Post #5: My Girl, 1991 Director Howard Zieff

My Girl is yet another must-see film. It was directed by Howard Zieff in 1991. The film is a heartbreaking story that stirs up tears. The main character in the film is an adolescent girl named Vada, played by Anna Chlumsky. She lives with her awkward widower of a father, played by Dan Aykroyd, who is a funeral director. They strangely live in the funeral home themselves. Other stars include: Macaulay Culkin, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Richard Masur. The story takes place in the 70s and the soundtrack coincides, playing all of the 60s and 70s classics.

Zieff captures the rustic and carefree lifestyle of the 70s. The lighting seems very dim throughout the entire film, even when outdoors, which makes the film seem dated also. The viewer experiences Vada's emotional ups and downs with her. So much is unraveled in just the short duration of the movie. We learn so much about each of the characters. The story is strange but very intriguing. The outcome is much unexpected and an intense tearjerker.

Zieff films in a kind of expected sense. He portrays life in the 70s as one knows it. He adds the drama of the characters lives to make it different. While watching the movie the only scene I ever noticed the angles and the style of the filming was the scene in which Vada's best friend Thomas J, played by Macaulay Culkin, gets swarmed by bees. The scene is shot with many cut backs to the bee hive and Thomas J. Eventually, we see him panic and the audience begins to worry. There is a particular shot of his eyeglasses falling to the ground in the woods, but in slow motion. It heightens the emotion of this scene. Without actually showing the viewer what happens next, it changes from the sound of buzzing bees to a doorbell. There is an extreme close up of only a doorbell and we are brought back to reality.

Zieff definitely depicts an emotional roller coaster for this young girl Vada. Throughout the film we watch her experience multiple life changing events. This drama definitely lives up to its theme. I don't know if I would be able to sit through it again, it was such a sad turn of events.

Post #4: Hook, 1991 Director Steven Spielberg

Hook is a spin on the classic tale of Peter Pan, directed by Steven Spielberg. He absolutely nailed this film as a director. Despite the family-oriented feel of the movie it left me quite apprehensive and empathizing with the characters. It is an outstanding film, especially considering its PG rating. It has an exceptional cast. Robin Williams play the part of Peter, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, Maggie Smith as Wendy, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, among many others.

The film's basic storyline is that the boy who was never supposed to ever grow up, Peter Pan, actually did. Peter Pan grew up to be a husband, a father, and an overworked lawyer that goes by the name of Peter Banning (Robin Williams). He completely forgets his early childhood and basically every part of the classic tale. When Captain Hook comes back for revenge by kidnapping Peter's children, he is forced to try to remember.

The film has great shots that capture the emotion of the characters. There are so many reaction shots; you could not even count them. Spielberg was also very fond of the low angle shot in this film and it is more than obvious. The darker feel to this movie compared to the fairytale everyone is familiar with, is what really brings it to life. Changing a classic storybook tale to reality did not seem to be much of a challenge for Spielberg.

The sound effects, costume, and make up all play a major part in making the film seem believable. You are really pulled into the story that was once just a cartoon. Seeing the action and the emotion come to life is the best part of the film.

My favorite scene is the food fight between Peter and the Lost Boys. His imagination finally kicks in and he is back. There are so many close-up shots and the concept of the entire sequence is really cool. Spielberg gets a lot of the Lost Boys in reaction shots to the food fight. It is excellent filming and great acting.

Overall, Hook is a great movie-- which is expected when Spielberg's name is on it.

#2- Pretty Woman- Tori Douglas

Pretty Woman- 1990- Tori Douglas

Theme: Crime-Romantic Comedy

Pretty Woman is technically considered a romantic comedy, however, following the theme of crime is does possess certain elements of ‘crime’ with Vivian Ward’s escort services. Directed by Garry Marshall, this timeless- Hollywood fairytale set in LA. Julia Roberts, who plays Vivian Ward, a prostitute, and Richard Gere, playing businessman Edward Lewis meet by chance and wind up spending many days in each others company.

When the movie was filmed, Walt Disney Studios was backing them financially, so many location changes were available to the director and producers of Pretty Woman, a budget of $14 million was spent to create elaborate shots throughout the Beverly Hills area.

