By: Jon Caramanica
Tuesday, March 12, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C5
This article is a music review of Busta Rhymes’ celebration of President Obama and the recession, during his start-stop tour. Caramanica clearly did not like performance, because it’s not his style of music. I like his lede though, because he states how Rhymes proposed a toast while pouring himself a little bit of Courvoisier, which I know is his favorite drink, and which he made a song out of. The lede caught my attention, because Caramanica says Rhymes’ celebration took place in New York, which is my hometown.
Caramanica’s “but” statement is in the third paragraph: “His entertainment start-stop tour through his catalog on Tuesday covered more than 20 songs and skipped plenty great ones. But what he performed was a testament to versatility: songs that emphasize his Jamaican heritage.”
One thing I think was cool, but Caramanica didn’t seem to enjoy was a funny move during his performance, “During ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See,’ Busta Rhymes went from loud to soft and back while Spliff Star mimed turning a key next to his mouth, as if manually adjusting the volume.”
Caramanica then ended the article saying Rhymes’ celebration had nothing to do with the word recession, “Later he sprayed Champagne over the crowd as if it were still the late Clinton era. For a minute, at least, there was no recession to speak of.”
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Times Are Tough on Wall Street and Wisteria Lane
By: Edward Wyatt
Thursday, March 12, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
This article talks about how very popular television comedy shows are coming out with episodes that relate to our economic crisis. The reader can tell what the article is about based on the lede, which grabs attention because it is very blunt, “Full-time moms are being forced to take part-time jobs, and corporate executives treat themselves to expensive wine after asking for a government bailout…”
Wyatt’s “but” statement comes shortly after in the third paragraph stating the shows that express economic crisis, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” on ABC, “The Simpsons” on Fox, “Flashpoint” on CBS and “30 Rock” on NBC: “Popular entertainment often takes the form of escapism in tough economic times. But a growing number of broadcast network shows have recently incorporated more real-life issues into their stories--a reflection, producers say, of how widespread the current financial troubles are.”
I think it is a good idea that these popular shows are coming out with these episodes, because it shows that the economic crisis is effecting everyone, not just the working and middle class.
One thing Wyatt mentions for readers to look forward to is the fact that networks are working to create series that involves things about the economic crisis, “Networks are even considering entire series based on the recession. Fox is developing a comedy titled ‘Two Dollar Beer,’ that features a group of friends living in Detroit who are trying to weather that city’s worsening financial condition, and ABC Studios is developing ’Canned’ a situation comedy about a group of friends who all get fired on the same day.”
The article ends with a quote from chairman of 20th century Fox Television, Gary Newman, “When our characters are dealing with things that are relatable to our own lives, it can become more meaningful,” which I agree, and they are still entertaining.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
This article talks about how very popular television comedy shows are coming out with episodes that relate to our economic crisis. The reader can tell what the article is about based on the lede, which grabs attention because it is very blunt, “Full-time moms are being forced to take part-time jobs, and corporate executives treat themselves to expensive wine after asking for a government bailout…”
Wyatt’s “but” statement comes shortly after in the third paragraph stating the shows that express economic crisis, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” on ABC, “The Simpsons” on Fox, “Flashpoint” on CBS and “30 Rock” on NBC: “Popular entertainment often takes the form of escapism in tough economic times. But a growing number of broadcast network shows have recently incorporated more real-life issues into their stories--a reflection, producers say, of how widespread the current financial troubles are.”
I think it is a good idea that these popular shows are coming out with these episodes, because it shows that the economic crisis is effecting everyone, not just the working and middle class.
One thing Wyatt mentions for readers to look forward to is the fact that networks are working to create series that involves things about the economic crisis, “Networks are even considering entire series based on the recession. Fox is developing a comedy titled ‘Two Dollar Beer,’ that features a group of friends living in Detroit who are trying to weather that city’s worsening financial condition, and ABC Studios is developing ’Canned’ a situation comedy about a group of friends who all get fired on the same day.”
The article ends with a quote from chairman of 20th century Fox Television, Gary Newman, “When our characters are dealing with things that are relatable to our own lives, it can become more meaningful,” which I agree, and they are still entertaining.
If You Think You're Good, You Should Think Again
By: Dwight Garner
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Book Review
NYT-The Arts, C6
This article is based on the book “The Life You Can Save” written by Peter Singer. The lede questions the readers whether they are a good person or a bad person. You can’t really tell what the review is going to be about based on the lede. He then introduces the book and says a little biography of Mr. Singer, saying he is a professor of bioethics at Princeton University, but insults him a little bit by saying that Mr. Singer made his career out of making people feel uncomfortable. After this statement, the reader can tell Garner does not like this author or his book.
But Garner does mention an interesting point Mr. Singer wrote in his book, “It‘s a volume that suggests given that 18 million people are dying unnecessarily each year in developing countries, that there is a ’moral stain on a world as rich as this one.’ We are not doing enough to help our fellow mortals.”
Garner feels personal when Singer says people makes so much money and waste it on things that are less important, “Am I ‘financially comfortable?’ My mortgage, my credit-card bills and my other debts scream no. But the $3 coffee I‘m drinking while I type this, and the Lucinda Williams concert tickets I just bought, tell me there is wiggle room in my budget.”
This review ends with a message to his readers, “You don‘t have to agree with everything in ‘The Life You Can Change’ to feel that there‘s no real debate: When it comes to living the so-called ‘good’ life, one‘s moral omissions count more than ever.”
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Book Review
NYT-The Arts, C6
This article is based on the book “The Life You Can Save” written by Peter Singer. The lede questions the readers whether they are a good person or a bad person. You can’t really tell what the review is going to be about based on the lede. He then introduces the book and says a little biography of Mr. Singer, saying he is a professor of bioethics at Princeton University, but insults him a little bit by saying that Mr. Singer made his career out of making people feel uncomfortable. After this statement, the reader can tell Garner does not like this author or his book.
But Garner does mention an interesting point Mr. Singer wrote in his book, “It‘s a volume that suggests given that 18 million people are dying unnecessarily each year in developing countries, that there is a ’moral stain on a world as rich as this one.’ We are not doing enough to help our fellow mortals.”
Garner feels personal when Singer says people makes so much money and waste it on things that are less important, “Am I ‘financially comfortable?’ My mortgage, my credit-card bills and my other debts scream no. But the $3 coffee I‘m drinking while I type this, and the Lucinda Williams concert tickets I just bought, tell me there is wiggle room in my budget.”
This review ends with a message to his readers, “You don‘t have to agree with everything in ‘The Life You Can Change’ to feel that there‘s no real debate: When it comes to living the so-called ‘good’ life, one‘s moral omissions count more than ever.”
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Tsunami That Buried a Wall Street Giant
Book Review By: Michiko Kakutani
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C4
This article is about the book “House of Cards” written by William D. Cohan, a former investment banker who is also author of “The Last Tycoons,” a 2007 book based on Lazard Freres & Company. The lede gives a little history of Bear Stearns, and what the book is about. The nation’s fifth largest investment bank that survived every crisis in the 20th century, never losing a quarter, now crashed and burned during these economic times, and what led to its downfall.
Kakutani then says what the book mentions, “As William D. Cohan makes clear in his engrossing new book, ‘House of Cards,’ Bear Stearns is also a kind of microcosm of what went wrong on Wall Street--from bad business decisions to a lack of oversight to greedy, arrogant C.E.O‘s--and a parable about how the second Gilded Age came slamming to a fast and furious end.” He then goes into a small paragraph about the author and his past works.
This article has no “but” statement because it is a book review. I am not sure what is the format for a book review, but this one gets me interested in the book, and summarizes it in a way that doesn’t get me confused, because the book is about the economy, which I never understand.
Kakutani points out two things Cohan talks about in his book. The first one has to do with Wall Street and how they are worried about the possibility the domino effect will happen in the financial markets. The second is the butterfly effect, which sounds very interesting. “…the flapping of a tiny butterfly‘s wings can lead to a gigantic storm in a globalized, interconnection world, where rumors fly around the planet by television and the Internet…”
This review ends with the effect the book can have to readers: “Mr. Cohan‘s account of its death spiral not only makes it riveting, edge-of-the seat- reading, but it also stands as a chilling cautionary tale about how greed and hubris and high risk gambling wrecked one company, and turned it into a metaphor for what the author calls ‘the near collapse of capitalism as we have known it.’”
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C4
This article is about the book “House of Cards” written by William D. Cohan, a former investment banker who is also author of “The Last Tycoons,” a 2007 book based on Lazard Freres & Company. The lede gives a little history of Bear Stearns, and what the book is about. The nation’s fifth largest investment bank that survived every crisis in the 20th century, never losing a quarter, now crashed and burned during these economic times, and what led to its downfall.
Kakutani then says what the book mentions, “As William D. Cohan makes clear in his engrossing new book, ‘House of Cards,’ Bear Stearns is also a kind of microcosm of what went wrong on Wall Street--from bad business decisions to a lack of oversight to greedy, arrogant C.E.O‘s--and a parable about how the second Gilded Age came slamming to a fast and furious end.” He then goes into a small paragraph about the author and his past works.
This article has no “but” statement because it is a book review. I am not sure what is the format for a book review, but this one gets me interested in the book, and summarizes it in a way that doesn’t get me confused, because the book is about the economy, which I never understand.
Kakutani points out two things Cohan talks about in his book. The first one has to do with Wall Street and how they are worried about the possibility the domino effect will happen in the financial markets. The second is the butterfly effect, which sounds very interesting. “…the flapping of a tiny butterfly‘s wings can lead to a gigantic storm in a globalized, interconnection world, where rumors fly around the planet by television and the Internet…”
This review ends with the effect the book can have to readers: “Mr. Cohan‘s account of its death spiral not only makes it riveting, edge-of-the seat- reading, but it also stands as a chilling cautionary tale about how greed and hubris and high risk gambling wrecked one company, and turned it into a metaphor for what the author calls ‘the near collapse of capitalism as we have known it.’”
Back to Gale-Force Power
By Jon Caramanica
Monday, March 9, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
Caramanica critiques Clarkson’s new album, “All I Ever Wanted,” and compares it to her previous albums. His lede starts with a rhetorical question: “Are we asking too much of Kelly Clarkson?” He then continues to say that it was unclear what kind of fame the 2002 American Idol winner was going to have. Along with the lede, he mentions Clarkson’s personality on the show of American Idol and how it changed as she became more famous. In the show, Clarkson was “down to earth and a bit awkward, expertly running through a raft of blues-infected classic soul, with a couple of detours to Celine Dion,” but when she came out with her first and second album, the songs were all about disappointment: “Since You‘ve Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Because of You,” and others.
Caramanica then goes into his “but” statement: “But Ms. Clarkson, allergic to tabloids and image consultants, often appeared adrift in the pop landscape. Her songs had become famous, but she herself less so.”
He also makes a funny remark to make his point: “So if her first album was the Obligation, her second the Breakthrough and her third the Reaction, then “All I Ever Wanted” plays out as Ms. Clarkson‘s Concession.”
Caramanica also criticizes her voice by saying it is “broad, nimble and gale-force strong.” I agree, but I actually like it. Kelly Clarkson is an amazing performer and I can relate to her songs. Only Kelly can pull the voice off, and it goes along with her songs, so why not shout the words out.
Caramanica ends his review by saying the Swedes’ songs don’t ask for as much voice as Clarkson’s songs do: “Theses songs don‘t ask as much of Ms. Clarkson‘s voice as the Swedes do, but they acknowledge that, after all these years, Ms. Clarkson‘s identity is finally firm: spurned, hurt and torn.”
Monday, March 9, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
Caramanica critiques Clarkson’s new album, “All I Ever Wanted,” and compares it to her previous albums. His lede starts with a rhetorical question: “Are we asking too much of Kelly Clarkson?” He then continues to say that it was unclear what kind of fame the 2002 American Idol winner was going to have. Along with the lede, he mentions Clarkson’s personality on the show of American Idol and how it changed as she became more famous. In the show, Clarkson was “down to earth and a bit awkward, expertly running through a raft of blues-infected classic soul, with a couple of detours to Celine Dion,” but when she came out with her first and second album, the songs were all about disappointment: “Since You‘ve Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Because of You,” and others.
