Speaking of Films . . .

I watched this recently. I had to watch twice in a row - four hours worth of Drive (2011). Have any of you seen it? If I were writing a review, I think I'd absolutely choose this.

I don't love action films, but this gorgeous and violent (perhaps gorgeously violent) nouveau noir film mesmerizes. It also stars Bryan Cranston, who plays the fabled "Walt" in "Breaking Bad" (we learned a bit about Walt in class on Wed.) 

Soundtrack is entrancing, just superb throughout. Most reviews nod to the score and soundtrack, rightfully so.  The film's on Netflix Streaming right now, quite surprisingly. And Paula said there's nothing good on Netflix. Give this one a try. Seriously.

Blog #2, due by Mon, the 3rd

For this blog, you're going to a rhetorical analysis of sorts, based on a review of your choosing (this may be a film or television review -- you can use the review you used for your first blog if your discussion is much more thorough than the first, or you can choose a new one). 

Be sure to link to/or embed the review you've chosen in your post.

You should proceed paragraph by paragraph, explaining what the author is doing and more importantly, HOW, to the best of your ability (again, I realize you probably don't know a lot of the names of particular rhetorical strategies, so do the best you can). I've posted a list of rhetorical strategies in "Content" (we'll be using this extensively when we get to Paper #2 -- the rhetorical analysis, so consulting this now will be beneficial on a number of levels). 

What are you looking to identify? On one level, you should discuss the review's title, the lead (its effectiveness as a hook for the rest of the piece), plot synopsis, discussion of actors and performances/development of characters, directing/director,  the kinds of ideological connections the writer makes to current issues, trends, values, or events -- all the things we've discussed in class this week.

Paragraph by paragraph, explain the writer's rhetorical progression and choices. Name them where and when you can (for instance, we briefly discussed the "Breaking Bad" author's use of alliteration and sophisticated diction). 

I'm posting a sample that I believe will give you a concrete guide of how to proceed here. The more you closely examine writing, the more informed choices you'll make in your own writing. Taking apart a review, especially one you admire and might use as a template, will, without a doubt, make you closely consider how and where you'll address the "have tos" of a review (as well as other elements often treated, like cinematography, musical score/soundtrack, tone, mood, style, etc.)

The sample will be posted in a separate blog posting. 

Easy Money (2012)

Movie : Easy Money (2012)
Rating/Run-time : R, 1hr.59 min.
Directed By : Daniel Espinosa
Written By : Maria Karlsson, Jens Lapidus
Link : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/easy-money-a-drug-drama-with-a-shot-of-dostoyevsky/article4495554/

I have never seen this movie but the title and the reviewer dragged me into this film.
This movie is about three different but relevant conflicts among three men who are under whole different circumstances. Many reviewer said it shows Swedish crime thriller but little bit shocking and confusing.
I don't know how graphic this movie is but it reflects the dark and depressing world like smuggling drug or collapsing from treacherous business of social climbing, so I could think about person or society that is masked with something else to conceal their truth.

"The most powerful moments involve private lives and social conflict, not gunfights. In this world, it's not the blood on your hands that brings you down - it's the stain on your cufflinks."

Preview for We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Doctor Who Review (haha)

Review Title: A burning nerd question: Is the new season of 'Doctor Who' any good?
Author: Chicago Tribune
Site: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2010/04/doctor-who-matt-smith.html

I like this particular review because 1.) it talks about Doctor Who, which is just fantastic, and 2.) because the way the critic organized it makes it fun and interesting to read.
The reviewer begins by giving background information on the television series, which is wonderful if you've never seen the series before.  He also chose a topic of interest for many of the fans: whether the new Doctor lived up to the name. This review is kind of old but for die-hard Doctor Who fans, the changing of the Doctor is very dramatic. He writes in a fun, energetic style that I love, "Smith digs into his bold version of the Doctor with gusto and there's every reason to hope that, tossed into some cleverly constructed adventures, he'll be a lot of fun to hang out with."

For those of you who have never seen the series, you're missing out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vIsQ25Krq8&feature=relmfu

SuperNatural TV Series Review

My review is referring to Alex (August 25, 2010) who gave the hit TV show, SuperNatural, a superb rating 10 out of 10.  I enjoyed reading his review because it was full of interesting information about the series without ruining it for future audiences whom haven't seen the TV show at all.  He gives examples to sum up what SuperNatural is all about from "thrilling chase from the officials, a timed excursion through america to reach and kill a supernatural entity 'Before it's too late' or a joke episode from a certain character who appears first in season 2".  Reading this review captivated and interested me to immediately head straight to Blockbuster, rent all available seasons, and see first-hand, trusting Alex when he says, "each and every episode has its own charm".

