Media Recollections

Still catching up from last year - Smart People

2008-10-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

i guess i just love independent films, and i love them when they are written well.

smart people has some of the greatest, intelligent-people dialogue and it makes it so clever and witty and to be honest, one you might need to watch with subtitles to catch all the snippets of humor embedded deep. there are just some moments that are so stinkin funny...

quotable quotes:
Vanessa Wetherhold: [stressed] I'm in an after-school special.

Lawrence Wetherhold: Why would you have a baby with me?
Janet Hartigan: Because you don't know how to properly use a condom.
Lawrence Wetherhold: Point taken.

Lawrence Wetherhold: You're a giant toddler!

Vanessa Wetherhold: You should really make your bed. It sets the tone for the day.
Chuck Wetherhold: But, how do you know what tone I was trying to set?

little ellen page is a juno-wit-type character, just as snappy and fun to watch, though with an opposite set of traits: NHS, high SATs... she is a brainer, which just makes it funny. the interesting ones to watch are the Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker match up. they are so unassuming, and still when it is done you almost don't see it... but it works for what they need it too, i guess. (lets be honest though, who doesn't want to have hair just like her.. long, wavy... yummy. or like meg's in women... anyway, i digress.)

again, why i love indie films is cause they move a a closer-to-reality pace than a romantic comedy or even a drama would. they don't try to embellish more than needful. and both of these actors played roles that were uncommon to them: quaid as a pompous jerk with almost no charm, and parker as one who could melt into the film instead of bubble her way into the forefront. (not that i believe she does this on purpose, but something about her look and/or acting gives off a vibe that really pulls me out of films that she is in sometimes. she is just too jumpy or bubbly or fake or something... but i loved it. then, on the other hand, she was quirky in family stone, and i loved that one...)

anyway, that's all i had on that one.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3/5

don't buy it, netflicks it though- a great lazy homealoner.

another new-ish review: Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day

2008-10-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

this goes to show how powerful the previews are. i saw the preview for this one whilst watching atonement and i instantly put it on my queue.

i thought i would love the movie because i adore amy adams. i thought it was going to be a kind of witty, period piece that would interesting to see. but the fairly new director gave me something i didn't expect.

amy was fun and all, but it was ms pettigrew (Francis McDormand) who shined for me. she was just a joy to watch. not to mention my new crush from pushing daisies: Lee Pace. what an adorably charming actor. he's just fresh and new and great on screen. also noteworthy are the supporting roles Ciarán Hinds & Shirley Henderson (moaning murtle), who were both fun additions to the little farse.

i love the kind of movie that throws me in media res and gives me way too much information to handle so i am just as lost as the character they want me to identify with. i love that we figure life out at the same time ms. pettrigrew does. it isn't an extrodinarily deep film, it doesn't change your life. but you will wish you lived in the forties because of the fun costumes and bars, and you will wish you had a guy like lee to be the one that knocks some sense into you. yes, it is a blatant chick flick, yes it is slightly an indulgent one, and yes, i squealed a few times... so worth it.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3.5/5

and yes, this is an owner for me.
can't have too many girly uppity films in your stash.
unless it is another one of those she's-from-new-york-and-a-magazine-editor-or-something-and-yadda-yadda-perfect-life films... then you don't need it. you have five of those already.

New-ish movie Review -- Atonement

2008-09-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

stunningly beautiful

cinematically captivating

this story is so compelling that it begged to be told. the performances of Kiera Nightley and the oldest briony, played by Vanessa Redgrave were exceptional. i thought kiera's lover, played by James McAvoy was a little bland. that could be simply a director's choice, but then again, maybe not. I mean, his last noteworthy performance was as a faun.

this is one of those movies that you are not necessarily on the edge of your seat, but your insides are. it is easy to become invested in a little girl's childish lie and it is easy to take the story for face value, just as it is told. so when you find that there is no redemption, it begs the question: then why "atonement?" and it is suddenly no longer just a pretty film. it truly asks the audience to think about the stories we tell and how they affect those in our world.

noteworthy technical elements: costuming and lighting. i kept praising the use of color and fabric... and that green dress.... hello! and even though the period felt more like an interpretation than an accurate representation, i loved the womens' clothes, from the nurse's uniforms down to kiera's swimsuit. the lighting played with the concept of harsh situations vs. the innocence of a child and told the story as well. the young girl always looked like a painting, perfect and hazed, and the rest of her world that she wrote about was bright and in sharp contrasted lighting. irony in lights? loved it.

the war scenes are an interpretation of WWII that you would never have thought to imagine. the lay-out, the colors, the mood of it all, is one that I have not seen a comparison.

as far as the rating, i don't recall why it was even given a Restricted rating, unless it was to purposely grab a mature audience to handle the content. there is some war violence and mature situations is what i believe it was labeled.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

oh. and atonement is one to own.
a possibly powerful, thought-provoker, so it might be an
only-a-few-times-a-year kind of flick,
but it should live on your shelf nonetheless.

oh. it also should have won best picture last year.
but maybe i should see the winner first prior to
making just a bold statement. ok, i will...
but i still think it.

Old School Movie Review #10 -- Baby Mama

2008-09-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

I guess I can hardly call this one "old school" cause it still feels so recent. Maybe its just that I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler more than I can describe. They are both so much fun in the Baby Mama, and though both of them are similar characters than we've seen, you buy em and fall in love with both of them so fast.

The plot is expected, not much of it is a surprise, but the dialogue is witty and hilarious and some of the extra characters make it a serious kick in the pants.
Tina's boss, for example, is a very granola/borderline Fabio played by a starting-to-look-sort-of-old Steve Martin.

It is the perfect example of what happens when a good writer sits down and defines characters well and then envisions only the most devastatingly hilarious things for them to say. It also has a little chick flicky/heart warming side too so it was good times all over. I recommend it to anyone.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5

This one could be a renter or an owner. maybe and owner for me.

Talladega Nights --- Old School Movie Review #9

2008-08-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have things I could be doing that are far more productive. And let me tell you, if I were a real and normal individual I would not be doing what I am about to do:

I was "indoctrinated" this weekend into a slightly cultish movie of the area I am now a part of. (AKA: I would not understand half of the conversations in the air if I did not partake myself) This one is one of those movies that looks like it is so beyond retarded that there should be no room for humor in it. Honestly though: I was impressed by its shear stupidity. Stupid humor is an art form too, and they nailed it. They also nailed a white trash culture that is so fascinating to those of us in but not of their world. Loved every second, I have to admit. Sue me.

Best scene: the family sits down for prayer and he prays to baby Jesus. They all get in a fight over who to pray to and that Jesus had a beard..etc. "I am saying grace! When you are praying, you can pray to baby Jesus, or toddler Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus..." The scene takes quite a long time and is horrendously irreverent. But so funny.

Best line: (a gay French car racer) "My husband Gregory and I wish for that which every other couple wish for: to tame komodo dragons in Sri Lanka and teach them to perform Hamlet." I may or may not have tinkled a few and had to rewind it thrice to be sure that is what he said.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5

Own or rent?: hmm, depends on you i suppose.

Dag- 2 in 1 day...

2008-08-06T08:29:00.001-07:00

Too good not to. Here: I love Onion. Period. Soon I will be able to pick up my very own copy in person and read it on the way to work and laugh out loud to disturb the other public transit users.

For now, enjoy the videos...

Doogie Howser -- where have you been hiding?

2008-08-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

uh oh... i have found a gem. a true gem.

Neil Patrick Harris, I realize this proves to all that your career is officially washed up farther on shore than an Alec Baldwin or even a Mario Lopez.... but I appreciate your dedication to geekdom and to the wide world of cheap and accessible entertainment.

If you have 40 minutes, and I know you do, please just enjoy this piece of randomness and joy.

he IS bigger than his body gives him credit for...

2008-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

john mayer

Set list:
Belief
Vultures
Crossroads
Daughters '74
Neon
Free Falling <~~~ gonna need to buy this one.
Another You
Stitched Up
Waiting on the World to Change
Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Good Love is On the Way
No Such Thing
Gravity
Say

Encore:
My Sweet Lord
Bigger Than My Body

words are sorely inadequate to describe the joy that is the JM concert. he is so fun... and if he wasn't so skinny i would want him all over. wait no, i still do. cough.

total chills count: perhaps 7
times i caught myself with my jaw on the floor: 10
the number of people that i had to call and gloat to: 3
the number of entire-song music messages I left: like 4.

some of his dialogue "between the lines" just got us all laughing at is stupid humor and lovable personality. he really loves what he does and happens to be brilliant at it. 20x better live than in studio- and who is surprised by that?! (the answer: no one.)

"man, it's a good feeling when after the first song in the set you can already feel the show is going to be a knockout..."

"when you don't like a song one way you just change it... fix it until you like it again. ya know- like Body is a Wonderland... you squeeze everything out of it that you can until it is a disgusting mess of pulp and skin... and rind..."

"it is amazing the power that comes with a microphone and speakers. i can say anything that it will get a rise out of you. here, let's try: i am almost out of clean socks!" (Audience erupts...)