Every time I watch a movie, or TV show, I can’t help but look to see if they are using the rule of thirds. No doubt that Pretty Woman also used this rule to create more dynamic shots throughout the movie. I also noticed that they used many medium/portrait shots as well as full shots. On the other hand, of what I did not see too much of throughout the movie was establishing shots, I understand that a movie has a certain flow to it, where you don't always need establishing shots, but when traveling through different scenes it would have been nice to get more information before the dialogue started. Overall, I think this movie was a great success for he director and both main characters.

Post #3: The Addams Family, 1991 Director Barry Sonnenfeld

The Addams Family was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld in the year 1991. This film was based off of the cartoon The Addams Family created by Charles Addams.

The film shows many scenes with a dark and dreary look. Having this style allows the Addams family members to look more horrifying and less alive. One particular scene is of Mrs. Addams (Anjelica Huston) and Mr. Addams(Raul Julia) sitting in a graveyard. The couple is wearing the colors black and grey. There seems to be a soft blue lighting on the graveyard behind them. This light is representing the moon, but also altering the mood of the scene to look creepy and death like.

There are other scenes that illustrate the family’s strangeness by using props. One prop is the unattached hand. This hand is computerized and placed throughout the scenes like it is actually alive and moving. Another scene has Wednesday (Christina Ricci) playing with her food. The food on her plate pulses as if it is still breathing or the heart is still beating.

Barry Sonnenfeld incorporated all the haunted accessories that one could think of. The Addams family’s house is full of rooms with torture devices, mysterious corners, and disturbing critters. The film constantly illustrates how the family is not an ordinary family. The film gives a unique look and approach to storytelling. Incorporating all of these props and knowing how to use dreary lighting, sets the tone of the movie right off the bat. The actors are on par with their creepy personas and could not be any weirder. This all makes the audience feel apprehensive of what is to come. The entire Addams Family are unaware that they are actually bizarre and frightening to other people. I think this movie is brilliant because it is not even a horror film but looks like it could have been one. It is creepy yes, but the humor is what makes it so great.

Post #2: Father of the Bride, 1991 Director Charles Shyer

The Father of the Bride we all know is actually a remake of the original 1950 original. It is a very difficult challenge to remake a classic movie, especially such a familiar one. The remake completely mastered that test. It remade a name for itself and became a must-see classic for a whole new generation and it was surprisingly a very well played comedy. The cast is full of stars: Steve Martin who plays the father, Diane Keaton plays the mother, Martin Short who plays the wedding planner, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley plays the daughter/bride to be.

The plot of the movie focuses on the planning going into the wedding of George Banks (Steve Martin) only daughter Annie's wedding (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). The film setting is a flashback. She unexpectedly gets engaged and her family hasn't even met him yet. Annie is only 22 but her father still finds himself reminiscing and missing the days when she was younger. He is constantly reminded of the fun they had when she was a little girl. Steve Martin completely steals the show with his wit and bitter attitude.

The wedding planning soon begins and George becomes overwhelmed with the amount of money and in depth thought that actually goes into having a wedding and he persistently tries to make it inconvenient for his daughter and her fiancée. His wife and daughter insist that need a wedding planner (Martin Short) to help with the stress of planning. That in itself is a large bill coming out of Frank's wallet in addition to the entire wedding. Eventually throughout the entire movie George finds himself competing with his daughters soon-to-be in-laws. They continue to outdo him in everything he does for the newly engaged couple.

Overall, the film itself is a warm-hearted comedy. Steve Martin's classic sarcasm and Martin Short's ridiculous character are the main proponents of all of the humor. Steve Martin played such a relatable father that the audience couldn't help but laugh at all of the realistic situations he found himself in. Director Shyer did a great job at making such an adoring family film where the affection really shines through. You could tell Shyer's heart was in the film.

In my opinion the soundtrack sets the tone of the movie. The timeless classics playing along with the scenes set up a mood and familiar feel for the viewers. But my only letdown was that the film seemed pretty predictable. Once the nature of the film was set early on, you knew the father of the bride would go through frustrations and drama but only to wind up being happy for his married daughter.

