The Musical

The Commitments film slug:

Director: Alan Parker

Writers: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, and Roddy Doyle

Starring: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, and Angeline Ball

Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Music

Run Time: 118 minutes

Production Co.: Beacon Communications

Release Date: August 14, 1991 (USA)

Rated R

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101605/) 

Sweeny Todd film slug:
Director: Tim Burton
Writers: John Logan and Hugh Wheeler
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
Genres: Horror, Musical, Romance
Run Time: 116 minutes
Production Co: DreamWorks Pictures 
Release Date: Dec. 21, 2007
Rated R

The Commitments and Sweeny Todd are two very different musicals.  The Commitments is not a common type of musical, it's based on band that is formed.  So the story would have to involve their music.  Whereas Sweeny Todd is about a demon barber on Fleet Street.
I can relate The Commitments to film form and expectations in our text.  We know it is a movie about a band, so we expect there to be music performed by them.  Sweeny Todd can relate more to mise-en-scene, where it influences the mood and our emotional response.  The costumes and setting in  Sweeny Todd help us to relate it to the time in which it is held.
Formalist film theory can relate to both movies.  Sound is a big deal in musicals, what they sing will portray the feeling of the scene or film as a whole.  The Commitments thought of themselves as Irish soul music.  The songs and sounds from Sweeny Todd related to the darkness of the film.
"'The Commitments' is one of the few movies about a fictional band that's able to convince us the band is real and actually plays together," (Ebert).  I agree with Ebert, since it's such a different approach to a musical genre, it convinces us that it was based on a real story.  
"From our first glimpse of Johnny Depp's haunted, vengeful eyes as the ex-convict barber sails into London on a mission to kill the man who stole his wife and child and sent him off to prison, we're swept into Burton's pitch-black vision," (Ansen).  Tim Burtons love for darkness always lures us in, and as gruesome as he can be, you can't turn away.  He hooks you into the darkness.
The Commitments was a fun movie, I liked how un-musical genre it was.  That doesn't mean I dislike musicals though.  Sweeny Todd is still one of my favorite musicals, it's dark and gloomy and has the greatest cast imaginable. 

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (√) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (√) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (√) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (√) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (√) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (√) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (√ ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) (√) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Charlotte Azaceta  Date: December 17, 2012

Editing Checklist

1. (√) An introductory paragraph clearly introduces the subject. The topic statement is evident within the paragraph. The position taken is clear. If the position is unclear, put a question mark in the margin.

2. (√) The next two paragraphs have a single or main claim. Note each claim in the margin in a 3-4 word phrase. If you can’t identify the claim, put a question mark in the margin. If two or more claims exist, and tend to diverge from a coherent thought, put a question mark in the margin.

3. (√) The same thing holds for the next two paragraphs on the opposite side of the issue.

4. (√) The four paragraphs above all focus on the issue at hand; they do not wander off into irrelevant territory. If any paragraph wanders, put a question mark in the margin

5. (√) The sixth paragraph weighs the conflicting claims from the four paragraphs above and arrives at a conclusion. Why some evidence is more convincing than other evidence is explained. The ensuing conclusion is clearly stated. Circle it. If you can’t find the conclusion, put a question mark in the margin.

6. (√) The final paragraph returns to what was stated in the first paragraph and, in light of the evidence presented and weighed above, convincingly rephrases the position statement. If the conclusion expected by the assignment is to be finessed, justifying statements for the variance must appear here and flow-from the explanation in the sixth paragraph of your paper.

7. (√) Is each claim in paragraphs 2-5 supported by evidence? Are there any naked claims supported only by variations of "I believe...”? If so, put a big X in the margin beside that paragraph.

8. (√) Is each claim backed up by a reference? If a claim stands naked of supporting evidence or argument, put a big X in the margin.

9. (√) Does the paper do more than simply but gloriously restate the question? Examine the case study and cross out all ideas that appear in both the case study and in your paper. What remains-uncrossed out is your analysis. It should constitute the majority of your paper. If it doesn't, you haven’t done an analysis.

10. ( ) A sentence lacks either a subject or a verb; a sentence does not begin with a capital letter or end with a period (citations in parentheses go ahead of periods, not behind them).

I l. ( ) A sentence begins with a relative pronoun such as Which, Who, That, Where, and When.

12. ( ) A pronoun lacks a clear antecedent; that is, a word such as it, he, she, or they does not have an obvious link to a noun (especially noticeable if a sentence begins with it, he, she, or they).

13. ( ) A pronoun or verb fails to agree with its antecedent in number; that is, a single person or agency is referred to as they, or a plural subject is given a singular verb (such as, "members of the school board....gives their vote...").

