Re: Stanford Field Trip

1. It came from Outer Space

2. The Day the Earth stood still

3. Spiral Stair Case

The day that would interest me the most would be Saturday. For the sake that, that day is the most greatest day that we can all hang out on a saturday to see a movie. Common' who doesn't want to see a movie on a saturday night?

My parents, unfortunately can't go. :/

Re: Eisenstein and Hitchcock

In the film Battleship Potemkin what had happened was that there was some intense close up shots. That shows the emotion of the film, how the characters react. It also shows how Eisenstein liked how he had used the film's close up shots at a very good angle. There were some low angle shots, and also a stationary camera. In the shower scene that we previously seen in Psycho, that had also the extreme close up, medium shot, also the high angle shot. The scene was memorable first, the taking place of a shower was pretty interesting. The certain film techniques, I also know that Hitchcock rarely even uses the close up, so that makes it memorable. Eisenstein was also probably influenced by German Expressionism characteristics, Hitchcock used his own methods as any other director the Auteur Theory.

Re: The Master of Suspense

He surely kind of goes back to German Expressionism. Also how he uses the Camera that makes lots of sense. The point of view and the montage that is used is quite unique I would have used those characteristics. It makes perfect sense and we also go back to the same stuff that other directors use. Well I have seen some Panning shots in Rear Window. It's a really good film, it shown the famous Pan shot in the beginning. Using Humor to break tension is one of the reasons why suspense is the big part of the film.

In the beginning, long shot was used to show the show down battle ground and also the camera spinning around when Tuco was looking around. Close up was used when Blondie dropped the rock on the ground, and also close ups were used on the three men right before they shot their guns. Medium shot was used to show the men's bodies from the waist up. The camera had shots that cut from person to person. Eye line match was used to show how the characters were looking at one another. There was a high angle shot of the rope of when Blondie wanted Tuco to put his neck through. The music was very dramatic and powerful. He creates a very strong show down that heightens with all of these shots and creates a montage of all these images put together.

Re: Evolution of the Western

Western has changed over time because of the increase in western television series, ideology formed the western was becoming outmoded in the new permissive society and the rise of violent spaghetti westerns. This reflect changes in the world because these story plots of these westerns influenced Japanese samurai films.

Re: Reinventing the Western

Characteristics of a western genre are heroes (cowboys)/and or outlaw heroes, good vs. evil, and the battle between cowboys and native americans and the usual setting takes place in western nights. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a western because the battle in the movie is between the outlaw and official hero. The setting was taken place in a western town. The Good, Bad, and the Ugly is different from the The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance because there is more of a western theme song, more intense battle scene wise and there's more of mysterious twists in the film and more film techniques.

Re: Film Timeline and Film Techniques

On the film timeline, we are studying the year 1959. The next unit will be focusing on films made in the 1960's. Different film techniques that deal with the International Cinema unit are jump cuts and tracking shots. Jump cuts were introduced in the film Breathless and tracking shots were used in the films The 400 Blows and Children of Heaven.

Re: Film Festival Reflection

Cost of a Soul! Oh, how the chills begin! Well those who saw "Cost of a Soul", really say that it's been one great movie, from one great independent film director. Those who aren't recognizable with the film "Cost of a soul" would be in the category of Film Noir/Crime/Modern-Gangster movie. The movie was overall great, I really did get the movie from start to finish, and it wouldn't be great without all the people just being they're BAD-ASS self. Yes, even the little girl, she was the best! "Cost of a Soul" can connect to a lot of the films we studied, but mostly about all of the film techniques, and the actors actually as well. There was a-lot of Invisible Editing, the editing would be natural, you wouldn't really know if they are just depicting a shot or just making it feel normal and just go with the flow of the characters. There was a bit of Method Acting coming from the main character, he really hit the spot for just acting as he would in the movie and then become as a normal person in modern life. There was also a part that the "old lady" stuck up to me, on how she really isn't a true actor after all, she actually went through the times with her family relatives that have been close to her in real life, and that reminded me a bit of Italian Neo-Realism in a way. I would give a bit of improvements, and a bit of work in the field of film. The suitcase would be just a bit to cheezy, we would actually get the same reaction with the suitcase in "Pup Fiction". Now don't get me started the Suitcase really means a lot, but the fact of the whole suitcase just tips the scale of "TOO MUCH!". For the actors, well there wasn't really that much of an improvement, they all made great progress with the type of film. Overall, this film was great! It really got me at the edge of my seat in some scenes, and I LOVED IT! I give the movie 4 ½ "ANGRY SHOOTING GRANNY'S" out of 5!

