Dejah Tinney: Crooklyn

Crooklyn, directed by Spike Lee in 1994, in my opinion was a kind of typical back in the day African-American family movie. 

In the early 1970s in Brooklyn, New York lived mother, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), father, Woody (Delroy Lindo), nine-year-old Troy (Zelda Harris) and her older brothers Clinton (Carlton Williams), Wendell (Sharif Rashed), Nate (Chris Knowings), and her younger brother, Joseph (Tse-Mach Washington). 

I think this movie portrays a typical African-American family at those times because marriage was very common and so was having about 5 children. I can connect to this movie because during the summer, the sister Troy goes down south with her Aunt Song & during the summer when I was younger I used to go down south as well. I don't know if that matters but I felt like a connection was needed.

I loved how realistic this film was, from the main characters and the setting being so detailed and specific even to the Possums sniffing glue on the block. 

There was real life problems and situations. When the mother, Carolyn, was diagnosed with cancer I felt like in a way when Troy came back from down south she was much stronger emotionally than she was before the left but she was always more mature than her other siblings. When she & her brother's received the news about their mother all the brother's broke down and cried but Troy did not. She was strong for her brother's. I believe that the director, Spike Lee, made Troy the strongest because she was the only girl and eventually would have to help out and take the role as the "mother" to her other siblings.

Dejah Tinney: The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes in 1985, was an okay movie. Wasn't what I expected from the name at all. I actualy thought it was about a club eating breakfast... Anyways, The Breakfast Club was about 5 high school students who where completely different from one another. There was Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez) as the "jock", Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) as the rich pretty girl, Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall) as the "nerd" or the "brains", Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) as the "goth" girl, & John Bender as the "bad boy".. 

As you can tell they were from different social groups who never said one word to each other until they had to spend a whole Saturday afternoon in detention.

In the beginning that hated each other and I think it was simply because they were from different social groups and didn't really know each other. They judged one another by their appearance but didn't know their story... Until they actually started opening up & connecting to one another.

I think that's what makes a strong story/ movie, the transitions that the characters go through in a film definitely make a movie worth watching. 

Crooklyn: Everyday Life in Bed-Stuy

Spike Lee's Crookyln gives the viewer a look into the life of an African American family, living in the infamous Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City. Initially when I watched this film I thought back to another one of Lee's movies: Do the Right Thing, which I had seen in my English class last year. The primary reason for my discontent with this film was that it lacked a true storyline, and Crooklyn seemed to have the same problem. This actually makes me think of Badlands as well, which I also criticized for not having much of a plot. As I said in my blog post: "Things happen, people go places and do things, say things, but I can't help but wonder what the point of it all is." I felt a similar way with Crooklyn, but then I also realized something. Maybe that is the whole point of it all. Spike Lee intended to show what life is like for a typical black family in Bed-Stuy. 

Not only does this film remind me of the aforementioned titles, but a tv that I watched a few years ago popped in my head as well: Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris. Much like Crooklyn, this series takes the viewer into the life of a family residing in this community, highlighting the hardships that they faced. Both families were large, often relied on food stamps, and were treated poorly by white people. The parents often argued, as well as the brothers and sisters. Both Chris Rock and Spike Lee did a fantastic job of portraying the average lifestyle in this trouble-ridden district. Crooklyn mainly focuses on Troy, who can be considered the oddball in her family. The cinematography communicated this well by showing shots of her sitting a great distance away from everyone else during meal times, and of her being sent to the store by herself. Clearly she is more mature than her argumentative brothers, which explains why she is given these tasks. This also makes me think of how different life is in the inner city compared to that of the suburbs, and also the variations between this decade and the 1970s. Nowadays, it would be concerning to see a young child walking the streets by themselves, but back then I guess it wasn't a big deal. 

As the movie progresses, the Carmichael family heads down south for a vacation. They leave their urban hometown for a much more relaxed rural atmosphere, which Troy is not accustomed to. She definitely wasn't happy to be there from the beginning, and was even more put off by the fact that she had to stay there for a few days after the rest of her family went back home. Coming from the suburbs myself, I would've been more than happy to leave the hustle and bustle of the city for the lush green landscape of the south, but remember, the city is where Troy grew up. It was all she knew, all she was used to. For her, the city was the place to be - the action, the drama, the excitement. Her aunt's home was just too boring. As the period came to an end, she was finally on her way back home. I bet she was happy. 

Crooklyn Too

Spike Lee's 1994 semi-autobiography Crooklyn has proven itself to be a very societal and culturally significant film. We have reached the part where Troy is just returning home from her aunt and uncle's home in the South. She embarked on an early departure because she demanded that she return home to Brooklyn. Despite her overall disdain for the section of the country south of the Mason-Dixie line, she seemed to joyfully make the acquaintance of her adopted cousin Viola. Before her exodus out of Confederate territory, Troy expresses to Viola that she would like them to rendezvous in her hood in New York. Viola is then seen beckoning to Troy as she exits the Southern Carmichaels' residence. During the "Southern" episode in the film, if you will, Viola demonstrates great hostility and venom toward her mother. We can infer that perhaps the most formidable catalyst for these sentiments is the fact that Viola is in fact adopted, which she often uses to rationalize her relentless defile of her mother. Shortly before Troy leaves for New York, Aunt Song's dog's carcass is launched from the couch as she pulls out the bed for the children to sleep on. During both this scene and the following seen in which Aunt Song buries her dog, Viola's lack of emotion as well as her previous comments lead me to believe she murked the dog.

The Breakfast Club - Filled with interesting Stereotypes : Shawn Luzzi

Released in 1985, The Breakfast Club is quite the unique movie, especially as each character is what can be described as "Interesting Sterotypes". In this film, a select few kids are thrown into an all-day Saturday Detention due to their misdeeds, and the misadventures of all these different characters collide during one hectic Saturday Afternoon. 

As I've stated before, each character can be described as an "Interesting Stereotype" as each character isn't seen these characters are not held back and are not seen as dull or bland. The list of characters and their stereotype include:

Claire Standish as "The Princess"

Andrew Clarke as "The Athlete" 

Brian Johnson as "The Brain" 

Allison Reynolds as "The Basket-case" [A weirdo, basically] 

John Bender as "The Criminal"

Even with these cliques attached to each character, this doesn't hamper their characters in any way, as the conflicts that ensue and resolve, as well as each characters back story is what keeps this movie interesting throughout its length. 

I gladly recommend that this movie be seen, and I will say you will not be disappointed. 

