Bad Boys

Bad Boys

Year: 1983

Director: Rick Rosenthal

Bad Boys is a movie that focuses on the outcome of a dysfunctional society. Kids in Chicago are committing all kind of crimes. This phenomenon occurs all across the country. I believe some of the main problems are inequality and education. Inequality of opportunities and distribution of the wealth is common in capitalist systems. This generates a series of social problem that are difficult to contain. The poor working class is the most affected in a situation like this. The lack of good education will also result in crime problems. Education is the most fundamental asset of a society. A society without education will not be able to develop and grow to increase the quality of life of its members. In the United States the basic education is very week. Not enough budget is being invest into education and as a result we see less people at school and more people in the street possibly take part in illegal activity. I think the solution for problem like those is just a deeper commitment for the people from the politicians, but we are the ones who elect them. Also reform in the political and economical systems would bring more equality to a system like this. Education should be priority number one. Social justice and public health should be also the highest recipients of founding. Unfortunately, this is not the case right now. It seems like too much money is put into other institutions like the military.

Risky Business

Risky Business

Year: 1983

Director: Paul Brickman

This movie is what director Luke Greenfield used to make his 2004 The Girl Next Door. The plot is the same. Some differences in the story line and some characters, but it is the same. This movie is entertaining. I believe in saying “what the fuck” but not to the extreme of calling a prostitute to come over. She was very attractive, but it would not work for me at all. Also I breaking the law is too far. The movie is an exaggeration to: “let things happen”, “experience new things”, “learn from it” and “have fun.” In the movie also touches other distinctive behavior of young people. Some of this are the sense of responsibility, common sense, freedom, trust, friendships. Responsibility is something we are not born with. We learn through experiences why responsibility helps us live a smoother life. The completion of objectives require us discipline and responsibility. I have learned that in most cases being responsible is not instantly rewarding. We only see the outcome of responsibility later on in the process. For example: I work hard on my school assignments instead of going to a party. The instant outcome of the situation is that I miss the party and spend my evening doing something I did not wanted to do. At the end of the term months later, I will see the fruits of my responsibility in my grades. Good grades mean better GPA, and better GPA means better chances to get in grad school. Grad school mean personal accomplishment, Personal accomplishment means happiness. Happiness is the ultimate goal. Or if you are more materialist; grad school means better paying jobs too. This is why responsibility does not come easy because we do not see the positive outcome right away. It seems like young people sometimes have to make the mistake to learn and that is something we as society understand. We know young people will fuck it up. What would be the reaction of the viewer if the character in this movie was a 40 year old?

Staying Alive

Staying Alive

Year: 1983

Director: Sylvester Stallone

This movie was an example of the transformation and change in priorities. The main character has a dream for becoming a Broadway dancer, but his personality and priorities are in his way. Also is an example of having great opportunities right in from and not being able to see them. He was a great dancer, but his ego was in the way. He had a beautiful, loving girlfriend, but he was after other girls. The movie develops fast. I think these problems are usual among regular people. It’s normal to see young people making mistakes like those, but we all mature and understand life better. Ultimately, we learn to adjust to circumstances. We learn to fine-tune our personalities and priorities to exploit our skills and abilities to the maximum. In the movie this happens over night. I think in real life a radical change like this would take months or years. Sometimes it will happen and people won’t even notice. Sometimes people just have to touch rock bottom to understand a change in attitude or a change in priorities is necessary. I think it is hard to come to conclusions like those. Unless you are a very analytical person that likes to question you actions and ideas, friends and family are the best feedback. Self-analysis is a complex undertaking, but sometimes can make a difference in the success of all level of personal interactions. In this movie the main character has that revelation twice; when he talks with the choreographer after failing in perform a rehearsal. He leaves the studio, but comes back. He does not let his ego take over, and he come back and performs the number that gives him the big number in a Broadway production. The second time he knows he needs to change is when he talks with his girlfriend and tells her sorry.

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Dracula was a 1992 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It, like many other “Dracula” centered films, was based on the 1897 novel which bears the same name. Dracula is a somewhat more complex film than the others that I reviewed. The film is essentially focused around a lawyer and his family. The Dracula obviously also dominates the screen both in terms of presence and in terms of actual screen time. The film was set in the late 1800s, though there are scenes from much earlier, as far back as the 1400s. 

This movie is very graphic. In fact, it’s mostly just bloody and is filled with sex scenes that I frankly find to be unnecessary and do not add any depth to the story. The film tells the very long and specific story of Dracula’s life. The film is not without its special effects. In fact, Dracula turns himself into several different types of creatures multiple times. All in all, I don’t think that this film was very influential, though it does have a few good merits.