14. ( ) A sentence runs-on or uses a comma to splice independent ideas together; that is, complex ideas are not split into two sentences but are linked, often by a comma, into an overly long, wandering sentence.

 Ebert, Robert. "The Commitments :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews." rogerebert.com :: Movie reviews, essays and the Movie Answer Man from film critic Roger Ebert. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19910816/REVIEWS/108160301/1023

 Ansen, David. "Review: 'Sweeney Todd'" The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 08 Dec. 2007. Web. 21 Dec. 2012.

"The Commitments (1991) - IMDb." IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101605/

Barsam, Richard Meran, Dave Monahan, and Karen M. Gocsik. "Types of Movies." Looking at movies: an introduction to film. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. 98-9. Print.

The Western

The Searchers
Released in 1956.
Directed by John Ford.
Staring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Ward Bond.
Based on ‘The Searchers’ written by Alan Le May.
Screenplay written by Alan Le May
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Budget: 3.75 million
Box Office: 9.8 million
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Released in 1969
Directed by George Roy Hill
Staring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katherine Ross
Written by William Goldman
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Budget: $6,825,000
Box Office: ~$102,308,889

Both movies, "The Searchers" and "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid," are in the western genre.  however, both movies are very different.  John Ford and John Wayne have worked together for several movies, they all have a common landscaped theme.  Very open, in the dessert is what they are associated with.  The Searchers was made during a time of racism.  This is shown in the movie.  Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid have more of a buddy system feel to the movie.  In this film, the buddy system helps to release some of the tension of the situation.  The movies are also filmed differently. The Searchers has a lot of wide shots to see the landscape, but in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid they have more close-ups, and more jump cuts and cuts on action to make the movie have more action.
Chapter six of our text-"Looking At Movies"- talks about cinematography, which is how to capture the images on film.  Using light, writing and motion, the director can shape the film to which they see fit.  different types of lighting can be used to set the tone of a scene.  The use of different lens when shooting a production can also help shape the movie.  In The Searchers a zoom lens helps to see the amount of space that the characters are in. You can feel the openness of the space and the distance the characters must travel, which also helps set the timeline.  Camera angle helps to illuminate characters. In Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid they use low angle view showing their superiority as robbers.
A theory that can be used for both movies can relate to representation.  In both movies, the characters represent a certain meaning.  Though Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are the bad guys, they represent a simplistic lifestyle without conforming to the approaching new frontier. 
Bosley Crowther of the New York Times says: "It starts with the tardy homecoming of a lean Texan from the Civil War and leaps right into a massacre by Commanches and the abduction of two white girls."  This is the perfect western.  John Wayne is the face for western genre. 
"...apparently it was a misguided attempt to copy 'Bonnie and Clyde.' But the ending doesn't belong on 'Butch Cassidy,' and we don't believe it, and we walk out of the theater wondering what happened to that great movie we were seeing until an hour ago,"(Ebert).  I can't fully agree with Roger Ebert's dislike of the film, but I will agree that the ending just didn't seem to fit with the movie.
I enjoyed both movies, John Wayne will always hold the role in western films, but I liked the quicker pace of Butch Cassidu and the Sundance kid.

Crowther, Bosley. "The Searchers." Rev. of Film. The New York Times 31 May 1956: n. pag. Print.

 
Ebert, Roger. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid :: Rogerebert.com :: Reviews." Chicago Sun Times (1969): n. pag. RSS. Web. 21 Dec. 2012.

 IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (√) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (√) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (√) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (√) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (√) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (√) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (√ ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) (√) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.


Name Charlotte Azaceta Date November 29, 2012


Editing Checklist

1. (√) An introductory paragraph clearly introduces the subject. The topic statement is evident within the paragraph. The position taken is clear. If the position is unclear, put a question mark in the margin.

2. (√) The next two paragraphs have a single or main claim. Note each claim in the margin in a 3-4 word phrase. If you can’t identify the claim, put a question mark in the margin. If two or more claims exist, and tend to diverge from a coherent thought, put a question mark in the margin.

3. (√) The same thing holds for the next two paragraphs on the opposite side of the issue.

4. (√) The four paragraphs above all focus on the issue at hand; they do not wander off into irrelevant territory. If any paragraph wanders, put a question mark in the margin

5. (√) The sixth paragraph weighs the conflicting claims from the four paragraphs above and arrives at a conclusion. Why some evidence is more convincing than other evidence is explained. The ensuing conclusion is clearly stated. Circle it. If you can’t find the conclusion, put a question mark in the margin.

