His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday seems like the first screwball comedy that I have seen but I'm sure that I've seen others. The fast pace of the film keeps you interested and it makes you really listen to what they are saying. I really liked the way the dialogue moved back and forth between Walter and Hildy. The way the two react to one another makes for a good comedy. The physical comedy doesn't hurt either. I liked the way the reporters and journalists would move from phone to phone frantically trying to get the news onto paper. The opening scene is a great example of both the physical and vocal comedy seen throughout the film. When Hildy visits Walter to tell him that she is remarrying they get into one of their massive speedy conversations and the jabs and insults keep coming. At one point during the conversation Walter says something that puts Hildy over the edge and she throwns her handbag at him, this and the way they move about the room while talking makes for quite a funny scene. The biggest turning point in the film is when Walter is filling Hildy with excitement concerning the article and Bruce walks into the room. This is a key scene because Hildy completely ignores Bruce when he is trying to tell her that he is leaving on the 9:00 train showing that she loves the paper more than she does Bruce. I now know what the screwball comedy has to offer and I plan on pursuing this genre in the future. I always walked right past these movies in blockbuster and now...maybe I'll stop and take a closer look at some of the titles...but I'm not promising anything I'll probably end up renting 300 again.

"Deserves Got Nothin' To Do With It"

I must say I enjoyed the film "Unforgiven" very much, it really opened up a new perspective on the Western genre as a whole. I used to think that Westerns were all pretty much the same but "Unforgiven" really shows a different and more vulnerable side of the cowboy "outlaw". Throughout the movie Will Munny struggles with many demons, his drinking problem and his past as a ruthless killer play a big role on Munny's psyche as the film progresses. I really enjoyed this film mainly because it was more believable than most other westerns and some great emotions were portrayed by the three outlaws. I liked how Eastwood showed that even the worst of killers having some vulnerable characteristics hidden deep within them. I felt the depiction of a slow and painful death added a lot to the movie's message. The title is a key component of the film as well because it makes you wonder who this is being directed to, as it turns out almost all of the outlaws are battling their consciences as they murder helpless men. In the end the murders and killing of these men is unforgiven. After seeing this movie I have come to the conclusion that the revisionist western appeals to my tastes much more than a classical western. Primarily the action and emotion that the outlaws are going through grabs my attention more than a group of strangers in a stagecoach.

Pan's Labyrinth=Amazing

After watching the trippy adult fairy tale that is "Pan's Labyrinth" one thing stuck with me, perhaps this is due to the fact that I had been taking notes on it throughout the entire film but the set design in "Pan's Labyrinth" was breathtaking. After taking notes on the set design I tried to pull up some extra features and commentary tracks on the making of the film but this only comes with the two disk feature set. Feeling a bit helpless I finally struck gold on a YouTube search "Pan's Labyrinth Set Design". This was just what I was looking for, a commentary segment by the director, Guillermo del Toro and the set designer, Eugenio Caballero. This commentary focuses most of it's attention towards the differences between the set design of the "real world" and the "magical/mythical world" seen throughout the film. Caballero and Del Toro collaborated together on the set design, in the commentary Del Toro points out that he wanted the "real world" to look very cruel and cold, he was able to accomplish this by using diagonal and straight lines, everything in the set is rough and textured so the set seems more unforgiving. Del Toro uses cool colors like blue and black to establish the sadness and loneliness that Ofelia, the main character is experiencing, it is almost always raining as well, this adds to the dispair that she feels. By collaborating together Del Toro and Caballero are able to paint a realistic portrait of the line between a world of cruelty and evil and a world of hope and love. The magical world is seen as a sort of safe haven for Ofelia as she strives to escape the cruelties that surround her. The sets of the magical world are amazing to me because they all seem so real, the truth is the sets for the mythical world are all big models. Del Toro chose to do it this way because he wanted it to lie on the fine line between reality and a mythical place. Caballero uses many rounded objects and soft light in his set designs for the "magical realm", quite the opposite of his "real world's" sets. The use of soft colors like red, yellow, and gold help lighten the mood when things in the real world are violent and terrifying. At certain points during the film the set designs echo each other, Ofelia's stepfather, a tyrannical military officer throws a dinner party with his "yes men" and their wives. The table they are eating on is a long and ornate hand crafted piece , at the head of the table sits this cruel man that kills with no remorse, later on in the film we return to Ofelia's quest and she must complete a task, in the set of this scene the very same table is present and at the head of the table a terrible monster awaits Ofelia like a spider luring in it's prey. Del Toro mentions in his commentary that, "The set design is trying to tell us that the girl, (Ofelia) is trying to understand the real world through the fantasy. For the most part the sets were constructed by the set design crew with exception to those that were digitally retouched, (The Ruins). Del Toro adds his own thoughts when he gives the woods a glowing affect full of life and mysteries, one thing that I noticed that added a bit of mysticism was the floating particles seen throughout the air that gave the film a nice dreamlike quality. Overall there weren't many problems that got in the way but Del Toro and Caballero are so smooth in their directions that there was little room for error, It is not hard to see why Pan's Labyrinth is Guillermo Del Toro's proudest film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4pbPUqain4