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Sister Act is a 1992 film about a singer named Deloris Van Carter, directed by Emile Ardolino. While Deloris is in Las Vegas trying to kick off her singing career, she is having an affair with a man named Vince.  One evening, the singer accidentally walks in on a murder taking place with Vince being the one ordering another man to kill another man.  Not knowing what to do, she runs from the room and files a report.  She is put into a witness protection program where she meets and befriends a group of nuns.  After breaking a few of the nuns’ important rules, Deloris is placed into the choir program, where she influences the choir and her own style is accepted and portrayed through performances.  

The Sister Act is entertaining because of the clash of worlds of Deloris Van Carter and the nuns. At first, Deloris sticks out like a sore thumb, providing the audience with many comical and ironic moments where the audience better relates to Deloris.  The movie contains the moral value of loyalty and friendship.  Even though Deloris and the nuns are so different from each other, and even though the situation Deloris is in is life-threatening and dangerous, both parties support the other in the most challenging of situations. Deloris’ being on the run from a mobster from Las Vegas does not change the fact that the nuns have befriended her.  The Sister Act is an inspirational movie that brings two completely opposite worlds together and displays bonds that cannot be broken.

Chris Henson 3

Batman Returns, like the last two films I analyzed, is a film in another long and continuing series. It was also produced in 1992, this time directed by Tim Burton. It was the fifth in the series, and the second of four Batman films that he directed. So far, there have been five films that followed it, and more are sure to come. The film was well received and it remains one of the favorites in the Batman franchise to this day.

The film opens with the visual story of the Penguin, another “bad guy” that Batman has to save Gotham City from The Penguin, like the Joker from the previous film, entitled “Batman,” attempts to take over the city. The rest of the movie is filled with action as Batman tries to defeat The Penguin and save those whom he chose to be his victims. In the end, he is successful.

I think that the Batman series works so well because it is based around an actual person, not a superhero, who takes it upon himself to make sure that his city and its occupants are safe. This raises the stakes significantly and allows one to create a more concrete storyline. It also allows the director to spend more resources on making a solid movie than on carefully creating scenes to be enhanced later. Batman Returns takes this idea and runs with it, and that’s why I think it is successful. It is strongly American in its ideals and its tactics, and I believe that the film was very successful at capturing the imagination of adults and children alike.

Aladdin(1992)

Aladdin (1992) Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker

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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a movie about a young boy named Kevin who is separated from his parents at an airport.  It was, of course, made in 1992 and directed by Chris Columbus. While his parents’ flight leaves for Miami, Florida, he accidently gets onto a plane that is going to New York.  He has plenty of cash and credit cards so that he can survive, but he runs into the two men from the first Home Alone movie, who have somehow escaped from prison.  The two men are named Harry and Marv.  Similar to the first movie, the story takes place during the winter.  His parents wanted to take their vacation for Christmas.  The movie focuses on Kevin’s plan to prevent Harry and Marv from robbing a toy store called Duncan’s Toy Chest, where owner is planning on giving the money made to a children’s hospital.

The Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a heartwarming movie that contains good morals and strong family values.  The young boy gives children watching examples of what is right versus what is wrong.  The movie also gives its audience of children a lesson on how they can impact the world around them.  Although Kevin is very young, similar to children in the audience, he is able to do a good deed for a toy shop.  The idea of family comes in toward the end of the movie when Kevin’s mother becomes frantic upon realizing that she has lost her son.  The moral to this story is that even though there was a fight among the family in the beginning of the film, that does not change the fact that parents love their children.

Boys in the Hood 1991 post #10

Brittany Garcia  1991 Boyz in the Hood Directed by: John singleton  Thus movie begins so bluntly. The first began showing two statistics. The first, that one out of ever twenty-one Black American males will be murdered in their lifetime; the second that most of those will die at the hands of a other black male. That's a saddening truth. Carrying on, a group of kids are walking to school in Inglewood, California. Their conversation begins with, "did you hear this gunshots last night?" these kids are not even in middle school yet and they are already being exposed to such violence and crime. As they walk a little further toward school, one kid asks, "why is the blood turning yellow?" as they stare down to the ground where someone had been shot. Unfortunately, there are kids out there that gave things like this everyday. Later on in the movie, two kids in class get into an argument. They start cursing back and forth at each other and both get suspended. The teacher calls their homes to speak with parents. Tré styles, one of the two young boys, who wS living with his mom, gets sent away to live with his father and South Central, Los Angeles for misbehaving. Here, a whole new set of adventures begins. I could Talk for house about this movie and everything it entails. The movie though is filled with gang trouble, violence, and more. It is extremely sad but a pretty good depiction of what the "hood" is and what goes on in it. 