That being said the film was not very original. However, the most memorable scene is when the wedding planner Franck (Martin Short) sings a short tune about Steve Martin being a party pooper. It is a song that sticks with you and whenever the movie is mentioned that is immediately where my mind goes. Martin Shorts hilarious accent in the film makes every one of his lines that much funnier.

Post #1: Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, 1991 Director Peter Hewitt

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey is a sequel to the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. This film was directed by Peter Hewitt in the year 1991.

The plot of the movie is about the unfortunate adventure that both main characters, Bill (played by Alex Winter) and Ted (played by Keanu Reeves), go through after their deaths.

There is a scene of robot versions of Bill and Ted killing the real Bill and Ted. When Bill and Ted died they changed to ghosts and their image became translucent while their voices had an echoing effect. Bill and Ted then get caught in a séance and they are dragged to Hell. In Hell both Bill and Ted go through dreadful situations that are very comical to the viewers:

· Ted’s situation involves an Easter bunny. In this scene the lighting is pink. The furniture in the room is misshapen creating the mood and appearance of a memory.

· Bill’s situation involves getting a kiss from an old female relative. In this scene the lighting is dark grey and blue. All objects are angled in an off balanced position that gives the actions taking place look even more so disturbing.

This causes them to realize that they want to go back to living their real lives. Bill and Ted decide to challenge the Grim Reaper, played by William Sadler. The boys play the Grim Reaper in several popular games such as Twister and Clue. Their continuous wins grant both of them their lives back.

They then had to travel to Heaven to explain the meaning of life to God. When they first arrive to Heaven there is a shot of Bill, Ted, and the Grim Reaper. The camera is below a piece of Plexiglas angled upward so it appears as if we are below the feet of the characters. The background that surrounds them is all white light indicating that they are in Heaven. All the people in Heaven have white colored clothing. The lighting is very soft and the furnishing has a tinge of purple pastel.

Overall, Director Peter Hewitt created a visually fun movie. With dynamic lighting and sets that were artistically designed in a relatable way to the personalities of the characters. The film really came to life with the over exaggerated story-like features.

#1 Home Alone- Tori Douglas

Home Alone-1990- Tori Douglas
Theme: Crime

Home Alone is a wonderful Christmas, but not so Christmas movie. The movie turned out to be family favorite over the past twenty-some years. There is a lot of action and adventure with a lot of comedy in-between that Kevin McCallister, who is played by Macaulay Culkin, gets into over the holiday season.

The overall plot, which I’m sure we all know is that Kevin is at home with family but they are traveling to France the next morning. Things don’t turn out well for Kevin, being sent to the attic and such, he misses the car to the airport, thus missing the plane to France. Although, the neighborhood burglars, Harry and Marv, don’t know this as they are robbing other neighbors.

As for technical uses of visual grammar within the movie, there is so much to talk about, the rule of thirds was always in the back of my mind throughout the movie and it really came into play. Majority of the time all the characters and objects were off center but still caught the viewer’s eye. Close-ups were also a large part of the movie, showing emotions of the characters without them having to say how they feel.

This movie came to be so successful after all these years and a lot has to do with Macaulay Culkin’s performance as Kevin McCallister. He was a like able child actor with a big screen presence, and he gave a mixture of innocence and mischief to the role in Home Alone. It's sure to be a classic for years to come.

The theme that I chose for my netfilix movie project is crime, this ranges from hard crime, Goodfellas or the Godfather, to silly stunts as seen by Harry and Marv from Home Alone. I believe that action movies involving 'bad guys' were popular in the 90's and have proven to still be popular today.