"right here is why i shouldn't shop at GAP. (points at pants) these are great for working out in cause they make you go (makes a 'stuff getting sucked in' noise) and if you don't have pants that go (makes a 'stuff getting sucked in' noise) it is going to be a short workout!" (then he re-tied his drawstring)

"this is a fun show. i am really having a good time!"

...and yes, he skipped off stage. apparently he DID have a great time. john, i am glad you enjoyed yourself in the exclamatory state of utah... cause we sure did...

Colbie Caillat...

was stunning. another great artist that is fun to hear live cause she makes it new and present. i she is so cute i just sat and beamed for a good solid hour and loved every moment. she also loved her job and gave us a lot of behind-the-scenes info into some of the songs... i love that. she isn't much of a mover though, so when she asked us to "get up and dance with her" we all started tapping our thigh and looking at each other, "...like this?..."

Brett Dennen

the perfect opener. i wish his set could have been longer so more could see and enjoy the greatness that is brett- in live form. he kind of mumbles more when he's live, but his music is crisp and fun and created a great atmosphere we decided. i new i liked him before... and that will only grow...

oh- and i am going to be in california next week... and so is john. i think i might see him again... that's all i'm sayin...

I am Jo March... there, I've said it.

2008-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

I hate to post so soon after Dark Knight because it would appear that there is a lack of respect there, but alas.
Must take time out for all forms of media-- that would include theatre.

Last night I saw Little Women at the Hale and I was very pleased. Why does this show always induce tears? I think it is partially because of how indulgently female the story is: family of girls live in a time where being outspoken or un-feminine in any way is abhorred, female writers are much harder to get published, and sibling issues/events with an already emotional/hormonal family of females can get pretty insane. I also just feel like I am Jo March at times. I have too many dreams at times about just publishing something great or feeling "Astonishing" in the world... or at anything. And I would just love to play that part. I sing those songs in my car at the top of my lungs and it reminds we why theatre is so great.

I also love the love stories that evolve in the show. They are so subtle, and my favorite song is at the end as the professor (whom she has a very platonic relationship with at the time) says, Hey we are two different people, but you make me laugh and smile and I feel pain when you aren't there...etc. So sweet and real. And yes, were it not a live, theatre piece, it would be a cheesy girlish movie that you might sit and mock because it couldn't be more cheddar. But this one will always be a favorite. I loved BYU's production of it when they did it this past year, but I think I even liked this one more because of the ability to attend to detail and reality emotion wise. Plus, the other show was far too long and had random dancers in it because they are political BYU and had to give people something to do so they can feel important about themselves. Whatevs.

adrenaline in pure form------ New Movie Review #5

2008-07-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Without allowing any previous knowledge from any outside source I scurried into my assigned seat at the 12:15am show. (Yes, we anxiously sat in out seats, with giddy fingers rocking back and forth with childish excitement)

I had heard things like, "his performance is Oscar-worthy" and "best work either of them (& Bale) have done..."

I caught myself with my jaw dropped on more than one occasion. Why?
1) I honestly had to remind myself that the man behind that brilliant make-up job really was Heath Ledger. It has been a long while since I have fallen in love with a villain because he is simply so brilliant at being one. But he is. I am convinced that his ratio of brilliant moments that were directed vs the moments that he invented on intuition were 90:10. What a loveable hated man. And it is such a contrast to his previous work that it does in fact stand out. I honestly believe that were he to live longer, he would've had been able to show us more of this side of him. The side that can morph into unsuspecting characters in the way that only Johnny Depp has been able to.

2) The FX in this film laugh at the first, less because they are finely crafted and real-looking CGI and more because they are just so unexpected. My small bladder could honestly barely take it.

3) Christian Bale, I think it goes without saying: you ARE Batman. The reality of all of the facets of his life unfold and the character is so much deeper now. Also a favorite is Commissioner Gordon whom you will eat up from the start. Maggie Gyllenhaal on the other hand, is a sketchy cast for me, (what with the saggy cheeks and awkward mouth movements and all) but she serves her purpose well enough so as not to distract from the angry men that we are so invested in. I mean, better than Katie Holmes, but this ain't no Star Wars III- no excuses for under-par performance.

My hands were tightly secured in my armpits for most of the duration of the film and when they weren't there, they were checking the underside of my seat-- I was sure it was hydraulicized. Honestly it was a ride, a never-ending-and-wished-it-wouldn't ride that was beautifully underscored by a sub woofer embedded in my seat. Lets put it this way: do not bring your 12-year-old boy to see Dark Knight unless you want to hear girlish squealing... it is called "dark" for a reason. You find yourself giddy and squirmy at every explosion and every bad guy that gets blown up... sure it's real good for teenagers. Here's me-- not caring.

My commitment I made this morning at 3:00am: I will see this film 3 more times in theaters, and any time following will be in an equally stunning, sound-infused/large screen environment... or forget it. It just wouldn't be fair-- even to the key grip.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

Raising Arizona ----- Old School Movie Review #8

2008-07-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

i love movies. there-- said it.

i can't help myself when they tell me that they are going to show fun movies-- outdoors-- at sundance-- for free.

thanks- i will be there.

last night i went and saw "Raising Arizona" and i have to say that the Coen brothers continue to entertain me. i love the humor in the over-dramatic stereotype of southwestern hicks. cage is so brilliantly white trash and the dialogue could be comprable at times to my Diablo Cody's wit. i enjoyed it thoroughly and will be attending many more of these films.

i thank you.

[Evelle is buying diapers]
Evelle: You know how to put these things on?
Grocer: Well, around the butt and up over the groin area.
Evelle: I know WHERE they go, old timer. I just want to know if I need pins or fasteners.
Grocer: Well, no, they got them tape-ettes already on there. It's self-contained and fairly explanatory.

Policeman: Do you have any disgruntled employees?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Hell, they're all disgruntled. I ain't running no damn daisy farm. My motto is "Do it my way or watch your butt!"
Policeman: Well, do you think any of them could've done it?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Oh, don't make me laugh. Without my say-so they wouldn't piss with their pants on fire.

Prison Counsellor: Why do you say you feel "trapped" in a man's body?
"Trapped" Convict: Well, sometimes I get them menstrual cramps real hard.

the last line of the film (as he is dreaming about tons of kids and grandkids all around)
H.I: [thinking] If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable. And all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah.

...for an audience of Utans (this one raised in AZ)... brilliant.

the greatest thing to happen to me

2008-07-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

i sometimes have a bit of a problem at work.
it is known as inevitable boredom/ lack of motivation.
i wont lie, having one month left at an already
uneventful get-by campus job is finally catching up to me.

between answering entertaining phone calls from
incompetent mothers of incompetent children generally
of the area of georgia with thick fast southern drawls
and strings of awkward endearments,
i sit and attempt to be productive at life.

things i should be doing:
-reading one of the books on my "currently reading list"
so i can actually move on to the 25ish on my "want-to-read-right-now-but-can't-yet-because-i-have-3-i-am-currently-reading" list...
-working on my 2 Independent Study classes so i can
be an official graduate instead of a fake one.

what am i doing?

hulu.com

watching all of the seasons of LOST that i have missed...
even though i know the show is a never-ending string of
loose ends and character development rather than a plot driven drama,

i can't help myself...
but i take breaks to watch all of Arrested Development (Season 3- cause I don't know it as well) and other awesome shows that i have missed because i have been a lame college student for the past few years...

...perfect anecdote to a work-induced boredom disease...

music connoisseur of sorts

2008-07-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

ya know when you are on a first date and the guy says, "so uh... what kind of music do you like to listen to?" i usually freeze. not because i am not a music person but because i know that means that they probably have more music that i will eventually need in my life.

well, date, it's going to be hard to narrow... and i hope it doesn't make you think less of me that i am 90% acoustic/mellow/soul and love mostly male musicians that can write lyrics...

i have a need in my life to always acquire new, good music. i like most genres, save maybe thrashing crap metal or most rap. or like opera... bloody q-tips... but i am not entirely against rap though... i just think most of it is crap-- like bad hip hop. looking at this list of music that i have fallen in love with this year makes me wish i understood how all of the millions of random subgenres work so i could tell you what "kind" of music happens around here... all i know is if i can sing to it (which usually requires a talented vocalist) or if it rocks just a bit, or both, or if it involves black artists- which probably does have both of these things... then i generally like it.

that makes it sound like i am easy to please- alas, i am not.

artists i have growing music crushes on as of this past year (not comprehensive, but close):

Joshua Radin

Brett Dennen
Eric Hutchinson

Sara Bareillas

Death Cab for Cutie

Colbie Caillat

Joshua James

Flight of the Conchords

Regina Spektor

All American Rejects

Amy Winehouse

Raul Midon

Billy Porter

Secondhand Serenade

Ingrid Michaelson

Ferras

Amos Lee

and those that i had but continue to love, especially as they have released (or i have discovered) new awesome things:

Damien Rice (live stuff is pretty bril... and this video is captivating)

Coldplay (Viva la Vida is the best)

John Mayer (live stuff is best...) speaking of... JULY 21st, 2008 SLC baby!!!!