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“Aliens 3” was directed by David Fincher in 1992, his first major film. It was quite obviously the sequel to the second Alien movie, entitled “Aliens,” which was directed by James Cameron in 1986. The film, like its predecessors, is a science fiction horror movie about (big surprise) aliens on Earth. The opening title and cover art show the title as Aliens cubed, or Aliens to the third power. This, in my opinion, is not accurate. It implies that it is exponentially scarier, more exciting, and more interesting of a movie than the first two. However, I don’t think that it was as good of a film in all of these ways as were the previous two. Nor was it as good as its sequel, “Alien Resurrection” or the Alien vs. Predator spinoffs.

The movie itself was centered around a ship carrying Ellen Ripley, returning home from a very scary experience on an alien planet from the last film. There’s an emergency on board and she is forced to crash-land onto a planet filled with prisoners. She is immediately prepared to leave and head back to her home planet. While waiting for assistance, however, she discovers the existence of one of the aliens whose horrifying planet she just left. The rest of the movie is filled with the ensuing fight for survival.

The film Aliens 3, while not as iconic as some others in the series, is definitely a classic. Watching it, it quickly becomes obvious why, as it is very close to the ideal American Hollywood horror film. It is also an interesting series because it takes science fiction, a genre that is usually reserved for devoted followers, into the mainstream very successfully. 

Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood

Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood

Home Alone 2 Dir. Chris Columbus

Home Alone 2 Dir. Chris Columbus

Anna Urick

            I’ve seen the original first Home Alone whenKevin McCallister is left home during Christmas and must protect a chip in a toy car from criminals, but I had never seen the second one at Christmas time.

            In this second movie Kevin winds ups alone in New York City. By using his dad’s credit card he checks himself into a room at the Plaza Hotel. He also explores the city and buys many different gifts. Meanwhile the familyrealized he’s missing after landing in Florida and are trying to figure eout how to get him. Kevi makes a few friends in New York City but once again finds himself being chased by the two criminals from the first movie.

            Just as the first movie there are chase scenes and little traps set up and Kevin outsmarts the older criminals once again. One part I liked is in the beginning he’s very creeped out by the pigeon lady but learns she is a good person and she helps him escape the criminals.

            In this movie, there is not much character growth or deep meaning behind it. It’s a cute, family comedy that is probably the type of movie that plays on ABC Family during 25 days of Christmas. But it was good, I liked the movie. Macauly Calkin plays the role well, he’s an interesting little kid to watch on screen because he has so much energy, passion and excitement.

            I liked the use of New York famous and well known spots in the movie, such as Rockefeller. Centeral Park, and the Plaza. I also liked the pans and city scapes of New York in the film. But overall I liked this movie, it was a light comedy compared to some of the other films I've watched from this project and it was nice to have one that was less intense. But if it were on TV next Christmas I could see myself watching it again.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) WK

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

The film Reservoir Dogs (1992) directed by Quentin Tarantino portrays many to the directors traits, is uniquely edited and extremely violent.  There is a lot of cigarettes, guns, blood, swearing, and violence throughout almost every scene in the movie.  It reminds me of his other films and other classic American films.

The opening scene, followed by a long segment of credits at the start of the film is a very effective way to start the movie.  Following the credits is a gruesome scene of Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) bleeding out in a car. Essentially the movie is backwards.  This is very interesting way to edit because it requires the audience to think more than in a film that edited linearly. The film becomes a puzzle. This type of editing is very classic trait of Quentin Tarantino.  For example the film’s Pulp Fiction, and the Kill Bills. Every scene keeps my attention because each one is so extreme.

            Each scene is so extreme. Many scenes include extremely gruesome violence, such as when Quentin Tarantino crashed the car and Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) shot up the two cops in the car or when everyone is dying from gun shot wounds after the three way standoff between Harvey Keitel, Lawrence Tierney, and Chris Penn. An extremely intimate and deeply emotional scene often follows this violent scene.  For example after every one was shot Mr. White and Mr. Orange talk to each other as they slowly die together.  Following a sensitive scene is often a scene that is extremely inhumane and repulsive, for example the film shows a scene of Mr. Orange and the cop talking about dying, and later on in the film the cop is killed as if his life doesn’t matter.  This makes the audience feel realistic pain and for me I felt sick and disgusted because the cop was innocent. This utter disregard for life portrayed in the film makes any person with morals feel sick.

Overall I thought that Reservoir Dogs (1992) pertains mostly towards those who enjoy watching a lot of violence, for example Americans.  The film is a classic Tarantino movie and just shows that he is a crazy person, but even more importantly also shows that Americans are sick minded. 