 

Crooklyn

I enjoyed watching the beginning of Spike Lee's Crooklyn today in film studies. The movie depicts a black family living in Brooklyn during what appears to be the 70's or 80's. So far, we've learned little about the plot as a whole, but we've gotten to meet some of the characters including Troy, a young girl who we can safely assume is the protagonist. For one, the camera focuses on Troy in many shots, often showing that she has a different reaction to a given situation than everyone else, particularly her siblings. Another thing that I can see setting the stage for interesting points of conflict and character development is the fact that Troy is the only girl among five children. Troy seems more mature than all of her brothers and at one point we see her giving her father advice on life. Gender certainly seems like it will play a major role in this film, and whether or not race or socioeconomic factors will be relevant remains to be seen.

The Breakfast Club: Myles Snider

The Breakfast Club

The movie "The Breakfast Club" by John Hughes is a movie that takes place on a Saturday morning detention with 5 different students, from different social groups. There's Bender; the Criminal, Andrew; the Athlete,  Claire; the popular girl, Brian; the brain, and Allison; the basket case. While in detention, they're suppose to write a report to a nasty, mean teacher about who they think they are, throughout the film they start interacting with each other over their dilemma, then notice they have a lot more in common than they had expected. None of them have any good communication with their parents, all of them are misunderstood, and they all hope they don't end up like their parents. 

Claire is a spoiled, rich girl who skips class to go shopping. Brian is a virgin who thinks about sex and is interested in girls, but is ashamed. Bender is a juvenile delinquent, who is physically and verbally abused by his father. Andrew is an athlete who is tired of living up to parent's expectations. Allison is a weird girl, who is misunderstood.

This movie makes a connection to teenage adolescence because there are many teenagers today who go through problems such as these, and many can definitely relate. I think the Breakfast Club brings this to the attention of many audiences and makes them realize the challenges of being a teenager, and I think that John Hughes did an amazing job at directing this movie and I recommend it to all audiences.

The Breakfast Club - Keala Powell

This movie "The Breakfast Club" by John Hughes takes place in a Saturday Detention that lasts all morning into the afternoon. All of the kids in Saturday detention are classmates that may know things about each other or have seen other in passing. They are all so different from each other and fit into the stereotypes that others may think of them. They are segregated and don't see why they have to spend their Saturday when they could spend their time doing better things. This movie is realistic to me because a lot of high schools still have cliques and deal with bullying and labeling. I feel like our school doesn't really deal with the issues of cliques. I feel like people have their close group of friends but everyone is friendly with each other. The senior class is really close this year. At the end of the movie they promised each other that they would remain friends because of the bond they grew in Saturday detention. This is kind of weird that their bond grew so strong in a detention they hated being in and couldn't wait to leave. This detention was a blessing in disguise because they learned more about each other than their whole time at high school.

The Breakfast Club. Alethia Moore

The breakfast club has nothing to do with breakfast!! A very diverse popularity groups found themselves together during a Saturday detention. Throughout the movie the moods of all the characters changed drastically! They went from hating eachother [each other or one another? Either way, two words]  to feeling a sort of sympathy [sympathy or empathy] for eachother after understand their circumstances. This movie described a group of kids of different backgrounds coming together and sharing a one purpose or theme [what is a theme and how is "punishment" the theme?] which was punishment. One thing that I didn't like while watching this movie is how it ended without seeing the way they would act towards eachother in school the next day. I felt that this was important because the whole concept of the movie was to see how all these different world would collide. I felt that the movie lacked this important factors of the overall outcome in the movie.

Alethia,

I have given you credit for this post in powerschool; however, I hope you will consider this simply pre-writing and collecting. I don't think you will want your grade to remain as is. This post is rather haphazard and slapdash. It does not reach the minimum length requirement, it contains many typographical errors, and the depth of analysis is lacking. In other words, you can do better Alethia.

Monahan

The Breakfast Club: Breaking the Stereotypes of the American Teen

By far, The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies we have watched in this class. My favorite aspects of this film are the relatable characters, important themes, and humor.  Taking place in 1984 Shermer, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, five students are forced to atttend an all-day Saturday detention. On the outside, the students couldn't appear more disimilar and all fit into five disparate groups: Claire (the Princess), Bender (the Rebel/Criminal), Andrew (the Jock), Brian (the Brain /Nerd), and Alice (the Basket-Case). The clothing, cars, and acting really conveyed the disparities in each character's personality. The assistant principal, Mr. Vernon, assigns the group the task of writing a paper about "who they think they are." Instead of obeying Mr. Vernon's instructions, the motley group spends the day getting into a little bit of trouble, but also getting to know one another as well.

My favorite scene by far from this film was after the entire group smoked the marijuana and were talking about why they had received detention in the first place. This scene was extremely emotional and revealed the true personalities of each character. For example, when Andrew (the Jock) admitted his regret for humilitating another kid in the locker room and his hatred for his father's encouraging behavior, it dismantled the stereotype of the jock as the mean, bully without any emotions. In Brian's (the Brain) case, he dismantled the stereotype of  the nerd just caring about school all of the time and not feeling the extreme pressure to get good grades. Although Claire (the Princess)  appeared to "have it all", she dismantled  this idea that having money will make you completely happy, as she received no true love from her family and didn;t truly like her "friends". Bender (the Criminal) showed that seemingly troubled kids often come from violent, abusive backgrounds. In his case, Bender's father was abusing him. The eccentric Alice revealed that  she just simply wanted her parents to pay attention to her. 

In general, I loved this movie because it shed light on the problem of trying to put teenagers into distinct groups. In reality, teenagers don't know who they are and still need time to find themselves, a fact that Mr. Vernon failed to understand. I really liked the scene in which Mr. Vernon was looking at the letter from the group and you could hear the voiceover of Brian reading the letter, which reinforced Mr. Vernon's ignorance for trying to get them to define themselves the way he wanted them to. This is a great movie that shows that seemingly different people, especially teenagers, have so much more in common than they think. In addition, this film reinforces the old saying: "Don't judge someone unless you've walked a mile in their shoes." 