SOURCE:  http://www.metacritic.com/tv/supernatural/user-reviews?dist=positive

The Campaign Review

Movie: The Campaign
Reviewer: Owen Glelberman
Link: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20589911,00.html

This review suggests that The Campaign is highly obnoxious, has hilarious moments, and full of scenes that represent American politics today.  The review states that Cam Brady, "a smugly moronic right-wing incumbent trying to hold on to a seat from North Carolina" is now in limbo as to whether he will have his seat in Washington D.C because Marty Huggins "a doofus with no experience" has given into pressure and decided to run himself.  The review is sarcastic and funny - it begins with an overview of the movie in general and then dips into comparing the movie with today's political race. "And it's all about how politics in America has become a money-drenched, media-mad hall of mirrors - and not only corrupt but as prefab as an infomercial. It's about how the whole thing is now a game of charades." Very meta. It then goes on to describe the main characters at their finest, beginning with Cam and his famous saying "America. Jesus. Freedom!" and ending with Marty "Mister Rogers crossed with the Church Lady."

I love the tone, the sarcasm, and the blunt lines that give you a chuckle - "a tour guide who wears awesomely ugly cardigans sweaters." The review doesn't sugarcoat anything, but actually opens your perspective on the happenings of America - sad, but it is true. It highlighted the main points of the movie and runs with it - finding the words and tone to capture those moments to bring the audience in. It was a review on the movie, but it also highlighted truth on the movie scenes as well. It had my attention the whole time.

I have seen the movie and I did find it quite hilarious. Reading this review after seeing the movie, helped open my eyes to parts I may not have picked up on at the time.  Definitely a loud out load movie!

Piranha 3DD

I decided to stick with the same theme and film; thus . . . here you go.

I chose Kyle Anderson's (Entertainment Weekly) review for its conciseness, cleverness, and Anderson's focus on meta discourse. In fact, he highlights this in his opening paragraph:

"The best part of Piranha 3DD, the pointless sequel to the utterly unnecessary 2010 remake of Piranha, is the credits. Not only do they signify that the film is finally, mercifully over, but they also allow for David Hasselhoff to sing the theme song to a new fake TV series called The Fish Hunter, a clever meta-gag that nods both to Baywatch and the Hoff's international recording success."

This introduction, while short and concise, accomplishes a number of things: first, it sums up the critic's take on the film as a whole (something you will need to do in your review): ""The best part of Piranha 3DD, the pointless sequel to the utterly unnecessary 2010 remake of Piranha, is the credits. Not only do they signify that the film is finally, mercifully over . . . " This one sentence provides the writer's overarching opinion of the film, indicating  which element is most positive/useful/enjoyable (a good, "bad" review will note any exceptions in which/where the production succeeds, even if the reviewer finds the production terrible on the whole). It also uses the term "meta" to describe a gag element; explicitly, the writer briefly describes Hasselhoff's appearance, but more implicitly, Anderson uses this specific example to note the very thing I mentioned in class: the film contains numerous layers and complexities (that might be stretching it) that are self referential and, well, meta (a film directly referencing another film, a film overtly making fun of itself -- blatantly acknowledging its own parody, etc.)

Many of Anderson's observations are simple and marked by straightforward, efficient language that's occasionally punctuated by more trussed-up verbiage: "Unfortunately, Piranha 3DD takes itself entirely too seriously, actively trying to infuse the ridiculous plot — wherein the titular prehistoric flesh-eating fish from the first movie have managed to invade a water park — with brow-furrowing gravitas." I also love the way this sentence effectively sums up the plot in one phrase. Very effective all around. 

A few other gems: "the ta-ta-centric direction the business has taken" (ta-ta-centric? I might steal this); " it’s just one laborious machination after another to get to the end of the movie"; 
these phrases infuse the review with a large dose of wit, sharpness and general good fun.

Having read this review, I feel I would have (had I not seen the film already) likely Redboxed it (it's probably worth $1 on a slow night), and gone into it feeling above the fray and self aware enough to enjoy it but only via an effective critique of  said pulp/trash cinema (like Anderson's own). It's so bad it's cool to love it, right?

Interestingly, another reviewer noted the same theme I highlighted in class: "Before the inevitable and quite literal bloodbath ensues, there's a rather nasty scene that reps a variation on the old vagina-dentata anxiety so beloved of schlock horror films, here involving Shelby and a most unlucky suitor, Josh (Jean-Luc Bilodeau)" (Lesley Felperin for Variety). Felperin's review is quite similar to Andersen's: his "ta-ta-centric" is her "cleavage-intensive, frat-boyish sensibility". 

An effective television or film review makes very good use of language. The genre at its best calls for a level of cleverness and general adeptness with descriptive language: one of the elements of review writing on which we'll concentrate the most.

Interestingly, the still shot that leads the film's trailer is . . . this. Cough.

The Raven Review

Movie: The Raven
Directed By: James Mc Teigue
Written By: Ben Livingston, Hannah Shakespeare
Reviewer Site: http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/theraven.aspx (From Rotten Tomatoes)

Well this movie is about a serial killer that uses Edgar Allan Poe fiction murder stories and makes them real, the movie is about Detective Fields and Edgar trying to find the murderer.

Well I personally think this a good movie, by good I mean 8 out of 10, Edgar Allan Poe is a well written character and it is enjoyable and thrilling to see this character evolve during the film, the rest of the character aren't as good as Edgar but they are ok, the murderer seemed like he was doing things that would take 15 to 16 man to accomplish and it was like he could appear anywhere at anytime but still a good movie a little gory and dark but that is how I like them.
My favorite quote from the reviewer "Is a bloody good time" and it is.
So I won't tell you any more about this movie you should go and see it yourself.