Caramanica then goes into his “but” statement: “But Ms. Clarkson, allergic to tabloids and image consultants, often appeared adrift in the pop landscape. Her songs had become famous, but she herself less so.”
He also makes a funny remark to make his point: “So if her first album was the Obligation, her second the Breakthrough and her third the Reaction, then “All I Ever Wanted” plays out as Ms. Clarkson‘s Concession.”
Caramanica also criticizes her voice by saying it is “broad, nimble and gale-force strong.” I agree, but I actually like it. Kelly Clarkson is an amazing performer and I can relate to her songs. Only Kelly can pull the voice off, and it goes along with her songs, so why not shout the words out.
Caramanica ends his review by saying the Swedes’ songs don’t ask for as much voice as Clarkson’s songs do: “Theses songs don‘t ask as much of Ms. Clarkson‘s voice as the Swedes do, but they acknowledge that, after all these years, Ms. Clarkson‘s identity is finally firm: spurned, hurt and torn.”
"Watchmen," A Dark Tale, Lights Up Box Office'
By: Michael Cieply
Monday, March 9, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
This article is about how “Watchmen” made $55.7 million in ticket sales but “Tyler Perry‘s Madea Goes to Jail,” made $76.5 million, and Cieply says it makes sense, because “Watchmen” is not such a great movie. He even got a quote from a viewer: “Everyone around me liked it a lot more than I did,” said by a professor who teaches courses in genre film, television and comics at Duke University.
The film’s director, Zack Snyder, said a comment, which Cieply then makes it part of his “but” statement: “Mr. Snyder publicly fretted that too faithful a rendering of this dark tale would cause viewers to ‘slit their wrists and call it a day in their theater.’” Cieply’s “but” statement is: “The weekend‘s solid performance, at least, put aside those decades-long battle by the producer Lawrence Gordon and others to get the difficult project on screens.”
The kicker is the total number of tickets sold for the year of 2008, which is $1.9 billion, and he gives a guess as to why it went up by about 15 percent: “Since Christmas the United States box office has been unusually strong, as viewers--perhaps looking to escape bad news and diminishing prospects on the economic front--have flocked to crowds pleasers like ‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop,’ and ‘He’s Just Not That Into You.’”
Monday, March 9, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
This article is about how “Watchmen” made $55.7 million in ticket sales but “Tyler Perry‘s Madea Goes to Jail,” made $76.5 million, and Cieply says it makes sense, because “Watchmen” is not such a great movie. He even got a quote from a viewer: “Everyone around me liked it a lot more than I did,” said by a professor who teaches courses in genre film, television and comics at Duke University.
The film’s director, Zack Snyder, said a comment, which Cieply then makes it part of his “but” statement: “Mr. Snyder publicly fretted that too faithful a rendering of this dark tale would cause viewers to ‘slit their wrists and call it a day in their theater.’” Cieply’s “but” statement is: “The weekend‘s solid performance, at least, put aside those decades-long battle by the producer Lawrence Gordon and others to get the difficult project on screens.”
The kicker is the total number of tickets sold for the year of 2008, which is $1.9 billion, and he gives a guess as to why it went up by about 15 percent: “Since Christmas the United States box office has been unusually strong, as viewers--perhaps looking to escape bad news and diminishing prospects on the economic front--have flocked to crowds pleasers like ‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop,’ and ‘He’s Just Not That Into You.’”
Upended by Downsizing
By Manohla Dargis
Friday, March 13, 2009
NYT-Weekend Arts, C1
Dargis reviews the movie “Tokyo Sonata,” and criticizes it based on the Japanese director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The lede talks about Kurosawa’s fame in making horror films, “A genius of dread, known for his unnerving horror films and eerie thrillers, the wildly prolific Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa tends to ply his trade with spooky silences, a lived-in feel for everyday, droning life and a sense of social unease.”
Dargis then walks right into her “but” statement, “Though his latest to hit the American big screen, ‘Tokyo Sonata,’ looks like a family melodrama--if a distinctly eccentric variant on the typical domestic affair--there is more than a touch of horror to its story of a salary man whose downsizing sets off a series of cataclysmic events.”
One thing most movie critics don’t comment on much is the editing, and Dargis does a great job in making a point of how even though Kurosawa separated the family in the beginning of the movie, he brought them back together with his editing. “…which pivots on an ethereal rendition of Debussy‘s ‘Clair de Lune,’ he keeps the discordant layers of his composition in harmonious play.”
Dargis kicker talk about the father’s role in the movie and how it somehow unites the family at the end, “an economic crisis shakes the family up--it brings the father to his knees, lifts the mother, almost destroys one son and liberates the other--but it‘s art, useless art, that unites them.”
I like this review, because I am interested in Japanese made movies. I think they have so much emotion in them, and there are so many American movies, that everything seems so fake. But Japanese movies are very intense and actually have a real story to it. One can clearly see the directors’ message.
Friday, March 13, 2009
NYT-Weekend Arts, C1
Dargis reviews the movie “Tokyo Sonata,” and criticizes it based on the Japanese director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The lede talks about Kurosawa’s fame in making horror films, “A genius of dread, known for his unnerving horror films and eerie thrillers, the wildly prolific Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa tends to ply his trade with spooky silences, a lived-in feel for everyday, droning life and a sense of social unease.”
Dargis then walks right into her “but” statement, “Though his latest to hit the American big screen, ‘Tokyo Sonata,’ looks like a family melodrama--if a distinctly eccentric variant on the typical domestic affair--there is more than a touch of horror to its story of a salary man whose downsizing sets off a series of cataclysmic events.”
One thing most movie critics don’t comment on much is the editing, and Dargis does a great job in making a point of how even though Kurosawa separated the family in the beginning of the movie, he brought them back together with his editing. “…which pivots on an ethereal rendition of Debussy‘s ‘Clair de Lune,’ he keeps the discordant layers of his composition in harmonious play.”
Dargis kicker talk about the father’s role in the movie and how it somehow unites the family at the end, “an economic crisis shakes the family up--it brings the father to his knees, lifts the mother, almost destroys one son and liberates the other--but it‘s art, useless art, that unites them.”
I like this review, because I am interested in Japanese made movies. I think they have so much emotion in them, and there are so many American movies, that everything seems so fake. But Japanese movies are very intense and actually have a real story to it. One can clearly see the directors’ message.
15 Years of Blood (Fake), Sweat and Tears (Real)
“As ‘ER’ Winds Down, Its Veteran Crew Reflects on the Show”
By Edward Wyatt
Thursday, February 26, 2009
NYT- The Arts-C1
The NBC show "ER" is having its final episodes and is closing this spring in April 2nd after 15 years. The show has won 22 Emmys. This article talks about how many stars have come and go, but the people behind the scenes stuck with the show throughout its years.
The lede announces that "ER" is having its last episodes, which already grabs attention, because for those who are big fans of the show, it could be shocking news.
The "but" statement is the fourth paragraph, "While roughly 750 actors have appeared in multiple episodes of "ER," none of them have remained part of the cast since the program's first year. Some 20 people, however, who don't appear on camera or speak a line have been with the series essentially its entire run.”
The kicker is a quote from Terence Nightingall, the show's camera operator since 1994, "Most of 'ER' veterans call their workplace their home and coworkers their family." Mr. Nightingall met his wife there and had two children. "I met her 12 years ago, and we have two 'ER' kids, ages 11 and 9...I remember the early 'ER' Christmas parties. There were a handful of kids. If you go to an 'ER' party today, it is totally governed by kids. And I think that itself is a really fantastic story about this show."
By Edward Wyatt
Thursday, February 26, 2009
NYT- The Arts-C1
The NBC show "ER" is having its final episodes and is closing this spring in April 2nd after 15 years. The show has won 22 Emmys. This article talks about how many stars have come and go, but the people behind the scenes stuck with the show throughout its years.
The lede announces that "ER" is having its last episodes, which already grabs attention, because for those who are big fans of the show, it could be shocking news.
The "but" statement is the fourth paragraph, "While roughly 750 actors have appeared in multiple episodes of "ER," none of them have remained part of the cast since the program's first year. Some 20 people, however, who don't appear on camera or speak a line have been with the series essentially its entire run.”
The kicker is a quote from Terence Nightingall, the show's camera operator since 1994, "Most of 'ER' veterans call their workplace their home and coworkers their family." Mr. Nightingall met his wife there and had two children. "I met her 12 years ago, and we have two 'ER' kids, ages 11 and 9...I remember the early 'ER' Christmas parties. There were a handful of kids. If you go to an 'ER' party today, it is totally governed by kids. And I think that itself is a really fantastic story about this show."
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Premium Orange Out Wins Acabellas: Live performance
Seats filled up at the best LAC event of the quarter, the Acabellas and Premium Orange concert. The show began at 8:00 p.m. but students began arriving an hour before the show, just to get seats. Students weren’t even able to reserve seats for friends, because the people at the door were handing out numbers, keeping count of the number of students. This time, students weren't allowed to stand up in the back or sit by the stairs. But all of that work was for nothing, because the performance was not as great as fall quarter's performance.
As the audience unnecessarily fought their way into Dalton Theater in the Fine Arts building, Acabellas began with their opening song Help! by The Beatles. One could literally cry for help, because not only was this a song performed last quarter, but also by the same singer. The handout listed the name of songs and their artists, and it was frustrating to see that there were only about four songs that were different from fall quarter’s performance.
Last quarter’s concert was mind blowing. The crowd went wild when Briana Scales "shook her nasty butt" when singing her solo part in "Baby Got Back" by Jonathan Coulton. Scales, who is in fact the best performer and the best voice of the group, was disappointing when she sang "Disturbia" by Rihanna for the second time. In fact, any of the repeated songs were not exciting. The audience was not as enthusiastic about those performances. Not even the performers themselves were energetic enough to want to live them up.
One performer who improved was Elizabeth Lordon with "One Step at a Time" by Jordon Sparks. Her last performance was weak at the beginning, because she was nervous and one could hear it in her voice, but the audience applauded her for encouragement. But this time, Lordon couldn't hit the high notes.
The best performance from Acabellas was their last song, "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas performed by Hannah Royce. Each performer of the group had a personally crafted guitar, which they all faked played and then smashed in the ground in a "punk rock" way as a good ending for their performance before the next chorus Premium Orange came out.
Premium Orange definitely out won Acabellas with songs that were mellower, but that attracted more attention, because it involved real singing. Performers Jackie Jessup and Jarrod Howlett sang "Ain't No Mountain" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, two of the best voices to sing the song's high notes and harmony. The best performance was song "Hallelujah" by John Cale performed by best performer and best voice Dwight Trice who blew heads away also hitting the high notes which surprised the audience because it was so unexpected.
The show ended with Premium Orange's last song “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens, and afterwards both choruses gave their thanks to those who helped put the concert together.
The show was good overall, but they really should come up with new songs for spring’s concert.
As the audience unnecessarily fought their way into Dalton Theater in the Fine Arts building, Acabellas began with their opening song Help! by The Beatles. One could literally cry for help, because not only was this a song performed last quarter, but also by the same singer. The handout listed the name of songs and their artists, and it was frustrating to see that there were only about four songs that were different from fall quarter’s performance.
Last quarter’s concert was mind blowing. The crowd went wild when Briana Scales "shook her nasty butt" when singing her solo part in "Baby Got Back" by Jonathan Coulton. Scales, who is in fact the best performer and the best voice of the group, was disappointing when she sang "Disturbia" by Rihanna for the second time. In fact, any of the repeated songs were not exciting. The audience was not as enthusiastic about those performances. Not even the performers themselves were energetic enough to want to live them up.
One performer who improved was Elizabeth Lordon with "One Step at a Time" by Jordon Sparks. Her last performance was weak at the beginning, because she was nervous and one could hear it in her voice, but the audience applauded her for encouragement. But this time, Lordon couldn't hit the high notes.
The best performance from Acabellas was their last song, "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas performed by Hannah Royce. Each performer of the group had a personally crafted guitar, which they all faked played and then smashed in the ground in a "punk rock" way as a good ending for their performance before the next chorus Premium Orange came out.
