Chicago By: Henry Seyue

Director: Bill London
Starring: Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly), Queen Latifa (Matron Mama Morton) , and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn)
Producer Circle co., 2002

The Twenties are roaring in the Windy City, and Roxie Hart wants a piece of the action. Lights, live music, skimpy costumes and lots of background dancers: she has her sights set on stardom and she’d give anything to be like beautiful Jazz songstress Velma Kelly and see her name on the local marquee. She knows that her marriage to dopey, sweet, un-enthralling Amos won’t be her ticket to fame and fortune so she starts "fooling around" with other men. Fooling around leads to "screwing around" with Fred Casely, who says he’s got connections down at the Jazz club. Then she discovers that the only kind of connections on Fred’s mind happen between bed sheets, and she kills him off with her husband’s pistol. Ironically, she finds herself on death row at the women’s prison right next to the great Ms. Kelly, who has recently murdered her own husband and sister after catching them in an affair. The film provides a variety of positive elements, spiritual content, violent content and negative content which all add up to be the Oscar worthy formula that has made Chicago  one of the most revered musicals in Academy Award history.

In terms of the films positive element, through the media frenzy that Billy Flynn whips up, Chicago satirizes the ability of journalists to sway public opinion, tugging heartstrings and overshadowing the truth. The slick lawyer truly believes, "It’s all a three-ring circus—these trials, the whole world. It’s all show business." To sarcastically prove this point, one of my favorite musical numbers features Flynn as puppet master for a chorus of reporters, putting words in their mouths and telling the public exactly what he wants them to believe. Another musical interlude shows him tap dancing his way into the minds of the jury, not allowing them to think, but whipping them up emotionally until they’re eating out of his hand. At the height of the fame he creates for Roxie, one reporter announces, "She’s the sweetest little girl ever accused of murder in Chicago. Women want to look like her. Men want to date her. And little girls even want to take her home [in the form of a doll]." Though Flynn’s dog and pony show is overdone and unrealistic, the message is clear that our society allows the news media far too much control over our ideas about truth. It’s also easy to see that famous people are often admired and imitated just because they’re famous, and not because they’re worth emulating.

As far as the films spiritual and violent content goes, Roxie seems to have been raised catholic yet offers up half-serious prayers and directs flippant appeals to "Jesus, Mary and Joseph." A couple of times, Flynn stops her and tells her to trust in him instead. Flynn arrogantly proclaims, "If Jesus had lived in Chicago today, and if he came to me with $5,000, well, things would have turned out differently." When Roxie supposes aloud that her best bet is to tell the jury the truth, Flynn says, "The truth is a one-way ticket to the death house." This film is also one that Idealizes violence or at least puts it in a not-so negative light.  Although the crimes are stylized and not portrayed graphically (some are not shown at all), this movie is about murders and the women who commit them. Onstage, Roxie and Velma use fake Tommy guns to draw oohs and aahhs from the crowd. Offstage, Fred is shown shoving Roxie in the bedroom. She shoots him pointblank three times with a pistol. "Six Merry Murderesses" in the jail perform a whole number about how they killed their husbands or lovers. The theme of the song is, yeah, I did it, but it wasn’t wrong. ("He had it coming. ... If you’da been there, I bet you would’a done the same.") 

One female murderer is hanged onscreen [Was Hunyak actually a murderer?]. And Roxie’s crime is clearly the source of her notoriety. When she dreams of having her own vaudeville act after she gets out of prison, Flynn tells her that killing Fred is what will attract people to her show. "That’s all the audience wants to say—that they saw someone famous." Despite all this, the script also makes a point about how desensitized our culture is to violence. Roxie has to work hard to stay in the spotlight, since other women are killing their husbands and threatening to steal her fame. We see one other lady kill her husband and two women she finds in bed with him. Near the end of the film, an onlooker asks, "Roxie Hart. Didn’t she kill a guy a while back?" which she responds, "Ah, who can keep ‘em straight anymore?"

To conclude, this is certainly one of the more watchable musicals I've come across in my day. Sonically it may not be as pleasing as a film like Grease, but it still delivers pretty well and has more substance than a film like Grease. I liken this film to La La Land because I think they are very similar in the search for stardom that they both depict, I however think that La La Land was a lot more visually pleasing; however, it must be added that Chicago did what it could with the technology of the time. Again, in comparison to a film like La La Land I think Chicago wins in substance, the plot is seriously more thought out and the message is a lot easier to buy into subjectively speaking. It combines sex, violence, spirituality, law, positivity and negativity into a single story told through song. Overall I would give this film a a strong 7.8/10 with its biggest strength being either character development or plot, and its biggest weakness being is its songs.

Fruitvale Station: Michael B Jordan and Ryan Coogler joining forces is intense.

Fruitvale Station (2013) is Ryan Coogler’s (director of Black Panther (2018)) first feature length film. This film focuses on the life and murder of Oscar Grant III in 2009.

  Coogler rouses empathy by introducing the film with real, un-dramatized footage of the event of Oscar’s murder taken by the pedestrians of Fruitvale Station. This changes the entire interaction between film and viewer. They might have been aware of the premise coming into the picture, knowing that the character Michael B. Jordan plays dies at the end of the movie. With this footage, Coogler forces you to immediately confront the real taking of a human life, establishing authentic raised stakes. This primes us to meet our unwitting main character with open arms, ultimately aware of his fate.