Beyond the Surface

The Breakfast Club gives the viewer an inside look of a Saturday detention session, to which five students were sentenced. They were to stay in the school's library for a daunting nine hours with their oppressive principal, Mr. Vernon, who did not allow talking, sleeping, or even studying. However, you know how we teenagers are: just when someone tells us to refrain from doing something, we tend to completely disregard their words. And that is exactly what happened.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the five students featured in this film all came from vastly contrasting backgrounds, but over time they began to assimilate.  On the surface, they couldn't possibly be more different from each other, but as the hours went on, I quickly began to see that they weren't so different at all. There is no doubt that their relationships with/perceptions of each other had changed for the better, and as the film progressed, the message became clearer and clearer that they all struggled with something:

Claire was always under constant pressure from her so-called friends, whom she followed after instead of being herself.

Brian nearly killed himself over an F in his shop class, fueled by the pressure his parents put on him to consistently earn high grades.

Bender also had tensions between his parents, driven by his abusive father.

Allison not only was a basketcase, but she utilized her personality to compulsively lie and sneakily steal items from other people, both of which she did very often.

Andrew might have seemed well-put-together, being an athlete on the wrestling team, but he never let his true self show. He always behaved how other people wanted him to, never taking the time to think for himself.

All of this goes to show that no one is perfect. Even though Brian and Claire, for example, appeared perfectly fine on the outside, they were carrying an emotional burden on the inside. If it weren't for the Saturday detention, none of these details would have ever surfaced, and all of the teenagers would have carried on with their normal lives. This brings me to a lingering question: what is going to happen on the Monday that everyone returns to school? Claire was wondering the same thing, because while the five of them now understand each other so much more deeply, the rest of the world still views each of them as their stereotypes. Nothing less, and nothing more. That, my friends, is the true evil of stereotypes at its finest.

Bonnie & Clyde

The movie Bonnie & Clyde was aj interesting movie because it showed what a real ride or die was. The bond that they had was inseparable. Bonnie was a waitress while Clyde had just recently gotten out of prison. Bonnie was immediately fasinated with Clydes past. He sees Bonnie as someone simpatico to his goals in life. Ever since they met each other they have gotten close and they had so much trust that Clyde decided to let Bonnie join him in his life of crime. Throughout this life of crime none of them leave, they hold each other down until the end. I don't like how in the ending they killed them after being throug so much together. They could've handled the situation differently. This moviekeptmeon the edge of my seat because after every robbery I thought that they would get caught butto my surprise they didn't until the end. I would like to have the type of bond they had because they never gave up.

Badlands. Alethia Moore (Edited)

This movie describes the lives of Kit Carruthers  and Holly Sargis based on the real-life spree killers Charles Starkweather and Caril-Ann Fugate. This is a 1973 American crime film directed by Terrence Malick. In this film Malick does a good job showing the main points in his characters' lives. For instance he showed the scenes where Kit murders Holly's father and cleaned up the scene, the killing of his friend Cato at the cabin, and their capture/end of their adventure.

They journeyed through the Midwest on their killing spree starting a new life together. In a way Kit saved Holly from a dead hometown that she wanted badly to escape [is this true?]. One thing that I found very interesting was the contrast between the two characters. Kit was a more of a rough greaser type of guy that wore a leather jacket [denim actually] and cowboy boots, meanwhile Holly was calm and quiet and wore flower print dresses and sandals.

In a way you can say that their greeting was the introduction where two worlds collide.  Although Kit and Holly were recognized as dangerous and professional [???], they still were admired for their "bravery and courage" for doing everything they did. After their capture during their adventure Kit was immediately not so sure about this] put to death by the electric hair, and Holly received jail time then later married her lawyer's son.

Recall/retell, not much voice coming through, Alethia.

Chicago

I really enjoyed watching the movie Chicago. I liked how Roxie and Velma were constantly fighting for fame and for them to get out of jail and out of the death row. Roxie is in there because she was sleeping with a man other than her husband in order to become a star, but once she realized he only said that to sleep with her she ended up killing him. Velma is in there because she killed her husband and sister when she walked in on them sleeping with each other. I liked how when all the women were saying what they did they were singing and showing what they did with the other dancers. It was crazy how they became so focused on being famous and having all the fame that they started to forget they were in a life or death situation. Since this is what Roxie always wanted she made any lie just to keep the fame. At one point in the movie she faked being pregnant because the press started noticing her less. This movie really kept my attention because it kept me wondering about if Roxie was going to get away with murder and of her husband was going to leave or stay after he found out the truth. Even though it was a musical it was an interesting movie.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X (1992), directed by Spike Lee, was a powerful film and I enjoyed watching it. I was hoping the movie wouldn't be a boring history movie and I was not disappointed. It was very intriguing and kept my attention the whole time. I knew who Malcolm X was, however, I never really learned much about him in school. I was glad that I was able to learn more about his life. Malcolm X was a legendary African American leader, whose life we were able to watch from his tragic childhood to his assassination. From his father being killed by the Ku Klux Klan, wrongly labeled as a suicide and his mother being placed in a mental institution, Malcolm and his siblings became wards of the state. Malcolm was very smart in school but told from a racist teacher that he couldn't become lawyer because of the color of his skin. Later on Malcolm Little becomes Malcolm X and a minister and human rights activist.

The ending of the movie was shocking and sad as we saw Malcolm X violently assassinated. Leading up to the assassination Malcolm receives many death threats and firebombs are even thrown into his house putting him and his family in danger. Fortunately, everyone was safe. However, the death threats wouldn't stop. He decides to speak publicly at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on February 21, 1965 where he is assassinated.

I also want to add that the acting in the movie was fantastic. I felt that Denzel Washington did a great job at portraying Malcolm X. My only reason for possibly not watching it again is because of how long it was (about three and half hours), but I really liked it overall.

When We Were Kings

When We Were King (1996) is a documentary about the 1974 heavyweight championship between the underdog challenger Muhammad Ali [arguably past his prime and former heavyweight champion of the world] and the [then reigning] heavyweight champion George Foreman. The fight took place in Zaire on October 30, 1974. Throughout the film we see Ali and Foreman's boxing match that ends with Muhammad Ali defeating the champion George Foreman. Ali is able to knock-out the exhausted Foreman in the eighth round of the fight.

Honestly, this film did not pique my interest at all. I couldn't really follow along with it because of this. When I tried to focusing my attention back on the film, I didn't even know what was going on. I don't really enjoy documentaries and being sports related made me even more uninterested [less interested?]. I guess the actual fight was somewhat interesting, but boxing just isn't interesting to me. I understand the appeal to most of the class and others but its just not a film I would watch [What about the drama surrounding the event? What about filmmaker Spike Lee's claim that Ali is an often forgotten hero, who was more than just a phenomenal athlete? What about connections between this film and Malcolm X? And finally, what about the music?].