Curious Fact:
On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning. Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition, and, oddly, was wearing clothes that were not his own. Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death, though it is unclear to whom he was referring. - Source Wikipedia
You might ask yourself "What dose this have anything to do with the movie?" I would tell you but you better watch the movie.

P.S. Read his books if you like dark literature.

EDIT: Is on DvD Octover 9

Engl 100 Essay Review - Game of Thrones, Blog #1

“Society bristles with enigmas which look hard to solve. It is a perfect maze of intrigue.” – Honore de Balzac. The Game of Thrones epitomizes this image magnificently. A game that screams with enigmas and  mazes of intrigue that gives the viewer no other choice but to become enthralled.  TV Guide movie reviewer, Matt Roush, highlights the same sentiment in his article, “Roush Review: Grim Thrones Is a Crowning Achievement.” The series is based on the book by George RR Martin titled,  A song of Fire and Ice. To keep the focus on the story line,  Martin became the co-executive producer of The Game of Thrones. Roush captures the audience with his review in such a way that even the harshest critics would find themselves front and center of this “political and psychological” mind play fantasy drama.

Roush introduces the series to the reader by presenting the title of episode one, “Winter Is Coming.” The title foreshadows a possible slow-moving action sequence throughout the drama. He points out that the title of episode one is misleading. He indicates that the series, in contrast,  is a dynamic and heated cinema. Roush expresses his admiration of the series by stating  “the real magical wizardry…in the rich storytelling, embroiling a bounty of memorable characters young and old in a fatalistic free-for-all of dynastic mayhem.” This statement provides insight to the reader that the upcoming season  contains an array of treats to cater to a variety of viewers. Though the familiarity of this rustic epic in Roush’s telling of this tale in its “honor, family, treachery, revenge and heroism” that viewers of epic cinematography seek out, it gives its uniqueness in its maze of family and relationship  interests, quick to kill action of possible main characters, and  mirroring of the time in its less than colorful imagery makes the season  one that keeps its viewer coming back for more, as Roush views points out.

            The coming of time in this epic Roush places an emphasis that the mole that other epic films place women, men and children in will not be found in this series of episodes. Instead Roush points out that the awe-factor is highlighted in the placement of tomboyish daughters, rebelling lords and ladies that give respect towards out casted family, even to adoption of animals in which normally would be killed but are saved by the standing up of a child against his powerful and well respected father. Scenes that Roush highlights only Game of Thrones has the strength to risk in its ground breaking script that he foresees will motivate his readers to engage their minds in this alchemy of converging brilliance.

            I found Roush’s review to be very engaging and informative. I began  enjoying the series Game of Thrones since it first aired on television…I absolutely loved it from the start. The rustic nature and original but unique appeal has a great refreshing appeal to me. Imagery that is realistic (cold, wet, dirty landscape) to the time places me in the trance of the fictional series that very well could be a realistic history is as addicting as Roush foretold it would be. I also enjoyed  the ease of understanding the family names that the scripts gives by using today’s age names such as Robert, Ned, Jaime, Jon…this made the story line more relatable to me. As going along with the realism…I also disliked the some of the scenes due to the pleasure of the realism of the actors and scenes. I disliked some scenes because it held some characters that the producers “wanted” me to dislike. Joffrey Baratheon, for example, is a character that I disliked in the first episode due to his self centered mentality, evil intentions, and constant sadistic actions. In contrast, I most enjoyed the intelligence of Tyrion Lannister. He engaged my interests due to his dwarfism. He made himself improvise and heighten his abilities to diligently accomplish more than a man twice his size could achieve. Tyrion used his intelligence to service his cruel world of giants and bullies…a trait that I highly respected in this character.

            If I never heard of  the series, Roush’s review would really encourage me to give a close watch to this epic fantasy. The way in which the review explained the similiarities, differences, and mood  of this dark yet enlightening offering of entertainment is exactly how I would’ve explained the series to engage others into what I so look forward to viewing. For others to read this review the link at http://www.tvguide.com/news/roush-review-thrones-1031879.aspx#disqus_thread can take the interested  person there. To overcome themselves with realism yet lost in fantasy…I would highly recommend the advice of Roush as he speaks of Tyroin Lannister, “This dwarf has game — and so does this fabulous dark fable. Dig in.”

Let the Right One In Review

Movie: Let the Right One In.
Author: Roger Moore
Site: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-movie-review-let-the-right-one-in,0,2121665.story

I've never seen this movie but based on this review I'd like to see it. I really like this review because it was short and to the point. It didn't give away too much of the story line or give away any spoilers. "Let the Right One In is a film of over-illuminated midnight snow scapes, of blonds and barflies, divorced parents and latch-key kids visited by grisly, shocking attacks. The juxtapositions are jarring." I really like this line from the review. It seems as if it summarized the whole movie in this one very descriptive sentence. 

The Cabin in the Woods Review

Title: The Cabin in the Woods Disembowels the slasher film

Author: Christopher Orr

Link: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/the-cabin-in-the-woods-disembowels-the-slasher-film/255810/

Summary: Christopher Orr does a great job giving a good sense of what viewers should expect out of the film without actually giving away the exact storyline and spoilers. He explains that the film is definitely satirical and is meant to incorporate many aspects of all different kinds of horror movies, such as typical horror film characters and similar storylines all combined into one movie. Orr explains that the movie has two different storylines -- therefore us as an audience are watching another audience watch someone else. He does a good job of making the film sound very appealing to someone who realyl enjoys horror flicks.