While this film only follows Oscar for a single day, the day leading up to his death, we get an intimate look at his entire history through the portrayal of his daily struggle. The daily routine is a basic but effective way to evaluate the priorities of a character in film. Coogler resuscitates this otherwise mundane model, keeping me completely entranced all throughout. The revival is due to every scene and interaction feeling intentional and meaningful, by introducing another facet of Grant's life and personality. Oscar’s difficult past is inescapable, haunting him wherever he goes. I found this accurate to how people clasp onto their trauma, especially those from a crime ridden lower income area, as they are more likely to face strain early in life. Oscar was once incarcerated, and has since struggled to keep a job at the local grocery store, and keep away from the temptation of selling drugs for financial support.

Thematically, it is a simple instance of the complexity within every human being otherwise unseen and disregarded by strangers. It brings humanity into a man whose life was cut short without reason, one of millions who die young constantly. I found myself really empathizing with Oscar based on his actions, even though I think that certain interactions were inflated. Some things were glaringly untruthful. One of these instances is Oscar watching a dog get hit by a car, to run to it and comfort it in its dying moments, and then leave the dead dog in the street. While he was unobligated to do anything with the dog’s body, it still felt wrong to see a dog treated as roadkill within a movie. My disbelief that was previously suspended rose back to me, upsetting me. As much as I liked Oscar’s character, I thought the more realistic actions of kindness with his daughter, his girlfriend, his friends, and strangers were sufficient. I found this manipulative and annoying.

Coogler defends himself, admitting: “ While Grant never had such an interaction, Coogler’s brother did, and upon hearing the story Coogler saw that it fit in thematically with the story he wanted to tell. “He told me that he was at a gas station and had an interaction with a dog then saw that dog get hit by a car,” Coogler says. “At that moment I thought about Oscar. I thought about all of the black males who die in the street and life goes on.””

I embrace this symbolic meaning, but I still hate to see a dog suffer :(



Overall, a very moving film, and more reasons to love MBJ and Coogler. 

Chicago-Stephen Collins

Chicago is 2002 Best Picture winner musical directed by Rob Marshall and stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, and Queen Latifah and based on the play of the same name.


Chicago take place in 1924 in the titular city where Roxie Hart murder her husband and sent to prison for her crimes along with Velma, who also murder her husband. Velma is a performer and Roxie inspire to be one. Roxie becomes a star and their a bunch a musical numbers.


Chicago is a good movie but I don't if is a faithful adaptation. I never seen the play but my Mom is seeing it soon. I assume so because it is romanticize. It not too romanticize, unlike the remake of The Great Gatsby which was romanticize down to it production design.


The acting in this movie is good. They did a good job. Catherine Zeta-Jones won Best Supporting Actress that year and Latifah also was nominated.  Zeta-Jones and Latifah are probably the best two performances. They give great performances in the film. The other performers are great, Zellweger, Gere and Reilly.

I was more into the direction in the film. The choreography is the movie is great and it is done incredible well and the musical number are great. The direction is great, too. Marshall does a great job and is now doing Mary Poppins and Emily Blunt look amazing is that.


One thing I thought I would love are the songs. The songs are good and the musical numbers are great but I like musicals, so I thought I would hum these songs for weeks. I haven't seen The Greatest Showman yet, but the soundtrack is amazing. The musical numbers are great, like when they're performing "We Both Reached For The Gun. That is a great number. The one thing I think the film does a great job of is that it makes it clears that the musical numbers are not happening in real life.


I also thought is ended it abruptly. I was expecting more, but the story ends. The case ends and it mostly a story about a person 15 minutes of fame.


Chicago is good film. It's a great musical, has great songs, really good performances and great great choreography and direction. I seen it again.

chicagNO-Tommy Avila

The movie Chicago is a 2002 Academy Award-winning film made by Rob Marshall and stars [shift in tense] Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, Richard Gere as My personal favorite character Billy Flynn, Cathernine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, and John C. Reilly as Amos Hart

The film starts out in a club [The Onyx] with a woman rushing to get on stage after they can't find the second part of her act (Hher sister). The show goes on anyway, and it shows a woman in awe with a man by her side. The man convinces her that he has connections to the club and can get her on the stage. She believes him so she can follow her dream, and she sleeps with him. After she keeps pestering the man named Fred Casely he reviles [reveals] that he doesn't know anyone in the club and doesn't have a connection. After woards she gets thrown - he pushes her into a dresser, and Roxie Hart grabs a gun from her dresser and shoots Fred Casely. Roxie is then interrogated and tells her husband whom she was cheating on to lie for her [this is confusing as written]. Eventually she breaks and the husband snitches. Roxie is then taken away to prison and makes headlines. 

In the prison she meets other prisoners who are there for the same [similar would be more precise] crime. They all killed their husbands for certain reasons but the most important one is the singer Velma Kelly because Roxie Hart looks up to her as a performer and was there at the club the day she was arrested. 