The Bad News Bears

I actually liked The Bad News Bears(1976). It's not one of my favorite films but I did enjoy watching it. We got to see the theme of the underdog rising again. Former minor-league baseball player, Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), now an alcoholic who cleans pools, becomes the coach for team of the worst players. The Bears team was pretty awful and was made up of mostly nonathletic kids. As Buttermaker realizes how terrible the team is he convinces Amanda Whurlizer (Tatum O'Neal), who used to be trained by him and is pretty good at pitching to join the team. The film had a good mix of comedic and sad scenes to make it a likable film in my opinion.

We saw as the theme of the underdog appears again in this film. The Bears start off as the worst team until they add two new good members Amanda and Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley). The Bears started making their way to the top until they reached their final game against the Yankees. We saw good character development in Buttermaker during the final game. As he becomes more competitive with Yankees coach Roy Turner (Vic Morrow), he only keeps  in the good players on the team while other players are stuck as the benchwarmers. However, when he sees the result of Turner's son Joey being hit by his father, holding onto the ball until Engelberg gets a home run, and ending up leaving the game and dropping the ball at his father's feet, Buttermaker realizes how competitive he has become. This leads to Buttermaker letting the other players on the field, giving everyone a chance to play. They ended up playing well together, but did not end up winning. Even though they did not achieve the victory they wanted they were still proud of themselves. Overall, I thought it was a good movie and might watch it again.

Life in the Mental Institution, a.k.a. Saturday Detention

To me, one of the most compelling aspects of The Breakfast Club is its difference from all of the other films we have watched, in terms of setting, plot, and characters. It takes place in a high school, in which five students are serving their Saturday detention. The principal, Mr. Vernon, initially comes off as harsh. In detention, he does not let students read, study, or even move. Instead, they all are supposed to write an essay explaining who they are. 

However, as he walks away, the students start talking. They each come from a different stereotypical clique: Brian is the nerd, Allison is the basketcase, Andy is the athlete, Claire is the princess, and Bender is the criminal. At first, there was an abundance of hostility and tension between all of them, but think about this for a second: would you really want to keep fighting with people that you're going to be with for hours on end? I don't think so. Sooner than later, all of the students began to get along more or less; this was our stopping point for this movie since the bell rang. Much like with Alien, The Birds, Psycho, Chicago, and many of our other viewings, I am eager to see what happens next. 

Another unique aspect of this film is that it takes the viewer behind the scenes. It's not set during a typical high school day, but in the dreaded Saturday detention. Locked in an expansive library, 

they have no choice but to entertain themselves, or be bored to death. Bender continuously starts trouble, but his weaker side is revealed rather quickly. Much like other high school bullies, he picked on others because of his insecurities and problems at home. He showed his cigar burn, which is from his father, when he did impersonations of his and Brian's family, both of which could not contrast more. It's not that he's a bad person at heart, but by belittling people, he can attempt to feel better about himself. 

I really appreciate how the director, John Hughes, chose five different stereotypes, because they are an accurate representation of just about every high school. Typically, the nerds only hang with the nerds, the athletes can only be seen with other athletes, so on and so forth. But it gets pretty interesting when people from each clique are forced to be in the same room. 

Badlands Blog Post

Badlands was a very interesting movie. It was received with mixed signals by the class, which is very understandable. It was a strange and confusing movie, which just made it all the more interesting. Badlands is the story of murdering bad boy and the girl he brought along for the ride. Kit was a 25 year old garbage man, and Holly was a 15 year old shy little girl. Against her father's wishes, Holly beings a relationship with Kit, and when he finds out, punishes her by killing her dog. When Kit tries to argue his case to the sign painter and is rejected, Kit goes to Holly's house with a gun and threatens her father. After Kit isn't taken seriously, he shoots Holly's father dead, gathers Holly and her things, and burns the house down. After hiding out in the forest for a while Holly and Kit are found by bounty hunters, and Kit kills all of them while Holly runs away. After this, the pair finds one of Kit's old friends and he offers to help. Kit thinks that the friend is going to sell him out, so he shoots him in the gut. As Holly tries to help the man, the owners of the house come and try to talk to the man that Kit shot, so he brandishes a gun, and forces them into the tornado shelter before shooting a few rounds inside, hoping to kill them, locks it, and then steals their car and flees with Holly. They then go to a rich man's house to raid it, stealing some of his clothes and food, but not before talking to the old man (at gunpoint) for a while. After stealing his car and taking off into the badlands, Kit decides to escape to Canada, but Holly has begun to lose interest. After an engagement with the police, Holly leaves Kit and goes into police custody, but Kit keeps running. After a high speed chase, Kit finally pulls over, and shoots his tire to make it look like he popped it on a rock, and goes willingly with the police. They bring him and Holly to an airbase and Kit is treated like a celebrity, much like James Dean, who he is constantly compared to. Kit is given the death sentence, and Holly is put on probation.

This movie was another look into the apparent problem of celebrity in criminality in American culture. After Kit is taken in, the police practically idolize him, get all sorts of souvenirs from him, get him to sign things, ask him all sorts of questions, even the chief of police talks about how swell of a person he is. But that last one brings up another interesting thing about Badlands, that good people can do bad things, but are they still good people? Kit did all that he did, in his own mind, for Holly, and it just got out of control. A good question to ponder after watching this movie, is after all that happened, are Kit and Holly good people, or bad?

Chicago Blog Post

In the movie Chicago, two ladies named Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart are in jail for murdering their spouses. They both use a famous lawyer named Billy Flynn who has never lost a case. Even though both are actually guilty of murder, both claim vehemently to be innocent of any crime. Throughout the movie, the two girls butt heads due to the fact that Velma was famous for her incident but was slowly being shown up by Roxie. In a stunning turn of events, Billy Flynn wins Roxie's case by creating fake evidence that Velma gets off by bringing forward, thereby freeing both of them at once. Once the case ends, a woman murders a man right outside the courthouse, and the two women, practically idolized  by papers and magazines, are forgotten.

Chicago is one of my favorite musicals, with awesome songs and great dancing, it also finds an interesting way to make each songs both diegetic and non-diegetic, which isn't easy to do. In the end, Chicago is sort of an allegory of criminals being made into celebrities, and what better setting for this is in Chicago in the era of Al Capone?