Premium Orange definitely out won Acabellas with songs that were mellower, but that attracted more attention, because it involved real singing. Performers Jackie Jessup and Jarrod Howlett sang "Ain't No Mountain" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, two of the best voices to sing the song's high notes and harmony. The best performance was song "Hallelujah" by John Cale performed by best performer and best voice Dwight Trice who blew heads away also hitting the high notes which surprised the audience because it was so unexpected.
The show ended with Premium Orange's last song “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens, and afterwards both choruses gave their thanks to those who helped put the concert together.
The show was good overall, but they really should come up with new songs for spring’s concert.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Nasty Comments About Celeb's Weight Hurt Fans(Latest Version)
Writers cross the line from harmless entertainment to cruelty and dangerous messages. In the mind of a writer of a magazine or newspaper, photographers and any type of media, they think celebrities’ feelings don’t get hurt when they talk about their weight. They feel celebrities like the fame so they shouldn’t care what they say about them. But media needs to realize that celebrities are human! They shouldn’t be judged by how many pounds they gain. The appearance of celebrities is something that is refined to make them look appealing on the television. The media thinks it is what people want to see, but what people want to see is their talent. After all, that is the reason why they became famous. The media should only critique celebrities’ performances, voices, dance skills, and their character and how they express it through their work, and their effort is what makes them a great role model.
Many celebrities get their pictures taken whether they like it or not. They are mostly taken in bad moments, because tabloids always want to find any tiny negative issue and exaggerate on details to sell their story. Recently, the issue is celebrities not maintaining their shaped figures and tabloids going overboard on their comments, which harms both celebrities and fans’ self-esteem.
One thing the media does not seem to comment on is male celebrities physical appeal. All people see is female celebrities being scrutinized for their weight. Jessica Simpson was recently photographed when performing at the Radio 99.9 Kiss Country’s annual Chili Cookoff. Tabloids say it is wrong of Simpson to gain so much weight, because fans see her as the girl of “Dukes of Hazard,” which is about a size two. In an article in Pop Machine by Mark Caro, Caro makes a point about how the Simpson issue came about the same time as Alec Baldwin, but tabloids did not say anything about his weight gain.
“So, yes, there is a problem with people obsessing over how Simpson fills out a pair of jeans. The double standards are so obvious that they shouldn’t even merit mentioning, but for the record: Alec Baldwin of 2009 looks like he ate the Alec Baldwin of 1989 for lunch, but writers and everyday folk don’t obsess over his weight gain. Instead, they celebrate his droll comic timing and talent, which is as it should be.”
Female celebrities are as talented as male celebrities. Both made their way up to the top the same way by using their talents. Sure looks go along with being a celebrity, but it is not all celebrities are about. Celebrities influence the pop culture, which is probably the most important type of culture, because it involves everything starting with adolescents’ interest in movies, music, and fashion. Again, one has to have skills or talent to promote these types of media, so if the media sits down and think about what they do and who they reach out to, they would realize that it is the pop culture who are influenced the most based on what they publish. So when something like celebrities’ weight gain is negatively commented on, the media not only hurts the celebrities, but also these adolescents.
Many fans look up to celebrities and want to look like them, so if they read in a magazine or see on television something negative said about their weight, they will take it personal and say they were fat all along. According to a teen health article, television and movies are the reason why 54 percent American girls and women aged 12 to 23 years old are unhappy with their bodies. About 5 to 10 million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. It is ridiculous that so many women and girls go through so much insecurity at such an early age. What is needed to keep in mind is at age 12, girls are entering their adolescent years when puberty and self-esteem develop. The media takes advantage of this and attacks these adolescent girls by not only exposing them to “perfect figures,” but by harshly criticizing what seems like perfection, and this contributes to low self-esteem.
In an article in “The Huffington Post,” actress Jennifer Love Hewitt felt very strong about the media constantly scrutinizing celebrities’ bodies.
“This is the last time I will address this subject. I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size two is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size zero doesn't make you beautiful. What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini, put it on and stay strong.”
Role model Tyra Banks gained a few pounds throughout her career, but not as much as tabloids exaggerate. Pictures expose her huge thighs with cellulite oozing out of her bathing suit. Writers were disgusted and disappointed at the fact Banks would tell models how to look and she couldn’t maintain her model figure herself. When such news was released about her, Banks responded in “You Call This Fat?” in People magazine:
“It was really hurtful to me. I get so much mail from young girls who say, ‘I look up to you, you’re not as skinny as everyone else, I think you’re beautiful,’” Banks says. “So when they say that my body is ‘ugly’ and ‘disgusting,’ what does that make those girls feel like?” Banks says.
To avoid any conflict about the news of her weight gain, in “The Tyra Banks Show,” Banks had an episode of overweight teenaged girls who have eating disorders and tried helping them by giving them advice of how their disease can be treated. Self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner, who suffered from eating disorders says recovery can take many shapes in someone’s life, but many that recover are healthier than ever.
Oprah Winfrey was known for having thyroid disease at some time in her career. In “O, The Oprah Magazine,” in January 2009, Winfrey wrote an article called “How Did I Let This Happen Again?” She expresses the struggle of her eating disorder and the depression she was going through and tells the public how she was able to overcome it.
“My goal isn't to be thin. My goal is for my body to be the weight it can hold—to be strong and healthy and fit, to be itself. My goal is to learn to embrace this body and to be grateful every day for what it has given me.”
Every women needs to take this into consideration, especially coming from a celebrity who suffered from low self-esteem. Female celebrities are humans too and no human would want to be put on the spot and get shout out for her augmentation in weight.
Not saying that male celebrities should be judged for their weight gain or loss, but it is not fair that female celebrities are judged so harshly. It has such a great influence on other women, it harms the women's self-esteem, causing a great deal of pain. (I need a better ending!)
Many celebrities get their pictures taken whether they like it or not. They are mostly taken in bad moments, because tabloids always want to find any tiny negative issue and exaggerate on details to sell their story. Recently, the issue is celebrities not maintaining their shaped figures and tabloids going overboard on their comments, which harms both celebrities and fans’ self-esteem.
One thing the media does not seem to comment on is male celebrities physical appeal. All people see is female celebrities being scrutinized for their weight. Jessica Simpson was recently photographed when performing at the Radio 99.9 Kiss Country’s annual Chili Cookoff. Tabloids say it is wrong of Simpson to gain so much weight, because fans see her as the girl of “Dukes of Hazard,” which is about a size two. In an article in Pop Machine by Mark Caro, Caro makes a point about how the Simpson issue came about the same time as Alec Baldwin, but tabloids did not say anything about his weight gain.
“So, yes, there is a problem with people obsessing over how Simpson fills out a pair of jeans. The double standards are so obvious that they shouldn’t even merit mentioning, but for the record: Alec Baldwin of 2009 looks like he ate the Alec Baldwin of 1989 for lunch, but writers and everyday folk don’t obsess over his weight gain. Instead, they celebrate his droll comic timing and talent, which is as it should be.”
Female celebrities are as talented as male celebrities. Both made their way up to the top the same way by using their talents. Sure looks go along with being a celebrity, but it is not all celebrities are about. Celebrities influence the pop culture, which is probably the most important type of culture, because it involves everything starting with adolescents’ interest in movies, music, and fashion. Again, one has to have skills or talent to promote these types of media, so if the media sits down and think about what they do and who they reach out to, they would realize that it is the pop culture who are influenced the most based on what they publish. So when something like celebrities’ weight gain is negatively commented on, the media not only hurts the celebrities, but also these adolescents.
Many fans look up to celebrities and want to look like them, so if they read in a magazine or see on television something negative said about their weight, they will take it personal and say they were fat all along. According to a teen health article, television and movies are the reason why 54 percent American girls and women aged 12 to 23 years old are unhappy with their bodies. About 5 to 10 million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. It is ridiculous that so many women and girls go through so much insecurity at such an early age. What is needed to keep in mind is at age 12, girls are entering their adolescent years when puberty and self-esteem develop. The media takes advantage of this and attacks these adolescent girls by not only exposing them to “perfect figures,” but by harshly criticizing what seems like perfection, and this contributes to low self-esteem.
In an article in “The Huffington Post,” actress Jennifer Love Hewitt felt very strong about the media constantly scrutinizing celebrities’ bodies.
“This is the last time I will address this subject. I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size two is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size zero doesn't make you beautiful. What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini, put it on and stay strong.”
Role model Tyra Banks gained a few pounds throughout her career, but not as much as tabloids exaggerate. Pictures expose her huge thighs with cellulite oozing out of her bathing suit. Writers were disgusted and disappointed at the fact Banks would tell models how to look and she couldn’t maintain her model figure herself. When such news was released about her, Banks responded in “You Call This Fat?” in People magazine:
“It was really hurtful to me. I get so much mail from young girls who say, ‘I look up to you, you’re not as skinny as everyone else, I think you’re beautiful,’” Banks says. “So when they say that my body is ‘ugly’ and ‘disgusting,’ what does that make those girls feel like?” Banks says.
To avoid any conflict about the news of her weight gain, in “The Tyra Banks Show,” Banks had an episode of overweight teenaged girls who have eating disorders and tried helping them by giving them advice of how their disease can be treated. Self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner, who suffered from eating disorders says recovery can take many shapes in someone’s life, but many that recover are healthier than ever.
Oprah Winfrey was known for having thyroid disease at some time in her career. In “O, The Oprah Magazine,” in January 2009, Winfrey wrote an article called “How Did I Let This Happen Again?” She expresses the struggle of her eating disorder and the depression she was going through and tells the public how she was able to overcome it.
“My goal isn't to be thin. My goal is for my body to be the weight it can hold—to be strong and healthy and fit, to be itself. My goal is to learn to embrace this body and to be grateful every day for what it has given me.”
Every women needs to take this into consideration, especially coming from a celebrity who suffered from low self-esteem. Female celebrities are humans too and no human would want to be put on the spot and get shout out for her augmentation in weight.
Not saying that male celebrities should be judged for their weight gain or loss, but it is not fair that female celebrities are judged so harshly. It has such a great influence on other women, it harms the women's self-esteem, causing a great deal of pain. (I need a better ending!)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
For a Cold War, a Blue Superhero (and Friends)
NYT-Weekend Arts, C1
Friday, March 7, 2009
By: A.O. Scott
This movie review is very funny. Scott says the movie was really good, full of action, but it would have been better to watch it in 1985 when the movie takes place, and when the movie would have made more sense. He also uses the stereotype of an ‘80’s, nerdy freshmen or sophomore in college who still has his comic book collection full of dust and is excited to finally see one of his favorite comics “The Watchmen” come out in theaters.
Scott continues using this stereotype by writing about the female costumes and how the nerd would really enjoy seeing actresses Carla Gugino and Malin Akerman who accessorize with shoulder-padded spandex leotards, belts, and high heeled boots.
Scott’s “but” statement is right in the middle of the review: “Mr. Moore--whose work has been poorly served by movies like ‘V for Vendetta,’ ‘From Hell’ and ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’--has declared that ‘Watchmen’ is impossible to film. Perhaps he meant to say redundant, wince there are times that the filmmakers seem to have used his book less as an inspiration than as a storyboard. The inevitable omission of some stuff-a pirate-themed comic-within-the-comic; a mysterious gathering of artists and writers; a giant squid-may rankle die-hard cultists, but the tome of world-weary, self-justifying rage has been faithfully preserved, which may be a problem for everyone else.”
While commenting on the horrible sex that occurs with characters Silk Spectre and Nite Owl II in his airship, the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen is playing during the scene, which Scott questions what is it with this song playing in movies so often. “Yes, I too have heard there was a secret chord that David played, and blah blah blah, but I don‘t want to hear it again. Do you?” He then gives another “but:” “The sex may be laughable, but the violence is another matter.” He talks about the action that occurs and how well the actors and actresses perform it.
The review ends with a comment on the film’s dramatic conflict, which he feels is immature. “Perhaps there is some pleasure to be found in regressing into this belligerent, adolescent state of mind. But maybe it‘s better to grow up.”
Friday, March 7, 2009
By: A.O. Scott
This movie review is very funny. Scott says the movie was really good, full of action, but it would have been better to watch it in 1985 when the movie takes place, and when the movie would have made more sense. He also uses the stereotype of an ‘80’s, nerdy freshmen or sophomore in college who still has his comic book collection full of dust and is excited to finally see one of his favorite comics “The Watchmen” come out in theaters.