I don't remember why Velma killed her husband, but I can only assume that he cheated on her. During this time Amos is trying to get a lawyer and Roxie finds out about Mr. Flynn who has never lost a case. Amos then gives him all the money he has, and Mr. Flynn takes the case. At first Roxie wanted all the attention and Mr. Flynn realized he could capitalize on her looks and singing for media exposure to tip the case in his favor. He tells Roxie to listen to what he says and follow all his steps. She is essentially a puppet, and the film in its strongest and most entertaining musical number shows this quite literally in one of the songs where - they make a cover story that she was defending the house, and they both "Reached for the gun." After this the media in Chicago eats it up, and they all love Roxie. 

Eventually she starts falling off and needs more attention so she can get her lawyer back and get her spotlight to keep her newfound fame. She pretends to feint [spelling  -  also a great opportunity for both alliteration and pun  -  she feigned a fainting spell LOL] and says"I hope I didn't hurt the baby!" Everyone eats it up. Eventually she gets her case and the Lawyer Flynn makes a fake diary and writes phrases that sound like the apposing lawyer is tampering with evidence. The case is won and he is held with contempt.In the very end Roxie and Velma start a two woman show and the movie closes .

Personally I thought the movie was ok but a lot of the songs felt like filler and had no place or structure. the movie is structured like a play or musical and while I am fine with that the movie seems to cut corners in the music department making it unbearable for me to hear. 

Chicago By: Anthony Ruggiero

Chicago is a 2002 Crime Drama/Comedy musical movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly), Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart), John C. Reilly (Amos), Richard Gere (Billy Flynn), and Queen Latifah (Matron "Mama" Morton).

Chicago starts off with Roxie Hart cheating on her husband Amos just so she can get an opportunity at doing a musical number. The man she is cheating with decides to leave her, but she doesn't want him to so she touches him. The man turns around and pushes her into the wall. Roxie then grabs a gun out of the dresser and shoots the man. Once the cops get to the scene Amos and Roxie make it seem like it was a robbery until Amos gets too overwhelmed and says that Roxie really killed the man [he does this upon the realization that they had a prior relationship with the "burguler" that he sold them their furniture - "even gave [them] a discount"].  [What about the staging of scene?  Any thoughts on the blending of the realistic and the theatrical esp. the use of cross-cut editing?]  

Roxie gets put into a prison with a bunch of other women. In the jail she meets one of her idols "Velma Kelly." Velma was said to have killed her husband and sister when she found them sleeping together. In jail Roxie is told she can do musical numbers and the people love her. This leads Velma to get jealous and ask Roxie if she wants to be a duo. Roxie declines and Velma starts plotting on how to get revenge on her. When someone new is brought to the jail Roxie tries talking to her lawyer but her ignores her. She decides to fake passing out and when she is helped up she says that she is pregnant. By court rules since she is pregnant she has to have an immediate trial. She tells Amos that the baby is his when in reality there is no baby. The court case is going by smoothly in favor of Roxie until Velma testifies once she finds Roxie's journal and writes in it that Roxie killed the man she cheated with. Roxie objects and at the end of the day the case is done and Roxie is set free. At the end Roxie is trying to get her life back on track by doing musical number tryouts but she is rejected by a lot of people. Velma approaches Roxie on her way out of a bar and asks her if she wants to be a duo now so they can be great. Roxie says no at first but then agrees to be a team with Velma. At the end of the movie Velma and Roxie get a standing ovation after one of their acts and it seems like they are both back on top.

Chicago for me was a good film, but I'm not really into musical movies. I would have preferred if the movie was just a straight crime movie because all the musical scenes made me really bored, and I wasn't too entertained by them.

Anthony,

Your blog as it stands has an over-reliance on recall/retell.  I don't really get a feel for your experience as a viewer until your last two sentences.  Maybe you should flip it  -  consider why it works as a crime thriller and put some effort into analyzing why specific musical numbers didn't work for you or how maybe some were more effective than others.  Additionally, prior to viewing the film, we looked at a series of slides and discussed the idea of the celebrity criminal  -  what does Chicago have to say about fame and what some people are willing to do to obtain it?  I look forward to reading your revised post.

Best,

MM

Dom's Chicago Post Sans Image

Chicago  Dir. Rob Marshall

Feat. Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart), Dominic West (Fred Casely), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly), Richard Gere (Billy West).

Miramax, 2002.

This Rob Marshall film gets all of it’s fame from being a mix of a broadway thriller and crime filled saga. Roxie Hart was convicted of killing Fred Casely after he basically used her for a sexy night, but she thought she was going to get something out of it. She thought that he was going to further her career. It ended up not being that way, so they got into a heated argument, which ended with Roxie behind bars, and Fred in a body bag.

Roxie met Velma Kelly in prison who was actually a performer at the Onyx, the club where Fred was supposedly going to get Roxie a gig. Roxie and Velma had a lot of things in common, but the biggest one was that they had the same attorney: Billy Flynn. Billy is a guy who thought he was “all that and a bag of chips.” He was a very deceitful guy who used his clients to get famous. I mean he lived up to the saying of “money talks and BS walks.”

Velma initially warned Roxie not to pay Billy $5,000 for him to take her case. Roxie did not listen to her. To me Roxie was a little bipolar, but I see why. When she found out about how Billy likes to “scam” his clients and use them for publicity she cut ties with him. Continuing on, when she saw another inmate get convicted of murder (same charge that Roxie was facing) [not just convicted but hanged!] she then went back to Billy because she knew he could get her acquitted, and he did.

