Online Couple Never Chats Anymore

We were just discussing this in class a few weeks ago about how we communicate online and how that affects our relationships with people. I just thought-- again, "The Onion" knows how to put it in a way that clearly mocks it, while all in the fun of the serious tone of a news article. The story may be based on real facts or not, but the messages are always clear because they mock a wider audience. In this case: internet communicators (which is a very large group of people!). Many people will understand the humor behind this article because of their experience with the internet and the signs that have come to have meaning through our use of them. LOL and IM and BRB are all symbols that sadly we can recognize. This is a lighthearted way to say that there is a fault line in cyber-communication or just to recognize the humor in it.

The Real News

Fat Kid Successfully Avoids Ridicule By Swimming With Shirt On

I guess the fact that I continue to find media that makes me wet my pants is indicitive of how my time is spent when I have it. I can't help it. How did I ever laugh before the wonderful world of the internet- honestly.

This really is a humorous little piece because it is in the perfect style of the "Today Show" or something, but it is a ludicrous, silly story. This is why the "Onion" is so successful. They know how to use the genres of news and comedy bits to make fun of situations in a very lighthearted, planned, and witty way. I think this is what we love to watch. It is humor at an intelligent level because it requires us to know more about how it is created to know why it is funny. It is also funny because the poor kid in the clip may not understand that he is completely being mocked!

2 hours and 40 minutes of straight PINK cocaine

I am not going to lie and say that this wasn't a high. I could not get enough of this musical. I watched the filmed MTV version of the musical "Legally Blonde" last night and I am still singing it in my head. The musical version of this movie is something I will admit freely I was scared about. I was completely against the idea of putting a very pink and plot-weak story on stage, but I have to say-- I think they did it.

Watching the show I think they set up the "world of the play" quite well so that the audience bought into it and the style of the show from the start. Some of the songs are reused throughout the show but they all have different lyrics (obviously). It is interesting to see what it does to the story to do that: It gives the different parts of the show meaning as it goes. The entire opening song is just interrupted by mini scenes and lasts forever. Then there is a reprise and a finale that all center around the same song. The show itself never stops though. There are absolutely no scene changes that take place outside of a song. All of the modern sets moved around and flew in and slid on right in the middle of the huge musical/dance numbers so that there wasn't a moment to breathe or a break in the action.

I think the combination of the movement of the set and the never-ending songs kept the pace of the long show so that it went by fast. The movie felt similar to me-- in fact, as I watched the musical, I got lost and thought for a moment that I was watching the movie. It made me think of how important the set design is and how the movement of the music was so effective in matching the content of the show. It all worked together for the show's good. It was so fun that I think you forgive the fact that the story itself has hardly any substance to it at all. It was a set and costume designer's dream, a 13-year-old's dream, and a fun job for a lyricist. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Runaway Jury - Old School Movie Review #3

I had not seen this movie, or so I thought, as we started it. I love Grisham books and started to read this one, but I never finished it. I love the way the stories unfold in his books and thought that would be fun to see. He gives you the important information late in the game so that it is a fun discovery process as you seem to gain understanding at the same time as the characters you are watching. It was as if the story was told from the perspective of the antagonist because we don't know the plan either. It was a little like Ocean's 11 or something: when there is a heist and we see the plan, but some of it had to be explained after or it would have lost it's dramatic effect. This movie feels like that most of the time.

This film was just an interesting look at the structure of storytelling. It would be fun to tear the story apart of this one and see how he may have written it. The author obviously knows what is going on, but doesn't share everything. I wonder if he writes it and then deletes information. Or thought about it like a movie and how he would have shown it to us visually to keep us engaged.

A part of YOUR world?

http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelittlemermaid/index.html#video

When Belle came to life, I smiled. When Peter Pan can fly over a huge outdoor stage and light up kids faces, I get excited. But Little Mermaid?

Nice try. This is going to be interesting: Arial on Broadway. She's on those shoes with wheels so that it looks like she is gliding through water or something. She always moves her hands all "watery" too so it looks like she's in water. The problem is just that: she's not. Who are they kidding? The story is a good one but hinges on that condition. The costume makes her look like a dinosaur too. At least they could have seen how ridiculous that looked and just let her fin go to the ground instead of fly behind her. I wish I could have been in on the planning meeting for this one is all.

"Yeah, we are thinking about Little Mermaid..."
"Good, and we can make it look like she's in water by putting her on wheels..."
"Oh oh, and we can make her look like that one monster on Monster's Inc who sludges all over the floor.... and she would be so beautiful!"
"Yes- but what about the fact that swimmers can go up and down..... or that her hair would also be floating...?"
"They'll forgive her for that..."

Wrong. The translation to stage on this one is going to be interesting. I am interested in seeing how well it shows to an audience. The only way they can get away with this is because we already know the story. Otherwise, I don't know why it is so inconsistent. It is going to be so hard to stay focused and really become a part of her world. That is something that would be easy to see and to see how that will affect an audience's understanding of the story.

My heart hurts

This is quite sad. Yes, I know. My family and I have watched this short video so many times and laughed very hard at it. I think it is great that this little clip captures so much of its time and culture. The outfit that she it wearing screams 80's, the hair screams 80's.... and "Star Wars?" This is more old school than Van Halen! I also loved that she had to dance and play her instrument all at the same time because it showed more talent. Right. It also then shows her ability to act (she could be MDT!). This is why stuff like this has always been so fun for me to watch. In Arizona these cheesy pageants used to be a big deal. A lot of people cared about them, but the talent contests would become only vocalists, pianists, and violinists. If you couldn't do one of those-- well, you either had to fake one of those, or come up with something so unique that you could get noticed. This girl did just that, but she is so serious and intense about it that it makes for an interesting commentary on the times and how they may have changed.

Fellowship of the Ring - (Semi) Old School Movie Review #2

I have always loved the LOTR movies but never have the time to watch them. I wish I had the time to sit and watch all of the extended versions in a row-- I think I would love that day. My sister was in town this last weekend and had to watch the first one for her English class. I noticed a few things that I didn't notice the last time I watched the film:



* The cinematography- every shot was a beautiful picture and very well composed. Also, most every shot in the movie is moving; the camera rarely stays still. We talked a little about that and why they might do that. Well, for one, they may have wanted to get all of the amazing locations that they found to use (most of them are huge!), or maybe it helped to move the story along. Frodo is on the constant move, so it makes sense that all of the shots move continuously. The colors are very obviously treated in post in some areas as well. In some of the scenes, Frodo's eyes seem so vibrantly blue and match his surroundings almost perfectly. I think the blue is to show his goodness and purity in a way and it is a very subtle but interesting way to show us how his character really is.

* The music- The other conversation that we had after watching the movie was about the music in the credits. My brother thought that the song didn't fit the movie at all because the movie was so action- packed and loud and intense, while the song ("May it Be") is lilty and slow and beautiful. I thought about the end of this movie. The story is not over here, and Frodo has yet to relieve himself of this burden that he alone can carry. It is also hopeful at the end because of his companionship of Samwise...etc. So the song does more than explain the ending mood because it also links this movie to its successor.

It is interesting to think of how the media can use these elements to help to support the message or story that they convey. All of the elements together make for more engaging media, but we may not see them until we break it down and notice them.