Jordan Valdez Post #3 The Bodyguard

     Post #3, Jordan Valdez, The Bodyguard, 1992, Directed by Mick Jackson

     I was very excited to do this project because it gave me the excuse to watch The Bodyguard, directed by Mick Jackson, for the first time.  And I can't believe I've waited this long to see it! Everything about this movie was entertaining and intriguing.  From beginning to end, the story and the plot captured me and I didn't want it to end.  The simple idea of a pop star and her bodyguard became such an interesting story in this film.  The raw emotional displays of the characters were so powerful and real.  Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston were incredible individually as well as together, sharing a strong on-screen chemistry.  I love a good love story but that along with the aspects of the thriller genre made it so dynamic.  And yet another movie from 1992 had the concept of crime involved in some way.  I also loved the mystery throughout the film that kept me on the edge of my seat and prayed for Rachel and Frank.  I expected some sort of twist in the end but not the one I got, for sure.  Finally, the soundtrack of this film really pulled everything together, and I have to admit I shed a tear as "I Will Always Love You" played in the end.
    Not only were the acting, story, and themes in this movie strong, but the filmmaking techniques were as well.  Jackson did an incredible job combining the mentioned aspects of the film as well as using various shots and styles to set up the story.  I think that the reaction shot definitely proved most important in this film as we were able to see the pure emotion in the characters' faces as different events occurred.  Jackson also favored the close up shot a lot throughout the film and gave us intimate looks into faces, actions, and reactions.  There was also a variety of dolly shots in which the camera either panned or tilted, or even revolved, around the scene to give the viewer a better look at the action or setting.  I also saw a good variety of OTS shots and medium and long shots as well.  Overall, I really enjoyed The Bodyguard as a whole and am glad I could understand and appreciate every aspect of the film.

Samantha Pysher Post #5 Amityville: A New Generation 1993 John Murlowski

            I am a big fan of the legend of the Amityville house of horror and with that legend come a lot of horror movies terrorizing the human mind. Amityville: A New Generation is about a photographer Keyes is given a gift from a homeless person he took a photograph of on the street. This gift is an old mirror which he takes home and then give to a friend. In this mirror people see horrible things happening to themselves and then later these thing come true. The question truly is are these suicides or is there a hidden demonic force behind the mirror. A New Generation the third movie to base its plot around writer John G. Jone’s story about a Long Island house that cuases misery and death for its owners. Ross Partridge plays Keyes Terry the main character, others actors in the film are Julia Nickson and Lala Sloatman.

 I have seen plenty of these movies and this one doesn’t come close to any of the others. This movie had silly special effects and an incomprehensible plot. Another thing that was also poorly done was the acting; there was no real fear, no real emotion. There are some good scenes but for the most part this movie is a major let down. It left a lot to be desired.

Jordan Valdez Post #2 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

    Post #2, Jordan Valdez, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, 1992, Directed by Chris Columbus

    One of the greatest Christmas movie classics came out of 1992--Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.  This sequel to a successful first Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus, consists of hilarious comedy, villainous crimes, and the perfect Christmas message.  I found it interesting that my next choice for this project also involved crime as a theme.  It is definitely not as violent as Dogs, but it is another movie from 1992 that plays on this topic.  The film's plot is unexpected in many ways and captures you from the very beginning with the display of such a crazy family dynamic.  I think one reason that it is such an intriguing movie is for the fact of how outrageous the main story is--a ten year old getting lost in New York City and seriously running the place!  It is a classical hero trumps villain story as well as a heartwarming Christmas tale.  This film has become one of my favorite Christmas movies and I'd love to watch it again and again.
     There are great uses of some basic filmmaking techniques.  The establishing shot is very important in this film as it jumps around from place to place as the scene changes back and forth from New York to Florida and the various hotels and buildings in each.  The majority of shots are filmed as medium or long shots.  In addition, the reaction shot is crucial throughout the duration of the film.  The scenes in which we laugh as the criminals cry in pain consist of a medium shot or close up shot of the trap that Kevin has set up and then the criminals' reactions as they fall into each trap.  These techniques as well as many other only add to the success of this film.  I can appreciate these elements as well as those of the plot, characters, and dialogue after watching Home Alone 2.

Samantha Pysher Post #4 Dark Waters 1993 Mariano Baino

            Dark Waters could be categorized as one of the best horror films of the 1990’s. The movie is about a lady by the name of Elizabeth who is tortured by horrible visions from her childhood. In order for her to discover the truth about her past she must travel to a remote island. While on this island she finds a twisted group of nuns who are evil. After spending time with the nuns Elizabeth starts having horrific nightmares. Elizabeth sees no escape from the menacing evil that inhabits the strange island that she traveled too. This movie was originally released in Europe with the title Dark Waters but when it was released in the United States the title was changed to Dead Waters. Louise Salter starts as Elizabeth.