If I was going to use this review as a model or template for my own review, i'd definitely emulate Orr's use of humor, as well as persuading and talking to a specific audience such as horror film fanatics.

I have seen the film and initially, I didn't understand the storyline exactly and what the film was actually trying to say. After reading reviews though, I got a better understanding of what the film was all about.

Bad Teacher Review

Movie: Bad Teacher
Author: Mr. Cranky
Link: http://www.mrcranky.com/movies/bad-teacher

Mr. Cranky reviews are different from normal reviews in the sense that they don't try and sugarcoat things. If the movie sucks, they'll straight up say why it sucks. The reviewer(s) on this site are very sarcastic and seemingly difficult to impress. The movie reviews for movies I didn't like are always my favorite. One of the worst movies I'd ever sat through was Bad Teacher. Basically, Cameron Diaz is too old to play hot, but still attempts to anyway. Her character is upset over losing a love, so what does she do? Pull herself together and move on with her life with her dignity? No, of course not. She sets out to become a teacher and sluts it up at a school fundraiser car-wash to raise enough money to steal from her students . . . to get a boob job. Cute. I personally regret wasting the time to watch the movie, but Mr. Cranky's review almost made it worth while. I'm a sarcastic and blunt person, so naturally I love that form of writing far better than the sugarcoated niceness that most movie reviews are. My favorite part of the review is; "It probably helps if you're high too when checking out "Bad Teacher," as that might help you get through the film's excruciating lack of plot, combined with a cast of characters that might as well have been lifted directly from every single fucking movie about a school ever made, ever." Accurate. 

Ismail's Blog #1

Synopsis:
Paris, in other words the city of love; romance; tragedy. "Love me if you dare", the English version of the French movie "Jeux d'enfants" is one of the most famous romantic movies that the French cinema has proposed us.  Sophie and Julien have defined the rules of the game: “able or not able”.  They are heading to everything: the best and the worst. Violate all taboos, prohibitions defy, defy all authorities, laugh, hurt expect confessing that they love each other.

Review: http://themoviemash.com/2010/08/sarahs-review-jeux-d%E2%80%99enfants-love-me-if-you-dare/

Review of love me if you dare

                  Sarah's review of love me if you is based on three parts. First of all an introduction, then a synopsis and finally a description of the characters.

In her review Sarah use Paris as an attraction for the audience, in order to make it interesting which will create a desire to watch this movie. Furthermore the

terms that Sarah is using are simple. In addition to that the review is well described with specific terms: " The film is a diamond in the rough when it comes to dark comedy.

Yann Samuell has mixed dark comedy and romance into a film both genders can enjoy." ,  as well as the fact that the author emphasize on the fact that is thanks to her

awesome performance in "Love me if you dare" that Marion Cotillard became very famous .

                  What I found interesting is that she explained everything well, with a lot of details. It was written in a very concise way. Likewise me and Sarah are

sharing the same point of view. We both loved the movie and she is describing it the way I will describe it. The vocabulary used is simple which that her review

is intended to several types of people.


                I will certainly emulate this review inasmuch as I liked her way of making it brief and attractive in the same time and that's one of the main reason that

made me choose this review.

               To conclude, This is one of the best french movies. I watched it several times, but I am not sure if the english version is as good as the french one.

Sincerely

Hunger Games

“Lawrence is a strong role model for young girls with her character's sacrifice, courage, moral grounding in a world that's lost its own, and will to fight for what's right, even if it means sacrificing her own life or sparking a revolution”

AUTHOR: Neil Pond, American Profile

SITE: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hunger_games/

SUMMARY: I chose this particular review because it tells you what Katniss Everdeen is going to struggle against and what her journey is going to mold her into. The review its self completely tells us as readers what the main character Jennifer Lawrence is about concise and to the point. The review accomplishes to distinguish all of katniss everdeen’s characteristics and her willingness to sacrifice herself not only for her sister but also to start a fight against the capitol stating that they don’t own her.  The General mood of the review was intense just like the movie because you wouldn’t know what to expect next. I would emulate the author’s sense of vocabulary towards the characters with such explanation. I have seen The Hunger Games this film review does justice to katniss’s character, but also makes you think about the entire cast and how they’re like. The Hunger Games is an amazing movie I’ve watched it at least 5 times because it has some many qualities to it like romance, action and endurance to fight for a cause.

Review of The Addams Family Values Review

Review Title: The Addams Family Values
Author: Jonathon Rosenbaum
Site: Rotten Tomatos

I liked this review because of the way that Rosenbaum wrote it. He described the movie's main points without really giving too much away. When describing the main points he doesnt just blandly write them, but describes it in a way that makes the reader want to watch the movie so they can find out what happens to each of the characters. At the end of the review he sums up the movie as having "...moved into high gear and become one of the funniest, most mean-spirited satirical assaults on sunny American values..." I WOULD use this review as a model because he does a really good job of summarizing the film and giving his opinion without the review being SUPER long and boring or giving a simple good/bad.
I personally love the Addams Family. The show and the movies, from Morticia to Cousin Itt, I Love Them and the way that to them, all of their values and behaviors, are backwards compared to normal society.