Scott continues using this stereotype by writing about the female costumes and how the nerd would really enjoy seeing actresses Carla Gugino and Malin Akerman who accessorize with shoulder-padded spandex leotards, belts, and high heeled boots.
Scott’s “but” statement is right in the middle of the review: “Mr. Moore--whose work has been poorly served by movies like ‘V for Vendetta,’ ‘From Hell’ and ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’--has declared that ‘Watchmen’ is impossible to film. Perhaps he meant to say redundant, wince there are times that the filmmakers seem to have used his book less as an inspiration than as a storyboard. The inevitable omission of some stuff-a pirate-themed comic-within-the-comic; a mysterious gathering of artists and writers; a giant squid-may rankle die-hard cultists, but the tome of world-weary, self-justifying rage has been faithfully preserved, which may be a problem for everyone else.”
While commenting on the horrible sex that occurs with characters Silk Spectre and Nite Owl II in his airship, the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen is playing during the scene, which Scott questions what is it with this song playing in movies so often. “Yes, I too have heard there was a secret chord that David played, and blah blah blah, but I don‘t want to hear it again. Do you?” He then gives another “but:” “The sex may be laughable, but the violence is another matter.” He talks about the action that occurs and how well the actors and actresses perform it.
The review ends with a comment on the film’s dramatic conflict, which he feels is immature. “Perhaps there is some pleasure to be found in regressing into this belligerent, adolescent state of mind. But maybe it‘s better to grow up.”
NYT Defenses: "Frontier of Dawn"
Mirrors of Love, Unapologetically Yours
By Manohla Dargis
Published: March 6, 2009
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/movies/06dawn.html?ref=movies
This article talks mainly about the performances of the main characters, Laure Smet who plays Carole and Louis Garrel who plays Francois. Dargis says their performance is strong at the beginning but falls out throughout the movie. She also summarizes the relationship both of these character have and the conflicts that come about with Carole’s husband and Francois’ other girlfriend Eve (Clementine Poidatz).
The lede is just a tiny summary of the main conflict in the film. It catches the readers attention in a way to get them interested in the film, but you can’t really tell what Dargis’s entire review is from the lede. The “but” statement is not until the very end of the review. It is the first two sentences of the last paragraph, “The younger Mr. Garrel, whose free flowing tears and beauty were designed for tragedy never seems to have to work hard to seduce an audience, and the easiness of his charm can make him appear overly callow. But because he wears it lightly, that charm can also seem like a flimsy defense, which in turn invests him with an acute air of vulnerability.” The kicker is a description of director Philippe Garrel’s commitment of love.
By Manohla Dargis
Published: March 6, 2009
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/movies/06dawn.html?ref=movies
This article talks mainly about the performances of the main characters, Laure Smet who plays Carole and Louis Garrel who plays Francois. Dargis says their performance is strong at the beginning but falls out throughout the movie. She also summarizes the relationship both of these character have and the conflicts that come about with Carole’s husband and Francois’ other girlfriend Eve (Clementine Poidatz).
The lede is just a tiny summary of the main conflict in the film. It catches the readers attention in a way to get them interested in the film, but you can’t really tell what Dargis’s entire review is from the lede. The “but” statement is not until the very end of the review. It is the first two sentences of the last paragraph, “The younger Mr. Garrel, whose free flowing tears and beauty were designed for tragedy never seems to have to work hard to seduce an audience, and the easiness of his charm can make him appear overly callow. But because he wears it lightly, that charm can also seem like a flimsy defense, which in turn invests him with an acute air of vulnerability.” The kicker is a description of director Philippe Garrel’s commitment of love.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tyra Banks Weight Gain Fat Picture: Response to Critical Essay
http://ifitandhealthy.com/tyra-banks-weight-gain-fat-picture/ Tyra Banks: Weight Gain, Fat and a Picture
This article is called “You Call This Fat?” and it is found in People magazine from February 2007. Tyra Banks talks about gaining weight and how she dealt with the critics who called her fat. She tells a story of how she began her career doing runways for top designers. When she hit puberty, many designers would not hire her, because of her big hips. When the agency told Tyra and her mother to lose ten lbs., her mother decided to go back home and talk about Tyra’s next move and eat pizza. They decided to go to the commercial side and Tyra booked jobs in Sports Illustrated and Victoria Secret.
Good friend Heidi Klum said, “When she walked down the Victoria Secret runway, she was bigger than all the other girls, but if you asked anyone who their favorite was, it was always Tyra, because she’s curvy,” Klum says. “She hid the body parts she didn’t want to show, and she rocked it.”
Tyra was seen wearing a bathing suit and she looked like she gained about 20 pounds. Cellulites were seen on her thighs. The tabloids wrote a lot of bad things and exaggerated on how much weight she gained. But Tyra maintained her self-esteem and said she does not need to be a size two model to be a commercial model, and she is perfectly happy with the way she looks and continues eating anything she wants. In “The Tyra Banks Show,” Tyra helped teenage girls build a higher self-esteem, to be happy with the way they look, and help them with their eating disorders.
This article has to do with my final project, because my topic is how tabloid magazines print many pictures and write very mean comments based on celebrities’ weight gain, which harms young girls and women who look up to those celebrities.
This article is called “You Call This Fat?” and it is found in People magazine from February 2007. Tyra Banks talks about gaining weight and how she dealt with the critics who called her fat. She tells a story of how she began her career doing runways for top designers. When she hit puberty, many designers would not hire her, because of her big hips. When the agency told Tyra and her mother to lose ten lbs., her mother decided to go back home and talk about Tyra’s next move and eat pizza. They decided to go to the commercial side and Tyra booked jobs in Sports Illustrated and Victoria Secret.
Good friend Heidi Klum said, “When she walked down the Victoria Secret runway, she was bigger than all the other girls, but if you asked anyone who their favorite was, it was always Tyra, because she’s curvy,” Klum says. “She hid the body parts she didn’t want to show, and she rocked it.”
Tyra was seen wearing a bathing suit and she looked like she gained about 20 pounds. Cellulites were seen on her thighs. The tabloids wrote a lot of bad things and exaggerated on how much weight she gained. But Tyra maintained her self-esteem and said she does not need to be a size two model to be a commercial model, and she is perfectly happy with the way she looks and continues eating anything she wants. In “The Tyra Banks Show,” Tyra helped teenage girls build a higher self-esteem, to be happy with the way they look, and help them with their eating disorders.
This article has to do with my final project, because my topic is how tabloid magazines print many pictures and write very mean comments based on celebrities’ weight gain, which harms young girls and women who look up to those celebrities.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Oscars
The 81st Annual Academy Awards
The 81st Annual Academy Awards opens with host Hugh Jackman showing a wacky side of him by singing a song of the top best films nominees to win an Oscar. The comical performance surprises his audience and leaves them laughing as a good start for the best night of many actors and actresses. Comparing to previous Oscars, the 81st awards was only three hours and thirty minutes. It was still too long, but all of the awards were worth mentioning. One very meaningful award is Best Supporting Actor awarded to Heath Ledger for his performance in “The Dark Night” as the joker. On behalf of Ledger, his family accepted the award giving a nice speech of gratitude.
“Slumdog Millionaire” steals the attention when wining the Adapted-Screenplay Award for Simon Beaufoy, Best Cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle, film-editing and sound-mixing, plus Best Motion Picture by Christian Colson. The entire cast and crew happily joins Colson on the stage to accept the award. The film also wins an award for Best Score and Best Song “Jai Ho” by A.R. Rahman, which he was able to perform together with John Legend singing best song nominee from the film Wall-E.
Accepting the award for Best Original Screenplay is Dustin Lance Black for the film “Milk” giving a great speech of how the case of Harvey Milk inspired him to write the movie. Winning the award for Best Actor is Sean Penn for his role as Harvey Milk, also giving a momentous speech by thanking America for voting for President Obama and for giving the gay community their corresponding rights.
In between the ceremony, there is great entertainment by host Jackman and Beyonce Knowles with another performance of mix songs of musical films, such as “Mamma Mia” and “Hairspray,” which kept the crowd awake.
Celebrities presenting the awards were actually funny. The usual Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Seth Rogen are enjoyable. A very humorous short clip that is very interesting was Seth Rogen and James Franco as their characters in “Pineapple Express” acting hilariously foolish while watching a clip of the films of 2008. It is a good gesture for them to present these clips during the Oscars, because most Oscars tend to get painful to watch, especially since it's so long.
The setting of the Oscars was magnificently put together, showing shiny crystals and floor lighting with different colors. The architecture of the theater includes not just the stage but the audience as well, which was clearly seen with a quick scan after commercial breaks.
Two of the most uplifting moments are when Penelope Cruz wins Best Supporting Actress for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and Kate Winslet wins Best Actress in the leading role of “The Reader,” followed by very impressive speeches. Cruz felt very honored and, speaking in her native language, dedicates the award to all her people in Spain. Winslet, surprised to be under the same category as Meryl Streep says, "You're going to have to suck this one up Meryl," in a "finally" tone which is understood considering it is her first time winning an Oscar award. Both Cruz's and Winslet's excitement are emotional and touching.
Even though host Jackman hardly appeared and must have been “taking a nap,” according to Will Smith, the ceremony still went smoothly and most importantly, was not as boring as previous ones.
The 81st Annual Academy Awards opens with host Hugh Jackman showing a wacky side of him by singing a song of the top best films nominees to win an Oscar. The comical performance surprises his audience and leaves them laughing as a good start for the best night of many actors and actresses. Comparing to previous Oscars, the 81st awards was only three hours and thirty minutes. It was still too long, but all of the awards were worth mentioning. One very meaningful award is Best Supporting Actor awarded to Heath Ledger for his performance in “The Dark Night” as the joker. On behalf of Ledger, his family accepted the award giving a nice speech of gratitude.
“Slumdog Millionaire” steals the attention when wining the Adapted-Screenplay Award for Simon Beaufoy, Best Cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle, film-editing and sound-mixing, plus Best Motion Picture by Christian Colson. The entire cast and crew happily joins Colson on the stage to accept the award. The film also wins an award for Best Score and Best Song “Jai Ho” by A.R. Rahman, which he was able to perform together with John Legend singing best song nominee from the film Wall-E.
Accepting the award for Best Original Screenplay is Dustin Lance Black for the film “Milk” giving a great speech of how the case of Harvey Milk inspired him to write the movie. Winning the award for Best Actor is Sean Penn for his role as Harvey Milk, also giving a momentous speech by thanking America for voting for President Obama and for giving the gay community their corresponding rights.
In between the ceremony, there is great entertainment by host Jackman and Beyonce Knowles with another performance of mix songs of musical films, such as “Mamma Mia” and “Hairspray,” which kept the crowd awake.
Celebrities presenting the awards were actually funny. The usual Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Seth Rogen are enjoyable. A very humorous short clip that is very interesting was Seth Rogen and James Franco as their characters in “Pineapple Express” acting hilariously foolish while watching a clip of the films of 2008. It is a good gesture for them to present these clips during the Oscars, because most Oscars tend to get painful to watch, especially since it's so long.
The setting of the Oscars was magnificently put together, showing shiny crystals and floor lighting with different colors. The architecture of the theater includes not just the stage but the audience as well, which was clearly seen with a quick scan after commercial breaks.
Two of the most uplifting moments are when Penelope Cruz wins Best Supporting Actress for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and Kate Winslet wins Best Actress in the leading role of “The Reader,” followed by very impressive speeches. Cruz felt very honored and, speaking in her native language, dedicates the award to all her people in Spain. Winslet, surprised to be under the same category as Meryl Streep says, "You're going to have to suck this one up Meryl," in a "finally" tone which is understood considering it is her first time winning an Oscar award. Both Cruz's and Winslet's excitement are emotional and touching.
Even though host Jackman hardly appeared and must have been “taking a nap,” according to Will Smith, the ceremony still went smoothly and most importantly, was not as boring as previous ones.