Chicago is hyped up to be this big iconic broadway film, and I can see why. As I said it is a mix between a dance thriller and a crime filled saga. To me, this undermined the stereotype of “all men are criminals.” For example, Velma Kelly, Roxie Hart, the Hungarian girl are all females in prison. It also portrayed how show business can lead people to the boiling point. I would recommend this movie to someone like Aysia Starr Comins-Sporbert, because it is a dance filled saga that has taken place on Broadway. I would also recommend this to someone who wants to get into show bus, because it is a clear description of a sticky situation that one might find themselves in.

Chicago

Murder gets all of the razzle dazzle Rob Marshall’s “Chicago.” Here the windy city appears as you imagine hell itself might look – a cross between the neon gaudiness of Piccadilly Circus and a purple-hazed prison. Suave lawyer Billy Flynn (the excellent David Leonard) is a Barnum-style showman who believes that things might have turned out differently even for Jesus Christ if he'd had $5,000 to employ him to defend him at his trial. He does a teasing strip that reveals nothing and plays the press and jury like a maestro to win freedom for his guilty clients, vaudeville performer Velma Kelly and would-be hoofer Roxie Hart. When the Hungarian Hunyak goes to her execution still protesting her innocence and almost certainly the victim of a miscarriage of justice, it is staged like a trick involving a magician's assistant that goes wrong. "Who says that murder is not an art?" asks Roxie as she starts to realise that standing trial for shooting her lover in cold blood may be the showbiz opportunity she has always longed would come her way.

The razzle does indeed dazzle and the musical numbers are sensational. Zellweger is in fine form. If she is not quite up to the role, perhaps she doesn't have it in her to portray such a trashy, despicable character. Zeta Jones, with a Lulu haircut and legs made for sparkly tights, is mesmerizingly beautiful and alone has all the razzle-dazzle this movie needs. Gere clearly enjoys his return to his musical theater roots and handles the musical numbers well, especially his big tap dance. Queen Latifah as the prison warden has a lot of snap and verve and a fabulous voice. But none are a match for the real dancers in the chorus. Director/choreographer Rob Marshall produces slinky dance numbers and sinuous camera work. The musical numbers are staged as nightclub performances and separate from the action to serve as counterpoint and commentary, illuminating the story and underscoring the theme of show over substance. Perhaps it is show instead of substance, or even show to make us forget that there is no substance. One reason it feels so empty at the core is that the story does not have a single likeable character, honest statement, unselfish motive, or generous gesture.

“Chicago” is not only an iconic broadway play and movie, but is also a staple in musical theatre. It’s a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals, and therefore, make criminals attractive. The story is told through various vaudeville acts and flashes through fantasy and reality. I’d recommend this movie and play to anyone looking for a highly entertaining masterpiece that walks you through a time in history with much dancing and singing.

Creed By: Damyia Jackson

I didn’t really watch this movie but I did see some parts and have an understanding of what was actually going on in the movie. Creed and Rocky aren’t the same movie but very similar in many ways and even has some of the same characters. Due to the fact that Adonis’ father was Apollo Creed he was boxing under the name Adonis Johnson so that he could be famous without living in his father’s shadow. He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t just in the spotlight because of who his father was but for what he was capable of doing on his own. His personal trainer was Rocky and he worked with him on all of his skills even though his father and Rocky weren’t the best of friends at first they became close which is why he didn’t mind helping Adonis out. People found out that Adonis was the son of Apollo when one of his rivals found out and told the media. Adonis was upset about it but he still stuck to his grind and did what he had to do to show people that he is not his father and he is a completely different person from him. Once again boxing movies aren’t my choice or type of movie to watch but the creator of these movies are very good at what they do and telling a story because once you get the storyline you can actually get into the movie instead of not knowing what is going on. Even if you don’t like this movie you have to give the creator some good credit on it because he did a very good job and I will eventually sit down and watch it along with the second one if they make one.  

Beasts of the Southern Wild #damyiajackson

This was a really good movie, and I would definitely watch it again because I was very interested in this movie. To me this movie told a story about family and why you should never leave them behind, and it was also about being brave like he little girl “Hushpuppy.” That’s what her father called her, he just wanted the best for his child and was determined to give her that. On the other hand, Hushpuppy was determined to stay with her father forever, but he knew that he was sick and dying so that wouldn’t be possible. They lived in a little village - "The Bath Tub" - that was very beat up and raggety [raggedy] and unlivable [is this true?] but didn’t want to go anywhere else.

This movie taught me a lesson to never forget, never take things for granted in life because there are people that have nothing and still live their best life. This little girl kept her faith in her father throughout the whole movie because she knew that the next day would be better than the last. This movie was full of different elements, feelings,and lessons, I would have to give this movie a 5 for everything. I would watch more movies written by this person even if they aren’t the same genre because I just like they have more lessons in what the show and they are passionate about what they do.

Crooklyn: Damyia Jackson

This was another good film even though I didn’t get to watch the whole thing, I feel like this movie was a lesson on family and how messed up some people’s lives really are. This movie was basically about a young girl having to grow up around her older brothers and her mom getting sick and father taking off with all of the families money. The family had little money issues because their mom was a teacher and their dad thought he was going somewhere with his career which is why he took the families money. When the mom got sick she sent her kids away to different families and they didn’t know she was sick until they all came back together while she was in the hospital.

