Comparing and Contrasting Westerns

Stagecoach and True Grit are both great examples of classic westerns for a number of reasons. First, both of the movies very vividly show the difference and the conflict between good and evil. Both heroes, which are portrayed by John Wayne and Jeff Bridges, are great picks for these roles. Also, the characters Ringo and Cogburn are both shown to evolve throughout the story from outlaw to respected friend. Ringo is a criminal who after proving his loyalty to the stagecoach earns his freedom when the Marshall lets him escape. Cogburn is in the same situation and is viewed as a thug and a ruthless bounty hunter. But, after several days with Mattie, he realizes that there is some good in him and he ends up being the hero at the end and saving Mattie. Lastly, the setting and basic objective of both films follow the western outline to a tee. Stagecoach has the journey to Lordsburg with a fugitive across the plains and fights with Apaches and the fight of good vs. evil. True Grit has the journey across plains to find a fugitive and fights against rebels and the constant battle of good vs. evil. So, in conclusion, True Grit and Stagecoach are basically all the same elements of a classic western; they are just jumbled around and changed a little bit to make them different movies.

Comparing Unforgiven and True Grit, I actually found them to be opposites. Unforgiven, for example, has several key points where it is clearly revisionist and not classical. First, it does not show the battle of good vs. evil. It shows the good turning into evil when Munny turns from retired killer, back to his old ways of drinking and being ruthless. Secondly, it shows vividly how violent the West can be. Classical westerns show the good times and not the corruption. Unforgiven does the exact opposite by showing Little Bill beating people up in the streets and Munny going on a killing rampage at the end. Lastly, it is revisionist because it shows the vulnerability of cowboys who were originally thought to be the tough heroes everyone knew and loved. After the Schofield Kid kills one of the two targets in the bounty, he begins to cry because deep down, he is not as strong as he acts. Conversely, when you look at True Grit, it shows the toughness of the hero, it shows the good times in the west, it has a happy ending, and there is a clear line drawn between good and evil. This is why Unforgiven is a revisionist Western and True Grit is a classical Western.

True Grit as anything besides a classical western would be incorrect. They would be missing several key points that differentiate it from a revisionist western. First off, it takes place in the west in the small towns and open plains. It also shows the clear separation from good vs. evil, as mentioned before, between Cogburn and the man who killed Mattie’s father. Also, it has the ending that is typical of all classical westerns, the bad guys get what’s coming to them, the good guys are victorious, and it ends with a long, drawn out final scene with music to end the story. Lastly, the small set of characters in the story keeps it classical as well as the fact that they never stray from their views throughout the whole movie. These and presumably other examples are reason enough for why True Grit is a classical Western and not revisionist.

Online Film Analysis Assignment

1. Ocean's 11

In this little clip from Ocean’s 11, the mood is set right away with dim lighting in a dark room which gives the scene a more ominous look, like not all is what it seems. Then it moves outside to where everything is lively with the music playing and all seems to be over. Then the scene is drawn back to the poker game where a familiar face is shown. This unrestricted sense the viewer gets since the two familiar faces are obviously up to something, but the players in the game don’t. It provided anticipation to when their plan would happen. Also, the medium to close up shots provides a sense of POV in the shot to be like you were there yourself, loosing your money.

2. Silence of the Lambs

The shot opens with a close up of a man and a bug. It then has quick cuts for editing to show the separate views. The restricted view so far in the scene is of a woman who is trapped and the police that are ready to go in and save her. This spatial technique led us to believe that both houses were identical. Later in the shot however it shows that the went to the wrong house and then we infer that the girl cop, clarice, is now in danger. This draws the viewer in emotionally and if the clip were to go on longer, it would most likely have music or a scene to set the mood of anticipation of what will happen to the cop.

3. Magnolia

This clip was interesting for a number of reasons. First off, the entire clip was shot with either a tracking dolly or a steadicam following behind the subjects at a medium shot the whole time. There was also good lighting as to always be shown on the main subject. Lastly, the non diegetic music playing in the background set the mood without the cast actually hearing that music on set or as their characters.