Nasty Comments about Celeb's Weight Hurt Fans
Writers cross the line from harmless entertainment to cruelty and dangerous messages. In the mind of a writer of a magazine or newspaper, photographers and any type of media, they see celebrities as follows: “Celebrities’ feelings are not hurt when they hear negative comments about their weights. It is their job to look good and stay in shape. They are rich, self-centered, like the fame, and they signed up for it, so therefore, they need to stop being so sensitive when people point and laugh when they see that celebrities are not so perfect after all.” But what should be on their mind is, celebrities are human! They shouldn’t be judged by how many pounds they gain. The appearance of celebrities is something that is refined to make them look appealing on the television. The media thinks it is what people want to see, but what people want to see is their talent. After all, that is the reason why they became famous.
Many celebrities get their pictures taken whether they like it or not. They are mostly taken in bad moments, because tabloids always want to find any tiny negative issue and exaggerate on details to sell their story. Recently, the issue is celebrities not maintaining their shaped figures and tabloids going overboard on their comments, which harms both celebrities and fans self-esteem.
In an article in “The Huffington Post,” actress Jennifer Love Hewitt felt very strong about the pictures taken of her in Hawaii while wearing a bikini.
“This is the last time I will address this subject. I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size two is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size zero doesn't make you beautiful. What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini, put it on and stay strong.”
Many fans look up to their celebrities and want to look like them, so if they read in a magazine or see on television something negative said about them, they will take it personal and say they were fat all along. According to a teen health article in About.com, television and movies are the reason why 54 percent American girls and women aged 12 to 23 years old are unhappy with their bodies. About 5 to 10 million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. It is ridiculous that so many women and girls go through so much insecurity at such an early age. What is needed to keep in mind is at age 12, girls are entering their adolescent years when puberty and self-esteem is developed. The media takes advantage of this and attacks these adolescent girls by exposing them to “perfect figures,” which can cause low self-esteem.
Role model Tyra Banks gained a few pounds throughout her career, but not as much as tabloids exaggerate. Pictures expose her huge thighs with cellulites oozing out of her bathing suit. They were disgusted and disappointed at the fact Banks would tell models how to look and she couldn’t maintain her model figure herself.
“It was really hurtful to me. I get so much mail from young girls who say, ‘I look up to you, you’re not as skinny as everyone else, I think you’re beautiful,’” Banks says. “So when they say that my body is ‘ugly’ and ‘disgusting,’ what does that make those girls feel like?”
To avoid any conflict about the news of her weight gain, in “The Tyra Banks Show,” Banks had an episode of overweight teenage girls who have eating disorders and tried helping them by giving them advice of how their disease can be treated. Self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner, who suffered from eating disorders, says recovery can take many shapes in someone’s life, but many that recover are healthier than ever.
Oprah Winfrey was known for having thyroids at some time in her career. In “O The Oprah Magazine,” in January 2009, Winfrey wrote an article called “How Did I Let This Happen Again.” She expresses her struggle of her eating disorder and the depression she was going through and tells the public how she was able to overcome her goal of not wanting to be thin, but of becoming healthy and strong.
“My goal isn't to be thin. My goal is for my body to be the weight it can hold—to be strong and healthy and fit, to be itself. My goal is to learn to embrace this body and to be grateful every day for what it has given me.”
Every women needs to take this into consideration, especially coming from a celebrity who is a woman that has been through all the trouble of low self-esteem. Celebrities are humans too and no human would want to be put on the spot for his or her augmentation in weight. It not only affects celebrities, but also their fans and their self-esteem.
So people, and by people, celebrities fall under that general category too, gain weight and lose weight. The media should only critique celebrities’ performances, voices, dance skills, and their character and how they express it through their work, because their talent is what makes them famous and their effort is what makes them a great role model.
Many celebrities get their pictures taken whether they like it or not. They are mostly taken in bad moments, because tabloids always want to find any tiny negative issue and exaggerate on details to sell their story. Recently, the issue is celebrities not maintaining their shaped figures and tabloids going overboard on their comments, which harms both celebrities and fans self-esteem.
In an article in “The Huffington Post,” actress Jennifer Love Hewitt felt very strong about the pictures taken of her in Hawaii while wearing a bikini.
“This is the last time I will address this subject. I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size two is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size zero doesn't make you beautiful. What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini, put it on and stay strong.”
Many fans look up to their celebrities and want to look like them, so if they read in a magazine or see on television something negative said about them, they will take it personal and say they were fat all along. According to a teen health article in About.com, television and movies are the reason why 54 percent American girls and women aged 12 to 23 years old are unhappy with their bodies. About 5 to 10 million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. It is ridiculous that so many women and girls go through so much insecurity at such an early age. What is needed to keep in mind is at age 12, girls are entering their adolescent years when puberty and self-esteem is developed. The media takes advantage of this and attacks these adolescent girls by exposing them to “perfect figures,” which can cause low self-esteem.
Role model Tyra Banks gained a few pounds throughout her career, but not as much as tabloids exaggerate. Pictures expose her huge thighs with cellulites oozing out of her bathing suit. They were disgusted and disappointed at the fact Banks would tell models how to look and she couldn’t maintain her model figure herself.
“It was really hurtful to me. I get so much mail from young girls who say, ‘I look up to you, you’re not as skinny as everyone else, I think you’re beautiful,’” Banks says. “So when they say that my body is ‘ugly’ and ‘disgusting,’ what does that make those girls feel like?”
To avoid any conflict about the news of her weight gain, in “The Tyra Banks Show,” Banks had an episode of overweight teenage girls who have eating disorders and tried helping them by giving them advice of how their disease can be treated. Self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner, who suffered from eating disorders, says recovery can take many shapes in someone’s life, but many that recover are healthier than ever.
Oprah Winfrey was known for having thyroids at some time in her career. In “O The Oprah Magazine,” in January 2009, Winfrey wrote an article called “How Did I Let This Happen Again.” She expresses her struggle of her eating disorder and the depression she was going through and tells the public how she was able to overcome her goal of not wanting to be thin, but of becoming healthy and strong.
“My goal isn't to be thin. My goal is for my body to be the weight it can hold—to be strong and healthy and fit, to be itself. My goal is to learn to embrace this body and to be grateful every day for what it has given me.”
Every women needs to take this into consideration, especially coming from a celebrity who is a woman that has been through all the trouble of low self-esteem. Celebrities are humans too and no human would want to be put on the spot for his or her augmentation in weight. It not only affects celebrities, but also their fans and their self-esteem.
So people, and by people, celebrities fall under that general category too, gain weight and lose weight. The media should only critique celebrities’ performances, voices, dance skills, and their character and how they express it through their work, because their talent is what makes them famous and their effort is what makes them a great role model.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Revised Proposal
There have been a lot of situations where Jessica Simpson is a great example of a typical "stupid blonde" but she is actually not as dumb. My argument could be the fact that Simpson isn't as dumb as her fans think, and the fact that everyone talks about her in a negative way. They never find the good things she's done. I have a few examples of things she has done in the past year and currently.
Ex.1: On March 10, 2008, Simpson went to Kuwait to support the soldiers and have a concert which was streaming live on MySpace.
Ex.2: On Friday, February 20th, 2009, Simpson donated to a Mexican orphanage. She won a new Chrysler Town & Country van during the MTV Video Music Awards. She originally won a Crossfire Chrysler, which is a sportier car, but asked for the van instead, because it has more gas mileage. The name of the orphanage is Casa Hogar Elim in Nuevo Laredo. Simpson always visited the orphanage since she was 11 years old as a part of a Texas church group. She has been donating time and money for years. Right now she is working on auctioning the red dress on eBay, which she wore in her Super Bowl commercial for Pizza Hut.
These are two examples which contradict the stereotype of a "stupid blonde." I can talk about what a stupid blonde is suppose to act and give examples.
I can also talk about her race, which can contradict the "stupid blonde" stereotype. I will then get into what are Simpson's views on war, politics and the economy. So far, the visit to Kuwait is one view of war. I can say what else she is doing about the economy or how it is effecting her.
Ex.1: On March 10, 2008, Simpson went to Kuwait to support the soldiers and have a concert which was streaming live on MySpace.
Ex.2: On Friday, February 20th, 2009, Simpson donated to a Mexican orphanage. She won a new Chrysler Town & Country van during the MTV Video Music Awards. She originally won a Crossfire Chrysler, which is a sportier car, but asked for the van instead, because it has more gas mileage. The name of the orphanage is Casa Hogar Elim in Nuevo Laredo. Simpson always visited the orphanage since she was 11 years old as a part of a Texas church group. She has been donating time and money for years. Right now she is working on auctioning the red dress on eBay, which she wore in her Super Bowl commercial for Pizza Hut.
These are two examples which contradict the stereotype of a "stupid blonde." I can talk about what a stupid blonde is suppose to act and give examples.
I can also talk about her race, which can contradict the "stupid blonde" stereotype. I will then get into what are Simpson's views on war, politics and the economy. So far, the visit to Kuwait is one view of war. I can say what else she is doing about the economy or how it is effecting her.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Indians Embrace the Triumph of "Slumdog" as a Victory of Their Country
By Somini Sengupta
NYT, The Arts, C7
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
This article is about how successful “Slumdog Millionaire” is and how India finally has something to be proud of. It has a good lede, which tells what the article is going to be about. Sengupta says one day it’s all about depictions of filth and brutality fueled angry blogging and stray street protests, and all of a sudden, India wakes up to the news of “Slumdog” winning 8 awards, and the country went “Jai Ho,” which means “Let there be victory.”
The article goes on into a summary of what happened at the Oscars when A.R. Rahman was awarded for best score and best song. Sengupta also talks about his performance and Rahman’s speech, which he dedicated the Oscar to his country.
Sengupta “but” statement is when she says India has never been so proud of their country since the time the man who played Gandhi, but he was only part Indian so it didn’t matter to them as much. But for “Slumdog,” even though it was a movie made by a British director and screenwriter, and backed up by two American studios, almost the entire cast was from India and the movie took place in India. The main character, Dev Patel is British, but of Indian descent.
The article ends with a quote from 9-year-old star Rubina Ali Qureishi’s mother Mrs. Qureishi saying she is very excited to have a daughter come back home, greeting her with her favorite food, Chinese style noodles. “She has crossed the ocean. With God‘s blessing she will return.”
NYT, The Arts, C7
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
This article is about how successful “Slumdog Millionaire” is and how India finally has something to be proud of. It has a good lede, which tells what the article is going to be about. Sengupta says one day it’s all about depictions of filth and brutality fueled angry blogging and stray street protests, and all of a sudden, India wakes up to the news of “Slumdog” winning 8 awards, and the country went “Jai Ho,” which means “Let there be victory.”
The article goes on into a summary of what happened at the Oscars when A.R. Rahman was awarded for best score and best song. Sengupta also talks about his performance and Rahman’s speech, which he dedicated the Oscar to his country.
Sengupta “but” statement is when she says India has never been so proud of their country since the time the man who played Gandhi, but he was only part Indian so it didn’t matter to them as much. But for “Slumdog,” even though it was a movie made by a British director and screenwriter, and backed up by two American studios, almost the entire cast was from India and the movie took place in India. The main character, Dev Patel is British, but of Indian descent.
The article ends with a quote from 9-year-old star Rubina Ali Qureishi’s mother Mrs. Qureishi saying she is very excited to have a daughter come back home, greeting her with her favorite food, Chinese style noodles. “She has crossed the ocean. With God‘s blessing she will return.”
Monday, February 23, 2009
"Where There's Hope There's Oscar"
David Carr
NYT-Weekends Arts
Friday, February 20th, 2009
There is a huge colored picture in the front, which draws a lot of attention to the article. There is a woman jumping on a man’s back and reaching for an Oscar from the man who’s handing them out, but teasing at the same time. Aside from this picture, the article starts with a very strong lede as if the picture is not enough. The lede is about a person looking into their mailbox and seeing bills when magically an invitation pops up for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Then the person realizes it’s a scribbled note from their neighbor inviting her to come to her house to watch the awards on ABC in her widescreen and promises a treat of her special nachos.
Carr mentions The New York Times Oscar Website, which is a daily blogger where people write who they think might win an award. He has “The Carpetbagger‘s 2009 Predictions” where he predicts the winners of the top twelve most important categories with a little explanation as to why he thinks that person will win the award.