Malcom X by Walatsebi Kofi-Mensah Lomotey

Because of this movie I now understand Malcom X's point of view. I always thought that he was the opposite of MLK and that he wanted to end segregation strictly by violence and fighting. This movie showed me that he was far from it. Denzel did a great job in this movie. His acting was on point and he imitates Macolm X very well. Spike Lee did a wonderful job reenacting the rise and fall of Malcom X. I honestly didn't even know he was a muslim. He clearly was but not for his whole life. He turned when he saw the light when he was suffering in jail. This was when everything changed for the better until he found out he was worshipping a big a lie and someone who wasn't worthy of their words. He then almost repealed himself from what he learned and then set foot to really learn about what he was. Then he got betrayed and shot up by his own people...Tragic... Just tragic.

chicago

I haven't watched a musical since middle school but I LOVED Chicago I liked the concept and hold most of the stories were told singing and dancing it held my attention. I relieved how people can get famous doing anything weather its good or bad. But one of the women let that go to head then started to like after her story was played out that's what made me mad about it. 

does the internet make you dumber??

I feel like the internet does make people dumber because it doesn't always have true things up there or half of the truth. my proof is that "people who read text studded with links,the studies show comprehended less than those who read traditional linear text". It also said "people who watch busy multimedia presentation remember less than those who take in a more sedate and focused manner". This is what I believe because I see people now a days that can talk about a tv show but in school and cant explain whats going on.

Badlands by Walatsebi Kofi-Mensah Lomotey

This is probably the worst movie we watched in film studies.This movie was really dry and the acting was horrible... and so was the story line. For example, when Holly’s father died she showed very little empathy. What kind of human doesn't feel anything when there loved one is murdered right in front of your eyes?!?!?! Kit killing all those innocent people was completely beyond me. What was the purpose for that. Although I hated this movie I found the fact that Kit and the officers were so friendly once he got caught. Kit killed a couple people and they seemed as though they were fascinated by it. It was really funny because the officers were shaking his hand and saying their fare wells even though they knew he killed a couple of cops. Overall this movie was terrible. It could have been better if the characters showed more dramatic emotions.

Bonnie and Clyde by Walatsebi Lomotey

To be honest, I really don't like watching movies before the year 2000. Before this Movie I didn't know much about Bonnie and Clyde but now I know the full story and its pretty interesting. This story is about two young lovers that travel from town to town robbing banks. I knew at the end Bonnie and Clyde were gonna die but i didn't know that they were set up by one of their friends. I didn't expect it to go down the way it did. It was abig surprise how they got set up by their partner in crime. Overall the movie was very enjoyable because I wouldn't have ever watched the movie if you didn't put it on.

Rebel Without a Cause

Rebel Without A Cause (1955), I thought was a strange movie. However, I really liked it. The film revolves around 17-year-old Jim Stark (James Dean) who is a rebellious teenager that moves to a new town because of his troubled past. In his new town, he meets Plato (Sal Mineo) and Judy (Natalie Wood) who also have troubles at home.

Plato was abandoned by his father when he was very young. His mother is also not around much leaving him with the house maid. Plato quickly becomes friends with Jim when he goes to school and sees Jim as his father figure. I mostly liked Plato's character (except for the killing puppies) I felt bad for him. I blame his parents for his messed up head. I was sad at the end of the movie when he ended up getting shot and killed.

Judy thinks that because she is no longer a little girl her father doesn't show her any affection anymore. She doesn't really like Jim at first and calls him a yo-yo. Then as she gets to know him better she starts to like him. I didn't really like her character that much because she seemed to get over her boyfriend's death too quickly. I started to like her somewhat at the end.

The "Chickie run" was a dumb idea but I don't think Jim should take the blame for it because it was Buzz's (Corey Allen) idea. Buzz was an idiot, even though he did tell Jim that he liked him. He also explained that they were doing the run because Jim "had to do something." It probably has to do with pride but it was really ignorant of them to do it.

I also found it weird that James Dean died in a car crash a month before this movie was released. I found it even more shocking when I read that the two other leads Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood also died tragically. Sal Mineo was stabbed to death and Natalie Wood drowned.

Overall, I really enjoyed Rebel Without A Cause and would watch it again if I had the chance.

Chicago by Walatsebi Kofi-Mensah Lomotey

I really hate musicals with a passion, with the exception High School Musical, but the film Chicago was a pretty decent musical. The storyline to the film was pretty interesting. In the movie I liked the fact that every new character in the movie had a different song. This made the movie more interesting. I also like how the songs reflected on the mood of the movie. They all represent an event in the movie. The plot of the story was very convincing. It looked like Roxie was clearly innocent until she shot the guy in the chest. It seemed like she got too ahead herself and her dream got the best of her. Clearly Roxie just wanted to be famous. She got her fame by residing in jail which was riveting because she actually loved the publicity. This movie had so many themes not only coming from the main character. The movies was about murder, love, lust, betrayal, pride, thirst for fame and so much more. This movie was ultimately interesting for a musical.

Badlands - Keala Powell

At first I didn't really like this movie because I felt that it was too weird and boring for me. But after finding similarities between this movie and Bonnie and Clyde, I liked the movie in the end. This movie is relatable to teenagers because these are the things a lot of teenagers have to go through. Two people fall in love and the girl hates her father and has a long string of issues with him. The person she is dating kills him to prove the strength of their love. He kills him to make Holy (girl main character) happy. These two leave town knowing they are now criminals but they don't care and aren't fazed because they plan to start a life together. A lot of teenagers go through this phase in life where they feel as if they cannot deal with their parents so they runaway - sometimes even with the person they "love." 

I connected this movie to Bonnie and Clyde because they both share the storyline of two young people in love that will do anything for each other. The only difference in this movie Badlands is that she gets tired of running and living this life. She told the police on herself then her "lover" went on the run. I feel like this message also teaches a lesson because even though kids cannot stand their parents or guardians at times, you can't live without them. Being that her father was killed and she thought she would live this awesome care free life while she was in love, she regretted it all. 

Bonnie and Clyde - Keala Powell

In the movie Bonnie and Clyde the two are a dynamic duo. They fight the law and are on the run. They are young and in love but they are also criminals. The pair meet in a small, 1930s town when Clyde Barrow, Warren Beatty, tries to steal a car belonging to Bonnie Parker's, Faye Dunaway, mother. Bonnie and Clyde actually met in a restaurant where Bonnie was slinging hash and turning tricks on the side. The two walk along the streets talking like kids, Clyde bragging that he once hacked off two toes to get off work detail in state prison. He shows her a large handgun like some kid with a grownup toy, and then robs a store to impress her. As he runs wildly to a car and hot-wires it, Bonnie jumps in, and they race off, laughing hysterically. She is all over him, ecstatic with excitement, smothering him with kisses, but he pulls away from her, telling her that he is not "one of them glamour boys." 