4. Amadeus

This clip had several elements of film that were already covered in the previous three clips, but there were a few differences. The lighting was always behind the old man, giving him a dreary, old, insane lighting making him seem less credible or sane. The other man was given a positive light to show that he was a superior of some kind. The flashbacks help keep the coordination in the scenes. Lastly, when he started to play the song that was familiar, we were led to believe that he himself had written it. But in reality, it was Mozart who had written it. And this is where the mood shifts drastically.

Oscar Nominated Rankings

1. Toy Story
-Relatable
-Funny
-Brought back memories

2. Inception
-New age
-Captivating
-Great Special effects

3. The Social Network
-Funny
-Great acting and plot
-Appealed to my generation

4. True Grit
-Maddie was played perfectly
-Decent action scenes
-Plot could have used a little more

5. The King's Speech
-Great premise
-Good acting on all parts
-Believable

6. Winter's Bone
-Sad
-A long-shot film
-Stereotypical

Reviews of my six movies:

6. Winter's Bone:

I thought that this movie, out of all the six, was by far the weakest. I was surprised it got the nomination to be completely honest. I was mainly upset with how stereotypical the movie came off as. Everything in the movie from the drab scenery to the pick up trucks, to the drug abuse. The whole movie became predictable because, in a way, of seen this whole plot before. The runaway family member who is running from the law, the desperate family member trying to find him to save the family and them self, and lastly, all the futile obstacles they have to overcome along the way. The only difference between this movie and all the others i just described is that this movie has no happy ending to be content about or remember when this ordeal was all over. The one positive was that the effects really captured the sub par plot perfectly with the lighting and music and all that. It deserved a lower score.

5. The King's Speech:

Personally, the only reason this movie got a five and not a higher rank is because the other movies were so good, that this film, even though amazing it itself, couldn't make the cut. I'll explain why. The plot of this film was great. Never would I have thought this movie would be good but i was really drawn in. I felt a levelness with someone of high ranking. Though just a movie, I felt that I was having the same problem as the King, and was longing to fix it myself. The camera angles were very helpful in how believable the movie was because it showed everyone from a level field of view. No one man was given more light or attention because of what he or she was in the movie. I loved that. Overall, this movie was great and I hope that the techniques to improve the King's speech problem will also help me with mine.

4. True Grit:

At first, I was gonna have this movie be lower on the ranking because the plot didn't really draw me in. But then I gave the actress who played Mattie, the rank she helped this movie earn. Her acting was sublime. There was nothing she could have done to improve it. Conversely, the movie could have aided her with some affects of their own. The lighting was decent but didn't show as much emotion. The plot, however creative, could have used some more jolts and bumps in the road to keep the viewers hooked on what would happen next. And, the editing was a little too direct. I'm not sure if it was the point of the cinematographer to have it that way, but it would have had a been more effective of a story line if the movie flowed as one unit. I really didn't have much to say about this film. One suggestion, it could have used more fight scenes to make it more of the John Wayne type of film.

3. The Social Network:

This movie was basically in a three way tie for first. It was excellent. Everything in the movie was done perfectly, from the acting of Mark Zuckerburg to the comedic deliverance of the well written plot, to the music. The music was what made it really great for me. It was subtle at times when the mood was tense or slow. But, it was loud and evident when it was exciting or suspenseful. The music really added to the movie. The acting was also quite excellent, to the witty and quick responses of Mark to the fast talking Justin Timberlake, the movie was a powerhouse. The way the movie drew me in was amazing. I felt like I was on campus at times. The only reason this movie wasn't the best, was the editing and transitions. The constant flashbacks needed utmost precision in editing or they would not be as effective as they could be. It did a great job but lacked on a few scenes where I began to forget what was going on or got lost. But overall, a must see movie.