Carr ends the article with a question: “And finally, given that many will be watching through less than rose-colored glasses, can Hollywood find a way to acknowledge the ties we are living in without giving in to the gloom?”
NYT-Weekends Arts
Friday, February 20th, 2009
There is a huge colored picture in the front, which draws a lot of attention to the article. There is a woman jumping on a man’s back and reaching for an Oscar from the man who’s handing them out, but teasing at the same time. Aside from this picture, the article starts with a very strong lede as if the picture is not enough. The lede is about a person looking into their mailbox and seeing bills when magically an invitation pops up for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Then the person realizes it’s a scribbled note from their neighbor inviting her to come to her house to watch the awards on ABC in her widescreen and promises a treat of her special nachos.
Carr mentions The New York Times Oscar Website, which is a daily blogger where people write who they think might win an award. He has “The Carpetbagger‘s 2009 Predictions” where he predicts the winners of the top twelve most important categories with a little explanation as to why he thinks that person will win the award.
Carr ends the article with a question: “And finally, given that many will be watching through less than rose-colored glasses, can Hollywood find a way to acknowledge the ties we are living in without giving in to the gloom?”
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wrenching Film Poses Marketing Challenge
By: Brooks Barnes
Thursday, Feb 5, 2009
The Arts C1
This article is about an award-winning film “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” and how it has a lot of racial conflict. Marketing executives feel the film is more for an African American audience, and is hard to attract white audiences. The film is having marketing challenges; the film’s marketing cost is suppose to be $25 million, and so far they only have $5.5 millions from Lionsgate. Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry were sent a copy of “Push” and were asked to lend support. They both agreed and felt the film is very powerful and is highly recommended to the public.
The lede is confusing, because you can‘t really tell what her review is about.
“Dark and depressing rarely does very well at the box office, and with life outside the multiplex so rough these days, people see to be gravitating toward fluffy fare more than ever.” Barnes.
I think she is talking about the movie, but since the movie hasn’t even come out yet, no one would know what she is talking about.
The “but” statement is in the fourth paragraph which says even though the movie won three top awards at the Sundance Film Festival, it has a lot of negative imagery. Then Barnes mentions the marketing challenges it is facing.
The kicker is a quote from Oprah Winfrey saying how the movie “is raw and powerful and splits her open.”
Thursday, Feb 5, 2009
The Arts C1
This article is about an award-winning film “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” and how it has a lot of racial conflict. Marketing executives feel the film is more for an African American audience, and is hard to attract white audiences. The film is having marketing challenges; the film’s marketing cost is suppose to be $25 million, and so far they only have $5.5 millions from Lionsgate. Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry were sent a copy of “Push” and were asked to lend support. They both agreed and felt the film is very powerful and is highly recommended to the public.
The lede is confusing, because you can‘t really tell what her review is about.
“Dark and depressing rarely does very well at the box office, and with life outside the multiplex so rough these days, people see to be gravitating toward fluffy fare more than ever.” Barnes.
I think she is talking about the movie, but since the movie hasn’t even come out yet, no one would know what she is talking about.
The “but” statement is in the fourth paragraph which says even though the movie won three top awards at the Sundance Film Festival, it has a lot of negative imagery. Then Barnes mentions the marketing challenges it is facing.
The kicker is a quote from Oprah Winfrey saying how the movie “is raw and powerful and splits her open.”
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I Wish I Was Uninvited
Director Thomas Guard not only gives you the plate of food, but also spoon-feeds it to you. Based on the previews of this horror movie, one knows the plot, so the movie gets so predictable that the horror scenes are not surprising. The ending is unexpected, but confusion arises about the beginning and middle of the movie after the truth is revealed in the climax.
The horror film “The Uninvited,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Emily Browning has a good plot of an evil stepmother who feels uninvited by the daughters of Steven (David Strathairn), a book writer who starts dating Rachel (Banks), the nurse of his ill wife who dies in a tragic fire, helplessly in bed in the guest house. The daughters, Anna (Browning) and Alex (Arielle Kebbel) suspect Rachel of murdering their mother.
The movie starts off with Anna talking to her psychiatrist in a mental hospital, where she was placed after a huge break down when her mother died. The doctor gives her the news of finally being able to go home and “finish what she started.” Again, this movie is so predictable, one can guess that this phrase is so awkward, the writers Craig Rosenberg and Carlo Bernard, would not let it stand alone. This phrase is brought up again later on in the movie, which answers the question of the real reason why Anna was placed in the mental hospital.
Even though the movie is very obvious, Browning saves the movie and steals attention. She does a good job in playing her role as the girl who gets dreams and experiences deja vus of Rachel’s so called victims who are trying to tell her something. Browning is very convincing in expressing the hard time she is going through with her mother’s death and her father dating the evil woman.
The relationship between the two sisters is very strong. Anna and Alex are really close even though they have different personalities. Alex is the rebel teenager who goes to parties, gets drunk and is very flirty with the guys. Anna is the emotional one, but seems to go more insane throughout the movie.
Banks performance is poorly applauded. It is hard to picture her as a scary character after seeing her performance in the comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” with Seth Rogen as Zack’s (Rogen) best friend. Banks also has a more sophisticated, serious role in the film “W.” with Josh Brolin where Banks plays Laura Bush, George W. Bush‘s wife.
In “The Uninvited,” Banks gives unblinking stares and short pauses after every few awkward sentences that slowly become irritating after a while, causing the film to lose its role of a horror movie.
So, if you weren’t invited to watch this movie, you would want to remain uninvited. This “want to be horror film” is definitely not a movie anyone would want to see twice.
The horror film “The Uninvited,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Emily Browning has a good plot of an evil stepmother who feels uninvited by the daughters of Steven (David Strathairn), a book writer who starts dating Rachel (Banks), the nurse of his ill wife who dies in a tragic fire, helplessly in bed in the guest house. The daughters, Anna (Browning) and Alex (Arielle Kebbel) suspect Rachel of murdering their mother.
The movie starts off with Anna talking to her psychiatrist in a mental hospital, where she was placed after a huge break down when her mother died. The doctor gives her the news of finally being able to go home and “finish what she started.” Again, this movie is so predictable, one can guess that this phrase is so awkward, the writers Craig Rosenberg and Carlo Bernard, would not let it stand alone. This phrase is brought up again later on in the movie, which answers the question of the real reason why Anna was placed in the mental hospital.
Even though the movie is very obvious, Browning saves the movie and steals attention. She does a good job in playing her role as the girl who gets dreams and experiences deja vus of Rachel’s so called victims who are trying to tell her something. Browning is very convincing in expressing the hard time she is going through with her mother’s death and her father dating the evil woman.
The relationship between the two sisters is very strong. Anna and Alex are really close even though they have different personalities. Alex is the rebel teenager who goes to parties, gets drunk and is very flirty with the guys. Anna is the emotional one, but seems to go more insane throughout the movie.
Banks performance is poorly applauded. It is hard to picture her as a scary character after seeing her performance in the comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” with Seth Rogen as Zack’s (Rogen) best friend. Banks also has a more sophisticated, serious role in the film “W.” with Josh Brolin where Banks plays Laura Bush, George W. Bush‘s wife.
In “The Uninvited,” Banks gives unblinking stares and short pauses after every few awkward sentences that slowly become irritating after a while, causing the film to lose its role of a horror movie.
So, if you weren’t invited to watch this movie, you would want to remain uninvited. This “want to be horror film” is definitely not a movie anyone would want to see twice.
Two Bickering Sisters,a Stepmom and an Ominous Garbage Can
By: A.O. Scott
NYT, The Arts Pg. C10
The lede is mean, but funny and true. Scott uses first person and wrote his review in a feature story format, which I find very interesting. It makes the review entertaining. I can picture him sitting at the theater and having the two guys behind him commenting on how bad the movie is. The “but” statement is also in the lede, which is good, because he
tells the reader right away how he feels about the movie “The Uninvited.”
Scott spoke about how the film was suppose to be the remake of “A Tale of Two Sisters,” which is a horror film of two Korean sisters. He says it is nothing like it.
The kicker emphasizes on how much he regrets getting invited to watch the movie, which is funny, because my review on “The Uninvited” was similar to his, even though I read his review after I wrote mine.
NYT, The Arts Pg. C10
The lede is mean, but funny and true. Scott uses first person and wrote his review in a feature story format, which I find very interesting. It makes the review entertaining. I can picture him sitting at the theater and having the two guys behind him commenting on how bad the movie is. The “but” statement is also in the lede, which is good, because he
tells the reader right away how he feels about the movie “The Uninvited.”
Scott spoke about how the film was suppose to be the remake of “A Tale of Two Sisters,” which is a horror film of two Korean sisters. He says it is nothing like it.
The kicker emphasizes on how much he regrets getting invited to watch the movie, which is funny, because my review on “The Uninvited” was similar to his, even though I read his review after I wrote mine.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
I Wish I Was Uninvited
Director Thomas Guard not only gives you the plate of food, but also spoon-feeds it to you. The horror film “The Uninvited,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Emily Browning has a good plot of an evil stepmother who feels uninvited by the daughters of Steven (David Strathairn), a book writer who starts dating Rachel (Banks), the nurse of his ill wife who dies in a tragic fire, helplessly in bed in the guest house. The daughters, Anna (Browning) and Alex (Arielle Kebbel) suspect Rachel of murdering their mother.
Based on the previews of this horror movie, one knows the plot, so the movie gets predictable and cliché at some point that the horror scenes are not surprising. The ending is unexpected, but confusion arises about the beginning and middle of the movie after the truth is revealed in the climax.
The movie starts off with Anna talking to her psychiatrist in a mental hospital, where she was placed after a huge break down when her mother died. The doctor gives her the news of finally being able to go home and “finish what she started.” Again, this movie is so predictable, one can guess that this phrase is so awkward, the screenplay writers by Craig Rosenberg and Carlo Bernard, would not let it stand alone. This phrase is brought up again later on in the movie, which answers the question of the real reason why Anna was placed in the mental hospital.
Even though the movie is very obvious and cliché, Browning saves the movie and steals attention. She does a good job in playing her role as the girl who gets dreams and deja vus of Rachel’s so called victims who are trying to tell her something. Browning is very convincing in expressing the hard time she is going through with her mother’s death and her father dating the evil woman.
The relationship between the two sisters is very strong. Anna and Alex are really close even though they have different personalities. Alex is the rebel teenager who goes to parties, gets drunk and is very flirty with the guys. Anna is the emotional one, but seems to go more insane throughout the movie.
Banks performance is poorly applauded. It is hard to picture her as a scary character after seeing her performance in the comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” with Seth Rogen as Zack’s (Rogen) best friend. After years of being best friends and living together, they decide to make a porno when they realize the huge pile of unpaid bills and no possible way to pay them off. Banks also has a more sophisticated, serious role in the film “W.” with Josh Brolin where Banks plays Laura Bush, George W. Bush‘s wife.
In “The Uninvited,” produced by Walter F. Parkes, Banks gives unblinking stares and short pauses after every few awkward sentences that slowly become irritating after a while, causing the film to lose its role of a horror movie.
The “want to be horror film” “The Uninvited” is definitely not a movie anyone would want to see twice.
Based on the previews of this horror movie, one knows the plot, so the movie gets predictable and cliché at some point that the horror scenes are not surprising. The ending is unexpected, but confusion arises about the beginning and middle of the movie after the truth is revealed in the climax.
The movie starts off with Anna talking to her psychiatrist in a mental hospital, where she was placed after a huge break down when her mother died. The doctor gives her the news of finally being able to go home and “finish what she started.” Again, this movie is so predictable, one can guess that this phrase is so awkward, the screenplay writers by Craig Rosenberg and Carlo Bernard, would not let it stand alone. This phrase is brought up again later on in the movie, which answers the question of the real reason why Anna was placed in the mental hospital.
Even though the movie is very obvious and cliché, Browning saves the movie and steals attention. She does a good job in playing her role as the girl who gets dreams and deja vus of Rachel’s so called victims who are trying to tell her something. Browning is very convincing in expressing the hard time she is going through with her mother’s death and her father dating the evil woman.
The relationship between the two sisters is very strong. Anna and Alex are really close even though they have different personalities. Alex is the rebel teenager who goes to parties, gets drunk and is very flirty with the guys. Anna is the emotional one, but seems to go more insane throughout the movie.