[As it stands this post is only about one half of the minimum required length.]

fruitvale station

 

The movie Fruitvale Station (2013) is based off a 22 year old man named Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) who got killed by an former police Officer Johannes Mehserle [former now  -  was a BART transit officer at time of the shooting] for taking out his cellphone[Grant not Mehserle you mean?] in Oakland, California.

Michael B. Jordan is the main character [Michael B Jordan is the actor  -  Oscar Grant is the character] in this movie he will be playing the role of Oscar Grant but the movie has some similarities from the actually case from what happen. So what happens in the movie is Oscar has no job, but he has a family to support and his girl is pregnant. His girl thinks he is still in the streets selling drugs when he's just going out there looking for a job. So on New Year's Eve Oscar his girl and some friends decided to go out to have fun while they are out they go near a store and his girl needed to use the restroom the guy wouldn't let her use it at first but then he did afterwards [this is a run on].

So they go to Fruitvale Station to get on the train when 12 o'clock hits everyone is screaming ''HAPPY NEW YEARS!'' After all that is done Oscar runs into to a lady he met that day they;re saying hi and happy new years to each other then someone that Oscar had beef [rival gang member with whom he had trouble in prison  -  San Quentin] with was on the train the guy hits Oscar first  - "Oscar, from Palma Ceia"  -  then they are going back fighting each other the train stopped and the police was called.

All of his people gets off the train he was the last one to get off when he sees an officer messing with his friends telling them to get down and stay there. So one of the cops are looking for Oscar he gets him off the train and sits him down harassing him and his friends someone had record what was going on the whole time the cop's has Oscar down for no reason then the officer shoots him everyone that was there is shocked from what happen. They rush him to the hospital and everyone he was with goes there and his mother the doctor at first says he's in critical condition so they all think he's going to be fine but he lost a lot of blood. Then the morning comes they pronounce that Oscar is dead.

Crooklyn (1994) - Jack O'Brien

Crooklyn (1994) is a semi-autobiographical comedy/drama directed by Spike Lee. The film has received mixed reviews from top critics and was more or less left out of award considerations of the time.

Crooklyn is a vibrant envisionment of the neighborhood of Brooklyn and family life in Lee’s world that is untouched by violence. Lee’s ability to capture the era and style of the 70s shines through with all the stories Lee tells, and is the real highlight of the film. The film tells a more or less cohesive story of the Carmichaels and their unglamorous life in Brooklyn.

The set of stories told in Crooklyn are loosely adapted memories from Spike Lee’s childhood. These stories aren’t necessarily structured, but they do tell a coming of age story for the Carmichael family. Whether or not the audience is moved by these stories really depends on how they relate to the characters. Often times however the struggles of the Carmichaels are sometimes hard to see as moving. The very loud nature of the film makes it hard for an audience to switch from comedy viewing mode to drama viewing mode, and at points it can be hard to tell the difference.

Despite this, I think most audiences will feel charmed by Lee’s view of Brooklyn. It’s obvious that he holds the town close to his heart, and it shows through in every aspect of the film. If Crooklyn accomplishes anything, it’s the carefree, childlike view that Lee has of hi hometown, and the film is a reflection of that, and I think that is what makes the film special.

Black Panther: By Henry Seyue

Black Panther debuted on February 16th as the #1 movie in the world, and it's gone on to show us why it is worthy of that title. The film is a marvel in every sense of the word (no pun intended! - are you sure?), and as a superhero film it transcends the comic world with its underlying themes, of racial equality, isolationism, and humanitarianism. This is partially why the film has been so successful worldwide, even for those who aren't necessarily into comics, or are unfamiliar with the Marvel Universe, the concepts in the film are universal and have real world applications that anyone can follow. Due to this, among many other accomplishments, Black Panther now holds the title of having the most diverse audience base of any film ever produced! People unaware of this have argued that Black Panther is only successful because of its popularity amongst black people; however, according to comscore.com Black Panther is actually popular across all people in a way never before seen in film history. It's audience composition thus far is 37% African-American, 35% Caucasian, 18% Hispanic, 5% Native American and 5% Asian and other races. This breakdown is not only unprecedented, but it is evidence of both the objective quality of the film, and the changing times that we live in [nice!]. 20 years ago a film as rich in African- American and women representation would never have been this popular, the film’s success tells us that it is giving people what they really want to see on the big screen, representation.

Behind the incredible numbers Black Panther has produced in such a short time is great casting, beautiful directing, amazing screenwriting, an awesome soundtrack, and an even better message. A few of these things have been done in other films of the same genre but this is why Black Panther does it better: In terms of casting Black Panther is a breath of fresh air. It introduces a plethora of unfamiliar faces to both the genre of superhero films and more specifically Marvel films. This includes Michael B. Jordan who has been a career good guy in films like “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station”, but beautiful adopts his first true antagonist role as Killmonger. Daniel Kaluuyaa, the star of the critically acclaimed “Get Out” also appears in the film as a respectable villain [is he in fact a villain? Or does he simply have conflicting ideals and loyalties?]. There is also a variety of new female faces that provide a balance in a genre that is typically rich with testosterone. Most notably, Angela Bassett who is entirely foreign to the action film genre also appears in the film as the mother of Black Panther. They all provided admirable performances that I believe is even more worthy of appreciation given that on top of fulfilling difficult roles, they had to forge an African accent throughout the film. These characters actually bring life back into a genre that has been oversaturated with the same few faces, like Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, or Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Secondly, Black Panther has a script that reminds the audience that it is a conscious ["woke"?] film. Many lines in the film give a nod to pop culture such as the memorable, “What are thooooose?” line that just makes the film seem even more believable. This throws a balance of comedy into a film that covers some very real world issues. Not only is the film’s script cognisant of modern times and the real world, but it also is conscious of our human history in a way that is sometimes ignored in films. By this I am referring to what I believe to be the most powerful line in the film, when Killmonger is on the verge of death, he uses his last breath to say, “When I die, throw me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from the slave ships, ‘cause they knew death was better than bondage” [No lie, this line queued the waterworks for me]. This single line epitomizes the extent to which this is a socially conscious film. Superhero films are usually a thing of fantasy and are often disconnected from real world events, but Black Panther not only acknowledges our real world events, but it is actually ballsy [colloquial] enough to speak on what is now one of the most uncomfortable topics in our history as humans, slavery.