2. Inception:

This movie showed me sides of film and ideas that I didn't think possible. The effects in this movie are what really stood out for me. If it wasn't the buildings around me caving in or the slow mo scenes, or the zero gravity. This movie had it all. A great plot, great scenes, a good idea that I wouldn't have thought of in my wildest dreams. The flashbacks and the explanations of what was going on really helped me stay on track. Without that, you can get lost pretty easily. The on downfall that can easily be overlooked is that the plot can be really difficult to follow and understand. The movie needs to be seen at least twice and cannot be given a nonchalant attitude when watching it. The movie needs your full attention or a key scene could go right over your head. All of that is simple enough and the breath taking special affects easily overshadow the minor imperfections. The reason it's not first though... The ending. The never ending controversy of the ending has gotten everyone's attention, which isn't a bad thing, but I found it frustrating not knowing exactly what happened. You can decide for yourself because it's a treat to watch.

1. Toy Story 3:

Best movie of the year! It surpasses all others. The way it captivates an audience is like non other. It has everything. From the love story, to the escape scenes, to the comedy, to the sadness. Every mood you have will be tested. You will laugh and cry and scream and cringe and hold on to your seat the entire movie. It will captivate you no mater what is going on. The long wait was worth it. It appeals to all ages. For some it will bring back memories of your childhood. For others it will remind them that their children are all grown up. And, for the avid movie watchers, it will remind you of how far we have come since the very first toy story when it came out many years ago. The special effects in this movie are not spectacular, but all elements that they have are essential to this movie. They are shown in a way that makes you feel like your toys may be doing the same when you go off to college. My mom cried when she saw it and I couldn't stop talking about. There is nothing bad about this movie and the fact that it appeals to all ages is what truly makes it remarkable. Best movie I've seen in a while.

My First Movie Review

Brainstorming for Film: Inception

• Awesome
• Futuristic
• Difficult to follow
• Well Acted
• Good Plot
• Confused
• Loved it
• Innovative
• A first of it's kind
• Well written
• Good Directing
• Possible Video Game
• Intense
• Far Out
• Good Music

Review of Inception:

I really liked the fact that Christopher Nolan took an idea that no one would have ever thought of, dreams, and made it into an award winning movie. I loved the fact that the directors used new ideas and theories to make this far-out themed movie seem more futuristic and give the viewers a sense of what life would be like if we lived in another world or time. The music that accompanies the scenes are very fitting and quite catching when you listen again. A possible negative could be that the movie is sometimes difficult to follow and comprehend, but besides that, the movie was awesome and when you pay attention, the plot is very well written and acted. I thought this was a great movie and would recommend it to any one who likes movies.

Aging

Aging can be slowed.

It's a blunt statement but scientists have found certain drugs that will slow the destruction of cells, contributing to the overall health of an individual. The drug SIR2 has been shown to keep DNA's structure and slow the creation of waste DNA which eventually destroys the cell.

Scientist David Sinclair describes the effects of SIR2 saying, "we might be able to make drugs...to treat diseases of aging, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and even Alzheimer's disease".

Controlling the oxidative levels of the brain has also been hypothesised to slow aging. Many methods are being used to attempt to slow the creation of oxidants through metabolism. Calorie restriction is the most effective method known at the time and it is also how SIR2 is tested. The cell with SIR2 was fed with less calories and SIR2's backup system managed to keep the cell in better condition then when it was fed the required amount of calories.

So, with less calories, a cell could lower its oxidant rate and remain healthier than its original self.

Ethically, these decisions are disliked by many scientists as they are essentially "playing God". However, others claim that science is the means to improve human life by whatever means necessary.

