail about cars and tire tracks that it proved the two boys were innocent and their car was not the one that peeled out of the gas station. This was an interesting plot twist, I was expecting Vinny, who had struggled being a lawyer to have a major epiphany and break through the case and prove it on his own. But I liked his breakthrough and his girlfriend’s car knowledge was teamed to prove the boys’ innocence.

            The filming followed certain rules such as rule of thirds that was obvious through out the movie. Scenery shots added to the film showing rural areas and small town life in Alabama. A key element in this film was the reaction shot. With the situational comedy running throughout the movie, the shot of their initial reaction to any confusion taking place was essential for the comedy of the film to work.

            Overall, My Cousin Vinny would not have been a top pick for film I love but it does have a few funny moments and a plot with a few twists to keep the audience entertained.  

The Bodyguard 1992 Dir Mick Johnson Anna Urick

The Bodyguard 1992 Dir Mick Johnson Anna Urick

I watched The Bodyguard starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. I watched this movie about a week before Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room so writing this review seems a little sad. This film was good, but I do not think I would watch it a second time. The love story plotline was typical and expected. Most films do stick to a very routine and expected sequence of events. Rachel Marron (Houston) and Frank Farmer (Costner) are at odds about his security techniques and have an initial dislike towards each other. Like most love stories, Farmer sees a different side of Marron and Marron falls for him through his valiant actions, which protect her during a concert. Of course they have a few moments of love then fall apart before ultimately ending up together.

            While the love plotline was a little mundane, I really did enjoy three particular twists in the film. Marron is being threatened by what appeared to be a crazy, obsessed stalker. A few shots in the film show a creepy, man with frizzed white hair that appears to be the culprit behind Marron’s threats. The man seems like the perfect, strange obsessive stalker. His appearance and general behavior seemed like he was the perfect culprit. This man is arrested and we find he is not the true stalker, just an odd, obsessed fan. This left me stumped as to who the real stalker was.

            The second twist that came as a big shock was when Marron’s sister told Farmer she was the reason for this threatening stalker. Marron’s sister actually hired someone to assassinate her own sister. This brings another layer of deepness to the plot. The audience sees a deep, trouble past between Marron and her sister filled with jealousy and anger. This confession comes out when Marron’s son, Fletcher is almost killed. It also shows Marron’s sister is not simply a cruel person and does care for other members of her family but the relationship with her sister is severely damaged.

            Ultimately the true assassin is revealed as Farmer’s old work acquaintance. This adds the third interesting plot twist to the story. As far as the plot goes, I enjoyed the different twists and confusion in figuring out who was behind the death threats but found the love story a little boring because of how typical it was.

            For filming aspects, I noticed the rule of thirds was always present in every shot of the film. I noticed contrasting not only with shadows, darkness and lightness but also in clothing.

            There were many different areas filmed in the movie as well. Marron’s home, a few concerts and party spots, Farmers home, restaurants, the cabin home all made the continual change of scenery made the film interesting.

Love Potion No. 9 Dir Dale Launer Anna Urick

Love Potion No. 9

Directed by Dale Launer

            Love Potion No. 9 starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan was actually a funny, romantic comedy even though it had a few cheesy moments. The plot I enjoyed, mainly because of the different plots running in and out of the main plot. The main plot based around Bullock and Donovan discovering a love potion from a psychic and creating a love potion in a mouth spray form. Before the potion two minor plots are their current love lives. Bullock has a “relationship” with a man that does not seem very interested in her, while Donovan strikes out at bars and has an awkward encounter with a prostitute. Both of these seemed very minor but Bullock’s man and Donovan’s prostitute both have a heavy influence on the plot later in the film. I liked how this tied up loose ends and brought the plot full circle. Bullock and Donovan date, break up, and eventually find their way back to each through Love Potion No. 9. This is the typical setup for romantic comedies but other plot twists did make it interesting. Both characters from the side plots learn of the love potion and begin using it in a reckless and controlling way. These side plots added to the film.

            One scene that I thought must have been difficult to film was one of the final scenes in the movie. The prostitute takes too much of the love potion and is being chased down city streets by mobs of men. This scene must have been a little challenging to film with the amount of people used and the areas they covered. Most of the other scenes filmed took place in the science labs and their homes with a few bar and party scenes.