Rascal Flatts (all of it. and i may or may not want to tear one away from his wife...)

Foo Fighters (why am i just discovering how great they are? don't answer that)

Celine Dion (new cd is actually kinda fun)

Gavin Degraw (his new album is killer- a car staple)

Lifehouse (who were they before this one? really...)

Jason Mraz (always love you, always will...)

8 up from the average illiterate... good to know...

2008-07-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here's how it works:

The Big Read says that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Make the ones you loved obnoxiously larger than life
4) Reprint this list so we can try and track down these people who've read only 6 or less and make them read.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now..... THE BIG READ TOP 100

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. The Harry Potter Series JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (I own this but have yet to read it)
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh .
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen .
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan .
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry .
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Read : 14

Want to read: 13

(truth be told my list of to-read grows as I hear more... some of these are on my current one, and some of them are on the "in my lifetime" list... so...)

I want to be an adapter... -(Semi) Old School Movie Review #7

2008-06-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

That is really what this one boils down to: I want to be the one that takes an existing piece of brilliant literature (The Kite Runner)and just smashes down until it is barely recognizable as the story once told.

Ok not. I loved the book, and I guess the film was just a bit rushed for me. Not awful. I would give it one more chance just to be sure, but it wasn't shattering or anything. And I will admit, I had hoped it would be. They missed out on the part of the book that is so meaningful and relatable I thought. Sure, the essence was there. The setting was well communicated and a few of the characters I actually liked. Most of them I didn't though.

The biggest downfall of any adaptation is what you will find here: editing. When adapting, you cannot-- I will repeat-- cannot cram the entire story in. Duh. That's a no-brainer. (I thought so too) but apparently the makers of this one thought it was still a good idea so they picked the kites themselves as the theme, crammed all the footage they could into 2 hours, and left out most of the harshly redeeming and sincere moments.

Possible ways the film could have been done (obviously without ruining it for you):

Maybe narrating it would have helped. So much of the book is told from one perspective and most of which comes straight out of his head. We only learn through about the other characters because of how we understand his heart. His guilt is what drives the piece. It is also what most can't handle as they read because it does tend to leave a very negative and depressing stroke on the reader.

Maybe pick only a few of the plot lines to tell. Truth be told, the movie was going to be great, but they couldn't really spend the time on the good parts, so it just... wasn't. Don't brush over the whole thing and give me a shallow film experience. Give me one to the point deep and moving one. Maybe then I would have sobbed at the end like I did reading the book. just an idea.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 2/5
(for forgetability, less-than-par casting, and poor editing)

(as a brief adendum... if you haven't read the book, the film perhaps could have been more like a 3/5. My criticism is more in the adaption than the film itself. Which I understand isn't the most fair.)

Scrictly a renter. But do, because it is entertaining.

The movie website
Go buy the book

between daylight and darkness...

2008-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Caved. That's my only excuse. I caved. I didn't really want to read it, and I knew it wasn't going to be all that great, but I read the whole thing anyways. Well, this one. I don't know that I have the stomach for the next two.

Disclaimer: I am going to teach English and/or literature at some point in my life. A professor that I respect says that it made a lot of his students into readers-- so I digress. I borrowed--not purchased-- this novelty item and found myself reading it much later than twilight.

Admittedly, for a young writer, I have to say I give her credit for her zeal to tell an unfamiliar story though so familiar in a lot of ways too. I hate to say it, but from the Mormon girl perspective I couldn't help but see all of the ties of vampire thirsting after human as an uncanny parallel to the chastity lines...etc. I loved the way the story moved for the most part, in that it was engaging and left me wanting to read more. On the other hand, not a lot happens in this book... in fact, it takes a few hundred pages before you forget your reading. Until then, my eyes are sore from reading the same phrases, "he was a marble Greek pagan god..." and "i could not make out his expression..." All I have to say is, if you don't know his expression- then don't be a writer... or at least don't worry about trying to describe it over and over if you have run our of your black piggy bank of midget words.

In her defense, because I do want to write something that people like to read as well, I have to say she has done just that: provided a fun topic of conversation. I have heard a handful of people say the words: "I am not really a reader. In fact I don't usually read at all... but for some reason (probably peer pressure or your mom) I have picked it up and found myself flipping..." that is a good sign. Making readers out of not-readers is a good business too. I believe in that at least. I spent a lot of time at the high school recently, and seen lots of these books... so I guess that professor was right- at least they are reading. And if they get through these books, who's to say they wont stop to pick up another one? And then another? Reading Epidemic! (But don't take MY word for it... da na na!)

Not my favorite, not the best writing by any means, but fun. I personally am not allowed to read the other two because I fear it might cause me to have some sort of spazm in the brain.

My humble yet correct opinion: 3/5

A borrower.

lets talk about it

2008-05-21T21:24:00.001-07:00

...the media.

Wow- How many did they say had called in to vote for American Idol?
Oh I will tell you: 97.5 million audience votes cast by phone and text.
Last year’s total vote count was 74 million.

I wish I knew how many votes were cast in the last political election. Or the ratio of Americans that even know what is going on with that political thing anyway. Last I heard we are getting a black man not a woman. Whatever. I guess I am a bit indifferent when it comes to that. What? I am? I am more interested in which kid can sing more entertainingly on national television than who will run my country? Yeah- I guess in some ways I am? Wow. talk about naive and shallow to the world! But lets talk: 97.5 million people care about it—not just me.

Not that I am saying that the race to the oval office should be as popularity based as said vocal contest. But it is a vocal contest. A contest of performance. Who will out perform? And are we even watching? Not really- because "So you think you can dance?" is starting tomorrow!

We are so preoccupied with these reality shows because they are centered around us. Our lives. People just like you and me can get on a show like that and make it somewhere in their life. Like Ali in Biggest Loser, David Archuleta of American Idol...

I just thought it was interesting is all.

i MARVEL... -New Movie Review #4

2008-05-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I don't often get overly excited about the script of an action movie, and usually not of a superhero one either, but I guess there is always an exception to the rule.

Iron Man was a 2-hour ride. Who is to blame for this exhilaration? That would be the brilliant casting director. Robert Downy Jr. is so unassuming and down to earth on screen, and as the superhero that comes unexpected, he was just what we needed. Every line is a throw away line- so natural and sarcastic. I don't know wether to attribute this to the writing or to Downy himself, but the combination is uncanny. The way that he communicates with the other characters is just choice. Gwyneth was also a fun choice because she is so non-typical of the hot assistance/damsel-in-distress/falls in love with the shallow hunk. She has a certain depth that was fun to watch and certainly fun to watch her as such a selfless actor- letting Downy take lead.

FX- it wouldn't be an action movie without them and these ones were great. The brilliantly crafted CGI for the hilariously unreal technology was enjoyable and captivating. The intelligence robots were almost human with personality and served as sidekicks to Downy's little comedy ride.

Storywise/editing was on top because the pacing was so great- every scene was vital and it never dragged. I felt like an enpowered male at the end because I got that rush. Down to the last few minutes- that still frustrate me a bit- I was a giddy, wide-eyed mess.

Word of the wise- not a waste of cash. In fact- probably a much needed shelve necessesity.

Father to Son & Son to Father...

2008-04-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

I happened upon this as I was looking for an article and stopped to watch it. I couldn't stop it in the middle though—had to finish it. At first it looked like it was going to be a cheesy little video about a father and son and I thought that mostly because of the music choice, but it moved me by the time it was over. The choice of music followed the images so well that it was almost manipulatingly emotional to watch. I thought about the relationships I have with the members of my family, or the relationships that I have had with those who are disabled, and I felt a twinge of guilt for not having the faith that this father has had. With only the video to watch, there seems to be so much of the story missing. So much we have yet to know about the boy and his father and what all they have done together and for each other. I found the article first, but I didn't read it until after the video. The article is what put me to tears. I was impressed of course at the writing of this simple story, being the graceful words of one of my favorites: Rick Reilly. He beautifully crafts an image of the two men and how normal and simple their lives are. But yet they are anything but ordinary.

In a classroom, this would be an interesting lesson about how we understand stories and what we do as creators of media to initiate understanding in our audience. In this case, the use of music and a wonderful editing job is what communicated the theme of the story. The actual story, was written by a clever writer who obviously admired the men in the story. I wonder how it might have turned out if the story were written by a long-time neighbor of Rick and Dick who was indifferent. What if Rick could make the video? What would he have wanted us to see about his story? Interesting to think about.

Freedom Writers -(Semi) Old School Movie Review #6

2008-04-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

So- I will be honest, I was a little wary of watching this movie, only because I knew it was a difficult subject to swallow for some. Admittedly, it was a bit of a discouraging view of what teaching could be like at first, especially in an inner city school. I loved the story and I loved the performances-- something about it felt so honest to me. I loved also how well set up each character was in the story-- every student had a voice, even in the movie. The screen writer used their words and let the characters speak for themselves and that to me stood as a remarkable story of speaking out.

