Post #5 "Hook" (1991)

"Hook" the 1991 movie which is of course a re-make of the original Peter Pan was one of my favorites growing up, but I never knew that they make a remake the year that I was born.  They change the story a bit by having Peter Pan as an adult; but he needs to return to Never Never Land to regain his youthful spirit and face his enemy Captain Hook. One of the first things that I noticed about the film is that there are an extreme amount of cuts.  I counted a few of them and the scene seems to change every 7 seconds, which means a lot of information is being fed to you and you need to pay attention or you might miss a very important detail. I also noticed that there are a lot of extreme close ups, I guess because every character has specific details and expressions and they want to emphasize this. The graphics in the movie were done really well for 1991, and I also noticed that they used a lot of birds eye view angles and worms eye view angles.

Post 5: Darkman, 1990, Directed by Sam Raimi

The film Darkman is a 1990 American Superhero action film that captures the graphic look, rhythm and style of the superhero books. The movie is based on Raimi interest in adopting a comic book into a film. He had pursued and failed to secure the rights to both The Shadow and Batman, and decided to create his own superhero. I was very interested in watching this film as I did see similarities between Darkman and Batman. As many critics say that the film did not score an overall high rating, Darkman has much going on for it. It boasts the right look and even the right sound, owing to another thundering, mock-operatic score by Batman composer Danny Elfman. The film is visually riveting with overdramatically canted camera angles, bold shock cuts, and eccentric lap dissolves abound. Darkman offers bigger-than-life villains, an intriguingly flawed hero, and a tough, appealing heroine that are all portrayed by terrific actors.

Working with Universal Studios meant significant increase budgets. The film allows you to see the extensive and elaborate design builds for the laboratory set and professional stuntmen to film the climactic helicopter chase through the city. The horror, drama and twist of romance captured in the main characters allow the film to skyrocket even though its low ratings.

Molly Forke: Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

                Edward Scissorhands is a classic movie.  I love the cast and the plot itself, and not just because Johnny Depp is the star.  I think that given the nature and tone of the movie, the cast was picked perfectly to highlight all of Tim Burton’s creepiness.

                Even though it is set in a bright, suburban and fairly “common” place, Edward Scissorhands himself is a very awkward, lonely, and strange character to be placed in such a happy and upbeat setting.  Everyone else is wearing brightly colored clothing in green yards, laughing, playing with kids and dogs, mowing the lawn, watching tv, etc.  And then Edward is pale, wears only white, with scissors for hands.  He is a very misplaced person, which I think is the whole underlying basis of the film.  If Edward was set in a place where he fit in, it would not be the same movie.  For example the waterbed scene, when Winona Ryder walks in after a night out and realizes that Edward is in her bed, it would not have been funny if Edward was a simple guy.  Even as Edward lies in bed he is misplaced; her room is covered with high school memorabilia, school photos, medals, and all brightly colored.  As she starts to undress and realizes that Edward is in her bed, she freaks out and thinks that there is a murderer.  Edward does not say a thing, but simply tries to silently scurry past everyone.  If it was an ordinary Joe in her bed, the scene probably would have been a little more frightening than funny.

                I loved this movie, and I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before now.  It’s strange to think that it is a Tim Burton movie, seeing as most of the scenes and settings are bright and colorful; his movies are usually the complete opposite.  

Molly Forke: Ninja Turtles

                

               

Ninja Turtles (1990)

                I remember Ninja Turtles being one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid growing up in the 90’s.  That’s when I officially went into my tom-boy stage; no more dresses, lacey socks, bows in my hair or side-pony tails.  As I re-watched this classic kids movie, I realized how poor the production really is.  But when you’re a kid, those things apparently don’t matter.

                One thing I still loved about this movie was all of the settings and how well they meshed with the characters.  For example, there is one scene in the movie where it is a dark alley with fog circling around a lonely manhole on the ground.  The only sound is from traffic and people walking by, but unaware of this secret alley.  That’s when Splinter comes into view; a nasty, crusty rat from the city sewers.  The way the location sets up for both character and mood is a great way of foreshadowing.

                To be honest, it was hard to focus on anything else except for the turtle costumes.  I really don’t know how I didn’t notice how poorly made they were when I was younger.  But other than that, I will always love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that love kung-fu and pizza.