6. (√) The final paragraph returns to what was stated in the first paragraph and, in light of the evidence presented and weighed above, convincingly rephrases the position statement. If the conclusion expected by the assignment is to be finessed, justifying statements for the variance must appear here and flow-from the explanation in the sixth paragraph of your paper.

7. (√) Is each claim in paragraphs 2-5 supported by evidence? Are there any naked claims supported only by variations of "I believe...”? If so, put a big X in the margin beside that paragraph.

8. (√) Is each claim backed up by a reference? If a claim stands naked of supporting evidence or argument, put a big X in the margin.

9. (√) Does the paper do more than simply but gloriously restate the question? Examine the case study and cross out all ideas that appear in both the case study and in your paper. What remains-uncrossed out is your analysis. It should constitute the majority of your paper. If it doesn't, you haven’t done an analysis.

10. ( ) A sentence lacks either a subject or a verb; a sentence does not begin with a capital letter or end with a period (citations in parentheses go ahead of periods, not behind them).

I l. ( ) A sentence begins with a relative pronoun such as Which, Who, That, Where, and When.

12. ( ) A pronoun lacks a clear antecedent; that is, a word such as it, he, she, or they does not have an obvious link to a noun (especially noticeable if a sentence begins with it, he, she, or they).

13. ( ) A pronoun or verb fails to agree with its antecedent in number; that is, a single person or agency is referred to as they, or a plural subject is given a singular verb (such as, "members of the school board....gives their vote...").

14. ( ) A sentence runs-on or uses a comma to splice independent ideas together; that is, complex ideas are not split into two sentences but are linked, often by a comma, into an overly long, wandering sentence. 

Pan's Labyrinth

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Film Slug

Pans Labyrinth

Directed By: Guillermo Del Toro

Written By: Guillermo Del Toro

Editing By: Bernat Vilaplana

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu

Release Date: October 11, 2006

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, War

Language: Spanish

Country: Spain, USA, Mexico

Box Office: $13,500,000

Worldwide: $83,623,611

Runtime: 118 Minutes

The film, Pan’s Labyrinth, is about a girl named Ofelia, who has just moved to the countryside in Spain with her pregnant mother to live where her stepfather and his army are stationed.  It takes place in 1944, during the Spanish civil war.  Ofelia has a deep connection to her books, mainly fairytales.  She soon learns that her stepfather is an evil man and becomes very attached to one of the maids, Mercedes.  During the course of the movie Ofelia’s journey starts to mirror her fairytales.  A bug that followed her on her move turns out to be a fairy.  Ofelia is led to a labyrinth in the woods by the fairy and meets a faun.  The faun tells her that she is a princess of another realm, but in order to prove that she is the true princess, she must complete three tasks before the full moon.

            In our text it talks about realism and antirealism.  This movie shows a great deal of both of these aspects.  Ofelia’s real life is terrible.  She has an evil stepfather that doesn’t care about her mother, a mother that won’t listen to her, and is moved to a place she cannot call home in the midst of a war.  In order for Ofelia to escape her real life, she turns to antirealism and lives vicariously through a fantasy world that only she knows of.  The twist is that her fantasy world than becomes her real world.  Our text also explains the different types of lighting.  This movie has a very dark and eerie story line; therefore most of the lighting is very dimmed, creating many shadows. 

            The formalist film theory suggests that the appropriate use of sound and light will add effect to the movie.  I believe this relates very well since the story is dark and dismal, it was appropriate that the music and lighting was as well.  The lighting creates shadows, which adds to suspension, and blue lighting creates the feeling of night.  Since most of her adventures take place at night, this was a good technique.  The music that was used helped to create the fear and tension that was portrayed throughout the movie.

            Roger Moore gave Pan’s Labyrinth a five out of five. “Pan's Labyrinth is a stunning blend of the magically surreal with the graphically real,” (Moore).  The computer animation in this movie is amazing, the fairy coming to life, the movements of the faun, and the awakening of the monster.  “The magic spills over into her daily life, where she must protect her mother and unborn brother from the monster Mom has married,” (Moore).  I agree with Moore, the magic-or antirealism- spills into her daily life, making the unreal, real.

            A review from a fan, Gary, on Rotten Tomatoes states, “Del Toro blends beautiful imagery with an affecting war story and the result is an enchanting experience that mirrors the fight between good and evil in both the real world and a young child's imagination” (Rotten Tomatoes).  Ofelia’s need to be in her fantasy realm helps her to stay on the side of good.  The evil side is the real world, being caught in the middle of the civil war.  She fights against her step father to save her infant brother.

            I love this movie, I have seen it several times and it doesn’t get old.  I love the story and Ofelia’s character, along with Mercedes.  They both share this need to be somewhere else, and have a feeling of not belonging.  They fight for what is right but have to hide it at the same time.  