Bad Lieutenant (1992) WK

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

             Wow! The first shot, when the Lieutenant snorts cocaine after dropping his kids off at school, told me that the movie was going to be about a corrupt cop. From the very beginning of the film I knew why it was rated NC-17.  Just Ten minutes into the film and all you see is drugs, tits and alcohol. The film Bad Lieutenant (1992) defines a stereotypical NC-17 Rated movie and is also very similar to Quentin Tarantino’s films.

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            Many R rated movies have drugs and alcohol in them but this one has drugs after every other scene.  For example there are multiple scenes where lieutenant is either sniffing cocaine or drinking while driving.  Another example is when he is at the bar watching the Mets game. Although he isn’t physically drinking alcohol he is in a place that represents alcohol. All the Lieutenant ever does it sniff cocaine and drink. There is even a scene where he shoots up heroin.  When I think of an NC-17 I think of a movie all about sex and drugs, and the amount of them in this movie defines it as a stereotypical NC-17.

The movie is very degrading to the Christian faith. There is a shot in the film where a nun was raped in a church.  This is an extremely inappropriate subject to place in a film.  There are also multiple scenes where Christianity is involved with drugs.  For example when the lieutenant goes to get money from his drug dealer, there is a blanket that has a picture of Jesus face on it. There is another scene where the Lieutenant is in the church begging for forgiveness and he imagines Jesus, but it is actually a black guy. If this film were rated R it may have caused controversy because it is very racist and degrading to the Christian faith.

The movie itself is about a corrupt policeman, who is essentially living the epitome of life.  He is an alcoholic, has a drug addiction, gambling addiction and is extremely depressed. He also lets the two people who raped the nun go.  The subject of the movie is what inevitably defines the film as a stereotypical NC-17.

Toys(1992) WK

The film Toys (1992) directed by Barry Levinson, is very colorful and goofy, but also dark and militaristic at the same time.  Most sets in the film include very bright vibrant colors that remind me of the Technicolor from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

Characters actions and costumes make the film seem childish.  For example

 Alsatia Zevo’s (Joan Cusack) doll costumes, and hard wigs look ridiculous to an adult but very welcoming to a child. The fact that Robin Williams is in the film make’s the movie funny, and he fits the role of Leslie Zevo perfectly.  A young jokester, who only wants what is best for his workers, but is to immature to handle the company.  The film may seem childish superficially, but actually seems to have more of an adult meaning.

            The militaristic darkness that surrounds the film is an example of how a future military may train soldiers.  War with remote controlled weapons is already happening in today’s world.  The thought of training children to kill people without any idea of the destruction they are causing is a very corrupt and inhuman thing to do.  Any child watching the film might not catch on to this logic that has a deeper meaning in the film.

            This film also signifies to me the end of classic toys such as the teddy bear and action figure and the beginning of more complex forms of child entertainment such as videogames.  I believe that the author is trying to explain that violent forms of young adult entertainment could potentially lead to inhumane forms of government control.

            Overall I thought that the film was a good watch for all ages, but there were some messages that would only appeal to the older generation.  This film is very relevant today because the situation in the film is a very realistic situation with todays weapon technology.

Lauren Potts Post-10 War of the Roses Dr: Danny LaVito 1989

War of the Roses

Director: Danny LaVito

1989

Wow

                Who would have thought divorce could be so deadly.  War of the Roses tells the story of a once happy couple turn into death savage enemies as they go through a divorce.  Oliver meets Barbra at an auction.  The two became friends and up marrying each other.  As the marriage continues their true feelings and personalities come out for each other.  Barbra fell out of love with Oliver while Oliver has become increasingly rude and self-centered.  In a heated argument Barbra confesses that she does not love him and she wants a divorce.  And the games begin as the couple fight over the house while trying to kill each other in the process.  At the end both get their wish they died as they were fighting.  I guess death did them part.  

                There were a lot of wide shots used this was to show the atmosphere of the relationship and their surroundings.  The couples’ divorce lawyer Gavin served as a narrator of the story.  The camera was used to show the point of view and motivation of the couple.  In the final scene when Barbra is hanging on the chandelier the camera jumps back and forth to see the emotion on both of their faces.   

                I thought the movie was eerie and slightly disturbing.  Domestic violence is never okay and the two were not remorseful for their actions.  Barbra was a cold snake to Oliver and did not care if he lived or died.  This was interesting because most women would have “soften” up their feeling, but Barbra had a man’s mentality.  This was good its shows women can be a strong force.  It also show that men do have a “softer” side, as the two are about to die Oliver confess that he always loved her.  This movie definitely makes you think about the choices you make in life.  It shows how when you think something is good it can become bad.  This movie taught me to have compassion for my family members cause sometimes we hurt the ones we love most and never apologize for it.