I would go out on a limb and say that Black Panther also has the best soundtrack of any film released this decade [Dag! That is a bold statement]. In terms of superhero films it certainly has the best soundtrack given that superhero films typically lack original music. The soundtrack, which was produced by Kendrick Lamar debuted at #1 on billboard, a spot that it’s held since before the film even came out. The lead single off of the soundtrack “Kings Dead” has gone platinum in the month since it debuted, and the soundtrack as a whole is rich which [with] current pop favorites such as SZA, Future, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Khalid, making the soundtrack almost as star-studded as the film.

In terms of the main concept of the film, it plays with the philosophical question of whether it's better to help yourself at the expense of others or sacrifice yourself to help others. I think this question is extremely relevant in the world we live in today because it is at the basis of both immigration and foreign policy. This is just one more way the movie connects to the real world, and I think it beautifully represents both stances, with Killmonger representing those who advocate for humanitarianism and the majority of Wakanda representing those who advocate for Isolationism. By the end of the movie the message is clear, when you have surplus, it is necessary to sacrifice so more people can benefit. But in the course of coming to this consensus viewers are provided with an intense civil dispute that I personally found more interesting than the pointless and inconclusive Civil War fought between Iron man and Captain America in their aptly titled film.

Creed by Latrese

Dir: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Tessa Thompson (Bianca)

Prod: New Line cinema, 2015

Distributor: MGM & United Artist, 2015

As we continue to look at the legacy of Creed and Rocky this movie told a story once again about courage. In the first Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa got respect for standing his ground. He never backed down from the goal he was striving for. Adonis Johnson went through life without both of his parents. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was young. Adonis went back and forth between foster care and juvenile detention. As a young kid, all he knew was fighting. It was in his blood. While he was in the detention, a woman came to talk to him. She wanted to raise him and let him know who his father was  -  Apollo Creed!  Her late husband.

Adonis wanted to continue fighting, it was a passion of his. After finding out who is father was, he wanted to carry out his legacy, but he didn't want to be known simply as Creed's son. He didn't want that clout, getting his own respect from people is how he wanted to get out there. He seeked help from the famous Rocky Balboa. Adonis knew the fight Rocky and his father had and felt that it was only right to get trained by him. First, he said no but then later realized that Adonis was just like him when he first started. As he was training him, Adonis found himself in a battle with the World Champion boxer. They ended up planing a fight that the whole world would see.

Adonis meet a girl named Bianca who he fell for, and she was his number one supporter. She stayed by his side the entire time. Without a doubt, Adonis fell in love with her. His training with Rocky continued up until it was time for the fight. Adonis never really had a family until his step mother took him in as a young boy. Bianca and Rocky became his family [good]. They grew closer, and it changed Adonis. The fight came, and it was time for all that training get put to use. Adonis lasted in the ring for the entire time against the World Champion. It was a split decision, and sadly Adonis lost. But he didn't lose the entire night. He won respect.

I enjoyed this movie and would tell others who haven't seen it to watch it. The first movie of Rocky and Creed have many similarities. Adonis never stopped, even when his step mother really didn't want him to go into fighting. She didn't want to loose another piece of her husband which was Adonis. I could relate to this movie when it comes to achieving a goal and not letting anything get into the way. You never lose, you win and you learn. Adonis learned that despite everything he has been through, nothing should stop him.  

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Dir. Benh Zeitlin.

Feat. Quvenzhane Wallis (Hushpuppy)

Dwight Henry (Wink)

20th Century Fox, 2012.

Sometimes you cant always depend on people to get you through certain situations. It's up to you to figure out how you can survive in life no matter what circumstance. Hushpuppy who is six year old is living with her father, Wink. They have a weird relationship that brings them closer in a way. They are struggling trying to survive in a world that might end. Hushppuppy and her father lived in a small community call "The Bathtub." They lived in a secluded  area with a group of people that has been isolated from the rest of the world. Wink and the other adults in The Bathtub have a protective attitude toward their community. Everyone in The Bathtub knows that the community is under threat of being submerged if a big storm hits. Hushpuppy and Wink raise animals in order for them to eat. Hushpuppy and her father have a relationship that is often filled with arguments and fights. She has dreams about her mother who isn’t in her life, her father did tell her some stories about her. Once the storm happens, they all have to find a way to survive. Wink is keeping something from Hushpuppy and he doesn’t want her to worry. After something tragic happens to him, Hushpuppy is off to find her mother.