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (√) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (√) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (√) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (√) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (√) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (√) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (√ ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) (√) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.


Name: Charlotte Azaceta   Date: October 23, 2012


Editing Checklist

1. (√) An introductory paragraph clearly introduces the subject. The topic statement is evident within the paragraph. The position taken is clear. If the position is unclear, put a question mark in the margin.

2. (√) The next two paragraphs have a single or main claim. Note each claim in the margin in a 3-4 word phrase. If you can’t identify the claim, put a question mark in the margin. If two or more claims exist, and tend to diverge from a coherent thought, put a question mark in the margin.

3. (√) The same thing holds for the next two paragraphs on the opposite side of the issue.

4. (√) The four paragraphs above all focus on the issue at hand; they do not wander off into irrelevant territory. If any paragraph wanders, put a question mark in the margin

5. (√) The sixth paragraph weighs the conflicting claims from the four paragraphs above and arrives at a conclusion. Why some evidence is more convincing than other evidence is explained. The ensuing conclusion is clearly stated. Circle it. If you can’t find the conclusion, put a question mark in the margin.

6. (√) The final paragraph returns to what was stated in the first paragraph and, in light of the evidence presented and weighed above, convincingly rephrases the position statement. If the conclusion expected by the assignment is to be finessed, justifying statements for the variance must appear here and flow-from the explanation in the sixth paragraph of your paper.

7. (√) Is each claim in paragraphs 2-5 supported by evidence? Are there any naked claims supported only by variations of "I believe...”? If so, put a big X in the margin beside that paragraph.

8. (√) Is each claim backed up by a reference? If a claim stands naked of supporting evidence or argument, put a big X in the margin.

9. (√) Does the paper do more than simply but gloriously restate the question? Examine the case study and cross out all ideas that appear in both the case study and in your paper. What remains-uncrossed out is your analysis. It should constitute the majority of your paper. If it doesn't, you haven’t done an analysis.

10. ( ) A sentence lacks either a subject or a verb; a sentence does not begin with a capital letter or end with a period (citations in parentheses go ahead of periods, not behind them).

I l. ( ) A sentence begins with a relative pronoun such as Which, Who, That, Where, and When.

12. ( ) A pronoun lacks a clear antecedent; that is, a word such as it, he, she, or they does not have an obvious link to a noun (especially noticeable if a sentence begins with it, he, she, or they).

13. ( ) A pronoun or verb fails to agree with its antecedent in number; that is, a single person or agency is referred to as they, or a plural subject is given a singular verb (such as, "members of the school board....gives their vote...").

14. ( ) A sentence runs-on or uses a comma to splice independent ideas together; that is, complex ideas are not split into two sentences but are linked, often by a comma, into an overly long, wandering sentence.

Citing

 "Pan's Labyrinth Reviews." Rotten Tomatoes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012. <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pans_labyrinth/reviews/?type=user>.

"Pan's Labyrinth." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.

            Moore, Roger. "Movie Review DB: Search Results." Orlando Sentinel 19 Jan. 2007: n. pag. Print.

Reaction to team presentations

I enjoyed the second groups' presentation. It was similar to my groups' topic so I understood what they were talking about, I also enjoyed that they used a montage from the movie Up. It really explained what they were talking about with something that was familiar to most of us.

Group 1

Most Influential Film

Charlotte Azaceta

Professor Mirrer

Film Theory

            The most influential movie was hard for me to pick, but I think I will have to go with Toy Story. It was the first computer animated feature length film released by Disney but produced by Pixar Animation Studios.  The computer technology that went into this movie was extraordinary, but even more so than that was the story itself.  To be able to create an animation that had camera shots of a live film was amazing. 

When making films, everything has a purpose.  What is placed in the scene, how the angle of the camera is, what is actually shown or heard, is all meticulously calculated to make you feel the way they want you to, at a particular moment of the film.  Capturing those feelings with animation, in my opinion, is harder to do.

 John Lasseter, the director, created this heart warming film, that people-especially young ones- can relate to.  The sequels to this film made it something that a kid could never forget.  When this film came out, I was Andy’s age.  By the third movie the character Andy was going to college, so the movie kept up with the original audience.  Though it is a kid’s movie, they made it enjoyable for adults as well.  Not only was it visually enticing, but also the script was written so all age groups could love it.

How I believe Film Theory relates to this film is taking the emotion, new technology, and a well-known memory for people of all ages and creating a truly spectacular movie.  Film theory expresses and allows for cinemas to take you out of the realm of reality.  In Toy Story they made the toys look more real and the people look fake purposely to make you focus on the toys and the magical world in which they created as their reality.