Banks performance is poorly applauded. It is hard to picture her as a scary character after seeing her performance in the comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” with Seth Rogen as Zack’s (Rogen) best friend. After years of being best friends and living together, they decide to make a porno when they realize the huge pile of unpaid bills and no possible way to pay them off. Banks also has a more sophisticated, serious role in the film “W.” with Josh Brolin where Banks plays Laura Bush, George W. Bush‘s wife.
In “The Uninvited,” produced by Walter F. Parkes, Banks gives unblinking stares and short pauses after every few awkward sentences that slowly become irritating after a while, causing the film to lose its role of a horror movie.
The “want to be horror film” “The Uninvited” is definitely not a movie anyone would want to see twice.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
From Food Court to Box Office
Sales May Be Off, but Mall Guards Are Hot in Hollywood
By: Dave Itzkoff
NYT, Tuesday, January 22, 2009
The movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” starring the comedian Kevin James, recently was released last week. It opened at No. 1 making $39.2 million in the first four days. This article is about this film and a film starring Seth Rogen in the comedy “Observe and Report,” which has almost the same plot of a mall cop who teams up with a detective.
He also wrote, according to Jeff Blake, chairman for worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony, that the movie couldn’t have come out in a better time, because it came out during the time retail sales declined for the past six months, and that it was a good idea, because it is a film that makes people laugh in these economic times.
In the lede, Itzkoff starts off with a good criticism of “Mall Cop.” He compares the job of a shopping-mall security officer to a car salesman and a hedge-fund manager, because they gain public admiration, which means their jobs are very entertaining. His “but” statement is the fifth paragraph. After mentioning the other works that involve a mall cop character, he sees why is it that the writers chose to make these films, because he feels there is something “irresistible” about the American mall. And then he gives an example as to why he thinks that way, (“Disneyland version of what the world‘s supposed to be“). The kicker is a quote from Malachy Kavanagh, a communications executive for the International Council of Shopping Centers (a trade group).
By: Dave Itzkoff
NYT, Tuesday, January 22, 2009
The movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” starring the comedian Kevin James, recently was released last week. It opened at No. 1 making $39.2 million in the first four days. This article is about this film and a film starring Seth Rogen in the comedy “Observe and Report,” which has almost the same plot of a mall cop who teams up with a detective.
He also wrote, according to Jeff Blake, chairman for worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony, that the movie couldn’t have come out in a better time, because it came out during the time retail sales declined for the past six months, and that it was a good idea, because it is a film that makes people laugh in these economic times.
In the lede, Itzkoff starts off with a good criticism of “Mall Cop.” He compares the job of a shopping-mall security officer to a car salesman and a hedge-fund manager, because they gain public admiration, which means their jobs are very entertaining. His “but” statement is the fifth paragraph. After mentioning the other works that involve a mall cop character, he sees why is it that the writers chose to make these films, because he feels there is something “irresistible” about the American mall. And then he gives an example as to why he thinks that way, (“Disneyland version of what the world‘s supposed to be“). The kicker is a quote from Malachy Kavanagh, a communications executive for the International Council of Shopping Centers (a trade group).
Elements of Style
One thing I would like to work on is omitting needless words. I tend to overwrite, which causes me to take a long time in revising. I sometimes lose track of making sure I write in the same tense. When writing a review, one is suppose to write in present tense, but when giving a little summary of a film or documentary, I write in past tense. I also still get confused when knowing when to use “affect” or “effect.” These are the things I need to work on so I can improve my writing in general.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Critic as Artist
Gilbert explains in detail to Ernest the importance of having critics and how their work projects the artists’ work and by critiquing, the critic becomes an artist as well. This is vise versa, because an artist must critique other artists in order to embrace it and create their own art, so it is as if the artist and the critic are one.
Gilbert chooses to present the critics as an artist, because critics need to know what they are talking about. The critic needs to take art and show us the meaning of it. They need to think as artists and reveal something that is not obvious. People don’t learn and appreciate the art work without knowing the message the art portraits. This supports Gilbert’s theory: “The highest criticism, then, is more creative than creation, and the primary aim of the critic is to see the object as in itself it really is not, ” (Ernest, 907).
I agree with Gilbert’s projection of a critic, because Gilbert also mentions that it is much harder to talk than to act. He combines language as the parent and action as a child, because the parent knows language but the child only does action, because it doesn’t know language. I feel that I am a child, because I don’t know much about the arts in order to critique it, which is one of the key points Gilbert points out.
Gilbert chooses to present the critics as an artist, because critics need to know what they are talking about. The critic needs to take art and show us the meaning of it. They need to think as artists and reveal something that is not obvious. People don’t learn and appreciate the art work without knowing the message the art portraits. This supports Gilbert’s theory: “The highest criticism, then, is more creative than creation, and the primary aim of the critic is to see the object as in itself it really is not, ” (Ernest, 907).
I agree with Gilbert’s projection of a critic, because Gilbert also mentions that it is much harder to talk than to act. He combines language as the parent and action as a child, because the parent knows language but the child only does action, because it doesn’t know language. I feel that I am a child, because I don’t know much about the arts in order to critique it, which is one of the key points Gilbert points out.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Finally! The End of Torture
The documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side” gives shocks and shivers when detainees (terrorism suspects) are brutally kicked in the legs while chained in awkward positions, being questioned naked, getting forced to masturbate, and having violent dogs bark in their faces in Bagram, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“Taxi to the Dark Side,” winner of an Oscar for best documentary of the year, written, produced and directed by Alex Gibney, shows the inhumane actions that are made upon the helpless detainees, but ends up being too long and a huge hit to the head.
President Obama recently signed for the termination of Guantanamo Bay, and ordered for the Central Intelligence Agency to close the prison within a year. According to government officials, President Obama says he will allow the C.I.A officers to continue taking in and transferring terrorism suspects, but they cannot keep them for a long time.
This documentary finally gives voice to those Afghani prisoners of war who are waiting to be heard. Dilawar, an innocent taxi driver is brought in to Bagram on December 5th, 2002. Five days after his arrival he is found dead hanging from handcuffs in his cell. Dilawar was what they called “pulpified:” He was kicked in the legs causing trauma and massive tissue damage. Officers in charge of Bagram sent a death certificate to Dilawar‘s family reporting his death as a homicide.
A week before Dilawar’s death, another detainee died of pulmonary conditions. The man had received beatings before he was captured. He had blood clots in his lungs and tissue damage in his legs and died within a few months of his arrival.
“Bad apples,” soldiers who were sent to protect the prisoners, but were ordered to abuse them instead, were charged with maltreatment, maiming, and homicide. However, high officials were not charged at all and moved onto higher positions.
The photos and the interviews of the soldiers, high officials, the prisoners, and news footage are the most outrageous, intense ingredients necessary to create this masterpiece, but they are overwhelming.
As a journalist and editor of “Taxi to the Dark Side,” Robert Scheer is experienced in putting pieces of information together to fit as a very informative documentary, which allows the viewers to take note of how the Bush Administration violates the Geneva Convention.
In a recent New York Times article, Dennis C. Blair, soon to be director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, quotes in a written statement: “Any program of detention and interrogation must comply with the Geneva Conventions, the Conventions on Torture, and the Constitution. There must be clear standards for humane treatment that apply to all agencies of U.S. Government, including the Intelligence Community.”
Finally the torture will end. President Obama prefers detainees to be prosecuted in federal courts or in the military justice systems, which gives detainees the same rights as American civilians. Detainees will be given lawyers and a chance to release any information about Al-Qaeda.
“Taxi to the Dark Side” is a mind blowing, attention grabbing news feeder that can be disturbing to watch.
“Taxi to the Dark Side,” winner of an Oscar for best documentary of the year, written, produced and directed by Alex Gibney, shows the inhumane actions that are made upon the helpless detainees, but ends up being too long and a huge hit to the head.
President Obama recently signed for the termination of Guantanamo Bay, and ordered for the Central Intelligence Agency to close the prison within a year. According to government officials, President Obama says he will allow the C.I.A officers to continue taking in and transferring terrorism suspects, but they cannot keep them for a long time.
This documentary finally gives voice to those Afghani prisoners of war who are waiting to be heard. Dilawar, an innocent taxi driver is brought in to Bagram on December 5th, 2002. Five days after his arrival he is found dead hanging from handcuffs in his cell. Dilawar was what they called “pulpified:” He was kicked in the legs causing trauma and massive tissue damage. Officers in charge of Bagram sent a death certificate to Dilawar‘s family reporting his death as a homicide.
A week before Dilawar’s death, another detainee died of pulmonary conditions. The man had received beatings before he was captured. He had blood clots in his lungs and tissue damage in his legs and died within a few months of his arrival.
“Bad apples,” soldiers who were sent to protect the prisoners, but were ordered to abuse them instead, were charged with maltreatment, maiming, and homicide. However, high officials were not charged at all and moved onto higher positions.
The photos and the interviews of the soldiers, high officials, the prisoners, and news footage are the most outrageous, intense ingredients necessary to create this masterpiece, but they are overwhelming.
As a journalist and editor of “Taxi to the Dark Side,” Robert Scheer is experienced in putting pieces of information together to fit as a very informative documentary, which allows the viewers to take note of how the Bush Administration violates the Geneva Convention.
In a recent New York Times article, Dennis C. Blair, soon to be director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, quotes in a written statement: “Any program of detention and interrogation must comply with the Geneva Conventions, the Conventions on Torture, and the Constitution. There must be clear standards for humane treatment that apply to all agencies of U.S. Government, including the Intelligence Community.”
Finally the torture will end. President Obama prefers detainees to be prosecuted in federal courts or in the military justice systems, which gives detainees the same rights as American civilians. Detainees will be given lawyers and a chance to release any information about Al-Qaeda.
“Taxi to the Dark Side” is a mind blowing, attention grabbing news feeder that can be disturbing to watch.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Link of a Review of "Live from Baghdad"
This is the link where I got the names of the characters and the producers, etc. THis is a really good review of the film "Live from Baghdad."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E2DB1030F93BA25752C1A9649C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E2DB1030F93BA25752C1A9649C8B63
A Rapper's Tale Larger Than Life
Published by: A.O. Scott
New York Times-Weekend Arts C1
January 16th, 2009
As soon as you read the first sentence of this article, you can tell how the reviewer feels about the film “Notorious.” A.O. Scott’s tone sounds disappointed because the movie ended up being a recap of Biggie Smalls’s life and how he became a rapper with the help of Sean Combs while also being a drug dealer at an early age. Scott feels that the movie was not as intense as the lyrics of his songs and the acting and the script was not as great as he thought it would be. But Scott then says the movie was not so bad, but he was expecting more of the film since Biggie Smalls is a great idol in today’s adolescent years.
Scott explained all the difficulties Biggie (Jamal Woolard) went through growing up in Brooklyn, NY and getting made fun of for his physical features and the absence of his father by the kids in school. Biggie had a child in his teenage years, got married at an early age with Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) and had another relationship with Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton). Lets not forget the major conflict of the film, which is Biggie’s rival Tupac. Scott mentions that the performance of Anthony Mackie (Tupac) and Derek Luke (Sean Combs) were nothing like the real life person of those artists today.
The “but” statement in this review is in the very last paragraph: “So “Notorious” settles into a curious comfort zone; it’s half pop fable, half naturalistic docudrama. Not a bad movie, but nowhere near as strong as its soundtrack. It does not explain its hero so much as revel in the memory of his many selves, teasing the audience with a promise of intimacy and understanding much as Biggie himself did, but without the same seductive payoff…” (Scott, pg C6).
Scott summarizes the whole point of his review, but also saying that the movie is not that bad.
New York Times-Weekend Arts C1
January 16th, 2009
As soon as you read the first sentence of this article, you can tell how the reviewer feels about the film “Notorious.” A.O. Scott’s tone sounds disappointed because the movie ended up being a recap of Biggie Smalls’s life and how he became a rapper with the help of Sean Combs while also being a drug dealer at an early age. Scott feels that the movie was not as intense as the lyrics of his songs and the acting and the script was not as great as he thought it would be. But Scott then says the movie was not so bad, but he was expecting more of the film since Biggie Smalls is a great idol in today’s adolescent years.