This movie reminds me of a lot of movies that have come out in the past 15 years where a girl falls in love with a bad guy then does anything to protect him and his run ins with the law to prove her love and loyalty to him. One movie that I can think of that is like this is I'm in Love With A Church Girl directed by directed by Steve Race. In this movie an ex drug dealer falls in love with a "good girl" aka a church girl. These two movies are similar and this movie is what I was reminded of when we watched Bonnie and Clyde.

Chicago - Keala Powell

I usually hate musicals because I feel like there is way too much singing, but when I watched this movie in class I honestly enjoyed it. It was an awesome movie with a catchy soundtrack. Roxie Hart (played by Renée Zellweger) is the main character [protagonist] and also my favorite character. Roxie was so determined to go into show business that she would do anything to be in the spotlight, even kill a man! 

     My favorite act had to be the part when all of the girls in the jail were telling their stories and why they were arrested, "The Cell Block Tango." [What did you find appealing about this particular number?]

It sucked that Roxie risked everything she loved doing because she killed her husband. She had to give up her job that she loved to serve time in prison with a bunch of other women and with that comes jealousy and drama. Her career started and ended so fastly and she gad to deal with that in prison. 

Malcom X - Keala Powell

I appreciated watching this movie during Black History Month. This movie directed by Spike Lee was very detailed and long [about three and one half hours to be precise] but very informative. This movie displays [portrays] a black influential man in power that is fighting for the rights of African Americans and Blacks not only in his area [which was "his area"?] but all across America.  

As a young man Malcolm Little got mixed up with the wrong crowd. He rose through the ranks of a New York crew led by West Indian Archie. When life in Harlem became too dangerous, Malcolm returns to Boston, where he becomes a house burglar and is eventually arrested. 

In prison, Malcolm transforms himself, converting to the branch of Islam promoted by the Nation of Islam led by "the Honorable Elijah Muhammad", which has already converted a number of Malcolm’s siblings. Inspired by the faith, Malcolm stops using drugs; he reads actively, prays, studies English and Latin, and joins the prison debate team [although this may all be true, were all of these activities documented in Lee's film?]. 

[This a big leap Keala; however, I do not necessarily want or need a play by play. I would like to hear more of your thoughts on the events being portrayed.] The Nation of Islam’s frustration with Malcolm intensifies, and Malcolm begins receiving death threats. After a divisive argument with Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm leaves the Nation of Islam. He uses his fame to found his own organization, Muslim Mosque, Inc. He sees his organization as more politically active [politically active or inclusive?] than the Nation of Islam. On a trip to the Middle East and Africa, Malcolm discovers what he sees as true Islam. This version of Islam contrasts with the version of Islam he has been teaching. By the end of his life, Malcolm X is an international figure, welcomed by foreign leaders and committed to Islam as a religion that can alleviate the racial problems of the United States. He is assassinated in 1965. I loved the songs played [Keala, do you know which Sam Cooke song is played leading up to the scene where he is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom. Possibly an examination of its lyrics in relation to what is happening on screen would be in order?] that supported this movie and the realness displayed in the family of Malcom X. The music and film went together perfectly and had a powerful effect on the viewers which I believe was the point of the movie. To teach a lesson, prevent horrible things like this from happening, and change to view and perceptions of some people.

Malcolm X

Spike Lee's rendition of Malcolm X's autobiography was not a movie that I had initially counted on enjoying. From its opening scene with a clip of a burning American flag and X's scathingly inflammatory anti-white rhetoric, I assumed that the remainder of the film would be similarly propagandic. I assumed the film would work to press upon its viewers an anti-white and anti-America message, and after Malcolm's transition to Islam, I added anti-Christian. That's what I assumed as the purpose of the film.

I initially disregarded the film as a clearly pointed form of propaganda. However, as the film continued and Malcolm evolved from a radical supremacist into a truly peaceful advocate for equality, I realized that my initial assessment was inherently flawed. I realized that the film wasn't actually about Malcolm's actions and beliefs while involved with the civil rights movement, but rather about the struggles and obstacles Malcolm had to overcome in both his struggle for survival and his struggle to find his true path in life. Understanding now what Spike Lee was trying to express in this film, I believe that he created a truly exemplary film.

Lee does an exceptional job of portraying Malcolm as a truly understandable character, one that viewers regardless of personal opinions can understand and sympathize with.

The Bad News Bears: From the Bottom to the Top

To be honest, I wasn't very excited about watching "The Bad News Bears". The prospect of watching a film about a little league baseball team wasn't very appealing to me. But I found this film to be surprisingly funny and insightful. The plot of the film is your conventional "underdog" story in which  an unskilled little league team, "the Bad News Bears" are coached by Morris Buttermaker, a washed-up minor league baseball player and alcholic who cleans swimming pools. This match is a recipe for disaster, as the Bears continue to lose game after game. Realizing that the team has nearly no chance of winning, he recruits his former step-daughter, Amanda, an extremely skilled pitcher (Yes! girls rock!) and Kelly Leaks, the local motorcyclist and rebel, an equally good player.

With these new additions to the team, the Bad News Bears start winning more and more games, until they are set to face the best team team in the league, the Yankees, coached by the competitive Roy Turner. By this point in the film, Morris has become hell-bent on winning and completely disregards the feelings of all of the team. He encourages Kelly to do most of the work on the field, which creates resentment towards him from the other teammates. When Amanda tries to develop a fatherly relationship with him outside of baseball, he completely writes her off, even throwing beer in her face. At the end of the movie, Coach Turner's son, Joey, purposefully sabotages the game after his father slaps him for disregarding his orders. This event makes Morris realize that he has become as competitve as Turner, and lost sight of all of the positive aspects of the game. Subsequently, Morris allows Amanda and other low-level players to participate in the game.

In the end, the Bad News Bears lost to the Yankees by a narrow margin (7-6). The Yankees gave their respect to the Bears by saying that although they were very skilled players, they had a lot of "guts". The film ends with a happy celebration. I really liked this movie because it was light-hearted and funny, but conveyed a powerful message. This movie really shows the importance of bravery and the willingness to take risks. One of my favorite sayings is, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." No matter where you start from, you have the ability to become better. Everything lies in the attitude that you bring to the table and your willingness to simply try. I am very happy that I watched this film.