Child's Play 3 1991 Alex Granata

Child’s Play 3

            I remember back in the day one of my best friends was always talking about the “Chucky” series, I don’t know why he was so obsessed with it but he wouldn’t stop talking about it.  I felt that it was time for me to finally watch one of them.  This movie was released in 1991 and was the third in Child’s Play series.  It is placed in the horror genre and it is in fact quite creepy.  Chucky is the only non-human character in the film, in my opinion this one doll amongst humans conveys much more than if the movie was composed of all dolls and no humans.

            The way this movie was shot/filmed really adds a certain type of feel to it.  Often the scenes with Chucky in them are shot in low light or nighttime.  This definitely will keep the audience curious and on their toes.  The audio also adds to the feel of the movie, the slow but climatic audio keeps the audience wondering what’s going to happen next.

            One of my favorite aspects about this film is that a doll is committing these murders.  People typically use dolls for security and to comfort themselves, but this doll does nothing close to that.  It’s ironic, and therefore making the film that much more powerful.  Irony is used in a lot of movies; it gets the audience to think and can be used to convey a specific theme/message.

               

Point Break 1991 Alex Granata

Point Break

            I decided to give this movie a shot because I’ve heard good things about it.  I looked up the cast list and I was very impressed.  I loved Keanu Reeves in “Hardball” and Gary Busey In “Entourage” so I thought it would be a good fit for me.  I’m also an avid skateboarder who appreciates all types of “action sports” and action sports movies such as “Lords of Dogtown” and “Grind”.  I heard this movie was about a group of surfers and bank robberies so I decided to give it a chance.

            One of my favorite aspects of this movie was that the bank robbers wore masks of presidents to disguise their true identity.  I thought that was ironic how they used presidents to cover themselves up because in reality presidents should be the last ones to steal money.

            It featured that classic style of shot composition and filming, which worked well for the type of film.  However I wasn’t really a big fan of the plot, it seemed to be extremely repetitive.  I do often have trouble watching movies because they are so long and it’s tough for me to stay focused throughout the whole thing (Point Break ran a full two hours).  Other then the surfing scenes, I was generally pretty bored watching it.  I just really wasn’t feeling it for some reason.  

New Jack City 1991 Alex Granata

New Jack City

            New Jack City is about Nino Brown, and his gang, that ends up becoming the major drug ring in NYC.  They end up converting an old apartment building into a crack house that ends up being extremely successful for them, however they need to deal with a team of under covers.  It takes place in the 1980’s when crack cocaine just surfaced and was pretty much unheard of before that.  

I chose to watch this movie for a few reasons.  One of the main reasons was the actors who were listed in it.  I love Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Chris Rock.  I’m a big “White Men Can’t Jump” fan, “Law and Order” fan and “Rush Hour” fan.  I also chose this movie because I love movies about drugs/crime and seeing how they pan out.  I loved seeing how the director, Mario Van Peebles, interpreted the crime/drugs, especially the crack house that was converted from apartments.

            After watching this movie I realized there was a lot more to it, than I thought.  I picked New Jack City because I thought it would be a fun movie to watch and it would simply appeal to me.  However, I found some themes in it that I didn’t expect myself to see, one of them being, illegal activity will pretty much always result in a negative situation.  Although the crew was making extremely good money through selling drugs, a lot of lives were lost and the survivors got in trouble with the law.

            This is somewhat random but I also chose this movie because I thought I would enjoy the soundtrack, the culture and the fashion that the characters wore in this flick.  I was right, I’m a big old school/90’s hip-hop head and the soundtrack was definitely spot on and kept me interested.

           

Don't Tell Mom the Baby-Sitter's Dead 1991 Alex Granata

Don’t Tell Mom the Baby-Sitter’s Dead

            This movie is a special one too me as well.  Basically these siblings, who were not very fond of each other, worked together and had to get through the summer with no parental control/supervision.  They needed to find money to pay for groceries, deal with a pretty severe injury and basically occupy themselves for the summer.  The oldest sibling who was only 17 years old got a job, illegally, at a clothing warehouse.

            Her true passion in life was fashion, however in order to put food on the table for her younger siblings she had to settle for a job at a warehouse that simply pumped out cheap boring clothes.  She grinded through the workday, only because she knew she had to do it.  Once she felt comfortable at her job she proposed an idea to her boss about adding some fun inexpensive designs to the clothes, which ended up really helping out the business.  I really respect how Sue made due with the options and resources available.  She took a boring 9 to 5 job and flipped it into something that she enjoyed going to everyday, while being able to provide for her siblings and act as a good role model for them.  I also respect the fact that she had the guts to talk to her boss about the business; it’s not easy to call your own boss out on their business.