            For a romantic comedy I think this film from 92 was entertaining even though some parts did become a little cheesy. It had some very funny highlights. I noticed the director usually used the front of Bullock’s apartment building as the establishing shot before showing what scene was taking place in her apartment. In a comedic ways it touched on the superficial infatuation that takes place in relationships in our society. This is a theme that is still true today and has been used in many different romantic comedies before true love finds a way.

            

Sister Act 1992 Dir Emile Ardolino Anna Urick

Sister Act 1992 Dir Emile Ardolino Anna Urick

            Sister Act, directed by Emile Ardolino and starring Whoopi Goldberg was an entertaining comedy with an unusual plotline and strong character growth. Goldberg plays Deloris Van Cartier a wild, Vegas singer dating a bigtime mobster. After seeing her boyfriend commit murder she is placed under the witness protection program. This is a total opposite lifestyle Van Cartier is thrown into and renamed Sister Mary Robert. At first, as expected the new “Sister” is extremely out of place and resentful of where she is and what she is being forced to do. She finds she can connect to the women in the habit through music and begins to see a deeper side of the other nuns and begins to grow closer to them. I liked how she used her previous life to bring people back to the church and you really see her character evolve throughout the film. Eventually she makes the decision to protect her new friends in the habit and shows she truly is a good, strong person underneath her initial rough edges. I really liked watching her character grow and become a better person.

            One aspect of this movie I loved that is not a common part of most movies is the music. Yes, all films have musical scores and music present but very few have church and choir type songs. Goldberg’s character adds a fresh element and interesting sounds to the music. This development in the plot added interest in my opinion.

            For a comedy Sister Act had an interesting spin on a typical “fish out of water” plotline. Character relationships and development combined with the musical element made Sister Act a different comedy and definitely worth watching.

A Few Good Men 1992 Dir. Rob Reiner Anna Urick

A Few Good Men 1992 Dir. Rob Reiner Anna Urick

            A Few Good Men is the best movie I have watched so far for this assignment. Set in a courtroom, Tom Cruise plays the role of LTJG Daniel Kaffee assigned to defend Downey and Dawson two marines in case concerning the death of another marine, Santiago. I liked this film because of the real life issues it addresses and the change you see characters go through.

            Kaffee (Cruise) begins as a lazy lawyer who usually takes the easy way out of work and accepts plea-bargains rather than the long hours involved in taking a case to court. Demi Moore plays JoAnn Galloway and is the woman who convinces Kaffee to take the case to court because she had the strong instinct there was more to the case than they were being told. Galloway’s strong sense led to Kaffee taking the case to court where he evolved as a lawyer and really began to see what he needed to be doing. For Cruise’s character it was a very transitional part to play. He became a good lawyer even though he had moments of regret and drunken feelings of failure. He eventually trapped Jessup in a lie and had his shining moment in the courtroom when he won the case and proved Downey and Dawson innocent.

            Another aspect of this film I loved was how real the issue is in real life. There are many covert and secret operations that take place within the military and are usually kept quiet. While some of these secrets are best left without the public knowing some cases and problems need to be addressed and reformed. This film highlighted real societal problems and what may go on behind closed doors in our military.

            The actual filming used close-ups and headshots to emphasize the intensity and seriousness of important scenes. This film did have the perfect ending, in which the truth was revealed and higher authority was punished for their orders. Although this may not always be realistic in military court cases it was a solid ending for the film. The character growth and dynamics coupled with the intense plot line and real issues made A Few Good Men a great film to watch. 

Brittany Garcia - Drop Dead Fred 1991

Brittany Garcia 

Title: Drop Dead Fred

Director: Ate de Jong 

Year: 1991 

Drop Dead Fred was an awesome movie. The movie is about a woman who leaves her husband and eventually ends up back living with her mom. When this happens, her childhood imaginary friend comes back to be an active part of her life. To start, this movie went hand in hand with one of the subjects I was studying for my child psychology exam. It is a one of Piaget’s theory about pretend play. It is the time in a child’s life where they have the cognitive ability to come up with imaginary people and so forth. This movie was a perfect example of this theory and I found it very helpful for my psych class.  