Review of review of Garden State

http://www.thefilmyap.com/2010/04/26/heroes-of-the-zeroes-garden-state/

Nick Rogers reviews "Garden State" on thefilmyap.com (pulled from rotten tomatoes.)

I like this review because it gives a good glimpse into what to expect from the film without giving out much information. It's an awkward weird movie and the review does a good job depicting that. It gives a glimpse of the darkness behind the movie in that Andrew is dependent on anti-depressants and without them, along with the death of his mother, he seems lost. I also like the way it describes Natalie Portman's role because it is true, she just seems extremely natural. 

I chose this review because it didn't feel forced or overshot like some of the others I read. There's no unnecessary adjectives or any other "fluff". A lot of the other reviews I read I felt the need to bust out a dictionary to figure out what the hell the critic was trying to get across. "Unexpected comic  payoffs delayed Andrew's dilemma of choosing spontaneity over smoothed-out existence" was a sentence that I really liked because the comedy in this movie really does just randomly pop out of nowhere, and the subtle parts that are funny are really damn funny. 

If I were to emulate this review I would just really take into account how straight-forward, yet interesting, it was compared to many other reviews out there. The review got across what it needed to say while keeping me compelled to read it without a bunch of junk words thrown in. 

Personally, I really love Garden State even though, as I said earlier on, it is an awkward movie.  I'm a huge fan of Zach Braff and am impressed with him writing and directing this movie in that it's a complete change of pace compared to his show "Scrubs". Also, this is a little irrelevant but I love the soundtrack.

I don't have time to read anyone else's to see if I did this right but I'm crossing my fingers!

A Review on a Review on Bridesmaids

Review Title: Bridesmaids: the raunchy women’s comedy we’ve been waiting for

Author: Dana Stevens

Link: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2011/05/bridesmaids.html

Dana Stevens sums up Bridesmaids as a witty, long-awaited comedy that will keep your attention throughout the entire movie.  The review offers insight on the plot of Bridesmaids as well as the humor found throughout the movie without ruining any of the movie for prospective viewers.  Stevens credits the movies success to the director, Paul Feig, and to the cast (to name a few: Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne).  I found this review to be quite entertaining and useful for both those who are curious about the movie and for those who share the same love for Bridesmaids as Stevens does.  I chose this review out of other Bridesmaids reviews because of the way I relate to Stevens opinion of the movie---the appreciation of the humor and the want for everyone to see it.  I love the way Stevens finishes her review: “Don't see Bridesmaids because it's your social responsibility...see it because it’s fucking hilarious.”  Put so blunt and so simply, she challenges readers to see the movie for themselves.  If choosing to write a review based off of Steven’s approach on her review for Bridesmaids, I would probably emulate her use of humor throughout her writing; she keeps her writing alive and keeps readers interested.  I like the positivity she keeps throughout her review, continuing to support her point at the beginning that Bridesmaids is a great movie.  Just as Stevens did, I also loved the movie.  I, too, was entertained the entire movie; There was never a scene that wasn’t funny or entertaining.  It was a movie with a good plot, a great cast, and an even better script.  I loved everything about Bridesmaids as there was never a dull moment for me.  I am not the kind of person who likes to watch a movie over and over again, but I have seen Bridesmaids 7 times and am willing to see it an 8th! If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you do.

The Help-Blog #1

By Paula Sepeda Title: The Help Author: Dana Stevens Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2011/08/the_help.html

I read several reviews before I was satisfied with this author. I’ve only seen The Help once however I really enjoyed it and I started to use a lot of the “one liners” from it in my own dialogue like my own movie language. So when I started looking for a review I wanted to get a soft summary of the movie, one that didn’t give it away but still interesting enough to make me want to watch it. I like how the author was gentle with her descriptions of the character’s , she didn’t give a lot of details but just enough to get you curious and hooked to watch it. She describes the two main housekeepers perfectly in just a few words “smart, funny, and righteous”. There’s even a line were you can tell that the writer sets apart Skeeter, the main character, letting the reader interpret that she is an outsider even amongst her own race.  The writer informs that the movie is a light hearted tear jerker with a message that will pull the audience in and make them to either relate or realize how far our country has come on this long road of racism. It show’s two world’s mainly from a woman’s view the high classed whites, the house keepers that belong to them, and how differently their two worlds are even though they are so closely intertwined.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Name of the review title: Snow White and the Huntsman

Author: James Berardinelli,

Link: http://www.reelreviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=2475

Traditionalists will not find Snow White and the Huntsman, directed by Rupert Sanders, to be a family oriented, “child-friendly” film such as Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; or even more recently Mirror Mirror directed by Tarsem Singh. Instead, this movie is very close to what I imagine the Brothers Grimm intended when they first published their “Children’s and household tales” back in 1812 ---dark, grim, with a strong moral code--- evil corrupts and will destroy you in the end. I found this review interesting because of the dry wit employed by Mr. Berardinelli that enhances rather than detracts from his review. While his comments are amusing to the reader, they get the point across. One example occurs as he describes the “almost Shakespearean” style of the movie and an overview of the plotline in regards to the actors “The three leads are emotionally damaged and spend a great deal of time trying to work through some issues. All could use a weekly therapy session, but they find ways to compensate”. Another example is Berardinelli’s sarcastic description of Twilight actress Kristen Stewart as “perhaps still experiencing a thespian hang-over from spending so much time appearing in Twilight movies, [Kristen Stewarts acting] is flat. I completely agree. Actress Charlize Theron stole the show---completely believable as a tortured, damaged being who has embraced evil.