However the part of this movie that stands out the most to me is the fact that these siblings literally hated each other before their babysitter died.  They realized that they had to put aside their differences and work together if they were going to pull this summer off.  Sue being the oldest knew she was responsible for being in charge, dealing with the difficult situations and bringing the kids together as a family.   

Boyz N The Hood 1991 Alex Granata

Boyz In The Hood

            After watching Boyz In The Hood I became extremely attached to it.  I saw it as a story about a character (Trey) that is trying to live out his dreams of going to college and playing football while also growing up into a man.  Like all teenagers Trey had his struggles and problems that he had to deal with.  He grew up in a bad neighborhood where gangs were prevalent, his parents were divorced and at this point his life can go either way.

            This movie starts off with Trey as a young boy, 10 years old, getting kicked out by his mother and forced to live with his father.  His father is tough on him, which is just his way of raising Trey.  Trey reunites with some good friends that he hasn’t seen in a while and his father tells him that these kids may be up to no good in the future.  Trey really doesn’t know what to think of the situation because he’s so young.

            Seven years pass by and Trey and his buddies are still friends and celebrating Doughboy’s release from prison.  At this point Trey is really the only one who has some sort of positive future ahead of him and has to make the decision to strive and prosper or stay in the hood with his childhood friends.  This movie means a lot to me mainly because having to choose between friends or success can be very difficult.  These are his childhood friends that he’s known his whole life.  I as well have friends like that, who I’ve known for 15 years.  Now that we are older we are all going our separate ways.  Boyz In The Hood appeals to me because my friends and I are going through a similar situation.  Yes our situation isn’t technically as serious and life threatening, but it still involves making decisions.  We are on our own, and can choose any direction in life.  Trey had his parents supporting him, but at the end of the day it was Trey’s decision to choose college and football or gang life with his buddies.

            

Alex Williams, Post #5, Like Water for Chocolate, 1992, Alfonso Arau

Like Water for Chocolate is a Mexican film by Alfonso Arau.  This film takes on quite a few very interesting and unique characteristics in storytelling and presentation, but the most important aspect of this movie is the presentation of traditional Mexican culture.
Throughout the film the culture of traditional Mexico is in the foreground.  To begin with, there is not much background music in this film, which gives the movie a very basic and minimalist feel.  This choice was made in order to reflect the character's modest lifestyle.  Secondly food plays a huge part in the storytelling, helping express what different characters were feeling during particular parts of the film, and holding an almost magical quality.  The food almost even becomes a character, as it affects the way characters behave and act, and even in the end becomes the bond between a young girl and her ancestry.
Another aspect of this movie that made it so interesting and unique was the love story between Pedro and Tita. Their romance played as a complete contrast to the Mexican tradition surrounding it, and their relationship was extremely unconventional when compared to American love stories.
I enjoyed this movie, and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys romantic movies

Dances With Wolves 1990

Kelly Wade post #5 -- Dances With Wolves, 1990 -- Directed by: Kevin Costner

I had heard of this movie several times in the past and even heard people joke about Native American names citing "dances with wolves" as an example; however it always seemed like it would be too boring for my taste. To my surprise, it was quite the contrary. This action packed movie not only was exciting and deep, but it made me feel all kinds of emotions, but the most prominent was wonder-about what it must have been like to live in the time where America was first being discovered. The amazing landscapes captured in this film make it almost impossible not to fall in love with the West-and with Kevin Costner.

I liked that this movie wasn't made to simply tell a love story, but to evoke the spirit of America in a way that hasn't been portrayed in many other films. Before digital arts were used to create real-as-life looking scenes, Dances With Wolves was filmed with only the most real and raw camera techniques, capturing the great outdoors and simplest parts of nature that make this film so dynamic. The progression of time through the seasons gives you a sense of how tough it must have been to live back then. As Dances with Wolves becomes more and more a part of the Souix tribe, it seems the people of the land are shown in a different light so as to portray their spirit through the colors in the lighting, and the music that fits into the background.

My favorite scenes in this movie was the one when Kevin Costner is riding through the terrain with a stampede of buffalo, and toward the end when the white snow covered the land in great contrast to the entire beginning of the movie. This movie wouldn't nearly have been as authentic if made today with digitally created scenes.I thought the scene cuts were an important part of this film. Showing how desolate the land was, and how secluded the main character really was.