Scott explained all the difficulties Biggie (Jamal Woolard) went through growing up in Brooklyn, NY and getting made fun of for his physical features and the absence of his father by the kids in school. Biggie had a child in his teenage years, got married at an early age with Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) and had another relationship with Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton). Lets not forget the major conflict of the film, which is Biggie’s rival Tupac. Scott mentions that the performance of Anthony Mackie (Tupac) and Derek Luke (Sean Combs) were nothing like the real life person of those artists today.
The “but” statement in this review is in the very last paragraph: “So “Notorious” settles into a curious comfort zone; it’s half pop fable, half naturalistic docudrama. Not a bad movie, but nowhere near as strong as its soundtrack. It does not explain its hero so much as revel in the memory of his many selves, teasing the audience with a promise of intimacy and understanding much as Biggie himself did, but without the same seductive payoff…” (Scott, pg C6).
Scott summarizes the whole point of his review, but also saying that the movie is not that bad.
"Live from Baghdad" Review
Should I Stay and Risk My Life or Go Home?
CNN journalists put their lives in danger while struggling to be the only news channel in the world to be live from Baghdad to witness the bombing during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), both partners and producers, give a great performance in showing their dedication in getting what they came for: a live story.
The journalists stay at the Al-Rashid Hotel during their desired mission. Through their journey, they discover details that they encounter and broadcast it to the CNN network back in America.
The film “Live from Baghdad” is based on a real life action that occurred and made history for the CNN network. It was also based on a book written by Robert Wiener, the CNN producer that lead the Baghdad story at the time. Keaton, the producer/actor took the role of being the character of Wiener and re-enacted the most memorable event for CNN network.
The movie involves some humorous comments, but the action towards the important scenes are so intense and frightful, it focuses the audience to see the terrified yet strong journalists’ faces when they achieve to broadcast the bombing and stay alive.
Throughout the movie, Wiener fights to get the approval of Naji Al Hadithi (David Suchet), minister of Iraq to get an interview with President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hadithi and Wiener slowly build a relationship, which they somehow understand each other, considering the difference of being an American and Iraqis.
Another relationship that grows in the film is Bonham Carter’s character, Ingrid and Wiener. Wiener, married with children, becomes curious about any intimacies between him and Ingrid in the many drunken nights they’ve had during the many years they’ve worked together.
This film, directed by Mike Jackson and produced by George W. Perkins, manages to get the journalists to do what they came for and see the difficulty in achieving that goal considering the situation and the fact that they are Americans in a place that is being attacked by the U.S.
Executives of CNN network said the crew had a choice of leaving or staying, after the White House announced the time of the bombing and had advised for the journalists to depart. With great cinematography by Ivan Strasberg, the most intense scene is the crew becoming witnesses of the disaster of the city getting destroyed from the window of their room in the Al-Rashid Hotel.
The film expresses the fear that the Iraqis go through as the Persian Gulf war occurs, which gives the American viewers a chance to see how it affects the Iraqis instead of only seeing how it affects the Americans.
“Live from Baghdad” is a film that keeps people at the edge of their seat. This event made history and what they covered changed the views of the CNN network and the public.
CNN journalists put their lives in danger while struggling to be the only news channel in the world to be live from Baghdad to witness the bombing during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), both partners and producers, give a great performance in showing their dedication in getting what they came for: a live story.
The journalists stay at the Al-Rashid Hotel during their desired mission. Through their journey, they discover details that they encounter and broadcast it to the CNN network back in America.
The film “Live from Baghdad” is based on a real life action that occurred and made history for the CNN network. It was also based on a book written by Robert Wiener, the CNN producer that lead the Baghdad story at the time. Keaton, the producer/actor took the role of being the character of Wiener and re-enacted the most memorable event for CNN network.
The movie involves some humorous comments, but the action towards the important scenes are so intense and frightful, it focuses the audience to see the terrified yet strong journalists’ faces when they achieve to broadcast the bombing and stay alive.
Throughout the movie, Wiener fights to get the approval of Naji Al Hadithi (David Suchet), minister of Iraq to get an interview with President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hadithi and Wiener slowly build a relationship, which they somehow understand each other, considering the difference of being an American and Iraqis.
Another relationship that grows in the film is Bonham Carter’s character, Ingrid and Wiener. Wiener, married with children, becomes curious about any intimacies between him and Ingrid in the many drunken nights they’ve had during the many years they’ve worked together.
This film, directed by Mike Jackson and produced by George W. Perkins, manages to get the journalists to do what they came for and see the difficulty in achieving that goal considering the situation and the fact that they are Americans in a place that is being attacked by the U.S.
Executives of CNN network said the crew had a choice of leaving or staying, after the White House announced the time of the bombing and had advised for the journalists to depart. With great cinematography by Ivan Strasberg, the most intense scene is the crew becoming witnesses of the disaster of the city getting destroyed from the window of their room in the Al-Rashid Hotel.
The film expresses the fear that the Iraqis go through as the Persian Gulf war occurs, which gives the American viewers a chance to see how it affects the Iraqis instead of only seeing how it affects the Americans.
“Live from Baghdad” is a film that keeps people at the edge of their seat. This event made history and what they covered changed the views of the CNN network and the public.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Golden Globe Awards
Hollywood Finds Its Party Mood for the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony
By Brooke Barnes and Michael Cieply
The New York Times, The Arts
This article is about the globes that were awarded to celebrities for their work. The article began with which award was awarded to who and it mentioned some of the people who presented the awards. Barnes and Cieply wrote that the Golden Globe Awards was televised in more than 160 channels and more than 20 million people were expected to watch it. They even mentioned what other events were happening at the same time, which was the season premiere of “24” on Fox.
The tone of this article is a “success” tone, because the way Barnes and Cieply covered this event seems like everything went as usual; celebrities walk the red carpet, the awards are presented and received. Nothing special happened. The vocabulary was good, but not enough to excite the readers. One thing I liked about this article is , aside from what happened at the event, Barnes and Cieply compared the event to the Oscars and how the Golden Globe awards is more relaxed. At the end, they have a dinner party with champagne, which is not a big deal, but the Oscars party more than anything.
I like the sentence where they introduce the Disney Channel stars: “The press association had tried to curate a show that featured a younger set of stars, something that it had hoped to attract younger viewers. To that end, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, the stars of Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise, were presenters along with the Jonas Brothers.” -Barnes and Cieply
This is a great sentence, because the article was boring, and this excited me, because I am a Disney Channel fan. The article has no excitement to it, because it seems like the event is the same every year with different titles of the movies and artists that get awarded.
The “but” sentence was in the beginning of the middle part of the article. The sentence says that the Golden Globes was not taken seriously as an “artistic milestones” and has history of voting “idiosyncrasies,” but it is viewed as vital to maintaining momentum in the Oscar marathon.
By Brooke Barnes and Michael Cieply
The New York Times, The Arts
This article is about the globes that were awarded to celebrities for their work. The article began with which award was awarded to who and it mentioned some of the people who presented the awards. Barnes and Cieply wrote that the Golden Globe Awards was televised in more than 160 channels and more than 20 million people were expected to watch it. They even mentioned what other events were happening at the same time, which was the season premiere of “24” on Fox.
The tone of this article is a “success” tone, because the way Barnes and Cieply covered this event seems like everything went as usual; celebrities walk the red carpet, the awards are presented and received. Nothing special happened. The vocabulary was good, but not enough to excite the readers. One thing I liked about this article is , aside from what happened at the event, Barnes and Cieply compared the event to the Oscars and how the Golden Globe awards is more relaxed. At the end, they have a dinner party with champagne, which is not a big deal, but the Oscars party more than anything.
I like the sentence where they introduce the Disney Channel stars: “The press association had tried to curate a show that featured a younger set of stars, something that it had hoped to attract younger viewers. To that end, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, the stars of Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise, were presenters along with the Jonas Brothers.” -Barnes and Cieply
This is a great sentence, because the article was boring, and this excited me, because I am a Disney Channel fan. The article has no excitement to it, because it seems like the event is the same every year with different titles of the movies and artists that get awarded.
The “but” sentence was in the beginning of the middle part of the article. The sentence says that the Golden Globes was not taken seriously as an “artistic milestones” and has history of voting “idiosyncrasies,” but it is viewed as vital to maintaining momentum in the Oscar marathon.
Monday, January 12, 2009
“Gran Torino”
“Gran Torino,” starring and directed by Clint Eastwood, is an unexpectedly funny yet intense story that follows an old man stuck in a modern neighborhood with Hmong immigrants. Grumpy and growling, he approaches his life with anger and regret, which melts through his relationship with the neighbors. Connecting with their struggles, he finds a new way of re-evaluating his pains and hurts from the past, and begins a search for redemption.
The intolerable man’s attitude creates a humorous tone that brings laughter to the audience. Eastwood’s engaging film brings laughter, but finishes in a serious and unexpected note.
Eastwood’s character, Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Vietnam War, losses his wife at the beginning of the movie, and spends the day sitting on his porch, growling at every piece of life in his neighborhood. Kowalski is searing with pain from the violence that he’s faced, the shame and regret of how he carried himself throughout his life and found no comfort in his family or religion to release it. He accidentally becomes a hero to his next door neighbors when he intervenes in a fight and unknowingly saves them from gang violence. Comfort creeps into his life when the neighbors bring flowers and food to his doorstep for his heroism.
Along with the gratitude, the neighbors try to convince the old neighbor to accept their teenage son Thao, played by Bee Vang, to work for him after trying to steal his’72 Gran Torino one night. Kowalski ends up becoming the hero of the town, when the gang tries by force to drag Thao out of his own home to get him to join their gang. Kowalski, seeing the situation, comes out of his house with a rifle and scares off the gang-bangers for stepping on his lawn. To stop the family’s daily generous donations of food, Kowalski finally accepts Thao and puts him to work, which gradually leads to a bonding relationship.
His heroism continues when Thao’s sister, Sue, played by Ahney Her, was being man handled by a few teenage boys. The old man saves her from the trouble, which by then Sue realizes how fearless the old man is and how he is not as grumpy as he seems.
Bee Vang’s performance was convincing when playing the role of a teenager who struggles with learning how to be a man and staying away from the gang-bangers in a neighborhood in Detroit. Vang’s character feels passionate about learning and working for Kowalski. Throughout the movie, Thao quickly picks up the teachings of the old man. They spend time together and soon become close and depend on each other to find their purpose in life.
The intolerable man’s attitude creates a humorous tone that brings laughter to the audience. Eastwood’s engaging film brings laughter, but finishes in a serious and unexpected note.
Eastwood’s character, Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Vietnam War, losses his wife at the beginning of the movie, and spends the day sitting on his porch, growling at every piece of life in his neighborhood. Kowalski is searing with pain from the violence that he’s faced, the shame and regret of how he carried himself throughout his life and found no comfort in his family or religion to release it. He accidentally becomes a hero to his next door neighbors when he intervenes in a fight and unknowingly saves them from gang violence. Comfort creeps into his life when the neighbors bring flowers and food to his doorstep for his heroism.
Along with the gratitude, the neighbors try to convince the old neighbor to accept their teenage son Thao, played by Bee Vang, to work for him after trying to steal his’72 Gran Torino one night. Kowalski ends up becoming the hero of the town, when the gang tries by force to drag Thao out of his own home to get him to join their gang. Kowalski, seeing the situation, comes out of his house with a rifle and scares off the gang-bangers for stepping on his lawn. To stop the family’s daily generous donations of food, Kowalski finally accepts Thao and puts him to work, which gradually leads to a bonding relationship.
His heroism continues when Thao’s sister, Sue, played by Ahney Her, was being man handled by a few teenage boys. The old man saves her from the trouble, which by then Sue realizes how fearless the old man is and how he is not as grumpy as he seems.
Bee Vang’s performance was convincing when playing the role of a teenager who struggles with learning how to be a man and staying away from the gang-bangers in a neighborhood in Detroit. Vang’s character feels passionate about learning and working for Kowalski. Throughout the movie, Thao quickly picks up the teachings of the old man. They spend time together and soon become close and depend on each other to find their purpose in life.
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