MY PLE!

I've learned so much from so many informational websites about film and television.

Although all were helpful in my quest for knowledge pertaining to the accuracy of my film blogs,

essays, and other evaluations referencing films, the most helpful sites out of all of these

happened to be: http://www.imdb.com/ , and http://www.rottentomatoes.com/#. I would also

be remiss if I did not thank Wikipedia for all of its amazing, exhaustive information on directors

and actors of the films we as a class concentrated on this semester.

Also, I would like to add Youtube.com to my list of useful sources. Some of these film reviewers

were, honestly, some of my biggest inspirations during this class. Thank you Youtube!






Short History of Film was an amazing, amazing class to be a part of.
Thank you!
-Lizzy Place

"New Hollywood"

What defines “New Hollywood”? Is it the ground-breaking films that succeeded in making it to the big screen, or the underground “Indy” films that influenced the more well-renowned yet society-changing, stirring films that we are all so familiar with to this day? It is indeed more common to refer to the more famous, and more prominent films in relation to “New Hollywood”. Although films such as The Graduate and My Fair Lady influenced many filmmakers after their introduction to the big screen, these films were not the first of their kind; they were derived and inspired by books, and less recognized films, even the stage! "New Hollywood" is what Hollywood became in the early 1960s,which gradually became more prevalent in film and television after the first, for lack of a better word, "scandalous" big screen hits came out.

"New Hollywood" is easily defined as the most influential and what are the most notable films in history; films that changed forever the way Hollywood was viewed forever. The graduate is a fantastic example of this particular occurrence; Benjamin Braddock (played by the much respected and immensely talented actor, Dustin Hoffman)
portrays a young man who has just graduated from college. He is confronted with feelings of... well, frankly, numbness and huge disappointment. In an effort to possibly conquer the debilitating sense of emptiness, loneliness, and just pure boredom, Benjamin Braddock has a shocking affair with a married woman named Mrs. Robinson. The entirety of the film, "The Graduate", is dedicated to documenting the emptiness and hollowness young newly graduated college students commonly experience. Although it is very particular of the time in which it was based, the film was a mildly unheard of, honest representation of life. Quite a gigantic step out of the closet for Hollywood (or shall I say, "New Hollywood")

Hollywood started as a prudish, conservative setting and transformed into what we all recognize as the daring and controversial scene of the "new age" of film. As we as a society have grown, the big screen has reflected that growth. As we have become more accepting, more adventurous, and possibly more imaginative, so have movies. Specifically, "New Hollywood" came into existence just as directors, writers, and actors decided that they wanted film to reflect the society they lived in. Previous to "New Hollywood", films were a sort of fiction... going to the Theater was similar to looking through a window into a different, more perfect world, whereas Post-"New Hollywood" going to the movies can be, at times, just as familiar as looking into a mirror.

-Bonnie and Clyde (another great representation of a film that transformed "old Hollywood" to the "New")

Bonnie and Clyde, with its unique camera angling styles and trans formative plot lines and script technique, changed a generation of filmmaker's methods and standards for good filmmaking forever. There can be no denying the impact that Bonnie and Clyde had on "New Hollywood". Credit must be given to these, and many other films such as: Heaven's Gate, One from the Heart, Psycho, Look who's Coming to Dinner, and uncountable others to the existence of what we now call Hollywood.

-CriticNeutral

(a.k.a. Elizabeth Place)

The Prescott Film Festival

Upon stepping over the threshold and passing through the old, wooden church doors I glanced around the room, rather timidly. The mere presence of the old establishment was quite intimidating. The building’s old-fashioned, pale yellow, brown, and red ceilings and floors were a strange sight to behold, having become used to the hospital-like bleached white walls of the college and of my own home. It was eerily and all at the same time beautifully lit; there was something charming about the way the aged, golden yellow lanterns on the wall touched the walls of the lobby. I was a little nervous about volunteering for the Prescott Film Festival, but the old churches’ appeal somehow illuminated how little there was to fear about the small but perfect revenue.

It was at the ticket-desk that I found the director of the film festival. He was a stern-looking older man with apparent enthusiasm for his work. He told me and another volunteer to begin scrawling out the names of the short and feature-length films that we would be showing that day. Soon what started out as slow-paced work to keep the surplus of volunteers busy became the frantic writing of movie titles to the point where our hands began to cramp as the crowds came flooding in, unexpectedly. Several of the volunteers took tickets and directed the audience to their seats as I handed out ballets so that they could vote for their favorite feature film or short. I believe that we, as volunteers, are crucial ingredients to the film festival. It is important to present an air of professionalism and courteousness when showing a film or films in special avenues or during events such as the Prescott Film Festival. Ticket-taking and handing out ballots may not seem the most vital of jobs during a film festival, but the festival could hardly have been done without such services.