Pretty Woman 1990

Kelly Wade post#4 -- Pretty Woman, 1990 -- Directed by: Garry Marshall

       I have always loved and idolized Julia Roberts. And because my mom was so strict about what I could watch growing up, to this day I've only watched a few scenes from her break out movie Pretty Woman. I had some ideas about this film before I watched it in it's entirety. Let me say, this quickly became one of my favorite of her performances, and possibly one of my top 5 movies of all time. 

The premise of this movie is automatically engaging; a fun-loving prostate who ends up staying with a rich, recently single millionaire, and they fall in love. Aww. But what really makes it a classic is the transformation Julia's character goes through. It was funny watching the opening scene in which Richard Gere takes off in an old Lamborghini. It was quite dramatic with the Richard being so debonaire, handsome and charming, and the two finding each other in the oddest way (he got lost). But the scenes in which Julie (Vivienne) shows genuine emotion, brings clear and raw charisma through the acting. A little rough around the edges, Vivienne giggles, lets her red hair out of a blonde wig, and even hoots at a proper Polo match. 

Filming wasn't anything special. Lighting and background music played a  major role; from the scene when Vivienne lays on the hotel room floor, letting the scene where the two first have sex be lit only with the glare of the television. Or when Edward (Gere) plays an intense piece on the piano, where almost no words are spoken in the scene. My favorite part is when Edward first sees Vivienne all dressed up and out of her prostate clothing in the hotel lobby. 

IT 1990

Kelly Wade post#3 -- IT, 1990 -- Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace

       This was one of the weirdest and freakiest movies I've ever seen. Not only was this film about the murders of children and how death takes the form of an intensely creep clown pennywise, but I am very thankful that I never saw this movie when I was younger. Although the filmmaking wasn't the sharpest, it definitely gave me chills from time to time, especially when you could hear the clown speaking from the sewers. 

Although the overall mood of the film is dark, there are points in it that seem clever and witty, even making me chuckle a few times. But, there were so evident problems. It was choppy at some points, which suggested it was originally made for TV (upon research it seemed this was true). There were weird jump cuts where commercials were probably put in. It kind of seems like an interruption when such a quick jump cut happens, and made me feel like the story f one scene was being chopped off before abruptly going into the next, not allowing the narrative to flow. 

What did work well was the age transitions between the main 7 characters when they were younger, and then switched to when their in their adult years. They definitely did their homework in terms of characters who looked very similar to each other. On top of this, the child actors seemed very natural and professional. It definitely made the story feel more authentic with young kids who knew how to make you feel like they were genuine characters.

Of course, in 1990 they didn't have the effects we have today. And although IT did a good job for the time, it was just too noticeable that this film was made in the 90's in terms mythical sets and creatures, and graphics (like when the clown comes alive in the picture album). Overall I enjoyed watching this movie, but definitely would not recommend it for an audience that it was probably originally intended for.

Lord of the Flies 1990

Kelly Wade post#2 -- Lord of the Flies 1990 -- Directed by: Harry Hook

        I read this novel when I was  junior in high school and was curious as to what the movie would look like. I vaguely remember a lot of violence, children running around on an island by themselves, and a savage feeling to the community they created. Again the landscape plays a major role in this movie as the school boys are on a deserted tropical island, with huge rolling green hills and crystal blue waters. The movie starts with a scene in which the pilot is slowly sinking through the water before the group of plane-wrecked boys dive down to bring him to the surface. The development of characters happens as we watch the boys interact with each other, and proves to e the driving force behind the plot and concept of the film.

As the boys become more savage and begin to learn to live off the land, we see them move into the territory of animalistic instincts. One of the most dynamic scenes is when they come upon a tree standing solitary in the middle of a field on a cliff. The tree catches on fire and the scene dramatically switches to a silhouette of the charred stump against an orange sunset sky. I think this is the point where the movie takes a turn to the darker side. 

There are not many ellipsis of time throughout this movie because we watch as the children slowly progress into a more savage state. Key light used throughout this film is solely natural; whether it is the sunlight bright in the middle of the day, or the dim glow of a fire that illuminates only the subjects in the foreground so that nothing in the background can be seen. Medium shots seem to be used mostly throughout the movie because the development of characters is the most important part, and the interactions between the boys are usually framed so that the viewer feels like they are in the middle of the conversation. 

Goodfellas 1990

Kelly Wade post #1-- Goodfellas, 1990 -- Directed by: Martin Scorsese

         I decided to watch this movie to give into the rants I've head all my friends say about it. I never thought I'd like a mod movie that wasn't Scarface, but I can honestly say this may be one of my new favorites. From the very beginning I loved the feel of this narrated story that kind of made it feel like a documentary, teaching us about the life of a new coming mobster. 