Websites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3401/01.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=coffeebrk.chapter.653

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OR Book Project

To finish off this quarters blogging assignment, I want to go out with a bang into the new semester. So I decided to write this final blog that I have to dp on my book and for this quarter with full and vivid details about my upcoming project on the book and help the reader and the viewer better understand my book. So I wrote about "The demon in the freezer" by Richard Preston. This book is about, without giving anything away, bioterrorism using lethal viruses such as anthrax and smallpox. It is said that there are only two places that have these substances but with evidence of attacks, there has to be illegal copies somewhere. Later in the book the people at USAMRIIDwhich is for short is a containment and testing facility for viruses like these and is also one of the two places where antrhax and smallpox are stored. But, these people get word that there has been a possible super virus created that would make people immune to the virus. So, to finish, I'm going to draw a picture of what I believe a super virus would look like and write why I think so and talk more about this virus and it's connection to the book.

The Book

Well seeing as I already summarized the book in my last post, I am somewhat out of thoughts for me to use in this blog. I already discussed enough of the book to captivate, but not enough to give it all away. So instead of talking directly about my book I will discuss my plans for next quarters outside reading book as well as my plans to improve on the reading assignment in the future. Also I will briefly discuss my plans for the final project tat I'm going to turn in when the assignment is due. I am not one hundred percent sure about this yet but i am leading towards designing a new book cover on the demon in the freezer or I am planning on doing some other type of drawing. But if I did the cover, I would probably design something that shows the true colors and nature of the book. Such as drawing what smallpox or anthrax looks like under a microscope enlarged and place it on the cover of the book. Or, I would draw something anthrax or smallpox realted and expand upon that. I am not fully certain yet, these are just estimates. but this is probably how I will do my final outside reading project. These are my ideas about the project and my brief description about the book as a whole.

I'm Done

After my last post about my outside reading book, The Demon in The Freezer, I finished it and I have to say that the book did not disappoint. After reading about two thirds or more than half way through the book, I was still captivated and persistant n finishing it that night but was unable. I finished it the next day and was drawn back by the magnitude of the book. Although I will not give away the ending, it is basically an awakening to people who are unaware or don't know alot about the viruses such as smallpox and anthrax. The book as a whole talks about how these viruses affect your bady and methods for containing them. Also, I'm pleased to write that this has been one of the more interesting books I've read and I might have to start reading the hot zone sometime in the near future. Also, lastly, I would like to add that this book is great for people who like sci-fi like books as well as shocking true stories that will thrill. The part that got me the most was the fact that all of these events actually happened wish is telling me that these threats are very real and we should take the threats seriously as well as the book.

The Demon in The Freezer

Well to start off I have had a good break and Christmas and new years was fun. Well to turn our focus back to the subject again I have to say that after having read most of the book by now, I have to say that I have enjoyed it. While I'm not trying to give anything away, the book is mainly about hazardous strains of viruses such as anthrax and smallpox. The book is talking about how they affected civilization when they were present to when they are being used now for testing at special labs around the world as well as bioweapons for certain terrorist groups that have access to these viruses. The book goes in detail about what happens to your body when you become infected and from what the book is saying, this would not be a good way to die. Without giving away anything else I'm just going to say that this has been a good book so far and I hope that the ending will provide just as much insight and thoughtful response that the begining and middle had to offer. Also I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspensful books that are based on true stories.

The Road The End

Lately, I have enjoyed the book and it has the appropriate amount of twists and turns which are good for captivating a reader like me who usually isnt interested in reading anything at all. But the ending in my opinion was kind of cheesy. Even though the part where he got shot with an arrow and all the other parts where he is encountered by strangers where he is forced to show his gun are cool and all. I just think the ending of the story where the father dies and minutes later help arrives to save the what would have been helpless boy. It seems a bit too cliché. Also I don't think the boy was as ready as the father said he was. That boy would have been doomed al by himself. Like he gets scared of everything and he would never take any risks to find food. By the way they were almost out of food and he would ahve starved to death in a couple of days anyway. It's just too convineant that the only good person they have encountered so far was when they needed them the most. And now the boy is saved and everything just ends happily after a very depressing book. Thats how I liked the book and now I hope my outside reading book will be just as captivating.