(Independent filmmaker, director, and writer, Jamie Babbit. A personal idol)

At one point during the screenings, several volunteers were allowed to be seated and view a feature-length film called, The Selling. Directed and produced by Emily Lou, the selling is a film about an unsellable, haunted residence where a murderer had once lived (and died) and killed a gross amount of people (a dozen or so). A kind, timid, and unfortunately for him, honest real-estate seller (played by Gabriel Diani, also a producer and the sole writer of the project) took on the property in attempts to sell it in order to pay for his mother’s cancer treatments. The film was hilarious and I was fortunate enough to only be sat a few seats away from the writer, producers, director, and actors of the film. It was an incredible way to experience watching the film, having been sat so close to the cast and members of the film team; to hear their reactions, laughter, muttering, and inside jokes. I was in rapture of the entire experience, and although it was only a small-niche film I feel very blessed to have experienced the film the way I did.

I learned so much about what creating films and what slaving over one’s work can yield: amazing memories, new unforgettable relationships with co-workers, and a memorable work of art for (hopefully) all to see and appreciate. I would love to learn more about creating short and feature length films! From the cast of The Selling’s commentary after the film, each member of the team recounted their experience during the project and I felt such pride and accomplishment radiating from each different speaker. I think that working on set of a small or a large film such as The Selling would help me learn so much more about independent filmmaking, and I would definitely be grateful for an experience like that.

One thing that really hit home with me about making independent films from the Prescott Film Festival was one simple and underlying fact: it takes money to make a film. Yes, even when doing small, niche films like The Selling, films cost a lot of money to finance. This fact makes independent film a hard piece of art to put forth into the world (which worries me, as a young film major).

Film festivals are so incredibly important to communities, especially small communities including Prescott. I believe that without art, life is not worth living. Audiences, Adults and children alike, feel inclined to let their imaginations run wild; to dream. Without art, aspiring filmmakers would be lost. Sometimes when one knows what one loves to do, such as creating hilarious, inspirational, dreamlike films, one must do just that. It is not a matter of choice. No matter how much the job pays materially, working in film amongst amazing artists, writers, and actors is worth it.

I will most definitely be going to see more independent films in the future, specifically in film festivals. I’ve always been a dedicated independent film fan and follower, but because I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the Prescott Film Festival, I will now undoubtedly be an avid film festival go-er. I’m aware of Flagstaff’s regular film festivals and I will be attending their festivals as often as I can. I look very forward to becoming further immersed in the independent film community.

Blog Post #2

Godzilla: Cultural Interpretation, Contrast, and Influence

by Critic Neural (a.k.a. Liz Place)

In the 1950’s (1954 to be exact), a very monumental film was created. To this day, it is quite hard to find someone in Japan, or even America who has not heard the legendary title, Godzilla (or Gojira). “Gojira” (or more commonly known by American Viewers as “Godzilla”), the legendary sea monster, is sent quite literally by storm onto the shores of Odo Island one night after a tremendous hurricane. The monster, “Gojira”, is essentially a mindless, gigantic, and furious creature. Dr. Yamane, a man investigating the instances of terror surrounding Gojira and the people of the island, comes to the conclusion based on his studies that Gojira came into being as a product of a nuclear explosion. Because of this fact, Gojira’s creation is rather controversial to the researchers and town’s people. Many of Tokyo’s people are enraged that a nuclear explosion is the cause of the existence of Gojira, and others believe it best that this fact be kept secret for fear of more war or further destruction. Eventually, Dr. Yamane forfeits his life so that the secrets of the existence of Gojira with be safe and will be forever out of dangerous hands. The monster is vanquished and Tokyo is safe.

Directed by Ishiro Honda and written by Ishiro Honda and Takeo Murata, Gojira was and remains to this day as the sole, infamous monster movie/science fiction thriller of all time; regardless of how technology has advanced and, in turn, the quality of horror, thriller, and action films have improved, "Gojira" will always be a beloved and respected film that surpasses most others belonging to its genre.