            This film uses a stylish yet unique way of showing us the horror behind the horror story. I feel the nuns make a great influence to the cast and to the plot and flow of the story. This movie is a good example of how atmosphere alone can make a movie work and be good. The plot itself was a little confusing but well worth all the confusion in the end. The way the director decided to show the nightmares Elizabeth was having was truly bone chilling. All-in-all the movie was rather great and truly a good horror movie.

Jill Rosenblum Post #5: Aladdin (1992)

One of Walt Disney's best movies by far is Aladdin (1992) directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.
Although I saw this movie when I was younger I had forgot a lot of the details and major parts of this movie. Once I watched this movie my mind was able to recall the songs and I was able to really get into the movie.

Aladdin is a bout a poor street falling in love with a Princess, Princess Jasmine. Princess Jasmine likes Aladdin for who is he at first but Princess Jasmine isn't concerned about him at first. Her father is making her marry a prince and she must pick a prince and fall in love fast. The main piece in this movie is the magic lamp with a genie inside that will grant 3 wishes. Jafar who works for the royal family is found to really be evil and plot against the royal family to become more powerful than them. However, to obtain the lamp from the jaguar cave, a "diamond in the rough" is the only person allowed in the cave. This is when Aladdin comes along. Jafar tricks Aladdin to go into the cave and find the lamp and once Aladdin obtains the lamp, he accidentally rubs it and the genie comes out. Jafar ends up stealing the lamp from Aladdin through a series of tricks and we find out that Jafar is nothing without the genie. Towards the end of the movie we find out that Aladdin outsmarts Jafar and Aladdin is the true hero. This movie is a typical story and Aladdin and Jasmine fall in love and the genie is set free with Aladdin's help.

Even though this movie is animated, there are a lot of different shots. Medium close up, close up, over the shoulder and full body shots and more. Pretty much every scene shows the place of where the scene will be filmed which is cool that they still incorporate all the different shots in an animated film.

This movie is one of my all time favorites, it's a disney classic and will never be forgotten.

Samantha Pysher Post #3 The Dark Half 1993 George A. Romero

Samantha Pysher Post #3 The Dark Half 1993 George A. Romero

            The Dark Half is a movie derived from a book by Stephen King. If that doesn’t say something about the movie then I don’t know what will. Of course Stephen King is one of the most famous thriller/ horror writers in this day and age. This film is about a novelist, That, that had buried his alter ego, George Stark, which he used when writing fiction of a darker nature then what he normally wrote. After having a mock burial there is a killing that leads police to this grave and people begin to suspect Thad. During this time Thad is having visions of sparrows flying something that hasn’t happened since he had brain surgery twenty three years before hand. More and more murders start piling up and that is getting the blame. Then someone claiming to be George Stark starts calling Thad’s phone which causes Thad to start worrying about his family’s safety. Timothy Hutton plays Thad in the movie.

            This movie does a good job at creating a genuinely creepy atmosphere for the audience. There are very good plot twisted that only Stephen King could pull off. Actor Timothy Hutton gives an outstanding performance, he has a perfect hint of evil underneath his nice husband and father persona. He plays both Thad and George in a way that only Timothy Hutton could do. It does a good job of thrilling the audience and keeping us on the edge of our sleep.            

Samantha Pysher Post #2 Free Willy 1993 Simon Wincer

            Free Willy is a childhood classic that anybody born in the 90’s would know about. It stars Jason Richter as Jesse, Lori Petty as Rae Lindley and Michael Madsen as Glen Greenwood. The tag line says it all, “A 12 year old street kid. A three ton orca whale. A friendship you could never imagine. An adventure you’ll never forget.” Free Willy is about a troubled young boy, Jesse, who gets himself into some problems and is forced to clean up the mess he made at a marina. While there he befriends a trapped whale, Willy, and teaches him tricks, something the trainer hadn’t been able to do but in front of the crowds Willy couldn’t preform so the marina owner planned on doing hurtful things to Willy but Jesse had a plan to free him.