Throughout the movie, flashback is utilized multiple times. The story goes back and forth from when Elizabeth, one of the main characters, is a child and to current when she is a grown adult. The flashbacks are put to use very successfully. For example, it takes a part of Elizabeth’s life currently and flashes back to a significantly similar situation from when she was a child. I feel that the transitions from past to present were smooth. 

One other aspect I loved about this movie is that it was very humorous. I typically have a hard time sitting down and watching movies because I have a busy schedule and movies can be pretty time consuming. If I ever have time to sit, I usually fall asleep. This one though, I watched late one night, around 1 a.m. and it was so funny, it actually kept my attention and kept me awake the entire movie. The imaginary friend, Fred is hilarious. They use multiple different special effects to portray his character, For example, in one scene Elizabeth sneezes in which case it sends Fred in a ball across the entire room and he bounces to hit every wall before coming stable again. In another scene, because Elizabeth is the only person that can see him, without knowing it, her mom ends up closing his head in the refrigerator. When he comes out his head it flat as a pancake. To me, scenes like this were just too funny. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and all it’s different effects. 

Brittany Garcia - Virgin High 1991

Brittany Garcia

Title: Virgin High

Director: Richard Gabai 

Year: 1991 

Let me just start by saying this movie was terrible. I think I enjoyed prying and poking at all the things that went bad in this movie versus the movie itself. The movie was about a high school girl who gets in trouble with her parents and gets sent away to a catholic boarding school. A boy she had been dating can’t stand that she is away and he and his buddies attempt to get in the school to see her. I don’t even know where to begin. The actors and actresses with the exception of a few were terrible. They tended to look into the camera a bit when speaking and some of the emotions they expressed were just awful. For example, in one scene, one of the girls is suppose to be crying. She sounded so fake and surreal it was crazy. It took away from the meaning of the moment. Besides the acting, the camera people didn’t do such a hot job either. 

Throughout the movie, I counted three different times where in the headroom of a few particular shots, you could see the microphone above the actors/actresses. To me, this is very poor camera work. With the camera as well, there was one part toward the end of the movie where the camera was not utilized properly when they are at the end of the year dance. There was an attempted explosion with whip cream, which ended up being an epic fail. What was an attempt or should have been a combination shot, I feel was simply a jump cut. Where it should have transitioned from one action to the next, it jumped and we missed the entire in between. I will give them credit though with some of the reaction shots that were used. 

Overall, this movie was so off the wall and pretty random. Even from the very beginning certain parts were just weird. For example, one of the main characters Jerry was extremely obsessed with “his” girl. He tries to feel under her shirt when she was sleeping and then he breaks in her boarding school without any notice and sneaks in her room all the while she didn’t seem very interested. To me, the story itself, for example, the plot of this movie could have been so much better had it been acted out differently.  

Free Willy(1993) #4

Director: Simon Wincer

I chose to watch Free Willy because it was a very popular movie when I was little but I never ended up watching it, so I decided to see what all the hype was and I'm glad I did. The set design of Randolph's cottage is so unique and every little detail in it from the sculptures to the view goes with the whole feel of the movie. This is the kind of film that brings you back to those moments of being a kid and the first time you went to an aquarium and was amazed by all the mammals. The bond that Jesse and Willy share makes the film really draw you in. I personally, enjoyed it because it really shows that animals can share that connection with humans. Also, it made me think of all the time and training that must have been put into this film. The scene when Jesse is talking to Willy and he's shaking his head then they both start dancing, it was very clever and must have taken quite awhile to train him to do something like that. I appreciated the underwater shots also called "watervision" because when films do those types of things it really makes you feel like there are no limits. You are able to see Willy above water and in the habitat he lives in below. I strongly believe that animals have an ability to effect people's lives and make them open up in different ways. This happens with Jesse, he becomes adopted by a couple and does not want to be there, but after spending time with Willy he is finally happy. He begins to open up to them now that he has something in his life that makes him want to stay. The performance by Jason James Richter as Jesse was terrific he really played off the excitement and emotion of a boy who loved this whale and did whatever he could to protect Willy. The emotional moment when he is telling his adoptive father that he needed to keep Willy safe was such a terrific performance for someone of his age. The ending is a very heart-warming one and I found out that there have been sequels, hopefully they were made just as good because the child-like magic of this movie was truly noteworthy.