The movie moved along quickly and had points of view that shifted to different characters. Voice overs from not only Ray Liotta's character, but also his wife Karen gave the viewer insight into what each was thinking. Although very violent and gruesome at some points, the special effects were realistic enough to made you cringe and cover your eyes, the soundtrack added intense drama to these dark scenes. But humor also played a big part in the movie, especially with joe Pesci's character, acting wild and outlandish most of the the, then going home and kissing his mother on the cheek and telling her they just had an "accident" with blood on their clothes. 

The cuts from scene to scene seemed abrupt most of the time, but kept with the theme of a story which needed to keep the viewer on their toes. The plot moved along fairly quickly, covering a long period of time in the main characters life, but sometimes it slowed down when quirky things would happen like characters talking directly to the camera. I think the variety in this movie, as well as the dynamic characters made it really enjoyable and interesting to watch, I'm glad I finally gave it a chance.

Tamara D. Joseph post # 5: Marked for death (1990) directed by Dwight H. Little

My oldest memory of Steven Seagal was that my siblings and I used to think that breaking bones was the only thing he could do, and my mother used to watch his movies all the time because for one reason or the other she thought he was so handsome. When I saw Marked for death, directed by Dwight H. Little, I automatically chose to watch it because I remember, as a child, every time that movie was on TV, I was kicked out of the room. So my only memory of it was bits and pieces of certain scenes that I had seen when I was younger.

Now that I have watched it completely, I can honestly say that it is one of the most horrible movies I have ever seen. The soundtrack felt so out of place, one moment there was a tribal music in the background to sort of fit the whole voodoo ritual mood that Jamaicans had during the movie, and suddenly, there would be some random hard rock and roll music when a chase or a battle was taking place. The change in music was very abrupt; there was no blending or smooth crossover between them. As for certain scenes, I felt as if I was watching Blair Witch Project all over again, the camera was shaky, and it seemed as if the movie was a reality TV show.

I find it hard to believe that Marked for Death is said to be one of the greatest films of its year. Compare it to any of the other movies I have viewed previously for this project, it remains the one with the worst plot, the script is poorly written, and the actors seem to have never taking an acting class in their life. I guess times have changed because I don’t understand how I could ever have thought that Steven Seagal was good actor. Next to movies such as Die Hard2: Die Harder, this movie as a whole is an epic failure.

Post 4: Pretty Woman, 1990, Directed by Garry Marshall

The film Pretty Woman directed by Garry Marshall is a youthful comedy and romance that also depicts elements of drama and crime. The film depicts a man in a legal but hurtful business that needs an escort for some social event. He hires a beautiful prostitute he meets, but only to fall in love with in the end. The film starts Richard Gere, Julia Roberts and Jason Alexander. The films main characters Edward and Vivian gave magical performances as a shrewd businessman and a lovely prostitute.

When you think of the title Pretty Woman, a prostitute does not come to mind. Walt Disney Studios sends the message that working in the business of crime, sex, and money, does give a negative perception but that besides a prostitutes job, they too can have somewhat of a normal life and find love. The film was originally written as a gritty drama, which the studio and director Garry Marshall tempered into a charming if unlikely fairy tale. The picture eventually pulled in over 450 million dollars worldwide and became a cultural reference point.

In one of the scenes there is an error in continuity. During the breakfast scene, Julia Roberts is first eating a croissant then it quickly switches to a pancake. It almost appears that the events or scenes/ sequences are arranged as if they had occurred continuously, when in fact; they were shot out of sequence. Continuity also refers to the degree to which a film consistent without errors, jump cuts, or mismatched shots and details. As much as the film does have smooth transitions, camera angles, and points of views, Pretty Woman provides a continuous and clear movement of events/images in the film.

Post 3: Back to the Future III, 1990, Directed by Robert Zemeckis

The film Back to the Future is a 1990 American renowned action adventure, Sci-Fi, and thriller escape that takes you back in time to the old west. It is the third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Michael J. Fox as the films main character along side Christopher Lloyd. The film takes place immediately after the events of Back to the Future Part II. While stranded in 1955, Marty McFly discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown was killed by Biff Tannen's great-grandfather Buford. Marty decides to travel to 1885 to rescue Doc and return to his own timeline.

Filming took place in both California and Arizona, and the film was released in the United States on May 25, 1990. The film was a commercial success and achieved $244.53 million at the international box office, making it the 6th highest grossing film of 1990. Fan reaction to the film was more positive than to the first sequel, with many stating that this entry to the series reflected the original better than Part II. Critics also gave Part III better reviews than Part II, which had been met with mostly mixed to positive reactions.