I thought the story had a more practical and personal use for me as a teacher because it made me think of specific classroom management techniques and how to create a democratic classroom. One of the most important things I believe teachers have the power to do is to create an environment where the students feel as one and can be themselves. It can be a powerful learning experience for them if they care about what they are teaching. Mrs. G. really tailored the lessons and projects to the students to make that possible.

Vantage point -New Movie Review #3

2008-03-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

way to take a cool genre and transfer it to film so nicely. frustrating, exciting, high speed, and yet conscious of my occasional need to breathe.

i loved this movie because of it's creative editing that gave it such a fast pace and high energy the entire time, while still clinging to the need to delve a little deeper into several characters.

if this movie had a concept it would probably be: "from every pair of eyes their is another story—another piece to the puzzle that is the history." (which, i might add, would be a great concept for a stage production as well...)

it begins from the vantage point of what would be one step closer than the average citizen encountering the media: the camera and reporting crew of the event. after we discover the event as we would in any normal situation—by the news stories—then they start the clock over and re-tell the same story from another character's "Vantage Point." i was impressed. the 24, LOST, and Memento-ish movie made for a mini-series style engaging story that felt all too real because of the editing and filming. it made me think of how the media transfers to the people and exercises the right to censorship and editing. there will never be a way for us to see all of the angles of an event. if i had to recreate the story of 9/11 it would only seem appropriate to tell it from every angle possible. telling the story as if every party involved was the protagonist of their own story—because they are.

i might bring this up in a class about editing and how we film what stories we want to tell. how can the stories be best represented? how else can we tell a story rather than the one story line in a linear form? or we could talk about how to write stories: how can we connect characters to each other or intertwine separate characters' stories into one?

Why TMA is a college of its own:

2008-03-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here is something I love: mixing genres.

I love when we can play with the audiences' knowledge and they get to choose how they create meaning of it.

The BYU production of Berlin was fantastic. (Yes, if you look at that link- our own Nicole Riding Bell in in the photos because she originated the role of Stephanie) I know it will be edited to look awesome and will look great on screen in the end, but I don't know that it would ever be as moving as it was for me in person. It is kind of a surreal experience to watch the live action taking place on a film set in fluid motion as a stage play, but in the acting style and closeness of film.

There were screens set up so that we could watch what was happening inside the iron-set structure that faced itself inwardly. The sound was more powerful as well because the characters were mic-ed at film quality for the shooting, and the sound bellowed through the large speakers facing us as well as surrounding us. It was like watching an action film, and a musical on a stage at the same time which kept us as audience members very involved.

I also appreciated the attention spent on dialects because they were very tight and authentic and the costuming felt very authentic as well. I guess the simple notion that the show would be filmed adds a new dimension to how the actors treat the content of the show, but it also gives the designers more freedom to be more detailed and forces them to be more accurate.

I guess I thought of how I would love to do this someday at a high school just for fun. It might be fun to have the film students and the theatre students get together like this to be able to plan a project that could benefit both. I happen to have family that is involved in both sides of the spectrum so it would be fun. I also just think that any time we can get an audience into a space that breaks the convention of theatre it broadens the view of what can be done and incites more creative thinking about the themes of the show because it creates a sense of reality, whether we are pulled into it or not.

Found myself an Emerald...

2008-03-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Lets say I am quite the connoisseur of good films. I love them independent and I love them documentary, mostly I think I love them when they tell very real stories that are chillingly accurate to life or that I can relate to as if they were.

Little Manhattan.
If you haven't heard of it, watch the trailer. So cute.

What is so fun about this little story is first the fact that a married couple—Mark Levin (director) - former writer of "Wonder Years" and Jennifer Flackett (screenwriter) of "Wimbelton" and "Madeline"— just wrote it and directed it and produced it. They just wanted to tell an untold love story.
I was giddy for 90 minutes straight. It was real, and it was my childhood. And yours.

It got me thinking about documentaries as well. In docs, we tell the untold stories, giving a voice to the voiceless. I think that is why this film was so fun to watch for me. They wrote a voice over inner monologue-type narration for the young 10-year-old to let us peek into his ordinary day. A good film should do that I think: allow us to look at the world they have created and make me believe it and care about it.

It would be perfect to show in a Media Literacy class because it is so relatable in many ways, and, because it is independent and such a simple story, we could talk about creating our own movies. What stories do we want to tell? How would we show the story? In this film, the two co-writers as a spousal unit decided that New York would be perfect. This maybe because of their own childhoods, and also because of the mirror image of adult life and love that is usually portrayed in romantic comedies in NYC. It was a great way to say, "kids go through this too, and the first cut is the deepest."

The special features on the DVD walk you through some of the creation process that could also be fascinating to watch with young students about the planning process of filming. The crew, directors, designers...etc. all walked through central park just filming and planning and discussing what they wanted the various shots to look like. I think it could give the students a good sense of the small steps and the work involved to get their movies to look like they want them to and to communicate what they want them to.

Highly recommend this fine new find. Netflix may be your only way to it unless you know a guy though. Which I do.

Honest to Blog!

2008-03-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

This here is a new show: Quarterlife.
This is the first episode of the show that I got caught watching this past week. It is marketed as a "new internet series and social network". It was quite fascinating to watch for me because it was combining the two things that we usually simply don't combine: our cyber-connected world and our real one. The show is about a blogger who video blogs about her friends, spilling all sorts of information all over the internet which sets off a lot of drama of course. The stories are intertwined with a reality TV-feel camera shot inside the co-ed apartment of a handful of friends (sound familiar?) and with the internet blogs of the main character Dylan, the writer. That's the other thing: the people in the show are all some form of artistic. One is an actor, one is a writer, two are film kids working on commercials...etc.

This is how the website is geared as well. The social networking site is marketed as "a community for artists, thinkers, and do-ers." It is is a "myspace"-type communication site for young adults to subscribe to and channels for areas of interest that conveniently match the interests of the characters like photography, acting, film...etc. Hmm.

Here is the article that I found today about how well it has done: Article. (I will give you a hint: not good.)

I thought it was a good attempt. In a class, it could be fun to look at because of the conversation about blogging and the way that we communicate with the people around us. We could create blogs and talk about taking audience into consideration as we communicate ideas. What are the repercussions of sending our ideas out into the void of the internet?

Also, I think the characters in the show are so interesting. There is not a lot of depth to them. It would be fun to show to an acting class and to pull the characteristics and discuss how to deepen them. This could also be interesting in a screenwriting or playwriting class in that same regard. What could make this more marketable to a wider audience? What could deepen the characters and the story?

You Rock!

2008-02-25T15:40:00.001-08:00

Read this. Then we can talk.

ARTICLE: DIABLO CODY

Did you read it? I can wait......

Ok. I read her response on her myspace page sometime last week before the Oscars and I was furious right there with here. How could they exploit her for that!

I love that her "costume" represented what she wanted to about her. She is wild and crazy and her outfit was totally her own. (Sure I didn't really like it) But I love that she owned it and it felt like she was an individual expressing herself which is something I agree with whole-heartedly!

In the classroom, I thought about costume design. What do our clothes really say about us and how can we communicate a person's character through clothes? Obviously, we know that Diablo Cody doesn't take crap from anyone and she is one of a kind. She also has a very practical side too. He originally made her a second pair of shoes to switch into because she refused to wear "uncomfortable heels" all night... I think it is even more awesome that she refused to wear them because they were not her!

I apologize that I am so obsessed with her, but I have a soft spot for great people who do what they are good at and get recognized for it. Go girl!

Speaking of Inspiring Basketball... Old School Movie Review #5

2008-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

I watched this documentary on Thursday afternoon also and I have to say that I was so impressed. I loved the story and I was so glad that it was caught on film. I don't think the story could be better told in any other way. In fact, I have thought about it all weekend long and I was thinking of how well the story unfolded and how there was real footage for the games, and rehearsals... this would just not have been an effective Disney movie—though the plot is the same as one. I couldn't tell if those making the documentary decided beforehand to make it and it just ended so well... or if it was more of a way to go back and see it all play out after the events had already taken place.

In the classroom this would be so fun to watch and to discuss because we can talk about why the medium of documentary is so effective and how else this same story could be told.

The Real Hoosiers

2008-02-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a mini documentary-style news story that Jon showed to our Hands on a Camera class this morning. We talked about how it is a great example of the documentary use "Transcendence Through Tribulation" but I also think it shows the other two "Voice to the Voiceless" and "Exalt the Everyday." This is a great inspiring story about a small community and an autistic boy with a lot of heart. We talked about it in terms of what Jason went through to get here being the water boy all of those years and being autistic...etc. I was fascinated at the crowd and how they responded to him. This story is a personal story for those who were there and it was captured and told in a way that made it more so.

It would be fun to discuss whose story this is and who is telling the story. We could also talk about how this specific video in some ways captures all of the points of documentary and maybe how we could tell a similar story from a different point of view. For example, I think it would be incredibly fascinating, now having this footage, to go and interview a handful of students on the team or in the crowd who all obviously loved and admired Jason as a friend and peer.