The Road # 5

Ok, well so far I am very pleased with the book because it is very captivating because of all the twists in the text as well as jumps in emotion such as when they walk in on the prisoners being held until they are eventually eaten which was shocking. To the moment when he walks over the hatch to the bomb shelter with all the food and water and essentials which was very uplifting to me. Events like this keep a reader like me and I don't know about anyone else, but it keeps me interested. But, moments like the father shooting the trucker in the head to save his son even though I thought it was cool and all, I found it a bit unnessecary, I don't think the trucker would have even noticed them hiding in the brush, they should have just lied still instead of overreacting. Lastly, I find it very annoying that the boy is scared of everything, for example, he was afraid of going into the dad's old house, he was afraid of going in the mansion and lastly which is the dumbest of them all was when he was afraid of going down into the bomb shelter even though clearly nothing bad was going to happen. Also, It's getting kind of annoying when the boy always asks for confirmation on something over and over again until the point where you just want to hit him. In conclusion, that's what I think so far.

The Road Soundtrack

I think that the song "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers would be a great addition to The Road Soundtrack because it is sad and depressing and is talking about similar occurences in the lyrics that are also in the book. Such as when in the song says "Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on" Which could go well with the quote in the book when it says "Papa? the boy said. Papa? Shh. It's okay...the boy clung to him crying, buried against his chest. Shh. It's all right" (27-28). The quote and the lyrics are very similar in meaning because they are both talking about someone needing comfort from another and the other provides it. When the song says lean on me it is almost exactly the same as the boy being buried in the dad's chest. In conclusion, this song will go great with this quote and the book because they are both depressing and talking of the same thing. Here's the link to the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ovDAF-VTPg .

The Road and Outside Reading Book

Well so far I like the road because it has great emotion and is a story that I think will turn out to be very catchy which will help me to focus on the book. This book so far is also very appealing to me because it is talking about the end of the world and survival instead of something else that i wuldn't care about. I have not officially decided on an outside reading book, but it is most likely between the boys of winter, the demon in the freezer, and life as we knew it. All of these books are options because in seventh grade science and two of those books i wanted to read but was not given that ca=hance and had to read something else and I had hoped I could return to those books someday. The book I had to read instead was Angels in Demons by Dan Brown. Even though this book helped me decide to read davincii code for my first quarter outside reading book, I still would have liked to read The demon in the freezer or life as we knew it. And lastly, the boys of Winter was on my maybe list a couple years ago to read because a friend told me to read it, I just have never gotten around to it yet. I thought now might be a good time. In conclusion those are my book choices, and The Road, I think is a great book and I hope it stays that way.

Thanksgiving

Well, over my Thanksgiving break I had some good times. While I was still in town, I hung out with several of my friends that night and we all had fun before we went our seperate ways for thanksgiving. Some went out of state, some went to their relatives, some stayed home, but me however went to my cabin with all family members from both sides of the family. There were ten of us but one is still at college and she couldn't make it. But, even without her we had lots of fun and a great thanksgiving. On thansgiving day we usually have just a light breakfast and wait until five o'clock when we have the biggest feast of all sorts of food ever. After all that we wound down by watching movies and playing games. The next day we returned home. I had to return early because I had a hockey tournament. The first games we played was one of the worst teams I had ever played in my entire life. We won 17 to 1. The next game was slightly more challenging but we still pulled off a 4 to 3 victory over wayzata. And lastly the championship, we were down 1 to nothing early in the first and it was hard to come back, but late in the second we scored to tie it up. Early in the third we got a fluke goal of a players skate and now the tides had turned. Shortly after the scored again they tied it up and there was only 4 minutes left. My teammate gave me the puck on a two on one and I scored. They pulled there goalie and we got another goal. We won the championship 4 to 2 against a very good team. And that was my thanksgiving break.