The film was also considered one of the most groundbreaking projects for industrial light and magic. Much of the digital compositions and special effects are truly remarkable and can relate to how the use of camera ready material and the different camera angles shown work with the films composition. The rule of thirds was shown a lot within the film as it helped establish depth and movement. As the film tends to be Sci-Fi, there was quiet a lot of drama and acts of violence that can be seen in many western films.

Post 2: Home Alone, 1990, Directed by Chris Columbus

Home Alone is a classic Christmas tale with a twist. This highly popular children’s storyline has dark and horror elements that add drama and suspense to the cheery Christmas tale. By the end of Home Alone any adult would wonder if an 8-year-old child like Kevin would actually exist. Macaulay Culkin’s character shows wit and composure. He adds suspense and cleaver strategies when he comically fools a pair of burglars who attempt to invade the families upscale suburban home in Chicago. The depictions of violence are ridiculous and childish as they could possibly be as the film attempts to redeem itself with a solid message of Holiday forgiveness.
There is a type of maturity in Kevin’s newfound freedom when he quickly realizes his wish came true. Kevin embraces his freedom at first by jumping on beds and eating ice cream for dinner, but things become more threatening when two burglars mark the McCallister’s house as their next target. Danger is combined with the newfound responsibly of being “the man of the house”. Kevin’s innocent attitude undergoes a transformation as he learns to look past his fears and learn to love and protect his home, family, and safety.
It is interesting how we think of Special FX for horror movies, but not funny Christmas films. Most people don’t realize that there is still a high amount of work, production, and time that goes along making these types of films, and not to mention Special FX makeup artist that enhance the characters features. The Special FX in the film Home Alone is displayed in the sneaky “booby-traps” placed around the house. Makeup artistry is an essential part of the entertainment industry as it helps breath life into the characters making them more three-dimensional. It highlights their emotions and actions, especially when the robbers encounter lots of traps, making it harder for them to get revenge.

Post 1: Edward Scissorhands, 1990, Directed by Tim Burton

Edward Sicssorhands is a 1990 romantic film that allows for drama, fantasy, comedy, and imagination. Directed by Tim Burton and starting Johnny Depp, the plot is about an uncommonly gentle young man who happens to have scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim.

In many of the previous movies directed by Tim Burton such as Beetlejuce and Batman, they all have a common theme of the main character hiding behind the mask of a monster (or outsider) only to discover that this kind human can be loved and appreciated to the community who once feared him. Contrasting images such as these reinforce the idea of romance and horror genres. A close analysis of the opening sequence of the movie reveals many of the conventions associated with the horror genre but that are later offset by elements of comedy and romance. As the credits roll, eerie music plays in the background and the opening graphics of jagged scissors and predominate colors of black and white establish a horror tone. Also visual of the haunted house where Edwards lives reiterates the horror theme. Although the music becomes lighter and some of the graphics appear as children toys the creepy but underlying tone allows the audience to see that this is not a horror film. The motif of falling snow, associated with Edward creates an atmosphere of tranquility and romance that attracts Kim to Edward.

The movie acknowledges the theme of self-discovery and isolation. A lonely creature is brought into a world where tradition and suburbia life and societies structure is disrupted by the presence of Edward Scissorhands. As Edward is treated kindly and a local celebrity to suburbia, change helps him feel comfort and belong. The most striking aspect of the movie is its visual style. To the looming castle and the peculiar small town, everything is stylized to extremes. The neighborhoods are all painted in bright pastel colors with houses that are all uniformed. Edward’s landscape artistry helps complete the impression of an artificial world. The movie is very charming while it shows romantic simplicity combined with bizarre characters that creates a far more removed world.

http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews/edward_scissorhands.shtml

#4 Miller's Crossing-1990- Tori Douglas

Miller’s Crossing- 1990- Tori Douglas

Theme: Crime

Miller’s Crossing is a movie written and directed by brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen. This was not the first Coen brother’s movie, they had created a few other popular movies before Miller’s Crossing, all being action and comedies. Miller’s Crossing made in 1990, but portrayed the era of a ‘40s gangster scene. The story is a tale of conflicted loyalties during an Irish-Italian Prohibition-era gang war.