Here is the article and video: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/earlyshow/main1339324.shtml

Caution: Spoiler Warning... I will tell you what happens... (Semi) Old School Movie Review #4

2008-02-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

(First complaint- do not put a picture on the cover that gives away the entire dramatic question of the film. We are all sitting here thinking "will they get back together? Then, she shows up in a blue dress, he says lets go-its going to rain, and boom- we know all because we entered the disk and saw it. Hmm. That was stupid. Keep an already non-suspenseful movie right out in the audience's lap. Real Cool.)

I recently watched "The Notebook" and I have a few things to say about it. First is that everyone kept saying how sad it was, "you better wash your make-up off cause you're going to cry!" Or "Oh, you have to be in a depressing mood to watch that- you will bawl your eyes out..." I don't know that I wholeheartedly agree with either of these warnings. I did shed a few, but perhaps not for the same reasons that you might think. I wasn't surprised at all which guy she was going to marry, I wasn't surprised at all about the old couple and how they would turn out. I thought the film did a few things very well that got me, probably more circumstantially than artisically—if that makes any sense at all. I explain:

The story reads like any other "chick flick" because it has the fall in love sequence, the someone-or-something-tore-us-apart-to-make-us-all-dramatic sequence, then the musical montage as they get back together, and then the happily ever after moment that girls will study over and over to compare their boring unromantic lives to. Sorry men.

I enjoyed the voiced over dialog (voice of the young heart throb as an old man) who explained the reality of the relationship. He explained how the two fought about everything. They argued and they teased each other incessantly. But the one thing they had in common was that they were crazy about each other. After her mom makes her family leave and she almost marries some other guy that would seem to be perfect for her—and who the parents love—she comes back home to find her first love with her dream house that he built from the bottom up. After a perfect few days, they have to decide what to do- he is a country boy and she a city girl. What he says to her is my favorite part of the movie because it is so honest of some relationships. He says to her, "This wont be perfect. It will be really really hard and we will have to work at it every day. I need someone to tell me when I am an arrogant son of a B——, and you need someone to tell you when you are a pain in the A—. Which, is about 99% of the time, but you have an incredible turn around time!"

I love the honesty in that statement. No- marriage isn't roses and dancing all of the time. The people we marry aren't going to be perfect or have all of the right things to say. But they should be between two people who know each other well enough to challenge them and keep them on their toes. I appreciated that they tried to create a sense of reality in that moment.

So when did I cry? I guess it was as I thought of those couples that have been separated and get to be together again. It made me think of the real love that they must share because of the struggle that it is everyday to make it work. It isn't the young love that makes me cry—it's the old love. Deep, I know.

Beck made me shed a few?

2008-02-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

I think this touched me for more than a few reasons. Partly because I know how I had similar reactions to the news, partly because I owe a lot to the man who changed me and inspired me to change-- still does and will. With my media-conscious eye, however, I was touched at how tender Glenn Beck was to carefully choose his words on a topic he felt so strongly about and yet knew is bringing his religion to the front of a political show on national television. I commend him for is upfront honesty in this personal moment that we all shared. The honesty about how humbled he is by it touches me. Thanks Glenn for a real insight into your life that gives me a better sense of how the gospel works in our lives.

not so secret messages...

2008-01-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have been re-watching Arrested Development— a show that I sometimes can't get enough of. I was watching an episode that I have seen a few times and I didn't catch the blatant political satire until this last time around. It is about how the family has to build a new model home to improve the company's image. They plan to build it in two weeks and say, "it doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to look good." And they have a business "model" (a woman who used to assist with boat selling by just looking good in a sailor suit made for busty women.) Her sign says, "Solid as a Rock". When ever she comes out the music plays their slogan "solid as a rock" and it sounds like "Solid as Iraq". I never caught it before, but they play on the foreign policy and make many comments about how fast and hollow the house was built and after cutting the ribbon, the house falls to the ground...

Hmm.... what are they trying to tell me about the government here? More importantly, why am I so completely oblivious that I didn't catch the even more hilarious undertone of this one... shame on me.

Oh Mitt.

2008-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

Oops.

I hate to stay on the political side of things, but my new interest in all media related to politics forces me to ask myself many questions when I see things like this.

One the one hand, my LDS background aches inside at the thought that Romney might have just brushed off a opportunity to really stand firm in his beliefs and give his followers a glimpse into what his religion is really like. On the other, I have to remember that this mini clip is from a longer interview. Perhaps he was asked other questions that led him to this answer. And I guess I can also see what he may have thought she was asking and mis-interpreted as well. In which case, I guess Romney may not have wanted to appear that he actually speaks to God physically face-to-face as Moses, and Joseph Smith. I myself can only be baffled and not let it change my opinion of him because of the one answer. But it does make me question the power of media. Perhaps he knew that this would be broadcast over everything everywhere because it is a hot topic and because he is already such a flip-flopper... but I wish he would have stuck to it. Answer it like you have a few million Mormons analyzing everything you say... and not because you want the vote, but because you represent them.

Anyway- just a thought.

Refreshing, witty, beautiful, real. - New Movie Review #2

2008-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Where has this screenwriter been all of my life? Diablo Cody, whose only credit is her blog-like book called "Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper," is nothing short of a brilliant writer. Every line in the movie seemed so effortlessly fun. After reading the first little bit of her book, I can see that the Juno that was in the movie was really a great depiction of perhaps how Diablo sees herself. Spunky, cute, fun, unknowingly hilarious and endearing.

The style of the film was not unlike Nepoleon Dynomite in the filming style, but the pace was given an adrenalin rush. Some of the real moments were so incredibly understated and real that they really catch you off-gaurd in the very intelligent & fast-paced humor of the rest of the film. I think the realness is what gives it the charm.

Some of the actual shots in the film are long and poignant. I am going to need to see it a few times just to catch the wonderful composition and cinematography, but some frames could almost be torn apart and analyzed for the thematic stories that they tell. What a piece of art to give to a starving audience that loves to think.

Yes, there are some irreverent things involved, but I loved them too. Why edit the reality of this young girl's life that is so compelling as it stands alone? I was glad to get a glimpse into it because it once again reaffirmed how grateful I am for the relationships in my life and how important my people are to me. Refreshing, witty, beautiful, real.

Blood Pies - New Movie Review #1

2008-01-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

I decided that I wanted to see Sweeney Todd, despite the many reviews that said it was ridiculously bloody and creepy. I wanted to see the show as a reference mostly because I haven't ever seen it and heard so much about it. I hadn't even watched the preview before going to this one because I assumed it would be good. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter... had to be brilliant. Well, the music was as I expected: Sondheim. I love the music, but because of the director's concept all of the uplifting or humorous songs, but one, were taken out of the movie so that all that was left was the eerie sounding chords and melodies that creep you out about the characters you are watching. The characters were great though. The afore mentioned were so fun to watch as was little boy, Ed Sanders, who is refreshing and sings amazingly.

The characters and style of the film stand out as a classic Tim Burton, complete with a flash-forward fantasy montage in full color that is so stylized and Burton that it forces you to laugh and you wish there was more. I get ill to see that much blood, but it is meant to look fake and it was quite comical at times. If you can handle the blood and like Tim Burton then you will enjoy it and I recommend it. For the record, I did like it and I am glad I saw it. But I will tell you that it left me feeling creepy for the entire night until I went and watched Spamalot to wash it away.

Fun little finds...

2007-12-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of this kinda stuff... and apparently neither can my nieces. So funny. I love the baby and that he laughs at him. But the accents kill me softly.

This one is pretty priceless too:

I can't help myself...

2007-12-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

This reminds me of a dear friend.... and makes me laugh... and puke all at the same time. Love.

Man Likes Woman So Much He Marries Her

WELLTON, AZ—After making a bunch of sappy vows he probably meant, Leighty open-mouth kissed his bride in front of all the guests and nobody even tried to stop him.

BYU does it again...

2007-12-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I am usually impressed with the caliber of performance that comes out of the theatre department, and this one was no exception. There were, as usual, things I liked and things I did not. Looking at it from a practioner's perspective, I tried to identify and understand what was going on in the creation of this show that made it successful and not so successful to me:

+ I loved the set. The cut away house was fun and added a sense of realism to the story, forcing the characters to really go upstairs a level (rather than platforms or otherwise).

- Not so sure that I loved the choreography. There was not a need for an ensemble in the show at all, and to be quite honest, they distracted me from the real story. The story seemed fairly grounded until random people had to dance the set on and off-- who needs that? In fact, it seemed more like a chance for all of those students who are aspiring MDT students to get to be in a main stage production. If the concept had something to do with it and that was more obvious- I think it wouldn't have bothered me as much as it does.

+ The acting was quite good. I thought each scene felt important and I was impressed to see how high the stakes were for each of the characters- mark of a fine director and some good directing takers. I thought the songs were better interpreted than I had heard on the CD. These characters understood the humor of the scenes so well and it was so enjoyable to watch the mini discoveries that took place throughout the show. The singing was all quite exceptional as well.