Odyssey #1

So far in the book Odysseus has been traveling all over the world with his crew trying to make it back to their home in Ithaca. After the Trojan War, with the victory by Odysseus and his men hiding in the trojan horse, they sailed to Cicones to get there reward where they got too greedy and will be punished by the Gods. They have encountered many people so far like Hermes, Athena, Polyphemus, Circe, and several others. Odysseus has battled many people tribes things, on several different islands, lands, and surfaces. But, he has still survived just on the will to go home to Ithaca to see his lovely wife Penelope. I think that this is really cool how Odysseus and his crew travel everywhere to make it back home and all the interesting people and things they see. I like the book in general so far as well because I have already read parts of the book in sixth grade and I wanted to continue. Even though it is written in somewhat of a wierd way, I like it none the less and hope that it continues to stay this way until the end of our unit with the book.

Halloween

Well I had a great Halloween for starters. I went to Valley Scare on Friday night with a couple people and that was a blast. Wild Thing and all other roller coasters at night are amazing because its so cold and its really dark and foggy at night. At the top of the wild thing, it is so cold and windy, you think your going to freeze. We also went in several haunted houses which was not as scary as one would think. Then after words I had a sleepover with some of the guys I went to valley scare and we had fun there. We sneaked out at night and had some fun. Then we got tired and went home and played some video games for a while. Later we talked and fell asleep. The next day I had to do house work all day and it really sucked, but that night, I watched the silence of the lambs for the first time and i was blown away by how good it was. The actor who plays lecter is unbelievable. And the escape he does is creepy and genius at the same time. I want to see the sequel now. Then Sunday I went to church and sang in the choir. We did great. Then I went home and finished the rest of my homework. Then to close this blog post on monday I had a hockey game and we dominated. We won 5 to 0. They had 3 shots on goal. That's it for this week.

My Week

Well, to start it off. Last weekend I hung out with some friends on Friday and we went out and eventually had a sleepover. We watched a movie called the shining, again. It is okay to see once, but it is so long that seeing it twice was a huge mistake. The movie is about a family with a son who has an ability to speak to others who have the same "shine" as he does, who go to a winter lodge and watch over it over the winter season. The plot thickens when the main character Jack Nicolas starts to turn crazy and starts trying to kill his family. I won't give away the movie because I think people should see it. But, I will tell yoou that this is the movie where the famous phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" come from. As well as the slit in the door where his face pops in looking for his family. After watching the shining, we played some video games and eventually fell asleep. On Saturday, I did yard work all day and worked on my English book report. On Sunday I finished the report and all my other homework, and I went to hang out with some friends until it was time to come home annd go to sleep.

MEA

Over the long weekend I had many good times and hours in one sense well spent or in my parents a waste of time. I had some friends over almost everyday and eventually got to doing stuff. We went to play football several times down at the park, or if there wasn't time, we would play in the backyard. We also played a good amount of video games which even I thought I might have played a little too much in one weekend. But it was fun none the less. We went to valley scare on Friday night which was not as scary as most would have anticipated. It was very cold and lots of fog which made it hard to see. The rides were fun but most were packed because lots of people went on a friday night. There were some things that a few people in our group just couldn't handle. Like haunted houses. The haunted houses weren't that bad though they could have probably bee a little scarier. Overall I thought I had a pretty well spent weekend. I was with my friends all weekend. I played video games. I played football. And I went to Valley Scare. I hope next weekend is just as fun.

Vikings

Since the football season began, I had been looking forward to watching the Vikings paly and I had hoped that they would have a succesful season while they are at it. Well part of that fantasy came true. The Vikings as of right now are 3 and 3. THe last two games that they have played, one was against the New Orleans Saints which in my opinion was the worst game the Vikings had ever played. But, because of the Saints many fumbles and turnovers, the Vikings pulled off the win even though they hardly deserved it. And the next game they played against the winless Miami Dolphins, the Vikings were lucky that the new quarterback had made a rookie mistake and had stepped out of bounds in the endzone causing a safety and giving the Vikings two undeserved points. The Vikings managed to pull off a 12 to 10 win over the Dolphins even though they were lucky enough to even get that. The Vikings will hopefully beat the Bears next week in Chicago who also have a record of 3 and 3. This has been my report on the Vikings for this week and hope that this helped someone find out more info on the Vikings.