I am not sure if I would try to emulate this author’s writing style. I have more research to do before I make a decision regarding my own review. I think it would be difficult to emulate someone else’s wit while writing; it would need to come from the writer’s own life experiences or outlook. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I have seen all three takes on the Brothers Grimm story of Snow White, each stands in its own time and category. I would recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates Fantasy based movie with one caveat---this is definitely NOT a child-friendly movie. The rating is PG-13 for violence and profanity.

Television Without Pity’s review of PREMUIM RUSH

Television Without Pity’s review of PREMUIM RUSH

First off , I chose this review for a few reasons, one is that this is a movie that I am planning on seeing tonight because I myself am a cycling enthusiast , and my date is a Joseph Gordon- Levitt enthusiast. I found that the review was informative, clear, and lacking all the superfluous fluff that I have found in other reviews.  I also enjoyed that the author compared this movie to SPEED, one of my favorite movies and a young lad.  Though the review was informative I was kind of disappointed in the lack of “snarky humor” in the writing as the title of the website containing this review implies.  I have a feeling that when it comes time to write my own reviews I will probably quite a bit more critical humor in my writing.   

 

Calem Cowell

 

Review (Post #1)

Film Review : The Hurt Locker
fanthefiremagazine.com
Author: Sam Bathe

The review starts off with a bang, reiterating the controversy of war and its addicting drug like affect it has on societies and their people. While effectively explaining its uniqueness to other war movies in past it also gives the readers a good feel for what to expect. One of my favorite statements in the review was one that I can relate to having seen this film before: "The dramatic sequences are hugely powerful and it really felt like you were the fourth member of the team as the bomb squad head out each day."

Throughout the writing the author provides many quality comments and well organized thoughts, giving much praise to the unexposed director, Kathryn Bigelow. 

"The Hurt Locker doesn’t rely on flashy gunfights to create excitement, instead Bigelow uses long cuts and stunning framing shots to get across the atmosphere, power and suspense of each situation."

All in all this review was very well done and left me feigning to watch the film again.

Bourne Legacy: A Review

'Bourne Legacy' movie review: Fourth trip to the well pays off for action franchise

        I have always been a fan of the Bourne movies and when the newest movie Bourne Legacy came out I was excited to see the change in storyline, and the matter of the helpful "oh it all makes sense now" moments that I expected to see. I found this assignment to be the ultimate opportunity to give my opinion and try to review this movie like an actual critic (in training). I found this review on Metacritic.com, it was written by Mike Scott who gave a refreshing insightful breakdown of the key elements between the previous and latest Bourne movies. The review in all has a skeptical tone, "Oh, the basics are still in place" here as you can see, Scott reinforces the idea that the key notes of the movie are still in place yet "there's not that much about the first three "Bourne" movies that you need to know in order to follow this outing". In terms of writing, the review was witty, an air of criticism was present throughout the article he seemed to be unimpressed with the movie or slightly disappointed with the franchise. My opinion about the movie fell similar along the same lines as the review my girlfriend and I both agreed that the action in the movie was outstanding yet the movie itself lacked a complexity that you would expect from the conspiracy that drives the whole plot. On another note I actually really liked the writing style, I was also disappointed with outcome of the movie yet relatively pleased with the new perspective of a similar yet new character in the Bourne series.
                                                                  

 Initial review:
 by: Mike Scott
Published: Friday, August 10, 2012, 6:00 AM
 http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/08/bourne_legacy_movie_review_fou.html

English 100 Post #1 Premium Rush

Premium Rush, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly.com) http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20591837,00.html

After reading several reviews, I came across a review of Premium Rush, (reviewed by Owen Gleiberman). This particular review caught my attention because Gleiberman was very blunt about his opinion of Premium Rush.

He began his review with an overall definition/mental picture of a typical bike messenger in New York City, and goes on to discuss the plot of the movie. Gleiberman states, "Premium Rush (the title is bike-messenger code for a high-priority assignment) is cleverly structured so that the plot feels more complicated than it is". After saying this, he compares several scenes that are filmed in a similar manner to other movies to give the reader an idea of what to expect, "...and Koepp slows the action way, way down (sort of like the fight scenes in the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes films)"
 At the end of the review, he goes on to say. "Premium Rush earns its place as end-of-the-summer escapism, but I can't say that it's more than a well-done formula flick." This sentence again shows Gleiberman's frankness towards his review. 

I was planning to use this review as a template for writing my own review because it has a structure that makes sense to me. Gleiberman's structure is simple: it starts with background information of the movie, the style of the scenes, a bit of character review, a synopsis of the plot and ends with the overall opinion of the movie.
Before reading this review (and other reviews of Premium Rush)  I was planning to go see this movie with a few friends, but now I will suggest picking another movie, since it seems rather boring to me now.