Re: Iranian Cinema

Iranian Cinema was well known inspired by its choice of actors, also the history in where they film their sets. They can film in some very antique and or you can say "historical" cities or landmarks of the country. Mainly it was influenced by its history and probably it's remarkable short films (e.g. Taste of Cherry, The Apple, Gabbeh). Some of the films in Iran had great plots. In brief, Iranian history and film making goes pretty well, like how Italian Neo-Realism came to play, with great history and enough actors and stories to hop on board.

Re: San Jose Film Festival

Full Length Films

1. Third World (Tercer Mundo)

2. The Pit

3. God is D_ad

4. Paulista (¿Quanto Dura o Amor?)

5. The Real Revolutionaries

Short Films

1. Abuelo

2. Attack from the Robots from Nebula - 5

3 The Desire ( El Deseo )

4. A Bike Ride

5. The Six Dollar Fifty Man

Re: Cinema in Iran

Rite now, everybody knows that Iran is in a bad shape, with all of the wars, and the plans of Al-Queda and the Taliban's of the middle east. I too know that they mostly have alot, and alot of fields, but I personally did know they had cinema, but in reality I thought they weren't that popular.

Five things that I learned was that they have a life like an average person does. They have the same kind of food as we do. They are mostly poor. Some of the people are very friendly, and how they face life without that much technology unlike the United States.

Re: Dogme vs. Italian Neorealism

Dogme:

1. All filming must be done on location. All props &sets can not be brought on location. If a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found.
2. Sound can not be produced, it must be real.
3. You must use a hand held camera, and it cannot stand still.
4. Only natural light. Only, if necessary, use ONE lamp connected to the camera.
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (that is to say that the film takes place here and now).
8. Must not have a genre.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen.
10. The director must not be credited.

This is very different from neorealism because not only is it reality, but it is also very strict and has lost of qualities of a low budget film would have

Re: Satire

The funniest shows that have satire that I have seen would be Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, and some Family Guy. Some great Satire shows would be Mad TV, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and of course the genius of Lewis Blacks' Root of all Evil.

Satire seems to be like a way to talk about a subject and just exaggerate on just the random options of what would happen. It usually revolves around the subject of Parody, Incongruity, and Exaggeration.

Re: Italian Neo-Realism

The origin of Italian Neo-Realism is in Italy when Mussolini got Italy under his power. After World War II, Mussolini was a Facist leader and it was a totalitarian government back then. The Films of Italy show us, "the Amuricans", that we have a paradise of the world and it shows that everyone wants to live in it. It portrays that Americans lives are peaceful. People were shown the glories of their 'roman' past. The movie of Italy doesn't want to show Fascism and promote Socialism.

The American influences for them was used for films, like film techniques, high angles, low angles, and a lot of other important film techniques.

Re: International Cinema vs. Hollywood Cinema

Hollywood Movies:

- The General

- Modern Times

- His Girl Friday

- Double Indemnity

- Casablanca

- Citizen Kane

- Angels w/ Dirty Faces

- It's a Wonderful Life

- On the Waterfront

- Rebel without a cause

International Movies

- Arrival At a Train Station

- A trip to the Moon

- Battleship Potemkin

- Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

- Metropolis

- The Last Laugh

Well, both of the Cinemas have great and some have understandable story lines. Only international movies have less restrictions. The acting styles are pretty much the same, how the character is portrayed, and how good he plays his part. The differences are that the stories don't end the same, and the heroes are more or less different than the average hero is.

Re: Method Acting

Method Acting is probably not the well known acting, but its known and used by actors. There's nothing different for using method acting. Relaxing helps the actor to reach a higher state of concentration, to help themselves in what they are focused for. Sense of memory helps recall certain senses that reminds actors and/or actresses of objects and experiences, such as bumps, scratches, curves, or any other detail they feel in the object they are focusing on. The emotional memory is used by actors to sense memory to recall emotional experiences. Characterization seems to be key in the set of exercises that help actors become more of a believable character, this will truly help them on what they have to do in a scene and/or in a performance in the scene and/or play.

Re: Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando, is possibly never mind cross that the best actor ever to be on the face of the eaohth'. There are a lot of examples my friend of him being his 'badass' self and making those hollywood corporation puppies purr like a walrus. Well there is a part in the movie of On the Waterfront that takes acting to a whole new level, like the scene where Edie and Terry are in the town park and Edie seems to drop her glove (which was an accident but was then taped) and just like the good ole' Marlon he takes the scene a bit more serious and to show his intimacy with Edie, he gets her dropped glove and puts it on. Great scene am I rite or what? Mr. Schrieber come on man, why would we compare the great bambino' to second class actors like Will Ferrel and that other guy, whats his name? Oh yeah! Tom Cruise. In conclusion my friend this great man has served the acting, movie, and mafia' business and needs to be credited for. Thanks Brando for those 80 years of you man, you deserve it!