Reviews and Ramblings

     In the Seven Samurai and the Magnificent Seven, there are a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences. The Magnificent Seven was made after the Seven Samurai, and was even a sort of tribute to the Seven Samurai. For the first thing, and foremost, the most extreme difference that is noticeable, is that the Seven Samurai is in black-and-white, and it is placed in a small town in Japan, where the villagers are farmers. The Magnificent Seven is based in a small town in Mexico, and a small town in Texas, right across the border from each other.      The biggest similarity is the plot of both films. There is a town/village of farmers that keep getting raided or pushed around by bullies, who want food. After so much time, then the villagers get extremely agitated with the bandits, so they decided to ask the highest respected person in the village. In Seven Samurai, they ask “Grandfather” what they should do, and it is decide...

Monsters perform many functions in movies. Please write an essay on how Del Toro treats the creation of monsters in his movies "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth." Support your argument with examples of how teh cinematographer's craft was used to support this principle.      This is the prompt for our cinematography final. And this is my essay for our cinematography final:      Del Toro uses monsters to convey the conception of imagination and difference in hi movies. In "The Devil's Backbone", he uses the 'monster', Santi, a prior occupant of the orphanage to show how messed up the older guy, Jacinto had become, from his days at the orphanage. There is a sense of imagination because Carlos, the new-comer, at first believes he only sees something that is not real. But then, this imagination turns into a remedy. Which is exactly what Del Toro wanted. Similarly to how Akira Kurosawa places every single strand of hair i...

     This movie was originally made in late 1979. (released mid 1980). Obviously everyone wore the typical disco outfits of the time period; however, there were different characters who had certain costumes on because of the different scenerios that were happening. It is a comedy/romance and I highly recomend it. There are many wonderful uses of transitions throughout the film, allowing for more imagination to happen. Special effects are not needed for the most part, although are used. Most things, are not so much as "special" effects as just effects, where you can see how/where/what is being used which in some peoples minds makes it special. However, this just makes the film more enjoyable.      It is rated PG despite some nudity, and sexual references. There is many different forms of jokes in this film, which are impossible to catch in one sitting.      There are flash back in where the characters are ...

     This movie was based on 'The Odyssey' by Homer. You can see the similarities of the story in this movie. But, 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' has it's own story line in there, too. The entire movie is in black and white but because of the colourful language and actions, the movie seems to have colour. But, the comparisons of 'The Odyssey' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' are very similar.      Most of the characters are recognizable if you have read the book. Cyclops, in this movie, is a 'bible salesman' who is really a part of the KKK and is helping to catch these three men who have escaped from jail. The journey for the main character in this movie, is finding his wife before he loses her. While he, Uylsses, was in jail, she, his wife wrote to him that she was going to get remarried. He told the other two men he was chained to that there is a hidden fortune. When he finds her, she has even turned their eldest daughters aga...

     This review is a bit different from what I normally write; however, I was not able to see the entire film, and was stuck up to the ending point you will get to. Hopefully I will be able to see it over the summer and will be able to post a 'Part two' review of it. Much of this review may seem like the retelling of the story but, I had been typing while watching, hence the reason for the different writing style. Enjoy! :-D      The samurai picked up a stick and threw it in the air. It pointed in on direction of the road and he walked around the stick, as if the stick was leading him to his destiny. He then comes across a father and son fighting at their house. It is unfourunate though, that when he is allowed a drink of water, the father, who has just unfortunately lost his son thinks of him as a beggar or stealer. Shots of people looking out their windows at him gives the impression of fear. Then, a dog walks down the road w...

III: The Blizzard      The portrayal of man against nature. Which isn’t like any of the other dreams. There is a group of men who are hiking up a mountain. Nature, which is represented by a snow storm demon, is just telling the man to take it easy and freeze to death, to die. But he is struggling and trying to make it to camp. The scene is quite dark with snow billowing all around these four men. There is also a part where it gets really bad and the snow almost seems black. I don’t recall much music or effects in this segment. However, when the main character is laying in the snow, the snow storm demon, who is a beautiful lady, is covering him with ‘blankets’ which is actually snow. The themes and elements of this particular version of the story isn’t like any of the others. Others do have demons which seems to be the only similarity. The shots are mainly medium shots of everyone. The end, the sun comes out and everything is bright and happy, etc. So...

     so, I can't sleep anymore tonight.      i kept waking up, since like, 3.      I have a lot of things on my mind right now I guess. One main one being that I may pretty soon lose another Grandma. I have more than two because of step and half and what-not. Pretty big family. This one is directly blood, though. As was the other one. So now, once she dies, I will only have one blood grandma left. I may be confusing some people but, it makes sense to me. Anywho. See, this Grandma, she has two different kinds of cancer. Breast cancer and now lung cancer, which is new. She's had breast cancer for years, shes a survivour. But it runs in the family. I'm at risk for it. And she has refused treatment since she was first diagnosed because she is stubborn, which I get from all over the place. And, she is taking care of my Down Syndrome aunt. Who is 40. And still doing well. But when she goes, my aunt wil...