Main character Tom Reagan, Gabriel Bryne, is a right hand man to Leo, Albert Finny, the head crime boss in town. Leo and rival boss, Johnny Caspar, John Polito, fight over a bookie that has been cheating Caspar, while Reagan tries to keep everyone calm. However, he gets caught in the middle of an all out war between the two sides and winds up joining Caspar.

With all the ‘new’ technology in 1990, this film was considered a great film noir. Film noir is the term used for stylish old Hollywood crime dramas of the 1940s and 50s. Usually film noir is in black and white, but Miller’s crossing is in color. The attitude of Miller’s Crossing is definitely comparable to a classic film noir.

Another interesting trait that this movie has is that the Coen brothers decided to cast family and friends in minor roles. When Miller’s Crossing was released it was a flop in theaters, making only $5 million, but after its VHS and DVD release it became more popular as time progressed. Today it is a highly rated gangster movie of its time.

Tamara D. Joseph post # 4: Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) directed by Renny Harlin

I am ashamed to call myself a movie fanatic when I have never seen Die Hard 2: Die Harder, directed by Renny Harlin, prior to this class. I started watching movies with my older siblings when I was about eight years old which was three years after “Die hard with a Vengeance” was released. After I got a taste of the latter, I was ecstatic when I found out “Live free or Die Hard” was coming out, but for some reason I never thought about watching the first two movies of the franchise.

I was please to notice detective John McClane remained the same. There was no ambiguity within the movie. John McClane is your typical tough guy action hero who always shows up at the right time and kills the bad guys. The action kept me interested for a 1990 movie; it was pretty decent looking for a movie of that year. Unlike the latest Live Free or Die Hard, which contained of close-up shots, this movie did not have any. I was expecting to see Bruce Willis’ expression from up close, but that was never the case.

The wild success enjoyed by this film and its franchise is due to the exploding, over the top action scenes involved. I would assume that the main shot used in this movie is the moving shot due to the amount of chasing and movement going on during the two hours. After watching this, I am definitely waiting on some free time to watch the very first Die Hard, so I can go back to feeling proud about the list of movies that I have watched on my twenty one years on this earth.

#5 Lauren Pruett: Talk Radio (1988)

I’d never even heard of the movie Talk Radio before I looked at Wikipedia’s list of movies released in 1988, which is surprising considering it’s an Oliver Stone film.  This film is dark, deep, and has a message that actually makes you think about the society we’ve built around ourselves.  Barry Champlain is an acerbic radio talk show host who initially brought to my mind similarities with Howard Stern.  He’s brash, critical, and insulting, and actually kinda hilarious most of the time.  Those that hate him have a myriad of reasons, and those who love him have none.

A majority of the movie takes place in the studio, which is dark, an overhead light framing Barry as he talks to his listeners.  It gives a sense of enclosure and almost made me feel trapped in with Barry’s views as he goes from call to call.  There’s a large picture window looking out onto Dallas but even that didn’t lessen the slightly trapped feeling.  There is a fairly long flashback sequence, showing how Barry got to where he is today, and it’s clear immediately that it isn’t a part of the narrative by the sepia tone that’s overlaid on the film.  The entire film is very moody and dark, and very brilliantly shot, which is to be expected from a filmmaker like Oliver Stone.

Barry spouts off his views on society, his dark, dystopian views only egged on by the idiots and bigots that call into his show only to be mocked.  It seems all fun and games at first, until Barry talked to the serial rapist.  His face has visible shock on it.  And of course, when Barry’s ultimate fate comes, it’s almost expected, but it’s still a shock.  All in all, this is a wonderful, thought-provoking movie and I would recommend it to anybody who asked.

Jordan Valdez Post #5 Sister Act

Post #5, Jordan Valdez, Sister Act, 1992, Directed by Emile Ardolino

     I have been wanting to watch Sister Act for the longest time and I was finally able to.  Directed by Emile Ardolino, Sister Act presents to us a fun-loving comedy full of laughs, with just and added touch of suspense.  The musical aspect of the film was very enjoyable and I looked forward to each time the choir would sing.  The movie had a great message about giving to others which makes sense since it's about the church.  Whoopi Goldberg is such a fabulous actress and it was nice to see her in action.  There were many other familiar faces in the film and they all played their parts very well.  The theme of crime also plays a large role in this film as it sets up the main story line.  Overall, I felt the film was uplifting and is the type of film that you can watch over and over.
     As far as filmmaking techniques go in this film, I felt that Ardolino focused a lot more on the story than the shots but still displayed good use of some basic shots.  There were many high angle shots which gave good views of different scenes from a different perspective.  A great amount of focus was on the characters' faces which meant that close up shots were used for a majority of the film.  There was also good use of OTS shots and I payed careful attention as the camera moved back and forth behind the shoulders of the actor to make sure they stayed on their respective sides--of course they did.  In addition, because of a lot of fast moving scenes, jump shots were incorporated to keep up with the action.  In general, Ardolino was successful in presenting a good quality film all around.