+ The way they chose to portray Beth's death was interesting as well. It is written to be sweet and tender, and I enjoyed that part of the scene, but I also enjoyed a little extra piece of interpretation that I don't know we would have gotten anywhere by here: A woman in white came on and danced with Beth's kite as Jo and her sang "Some things are Meant to Be" (again, I didn't need the dancing). After she died, the woman in white comes back on and pushes Beth's wheelchair off into a light. Before they reach the end of the stage, Beth gets up and walks off stage on her own. I think it was a neat way to throw an LDS stamp on the meaning of death and how it seemed more hopeful than destitute. I love that we can do that to a piece of theatre to tell our stories and to communicate to an audience.

"I, personally believe... that some people out there... don't have maps...."

2007-12-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not as informed about the 2008 elections as I would hope that I am. I barely know who is running and I sure don't know much about politics in general. I wish i cared more about that. In fact, I always try to be informed and it feels like I will simply never know everything there is to know because there is so much information to follow! So many people, so many heated discussions... I don't have opinions on most of them. But when it comes to elections, I do at least try to know what is going on. I feel like it would be unfair of me not to vote or know anything about the leaders of the country, and then complain if something isn't working the way I would hope it would.

I came across this site that has all of the campaign advertisements for all of the various candidates and I just kept being amazed at how they are so manipulative of the audience! At times they would bash their opponents, or use dramatized testimonials of how great they are, one even uses Chuck Norris for humor. Is this starting to feel like a fifth grade Student Council war to anyone else?

Some of the candidates use interview more and talk straight to their audience and campaign for themselves. Others have images and footage of them in action. It is interesting to break down the way these were made because I think it says more about them than the finished product and message does.

Here is the link to the advertisements: http://pcl.stanford.edu/campaigns/2008/

2007-11-26T20:58:00.001-08:00

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

2007-11-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-11-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

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.

A Postmodern "Hero"

2007-10-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

We watched this video in a class as we were talking about the postmodernist theory. I was so intrigued by it because of how it used a few different genres to do what it needed to. The video was both a music video and a movie trailer. The music is catchy and the images are random. It was interesting how the images changed my perception of the song itself. What was going on and what were the images saying that the song wasn't? What are the implications of the melodrama and how does that add or change the theme of the message he is sending?

I think the melodrama background helped to set up the main character as our protagonist hero character-- making anything he does ok and right. I also thought the women in the video were interesting. The woman with the American flag, for example: what is he saying with that image? Is this the American woman and what we build as an icon for what she should be?

After my discussion with my brother about how to effectively understand our audience (below), I pointed him to this video and we talked about what a viewer would need to know to understand this video and what the references are and how to interpret them. The video implicitly points to an older, more mature audience, but it also tells us explicitly at the very beginning with the "movie rating." We know that this is for an older crowd and what to expect in some ways about what that means about the content. Again- interesting.

Who does this?

2007-10-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

I have a very creative and talented brother. That said and out of the way, he has recently produced some music and had it posted on itunes for popular consumption. The three songs he has so far are all Halloween music. The first song is an hour long track of sounds to play outside your house on Halloween and it is sold as a $10 album. The other two are funny rap/hip-hop songs with funny lyrics and catchy beats... as if he were attempting to create the new "Monster Mash." Just before Halloween, he and his group (the "Trick-or-Treaters") put together a music video for one of the songs. The conversation that we had about the video after I watched it taught me more than I think it taught him.

After I watched it I had many questions for him. Questions that I would ask a class in a similar situation I think. Who is the audience for this? What are you saying by showing these specific images with the music? For me, I wasn't sure I understood how the girls in the video would be spending time with the men that were there... it didn't make sense to me. The message in "I'm a Werewolf" then almost communicates not to hang out with older men because they are scary and turn into beasts. The concept of what he was doing was clear, but just maybe wasn't communicated completely effectively for who he claims he was marketing it for.

"It is for the Disney teen-age crowd," he told me.

Well if that is the case, then I have more questions:
What does a person need to know in order to understand this video? (Maybe the reference to Thriller that you are parodying or your comment on old-school rap videos where the only shots are of the guys from the dash of the car as they are driving somewhere... that usually ends up being a place with sleezy women).
And who are the people that will know and understand these things? (Those who were there for those things!)
What kind of media is the intended audience participating in already and how is this like that?

I thought of how we communicate to our audience and how thinking of them is vital to communicate our stories. As much as it is an expression and artistic and entertaining, it will not be marketable or engaging unless it is consistent and meaningful. The younger crowd will not understand this as much as the older crowd will, and the older crowd will be baffled by it. I am not, by any means, saying that the video failed or that it was poorly made. I am saying that as a marketing tool for music it will attract a different crowd of people than my brother intended. We also talked about the marketability of this music-- which was a whole 'nother topic. We determined who was his audience after all, and when the music would be used. This is a small group of people for a small percentage of the year. The important thing was what he said at the end of this conversation: "well, at least I know the process of how it all works now!"

Great! I have full confidence that my brother can produce marketable media for popular consumption now that he has learned the how-to's and the what-nots...

Tristan & Isolde - (Semi) Old School Movie Review #1

2007-10-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

I had never seen this movie, though I have always wanted to. It looked like one of those movies that the preview alone would cause me to be ill, but that the movie would actually have enough substance for me to enjoy. I did. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a movie and not to get so cynical about how unbelievable it all was, but I did find it artistically fun to watch. This is the type of movie that I am not sure I would be able to use in a high school but the interesting part is that is is based on a story that many know. It is a medieval myth that has been turned into an opera and now a feature film. It would be interesting to compare the different stories and see how the story changes or what each of them communicated differently about the same story. I thought, for example, that this movie showed the relationship between the two as an almost instantly deep love. The story was more about the aftermath, and not as much about the relationship. The main themes in this version were the effects of the aristocratic order... and sex.

Then, to see how it compared to some other versions I did a bit of research and found this picture. (a painting of Tristan and Isolde from almost 100 years ago)What does this picture say about the relationship between the two lovers? Does it capture them in a romantic moment? Is this a different relationship than the most current version of the story told? What advantages does a film maker have over an artist to convey the same story? What advantages does the artist have?

I just thought the colors were interesting, the way Tristan is presented is far more feminine than he would be for today's audiences. The picture also gave more of a sense of something artistic that perhaps the two shared, but that she, as the woman, remained lower in station than he. Interesting.

Fire by Blog

2007-10-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about how I am getting my news lately and how it is so far and few and in between. I don't have the time to listen or watch the news like I used to, and reading the paper is out of the question. This saddens me, as I do so enjoy knowing what is going on in the world. After I found out about the fires last week in San Diego, my heart sank a few stories. I have quite a bit of family that I love all live in that very area of California. After hearing the news from my mother, I quickly got online to read my uncle's blog. This personal view of what has been going on is far more powerful for me because of the connection I have there. I am initially interested in the news because of my family. I wish I had more time to spend to stay updated, but for now, the important information for me is how they are. There are at least three families that are out of their homes and one that may have lost theirs. I am not sure about the other families yet, but it is definitely scary. Coming from Eldon though, it is just interesting to see how he writes about it. Blogs are more personal by nature and yet informative. Though the fires are across most of southern California right now, I only have to see the part that I want to. In a way that sounds like I might be naive or heartless to be ONLY getting my information from the one source, but I think it goes to show how many people view the broader news. We watch what affects us.

Shed a little light on Vegastown.

2007-10-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

My roommates all spent the weekend in Vegas as I was here in P-town all alone without them. They took this picture while they were there because they thought it was just so "neat." I couldn't stop looking at it because I think it captured something quite interesting that the girls maybe didn't notice even after they took it. The first think that comes to mind is how much the man's face in the middle of the ad stood out to me-- he has a very distinct facial expression. I wonder what he is thinking. I also instantly thought of how neat to have captured this ad because I have never seen one on a moving vehicle like this one before. I don't know if the church has thought about where they are advertising specifically, but it wouldn't surprise me. They are selling family values right there in the middle of the strip and they must be as big and bold as the world around them to do it. I wonder if those in charge of this "campaign" wanted the words to be coming from the man in the picture. That would make it even more powerful to see maybe. I also found it so poignant to see the buildings and the statue in the background because it clearly puts this picture right down in the world of Vegas.

If I were using this in a class I could ask the students what is interesting to them about it and what they notice that makes this picture have meaning. Why was this picture worth taking? What does it capture and what message does it send?

"John Wayne is a tellibler name for a cowboy!"

2007-10-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing the movie "Hero." I first found it interesting that he loved this film so much because I have yet to find an Asian who doesn't. When I first watched it, it felt a little silly and I felt like the flying and language was out-of-control unreal to me. I had absolutely no context for understanding it and therefore, it wasn't as entertaining for me as maybe it was for my Asian friends who so admire it. Then we got to talking about other Asian movies and how I did enjoy "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon."

Why? Why do I not mind the artsy flying and intense story in the one movie and find the other very hokey?

My friend enlightened me: for the same reason that we might enjoy a John Wayne flick over Will Smith's "Wild Wild West." The art of using the flying in Chinese movies, he explained, is it's own genre in Chinese media and culture just as the western movies are in ours. It made me regret letting my brain heave this movie into my dumpster of non-entertaining films because I think that even that small tidbit of information would have given me a greater insight and helped me to understand the campy/hokey nature of this style of film.