   

'Ted'- A boy and a bear, At large in a Man's Wolrd- Bob Mondello

The author explains how the movie 'Ted' didn't grab his attention in the first place. He states that as he was watching the movie he wasn't into the movie until the teddy bear came out. He doesn't understand the meaning of the talking teddy bear, but then refers back to how the boy was lonely and needed a true friend. He states, "the titular bear, whom i tried to resist but couldn't." Mondello compares the movie to 'The Hangover' by always having that friend that makes it hard for you to grow up and be an adult."
I love the way this author wrote his review because his mood is happy, and exciting about the talking teddy bear with humor.    

Blog Post #1 Eng 100

by Yasamin Aftahi Title: Mad Men Watch: Open Your Mouth and Say Ennui Author: James Poniewozik Source: Time Entertainment This review presents two components scattered throughout its body; recapping the major events in the plotline of season five of Mad Men, and spelling out the possible meanings that creator Matthew Weiner embedded between the lines of his script. Without chronologically listing the events, Poniewozik pieces together an outline of what is imperative for one to take away from season five. I chose this review because I found it to be a fine example of a more creative form of review. The author sews together the obvious scenes and plotlines with Weiner's infamous abundance of non-literal meanings. With a show like Mad Men, it takes a lot of active analyzing of the symbolism to discover the universal themes and motives of the characters, and this review served as a detailed supplement to watching the show. For example, he singles out the symbolism behind Don's toothache: "He opens the episode rubbing whiskey on a toothache. For he is suffering from decay!". Thoughtful observations like this lend the review texture and depth, and allows it to be more purposeful than a mere list of major events in the plotline. Poniewozik also connects the actions and situations of the characters to universal themes, like tension between genders in the work place. He alludes to the dynamic shift as women began to hold more power in the business world by point out that "Much of the Season 5 story at the Draper household has been Don’s dealing with the possibility of having a wife who is his equal". He goes on to describe Don's first time experiencing a relationship in which he does not hold the most power, and his struggle to adjust to this shocking, new dynamic. Addressing the bigger issues behind the arguments that Don has with his wife gives the reader some context with which they can broaden their understanding of the show. One specific thing I love about the writing is the way that the author casts a shadow of very human darkness over the piece, without using any directly morbid vernacular. One of the most powerful tools that a writer uses is the ability to tell it like it is, and expose the naked truth about the human condition in their words. As a reviewer, it is clear that Poniewosik is invested in finding a way to persuade his reader that the plotlines of Mad Men can offer more than just good Sunday night TV. He dissects the entire season, unfolding it conveniently, so that the reader may walk away with a deeper understanding of the world around them. Through this, one may view his piece as real writing and not just a traditional television review. This is strongly exemplified in his ending paragraph: " What I like best about the closer is that it leaves us in peace to take it all in, as a woman asks Don Draper, “Are you alone?,” and he gives her the look, cutting away moments before the response that Season 5 has invited us to imagine. Aren’t we all? His writing offers a chance to open the minds of his readers to see more than meets the eye, by way of watching Mad Men. When writing my own review, I would emulate many of the characteristics that I mentioned. I would tie in universal themes and non-literal meanings when breaking down the general plotline. I would treat the review with the same amount of tenderness and humanity, employing rich vocabulary and creative sentence structure. I would give me readers a reason to believe that what I am reviewing is somehow important on a larger scale, and would use my words to move them the same way that Poniewozik's review moved me. Mad Men is one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and that is saying a lot considering how many shows I have personally invested myself in over the years. Mad Men is a journey, full of symbolism and broader meaning. When you watch it you escape into this world that uses the characters as puppets to portray the gritty, messy, and utterly human nature of life itself. Each character, even the ones that seem so minutely involved in the clockwork of the show itself, presents a rich and complex storyline and by the time you are hooked onto the show you find that they each mean something very different to you. Watching this show will help you escape, but it also represents the reality of reality: there is no escaping. We all have to find a way to wade through the mud before we can hold the Sun in our hands.

ENGL 100 2572 Blog #1

Chris Sawin wrote a movie  review for "ParaNorman"  on the Examiner.com. What grabbed my attention for this particular review that I found on Rotten Tomato was the title " 'ParaNorman' is amusing animation for the horror fan in all of us". The title of this review made me want to read about why the movie had amusing animation and why it would stimulate the horror fan with in me. The introduction starts by giving a brief history and comparison of the Laika Entertainment's previous stop-motion animated picture "Coraline". Chris Sawin states "Laika Entertainment, the studio behind "Caroline", has brought "ParaNorman", which is certainly in the same vein and travels a similar path to greatness." If you are a fan of the previous movie then you can most definitely check off the fan box of "ParaNorman". He then goes into the summary of the movie by giving an outline and information on the characters as well as the humor and content by warning you of the language use which includes "hell" and "jackass"( since this film is PG). Chris rounds off the review by mentioning the influence of zombie movies and classic horror films. He then ends the review by adding how the film is "brilliantly animated with an amazing cast and clever writing."