When We were Kings #AlethiaMoore

Muhammad Ali nee Cassius Clay was a famous boxer and also a member of the Muslim community [the NOI or Nation of Islam specifically, as led by Elijah Muhammad]. He did a tremendous job of being productive and successful mentally when it came to preparing for his fights . He had the mentality that as long as he set his mind to it and had faith, anything would be possible. Ali also is a hero to many kids and his community. Ali believed that physical strength would come after motivation. 

In the award-winning documentary When We were Kings that chronicles Ali's comeback bout famously referred to as "The Rumble in the Jungle," the writer George Plimpton describes a situation where Ali was speaking at Harvard. Ali obviously wasn't a good person with words although Ali is dyslexic, one might argue that he was a skilled rapper who often spit rhymes off the cuff,  he spoke a strong message specifically when prompted to deliver a poem after he had finished the commencement address Ali replied, "Me, We." Plimpton appears quite taken by this response. Why is that? What does it say or symbolize about Ali?. 

Ali was very motivated by the African people when they chanted, "Ali boom bye aye!" which translates as, "Ali, kill him!" during his royal rumble battle. Ali has always been a tactical person, but during this fight it seemed that something else carried him through this fight. When people thought that he was at his weakest moment and seen the fear in his eyes he would come back and peruse to win the fight. He had the a unbelievable victory this day and proved to the world that he is still one of the greatest. 

Malcolm X . Alethia Moore

Malcolm X is the true definition of a hero, he always stated his opinion no matter who was around or watching ["The chickens have come home to roost."]. People looked up to him and wanted to follow his leadership. Malcolm X was one of the most influential African Americans involved in the Civil Rights Era (1950s and 1960s).  

Malcolm influenced the Muslim community in both positive and negative ways. He used his knowledge and experience to impact people. People felt that because he was "Saved" by the master Mohammed that he had a past and story to tell that could help and motivate others. People often seem to follow somebody who has experience trials and hard times. 

The director Spike Lee did a phenomenal job getting Denzel Washington  to be as effective as Malcolm.Throughout the movie Denzel Washington demonstrated a interest in the movie and role of Malcolm X. He similarity used body gesture to portray a common theme of knowledge and leadership. Overall this was a very productive movie and taught me a lot about the Muslim community and Malcolm X effectiveness on the Muslim community 

Malcolm Spoke out to multiple crowds representing the Muslim nation. He proudly stood for everything Mohammed taught, only after his journey to mecca is when he started to question the actions and lessons taught  by the nation of Islam. He doesn't give up practicing being Muslim but he became different because he no longer has a reason to judge white, They seem to have wanted the same things he did. Malcolm reached his turning point in his life he went from being against white participation to reaching out to them for their encouragement and support. 

Rebel Without A Cause: 1950s Teen Angst

Out of all the films we have viewed in this class, Nicholas Ray's "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955) is one of my favorites. Interestingly enough, it is the oldest movie we have watched. I really liked this film because it addressed a lot of issues that teenagers face, primarily the pressure to be accepted by family and friends. I was surprised that issues like these would be addressed in a film as early as 1955. The cast of this film is simply legendary: James Dean (Jim Stark), Natalie Wood (Judy), and Sal Mineo (John 'Plato' Crawford).

The main character of the film, Jim Stark, moves to a new town and  has trouble fitting in. In his family, Jim's mother is the agressor and tends to boss around his submissive father. Everytime Jim gets into trouble with the law, his family quickly sweeps the problem under the rug, primarily by moving from house to house. While adjusting to his new surroundings, Jim Stark develops relationships with both Judy and John who are struggling with similar issues at home. Judy is basically ignored by her father and tries her hardest to get his attention. John is a lonely, fragile individual from a wealthy home in which he is under the supervision of his maid for the most part. After a game of "Chicken" against popular guy "Buzz" to prove his worthiness of getting into the "in-crowd", Buzz drives off a cliff and dies. 

Subsequently, Judy and Jim retreat to an abandoned house, in which John followed them. For a brief moment in time, the trio escapes from the pressures of the real world and runs around the house like young children. This moment of happiness is interrupted when Judy and Jim leave a sleeping John alone for a brief moment. Unfortunately, this is when Buzz's friends decide to interrupt their party. Out of fear, John's starts shooting at them and goes into a panicked state from being left alone. Once the police arrive, John becomes even more distraught and Jim takes it upon himself to calm him down. Jim is able to convince John to let him see the gun and takes the bullets out. At the climax of the film, Jim tries to get the police to turn off their lights as they are disturbing John, but they don't listen. John pulls out his empty gun to shoot and immediately the police start shooting at him. John is killed, and the film ends with a crying Jim as John's body is being carried out on a stretcher.

I believe that this movie is particularly powerful because it encourages young people to be compassionate to one another, and essentially "do what is right". In the film, Jim's parents never allowed him to be accountable for his actions. Jim defied this by going back and trying to help John because he understood what it felt like to be abandoned. Eventhough John's life was tragically ended, Jim tried his best to help someone who desperately needed a friend. I think we can all learn a powerful lesson from this film. 

Michelle Ford- When We Were Kings

Opposed to the documentaries we watched in this class, this was the only one I liked because I really wanted to learn and know more about the fight between champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. This documentary explores the relationship between African-Americans and the African continent during the Black Power. In the documentary, I noticed Ali was doing a lot of "talking" about Foreman. Maybe because he knew he were going to win. Foreman didn't have much to say, unlike Ali. I liked how Ali was talking about winning because he proved his point and just didn't talk about him winning. Some people just talk about things, but don't never accomplish it. 

Boxing is all about footwork and strength techniques. I was routing for Ali but I also thought Foreman was going to win because he's bigger and from watching, he put huge dents in the punching bag. During the fight, Foreman was throwing hard punches towards Ali's ribs and stomach. Ali thought Foreman punches were going to be harder then what they were. I seen the excitement in Ali eyes because he knew he had Foreman wrapped around his finger making him throw his toughest punches for him to lose his energy. Then Ali can  come back with more power and end the fight. Foreman wasn't a talkative guy like Ali. 

Malcolm X Review Blog- Armani Maldonado

I found Malcolm X to be an extremely good movie, and I found absolutely no flaws in it. Denzel Washington did a phenomenal job portraying the iconic civil rights activist, Malcolm X.