            The characters in this film are so well developed that they could be considered family in some people’s hearts. The plot is both entertaining and deep, dealing with emotions and courage in the face of danger. One thing I really like about this movie is it shows just how much people forget about how animals are treated in this world. As a society we tend to just turn our heads like we don’t see it but it still happens. There is a meaning behind the movie that everyone can take to heart. I didn’t realize it when I watched the movie as a kid but know I see the movie with a different perspective and see the deeper hidden meaning.

Samantha Pysher Post #1 The Three Musketeers 1993 Stephen Herek

Samantha Pysher Post #1 Three Musketeers 1993 Stephen Herek

            The three musketeers will always be a group of quirky heroes that will live on for generations to come. This version stars Kiefer Sutherland as Athos, Charlie Sheen as Aramis, Oliver Platt as Porthos, and Chris O’Donnell as the young side-kick D’Artagnan. The film takes place in France when a group of men are sworn to protect the King of France. D’Artagnan wants to become a musketeer so he follows them. This film represents a Victorian telling of the tale in a theatre: dauntless heroes, villains that can be freely disliked, and heroines that don’t mind taking up a sword to defend. There is lots of fast action, long rides on horseback, lots of sword fighting, and men in tights.

 I am a fan of the 1974 version of the Three Musketeers but this version was satisfactory. The development of the characters was good and true to the book, as was the acting. This movie accurately portrayed the first half of the story. One thing I really liked about this film was how well researched it was. It almost felt as if you were really there with them on their adventure. The plot, the filming, the editing everything was perfect and well worth watching.  Another thing I liked was how real the sword fights seemed, it was like they were a brutal game verse Hollywood’s normal fencing routines.

Alex Williams, Post #4, Porco Rosso, 1992, Hayao Miyazaki

First off, Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite directors of all time, and his films Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away are two of my favorite movies, so I went into this with high expectations.  I was not disappointed in any way.  Porco Rosso was absolutely fantastic, the animation was vibrant and smooth, and the characters were original and complex.
One thing that stood out to me about Porco Rosso was the use of color to symbolize particular characters.  First of all almost everything involving the main character, Porco, was red, whether it was his plane, or his necktie.  Red, symbolizing both passion and communism, symbolizes Porco's character very well, considering that the only thing that he wanted to do in his life was fly planes and be in the sky, as well as escape the fascist government of Italy.  Secondly, the character Fio is always seen wearing white clothing.  White is the symbol for innocence and purity, and Porco strives to keep her that way by not taking advantage of her when she moves in on him, and by fighting Donald when he tries to marry her.  Finally, the rich pompous American character, Donald, is represented by the color purple.  This color was chosen because purple is the symbol of royalty and stature and because Donald is extremely proud and wealthy.
I would recommend this movie to anybody, it is great for kids as well as adults and is really a movie that should not be missed.

Alex Williams, Post #3, Enchanted April, 1992, Mike Newell

Enchanted April not the kind of movie I would normally watch.  The film is about four London women who all go to Italy to relax, and eventually discover new things about themselves.  As a whole the characterization was well done, although at some points it did not make complete sense why certain character's attitudes changed so dramatically and quickly.  It was understood that the place they stayed at was supposed to me extremely comforting, but I felt like the plot was being manipulated when a chronically cheating husband suddenly became the image of monogamy in only a matter of hours.
My favorite device used in the film was the fact that you could hear the character's thoughts through voice over.  This added a new element to some of the conversations between characters, and made the dialogue feel a little bit more like a book's than a movie's.  I think that utilizing this third person perspective also made it much easier for the audience to relate to and understand the characters in the movie.
I would not necessarily recommend this movie to friends, but that is only because it is not a genre that I particularly enjoy.  If you like Jane Austen stories then you would probably also enjoy this.

"Ghost" (1990)

 The one thing I remember about watching Ghost for the first time was the theme song, “Unchained Melody”.  I went out and bought the sheet music so I could learn how to play it on the piano.  It was one of my favorite pieces to play- and I’m not very sure why.  What I do know is that the song is an almost perfect fit as a theme song for the movie and plot.  Although it is a very romantic, it is also sad at the same time- just like the movie.