Westerns...bang bang

I usually don't enjoy westerns because, in my experience with them they have always been about the outlaw and his travels. I know the film, "Stagecoach" followed the outlaw (Ringo the Kid) but it also followed the stories of the many other passengers riding in the stagecoach. I found this interesting because every passenger came from a different social background, whether they were an outlaw, prostitute, doctor with a drinking problem, or a crooked banker each character was represented well and each were shone in a different light. I did have a hard time getting used to the little amount of action and shoot-em up scenes found in this movie, i have gotten used to today's action packed, guns blazing movies we see today. But when the stagecoach arrives in Lordsberg and the shootout scene is finally upon us, I am at peace, the way Ford shot this scene is classic. I like the way he shows everyone in town scurrying out of the main street and the shadows and low key lighting adds tremendously to the suspense effect. This is an important scene because this is what the entire movie has really been building up to, "Will Ringo the Kid get his revenge?"
I like how Ford portrays Ringo as the outlaw we can all learn to love, I realized how in many contemporary movies this same idea is used. The most recent Western that I have seen was "American Outlaws", for some reason this film seemed just too much like hollywood nonsense, maybe this was because Jessie James was played by Colin Farell not the typical cowboy in my mind. The film did have many of the same general scenes as stagecoach though, the long travel across country, the shootout, and the girl that the outlaw falls in love with were all there. I don't have anything against Westerns i just don't find myself seeking out such films as 3:10 to Yuma as I would for comedies. But the viewing of this film has taught me to give the Western genre another try.

Wait..."There wasn't a cane in Citizen Kane"

To me the film, Citizen Kane was the beginning of a new "breed" of filmmaking. Orson Welles put so much, time, energy, and heart into the creation of this film that it seems to be crammed full of technical elements of film. Some can take this in a positive light while others can see it as distracting and almost "too much". I would have to say that some of the techniques used were almost too drastic...(the parrot) but at the same time the film gave a whole new light to the term photography. Welles does a good job of varying his shots he uses a wide range of shots, he uses extreme long shots (Kane's mansion), long shots (Opera theater), medium shots (Breakfast table), close ups (Susan's face pleading to Kane to let her stop singing), and extreme close ups (Kane's mouth as he whispers his last word, "Rosebud"). The great thing about the photography in Citizen Kane is that the camera's distance, angle, and aspect ratio tell a story in themselves. The use of high angle and low angle provide another aid in determining what is going on in a certain shot. When Susan is pleading that Kane let her stop her singing career she is on her knees and is almost as low as she can get in the frame, Kane stands above her and dominates the frame showing his power. The camera angle from Susan's perspective is a low angle and she is looking up at Kane in fear, the camera angle from Kane's perspective is high angle as he looks down upon Susan, almost in anger and disgust with himself. The movie in itself was a huge contribution to the filmmaking world and the elements of film seen throughout have provided a platform for movies to build off of.

The Godfather Review

“The Godfather” directed by Francis Ford Coppola may be the all time greatest gangster movies of all time. What gives me a right to say such a bold statement? I have something known as the freedom of speech. “The Godfather” is the platform of which nearly all gangster/mafia movies build from; this movie alone set the standards for this genre. This is of course my opinion but I am sure you will agree if you decide to listen to my praises and watch this movie.

To begin, “The Godfather” has won three academy awards including best picture of 1972. With an all-star cast how couldn’t this movie receive all the attention it did? The movie stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, and Anne Keaton. The acting is superb, the emotions and the dialogue are so rich and full of life that you come out of the movie feeling as if you are part of the family. Marlon Brando is amazing he sells his character to you and you believe him when he makes promises, you listen to every word he says because you almost find yourself respecting him as a character.

“The Godfather” is the story of a Sicilian family that is one of the five most powerful mafia families in New York. It’s 1946 and at this time the mafia has it’s hands in the casino, and liquor industries, A young narcotics dealer comes into the picture and starts to shake things up, he tries to get narcotics into organized crime. This does not go over well with Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) who feels that the introduction of the narcotics industry will only bring trouble and confrontation. Don Corleone is right in thinking this because this is exactly what happens. Rivalries and the event of the Don’s assassination attempt really gets the ball rolling and forces the family business to be placed in the hands of Sonny, Don Vito’s hot headed son. While Don Corleone’s wounds heal, Sonny has turned the situation into a full on war between the five mafia families of New York. After many retaliations and twists and turns Michael, the Don’s youngest son is handed the control of the family business and learns that the family business isn’t all about killing and crime, but it is about respect for one’s friends and enemies, and family is a huge part of the business.

“The Godfather” is directed by the great Francis Ford Coppola a man who knows that the power of music can dramatically affect the mood of the film. The music throughout the film is scored by Nino Rota, she created the moving music throughout the film that is upbeat during the weddings and downbeat during funerals and deaths. The music in itself tells a story of victory and defeat, the way this film is put together is amazing because it has so much to offer: action, drama, suspense, weddings, funerals, shootouts, and assassinations. Everything that a good gangster film should be The Godfather has it all. I would highly recommend this film to the seven people on earth who haven’t seen this film, and to those who have already seen this masterpiece so they can take a closer look at the genius behind Coppola’s “The Godfather”.