#3 Goodfellas- Tori Douglas

Goodfellas- 1990- Tori Douglas

Theme: Crime

Director Martin Scorsese developed a unique classic with this film. Scorsese is a great director who created popular films throughout many decades, but by coincidence they all starred Robert De Niro. The other cast of the film Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci also play a crucial role in this Mafia movie. Based on facts from Pileggi's 1985 non-fictional book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family.

Goodfellas is full of strong characters that engage in violent and illegal acts.

Scorsese keeps the film at a fast pace, with an enticing story line. Henry Hill, Liotta, who is a small time gangster, takes part in a robbery with Jimmy (James) Conway, De Niro, and Tommy De Vito, Pesci. Conway and De Vito, strive to get higher in the food chain and wind up climbing higher up in the Mob.

Goodfellas is a darker film with a lot of high intensity elements. The film has all essentials that makes a great film with all the necessary shots and scenes. The editing of the movie created a good flow from scene to scene so viewers get an understanding of the characters they are watching, along with the different points of view’s of characters. The interesting aspect of the movie was the direct talking to the camera, which was voiced-over narrative by Henry Hill.

In addition to the voice-over narration, the sound track of this movie also makes quite a bit of difference in the uniqueness of the movie. The soundtrack consists of pop/rock oldies over four decades of music. It is all over the spectrum from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to Sid Vicious.

After the movie was released it gained six Academy Award nominations, winning one. Along with being nominated for many others such as BAFTA, and American Cinema Editors, USA.

#4 Lauren Pruett: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

To be honest, I’ve seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit before.  It’s a great movie, one of my favorite movies, and the filming style of it is just so interesting that I felt like I really had to cover it.

It’s shot in a film noir style that I think should really be brought back.  The lighting is extreme, going between dark and light, and that’s only in the live action sequences.  The animated sequences are an explosion of color and sound, and what’s amazing at least to our modern viewpoints is that every frame of the animation is hand-drawn.  The only part that’s computer-generated is the sequence where Eddie Valient is in Toontown, through the use of the green screen.  Even in the 1980s, cartoons weren’t completely hand-drawn anymore.  This movie is also the only time that Disney and Warner Brothers officially joined forces, so it’s pretty thrilling to watch Daffy and Donald play dueling pianos and to watch Mickey and Bugs play their pranks on Eddie.

The best part, perhaps, of this entire movie is the villain, Judge Doom.  He’s evil in a dark, over-the-top, almost stereotypical way, which is befitting of the toon that he turns out to be.  Even so, it’s a shock when he gets up after being run over by a steamroller, and on first viewing you’ve got the same “oh crap” look as Eddie does.  But, of course, in the end the good guy wins and he gets the girl, and all is right in the world.

Jordan Valdez Post #4 My Cousin Vinny

Post #4, Jordan Valdez, My Cousin Vinny, 1992, Directed by Jonathan Lynn


     My Cousin Vinny, directed by Jonathan Lynn, has to be one of the greatest comedies of 1992.  After finally seeing this film, I was able to connect back so many jokes and one-liners that my family has been using throughout my childhood and teenage years.  The movie sets up a classic misunderstood situation in which the characters get tied up in certain circumstances all because of miscommunications and I found myself on the edge of my seat until the truth came out.  I really enjoyed the play on the contrast of northern versus southern cultures, as I can relate it to my own family and friends.  The characters were convincing, the dialogue was clever, and the plot and story line was entertaining.  There was a great use of irony and foreshadowing in the film as well which made the outcome such an ah-ha moment.  Although the main genre of the film is comedy, crime was also a major aspect, making this the fourth movie i've seen for this project that has had crime involved in some way.
     I saw many great filmmaking techniques in this movie, and some that I have yet to see used so far in doing this project.  One of these main techniques I have not seen yet was the high angle shot.  Lynn used this shot a great deal throughout the film, for example, in the courtroom as the trial progressed.  There were also multiple pans and tilt shots done in the movie.  The majority of the other basic shots consisted of mainly medium and long shots, without many close ups for a change.  Lynn also did a nice job incorporating establishing shots throughout the film to make sure we could follow the action.