I personally didn't get into this movie; it wasn't my favorite. This movie had it's [as written means "it is" - not possessive] high and lows. But overall, Hushpuppy learned a lot being independent at such a young age. Being without another parent and her loosing her father she had to stand tall. Survival is mainly all she knew, and she had to be head strong in order to survive. I couldn't connect to this movie, but there was a lesson to learn. There is something everyone could take from watching this movie.

Malcolm X By Siramad Gonzalez

This film  is about the big Malcolm X. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. The Midwest, during this period, there was a lot of discrimination and racial violence. Malcolm's family moves to Michigan were they continue to experience a lot of violence. White people murdered Malcolm's father and forced his mother into a mental hospital.  After living in a Michigan detention home and completing the eighth grade, Malcolm moves to Boston, Massachusetts to live with his half-sister Ella  [although this all may be factual it is not the way much of it is presented in the film].

In Boston Malcolm quickly begins to get into the nightlife. Years go by and he ends up going to jail. When he was in jail he became a Black muslim and then the leader of Islam. He had kids with his wife and everything was going great.

Shortly after him and his wife were receiving threats of some people that hey would get killed. They were terrified. Malcolm had a presentation that he usually  has with all his people when he gets on stage he gets assassinated in front of his wife and kids. Malcolm's legacy will always stay. He showed us how to handle things without violence and how we are all equal no matter what race or color we are.

Planes, Trains and Automobles #djchrissychris

Christopher colon
03/07/18

Planes, Trians and Automobles

This movie has to be one of the funniest movies i have seen in a while.  It was directed by john hughes and released in December of 1987.  It stars Steve Martin and John Candy as the two main characters. Steve Martin plays Neal Page a guy that is trying to get home to his family for Thanksgiving, but he encounters all these problems which are somewhat because of del griffith played by John Candy.

Del is a very interesting kind of person he's talkattive and has his own very unique way of doing things. To me things would have went a lot smoother for Neal if he didnt meet Del in the movie, but hey, where's the fun in that?

This movie was really funny to me  -  and probably everyone else that watched it, just like every other Steve Martin movie your always laughing by the things that happen. This particaler movie shows a bond between the two characters even though they just met each other, and Del was more of a burden than a friend to Neal throughout the film.

I recommend this movie to anyone that likes a classic comedy that will keep a smile on your face. A lot of weird things happened throughtout this one   -  SPOILER ALERT!!! such as them having to share a hotel room with one bed after there plane ride gets cancelled and them waking up in the morning weirded out by each others actions, or them taking a taxi to the hotel and then later on while there asleep getting robbed. Overall this movie was halarious, and i would love to watch it again. Towards the end of the movie Neal's hatred for Del goes away, and they become very good friends and end up spending Thanksgiving with Neal's family since Del's wife passed away. This movie shows that sometimes meeting a stranger on a plane and getting pulled over in a burnt down car makes a great friendship and a hell of a story to tell at the dinner table  [Nice strong finish Chris.  I am glad you enjoyed the show  -  makes me think we should watch more John Hughes and or comedies before the year is out].

Rocky, the Best Picture of 1976, is a fantastic movie about a simple Italian man named Rocky Balboa AKA the Italian Stallion who completely beat the odds and turned his circumstances around. The movie starts off with poor lower-class Italian man who dreams of becoming a boxer.

He trained every day but because of his living conditions he was forced to do some dirty work for the mob, but it wasn’t something young kindhearted  Rocky Balboa enjoyed.  His gangster employers would often get off scold him [confusing] for letting the people he’d have to collect from off to easy.

Rocky would often flirt with another local Italian, a women named Adrian Pennino, who he had a crush on. Rocky lived a simple humble life until one day the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World came, Apollo Creed came up with the bright idea of giving a "nobody" a chance at the title  - a complete underdog  -  and this is when young Rocky’s life would change forever.

Planes Trains and Automobiles Malcolm Alsobrook AKA steve stevenson

Trains Planes and Automobiles

Malcolm Alsobrook

In this movie there were 2 [write out numbers through ten] main characters  -  one had a family and the other one didn’t. The way they meet was one of them were [was] trying to catch a taxi, and the other character stole his taxi. and Then they randomly meet back up at the airport and randomly got a seat together on the plane. then Next, the plane flight got canceled & [no ampersands please] they ended up in the countryside of the United States.

SPOILER ALERT!!! They teamed up together and took a taxicab to a hotel where they shared a room and bed together. Soon after sharing the room together they started getting annoyed with each other in the middle of the night had an argument but soon resolved the problem. In the morning they had taken a train to try another attempt to make it to Chicago, but the train broke down once again hitting a home run with bad luck [interesting oxymoron]. After that the train company had offered them & the rest of the customers along for the train ride a bus ride. The bus had only taken them a little ways before they had to find there [homophone: their] own way of transportation again. They kept having complications with the transportation and found each other back in one another’s company.

The problems only continued, they were on the wrong side of the highway almost crashed then the car caught on fire, for some reason the car was still drivable & it was taken to another hotel along with the two main characters where they shared a room once again with 2 separate beds this time. They made their way to Chicago by an 18 wheeler, once they got to the house they all had a Thanksgiving dinner together.