If I remember correctly, this was another film that I actually missed the beginning of, but that did not hinder my understanding of the film. I found myself not being able to sit comfortably in my seat after seeing the struggle of people of color in the mid 1900s [elaboration please].

I very much admire that a fantastic film like this was made to commemorate the life of the revolutionary Malcolm X, and it reminds people who are not affected by racism that it is still very much alive and well [How so Armani?] . 

Killing Spree in the North Dakota Badlands

From beginning to end, Terrence Malick's "Badlands" (1973) kept me on the edge of my seat. I can't say that I really liked or disliked the movie. I would describe my attitude towards this film as fascinated, especially since the events are inspired by a true story. In my opinion, the strongest elements of this film are the cinematography and the creation of mood. From the moment that Kit (Martin Sheen) is introduced at the beginning of the movie, the viewer gets the overwhelming feeling of creepiness and danger, especially when he shows romantic interest in 14-year old Holly (Sissy Space).

As the events of the movie unfold the mood becomes even more frightening and bizarre after Kit unexpectedly kills Holly's father after he refused to let them be together. Subsequently, the couple hides out in a remote location in the woods and then goes on a road trip across the North Dakota Badlands. Throughout the movie, Kit kills individual after individual, never seeming to think before he pulls the trigger. In a weird manner, Holly seems to be almost desensitized to Kit's violent actions and the absurdity of the situation. Eventually, Holly wakes up and decides to abandon Kit and surrender to the authorities. In the end, Holly goes free and Kit is sentenced to death.

Connected back to the theme of criminality and celebrity, although lesser known than Bonnie and Clyde, the real life couple that inspired "Holly and Kit" are well known today as well. Bruce Springsteen's album "Nebraska" was inspired by the story of this couple. Like I said in a previous post before, the public has this extreme fascination with criminals and tends to glamorize their actions.

Bonnie and Clyde: Celebrated Criminal Duo

Bonnie and Clyde are arguably one of the most notorious couples in American history, particularly for their life of violence and crime. Before viewing this film, I only knew tidbits of information about this larger-than-life duo. After viewing this film, I had a better understanding of the story of Bonnie and Clyde, and how the time period factored into the lifestyle that they lived. As a history buff, it was pretty cool to see a depiction of 1930s Depression era Texas from the clothing to the cars to the style of the buildings. For a film of its time period (1967), the cinematography was pretty good.

In my opinion, the strongest aspect of this film was the character development and use of setting to tell a story. In the film, Clyde was an ex-convict and Bonnie was a bored waitress. The dismal atmosphere of the Depression and the lack of opportunities in their environment, especially for Bonnie,  were a major reason why Bonnie and Clyde started robbing banks. For example, the scene in which Clyde shot up the farm house that had been foreclosed on by the bank showcases the general feeling of rage that permeated throughout the Depression era.  For Bonnie and Clyde, robbing banks wasn't just for the money (in fact, they only robbed small banks), it was about feeling like they were "somebody."

This idea of feeling like "somebody" connects directly to the theme of criminality and celebrity we discussed in class. Through their criminal exploits, Bonnie and Clyde attained notoriety and became one of the most notorious couples in history. Although the idea of being a criminal is generally viewed as negative in society, it is hard to refute the fascination that the public has with criminals. Think of all the crime investigation shows and murder trials on television. They are shocking to watch, but you can't seem to turn away from the channel. As a whole, I really enjoyed this movie because it gave a strong backstory to Bonnie and Clyde, and showcased their human qualities, as opposed to the glamours of their criminal exploits.

Chicago

I honestly love musicals,  I was even in a couple for my Drama Club at school, Chicago is one of my all time favorite musical. The reason why I love it so much is the music and the idea behind it. You see how, we have this woman who really wants to be famous and sings I feel like the movie is showing how sometimes people are willing to do anything, anything just to be famous. The movie goes on and shows the main character Roxie, and how she kills a man because he lied to her about making her famous.

As weird as this sounds I like how she would do anything to be famous and at least tried to find ways into becoming famous. This musical is something new. No matter how "old" it is. Musical would be how two people fall inlove but they can't because their families don't like that idea but Chiago is about how every women is for herself and at the end a strong friendship what was created.

Chicago, a 1975 musical, has a big twist and it has a lot of turns. Personally, being on stage and doing musical you like having good songs to show what does on in the play. Its a goo way to not get the crowd super bored.

The Viewer's Perception

In the previous class, we had finished watching When We Were Kings, a documentary about the acclaimed boxer, Muhammad Ali. One of the most striking aspects about this film is that its entire cast is composed of real characters. The real Don King. The real George Foreman. The real Muhammad Ali. There are no actors to be found, which cannot be said about all documentaries. However, to my surprise, it really did not help create a more realistic experience for the viewer compared to our last film, Malcolm X, which did not include any real characters. But I also did not know how the real Muhammad Ali looked, therefore, I could not tell if an actor was used in this documentary. If I had been familiar with him before, this would have altered my experience, and this same concept applies to Malcolm X, and all other films ever made. The viewer's perception of a movie greatly depends on their prior knowledge, whether it is about the characters, storyline, etc.

Often, books are made into films, such as the Hunger Games series. Let's say I watched the movie without reading the book first; this is commonly taboo for fans of any book series because of the significant discrepancies between the two. Movies tend to leave out crucial details, which disappoints avid readers, sometimes changing the entire point of the movie. But if I never read the book to begin with, I would've never known what was missing.

In the past five to ten years, Marvel has made a plethora of its age-old comics into modern-day movies. To many adults, who read these comics during their childhood, these movies are very appealing. Just think: they get a chance to see some, if not all of their favorite characters "come to life" in cinema. On the contrary, this experience can be less exciting for teenagers like me, since these comics came well before I was even born, many of which I have never even heard of. The few times I have gone to the theater with my dad to see these kind of films, I was left slightly, if not totally confused until he explained the plot. Sure the effects were cool, the cinematography was well-executed, but since the storyline wasn't clear to me, all of the pizazz didn't matter. Ancient films like Psycho, The Birds, and even Alien may be considered antiquated to some people, but their "bare bones" style definitely appeals to me since I understand the majority of the scenes.

There aren't many movies in which the viewer can fully grasp every single concept displayed, and this certainly isn't done by accident. As a ThunderClap filmmaker myself, I know firsthand how important it is to keep the viewer guessing, to a certain extent at least. You don't want to tell them all of the details, but you don't want to leave them confused either. In the end, it's all about striking a balance.