A haiku that fits

2007-10-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Peace: felt in the air
A warm hand and a smile
The sun gave us hope

To elaborate: When we were asked to think of a picture this was the only one I could think of. The context is that this was my boyfriend at one point. We had dated for many months and then he had moved to DC to work and I had to stay here to finish school. For about four months we had off and on tried to date and not date until we decided to make another visit. This picture was taken about an hour or so after I picked him up from the airport. We are at the park just next to the capital building in Salt Lake. We had stopped at a small cafe-ish place and got little sandwiches, and I had brought his favorite drink products (that he can't get on the East coast!). We had a great day- one of the most perfect I can remember. The sun was perfect: not to hot- not to cool, but a perfect light breeze on a perfect sunny day. We talked about what we wanted to do and this conversation marked the first time we had really discussed what we wanted. After we talked, we laid down on our backs on a blanket and just watched the leaves blow around above us-- it was a beautiful and hopeful day I will not soon forget.

Penelope

2007-10-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

I think I have talked about this before, but I think it is interesting how the humor in the nighttime comedy shows has shifted over the years. Also, the amount of show watching has increased since I was younger. Now with shows like "The Office" and "Arrested Development" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" or even "Seinfeld" it seems like we enjoy watching awkward situations to make us laugh. I think "The Office" is becoming such a standard in TV comedy: the very familiar situation that finds the humor and runs with it-- runs far.

I think this clip from Saturday Night Live, a show I watched religiously as my brothers were all teenagers, is so funny to me because I know people like this. I know of the people that have to "one-up" everyone else at the party. I had a friend who swore she drank 4% milk and rode a 59-speed Huffy. The recognition level of humor is a very popular one and apparently what America likes to watch.

http://digg.com/videos/comedy/SNL_Penelope_Friggin_Hilarious

If I were using this in a class I would ask what is funny about this? Why does the audience clap the moment they see her? Who could this be making fun of and what message is it trying to communicate to us?

Pushing Daisies

2007-10-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

As I have been following along with the shows my brother has tivo-d and recommended, I decide to watch the first episode of Pushing Daisies. I have no idea what it is about and I am unaware of anything I am about to see. I only know that my brother whom I love and trust says that it is fabulous- whatever that means. As a media literate minded one, I watch the intro, fascinated by how beautiful every frame is. Every shot is a fun new surprise fill of color and symmetry and life. It is obvious to see that the artistic director meant this because it seems to be a recurring theme.

Again we meet a character who finds that he has a power that causes things to come to life when he touches them. If he touches them again-- they die. It is one of those things that sounds odd and lame when explained, but if you just watch the show, you will understand and love it. This would be fun to show in class because it looks like every shot was created from a perfect advertisement of some kind. Everything looks perfect and in place, everything is in full and vibrant color, and the actors are so fun to watch. It would be fun to have the class bring in advertisements and/or pictures and create a short film or storyboard for one where we use some of these images and explain how we would use them. I think this would be good also because it would open a discussion about how artistic directors work and how the students can do the same thing as they create their own media. Link to watch Pushing Daisies, the full episode: http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing (may have to download a player)

Dealing with Issues

2007-10-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is another clip from the band "Flight of the Conchords". I love it so much because of the humor that is in the mixing of genres. I think we find this funny because of how seriously these two take themselves about extremely unserious things. They say that the song talks about "real world issues" and they point to only a few things and they are not all real. They also use music to make sounds as they tell their stories. Instead of showing a man cry in pain, they do it on pitch. It is funnier that way.

I was interested in this clip because in my "Teaching Composition" class today we were talking about Genre Theory and how we can teach the various genres of writing and how they are presented and how people and play with genre. We read a "fairy tale" that changed our perception of what a fairy tale is because it doesn't have the exact elements of what we consider to be a fairy tale, yet it is definitely introduced as one.

I think it would be a fun idea in class to have the students present a story in all different genres. For example, if we were to read a play or film in class, give the students a part of that script and let them choose various ways to retell the same story. This way we can talk about the different ways that the medium changes our message. Have them maybe choose from a hat either a storybook, a commercial, a short film, a reality TV show...etc. and then discuss how the story changed from each genre of media.

O the Magazine

2007-10-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

My roommate and I had to go to the store for some things and at the register, which is packed with what she is interested in- advertising crap... we noticed Oprah's magazine. I am a sucker for this kind of stuff and admittedly, I can't help but enjoy anything that she likes. Well, most of the things she likes. So we bought it and I flipped through it during the ride home and would show her the pages with great pictures or great bits of things. For example, there is a page that looks like it would be found in Oprah's personal blog of some sort-- it listed cereals, and shopping secrets... all of the things that, when you first look at the page, you might think come directly from Oprah herself. upon closer look, however, we can see that perhaps Oprah has nothing to do with anything in this magazine at all. She shows for the photo shoot, but maybe she doesn't have very much of a say in the design or what is inside the book at all. She does have a column dedicated to Dr. Phil, whom I know she likes a great deal, and she lists the books on her booklist. I just find in interesting how much power she really has.

I also read about the fact that she helped to fund Obama's campaign. This is of course frustrating because of the influence she has on our society, and more than financially. Sh says that she can only donate up to a certain amount, but her stamp of approval is more than any check she could write. Every book that Oprah has put on her book list has become a top seller. Can someone get her to put the BOM on there?

I think Oprah is an interesting topic because she controls so much of the media. What she loves, we love, and what she loves sells. I would use something like an article from her own magazine, or the interview with her and ask what dangers there are of having a woman with so much power? Are there any? What does it mean for those voting- and how might it change even the voter population? How are the pictures and scenes presented in her magazine and what is it saying to the reader?

Media Literate Roommates make me smile

2007-10-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

My roommate is a marketing/advertising major and is in a media literacy class. She just came home all excited about the movie that they had watched for the whole class. She seemed quite excited that they even got to watch a movie for class, but the fact that it was a good one was great. They apparently have been talking about lighting and sound and how that effects a piece and the message that it conveys to the audience. They watched Good Night and Good Luck. Which happens to be a movie I love. I love the fact that it is black and white and I love that some of it is real and I mostly love that George Clooney directed it. We were talking about how that movie is so effective in black and white because of how it supports its authenticity. Most people are also surprised to find out the George directed it too.

In a class we could talk about why the director chose to do this film, obviously made in our day, in black and white. We could talk about how the lighting and the editing of the real footage alters the story for us. What does that do to our perception of these events in history?

My new favorite series...

2007-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

My brother has Tivo and has decided to capture all of the season premieres of all of the new fall shows so that the rest of us only have to watch what he deems as "good." Now I know this leaves my viewing pleasure at his discretion, and that means I trust him a lot- which I do- but we have similar taste in shows and I think he is the perfect guinea pig for this sort of thing.

The show that he has recommended so far is called "Chuck." This show is a fun combination of what we decided has a similar feel to an Alias meets Scrubs or a 24 meets The Office. It is "intense" material that moves fast and has a lot of humor built in- some to make fun of the intensity itself. It is set up like a comedy, with funny characters that aren't all that amazing of people, and the plot is not difficult to understand, but it is definitely engaging. The characters are simple and not forced at all; I don't get the same annoyed feeling from some of the characters on 24 or some of those shows where they feel so over-directed or something. These are simple people and easy to relate to instantly.

What i think would be interesting to look at with a class is the fact that first, this is the introduction to this show- you could call it the exposition even. What do we learn about these characters from this opening show? What do we learn, and what do we think we know that wasn't directly said? How does the writers' choices about the characters' occupations help to strengthen this story and make it more interesting?

This is the link to watch the full episode online on NBC's site. Enjoy- it is quite fun.

http://www.nbc.com/Chuck/video/episodes.shtml

Dixie Chicks

2007-09-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

I know we talked about this in class but it has stuck with me all day and I have been thinking a lot about the video and just the group themselves. First, I am interested in the dichotomy of a group that chooses to express themselves in such a public way and then be so violent about the public's reaction to it. I just think the video is proof that they are still being punished for their expression and views and yet it also shows the medium that they choose to express their views only helps to perpetuate others' negative feelings toward them.

I think the color and costuming in this video was intriguing to me though. I love how artistic and symbolic the ink on the hands and the white dresses was and how the theatrical part was in white, covered in the black ink, while as she sang about how she is now she was in all black. I loved how powerful that was in conveying her feelings about her opinion. She was stained by the things that were said and the reactions to it and yes it is permanent, but she embraces them and I appreciate that.

I think I could use this in class to talk about the messages that we send, and the implicit messages that are also sent through the other aspects that we have control over like color and lines and costuming.

Office Space - Old School Movie Review #1

2007-09-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is a movie that I have seen before, but it had been a while. The friends that we watched it with had just watched it the night before, but it was the only movie that we could get 10 people to agree to watching and it was getting late!