Fruitvale Station (2013) - Jack O'Brien

Fruitvale Station (2013) is an American Drama that retells the story of Oscar Grant’s murder by oakland BART police. The film, Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has been more or less absent from mainstream awards despite widespread critical acclaim.

Fruitvale Station retells the events of Oscar Grant’s life in the days leading up to his eventual murder. The film dramatizes certain events, like Oscar’s altercation with another inmate during a visit with his mother, or him caring for a dog which has just been hit by a car. For the most part, however, director Coogler has gone to great lengths to ensure that the film accurately depicts the events of Grant’s life, and those that occured at Fruitvale Station.

Unlike most biographical films, it is difficult to make commentary of Jordan’s portrayal of Grant, as we don’t have much knowledge of Grant, or the type of person he was. Grant was, after all, a normal person like you and I. All that aside, Jordan does a wonderful job of portraying a man who is about to turn his life around. Jordan’s strength in that department is what makes this film enthralling. Seeing Grant’s seemingly bleak looking situation slowly get better, culminating in his Mother’s birthday is what keeps viewers interested. The enthralling nature of the film is what gives it power. Those oblivious to the events that transpired to prompt the film’s creation will be shocked by it. Those who knew of the events will be moved, and will see a new face of the man killed by the police that night.

The media seems to portray Oscar Grant in one of two different lights. One, an angel who has done nothing wrong and was brutally murdered by BART police one night. Or, as a demon who sold drugs and was imprisoned five times, who got what he deserved that night. Grant, in reality, was like I said earlier, a person like you or me. The film doesn’t see Grant as either of those extremes, but as a person. I think the real power in the film comes from restoring that humanity to Grant that has been absent from media portrayal. People will think twice about their feelings of the events that transpired at Fruitvale station, and will hopefully think twice about Grant.

Winter's Bone: A Movie Within the Meth Valley.

Winter’s Bone (2010), directed by Debra Granik, stars Jennifer Lawrence in a drama/ thriller based on a novel of the same name. 

In this film, Ree Dolly, our main character is a teenage girl is informed that her drug-dealing father put up their property as collateral for his bail, and failed to show up for court. She insists that he wouldn’t run away, and takes it upon herself to find him, even when experiencing dangerous push-back from certain shady figures. Now missing her father, she becomes the only capable guardian to her two younger siblings. 

Often movies reveals fears within the society that created it, and Winter’s Bone is an example of this. The themes and threats posed in this movie reflects a lot of current and past American concerns. Ree, our main character, lives with much of her family in Ozark Mountain, Missouri. This community, being as rural as it is, is at highest risk for a meth crisis. Meth, unlike other drugs, can be prepared anywhere, and thus is an unfortunate vice for certain people in Missouri, widely considered the capital of meth in the US. This is explicitly stated to be what her father sells, and implied to be the choice-of-cheese for other characters. 

To me, the scariest part of this movie was not the physical and emotional threat posed to Ree and her family, but the effects of poverty infecting every aspect of the setting. The director intentionally uses a lot of cool tones and low saturation to demonstrate this, but this paired with the cinematography makes every scene look anemic. The way this movie is shot is above television show level (medium shot reverse medium shot blah blah), but while some of the settings are very interesting in their physical layout, the camera hardly captures their full potential. 

Overall, I see the objective value in this film, even though I did not enjoy my experience. 

Amber Ventura. 

( anemia seemed the best comparison here, because watching this felt like bloodletting. )

Chris Colon Beast of The Southern Wild

Christopher Colon

01-31-18

                 
Beasts of The Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild was realeased in 2012 directed by Benh Zeitlin; it is about a little girl  named Hushpuppy that lives with her father named wink. they live in  this place called "The Bathtub" on the otherside of the New Orleans levi [levee], cut off from the rest of civilization. After Hushpuppy's father gets mysteriously ill a bad storm comes and causes a flood of water to take over the Bathtub. 

Although Hushpuppy's father is ill, he still tries to get his daughter ready to be the “King of the Bathtub” as he says in the movie. Hushpuppy thinks of the storm as a pre-historic animal, an Auroch, in her imagination and is scared at first until her father shows her that there is nothing to be afraid of. Before the storm arrives most of the people that live in the Bathtub with them evacuate so they can be safe away from the storm but wink and a few of his friends stay because they arnt afraid.  Overall this movie was really different to [from] some [some or most?] I have seen but very interesting. At first I didn't think I would like it, but the more the movie went on the more I liked it. There were parts that made me think, “I don't know what I would of done if that happened to me”  -  like when the flood first hit since they lived away from civilization they had no ambulances of anykind of doctors [however the character of Bathsheeba acts as both the teacher to the children and appears to be a shaman of sorts  -  she provides Hushpuppy with a jar filled with herbal remedey when Wink collapses], but everyone stood together and worked together to make everythjng better [good]. 

There were multiple parts of the movie where they all had to work together to make things better, and I really liked that. In the beginning of the movie it showed that Hushpuppy was basically living on her own and to me it made me think like wow if I was six years old trying to live on my own I would not be able to make it.  I'm 18 years old now, and I can barely make it  by myself now imagine if I was six years old and had to do the things Hushpuppy was able to do. I definetly would of needed a lot of help. This movie was really something different from the usually things I watch, and I recommend it to anyone looking for something to watch.