                Even though Whoopi isn’t my favorite actress, I thought the movie itself was pretty good.  The overall feel I got for the movie was probably different than other people; the feeling of being so unbelievably in love with someone who is right in front of you, but with no way of possibly being with them must be agonizing.  That’s why the theme song fits so well to the actions of the characters and story-line; the viewer can see how in love Sam is with Molly, and how much Molly misses Sam, but no matter what they cannot have the life they thought they were before the murder.

                This movie was not a favorite of mine when it came down to filming, plot, and character development.  It was a pretty bad case of 90’s cheesy romantic movies.  Nonetheless, I think it had a few good key elements, but I think the connection and the prominence of those connections are not strong enough for the view to fully absorb.

"Dances with Wolves" (1990)

                Dances with Wolves has been one of my all time favorite movies since I was young.  This is probably because I’m from the West, and seeing mountains and open sky makes me happier than anything.  I also love the movie because of the meaning put behind the production and filming- the goal wasn’t to simply produce a high grossing movie (which it was with $424 million world-wide box office sales).  I personally find it strange that I ask many of my friends down here if they have seen it, and they think I’m crazy.  I grew up in the Colorado and Wyoming region, and lived almost ten years of my life on Arapahoe land.  Knowing about and being interested in the Native American culture and history has always been considered a “norm” for me, and I guess this movie has a different connection with me than other people who do not.

                One thing that I love about this movie is the real feeling I get from it.  This may be because of the natural and organic scenery, but also the technical filmmaking adds to the raw feeling of the movie.  If you think about it, this is when there was almost no computer editing or programming for film; this means that every animal, flower, person, rock, mountain, etc, were all actually there.  There are no animations or ways of digitally editing the film.  I can’t imagine how long it took to re-create a buffalo stampede without digitally adding in over a hundred buffalo.  The effort put into capturing the most real and raw footage to tell a story is amazing.

                Another unique thing about this American movie is it’s probably the only major American movie told in an actual native language.  English is not America’s native language; the lost language of the Native Americans is the true native language.  It is told in Lakota, which is the language of the Sioux Indians.

Molly Forke: Goodfellas

               

              GoodFellas (1990)  

               Not only does Goodfellas have an incredibly crazy plot and story line, but the way it is told through imagery, story-telling and narration is what truly captures the audience.  I was hooked from the first couple scenes where the story-line somewhat goes back in time from him as a twenty-one year-old burying a dead body, to him as a teenager running errands for the mafia.  It was a nice way to show in only a few seconds that his life didn't start out as a malicious mobster.

                Another aspect of Goodfellas that I loved was the narration; almost as if a character each tells a chapter of the story.  It gave a good insight from not only an audience point of view, but also the character’s point of view.  It gave me a chance to listen and understand what was going through their mind while I also watched what was going on around them.  For example when Karen was stood up by Henry the first time they were supposed to go on a date; watching the movie it was very obvious she was mad as she stormed up to him, but she also told what was going through her mind as she approached him.  It’s a nice touch to get a more two-dimensional point of view.  The fact that the narrator changes throughout the movie allows the viewers to get inside more than one person's head, allowing understanding of not only that character speaking, but also the relationship between each other.

                I also noticed that a wide variety of framing and cropping techniques were used throughout the movie, but the scene that stood out to me the most was toward the end when Jimmy is trying to kill Karen by telling her to go pick out a fur coat next door.  As she is walking down the sidewalk it crops to her face to show excitement slowly fade into worry.  As she realizes what is going on, the shot shows the entire street, including Jimmy at the end.  As Karen speeds off in her car, it stays zoomed out to show her exiting.  The way each shot was cropped and framed highlighted emotions from the characters, for example when the audience was forced to watch just Karen's face.  As she walked, the audience can see her eyes, mouth, smile/frown, and brow change as trust and happiness becomes worry and distrust when she realizes this close family friend is actually trying to have her "offed".

                This movie is definitely a classic, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.  I not only enjoyed the storyline, the characters, and the plot, but also the way it was all set up.