Brittany Garcia- Necessary Roughness 1991

Brittany Garcia

Title: Necessary Roughness

Director: Stan Dragoti 

Year: 1991 

I absolutely loved this movie Necessary Roughness. The film was about an entire college football team that was banned from playing due to steroids and the coach fudging with their grades. The school ridded of the team and coaches. They later found new coaches, all new players, and so forth. This movie meant more to me than most others I watched because I have a personal connection with it. It reminded me of my high school softball team. My freshman year, we were playing with girls who had never played before and we were not very good. Then by my senior year, we ended up coming second in our district. This was a huge accomplishment considering where we had started three years prior. In the movie, they show the emotion in all the actors from the beginning when the team was awful to the end when the team ends up winning their first game all season. The emotions were so strongly portrayed, I felt that I was a part of the movie. 

Toward the end of the movie I began to notice the different angles used. For example, at the very end when the football team wins, I saw two things. One is the medium close-up and the close-up shots where the cameras really focused on the emotion expressed through the faces of the actors. Also, in another scene the players lifted a key player on the team up on their shoulders, in this instance the camera went from a flat view to a low-angle shot. This to me showed the importance of that particular player and how significant he was to the win. 

After watching several movies from 1991, this has been one of my favorites. I just feel that I related so well with the story behind the film. The angles were utilized very well too. 

Jessica Docksteader

Candyman

Director: Bernard Rose

Year:1992 

After watching the film Candyman I really had troubles falling asleep at night. I really do enjoy watching horror movies, but I do not recommend watching this at night. I began watching the movie in the afternoon, stopped it to attend class and then came back to watch the end at night. Not a good idea.

 The film Candyman is about a woman by the name of Helen who is researching about the urban legend of the Candyman. The legend states that if you look in the mirror and say “Candyman” five times the Candyman will come kill you with the hook on his hand. After Helen decides jokingly to say Candyman five times nothing happens right away, but throughout the movie she starts to become haunted by the Candyman as well. At the end of the movie both Helen and the Candyman are killed off, and not only does the Candyman now haunt and kill people, so does Helen.

The best thing this movie had going for it was the suspense and the usage of the camera.  The film uses the over the shoulder and the high and low angles a lot to create more of a sense of horror. The acting is also not so bad in the movie and I think that the actor cast as the Candyman was well done. All in all I didn’t love the movie but I thought it was pretty scary for a horror film.  I believe the director and the cast/crew did a good job of really freaking out the viewer. 

The Bodyguard (1992) Mick Jackson WK

William Klingbeil

The Bodyguard (1992) Review

I would have to say that my favorite movie so far is The Bodyguard (1992) directed by Mick Jackson because It is a very unpredictable film. During the film there is an unknown individual who is plotting to kill Whitney Houston and the director leads you to thinking it is a creepy fan when really the source of the killer comes from within the family, Whitney’s sister. I was extremely surprised when I found out who the assassin was, but when I looked back at the film there were a few scenes that lead me to infer who the assassin could have been. The little hints during the film are what kept me guessing and wondering who the assassin could be, and this is what kept my interest when watching the movie. This technique is what helped to keep my eyes on the film the entire time.

I believe that the message the director wanted to get across to the audience was that no matter how badass someone is they still have weaknesses. For Frank (Kevin Costner) that weakness was love. When he realized his weakness he tries to stop his affair with Rachel (Whitney Houston), but he can’t stop doing what his heart tells him to do. This almost costs Rachel her life, but in the end the lovers live happily ever after. I also believe that the director is trying to say that love can be dangerous.

I enjoyed how the soundtrack to the film was all of Whitney Houston’s songs. This is not only a part of the movie, but also a good way to advertise for her music. After watching this movie all I wanted to do was listen to Whitney Houston, which shows that subliminal advertising can be very affective. I am sure that not to long after the film was released that Whitney had a period where sales were higher than normal. Overall I thought that the film did a good job of keeping my attention and advertising Whitney Houston.