I read a couple of reviews and thought this one would help me with the understanding of how a review should be done. I liked the the set up and noticed there are three basic points that need to be met. The points met started with the introduction of  the film by giving a brief  background and history of film makers , then transition into the movie characters and their goal in the film and finish with their opinion on whether the film was good or bad. Writing a review seems like a short and simple formula without giving the key points away. The reader should just get excited about the film and have a good idea if they would want to see the movie.

I read the review by Chris Sawin before taking my son last night to see the movie. We really enjoyed "ParaNorman" there were a lot of parts that made me laugh and it had some good messages for kids like anti-bulling and forgiveness. I was a little nervous about my son watching this movie since the main character Norman talks to the dead.While watching the movie I kept wondering if my five year old son was going to ask me 101 questions about talking to the dead. Fortunately he was amused by the awesome animation and funny characters including zombies. I would definitely recommend this movie to all.
http://www.examiner.com/review/paranorman-is-amusing-animation-for-the-horror-fan-all-of-us

making waves for those that pile into the boat.

     The instructor had us watch a movie called My Week with Marilyn in it's entirety during my "Acting For the Camera" class.  When it was over, everyone praised this film when asked how they felt about it.  I raised my hand and stated the movie was boring.  Almost everyone in the class was horrified and actually fucking gasped when I said this.  After the class was over, someone told me I was "brave" for saying that.  This is insane to me.  When did differing opinions become so... taboo?  I feel this is the place to talk about this because our class was great for differing opinions and respectful discussion.  Nobody even told me I was wrong, or even made an attempt to address what I said, they reacted as though I just insulted someone's mother by pretending it never happened after the initial gasp.  Anyone have thoughts on this?

Test Post

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Lit. 120

MW from 12-1:20. Oceanside campus, Room 3512.

I'm in it.

Why aren't you?!!

Reading and Writing Group

I've been wanting to do this for awhile. I've been part of several writing groups and book clubs over the years, a few of which have fostered a great deal of creativity, critical thinking, some decent writing. I haven't been part of one in several years, and I'm desperately missing being wholly devoted to both activities. 


I'm most interested in starting up a writing group but really open to reading/writing about fiction as well. I do a book club of two with my BFF, but he lives in NYC, and while we talk all the time, we don't always get around to attending to our reading. I'll simply say here that reading - particularly reading fiction - has saved my life a number of times. Maybe literally. Certainly emotionally, and perhaps psychologically. A short story collection, a novel, and, on occasion, poetry, is where I go to escape everything, to survive, or to simply disappear. 


Some of you know that I've had quite a lot from which  to escape in the past year and a half or so: I lost my home; pretty much everything in it except for personal effects; my independence (him mom and dad, at 36!) my marriage; my dog; two nearly life-long friendships; my faith; two jobs; my health (of course when I no longer had health insurance); all forms of insurance. I declared bankruptcy, declared a dedication to a life without physical or emotional violence, generated a renewed interest and dedication to a career that had gotten the better of me with 70-something-hour workweeks, constant commuting, and little time with my toddler. There's more to the story, and less. Pretty much a fabled "new beginning" (whether I'd desired it or not). 


But you know, everyone's life sucks sometimes. It could be so much worse. You get stronger and build resiliency. etc. etc. I'm pretty open about everything as I've found it's been useful to a few people here and there, and I will talk - or write - about anything when asked. Why I am telling you all this/blogging about it? Because checking out mentally is truly the only thing that saved me, that, literally, kept me here. When my days consisted of selling items I treasured, endlessly arguing, or thinking about why I'd made the decisions I had, I would turn to a book in the evening rather than the more brutal self criticism and extremely damaging fantasizing that had become rote. If I can turn anyone on to reading and writing as therapy, I aim to. 


I'm all for the sheer enjoyment of "guilty pleasure" reading and certainly an advocate of fine-tuned academic and professional writing, but mostly I want to help people use these practices/activities as tools for healing emotionally, escaping in a moderately healthy way, leveraging their imagination in a way that yields coping mechanisms, etc.  If I could teach this skill or practice, I probably wouldn't do anything else. Such a personal transformation doesn't usually happen in a writing classroom (though it has, and it's an amazing thing to watch, of which to be a part). What does all this mean? For those of you still reading, it might mean that you'd like to read and/or write regularly within a framework that supports critical reading and discussion. My family is generally completely disinterested in anything of the sort, and I find myself craving good intellectual discussions about life, politics - and various forms of art, especially. Can't really live (well) without them. 


The only idea I've formulated enough to present is a weekly/biweekly prompt (obviously, various participants would make up the prompts for these pieces, not just me), on which anyone participating would write (or elect not to write that week, I suppose). Whether these prompts are based on current events, trends or just little meditations or vignettes on ideas (my favorite "stuff" to write, on some level), someone would assign a broad topic, and we'd all write, post and discuss (this could be a paragraph or multiple pages, depending upon level of interest, knowledge, and the like).  I find that, as a writer, I NEED a real, viable audience . . . and I need deadlines, or I won't do it. Writing's hard work.


I figured I'd keep it on this blog since a number of you want to keep it/continue it anyway. Let me know, via email or text, if this is something you might like to contribute to, even if sporadically.