-Godzilla, 1998 (American film)

The 1998 American adaptation of Gojira (Godzilla) stays relatively loyal to the open-ended plot of the original. Once again, nuclear testing is a main theme in the 1998 adaptation. And as though by fate, the radiation from the nuclear testing site in French Polynesia has tainted a lizard's nest, and Godzilla is, in a manner of speaking, reincarnated. The film even gives a nod (or a few) to "Gojira" by showing a Japanese Fishing boat being attacked by the monster. The only living survivor of the fleet is a man trying to verbalize what it is he thought he saw; "Gorjira" was all that he could manage to utter. One might possibly wonder where the new pronunciation for Gorjira originated from; reporters of the time mispronounced the correct title, "Gorjira", because (of course) they are ignorant Americans! There really aren't any truly distinctive differences between the two films other than, well, culture. Japan is very theatrical and America is, admittedly, overly dramatic and at times obnoxious in it's attempts to make a perfectly good film "bigger", "better", and "flashier" (as is typical of America; although it is endearing in a lot of ways and in a lot of films).

"Gorjira" of 1954 was dramatically different from "Godzilla" of 1998. For one thing, the American film was in color! Technology had advanced... it had been 44 years for pete sake! Well, lets admit it... apart from the similar if not exactly the same plots and endings of the films, there are nothing but differences. For me personally, the reviews are definitely what set these two films apart from each other. Audiences actually received Gorjira (in fact, they ate it up... and us film geeks continue to) but when it comes to `Godzilla, audiences weren't all that receptive; Audiences were duped into watching the poorly written, poorly constructed sequel-rip-off by showing just enough to get the viewers excited about the possibility of a promising film. As for the plot and character changes that were truly "necessary" for the transfer from the original Japanese version of the film to the newer American version of the film, they are as such: First of all, the creatures (the "Godzillas") of both films were altogether different. One was simply a ravenous mutated horrific monster (in the 1954 version), and in the American version the so called "monster" had a heart; Godzilla was simply a misunderstood, confused, and terrified animal doing its best to survive. The mutated lizards differed in this way, and also in that the original lizard spouted fire, whereas the preceding lizard did not. I believe that Godzilla made in 1998 was romanticized quite a lot more, and cared about the actual plot a whole lot less than that of its original, Gorjira. Gorjira is quite different when it comes to audience it is aiming to receive; it's more aimed toward the more serious fans of science fiction action movies. In conclusion, these films are aimed toward two very different audiences; Japanese humor, drama, and science fiction themes are far different from American standards of humor, drama, and film quality.

For your viewing pleasure, I happened upon a rather funny (and-caution-slightly irritating) evaluation of Godzilla (1998).

Enjoy!

-Critic Neutral

(Sources)

La Belle et la Bete

The General

Citizen Kane

It Happened One Night

Metropolis

"La Belle et la Bete"

Belle (Josette Day)




I think I can safely assume that we have all seen Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". Well, La Belle et la Bete is, more or less, the same film... Well, okay, maybe that's an overstatement. La Belle et la Bete happens to be warped, and Grim's-fairie-tale-like. The French film happens to be closer to the original tale than Disney's interpretation is (of course). Directed by Jean Cocteau and Rene Clement, and written by Jean Cocteau and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Le Belle et la Bete is a film depicting the classic love story of a man and a woman; an unlikely match, a Romeo and Juliet-esque tale about forbidden love. Josette Day plays Belle, the woman who offers up her own life for that of her father's by delivering herself to the Beast (la Bete). Belle is in complete control of her own destiny in this film; she may choose to leave the Beast and go home to her family, or she may stay with him in his castle. If this film were silent, Belle may have been interpreted as a damsel in distress but, instead, Belle was given the opportunity to truly express her emotions in a more natural and first-hand way. I believe that Belle is a feminist-icon. Belle ultimately shapes the outcome of her own life (although this fact is down-played a bit by her having gained a "handsome prince" in the process).




-CriticNeutral

"Citizen Kane"

Emily Monroe Norton Kane



Emily Monroe Norton Kane was Charles Foster Kane's first wife, whom he later is divorced to, having cheated on her with his future second wife. Emily is a dignified and sophisticated woman, who happens to be the niece of the President. Several years after having discovered that Kane was was having an affair with the "singer", Susan Alexander, Emily and her son (Kane's son) pass away in a tragic car accident. Previous to her death, Emily seemed powerless in her marriage. Kane was clearly consumed with his own obsessions of making himself more and more powerful, and Emily was forced to keep to herself. I believe that Emily eventually fell out of love with Kane. It seems to me that, during the scene in the film where Kane is found out (his affair), Emily is emotionally detached from Kane. Emily has already been emotionally betrayed by Kane; simply by ignoring her and being completely preoccupied with his own reputation and social status, Kane impaired his and Emily's marriage more than he could possibly have known or, rather, cared. Emily, although not the most verbal female character in this particular "talkie", Emily is closer still to a "real" woman than our own--near and dear--Annabelle Lee in The General.



-ComicNeutral