This movie is so great to me because it is so subtle. The characters each have little quirks that make them memorable and the plot is so random. A guy hates his job and goes to a hypnotist. The hypnotist puts him in a trance and then has a heart attack before he can take him out of the trance. So, said guy goes home and sleeps and decides he is never going to go to work again. It is just so funny because again- we have all been there. Most people do not love their job...as the movie poster indicates. Most people are too afraid to do what they really want to because it might be against the social norm e.g. eat the first piece of cake instead of passing along, asking out your waitress...etc.

I have succomed

2007-09-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Up until this last week I had not watched a single episode of the Office. I decided it must be time, seeing as so many of my near acquaintances have incorporated this as part of their lives. Trying to catch up in time for the new season, I watched almost the entire first season and loved them all. I did have a problem getting into them though because I have seen the BBC version and I loved it so much more. I had a problem with the fact that the entire first episode was completely ripped off of the original version! How is that fair to the writers of the show? Nonetheless, I was interested to see them because, especially in my ward, the Office is more than just a show-- it is a lifestyle.

I think my favorite character is Dwight. He knows how to be so annoying and awkward looking at everything that he does. I think it makes us laugh because 1) we love the character itself-- that is just funny, but 2) I think we all have some deep connections to that show simple because we all have worked before and the scenarios are so close to home. We can watch the pranks or just the weird people and completely relate-- even if we haven't been in the exact situation.

I don't know how I would use this in class yet, but I know I would use it. Especially if kids are still so connected to it by the time I teach.

Only 100 Years

2007-09-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

Again, I was at the gym and I was watching Ellen and music videos simultaneously. What stuck with me today was not the humor in Ellen like she normally does, but it was in a music video that I have seen many times that I watched during the commercial. I have always loved the song, but I guess I had never enjoyed the creation of this video until this time I watched it.

The video was Five for Fighting's "100 years," and I couldn't help but analyze it like a geek and think of all of the ways that it was filmed and how John Ondrasik just sits there at his piano most of the time. I thought of how his life is passing him by why he keeps doing what he is doing, but that in each of the phases of his life, something different is important to him. At 33, he is in the beginning of his family and worried about time getting the better of him. The song is about him telling his 15-year-old self to take the time he has and make good with it.

I just loved the message of the song, but the way it was filmed was so simple and powerful to me and above all-- genuine. I didn't feel like this one was produced, I felt like someone caught John in his element, creating his music and sharing his true feelings. That proves that it was well produced! I could use this in a directing unit, for inquiry about what kinds of choices were made visually to tell his story. I could use it to talk about each of the roles that his character plays- that a character will grow over time and make some changes.

Here is the link to the video if you wanted to watch it: http://sonybmg.com/musicbox/video/fiveforfighting/
(click on "100 Years")

What Not to Wear

2007-09-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

I realize that the last two of these have been reality TV shows, but I think it proves to me which I enjoy watching more. I love the shows that help to improve people in some way. I remember when the very first reality show was on, "Survivor," and we watched every minute of it, riveted, wondering if something great was going to happen. They were just regular people like us, only they were doing something a little more extraordinary than we were. Now it is so normal to see "regular" people on TV in situations where they are trying to be like the entertainment and fashion world says we all should be. They are trying to be skinnier, they are wannabe models, wannabe musicians, and people that want to start a career out of thin air.

On the one hand, I think it is a great idea-- giving people with talent a chance to be seen, on the other, I love what this show (What not to Wear) does, because it proves to people that they can be themselves, and that they are beautiful. (Yes, Stacie and Clinton do teach them ways to look "in style" or "trendy" in some ways), but they usually are helping women to find themselves behind all of the facade that they are putting on.

The episode I watched the other day was of a woman in her twenties who dressed unlike anything I have ever seen. There would be no way to judge her if you saw her on the street because she doesn't seem to stick to any genre of style or to any rules at all. Normally, I would agree to what she said was an "I don't care what people think of me" attitude, but she was clueless. It was like watching her true character unfold as she honestly found out how beautiful she truly was underneath the fake crazy character she was playing for attention. She honestly chose to wear clothing each day because of the reaction that they would get- because they would be funny. Whatever her real personality was- we weren't getting it. She had no continuity at all.

This also may sound like a stretch, but I think I would show this to a class to discuss character. I think it is interesting how much clothes really do say about a person, and that could be a topic of conversation as well, but the great part was, that the clothing aspect of this episode was back seat to her wonderful discovery of who she really was. The show told a story of a crazy girl who thought she was living life normally, and someone came to prove her wrong. She fought for what she thought stood for her personality and eventually gave in, realizing that she had to make changes to project outwardly what she truly felt about herself. And that is what most good theatre does for me. Hopefully, a good film or show will help me to discover something new, usually by way of the characters' discoveries.

Again, what an uplifting piece of media that, though it forces people into the chic and trendy expensive shopping world, it also forces them to find out what they are about.

The Biggest Loser

2007-09-14T00:04:00.001-07:00

I was at the gym. My gym is now souped up with flat screens everywhere and you can watch whatever you want on your own personal cable TV as you run. I know... think football...

I couldn't find anything that jumped out at me until I landed on "The Biggest Loser." This was the navy/military wives edition or something and they were battling for total percentage weight lost over the other women. They had a coach that told them what to eat and a basic diet plan, but they have to do most of it on their own. The point is that most of these women have even had surgeries done and couldn't keep the weight off. The women have to do everything on their own and have their own willpower and determination. This is where the fact that they are on a time limit and that it is a a competition really helps.

I decided that I love this show. I found myself so inspired and uplifted by it that I forgot I was running! When the coach would tell them positive things and shout "see look what you are made of" I would instinctively run faster- it was perfect to run to!

I couldn't help but compare this show and how I felt about it to all of the other "makeover" shows and "top model" shows. This one builds good habits and helps the individuals learn how to make life changes rather than attempting to let them be changed for them. It was almost emotional for me as each woman got off the scale and realized what she had accomplished with all of her own hard work. (I love the positiveness of everyone working as a team rather than the skinny Beotch teenagers all living in one house and constantly shouting at each other over nothing.)

I decided that I love this show. I found myself inspired and lifted by it that I forgot I was running. When the coach would tell them positive things and remind them what they are made of I would push a little harder myself-- it was perfect to run to! I watched all the way until it came to the end and the host had each team weigh in. I couldn't help but compare this show and how i felt about it to all of the other "makeover" shows and "top model" shows. This one builds good habits and helps the individuals learn how to make life changes rather than attempting to change it for them. It was almost emotional for me as each woman got off the scale and realized what she had accomplished with all of her own hard work. I loved that positive message. Then I noticed that half of why I felt that way was because of the music chosen. The music was sort of sappy and manipulative as each woman weight in. They built the suspense and then told me how to feel all in the choice of music. It was a bit like a Mormon movie when you get to the end and everyone is crying...yes- part of that is a spiritual moment, but the other part is the brilliance of audio editing. Nevertheless, I was still inspired and proud of the great idea to uplift so many people. Everyone leaves feeling beautiful--and I am all about that.

If I were to use this in the classroom I could use it for two things: 1) When teaching directing techniques, I could use it to show that the individual has to follow their own intuitions or it wont be natural...etc. or 2) I could use it to show how music is used to help tell a story or alter the mood of the piece. I found it to be very effective for me.

Women Reduction

2007-09-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

I got into a discussion today at dinner about women's magazines. We were talking about a specific article in US where they were comparing two celebrities in the same gown and showing the poll of which one looked better. Our complaint was that in each of these cases the picture chosen was the woman who was slimmer. The conversation was about how these magazines are horrible for women's self-esteem because they degrade them and set the cultural standard for what beauty is. The average woman knows, while looking at one of those magazines, that she may never look like that girl on the page. Her conclusion: she must not be beautiful.

My brother thought it would be a kind gesture to remind us that most of the photos in the magazines we read are airbrushed and photoshopped...etc. to look that perfect. The point is, we are reduced to airbrushing. Women are not perfect by themselves--even those closest to perfect beauty are still unable to take a perfect photo. What do these magazines teach us then: women, you are simply not good enough. Period. It reminded me of a study I heard about that was apparently done at BYU that proved that these magazines do just that-- lower women's self-esteem.

My new favorite find

2007-09-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my media blog. I thought this would be a great way to bring this to you because it is so much a part of how I find media lately. My family and friends recently decided to go blog crazy, and because it is now such a part of our culture to be that impersonal about how we update each other on our lives, I thought it would be an appropriate medium with which to bring you my latest media finds/encounters.

My latest find: I hope you enjoy it.

I love this so much. This video is a music video of a group from New Zealand that apparently now has their own show on HBO. The humor of the show is similar to what America is thriving on lately I think-- very similar to "The Office." It is so funny to watch someone mocking such a familiar situation and catch the true awkwardness. The lyrics are what make it so great.

They also tend to have music videos within their show that are very obviously making fun of other types of music videos. This one, for example, is a hilarious rendition of a bad rap music video. The lyrics are again hilarious, but how they filmed it is key:

Note: I hope you are not offended by either of these videos... they are both a little edgy, as far as BYU is concerned, but it is what I am watching and enjoying.